cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Top-down effects of insect herbivores during early succession: influence on biomass and plant dominance

We tested the hypothesis that phytophagous insects would have a strong top-down effect on early successional plant communities and would thus alter the course of succession. To test this hypothesis, we suppressed above-ground insects at regular intervals with a broad-spectrum insecticide through the first 3 years of old-field succession at three widely scattered locations in central New York State. Insect herbivory substantially reduced total plant biomass to a similar degree at all three sites by reducing the abundance of meadow goldenrod, Solidago altissima. As a result, Euthamia graminifolia dominated control plots whereas S. altissima dominated insecticide-treated plots by the third year of succession. S. altissima is the dominant old-field herbaceous species in this region but typically requires at least 5 years to become dominant. Past explanations for this delay have implicated colonization limitation whereas our data demonstrate that insect herbivory is a likely alternative explanation. A widespread, highly polyphagous insect, the xylem-tapping spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius, appeared to be the herbivore responsible for the reduction in standing crop biomass at all three sites. Insect herbivory typically caused little direct leaf tissue loss for the ten plant species we examined, including S. altissima. Consequently, the amount of leaf area removed was not a reliable indicator of the influence of insect herbivory on standing crop biomass or on early succession. Overall, we found a strong top-down effect of insect herbivores on biomass at several sites, so our results may be broadly applicable. These findings run counter to generalizations that top-down effects of herbivores, particularly insects, are weak in terrestrial systems. These generalizations may not apply to insects, such as spittlebugs, that can potentially mount an effective defense (i.e., spittle) against predators and subsequently reach relatively high abundance on common plant species. Our results suggest that insect herbivory may play an important but often overlooked role during early old-field succession.
On the stability of certain finite difference approximations to parabolic systems of differential equations

Abstract : Certain simple explicit finite difference approximations to the solution of the initial value problem are considered for a uniformly parabolic system of linear differential equations with variable coefficients. The problem is to determine conditions which will guarantee that the approximating difference problem is well-posed. Since explicit difference equations involving a finite number of lattice points are used, the existence of a unique solution of the difference problem is trivial. Primarily, the concern is with the dependence of the solution of the difference problem on its data. (Author)
Cultural pluralism and American education

The United States is frequently referred to as the "melting pot" where persons of diverse backgrounds have immigrated and contributed to a culture that values hetereogeneity. American culture represents a synthesis of the native and the foreign, the old and the new, the rural and the urban. Some sociologists, however, feel that the degree of cultural assimilation has been overstated and thus look at the United States as a nation of various elements with divergent cultural patterns vying for power and prestige, having varying degrees of in-group and out-group feelings, social distance or disdain, depending on the time and place. No one can deny that in the 1960's and as we approach the 1970's we are culturally more pluralistic than any other contemporary or previous civilization. The position of the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant power structure of pre-World War I days is no longer dominant and second generation South Europeans, Jews and Negroes are exerting more influence in the United States and playing more leadership roles than ever before in our history. No society has had such great vertical mobility JAMES F. MAGARY University of Southern California Los Angeles
Dispensing nano-pico droplets of ferrofluids

Dispensing miniature volumes of a ferrofluid is of fundamental and practical importance for diverse applications ranging from biomedical devices, optics, and self-assembly of materials. Current dispensing systems are based on microfluidics flow-focusing approaches or acoustic actuation requiring complicated structures. A simple method is presented to continuously dispense the miniature droplets from a ferrofluid reservoir. Once a jet of the ferrofluid is subjected to a constrained flux through a membrane and an inhomogeneous magnetic field, the jet experiences a curvature-driven instability and transforms to a droplet. Ferrofluid droplets in the range of 0.1–1000 nl are dispensed with tunable dispensing frequencies. A model is developed that predicts the dispensed volume of the ferrofluid droplets with an excellent agreement with the measurements.
On the Availability of High‐Resolution Data for Near‐Surface Climate Analysis in the Continental U.S.

Increased recognition of potential future climate changes has sparked an urgency in understanding the various linkages among weather, climate and sectors of society. Furthermore, the need for improving climate models is also paramount. Meteorological observations are critical for accomplishing both. A deeper knowledge of the origin, nuances and availability of observation-based climate data can lead to better analyses and validations. In this article, we review the suite of current meteorological observing networks across the continental U.S. In addition, we discuss both the statistical procedures that are used to construct climate data products from observing records, and the climate data products themselves. The focus here is on datasets with daily to hourly time steps, with an emphasis on gridded climate data products of spatial resolutions under 15 km. Ultimately, this paper is geared towards climatologists as well as those outside of the climate field, who need data to empower near-surface atmospheric science research at the local scale. Presently, new observing networks supported by massive volunteer communities are potential game changers, yet the public still lacks both daily precipitation data suitable for high-resolution and/or long-term analyses and rigorous validation of high-resolution gridded climate data products.
BUILDING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COALITIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT

The adoption of the WIPO Development Agenda in October 2007 has provided less developed countries with a rare and unprecedented opportunity to reshape the international intellectual property system in a way that would better advance their interests. However, if these countries are to succeed, they need to take advantage of the current momentum, coordinate better with other countries and nongovernmental organizations, and more actively share with others their experience, knowledge, and best practices. Commissioned by the EDGE (Emerging Dynamic Global Economies) Network of the University of Ottawa, this Paper begins by explaining how building intellectual property coalitions for development (IPC4D) can help less developed countries strengthen their collective bargaining position, influence negotiation outcomes, and promote effective and democratic decision making in the international intellectual property regime. The Paper then discusses four coordination strategies that can be used to develop these coalitions. It concludes with a discussion of the various challenges confronting the creation and maintenance of these coalitions.
Atomistic Modeling of Interfacial Diffusion in the Lamellar Li0 TiAl

Atomistic simulation employing many-body central-force potentials was performed to elucidate the diffusion mechanisms in the bulk and at lamellar interfaces assuming a vacancy mechanism. First the self- diffusion of Ti and Al in stoichiometric structures was studied. It was found that the diffusion was faster along lamellar interfaces than in the bulk; the effective activation energy for the diffusion coefficient is about ∼15% lower. The simulations were then extended to investigate diffusion along lamellar boundaries with segregated Ti which is likely in Ti rich alloys. The surprising result is that diffusion remains practically unchanged when compared with the stoichiometric case. The reason is that while the path controlling the diffusion is different, the corresponding effective formation and migration energies are practically the same as in the stoichiometric case.
Expected distributions of root-mean-square positional deviations in proteins.

The atom positional root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) is a standard tool for comparing the similarity of two molecular structures. It is used to characterize the quality of biomolecular simulations...
Hyperspectral range imaging for transportation systems evaluation

Transportation agencies expend significant resources to inspect critical infrastructure such as roadways, railways, and pipelines. Regular inspections identify important defects and generate data to forecast maintenance needs. However, cost and practical limitations prevent the scaling of current inspection methods beyond relatively small portions of the network. Consequently, existing approaches fail to discover many high-risk defect formations. Remote sensing techniques offer the potential for more rapid and extensive non-destructive evaluations of the multimodal transportation infrastructure. However, optical occlusions and limitations in the spatial resolution of typical airborne and space-borne platforms limit their applicability. This research proposes hyperspectral image classification to isolate transportation infrastructure targets for high-resolution photogrammetric analysis. A plenoptic swarm of unmanned aircraft systems will capture images with centimeter-scale spatial resolution, large swaths, and polarization diversity. The light field solution will incorporate structure-from-motion techniques to reconstruct three-dimensional details of the isolated targets from sequences of two-dimensional images. A comparative analysis of existing low-power wireless communications standards suggests an application dependent tradeoff in selecting the best-suited link to coordinate swarming operations. This study further produced a taxonomy of specific roadway and railway defects, distress symptoms, and other anomalies that the proposed plenoptic swarm sensing system would identify and characterize to estimate risk levels.
Using Mathematical Software To Introduce Fourier Transforms in Physical Chemistry To Develop Improved Understanding of Their Applications in Analytical Chemistry

This manuscript presents an exercise that utilizes mathematical software to explore Fourier transforms in the context of model quantum mechanical systems, thus providing a deeper mathematical understanding of relevant information often introduced and treated as a “black-box” in analytical chemistry courses. The exercise is given to undergraduate students in their third year during physical chemistry, thus providing a theoretical foundation for the subsequent introduction of such material in analytical instrumentation courses. With the reinforcement of familiar concepts such as the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, classical correspondence, and linear combinations in the context of both position and momentum space for a particle in a box, a better understanding of the mathematical implications of the Fourier transform is fostered. Subsequent analysis of a time-dependent function constructed via a linear combination and its transformation to the frequency domain provides a practical example relating to the ...
Two-dimensional ion crystals in radio-frequency traps for quantum simulation

The computational difficulty of solving fully quantum many-body spin problems is a significant obstacle to understanding the behavior of strongly correlated quantum matter. Experimental ion trap quantum simulation is a promising approach for studying these lattice spin models, but has so far been limited to one-dimensional systems. This work argues that such quantum simulation techniques are extendable to a two-dimensional (2D) ion crystal confined in a radio-frequency (rf) trap. Using appropriately chosen parameters, driven ion motion due to the rf fields can be made small and will not limit the types of quantum spin models that can be experimentally encoded. The rf-driven motion is calculated to modestly reduce the stability region of a 2D crystal and must be considered when designing the 2D trap. The system will be scalable to 100+ quantum particles, far beyond the realm of classical intractability, while maintaining the traditional ion trap strengths of individual-ion control, long quantum coherence times, and site-resolved projective spin measurements.
Research Progress on Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry in Measurement of Whole Blood Lead

The graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry is the national standard method for measurement of whole blood lead.Because of low blood lead content and complex blood samples matrix,there are a lot of factors which can influence the test result,it is difficult to get the accurate result.So researchers make a further study on various influencing factors.This article summarizes four aspects of research results,including sample preparation,matrix modifier,quantitative analysis method and temperature programmed.
Symptomatic liver hemangioma with intra-tumor hemorrhage treated by angiography and embolization during pregnancy

Background Cavernous hemangiomas are the most common benign tumors of the liver and are found in about 2% of autopsy patients. The vast majority are small (less than 4 cm) and asymptomatic, but there have been a few reported cases of these lesions leading to severe pain and even spontaneous fatal hemorrhage. Estrogen may cause the growth of liver hemangiomas, but there is a paucity of information concerning the effect of pregnancy upon these lesions. Case A patient presented at 18 weeks' gestation with the acute onset of vomiting and epigastric pain. A right upper-quadrant ultrasound scan found a 9-cm hypodense lesion within the liver, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suggested a hemangioma. The lesion was believed to be inoperable, and selective catheterization of the common hepatic artery was performed. An angiogram demonstrated a round vascular mass 12 cm in diameter occupying much of the left side of the liver, with the vascular supply from the middle hepatic artery and to a lesser extent from the left hepatic artery. Embolization was performed, and a post-embolization image demonstrated satisfactory occlusion of the vessels treated. The patient's epigastric pain resolved after the procedure. The lesion was observed with monthly ultrasound and regressed to about 50% of its original size. The patient was scheduled for an elective primary cesarean delivery at 39 weeks to avoid possible rupture of the hepatic hemangioma during the second stage of labor. Her cesarean and postpartum course were uncomplicated. Conclusion A symptomatic liver hemangioma with intratumor hemorrhage can be successfully treated with embolization during pregnancy. Because of the paucity of reported cases, it is uncertain whether vaginal birth is contraindicated in these patients.
Ureteroarterial Fistula: Case Report and Review of Literature

AbstractA fistula developed between the left common iliac artery and the distal left ureter of an 83-year-old woman who had undergone aortofemoral bypass grafting many years previously and in whom a Double-J**Medical Engineering Corp., New York, New York. stent was in place for 3 weeks while she was awaiting extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. Exsanguinating hemorrhage into the urinary tract necessitated emergency nephrectomy and vascular repair. Although these measures were successful temporarily, the patient died 6 weeks later of repeat myocardial infarction and acute renal failure. The increasing frequency of ureteral stent use and of an operation on the iliac arteries is expected to increase the frequency of these potentially catastrophic fistulas.
Radical Economics, Institutionalism, and Marxism

The argument here is that the Marxist and institutionalist traditions are similar in many respects, notably that both are inherently radical in their approaches to the economic system. There is an ongoing need to assay the similarities and differences between these two vital intellectual traditions. The phrase ‘inherently radical’ is used advisedly. It is argued in what follows that the two intellectual traditions are inherently radical owing to the character of their respective philosophical and methodological orientations.
A concept for seeing-limited near-IR spectroscopy on the Giant Magellan Telescope

We present a simple seeing-limited IR spectrometer design for the Giant Magellan Telescope, with continuous R = 6000 coverage from 0.87-2.50 microns for a 0:7” slit. The instrument's design is based on an asymmetric white pupil echelle layout, with dichroics splitting the optical train into yJ, H, and K channels after the pupil transfer mirror. A separate low-dispersion mode offers single-object R ~ 850 spectra which also cover the full NIR bandpass in each exposure. Catalog gratings and H2RG detectors are used to minimize cost, and only two cryogenic rotary mechanisms are employed, reducing mechanical complexity. The instrument dewar occupies an envelope of 1:8×1:5×1:2 meters, satisfying mass and volume requirements for GMT with comfortable margin. We estimate the system throughput at ~ 35% including losses from the atmosphere, telescope, and instrument (i.e. all coatings, gratings, and sensors). This optical efficiency is comparable to the FIRE spectrograph on Magellan, and we have specified and designed fast cameras so the GMT instrument will have an almost identical pixel scale as FIRE. On the 6.5 meter Magellan telescopes, FIRE is read-noise limited in the y and J bands, similar to other existing near-IR spectrometers and also to JWST/NIRSPEC. GMT's twelve-fold increase in collecting area will therefore offer gains in signal-to-noise per exposure that exceed those of moderate resolution optical instruments, which are already sky-noise limited on today's telescopes. Such an instrument would allow GMT to pursue key early science programs on the Epoch of Reionization, galaxy formation, transient astronomy, and obscured star formation environments prior to commissioning of its adaptive optics system. This design study demonstrates the feasibility of developing relatively affordable spectrometers at the ELT scale, in response to the pressures of joint funding for these telescopes and their associated instrument suites.
Silver Nanodisk Monolayers with Surface Coverage Gradients for Use as Optical Rulers and Protractors.

Colloidal silver nanodisks (AgNDs) are assembled into a monolayer with a coverage density gradient (CDG) on the surface of flat and cylindrical substrates using the Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) technique. Compressing the LB monolayers during transfer to the substrates causes the CDG assembly of the AgNDs. By functionalizing the AgNDs with poly(ethylene glycol), it is possible to control their order inside the LB monolayer assembly by changing the deposition surface pressure. Well-separated AgNDs, 2D aggregates with different numbers of particles, and highly packed 2D arrays are formed as the deposition surface pressure is increased. Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) spectra collected at different separation distances from the highest coverage spot (HCS) of the CDG AgND arrays on a flat substrate are blue-shifted, and the shift increases systematically upon increasing the distance. The relationship among the LSPR peak position, the peak intensity at a fixed wavelength, and the corresponding separation d...
Comprehensive Promoter Methylation Analysis of Genes on 5q31.1 in MDS and AML.

Abstract Interstitial deletion or loss of chromosome 5 is a frequent chromosomal abnormality in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Previous studies uncovered a 1.5–2Mb region on 5q31.1 to be a common deleted region (CDR) in those diseases. It is believed that there exists one or more of critical tumor suppressor gene(s) in this CDR. Mutation analysis, however, failed to identify target gene(s). With a hypothesis that epigenetic silencing may play a significant role as a “second hit” in MDS/AML, we performed a comprehensive methylation analysis of genes in this CDR on 5q31.1. Among 25 genes that are located in this region (SPOCK- AF116688 , covering CDR determined by Horrigan et al. Blood 2000 and Fang et al. Genomics 2000), 14 genes had promoter regions in CpG islands that were therefore susceptible to methylation dependent silencing. Methylation status of multiple CpG sites in promoter regions of these those 14 genes (SPOCK, HNRPA1, PKD2L2, C5orf5, KIF20A, GFRA3, CDC25C, C5orf6, JMJD1B, C5orf19, EGR1, ETF1, HSPA9B, CTNNA1, SIL1) was analyzed using bisulfite-PCR followed by pyrosequencing. Analyzed samples were 13 leukemic cell lines as well as peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 5 patients with AML with 5q deletion (5qAML), 9 AML without 5q deletion (non-5qAML), 17 MDS with 5q deletion (5qMDS), 9 MDS without 5q deletion (non-5qMDS) and 10 individuals without leukemia. Significant hypermethylation (>15% by pyrosequencing) was observed in 5 genes in patient samples (SPOCK, PKD2L2, GFRA3, HSPA9B, and ETF1, see Table 1) and 3 other genes in cell lines only (CDC25C, C5orf19, CTNNA1). In 5qMDS, the most frequently methylated genes were ETF1 (5/17), GFRA3 (4/17), and HSPA9B (11/17), but HSPA9B also showed methylation in normal blood. We then evaluated the expression levels of 5 genes that showed significant methylation in patients' samples using quantitative RT-PCR. SPOCK, PKD2L2, GFRA3 were not expressed in normal PBMC. HSPA9B expression levels did not correlate with the degree of methylation. On the other hand, ETF1 expression was inversely correlated with the degree of methylation. ETF1 is a eukaryotic translation termination factor, which plays a role in recognizing stop codon in mRNA and terminates translation. Based on specific hypermethylation and silencing in 5qMDS, we propose ETF1 as a candidate tumor suppressor gene in the 5q31.1 region. Functional analysis of ETF1 in leukemic cells is underway. Frequency of promoter CpG sites methylation Samples N SPOCK PKD2L2 GFRA3 HSPA9B ETF1 Cell lines 13 62% 46% 77% 38% 0% 5qAML 5 0% 0% 0% 20% 0% Non-5qAML 9 33% 0% 0% 0% 0% 5qMDS 17 6% 6% 24% 65% 29% Non-5qMDS 9 11% 11% 33% 33% 11% Normal 10 0% 0% 0% 90% 0%
Engineered Troponins Modulate the Ca2+ Sensitivity of the Failing Human Myocardium

The amount of force generated by cardiac sarcomeres depends in part on the sensitivity of the myofilaments to Ca2+. We tested the hypothesis that force development of the failing human heart can also be increased or decreased by Ca2+ sensitized and/or desensitized troponin (Tn). All procedures were approved by the University of Kentucky Institutional Review Board. Utilizing permeabilized multicellular preparations isolated from the hearts of patients with heart failure, we exchanged the native troponin with Tn containing either human recombinant wild-type subunits, engineered TnCs or phosphomimetic TnIs that increase or decrease myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity. The results show that compared to the wild-type Tn, our Ca2+ sensitizing L48Q TnC and S150D TnI Tn exchanges both increased (p < 0.001) pCa50 from ∼5.48 to ∼5.84 and ∼5.68, respectively. Conversely, the Ca2+ desensitizing D73N TnC and Y26E TnI Tn exchanges both decreased (p < 0.001) pCa50 to ∼5.05 and ∼5.29, respectively. In the presence of saturating Ca2+, the maximal force per cross-sectional area, shortening velocity, rate of tension redevelopment (ktr) and power were all similar for the exchanged Tns suggesting the modified Tns have a negligible direct impact on myosin function (except for Y26E TnI, which slowed ktr by ∼25%). This study demonstrates that the myofilament responsiveness of the failing human heart to Ca2+ can be modulated by engineering either TnC or TnI. These findings open the door to potential new Tn targeted therapies for heart disease.
Psychological Model of Military Aggressive Behavior: Findings From Population-Based Surveys

The U.S. military has expressed concern about the influence of deployment and combat exposure on the criminal behavior of personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. This study examines the role...
Loss of Smooth Muscle α-Actin Leads to NF-κB–Dependent Increased Sensitivity to Angiotensin II in Smooth Muscle Cells and Aortic Enlargement

Rationale: Mutations in ACTA2 , encoding the smooth muscle isoform of α-actin, cause thoracic aortic aneurysms, acute aortic dissections, and occlusive vascular diseases. Objective: We sought to identify the mechanism by which loss of smooth muscle α-actin causes aortic disease. Methods and Results: Acta2 −/− mice have an increased number of elastic lamellae in the ascending aorta and progressive aortic root dilation as assessed by echocardiography that can be attenuated by treatment with losartan, an angiotensin II (AngII) type 1 receptor blocker. AngII levels are not increased in Acta2 −/− aortas or kidneys. Aortic tissue and explanted smooth muscle cells from Acta2 −/− aortas show increased production of reactive oxygen species and increased basal nuclear factor κB signaling, leading to an increase in the expression of the AngII receptor type I a and activation of signaling at 100-fold lower levels of AngII in the mutant compared with wild-type cells. Furthermore, disruption of smooth muscle α-actin filaments in wild-type smooth muscle cells by various mechanisms activates nuclear factor κB signaling and increases expression of AngII receptor type I a. Conclusions: These findings reveal that disruption of smooth muscle α-actin filaments in smooth muscle cells increases reactive oxygen species levels, activates nuclear factor κB signaling, and increases AngII receptor type I a expression, thus potentiating AngII signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells without an increase in the exogenous levels of AngII.
Optical simulation of external quantum efficiency spectra of CuIn 1− x Ga x Se 2 solar cells from spectroscopic ellipsometry inputs

Abstract Applications of in-situ and ex-situ spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) are presented for the development of parametric expressions that define the real and imaginary parts (e1, e2) of the complex dielectric function spectra of thin film solar cell components. These spectra can then be utilized to analyze the structure of complete thin film solar cells. Optical and structural/compositional models of complete solar cells developed through least squares regression analysis of the SE data acquired for the complete cells enable simulations of external quantum efficiency (EQE) without the need for variable parameters. Such simulations can be compared directly with EQE measurements. From these comparisons, it becomes possible to understand in detail the origins of optical and electronic gains and losses in thin film photovoltaics (PV) technologies and, as a result, the underlying performance limitations. In fact, optical losses that occur when above-bandgap photons are not absorbed in the active layers can be distinguished from electronic losses when electron-hole pairs generated in the active layers are not collected. This overall methodology has been applied to copper indium-gallium diselenide (CuIn1−xGaxSe2; CIGS) solar cells, a key commercialized thin film PV technology. CIGS solar cells with both standard thickness (>2 μ m) and thin ( μ m) absorber layers are studied by applying SE to obtain inputs for EQE simulations and enabling comparisons of simulated and measured EQE spectra. SE data analysis is challenging for CIGS material components and solar cells because of the need to develop an appropriate (e1, e2) database for the CIGS alloys and to extract absorber layer Ga profiles for accurate structural/compositional models. For cells with standard thickness absorbers, excellent agreement is found between the simulated and measured EQE, the latter under the assumption of 100% collection from the active layers, which include the CIGS bulk and CIGS/CdS heterojunction interface layers. For cells with thin absorbers, however, an observed difference between the simulated and measured EQE can be attributed to losses via carrier recombination within a ∼0.15 μ m thickness of CIGS adjacent to the Mo back contact. By introducing a carrier collection probability profile into the simulation, much closer agreement is obtained between the simulated and measured EQE. In addition to the single spot capability demonstrated in this study, ex-situ SE can be applied as well to generate high resolution maps of thin film multilayer structure, component layer properties and their profiles, as well as short-circuit current density predictions. Such mapping is possible due to the high measurement speed of
Newly diagnosed glioblastoma: adverse socioeconomic factors correlate with delay in radiotherapy initiation and worse overall survival.

The optimal time for starting radiation in patients with glioblastoma (GBM) is controversial. We aimed to evaluate postoperative radiotherapy treatment patterns and the impact of timing of radiotherapy on survival outcomes in patients with GBM using a large, national hospital-based registry in the era of Stupp chemoradiation. We performed a retrospective cohort study using the National Cancer Data Base and identified adults with GBM diagnosed between 2010 and 2013 and treated with chemoradiation. We classified time from surgery/biopsy to radiation start into the following categories: 42 days. We assessed the relation between time to radiation start and survival using Cox proportional hazards modeling adjusting for clinically relevant variables that were selected a priori. We used multivariate logistic modeling to determine factors independently associated with receipt of delayed radiation treatment. A total of 12 738 patients met our inclusion criteria after our cohort selection process. The majority of patients underwent either gross total (n = 5270, 41%) or subtotal (n = 4700, 37%) resection, while 2768 patients (22%) underwent biopsy only. Median time from definitive surgery or biopsy to initiation of radiation was 29 days (interquartile range 24-36 days). For patients who had biopsy or subtotal resection, earlier initiation of radiation did not appear to be associated with improved survival. However, among patients who underwent gross total resection, there appeared to be improved survival with early initiation of radiation. Patients who initiated radiation within 15-21 days of gross total resection had improved survival (hazard ratio 0.82, 95% confidence interval 0.69-0.98, P = 0.03) compared with patients who had delayed (>42 days after surgery) radiation. There was also a trend (P = 0.07 to 0.12) for improved survival for patients who initiated radiation within 22-35 days of gross total resection compared with patients who had delayed radiation. Patients who were black, had Medicaid or other government insurance or were not insured, and who lived in metropolitan areas or further away from the treating facility had higher odds of receiving radiation >35 days after gross total resection. Patients who lived in higher income areas had higher odds of receiving radiation within 35 days of a gross total resection. In a large cohort of patients with GBM treated with chemoradiation, our data suggest a survival benefit in initiating radiotherapy within 35 days after gross total resection. Further research is warranted to understand barriers to timely access to optimal therapy.
Cultural Algorithm Framework

In this chapter, the author presents the Cultural Algorithm framework, including knowledge sources, the Communication Protocol, and the Population Space.
Bone marrow transplantation for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria: eradication of the PNH clone and documentation of complete lymphohematopoietic engraftment

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) involves the proliferation of an abnormal and possibly premalignant hematopoietic stem cell. Successful treatment of PNH by marrow grafting requires that the PNH clone be eradicated by the pretransplant conditioning regimen. Four patients with PNH-associated marrow aplasia were transplanted with marrow from their HLA-matched, MLR-nonreactive siblings. Three patients were conditioned with cyclophosphamide, procarbazine, and antithymocyte serum (CTX/PCZ/ATS), and one was conditioned with busulfan/CTX/PCZ/ATS. Persistent complete engraftment of myeloid, lymphoid, and erythroid cell lines was demonstrated in all four patients by DNA sequence polymorphism analysis or cytogenetics, and RBC typing. There was no recurrence of the abnormal clone of cells for up to five years after transplantation despite the use of a conditioning regimen in three of them, which is not usually associated with permanent marrow aplasia. Bone marrow transplantation is a curative therapy in patients whose illness is severe enough to warrant the risk.
Post-Silicon Verification of Multi-Core Processors

In the past four decades, microprocessor architectures have evolved from relatively simple circuits to highly optimized, performance-oriented designs with multiple parallel execution pipelines, running at gigahertz frequencies. However, in the beginning of the 21st century, designers realized that processor frequencies could no longer be increased,mainly due to power density constraints. Thus, to keep responding to users’ demand for higher performance, they turned towardsmulti-core designs. In these architectures, multiple central processing units (cores) perform independent computations in parallel, communicating through on-chip interconnect and shared memory hierarchies. Because of the shorter and simpler pipelines and lower operation frequencies of individual cores, multi-core chips deliver much higher multi-threaded performance and demand lower power than traditional architectures. Today, with two- and four- core processor systems being mainstream, this trend continues as manufacturers roll out prototypes and application-specific systems with as many as 80 processing elements. Yet, the verification of multi-core designs has become even more complex when compared to uniprocessors, due to the concurrent interaction among cores, often leading to non-deterministic behavior. Since the majority of designs rely on shared memory protocols for inter-core communication, issues such as cache coherence and memory consistency have become dominant in the multi-core verification process. At early design stages, powerful formal tools can be wielded to ensure correctness of high-levelmodels of these protocols. Verification of the implementations of cache coherence and memory consistency, however, still remains challenging, especially in the post-silicon domain, where much of the device’s internals cannot be observed. In this chapter, we briefly overview the history and basic structure of state-of-the-art multi-core architectures and discuss the challenges of their verification. We will also overview two post-silicon solutions designed for validation of cache coherence protocols and memory consistency, setting the tone for the next chapter, where we present a comprehensive low-cost framework for the post-silicon validation of these aspects.
Problem of the relation between strophanthin toxicity and volume of coronary circulation

In Versuchen an 27 Hunden unter Messung der Coronardurchblutung und an 30 Meerschweinchen wurden die Veranderungen der Strophanthintoxicitat bei Dauerinfusion nach Hatcher bei gleichzeitiger Verabreichung coronarerweiternder Substanzen (Oxyathyltheophyllin, Papaverin, Natriumnitrit, Adenosintriphosphorsaure) gepruft. Bei allen Substanzen war die Dosis letalis des Strophanthins herabgesetzt. Fur das Oxyathyltheophyllin und das Papaverin ergab sich dabei eine deutliche Abhangigkeit der verbrauchten Strophanthindosis von der Zunahme der Coronardurchblutung. Beim Natriumnitrit und der Adenosintriphosphorsaure wurde der Tod der Tiere durch die toxischen Eigenwirkungen beider Substanzen mitbestimmt.
Experimental Credibility and Its Role in Model Validation and Decision Making

Experiments are a critical part of the model validation process, and the credibility of the resulting simulations are themselves dependent on the credibility of the experiments. The impact of experimental credibility on model validation occurs at several points through the model validation and uncertainty quantification (MVUQ) process. Many aspects of experiments involved in the development and verification and validation (V&V) of computational simulations will impact the overall simulation credibility. In this document, we define experimental credibility in the context of model validation and decision making. We summarize possible elements for evaluating experimental credibility, sometimes drawing from existing and preliminary frameworks developed for evaluation of computational simulation credibility. The proposed framework is an expert elicitation tool for planning, assessing, and communicating the completeness and correctness of an experiment (“test”) in the context of its intended use—validation. The goals of the assessment are (1) to encourage early communication and planning between the experimentalist, computational analyst, and customer, and (2) the communication of experimental credibility. This assessment tool could also be used to decide between potential existing data sets to be used for validation. The evidence and story of experimental credibility will support the communication of overall simulation credibility.
Structural Brain Benefits of Maintained Fitness

Exercise is a powerful tool for healthy aging of the body and the mind. Many scientific studies have shown the positive benefits of exercise on the brain. These benefits include maintenance of brain volume in certain areas dedicated to executive function, which is involved in memory, attention, and performing day-to-day tasks. Keeping up with exercise and staying physically fit into the later years of life may protect against the pitfalls of aging, such as cognitive decline, memory loss, and dementia. As gatekeepers of mobility and exercise, the musculoskeletal clinician plays a vital role in helping athletes and active people of all ages and skill levels maintain their mental capacity for memory and thought via physical activity’s influence on the hippocampus and physical brain structure.
The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy and Well-Being Among Surgical Residents.

Objective Residency is a challenging time in the lives of physicians. In this study, we examined the relationship between general self-efficacy, defined as the belief in one's own capabilities in a variety of situations, and burnout and psychological well-being in a sample of surgical residents. Design In the context of a larger study, a cross-sectional survey was administered to residents. The survey included measures of general self-efficacy, the emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment domains of burnout, and general psychological well-being. We examined correlations between self-efficacy and these well-being outcomes and used multivariable linear regression models that controlled for age, gender, postgraduate year, ethnicity, and the interaction between gender and self-efficacy. Setting We surveyed residents at Stanford Health Care, a tertiary care center, between the fall of 2010 and the spring of 2013. Participants One hundred and seventy nine residents from 9 surgical subspecialties responded to the survey for a response rate of 76%. Results Residents reported high levels of self-efficacy, and over a third reported high emotional exhaustion. Eighty-nine percent of residents had average or high personal accomplishment. In adjusted regression analyses, general self-efficacy was negatively predictive of emotional exhaustion (B = −0.43, p = 0.0127) and positively predictive of personal accomplishment (B = 0.33, p = 0.0185) and general psychological well-being (B = 0.34, p = 0.0010). There was no interaction between gender and general self-efficacy in regression analyses (ps ≥ 0.6776). Conclusions Among other factors, self-efficacy appears to be significantly predictive of resident well-being. High self-efficacy suggests that residents feel prepared and capable. Interventions to improve residents’ general self-efficacy should be explored as a possible mechanism to improve well-being.
Modeling Individual and Group Evacuation Decisions During Wildfires

Quantifying factors that affect evacuation decision making remains a challenging task. Progress is crucial for developing predictive models of collective behavior and for designing effective policies to guide the action of populations during wildfires. We conduct a controlled behavioral experiment to probe factors influencing evacuation decision making in the face of an impending virtual wildfire. We consider competing factors that influence small groups and the community as a whole. Based on our data, we develop two distinct but complementary empirically-driven approaches to characterize individual and group evacuation decision making. Our first approach is a stochastic model that predicts evacuation of a population of individuals guided by the same decision-making strategy, which we define to be a continuous function of key experimental variables such as the likelihood of the disaster and the availability of resources. We extend this model to investigate strategy shifts leading to differences between individual and group behavior which manifest at the collective level. In our second approach, we characterize decision making of individuals and groups by incorporating variation in individual traits, group decision protocols, and time-dependent changes in experimental variables with logistic regression. By including personal identifying characteristics of each subject, we develop a model that can predict evacuation decision times with 85.0% accuracy. In parallel, we demonstrate that the social media activity of individual subjects, specifically their Facebook use, can be used to generate an alternative individual personality profile that leads to comparable prediction accuracy of 84.2%. Our results from both approaches demonstrate the importance of using a rate-based rather than threshold function to describe individual behavior, and of accounting for social influence and individual heterogeneity in modeling group decision making.
The Antitrust Analysis of Grocery Slotting Allowances: The Procompetitive Case:

Slotting allowances are a recent and controversial development in the grocery industry. An hypothesis that slotting allowances can be a means of communicating information and allocating risk betwee...
Smoothed Variable Sample-size Accelerated Proximal Methods for Nonsmooth Stochastic Convex Programs

We consider minimizing $f(x) = \mathbb{E}[f(x,\omega)]$ when $f(x,\omega)$ is possibly nonsmooth and either strongly convex or convex in $x$. (I) Strongly convex. When $f(x,\omega)$ is $\mu-$strongly convex in $x$, we propose a variable sample-size accelerated proximal scheme (VS-APM) and apply it on $f_{\eta}(x)$, the ($\eta$-)Moreau smoothed variant of $\mathbb{E}[f(x,\omega)]$; we term such a scheme as (m-VS-APM). We consider three settings. (a) Bounded domains. In this setting, VS-APM displays linear convergence in inexact gradient steps, each of which requires utilizing an inner (SSG) scheme. Specifically, mVS-APM achieves an optimal oracle complexity in SSG steps; (b) Unbounded domains. In this regime, under a weaker assumption of suitable state-dependent bounds on subgradients, an unaccelerated variant mVS-PM is linearly convergent; (c) Smooth ill-conditioned $f$. When $f$ is $L$-smooth and $\kappa = L/\mu \ggg 1$, we employ mVS-APM where increasingly accurate gradients $\nabla_x f_{\eta}(x)$ are obtained by VS-APM. Notably, mVS-APM displays linear convergence and near-optimal complexity in inner proximal evaluations (upto a log factor) compared to VS-APM. But, unlike a direct application of VS-APM, this scheme is characterized by larger steplengths and better empirical behavior; (II) Convex. When $f(x,\omega)$ is merely convex but smoothable, by suitable choices of the smoothing, steplength, and batch-size sequences, smoothed VS-APM (or sVS-APM) produces sequences for which expected sub-optimality diminishes at the rate of $\mathcal{O}(1/k)$ with an optimal oracle complexity of $\mathcal{O}(1/\epsilon^2)$. Finally, sVS-APM and VS-APM produce sequences that converge almost surely to a solution of the original problem.
Reactions of Laser-Ablated Iron Atoms with Oxygen Molecules: Matrix Infrared Spectra and Density Functional Calculations of OFeO, FeOO, and Fe(O2)

Reactions of laser-ablated Fe atoms and O2 molecules in argon condensing on a 10 K surface have produced sharp infrared absorptions at 1204.5, 945.6, and 797.1 cm-1 that are identified as FeOO and OFeO, respectively, through the use of isotopic substitution and DFT structure and isotopic frequency calculations. Annealing to 30 and 50 K produced a strong 956.0-cm-1 band, which is due to cyclic Fe(O2); visible photolysis destroyed the 1204.5-cm-1 FeOO band, but it was regenerated on annealing. Formation of the more stable dioxo insertion product OFeO requires activation energy whereas the superoxo and peroxo addition products FeOO and Fe(O2) can be formed on diffusion of cold reagents in solid argon. The FeOO spectrum observed and calculated here compares favorably with those reported for oxyhemoproteins, which provides further support for the Fe−O−O binding geometry in these biologically important metalloproteins.
"To use or not to use" understanding mountaineers' smartphone use in high-alpine environments.

As smartphone use continues to become more embedded within daily life, identifying the factors driving their use in extreme environments may have numerous meaningful implications. Little is current...
Regulation of avian uncoupling protein (av-UCP) expression by cytokines and hormonal signals in quail myoblast cells.

Abstract Uncoupling proteins (UCPs), members of the mitochondrial anion carrier family, play a pivotal role in thermogenesis, redox balance, reactive oxygen species and many other cellular processes. They were extensively studied in mammalian species and have been shown to be tightly regulated at transcriptional and translational levels by various environmental and hormonal factors. Such studies are very limited in avian species which represent a unique model because they lack brown adipose tissue and they contain only one UCP (av-UCP) predominantly expressed in the muscle. The present study aimed, therefore, to determine the effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNFα) and energy homeostasis-related hormones (leptin and T3) on the expression of av-UCP and its related transcription factors in quail myoblast (QM7) cells. Leptin treatment for 24 h significantly down-regulated av-UCP, and up-regulated PGC-1α, PPARα, and PPARγ expression in QM7 cells. IL-6 and TNFα administration significantly up-regulated the expression of av-UCP, however T3 had a biphasic effects (up-regulation with low dose and down-regulation with high dose) on av-UCP mRNA levels (P Together, these data are the first to report cytokine and hormonal regulation of av-UCP in avian muscle cells, suggesting that these effects are mediated through PPARs and PGC-1α, and opening a new vista for future functional and mechanistic studies.
The economics of metrology: an exploratory study of the impact of measurement science on U.S. productivity

Metrology is the study of measurement science. Publicly funded outputs from measurement science have public good characteristics, and thus scholars have previously investigated the economic impact ...