cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Planning for Peace: The Surplus Property Act of 1944

The Surplus Property Act of 1944 established several social objectives for the disposal of war surplus. In particular, small business was to be benefited; concentration was to be reduced. Such objectives are better considered as part of the war mobilization rather than the peacetime reconversion. While suggesting that concentration was not reduced, the evidence also suggests that concentration is not an inevitable consequence of war. Social objectives can be incorporated into war mobilization, but their realization involves a substantially higher cost.
The Importance of Cerebellar Cortex and Facial Nucleus in Acquisition and Retention of Eyeblink/NM Conditioning: Evidence for Critical Unilateral Regulation of the Conditioned Response

Experiment 1 examined acquisition of the classically conditioned eyeblink response in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) during reversible cooling lesions of the cerebellar cortex (CX), facial nucleus (FN), or lateral parvocellular reticular formation (RF). Retention was then evaluated during periods of training during reversible cooling lesions and without cooling in rabbits that had acquired the conditioned response. We found that cooling the CX did not prevent acquisition, but did retard the acquisition rate. Cooling the FN during acquisition prevented the expression of the unconditioned and conditioned response, but did not prevent the acquisition when assessed during subsequent training without cooling. Cooling the RF had no effect on the acquisition or expression of the conditioned response. During subsequent retention testing, in well-trained animals, cooling the CX did not abolish the learned response. Cooling the FN abolished both the conditioned and the unconditioned response. The results from Experiment 1 indicate that the CX is more important for acquisition than retention of the conditioned response. The FN is not important for the acquisition of the conditioned response, but is essential for the expression of the conditioned and unconditioned response. Experiment 2 examined bilateral recordings from the cerebellum in well-trained rabbits, before and during interpositus or FN cooling. We found that cooling the interpositus abolished all learning related activity in the ipsilateral or contralateral cerebellum, but did not affect the stimulus evoked responses. Cooling the FN did not abolish stimulus evoked activity or learning related activity in the cerebellum. The results emphasize the critical importance of the ipsilateral cerebellum in classical eyeblink conditioning and suggest that the memory trace for this type of learning is mediated by unilateral circuitry.
Effect of geometry change on the current density distribution in C-shaped armatures

High-current densities in the armature of an electromagnetic launcher can lead to high local temperature and consequent loss of strength and even melting and erosion. In this paper, we examine if the peak current density distribution can be made more uniform by altering the armature geometry. Finite-element analyses using Electromechanical Analysis Program in Three Dimensions (EMAP3D) showed how the current is distributed in a baseline C-shaped armature. By curving surface edges and strategically adding and subtracting material from the original armature, a new model was constructed that had a better current density distribution. Thus, altering the armature design could lead to reduced possibility of transition in the electromagnetic gun.
Electrogenic Suppression of Automaticity in Sheep and Dog Purkinje Fibers

Driving Purkinje fibers at a fast rate is followed by a temporary suppression of spontaneous activity, "overdrive suppression." The mechanism of this suppression was studied in Purkinje fibers perfused in vitro and stimulated for variable periods of time at selected rates. The overdrive procedures caused an initial decrease in maximum diastolic potential below control followed by a late increase above control. After the overdrive, the slope of diastolic depolarization was decreased and the threshold voltage more positive2, these changes were responsible for the temporary suppression of spontaneous activity. After the cessation of 2-minute overdrive, the increase in maximum diastolic potential subsided gradually over a period of 2 to 5 minutes. At higher [K]o, the effect of overdrive on membrane potential was reduced. Substitution of Na+ with Li+ or exposure to 2,4-dinitrophenol abolished the late hyperpolarization during overdrive. The membrane resistance was not altered after an overdrive period. The res...
Fecal Antibodies to Cryptosporidium parvum in Healthy Volunteers

This study examined the intestinal antibody response in 26 healthy volunteers challenged with Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts. Fecal extracts were assayed for total secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) and C. parvum-specific IgA reactivity. Specific IgA reactivity was standardized to IgA concentration and expressed as a reactivity index (RI). Anti-C. parvum fecal IgA (fIgA) increased significantly in 17 of 26 (65.4%) following oocyst ingestion. Of those with detectable responses, 59, 76.5, and 94.1% were positive by days 7, 14, and 30, respectively. Volunteers receiving high challenge doses (>1,000 and 300 to 500 oocysts) had higher RIs (RI = 5.57 [P = 0.027] and RI = 1.68 [P = 0.039], respectively) than those ingesting low doses (30 to 100 oocysts; RI = 0.146). Subjects shedding oocysts and experiencing a diarrheal illness had the highest fIgA reactivity. When evaluated separately, oocyst excretion was associated with an increased fIgA response compared to nonshedders (RI = 1.679 versus 0.024, respectively; P = 0.003). However, in subjects experiencing diarrhea with or without oocyst shedding, a trend toward a higher RI (P = 0.065) was seen. Extracts positive for fecal IgA were further examined for IgA subclass. The majority of stools contained both IgA1 and IgA2, and the relative proportions did not change following challenge. Also, no C. parvum-specific IgM or IgG was detected in fecal extracts. Thus, fecal IgA to C. parvum antigens was highly associated with infection in subjects who had no evidence of previous exposure and may provide a useful tool in detecting recent infections.
Results of crossmatch between chimpanzee lymphocytes and sera of highly sensitized potential renal transplant recipients

Background: We tested the hypothesis that patients with a high frequency of lymphocytotoxic antibodies against human cells are not highly sensitized to major histocompatibility complexes expressed by chimpanzee cells. Methods: Sera from six “hopelessly” sensitized patients (percentage reactive antibodies (PRA) > 99%) on the renal transplant waiting list were crossmatched with peripheral blood lymphocytes from 10 chimpanzees. Lymphocytotoxic antibodies reacting with chimpanzee peripheral blood lymphocytes were identified. Results: Three of the six patients with a high frequency of lymphocytotoxic antibodies against human cells had no xenospecific antibodies. Conclusion: Patients with a high frequency of lymphocytotoxic antibodies against human cells are not all panel-reactive to chimpanzees. Unilateral donor nephrectomy in non-human primates may offer an opportunity for safe expansion of the donor organ pool for these patients.
The Experimental Test Accelerator (ETA) II

The Experimental Test Accelerator (ETA) is designed to produce a 10 kAmp electron beam at an energy of 4.5 MeV in 40 nsec pulses at an average rate of 2 pps. The accelerator also operates in bursts of 5 pulses spaced by as little as one millisec at an average rate of 5 pps. The machine is currently operating near 80% of its design values and has accumulated over 2.5 million pulses--mostly at a rate of one pps. Our previous paper described the ETA injector and its associated pulse power system. This paper discusses the plasma cathode electron source, the remainder of the accelerator, and the operating characteristics of the machine.
Antisense oligonucleotide reduction of apoB-ameliorated atherosclerosis in LDL receptor-deficient mice

Chronic elevations of plasma apolipoprotein B (apoB) are strongly associated with cardiovascular disease. We have previously demonstrated that inhibition of hepatic apoB mRNA using antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) results in reductions of apoB, VLDL, and LDL in several preclinical animal models and humans. In this study, we evaluated the anti-atherogenic effects of a murine-specific apoB ASO (ISIS 147764) in hypercholesterolemic LDLr deficient (LDLr−/−) mice. ISIS 147764 was administered weekly at 25-100 mg/kg for 10-12 weeks and produced dose-dependent reductions of hepatic apoB mRNA and plasma LDL by 60-90%. No effects on these parameters were seen in mice receiving control ASOs. ApoB ASO treatment also produced dose-dependent reductions of aortic en face and sinus atherosclerosis from 50-90%, with high-dose treatment displaying less disease than the saline-treated, chow-fed LDLr−/− mice. No changes in intestinal cholesterol absorption were seen with apoB ASO treatment, suggesting that the cholesterol-lowering pharmacology of 147764 was primarily due to inhibition of hepatic apoB synthesis and secretion. In summary, ASO-mediated suppression of apoB mRNA expression profoundly reduced plasma lipids and atherogenesis in LDLr−/− mice, leading to the hypothesis that apoB inhibition in humans with impaired LDLr activity may produce similar effects.
Identity crisis: anonymity vs reputation in P2P systems

The effectiveness of reputation systems for peer-to-peer resource-sharing networks is largely dependent on the reliability of the identities used by peers in the network. Much debate has centered around how closely one's pseudo-identity in the network should be tied to their real-world identity, and how that identity is protected from malicious spoofing. We investigate the cost in efficiency of two solutions to the identity problem for peer-to-peer reputation systems. Our results show that, using some simple mechanisms, reputation systems can provide a factor of 4 to 20 improvement in performance over no reputation system, depending on the identity model used.
Chronology of Cenozoic tectonic events in western Venezuela and the Leeward Antilles based on integration of offshore seismic reflection data and on-land geology

Newly acquired, deep-penetration Broadband Onshore-Offshore Lithospheric Investigation of Venezuela and the Antilles Arc Region seismic reflection data from offshore western Venezuela (Bonaire Basin) and around the Leeward Antilles are combined with existing geologic and geophysical data sets to examine the chronology of Late Cretaceous–Cenozoic tectonic events in this part of the Caribbean–South American plate boundary zone. These tectonic events have controlled the maturation and structural trapping of known hydrocarbons in the offshore Bonaire Basin and the adjacent onland Falcn Basin. We infer three tectonic phases that are constrained using these combined data sets. (1) The late Eocene–early Oligocene, north-south opening of the 3–6-km (1.8–3.7-mi)-thick Falcn-Bonaire Basin occurred along east-west–striking normal fault systems that have locally been inverted by later tectonic phases. These Paleogene normal faults rifted the Upper Cretaceous arc crust and Paleogene marine depositional sequences within the offshore Bonaire Basin. (2) Northwest-striking normal faults crosscut the older normal faults of the Bonaire Basin and Leeward Antilles and form deep, submarine rifts that contain up to 4 km (2.5 mi) of sedimentary fill and form deep-water channels between islands of the Leeward Antilles. Offshore well data and age of onshore sediments in the Falcn Basin indicate that this second phase of rifting occurred mainly during the late Oligocene to early Miocene and remains active to the present. (3) Inversion of the subaerial Falcn Basin commenced during the middle Miocene. This inversion phase is reflected in the present-day pattern of an east-northeast–trending fold-thrust belt that can be traced over 200 km (124 mi) along strike in the Falcn Basin. A second offshore fold-thrust belt (La Vela) can be traced over a distance of 175 km (108 mi) along strike and parallel to the northeast-trending Falcn Basin coast. Restoration of imbricate thrusts seen on seismic lines perpendicular to the La Vela fold-thrust belt indicates a minimum of 7 km (4.3 mi) of northeast-southwest–directed, thin-skinned shortening. Geochemical work indicates that source rocks for scattered occurrences of hydrocarbons in the Falcn Basin and its coastal zone are Paleogene and Miocene marine shale. Reservoir rocks are Tertiary marine sandstone and shale deposited in Paleogene rifts formed during the first tectonic phase in the late Eocene to early Oligocene. Structural traps were formed by thrusting during the second tectonic phase in the late Oligocene to early Miocene.
Phase-Based Clutter Identification in Spectra of Weather Radar Signals

A novel method for suppression of ground clutter (GC) in weather radar is presented. The novel identification scheme is entirely phase based, unlike power-based schemes that are generally used. GC contributions to the Doppler spectrum are identified from the differential phase between complex spectral coefficients of two spectra estimated for odd- and even-indexed half-sequences of the original time series. Phase values near zero are used as indicators of clutter contributions for Doppler bins close to zero velocity. Indicated Doppler bins are notched from the original spectrum, and the moments are then obtained. The identification scheme is motivated by spectra of an electronically steered phased array of the National Weather Radar Testbed (NWRT) and requires a sufficient number of pulses/samples for spectral analyses. However, the method can be used with a mechanically steered antenna with an appropriate adjustment compensating smearing due to antenna rotation. The method was tested on several NWRT data sets obtained in clear air and in precipitation. One example of clutter-filtered power in precipitation is shown here. There is no baseline for comparison, as the NWRT does not have clutter filtering at the present time. Nonetheless, for a comparison of power- and phase-based identification schemes, a power-based clutter filter similar to the one used by the National Weather Service on the network of mechanically steerable Weather Surveillance Doppler radars WSR-88Ds is implemented on NWRT and used as a preliminary baseline for comparison.
Antigen-Free Adjuvant Assists Late Effector CD4 T Cells To Transit to Memory in Lymphopenic Hosts

The events controlling the transition of T cells from effector to memory remain largely undefined. Many models have been put forth to account for the origin of memory precursors, but for CD4 T cells initial studies reported that memory T cells derive from IFN-γ–nonproducing effectors, whereas others suggested that memory emanates from highly activated IFN-γ–producing effectors. In this study, using cell proliferation, expression of activation markers, and production of IFN-γ as a measure of activation, we defined two types of effector CD4 T cells and investigated memory generation. The moderately activated early effectors readily transit to memory, whereas the highly activated late effectors, regardless of their IFN-γ production, develop minimal memory. Boosting with Ag-free adjuvant, however, rescues late effectors from cell death and sustains both survival and IFN-γ cytokine responses in lymphopenic hosts. The adjuvant-mediated memory transition of late effectors involves the function of TLRs, most notably TLR9. These findings uncover the mechanism by which late effector CD4 T cells are driven to transit to memory and suggest that timely boosts with adjuvant may enhance vaccine efficacy.
The Economic Evaluation of Alternatives

This paper offers a comprehensive set of approaches for procurement officials to structure public investment decisions to improve acquisition outcomes. Called the “Economic Evaluation of Alternatives” (EEoA), these approaches address a significant weakness in most contemporary military “Analyses of Alternatives” (AoAs). While AoAs correctly focus on lifecycle costs and operational effectiveness of alternatives, “affordability” is an afterthought, at best only implicitly addressed in final stages of the analysis. In sharp contrast, EEoA encourages analysts and decision-makers to include affordability explicitly, and up-front in structuring an AoA. This requires working with vendors to build alternatives based on different funding (budget/affordability) scenarios. A key difference between traditional AoAs and the EEoA approach is that instead of modeling competing vendors as points in costeffectiveness space, EEoA solicits vendor offers as functions of optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely funding (budget) scenarios. The Decision Map offered in the concluding section provides a comprehensive guide for practitioners. This paper also illustrates how, by embedding affordability directly into an AoA, EEoA provides a unique opportunity to achieve a significant defense acquisition reform—to coordinate the Requirements Generation System, Defense Acquisition System, and Planning, Programming, and Budgeting System (PPBS), to lower costs, and improve performance and schedules.
Aligning leadership across systems and organizations to develop a strategic climate for evidence-based practice implementation.

There has been a growing impetus to bridge the gap between basic science discovery, development of evidence-based practices (EBPs), and the availability and delivery of EBPs in order to improve the public health impact of such practices. To capitalize on factors that support implementation and sustainment of EBPs, it is important to consider that health care is delivered within the outer context of public health systems and the inner context of health care organizations and work groups. Leaders play a key role in determining the nature of system and organizational contexts. This article addresses the role of leadership and actions that leaders can take at and across levels in developing a strategic climate for EBP implementation within the outer (i.e., system) and inner (i.e., organization, work group) contexts of health care. Within the framework of Edgar Schein's “climate embedding mechanisms,” we describe strategies that leaders at the system, organization, and work group levels can consider and apply ...
Death Rates and Causes of Death Among Opioid Addicts in Community Drug Treatment Programs During 1970–1973

Death rates and causes of death among opioid addicts in 52 community treatment programs in a national reporting network were compared for 3 consecutive years. The greatest proportion of patients in the base samples were male, 21 to 25 years old, black, and in MM programs. The 275 patients in the deceased sample presented essentially the same profile, with the exception that the older patients were more highly represented among the deceased. Death rates were particularly high during each year for patients over 30 years old. Over the 3 years, death rates increased for whites, addicts 21 to 25 years old, and patients in outpatient DF programs. Consistent decreases in rates each year were found for blacks, patients in the 26 to 30 age range, and patients in MM programs.
Nonparametric low-rank tensor imputation

Completion or imputation of three-way data arrays with missing entries is a basic problem encountered in various areas, including bio-informatics, image processing, and preference analysis. If available, prior information about the data at hand should be incorporated to enhance performance of the imputation method adopted. This is the motivation behind the proposed low-rank tensor estimator which leverages the correlation across slices of the data cube in the form of reproducing kernels. The rank of the tensor estimate is controlled by a novel regularization on the factors of its PARAFAC decomposition. Such a regularization is inspired by a reformulation of the nuclear norm for matrices, which allows to bypass the challenge that rank and singular values of tensors are unrelated quantities. The proposed technique is tested on MRI data of the brain with 30% missing data, resulting in a recovery error of −17dB.
Efficient complex operators for irregular codes

Complex “fat operators” are important contributors to the efficiency of specialized hardware. This paper introduces two new techniques for constructing efficient fat operators featuring up to dozens of operations with arbitrary and irregular data and memory dependencies. These techniques focus on minimizing critical path length and load-use delay, which are key concerns for irregular computations. Selective Depipelining(SDP) is a pipelining technique that allows fat operators containing several, possibly dependent, memory operations. SDP allows memory requests to operate at a faster clock rate than the datapath, saving power in the datapath and improving memory performance. Cachelets are small, customized, distributed L0 caches embedded in the datapath to reduce load-use latency. We apply these techniques to Conservation Cores(c-cores) to produce coprocessors that accelerate irregular code regions while still providing superior energy efficiency. On average, these enhanced c-cores reduce EDP by 2× and area by 35% relative to c-cores. They are up to 2.5× faster than a general-purpose processor and reduce energy consumption by up to 8× for a variety of irregular applications including several SPECINT benchmarks.
Cyst with a mural nodule: unusual imaging characteristics of a cystic meningioma.

A 38-year-old man presented with 2 to 3 months of intermittent headaches. Aside from hypertension, the patient was in good health. Physical examination and laboratory values were unremarkable. Routine unenhanced head CT (figure 1A,B) and gadolinium enhanced brain MRI (figure 2A–D) revealed a right frontoparietal cystic mass measuring 6.0×3.9×5.0 cm with an enhancing mural nodule and minimal peritumoral oedema. Imaging findings were suggestive of a primary glial tumour. The patient underwent surgery and the mass was completely resected. Histopathology …
Isolation, characterization and analysis of polyhydroxy alkaloids

The recent recognition of polyhydroxy alkaloid glycosidase inhibitors as a unique class of alkaloids has generated considerable interest in the isolation of additional members, in addition to the analysis and detection of those currently known. The different properties of this group from those of conventional alkaloid classes requires novel approaches to such problems. The methods most suitable for extraction, isolation, structural elucidation, detection and analysis are critically reviewed. Application of such methods should lead to further expansion of this class of compound, providing significant information regarding structure-activity relationships.
CytoModeler: a tool for bridging large-scale network analysis and dynamic quantitative modeling

Summary: CytoModeler is an open-source Java application based on the Cytoscape platform. It integrates large-scale network analysis and quantitative modeling by combining omics analysis on the Cytoscape platform, access to deterministic and stochastic simulators, and static and dynamic network context visualizations of simulation results. Availability: Implemented in Java, CytoModeler runs with Cytoscape 2.6 and 2.7. Binaries, documentation and video walkthroughs are freely available at http://vrac.iastate.edu/~jlv/cytomodeler/. Contact: ude.etatsai@deiluj; ude.etatsai@epacsten Supplementary Information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Stereotactic radiotherapy in the treatment of primary bronchial carcinoid tumor.

Surgery is the treatment of choice for bronchial carcinoid. External beam radiation has been used mostly in the palliative setting, however, dose with conventional fractionation might be insufficient to provide local control particularly as a definitive treatment. We present the first known case series of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in the treatment of bronchial carcinoid. Our results suggest that SBRT might be considered as a treatment option in the management of inoperable bronchial carcinoid tumors. Stereotactic body radiotherapy might allow an increase in radiation dose over conventional fractionated radiotherapy allowing for improved disease control and reduced toxicity in inoperable bronchial carcinoid. A clinical trial may be of use to further examine this question.
Facilitating a Constructivist Vision of Technology Integration among Education Faculty and Preservice Teachers.

AbstractThis article describes year two of an ongoing Goals 2000 Preservice Technology Infusion Project that sought to prepare higher education faculty, K–12 teachers, and preservice teachers to integrate technology into their instruction to facilitate a dynamic, constructivist vision of technology integration. Results indicate that project activities facilitated (1) increased proficiency in technology applications and instructional methods among all participants and (2) faculty integration of technology in education courses. In addition, higher education faculty and preservice teachers felt that project activities enabled a constructivist view of technology integration, as they now see technology as an instructional tool used to engage students in meaningful learning.
Laboratory Stress Testing Methodology

Psychophysiological investigations of the acute effects of stress on physiological measures that have been implicated as risk factors for or contributors to chronic illnesses, notably hypertension and coronary heart disease typically are studied using a deceptively simple paradigm: A resting baseline is measured, the subject is exposed to a stressor, another measurement (or measurements) is taken, the change computed, the results published. However, there are many subtleties that may affect one’s outcomes; often these will lead to null results when there may truly be an effect that supports one’s hypothesis or, conversely, may increase the experimentwise error rate (Type I error). This chapter provides a reference for the design and interpretative issues. Inherent in these experiments that will help the researcher obtain data that are interpretable and that contribute to the understanding of the role of acute stress in chronic disease.
Pathogenesis of chicken anemia virus: comparison of the oral and the intramuscular routes of infection.

Abstract The events during the pathogenesis of chicken anemia virus (CAV) infection following intramuscular (IM) and oral inoculation were further elucidated and compared by sequential clinical, pathologic, and morphometric histopathologic evaluations, and by sequential determination of CAV genome concentrations in different organs. Specific-pathogen-free chickens were inoculated by IM or oral routes with the same dose (2 × 106 mean tissue culture infective dose [TCID50]) of CAV isolate 03-4876 at 1 day of age. Weights and hematocrits were obtained at 7, 10, 14, 18, 21, 25, and 28 days postinoculation (DPI). Seven birds from each group were necropsied at 7, 10, 14, and 28 DPI, and samples of thymus, Harderian gland, and cecal tonsils (CT) were obtained for histopathologic examination and CAV genome quantification by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Peak CAV genome concentrations were detected in the thymus at 10 and 14 DPI in the IM and orally infected chickens, respectively. High CAV DNA concentratio...
Potential Misclassification of Blood Pressure Status in Children and Adolescents With Short or Tall Stature

Blood pressure (BP) is measured in percentiles that are adjusted for sex, age, and height percentile in children and adolescents. Standard tables for the conversion of BP percentiles do not present exact BP percentile cutoffs for extremes in stature, either short ( 95th percentile). An algorithm can be used to calculate exact BP percentiles across a range of height z scores. We compared values from standard BP tables with exact calculations of BP percentiles to see which were better at identifying hypertension in more than 5,000 children with either short or tall stature. Study subjects were 3-17-year-old patients within HealthPartners Medical Group, an integrated health care delivery system in Minnesota, at any time between 2007 and 2012. Approximately half of the subjects who met the criteria for hypertension using exact calculation would be misclassified as normal using available thresholds in the published BP tables instead of the recommended algorithm, which was not included in the tables.
The Saga Continues: Does Mitral Valve Repair Improve Survival in Secondary Mitral Regurgitation?∗

Secondary or functional mitral regurgitation (MR) continues to challenge cardiologists and cardiac surgeons in crafting optimal patient management strategies. This form of MR is distinctly different from primary forms of MR arising from diseases of the mitral leaflets in terms of pathophysiology,
The Role of Mathematics in The Destruction of Communities, and What We Can Do To Reverse This Process, Including Using Mathematics

Since the days of Francis Bacon, the father of European science, who articulated the purpose of science as having “the power to conquer and to subdue [nature]”, people (especially the educated) have lived in disharmony with nature. Mathematics – the “queen of sciences” – played a main role in “subduing and conquering” nature. In recent times, conquering and subduing physical nature was extended to human nature and human communities. For 12 years, education seduces students to live in a makebelieve world and become active participants in the harm done to themselves, their communities, and to physical nature – believing all the time the claim that all is done for their own good!1 As Wendell Berry (1990) says, harm that was done to the world prior to modern times was done out of ignorance or weakness; today, the “rape and plunder” of the world is done with full awareness and conscious intentions.
Cervical Lipoleiomyoma: Transvaginal Approach for Excision

Abstract Background: We report a case of cervical lipoleiomyoma, a rare, benign neoplasm composed of mature adipose tissue and smooth muscle cells. The majority of published literature involves masses in the uterine body resected via an abdominal or laparoscopic approach. Case: A 50-year-old woman presented for a rapidly growing vaginal mass. On exam, the mass was noted to be cervical in origin. Magnetic resonance imaging was obtained and was consistent with a benign lesion. A transvaginal approach was chosen for excision. Surgery was uncomplicated. Final pathology was consistent with a cervical lipoleiomyoma. Conclusions: This is the first reported case of cervical lipoleiomyoma that is managed surgically with myomectomy via the transvaginal approach. After appropriate imaging, it is feasible to manage this condition with a minimally invasive technique and uterine preservation. (J GYNECOL SURG 31:370)
Biodiversity and hypervirulence of Listeria monocytogenes

The integration of large, well-sampled collections of bacterial isolates with genomics and experimental methods provides opportunities for 'top-down' discovery of the genetic basis of phenotypes of interest. In a new report, the authors apply this approach to investigate the heterogeneity in manifestations of disease caused by Listeria monocytogenes and demonstrate that a previously uncharacterized cellobiose PTS system is involved in central nervous system infection.
On uniqueness criteria and minimum principles for crystalline solids at finite strain

New uniqueness criteria and minimum principles for quasi-static, rate-type boundary value problems in crystalline solids are derived. The analysis is based upon a general constitutive theory of finite elastic-plastic deformation encompassing the distinct mechanisms of lattice straining and crystallographic slip. Locally sufficient uniqueness criteria and a related minimum principle permitting the independent variation of velocity and plastic shear rates are established for the case when the two dominant principal stresses are everywhere tensile.
Design of Integral Bridges on M50, Ireland

This paper discusses the soil-structure analysis methods used in the design, the details employed to minimise the adverse effects of soil pressure and the integral connection details used to eliminate bearings in the integral bridges on the M50 in Ireland. As the design methodology adopted for all integral bridges is quite similar, only the River Tolka bridges are discussed in detail.
Abstract 187: Epigenetic memory during breast cancer progression is sustained by Smad signaling pathway

The molecular basis for the “epigenetic memory” that ensures maintenance of unique patterns of regulatory DNA methylation of selected genes responsible for cancer progression has remained elusive. Using a breast cancer progression model system, we found that hyperactive TGFβ-TGFβR-Smad2 signaling axis is involved in the maintenance of DNA hypermethylation mediated silencing of critical target genes to facilitate breast cancer progression. Disruption of TGFβ signaling caused a corresponding decrease in DNMT1 binding activity accompanied with increased expression of the target genes and acquisition of tumorigenic properties. These observations are consistent with passive demethylation of the newly synthesized DNA due to absence of sustained TGFβ-Smad signaling downstream events. In summary, we provide conclusive evidence that the reversal of the DNA hypermethylation status of gene promoters occurs as a result of TGFβ/Smad signaling pathway perturbation. By extension, we predict that inhibition of TGFβ-TGFβR-Smad2 signaling axis is an effective therapeutic strategy for breast cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 187.
Beyond Access: Social Safety Nets and the Use of Free Health Care Services

We explore how social safety nets shape the utilization of services in a free health care clinic. Sociological research demonstrates that social interactions greatly influence decision making and h...
Fundamental Insights into High-Temperature Water Electrolysis Using Ni-Based Electrocatalysts

Hydrogen production from water electrolysis using solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) has attracted considerable attention because of favorable kinetics and thermodynamics associated with operation at elevated temperatures. In the present work, we employ density functional theory calculations combined with microkinetic modeling to investigate the factors that govern this process on Ni and Ni-based alloy electrocatalysts. Our studies show that H2O dissociation is the rate-limiting step on Ni(111) and Ni(211), with Ni(211) exhibiting the lowest barrier for this step. The effect of alloying Ni with another metal on the energetics associated with this process is also investigated. Our studies show that the binding energies of the most abundant intermediates, OH and O, become gradually weaker, and the barriers for water dissociation become gradually higher as Ni is alloyed with metals from left to right in the periodic table. A volcano-type relationship between the calculated electrochemical rates and the b...
Team Dating: A Self-Organized Team Formation Strategy for Collaborative Crowdsourcing

Online crowds have the potential to do more complex work in teams, rather than as individuals. However, at such a large scale, team formation can be difficult to coordinate. (How) can we rely on the crowd itself to organize into effective teams? Our research explores a strategy for "team dating", a self-organized crowd team formation approach where workers try out and rate different candidate partners. In two online experiments, we find that team dating affects the way that people select partners and how they evaluate them. We use these results to draw useful conclusions for the future of team dating and its implications for collaborative crowdsourcing.
Complete Sequence of the Smallest Polyomavirus Genome, Giant Guitarfish (Rhynchobatus djiddensis) Polyomavirus 1.

ABSTRACT Polyomaviruses are known to infect mammals and birds. Deep sequencing and metagenomic analysis identified the first polyomavirus from a cartilaginous fish, the giant guitarfish (Rhynchobatus djiddensis). Giant guitarfish polyomavirus 1 (GfPyV1) has typical polyomavirus genome organization, but is the smallest polyomavirus genome (3.96 kb) described to date.
On Migrant Workers’ Social Status in Taiwan: A Critical Analysis of Mainstream News Discourse

It is estimated that around 20 million Southeast Asians work outside of their home country. In 1991, Taiwan first introduced about 3,000 migrant workers from Thailand. In mid-2015, there were approximately 579,000 migrant workers who came under the category of foreign laborers mainly from Southeast Asia. However, there is scarce research on representations of the south–south international migration. This study critically analyzes mainstream news discourse on migrant workers in Taiwan to discern their relations to their residing society. Four themes emerged: objectification of foreign laborers; differentiated and gendered marginalization; multilevel triangulations over migrant bodies; and imperialistic cultural attitudes toward migrant workers. Through omissions, inferences, and emphases on particular events in news reports, the migrant workers are in an impossible position to exist politically, economically, and culturally in Taiwanese society.
Risk stratification of prostate cancer utilizing apparent diffusion coefficient value and lesion volume on multiparametric MRI.

Purpose To evaluate the performance of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and lesion volume in potentially risk-stratifying patients with prostate cancer (PCa). Materials and Methods Men with elevated prostate-specific antigen or abnormal digital rectal exam underwent a 3T multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) with endorectal coil. ADC maps were calculated using b values of 0, 500, 1000, and 1500; additional images were obtained with b value of 2000. We prospectively enrolled 312 men with lesions suspicious for cancer (suspicion score 2–5) on mpMRI. MRI/ultrasound fusion-guided prostate biopsies were performed. Mean ADC of suspicious lesions were correlated against lesion volume, Gleason and D'Amico risk. Results The cancer detection rate of fusion biopsy per lesion was 45.6% (206/452). Cancerous lesions were larger (median volume: 0.40 vs. 0.30 cm3; P = 0.016). The median ADC (×10−6 mm2/sec) for lesions negative and positive for PCa were 984.5 and 666.5, respectively (P < 0.0001). The AUC of ADC in predicting PCa was 0.79. Larger lesions were associated with higher risk PCa (Gleason and D'Amico) and lower ADC (all P < 0.0001). Conclusion The mean ADC of suspicious lesions on mpMRI was inversely correlated, while lesion volume had a direct correlation with PCa detection. Future follow-up studies are needed to assess longitudinal cancer risks of suspicious mpMRI lesions. Level of Evidence: 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;45:610–616.
Twisted Sisters: The Monstrous Women of Southern Gothic

Gothic literature has long intertwined monstrosity and femininity. The villainy perpetrated by and upon women reflects their stunted roles within a culture which has been shaped by men. Southern Gothic literature generally eschews the supernatural to explore the grotesque in everyday life. Bodies, emotions, and buildings are all potentially grotesque, therefore monstrous, through association with femininity. Southern Gothic explores the intersections of race, class, and family relationships which underpin genteel culture. From their debased position, monstrous women have the power to shred their communities and expose their corrupt foundations. The degree to which women embrace or reject a subject position labeled ‘monstrous’ by a culture that silences them is a key theme of Southern Gothic.
Scattering From Tissue and Tissue Characterization

The structure of tissue can be sorted by its interaction to the insonifying wavefront and its wavelength into four classes. In addition, tissue can be termed homogeneous or heterogeneous and isotropic or anisotropic. Propagation in tissue has three parts: main wavefronts, lower-level waves from diffracting structures, and speckle (diffusive waves from subwavelength tissue structures). Measurements through heterogeneous tissue reveal aberration effects for which several groups have devised means of compensation to improve image quality and focusing. Foremost among these methods are cross-correlation and, for the skull, phase correction and time reversal based on complementary imaging modes such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ultrasonic tissue characterization (UTC) is the finding of hidden patterns in radio frequency (RF) pulse–echo data to extract more information about tissue function, structure, and pathology than that seen in conventional images. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) seeks to derive quantitative tissue data independent of the measuring system for diagnosis and for creating images of the distribution of these parameters. Primary approaches include classic backscatter, integrated backscatter, and spectral features. Applications discussed are radiological, ophthalmic, cardiac, and high frequency, including in mice, whose similarity in bodily functions to humans makes them interesting to study.
Advances in Strength Prediction for Short-Fiber Reinforced Plastics

Prediction of strength for short fiber reinforced plastic systems is a complex but industrially crucial problem. Even in the case of unidirectionally aligned fibers with tensile stress applied in the fiber direction, failure may occur in the fibers, in the matrix phase, or at the interface. Furthermore, failure may take place in a tensile or shear mode and may be brittle or ductile in nature.
Potential Employees' Ethical Perceptions of Active Monitoring: The Dark Side of Data Analytics

ABSTRACT Employees are increasingly monitored through integrated, data analytic-driven continuous (i.e., active) monitoring systems that analyze a wealth of data concerning their behaviors and actions. While use of these active monitoring systems has been advocated for improved performance measurement, increased productivity, and reduced costs, discussion has generally ignored the ethical implications of such monitoring as well as the impact on employees' morale and views of the organization. This study investigates these issues through application of contractarian ethics in the experimental examination of employees' beliefs and intentions based on organizational monitoring practices. In the first experiment, the level of monitoring and pay are varied to understand potential employees' perspectives on organizational ethics, willingness to accept a job with an organization, and their likely job satisfaction. While pay may sway willingness to accept a job and even the level of satisfaction, pay does not aff...
Design and simulations of a spectral efficient optical code division multiple access scheme using alternated energy differentiation and single-user soft-decision demodulation

Abstract This paper presents a new approach to optical Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network transmission scheme using alternated amplitude sequences and energy differentiation at the transmitters to allow concurrent and secure transmission of several signals. The proposed system uses error control encoding and soft-decision demodulation to reduce the multi-user interference at the receivers. The design of the proposed alternated amplitude sequences, the OCDMA energy modulators and the soft decision, single-user demodulators are also presented. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme allows achieving spectral efficiencies higher than several reported results for optical CDMA and much higher than the Gaussian CDMA capacity limit.
Abstract 256: Cardiac CT in Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation

Background: This study aims to determine the impact of pre-procedural cardiac computerized tomography (CT) on procedural efficacy, clinical outcome and complications in patients who undergo radiofrequency or cryo-therapy catheter ablation to eliminate atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods: In this retrospective review, Radiofrequency or Cryoballoon ablation was done on 50 consecutive patients with atrial fibrillation with mean age of 63 (Min 47-Max 86) with paroxysmal (82%) or persistent (18%) AF. Twenty-five patients underwent cryoablation and twenty-five patients underwent Radiofrequency ablation to isolate the pulmonary veins. Procedural and clinical outcomes were compared among patients who underwent catheter ablation with and without pre procedural Cardiac CT. Results: Out of 50 consecutive patients between 01/2014 and 08/2014 there were 26 patients who had a pre-procedural CT scan and 24 patients who did not undergo a pre-procedural CT scan. The mean duration of the procedure (303 ± 93 vs. 271 ± 43 min, P = 0.244) and fluoroscopy time (53 ± 25 vs. 43 ± 17 min, P = 0.086) was similar among patients who did and did not have pre-procedural cardiac CT. The occurrence of complications such as bleeding, pericardial tamponade, pneumothorax, infection and embolic events were also similar in both groups. Repeat ablation was performed in 4 (15%) and 7 (29%) of the patients who did and did not have cardiac CT, respectively (P = 0.249). At 3 months, 5 (19%) and 2(8%) of the patients who did and did not have pre-procedural cardiac CT had atrial fibrillation recurrence (P =0.323). At 12 months, 6 (23%) and 4 (17%) of the patients who did and did not have pre-procedural cardiac CT had atrial fibrillation recurrence (P = 0.467). There was statistically significant difference in Radiation exposure (1805 [IQR 998-2397] vs. 1195 [IQR 738-1363] P=0.0323) between patients who did and did not get pre-procedural cardiac CT, which did not include the radiation added by performing the CT itself. Conclusions: Pre-procedural structural anatomy obtained by cardiac CT scan before catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation in a center where operators used both Radiofrequency and Cryoablation does not appear to have a significant effect on AF recurrence at 3 months or 1 year. The procedural radiation exposure was significantly less in the group that did not have pre-procedure cardiac CT.
Alignment of the protein substrate hairpin along the SecA two-helix finger primes protein transport in Escherichia coli

A conserved hairpin-like structure comprised of a signal peptide and early mature region initiates protein transport across the SecY or Sec61α channel in Bacteria or Archaea and Eukarya, respectively. When and how this initiator substrate hairpin forms remains a mystery. Here, we have used the bacterial SecA ATPase motor protein and SecYEG channel complex to address this question. Engineering of a functional miniprotein substrate onto the end of SecA allowed us to efficiently form ternary complexes with SecYEG for spectroscopic studies. Forster resonance energy transfer mapping of key residues within this ternary complex demonstrates that the protein substrate adopts a hairpin-like structure immediately adjacent to the SecA two-helix finger subdomain before channel entry. Comparison of ADP and ATP-γS–bound states shows that the signal peptide partially inserts into the SecY channel in the latter state. Our study defines a unique preinsertion intermediate state where the SecA two-helix finger appears to play a role in both templating the substrate hairpin at the channel entrance and promoting its subsequent ATP-dependent insertion.
MANAGEMENT OF RESISTANT HYPERTENSION AND IMPLICATIONS OF PATHWAY-2 TRIAL IN US CARDIOLOGY PRACTICE: INSIGHTS FROM THE NCDR PINNACLE REGISTRY

Patients with resistant hypertension (rHTN) have uncontrolled hypertension despite receiving at least 3 anti-HTN medication classes. The recent PATHWAY-2 Trial demonstrated superior HTN control when spironolactone was added as a 4th agent in rHTN. However, the applicability of PATHWAY-2 in