cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Response of breast cancer cells to exogenous sphingoid bases is altered in 3D culture

3060 Bioactive sphingolipid metabolites that regulate cell growth and death in vitro are also are generated in vivo from orally administered complex sphingolipids. Recent studies in our lab show a suppression of breast xenograft growth and progression in groups fed diets with sphingolipid supplements. The mechanisms of this suppression are not known. In the present study, the effect of exogenous natural and synthetic sphingoid bases on breast cancer cells that responded to sphingolipids in vivo, MCF10AT1 and MCF7, were determined in cells growing as monolayers and cells growing as 3-D spheroids in matrigel. Our results show that non-toxic concentrations of exogenous sphingoid bases increased the doubling time of the cells growing as monolayers without inducing cell death while the more normal cell line MCF10A was less affected. However, the same concentrations increased the rate of cell death in cells growing in matrigel, and altered the expression of proteins associated with cellular proliferation, organization, and cell death. These results suggest that non-toxic concentrations of sphingoid bases over time affect specifically transformed cells, and indicate a strong potential for sphingoid bases as chemopreventive agents. Supported by grant BCT0503453 from the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
A Novel Approach for the Treatment of Radiation-Induced Hemorrhagic Cystitis with the GreenLight™ XPS Laser

Introduction: The treatment of pelvic malignancies with radiotherapy can develop severe sequelae, especially radiation-induced hemorrhagic cystitis. It is a progressive disease that can lead to the need for blood transfusion, hospitalizations, and surgical interventions. This tends to affect the quality of life of these patients, and management can at times be difficult. We have evaluated the GreenLight Xcelerated Performance System (XPS) with TruCoag, although primarily used for management of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), for the treatment of radiation-induced hemorrhagic cystitis. Materials and Methods: After International Review Board (IRB) approval, a retrospective chart review was performed in addition to a literature search. A series of four male patients, mean age of 81 years, with radiation-induced hemorrhagic cystitis secondary to radiotherapy for pelvic malignancies (3 prostate cancer, 1 rectal cancer) were successfully treated with the GreenLight laser after unsuccessful treatment with current therapies described in the literature. Results: All four patients treated with the GreenLight laser had resolution of their hematuria after one treatment and were discharge from the hospital with clear urine. Conclusion: The GreenLight XPS laser shows promising results for the treatment of patients with radiation-induced hemorrhagic cystitis, and deserves further evaluation and validation, especially since there is limited data available in the literature regarding the use of this technology for the treatment of this devastating condition.
Progress in Multi-Genus Calculations for the Spinning String

We review progress in the calculation of multiloop amplitudes for the closed Neveu-Schwarz-Ramond string in a flat ten dimensional background. When the picture changing operators are placed at the zeroes of a holomorphic one-form then it turns out to be possible to do the sum over spin structures for genus g ≤ 9 for the vacuum amplitude. The result of this sum is zero point wise in moduli space and not just a total derivative as might be expected in a more general gauge. We look at the possibility that singularities could arise for certain values of the moduli and also discuss why this gauge choice is so powerful by showing the similarity to “light-cone” diagrams.
Surfactant treatment effects on alveolar type II cell morphology in rabbit lungs

The effects of exogenous surfactant administration on alveolar type II cells and the lung parenchyma were examined in adult rabbits. Natural surfactant was instilled into the left lobe of New Zealand White rabbits while the right lobe served as the control. Four hours post-instillation, the lungs were fixed by vascular perfusion. Surfactant instillation did not change alveolar type II cell size but was associated with a significant reduction in the volume fraction of lamellar bodies in type II cells (20.4% in control lobes compared with 11.9% in surfactant-treated lobes). The size distribution of lamellar body profiles was different in surfactant-treated lobes compared with control lobes, with a significant decrease in lamellar bodies > 0.8 microns in diameter and a twofold increase in lamellar bodies 0.2-0.4 microns in diameter. Composite body profile number was also increased by 87% (P < 0.05) after instillation of surfactant compared with control. Saline instillation decreased lamellar body volume fraction in type II cells but three times less than surfactant instillation. These observations are consistent with a strong stimulus for secretion of endogenous surfactant 4 h after surfactant instillation in normal adult rabbit lungs, whereas the increase in composite bodies is consistent with new lamellar body formation, probably from both de novo synthesized and exogenous natural rabbit surfactant. These observations confirm that the secretory and synthetic processes of alveolar type II cells are significantly affected by exogenous surfactant instillation.
Coherent Photoproduction of π 0 from Deuterium

The calculation of elastic photoproduction of ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}$ mesons from deuterium, $\ensuremath{\gamma}+d\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}+d$, is carried out in the impulse approximation at photon energies around 500 Mev. The single nucleon photoproduction amplitudes are taken from dispersion formulas and are corrected for kinematic effects due to internal momentum of the nucleons in the deuteron. We include the $D$-state part of the deuteron wave function and use different models with Yukawa type or repulsive core wave functions. We give formulas connecting the cross section with the deuteron form factors. For small momentum transfers the formulas are of course model independent and reduce to the usual ones. The presence of a 7% $D$ state in a repulsive-core model leads to a cross section which falls typically more slowly at high momentum transfers, e.g., at a momentum transfer 2.74 ${\mathrm{f}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, the cross section is larger by about 40% than the cross section calculated in the absence of the $D$ state. The experimental points favor this model.
Abstract LB-350: MicroRNA-301a, elevated in pancreatic cancer, targets tumor suppressor CDKN1A/p21 blocking cellular senescence and promoting invasion of pancreatic epithelial cells

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC MicroRNAs (miR) are negative regulators of gene expression and have been implicated to play important roles in the carcinogenic processes. Expression of miR-301a is elevated in multiple solid tumors including pancreatic cancer, small cell lung cancer, breast and liver cancer. However, the targets and function of miR-301a remain unknown. Here, we report that miR-301a targets CDKN1A/p21 tumor suppressor gene transcript leading to down regulation of the protein. Luciferase reporter assay of p21 3′UTR construct revealed that p21 is a direct target of miR-301a. Over expression of miR-301a in immortalized non-tumorigenic pancreatic epithelial cells (HPNE and HPDE) by transient transfection of precursor miR-301a resulted in down-regulation of p21 protein level with accompanying accelerated cell proliferation and increase in invasive potential detected in matrigel assays. Conversely, knockdown of miR-301a by antigomir301a resulted in elevated levels of p21 protein in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells (Panc-1 and Aspc-1). These cells displayed accumulation in G1 cell cycle phase and induction of cellular senescence. The results suggest that the use of synthetic antigomir301a may be a promising approach to pancreatic cancer treatment. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-350.
Striving for Sacred Negotiating the Tensions of Sustainable Agriculture

This essay is an account of how young people, deeply committed to sustainability, struggle to live according to their beliefs. In light of a growing population, limited arable land, and possible food shortages, an organization known as Students for Sustainable Agriculture (SSA) responds to the threat of industrial agriculture. These students strive to do what is good for the earth, good for their bodies, and good for their community. They do so by revering food and creating a set of practices that distinguish them as believers in sustainable agriculture. Still, practical difficulties of everyday life make it difficult for them to live by the rules they create. As students living in a wealthy country, contending with environmental degradation, SSA’ers attempt to negotiate their moral commitments with what they can effectually realize. To align their practices with their articulated morals, SSA’ers make alternative consumption choices. Like others who struggle to live according to a set of principles that r...
The Virgin Mary in the Reign of Mary Tudor

Evidence of devotion to the Virgin Mary in the restored Catholic Church of the reign of Mary Tudor survives in numerous religious texts published from 1553 to 1558. These sermons, catechetical texts, primers, and books of devotion and polemic were written to aid the restoration of early modern Catholicism in England after twenty years of religious tumult. By considering how these texts treat devotion to Mary, it is possible to answer two questions. First, was the cult of the saints in Marian England, particularly that of the Virgin, ‘one of [t]he abiding casualties of the preceding reformations’, as Ronald Hutton has argued from the few gilds and pilgrimage centres restored during this period? Secondly, does devotion to the Virgin present any clues as to the nature of the Marian Church? Did it hark back to the Church of the 1520s? Did it embrace much evangelical belief and eschew much traditional religion, as Lucy Wooding argues in her recent monograph? Or was it akin to the Catholic Reformation in Europe? In order to answer these questions, it would be useful to begin by evaluating two texts that possessed semi-official status in the Marian Church, the use and frequent printing of which were encouraged by the likes of Cardinal Pole: Bishop Edmund Bonner of London’s catechetical work, A Profitable Doctryne , and the Wayland Primer, both printed in 1555.
Sesquiterpene lactones from plants of the family Asteraceae in the Kazakhstan flora and their biological activity

The results are generalized of the results of a study of 109 species of plants of the family Compositae (Asteraceae) growing on the territory of Kazakhstan. The promising nature is shown of the search for biologically active sesquiterpene γ-lactones among them. Fourteen new compounds of this series belonging to the germacranolides, eudesmanolides, guaianolides, and pseudogermanolides have been isolated and characterized by various methods. The results are given of biological tests of the lactones isolated and their derivatives. The artifeedant, antitumoral, antiviral, and growth-regulating activities of the sesquiterpene lactones are reported.
Serotonin and Lysergic Acid Diethylamide Binding in Rat Brain Membranes: Relationship to Postsynaptic Serotonin Receptors

[3H]Serotonin (5-HT) binds to membrane preparations of rat brain in a saturable fashion and with substrate specificity and regional variations consistent with its binding to the postsynaptic serotonin receptor. The dissociation constant for [3H]5-HT binding is about 8 nM, and the total number of 5-HT binding sites in the brain is 16 pmoles/g of tissue, wet weight. There is considerable structural specificity in the affinity of various tryptamines for the [3H]5-HT binding sites, with a crucial role played by the 5-hydroxy substituent. d-[3H]Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) binding sites have substrate specificity requirements similar to the [3H]5-HT binding sites, but the 5-hydroxy substituent is less critical. 5-HT and related agonists have about 100 times more affinity for 5-HT than LSD binding sites, while classical 5-HT antagonists have 4-100 times greater affinity for LSD binding sites. LSD itself has a similar affinity for 5-HT and LSD binding sites. Raphe lesions which result in degeneration of 5-HT neurons do not lower [3H]5-HT binding, indicating that binding does not take place to presynaptic 5-HT neurons. Regional variations in serotonin and LSD binding are fairly similar. Highest binding occurs in the corpus striatum, hippocampus, and cerebral cortex, with lowest binding in the cerebellum. The ontogeny of 5-HT and LSD binding sites is nearly identical and does not appear to depend on functionally intact presynaptic 5-HT neuronal input.
Introduction to the Special Issue of Emerging Adulthood

This article introduces the special issue on the national Emerging Adulthood Measured at Multiple Institutions data set, its historical background and methodology, and the articles appearing herein...
Induction of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase subunit mRNAs by cycloheximide in a rat liver cell line

Exposure of confluent Clone 9 cells to 40 microM cycloheximide (CHX), a concentration sufficient to inhibit leucine incorporation by 95% within 5 min, coordinately increased the abundances of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase subunit mRNAs, mRNA alpha 1 and mRNA beta 1. The CHX-induced increases in mRNA alpha 1 and mRNA beta 1 abundances were, respectively, 1.8- and 1.9-fold at 40 min and 3.0- and 3.3-fold at 6 h. Augmented subunit mRNA contents were also observed after exposure to other protein synthesis inhibitors including 100 microM anisomycin and 100 microM emetine. Upon removal of CHX, the rate of leucine incorporation returned to control values within 1 h, but mRNA alpha 1 and mRNA beta 1 content decreased only slowly and were still elevated at 24 h at 1.7- and 1.8-fold the respective control values. Despite the persistence of increased levels of the subunit mRNAs and normalization of the rate of leucine incorporation, Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity was unchanged at 3, 6, 24, and 48 h after removal of CHX. In cells "depleted" of protein kinase C (PKC) activity after a 24-h preincubation in the presence of 160 nM 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), mRNA alpha 1 and mRNA beta 1 abundances were still inducible by CHX. It is concluded that exposure of Clone 9 cells to CHX and other inhibitors of protein synthesis results in increased abundances of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase subunit mRNAs independently of PKC activation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Review: parathyroid hormone increases lumbar spine bone mineral density and decreases vertebral fractures in osteoporosis.

Question In patients with osteoporosis, does parathyroid hormone (PTH) increase mineral density (especially of the hip and spine) or reduce the incidence of fractures? Data sources Studies were identified by searching MEDLINE (1966 to 2002) and the Cochrane Library, and by reviewing bibliographies of relevant articles.
TU-FG-201-02: Is Weekly MLC QA Necessary? Two Year EPID-Based Weekly MLC QA Experience at the University of Maryland

Purpose: Appropriate MLC QA is important to assure treatment accuracy. In addition to the TG-142 recommended picket fence test, our institution performs four MLC tests on a weekly basis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical necessity of our weekly MLC QA program after a two-year run. Methods: Our Weekly MLC QA tests: 1) MLC positioning; 2) Interdigitation for testing hard MLC motion; 3) Picket fence at static gantry angle; 4) Leaf-end leakage and 5) dose match between a VMAT plan and the same plan with static-gantry-sliding window. For this study, a total of 794 Weekly MLC QA plans using EPID systems (3878 in total) for 10 machines from June 2014 to February 2016 were analyzed. Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA) was performed with five failure modes. For each failure mode, a risk probability number (RPN) was calculated for a Weekly MLC QA (Monthly + Weekly) and for a Monthly MLC QA Only scheme. The probability of occurrence was evaluated from the Weekly QA experience. Results: Total number of failures for 794 cases were 24 (0.23%, for MLC Position test, 0.11% for Interdigitation test, 0.11% for Picket Fence Test, 0% for Leaf end Leakage test and 2.5% for VMAT test). The QA goal was to maintain the RPN score < 125. The RPN scores for the Monthly MLC QA Only ranged from 144–180, while those with Weekly (Monthly + Weekly) MLC QA decreased to 96–120. Conclusion: The Weekly MLC QA decreased the RPN numbers to the desired level (RPN<125), while those from the program of Monthly QA only were found to be higher or borderline. This objectively proves the clinical necessity for comprehensive weekly MLC QA.
Water-promoted, safe and scalable preparation of ammonia borane

Abstract Ammonia borane (AB) has been synthesized in very high purity (>99%) from sodium borohydride and ammonium sulfate under ambient conditions in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at 1 M concentration using water as the promoter. Less than quantitative yields of AB are obtained due to a competing hydrolysis of the primary metathesis product ammonium borohydride. The solvent THF can be substituted with a greener alternative, 2-methylTHF, with no loss in yield or purity and complete recyclability.
Predictors of Variation in Neurosurgical Supply Costs and Outcomes Across 4904 Surgeries at a Single Institution.

Background There is high variability in neurosurgical costs, and surgical supplies constitute a significant portion of cost. Anecdotally, surgeons use different supplies for various reasons, but there is little understanding of how supply choices affect outcomes. Our goal is to evaluate the effect of patient, procedural, and provider factors on supply cost and to determine if supply cost is associated with patient outcomes. Methods We obtained patient information (age, gender, payor, case mix index [CMI], body mass index, admission source), procedural data (procedure type, length, date), provider information (name, case volume), and total surgical supply cost for all inpatient neurosurgical procedures from 2013 to 2014 at our institution ( n = 4904). We created mixed-effect models to examine the effect of each factor on surgical supply cost, 30-day readmission, and 30-day mortality. Results There was significant variation in surgical supply cost between and within procedure types. Older age, female gender, higher CMI, routine/elective admission, longer procedure, and larger surgeon volume were associated with higher surgical supply costs ( P P P = 0.307, 0.548). Conclusions A combination of patient, procedural, and provider factors underlie the significant variation in neurosurgical supply costs at our institution. Surgical supply costs are not correlated with 30-day readmission or mortality.
Multimodal transport model: Enhancing collaboration among mobility sharing schemes by identifying an optimal transit station

In order to return urban places to people and create more livable cities, establishing a sustainable, environment-friendly transport system is the need of the hour. Mobility sharing schemes, particularly via public transport systems, are known to reduce traffic congestion by removing a large set of social vehicles occupying the road. The impact of mobility sharing can be enhanced by enabling effective collaboration among different schemes. However, for seamless integration of public transport vehicles into urban transport fabric, dissemination of real-time information concerning vehicle arrivals and their future availability is essential. In this paper, a new model is proposed to facilitate effective collaboration among mobility schemes involving public and private vehicles by forming a multi-modal transport network. The proposed approach identifies a single transit station along the passenger's trajectory which could be used to switch to a public transport vehicle going towards the desired destination. Machine learning algorithms like SVR and ANN are employed to predict arrival times, availability and associated waiting times of buses at each transit station along the route aiding this selection. The proposed model was applied on a comprehensive archived traffic data set and its performance in predicting various parameters was evaluated by comparing the estimated values against the actual ground-truth data.
Achieving high power factor and output power density in p-type half-Heuslers Nb1-xTixFeSb.

Abstract Improvements in thermoelectric material performance over the past two decades have largely been based on decreasing the phonon thermal conductivity. Enhancing the power factor has been less successful in comparison. In this work, a peak power factor of ∼106 μW⋅cm−1⋅K−2 is achieved by increasing the hot pressing temperature up to 1,373 K in the p-type half-Heusler Nb0.95Ti0.05FeSb. The high power factor subsequently yields a record output power density of ∼22 W⋅cm−2 based on a single-leg device operating at between 293 K and 868 K. Such a high-output power density can be beneficial for large-scale power generation applications.
Predicting Member Productivity and Withdrawal from Pre-Joining Attachments in Online Production Groups

Productive and dedicated members are critical to the success of online production communities like Wikipedia. Many communities organize in subgroups where members voluntarily work on projects of shared interest. In this paper, we investigate how members' pre-joining connections with the subgroup predict their productivity and withdrawal after joining. Drawing insights from attachment theories in social psychology, we examine two types of pre-joining connections: textit{identity-based} attachment (how much members' interests were aligned with the subgroup's topics) and textit{bonds-based} attachment (how much members had interacted with other members of the subgroup). Analyses of 79,704 editors in 1,341 WikiProjects show that 1) both identity-based and bonds-based attachment increased editors' post-joining productivity and reduced their likelihood of withdrawal; 2) identity-based attachment had a stronger effect on boosting direct contributions to articles while bonds-based attachment had a stronger effect on increasing article and project coordination, and reducing member withdrawal.
Conceptual design acceleration for cyber-physical systems

Central to compressing engineering development times for complex cyber-physical systems is the identification of reasonable alternatives early in the design cycle. This paper describes the development and use of an ontology to quickly prune the conceptual design space for cyber-physical systems engineering. The Georgia Tech Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory, Metamorph Inc., and Raytheon refined an approach originally piloted on amphibious ground vehicles to determine whether it could be generalized to other product domains. Reducing the design space early in the engineering life cycle enables designers to focus quickly on high-value alternatives to reduce cost and speed development. The OpenMETA tool suite, supported by semantic constructs for model integration, facilitates trades and analysis across the engineering disciplines, including electrical, mechanical, thermal, fluid, and cyber. The ontology developed by the authors and described in this paper provides the semantic underpinnings to encode relationships among design alternatives and quickly visualize these trades.
Squib: co-reference and adult language comprehension

There exists a large, rich and varied literature on the processing of pronouns and other anaphoric forms in the adult language comprehension literature. Rather than trying to review it all, an impossible task in a small space, certain findings will be discussed that are particularly informative either because they place strong constraints on the processing of co-reference and more generally on anaphora or because they pose problems or challenges for an adequate theory of anaphora processing.
Advancements in continuous approximation models for logistics and transportation systems: 1996–2016

Abstract Continuous approximation (CA) is an efficient and parsimonious technique for modeling complex logistics problems. In this paper, we review recent studies that develop CA models for transportation, distribution and logistics problems with the aim of synthesizing recent advancements and identifying current research gaps. This survey focuses on important principles and key results from CA models. In particular, we consider how these studies fill the gaps identified by the most recent literature reviews in this field. We observe that CA models are used in a wider range of applications, especially in the areas of facility location and integrated supply chain management. Most studies use CA as an alternative and a complement to discrete solution approaches; however, CA can also be used in combination with discrete approaches. We conclude with promising areas of future work.
Constructing a General Model Accounting for Interstate Rivalry Termination

Unlike many topics in international relations, a large number of models characterize interstate rivalry termination processes. But many of these models tend to focus on different parts of the rivalry termination puzzle. It is possible, however, to create a general model built around a core of shocks, expectation changes, reciprocity and reinforcement. Twenty additional elements can be linked as alternative forms of catalysts/shocks and, perceptual shifts, or as facilitators of the core processes. All 24 constituent elements can be encompassed by the general model which allows for a fair amount of flexibility in delineating alternative pathways to rivalry de-escalation and termination at different times and in different places. The utility of the unified model is then applied in an illustrative fashion to the Anglo-American rivalry which ended early in the twentieth century.
Focusing light through scattering media by polarization modulation based generalized digital optical phase conjugation

Optical scattering prevents light from being focused through thick biological tissue at depths greater than ∼1 mm. To break this optical diffusion limit, digital optical phase conjugation (DOPC) based wavefront shaping techniques are being actively developed. Previous DOPC systems employed spatial light modulators that modulated either the phase or the amplitude of the conjugate light field. Here, we achieve optical focusing through scattering media by using polarization modulation based generalized DOPC. First, we describe an algorithm to extract the polarization map from the measured scattered field. Then, we validate the algorithm through numerical simulations and find that the focusing contrast achieved by polarization modulation is similar to that achieved by phase modulation. Finally, we build a system using an inexpensive twisted nematic liquid crystal based spatial light modulator (SLM) and experimentally demonstrate light focusing through 3-mm thick chicken breast tissue. Since the polarization modulation based SLMs are widely used in displays and are having more and more pixel counts with the prevalence of 4 K displays, these SLMs are inexpensive and valuable devices for wavefront shaping.
Infectious intracranial aneurysms: a systematic review of epidemiology, management, and outcomes.

Infectious intracranial aneurysms (IIAs) are a rare cerebrovascular complication of systemic infections induced by microbial infiltration and degradation of the arterial vessel wall. Studies on the epidemiology and management of IIAs are limited to case reports and retrospective single-center studies, and report a large variability in epidemiological features, management, and outcomes due to the limited sample size. We conducted a systematic review of all published papers on IIAs in the English literature using MEDLINE and SCOPUS database from January 1950 to June 2017. A total of 288 publications describing 1191 patients with IIA (1398 aneurysms) were included and reviewed for epidemiological features, disease features, treatment and outcome. All patients were merged into a single cohort and summary data are presented. The majority of reported IIAs are distally located, relatively small (<5 mm), involve the anterior circulation, are associated with a relatively high rate of rupture, and demonstrate a propensity to multiplicity of aneurysms. Sensitive diagnosis of IIAs requires digital subtraction angiography and not CT angiography or MR angiography. Treatment of ruptured, symptomatic, or enlarging IIAs has evolved over the last 50 years. Endovascular therapy is associated with a high success rate and low morbidity compared with microsurgical and medical management. A treatment algorithm for the management of patients with IIA in various contexts is proposed and the need for prospective multicenter studies is emphasized.
Statistical Detection of Flow Regime Changes in Horizontal Hydraulically Fractured Bakken Oil Wells

The application of horizontal and hydraulically fractured wells for producing oil from low permeability formations has changed the face of the North American oil industry. One feature of the production profile of many such wells is a transition from transient linear oil flow to boundary-dominated flow. The identification of the time of this transition is important for the calibration of models that forecast the well’s future production and the expected ultimate recovery. It is preferable that such models generally use data from the boundary-dominated flow regime for parameter calibration. Accurate well production forecasts are needed for operational decisions, long-term planning, commercial transactions, regulatory proceedings, and asset valuation. Petroleum engineers frequently make the call on the transition point based on subjective visual interpretations of log–log plots for individual wells. This is time-consuming and is generally not repeatable by other analysts. This note evaluates statistical approaches that can serve as alternatives to the subjective visual interpretations. Specifically, the predictive performance of production models calibrated with boundary-dominated data based on transition dates calculated with constrained nonlinear least squares and Bayesian regressions was very close to that obtained using the visual method, suggesting that statistical approaches may indeed be constructed to replace less objective visual approaches without loss of accuracy.
Human Error Prediction Using Eye Tracking to Improvise Team Cohesion in Human-Machine Teams

The rapid increase in integration of intelligent systems in every corner of technology created an emerging field called Human-Machine Teaming (HMT). In HMT, human and machine collaborate with one another to accomplish a common goal or task. To achieve the best performance of a team, it is necessary to build trust and cohesion among all teammates (machines and humans). Furthermore, in a team, it is an established fact that a team member ability to predict fellow member’s future course of action and have an accurate picture is a valuable asset and will result in better team dynamics and team performance. To realize such an ability we are proposing a human error predicting methodology that could give an intelligent system a better understanding of human actions in advance. In the proposed method, we used eye-tracking metrics such as gaze density and cognitive state to predict human errors. The results obtained with the proposed and developed methods are found to be efficient in predicting human error probability.
Personal Assistant: A Case Study on Web Service vs. Web Based Application.

♣Computer Science Department, Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York ♦Computer Science Department, NAC 8-206, City College of New York, 138th Street at Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031, USA. Tel: 212-650-6216. Fax: 212-650-6248. Email: guoliang@cs.ccny.cuny.edu ♥Computer Science Department, The Graduate Center/CUNY, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA. Tel: 212-854-2179. Email: jzou@gc.cuny.edu. ♠ Computer Science Department, NSB A202, Queens College , 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing NY 11367. USA. Tel: 718-997-3477. Fax: 718-997-3513. E-mail: bon@bunny.cs.qc.edu.
Electromagnetic Wave Study of Elastic Wave Propagation

Experimental measurements are described where electromagnetic waves of different frequencies have been used to study elastic wave propagation in solids. Included are optical probing of linear elastic ultrasonic waves in transparent solids, optical detection of acoustic emission signals (stress waves), thermal imaging of the heat generated by high-power ultrasonic waves propagating in metals, synchrotron x-ray imaging of plastic deformation caused by high-power ultrasonic waves, pulsed laser generation of elastic waves, optical interferometric detection of elastic waves, and full-field heterodyne holographic imaging of elastic wave fields. Specific areas where theoretical analyses would be welcome are mentioned.
Clinicopathologic Study of Organic Dye: Laser in the Human Fundus

Abstract One day before enucleation for choroidal melanoma, four patients consented to experimental laser photocoagulation for the purpose of comparing the histopathologic appearance of acute chorioretinal lesions produced by various dye laser wavelengths with krypton red and argon green laser controls. Three patients had simulated “light” and “heavy” treatment of an extrafoveal choroidal neovascular membrane (CNVM) with wavelengths 577 nm (yellow), 595 nm (orange), and 600 nm (orange). One patient had simulated panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) with four different dye laser wavelengths. Extrafoveal “light” treatment with the three dye wavelengths and both controls spared the inner retina and produced similar effects in the outer retina, pigment epithelium, and choriocapillaris. Choroidal penetration was deepest with the longer wavelengths (590–647 nm) in both “light” and “heavy” treatment groups. “Heavy” treatment gave varying degrees of full-thickness retinal uptake for all dye and both control wavelengths. Both ends of the orange spectrum (590–600 nm) produced the most severe inner retinal uptake. Panretinal photocoagulation produced similar full-thickness retinal uptake for all four dye wavelengths tested. These results indicate that caution should be used when treating “heavily” with 590 and 600 nm in the extrafoveal area.
An Overview of SGML

HTML is, specifically, an application of SGML, the Standardized General Markup Language. However, a knowledge of SGML is not essential to the successful understanding and use of HTML. This chapter provides an introductory overview of SGML for HTML authors who wish or require additional knowledge of HTML internals. The coverage of SGML concepts is not intended to be complete, but only addresses those areas directly applicable to the HTML Document Type Definition (DTD). More comprehensive descriptions of SGML may be found in Goldfarb (Goldfarb 1990) and van Herwijnen (Herwijnen 1994).
Absorptive and Secretory Processes in Intestine

The extensive studies of cholera during the past few years have resurrected the phenomena of intestinal electrolyte secretion. In the two decades prior to 1968, study of intestinal electrolyte transport centred exclusively on absorption with little or no attention paid to secretion. During the past several years, multiple examples of net fluid and electrolyte secretion have been demonstrated1–4. Secretion has been observed in several diarrhoeal illnesses, induced by multiple physiological and pathological stimuli and even noted under normal conditions. Study of experimentally induced ion secretion is often complicated by the multiple effects of the potential secretogogue. Therefore, the demonstration that net water and electrolyte secretion occurs in the guinea-pig small intestine presented an unique opportunity to evaluate a natural ‘secretory’ process5.
Insights into the Voltage Regulation Mechanism of the Pore-Forming Toxin Lysenin

Lysenin, a pore forming toxin (PFT) extracted from Eisenia fetida, inserts voltage-regulated channels into artificial lipid membranes containing sphingomyelin. The voltage-induced gating leads to a strong static hysteresis in conductance, which endows lysenin with molecular memory capabilities. To explain this history-dependent behavior, we hypothesized a gating mechanism that implies the movement of a voltage domain sensor from an aqueous environment into the hydrophobic core of the membrane under the influence of an external electric field. In this work, we employed electrophysiology approaches to investigate the effects of ionic screening elicited by metal cations on the voltage-induced gating and hysteresis in conductance of lysenin channels exposed to oscillatory voltage stimuli. Our experimental data show that screening of the voltage sensor domain strongly affects the voltage regulation only during inactivation (channel closing). In contrast, channel reactivation (reopening) presents a more stable, almost invariant voltage dependency. Additionally, in the presence of anionic Adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP), which binds at a different site in the channel’s structure and occludes the conducting pathway, both inactivation and reactivation pathways are significantly affected. Therefore, the movement of the voltage domain sensor into a physically different environment that precludes electrostatically bound ions may be an integral part of the gating mechanism.
Development and Evaluation of a User-Centered Mobile Telestroke Platform.

Abstract Background: Reperfusion is the most effective acute treatment for ischemic stroke within a narrow therapeutic time window. Ambulance-based telestroke is a novel way to improve stroke diagn...
Shared Book Reading to Promote Math Talk in Parent-Child Dyads in Low-Income Families.

Shared book reading can facilitate meaningful mathematical interactions. This study extends prior research by exploring the effect of book content and parent training in shared book reading. A comp...
The Meteoritic Risk to Space Vehicles

The Meteoritic Risk to Space Vehicles. Consideration is given to the distribution of meteoritic material and its rate of fall on the earth as functions of mass and velocity. With a simple theory, the probabilities are calculated that surfaces in space in the neighborhood of the earth may be punctured by meteoric action. A table of data and probabilities is given. It is calculated that a near-earth satellite of radius 20 inches and skin thickness 0.5 mm Al will be punctured on the average of once in five days.
The association between 1,3-dichloropropene and asthma emergency department visits in California, USA from 2005 to 2011: a bidirectional-symmetric case crossover study

Objective: The ever-increasing rate of pesticide use in California farmlands is of great concern due to its potential toxicity on human health. In this study, the association between short term exp...
NSTI Organisms and Regions: A Multicenter Study From the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma

BACKGROUND Conflicting data on the microbiology and epidemiology of necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) appear to stem from the heterogeneity in microbiology observed in regions across the United States. Our goal was to determine current differences in organism prevalence and outcomes for NSTI and non-necrotizing severe soft tissue infections across the United States. We hypothesized that there were geographical differences in organism prevalence that would lead to differences in outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study was a retrospective multi-institutional trial from centers across the United States and Canada. Demographic, clinical, and outcomes data were collected. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed to determine the effects of region and microbiology on outcomes. RESULTS A total of 622 patients were included in this study. Polymicrobial infections (45%) were the most prevalent infections in all regions. On bivariate analysis, Clostridium and polymicrobial infections had higher mean Laboratory Risk Indicator for Necrotizing Fasciitis scores and American Association for the Surgery of Trauma grades (P < 0.001 for both) than other organisms. Patients in the South were more likely to be uninsured and had worse unadjusted outcomes. In a risk-adjusted model, increasing American Association for the Surgery of Trauma grade was predictive of mortality (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.6-3.1; P < 0.001), as was age ≥ 55 y (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.3-5.3, P = 0.006), but region and organism type were not associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS We found important regional differences with respect to organism type and demographics. However, on risk-adjusted models, neither region nor organism type predicted mortality.
Spin-dependent quantum emission from defects in hexagonal boron nitride

Optically addressable spins associated with localized defects in wide-bandgap semiconductors are the basis for rapidly expanding quantum technologies in nanoscale sensing and quantum information processing. Whereas most research has focused on three-dimensional host materials such as diamond, the van der Waals material hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has emerged as a robust host for bright, stable, room-temperature quantum emitters (QEs). I will discuss recent experiments that reveal the role of spin for QEs in hBN. Select QEs exhibit striking, anisotropic modulation of emission in response to an applied magnetic field, consistent with optical dynamics featuring a spin-dependent inter-system crossing between singlet and triplet spin states. Many questions persist regarding the chemical and electronic structure of these QEs, which generally exhibit widely heterogeneous optical characteristics, and ongoing work aims to elucidate their formation and stabilization mechanisms. Nonetheless, the discovery of optically addressable spins in room-temperature h-BN ushers in a new platform for spin-based quantum technologies with the potential for atom-scale engineering and versatile functionality.
Two Successful Sperm Aspirations in High-Risk Adolescent and Young Adult Lymphoma Patients Before Initiation of Emergent Therapy.

As survival rates for adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients improve, fertility preservation has gained increased attention. Many AYAs report significant concerns about fertility potentia...
Localising movement disorders in childhood

The diagnosis and management of movement disorders in children can be improved by understanding the pathways, neurons, ion channels, and receptors involved in motor learning and control. In this Review, we use a localisation approach to examine the anatomy, physiology, and circuitry of the basal ganglia and highlight the mechanisms that underlie some of the major movement disorders in children. We review the connections between the basal ganglia and the thalamus and cortex, address the basic clinical definitions of movement disorders, and then place diseases within an anatomical or physiological framework that highlights basal ganglia function. We discuss how new pharmacological, behavioural, and electrophysiological approaches might benefit children with movement disorders by modifying synaptic function. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying movement disorders allows improved diagnostic and treatment decisions.
Prostate MRI: Technique and Sequences

With considerable advances in MR technology, MRI has become an established imaging modality for assessment of prostate cancer. In order to standardize prostate MRI exam and reporting, the European Society of Urogenital Radiology (ESUR) established consensus-based guidelines for acquisition, interpretation and structured reporting of prostate MRI known as Prostate Imaging and Reporting Data System (PI-RADS) version 1 (PI-RADS v1). Thereafter, in 2015, the ESUR and the American College of Radiology (ACR) together released a second version of PI-RADS (PI-RADS v2), which had several important changes. More recently, PI-RADS v2.1 has been released, which further refines MRI protocols and updates evaluation of the transition zone.
Self-assembled Ag(111) nanostructures induced by Fermi surface nesting

Scanning tunneling microscopy measurements on Ag(111)/$\mathrm{Mo}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ reveal atomically flat preferred, or ``magic,'' heights occurring at 6, 10, and 14 atomic layers. These results are consistent with Ag growth on a variety of semiconducting substrates and correlate with electronic energy savings in electronic structure calculations of freestanding Ag(111) films. Thus, under certain conditions, Ag will spontaneously form quantized structures independent of the substrate. To explain this, we have found Fermi surface nesting vectors in the bulk Ag band structure which account for these results and the fact Ag that is gapped along the surface normal. This model extends to a range of metallic systems which exhibit electronic confinement, epitaxial growth, and minimal strain. As with $\mathrm{Au}\text{/}\mathrm{Mo}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$, the Ag/$\mathrm{Mo}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ system exhibits this behavior at unusually high temperatures so that these principles might be used for control over device features at the nanometer scale under standard fabrication conditions.
Expression of Cysteinyl Leukotriene Receptor in Brain Tissues of Rats With Streptococcus Pneumoniae Meningitis

Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis is an infection of the central nervous system associated with high mortality rates and serious neurologic sequelae in children. The principal reason for the severity of S. pneumoniae meningitis is widespread ignorance of the pathogenesis of the disease. This study aimed at exploring whether cysteinyl leukotriene receptor (CysLTR) participates in the inflammatory response and elucidates the pathologic process of S. pneumoniae meningitis. Bacterial meningitis disease models were constructed by intracisternal inoculation of rats with serotype III Streptococcus pneumoniae while control models were inoculated with the same volume of normal saline. Rats were sacrificed at different time points (1 d, 2 d, and 5 d) following the administration of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Results from the body-weight, Loeffler neurologic deficit score, and cerebrospinal fluid culture confirmed that a successful pneumococcal meningitis rat model was established. Pathologic changes in brain tissues mainly consisted of inflammation in the meninges and subarachnoid space and significant neuronal injury in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that microglial activation and astrocyte proliferation were associated with the development of bacterial meningitis. The expression levels of CysLTR and inflammatory factor tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot analysis. The results of this study indicate that CysLTR expression was markedly elevated in the 5 d infection group (P < 0.05), which was consistent with time-dependent release of TNF-α. The findings of this study indicate that CysLTR participates in the pneumococcal meningitis infection process by mediating neuronal injury and glial cell proliferation. Cysteinyl leukotriene receptors could, therefore, be novel targets to mitigate the progression of pneumococcal meningitis.