cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Methylation of the RARB gene increases prostate cancer risk in black Americans.

Purpose: Gene promoter hypermethylation may be useful as a biomarker for cancer risk in histopathologically benign prostate specimens.Materials and Methods: We performed a nested case-control study of gene promoter methylation status for 5 genes (APC, RARB, CCND2, RASSF1 and MGMT) measured in benign biopsy specimens from 511 prostate cancer case-control pairs. We estimated the overall and race stratified risk of subsequent prostate cancer associated with methylation status.Results: On race stratified analysis RARB methylation was associated with a higher cancer risk in black American men (OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.39–3.44). APC methylation was associated with an increased risk of high grade tumors (OR 2.43, 95% CI 1.20–4.90), which was higher in black than in white men (OR 3.21 vs 2.04). In cases RARB and APC gene methylation in benign prostate samples persisted in matched malignant specimens. In black cases the combined risk associated with RARB and APC methylation (OR 3.04, 95% CI 1.44–6.42) was greater than th...
Review of Vasopressin Use in Gynecologic Surgery

Vasopressin has been used in gynecologic surgery since the 1950s. Since its initial introduction, multiple applications of vasopressin have been explored. The expansion of vasopressin usage in gynecologic surgery is being fueled in part by the increase in minimally invasive surgical techniques, in which alternative methods of temporary hemostasis are in high demand. Nevertheless, much criticism has been directed toward use of vasopressin because of reports of serious complications including cardiac arrest. These concerns have caused several countries to restrict or prohibit the use of this valuable drug. This review explores the mechanisms of vasopressin, the current literature on vasopressin use in gynecologic surgery, and evaluates the reported complications associated with vasopressin use.
Choice of Techniques for Pyeloplasty in Children

Ureteropelvic obstruction in children differs significantly from its counterpart in adults. These differences are not attributable solely to the diminutive size of involved anatomic structures. Purposes of this presentation are to point up cardinal features of the entity that prevail in very young patients, to show how they influence management and to document evolution of our most dependable operative technique. From 1952 through 1972, 172 cases were performed on 152 children at the Mayo Clinic because of congenital ureteropelvic obstruction (Tab. 1). 10 additional operations had been performed elsewhere consisting of 2 pyeloplasties and 8 preliminary nephrostomies. All of the patients were less than 16 years of age. Males predominated by more than 2:1. All of the patients who were less than one year of age were boys. Before the age of 6 years, only 8 girls were treated in contrast to 38 boys despite a large population of female urologic patients (Tab. 2).
Photoperiod interacts with food restriction in performance in the Barnes maze in female California mice

Food restriction has been reported to have positive effects on cognition. This study examines how another environmental factor, daylength, can alter the impact of food restriction on the brain and behavior. Female California mice (Peromyscus californicus), housed on either long days (16 h of light and 8 h of darkness) or short days (8 h of light and 16 h of darkness), were restricted to 80% of their normal baseline food intake or provided with food ad libitum. Testing in a Barnes maze revealed that the effects of food restriction depended on photoperiod, and that these effects differed for acquisition vs. reversal learning. During acquisition testing, food restriction increased latency to finding the target hole in short-day mice but not in long-day mice. In reversal testing, food restriction decreased latency to finding the target hole in long-day mice but not in short-day mice. Latency to finding the hole was positively and independently correlated with both errors and time spent freezing, suggesting that changes in both spatial learning and anxiety-like behavior contributed to performance. Short days increased hippocampal expression of the synaptic protein, synapsin I, which was reversed by food restriction. Short days also reduced plasma corticosterone levels, but diet had no effect. There was no effect of diet or photoperiod on hippocampal expression of the glial marker, glial fibrillary acidic protein. The present findings suggest that, in female California mice, the differential effects of food restriction on acquisition and reversal learning are photoperioddependent. These results justify further testing of the relationship between food restriction and hippocampal synapsin I in the context of spatial learning.
Postantifungal effects of echinocandin, azole, and polyene antifungal agents against Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans.

The postantifungal effect (PAFE) of fluconazole, MK-0991, LY303366, and amphotericin B was determined against isolates of Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. Concentrations ranging from 0.125 to 4 times the MIC were tested following exposure to the antifungal for 0.25 to 1 h. Combinations of azole and echinocandin antifungals (MK-0991 and LY303366) were tested against C. neoformans. Fluconazole displayed no measurable PAFE against Candida albicans or Cryptococcus neoformans, either alone or in combination with either echinocandin antifungal. MK-0991, LY303366, and amphotericin B displayed a prolonged PAFE of greater than 12 h against Candida spp. when tested at concentrations above the MIC for the organism and 0 to 2 h when tested at concentrations below the MIC for the organism.
Cognitive dissonance or revenge? Student grades and course evaluations

I tested 2 competing theories to explain the connection between students' expected grades and ratings of instructors: cognitive dissonance and revenge. Cognitive dissonance theory holds that students who expect poor grades rate instructors poorly to minimize ego threat whereas the revenge theory holds that students rate instructors poorly in an attempt to punish them. I tested both theories via an experimental manipulation of the perceived ability to punish instructors through course evaluations. Results indicated that student ratings appear unrelated to the ability to punish instructors, thus supporting cognitive dissonance theory. Alternative interpretations of the data suggest further research is warranted.
Probabilistic Projections of Climate Change for the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States: Validation of Precipitation Downscaling during the Historical Era*

AbstractThis study uses a statistical downscaling method based on self-organizing maps (SOMs) to produce high-resolution, downscaled precipitation estimates over the state of Pennsylvania in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The SOMs approach derives a transfer function between large-scale mean atmospheric states and local meteorological variables (daily point precipitation values) of interest. First, the SOM was trained using seven coarsely resolved atmospheric variables from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis dataset to model observed daily precipitation data from 17 stations across Pennsylvania for the period 1979–2005. Employing the same coarsely resolved variables from nine general circulation model (GCM) simulations taken from the historical analysis of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, phase 3 (CMIP3), the trained SOM was subsequently applied to simulate daily precipitation at the same 17 sites for the period 1961–2000. The SOM analysis indicate...
Nuclear Receptors as Modulators of the Tumor Microenvironment

Over the past several decades of cancer research, the inherent complexity of tumors has become increasingly appreciated. In addition to acquired cell-intrinsic properties, tumor initiation and growth is supported by an abundance of parenchymal, inflammatory, and stromal cell types, which infiltrate and surround the tumor. Accumulating evidence shows that numerous components of this supportive milieu, referred to collectively as the tumor microenvironment, are indeed critical during the process of multistep tumorigenesis. These findings highlight the important interplay between neoplastic cells and tumor-associated cell types, and suggest that therapy should target both neoplastic cells and supportive stromal cells to effectively attenuate tumor growth. The nuclear receptor superfamily encompasses a druggable class of molecules expressed in numerous stromal and parenchymal cell types, whose established physiologic roles suggest their potential as therapeutic and preventive targets in the context of the reactive tumor microenvironment. In this minireview, we discuss recent evidence that tumor-associated inflammation, angiogenesis, and fibrosis can be modulated at the transcriptional level by nuclear receptors and their ligands. As these processes have been widely implicated in cancer initiation, progression, and resistance to current therapy, nuclear receptor ligands targeting the tumor microenvironment may be potent antitumor agents in combination therapies, including for preventing cancer development within high-risk populations. Cancer Prev Res; 5(1); 3–10. ©2011 AACR.
KIF13B regulates angiogenesis through Golgi to plasma membrane trafficking of VEGFR2

Although the trafficking of newly synthesized VEGFR2 to the plasma membrane is a key determinant of angiogenesis, the molecular mechanisms of Golgi to plasma membrane trafficking are unknown. Here, we have identified a key role of the kinesin family plus-end molecular motor KIF13B in delivering VEGFR2 cargo from the Golgi to the endothelial cell surface. KIF13B is shown to interact directly with VEGFR2 on microtubules. We also observed that overexpression of truncated versions of KIF13B containing the binding domains that interact with VEGFR2 inhibited VEGF-induced capillary tube formation. KIF13B depletion prevented VEGF-mediated endothelial migration, capillary tube formation and neo-vascularization in mice. Impairment in trafficking induced by knockdown of KIF13B shunted VEGFR2 towards the lysosomal degradation pathway. Thus, KIF13B is an essential molecular motor required for the trafficking of VEGFR2 from the Golgi, and its delivery to the endothelial cell surface mediates angiogenesis.
Effects of once versus twice-daily parathyroid hormone 1-34 therapy in children with hypoparathyroidism.

Context: Hypoparathyroidism is among the few hormonal insufficiency states not treated with replacement of the missing hormone. Long-term conventional therapy with vitamin D and analogs may lead to nephrocalcinosis and renal insufficiency. Objective: Our objective was to compare the response of once-daily vs. twice-daily PTH 1–34 treatment in children with hypoparathyroidism. Setting: The study was conducted at a clinical research center. Subjects: Fourteen children ages 4–17 yr with chronic hypoparathyroidism were studied. Study Design: This was a randomized cross-over trial, lasting 28 wk, which compared two dose regimens, once-daily vs. twice-daily PTH1–34. Each 14-wk study arm was divided into a 2-wk inpatient dose-adjustment phase and a 12-wk outpatient phase. Results: Mean predose serum calcium was maintained at levels just below the normal range. Repeated serum measures over a 24-h period showed that twice-daily PTH 1–34 increased serum calcium and magnesium levels more effectively than a once-daily dose. This was especially evident during the second half of the day (12–24 h). PTH 1–34 normalized mean 24-h urine calcium excretion on both treatment schedules. This was achieved with half the PTH 1–34 dose during the twice-daily regimen compared with the once-daily regimen (twice-daily, 25 ±15 μg/d vs. once-daily, 58 ± 28 μg/d; P < 0.001). Conclusions: We conclude that a twice-daily PTH 1–34 regimen provides a more effective treatment of hypoparathyroidism compared with once-daily treatment because it reduces the variation in serum calcium levels and accomplishes this at a lower total daily PTH 1–34 dose. The results showed, as in the previous study of adult patients with hypoparathyroidism, that a twice-daily regimen produced significantly improved metabolic control compared with once-daily PTH 1–34.
The addition of a protein-rich breakfast and its effects on acute appetite control and food intake in 'breakfast-skipping' adolescents.

The addition of a protein-rich breakfast and its effects on acute appetite control and food intake in ‘breakfast-skipping’ adolescents
Seismic Wave Attenuation in Nonresolvable Cyclic Stratification

Situations arise in seismic exploration in which thick zones generate no well‐defined reflection events even though the sonic logs exhibit significant velocity stratification. In many cases, reflections are not generated because the stratification is so fine that it cannot be resolved by the seismic frequency band. Nonresolvable sections in which the impedance structure is cyclic in character, such as sand‐shale sequences, are shown to exhibit frequency dependent attenuation which differs from the linear dependence commonly attributed to absorption. This difference may be exploited to separate the absorptive and stratigraphic components of attenuation and to compare their relative magnitudes. Only in depth intervals in which the reflection coefficients are unusually large can stratigraphic attenuation account for observed attenuation of the order of a few tenths of a decibel per hundred feet. Relations are derived for determining the effect on the stratigraphic attenuation of scaling the parameters which ...
Covariant formulations of Baumgarte, Shapiro, Shibata, and Nakamura and the standard gauge

The Baumgarte-Shapiro-Shibata-Nakamura (BSSN) and standard gauge equations are written in covariant form with respect to spatial coordinate transformations. The BSSN variables are defined as tensors with no density weights. This allows us to evolve a given set of initial data using two different coordinate systems and to relate the results using the familiar tensor transformation rules. Two variants of the covariant equations are considered. These differ from one another in the way that the determinant of the conformal metric is evolved.
Equilibrium constants and the prediction of miscibility windows for polymer blends containing poly(tetrafluoroethylene-alt-vinyl alcohol)

Theoretical calculations of miscibility windows for binary polymer blends in which one component is an essentially alternating copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and vinyl alcohol (FVOH) are reported. FVOH has an inherently low solubility parameter [≈ 6.2 (cal. cm−3)0.5] that is outside the range commonly encountered in miscible polymer blends and thus represents a stringent test of the predictive capabilities of an association model we have used in previous work. The application of this model requires that we determine dimensionless equilibrium constants describing the self-association of a model compound 3,4-pentafluorobutan-2-ol (PFB) at 25°C from infrared spectroscopic data. Analogous equilibrium constants for FVOH were scaled from those of PFB by taking into account differences in the molar volume of the model and the specific repeat of the copolymer (see M. M. Coleman, J. F. Graf, and P. C. Painter: Specific Interactions and the Miscibility of Polymer Blends, Technomic, Lancaster, PA, 1991). Equilibrium constants describing the inter-association of FVOH with ester type carbonyl groups were obtained from spectroscopic studies of miscible blends with poly(ethyl methacrylate). These equilibrium constant values were then used to calculate theoretical miscibility windows for the complete range of blends of FVOH with polymethacrylates, ethylene-co-methyl acrylate, styrene-co-methyl acrylate, and ethylene-co-vinyl acetate copolymers. Experimental results performed in our laboratories confirm the general validity of the predicted miscibility windows. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Teaching software architecture principles in CS1/CS2

1. ABSTRACT It is possible to teach architectural-level issues as early as CS1/CS2. But the ultimate success of this approach hinges in part on the availability of appropriate tools to assist students in building the right mental models of the development and composition of software systems. 1.1
Solar‐terrestrial news from NSF

This is a difficult time for solar-terrestrial (S/T) research. The loss of the shuttle Challenger has disrupted the entire short-range launch schedule at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Gramm-Rudman-Hollings (GRH) Deficit Reduction Act has affected virtually all programs in fiscal year (FY) 1986 and no doubt will affect 1987 and beyond. Then again, every year has its own special problems, and even this year's difficulties could turn to our advantage. For example, GRH has demanded a serious rethinking of budgets and priorities. One outcome of this is the President's budget to Congress in 1987, which requests increases of 8.4% and 8.9% for the National Science Foundation (NSF) and NASA (research and development), respectively.
Theoretical analysis of size distributions determined with screens and filters

Nets, screens, and filters are used to sieve out particles larger than the pore sizes. However, during separation a significant fraction of particles smaller than the pore diameters will also be removed by collision and adhesion to the mesh fibers. Two filtration models were used to predict the size and mass distributions of particles during size separation. A capillary tube model was used to calculate particle removal by different screens, and a fibrous filter model was used for glass-fiber filters. The extent of particle removal was modeled assuming a size distribution of 3,100 particles evenly distributed at logarithmic intervals over 3 1 size classes ranging from 0.1 to 100 pm. As many as 8% of the particles and 50% of the total particle mass could be retained by a 210-pm (pore diam) mesh even though all particles were < 100 pm. This high retention of particles implies that when size distributions are prepared with screens and filters, the mass concentration in smaller size fractions will be considerably underestimated.
Switched reluctance machine model using inverse inductance characterization

This work sets forth a new switched reluctance machine model based on a current dependent inverse inductance representation of the flux linkage versus current and position characteristic. This form permits a particularly simple mathematical description. Based on this relationship, a complete state model of the device is derived. The resulting model is easy to implement and computationally efficient. In addition, both manual and genetic algorithm based methods of parameter identification are set forth. The accuracy of the model is tested via comparison to laboratory measurements of the machine's steady state voltage and current waveforms as well as torque-speed characteristics. The proposed model is shown to be quite accurate.
Manipulation of Non-Magnetic Materials in Ferrofluid Containing Media

A novel method is proposed whereby non-magnetic objects can be moved along a surface at the microscale and nanoscale. It uses a negative magnetophoretic force, explained in the caption for figure one, on the non-magnetic objects which results from stabilized 10nm diameter iron oxide particles (ferrofluid) being attracted to regions of field maxima around magnetic islands on a surface, which pushes the non-magnetic objects to regions of field minima. By varying an external magnetic field we can control where these minima are and thus control how objects will position themselves with static fields and by using rotating time varying fields we can control how they move across the surface. This method does not require the objects to be initially in contact with the surface, as they will be pulled down to the surface from solution. While this paper deals with beads, any arbitrarily shaped object should be manipuable using this method. Additionally, while we address non-magnetic objects in this work similar methods could easily manipulate objects that are magnetic.
The melanocortin ACTH 1-39 promotes protection of oligodendrocytes by astroglia

Damage to myelin and oligodendroglia (OL) in multiple sclerosis (MS) results from a wide array of mechanisms including excitotoxicity, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. We previously showed that ACTH 1-39, a melanocortin, protects OL in mixed glial cultures and enriched OL cultures, inhibiting OL death induced by staurosporine, ionotropic glutamate receptors, quinolinic acid or reactive oxygen species (ROS), but not nitric oxide (NO) or kynurenic acid. OL express melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R), suggesting a direct protective effect of ACTH 1-39 on OL. However, these results do not rule out the possibility that astroglia (AS) or microglia (MG) also play roles in protection. To investigate this possibility, we prepared conditioned medium (CM) from AS and MG treated with ACTH, then assessed the protective effects of the CM on OL. CM from AS treated with ACTH protected OL from glutamate, NMDA, AMPA, quinolinic acid and ROS but not from kainate, staurosporine, NO or kynurenic acid. CM from MG treated with ACTH did not protect from any of these molecules, nor did CM from AS or MG not treated with ACTH. While protection of OL by ACTH from several toxic molecules involves direct effects on OL, ACTH can also stimulate AS to produce mediators that protect against some molecules but not others. Thus the cellular mechanisms underlying the protective effects of ACTH for OL are complex, varying with the toxic molecules.
Turbulence Modeling for Realistic Computation of Internal Flow in Liquid Ejector Pumps

In this paper flow analysis of a liquid fuel ejector pump is done by using Computational Fluid Dynamics technique. The flow inside the ejector pump is modeled as incompressible, steady and turbulent that is governed by the RANS system of equations along with the twoequation K- family (Standard, Realizable, Re-normalized Group etc.) of turbulence models for closure. Due to the complex nature of flow inside the pump, the computed results show that all the used turbulence models over-predict pump flow rate in relation to the test data, with the Standard K- model showing the least difference. This indicates that the default values of constants of the K- family of turbulence models, specially the Standard K- model (C=0.09, C1=1.44, C2=1.92, k=1.0 and =1.3), need adjustment in order to correlate well with the experimental data. The values of these constants for the standard K- model are then systematically adjusted for the unique flow field inside the fuel ejector pump in order to computationally reproduce the test data. The results of this study indicates that the computed effective viscosity, that affects the pump flow rate, can either be controlled by varying the constants C1 and C2 in a particular ratio, or by adjusting C independently.
Toward high performance Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 solar cells through nanocrystal precursors

We present the progresses of controlling elemental distributions in fully solution-processed 8.6% Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 device through nanocrystal precursors, and attempts in addressing open circuit voltage deficit and short minority carrier lifetime issues.
Taphonomy and suggested structure of the dinosaurian assemblage of the Hell Creek Formation (Maastrichtian), eastern Montana and western North Dakota

This study quantifies the taphonomic context of fossil dinosaur elements in the Late Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation of Montana and North Dakota, USA. A previously published data base consisting of 649 individuals (counted at the family level) was used to establish statistically fundamental associations between the vertebrate faunal elements and the fluvial architectural elements in which they were found. In the Hell Creek, preservation is not equally distributed among the various fluvial architectural elements. Flood-plain and channel deposits preserve the preponderance of the Hell Creek dinosaur fauna. Articulated fossils most commonly occur within floodplain and point-bar deposits. Floodplain and related deposits, however, preserve the highest dinosaur faunal diversities. The dinosaur sample inferred to be most representative of the original dinosaurian assemblage structure, therefore, is obtained from floodplain and genetically related deposits. These yield eight families of dinosaurs represented in the following proportions: Ceratopsidae, 61%; Hadrosauridae, 23%; Ornithomimidae, 5%; Tyrannosauridae, 4%; Hypsilophodontidae, 3%; Dromaeosauridae, 2%; Pachycephalosauridae, 1%; and Troodontidae, 1%. Among these groups, dromaeosaurs and troodontids are represented only by teeth, a circumstance attributed at least in part to thin-walled bones whose potential for preservation in an active fluvial system is jeopardized. Ornithomimids constitute 5% of the total assemblage, which makes them the third most common dinosaur in this study. Their relatively high abundance may suggest a herbivorous dietary preference.
Seasonal Flight Pattern for the Sunflower Moth (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on the Texas High Plains

Pheromone traps in flowering sunflower plots at Bushland, Tex., caught significantly more sunflower moths, Homoeosoma electellum (Hulst), between 6 and 12 July than before or after these dates in 1979 through 1981. Pheromone traps in a grassland pasture caught more moths before and fewer moths after sunflower began flowering than traps placed in sunflower plots. The number of moths caught in pasture traps increased and decreased at 3- to 5-week intervals, but the number of moths caught in traps in continuously flowering sunflower plots had no distinct, recurrent cyclic pattern within a season.
C60 with Metalloporphyrins

CrII(OEP) (OEP: Dianion of octaethylporphyrin) quantitatively reacts with C60 in a THF-toluene (THF: tetrahydrofurane) mixture to give purple-black crystals of formula Cr(OEP)(C60)(THF)x. ESR and SQUID measurements show this compound to be a salt better described as [Cr(OEP)(THF)2+][(C60)-].THF(x-2). ESR spectra in frozen 2-Me-THF show an anisotropie signal centered at {ie307-1}
Glial Progenitor Cells in Normal and Pathological States

We have been studying glial progenitor cells by using antibodies against the NG2 proteo-glycan and the alpha receptor for platelet-derived growth factor (PDGFa R). In vitro the two mole-cules are expressed on oligodendrocyte progenitor cells but are down-regulated as they differentiate into mature oligodendrocytes. In vivo, they are found not only during development but also exist abundantly throughout the gray and white matter of the mature brain and are distinct from astrocytes or microglia. A small fraction of NG2+ cells in the early postnatal brain differentiates into oligoden-drocytes in vivo. We examined changes in NG2+/PDGFα R+ cells in the dysmyelinating mutant jimpy, which arises as a result of a point mutation in the proteolipid protein gene and is characterized by severe dysmyelination accompanied by premature oligodendrocyte death. In the spinal cords of jimpy mice at postnatal day 18, there was a three- to six-fold increase in the number of NG2+ glial cells that had incorporated bromodeoxyuridine compared with that in the wild type spinal cord. To identify signals responsible for the increased proliferation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, mRNAs isolated from jimpy and wild type mice were assayed for various cytokines. There was no significant change in the levels of PDGF A or TGF-β, but there was a significant increase in the level of the che-mokine GROα in the jimpy spinal cord. We are currently testing the possibility that GROα directly acts on glial progenitor cells and stimulates their proliferation.
Screening people in the waiting room for vestibular impairments.

Objective Primary care physicians need good screening tests of the vestibular system to help them determine whether patients who complain of dizziness should be evaluated for vestibular disorders. The goal of this study was to determine if current, widely-used screening tests of the vestibular system predict subsequent performance on objective diagnostic tests of the vestibular system (ENG).
Special Properties of Plane Flows

By a plane flow, we mean a flow in a subspace of \( {mathbb{S}^2} \), (where \( {mathbb{S}^2} \) is, as usual, the unit sphere in ℝ3).
Extending Realistic Structural Model to Simulate Hemispherical Photography of Vegetation Canopies

Hemispherical imaging technology is one of the important methods for non-contact measurement of the vegetation canopy structure.However,the accuracy does not satisfy complex vegetation such as coniferous forest.Nowadays,it is popular to use multiple-bands-based calculations and multiple-camera comparisons to solve that problem.Due to the limitations of instrument and environment condition,the field experiment is difficult to conduct.Therefore,the simulation of hemispherical images is necessary.Literature review shows that there isn't any proper model to simulate the hemispherical photography by considering multiple scattering in the full optical range(visual,near infrared and thermal infrared bands).Based on the spherical projection and the painter algorithms,the realistic structural model RGM was extended to simulate hemispherical photography in the full optical range with accurate multiple scattering calculations.Simulation results show that the extended model is efficient to simulate the hemispherical photography in both visible,near infrared and thermal infrared range for different types of canopies.The sun and sky effects are also be simulated.The model will be beneficial to support the research on the vegetation canopy structure measurements and remote sensing inversion
Using the coefficient of variation to improve the sparsity of seismic data

In this work we propose using the coefficient of variation as a cost function to improve seismic data representation in the curvelet domain. Performance improvement is demonstrated in denoising and compressed sensing data recovery. The demonstrated approach can be extended to other seismic applications and alternate transforms.
In the absence of a “landscape of fear”: How lions, hyenas, and cheetahs coexist

Aggression by top predators can create a “landscape of fear” in which subordinate predators restrict their activity to low-risk areas or times of day. At large spatial or temporal scales, this can result in the costly loss of access to resources. However, fine-scale reactive avoidance may minimize the risk of aggressive encounters for subordinate predators while maintaining access to resources, thereby providing a mechanism for coexistence. We investigated fine-scale spatiotemporal avoidance in a guild of African predators characterized by intense interference competition. Vulnerable to food stealing and direct killing, cheetahs are expected to avoid both larger predators; hyenas are expected to avoid lions. We deployed a grid of 225 camera traps across 1,125 km2 in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, to evaluate concurrent patterns of habitat use by lions, hyenas, cheetahs, and their primary prey. We used hurdle models to evaluate whether smaller species avoided areas preferred by larger species, and we used time-to-event models to evaluate fine-scale temporal avoidance in the hours immediately surrounding top predator activity. We found no evidence of long-term displacement of subordinate species, even at fine spatial scales. Instead, hyenas and cheetahs were positively associated with lions except in areas with exceptionally high lion use. Hyenas and lions appeared to actively track each, while cheetahs appear to maintain long-term access to sites with high lion use by actively avoiding those areas just in the hours immediately following lion activity. Our results suggest that cheetahs are able to use patches of preferred habitat by avoiding lions on a moment-to-moment basis. Such fine-scale temporal avoidance is likely to be less costly than long-term avoidance of preferred areas: This may help explain why cheetahs are able to coexist with lions despite high rates of lion-inflicted mortality, and highlights reactive avoidance as a general mechanism for predator coexistence.
Geometric Phase Integrals and Irrationality Tests

Let $F(x)$ be an analytical, real valued function defined on a compact domain $\mathcal {B}\subset\mathbb{R}$. We prove that the problem of establishing the irrationality of $F(x)$ evaluated at $x_0\in \mathcal{B}$ can be stated with respect to the convergence of the phase of a suitable integral $I(h)$, defined on an open, bounded domain, for $h$ that goes to infinity. This is derived as a consequence of a similar equivalence, that establishes the existence of isolated solutions of systems equations of analytical functions on compact real domains in $\mathbb{R}^p$, if and only if the phase of a suitable ``geometric'' complex phase integral $I(h)$ converges for $h\rightarrow \infty$. We finally highlight how the method can be easily adapted to be relevant for the study of the existence of rational or integer points on curves in bounded domains, and we sketch some potential theoretical developments of the method.
A longitudinal cohort study of the anti-synthetase syndrome: increased severity of interstitial lung disease in black patients and patients with anti-PL7 and anti-PL12 autoantibodies.

Objective The aim was to study the prevalence, rate of appearance and severity of clinical features in patients with different anti-synthetase syndrome (ASyS) autoantibodies. Methods All Johns Hopkins Myositis Longitudinal Cohort subjects positive for any ASyS autoantibodies were included. Clinical information, including symptoms, signs, strength, creatine kinase concentrations and pulmonary function tests, were prospectively collected. The standardized mortality and cancer rates and the rate of appearance and intensity of the different organ manifestations were assessed using univariate and multivariate analysis and compared between ASyS autoantibodies. Results One hundred and twenty-four (73.4%) patients were positive for anti-Jo1, 23 (13.6%) for anti-PL12, 16 for anti-PL7 (9.5%) and 3 (1.8%) for anti-EJ or anti-OJ, respectively. The mean length of follow-up was 4.1 years. Anti-PL12 was more frequent in black subjects. Anti-PL12 and anti-PL7 were associated with more prevalent and severe lung involvement, often without muscle involvement. Anti-Jo1 displayed more severe muscle involvement compared with anti-PL12 patients. Concurrent anti-Ro52 was more prevalent in anti-Jo1 patients and was associated with earlier development of mechanic's hands, DM-specific skin findings and arthritis. Independent of ASyS antibody status, black patients demonstrated more severe lung involvement than white patients. There was no significant increase in mortality or cancer risk in ASyS patients compared with the general US population. Conclusion Different ASyS autoantibodies are associated with phenotypically distinct subgroups within the ASyS spectrum. Anti-PL7 and anti-PL12 are characterized by more severe lung involvement, whereas anti-Jo1 is associated with more severe muscle involvement. Black race is a major prognostic factor associated with lung disease severity.
Uterine anomalies: How common are they, and what is their distribution among subtypes?

OBJECTIVE To establish the prevalence and distribution of uterine anomalies in the general population and to enumerate them among septate, bicornuate, didelphic, unicornuate, hypoplastic/aplastic and solid forms. STUDY DESIGN A Medline search and standard reference tracing were employed to locate 47 studies from 14 countries regarding the prevalence and distribution of uterine anomalies. Twenty-two studies involving 573,138 women undergoing universal screening for uterine malformations were analyzed to establish the prevalence of uterine anomalies among fertile women. A separate analysis of uterine anomalies among 6,512 infertile women was also performed. Nineteen studies incorporating 1,092 fertile and 456 infertile women with unselected uterine anomalies were reviewed to establish the distribution of mullerian malformations among major subtypes. Seventeen studies incorporating 161 women with unicornuate uteri were analyzed to establish the distribution of unicornuate mullerian defects among various subtypes, including those with and without cavitary contralateral uterine horns. RESULTS Uterine anomalies were identified in 1 in 594 fertile women (0.17%) and in 1 in 29 infertile women (3.5%). This difference was statistically significant (chi 2 = 3,424, df = 1, P < .00001). The prevalence of uterine anomalies in the general population was 1 in 201 women (0.50%). Their distribution was: 7% arcuate, 34% septate, 39% bicornuate, 11% didelphic, 5% unicornuate, and 4% hypoplastic/aplastic/solid and other forms. CONCLUSION Congenital uterine malformations are more common than generally recognized. Knowledge concerning their prevalence and varieties is important in recognizing and managing the obstetric and gynecologic complications that may result.
Mining coterie patterns from Instagram photo trajectories for recommending popular travel routes

Instagram is a popular photo-sharing social application. It is widely used by tourists to record their journey information such as location, time and interest. Consequently, a huge volume of geo-tagged photos with spatio-temporal information are generated along tourist’s travel trajectories. Such Instagram photo trajectories consist of travel paths, travel density distributions, and traveller behaviors, preferences, and mobility patterns. Mining Instagram photo trajectories is thus very useful for many mobile and location-based social applications, including tour guide and recommender systems. However, we have not found any work that extracts interesting group-like travel trajectories from Instagram photos asynchronously taken by different tourists. Motivated by this, we propose a novel concept: coterie, which reveals representative travel trajectory patterns hidden in Instagram photos taken by users at shared locations and paths. Our work includes the discovery of (1) coteries, (2) closed coteries, and (3) the recommendation of popular travel routes based on closed coteries. For this, we first build a statistically reliable trajectory database from Instagram geo-tagged photos. These trajectories are then clustered by the DBSCAN method to find tourist density. Next, we transform each raw spatio-temporal trajectory into a sequence of clusters. All discriminative closed coteries are further identified by a Cluster-Growth algorithm. Finally, distance-aware and conformityaware recommendation strategies are applied on closed coteries to recommend popular tour routes. Visualized demos and extensive experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our methods.
Identification of Biologically Active Pyrimido[5,4-b]indoles That Prolong NF-κB Activation without Intrinsic Activity.

Most vaccine adjuvants directly stimulate and activate antigen presenting cells but do not sustain immunostimulation of these cells. A high throughput screening (HTS) strategy was designed to identify compounds that would sustain NF-κB activation by a stimulus from the Toll-like receptor (TLR)4 ligand, lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Several pilot studies optimized the parameters and conditions for a cell based NF-κB reporter assay in human monocytic THP-1 cells. The final assay evaluated prolongation of LPS induced NF-κB activation at 12 h. The dynamic range of the assay was confirmed in a pilot screen of 14 631 compounds and subsequently in a main extensive screen with 166 304 compounds. Hit compounds were identified using an enrichment strategy based on unsupervised chemoinformatic clustering, and also by a naive “Top X” approach. A total of 2011 compounds were then rescreened for levels of coactivation with LPS at 5 h and 12 h, which provided kinetic profiles. Of the 407 confirmed hits, compounds that show...
Geometries of crime: how young people perceive crime and justice

As adult criminal justice reform at the federal level has stalled, the juvenile justice system has quietly continued to reinvent itself. Guided by more than a decade of research on adolescent devel...
Increased tuberculosis risk among immigrants arriving in California with abnormal domestic chest radiographs.

SETTING Tuberculosis (TB) cases in California, USA, occur predominantly among foreign-born persons, many of whom have abnormal chest radiographs (CXRs) on overseas medical examination. These persons are recommended for follow-up TB evaluation upon arrival in the United States. OBJECTIVE To estimate the increased TB risk associated with abnormal vs. normal domestic CXRs among individuals arriving with abnormal overseas CXRs. DESIGN Cox regression analyses of 35 633 foreign-born persons aged 15 years who arrived in California during 1999-2012 with abnormal overseas CXRs and were free of imported active TB. Domestic CXRs were conducted during post-arrival evaluation. Subsequent cases through 2014 were identified from California's TB registry. RESULTS A total of 121 (0.3%) arrivers developed TB disease. Progression rates were respectively 63.6 (95%CI 50.8-76.4) and 25.4 (95% CI 15.7-35.2) cases/100 000 person-years among persons with abnormal and normal domestic CXRs. Relative to arrivers with normal domestic CXRs, those with abnormal domestic CXRs had an elevated disease risk during the first 4 years after immigration; this increased risk was greatest during the first year (hazard ratio 2.9, 95%CI 1.8-4.8). CONCLUSION Among arrivers with abnormal overseas CXRs, those with abnormal CXRs upon domestic evaluation have an elevated disease risk and represent an important target group for preventive treatment.
Protection of smart distribution systems with distributed energy resources and solid state transformers

This paper focuses on the development of a protection scheme for a smart distribution system containing DERs (Distributed Energy Resources) and Solid State Transformers (SSTs). First, the paper describes the fault analysis that needs to be conducted on such systems. Then, a communication assisted protection scheme is proposed, in order to overcome the shortcomings observed in the conventional protection schemes.
Is weight a predictive risk factor of postoperative tonsillectomy bleed

Objective To determine if a correlation exists between weight-for-age percentile and post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage in the pediatric population. Study design Retrospective study. Methods 1418 patients under the age of 15 who underwent tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy at a tertiary children's hospital between June 2012 and March 2015 were included in this retrospective study. Patient demographic information, operative and postoperative variables, as well as category and day of postoperative tonsillectomy bleed, if one occurred, were recorded. Fisher's exact and ordinal logistic regression analyses were performed on the full cohort. Results The overall post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage prevalence was found to be 2.2%, with primary and secondary rates of 0.78% and 1.34%, respectively. Weight-for-age percentile, sex, indication for or method of tonsillectomy, or postoperative use of NSAIDs, antibiotics or narcotics were not significantly associated with post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage. There was a significant relationship between postoperative use of dexamethasone and higher rate of Category 3 post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage (P = .028). Conclusion The post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage rate in our study is consistent with that cited in the literature. No correlation was demonstrated between weight-for-age percentile and occurrence of post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage. Postoperative administration of dexamethasone was associated with a significant increased rate of post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage requiring surgical intervention, a novel finding. Level of evidence 4.
Aspects of expert systems

Expert system technology has grown out of the desire to produce and support systems which are expert. The technology itself, however, is more widely applicable. It is supported by a growing number of commercial expert system shells. These shells may be viewed as providing specialized and high level software development environments. Seen in this light, the lessons of expert system development may have considerable impact when applied to general software development.
An Ethos for Bioarchaeologists

This chapter advocates for the development of an ethos (worldview) for bioarchaeologists that embraces an engagement at every level with the larger context within which the human remains and artifacts are connected. This includes descendant populations, local communities, county, state and national legislation, government and local statutes, and repositories and museums that house skeletal collections and related materials. Understanding the historical development of physical anthropology forms a backdrop for the changes that have occurred as the emphasis on descriptive osteological studies shifted to fully realized population-level analyses of processes affecting human adaptation. Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and NAGPRA-like legislation is not perfect, and it is important that bioarchaeologists develop an ethos that guides responsible and ethical research instead of relying on laws.
A Zero-Order Electronic Structure Model for Ionic Diatomic Molecules

An atomic-ion-in-molecule electrostatic model for the valence state electronic structure of MX diatomic molecules (M=Ca-Cu, Ba-Hf, X=H, F, O) is proposed. The generalized Rittner1, multiconfiguration crystal field model, which is expected to be valid in the r≈re region of internuclear separation, makes quantitative, predictive use of the Periodic Table via atomic spectral data and ab initio atomic-ion orbitals 1-4.
Acculturation Into Nursing for Hispanic/Latino Prelicensure Nursing Students and New Graduates: Integrative Review of Literature.

Background Increasing recruitment and retention of Hispanic/Latino nursing students is urgently needed to increase the diversity of the nursing profession and address persisting health disparities. Purpose This integrative review describes current knowledge of Hispanic/Latino prelicensure nursing student and new graduate experiences. Methods A comprehensive literature review was performed using several online databases. Results The Theory of Cultural Marginality provides structure for organizing and synthesizing the literature. Several concepts from the theory are prominent in the literature, including marginal living and across-culture conflict, easing cultural tension and adjustment responses, and contextual, independent, and personal influences. Conclusions The process that Hispanic/Latino prelicensure nursing students and new graduates experience as they acculturate into the profession of nursing is complex. Understanding this process is paramount for nurse educators and should be the foundation on which to design, measure, and evaluate educational strategies aimed at fostering student success.
Topological transitions in metals

We investigate if a sharp topological transition in a metal with a large Fermi surface may be detected in transport measurements. In particular, we address if a skew scattering and a side jump on elastic disorder in the bulk of such a metal masks signatures of the topological transition. We conclude that certain transport coefficients exhibit discontinuous changes across the transition. These discontinuities are not smeared or dwarfed by the bulk metallic transport in a broad range of parameters.
Sympathoexcitation in response to cardiac and pulmonary afferent stimulation of TRPA1 channels is attenuated in rats with chronic heart failure

Excessive sympathoexcitation characterizes chronic heart failure (CHF). The contribution of transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) channel-mediated reflexes to this sympathoexcitation is un...