cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unmanned vehicle autopilot enabled smart phased array antenna

A smart phased array antenna suitable for resource constrained mobile platforms is proposed and demonstrated. The design leverages processing and sensor capabilities in a commercially available unmanned vehicle autopilot to provide real-time platform motion compensation and acquisition and tracking of a moving transmitter. Six-Degree of Freedom (6-DOF) autopilot sensors measure platform motion to maintain phased array beam pointing by continuously updating a digitally controlled RF beamformer. A switched beam algorithm discovers and tracks a moving transmitter based on transmit signal angle of arrival (AOA). The design of an X-band prototype integrating a 1×8 antenna array and RF beamformer on a single printed circuit board (PCB) is presented. Experimental results from the hardware prototype are presented. To the authors' knowledge, this work is the first demonstration of a low cost unmanned vehicle autopilot to enable phased array antenna motion compensation, communication link acquisition and mobile transmitter tracking capabilities.
Upregulation of orexin/hypocretin expression in aged rats: Effects on feeding latency and neurotransmission in the insular cortex

Aging is associated with changes in numerous homeostatic functions, such as food intake, that are thought to be mediated by the hypothalamus. Orexin/hypocretin neurons of the hypothalamus regulate several physiological functions, including feeding, sleep and wakefulness. Evidence from both clinical and animal studies supports the notion that aging is associated with loss or dysregulation of the orexin system. Here, we used virus-mediated gene transfer to manipulate expression of orexin peptides in young and aged rats and examined behavioral and neurochemical correlates of food intake in these animals. Aged rats showed slower feeding latencies when presented with palatable food compared to young control rats, and these deficits were ameliorated by upregulation of orexin expression. Similarly, young animals treated with a virus designed to decrease preproorexin expression showed longer feeding latencies reminiscent of aged control rats. Feeding was also associated with increased acetylcholine, glutamate and GABA efflux in insular cortex of young control animals. Orexin upregulation did not restore deficits in feeding-elicited release of these neurotransmitters in aged rats, but did enhance basal neurotransmitter levels which may have contributed to the behavioral correlates of these genetic manipulations. These studies demonstrate that age-related deficits in behavioral and neurochemical measures of feeding are likely to be mediated, in part, by the orexin system. Because these same neurotransmitter systems have been shown to underlie orexin effects on cognition, treatments which increase orexin function may have potential for improving both physiological and cognitive manifestations of certain age-related disorders.
Global disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality

The disparity in maternal mortality for African American women remains one of the greatest public health inequities in the United States (US). To better understand approaches toward amelioration of these differences, we examine settings with similar disparities in maternal mortality and "near misses" based on race/ethnicity. This global analysis of disparities in maternal mortality/morbidity will focus on middle- and high-income countries (based on World Bank definitions) with multiethnic populations. Many countries with similar histories of slavery and forced migration demonstrate disparities in health outcomes based on social determinants such as race/ethnicity. We highlight comparisons in the Americas between the US and Brazil-two countries with the largest populations of African descent brought to the Americas primarily through the transatlantic slave trade. We also address the need to capture race/ethnicity/country of origin in a meaningful way in order to facilitate transnational comparisons and potential translatable solutions. Race, class, and gender-based inequities are pervasive, global themes. This approach is human rights-based and consistent with the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and post 2015-sustainable development goals' aim to place women's health the context of health equity/women's rights. Solutions to these issues of inequity in maternal mortality are nation-specific and global.
Savanna Restoration Using Fire Benefits Birds Utilizing Dead Trees, Up to a Point

Abstract The decline of savanna habitat in the upper Midwest has resulted in a decline of savanna and grassland birds. Many savanna restoration efforts involve the re- introduction of fire, a method which kills fire-sensitive trees, often leaving them standing as snags. The purpose of this study was to assess how the number of snags (standing dead trees) is associated with the breeding bird community and to document how the number of snags at a site varied over a 23 y period of restoration by fire. The effect of snags on bird communities was studied by establishing bird census plots along a wide range of snag abundances. To determine for what purposes birds utilized snags, observers documented all visits during an hour-long period for pairs of a dead and live tree. Change in the abundance of snags over time was documented over 23 y in a 16 ha grid. We found both bird species richness and abundance were positively associated with the number of snags and that birds used dead trees for mating and reproductiv...
A Practical Guide to Library of Congress Classification: by Karen Snow. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2017. ix, 161 p. ISBN 978-1-5381-0067-7. $29.00.

Classifying resources with the Library of Congress Classification (LCC) system is typically daunting to the uninitiated. A system with twenty-one classes, each with upwards of five or more subclass...
Lensless digital holographic microscopy as a means to search for life in the solar system

To search for extant life on distant solar system bodies such as the ocean-bearing moons Europa and Enceladus, or on the ice caps of Mars, a compact and robust microscope capable of carrying out rapid volume searches is of great interest. One technique well suited to 3-d volume searches is digital holographic microscopy, in which a coherent reference beam is combined with the light scattered by the particulates and/or microbes present in a sample volume to produce an interference pattern (the hologram) on a detector array. As the detected hologram encodes both the amplitude and phase of the scattered field on the detector plane, the electric field at any plane within the sample volume can be reconstructed by numerically propagating the field information contained in the measured hologram, thereby eliminating the need for any mechanical focusing elements. In fact, digital holographic microscopy has several advantages, including instantaneous 3-d volume imaging, high spatial resolution, large depth of field, large field of view, and intrinsic data compression due to the encoding of the entire volume into a 2-d hologram. Moreover, rapid readout can also enable the tracking of particle motions, which can aid in discriminating between inert particulates and living cells. With no need for mechanical focusing, digital holographic microscopes allow for robust and stable designs. In particular, very promising off-axis digital holographic microscope (DHM) designs include both the “common-mode” DHM, and the “lensless” DHM. A common mode DHM has recently performed very well in the field, with reliable performance and sub-micron resolution. On the other hand, the lensless DHM configuration holds the promise of minimal instrument volume and mass, as the optical system can consist of no more than a pair of coherent high-numerical-aperture single-mode light sources that expand through a sample volume to a detector array. Even this simple configuration has been recently shown to be capable of providing a resolution of just under a micron. Moreover, in some lensless DHM configurations, very large fields of view can also be provided. This paper describes the imaging capabilities of lensless digital holographic microscope configurations, both in theory and in practice.
Human Astrocytomas Co-expressing Fas and Fas Ligand also Produce TGFβ2 and Bcl-2

Human astrocytomas frequently co-express Fas (APO-1/CD95) and Fas ligand (FasL), yet do not appear to be overly susceptible to suicidal, fratricidal and immune-mediated elimination. This suggests that these gliomas have acquired mechanisms to prevent Fas-mediated apoptosis from occurring. Candidates for such a role include transforming growth factor-(β2 (TGFβ2) and B-cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 (Bcl-2). TGFβ2 effectively functions by hiding tumor cells from the immune system. This may potentially prevent the delivery of FasL from cytolytic T cells to Fas bearing astrocytomas. Bcl-2 works by rendering gliomas resistant to Fas-mediated apoptosis. Using immunohistochemistry, we analyzed seventy-six human astrocytomas (11 World Health Organization (WHO) grade I, 17 grade II, 17 grade III, and 31 grade IV) for the expression of Fas, FasL, (TGFβ2) and Bcl-2 in vivo. Positive immunoreactivity was found to significantly increase with increasing tumor grade for Fas (p<0.0002), FasL (p<0.0001), TGFβ2 (p<0.001) and Bcl-2 (p<0.01). In addition, Fas/FasL co-expression, a counter-intuitive combination of factors in regards to glioma survival, also increased with WHO grade. Forty-five of 76 (59%) astrocytomas co-expressed Fas and FasL. Of those co-expressing Fas and FasL, 44 of 45 (98%) produced TGFβ2, and 26 of 45 (58%) expressed Bcl-2. We found a significant positive correlation between Fas/FasL co-expression and TGFβ2 (p<0.002) and Bcl-2 (p<0.005) production. We conclude that Fas and FasL are frequently co-expressed in human astrocytomas and these tumors are likely to produce other immunosuppressive and antiapoptotic factors such as TGFβ2 and Bcl-2.
n-Recursive Linear Orders without (n+1)-Recursive Copies

An algebraic structure, with universe ω, is said to be recursive if, and only if, the quantifier-free formulae in its language uniformly denote recursive relations in the structure. This concept generalizes to that of an n-recursive structure, in which the Σn formulae uniformly denote recursive relations. I present a sequence of simply defined relations in the language of linear order and show that a recursive linear order of type ωk (with k < ω) is n-recursive if, and only if, it has the first n relations in the sequence recursive. I can then show that, for each k, and each n ≤ (2k − 2), ωk has an n-recursive copy that is not (n+1)-recursive. This means that, for each n, there is an n-recursive but not (n+1)-recursive linear order (of some type ωk). I show, in fact, that there is, for each n, a linear order (of some type ωk · τ) that is n-recursive but has no (n+1)-recursive copy.
Modelling and Development of Hydraulic Fracturing Technology

The technology of underground fracturing has come to a central position in the areas of oil, gas, other minerals and heat extraction from the earth. In the Resource Extraction Laboratory at MIT, we are conducting a comprehensive theoretical and laboratory investigation of fracturing schemes which hold promise for providing or improving access to underground reserves of energy and other natural resources. Our main focus has been on quasi-static methods, particularly on ramifications of the central hydraulic fracturing technique (singled out in this paper) and on enhancing complements such as thermal cracking or induction of high pore pressures (e.g., due to expasion tendencies of highly energetic trapped second phases). Consideration is also being given to various controlled explosive methodologies (e.g., as preparation for hydrafrac) and to possibilities for constructively dispersing electrical or chemical energy (e.g., with pumped fluids), both for permeability induction and mapping.
FAMILY AS EDUCATOR, PARENT EDUCATION, AND THE PERENNIAL FAMILY CRISIS

This essay attempts to provide historical insight on two themes that are central to any discussion of parents as educators: first, the capacity of modern-day families to provide stable and vital educational settings for children; and, second, the nature and prospects of programs in parent education for improving parenting skills and enhancing child development. I approach these subjects as a historian, educator, and policy analyst. My research interests center on the evolution of child and family life during the past four centuries, and the creation of public and private institutions to integrate the young, especially poor, minority youth, into the cultural and economic mainstream. In the last few years I have focused particularly on the emergence of the juvenile justice system and the genesis of the fields of child development and parent education. I have appraised policies in both fields rather critically, as poorly designed, clumsily implemented, sex biased, and often inappropriate to the problems they were designed to alleviate (Schlossman, 1976, 1977, 1978a, 1978b, 1983; Schlossman and Wallach, 1978).
Teacher Implementation of College- and Career-Readiness Standards: Links among Policy, Instruction, Challenges, and Resources.

Using state-representative teacher surveys in three states—Texas, Ohio, and Kentucky—we examine teachers’ implementation of college- and career-readiness (CCR) standards. What do teachers report ab...
Abstract TP351: Comorbid Psychiatric Disease is Associated With Lower Revascularization Rates for Stroke Due to Carotid Stenosis

Background: Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or stenting (CAS) decrease future stroke risk in patients with stroke due to carotid stenosis. Mental illness is pervasive in the U.S., and patients with ps...
Clinical applications of cytometry: 5th annual meeting

The 5th annual Clinical Applications of Cytometry meeting was held September 12-15, 1990 in charleston, SC. The theme which emerged repeatedly throughout the meeting was the need to take full advantage of the quantitative power of cytometry to provide the most useful clinically relevant diagnostic and prognostic information. Greater quantitative power is based on careful and reproducible standards and quality control. The same principles, albeit with somewhat different approaches, apply to cell surface immunofluorescence analysis, DNA measurements, and image cytometry assessments. Monoclonal antibody probes against oncogenes, others against lymphokines within the Golgi, and a novel fluorogenic substrate designed to quantitate the activity of a mitochondrial enzyme were exciting developments described at the meeting.
SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE, IMPACT FACTOR, AND MEAN ALTMETRIC ATTENTION SCORES: CHARACTERISTICS AND CORRELATES IN MAJOR CARDIOLOGY JOURNALS

Social media use in the academic realm has increased tremendously. We present initial descriptive characteristics of Twitter use by major cardiology journals and relationships to impact factor (IF) and mean Altmetric attention scores (AAS). Journals were chosen based on 2018 Journal Citation
Review of: Magnussen H. (2017) The Moral Work of Nursing – Asking and Living with the Questions

A narrative description of personal moral challenges of a nurse serving diverse communities.
Deep Peroneal Nerve

The deep peroneal nerve is a branch of the common peroneal nerve that innervates foot dorsiflexors in the anterior compartment and toe dorsiflexors in the foot. It provides sensory supply primarily to the interspace between phalanges 1–2, as well as some minor supply to the articulation of the ankle. It can be injured near its origin around the fibular head, leading to foot drop, or as it passes through the anterior tarsal tunnel, leading to Anterior Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome, which presents with dorsal foot pain radiating to the lateral tarsometaltarsal joints. Conservative management is first line therapy, with surgical intervention reserved for recalcitrant or complicated cases.
Monitoring protein refolding using diverse separation and spectroscopy techniques

vi CHAPTER 1; GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 Dissertation Organization 1 Refolding of Recombinant Proteins 1 Analytical Techniques for Monitoring Protein Refolding 2 Capillary Zone Electrophoresis-Laser Induced Tryptophan Fluorescence Detection for Monitoring Refolding of a Large Multimeric Protein 3 Capillary Isoelectric Focusing-Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Monitoring Disulfide Bond Induced Protein Refolding 8 CHAPTER 2; MONITORING THE REFOLDING PATHWAY FOR A LARGE MULTIMERIC PROTEIN USING CAPILLARY ZONE ELECTROPHORESIS 13 Abstract 13 Introduction 14 Experimental 17 Capillary Zone Electrophoresis-Laser Induced Fluorescence Detection 17 Protein Denaturation and Refolding 19 Slab Gel Electrophoresis 20 Tryptophan Fluorescence Spectrophotometry 20 Chemicals 21 Results and Discussion 21 Monitoring Tailspike Refolding Using Capillary Zone ElectrophoresisLaser Induced Fluorescence Detection 21 Monitoring Tailspike Refolding Using Tryptophan Fluorescence Spectrophotometry 26 Monitoring Tailspike Refolding Using Slab Gel Electrophoresis 27 Temperature Dependence of Productive vs. Aggregation Pathways 27 Acknowledgments 29 References 29 CHAPTER 3: INVESTIGATING TEMPERATURE EFFECTS ON REFOLDING AND AGGREGATION OF A LARGE MULTIMERIC PROTEIN USING CAPILLARY ZONE ELECTROPHORESIS 38 Abstract 38 Introduction 39 Experimental 42 CZE-LIFD 42 Protein Denaturation and Refolding 43 Slab Gel Electrophoresis 44
Packing Committees in the US House: Strategic Use of the Territorial Delegates after 1970

Non-voting delegates have represented territories in Congress since 1797, but have only been able to vote in committees in the last half century. The institutional changes that expanded delegates’ rights coincided with rising polarization and partisanship in Congress, but we know little about the relationship between these reforms and these trends. I argue that these changes can be best understood through the lens of partisan conflict. The paper’s main finding is that the addition of delegates to standing committees in the 1970s, as well as the Committee of the Whole in the 1990s, increased Democrats’ seat share relative to the margin on the floor. This paper places delegates’ rights into the context of increasing polarization and partisanship, and explains why conflict over these marginal legislators has become a regular feature of American politics over the last half century.
Adipocyte PU.1 knockout promotes insulin sensitivity in HFD-fed obese mice

Insulin resistance is a key feature of obesity and type 2 diabetes. PU.1 is a master transcription factor predominantly expressed in macrophages but after HFD feeding PU.1 expression is also significantly increased in adipocytes. We generated adipocyte specific PU.1 knockout mice using adiponectin cre to investigate the role of PU.1 in adipocyte biology, insulin and glucose homeostasis. In HFD-fed obese mice systemic glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity were improved in PU.1 AKO mice and clamp studies indicated improvements in both adipose and liver insulin sensitivity. At the level of adipose tissue, macrophage infiltration and inflammation was decreased and glucose uptake was increased in PU.1 AKO mice compared with controls. While PU.1 deletion in adipocytes did not affect the gene expression of PPARg itself, we observed increased expression of PPARg target genes in eWAT from HFD fed PU.1 AKO mice compared with controls. Furthermore, we observed decreased phosphorylation at serine 273 in PU.1 AKO mice compared with fl/fl controls, indicating that PPARg is more active when PU.1 expression is reduced in adipocytes. Therefore, in obesity the increased expression of PU.1 in adipocytes modifies the adipocyte PPARg cistrome resulting in impaired glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity.
Suicide and Occupational Risks.

In the last year and a half there have been several headlines in different news media linking the risk of suicide to various occupational groups. The first headlines I noticed were alarms raised ab...
Three-dimensional characterization of trabecular bone mineral density of the proximal ulna using quantitative computed tomography

Background Although previous studies have measured general proximal forearm bone mineral density (BMD), no study has systematically mapped the 3-dimensional trabecular BMD of the proximal ulna. The aim of this study was to describe the 3-dimensional distribution of the trabecular bone density of the proximal ulna. We hypothesize a variable distribution of proximal ulna trabecular BMD depending on the region of interest (ROI). Methods Computed tomographic (CT) scans of 9 fresh-frozen cadaveric proximal ulna specimens with a mean age of 59.3 ± 8.1 years were studied. Each CT file was converted from DICOM to a QCT file that could be analyzed using QCT software (QCT Pro Version 6.1, Model 4 CT Calibration Phantom; MindWays Software Inc, Austin, TX, USA). The ROIs were defined as spheres of trabecular bone 3 mm in diameter located throughout the proximal ulna. Results ROIs proximal to the trochlear notch demonstrated higher BMD than ROIs distal to the trochlear notch. Furthermore, volar ROIs adjacent to the ulnohumeral joint tended to have higher BMD than dorsal ROIs. The highest BMD was found in the tip of the olecranon. Conclusion Hardware in fixation constructs for proximal ulnar fractures should be directed toward ROIs with the highest BMD to maximize purchase. Hardware should approach the ulnohumeral joint without penetrating the joint to capture trabecular bone with the highest BMD. The most important fixation in such a construct will be that which captures trabecular bone with maximum BMD proximal to the trochlear notch (eg, the tip of the olecranon).
A precision luminosity monitor for use at electron--positron storage rings

Abstract A precision luminosity monitor is described which has been used successfully in an experimental test of quantum electrodynamics at the 2.6 GeV electron-positron storage ring (SPEAR-I) at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. Design considerations and construction details are given, together with a discussion of radiative corrections and an evaluation of the response of the monitor.
Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Global Health Short Forms Demonstrate Responsiveness in Patients Undergoing Knee Arthroplasty

Abstract Background The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) is an alternative to legacy outcome metrics. We investigated the relationship between Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcomes Score for Joint Replacement (KOOS-JR) and PROMIS Global Health forms of Physical Health (PH) and Mental Health (MH) in knee arthroplasty patients. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study of knee arthroplasty patients from December 2017 through April 2019 who had surveys collected preoperatively and postoperatively. We excluded patients undergoing revision surgery. Outcome scores were analyzed for responsiveness, effect size index (ESI), minimal clinically important difference (MCID), and correlation with each other through 12 months postoperatively. Results A total of 875 patients were included. Floor and ceiling effects were 0% for PROMIS-PH. Postoperative PROMIS-PH and KOOS-JR scores significantly correlated with one another and increased from baseline at each postoperative time point (P .05). PROMIS-PH showed moderate responsiveness at 1 and 3 months (ESI >0.2) and excellent responsiveness at 6 and 12 months (ESI >0.8), whereas KOOS-JR was responsive at all time points (ESI >0.8). The MCID of PROMIS-PH correlated significantly with KOOS-JR, and a preoperative PROMIS-PH score of less than 32.5 predicted achieving MCID with 97% specificity. Conclusion PROMIS global health forms are a valid metric which capture patient outcomes and correlate with KOOS-JR scores after knee arthroplasty. Although KOOS-JR may be more responsive in the early postoperative time period, both measures show excellent responsiveness at 6 and 12 months after knee arthroplasty.
Chapter 23 – Lipodystrophies

In the last two decades, great progress has been made in refining the classification and elucidating the molecular basis of genetic lipodystrophies, rare disorders characterized by selective loss of body fat and predisposition to insulin resistance and its metabolic complications such as diabetes mellitus, hypertriglyceridemia, and hepatic steatosis. The autosomal recessive, congenital generalized lipodystrophy is due to mutations in AGPAT2, BSCL2, CAV1, and PTRF; and autosomal dominant familial partial lipodystrophy (FPLD) is due to mutations in LMNA, PPARG, AKT2, and PLIN1. Among extremely rare syndromes, autosomal recessive, mandibuloacral dysplasia is due to LMNA and ZMPSTE24 mutations and an autoinflammatory lipodystrophy syndrome due to PSMB8 mutations. SHORT syndrome is due to mutations in PIK3R1 and mandibular hypoplasia, deafness, progeroid features syndrome due to POLD1 mutation. The precise mode of inheritance and molecular genetic bases of many extremely rare forms of genetic lipodystrophies remain to be elucidated.
Utilizing Flight Data Monitoring for Near Miss Incident Analysis

Midair collisions (MACs) and near midair collisions (NMACs) have been a concern for pilots and regulators since the advent of flight and the creation of the national airspace system. The purpose of this paper is to explore novel analysis methods for determining and representing near miss events at a collegiate flight school utilizing standard Garmin G1000 avionics data logging. The analysis of near-miss geographic distributions revealed useful trend information that has been used systemically to reduce the number of near-miss events, by way of discussion with instructors and implementing congestion limits or traffic area dispersal. The next iteration of data modeling would benefit from heatmapping, to identify trending geographic near-miss areas in near real-time.
Do reminder emails and past due notifications improve patient completion and institutional data submission for patient-reported outcome measures?

NRG Oncology, part of the National Cancer Institute’s National Clinical Trials Network, took efforts to increase patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) completion and institutional data submission rates within clinical trials. Lack of completion diminishes power to draw conclusions and can be a waste of resources. It is hypothesized that trials with automatic email reminders and past due notifications will have PROM forms submitted more timely with higher patient completion. Automatic emails sent to the research associate were added to selected NRG Oncology trials. Comparisons between trials with and without automatic emails were analyzed using Chi-square tests with respect to patient completion and timeliness of form submission rates. Multivariable analyses were conducted using repeated measures generalized estimating equations. If PROMs were not completed, a form providing the reason why was submitted and counted towards form submission. For both disease sites, form submission was significantly higher within 1 month of the form’s due date for the studies with automatic emails vs. those without (prostate: 79.7% vs. 75.7%, p < 0.001; breast: 59.2% vs. 31.3%, p < 0.001). No significant differences in patient completion were observed between the breast trials. The prostate trial with automatic emails had significantly higher patient completion but this result was not confirmed in the multivariable analysis. Although patient completion rates were higher on trials with automatic emails, there may be confounding factors requiring future study. The automatic emails appeared to have increased the timeliness of form submission, thus supporting their continued use on NRG Oncology trials.
Cost-Effectiveness of Imaging Tumor Response Criteria in Hepatocellular Cancer After Transarterial Chemoembolization.

Abstract Background Several tumor response criteria on cross-sectional imaging have been used in hepatocellular cancer after locoregional, intra-arterial therapy. The cost implications of their efficacy and accuracy are not well established. Purpose To evaluate cost-effectiveness of quantitative European Association for Study of the Liver (qEASL) compared with Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) and modified RECIST (mRECIST) response criteria. Materials and Methods A Markov decision-analytic model was constructed, accounting for both costs and outcomes from a payor perspective. Three different tumor imaging response criteria were evaluated: (1) qEASL, (2) RECIST, and (3) mRECIST. Input parameters were derived from the most comprehensive literature available focusing on the assessment of liver tumor response after transarterial chemoembolization. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. Results Base case calculation showed qEASL to be the dominant strategy, with the highest effectiveness (1.06 quality-adjusted life years (QALY), as compared with 1.05 QALY in mRECIST and 1.02 QALY in RECIST). The expected costs of qEASL, mRECIST, and RECIST were $451,773, $460,489, and $459,004, respectively. qEASL was more cost-effective than RECIST in 71.50% of the 10,000 iterations and mRECIST in 69.26% of the iterations. One-way sensitivity analysis varying the cost showed that qEASL remained cost-effective until its additional cost was above $9,994. Conclusion Our study demonstrates qEASL to be the most cost-effective tumor response assessment criterion, with substantial cost savings as compared with RECIST and mRECIST for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after transarterial chemoembolization.
On period-1 motions to chaos in a 1-dimensional, time-delay, nonlinear system

In this paper, bifurcation trees of period-1 motions to chaos in a 1-dimensional, time-delay, nonlinear system are investigated. For time-delay terms of non-polynomial functions, the traditional analytical methods have difficulty in determining periodic motions. The semi-analytical method is used for prediction of periodic motions. This method is based on implicit mappings obtained from discretization of the original differential equation. From the periodic nodes, the corresponding approximate analytical expression can be obtained through discrete finite Fourier series. The stability and the bifurcations of such periodic motions are determined by eigenvalue analysis. The bifurcation trees of period-1 to period-4 motions are obtained and the numerical results and analytical predictions are compared. The complexity of periodic motions in such a simple dynamical system is discussed.
Pregnancy in women with left-to-right cardiac shunts: Any risk?

Abstract An unacceptably high incidence of maternal mortality and morbidity, often due to cardiovascular disease, has been recently identified in developed nations with a call to action to improve maternal health and outcomes for both mother and baby. To improve the health of women during pregnancy it is important to identify underlying cardiac lesions which could complicate the course of a pregnancy. Even lesions deemed “simple” such as left-to-right shunts due to septal defects and persistent fetal connections may have potential complications of which the healthcare provider should be aware. Women of childbearing age may have had repair of a congenital heart lesion in childhood and develop problems as an adult. Conversely, women coming under medical scrutiny during pregnancy may be newly diagnosed with a congenital heart lesion. Often this is a left-to-right shunt lesion which permits survival to adulthood without intervention. Although the literature is limited regarding cardiac complications during pregnancy, it is important to highlight potential problems and particularly the women who may benefit form preconception consultation.
The Vain Search for Absolute Truth

If projective geometry, through its principle of duality, has enormously enriched mathematics from an aesthetic point of view, the creation of non-Euclidean geometry has had an unparalleled intellectual impact on our entire scientific and philosophical thought. It marked the first serious doubt since Euclid’s time as to the validity of our fundamental mathematical premises; it shattered the age-old belief in the power of mathematics to show us the road to the ultimate and absolute truth; and it brought about a whole reexamination of our ability to understand the physical world in which we live. This reexamination has had consequences which far transcended mathematics; ultimately, it led to the theory of relativity and helped in shaping our modern views of the universe. The spark that ignited this intellectual revolution was once again the infinite; more specifically, the question: What happens to parallel lines very far away?
An integrated model of clinical reasoning: dual‐process theory of cognition and metacognition

Rationale and aim Clinical reasoning is an important component for providing quality medical care. The aim of the present paper is to develop a model of clinical reasoning that integrates both the non-analytic and analytic processes of cognition, along with metacognition. Method The dual-process theory of cognition (system 1 non-analytic and system 2 analytic processes) and the metacognition theory are used to develop an integrated model of clinical reasoning. Results In the proposed model, clinical reasoning begins with system 1 processes in which the clinician assesses a patient's presenting symptoms, as well as other clinical evidence, to arrive at a differential diagnosis. Additional clinical evidence, if necessary, is acquired and analysed utilizing system 2 processes to assess the differential diagnosis, until a clinical decision is made diagnosing the patient's illness and then how best to proceed therapeutically. Importantly, the outcome of these processes feeds back, in terms of metacognition's monitoring function, either to reinforce or to alter cognitive processes, which, in turn, enhances synergistically the clinician's ability to reason quickly and accurately in future consultations. Conclusions The proposed integrated model has distinct advantages over other models proposed in the literature for explicating clinical reasoning. Moreover, it has important implications for addressing the paradoxical relationship between experience and expertise, as well as for designing a curriculum to teach clinical reasoning skills.
The massive mitochondrial genome of the angiosperm Silene noctiflora is evolving by gain or loss of entire chromosomes

Across eukaryotes, mitochondria exhibit staggering diversity in genomic architecture, including the repeated evolution of multichromosomal structures. Unlike in the nucleus, where mitosis and meiosis ensure faithful transmission of chromosomes, the mechanisms of inheritance in fragmented mitochondrial genomes remain mysterious. Multichromosomal mitochondrial genomes have recently been found in multiple species of flowering plants, including Silene noctiflora, which harbors an unusually large and complex mitochondrial genome with more than 50 circular-mapping chromosomes totaling ∼7 Mb in size. To determine the extent to which such genomes are stably maintained, we analyzed intraspecific variation in the mitochondrial genome of S. noctiflora. Complete genomes from two populations revealed a high degree of similarity in the sequence, structure, and relative abundance of mitochondrial chromosomes. For example, there are no inversions between the genomes, and there are only nine SNPs in 25 kb of protein-coding sequence. Remarkably, however, these genomes differ in the presence or absence of 19 entire chromosomes, all of which lack any identifiable genes or contain only duplicate gene copies. Thus, these mitochondrial genomes retain a full gene complement but carry a highly variable set of chromosomes that are filled with presumably dispensable sequence. In S. noctiflora, conventional mechanisms of mitochondrial sequence divergence are being outstripped by an apparently nonadaptive process of whole-chromosome gain/loss, highlighting the inherent challenge in maintaining a fragmented genome. We discuss the implications of these findings in relation to the question of why mitochondria, more so than plastids and bacterial endosymbionts, are prone to the repeated evolution of multichromosomal genomes.
Distribution Analyzer, a methodology for identifying and clustering outlier conditions from single-cell distributions, and its application to a Nanog reporter RNAi screen.

Chemical or small interfering (si) RNA screens measure the effects of many independent experimental conditions, each applied to a population of cells (e.g., all of the cells in a well). High-content screens permit a readout (e.g., fluorescence, luminescence, cell morphology) from each cell in the population. Most analysis approaches compare the average effect on each population, precluding identification of outliers that affect the distribution of the reporter in the population but not its average. Other approaches only measure changes to the distribution with a single parameter, precluding accurate distinction and clustering of interesting outlier distributions. We describe a methodology to identify outlier conditions by considering the cell-level measurements from each condition as a sample of an underlying distribution. With appropriate selection of a distance metric, all effects can be embedded in a fixed-dimensionality Euclidean basis, facilitating identification and clustering of biologically interesting outliers. We demonstrate that measurement of distances with the Hellinger distance metric offers substantial computational efficiencies over alternative metrics. We validate this methodology using an RNA interference (RNAi) screen in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESC) with a Nanog reporter. The methodology clusters effects of multiple control siRNAs into their true identities better than conventional approaches describing the median cell fluorescence or the commonly used Kolmogorov-Smirnov distance between the observed fluorescence distribution and the null distribution. It identifies outlier genes with effects on the reporter distribution that would have been missed by other methods. Among them, siRNA targeting Chek1 leads to a wider Nanog reporter fluorescence distribution. Similarly, siRNA targeting Med14 or Med27 leads to a narrower Nanog reporter fluorescence distribution. We confirm the roles of these three genes in regulating pluripotency by mRNA expression and alkaline phosphatase staining using independent short hairpin (sh) RNAs. Using our methodology, we describe each experimental condition by a probability distribution. Measuring distances between probability distributions permits a multivariate rather than univariate readout. Clustering points derived from these distances allows us to obtain greater biological insight than methods based solely on single parameters. We find several outliers from a mouse ESC RNAi screen that we confirm to be pluripotency regulators. Many of these outliers would have been missed by other analysis methods.
Environmental Constraints on the Mechanics of Crawling and Burrowing Using Hydrostatic Skeletons

Mechanics, kinematics, and energetics of crawling and burrowing by limbless organisms using hydrostatic skeletons depend on the medium and mode in which the organism is moving. Whether the animal is moving over or through a solid has long been considered important enough to distinguish crawling and burrowing as different terms, and in fact the mechanics are very different. Crawlers use mechanisms to increase friction to generate thrust while reducing resistive friction. Burrowers in elastic muds extend their burrows by fracture, whereas sands are fluidized by burrowers much larger than grain sizes and smaller burrowers displace individual grains. Gravitational forces depend on how closely the density of the organism matches that of its fluid surroundings, therefore frictional forces depend on whether the organism is moving through air or water and fluidization on whether sands are saturated or unsaturated.
Variations in personality growth during adolescence

A D O L E S C E N C E may be defined as that period in the life of a person when the society in which he functions ceases to regard him as a child and yet does not accord him full adult status, roles, and functions. Thus, we see adolescence not as a chronologic period, but rather as a physiologic, psychological, and sociologic span. Though we know that special physiologic changes begin to occur from age 10 to 18, these are only some of the changes and reaction to change which characterize the adolescent. The setting in which the adolescent changes are taking place is important to understand. The adolescent must attend school until he is 16 (in many instances he continues to be a student well into his twenties). He is not permitted a full-time job until 16. At age 18 he is subject to the draft, but he does not acquire full citizenship rights until he is 21. All of this is without regard for the rate of his own physiologic and psychologic maturation. Just as there is variation in physiologic development during adolescence, there is also tremendous variation in personality develop-
ADAPTION OF A SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC ASSAY FOR PUNGENCY IN ONION TO A MICROPLATE READER

A spectrophotometric assay for pyruvic acid in onion has been adapted to a microplate reader. Correlations between the spectrophotometer and microplate reader ranged from 0.991-0.997 for sodium pyruvate standards and 0.899-0.934 for onion samples. Onion pungency values were slightly higher with the microplate reader for both sample and background compared with the spectrophotometer when both are used in the single wavelength mode. Comparing the spectrophotometer in the single wavelength mode to the microplate reader in the dual wavelength mode resulted in no statistically significant difference between them. Standards for both the microplate reader and spectrophotometer followed a quadratic function.
Effects of two hexachlorobiphenyl isomers on ornithine decarboxylase induction: inhibitory effects correlate with aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity.

Abstract The effects of 2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (2,4,5-HCB) or 3,3′,4,4′,5,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (3,4,5-HCB) on hepatic ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) induction by dexamethasone were investigated. At one week after a single i.p. dose of corn oil or 2,4,5,-HCB and 4 h after administration of dexamethasone, rats exhibited 50- to 60-fold increases of ODC activity. However, rats that had received 3,4,5-HCB in place of 2,4,5-HCB exhibited only a 8-fold increase in ODC activity in response to dexamethasone administration. 2,4,5-HCB administration resulted in increased hepatic aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity. Administration of 3,4,5-HCB produced increased AHH activity and decreased N-demethylase activity. It is suggested that the ODC-inhibitory effects may have resulted from Ah-receptor-mediated events.
Direct time integration of Maxwell's equations in two-dimensional dielectric waveguides for propagation and scattering of femtosecond electromagnetic solitons

We present what are to our knowledge first-time calculations from vector nonlinear Maxwell's equations of femtosecond soliton propagation and scattering, including carrier waves, in two-dimensional dielectric waveguides. The time integration efficiently implements linear and nonlinear convolutions for the electric polarization, and the nonlinear convolution accounts for two quantum effects, the Kerr and Raman interactions. By retaining the optical carrier, the new method solves for fundamental quantities - optical electric and magnetic fields in space and time - rather than a nonphysical envelope function. It has the potential to provide an unprecedented two- and three-dimensional modeling capability for millimeter-scale integrated-optical circuits with submicrometer engineered inhomogeneities.
A run packing technique for multiple sensor fusion

The Run Packing (RP) fusion method is a novel algorithm that addresses the con dence level fusion problem when M different sensors (or alarm sources) produce alarms independently. The goal of such a fusion method is to map the output confidence range of each alarm source to a global range shared by all of the alarm sources. The shared global confidence range allows a single receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve to be created, and this ROC then shows the global system performance trade-o s across all alarm sources. We explain the run packing algorithm, show its application to a multi-sensor buried explosive object detection system, and compare its performance to other fusion techniques.
On the Perception of Newcomers

Human coalitions frequently persist through multiple, overlapping membership generations, requiring new members to cooperate and coordinate with veteran members. Does the mind contain psychological adaptations for interacting within these intergenerational coalitions? In this paper, we examine whether the mind spontaneously treats newcomers as a motivationally privileged category. Newcomers—though capable of benefiting coalitions—may also impose considerable costs (e.g., they may free ride on other members, they may be poor at completing group tasks). In three experiments we show (1) that the mind categorizes coalition members by tenure, including newcomers; (2) that tenure categorization persists in the presence of orthogonal and salient social dimensions; and (3) that newcomers elicit a pattern of impressions consistent with their probable ancestral costs. These results provide preliminary evidence for a specialized component of human coalitional psychology: an evolved concept of newcomer.
THE DIALECTICS OF NOTHINGNESS: A Reexamination of Shen-hsiu and Hui-neng

Rejetant sa premiere interpretation des poemes de Shen-hsiu et Hui-neng developpe dans le sens d'une contradiction logique ou d'une hierarchie doctrinale entre le theorique et le pratique (D. T. Suzuki), l'A. propose une analyse dialectique des deux gathas selon laquelle les positions respectives de Shen-hsiu et Hui-neng s'impliquent l'une et l'autre. Developpant une dialectique du neant a partir de l'image du miroir, Shen-hsiu et Hui-neng reflechissent l'esprit aux limites de la phenomenologie occidentale, representee par le quasi-realisme de sartre et le quasi-idealisme de Husserl
Iridoid glycosides of additional Penstemon species

Abstract Previously undescribed iridoid glycosides were isolated from Penstemon species as follows: P. parryi : 8-epitecomoside or 7β-hydroxyplantarenaloside, 2′- O -coumaroyl-8-epitecomoside and 2′- O -coumaroylplantarenaloside, and P. barrettiae : 2′- O -foliamenthoylplantarenaloside. Detailed high field NMR assignments were made for durantoside-I which was isolated from P. glaber .