cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pathophysiology of the burn scar

This chapter reviews current knowledge of the process of wound healing in humans and animals, with special emphasis on abnormal long-term responses to thermal injury. Delays or defects in wound repair lead to aberrant wound healing, and frequently result in pathologic scarring following a severe burn injury. Here we review the wound healing process, including the roles of fibroblasts, keratinocytes, and immune cells in achieving wound closure, the factors that delay wound-healing and result in hypertrophic scarring, and the key pathologic features of hypertrophic scars. Experimental models of hypertrophic scarring—from cell culture to preclinical models to human models—are presented, along with a discussion of areas for further research.
Invited commentary on GETUG-AFU 16.

I am grateful to accept the invitation to provide this commentary on the recently published article entitled “Salvage radiotherapy with or without short-term hormone therapy for rising prostate-specific antigen concentration after radical prostatectomy (GETUG-AFU 16): a randomized, multicenter, open-label phase 3 trial” (1). This important trial adds to the salvage radiotherapy literature which historically has been largely populated with retrospective analyses. The GETUG-AFU 16 trial observed improved progression-free survival when 6 months of goserelin was added to radiotherapy. In this short note I will provide a critical appraisal of the GETUG study, briefly describe another trial of salvage radiotherapy and androgen suppression (RTOG/NRG Oncology 96-01) and at the end describe how I incorporate the findings of each of these studies into my practice.
Patient Characteristics and Individualization of Biologic Therapy

Progress in the understanding of disease processes has provided additional therapeutic targets, best exemplified by the increasing role of biologics in the clinical armamentarium. This article provides a focused review of current treatment paradigms and pathophysiology for asthma, atopic dermatitis, urticaria, as well as C1 inhibitor deficiency. It elucidates the populations in which biologics were studied for the aforementioned disease states, emphasizing characteristics to consider when selecting therapy. It is important to correctly estimate patient outcome before starting therapy based on cost analysis. Treatment decisions need to be guided by appropriate patient stratification based on each individual's underlying phenotype.
EU defence cooperation after Brexit: what role for the UK in the future EU defence arrangements?

The UK has traditionally played an ambivalent role in European security and defence policymaking. With Brexit, the EU loses one of its two serious military players. On the other hand, it has been liberated from the constraints imposed by London on the Common Security and Defence Policy, and this has created a new dynamism behind the defence project. There has been comparatively little commentary on the defence implications of Brexit, and the UK has been less than forthcoming in making concrete proposals for an ongoing UK–EU partnership. Both sides assert that they wish to maintain a strong cooperative relationship after Brexit, but the outlines of such an arrangement remain very unclear. This article suggests that the UK will have more to lose than the EU from any failure to reach agreement, and that UK ambivalence about links between the Common Security and Defence Policy and NATO will prove to be a major sticking point.
The polygenic basis of an ancient divergence in yeast thermotolerance

Some of the most unique and compelling survival strategies in the natural world evolved long ago, and are fixed in now-isolated species. Molecular insight into these adaptations has been limited, as classic experimental genetics has focused on the interfertile individuals of a population. Here we dissect a complex thermotolerance difference between yeast species that diverged millions of years ago. Using a new mapping approach that screens mutants in a sterile interspecific hybrid, we identified eight genes that underlie the growth advantage of Saccharomyces cerevisiae over its sister species S. paradoxus at high temperature. All eight encode housekeeping factors with no known direct function in heat-shock or stress response. Pro-thermotolerance alleles at these mapped loci were required for the adaptive trait in S. cerevisiae and sufficient for its partial reconstruction in S. paradoxus. Together, our data reveal the genetic mechanism by which S. cerevisiae acquired its high-temperature growth advantage in the distant past. And our study lays the groundwork for the mapping of genotype to phenotype in clades of sister species across Eukarya.
Combined Efforts and Voices

As the weeks of tutoring progressed, preservice teachers became more relaxed with their tutees and their parents. They no longer complained about being stressed, but rather they were beginning to talk to parents more often and routinely sought to involve them in the tutoring process. That involvement could be as minimal as having the parent follow along as the child read to the parent, or as involved as having the parent help develop the comprehension questions for a story the child read. As they became more diagnostic in their approach to teaching reading, preservice teachers began to focus more clearly on their particular tutee’s needs.
DEVELOPMENT OF T CELLS IN THE MOUSE

ABSTRACT Although we have gained a substantial amount of insight into the functional heterogeneity of T cells and the complex restrictions for appropriate interaction and regulation of T cell function, the models for T cell development are still simplistic and cannot accomodate with ease the functional heterogeneity of the T cell compartment in the periphery. A model is proposed which integrates differentiation, selection of repertoire and specialization of T cells, as a consequence of intra and extrathymic differentiation of hemopoietic stem cells which interact with “inducer” cell populations.
Detecting Errors in Semantic Annotation

We develop a method for detecting errors in semantic predicate-argument annotation, based on the variation n-gram error detection method. After establishing an appropriate data representation, we detect inconsistencies by searching for identical text with varying annotation. By remaining data-driven, we are able to detect inconsistencies arising from errors at lower layers of annotation.
Organization and outcomes of multidisciplinary intestinal failure teams.

Abstract Multidisciplinary intestinal failure programs have played a leading role in the improved outcomes observed in children with intestinal failure over the past two decades. These teams evolved from the world of transplantation and now provide comprehensive care of intestinal failure patients and their families. In addition, they provide the foundation for outcomes research and clinical trials in pediatric intestinal failure. The history and composition of multidisciplinary intestinal failure programs is outlined here with a particular emphasis on long-term patient outcomes as reported from the programs themselves. The care of children with intestinal failure has rapidly evolved over the past two decades. In the contemporary era, children with intestinal failure now have a favorable long-term prognosis, and survival is routinely greater than 90%. The improvement in outcomes in this population is secondary to a variety of advances including safe strategies to deliver chronic parenteral nutrition (PN), innovative bowel lengthening techniques, preservation of vascular access, and prevention of sepsis. However, the underlying driver of these advances in care is widely considered to be the advent of multidisciplinary intestinal failure and rehabilitation programs to manage these patients in a comprehensive fashion.
A comprehensive analysis of interseasonal and interannual energy and water balance dynamics in semiarid shrubland and forest ecosystems.

Abstract Accurate estimation of ecosystem-scale land surface energy and water balance has great importance in weather and climate studies. This paper summarizes seasonal and interannual fluctuations of energy and water balance components in two distinctive semiarid ecosystems, sagebrush (SB) and lodgepole pine (LP) in the Snake River basin of Idaho. This study includes 6 years (2011–2016) of eddy covariance (EC) along with modeled estimates. An analysis of the energy balance indicated a higher energy balance ratio (0.88) for SB than for LP (0.86). The inclusion of canopy storage (CS) increased the association between turbulent fluxes and available energy in LP. Green vegetation fraction (GVF) significantly controlled evapotranspiration (ET) and surface energy partitioning when available energy and soil moisture were not limited. Seasonal water balance in the Budyko framework showed severe water-limited conditions in SB (6–9 months) compared to LP (6–7 months). Based on the validated Noah land surface model estimates, direct soil evaporation (ESoil) is the main component of ET (62 to 79%) in SB due to a large proportion of bare soil (60%), whereas at the lodgepole pine site, it was transpiration (ETran, 42–52%). A complementary ratio (CR) analysis on ET and potential ET (PET) showed a strong asymmetric CR in SB, indicating significant advection. Both SG and LP showed strong coupling between soil moisture (SM) and air temperature (Ta). However, a weak coupling was observed in SB when the soil was dry and Ta was high. This weak coupling was due to the presence of net advection. The results presented here have a wider application: to help us understand and predict the survival, productivity, and hydroclimatology of water-limited ecosystems.
Image guided thermal ablation of prostate cancer metastases to the liver.

e16515Background: Patients with metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and visceral metastases have a poor prognosis. Thermal ablation of hepatic metastases has become an effective a...
A New Index for Measuring Inconsistencies in Independent Component Analysis Using Multi-sensor Data

In separation of source signals from signal mixtures and involving multiple sensors, an emerging useful method has been Independent Component Analysis (ICA). We examine one of the challenges of ICA – instability or inconsistency. The context of the study is ICA involving multiple sensors (time series data). Instability is said to occur when the independent components vary, each time when ICA is conducted. There is no solution to this, but there are performance indexes as attempts to quantify the problem. State-of-the-art software packages mention of the stability issue but there is no unanimity in the choice of performance indexes; the Icasso stability index and the Amari performance index are the most frequently used. Our contribution is that we propose a new index. The differentiating feature of this index is that it makes it possible for a proper comparison to be made upon repeated ICA on the same input because the new index works on the dispersion (range) of the fourth cumulants considering global maximum and minimum. Further, we test statistical significance. Future work in ICA may benefit from more consistent results and reporting of statistical significance.
The Wästlund Partition in Higher Dimensions

We prove that the set {(x1,x2,…,xd)∈R≥0d;:;x1p+x2p+⋯+xdp≤1} has volume Γ(1+1/p)d/Γ(1+d/p) using a partition of the positive orthant, which we name in honor of Wastlund.
E-110 Patient counseling on smoking cessation following ischemic stroke

Introduction/Purpose Ischemic stroke is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Smoking accelerates the onset of stroke, on average, by ten years. We sought to analyze the effects of smoking status following endovascular treatment (EVT) for large vessel occlusion in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Through our previously published Blood And Clot Thrombectomy Registry And Collaboration (BACTRAC) stroke tissue bank (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03153683), we aimed to determine the effects of smoking on the change in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, infarct volume, and cerebral edema volume. Materials and Methods Patients were divided into three groups: current smoker, previous smoker (defined as having quit greater than 6 months prior to the ischemic event), and non-smoker. NIHSS scores were recorded upon admission and at discharge. The change in NIHSS score was defined as score at admission minus the score at discharge. Infarct and cerebral edema volumes were measured. Linear regression analysis was performed based on infarct or edema volume versus the change in NIHSS score. Results Eighty-eight adult subjects (>18 years) were included in the study, of which 48 (55%) were female. Median age was 69 years (25–101). Twenty-three (26%) were active smokers, 14 (16%) were previous smokers, and 51 (58%) were non-smokers. Mean infarct time, or mean time from last known well, was 508 ± 347 minutes. Mean infarct volume was 67,882 ± 90,632 mm3. Mean edema volume was 69,432 ± 93,878 mm3. Mean NIHSS score on admission was 16.9 ± 7.5 and mean NIHSS score at discharge was 8.9 ± 8.4. Mean age at time of infarct for the smoking population was 10 years earlier when compared to the non-smoking population, 61.9 versus 71.6 years. Linear regression was significant (p Conclusion On average, smokers had stroke 10 years earlier than non-smokers, which is consistent with previously published findings. Smokers also had a statistically significant correlation between infarct or edema volume and worsening change in NIHSS score, when compared to both previous smokers and non-smokers who had no significant correlation. These findings are valuable in patient counseling for smoking cessation. Patients who continue to smoke are more likely to have a stroke earlier in life with potentially more significant disability and worse prognosis. Disclosures K. Swafford: None. J. Frank: None. J. Roberts: None. A. Trout: None. S. Grupke: None. K. Pennypacker: 6; C; co-owner of Cerelux, LLC. J. Fraser: 2; C; Stream Biomedical, Medtronic, Penumbra. 4; C; Cerelux, LLC, Fawkes Biotechnology. 6; C; owner of Cerelux, LLC, owner of Fawkes Biotechnology.
Attenuation characteristics of an extended-wear hearing aid: Impulse and continuous noise

The extended-wear hearing aid (EWHA) is a hearing assistive device that combines a low-power analog amplification circuit with a soft biocompatible foam plug that allows it to remain in the ear canal for several months at a time without replacement. EWHAs fit snugly in the ear canal and are not vented and so produce insertion losses comparable to a passive earplug when inserted into the ear canal with the active circuitry turned off. However, EWHAs are not marketed as hearing protection devices, and other than a general warning to users that the device will have impaired auditory awareness when the device is inserted in the "off" mode, relatively little has been reported about the attenuation characteristics of EWHAs. In this study, commercially-available EWHAs were evaluated using the ANSI standard procedures for measuring hearing protector attenuation in impulse noise [ANSI (2010). S1242-2010, Methods for the Measurement of Insertion Loss of Hearing Protective Devices in Continuous or Impulsive Noise Using Microphone-In-Real-Ear or Acoustic Text Fixture Procedures (American National Standards Institute, New York)] and in continuous noise [ANSI (2006). S12.6, Methods for Measuring the Real-Ear Attenuation of Hearing Protectors (American National Standards Institute, New York)]. Attenuation values were also measured in double and triple protection conditions that combined EWHAs with traditional earplugs and earmuffs. The results show that properly-fit EWHAs can provide passive attenuation comparable to conventional passive earplugs, which may make it possible to use them to provide persistent protection from intermittent noise sources.
Construction of Differentially Private Empirical Distributions from a Low-Order Marginals Set Through Solving Linear Equations with \(l_2\) Regularization

We introduce a new algorithm, Construction of dIfferentially Private Empirical Distributions from a low-order marginals set tHrough solving linear Equations with \(l_2\) Regularization (CIPHER), that produces differentially private empirical joint distributions from a set of low-order marginals. CIPHER is conceptually simple and requires no more than decomposing joint probabilities via basic probability rules to construct a linear equation set and subsequently solving the equations. Compared to the full-dimensional histogram (FDH) sanitization, CIPHER has drastically lower requirements on computational storage and memory, which is practically attractive especially considering that the high-order signals preserved by the FDH sanitization are likely just sample randomness and rarely of interest. Our experiments demonstrate that CIPHER outperforms the multiplicative weighting exponential mechanism in preserving original information and has similar or superior cost-normalized utility to FDH sanitization at the same privacy budget.
Mandibular metastases in neuroblastoma: Outcomes and dental sequelae.

Background Although metastatic involvement of bony sites including cranial bones is common in neuroblastoma (NB), mandibular metastases (MM) are uncommon, and specific outcomes have not been reported upon in the modern therapeutic era. Methods In this retrospective study, medical records on patients with MM from NB were reviewed. Statistical analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results Of 29 patients, nine (31%) had MM at diagnosis, whereas in 20 (69%) MM were first detected at NB relapse at a median time of 26 (6-89) months from diagnosis. Median maximal diameter of lesions was 3 (range 0.8-4.9) cm. MM were unilateral in 83% of patients, with ascending ramus (55%) and mandibular body (38%) being the two most common sites. All patients received systemic chemotherapy, and 26 (93%) patients received radiotherapy to MM. At a median follow-up of 37.3 (24.2-219.5) months, eight of nine patients with MM at diagnosis did not experience mandibular progressive disease. Eighteen of 20 patients with MM at relapse received therapeutic radiotherapy; objective responses were noted in 78%. Seventy-two percent (5/18) had not experienced relapse within the radiation field at a median of 12 (2-276) months postradiotherapy. Dental findings at follow-up after completion of NB therapy included hypodontia, hypocalcification of enamel, and trismus. Median 3-year overall survival in patients with relapsed MM was 51 ± 12% months from relapse. Conclusion MM when detected at diagnosis is associated with a prognosis similar to that for other skeletal metastases of NB. Radiotherapy is effective for control of MM detected both at diagnosis and relapse. Significant dental abnormalities posttherapy warrant regular dental evaluations and appropriate intervention.
Radical teachers and Trotskyists in Cape Town

The story of the New Era Fellowship (NEF), a Capetonian debating/cultural society founded in 1937 with pronounced Trotskyist inspiration, which gave birth to the more widely known Unity Movement, h...
Cardiovascular Risk in the Lung Cancer Screening Population: A Multicenter Study Evaluating the Association Between Coronary Artery Calcification and Preventive Statin Prescription.

Objective Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is a marker of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), the leading cause of death in individuals receiving lung cancer screening (LCS) with low-dose CT. Our purpose was to determine the proportion of the LCS population eligible for primary ASCVD preventive statin therapy by American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines, assess statin prescription rates among statin-eligible individuals, and determine associations of CAC on downstream statin prescribing within 90 days of LCS. Methods Individuals receiving LCS between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2018, across three centers were retrospectively enrolled. Statin eligibility in individuals without pre-existing ASCVD was determined by 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines: (1) low-density lipoprotein ≥190 mg/dL, (2) diabetes, or (3) ASCVD risk score ≥7.5%. CAC presence and severity (mild, moderate, heavy) were extracted from LCS reports. Variation in statin prescription rates and associations between CAC and statin prescription were determined using mixed-effects logistic regression. Results Of 5,495 individuals receiving LCS, 31.4% (1,724 of 5,495) had pre-existing ASCVD. Of the remaining 3,771 individuals, 73.6% were statin eligible (2,777 of 3,771). However, most lacked statin prescription (60.5%, 1,681 of 2,777). CAC was associated with downstream statin prescribing (adjusted odds ratio = 2.60, 95% confidence interval: 1.12-6.02), with a higher likelihood of statin prescribing with increasing CAC severity (adjusted odds ratio = 2.21, 95% confidence interval: 1.35-3.60). Conclusion Although most of the LCS population is eligible for guideline-directed statin therapy, statins are underprescribed in this group. Radiologist reporting of CAC at LCS reflects a potential opportunity to raise awareness of ASCVD risk and improve preventive statin prescribing.
A round of applause for butterfly wings.

![Graphic][1] Gently fluttering above a field of flowers on short, broad wings, butterflies are unlike any other animal aviator. With such large wings relative to their body size, these unusual fliers flap slowly, but inefficiently. So what can explain this unique body plan? Many different
Harnessing fuzzy neural network for gear fault diagnosis with limited data labels

Diagnosis and prognosis of gear systems play an important role in modern manufacturing. While first-principle-based inverse analysis is subject to various limitations, data-driven approaches such as many machine learning techniques have shown great promise in recent years. Nevertheless, major challenges remain. Machine learning generally requires large amount of high-quality training data which may not be available for many industrial systems. In particular, while gear faults are continuous in nature and exhibit many different scenarios, in practical situations owing to the high cost in data acquisition especially for fault scenarios, only a small number of discrete classes of faults, i.e., fault types and severities, can be recorded and employed in training. As such, the neural networks trained will need to deal with unseen faults when they are actually implemented. To tackle this challenge, in this research, we develop a fuzzy classification approach capable of handling fault scenarios that are not included in the training dataset. Through the integration of a fuzzification procedure, this fuzzy neural network (FNN) can produce classification outcome with probability and confidence level. An unseen fault scenario will be classified into the nearest fault class with probability, effectively yielding the diagnosis result under limited data. While fault features in gear vibration signals are hidden and have complex nonlinear relations with respect to fault scenarios, it is found that the kernel principal component analysis (KPCA) can enable the FNN to facilitate the correlation of fault features. Systematic case studies using experimental data acquired from a lab-scale gear system are carried out to validate the new approach.
On the optimality of the Gittins index rule for multi-armed bandits with multiple plays

We investigate the general multi-armed bandit problem with multiple servers. We determine a condition on the reward processes sufficient to guarantee the optimality of the strategy that operates at each instant of time the projects with the highest Gittins indices. We call this strategy the Gittins index rule for multi-armed bandits with multiple plays, or briefly the Gittins index rule. We show by examples that: (i) the aforementioned sufficient condition is not necessary for the optimality of the Gittins index rule; and (ii) when the sufficient condition is relaxed the Gittins index rule is not necessarily optimal. Finally, we present an application of the general results to the multiserver scheduling of parallel queues without arrivals.
Ultra-low loss on-chip magnetic inductors in the far-BEOL for high frequency power electronics

In this paper we present ultra-low loss magnetic inductors integrate-able in the far BEOL across technology nodes for power management applications such as DC-DC convertors. Our inductors have inductance densities as high as 158 nH/mm2 up to 100 MHz, Q factors >20 and a high saturation current of 1.77 A in ≤ 1mm2 area with 50 µm thickness. The inductors also maintain a Q factor >10 after considering the large signal losses, which makes them suitable for handling high DC load currents and large AC ripples at high frequencies, such as in integrated voltage regulators. This is possible by using a highly optimized laminated magnetic material as core that enables very high saturation current and ultra-low losses. Hence, our inductors can replace the existing on-board, bulky and lossy inductors in power convertors including voltage regulators for CPUs/GPUs.
De novo Sequencing and Native Mass Spectrometry Reveals Hetero-Association of Dirigent Protein Homologs and Potential Interacting Proteins in Forsythia × intermedia

The discovery of dirigent proteins (DPs) and their functions in plant phenol biochemistry was made over two decades ago with Forsythia × intermedia. Stereo-selective, DP-guided, monolignol-derived radical coupling in vitro was then reported to afford the optically active lignan, (+)-pinoresinol from coniferyl alcohol, provided one-electron oxidase/oxidant capacity was present. It later became evident that DPs have several distinct sub-families. In vascular plants, DPs hypothetically function, along with other essential enzymes/proteins (e.g. oxidases), as part of lignin/lignan forming complexes (LFCs). Herein, we used an integrated bottom-up, top-down, and native mass spectrometry approach to detect potential interacting proteins in a DP-enriched solubilized protein fraction from Forsythia × intermedia, via adaptation of our initial report of DP solubilization and purification. Because this hybrid species lacks a published genome, de novo sequencing was performed using publicly available transcriptome and genomic data from closely related species. We detected and identified two new DP homologs, which appear to form hetero-trimers. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that similar hetero-trimers were possible between Arabidopsis DP homologs with comparable sequence similarity. Other identified proteins in the DP-enriched preparation were putatively associated with DP function or the cell wall. Although their co-occurrence after extraction and chromatographic separation is suggestive for components of a protein complex in vivo, none were found to form stable complexes with DPs under the specific experimental conditions we have explored. Nevertheless, our integrated mass spectrometry method development helps prepare for future investigations directed to detect hypothetical LFCs and other related complexes isolated from plant biomass fractionation.
Visualizing and quantifying antimicrobial drug distribution in tissue.

Abstract The biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of drugs are vital to the mechanistic understanding of their efficacy. Measuring antimicrobial drug efficacy has been challenging as plasma drug concentration is used as a surrogate for tissue drug concentration, yet typically does not reflect that at the intended site(s) of action. Utilizing an image-guided approach, it is feasible to accurately quantify the biodistribution and pharmacokinetics within the desired site(s) of action. We outline imaging modalities used in visualizing drug distribution with examples ranging from in vitro cellular drug uptake to clinical treatment of microbial infections. The imaging modalities of interest are: radio-labeling, magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry imaging, computed tomography, fluorescence, and Raman spectroscopy. We outline the progress, limitations, and future outlook for each methodology. Further advances in these optical approaches would benefit patients and researchers alike, as non-invasive imaging could yield more profound insights with a lower clinical burden than invasive measurement approaches used today.
AUDIO WATERMARKING QUALITY EVALUATION

The recent explosion of the Internet as a collaborative medium has opened the door for people who want to share their work. Nonetheless, the advantages of such an open medium can pose very serious problems for authors who do not want their works to be distributed without their consent. As new methods for copyright protection are devised, expectations around them are formed and sometimes improvable claims are made. This paper covers one such technology: audio watermarking. First, the framework is set for the objective measurement of such techniques. After this, the remainder of the document proposes a test and a set of metrics for thorough benchmarking of audio watermarking schemes. The development of such a benchmark constitutes a first step towards the standardization of the requirements and properties that such systems should display.
Blind distal pancreatectomy for occult insulinoma, an inadvisable procedure.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Fasting hypoglycemia with neuroglycopenic symptoms corrected by administration of glucose are the hallmarks for the diagnosis of insulinoma. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice for insulinomas, but localization of these lesions can be challenging. Blind distal pancreatectomy has been advocated for occult insulinomas not detected on imaging studies or during abdominal exploration. With the advent of newer localization techniques, we challenge the wisdom of this approach. STUDY DESIGN: The records of patients (multiple endocrine neoplasia excluded) with pathologically proved insulinoma who were screened at our institution or referred to us after a failed blind distal pancreatectomy were reviewed. All records included patient history and results of physical examination and routine blood and urine tests. The diagnosis of insulinoma was confirmed during a supervised fast. Patients with biochemically proved insulinoma underwent localization studies and operation. Studies included CT scans, MRI, transabdominal ultrasound, intraoperative ultrasonography, angiography (more recently, Ca ++ -stimulated arteriography), and venous sampling. RESULTS: From 1970 to 2000, 99 patients (34 men, 65 women; mean age 43 years) underwent operation. All patients with benign tumors (92) were cured after operation. Seventeen patients were referred to the NIH after a failed blind distal pancreatectomy. Of these, 5 were diagnosed as having factitious hypoglycemia. In the other 12 patients a tumor was localized in the pancreatic head. Two patients incorrectly diagnosed with nesidioblastosis after initial surgery were subsequently cured by resection of an insulinoma. CONCLUSIONS: The use of preoperative imaging studies, most notably Ca ++ -stimulated arteriography, and intraoperative ultrasonography permits detection of virtually all insulinomas, including reoperated cases. When a tumor is not detected, the procedure should be terminated and the patient referred to a center capable of performing advanced preoperative and intraoperative localization techniques. With the preoperative and intraoperative imaging strategies currently available, the use of blind distal pancreatectomy for occult insulinoma should be abolished.
Crush strength of aluminum 5052-H38 honeycomb materials under combined compressive and shear loads

The crush strength of aluminum 5052-H38 honeycomb materials under combined compressive and shear loads are investigated here. The experimental results indicate that both the peak and crush strengths under combined compressive and shear loads are lower than those under pure compressive loads. A yield function is suggested for honeycomb materials under the combined loads based on a phenomenological plasticity theory. The microscopic crush mechanism under the combined loads is also investigated. A microscopic crush, model based on the experimental observations is developed. The crush model includes the assumptions of the asymmetric location of horizontal plastic hinge line and the ruptures of aluminum cell walls so that the kinematic requirement can be satisfied. In the calculation of the crush strength, two correction factors due to non-associated plastic flow and different rupture modes are considered. The results of the crush model indicate that as the shear stress increases, the crush strength decreases. The increase of shear stress also causes the wavelength of the fold to increase. In addition, the shear displacement of the fold increases as the shear stress increases. The results of the microscopic model give a fair agreement with those of the available experiments.
Cutting Edge: NLRC5-Dependent Activation of the Inflammasome

The nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat-containing proteins, NLRs, are intracellular sensors of pathogen-associated molecular patterns and damage-associated molecular patterns. A subgroup of NLRs can form inflammasome complexes, which facilitate the maturation of procaspase 1 to caspase 1, leading to IL-1β and IL-18 cleavage and secretion. NLRC5 is predominantly expressed in hematopoietic cells and has not been studied for inflammasome function. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of NLRC5 nearly eliminated caspase 1, IL-1β, and IL-18 processing in response to bacterial infection, pathogen-associated molecular patterns, and damage-associated molecular patterns. This was confirmed in primary human monocytic cells. NLRC5, together with procaspase 1, pro-IL-1β, and the inflammasome adaptor ASC, reconstituted inflammasome activity that showed cooperativity with NLRP3. The range of pathogens that activate NLRC5 inflammasome overlaps with those that activate NLRP3. Furthermore, NLRC5 biochemically associates with NLRP3 in a nucleotide-binding domain-dependent but leucine-rich repeat-inhibitory fashion. These results invoke a model in which NLRC5 interacts with NLRP3 to cooperatively activate the inflammasome.
The Role of Information Systems in Small and Medium- Sized Enterprises in Japan

This research examines the adoption of information technology in small and medium sized enterprises in Japan. SMEs comprise more than 99 percent of the total Japanese enterprises. These one million-plus businesses employ 72.7 percent of workers and account for more than 50 percent of the total value and almost 60 percent of the value added. SMEs are not only a crucial source of employment, but through extensive subcontracting networks forming the basis of the Japanese production system, they are also essential participants in global business practices. Furthermore, they constitute a critical segment of the Japanese innovation and economic systems. This investigation explores institutional changes in Japanese SMEs and identifies the current uses of information technology, factors driving these uses, and implications for the continuing evolution of SMEs. This research shows that Japanese SMEs are beginning to use information resources to enhance their operations and strategic relationships.
Manganiferous Sediments, Rocks, and Ores

Manganese is of great interest in geochemistry because its minerals are both tracers of redox processes and accumulators of other elements of geochemical significance. The solubility of manganese compared to iron under reducing and mildly oxidizing conditions leads to its export from low-oxygen environments, be they basalt-hydrothermal systems or euxinic sedimentary basins, and its accumulation in oxidizing environments of the shallow ocean or in low-productivity areas of the deep sea. Therefore tracking Mn/Fe ratios provides us a means of reconstructing the oxidation structure of ocean basins, soils, or groundwater systems.
Efects of Oxaloacetate and l‐Glutamate on Glyceraldehyde 3‐Phosphate

A new coupled reaction for the measurement of aspartate aminotransferase activity with oxaloacetate and l-glutamate as substrates is described. This reaction measures the appearance of the product, 2-oxoglutarate, with 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase. It avoids the high concentrations of phosphate or arsenate which have been used to catalyze tautomerization in those assays which utilize the absorbance of the enol form of oxaloacetate to measure its concentration. These salts inhibit the cationic isozyme of aspartate aminotransferase. Values for Km(oxaloacetate) and Km(l-glutamate) were 0.037 mM and 7.8 mM, respectively, for rat liver anionic isozyme and 0.006 mM and 8.6 mM, respectively, for the cationic isozyme. Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate inhibition of the anionic isozyme was partially competitivepartially noncompetitive with respect to oxaloacetate and partialy noncompetitive with respect to l-glutamate, with β= 0.31. Inhibition by glyceraldehyde-3-P of the cationic isozyme was non-competitive with respect to l-glutamate. Ki values for glyceraldehyde-3-P for the anionic isozyme were 0.57 mM in the presence of l-glutamate and 1.5 mM in the presence of oxaloacetate. The Ki value for the cationic isozyme in the presence of l-glutamate was 0.11 mM. These values are in agreement with those that were reported previously for inhibition in the presence of l-aspartate and 2-oxoglutarate. The similarity between the types of inhibition in both directions of transamination indicates that both keto acid substrates bind to the isozymes at a single site and compete with glyceraldehyde-3-P for that site. The noncompetitive nature of inhibition in the presence of amino acid substrates suggests that at least one point of their attachment is outside of the site to which the keto acids and glyceraldehyde-3-P bind.
Vibrio vulnificus (lactose-positive vibrio) and Vibrio parahaemolyticus differ in their susceptibilities to human serum.

Eleven Vibrio vulnificus (lactose-positive vibrio) strains were less susceptible to the bactericidal activity of normal human serum or serum treated with magnesium-ethyleneglycol-bis (β-aminoethyl ether)-N,N′-tetraacetic acid than were six Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains.
Internet Versus DVD Decision Aids for Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis.

Introduction Decision aids (DAs) can improve multiple decision-making outcomes, but it is not known whether different formats of delivery differ in their effectiveness or acceptability. The present study compared the effectiveness and acceptability of internet and DVD formats of DAs for osteoarthritis (OA). Methods Patients with hip or knee OA were randomized to view an internet or DVD format DA, which provided information on OA treatments. Measures were collected at baseline, immediately after viewing the DA and then 30 days later. Outcomes included: Hip/Knee OA Decision Quality Instrument – Knowledge Subscale (HK-DQI Knowledge), Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS), Preparation for Decision Making Scale (PDMS), Stage of Decision Making, and Acceptability of DAs. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to examine changes in HK-DQI Knowledge and DCS scores over time, between decision aid groups and within the sample overall. Group differences in the PDMS scale (assessed once, immediately after DA viewing) were estimated using a Wilcoxon rank sums test. Results Among 155 participants in the study, the mean age was 61.8 years, 60.6% were women and 58.1% were Caucasian. HK-DQI Knowledge scores improved over time (p < 0.001), although there was some attenuation by the 30-day follow-up; there was no difference between the two DA groups (p = 0.448). DCS scores decreased markedly for both groups (p < 0.001) and improvements were maintained by the 30-day follow-up (means: internet: baseline = 25.0, 30-day = 6.9; DVD: baseline = 25.0, 30-day = 6.2); there was no difference between the two DA groups (p = 0.808). PDMS scores were higher for the DVD group than the internet group (85.2 versus 74.9, p = 0.005). Stage of Decision Making became more certain after viewing the DA for both groups, with even more certainty indicated at 30-day follow-up. Acceptability items indicated positive perceptions of both DAs. Discussion Internet and DVD DAs were associated with meaningful, comparable improvements in decision-making outcomes in patients with knee and hip OA. DAs are inexpensive to disseminate and could be valuable tools for enhancing care for OA. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modelling response selection in task switching: Testing the contingent encoding assumption

The contingent encoding assumption is the idea that response selection in task-switching situations does not begin until the cue and the target have both been encoded. The authors tested the assumption by manipulating response congruency, stimulus order, and stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) in two experiments. They found evidence of response selection prior to cue encoding for congruent targets with target–cue order at a long SOA, indicating that the contingent encoding assumption is invalid. The authors describe how contingent encoding can be removed from an existing task-switching model by introducing baseline evidence—task-neutral evidence that serves as a baseline for response selection prior to stimulus encoding. Simulations revealed that the modified model could reproduce the full pattern of response time data and generate responses prior to cue encoding. The authors conclude by discussing directions for further model development.
A method for automatically plotting spectral energy distribution of luminescent materials.

A method is described for measuring automatically the spectral energy distribution of luminescent materials or of other light sources. A photo-multiplier operated on d.c. is used with a standard constant deviation spectrometer for measuring the energy in the spectrum. A compensator has been built in the spectrometer so that the output of the photo-cell is proportional to incident energy of any wave-length. A drive mechanism sweeps the spectrum across the exit slit at constant wave-length rate, and the photo-cell output appears on the chart of a standard photoelectric recorder. Errors, due chiefly to inaccuracies in milling the compensator, are less than 5 percent except in the extreme violet. Curves repeat within 1 or 2 percent. Spectral curves can be taken of surfaces whose brightness is as low as 1 foot lambert. The time to obtain a distribution curve may be varied from one-half to two minutes by a change of gears.
Autograph: automatically extracting workflow file signatures

Storage management activities, such as reporting, file placement, migration and archiving, require the ability to discover files that belong to an application workflow by relying only on information from the file server. Some classes of application workflows, such as rendering an animated sequence from its graphics models or building an application from its source files, often exhibit a high degree of repeatability. We describe a system called Autograph that exploits this repeatability to discover files that belong to an application workflow. Our approach examines traces of file accesses, finds repeated and correlated accesses, and infers which files likely belong to the same workflow. Our solution targets server workflows and uses file server traces, which contain less process and file information than the local machine traces used in prior work. We show that Autograph successfully extracts workflow file signatures, even if the workflows are concurrent or share files.
An improved unifying convergence analysis of Newton’s method in Riemannian manifolds

Using more precise majorizing sequences we provide a finer convergence analysis than before [1], [7] of Newton’s method in Riemannian manifolds with the following advantages: weaker hypotheses, finer error bounds on the distances involved and a more precise information on the location of the singularity of the vector field.
The Estimation of Task Performance and Reward Recommendations as a Function of Status Ranks

Abstract A recurrent concern among social psychologists is to determine how individuals react to status ranks of others. This study presented 144 college students with a hypothetical situation and asked them to recommend an reward allocation to a person in the situation and to estimate that person's future task performance. Subjects were presented with information about either a diffuse status characteristic (educational level), or specific status characteristic with task relevance (performance on a related task), or both for an individual in comparison to a standard comparison other. When information was available on only one status rank, rewards were allocated and task performance estimated consistent with the single status rank. When information about both status ranks were available, specific status significantly affected both the reward distribution and performance expectations, while diffuse status significantly affected the reward distribution and had a marginally significant effect on performance ...
The diffuse extreme-ultraviolet background - Constraints on hot coronal plasma

The Apollo-Soyuz data and data reported by Cash et al. (1976) have been reanalyzed in terms of both isothermal models and temperature distribution models. In the latter case, a power-law form is assumed for the relation between emission measure and temperature. A new upper limit on diffuse flux in the 20-73 eV band derived from Apollo-Soyuz observations made in the earth's shadow has been incorporated in the calculation. In the considered investigation the results of the new analysis are presented and the implications for the physical properties of the hot component of the interstellar medium are discussed. The analysis of the Berkeley extreme ultraviolet (EUV) diffuse background measurements using either isothermal or power law temperature distribution models for the emitting plasma indicates excellent qualitative agreement with hard X-ray data that suggest the sun to be immersed in a hot plasma that pervades most of space out to approximately 100 pc.
The effect of internal light filtering on photoreactor performance

Abstract The effect of light absorption by the products of reaction (internal light filtering) on the performance of tubular flow photoreactors was studied over a wide range of reactor operating conditions. Operating regions were found where the reactor performance was very sensitive to internal light filtering. These regions were characterized by slow radial movement of reactant and/or by large optical densities. Operating regions were also located where the reactor performance was relatively insensitive to an order of magnitude change in internal filtering. These regions were characterized by rapid radial mixing of reactant and by small optical densities. It was recommended that kinetic studies of photoreactions be conducted in these regions when uncertainty exists concerning the magnitude of internal light filtering.
Isomerization and disproportionation of xylenes with an aluminum chloride catalyst

Abstract Xylenes undergo both isomerization and disproportionation with AlCl 3 - HCl catalyst. The six relative rate constants for xylene isomerization calculated using the Wei-Prater procedure agree with those claculated using classical kinetic methods. Thus, the Wei-Prater method is advantageous since absolute rates for the conversion of each of the three xylene reactants are not required, as is the case when using the classic kinetic method. Initial trimethylbenzene products, formed by disproportionation, are consistent with a transalkylation mechanism where the selectivity is controlled by alkyl group directing effects. However, these trimethylbenzenes poison the catalyst. Poisoning is consistent with, but does not require, the formation of a complex of two AlCl 3 catalyst molecules with each 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene; this complex is an inactive catalyst for the xylene iso-merization reaction.