cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurements to determine the regimes of premixed flames in extreme turbulence

Abstract A new regime of extreme turbulence – defined as the ratio of turbulence intensity to laminar flame speed uʹ/SL from 25 to 243 – was characterized for six premixed flames using a new piloted Bunsen burner (called Hi-Pilot). The flames studied had uʹ/SL values several times larger than those of previous related studies and integral scales and turbulent Reynolds numbers as large as 41 mm and 99,000, respectively. Layer thicknesses were determined from planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) images of OH and formaldehyde. Preheat layer thickness was found to increase to sixteen times the laminar value. Residence time of eddies in the flame appears to be important, since the flame tip had preheat regions that were thicker than at the flame base. Reaction layers were not broadened, remaining below twice the laminar value. Four of the cases were predicted to lie in the Broadened Preheat - Thin Reaction layer (BP-TR) regime and the measurements confirmed that they had a BP-TR structure. However, two cases went far beyond the predicted boundary for the Broken Reactions (BR) regime but measurements showed that they were not broken but retained their BP-TR structure. Thus the regime of BP-TR is measured to persist over a wider range than previously predicted. One explanation is that the turbulent eddies may become weakened by the thick, viscous preheat layer before they arrive at the reaction front. Distributed reactions were not observed in the six cases that were selected.
Annual revision rates of partial versus total knee arthroplasty: A comparative meta-analysis

Abstract Background Utilization of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) and patellofemoral arthroplasty (PFA) as alternatives to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis (OA) has increased. However, no single resource consolidates survivorship data between TKA and partial resurfacing options for each variant of unicompartmental OA. This meta-analysis compared survivorship between TKA and medial UKA (MUKA), lateral UKA (LUKA) and PFA using annual revision rate as a standardized metric. Methods A systematic literature search was performed for studies quantifying TKA, MUKA, LUKA and/or PFA implant survivorship. Studies were classified by evidence level and assessed for bias using the MINORS and PEDro instruments. Annual revision rates were calculated for each arthroplasty procedure as percentages/observed component-year, based on a Poisson-normal model with random effects using the R-statistical software package. Results One hundred and twenty-four studies (113 cohort and 11 registry-based studies) met inclusion/exclusion criteria, providing data for 374,934 arthroplasties and 14,991 revisions. The overall evidence level was low, with 96.7% of studies classified as level III–IV. Annual revision rates were lowest for TKA (0.49%, CI 0.41 to 0.58), followed by MUKA (1.07%, CI 0.87 to 1.31), LUKA (1.13%, CI 0.69 to 1.83) and PFA (1.75%, CI 1.19 to 2.57). No difference was detected between revision rates for MUKA and LUKA ( p = 0.222). Conclusions Revisions of MUKA, LUKA and PFA occur at an annual rate of 2.18, 2.31 and 3.57-fold that of TKA, respectively. These estimates may be used to inform clinical decision-making, guide patient expectations and evaluate the cost-effectiveness of total versus partial knee replacement in the setting of unicompartmental OA.
An Interactive and Interpretable Interface for Diversity in Recommender Systems

Offering diversity in the output of a recommender system is an active research question. Most of the current approaches focus on Top-N optimization, which results in poor user insight and accuracy trade-off. However, little is known about how an interactive interface can help with this issue. This pilot study shows that a multidimensional visualization promotes diversity among the recommended items. This finding motivated future work to provide diversity in recommender system by visualizing multivariate data through an interpretable and interactive interface.
Aircraft spiral dive attractors due to actuator saturation

Under extreme adverse flight conditions, such as extreme turbulence, the aircraft controller may send a large control command attempting to counter the resulting forces and moments on the vehicle. In doing so, it may cause the actuator to saturate and operate at its extreme limit. The sustained actuator saturation may cause a loss of control authority and force the aircraft to move towards an undesired dangerous attractor instead of the desired flight trim. In the case study of F/A-18, two of these types of undesired spiral dive attractors have been identified. Once an aircraft is seized by the attractor, it would lose altitude and crash if no proper action is taken in time. A two-mode switching scheme has been incorporated into the LOC (loss-of-control) recovery controller to successfully prevent sustained actuator saturation, eliminate the threat of the spiral dive attractors, and enhance the LOC recovery control.
Autotuning divide-and-conquer stencil computations

Summary This paper explores autotuning strategies for serial divide-and-conquer stencil computations, comparing the efficacy of traditional “heuristic” autotuning with that of “pruned-exhaustive” autotuning. We present a pruned-exhaustive autotuner called Ztune that searches for optimal divide-and-conquer trees for stencil computations. Ztune uses three pruning properties—space-time equivalence, divide subsumption, and favored dimension—that greatly reduce the size of the search domain without significantly sacrificing the quality of the autotuned code. We compared the performance of Ztune with that of a state-of-the-art heuristic autotuner called OpenTuner in tuning the divide-and-conquer algorithm used in Pochoir stencil compiler. Over a nightly run on ten application benchmarks across two machines with different hardware configurations, the Ztuned code ran 5% –12% faster on average, and the OpenTuner tuned code ran from 9% slower to 2% faster on average, than Pochoir's default code. In the best case, the Ztuned code ran 40% faster, and the OpenTuner tuned code ran 33% faster than Pochoir's code. Whereas the autotuning time of Ztune for each benchmark could be measured in minutes, to achieve comparable results, the autotuning time of OpenTuner was typically measured in hours or days. Surprisingly, for some benchmarks, Ztune actually autotuned faster than the time it takes to perform the stencil computation once.
Parents' Verbal and Nonverbal Caring Behaviors and Child Distress During Cancer-Related Port Access Procedures: A Time-Window Sequential Analysis.

Purpose/objectives To study the relationship between parental verbal and nonverbal caring behaviors and child distress during cancer-related port access placement using correlational and time-window sequential analyses. . Design Longitudinal, observational design. . Setting Children's Hospital of Michigan and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. . Sample 43 child-parent dyads, each with two or three video recordings of the child undergoing cancer-related port placement. . Methods Two trained raters coded parent interaction behaviors and child distress using the Parent Caring Response Scoring System and Karmanos Child Coping and Distress Scale, respectively. Mixed modeling with generalized estimating equations examined the associations between parent interaction behaviors and parent distress, child distress, and child cooperation reported by multiple raters. Time-window sequential analyses were performed to investigate the temporal relationships in parent-child interactions within a five-second window. . Main research variables Parent caring behaviors, child distress, and child cooperation. . Findings Parent caring interaction behaviors were significantly correlated with parent distress, child distress, and child cooperation during repeated cancer port accessing. Sequential analyses showed that children were significantly less likely to display behavioral and verbal distress following parent caring behaviors than at any other time. If a child is already distressed, parent verbal and nonverbal caring behaviors can significantly reduce child behavioral and verbal distress. . Conclusions Parent caring behaviors, particularly the rarely studied nonverbal behaviors (e.g., eye contact, distance close to touch, supporting/allowing), can reduce the child's distress during cancer port accessing procedures. . Implications for nursing Studying parent-child interactions during painful cancer-related procedures can provide evidence to develop nursing interventions to support parents in caring for their child during painful procedures.
Convolution, Fourier Analysis, Cross-Correlation and Their Interrelationship

The scope of this chapter is to derive and explain three fundamental concepts of acoustical signal analysis and synthesis: convolution, Fourier transformation, and cross-correlation. Convolution is an important process in acoustics to determine how a signal is transformed by an acoustical system that can be described through an impulse response, a room, for example. Fourier analysis enables us to analyze a signal's properties at different frequencies. This method is then extended to Fourier transformation to convert signals from the time domain to the frequency domain and vice versa. Further, the method of cross-correlation is introduced by extending the orthogonality relations for trigonometric functions that were used to derive Fourier analysis. The cross-correlation method is a fundamental concept to compare two signals. We will use this method to extract the impulse response of a room by comparing a signal measured with a microphone after being transformed by a room with the original, measurement signal emitted into the room using a loudspeaker. Based on this and other examples, the mathematical relationships between convolution, Fourier transformation, and correlation are explained to facilitate deeper understanding of these fundamental concepts.
Circumscriptive event calculus as answer set programming

Recently, Ferraris, Lee and Lifschitz presented a general definition of a stable model that is similar to the definition of circumscription, and can even be characterized in terms of circumscription. In this paper, we show the opposite direction, which is, how to turn circumscription into the general stable model semantics, and based on this, how to turn circumscriptive event calculus into answer set programs. The reformulation of the event calculus in answer set programming allows answer set solvers to be applied to event calculus reasoning, handling more expressive reasoning tasks than the current SAT-based approach. Our experiments also show clear computational advantages of the answer set programming approach.
Of Princes, Diplomacy, and Battle Cries

The features of capitalism that I have described up to this point cannot have disturbed many readers. High tech and a continuous flow of new product designs hitting the market place is attractive to most people. In essence, what I have dealt with is “free enterprise” as it occurs toward the end of the twentieth century. Now I come to a much more controversial subject matter and I shall run the risk of offending many. Free enterprise is not the same as capitalism. Free enterprise is a system of management. But capitalism, at its heart, is a system of ownership and power: private ownership and private power. The subject matter that now confronts us is the exercise of that power.
Optimal electricity interchange schedules via a market-based coordination procedure

The restructuring of the electric power industry in North America introduced the creation of new grid operator entities known as Independent System Operators (ISOs) or Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs), which are in charge of the management of both the bulk power grid and the associated electricity markets in their footprints. In this paper, we use the generic term Independent Grid Operator (IGO) to refer to any of these organizations. While the power grids may be interconnected, each IGO operates its transmission system and electricity market independently of the interconnected IGO's. Due to absence of specific policy requirements and/or concerted coordination efforts, the associated electricity markets are not harmonized across the borders of interconnected IGOs which fail to harness a substantial fraction of the potential benefits attainable through their common interfaces. In this paper, we propose a coordination scheme which leads to optimal interface schedules for any two neighboring areas. To this end, we formulate the electricity market auction for the entire interconnection and decompose it based on the alternating direction minimization method (ADMM). The proposed methodology is applied to a 4-bus two-area test system. The algorithm converges to the optimal generation and interchange schedules and is applicable to large-scale networks.
Environmental Consequences of Water Resource Development in California

California has experienced one of the most extensive and intensive programs of water resource development of any geographic area of comparable size and economy in the world. This program, which has exploited virtually all of the developable surface water of the state, has been driven by a phenomenal growth in the state’s population and economy. To provide the water needed to meet population pressures, especially in the drier southern part of the state, and to supply water for irrigated agriculture in the fertile Central Valley, the state and federal governments have combined to develop one of the largest water transfer schemes in modern history. The federal Central Valley Project (CVP), initiated in the 1940s, supplies water from its Shasta-Trinity complex in water-rich Northern California to the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys for agricultural development. The State Water Project (SWP), that went online in 1968, delivers water from Oroville Reservoir on the Feather River to agricultural users in the Tulare Valley and municipal users in the Los Angeles Basin.
Effects of Tunable Keratin Hydrogel Erosion on Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 Release, Bioactivity, and Bone Induction

Keratin proteins derived from human hair are known to contain a large number of cysteine residues. In hydrogels composed of oxidatively extracted keratin (keratose, KOS), sulfonic acid on the cyste...
Fully-differential second-order tunable bandstop filter based on source follower

A new design method for a second-order bandstop filter is presented. The proposed filter is based on the source follower configuration with a partial positive feedback. The positive feedback is used to increase the quality factor of the filter, and the feed-forward paths are used to create complex zeros. The proposed bandstop filter has electronically tunable centre frequency, bandwidth and attenuation with low power consumption. The proposed design has been simulated in TSMC 180 nm CMOS technology. The filter achieves 5.8 nV / Hz input-referred noise density. For a 2 GHz input signal, the filter achieves a signal-to-noise ratio of 60 dB for 238 mV 0 − P , diff input signal amplitude. The simulated results show that the centre frequency tuning range is between 1.6 and 3 GHz and the bandwidth is tunable from 0.6 to 1 GHz. The filter consumes about 2.5 mW for a supply voltage of 1.8 V at a centre frequency of 2.3 GHz.
Use of levonorgestrel as emergency contraception in overweight women.

Abstract Objective Levonorgestrel (LNG) emergency contraception (EC) may have decreased efficacy for women with body mass indices (BMI) ≥ 26 kg/m2. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of LNG EC use and EC counseling among overweight women. Methods The 2013–2015 dataset from the National Survey of Family Growth was analyzed to determine the proportion of women with BMI ≥ 26 kg/m2 who report recent use of LNG EC and EC counseling. Results Overall, 2.4% of respondents reported recent use of LNG EC. Among women using oral LNG for EC, 29.8% of survey participants reported BMI ≥ 26 kg/m2. Additionally, 40.2% of women with BMI ≥ 26 kg/m2 using oral LNG EC reported having a doctor or medical provider talk to them about emergency contraception within the last 12 months, compared to 18.3% of LNG EC users with BMI Conclusions Despite recent counseling from clinicians and concerns for decreased efficacy, a significant number of overweight women continue to use LNG for EC. Clinicians should counsel women with BMI ≥ 26 kg/m2 on the potential limitations of oral LNG for EC and offer more effective EC methods, including the copper intrauterine device and oral ulipristal acetate.
Practice patterns regarding post-discharge chemoprophylaxis for venous thromboembolism following bariatric surgery in the United States.

Abstract Background There is no consensus regarding the optimal venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention strategy following bariatric surgery. Post-discharge chemoprophylaxis is frequently recommended for high-risk patients with little supporting data. Objectives To define practices related to post-discharge chemoprophylaxis in the United States. Setting United States. Methods From the Truven Health MarketScan Research database we identified patients age 18 to 64 years undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass (2009–2015). Use of post-discharge low-molecular-weight or unfractionated heparin, vitamin K antagonists, Factor Xa inhibitors, or direct thrombin inhibitors was determined, as was the occurrence of VTE events from discharge to 90 days. Patients with VTE during the index admission were excluded to focus on chemoprophylaxis after discharge (versus treatment). Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between VTE and anticoagulant usage. Results Of 105,246 patients, .8% with VTE prior to discharge were excluded. The study cohort was 78.1% female, with a median age of 44 years. Hypercoagulable disorder was present in .9%. Post-discharge chemoprophylaxis rates were 11.3% and varied from state to state (.5%–37.4%). VTE rates varied from state to state (.4%–2.6%). VTE after discharge occurred in 1.3%. On multivariate analysis, hypercoagulable disorder (odds ratio [OR] 14.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] 11.6–16.9, P Conclusions Post-discharge chemoprophylaxis following laparoscopic bariatric surgery is employed in 11.3% of patients. Variation in VTE rates and prophylaxis strategies exist nationally.
Hopeful Discourse: Elementary Children’s Activist Responses to Modern-Day Slavery Grounded in Systems Thinking:

This qualitative case study examines how fifth graders and their teachers participated in critical literacy instruction grounded in systems thinking on the topic of slavery. Systems thinking seeks ...
Evaluating ProDirect manipulation in hour of code

We examine whether augmenting traditional coding environments with ProDirect manipulation improves several learning measures. ProDirect manipulation is a novel user interaction model that provides a bidirectional link between code and outputs. Instead of reasoning abstractly about the output a program might produce, users instead directly manipulate outputs (e.g., using a keyboard and mouse). Program text is then updated to reflect the change. We report the effects on learning using a ProDirect manipulation environment versus a standard development environment for more than one hundred middle school students. To conduct the study, we built SWELL, a programming language with ProDirect manipulation features. We conclude that within the context of an Hour-of-Code course, ProDirect manipulation does not offer a significant advantage. We also make several observations regarding the way students interact with SWELL, which may inform future language design for this age group.
Estimating dispersion curves from Frequency Response Functions via Vector-Fitting

Abstract Driven by the need for describing and understanding wave propagation in structural materials and components, several analytical, numerical, and experimental techniques have been developed to obtain dispersion curves. Accurate characterization of the structure (waveguide) under test is needed for analytical and numerical approaches. Experimental approaches, on the other hand, rely on analyzing waveforms as they propagate along the structure. Material inhomogeneity, reflections from boundaries, and the physical dimensions of the structure under test limit the frequency range over which dispersion curves can be measured. In this work, a new data-driven modeling approach for estimating dispersion curves is developed. This approach utilizes the relatively easy-to-measure, steady-state Frequency Response Functions ( FRF s) to develop a state-space dynamical model of the structure under test. The developed model is then used to study the transient response of the structure and estimate its dispersion curves. This paper lays down the foundation of this approach and demonstrates its capabilities on a one-dimensional homogeneous beam using numerically calculated FRF s. Both in-plane and out-of-plane FRF s corresponding, respectively, to longitudinal (the first symmetric) and flexural (the first anti-symmetric) wave modes are analyzed. The effects of boundary conditions on the performance of this approach are also addressed.
Setting materiality thresholds for ESG disclosures: A case study of U. S. mine safety disclosures

Abstract This article examines whether the U.S. government's policy to require mining firms to disclose specified mine safety incidents produced the desired policy outcomes. This is accomplished by examining whether investors respond to mandatory periodic disclosures by coal mining firms as well as mine fatality incidents. Our results show that the market does not react to the safety incident disclosures. This is contrary to previous research that shows that markets react to safety disclosures made voluntarily by management, who presumably evaluate materiality prior to disclosure. Our results show mixed evidence on whether markets react negatively to mine fatality incidents. While we find limited evidence that markets react negatively to severe safety incidents with multiple fatalities, our work shows that for most cases with single fatalities, there is no evidence that markets react negatively. This work contributes to the discussion on appropriate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosures by firms by examining the effectiveness of mandatory and voluntary disclosures. We recommend that future work examine whether markets react to more severe mine safety incidents and those in other industry sectors. Overall, this work shows that without adequate research to establish the optimal threshold for ESG disclosures, government's attempts to elicit mandatory disclosures are not likely to achieve the policy goals.
Collective Pedagogical Teacher Culture and Teacher Satisfaction

Background/ContextTeacher job satisfaction is critical to schools’ success. As organizations, schools need teachers who are satisfied with their jobs and who work with one another to build school c...
Component processes underlying voluntary task selection: Separable contributions of task-set inertia and reconfiguration.

Abstract Most theories describing the cognitive processes underlying task switching allow for contributions of active task-set reconfiguration and task set inertia. Manipulations of the Cue-to-Stimulus-Interval (CSI) are generally thought to influence task set reconfiguration, while Response-to-Cue (RCI) manipulations are thought to influence task set inertia. Together, these intervals compose the Response-to-Stimulus (RSI) interval. However, these theories do not adequately account for voluntary task switching, because a participant can theoretically prepare for an upcoming trial at any point. We used drift diffusion models to examine the contributions of reconfiguration and task set inertia to performance in single- and double-registrant-registrant voluntary task switching. In both paradigms, RSI length moderated nondecision time, suggesting both switch-specific and general preparation prior to cue presentation. In only the double-registrant registrant paradigm, RSI length additionally moderated task set inertia and CSI length affected general (but not switch-specific) preparation. The effects of cue timing (CSI length) depended upon required response to the cue. Future work should attempt to corroborate our findings regarding switch-specific and general preparation effects of interval lengths using EEG.
Do Humans Trust Advice More if it Comes from AI? An Analysis of Human-AI Interactions.

In many applications of AI, the algorithm's output is framed as a suggestion to a human user. The user may ignore the advice or take it into consideration to modify his/her decisions. With the increasing prevalence of such human-AI interactions, it is important to understand how users act (or do not act) upon AI advice, and how users regard advice differently if they believe the advice come from an "AI" versus another human. In this paper, we characterize how humans use AI suggestions relative to equivalent suggestions from a group of peer humans across several experimental settings. We find that participants' beliefs about the human versus AI performance on a given task affects whether or not they heed the advice. When participants decide to use the advice, they do so similarly for human and AI suggestions. These results provide insights into factors that affect human-AI interactions.
Hypothesis Testing With Rank Conditions in Phylogenetics.

A phylogenetic model of sequence evolution for a set of n taxa is a collection of probability distributions on the 4^n possible site patterns that may be observed in their aligned DNA sequences. For a four-taxon model, one can arrange the entries of these probability distributions into three flattening matrices that correspond to the three different unrooted leaf-labelled four-leaf trees, or quartet trees. The flattening matrix corresponding to the tree parameter of the model is known to satisfy certain rank conditions. Methods such as ErikSVD and SVDQuartets take advantage of this observation by applying singular value decomposition to flattening matrices consisting of empirical data. Each possible quartet is assigned an “SVD score” based on how close the flattening is to the set of matrices of the predicted rank. When choosing among possible quartets, the one with the lowest score is inferred to be the phylogeny of the four taxa under consideration. Since an n-leaf phylogenetic tree is determined by its quartets, this approach can be generalized to infer larger phylogenies. In this article, we explore using the SVD score as a test statistic to test whether phylogenetic data were generated by a particular quartet tree. To do so, we use several results to approximate the distribution of the SVD score and to give upper bounds on the p-value of the associated hypothesis tests. We also apply these hypothesis tests to simulated phylogenetic data and discuss the implications for interpreting SVD scores in rank-based inference methods.
Plant-based dietary intake moderates adverse childhood experiences association with early mortality in an older Adventist cohort

Abstract Background Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) consistently predict poor mental and physical health as well as early all-cause mortality. Much work examines health harming behaviors that may be used to cope with ACEs associated stress responses and dysregulation. Limited research has been conducted assessing plant-based dietary intake on the ACEs and mortality relationship. We investigate moderators of the ACEs and mortality association including plant-based dietary intake. Objective The purpose of this study is to examine if the association between ACEs and early mortality is potentially moderated by plant-based dietary intake. Participants An observational, prospective cohort study that included 9301 Seventh-day Adventists were assessed from 2006 to 2017 in the Biopsychosocial Religion and Health Study (BRHS). Methods We examined the potential impact of plant-based intake frequency on the ACEs and all-cause mortality relationship, while adjusting for potential confounders (e.g., demographics, health risks, mental and physical health) in a cox regression survival analysis. Results ACEs were adversely associated with survival time (HR = 2.76, 95% CI: 1.15–6.64). Plant-based intake was associated with a reduction in the association of 4+ ACEs with early mortality (HR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.59–0.90) above and beyond demographics, animal-based intake, physical health, mental health, BMI, exercise, and worship. We estimate that after 4+ ACEs, those eating high versus low plant-based dietary intake may live 5.4 years longer. Conclusion Plant-based dietary intake may potentially moderate the ACEs and early mortality relationship; however, observational studies cannot determine causality.
Evolving Remote Sensing Applications as System-of-Systems

There has been significant expansion in the functionality and differentiation of modern remote sensing applications due to the exponential growth in adoption of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). With recent advancements of new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence - Machine Learning (AI-ML) and Cloud Computing, many opportunities have emerged to significantly evolve UAV based remote sensing applications. This paper presents a novel approach to evolve remote sensing application as a System-of-Systems (SoS). Bringing in the SoS perspective provides additional insights into the dynamics of the interactions between the various constituent systems (e.g. swarm UAVs, Ground stations) and the impact on the overall remote sensing application. Systematically analyzing the relationships between the various Measures-of-Effectiveness (MOEs) of the SoS vis-a-vis the constituent systems, in tandem with the evolution of the MOEs, would enable optimal leverage of the recent technology advancements for remote sensing applications
Koch's postulates and the digitalis-like factor.

Substantial, but still circumstantial evidence, supports strongly a role for a circulating digitalis-like factor in the pathogenesis of salt-sensitive hypertension. Although supported by many lines of evidence, this intriguing concept remains controversial, in large part because the responsible factor has proven to be very elusive. A very large number of candidates from a wide range of chemical classes have been proposed. Indeed, the large number of candidates, none supported by absolutely definitive evidence, has contributed to the controversy. In this essay, we have attempted to define the information that will be required before a candidate becomes widely accepted. Because the current situation resembles so strikingly the situation late in the nineteenth century- when efforts focused on the attempt to identify a specific micro-organism as the agent responsible for specific disease- we employed Koch's postulates as the organizing principle. The challenge faced by Robert Koch over a century ago is identical to the challenge that we face today. (Hypertens Res 1995; 18: 1-6)
Biological therapy of breast cancer: recent clinical applications.

Abstract Advances have been made in breast cancer therapy, in both the adjuvant and metastatic settings. For example, in the adjuvant setting, genomic studies of breast cancer tissues have identified women with estrogen receptor-positive tumors who might not require chemotherapy, leading to the development of a diagnostic tool. There have also been significant developments with anticancer agents that target tumor cell surface receptors, such as HER2/neu, and those involved in angiogenesis and kinase-dependent pathways. New areas of research focus on the concept of breast cancer stem cells as well as the prognostic importance of bone marrow micrometastases in early-stage breast cancer. This review summarizes these advances in breast cancer clinical research.
Some aspects of the reproductive biology of Drosophila: sperm transfer, sperm storage and sperm utilization

Publisher Summary This chapter presents that from the beginning of the development of sperm in the testis of the male up to and including the ultimate recovery of that sperm in the form of progeny, variability is the only consistent feature in all aspects of the reproductive biology of drosophila. This variability exists at virtually all levels of the reproductive systems in both the male and the female and, not surprisingly, is a reflection of a multitude of complex and, seemingly, hopelessly intertwined interactions between the genetic constitution of the organism and its particular environment. This chapter discusses that, on the basis of the observations, one can say with some certainty that the ultimate recovery of progeny in drosophila probably represents the aggregation of a great number of largely uncontrollable physiological events. The chapter also reviews that that in designing future experiments in drosophila, those whose interpretation depends on the control of this variability in reproduction.
Mid-depth recirculation observed in the interior Labrador and Irminger seas by direct velocity measurements

The Labrador Sea is one of the sites where convection exports surface water to the deep ocean in winter as part of the thermohaline circulation. Labrador Sea water is characteristically cold and fresh, and it can be traced at intermediate depths (500–2,000 m) across the North Atlantic Ocean, to the south and to the east of the Labrador Sea1,2,3. Widespread observations of the ocean currents that lead to this distribution of Labrador Sea water have, however, been difficult and therefore scarce. We have used more than 200 subsurface floats to measure directly basin-wide horizontal velocities at various depths in the Labrador and Irminger seas. We observe unanticipated recirculations of the mid-depth (∼700 m) cyclonic boundary currents in both basins, leading to an anticyclonic flow in the interior of the Labrador basin. About 40% of the floats from the region of deep convection left the basin within one year and were rapidly transported in the anticyclonic flow to the Irminger basin, and also eastwards into the subpolar gyre. Surprisingly, the float tracks did not clearly depict the deep western boundary current, which is the expected main pathway of Labrador Sea water in the thermohaline circulation. Rather, the flow along the boundary near Flemish Cap is dominated by eddies that transport water offshore. Our detailed observations of the velocity structure with a high data coverage suggest that we may have to revise our picture of the formation and spreading of Labrador Sea water, and future studies with similar instrumentation will allow new insights on the intermediate depth ocean circulation.
Report of a case of ramifying angiomyoma of the uterus

Abstract A uterine neoplasm having an unusual ramified distribution within the myometrium, regarded to be benign, structurally consisting of cords of perivascular groups of smooth muscle cells, with the blood vessels constituting the greater part of the bulk in some areas, is recorded, occurring in a patient having bilateral chronic salpingitis, and found incidentally at an operation performed for the purpose of relieving that condition.
Critical evaluation of models used to study agricultural phosphorus and water quality

There is an increasing demand to evaluate all agricultural systems where nonpoint source phosphorus (P) pollution is a priority. Because experiments cannot evaluate all possible interactions between management and natural processes that impact P in the environment, computer models are necessary. This article uses research examples to discuss issues related to integrating experimental and model development research. Model development often follows an evolution from a perceptual model of qualitative understanding to a conceptual model of equations to a procedural model of computer code. Integrating experiments and models is an efficient way to show if conceptual models are incorrect and design hypothesis-driven experiments to develop alternative models. A model can be perceptually correct but conceptually incorrect, such as some P Indexes in the US. Translation of conceptual equations into procedural model equations can vary between models, such as how the same soil P model varies in EPIC, SWAT and AnnAGNPS. Commonly used P models often do not reflect current science, such as in simulating soil total P and inorganic P sorption and desorption, surface-applied manure and fertilizer and direct P loss in run-off, grazing cattle dung dynamics and contributions to P in run-off, and subsurface P leaching and transport. Thus, models may be applied in situations for which their algorithms are inadequate. Validating models using more than one output parameter, over multiple years and with diverse scenarios can help identify model weaknesses. Ultimately, a framework of integrated experimentation and model development can advance agricultural P science and environmental protection beyond the point that either can achieve alone.
Water resources assessment and geographic information system (GIS)-based stormwater runoff estimates for artificial recharge of freshwater aquifers in New Providence, Bahamas

The Bahamas is a small island nation that is dealing with the problem of freshwater shortage. All of the country’s freshwater is contained in shallow lens aquifers that are recharged solely by rainfall. The country has been struggling to meet the water demands by employing a combination of overpumping of aquifers, transport of water by barge between islands, and desalination of sea water. In recent decades, new development on New Providence, where the capital city of Nassau is located, has created a large area of impervious surfaces and thereby a substantial amount of runoff with the result that several of the aquifers are not being recharged. A geodatabase was assembled to assess and estimate the quantity of runoff from these impervious surfaces and potential recharge locations were identified using a Geographic Information System (GIS). This study showed that runoff from impervious surfaces in New Providence represents a large freshwater resource that could potentially be used to recharge the lens aquifers on New Providence.
Quantum-dot cellular automata

An introduction to of quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) is presented. QCA is a transistorless nanoelectronic computation paradigm that addresses the issues of device and power density which are becoming increasingly important in the electronics industry. Scaling of CMOS is expected to come to an end in the next 10-15 years, with perhaps the most important limiting problem being the power density and the resulting heat generated. QCA offers the possibility of circuitry that dissipates many orders of magnitude less power than CMOS, is scalable to molecular dimensions, and provides the power gain necessary to restore signal levels. QCA cells are scalable to molecular dimensions and initial measurements have demonstrated single-electron switching within a molecule.
Fast food marketing and the African American consumers: the impact of socio-economic and demographic characteristics.

Abstract Although African American consumers form a large and growing market segment, relatively little study has been done on their fast food consumption preferences. This paper examines the frequency of patronizing fast food restaurants by this important sub-cultural group, the criteria that they use to evaluate service quality in fast food restaurants, as well as the socio-economic and demographic factors that determine these. Results show that “hygiene and reliability,” “expeditiousness,” “availability,” and “courtesy” are the four dimensions of service quality most important to this group of consumers. Gender, age, income, and marital status were found to influence their patronage frequency, as well as the service quality evaluative criteria. Managerial implications of these findings for international fast food marketers are discussed, and directions for future research are given.
SU-E-J-270: Repeated 18F-FDG PET/CTs Based Feature Analysis for the Predication of Anal Cancer Recurrence

Purpose: To identify PET/CT based imaging predictors of anal cancer recurrence and evaluate baseline vs. mid-treatment vs. post-treatment PET/CT scans in the tumor recurrence prediction. Methods: FDG-PET/CT scans were obtained at baseline, during chemoradiotherapy (CRT, midtreatment), and after CRT (post-treatment) in 17 patients of anal cancer. Four patients had tumor recurrence. For each patient, the mid-treatment and post-treatment scans were respectively aligned to the baseline scan by a rigid registration followed by a deformable registration. PET/CT image features were computed within the manually delineated tumor volume of each scan to characterize the intensity histogram, spatial patterns (texture), and shape of the tumors, as well as the changes of these features resulting from CRT. A total of 335 image features were extracted. An Exact Logistic Regression model was employed to analyze these PET/CT image features in order to identify potential predictors for tumor recurrence. Results: Eleven potential predictors of cancer recurrence were identified with p < 0.10, including five shape features, five statistical texture features, and one CT intensity histogram feature. Six features were indentified from posttreatment scans, 3 from mid-treatment scans, and 2 from baseline scans. These features indicated that there were differences in shape, intensity, and spatial pattern between tumors with and without recurrence. Recurrent tumors tended to have more compact shape (higher roundness and lower elongation) and larger intensity difference between baseline and follow-up scans, compared to non-recurrent tumors. Conclusion: PET/CT based anal cancer recurrence predictors were identified. The post-CRT PET/CT is the most important scan for the prediction of cancer recurrence. The baseline and mid-CRT PET/CT also showed value in the prediction and would be more useful for the predication of tumor recurrence in early stage of CRT. This work was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute Grant R01CA172638.
Incorporating flow into practice and performance

In the music profession, individuals often work under stress filled conditions. This is especially true for individuals making their living as performing musicians. Musical performance anxiety has been well documented in both students and professionals. For some, the experience may lead to a termination of what might otherwise remain a successful performing career. Humans are susceptible to anxiety and so the phenomenon of musical performance anxiety is not likely to disappear. Learning how to effectively deal with musical performance anxiety is paramount for those in the performing arts. Entering a state of flow, in which there is total absorption in an activity, allows for the possiblity of any ensuing anxiety to become facilitative, rather than debilitative. This article will discuss several characteristics of flow, as defined by Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, and provide practical applications for musical practice and performance in an attempt to counterbalance musical performance anxiety. Musicians will benefit from a closer examination of the elements of flow and means of incorporating these elements into practice and performance.
Metallothionein Expression Is Increased in Monocytes and Erythrocytes of Young Men during Zinc Supplementation

The metallothionein gene is transcriptionally regulated by zinc. Consequently, metallothionein has potential for serving as an index of dietary zinc status in humans. To examine this possibility, an enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) based on a sandwich approach that utilizes monoclonal and chicken egg yolk antibodies was used to compare the response of erythrocyte metallothionein protein levels with the response of monocyte metallothionein mRNA levels as measured by competitive reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (CRT-PCR) during zinc supplementation. Young male subjects participated in an 18-d supplementation study in which zinc was provided at 50 mg/d. Control subjects received a placebo. The zinc supplement resulted in significantly greater erythrocyte metallothionein levels by d 8 of supplementation compared with controls. Monocyte metallothionein mRNA levels were significantly greater than those of controls by d 2 of supplementation. Both remained elevated through d 18. They returned to base line by 8 and 4 d after supplementation, respectively. The plasma zinc concentration was significantly greater than in controls by d 6 and had returned to control levels by d 22 of supplementation. The results presented here show that both monocyte metallothionein mRNA and erythrocyte metallothionein protein concentrations change in human subjects in response to elevated dietary zinc intake and that monocyte metallothionein mRNA responds more rapidly to elevation of dietary zinc status than erythrocyte metallothionein protein. Consequently, both erythrocyte metallothionein and monocyte metallothionein mRNA may prove to be measures useful for assessment of either zinc depletion or the bioavailability of zinc supplements. J.
Clashing paradigms: an empirical examination of cultural proxies and socioeconomic condition shaping Latino health

Objective: Much debate exists regarding the role of culture versus socioeconomic position in shaping the health of Latino populations. We propose that both may matter for health and explicitly test their independent and joint effects on smoking and physical activity. Methods: We used the 2010 National Health Interview Survey, a population-based survey of the U.S. population, to estimate the prevalence of smoking and physical activity by language use (cultural proxy) and education among Latino adults (n ¼ 4929). We fit log binomial regression models to estimate prevalence ratios and test for interaction. Results: English-language use and educational attainment were each independently associated with smoking and physical activity. Joint effect models showed that individuals with both greater use of the English language and low levels of education were nearly three times more likely to smoke (prevalence ratio, 2.59; 95% confidence interval, 1.83e3.65) than those with low English language use and high education (referent group); high acculturation and high education were jointly associated with increased activity (prevalence ratio 2.24, 95% confidence interval, 1.79e2.81). Conclusions: Cultural proxies such as language use and educational attainment are both important determinants of health among Latinos. Their joint effect suggests the need to simultaneously consider Latinos’ socioeconomic position and their increased risk of adopting health-damaging behaviors while addressing culturally-specific factors that may mitigate risk.
Thermoelectric properties of granular metals

We investigate the thermopower and thermoelectric coefficient of nanogranular materials at large tunneling conductance between the grains, ${g}_{T}⪢1$. We show that at intermediate temperatures, $Tg{g}_{T}\ensuremath{\delta}$, where $\ensuremath{\delta}$ is the mean energy-level spacing for a single grain, electron-electron interaction leads to an increase in the thermopower with decreasing grain size. We discuss our results in light of the next generation of thermoelectric materials and present the behavior of the figure of merit depending on the system parameters.