cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimal group-theoretic methods for selective motion analysis: detection, estimation, filtering and reconstruction with continuous and discrete spatio-temporal wavelets

This work addresses the analysis of motion embedded in spatio-temporal digital signals as well as motion taking place in the outer space R/sup 3//spl times/R. Three categories of motion are considered and referred to as translational, rotational or deformational. In each category, motion parameters are defined from all the temporal derivatives i.e., position, velocity and accelerations. Motion analysis means not only detection, estimation, interpolation, and tracking but also motion-compensated filtering, signal decomposition, and selective reconstruction. In this context, we show how all motion models can be derived from Lie groups and how group representations define continuous wavelets in the functional space of the signals. Motion detection, estimation and interpolation are based on continuous wavelet transforms. Selective motion tracking is based on the adjunction of a variational principle of optimality. The optimality principle defines the trajectory or the geodesic and provides the appropriate PDE of wavelet motion, the tracking equation (ODE), the selective constants of motion to be tracked, and all the symmetries to be imposed on the system. The Green functions of these PDEs give rise to the converse operators i.e. wavelet propagators and kernels of integral equations. These integral equations have several applications. This work investigates in fact the harmonic analysis associated with motion groups which leads to special functions, spectral signatures, propagators and yields motion-based detection and velocity or motion-oriented filtering. This motion analysis fits to both deterministic and stochastic processes. Eventually, spatio-temporal discrete wavelets can be derived from their continuous cognates as the orthonormal bases that perform signal decompositions along the trajectory and achieve selective reconstructions of moving patterns of interest.
The effect of internal control on the operating activities of small restaurants

Researchers have found that more than 67% of restaurants fail within the first 3 years of their operation. These findings underscore the restaurant industry’s current crisis of profitability and survivability. The industry’s average profit is generally small, ranging from 3% to 7%. Despite these problems, researchers have not examined the effect of internal control on the operating activities of small restaurants. Internal control is defined in this study as all the policies and procedures management uses to ensure the reliability of financial reporting, compliance with laws and regulations, and the effectiveness and efficiency of operations. The purpose of this study was to determine restaurant managers’ perceptions of the internal control systems and (a) the protection of assets, (b) the segregation of duties, and (c) the verification of transactions. Two hundred and seventy restaurants were selected through random sampling, and multiple regression and exploratory data analysis, including descriptive statistics, were used to analyze the data. The multiple regression analyses indicated statistically significant relationships linking perceptions of internal control systems in restaurants with each of the 3 predictors; protection of assets, segregation of duties and verification of transactions. The results indicated that majority of the study group perceived restaurants’ internal control system to be inadequate compared to the Committee of Sponsoring Organization Treadway Commission (COSO) internal control integrated framework. The results of this research have potential for social change as they may increase government compliance, and improve financial reporting and best business practices of restaurants.
Translating What Works: A New Approach to Improve Diabetes Management

Background:The most efficacious strategies to improve diabetes control include case management, health care team changes, patient education, and facilitated transmission of patient data to clinicians (“facilitated relay”), but these strategies have not been translated to permit general use in clinical practice.Methods:A web-based decision support program was developed to include these features, and assessed in patients who had A1c ≥7.0% despite using metformin with/without sulfonylureas or insulin. Staff entered patients’ glucose data, obtained management recommendations, reviewed the plan with a clinician, and discussed the new plan with patients.Results:113 subjects were 96% male and 32% black, with average age 65.6 years and BMI 32.8. During prior primary care, A1c averaged 8.32 ± 0.16% (SEM). In all patients, baseline A1c was 8.18 ± 0.11%, and decreased to 7.54 ± 0.12%, 7.16 ± 0.13%, and 7.54 ± 0.16% at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively, all P < .001. In 42 subjects who provided glucose data and made ...
Myocardial strain and strain rate in Kawasaki disease

Aims We sought to determine whether velocity vector imaging (VVI)-derived left ventricular (LV) myocardial deformation indices could detect subtle myocardial abnormalities in acute Kawasaki disease (KD). Methods and results The study cohort of children with KD was divided by coronary artery dilation (CAD, Z -score >2.5) and/or uncomplicated vs. treatment-resistant (persistent/recrudescent fever) cases and compared with age-matched controls. Peak systolic LV myocardial strain ( ɛ ) and strain rate (SR) were obtained using VVI on pre-treatment echocardiograms. Comparisons were made between controls and (i) the entire KD group, (ii) KD group subdivided by CAD, and (iii) KD group subdivided by treatment resistance. The KD group consisted of 32 children (66% male, 24 ± 20 months). Of these, 17 had CAD and 14 had resistant KD. The control group consisted of 22 children (55% male, 20 ± 17 months). Routine echo indices of LV systolic function were normal for both groups. Compared with controls, KD patients had lower global longitudinal ɛ (−15.29 vs. −12.94, P = 0.04) and SR (−1.12 vs. −0.87, P = 0.003). On subgroup analysis compared with controls, KD patients with CAD ( n = 17) had lower longitudinal ɛ (−15.29 vs. −11.87, P = 0.02) and SR (−1.12 vs. −0.86, P = 0.005). Subdivided by treatment resistance, compared with controls, those with resistant KD had lower longitudinal ɛ (−15.29 vs. −11.8, P = 0.01) and SR (−1.12 vs. −0.82, P = 0.003). Conclusion Despite normal LV systolic function by routine echocardiographic measurements, KD patients have reduced longitudinal LV ɛ and SR, which may be more sensitive indicators of myocardial inflammation and may provide supportive criteria to avoid delayed diagnosis of KD.
Procedural success and long‐term outcomes of aspiration thrombectomy for the treatment of stent thrombosis

Background Stent thrombosis (ST) is associated with a significant burden of coronary thrombus and potential microvascular obstruction. Aspiration thrombectomy may decrease the extent of microvascular obstruction in patients with acute myocardial infarction but its role in the treatment of ST is uncertain. The present study sought to evaluate the association between aspiration thrombectomy, procedural success and long-term outcomes among patients presenting with ST. Methods In a multicenter cohort of patients with definite ST, procedural success, long-term mortality, and major adverse cardiovascular events (death, stroke, re-infarction, revascularization) were ascertained. Propensity weighting was used to determine the association between aspiration thrombectomy and long-term outcomes. Results A total of 205 patients with ST were identified. Among these, 115 (56%) patients underwent adjunctive aspiration thrombectomy during percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients undergoing aspiration thrombectomy were more likely to present with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (75% vs. 52%, P < 0.003) and require hemodynamic support (19% vs. 10%, P = 0.07). Aspiration thrombectomy was associated with improved procedural outcomes including postprocedural TIMI 3 flow, resulting in higher angiographic and procedural success (each 96% vs. 83%, P < 0.001). Despite improved angiographic outcomes, the use of aspiration thrombectomy was not associated with a difference in long-term mortality (adjusted HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.44–2.24) or major adverse cardiovascular events (adjusted HR 1.06, 95% CI 0.45–2.48). Conclusions Aspiration thrombectomy is associated with improved coronary flow and procedural success but is not associated with improved long-term outcomes among patients undergoing percutaneous intervention for definite ST. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT00931502 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00931502) © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cloning, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of DOS heme domain, a new heme oxygen sensor in Escherichia coli

The heme-containing PAS domain of the direct oxygen-sensor protein (DOSH), a bona fide oxygen-sensor protein, has been cloned from Escherichia coli strain K12 and successfully purified. The oxidized form of this protein was crystallized by the hanging-drop method with a PEG 8000-based precipitant. Preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of the PAS-domain crystal show that it belongs to the orthorhombic space group P212121, with unit-cell parameters a = 46.1, b = 68.1, c = 82.6 A. A complete diffraction data set was collected to 1.9 A for MAD phasing. The electron-density map shows two molecules in an asymmetric unit and a unique six-coordination of the heme iron.
A Borinic Acid Polymer with Fluoride Ion- and Thermo-responsive Properties that are Tunable over a Wide Temperature Range

A new type of smart borinic acid polymer with luminescence and multiple stimuli-responsive properties is reported. In DMSO with small amounts of water, the homopolymer PBA shows a tunable upper critical solution temperature (UCST). As the amount of water increases from 0 to 2.5 % (v/v), the UCST rises linearly from 20 °C to 100 °C (boiling point of water). Thus, the thermal responsive behavior can be tuned over a wide temperature range. Furthermore, polymer solutions in DMSO show a reversible response to fluoride ions, which can be correlated to the presence of the Lewis acidic borinic acid groups. Upon addition of fluoride, the polymer becomes soluble because the functional R2BOH groups are converted into ionic [R2BF2](-) groups, but turns insoluble again upon addition of H2O, which reverses this process.
Pneumonectomy After High-Dose Radiation and Concurrent Chemotherapy for Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer

Background Pneumonectomy after high-dose radiotherapy and concurrent chemotherapy has been associated with high operative mortality. Therefore, most induction protocols limit radiation to 5,000 cGy or less. Additionally, the safety of right pneumonectomy after induction therapy has been questioned. The feasibility of pneumonectomy after high-dose radiotherapy and concurrent chemotherapy is reviewed. Methods From 1990 to 2005, 30 patients with locally advanced nonsmall-cell lung cancer underwent pneumonectomy after 5,940 cGy of radiation and two cycles of etoposide and cisplatin. To minimize postpneumonectomy pulmonary edema, patients were treated with a protocol that included fluid restriction and 48 hours of mechanical ventilation. Morbidity, mortality, and survival were examined. Results There were 18 right and 12 left pneumonectomies. Death occurred in 4 patients (13.3%) but in only 1 (5.6%) after right pneumonectomy. Causes of death included aspiration, bronchopleural fistula, pneumonia, and massive pulmonary embolus. Major morbidity occurred in 5 (pnemonia in 2 and aspiration in 3). Median hospital stay was 9 days (range, 2 to 45), and intensive care unit stay was 2 days (range, 2 to 35). Median overall survival was 22 months with a 5-year survival of 33%. Patients surviving operation had a median survival of 33 months and a 5-year survival of 38%. Conclusions The mortality rate after pneumonectomy after high-dose radiation and concurrent chemotherapy is relatively high but results in significant survival. The mortality rate is not increased after right-sided operations. Pneumonectomy should continue to be offered to patients with advanced locoregional disease after induction high-dose radiotherapy and concurrent chemotherapy when a complete resection cannot be carried out with a lesser procedure.
Hyperadrenergic Postural Tachycardia Syndrome in Mast Cell Activation Disorders

Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a disabling condition that commonly affects otherwise normal young females. Because these patients can present with a flushing disorder, we hypothesized that mast cell activation (MCA) can contribute to its pathogenesis. Here we describe POTS patients with MCA (MCA+POTS), diagnosed by episodes of flushing and abnormal increases in urine methylhistamine, and compared them to POTS patients with episodic flushing but normal urine methylhistamine and to normal healthy age-matched female controls. MCA+POTS patients were characterized by episodes of flushing, shortness of breath, headache, lightheadedness, excessive diuresis, and gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Triggering events include long-term standing, exercise, premenstrual cycle, meals, and sexual intercourse. In addition, patients were disabled by orthostatic intolerance and a characteristic hyperadrenergic response to posture, with orthostatic tachycardia (from 79+/-4 to 114+/-6 bpm), increased systolic blood pressure on standing (from 117+/-5 to 126+/-7 mm Hg versus no change in POTS controls), increased systolic blood pressure at the end of phase II of the Valsalva maneuver (157+/-12 versus 117+/-9 in normal controls and 119+/-7 mm Hg in POTS; P=0.048), and an exaggerated phase IV blood pressure overshoot (50+/-10 versus 17+/-3 mm Hg in normal controls; P<0.05). In conclusion, MCA should be considered in patients with POTS presenting with flushing. These patients often present with a typical hyperadrenergic response, but beta-blockers should be used with great caution, if at all, and treatment directed against mast cell mediators may be required.
End-pumped continuous-wave alkali vapor lasers: experiment, model, and power scaling

End-pumped alkali vapor lasers excited on their D2 transition and lased on their D1 transition offer a pathway to high average power that potentially competes with diode-pumped solid-state lasers in many applications that require cw or quasi-cw laser operation. We report on the first experimental demonstration of an end-pumped Cs laser using a Ti:sapphire laser for pump excitation. Detailed experimental and model results are presented that indicate our understanding of the underlying physics involved in such systems is complete. Using an extrapolation of our developed model, a discussion is given on power scaling diode-pumped alkali lasers, indicating a potential efficiency advantage over power-scaled diode-pumped solid-state lasers.
Concurrencer: A tool for retrofitting concurrency into sequential java applications via concurrent libraries

Parallelizing existing sequential programs to run efficiently on multicores is hard. The Java 5 package java.util.concurrent (j.u.c.) supports writing concurrent programs. To use this package, programmers still need to refactor existing code. This is tedious, error-prone, and omission-prone. This demo presents our tool, CONCURRENCER, which enables programmers to refactor sequential code into parallel code that uses j.u.c. concurrent utilities. CONCURRENCER does not require any program annotations, although the transformations span several, non-adjacent, program statements and use custom program analysis. A find-and-replace tool can not perform such transformations. Empirical evaluation shows that CONCURRENCER refactors code effectively: CONCURRENCER correctly identifies and applies transformations that some open-source developers overlooked, and the converted code exhibits good speedup.
The Effect of Cation-Anion Difference on Calcium Requirement, Feed Intake, Body Weight Gain, and Blood Gasses and Mineral Concentrations of Dairy Calves

Our objective was to examine the effects of two diets with different cation-anion differences on Ca requirements in the growing calf. Holstein calves (n = 48, 24 males) were blocked at 56 to 70 d after birth (80+/-10 kg of body weight) according to sex and birth date and assigned randomly in a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement of dietary treatments containing cation-anion differences as meq (Na + K) - (Cl + S)/kg of diet dry matter and Ca content of 1) 0 and 0.35%, 2) 0 and 0.50%, 3) 0 and 0.65%, 4) 200 and 0.35%, 5) 200 and 0.50%, and 6) 200 and 0.65%. Feed intake and average daily gain did not differ among treatment groups. Plasma pH and Ca were unaffected by dietary Ca content or dietary cation-anion difference. Plasma Cl and P decreased linearly with increasing Ca content in the diet. Plasma HCO3 increased linearly with increased dietary Ca content. Plasma HCO3 and partial pressure of CO2 were higher in calves fed the 200 compared with calves fed the 0 cation-anion difference diets. Plasma Cl was, however, lower in calves fed the 200 compared with calves fed the 0 meq diets. An interaction of Ca content and dietary cation-anion difference was detected for plasma P content. Urinary pH increased linearly with increasing dietary Ca content. Calves fed the 200 meq dietary cation-anion difference had higher urinary pH values than those fed the 0 meq diet. Urinary P excretion was not altered by dietary cation-anion difference or Ca content of the diet. Calves fed the 0 meq diet had higher urinary cocnentrations of Ca and Cl when compared with those fed the 200 meq diet. Bone ash, P, Ca, Mg, and K content of the 10th rib were not affected by dietary treatments. Breaking strength of the seventh and ninth ribs increased quadratically with increasing dietary Ca content. Dietary cation-anion difference had no effect on the breaking strength of the seventh and ninth ribs. Varying the dietary cation-anion difference from 0 to 200 meq/kg of dietary dry matter had no effect on Ca requirement of the growing calf.
Tissue glucose and lactate metabolism and interconversions in pregnant and lactating sheep.

1. Continuous infusions of [14C]glucose and [14C]lactate on separate days, and measurements of blood flow-rate, were used to obtain values for rates of unidirectional metabolism and of interconversion of glucose and lactate in the portal-drained viscera, liver and hind-quarters of ewes during late pregnancy and early lactation. All infusions were made within 5 h after the morning meal, when steady-state conditions appeared to exist.2. Use was made of ewes that had been appropriately catherized during pregnancy, and whose catheter remained patent through into lactation.3. The liver was the main source of glucose production (67–70%) during both pregnancy and lactation. Other sources were the portal-drained viscera (absorbed glucose) and, presumably, the kidneys. Over 80% of the glucose was utilized by the peripheral tissues with approximately 35–40% of utilization being attributable to the hind-quarters.4. Of the total lactate production, 76% occurred in the peripheral tissues during pregnancy but only 36% during lactation. While the liver utilized 73% of lactate during pregnancy, this value fell to only 42% during lactation, at which time the portal-drained viscera utilized 26% of the lactate.5. During pregnancy, approximately 80% of the lactate arose from glucose, chiefly in peripheral tissues, while at least 12% of the glucose arose from lactate, chiefly in the liver. During lactation the extent of these interconversions was decreased.6. Despite the interconversions, whole-body turnover rates for glucose and lactate were under- or overestimated by only 4–10% and 2–5% respectively. Furthermore, a comparison of turnover rates obtained with [U-14C]- and [6−3H]glucose indicated that there was only 6 and 2% recycling of glucose-C during pregnancy and lactation respectively.7. Under the conditions employed in this study, lactate does not appear to be a major precursor of glucose in the ruminant, and most of the lactate taken up by the liver must be used for purposes other than gluconeogenesis, such as oxidation or alternative anabolic pathways.
‘‘When Keeping it Real Goes Wrong’’: Resident Evil 5, Racial Representation, and Gamers

Videogames’ ability to depict cultural iconographies and characters have occasionally led to accusations of insensitivity. This article examines gamers’ reactions to a developer’s use of Africans as enemies in a survival horror videogame, Resident Evil 5. Their reactions offer insight into how videogames represent Whiteness and White privilege within the social structure of ‘‘play.’’ Omi and Winant’s (1994) racial formation theory notes that race is formed through cultural representations of human bodies organized in social structures. Accordingly, depictions of race in electronic spaces rely upon media imagery and social interactions. Videogames construct exotic fantasy worlds and peoples as places for White male protagonists to conquer, explore, exploit, and solve. Like their precursors in science fiction, fantasy, and horror, videogame narratives, activities, and players often draw from Western values of White masculinity, White privilege as bounded by conceptions of ‘‘other,’’ and relationships organi...
Adherent perinephric fat at minimally invasive partial nephrectomy is associated with adverse peri-operative outcomes and malignant renal histology

OBJECTIVES To predict adherent perinephric fat (APF) at minimally invasive partial nephrectomy (MIPN) using the Mayo adhesive probability (MAP) score and to determine the impact of MAP score and APF on MIPN outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 245 patients undergoing MIPN were included in the study. The presence of APF was determined through keywords in operating notes, and radiographic data were obtained from preoperative cross-sectional imaging. Posterior fat thickness was measured between the renal capsule and the posterior abdominal wall at the level of the renal vein. Perinephric stranding was graded on a 0-3 severity scale. RESULTS The study included 123 men and 122 women, with a median age of 55 years, body mass index of 31.7, tumour size of 2.7 cm and nephrometry score of 6. The median posterior fat thickness was 1.79 cm and MAP score 2.63. In all, 26 patients (10.6%) had evidence of APF at the time of renal surgery. Factors predictive of APF included increasing age (P = 0.001), male gender (P = 0.045), perinephric stranding (P = 0.002), posterior fat thickness (P < 0.001) and MAP score (P < 0.001). APF was associated with adverse pathological and peri-operative outcomes including malignant renal histology (P = 0.04), longer operating time (P = 0.005) and greater estimated blood loss (EBL; P = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS Specific clinical and radiographic factors predict APF at MIPN. The presence of APF is associated with adverse peri-operative outcomes including longer operating time and greater EBL. APF was also associated with renal malignancy on final pathology, but further studies are necessary to elucidate the precise underlying mechanism.
The Role of 19-Hydroxy-Δ4-androstene-3,17-dione in the Conversion of Circulating Δ4-Androstene-3,17-dione to Estrone

A mixture of 4-14C-delta4-androstene-3, 17-dione and 6,7-3 H-19-hydroxy-delta4-androstene-3, 17-dione was intravenously injected into three women, and the 3H/14C ratios in urinary 19-hydroxyandrostenedione and urinary estrogens were determined. The ratios of 3H/14C in the estrogens were similar to those of the dose, while the ratios in urinary 19-hydroxyandrostenedione were mcuh higher than those of the dose. The fractional conversions of androstenedione to estrone and of 19-hydroxyandrostenedione to estrone are therefore similar. However, little, if any, 19-hydroxyandrostenedione produced during aromatization enters the circulation and mixes with injected 19-hydroxyandrostenedione.
Can unilateral adrenalectomy be an option in modulating autonomic nervous system in heart failure

In heart failure, and among many activated hormonal pathways, the activated sympathetic system is believed to be the most important and the hardest to sufficiently antagonize.
Driving through the Great Recession: why does motor vehicle fatality decrease when the economy slows down?

The relationship between short-term macroeconomic growth and temporary mortality increases remains strongest for motor vehicle (MV) crashes. In this paper, I investigate the mechanisms that explain falling MV fatality rates during the recent Great Recession. Using U.S. state-level panel data from 2003 to 2013, I first estimate the relationship between unemployment and MV fatality rate and then decompose it into risk and exposure factors for different types of MV crashes. Results reveal a significant 2.9 percent decrease in MV fatality rate for each percentage point increase in unemployment rate. This relationship is almost entirely explained by changes in the risk of driving rather than exposure to the amount of driving and is particularly robust for crashes involving large commercial trucks, multiple vehicles, and speeding cars. These findings provide evidence suggesting traffic patterns directly related to economic activity lead to higher risk of MV fatality rates when the economy improves.
Experimental assessment of joint-like modal models for structures

Several of the authors, and others, have explored the use of modal-like models for structures having nonlinearities associated with compressive joints (such as bolted connections.) In these models, the deformations are treated as consisting of modal expansions, but with the modal coordinates that evolving nonlinearly over time. There have been several theoretical treatments of this strategy and the authors report here on an early effort to confirm the approach through experiment.For this purpose simple structures consisting of pairs of plates were assembled using four bolted connections. The structures were excited by modal hammer at various locations and the modes identified by scanning laser vibrometer. In each case, multiple modes were excited and the evolution of modal coordinates was achieved by band-pass filtering at the relevant frequencies.Making some simple kinematic assumptions about relative deformations of the component plates and exploiting symmetries permits the mapping from ring-down of each mode to constitutive behavior of each joint. If the strategy of using joint-like modal models for bolted structures is valid, the joint constitutive models deduced from any mode should be adequate to predict the apparent, but nonlinear modal behavior at other resonances. Multiple test specimens were manufactured to assess this predictive capability in the context of part-to-part variability intrinsic to the dynamics of such structures.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Ascosporic Fertilization of Epichloë typhina in Dactylis glomerata Seed Production Fields in Oregon and Implications for Choke Management

Epichloe typhina, causal agent of choke, is a fungus that systemically infects the crown and foliage of Dactylis glomerata(orchardgrass). The process of infection of orchardgrass by E. typhina has ...
Systematic Review of CNS Metastasis in Patients with Breast Cancer (P07.113)

Objective: To review the existing literature on the issue of brain metastasis in relationship to the breast cancer and the factors are relevant to the higher incidence of brain metastasis and patients survival. Background Brain metastases are the most common intracranial tumors in adults, accounting for more than one-half of brain tumors. Breast cancer is the 2 nd most common cause of brain metastases. Progressive neurologic disability often results and the prognosis is generally poor. Design/Methods: We did a systematic research using the pubmed and Yale library search engine including all relevant articles in the past 20 years (refined MRI and modern treatment became available). A total of 38 papers fulfilled the above criteria and furnished the optimum information. Results: Many factors correlated with higher incidence of brain metastasis like younger age, ethnicity, and size of the primary tumor ( 2cm: 70-80%). Multiple brain lesions is common than solitary brain lesions. Incidence rate of BCBM increased from 15% to 80% over the span of 5 years. Brain was the first site of metastasis in 13%- 45% (mean 30%).The most common site of metastasis was cerebral grey and white matter and cerebellum. The most common symptoms were headache (15-58%), motor weakness (13-38%) and seizures (5-23%). Triple negative BC was associated with the worst prognosis while the HER2+/HR+, HER2+/HR-, HER2-/HR+ showed inconsistent results. Whole brain radiation therapy, neurosurgery, stereotactic radio surgery and medical therapy have a role in the management with promising role of chemotherapeutic agents in the recent literature. The median survival for patients with metastatic breast cancer is 18 to 24 months, although the range extends from only a few months to many years. Conclusions: Brain metastasis remains a major complication of breast cancer and indicates an unfavorable prognosis. Biomarkers play a key role in the treatment and survival outcome. Disclosure: Dr. Azadi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mittal has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tavassoli has nothing to disclose. Dr. Jabbari has nothing to disclose.
Single Crystal Silicon Membranes

Self-supporting, thin single crystal membranes can be fabricated from silicon wafers using ion implantation, anodic etching and subsequent annealing. Typically, membranes approximately 1200A thick and about 250μm in diameter are formed in wafers 4 mil thick. Discs surrounding the membranes can be cut out to provide suitable TEM samples. In this paper, the steps for preparing such samples are presented with as much attention paid to experimental details as possible.
Evolution operators in conformal field theories and conformal mappings: Entanglement Hamiltonian, the sine-square deformation, and others

By making use of conformal mapping, we construct various time-evolution operators in (1+1)-dimensional conformal field theories (CFTs), which take the form $\ensuremath{\int}dx\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}f(x)\mathcal{H}(x)$, where $\mathcal{H}(x)$ is the Hamiltonian density of the CFT and $f(x)$ is an envelope function. Examples of such deformed evolution operators include the entanglement Hamiltonian and the so-called sine-square deformation of the CFT. Within our construction, the spectrum and the (finite-size) scaling of the level spacing of the deformed evolution operator are known exactly. Based on our construction, we also propose a regularized version of the sine-square deformation, which, in contrast to the original sine-square deformation, has the spectrum of the CFT defined on a spatial circle of finite circumference $L$, and for which the level spacing scales as $1/{L}^{2}$, once the circumference of the circle and the regularization parameter are suitably adjusted.
Early detection and longitudinal imaging of cancer micrometastases using biofunctionalized rare-earth albumin nanocomposites

Success of personalized medicine in cancer therapy depends on the ability to identify and molecularly phenotype tumors. Current clinical imaging techniques cannot be integrated with precision molecular medicine at the level of single cells or microlesions due to limited resolution. In this work we use molecularly targeted infrared emitting optical probes to identify and characterize metastatic microlesions prior to their detection with clinically relevant imaging modalities. These contrast agents form the basis of an in vivo optical imaging system capable of resolving internal microlesions, filling a critical unmet need in cancer imaging.
Reading the primary structure of a protein with 0.07 nm3 resolution using a subnanometre-diameter pore.

The primary structure of a protein consists of a sequence of amino acids and is a key factor in determining how a protein folds and functions. However, conventional methods for sequencing proteins, such as mass spectrometry and Edman degradation, suffer from short reads and lack sensitivity, so alternative approaches are sought. Here, we show that a subnanometre-diameter pore, sputtered through a thin silicon nitride membrane, can be used to detect the primary structure of a denatured protein molecule. When a denatured protein immersed in electrolyte is driven through the pore by an electric field, measurements of a blockade in the current reveal nearly regular fluctuations, the number of which coincides with the number of residues in the protein. Furthermore, the amplitudes of the fluctuations are highly correlated with the volumes that are occluded by quadromers (four residues) in the primary structure. Each fluctuation, therefore, represents a read of a quadromer. Scrutiny of the fluctuations reveals that the subnanometre pore is sensitive enough to read the occluded volume that is related to post-translational modifications of a single residue, measuring volume differences of ∼0.07 nm3, but it is not sensitive enough to discriminate between the volumes of all twenty amino acids.
Oxygen Vacancy Formation on α-MoO3 Slabs and Ribbons

MoO3 is a versatile catalyst for oxidation reactions that consists of bilayers connected by van der Waals interaction. In principle, a MoO3 nanocrystal can be exfoliated to create two-dimensional ribbons. For this article, we study the difference between the chemistry of slabs having a variety of crystal faces and that of the edges of ribbons cut from a two-dimensional bilayer. As a descriptor of chemical reactivity we use the energy of oxygen-vacancy formation: the easier it is to form an oxygen vacancy, the better oxidant the face of a slab or the edge of a two-dimensional ribbon is. We find that the properties of ribbon edges are different from those of the corresponding slab surfaces. The surface energies of slabs are in the order (010)s < (100)s < (101)s < (001)s, whereas the edge energies of ribbons are in the order ⟨100⟩r ≈ ⟨101⟩r < ⟨001⟩r (the subscript s indicates a slab, and r, a ribbon). Among the surfaces studied, we have found that (001)s and (101)s faces have the lowest oxygen-vacancy format...
Emergent formal structures of factor oracle-driven musical improvisations

In this article, improvisations created with the factor oracle, a commonly used data structure in machine models of musical improvisation, are shown to exhibit certain formal structures independent of the musical content. We posit that these structures are in fact emergent properties of the behavior of the factor oracle itself. An expert improviser (the first author) performed a series of improvisations with Mimi, a factor oracle-driven multimodal system for human-machine improvisation, and the formal structures of each performance was independently analyzed by the performer and an experienced music structure annotator (the second author). Quantitative assessment of the similarity between the performer's and the listener's analyses was carried out using techniques from the field of automatic structure analysis. Supported by a comparison to baseline analysis approaches, the results suggest a high level of agreement between the two sets of analyses. Drawing upon this foundation of evidence, we discuss these analyses and their relationship to common classical forms, including canon- and rondo-like forms, as well as forms based on the juxtaposition of rhythmic cells.
Effect of acoustic particle velocity gradient on the acoustic radiation force on microparticles

In this paper, effect of the acoustic particle velocity distribution on the acoustic radiation force on microparticles in a microfluidic system has been studied. Subwavelength acoustic modes generated in a PZT-driven, flexurally-vibrating glass capillary actuator enables formation of acoustic pressure and acoustic particle velocity gradients in two perpendicular axes. Since the subwavelength pressure coupling is frequency dependent, device enables monitoring of frequency dependent variation of the field terms. In agreement with the theoretical expectations, experimental results suggest that at low frequency regime radiation forces generated due to the acoustic particle velocity gradient can become up to two orders of magnitude higher than the forces due to acoustic pressure gradients.
Localization and Tracking in WSNs

Localization—the process by which the positions of the nodes of a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) are found with respect to some absolute or relative frame of reference—is fundamental to how the WSN performs at executing its functions.
The Popper Convention: Making Reproducible Systems Evaluation Practical

Independent validation of experimental results in the field of systems research is a challenging task, mainly due to differences in software and hardware in computational environments. Recreating an environment that resembles the original is difficult and time-consuming. In this paper we introduce _Popper_, a convention based on a set of modern open source software (OSS) development principles for generating reproducible scientific publications. Concretely, we make the case for treating an article as an OSS project following a DevOps approach and applying software engineering best-practices to manage its associated artifacts and maintain the reproducibility of its findings. Popper leverages existing cloud-computing infrastructure and DevOps tools to produce academic articles that are easy to validate and extend. We present a use case that illustrates the usefulness of this approach. We show how, by following the _Popper_ convention, reviewers and researchers can quickly get to the point of getting results without relying on the original author's intervention.
Factors Associated With Adherence to 14-Day Office Appointments After Heart Failure Discharge

Abstract Background Follow-up within 14 days after hospital discharge for heart failure (HF) may prevent 30-day hospital readmission, but adherence varies. The purpose of this study was to determine predictors of nonadherence to scheduled appointments. Methods and Results A medical record review included patients hospitalized for decompensated HF at 3 health system hospitals who had a scheduled 14-day office appointment. Patient demographics, and social, HF, and hospital factors were studied for association with appointment adherence. Multivariable modeling was used to determine the odds of missing scheduled appointments. Of 701 cases, mean (standard deviation) age was 73.5 (13.8) years, 46.4% were female and 38.9% were nonwhite. Appointment nonadherence was 16.2%. In multivariate analyses, 4 factors predicted missed appointments: drug use history (odds ratio [OR], 3.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.70–9.20; P Conclusions Findings may help practitioners identify patients who are likely to miss a follow-up visit; all 4 predictors were easily retrievable from medical records during hospitalization.
Switchgrass impact on selected soil parameters, including soil organic carbon, within six years of establishment

Abstract Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) cultivation for bioenergy has the potential to improve soil properties. However, little is known about the changes in soil properties for first few years of switchgrass establishment. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the impacts of nitrogen fertilization rate (N rate) and landscape position on soil properties that include pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), soil bulk density (ρb), SOC stock, and phosphorus (P) for consecutive years (2009 through 2013) under switchgrass field in South Dakota. The experiment was a split-plot design with 4 replications of 3 N rates (low, 0 kg N ha−1; medium, 56 kg N ha−1; and high, 112 kg N ha−1) and 3 landscape positions (shoulder, backslope, and footslope). Data from this study showed that N rate did not impact the selected parameters at all five (0–5, 5–15, 15–30, 30–60, and 60–100 cm) depths from 2009 to 2013. The landscape position significantly influenced these properties for all five depths in 2009–2013. These properties showed some pattern among the three N rates and positions. The year significantly impacted these properties at some sampling depths. The SOC and TN at the 0- to 5-cm depth had an increasing trend over the observed years. These findings indicate that N rate cannot impact the soil properties, and footslope position can be beneficial for improving these soil properties. This study concludes that switchgrass can be a sustainable energy crop to improve or stabilize the soil properties over the years.
Private Versus Medicaid Patients Referred to Developmental Behavioral Pediatricians: Do They Differ? A DBPNet Study.

BACKGROUND It is unknown how insurance status affects elements of evaluation at developmental behavioral (DB) pediatric sites. OBJECTIVE To compare DB referrals, evaluation, and treatment for children with Medicaid and private insurance. DESIGN/METHODS Fifty-six developmental behavioral pediatricians at 12 sites recorded anonymous data on structured forms for ≤15 consecutive referrals. Children with Medicaid (n = 309) and private insurance (n = 393) were compared on sociodemographic factors, referral concerns, evaluation elements, and resulting diagnoses. All significant bivariate findings were verified in multivariable models controlling for site and sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS Those with Medicaid were significantly less likely to be white (30% vs 63%) and to have parents who went beyond high school (50% vs 92%) and who spoke English (89% vs 97%) (all p < 0.001). Referral sources were similar, except that fewer children with Medicaid were self-referred (12% vs 22%; p < 0.01). Both groups presented with multiple concerns, ∼3/child, especially speech and language delays, autism spectrum disorder, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Children with Medicaid tended to present more often with concerns about other behavior problems (14% vs 7%; p = 0.05). Wait times to appointments were similar (∼20 weeks), and visits were over 2 hours in length. Only 1 of 92 services and recommendations differed significantly. CONCLUSION There were few differences in care, but most DB patients presented with multiple concerns and had complex evaluations. Regardless of the insurance type, they experienced long wait times that may be detrimental to therapeutic outcomes.
Sintering, mechanical, and oxidation properties of TiC-Ni-Mo cermets obtained from ultra-fine TiC powders

Abstract This paper studies the sintering, microstructure, mechanical, and oxidation properties of TiC-Ni-Mo cermets obtained from ultra-fine TiC powders. The TiC powders were synthesized from a novel carbon coated precursors carbothermal reduction method. The weight percentage of TiC was 75 wt%, the Mo phase increased from 0 to 20 wt%, and the Ni phase balanced the composition. At a sintering temperature of ∼1500 °C for 1 h with argon flowing, the utilization of the ultra-fine TiC powders results in high relative density (>98%), fine microstructure, and good mechanical properties. The Mo substitution can further: (1) enhance the relative density to above 99.5%; (2) lead to the formation of core-rim structure; (3) refine the grain size from ∼1.3 ± 0.1 to ∼1.0 ± 0.1 μm with Mo content at 10 wt%; (4) enhance the hardness and fracture toughness to 14.9 ± 1.2 GPa and 15.4 ± 1.1 MPa m1/2 with Mo content at 10 wt%; (5) greatly enhance the oxidation resistance with 20 wt% Mo substitution.
Economic Opportunities in Natural Fiber-Thermoplastic Composites

Combining agro-fibers (lignocellulosics) with other resources provides a strategy for producing advanced composite materials that take advantage of the properties of both types of resources. It allows the scientist to design materials based on end-use requirements within a framework of cost, availability, recyclability, energy use, and environmental considerations. Lignocellulosic resources have low densities, are low in cost, renewable, non-abrasive, have excellent specific mechanical properties, and are potentially outstanding reinforcing fillers in thermoplastic composites. The specific tensile and flexural moduli, for example, of a 50% by volume of kenaf-PP composite compares favorably with a 40 % by weight of glass fiber-PP injection molded composite. These new composite materials are finding new applications and new markets never before envisioned by the agro-based industry.
Role for interleukins 5 and 6 in IgA synthesis

Terminal differentiation of Peyer’s patch (PP) IgA committed B cells to IgA secreting plasma cells is regulated by the cytokines IL-5 and IL-6. Both cytokines caused increased IgA secretion by PP B cells, as measured by radioimmunoassay, and IgA spot forming cells, as measured by ELISPOT assay. Neither cytokine caused significant B cell proliferation nor isotype switching of sIgA− to sIgA+ B cells. B cells induced to secrete IgA by these cytokines were activated, sIgA+ non-germinal center (PNALo) B cells. This same PNALo B cell population migrated to intestinal mucosa when adoptively transferred to SCID mice.
Using Evolutionary Approaches to Manage Surveillance Cameras in Dynamic Environments

The efficient management (placement and orientation) of surveillance cameras within a floor plan is a well-known and difficult problem that has regained attention. The objective is to locate the minimum number of cameras in a physical space to ensure important walls are within the view of at least one camera. Heuristic-based approaches have been developed for this NP-hard problem; unfortunately, most do not consider the dynamic conditions that may occur in reality. In these situations, camera availability may change, coverage requirements may be updated, and/or camera movement may be limited. This paper investigates evolutionary-based techniques to manage surveillance cameras under dynamic conditions. Using an evolutionary-based approach, a surveillance configuration (camera locations and orientations) is encoded as a chromosome and evolutionary processes are applied to identify better solutions over successive generations. The approach has the ability to identify efficient surveillance configurations (minimum number of cameras with maximum coverage); however, another advantage is the ability to adapt if the environment changes. Simulation results demonstrate that evolutionary-based approaches can successfully manage surveillance cameras under dynamic conditions.
Is explicit formant encoding useful for speech perception with cochlear implants

Earlier generations of cochlear implant (CI) sound processing strategies incorporated explicit encoding of formant frequencies. Many of these CI strategies have yielded higher intelligibility outcomes for CI users due to the pure spectral-based approaches used in contemporary processor today, such as: CIS, ACE, Hi-Res, etc. The aim of the study has been to assess intelligibility due to possible loss in formant frequency encoding and its influence on channel selection in diverse acoustic conditions. Formant accuracy from four computer-aided estimation techniques are compared against hand-marked frequencies derived from phoneme-level transcription with sentences from the IEEE and AzBio databases in three noise types at different SNRs: (a) babble, (b) speech-shaped, and (c) noise and reverb combination. CI speech intelligibility outcomes of the proposed strategy using explicit formant frequency encoding was compared to ACE, the standard energy-based ‘n-of-m’ approach. A relationship between the estimation techniques and differences in channel selection was systematically assessed. Results suggest that minor loss of formant precision does not yield statistically significant differences in resulting speech intelligibility. However, availability of accurate formant cues may help with intelligibility gains in challenging noise such as babble.