cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Delivery Room Quality Improvement Project Improved Compliance with Best Practices for a Community NICU.

A Quality Improvement bundle was implemented with the goal of standardizing the multidisciplinary approach to delivery room management. We used a Pre-Post Quality Improvement initiative with the following aims: (1) Placement of a functioning pulse oximeter by two minutes after birth, (2) Delayed intubation, (3) Normothermia on Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Admission, (4) Use of a pre-brief, debrief, and delivery room checklist. Data was collected for 548 infants, which represents every admission to the Palomar Rady Children’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit during the 35 month study period from January 1, 2010 to November 30, 2012. The intervention began on May 1, 2011. The objective of increasing the frequency of each goal was met. A significant decrease in rates of retinopathy of prematurity in our post-intervention group was found. Odds ratio 0.00 (0.000, 0.696) p = 0.008. However, this was not confirmed in the multivariable analysis so should be interpreted with caution. This quality improvement project had a positive effect on newborn resuscitation at Palomar Medical Center.
Observations on the Composition of Colonial Pennsylvania's Money Supply

Although ingenious, Farley Grubb's (2004) recent money supply estimates for colonial Pennsylvania are too inaccurate to be of use to scholars. "Pounds" in runaway advertisements do not invariably refer to Pennsylvania's bills of credit, as Grubb asserts, but to her unit of account money. Similarly, ads promising "dollars" cannot be taken to refer to silver coins. Finally, bills of credit readily often passed current across the Middle Colonies, rendering any attempt to estimate the money supply at the colony-level highly problematic. Spot estimates of the money supply, some from archival records and some using methodologies that Grubb himself espouses elsewhere, vary widely from Grubb's time series.
Climate-induced migration: using mental models to explore aggregate and individual decision-making

The US Dust Bowl of the 1930s (a prolong period of drought experienced in the United States accompanied by severe sand storms) is often described as an abnormal event. However, climate change is likely to increase the frequency and impact of similar occurrences. Because of this, a growing number of scholars have begun to examine multiple facets of climate-induced migration from various disciplinary traditions. Specifically, scholars have called for continued research into individual decision-making processes. Responding to this call, we construct a mental model from historical interviews of those who migrated to California during the US Dust Bowl. Our model provides insight into the migration process with a unique focus on individual decision-making processes of migrants.
Unified Models of the QCD Axion and Supersymmetry Breaking

Abstract Similarities between the gauge meditation of supersymmetry breaking and the QCD axion model suggest that they originate from the same dynamics. We present a class of models where supersymmetry and the Peccei–Quinn symmetry are simultaneously broken. The messengers that mediate the effects of these symmetry breakings to the Standard Model are identical. Since the axion resides in the supersymmetry breaking sector, the saxion and the axino are heavy. We show constraints on the axion decay constant and the gravitino mass.
Direct measurement of the strength of microtubule attachment to yeast centrosomes

Centrosomes, or spindle pole bodies (SPBs) in yeast, are vital mechanical hubs that maintain load-bearing attachments to microtubules during mitotic spindle assembly, spindle positioning, and chromosome segregation. However, the strength of microtubule-centrosome attachments is unknown, and the possibility that mechanical force might regulate centrosome function has scarcely been explored. To uncover how centrosomes sustain and regulate force, we purified SPBs from budding yeast and used laser trapping to manipulate single attached microtubules in vitro. Our experiments reveal that SPB-microtubule attachments are extraordinarily strong, rupturing at forces approximately fourfold higher than kinetochore attachments under identical loading conditions. Furthermore, removal of the calmodulin-binding site from the SPB component Spc110 weakens SPB-microtubule attachment in vitro and sensitizes cells to increased SPB stress in vivo. These observations show that calmodulin binding contributes to SPB mechanical integrity and suggest that its removal may cause pole delamination and mitotic failure when spindle forces are elevated. We propose that the very high strength of SPB-microtubule attachments may be important for spindle integrity in mitotic cells so that tensile forces generated at kinetochores do not cause microtubule detachment and delamination at SPBs.
Abstract 003: Personalizing the Intensity of Blood Pressure Control: Modeling the Heterogeneity of Risks and Benefits From the SPRINT Trial

Introduction: In SPRINT (Systolic blood PRessure INtervention Trial), non-diabetic patients with hypertension at high cardiovascular risk treated with intensive blood pressure (BP) control (<120mmH...
The Reverend Richard Lamm on Trial for Heresy

In Christian theology, there is the story of Saint Martin of Tours. In the late thirteenth century, late one night outside an ancient city, Saint Martin of Tours was riding his horse down this ancient byway. Right outside the city gates, he comes across a cold and starving beggar. In an act of charity which got him sainted a couple hundred years later, he took his cloak and cut it in half. He took half of his dinner and gave it to the cold and starving beggar. Now, Bertold Brecht, in one of his plays, raises this question: What if instead of one cold and starving beggar, there were 50, or 60, or 100? What is the ethical choice now? What does the ethical person do? It is for asking these hard, but important, questions that you charge me, here and now, in 2007 A.D., with heresy. You charge me with heresy for changing "Love thy neighbor," to "Love thy nearest neighbor/ My answer to you is that this is the new bio-spiritual ethics. This is the new ethical reality. I wish with all my heart it were not, but my mind and soul tell me (tragically) that it is the new reality. Charity must begin at home. The Bible states (Timothy 5:8), "If any provide not for his own house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel.1" Painfully, but inevitably, mankind must fit itself into its ecosys tem. At some point?we can argue endlessly when that takes place?but at some point, infinite growth in a finite world comes to an end. At that point?whenever it happens?a new ethics must be formu lated.
In vitro assessment of the effect of acidemia on coagulation in dogs

OBJECTIVE Minimal data are available assessing the effect of acidemia on coagulation in dogs. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of in vitro acidification of canine blood on coagulation as measured via thromboelastography (TEG) and traditional tests of coagulation. We hypothesized that worsening acidemia would lead to progressive impairment on coagulation. DESIGN Prospective study. SETTING University teaching hospital. ANIMALS Six client-owned dogs. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Blood was collected into 3.2% sodium citrate vacutainer tubes. The pH of blood was adjusted from baseline using hydrochloric acid to create weak acidemia and strong acidemia. Coagulation was assessed using TEG, prothrombin time, and activated partial thromboplastin time. Kruskal-Wallis tests with Dunn's post hoc comparison tests were used to compare groups. Strong acidemia samples were significantly more acidic than baseline based on pH (P < 0.0005), HCO3- (P < 0.0062), pCO2 (P < 0.0001), and base excess (P < 0.0001). Using TEG, in vitro acidification of blood caused significant, progressive impairment of maximum amplitude (P = 0.0282) and alpha angle (P = 0.0312). Acidification of blood had no significant effect on prothrombin time (P = 0.345) or activated partial thromboplastin time (P = 0.944). CONCLUSIONS In vitro acidification of canine whole blood results in hypocoagulability as measured by some TEG variables.
ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC SELVESTER SCORE IS ASSOCIATED WITH SUDDEN AND NON-SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH: THE ATHEROSCLEROSIS RISK IN COMMUNITIES STUDY AND CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH STUDY

The Selvester score (SS) was created to estimate myocardial infarct size from the QRS complex on the ECG. We hypothesized that SS is associated with sudden cardiac death (SCD). ECGs from baseline and subsequent visits of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study (N = 15,722; mean age 54.
Relation between coping and posttrauma cognitions on PTSD in a combat-trauma population

Individual differences in cognitive processes and coping behaviors play a role in the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Given the large numbers of combat-exposed service members returning from the Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation New Dawn (OND) conflicts, exploring individual differences in cognitive-affective processes is important for informing our understanding of PTSD etiology and early intervention in military samples. The present study examined the unique main and interactive effects of negative posttrauma cognitions (i.e., negative beliefs about self [NS], the world [NW], and self-blame [SB]) and coping strategies (i.e., positive behavioral, positive cognitive, avoidant coping, and social and emotional coping) on PTSD diagnosis within 155 (Mage = 30.7, SD = 4.48) OEF/OIF/OND combat trauma-exposed veterans recruited from an ongoing study examining the effects of combat trauma and stress reactivity. In the final, stepwise logistic regression analysis, avoidant coping, but no other coping strategy, was significantly positively related to PTSD diagnosis in the initial step. Higher levels of NS, but not NW, were significantly associated with having a PTSD diagnosis, while SB was associated with decreased likelihood of PTSD, above and beyond coping strategies. A significant interaction effect was found between NS and positive cognitive coping, such that greater positive cognitive coping weakened the relationship between NS and PTSD. Examining and addressing coping behaviors and negative thoughts of self jointly may benefit assessment and intervention approaches in a combat-trauma population.
Spatially controlled assembly of affinity ligand and enzyme cargo enables targeting ferritin nanocarriers to caveolae.

Abstract One of the goals of nanomedicine is targeted delivery of therapeutic enzymes to the sub-cellular compartments where their action is needed. Endothelial caveolae-derived endosomes represent an important yet challenging destination for targeting, in part due to smaller size of the entry aperture of caveolae (ca. 30–50 nm). Here, we designed modular, multi-molecular, ferritin-based nanocarriers with uniform size (20 nm diameter) for easy drug-loading and targeted delivery of enzymatic cargo to these specific vesicles. These nanocarriers targeted to caveolar Plasmalemmal Vesicle-Associated Protein (Plvap) deliver superoxide dismutase (SOD) into endosomes in endothelial cells, the specific site of influx of superoxide mediating by such pro-inflammatory signaling as some cytokines and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Cell studies showed efficient internalization of Plvap-targeted SOD-loaded nanocarriers followed by dissociation from caveolin-containing vesicles and intracellular transport to endosomes. The nanocarriers had a profound protective anti-inflammatory effect in an animal model of LPS-induced inflammation, in agreement with the characteristics of their endothelial uptake and intracellular transport, indicating that these novel, targeted nanocarriers provide an advantageous platform for caveolae-dependent delivery of biotherapeutics.
Predicting the sufficient-statistics power spectrum for galaxy surveys: a recipe for P A* (k)

Future galaxy surveys hope to realize significantly tighter constraints on various cosmological parameters. The higher number densities achieved by these surveys will allow them to probe the smaller scales affected by non-linear clustering. However, in these regimes, the standard power spectrum can extract only a portion of such surveys' cosmological information. In contrast, the alternate statistic A* has the potential to double these surveys' information return, provided one can predict the A* power spectrum for a given cosmology. Thus, in this work we provide a prescription for this power spectrum P A* (k), finding that the prescription is typically accurate to about 5 per cent for near-concordance cosmologies. This prescription will thus allow us to multiply the information gained from surveys such as Euclid and WFIRST.
Dancing with ChairBots

Over the summer of 2018, CHARISMA Robotics Laboratory at Oregon State University invited a Theater Artist to collaborate on two interdisciplinary robot theater productions using ChairBots and human performers. Both productions shared in a three-week development period, the same development team and performing robots, and culminated in live performances. This paper acts as a companion to the video documentation of these productions, addressing the novelty and contributions, both technical and creative, of dancing with robot furniture.
Proximal radius fractures in children: evaluation of associated elbow fractures

Additional fractures occur in association with proximal radius fractures, but the extent of these secondary injuries has not been systematically assessed. To ascertain the frequency and nature of additional fractures associated with proximal radius injuries in a large pediatric cohort. Radiographs meeting search criteria for proximal radius fracture during a 5-year period were reviewed. Fracture characteristics and the coexistence of additional elbow fractures were recorded and analyzed. The retrospective review was compared with initial interpretation and a blinded review by two pediatric musculoskeletal radiologists. Four hundred ninety-four proximal radius fractures were included. The radial neck was the most common fracture site (89%). Neck fractures occurred in younger patients (mean: 7.3 years) than head fractures (mean: 13.3 years) (P<0.001). Additional elbow fractures occurred in 39%, most commonly at the olecranon (22%). Additional fractures occurred in younger patients (mean: 7.2 years) than isolated proximal radius fractures (mean: 8.5 years) (P<0.001). Elbow joint effusion and complete or displaced radius fractures were each associated with additional elbow fractures (P<0.001). When compared with initial interpretation, 25% of additional fractures were not identified on initial radiographs, of which 44% were occult retrospectively. Fracture identification demonstrated excellent inter-reader reliability (interclass correlation coefficient [ICC]: 0.88, 0.94), but joint effusion interobserver agreement was only fair (ICC: 0.52, 0.41). Proximal radius fractures in children often occur in association with other elbow fractures, most commonly involving the olecranon. Enhanced awareness of these fracture patterns, especially in the setting of joint effusion or complete and displaced radius fractures, may improve detection to guide appropriate management.
The Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor

The low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor is a prototype for a class of cell surface receptors that bind lipoproteins and other circulating macromolecules and carry them into cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis. The human LDL receptor is a single-chain transmembrane glycoprotein of 839 amino acids. It specifically binds lipoproteins that contain apo B-100 and the active form of apo E. The ligand-binding domain comprises the 292 amino-terminal amino acids and is composed of a cysteine-rich sequence of 40 amino acids that is repeated seven times with minor variations. The cytoplasmic domain, composed of 50 amino acids at the carboxyl-terminal end of the protein, serves to direct the receptor to coated pits, where the bound LDL is rapidly internalized. Between these two ends of the protein there is a 400-amino-acid region that is homologous to the precursor for epidermal growth factor, a 58-amino-acid region that contains up to 18 carbohydrate chains linked to serine or threonine, and a 22-amino-acid membrane-spanning region.
Sleep in the Context of Close Relationships

The social environment is linked to several aspects of sleep. Close relationships in particular influence sleep behaviors (bedtime activities and timing) and several sleep parameters such as sleep quality and duration. Attachment and anthropological frameworks facilitate understanding the mechanisms by which cohabitating family members influence sleep. In this chapter, literature on close family relationships is reviewed with couples and parent-child relationships as exemplars. Findings suggest that family relationships influence an individual’s sleep through direct (social control) and indirect (shared environment, coregulation) means. Evidence for bidirectional associations (sleep influencing relationship functioning) is also presented. Overall, cohabitating close relationships appear to be strongly linked to sleep quality, sleep duration, and sleep timing. Future research would benefit from increased focus on circadian rhythmicity in a family context and from employing research designs that determine directionality. Moreover, sleep characteristics are one way that relationships influence health. Thus, examining relationship factors and sleep may help identify targets for improving health.
Quantitative Imaging of Prostate: Scope and Future Directions

MRI is the mainstay in imaging of prostate cancer. Currently the interpretation of MRI is entirely qualitative based on visual assessment of images. While the first version of PI-RADS gave some weightage to quantitative analysis of MR spectroscopy (MRS), the second version has removed MRS and recommends visual inspection of all acquired sequences. This decision stems from the tacit understanding that quantification in MRI is technically challenging, time consuming and cannot be available or feasible at all scanners.While quantification in MRI is difficult, there are some benefits to moving towards a more quantitative assesment. This chapter discusses the scope and future directions of quantitative imaging of prostate.
Creating Significant Learning Outcomes in Criminal Justice Courses: A Classroom Activity to Encourage Reflexivity and Empathetic Thinking

The experiences and discourses within a college classroom can have meaningful and lasting influences on students. In this article, we present and analyze student reactions to a Criminal Activities ...
The small molecule BI-2852 induces a nonfunctional dimer of KRAS.

In Kessler et al. (1), the small molecule BI-2852 is shown to bind—at nanomolar affinity—to KRAS between switch I and II, inhibiting interactions with effectors. Here, we identify an alternative explanation for the inhibitory activity. While investigating the BI-2852 KRAS complex (Protein Data Bank [PDB] code 6GJ8), we noticed, by revealing the molecules in the neighboring unit cell, BI-2852 induces a KRAS dimer with rotational symmetry. This dimer complex consists of four molecules (two of BI-2852 and two of KRAS; Fig. 1 A ). Fig. 1. Dimer of KRAS with BI-2852. ( A ) Cartoon of BI-2852 KRAS dimer. Lig1 (cyan) and Lig2 (magenta) interact with both Ras1 (beige) and Ras2 (orange). ( B ) KRAS (ribbons) and key side chains are shown. ( C ) Zoom-in of the binding site: salt–bridge interactions shown (dashed lines). ( D ) Lid (green) and Basin (purple) are indicated on Ras1. Both Lig1 and Lig2 are shown on Ras1. The indole rings, colored green and purple, engage the Lid and Basin, respectively. ( E ) Absorbance A 280 plotted as a function of elution volume: … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: trent.balius{at}nih.gov. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Use of Medium Chain Fatty Acids To Mitigate Salmonella Typhimurium (ATCC 14028) on Dry Pet Food Kibbles.

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the antimicrobial effects of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) against Salmonella Typhimurium (ATCC 14028) when used on dry dog food kibbles. The MIC of three MCFAs, caproic (C6), caprylic (C8), and capric (C10), was determined using the broth micro- and macrodilution assay technique. Using canola oil as a fat coating, the efficacy of each MCFA was then tested on dry dog food kibbles at 37°C for up to 5 h. The MIC was found to be 0.3125, 0.3125, and 0.625% for C6, C8, and C10, respectively. When the MCFAs were tested on fat-coated dry kibbles, all three MCFAs reduced (P ≤ 0.05) Salmonella levels by >4.5 log after 5 h when the Salmonella recovery from a no-treatment control was ∼6.4 log. At each evaluation time point, the three treatments were effective in reducing (P ≤ 0.05) Salmonella loads. No countable colonies of Salmonella were detected at 4 h when the combination of C6+C8 was used on the kibbles (P ≤ 0.05), whereas with the C6+C10 combination, the Salmonella colonies were not detectable between 2 and 4 h after treatments (P ≤ 0.05). Different combinations of C8 and C10 caused Salmonella to drop to a nondetectable limit (1 CFU/g) between 1 and 5 h after treatment (P ≤ 0.05). This study suggests that the use of MCFAs during kibble coating may mitigate postprocessing Salmonella recontamination on dry dog food kibbles. HIGHLIGHTS
Characterization of weakly hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER- negative breast cancer (BC) and current treatment strategies.

e12621Background: HR and HER2 status is critical for determining initial management of BC. Current guidelines define estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR)+ as ≥1%. Previous reports ...
Surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy: Outcomes of a tailored surgical approach.

OBJECTIVE To assess outcomes of concomitant ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with preoperative AF undergoing septal myectomy for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. METHODS From 2005 to 2016, 67 patients underwent concomitant ablation for AF and septal myectomy and had a follow-up beyond a 3-month blanking period. Ablation strategy (pulmonary vein isolation [PVI], modified Cox-maze III [CM-III], or Cox-maze IV [CM-IV]) was tailored to preoperative AF burden, with high AF burden defined as persistent AF or need for cardioversion. AF recurrence was analyzed as a time-related event and predictors of recurrence identified using a random forest methodology. RESULTS A total of 38 patients (57%) had low AF burden and 29 (43%) high burden. Patients with low AF burden most frequently underwent PVI (68%). Patients with high AF burden more frequently underwent CM-III (62%) or CM-IV (35%). Besides the preoperative AF burden, baseline characteristics were similar between patients receiving CM-III, CM-IV, and PVI. After surgery, the maximum provoked left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) gradient decreased from 99 ± 34 to 18 ± 11mm Hg (P < .001). Eight patients (12%) required a permanent pacemaker. Cumulative AF recurrence at 1, 2, and 5 years was 11%, 22%, and 48%, respectively. Age, low preoperative resting LVOT gradient, and large left atrial diameter were predictors of AF recurrence. CONCLUSIONS Surgical outcomes of concomitant ablation for AF and septal myectomy are good, although recurrence of AF by 5 years is frequent.
Designing multi-tier, multi-service-level, and multi-modal last-mile distribution networks for omni-channel operations

Abstract The fast and dynamic evolution of e-retailing is driving structural changes in the way companies are reaching the urban consumer. Companies are offering faster delivery services, deploying collection-and-delivery points and multi-echelon distribution networks with a range of facility types, diversifying last-mile transportation modes with new types of vehicles and contracting third-party and crowd-sourcing-based transportation. In this paper, we propose an integrated modeling framework for strategic last-mile design of three-tiered multi-modal networks in omni-channel environment, with customer demand differentiated according to multiple time-differentiated delivery services and multiple product-exchange alternatives. In order to apply this framework in a large-scale demand setting and capture the granularity of customer demand and distribution network features, we extend the route cost estimation formulae from the literature and incorporate them in a three-echelon capacitated location-routing problem that optimizes the configuration of distribution networks in an integrated way. Through a number of numerical experiments, we show the impact of the diversified customer demand and the novel distribution network features on the overall network performance and demonstrate the economic benefit of an integrated approach. A real-world case study, inspired by the ongoing operations of a major omni-channel retailer in Sao Paulo, Brazil, serves to illustrate the real-world impact of our work.
Target Tracking in the Presence of Intermittent Measurements by a Network of Mobile Cameras

A controller, estimator, and predictor framework is developed for tracking a moving target using a network of mobile cameras, with non-overlapping fields-of-views and operating regions. Using a Lyapunov-based switched systems approach, the proposed framework is proven to be robust to intermittent feedback, and estimates of the target’s pose and motion model are proven to remain bounded, provided that minimum and maximum dwell-time conditions are satisfied (i.e., minimum time the target must be observed and maximum time the target may be unobserved, respectively). This framework allows for teams of cooperative agents to track a moving target in complex environments, while increasing the effective target tracking area and guaranteeing tracking performance.
A National Survey on Patient Provider Agreements When Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain.

Many national guidelines recommend the use of patient provider agreements (PPAs) when prescribing opioids for chronic pain. There are no standards for PPA content, readability, or administration processes. Conduct a national survey of providers who use PPAs to describe the process of administering them, assess views on their utility, and obtain PPAs to evaluate thematic content and readability. Cross-sectional electronic survey and request for PPAs. Registrants for the Safer/Competent Opioid Prescribing Education (SCOPE of Pain) Program between March 2013 and June 2017. Respondents’ reports on how PPAs are administered and views on their usefulness. A sample of PPAs assessed for themes and readability. Using a convenience sample of 62,530 SCOPE of Pain registrants, we obtained a cohort of 430 individuals from 43 states who use PPAs. The majority of respondents worked in primary care (64%) and pain (18%) specialties. Reviewing PPAs with patients was primarily done by prescribers (80%), and the average perceived time to administer PPAs was 13 min. Although 66% of respondents thought PPAs were “often” or “always” worth the effort, only 28% considered them “often” or “always” effective in reducing opioid misuse. The PPA reading burden surpassed recommended patient education standards, with only 2.5% at or below fifth-grade reading level. PPAs focused more on rules and consequences of patients’ non-compliance than on a shared treatment plan. Most respondents perceive patient provider agreements (PPAs) as time-consuming and minimally effective in reducing opioid misuse yet still view them as valuable. PPAs are written far above recommended reading levels and serve primarily to convey consequences of non-compliance. Because PPAs are recommended by national safer opioid prescribing guidelines as a risk mitigation strategy, it would be beneficial to develop a standard PPA and study its effectiveness.
Drug-Drug Interactions: Protean Manifestations

Clinicians and clinical investigators have sometimes assumed that an interaction between drugs occurs through one specific, discrete mechanism, such as displacement of a drug from plasma protein binding sites by an interacting drug or by inhibition of the metabolism of one drug by another. While this may sometimes be true, more detailed and accurate methods of pharmacokinetic analysis have suggested that drug-drug interactions may occur through several mechanisms. The final outcome will depend on the degree to which one mechanism or another is predominant. In a series of investigations assessing an interaction between a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent and two potentially interacting drugs, we had the opportunity to observe in detail the multiple ways by which the disposition of one drug can be altered by another.
Didymosphenia geminata in the Upper Esopus Creek: Current Status, Variability, and Controlling Factors.

In May of 2009, the bloom-forming diatom Didymosphenia geminata was first identified in the Upper Esopus Creek, a key tributary to the New York City water-supply and a popular recreational stream. The Upper Esopus receives supplemental flows from the Shandaken Portal, an underground aqueduct delivering waters from a nearby basin. The presence of D. geminata is a concern for the local economy, water supply, and aquatic ecosystem because nuisance blooms have been linked to degraded stream condition in other regions. Here we ascertain the extent and severity of the D. geminata invasion, determine the impact of supplemental flows from the Portal on D. geminata, and identify potential factors that may limit D. geminata in the watershed. Stream temperature, discharge, and water quality were characterized at select sites and periphyton samples were collected five times at 6 to 20 study sites between 2009 and 2010 to assess standing crop, diatom community structure, and density of D. geminata and all diatoms. Density of D. geminata ranged from 0–12 cells cm-2 at tributary sites, 0–781 cells cm-2 at sites upstream of the Portal, and 0–2,574 cells cm-2 at sites downstream of the Portal. Survey period and Portal (upstream or downstream) each significantly affected D. geminata cell density. In general, D. geminata was most abundant during the November 2009 and June 2010 surveys and at sites immediately downstream of the Portal. We found that D. geminata did not reach nuisance levels or strongly affect the periphyton community. Similarly, companion studies showed that local macroinvertebrate and fish communities were generally unaffected. A number of abiotic factors including variable flows and moderate levels of phosphorous and suspended sediment may limit blooms of D. geminata in this watershed.
The Defortification of the German City, 1689–1866

In the early modern period, all German cities were fortified places. Because contemporary jurists have defined 'city' as a coherent social body in a protected place, the urban environment had to be physically separate from the surrounding countryside. This separation was crucial to guaranteeing the city's commercial, political and legal privileges. Fortifications were therefore essential for any settlement to be termed a city. This book tells the story of German cities' metamorphoses from walled to de-fortified places between 1689 and 1866. Using a wealth of original sources, The Defortification of the German City, 1689–1866 discusses one of the most significant moments in the emergence of the modern city: the dramatic and often traumatic demolition of the city's centuries-old fortifications and the creation of the open city.
Assessment of Clinical Complete Response After Chemoradiation for Rectal Cancer with Digital Rectal Examination, Endoscopy, and MRI.

Over the past 30 years, multimodal therapy has emerged as the treatment of choice for rectal cancer. Standard management includes neoadjuvant chemoradiation with capecitabine or 5-fluorouracil and total mesorectal excision (TME), with adjuvant chemotherapy, including a fluoropyrimidine and oxaliplatin. A recent trend has emerged in which adjuvant chemotherapy is delivered as an induction before chemoradiation. 1–3 In spite of achieving impressive local control, this trimodal therapy is arduous, and many patients do not complete it, especially when chemotherapy is planned for postoperative administration. It is associated with short-term toxicity and long-term complications, and accompanied by significant alterations in quality of life. Strategies are emerging to lessen the intensity of treatment by either modifying the treatment schedule or removing either radiotherapy or surgery, thereby reducing morbidity and deleterious changes in patients’ quality of life while maintaining or even improving oncologic outcomes. One such strategy involves the elimination of the routine
Robust scheme for maximum torque control of induction motors

A new robust torque control algorithm for induction motors is suggested to obtain high performance as well as high efficiency, under direct torque control scheme. This algorithm has two stages. In the first stage maximum torque is achieved with optimal currents and voltages for any given speed, resulting in high efficiency. In the second stage, in the steady state, the controller corrects itself for stator resistance variations, thereby achieving robustness in the control scheme. The direct torque control implementation eliminates the need for vector transformations and results in a quick response making it suitable for a wide variety of applications such as electric vehicles (EYs). Simulation results show the performance of the proposed robust torque control scheme in response to high-speed demands and stator resistance variations.
Improving Detection of Metastatic Neuroblastoma in Bone Marrow Core Biopsies: A Proposed Immunohistochemical Approach.

Bone marrow (BM) nvolvement is common in stage 4/M neuroblastoma patients and profoundly impacts clinical decision-making and predicts outcomes, but to our knowledge no standard exists for immunohistochemical evaluation of staging BMs. We examined the use of three immuno-stains-synaptophysin, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), and PGP9.5-in detecting metastatic neuroblastoma in BM. We retrospectively selected 174 BM core biopsies from 41 neuroblastoma patients. Immunohistochemistry for synaptophysin, TH, and PGP9.5 was performed. These slides and the hematoxylin and eosin (HE TH, 77%-92%, κ = 0.481-0.788; and PGP9.5, 83%-90%, κ = 0.601-0.740) than for H&Es (77%-84%, κ = 0.434-0.572). Indeterminate interpretations were more frequent with H&Es (8.9%) and synaptophysin (6.0%) than with PGP9.5 (3.5%) or TH (3.3%). TH (76%) and PGP9.5 (70%) were the immunostains most likely to correctly resolve indeterminate H&E interpretation. Mean sensitivity among all three pathologists for detection of metastasis compared to the consensus diagnosis was 42.5% for H&E alone, 70.7% to 78.8% for H&E plus one immunostain, and 81.6% to 85% for H&E plus two immunostains. Immunohistochemistry enhanced sensitivity for tumor detection particularly dramatically in cases of prior chemotherapy. PGP9.5 and TH showed good interobserver agreement, fewer indeterminate interpretations, and resolved indeterminate H&E diagnoses at the highest frequencies. Therefore, we recommend H&E and two immunostains, specifically PGP9.5 and TH, for optimal detection of metastatic neuroblastoma in BM.
Late Events in T4 Bacteriophage Production. II. Giant Bacteriophages Contain Concatemers Generated by Recombination

Abstract Analysis of “giant” phage, which package concatenated DNA into their capsids, shows that they are predominantly heterozygous. The results are compatible with the hypothesis that concatemers are generated by recombination.
Role of spirituality and spiritual development in student life outside the classroom

Educating the whole student requires addressing spiritual development and is best accomplished through an integration of academic and student affairs.
AGU and American Geosciences Institute Webinar Series to Strengthen Departments

The AGU Education and Public Outreach department in collaboration with the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) are continuing their partnership to support Earth and space science departments through AGU's Heads and Chairs Program. Through this partnership, AGI's Workforce Program and AGU's education staff continue to host monthly, hour-long webinars and online discussions on various topics that hit at the heart of the health and success of Earth and space science departments. We invite department heads and chairs as well as faculty, administrators, and program directors to join in this unique free program.
Substituting redberry juniper for oat hay in lamb feedlot diets: Carcass characteristics, adipose tissue fatty acid composition, and sensory panel traits.

We hypothesized that ground juniper and dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) fed to lambs would have no negative effects on end products. Lambs were individually fed diets containing mainly sorghum grain and oat hay (control) or DDGS-based diets consisting mainly of DDGS, sorghum grain, and oat hay (0JUN), or 33% (33JUN), 66% (66JUN), or 100% (100JUN) of the hay replaced by juniper. Lambs fed control had greater (P 0.23). As juniper increased in the DDGS-based diets, HCW increased quadratically (P = 0.01) and LM fatty acid composition was altered. Feeding juniper did not negatively affect (P > 0.57) off-flavor in chops, but enhanced (linear, P < 0.05) juiciness, tenderness, and flavor intensity. Lambs fed diets with a combination of oat hay and ground juniper appeared to produce the most acceptable carcasses and lamb chops.
Observations of Two Colorado Thunderstorms by Means of a Zenith-Pointing Doppler Radar

Abstract A description is given of the distributions of radar reflectivity, mean Doppler velocity, vertical air velocity and Doppler-velocity variance in two thunderstorms over eastern Colorado. A zenith-pointing Doppler radar was used to obtain data at height intervals of 152 m. It is shown that the storms were composed of a series of turbulent updrafts, resembling those observed in hailstorms in southeastern Arizona. On the basis of similarities with thunderstorms observed elsewhere, it is speculated that the variable nature of the radar reflectivities and updrafts are a characteristic feature of most thunderstorms and that they contribute significantly to the highly variable nature of hail.
High-risk alcohol use after weight loss surgery

Abstract Background Bariatric or weight loss surgery (WLS) may alter alcohol metabolism resulting in a higher prevalence of problem drinking postoperatively. Few studies distinguish those who report improvements in drinking from those who report worsening behavior after surgery. The objective of this study was to characterize high-risk alcohol use before and after WLS and according to surgery type. Methods We interviewed patients before and annually after WLS. High-risk alcohol use as assessed via a modified version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption. Results Of 541 participants who underwent WLS, 375 (69% retention) completed the 1-year interview and 328 (63% retention) completed the 2-year interview. At 1 year, 13% reported high-risk drinking compared to 17% at baseline, P = .10; at year 2, 13% reported high-risk drinking compared to 15% at baseline, P = .39; 7% and 6% of patients, respectively, reported new high-risk drinking at 1- and 2-year follow-up. At both follow-up time points, more than half of those who reported high-risk drinking at baseline no longer did so. A larger proportion of gastric bypass patients (71%) reported amelioration in high-risk drinking than gastric banding (48%) at year 1, but this difference did not reach statistical significance ( P = .07); the difference largely dissipated by year 2 (50% versus 57%) . Conclusion Although 7% of patients report new high-risk alcohol use 1 year after WLS, more than half who reported high-risk alcohol use before surgery discontinued high-risk drinking.
Characterization Of Oligomeric Hematoporphyrin Tumoricidal Reagents For Photodynamic Therapy

The primary structure of the tumor-localizing component of Hematoporphyrin Derivative (HPD) has been shown by fast atom bombardment (FAB) mass spectrometry to consist of hematoporphyrin (HP)-based oligomers of up to five subunits with a general formula of nHP-(n-1)H2O. The nature of the covalent bond linking the porphyrin units has been probed by LiA1H4-reduction and by diazomethane-permethylation of the oligomer-containing fraction of the drug. Results suggest that both ether and ester groups are present and that the composition may be dependent on the shelf-life and the preparative method employed. Cell assay with HPD preparations enriched in ether or ester content indicates that variations of the linkage between porphyrin units have essentially no effect on the photodynamic activity.
Modal analysis of renewal models for spontaneous single neuron discharge

Three renewal process models of neural discharge were briefly discussed, and their modal properties were analyzed. Examples of numerical solutions for the p · d · f's of each model were presented, and they conformed with the analytical results, demonstrating that one of the models, Model 2, generates multimodal interresponse time p · d · f's. Several areas of comparison with real data were indicated.
Unobtrusive monitoring of the longitudinal evolution of in-home gait velocity data with applications to elder care

Gait velocity has repeatedly been shown to be an important indicator and predictor of both cognitive and physical function, especially in elderly. However, clinical gait assessments are conducted infrequently and cannot distinguish between abrupt changes in function and changes that occur more slowly over time. Collecting gait measurements continuously in-home has recently been proposed and validated to overcome these clinical limitations. In this paper, we describe the longitudinal analysis of in-home gait velocity collected unobtrusively from passive infrared motion sensors. We first describe a model for the probability density function of the in-home gait velocities. We then describe estimation of the evolution of the density function over time and report empirically determined algorithm parameters that have performed well over a wide variety of different gait velocity data. Finally, we demonstrate how this approach allows detection of significant events (abrupt changes in function) and slower changes over time in gait velocity data collected from a sample of two elderly subjects in the Intelligent Systems for Assessing Aging Changes (ISAAC) study.
The determination of gamma-aminobutyric acid in brain.

Abstract A simple method for the determination of γ-aminobutyric acid in brain tissue is described. Two columns of ion-exchange resin are used. An extract of rat brain is first passed through Amberlite CG-50, which removes basic amino acids and amines. The effluent from this column is then passed through a column of Dowex 50 buffered at pH 3.1. Elution from this column with pH 3.1 buffer removes other interfering amino acids from the resin. Good recoveries of GABA added alone, in a mixture of amino acids, or mixed with a true brain extract were obtained. Values of the GABA content of brain obtained by this method agree well with those reported in the literature.
Activity of the Agrobacterium Ti plasmid conjugal transfer regulator TraR is inhibited by the product of the traM gene

The Agrobacterium Ti plasmid tra regulon was previously found to be positively regulated by the TraR protein in the presence of a diffusible N-acyl homoserine lactone designated Agrobacterium autoinducer (AAI). TraR and AAI are similar to LuxR from Vibrio fischeri and the Vibrio autoinducer (VAI), which regulate target bioluminescence (lux) genes in a cell density-dependent manner. We now show that tra genes are also regulated by a second protein, designated TraM, which acts to antagonize TraR-dependent activation. The traM gene is closely linked to traR, and the two genes are transcribed convergently. The predicted TraM proteins of two different Ti plasmids are 77% identical but are not significantly similar to other protein sequences in the database, and thus TraM may represent a novel regulatory protein. Null mutations in traM cause strongly increased conjugation, tra gene transcription, and AAI production. A functional copy of traM introduced into traM mutants decreased conjugation, tra gene transcription, and AAI synthesis. TraM inhibits transcription of traA, traI, and traM. Although traM was first identified by its octopine-inducible promoter, we now show that induction by octopine requires traR, strongly suggesting that TraR is the direct traM activator.
Spectroscopy of hydrothermal reactions III: The water gas reaction, `hot spots', and formation of volatile salts of NCO from aqueous [NH3(CH2)nNH3]NO3(n = 2,3) at 720 K and 276 bar by T-jump FT-IR spectroscopy

Strongly exothermic reactions raise fundamental and practical questions about the use of hydrothermal reactions to destroy hazardous materials. The decomposition products of ethylenediammonium dinitrate, which is close to oxygen balance, are compared by IR spectroscopy after flash heating under 69-276 bar in Ar and in the presence of excess H2O and H2. The occurrence of the water-gas shift reaction was confirmed by changes in the CO/CO2 ratio. This reaction sets the final CO/CO2 ratio at the "freeze-out" temperature, whose magnitude (1300-1470 K) raises concern about potential formation of "hot spots" in the reaction stream should solid particles of the explosive exit. IR absorbances at 2168 and 2193 cm-1 are also observed when flash decomposition of the propylene homolog occurs in the presence of H2O. These absorbances lie in the range of the explosive fulminate group. It was found, however, that these absorbances result instead from vaporized H3O+NCO-and NH4+NCO- aggregates. Consequently, in addition to contributing to the water-gas shift reaction, H2O opens an isocyanate decomposition channel which has a minimal role without H2O.
A lower bound for finding predecessors in Yao's cell probe model

LetL be the set consisting of the firstq positive integers. We prove in this paper that there does not exist a data structure for representing an arbitrary subsetA ofL which uses poly (¦A¦) cells of memory (where each cell holdsc logq bits of information) and which the predecessor inA of an arbitraryx≦q can be determined by probing only a constant (independent ofq) number of cells. Actually our proof gives more: the theorem remains valid if this number is less thane log logq, that is D. E. Willard's algorithm [2] for finding the predecessor inO(log logq) time is optimal up to a constant factor.
Development of a low-volume, highly sensitive microimmunoassay using computational fluid dynamics-driven multiobjective optimization.

Immunoassays are one of the most versatile and widely performed biochemical assays and, given their selectivity and specificity, are used in both clinical and research settings. However, the high cost of reagents and relatively large sample volumes constrain the integration of immunoassays into many applications. Scaling the assay down within microfluidic devices can alleviate issues associated with reagent and sample consumption. However, in many cases, a new device is designed and empirically optimized for each specific analyte, a costly and time-consuming approach. In this paper, we report the development of a microfluidic bead-based immunoassay that, using antibody-coated microbeads, can potentially detect any analyte or combination of analytes for which antibody-coated microbeads can be generated. We also developed a computational reaction model and optimization algorithm that can be used to optimize the device for any analyte. We applied this technique to develop a low-volume IL-6 immunoassay with high sensitivity (358 fM, 10 pg/mL) and a large dynamic range (four orders of magnitude). This device design and optimization technique can be used to design assays for any protein with an available antibody and can be used with a large number of applications including biomarker discovery, temporal in vitro studies using a reduced number of cells and reagents, and analysis of scarce biological samples in animal studies and clinical research settings.