cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antecedent flow conditions and nitrate concentrations in the Mississippi River basin

The relationship between antecedent flow conditions and nitrate concentrations was explored at eight sites in the 2.9 million square kilometers (km 2 ) Mississippi River basin, USA. Antecedent flow conditions were quantified as the ratio between the mean daily flow of the previous year and the mean daily flow from the period of record (Qratio), and the Qratio was statistically related to nitrate anomalies (the unexplained variability in nitrate concentration after filtering out season, long-term trend, and contemporaneous flow effects) at each site. Nitrate anomaly and Qratio were negatively related at three of the four major tributary sites and upstream in the Mississippi River, indicating that when mean daily streamflow during the previous year was lower than average, nitrate concentrations were higher than expected. The strength of these relationships increased when data were subdivided by contemporaneous flow conditions. Five of the eight sites had significant negative relationships ( p ≤ 0.05) at high or moderately high contemporaneous flows, suggesting nitrate that accumulates in these basins during a drought is flushed during subsequent high flows. At half of the sites, when mean daily flow during the previous year was 50 percent lower than average, nitrate concentration can be from 9 to 27 percent higher than nitrate concentrations that follow a year with average mean daily flow. Conversely, nitrate concentration can be from 8 to 21 percent lower than expected when flow during the previous year was 50 percent higher than average. Previously documented for small, relatively homogenous basins, our results suggest that relationships between antecedent flows and nitrate concentrations are also observable at a regional scale. Relationships were not observed (using all contemporaneous flow data together) for basins larger than 1 million km 2 , suggesting that above this limit the overall size and diversity within these basins may necessitate the use of more complicated statistical approaches or that there may be no discernible basin-wide relationship with antecedent flow. The relationships between nitrate concentration and Qratio identified in this study serve as the basis for future studies that can better define specific hydrologic processes occurring during and after a drought (or high flow period) which influence nitrate concentration, such as the duration or magnitude of low flows, and the timing of low and high flows.
SociaLite: An Efficient Graph Query Language Based on Datalog

With the rise of social networks, large-scale graph analysis becomes increasingly important. Because SQL lacks the expressiveness and performance needed for graph algorithms, lower-level, general-purpose languages are often used instead. For greater ease of use and efficiency, we propose SociaLite, a high-level graph query language based on Datalog. As a logic programming language, Datalog allows many graph algorithms to be expressed succinctly. However, its performance has not been competitive when compared to low-level languages. With SociaLite, users can provide high-level hints on the data layout and evaluation order; they can also define recursive aggregate functions which, as long as they are meet operations, can be evaluated incrementally and efficiently. Moreover, recursive aggregate functions make it possible to implement more graph algorithms that cannot be implemented in Datalog. We evaluated SociaLite by running nine graph algorithms in total; eight for social network analysis (shortest paths, PageRank, hubs and authorities, mutual neighbors, connected components, triangles, clustering coefficients, and betweenness centrality) and one for biological network analysis (Eulerian cycles). We use two real-life social graphs, LiveJournal and Last.fm, for the evaluation as well as one synthetic graph. The optimizations proposed in this paper speed up almost all the algorithms by 3 to 22 times. SociaLite even outperforms typical Java implementations by an average of 50 percent for the graph algorithms tested. When compared to highly optimized Java implementations, SociaLite programs are an order of magnitude more succinct and easier to write. Its performance is competitive, with only 16 percent overhead for the largest benchmark, and 25 percent overhead for the worst case benchmark. Most importantly, being a query language, SociaLite enables many more users who are not proficient in software engineering to perform network analysis easily and efficiently.
The Photograph and the Malanggan: Rethinking images on Malakula, Vanuatu

From the recent efflorescence of anthropological engagements with photography we are by now aware that photography is an embodied practice and that photographs are complex materialisations of the subjective and experiential as well as the objective and evidential. Despite discussions of ‘visual repatriation’ (e.g. Brown and Peers 2006), and of local responses to colonial photography and other kinds of archival images in the Pacific, little has been discussed regarding the status of photographs as particularly ‘Pacific’ artefacts—objects that make sense in indigenous terms as well as being understood in terms of the connections to other places that their production and circulation might signify. Following Wright’s exhortation to recognise ‘the provincial nature of Eurocentric notions of photography and … suggesting that a certain corporeality and materiality constitute elements of its identity’ (2004: 74), I discuss the resonance of historical photographs in Vanuatu, building an analogy with Malanggan—funerary carvings from Northern New Ireland. I do not mean to suggest that photographs are complex ritual artefacts, but rather follow the ways in which Malanggan have been used as anthropological conceits, in order to discuss the representational efficacy and materiality of Melanesian images in facilitating
Microfluidic chemostat and turbidostat with flow rate, oxygen, and temperature control for dynamic continuous culture†

This work reports on an instrument capable of supporting automated microscale continuous culture experiments. The instrument consists of a plastic-PDMS device capable of continuous flow without volume drift or evaporation. We apply direct computer controlled machining and chemical bonding fabrication for production of fluidic devices with a 1 mL working volume, high oxygen transfer rate (kLa ≈ 0.025 s−1), fast mixing (2 s), accurate flow control (±18 nL), and closed loop control over temperature, cell density, dissolved oxygen, and pH. Integrated peristaltic pumps and valves provide control over input concentrations and allow the system to perform different types of cell culture on a single device, such as batch, chemostat, and turbidostat continuous cultures. Continuous cultures are demonstrated without contamination for 3 weeks in a single device and both steady state and dynamically controlled conditions are possible.
Comparisons of scatterometer models for the AMI on ERS-1: the possibility of systematic azimuth angle biases of wind speed and direction

There have been many different attempts to develop a model to relate the normalized radar backscatter values for the C-band radars of the active microwave instrument (AMI) on ERS-1 as a function of 10-m wind speed, azimuth angle, which is wind direction relative to radar-beam direction and incidence angle. The first two models, namely CMOD-1, Long (1985) and CMOD-2, are analyzed, and modifications of them are used to show by means of Monte Carlo methods that it is important to be able to define the backscatter model for all azimuth angles in addition to obtaining good agreement at upwind, downwind, and crosswind relative to the radar-beam direction. Methods are described to compare one model to another and to show how to systematic discrepancies, which are the result of model differences, can be found. These discrepancies are also expected when various models are employed to recover winds from real backscatter data. Discrepancies between a model and an unknown "true" model can introduce systematic biases in the recovered wind vectors as opposed to random errors, which result from sampling variability. The validation of the vector winds from scatterometer data requires a comparison of these winds with accurate conventionally measured winds. The data buoys deployed by various nations can serve as the appropriate data because ship reports are not accurate enough. >
On the mechanism of amine oxidations by P450

1. Experimental data previously used to support an electron/proton transfer mechanism for oxidative dealkylation of amines by P450 are critically analysed with the conclusion that the mechanistic evidence is indecisive. 2. A new mechanistic criterion recently proposed to distinguish between electron/proton transfer and hydrogen atom transfer mechanisms is discussed. It is based on isotope effect profiles determined for the deprotonation of a series of para-substituted N-methyl-N-trideuteriomethyl)aniline cation radicals by pyridine and for hydrogen atom abstraction from the corresponding neutral amines by the tert-butoxyl radical. These reactions model the steps proposed in the two P450 mechanisms. 3. Isotope effect profiles measured for the demethylation of substituted NN-bis(dideuteriomethyl)anilines by four different forms of P450 were found to be experimentally indistinguishable from the hydrogen atom transfer profile, and distinctly different from the cation radical deprotonation profile. This provides strong evidence that P450 oxidatively dealkylates the amines by a hydrogen atom transfer mechanism and not by an electron/proton transfer mechanism.
Systemic treatment of early breast cancer--a biological perspective.

Breast cancer is the most common non-skin cancer affecting women worldwide. In the United States, over 90% of tumors are diagnosed as either in situ or localized to the breast or regional lymph nodes. Surgical treatment and adjuvant radiotherapy play an important role in loco-regional treatment of early stage breast cancer. Systemic adjuvant therapy is targeted towards isolated circulating and/or disseminated tumor cells to prevent systemic recurrence. This review will describe the diverse tumor biology of human breast cancer and how it influences decisions with regard to the use of adjuvant therapies. J. Surg. Oncol. 2011;103:619–626. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Igf2bp1 Is Required for Full Induction of Ptgs2 mRNA in Colonic Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Mice

Background & Aims Prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase (Ptgs)2 is an enzyme involved in prostaglandin production during the response to mucosal damage. Its expression is regulated, in part, by messenger RNA (mRNA)-binding proteins that control the stability of Ptgs2 mRNA. We used a precise system of colonic injury and repair to identify Ptgs2 mRNA-binding proteins. Methods We used endoscopy-guided mucosal excision to create focal injury sites in colons of mice. Wound beds from wild-type, Ptgs2 −/− , Ptgs2 +/- , and Myd88 −/− mice were analyzed at 2-day intervals after injury for aspects of repair and Ptgs2 expression. We used cultured colonic mesenchymal stem cells (cMSCs) that express Ptgs2 to identify and analyze molecules that regulate Ptgs2 expression. Results Ptgs2 −/− mice had defects in wound repair, validating the biopsy technique as a system to study the regulation of Ptgs2. Ptgs2 +/- mice had similar defects in wound healing, so full induction of Ptgs2 is required for wound repair. In wild-type mice, levels of Ptgs2 mRNA increased significantly in the wound bed 2 and 4 days after injury; the highest levels of Ptgs2 were observed in cMSCs. In a functional short hairpin RNA knockdown screen, we identified Igf2bp1, a VICKZ ( V g1 RNA binding protein, I nsulin-like growth factor II mRNA binding protein 1, C oding region determinant-binding protein, K H domain containing protein overexpressed in cancer, and Z ipcode-binding protein-1) mRNA-binding protein, as a regulator of Ptgs2 expression in cMSCs. Igf2bp1 also interacted physically with Ptgs2 mRNA. Igf2bp1 expression was induced exclusively in wound-bed cMSCs, and full induction of Ptgs2 and Igf2bp1 during repair required Myd88. Conclusions We identified Igf2bp1 as a regulator of Ptgs2 mRNA in mice. Igf2bp1 is required for full induction of Ptgs2 mRNA in cMSCs.
Surface characterization of intact fibers by inverse gas chromatography

Inverse gas chromatography (IGC) was used to determine adsorption isotherms and isosteric heats of adsorption for several normal alkanes on a number of intact textile fibers and to determine the specific surface areas of these fibers. Surface areas obtained by IGC were in excellent agreement (except for cotton) with those calculated from the geometric dimensions of circular cross-section fibers and with those obtained by the adsorption of krypton. Heats of adsorption were found to be only slightly higher than the corresponding heats of liquefaction of the probes. The effect of fiber surface purity on adsorption behavior as well as computerized data reduction are briefly discussed.
Structural stability and magnetic properties of LnMxGa3 (Ln = Ho, Er; M = Fe, Co; x < 0.2)

Abstract Single crystals of LnM x Ga 3 (Ln = Ho, Er; M = Fe, Co; x 3 -structure type where Fe or Co partially occupies the body-centered position of the unit cell surrounded by six Ga atoms. The insertion of Fe or Co guest atoms into the AuCu 3 -structure type causes a structural change in the host material where chemical pressure is exerted on Ga–Ga contacts surrounding the filled octahedra. This in turn affects the stability of the AuCu 3 -structure type and the intrinsic properties of the materials. With increasing Ho–Ho distances of 4.2355(5), 4.2377(5), and 4.2441(3) A, HoCo 0.16(2) Ga 3 , HoFe 0.11(1) Ga 3 , and HoFe 0.16(2) Ga 3 order antiferromagnetically with decreasing Neel temperatures of T N = 10.2, 7.2, and 6.5 K, respectively. ErCo 0.06(2) Ga 3 , ErFe 0.06(1) Ga 3 , and ErFe 0.11(2) Ga 3 order antiferromagnetically with Neel temperatures of T N = 3.3, 5.2, and 6.2 K. The magnetic properties are attributed to changes in the coupling strength of local magnetic moment with conduction electrons as a function of transition metal and rare earth.
The Opportunity Recognition Process, New Business Start-Up Motivators and Outcomes: The Real Options Approach - Executive Summary

This study utilizes the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics (PSED) to examine the decision making process of nascent entrepreneurs (NEs). Drawing on the real options theory, I examine the reactive and proactive NEs' motivators behind two choices: 1) Occupational choice (i.e., whether to actively pursue a business opportunity or to work for others) and 2) What path to take once an opportunity is pursued (i.e., terminate the start-up, have a dormant start-up, continue with the active start-up, or launch an operating business). By means of the multinomial regression analyses and chi-square tests, the study found that, on average, proactive NEs are more likely than the reactive NEs to start an NBV because of their somewhat inferior present options. Although there appear to be no striking differences between the reactive and the proactive NEs in regards of their NBV outcomes, number of business ideas, industry experience as the source of the business idea, previous start-up experience, and change of the idea were found to be correlated with the NBV outcomes. Higher chances of launching an operating business or having a shorter NBV start-up gestation times appear to be positively correlated with the business idea resulting from the NE's industry experience, having fewer business ideas, experiencing no change of the original idea, and having previous start-up experience. Further, since proactive NEs were found to be more entrepreneurially intense, it is plausible that they may be prone to the escalation of commitment and refuse to terminate their NBV start-up even when that would be the optimal decision. More nuanced data collections are needed to research this question thoroughly. Meanwhile, one can conclude that policy makers, loan officers, and venture capitalist would be wise to scrutinize the NEs' motivators and the above outlined opportunity recognition (OpR) variables before providing the NEs with initial or continued financial assistance. Lastly, one can conclude that reactive and proactive OpR is not likely to be a psychological trait since the attractiveness of other options appears to influence the OpR type.
Tooley and evil: A reply

(1982). Tooley and evil: A reply. Australasian Journal of Philosophy: Vol. 60, No. 1, pp. 66-75.
Diaporthe Citri and Phomopsis Citri—A Correction

(1972). Diaporthe Citri and Phomopsis Citri—A Correction. Mycologia: Vol. 64, No. 2, pp. 422-422.
Multiplexed shotgun genotyping resolves species relationships within the North American genus Penstemon

2 PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Evolutionary radiations provide opportunities to examine large-scale patterns in diversifi cation and character evolution, yet are often recalcitrant to phylogenetic resolution due to rapid speciation events. The plant genus Penstemon has been diffi cult to resolve using Sanger se- quence-based markers, leading to the hypothesis that it represents a recent North American radiation. The current study demonstrates the utility of multiplexed shotgun genotyping (MSG), a style of restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq), to infer phylogenetic relationships within a subset of species in this genus and provide insight into evolutionary patterns. METHODS: We sampled genomic DNA, primarily from herbarium material, and subjected it to MSG library preparation and Illumina sequencing. The resul- tant sequencing reads were clustered into homologous loci, aligned, and concatenated into data matrices that diff ered according to clustering similarity and amount of missing data. We performed phylogenetic analyses on these matrices using maximum likelihood (RAxML) and a species tree approach (SVDquartets). KEY RESULTS: MSG data provide a highly resolved estimate of species relationships within Penstemon . While most species relationships were highly sup- ported, the position of certain taxa remains ambiguous, suggesting that increased taxonomic sampling or additional methodologies may be required. The data confi rm that evolutionary shifts from hymenopteran- to hummingbird-adapted flhave occurred independently many times. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that phylogenomic approaches yielding thousands of variable sites can greatly improve species-level resolution of recent and rapid radiations. Similar to other studies, we found that less conservative similarity and missing data thresholds resulted in more highly sup- ported topologies.
2-dimensional heat transfer for phase change cool storage slab using enthalpy finite element method

To investigate the characteristics of cool storage of a PCM(phase change material),the enthalpy finite element method was employed to study the solidification characteristics of the PCM.The motion of phase interface,the temperature distribution and the thermal storage time of the cool storage slab under the first boundary condition were obtained. The numerical analysis results are in good agreement with the experimental values,providing a theoretical basis for the optimization of the design of the cool storage slab and the application of the PCM.
Newborn screening for sickle cell disease and other hemoglobinopathies. Newborn screening in New York City.

Our experience demonstrates that the diagnosis of sickle cell disease at birth along with early intervention can reduce mortality among identified patients. However, accurate screening of newborns in the absence of a comprehensive follow-up program is of limited value. Our experience with trait follow-up indicates that couples at risk should be sought both by testing the parents of trait newborns and by testing the mothers in the prenatal period. Our recommendations are that programs for sickle cell screening of newborns should be structured on the basis of clearly defined goals and should ensure the following services: a newborn screening laboratory under strict quality control with backup facilities for special test procedures and interpretation of test results; an efficient and effective mechanism for recall of infants with presumptively positive results and referral of patients with the sickle cell disease diagnosis; treatment centers with a high standard of medical care to provide comprehensive care to patients with sickle cell disease and their families; skilled genetic counseling for the families of newborns with sickle cell disease and trait, including the information available concerning prenatal diagnosis for couples at risk; broadbased and ongoing education for professionals, paraprofessionals, and the public at large to enhance their understanding and cooperation; means to evaluate the effectiveness and success of the program in achieving the goals set forth.
Malignant otitis externa in AIDS patients: case report and review of the literature

Malignant otitis externa is a necrotizing infection of the external ear canal and surrounding soft tissue and bone, usually caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The infection classically occurs in diabetic patients, however recently, several patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have been reported to have malignant otitis externa. A patient with AIDS who had malignant otitis externa with skull base osteomyelitis is presented and reported cases in patients with AIDS are reviewed. Predisposing factors include immunologic abnormalities (notably neutropenia), dermatitis, medications, neoplasm, and iatrogenic procedures, e.g., ear lavage. Treatment of malignant otitis externa has traditionally included anti-pseudomonal cephalosporins/penicillins and aminoglycosides for prolonged durations. Recently, ciprofloxacin has been shown to be effective as an oral regimen. With the increasing number of patients with AIDS being seen in the outpatient clinics, the diagnosis of malignant otitis externa should be considered in any patient with persistent ear pain or otorrhea who does not respond to conventional treatment for external otitis.
Presentation and Medical Management of Fibrocartilaginous Embolism in the Emergency Department.

Abstract Background Fibrocartilaginous embolism is an exceedingly rare condition that was formerly a clinical diagnosis based on mechanism of injury, physical examination findings, and older magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technologies without a specific histologic diagnosis. Spinal cord MRI diffusion-weighted imaging allows for a more specific diagnosis. Case Report A 14-year-old male felt a sudden pop in his back while running sprints in his gym class. He slowly developed bilateral lower extremity weakness and urinary incontinence, prompting an emergency department evaluation. A MRI scan of his lumbar spine revealed degeneration, desiccation, and bulging of the T12–L1 disc with an accompanying subacute Schmorl’s nodule. There was adjacent cord swelling and central cord T2 hyperintensity, with accompanying restricted diffusion consistent with spinal cord infarction. These findings, in conjunction with paraplegia and mechanism of injury, were highly suggestive of fibrocartilaginous embolism. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? An emergent MRI scan with the proper sequencing and immediate consultation with a spine surgery specialist are important to exclude a compressive myelopathy that would necessitate acute surgical decompression. There is significant uncertainty in the initial management and stabilization of this rare condition that has not been addressed in the emergency medicine literature.
Explaining Physical Exercise Behavior by Its Cognitive Antecedents

The cognitive antecedents of exercising behavior are identified and used to explain the incidence, extent and regularity of physical exercise. Data from 183 adult residents of a U.S. city showed that outcome beliefs weighted by the evaluation of outcomes and employed in a compensatory fashion and perceived threat explained 30 percent of variance in the survey respondents’ exercise behavior. Close to 40 percent of respondents did not exercise with any fair regularity, and social marketers concerned with increasing the general fitness levels of a population would find the results of this research helpful in identifying appropriate influence strategies.
The Character of the Discourse

We refer to statements such as these: Population will increase whenever wages are higher than the income needed for subsistence. When population increases in relation to the available land, productivity declines. Productivity increases through capital accumulation. Capital accumulation accelerates through individual saving. Entrepreneurs increase production until marginal costs equals marginal revenue. They invest to the point where marginal yield equals the rate of interest. The rise in consumption spending lags behind the rise in the level of income, and the higher the level of aggregate spending the lower the proportion of consumption expenditure. Class struggle is the dynamic force that accounts for all social and economic change and development. Power corrupts; and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Dislocation Source Sensitivity of Plasticity and Fracture in Tungsten

We have examined the effect of dislocation sources introduced on the surface of single-crystal and polycrystalline tungsten on the plastic flow and fracture behavior at temperature in the range 77 K to 590 K. The experiments utilize the phenomenon of surface film softening observed in many body-centered cubic metals, such as observed by Sethi and Gibala [1, 2, 3]. In investigations like these, it is observed that application of surface films of approximately 50–200 nm in thickness to bcc metal substrates can decrease the yield and flow stress, increase the ductility, and correspondingly reduce the large temperature dependence of the yield and flow stress at homologous temperatures T below approximately 0.15Tm, where Tm is the absolute melting temperature. The large temperature dependence of the yield and flow stress at T/Tm < 0.15 is associated with the high Peierls-Nabarro stress of screw dislocations in the bcc structure. By contrast, edge dislocations in bcc metals have high mobility at low temperatures. Mechanistically, it has been shown that for the coated materials under applied stress, large densities of mobile edge dislocations can be generated in the substrate metal at the film-substrate interface. These edge dislocations can move into the substrate and effect plasticity at the reduced flow stresses observed. In this investigation, additional use is made of surface modification (roughening) of the substrate surface to afford control over the density of potential dislocation sources at the film-substrate interface in coated materials. The results are described below.
Treatment of oropharyngeal dysphagia secondary to idiopathic cricopharyngeal bar: Surgical cricopharyngeal muscle myotomy versus dilation.

Abstract Objective To compare swallowing outcomes following cricopharyngeal (CP) dilation versus surgical myotomy in patients with dysphagia secondary to idiopathic CP bar. Methods All patients had an idiopathic CP bar without a history of Zenker's diverticulum, head and neck cancer, or systemic neurologic disease treated between 2000 and 2013. The Functional Outcome Swallowing Scale (FOSS) was utilized to assess dysphagia symptoms. Results Twenty-three patients underwent 46 dilations and 20 patients had a myotomy. Nineteen of 23 (83%) patients in the dilation group and all patients in the myotomy group reported improved swallow function. The median difference in pre- versus post-intervention FOSS scores was not statistically significant (p = 0.07) between the dilation and myotomy groups with mean reductions of 1.3 and 1.8, respectively. Seventeen of 23 (74%) dilation patients had persistent or recurrent dysphagia with 13 (57%) requiring repeat dilation and 4 (17%) undergoing CP myotomy. The median time to first reintervention in the dilation group was 13.6 months. Nineteen of 20 (95%) surgical myotomy patients did not experience recurrent dysphagia. Conclusion Both endoscopic CP dilation and myotomy led to similar initial improvement in swallow function for patients with primary idiopathic CP bar; however, dilation is more likely to provide temporary benefit.
Detection of parathyroid adenomas using a monophasic dual-energy computed tomography acquisition: diagnostic performance and potential radiation dose reduction

The aims of the study were to compare the diagnostic performance of a combination of virtual non-contrast (VNC) images and arterial images obtained from a single-phase dual-energy CT (DECT) acquisition and standard non-contrast and arterial images from a biphasic protocol and to study the potential radiation dose reduction of the former approach. All DECT examinations performed for evaluation of parathyroid adenomas during a 13-month period were retrospectively reviewed. An initial single-energy unenhanced acquisition was followed by a dual-energy arterial phase acquisition. “Virtual non-contrast images” were generated from the dual-energy acquisition. Two independent and blinded radiologists evaluated three different sets of images during three reading sessions: single arterial phase, single-phase DECT (virtual non-contrast and arterial phase), and standard biphasic protocol (true non-contrast and arterial phase). The accuracy of interpretation in lateralizing an adenoma to the side of the neck and localizing it to a quadrant in the neck was evaluated. Sixty patients (mean age, 65.5 years; age range, 38–87 years) were included in the study. The lateralization and localization accuracy, sensitivity, and positive predicted value (PPV) and negative predicted value (NPV) of the different image datasets were comparable. The combination of VNC and arterial images was more specific than arterial images alone to lateralize a parathyroid lesion (OR = 1.93, p = 0.043). The use of the single-phase protocol resulted in a calculated radiation exposure reduction of 52.8 %. Virtual non-contrast and arterial images from a single DECT acquisition showed similar diagnostic accuracy than a biphasic protocol, providing a significant dose reduction.
Abstract B49: Prediagnostic body-mass index, smoking, and prostate cancer survival

Background: Few prospective studies have sufficient power to investigate the relationship between obesity and lethal prostate cancer (PC) in detail or within population subgroups, such as by smoking status. This study aimed to investigate the associations of pre-diagnostic body mass index (BMI) with risk of progression from time of PC diagnosis to fatal outcome, to assess effect modification by smoking status and to evaluate the joint effect of BMI and smoking on PC survival. Methods: We conducted a survival analysis of 10,206 PC patients from the NCI Breast and Prostate Cancer Cohort Consortium (BPC3). BMI and smoking status were estimated before PC diagnosis. Deaths among PC patients were categorized into deaths from PC and other causes. We conducted the analysis in 3 parts according to exposures: BMI (18-22.9 kg/m2, 23-24.9 kg/m2. 25-27.9 kg/m2, 28-29.9 kg/m2, 30-34.9 kg/m2, 35 kg/m2+), smoking (Never, former, current) and their joint effect, respectively. Each analysis was performed on prostate cancer specific mortality and other mortality separately. Competing-risks regression model was used to take into account of other causes of death. For the above analyses, two models were used. Model 1 controlled for age at diagnosis, drinking status, diabetes status, cohort, duration between baseline and PC diagnosis; Model 2 further adjusted for PC stage and Gleason score at diagnosis in addition to model 1. Results: There were 1028 deaths from PC and 1919 other deaths among all PC patients during an average follow up of eight years. Higher BMI was associated with higher risk of death from PC and other causes; compared to BMI (23-24.9 kg/m2) group, men with BMI 35+ kg/m2 had HR=1.83, 1.16-2.91 for PC death and HR=1.49, 1.04-2.14 for other deaths. The positive trend was apparent only among never and former smokers but not current smokers. Similar effect was found among men whose BMI measured >5 years but for men whose BMI was measured Conclusions: Higher BMI and smoking history (former and current smokers) are possible risk factors for dying from PC among all PC cases in the BPC3 cohort. The effect of BMI on PC survival is modified by smoking status. Citation Format: Changzheng Yuan, Jorge Chavarro, Sara Lindstrom, Peter Kraft, Jing Ma. Prediagnostic body-mass index, smoking, and prostate cancer survival. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2013 Oct 27-30; National Harbor, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2013;6(11 Suppl): Abstract nr B49.
CHARACTERIZATION OF BETA-GALACTOSIDASE FROM SACCHAROMYCES FRAGILIS

Studies were made on physical and chemical characteristics of β-galactosidase in cell-free extracts of Saccharomyces fragilis Y-1109. The enzyme was stable at pH 6.0–7.0. When frozen in buffer solution, it was stable for more than 3 months but at 51 C, it lost 96% of the activity in 10 min. The optimum pH for lactose hydrolysis at 37 C was 6.5. The enzyme was activated by K+ while Mn++ served as the cofactor for the enzyme. Manganese appeared to be important in maintaining the integrity of the secondary and tertiary structure of the enzyme molecule. Inactivation of the enzyme by urea indicated the importance of secondary and tertiary structure in the enzymatic function of the yeast β-galactosidase. Beta-galactosidase appeared to be a sulfhydryl enzyme since heavy metals, p-chloromercuribenzoate, and iodoacetate inhibited the enzyme. Cysteine and galactose were competitive inhibitors of the enzyme, whereas glucose and various amines were non-competitive inhibitors.
Does relief of outflow tract obstruction in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy improve long-term survival? Implications for lowering the threshold for surgical myectomy and alcohol septal ablation.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common cardiac genetic disease, with a high prevalence of 1 in 500 individuals, irrespective of gender or race (1). Rising awareness of this disease in recent decades, through first-of-their-kind societal guidelines both in the United States and Europe, the growth of national centers of excellence, improvements in advanced imaging and genetic testing, and the initiation of disease-specific pharmaceutical trials, has brought a bolus of patients to advanced clinical care. These patients are asking important questions with regards to quality of life, how best to live with this disease, the effects on their progeny and extended family, and importantly whether available therapies merely palliate disease or provide meaningful survival benefit.
Ash beneficiation, quality, and standard criteria

Abstract This section of the book is focused on technologies and approaches to beneficiate ash to improve its quality. This is done typically to meet national ash quality standards. The United States, Europe, China, India, Australia, Japan and Russia all have published standards for ash used in cement and concrete products. Although there are differences in methodology and proscribe limits, all the standards address several important quality criteria including: loss on ignition (LOI), caused by residual carbon from combustion; ash “fineness” a function of particle size; some measure of strength development expressed as “strength Index”; and typically, some measure of ash uniformity based on the consistency of important criteria as measured over a series of samples. Other criteria may also include limits on sulfate, calcium or moisture. A simple approach to improving quality, is selective collection, that is only collecting ash at certain times or from certain furnaces at power plants when the quality is highest. Another relatively simple approach is chemical passivation, i.e. the addition of a small amount of a chemical to dampen the effect of the carbon in the ash on air entraining agents added to concrete to improve its freeze resistance. More capital intensive approaches include air classification, primarily to improve fineness but for some ashes also LOI. Electrostatic separation has a long track record in reducing loss on ignition. Thermal beneficiation, the most capital intensive approach, reduces LOI without producing a reject stream and is capable of beneficiation very high LOI ashes. Interest in the recovery of ponded or landfilled ash creates the potential to use wet methods such as froth flotation to reduce particle size and hydraulic classification to reduce particle size or screening technology to improve both.
Generation and characterization of aptamers targeting factor XIa.

Abstract Background The plasma protease factor XIa (FXIa) has become a target of interest for therapeutics designed to prevent or treat thrombotic disorders. Methods We used a solution-based, directed evolution approach called systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) to isolate RNA aptamers that target the FXIa catalytic domain. Results Two aptamers, designated 11.16 and 12.7, were identified that bound to previously identified anion binding and serpin bindings sites on the FXIa catalytic domain. The aptamers were non-competitive inhibitors of FXIa cleavage of a tripeptide chromogenic substrate and of FXIa activation of factor IX. In normal human plasma, aptamer 12.7 significantly prolonged the aPTT clotting time. Conclusions The results show that novel inhibitors of FXIa can be prepared using SELEX techniques. RNA aptamers can bind to distinct sites on the FXIa catalytic domain and noncompetitively inhibit FXIa activity toward its primary macromolecular substrate factor IX with different levels of potency. Such compounds can be developed for use as therapeutic inhibitors.
Causal Inference and Missing Data Problems

Well established physical theories are developed under rigorous mathematical reasoning and tightly controlled laboratory experiment tests. In randomized clinical trials for the comparison between treatment and control, patients are randomly assigned to one of the two groups. As a consequence, baseline profiles are balanced between the two arms, i.e., they have the same distribution. In observational medical studies or epidemiological researches, however, insights from biology and intuition may suggest possible treatment effects while the underlying experiments may not have a rigorous design, which lead to unbalanced baseline patient characteristics between groups. Similarly in evidence based economic studies, there is no control over intervention programs. As a result participation may not be completely at random. Some individuals may be more likely to participate than others. The fundamental problem of causal inference is that we can only observe one of the two potential outcomes for a particular subject. It is impossible to conduct a paired t-test for the assessment of treatment effects. On the other hand, the unpaired two sample t-test or Wilcoxon test may produce biased results for treatment effects since they fail to adjust for baseline covariates.
Effects of magnitude saturation in control of bifurcations

Abstract Motivated by problems such as active control of rotating stall in compression systems, an analysis of the effects of controller magnitude saturation in feedback stabilization of steady-state bifurcations is performed. In particular the region of attraction to the stabilized bifurcated equilibria is solved for feedback controllers with magnitude saturation limits using the technique of center manifold reduction and bifurcation analysis. It has been shown that the stability boundary is the saturation envelope formed by the unstable equilibria for the closed loop system when the controllers saturate. The framework allows the design of feedback control laws to achieve desirable size of region of attraction when the noise is modeled as a closed set of initial conditions in the phase space. Modular the phase of the limit cycles, the qualitative behavior in the Hopf bifurcation case is the same as some cases in the steady-state bifurcations.
Prophylactic central neck dissection in 68 patients with lateral compartment metastases from well-differentiated thyroid cancer.

Skip metastasis (SM) in Well Differentiated Thyroid Cancer (WDTC) patients are lateral neck lymph node metastasis that have skipped the central neck compartment. In these patients, prophylactic central neck dissection remains controversial. We sought to identify clinicopathological factors associated with SM and determine the accuracy of central neck metastasis imaging in 68 patients at our institution over 16 years. 12 patients (17.6%) had SMs. Compared to the patients with occult central neck metastases, those with SM were more likely to have T1 tumors (p=0.005) and less likely to have extracapsular spread (p=0.032), thyroid capsule extension (p=0.003), soft tissue extension (p=0.006), and multifocal primary tumors (p=0.006). In assessing the preoperative imaging, we compared central neck dissection pathology reports to the detection rates of CT and ultrasound. We found CT and ultrasound sensitivities of 31.8% and 45%, respectively and specificities of 80% and 85.7%, respectively. WDTC patients with SM are more likely to have smaller, less aggressive primary tumors. However, the majority (82.4%) had central compartment disease and given the lack of sensitive preoperative imaging, we recommend prophylactic central neck dissections. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Engineering photosynthetic production of L-lysine.

Abstract L -lysine and other amino acids are commonly produced through fermentation using strains of heterotrophic bacteria such as Corynebacterium glutamicum. Given the large amount of sugar this process consumes, direct photosynthetic production is intriguing alternative. In this study, we report the development of a cyanobacterium, Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7002, capable of producing L -lysine with CO2 as the sole carbon-source. We found that heterologous expression of a lysine transporter was required to excrete lysine and avoid intracellular accumulation that correlated with poor fitness. Simultaneous expression of a feedback inhibition resistant aspartate kinase and lysine transporter were sufficient for high productivities, but this was also met with a decreased chlorophyll content and reduced growth rates. Increasing the reductant supply by using NH4+, a more reduced nitrogen source relative to NO3-, resulted in a two-fold increase in productivity directing 18% of fixed carbon to lysine. Given this advantage, we demonstrated lysine production from media formulated with a municipal wastewater treatment sidestream as a nutrient source for increased economic and environmental sustainability. Based on our results, we project that Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7002 could produce lysine at areal productivities approaching that of sugar cane to lysine via fermentation using non-agricultural lands and low-cost feedstocks.
Abstract 9398: Cornell Product Criteria for Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Strongly Predicts the Presence of Diastolic Dysfunction

Background: Abnormal left ventricular (LV) diastolic function is a known predictor of poor cardiovascular outcomes. Although ECG LV hypertrophy (LVH) has been related to LV systolic dysfunction and both prevalent and incident heart failure, whether ECG LVH is associated with LV diastolic dysfunction (DD) is unknown. Methods: From a cohort of patients who underwent both cardiac computed tomographic angiography and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) with complete evaluation of diastolic function, 185 that underwent ECG within one year of TTE were identified as the study group. The presence of DD was determined according to standard guidelines via evaluation of mitral inflow velocities, tissue Doppler imaging, deceleration time, isovolumic relaxation time, pulmonary venous systolic: diastolic ratio, and left atrial enlargement. ECG LVH by Cornell product (CP) criteria was categorized into the highest quartile (≥1595 mm[[Unable to Display Character: ⋅]]ms) vs the lower three quartiles or evaluated as a continuous variable with odds ratios (OR) calculated for each SD of the mean (664 mm[[Unable to Display Character: ⋅]]ms) higher CP. Results: Among the 185 patients (56.2% female, mean age 54.6 ± 15.6), mean CP was 1240 ± 664 mm[[Unable to Display Character: ⋅]]ms and 105 (57%) had DD. In univariate logistic regression analysis, being in the upper quartile of CP was associated with over fivefold greater odds of DD (OR 5.1 95% CI 2.2-11.7, p Conclusions: Cornell product ECG LVH is a powerful predictor of the presence of diastolic dysfunction, even after adjustment for potential confounding risk factors and ECG variables.
Nipple Reconstruction: Risk Factors and Complications

The authors discuss the anatomy of the nipple-areolar complex (NAC) and the history of the nipple-areolar reconstruction and then describe techniques of nipple reconstruction and outcomes with local flaps, graft-based nipple reconstruction and nipple sharing, nipple augmentation, nipple tattooing and 3D nipple tattooing, and timing of nipple reconstruction. Outcomes are described. General principles can be applied to maximize outcomes such as minimizing tension, designing the pedicle away from existing scars, and providing a wide base to the pedicle to allow adequate blood supply. Loss of projection with time is inevitable and related to wound contracture and applied external pressure.
Trigger-Based Incremental Data Processing with Unified Sync and Async Model

In recent years, more and more applications in the cloud have needs to process large-scale on-line datasets, which evolve over time as new entries are added and existing entries are modified. Several programming frameworks, such as Percolator and Oolong, are proposed for such incremental data processing and can achieve efficient processing with an event-driven abstraction. However, these frameworks are inherently asynchronous, leaving the heavy burden of managing synchronization to applications’ developers, which further significantly restricts their usabilities. In this study, we propose a trigger-based incremental computing framework in the cloud, called Domino, with both synchronous and asynchronous mechanisms to coordinate parallel triggers. With this new framework, both synchronous and asynchronous applications can be seamlessly developed. Use cases and extensive evaluation results confirm that it can deliver sufficient performance, and also is easy to use for incremental applications in large-scale distributed computing.
Sleep patterns and stability in perimenopausal women

Women between the ages of 40 and 59 years were classified as pre-, peri-, and postmenopausal, with and without hot flash symptoms, for comparison of somnographic sleep variables. Few differences in sleep variables were noted between the groups. However, peri- and postmenopausal women experiencing hot flashes (symptomatic) tended to have lower sleep efficiencies than those not experiencing hot flashes. As well, rapid-eye-movement (REM) latency was longer (p less than 0.05) in the symptomatic women (means = 94.2 min) than in the nonsymptomatic women (means = 71.4 min). Although an age difference existed between the menopausal status groups, it was less than a decade and a main group effect for sleep efficiency and REM latency was seen while controlling for age and/or depression.