cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spatial modelling of evapotranspiration in the Luquillo experimental forest of Puerto Rico using remotely-sensed data

Actual evapotranspiration (aET) and related processes in tropical forests can explain 70% of the lateral global energy transport through latent heat, and therefore are very important in the redistribution of water on the Earth's surface [Mauser, M., Schadlich, S., 1998. Modelling the spatial distribution of evapotranspiration on different scales using remote sensing data. J. Hydrol. 212-213, 250-267]. Unfortunately, there are few spatial studies of these processes in tropical forests. This research integrates one Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) image and three Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images with a hydrological model [Granger, R.J., Gray, D.M., 1989. Evaporation from natural nonsaturated surfaces. J. Hydrol. 111, 21-29] to estimate the spatial pattern of aET over the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF) - a tropical forest in northeastern Puerto Rico - for the month of January, the only month that these remotely sensed images were acquired. The derived aETs ranged from 0 to 7.22 mm/day with a mean of 3.08 ± 1.35 mm/day which were comparable to other estimates. Simulated aET was highest in the low elevation forest and decreased progressively toward higher elevations. Because of differences in solar radiation at different elevations, aspects and topographic positions, aET tended to be higher on south slopes and along ridges than on north slopes and in valleys. In addition, the Bowen ratio (the ratio of sensible heat to latent heat) varied across different vegetation types and increased with elevation, thus reflecting differences in the distribution of net solar radiation incident on the earth's surface. Over a day, the highest simulated aET occurred at around noon. We also applied this model to simulate the average monthly aET over an entire year based on the cloud patterns derived from at least two MODIS images for each month. The highest simulated aET occurred in February and March and the lowest in May. These observations are consistent with long term data. The simulated values were compared with field measurements of the sap flow velocity of trees at different elevations and in different forest types. These comparisons had good agreement in the low elevation forest but only moderate agreement in the elfin forest at high elevations.
Dynamically scheduled VLIW processors

VLIW processors are viewed as an attractive way of achieving instruction-level parallelism because of their ability to issue multiple operations per cycle with relatively simple control logic. They are also perceived as being of limited interest as products because of the problem of object code compatibility across processors having different hardware latencies and varying levels of parallelism. The author introduces the concept of delayed split-issue and the dynamic scheduling hardware which, together, solve the compatibility problem for VLIW processors and, in fact, make it possible for such processors to use all of the interlocking and scoreboarding techniques that are known for superscalar processors. >
Quality varies across clinical practice guidelines for mammography screening in women aged 40-49 years as assessed by AGREE and AMSTAR instruments.

Abstract Objective To assess the quality of clinical practice guidelines providing recommendations on the frequency of mammography screening in asymptomatic, average-risk women 40–49 years of age. Study Design and Setting We searched the National Guideline Clearinghouse and MEDLINE for guidelines published from 2005 to 2010. Five independent assessors rated the quality of each guideline and its underlying evidence review using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) and Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) instruments, respectively. Results Eleven guidelines were appraised. Ten referenced an underlying evidence review; two referenced the same review. Three reviews were rated good, one was moderate, and five were rated poor quality. On overall assessment of the quality of the guidelines, two were strongly recommended, two were recommended with provisos, and seven were either not recommended or the assessors were unsure whether to recommend it. Most guidelines clearly presented their recommendations, but the rigor of development, applicability, and stakeholder involvement varied. Seven guidelines recommended mammography screening as part of a periodic health examination and four recommended individualized screening in the target population. The latter four guidelines were based on good-quality reviews and three were recommended by the assessors. Conclusion Guideline users need to be aware of the variability in quality and identify the high-quality guidelines that meet their needs.
Dioptine Moths of the Caribbean Region: Description of Two New Genera with Notes on Biology and Biogeography (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae: Dioptinae)

ABSTRACT Two new species of dioptine moths (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea: Notodontidae: Dioptinae) are described from the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, and placed in two new monobasic genera. These are the first records of subfamily Dioptinae in the Caribbean Region. Eremonidia mirifica new genus, new species, is a plesiotypic member of the tribe Dioptini, and Caribojosia youngi new genus, new species, is placed in the tribe Josiini. Both species are described from cloud forest habitats in the Sierra de Neiba (Dominican Republic and adjacent Haiti); E. mirifica is also known from similar habitats in the Cordillera Central (Dominican Republic). The larvae of C. youngi are described feeding on mature leaves of Passiflora sexflora Jussieu (Violales: Passifloraceae). Habitats, relationships, ecological associations, behavior, and conservation issues for these species are discussed.
The expression profile of C19MC microRNAs in primary human trophoblast cells and exosomes

The largest gene cluster of human microRNAs (miRNAs), the chromosome 19 miRNA cluster (C19MC), is exclusively expressed in the placenta and in undifferentiated cells. The precise expression pattern and function of C19MC members are unknown. We sought to profile the relative expression of C19MC miRNAs in primary human trophoblast (PHT) cells and exosomes. Using high-throughput profiling, confirmed by PCR, we found that C19MC miRNAs are among the most abundant miRNAs in term human trophoblasts. Hypoxic stress selectively reduced miR-520c-3p expression at certain time-points with no effect on other C19MC miRNAs. Similarly, differentiation in vitro had a negligible effect on C19MC miRNAs. We found that C19MC miRNAs are the predominant miRNA species expressed in exosomes released from PHT, resembling the profile of trophoblastic cellular miRNA. Predictably, we detected the similar levels of circulating C19MC miRNAs in the serum of healthy pregnant women at term and in women with pregnancies complicated by fetal growth restriction. Our data define the relative expression levels of C19MC miRNAs in trophoblasts and exosomes, and suggest that C19MC miRNAs function in placental-maternal signaling.
Why ser and not thr brokers catalysis in the trypsin fold.

Although Thr is equally represented as Ser in the human genome and as a nucleophile is as good as Ser, it is never found in the active site of the large family of trypsin-like proteases that utilize the Asp/His/Ser triad. The molecular basis of the preference of Ser over Thr in the trypsin fold was investigated with X-ray structures of the thrombin mutant S195T free and bound to an irreversible active site inhibitor. In the free form, the methyl group of T195 is oriented toward the incoming substrate in a conformation seemingly incompatible with productive binding. In the bound form, the side chain of T195 is reoriented for efficient substrate acylation without causing steric clash within the active site. Rapid kinetics prove that this change is due to selection of an active conformation from a preexisting ensemble of reactive and unreactive rotamers whose relative distribution determines the level of activity of the protease. Consistent with these observations, the S195T substitution is associated with a weak yet finite activity that allows identification of an unanticipated important role for S195 as the end point of allosteric transduction in the trypsin fold. The S195T mutation abrogates the Na(+)-dependent enhancement of catalytic activity in thrombin, activated protein C, and factor Xa and significantly weakens the physiologically important allosteric effects of thrombomodulin on thrombin and of cofactor Va on factor Xa. The evolutionary selection of Ser over Thr in trypsin-like proteases was therefore driven by the need for high catalytic activity and efficient allosteric regulation.
Preventive Ethics in the Management of Ophthalmic Genetic Disorders

OST OF MODERN medical practice M consists of identifying disease, deterioration, and disability and then attempting to ameliorate these ill effects. Only recently has medicine been equipped to turn greater attention to the prevention of debilitating conditions. Among the most powerful advances in prevention are genetic tools that permit the prediction of heritable and late-onset conditions (eg, macular degeneration and glaucoma). Some parents may engage in reproductive planning to prevent passing an increased risk of disease to their offspring; some patients may use information about their genetically based increased risk to engage in preventive behaviors, for example, being especially vigilant to detect early symptoms or avoiding environmental factors that may exacerbate or trigger the particular condition for which they are at risk. Gene therapy may soon offer an alternative approach to prevent or reduce the risk of many diseases. Ophthalmologists will increasingly be trained in and held responsible for understanding and educating patients about the genetics of eye diseases. They will be accountable for the diagnostic and predictive aspects of the genetics of eye conditions and related systemic manifestations as they pertain not only to their patients but to other family members. As concern about the genetics of disease becomes more thoroughly integrated into traditional and preventive medicine, ophthalmologists will increasingly face ethical concerns for which their current training may not have prepared them.
Numerical Simulations of Maritime Frontogenesis

Abstract A hydrostatic primitive equation model initialized in a highly baroclinically unstable state was used to simulate maritime cyclogenesis and frontogenesis. In order to identify boundary layer physical processes important in maritime frontogenesis, several different simulations were performed. In an effort to isolate impacts due solely to the boundary layer, moist processes were not included. An adiabatic and inviscid simulation provided the control for these experiments. Two different boundary layer parameterizations were used: a K-theory parameterization featuring Richardson-number-dependent eddy diffusivity and a second-order closure scheme with prognostic equations for the turbulence quantities. Results indicated that strong warm and cold fronts formed in the adiabatic and inviscid case but that the vertical motion fields were weak. In the K-theory simulation, the results were somewhat more realistic with stronger vertical motion. In both the K-theory and second-order closure simulations, the b...
Modeling Fen Hydrology to Inform Recovery of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly

AbstractIt is generally recognized that fens and the rare species they support can only be effectively managed and protected by treating them as part of a larger, connected groundwater system. However, this underlying groundwater system is often not well understood. In this research, a geographic information system (GIS)-enabled, hierarchical modeling approach was applied to simulate the multiscale groundwater flow systems for several critical habitat units of the endangered Hine’s emerald dragonfly (HED) in Michigan. In particular, models for six habitat units were developed and calibrated to static water level measurements. Reverse particle tracking was used to trace source water and delineate the groundwater contribution areas for the habitat units. The results reveal that the units obtain water from regional groundwater mounds through direct or cascading connections. The travel time for groundwater from the mounds to reach the habitat units varied between 25 days and almost 11 years. These findings su...
Gradient Projection Methods for Constrained Image-based Visual Servo

This chapter describes redundancy-based solutions to visual servo problems that require honoring constraints on camera motion that are imposed either by the environment or by physical limits on the robot system. The task function approach provides a formalism by which a secondary task can be achieved without disturbing the execution of the primary task. For problems considered here, secondary tasks correspond to enforcing various constraints. With gradient projection methods, the secondary task corresponds to the gradient of a cost function, and this gradient is projected onto the null space of the primary task to yield motions that will honor the constraints without interfering with the performance of the primary task. The chapter reprises the development of gradient projection methods in the context of constrained visual servo control, and presents simulation results to illustrate performance of the approach.
Glucose and insulin response in diabetic subjects: acute effect of carbohydrate level and the addition of soy polysaccharide in defined-formula diets

This single-meal pilot study compared the plasma glucose and serum insulin response to defined-formula diets with two levels of carbohydrate (CHO) (55% and 30% of the kilocalories) with and without added soy polysaccharide (10 g) in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Subjects received each of the four liquid-formula test meals in a randomly assigned order: 1) high CHO, low fiber (HC, LF), 2) high CHO, high fiber (HC, HF), 3) low CHO, low fiber (LC, LF), and 4) low CHO, high fiber (LC, HF). On the day of each test meal the formula was consumed, eight blood samples were drawn for plasma glucose and serum insulin measurements, and a 4-h urine collection was obtained for measuring glucose excretion. Our results showed that area increments under glucose and insulin curves were significantly lower with both low-CHO formulas (p less than 0.001). The addition of soy polysaccharide to the liquid formula did not result in statistically different area increments for glucose or insulin.
Chemical specificities and intestinal distributions of nutrient-driven satiety

We measured intakes of sham- and naturally feeding rats during gut perfusions of nutrients. Our objectives were to determine 1) which nutrient products in gut lumen suppressed intakes; 2) how suppression by various nutrients is distributed along gut; and 3) whether time courses of suppression were similar among different nutrients. We found that satiating nutrients consisted of fatty acids only longer than 10 carbons, of monomeric carbohydrates only with affinity for the glucose transporter, and, among several amino acids, of only phenylalanine and tryptophan. Dimeric maltose had about the same potency as an isocaloric mixture of longer glucose polymers; since responses to either were blocked by a glucosidase inhibitor, each probably acted after hydrolysis to free glucose. Effective nutrients suppressed intakes about equally on infusion into duodenum vs. midgut, and the same nutrients also suppressed intakes when infused into colon. Food intakes were suppressed only while maltose was infused, not after it was stopped, but suppression persisted for 2 h after stopping perfusions with fatty or amino acids.
When Memory “Sees Signs” and “Plays Games”: An Analysis of Two Sports Shoe Controversies

This article explores the interplay of collective memory and semiotics in two sports shoe controversies: The “Nike Air” and Adidas “JS Roundhouse Mids” affairs. It explores how two “memory communities”–Muslims and African Americans–successfully resisted objectionable corporate sports shoe products by playing “memory games.” Muslims accused Nike of inserting the sacred symbol for the word Allah on the heels of its sneakers, while African Americans accused Adidas of affixing shackles, a symbol of slavery, into its sneakers. The Nike controversy showed how Muslim groups used religious signifiers of the past to counter sacrilege in the present, while the Adidas controversy showed how African Americans used the negative memories of the past to resist an objectionable mass-market product in the present.
Determinants of body image in women at midlife.

40 middle-aged women, 35 to 55 yr. of age, participated in a study of the relation between satisfaction with body image, importance of body image, self-esteem, and mastery. Findings indicated that women with higher satisfaction with body-image tended to place more importance on body image. Those women also reported higher self-esteem and mastery of life events.
The Internet in Latin America: Development and Reference Sources

ABSTRACT This article chronicles the development of the Internet in Latin America and the evolution of reference and research information of use to scholars in the interdisciplinary field of Latin American Studies. It describes selected reference resources including public domain/open access and subscription databases, electronic journal aggregators and websites that provide full-text of historical materials, abstracts and citations to journal articles, books, dissertations and other academic resources, government information, statistics, and news.
Protein modification by adenine propenal.

Base propenals are products of the reaction of DNA with oxidants such as peroxynitrite and bleomycin. The most reactive base propenal, adenine propenal, is mutagenic in Escherichia coli and reacts with DNA to form covalent adducts; however, the reaction of adenine propenal with protein has not yet been investigated. A survey of the reaction of adenine propenal with amino acids revealed that lysine and cysteine form adducts, whereas histidine and arginine do not. Ne-Oxopropenyllysine, a lysine–lysine cross-link, and S-oxopropenyl cysteine are the major products. Comprehensive profiling of the reaction of adenine propenal with human serum albumin and the DNA repair protein, XPA, revealed that the only stable adduct is Ne-oxopropenyllysine. The most reactive sites for modification in human albumin are K190 and K351. Three sites of modification of XPA are in the DNA-binding domain, and two sites are subject to regulatory acetylation. Modification by adenine propenal dramatically reduces XPA’s ability to bind ...
PRACTICAL GEOCENTRIC ORBITS IN THE SUN-EARTH SPATIAL ELLIPTIC RESTRICTED THREE-BODY PROBLEM

This paper presents 14 new families of geocentric orbits in the Sun-Earth spatial elliptic three-body problem (ER3BP). The main driver for this study is the need to find practical geocentric orbits that remain within a bounded distance from Earth, thus allowing high data- rate communication while ensuring safe operational environment far from thermal perturbations and visual occultations as well as Earth's magnetic and radiation fields. The orbit characterization procedure is performed using a novel approach. Optimal initial conditions are found using niching genetic algorithms, which render global optimization while permitting several optimal or sub-optimal solutions to co-exist. This approach yields a diverse probing of the state- space of the ER3BP. Stability of the orbits is determined using the notion of practical stability. The effect of solar radiation pressure and the Moon's gravitational perturbation are simulated, showing that the orbits are not significantly affected. This feature implies that no station-keeping is required. Optimal direct transfer trajectories from Low Earth orbit are briefly examined, showing that insertion into the characterized orbits may be performed using modest energetic requirements.
218 COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY FEATURES OF PLACENTAL ABRUPTION FOLLOWING TRAUMA

Background Placental abruption is characterized by separation of the placenta from the uterus and may result in compromise of the vascular supply to the fetus. Trauma has been implicated as a major risk factor for abruption. Traditionally, the diagnosis of abruption has been made clinically. However, with increasing use of computed tomography (CT) in evaluation of pregnant patients in the setting of trauma, it is important to recognize the radiographic appearance of abruption to allow for accurate diagnosis and treatment. Methods We present the case of a 30 year-old gravida 1, para 0 female, pregnant at 36 weeks, managed at our institution following motor vehicle trauma. At initial presentation, the patient9s vital signs were stable and fetal heart tracings were within normal limits. Physical examination revealed a large periumbilical and right abdominal ecchymosis and tenderness to palpation in the right flank and abdomen. No vaginal bleeding was detected. Results Contrast-enhanced CT imaging of the abdomen demonstrated an intrauterine singleton pregnancy with absent enhancement of nearly three-fourths of the placenta consistent with abruption and devascularization. Injury to the right renal collecting system was also evident. Shortly after imaging, fetal heart tracings revealed repetitive late decelerations and decreased variability indicative of fetal distress. The patient underwent emergent Cesarian section that confirmed an abruption of 75% of the placenta and resulted in delivery of a viable, female infant. Conclusion Placental abruption may result in fetal distress and carries an increased risk following trauma. CT imaging may allow for recognition and evaluation of the extent of abruption even before it becomes clinically evident.
Augmenting the one-shot framework by additional constraints

The multistep one-shot method for design optimization problems has been successfully implemented for various applications. To this end, a slowly convergent primal fixed-point iteration of the state equation is augmented by an adjoint iteration and a corresponding preconditioned design update. In this paper we present a modification of the method that allows for additional equality constraints besides the usual state equation. A retardation analysis and the local convergence of the method in terms of necessary and sufficient conditions are given, which depend on key characteristics of the underlying problem and the quality of the utilized preconditioner.
The Need for a New Generation of Integrated Systems Software for Real-Time Applications

There is an increasing need for mission and safety critical (mask) computing applications. Some of the future mask applications will be large, long lived, complex, non-stop, remotely distributed, real-time, fault tolerant and expensive. Examples include the faa’s advanced automation system, nasa’s proposed manned missions to Mars, and dod’s needs for improved automated support for command, communications, control and intelligence. Such applications cannot be safely and affordably mapped to concepts and components of systems software that were not designed to support the life cycle of mask applications. Operating systems, database management systems, data communications systems, user interface systems and applications cannot be constructed with different paradigms and technology and then somehow be certified for collective use in hard real-time, safety critical environments. Issues such as distribution, fault tolerance and survivability, and non-stop operation further complicate these challenges.
Endoscopic Ultrasound Fine-Needle Aspiration Diagnosis of Synchronous Primary Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma and Effects on Staging and Resectability.

Synchronous primary pancreatic adenocarcinoma, defined as the simultaneous presence of 2 or more newly identified and anatomically separate primary adenocarcinomas within the pancreas, is reported rarely. We compared endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings from patients with synchronous primary pancreatic adenocarcinoma and their effects on cancer staging and treatment. We performed a retrospective analysis of the EUS database at the Mayo Clinic, from September 2008 through May 2016, to collect EUS, CT, MRI, and clinical data from patients with synchronous primary pancreatic adenocarcinoma. EUS and separate fine-needle aspiration of both tumors detected synchronous primary pancreatic adenocarcinoma in 11 patients (70.9 ± 10.4 y; 64% men). Of the 22 cancers, CT (n = 9) and MRI (n = 2) detected 9 (41%) cancers; in only 2 patients did CT detect both cancers. EUS increased cancer stage for 7 of the 11 (64%) patients and changed the status from resectable to unresectable for 3 of the 9 (33%) patients, compared with CT or MRI. EUS findings altered the likely extent of surgical resection for 3 patients. Synchronous primary pancreatic adenocarcinoma is reported rarely and may be undetected by CT or MRI; this could account for the false presumption of early tumor recurrence, rather than actual residual second tumor, leading to incomplete resection.
Do Parties Matter for Ethnic Violence? Evidence From India

Ethnic group conflict is among the most serious threats facing young democracies. In this paper, we investigate whether the partisanship of incumbent politicians affects the incidence and severity of local ethnic violence. Using a novel application of the regression-discontinuity design, we show that as-if random victory by candidates representing India's Congress party in close state assembly elections between 1962 and 2000 reduced Hindu–Muslim rioting. The effects are large. Simulations reveal that had Congress lost all close elections in this period, India would have experienced 11 percent more riots. Additional analyses suggest that Congress candidates' dependence on local Muslim votes, as well as apprehensions about religious polarization of the electorate in the event of riots breaking out, are what drive the observed effect. Our findings shed new light on parties' connection to ethnic conflict, the relevance of partisanship in developing states, and the puzzle of democratic consolidation in ethnically divided societies.
Energy optimization of water supply system scheduling: Novel MINLP model and efficient global optimization algorithm

This article is concerned with global optimization of water supply system scheduling with pump operations to minimize total energy cost. The scheduling problem is first formulated as a non-convex mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problem, accounting for flow rates in pipes, operation profiles of pumps, water levels of tanks, and customer demand. Binary variables denote on–off switch operations for pumps and flow directions in pipes, and nonlinear terms originate from characteristic functions for pumps and hydraulic functions for pipes. The proposed MINLP model is verified with EPANET, which is a leading software package for water distribution system modeling. We further develop a novel global optimization algorithm for solving the non-convex MINLP problem. To demonstrate the applicability of the proposed model and the efficiency of the tailored global optimization algorithm, we present results of two case studies with up to 4 tanks, 5 pumps, 5 check valves, and 21 pipes. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 62: 4277–4296, 2016
Further Evidence That the CFTR Variant c.2620-6T>C Is Benign

The c.2620-6T>C variant in the CFTR gene is a rare variant about which little is known. We present an asymptomatic adult who has this variant as well as the well described delta F508 pathogenic variant in transpresentation. This patient provides additional evidence that this is a benign polymorphism.
Problem-Based Learning in Engineering Ethics Courses

I describe the first stages of a process of design research in which I employ problem-based learning in a course in engineering ethics, which fulfills a requirement for students in engineering degree programs. The aim of the course is to foster development of particular cognitive skills contributing to moral imagination, a capacity to notice, respond to, and think about basic values in open-ended problem situations. In the course, groups of students develop their own problem situations based on their experience and expertise in engineering practice, then respond to those situations through a guided process of inquiry and problem solving designed to focus their attention on basic ethical values. I close with observations on the process of designing the course, laying the groundwork for subsequent formal assessment.
Gut microbiota linked to autoimmune uveitis.

Autoimmune uveitis is a group of intraocular inflammatory diseases that arise without known infectious etiology. Uveitis is one of the leading causes of blindness in the developed world and is responsible for up to 15% of severe visual handicap. The disease affects population of working age and has a significant impact on public health. Patients often show detectable immune responses to unique retinal proteins such as retinal arrestin and interphotoreceptor retinoid binding protein (IRBP), which are involved in visual function, and particular HLA haplotypes have been associated with disease, supporting the autoimmune nature (1). Although anecdotal evidence suggested a link between microbial infections and uveitis, our understanding of the etiology of disease, its driving mechanisms and treatment options are still limited. Animal models have been instrumental to advance our understanding on pathogenesis of uveitis. A ‘classic’ uveitis model in mice is referred as experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU), involving active immunization with IRBP in complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) that contains heat-killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis . Co-administration of bacterial adjuvants is required to activate innate immune cells and create the proinflammatory milieu to induce adaptive immune responses and to trigger the autoimmune effector pathway (1). However, unlike experimental diseases in the animal models, most cases of human autoimmune uveitis cannot be connected to an exposure of the immune system to ocular antigens that are present behind the blood retinal barrier. These target antigens in uveitis are sequestered inside the eye and are not expressed in the periphery (2), but retina-specific T cells that would recognize them must be activated to enter the eye to drive pathology in uveitis. This presents a paradox and raises a fundamental question: where and how do autoreactive T cells, that can recognize retinal antigens and trigger uveitis, first become activated?
Evidence-based application of sperm DNA fragmentation testing.

Very few disciplines of medicine have undergone significant and radical advances as reproductive medicine. Male infertility evaluation and treatment, only three decades ago, was in its most primitive form. With the introduction of ICSI, the treatment of male infertility has been revolutionized. However, the understanding and in depth evaluation of this disease has lagged behind the technical advances.
Current and future options for treating esophageal cancer: a paradigm shift toward organ-sparing therapies.

Current therapy for esophageal cancer is individualized according to the stage of the patient's disease, histologic condition, and physiologic reserve. We are now seeing significant differences in the therapies offered to patients with esophageal cancer, compared with therapies of a decade or two ago. Although surgical resection has been the mainstay of treatment for potentially curable disease since the early part of the 20th century, advances in nonsurgical therapies have arisen out of a need to treat the majority of patients with esophageal cancer, who do not have a surgical option because of cancer stage or comorbid illness. Concomitantly, better staging tools, such as fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography and endoscopic ultrasonography, have shown us that there are groups of patients in whom surgery constitutes undertreatment because of more advanced disease, and still other groups in whom surgery constitutes overtreatment because of limited disease. The following is a brief description of this departure from surgery as primary therapy for esophageal cancer. The ultimate direction is toward organ-sparing options in situations where that is appropriate.
Genome-wide Association Study Identifies a Regulatory Variant of RGMA Associated With Opioid Dependence in European Americans.

Abstract Background Opioid dependence (OD) is at epidemic levels in the United States. Genetic studies can provide insight into its biology. Methods We completed an OD genome-wide association study in 3058 opioid-exposed European Americans, 1290 of whom met criteria for a DSM-IV diagnosis of OD. Analysis used DSM-IV criterion count. Results By meta-analysis of four cohorts, Yale-Penn 1 (n = 1388), Yale-Penn 2 (n = 996), Yale-Penn 3 (n = 98), and SAGE (Study of Addiction: Genetics and Environment) (n = 576), we identified a variant on chromosome 15, rs12442183, near RGMA, associated with OD (p = 1.3 × 10−8). The association was also genome-wide significant in Yale-Penn 1 taken individually and nominally significant in two of the other three samples. The finding was further supported in a meta-analysis of all available opioid-exposed African Americans (n = 2014 [1106 meeting DSM-IV OD criteria]; p = 3.0 × 10−3) from three cohorts; there was nominal significance in two of these samples. Thus, of seven subsamples examined in two populations, one was genome-wide significant, and four of six were nominally (or nearly) significant. RGMA encodes repulsive guidance molecule A, which is a central nervous system axon guidance protein. Risk allele rs12442183*T was correlated with higher expression of a specific RGMA transcript variant in frontal cortex (p = 2 × 10−3). After chronic morphine injection, the homologous mouse gene (Rgma) was upregulated in C57BL/6J striatum. Coexpression analysis of 1301 brain samples revealed that RGMA messenger RNA expression was associated with that of four genes implicated in other psychiatric disorders, including GRIN1. Conclusions This is the first study to demonstrate an association of RGMA with OD. It provides a new lead into our understanding of OD pathophysiology.
Passive Radio-Frequency Energy Harvesting through Wireless Information Transmission

Passive radio-frequency (RF) energy harvesting collects the radiated energy from adjacent wireless information transmitters instead of using a dedicated wireless power source. In this paper, we investigate the scenario where a wireless transmitter communicates with its information receiver while intentionally focusing the radiated power to the RF energy harvesters. The wireless transceivers are equipped with multiple antennas, and each of the energy harvesters has one receive antenna. With an appropriate design of the transmit covariance matrix, the wireless transmitter transfers sufficient energy to the energy harvesters with a guarantee on the information rate to the communication receiver. When multiple RF energy harvesters are present, we address the trade-off between net energy harvesting rate and fairness with the dynamic of the energy harvesting network. Simulation results compare the algorithms and evaluate the performance of passive RF energy harvesting.
Quantification of DNA samples by Ethidium Bromide Spot Technique

Accurate and quick determination of DNA concentration is critical for the assembly of synthetic constructs, as well as a multitude of other experiments. We sought to optimize an under-utilized and inexpensive approach for determining DNA concentration: a spotting technique that uses the intercalating dye Ethidium Bromide. This technique does not require specialized equipment such as a spectrophotometer, but instead relies on visualization of dye-DNA complex fluorescence when excited by UV light. We modeled and tested a range of parameters for dye concentration and spot size, finding that 15uL spots with 1.0ug/mL Ethidium Bromide produced the most reliable standard curve. More importantly, we hope that our approach can help other labs optimize this protocol for their own experimental setup. Adoption of this technique may help enable development of iGEM teams in resource limited environments and laboratories which do not or cannot employ a satisfactory method for determining DNA concentration.
Should physicians intervene during childhood to prevent adult hypertension

Hypertension in adulthood is a major health problem, and drug treatment of hypertension is expensive and has adverse side effects. By the time that treatment of hypertension begins during adulthood, considerable damage may have already been done to the arterial system, to the left ventricle, and perhaps to other organs. Thus, from several points of view, prevention would be preferable to treatment. We can consider both the high-risk approach and the population approach during childhood for the prevention of adult hypertension. In the high-risk approach, we must first identify individual children who are at high risk and then intervene among them on a one-on-one basis. Identifying the future hypertensive is difficult because of large day-to-day variability in blood pressure during childhood, poor tracking of blood pressure from childhood to adulthood, and the current lack of good gene markers for hypertension. With the population approach, we do not need to identify high-risk children, but take steps among all children that will help prevent the development of hypertension in the entire population. At the present time, our best approach for the prevention of adult hypertension seems to be the population approach. We should make the usual diet, for all children, lower in sodium and fat and higher in potassium and calcium. This is effected by increasing their intake of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, which should become the basis of the diet, rather than high-fat meat and dairy products. Further, increasing strenuous physical activity in our children may help prevent the development of obesity. Finally, preventing the initiation of cigarette smoking and excess alcohol consumption will help in our efforts to prevent hypertension and its sequelae in the next generation of adults.
Some Basic Topological Notions

One often replaces a complicated function by another, simpler function that somehow approximates it and shares an important property of the original function. An allied idea is the notion of “deforming” one function into another: “perturbing” a function a bit may yield a new simpler function similar to the old one.
Dreams Money Can Buy

We have observed the institutionalization of distress as it reveals itself in several personal and social phenomena. These include the pathology of normalcy, the social breakdown of the mass society, the loss of personal reverence, the decline of the family and the neighborhood, the institutionalization of the value conflict, and the elaboration of the seven institutionalized Stressors. Throughout the preceding chapters, we have examined the extent to which certain degrees of normalized psychopathy have become a part of everyday life, as evidenced, for instance, in the character of various national heroes, spanning the outlaw of the wild frontier and the gangster of the modern metropolis.” From characters like P. T. Barnum to W. C. Fields, Ronald Reagan to Charles M. Keating, Jr., the social conditions fostering the attitude constitute the foundations of American pluralism. The readiness to cast aside the veneer of respectability, exemplified by Mark Twain’s advice to the uncertain, “When in doubt, tell the truth,” makes up an indispensable mark of the American national character.
Implicit and fractional-derivative operators in infinite networks of integer-order components

Abstract Complex engineering systems may be considered to be composed of a large number of simple components connected to each other in the form of a network. It is shown that, for some network configurations, the equivalent dynamic behavior of the system is governed by an implicit integro-differential operator even though the individual components themselves satisfy equations of integer order. The networks considered here are large trees and ladders with potential-driven flows and integer-order components in the branches. It has been known that in special cases the equivalent operator for the overall system in the time domain is a fractional-order derivative. In general, however, the operator is implicit without a known time-domain representation such as a fractional derivative would have, and can only be defined as a solution to an operator equation. These implicit operators, which are a generalization of commonly known fractional-order derivatives, should play an important role in the analysis and modeling of complex systems. This paper illustrates the manner in which they naturally arise in the modeling of integer-order networked systems.
Fama and Flamma: Goethe’s Sixth Roman Elegy rewrites Werther and the Latin Poets

ABSTRACTGoethe’s Sixth Roman Elegy reflects upon and transforms the works of the Latin poets Catullus, Virgil, and Propertius. At the same time, the poem revisits and revises key aspects of Goethe’...
Acute Management of an Abductor Digiti Minimi Strain in a Collegiate Baseball Player: A Case Study

The purposes of this disablement model case study was to describe the case of a collegiate baseball player suffering from an isolated abductor digiti minimi strain. Despite an initial decrease in function, the treating sports medicine staff was able to provide the necessary care to allow the patient to participate in the final games of his career. While the anatomy and function of abductor digiti minimi are well described in literature, there is no documentation of isolated abductor digiti minimi injuries. In this case, the patient injured the medial aspect of his hand when hitting a baseball. The patient experienced immediate pain along with the sensation of “tightening” throughout the hypothenar eminence. The following day the patient reported difficulty with sleeping and daily activities due to pain. Although fracture tests were negative, the patient exhibited significant weakness and pain with fifth finger abduction and flexion leading to physician referral. The team physician noted pain with active ulnar deviation in addition to previous symptoms. At this time the patient was diagnosed with an abductor digiti minimi strain. The patient stated that he was in his final season of competition and wished to continue participating with his team. The patient consented to a treatment plan involving local injection of lidocaine and bupivacaine along with compression via kinesiology tape. Using these methods, the patient was able to participate in the final two games of his career. Following the cessation of baseball activities, the patient noted he had no recurrent symptoms or complications from his injury. When prescribing treatment for patients in a competitive setting, it is paramount that clinicians take into account patient centered values. If there is no risk of significant, long term injury clinicians should attempt to provide patients with the means to participate in activities if they should desire.
Pension Funds with Automatic Enrollment Schemes : Lessons for Emerging Economies

Since the introduction of the KiwiSaver scheme in New Zealand in 2006, several countries have implemented, or are in the process of implementing, voluntary funded pension systems with automatic enrollment features. Since most of the literature has focused on countries with the common law tradition, including the United Kingdom and the United States, this note analyzes cases of countries with the civil code tradition, including Turkey, Poland, the Russian Federation, Chile, Brazil, and the Province of Quebec in Canada. This sample includes mostly emerging economies, with reforms at different stages, from those that have already been completed to those that are about to start discussions in their parliaments. Although they are not a substitute for necessary parametric reforms, automatic enrollment schemes offer the possibility of improvements in future retirement income for a significant part of the labor force. This note stresses that the paternalistic approach of automatic enrollment schemes imposes a great degree of responsibility on governments and requires careful consideration of the design of the system, including the industrial organization of the pension fund industry and default investment strategies. Sufficient time and resources for preparing communication and educational campaigns has played a key role in achieving high rates of participation.
Devastation and Celebration: Digging into Culinary Roots, Race, and Place

First paragraphs: If you don’t already follow Michael Twitty (@koshersoul on Twitter), you are missing out on reflections and extended commentary on his powerful and acclaimed book, The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South. On October 11, 2018, the author tweeted, “The Cooking Gene is a culinary Roots. I wanted other families in African America and the African Atlantic to see ways they could do similar work. I wanted to introduce my country to [its] Black Southern culinary heritage and West Africans to their cousins.” He clarifies, “My book is NOT a cookbook. It is a food memoir plus culinary history plus genealogical detective story with recipes. . . . 21 or so.” This concise meta-analysis allows details and treasures of the 425 pages of text, including a new afterword, to fall into sharper relief. Of his winding and comprehensive book, Twitty writes in the author’s note, “If it were possible to give a linear, orderly, soup to nuts version of my story or any of my family’s without resorting to genre gymnastics, I would have considered it. Instead, I am pleased with the journey as it has revealed itself to me” (p. 427). . . .
Envisioning Arti's 'Cadillac study' to assess aging trajectories in cancer survivors

The "Cadillac Study" was the term Arti Hurria, MD often used to articulate her vision of the optimal study to investigate the effects of cancer and its treatments on aging trajectories. In her opinion, this study needed to be designed for near-term clinical translation and have the ability to discern subpopulations of cancer survivors at greatest risk for poor outcomes. The purpose of this commentary is to describe, to the best of our knowledge, Arti's Cadillac Study based on personal conversations, group discussions, and her substantial portfolio of research. We describe the necessary study components of the Cadillac Study and discuss approaches to circumvent perceived barriers. In Arti's honor, our goal is to bring awareness and new perspectives to research on the aging consequences of cancer and cancer treatment to move the field forward.
Data-driven models in human neuroscience and neuroengineering

Discoveries in modern human neuroscience are increasingly driven by quantitative understanding of complex data. Data-intensive approaches to modeling have promise to dramatically advance our understanding of the brain and critically enable neuroengineering capabilities. In this review, we provide an accessible primer to modern modeling approaches and highlight recent data-driven discoveries in the domains of neuroimaging, single-neuron and neuronal population responses, and device neuroengineering. Further, we suggest that meaningful progress requires the community to tackle open challenges in the realms of model interpretability and generalizability, training pipelines of data-fluent human neuroscientists, and integrated consideration of data ethics.