cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
February streamflow shows upturn

Streamflow conditions across the country took a strong upturn during February, with many streams in a broad band from Maryland through the Ohio Valley and into the Midwest and the Dakotas and much of the Far West reporting well-above normal streamflows according to a month-end check of water resources conditions by the U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior. USGS hydrologists said that the strong February upturn was reflected in the combined flow of the nation's ‘Big Five’ rivers—Mississippi, Ohio, St. Lawrence, Missouri, and Columbia—which averaged 1180 billion gallons a day (bgd) during February, 47% above normal and the highest flow above the monthly average in more than 2 years. The Big Five drain more than half of the conterminous United States and serve as a quick check on the status of the nation's water resources. Working in cooperation with federal, state, and local officials across the country, USGS hydrologists regularly collect information on surface and groundwater conditions at more than 65,000 gaging stations.
The genetic basis of delay discounting and its genetic relationship to alcohol dependence

Delay discounting is steeper for individuals who drink heavily or are alcohol dependent, but the reasons for this are unclear. Given the substantial genetic component for alcohol dependence it is not unreasonable to ask whether discounting and alcohol dependence have a genetic relationship. For there to be a genetic relationship, delay discounting must have a genetic component (heritability). A review of the human and animal literature suggests that this is the case. Other literature examining whether discounting is a correlated phenotype in individuals who are genetically predisposed to drink (family history positive individuals and selected lines of rats and mice) is mixed, suggesting that networks of genes are critical for the relationship to be seen. The identities of the genes in this network are not yet known, but research examining polymorphisms associated with differences in discounting is beginning to address this issue.
Inferring graphs from walks

We consider the problem of inferring an undirected, degree-bounded, edge-colored graph from the sequence of edge colors seen in a walk of that graph. This problem can be viewed as reconstructing the structure of a Markov chain from its output. (That is, we are not concerned with inferring the transition probabilities, but only the underlying graph structure of the Markov chain.) We present polynomial-time algorithms for the inference of underlying graphs of degree-bound 2 (linear chains and cycles), based on some surprising properties about the confluence of various sets of rewrite rules.
THE PRESENCE AND EFFECTS OF MAMMALIAN SIGNAL MOLECULES IN IMMUNOCYTES OF THE INSECT LEUCOPHAEA MADERAE

Opioid peptides activate immunocytes and opiate alkaloids inhibit this activation in the mussel, Mytilus edulis. Here we present evidence that cells of another invertebrate, Leucophaea maderae, can be influenced in a similar way by the Met-enkephalin analogue D-Ala2-Met5-enkephalin (DAMA) and morphine. Effects of different signal molecules on Leucophaea hemocytes were evaluated by computer-assisted image analysis of their conformational state. A small percentage of the untreated cells were found to display spontaneous conformational changes after 25 min of incubation without pharmacological agents which was noted as a decrease in both circularity factor and shape factor values. Activation caused the cells to become elliptical, a feature that appears to be characteristic of Leucophaea immunocytes. Administration of DAMA induced a similar activation of most of the cells. After 30 min these DAMA-activated cells started to display distinct locomotory activity not seen in the controls. α-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH, 10−7) added to the incubation medium after DAMA-activation caused the cells to return to their original ”rounded” conformation. In addition, the presence of immunoreactive interleukin (IL-1), adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in the hemolymph was demonstrated. These data suggest an interaction between both vertebrate-type immunological signal molecules and neuropeptides in the regulation of immunological cells in Leucophaea.
Funeral attendance, cremation, and young siblings

Abstract This study of the funeral attendance of sixty-five children ages four through sixteen showed that most children attended their siblings' final services. Data were gathered during home interviews with the parents. Behavior problems in the first year were measured using a standardized Child Behavior Checklist developed by Achenbach and Edelbrock. Analysis by t-test indicated children who had attended the funeral or memorial services displayed more behavior problems than children who did not attend. In particular, children in the younger age group and females showed more behavior problems related to funeral attendance. The study suggests that funeral practices need to be further investigated for their impact on children.
Impact of greater sandhill cranes foraging on corn and barley crops

Abstract The impact of greater sandhill cranes grazing on corn and barley crops was measured during 1991–1992 in northern Utah and southwestern Wyoming. Fields were selected based on complaints of chronic crane depredation problems received from farmers. Though evidence of depredation was qualitatively documented, it was difficult to document quantitatively. Open field sites in barley fields had a lower density of barley shoots, and significantly longer gaps between plants than areas inside exclosures during the spring. By fall, these differences were no longer detectable. Estimates based on direct measurements in depredated barley fields suggested losses of
Conceptualization and measurement of mental health providers' recovery-promoting competence: the recovery promoting relationships scale (RPRS)

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to construct and validate an instrument that measures practitioners' competence to promote the recovery among individuals with psychiatric disabilities from the perspective of the person served. Items were developed based upon input from individuals served and practitioners as well as the extant literature on recovery. "Recovery-promoting competence" was conceptualized as a set of practitioner capabilities that promote the recovery process and enhance the working alliance. METHOD: A scale was developed using a two-stage process that initially identified specific recovery-promoting competencies and then tested candidate items measuring those competencies. Item Response Theory and Classical Test Theory approaches were used to validate the instrument and assess its psychometric properties with a national sample of 382 individuals with psychiatric disabilities. RESULTS: Analyses revealed two distinct sets of recovery-promoting competencies: (a) competencies that enhance clients' recovery, and (b) competencies that build and maintain a strong therapeutic or working alliance. The first set further differentiated into subcompetencies-enhancing clients' hopefulness, empowerment, and self-acceptance. The instrument had high internal consistency and acceptable stability over time, convergent, criterion, and known groups' validity. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This scale is a tool for assessing mental health and rehabilitation practitioners' competencies from the perspective of the individual served which can be used both in research and program evaluation of agencies serving individuals with psychiatric disabilities.
Retinopathy associated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin treatment for chronic hepatitis C.

Abstract Background Retinopathy is associated with the use of interferon and ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. Common ocular complications include cotton wool spots, retinal hemorrhages, and macular edema. Case Report A 53-year-old black man with a history of drug and alcohol abuse was admitted to the Department of Veterans Affairs clinic for substance abuse treatment. Results of a liver biopsy showed chronic hepatitis C, and treatment with interferon and ribavirin was initiated. A comprehensive eye examination was performed just before the initiation of treatment, and the patient was then periodically monitored for the presence of retinopathy. No retinopathy was found at the initial visit or at his 1-month or 2-month follow-up examinations. His 4-month retinal evaluation found cotton wool spots in both eyes and retinal hemorrhages in the left eye. The retinopathy persisted for several months but resolved in both eyes before his treatment was discontinued. Throughout his treatment period there were no visual complaints or visual acuity changes. Conclusions Although this patient was visually asymptomatic, and his retinopathy resolved during treatment, we chose to monitor the patient monthly during treatment because of the risk of serious (although rare) ocular complications.
A formal approach for network security management based on qualitative risk analysis

The risk analysis is an important process for enforcing and strengthening efficient and effective security. Due to the significant growth of the Internet, application services, and associated security attacks, information professionals face challenges in assessing risk of their networks. The assessment of risk may vary with the enterprise's requirements. Hence, a generic risk analysis technique is suitable. Moreover, configuring a network with correct security policy is a difficult problem. The assessment of risk aids in realizing necessary security policy. Risk is a function of security threat and impact. Security threats depend on the traffic reachability. Security devices like firewalls are used to selectively allow or deny traffic. However, the connection between the network risk and the security policy is not easy to establish. A small modification in the network topology or in the security policy, can change the risk significantly. It is hard to manually follow a systematic process for configuring the network towards security hardening. Hence, an automatic generation of proper security controls, e.g., firewall rules and host placements in the network topology, is crucial to keep the overall security risk low. In this paper, we first present a declarative model for the qualitative risk analysis. We consider transitive reachability, i.e., reachability considering one or more intermediate hosts, in order to compute exposure of vulnerabilities. Next, we formalize our risk analysis model and the security requirements as a constraint satisfaction problem using the satisfiability modulo theories (SMT). A solution to the problem synthesizes necessary firewall policies and host placements. We also evaluate the scalability of the proposed risk analysis technique as well as the synthesis model.
Effect of stress on scanning.

-The aim of this study was to elucidate the influence of stressful social stimuli on the operation of the scanning cognitive control principle. The specific hypotheses to be tested were: (a ) that high-scanning Ss will intensify their scanning behavior as stress is increased and (b) that low-scanning Ss will reduce their scanning behavior as stress is increased. An analysis of covariance design was used with preand post-measures of scanning and anxiety level as determined by a size-estimation test and the IPAT 8-Parallel-Form Anxiety Battery, respectively. Ss were 108 male volunteers from introductory psychology courses. Both hypotheses were supported by the data.
Hydration of Native and Rennin-Treated, Cold-Solubilized Caprine Caseins as Determined by Oxygen-17 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Abstract The hydration of native and rennin-coagulated bovine and caprine caseins was investigated by oxygen-17 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and fitted by nonlinear regression analysis. A charge-charge interaction model (B 0 ) was employed to analyze the transverse relaxation (1/T 2 ) data. Relaxation differences between reconstituted native micelles at 10°C and rennin-coagulated, cold-solubilized micelles of caseins strongly suggest that important structural dissimilarities exist between these milk proteins that are due to differences in the ratios of α s1 - to β-CN. Variants of α s1 -CN had significant effects on caprine casein hydration. The differences were more pronounced in rennin-coagulated than in native casein micelles. All rennin-coagulated, cold-solubilized casein micelles demonstrated significant decreases in hydration. Micelles containing low α s1 -CN retain an open, highly hydrated structure, in comparison with similarly treated bovine and caprine casein micelles containing high α s1 -CN. Second virial coefficients (B 0 values) derived from oxygen-17 NMR data suggest that reconstituted bovine and caprine casein micelles containing high α s1 -CN exhibit strong interactions, which at first decrease then increase during clotting. In contrast, the native caprine casein micelles containing low α s1 -CN exhibit strong charge repulsions, which increase with clotting. The compositional differences are reflected in differences in the extent of protein-protein aggregation during casein clotting by rennin. Our results demonstrate that alteration in casein composition can dramatically alter cheese-making properties.
Absence of mycoplasma contamination in the anthrax vaccine.

Mycoplasma contamination of the licensed anthrax vaccine administered to military personnel has been suggested as a possible cause of Persian Gulf illness. Vaccine samples tested by nonmilitary laboratories were negative for viable mycoplasma and mycoplasma DNA and did not support its survival. Mycoplasma contamination of anthrax vaccine should not be considered a possible cause of illness.
An RFID-Based Closed-Loop Wireless Power Transmission System for Biomedical Applications

This brief presents a standalone closed-loop wireless power transmission system that is built around a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader (TRF7960) operating at 13.56 MHz. It can be used for inductively powering implantable biomedical devices in a closed loop. Any changes in the distance and misalignment between transmitter and receiver coils in near-field wireless power transmission can cause a significant change in the received power, which can cause either a malfunction or excessive heat dissipation. RFID circuits are often used in an open loop. However, their back telemetry capability can be utilized to stabilize the received voltage on the implant. Our measurements showed that the delivered power to the transponder was maintained at 11.2 mW over a range of 0.5 to 2 cm, while the transmitter power consumption changed from 78 mW to 1.1 W. The closed-loop system can also oppose voltage variations as a result of sudden changes in the load current.
Whole-Genome Sequencing and Phenotypic Analysis of Bacillus subtilis Mutants following Evolution under Conditions of Relaxed Selection for Sporulation

Little is known about how genetic variation at the nucleotide level contributes to competitive fitness within species. During a 6,000-generation study of Bacillus subtilis evolved under relaxed selection for sporulation, a new strain, designated WN716, emerged with significantly different colony and cell morphologies; loss of sporulation, competence, acetoin production, and motility; multiple auxotrophies; and increased competitive fitness (H. Maughan and W. L. Nicholson, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 77:4105-4118, 2011). The genome of WN716 was analyzed by OpGen optical mapping, whole-genome 454 pyrosequencing, and the CLC Genomics Workbench. No large chromosomal rearrangements were found; however, 34 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and +1 frameshifts were identified in WN716 that resulted in amino acid changes in coding sequences of annotated genes, and 11 SNPs were located in intergenic regions. Several classes of genes were affected, including biosynthetic pathways, sporulation, competence, and DNA repair. In several cases, attempts were made to link observed phenotypes of WN716 with the discovered mutations, with various degrees of success. For example, a +1 frameshift was identified at codon 13 of sigW, the product of which (SigW) controls a regulon of genes involved in resistance to bacteriocins and membrane-damaging antibiotics. Consistent with this finding, WN716 exhibited sensitivity to fosfomycin and to a bacteriocin produced by B. subtilis subsp. spizizenii and exhibited downregulation of SigW-dependent genes on a transcriptional microarray, consistent with WN716 carrying a knockout of sigW. The results suggest that propagation of B. subtilis for less than 2,000 generations in a nutrient-rich environment where sporulation is suppressed led to rapid initiation of genomic erosion.
Optimisation Quality Assessment in Large, Complex SoC Designs Challenges and Solutions

Design optimisation of large system-on-chip (SoC) designs presents significant challenges in terms of the number of care-abouts in today's chip design scenario. While optimisation approaches have focused on key aspects like design timing, power and routability, there are several critical aspects that do not get modelled by the abstraction approaches used in current solutions, resulting in local areas of potentially bad quality of results (QoR). The definition of design quality metrics for assessing various aspects of interest thus comes out as a key requirement in designs today. In this paper, we highlight the key challenges in the design of large, complex SoCs and propose some design metrics that identify problem areas for improvement. We highlight how conventional abstraction schemes tend to mask such problems when looking at design-level averaging for the relevant cost-functions. We present the results of these metrics and also show why not resolving some of these potential bottle-necks could lead to significant challenges in overall design closure.
The Magical Mystery Four How Is Working Memory Capacity Limited, and Why?

Working memory storage capacity is important because cognitive tasks can be completed only with sufficient ability to hold information as it is processed. The ability to repeat information depends on task demands but can be distinguished from a more constant, underlying mechanism: a central memory store limited to 3 to 5 meaningful items in young adults. I will discuss why this central limit is important, how it can be observed, how it differs among individuals, and why it may occur.
Role of the Heat Shock Response and Molecular Chaperones in Oncogenesis and Cell Death

Exposure of cells to conditions of environmental stress-including heat shock, oxidative stress, heavy metals, or pathologic conditions, such as ischemia and reperfusion, inflammation, tissue damage, infection, and mutant proteins associated with genetic diseases-results in the inducible expression of heat shock proteins that function as molecular chaperones or proteases. Molecular chaperones are a class of proteins that interact with diverse protein substrates to assist in their folding, with a critical role during cell stress to prevent the appearance of folding intermediates that lead to misfolded or otherwise damaged molecules. Consequently, heat shock proteins assist in the recovery from stress either by repairing damaged proteins (protein refolding) or by degrading them, thus restoring protein homeostasis and promoting cell survival. The events of cell stress and cell death are linked, such that molecular chaperones induced in response to stress appear to function at key regulatory points in the control of apoptosis. On the basis of these observations-and on the role of molecular chaperones in the regulation of steroid aporeceptors, kinases, caspases, and other protein remodeling events involved in chromosome replication and changes in cell structure-it is not surprising that the heat shock response and molecular chaperones have been implicated in the control of cell growth. In this review, we address some of the molecular and cellular events initiated by cell stress-the interrelationships between stress signaling, cell death, and oncogenesis-and chaperones as potential targets for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Imputation of left-censored data for cluster analysis

A new method of imputation for left-censored datasets is reported. This method is evaluated by examining datasets in which the true values of the censored data are known so that the quality of the imputation can be assessed both visually and by means of cluster analysis. Its performance in retaining certain data structures on imputation is compared with that of three other imputation algorithms by using cluster analysis on the imputed data. It is found that the new imputation method benefits a subsequent model-based cluster analysis performed on the left-censored data. The stochastic nature of the imputations performed in the new method can provide multiple imputed sets from the same incomplete data. The analysis of these provides an estimate of the uncertainty of the cluster analysis. Results from clustering suggest that the imputation is robust, with smaller uncertainty than that obtained from other multiple imputation methods applied to the same data. In addition, the use of the new method avoids problems with ill-conditioning of group covariances during imputation as well as in the subsequent clustering based on expectation–maximization. The strong imputation performance of the proposed method on simulated datasets becomes more apparent as the groups in the mixture models are increasingly overlapped. Results from real datasets suggest that the best performance occurs when the requirement of normality of each group is fulfilled, which is the main assumption of the new method. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
VARIABLE EFFECTS OF FERAL PIG DISTURBANCES ON NATIVE AND EXOTIC PLANTS IN A CALIFORNIA GRASSLAND

Biological invasions are a global phenomenon that can accelerate disturbance regimes and facilitate colonization by other nonnative species. In a coastal grassland in northern California, we conducted a four-year exclosure experiment to assess the effects of soil disturbances by feral pigs (Sus scrofa) on plant community composition and soil nitrogen availability. Our results indicate that pig disturbances had substantial effects on the community, although many responses varied with plant functional group, geographic origin (native vs. exotic), and grassland type. (''Short patches'' were dominated by annual grasses and forbs, whereas ''tall patches'' were dominated by perennial bunchgrasses.) Soil disturbances by pigs increased the richness of exotic plant species by 29% and native taxa by 24%. Although native perennial grasses were unaffected, disturbances reduced the bio- mass of exotic perennial grasses by 52% in tall patches and had no effect in short patches. Pig disturbances led to a 69% decrease in biomass of exotic annual grasses in tall patches but caused a 62% increase in short patches. Native, nongrass monocots exhibited the opposite biomass pattern as those seen for exotic annual grasses, with disturbance causing an 80% increase in tall patches and a 56% decrease in short patches. Native forbs were unaffected by disturbance, whereas the biomass of exotic forbs increased by 79% with disturbance in tall patches and showed no response in short patches. In contrast to these vegetation results, we found no evidence that pig disturbances affected nitrogen mineral- ization rates or soil moisture availability. Thus, we hypothesize that the observed vegetation changes were due to space clearing by pigs that provided greater opportunities for colo- nization and reduced intensity of competition, rather than changes in soil characteristics. In summary, although responses were variable, disturbances by feral pigs generally pro- moted the continued invasion of this coastal grassland by exotic plant taxa.
Dynamics of skate horizontal cells.

The all-rod retina of the skate (Raja erinacea or R. oscellata) is known to have the remarkable capability of responding to incremental flashes superimposed on background intensities that initially block all light-evoked responses and are well above the level at which rods saturate in mixed rod/cone retinas. To examine further the unusual properties of the skate visual system, we have analyzed responses of their horizontal cells to intensity-modulated step, sinusoidal, and white-noise stimuli. We found that during exposures to mean intensities bright enough to block responses to incremental stimuli, decremental stimuli were also initially blocked. Thereafter, the horizontal cells underwent a slow recovery phase during which there was marked nonlinearity in their response properties. The cell first (within 2-3 min) responded to decrements in intensity and later (after greater than 10 min) became responsive to incremental stimuli. After adaptation to a steady state, however, the responses to intensity modulation were nearly linear over a broad range of modulation depths even at the brightest mean levels of illumination. Indeed, examination of the steady-state responses over a 5-log-unit range of mean intensities revealed that the amplitude of the white noise-evoked responses depended solely on contrast, and was independent of the retinal irradiance as the latter was increased from 0.02 to 20 muW/cm2; i.e., contrast sensitivity remained unchanged over this 1,000-fold increase in mean irradiance. A decrement from the mean as brief as 2 s, however, disturbed the steady state. Another unexpected finding in this all-rod retina concerns surround-enhancement, a phenomenon observed previously for cone-mediated responses of horizontal cells in the retinas of turtle and catfish. While exposure to annular illumination induced response compression and a pronounced sensitivity loss in response to incremental light flashes delivered to the dark central region, the cell's sensitivity showed a significant increase when tested with a white noise or sinusoidally modulated central spot. Unlike horizontal cells in other retinas studied thus far, however, response dynamics remained unchanged. Responses evoked either by a small spot (0.25-mm diam) or by a large field light covering the entire retina were almost identical in time course. This is in contrast with past findings from cone-driven horizontal cells whose response waveform (dynamics) was dependent upon the size of the retinal area stimulated.
Accidents waiting to happen: the contribution of latent conditions to patient safety

Poor design of elements in a healthcare system produce the latent conditions which result in patient safety incidents. A better understanding of these elements and specific healthcare design challenges will result in improved patient safety.
Opposition to Internment: Defending Japanese American Rights during World War II

(1999). Opposition to Internment: Defending Japanese American Rights during World War II. The Historian: Vol. 61, No. 3, pp. 597-620.
Pulsatile gonadotropin secretion determined by frequent sampling from the intercavernous sinus of the mare: possible modulatory role of progesterone during luteolysis.

Twelve horse mares were used in a repeated-measures design consisting of 3 replicates of 4 mares each. On Day 6 following ovulation, luteolysis was initiated with an i.m. injection of prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha; Lutalyse, 10 mg). Either 12 (-12) or 36 (-36) h before PGF2 alpha (PRE), blood samples were collected simultaneously from the intercavernous sinus (ICS) and jugular (JUG) vein at 10-min intervals for an 8-h period. Pituitary capacity to exogenous GnRH (2 micrograms/kg BW, i.v.) was evaluated at the alternate time point within this period. Frequent sampling and GnRH challenge were repeated 36 (+36) or 60 (+60) h after PGF2 alpha (POST). Progesterone reached a nadir 48 h after PGF2 alpha, while the first significant elevation in estradiol (p < 0.05) was not detected until 156 h. PRE LH and FSH pulse frequencies in ICS samples were 0.6 +/- 0.3 and 1.8 +/- 0.8 pulses/8 h, respectively. Three high-amplitude, concurrent ICS pulses of LH and FSH were observed during this period. These were associated with elevated gonadotropin levels in the corresponding JUG samples. In contrast, low-amplitude ICS pulses at this time were predominately releases of FSH alone that were not detectable in the JUG. Following luteolysis, POST gonadotropin pulse frequencies in the ICS increased (p < 0.001) to 7.4 +/- 0.4 and 6.8 +/- 0.5 pulses/8 h for LH and FSH, respectively. Concurrent LH and FSH releases of relatively low amplitude characterized 87.7% of the POST ICS pulses, none of which were measurable in corresponding JUG samples.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Great Dionysia and the End of the Peloponnesian War

Scholars have disagreed about whether the Great Dionysia was celebrated in 404 BCE, despite the grim circumstances in Athens on the eve of the city9s surrender to Sparta. This article reconsiders the problem and reviews the positive documentary evidence for the festival9s celebration. The evidence indicates that the festival was indeed held, which speaks to the centrality of the Great Dionysia to Athenian civic life. The article then re-examines the conditions in Athens in the spring of 404, the practical consequences that these may have had for the festival, and the celebration of other festivals during times of war and crisis. Despite the evidence that the Great Dionysia was celebrated, the scale of its festivities must have been reduced. The first regular celebration after the war did not likely take place until 402/1, when the posthumous premiere of Sophocles9 Oidipous at Kolonos would have served partially as a symbolic proclamation that Athens9 great theatrical tradition would continue undiminished.
Do social media have a place in public health emergency response

Objectives: To ascertain whether analyses of social media trends for various Twitter responses following a major disaster produce implications for improving the focus on public health resources and messaging to disaster victims. Methods: Radian6 and trend analyses were used to analyze 12-hour counts of Twitter data before, during, and after the March 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami. Radian6 was used to organize tweets into categories of preparedness, emergency response, and public health. Results: Radian6 revealed that 49 percent of tweets were either positive or somewhat positive in sentiment about preparedness and only 7 percent were negative or somewhat negative. Trend analyses revealed a rapid onset of tweet activity associated with all keywords followed by mostly fast exponential decline. Analyses indicate that opportunities for improving public health awareness by leveraging social media communications exist for as much as 5 days after a disaster. Conclusions: Analyses suggest key times for public health social media communication to promote emergency response.
Translation of infrared chemical imaging for cardiovascular evaluation

Infrared (IR) spectroscopic imaging has been applied to study histology of cardiovascular tissue, primarily using Fourier transform IR (FTIR) Imaging. Here we describe results for histologic imaging of cardiac biopsies using a fast, discrete frequency IR (DFIR) imaging system. Histologic classification of tissue is understood in terms of the constituent frequencies and speeded up by careful optimization of the data acquired. Results are compared to FTIR imaging in terms of the signal to noise ratio and information content.
Systemic Insecticides for Aphid Control in Garden Lily Production

Granular Di-Syston® ( O,O -diethyl S -[2-ethylthio)ethyl] phorodithioate) and phorate were applied over garden lily bulbs in the planting furrow at the rates of 2 and 4 lb. actual Di-Syston and 8 and 12 lb. actual phorate per acre. All treatments gave complete control of the potato aphid, Macrosiphum euplwrbiae (Thomas), and the aphid Acyrthosiphon solani (Kaltenbach) during the period of infestation. Average bulb weight of 6 varieties treated with 2 lb. of Di-Syston was 87% that of the untreated checks compared to 72% for 8 lb. of phorate.
Fluid-driven cracks in an elastic matrix in the toughness-dominated limit

The dynamics of fluid-driven cracks in an elastic matrix is studied experimentally. We report the crack radius R(t) as a function of time, as well as the crack shapes w(r,t) as a function of space and time. A dimensionless parameter, the pressure ratio Δpf/Δpv, is identified to gauge the relative importance between the toughness (Δpf) and viscous (Δpv) effects. In our previous paper (Lai et al. 2015 Proc. R. Soc. A 471, 20150255. (doi:10.1098/rspa.2015.0255)), we investigated the viscous limit experimentally when the toughness-related stresses are negligible for the crack propagation. In this paper, the experimental parameters, i.e. Young's modulus E of the gelatin, viscosity μ of the fracturing liquid and the injection flow rate Q, were chosen so that the viscous effects in the flow are negligible compared with the toughness effects, i.e. Δpf/Δpv≫1. In this limit, the crack dynamics can be described by the toughness-dominated scaling laws, which give the crack radius R(t)∝t(2/5) and the half maximum crack thickness W(t)∝t(1/5) The experimental results are in good agreement with the predictions of the toughness scaling laws: the experimental data for crack radius R(t) for a wide range of parameters (E,μ,Q) collapse after being rescaled by the toughness scaling laws, and the rescaled crack shapes w(r,t) also collapse to a dimensionless shape, which demonstrates the self-similarity of the crack shape. The appropriate choice of the viscous or toughness scaling laws is important to accurately describe the crack dynamics.This article is part of the themed issue 'Energy and the subsurface'.
Complications Associated With Femoral Cannulation During Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery

Background Different types of cannulation techniques are available for minimally invasive cardiac surgery. At our institution, we favor a femoral platform for most minimally invasive cardiac procedures. Here, we review our results utilizing this cannulation approach. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all minimally invasive valve surgeries that were performed at our institution between January 2009 and January 2015. Operative times, lengths of stay, postoperative complications, and mortality were analyzed. Results We identified 2,645 consecutive patients. The mean age was 69.7 ± 12.77 years, and 1,412 patients (53.4%) were male. Three hundred fifty-eight patients (13.5%) had a history of cerebrovascular accident, 422 (16%) had previous heart surgery, and 276 (10.4%) had a history of peripheral vascular disease. The procedures performed were isolated aortic valve replacements (42.1%), isolated mitral valve operations (40.6%), tricuspid valve repairs (0.57%), double valve surgery (15%), triple valve surgery (0.3%), and ascending aortic aneurysm resection with and without circulatory arrest (5%). Femoral cannulation and central cannulation were utilized in 2,400 patients (90.7%) and 244 patients (9.3%), respectively. The median aortic cross-clamp time and cardiopulmonary bypass time were 81 minutes (interquartile range, 65 to 105) and 113 minutes (interquartile range, 92 to 142), respectively. The median postoperative hospital length of stay was 6 days (interquartile range, 5 to 9). There were 31 cerebrovascular accidents (1.17%), no aortic dissections, two compartment syndromes, two femoral arterial pseudoaneurysms, and 174 (6.65%) groin wound seromas. The overall 30-day mortality was 57 patients (2.15%). Conclusions Minimally invasive cardiac surgical procedures utilizing femoral cannulation techniques have a low risk of complications.
Planning robust walking motion on uneven terrain via convex optimization

In this paper, we present a convex optimization problem to generate Center of Mass (CoM) and momentum trajectories of a walking robot, such that the motion robustly satisfies the friction cone constraints on uneven terrain. We adopt the Contact Wrench Cone (CWC) criterion to measure a robot's dynamical stability, which generalizes the venerable Zero Moment Point (ZMP) criterion. Unlike the ZMP criterion, which is ideal for walking on flat ground with unbounded tangential friction forces, the CWC criterion incorporates non-coplanar contacts with friction cone constraints. We measure the robustness of the motion using the margin in the Contact Wrench Cone at each time instance, which quantifies the capability of the robot to instantaneously resist external force/torque disturbance, without causing the foot to tip over or slide. For pre-specified footstep location and time, we formulate a convex optimization problem to search for robot linear and angular momenta that satisfy the CWC criterion. We aim to maximize the CWC margin to improve the robustness of the motion, and minimize the centroidal angular momentum (angular momentum about CoM) to make the motion natural. Instead of directly minimizing the non-convex centroidal angular momentum, we resort to minimizing a convex upper bound. We show that our CWC planner can generate motion similar to the result of the ZMP planner on flat ground with sufficient friction. Moreover, on an uneven terrain course with friction cone constraints, our CWC planner can still find feasible motion, while the outcome of the ZMP planner violates the friction limit.
Feasibility of managed domestic rainwater harvesting in South Asian rural areas using remote sensing

Abstract Rainwater harvesting is a simple, low-energy and cost effective solution for meeting drinking and domestic water demand in rural communities. In this study, the feasibility of Domestic Rainwater Harvesting (DRH) in South Asia region was assessed using rainfall climatology, remote sensing and water balance concept to improve the rural public health condition. Long term satellite precipitation data was used for analyzing the precipitation climatology as in situ stations are sparsely located in this region. The study area was divided into smaller regions and average roof area for each region was approximated from the satellite visible imagery. It was found that DRH is a viable option in most of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Himalayan range, North-Eastern, Central, Eastern and coastal parts of Southern India as the rainfall and household architecture can satisfy potable (7.5 liters per capita per day-lpcd for drinking and cooking) water demand for significant portion the year even in worst case scenario. The study demonstrated that DRH system is not a realistic option in most parts of Pakistan, Northern and Western India. DRH would not a feasible option to fulfill the domestic (20 lpcd for drinking, cooking and basic hygienic needs) water demand for significant portion of the year except North-Eastern India. This study is perhaps the first comprehensive assessment of rainwater harvesting potential in rural South Asia using satellite-precipitation climatology and can inform the policy makers on where to invest geographically for building distributed rainwater harvesting systems.
Abstract 100: Pancreatic cancer cells rely on the NADPH producing enzyme, IDH1, for adaptive survival against acute metabolic stress

We recently demonstrated that pancreatic cancer cells adapt to low nutrient conditions and chemotherapeutic stress through an adaptive response where HuR (ELAVL1) protects cells from oxidative damage induced by metabolic stress. RNA sequencing data and a series of protein-RNA interaction assays proved that HuR stabilizes transcript levels of the NADPH producing enzyme, isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1). HuR-knockout cells had near-complete loss of IDH1 expression (manuscript under review). In light of the fact that IDH1-null mice are particularly sensitive to oxidative damage, we hypothesize that this enzyme plays a critical role in PDA survival of acute stress. We examined the expression levels of all eight well-characterized NADPH-generating enzymes in pancreatic cancer cells in vitro, and demonstrate that only IDH1 and phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (PGD) are upregulated by >2-fold after incubation in low glucose (5 mM) for 48 hours. IDH1-knockout MiaPaCa2 cells were generated through CRISPR gene editing, such that mRNA expression was detected at Citation Format: Ali Vaziri-Gohar, Mahsa Zarei, Jonathan R. Brody, Jordan M. Winter. Pancreatic cancer cells rely on the NADPH producing enzyme, IDH1, for adaptive survival against acute metabolic stress [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 100. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-100
TCT-478 Low Incidence of Paravalvular Leak at 6 Months with the New Self-Expanding Repositionable Transcatheter Aortic Valve with Pericardial Wrap

Rapid adoption of TAVR has facilitated successive valve iterations designed to address remaining unmet needs, such as small valve delivery system profiles to accomodate female vasculature and methods to reduce paravalvular leak (PVL). The Evolut PRO System (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN) includes the
Heterogeneous Portfolio Constraints and Wealth Distribution Dynamics

I study the dynamics of the wealth distribution and asset prices in a general equilibrium model. Agents face heterogeneous portfolio constraints that limit the shares of risky investments relative to wealth. The setup is motivated by empirical evidence that many households do not participate in the stock market and portfolio shares are heterogeneous and persistent conditional on stock market participation. There are two main results. First, one state variable can summarize the wealth distribution regardless of the number of types of agents. Second, when the economy is bad, it becomes more sensitive to additional negative shocks, meaning that not only magnitudes of the shocks but also their frequency matters.
Electric vehicle business model innovation study from the perspective of the energy internet

The use of electric vehicles (EVs) has become an important part of efforts to limit vehicle emissions and improve environmental conditions by limiting air pollution. Many manufacturers of vehicles are exploring different ways to produce efficient EVs. As the EV industry expands and charging facilities are developed, enterprises that gain a sufficiently large market share will need the ability to analyze user data. A business model will be needed that optimizes the use of advertising, marketing, and big data to provide the most efficient EV business model. From the perspective of the Energy Internet, this paper analyzes the features of business model innovation in the value network of electric vehicles (EVs), discusses business models based on different value dominator, and provide a deep insight of EV business model from the vehicle-battery separation and vehicle operation pattern side. At last, this paper proposes ten types of EV business models in three categories, and provides advice focusing on business model innovation at different developmental stages of the EV industry.
Abstract 104: Prevalence of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in Multi-Vessel Coronary Artery Disease

Background: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is the 10 th leading cause of death in the United States. USPSTF recommends screening for AAA on men ages 65 to 75 years who have ever smoked. However, recent literature suggests an increased prevalence of AAA in patients with multi-vessel coronary artery disease (CAD) irrespective of age. Additionally, CAD with AAA share common risk factors. AAA rupture or repair on patients less than 65-year-old have not been documented. Objective: We conducted a single center retrospective review of all patients at the Salem VA Medical Center, Virginia who completed an abdominal ultrasound (US) for AAA screen in 2013. The goal of the current study was to identify the prevalence of AAA through routine US screen in veteran population compare with the prevalence of AAA in patients with multi-vessel CAD. Additionally to identify specific trends in high-risk population. Method: Cohort A included 634 patients for primary screening of AAA. Cohort B included 132 patients who had multi-vessel CAD based on coronary catherization were reviewed for incidental AAA on any abdominal imaging. Medical records were reviewed; demographics were collected including age, gender, HTN, DLD, DM, tobacco use, presence of AAA, and size. Conclusion: Cohort B had 19.3% (26/135) prevalence of AAA, verses Cohort A had 7.7% (49/634), a statistically difference P (0.008). Cohort B, 13.3% (6/26) were less than 65-years-old verses 25% (20/88) were over 65 years old. Cohort A with AAA 34.5% (17/49) of patients had documented CAD - Number of coronary vessels conferred to a greater risk of AAA, 2 vessel CAD 10.3% (6/58), 3 vessel CAD 7.3% (10/73), 4 vessel CAD 100% (1/1). This result supports the growing concern for AAA in patients with multi-vessel CAD, thus should be considered as an independent risk factor for AAA. Patients with multi-vessel CAD should be screened sooner than current recommended guidelines.
Evaluating joystick control for view rotation in virtual reality with continuous turning, discrete turning, and field-of-view reduction

Head tracking is commonly used in virtual reality applications to allow users to naturally view 3D content using physical head movement, but many applications also support joystick control to allow additional turning. Joystick control is convenient for practical settings where full 360-degree physical rotation is not possible or preferred, such as when the user is lying on a couch or sitting at a desk. Though joystick control provides the benefit of convenience, previous research and development projects have demonstrated joystick-controlled view rotation to have drawbacks of sickness and disorientation compared to more natural physical turning. To combat such issues, researchers have considered various technique configurations such as speed adjustments or reduced field of view, but empirical data is limited on how different design variations for joystick rotation influences sickness and ability to maintain spatial orientation. Our research compares three common joystick rotation techniques: (1) traditional smooth, continuous rotation, (2) continuous rotation with a reduced field of view, and (3) discrete rotation with fixed intervals. In a controlled experiment, participants traveled through a sequence of rooms and were tested on spatial orientation. Results showed no evidence of differences in orientation, but the results of sickness ratings found discrete rotations to be significantly better than field-of-view reduction.
Integrated Pound-Drever-Hall Laser Stabilization System in a Standard CMOS SOI Process

The first integrated Pound-Drever-Hall stabilization system with an on-chip MZI as the frequency reference is demonstrated which suppresses the frequency noise of semiconductor lasers by more than 25 dB while occupying a 2.38 mm2 area.
The gain and loss of bone in the human life cycle.

Osteoporosis may be defined as a diminished quantity and quality of bone that increases the risk for fracture. The fractures given most attention involve the vertebrae, femur and radius, although other fractures are also related to osteoporosis. Fractures of the distal forearm (Colles’) and vertebrae, which contain large amounts of trabecular bone, increase after menopause. The increase in fracture incidence reaches a plateau at 65 years for the wrist, but the incidence continues to rise with increasing age for the vertebrae. The incidence of fractures with a more proportionate mix of compact and trabecular bone increases slowly, and then exponentially in the elderly, resulting in increased fractures in the femur, proximal humerus, proximal tibia and pelvis (Figure 1).