cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Constitutional supercooling in GaAs liquid phase epitaxy

Abstract The diffusion equation is solved for the epitaxial crystallization of gallium arsenide from gallium solution. The melt was assumed to be cooled at a constant rate and phase equilibrium was assumed at the freezing epitaxial interface. The minimum temperature gradient allowed to avoid constitutional supercooling was calculated for the cases of a semi-infinite and a finite melt. The latter case is much more favorable for the growth of thin smooth layers. The difficiencies of the present technology in this respect are pointed out.
Role of cyclic GMP in the mediation of circadian rhythmicity of the adenylate cyclase-cyclic AMP-phosphodiesterase system in Euglena.

Abstract Cyclic AMP (cAMP) and cyclic GMP (cGMP) are two second messengers that have been proposed to act as a dualistic system in biological regulation. To determine if cGMP plays a role in the mediation of circadian rhythmicity of the adenylate cyclase (AC-cAMP-phosphodiesterase (PDE) system in the achlorophyllous ZC mutant of the unicellular flagellate Eugtena , the levels of cAMP and cGMP were monitored in synchronized cell populations, and the effects of the cGMP analog 8-bromo- cGMP (8-Br-cGMP) and the cGMP inhibitor 6-anilinoquinoline-5,8-quinone (LY 83583) on the activity of AC and PDE, as well as on the level of cAMP, were measured in vivo . A bimodal, 24-hr rhythm of cGMP content was found m both dividing and nondividing cultures in either a 12-hr:12-hr light-dark cycle or constant darkness. The peaks and troughs of the cGMP rhythm occurred 2 hr in advance of those of the cAMP rhythm that has been reported previously. The addition of 8-Br-cGMP at different circadian times increased the cAMP level in vivo by two to five times, whereas LY 83583 reduced the amplitude of the cAMP rhythm so that it disappeared. The effects of 8-Br-cGMP on the activity of AC and PDE were circadian phase-dependent and consistent with the changes in cAMP content. These findings suggest that cGMP may serve as an upstream effector that mediates the cAMP oscillation by regulation of the AC-cAMP-PDE system.
Approximating Characteristics of the Analogs of Besov Classes with Logarithmic Smoothness

We obtain the exact-order estimates of some approximating characteristics for the analogs of Besov classes of periodic functions of several variables (with logarithmic smoothness).
The antidiuretic activity of the plasma of adrenalectomized, hypophysectomized and adrenalectomized-hypophysectomized rats.

DAMAGE of the supraoptic nuclei, the paraventricular nuclei, the supraoptico-hypophyseal tract or the neurohypophysis results in the development of diabetes insipidus (Fisher, Ingram and Ranson, 1938; Smith, 1951). Accordingly, the secretion of the antidiuretic hormone (ADH) appears to be dependent upon the integrity of the supraoptico-hypophyseal system. Since adrenalectomy results in an increased reabsorption of water by the renal tubules and a diminished diuretic response to a water load, it has been postulated that the secretion of the antidiuretic hormone is dependent also upon the integrity of the adrenal cortex (Gaunt, Birnie and Eversole, 1949). Direct evidence in support of the aforementioned was not available until Birnie, Jenkins, Eversole and Gaunt (1949) demonstrated that the antidiuretic activity of the serum of rats is elevated after adrenalectomy. Although the procedure employed by Birnie et at. (1949, 1950) undoubtedly permits the detection of antidiuretic substances, the significance of ...
Calibration of the Sandia One-Dimensional Direct and Inverse Thermal (SODDIT) Code for Estimating Heat Flux to a Large Pipe Calorimeter in a Jet Fuel Fire

Industry and safety standards demand the knowledge of the thermal behavior of systems subjected to fire, particularly for the transportation of radioactive materials for spent nuclear fuel disposal and reprocessing. Experimentally benchmarked fire test data from Container Analysis Fire Environment (CAFE) are used to calibrate the Sandia One Dimensional Direct and Inverse Thermal (SODDIT) code by optimizing number of future times (NFT) at 11 and identifying a linear correlation and uncertainty range between the SODDIT input and output. The calibration is then used to predict the heat flux to a large pipe calorimeter in a jet fuel fire, for which the result is an 11 second window average of the actual heat flux. The maximum heat flux occurred at the beginning of the fire and was found to be 195 ± 37.3 kW/m2 at a 95% confidence level.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
GaN electronics with high electron mobility transistors

The III-nitrides AlN, GaN, and InN alloys are expected to be basis of a strong development of a novel family of semiconductor devices, for optoelectronics as well as for electronics, GaN-based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) have shown superior power handling and operating temperatures at frequency ranges that are beyond the limits of devices fabricated from Si and other III-V materials. This paper presents the state-of-the-art GaN HEMT technology and describes the potentials for the future.
Does Effort Still Count?: More on What Makes the Grade.

Previous research has examined differences between students and faculty regarding the weight of effort in assigning grades. Here, students and faculty responded to questions regarding the relative weight of performance and effort on final grades and what letter grades faculty should assign across different types of courses. The authors asked these questions in 2 scenarios: (a) high effort, poor performance (students worked hard but performed poorly) and (b) low effort, high performance (students performed well but did not work hard). Results showed that, as in previous research, students and faculty differed in how they would assign grades, and students gave more weight to effort than faculty did. Students responded differently in low- and high-effort conditions, whereas faculty remained consistent in their assessments.
Measuring forces at the leading edge: a force assay for cell motility

Cancer cells become mobile by remodelling their cytoskeleton to form migratory structures. This transformation is dominated by actin assembly and disassembly (polymerisation and depolymerisation) in the cytoplasm. Synthesis of filamentous actin produces a force at the leading edge that pushes the plasma membrane forward. We describe an assay to measure the restoring force of the membrane in response to forces generated within the cytoplasm adjacent to the membrane. A laser trap is used to form a long membrane nanotube from a living cell and to measure the axial membrane force at the end of the tube. When the tube, resembling a filopodium, is formed and in a relaxed state the axial membrane force exhibits a positive stationary value. This value reflects the influence of the cytoskeleton that acts to pull the tube back to the cell. A dynamic sawtooth force that rides upon the stationary value is also observed. This force is sensitive to a toxin that affects actin assembly and disassembly, but not affected by agents that influence microtubules and myosin light chain kinase. We deduce from the magnitude and characteristics of dynamic force measurements that it originates from depolymerisation and polymerisation of F-actin. The on- and off-rates, the number of working filaments, and the force per filament (2.5 pN) are determined. We suggest the force-dependent transitions are thermodynamically uncoupled as both the on- and off-rates decrease exponentially with a compressive load. We propose kinetic schemes that require attachment of actin filaments to the membrane during depolymerisation. This demonstrates that actin kinetics can be monitored in a living cell by measuring force at the membrane, and used to probe the mobility of cells including cancer cells.
Beyond the threshold: The criminalization of logging

In spite of a worldwide effort to criminalize environmental harm, little is known of the factors that have led to this coercive trend. Existing literature and limited research on environmental crime have focused on urban‐based harm; no research is available on the efforts to criminalize the environmental harms of logging. This ethnographic study, conducted in the forests of Clayoquot Sound within British Columbia, Canada, during the largest environmental protest in North America, specifically addresses the question: What socio‐natural processes have led to the criminalization of logging? Qualitative findings show that four socio‐natural thresholds of harm, identified as magnitude, death, visibility, and legitimacy, were exceeded before the Canadian Forest Code was amended to include severe penalties for environmental offenses. Together these four thresholds define a social intolerance for socio‐natural disorder that leads to a policy of coercive sanctions.
Enhanced gas transport properties and molecular mobilities in nano-constrained poly[1-(trimethylsilyl)-1-propyne] membranes

Abstract Interfacial constraints in ultrathin poly(l-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne) (PTMSP) membranes yielded gas permeabilities and CO 2 /helium selectivities that exceed bulk PTMSP membrane transport properties by up to three-fold for membranes of submicrometer thickness. Maximum permeability coefficients of 110 × 10 3 Barrer and 27 × 10 3 Barrer for carbon dioxide and helium, respectively, were found to occur in membranes of ∼750 nm thickness. Indicative of a free volume increase, a molecular energetic mobility analysis (involving intrinsic friction analysis) revealed enhanced methyl side group mobility. This was evidenced by a minimum in the activation energies of ∼4 kcal/mol in thin PTMSP membranes with maximum permeation, compared to ∼5.5 kcal/mol in bulk films. Aging studies conducted over the timescales relevant to the conducted experiments signify that the free volume states in the thin film membranes are highly unstable in the presence of sorbing gases such as CO 2 . These results are discussed and contrasted to PTMSP bulk membrane systems, which were found to be unaffected by aging over the equivalent experimental time scale.
Accuracy of Moored Current Measurements in Shallow-Water

The Aanderaa current meter is widely used with a variety of platforms in different oceanographic and limnologic environments. It was not intended to be used in regions where surface wave motions would influence the measurements. Several examples are described to show the effect of surface waves upon Aanderaa current measurements made near the surface and near the bottom in shallow-water environments.
Two Case Studies of Tornadoes Associated with Cold-Core 500-mb Lows, and Operational Warning Recommendations

Two cases of tornadoes associated with cold-core 500-mb lows are presented in order to continue building a formal documented catalog of these events. Although environments associated with these tornadoes are considered atypical for strong tornadoes with supercells, one of these cases produced a tornado that resulted in F2 damage while the other case missed useful damage indicators. These events do not follow the classical conceptual model of environments capable of producing strong tornadoes because there is less surface moisture and deep-layer buoyancy. As such, these events are often poorly anticipated or missed completely by forecasters. It is important to build a catalog and continue to adapt the conceptual model of these events in order to prepare and warn for them better and more efficiently in the future. Recommendations are provided on how to handle these events in both the outlook period (>1 h) and for warnings in an effort to improve both situational awareness and statistics.
Fetal programming of skeletal muscle development in ruminant animals.

Enhancing skeletal muscle growth is crucial for animal agriculture because skeletal muscle provides meat for human consumption. An increasing body of evidence shows that the level of maternal nu- trition alters fetal skeletal muscle development, with long-term effects on offspring growth and performance. Fetal skeletal muscle development mainly involves myo- genesis (i.e., muscle cell development), but also involves adipogenesis (i.e., adipocyte development) and fibro- genesis (i.e., fibroblast development). These tissues in fetal muscle are mainly derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). Shifting the commitment of MSC from myogenesis to adipogenesis increases intramuscular fat (i.e., marbling), improving the quality grade of meats. Strong experimental evidence indicates that Wingless and Int (Wnt)/β-catenin signaling regulates MSC dif- ferentiation. Upregulation of Wnt/β-catenin promotes myogenesis, and downregulation enhances adipogene- sis. A lack of nutrients in early to midgestation reduces the formation of secondary muscle fibers in ruminant animals. Nutrient deficiency during mid- to late gesta- tion decreases the number of intramuscular adipocytes and muscle fiber sizes. Knowledge of this regulatory mechanism will allow the development of strategies to enhance muscle growth and marbling in offspring, espe- cially in the setting of nutrient deficiency.
Infectious disease epidemiology in the 21st century: will it be eradicated or will it reemerge?

Although there are several notable examples of early epidemiologic investigations of noninfectious diseases (e.g., the work of Pott (1) on scrotal cancer, Baker (2) on lead poisoning, Ramazzini (3) on occupational illnesses, and Goldberger on pellagra (4)), most of the early development of the field of epidemiology revolved around studies of infectious diseases. Although we have a broader and more encompassing definition of epidemiology now, the word literally means "the study of epidemics," which at the time the word was created were epidemics of infectious diseases. Every student of epidemiology knows of John Snow's brilliant and groundbreaking work on cholera in London in 1854 (5), and many are familiar with Panum's outstanding studies of measles in the Faroe Islands (6), Budd's work on typhoid fever (7), Ross's work on malaria (8), Reed et al.'s work on yellow fever (9), and Frost's work on tuberculosis (10), to name but a handful of the early pioneers of epidemiology. By the 1960s and early 1970s, however, a combination of improved sanitation, childhood immunizations, and an ever-increasing number of antibiotics had led to substantial reductions in infectious disease-related morbidity and mortality (at least in rich countries like the United States). This "epidemiologic transition" left many in the scientific and medical community believing that infectious diseases were (or soon would be) a problem of the past and that we were free to concentrate our future research and prevention efforts on "chronic diseases" such as cancer, diabetes mellitus, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. This point of view was aptly, if somewhat prematurely, illustrated in a cartoon (11) on the front page of the Buffalo Evening
The Spiritual Warfare of Exodus: A Postpositivist Research Adventure

In this article, I argue that a radical empirical and postpositivist approach offers new ways of understanding the other in sociological research. By ignoring mainstream sociological expectations t...
Restructuring of the amphibian gut microbiota through metamorphosis

Summary Vertebrates maintain complex symbioses with a diverse community of microbes residing within their guts. The microbial players in these symbioses differ between major taxa of vertebrates, such that fish and amniotes maintain notably different communities. To date, there has not been a culture-independent inventory of an amphibian gut microbial community. Here, we compared gut microbial communities of tadpoles and frogs of the Northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens). We utilized Illumina sequencing, which allowed us to inventory more than 450 000 microbial sequences. We found that tadpoles and frogs differ markedly in the composition of their gut microbial communities, with tadpoles maintaining a community more similar to fish, whereas the frog community resembles that of amniotes. Additionally, frogs maintain a community with lower phylogenetic diversity compared with tadpoles. The significant restructuring ofthemicrobiotaislikelyduetochangesindietaswell as the large reorganization of the intestinal organ during metamorphosis. Overall, we propose that amphibians represent an important system in which to study regulation and selection of gut microbial communities.
DBR1 siRNA inhibition of HIV-1 replication

Background HIV-1 and all retroviruses are related to retroelements of simpler organisms such as the yeast Ty elements. Recent work has suggested that the yeast retroelement Ty1 replicates via an unexpected RNA lariat intermediate in cDNA synthesis. The putative genomic RNA lariat intermediate is formed by a 2'-5' phosphodiester bond, like that found in pre-mRNA intron lariats and it facilitates the minus-strand template switch during cDNA synthesis. We hypothesized that HIV-1 might also form a genomic RNA lariat and therefore that siRNA-mediated inhibition of expression of the human RNA lariat de-branching enzyme (DBR1) expression would specifically inhibit HIV-1 replication.
8-Month-Old Infants Spontaneously Learn and Generalize Hierarchical Rules:

The ability to extract hierarchically organized rule structures from noisy environments is critical to human cognitive, social, and emotional intelligence. Adults spontaneously create hierarchical rule structures of this sort. In the present research, we conducted two experiments to examine the previously unknown developmental origins of this hallmark skill. In Experiment 1, we exploited a visual paradigm previously shown to elicit incidental hierarchical rule learning in adults. In Experiment 2, we used the same learning structure to examine whether these hierarchical-rule-learning mechanisms are domain general and can help infants learn spoken object-label mappings across different speaker contexts. In both experiments, we found that 8-month-olds created and generalized hierarchical rules during learning. Eyeblink rate, an exploratory indicator of striatal dopamine activity, mirrored behavioral-learning patterns. Our results provide direct evidence that the human brain is predisposed to extract knowledge from noisy environments, and they add a fundamental learning mechanism to what is currently known about the neurocognitive toolbox available to infants.
Inactivation of cyclic-di-GMP binding protein TDE0214 affects the motility, biofilm formation and virulence of Treponema denticola

ABSTRACT As a ubiquitous second messenger, cyclic dimeric GMP (c-di-GMP) has been studied in numerous bacteria. The oral spirochete Treponema denticola, a periodontal pathogen associated with human periodontitis, has a complex c-di-GMP signaling network. However, its function remains unexplored. In this report, a PilZ-like c-di-GMP binding protein (TDE0214) was studied to investigate the role of c-di-GMP in the spirochete. TDE0214 harbors a PilZ domain with two signature motifs: RXXXR and DXSXXG. Biochemical studies showed that TDE0214 binds c-di-GMP in a specific manner, with a dissociation constant ( K d ) value of 1.73 μM, which is in the low range compared to those of other reported c-di-GMP binding proteins. To reveal the role of c-di-GMP in T. denticola, a TDE0214 deletion mutant (TdΔ214) was constructed and analyzed in detail. First, swim plate and single-cell tracking analyses showed that TdΔ214 had abnormal swimming behaviors: the mutant was less motile and reversed more frequently than the wild type. Second, we found that biofilm formation of TdΔ214 was substantially repressed (∼6.0-fold reduction). Finally, in vivo studies using a mouse skin abscess model revealed that the invasiveness and ability to induce skin abscesses and host humoral immune responses were significantly attenuated in TdΔ214, indicative of the impact that TDE0214 has on the virulence of T. denticola. Collectively, the results reported here indicate that TDE0214 plays important roles in motility, biofilm formation, and virulence of the spirochete. This report also paves a way to further unveil the roles of the c-di-GMP signaling network in the biology and pathogenicity of T. denticola.
Pomegranate (Punica granatum) purified polyphenol extract inhibits influenza virus and has a synergistic effect with oseltamivir

Influenza epidemics cause numerous deaths and millions of hospitalizations each year. Because of the alarming emergence of resistance to anti-influenza drugs, there is a need to identify new naturally occurring antiviral molecules. We tested the hypothesis that pomegranate polyphenol extract (PPE) has anti-influenza properties. Using real time PCR, plaque assay, and TCID 50% hemagglutination assay, we have shown that PPE suppresses replication of influenza A virus in MDCK cells. PPE inhibits agglutination of chicken red blood cells (cRBC) by influenza virus and is virucidal. The single-cycle growth conditions indicated that independent of the virucidal effect PPE also inhibits viral RNA replication. PPE did not alter virus ribonucleoprotein (RNP) entry into nucleus or translocation of virus RNP from nucleus to cytoplasm in MDCK cells. We evaluated four major Polyphenols in PPE (ellagic acid, caffeic acid, luteolin, and punicalagin) and demonstrated that punicalagin is the effective, anti-influenza component of PPE. Punicalagin blocked replication of the virus RNA, inhibited agglutination of chicken RBC's by the virus and had virucidal effects. Furthermore, the combination of PPE and oseltamivir synergistically increased the anti-influenza effect of oseltamivir. In conclusion, PPE inhibited the replication of human influenza A/Hong Kong (H3N2) in vitro. Pomegranate extracts should be further studied for therapeutic and prophylactic potential especially for influenza epidemics and pandemics.
Linguistic Factors Associated With Propagation of Political Opinions in Twitter

In the last decade, social networks have emerged as a significant media platform for dissemination of political information. In this article, we characterize linguistic factors that affect the dissemination of a political message on Twitter. This is important because characterization of messages that were posted by users from both political camps can provide a unique insight into how rival audiences can be reached. We analyze about 20,000 Twitter users who expressed explicit support for Barack Obama or Mitt Romney during the 2012 U.S. presidential election. We extracted approximately 344,000 tweets by these users that contained links to political webpages and appeared in the 3 months prior to the election. We show that the language used in a linked page is correlated with the page's popularity in terms of the total number of users that post a link to this page. Pages that are written in a more Republican language are posted by a larger number of users than Democrat-leaning pages. We also observe that pages that use highly polarized language are generally posted by users from a single political camp. Pages that are reposted by both Romney and Obama supporters are usually written in a relatively neutral language. In addition, when the user is a Republican, the text accompanying a retweeted page is likely to be modified, usually to refute information that conflicts with the user's viewpoint.
Passive Source Localization Using an Airborne Sensor Array in the Presence of Manifold Perturbations

This paper studies localizing sources of electromagnetic energy using a passive sensor array whose manifold is only nominally known. The problem of source localization is studied in the context of an airborne array that is able to observe a ground-based source from multiple angles. External and self-calibration algorithms are developed as a means to obtain accurate source localization estimates when the sensor manifold is perturbed. External calibration establishes the expected difference between the actual and modeled array manifold using signals at known locations. Self-calibration assumes that this expected difference is known only approximately and relies on signals of opportunity in the environment to provide updates. Several novel calibration algorithms are proposed, and their performance is tested on experimental data. The results indicate that significant performance gains are achieved with the use of the proposed calibration algorithms
An implementable lossy version of the Lempel-Ziv algorithm. I. Optimality for memoryless sources

A new lossy variant of the fixed-database Lempel-Ziv coding algorithm for encoding at a fixed distortion level is proposed, and its asymptotic optimality and universality for memoryless sources (with respect to bounded single-letter distortion measures) is demonstrated: as the database size m increases to infinity, the expected compression ratio approaches the rate-distortion function. The complexity and redundancy characteristics of the algorithm are comparable to those of its lossless counterpart. A heuristic argument suggests that the redundancy is of order (log log m)/log m, and this is also confirmed experimentally; simulation results are presented that agree well with this rate. Also, the complexity of the algorithm is seen to be comparable to that of the corresponding lossless scheme. We show that there is a tradeoff between compression performance and encoding complexity, and we discuss how the relevant parameters can be chosen to balance this tradeoff in practice. We also discuss the performance of the algorithm when applied to sources with memory, and extensions to the cases of unbounded distortion measures and infinite reproduction alphabets.
Enhancing speech recognition and speech understanding systems through non-phonetic cues

Theoretical and practical techniques for the automatic extraction, representation and manipulation of information supplied by the body movements of a speaker are discussed. Since speech production and facial expressions have been shown to exhibit a synchronous relationship, optical information obtained from a camera trained on the speaker's face and body can prove useful in both correlating and disambiguating phoneme recognition by a voice recognition system. At the theoretical level, the roles played by proxemics, kinesics and deixis in interpreting body movement data in a linguistic setting are discussed. Also discussed are two systems under development: the vision microphone to aid in the recognition of both continuous speech and discrete speech by tracking acoustic data and the facial movements which accompany speech production; and gesture understanding system to extract information from the body movements of a speaker at both the microkinesic and macrokinesic levels for interpreting the communication content of speaker's utterance.
Radiotherapy dose perturbation of metallic esophageal stents

Abstract Purpose : Metallic esophageal stents frequently present during the treatment of esophageal cancer while using either external beam radiotherapy or brachytherapy. The dosimetric effects due to these metallic stents have not been reported. This work investigates these dose effects for various stent models presented during a radiotherapy procedure. Methods and Materials : Two types of representative stent models, shell and ring stents, with various designs (e.g., composition and shell thickness or ring spacing), were studied. Three Monte Carlo code systems (EGS4/BEAM, EGSnrc/DOSRZnrc, and MCNP) were used to calculate the dose distributions for 6- and 15-MV external photon beams and for a 192Ir brachytherapy source with and without a metallic esophageal stent in place. Results : For a single external beam, a dose enhancement is generally observed in front of the stent (upstream) in the region within 4-mm distance of the stent surface. The enhancement at 0.5-mm distance from the stent surface can be as high as 20%. The dose behind the stent (downstream) is generally reduced. For a parallel-opposed pair (POP), a dose enhancement is always observed in the region within 3-mm distance of the stent surface. The enhancement at 0.5-mm distance from the stent surface can be as high as 10% for the 15-MV POP and 8% for the 6-MV POP. The dose effects depend on stent design (e.g., composition, thickness of shell stent, or ring spacing in ring stents). This dependence is reduced for a POP. In the case of the 192Ir brachytherapy source, a dose enhancement is observed in the region within 1-mm distance from the stent surface. The dose enhancement is approximately 5% at 0.5-mm distance from the stent surface. Conclusion : The dose perturbations due to the presence of a metallic esophageal stent during the treatment of esophageal cancer while using either external beam radiotherapy or brachytherapy should be recognized. These perturbations result in an overdose in esophageal mucosa. The overdose is within 5%–10% at a depth of 0.5 mm in the esophageal wall.
A Wind Tunnel Investigation of Interactions between Supercooled Precipitation-Size Water Drops

Abstract Laboratory experiments were performed to investigate interactions between small (400–900 μm) precipitation-size drops at temperatures colder than 0°C. The investigation was accomplished by creating a light shower of supercooled drizzle drops in a vertical wind tunnel. The experiments were performed to test the hypothesis that ice may nucleate by mechanical shock when supercooled precipitation-size drops collide. Experimental results did not strongly support collision–freezing as a viable mechanism that would fully explain the large discrepancy between observed concentrations of “first” ice and ice nuclei in clouds characterized by an active coalescence mechanism. Also reported is the result of one trial in which a subject drop prematurely froze and subsequently interacted with a supercooled drop in the tunnel rain shower to form a dumbbell-shaped ice particle. Two-dimensional optical array probe data obtained at the −10°C level in warm-based Midwestern rain clouds are presented that also show dum...
Osteonecrosis of the jaw in patients receiving intravenous bisphosphonate therapy

8528 There have been reports of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) in patients (pts) with metastatic bone disease (MBD) treated with IV bisphosphonates (IVBP). To estimate the frequency and identify ri...
Extracellular Thiol Isomerases and Their Role in Thrombus Formation.

Abstract Significance: The mammalian endoplasmic reticulum (ER) houses a large family of twenty thioredoxin-like proteins of which protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) is the archetypal member. Although the PDI family is best known for its role in oxidative protein folding of secretory proteins in the ER, these thioredoxin-like proteins fulfill ever-expanding roles, both within the secretory pathway and beyond. Recent Advances: Secreted PDI family proteins have now been shown to serve a critical role in platelet thrombus formation and fibrin generation. Utilizing intravital microscopy to visualize thrombus formation in mice, we have demonstrated the presence of extracellular PDI antigen during thrombus formation following injury of the vascular wall. Inhibition of PDI abrogates thrombus formation in vivo (16, 26, 46, 55). These observations have been extended to other PDI family members, including ERp57 (39, 116, 118, 123) and ERp5 (77). The vascular thiol isomerases are those PDI family members secreted fro...
Dietary impairment of estrogen response in the immature monkey.

SummaryOf 8 sexually immature monkeys maintained on a folic acid-deficient, synthetic diet until evidence of dietary deficiency appeared, 6 failed to show the characteristic normal response to estrogen administration.Two control monkeys fed the same diet plus liver and 2 of the apparently deficient animals showed typical estrogen response to similar hormone treatment.
Approach-avoidance conflict behavior as a function of prior experience with mild or intense electric shock stimulation

Albino rats were subjected to a series of either intense (.80 ma) or mild (.25 ma) electric shock and were later tested in a conflict situation with the same level of shock serving as the aversive stimulus. Two no-prior-shock control groups were also tested in the conflict situation under either mild or intense shock. Both prior shock groups were more sensitive to subsequent shock than were their respective no-shock control groups.
Some effects of light flicker rate on the pigeon

Four pigeons were trained to peck a key which was briefly illuminated every 0.64 sec., a fifth was trained to peck a dark key, and a sixth a constantly illuminated key. Two more were trained to peck a key successively illuminated with nine different rates of flicker, the time between light onsets for the nine different rates ranging from 0.22 sec. to 2.01 sec. When the birds were given generalization tests in extinction with these nine rates of flicker, they responded with key pecking rates proportional to the key flicker rates, except for two of the four trained at the median rate of flicker (onset every 0.64 sec.) and the bird trained to peck the dark key.
Analysis of instance selection algorithms on large datasets with Deep Convolutional Neural Networks

Deep Convolutional Neural networks (ConvNets) have achieved impressive results in several applications of computer vision and speech processing. With the availability of a large training set, it is common to find that the set contains useless samples (instances), either redundant or noisy. The process of removing these instances is called instance selection in the machine learning field. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of reducing the number of instances in the training set on deep (ConvNets) using a variety of instance selection methods to speed up the training time. We then study how these methods impact on classification accuracy. Moreover, many instance selection methods require a long running time for obtaining a representative subset of the dataset, especially if the dataset is large with high dimensionality. One of the popular algorithms in instance selection is Random Mutation Hill Climbing (RMHC). We propose a new approach in order to make RMHC work much faster with the same accuracy compared to original RMHC.
Diet, feeding patterns, and prey selection of subyearling Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and subyearling chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in a tributary of Lake Ontario

Summary Since juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) occupy a similar habitat in Lake Ontario tributaries, we sought to determine the degree of diet similarity between these species in order to assess the potential for interspecific competition. Atlantic salmon, an historically important but currently extirpated component of the Lake Ontario fish community, are the focus of a bi-national restoration effort. Presently this effort includes the release of hatchery produced juvenile Atlantic salmon in Lake Ontario tributaries. These same tributaries support substantial numbers of naturally reproduced juvenile Pacific salmonids including Chinook salmon. Subyearling Atlantic salmon and subyearling Chinook salmon had significantly different diets during each of the three time periods examined. Atlantic salmon fed slightly more from the benthos than from the drift and consumed mainly chirononmids (47.0%) and ephemeropterans (21.1%). The diet of subyearling Chinook salmon was more closely associated with the drift and consisted mainly of chironomids (60.2%) and terrestrial invertebrates (16.0%). Low diet similarity between subyearling Atlantic salmon and subyearling Chinook salmon likely minimizes competitive interactions for food between these species in Lake Ontario tributaries. However, the availability of small prey such as chironomids which comprise over 50% of the diet of each species, soon after emergence, could constitute a short term resource limitation. To our knowledge this is the first study of interspecific diet associations between these two important salmonid species.
Assessing Effects of Transit Signal Priority on Traffic Safety: Empirical Bayes Before–After Study using King County, Washington, Data:

Transit signal priority (TSP) has become popular among cities in the United States as a transit preferential treatment that improves transit operational performance through adjusting signal timing when transit vehicles are approaching signalized intersections. The majority of attention has been given to the operational effects of TSP. A small number of prior studies have discussed such a system’s effects on traffic safety, with few studies investigating North American implementations. Prior assessment results were mixed, leaving the understanding of TSP’s safety effects unclear. The purpose of this study was to add to the existing research on this topic, and to get a better understanding of TSP’s safety effects. An empirical Bayes (EB) before–after analysis was carried out using TSP implementation data from King County, Washington. Eleven transit corridors having had TSP activated in 2010–2014 were assessed, and 75 street sections without TSP treatment were selected to form a reference group. The EB analy...
Electrophysiological Assessment of Spinal Cord Pathology in Pain Medicine

Although there are some newer radiologic imaging methods available, electrophysiological tests remain useful in the assessment of both central and peripheral nervous system dysfunction. Electrophysiological tests can provide information that radiographic studies like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) cannot provide, such as the severity and chronicity of a neurological problem. These tests are also helpful in establishing whether an abnormality seen on radiographic images is even clinically significant. On the other hand, electrophysiological tests can detect abnormalities not seen on radiographic images.
Friday, September 28, 2018 4:05 PM–5:05 PM abstracts: tumor and deformity: 251. Is anterior column support needed following transpedicular decompression for metastatic epidural compression?

BACKGROUND CONTEXT Patients with metastatic epidural compression often present with neurological deficits and need prompt decompression and stabilization. A transpedicular decompression (TPD) can provide sufficient debulking of the epidural disease that is often situated ventral to the dura. Following such procedures anterior column support (cement or steinman pin combination, cages, allograft) have been used. PURPOSE To assess complications or revisions associated with not using anterior column support following transpedicular decompression (TPD) in metastatic spine disease. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING Retrospective, Level I trauma center, Tertiary referall Cancer Center. PATIENT SAMPLE A total of 36 patients undergoing TPD without anterior column support. OUTCOME MEASURES Revision surgery, surgical complication rates. METHODS Patients with metastatic spine disease undergoing TPD with posterior segmental instrumentation at a level I trauma center were identified. All patients had symptomatic metastatic epidural disease. The study period was 3/2011 to 8/2017. Patients were operated on by two orthopaedic spine surgeons. Demographic information, surgical data (EBL, length of surgery, level of TPD, levels instrumented, tumor histology, postoperative complications) were recorded. RESULTS A total of 36 patients undergoing TPD without anterior column support were identified. There were 12 F, 24 M, average age of 67.2 (46–87). TPD was performed in 26 thoracic lesions, nine lumbar lesions and one cervical or thoracic lesion. Average of 5.24 levels (2–10) were instrumented. In five cases (13.9%) MIS screws with open TPD was performed. Average EBL was 725.6ml, surgical length was 198 minutes and average hospital stay was 11.7 days. Common histology included lung (n=9), prostate (n=6), breast (n=5), multiple myeloma (n=3), renal cell (n=3), melanoma (n=2). Surgical complications included three surgical site infections (8.3%), there were no (0%) revisions needed for implant failure. At latest follow-up 12 (33%) patients were alive, average length of survival was 12.5 months (0.5–70 months). CONCLUSIONS Patients with symptomatic metastatic epidural disease may need debulking of the lesion, often ventral to the thecal sac, in order to preserve neurological function. Although in selected cases there may be a role for anterior column, we have demonstrated that posterior segmental instrumentation alone along with transpedicular decompression can be performed without a risk of instrumentation failure or need for revision surgery.
Science audiences, misinformation, and fake news.

Concerns about public misinformation in the United States—ranging from politics to science—are growing. Here, we provide an overview of how and why citizens become (and sometimes remain) misinformed about science. Our discussion focuses specifically on misinformation among individual citizens. However, it is impossible to understand individual information processing and acceptance without taking into account social networks, information ecologies, and other macro-level variables that provide important social context. Specifically, we show how being misinformed is a function of a person’s ability and motivation to spot falsehoods, but also of other group-level and societal factors that increase the chances of citizens to be exposed to correct(ive) information. We conclude by discussing a number of research areas—some of which echo themes of the 2017 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Communicating Science Effectively report—that will be particularly important for our future understanding of misinformation, specifically a systems approach to the problem of misinformation, the need for more systematic analyses of science communication in new media environments, and a (re)focusing on traditionally underserved audiences.
Emotional evidence in court

In the law, emotion is often viewed as extraneous to jury decision-making—either as an unavoidable byproduct of certain types of evidence or an impediment to the decision-making process. Even when the legal system does acknowledge the impact of emotion, it tends to overgeneralize across different types of emotions and legal judgments. Growing consensus in psychological science, however, reveals a much more complicated story. Emotion is not extraneous but rather inextricably intertwined with cognitive decision-making processes and its impact can be very different depending on the type of emotion and the type of legal judgment. The notion that instructing jurors to ignore their feelings will purge emotion from the jury box reflects an oversimplification of human decision-making processes. We describe how experimental methodology within psychological science can shed light on how emotions can affect jurors’ decision-making processes, with the goal of developing a more nuanced model of the role that juror emotions play in evidence evaluation and legal decision making.
Occult Chronic Thromboembolic Disease in Patients Presenting for Surgical Pulmonary Embolectomy.

Background Pulmonary embolism is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. An important subpopulation of patients presenting with acute pulmonary embolism have concurrent undiagnosed chronic thromboembolic disease. We sought to further characterize this subpopulation, specifically in a cohort of patients referred for surgical pulmonary embolectomy. Methods A retrospective review of all patients requiring surgical pulmonary embolectomy at a single center (2013-2017) was performed. Chart review and blinded examination of presenting computed tomographic pulmonary angiograms were done to identify clinical and radiographic features associated with acute on chronic disease. A predictive tool utilizing readily accessible variables was then constructed for risk stratification. Results A total of 90 patients were identified for analysis; 34 were treated by specifically trained pulmonary thromboendarterectomy surgeons. Twelve patients in the subgroup treated by pulmonary thromboendarterectomy surgeons were found to have acute on chronic disease confirmed by intraoperative endarterectomized specimen. On univariate analysis, degree of pulmonary artery and inferior vena cava dilation and duration of respiratory symptoms were statistically significant variables. Severe right ventricular hypertrophy, elevation in N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, and unprovoked etiology were also associated with acute on chronic disease. A predictive tool weighing the presence of these features was created allowing for stratification into low-, moderate-, and high-risk patients. The positive predictive value of a high-risk score was 100%. Conclusions In this cohort, the prevalence of acute on chronic thromboembolic disease was greater than 1 in 3. Readily available clinical and radiographic features were used to create a predictive tool for risk stratification.
Sub-cloud moist entropy curvature as a predictor for changes in the seasonal cycle of tropical precipitation

Convective Quasi-Equilibrium (CQE) may be a useful framework for understanding the precipitation minus evaporation (P − E) response to CO2-induced warming. To explore this proposition, a suite of aquaplanet simulations with a slab ocean from the Tropical Rain belts with an Annual cycle and a Continent Model Intercomparison Project (TRACMIP) is analyzed. A linear relationship between P − E and the curvature of sub-cloud moist entropy, a criterion for the onset of a tropical direct overturning circulation under CQE conditions, is shown to exist across many of the TRACMIP simulations. Furthermore, this linear relationship is a skillful predictor of changes in P − E in response to CO2-induced warming. The curvature metric also shows improvement in predicting P − E changes compared to the simpler method of relating P − E directly to the sub-cloud moist entropy field or a simple ‘wet-get-wetter’ type null hypothesis, especially on seasonal and shorter timescales. Using fixed relative humidity in the curvature metric and sub-cloud moist entropy degrades their ability to predict P − E changes, implying that both temperature and relative humidity changes in the boundary layer are important for characterizing future precipitation changes. To understand why the curvature metric is a skillful predictor of hydrological changes, a moist static energy (MSE) budget analysis is performed for a subset of the TRACMIP models. MSE divergence by transient eddies, which is well parameterized as a downgradient diffusive process, has a similar spatiotemporal structure to the curvature term, suggesting transient eddies are an important component to understanding the linear relationship between the curvature term and P − E.
Early Adversity and Sexual Risk in Adolescence: Externalizing Behaviors as a Mediator.

Sexual risk behavior in adolescence can result in serious health consequences that persist across the lifespan, particularly for female youth. While adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to engagement in sexual risk behavior later in life, little research has examined pathways that may help explain this association. To address this gap, the present study examined whether internalizing and externalizing behaviors mediated the link between (ACEs) and sexual risk behavior in female youth. We examined data from 122 adolescent girls, ages 13–18, who were involved in the juvenile justice system or receiving social supports from local agencies and schools. Girls were asked to report their exposure to ACEs and engagement in sexual risk behavior and caregivers were asked to report on girls’ internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Regression analyses indicated that girls who experienced more ACEs and exhibited more externalizing behaviors demonstrated higher rates of sexual risk. Further, externalizing behaviors partially mediated the association between ACEs and sexual risk behavior. Findings suggest that increased exposure to ACEs and higher incidence of externalizing behaviors may place girls at heightened risk for sexual risk behavior. Interventions aimed at decreasing externalizing behaviors may be particularly important in reducing sexual risk behavior among at-risk female youth.