cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does a facultative mutualism limit species range expansion

The availability and quality of mutualists beyond a species’ range edge may limit range expansion. With the legume Chamaecrista fasciculata, we asked to what extent the availability and quality of rhizobia beyond the range edge limits host range expansion. We tested the effect of rhizobia availability on plant growth by transplanting seed from three locations into five sites spanning C. fasciculata’s range (interior, at the northern and western range edges, and beyond the range edges), and inoculating half the seeds with rhizobia. We recorded growth of all surviving plants, and, for the uninoculated plants, whether they had formed nodules or not. We isolated rhizobia from nodules collected on the uninoculated plants, and cross-inoculated seed from four populations (both range edge and interior populations) in the greenhouse to determine whether the quality of rhizobia differed between regions. We found that seeds transplanted beyond the range edge were less likely to be nodulated when they were not experimentally inoculated, and there was benefit to inoculation at all sites. In the greenhouse, the three inocula that formed nodules on plants, from the range interior, northern edge and beyond the northern edge, did not detectably differ in their effect on plant growth. These results suggest that low densities of suitable rhizobia beyond the range edge may limit range expansion of legume species.
Malignant melanoma of the skin in Hawaii, 1960–1977

An analysis was made of the 333 cases of invasive malignant melanoma (MM) of the skin, which were diagnosed among residents of Hawaii from 1960–1977. Caucasians accounted for 265 (79.6%) of the cases. The age-adjusted incidence rate of MM was found to have tripled among both male and female Whites during the study period, while no increase was observed for non-Whites. Among Whites, ageadjusted incidence rates increased for all anatomic sites for both sexes, except for apparently stable rates on the lower extremities of females. Rates were higher for males on the head and neck and trunk and higher for females on the lower extremities. By 1972–77, however, rates on the lower extremities were equal for the sexes. Interestingly, age-adjusted rates for Hawaii-born Whites were found to be much lower than for Caucasian immigrants, particularly among females, where a six-fold difference was observed. Thus, the epidemiology of MM in Hawaii is largely, but not entirely, consistent with the hypothesis that solar exposure is a major risk factor for MM. Cancer 45:811-817, 1980.
Symbolic Treatment of Geometric Degeneracies

Many descriptions of algorithms in computational geometry exclude degeneracies by fiat. Practitioners are left to their own devices for dealing with degeneracies when implementing such algorithms. Since degeneracies tend to be numerous and hard to enumerate exhaustively, this is often a reason against implementing such algorithms. This paper proposes a symbolic scheme for treating degeneracies. Our method is simple to use, and is applicable to a variety of problems in computational geometry. Implementation, limitations and wider issues are discussed.
Hyperosmolality in intraluminal fluids from hamster testis and epididymis: a micropuncture study

Intraluminal fluids from hamster seminiferous tubules, rete testis, and caput, corpus and cauda epididymidis were obtained in vivo by micropuncture. Rete testis fluid is isosmolar with serum. Fluids from the seminiferous tubules and all sites in the epididymis are hyperosmolar.
Venous aneurysm after polytetrafluoroethylene arteriovenous dialysis fistula

Abstract True venous aneurysms are uncommon complications in patients undergoing hemodialysis through prosthetic grafts. We report the case of a large cephalic venous aneurysm that occurred proximal to a polytetrafluoroethylene hemodialysis fistula. The incidence, management, and possible cause of this unusual complication of prosthetic arteriovenous fistulas are reviewed. (J Vasc Surg 1989;9:825–7.)
Sodium-dependent metabolism and transport of γ-aminobutyric acid in subcellular particles from brain

The properties of γ-aminobutyric acid (γABA) are of great interest in the biochemistry and physiology of the vertebrate central nervous system [1]. γABA is found to associate with mitochondria, microsomes and nerve ending particles, all of which can be sedimented from (mouse brain homogenates in 0.25 M sucrose by centrifugation between 1,500 and 15,000 X g. When a pellet is resuspended in 0.2 M NaCl (buffered at pH 7.3) and incubated at 0–4° C in the presence of 2–14C-γABA, a rapid accumulation of radioactivity in the particles occurs. This accumulation is dependent on the presence of Na+ ions. A series of studies, reviewed in the preceding paper [2], has led to the postulation of an equilibrating carrier mechanism for the uptake of γABA at 0°C. The Na-dependence of this mechanism lies in a Na+ ion requirement for the carrier to bind γABA.
UV communications channel modeling incorporating multiple scattering interactions

In large part because of advancements in the design and fabrication of UV LEDs, photodetectors, and filters, significant research interest has recently been focused on non-line-of-sight UV communication systems. This research in, for example, system design and performance prediction, can be greatly aided by accurate channel models that allow for the reproducibility of results, thus facilitating the fair and consistent comparison of different communication approaches. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive derivation of a multiple-scattering Monte Carlo UV channel model, addressing weaknesses in previous treatments. The resulting model can be used to study the contribution of different orders of scattering to the path loss and impulse response functions associated with general UV communication system geometries. Simulation results are provided that demonstrate the benefit of this approach.
Magnet alignment tolerances in the SLC final focus system determined by Lie algebra techniques

Abstract Using Lie algebra techniques, static alignment tolerances are derived for all quadrupole and sextupole magnets in the 1994 SLC final focus. Three different effects are identified which limit the tolerable quadrupole misalignment. The largest amplitude of an offset-compensating closed orbit bump and the maximum allowed displacement between beam orbit and magnet center are evaluated for each sextupole. Multiparticle tracking supplements and confirms the analytical results.
Band-segment protection in multi-granular optical networks

Protections are traditionally realized at fiber level (e.g., link protection) or wavelength level (e.g., path protection) in wavelength routing networks. With the advancing of waveband switching (WBS) techniques, these schemes may fail to efficiently accommodate the major goal of minimizing the node size (i.e., port count) in WBS networks. To achieve both the survivability and port reduction, we introduce the band-segment (BS) concept in WBS networks by which we can operate the protection at waveband level thus saving ports. Accordingly, we propose shared and dedicated protection schemes using band-segments, namely shared band-segment protection (SBSP) and dedicated band-segment protection (DBSP) for WBS networks. Our simulation shows DBSP outperforms dedicated path protection dramatically in terms of port count, while SBSP can achieve both resource sharing and port reduction.
Towards the Shape of Mental Workload

Mental workload is a measure of how much mental effort a person devotes to one or more tasks. In two experiments, we investigated the effect of multiple identical tasks on human performance in terms of both accuracy and response time for a visuo-spatial task set and an auditory task set. The findings showed that participants performed linearly worse on some measures of performance when the number of tasks increased, while other measures showed two distinctive variations on this linear decrease in performance. We discuss these results in terms of their effect on the traditional linear representation of workload in IMPRINT (IMproved Performance Research INtegration Tool, Archer & Adkins, 1999), a task-based human performance modeling system. Language: en
La diversité linguistique et la mondialisation : les limites des théories libérales

Le texte a pour objectif d’examiner ce que disent la theorie politique et la sociolinguistique sur la question de l’anglais mondial (global English). Il explore la facon dont les theories liberales de l’accommodement etatique de la diversite linguistique peuvent etre utilisees sur le plan mondial et compare celles-ci aux preoccupations des sociolinguistes envers l’anglais mondial. Le texte conclut au besoin d’une alternative et propose une approche s’inspirant de la theorie gramscienne.
Central nervous system control of food intake and body weight

The capacity to adjust food intake in response to changing energy requirements is essential for survival. Recent progress has provided an insight into the molecular, cellular and behavioural mechanisms that link changes of body fat stores to adaptive adjustments of feeding behaviour. The physiological importance of this homeostatic control system is highlighted by the severe obesity that results from dysfunction of any of several of its key components. This new information provides a biological context within which to consider the global obesity epidemic and identifies numerous potential avenues for therapeutic intervention and future research.
Trimethylaluminum–Dichlorobis(η5‐cyclopentadienyl)zirconium

(Me3Al) [75-24-1] C3H9Al (MW 72.10) InChI = 1S/3CH3.Al/h3*1H3; InChIKey = JLTRXTDYQLMHGR-UHFFFAOYSA-N (Cl2ZrCp2) [1291-32-2] C10H10Cl2Zr (MW 292.32) InChI = 1S/2C5H5.2ClH.Zr/c2*1-2-4-5-3-1;;;/h2*1-5H;2*1H;/q;;;;+2/p-2 InChIKey = QRUYYSPCOGSZGQ-UHFFFAOYSA-L (regioselective and stereoselective methylalumination of alkynes; regioselective carbometallation of metallated alkynes) Physical Data: Me3Al: bp 125 °C; d 0.752 g cm−3. Cl2ZrCp2: mp 245 °C. Form Supplied in: Me3Al: liquid, available neat or as solution in hexanes or toluene. Cl2ZrCp2: colorless crystals. Both are commercially available. Preparative Method: obtained simply by mixing the two components. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: Me3Al is extremely pyrophoric and must be used and stored under an inert atmosphere of N2 or Ar. Cp2ZrCl2 may be handled in air, but it appears advisable to avoid extensive exposure to air, moisture, and light. Use in a fume hood.
Remarks on the Gibbs adsorption equation and the van der Waals, Cahn-Hilliard theory of interfaces

Abstract The common statements of the Gibbs adsorption equation, and a phenomenological theory of interfaces (van der Waals, Cahn-Hilliard theory), are summarized, and then two remarks are made. The first is that only certain identifications of the local energy and entropy densities are admissible in the phenomenological theory if it is to be consistent with the adsorption equation. The second is a generalization to any of the relative adsorptions Γ i(j) in a c -component system, of a microscopic interpetation that Leng, Rowlinson, and Thompson recently gave to Γ 2(1) in a one-component system, where 2 and 1 refer to the densities of energy and matter, respectively.
Beyond correlates: a review of risk and protective factors for adolescent dating violence perpetration

Dating violence is a serious public health problem. In recent years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other entities have made funding available to community based agencies for dating violence prevention. Practitioners who are tasked with developing dating violence prevention strategies should pay particular attention to risk and protective factors for dating violence perpetration that have been established in longitudinal studies. This has been challenging to date because the scientific literature on the etiology of dating violence is somewhat limited, and because there have been no comprehensive reviews of the literature that clearly distinguish correlates of dating violence perpetration from risk or protective factors that have been established through longitudinal research. This is problematic because prevention programs may then target factors that are merely correlated with dating violence perpetration, and have no causal influence, which could potentially limit the effectiveness of the programs. In this article, we review the literature on risk and protective factors for adolescent dating violence perpetration and highlight those factors for which temporal precedence has been established by one or more studies. This review is intended as a guide for researchers and practitioners as they formulate prevention programs. We reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2010 that reported on adolescent dating violence perpetration using samples from the United States or Canada. In total, 53 risk factors and six protective factors were identified from 20 studies. Next steps for etiological research in adolescent dating violence are discussed, as well as future directions for prevention program developers.
Adoptive Family Relationships and Healthy Adolescent Development: A Risk and Resilience Analysis

This study used a risk and resilience perspective and the catch-up model of adoption to analyze data from the National Survey of Adoptive Parents for 701 adopted adolescents. Structural equation models showed that better parent-child relationship quality was significantly associated with reduced odds of skipping school, being suspended, and reporting substance abuse or police trouble, when demographic variables and the pre-placement abuse/neglect factor were controlled. Better parent-child relationships also were associated with better performance in language arts, but not in mathematics. In general, few differences in the pattern of significant relationships were observed for a transracial adoptee subset of adolescents.
Rank idle time prediction driven last-level cache writeback

In modern DDRx memory systems, memory write requests can cause significant performance loss by increasing the memory access latency for subsequent read requests targeting the same device. In this paper, we propose a rank idle time prediction driven last-level cache writeback technique. This technique uses a rank idle time predictor to predict long phases of idle rank cycles. The scheduled dirty cache blocks generated from last-level cache are written back during the predicted long idle rank period. This technique allows servicing write request at the point that minimize the delay it caused to the following read requests. Write-induced interference can be significantly reduced by using our technique.We evaluate our technique using cycle-accurate full-system simulator and SPEC CPU2006 benchmarks. The results shows the technique improves performance in an eight-core system with memory-intensive workloads on average by 10.5% and 10.1% over conventional writeback using two-rank and four-rank DRAM configurations respectively.
Productivity and Stability Relationships in Mowed Pasture Communities of Varying Species Composition

Plant species composition of most managed pasture lands tends to be dominated by one or two species, usually a perennial grass and a legume. Recent ecological research suggests that increasing this forage diversity could increase pasture productivity and stability. We conducted a 4-yr field experiment to determine whether increasing the diversity of pasture mixtures would increase yields and improve interannual yield stability. Mixtures of cool-season pasture plants ranging from one to 15 species were planted into 2.25-m 2 plots in May 1998. Interannual yield variation and yield responses to mowing frequency (2- vs. 4-wk frequency) were used to evaluate stability. Forage yields averaged 1000 g m -2 yr -1 . Increasing the diversity of mixtures beyond three sown species did not consistently improve yields. Interannual yield variation was lowest in the one- and two-species mixtures, and showed no consistent relationship with increasing species diversity. The number of species planted in each mixture declined by approximately 30% from 1999 to 2001, with the mixtures becoming dominated by perennial grasses. Although limitations in our experimental design prevent us from making strong conclusions about relationships between forage diversity and pasture productivity, our findings suggest that increased forage yield and stability may be best achieved by planting two or three forage species that are well matched to specific environmental conditions rather than planting a random assemblage of forage species in a complex mixture.
Dynamic single event upset characterization of the Virtex-IIPro's embedded IBM PowerPC405 using proton irradiation

The proton induced dynamic SEU cross-section of the IBM PowerPC405 embedded in Xilinx's Virtex-IIPro FPGAs is reported. This upset cross-section is then used to estimate upset rates in the space radiation environment.
Iron(III)-Doped, Silica Nanoshells: A Biodegradable Form of Silica

Silica nanoparticles are being investigated for a number of medical applications; however, their use in vivo has been questioned because of the potential for bioaccumulation. To obviate this problem, silica nanoshells were tested for enhanced biodegradability by doping iron(III) into the nanoshells. Exposure of the doped silica to small molecule chelators and mammalian serum was explored to test whether the removal of iron(III) from the silica nanoshell structure would facilitate its degradation. Iron chelators, such as EDTA, desferrioxamine, and deferiprone, were found to cause the nanoshells to degrade on the removal of iron(III) within several days at 80 °C. When the iron(III)-doped, silica nanoshells were submerged in fetal bovine and human serums at physiological temperature, they also degrade via removal of the iron by serum proteins, such as transferrin, over a period of several weeks.
Controlled signalling systems and covert channels

Computer security is addressed from the perspective of the spies, who attempt to build covert channels and then exploit the ones of maximum capacity. The close connection between classical noninterference and the existence of positive-capacity covert channels is demonstrated. It is shown how to characterize the space of covert channels associated with a particular system. The capacity of the system is defined as the maximum of the capacities of all its channels, and optimal algorithms for covert communication are given. >
Effect O F Ramp Profile And Spindle Speed On Head-disk Contact During Rotary Load/unload

The relative effect of ramp profile and spindle speed on head-disk contact during rotary load/unload was examined using laser Doppler vibrometry and acoustic emission. At large radial loading velocities, the cycloidal ramp profile shows a significant reduction in the magnitude of the head-disk contact as compared to a standard inclined ramp profile. Spindle speed, by comparison, has only a small effect on head-disk contact. >
On the simple-solution method and non-singular nature of the BIE/BEM — a review and some new results

The non-singular nature of the boundary integral equations (BIEs) in the boundary element method (BEM) is discussed in this paper. The research effort leading to this conclusion is reviewed, tracing back to the early, classical BIE/BEM works in the 1960s and 1970s. It is believed that Cruse's 1974 paper published in Computers & Structures was the first work which demonstrates how the free term coefficient (Cij) for the elastostatic BIE can be expressed by an integral using the rigid-body motion (a simple solution). This concept later led to the simple-solution method, and identities for fundamental solutions, developed to regularize various BIEs, including the hypersingular ones. New results in the identities for fundamental solutions are presented and their applications in the BIE formulations are illustrated. Recent work to show that the BIEs can be further regularized to completely non-singular forms is also discussed.
Apneustic breathing. A characteristic feature of brainstem compression in achondroplasia

We have observed apneustic breathing in five patients with achondroplasia. In contrast to experimental models of apneusis, these patients appeared to have intact vagal function and no evidence of pontine disease. However, all our patients displayed clinical, structural, and electrophysiologic features of cervicomedullary compression, a well-recognized complication of achondroplasia. The degree of apneustic breathing was reduced in the majority of our patients following decompressive surgery. Traditional theories on the pathogenesis of apneustic breathing cannot satisfactorily explain the presence of apneustic breathing in our patients. We suggest that cervicomedullary compression may he capable of producing apneustic breathing in the absence of vagal or pneumotaxic center lesions.
An extended dominating node approach to collective communication in all-port wormhole-routed 2D meshes

A new model for the design of collective communication operations in wormhole-routed 20 mesh networks is introduced. While the resultant algorithms are unicast-based, in that they are implemented without special hardware support, they are designed to exploit both the distance-insensitivity of wormhole-routing and an all-port communication architecture, an which each node may simultaneously transmit (receive) messages on different channels. The method of defining and scheduling the constituent unicast messages is based on the identification and use of extended dominating nodes, which facilitate simultaneous transmission of many unicast messages in the network while avoiding contention among them. The method is used to develop new algorithms for broadcast, reduction and matrix transposition. Analysis and simulation results confirm the advantage of the new algorithms over other approaches. >
Health Outcomes Related to Early Adolescent Depression

Abstract Purpose The aim of the present study was to examine whether early adolescent major depressive disorder was associated with negative health outcomes in young adulthood after controlling for depression at the time of follow-up. In addition, indicators of medical and social costs associated with these health consequences were measured. Methods A total of 705 adolescents participating in a longitudinal study of children varying in risk for depression due to maternal depression were assessed for a history of depression at age 15 years, depressive disorders at age 20, and a variety of health outcomes at age 20. Results Results showed that even after controlling for the effects of concurrent depression at age 20, early adolescent depression continued to be associated with poorer interviewer-rated health, poorer self-perceived general health, higher health care utilization and increased work impairment due to physical health, although not with limitations to physical functioning or the presence of chronic medical conditions. Conclusions Depression during early adolescence has consequences for health and associated costs during young adulthood. The implications of these findings for screening and treatment of adolescent depression are discussed.
Changes in plasma membrane structure and electromotile properties in prestin deficient outer hair cells

Cochlear outer hair cells (OHCs) rapidly change their length and stiffness when their membrane potential is altered. Prestin, the motor protein for this electromotility, is present along the OHC lateral plasma membrane where there is a high density of intra-membrane protein particles (IMPs). However, it is not known to what extent prestin contributes to this unusual dense population of proteins and overall organization of the membrane to generate the unique electromechanical response of OHCs. We investigated the relationship of prestin with the IMPs, the underlying cortical cytoskeletal lattice, and electromotility in prestin-deficient mice. Using freeze-fracture, we observed a reduction in density and size of the IMPs that correlates with the reduction and absence of prestin in the heterozygous and homozygous mice, respectively. We also observed a reduction or absence of electromotility-related charge density, axial stiffness, and piezoelectric properties of the OHC. A comparison of the charge density with the number of IMPs suggests that prestin forms tetramers in the wild type but is likely to form lower number oligomers in the prestin-deficient OHCs from the heterozygous mice. Interestingly, the characteristic actin-based cortical cytoskeletal lattice that underlies the membrane is absent in the prestin-null OHCs, suggesting that prestin is also required for recruiting or maintaining the cortical cytoskeletal lattice. These results suggest that the majority of the IMPs are indeed prestin and that electrically evoked length and stiffness changes are interrelated and dependent on both prestin and on the cortical actin cytoskeletal lattice of the OHC lateral membrane.
The variational formulation of viscoplastic constitutive updates

We present a class of constitutive updates for general viscoplastic solids including such aspects of material behavior as finite elastic and plastic deformations, non-Newtonian viscosity, rate-sensitivity and arbitrary flow and hardening rules. The distinguishing characteristic of the proposed constitutive updates is that, by construction, the corresponding incremental stress—strain relations derive from a pseudo-elastic strain-energy density. This, in turn, confers the incremental boundary value problem a variational structure. In particular, the incremental deformation mapping follows from a minimum principle. This minimum principle may conveniently be taken as a basis for error estimation and mesh adaption. The accuracy and robustness of the variational constitutive updates is demonstrated with the aid of convergence tests involving the finitely-deforming Mises solid and ductile single crystals. The ability of the updates to resolve the complex patterns of slip activity which arise in the latter application is particularly noteworthy.
The contribution of physics to Nuclear Medicine: physicians’ perspective on future directions

Advances in Nuclear Medicine physics enabled the specialty of Nuclear Medicine and directed research in other aspects of radiotracer imaging, ultimately leading to Nuclear Medicine’s emergence as an important component of current medical practice. Nuclear Medicine’s unique ability to characterize in vivo biology without perturbing it will assure its ongoing role in a practice of medicine increasingly driven by molecular biology. However, in the future, it is likely that advances in molecular biology and radiopharmaceutical chemistry will increasingly direct future developments in Nuclear Medicine physics, rather than relying on physics as the primary driver of advances in Nuclear Medicine. Working hand-in-hand with clinicians, chemists, and biologists, Nuclear Medicine physicists can greatly enhance the specialty by creating more sensitive and robust imaging devices, by enabling more facile and sophisticated image analysis to yield quantitative measures of regional in vivo biology, and by combining the strengths of radiotracer imaging with other imaging modalities in hybrid devices, with the overall goal to enhance Nuclear Medicine’s ability to characterize regional in vivo biology.
Atp Regulation of Recombinant Type 3 Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptor Gating

A family of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) receptor (InsP3R) Ca2+ release channels plays a central role in Ca2+ signaling in most cells, but functional correlates of isoform diversity are unclear. Patch-clamp electrophysiology of endogenous type 1 (X-InsP3R-1) and recombinant rat type 3 InsP3R (r-InsP3R-3) channels in the outer membrane of isolated Xenopus oocyte nuclei indicated that enhanced affinity and reduced cooperativity of Ca2+ activation sites of the InsP3-liganded type 3 channel distinguished the two isoforms. Because Ca2+ activation of type 1 channel was the target of regulation by cytoplasmic ATP free acid concentration ([ATP]i), here we studied the effects of [ATP]i on the dependence of r-InsP3R-3 gating on cytoplasmic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). As [ATP]i was increased from 0 to 0.5 mM, maximum r-InsP3R-3 channel open probability (Po) remained unchanged, whereas the half-maximal activating [Ca2+]i and activation Hill coefficient both decreased continuously, from 800 to 77 nM and from 1.6 to 1, respectively, and the half-maximal inhibitory [Ca2+]i was reduced from 115 to 39 μM. These effects were largely due to effects of ATP on the mean closed channel duration. Whereas the r-InsP3R-3 had a substantially higher Po than X-InsP3R-1 in activating [Ca2+]i (<1 μM) and 0.5 mM ATP, the Ca2+ dependencies of channel gating of the two isoforms became remarkably similar in the absence of ATP. Our results suggest that ATP binding is responsible for conferring distinct gating properties on the two InsP3R channel isoforms. Possible molecular models to account for the distinct regulation by ATP of the Ca2+ activation properties of the two channel isoforms and the physiological implications of these results are discussed. Complex regulation by ATP of the types 1 and 3 InsP3R channel activities may enable cells to generate sophisticated patterns of Ca2+ signals with cytoplasmic ATP as one of the second messengers.
The relationship of psyllium seed and various fractions of the seed to kidney pigmentation

Rats were fed various fractions of P. ovata and P. arenaria at a concentration of 10% in the diet for twenty-eight weeks. One of these fractions of P. ovata was Mucilose®, a commercially available product. Histologic pigmentation of the tissues was not observed, but the kidneys of the rats fed the fraction containing the tailings of P. ovata were slightly darker brown in color after six weeks of continuous feeding. Pigmentation is unlikely to occur in the kidneys of people taking Mucilose or similar psyllium preparations from which the black pigmented layer of the seed has been removed during pharmaceutical preparation.
Impact of age on outcomes following continuous-flow left ventricular assist device implantation

OBJECTIVES: The goal of our study was to analyse the impact of age on outcomes in patients who underwent continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) placement at our institution. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-eight patients were implanted with a CF-LVAD between January 2008 and June 2014. Eighty-five patients were implanted with the device as a bridge to transplant (BTT); the remaining (n= 43) were on destination therapy (DT). Each group was divided into patients <65 years old and ≥65 years old at device implantation. Patients were followed up for at least 24 months or until transplant or death. RESULTS: Eighty-five patients (66%) received a CF-LVAD as BTT. Patients ≥65 years old (n= 8) had a lower preoperative cardiac index and prothrombin time–international normalized ratio (P= 0.009), and a longer stay in the intensive care unit (P= 0.008). Adverse events including infections, re-exploration for bleeding, ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke, renal failure and right heart failure were comparable in both age groups. Eighty-two percent (n= 63) of the young patients and 75% (n= 6) of the older patients, who were on LVAD as BTT, underwent heart transplant within the first 24 months of LVAD implantation. Overall survival at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months were 95, 95, 77 and 70%, respectively, post-CF-LVAD implantation as BTT for the younger group and 73% for the older group at 3, 6 and 12 months (P= 0.35). Fortythree patients (34%) received a CF-LVAD as DT. Patients ≥65 years old (n= 14) on DT had a higher incidence of peripheral vascular disease (P= 0.048), higher serum sodium (P= 0.004) and serum creatinine values (P= 0.002), preoperatively. There were more strokes in the older patients post-LAVD implantation (14 vs 0%; P= 0.048). Overall survival at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months were 85, 79, 75 and 62%, respectively, for the younger group and 93, 77, 67 and 34% for the older group, respectively (P= 0.26). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that LVAD therapy can be used in the older patients with acceptable mortality and morbidity, and age alone should not be used as the sole criterion for exclusion from LVAD implantation.
A method for normalizing pathology images to improve feature extraction for quantitative pathology.

Purpose: With the advent of digital slide scanning technologies and the potential proliferation of large repositories of digital pathology images, many research studies can leverage these data for biomedical discovery and to develop clinical applications. However, quantitative analysis of digital pathology images is impeded by batch effects generated by varied staining protocols and staining conditions of pathological slides. Methods: To overcome this problem, this paper proposes a novel, fully automated stain normalization method to reduce batch effects and thus aid research in digital pathology applications. Their method, intensity centering and histogram equalization (ICHE), normalizes a diverse set of pathology images by first scaling the centroids of the intensity histograms to a common point and then applying a modified version of contrast-limited adaptive histogram equalization. Normalization was performed on two datasets of digitized hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) slides of different tissue slices from the same lung tumor, and one immunohistochemistry dataset of digitized slides created by restaining one of the H&E datasets. Results: The ICHE method was evaluated based on image intensity values, quantitative features, and the effect on downstream applications, such as a computer aided diagnosis. For comparison, three methods from the literature were reimplemented and evaluated using the same criteria. The authors found that ICHE not only improved performance compared with un-normalized images, but in most cases showed improvement compared with previous methods for correcting batch effects in the literature. Conclusions: ICHE may be a useful preprocessing step a digital pathology image processing pipeline.
Abstract T P329: Preadmission Use of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Objective: To determine if patients admitted with ischemic stroke who were taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) at baseline have reduced motor impairment compared to patients not taking an SSRI. Introduction: SSRI use may help patients with motor recovery following ischemic stroke. It is not known whether use of this class of medications prior to stroke leads to decreased stroke severity or motor impairment on admission and improved discharge outcome. Methods: We retrospectively identified all patients admitted to our institution between 2009 and 2012 with first-ever acute ischemic stroke who were taking an SSRI prior to admission (cases). We collected data on patient demographics, clinical stroke severity as measured by the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score, and disposition at discharge. Controls with acute ischemic stroke who were not taking SSRIs prior to admission were matched 2:1 by age and gender to cases. Results: Eighty cases (mea...
Railroad radio

A railroad radiotelephone service has been set up for use by railroad personnel to assist in railroad operations. Operating under rules of, and given a sizable number of frequencies by, the Federal Communications Commission, the railroads are using the new service in yards, terminals, harbors, and on main lines, as well as for emergencies. Equipment and housings have been designed to meet this new radio use.
Enzymatic synthesis of prolactin-releasing factor (PRF) by rat hypothalamic incubates and by extracts of rat hypothalamic tissue: evidence for "PRF synthetase".

SummaryProlactin-releasing factor (PRF), activity of rat hypothalamic fragments was increased after incubation in Krebs–Ringer bicarbonate buffer, an effect observed even when puromycin in a concentration sufficient to block new protein synthesis was added. In the presence of a mixture of twenty naturally occurring amino acids, ATP and MG2+, a dialyzed ribosome-free extract of rat hypothalamic tissue showed an increased amount of PRF activity as compared with extracts incubated in the absence of cofactors and amino acids. These observations suggest that PRF is formed by a mechanism not involving new protein synthesis. Since PRF is formed by soluble hypothalamic extracts in the presence of ATP and amino acids, it is proposed that this hypothalamic hypophysiotropic hormone is a polypeptide and is biosynthesized by a “PRF Synthetase.”
Flat latitudinal gradient in Paleocene mammal richness suggests decoupling of climate and biodiversity

Mammal faunas from western North America exhibit no significant change in species richness with latitude during the Torrejonian (ca. 63–60 Ma) and Tiffanian (ca. 60–58 Ma) North American Land Mammal Ages, in contrast to a strong richness gradient in modern mammalian faunas of the same region today. The latitudinal gradient in oxygen isotope composition of mammalian bioapatite from the Paleocene faunas is similar to that of modern meteoric and surface waters, suggesting that the temperature gradient in the Paleocene was similar to the modern one. The flat richness gradient in the middle Paleocene indicates either different responses to climatic gradients of faunas dominated by extinct clades of placental mammals or distinct ecological processes during the Paleocene diversification of mammals following the end-Cretaceous mass extinction.
AGE, EDUCATION, AND OCCUPATION AS CORRELATES OF THE MEANING OF LEISURE

Sumn2ary.-The meaning of leisure is examined in terms of the extent to which leisure activity serves as a source of self-identicy. The data are responses to a mail survey of 236 males and 121 females under 65 yr. When age, education, and occupation were predictor variables (rs -.28 to -.06; Rs .23 ta .3 1 ) , only about 10% of the variance in meanings was accounted for. rs were -.54 and -.41 for men and women between rated job satisfaction and meaning of leisure.
An isozyme of erythrocyte pyruvate kinase (PK-Los Angeles) with impaired kinetics corrected by fructose-1, 6-diphosphate.

A mutant isozyme of erythrocyte pyruvate kinase was found in a family of French-Canadian ancestry in association with hemolytic anemia. The isozyme was characterized by normal maximal activity, p H optimum, heat stability, and fructosediphosphate activation constants, but had markedly reduced affinity for the substrate, phosphoenolpyruvate. This kinetic defect was corrected almost entirely in vitro by low concentrations of fructosediphosphate.
Development of a Sitting MicroEnvironment Simulator for wheelchair cushion assessment.

Abstract Study aim Pressure ulcers (PU) are a common comorbidity among wheelchair users. An appropriate wheelchair cushion is essential to relieve pressure and reduce PU development during sitting. The microenvironment, specifically excessive heat and moisture, impacts risk for PU development. An effective wheelchair cushion should maintain a healthy microenvironment at the seating interface. Measurement of heat and moisture can characterize microenvironmental conditions at the wheelchair cushion interface under load. We describe the development of a Sitting MicroEnvironment Simulator (SMES) for the reliable assessment of wheelchair cushion microenvironments. Materials The prototype SMES was developed for use mounted on a Materials Testing Systems (MTS) 810 ® uniaxial servo-hydraulic loading rig and used to assess microenvironmental conditions for Jay Medical Jay 2 ® , Roho High Profile Dry Floatation ® and Low Profile Dry Floatation ® cushions and a novel modular gel cushion. Methods Each cushion was assessed for two hours in triplicate. The SMES was used to load the cushions to 300N ± 10N, with an interface surface temperature of 37 °C±1 °C and fluid delivery of 13 mL/h±1 mL/h of water. Interface temperature and humidity were measured at the left ischial tuberosity (IT) region every five minutes. Results Heat and moisture responses were similar for the three commercial cushions. The modular gel cushion stayed cooler for at least 15 min longer than any commercial cushion. Conclusions The SMES maintained performance to technical specifications for over one hundred hours of total testing and is a reliable tool for characterizing the microenvironmental conditions of wheelchair cushions.
Age structure and reproductive composition of summer Musca autumnalis (Diptera: Muscidae) populations estimated by pterin concentrations

Pterins in face flies, Musca autumnalis DeGeer, were measured spectrofluorimetrically to estimate the chronological ages of adults in natural summer populations. The age distributions showed a systematic undersampling of young males. Exponential, Gompertz, and Weibull models were fitted to the age distributions. A 1-parameter exponential model suggested mean daily survival rates of 0.83 for female face flies, and a mean life expectation of 5.5 d. But the Weibull model best fit the age distributions, providing mean life expectations of 10.1 and 11 d for males and females, respectively. Ovarian dynamics were examined with respect to chronological age and delays were detected in vitellogenesis and oviposition. Face fly populations seemed to reproduce at less than the maximum rate allowed by prevailing temperatures, at which it was estimated that an average female would undergo 2.2 ovarian cycles and have a lifetime fecundity of 28.5 female progeny.
Balancing Global Surgery with Traditional Career and Life Demands

Over the past 10 years, global surgery has taken off like wild fire as a field of endeavor, and even a career focus, for many surgery residents and faculty. There is an ever-growing need to address all facets of surgical disease and treatment in low and middle income countries (LMICs), and academic surgeons in the US have developed an important role in ameliorating this problem. Reflective of this, the literature continues to grow on key issues in global surgery, such as healthcare delivery and management in LMICs, surgical workforce deficits and solutions, training and education, and economics. However, there remains a dearth of literature on how to actually develop and navigate a career in global surgery itself, especially within the traditional environment of academic surgery and furthermore how to best balance career goals in this unique and emerging field with other life demands and priorities. Accordingly, this chapter outlines the verities in pursuing a global surgery career through a series of interviews with nine established leaders, experts, and emerging trailblazers in the field who are based in the United States:
Grain and Seed Moisture Sensing Applications

Because of the importance of moisture content in grain and seed, and correlations between their dielectric properties and their moisture content, sensing and measuring grain moisture content has been the most important practical agricultural application of information on dielectric properties. The historical development of electrical moisture sensing and measurement in grain and seed is presented. Basic principles of moisture sensing through dielectric properties of grain and seed are presented, and the dependence of dielectric properties on frequency, moisture content, temperature, and bulk density are discussed. The density-independence advantage of microwave moisture sensing is included. The sensing of peanut kernel moisture content in unshelled peanuts by microwave measurements is also presented. The use of radio-frequency impedance and microwave resonance techniques for sensing moisture in single kernels of grain, seeds, and pecan nuts is also discussed.
Adaptive compressive sensing in the presence of noise and erasure

We consider an application of adaptive compressive sensing for estimating time-varying sparse signals. The scenario entails the corruption of the sparse signal by additive observational noise and erasure. We formulate the problem as a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP) and apply a multi-step lookahead solution technique, rollout. To reduce computations involved in the posterior distribution propagation and improve estimates of the unobservable state, we incorporate an approximation adapted from multiple hypothesis tracking. Each action decision selects a fixed size measurement matrix from a predefined library composed of matrices whose rows are members of a Grassmannian packing. The performance of the matrix selections is gauged by the ability to maximize the conditional mutual information between the sparse signal support and the resulting observations. Through simulation, we compare rollout with an adaptive heuristic and a greedy algorithm.
Romiplostim for therapy‐related thrombocytopenia in pediatric malignancies

Therapy-related thrombocytopenia (TRT), due to chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, is common with pediatric cancer treatments, and it can result in dose reductions and therapy delays. Romiplostim, a thrombopoietin mimetic, is efficacious as a second-line treatment for immune thrombocytopenia in children and for TRT in adult cancer patients. However, there are no data for its use for TRT in children. We report a case series of five children treated for solid tumors where romiplostim was used without adverse effects to successfully resolve and prevent therapy-limiting refractory TRT. Prospective studies on this use of romiplostim are warranted.
Declines in low-elevation subalpine tree populations outpace growth in high-elevation populations with warming

Author(s): Conlisk, Erin; Cristina Castanha; Matthew J. Germino; Thomas T. Veblen; Jeremy M. Smith; Lara M. Kueppers | Abstract: Species distribution shifts in response to climate change require that recruitment increase beyond current range boundaries. For trees with long life spans, the importance of climateâsensitive seedling establishment to the pace of range shifts has not been demonstrated quantitatively. Using spatially explicit, stochastic population models combined with data from longâterm forest surveys, we explored whether the climateâsensitivity of recruitment observed in climate manipulation experiments was sufficient to alter populations and elevation ranges of two widely distributed, highâelevation North American conifers. Empirically observed, warmingâdriven declines in recruitment led to rapid modelled population declines at the lowâelevation, âwarm edgeâ of subalpine forest and slow emergence of populations beyond the highâelevation, âcool edgeâ. Because population declines in the forest occurred much faster than population emergence in the alpine, we observed range contraction for both species. For Engelmann spruce, this contraction was permanent over the modelled time horizon, even in the presence of increased moisture. For limber pine, lower sensitivity to warming may facilitate persistence at low elevations â especially in the presence of increased moisture â and rapid establishment above tree line, and, ultimately, expansion into the alpine. Synthesis. Assuming 21st century warming and no additional moisture, population dynamics in highâelevation forests led to transient range contractions for limber pine and potentially permanent range contractions for Engelmann spruce. Thus, limitations to seedling recruitment with warming can constrain the pace of subalpine tree range shifts.
Aminopropanol – Xylene to Chemically Purify Gd3N@C88 Metallofullerene

Abstract The larger and less-studied metallic nitride fullerene, Gd3N@C88, is chemically isolated by manipulating its inertness to 3-aminopropanol in a xylene solvent system. An advantage of aminopropanol–xylene is the liquid phase of all species. This homogeneous nature mitigates sample loss that accompanies heterogeneous media, such as aminosilica. Respectful to green chemistry, our chemical purification approach eliminates chlorinated solvents. The inexpensive reagents require no preliminary synthesis prior to use. In stage one, fullerene and metallofullerene contaminants are easily transferred into a hydrophilic layer upon attaching water-soluble groups to the cage surface. In stage two, Gd3N@C88 is selectively precipitated with ZnCl2 and de-complexed to yield a sample of 84% purity. A single HPLC injection provides 99% Gd3N@C88.