cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimum Character Encryption And Extraction For Optical Correlation Techniques

An important subset of pattern recognition applications permit the representation of data by characters which have been optimized for the type of data and the type of search to be performed. An example of this is the search for biologically important patterns within the sequences of nucleotide subunits of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). In this case the four distinct subunits of DNA must be represented and "wildcard" or metacharacters are needed to permit flexible searches for sequence patterns. Due to the rapidly increasing availability of DNA sequence information, more rapid and interactive analytical techniques are needed to make full use of this data. This study seeks to design optimal characters for use in an optical correlator recognition device. Characters which are compact, easily distinguishable and compatible with current coherent light modulators have been designed. Preliminary work on these representations has been guided by computer modeling of the optical recognition process. Promising characters have been tested experimentally in a VanderLugt system. The use of laser printers and photo-typesetters to prepare original test images will be discussed.
Vitamin A Status Assessment in Rats with 13C4-Retinyl Acetate and Gas Chromatography/Combustion/Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry

Vitamin A assessment methods that indirectly determine liver reserves are still in development. The deuterated vitamin A assay has been successfully applied in several population groups, but large doses of vitamin A must be used and the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis is not very sensitive. Therefore, 10,11,14,15-(13)C(4)-retinyl acetate was synthesized using a modified Wittig-Horner procedure. Thereafter, female Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 47) were fed a vitamin A-deficient diet and divided into three groups: low (L), moderate (M) and high (H) vitamin A. Groups L, M and H were supplemented with 35, 70 and 350 nmol of unlabeled retinyl acetate/d for 17 d. On d 18, three rats from each group were killed to determine baseline (13)C levels. Serum was prepared, and livers were collected and stored at -70 degrees C until analyzed with HPLC and gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The remaining rats were supplemented with 52 nmol of (13)C(4)-retinyl acetate. Rats were killed on d 1, 2, 4 and 10. The calculated and measured values of total body reserves (TBR) of vitamin A were within 7% of each other overall, and the relationship was linear (r = 0.98, P < 0.0001). The calculated mean TBR were 0.49 +/- 0.03, 0.82 +/- 0.007 and 3.72 +/- 0.40 micromol, and the measured mean TBR were 0.50 +/- 0.045, 0.69 +/- 0.10 and 3.6 +/- 0.29 micromol for groups L, M and H, respectively. In contrast, serum retinol concentrations did not show a difference among the dietary groups: 1.32 +/- 0.14, 1.35 +/- 0.17 and 1.28 +/- 0.15 micromol/L for groups L, M and H, respectively (P = 0.25). In conclusion, this method offers more sensitivity than traditional methods and may be applicable to human vitamin A status assessment when TBR estimations are desired.
Synthetic and Evolutionary Construction of a Chlorate-Reducing Shewanella oneidensis MR-1

Despite evidence for the prevalence of horizontal gene transfer of respiratory genes, little is known about how path- ways functionally integrate within new hosts. One example of a mobile respiratory metabolism is bacterial chlorate reduction, which is frequently encoded on composite transposons. This implies that the essential components of the metabolism are en- coded on these mobile elements. To test this, we heterologously expressed genes for chlorate reduction from Shewanella algae ACDC in the non-chlorate-reducing Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. The construct that ultimately endowed robust growth on chlorate included cld, a cytochrome c gene, clrABDC, and two genes of unknown function. Although strain MR-1 was unable to grow on chlorate after initial insertion of these genes into the chromosome, 11 derived strains capable of chlorate respi- ration were obtained through adaptive evolution. Genome resequencing indicated that all of the evolved chlorate-reducing strains replicated a large genomic region containing chlorate reduction genes. Contraction in copy number and loss of the ability to reduce chlorate were also observed, indicating that this phenomenon was extremely dynamic. Although most strains contained more than six copies of the replicated region, a single strain with less duplication also grew rapidly. This strain contained three additional mutations that we hypothesized compensated for the low copy number. We remade the mutations combinatorially in the unevolved strain and determined that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) upstream ofcldenabled growth on chlorate and was epistatic to a second base pair change in the NarP binding sequence between narQPandnrfAthat enhanced growth. IMPORTANCE The ability of chlorate reduction composite transposons to form functional metabolisms after transfer to a new host is an important part of their propagation. To study this phenomenon, we engineered Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 into a chlorate reducer. We defined a set of genes sufficient to endow growth on chlorate from a plasmid, but found that chromosomal insertion of these genes was nonfunctional. Evolution of this inoperative strain into a chlorate reducer showed that tandem du- plication was a dominant mechanism of activation. While copy number changes are a relatively rapid way of increasing gene dosage, replicating almost 1 megabase of extra DNA is costly. Mutations that alleviate the need for high copy number are ex- pected to arise and eventually predominate, and we identified a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that relieved the copy number requirement. This study uses both rational and evolutionary approaches to gain insight into the evolution of a fascinat- ing respiratory metabolism.
Metabolism of steroids: the removal of exogenous 17-hydroxycorticosterone from the peripheral circulation in dogs.

A study was undertaken to determine whether the disappearance rate of exogenous cortisol could be used to evaluate the influence of experimental conditions or agents upon cortisol metabolism. It was found that the half-life of exogenous cortisol in a given dog was not very consistent from one day to another. Therefore, in a single experiment, the half-life of exogenous cortisol was obtained and then the influence of an administered agent upon this half-life was determined. The disappearance rate of exogenous cortisol was not influenced by subsequent administration of saline or dextrose. Neither a second injection of cortisol, nor small doses of ACTH (0.5–2.0 i.u.), altered the disappearance rate of cortisol, even though there was an increase in plasma concentration of the steroid. Larger doses of ACTH apparently caused a decrease in the rate of cortisol disappearance. Although this technic produces a “physiological hypophysectomy” it is not satisfactory for assay of ACTH. However, it does permit evaluatio...
The Distribution of Segregation in Atlanta

The Atlanta standard metropolitan statistical area, in 1960, was an increasingly urbanized area characterized by population growth, expansion, and economic dominance of the central business district. It is in precisely such a context that ecological theory proposes a greater amount of residential segregation in the inner zones of the metropolitan area than in the outer zones. This proposition was empirically tested over five socioeconomic indicators. Census tracts were classified into eight concentric zones emanating from the metropolitan center with the intraclass correlation coefficient employed as a measure of segregation. Observed results strongly support the hypothesis. A density gradient was also demonstrated. The further proposition that density represents an intervening link between the ecological variables of distance and segregation was examined in this context.
Determination of the accuracy of wax interocclusal registrations.

Abstract The recording accuracy of two brands of baseplate wax was tested by varying thickness, initial heating temperature, and closing pressures. The wax records were subjected to varying storage environments, time intervals, and seating pressures. A factorial experimental design for the investigation of the main and interactive effects of these variables was used. The important findings are as follows: (1) Complete closure into the waxes was not achievable under pressures comparable to those of a clinical setting; (2) storage of wax records in water produced the greatest change while air cooling produced the least; (3) considerable vertical and rotational changes occurred when the test model was replaced in a previously formed wax registration; and (4) exact reproduction of the original wax recordings was never achieved.
Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Polymorphism Is Associated With Increased Uterine Leiomyoma Risk in Different Ethnic Groups:

Uterine leiomyomas (ULMs) are estrogen-dependent tumors that are more common in African American women. The etiology for such ethnic disparity is currently unknown. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is an essential enzyme in estrogen metabolism. In the current study, we investigated the association of the functional COMT Val158 Met polymorphism with ULM in different ethnic groups. We also studied the biologic role of COMT in tumor formation in human and rat leiomyoma cell lines and the potential therapeutic utility of COMT inhibitors. The genotype frequencies of the functional COMT Val158 Met polymorphism among participants with (186 women) or without (142 women) ULMs were compared, as was the differential ethnic distribution of that polymorphism using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment linkage polymorphism. Proliferation, Western blot, and reporter trans activation analyses were applied to myometrial and leiomyoma cells representative of different COMT genotypes. Women with the high-activity COMT Val/Val genotype are 2.5 times more likely to develop ULMs than women with other genotypes (confidence interval, 1.017 to 6.151; P <.001). The prevalence of this genotype was significantly higher in African American women (47%) compared with white (19%) or Hispanic (30%) women (P =.003). Myometrial cell lines expressing the Val/Val genotype exhibited significantly enhanced responses to estrogen in proliferation and in estrogen-responsive element reporter assays. COMT-specific inhibitors reversed such a response and induced apoptosis. Myometrial specimens from Val/Val women demonstrated distinct estrogen-regulated gene expression that was consistent with enhanced proliferation and decreased apoptosis. The high-activity COMT Val/Val genotype is associated with increased risk of ULM. Our results provide a possible explanation for the higher prevalence of ULMs among African American women and offer a potential new target for nonsurgical treatment using COMT inhibitors. (J Soc Gynecol Investig 2006;13:136-44) Copyright © 2006 by the Society for Gynecologic Investigation.
Fuzzy SPC filter for a feed-forward control system for a three-phase oil field centrifuge

In this work we describe a signal filter for a feed-forward controller based on the application of fuzzy logic combined with statistical process control (SPC). The feed-forward controller is for a three-phase oil field centrifuge. The centrifuge system is used to separate meta-stable three-phase emulsions consisting of oil and water stabilized by solids. These emulsions are considered to be unusable wastes and must be disposed of in an environmentally acceptable manner. The centrifuge is capable of turning these wastes into clean saleable oil, water that can be reused in an operating process or re-injected into oil wells and, solids that can be disposed of in landfills. The feed-forward controller is used for feed disturbance rejection. It works in conjunction with and, is capable of over-riding the actions of, a feedback controller. The measured feed variables for the feed-forward controller each exhibit reasonably large random fluctuations. It is therefore quite important to use a signal filter that truly recognizes the difference between random noise and a "caused" event, in order to prevent overriding a perfectly good correction from the feedback controller.
A Dispatching Model for Server-to-Customer Systems That Balances Efficiency and Equity

The decision about which servers to dispatch to which customers is an important aspect of service systems. This decision is complicated when servers must be equitably---as well as efficiently---dispatched to customers. In this paper, we formulate a model for determining how to optimally dispatch distinguishable servers to prioritized customers given a set of equity constraints. These issues are examined through the lens of emergency medical service EMS dispatch, for which a Markov decision process model is developed that captures how to dispatch ambulances servers to prioritized patients customers. It is assumed that customers arrive sequentially, with the priority and location of each customer becoming known upon arrival. Four types of equity constraints are considered---two of which reflect customer equity and two of which reflect server equity---all of which draw upon the decision analytic and social science literature to compare the effects of different notions of equity on the resulting dispatching policies. The Markov decision processes are formulated as equity-constrained linear programming models. A computational example is applied to an EMS system to compare the different equity models.
Magnetic Spacing Trends: From LMR to PMR and Beyond

This paper examines trends in magnetic spacing in the hard disk drive industry for the last 15 years or so, as we transitioned from inductive to magnetoresistive (MR), giant magnetoresistive (GMR), and tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) heads, and from longitudinal to perpendicular recording. Historical data show surprisingly good scaling relationships between areal density, linear density, track density, bit aspect ratio (BAR), and magnetic spacing. These trends have held from below 1 Gb/in2 until today's densities, with no significant discontinuities when crossing major technology changes. In particular, it is found that magnetic spacing has scaled with the length of the bit, and more specifically has equaled about half the bit length. Magnetic spacing components, on the other hand, show larger degree of deviations from the trend. Projections to 1 and 10 Tb/in2 are made.
A framework for oligonucleotide microarray preprocessing

Motivation: The availability of flexible open source software for the analysis of gene expression raw level data has greatly facilitated the development of widely used preprocessing methods for these technologies. However, the expansion of microarray applications has exposed the limitation of existing tools. Results: We developed the oligo package to provide a more general solution that supports a wide range of applications. The package is based on the BioConductor principles of transparency, reproducibility and efficiency of development. It extends the existing tools and leverages existing code for visualization, accessing data and widely used preprocessing routines. The oligo package implements a unified paradigm for preprocessing data and interfaces with other BioConductor tools for downstream analysis. Our infrastructure is general and can be used by other BioConductor packages. Availability: The oligo package is freely available through BioConductor, http://www.bioconductor.org. Contact:benilton.carvalho@cancer.org.uk; rafa@jhu.edu Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Small cell carcinoma of the gynecologic tract: A multifaceted spectrum of lesions

Abstract Objective Small cell carcinoma (SmCC) of the female genital tract constitutes a diagnostic and clinical challenge given its rarity and the lack of standardized therapeutic approaches. Here we review the morphological, clinical and molecular features of gynecologic SmCCs and discuss potential areas for future research. Methods Data for this review article were identified by searches of PubMed, EMBASE and the Internet using the search terms "small cell carcinoma" or "neuroendocrine carcinoma" and "gynecologic", "uterine cervix", "cervix", "uterus", "endometrium", "ovary", "vagina", "fallopian tube" or "vulva", and research articles published in English between 1972 and February 2014 were included. Results SmCCs arising from different organs within the gynecologic tract share the same histopathologic characteristics, which closely resemble those of small cell lung carcinoma. The expression of at least one immunohistochemical neuroendocrine marker is a common finding. The uterine cervix is the most frequent site of SmCC in the female genital tract. HPV infection seems to play a role in the development of cervical SmCC but not in cancers of other gynecologic sites. FIGO stage is an established prognostic factor, in particular in SCCs of the cervix. Irrespective of the site, SmCCs of the gynecologic tract display an aggressive clinical behavior with few reported long-term survivors. The therapeutic management includes surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Conclusions Despite the potential differences in etiology and risk factors, SmCCs from different sites of the gynecologic tract have similar morphologic appearances and clinical behavior. Recent genomic analyses of small cell carcinoma of the lung have revealed potential driver genomic alterations. We posit that the comprehensive genomic characterization of gynecologic SmCCs may lead to the identification of markers that result in an improvement of diagnostic reproducibility of SmCCs of the gynecologic tract, and of molecular aberrations that may be exploited therapeutically in subgroups of the disease.
Laparoscopic liver resection using a bipolar vessel-sealing device: LigaSure.

Achieving safe outcomes when performing laparoscopic liver surgery requires that the surgical team be expert in the techniques of liver surgery and in the application of appropriate technologies and devices. No other device is capable of effectively providing hemostasis, control of bile duct branches, and dividing parenchyma in every circumstance encountered during major hepatic resections. Therefore, liver surgeons use a variety of surgical technologies and instruments based on their judgment and experience and the individual nature of the operative procedure. Vessel-sealing technology has established itself as useful in liver surgery, for both open and laparoscopic cases. This paper reviews experience with a bipolar, vessel-sealing device (LigaSure®, ValleyLab, Inc., Boulder, Colorado) and its application to laparoscopic liver surgery.
Performance limitation in multi-agent estimation with limited sensor measurements

This paper studies the problem of performance limitations in state estimation of multi-agent systems with limited sensor measurement. We model the agents as LTV systems with erasure in output. We first look to design a state observer for a single agent with output measurement erasure, which guarantees a required performance criterion on the error dynamics. The main result shows that fundamental performance limitation arises in state observation of the agent dynamics when we use exponential mean square stability of the estimation error as the performance metric. This limitation is expressed in terms of the characteristic Lyapunov exponents of the agent dynamics and the uncertainty in the measurement. We then apply this result to the multi-agent estimation problem with limited sensor measurements. Separate cases for cooperative and noncooperative behavior among sensors is studied. Simulation results comparing these cases are given.
Myelofibrosis in children with chronic renal insufficiency

During investigation of splenomegaly in a boy with chronic renal failure and osteodystrophy, bone marrow aspirates resulted in "dry taps," whereas biopsied material provided evidence that the marrow had been replaced by fibrous tissue. In a study of six other children with chronic renal failure, similar changes were observed. These findings suggest that the anemia of chronic renal failure may in part be a result of myelofibrosis, and the resulting reduction of functional bone marrow may limit the tolerance to immunosuppressive agents in patients who undergo renal transplantation.
Reaction of azoxyanisole with oxalyl chloride: use of photoelectron spectroscopy in seeking new reactions

Abstract Azoxyanisole, but not azoxybenzene, reacts readily with oxalyl chloride to give the corresponding orth-substituted azocompound. The differences in reactivity are discussed in terms of different HOMO energies, measured by PES.
Association Between Comorbidities and Outcomes in Heart Failure Patients With and Without an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator for Primary Prevention

the non-ICD group (46.7% versus 55.8%; adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.76; 95% CI 0.69 to 0.83). There was no associated difference in all-cause readmission (HR 0.99; 95% CI 0.92 to 1.08) but a lower risk of HF readmission (HR 0.88; 95% CI 0.80 to 0.97). When compared with no ICD, ICDs were also associated with better survival in patients with ≤3 comorbidities (HR 0.77; 95% CI 0.69 to 0.87) and >3 comorbidities (HR 0.77; 95% CI 0.64 to 0.93) and in patients with no hospitalization for HF (HR 0.75; 95% CI 0.65 to 0.86) and at least 1 prior HF hospitalization (HR 0.69; 95% CI 0.58 to 0.82). In subgroup analyses, there were no interactions between ICD and mortality risk for comorbidity burden (P=0.95) and for prior HF hospitalization (P=0.46). Conclusion-—Among older HF patients, ICDs for primary prevention were associated with lower risk of mortality even among those with high comorbid illness burden and prior HF hospitalization. (J Am Heart Assoc. 2015;4:e002061 doi: 10.1161/ JAHA.115.002061)
Stability of Passive Locomotion in Periodically-Generated Vortex Wakes

The passive locomotion of a body placed in a thrust wake is examined. This work is motivated by a common belief that live and inanimate objects may extract energy from unsteady flows for locomotory advantages. We propose idealized wake models using periodically-generated point vortices to emulate shedding of vortices from an un-modeled moving (thrust) object. We investigate the two-way coupled dynamics of a submerged rigid body with such thrust wakes. In particular, we seek and obtain periodic trajectories where a circular body ‘swims’ passively against the flow of a thrust wake by extracting energy from the ambient vortices. These periodic trajectories are unstable, as indicated by the associated Floquet multipliers. The instabilities are particularly strong for elliptic bodies where rotational effects are at play.
Imaging fields through heavily scattering random media with speckle correlations over source position

We describe intensity correlations as a function of object position as a means to determine the field incident on a randomly scattering medium and to obtain information about objects within a scattering medium. The approach requires robust phase retrieval, presenting the central challenge to key applications. The experimental method is described and example results presented.
Role of Glycosaminoglycans in Infectious Disease

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) have been shown to bind to a wide variety of microbial pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi in vitro. GAGs are thought to promote pathogenesis by facilitating pathogen attachment, invasion, or evasion of host defense mechanisms. However, the role of GAGs in infectious disease has not been extensively studied in vivo and therefore their pathophysiological significance and functions are largely unknown. Here we describe methods to directly investigate the role of GAGs in infections in vivo using mouse models of bacterial lung and corneal infection. The overall experimental strategy is to establish the importance and specificity of GAGs, define the essential structural features of GAGs, and identify a biological activity of GAGs that promotes pathogenesis.
Crowdsourcing Semantics for Big Data in Geoscience Applications

The interleaving of human, machine, and semantics have the potential to overcome some of the issues currently surrounding Big Data. Semantic technologies, in particular, have been shown to adequately address data integration when dealing with data size, variety, and complexity of data sources – the very definition of Big Data. Yet, for some tasks, semantic algorithms do not reach a level of accuracy that many production environments require. In this position paper, we argue that augmenting such algorithms with crowdsourcing is a viable solution. In particular, we examine Big Data within the geosciences and describe outstanding questions regarding the merger of crowdsourcing and semantics. We present our ongoing work in this area and discuss directions for future research.
Flaw and Damage Tolerance of Redundant Adhesively Bonded Joints for Sandwich Structures

A patented Durable Redundant Joint (DRJ) concept featuring multiple adhesive loadpaths, via a novel composite preform insert, is being considered for joining composite sandwich panel segments. Applications are wide ranging from spacecraft bus structure to launch vehicle primary structure (i.e., interstage cylinders and payload fairings). Numerical and experimental investigations were performed to assess the DRJ’s performance. A fracture-based approach was used to evaluate this design. Ply-level mechanical properties for the material systems were generated, and a double cantilever beam coupon was designed and tested to estimate the Mode I critical energy release rate for the interface between two different composite prepreg material systems. The DRJ was tested and compared to testing of the more conventional splice joint (CSJ) design. Teflon inserts were used at the free edges of the joints to simulate debonds between the doubler and facesheet laminates. The DRJ coupons reached 32% greater in-plane tensile failure load compared to the CSJ coupons. Furthermore, the predicted increased strength for the DRJ design compared to the CSJ design was in remarkably good agreement with test data.
Comparison of blast-exposed OEF/OIF veterans with and without a history of TBI symptoms on a brief computerized neuropsychological battery

Mild traumatic brain injuries (mild TBIs) resulting from exposure to Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are highly prevalent among veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This exploratory study compared the neurocognitive performance of blast-exposed veterans with (n = 19) and without (n = 15) reported symptoms of mild TBI. All subjects had diagnoses of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Neurocognitive testing was administered using a well-established computerized battery, the Penn Computerized Neuropsychological Battery (CNB), and groups were well matched on age, race, education, and time since most recent blast exposure. Although differences were not observed on CNB accuracy scores, MANOVAs revealed slower processing speed in the mTBI group when answering correctly on tests of simple and sustained attention, with large effect sizes. Results suggest a potential speed-accuracy tradeoff in blast-related mild TBI, which should be further examined in larger samples.
A Statistical Study of Taxonomic Categories in Ants (Formicidae: Lasius Neoniger and Lasius Americanus)

This work is an attempt to analyze statistically the differences which separate two varieties of the ant Lasius niger , namely variety neoniger Emery and the subspecies alienus Forster variety americanus Emery. It tests the morphological characters used by taxonomists to separate these forms and correlates the differences with their ecological distribution.
Insecticide Control of Sugarcane Aphid on Grain Sorghum, 2014

Sugarcane aphid is a new invasive pest of sorghum that can cause severe plant injury if not controlled. It first arrived in Georgia in August 2014 and quickly spread across the state. Three insecticide trials were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of various insecticides. Trials were conducted in Marion County, GA (Trial 1), the Agricultural Expo in Moultrie (Colquitt County), GA (Trial 2), and in a grower field near McDonough (Henry County), GA (Trial 3). Sorghum was planted in early June in 30- or 36-inch rows. Plot size was 4 rows by 20–40-ft long. Treatments in each trial were arranged in a RCB design with four replications. Insecticide treatments were applied at milk/early dough stage. Insecticides in …
Future Direction of China's Track and Field in Post-Olympic Era

In China,the athletics as an important part in the school sports has a profound influence in the mass.With the end of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games,the public questioned the gold medal and a nationwide system of competitive sports,so that the overall level of track and field sports development has become the focus of attention of the insiders.Comprehensive analysis of the development of the world athletics shows that the future development of our athletics should change to commercialization from the state system,and ultimately achieve professional athletics.
A FLUENT analysis of influencing factors for SRM inner flow field simulation at ignition

The secondary development based on FLUENT software was implemented using UDF interface programme,in which the additional mass of combustion chamber was simulated with profile adding mass,and the inner flow field of SRM was simulated.The main influence factors of simulation,including simplifying mode of igniter,selection mode of igniter output parameters and firing mode,all three cases were analyzed.In order that the simulation results are well consistent with practical situation,it is concluded based on test data that igniter of these should be taken in form with many cirque and it's output parameters be taken practical curve,as well as,firing mode be taken dynamic temperature criterion.
Abstract B37: Tumor heterogeneity contributes to anti-EGFR therapy resistance in glioblastoma

Introduction: Glioblastoma is the most aggressive tumor type affecting the adult brain, with an overall patient survival from the time of diagnosis of about 15 months. Tumor promoting proteins such as EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) and its mutant form, EGFRvIII, are amplified in a subgroup of patients and have attracted attention as potential therapeutic targets. Unfortunately, kinase inhibition of EGFR or EGFRvIII has been proven to be ineffective due to resistance mechanisms that prevent the onset of cell death. Here we hypothesize that the presence of cytokines in the tumor microenvironment, in addition to their previously shown promotion of glioblastoma growth, also promote resistance to EGFR-directed therapies. To address this, we investigated core pathways known to protect cancer cells from induced cell death and tested novel treatment strategies of EGFR blockade in combination with inhibitors of cytokine-induced signaling effectors, activated by inter-clonal communication between heterogeneous tumor cell populations expressing EGFRvIII and EGFR. Experimental procedures: For these studies we used human and mouse glioma cell lines engineered to express wild type (wt) EGFR, EGFRvIII, or an analog-sensitive (as)-allele of EGFRvIII, as well as primary human glioma neurospheres expressing amplified EGFRvIII. Expression of cell death-related molecules was determined by RT-qPCR to identify potential survival factors regulated by conditioned medium (CM) produced from EGFRvIII-expressing glioma cells. Findings were validated in vivo by orthotopic engraftment of heterogeneous tumors and measurement of tumor burden by fluorescence molecular tomography technology during single and combined drug therapy regimens. Results and discussion: Previous results demonstrated that CM from EGFRvIII-expressing glioma cells enhances in vitro and in vivo growth of wtEGFR cells through an EGFRvIII-prompted IL-6/LIF paracrine mechanism. Here, our data indicate that EGFRvIII-CM additionally promotes resistance to EGFR inhibition in cells and tumors expressing wtEGFR. We show that IL-6/gp130-mediated signaling specifically promotes this resistance through mTORC2/NF-κB upregulation of the anti-apoptotic protein, Survivin (BIRC5). Blocking Survivin expression or pharmacologically inhibiting mTORC2 restores sensitivity to EGFR inhibitors. Conclusion: The mTORC2/NF-κB/Survivin axis promotes resistance to EGFR inhibitors in glioblastoma and nominates targeting this pathway as a means to enhance efficacy of EGFR blockade. Citation Format: Ciro Zanca, Webster Cavenee, Frank Furnari. Tumor heterogeneity contributes to anti-EGFR therapy resistance in glioblastoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Advances in Brain Cancer Research; May 27-30, 2015; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(23 Suppl):Abstract nr B37.
Exploratory analysis of speech features related to depression in adults with Aphasia

Aphasia is an acquired communication disorder resulting from brain damage and impairs an individual's ability to use, produce, and comprehend language. Loss of communication skills can be stressful and may result in depression, yet most depression diagnostic tools are designed for adults without aphasia. This paper discusses preliminary results from a research effort to examine acoustic profiles of adults with aphasia who have been assessed as having possible depression versus those who assessment suggests they are not depressed based on tools completed by their caretakers. This study analyzes prosodic and spectral features in 14 participants (7 assessed as having possible depression and 7 whose assessment does not suggest depression). The results showed using Cepstral Peak Prominence provided the best overall performance in separating depressed and non-depressed speech among adults with aphasia.
Tour de France Modeling: 2015 Results and Comparisons with Elite Cyclist Power Data☆

Abstract For the past dozen years, our research group has been refining a physical model used to predict the winning time for each stage of the Tour de France. Our model is based upon a series of incline planes and incorporates real stage data and cyclist power output, as well as air and rolling resistances. We report on our most recent model modification in which we utilized allometric scaling to adjust our model cyclist's power output based upon varied rider masses for different stage types. We also provide a comparison between our model and published power data for top level cyclists and recent Tour de France winners such as Chris Froome and Vincenzo Nibali. This juxtaposition showcases not only how well our model predicts stage-winning times, but also the extent to which our model matches reality. We finally report on how our model performed in predicting the winning time for each stage in the 2015 Tour de France.
What we talk about when we talk about epistemic justification

AbstractStewart Cohen argues that much contemporary epistemological theorizing is hampered by the fact that ‘epistemic justification’ is a term of art (rather than something we all pretheoretically understand) and one that is never given any serious explication in a non-tendentious, theory-neutral way. He suggests that epistemologists are therefore better off theorizing in terms of rationality, rather than in terms of ‘epistemic justification’. Against this, I argue that even if the term ‘epistemic justification’ is not broadly known, the concept it picks out is quite familiar, and partly because it’s a term of art, justification talk is a better vehicle for philosophical theorizing. ‘Rational’ is too unclear for our philosophical purposes, and the fact that ‘epistemic justification’ gets fleshed out by appeal to substantive, controversial theses is no obstacle to its playing the needed role in epistemological theorizing.
Offloading to Improve the Battery Life of Mobile Devices

Moving the responsibility for certain computation, communication, and storage operations away from a mobile device's main processor can help save power while simultaneously increasing performance. Here, the authors present an overview of three such offloading techniques. This department is part of a special issue on energy harvesting and power management.
Provisions for installation, quality control, and maintenance

An overview of installation, quality control (QC), and maintenance provisions of strengthening with fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) is presented. Installation includes consideration of how materials are stored, handled, and transported to the site; the qualification of contractors to conduct the work required; as well as procedures and recommendations used to install the strengthening system. Quality assurance/QC aspects of installation discussed are inspection and evaluation and acceptance criteria. Inspection evaluation procedures cover the materials used, conformance to the strengthening design plan, and postinstallation inspection of the finished product to detect any deficiencies. An evaluation of deficiencies is conducted based on acceptance criteria that sets limits between acceptable deviations and deficiencies that require corrective repairs. Elements of a maintenance program are also presented, with a discussion of periodic inspection and testing to identify any damage, degradation, or deficiencies to the FRP strengthening system, as well as repair techniques.
Maximizing and assessing a one-shot information literacy session: A case study

ABSTRACTThis case study describes collaboration between an instructor and business librarian to maximize a one-shot information literacy session for a required marketing class for business majors. It includes an active-learning exercise where groups use three key business databases to conduct a company and industry analysis and an environmental scan for a company. The instructor then guides them in developing a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT) analysis. This session prepares students for the SWOT analysis they will have to submit for their actual projects. This article includes assessment of groups' in-class exercises as well as citation analysis of the assignments they turned in for their actual projects.
Reactions with Antisera and Pathological Effects of Staphylococcus aureus Gamma-Toxin in the Cornea.

ABSTRACTPurpose: This study analyzed the toxicity of purified gamma-toxin from Staphylococcus aureus and the protectiveness of antisera to gamma-toxin in the rabbit cornea.Materials and methods: Gamma-toxin was purified from cultures of alpha-toxin deficient S. aureus strain Newman Δhla. Antisera to native gamma-toxin (Hlg) were produced in rabbits. These antisera and a commercial polyclonal antibody to recombinant HlgB (rHlgB) were analyzed for specificity and toxin neutralization. Heat-inactivated gamma-toxin, active gamma-toxin either alone or with antisera or with commercial antibody to rHlgB, was injected into the rabbit cornea to observe the pathological effects using slit lamp examination scoring (SLE) and histological analyses.Results: Eyes with intrastromal injection of gamma-toxin developed SLE scores that were significantly higher than eyes injected with heat-inactivated gamma-toxin (p ≤ 0.003). Slit lamp and histological examination of eyes revealed that gamma-toxin injected into the cornea me...
Interhemispheric, Translamina Terminalis Approach for the Resection of Suprasellar Cavernous Malformation.

Objectives The current video presents the nuances of an interhemispheric, translamina terminalis approach for the resection of suprasellar cavernous malformation. Design The video analyzes the presentation, preoperative workup and imaging, surgical steps and technical nuances of the surgery, the clinical outcome, and follow-up imaging. Setting The patient was treated by a skull base team at a teaching academic institution. Participants The case refers to a 64-year-old female who presented with vision loss and confusion, and was found to have a suprasellar mass, with imaging characteristics consistent with a cavernous malformation of the third ventricle. Main Outcome Measures The main outcome measures consist of the reversal of the patient symptoms (vision loss and confusion), the recurrence-free survival based on imaging, as well as the absence of any complications. Results The patient's mental status improved slightly after surgery. There was no evidence of recurrence. Conclusions The interhemispheric, translamina terminalis approach is safe and effective for the resection of suprasellar cavernous malformations. The link to the video can be found at: https://youtu.be/z6RSAM_GnBA .
Health Maintenance and Prevention

With the proportion of older patients in the United States rising, and the average life expectancy increasing as well, decisions regarding health maintenance and preventive care in older patients have become a critical component of long-term care medicine. Over 30 million Americans (10%) are currently over the age of 65, and this number is expected to rise to over 70 million (20%) by the year 2030. Average life expectancy has risen to nearly 75 years of age for men and 80 years for women [1].
Nonpapillary carcinoma in situ and atypical hyperplasia in cancerous bladders: further studies of surgically removed bladders by mapping.

Abstract Complete mapping of epithelium has been performed in 10 bladders surgically removed for cancer. In all cases, in areas adjacent to or distant from the visible tumors, nonpapillary carcinoma in situ and related lesions such as atypical hyperplasia could be demonstrated. More importantly, in 5 of the 10 bladders, areas of occult invasive carcinoma derived from such abnormal epithelia have been recorded. These findings fully confirm prior observations and raise the number of totally mapped bladders to 20. The histologic findings in the entire series of 20 cases are discussed and the distribution of cancer and precancerous lesions tabulated. It is suggested that the areas of the bladder most frequently affected by precancerous lesions are the left and right lateral walls and the posterior wall. The trigone and the dome are less frequently involved. The need for aggressive assessment of bladder epithelium in patients with tumors of the bladder and/or early radical treatment for patients with nonpapillary carcinoma in situ is discussed in light of these observations.
Are you too young

At a time when the value of performing aortic valve replacement surgery on elderly patients with aortic stenosis (AS) was being questioned, we reported our findings of a formal decision analysis entitled “You're Never Too Old” ([1][1]) that revealed survival benefit of surgical aortic valve
Eye movement control in reading: updating the E-Z Reader model to account for initial fixation locations and refixations

In this chapter, we describe recent work in which we (Reichle, Rayner and Pollatsek, 1999) updated the E-Z Reader model (Reichle, Pollatsek, Fisher and Rayner, 1998) to account for initial landing positions in words and refixations during reading. Prior simulations by Reilly and O’Regan (1998) suggested that fixation locations are primarily determined by word length information, and that the identification of words plays only a minimal role in deciding where to move the eyes. This claim appears to be problematic for the E-Z Reader model in that within the model lexical access is the engine that drives the eyes forward during reading. However, we show that a newer version of E-Z Reader which still assumes that lexical access is the engine driving eye movements, accurately predicts the locations of fixations and within-word refixations.
“Tyran[n]ical Masters Are the Turks”: The Comparative Context of Barbary Slavery

In 1785, Barbary corsairs commandeered the (schooner) Maria and her six-man crew. The crew was hauled into Algiers, where they were imprisoned for the next 11 years. In Algiers, one of the men served as an administrative slave, while the captain and mate were able to pay monthly fees that exempted them from labor. One crewman died in Algiers, but the other five were ransomed and freed in 1796. Clearly, these Americans held in Algiers did not endure lifelong, hereditary, or racial bondage focused on cash crop production, so how, then, should we label their status during their Algerian years? Opinions diverge among their contemporaries and current scholars, with some labeling their time as slavery, others calling it captivity, and still others opting for prisoners of war. Using diaries, newspapers, correspondence, official records, and a comparative approach, I situate Barbary bondage within the regional context of Mediterranean, North African, and Ottoman slaveries. These slaveries frequently featured enslavement through war, the use of elite slaves, and potential liberation through ransom. When juxtaposed with these regional practices, the Algerian bondage of Americans and Europeans emerges as part of a larger system of ransom slavery, one well-adapted to the urban environment of Algiers.
Predicting Taxonomic and Thematic Relational Responding

Pairs of pictures were classified by the authors and others as related by identity (A-A), basic taxonomy (A-B), superordinate taxonomy (A-C), or by theme (A-D). Two-choice matching-to-sample trial types were composed of these same picture pairs in which the sample was common to the two stimulus pairs in each configuration and, together with the sample, each comparison exemplified one of the relations in the picture pair; that is: A(AB), A(AC), A(AD), A(BC), A(BD), and A(CD). In five experiments, for each picture pair, college students classified the relation (as taxonomic or thematic) and rated its strength (Exps 1, 3) or its similarity (Exp 4); others matched to sample the foregoing trial types only (Exps 2, 5), or they classified and rated, too (Exp 3). With exceptions, students classed most pairs as the authors did. They also collectively ordered relational strengths from (1) identity, (2) basic taxonomy, and (3) theme, to (4) superordinate taxonomy based, in part, on the similarity of sample and comparison. Subjects chose the comparisons of the more strongly related picture pairs in the matching-to-sample task on 90 percent or more of the configurations. Subjects' selections in two-choice, matching-to-sample configurations using natural stimuli may be based on existing stimulus control topographies such as those exhibited by ratings of the relations in a configuration.
Order From Chaos: An Initiative to Improve Opioid Prescribing in Rheumatology Using Lean A3.

Objective Use an established quality improvement method, Lean A3, to improve the process of opioid prescribing in an academic rheumatology ambulatory clinic. Methods This retrospective pre-postintervention analysis of rheumatology records included patients prescribed opioids at least once during the study period. Lean A3 was used to develop a Controlled Substance Visit Protocol to standardize eight recommended elements of the opioid prescribing workflow. Analyses included changes in the recommended workflow elements and changes in opioid prescribing volume. Results Improvements were observed in seven of the eight recommended elements. Patient education, including treatment agreements and consent forms (39% completion for both preimplementation) increased to 78% and 80%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Risk assessment, as measured by the Current Opioid Misuse Measure, increased from 0.5% to 76% (P < 0.001). Best practices in prescribing, including prescribing in multiples of seven to avoid weekend refill requests, increased from 1% to 79% (P < 0.001). Monitoring parameters, including standardized functional assessment (0% vs. 86%), prescription drug monitoring program queries (49% vs. 84%), and urine testing (1% vs. 32%) all increased (P < 0.001). Visits scheduled at least quarterly for patients on chronic opioids did not change (P = 0.18). Overall, the number of patients prescribed opioids (185 vs. 160; P < 0.001) and annual prescription opioid morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) (1 933 585 MME vs. 1 386 368 MME; P < 0.001) decreased. Conclusion The Lean A3 method is a successful quality improvement tool for improving and sustaining opioid prescribing within a single academic rheumatology clinic. This method has potential applicability to similar clinics interested in improving opioid prescribing.