cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Compression molding simulation of chopped fiber reinforced polymeric composites in plate‐rib type geometry

A study on anisotropic material flow of polymeric composites in compression molding was conducted. Flow resistance and material anisotropy were measured by compression and tension tests to quantify the inhomogeneity of chopped fiber reinforced polymeric composites. The material was assumed to obey Hill's anisotropic yield criterion with its associated flow rule. An anisotropic finite element formulation was developed to simulate the material flow under various conditions. This two-dimensional model was applied to plane strain compression in a mold with plate-rib type geometry to substantiate the effect of fiber induced anisotropy. The predictions were compared with experimental results.
Description of a new genus, Auritibicen gen. nov., of Cryptotympanini Hemiptera: Cicadidae) with redescriptions of Auritibicen pekinensis (Haupt, 1924) comb. nov. and Auritibicen slocumi (Chen, 1943) comb. nov. from China and a key to the species of Auritibicen.

A new genus, Auritibicen gen. nov., is erected for the former members of Lyristes Horvath, 1926 (= Tibicen Latreille, 1825) from eastern Asia, designating Tibicen intermedia Mori, 1931 as the type species. Morphological comparisons are made among Auritibicen, Lyristes, and the American Tibicen species. Auritibicen pekinensis (Haupt, 1924) comb. nov. and Auritibicen slocumi (Chen, 1943) comb. nov. from China are redescribed. Morphological comparisons are made among closely related species, A. pekinensis, A. slocumi, Auritibicen intermedius (Mori, 1931) comb. nov., and Auritibicen kyushyuensis (Kato, 1926) comb. nov. A key to the species of the genus Auritibicen gen. nov. is provided.
Akt mediates sequestration of the β2-Adrenergic receptor in response to insulin

The counterregulation of catecholamine action by insulin includes insulin-stimulated sequestration of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor. Herein we examined the signaling downstream of insulin receptor activation, focusing upon the role of 1-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and the serine-threonine protein kinase Akt (also known as protein kinase B) in the internalization of beta(2)-adrenergic receptors. Inhibition of 1-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase by LY294002 blocks insulin-induced sequestration of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor, implicating Akt in downstream signaling to the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor. Phosphorylation studies of the C-terminal cytoplasmic domain of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor by Akt in vitro identified Ser(345) and Ser(346) within a consensus motif for Akt phosphorylation. Double mutation (i.e. S345A/S346A) within this motif abolishes insulin counterregulation of beta-adrenergic stimulation of cyclic AMP accumulation as well as insulin-stimulated sequestration. Furthermore, expression of constitutively activated Akt (T308D/S473D) mimics insulin action on cyclic AMP responses and beta(2)-adrenergic receptor internalization. Expression of the dominant-negative version of Akt (K179A/T308A/S473A), in contrast, abolishes both insulin counterregulation of the cyclic AMP response as well as insulin-stimulated sequestration of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor. The action of the serine-threonine protein kinase Akt in insulin counterregulation mirrors the central role of protein kinase A in beta-agonist-induced desensitization.
Imprecision of urinary iothalamate clearance as a gold-standard measure of GFR decreases the diagnostic accuracy of kidney function estimating equations.

Background Evaluating the accuracy of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) derived from serum creatinine (SCr) and serum cystatin C (SCysC) equations requires gold-standard measures of GFR. However, the influence of imprecise measured GFRs (mGFRs) on estimates of equation error is unknown. Study Design Diagnostic test study. Setting & Participants 1,995 participants from the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) Study and African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK) with at least 2 baseline mGFRs from iodine 125–iothalamate urinary clearances, 1 standardized SCr value, and 1 SCysC value. Index Tests eGFRs calculated using the 4-variable isotope-dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS)-traceable MDRD Study equation, the Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) SCysC equation, the CKD-EPI SCr-SCysC equation, and mGFRs collected from another prerandomization visit. Reference Tests A single reference mGFR, average of 2, and average of 3 mGFRs; additional analysis limited to consistent mGFRs (difference ≤25% from reference mGFR). Results We found that mGFRs had stable mean values, but substantial variability across visits. Of all mGFRs collected a mean of 62 days apart from the reference visit, 8.0% were outside 30% of the single reference mGFR (1 − P 30 ). Estimation equations were less accurate because 12.1%, 17.1%, and 8.3% of eGFRs from the MDRD Study, CKD-EPI SCysC, and CKD-EPI SCr-SCysC equations were outside 30% of the same gold standard (1 − P 30 ). However, improving the precision of the reference test from a single mGFR to the average of 3 consistent mGFRs decreased these error estimates (1 − P 30 ) to 8.0%, 12.5%, and 3.9%, respectively. Limitations Study population limited to those with CKD. Conclusions Imprecision in gold-standard measures of GFR contribute to an appreciable proportion of the cases in which eGFR and mGFR differ by >30%. Reducing and quantifying errors in gold-standard measurements of GFR is critical to fully estimating the accuracy of GFR estimates.
Robust two-time scale control system design for reactive Ion etching system

The problem of designing a robust controller to solve a tracking control problem for improving plasma characteristics in Reactive Ion Etching Systam is studied. The presented design methodology is based on the construction of a two-time scale motions of the closed-loop system. It has been shown that a sufficiently small perturbation parameter associated with the dynamical controller consisting of high order derivatives of the output signal, induces a two time-scale separation of the fast and slow modes in the closed-loop system. Stability conditions imposed on the fast and slow models can ensure that the full-order closed-loop system achieves the desired properties so that the output transient performances are insensitive to parameter variations and external disturbances.
Test economics for multi-site test with modern cost reduction techniques

Test approaches that can be combined with multisite, like reduced pin-count test, low channel cost ATE, and bandwidth matching, are becoming pervasive. Yet their economic benefits, the tradeoffs, and the long-term scalability of their benefits during technology progress, are not well understood In this paper the benefits and tradeoffs will be analyzed using technical cost modeling. The dependency of the benefits on the application are analyzed by modeling the test cost for 4 different applications. It is shown that the mentioned test approaches can result in a significant and scalable reduction of the Cost of Test.
The Procurement Woes Revisited

The set of people who are frustrated every day by badly designed information technology is very large. So is the set of people whose dollars pay for the badly designed technology. A conservative estimate ranges in the billions for the cost of large-scale information systems that end up collecting dust because they're not properly human-centered. Yes, billions and still counting-that's the scary part. Within this large set of frustrated customers (see the sidebar "When Systems Development Neglects Human Considerations") is a subset whose job it is to do something about this situation. That subset includes policymakers, program managers, and systems engineers. It also includes a sub-subset comprising cognitive systems engineers, ethnographers, and many others who, in one vernacular or another, advocate human-centered computing. We must show that intelligent technologies-those designed to interact with humans or play a role in the cognitive work conducted in sociotechnical work systems-are usable, useful, and understandable.
Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte Chemotactic Activity in Rabbit Serum and Guinea Pig Serum Treated with Immune Complexes: Evidence for C5a as the Major Chemotactic Factor

A number of polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) chemotactic factors derived from complement components have been described. We sought to determine which of these factors accounted for the majority of PMN chemotactic activity in rabbit serum and guinea pig serum treated with preformed immune complexes. Normal rabbit sera, guinea pig sera, or rabbit sera deficient in C6 were treated with homologous antibovine serum-albumin-bovine serum-albumin complexes. Sera so treated contained one major PMN chemotactic factor which was heat-stable (56 C for 30 min), had a molecular weight of approximately 15,000, and did not require the presence of C6 for its generation. This factor appears to be analogous to C5a.
Electrophysiological Imaging of Brain Activity and Connectivity—Challenges and Opportunities

Unlocking the dynamic inner workings of the brain continues to remain a grand challenge of the 21st century. To this end, functional neuroimaging modalities represent an outstanding approach to better understand the mechanisms of both normal and abnormal brain functions. The ability to image brain function with ever increasing spatial and temporal resolution has made a significant leap over the past several decades. Further delineation of functional networks could lead to improved understanding of brain function in both normal and diseased states. This paper reviews recent advancements and current challenges in dynamic functional neuroimaging techniques, including electrophysiological source imaging, multimodal neuroimaging integrating fMRI with EEG/MEG, and functional connectivity imaging.
Fast 3D contrast enhanced MRI of the liver using temporal resolution acceleration with constrained evolution reconstruction

Time-resolved imaging is crucial for the accurate diagnosis of liver lesions. Current contrast enhanced liver magnetic resonance imaging acquires a few phases in sequential breathholds. The image quality is susceptible to bolus timing errors, which could result in missing the critical arterial phase. This impairs the detection of malignant tumors that are supplied primarily by the hepatic artery. In addition, the temporal resolution may be too low to reliably separate the arterial phase from the portal venous phase. In this study, a method called temporal resolution acceleration with constrained evolution reconstruction was developed with three-dimensional volume coverage and high-temporal frame rate. Data is acquired using a stack of spirals sampling trajectory combined with a golden ratio view order using an eight-channel coil array. Temporal frames are reconstructed from vastly undersampled data sets using a nonlinear inverse algorithm assuming that the temporal changes are small at short time intervals. Numerical and phantom experimental validation is presented. Preliminary in vivo results demonstrated high spatial resolution dynamic threedimensional images of the whole liver with high frame rates, from which numerous subarterial phases could be easily identified retrospectively. Magn Reson Med 69:370–381, 2013. V C 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Subgroup Algorithm for Generating Uniform Random Variables

We suggest a simple algorithm for Monte Carlo generation of uniformly distributed variables on a compact group. Example include random permutations, Rubik's cube positions, orthogonal, unitary, and symplectic matrices, and elements of GLn over a finite field. the algorithm reduces to the “standard” fast algorithm when there is one, but many new example are included.
Kant's Concepts of Justification

Epistemologists surveying the literature on “Kant’s epistemology” often feel at sea. Even bracketing differences in terminology and emphasis, Kant’s writing about knowledge can seem foreign to the contemporary discussion in a way that, for instance, Hume’s or Reid’s does not. Those working in Kant’s epistemology, on the other hand, dissect with great care his arguments about space and time as the forms of intuition, the deductions of the categories, the structure of the antinomies, the prohibition on knowledge of things-inthemselves, and so forth. But none of these topics bears any obvious relation to what goes on in much contemporary epistemology. The main exception, perhaps, is the literature on the Refutation of Idealism: there we find an attempt on the part of commentators to articulate Kant’s anti-skeptical argument in a way that contemporary epistemologists will appreciate. Typically, however, the conclusion is that Kant’s argument is a miserable failure when judged by contemporary standards or successful only insofar as it is bound up with Kant’s other views and thus of less interest to the general philosophical public. In this paper I want to discuss a neglected portion of Kant’s epistemology that, by contrast, does connect directly to topics of great interest in contemporary thinking about knowledge, and does not rely on any peculiarly Kantian doctrines. I will also suggest, however, that understanding this portion of the critical philosophy can be very useful for those interested in the finer details of Kantian exotica. The portion of Kant’s epistemology that I have in mind is his theory of justification, where by “justification” I mean the evaluative concept that specifies conditions under which a propositional attitude is rationally acceptable with a moderate-to-high degree of confidence. Kant employs bothepistemic
Spices and tourism: destinations, attractions and cuisines

Spices and tourism: Destinations, attractions and cuisines, edited by Lee Jolliffe, took a potentially interesting topic and minimized its appeal. The book is organized into three sections: destina...
The specificity of retinotectal connections studied by retinal grafts onto the optic tectum in chick embryos

Abstract Pieces of retina from known quadrants of 4-day chick embryo eyes were grafted onto the surface of the optic tectum of 6- or 7-day embryos (the contralateral eye of the hosts having been excised in an earlier operation to prevent the normal complement of optic fibers from reaching the tectum). The embryos with grafts were incubated 5 days, then prepared for histological study. Examination of serial sections stained with Protargol revealed that the retinal grafts had differentiated normally and produced fibers which passed onto the surface of the tectum as a single bundle, or as parallel fascicles. These coursed for varying distances on the surface membrane above the tectum, ending in many cases by piercing the membrane and entering the superficial tectal layers. The location of the graft on the tectal surface and the course and length of the fiber bundles were recorded, and the results grouped according to the quadrant of origin of the retinal graft. Fibers from a particular quadrant of retina preferentially grew toward specific areas of the tectum (dorsal retina to lateroventral tectum; ventral retina to dorsal tectum; nasal retina to posterodorsal tectum; temporal retina to anterodorsal tectum). These findings correlated with the known retinotopic distribution of normal optic fiber projections onto the tectum. Possible mechanisms mediating the specific guidance of fibers are discussed.
Should Consumer Citizens Escape the Market

This article uses a sociological perspective to question the validity of critiques of consumer culture. First, the author examines the debate over whether consumers possess true freedom of action, reviewing problems critics find in the notion of “agency.” Second, the author proposes that anticonsumption ideology is class-based, anachronistic, and sometimes confuses consumption with materiality. Third, the author examines what it may mean to “escape” from consumerism, using an example from a marginalized African community deprived of the means of consumption. The notions of “the market” and “marketing” are reviewed as institutions and practices with ancient roots that assume varying forms in different cultural contexts rather than as sources of pathology. Finally, the author suggests that marketing and consumerism may be enlisted for the practice of citizenship and engagement in progressive political action.
Real-time wavelet transform in an electric ship simulation

Transient disturbances in the electrical system of an electric ship can come from multiple sources, and may have complex interactions. The use of wavelet transforms may provide an improved method of detection for non-continuous electrical events, but wavelet transforms can be limited in their real-time application. This paper describes the implementation of a real-time wavelet transform in parallel on an FPGA, with a coupled electric ship simulation on a Real-Time Digital Simulator, for the purpose of transient disturbance recognition.
Performance characterization of the Pentium Pro processor

In this paper, we characterize the performance of several business and technical benchmarks on a Pentium Pro processor based system. Various architectural data are collected using a performance monitoring counter tool. Results show that the Pentium Pro processor achieves significantly lower cycles per instruction than the Pentium processor due to its out of order and speculative execution, and non-blocking cache and memory system. Its higher clock frequency also contributes to even higher performance.
Classification of gene expression data using PCA-based fault detection and identification

This paper introduces a simple and robust method for the classification of significantly expressed genes in high throughput microarray measurements of a cellpsilas transcriptome. The technique has its origins in PCA-based fault detection and isolation (FDI) systems engineering. PCA-FDI is a data-driven procedure that can be used to isolate gene expression profiles associated with anomalous cell function by projecting target assays onto a dasiaresidualpsila subspace orthogonal to a set of PCA coordinates extracted from microarray data collected under normative cell conditions. The method is robust to noise and disturbances, and is insensitive to natural variation due to nominal cell functioning. The approach is demonstrated on a sequence of simulated gene regulatory net work (GRN) time-series expression profiles.
Characterization of selenium and sulfur accumulation across the genus Stanleya (Brassicaceae): A field survey and common-garden experiment

UNLABELLED • PREMISE OF STUDY Selenium (Se) hyperaccumulation, the capacity to concentrate the toxic element Se above 1000 mg·kg(-1)·dry mass, is found in relatively few taxa native to seleniferous soils. While Se hyperaccumulation has been shown to likely be an adaptation that protects plants from herbivory, its evolutionary history remains unstudied. Stanleya (Brassicaceae) is a small genus comprising seven species endemic to the western United States. Stanleya pinnata is a hyperaccumulator of selenium (Se). In this study we investigated to what extent other Stanleya taxa accumulate Se both in the field and a greenhouse setting on seleniferous soil.• METHODS We collected multiple populations of six of the seven species and all four varieties of S. pinnata We tested leaves, fruit, and soil for in situ Se and sulfur (S) concentrations. The seeds collected in the field were used for a common garden study in a greenhouse.• KEY RESULTS We found that S. pinnata var. pinnata is the only hyperaccumulator of Se. Within S. pinnata var. pinnata, we found a geographic pattern related to Se hyperaccumulation where the highest accumulating populations are found on the eastern side of the continental divide. We also found differences in genome size within the S. pinnata species complex.• CONCLUSIONS The S. pinnata species complex has a range of physiological properties making it an attractive system to study the evolution of Se hyperaccumulation. Beyond the basic scientific value of understanding the evolution of this fascinating trait, we can potentially use S. pinnata or its genes for environmental cleanup and/or nutrient-enhanced dietary material.
A local-global principle for power maps

Let f be a function from the set of rational numbers into itself. We call f a global power map if f(n) = n^k for some integer exponent k. We call f a local power map at the prime number p if f induces a well-defined group homomorphism on the multiplicative group of integers modulo p. We conjecture that if f is a local power map at an infinite number of primes p, then f must be a global power map. Our main theorem implies that if f is a local power map at every prime p in a set with positive upper density relative to the set of all primes, then f must be a global power map. In particular, this represents progress towards a conjecture of Fabrykowski and Subbarao.
CP-nets: From Theory to Practice

Conditional preference networks CP-nets have been proposed for modeling and reasoning about combinatorial decision domains. However, the study of CP-nets has not advanced sufficiently for their widespread use in complex, real-world applications. My research involves addressing these issues to make CP-nets more useful in such settings.
The Role of Vascular Smooth Muscle Phenotype in Coronary Artery Disease

Abstract Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) retain phenotypic plasticity and are able to switch from the contractile phenotype, which they assume in normal, adult blood vessels, to a synthetic and proliferative phenotype in response to a variety of environmental stimuli including growth factors, cytokines, neurohormones, changes in blood flow patterns, and cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions. As such VSMC phenotype switching has profound effect on structure and function of coronary arteries, is associated with risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD), and plays a major role in all common forms of CAD, including atherosclerosis, restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), as well as in impaired arteriogenesis, an adaptive response to myocardial ischemia. In this chapter, specifics of the mechanisms of VSMC phenotype regulation in these manifestations of CAD are discussed.
Non-Invasive Optical Detection of Functionally-Stimulated Neural Activity in the limulus Compound Eye

Recent studies have indicated the potential of phase-sensitive interferometry to non-invasively detect transient structural changes that accompany action potential propagation. We present a demonstration of optical detection of functionally-stimulated activity in the limulus compound eye.
The Growth and Viability of Streptococci of Bovine and Human Origin in Milk and Milk Products

While investigations were being made in connection with the epidemics of sore throat in Chicago, in Batavia, Ill., and in Jacksonville, Ill., questions were often asked whether cream, sour milk, buttermilk, ice-cream, butter and cheese were concerned in the transmission of the infecting streptococci. Since these questions have not been carefully studied it was thought worth while to make some observations bearing on them.
Tactics and construction of the informatization of provincial-level disease control and prevention centers

The informatization of disease control and prevention system is an important part of our country's construction of health informatization and a significantly technological guarantee and support for promoting health care reform. This paper reviews the situation of the informatization of disease prevention system over the past 5 years in Tianjin and in the whole country, takes the informatization of disease prevention and control system in Tianjin as example, analyzes the requirements of provincial centers of disease control and prevention under the background of health care reform, and beginning with the key technology, presents the target and framework applying to the new requirements of new task in the new era.
A Study on the Optimal Operation Control of Pumping Wells

The parameters of pumping well will shift along with the oil pumping,which causes the load rate and system efficiency of the pumping well to be low and pumping parameters not to match the operation conditions well increasingly.In fact,we can determine and adjust the working conditions of pumping well through intelligent control and optimimal running,make the pumping unit upgrate and improve its energy efficiency.
Simultaneous ectopic pregnancy with intrauterine twin gestations after in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer

A simultaneous ectopic tubal pregnancy with viable intrauterine twin gestations after IVF-ET of five fertilized eggs is presented. Pelvic ultrasound and serial quantitative hCG levels were not helpful in the diagnosis of the tubal pregnancy. The risk of multiple pregnancies and of concomitant intrauterine and extrauterine gestations increases with transfer of a greater number of embryos. Karyotype of the tubal pregnancy was normal (46,XX).
Effect of Dose on Intra-Articular Amikacin Sulfate Concentrations Following Intravenous Regional Limb Perfusion in Horses.

Objective To compare synovial concentrations of amikacin following intravenous regional limb perfusion (IVRLP) with two different doses, and to compare their ability to reach target concentrations for bacterial isolates from common orthopedic conditions. Study Design Randomized crossover experiment. Animals Six adult horses. Methods Horses received IVRLP with 2 and 3 g of amikacin in the cephalic vein of alternate limbs (20 minutes tourniquet application and ≥14 days washout period). Amikacin concentrations were quantified in synovial fluid collected from the middle carpal and metacarpophalangeal joints at 25 minutes, and 24, 36, and 48 hours after IVRLP. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were determined from equine bacterial isolates and ability to reach target amikacin concentrations were compared. Results Overall, middle carpal joint amikacin concentrations were higher following IVRLP with 3 g amikacin compared to 2 g (P=.031), with significant differences at 25 minutes (P=.002) and 24 hours (P=.021). No differences were observed between doses in the metacarpophalangeal joint (P=.267). Target amikacin concentrations for Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci were achieved in middle carpal and metacarpophalangeal joints at 25 minutes with both dosages and for Escherichia coli and Actinobacillus spp. in the middle carpal joint at 25 minutes with 3 g. Target concentrations were not achieved for Enterococcus spp, Pseudomonas spp, or Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus. Conclusion A 3 g amikacin dose is not justified in the majority of distal limb injuries, but should be reserved for isolates with an MIC higher than that achievable with a 2 g dose. Daily IVRLP may be necessary based on our results.
Smoothing Techniques for the Solution of Finite and Semi-Infinite Min-Max-Min Problems

Semi-infinite optimization problems with max-min cost or constraint functions, such as P: minx∈IR n maxy∈Y min z∈Z o (x, y, z), occur in several important areas of engineering design, as well as in economics. These problems are particularly difficult, partly because of the concatenation of max and min operators, and partly because functions of the form max y∈Y minz∈Z o (x, y, z) may fail to have directional derivatives even when o (x, y, z) is smooth. As a result, the literature dealing rigorously with their solution is very small. First we develop a first-order optimality function θ(.) for such problems. Then we show that one can use an adaptive smoothing technique to construct a sequence of finite min-max problems, of the form P N : minx∈IR nmaxy∈YN ω N (x, y), which, together with their optimality functions θ N (.) are consistent approximations to the the original pair (P, θ). This fact opens up the possibility of solving minmax-min problems using a master algorithm that calls min-max algorithms as subroutines.
Large-Scale Structure and Hyperuniformity of Amorphous Ices

We investigate the large-scale structure of amorphous ices and transitions between their different forms by quantifying their large-scale density fluctuations. Specifically, we simulate the isothermal compression of low-density amorphous ice (LDA) and hexagonal ice to produce high-density amorphous ice (HDA). Both HDA and LDA are nearly hyperuniform; i.e., they are characterized by an anomalous suppression of large-scale density fluctuations. By contrast, in correspondence with the nonequilibrium phase transitions to HDA, the presence of structural heterogeneities strongly suppresses the hyperuniformity and the system becomes hyposurficial (devoid of "surface-area fluctuations"). Our investigation challenges the largely accepted "frozen-liquid" picture, which views glasses as structurally arrested liquids. Beyond implications for water, our findings enrich our understanding of pressure-induced structural transformations in glasses.
Principles of Microdynamics

In the previous chapters, I develop 29 highly abstract theoretical principles that, I believe, will help explain much of what occurs in the micro realm of social reality. As is evident, I have consistently introduced the properties of the meso and macro realms into these principles on microdynamics; and so, many of the linkages among the three realms of reality are specified theoretically, although these principles on linkages among realms of reality will remain incomplete without reference to the additional principles Vols. 1 and 3 of Theoretical Principles of Sociology. Together, the three volumes provide a robust theory of the dynamics of human interaction and organization that add­resses the long-problematic issue of the linkages among levels of social reality.
Defining curricular priorities for student-as-teacher programs: A National Delphi Study.

Background: “Student-as-Teacher” (SaT) programs have been growing in number to prepare medical students for their teaching roles in residency and beyond, but it remains unknown what content areas s...
Peritoneal Metastases from Colon Cancer

PET/MR imaging is excellent at detecting peritoneal spread of malignant cells. It provides anatomical and metabolic information simultaneously allowing for the identification of malignant deposits, even in areas that might be obscured by overlying bowel.
Visual Fields: Fluctuation and Progression

The primary obstacle in detecting whether or not a glaucoma patient’s visual field loss is progressing is to separate true progression from changes due to variability or fluctuation between tests. Fluctuation is defined as the variability in the response to the same stimulus that is not related to true disease progression. As visual field testing is a subjective examination, variable responses may be obtained each time the test is performed (long-term fluctuation) or even during the same test (short-term fluctuation). This variability has been the biggest drawback of visual field assessment, as variability can greatly confound interpretation of change. Fluctuation varies among patients and among sectors in the same visual field, and usually it increases with severity of disease. To detect true progression, we need to evaluate whether the observed change exceeds the expected fluctuation for a particular area. Many strategies have been developed to deal with this issue and will be reviewed in this chapter.
Historic Role of Forests in the Global Carbon Cycle

The amount of carbon held in the world’s forests has varied over time as a result of changes in both climate and human activity. Climatic changes associated with the advance and retreat of glaciers may have reduced and enhanced terrestrial carbon storage by 300–1000 PgC over a few thousand years. Growth of settled agriculture over the last 10,000 years may have reduced terrestrial carbon storage by 250–350 PgC. Neither change is well known, either in magnitude or rate. Before 1850 the long-term reductions in carbon storage attributable to humans probably had a small effect on atmospheric CO2 because ancient civilizations grew and declined asynchronously, and thus the rate at which carbon was released to the atmosphere from conversion of forests to agricultural lands was slow relative to the rate at which the oceans could absorb CO2.
GENETIC AND POST-TRANSLATIONAL MECHANISMS DETERMINING HUMAN AMYLASE ISOZYME HETEROGENEITY

ABSTRACT . Human α-amylase expressions in tissue and secretion sources yield complex phenotypes when subjected to discontinuous polyacrylamide sheet electrophoresis. Two loci, Amy j active in the salivary glands and Amy 2 active in the pancreas, produce different electrophoretic phenotypes. Genetic studies show Mendelian segregation of the multiple alleles at each locus; however, studies involving double heterozygotes show that the two loci are closely linked with the variant alleles being either in coupling or repulsion. Population data showing the distributions of the Amy 1 and Amy 2 phenotypes are also presented. In addition to genetic studies, biochemical separation of amylase isozymes and a modified electrophoretic system have allowed further resolution of amylase phenotypes. Data are presented demonstrating that the complex isozyme patterns are the result of post-translational modifications: glycosidation and deamidation, both occurring in the expression of salivary phenotypes and deamidation in pancreatic phenotypes. Salivary and pancreatic amylases were also compared in immunologic analyses employing double diffusion and found to be immunologically indistinguishable. We have combined this observation with the conclusion that the two loci are closely linked and advance the hypothesis that the loci are the result of a duplication.
Some Non-smooth Dynamical Systems in Offshore Mechanics

Examples of vibro-impact mechanical and structural systems in the field of offshore engineering are not uncommon. Various buoyant systems incorporating mooring lines, tethers, rigid bodies, and risers are used for a wide spectrum of purposes, and they often exhibit non-smooth behavior when a characteristic changes abruptly, e.g., when a floating body contacts a rigid harbor, or a slack mooring line becomes taut. However, they present interesting challenges to the analyst and designer trying to predict both their static and dynamic behavior. The environmental conditions in a typical offshore situation naturally lead to stochastic effects, but even in a relatively simple deterministic context, the behavior can still be complicated and somewhat unpredictable. This paper considers two examples drawn from applications in offshore engineering in which a system characteristic (typically stiffness) undergoes a sudden change. They are the motion of a buoyant object restrained by cables, and the rocking of a container on a moving vessel. The primary focus of this paper is to consider relatively simple models, especially the subtle issue of accurately capturing the discrete change in stiffness, and to show the potential for complicated (highly erratic) dynamic behavior. Careful numerical simulation is the primary method of analysis.
Impaired Exercise Tolerance in Heart Failure: Role of Skeletal Muscle Morphology and Function

To discuss the impact of deleterious changes in skeletal muscle morphology and function on exercise intolerance in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), as well as the utility of exercise training and the potential of novel treatment strategies to preserve or improve skeletal muscle morphology and function. Both HFrEF and HFpEF patients exhibit a reduction in percent of type I (oxidative) muscle fibers and oxidative enzymes coupled with abnormal mitochondrial respiration. These skeletal muscle abnormalities contribute to impaired oxidative metabolism with an earlier shift towards glycolytic metabolism during exercise that is strongly associated with exercise intolerance. In both HFrEF and HFpEF patients, peripheral “non-cardiac” factors are important determinants of the improvement in exercise tolerance following aerobic exercise training. Adjunctive strategies that include nutritional supplementation with amino acids and/or anabolic drugs to stimulate anabolic molecular pathways in skeletal muscle show great promise for improving exercise tolerance and treating heart failure-associated sarcopenia, but these efforts remain early in their evolution, with no immediate clinical applications. There is consistent evidence that heart failure is associated with multiple skeletal muscle abnormalities which impair oxygen uptake and utilization and contribute greatly to exercise intolerance. Exercise training induces favorable adaptations in skeletal muscle morphology and function that contribute to improvements in exercise tolerance in patients with HFrEF. The contribution of skeletal muscle adaptations to improved exercise tolerance following exercise training in HFpEF remains unknown and warrants further investigation.
Para no incomodar

Vengo preguntandome desde hace anos por que nos incomoda tanto la delincuencia juvenil. Y me detengo a pensar si tal malestar social sera una respuesta al incremento de actos delictivos juveniles, o quiza nuestra frustracion por la infructuosa contencion social y legal de esos actos, o si sera mas bien una genuina preocupacion por los jovenes mismos. Nuestra incomodidad parece estar basada en la opinion reactiva y apresurada de los actos delictivos juveniles, mas que en un analisis profundo de la raiz de esos actos que conllevaria un acercamiento a sus historias de vida, un conocimiento mas amplio de sus familias, sus contextos sociales y culturales, y sus caracteristicas personales. Por supuesto que tal acercamiento nos llevaria a comprometer nuestra tolerancia social, nuestros metodos de entender y abordar la delincuencia juvenil como un producto de la sociedad y a asumir una solucion mas alla de una reparticion de culpas y condenas. Por supuesto que tal humanizacion de la delincuencia vendria a desafiar valores arraigados en la meritocracia sin memoria social, en la mirada indiferente de la familia, del maestro, de la iglesia, del profesional, del gobierno y otras entidades. Por supuesto que entender la delincuencia desde el nino/a o joven infractor incomodaria de mas nuestra costumbre de ser indiferentes a las necesidades de otros grupos sociales.
A year in the life of a parallel file system

I/O performance is a critical aspect of data-intensive scientific computing. We seek to advance the state of the practice in understanding and diagnosing I/O performance issues through investigation of a comprehensive I/O performance data set that captures a full year of production storage activity at two leadership-scale computing facilities. We demonstrate techniques to identify regions of interest, perform focused investigations of both long-term trends and transient anomalies, and uncover the contributing factors that lead to performance fluctuation. We find that a year in the life of a parallel file system is comprised of distinct regions of long-term performance variation in addition to short-term performance transients. We demonstrate how systematic identification of these performance regions, combined with comprehensive analysis, allows us to isolate the factors contributing to different performance maladies at different time scales. From this, we present specific lessons learned and important considerations for HPC storage practitioners.
Psychiatric Disorders and Alcohol Consumption Among Low-Income African Americans:Gender Differences

Background: Although cooccurrence of nonsubstance use disorders (non-SUDs) and substance use is well-established in the literature, most of what we know in this regard is derived from studies that have recruited predominantly White sample populations. As a result, there is a gap in knowledge on this link among low-income African Americans (AAs). There is also a need to understand how low-income AA men and women differ in these associations. Objective: To study whether there is an association between number of non-SUDs and amount of alcohol consumption by AA adults, and whether this association varies between AA men and women. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited a nonrandom sample of 150 AA adults with non-SUDs (i.e., major depression, bipolar disorders, obsessive–compulsive disorder, paranoid disorder, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and schizoaffective disorder). The independent variable was the number of non-SUDs. The dependent variable was the amount of alcohol consumption. Age, socioeconomic status (educational attainment and household income), and self-rated health were covariates. Gender was the moderator. Linear regression models were used to analyze the data. Results: A higher number of non-SUDs was not associated with a higher amount of alcohol use in the pooled sample of AA adults. We, however, found a significant interaction between gender and number of non-SUDs on the amount of alcohol use, suggesting a stronger effect of non-SUDs on alcohol consumption in AA men than in AA women. Gender-stratified linear regression models showed a positive association between number of non-SUDs and amount of alcohol consumption in AA men but not in AA women. Conclusion: Non-SUDs impact alcohol use of AA men but not women. Future research should test whether AA men may have a higher tendency to turn to alcohol to regulate their emotions and cope with psychological pain due to multiple non-SUDs. The results also suggest that integration of services for SUDs and non-SUDs may be more relevant to provision of mental health services for AA men than AA women.
Improving DOT reconstruction with a Born iterative method and US-guided sparse regularization.

Ultrasound (US)-guided diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is a promising low-cost imaging technique for diagnosis and assessment of breast cancer. US-guided DOT is best implemented in reflection geometry, which can be co-registered with US pulse-echo imaging and also minimizes the tissue depth for adequate light penetration. However, due to intense light scattering, the DOT reconstruction problem is ill-posed. In this communication, we describe a new non-linear Born iterative reconstruction method with US-guided depth-dependent l1 sparse regularization for improving DOT reconstruction by incorporating a priori lesion depth and shape information from the co-registered US image. Our method iteratively solves the inverse problem by updating the photon-density wave using the finite difference method, computing the weight matrix based on Born approximation, and reconstructing the absorption map using the fast iterative shrinkage-thresholding optimization algorithm (FISTA). We validate our method using both phantom and patient data and compare the results with those using the first order linear Born method. Phantom experiments demonstrate that the non-linear Born method provides more accurate target absorption reconstruction and better resolution than the linear Born method. Clinical studies on 20 patients show that non-linear Born reconstructs more realistic tumor shapes than linear Born, and improves the malignant-to-benign lesion contrast ratio from 2.73 to 3.07, which is a 12.5% improvement. For lesions approximately more than 2.0 cm in diameter, the average malignant-to-benign lesion contrast ratio is increased from 2.68 to 3.31, which is a 23.5% improvement.
Clinical Management of Pharmacokinetic Drug Interactions with Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs)

Compared with warfarin, the direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOAC) have fewer pharmacokinetic drug interactions. However, significant drug interactions do exist with documented changes in DOAC concentrations, which can exceed 100%. Unlike warfarin, DOACs have no validated surrogate test to monitor the intensity of anticoagulation. However, several analyses of major outcomes trials with DOACs have demonstrated that serum concentrations do affect both the thrombotic benefits and the hemorrhagic risks of these agents. This paper reviews the known significant pharmacokinetic interactions with DOACs and includes considerations for their use in the presence of interacting medications.
Newborn Health: Resources for New Mothers: A Webliography

New mothers have unique health information needs and behaviors. They may be overwhelmed or feel pressure from family, society, and self. At any time they may have only one hand free to scroll throu...
229 Genetic heterogeneity of ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors

Objectives Sertoli-Leydig and granulosa cell tumors are sex cord-stromal tumors of the ovary that primarily impact young women. Adult-type granulosa cell tumors (aGCTs) are characterized by pathognomonic somatic FOXL2 mutations, whilst 30–60% of Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors (SLCTs) harbor DICER1 mutations. A comprehensive assessment of the repertoire of genomic alterations of sex cord-stromal tumors has yet to be performed. Methods Primary SLCTs (n=2), juvenile (j)GCTs (n=2) and a primary and matched mixed SLCT/aGCT recurrence (n=2) were subjected to whole-exome sequencing. Somatic mutations and copy number alterations were defined using state-of-the-art bioinformatics algorithms. Results Ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors displayed a low mutational burden, with a median of 22 (range 13–82) somatic mutations. Mutational analysis revealed the presence of a DICER1 p.R293lfs*4 frameshift mutation in the pure SLCT. A FOXL2 p.C134W hotpot mutation was identified in the primary and recurrent mixed SLCT/aGCT; in addition, LAMA5, ZNF837, and HCFC1 missense mutations and an UBR2 splice-site mutation were present only in the mixed recurrence but absent in the primary mixed SLCT/aGCT. Neither of the two jGCTs harbored FOXL2 or DICER1 mutations, and none of the identified somatic mutations and copy number alterations were shared between the two jGCTs. jGCT1 harbored GATA4 p.L281M/Q missense mutations and copy number gains of chromosomes 4 and 8, whereas jGCT2 displayed a TOPAZ1 p.K335R missense mutation and chromosome 12 and 18 gains. Conclusions Sex cord-stromal tumors are a genetically heterogeneous group of rare ovarian neoplasms. Larger studies to assess whether jGCTs harbor recurrent genetic/epigenetic alterations are warranted.
Renal Nerve Deafferentation Attenuates the Fall in GFR during Intravenous Infusion of Furosemide in Anesthetized Rats.

INTRODUCTION Furosemide reduces the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and increases the renal vascular resistance (RVR) despite inhibiting tubuloglomerular feedback but increases proximal tubule pressure, renin release, and renal nerve activity. OBJECTIVE This study tested the hypothesis that the fall in GFR with furosemide is due to volume depletion or activation of angiotensin type 1 (AT1) receptors or renal nerves. METHODS Furosemide was infused for 60 min at 1.0 mg·kg-1·h-1 in groups of 5-8 anesthetized rats. Additional groups received intravenous volume replacement to prevent fluid and Na+ losses or volume replacement plus losartan or plus sham denervation or plus renal denervation or renal nerve deafferentation. RESULTS At 60 min of infusion, furosemide alone reduced the GFR (-37 ± 4%; p < 0.01). This fall was not prevented by volume replacement or pretreatment with losartan, although losartan moderated the increase in RVR with furosemide (+44 ± 3 vs. +82 ± 7%; p < 0.01). Whereas the GFR fell after furosemide in rats after sham procedure (-31 ± 2%), it was not changed significantly after prior renal deafferentation. Proximal tubule pressure increased significantly but returned towards baseline over 60 min of furosemide, while urine output remained elevated, and GFR and renal blood flow depressed. CONCLUSIONS The fall in GFR over 60 min of furosemide infusion is independent of volume depletion or activation of AT1 receptors but is largely dependent on renal afferent nerves.