cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gate-Tunable Optical Nonlinearities and Extinction in Graphene/LaAlO3/SrTiO3 Nanostructures.

We explore the ultrafast optical response of graphene subjected to intense (∼106 V/cm) local (∼10 nm) electric fields. Nanoscale gating of graphene is achieved using a voltage-biased, SrTiO3-based conductive nanowire junction "written" directly under the graphene and isolated from it by an insulating ultrathin ( 99.9%) are observed in the VIS-NIR and SFG spectral ranges, in parameter regimes that are positively correlated with the enhanced nonlinear response. The observed graphene-light interaction and nonlinear response are of fundamental interest and open the way for future exploitation in graphene-based optical devices such as phase shifters, modulators, and nanoscale THz sources.
Effect of Influenza Vaccination for the Elderly on Hospitalization and Mortality.

When vaccinating against influenza, some countries focus on elderly persons because observational studies indicate that this practice decreases both population mortality and the frequency of hospit...
Legal and Ethical Challenges in the Psychiatric Treatment of College Students

This article will examine issues of autonomy, privacy, decision-making, and voluntariness of the psychiatric treatment of college students. There is little consensus on balancing the individual student’s rights with the university’s duties. Conflicts between federal legislation, case law, and ethical recommendations will be explored. Landmark legal cases assert that universities have a specific duty to protect their students from both violent peers and suicide. College students are vulnerable to a range of psychiatric symptoms but have low rates of adherence to psychiatric treatment. Many institutions require an urgent psychiatric evaluation when there is evidence that a student is at imminent risk of danger, and some may require psychiatric treatment as a condition of returning to either classes or dormitories. Legally, patients are entitled to privacy and autonomous medical decision-making at 18 years of age. Pragmatically, dependence on parents and university for basic resources limits both the privacy and the voluntariness of their treatment.
Prison Letter Writing as Theology of Presence: German and Indian Perspectives

This article attempts to identify a meaningful theology through the medium of prison letter writing. While the majority of prison letters coming out of British colonial India and Nazi Germany have been cherished for their historical value, it is argued that the vitality of the letter rests in a reception narrative that moves beyond the Sitz im Leben of its author and places critical emphasis on the connection between the letter’s combined form and content. Prison letter writing is explored through the language of theology as an appropriate interpretative method that conceives of its historical presence as one that occurs within history but is not limited by history. In adopting this tack, the author offers presence as a way of avoiding the complications of a theological nomenclature that threatens to stand outside of history or become too abstract and otherworldly to meet the demands and needs of those for whom the project of prison writing remained transformational. Comparisons in the penal cultures of Germany and India from the twentieth century are explored for the purpose of broadening the conversation.
Quantitative whole-body magnetic resonance imaging in children with Pompe disease: Clinical tools to evaluate severity of muscle disease.

Objective Since the introduction of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with alglucosidase alfa, there has been increased survival in patients with Pompe disease. It is essential to characterize and quantify the burden of disease in these patients. Here, we report a measure of muscle fat infiltration in children with infantile and pediatric late-onset Pompe disease (IPD and LOPD, respectively) to better understand the extent of muscle involvement. Methods Eleven pediatric patients with Pompe disease (five IPD, six LOPD), ages 7-17 years, received whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WBMRI), muscle strength testing using the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scale, functional assessment using gait, stairs, gowers, chair (GSGC), and urine glucose tetrasaccharide (Glc4) testing. The intramuscular fat seen on WBMRI was quantified using proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and correlated to appropriate muscle strength and functional tests, and urine Glc4. Results Patients with IPD, although younger, had higher mean PDFF values than LOPD patients (11.61% vs 8.52%). Significant correlation existed between PDFF and the GSGC assessment (r = .9273, P = .0003). Moderate correlation existed between PDFF and mMRC (r = -.667, P = .0831), and PDFF and urine Glc4 (r = .6121, P = .0667). Anterior tibialis was in the top quartile of muscle involvement for patients with LOPD. Conclusion In the past, physical therapy assessments alone have been used to track disease progression. Here, we show the clinical utility of WBMRI in quantifying muscle involvement in children with Pompe disease, especially regarding the novel involvement of anterior tibialis in children with LOPD, to better assess baseline muscle burden and mapping disease progression in children treated with ERT.
Invariance Testing of the Disablement in the Physically Active Scale.

Context The increased emphasis on implementing evidence-based practice has reinforced the need to more accurately assess patient improvement. Psychometrically sound, patient-reported outcome measures are essential for evaluating patient care. A patient-reported outcome instrument that may be useful for clinicians is the Disablement in the Physically Active Scale (DPAS). Before adopting this scale, however, researchers must evaluate its psychometric properties, particularly across subpopulations. Objective To evaluate the psychometric properties of the DPAS in a large sample using confirmatory factor analysis procedures and assess structural invariance of the scale across sex, age, injury status, and athletic status groups. Design Observational study. Setting Twenty-two clinical sites. Patients or other participants Of 1445 physically active individuals recruited from multiple athletic training clinical sites, data from 1276 were included in the analysis. Respondents were either healthy or experiencing an acute, subacute, or persistent musculoskeletal injury. Main outcome measure(s) A confirmatory factor analysis was performed on the full sample, and multigroup invariance testing was conducted to assess differences across sex, age, injury status, and athletic status. Given the poor model fit, alternate model generation was used to identify a more parsimonious factor structure. Results The DPAS did not meet contemporary fit index recommendations or the criteria to demonstrate structural invariance. We identified an 8-item model that met the model fit recommendations using alternate model generation. Conclusions The 16-item DPAS did not meet the model fit recommendations and may not be the most parsimonious or reliable measure for assessing disablement and quality of life. Use of the 16-item DPAS across subpopulations of interest is not recommended. More examination involving a true cross-validation sample should be completed on the 8-item DPAS before this scale is adopted in research and practice.
Abstract PR-006: Spatially resolved, single cell assessment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma expression subtypes reveals mixed and hybrid basal-classical marker expression with prognostic significance and discrete spatial localization

Background: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a rapidly progressive disease, with few molecular markers that stratify patients for survival time or treatment response. Bulk transcriptional analyses of PDAC have identified two major transcriptional subtypes, classical and basal, the latter of which is associated with worse overall survival and limited sensitivity to chemotherapy. However, spatial localization and classical-basal heterogeneity are incompletely understood at the individual cell level within a bulk tumor. Design: We built and validated a multiplex immunofluorescence assay that employs three classical and two basal subtype markers to measure subtype composition at spatially resolved, single cell resolution in a multi-institutional cohort of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded primary pancreatic cancer resection specimens. Using digital image analysis, supervised machine learning, and Cox proportional hazards regression, we analyzed protein-level classical-basal subtype landscape, cell localization, and outcome associations. Results: Subtyping data were successfully generated for 1.2 million tumor cells across 290 resected tumor specimens (median 3579 cells/tumor). Tumor level analysis of cellular composition revealed that 88% of tumors are “mixed”, harboring any number of both classical and basal cells, whereas tumors composed only of classical or basal cells represented 11% and 1.4% of cases, respectively. In addition to pure classical and basal cells, we identified “hybrid cells” co-expressing basal and classical markers in 79% of cases, ranging in abundance from Citation Format: Hannah L. Williams, Jinming Zhang, Srivatsan Raghavan, Peter S. Winter, Kevin Kapner, Sara Vayrynen, Andressa Dias Costa, Chen Yuan, Mai Chan Lau, Vicente Morales-Oyarvide, Douglas Rubinson, Lauren Brais, Emma Reilly, Margaret Kozak, David Linehan, Richard Dunne, Daniel Chang, Albert Koong, Aram Hezel, William C. Hahn, Alek K. Shalek, Andrew J. Aguirre, Jonathan A. Nowak, Brian M Wolpin. Spatially resolved, single cell assessment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma expression subtypes reveals mixed and hybrid basal-classical marker expression with prognostic significance and discrete spatial localization [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer; 2020 Sep 29-30. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(22 Suppl):Abstract nr PR-006.
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors Incidentalomas: A Case Series.

Background Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) represent approximately 0.2% of all gastrointestinal tumors. GISTs can occur anywhere along the length of the gastrointestinal tract. Most common clinical manifestations of GISTs include GI bleeding, abdominal discomfort, distention and pain. Small lesions can be found incidentally during imaging studies, endoscopy, surgery and post-mortem. The progression of disease from incidentally found indolent to symptomatic disease is unknown. Case series Here we describe a series of cases of incidentally found GIST and their management. The first patient was a 38-years old morbid obese female with an incidentally found GIST in the stomach following an elective laparoscopic vertical sleeve gastrectomy. The second patient was a 69-year-old male who underwent elective sleeve gastrectomy for his obesity and associated refractory acid reflux. On pathologic examination of the gastrectomy specimen, GIST was diagnosed in the gastric fundus. Discussion Coexistence of GIST with other malignancies is higher than previously reported and should draw attention of clinicians towards these incidental findings. Prognosis in these patients is usually determined by other malignancy and not significantly influenced by GIST. Therefore, treatment algorithms should be focused on prognostically relevant malignancy.
Characterization of the Meal-Stimulated Incretin Response and Relationship With Structural Brain Outcomes in Aging and Alzheimer's Disease.

Background Individuals with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) are often characterized by systemic markers of insulin resistance; however, the broader effects of AD on other relevant metabolic hormones, such as incretins that affect insulin secretion and food intake, remains less clear. Methods Here, we leveraged a physiologically relevant meal tolerance test to assess diagnostic differences in these metabolic responses in cognitively healthy older adults (CH; n = 32) and AD (n = 23) participants. All individuals also underwent a comprehensive clinical examination, cognitive evaluation, and structural magnetic resonance imaging. Results The meal-stimulated response of glucose, insulin, and peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY) was significantly greater in individuals with AD as compared to CH. Voxel-based morphometry revealed negative relationships between brain volume and the meal-stimulated response of insulin, C-Peptide, and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) in primarily parietal brain regions. Conclusion Our findings are consistent with prior work that shows differences in metabolic regulation in AD and relationships with cognition and brain structure.
Evaluation of hemispherical photos extracted from smartphone spherical panorama images to estimate canopy structure and forest light environment

Hemispherical photography (HP) is one of the most commonly employed methods to estimate forest canopy structure and understory light environments. Traditional methods require expensive, specialized equipment and are tedious to deploy and sensitive to exposure settings. In contrast, modern smartphone cameras are readily available and make use of ever-improving software to produce images with high dynamic range and clarity, but lack suitable hemispherical lenses. Thus, despite the fact that almost all ecologists and foresters carry a high-powered, image processing device in our pockets, we have yet to fully employ it for the purpose of data collection. As an alternative, hemispherical images can be extracted from spherical panoramas produced by many smartphone camera applications. I compared hemispherical photos captured with a digital single lens reflex camera and 180° lens to those extracted from smartphone spherical panoramas (SSP) for 72 sites representing a range of canopy types and densities. I estimated common canopy and light measures (canopy openness, leaf area index, and global site factor) as well as image quality measures (total gap area, number of gaps, and relative gap size) to compare methods. The SSP HP method leverages built-in features of current generation smartphones, including exposure metering over restricted field-of-view, high dynamic range tonal correction, computational sharpening, high pixel density, and automatic leveling via the phone9s built-in gyroscope to yield an accurate alternative to traditional HP in canopy estimation. Although the process of stitching together multiple photos occasionally produces artifacts in the SSP HP images, estimates of canopy openness and global site factor are highly correlated with those of traditional methods (R2 > 0.9) and are comparable to under- or over-exposing traditional HP by 1-1.5 stops. In addition to superior image quality, SSP HP requires no additional equipment or exposure settings and is likely to prove more robust to uneven lighting conditions by avoiding wide-angles lenses and exploiting HDR images.
The Impact of Prior Salvage Treatment With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors on Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients Undergoing Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Single-Center Experience

Abstract Introduction The objective of the study was to assess the impact of the previous use of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) on the clinical course of Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) patients undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Methods A single-center, retrospective chart review of adult HL patients who received ASCT from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2019, was conducted. Primary endpoints included the length of stay (LOS) and the composite outcome of late-onset noninfectious fever (LONIF) or late-onset hypotension (LOH) requiring intravenous fluid (IVF) resuscitation. Secondary endpoints included number of days until neutrophil engraftment, documented infections, and corticosteroid use. Results A total of 52 HL patients were included. Nine (17%) received ICI before ASCT, and 43 (83%) patients underwent standard salvage chemotherapy. The composite outcome of LONIF or LOH requiring IVF resuscitation was significantly higher in patients previously treated with ICIs compared with those who received standard non-ICI salvage chemotherapy (78% vs. 33%; P = .022). The differences between the median LOS and time to neutrophil engraftment were not statistically significant (P = .94 and P = .083, respectively). All LONIF patients received systemic corticosteroids with symptom resolution. Conclusion The composite outcome of LONIF or LOH requiring IVF resuscitation was significantly higher in patients who received prior ICI salvage therapy. LOS and time to neutrophil engraftment were not affected by prior ICI therapy. Early institution of steroids may prevent the evolution of additional sequelae associated with engraftment or engraftment-like syndrome that can complicate ASCT.
Polar Code Rings in the New Year for Arctic Navigation

The Polar Code for Shipping applicable is designated Polar Waters in the Arctic and Antarctic comes into effect on January 1, 2017. This article examines the waters and vessels that will be covered by the Code's safety and environmental protection provisions, with particular attention to Alaska. The article highlights the perceived inadequacy of the Code's standards for polar water operations training for masters and deck officers and suggests topic that may be revisited in a Polar Code Phase II process.
Maternal Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity across Pregnancy and Early Childhood Motor Development.

Early childhood motor development is an important indicator of short- and long-term health. In utero exposures impact offspring health across the lifespan; however, whether maternal activity during pregnancy may impact early childhood motor development remains unknown. This prospective cohort study measured the motor development skills of n = 70 children born to mothers from a previously conducted cohort study which objectively measured activity profile, (sedentary behavior (SED) and moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA), across pregnancy. Mothers reported the motor development of their child using the Early Motor Questionnaire (EMQ). Linear regression models examined associations between maternal activity profile and EMQ scores. Maternal SED and MVPA were analyzed in two ways: trimester-specific and across pregnancy using trajectory groups. Children were 12–30 months of age, majority white (82%), and 52% male. Maternal SED during pregnancy was not associated with any EMQ domains (gross motor, fine motor, and perception action). Higher maternal MVPA, across pregnancy by trajectory group and in the first and second trimesters, was significantly associated with moderate-sized effects of more advanced fine motor and perception action scores. Higher MVPA in early pregnancy appears to be related to more advanced early childhood motor development. Therefore, maternal MVPA may be a modifiable behavior by which short- and long-term offspring health may be impacted.
A Story About Toilet Paper: Pandemic Panic-Buying and Public Resilience

This chapter examines panic-buying (PB) as byproduct of pandemics. Panic buying is associated with disasters including pandemics. If and when disasters become more prominent and prevalent, understanding phenomena like PB becomes an important part of disaster communication and disaster management. Panic buying of toilet paper was examined during the international Covid-19 crisis of 2019–2020 in an effort to study and explain the behavior of PB, who panic buyers are, which drivers motivate PB as well as the socio-psychological explanations of panic-buying found in the existing literature. The chapter concludes with some recommendations to reduce PB in the future. This is a snapshot of a behavior intrinsic to disasters of all sorts and should serve as both explicative and proscriptive warnings.
Queer Reproductions in Vergil’s Georgics and Brian Britigan’s Golden

Pairing Vergil’s Latin poem, the Georgics, with Golden, a 2012 painting by Brian Britigan, I explore the sexualities and ecologies of animal bodies. First, I argue that Golden responds to the “bugonias” of the Georgics, scenes in which a dead ox spontaneously generates bees. Through the image of one species emerging from another Vergil and Britigan queer straight ideas of reproduction in different ways. Vergil’s queering is processual, describing bugonia as a collision of human and nonhuman bodies and practices. In Britigan’s paintings, which omit human figures, queerness is stylistic. Britigan pays homage to the foundational work of Thomas Hart Benton while reworking Benton’s beliefs about sex/gender and sexuality. Painted just a few years after CCD devastated the world’s honeybees, Golden poignantly represents the hope of life even after extinction. While earlier criticizing Britigan’s human-less nature, I conclude by considering that the regeneration of life may require our absence.
TH-AB-204-04: On the Feasibility of a Multi-3D Kinect V2 Camera System for Monitoring Radiation Therapy Treatment Setup and Improving Patient Safety

Purpose: To employ a multi-3D camera system for patient and treatment equipment tracking using the Kinect v2 camera system. Methods: The system has two cameras, a color camera (RGB) and a time-of-flight infrared camera (IR). The IR is used to measure the distances between the camera and the subject for each IR pixel producing a point cloud of fraxels (fragment pixel, our terminology for a measured location + color generated by a 3D camera). We intend to use multiple Kinect cameras to generate a real-time digital model of the treatment room. To enable this, each camera’s fraxels need to be quantitative and registered to the linac coordinate system. We developed a calibration system consisting of a large flat board with IR and visible markers at measured locations. Images of the board were acquired with both cameras and the relative geometry of the board to the camera physically measured. The board images were used to characterize the geometric lens distortion and the marker locations used to calibrate the fraxel depth scales. The cameras were placed in the same room and pointed to a localization jig consisting of a checkerboard aligned to the room coordinate system. The camera rotations and translations to the board were determined for each camera and were applied to the camera fraxels to generate a single point cloud of the room. Results: The transformations between the cameras yielded a 3D treatment space accuracy of < 2 mm error in a radiotherapy setup within 500mm of isocenter. A novel-computing framework using multiple intel-NUC systems and a core dual-E6 processors allowed multiple cameras to be used simultaneously, greatly reducing occlusions. Conclusions: The proposed 3D camera system has the potential for providing real-time access to the treatment room from outside and remote locations, and automate processes such as collision detection.
Nondestructive Fissile Isotopic Measurement Technique for Uranium-233–Uranium-235 Fuels Using Prompt and Delayed Fission Neutron Counting

Assay and analysis procedures were developed for nondestructive fissile isotopic measurement of mixed /sup 233/U-/sup 235/U fuel samples. For /sup 233/U, the number of delayed neutrons released per fission is about half that for /sup 235/U, although the number of prompt neutrons is approximately the same. By separately counting prompt and delayed neutrons released by a sample exposed to neutron irradiation, the amounts of /sup 233/U and /sup 235/U present in the sample can be determined. Equations of delayed and prompt neutron counts versus /sup 233/U and /sup 235/U contents are solved simultaneously for the /sup 233/U and /sup 235/U contents of a sample. Eleven samples containing mixtures of /sup 233/U and /sup 235/U from no /sup 233/U to nearly 100% were prepared and assayed in prompt and delayed neutron assay devices. Constants for calibration equations were fitted to data from nine of the samples. The maximum differences between counts calculated by the calibration equations and measured counts were 2.3% for delayed neutrons and 1.2% for prompt neutrons, indicating a good selection of the form for the calibration equations. The two remaining samples were treated as unknown, and the uranium contents of these samples were determined by simultaneously solving the more » two calibration equations. The maximum difference between measured /sup 233/U or /sup 235/U content and actual content for either sample was 1.%. « less
Effects of surface temperature contrast on land‐atmosphere exchange: A case study from Monsoon 90

[1] Atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) simulations over remotely sensed boundary conditions using a large eddy simulation (LES) code are employed here to explore the dynamical coupling of heterogeneous land surfaces and the ABL. The LES was recently extended to incorporate remotely observed surface states, and the ability to account for the soil and vegetation (i.e., two sources) contributions to the mass and energy exchanges [Albertson et al., 2001]. In this effort we explore the impacts of changes in the magnitude of surface variability (i.e., spatial contrasts). We focus our simulations and analysis with rescaled surface temperature fields to explore a wider range of contrasts (i.e., spatial variance). We demonstrate that the increase in temperature contrast has negligible effect on regionally averaged fluxes. However, the strength of coupling (or feedback) between spatial fields of land surface and surface layer temperature (z ∼ 10 m) increases with increasing temperature contrast. This dampens increases in the spatial variance in the sensible heat flux relative to increases in the spatial variance in surface temperature, suggesting the feedbacks act to limit the spatial variability in the flux. We also use the LES to explore the errors induced in spatially distributed heat flux predictions from using spatially uniform atmospheric variables in a related two-source energy-balance radiometric surface temperature scheme. The use of spatially uniform atmospheric variables is commonly employed when computing surface fluxes from remotely sensed land surface data. This leads to significant differences in the spatial distribution of land surface fluxes when compared to LES derived fluxes. This was particularly evident in the overestimated Bowen ratio (β), primarily for locations with relatively low vegetation cover.
A human nucleoporin-like protein that specifically interacts with HIV Rev

The Rev protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) facilitates the nuclear export of unspliced and partly spliced viral RNAs. Rev contains an RNA binding domain, required for interaction with HIV-1 RNA, and an effector domain, required for RNA-bound Rev to function. The Rev effector domain is believed to interact with a cellular cofactor required for the Rev response and thus HIV-1 replication. Here we report the use of a yeast two-hybrid screen to clone human Rev interacting protein (hRIP), which specifically interacts with the Rev effector domain. This hRIP protein has homology with nucleoporins, a class of proteins that mediate nucleocytoplasmic transport. These and other properties of hRIP are those expected of a Rev cellular cofactor.
BIODISTANCES AMONG MEXICA, MAYA, TOLTEC, AND TOTONAC GROUPS OF CENTRAL AND COASTAL MEXICO

Resumen en: Migration patterns in pre-European contact Mexico were complex. Studies using dental morphological data have successfully detected microevolutionary patt...
Local structure investigations of carbon by surface extended energy loss fine structure

Abstract Surface extended energy loss fine structure (SEELFS) spectroscopy has been used to determine structural parameters for several different forms of carbon. A standard Auger electron spectrometer (double pass cylindrical mirror analyser) was used to obtain energy loss spectra. First shell coordination numbers and bond lengths were obtained for single crystal diamond, pyrolytic graphite, and “Aquadag” (graphite particle suspension) samples. The study of pure carbon surfaces allowed us to probe the limitations on the determination of bond lengths and coordination. The validity of some of the theoretical assumptions is also discussed.
Interannual variability of outgoing longwave radiation as observed by AIRS and CERES

[1] The paper examines spatial anomaly time series of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) and Clear Sky OLR (OLRCLR) as determined using observations from CERES Terra and AIRS over the time period September 2002 through June 2011. We find excellent agreement of the two OLR data sets in almost every detail down to the 1° × 1° spatial grid point level. The extremely close agreement of OLR anomaly time series derived from observations by two different instruments implies high stability of both sets of results. Anomalies of global mean, and especially tropical mean, OLR are shown to be strongly correlated with an El Nino Index. These correlations explain that the recent global and tropical mean decreases in OLR over the time period studied are primarily the result of a transition from an El Nino condition at the beginning of the data record to La Nina conditions toward the end of the data period. We show that the close correlation of mean OLR anomalies with the El Nino Index can be well accounted for by temporal changes of OLR within two spatial regions, one to the east of, and one to the west of, the NOAA Nino-4 region. Anomalies of OLR in these two spatial regions are both strongly correlated with the El Nino Index as a result of the strong anticorrelation of anomalies of cloud cover and midtropospheric water vapor in these two regions with the El Nino Index.
Circulatory Effects of Salicylates

Sodium salicylate consistently produces a prompt increase in heart contractile force when injected in anesthetized dogs in doses of 100 mg./Kg. intravenously. The increase in force is about 30 per cent and declines to control levels in 15 to 20 min. This effect is not considered of important therapeutic significance. Total doses of about 400 mg./Kg. consistently produce marked hyperpyrexia which closely resembles that of dinitrophenol and applied external heat in its circulatory characteristics; conspicuous features are extreme tachycardia, depressed S-T segment, moderate increase in heart force, and aortic pulse contours which indicate reduced stroke volume and vasodilation.
Cyclic simulation of a model describing heat transfer from a ground-coupled water source heat pump, considering transient effects on both soil and water sides

Abstract A dynamic model has been developed to simulate transient response of a heat transfer loop coupling the heat rejection of the Freon side of a heat pump to the soil as a heat sink. The model simulates thermal storage effects in both the soil and the water side. The closed water loop side is also simulated using convective transport and conduction effects from the water to the soil. This paper presents how the model works, using a sample of real experimental data from an existing refrigeration system as the input or forcing function for the model. The simulation is repeated for 18 cycles using the same daily input on the condenser heat rejection side to observe when the effect of the initial conditions subsides and when the simulation reaches a cyclic steady state. The model shows the temperature distribution in the water along the length of the loop. It can also monitor the average soil temperature for the whole solution domain. With the advent of affordable computing power, the model should be useful for design purposes, after adequate testing. The model can be used in choosing the optimum length for a water loop according to the type of soil and heat transfer demand patterns imposed on that part of the heat pump which is coupled to the ground and some a priori design criteria.
Intra-abdominal venous thrombosis after colectomy in pediatric patients with chronic ulcerative colitis: incidence, treatment, and outcomes.

Abstract Purpose Children with chronic ulcerative colitis (CUC) are at increased risk for venous thromboembolism, especially after colectomy procedures. We aim to review our patients with CUC who underwent a colectomy and suffered intra-abdominal thrombosis; moreover we wanted to define thrombotic incidence and outcomes Methods In this is IRB approved retrospective study, we reviewed our patients who underwent colectomy for CUC from January 1999 to December 2011 for development of intra-abdominal thrombosis. Results Of 366 patients with CUC who underwent colectomy, 15 (4%) were diagnosed with a venous thromboembolism. All patients presented with acute abdominal pain. The locations of thrombus formation varied: 13 (87%) developed thrombi in the portal vein, 4 (27%) in the splenic vein, 2 (13%) in the superior mesenteric vein, 1 (7%) in the hepatic vein, and 1 (7%) in the hepatic artery. The mean number of post-operative days at diagnosis of thrombus was 38.7days (range 3–180days). Fourteen patients (93%) underwent anticoagulation for treatment. The mean number of days of anticoagulant therapy until documented resolution of thrombus on imaging was 96.3days (range 14–364days). All thrombi resolved with therapy. There was no mortality during follow-up. Conclusions Four percent of our pediatric patients with chronic ulcerative colitis who underwent colectomy developed symptomatic intra-abdominal venous thromboembolism. 3 to 6months of anticoagulant therapy is adequate treatment in almost all patients. Practitioners should have a high index of suspicion for intra-abdominal venous thrombus when these patients complain of abdominal pain postoperatively. Based on our experience, prophylactic anticoagulation should be strongly considered peri-operatively in this population.
A general matrix iterative model for dynamic load balancing

Abstract Many applications require some form of load balancing in order to obtain good performance on parallel computing systems. A number of load balancing algorithms have been proposed, and implemented on real systems. However, application developers are in need of a performance tool that compares and evaluates various balancing algorithms, and helps select the best algorithm for a given application and computing platform. In this paper, we propose a matrix iterative model that can represent a wide range of dynamic load balancing algorithms. The model captures the change in task distribution over the processors due to both the application imbalance and load balancing algorithm. We also define performance measures that capture the costs of executing the parallel application and load balancing algorithm on a given computing platform. The model and the performance measures are used to compare and evaluate various load balancing algorithms. In this paper, the model is parameterized to represent three load balancing algorithms — the random, diffusion and redistribution algorithms. Model predictions and experimental measurements are compared for the parallel N -body simulation application. This application is representative of a wide class of scientific applications where time-varying workload distributions are present. The model predictions are within 20% of measured values. The performance of the three algorithms are compared, and optimal algorithm parameters are derived showing how the model can be used to both select an algorithm and set its parameters.
Prediction of Geomagnetic Secular Change confirmed

Geomagnetic field model /POGO/ to confirm eccentric dipole westward velocity secular decrease predicted by day length changes
Peak Loads and Efficient Pricing

Introduction, 585. — I. Solution of the two period peak load problem under simplifying assumptions, 587. — II. Relation of the solution to some earlier contributions, 592. — III. Can purely cost-based prices be used to achieve optimal results?, 596. — IV. Some policy implications, 602. — Mathematical Appendix, 604.
When data goes missing: methods for missing score imputation in biometric fusion

While fusion can be accomplished at multiple levels in a multibiometric system, score level fusion is commonly used as it offers a good trade-off between fusion complexity and data availability. However, missing scores affect the implementation of several biometric fusion rules. While there are several techniques for handling missing data, the imputation scheme - which replaces missing values with predicted values - is preferred since this scheme can be followed by a standard fusion scheme designed for complete data. This paper compares the performance of three imputation methods: Imputation via Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE), Multiple Imputation (MI) and Random Draw Imputation through Gaussian Mixture Model estimation (RD GMM). A novel method called Hot-deck GMM is also introduced and exhibits markedly better performance than the other methods because of its ability to preserve the local structure of the score distribution. Experiments on the MSU dataset indicate the robustness of the schemes in handling missing scores at various missing data rates.
The Traumatized Veteran: A New Look at Jimmy Stewart's Post-WWII Vertigo

A middle-aged man, frail and weak, hangs from a ledge, his long limbs dangling helplessly. His eyes are wide with terror, his mouth slightly ajar in silent agony. Suddenly, his grip gives way, and ...
09/15: Comparative genomics of a conserved chromosomal region associated with a complex human phenotype.

Three genes that encode related immunoglobulin superfamily molecules have recently been mapped to human chromosome 15 in the region q22.3-q23 and to the syntenic region on mouse chromosome 9. These genes presumably derived from gene duplications, and they are highly similar to Deleted in Colorectal Cancer (DCC), which functions as an axon guidance molecule during development of the nervous system. To find out whether additional genes of this class were present in a chromosomal cluster, we produced a comparative physical map within the region of synteny between mouse chromosome 9 and human chromosome 15. This interval overlaps the critical region for the fourth genetic locus for Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS4) in humans. Bardet-Biedl syndrome (OMIM 600374) is characterized by poly/syn/brachydactyly, retinal degeneration, hypogonadism, mental retardation, obesity, diabetes, and kidney abnormalities. A detailed map of this locus will help to identify candidate genes for this disorder.
Vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy of dodecanethiol on metal nanoparticles

We report studies of metal nanoparticle surfaces using vibrational sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy. SFG is demonstrated as a sensitive and information-rich probe of nanostructured surfaces. Detection of SFG spectra from a few percent of a monolayer of nanoparticles on a transparent substrate was achieved, corresponding to as few as 105 isolated particles within the laser beam spot. A new effect arises when the nanoparticle size approaches the molecular scale: the dependence of the molecular conformation on the geometry of the substrate. Conformation of the dodecane chain of the ligand shows systematic variation with the particle diameter in the 1.8−25 nm range. More gauche defects are observed on smaller particles, judged from the relative intensities of the CH2 and CH3 stretch transitions in SFG spectra. Similar behavior observed for both gold and silver particles suggests a nanoscale geometric packing effect, whence more volume is available to the chain on a curved surface than a flat surfa...
Amending Subsoil with Composted Poultry Litter-I: Effects on Soil Physical and Chemical Properties

During construction disturbance, topsoil is often removed and turfgrasses are established in poor soils. Our study determined the effects of amending subsoil with composted poultry litter on physical and chemical properties that affect turfgrass growth attributes. To simulate typical disturbance conditions, 20 cm of topsoil was removed from a Dormont silt loam (fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Oxyaquic Hapludalfs) and composted poultry litter was incorporated at 0.1, or 0.2, or 0.4 cm/cm-soil into the exposed subsoil to a depth of 12.7 cm before growing turf. Composted plots were compared to N-fertilized (50 × 10−4 kg m−2) and control plots. Linear increases in total water content, organic matter, pH, and basic cations were observed following compost incorporation. Composted poultry litter increased total water content by 38% and decreased soil bulk density by 42%. Compost applications increased organic matter by 5.8%–6.4%, along with an increase in pH from 6.0–7.4. The cation exchange capacity increased up to 186% in compost-incorporated plots. No differences were observed between fertilized and control plots for all soil properties except for P levels, which increased in fertilized plots. Overall, compost treatments improved soil physical and chemical properties compared to conventionally fertilized and control plots.
Microtranscriptome Regulation by Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) regulates biosynthesis in the pituitary gonadotrope via a complex signaling and gene network. Small non-coding microRNAs (miRNA) can play important roles in gene expression. We investigated the microtranscriptome in the mouse LβT2 gonadotrope cell line using microarray, single molecule coincidence detection assays, hairpin real time PCR and LNA (locked nucleic acid) primer-extension PCR. Expression of nearly 200 miRNAs were detected by array and a panel of 101 hairpin real time PCR assays. Within this broad family of expressed miRNAs, GnRH induced upregulation of two miRNA products of the same primary transcript, miR-132 and miR-212, a result confirmed by single molecule, hairpin and LNA assays. Induction peaked 6 h after GnRH exposure and showed no significant frequency sensitivity. Bioinformatics analysis was used to predict potential targets of each of these GnRH-regulated miRNAs. These findings suggest the importance of the microtranscriptome in gene control in the gonadotrope and implicate miR-132 and miR-212 in the regulation of GnRH-stimulated biosynthetic response.
Robust on-line computation of Reeb graphs: simplicity and speed

Reeb graphs are a fundamental data structure for understanding and representing the topology of shapes. They are used in computer graphics, solid modeling, and visualization for applications ranging from the computation of similarities and finding defects in complex models to the automatic selection of visualization parameters. We introduce an on-line algorithm that reads a stream of elements (vertices, triangles, tetrahedra, etc.) and continuously maintains the Reeb graph of all elements already reed. The algorithm is robust in handling non-manifold meshes and general in its applicability to input models of any dimension. Optionally, we construct a skeleton-like embedding of the Reeb graph, and/or remove topological noise to reduce the output size. For interactive multi-resolution navigation we also build a hierarchical data structure which allows real-time extraction of approximated Reeb graphs containing all topological features above a given error threshold. Our extensive experiments show both high performance and practical linear scalability for meshes ranging from thousands to hundreds of millions of triangles. We apply our algorithm to the largest, most general, triangulated surfaces available to us, including 3D, 4D and 5D simplicial meshes. To demonstrate one important application we use Reeb graphs to find and highlight topological defects in meshes, including some widely believed to be "clean."
The Home Environment and School Achievement.

Abstract The studies reviewed here support the proposition that more accurate and informative measures of the home educational environment are possible than the status characteristics typically used. The stability of SES measures and the ease with which this type of data may be collected have promoted the continued use of static variables as measures of family background. But as we have indicated in this review, studies have shown that what parents do rather than who they are is the more important determinant of the home's influence on the child's achievement. Thus, the emphasis is on the process variables in the home, although the static variables are still relevant to gaining a complete picture of the home environment and its influence. The home-based intervention studies further support these results as well as the alterability of process characteristics. The alterability of home processes is an important factor in moving away from the restrictions of prediction and classification imposed by the traditional static measures of the home environment.
Modeling acid-gas generation from boiling chloride brines

This study investigates the generation of HCl and other acid gases from boiling calcium chloride dominated waters at atmospheric pressure, primarily using numerical modeling. The main focus of this investigation relates to the long-term geologic disposal of nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, where pore waters around waste-emplacement tunnels are expected to undergo boiling and evaporative concentration as a result of the heat released by spent nuclear fuel. Processes that are modeled include boiling of highly concentrated solutions, gas transport, and gas condensation accompanied by the dissociation of acid gases, causing low-pH condensate. Simple calculations are first carried out to evaluate condensate pH as a function of HCl gas fugacity and condensed water fraction for a vapor equilibrated with saturated calcium chloride brine at 50-150°C and 1 bar. The distillation of a calcium-chloride-dominated brine is then simulated with a reactive transport model using a brine composition representative of partially evaporated calcium-rich pore waters at Yucca Mountain. Results show a significant increase in boiling temperature from evaporative concentration, as well as low pH in condensates, particularly for dynamic systems where partial condensation takes place, which result in enrichment of HCl in condensates. These results are in qualitative agreement with experimental data from other studies. The combination of reactive transport with multicomponent brine chemistry to study evaporation, boiling, and the potential for acid gas generation at the proposed Yucca Mountain repository is seen as an improvement relative to previously applied simpler batch evaporation models. This approach allows the evaluation of thermal, hydrological, and chemical (THC) processes in a coupled manner, and modeling of settings much more relevant to actual field conditions than the distillation experiment considered. The actual and modeled distillation experiments do not represent expected conditions in an emplacement drift, but nevertheless illustrate the potential for acid-gas generation at moderate temperatures (<150°C).
Quantitation and significance of 125I-calmodulin binding to myosin light chain kinase and phosphorylase distributed on polyacrylamide gels.

Abstract Glycogen phosphorylase ( a or b ) binds 125I-calmodulin in a Ca2+-dependent manner, in the 125I-calmodulin overlay technique. This binding is quantitatively identical to 125I-calmodulin binding to myosin light chain kinase. In an in vitro assay, calmodulin stimulates phosphorylase activity at limiting concentrations of either glucose-1-phosphate or glycogen, but the Ka is 1000 fold higher than for the kinase, and is not Ca2+-dependent. Activitation of phosphorylase, but not myosin light chain kinase, by calmodulin can be mimicked by troponin C or bovine serum albumin. These results demonstrate that the properties of calmodulin interaction with proteins can vary between the 125I-calmodulin technique and a functional assay of calmodulin effect on the same protein.