cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Population-Based Study of the Incidence of Malignant Small Bowel Tumours: SEER, 1973–1990

Background Little is known about the incidence of cancers of the small bowel. Methods Data from cancer registries participating in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results (SEER) Program from 1973 to 1990 were analysed to determine the incidence of the four major histological types of cancer occurring in the small intestine: adenocarcinomas, malignant carcinoid tumours, lymphomas and sarcomas. In addition, the incidence rate of lymphomas arising from the small intestine and stomach and adenocarcinomas from the small intestine, stomach and colon were compared over time. Results Small bowel tumours occurred rarely, with an average annual incidence rate of 9.9 per million people. Carcinoid tumours and adenocarcinomas were the most common histological subtypes, with average annual incidence rates of 3.8 and 3.7 per million people respectively, followed by lymphomas (1.1 per million people) and sarcomas (1.3 per million people). For all histological subtypes, men had higher rates than women. Most tumours occurred in older adults; over 90% of cases occurred in people over the age of 40. During the 18-year study period, the incidence of small bowel tumours has risen slowly. In white men, black men and black women, rises in the incidence of adenocarcinomas, malignant carcinoids and lymphomas contributed to this trend. In white women, the incidence of adenocarcinomas, was stable while malignant carcinoids and lymphomas rose. The incidence of sarcomas was steady for all groups except black women, for which it fell. The histological types were distributed by anatomical subsite: adenocarcinomas were distributed more proximally on average whereas lymphomas were more common distally. In addition, there was an association between the incidence trends of adenocarcinomas occurring in the duodenum and colon suggesting similar risk factors for cancers in these regions. There was no similar correlation for tumours in the jejunum and ileum. The incidence of lymphomas over time rose in all areas of the small intestine, paralleling a similar rise in lymphomas of the stomach. Conclusions Cancers of the small bowel are rare despite a slow increase over the past two decades, especially among lymphomas. Higher rates in males and whites deserve further investigation.
A Long Helix from the Central Region of Smooth Muscle Caldesmon

The central region of smooth muscle caldesmon is predicted to form alpha-helices on the basis of its primary structure. We have isolated a fragment (CT54) that contains this region. The hydrodynamic properties and the electron microscopic images suggest that CT54 is an elongated (35 nm), monomeric molecule. The circular dichroic spectrum yields an overall alpha-helical content of 55-58%. These results are consistent with the model that the middle portion of CT54 forms a long stretch of single-stranded alpha-helix. Such a structure, if it in fact exists, is thought to be stabilized by numerous salt bridges between charged residues at positions i and i + 4. The structural characteristics of this fragment not only represent an unusual protein configuration but also provide information about the functional role of caldesmon in smooth muscle contraction.
Path Planning With Adaptive Dimensionality

Path planning quickly becomes computationally hard as the dimensionality of the state-space increases. In this paper, we present a planning algorithm intended to speed up path planning for high-dimensional state-spaces such as robotic arms. The idea behind this work is that while planning in a high-dimensional state-space is often necessary to ensure the feasibilityof the resulting path, large portions of the path have a lower-dimensional structure. Based on this observation, our algorithm iteratively constructs a state-space of an adaptive dimensionality--a state-space that is high-dimensional only where the higher dimensionality is absolutely necessary for finding a feasible path. This often reduces drastically the size of the state-space, and as a result, the planning time and memory requirements. Analytically, we show that our method is complete and is guaranteed to find a solution if one exists, within a specified suboptimality bound. Experimentally, we apply the approach to 3D vehicle navigation (x, y, heading), and to a 7 DOF robotic arm on the Willow Garage’s PR2 robot. The results from our experiments suggest that ourmethod can be substantially faster than some of the state-of-the-art planning algorithms optimized for those tasks.
Tandem mass spectrometry of peptides. III—differentiation between leucine and isoleucine based on neutral losses

The neutral species generated during the collisionally activated dissociation (CAD) of the protonated dipeptides Ala–Leu, Ala–Ile, Leu–Ala and Ile–Ala are post-ionized by collision and detected in neutral fragment-reionization (+NfR+) mass spectra. These spectra are dominated by fragment ions diagnostic for the C-terminal amino acid, as confirmed by comparison with reference collision-induced dissociative ionization (CIDI) mass spectra of authentic Ala, Leu and Ile. CIDI of Leu and Ile yields distinct and structurally indicative products. These are also observed upon +NfR+ of [Ala–Leu]H+ and [Ala–Ile]H+, respectively, thus allowing one to deduce the correct sequence. In contrast, [Leu–Ala]H+ and [Ile–Ala]H+, which possess identical C-termini, form no differentiating neutral losses upon CAD.
Effects of SWCNTs on mechanical and thermal performance of epoxy at elevated temperatures

A property which limits the breadth of application of thermoset polymers and their composites is their relatively low maximum operating temperatures. This work investigates the potential application of both functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (f-SWCNTs) based on negative charging, and unfunctionalized SWCNTs (u-SWCNTs) to increase the mechanical and thermal performance of a high-temperature aerospace-grade epoxy with a glass transition temperature of approximately 270 °C. Thermal and mechanical properties of the baseline epoxy and nanocomposites containing a low content of SWCNTs (0.2 % by weight) were characterized through thermogravimetric analyses, tensile tests, and dynamic mechanical analyses. Tensile tests were performed both at room temperature and at 80 °C. Further, room temperature tensile tests were performed on untreated and heat-treated specimens. The heat treatment was performed at 300 °C, slightly above the resin glass transition temperature. Results demonstrate that f-SWCNTs are effective in improving the mechanical and thermal performance of the epoxy. No significant improvement was observed for u-SWCNT nanocomposites. For the nanocomposite with f-SWCNTs, the ultimate tensile strength and strain to failure at room temperature (80 °C) increased by 20 % (8 %) and 71 % (77 %), respectively, as compared to the baseline epoxy. The f-SWCNT nanocomposite, unlike other examined materials, exhibited a stress–strain necking behavior at 80 °C, an indication of increased ductility. After heat treatment, these properties further improved relative to the neat epoxy (160 % increase in ultimate tensile strength and 270 % increase in strain to failure). This work suggests the potential to utilize f-SWCNTs based on negative charging to enhance high-temperature thermoset performance.
America's Church: The National Shrine and Catholic Presence in the Nation's Capital

(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.)Thomas Tweed, an astute student of the spatial dimensions of the sacred, places the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, or "America's Church" as Catholics boasted, at the intersection of identity formation, institution building, and social and political interest among Catholics during the twentieth century. He does so by locating the church in the context of Catholics' need to assert a presence in the nation's capital in order to claim a seat as its spiritual capital and to answer Protestant critics as to the authority and authenticity of Catholic belief, especially its devotion to the Virgin Mary. More than that, he shows that the particulars in building a national shrine and worshipping in it defined American Catholicism for all to see over the past century.Tweed invites readers on a walk through various "thresholds" as a way to see how "America's Church" acquired different, and even contested, meanings over time and for diverse peoples. The building itself spoke to the Catholic Church's interest in asserting centralized authority, ecclesiastical unity, and historical traditions. Also, by claiming civic space in Washington, D.C., with a magisterial structure that in its architecture and iconography at once bespoke the Church's medieval heritage and a triumphant Americanism, the Church provided a point of reference and site of pilgrimage for Marian devotees and others among a rapidly changing American Catholic population. Tweed enters deeply into the ways the physical space informed and re-formed Catholic belief and practice, especially from the planning of the Shrine in 1913 to its dedication in 1959, when Catholics shared a worldview committed to authority, tradition, and universality and only warily approached modernism. Such beliefs echoed in the sermons, advice in confessions, and instructions in catechism heard in the church. Equally important, as Tweed shows so well, the people gave the Shrine meaning and purpose through their devotions and donations--the habits of "going and giving" as he puts it. The Shrine spoke to and for them. After 1960 both the nation and the Church felt the trembling of the "rights" revolutions that challenged older assumptions about women's roles, established authority, civil rights, and so much more. At the same time, renewed immigration, especially from Latin American and Asian sources, Vatican II, and Humane Vitae were transforming the Church. …
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Bali: The Cultural Shaping of a Neuropsychiatric Disorder

Many psychiatric researchers believe that the clinical picture of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) shows little variability cross-culturally. This study examined the symptomatology and illness experience of 19 patients suffering from OCD in Bali, Indonesia. Patients were assessed using a semi-structured clinical interview. The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) was utilized for gauging symptomatology and severity of symptoms. A sub-sample of patients was interviewed using person-centered ethnographic techniques. Balinese culture strongly shaped symptomatic expression. The most common obsessional themes emphasized patients' obsessional need to know information about their social network, such as the identity and status of passers-by. Somatic obsessions and religious themes around witchcraft and spirits were also prominent. Psychiatric, indigenous and anthropological perspectives are contrasted to highlight the power and limitations of each to explain OCD.
Biomechanics of horizontal canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

Horizontal canal (HC) benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (HC-BPPV) is a vestibular disorder characterized by bouts of horizontal ocular nystagmus induced during reorientation of the head relative to gravity. The present report addresses the application of a morphologically descriptive 3-canal biomechanical model of the human membranous labyrinth to study gravity-dependent semicircular canal responses during this condition. The model estimates dynamic cupular and endolymph displacements elicited during HC-BPPV provocative diagnostic maneuvers and canalith repositioning procedures (CRPs). The activation latencies in response to an HC-BPPV provocative diagnostic test were predicted to vary depending upon the initial location of the canalith debris (e.g. within the HC lumen vs. in the ampulla). Results may explain why the onset latency of ocular nystagmus evoked by the Dix-Hallpike provocative maneuver for posterior canal BPPV are typically longer than the latencies evoked by analogous tests for HC-BPPV. The model was further applied to assess the efficacy of a 360°-rotation CRP for the treatment of canalithiasis HC-BPPV.
Opioid Prescribing and Potential Overdose Errors Among Children 0 to 36 Months Old

Objective. To estimate the frequency of potential overdoses among outpatient opioid-containing prescriptions. Method. Using 11 years of outpatient Medicaid prescription data, we compared opioid dose dispensed (observed) versus expected dose to estimate overdose error frequencies. A potential overdose was defined as any preparation dispensed that was >110% of expected based on imputed, 97th percentile weights. Results. There were 59 536 study drug prescriptions to children 0 to 36 months old. Overall, 2.7% of the prescriptions contained potential overdose quantities, and the average excess amount dispensed was 48% above expected. Younger ages were associated with higher frequencies of potential overdose. For example, 8.9% of opioid prescriptions among infants 0 to 2 months contained potential overdose quantities, compared with 5.7% among infants 3 to 5 months old, 3.6% among infants 6 to 11 months old, and 2.3% among children >12 months (P < .0001). Conclusions. Opioid prescriptions for infants and childre...
Protecting Location Privacy with Dynamic Mac Address Exchanging in Wireless Networks

In this paper, we propose a novel dynamic Mac address assignment and exchange strategy to reduce location disclosure risks. The use of dynamic Mac addresses in a local area network (LAN) is feasible since the address uniqueness needs only to be handled within the LAN. Though each node has a universal Mac address assigned by the manufacturer, a local unique Mac address is sufficient for the node to participate in communications. Our proposed strategy includes three major schemes. The first is to assign a Mac address to the client using the same idea as the IP address assignment. Next, a Mac addresses shuffle is conducted among the clients in the wide local area network (WLAN) without exposing any exchange relations or frequently disrupting current connections. Lastly, dummy messages are sent from the wireless client to cover others during idle. In current wireless networking, a client must communicate with an access point (AP) and authorization server in order to obtain authorization to access a local wireless network. In our scheme, we do not use a node's real physical Mac address when associating with an AP. Instead, there is a public special Mac address broadcast in the beacon messages which will be chosen as the source Mac address in the association request frame. As a result, the user will never expose its identifier when associated with the AP. The client also keeps a variant silent period as a defense against a correlation attack.
Framework of Nonlinear Dynamic Simulation of Long-Span Cable-Stayed Bridge and Traffic System Subjected to Cable-Loss Incidents

AbstractCable loss is a critical extreme event for cable-supported bridges, which sometimes governs the bridge design. Like most extreme events possibly occurring on long-span bridges, cable loss (breakage) may happen with service loads such as traffic and/or wind applied to the bridge simultaneously. Dynamic analysis incorporating critical interactions with realistic service loads as well as appropriate nonlinear effects becomes essential for predicting the time-progressive performance of the bridge following cable-loss incidents. Despite the recent progress on related topics, existing studies on long-span bridges often suffer from the lack of appropriate simulation tools to address the needs of both complex dynamic interactions and nonlinearities associated with cable-loss incidents at the same time. A finite-element (FE) based nonlinear dynamic simulation framework for long-span bridges is developed to simulate the cable-loss incidents of the coupled bridge–traffic–wind system. Different from most exis...
Kienbock Disease: A Complicated Postsurgical Case Study Using Diagnostic Ultrasonography

Objective The purpose of this case report is to describe a case of Kienbock disease (lunatomalacia) that was identified through diagnostic ultrasonography.
Personality and work environment congruence of mid‐life career changers

This study examines two hypotheses derived from Holland's theory of careers: that persons will move toward work environments more congruent with their personality type, and that persons working in environments highly congruent with their personality will be more satisfied than those whose personality-environment congruence is low. Personality type of 61 middle-aged males who had changed from managerial or professional careers was determined by means of the Strong–Campbell Interest Inventory, and work environment types of former and present occupations were determined by transforming Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) designations to Holland work environment types. A majority of the respondents were not found to move into careers more congruent with their personality type, and men who entered more congruent occupations were not more satisfied with their new careers than were those men whose new careers were less congruent. These contradictory findings are discussed in terms of developmental changes which occur at mid-life, and the need for determining salience of work in the life structure of each individual.
Bayesian Monte Carlo for evaluation of uncertainty in hydrodynamic models of coastal systems

Camacho, R.A. and Martin, J.L., 2013. Bayesian Monte Carlo for evaluation of uncertainty in hydrodynamic models of coastal systems. In: Conley, D.C., Masselink, G., Russell, P.E. and O’Hare, T.J. (eds.), Proceedings 12 th International Coastal Symposium (Plymouth, England), Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 65, pp. 886-891, ISSN 07490208. Uncertainty analysis constitutes the set of procedures and strategies conducted to identify, quantify, and report the impacts of different sources of errors on the predictions of a numerical model. Although during the last couple of decades several investigations in different areas of water resources have explicitly discussed the importance of a new modeling paradigm where model predictions are reported along with uncertainty estimates, uncertainty analysis remains an emerging topic in the field of hydrodynamic modeling. Presently, several unresolved issues remain with regard to the applicability, benefits, and limitations of existing strategies for quantification of uncertainty, and the identification of the principal sources of uncertainty in practical applications. In this document we apply the Bayesian Monte Carlo (BMC) method as a strategy to perform uncertainty analysis in coastal modeling studies. BMC is based on robust principles of Bayesian inference and Monte Carlo simulations, and has been successfully applied for studies of groundwater modeling, hydrologic modeling, and water quality modeling in the past. The procedural aspects of the method are discussed in detail, and the implementation of the method is demonstrated for the hydrodynamic model of the St. Louis Bay estuary, Mississippi (USA) for the evaluation of the impacts of input data errors. Results indicate that BMC is an effective strategy for uncertainty analyses, although in professional practice its use may be limited by computational requirements. We also point out that the effectiveness of the method may be affected by the correct selection of the likelihood function and the model error variance.
Aerodynamics of Nanjing Tower

Abstract Numerical simulations and experimental measurements of the aerodynamics of the Nanjing Tower have been conducted. The tower consists of three legs of rectangular cross section that support an observation deck at 180 m elevation, a circular shaft which supports another deck at 240 m, and a structure of square cross section extending to the tower's highest point of 310 m. Aerodynamic forces on the tower were numerically derived by dividing the tower into various basic shapes and synthesizing available experimental data for these shapes into mode-generalized forces – an aerodynamic building block approach. A boundary layer wind tunnel experiment was also conducted using a high-frequency force balance and a lightweight tower model. Similar values resulted from these numerical and experimental studies. The tower response in both alongwind and acrosswind directions was evaluated.
Should Trust Preferences Under Section 59(C) Be Treated as Qdi for Amt Purposes

David R. Nave of Pitcairn Financial Group, Jenkintown, Pa., examines whether a trust preference under section 59(c) should be treated as qualifying dividend income for alternative minimum tax purposes.
Optimum End-Expiratory Airway Pressure in Patients with Acute Pulmonary Failure

To determine whether in the management of pulmonary failure, the maximum compliance produced by positive end-expiratory pressure coincides with optimum lung function, 15 normovolemic patients requiring mechanical ventilation for acute pulmonary failure were studied. The end-expiratory pressure resulting in maximum oxygen transport (cardiac output times arterial oxygen content) and the lowest dead-space fraction both resulted in the greatest total static compliance. This end-expiratory pressure varied between 0 and 15 cm of water and correlated inversely with functional residual capacity at zero end-expiratory pressure (r equal -0.72, p less than or equal to 0.005). Mixed venous oxygen tension increased between zero end-expiratory pressure and the end-expiratory pressure resulting in maximum oxygen transport, but then decreased at higher end-expiratory pressures. When measurements of cardiac output or of true mixed venous blood are not available, compliance may be used to indicate the end-expiratory pressure likely to result in optimum cardiopulmonary function.
Fibroblast Growth Factor 8 Expression in GT1-7 GnRH-Secreting Neurons Is Androgen-Independent, but Can Be Upregulated by the Inhibition of DNA Methyltransferases

Fibroblast growth factor 8 (FGF8) is a potent morphogen that regulates the embryonic development of hypothalamic neuroendocrine cells. Indeed, using Fgf8 hypomorphic mice, we showed that reduced Fgf8 mRNA expression completely eliminated the presence of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons. These findings suggest that FGF8 signaling is required during the embryonic development of mouse GnRH neurons. Additionally, in situ hybridization studies showed that the embryonic primordial birth place of GnRH neurons, the olfactory placode, is highly enriched for Fgf8 mRNA expression. Taken together these data underscore the importance of FGF8 signaling for GnRH emergence. However, an important question remains unanswered: How is Fgf8 gene expression regulated in the developing embryonic mouse brain? One major candidate is the androgen receptor (AR), which has been shown to upregulate Fgf8 mRNA in 60-70% of newly diagnosed prostate cancers. Therefore, we hypothesized that ARs may be involved in the regulation of Fgf8 transcription in the developing mouse brain. To test this hypothesis, we used chromatin-immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays to elucidate whether ARs interact with the 5’UTR region upstream of the translational start site of the Fgf8 gene in immortalized mouse GnRH neurons (GT1-7) and nasal explants. Our data showed that while AR interacts with the Fgf8 promoter region, this interaction was androgen-independent, and that androgen treatment did not affect Fgf8 mRNA levels, indicating that androgen signaling does not induce Fgf8 transcription. In contrast, inhibition of DNA methyltransferases (DNMT) significantly upregulated Fgf8 mRNA levels indicating that Fgf8 transcriptional activity may be dependent on DNA methylation status.
A Middle‐Range Explanatory Theory of Self‐Management Behavior for Collaborative Research and Practice

AIM To report an analysis of the concept of self-management behaviors. BACKGROUND Self-management behaviors are typically associated with disease management, with frequent use by nurse researchers related to chronic illness management and by international health organizations for development of disease management interventions. DESIGN A concept analysis was conducted within the context of Orem's self-care framework. Walker and Avant's eight-step concept analysis approach guided the analysis. DATA SOURCES Academic databases were searched for relevant literature including CIHAHL, Cochrane Databases of Systematic Reviews and Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES and PsycINFO, and SocINDEX. REVIEW METHODS Literature using the term “self-management behavior” and published between April 2001 and March 2015 was analyzed for attributes, antecedents, and consequences. RESULTS A total of 189 journal articles were reviewed. Self-management behaviors are defined as proactive actions related to lifestyle, a problem, planning, collaborating, and mental support, as well as reactive actions related to a circumstantial change, to achieve a goal influenced by the antecedents of physical, psychological, socioeconomic, and cultural characteristics, as well as collaborative and received support. CONCLUSIONS The theoretical definition and middle-range explanatory theory of self-management behaviors will guide future collaborative research and clinical practice for disease management.
Euclid and Descartes: A Partnership.

Although Descartes developed the appli cation of algebra to geometry over 400 years ago, his work has had little impact on the high school geometry course. Geometry and algebra are still taught as separate, un related subjects rather than as complemen tary approaches to mathematics. Any coor dinate geometry that is included in a course in Euclidean geometry is apt to be placed in one chapter or unit with the implication that it is "optional" and the material covers the orems that have already been proved. If methods of proof are to be compared, why not do it the first time a theorem is encoun tered? Fortunately, integrating the analytic and synthetic geometries is easy to accom plish. I have used this method successfully, and it can be used with any textbook and without the need to prepare supplementary materials for the students. However, the teacher must be willing to redesign the course, using the text as a reference book and as a source of exercises and problems.
Patent Ductus Arteriosus in the Preterm Infant: Diagnostic and Treatment Options.

Background:The incidence of hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) increases with decreasing gestational age and is associated with many common morbidities of extreme prematurity. Controversies remain surrounding the definition of hsPDA, the population of infants requiring trea
Echocardiographic Predictors of Long‐Term Survival in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy: What is the Optimal Metric?

Reverse Remodeling Survival CRTBackground Multiple definitions of reverse ventricular remodeling (RVR) employing various changes in left ventricular end-systolic (LVESV) or diastolic volumes (LVEDVs) or left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) have been used in determining cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) response, making comparability across studies difficult. We compared different metrics to each other, and in combination, in terms of association with long-term outcomes. Methods We collected clinical and echocardiographic data on 436 patients undergoing CRT. LVEF was assessed via a combined volumetric and visual assessment. Volumes were manually traced. Using a nested multivariate model of a priori determined predictors of long-term survival free of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) or heart transplant, multiple definitions of RVR were added to the model individually to determine which provided the best model fit. Results Over a mean follow-up of 5.4 ± 2.3 years, there were 198 endpoints (10 LVADs, 15 heart transplants, and 173 deaths). When added to a nested model controlling for multiple potential confounders, all definitions of RVR were significantly associated with improved survival. Changes in LVEF and LVESV were superior to changes in LVEDV. A combination metric of an LVEF improvement ≥ 5% and LVESV reduction ≥ 10% was the best overall metric for model fit. Conclusions Changes in LVESV and LVEF are better predictors of long-term outcome following CRT compared to changes in LVEDV. Adding an assessment of LVEF to reduction in LVESV ≥ 10% provided the best overall definition for RVR in predicting CRT outcomes.
A Social Science Perspective on Childhood Experience in India

From an outsider’s perspective, contemporary social science research in India seems dramatically unbalanced, with many outstanding specialists in the mathematical fields of statistics, economics, and demography, a smaller number in social anthropology, and a general lack of development in the disciplines dealing with the human psyche. The question of why this should be so, given the early efforts of Dr. Bose in psychoanalysis (Kakar, 1990) and ancient traditions of philosophizing about the self and the social order, is not the focus of this issue, but the fact that it is so frames its discussions. Relatively little is known about the psychology of India’s large and diverse population, and evidence concerning normal and abnormal childhood experience is sketchy, as Dinesh Sharma shows in his introduction. This leaves us in a tenuous position to resolve disputes over the psychological development of Indian children. What does it mean to know something about the psychology of a population and its normal patterns of childhood experience? Do we have such knowledge about any country? In fact, it must be admitted that these matters remain contested and that the cultural psychology movement in the United States is an effort to demonstrate that what has been (and to a large extent still is) considered knowledge about human psychological development in general is actually knowledge about the U.S. middle class. What we know is that there are patterns of development that are considered normal in particular contexts; and
Neutron imaging with lithium indium diselenide: Surface properties, spatial resolution, and computed tomography

Abstract An array of lithium indium diselenide (LISe) scintillators were investigated for application in neutron imaging. The sensors, varying in thickness and surface roughness, were tested using both reflective and anti-reflective mounting to an aluminum window. The spatial resolution of each LISe scintillator was calculated using the knife-edge test and a modulation transfer function analysis. It was found that the anti-reflective backing case yielded higher spatial resolutions by up to a factor of two over the reflective backing case despite a reduction in measured light yield by an average of 1.97. In most cases, the use of an anti-reflective backing resulted in a higher spatial resolution than the 50 μ m -thick ZnS(Cu): 6 LiF comparison scintillation screen. The effect of surface roughness was not directly correlated to measured light yield or observed spatial resolution, but weighting the reflective backing case by the random surface roughness revealed that a linear relationship exists between the fractional change (RB/ARB) of the two. Finally, the LISe scintillator array was used in neutron computed tomography to investigate the features of halyomorpha halys with the reflective and anti-reflective backing.
The Code View: Cracking the Genetic Code of Life

The grand metaphor of “genetic code” inspired many images in popular communication. In the mid-to-late twentieth century, when DNA’s structure was deduced and the DNA-to-protein mechanism deciphered, rich images were devised to visualize the code’s technical detail and significance. When it became clear that protein-coding DNA comprises only a small portion of DNA and when sequencing technologies generated enormous DNA data, the code metaphor assumed an expanded connotation. Sophisticated digital tools were developed for scientists to examine this expanded code, but in popular communication, code images (in such forms as collages and games) became simplistic, vague, though entertaining. Given the anticipated personalized genome sequencing, we need considerable research and efforts to develop public-facing visual representations of the genetic code that are interactive, meaningful, and accessible.
Forensic database reconstruction

The analysis of database artifacts can provide a wealth of information about a suspected database intrusion. A key part of this analysis is the ability to reconstruct the actions of the intruder in order to identify any data that was compromised or any modifications that took place. This research paper identifies some of the core concepts behind forensic reconstruction, and then provides a summary of current research efforts within forensic database reconstruction including the concept of the ideal log setting, a forensically aware database logging method, and the use of relational algebra and internal log structures for the reconstruction of databases.
Synergistic interactions between the HDAC inhibitor NVP-LAQ824 and the nucleoside analog fludarabine in human leukemia cells involve ROS generation and modulation of the NF-kB and JNK pathways

4663 Recently, we reported that sequential administration of the benzamide HDAC inhibitor MS-275 and the nucleoside analog fludarabine (F) resulted in synergistic induction of apoptosis in human leukemia cells (Maggio et al, Cancer Res. 64, 2590; 2004). Herein, we extended this concept the hydroxamic acid HDAC inhibitor NVP-LAQ824, and investigated involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as well as activation of the NF-kB and JNK pathways in mechanisms of lethality. Pre-exposure (24 h) of U937 cells to low, non-toxic concentrations (40nM) of NVP-LAQ824 followed by addition of F induced a dramatic increase in cell death (≥75%). Apoptosis correlated with activation of caspases 3, -7, -8 and -9, and mitochondrial injury (loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and cytoplasmic release of cytochrome c, AIF and Smac/DIABLO). No changes were detected in the levels of membrane-associated DR4 or DR5 death receptors. NVP-LAQ824 induced an early peak of ROS (30’-3h), which persisted for 4-6 hours. This was accompanied by increased activation of NF-kB (8-16h), which returned to basal levels after 24h, but was unaccompanied by changes in phosphor-JNK. On the other hand, exposure to F alone did not modify either ROS or JNK activation, but triggered a marked activation of NF-kB. However, administration of F to cells pretreated with NVP-LAQ824 (24 h), in contrast to F administered alone, generated a second increase in ROS (30’-3h) and phosphorylation of JNK. Interestingly, addition of F to NVP-LAQ824-pretreated cells failed to trigger NF-kB activation. Moreover, interference with NVP-LAQ824-induced NF-kB activation by either pharmacological (Bay 11-7082, an IkBα phosphorylation inhibitor) or genetic means (U937 cells expressing either the IkB super-repressor or a stable RelA/p65 siRNA), promoted the pro-apoptotic actions of F and phosphorylation of JNK. Additional studies employing the free-radical scavenger NAC and U937/TAM67 cells (c-Jun dominant negative) provided data supporting a model wherein preexposure of U937 to LAQ824 induces ROS, which in turn trigger an NF-kB antiapoptotic response. However, these events, through a yet to be determined mechanism, attenuated NF-kB activation by subsequently administered F, thereby enhancing JNK activation and apoptosis. Collectively, these results are in agreement with recent evidence demonstrating that HDACI-mediated modulation of NF-kB activation status represents a critical determinant of lethal responses to these agents, and further suggest that this phenomenon represents a mechanistically critical event in regulating NVP-LAQ824/fludarabine interactions.
What’s in a Citrus Fruit?

Part I: Fractionated Citrus Fruit Components of Twelve Major Florida Citrus CultivarsAt the 1978 Citrus Engineering Conference, Kesterson et al. (5, 6) presented data on the fractionated fruit components of Valencia orange and Marsh grapefruit. Also, the potential recoveries for a selected few by-products and specialty products were given for these two varities. For the past 18 years, the University of Florida has provided research facilities at the Lake Alfred Agricultural Research and Education Center’s (LA-AREC) processing and feed mill pilot plants to gather accurate information on the fractionated fruit components of the various citrus cultivars in order to establish residue tolerances (7). To accomplish this mission, weighted material balances have been made on 285 different lots of fruit. At the request of the citrus processors, these data are now being made available to the Florida Citrus Industry.Paper published with permission.Compilation Copyright © 2018 ASME
Preparing Child Welfare Practitioners: Implications for Title IV-E Education and Training Partnerships

High rates of child welfare practitioner turnover remain a national problem with significant consequences. Title IV-E education and training programs prepare child welfare practitioners for this li...
Increased Expression of Fas Ligand mRNA and Protein in Liver Metastases of Human Colonic Adenocarcinomas

The Fas ligand (FasL) and its receptor (Fas, CD95) are a set of regulatory components in the immune system [1–4]. Activation of the Fas by FasL results in apoptosis of many cell types [5, 6], and this process has been shown to play a critical role in the maintenance of immunological homeostasis and peripheral tolerance by deletion of activated T-lymphocytes [7–10]. In addition, it has been found that cells in immunologically privileged sites, such as Sertoli’s cells of the testis and parenchymal cells of the anterior chamber of the eye, express FasL. Any activated T-cell bearing Fas that enters such a site would encounter cells expressing FasL and receive a death signal, thereby preventing an immune response [11,12].
Diffraction-Imaging Possibilities with Soft X-rays

Diffraction imaging is a form of microscopy which does not quite exist as yet with soft x-rays, but on which work is proceeding. It has, however, a long history with x-rays in the 0.1nm wavelength region (x-ray diffraction analysis), with electrons (electron diffraction), and in visible-light holography. Its interest lies in its being potentially the highest-resolution form of x-ray microscopy (see the previous article by the author in this volume), and in its special ability to obtain information regarding 3-dimensional structure in a single exposure. The present paper outlines the general principles of the method and gives a brief summary of its current status.
Tolerance of DAS-444ø6-6 and DAS-444ø6-6 x DAS-81419-2 Soybeans to 2,4-D and Glyphosate in the Cerrado Region of Brazil

ABSTRACT: The DAS-444O6-6 soybean expresses AAD-12, 2mEPSPS and PAT enzymes to provide, respectively, tolerance to 2,4-D, glyphosate and ammonium glufosinate. This event is also associated with DAS-81419-2 expressing Cry1Ac and Cry1F proteins to provide protection against a broad spectrum of soybean lepidopteran insect species. Successful adoption by growers of these technologies relies on the traits performing in the diverse environments of Brazil, especially under adverse weather conditions. The objective of this study was to characterize the tolerance of DAS 444O6-6 and DAS-444O6-6 x DAS-81419-2 soybeans to 2,4-D and glyphosate in the Cerrado region of Brazil. Eight trials across four sites were conducted in the 2015/2016 summer rainy season using a randomized complete block design, with a factorial arrangement of treatments. Factor A was 2,4-D choline salt (456 g a.e. L-1) + glyphosate DMA salt (480 g a.e. L-1) at 975 + 1,025 and 1,950 + 2,050 g a.e. ha-1, respectively and ready-mix of (2,4-D choline salt 195 g a.e. L-1 + glyphosate DMA salt 205 g a.e. L-1) at 2,000 (975 + 1,025) and 4,000 (1,950 + 2,050) g a.e. ha-1. Factor B was application timing at V3, V6 and R2 soybean growth stages. No visible symptoms of leaf chlorosis, epinasty, or growth inhibition were observed. Slight leaf droop was observed at 1 day after treatment (DAT), but it was null at 7 DAT. Less than 6% and 13% of leaf necrosis or injury were observed at 7 DAT, respectively, at 975 + 1,025 and 1,950 + 2,050 g a.e. ha-1 of 2,4-D choline salt + glyphosate DMA salt, regardless of applied as a ready-mix or not, but it was always 2% or less at 28 DAT. Crop grain yield was not influenced by herbicide treatments, application timing and their interaction, regardless of the soybean event and experimental site. DAS-444O6-6 and DAS-444O6-6 x DAS-81419-2 soybeans showed high tolerance to 2,4-D choline salt and glyphosate DMA in the Cerrado region of Brazil.
Learning to Use In-Vehicle Technologies: Consumer Preferences and Effects on Understanding:

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) have the potential to increase driver safety. However, driver misuse or failure to use ADAS could mitigate potential benefits. Appropriate training is one ...
Attorneys and Apologies

Recently, legal commentators have begun to argue that advising legal clients to apologize may reap important benefits, including (but not limited to) increasing the possibility of reaching an out-of-court settlement. While many have become convinced of the value of an apology in the pre-litigation context, few empirical studies have examined the possible effects of apologizing on settlement negotiation. Recent studies have examined the influences of apologies on mock-litigant settlement decisions - finding that apologies influence settlement-related judgments in ways that are likely to facilitate settlement. The research to be presented here examines the reactions of attorneys to apologies in litigation in their role as advising clients about settlement.
MPI jobs within MPI jobs: A practical way of enabling task-level fault-tolerance in HPC workflows

Abstract While the use of workflows for HPC is growing, MPI interoperability remains a challenge for workflow management systems. The MPI standard and/or its implementations provide a number of ways to build multiple-programs-multiple-data (MPMD) applications. These methods present limitations related to fault tolerance, and are not easy to use. In this paper, we advocate for a novel MPI_Comm_launch function acting as the parallel counterpart of a system(3) call. MPI_Comm_launch allows a child MPI application to be launched inside the resources originally held by processes of a parent MPI application. Two important aspects of MPI_Comm_launch is that it pauses the calling process, and runs the child processes on the parent’s CPU cores, but in an isolated manner with respect to memory. This function makes it easier to build MPMD applications with well-decoupled subtasks. We show how this feature can provide better flexibility and better fault tolerance in ensemble simulations and HPC workflows. We report results showing 2 × throughput improvement for application workflows with faults, and scaling results for challenging workloads up to 256 nodes.
Timed sequential therapy with high-dose cytarabine and mitoxantrone as an induction regimen for acute myeloid leukemia: An update on adverse events.

e18524Background: Traditionally, patients eligible for induction chemotherapy for AML are treated with the “7+3” regimen, standard doses of infusional cytarabine and an anthracycline, with historic...
Metanetwork Framework for Performance Analysis of Disaster Management System-of-Systems

The objective of this paper is to create and test an integrative framework for performance analysis of disaster management system-of-systems (DM-SoS). Effective disaster management systems and processes are critical for saving lives and protecting properties. However, the lack of integration between heterogeneous systems and entities involved in disaster management impacts coordination and operational efficiency. Greater integration and coordination among multiple heterogeneous entities is essential in improving performance and achieving network-centric disaster management. To address this gap, this paper, first examines the dimensions of analysis and a framework for a system-of-systems assessment of disaster management. In the proposed framework, the main entities include stakeholders, operations, resources, information, and infrastructure. Second, a metanetwork framework was employed to capture the network interactions among various types of entities. Then, measures of network efficiency (e.g., operational and coordination efficiency) were used to identify critical entities and evaluate the effectiveness of system integration strategies. The application of the proposed framework was shown in a case study of disaster management processes in the 2017 Hurricane Harvey. The findings highlight the importance of the SoS approach for evaluating the performance of disaster management processes under different disaster-induced perturbations (e.g., resources limitation, infrastructure disruptions, and lack of information). The findings also identify ways to improve system integration and coordination among various heterogeneous entities interacting in networks.
Livin' on the edge: Risky behaviors and Parkinson disease: Genes, environment, or both?

Risk behaviors are a number of activities (e.g., smoking, alcohol use, drugs use) that lead to a health hazard that are somehow not rationally controlled. However, despite the common knowledge that such behaviors can lead to long-term consequences, they provide a short-term reward that some individuals may find more fulfilling than long-term self-preservation behaviors. Dopaminergic terminals and pathways likely play a major role in such behaviors, but it is less clear whether genetic predisposition, environmental factors, or both are responsible for our decisions and behaviors. Likewise, the pathophysiology of Parkinson disease (PD) can be determined by a tight relationship among genes, environment, and dopaminergic dysfunction.
Modeling Uncertainty of Strain Ratio Measurements in Ultrasound Breast Strain Elastography: A Factorial Experiment

Strain elastography (SE) is a technique in which images of localized tissue strains are used to detect the relative stiffness of tissues. The application of SE in differentiating malignant breast lesions from benign ones has been broadly investigated. The strain ratio (SR) between the background and the breast tumor has been used and its results have been mixed. Due to the complex nature of tissue elasticity and how it relates to the strain fields measured in SE, the exact reason is not known. In this study, we apply a novel design-of-experiments-based metamodeling approach to mechanical simulation of SE in the human breast. To our knowledge, such a study has not been reported in the ultrasound SE literature. More specifically, we first conduct a screening study to identify the biomechanical factors/simulation inputs that most strongly determine SR. We then apply a response surface experimental design to these factors to produce a metamodel of SR as a function of said factors. Results from the screening study suggest that the SR measurements are primarily influenced by three factors: the initial shear modulus of the lesion, the elastic nonlinearity of the lesion, and the precompression applied during acquisition. In order to investigate the implications of these results, stochastic inputs for these three factors associated with the malignant and benign cases were applied to the resulting response surface. The resulting optimal cutoffs, sensitivity, and specificity were generally in line with a majority (>60%) of 19 clinical trials in the literature.