cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bringing patient-centered tuberculosis diagnosis into the light of day

In 2015, the WHO End TB Strategy laid out ambitious goals to dramatically reduce tuberculosis (TB) deaths, incidence, and catastrophic costs through research, bold new strategies, and patient-centered care. In this commentary, recent evidence on sputum collection strategies for smear microscopy is reviewed, and the argument is made that redesigning smear microscopy as a patient-centered service offers the only realistic and widely available strategy to advance TB diagnostic care towards the initial End TB Strategy goals laid out for 2025. Finally, the successful adoption of same-day sputum smear microscopy as a model for patient-centered TB care is suggested to be synergistic with and to form part of the scale-up of new TB diagnostic tools. Please see related article: https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-017-0947-9
Surviving cutaneous melanoma: a clinical review of follow-up practices, surveillance, and management of recurrence.

In the past 10 years, the incidence of melanoma in the U.S. has been increasing an average of 2.6% each year, while the death rates have remained stable over time (1); furthermore, a similar trend has been observed on a global scale within the last two decades, with the highest incidences of melanoma in Australia and New Zealand (2,3). According to the latest report by the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program, an estimated 921,780 people living in the U.S. have survived melanoma; and their overall five- and ten-year relative survival rates are 91.3% and 89.1%, respectively (1). The majority of melanoma cases are diagnosed at a localized stage, which have more favorable survival rates (98.3%) compared to those with regional (62.4%) or distant metastatic disease (16.0%) (1). A major component of survivorship involves follow-up and monitoring for recurrence and/or new malignancies. Yang and colleagues (4) reviewed the SEER database from 1988–2007, focusing on the relative risk (RR) of developing a second primary cutaneous melanoma (CM) in 70,819 melanoma survivors, and 6,353 patients with CM subsequent to another primary malignancy. No matter the age of initial melanoma diagnosis, survivors had an increased risk of recurrence: RR 11.89, 95% confidence interval (CI), 10.83–13.03, for patients <45 years old and RR 8.36, 95% CI, 7.93–8.81, for patients ≥45 years of age. Furthermore, the RR remained elevated for the duration of the 15-year study period (4). These results reinforce the importance of surveillance to identify early and treat new primary CM) in previous melanoma survivors (5).
Identification of a 57S translation complex containing closed-loop factors and the 60S ribosome subunit

In eukaryotic translation the 60S ribosome subunit has not been proposed to interact with mRNA or closed-loop factors eIF4E, eIF4G, and PAB1. Using analytical ultracentrifugation with fluorescent detection system, we have identified a 57S translation complex that contains the 60S ribosome, mRNA, and the closed-loop factors. Previously published data by others also indicate the presence of a 50S-60S translation complex containing these same components. We have found that the abundance of this complex increased upon translational cessation, implying formation after ribosomal dissociation. Stoichiometric analyses of the abundances of the closed-loop components in the 57S complex indicate this complex is most similar to polysomal and monosomal translation complexes at the end of translation rather than at the beginning or middle of translation. In contrast, a 39S complex containing the 40S ribosome bound to mRNA and closed-loop factors was also identified with stoichiometries most similar to polysomal complexes engaged in translation, suggesting that the 39S complex is the previously studied 48S translation initiation complex. These results indicate that the 60S ribosome can associate with the closed-loop mRNA structure and plays a previously undetected role in the translation process.
Chromosomally-Encoded Yersinia pestis Type III Secretion Effector Proteins Promote Infection in Cells and in Mice

Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, possesses a number of virulence mechanisms that allows it to survive and proliferate during its interaction with the host. To discover additional infection-specific Y. pestis factors, a transposon site hybridization (TraSH)-based genome-wide screen was employed to identify genomic regions required for its survival during cellular infection. In addition to several well-characterized infection-specific genes, this screen identified three chromosomal genes (y3397, y3399, and y3400), located in an apparent operon, that promoted successful infection. Each of these genes is predicted to encode a leucine-rich repeat family protein with or without an associated ubiquitin E3 ligase domain. These genes were designated Yersinia leucine-rich repeat gene A (ylrA), B (ylrB), and C (ylrC). Engineered strains with deletions of y3397 (ylrC), y3399 (ylrB), or y3400 (ylrA), exhibited infection defects both in cultured cells and in the mouse. C-terminal FLAG-tagged YlrA, YlrB, and YlrC were secreted by Y. pestis in the absence but not the presence of extracellular calcium and deletions of the DNA sequences encoding the predicted N-terminal type III secretion signals of YlrA, YlrB, and YlrC prevented their secretion, indicating that these proteins are substrates of the type III secretion system (T3SS). Further strengthening the connection with the T3SS, YlrB was readily translocated into HeLa cells and expression of the YlrA and YlrC proteins in yeast inhibited yeast growth, indicating that these proteins may function as anti-host T3S effector proteins.
LIM-domain transcription complexes interact with ring-finger ubiquitin ligases and thereby impact islet β-cell function

Diabetes is characterized by a loss of β-cell mass, and a greater understanding of the transcriptional mechanisms governing β-cell function is required for future therapies. Previously, we reported that a complex of the Islet-1 (Isl1) transcription factor and the co-regulator single-stranded DNA–binding protein 3 (SSBP3) regulates the genes necessary for β-cell function, but few proteins are known to interact with this complex in β-cells. To identify additional components, here we performed SSBP3 reverse–cross-linked immunoprecipitation (ReCLIP)- and MS-based experiments with mouse β-cell extracts and compared the results with those from our previous Isl1 ReCLIP study. Our analysis identified the E3 ubiquitin ligases ring finger protein 20 (RNF20) and RNF40, factors that in nonpancreatic cells regulate transcription through imparting monoubiquitin marks on histone H2B (H2Bub1), a precursor to histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3). We hypothesized that RNF20 and RNF40 regulate similar genes as those regulated by Isl1 and SSBP3 and are important for β-cell function. We observed that Rnf20 and Rnf40 depletion reduces β-cell H2Bub1 marks and uncovered several target genes, including glucose transporter 2 (Glut2), MAF BZIP transcription factor A (MafA), and uncoupling protein 2 (Ucp2). Strikingly, we also observed that Isl1 and SSBP3 depletion reduces H2Bub1 and H3K4me3 marks, suggesting that they have epigenetic roles. We noted that the RNF complex is required for glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and normal mitochondrial reactive oxygen species levels. These findings indicate that RNF20 and RNF40 regulate β-cell gene expression and insulin secretion and establish a link between Isl1 complexes and global cellular epigenetics.
When Algorithmic Predictions Use Human-Generated Data: A Bias-Aware Classification Algorithm for Breast Cancer Diagnosis

When algorithms use data generated by human beings, they inherit the errors stemming from human biases which likely diminishes their performance. We examine the design and value of a bias-aware linear classification algorithm that accounts for bias in input data, using breast cancer diagnosis as our specific setting. In this context, a referring physician makes a follow-up recommendation to a patient based on two inputs: the patient's clinical-risk information and the radiologist's mammogram assessment. Critically, the radiologist's assessment could be biased by the clinical-risk information which in turn can negatively affect the referring physician's performance. Thus, a bias-aware algorithm has the potential to be of significant value if integrated into a clinical decision support system used by the referring physician. We develop and show that a bias-aware algorithm can eliminate the adverse impact of bias if the error in the mammogram assessment due to radiologist's bias has no variance. On the other hand, in the presence of error variance, the adverse impact of bias can be mitigated, but not eliminated, by the bias-aware algorithm. The bias-aware algorithm assigns less (more) weight to the clinical-risk information (radiologist's mammogram assessment) when the mean error increases (decreases), but the reverse happens when the error variance increases. Using point estimates obtained from mammography practice and the medical literature, we show that the bias-aware algorithm can significantly improve the expected patient life years or the accuracy of decisions based on mammography.
Differences in Thyroid Nodule Cytology and Malignancy Risk Between Children and Adults.

Background: The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (BSRTC) is used to interpret fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology of thyroid nodules in children and adults. Nodule management i...
A method of calculating compensators in polarization-sensitive optical systems

Abstract A simple method to measure and compensate polarization-sensitive optical components (retarders) is proposed, based on Stokes vector polarimetry. First, the Mueller matrix of an unknown polarization-sensitive element with arbitrary retardance and fast-axis orientation is obtained by means of a conventional measurement and calculation polarimetric procedure. Then a novel numerical technique is proposed, allowing to express the measured retarder’s Mueller matrix in terms of retardance δ and fast axis orientation θ. Further, a method for calculating polarization compensators is proposed, to balance phase differences introduced by one or more retarders. Compensation is achieved by a single compensating retarder whose parameters are derived from the original retarder’s Mueller matrix, or its equivalent (δ,θ) pair. The technique works for all possible fast-axis orientations of the original retarder. The method was validated using an electrically controllable liquid crystal retarder as a compensator. The approach described here is constrained to optical elements that behave as nearly pure retarders, i.e. their diattenuation and depolarization are negligible. Possible applications are in the design of polarization-sensitive systems (biomedical, environmental, chemical, optical communications, etc.) where recovery and/or precise control of the polarization state of light is needed, in polarization tracing models based on the Mueller matrix formalism, and others.
A Comparison of Advanced Heritage Language Learners’ Peer Interaction Across Modes and Pair Types

A strand of task-based interaction research has emerged to better understand the effects of heritage language (HL) and second language (L2) learners? peer collaboration on interactional moves (e.g., language-related episodes [LREs], self-repairs) and linguistic focus. To extend this line of research, this study compared 14 HL?L2 and 16 HL?HL advanced learners? peer interactions across face-to-face (FTF) and written synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) modes. Each dyad completed 2 decision-making/collaborative writing tasks in Spanish across both interaction modes. Results revealed that interaction mode had a large effect on the extent to which HL?L2 and HL?HL pairs produced self-repairs and initiated LREs. That is, both pair types initiated more LREs in FTF mode, and self-repaired non-target-like utterances more extensively in SCMC mode. As for pair types, HL?L2 pairs significantly resolved more lexis-focused episodes in FTF mode, and HL?HL pairs only produced self-repair episodes in SCMC mode. HL?L2 and HL?HL dyads addressed linguistic items (e.g., morphosyntax) rather equally across interaction modes. Our findings are discussed in light of the differences in prior language-learning experiences of HL and L2 learners.
Ischaemic heart disease, influenza and influenza vaccination: a prospective case control study

Dear Editor Influenza vaccination is critical to public health, and vaccine uptake should be widely encouraged. The effects of vaccination on non-influenza-specific outcomes—for example, on risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI)—nonetheless remain controversial. Several studies reported no difference in either initial myocardial infarction1 or recurrent coronary events among individuals who received influenza vaccination relative to those who did not.2 However, a recent meta-analysis of randomised control trials suggests that influenza vaccination may offer additional benefit by preventing cardiac events among high-risk patients.3 The recent observational study of ischaemic heart disease and influenza by MacIntyre et al 4 also suggests a substantial benefit of vaccination on AMI in a more general population. The critical result of this study is that influenza vaccination dramatically reduces risk of AMI, reported as an OR of 0.55 in Table 3.4 This table also reports that influenza infection itself is not associated with AMI. The contrast of these results, derived from a single multivariate regression model, raises several methodological concerns. The obvious mechanism by which influenza vaccine might prevent AMI is by preventing influenza infection; that is, infection is part of the hypothesised …
Learning MDPs from Features: Predict-Then-Optimize for Sequential Decision Problems by Reinforcement Learning

In the predict-then-optimize framework, the objective is to train a predictive model, mapping from environment features to parameters of an optimization problem, which maximizes decision quality when the optimization is subsequently solved. Recent work on decision-focused learning shows that embedding the optimization problem in the training pipeline can improve decision quality and help generalize better to unseen tasks compared to relying on an intermediate loss function for evaluating prediction quality. We study the predict-then-optimize framework in the context of sequential decision problems (formulated as MDPs) that are solved via reinforcement learning. In particular, we are given environment features and a set of trajectories from training MDPs, which we use to train a predictive model that generalizes to unseen test MDPs without trajectories. Two significant computational challenges arise in applying decision-focused learning to MDPs: (i) large state and action spaces make it infeasible for existing techniques to differentiate through MDP problems, and (ii) the high-dimensional policy space, as parameterized by a neural network, makes differentiating through a policy expensive. We resolve the first challenge by sampling provably unbiased derivatives to approximate and differentiate through optimality conditions, and the second challenge by using a low-rank approximation to the high-dimensional sample-based derivatives. We implement both Bellman--based and policy gradient--based decision-focused learning on three different MDP problems with missing parameters, and show that decision-focused learning performs better in generalization to unseen tasks.
Characterizations of Line Digraphs

Theorems of an ‘if and only if’ nature are very much sought after, and this certainly applies to graph theory. In this chapter, three properties are given that are equivalent to a graph being a line graph. The first involves a partition of the edge set into complete subgraphs. The second involves the fact that the claw K1,3 is forbidden as an induced subgraph and there are restrictions on the neighborhoods of the vertices of any copy of K1,1,2 that is an induced subgraph. The third is a list of nine graphs that are forbidden as induced subgraphs. Line graphs of special families of graphs, including trees and other bipartite graphs, are also characterized.
Time Discrepant Shipments in Manifest Data

Manifest data is a log of container shipments from foreign lading ports to U.S. unlading ports. We provide several time varying network-based representations of this data in order to extract its most “discrepant” port pairs and contents patterns. We treat this time varying network representation as a combinatorial set system and use its discrepancy and firing rate (Abello et al. (2010) Detecting Novel Discrepancies in Communications Networks, International Conference on Data Mining, ICDM 2010: 8–17, Sydney, Australia and Chazelle (2000) The Discrepancy Method: Randomness and Complexity, Cambridge University Press) as the main statistics to track the most “salient” network elements. The output of the entire process is a “fossil” sub-network that encodes those port pairs and contents that exhibit unusual time varying patterns. It is expected that substantial deviations from these patterns will be useful triggers for further content inspections. The applicability of the proposed techniques is not limited to manifest data.
Ambivalent Modernities: Foucault’s Iranian Writings Reconsidered

This essay reconsiders Foucault’s writings on the Iranian Revolution in the context of his thought during 1977-1979. The essay defends three related claims: (1) Foucault does not turn away from power toward ethics as many scholars have claimed, (2) Careful interpretation of the texts on the Iranian Revolution will help us to better understand Foucault’s essays and lecture courses from this period (in particular, the relationship between political spirituality and counter-conduct), and (3) During this period Foucault is working on conceptualizing modernity as a multivalent set of practices—some that reinforce power relations and some that resist them.
Incorporaion of 1c-amino-acids by malaria (plasmodium lophurae)

Abstract 1. 1. The avian malaria. Plasmodium lophurae, malaria-infected erythrocytes, and normal duck erythrocytes suspended in a protein-free medium resembling the in vivo environmental milieu showed 4 patterns of accumulation of radioactive amino-acids. 2. 2. In vitro, malaria parasites were capable of utilizing exogenously supplied amino-acids for the synthesis of parasite proteins. The protein synthetic activity found for the malariainfected cell could, in general, be represented as the sum of the activities of the uninfected cell and that of the free parasite. 3. 3. A hypothesis is presented which proposes that the rate of amino-acid incorporation by the parasite depends on three factors: (a) the free amino-acid levels, (e) the rate of amino-acid entry, and (c) the abundance of the amino-acid in the protein being synthesized.
Abnormal Mental State Mitigations of Murder – The U.S. Perspective

This paper examines the U.S. doctrines that allow an offender's abnormal mental state to reduce murder to manslaughter. First, the modern doctrine of "extreme emotional disturbance," as in Model Penal Code Section 210.3(1)(b), mitigates to manslaughter what otherwise would be murder when the killing "is committed under the influence of extreme mental or emotional disturbance for which there is reasonable explanation or excuse." While most American jurisdictions are based upon the Mode Code, this is an area in which many states chose to retain their more narrow common law "provocation" mitigation. Second, the modern doctrine of "mental illness negating an offense element," as in Model Penal Code Section 4.02, allows a killing to be mitigated to manslaughter (or less) upon a showing that a mental disease or defect negated the culpable state of mind required for murder. This Model Code provision too has met with some resistance among the states, many of whom limit the use of mental illness evidence to negate an offense element. The paper discusses the state of the law in the various American jurisdictions, the reasons for the Model Penal Code shift from the common law, the possible reasons for resistance among the states to following that shift, an analysis of the mitigations under alternative distributive principles for punishment, concluding that only a desert principle supports the mitigations, and a discussion of the implications of this desert foundation for the proper formulation of the mitigations.
Microchemistry and Mechanics Issues in Stress Corrosion Cracking

Environmentally induced subcritical crack growth occurs in most metallic materials given the appropriate material, environment and stress conditions. Much is known about the conditions which cause stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in metallic materials, but much less is known about the processes which control environment-induced crack initiation and propagation. There is presently no description of the flaw length, flaw shape and local chemistry conditions that coincide with the transition from a localized corrosion phenomenon and the initiation of a crack. While there have been considerable attempts to describe the rate-limiting steps in crack propagation, a number of issues are unresolved including specifics about the crack tip conditions, crack length effects, processes controlling the stage I SCC region and details about the crack advance processes in both transgranular stress corrosion cracking (TGSCC) and intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC). A summary of these unresolved issues and some analysis of their effect on SCC is given in this paper. 46 refs., 14 figs., 2 tabs.
Metastatic Behavior of a Murine Reticulum Cell Sarcoma Exhibiting Organ-specific Growth

Abstract The metastatic properties of the M5076 tumor, a reticulum cell sarcoma of ovarian origin, were examined. This tumor metastasizes preferentially to the peritoneal viscera (liver, ovaries, spleen, and kidneys) regardless of the site or route of tumor cell injection. Subcutaneous tumor growth followed by direct invasion into the peritoneum resulted in extensive generalized peritoneal involvement. However, when tumor cells were injected in the dorsum, external ear, or footpad, fewer and primarily hepatic metastases developed. Hepatic, splenic, ovarian, and renal tumor colonies were formed after i.v. injection of tumor cells. Radiolabeled tumor cells were used to study the arrest, distribution, and survival of tumor cells injected i.v. These tumor cells were rapidly arrested in the lungs and were retained there for 3 to 4 days. They then slowly detached, recirculated, and were arrested in the liver, where they subsequently developed into tumor nodules. These results strongly support the “soil-seed” hypothesis of metastatic growth and demonstrate that long-term retention of tumor cells in an organ need not result in the formation of a clinically obvious tumor nodule.
Genetic evidence for a new type of major histocompatibility complex class II combined immunodeficiency characterized by a dyscoordinate regulation of HLA-D alpha and beta chains

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II combined immunodeficiency (CID), also known as type II bare lymphocyte syndrome, is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder characterized by the complete lack of expression of MHC class II antigens. The defect results from a coordinated lack of transcription of all class II genes. Cell fusion studies using many patient- and experimentally derived class II-negative cell lines have identified four distinct genetic complementation groups. In this report, we present genetic evidence that cell lines derived from two newly described MHC class II-deficient patients, KER and KEN, represent a fifth complementation group. In addition, the KER and KEN cell lines display a unique pattern of dyscoordinate regulation of their MHC class II genes, which is reflected in a new phenotype of in vivo promoter occupancy as revealed by in vivo genomic footprinting. These data point to a new defect that can result in the MHC class II-deficient phenotype.
Full-Scale Tests on Tapered and Curved Glulam Beams

A series of full-scale tests, designed to evaluate the available theoretical analyses, were conducted on double-tapered, pitched, and curved glulam beam members. The Douglas-fir beams, each with a span of 30 ft, varied in pitch from 2 in 12 to 5 in 12. Each beam was instrumented for strain and deflection measurements and tested under working loads. In addition, load tests were conducted to beam failure, which occurred in radial tension stress for the beams that were not reinforced. Test results generally confirm the currently used theory for evaluation of radial tension stress. Suggestions for altering current design procedures are examined.
Robust vessel registration and tracking of microscope video images in tumor resection neurosurgery

This paper proposes a new method designed to track operative microscope video images recorded during tumor resection neurosurgery. Two steps are involved in this method. The first uses feature vectors constructed from color information of video images and shape information of selected vessels to find homologous points in consecutive frames. The second uses smoothing thin-plate splines (TPS) to interpolate the transformation computed with the vessels over the entire image. This approach only requires several pairs of starting and ending points selected on segments of vessels in the first frame of a video sequence. Then, the proposed method tracks the identified vessels automatically, rapidly, and robustly, even when surgical instruments obscure parts of the image frames.
Approximate capacity of the K-user fading MIMO MAC with common information

The capacity of the K-user fading multiple access channel with multiple antennas and common information is approximately characterized. In this model, any possible common message may exist. While the exact capacity appears to be difficult to characterize, it may be attained to within a gap independent of the power allocation by a simple separable coding scheme.
Trapping of Intact, Singly-Charged, Bovine Serum Albumin Ions Injected from the Atmosphere with a 10-cm Diameter, Frequency-Adjusted Linear Quadrupole Ion Trap

High-resolution real-time particle mass measurements have not been achievable because the enormous amount of kinetic energy imparted to the particles upon expansion into vacuum competes with and overwhelms the forces applied to the charged particles within the mass spectrometer. It is possible to reduce the kinetic energy of a collimated particulate ion beam through collisions with a buffer gas while radially constraining their motion using a quadrupole guide or trap over a limited mass range. Controlling the pressure drop of the final expansion into a quadrupole trap permits a much broader mass range at the cost of sacrificing collimation. To achieve high-resolution mass analysis of massive particulate ions, an efficient trap with a large tolerance for radial divergence of the injected ions was developed that permits trapping a large range of ions for on-demand injection into an awaiting mass analyzer. The design specifications required that frequency of the trapping potential be adjustable to cover a large mass range and the trap radius be increased to increase the tolerance to divergent ion injection. The large-radius linear quadrupole ion trap was demonstrated by trapping singly-charged bovine serum albumin ions for on-demand injection into a mass analyzer. Additionally, this work demonstrates the ability to measure an electrophoretic mobility cross section (or ion mobility) of singly-charged intact proteins in the low-pressure regime. This work represents a large step toward the goal of high-resolution analysis of intact proteins, RNA, DNA, and viruses.
The Logit Model and Response-Based Samples:

It is well-known that, under the logit model for binary response, the random sampling and response-based sampling maximum likelihood estimators coincide for all parameters except the intercept. Citing this coincidence, many researchers have assumed the logit model and analyzed data from response-based samples as if those data were obtained by random sampling. We argue that this practice should be avoided unless the researcher really believes the logit specification. One preferable alternative is the weighted maximum likelihood estimator of Manski and Lerman (1977). Random sampling maximum likelihood analysis does not have a natural interpretation when the true response function is not logit. Weighted maximum likelihood analysis estimates a constrained best predictor of the binary response and so remains interpretable.
Cerebral Glucose Metabolism in Adolescent Girls With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

ABSTRACT Objective Low cerebral metabolic rates for glucose (CMRglc) have been reported in a small sample of girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study was an effort to replicate this finding in a larger independent sample. Method Using positron emission tomography and [ 18 F] fluorodeoxyoglucose, CMRgic were compared between 10 girls with ADHD (14.10 ± 1.91 years) and 11 normal girls (14.3 ± 1.70 years). Results Global CMRglc was similar between ADHD and control girls. Lateralization of normalized CMRglc differed significantly between ADHD and control girls in parietal and subcortical regions, with rCMRglc lower on the left than on the right side in girls with ADHD, and conversely in control girls. The syivian area of the parietal region and the anterior putamen of the subcortical region were the main contributors to this effect. Normalized rCMRglc of the hippocampus was higher in ADHD than in control girls. Sexual maturation was the only clinical characteristic that differed between present and previous samples, and it correlated with global CMRglc. Conclusions Although falling to confirm abnormally low CMRgic in girls with ADHD, this study suggested that (1) functional interactions between sex and brain development may contribute to ADHD pathophysiology, and (2) sexual maturation should be controlled in future CMRgic studies of adolescent girls.
Revised LOCA Frequency Estimates From an Expert Elicitation Process

The double-ended-guillotine break (DEGB) criterion of the largest primary piping system in the plant, which generally provides the limiting condition for the emergency core cooling system requirements, is widely recognized as an extremely unlikely event. As a result, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering a risk-informed revision of the design-basis break size requirements for commercial nuclear power plants. In support of this effort, loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) frequency estimates were developed using an expert elicitation process by consolidating service history data and insights from probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM) studies with knowledge of plant design, operation, and material performance. This paper describes, and presents the results for, two of the sensitivity analyses conducted as part of this effort (overconfidence adjustment and aggregation method) to examine the assumptions, structure, and techniques used to process the elicitation responses to develop group estimates of the LOCA frequency estimates.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Random biopsies during surveillance colonoscopy increase dysplasia detection in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis and ulcerative colitis

Abstract Background and aim Patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are at increased risk of colon dysplasia. The role of random vs. target biopsies in these patients has not been investigated. Our aim was to evaluate the yield and clinical impact of random biopsies during surveillance colonoscopies in patients with PSC–UC. Methods Data from 71 patients (267 colonoscopies) with PSC and UC, who underwent surveillance colonoscopies and followed-up from 2001 to 2011 was obtained. Colonoscopy and pathology reports were reviewed to assess the yield of random biopsies. Results A total of 3975 (median 12) random biopsies were taken during surveillance colonoscopies. Overall, neoplasia was detected in 22 colonoscopies (16 patients): in 8 colonoscopies (36.4%) by targeted biopsies only and in 4 (18.2%) by both targeted and random biopsies. Neoplasia was detected in random biopsies only in 10 (45.5%) colonoscopies in 8 patients. On multivariate analysis, duration of UC (Odds ratio [OR]=1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08–1.81; P=0.01), number of random biopsies (per increase by 8) (OR=1.64; 95% CI, 1.18–2.28; P=0.003) and target biopsies during colonoscopy (OR=9.08; 95% CI, 3.18–26.0; P Conclusions Random biopsies significantly increase the yield of dysplasia in patients with PSC and UC even in the absence of endoscopic features of prior inflammation and significantly impact clinical outcomes.
Cross‐Task Stability in Infant Attention: New Perspectives Using the Still‐Face Procedure

Infant visual attention has been studied extensively within cognitive paradigms using measures such as look duration and reaction time, but less work has examined how infant attention operates in social contexts. In addition, little is known about the stability of individual differences in attention across cognitive and social contexts. In this study, a cross-sectional sample of 50 infants (4 and 6 months of age) were first tested in a look duration and reaction time task with static visual stimuli. Next, their mothers participated with the infants in the still-face procedure, a mildly distressing social interaction paradigm that involves violation of expectancy. Individual differences in looking and emotion were stable across the phases of the still-face task. Further, individual differences in looking measures from the visual attention task were related to the pattern of looking shown across the phases of the still-face procedure. Results indicate that individual differences in attentional measures show...
The importance level of ten teaching/learning techniques as rated by university business students and instructors

Four active‐like (A‐like) and six passive‐like (P‐like) business teaching/learning techniques are described. It is proposed that students enrolled and faculty teaching in the international business (INTB), marketing (MKT), and management (MAN) business concentrations would rate the A‐like techniques higher than students enrolled and faculty teaching in the management information systems (MIS), finance (FIN), and accounting (ACC) business concentrations. And that students enrolled and faculty teaching in the MIS, FIN, and ACC concentrations would rate the P‐like techniques higher than the students and faculty in the INTB, MKT, and MAN concentrations. Using a survey questionnaire, upper undergraduate and MBA university business students and faculty were asked to indicate the importance level for each technique. Students' ratings do not support the proposition in nine techniques and the faculty ratings do not support it in eight. The conclusion is that the study at least provides a framework that can aid instructors in understanding that different students prefer and different situations require different instructional techniques.
Relationship of age, age at onset, and sex to depression in older adults.

The authors investigated the relationships among factors of age, age at onset, and sex in depressed older adults. A group of 96 outpatients (mean age, 60) diagnosed with late- (LOD) and early-onset (EOD) major depression were assessed for severity of depression and underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The MRI scans were rated for severity of white-matter hyperintensities (WMH) and ventricle-to-brain ratio (VBR). LOD was associated with increased amounts of WMH, larger VBR, and history of hypertension. Men were more severely depressed than women, with higher rates of neurovegetative signs and history of smoking. Age correlated with increased VBR and WMH, history of hypertension, history of precipitants for the current episode, and lack of social support. Results suggest that a subgroup of men may be more at risk for LOD associated with WMH and that sex and age at onset need to be considered in future studies.
RADIATIVE DECAY-RATE RELATION FOR ISOBARIC MULTIPLETS.

We derive the relation ${\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}(\ensuremath{\xi},T,{T}_{z})={a}^{\ensuremath{'}}(\ensuremath{\xi},T)+{b}^{\ensuremath{'}}(\ensuremath{\xi},T){T}_{z}+{c}^{\ensuremath{'}}(\ensuremath{\xi},T)T_{z}^{}{}_{}{}^{2}$ for the total radiative decay rates of isospin multiplet members.
Naphthalenes associated with treated wastewater effluents in an urban national wildlife refuge

This project demonstrates the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon character of Jamaica Bay sediments and the wastewater effluents entering the Bay from four major water pollution control facilities. Jamaica Bay, is a part of the Hudson-Raritan estuarine ecosystem and is incorporated into the Gateway National Recreation Area. Jamaica Bay, because of its hydrological characteristics, affords a long residence time for introduced pollutants. This study was conducted to further characterize the PAH character of the wastewater effluents. These fused ring structures are of interest in that they represent the carcinogenic, mutagenic, and toxic components of petroleum compounds to marine organisms. Because of their high molecular weight, the solubility of PAH in water, is of a very low order. Consequently, in estuarine environments, PAH compounds will be found associated with suspended solids and sediments. Although PAH degrading microorganisms are known to occur in estuarine environments, the degradation rates of these compounds are very slow. Coupled with the low degradation rates and known carcinogenicity of many of these compounds, investigations have shown that fish and other organisms taken from areas with a history of oil contamination have been found to exhibit elevated levels of compounds which bioactivate complex PAH compounds into mutagens.
Optical absorption from the high-velocity neutral hydrogen complex C in the spectrum of the RR Lyrae star BT Draconis

The detection of interstellar Na D absorption lines at a local standard of rest (LSR) velocity of -85 km/s is reported, together with tentative detections of further Na D lines at -133 km/s and -110 km/s, in the spectrum of the RR Lyrae star BT Draconis which lies toward the high-velocity neutral hydrogen complex C (LSR velocity around -115 km/s). This suggests an upper limit of 2.1 kpc on the distance to this high-velocity complex, and indicates that the complex has near-cosmic metallicity. This result strongly favors either a model in which complex C is formed by infalling material in the halo, which has originated in the Galactic disk, or one in which it is part of a large relatively local shell structure.
The Optimum Emphasis on Dams’ Records When Proving Dairy Sires*

Summary Nearly all sire indexes which have been proposed can be described by the general equation, I=a + c (X – bY), in which a, b, and c are constants, X is the average production of the daughters, Y is the average production of their dams and I is the index. The size of a affects only the general level (the mean) of the indexes. The size of c affects the variability of I but not its accuracy for comparing the breeding values (G) of two or more indexed sires. The size of b affects the acuracy of the index as well as its variability. The main contribution of this paper is in showing that maximum accuracy of the index is attained when b = σ X σ Y r GX r XY − r GY r GX − r GY r XY . If r GY = zero this optimum value of b becomes simply the regression of X on Y. If r GY has a small positive value (as is possible if breeders whose cows have high records generally try harder than other breeders to get good bulls— and if the extra efforts are partially successful) the optimum value of b is a little less than the regression of X on Y. The regression of X on Y is about 0.5 to 0.6 both for milk and for test in most sets of data actually used for proving dairy sires. The optimum value for b in dairy data will, therefore, be not far from 0.5. If r GY is zero, selection of sires on the optimum index, as thus denned, will make 1 1 − r 2 times as much progress as choosing the sires on the average of their daughters alone. The size of this factor, when r GY is very small and r XY has such values as are usually encountered in proving dairy sires, is about 1.12 to 1.20. The size of r XY or of the regression of X on Y is affected more by the correlation (v) between a daughter's record and the record of a mate of her sire, other than her own dam, than it is by the correlation (r) between a daughter and her own dam, especially when n is large. The regression of X on Y approaches vu and r XY approaches v uw as a limit when n becomes extremely large, u being the phenotypic correlation between the mates of the same sire and w being the phenotypic correlation between daughters of a sire. A sire index can be made as variable as desired by adjusting c. The value 2.0, used for c in the intermediate or equal-parent indexes makes σ I generally just a little larger than σ D or σ O This index can be used rather fairly for comparing proven sires directly with individual cows, as is necessary in evaluating pedigrees. It is, however, more variable than real breeding values. Consequently, if it is to be used directly as the sire's most probable breeding value, the index needs first to be regressed far toward the breed average (just as cows' records do) to allow for the average amount of non-genetic variation in such indexes. Approximately this amount of regression would already be accomplished in an index which used for c twice the heritability of differences between the records of individual cows. Rice's proposed "NEW" index, which uses 1.0 for c, is the equal-parent index regressed half way toward the breed average. It is, therefore, half as variable but has exactly the same accuracy.
Design of a Simple Cryogenic System for Ultraviolet-Visible Absorption Spectroscopy with a Back-Reflectance Fiber Optic Probe

We report a convenient and inexpensive technique for the rapid acquisition of absorption spectra from small samples at cryogenic temperatures using a home built cryostat with novel collection optics. A cylindrical copper block was constructed with a coaxial bore to hold a 4.00 mm diameter electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) tube and mounted on a copper feed in thermal contact with liquid nitrogen. A 6.35 mm diameter hole was bored into the side of the cylinder so a fiber optic cable bundle could be positioned orthogonally to the EPR tube. The light passing through the sample is reflected off of the opposing surfaces of the EPR tube and surrounding copper, back through the sample. The emergent light is then collected using the fiber optic bundle and analyzed using a dispersive spectrometer. Absorption spectra for KMnO4 were measured between 400 and 700 nm. Absorption intensity at 506, 525, 545, and 567 nm was found to be proportional to concentration, displaying Beer's law-like behavior. The EPR tube had an internal diameter of 3.2 mm; the double pass of the probe beam through the sample affords a central path length of about 6.4 mm. Comparing these measurements with those recorded on a conventional tabletop spectrometer using a cuvette with a 10.00 mm path length, we consistently found a ratio between intensities of 0.58 rather than the anticipated 0.64. These 6% smaller values we attribute to the curvature of the EPR tube and transmission/reflection losses. This system is particularly well-suited to studying the kinetics and dynamics of chemical reactions at cryogenic temperatures. The rapid response (100 ms) and multiplex advantage provided the opportunity of recording simultaneous time courses at several wavelengths following initiation of a chemical reaction with a pulsed laser source.
Inherent sources of ultrasound variability in relation to follicular measurements

Determination of ovarian follicular size and number by real-time ultrasound lacks the precision that has been ascribed to it. Four major error sources inherent in the scanning and interpreting process were analyzed to determine the relative contributions to overall variation. The sources measured were machine, sonographer, sonologist, and patient bladder volume. A protocol using a normal clomiphene-stimulated woman allowed the determination of the coefficient of variance for both follicular number and follicular diameter as well as a mean diameter range in each of the categories. A large degree of variation was found in all groups. Surprisingly, it was noted that maximal bladder filling did not produce optimal images. We believe that while variability in ultrasound can be recognized and lessened, it cannot be eliminated. Thus, caution must be used when ultrasound follicular comparisons are made within each program from day to day and particularly between institutions. A liberal range should be allowed for optimal follicle sizes for any given stimulation protocol.
Supplemental feeding for ecotourism reverses diel activity and alters movement patterns and spatial distribution of the southern stingray, Dasyatis americana.

Southern stingrays, Dasyatis americana, have been provided supplemental food in ecotourism operations at Stingray City Sandbar (SCS), Grand Cayman since 1986, with this site becoming one of the world’s most famous and heavily visited marine wildlife interaction venues. Given expansion of marine wildlife interactive tourism worldwide, there are questions about the effects of such activities on the focal species and their ecosystems. We used a combination of acoustic telemetry and tag-recapture efforts to test the hypothesis that human-sourced supplemental feeding has altered stingray activity patterns and habitat use at SCS relative to wild animals at control sites. Secondarily, we also qualitatively estimated the population size of stingrays supporting this major ecotourism venue. Tag-recapture data indicated that a population of at least 164 stingrays, over 80% female, utilized the small area at SCS for prolonged periods of time. Examination of comparative movements of mature female stingrays at SCS and control sites revealed strong differences between the two groups: The fed animals demonstrated a notable inversion of diel activity, being constantly active during the day with little movement at night compared to the nocturnally active wild stingrays; The fed stingrays utilized significantly (p<0.05) smaller 24 hour activity spaces compared to wild conspecifics, staying in close proximity to the ecotourism site; Fed stingrays showed a high degree of overlap in their core activity spaces compared to wild stingrays which were largely solitary in the spaces utilized (72% vs. 3% overlap respectively). Supplemental feeding has strikingly altered movement behavior and spatial distribution of the stingrays, and generated an atypically high density of animals at SCS which could have downstream fitness costs for individuals and potentially broader ecosystem effects. These findings should help environmental managers plan mitigating measures for existing operations, and develop precautionary policies regarding proposed feeding sites.
Distinction of biovar 2 strains of Agrobacterium from other chromosomal groups by differential acid production

Biovar (bv) 2 strains of Agrobacterium produced more acid from glucose than strains from the other two biovars This property caused the development of a clear zone around bv-2 colonies growing on potato glucose agar supplemented with 0.8% calcium carbonate. This simple cultural test produced results after 2 d at 28°C, and distinguished all 22 bv-2 strains tested from strains of other chromosomal groups of Agrobacterium; none of the 42 bv-1 and 16 bv-3 strains tested produced a clear zone around their colonies.