cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Occam’s Razor for Parametric Families and Priors on the Space of Distributions

I define the razor, a natural measure of the complexity of a parametric family of distributions relative to a given true distribution. I show that empirical approximations of this quantity may be used to implement parsimonious inference schemes that favour simple models. In particular, the razor is seen to give finer classifications of model families than the Minimum Description Length principle as advocated by Rissanen. In a certain strong sense it is shown that the logarithm of the Bayesian posterior probability of a model family given a collection of data converges in the large sample limit to the logarithm of the razor of the family. This provides the most accurate asymptotics to date for Bayesian parametric inference. These results are derived by treating parametric families as manifolds embedded in the space of probability distributions. In the course of deriving a suitable integration measure on such manifolds, it is shown that, in a certain sense, a uniform prior on the space of probability distributions would induce a Jeffreys’ Prior on the parameters of a parametric family of distributions.
Applying clustering to the classification problem

The minimum-distance classifier (Duda & Hart, 1973) learns a single mean prototype for each class and uses a nearest neighbor approach for classification. A problem arises when classes cannot be accurately represented using a single prototype; multiple prototypes may be necessary. Our approach is to find groups of examples for each of the classes, generalize these groups into prototypes using a mean representation, and then classify using a nearest neighbor approach. K-means clustering is applied in unsupervised environments for finding groupings of examples. The problem with k-means clustering is finding the correct num
Public Health Significance of Rodents and Insects

On a worldwide basis, zoonotic and other infectious diseases transmitted to humans through the various machinations of arthropods and other animal species still represent the most important of all public health problems. The ability of these infectious agents to jump across species barriers to infect humans presents a formidable challenge to our survival instincts—not to mention our public health infrastructure. In the United States, we are somewhat less threatened by vector-borne diseases, but there are still significant examples of their occurrence. When global trade and transportation trends are considered, we cannot become complacent that we will remain isolated from problems anywhere on the planet. A good example is the importation of the tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), previously not found here, in used tires imported from Asia. This mosquito has already been shown to be capable of transmitting arboviral encephalitis in the United States. The potential for ticks and other ectoparasites to arrive on imported livestock and the potential for infected humans to travel around the world—in less time than the incubation period of many infectious diseases—signals the importance of constant surveillance to counter these threats.
Why The FCC’s Proposed Openness Principles Cannot and Should Not Apply to Internet Application and Content Providers

The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) that would codify rules aiming to preserve a free and open Internet for consumers. The NPRM appropriately concentrates on preventing broadband Internet access providers (“IAPs”) from acting as gatekeepers between end-users and online content and application providers. However, the NPRM does invite comments on a proposal of AT&T that openness principles be applied to Internet content and application providers. This paper strongly opposes AT&T’s imitative as both unlawful and unwise. The FCC’s appropriate concern about end user access to the Internet via IAPs does not justify an extension of regulatory oversight to include those entities providing content and applications. Regulating the vibrant application and content markets would constitute a departure from current policy and would threaten the open Internet.The paper provides an extensive analysis of what regulatory wingspan the FCC has to establish federal Internet policy. While the Commission does have some statutory authority to oversee operators of wire and radio, including IAPs, the Commission cannot extend its direct or ancillary jurisdiction to regulate providers of content and software applications. The paper also explains how the FCC has long-recognized competitive and operational distinctions between facilities-based network providers and services that depend on those networks to reach end-users. The paper concludes that factors supporting enforceable openness rules for IAPs do not exist for extending any such rules to Internet content and applications that run “over-the-top” of IAPs’ networks.
Attitudes and opinions of US neurosurgical residents toward research and scholarship: a national survey

OBJECTIVE The analysis of resident research productivity in neurosurgery has gained significant recent interest. Resident scholarly output affects departmental productivity, recruitment of future residents, and likelihood of future research careers. To maintain and improve opportunities for resident research, the authors evaluated factors that affect resident attitudes toward neurosurgical research on a national level. METHODS An online survey was distributed to all US neurosurgical residents. Questions assessed interest in research, perceived departmental support of research, and resident-perceived limitations in pursuing research. Residents were stratified based on number of publications above the median (AM; ≥ 14) or below the median (BM; < 14) for evaluation of factors influencing productivity. RESULTS A total of 278 resident responses from 82 US residency programs in 30 states were included (a 20% overall response rate). Residents predominantly desired future academic positions (53.2%), followed by private practice with some research (40.3%). Residents reported a mean ± SD of 11 ± 14 publications, which increased with postgraduate year level. The most common type of research involved retrospective cohort studies (24%) followed by laboratory/benchtop (19%) and case reports (18%). Residents as a group spent on average 14.1 ± 18.5 hours (median 7.0 hours) a week on research. Most residents (53.6%) had ≥ 12 months of protected research time. Mentorship (92.4%), research exposure (89.9%), and early interest in science (78.4%) had the greatest impact on interest in research while the most limiting factors were time (91.0%), call scheduling (47.1%), and funding/grants (37.1%). AM residents cited research exposure (p = 0.003), neurosurgery conference exposure (p = 0.02), formal research training prior to residency (p = 0.03), internal funding sources (p = 0.05), and software support (p = 0.02) as most important for their productivity. Moreover, more productive residents applied and received a higher number of < $10,000 and ≥ $10,000 grants (p < 0.05). A majority of residents (82.4%) agreed or strongly agreed with pursuing research throughout their professional careers. Overall, about half of residents (49.6%) were encouraged toward continued neurosurgical research, while the rest were neutral (36.7%) or discouraged (13.7%). Free-text responses helped to identify solutions on a departmental, regional, and national level that could increase interest in neurosurgical research. CONCLUSIONS This survey evaluates various factors affecting resident views toward research, which may also be seen in other specialties. Residents remain enthusiastic about neurosurgical research and offer several solutions to the ever-scarce commodities of time and funding within academic medicine.
Correlation between blast percentage in myelofibrosis and outcomes: A single-center experience.

e18562Background: Patients with accelerated phase (AP) myelofibrosis (MF; >10% blasts [BL] in bone marrow [BM] or peripheral blood [PB]) have shorter overall survival (OS) than those in the chronic...
Benefits of a Multidisciplinary Tracheostomy Team: Acute Care Experience

Purpose Although the tracheostomy is one of the most frequently performed procedures in the intensive care unit, there is little consensus in the postoperative management. Lack of standardization i...
Two-pore physiologically based pharmacokinetic model with de novo derived parameters for predicting plasma PK of different size protein therapeutics.

Two-pore PBPK models have been used for characterizing the PK of protein therapeutics since 1990s. However, widespread utilization of these models is hampered by the lack of a priori parameter values, which are typically estimated using the observed data. To overcome this hurdle, here we have presented the development of a two-pore PBPK model using de novo derived parameters. The PBPK model was validated using plasma PK data for different size proteins in mice. Using the “two pore theory” we were able to establish the relationship between protein size and key model parameters, such as: permeability-surface area product (PS), vascular reflection coefficient (σ), peclet number (Pe), and glomerular sieving coefficient (θ). The model accounted for size dependent changes in tissue extravasation and glomerular filtration. The model was able to a priori predict the PK of 8 different proteins: IgG (150 kDa), scFv-Fc (105 kDa), F(ab)2 (100 kDa, minibody (80 kDa), scFv2 (55 kDa), Fab (50 kDa), diabody (50 kDa), scFv (27 kDa), and nanobody (13 kDa). In addition, the model was able to provide unprecedented quantitative insight into the relative contribution of convective and diffusive pathway towards trans-capillary mass transportation of different size proteins. The two-pore PBPK model was also able to predict systemic clearance (CL) versus Molecular Weight relationship for different size proteins reasonably well. As such, the PBPK model proposed here represents a bottom-up systems PK model for protein therapeutics, which can serve as a generalized platform for the development of truly translational PBPK model for protein therapeutics.
Fragmented data routing based on exponentially distributed contacts and inter-contact times in DTNs

Abstract Existing works in data forwarding in delay tolerant networks often simplify the data transmission during a contact between two network nodes. One common assumption is that once transmitted, messages will always successfully arrive at the encounter node in its entirety regardless of the contact duration. The other common assumption is that messages are unfragmented, and are successfully transmitted only if the contact duration is long enough. If the contact duration is too short, the transmission will not complete, and the message needs to be re-transmitted in its entirety in the next contact. While the first assumption is unrealistic, the second assumption makes the routing strategy inefficient for large data items in network environments where most contact durations are short. In this work, we eliminate the assumption of unfragmented data, and propose a single-copy fragmented data routing strategy (FDR) that performs well with short contact durations. FDR considers the exponential distribution of inter-contact time, contact duration time, and fragmented data sizes when making forwarding decisions. We show that under short contact durations and large message sizes, our scheme can achieve up to 41% higher delivery rate and 38% lower delay compared to other routing strategies.
A Hybrid PSO-SVM Based Method for Degradation Process Prediction of Reciprocating Seal

Reciprocating machines such as piston pumps, compressors and internal combustion engines are widely used in several manufacturing industries including automobile, aircraft, paper, oil and gas, etc. Reciprocating seal located directly on the rod/piston of a reciprocating equipment is used for preventing leakage and reducing wear between two parts that are in relative motion. Seals failure is one of the foremost causes of breakdown of reciprocating machinery and such a failure can be catastrophic, resulting in costly downtime and large expenses. Assessment of reciprocating seal is extremely important in the manufacturing industry to avoid fatal breakdown of reciprocating equipment and machines. Prediction of time series using predictive maintenance practices and tools to estimate the evolution of the future conditions of the system is of great interest to the operators for taking timely and appropriate maintenance decisions. In this paper, we have built and trained a hybrid PSO-SVM model to predict the reciprocating seal degradation. Particle swarm optimization is used to optimize the penalty factor and kernel parameter of SVM model. Controlled experiments are designed and performed, and data collected from a dedicated experimental set-up is used to validate the proposed approach.
Machine Learning and the Cancer-Diagnosis Problem — No Gold Standard

Machine Learning and the Cancer-Diagnosis Problem Machine learning has the potential to be extremely useful in medicine, particularly in the interpretation of medical images. But it also has inhere...
Remembering Carole Adamsbaum (1939–2019)

Carole Adamsbaum died on October 4, 2019. She worked for decades as a sexuality educator at the high school and college levels, along with providing training for other educators. Carole also worked...
Mechanistic molecular motion of transition-metal mediated β-hydrogen transfer: quasiclassical trajectories reveal dynamically ballistic, dynamically unrelaxed, two step, and concerted mechanisms.

The transfer of a β-hydrogen from a metal-alkyl group to ethylene is a fundamental organometallic transformation. Previously proposed mechanisms for this transformation involve either a two-step β-hydrogen elimination and migratory insertion sequence with a metal hydride intermediate or a one-step concerted pathway. Here, we report density functional theory (DFT) quasiclassical direct dynamics trajectories that reveal new dynamical mechanisms for the β-hydrogen transfer of [Cp*RhIII(Et)(ethylene)]+. Despite the DFT energy landscape showing a two-step mechanism with a Rh–H intermediate, quasiclassical trajectories commencing from the β-hydrogen elimination transition state revealed complete dynamical skipping of this intermediate. The skipping occurred either extremely fast (typically <100 femtoseconds (fs)) through a dynamically ballistic mechanism or slower through a dynamically unrelaxed mechanism. Consistent with trajectories begun at the transition state, all trajectories initiated at the Rh–H intermediate show continuation along the reaction coordinate. All of these trajectory outcomes are consistent with the Rh–H intermediate <1 kcal mol−1 stabilized relative to the β-hydrogen elimination and migratory insertion transition states. For Co, which on the energy landscape is a one-step concerted mechanism, trajectories showed extremely fast traversing of the transition-state zone (<50 fs), and this concerted mechanism is dynamically different than the Rh ballistic mechanism. In contrast to Rh, for Ir, in addition to dynamically ballistic and unrelaxed mechanisms, trajectories also stopped at the Ir–H intermediate. This is consistent with an Ir–H intermediate that is stabilized by ∼3 kcal mol−1 relative to the β-hydrogen elimination and migratory insertion transition states. Overall, comparison of Rh to Co and Ir provides understanding of the relationship between the energy surface shape and resulting dynamical mechanisms of an organometallic transformation.
Clinical Reasoning: An adolescent girl presenting with worsening vertigo, headache, and ataxia.

A 16-year-old girl presents to the Emergency Department with 1 week of vertigo. Her vertiginous symptoms began acutely and were described as a sensation of the room spinning. She subsequently developed a headache, nausea, and difficulty walking. On day 2 of illness, her primary care physician prescribed a 5-day course of prednisone and meclizine twice daily. Her symptoms did not improve following the steroid course, prompting an outpatient MRI of the brain. This study identified sinus disease, but no intracranial abnormality. Her meclizine dose was increased, and she was started on cefdinir for treatment of sinusitis. However, her symptoms continued to worsen. At the time of presentation to our service, she was unable to stand due to the vertigo. She complained of headache and nausea and was found to have nystagmus, ataxia, and dysmetria on examination. The patient had experienced one episode of headache approximately a year prior to presentation but was otherwise healthy. Her family history was significant for a grandmother with multiple sclerosis (MS) and a brother with Factor V Leiden and prothrombin gene mutation.
General Adolescent Development

It was in 1904 when G. Stanley Hall, American psychologist and educator, labeled adolescence as a developmental period of “storm and stress.” Although adolescence may appear to be a stormy time, it’s also a period of great potential as young people engage more deeply with the world, culture, and people around them. Adolescents typically grow physically, begin to think more critically, try new opportunities, develop more varied and complex relationships, and experience identity formation, emotional variability, social influences, and risk-taking. In short, adolescence is a more than a significant period in terms of growth and development; it is a transition from childhood into adulthood.
Experiments on the Smart Village Testbed

A data base that documents multiple years of operation of four kWh-scale solar micro-grids based on lithium ferro phosphate batteries is discussed. The data base is fed from the University of Colorado at Boulder operated IEEE Smart Village (ISV) Testbed. The associated micro-grids are those that power the remote transceivers of this long range WiFi test system. Technology needed for long range WiFi operation is presented. Discussion is given to the origin of the ISV testbed with focus on the application of WiFi Long Distance (WiLD) technology to the developing world. A specific application for the testbed is considered in some detail. The use case is seen to dictate the data most needed from the testbed. Modifications presently being made to the testbed to improve the quality and availability of data generated for the data base are detailed. Completion of the improved data acquisition is seen to have been delayed by corona virus restrictions.
Strawberry Plant Wetness Detection Using Color and Thermal Imaging

Leaf wetness is the presence of free water on the surface of a crop canopy. It is mainly caused due to factors such as rainfall, dew, and irrigation. The duration for which water is present on the crop surface is called the leaf wetness duration (LWD). The relationship between leaf wetness and plant disease has been studied for centuries. It has been found that the rate of infection is directly linked to the temperature of plants during the wet periods. Thus, it is imperative to detect and monitor the presence of water on the plant surface. Currently, the most popular solution for this purpose is to use electronic leaf wetness sensors which are difficult to calibrate and are not user friendly. This research aimed at detecting leaf wetness in strawberry plants using noninvasive optical methods such as color and thermal imaging. It was found that color imaging yielded good classification results for differentiating between wet and dry leaf surfaces. However, its dependence on illumination conditions was a drawback. Thermal imaging proved to be useful when using high-resolution cameras for water droplet detection but was dependent on ambient weather conditions. The results suggested that fusing color and thermal imaging technologies could compensate for the drawbacks present when using these technologies individually and could prove to be potent in detecting leaf wetness.
A Toolkit for the Spatiotemporal Analysis of Eutrophication Using Multispectral Imagery Collected from Drones

This paper describes a toolkit for analyzing changes in algae levels in bodies of water as an indicator of eutrophication. Eutrophication is caused by the excessive nutrient loading in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to fertilizer runoff. The enriched water can cause dense growth of plant life (e.g. algae blooms) in the water. When this growth dies, the bacteria associated with decomposition consumes oxygen from the water, which can create a hypoxic environment (i.e. insufficient oxygen to sustain life). Not only is this an environmental problem, but also an economic problem. The estimated cost of damage mediated by eutrophication in the U.S. alone is approximately $2.2 billion annually. These costs come from a variety of factors: parks losing revenue from forced closure, clean up, and removal of algae. The key components of the system discussed in this paper are a drone, multispectral camera, and a spatial and temporal analysis software toolkit. The multispectral camera stores images on a removable SD card that are then imported into ArcGIS. Analysis is done through a custom Python toolkit created to determine vegetation health levels in bodies of water. The key focus of analysis is using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values captured from multispectral imaging to compare the different vegetation levels across various flight days. This system can help users combat eutrophication by allowing them to identify patterns and trends in the algal growth in bodies of water they manage in near real time. This may help, for example, identify patterns in fertilization and algal growth, and ultimately aid in keeping bodies of water healthy.
Management of Opioid Overdoses

The incidence of opioid-related deaths has increased recently, and clinicians treating patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) and emergency department (ED) must be prepared to manage opioid overdoses. Overdoses in the ICU can occur in an iatrogenic fashion, as with excessive dose administration, or surreptitiously, as commonly encountered in the ED. Clinicians should approach initial management of such patients as they do in any resuscitation and ensure systematic assessment of adequate circulation, airway, and breathing function. The competitive opioid antagonist naloxone can be administered to reverse the effects of opioid-induced respiratory depression. Care must be taken to avoid inducing acute opioid withdrawal, however, particularly in patients with a history of opioid use disorder. As the effects of naloxone are temporary and may not outlast the duration of action of certain opioids, particularly in toxic doses, clinicians should also consider initiating naloxone infusions.
Stages of CoopNet: A Multipath Parallel Link Architecture For Next-Gen Networks

Idle spectrum use and dynamic spectrum access are popular topics in academia and industry. Heterogenous networking is more popular than ever, with mobile offloading being the biggest motivator. Current communication implements several new protocols, such as 802.11u WiFi Certified Passpoint, multipath transmission control protocol (MPTCP), 5G Core Access Traffic Steering, Switching, and Splitting (ATSSS), and CoopNet. This paper introduces the primary methods and models included in the first two stages (Discovery and Decision) of the CoopNet multipath architecture defined in [1]. The discovery and decision stages are the fundamental stages necessary as proof of concept for experimental implementation. The results show that implementing just the first two stages improves the local communication throughput, delay, and utility, enabling new features, including introducing infrastructure as a service.
Unbiased inference of the fitness landscape ruggedness from imprecise fitness estimates.

Fitness landscapes map genotypes to their corresponding fitness under given environments and allow explaining and predicting evolutionary trajectories. Of particular interest is the landscape ruggedness or the unevenness of the landscape, because it impacts many aspects of evolution such as the likelihood that a population is trapped in a local fitness peak. Although the ruggedness has been inferred from a number of empirically mapped fitness landscapes, it is unclear to what extent this inference is affected by fitness estimation error, which is inevitable in the experimental determination of fitness landscapes. Here we address this question by simulating fitness landscapes under various theoretical models, with or without fitness estimation error. We find that all eight examined measures of landscape ruggedness are overestimated due to imprecise fitness quantification, but different measures are affected to different degrees. We devise a method to use replicate fitness measures to correct this bias and show that our method performs well under realistic conditions. We conclude that previously reported fitness landscape ruggedness is likely upward biased owing to the negligence of fitness estimation error and advise that future fitness landscape mapping should include at least three biological replicates to permit an unbiased inference of the ruggedness. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
A dual-institutional study on first-year practice outcomes of pediatric surgeons who trained in the era of work hour restrictions.

Background In July 2003, an 80-h work week restriction for residencies was mandated. This was met with skepticism regarding its potential impact on operative training. We hypothesized no difference in outcomes for pediatric surgeons who trained under duty hour restrictions compared to historical complication rates. Methods Dual-institutional review of pediatric patients who underwent five of the most common operations (2013-2018) by first-year pediatric surgeons who trained under duty hour restrictions was performed. Tests of proportions were used to compare complication rates to published rates on data collected prior to 2003. Results Patient mean age was 10.1 years. No significant differences (p values > 0.05) were found in laparoscopic appendectomy rates of infection, bleeding or intra-abdominal abscess compared to previously published rates. Pyloromyotomy rates of infection or duodenal perforation were not different. No differences were detected in rates of infection, recurrence or testicular atrophy for inguinal hernia repair. Umbilical hernia rates of infection, bleeding, and recurrence were also not different. There was no difference in CVC rates of hemopneumothoraces; significantly more bleeding events were detected (1.2% vs. 0.1%; p value = 0.04). Conclusion In this study, first-year complication rates of pediatric surgeons who trained under duty hour restrictions were not significantly different when compared to published rates.
Novel strategies for challenging scenarios encountered in managing myelofibrosis.

Given its rarity, multi-faceted clinical presentation and the relative paucity of approved therapies, the management of myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN)-associated myelofibrosis (MF) can be challenging. Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, the only approved agents at present, have brought many clinical benefits to patients, with prolongation of survival also demonstrated for ruxolitinib. However, these agents have clear limitations. Optimal management of anemia in MF remains a major unmet need. Neither ruxolitinib nor fedratinib is recommended for use in patients with severe thrombocytopenia, i.e. platelets <50 × 109/L, who have a particularly poor prognosis. The search for the optimal partner for JAK inhibitors to address some of the shortcomings of these agents (e.g. limited ability to improve bone marrow fibrosis, cytopenias and induce molecular responses) and achieve meaningful 'disease modification' continues. This has led to the development of a number of rational, preclinically synergistic combinations for use either upfront or in the setting of sub-optimal response to JAK inhibition. Finally, the outlook for patients whose disease progresses on JAK inhibitor therapy continues to be grim, and agents with alternative mechanisms of action may be needed in this setting. In this article, we use a case-based approach to illustrate challenges commonly encountered in clinical practice and our management of the same. Fortunately, there has been enormous growth in drug development efforts in the MF space in the last few years, some of which appear poised to bear fruit in the very near future.
Systemic Therapy Decision Making in Advanced Cancer: A Qualitative Analysis of Patient-Oncologist Encounters.

PURPOSE:We sought to characterize patient-oncologist communication and decision making about continuing or limiting systemic therapy in encounters after an initial consultation, with a particular f...
Successful Selection of Honeybees for Fast and Slow Hoarding of Sugar Syrup in the Laboratory

SummaryFive generations of two-way selection for hoarding behaviour by young, caged bees in the laboratory resulted in a fast and a slow line. In the fifth generation of selection, worker bees from the colonies of the fast line took an average of 5 days to collect 20 ml of sugar syrup from a vial, whereas workers from colonies of the slow line required slightly over 14 days. The colonies of the second, fourth and fifth generations of the selected lines were tested for weight gains in the field. Fast-line colonies of the second generation gained more weight than slow-line colonies in three field tests. Fast and slow colonies of the fourth and fifth generations showed similar weight gains. Some possible explanations for this lack of consistent superiority of the fast line are presented.
A fast, flexible network interface framework

The Network Interface Framework (NIF) is an object-oriented software architecture for providing networking services in the Choices object-oriented operating system. The NIF supports multiple client subsystems, provides clients with low-latency notification of received packets, and imposes no particular structure on clients. By contrast, traditional BSD UNIX-style networking does not meet the last two requirements, since it forces clients to use software interrupts and queueing. BSD UNIX cannot accomodate a process-based protocol subsystem such as the x-Kernel, whereas the NIF can. We have ported the x-Kernel to Choices by embedding it into the NIF. Using the standard x-Kernel protocol stack with NIF yields Ethernet performance comparable to BSD networking. The NIF is also flexible enough to support services that cannot easily be supported by traditional BSD, such as quality-of-service for multimedia. Preliminary performance results for asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks show that the NIF can be used to minimize jitter for continuous media data streams in the presence of non-realtime streams.
Organizing and delivering real projects for real clients courses: tutorial presentation

An RPRCC is a course in which students work in teams to develop real software for real clients, that is, software that solves a problem for or provides a service to the client, e.g., a member of the university's faculty or staff, a not-for-profit organization, a local government agency or a local business. In this tutorial we will discuss methods for tailoring an RPRCC to the individual instructor's educational objectives and to the available infrastructure resources.
Use of Low‐ and Medium‐Energy Gas from Coal in Ceramic Processes

Low- and medium-energy gas from coal (less than 13.0 MJ/m/SUP/3) is reciving renewed interest as an industrial fuel. This paper describes how basic flame properties (flashback, burning velocity, and quenching distance) can be used to predict burning characteristics of low-energy gas compared with natural gas. Experimental flame property data are presented for a variety of low-energy gas compositions covering the range of those expected from coal gasifiers. (7 refs.)
Alleviating the tension at low multipole through Axion Monodromy

There exists some tension on large scales between the Planck data and the $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\mathrm{CDM}$ concordance model of the Universe, which has been amplified by the recently claimed discovery of nonzero tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$. At the same time, the current best-fit value of $r$ suggests large field inflation $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}{\ensuremath{\phi}}_{\mathrm{inf}}g{M}_{p}$, which requires a UV complete description of inflation. A very promising working example that predicts large tensor modes and can be UV completed is axion monodromy inflation. This realization of inflation naturally produces oscillating features, as consequence of a broken shift symmetry. We analyze a combination of Planck, ACT, SPT, WMAP low $\ensuremath{\ell}$ polarization, and BICEP2 data and show a long wavelength feature from a periodic potential can alleviate the tension at low multipoles with an improvement $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}{\ensuremath{\chi}}^{2}\ensuremath{\simeq}2.5\ensuremath{-}4$ per degree of freedom, depending on the level of foreground subtraction. As with an introduction of running, one expects that any scale dependence should lead to a worsened fit at high multipoles. We show that the logarithmic nature of the axion feature in combination with a tilt ${n}_{s}\ensuremath{\sim}1$ allows the fit to be identical to a no-feature model at the 2% level on scales $100\ensuremath{\le}\ensuremath{\ell}\ensuremath{\le}3500$ and quite remarkably actually slightly improves the fit at scales $\ensuremath{\ell}g2000$. We also consider possible unremoved dust foregrounds and show that including these hardly changes the best-fit parameters. Corrected for potential foregrounds and fixing the frequency to the best fit value, we find an amplitude of the feature $\ensuremath{\delta}{n}_{s}=0.09{5}_{\ensuremath{-}0.05}^{+0.03}$, a spectral index ${n}_{s}=1.{0}_{\ensuremath{-}0.04}^{+0.03}$, the overall amplitude $\mathrm{log}1{0}^{10}{A}_{s}=3.06\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.04$, and a phase $\ensuremath{\phi}=0.8{5}_{\ensuremath{-}1.6}^{+0.9}$. These parameters suggest an axion decay constant of $f/{M}_{p}\ensuremath{\sim}\mathcal{O}(.01)$. We discuss how Planck measurements of the temperature-Emode polarization (TE) and Emode polarization-Emode polarization (EE) spectra can further constrain axion monodromy inflation with such a large feature. A measurement of the large scale structure power spectrum is even more promising, as the effect is much bigger since the tensor modes do not affect the large scales. At the same time, a feature could also lead to a lower ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{8}$, lifting the tension between cosmic microwave background and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) constraints on ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{8}$.
Usefulness of a Normal Coronary Angiogram in Patients Aged ≥65 Years to Foretell Survival

A normal coronary angiogram (CA) has been reported to confer a good prognosis. However, how this applies to patients aged ≥65 years is not well known. From 1986 to 1996, 11,625 patients aged ≥65 underwent coronary angiography. We identified 271 patients with either normal (NORM, n = 160) CA or <30% diameter stenosis disease (NEAR-NORM, n = 111). Using the Myocardial Infarction Data Acquisition System, we examined the probability of survival and the risk of developing an ischemic event or undergoing a revascularization procedure during an average of 15.1 ± 6.2 years (range 0.5 to 25.8 years). Matched actuarial subjects were used to compare survival to the general population. The incidence of an ischemic event was low (2.0 events per 100 persons/year for the NORM and 2.8 patients per 100 persons/year for the NEAR-NORM group, p = NS). Rates of revascularization were higher in the NEAR-NORM group compared to the NORM group (1 per 100 persons/year vs 0.5 per 100 persons/year, p = 0.04). During the 25.8-year follow-up, there were 77 deaths (48.4%) for the NORM and 64 (57.1%) for the NEAR-NORM group (χ2 = 1.7, NS). The NORM group survived 6,789 days, 1,517 more days than the actuarial subjects (95% confidence interval [CI] 1,072 to 1,956; p <0.0001) and the NEAR-NORM group survived 5,922 days, 875 more days (95% CI 368 to 1,376; p <0.005). In conclusion, patients with normal or near-normal CA at age ≥65 years have a low rate of myocardial ischemic events and have significantly longer survival than matched subjects from the general population.
Physiological responses of Opuntia ficus-indica to growth temperature

The influences of various day/night air temperatures on net CO2 uptake and nocturnal acid accumulation were determined for Opuntia ficus-indica, complementing previous studies on the water relations and responses to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) for this widely cultivated cactus. As for other Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plants, net nocturnal CO2 uptake had a relatively low optimal temperature, ranging from 11°C for plants grown at day/night air temperatures of 10°C/0°C to 23°C at 45°C/35°C. Stomatal opening, which occurred essentially only at night and was measured by changes in water vapor conductance, progressively decreased as the measurement temperature was raised. The CO2 residual conductance, which describes chlorenchyma properties, had a temperature optimum a few degrees higher than the optimum for net CO2 uptake at all growth temperatures. Nocturnal CO2 uptake and acid accumulation summed over the whole night were maximal for growth temperatures near 25°C/15°C, CO2 uptake decreasing more rapidly than acid accumulation as the growth temperature was raised. At day/night air temperatures that led to substantial nocturnal acid accumulation (25°C/15°C.). 90% saturation of acid accumulation required a higher total daily PAR than at non-optimal growth temperatures (10°C/0°C and 35°C/25°C). Also, the optimal temperature of net CO2 uptake shifted downward when the plants were under drought conditions at all three growth temperatures tested, possibly reflecting an increased fractional importance of respiration at the higher temperatures during drought. Thus, water status, ambient PAR, and growth temperatures must all be considered when predicting the temperature response of gas exchange for O. ficus-indica and presumably for other CAM plants.
The High Latitude Ionospheric Convection Pattern

Simple examination of models of the magnetic and electric field indicate that both direct connection with the interplanetary field and connection to the low-latitude boundary layer flow are required to explain many of the repeatable features in the observations of high latitude ionospheric motions. During times of southward IMF, these two sources of the electric field may not be easily discernible and during time of northward IMF the details of the magnetic field geometry are important in determining the geometry of the ionospheric convection cells. When both these sources of the electric field are considered, a transition from southward to northward IMF leads to distorted two-cell convection patterns that can contain multiple cell configurations.
Lysosomal enzyme activity in human aqueous humor

Activity of the lysosomal enzymes N-acetyl-beta-D-hexosaminidase, alpha-D-mannosidase, beta-D-glucuronidase, and beta-D-galactosidase was detected in aqueous humor from eyes undergoing intraocular surgery. There was no correlation between lysosomal enzyme activity and age. Lysosomal enzyme activity in human released by ocular tissues surrounding the anterior chamber including the cornea, trabecular meshwork, ciliary body, iris, and lens. Their release into aqueous humor may have a role in regulating aqueous outflow in normal and glaucomatous eyes.
A discussion of HIV/AIDS family interventions: implications for family-focused nursing practice.

Aim This article presents a discussion on the role of family interventions in HIV/AIDS disease prevention and care. Background Although HIV/AIDS epidemic and its impact on the society traditionally has been measured in terms of individual risk behaviours and individual-level HIV prevention, HIV/AIDS family-focused prevention and management strategies are increasingly becoming a priority. However, little is known as to what constitutes a HIV/AIDS family intervention. Data sources The search was limited to English and published literature starting in the year 1983 to date. CINAHL and PubMed were emphasized using a combination of text words and subject headings. Cochrane Library, PsycInfo, Scopus, and the ISI Web of Science databases were also searched using keywords and in the case of PsycInfo, subject headings were used. The main keywords were ‘nurse’, or ‘nursing’, ‘HIV/AIDS’, ‘family interventions’, ‘family support’ and ‘family education’, and/or ‘family subsystems’. Discussion The process of theorizing about ‘family interventions’ and ‘HIV/AIDS-family interventions’ is critical for putting forth essential components unique for designing culturally specific HIV/AIDS family interventions. In addition, any proposed design of HIV/AIDS family intervention should consider the impact of HIV/AIDS on the family across the family life span, disease trajectory, and from an interdisciplinary perspective. Conclusion Training needs of family nurses should be met when designing multidisciplinary HIV/AIDS-FIs. Furthermore, nurses should be proactive in advocating for HIV/AIDS family intervention and HIV/AIDS family policies to improve outcomes in family functioning, processes, and relationships. More needs to be done in regard to research on families, family interventions, effectiveness, and cost of family-focused approaches.
Surgical approaches to the distal radius

Introduction Fractures of the distal radius are among the most common fractures seen. They encompass a myriad of presentations and fracture patterns that often benefit from various open reduction and internal fixation techniques—including volar plating, dorsal plating, radial plating, intramedullary nailing, and fragment-specific fixation. In order to obtain optimal reduction of these fractures, surgeons require a thorough understanding of the anatomy and various surgical exposures.
Hepatic polyploidy and liver growth control

The onset of cellular polyploidy is recognized in all differentiated mammalian tissues. Polyploidy has been noted frequently in the normal liver, as well as in pathophysiological states of the liver. As insights into the significance of polyploidy accumulate gradually, it is becoming clear that cells belonging to high ploidy classes exhibit advancement toward terminal differentiation and cellular senescence with greater probabilities of apoptosis. Involvement of specific genetic abnormalities, such as impaired DNA repair, may lead to hepatocellular polyploidy. Working models indicate that extensive polyploidy could lead to organ failure, as well as to oncogenesis with activation of precancerous cell clones.
Gas Bubble Disease Introduction

In 1970, gas bubble disease was identified as a serious problem affecting salmonids in the Columbia and Snake river systems. The source of supersaturation was entrainment of air into water spilling over hydroelectric dams. Regional research projects focusing on tolerance bioassays were immediately implemented. Since then, the scope of gas bubble disease research has broadened to include problems in other aquatic systems, with other species. Emphasis has shifted from defining tolerance limits in bioassay systems to exploring behavioral and physiological aspects. Various methods of degasifying supersaturated water have been developed.
Stimulus generalization in monkeys following discrimination training with gray stimuli

Eight rhesus monkeys were trained on a successive discrimination problem with light gray and dark gray stimuli. Following training, generalization tests were given with variable stimuli ranging from white to black. Responses and response latencies were recorded. Responses were faster to the training stimulus values than to middle grays or to the extreme values on the lightness continuum. The theoretical implications of this as compared to other possible findings are developed.
Application of the Accelerated-Convergence Expansion to Pion-Nucleon Scattering

The accelerated-convergence expansion has generated some controversy in applications to single-energy analyses of kaon-nucleon scattering. We have applied this expansion to pion-nucleon scattering at 490 MeV as the first test of the method in a region where strong $s$-channel effects are in evidence. The ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{2}$ values obtained from the accelerated-convergence-expansion analyses are in no case lower than those obtained from the corresponding conventional analyses, and we make several comments to explain this result.
Moloney murine leukemia virus genomic RNA packaged in the absence of a full complement of wild type nucleocapsid protein

The current model for MLV genomic RNA (gRNA) packaging predicts that of the thousands of Gag proteins in a budding virion, only a small number (≤1%) may be necessary to recruit gRNA. Here, we examined the threshold limits of functional Gag required to package gRNA using wild-type (WT) and packaging deficient mutant nucleocapsid (NC) phenotypically mixed virions. Although gRNA packaging was severely diminished for the NC mutant, the residual encapsidated RNA dimer displayed motility on gels, thermostability, and integrity that was indistinguishable from that of WT. In phenotypically mixed virions, gRNA encapsidation recovered to within approximately two-fold of WT levels when the amount of WT NC was 5-10% of the total. Our results demonstrate that NC's roles in gRNA dimerization and packaging are genetically separable. Additionally, MLV gRNA packaging does not require 100% WT NC, but the amount of functional NC required is greater than the predicted minimum.
Inhibition of Hemostasis by a High Affinity Biogenic Amine-binding Protein from the Saliva of a Blood-feeding Insect

Abstract The saliva of the blood-feeding insectRhodnius prolixus contains numerous pharmacologically active substances. Included among these are a number of lipocalin proteins that bind various ligands important in hemostasis and inflammation. One such protein is a biogenic amine-binding protein (ABP) that binds serotonin, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. Based on amino acid alignments, it is most similar to the nitrophorin group of lipocalins found in the same insect species. Physiologically, this protein appears to act as both a vasodilator and platelet aggregation inhibitor. This protein inhibits smooth muscle contraction of the rat uterus in response to serotonin and of the rabbit aorta in response to norepinephrine. Platelet aggregation induced by a combination of low concentrations of ADP and either serotonin or epinephrine is inhibited because of the binding of serotonin and epinephrine. Potentiation of aggregation induced by low concentrations of collagen along with serotonin or epinephrine is also inhibited. Dissociation constants for biogenic amines were measured using isothermal titration calorimetry and the Hummel-Dreyer method of equilibrium gel filtration. In this manner, K d values of 102, 24, and 345 nm were found for serotonin, norepinephrine, and epinephrine, respectively. Molecular modeling of ABP suggests that ligand binding is mediated by interaction with the side chains of aromatic amino acids and charged residues that line the binding pocket.