cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract A08: Mechanistic dissection of Ral GTPase signaling in driving KRAS-dependent pancreatic cancer growth

The high frequency (95%) of KRAS mutations in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC), together with strong evidence for the KRAS dependency of PDAC growth, makes the K-Ras oncoprotein an attractive therapeutic target. However, to date the development of direct inhibitors of K-Ras has not been successful, with most efforts focused on targeting components of K-Ras downstream effector signaling. While the pharmaceutical industry has centered on inhibitors of the Raf or PI3K effector signaling pathways, there is substantial evidence that K-Ras-dependent cancer growth must rely on the activities of other effector pathways. Of those pathways, the Ral guanine nucleotide exchange factor RalGEF) effector pathway, leading to activation of the Ras-like (Ral) small GTPases is well-validated to drive PDAC growth. Interestingly, while the two Ral isoforms share significant sequence identity (82%) as well as the same set of effectors, our studies found that they have strikingly different roles in PDAC growth. While RalA but not RalB is necessary for PDAC anchorage-independent growth in vitro and tumorigenic growth in vivo, RalB is the critical driver of PDAC invasion in vitro and metastasis in vivo. The mechanistic basis for their different biological roles in cancer remains to be elucidated. We hypothesize that their divergent C-terminal sequences and the posttranslational modifications that they signal for result in distinct subcellular localizations that then contribute to Ral isoform-selective effector interactions that promote distinct biological consequences in PDAC. To evaluate our hypothesis, we initiated studies to determine the effector(s) that mediates RalA-dependent anchorage-independent growth and tumorigenesis in vivo, the effector(s) that mediates RalB-dependent invasion and metastasis in vivo; and the role of the C-terminal hypervariable domain in causing distinct RalA- and RalB-dependent phenotypes and effector utilization. We found that both RalA and RalB subcellular localization is dependent on the C-terminal CAAX tetrapeptide signaled modifications by Rce1 and ICMT. We also determined that RalB preferentially activated mTORC1 to regulate pancreatic tumor cell Matrigel migration, through the Sec5 effector and regulation of exocyst function. Citation Format: Leanna R. Gentry, Timothy D. Martin, David J. Reiner, Channing J. Der. Mechanistic dissection of Ral GTPase signaling in driving KRAS-dependent pancreatic cancer growth. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on RAS Oncogenes: From Biology to Therapy; Feb 24-27, 2014; Lake Buena Vista, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2014;12(12 Suppl):Abstract nr A08. doi: 10.1158/1557-3125.RASONC14-A08
Reconnecting Eye to Brain

Although much is known about the regenerative capacity of retinal ganglion cells, very significant barriers remain in our ability to restore visual function following traumatic injury or disease-induced degeneration. Here we summarize our current understanding of the factors regulating axon guidance and target engagement in regenerating axons, and review the state of the field of neural regeneration, focusing on the visual system and highlighting studies using other model systems that can inform analysis of visual system regeneration. This overview is motivated by a Society for Neuroscience Satellite meeting, “Reconnecting Neurons in the Visual System,” held in October 2015 sponsored by the National Eye Institute as part of their “Audacious Goals Initiative” and co-organized by Carol Mason (Columbia University) and Michael Crair (Yale University). The collective wisdom of the conference participants pointed to important gaps in our knowledge and barriers to progress in promoting the restoration of visual system function. This article is thus a summary of our existing understanding of visual system regeneration and provides a blueprint for future progress in the field.
Applying dynamic data collection to improve dry electrode system performance for a P300-based brain-computer interface.

Objective. Dry electrodes have an advantage over gel-based 'wet' electrodes by providing quicker set-up time for electroencephalography recording; however, the potentially poorer contact can result in noisier recordings. We examine the impact that this may have on brain–computer interface communication and potential approaches for mitigation. Approach. We present a performance comparison of wet and dry electrodes for use with the P300 speller system in both healthy participants and participants with communication disabilities (ALS and PLS), and investigate the potential for a data-driven dynamic data collection algorithm to compensate for the lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in dry systems. Main results. Performance results from sixteen healthy participants obtained in the standard static data collection environment demonstrate a substantial loss in accuracy with the dry system. Using a dynamic stopping algorithm, performance may have been improved by collecting more data in the dry system for ten healthy participants and eight participants with communication disabilities; however, the algorithm did not fully compensate for the lower SNR of the dry system. An analysis of the wet and dry system recordings revealed that delta and theta frequency band power (0.1–4 Hz and 4–8 Hz, respectively) are consistently higher in dry system recordings across participants, indicating that transient and drift artifacts may be an issue for dry systems. Significance. Using dry electrodes is desirable for reduced set-up time; however, this study demonstrates that online performance is significantly poorer than for wet electrodes for users with and without disabilities. We test a new application of dynamic stopping algorithms to compensate for poorer SNR. Dynamic stopping improved dry system performance; however, further signal processing efforts are likely necessary for full mitigation.
Effect of Temperature on Barium Sulfate Scale Inhibition of Diethylene Triamine Penta (Methylene Phosphonic Acid)

Laboratory experiments have been carried out to investigate the effect of temperature on the performance of diethylenetriamine penta (methylene phosphonic acid), DETPMP, against barium sulfate scale formation. This paper presents the findings from this recent experimental study. By maintaining both supersaturation and amount of equilibrium precipitation of barium sulfate constant in the test brines, it is found that as temperature increases from 25°C to 60°C, barium sulfate inhibition efficiency of DETPMP decreases considerably. However, as temperature increases further from 60°C to 95°C, the performance of DETPMP remains almost constant. Such phenomena were observed with test brines of different pHs and in absence/presence of hydrogen carbonate. Additional experiments of DETPMP adsorption on barium sulfate reagent powder show that adsorption on barium sulfate continuously increases as temperature rises. This suggests that the adsorption level of DETPMP on barium sulfate surface may not be the key factor in the nucleation inhibition or crystal growth retardation of barium sulfate, when temperature is a variable. Also it is found that for a given supersaturation and a given amount of equilibrium precipitation, the rate of barium sulfate precipitation increases as temperature elevates.
Multi-frequency optomechanical stiffness measurement of single adherent cells on a solid substrate with high throughput

Mechanical properties of a cell reflect its biological and pathological conditions and there have been active research efforts to develop high-throughput platforms to mechanically characterize single cells. Yet, many of these research efforts are focused on suspended cells and use a flow-through configuration. In this paper, the stiffness of single adherent cells are optomechanically characterized using the vibration-induced phase shift (VIPS) without detaching them from the substrate. With the VIPS measurements, the frequency and amplitude dependency of the cell stiffness is investigated and statistically significant difference in the cell stiffness is confirmed after exposure to various drugs affecting cytoskeleton network. Furthermore, a 3-dimensional finite element model of a cell on a vibrating substrate is developed to extract the mechanical property from the measured VIPS. The developed technique can characterize the mechanical properties of single adherent cells at multiple frequencies with high t...
China’s rapid growth and real exchange rate appreciation: Measuring the Balassa-Samuelson effect

Abstract The real exchange rate of the Chinese yuan vis-a-vis the U.S. dollar appreciated by 4.6% per year from 2005 to 2015 after a period of stability (1996–2004). The fast appreciation may appear to be a classic case of the Balassa-Samuelson effect. China during this period was on a path of manufacturing-led rapid growth and technological catch-up. As expected, there was a large difference in total factor productivity growth between the tradable and nontradable sectors, which contributed to real exchange rate appreciation. However, a decomposition of the annual 4.6% real exchange rate appreciation reveals that the magnitude of the Balassa-Samuelson effect was relatively small at 1.2 percentage points. The more important factor was real appreciation in the price of tradables (a rise in the price of China’s tradables relative to U.S. tradables) at 4.4 percentage points. This pattern—a modest Balassa-Samuelson effect and a large real appreciation in the price of tradables—was also present in Japan and Central and Eastern European transition economies, all of which experienced long-term real exchange rate appreciation during their high growth periods. China’s recent case adds to evidence that the magnitude of the Balassa-Samuelson effect is usually modest and does not account for the bulk of observed rapid real exchange rate appreciation in high growth economies.
Host and parasite thermal ecology jointly determine the effect of climate warming on epidemic dynamics

Host-parasite systems have intricately coupled life cycles, but each interactor can respond differently to changes in environmental variables like temperature. Although vital to predicting how parasitism will respond to climate change, thermal responses of both host and parasite in key traits affecting infection dynamics have rarely been quantified. Through temperature-controlled experiments on an ectothermic host-parasite system, we demonstrate an offset in the thermal optima for survival of infected and uninfected hosts and parasite production. We combine experimentally derived thermal performance curves with field data on seasonal host abundance and parasite prevalence to parameterize an epidemiological model and forecast the dynamical responses to plausible future climate-warming scenarios. In warming scenarios within the coastal southeastern United States, the model predicts sharp declines in parasite prevalence, with local parasite extinction occurring with as little as 2 °C warming. The northern portion of the parasite's current range could experience local increases in transmission, but assuming no thermal adaptation of the parasite, we find no evidence that the parasite will expand its range northward under warming. This work exemplifies that some host populations may experience reduced parasitism in a warming world and highlights the need to measure host and parasite thermal performance to predict infection responses to climate change.
FRACTIONAL FLOW RESERVE AND INSTANTANEOUS WAVE-FREE RATIO TO GUIDE CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFTING

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) and instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) to guide complete revascularization have not been adequately studied in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We compare an anatomic to a physiology-based assessment of moderate coronary lesions in patients
Intermittent Cathodic Protection Using Solar Power

An intermittent impressed current cathodic protection technique using photovoltaic energy was evaluated to determine it`s ability to protect bridge concrete piles in marine environments against corrosion. The technique uses commercially available anode systems to deliver the cathodic protection current to the concrete and onto the reinforcing steel. Cathodic protection current is only applied during the daytime hours. The magnitude of the applied current was based on sunlight availability. An evaluation was conducted on laboratory specimens as well as in the field. The laboratory work was performed on steel reinforced concrete specimens placed in simulated salt water tanks. For the field evaluation, ten prestressed concrete piles of a bridge structure with an existing rectifier powered cathodic protection system were used. In both cases, intermittent cathodic protection was provided. Polarization and depolarization of the steel reinforcement as well as the protection current delivered were monitored to evaluate the cathodic protection performance as well as the behavior of periodic polarization-depolarization.
A Module-Level Spring-Interconnected Stack Power Module

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and characterization of a module-level spring-interconnected stack power module for power semiconductor devices. The benefit of multilayer design capability offered by a low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) substrate is used for this module-level power module structure. A half-bridge configuration is demonstrated using two standalone wire-bondless power modules with parallel power semiconductor devices stacked on top of each other. An interconnection scheme consisting of conductive copper clamps and a spring-loaded LTCC interposer is adopted to form a module-level 3-D package structure. The low loop and stray parasitic inductances for the 3-D stack are achieved using an antiparallel current path configuration along with the wire-bondless approach and a low-profile spring interposer. For demonstration, silicon insulated-gate bipolar transistors and silicon carbide (SiC) Schottky barrier diodes are used to fabricate the hybrid 3-D stack. Static and transient electrical characteristics of the 3-D stack power module are evaluated through simulation and experimental measurements and compared with a wire-bonded half-bridge power module to investigate the performance improvement in switching characteristics of the 3-D module. High-voltage isolation test, leakage current test, and thermal cycling are performed to validate the spring-interconnected module-level 3-D stack structure.
On the Thermostatic Behavior of Elastomers

When a thermally expansible homogeneous isotropic elastic continuum is deformed isothermally, the mechanical work done on the body is partly stored as internal energy, partly converted to heat. In the range of strain up to about 10 percent (which is typical of natural rubber), the internal energy storage exceeds the work done so that heat must be added to the sample. Beyond the strain of 10 percent, heat is increasingly liberated. An equivalent statement conveys the information that, if the sample be stretched adiabatically, there is an initial temperature drop, then subsequent rise.
Minimum Procedural Safeguards and Customary International Law

It is the purpose of this chapter to examine the existing practice of states in order to determine whether or not there is a rule of customary international law which prescribes the procedural safeguards to which an alien is entitled if prosecuted by a host state.
Transcriptional regulation of cranial sensory placode development

Cranial sensory placodes derive from discrete patches of the head ectoderm and give rise to numerous sensory structures. During gastrulation, a specialized "neural border zone" forms around the neural plate in response to interactions between the neural and nonneural ectoderm and signals from adjacent mesodermal and/or endodermal tissues. This zone subsequently gives rise to two distinct precursor populations of the peripheral nervous system: the neural crest and the preplacodal ectoderm (PPE). The PPE is a common field from which all cranial sensory placodes arise (adenohypophyseal, olfactory, lens, trigeminal, epibranchial, otic). Members of the Six family of transcription factors are major regulators of PPE specification, in partnership with cofactor proteins such as Eya. Six gene activity also maintains tissue boundaries between the PPE, neural crest, and epidermis by repressing genes that specify the fates of those adjacent ectodermally derived domains. As the embryo acquires anterior-posterior identity, the PPE becomes transcriptionally regionalized, and it subsequently becomes subdivided into specific placodes with distinct developmental fates in response to signaling from adjacent tissues. Each placode is characterized by a unique transcriptional program that leads to the differentiation of highly specialized cells, such as neurosecretory cells, sensory receptor cells, chemosensory neurons, peripheral glia, and supporting cells. In this review, we summarize the transcriptional and signaling factors that regulate key steps of placode development, influence subsequent sensory neuron specification, and discuss what is known about mutations in some of the essential PPE genes that underlie human congenital syndromes.
Development of a Field Experiment of CO2 Storage in Coal Seams in the Upper Silesian Basin of Poland (Recopol)

Publisher Summary One option to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and thus control the overall levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, which has become an international priority in the wake of the Kyoto protocol, is permanent storage in subsurface coal seams, while producing methane simultaneously. The EU-funded RECOPOL project, which started in November 2001, aims at the development of the first European demonstration plant of CO2 storage in coal seams. An international consortium was formed to execute the research, design, construction, and operation within the RECOPOL project. This consortium is formed by research institutes, universities, and companies from the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, France, Australia, the United States, and by the IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Program. Overall co-ordination of the project is in the hands of TNO-NITG. The required research, design, and operation of the pilot field test are executed by an international consortium of research institutes, universities, and industrial partners. A site was selected in the Silesian Basin in Poland where two CBM-wells are located a short distance from each other. Injection was planned to start in the Summer of 2003. Reservoir modeling shows that the distance between the injection well and the updip production well should be less than 200 m to increase the chance of breakthrough of CO2 within the test period. Breakthrough is important for a thorough understanding of the process. After and during the injection period, monitoring will be performed by direct measurements of CO2-concentration and by time lapse seismic monitoring.
Part I: From the Homeland to the Frontier—From the Rhine to the Saar

As a literate man, Ruckert is drafted to help with the administration on the campaign, beginning with the busywork of inventorying the supply room. Then the officers assign him the almost impossible task of arranging the billeting of the troops with poor and reluctant peasants and villagers along the march through the Bavarian Palatinate. His story is rich with anecdotes; one day, he helps often-uncooperative soldiers with the paperwork of marrying their girlfriends back home, so as wives, they can get pensions if their husband is killed or disabled. Morale declines as they get closer to France. Ruckert’s feet are so swollen that he has to ride on the back of a primitive supply wagon. The war becomes real as they meet a column of wounded soldiers from the Battle of Spicheren just across the border. After 17 exhausting days, they cross the border into France.
E-band fiber laser performance and power analysis with longitudinally averaged population modeling

To help facilitate the modeling of new fiber laser systems, such as those with complex functional microstructures, we report on a simplified modeling methodology that can accommodate the parasitic kinetic effects often present in such systems. The essence of our approach is to integrate kinetics over the length of the gain medium at the outset, thereby forfeiting longitudinally resolved information about the system but simplifying its energetics analysis. To illustrate the benefits of our new approach over more conventional coupled-rate-equation analyses, we apply our model to an Nd3+-doped fiber laser operating on the F3/24−I413/2 transition at 1400 nm. The model produces closed-form solutions for the various output channels available to the pump power and enables projections of ultimate laser performance to be conveniently generated.
Evaluating the validity of subclassifying warfarin-associated nonuremic calciphylaxis: a retrospective cohort study.

Background Calciphylaxis is a devastating multifactorial disorder of the subcutaneous fat that is known to be associated with hypercoagulability. Recent literature has proposed subclassifying patients with calciphylaxis as having warfarin-associated or warfarin-unassociated disease. Aim We aimed to determine whether patients with warfarin-associated calciphylaxis differ clinically from patients with warfarin-unassociated calciphylaxis. Materials and methods We performed a subgroup analysis of patients with nonuremic calciphylaxis from a previously studied cohort and compared clinical and outcomes features of patients who were taking warfarin at the time of disease onset to those of patients who were not. Results Nineteen patients with nonuremic calciphylaxis were identified, including 10 (53%) who had been on warfarin at the time of disease onset and 9 (47%) who had not. Of all clinical and outcomes parameters tested, no significant differences were detected between the two groups. Discussion and conclusions Though this study is limited by its retrospective nature and the relatively small number of patients studied, available data do not support subclassifying patients with nonuremic calciphylaxis as having warfarin-associated or warfarin-unassociated disease. Rather, the body of literature would suggest that identification and correction of underlying disorders of hypercoagulability should be prioritized.
Mid-term radiological results of a cementless short humeral component in anatomical and reverse shoulder arthroplasty.

AimsShoulder arthroplasty using short humeral components is becoming increasingly popular. Some such components have been associated with relatively high rates of adverse radiological findings. The...
A New Stereo Benchmarking Dataset for Satellite Images.

In order to facilitate further research in stereo reconstruction with multi-date satellite images, the goal of this paper is to provide a set of stereo-rectified images and the associated groundtruthed disparities for 10 AOIs (Area of Interest) drawn from two sources: 8 AOIs from IARPA's MVS Challenge dataset and 2 AOIs from the CORE3D-Public dataset. The disparities were groundtruthed by first constructing a fused DSM from the stereo pairs and by aligning 30 cm LiDAR with the fused DSM. Unlike the existing benckmarking datasets, we have also carried out a quantitative evaluation of our groundtruthed disparities using human annotated points in two of the AOIs. Additionally, the rectification accuracy in our dataset is comparable to the same in the existing state-of-the-art stereo datasets. In general, we have used the WorldView-3 (WV3) images for the dataset, the exception being the UCSD area for which we have used both WV3 and WorldView-2 (WV2) images. All of the dataset images are now in the public domain. Since multi-date satellite images frequently include images acquired in different seasons (which creates challenges in finding corresponding pairs of pixels for stereo), our dataset also includes for each image a building mask over which the disparities estimated by stereo should prove reliable. Additional metadata included in the dataset includes information about each image's acquisition date and time, the azimuth and elevation angles of the camera, and the intersection angles for the two views in a stereo pair. Also included in the dataset are both quantitative and qualitative analyses of the accuracy of the groundtruthed disparity maps. Our dataset is available for download at \url{this https URL}
Bladder cancer caregiver quality of life and patient cancer severity.

456Background: Bladder cancer patients’ care is often managed by caregivers, yet caregiving can create a physiologic and emotional burden that compromises the caregivers’ own quality of life (QOL)....
THE SEQUELAE OF GIANT CELL MYOCARDITIS AND ITS RAPID PROGRESSION

Giant cell myocarditis is a rare, rapidly progressive disease that can be fatal if unidentified. A 33 year old male from Honduras with no past medical history presented to an outside hospital with dyspnea on exertion for one month. An echocardiogram was significant for an ejection fraction of 30%.
Painful Medical Diseases

Chronic pain related to painful medical diseases is an extensive field that requires more awareness and large clinical research trials into optimal treatments that can increase patient satisfaction and quality of life. Using a multidisciplinary approach requires an array of medications, in addition to behavioral/psychological, interventional, and physical therapy treatments. Multimodal therapy through various medications described in this chapter is also essential to creating a balanced treatment plan that reduces risk and side effects from any single agent, especially opioids. The opioid epidemic is no doubt prevalent at this time, and recent guidelines reinforce the need for improved patient and physician education and access to safer and more effective options. When opioids are essential for certain medical conditions, increased awareness of long-term side effects and associated comorbidities can optimize the balance between risks and benefits.
An investigation and analysis of animal plague in Huairou District of Beijing City between 2009 and 2011

Objective To investigate the species composition and quantitative dynamic state of rodent and parasitic flea in Huairou District of Beijing City,and to carry out serologic monitoring of animal plague.Methods Rodent density was investigated at different habitats in eight villages and towns between 2009 and 2011.Serum samples from captured rodents were detected by indirect hemagglutination test,and genotypes of collected parasitic fleas were identified.Results A total of 709 rodents which belong to eight different kinds were captured with a rodent density of 2.52％ (83/3 300),and Rattus niviventer and Apodemus peninsulae were dominant species,acounted for 46.4％ (329/709) and 18.1％(128/709),respctively.Five hundred and sixty-three serum samples of rodents were tested by plague indirect hemagglutination,and all of them were plague antibody negative.Two hundred fleas were checked with a flea infected rate of 29.63％ (48/162),and a flea index of 1.23; Paraceras crispus and Leptopsylla pavlovskii were dominant flea species,a total of 30 and 27,respectively.Conclusion Some environment conditions are suitable for rodents survival,even though there is no sign of animal plague epidemic. Key words: Natural focus; Rodent ; Plague
Reasoning about Durations.

A set of assertions is consistent provided they can all be true at the same time. Naive individuals could prove consistency using the formal rules of a logical calculus, but it calls for them to fa...
Praying to win: reflections on the involvement of God in the outcomes of sport:

This article applies to sport the question: to what extent is God involved in the outcomes of worldly affairs? It examines Lincoln Harvey’s assertion that sport is one unique area of creation in wh...
Intraarterial delivery of bevacizumab and cetuximab utilizing blood-brain barrier disruption in children with high-grade glioma and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma: results of a phase I trial.

Objective Delivery of drugs intraarterially to brain tumors has been demonstrated in adults. In this study, the authors initiated a phase I trial of superselective intraarterial cerebral infusion (SIACI) of bevacizumab and cetuximab in pediatric patients with refractory high-grade glioma (diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma [DIPG] and glioblastoma) to determine the safety and efficacy in this population. Methods SIACI was used to deliver mannitol (12.5 ml of 20% mannitol) to disrupt the blood-brain barrier (BBB), followed by bevacizumab (15 mg/kg) and cetuximab (200 mg/m2) to target VEGF and EGFR, respectively. Patients with brainstem tumors had a balloon inflated in the distal basilar artery during mannitol infusion. Results Thirteen patients were treated (10 with DIPG and 3 with high-grade glioma). Toxicities included grade I epistaxis (2 patients) and grade I rash (2 patients). There were no dose-limiting toxicities. Of the 10 symptomatic patients, 6 exhibited subjective improvement; 92% showed decreased enhancement on day 1 posttreatment MRI. Of 10 patients who underwent MRI at 1 month, 5 had progressive disease and 5 had stable disease on FLAIR, whereas contrast-enhanced scans demonstrated progressive disease in 4 patients, stable disease in 2, partial response in 2, and complete response in 1. The mean overall survival for the 10 DIPG patients was 519 days (17.3 months), with a mean posttreatment survival of 214.8 days (7.2 months). Conclusions SIACI of bevacizumab and cetuximab was well tolerated in all 13 children. The authors' results demonstrate safety of this method and warrant further study to determine efficacy. As molecular targets are clarified, novel means of bypassing the BBB, such as intraarterial therapy and convection-enhanced delivery, become more critical. Clinical trial registration no.: NCT01884740 (clinicaltrials.gov).
On the relationship between experienced microaggressions and mental health stigma among members of marginalized groups

Objectives: Members of historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups are more likely to experience racial and ethnic microaggressions (REMs), as well as to endorse greater mental health stigma...
Comprehensible narratives and connected grammar: Textbook design for classical Chinese as a foreign language

Abstract Classical Chinese is an integral component of the Chinese language curriculum at many American universities. However, which texts should be taught and how their grammar should be introduced in a textbook, are questions that have seldom been discussed. This article focuses on the selection of original texts and the mode of grammar explanation in an introductory-level textbook for undergraduate students who study Chinese as a second language. In the United States, more and more students study Classical Chinese for Mandarin-proficiency improvement and Chinese cultural perceptions. Responding to the trend, I argue that narrative texts and comparative grammar explanation would not only render a textbook more comprehensible and engaging, but also advance the learner’s practice of Classical Chinese knowledge in Modern Chinese production. This new design thus effectively connects Classical and Modern Chinese in both “content” and “form,” providing a new perspective to the curriculum development of overseas Chinese programs.
Current state and positive impact of hospital-based blood donor centers in the United States.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought tremendous challenges to the United States blood supply. Decreased collections have caused blood product shortages. The number of hospital-based donor centers (HBDCs) has decreased in the past decades, but they provide important support to their hospital systems. MATERIALS/METHODS: We identified 79 active HBDCs through an information request to the FDA. These centers were invited to participate in a survey about their activities, blood product collections, and perceived value. RESULTS: Thirty-six centers responded (46% response rate). The centers represented a wide range of states and geographic settings. Whole blood collection was most common, but some respondents also prepared specialized products such as COVID-19 convalescent plasma and pathogen-reduced platelets. Positive impacts of HBDCs included inventory availability, cost-effectiveness/savings, community outreach, supporting special patient populations, and collecting specialty products. All respondents anticipate at least stable operations, if not growth, in the future. CONCLUSION: HBDCs continue to be valuable assets in addressing emerging patient transfusion needs. Their unique offerings are tailored to the populations their hospitals support, and demonstrate the value in having the collection infrastructure in place to rapidly respond to critical shortages. This survey provides benchmark data about a broad group of HBDCs including products prepared, inventory self-sufficiency levels, and reasons for positive impact.
Significant Variation in Blood Transfusion Practice Persists following Upper GI Cancer Resection

Perioperative blood transfusions are costly and linked to adverse clinical outcomes. We investigated the factors associated with variation in blood transfusion utilization following upper gastrointestinal cancer resection and its association with infectious complications. The Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System was queried for elective esophagectomy, gastrectomy, and pancreatectomy for malignancy in NY State from 2001 to 2013. Bivariate and hierarchical logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the factors associated with receiving a perioperative allogeneic red blood cell transfusion. Additional multivariable analysis examined the relationship between transfusion and infectious complications. Among 14,875 patients who underwent upper GI cancer resection, 32 % of patients received a perioperative blood transfusion. After controlling for patient, surgeon, and hospital-level factors, significant variation in transfusion rates was present across both surgeons (p < 0.0001) and hospitals (p < 0.0001). Receipt of a blood transfusion was also independently associated with wound infection (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.47 and 1.91), pneumonia (OR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.74 and 2.26), and sepsis (OR = 2.49, 95% CI = 2.11 and 2.94). Significant variation in perioperative blood transfusion utilization is present at both the surgeon and hospital level. These findings are unexplained by patient-level factors and other known hospital characteristics, suggesting that variation is due to provider preferences and/or lack of standardized transfusion protocols. Implementing institutional transfusion guidelines is necessary to limit unwarranted variation and reduce infectious complication rates.
The threat of hepatitis B from dental school patients: A one-year study

A study was conducted at the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry using the radioimmunoassay technique of serum analysis for presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in all new patients accepted for treatment over a period of one year. The prevalence was 0.61 percent (22 seropositive patients from a total of 3,626 patients screened). Chronic HBsAg carriers, presence of e antigen, and high titers of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) were documented. Eighteen of the 22 seropositive patients had no past history of hepatitis, indicating the inadequacy of a history for revealing carriers of HBsAg.
Pervasive model adaptation: the integration of planning and information gathering in dynamic production systems

Model-based planning often presumes a static system model, while in a practice physical system may evolve or drift over time. This paper proposes the idea of pervasive model adaptation in a production system, where the model is dynamically updated using observation of production output. The core idea is the interplay between model adaptation and production planning. We seek plans which simultaneously serve the goals of achieving high productivity for production, and information gathering for model adaptation. We use a modular printing example to illustrate issues such as formulation of the information criterion and search strategy for informative plans. The idea of pervasive adaptation can be further extended to improve long term productivity in production systems.
Emerging problems in seafood-borne parasitic zoonoses: Jeffrey W. Brier summarizes reports presented at the First International Conference on Foodborne Parasitic Zoonoses, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Abstract The First International Conference on Foodborne Parasitic Zoonoses, 14–17 November 1990, at Chiang Mai University in Chiang Mai, Thailand, was organized by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education as their thirty-third seminar entitled Emerging Problems in Foodborne Parasitic Zoonosis: Impact on Agriculture and Human Health. It was attended by 120 representatives of 26 countries. The major objectives of the conference were to assess the current status of foodborne parasitic illness throughout the world, to describe current research activities in foodborne parasitic zoonoses, to discuss the impact of zoonotic and other foodborne parasitic illnesses on economics and industry, and to establish collaborative research efforts between conference attendees with similar interests. This article summarizes reports presented at the conference which relate specifically to seafood-borne parasitic zoonoses.
Use of Competitive PCR to Detect and Quantify Haplosporidium nelsoni Infection (MSX disease) in the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica)

This study was undertaken to develop a quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay that would improve the utility of PCR for detecting Haplosporidium nelsoni (MSX), a serious parasite of the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica. A competitive PCR sequence was generated from the H. nelsoni small subunit ribosomal DNA fragment, originally described by Stokes and colleagues, that was amplified by the same PCR primers and had similar amplification performance. Assays performed using competitor dilutions ranging from 0.05 to 500 pg/μl DNA were used to test oyster samples designated using histological techniques as having ``light'' or ``heavy'' MSX infections. Visual diagnoses were confirmed equally well with three methods: densitometry of ethidium-bromide-stained agarose, densitometry of SYBRGreen-stained polyacrylamide gels, and analysis by GeneScan 3.0 of fluorescent products detected in ultrathin gels. Oysters diagnosed as negative for MSX tested as negative or light by PCR. Oysters with light MSX infections generally had less than 5 pg/μl infectious DNA. Oysters with heavy infections generally corresponded to 5 pg/μl or greater competitor dilutions.
Higher flow rates improve heating during hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion

Background/Objectives Heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) kills cancer cells via thermal injury and improved chemotherapeutic cytotoxicity. We hypothesize that higher HIPEC flow rates improve peritoneal heating and HIPEC efficacy. Methods (1) A HIPEC-model (30.8 L cooler with attached extracorporeal pump) was filled with 37°C water containing a suspended 1 L saline bag (SB) wrapped in a cooling sleeve, creating a constant heat sink. (2) HIPECs were performed in a swine model. Inflow, outflow, and peritoneal temperatures were monitored as flow rates varied. (3) Flow rates and temperatures during 20 HIPECs were reviewed. Results Higher flow rates decreased time required to increase water bath (WB) and SB temperature to 43°C. With a constant heat sink, the minimum flow rate required to reach 43°C in the WB was 1.75 L/min. Higher flow rates lead to greater temperature gradients between the WB and SB. In the swine model, the minimum flow rate required to reach 43°C outflow was 2.5–3.0 L/min. Higher flows led to more rapid heating of the peritoneum and greater peritoneal/outflow temperature gradients. Increased flow during clinical HIPEC suggested improved peritoneal heating with lower average visceral temperatures. Conclusions There is a minimum flow rate required to reach goal temperature during HIPEC. Flow rate is an important variable in achieving and maintaining goal temperatures during HIPEC. J. Surg. Oncol. 2014; 110:970–975. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Potential theory in gravity and magnetic applications

Introduction 1. The potential 2. Consequences of the potential 3. Newtonian potential 4. Magnetic potential 5. Magnetization 6. Spherical harmonic analysis 7. Regional gravity fields 8. The geomagnetic field 9. Forward method 10. Inverse method 11. Fourier-domain modeling 12. Transformations A. Review of vector calculus B. Subroutines C. Review of sampling theory D. Conversion of units.
The Music Information Retrieval Evaluation eXchange: Some Observations and Insights

Advances in the science and technology of Music Information Retrieval (MIR) systems and algorithms are dependent on the development of rigorous measures of accuracy and performance such that meaningful comparisons among current and novel approaches can be made. This is the motivating principle driving the efforts of the International Music Information Retrieval Systems Evaluation Laboratory (IMIRSEL) and the annual Music Information Retrieval Evaluation eXchange (MIREX). Since it started in 2005, MIREX has fostered great advancements not only in many specific areas of MIR, but also in our general understanding of how MIR systems and algorithms are to be evaluated. This chapter outlines some of the major highlights of the past four years of MIREX evaluations, including its organizing principles, the selection of evaluation metrics, and the evolution of evaluation tasks. The chapter concludes with a brief introduction of how MIREX plans to expand into the future using a suite of Web 2.0 technologies to automated MIREX evaluations.
Sharing the Same Demons: The Venezuelan-Iranian Alliance and Their Anti-U.S. Ideology

The Venezuela—Iran alliance had the power to stir up controversy and generate worry within the U.S. Despite differences in type of government, economic system, religion, and culture, both countries established a successful strategic coalition. How can we account for the formation of this strong partnership that provoked adoration and revulsion in equal measure? How did Chavez and Ahmadinejad benefit from their strategic cooperation? In addressing those two questions, my research examines the ideological and the economic factors that brought both countries together. It posits that the relationship between Venezuela and Iran was the manifestation of the joint efforts toward a common enemy, the “American empire.” My research focuses on the economic solidarity and political discourses as sources to promote their common anti-U.S. sentiment, sustain their popularity, and prevail in power. It is important to explain how despite domestic and foreign opposition against Chavez and Ahmadinejad, both leaders prevailed as heads of state throughout all these years. As such, by evaluating their past activities and opaque maneuvers, it is possible to understand how they were able to bypass international sanctions, consolidate their power, suppress political opponents, and forge regional and foreign partnerships.
Germane in the atmosphere of Jupiter

Germane, GeH4, is a tetrahedral molecule like methane. The nu 3 fundamental mode of GeH4 falls in the middle of the 5-micrometer Jupiter window. Jupiter observations were made in December 1975 during three flights with the 0.9-m telescope of the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. The spectrometer is a rapid-scanning Michelson interferometer having InSb detectors at each of the two outputs. The germane identification procedure is based on a comparison of the obtained Jupiter spectrum with that of laboratory germane. It appears that the detection of GeH4 in Jupiter's atmosphere with a mixing ratio of 0.6 ppb is the smallest concentration of a trace constituent yet detected in a nonterrestrial planetary atmosphere. It is pointed out that a strict interpretation of thermochemical equilibrium predictions for the spectral line forming regions of Jupiter's atmosphere does not explain the observation of GeH4.
High-frequency phenotypic switching in Candida albicans

Most strains of Candida albicans are capable of switching spontaneously and at high frequencies between a number of phenotypes distinguished by colony morphology. Unlike switching in many other microbial pathogens, switching in C. albicans is pleiotropic, affecting several morphological and physiological parameters. Recently, the first phase-specific genes were identified and shown to be regulated at the level of gene transcription.
Should patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures be allowed to drive? Recommendations of German experts.

In the absence of evidence-based regulations on the driving ability of patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES), we asked 41 German epileptologists via e-mail for their recommendations on driving with PNES. This survey was modeled on an earlier study by Benbadis et al. [11] in the United States and was compared with it. Thirty-four (82.9%) epileptologists responded. Three responses were possible: (A) same restrictions as stipulated for patients with epilepsy, answered by 11 epileptologists (32.4%); (B) no restrictions at all, which no German expert gave as an answer (0%); (C) decision on an individual basis, answered by 23 experts (67.6%). The divergent approaches reflect the poor data on motor vehicle accidents of patients with PNES and the great variability of PNES with respect to semiology, psychiatric morbidity, and prognosis. In the study by Benbadis et al., 49% chose A, 32% B, and 19% C. The considerable national differences may be explained by differences between the two countries with respect to driving regulations and cultural aspects.
Exploration of Karhunen-Loeve transform for multichannel audio coding

A new quality-scalable multichannel audio compression algorithm based on MPEG-2 Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) is developed in this work. The Karhunen-Loeve Transform (KLT) is applied to multichannel audio signals in the preprocessing stage to remove the inter-channel redundancy. Then, signals in de-correlated channels are compressed by using a modified AAC main profile encoder. Finally, a channel transmission control mechanism is used to re-organize the bit stream so that the multichannel audio bit stream has a quality scalable property when it is transmitted over a heterogeneous network. Experimental results show that, compared with AAC, the proposed algorithm achieves a better performance with the objective Mask-to-Noise-Ratio (MNR) measurement while maintaining a similar computational complexity at the regular bit rate of 64 kbit/sec/ch. When the bit stream is transmitted to narrowband end users at a lower bit rate, packets of some channels can be dropped and audio of full channel can still be reconstructed in a reasonable fashion.
Morse Theory and Central Configurations in the Spatial N-Body Problem.

In the spirit of Palmore and Pacella, Morse Theory is used to obtain a lower bound for the number of central configurations in the spatial N-body problem. The homology of the configuration ellipsoid with the collision and collinear manifolds removed and the SO(3) symmetry quotiented out is calculated. As intermediate steps, homology calculations are carried out for several additional manifolds naturally arising in the N-body problem.