cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The performance of continuous-phase-coded DS/SSMA communications

A class of spread-spectrum systems with continuous-phase spreading signals is proposed. We present a characterization of the spectral-spreading signals that allows computation of various measures of the system performance, such as the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), spectral density, and average bit-error probability. The error probability can be evaluated if the distributions of the multiple-access interferences (MAIs) are available. We obtain the conditional distributions of random variables that characterize the MAI given the time delays. These conditional distributions are used to compute vectors, allowing the average bit-error probability to be computed with arbitrary accuracy. Since most of the computations only involve array additions and multiplications, these operations can be performed efficiently on array processors.
Love and Fear of Heights: The Pathophysiology and Psychology of Height Imbalance

Individual psychological responses to heights vary on a continuum from acrophobia to height intolerance, height tolerance, and height enjoyment. This paper reviews the English literature and summarizes the physiologic and psychological factors that generate different responses to heights while standing still in a static or motionless environment. Perceptual cues to height arise from vision. Normal postural sway of 2 cm for peripheral objects within 3 m increases as eye-object distance increases. Postural sway >10 cm can result in a fall. A minimum of 20 minutes of peripheral retinal arc is required to detect motion. Trigonometry dictates that a 20-minute peripheral retinal arch can no longer be achieved in a standing position at an eye-object distance of >20 m. At this distance, visual cues conflict with somatosensory and vestibular inputs, resulting in variable degrees of imbalance. Co-occurring deficits in the visual, vestibular, and somatosensory systems can significantly increase height imbalance. An individual's psychological makeup, influenced by learned and genetic factors, can influence reactions to height imbalance. Enhancing peripheral vision and vestibular, proprioceptive, and haptic functions may improve height imbalance. Psychotherapy may improve the troubling subjective sensations to heights.
Model of Fringing in the WFC3 CCDs

The Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) is an instrument which is being developed for the Hubble Space Telescope. It will have a UV/VIS channel which will include two 2051 X 4096 pixel, thin, backside illuminated CCDs. These CCDs produce interference fringes in narrow band or monochromatic light images taken in the 700 nm to 1000 nm wavelength range. We have obtained 146 monochromatic images for each of the four flight candidate CCDs. These images can be used to model the physical structure of the CCD, which are described by a set of parameters deduced by solving the Fresnel equations for the absorption within the CCD as a function of wavelength. We have used the formalism developed to model the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph's CCD by Malumuth et. al. to determine the free parameters for a large portion of one of the WFC3 flight candidate CCDs. From these fits we are able to evaluate the ability to fit the fringing of real data by comparing a model fringe flat to an observed fringe flat. We find that we should be able to reduce the observed fringe amplitude by a factor of five or better. Finally we show that for a certain class of object (extended emission line object with a variety of radial velocities) this model is an excellent method for removing the effect of fringing.
Histology impacts the outcome of peripheral T-cell lymphomas after high dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplant

The role of high dose chemotherapy (HDC) and stem cell transplant (SCT) in peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) was studied in 28 patients, from 1988 to 2002. The aim was to determine if subsets recognized by the REAL/WHO classification have different prognoses. Outcome was compared to 86 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) transplanted during 1986-2000. The 3-year overall survival (OS) and event free survival (EFS) were 69% and 50%. Patients with anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) had a better 3-year OS compared to those with non-ALCL histology (86% vs. 47%, P=0.0122). Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)- positive ALCL patients had a superior EFS compared to ALK-negative ALCL (100% vs. 0; P=0.0228). Patients with cutaneous ALCL (ALK-negative) relapsed, but had an indolent course after SCT. Low International Prognostic Index score at relapse predicted for a better 3-year OS (85% vs. 34%, P=0.0238). When compared to DLBCL, patients with ALCL had a superior OS (86% vs. 36%, P=0.0034) and patients with non-ALCL had a comparable OS. ALCL histology confers better survival compared to non-ALCL and DLBCL histologies. ALK-positive ALCL is associated with the best EFS after relapse with HDC and SCT. The timing of SCT for non-ALCL histology remains to be determined.
Logical connectivity: applications, requirements, architecture, and research agenda

Presents applications, requirements, an Information Technology (IT) architecture and a research agenda developed to facilitate connectivity among disparate information systems. The applications illustrate the benefits fits of connectivity as well as highlight problems encountered. These connectivity problems are organized into first- and second-order issues. The first-order issues include physical connectivity to heterogeneous databases in a multi-vendor environment. The second-order issues focus on logical connectivity, including schema-level integration, instance-level data semantics reconciliation, inter-database instance identification. and concept inferencing. >
Extended de Sitter theory of two-dimensional gravitational forces.

We present a simple unifying gauge-theoretical formulation of gravitational theories in two-dimensional spacetime. This formulation includes the effects of a novel matter-gravity coupling which leads to an extended de Sitter symmetry algebra on which the gauge theory is based. Contractions of this theory encompass previously studied cases.
Noncoherent Physical-Layer Network Coding with FSK Modulation: Relay Receiver Design Issues

A channel-coded physical-layer network coding strategy is refined for practical operation. The system uses frequency-shift keying (FSK) modulation and operates noncoherently, providing advantages over coherent operation: there are no requirements for perfect power control, phase synchronism, or estimates of carrier-phase offset. In contrast with analog network coding, which relays received analog signals plus noise, the system relays digital network codewords, obtained by digital demodulation and channel decoding at the relay. The emphasis of this paper is on the relay receiver formulation. Closed-form expressions are derived that provide bitwise log-likelihood ratios, which may be passed through a standard error-correction decoder. The role of fading-amplitude estimates is investigated, and an effective fading-amplitude estimator is developed. Simulation results are presented for a Rayleigh block-fading channel, and the influence of block length is explored. An example realization of the proposed system demonstrates a 32.4% throughput improvement compared to a similar system that performs network coding at the link layer. By properly selecting the rates of the channel codes, this benefit may be achieved without requiring an increase in transmit power.
A survey of Digital Simulation: Digital Analog Simulator Programs:

This is the first of an intended series of articles on digital simulation. Digital simulation abounds in many fields and disciplines — analog simulators, cir cuit simulators, chemical process simulators, traffic simulators, systems simulators, business simulators. At this point in time, a general survey of digital simu lation is overdue. Its orderly development demands sufficient respite for a critical evaluation of its prog ress thus far and its goals for the future. just what is digital simulation? - where does it stand presently and how did it get there? — where does it seem to be going ? This series hopes merely to stimulate the tech nical conversations which will furnish these answers. This article restricts attention to digital-analog simulator programs-those programs which simulate the elements and organization of analog computers. It is intended to be both tutorial and documentary in its presentation. This topic was selected for the first article because this segment of digital simulation is of mo...
A 4-yr Climatology of Pressure Disturbances Using a Barometer Network in Central Illinois

This paper presents a climatology of coherent disturbances detected during 1991‐95 by a network of barometers with a diameter of about 50 km located in a very flat terrain centered on the Flatland Atmospheric Observatory in east-central Illinois. An automatic, wavelet-based adaptive filter is used to extract the waveforms of all disturbance events with amplitudes larger than a frequency-dependent threshold. The extracted events cover characteristic temporal scales from about 30 min to 6 h, that is, the range that includes mesoscale disturbances that affect the weather and the forecasts. The analysis resulted in two classes of events. One class, called coherent events, or CEs, consists of disturbances that propagated coherently through the barograph network and for which the phase propagation velocity, dominant period, and horizontal wavelength could be estimated with good accuracy. The propagation directions of 97% of the CEs were between 08 and 1808 (i.e., had an eastward component) and the speeds of 96% were between 10 and 50 ms 21 with a mode at 25‐30 m s21. The other class, called incoherent events, or IEs, consists of disturbances that had significant amplitudes but that did not propagate coherently across the network, so that the propagation velocity could not be estimated. This class consists of localized disturbances and wave packets with short periods and/or wavelengths, or with pressure signatures that were too different at the network stations. The extracted events are attributed to gravity waves, wave packets, gravity currents, pressure jumps, solitary waves, bores, etc. The rate of occurrence of events had a strong seasonal dependence, with a maximum in fall and winter and a minimum in summer. The CEs occurred about 20%‐21% of the total time in fall and winter and 12% in summer, while all events occurred 34% in both fall and winter and 23% in summer. The seasonal dependence of events confirms the strong relation of these disturbances to the baroclinicity of the atmosphere. Concurrent vertical velocity fluctuations observed by the 50-MHz radar at the Flatland Atmospheric Observatory showed that many of the large-amplitude events extended up to at least 7 km, the highest altitude reliably observed by the radar.
Cloning of a Mycobacterium tuberculosis Gene Encoding a Purifed Protein Derivative Protein That Elicits Strong Tuberculosis-Specific Delayed-Type Hypersensitivity

The purified protein derivative (PPD) skin test has been used for the diagnosis of tuberculosis for more than 75 years. However, the test lacks specificity because all mycobacteria share antigens present in PPD. Therefore, sensitization with nontuberculous pathogenic or with environmental nonpathogenic mycobacteria can lead to positive skin tests. This communication describes a novel PPD protein present only in tuberculous complex mycobacteria. A recombinant protein was obtained and named DPPD on the basis of the first 4 amino acids of its N-terminus sequence. DPPD elicited delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) in 100% of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected guinea pigs but in no animals sensitized with several organisms representative of all members of the Mycobacterium genus. Preliminary results indicate that DPPD induces strong and specific DTH in humans. This work points to the definition of a single recombinant M. tuberculosis protein that may be an alternative to the PPD test.
Tensile Strength of Unidirectionally Reinforced Composites — I

Between 1964 and 1980 most micromechanical analyses of composite strength have been based on the chain-of-bundles model. The present in vestigation abandons this model and concentrates instead on the formation and growth of multiple fiber fractures (cracks). This permits treating interac tion of cracks in different bundles and assignment of different ineffective lengths to fiber breaks of different multiplicity.Weakest link theory is used to determine the number of isolated fiber frac tures (singlets), double fractures (doublets), and multiplets of arbitrary order as a function of stress. It turns out that if the fracture of individual fibers obeys Weibull's equation, a plot of nQi vs lnσ is a straight line of slome im. Here o is applied stress, Qi is the number if i-plets formed during loading to stress σ, and m is the Weibull modulus. The envelope of the Qi curves serves as a failure line. Use of the failure line leads directly to a rational failure criterion based on a Griffith-type instability and sho...
Spectral Properties of Clouds from 2.5 microto 3.5 micro.

On the basis of simple models, the observed spectral reflectance properties of sunlit high altitude clouds in the 2.5–3.5-μ region are related, in decreasing order of importance, to the scattering properties of water droplets and ice crystals, absorption by ir active gases entrained within the cloud, and atmospheric transmission over the sun–cloud path.
CAD flows for chip-package codesign

A unified method is presented for layout and package design implemented within a commercial design environment that will reduce design time and enable chip-package codesign.
Learning Difficult Content Using the Web: Strategies Make a Difference

A web site was organized around a theme of testing knowledge of descriptive chemistry. Detailed studies of nearly 14,000 Web transactions showed that, by providing representative test items followed with immediate feedback, student learning in descriptive chemistry increased. Nearly half of the students using the site were found to engage in an unanticipated study strategy of dealing with test items one at a time rather than in traditionally derived groups of eight. The ability of these students to respond to new items increased at a rate twice that of other students not engaging this strategy.
Polynomial Complexity Algorithms for Full Utilization of Multi-Hop Wireless Networks

In this paper, we provide and study a general framework that allows the development of distributed mechanisms to achieve full utilization of multi-hop wireless networks. In particular, we describe a generic randomized routing, scheduling and flow control scheme that is applicable to a large class of interference models, and that allows for the development of distributed algorithms which maximize network throughput and utilization. In particular, we focus on a specific interference model, namely the secondary interference model, and develop distributed algorithms with polynomial communication and computation complexity in the network size. This is an important result given that earlier throughput-optimal algorithms developed for such a model relies on the solution to an NP-hard problem. This results in a polynomial complexity cross-layer algorithm that achieves throughput optimality and fair allocation of network resources amongst the users. We further show that our algorithmic approach enables us to efficiently approximate the capacity region of a multi-hop wireless network.
Vanilloid Receptor–Related Osmotically Activated Channel (VR-OAC), a Candidate Vertebrate Osmoreceptor

Abstract The detection of osmotic stimuli is essential for all organisms, yet few osmoreceptive proteins are known, none of them in vertebrates. By employing a candidate-gene approach based on genes encoding members of the TRP superfamily of ion channels, we cloned cDNAs encoding the vanilloid receptor–related osmotically activated channel (VR-OAC) from the rat, mouse, human, and chicken. This novel cation-selective channel is gated by exposure to hypotonicity within the physiological range. In the central nervous system, the channel is expressed in neurons of the circumventricular organs, neurosensory cells responsive to systemic osmotic pressure. The channel also occurs in other neurosensory cells, including inner-ear hair cells, sensory neurons, and Merkel cells.
Hollywood Icons, Local Demons

Hollywood Icons, Local Demons: Ghanaian Popular Paintings by Mark Anthony. Widener Art Gallery, Trinity College, Hartford, CT: January 31-March 31, 2000 (review venue); Kansas City Gallery of Art, University of Missouri, Kansas City, September 8-October 27, 2000; Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, July 14-September 25, 2001; Lowe Art Center, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY: December 10-January 25, 2002 (pending funding). Hollywood Icons, Local Demons: Ghanaian Popular Paintings by Mark Anthony. Michelle Gilbert. Hartford, CT. Trinity College, 2000.72 pp.
Identification of reproducible individualized targets for treatment of depression with TMS based on intrinsic connectivity

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is used clinically for the treatment of depression however outcomes vary greatly between patients. We have shown that average clinical efficacy of different left DLPFC TMS sites is related to intrinsic functional connectivity with remote regions including the subgenual cingulate and suggested that functional connectivity with these remote regions might be used to identify optimized left DLPFC targets for TMS. However it remains unclear if and how this connectivity-based targeting approach should be applied at the single-subject level to potentially individualize therapy to specific patients. In this article we show that individual differences in DLPFC connectivity are large, reproducible across sessions, and can be used to generate individualized DLPFC TMS targets that may prove clinically superior to those selected on the basis of group-average connectivity. Factors likely to improve individualized targeting including the use of seed maps and the focality of stimulation are investigated and discussed. The techniques presented here may be applicable to individualized targeting of focal brain stimulation across a range of diseases and stimulation modalities and can be experimentally tested in clinical trials.
THE IMPACT OF SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS ON A CHURCH-BASED HEALING MODEL

Since orthodox health practitioners and the church have tended to maintain different values with respect to sickness and care, little attention has been paid to models that combine religious healing and traditional medical and psychiatric care. This study describes such a tripartite collaborative model. Through participant observation and interviews of patients and staff, attention is focused on the impact that sociocultural factors have had on the practical workings of a church-based clinic.
Robust identification of uncertain dynamical systems where adaptation is impossible

This paper shows that training with the risk-averting error criterion yields a robust system identifier in the presence of an uncertain environmental parameter that is impossible to adapt to. Numerical results comparing least-squares and risk-averting identifiers illustrate the efficacy of the proposed method.
Being the opposition in contemporary Russia: The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF) among social-democratic, Marxist–Leninist and nationalist–socialist discourses

Did the ideological discourse of the KPRF, the communist successor party in post-Communist Russia, evolve in the same direction as the identity and discourse of the majority of ex-communist parties in Eastern and Central Europe which now embrace social democracy? In particular, did the KPRF’s Marxist–Leninist and nationalist–socialist rhetoric change with time as the political climate for its functioning as the only viable Russian opposition party continued to deteriorate? This question is addressed through content analysis of public documents and internal party documents, which reveals that the latter are considerably more liberal and democratic in tone than the former.
Ultra-low-crosstalk multi-core fiber feasible to ultra-long-haul transmission

Inter-core crosstalk of fabricated multi-core fiber was statistically evaluated to be less than −77.6 dB after 17.4-km propagation for λ=1550 nm using newly-developed method. The crosstalk was estimated to be less than −30 dB after 10,000 km.
Restoration of the organizer after radical ablation of Hensen's node and the anterior primitive streak in the chick embryo.

The region of the amniote embryo corresponding to Spemann's organizer in amphibians is Hensen's node, which lies at the tip of the primitive streak during gastrulation. It is a special site in the embryo that can be defined by the presence of progenitors of several axial tissues (notochord, prechordal mesoderm, somites, gut endoderm), by characteristic cell movements, by specific patterns of gene expression (e.g. goosecoid, HNF-3beta, Sonic hedgehog) and, most importantly, by its ability to induce a complete axis, including host-derived neural tissue, when transplanted to an ectopic site. Here, we show that complete removal not only of the node but also of the anterior 40% of the primitive streak leads to the development of normal embryos containing cells with all the fates normally produced by the node. Cell movement pathways through the regenerated node are identical to those seen in the normal embryo. The patterns of expression of HNF-3beta and Sonic hedgehog are also restored, as is their left/right asymmetry, but goosecoid expression is not. When the regenerated node is transplanted to an ectopic site, it induces a complete embryonic axis that includes a fully patterned, host-derived central nervous system. Analysis of the properties of cells surrounding the site of ablation shows that they acquire these properties gradually. We suggest that the organizer is a region of the embryo that is defined by cell interactions and that the node normally inhibits the organizer state in neighbouring cells.
Subjective daytime sleepiness: dimensions and correlates in the general population.

Study objective Discrepancies between several widely used assessment tools suggest that subjective daytime sleepiness is not a unitary phenomenon. Most research, however, has been based on patients. The aim of this study was to examine whether qualitatively different facets of subjective daytime sleepiness exist in the general population and to assess how different aspects of subjective sleepiness varied by age, gender, education status, body mass index, sleep debt, Stanford Sleepiness Scale, and objectively measured sleepiness (Multiple Sleep Latency Test). Design Cross-sectional study. Setting and participants Population-based sample of 1562 women and 1351 men, mean age of 46.6 +/- 7.9 years, including a subset of 145 participants who underwent an Multiple Sleep Latency Test. Measurements Self-reported sleepiness problems, Epworth Sleepiness Scale items, sleep habits, Multiple Sleep Latency Test, and Stanford Sleepiness Scale. Results Principal-axis factor analysis of 13 self-reported daytime-sleepiness measures yielded 3 factors, labeled perceived daytime sleepiness (Cronbach's alpha = 0.74), subjective sleep propensity in active situations (alpha = 0.82), and subjective sleep propensity in passive situations (alpha = 0.63). The factor-based scores were all related to increased body mass index and lower education status, but the associations of scores for perceived and subjective propensity factors differed with gender, age, sleep debt, MSLT, and Stanford Sleepiness Scale. Worse perceived sleepiness factor-based score was significantly related to female gender, younger age, higher sleep debt, and worse Stanford Sleepiness Scale scores. Worse factor-based scores for subjective sleep propensity in both active and passive situations were significantly associated with male gender, older age, and worse Multiple Sleep Latency Test scores. Conclusion Findings from the present analysis on a general population sample support the hypothesis that subjective daytime sleepiness has multiple dimensions.
Designing Plasmon-Enhanced Thermochromic Films Using a Vanadium Dioxide Nanoparticle Elastomeric Composite

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) is a common material for use in thermochromic windows due to a semiconductor-to-metal transition (SMT) that is coupled with a change in infrared opacity. Commercialization of VO2-based thermochromic technology is hampered by relatively expensive synthesis and film fabrication techniques as well as overall low performance as a window material. Here, simulations that indicate the plasmon resonance of VO2 nanoparticles in a composite film, which can be tuned to achieve record performance values, are reported. These simulations are experimentally verified by fabricating a VO2 nanoparticle composite in an elastomeric matrix using low-temperature and atmospheric processing conditions. The optical properties of the films are analyzed, yielding visible transmittance and infrared modulation values within the range of top-performing thermochromic windows. In addition, an improvement in performance is observed upon stretching the films, an effect that can be attributed to a local refractive index modulation. The results highlight the potential use of elastomeric composites as a low-cost route to higher-performance smart windows.
Dimensions of Flight Crew Performance Decrements: Methodological Implications for Field Research

Operational flight crew research into the etiology of performance breakdown in the cockpit requires an integrated methodology sensitive to both individual and group performance factors. This paper provides an introduction to some of the relevant dimensions and an overview of previous research. The discussion focuses upon the classic concern with individual human performance parameters, shortcomings of this approach, the need for research dealing with the performance characteristics of the group, and the implications of advanced technology for future aircrew performance issues. By way of example, a current NASA study is described which seeks to address some of these issues.
Mirror symmetry and generalized complex manifolds. Part II. Integrability and the transform for torus bundles

In this paper we continue the development of a relative version of T-duality in generalized complex geometry which we propose as a manifestation of mirror symmetry. We discuss the integrability of the transform from Part I in terms of data on the base manifold. We work with semi-flat generalized complex structures on real n-torus bundles with section over an n-dimensional base and use the transform on vector bundles developed in Part I of this paper to discuss the bijective correspondence between semi-flat generalized complex structures on pairs of dual torus bundles. We give interpretations of these results in terms of relationships between the cohomology of torus bundles and their duals. We comment on the ways in which our results generalize some well established aspects of mirror symmetry. Along the way, we give methods of constructing generalized complex structures on the total spaces of the bundles we consider.
Experimental Demonstration of Time-Bandwidth Expansion Using Warped Stretch Transform

We experimentally demonstrate, for the first time, a method for arbitrary waveform generation (AWG) with time-bandwidth product (TBP) expansion beyond the limitations set by a spectral encoder. We show that, by using an anamorphic stretch transform with a specific group delay (GD) profile, one can boost the TBP of the generated electrical waveform in time-stretch AWG. In particular, we show that the TBP expansion can be achieved, depending on the signal sparsity and proper choice of the warped GD dispersion profile. The new waveform generation system is implemented here using a nonlinearly chirped fiber Bragg grating with a warped GD profile. Experimental demonstrations in this paper show a TBP expansion of more than three times above the maximum achievable using conventional methods. Details of the signal dependence and spectral redundancy/sparsity requirement for time-bandwidth compression and expansion are also studied.
Photoluminescence decay dynamics and mechanism of energy transfer in undoped and Mn2+ doped ZnSe nanoparticles.

Energy transfer dynamics in Mn 2+ -doped ZnSe nanoparticles have been studied by monitoring the photoluminescence using time-integrated and time-resolved spectroscopic techniques. Upon Mn 2+ doping, static photoluminescence (PL) spectra show that the bandedge excitonic state is quenched and the characteristic Mn 2+ emission appears at 584 nm. Picosecond PL kinetics and femtosecond transient absorption studies have both found that the Mn 2+ doping substantially shortens the average lifetimes of the bandedge excitonic state as well as shallow trap states. The energy transfer from ZnSe to Mn 2+ likely follows two mechanisms, one mediated through trap states and another without.
Copper-Sodium Linkage during Intestinal Absorption: Inhibition by Amiloride

AbstractThe possible association between copper and sodium small intestinal absorption in the rat was investigated in the presence or absence of the electrolyte transport inhibitors amiloride, acetazolamide, and furosemide, at pharmacologic concentrations, using an in situ perfusion procedure. Amiloride (1 mM) produced a significant decrease in copper, net water, and sodium absorption, in solutions with sodium. Copper tissue retention was not altered, but was much higher in the absence of sodium. Acetazolamide and furosemide (1 mM), in separate experiments, had no effect on copper removal from the lumen, but generally reduced sodium and water transport. The presence or absence of sodium in the perfusate influenced rates of copper uptake. These data are compatible with a more effective passage of copper across the enterocyte basolateral membrane in the presence of sodium than in its absence.
Abstract A06: Examination of racial/ethnic disparities in ovarian cancer survival: Multilevel analysis of 2001-2012 SEER data

Background: While there has been a significant improvement in cancer-related survival over the past three decades, emerging studies suggest the degree of such improvement is not the same across all racial/ethnic groups. Ovarian cancer is the tenth most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women. Factors contributing to racial/ethnic disparities in ovarian cancer survival have been mainly examined at individual-level. Understanding contribution of contextual-level factors to racial/ethnic disparities in ovarian cancer survival is necessary for reducing and eliminating these disparities. Objectives: The study aims to examine individual- and contextual- level factors contributing to racial/ethnic disparities in ovarian cancer-cause specific mortality. Methods: Demographic, pathological, diagnosis, treatment, and survival information from women diagnosed with malignant ovarian cancer from 2001 to 2012 was extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Indicators of county socioeconomic status (SES) were obtained from the United States Census 2000 and 2007-2011 data. The racial/ethnic disparities in 5-year ovarian cancer-cause specific mortality were analyzed using multilevel Cox-proportional hazards models. Results: Adjusting for age at diagnosis, marital status, insurance status, tumor pathological characteristics, metro/nonmetro residence and county SES, compared to Non-Hispanic White (NHW) patients, Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) patients have 24% increased hazards of ovarian cancer death (95% CI: 1.18 – 1.30, p 0.05) and Hispanic patients (HR: 1.03, 95%CI: 0.80 – 1.34). When diagnosed at advanced (vs. early) stage, the hazards of ovarian cancer death significantly increased by 4.65- fold in NHW patients (95%CI: 4.38 – 4.95, p 0.05) nor Hispanic (HR: 1.20 95%CI: 0.97 – 1.50, p>0.05) patients. Living in counties with high employment rate or poverty level were each significantly associated with increased ovarian cancer-cause specific mortality in NHW patients, but not in NHB and Hispanic patients. Conclusions: The contribution of individual- and contextual-level factors to ovarian cancer-cause specific mortality is varied by race/ethnicity. Future research on development of multilevel culturally tailored interventions is warranted to decrease racial/ethnic disparities in ovarian cancer-cause specific mortality. Citation Format: Chen Chen, Yelena N. Tarasenko. Examination of racial/ethnic disparities in ovarian cancer survival: Multilevel analysis of 2001-2012 SEER data. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eighth AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 13-16, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2016;25(3 Suppl):Abstract nr A06.
Decreasing the Cerebral Edema Associated with Traumatic Intracerebral Hemorrhages: Use of a Minimally Invasive Technique

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major public health problem worldwide that affects all age groups. In the United States alone, there are approximately 50,000 deaths from severe traumatic brain injuries each year. In most studies, about 40 % of severe TBI have associated traumatic intracerebral hemorrhages (tICHs). The surgical treatment of tICH is debated largely because of its invasive nature, particularly in reaching deep tICHs. tICHs have a clear contribution to mass effect and exacerbate cerebral edema and ICP because of the break-down products of hemorrhage. We introduce a modification of the Mi SPACE technique (Minimally Invasive Subcortical Parafascicular Transsulcal Access for Clot Evacuation) that is applicable to tICH. In brief, this technique utilizes a trans-sulcal, stereotactic-guided technique in which a specially designed cannula is used to introduce a 13.5-mm-diameter tube into the epicenter of the tICH. We identified eight tICHs that were treated entirely or in part with the modified Mi SPACE technique during the time period from August 15, 2014 to December 15, 2014. This modified technique was readily deployed safely and efficaciously with significant removal of the tICH as demonstrated by postoperative CT scans. The removal of tICH using this minimally invasive technique may help with the control of ICP and cerebral edema.
Internalism and the Problem of Stored Beliefs

A belief is stored if it is in no way before the subject’s mind. The problem of stored beliefs is that of satisfactorily explaining how the stored beliefs which seem justified are indeed justified. In this paper I challenge the two main internalist attempts to solve this problem. Internalism about epistemic justification, at a minimum, states that one’s mental life alone determines what one is justified in believing. First I dispute the attempt from epistemic conservatism, which states that believing justifies retaining belief. Then I defend the attempt from dispositionalism, which assigns a justifying role to dispositions, from some key objections. But by drawing on cognitive psychological research I show that, for internalism, the problem of stored beliefs remains.
Whose genetic information is it anyway? A legal analysis of the effects that mapping the human genome will have on privacy rights and genetic discrimination.

Il n'y a pas d'information plus personnelle et plus privee que l'information genetique d'un individu. La carte du code genetique de l'ADN humain, realisee dans le cadre du projet Genome Humain, sera achevee en 2003. Comment la legislation americaine peut-elle trouver un equilibre entre les interets publics representes par ces progres medicaux et biologiques, et les risques de violation de la vie privee ? Cet article analyse la legislation federale actuelle et la facon dont elle s'applique a la discriminition genetique sur le lieu du travail et dans le domaine des assurances. Il explique pourquoi une nouvelle legislation est necessaire pour traiter de la discriminiation genetique et du droit a la vie privee relative a l'ADN d'un individu et a son information genetique. Il propose une nouvelle legislation possible pour la protection des droits d'une personne a la vie privee concernant son ADN.
Putting the Neuro in Neurophenomenology

How does the evolutionary developmental biology discussed in the previous chapter help explain, in Levine’s phrase, how anything like a first-person perspective could arise in the world (Levine, 2006; 2001)? In this chapter I argue that the outline of an account is emerging, with the resources to explain not only how animals navigate the environment but also why the phenomenology of the first-person should be as it is, namely, an identification free perspective in a world of affective salience. The neurobiological image depicts mental life as a matter of “embodiment”—that is, as caused by the particulars of morphology and development. The evo-devo framework treats animals as developmental systems composed of homologues. Thus, to explain an embodied mind within this framework would be to show how and why the activity and functional interaction of homologues form the causal basis of the first-person perspective. The evo-devo research introduced in the last chapter makes significant progress toward such a causal account.
Pesticides Applied for the Control of Invasive Species in the United States

Invading alien species in the United States cause major environmental damage and losses adding up to almost $120 billion per year. There are approximately 50,000 foreign species and the number is increasing. More than 63% of all pesticides used in the US are applied for the control of invasive pest species.
β-Adrenergic Receptors

This chapter focuses on the functions of β-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs). All β-ARs serve to activate adenylyl cyclase through interaction with the stimulatory guanine nucleotide binding protein termed “G s .” Of the three subtypes, the β 2 -AR is by far most extensively expressed in the body. Virtually every cell/tissue expresses some level of β 2 -AR expression, although in some cases, expression is very low and no physiologic role is known. Despite this essentially ubiquitous expression, their function is robust in many tissues, and therefore one can predict the effects of dysfunctional β 2 -AR and administration of β 2 -AR agonists and antagonists. Endogenous activation is primarily through epinephrine (EPI) because norepinephrine (NE) has a significantly lower affinity for β 2 -AR. The β 1 -AR has a more restricted expression, most notably in the heart, the adipose tissue, and the kidney. Both EPI and NE display high affinity for the β 1 -AR. The β 3 -AR is expressed primarily in brown and white adipose tissue, with a greater affinity for NE. These ligand-binding properties are consistent with the lack of postsynaptic localization of β 2 -ARs, whereas β 1 -AR (and likely β 3 -ARs) is primarily in neurotransmitter pathways.
Generalized Valence Bond Description of Chalcogen–Nitrogen Compounds. III. Why the NO–OH and NS–OH Bonds Are So Different

Crabtree et al. recently reported the microwave spectrum of nitrosyl-O-hydroxide (trans-NOOH), an isomer of nitrous acid, and found that this molecule has the longest O–O bond ever observed: 1.9149 A ± 0.0005 A. This is in marked contrast to the structure of the valence isoelectronic trans-NSOH molecule, which has a normal NS–OH bond length and strength. Generalized valence bond calculations show that the long bond in trans-NOOH is the result of a weak through-pair interaction that singlet couples the spins of the electrons in singly occupied orbitals on the hydroxyl radical and nitrogen atom, an interaction that is enhanced by the intervening lone pair of the oxygen atom in NO. The NS–OH bond is the result of the formation of a stable recoupled pair bond dyad, which accounts for both its length and strength.
Advances in biodiversity: metagenomics and the unveiling of biological dark matter

Efforts to harmonize genomic data standards used by the biodiversity and metagenomic research communities have shown that prokaryotic data cannot be understood or represented in a traditional, classical biological context for conceptual reasons, not technical ones. Biology, like physics, has a fundamental duality—the classical macroscale eukaryotic realm vs. the quantum microscale microbial realm—with the two realms differing profoundly, and counter-intuitively, from one another. Just as classical physics is emergent from and cannot explain the microscale realm of quantum physics, so classical biology is emergent from and cannot explain the microscale realm of prokaryotic life. Classical biology describes the familiar, macroscale realm of multi-cellular eukaryotic organisms, which constitute a highly derived and constrained evolutionary subset of the biosphere, unrepresentative of the vast, mostly unseen, microbial world of prokaryotic life that comprises at least half of the planet’s biomass and most of its genetic diversity. The two realms occupy fundamentally different mega-niches: eukaryotes interact primarily mechanically with the environment, prokaryotes primarily physiologically. Further, many foundational tenets of classical biology simply do not apply to prokaryotic biology. Classical genetics one held that genes, arranged on chromosomes like beads on a string, were the fundamental units of mutation, recombination, and heredity. Then, molecular analysis showed that there were no fundamental units, no beads, no string. Similarly, classical biology asserts that individual organisms and species are fundamental units of ecology, evolution, and biodiversity, composing an evolutionary history of objectively real, lineage-defined groups in a single-rooted tree of life. Now, metagenomic tools are forcing a recognition that there are no completely objective individuals, no unique lineages, and no one true tree. The newly revealed biosphere of microbial dark matter cannot be understood merely by extending the concepts and methods of eukaryotic macrobiology. The unveiling of biological dark matter is allowing us to see, for the first time, the diversity of the entire biosphere and, to paraphrase Darwin, is providing a new view of life. Advancing and understanding that view will require major revisions to some of the most fundamental concepts and theories in biology.
Maintaining weight loss after bariatric surgery

B surgery is an effective sustainable weight loss method for individuals who are obese. Unfortunately, weight gain still occurs in the years following surgery. The majority of studies examine a homogenous demographic group of adult post-bariatric surgical patients who have gone through initial weight loss, which occurs within the first 12 to 18 months post-surgery. Maintenance of weight loss begins two years after bariatric surgery; however, there is a paucity of research examining experiences during this period. The lack of conclusive research related to interactions between intrapersonal, behavioral and environmental influences suggests a need to develop a better understanding of patients’ experiences related to weight loss maintenance after bariatric surgery. Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory provided the framework for the semi-structured, in-person interviews for this qualitative descriptive study. This study describes the experiences of adults who were successful and unsuccessful in maintaining weight loss post-bariatric surgery. Successful participants n=14, identified negative attitudes, influences and behaviors; modification of their environment to support their desired healthy behavior occurred. Unsuccessful participants n=6, failed to modify or alter their environment to support healthy behaviors. In order to maintain weight loss, an individual must seek out and surround themselves with positive family and peer support influences. Therapeutic education and counseling for individuals, couples and families should occur during all stages of bariatric surgery. Communication techniques to empower clients to deflect negative comments and influences in a healthy constructive manner should be taught. Support groups to accommodate the various stages of bariatric surgery should be arranged.
Philosopher as Researcher and/or Begging the Question(s)

In an ironic exercise which reflects “doing philosophy” as a postmodern critique (deconstruction), the author invites readers to explore philosophy and research in art education along with four imaginary/real authors: Philosopher King (analytic philosopher), Street Philosopher (Trudy, a bag lady played by Lily Tomlin), Phantom Philosopher (fence-sitters, interlopers, and “critical others”), and Self-Reflexive “I” (the author).
The “Unfolding Leaf” as Ariadne’s Thread

The labyrinth is the mythic space from which an Antic hero finds his way out by following Ariadne’s thread. This chapter argues that Goethe’s morphological studies on the metamorphosis of plants, which had influenced both thinkers’ language of intoxication, may work as an Ariadne’s thread inside the labyrinth of Modernity. For Goethe, the plant was an unfolding leaf, which signifies the mimetic powers of nature, and in such capacity it stood as an ideational intoxication in relation to his work. Cocaine and hashish are plant-based drugs, and in this regard, the very idea of a plant as nature’s mimesis, the chapter hypothesizes, offers a way out of “our narcotic Modernity.”
Affordable, rapid, electrochemical nitrate detection towards point-of-use water quality monitoring

Nitrate contamination of groundwater presents a major public health problem in developing countries. Long-term exposure to nitrate causes Blue Baby Syndrome, a leading cause of infant mortality, and various cancers in adults. Spectroscopic nitrate detection methods, while sensitive and accurate, are prohibitively expensive, time consuming and not available at the point of use. Electrochemical detection methods are poised to offer accurate point of use measurements, but so far these methods require expensive modified electrodes and are not commercially available. To aid in water quality interventions, we have demonstrated a low-cost, microfluidic, electrochemical sensor capable of rapid and affordable nitrate detection at the point of use. This platform for water quality testing could serve as a crucial public health tool, especially in rural areas that lack the technical and human resources to adequately monitor water quality.
Identification and verification of hybridoma-derived monoclonal antibody variable region sequences using recombinant DNA technology and mass spectrometry

Antibody engineering requires the identification of antigen binding domains or variable regions (VR) unique to each antibody. It is the VR that define the unique antigen binding properties and proper sequence identification is essential for functional evaluation and performance of recombinant antibodies (rAb). This determination can be achieved by sequence analysis of immunoglobulin (Ig) transcripts obtained from a monoclonal antibody (MAb) producing hybridoma and subsequent expression of a rAb. However the polyploidy nature of a hybridoma cell often results in the added expression of aberrant immunoglobulin-like transcripts or even production of anomalous antibodies which can confound production of rAb. An incorrect VR sequence will result in a non-functional rAb and de novo assembly of Ig primary structure without a sequence map is challenging. To address these problems, we have developed a methodology which combines: 1) selective PCR amplification of VR from both the heavy and light chain IgG from hybridoma, 2) molecular cloning and DNA sequence analysis and 3) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) on enzyme digests obtained from the purified IgG. Peptide analysis proceeds by evaluating coverage of the predicted primary protein sequence provided by the initial DNA maps for the VR. This methodology serves to both identify and verify the primary structure of the MAb VR for production as rAb.