cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A review of integrated analysis in fisheries stock assessment

Abstract Limited data, and the requirement to provide science-based advice for exploited populations, have led to the development of statistical methods that combine several sources of information into a single analysis. This approach, “integrated analysis”, was first formulated by Fournier and Archibald in 1982. Contemporary use of integrated analysis involves using all available data, in as raw a form as appropriate, in a single analysis. Analyses that were traditionally carried out independently are now conducted simultaneously through likelihood functions that include multiple data sources. For example, the traditional analysis of converting catch-at-length data into catch-at-age data for use in an age-structured population dynamics models can be avoided by including the basic data used in this conversion, length-frequency and conditional age-at-length data, in the likelihood function. This allows for consistency in assumptions and permits the uncertainty associated with both data sources to be propagated to final model outputs, such as catch limits under harvest control rules. The development of the AD Model Builder software has greatly facilitated the use of integrated analyses, and there are now several general stock assessment models (e.g., Stock Synthesis) that allow many data types and model assumptions to be analyzed simultaneously. In this paper, we define integrated analysis, describe its history and development, give several examples, and describe the advantages of and problems with integrated analysis.
Incremental Inspection for Microrobotic Quality Assurance

This paper addresses inspection techniques that can be performed by microrobots used for fabricating three dimensional structures. In contrast to most commercial rapid prototyping processes, the parallelism afforded by microrobot teams allows incremental inspection of structures during assembly. In the present case, this approach is applied to parts fabricated from carbon fiber struts bonded with UV-cured epoxy. Preliminary tests involving thermal and vibrational inspection methods are described and compared with the results of FEA models of the joints. Vibrational inspection performed by microrobots and recorded using a directional microphone, characterizes bond joint natural frequency with good resolution (an average measurement standard deviation of 5Hz over a range of 650–1215 Hz). These effective stiffness measurements are correlated with ultimate bond strength as well. The measurements are sufficient to distinguish between joints that do or do not have desired amounts of adhesive.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Urbanization and third world stability

Abstract This essay reviews images of urbanization that have been held by academics and activists, including revolutionary leaders. It examines the methodology and findings of case studies in Nigeria, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Kenya, Turkey, Malaysia and other countries with the aim of determining how well suited are our data and theories for assessing the relationship between urbanization and political stability. The review examines the following topics: migration; political participation and the urban poor; radical parties and urban violence; the ‘over-urbanization’ thesis; class and ethnicity. It especially evaluates the role of so-called ‘urban marginals’ in urban political life and concludes that the evidence is overwhelming that there is no widespread ‘culture of poverty’ or ‘culture of apathy’ among the urban poor indeveloping countries.
The optical anchor—A geophysical strainmeter

An instrument has been developed to monitor the horizontal displacement of near-surface monuments, so as to reduce the noise of observatory-based strain measurements. The device measures the shear strain in the upper 24 m of the earth's crust using an equal path length Michelson interferometer. The magnitude of the observations (∼50 μm) indicates that such measurements are needed to interpret the records produced by precision strainmeters.
Phylogeny, classification, and species-level taxonomy of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)*

The current state of ant systematics is reviewed. In recent years substantial progress has been made in identifying the major clades of ants and the relationships among them. Earlier inferences about ant phylogeny based on morphology have been refined and modified as a result of a recent influx of molecular (DNA sequence) data and new fossil discoveries. It is now apparent that much of the biological and taxonomic diversity of ants is contained within the “formicoid clade” which comprises 14 of the 20 extant subfamilies and about 90% of all species. Whether the remaining groups of extant ants (Leptanillinae and the poneroid subfamilies) represent a clade or a grade at the base of the ant tree remains unresolved. The fossil record for crown group ants extends back to 90–100 mya. Stem ants (sphecomyrmines, armaniines) were also present during this period. Molecular divergence date estimates that take into account the fossil record of both ants and other Hymenoptera suggest that crown group ants arose ~115–135 mya. Most of the extant ant subfamilies and genera are well defined morphologically and likely monophyletic, but there are some notable exceptions including the subfamily Cerapachyinae and several large and ambiguously delimited genera such as Pachycondyla. Several tribes in the large subfamilies Formicinae and Myrmicinae also represent artificial assemblages. Finally, while the specieslevel taxonomy of some ant genera is in a satisfactory state, taxonomic anarchy reigns in others, with numerous illdefined species and many names of uncertain applicability. Progress in this area of ant systematics will require sustained individual efforts, expansion of job opportunities, enlistment of new technologies, and a deeper understanding of the nature of ant species and the differences between them.
Comparison of Single- and Multi-date Landsat Data for Mapping Wildfire Scars in Ocala National Forest, Florida

Remote sensing techniques have been widely used to map fire scars in the western United States, but have not been thoroughly tested in the eastern portion of the country. In this study, a 1998 Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) image and a 1999 Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM1) image were used to test different image enhancements and classification algorithms for mapping wildfire scars in Ocala National Forest, Florida. Single-date analysis was conducted using the 1999 image, while both images were used to complete multi-temporal analysis. Both single- and multi-date datasets were classified using a traditional method (maximum likelihood classification: MLC) and a non-parametric technique (classification and regression trees: CART). Comparison of all techniques showed that MLC of a single image (1999) resulted in high accuracy compared to the other methods and that principal components analysis (PCA) and multitemporal PCA provided the best spectral separability between burned and unburned areas.
Number of warning information sources and decision making during tornadoes.

Background Taking proper protective action upon receiving tornado warnings is critical to reducing casualties. With more warning information sources becoming available, how the number of such information sources affects decision making should be quantitatively investigated. Purpose To examine how the number of warning information sources affected individuals’ decisions to take protective action during tornadoes. Methods A telephone survey using random sampling was conducted in 2012 with residents in Tuscaloosa AL and Joplin MO, resulting in a working sample of 782 respondents. Both cities were struck by violent tornadoes (Enhanced Fujita Scale [EF]4 and EF5) in 2011. The analysis was conducted in 2013. Results Logistic regression analysis showed that relative to having only one warning information source, having two and three or more warning information sources significantly increased the odds of taking protective action in Joplin but not in Tuscaloosa; having three or more sources had a significantly stronger effect on taking protective action in Joplin than in Tuscaloosa. Having an emergency preparation plan in both cities and being white in Tuscaloosa significantly increased the odds of taking protective action, whereas being divorced in Joplin reduced these odds. Conclusions Receiving warnings from more warning information sources might be more beneficial in places with less previous exposure to tornadoes and for populations with lower awareness of a potential tornado and higher probability of receiving no warnings. Emergency management agencies and public health officials should give priority to these places and populations when formulating disaster mitigation decisions and policies.
The pragmatics of punctuation and its problematic nature in translation

This article attempts to describe some of the pragmatic and semantic functions of two important punctuation marks. These are the semicolon (;) and the colon (:). The reason for this description is that no studies have provided a detailed description of the pragmatic and semantic functions of these marks. These marks are mostly used in Arabic for intonational or decorative purposes. It was found that the system of punctuation marks in Arabic is inadequate as it does not specify rules for using them. However, in this study, it was found that the punctuation marks have linguistic implications that are not recognized by linguists nor by translators. The implications discussed here are the emphatic, additive, contrastive, and substantiative functions.This article attempts to describe some of the pragmatic and semantic functions of two important punctuation marks. These are the semicolon (;) and the colon (:). The reason for this description is that no studies have provided a detailed description of the pragmatic and semantic functions of these marks. These marks are mostly used in Arabic for intonational or decorative purposes. It was found that the system of punctuation marks in Arabic is inadequate as it does not specify rules for using them. However, in this study, it was found that the punctuation marks have linguistic implications that are not recognized by linguists nor by translators. The implications discussed here are the emphatic, additive, contrastive, and substantiative functions.
High tip angle approximation based on a modified Bloch–Riccati equation

When designing a radio-frequency pulse to produce a desired dependence of magnetization on frequency or position, the small flip angle approximation is often used as a first step, and a Fourier relation between pulse and transverse magnetization is then invoked. However, common intuition often leads to linear scaling of the resulting pulse so as to produce a larger flip angle than the approximation warrants—with surprisingly good results. Starting from a modified version of the Bloch–Riccati equation, a differential equation in the flip angle itself, rather than in magnetization, is derived. As this equation has a substantial linear component that is an instance of Fourier's equation, the intuitive approach is seen to be justified. Examples of the accuracy of this higher tip angle approximation are given for both constant- and variable-phase pulses. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The challenge of lowering blood cholesterol levels.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains the leading cause of death in the United States today, despite significant declines over the past 20 years. Coronary heart disease is not a chance occurrence, but rather is largely attributable to known risk factors. The major risk factors are elevated blood cholesterol level, high blood pressure, and smoking. Elevated blood cholesterol level (defined here as a level ≥5.17 mmol/L [≥200 mg/dL]) may be the most important of these three in that it may be a prerequisite for the development of CHD. 1 See also p 1993. The recently released Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program's (NCEP) Expert Panel on the Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults recommended that levels of blood cholesterol of 6.21 mmol/L (240 mg/dL) or greater be classified as high, levels of 5.17 to 6.18 mmol/L (200 to 239 mg/dL) be classified as borderline high, and
Miniature thermoluminescent dosimeter absorbed dose measurements in tumor phantom models.

Miniature teflon-imbedded CaSO/sub 4/:Dy thermoluminescent dosimeter(s) (TLD) have been sized and cut to fit inside a syringe needle. These dosimeters have been shown to be linear in response to beta and high energy gamma radiation. This allows for their direct implantation into tumor-bearing animals undergoing radioimmunotherapy and subsequent measurement of dose deposition on a per organ basis. In order to perform these radiolabeled antibody dose measurements with sufficient accuracy, static calibration data must first be generated. Consequently, phantom models were constructed with artificial tumors of diameters ranging from 3-30 mm contained in a surrounding tissue equivalent medium. The TLD were used to characterize dose distributions in a radial direction from the center of the cylindrical tumor volumes containing /sup 131/I, /sup 32/P, or /sup 90/Y radionuclides. Absorbed dose measurements in the boundary region between tumor and outer medium were found to be dependent on the: tumor specific activity, average range of the beta radiation, and radial tumor dimensions.
Thermal convection in a horizontal plane Couette flow

We investigate the behaviour of infinitesimal perturbations introduced into an unstably stratified horizontal Couette flow. We assume that the fluid is Boussinesq and contained in an infinite conducting rectangular channel which is uniformly heated from below. The sidewalls are rigid and the Couette flow is generated by moving them with equal and opposite velocities along the channel. The top and bottom are assumed to be free so that we can separate variables.Without shear, the preferred modes of convection closely resemble transverse ‘finite rolls’ (Davies-Jones 1970). Shear increases the critical wavelength so that the preferred modes become longitudinally elongated cells, or even longitudinal rolls in some cases. The critical Rayleigh number increases quite rapidly at fist with Reynolds number, but at higher Reynolds numbers it levels off to a constant value (which cannot be greater than the shear-independent Rayleigh number at which longitudinal disturbances fist become unstable).We also find that the disturbances are tilted in the same direction as the shear, and that the marginally stable ones transfer kinetic energy from the mean flow to the perturbations. Except at low Reynolds numbers, the long wave perturbations gain more energy through the conversion of mean flow kinetic energy than through the release of potential energy, even though the instability is convective in origin.
Recognition of hand movements using wearable accelerometers

Accelerometer based activity recognition systems have typically focused on recognizing simple ambulatory activities of daily life, such as walking, sitting, standing, climbing stairs, etc. In this work, we developed and evaluated algorithms for detecting and recognizing short duration hand movements (lift to mouth, scoop, stir, pour, unscrew cap). These actions are a part of the larger and complex Instrumental Activities of Daily Life (IADL) making a drink and drinking. We collected data using small wireless tri-axial accelerometers worn simultaneously on different parts of the hand. Acceleration data for training was collected from 5 subjects, who also performed the two IADLs without being given specific instructions on how to complete them. Feature vectors (mean, variance, correlation, spectral entropy and spectral energy) were calculated and tested on three classifiers (AdaBoost, HMM, k-NN). AdaBoost showed the best performance, with an overall accuracy of 86% for detecting each of these hand actions. The results show that although some actions are recognized well with the generalized classifer trained on the subject-independent data, other actions require some amount of subject-specific training. We also observed an improvement in the performance of the system when multiple accelerometers placed on the right hand were used.
Electron Transport in Highly Textured Metal Films Grown by Partially Ionized Beam Deposition

In principle, the resistivity of bulk FCC cubic materials should not depend on the orientation due to the fact that the conductivity tensor is single valued. However, we show that this conclusion is not valid for thin films. Deposition of highly oriented Al, Ag, and Cu films on amorphous substrates using the partially ionized beam (PIB) technique exhibit a resistivity which is strongly correlated with the texture, i.e., the tighter the texture, the lower the film resistivity. We model the film as an array of grains whose grain boundaries can be considered as delta function potentials for electron scattering and the strength of the potentials can be calculated from the measured resistivity of the films. On the other hand, the fiber texture distribution of the the films is obtained from X-ray pole figure measurements, and Monte-Carlo simulations are then performed using this data to determine the average dislocation density at the grain boundaries due to the grain to grain crystallographic mismatch. We show that the transmittance coefficient for electron scattering, and therefore the film resistivity, is a monotonically increasing function of the average dislocation density. We therefore conclude that the structure of grain boundaries in a thin film provides the necessary mechanism by which the resistivity of an FCC cubic metal can depend on the texture.
A PROGRESS REPORT ON THE MICROLEPIDOPTERA OF SOUTHERN INDIANA, AND THEIR PARASITES

Since 1930 a study has been made of the lepidopterous stem borers and leaf rollers breeding on deciduous fruit trees as well as on uncultivated plants in or near orchards which have served as sites for Oriental fruit worm parasite liberations. Parasites of these lepidopterous larvae have been reared as an important phase of the study. The objects of these studies include a record of the Microlepidoptera and their hosts and parasites, and possible alternate hosts of introduced parasites of the Oriental fruit worm.
A 4.68Gb/s belief propagation polar decoder with bit-splitting register file

A 1.48mm 2 1024-bit belief propagation polar decoder is designed in 65nm CMOS. A unidirectional processing reduces the memory size to 45Kb, and simplifies the processing element. A double-column 1024-parallel architecture enables a 4.68Gb/s throughput. A bit-splitting latch-based register file accommodates logic in memory for an 85% density. The architecture and circuit techniques reduce the power to 478mW for an efficiency of 15.5pJ/b/iteration at 1.0V. At 475mV, the efficiency is improved to 3.6pJ/b/iteration for a throughput of 780Mb/s.
Offcenter Molecular Charge Distribution Corrections to Born Equation Electrostatic Solvation Energies

Use of simple model charge distributions and classical multipolar dielectric theory has allowed investigation of the corrections appropriate to the Born equation for structured ion solutes. Among the results obtained for centrosymmetric charge distributions, but presumably of general consequence, are the demonstration of nonlinear dependence and great sensitivity of polarization to charge-cavity boundary proximity, rapid falloff of effects upon continued subdivision of charge, and the significance of solvation energy differences for 2- and 3-dimensional charge distributions. That 50% or greater corrections to the Born energy may readily be obtained in real ion systems, and the lack of sensitivity of such corrections to the dielectric of the medium for e > 10 are also results of general interest. Analytical approximations for the electrostatic work equations appropriate to high dielectric solvation are included, and how uncertainties in charge magnitude and position for real ions might affect the analysis are also briefly considered.
Predicting friendship links in social networks using a topic modeling approach

In the recent years, the number of social network users has increased dramatically. The resulting amount of data associated with users of social networks has created great opportunities for data mining problems. One data mining problem of interest for social networks is the friendship link prediction problem. Intuitively, a friendship link between two users can be predicted based on their common friends and interests. However, using user interests directly can be challenging, given the large number of possible interests. In the past, approaches that make use of an explicit user interest ontology have been proposed to tackle this problem, but the construction of the ontology proved to be computationally expensive and the resulting ontology was not very useful. As an alternative, we propose a topic modeling approach to the problem of predicting new friendships based on interests and existing friendships. Specifically, we use Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) to model user interests and, thus, we create an implicit interest ontology. We construct features for the link prediction problem based on the resulting topic distributions. Experimental results on several LiveJournal data sets of varying sizes show the usefulness of the LDA features for predicting friendships.
A study of mechanical alloying processes using reactive milling and discrete element modeling

The milling progress of mechanical alloying in SPEX shaker mills was investigated using different ball sizes and ball to powder mass ratios (charge ratios). Reactive materials were used, for which an exothermic reaction is mechanically triggered after a certain period of milling. The milling progress was determined experimentally from the temperature trace of the milling vial exhibiting a peak at the time of such a reaction. An expression for the milling dose was introduced to describe the effect of different milling parameters on the milling progress. In the first approximation, the milling dose leading to the mechanically triggered reaction remained constant over a range of charge ratios and could, therefore, be used to gauge the milling progress. The milling progress was described theoretically using the discrete element method. The theoretical milling dose that correlates well with its experimental analog was found to depend on the head-on impact energy dissipation rate. The presented approach is suitable for scale-up and optimization of mechanical alloying of various materials.
Improvement to HOME based Internet caching protocol

An efficient inter-cache communication protocol is one of the key techniques to win better cache performance. ICP (Internet caching protocol) and its extensions - CARP (cache array routing protocol) and HOME (home-based cooperative cache array protocol) - are well-known existing cache array protocols. However, ICP may cause a lot of Internet messages and could have many duplicated objects in caches, while CARP has low local hit-rate. HOME overcomes the disadvantages of ICP and CARP, but still has some drawbacks, such as lack of robustness against failure, poor scalability and load balance. To overcome these disadvantages, we implement a consistent hashing for HOME and name this new extension HOME-EX. The simulation results show that HOME-EX overcomes the drawbacks of HOME and achieves higher fault tolerance, higher scalability, and better load balance.
Verifiable composition of access control and application features

Access control features are often spread across and tangled with other functionality in a design. This makes modifying and replacing these features in a design difficult. Aspect-oriented modeling (AOM) techniques can be used to support separation of access control concerns from other application design concerns. Using an AOM approach, access control features are described by aspect models and other application features are described by a primary model. Composition of aspect and primary models yields a design model in which access control features are integrated with other application features. In this paper, we present, through an example, an AOM approach that supports verifiable composition of behaviors described in access control aspect models and primary models. Given an aspect model, a primary model, and a specified property, the composition technique produces proof obligations as the behavioral descriptions in the aspect and primary models are composed. One has to discharge the proof obligations to establish that the composed model has the specified property.
An Extension Of Image Quality: Computer Modeling A Complete Electro-Optical System

The concept of optical image quality is extended to include the total electro-optical system performance. A complex software package called the End-to-End simulation has been developed with the total system performance as its merit function. The example discussed has as its merit function, time delay errors. Subsystems modeled include the object, the "real" optical system, the detector and its associated circuitry, and the electronics used in signal processing. Validation of the modules comprising the total package is discussed.
Mapping and Congenic Dissection of Genetic Loci Contributing to Hyperglycemia and Dyslipidemia in Mice

Background Patients with dyslipidemia have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and diabetic patients often have dyslipidemia. Potential genetic connections of fasting plasma glucose with plasma lipid profile were evaluated using hyperlipidemic mice. Methods 225 male F2 mice were generated from BALB/cJ (BALB) and SM/J(SM) Apoe-deficient (Apoe−/−) mice and fed a Western diet for 5 weeks. Fasting plasma glucose and lipid levels of F2 mice were measured before and after 5 weeks of Western diet and quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis was performed using data collected from these two time points. 144 SNP(single nucleotide polymorphism) markers across the entire genome were typed. Results One major QTL (logarithm of odds ratio (LOD): 6.46) peaked at 12.7 cM on chromosome 9,Bglu16, and 3 suggestive QTLs on chromosomes 15, 18 and X were identified for fasting glucose, and over 10 loci identified for lipid traits. Bglu16 was adjacent to a major QTL, Hdlq17, for high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (LOD: 6.31, peak: 19.1 cM). A congenic strain with a donor chromosomal region harboring Bglu16 and Hdlq17 on the Apoe−/− background showed elevations in plasma glucose and HDL levels. Fasting glucose levels were significantly correlated with non-HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, especially on the Western diet, but only marginally correlated with HDL levels in F2 mice. Conclusions We have demonstrated a correlative relationship between fasting glucose and plasma lipids in a segregating F2 population under hyperlipidemic conditions, and this correlation is partially due to genetic linkage between the two disorders.
Concise Synthesis of α‐Methylene‐β‐hydroxy‐γ‐carboxy‐γ‐lactams

A concise protocol for the synthesis of α-methylene-β-hydroxy-γ-carboxy-γ-lactams has been described via alkylation of amino acid derived iminoesters with α-bromomethylmethacrylate, followed by allylic hydroxylation. All the synthesized compounds have been evaluated for their cytotoxicity on multiple myeloma cancer cell lines.
Abstract 17695: Femoral Artery Distensibility and Intima Media Thickness (IMT), but Not the Ankle Brachial Index, Are Associated With Measures of Physical Function: The San Diego Population Study (SDPS)

Background: Lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD), even when asymptomatic, is associated with decreased functional status and mobility. The ankle brachial index (ABI), the standard for PAD diagnosis, may not decrease significantly until substantial lower extremity obstructive disease exists, and when apparent declines in physical function may already be present. Thus, we examined the association of measures of femoral artery atherosclerosis and distensibility, which may be better earlier indicators of pre-clinical lower extremity disease, with measures of physical function. Methods: The SDPS includes 1103 non-Hispanic white, African-American, Hispanic and Asian men and women, average age 70, who participated in a clinic exam between 2007-11. Initial data read from ultrasound images of the superficial and common femoral arteries from the 2007-11 exam is currently available on 295 of 1103 participants. Linear regression was used to assess the associations of femoral artery IMT, distensibility, and...
Experimental models of multiple sclerosis.

Purpose of reviewMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system of unknown cause. There are many medications available for the disease, but none are clearly effective in ameliorating its long-term disabling effects. MS is felt to be most likely either due to an aberrant immune re
A Study on the Efficacy of Airflow Mitigation Devices in Hard Disk Drives

The turbulent flow of air generated by spinning disks in hard disk drives (HDD) is known to be major contributor to undesirable vibrations of the head stack assembly (HSA). The continuing demand for higher capacities in HDD has resulted in a continual increase in areal densities. Densities in excess of 100 Gb/ in2 have been demonstrated and it is widely projected that conventional technology will ultimately achieve 1 Tb/in2 . It is foreseeable that at such areal densities, a track density of 0.5 Million tracks/inch will be required, with each recorded bit being roughly 13 × 50 nm. Under such conditions, the tracking accuracy required is approximately 1.5 nm RMS (root mean square). These goals place stringent requirements on the positioning accuracy of the actuator while accentuating the need to mitigate the various sources of track misregistration (TMR).© 2005 ASME
Biomechanical Properties of Osteophytes and Non-Osteophytic Cortical Bone: A Preliminary Study

Introduction: Several studies have associated the development of spinal osteophytes with disc degeneration. Others have characterized them as adaptive bone remodeling in response to unusual stress/strain. No recent study examined the microstructure and mechanical properties of osteophytes. Materials and methods: Bone tissues were harvested from eight different human cadavers. Beams (length: 24mm, width: 4mm, thickness: 2mm) from lumbar osteophytes, lumbar anterior cortices (non-osteophytic), and femoral diaphyseal cortices were tested for three-point bending and micro-hardness. The specimens were subsequently divided into two parts for material density, ash density, and histological analyses. Results: Hardness values (HV) decreased by 39% from femoral cortical to spinal osteophytic samples. The maximum load to failure for osteophytic and non-osteophytic vertebral beams was 64 and 4 Newtons (N), respectively. Material density ranged from 1.40 to 2.0g/cm3 and 1.18 to 1.70g/cm3 for cortical bone and osteophyte, respectively. Undecalcified histology showed a disorganized structure of the osteophytic osteons as compared with the regular pattern observed in femoral diaphyseal cortical bones. Conclusion: Vertebral osteophytes have higher load carrying capacity than vertebral cortical bone. However, cortical bone presents a more mature and organized microstructure than osteophytes.
Risks and Predictors of Gastric Adenocarcinoma in Patients with Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia and Dysplasia: A Population-Based Study.

Risks and Predictors of Gastric Adenocarcinoma in Patients with Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia and Dysplasia: A Population-Based Study
Traumatic Injury of the Sellar Region, Pituitary Stalk Disruption, and Posttraumatic Anosmia

Under certain circumstances, traumatic brain injury (TBI) may result in fractures of the anterior and middle skull base. The pituitary gland and stalk are at particular risk of injury in high-speed acceleration-deceleration shear-type injuries, because the stalk is surrounded anatomically by the rigid diaphragma sella and the gland is encased within the rigid bony sella. Furthermore, the pituitary stalk is composed of axonal tracts arising from hypothalamic neurons, in addition to a portal venous system, rendering it susceptible to traumatic injury. The incidence of sella turcica fractures among TBI patients is 3.6 % according to major series; these fractures are more common in children. In about half of cases, these fractures are associated with CSF leaks. Risk factors for developing hypopituitarism following TBI include diffuse axonal injury, basal skull fractures, and older age. It has been shown recently that the development of hypopituitarism following TBI may be mediated by autoimmune mechanisms, namely, the circulation of antipituitary antibodies. Sellar region trauma may result in a variety of clinical problems, including CSF leaks, meningitis, meningoceles and encephaloceles, pneumocephalus, panhypopituitarism, diabetes insipidus, visual loss, cranial nerve paresis, pseudoaneurysms, and cavernous-carotid and cavernous dural fistulas. The incidence of acute posttraumatic hypopituitarism of any anterior pituitary hormonal axis is 50–76 %. The incidence of posterior pituitary dysfunction (diabetes insipidus) in the acute state following moderate or severe TBI is 21.6 %; permanent diabetes insipidus develops in 6.9 % of patients. The hormonal axis most often chronically affected in patients with traumatic hypopituitarism is the growth hormone axis. In the acute phase following TBI, the hormonal axes most often affected are the gonadotropin axis (41.6 %), the growth hormone axis (20.4 %), the ACTH axis (9.8 %), and the thyroid axis (5.8 %). One year following the injury, the most prevalent hormonal axis deficiencies involved the growth hormone axis (37.7 %), the ACTH axis (19.2 %), the gonadotropin axis (7.7 %), and the thyroid axis (5.8 %). Hormonal dysfunction tends to at least partially improve in up to 60 % of patients following a traumatic injury. The incidence of anosmia caused by shear stress to olfactory nerves in the cribriform plate is as high as 56 % following a TBI, but many of these patients are not aware of the anosmia. A spectrum of clinical symptoms related to anosmia may be present, including hyposmia, dysosmia (distortion of smell), hypogeusia (reduced taste sensation), and dysgeusia (distortion of taste). The finding of anosmia following TBI has been associated with more prominent neuropsychiatric dysfunction, especially as it pertains to frontal lobe function.
Motor Skill Acquisition for Young Children with Disabilities

We have long known the benefits of early motor activities for young children’s motor skill development and other developmental domains (Iverson, Journal of Child Language 37: 229–261, 2010; From playpen to playground: The importance of physical play for the motor development of young children, Reston, VA, 2010; From playpen to playground: The importance of physical play for the motor development of young children, Reston, VA, 2010). Not only is motor skill development important in and of itself, but it has been linked to social, language, and cognitive development as well. And, while motor skills develop naturally for most typically developing preschoolers, young children with disabilities often experience delays in this area. Therefore, it is essential to intervene, providing direct and intentional motor programs for children with disabilities during their early years when fundamental motor skills such as locomotion and manipulation develop. These skills form a foundation for skill development in other developmental areas.
Shaping Si, NiCo, and glass substrates via stresses in the coatings

Here we report progress toward the fabrication of adaptive or active Si X-ray mirrors via a two step process. The first step is to curve a Si flat and then coat it with Terfenol-D that will allow the shape control via the application of a magnetic field. The goal is to create a mirror whose local (a few mm-length scale) slope can be changed and left for several hours or more. The current work described here was done in on Si to demonstrate the ability to produce the initial curvature, and in parallel, work to on magnetically hard NiCo 5 cm x 5 cm square plus on a glass sample. The glass sample was used a proto-type to model making changes in two different locations on a mirror. The NiCo sample was used to show that a magnetic field can be retained in a magnetically hard substrate such that the magnetically induced stress in the Terfenol-D was able to maintain a deformation for as long as time permitted to make the measurement which was 71 hours.
A Smartphone-Based Virtual Agent for Atrial Fibrillation Education and Counseling

When deployed on smartphones, virtual agents have the potential to deliver life-saving advice regarding emergency medical conditions, as well as provide a convenient channel for health education to help improve the safety and efficacy of pharmacotherapy. This paper describes the use of a smartphone-based virtual agent that provides counseling to patients with Atrial Fibrillation, along with the results from a pilot acceptance study among patients with the condition. Atrial Fibrillation is a highly prevalent heart rhythm disorder and is known to significantly increase the risk of stroke, heart failure and death. In this study, a virtual agent is deployed in conjunction with a smartphone-based heart rhythm monitor that lets patients obtain real-time diagnostic information on the status of their atrial fibrillation and determine whether immediate action may be needed. The results of the study indicate that participants are satisfied with receiving information about Atrial Fibrillation via the virtual agent.
PItcHPERFeCT: Primary Intracranial Hemorrhage Probability Estimation using Random Forests on CT.

Abstract Introduction Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), where a blood vessel ruptures into areas of the brain, accounts for approximately 10–15% of all strokes. X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning is largely used to assess the location and volume of these hemorrhages. Manual segmentation of the CT scan using planimetry by an expert reader is the gold standard for volume estimation, but is time-consuming and has within- and across-reader variability. We propose a fully automated segmentation approach using a random forest algorithm with features extracted from X-ray computed tomography (CT) scans. Methods The Minimally Invasive Surgery plus rt-PA in ICH Evacuation (MISTIE) trial was a multi-site Phase II clinical trial that tested the safety of hemorrhage removal using recombinant-tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA). For this analysis, we use 112 baseline CT scans from patients enrolled in the MISTE trial, one CT scan per patient. ICH was manually segmented on these CT scans by expert readers. We derived a set of imaging predictors from each scan. Using 10 randomly-selected scans, we used a first-pass voxel selection procedure based on quantiles of a set of predictors and then built 4 models estimating the voxel-level probability of ICH. The models used were: 1) logistic regression, 2) logistic regression with a penalty on the model parameters using LASSO, 3) a generalized additive model (GAM) and 4) a random forest classifier. The remaining 102 scans were used for model validation.For each validation scan, the model predicted the probability of ICH at each voxel. These voxel-level probabilities were then thresholded to produce binary segmentations of the hemorrhage. These masks were compared to the manual segmentations using the Dice Similarity Index (DSI) and the correlation of hemorrhage volume of between the two segmentations. We tested equality of median DSI using the Kruskal-Wallis test across the 4 models. We tested equality of the median DSI from sets of 2 models using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results All results presented are for the 102 scans in the validation set. The median DSI for each model was: 0.89 (logistic), 0.885 (LASSO), 0.88 (GAM), and 0.899 (random forest). Using the random forest results in a slightly higher median DSI compared to the other models. After Bonferroni correction, the hypothesis of equality of median DSI was rejected only when comparing the random forest DSI to the DSI from the logistic ( p p p https://github.com/muschellij2/ichseg ) and a Shiny R application online ( http://johnmuschelli.com/ich_segment_all.html ) for implementing and testing the proposed approach.
B12 trafficking in mammals: A for coenzyme escort service.

Many coenzymes are vitamins that are assimilated in mammals into their active form from precursors obtained from the diet. They are often both rare and reactive rendering the likelihood low that the cell uses a collision-based strategy for their delivery to dependent enzymes. In humans, there are only two known B12 or cobalamin-dependent enzymes: methionine synthase and methylmalonyl-CoA mutase. However, the pathway for intracellular assimilation and utilization of this cofactor is complex as revealed by careful clinical analyses of fibroblasts from patients with disorders of cobalamin metabolism. In the recent past, six of the eight human genes involved in the B12 pathway have been identified and these have yielded important insights into their roles. The recent literature on the encoded proteins is reviewed, and a model for intracellular B12 trafficking is proposed in which B12 is escorted to its target proteins in the cytoplasmic and mitochondrial compartments in complex with chaperones, thereby averti...
Wetland management using microbial indicators

Abstract The use of biological indicators to monitor the health and functioning of wetlands has been an ongoing goal of wetland scientists and managers, and has focused primarily on monitoring the changes in macroorganisms, due to the relative ease of identifying and counting them. In recent years, the establishment of high-throughput sequencing techniques, development of assays for specific functional genes, and better quantitative measures are making it easier to get extensive diversity profiles and more robust abundance estimates of various microbial communities, and empowers us to explore wetland microbiomes and their role in ecosystem function. This heuristic search enables us to illuminate a spot light on minor populations of microbial communities, which were difficult to be scrutinized by more traditional molecular tools. Monitoring microbial indicators in response to nutrient loading, pollutants and redox potential is beneficial for wetland ecosystem management. Microbial populations can serve as the most sensitive and rapid bioindicator in response to various environmental changes. Evaluation of wetland condition and restoration cannot be met effectively by a single physical, chemical or biological parameter but a combination of multiple attributes is effective for robust wetland assessment and management. Various functional groups of microorganisms can be used as wetland assessment tools and provide a more profound understanding of microbial population dynamics and various direct microbial activity measurements. Understanding of the microbial communities controlling biogeochemical cycles in constructed wetlands could support optimizing performance of these promising treatment systems. This review focuses on a potential use of microorganisms as effective biological indicators for wetland management.
Dynamics and Organization of Archaeal Tetraether Lipid Membranes

Archaeal bipolar tetraether lipids (BTLs) have distinct structural differences from the lipids isolated from bacteria and eukaryotes. Because of the presence of the unusual structural features, such as macrocyclic structures, cyclopentane rings, isoprenoid units, tetraether linkages, and a variety of polar head groups, archaeal BTL membranes possess physical properties distinctly different from those found in conventional diester lipid membranes. This chapter reviews the salient physical properties of archaeal BTL membranes as well as the membranes formed by synthetic BTLs, with the emphasis focused on membrane dynamics, stability, phase behaviors, and organization.
Lecture one : rediscovering Darwin for theology – rethinking human personhood

In a series of three articles, presented at the Goshen Annual Conference on Science and Religion in 2015, with the theme ‘Interdisciplinary Theology and the Archeology of Personhood’, J. Wentzel van Huyssteen considers the problem of human evolution – also referred to as ‘the archaeology of personhood’ – and its broader impact on theological anthropology. These Goshen Lectures explore the potentiality that the history of human evolution provides bridge theories to theological anthropology and thus to a positive and constructive way of appropriating Darwinian thought for a public, interdisciplinary Christian theology. Lecture One tracks a select number of contemporary proposals for the evolution of aspects of human personhood. These aspects were of significance for Darwin: the evolution of cognition; the evolution of imagination, music and language; the evolution of morality; and the evolution of the religious disposition. The article acknowledges the close ties to hominid ancestors and focuses on the emergence of human distinctiveness, consciousness and personhood, and the propensity for religious awareness and experience.
Social science, today

Generally, social scientists have been poorly equipped to deal with the 21st-cen­tury deluge of large-scale complex data. Computer scientists, well equipped to handle the data, are often ignorant of social theory and of foundational research methods in the social sciences. What is needed is an articula­tion of core principles of designing research that are accessible to multiple disciplines. Into this breach steps Matthew Salganik with Bit by Bit.
Assessment of enteric pathogen shedding by bathers during recreational activity and its impact on water quality

An assessment was made to determine the potential loading of enteric pathogenic protozoa and viruses into drinking water supply reservoirs by body contact recreation. These and other organisms of fecal origin are shed from the body during bathing. A literature review was conducted on the concentration of selected enteric viruses and protozoa during infection, the incidence of these infections, and duration of excretion. In addition, from existing literature, the amount of fecal material released during bathing was estimated from the shedding of fecal coliforms by bathers. The mean amount of fecal material shed per bather was estimated at 0.14[emsp4 ]gram. The concentration of protozoan parasites (Giardia or Cryptosporidium) in feces of infected persons can range from 105 to 107 per gram and enteric viruses (enteroviruses, adenoviruses, rotavirus) from 105 to 1012 per gram. From this information, the concentration of enteric pathogens, shed into the water, could be calculated for a group of bathers. This information can be used to model the impact of body contact recreation on water quality in reservoirs used for drinking water supplies. Such information is useful in assessing the required treatment of the water to meet water quality regulations.