cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Annualized diameter and height growth equations for Pacific Northwest plantation-grown Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and red alder.

Simulating the influence of intensive management and annual weather fluctuations on tree growth requires a shorter time step than currently employed by most regional growth models. High-quality data sets are available for several plantation species in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, but the growth periods ranged from 2 to 12 years in length. Measurement periods of varying length complicate efforts to fit growth models because observed growth rates must be interpolated to a common length growth period or those growth periods longer or shorter than the desired model time step must be discarded. Avariation of the iterative technique suggested by Cao [Cao, Q.V., 2000. Prediction of annual diameter growth and survival for individual trees from periodic measurements. Forest Sci. 46, 127‐131] was applied to estimate annualized diameter and height growth equations for pure plantations of Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and red alder. Using this technique, fits were significantly improved for all three species by embedding a multi-level nonlinear mixed-effects framework (likelihood ratio test: p < 0.0001). The final models were consistent with expected biological behavior of diameter and height growth over tree, stand, and site variables. The random effects showed some correlation with key physiographic variables such as slope and aspect for Douglas-fir and red alder, but these relationships were not observed for western hemlock. Further, the random effects were more correlated with physiographic variables than actual climate or soils information. Longterm simulations (12‐16 years) on an independent dataset using these annualized equations showed that the multi-level mixed effects models were more accurate and precise than thosefitted without random effects as mean square error (MSE) was reduced by 13 and 21% for diameter and height growth prediction, respectively. The level of prediction error was also smaller than an existing similar growth model with a longer time step (ORGANON v8) as the annualized equations reduced MSE by 17 and 38% for diameter and height growth prediction, respectively. These models will prove to be quite useful for understanding the interaction of weather and silviculture in the Pacific Northwest and refining the precision of future growth model projections. # 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Fetal heart rate estimation by fitting half-wave rectified cosine functions to power spectra of fetal ecg waveforms

In this paper, we consider the fundamental period estimation problem for fetal ECG waveforms. In our previous paper, we established a new fundamental period estimator based on the minimization of a cost function which measures the differences between the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) of a fetal ECG waveform and the DFTs of its circularly shifted forms. We showed that the minimization of this cost function is equivalent to finding the cosine waveform which matches best to the ECG power spectrum. In other words, the Euclidean inner product between the optimal cosine waveform and the ECG power spectrum yields the largest value. The negative cycles of regular cosine waveforms cause some mismatch with the ECG power spectrum since the power spectrum has only nonnegative values. In order to deal with this problem, in this paper, we fit half-wave rectified cosine waveforms to the ECG power spectrum since rectified cosine waveforms have also only nonnegative values. With two examples, we demonstrate that this method achieves very accurate estimates for both synthetic and real fetal ECG waveforms when compared to the well-known generalized correlation method and the method with regular cosine waveforms.
Mitosis is not the only distributor of mutated cells: Non-mitotic endopolyploid cells produce reproductive genome-reduced cells

Giant endopolyploid nuclei (>16n) can spontaneously fragment by endomitosis (nuclear internal division) into near-diploid cells with reproductive capacity (depolyploidization), and endotetra/octopolyploidy can undergo chromosome-visible meiotic-like genome reductional divisions also to replicative subcells. These unconventional divisions are associated with production of aneuploidy, which led to the question in this study of whether endopolyploidy, in general, can contribute genetic variability to tumorigenic potential. For this purpose, non-proliferative endopolyploid cells (range: 4n-32n) in near-senescence of normal diploid cell strains were analysed for nuclear-morphogenic changes associated with the presence of diploid-sized nuclei in the cytoplasm. A one-by-one nuclear-cutoff process gave rise to reproducing genome-reduced cells. It was concluded that these unconventional cell divisions are, indeed, suspects of originating genetic variability. Details of these irregular mitoses were compared to 'mitotic-meiosis' in primitive organisms, which suggested activation of an ancestral trait in the mammalian cells.
Thermal interaction of an array of flip chip components

Thermal interactions for an array of FC-CBGA components were examined with both simulation and measurement. The effective thermal resistance of the component can easily double depending on the density of the surrounding components. The increase in thermal resistance is significantly greater than has been reported by other recent studies using leaded components.
The Relationship Between Self-Control, Witnessing Domestic Violence, and Subsequent Violence

The notion that violence begets violence is well accepted. Less clear are the precise factors that link together child violence and adult violence in an individual's life course. This study examines the role that self-control has in linking together exposure to violence in a child's life and subsequent violence in that individual's life. A telephone survey with 375 residents in Southeastern Virginia was conducted. Attention is given to whether those who saw their parents fight are more likely to (1) have a low self-control and (2) report having experienced violence either as an offender or a victim. Results suggest that witnessing violence is not related to self-control, and those who witnessed violence were less likely to have subsequent experiences with partner abuse. Further, we found that low self-control has a link with partner abuse. Implications for theory, policy, and future research are provided.
Ultraviolet filtered Rayleigh scattering temperature measurements with a mercury filter

We report the development of ultraviolet filtered Rayleigh scattering as a diagnostic tool for measurements of gas properties. A frequency-tripled narrow-linewidth Ti:sapphire laser illuminates a sample, and Rayleigh scattered light is imaged through a mercury-vapor absorption filter. Working in the ultraviolet improves the signal-to-noise ratio compared with that previously obtained in the visible as the result of an enhanced scattering cross section as well as the nearly ideal properties of the mercury filter. Tuning the laser through the absorption notch of the filter is a means of probing the scattering line shape, which contains temperature information. Temperature measurements of air are shown to have uncertainties of less than 3%.
Unprecedented Scalability and Performance of the New NNSA Tri-Lab Linux Capacity Cluster 2

As one of the largest users of supercomputing resources in the world, capacity computing is a critical component in the NNSA's (National Nuclear Security Administration) Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) program. The latest acquisitions in this program - named the Tri-Lab Linux Capacity Cluster 2 (TLCC2) machines - have recently been installed at the three NNSA laboratories: Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratories and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories. In this paper we investigate performance on Chama, Sandia's 1232 node cluster, with dual socket Intel Xeon Sandy Bridge processors connected using Qlogic QDR InfiniBand. Production applications benchmarked on Chama reveal significant improvements in the time to solution and scalability when compared against our earlier generation capacity clusters and a PetaFlops class capability machine.
Fertilization failure and dysfunctions as possible causes for human idiopathic infertility.

Summary. Consideration of the most common currently practiced laboratory assays, for human spermatozoal fertility are discussed, with reference to the relevance of such assays to success or failure in human in vitro fertilization (IVF). Such IVF therapy should be the definitive challenge for human spermatozoal fertilization ability. However, when fertilization fails, is polyspermic, or is suboptimal, then questions concerning the step or steps in the process of fertilization which are dysfunctional remain unanswered. Quite possibly new assays need to be devised to address these problems, while in the meantime our present laboratory assay systems need to be improved to discern those defects in fertilization which operate in many cases of human idiopathic infertility.
Sensitization of tumor cells to fas killing through overexpression of heat-shock transcription factor 1.

Activation of the heat-shock or stress response is generally considered a cytoprotective response to heat or other proteotoxic stresses. In mammalian cells, stress-induced transcription of heat-shock genes is regulated by heat-shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1). We now show that activation of the Fas death receptor transactivates HSF1 in HeLa cells, a Fas-expressing cervical carcinoma line. Whereas HSF1 is constitutively expressed in a non-DNA-binding, transcriptionally inactive state, activation of Fas leads to enhanced transcription of a heat-shock reporter gene. The effects of Fas on heat-shock-gene transcription do not appear to be a consequence of cell death as they (1) precede apoptotic changes and (2) are not abrogated by YVAD-CMK, an inhibitor of Fas apoptosis that acts by blocking downstream effector proteases. Despite expressing Fas, HeLa cells are relatively insensitive to Fas-mediated killing, indicating that Fas expression alone, although necessary, is not sufficient for apoptosis. By overexpressing a constitutively activated form of HSF1, we sensitize HeLa cells to Fas-mediated killing. These findings shed new light on the interaction between two of the most evolutionarily conserved cell programs in nature, the Fas death pathway and the heat-shock response. Strategies designed to upregulate HSF1 in tumor cells, either through pharmacologic or gene-therapy approaches will hopefully provide a means with which to sensitize tumors to the killing effects of cancer therapies operating through the Fas receptor.
Light-front QCD. III. Coupling constant renormalization.

In this third part in a series of papers on light-front QCD, we continue the study of regularization and renormalization in old-fashioned perturbative light-front formalism. We calculate lowest order radiative corrections to the quark-gluon coupling constant in light-front QCD. An attempt is made to understand the origin of antiscreening in a formulation of QCD with [ital only] physical degrees of freedom in terms of contributions from distinct Fock space sectors. The relevance of our results to bound state calculations in QCD with a truncated Fock space are discussed.
SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF PARTIAL NEPHRECTOMY FOR ALL T1 TUMORS BASED ON AN INTERNATIONAL MULTICENTER EXPERIENCE

ABSTRACTPurpose:: We compared cancer specific survival of patients undergoing partial and radical nephrectomies for T1N0M0 renal tumors according to tumor size in a large multicenter series.Materials and Methods:: A retrospective analysis of 1,454 patients undergoing partial or radical nephrectomy for T1N0M0 renal tumors from 7 international academic centers was performed. Data were obtained for each patient including TNM stage (determined according to the 2002 TNM criteria), tumor size, type of surgery (partial versus radical nephrectomy) and cancer specific survival. Recurrence events were recorded when available.Results:: Partial and radical nephrectomies were performed in 379 (26.1%) and 1,075 (73.9%) cases, respectively. Mean followup ± SD was 62.5 ± 51.8 months. Recurrence data were available on 544 patients. There were no significant differences in local or distant recurrence rates between patients undergoing partial or radical nephrectomy for either T1a (p = 0.6) or T1b tumors (p = 0.5). For patie...
Legal implications of helping students find employment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the legal exposure faced by faculty if they are involved in helping students find jobs when they graduate.Design/methodology/approach – The paper examines the current federal employment laws as they relate to activities that many faculty undertake in helping students find employment.Findings – The candidate referral activities that faculty frequently engage in could result in them being classified as an employment agency making them subject to federal employment discrimination laws also faced by employers.Practical implications – Universities should establish clear guidelines to instruct faculty on actions that can and those that should not be undertaken when helping students find employment.Originality/value – Most faculty have no idea that their actions in assisting students find employment could result in potential legal exposure for themselves and their university. This paper offers suggestions to reduce the potential risks.
Evaluation of IGF-I Levels in Subjects whose GH Secretion Status was Judged Mainly by Auxological Data

Serum IGF-I levels are one of the important clinical parameters in the evaluation of GH secretion. Almost all previous reports on the clinical utility of serum IGF-I levels in the evaluation of GH secretion have been based on the comparison between IGF-I levels and GH peaks of the GH provocation test. GH provocation tests have limitations such as a relative lack of normal values. There has been no report on serum IGF-I levels in short children whose heights were monitored over a range of years and whose diagnosis was made not based on GH peaks of the GH provocation test. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of IGF-I levels based on clinical and auxological data without using GH peaks of the GH provocation test. Here, 125 subjects with short stature were seen at least twice for more than a year from 1985 to 2000 at our hospital. Four populations were selected from the 125 subjects without using GH peaks of the GH provocation tests. The first group (CGHD, N=15), complete GH deficiency, consisted of prepubertal patients with growth velocity less than -1.5 SD, invisible/thin stalk on MRI or CNS lesion such as brain tumor. The second group (HV-N, N=22), subjects of prepubertal and growing children with short stature (Ht +0 SD). The third group (FH-N, N=8) subjects had short height (Ht -2 SD). The fourth group subjects were prepubertal short children (Ht -2 SD), except for one subject in group HV-D. In conclusion, IGF-I measurements are useful for screening patients who need GH treatment and probably for diagnosing GHD. Additional IGFBP-3 measurements are valuable in diagnosing GHD especially at the age of less than five years.
Sodium entry through endothelial store-operated calcium entry channels: regulation by Orai1

Orai1 interacts with transient receptor potential protein of the canonical subfamily (TRPC4) and contributes to calcium selectivity of the endothelial cell store-operated calcium entry current (ISO...
Space-time block codes from cyclic design

It has been proved that full-rate complex orthogonal space-time block codes do not exist for systems with more than two transmit antennas. In this paper, we present a space-time block coding scheme based on cyclic design. The proposed codes provide full rate and full diversity for quaternary phase shift keying (QPSK) symbols in systems with three or four transmit antennas.
Derivatives of Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors for a General Matrix

Expressions are obtained for the derivatives of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors which are expressions of only one left-hand and one right-hand eigenvector. The approach described makes use of a Choleski decomposition or some other decomposition method. The method may be extended to find any order of derivative of the eigenvalue and eigenvector. The expressions obtained for finding the derivatives of eigenvalues and eigenvectors for nonself-adjoint systems may be applied to self-adjoint systems.
Edutainment's Impact on Health Promotion: Viewing The Biggest Loser Through the Social Cognitive Theory

Through a critical rhetorical analysis using Bandura's social cognitive theory as a lens to view The Biggest Loser (TBL), this article illustrates the contradictions between the show's health promotional aims and its entertainment aims, which show the problems the show creates for health promotion practitioners working on obesity. The social cognitive theory constructs of observational learning, psychological determinants, and environmental determinants emerged from this reading of TBL as central to how the show masquerades as a health promotion tool. This reading reveals that TBL promotes a neoliberal construction of health and obesity that challenges the worldview that many health promotion campaigns take and, therefore, complicates our own efforts to combat obesity. With this revealed, it is suggested that TBL be incorporated into health promotion campaigns only as a foil.
Use of Conditional Value-at-Risk in Stochastic Programs with Poorly Defined Distributions

On the example of the Weapon-Target Assignment (WTA) problem, we present risk management procedures for military applications that address uncertainties in distributions. In the considered formulation, the cumulative damage to the targets is maximized, which leads to Mixed-Integer Programming problems with non-linear objectives. Ву using a relaxation technique that preserves integrality of the optimal solutions, we developed LP formulations for the deterministic and two-stage stochastic WTA problems. The risk of incorrect second-stage decisions due to errors in specified distributions of the second-stage targets is controlled using the Conditional Value-at-Risk risk measure. An LP formulation for the two-stage SWTA problem with uncertainties in distributions has been developed, which produces integer optimal solutions for the first-stage decision variables, and also yields a tight lower bound for the corresponding MIP problem.
The Promise and the Peril of Parametric Value-at-Risk (VaR) Analysis

Leptokurtosis, or the risk lurking in “fat tails,” poses the deepest epistemic threat to economic forecasting. Parametric value-at-risk (VaR) models are extremely vulnerable to kurtosis in excess of the levels associated with a normal, Gaussian distribution. This article provides step-by-step guidance on the use of Student’s t-distribution to enhance the statistical robustness of VaR forecasts. For degrees of freedom greater than 4, Student’s t-distribution can emulate any level of kurtosis exceeding that of a Gaussian distribution. Because VaR is elicitable from historical data, observed levels of excess kurtosis can inform the proper use of Student’s t-distribution to measure value-at-risk. In addition, the calculation of parametric VaR according to the number of degrees of freedom implied by historical levels of excess kurtosis leads directly to the corresponding value of expected shortfall. Conducted in this fashion, parametric VaR not only exploits the elicitability of that quantile-based measure, but also informs the computation of expected shortfall as a theoretically coherent risk measure.
Designing and financing optimal enforcement for small-scale fisheries and dive tourism industries

Abstract Effective enforcement can reduce the impacts of illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing, resulting in numerous economic, ecological, and social benefits. However, resource managers in small-scale fisheries often lack the expertise and financial resources required to design and implement an effective enforcement system. Here, a bio-economic model is developed to investigate optimal levels of fishery enforcement and financing mechanisms available to recover costs of enforcement. The model is parameterized to represent a small-scale Caribbean lobster fishery, and optimal fishery enforcement levels for three different stakeholder archetypes are considered: (1) a fishing industry only; (2) a dive tourism industry only; and (3) fishing and dive tourism industries. For the illustrative small-scale fishery presented, the optimal level of fishery enforcement decreases with increasing levels of biomass, and is higher when a dive tourism industry is present. Results also indicate that costs of fisheries enforcement can be recovered through a suite of financing mechanisms. However, the timescale over which financing becomes sustainable will depend largely on the current status of the fishery resource. This study may serve as a framework that can be used by resource managers to help design and finance economically optimal fisheries enforcement systems.
Local Currency for Community Development: Policy Barriers and Support

AbstractLocal currency holds promise for relieving poverty while enhancing social capital and helping communities meet goals. In spite of this, governmental policies have created barriers to its full success. This article examines local currency from a community development perspective, reviews the policy environment in the United States, and identifies policy changes that can support local currencies. Four major types of local currency—proxy, fiat, local exchange trading systems, and time banks—are described. Federal policy barriers in the US Constitution, statutes, and tax regulations as well as state prohibitions to local currency are examined.
Minority Interaction in John Rollin Ridge’s The Life and Adventures of Joaquin Murieta

The Life and Adventures of Joaquin Murieta, the Celebrated California Bandit (1854) by John Rollin Ridge (1827-1867) begins two traditions in American literature. Not only is it the first novel written in English by a person of Native American ancestry, it is also the first novel by an American in English treating the Mexican community of post-Mexican War California.1 Surprisingly, critics of the novel have as yet failed to look closely at this cultural intersection and analyze Ridge's depiction of different ethnic groups in the novel. Increased attention is bound to come Ridge's way soon. The new Heath Antholology of American Literature edited by Paul Lauter includes three selections by Ridge, two poems and an essay on Indian affairs, even though there are no excerpts from Joaquin Murieta. In their twopage discussion of Ridge (1:1772-73), James W. Parins and Andrew G. Wiget note four attitudes characteristic of Ridge's thought: he urges all Indians to become "civilized" and assimilate; 2) he "celebrates[s] the expansion of United States power and human technological mastery over nature"; 3) he has an "ambivalent" stance toward the traditional concerns of his people; and 4) he believes that less acculturated Indians need to be protected during the transitional period. The ambivalence of his concerns for Native Americans can be extended to other minority groups in the United States, such as Mexicans and Chinese laborers, as we find in Joaquin Murieta. This dimension of the novel is not made clear in the preface to the currently available paperback edition (written for the 1955 edition) by Joseph Henry Jackson. Unfortunately, the University of Oklahoma Press has not had this essay updated and revised, and it still serves as the principal introduction to the novel, especially for students. Jackson misread the novel as a Robin Hood story, supplying an emphasis on the redistribution of wealth that is not there. In addition, he did not have available to him either the later researches of Remi Nadeau (1974) and Frank F. Latta (1980) which establish the historical basis for the Murieta gang or the collection of Ridge's essays on Native Ameri-
Commentary on workfare: Servitude or success formula?

In his article entitled “Workfare: Servitude or Success Formula?” Patrick J. Keleher Jr. discusses Project Chance, an Illinois public aid program under which refusal of an aid recipient to participate in job training and work internships can result in termination of public assistance. Despite that seemingly coercive aspect of Project Chance, Keleher defends the program as consistent with the basic moral rights of welfare recipients. In my commentary I present reasons why I am not convinced by Keleher's defense of Project Chance.
Advances in Near-Surface Seismology and Ground-Penetrating Radar

Richard D. Miller, John H. Bradford, and Klaus Holliger, Editors. Geophysical Developments Publication Number 15. Society of Exploration Geophysicists, Tulsa, OK. 2010. 487 pp. $149.00, Hardcover. 9781560802242. Everett Rogers’ “diffusion of innovations” theory holds that people have
Construction of the Safety Monitoring Automation System for Three Gorges Ship Gate

This paper mainly introduces the construction of the safety monitoring automation system which includes the structure,composition and main functions of the system. It focuses on the multi-level measures against lightning,communications solution of ring and star topology network architecture to improve system reliability and integration of data access solution. This paper provides an reference for safety monitoring automation systems of dams and hydraulic structures.
Analysis of Power-Frequency Magnetic Field Effect on Single Phase Electronic Watt-hour Meter

The influence mechanism of power-frequency magnetic field on single phase Watt-hour meter is analyzed. On the basis of meter installation environment, the simulation platform is set up in the laboratory. The power factor test under no-load condition is conducted under the environment of power-frequency magnetic field to find the relationship of Watt-hour meter error to exciting current and power factor angle. The worst conditions of phase and the direction for Watt-hour meter measurement in the environment are determined, and the suggestion that reduce the influence of power-frequency magnetic field on electrical meter measuring accuracy is made.
Combinatorial Optimization: Old Results with New Ensembles, New Results with Old Ensembles

Combinatorial optimization problems can sometimes be addressed by statistical mechanics computational methods. The best known example of this is simulated annealing using the canonical ensemble. In the present paper we discuss simulated annealing carried out in the microcanonical ensemble as well as the solution to combinatorial optimization problems which make use of the grand canonical ensemble or other open ensembles.
Critical role of endothelium in sustained arterial contraction during prolonged hypoxia.

Acute anoxia or severe hypoxia causes an initial transient contraction followed by marked relaxation of vascular tissues. We observed a spontaneous gradual sustained contraction of rat aortic rings following relaxation when hypoxia was prolonged. Deendothelialization as well as treatment of the endothelium-intact rings with nitric oxide synthase inhibitors or oxyhemoglobin abolished the late hypoxic contraction despite prolonged hypoxia. The prolonged hypoxiainduced sustained contraction was not affected by adenosine receptor blockade, cyclooxygenase inhibition, free radical scavengers, or the endothelin receptor antagonists. The ATPsensitive K + channel blocker glibenclamide abbreviated the duration of hypoxic relaxation and potentiated the magnitude of late hypoxic contraction. These data suggest that the late-sustained hypoxic contraction of arterial tissues is dependent on the presence of intact functional endothelium. Activation of ATP-sensitive K + channels may participate in the genesis of hypoxic relaxation. However, cyclooxygenase products, free oxygen radicals, adenosine, and endothelin are not involved in the regulation of hypoxia-mediated events in rat aortic rings
Using surface-induced ordering to probe the isotropic-to-nematic transition for semiflexible polymers.

Semiflexible polymers undergo a weakly first order isotropic-to-nematic (IN) phase transition when the volume fraction ϕ is high enough that random alignment of the backbone segments is no longer viable. For semiflexible chains, the critical volume fraction ϕc is governed by the backbone stiffness Np. To locate the IN phase transition, we perform molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of bead-spring chains confined between two impenetrable parallel surfaces. We use the impenetrable surfaces to induce nematic–isotropic interfaces for semiflexible chains in the isotropic phase. By progressively increasing the backbone stiffness Np, we observe the propagation of surface-induced nematic order above a critical stiffness Ncp for a given ϕ. Using the simulation results Ncp(ϕ), we construct the IN phase boundry in the ϕ–Np plane, from which the scaling relation between ϕc and Np is obtained. For semiflexible chains with Np ≤ 5.78, our results suggest ϕc ∼ Np−1, consistent with prediction by Khokhlov and Semenov. For chains with Np ≥ 5.78, we observe a new scaling regime in which ϕc ∼ Np−2/3.
Introduction to Optimization

Introduction Optimization is the term often used for minimizing or maximizing a function. It is sufficient to consider the problem of minimization only; maximization of F ( x ) is achieved by simply minimizing — F ( x ). In engineering, optimization is closely related to design. The function F ( x ), called the merit function or objective function , is the quantity that we wish to keep as small as possible, such as the cost or weight. The components of x , known as the design variables , are the quantities that we are free to adjust. Physical dimensions (lengths, areas, angles, etc.) are common examples of design variables. Optimization is a large topic with many books dedicated to it. The best we can do in limited space is to introduce a few basic methods that are good enough for problems that are reasonably well behaved and do not involve too many design variables. By omitting the more sophisticated methods,we may actually not miss all that much. All optimization algorithms are unreliable to a degree — any one of them may work on one problem and fail on another. As a rule of the thumb, by going up in sophistication we gain computational efficiency, but not necessarily reliability. The algorithms for minimization are iterative procedures that require starting values of the design variables x . If F ( x ) has several local minima, the initial choice of x determines which of these will be computed. There is no guaranteed way of finding the global optimal point. One suggested procedure is to make several computer runs using different starting points and pick the best result.
Nonsteroidal and Other Anti-inflammatory Drugs

Organ transplant rejection involves an inflammatory cell infiltration of the allograft which may be a model of an inflammatory process involving the delayed cell-mediated immune response. Thus the observations and findings in transplant patients and in experimental transplant animal models may be transferred to other inflammatory diseases.
“I Love Twitter”: A Case Study Exploring Local Sports Broadcasters’ Impressions of Twitter

The daily routine of local sports broadcasters is as busy as it has ever been, as they are expected to anchor the evening sportscast, write stories, film games, and update the station Web site. Twitter has added yet another duty to their job, but they do not seem to mind this assignment. In a survey of local sports broadcasters throughout the U.S., over 90% of those who responded to the survey said they either “liked” or “loved” Twitter. In addition, more than 80% of respondents said that they did not consider using Twitter at work to be a burden. Implications regarding extra-role behaviors and work engagement are discussed.
Diabetes Outcome and Process Measures Among Patients Who Require Language Interpreter Services in Minnesota Primary Care Practices

Immigrants and refugees are less likely to meet diabetes management goals than the general US population. Those with limited English proficiency (LEP) and who need interpreter services (IS) for health care encounters, maybe at higher risk for encountering barriers to optimal diabetes management, and while most receive diabetes care in primary care settings, little is known about the association between IS need and diabetes outcomes. This study aims to determine adherence with diabetes process and outcomes measures among LEP patients in primary care settings, and is a retrospective cohort study of patients with type II diabetes at two large primary care networks in Minnesota from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2013. Diabetes outcome measure goals were defined as hemoglobin A1C <8%, LDL-C <100 mg/dL, and blood pressure <140/90 mmHg. Process measure goals were defined as hemoglobin A1C measured within the previous 6 months and LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) measured within the previous 12 months. Compared to non-IS patients (N = 11,970), IS patients (N = 1486) were more likely to meet guideline outcome recommendations for blood pressure (Adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.02; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.70, 2.40), hemoglobin A1C (OR 1.23; 95% CI 1.08, 1.40), and LDL-C (OR 1.40; 95% CI 1.2, 1.62). Older IS patients and male IS patients were less likely to meet recommendations for hemoglobin A1C (OR 0.70; 95% CI 0.48, 1.02; OR 0.66; CI 0.54, 0.79; respectively) and LDL-C (OR 0.81; 95% CI 0.55, 1.17; OR 0.47; CI 0.39, 0.57; respectively). Healthcare system solutions need to bridge gaps from process to outcomes among LEP patients who require IS in primary care settings.
MYC: Master Regulator of Immune Privilege

Cancers are often initiated by genetic events that activate proto-oncogenes or inactivate tumor-suppressor genes. These events are also crucial for sustained tumor cell proliferation and survival, a phenomenon described as oncogene addiction. In addition to this cell-intrinsic role, recent evidence indicates that oncogenes also directly regulate immune responses, leading to immunosuppression. Expression of many oncogenes or loss of tumor suppressors induces the expression of immune checkpoints that regulate the immune response, such as PD-L1. We discuss here how oncogenes, and in particular MYC, suppress immune surveillance, and how oncogene-targeted therapies may restore the immune response against tumors.
Low vitamin D exposure is associated with higher risk of infection in renal transplant recipients.

Background Vitamin D is a steroid hormone with multiple vital roles within the immune system. Various studies evaluated the influence of vitamin D on infections postrenal transplantation and found contrasting results. This study aimed to assess the relationship between vitamin D status and the incidence of infection in renal transplant recipients. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study of adult renal transplant recipients at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center between 2005 and 2012. Patients were grouped as vitamin D sufficient (≥30 ng/mL) or deficient (<30 ng/mL) based on total serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations. The association between vitamin D levels collected at any point post-transplantation and incidence of infection within ±90 days of the vitamin D levels were assessed using logistic and Poisson's regression models. Results Vitamin D sufficiency at any point post-transplantation was significantly associated with a 66% lower odds (OR: 0.34; 95% CI: 0.22-0.52; P<.001) and 43% lower rate of infections (incident rate ratio (IRR): 0.57; 95% CI: 0.46-0.71; P<.001) within ±90 days of the vitamin D level. Baseline vitamin D level was also associated with lower incidence and risk for infections within the first year post-transplantation. Conclusion Adequate levels of vitamin D in kidney transplant recipients are associated with lower infection risk in the first year and at any time post-transplantation.
350 TRICHOSPORONOSIS: AN UNUSUAL CAUSE OF NEONATAL FUNGEMIA.

Introduction Trichosporon asahii infection in very low birth weight neonates is unusual, and few cases are found in the literature. We report a case of a neonate with trichosporonosis emphasizing the need to be aware of this rare cause of fungemia with a high mortality rate in spite of therapy. Case Report A 517 g male infant was born at 23 weeks and 6 days of gestation to a gravida 2 para 1 woman via an emergent cesarean section due to prolonged rupture of membranes and cord prolapse. Apgar scores were 2, 5, and 8 at 1, 5, and 10 minutes, respectively. The baby was intubated, given surfactant, and admitted to the NICU. Umbilical venous and arterial catheters were placed. Ampicillin and cefotaxime were begun for suspected sepsis. He remained critically ill, requiring pressor therapy and blood products, and was placed on an oscillator on day 2 of life. On day 9, he was noted to have peeling skin lesions on his upper and lower extremities and abdomen with moderate mucoid exudate. On day 13, a swab obtained from the abdominal exudates grew T. asahii. Cultures from blood and urine were obtained and amphotericin B was started at 1 mg/kg. Urine and blood cultures were positive for T. asahii. Blood cultures on days 18 and 22 continued to be positive, and amphotericin dose was increased to 1.5 mg/kg. The blood culture on day 18 also grew Staphylococcus epidermidis, and vancomycin was begun. On day 25, 5-flucytosine (5-FC) by mouth was added. Blood cultures from days 25 and 29 remained positive for T. asahii and S. epidermidis. The umbilical venous catheter was removed on day 29. Subsequently, fluconazole and rifampin were added. 5-FC was stopped after 3 days due to presumed necrotizing enterocolitis. MICs (μg/mL) of the patient9s isolate at 24/48 hours were AMB 0.25/0.5, 5-FC 2/8, FLU 2/2. The infant did not respond to therapy and died on day 36 due to respiratory failure and overwhelming sepsis. Discussion T. asahii (previously known as T. beigelii) is a basidiomyceteous yeast found naturally in soil, vegetation, and water. It can cause superficial infection of the hair shaft (white piedra), onychomycosis, and otomycosis in an immunocompetent host and deep infection (trichosporonosis) in an immunocompromised patient. Of the 10 cases of disseminated T. asahii infection in neonates described in literature, 6 had positive blood cultures, 2 of these infants had cutaneous lesions, and 4 had kidney involvement. The mortality rate was 90%. Cultures from cutaneous lesions, when present, can be useful in diagnosing infection in neonates, as it was in our case. Unfortunately, trichosporonosis is difficult to treat with standard antifungal agents and is almost uniformly fatal in these immunocompromised neonatal hosts.
Reductions in margin length after excision of grade II mast cell tumors and grade I and II soft tissue sarcomas in dogs

OBJECTIVE: Quantify changes in the circumferential lengths of surgical margins of resected canine mast cell tumors (MCT) and soft tissue sarcomas (STS) between the time of collection and histopathology. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, hypothesis‐driven, clinical study. SAMPLE POPULATION: Two hundred and thirty‐seven margins from 69 excised tumors (50 MCT and 19 STS) in 51 client‐owned dogs. METHODS: The lengths of surgical margins were recorded (eg, cranial, caudal, dorsal, and ventral) for each tumor at 5 time points: intraoperatively (in vivo), immediately after excision (ex vivo), after formalin fixation (postfixation), once mounted on glass slides (subgross), and as histologically tumor‐free margins (HTFMs). RESULTS: Compared to in vivo dimensions, the length of surgical margins at each processing step (ie, ex vivo, postfixation, subgross, and HTFM) was reduced by a median of 3.0, 5.0, 6.0, and 8.8 mm for MCT; 2.5, 2.0, 5.0, and 5.0 mm for STS. All processing steps resulted in significant reductions among MCT samples (P < .0001), except between postfixation vs subgross, and for STS samples (P < .0001), except between ex vivo vs postfixation and subgross vs HTFM. The maximum reduction in the total length of margins (from in vivo to HTFM) was 29.6 and 24.2 mm for MCT and STS, respectively. CONCLUSION: Surgical margin length reductions occur due to a combination of physical factors (eg, tissue elasticity, myofibril contraction, and histologic processing) and biological factors (eg, microscopic tumor infiltration into the grossly normal surgical margin). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: These data provide information relevant to evidence‐based surgical planning and may influence patient morbidity in the most commonly encountered cutaneous malignancies of dogs.
Identifying high surgical risk in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) patients undergoing radical cystectomy (RC).

460Background: Although RC is the standard treatment for MIBC, it is associated with non-negligible morbidity and mortality. Given the advanced age and prevalence of comorbidities in MIBC patients,...
Fundamental Issues in Atomic/Nanoelectronic Computation

The past decade has seen tremendous experimental and theoretical progress in the field of mesoscopic devices and molecular self assembly techniques, leading to laboratory demonstration of many new device concepts. While these studies have been important from a fundamental physics perspective, it has been recognized by many that they may offer new insights into building a future generation of computing machines. This has recently led to a number of proposals for computing machines which use these new and novel device concepts. In this chapter, we explain the physical principles behind the operation of some of these proposals, primarily those based on conventional architectures. We then show that these proposals do not satisfy some fundamental requirements of a good computing model. The specific schemes discussed fall into the categories of ground state and atomic computing models. Finally, we propose a new scheme for atomic computing.
To the Bookstore! Autonomous Wheelchair Navigation in an Urban Environment

In this paper, we demonstrate reliable navigation of a smart wheelchair system (SWS) in an urban environment. Urban environments present unique challenges for service robots. They require localization accuracy at the sidewalk level, but compromise GPS position estimates through significant multi-path effects. However, they are also rich in landmarks that can be leveraged by feature-based localization approaches. To this end, our SWS employed a map-based localization approach. A map of the environment was acquired using a server vehicle, synthesized a priori, and made accessible to the SWS. The map embedded not only the locations of landmarks, but also semantic data delineating 7 different landmark classes to facilitate robust data association. Landmark segmentation and tracking by the SWS was then accomplished using both 2D and 3D LIDAR systems. The resulting localization method has demonstrated decimeter level positioning accuracy in a global coordinate frame. The localization package was integrated into a ROS framework with a sample based motion planner and control loop running at 5 Hz to enable autonomous navigation. For validation, the SWS repeatedly navigated autonomously between Lehigh University’s Packard Laboratory and the University bookstore, a distance of approximately 1.0 km roundtrip.
Crustal Mesoplate Tectonics: Deformation in Continental Interiors by Basement Detachment

Extensive networks of old rifts and sutures transect many continents. These basement-cutting structures form long-lived intracontinental zones of weakness that effectively divide the upper crust into mosaics of blocks. The motions of these blocks are controlled by the net stresses acting upon them; the resulting movements can be complex and time-varying, resulting in complex strain patterns in the multiply-reactivated intracontinental deformed zones between blocks. The stresses causing these strains are probably transmitted through the brittle upper and middle crust, which is detached from the more ductile lower crust. The resulting tectonic style is similar both to lithospheric plate tectonics and to the tectonics of overthrust plates, but the plates are intermediate in size and consist solely of crustal material. I propose to call this style crustal mesoplate tectonics.
Pathfinding Molecules Branch Out: Semaphorin Family Members Regulate Synapse Development

Although best known for their role guiding axons to their appropriate targets in the developing nervous system, semaphorin family members also play important roles in the immune system, developing vasculature, cardiac morphogenesis, and cancer. As semaphorins and their receptors are expressed at the correct time and place to mediate synapse development, it is perhaps not surprising that recent loss-of-function and gain-of-function studies demonstrate a role for semaphorins in modulating both synapse formation and function. The majority of semaphorin family members are membrane-associated proteins, suggesting the tantalizing possibility that semaphorins could signal both as a ligand and via their own intracellular domains to mediate synapse development. In this manner, semaphorin family members and their receptors could coordinate assembly of the pre- and postsynaptic specializations, potentially via a trans-synaptic signaling mechanism.
OR20 Investigating the microrna profile of B cell lines for their differential effect on haplotype specific DPB1 gene expression

Aim SNP rs9277534 in the 3’-UTR region of the HLA-DPB1 gene is associated with differential expression of DP molecule on the cell surface of lymphocytes. It appears that this differential expression of DP influences risk of GVHD in unrelated donor hematopoietic cell transplantation and course of hepatitis B infection. We aim to uncover mechanisms for such alterations in protein expression by identifying haplotype-specific microRNAs (miRNAs) and their differential in silico targeting patterns that occur at polymorphic sites, with eventual experimental confirmation. Methods Novel and miRBase-annotated miRNAs expressed in COX (high DP expression) and PGF (low DP expression) B-lymphoblastoid cell lines (BLCL) were characterized using miRDeep2. Higher-confidence miRNAs were obtained by requiring > 80% estimated true positive probability, RANDFOLD p ⩽ 0.05, and removal of entries overlapping non-miRNA Rfam elements. A miRNA target prediction scheme utilizing complementary TargetScan v7 (TS) and RNA22v2 (R22) was employed, using the following relatively stringent parameter settings to identify the highest-precision targets: context++ score Results COX and PGF BLCLs demonstrated differential miRNA expression and predicted targeting at polymorphic sites of their respective DPB1 genes. Differential predicted targets were identified in exon 2, introns 1, 2, and 3 and the 3’-UTR of the two DPB1 sequences. These identified miRNAs have the potential to explain altered protein expression levels via putative cytoplasmic or nuclear miRNA effects. rs9277534 is not included among the high-confidence targeted sites; however, if thresholds are relaxed, then that region is differentially targeted as well. Conclusions We have identified miRNAs with differential expression in COX and PGF BLCLs, which demonstrate unique predicted targeting patterns at polymorphic sites of their respective HLA-DPB1 alleles. This catalog of miRNAs can now be tested in further experiments to identify true mediators of HLA-DPB1 expression and help to identify actual causative polymorphisms in such regions that involve extensive and confounding linkage disequilibrium.
Sustainability and Clustering

Clusters represent a popular concept both in academia and in practice, often promoted by management gurus, business schools, consultants, and policy makers. Although the economic geography and stra...