cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation of the importance of rock chemistry for saxicolous lichen communities of the New Idria serpentinite mass, San Benito County, California, USA

Although several lichen inventories exist for European ultramafic sites, only four surveys of serpentine lichens for North America have been published to date. Of those, only one has been conducted in California. We conducted a survey of saxicolous lichens from ultramafic rocks (including nephrite, partially serpentinized peridotite, and serpentinite) and non-ultramafic rocks (including silica-carbonate, shale, and sandstone) at the New Idria serpentinite mass, San Benito County, California. X-ray Fluorescence Analysis of the rocks from which the lichens were collected revealed significant elemental differences between the ultramafic and non-ultramafic rocks for 26 of the 32 major and trace elements analyzed. We identified a total of 119 species of lichenized and lichenicolous fungi; 60 species were restricted to ultramafic substrata, 19 to silica-carbonate, and 15 to shale and sandstone. Only 4 species were shared in common. A permutational multivariate analysis of variance (perMANOVA) test revealed significant differences in lichen assemblages between ultramafic and non-ultramafic rocks at the species level but not at the generic level, with species richness (alpha-diversity) significantly greater at the ultramafic sites. We suggest that, although differences in geochemistry clearly influence the lichen community composition, other factors, especially substratum age and the physical characteristics of the rock, are of equal, if not greater, importance. Of all the species collected, six, Buellia aethalea, B. ocellata, Caloplaca oblongula, Rhizocarpon saurinum, Thelocarpon laureri, and Trapelia obtegens, are reported new to California, along with an apparently previously undescribed Solenopsora sp. The rest of the species encountered are relatively frequent in the lichen flora of southern and central California, except Aspicilia praecrenata, a rare California endemic that we collected on both ultramafic and non-ultramafic rocks.
To Lose Weight or Not to Lose Weight, That Is the Big Question—in Obesity-Related Heart Failure

Obesity and heart failure (HF) are twin public health problems. Moreover, obesity can contribute to HF (1). Each contributes to increased mortality. Conversely, weight loss in obese patients without HF improves diastolic function and decreases oxygen requirements and left ventricular (LV) mass (2,3). In two large studies, surgery-induced weight loss reduced cardiac death and improved survival in humans (4,5), but it is unknown how many suffered from HF. So physicians should recommend weight loss, right? The problem is—there is a paradox. That is “the rub.” The “obesity paradox” is based on outcomes data that show that patients who are obese and have HF live longer than patients who are not obese (Fig. 1). There are multiple possible reasons for the paradox (recently reviewed by Lavie et al. [6]). Patients with obesity-related HF may be diagnosed earlier; they do not suffer from cachexia; they may also have an advantage because they are starting from a higher body weight before the cachexia of chronic disease (HF) begins; and/or there may be other benefits from adipose and lean muscle tissue. Regardless of the mechanism, the paradox leaves us with a conundrum: to recommend weight loss or not for patients …
The impact of childhood emotional abuse and experiential avoidance on maladaptive problem solving and intimate partner violence

The purpose of the current study was to examine the joint influences of experiential avoidance and social problem solving on the link between childhood emotional abuse (CEA) and intimate partner violence (IPV). Experiential avoidance following CEA may interfere with a person’s ability to effectively problem solve in social situations, increasing risk for conflict and interpersonal violence. As part of a larger study, 232 women recruited from the community completed measures assessing childhood emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, experiential avoidance, maladaptive social problem solving, and IPV perpetration and victimization. Final trimmed models indicated that CEA was indirectly associated with IPV victimization and perpetration via experiential avoidance and Negative Problem Orientation (NPO) and Impulsivity/Carelessness Style (ICS) social problem solving strategies. Though CEA was related to an Avoidance Style (AS) social problem solving strategy, this strategy was not significantly associated with IPV victimization or perpetration. Experiential avoidance had both a direct and indirect effect, via NPO and ICS social problem solving, on IPV victimization and perpetration. Findings suggest that CEA may lead some women to avoid unwanted internal experiences, which may adversely impact their ability to effectively problem solve in social situations and increase IPV risk.
Production of jet and diesel fuel range alkanes from waste hemicellulose-derived aqueous solutions

In this paper we report a novel four-step process for the production of jet and diesel fuel range alkanes from hemicellulose extracts derived from northeastern hardwood trees. The extract is representative of a byproduct that could be produced by wood-processing industries such as biomass boilers or pulp mills in the northeastern U.S. The hemicellulose extract tested in this study contained mainly xylose oligomers (21.2 g/l xylose after the acid hydrolysis) as well as 0.31 g/l glucose, 0.91 g/l arabinose, 0.2 g/l lactic acid, 2.39 g/l acetic acid, 0.31 g/l formic acid, and other minor products. The first step in this process is an acid-catalyzed biphasic dehydration to produce furfural in yields up to 87%. The furfural is extracted from the aqueous solution into a tetrahydrofuran (THF) phase which is then fed into an aldol condensation step. The furfural-acetone-furfural (F-Ac-F) dimer is produced in this step by reaction of furfural with acetone in yields up to 96% for the F-Ac-F dimer. The F-Ac-F dimer is then subject to a low-temperature hydrogenation to form the hydrogenated dimer (H-FAF) at 110–130 °C and 800 psig with a 5 wt% Ru/C catalyst. Finally the H-FAF undergoes hydrodeoxygenation to make jet and diesel fuel range alkanes, primarily C13 and C12, in yields up to 91%. The theoretical yield for this process is 0.61 kg of alkane per kg of dry xylose derived from the hemicellulose extract. Experimentally we were able to obtain 76% of the theoretical yield for the overall process. We estimate that jet and diesel fuel range alkanes can be produced from between $2.06/gal to $4.39/gal depending on the feed xylose concentration, the size of the biorefinery, and the overall yield. Sensitivity analysis shows that the prices of raw materials, the organic-to-aqueous mass ratio in the biphasic dehydration, and the feed xylose concentration in the hemicellulose extract significantly affect the product cost.
Effects of a protective foam on scrubbing and gloving

Abstract Objective: To test the effects of a skin protectant on surgical scrub and glove integrity. Design: Forty-nine healthy adult volunteers were assigned (12 subjects per group) to apply a protective foam (DermaMed; Benchmark Enterprises, Salt Lake City, Utah) in conjunction with surgical scrub in one of the following formulations: 70% isopropyl alcohol, a liquid detergent base containing 4% chlorhexidine gluconate, a liquid detergent base containing 7.5% povidone-iodine, or a nonantimicrobial liquid soap (control). According to a standard protocol, subjects performed a surgical scrub on 3 days (every other day). Foam was applied after surgical scrub on day 1 and before surgical scrub on day 3. No foam was applied on day 2. Subjects were gloved for 2 hours after surgical scrub. Setting: Laboratory setting. Results: On all test days, there were significant differences in bacterial reduction by products (chlorhexidine gluconate or alcohol > povidone-iodine > control). When controlling for baseline counts and products used, there were no significant differences in colony-forming unit counts on hands with or without foam immediately after scrubbing or at 2 hours after scrub on gloved or ungloved hands, nor were there differences in glove leakage rates when foam was on hands. Conclusions: Such protectants can be used without detrimental effects to scrub effectiveness or glove integrity.
Folded cavity angled-grating broad-area lasers

The angled-grating broad-area laser is a promising candidate for high power, high brightness diode laser source. The key point in the design is the angled gratings which can simultaneously support the unique snake-like zigzag lasing mode and eliminate the direct Fabry-Perot (FP) feedback. Unlike a conventional laser waveguide mode, the phase front of the zigzag mode periodically changes along the propagation direction. By use of the mirror symmetry of the zigzag mode, we propose and demonstrate the folded cavity angled-grating broad-area lasers. One benefit of this design is to reduce the required wafer space compared to a regular angled-grating broad-area laser, especially in a long cavity laser for high power operation. Experimental results show that the folded cavity laser exhibits good beam quality in far field with a slightly larger threshold and smaller slope efficiency due to the additional interface loss.
How novelty search escapes the deceptive trap of learning to learn

A major goal for researchers in neuroevolution is to evolve artificial neural networks (ANNs) that can learn during their lifetime. Such networks can adapt to changes in their environment that evolution on its own cannot anticipate. However, a profound problem with evolving adaptive systems is that if the impact of learning on the fitness of the agent is only marginal, then evolution is likely to produce individuals that do not exhibit the desired adaptive behavior. Instead, because it is easier at first to improve fitness without evolving the ability to learn, they are likely to exploit domain-dependent static (i.e. non-adaptive) heuristics. This paper proposes a way to escape the deceptive trap of static policies based on the novelty search algorithm, which opens up a new avenue in the evolution of adaptive systems because it can exploit the behavioral difference between learning and non-learning individuals. The main idea in novelty search is to abandon objective-based fitness and instead simply search only for novel behavior, which avoids deception entirely and has shown prior promising results in other domains. This paper shows that novelty search significantly outperforms fitness-based search in a tunably deceptive T-Maze navigation domain because it fosters the emergence of adaptive behavior.
Role of Phospholamban in the Pathogenesis of Heart Failure

A common characteristic of the failing cardiomyocyte is abnormal calcium homeostasis, manifested by prolonged calcium transients and changes in systolic and diastolic calcium levels [1] and linked to depressed sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium cycling [2,3]. The SR acts as a calcium source during contraction and a calcium sink during relaxation. Relaxation is mediated by the transport of calcium from the cytosol into the lumen of the SR by a cardiac-specific sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca 2+ -ATPase, SERCA2a, whose activity is regulated by a small phosphoprotein called phospholamban (PLN). In this review, the role of PLN in the pathogenesis of heart failure is discussed. Specifically, the functional effects of several naturally occurring PLN mutations in humans are examined, and the potential of PLN as a therapeutic target in human heart failure is assessed.
Reducing The Impact Of Diabetes: Is Prevention Feasible Today, Or Should We Aim For Better Treatment?

Type 2 diabetes prevention studies have shown that the onset of the disease can be delayed or prevented, chiefly by weight loss. But the current efforts to establish community-based lifestyle modification programs will not be very effective in preventing diabetes, largely because most overweight or obese people cannot maintain weight loss over time. A complex environment is driving greater food consumption along with less energy expenditure, making maintenance of weight loss extremely difficult. To improve the likelihood of achieving populationwide success in reducing the obesity pandemic, we need a better understanding of the biological processes that underlie the balance between intake and expenditure of energy. In the meantime, once diabetes develops, we can greatly reduce the likelihood of serious complications through early detection and proper medical management.
The effects of comorbid conditions on the outcomes of patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis.

Abstract Purpose Dialysis patients frequently have comorbid conditions. We examined the effects of age and comorbid conditions on technique failure (i.e., transfer to hemodialysis), death, hospital costs, and kidney transplantation in patients treated with peritoneal dialysis. Methods We studied 97 patients who began peritoneal dialysis from January 1, 1993, to December 31, 1998, at the University of Pittsburgh outpatient dialysis unit. Demographic characteristics, comorbid conditions, and outcomes were determined by reviewing the Medical Archival Retrieval System database and outpatient records. Because the comorbidity (Charlson) score was colinear with age, we used a modified version of the score without an age component. Low, moderate, and high comorbidity groups were defined based on the 33rd and 66th percentiles of the comorbidity score. Results In multivariate-adjusted models, each decade increase in age was associated with an increased risk of death (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.7; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1 to 2.5) and technique failure (HR = 1.5; 95% CI: 1.0 to 2.3). High (versus low) comorbidity was associated with an increased risk of death or technique failure (HR = 3.5; 95% CI: 1.0 to 12) and significantly higher average inpatient costs. There were no differences in age or comorbidity score between patients who transferred to hemodialysis and those who died. Conclusion Patients who are older and more ill have a greater risk of death and of transfer to hemodialysis from peritoneal dialysis.
Approximating max-min fair rates via distributed local scheduling with partial information

Max-min fairness has been recognized as an optimal throughput-fairness definition. However, its realization in packet switching networks and its computational requirements have not yet been understood. We attempt to take a step in this direction, in the context of local area network (LAN) traffic. The max-min definition is given in terms of transmission rates of sources sending to their destinations (sessions). In order to realize max-min rates in a packet switching environment, transmission schedules of packets need to be realized. We first show that finding max-min fair schedules (with given rates) requires global state and timing information of all the nodes in the network. We then design a local scheduling algorithm for ring and bus networks with minimum transmission-delay, concurrent access, and spatial bandwidth reuse. This distributed algorithm uses only partial state information and is based on locally exchanging simple signals only between directly conflicting sessions (sessions which share at least one link) rather than collecting global information. The results of this algorithm are novel in various ways: (1) we prove that each session has an access-delay of at most twice its bottleneck link; (2) we show that the algorithm operates adaptively with an optimal access-delay in a dynamic environment (bursty traffic sources); and (3) by means of simulation experiments we further show that this algorithm achieves, in a steady-state, max-min fair rates for a vast majority of sessions and an average aggregate throughput which is 99 percent the throughput obtained by max-min fair rates.
A pilot study of a web-based physical activity motivational program for adults with physical disabilities.

Purpose. Develop, deliver, and assess the efficacy of a 4-week web-based leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) motivational program based on the Transtheoretical Model and tailored to inactive adults with physical disabilities.Method. This was a pilot-based study incorporating a true experimental design with one treatment and one control group. The intervention program was delivered on the web and was based on the constructs of the Transtheoretical Model. From the 151 individuals who completed the LTPA standardized questionnaire at baseline, 75 people participated in the 1-month post-test assessment.Results. The results of the analysis confirmed the pretest LTPA scores as the study covariate for the post-test assessment (F (1,72) = 16.06, p = 0.001, η2 = 0.18). Based on the one-way ANCOVA, there were no statistically significant differences in LTPA scores between the treatment and control groups at post-test. However, the corresponding effect size and variance explained by the treatment approached a moder...
Hemodynamic effects of methylprednisolone in patients undergoing cardiac operation and early extubation.

Abstract Background . Whether or not methylprednisolone is beneficial during cardiac operation remains controversial. This study examines the effects of the drug on complement activation and hemodynamics in patients undergoing cardiac operation and early extubation. Methods . Patients undergoing cardiac operation were randomized to receive either intravenous methylprednisolone (group MP) or intravenous placebo (group NS). Complement 3a (C3a) levels and hemodynamic parameters were obtained perioperatively. Extubation was accomplished at the earliest clinically appropriate time. Results . Both groups exhibited equivalent increases in C3a levels after exposure to bypass. Group MP exhibited increased cardiac index, decreased systemic vascular resistance, and increased shunt flow when compared to group NS. More group MP patients required hemodynamic support and group MP patients had prolonged extubation times. Conclusions . Methylprednisolone was unable to attenuate complement activation and led to hemodynamic alterations (primarily vasodilation) that may hinder early extubation in patients after cardiac operations.
Dual-Mode Intracranial Catheter Integrating 3D Ultrasound Imaging and Hyperthermia for Neuro-oncology: Feasibility Study

In this study, we investigated the feasibility of an intracranial catheter transducer with dual-mode capability of real-time 3D (RT3D) imaging and ultrasound hyperthermia, for application in the visualization and treatment of tumors in the brain. Feasibility is demonstrated in two ways: first by using a 50-element linear array transducer (17 mm × 3.1 mm aperture) operating at 4.4 MHz with our Volumetrics diagnostic scanner and custom electrical impedance matching circuits to achieve a temperature rise over 4°C in excised pork muscle, and second by designing and constructing a 12 Fr, integrated matrix and linear array catheter transducer prototype for combined RT3D imaging and heating capability. This dual-mode catheter incorporated 153 matrix array elements and 11 linear array elements diced on a 0.2 mm pitch, with a total aperture size of 8.4 mm × 2.3 mm. This array achieved a 3.5°C in vitro temperature rise at a 2 cm focal distance in tissue-mimicking material. The dual-mode catheter prototype was compared with a Siemens 10 Fr AcuNav™ catheter as a gold standard in experiments assessing image quality and therapeutic potential, and both probes were used in a canine brain model to image anatomical structures and color Doppler blood flow and to attempt in vivo heating.
Development of proportional reasoning: Where young children go wrong.

Previous studies have found that children have difficulty solving proportional reasoning problems involving discrete units until 10 to 12 years of age, but can solve parallel problems involving continuous quantities by 6 years of age. The present studies examine where children go wrong in processing proportions that involve discrete quantities. A computerized proportional equivalence choice task was administered to kindergartners through 4th-graders in Study 1, and to 1st- and 3rd-graders in Study 2. Both studies involved 4 between-subjects conditions that were formed by pairing continuous and discrete target proportions with continuous and discrete choice alternatives. In Study 1, target and choice alternatives were presented simultaneously; in Study 2, target and choice alternatives were presented sequentially. In both studies, children performed significantly worse when both the target and choice alternatives were represented with discrete quantities than when either or both of the proportions involved continuous quantities. Taken together, these findings indicate that children go astray on proportional reasoning problems involving discrete units only when a numerical match is possible, suggesting that their difficulty is due to an overextension of numerical equivalence concepts to proportional equivalence problems.
An Upper-Ocean Model for Short-Term Climate Variability

Abstract The authors propose and assess principles for the design of an upper-ocean model (UOM) suitable for studies of large-scale oceanic variability over periods of a few months to many years. Its essential simplification when compared with a conventional full-depth model (FDM) is the specification of an abyssal climatology for material properties. Observational analyses of temperature and salinity fluctuations demonstrate their degree of confinement to the upper ocean. Two idealized models for diffusive penetration of tracer fluctuations and for wind-driven currents show that the UOM approximations are usually accurate for the phenomena of interest. A UOM for the oceanic general circulation is constructed, and its solutions are compared with those of an equilibrium FDM. From a stratified resting state, the UOM spins up to an equilibrium state over a period of about 30 yr. The UOM and FDM solutions agree well in both the mean state and short-term climate fluctuations, even for cases for which the model...
The Innovation Journey

The book “The Innovation Journey,” by Andrew Van de Ven, Douglas E. Polley, Raghu Garud and Sankaran Venkataraman, is a summary of the results of detailed longitudinal field research on fourteen innovations carried out by thirty researchers over 17 years. The book's almost 400 pages of text are densely packed with ideas, data, and conclusions. The helpful, if at times heavy-handed, structure used to organize all of this material makes the book accessible: its core messages are previewed, presented, and reviewed—perhaps consciously mimicking the iterative, cyclic innovation journey itself, as seen by the authors.
Absolute Radial Velocities for 889 Late-type Stars

We report absolute radial velocities with accuracy of 0.03 km/s for 889 FGKM-type main sequence stars. The velocities agree within 0.035 km/s (RMS) with the 26 standard stars of Udry, et al. (1999). The velocity zero-point was set using observations of the day sky and the asteroid Vesta. The resulting zero-point of our velocities is only slightly different from that of Udry et al.: V_present - V_Udry > = +0.053 km/s. Gravitational redshifts and convective blueshifts are accounted for in our velocity measurements to first order, by using the known velocity of the Sun to set the velocity zero-point. Nonetheless these two effects will cause systematic velocity errors of ~0.3 km/s as a function of spectral type. Multiple spectra were obtained for all 889 stars during four years, and 782 of them exhibit velocity scatter less than 0.1 km/s. These stars may serve as radial velocity standards if they remain constant in velocity. We found 11 new spectroscopic binaries and report orbital parameters for them.
The Meaning of ‘Mind-made Body’(S. manomaya-kāya, C. yisheng shen 意生身) in Buddhist Cosmological and Soteriological systems

The ‘mind-made body’ (S. manomaya-kāya, C. yisheng shen 意生身) is seen as a subtle body attained by a Buddhist adept during meditative practice. Previous research has elucidated this concept as having important doctrinal significance in the Buddhist cosmological system. The Pāli canonical evidence shows that the manomaya-kāya is not merely a spiritual byproduct of meditative training, but also a specific existential mode of being in the system of the three realms. Studies of the manomaya-kāya to date, however, have focused mostly on early Pāli materials, and thus do not encompass theoretical development and soteriological significance of this notion in later tradition. As a beginning step to fill this gap, this article explores the meanings of the manomaya-kāya represented in the Śrīmālādevī Sūtra and the two treatises of the Ratnagotravibhāga Śāstra and the Foxing lun, which are doctrinally based on the Śrīmālādevī Sūtra in their discussion of the manomaya-kāya. Through the observation of the manomaya-kāya in these Mahāyāna texts, this article seeks to demonstrate how the concept is used in the broader cosmological and soteriological system of Mahāyāna tradition. For this purpose, I first review the meanings of the manomaya-kāya in early Buddhist texts and then observe the cosmological and soteriological meaning of the notion by analyzing the theoretical connection between the three Mahāyāna texts.
Time-Dependent Theory of the Rate of Photo-induced Electron Transfer

A novel approach based on constrained real-time time-dependent density functional theory (C-RT-TDDFT) is introduced to accurately evaluate the electronic Hamiltonian coupling associated with photoinduced electron transfer (PIET) using diabatic states that are defined using constrained DFT (C-DFT). In combination with the semiclassical Marcus theory, the photoexcited ET rate for coherently coupled photoexcitation and electron transfer is determined for a given incident wavelength by combining this Hamiltonian coupling with free energy changes and ground state reorganization energies that are obtained using an implicit solvation model. As an application of this method, we consider PIET for the (Ag20–Ag)+ complex as a model of a plasmon-enhanced electron transfer process. Using solar radiation intensity, the fastest PIET rate is found to be induced by an incident wavelength that is distinct (blue-shifted) from the wavelength of strongest plasmon-like excitation associated with the Ag20+ cluster, particularly...
Many-body theory of Rabi flopping and photon echo in semiconductors

The availability of femtosecond pulses in the optical-frequency regime allows the study of coherent effects in the interaction between semiconductors and light. Because the properties of the exciting pulses become important ingredients in spectroscopy, the theoretical analysis must treat the complete time dependence of the system. For this purpose we use the semiconductor Bloch equations (SBE),1-3 which are the coupled equations of motion for the interband polarization and the electron and hole populations for an interacting electron-hole system in the random-phase approximation. The equations describe the electron-hole Coulomb attraction leading to excitonic features; they contain phasespace filling and band-gap renormalization effects, as well as the dipole interaction with the applied light field.
Towards a Theory of Computation in the Visual Cortex

One of the major goals in visual neuroscience is to understand how the cortex processes visual information (Marr 1982). A substantial effort has thus gone into characterizing input-output relationships across areas of the visual cortex (Dicarlo et al. 2012), which has yielded an array of computational models. These models have, however, typically focused on one or very few visual areas, modules (form, motion, depth, color) or functions (e.g., object recognition, boundary detection, action recognition, etc.), see (Poggio and Serre 2013) for a recent review. An integrated framework that would explain the computational mechanisms underlying vision beyond any specific visual area, module or function, while being at least consistent with the known anatomy and physiology of the visual cortex is still lacking. The goal of this review is to draft an initial integrated theory of visual processing in the cortex. We highlight the computational mechanisms that are shared across many successful models and derive a taxonomy of canonical computations. Such an enterprise is reductionist in nature as we break down the myriad of input-output functions found in the visual cortex into a basic set of computations. Identifying canonical computations that are repeated and combined across visual functions will pave the way for the identification of their cortical substrate (Carandini 2012).
Identities and Social Positions

Tolerably early in life I discovered that one of the unpardonable sins, in the eyes of most people, is for a man to go about unlabeled. The world regards such a person as the police do an unmuzzled dog.
A phase 1 trial of 90Y-Zevalin radioimmunotherapy with autologous stem cell transplant for multiple myeloma.

This phase 1 study (clinical trial NCT00477815) was conducted to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of yttrium-90 ibritumomab tiuxetan (90Y-Zevalin) with high dose melphalan (HDM) therapy in multiple myeloma (MM) patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). In a 3+3 trial design, 30 patients received rituximab 250 mg/m2 with indium-111 ibritumomab tiuxetan (111In-Zevalin) for dosimetry (day −22); rituximab 250 mg/m2 with escalating doses of 90Y-Zevalin (day −14); melphalan 100 mg/m2 (days −2,−1) followed by ASCT (day 0) and sargramostim (GM-CSF, day 0) until neutrophil engraftment. Each patient’s 111In-Zevalin dosimetry data were used to calculate the dose of 90Y-Zevalin (in mCi) to deliver 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 or 20 Gy to the liver. Dose limiting toxicities were seen in 3 patients. The overall response rate was 73% (22/30) with stringent complete response in 2 patients; complete response, 5; very good partial response, 12; and partial response, 3. The median PFS was 16.5 months and the median overall survival was 63.4 months. In MM, the MTD of 90Y-Zevalin with HDM is 18 Gy to the liver. The addition of radiation with novel delivery methods such as radioimmunotherapy combined with standard transplant regimens warrants further study.
Abstract MP36: Anemia, Chronic Kidney Disease, and Incident Heart Failure: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

Background: Both chronic kidney disease (CKD) measures, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR), are associated with incident heart failure (HF). Anemia is...
Compliant leg designs for attenuating impact of airdrop landing of quadruped robots

Most airdropped cargos use a combination of one or more parachutes and an impact attenuation system to land safely. The latter adds cost, weight and complexity. However, by using their legs for impact attenuation, quadruped robots may not need such a system. In this study, three types of leg configurations were considered for impact attenuation. Using simple lumped element models for simulation and analysis, it was decided that a compliant three-segmented leg configuration with a linear spring on each leg would yield both good walking and impact attenuation performance. Via series of tests with a small scale 20 cm-tall robot, the simulation model was validated, and it was shown that the test robot experienced 7.9 G-acceleration when dropped from height of 37.85 cm. In contrast, when equipped with rigid legs the robot experienced a 14.7 G-acceleration when dropped at 10% of the same height. Our leg design method can be used for impact attenuation of airdrop landings for larger robots.
Is osteonecrosis due to systemic lupus erythematosus associated with increased risk of complications following total hip arthroplasty

As the medical treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has evolved, the rate of total hip arthroplasty (THA) in SLE patients has increased, with osteonecrosis (ON) being the primary indication for arthroplasty in a quarter of cases. Comparative literature evaluating outcomes following THA for patients with SLE and ON versus patients with non-SLE-related ON or patients with osteoarthritis (OA) is limited. The goal of the present study was to investigate the current trend in SLE patients undergoing THA and compare complications following THA for ON with SLE, ON without SLE, and OA. The PearlDiver patient records database ( www.pearldiverinc.com , Colorado Springs, CO), a for-fee insurance-based patient records database, was utilized for this study. Two hundred forty-four patients who underwent THA for ON associated with SLE were identified and compared to control cohorts of 7836 patients with ON without SLE and 64,235 patients with OA using a multivariate analysis. We found patients with SLE undergoing THA for ON experienced lower rates of infection and revision but a higher rate of medical complications compared to patients undergoing THA for non-SLE ON diagnoses. Patients with SLE undergoing THA for ON experienced decreased rates of infection but increased rates of transfusion and medical complications compared to patients undergoing THA for OA. Our data demonstrate that THA can be safely performed on SLE patients with ON without significantly increased morbidity compared to that in patients with non-SLE-associated ON or patients with OA.
Study of hardware trojans based security vulnerabilities in cyber physical systems

The dependability of Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) solely lies in the secure and reliable functionality of their backbone, the computing platform. Security of this platform is not only threatened by the vulnerabilities in the software peripherals, but also by the vulnerabilities in the hardware internals. Such threats can arise from malicious modifications to the integrated circuits (IC) based computing hardware, which can disable the system, leak information or produce malfunctions. Such modifications to computing hardware are made possible by the globalization of the IC industry, where a computing chip can be manufactured anywhere in the world. In the complex computing environment of CPS such modifications can be stealthier and undetectable. Under such circumstances, design of these malicious modifications, and eventually their detection, will be tied to the functionality and operation of the CPS. So it is imperative to address such threats by incorporating security awareness in the computing hardware design in a comprehensive manner taking the entire system into consideration. In this paper, we present a study in the influence of hardware Trojans on closed-loop systems, which form the basis of CPS, and establish threat models. Using these models, we perform a case study on a critical CPS application, gas pipeline based SCADA system. Through this process, we establish a completely virtual simulation platform along with a hardware-in-the-loop based simulation platform for implementation and testing.
On the consistency of state vectors and Jacobian matrices

Abstract The formulation of reactive flow problems can be both quite challenging and important to the efficiency and robustness of solution algorithms. In this article, we focus on the choice of the thermochemical state vector as it relates to recently-developed computational techniques for complex combustion chemistry problems. We identify over-specification of the state vector as a source of both ambiguity and error in the partial derivatives used in forming analytical forms of the chemical source Jacobian matrix. We review and compare several approaches taken to increase sparsity of the Jacobian matrix, as it relates to the use of Newton–Krylov methods for implicit time integration, and identify proper techniques for achieving sparsity that do not rely on ad-hoc choice of state variables with inconsistent Jacobians. Chemical explosive mode analysis and linearly-implicit methods, such as Rosenbrock methods, are identified as areas where Jacobian accuracy may be critical. The distinction between how Jacobian exactness impacts Rosenbrock and Newton–Krylov methods is demonstrated with a simple example. We demonstrate the errors in conservation obtained from over-specification of the state vector with auto-ignition calculations for hydrogen, ethylene, and n-heptane chemistry with a high-order implicit Runge–Kutta method.
TIME RESOLVED RAMAN STUDIES OF RADIATION PRODUCED RADICALS

The time resolved resonance Raman spectra of semiquinone and phenoxyl radicals produced by electron pulse radiolysis are obtained and analyzed. The kinetic behavior, spectral characteristics and nature of the resonant electronic transitions are briefly discussed.
The dsDNA packaging motor in bacteriophage ø29.

The tailed dsDNA bacteriophage o29 packages its 19.3-kb genome into a preassembled prolate icosahedral procapsid structure using a phage-encoded macromolecular motor. This process is remarkable considering that compaction of DNA to near crystalline densities within the confined space of the capsid requires that the motor work against considerable entropic, enthalpic, and DNA bending energies. The heart of the bacteriophage o29 packaging motor consists of three macromolecular components: the connector protein, an RNA molecule known as the pRNA, and an ATPase. The pRNA is thus far unique to o29, but the connector and ATPase are homologous to portal and terminase proteins, respectively, in other tailed dsDNA bacteriophages. Despite decades of effort and a wealth of genetic, biochemical, biophysical, structural, and single particle data, the mechanism of DNA packaging in bacteriophage o29 remains elusive. In this chapter, we describe the development of a highly efficient in vitro DNA packaging system for o29, review the data available for each individual macromolecular component in the packaging motor, and present and evaluate various packaging mechanisms that have been proposed to explain the available data.
Neural-based computer-aided diagnosis systems in breast cancer detection

This chapter describes some of the most important computer aided diagnosis (CAD) systems known in literature for breast cancer detection. A CAD system for microcalcifications analysis using gray-level image structure features and one for detection of clustered microcalcifications is described in the chapter. A CAD system for mass detection based on a convolution neural network and a modular neural network is also presented in the chapter. Although different classification approaches can be employed for breast cancer diagnosis, neural network techniques have proven to be superior compared to conventional methods. The nonlinear tumor nature and the architectural flexibility of neural networks make them extremely appealing for computer-aided mammographic image analysis and interpretation. Computer-aided methods for detecting clustered microcalcifications have been investigated using many different techniques. A statistical method for detection of microcalcifications is presented and a computer-based method is described in the chapter. Wavelet-based methods for microcalcification detection are described and Neural and fuzzy logic based approaches are proposed in the chapter. The difference between a convolutional neural network (CNN) and an ordinary neural network applied to image classification is that the CNN uses an image as an input instead of extracting relevant image features. Thus, the CNN is an adequate candidate for the classification of masses and normal tissue on mammograms.
Stopping of Low-Energy H + and He + Ions in Plastics

The stopping cross scctions of polystyrenes, polyethylene, and Pliolite S--5A for 40- to 340-kev H/sup +/ and He/sup +/ ions were measured. A nearly monoencrgetic analyzed beam of ions of known energy was deflected 90 in the field of a magnetic spectrometer. A thin film of the stopping material was placed in the beam path at thc spectrometer entrance. The energy loss of the beam was determined by measuring the decrease in magnetic field necessary to restore the beam to the 90 deflection angle. The film thickness was obtained by weighing a known area of film. The probable errors in the measurements are 2.3--2.8% for H/sup +/ and 3--4% for He/sup +/. Proton stopping cross-section measurements on gold with this equipment agree with the resuits obtained by Bader, Pixley, Mozers and Whaling. Above 75 kev the He/sup +/ cross sections vary linearly with the ion velocity. (auth)
Fabrication and Testing of Catalytic Aerogels Prepared Via Rapid Supercritical Extraction

Protocols for preparing and testing catalytic aerogels by incorporating metal species into silica and alumina aerogel platforms are presented. Three preparation methods are described: (a) the incorporation of metal salts into silica or alumina wet gels using an impregnation method; (b) the incorporation of metal salts into alumina wet gels using a co-precursor method; and (c) the addition of metal nanoparticles directly into a silica aerogel precursor mixture. The methods utilize a hydraulic hot press, which allows for rapid (<6 h) supercritical extraction and results in aerogels of low density (0.10 g/mL) and high surface area (200-800 m2/g). While the work presented here focuses on the use of copper salts and copper nanoparticles, the approach can be implemented using other metal salts and nanoparticles. A protocol for testing the three-way catalytic ability of these aerogels for automotive pollution mitigation is also presented. This technique uses custom-built equipment, the Union Catalytic Testbed (UCAT), in which a simulated exhaust mixture is passed over an aerogel sample at a controlled temperature and flow rate. The system is capable of measuring the ability of the catalytic aerogels, under both oxidizing and reducing conditions, to convert CO, NO and unburned hydrocarbons (HCs) to less harmful species (CO2, H2O and N2). Example catalytic results are presented for the aerogels described.
A Fast Photochemical Oxidation of Proteins (FPOP) platform for free-radical reactions: the carbonate radical anion with peptides and proteins.

Abstract Fast Photochemical Oxidation of Protein (FPOP), based on a pulsed KrF laser (248 nm) for free-radical generation, is a biophysical method that utilizes hydroxyl radicals to footprint proteins in solution. FPOP has been recognized for structural proteomics investigations, including epitope mapping, protein-aggregation characterization, protein-folding monitoring, and binding-affinity determination. The distinct merits of the platform are: i) the use of a scavenger to control radical lifetime and allow fast (“snapshot”) footprinting of solvent-accessible residues in a protein; ii) the employment of a flow system to enable single-shot irradiation of small plugs of the targeted sample; iii) the use of methionine and catalase after radical oxidation chemistry to prevent post-oxidation with residual oxidizing species; and iv) the utilization of mature mass spectrometry-based proteomic methods to afford detailed analysis. In addition to •OH, other reactive reagents (e.g., carbenes, iodide, sulfate radical anion, and trifluoromethyl radical) can be implemented on this platform to increase the versatility and scope. In this study, we further elaborate the use of FPOP platform to generate secondary radicals and establish a workflow to answer fundamental questions regarding the intrinsic selectivity and reactivity of radicals that are important in biology. Carbonate radical anion is the example we chose owing to its oxidative character and important putative pathogenic roles in inflammation. This systematic study with model proteins/peptides gives consistent results with a previous study that evaluated reactivity with free amino acids and shows that methionine and tryptophan are the most reactive residues with CO3-•. Other aromatic amino acids (i.e., tyrosine, histidine and phenylalanine) exhibit moderate reactivity, whereas, aliphatic amino acids are inert, unlike with •OH. The outcome demonstrates this approach to be appropriate for studying the fast reactions of radicals with proteins.
Intestinal lesions associated with triparanol. A clinical and experimental study.

A case is presented of acute malabsorption syndrome in a human being, with reversible mucosal changes in the jejunum which appeared to be secondary to the administration of triparanol (MER/29). No information was available as to the state of the ileal mucosa in this patient. Studies of rats given triparanol demonstrated lesions in the mucosa of the ileum which were similar to those seen in the jejunum of the patient. The lesions were reversible after withdrawal of triparanol. A reversible maturation defect might have been present in the epithelium of the small intestine in both the patient and the experimental animals. Alternatively, it is suggested that the increased exfoliation of epithelial cells might have been the cause. These findings were contrasted with those from other sources in studies of the cytodynamics of the intestinal mucosa in idiopathic steatorrhea.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of cytochrome P450 inhibitors for HIV treatment

Introduction: Drugs used in HIV treatment; all protease inhibitors, some non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and pharmacoenhancers ritonavir and cobicistat can inhibit cytochrome P450 ...
Upstaging papillary lesions to carcinoma on surgical excision is not impacted by patient race.

Background The management of papillary lesions is controversial with studies showing different rates of upstaging to malignancy. There is a paucity of research into race as an independent risk factor. The aim of this study is to identify if race is correlated with upstaging to malignancy with a secondary focus of analyzing for other personal and tumor specific risk factors for upstaging. Methods We performed a retrospective review of 123 papillary lesions with univariate analysis to identify risk factors for upstaging. Results The incidence of papillary lesions found on core needle biopsy was 6%. Atypical papillary lesions were most likely to be upstaged to malignancy at a rate of 27.7%. Papillary lesions and papillary lesions with hyperplasia were also upstaged to cancer at a lower rate of 8.3% and 12.5%, respectively. A univariate analysis of all papillary lesions and a separate analysis of atypical lesions demonstrated a higher likelihood of upstage based on BIRADS classification. Race, age, size of tumor and other radiographic features were not associated with an increased risk for upstaging to malignancy. Conclusions Atypia remains the most significant contributor to the risk of upstaging papillary lesions to malignancy. Our research supports the practice of excising all atypical papillary lesions with selected excision of those without atypia. In our cohort, there was no association between race and risk of upstaging to malignacy.
Extraction of the D^*D\pi coupling from D^* decays

The decays D^* -> D\pi and D^* -> D\gamma are well described by heavy meson chiral perturbation theory. With the recent measurement of Br(D^{*+} -> D^+ \gamma), the D^{*0}, D^{*+}, and D_s^* branching fractions can be used to extract the D^*D\pi and D^*D\gamma couplings $g$ and $\beta$. The D^* -> D\gamma decays receive important corrections at order $\sqrt{m_q}$ and, from the heavy quark magnetic moment, at order $1/m_c$. Here all the decay rates are computed to one-loop, to first order in $m_q$ and $1/m_c$, including the effect of heavy meson mass splittings, and the counterterms at order $m_q$. A fit to the experimental data gives two possible solutions, g=0.27^{+.04}_{-.02}^{+.05}_{-.02}, \beta=0.85^{+.2}_{-.1}^{+.3}_{-.1} GeV^{-1} or g=0.76^{+.03}_{-.03}^{+.2}_{-.1}, \beta=4.90^{+.3}_{-.3}^{+5.0}_{-.7} GeV^{-1}. The first errors are experimental, while the second are estimates of the uncertainty induced by the counterterms. (The experimental limit \Gamma_{D^{*+}} < 0.13 MeV excludes the $g=0.76$ solution.) Predictions for the D^* and B^* widths are given.
Fast Ion Conducting Nanocrystalline Alkaline Earth Fluorides Simply Prepared by Mixing or Manual Shaking.

Nanocrystalline phase-pure metal fluorides MF2 (M: Ca, Sr, Ba) are obtained by simple mixing or shaking of alkaline earth hydroxides with NH4F.