cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vibration studies and tests of a suspension bridge

The natural frequencies of the San Pedro-Terminal Island Suspension Bridge were fairly accurately determined by measuring traffic-excited vertical vibrations with sensitive seismometers mounted at various locations on the bridge. The Fourier amplitude spectrum of the recorded vertical movements was computed and plotted. The measurements revealed a wide band of natural frequencies. The results for the vertical and torsional natural frequencies were correlated with the computed frequencies. The results of the field measurements showed reasonable agreement with the computed values. Finally, further recommendations toward obtaining better results were also indicated.
Physiological concentrations of insulin promote binding of nuclear proteins to the insulin-like growth factor I gene.

Limitations in understanding the mechanism of transcriptional regulation by insulin are due in part to lack of models in which there is insulin-responsive binding of nuclear factors to critical promoter regions. The insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) gene responds to diabetes status via a footprinted sequence, region V, which contains an AT-rich element and a GC-rich site. We tested the hypothesis that insulin regulates nuclear factor binding to the AT-rich site. Gel shift analysis with liver nuclear extracts and a region V probe showed binding of Sp1, Sp3, and B1, which persisted despite the presence of antibodies against Sp1 and Sp3. B1 was detected by a probe mutated in the GC-rich site (VmSp1), but not by a probe mutated at the AT-rich site (VmAT). We then asked whether B1 was responsive to insulin. For both region V and VmSp1 probes, nuclear extracts from normal rat hepatocytes, H4IIE cells, and CHO-IR cells exposed to 10−6 m insulin exhibited an increase in binding, designated insulin-responsive b...
The effect of alkylation, protonation, and hydroxyl group substitution on reversible alcohol and water addition to 2- and 4-formyl pyridine derivatives

The formation of acetals and hemiacetals from carbonyl species and alcohols is a well-studied reaction. For purposes of reversible covalent bonding, a thermodynamically favored reaction that is also kinetically fast is desirable. Toward this goal, the regiochemical influence of hydroxyl or methoxy substitution on 2- and 4-formyl pyridine derivatives on alcohol and water addition was studied. The goal was to investigate carbonyl activation via the electron deficient pyridine ring and the roles of intramolecular general acid catalysis/hydrogen bonding catalysis from an adjacent hydroxyl and of resonance donation from an adjacent hydroxyl or methoxy group in these addition reactions. A qualitative screen of formyl pyridine derivatives at room temperature in neutral and acidic conditions for the formation of addition products was undertaken. In subsequent studies, N-alkylated formyl pyridine derivatives were used in order to take advantage of the activation of the carbonyl provided by the positively charged pyridine ring under neutral conditions. The presence of a hydroxyl group adjacent to the aldehyde generally deactivates it to alcohol or water addition, particularly under neutral conditions when the hydroxyl group is deprotonated. Based on our findings, resonance donation rather than intramolecular general acid catalysis/hydrogen bonding catalysis appears to be the dominant effect behind this deactivation for the pyridinium derivatives. However, the presence of a hydroxyl or methoxy group stabilizes the oxocarbenium ion intermediate that results in acetal formation and thus is essential for forming acetal under neutral conditions.
The effect of weak interactions on the structure of adaptive surfaces

The information processing and evolutionary capabilities of networks of decision making elements are strongly dependent on structural features. Weak interaction effects play an especially important role. The manner in which these are introduced controls the effect of mutation on the dynamics of the network. We report on a dual dynamics model which is being used to address this issue. The model combines discrete decision making features reflective of logical operations with arithmetic features that represent graded influences.
Medical and surgical management of subperiosteal orbital abscess secondary to acute sinusitis in children

Summary Objective To evaluate the presentations and outcomes of pediatric subperiosteal orbital abscesses (SPOA) secondary to acute sinusitis. Study design Case series Setting Tertiary children's hospital. Patients Forty-three admissions diagnosed with SPOA by clinical presentation and contrast enhanced computed tomography (CECT) were retrospectively reviewed. Main outcome measures Clinical presentations, CECT dimensions, treatment, outcomes, and microbiology. Results Eighteen/43 (42%) patients resolved their infection with medical management only, including five children older than nine. Twenty-five/43 (58%) children underwent surgical drainage. Purulence was identified in 22 of 25 surgical patients, and the most common organism was Streptococcus milleri (7 patients). Compared to 22 patients with drained purulence, the 18 patients with abscesses managed medically had significant differences for: chemosis in 2/18 (11.1%) versus 14/22 (63.6%, p = 0.001), proptosis in 10/18 (55.6%) versus 20/22 (90.9%, p = 0.025), elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in 0/18 (0%) versus 11/22 (50%, p p = 0.002), and length of stay (4.3 versus 5.8 days, p = 0.038). The dimensions of medial SPOA managed medically were significantly smaller on CECT compared to surgically drained purulent SPOA: width (0.25 versus 1.46 cm, p p = 0.002), and length (1.1 versus 1.86 cm, p = 0.004). Persistent morbidities occurred in no patients managed medically and in 2/25 (8%) managed surgically. Conclusions Children with small medial SPOA without significant ocular signs may be managed medically with favorable outcomes. Proposed criteria for medical management of medial SPOA include: (1) normal vision, pupil, and retina; (2) no ophthalmoplegia; (3) IOP
An introduction to signed and encrypted e-mail using a webmail interface

This workshop introduces participants to tools and processes for teaching about signing and encrypting email. This approach uses Gmail, Firefox (with additional plugins), and free personal email certificates from Comodo. This benefits students by using a familiar web-based email environment and also by addressing the cryptographical aspects incrementally, rather than in an all-at-once, all-or-nothing fashion. Participants will start with a plain Gmail account and slowly add tools to read signed email, send encrypted email, receive encrypted email, and finally send signed and encrypted email. Along the way, we'll look at the digital certificates being used at each stage.
Second-harmonic generation in poled organic monomeric glasses

Novel second-order nonlinear optical films are prepared from glasses of two organic compounds, (S)-2-N-α-(methylbenzylamino)-5-nitropyridine and 2-N-(cyclooctylamino)-5-nitropyridine, cooled rapidly from the isotropic liquid above the melting point. Extremely slow crystallization in the vicinity of the glass transition temperature Tg permits a polar orientation of these organic molecules under high electric fields at temperatures above Tg. Subsequent cooling to temperatures below Tg freezes in the polarization. A maximum value of the d33 nonlinear susceptibility of 7.5 pm/V and reasonable waveguiding properties are obtained. The poling dynamics of these organic glasses near Tg as monitored by second-harmonic generation exhibit a typical William–Landel–Ferry temperature dependence that is identical to their dielectric relaxation characteristics.
Improved bounds for the rate loss of multi-resolution source codes

We present new bounds for the rate loss of multiresolution source codes (MRSCs). Considering an M-resolution code, the rate loss at the ith resolution with distortion D/sub i/ is defined as L/sub i/=R/sub i/-R(D/sub i/), where R/sub i/ is the rate achievable by the MRSC at stage i. This rate loss describes the performance degradation of the MRSC compared to the best single-resolution code with the same distortion. For two-resolution source codes, there are three scenarios of particular interest: (i) when both resolutions are equally important; (ii) when the rate loss at the first resolution is 0 (L/sub 1/=0); (iii) when the rate loss at the second resolution is 0 (L/sub 2/=0). The work of Lastras and Berger (see ibid., vol.47, p.918-26, Mar. 2001) gives constant upper bounds for the rate loss of an arbitrary memoryless source in scenarios (i) and (ii) and an asymptotic bound for scenario (iii) as D/sub 2/ approaches 0. We focus on the squared error distortion measure and (a) prove that for scenario (iii) L/sub 1/<1.1610 for all D/sub 2/<D/sub 1/; (b) tighten the Lastras-Berger bound for scenario (ii) from L/sub 2//spl les/1 to L/sub 2/<0.7250; (c) tighten the Lastras-Berger bound for scenario (i) from L/sub i//spl les/1/2 to L/sub i/<0.3802, i/spl isin/{1,2}; and (d) generalize the bounds for scenarios (ii) and (iii) to M-resolution codes with M/spl ges/2. We also present upper bounds for the rate losses of additive MRSCs (AMRSCs). An AMRSC is a special MRSC where each resolution describes an incremental reproduction and the kth-resolution reconstruction equals the sum of the first k incremental reproductions. We obtain two bounds on the rate loss of AMRSCs: one primarily good for low-rate coding and another which depends on the source entropy.
Conductivity of a suspension of nanowires in a weakly conducting medium

We study the macroscopic electrical conductivity of a composite made of straight or coiled nanowires suspended in a poorly conducting medium. We assume that the volume fraction of the wires is so large that spaces occupied by them overlap, but there is still enough room to distribute the wires isotropically. We found a wealth of scaling regimes at different ratios of conductivities of the wire, 1, and of the medium, 2, lengths of wires, and their persistent lengths and volume fractions. There are large ranges of parameters where macroscopic conductivity is proportional to 12 1/2 . These results are directly applicable to the calculation of the macroscopic diffusion constant of nonspecific DNA-binding proteins in semidilute DNA solution.
Identifying the presence of clinically significant hepatic involvement in hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia using a simple clinical scoring index.

Background & Aims Though hepatic involvement is common in patients with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), symptomatic liver disease is rare but potentially fatal without liver transplantation. Factors associated with clinically significant liver disease in patients with HHT are unknown. Methods In this prospective cohort study, we included consecutive patients from 2001 to 2011 with definite HHT, who underwent systematic protocol screening including contrast-enhanced hepatic CT and/or abdominal ultrasound. Using a multivariable logistic regression model, we developed a simple clinical scoring index to identify the presence of symptomatic liver disease (cardiac failure, portal hypertension, or biliary disease) or ‘at-risk' liver disease (asymptomatic patients, with hepatic bruit, abnormal liver biochemistry, or elevated cardiac index). Results Of 316 patients with definite HHT, 171 patients (54.1%; age 53.4±15.2y, 101 females) had hepatic involvement on imaging. Twenty-nine patients had symptomatic liver disease (22 patients with high-output heart failure); 45 patients were ‘at-risk' for liver disease. Using multivariable logistic regression analysis, we derived a score using age, gender, hemoglobin and alkaline phosphatase at presentation which could accurately distinguish patients with clinically significant liver involvement from patients with no or incidental liver lesions (c-statistic=0.80). A score 6 indicated high risk (>80%) of harboring clinically significant liver disease in HHT. Conclusions A simple scoring system can distinguish patients at low, moderate, and high risk of harboring clinically significant liver disease. With validation, this score may be used to identify patients for individualized screening and enrollment in clinical trials.
Measurement of short‐term nutrient uptake rates in cranberry by aeroponics

Aeroponics, a soil-less plant culture system in which fresh nutrient solutions are intermittently or continuously misted on to plant roots, is capable of sustaining plant growth for extended periods of time while maintaining a constantly refreshed nutrient solution. Although used relatively extensively in commercial installations and in root physiology research, use of aeroponics in nutrient studies is rare. The object of this study was to examine whether nutrient uptake rates could be calculated for aeroponic systems by difference using measurements of concentrations and volumes of input and efflux solutions. Data were collected from an experiment with cranberry plants (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait. cv. Stevens) cultured aeroponically with nutrient solutions containing various concentrations of ammonium-N and isotopically labelled nitrate-N. Validation of the calculated uptake rates was sought by : (1) evaluating charge balance of the solutions and total ion uptake (including proton efflux) and (2) comparison with N-isotope measurements. Charge balance and proton efflux calculations required use of chemical modelling of the solutions to determine speciation of dissolved phosphate and acid-neutralizing capacity (ANC). The results show that charge balance requirements were acceptably satisfied for individual solution analyses and for total ion uptake when proton efflux was included. Relative rates of nitrate/ammonium uptake determined by difference were in agreement with those determined by isotopic techniques. Additional information was easily obtained from this experimental technique, including evidence of diurnal variation in nutrient uptake, correlation between ammonium uptake and proton efflux, and the relationship between ion concentration and uptake. Use of aeroponic systems for non-destructive measurement of water and ion uptake rates for numerous other species and nutrients appears promising.
AMPK-α2 is involved in exercise training-induced adaptations in insulin-stimulated metabolism in skeletal muscle following high-fat diet.

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been studied extensively and postulated to be a target for the treatment and/or prevention of metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance. Exercise traini...
Photoactivatable fluorophores and techniques for biological imaging applications

Photoactivatable fluorophores (PAFs) are powerful imaging probes for tracking molecular and cellular dynamics with high spatiotemporal resolution in biological systems. Recent developments in biological microscopy have raised new demands for engineering new PAFs with improved properties, such as high two photon excitation efficiency, reversibility, cellular delivery and targeting. Here we review the history and some of the recent developments in this area, emphasizing our efforts in developing a new class of caged coumarins and related imaging methods for studying dynamic cell–cell communication through gap junction channels, and in extending the application of these caged coumarins to new areas including spatiotemporal control of microRNA activity in vivo.
Bilateral nasal obstruction due to an intranasal craniopharyngioma

Summary A 14-year-old girl presented with a purely infrasellar adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma. Histologically benign, craniopharyngiomas occur predominantly extraaxially in the sellar and suprasellar regions; uniquely infrasellar craniopharyngiomas are extremely unusual. We discuss the embryology and treatment of this rare tumor.
Justification of the describing function method for periodically switched circuits

The author studies the describing function method for analysis of periodically switched circuits, such as those used in power electronic applications. Typical power circuit models have nonlinear elements that do not satisfy a Lipschitz continuity condition. As a result, classical averaging theory is not generally applicable to these switched systems. Furthermore, as a result of the nonsmooth characteristics of circuit nonlinearities, previously developed justifications for the describing function method are also not applicable. A justification is developed for the describing function method that relies on the incrementally passive characteristics of the network elements comprising typical power electronic circuits. The analysis generates explicit bounds on the error incurred with the describing function method. >
New possibilities for Beam-beam and space-charge compensation: MCP gun and electron columns

We propose to use microchannel plate (MCP) as a gigantic quantum efficiency photo-cathode in electron guns. Another proposal is to use electron columns formed by ionization electrons in a longitudinal magnetic field for compensation of space charge effects in high intensity proton synchrotrons. Strong magnetic field is to assure that transverse distribution of electron space charge in the column is the same as in proton beam. Electrostatic electrodes are to control the accumulation and release of the electrons. Ions are not magnetized and drift away without affecting the compensation.
Regularized Adaptation of Discriminative Classifiers

We introduce a novel method for adapting discriminative classifiers (multi-layer perceptrons (MLPs) and support vector machines (SVMs)). Our method is based on the idea of regularization, whereby an optimization cost criterion to be minimized includes a penalty in accordance to how "complex" the system is. Specifically, our regularization term penalizes depending on how different an adapted system is from an unadapted system, thus avoiding the problem of overtraining when only a small amount of adaptation data is available. We justify this approach using a max-margin argument. We apply this technique to MLPs and produce a working real-time system for rapid adaptation of vowel classifiers in the context of the Vocal Joystick project. Overall, we find that our method outperforms all other MLP-based adaptation methods we are aware of. Our technique, however, is quite general and can be used whenever rapid adaptation of MLP or SVM classifiers are needed (e.g., from a speaker-independent to a speaker-dependent classifier in a hybrid MLP/HMM or SVM/HMM speech-recognition system)
“Superman is about to visit the relocation centers” & the Limits of Wartime Liberalism

(1993). “Superman is about to visit the relocation centers” & the Limits of Wartime Liberalism. Amerasia Journal: Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 37-59.
Geographic atrophy in patients with advanced dry age-related macular degeneration: current challenges and future prospects

Geographic atrophy (GA) of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a devastating complication of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). GA may be classified as drusen-related (drusen-associated GA) or neovascularization-related (neovascular-associated GA). Drusen-related GA remains a large public health concern due to the burden of blindness it produces, but pathophysiology of the condition is obscure and there are no proven treatment options. Genotyping, cell biology, and clinical imaging point to upregulation of parainflammatory pathways, oxidative stress, and choroidal sclerosis as contributors, among other factors. Onset and monitoring of progression is accomplished through clinical imaging instrumentation such as optical coherence tomography, photography, and autofluorescence, which are the tools most helpful in determining end points for clinical trials at present. A number of treatment approaches with diverse targets are in development at this time, some of which are in human clinical trials. Neovascular-associated GA is a consequence of RPE loss after development of neovascular AMD. The neovascular process leads to a plethora of cellular stresses such as ischemia, inflammation, and dramatic changes in cell environment that further taxes RPE cells already dysfunctional from drusen-associated changes. GA may therefore develop secondary to the neovascular process de novo or preexisting drusen-associated GA may continue to worsen with the development of neovascular AMD. Neovascular-associated GA is a prominent cause of continued vision loss in patients with otherwise successfully treated neovascular AMD. Clearly, treatment with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors early in the course of the neovascular disease is of great clinical benefit. However, there is a rationale and some suggestive evidence that anti-VEGF agents themselves could be toxic to RPE and enhance neovascular-associated GA. The increasing prevalence of legal blindness from this condition due to the aging of the general population lends urgency to the search for a therapy to ameliorate GA.
Cytoarchitecture of size-excluding compartments in living cells.

By f luorescence ratio imaging of large and small inert tracer particles in living cells, we have previously shown that particles 24 nm in radius are excluded from otherwise uncharacterized compartments in the distal and perinuclear cytoplasm (Luby-Phelps, K. and Taylor, D.L., 1988. Cell Motil. Cytoskel. 10, 28-37). In this study we examined the cytoarchitecture of these compartments. Whole-mount TEM showed that distal sizeexcluding compartments were devoid of membranebounded organelles and were filled with a dense cytomatrix consisting of numerous, long bundles of thin filaments interconnected by a more random meshwork of short thin filaments. The mean diameter of void spaces in the cytomatrix of distal excluding compartments was 31 nm, compared to 53 nm in adjacent nonexcluding domains. The height of the distal excluding compartments was generally ≤ 50% of the height in the adjacent non-excluding compartment. An electrondense structure having the same projected outline as the perinuclear size-excluding compartment was visible by whole-mount TEM, but the cells were too thick and osmiophilic in this region to resolve any detail. Immunofluorescence localization of cytoskeletal proteins in distal excluding compartments indicated the presence of f ilament bundles containing F-actin, nonmuscle filamin (ABP280) and -actinin. F-actin and ABP280, but not -actinin, were found also in between these filament bundles. Microtubules and vimentin generally were rare or absent from distal excluding domains. Staining of living cells with DMB-ceramide revealed that the perinuclear size-excluding compartment consisted of a compact, juxtanuclear domain coinciding with the transGolgi, surrounded by a more diffuse domain coinciding with a perinuclear concentration of endoplasmic reticulum. Intense immunofluorescence staining for vimentin was also observed in the perinuclear size-excluding compartment. We propose that the most likely mechanism for exclusion from distal compartments is molecular sieving by a meshwork of actin filament bundles interconnected by an F-actin/ABP280 gel network, while exclusion from the perinuclear compartment may be due to close apposition of cisternae in the trans-Golgi and a network or basket of vimentin filaments in the centrosomal region of the cell.
Intergranular Corrosion of Iron-Nickel-Chromium Alloys

Almost since their commercial inception about one-half century ago, it has been recognized that stainless steels and related iron-nickel-chromium alloys are susceptible to a particularly insidious mode of corrosive attack, namely intergranular corrosion. Indeed, in their classic paper, Bain et al.1 stated, “One of the few shortcomings of the austenitic stainless steels … [is that] … the metal, after exposure to moderately elevated temperature in the general vicinity of 1000-1500oF, has frequently been found to be subject to a very characteristic· form of intergranular corrosion, even in environments which ordinarily have no effect upon the normal alloy.”
The Appalachian Ultradeep Core Hole (ADCOH) Project

The principal goal of the Appalachian Ultradeep Core Hole (ADCOH) Project is to study the processes related to the formation and reactivation of large faults in the internal parts of an intact composite crystalline thrust sheet formed by continent-continent collision along an ancient continental margin. Composite crystalline thrust sheets are some of the largest structures in orogenic belts, comparable in size to the large accreted terranes. They are therefore of central importance in the overall processes related to formation of mountain chains and the evolution of continental crust.
Professor Dumbledore's Advice for Law Deans

This article, prepared for the Dean's Symposium in the University of Toledo Law Review, includes a curriculum vitae for Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of the modern age, along with seven pieces of advice for law deans, culled from Dumbledore's words of wisdom and actions in the Harry Potter series.
Bioluminescent potential and variability in some Sargasso Sea planktonic halocyprid ostracods

ABSTRACT The bioluminescent potential of individual ostracods collected on a cruise to the northern Sargasso Sea in July 1986 was measured using a shipboard laboratory photometer. Photometrics revealed that most, but not all, of the species of Conchoecia tested produced bioluminescent light (1-12 x 1010 photons per individual) during mechanical stimulation. The most abundant species, Conchoecia spinirostris, captured in the net collections during the cruise was not bioluminescent. In those bioluminescent species in which both females and males were available for testing, both sexes were bioluminescent. The bioluminescent potential of these planktonic ostracods is similar in magnitude to that reported for other mesoplankton, such as copepods, larvaceans, and large dinoflagellates.
Range Extension and New State Record for Arthroplea bipunctata (McDunnough) (Ephemeroptera: Heptageniidae)

Nymphs of Arthroplea bipunctata (McDunnough) were collected in Trumbull County, Ohio, during the spring of 1974. This collection represents a new state record and is a significant extension of range for the species.
Size-dependent anatase to rutile phase transformation and particle growth

Phase transformation and particle growth are fundamental processes that govern final particle size and morphology, as well as phase composition. At the nanoscale, these processes can be significant...
Mechanochemical Synthesis of Poly(phenylene vinylenes)

We report a simple, rapid, and solvent-free methodology for solid-state polymerizations yielding poly(phenylene vinylenes) (PPVs) promoted by ball-milling. This solid-state Gilch polymerization method produces PPVs in as little as five minutes of milling. Detailed investigations of the parameter space governing the solid-state polymerization, i.e., milling time, base strength, solid-state dilution, milling frequency, and size of milling balls, revealed that polymerization by ball-milling is a rapid process achieving molecular number average weights of up to 40 kDa in up to 70% yield. To explore the scope, a solid-state polymerization via the dithiocarbamate precursor route is explored.
Exercise in the elderly

Regular physical activity in the elderly delays decline in physical abilities, improves quality of life, and enhances functional capacity. As medical costs rise, preventive measures such as exercise are attaining great importance. Physicians should encourage their patients to participate in routine exercise and assist them in selecting an appropriate program. Preexercise evaluation is mandatory and should include a history and physical examination, an exercise stress test, and appropriate laboratory tests.
Cone Photopigment Evolution

Daylight vision in vertebrates is initiated by activation of photopigments located in cone photoreceptors and thus cone pigments provide important targets for study and understanding. The natural history of photopigments is one topic that has long been central to this endeavor. Plausible theories about the evolution of photopigments were proposed as early as the latter part of the nineteenth century, but the most productive experimental approaches to understanding the evolution of cone pigments are much more recent, effectively paralleling the rise of powerful molecular genetic and neurobiological techniques that has occurred over the past 20 years.
Adverse Events Postoperatively Had No Impact on Long-Term Survival of Patients Treated with Cytoreductive Surgery with Heated Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for Appendiceal Cancer with Peritoneal Metastases

Appendiceal cancer most commonly metastasizes to the peritoneum. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is the standard of care for appendiceal cancer with peritoneal metastases. Adverse events postoperatively have been associated with reduced survival. We analyzed clinical outcomes, including complications after CRS and HIPEC in patients with appendiceal cancer, in a recent cohort of patients to identify prognostic factors. Patients undergoing CRS with HIPEC for appendix cancer with peritoneal metastases between January 2007 and December 2009 were identified. Prospectively collected data were analyzed, including preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables, and multivariate Cox regression models were developed to identify factors independently predicting overall survival (OS). A total of 133 consecutive patients with a median age of 51 years were analyzed; 53.4 % were female. Pre-, intra-, and postoperative clinical variables analyzed for their impact on survival included sex, age, prior surgical score, Peritoneal Cancer Index, completeness of cytoreduction score, histology, lymph node metastases, operative time, blood transfusion, fresh frozen plasma transfusion, perioperative chemotherapy, postoperative complications, length of hospitalization, and disease recurrence. OS at 5 years was 74.4 %, and 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) of patients with a complete cytoreduction (CC ≤ 1) was 65.5 %. Factors independently predicting shorter survival included peritoneal mucinous adenocarcinoma (PMCA) histology (hazard ratio [HR] 15.2, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 3.38–69.0), lymph node metastasis (HR 3.82, 95 % CI 1.13–12.8), and incomplete cytoreduction [CC3; HR 13.7, 95 % CI 3.18–59.1). An incomplete cytoreduction was associated with the PMCA variant (p < 0.001). Postoperative complications grade I/II (p = 0.113) and grade III/IV (p = 0.669) had no impact on OS in multivariate analysis. CRS with HIPEC can achieve long-term survival for patients with appendix cancer with peritoneal metastases. Histologic subtype, lymph node metastasis, and incomplete cytoreduction are the significant predictors of OS. Postoperative adverse events had no impact on survival.
Geometric Optimization Projects

This chapter discusses geometric optimization projects. The distance between lines, between curves, between a curve and a surface, etc., is a multidimensional minimization problem. The distance means the shortest distance as the points vary over both objects. Most calculus books do not treat this topic because the solution of the equations resulting in the critical point step is too hard to do by hand. Mathematica can help solve these deep geometrical problems.
What Am I Sitting On? User Knowledge Of Their Chair Controls

This study tested user knowledge and the use of the controls for their work chairs for a volunteer sample of 1004 office workers who were randomly selected for survey from 23 different companies an...
Measuring systematic changes in invasive cancer cell shape using Zernike moments

We study the shape characteristics of osteosarcoma cancer cell lines on surfaces of differing hydrophobicity using Zernike moments to represent cell shape. We compare the shape characteristics of four invasive cell lines with a corresponding less-invasive parental line on three substrates. Cell shapes of each pair of cell lines are quite close and display overlapping characteristics. To quantitatively study shape changes in high-dimensional parameter space we project down to principal component space and define a vector that summarizes average shape differences. Using this vector we find that three of the four pairs of cell lines show similar changes in shape, while the fourth pair shows a very different pattern of changes. We find that shape differences are sufficient to enable a neural network to classify cells accurately as belonging to the highly invasive or the less invasive phenotype. The patterns of shape changes were also reproducible for repetitions of the experiment. We also find that shape changes on different substrates show similarities between the eight cells studied, but the differences were typically not enough to permit classification. Our paper strongly suggests that shape may provide a means to read out the phenotypic state of some cell types, and shape analysis can be usefully performed using a Zernike moment representation.
Women's Preferred Sources for Primary and Mental Health Care: Implications for Reproductive Health Providers.

Abstract Purpose To describe women's preferences for reproductive health providers as sources of primary and mental health care. Methods This is secondary data analysis of the Women's Health Care Experiences and Preferences Study, an Internet survey conducted in September 2013 of 1,078 women aged 18 to 55 randomly sampled from a U.S. national probability panel. We estimated women's preferred and usual sources of care (reproductive health providers, generalists, other) for various primary care and mental health care services using weighted statistics and multiple logistic regression. Main Findings Among women using health care in the past 5 years ( n = 981), 88% received primary and/or mental health care, including a routine medical checkup (78%), urgent/acute (48%), chronic disease (27%), depression/anxiety (21%), stress (16%), and intimate partner violence (2%) visits. Of those, reproductive health providers were the source of checkup (14%), urgent/acute (3%), chronic disease (6%), depression/anxiety (6%), stress (11%), and intimate partner violence (3%) services. Preference for specific reproductive health-provided primary/mental health care services ranged from 7% to 20%. Among women having used primary/mental health care services ( N = 894), more women (1%–17%) preferred than had received primary/mental health care from reproductive health providers. Nearly one-quarter (22%) identified reproductive health providers as their single most preferred source of care. Contraceptive use was the strongest predictor of preference for reproductive health-provided primary/mental health care (odds ratios range, 2.11–3.30). Conclusions Reproductive health providers are the sole source of health care for a substantial proportion of reproductive-aged women—the same groups at risk for unmet primary and mental health care needs. Findings have implications for reproductive health providers' role in comprehensive women's health care provision and potentially for informing patient-centered, integrated models of care in current health systems.
Phase I study of neoadjuvant gemcitabine combined with radiation therapy for patients with high-risk extremity and trunk soft tissue sarcomas.

10571 Background: Gemcitabine is used in many solid tumors as a sensitizer for radiation therapy. We sought to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of gemcitabine when given concurrently with preoperative external beam radiation (EBRT) for patients with high-risk extremity and trunk soft tissue sarcoma (STS). Methods: Fifty gray of EBRT was given in 25 daily fractions over 5 weeks. Gemcitabine was administered on days 1, 8, 22, 29, 43, and 50 at a starting dose of 400 mg/m2. Dose escalation between cohorts by increments of 100 mg/m2 was done using a toxicity severity weight method (TSWM), incorporating 6 different toxicities (Table). This method is a Bayesian procedure that repeatedly assesses the data to find the drug dose having a posterior total toxicity burden closest to a predetermined clinician-defined target (Bekele and Thall, 2004). Clinicopathologic and outcome data were also collected. Results: Thirty-six patients completed the study. Mean tumor size was 6.3 cm and 67% of patients had high...
Regarding "Measured Head CT/CTA Skin Dose and Intensive Care Unit Patient Cumulative Exposure".

We thank Nawfel and Young[1][1] for their thoughtful article, “Measured Head CT/CTA Skin Dose and Intensive Care Unit Patient Cumulative Exposure.” Nawfel and Young[1][1] have published a timely study in the midst of recent positive neurointerventional stroke trials and the resultant increased
Determinants of paclitaxel uptake, accumulation and retention in solid tumors.

This report addresses the determinants ofthe rate and extent of paclitaxelaccumulation in tumors. In a 2-dimensionalsystem such as monolayers where the drug isdirectly in contact with tumor cells, drugaccumulation is determined by theextracellular-to-intracellularconcentration gradient, the drug binding toextracellular and intracellularmacromolecules, the presence of the mdr1p-glycoprotein (Pgp), and thetime-dependent and drugconcentration-dependent changes in tubulinsand cell density. Intracellularpharmacokinetic models were developed todepict the effects of these parameters.Computer simulation results indicate thatat the clinically relevant concentrationrange of 1 to 1,000 nM, (a) the bindingaffinity and the number of intracellularsaturable drug binding sites are importantfor drug accumulation at low and highextracellular concentrations, respectively,(b) saturation in the drug binding to thehigh affinity intracellular binding sites(e.g., tubulin/microtubule) occurs atextracellular drug concentration above 100nM, (c) treatment with 1,000 nM paclitaxelfor ≥4 hr results in increased levels oftubulin/microtubule and consequentlyincreased intracellular drug accumulation,whereas the continued cell proliferationafter treatment with low drugconcentrations results in reducedintracellular accumulation, and (d)saturation of Pgp in mdr1-transfectedcells occurs at the high end of theclinically relevant concentration range. Ina 3-dimensional system such as the solidtumor histocultures, which contain tumorcells as well as stromal cells, the drugaccumulation into the inner cell layers isdetermined by the unique properties ofsolid tumors, including tumor cell densityand spatial arrangement of tumor andstromal tissues. Most interestingly, drugpenetration is modulated by thedrug-induced apoptosis; the reduced celldensity due to apoptosis results in anenhancement of the rate of drug penetrationinto the inner cell layers of solid tumors.In conclusion, the uptake, accumulation,and retention of paclitaxel in solid tumorsare determined by (a) factors that areindependent of biological changes in tumorcells induced by paclitaxel, i.e., ratio ofextracellular and intracellularconcentrations, and drug binding toextracellular and intracellularmacromolecules, and (b) factors that aredependent on the time- and drugconcentration-dependent biological changesinduced by paclitaxel, i.e., induction ofapoptosis, enhancement oftubulin/microtubule production, andinduction of Pgp expression.
Structural absorption by barbule microstructures of super black bird of paradise feathers

Many studies have shown how pigments and internal nanostructures generate color in nature. External surface structures can also influence appearance, such as by causing multiple scattering of light (structural absorption) to produce a velvety, super black appearance. Here we show that feathers from five species of birds of paradise (Aves: Paradisaeidae) structurally absorb incident light to produce extremely low-reflectance, super black plumages. Directional reflectance of these feathers (0.05-0.31%) approaches that of man-made ultra-absorbent materials. SEM, nano-CT, and ray-tracing simulations show that super black feathers have titled arrays of highly modified barbules, which cause more multiple scattering, resulting in more structural absorption, than normal black feathers. Super black feathers have an extreme directional reflectance bias and appear darkest when viewed from the distal direction. We hypothesize that structurally absorbing, super black plumage evolved through sensory bias to enhance the perceived brilliance of adjacent color patches during courtship display.
Treating a Child With Anxiety and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder? Don't Rule Out Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Anxiety disorders (ADs) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are two of the most common psychiatric disorders in youth and approximately 25% of those with an AD have comorbid ADHD.1 Children with AD and ADHD evidence greater impairment than those with either disorder alone, making them a particularly vulnerable population in need of effective treatment.2 Although a strong evidence base supports the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for treating anxiety in children,3 there is little information to guide practitioners on how to best treat those dually diagnosed with an AD and ADHD. Questions have arisen as to whether the cognitive, attentional, and behavioral impairments associated with ADHD interfere with the ability of these children to benefit from CBT for anxiety.4 Does the distractibility and overactivity characteristic of ADHD inhibit, perhaps differentially, the ability of these children to effectively engage in CBT for anxiety (e.g., psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, therapeutic exposure)?
Constructors, sufficient completeness, and deadlock freedom of rewrite theories

Sufficient completeness has been throughly studied for equational specifications, where function symbols are classified into constructors and defined symbols. But what should sufficient completeness mean for a rewrite theory R = (Σ, E, R) with equations E and nonequational rules R describing concurrent transitions in a system? This work argues that a rewrite theory naturally has two notions of constructor: the usual one for its equations E, and a different one for its rules R. The sufficient completeness of constructors for the rules R turns out to be intimately related with deadlock freedom, i.e., R has no deadlocks outside the constructors for R. The relation between these two notions is studied in the setting of unconditional order-sorted rewrite theories. Sufficient conditions are given allowing the automatic checking of sufficient completeness, deadlock freedom, and other related properties, by propositional tree automata modulo equational axioms such as associativity, commutativity, and identity. They are used to extend the Maude Sufficient Completeness Checker from the checking of equational theories to that of both equational and rewrite theories. Finally, the usefulness of the proposed notion of constructors in proving inductive theorems about the reachability rewrite relation →R associated to a rewrite theory R (and also about the joinability relation ↓R) is both characterized and illustrated with an example.
Aging and language performance: From isolated words to multiple sentence contexts*

Publisher Summary Currently, there are two prominent positions regarding the organization of the language processor. The more popular view, modularity, holds that the language processor is autonomous, being comprised of multiple subsystems or modules that function independently of one another to ultimately converge on comprehension (Fodor). The modular approach contrasts with the view that processing at one level of the system contributes to processes occurring simultaneously at other levels of the system. The chapter discusses the aging and language processing of younger and older adults from isolated word identification to the cumulative effects of connected discourse. Within the domain of context effects, word priming, sentence priming, the scope of meaning activation, the time course of meaning activation, and discourse priming are evaluated. The chapter integrates these findings within an interactive-activation system. The syntactic and semantic analyses required for language comprehension cannot begin without at least an initial identification of individual words. The chapter discusses the interactive-activation model, which describes a processing framework that can handle language performance for young as well as older adults. Such a model will be useful for understanding and describing discourse comprehension across the life span. The mechanisms underlying language processing appear to remain age-invariant within the constraints of the current research.
Short Communication: Effect of carbon source on exopolysaccharide production by Sphingomonas paucimobilis ATCC 31461

Abstract The ability of the bacterium Sphingomonas paucimobilis ATCC 31461 to produce the exopolysaccharide gellan on various carbon sources was examined. The bacterium was found to be capable of synthesizing gellan on glucose, corn syrup, sucrose, mannose, galactose, fructose or maltose as a carbon source after 72 hours of growth. Gellan production was found to double after 72 hours for corn syrup-grown cells relative to glucose-grown cells. Lesser amounts of polysaccharide were produced when sucrose, mannose, galactose, fructose or maltose served as the carbon source instead of glucose or corn syrup. It did not appear that an increase in bacterial cell weight could be correlated with enhanced gellan synthesis.
Accessibility in mind? A nationwide study of K-12 Web sites in the United States

Web site accessibility is a serious civil rights concern that has historically been difficult to measure and to establish success criteria for. By conducting automated accessibility analyses via the WAVE tool, we calculated accessibility norms of a statistically appropriate, random sample of K–12 school Web sites across the U.S. ( n = 6,226) and merged results with national datasets to determine how school demographics influence accessibility. Results indicated that schools across all demographic groups generally struggle to make their Web sites fully accessible to their universe of diverse users and revealed that the concrete, highest-impact steps that schools nationwide need to take to improve accessibility include improving poor contrast between text and backgrounds, providing alternative text to images and other visual elements, and labeling form controls.
Characterization of Sub-1 cm Breast Lesions Using Radiomics Analysis.

Background Small breast lesions are difficult to visually categorize due to the inherent lack of morphological and kinetic detail. Purpose To assess the efficacy of radiomics analysis in discriminating small benign and malignant lesions utilizing model free parameter maps. Study type Retrospective, single center. Population In all, 149 patients, with a total of 165 lesions scored as BI-RADS 4 or 5 on MRI, with an enhancing volume of Field strength/sequence Higher spatial resolution T1 -weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging with a temporal resolution of ~90 seconds performed at 3.0T. Assessment Parameter maps reflecting initial enhancement, overall enhancement, area under the enhancement curve, and washout were generated. Heterogeneity measures based on first-order statistics, gray level co-occurrence matrices, run length matrices, size zone matrices, and neighborhood gray tone difference matrices were calculated. Data were split into a training dataset (~75% of cases) and a test dataset (~25% of cases). Statistical tests Comparison of medians was assessed using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U-test. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient was utilized to determine significant correlations between individual features. Finally, a support vector machine was employed to build multiparametric predictive models. Results Univariate analysis revealed significant differences between benign and malignant lesions for 58/133 calculated features (P 89%) and positive predictive values (>83%) were found for all models. Data conclusion Radiomics analysis of small contrast-enhancing breast lesions is of value. Texture features calculated from later timepoints on the enhancement curve appear to offer limited additional value when compared with features determined from initial enhancement for this patient cohort. Level of evidence 4 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;50:1468-1477.