cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
OPTIMAL CONTROL FOR VIBRATING SYSTEMS

Abstract A linear regulator problem for mechanical vibrating systems is studied in the second-order formulation. We exploit the second-order form of the differential equations involved, and solve the problem without the traditional use of a Riccati equation. In its natural representation, the optimal control problem gives rise to minimisation of a functional depending on second derivatives. The Euler–Lagrange equations and the transversality conditions developed lead to a linear fourth-order differential equation that determines the optimal control. The results are demonstrated by examples.
The Relationship Between the Euro and the Dollar

Before its introduction at the start of 1999, there was a great deal of discussion, analysis, and controversy about how the euro would function as the domestic money for the countries participating in the Euro area. One year of experience has provided some limited basis for drawing preliminary conclusions on some of the issues concerning the critical aspects of the performance of the euro in its vital domestic monetary functions. Clearly, the development of system for clearing banking transactions across the Euro area has proceeded both rapidly and smoothly, and capital markets in euro-denominated assets have functioned very well. On the other hand, much more experience (including with the introduction of common currency notes) will be required before some of the most controversial questions concerning the functioning of the euro can be considered settled. For example, several decades will probably be required to know whether asymmetric shocks affecting different parts of the Euro area will pose serious problems for the management of a common monetary policy. Although less intensively examined than the domestic monetary consequences of the euro, the issue of the euro as a new international currency was also debated in the period leading up to its introduction (see, in particular, Masson and Turtelboom, 1997). Would the euro gain wide acceptance as a currency for commercial and capital market usage, including use as a foreign exchange reserve asset, beyond the Euro area? Would the euro be strong or weak vis-a-vis other key international currencies, especially the U.S. dollar? Would exchange rates for the euro against other key
Hypnotic Susceptibility, Visual Distraction, and Reports of Necker Cube Apparent Reversals

Abstract Subjects, either susceptible (n = 50) or resistant (n = 50) to hypnotic suggestion, were asked to report on frequency of apparent reversals (ARs) to the Necker cube illusion. Such reports were made in the presence or absence of various types of visual, geometric surrounds (squares, triangles, crosses, or parallelograms). In agreement with a number of previous experiments, susceptible subjects reported perceiving more ARs than did resistant subjects. This difference held whether visual surrounds were present or absent. The presence of surrounds did serve to reduce AR reports regardless of hypnotic susceptibility level. The results are examined in terms of the ability of subjects to selectively attend when confronted with potential visual distractors.
Primary gastrointestinal sarcomas: analysis of prognostic factors and results of surgical management.

Abstract Background. This study was done to review the clinical presentation, surgical management, and prognostic factors for primary gastrointestinal sarcomas. Methods. We reviewed medical records of 55 patients who were treated for primary gastrointestinal sarcomas from 1981 through 1996. Mean follow-up time was 32 months. Results. Clinical findings included gastrointestinal bleeding (51%), palpable mass (36%), and abdominal pain (33%). The stomach was the most common site of disease (53%), followed by the small intestine (33%). Tumors were high grade in 76% of patients and low-grade in 24% of patients. Complete resection of all gross disease was accomplished in 35 patients (64%), incomplete resection in 17 patients (31%), and biopsy only in 3 patients (5%). Adjacent organ resection was required in 19 patients (35%). Overall actuarial survival was 22% (median survival, 32 months). Unfavorable prognostic factors were incomplete resection, high-grade histologic features, and tumor size of 5 cm or more (P
Impact of interferon free regimens on clinical and cost outcomes for chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 patients

Background & Aims Hepatitis C (HCV) is a common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. Current standard treatment for genotype-1 patients uses a triple combination of pegylated-interferon alpha (IFN), ribavirin (RBV) and a direct-acting antiviral agent (DAA) with 75–80% sustained virologic response (SVR) rates. The aim is to determine cost-effectiveness of staging-guided vs. treat all HCV genotype-1 patients with interferon-based vs. interferon-free regimens. Methods A decision analytic Markov model simulating patients until death compared four strategies for treating HCV genotype-1: Triple therapy (IFN, RBV, DAA) with staging-guidance or treat all, and oral IFN-free regimen with staging-guidance or treat all. Strategies with staging initiated treatment at fibrosis stages F2-F4, with staging repeated every 5years until age 70. The reference case was a treatment-naive 50-year-old. Analysis was repeated for 50% increase in cost of oral therapy. Effectiveness was measured in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Results Treatment of all patients with oral IFN-free regimen was the most cost-effective strategy, with an ICER of $15,709/QALY at baseline cost of oral therapy. The ICER remained below $50,000/QALY in sensitivity analyses for baseline and +50% cost of oral therapy scenarios. The treat all strategy was also the most effective strategy; associated with the lowest risk of developing advanced liver disease. Conclusions Treating all HCV patients with oral IFN-free regimen reduced the number of patients developing advanced liver disease and increased life expectancy. Additionally, IFN-free regimen without staging may be the most cost-effective approach for treating HCV genotype-1 patients. The efficacy and safety of these regimens must be confirmed using randomized clinical trials.
Spinal Meningeal Oligodendrogliomatosis in Two Boxer Dogs

Two Boxer dogs developed progressive ataxia in association with a neoplastic infiltration of the spinal leptomeninges. In the first dog, the leptomeningeal neoplasm encompassed the entire cord and the ventral aspect of the brainstem and extended bilaterally into the piriform lobes. In the second, the neoplasm surrounded the C1-C3 segments of the spinal cord and the brainstem without involvement of the brain or spinal cord parenchyma. In both dogs, the neoplastic cells had variably distinct cell borders, clear to eosinophilic cytoplasm, and a round to ovoid hyperchromatic nucleus. Neoplastic cells were immunopositive for Olig2 and doublecortin in both dogs and for vimentin in one dog but were immunonegative for glial fibrillary acidic protein, S-100, CD34, E-cadherin, cytokeratin, CD3, and CD20. The morphological and immunohistochemical features of the neoplastic cells were consistent with an oligodendrocyte lineage. This hitherto poorly recognized neoplasm in dogs is analogous to human leptomeningeal oligodendrogliomatosis.
SEASONAL POND CHARACTERISTICS ACROSS A CHRONOSEQUENCE OF ADJACENT FOREST AGES IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA, USA

Small seasonal ponds are abundant in many forest landscapes, yet they remain poorly understood in terms of their response to disturbance of the surrounding upland forest. The potential for such a response is large because of the small size and, hence, high perimeter-to-area ratios of most ponds. High perimeter-to-area ratio may increase the importance of functional connections with the surrounding forest, via exchange of energy, organisms, and materials. To better understand this connection, we studied 19 seasonal ponds across a 100-year chronosequence of single-cohort forests in northern Minnesota. Our objective was to see if there are distinct changes over time in select pond attributes, which may reflect alteration of functional linkages with the surrounding forest. In 1998 and 1999, we sampled hydroperiod, water depth and chemistry, canopy openness, grass, sedge, shrub, and coarse woody debris cover, coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) flux, and macroinvertebrate and amphibian populations. We related these variables to stand age through regression. Stand age explained little variation for most variables. Responsive variables included canopy openness and CPOM flux. Canopy openness, in turn, was related positively to total macroinvertebrate abundance, sensitive taxon richness, and Haliplidae beetle and Physidae snail abundances. Calling wood frogs occurred more frequently under an open canopy and low CPOM flux. An open canopy, which occurs more often over ponds in yonnger than in older forest, likely results in increases in water and air temperatures and photosynthetically active radiation, all of which may influence resource availability and habitat suitability for some macroinvertebrates and amphibian taxa. Results from our exploratory study suggest that many characteristics of small seasonal ponds are unaffected by harvest of the adjacent upland forest, at least as detected through examination of a chronosequence. However, responsive variables may include several abiotic characteristics that provide mechanistic links to pond foodwebs.
Functional Fitness of Older Adults

The purpose of this study is to compare differences in the functional fitness of a group of older adults to determine if they are aging successfully, to analyze the differences in functional fitness between females and males, and to determine differences in four categories by sex. Participants were placed into four categories based on senior fitness test (SFT) scores. More than 50% of the participants had scores that placed them in the average or above average categories. The most common variables affecting scores for females were age and medications, and for males the most common variable was depression. In conclusion, older adults with average and above average functional fitness appear to age successfully.
A study on silicon-diaphragm buckling

An attempt to search for the mechanisms of diaphragm buckling is made and a set of experiments with qualitative analyses on the buckling of p/sup +/ silicon diaphragms is presented. A series of experiments is designed to explore the effects of wafer doping, size and shape of rectangular diaphragm, sequence of diffusion process (predisposition and drive-in), oxidation and annealing on buckling. It is found that all samples with predeposition as the last thermal process are flat. A qualitative analysis is presented, and the conclusions are: there is no plastic deformation due to oxide layer in all the thermal processes; the residual stress in p/sup +/ is dependent upon the last thermal process; the stress in the p/sup +/ layer is relieved by 50% by a drive-in process; and the buckling of the diaphragm can be controlled by making the last process boron diffusion predeposition. It is suggested that when the substrate is etched to form diaphragms, the redistribution and generation of stresses on the edges cause the buckling of the diaphragms. >
Superconducting Radio-Frequency Cavities

Superconducting cavities have been operating routinely in a variety of accelerators with a range of demanding applications. With the success of completed projects, niobium cavities have become an enabling technology, offering upgrade paths for existing facilities and pushing frontier accelerators for nuclear physics, high-energy physics, materials science, and the life sciences. With continued progress in basic understanding of radio-frequency superconductivity, the performance of cavities has steadily improved to approach theoretical capabilities.
Difficulty and Discrimination Parameters of Boston Naming Test Items in a Consecutive Clinical Series

The Boston Naming Test is one of the most widely used neuropsychological instruments; yet, there has been limited use of modern psychometric methods to investigate its properties at the item level. The current study used Item response theory to examine each item's difficulty and discrimination properties, as well as the test's measurement precision across the range of naming ability. Participants included 300 consecutive referrals to the outpatient neuropsychology service at Mayo Clinic in Florida. Results showed that successive items do not necessarily reflect a monotonic increase in psychometric difficulty, some items are inadequate to distinguish individuals at various levels of naming ability, multiple items provide redundant psychometric information, and measurement precision is greatest for persons within a low-average range of ability. These findings may be used to develop short forms, improve reliability in future test versions by replacing psychometrically poor items, and analyze profiles of intra-individual variability.
Evaluation of postextrasystolic T wave alterations in identification of patients with coronary artery disease or left ventricular dysfunction

Abstract This study was performed (1) to assess the value of postextrasystolic T wave alterations in identification of patients with cardiac disease and (2) to determine if their frequency depends on length of compensatory pause. In 52 patients a pacing catheter was placed in the right ventricular (RV) apex, and premature beats were programmed to occur 30 msec beyond RV refractory period. Postextrasystolic T wave alterations occurred in 32 patients, 13 with and 19 without coronary artery disease (CAD) (NS). Such alterations were also not related to presence of abnormal left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction ( 12 mm Hg). In 33 patients, premature beats were also introduced 330 msec beyond the RV refractory period to compare effects of long and short compensatory pauses on frequency of postextrasystolic T wave alterations. When the pause was near maximal, 18 patients had alterations in 60 ECG leads; when it was shorter, seven patients had alterations in 10 leads ( p
Automatic MR volume registration and its evaluation for the pelvis and prostate.

A three-dimensional (3D) mutual information registration method was created and used to register MRI volumes of the pelvis and prostate. It had special features to improve robustness. First, it used a multi-resolution approach and performed registration from low to high resolution. Second, it used two similarity measures, correlation coefficient at lower resolutions and mutual information at full resolution, because of their particular advantages. Third, we created a method to avoid local minima by restarting the registration with randomly perturbed parameters. The criterion for restarting was a correlation coefficient below an empirically determined threshold. Experiments determined the accuracy of registration under conditions found in potential applications in prostate cancer diagnosis, staging, treatment and interventional MRI (iMRI) guided therapies. Images were acquired in the diagnostic (supine) and treatment position (supine with legs raised). Images were also acquired as a function of bladder filling and the time interval between imaging sessions. Overall studies on three patients and three healthy volunteers, when both volumes in a pair were obtained in the diagnostic position under comparable conditions, bony landmarks and prostate 3D centroids were aligned within 1.6 ± 0.2 mm and 1.4 ± 0.2 mm, respectively, values only slightly larger than a voxel. Analysis suggests that actual errors are smaller because of the uncertainty in landmark localization and prostate segmentation. Between the diagnostic and treatment positions, bony landmarks continued to register well, but prostate centroids moved towards the posterior 2.8–3.4 mm. Manual cropping to remove voxels in the legs was necessary to register these images. In conclusion, automatic, rigid body registration is probably sufficiently accurate for many applications in prostate cancer. For potential iMRI-guided treatments, the small prostate displacement between the diagnostic and treatment positions
The State and the Islamic Movement in Jordan

This study explores the conditions necessary for the political gains and losses of Jordan's Islamic movement. The Islamic movement's participation in Jordan's political life and the close ties it kept with the Hashemite royal family for more than half a century contrasts sharply with the political exclusion and even the suppression of the Islamic groups in Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Algeria, and Iraq. These countries used non-peaceful and frequently violent mechanisms to manage the relationship with the Islamic opposition groups. The Jordanian experience indicates that the Islamic movement, including the Muslim Brotherhood and its political organ, the Islamic Action Front, has used non violent means to express their opposition to the government's foreign and economic policies. A number of prominent scholars of Jordanian politics have investigated the history of the relationship between the state in Jordan and the Islamic movement. Writers such as Quintan Wiktorowicz, Marion Boulby, Sabah el Said, and Glenn Robinson maintain that the history of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan offers an example for the compatibility of Islam with the principles of democracy and political stability.1 According to those writers, the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood is essentially pragmatic, respects the rule of law and the prevailing democratic principles, and supports the
Tribal Relationships Within Onagraceae Inferred from PgiC Sequences

Abstract Phylogenetic relationships among the tribes of Onagraceae were studied using sequences of PgiC, a nuclear gene encoding cytosolic phosphoglucose isomerase. Fragments of 21 genes were examined from plants of 15 species representing 11 of the 17 genera in the family and seven of the eight tribes (the newly proposed Gongylocarpeae was not studied). Maximum likelihood analysis provided a phylogenetic tree with 100% bootstrap support for all but one of the clades that indicate tribal relationships, and corroborated results of recent studies based on chloroplast genes and nuclear ITS sequences. PgiC appears to have a greater rate of divergence than the chloroplast genes and provides much phylogenetically useful data. Two PgiC genes were found in each of the two species sampled in Epilobium; they formed two sister clades, with each species having one gene of each type, showing that the species descended from a single ancestral tetraploid. The two species, E. brachycarpum and E. canum, are not closely re...
A PROTOCOL TO ASSESS FOR ADVERSE LOCAL TISSUE REACTION IN PATIENTS WITH DUAL-TAPER FEMORAL STEMS

Introduction Neck-stem corrosion has been associated with Adverse Local Tissue Reaction (ALTR) in dual-taper femoral stems. Several diagnostic tests, of varying specificity and sensitivity, are used to identify ALTR. The purpose of this study was to document the clinical presentation, diagnostic workup and surgical findings in a large cohort of patients with dual modular stems, and use this information to propose an evaluation protocol that assists surgical decision-making. Methods This is a single center, single surgeon9s retrospective case series of 38 patients who underwent 42 primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) with a dual-taper femoral components between March 2010 and May 2011 The evaluation included clinical exam, hip radiographs, labs including serum metal ion levels, metal artifact reduction sequence magnetic resonance imaging (MARS MRI), and fluoroscopic hip aspiration with qualitative and quantitative assessment of synovial fluid. Each hip aspirate was classified into Class 1 (clear, 10cc), or 3 (cloudy, turbid, viscous). 20 patients to date have undergone revision THA. Results 19/42 hips were symptomatic. Serum cobalt levels were elevated in 38/42 patients. 23/42 had abnormal MRI findings. MRI was able to identify abnormalities in 79% (15/19) of symptomatic patients and 35% (8/23) asymptomatic patients. Class 2 and 3 hip aspirates were associated with abnormal MRI (in 86% and 61%, respectively), elevated Cobalt, and a high rate of revision (71% and 72%, respectively). ESR and CRP were normal in most patients (76% and 66%, respectively). A small subset of patients (2/38) with symptoms, normal metal ion levels and normal MRI, had abnormal aspirates (Class 2 or 3) with extensive tissue necrosis at revision. Conclusion The diagnosis of ALTR can be challenging and requires integrating data from several sources: clinical exam, radiographs, serum metal testing, MARS MRI and hip aspirations. Hip aspiration appears to be useful not only in excluding infection, as proposed in current literature, but also in identifying ALTR in patients with otherwise normal tests. Abnormal results on MARS MRI and/or hip aspiration appear to be most predictive of surgical pathology. Both should be included in the protocol to evaluate for underlying ALTR in patients with dual-taper femoral stems.
Leadership, Service, and Exploration: An Evaluation in the Local, National, and International Context.

AbstractLeadership, service, and exploration are three concepts that have been a growing focus in the academic world over the course of many years. Higher education institutions have begun incorporating leadership curriculum, service learning initiatives, and experiential learning into academic curriculum to provide students with a more holistic learning experience in preparation for the professional world, which is becoming more internationalized each year. This article explores the ideas of learning about leadership, service, and exploration in the local, national, and international context as a part of a cohort experience.
Perceptions of Aesthetic Outcome of Linear vs Multiple Z-Plasty Scars in a National Survey

ImportanceThe process of Z-plasty scar revision breaks up a linear scar into multiple parts with the purpose of camouflage and improvement of the cosmetic appearance of surgical scars. Although thi...
Comparison of four methods of calf confinement. II. Behavior.

Holstein bull calves (N = 46) were blocked by birth order and randomly assigned to be individually reared in stalls, pens or hutches (trials I and II) or as a group in a 3.6 X 7.9 m yard (trial II only). Treatments differed by the degree of restraint and social isolation imposed, with stalls the most restrictive and yard the least. Stalls and pens had wooden slatted floors; hutches and yard were on ground. Calves were placed on treatment within 24 h of birth and remained on treatment 6.5 wk. Total time standing or lying per 24 h in situ at 5 wk was not affected by treatment (P greater than .05), but hutch calves changed position between standing and lying more often than others (P less than .05), in order to remain in sun or shade. At 6.5 wk, calves (N = 24) in trial II were individually open-field tested for 20 min in the presence of alien calves. Stall and pen calves performed more actions utilized in locomotion and defense and engaged in more social behavior than hutch or yard calves (P less than .05). Only stall and pen calves stumbled and fell, but observations were insufficient to allow statistical analysis of these incidents. Treatment effects were found with respect to vocalizations: stall and pen calves emitted more "baaocks," while yard calves emitted more "moos." Results of this study and of a companion physiological study of the calves suggest that the intensification of drives induced by chronic suppression of their release may be accompanied by physiological responses associated with chronic stress.
Potential uranium supply from phosphoric acid: A U.S. analysis comparing solvent extraction and Ion exchange recovery

Abstract Phosphate rock contains significant amounts of uranium, although in low concentrations. Recovery of uranium as a by-product from phosphoric acid, an intermediate product produced during the recovery of phosphorus from phosphate rock, is not unprecedented. Phosphoric acid plants ceased to produce uranium as a by-product in the early 1990s with the fall of uranium prices. In the last decade, this topic has regained attention due to higher uranium prices and expected increase in demand for uranium. This study revisits the topic and estimates how much uranium might be recoverable from current phosphoric acid production in the United States and what the associated costs might be considering two different recovery processes: solvent extraction and ion exchange. Based on U.S. phosphoric acid production in 2014, 5.5 million pounds of U3O8 could have been recovered, which is more than domestic U.S. mine production in the same year (4.9 million pounds U3O8). In comparison, uranium demand from U.S. nuclear plants in the same year was 53 million pounds U3O8 of which nearly 10% could have been met by uranium from phosphoric acid production. Annualized costs for a hypothetical uranium recovery plant are US$44–61 per pound U3O8 for solvent extraction, the process used historically in the United States to recover uranium from phosphoric acid. For ion exchange, not yet proven at a commercial scale for uranium recovery, the estimated costs are US$33–54 per pound U3O8. These results suggest that it is technically possible for the United States to recover significant quantities of uranium from current phosphoric acid production. For this type of uranium production to be economically attractive on a large scale, either recovery costs must fall or uranium prices rise.
Introduction to a New Approach to Readability

Why is something easy to read? Why is one text easier to understand than another? Are some works understandable only if you have achieved a certain level of reading ability? These are the kinds of basic questions with which the study of readability is concerned. The term “readability” has often been associated with readability formulas (Klare 1963: 29): statistical tools intended to objectively measure the relative difficulty of texts. However, on the most basic level it is an inquiry into what properties of texts help or hinder communication.
Abstract 71: Cas9 protein engineering for cell cycle-specific genome editing to enhance homology directed repair

The comprehensive and coordinated efforts of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) identified the somatic genomic alterations occurring in a broad panel of human cancers. The challenge ahead is to understand the functions of these somatically altered genes.Genome editing tools like the CRISPR/Cas9 system represent a transformative technology that allows the precise engineering of cells harboring specific (point) mutations found in specific tumor subtypes, enabling the investigation of the role of a candidate cancer gene in a stringently defined genetic context. Once recruited to its DNA target sequence in cells, Cas9 induces a DNA double strand break (DSB), which is either repaired by the non-homologous end-joining pathway (NHEJ), or by homology-directed repair (HDR). The HDR pathway allows for a precise site-specific knock-in and thus functional analysis of cancer-associated sequence variants. However, HDR activity is restricted to the late S and G2 phases of the cell cycle, while the NHEJ pathway dominates DNA repair throughout the cell cycle. Thus, the error-prone NHEJ pathway out-competes the HDR pathway, which reduces the likelihood for precise insertions, deletions or base substitutions at the DSB. Here, we devised a strategy to increase HDR by directly synchronizing the expression of Cas9 with cell cycle progression. Fusion of Cas9 to the N-terminal region of human Geminin converted this gene-editing protein into a substrate for the E3 ubiquitin ligase complex APC/Cdh1 resulting in a cell cycle tailored expression with low levels in G1, but high expression in S/G2/M. Importantly, Cas9-hGem(1/110) increased the relative rate of HDR by up to 87% at a single-copy reporter locus, and up to 42% at the endogenous MALAT1 locus compared to wild-type Cas9. In summary, our regulatory concept takes advantage of cell-autonomous pathways to enable fluctuation of Cas9 protein levels coupled to cell cycle dynamics. This resulted in higher site-specific integration events without sophisticated manipulation of cells by small molecules or additional gene targeting reagents. Future methodological developments may enable high-resolution expression of Cas9 and alternative genome engineering proteins like Cpf1 by combining cell cycle phase-specific transcriptional and post-translational regulatory elements. This might enhance HDR efficiencies even further, and will help to make sense of cancer genomic data. Citation Format: Tony Gutschner, Monika Hammerle, Giannicola Genovese, Giulio F. Draetta, Lynda Chin. Cas9 protein engineering for cell cycle-specific genome editing to enhance homology directed repair. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 71.
Severe Bioprosthetic Mitral Valve Stenosis and Heart Failure in a Young Woman with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

A 23-year-old African American woman with a past medical history of systemic lupus erythematous (SLE), secondary hypertension, and end stage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis for eight years was stable until she developed symptomatic severe mitral regurgitation with preserved ejection fraction. She underwent a bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement (MVR) at outside hospital. However, within a year of her surgery, she presented to our hospital with NYHA class IV symptoms. She was treated for heart failure but in view of her persistent symptoms and low EF was considered for heart and kidney transplant. This was a challenge in view of her history of lupus. We presumed that her stenosis of bioprosthetic valve was secondary to lupus and renal disease. We hypothesized that her low ejection fraction was secondary to mitral stenosis and potentially reversible. We performed a dobutamine stress echocardiogram, which revealed an improved ejection fraction to more than 50% and confirmed preserved inotropic contractile reserve of her myocardium. Based on this finding, she underwent a metallic mitral valve and tricuspid valve replacement. Following surgery, her symptoms completely resolved. This case highlights the pathophysiology of lupus causing stenosis of prosthetic valves and low ejection cardiomyopathy.
Water quantity and quality response of a green roof to storm events: Experimental and monitoring observations.

Abstract Syracuse, New York is working under a court-ordered agreement to limit combined sewer overflows (CSO) to local surface waters. Green infrastructure technologies, including green roofs, are being implemented as part of a CSO abatement strategy and to develop co-benefits of diminished stormwater runoff, including decreased loading of contaminants to the wastewater system and surface waters. The objective of this study was to examine the quantity and quality of discharge associated with precipitation events over an annual cycle from a green roof in Syracuse, NY and to compare measurements from this monitoring program with results from a roof irrigation experiment. Wet deposition, roof drainage, and water quality were measured for 87 storm events during an approximately 12 month period over 2011–2012. Water and nutrient (total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and dissolved organic carbon) mass balances were conducted on an event basis to evaluate retention annually and during the growing and non-growing seasons. These results are compared with a hydrological manipulation experiment, which comprised of artificially watering of the roof. Loadings of nutrients were calculated for experimental and actual storms using the concentration of nutrients and the flow data of water discharging the roof. The green roof was effective in retaining precipitation quantity from storm events (mean percent retention 96.8%, SD = 2.7%, n = 87), although the relative fraction of water retained decreased with increases in the size of the event. There was no difference in water retention of the green roof for the growing and non-growing seasons. Drainage waters exhibited high concentration of nutrients during the warm temperature growing season, particularly total nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon. Overall, nutrient losses were low because of the strong retention of water. However, there was marked variation in the retention of nutrients by season due to variations in concentrations in roof runoff.
Effects of Oxytocin and Vasopressin on Preferential Brain Responses to Negative Social Feedback

Receiving negative social feedback can be detrimental to emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being, and fear of negative social feedback is a prominent feature of mental illnesses that involve social anxiety. A large body of evidence has implicated the neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin in the modulation of human neural activity underlying social cognition, including negative emotion processing; however, the influence of oxytocin and vasopressin on neural activity elicited during negative social evaluation remains unknown. Here 21 healthy men underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design to determine how intranasally administered oxytocin and vasopressin modulated neural activity when receiving negative feedback on task performance from a study investigator. We found that under placebo, a preferential response to negative social feedback compared with positive social feedback was evoked in brain regions putatively involved in theory of mind (temporoparietal junction), pain processing (anterior insula and supplementary motor area), and identification of emotionally important visual cues in social perception (right fusiform). These activations weakened with oxytocin and vasopressin administration such that neural responses to receiving negative social feedback were not significantly greater than positive social feedback. Our results show effects of both oxytocin and vasopressin on the brain network involved in negative social feedback, informing the possible use of a pharmacological approach targeting these regions in multiple disorders with impairments in social information processing.
Core Competencies for Professional Catalogers. A Report of the Competencies and Education for a Career in Cataloging Interest Group Meeting. American Library Association Annual Conference. Orlando, June 2016

This is an original manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Technical Services Quarterly on 12 December 2016, available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07317131.2017.1238207
Preassembled Fluorescent Multivalent Probes for the Imaging of Anionic Membranes.

A new self-assembly process known as Synthavidin (synthetic avidin) technology was used to prepare targeted probes for near-infrared fluorescence imaging of anionic membranes and cell surfaces, a hallmark of many different types of disease. The probes were preassembled by threading a tetralactam macrocycle with six appended zinc–dipicolylamine (ZnDPA) targeting units onto a linear scaffold with one or two squaraine docking stations to produce hexavalent or dodecavalent fluorescent probes. A series of liposome titration experiments showed that multivalency promoted stronger membrane binding by the dodecavalent probe. In addition, the dodecavalent probe exhibited turn-on fluorescence due to probe unfolding during fluorescence microscopy at the membrane surface. However, the dodecavalent probe also had a higher tendency to self-aggregate after membrane binding, leading to probe self-quenching under certain conditions. This self-quenching effect was apparent during fluorescence microscopy experiments that rec...
Examination of Antigen-Induced Endocytic Structure Formation in B Lymphocytes

B lymphocytes are an essential component of the adaptive immune response against pathogens. The ability of a B cell lineage to adapt to better recognize a given antigen depends critically upon the ability of each B cell to bind and internalize antigen through its B cell receptor (BCR). The mechanism of antigen internalization by B cells appears to require cooperation between BCR signaling, the actomyosin network and clathrin-mediated endocytic processes. However, it remains unclear how these actors are coordinated to achieve efficient and controlled uptake of structurally heterogeneous antigens. To better understand this process, we set out to directly observe antigen-induced endocytic structures in the human DG-75 B cell line using a combination of conventional and super-resolution microscopy techniques including confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), total-internal reflected fluorescence microscopy (TIRF-M), and correlative super-resolution light and electron microscopy (CLEM). Cells expressing GFP-tagged BCR and red fluorescent protein-tagged endocytic proteins were stimulated with anti-human IgM Fab’2 to model BCR clustering and internalization. We observed recruitment of early adaptors of clathrin mediated endocytosis – FCHO1, Eps15, Epsin, CALM, and clathrin itself – to Fab’2-induced BCR clusters by TIRF-M and CLSM. CLEM revealed that BCR clusters are heterogeneous in size and frequently partition with clathrin on larger membrane invaginations. This work reveals novel structural features of antigen-induced endocytic structures and expands our understanding of the mechanism by which B cells may accommodate antigen of varying size during internalization.
Spontaneous Passivation of Hybrid Perovskite by Sodium Ions from Glass Substrates: Mysterious Enhancement of Device Efficiency Revealed

The efficiency of a solar cell generally decreases over time due to degradation of the devices. Here we report a spontaneous increase of device efficiency for organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite (OIHP) solar cells after a period of storage that is speculated to be related to the sodium ions (Na+) diffused from the substrate. The efficiency of a p–i–n planar heterojunction structure device rises from 18.8 to 20.2% after 24 h of storage in nitrogen. The increased efficiency can be explained by the prolonged carrier lifetime and reduced trap density in the OIHP films. The expected contribution by Na+ in defect passivation has been evidenced by studying the evolution of the film’s photoluminescence (PL) lifetime, trap density, and device efficiency over storage duration on varied substrates that either contain Na+ or do not. The passivation effect of Na+ is further identified by the improved PL lifetime observed in the OIHP film made on a silicon substrate with intentionally added Na+.
Astronomical random numbers for quantum foundations experiments

To help test quantum physics, a new method generates random numbers using light from distant stars and quasars that presumably have no correlation with experiments on Earth.
Lp(a) in Childhood

Elevated plasma concentration of lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) is an independent risk factor for the development of atherosclerotic coronary vascular disease. There is a causal relationship between Lp(a) elevation and myocardial infarction. In the pediatric population, Lp(a) has been associated with risk for ischemic stroke. However, a consensus regarding the clinical utility of Lp(a) measurement in children has not been established. In this article, we review recent literature regarding Lp(a) metabolism, its role in disease states such as in pediatric thrombosis and familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), and therapy directed at Lp(a) levels. Our findings show that Lp(a) remains a controversial but emerging risk factor for cardiovascular disease, especially in children. However, new and important research continues to contribute to our understanding of Lp(a) metabolism in children and to cardiovascular risk in diseases such as FH. What is clear is that Lp(a) has the potential to play a role in the management of cardiovascular risk in children and adults.
Wind turbine generator modeling considerations for stability studies of weak systems

High levels of renewable energy sources (RES) can significantly impact system stability and system resilience as conventional generators are replaced by these units. Typically, positive sequence models of RES are used for stability analysis and interconnection studies of RES. Although these models can accurately represent the dynamic behavior of RES, there are certain limitations of their usage. This paper focuses on the limitations of positive sequence RES models when used for stability studies of weak grids. The limitations arise due to simplified controller representation and neglect of controllers' fast dynamics, in comparison with EMT models. The paper demonstrates those limitations by comparing the simulated response of RES in positive sequence and EMT platforms for a weak system.
It’ll Be Okay, Because We Belong Together: The Influence of Person-Organization Fit on Interpretation of Bad-News Messages in Academic Settings

Higher education has recently faced significant budget cuts. In response, academic leaders must communicate negative information to stakeholders while simultaneously attempting to maintain morale and credibility. This project investigated how students interpret a bad-news message from the university president and examined the impact of person-organization fit and demographic characteristics on interpretations and credibility. In Study 1, participants (N = 52) provided 19 varying interpretations for a real-life message. Using 5 components derived from the interpretations, Study 2 (N = 466) determined that person-organization fit and demographic characteristics influence interpretations and source credibility. Some outcomes varied according to whether participants had previously read the bad-news message.
A Rare Case of Hyperplastic Proximal Esophageal Polyps With Foveolar Dysplasia.

A 62-year-old male with long-standing esophageal reflux underwent endoscopy at an outside institution that reported multiple polypoid lesions in upper esophagus and a small focal area of nodular mucosa at the gastroesophageal junction(GEJ). Biopsies of the proximal esophageal polyps demonstrated hyperplastic mucosa with ulceration, reactive epithelial changes, and focal intestinal metaplasia. Biopsies from the nodular GEJ mucosa were described as Barrett’s esophagus with low grade dysplasia. An upper endoscopy performed at our medical center found multiple semi-pedunculated esophageal polyps between 18-24 cm from the incisors (Figure A).Endosonographically the polypoid lesions were confined to the mucosa with normal underlying wall layers (Figure B). Patient underwent endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) using a multi-band mucosectomy technique. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of the EMR specimens showed gastric and intestinal metaplasia, featuring cubital to columnar cells with pale clear to light eosinophilic cytoplasm and round to oval nuclei (Figure C). MUC5AC (a marker of gastric foveolar mucin) was positive in the specimen (Figure D); whereas intestinal markers MUC2, CDX-2 and Villin, were negative. The impression of the gastrointestinal pathologists was hyperplastic polyp with foveolar dysplasia. At a follow-up endoscopy 3 months later, smooth mucosal scarring was noted with no residual polypoid tissue or gastric heterotopia.
White-Nose Syndrome: A Deadly Emerging Infectious Disease of Hibernating Bats

In the winter of 2006–2007, thousands of dead bats were found at a single cave in New York. When mortality spread to nearby hibernacula in the winter of 2007–2008, this emerging infectious disease was dubbed “white-nose syndrome” (WNS), for the white fungi noted around the bat’s muzzle. Current estimates suggest that between 5.7 and 6.7 million bats have died thus far (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (2012) News release: North American bat death toll exceeds 5.5 million from white-nose syndrome. http://www.fws.gov/whitenosesyndrome/pdf/WNS_Mortality_2012_NR_FINAL.pdf. Accessed 21 Feb 2012), making this one of the most significant conservation threats to bats in history. The goal of this chapter is to review the current state of knowledge regarding WNS and to highlight areas where further research is needed.
The Oxygen Functional Groups in Bituminous Coal

The recent contributions from our laboratory and from other laboratories concerning the distribution of oxygen functional groups in Illinois No. 6 bituminous coal and related materials are discussed.
Reducing boys' aggression : Learning to fulfill basic needs constructively

This intervention attempted to reduce the aggressive behavior of aggressive boys by making them aware of methods they use to fulfill basic needs and helping them develop more constructive methods to do so. The intervention addressed the boys' cognitive tendencies, social skills, and relevant beliefs. Boys in the treatment group participated in role playing, videotaping, and structured discussion. Aggressive and nonaggressive groups differed on a preintervention measure of prosocial value orientation. Aggressive boys in the control and treatment groups differed on a postintervention measure of hostile attribution bias and, in one of the two participating schools, on counts of in-house suspensions.
An empirical study of rules for well-formed identifiers: Research Articles

Readers of programs have two main sources of domain information: identifier names and comments. In order to efficiently maintain source code, it is important that the identifier names (as well as comments) communicate clearly the concepts they represent. Deisenbock and Pizka recently introduced two rules for creating well-formed identifiers: one considers the consistency of identifiers and the other their conciseness. These rules require a mapping from identifiers to the concepts they represent, which may be costly to develop after the initial release of a system. An approach for verifying whether identifiers are well formed without any additional information (e.g., a concept mapping) is developed. Using a pool of 48 million lines of code, experiments with the resulting syntactic rules for well-formed identifiers illustrate that violations of the syntactic pattern exist. Two case studies show that three-quarters of these violations are ‘real’. That is, they could be identified using a concept mapping. Three related studies show that programmers tend to use a rather limited vocabulary, that, contrary to many other aspects of system evolution, maintenance does not introduce additional rule violations, and that open and proprietary sources differ in their percentage of violations. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Using a simple emulated computer to facilitate understanding in introductory computer programming and computer organization/architecture classes

This paper describes a very simple, four instruction CPU, designed using digital logic simulation software, and used briefly in introductory C# programming classes to illustrate computer architecture concepts needed to appreciate the programming process. It is very helpful in emphasizing that computers use only binary data to operate. Our past introduction to programming used static PowerPoint slides to illustrate the execution of a simple machine language program. With this simple CPU, the concepts presented in the slides can be demonstrated with an active processor with all registers visible, and is simple enough to produce a machine language program on the fly during class. It also provides an excellent introduction to computer architecture before getting bogged down in the details of a more complex instruction sets and processors.