cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract LB-165: Personalized prognostic prediction models for breast cancer recurrence and survival incorporating multidimensional data

Background: In this study, we developed integrative, personalized prognostic models for breast cancer recurrence and overall survival (OS) that consider receptor subtypes, epidemiological data, quality of life (QoL), and treatment. Methods: 15,314 women with stage I to III invasive primary breast cancer treated at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center between 1997 and 2012 was used to generate prognostic models by Cox regression analysis including 10,809 women as discovery population (median follow-up: 6.09 years, 1,144 recurrence and 1,627 deaths) and 4,505 women as validation population (median follow-up: 7.95 years, 684 recurrence and 1,095 deaths). Model performance was assessed by calculating the area under the curve (AUC) and calibration analysis and compared with Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI) and PREDICT. Results: In addition to the known clinical/pathological variables, the model for recurrence included alcohol consumption while the model for OS included smoking status and physical component summary score. The AUCs for recurrence and OS were 0.813 and 0.810 in the discovery and 0.807 and 0.803 in the validation, respectively, compared to AUC of 0.761 and 0.753 in discovery and 0.777 and 0.751 in validation for NPI. Our model further showed better calibration compared to PREDICT. We also developed race-specific and receptor subtype-specific models with comparable AUC. Racial disparity was evident in the distributions of many risk factors and clinical presentation of the disease. Conclusions: Our integrative prognostic models for breast cancer exhibit high discriminatory accuracy and excellent calibration and are the first to incorporate receptor subtype, epidemiological and QoL data. Citation Format: Xifeng Wu, Yuanqing Ye, Carlos H. Barcenas, Wong-Ho Chow, Qing H. Meng, Mariana Chavez Mac Gregor, Michelle Hildebrandt, Hua Zhao, Xiangjun Gu, Yang Deng, Elizabeth A. Wagar, Francisco J. Esteva, Debu Tripathy, Gabriel N. Hortobagyi. Personalized prognostic prediction models for breast cancer recurrence and survival incorporating multidimensional data [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-165. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-LB-165
The Roles of Melatonin in Development

Briefly consider the perceptual world of the fetus. Consider the role the mother plays in sheltering the fetus from the external environment. In this context, it seems remarkable that the mother is also actively involved in transferring environmental information to the fetus. During gestation, the mother generates signals which allow the fetus to perceive the length of the light portion of the lighting cycle (day length) as well as the phase (timing) of the light-dark cycle. We refer to these two different forms of prenatal communication as maternal-fetal communication of daylength and maternal-fetal communication of circadian phase, respectively (Figure 1). The maternal melatonin rhythm appears to play a role in transmitting both attributes of the lighting cycle from mother to fetus. Melatonin is thus an important component of the perceptual world of the fetus. In this context, it may be worth considering melatonin as a pheromone (a chemical substance from one member of a species which communicates information to another) rather than as a hormone.
Correlates of sleep and pediatric bipolar disorder.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To determine, based on a large community sample, the prevalence and associated sleep characteristics of children with a bipolar mood disturbance behavioral profile. METHODS Participants who fit the pediatric bipolar disorder profile as derived from the Child Behavior Checklist were matched to control participants for age, sex, ethnicity, parentally reported attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, psychotropic medication usage, and apnea-hypopnea indexes. Paired comparisons were made between the groups to examine differences on polysomnographic data and parentally reported sleep characteristics. RESULTS Thirteen (approximately 3%) of 438 participants fit the pediatric bipolar disorder profile. These children demonstrated significant sleep-continuity disturbances with poorer sleep efficiency and more awakenings after sleep onset, less rapid eye movement sleep, and longer periods of slow-wave sleep than their matched counterparts during overnight polysomnography. In addition, responses to a parental-report questionnaire about child sleep behavior suggest these children have significant sleep problems, including more difficulty initiating sleep, restless sleep, nightmares, and morning headaches relative to the control group. CONCLUSIONS Children with a pediatric bipolar disorder profile display consistent quantitative differences in sleep relative to matched controls. Prevalence rates of pediatric bipolar disorder, as assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist, are consistent with those found in the adult bipolar population.
Abuse and Dependence Liability of GABAA-Receptor Modulators

Ligands that act at γ-aminobutyric type A (GABAA) receptors, in particular the benzodiazepines and related drugs, have broad clinical use but also the liability for abuse and dependence. Recent epidemiological data suggest that abuse of benzodiazepine-type drugs may be on the upswing, with a shift from primary misuse of benzodiazepines by people in a therapeutic setting to use by younger people engaging in recreational abuse. Laboratory findings suggest that benzodiazepine-type drugs have reinforcing effects both in human and non-human subjects. However, benzodiazepine-type drugs appear to have lower reinforcing effectiveness compared to other drugs of abuse, such as psychomotor stimulants. Recent research has begun to explore the role of GABAA receptor subtypes in the reinforcing effects of benzodiazepine-type drugs, and unlike other behavioral effects (e.g., motor coordination deficits); reinforcing effects are not easily attributed to a single receptor subtype. Perhaps the most firm conclusion that can be made at this point is that stimulation of GABAA receptors containing α1 subunits (α1GABAA receptors) is not necessary for self-administration of benzodiazepine-type compounds. Benzodiazepine use also is associated with physical dependence, characterized by a withdrawal syndrome. In both human and non-human subjects, this withdrawal syndrome is considered to be intermediate in severity. Preliminary results suggest that compounds with selectivity for α2GABAA, α3GABAA, and/or α5GABAA receptors do not induce physical dependence. As with reinforcing effects, systematic studies with selective compounds having relatively high intrinsic efficacy at particular subtypes should shed light on theses important mechanistic issues.
Rehabilitation of the person with cancer.

This year approximately one million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer and five million will be alive with this disease (ACS 1990). It is also estimated that over 65% will be alive at least 5 years from diagnosis in the year 2000, an increase from the current 50%. Many of these individuals will be cured, but other long-term survivors will be alive with residual or recurrent cancer. As a result of the past, current, and projected progress in cancer care, a shift in current practice must occur to incorporate issues of rehabilitation and survivorship.
Learning via Model Construction and Criticism

There is growing recognition that mental models play a fundamental role in the comprehension of science concepts. The process of learning via model construction appears to be central to theory formation in science and central for science instruction but is still very poorly understood. This chapter uses evidence from case studies, in which a scientist is asked to think out loud, to argue that nonformal reasoning processes that are neither deductive nor inductive can play an important role in scientific model construction. The construction process is complex and involves repeated passes through a cycle of hypothesis generation, evaluation, and modification.
Investigating bias in the online physician reviews published on healthcare organizations' websites

Abstract Making healthcare decisions is often difficult, challenging, and consequential for individuals. To facilitate and inform provider selection decisions, healthcare organizations offer physician review services and publish the provided reviews on their websites. However, if such reviews are highly skewed, significantly inaccurate, and systematically biased, they could mislead patients. This is against healthcare organizations' responsibility of acting in the best interests of patients. To shed light on this phenomenon, this study examines two types of bias, namely between-website and within-website biases, in the online reviews of physicians posted on healthcare organizations' websites. Reviews belonging to 1921 physicians were collected from two data sources: (1) websites of the hospitals that the physicians were affiliated with and (2) four commercial physician rating websites including HealthGrades, RateMDs, Vitals, and Google Reviews. To test between-website biases, the ratings posted on the healthcare organizations' websites were compared against the corresponding ratings on the commercial websites. Our results suggest that the ratings provided by healthcare institutions are generally, more skewed toward scores favorable to physicians, and less dispersed, than corresponding ratings reported on commercial websites. The within-website results also supported the argument that physicians with different rating scores systematically receive different number of ratings and comments. Our findings highlight the fact that hospitals that publish physician ratings should try to identify and reduce rating biases to help patients make more informed and judicious clinical decisions, realizing the responsibility of healthcare providers in protecting patients' rights and safety.
Challenges on the road to recovery: Exploring attitudes and experiences of clients in a community-based buprenorphine program in Baltimore City.

Abstract Objective This qualitative study identifies and describes experiences and challenges to retention of individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) who participated in a low-threshold combined buprenorphine-peer support treatment program in Baltimore. Methods In-depth semi-structured interviews with staff and former clients of the Project Connections Buprenorphine Program (PCBP) (9 people) and focus group discussions with current and previous clients of PCBP (7 people) were conducted. Content analysis was used to extract themes regarding barriers to enrolling and remaining in, and transitioning from the program. Results Primary challenges identified by the participants included struggles with cravings and symptoms of withdrawal, comorbid mental health issues, criminal justice system involvement, medication stigma, and conflicts over level of flexibility regarding program requirements and the role of employment. Conclusions This study identified several obstacles clients face when seeking care through a combined buprenorphine-peer support model. Findings highlight potential programmatic factors that can be improved and additional resources that may support treatment retention rates and better outcomes. Despite challenges, low-threshold and community-based programs can increase access to effective maintenance treatment for OUD, especially among vulnerable populations who may not have access to formal health services.
I Pulled Up a Seat at the Table: My Journey Engaging in Critical Quantitative Inquiry

Historically, statistical research has been used as a tool of oppression attempting to “prove” the intellectual and cultural inferiority of communities of color (i.e., bell curve, Tuskegee Syphilis Study, eugenics, IQ testing) and obscure the reality of racism. Such scientific racism is the foundation of the US education system and contextualizes many of the contemporary issues of racial and social stratification today. Consequently, there is a widely held belief that “quantitative methods are antithetical to social justice,” which situates the problem with statistical methods rather than the users of the methods (Cokley & Awad, Journal for Social Action in Counseling and Psychology, 5, 26–41, 2013, p. 27). In this chapter, I discuss the need for critical quantitative inquiry, where researchers disrupt and push for the re-imagining of ways to engage in more culturally inclusive and sustaining approaches to quantitative inquiry. I argue that statistics is a powerful tool that can be used to resist oppression through community-driven, justice-oriented work.
Effects of Intermittent Work on Postexercise Leucocytosis

Abstract Healthy, male, college subjects performed work on a bicycle ergometer to study the effects of two different work modes on exercise leucocytosis. A total of 33 pre-exercise total leucocyte counts and 33 postexercise counts were made. The amount of work was held constant and the rate varied to conform with popular training concepts. Leucocytosis occurred to a marked degree with both forms of work, but, the manner of doing work did not affect the results. It was concluded that, using leucocyte increase as a criterion, neither work mode was more vigorous than the other.
Teaching EM Theory with RF Applications

The advent of on-line degree programs has proved to be both a rewarding and challenging environment for graduate studies. In particular, teaching applied electromagnetic theory is a complex undertaking when the in-class interaction is removed. This presentation will outline some techniques used by the author to teach EM theory and applied EM theory applied to antennas. An overview of the Blackboard tool will be presented as will the structure of the classes.
Low-latency Distributed Computation Offloading for Pervasive Environments

Future pervasive applications, like mobile augmented reality, have huge bandwidth and computation demands and very stringent delay constraints. Edge computing has been proposed to cope with such challenging requirements, since it shortens significantly the distance between the end users and the servers. On the other hand, serverless computing is emerging among cloud technologies to respond to the need of highly scalable event-driven execution of stateless tasks. In this paper, we investigate the convergence of the two to enable very low-latency execution of short-lived stateless tasks whose computation is offloaded from the user terminal to servers hosted by or close to edge devices in mobile pervasive environments. We realized a proof-of-concept implementation to delve into the specific issue of efficient dispatching of tasks in a distributed manner to achieve high scalability. We evaluated our proposed algorithm with experiments in a large-scale emulated network environment, showing that our solution achieves similar or better delay performance than a centralized solution, with far less network utilization.
Comparing nonconscious nonverbal synchrony in racially concordant and racially discordant oncology interactions.

169Background: Communication in racially discordant (Black patient, non-Black physician) oncology interactions, which constitute about 80% of Black patients’ interactions, is generally poorer than ...
Characterization and surgical ablation of acute atrial flutter following the Mustard procedure. A canine model.

Background. A high incidence of refractory atrial flutter has been reported as a late postoperative complication of the Mustard procedure. The objective of this study was to reproduce experimentally the long-cycle-length atrial flutter that occurs in these patients and attempt to ablate the arrhythmia surgically. Methods and Results. Nine dogs underwent a simulated Mustard procedure, which included a longitudinal right atriotomy, a septectomy, and a continuous suture line placed in the usual baffle location. All animals were subsequently inducible into sustained atrial flutter after surgery. Activationtime electrophysiological maps of the various pathways of atrial reentrant were determined using atrial endocardial molds containing 252 bipolar electrodes
Promoting healthy weight and managing childhood and adolescent obesity using evidence-based methods

Abstract Childhood obesity and overweight are topics that often need to be addressed by the US health-care providers. Clinicians play important roles in the prevention, assessment, and management of these serious health issues, and there is a growing evidence based on how clinicians can be effective in these roles. This chapter aims to provide an evidence-based approach to promoting healthy weight and physical activity and managing childhood and adolescent obesity.
Effect of elevated temperature and humidity on fibers based on 5-amino-2-(p-aminophenyl) benzimidazole (PBIA)

Soft body armor is typically comprised of materials such as aramid. Recently, copolymer fibers based on the combination of 5-amino-2-(p-aminophenyl) benzimidazole (PBIA) and PPTA were introduced to the body armor marketplace. The long-term stability of these copolymer fibers have not been the subject of much research, however they may be sensitive to hydrolysis due to elevated humidity because they are condensation polymers. Efforts to evaluate the impact of environmental conditions on fiber strength is very important for the adoption of these materials in armor systems. Three PBIA-based fibers were selected for the study, and were aged at 25 °C, 75% RH; 43 °C, 41% RH; 55 °C, 60% RH; and 70 °C, 76% RH for up to 524 days. Molecular spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and single fiber tensile testing were performed to characterize changes in their chemical structure, tensile strength, and failure strain as a function of exposure time to different conditions. The fibers were all found to have some reduction in strength at high humidity conditions, with an approximately 14% reduction for the copolymers and a 29% reduction for the homopolymer. Molecular spectroscopy revealed some changes which suggest that hydrolysis of the benzimidazole ring is occurring at these elevated temperatures, possibly explaining the observed change in strength.
Chapter 13 – Quality Assurance

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses quality assurance measures that are in place to prevent or reduce the possibility of error in performing DNA testing. Two topics are commonly referred to when discussing the importance of maintaining good laboratory practices to obtain accurate scientific results: quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC). An organization plans QA measures and performs QC activities in the laboratory. A number of organizations exist around the world that work on a local, national, or international level to aid in quality assurance work and ensure that DNA testing is performed properly. Forensic DNA laboratories in the United States are mandated by the Congress to follow strict quality assurance standards. A laboratory audit evaluates the entire operation of a laboratory. Laboratory accreditation results from a successful completion of an inspection or audit by an accrediting body. While work quality of analysts can be confirmed through proficiency tests, instruments used and methods performed are verified through validation. Each forensic laboratory develops or adopts standard operating procedures that give a detailed listing of all the materials required to perform an assay, as well as the exact steps required to successfully complete the experiment. A case report prepared based on the laboratory results obtained may be entered into evidence as a part of court proceedings. There are several other aids to quality assurance outside the realm of the levels of quality assurance, viz., interlaboratory tests, certified reference materials, and commercial short tandem repeat kits. As the demand for a higher volume of DNA testing has grown, laboratory automation has played an increasingly important role. The use of laboratory automation is growing in forensic DNA typing laboratories in primarily three areas: liquid handling, sample tracking, and data analysis.
The Health Exception

The abortion doctrine laid out in Roe v. Wade permits a procedure necessary to preserve the life or the health of the pregnant woman, setting out what has come to be called the “life exception” and the “health exception.” This Article investigates the background and antecedents of the health exception, identifying three periods of formation and change up to the drafting of the Model Penal Code in 1959. It argues that theories of health lie at the heart of legal doctrine, shaping common-law treatment of abortion and persisting in nineteenth- and twentieth-century statutes. This account reveals origins of a health exception more robust and formative than previously understood and illuminates some of the otherwise puzzling formulations, distinctions, and legal categories that still shape abortion doctrine today.
Providing accurate answers to OLAP queries based on standardized moments of data cubes

Abstract In this paper, we focus on the problem of providing accurate estimates to a target data cube from sets of source data cubes, which share the same summary measures. We investigate the acyclic and cyclic schemas of data sources and show that the more accurate target data cube can be computed on the basis of third and fourth standardized moments (i.e., skewness and kurtosis, respectively) of the source data cubes. In particular, we consider the mean absolute deviation of these parameters over the data cubes involved in the sets. For both standardized moments, we prove formally the set that achieves higher mean of skewness/kurtosis shows lower mean absolute deviation of skewness/kurtosis. On the basis of these results, we prove the set of data cubes with the lower mean absolute deviation of skewness/kurtosis achieves more accurate target estimate. We show that groups with cyclic schemas that present lower mean absolute deviation of standardized moments, achieve more accurate target estimate with respect to the ones with acyclic schemas as well. We define an algorithm that identifies within each sets of acyclic and cyclic groups, the one that achieves more accurate estimate for the target data cube on the basis of standardized moments. We provide some experimental results in order to verify our theoretical results.
Detailed layer assignment for MCM routing

A routing environment mode, called the k-MCM model, is developed to take into account the unique features of a multilayer multichip module (MCM) such as the availability of segmented vias, and the presence of two active or terminal-bearing layers. A detailed layer assignment problem is formulated on the k-MCM model. A fast heuristic algorithm for the layer assignment problem is proposed and experimental results on twelve test examples with net counts up to 842 are presented. >
Ovarian cancer surveillance in the clinical follow up of women with known BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic variants in a large health care system.

Abstract Objective To assess CA 125 and transvaginal ultrasound surveillance in women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic variants in a pragmatic clinical setting with>1 year follow up. Methods Retrospective cohort study in a large integrated health care system of women identified from 1/1/2003 to 12/31/2017 with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic variant with at least one intact ovary. Demographic and clinical data were collected from date of genetic testing until oophorectomy, an ovarian cancer diagnosis, or 7/1/2019. Primary outcome was frequency and findings of CA 125 tests and ultrasounds performed; secondary outcome was epithelial ovarian cancers diagnosed. Results There were 1418 women, age ≥ 30 years with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic variant with at least one intact ovary. Of the total of 1683 ultrasounds and 2437 CA 125 tests done, 1022 ultrasounds and 1709 CA 125 tests were performed for surveillance in 771 women followed >1 year. Of these women 241 (31%) women had no surveillance, and 530 (69%) women underwent any surveillance. Only 108 (20%) underwent regular surveillance. The number who underwent regular surveillance declined each year. Twenty-one women underwent surveillance indicated surgery with only 2 ovarian cancers found by surveillance. Conclusions Many women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic variants undergo ultrasound and CA 125 surveillance testing but abnormal surveillance testing led to diagnosis of ovarian cancer in only two cases. These findings question the use of CA 125 and ultrasound surveillance in the clinical setting for ovarian cancer detection in women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic variants.
Chapel in Cray HPO

Cray HPO is a component of the data science workflow framework, CrayAI, which provides functionality for Hyperparameter Optimization (HPO) at scale. Machine learning models are commonly defined by a set of hyperparameters that can control aspects such as learning rate, depth or kernel functions that have a large impact on the quality of the trained model. These hyperparameters require tuning in applications where the hyperparameter space is large and model quality is a priority. Cray HPO provides three approaches, the more traditional random and grid searches, as well as a genetic based optimization technique. These are made available through a python interface made possible by Chapel's recently developed python-interoperability features, and the underlying implementations were built using chapel under the hood.
Vasopressin and Adrenal Cortical Interactions

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the application of immunohistochemical techniques, which has revealed a vasopressin pathway to the zona externa that arises from the paraventricular nucleus and is separate from the one to the posterior pituitary. The chapter also discusses a similar corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) pathway, which is apparently different from that containing vasopressin. It has been established, by immunohistochemical techniques, that there is a vasopressin neurosecretory system that originates in the paraventricular nucleus and terminates on the hypophysial portal system. It appears to be a separate pathway from the magnocellular projection to the posterior pituitary gland. Release of vasopressin into the portal blood in concentrations high enough to participate in ACTH release may arise from the secretory terminals. Glucocorticoid deficiency has been found to be associated with the increase in RNA turnover in paraventricular nucleus vasopressin neurons, in vasopressin biosynthesis, and in the content of vasopressin in the cell bodies. The marked increase in the numbers of vasopressin terminals in the zona externa of the median eminence between days 5 and 21 following adrenalectomy is not due to the sprouting of pre-existing terminals. However, sprouting occurs in response to a unilateral lesion of the paraventricular nucleus in adrenalectornized animals. Within three weeks, vasopressin fibres from the intact side reinnervate the denervated side of the zona externa. These results suggest a complex interaction between this vasopressin neurosecretory system and adrenal glucocorticoid levels.
Chapter 70 Benign myoclonic epilepsy in infancy

Publisher Summary Benign myoclonic epilepsy in infants (BMEI) is a rare epileptic syndrome characterized by myoclonic seizures. The clinical picture is also characterized by mild developmental delay, learning disability, and behavior problems. Early treatment may improve the neuro psychological outcome. The children are in sound health at the beginning of the seizures. The clinical picture is characterized by generalized myoclonic seizures, usually in bursts, and may occur several times a day, irregularly and unpredictably. The attacks involve the upper limbs with the arms extending up and out, eyes might be deviated upward. In babies, it may be limited to a head nod. The myoclonias may be followed by atonia and sometimes a muscle contraction after the attack. In general, no other type of seizure is observed in infancy. State of consciousness is difficult to assess; impairment of consciousness might be seen in prolonged attacks. Usually, the myoclonus does not interrupt the activities in which the child is involved. The electroencephalogram (EEG) is normal between the attacks and consistently abnormal during the crisis. Generalized spike and wave discharges, with no clinical concomitant, can be seen during the nonREM as well as during the REM sleep. Myoclonias are associated with fast generalized spike-wave and polyspike and wave discharges. The myoclonias increase in frequency during drowsiness and tend to be suppressed during sleep. Photic stimulation may activate the discharges in some cases. This chapter discusses the treatments involved. Treatment with valproic acid and/or benzodiazepines is effective in controlling the seizures and might have an effect on the long-term prognosis; but it is not clear for how long it is necessary to treat these children. Also, there are notes on EEG studies and differential diagnosis of benign myoclonic epilepsy in infancy (BMEI).
Epithelial cell pro-inflammatory cytokine response differs across dental plaque bacterial species

Aim The dental plaque is comprised of numerous bacterial species, which may or may not be pathogenic. Human gingival epithelial cells (HGECs) respond to perturbation by various bacteria of the dental plaque by production of different levels of inflammatory cytokines, which is a putative reflection of their virulence. The aim of the current study was to determine responses in terms of interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 secretion induced by Porphyromonas gingivalis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Fusobacterium nucleatum and Streptococcus gordonii in order to gauge their virulence potential. Materials and methods HGECs were challenged with the four bacterial species, live or heat killed, at various multiplicity of infections and the elicited IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 responses were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results Primary HGECs challenged with live P. gingivalis produced high levels of IL-1beta, while challenge with live A. actinomycetemcomitans gave high levels of IL-8. The opportunistic pathogen F. nucleatum induces the highest levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, while the commensal S. gordonii is the least stimulatory. Conclusion We conclude that various dental plaque biofilm bacteria induce different cytokine response profiles in primary HGECs that may reflect their individual virulence or commensal status.
Simple medium for the selective isolation of Bacteroides and related organisms, and their occurrence in sewage.

A medium composed of 0.009% sodium azide, 0.07% sodium deoxycholate, and 0.0007% ethyl violet in Brain Heart Infusion Agar (Difco) and a process of incubation in an atmosphere of 90% N2 and 10% CO2 for the selective isolation of certain members of the intestinal bacteroides are described. The medium appears to select predominantly members of the genus Bacteroides and a few of the genus Sphaerophorus. A survey of the occurrence of these organisms in sewage and various stages of sewage treatment indicates that they survive complete sewage treatment in low numbers and that their rate of decline parallels that of the coliforms. Large numbers were recovered from sludge digestion tanks, suggesting a possible role in the anaerobic breakdown of organic matter.
Ultra-low sidelobe waveform design via spectral shaping and LINC transmit architecture

A new spectral-shaping approach is used to design jointly the amplitude window and phase of a tapered NLFM waveform. This approach can produce physical radar emissions with ultra-low sidelobes that support sufficient spectral roll-off to maintain forthcoming spectral compliance requirements. A small SNR loss is traded for a substantial reduction in range sidelobes. Further, it is demonstrated that this tapered waveform scheme can be readily combined with the linear amplification using nonlinear components (LINC) architecture to realize the small yet necessary amplitude variation while operating the power amplifiers in saturation, which may be used to realize enhanced power efficiency. Experimental measurements demonstrate range sidelobes below −80 dB with less than 0.3 dB in SNR loss.
Holographically encoded volume phase masks

We present here a method to create spectrally addressable phase masks by encoding phase profiles into volume Bragg gratings, allowing these holographic elements to be used as phase masks at any wavelength capable of satisfying the Bragg condition of the hologram. Moreover, this approach enables the capability to encode and multiplex several phase masks into a single holographic element without cross-talk while maintaining a high diffraction efficiency. As examples, we demonstrate fiber mode conversion with near-theoretical conversion efficiency as well as simultaneous mode conversion and beam combining at wavelengths far from the original hologram recording wavelength.
2-regular maps on smooth manifolds

A continuous map f: X -* RN is said to be k-regular if whenever x1, . . ., xk are distinct points of X, then f(xi), , f(xk) are linearly independent over R. For smooth manifolds M we obtain new lower bounds on the minimum N for which a 2k-regular map M -? RN can exist in terms of the dual Stiefel-Whitney classes of M.
Size-dependent properties of CeO 2-y nanoparticles as studied by Raman scattering

The combined effects of strain and phonon confinement are seen to explain why the Raman peak near $464{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ in ${\mathrm{CeO}}_{2\ensuremath{-}y}$ nanoparticles shifts to progressively lower energies and the lineshape of this feature gets progressively broader and asymmetric (on the low-energy side) as the particle size gets smaller. The increasing lattice constant measured for decreasing particle size explains this Raman shift well. The linewidth change is fairly well explained by the inhomogenous strain broadening associated with the small dispersion in particle size and by phonon confinement. The spectra are also likely to be directly affected by the presence of oxygen vacancies. Comparison of the temperature dependence of the Raman lineshape in the nanoparticles and the bulk shows that phonon coupling is no faster in the nanoparticles, so size-dependent phonon coupling does not contribute to the large nanoparticle peak red shifts and broadening at room temperature. Irreversible thermally induced changes are observed in the Raman peak position of the nanoparticles.
Recent advances in the understanding of Langerhans cell histiocytosis

Summary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a proliferative disease of cells that share phenotypic characteristics with the primary antigen presenting cells of the epidermis. Its clinical manifestations are highly variable, extending from very benign forms to a disseminated, aggressive disease that causes significant mortality. Although many of the fundamental pathogenetic features of LCH have been enigmatic, recent advances have led to a much clearer understanding of the disease. In particular, careful molecular analyses of mouse models and human LCH samples suggest that LCH’s cell of origin may not be the epidermal LC itself but a myeloid-derived precursor. Advanced genomic technologies have revealed the presence of activating, somatic BRAF mutations in the majority of patient specimens. Together, these observations have produced a new picture of LCH as a myeloid neoplasm. These advances are likely to have profound implications for the use of targeted therapeutics in LCH.
A vaccine for HIV type 1: The antibody perspective

Antibodies that bind well to the envelope spikes of immunodeficiency viruses such as HIV type 1 (HIV-1) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) can offer protection or benefit if present at appropriate concentrations before viral exposure. The challenge in antibody-based HIV-1 vaccine design is to elicit such antibodies to the viruses involved in transmission in humans (primary viruses). At least two major obstacles exist. The first is that very little of the envelope spike surface of primary viruses appears accessible for antibody binding (low antigenicity), probably because of oligomerization of the constituent proteins and a high degree of glycosylation of one of the proteins. The second is that the mature oligomer constituting the spikes appears to stimulate only weak antibody responses (low immunogenicity). Viral variation is another possible obstacle that appears to present fewer problems than anticipated. Vaccine design should focus on presentation of an intact mature oligomer, increasing the immunogenicity of the oligomer and learning from the antibodies available that potently neutralize primary viruses.
Ideology and its paradoxes: Dimensions of fantasy and enjoyment

Abstract Building on the innovative work of Laclau and Mouffe, and their conception of ideology as the illusion of an extra‐discursive closure, this paper constructively engages their position from the perspective of psychoanalytic theory. A main contention is that in focusing exclusively on discourse, Laclau and Mouffe have tended to overlook the crucial psychoanalytic dimensions of fantasy and enjoyment which remain, in a certain sense, both before and beyond discourse. This paper attempts to re‐contextualize the operation of ideological closure in connection with these dimensions. Two broad points are made. First, a central paradox of ideology is that it can only attempt closure through simultaneously producing the ‘threat’ to that closure. Second, this ‘threat’ is intimately bound up with fantasies about the loss and recovery of enjoyment. On these grounds, it is argued that notions of otherness and antagonism need to be re‐formulated in respect to the Lacanian Real. Finally, using various examples fr...
Orienteering in an information landscape: how information seekers get from here to there

We studied the uses of information search results by regular clients of professional intermediaries. The clients in our study engaged in three different types of searches: (1) monitoring a well-known topic or set of variables over time, (2) following an information-gathering plan suggested by a typical approach to the task at hand, and (3) exploring a topic in an undirected fashion. In most cases, a single search evolved into a series of interconnected searches, usually beginning with a high-level overview. We identified a set of common triggers and stop conditions for further search steps. We also observed a set of common operations that clients used to analyze search results. In some settings, the number of search iterations was reduced by restructuring the work done by intermediaries. We discuss the implications of the interconnected search pattern, triggers and stop conditions, common analysis techniques, and intermediary roles for the design of information access systems.
Minimal propositions and real world utterances

Semantic Minimalists make a proprietary claim to explaining the possibility of utterances sharing content across contexts. Further, they claim that an inability to explain shared content dooms varieties of Contextualism. In what follows, I argue that there are a series of barriers to explaining shared content for the Minimalist, only some of which the Contextualist also faces, including: (i) how the type-identity of utterances is established, (ii) what counts as repetition of type-identical utterances, (iii) how it can be determined whether semantically minimal content has been repeated, and (iv) what the nature of such content is.
A more general method of substructure mode synthesis for dynamic analysis

A method of substructure mode synthesis for determining the dynamic characteristics of an undamped system in a specified frequency band is investigated. The motion of each substructure is represented by the three mode sets: inertia, selected normal, and residual modes. Inertia and residual mode sets are introduced to approximate the truncated lower and higher normal modes. Based on energy considerations, various combinations of modal approximations of each substructure can be used. By applying the zero-eigenvalue coupling technique to interface compatibility and equilibrium, an independent set of system equations is derived. Numerical results indicate that the proposed synthesis method is effective.
Human bone marrow colony growth in agar-gel.

A technique for growing human bone marrow cell colonies in agar-gel medium is described. “Feeder layers” containing 1 × 106 normal human peripheral white blood cells are used as the stimulus for colony growth. Human bone marrow aspirates are collected in heparinized syringes and plated as 2 × 105 cells on “feeder layers.” Normal human bone marrow yields 32–102 colonies per 2 × 105 cells plated. Colonies are almost exclusively granulocytic. Growth rate of colonies is slower than with mouse bone marrow but colonies reach a comparable size (500–1500 cells) at days 12–16.
Charge Delocalization in Proton Channels, II: The Synthetic LS2 Channel and Proton Selectivity

In this study, the minimalist synthetic LS2 channel is used as a prototype to examine the selectivity of protons over other cations. The free-energy profiles along the transport pathway of LS2 are calculated for three cation species: a realistic delocalized proton (including Grotthuss shuttling)—H+, a classical (nonshuttling) hydronium—H3O+, and a potassium cation—K+. The overall barrier for K+ is approximately twice as large as that for H+, explaining the >100 times larger maximal ion conductance for the latter, in qualitative agreement with the experimental result. The profile for the classical hydronium is quantitatively intermediate between those of H+ and K+ and qualitatively more similar to that of H+, for which the locations of the peaks are well correlated with the troughs of the pore radius profile. There is a strong correlation between the free-energy profiles and the very different characteristic hydration structures of the three cation species. This work suggests that the passage of various cations through ion channels cannot always be explained by simple electrostatic desolvation considerations.
Optimal video sensing strategy and performance optimization for mobile wireless video sensors

Wireless video sensor networks have been envisioned for a wide variety of important applications. In this work, we investigate the following research problem: given a mobile video sensor with an initial resource configuration, what is the maximum video quality it can provide, and what is the best video encoding and streaming strategy to achieve this performance? To address this problem, we study the energy consumption of each sensor node in video compression and wireless data transmission. We statistically model the node mobility and study its impact on wireless video transmission. We develop a task-oriented performance metric to measure the video sensing performance of the sensor node. We develop an optimal resource allocation and scheduling scheme for the video sensor to maximize the performance metric. The results provide an important step stone for our future performance study of wireless video sensor networks.
The Lincoln large-vocabulary HMM CSR

The work described here focuses on recognition of the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) pilot database [17], a new CSR database which supports 5K, 20K, and up to 64K- word CSR tasks. The original Lincoln Tied-Mixture HMM CSR was implemented using a time-synchronous beam-pruned search of a static network [14] and does not extend well to this task because the recognition network would be too large for currently practical workstations. Therefore, the recognizer has been converted to a stack decoder-based search strategy[1,7,16]. This decoder has been shown to function effectively on up to 64K-word recognition of continuous speech. This paper describes the acoustic modeling techniques and the implementation of the stack decoder used to obtain these results.
The melibiose carrier of Escherichia coli: cysteine substitutions for individual residues in helix XI.

The melibiose carrier from Escherichia coli is a sugar-cation cotransport system. Previously evidence was obtained that this integral membrane protein consists of 12 transmembrane helices. Starting with the cysteine-less melibiose carrier, cysteine has been substituted individually for amino acids 374–396, which includes all of the residues in the proposed helix XI. The carriers with cysteine substitutions were studied for their transport activity and the effect of the water soluble sulfhydryl reagent p-chloromercuribenzenesulfonic acid (PCMBS). Studies were carried out on both intact cells and inside out vesicles. Cysteine substitution caused loss of transport activity in seven of the mutants (K377C, G379C, A383C, F385C, L391C, G395C and Y396C). PCMBS produced more than 50% inhibition in six of the mutants (S380C, A381C, A384C, F387C, A388C and L391C). Preincubation of the cells with melibiose protected five of these residues from the inhibitory action of PCMBS. It was concluded that the residues whose cysteine derivatives were inhibited by PCMBS probably faced the aqueous channel.
A Boundary Element Method Analysis of the Thermal Aspects of Metal Cutting Processes

In this paper, the b oundary e lement m ethod (BEM) approach is used to analyze the thermal aspects of steady state metal cutting processes. Particular attention is paid to modeling of the boundary conditions at the tool-chip and the chip-workpiece interfaces. Since the velocities in each of the regions are different, the heat transfer within the tool, the chip, and the workpiece are first calculated separately. A complete model for heat transfer during steady state turning is then obtained by matching the boundary conditions across the primary and the secondary shear zones. An exact expression for matching is developed to avoid any iterations. The temperature fields within the workpiece, the chip, and the tool for various processing conditions are obtained and presented. The numerical results obtained by the BEM are also compared to Jaeger solutions and existing FEM results reported in the literature. The BEM is found to be efficient and robust for this class of steady state conduction-convection problems.
Entrepreneurship in post-socialist economies: A typology and institutional contexts for market entrepreneurship

There is growing recognition among post-socialist (PS) economies that free-market entrepreneurship is essential for ultimately improving their economic future. The promotion of market entrepreneurship, however, has been a challenging experience for these economies. This paper examines various forms of entrepreneurship in PS economies. Drawing upon the institutional theory, we also highlight the clear contexts and attendant mechanisms associated with institutions–entrepreneurship nexus in PS economies’ contexts.
Geometric interpretation of the large N=4 index

Abstract We study WZW models with the large N = 4 superconformal symmetry. Our main result is a geometric interpretation of the large N = 4 index. In particular, we find that states contributing to the index belong to spectral flow orbits of special RR ground states. We use (anti-)holomorphic differentials with torsion to clarify the geometric meaning of these states in terms of differential forms on the target space.
Illuminating the Lived Experiences of Research with Indigenous Communities

The historical exploitation experienced by indigenous people in the United States has left a number of negative legacies, including distrust toward research. This distrust poses a barrier to progress made through culturally sensitive research. Given the complex history of research with indigenous groups, the purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to illuminate the lived experiences of both indigenous and non-indigenous researchers conducting culturally competent research with indigenous people. Interviews from 13 social science research experts revealed 6 underlying themes about their research with indigenous people, including respect and commitment, mutual trust, affirmation, harmony among multiple worldviews, responsibility, and spiritual/personal growth.