cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preoperative chemoradiation in resectable pancreatic cancer.

Despite advancements in the field of surgical oncology, the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer still carries a grave and dismal prognosis. Surgery alone for adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head or uncinate process has a median survival time of 12 months. These grim statistics have led many to study the effects of combined multimodality therapy in the fight against pancreatic cancer. The long recovery time associated with pancreaticoduodenectomy has resulted in as many as 25% of patients unable to proceed with planned adjuvant therapy. For these reasons preoperative or neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (CRT) has been evaluated. Preoperative CRT ensures that all eligible patients receive the benefits of multimodality therapy, and patients who manifest metastatic disease on restaging evaluations are spared the morbidity of an unnecessary laparotomy. Multimodality therapy appears to lengthen the survival duration in patients with pancreatic cancer. It also affords a selection advantage, in that patients with aggressive disease biology with advanced metastatic disease following CRT are spared the morbidity of surgery. Conversely, a limited subset of patients may even be downstaged, allowing for a potentially curative resection. In this article we review the current status of neoadjuvant chemoradiation in adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. We discuss its rationale in light of the reported strengths and weaknesses of postoperative adjuvant CRT.
A Practical On-line Pacing Scheme at Edges of Small Buffer Networks

For the optical packet-switching routers to be widely deployed in the Internet, the size of packet buffers on routers has to be significantly small. Such small-buffer networks rely on traffic with low levels of burstiness to avoid buffer overflows and packet losses. We present a pacing system that proactively shapes traffic in the edge network to reduce burstiness. Our queue length based pacing uses an adaptive pacing on a single queue and paces traffic indiscriminately where deployed. In this work, we show through analysis and simulation that this pacing approach introduces a bounded delay and that it effectively reduces traffic burstiness. We also show that it can achieve higher throughput than end-system based pacing.
Role of Opioid Receptors in Incentive Contrast

A downshift from a more preferred to a less preferr ed incentive leads to a transient rejection of the lower incentive. This phenomenon, known as successive negative contrast (SNC), has been reported in studies with mammals, but not with fish, amphibi ans, or reptiles, all showing gradual adjustments to the new incentive conditions. It is assumed that an understanding of the brain systems involved in the onset of SNC in mammals will suggest likely bra in areas for a comparative analysis in nonmammalian vertebrates. Studies reviewed in this article show that opioid receptors are normally engaged during SNC, participate in the detection of the incentive downshift, play a role in SNC onset (delta receptors), and modulate recovery from SNC ( kappa receptors). However, opioid receptors do not seem to be involved in the consolidation of the downshift memory. These results suggest a relationship between the evolution of the opioid sy stem and the evolution of learning mechanisms involved in the adjustment to incentive downshifts in vertebrates. Most animals can be viewed as open systems in behavioral interaction with the environment to obtain resources important for t heir survival and reproductive success (sessile animals may be cited as exceptions , e.g., sponges). Such resources are called incentives and include food, fluids, she lter, nesting locations and materials, social companions, and others. Incentive s have both absolute and relative value. The absolute value of incentives is demonstrated by the basic instrumental conditioning procedure, according to w hich an animal modifies an existing response or acquires a new response when t hat response is followed by an incentive (Thorndike, 1911). The relative value of incentives is demonstrated when the behavior supported by an actual incentive depen ds on the value of past incentives experienced under similar conditions (El liott, 1928). Incentive relativity is the basis of a wide variety of phenomena grouped
Atom-cavity dynamics in the limit of ultraslow atomic decoherence

Summary form only given. An underlying premise of quantum computing is the preservation of system coherence over long time scales. Here, we report studies of atom-cavity dynamics wherein behavior observed is distinctively related to the ultraslow atomic decoherence found in one such system. In our experiment, the atomic decoherence time is four orders of magnitude longer than the empty-cavity lifetime, making the atomic coherence the longest-lived system parameter. The phenomenon we observe here may be loosely thought of as cavity-mediated self-driven optical nutation, i.e., optical nutation driven by the active atoms own coherent emission into the cavity mode.
Work in progress - teaching measured along two-dimensions: interpersonal rapport and teaching skill

Approximately 40% of those who begin college with the intention of undertaking engineering do not complete their programs of undergraduate studies indicating that in the case of engineering studies, a central problem is one of persistence. In these classrooms and lecture halls, faculty may, or may not, realize the critical role they play in a student's decision to persist in engineering studies. Undoubtedly, classroom dynamics may exert tremendous influence on students' academic persistence or willingness to sustain the necessary effort to excel in their subjects. In Seymour and Hewitt's book, the high attrition rates for science, math and engineering students is linked to the intimidating nature of the classroom, the dullness of the lecture model and inadequate faculty guidance. To test this previous research, we measure two aspects of effective teaching, interpersonal rapport and teaching skills, on self-efficacy and academic confidence. In the future research, we will build and test a structural equation model to show the relationship of these variables on student performance.
The link between individual expectations and savings: Do nursing home expectations matter? 1

Long-term care is an important issue facing older A mericans. Those who reach age 65 have a 40% chance of entering a nursing home, and about 10% of those who enter will stay there for at least five years. The costs of a stay are high with on average US$70,000 annually for a private room. Long-term stays in nursing homes are, therefore, not likely, but very expensive. In this paper, we examine individual expectations about future nursing home entry and st udy the relationship between these expectations and savings behavior, using data from the Health and Retirement Study. We find a clear relation between subjective expecta tions and probability of future nursing home entry, but no effect of these expectat ions on savings behavior for the majority of individuals. Only those with small posi tive non-housing wealth, which lies under the threshold for Medicaid eligibility, incre ase their savings rate in response to an increase in expectations. A plausible explanatio n for this might be that there is only little dissaving in order to qualify for Medicaid a nd that the fact that most respondents are old and live off a fixed income which makes it difficult for them to increase their savings enough to make a difference.
FUNDAMENTAL MECHANICAL LIMITATIONS ON THE VISUALIZATION OF ELASTICITY CONTRAST IN ELASTOGRAPHY

Elastography is a new ultrasonic imaging technique that produces images (elastograms) of the elastic properties of compliant tissue. The ultrasonically measured quantity is the normal strain component in the direction of the applied load, and the three normal components of stress may be estimated using the modified Love’s analytical models while assuming a value close to 0.5 (incompressible) for Poisson’s ratio. The distribution of Young’s moduli can thus be computed and displayed in the form of two dimensional images called elastograms. The analytical models used for the estimation of the three normal components of stress assume that the target is semi-infinite and homogeneous in composition. The objective of this paper is to determine some of the errors associated with the assumption of homogeneity of the target. Experiments using finite-element simulations were performed to study the efficiency with which elastograms display the contrast in the Young’s modulus of a lesion or target, with respect to its background under certain conditions. It was observed (using the definition of contrasttransfer efficiency of elastography as the ratio of the elasticity contrast as measured from an elastogram, to the true contrast), that elastograms were consistently efficient in quantitatively depicting the elasticity contrast of hard lesions; however, they showed suboptimal contrast-transfer efficiency in cases of soft lesions in a hard background. In general, elastograms are efficient in displaying the elasticity contrast of hard or soft lesions which have a low contrast level with respect to the surround, irrespective of their size and location.
Sketch-Based 3D-Shape Creation for Industrial Styling Design

While recent decades have seen significant progress in CAD software, current state of the art still appears insufficient when it comes to the styling design of products. This is evidenced by the fact that a-significant portion of early design activities such as concept development and style generation occurs almost exclusively in 2D environments - be it the traditional pen-and-paper environment or its digital equivalents. The authors describe a pen-based modeling system for the styling design of 3D objects. Their system is tailored toward the rapid and intuitive design of styling features such as free-form curves and surfaces. Basic wireframe and surfaces are constructed and modified using the strategy of curve creation, curve modification, surface creation, and finally surface modification
Twenty years of stand development in pure and mixed stands of Eucalyptus saligna and nitrogen-fixing Facaltaria moluccana

Abstract The vast majority of tropical tree plantations are monocultures, and only a few case studies have examined growth of mixed-species plantations. Mixtures that contain nitrogen (N)-fixing species may have the potential to increase overall plantation yields, but too few case studies are available to provide general insights. We extended previous measurements of 10 years of stand development in a mixed-species experiment in Hawaii through age 20 years. The plots had a constant total number of stems initially (2500 ha−1), but varying ratios of Eucalyptus saligna (Sm.) to nitrogen-fixing Facaltaria moluccana (Miquel) Barneby & Grimes (=Albizia Facaltaria (L.) Fosberg, and Paraserianthes Facaltaria (L.) I. Nielsen). Eucalyptus stem growth declined strongly in monocultures after age of 7 years, but showed no decline in mixtures. After 10 years of stand development, Eucalyptus stem mass was greatest in the monoculture, averaging about 155 Mg/ha (versus 140 Mg/ha in the 0.5 Facaltaria treatment); total (combined) stem mass for both species was almost twice as great in mixtures as in monocultures. By the age of 20 years, Eucalyptus stem mass was within a 20% range across treatments (260 Mg/ha), and total stem mass ranged up to 430 Mg/ha in the 0.75 Facaltaria treatment. Losses of stem mass from mortality were moderate for Eucalyptus between 18 and 20 years, averaging 20–25% of gross stem growth in mixed-species treatments, but 60% in the Eucalyptus monoculture. Mortality losses of stem mass were extremely high for Facaltaria in all plots, matching or exceeding gross stem growth from age 18 to 20 years. The size of individual Eucalyptus trees was much greater in the mixed plots than in the monoculture plots, so any short-term economic gain from the mixed-species plots may derive from larger tree sizes rather than from more wood mass per hectare. The longer term benefits of mixed plots may include the effects of Facaltaria on soil fertility and community diversity. Overall, these very large changes in ecosystem production in mixtures underscores the need for a large number of additional studies to examine other species combinations, sites, and silvicultural systems.
Kinetics of β‐Lactoglobulin Adsorption onto Stainless Steel Surfaces

Adsorption kinetics of β-lactoglobulin onto stainless steel at low concentrations were studied to determine adsorption rate constants for monolayer coverage. Experimental data obtained from a batch reactor were described quantitatively using a reversible adsorption model which becomes the Langmuir-type adsorption isotherm at equilibrium. The forward rate constant, k 1 , and backward rate constant, k 2 , were 10 5 mL g -1 min -1 and 5 × 10 -3 min -1 , respectively. A high-performance liquid chromatographic system using a stainless steel column packed with stainless steel particles (column adsorption reactor) was also used to measure adsorption with a step change of β-lactoglobulin solution. The difference in behavior of an adsorption and a desorption isotherm in this column adsorption reactor suggested surface denaturation of β-lactoglobulin after adsorption which was consistent with other research work. β-lactoglobulin adsorption in the column adsorption reactor was affected by volumetric flow rate and concentration up to 4 mL min -1 and 100 μg mL -1 , respectively.
The Pitfalls of Dealing with Witnesses in Public Corruption Prosecutions

Public corruption cases are, at their core, about intent, whether an official acted corruptly in accepting a benefit and whether the payer sought to influence or reward the exercise of governmental authority. Prosecutions in this field often revolve around the testimony of cooperating witnesses who can explain the reason for the offer of money or some other benefit, and the attitude and viewpoint of the official who accepted it. For the defendant, especially an elected official, there will be a powerful urge to testify to explain to a jury why the person acted in a way that triggered criminal charges. When a public official is accused of corruption, testifying at trial may well be the one - and perhaps final - chance to save a career.Given the importance of testimony about intent, the role of witness preparation will be prominent in the public corruption trial. The professional responsibility rules say little about that process of witness preparation beyond prohibiting a lawyer from offering false evidence. Witness preparation is not only accepted, but even viewed as necessary in the representation of a client. Yet, there comes a point when the preparation can slide into creating evidence, but where is that line. Moreover, even if the preparation is acceptable, how should a lawyer react when the witness - whether a cooperator or the defendant - adds details or embellishes a story to strengthen the presentation of the case. In this short essay, I raise the question of how the lawyer should respond when the rules of the profession tell us so little about what is and is not permissible.
The Development of a Sound Quality-Based End-of-Line Inspection System for Powered Seat Adjusters

In recent years, the perceived quality of powered seat adjusters based on their sound during operation has become a primary concern for vehicle and seat manufacturers. Historical noise targets based on overall dB(A) at the occupant’s ear have consistently proved inadequate as a measure of the sound quality of a seat adjuster. Significant effort has been devoted to develop alternative sound quality metrics that can truly discriminate between “good” and “bad” seat adjusters. These new metrics have been successfully applied for some years by product development engineers in test labs. However, in the assembly plant the sound quality of the seat adjuster is still assessed subjectively by an operator at the end of the assembly line. The main problem with this approach is not only the lack of consistency and repeatability across large samples of seat tracks, but also the fact that the only feedback provided from the end-of-line to the product development team is of subjective nature. This subjective information is of little help for the engineers who have to diagnose and remedy the problem. Additionally, since sound quality has become one of the main reasons for rejection at the end of the assembly line, there is the need for integrating sound quality performance checks with the standard quality control or functional checks in the manufacturing environment. Therefore, the new challenge for the seat adjuster manufacturer is to implement at the end of the assembly line an automated Sound Quality-based inspection system that relies exclusively on objective parameters. The authors of this paper have devoted a lot of effort toward developing such a system, and this paper will describe and discuss the main issues related to its design, implementation and validation.
The Role of Personally Transformative Learning in Leadership Development: A Case Study

This study examined if personally transformative learning (PTL) experienced during a month-long executive education program enhanced leaders’ ability to generate positive individual and organizatio...
Perinatal Predictors of Duration and Cost of Hospitalization for Premature Infants

The duration and cost of intensive care for premature infants are important concerns for parents and health providers. We developed a mathematical model to predict length of stay and hospital charges from perinatal information. Length of stay was found to decrease exponentially with gestational age. The equation predicted the length of stay within 10 days in 86% of the cases and had an R2 = .765. Gestational age, the presence of respiratory distress syndrome, and pneumonia were the strongest predictors of hospital charges (R2 = .811). The gestational age threshold below which length and cost of hospitalization were significantly higher was 34 weeks.
A portable, battery-powered wireless monitoring system with localized data analysis

We have developed a portable, low-cost, and battery-powered wireless monitoring system that is capable of measuring multiple physiological parameters simultaneously from many subjects. The wireless communication of data is based on a commercially-available mote known as Tmote Sky. The star network topology (SNT) is used to collect data from many patients via multiple motes. We developed application protocol software to facilitate communications between the monitor terminal and multiple motes. Based on the standard specifications of the mote, the SNT strategy, and the application protocol software design, a single mote can support up to 6 electrocardiogram signals with a sampling rate of 200 Hz. This capability facilitates affordable wireless monitoring of multiple physiologic signals from many subjects; its application is especially attractive for monitoring subjects in nursing homes, battlefields, and disaster scenarios.
Postdiagnosis C-Reactive Protein and Breast Cancer Survivorship: Findings from the WHEL Study

Background: Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker of acute inflammatory response and has been associated with health outcomes in some studies. Inflammation and immune response may have potential prognostic implications for breast cancer survivors. Methods: The Women's Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) Study includes 2919 early stage breast cancer survivors with serum collected 2 years post-diagnosis and follow-up for clinical outcomes over approximately 7 years. CRP concentrations were measured using high-sensitivity electrochemiluminescence assay. Outcomes, including all-cause mortality, breast cancer-specific mortality, and additional breast cancer events were oncologist verified from medical records and death certificates. Cox proportional hazards models were conducted with adjustment for potential confounding factors to generate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: CRP concentrations in women diagnosed with breast cancer were associated with death due to any cause, death due to breast cancer, and additional breast cancer events, after adjustment for sociodemographic and cancer characteristics (lnCRP: P 10.0 mg/L v 10 mg/L) may be an important independent biomarker for long-term survival in breast cancer survivors. Impact: Interventions to decrease circulating CRP concentrations in breast cancer survivors with acute inflammation may improve prognosis.
Investigation of the Effect of Protein Oxidation Upon the Lipid-Binding Activity of the Cerebroside-Sulfate Activator Protein (Saposin B)

The cerebroside-sulfate activator (CSact or Saposin B) protein is a multifunctional lipid-binding protein that is required for efficient metabolism of some brain membrane lipids. Deficiency of the protein leads to a lethal form of metachromatic leukodystrophy due to a disruption in sulfatide metabolism and demyelination. The porcine protein, whose primary structure has been solved [Stevens R.L., Faull K.F., Conklin K.A., Green B.N. and Fluharty A.L. (1993), Biochemistry 32, 4051–4059], contains seven methionine residues which are apparently susceptible to oxidation as revealed by electrospray mass spectrometry of isolated protein.
Gender Differences in Wear Rates for 28- vs 32-mm Ceramic Femoral Heads on Modern Highly Cross-linked Polyethylene at Midterm Follow-Up in Young Patients Undergoing Total Hip Arthroplasty

Abstract Background We report on the midterm linear and volumetric wear of highly cross-linked polyethylene (HXLPE) and survivorship of 2 prospective young total hip arthroplasty (THA) cohorts that differed by the size of ceramic femoral head used: 28 vs 32 mm. Methods We prospectively analyzed 220 consecutive primary THAs in patients aged ≤50 years who received a cementless THA with a ceramic femoral head on HXLPE liner (C-HXLPE). There were 101 patients (46%) with 28-mm heads and 119 patients (54%) who received 32-mm heads at a mean follow-up of 5.5 years (range, 60-109 months). Wear was calculated using Martell Software. Results The 28-mm C-HXLPE cohort demonstrated average linear and volumetric wear of 0.020 mm/y (standard deviation [SD], 0.074; 95% CI, 0.003-0.037) and 18.775 mm 3 /y (SD, 21.743; 95% CI, 13.773-23.778) compared with 0.032 mm/y (SD, 0.087; 95% CI, 0.013-0.050]) and 29.847 mm 3 /y (SD, 35.441; 95% CI, 22.294-37.401) in the 32-mm C-HXLPE group. Subgroup analysis by gender and head size discovered significantly greater wear in females with 32-mm heads compared with 28-mm heads in both linear (0.01, 95% CI = −0.014 to 0.033 vs 0.048, 95% CI = 0.022-0.074 mm/y, P = .004) and volumetric wear (14.11, 95% CI = 8.957-19.271] vs 29.71, 95% CI = 17.584-41.840] mm 3 /y, P = .009). We found a 96% (95% CI = 92.30%-97.94%]) survivorship by Kaplan-Meier analysis at minimum 5 years with no failures because of osteolysis. Conclusions Ceramic on HXLPE demonstrates extremely low wear properties in young patients at midterm follow-up. We identified a gender-dependent difference in wear based on head size, with 32-mm heads being associated with increased wear in females.
The Most Critical Issue Facing Tax Administration Today -- And What to Do About It

This very brief paper contains the text of the keynote address delivered on June 19, 2014 to a research conference in Washington, DC on "Advancing Tax Administration," co-sponsored by the IRS and the Tax Policy Center. It describes a way for the IRS to stabilize its reputation with Congress and the public in view of the agency's troubles in administering the EO tax laws.
Abstract 2831: Ornithine decarboxylase polymorphisms and risk of colorectal adenoma:

Introduction: In a recent randomized trial the combination of difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) and the NSAID sulindac was remarkably effective in reducing the risk of colorectal adenoma recurrence. DFMO is a specific inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), which catalyzes the first step in polyamine synthesis. ODC and polyamines, which regulate cell growth and survival, have long been associated with colon carcinogenesis. In previous studies a SNP in the ODC promoter region was associated with risk of adenoma and response to aspirin treatment. The objective of this research was to perform a more comprehensive investigation of the association of adenoma risk with common genetic variation across the entire ODC gene, including potential upstream and downstream regulatory regions. Methods: We investigated the association between genetic variation in the ODC gene and risk of adenoma recurrence among a cohort of 920 participants in the Aspirin/Folate Polyp Prevention Study. Using the Sequenom platform, we genotyped 29 SNPs within a 23kb region. Generalized linear regression was used to compute relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) adjusted for age and gender. Interactions terms were used to test whether ODC genotype modified the protective effect of aspirin treatment. Results: As gene frequencies for 26 of the 29 SNPs varied significantly by race/ethnicity, analyses were limited to whites only (86%). There were 7 SNPs associated with increased risk and 3 with decreased risk of adenoma recurrence (see table). In addition, at least three SNPs without any main effect modified the effect of aspirin treatment: rs1405948 (P for interaction=0.048), rs28362422 (P=0.043), and rs4669584 (P=0.050). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that common genetic variation throughout the ODC gene and adjacent regulatory regions influence risk of adenoma recurrence as well as efficacy of aspirin treatment. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2831.
Studies on catalytic properties of purified high molecular weight pancreatic lipase.

SummaryThe properties of the 500-fold purified high-molecular-weight lipase have been studied. The rate of hydrolysis of the triglycerides decreases with increasing fatty acid chain length. The lipolytic activity also increases with increase in unsaturation in the fatty acyl moiety. Diglycerides are hydro-lyzed at more than twice the rate for triglycerides while monoglycerides are not hydro-lyzed. Methyl esters are generally hydrolyzed at a higher rate which increases with increasing chain length of the fatty acid but the enzyme does not act on phospholipids. Emulsifying agents such as Tween 20, gum arabic, and albumin increase the rate of hydrolysis. Metal ions such as Hg2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, and Fe2+ strongly inhibit the lipolytic activity of the high-molecular-weight lipase while Ca2+ or Mg2+ by themselves show no stimulating effect. Treatment of the high-molecular-weight lipase with P-chloromer-curybenzoate inhibits hydrolytic activity by 70 % while iodoacetic acid has no effect.
Developmental expression of human microsomal epoxide hydrolase.

Microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) is a critical biotransformation enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of a large number of epoxide intermediates, which arise frequently from the oxidation of pharmaceutical and environmental compounds by the cytochrome P450 mixed function oxygenase system. The enzyme mEH has been implicated directly as a key determinant of certain chemically initiated cancers and developmental toxicities. To evaluate mEH expression in human tissues and provide a framework for assessing the relative risk in the fetus to potential developmental toxins, in the current study, the authors characterized mEH in human tissues as a function of gestational age. Analyses included enzymatic activity determinations, immunochemical quantitation of protein levels and RNA hybridization assays. With respect to activity, hepatic mEH enzymatic levels were strongly correlated with increasing gestational age (r = .82, P < .001). Similarly, mEH activity levels in the liver were highly correlated with protein contents (r = .93, P < .001). However, mEH enzymatic activity in the fetal lung did not exhibit similar concordance nor did measured RNA levels appear to correlate with enzymatic activity levels in fetal or adult tissue samples. Of the fetal tissues surveyed, the liver and adrenal glands exhibited the highest levels of detectable mEH RNA, followed by the lung and kidney. These data suggest that post-transcriptional regulatory pathways may be important in determining constitutive levels of mEH functional activity and that fetuses during early gestation may be uniquely sensitive to the presentation of epoxide-containing xenobiotics compared with fetuses at later stages of development.
Autonomous Visual Navigation of an Indoor Environment Using a Parsimonious, Insect Inspired Familiarity Algorithm.

The navigation of bees and ants from hive to food and back has captivated people for more than a century. Recently, the Navigation by Scene Familiarity Hypothesis (NSFH) has been proposed as a parsimonious approach that is congruent with the limited neural elements of these insects’ brains. In the NSFH approach, an agent completes an initial training excursion, storing images along the way. To retrace the path, the agent scans the area and compares the current scenes to those previously experienced. By turning and moving to minimize the pixel-by-pixel differences between encountered and stored scenes, the agent is guided along the path without having memorized the sequence. An important premise of the NSFH is that the visual information of the environment is adequate to guide navigation without aliasing. Here we demonstrate that an image landscape of an indoor setting possesses ample navigational information. We produced a visual landscape of our laboratory and part of the adjoining corridor consisting of 2816 panoramic snapshots arranged in a grid at 12.7-cm centers. We show that pixel-by-pixel comparisons of these images yield robust translational and rotational visual information. We also produced a simple algorithm that tracks previously experienced routes within our lab based on an insect-inspired scene familiarity approach and demonstrate that adequate visual information exists for an agent to retrace complex training routes, including those where the path’s end is not visible from its origin. We used this landscape to systematically test the interplay of sensor morphology, angles of inspection, and similarity threshold with the recapitulation performance of the agent. Finally, we compared the relative information content and chance of aliasing within our visually rich laboratory landscape to scenes acquired from indoor corridors with more repetitive scenery.
Development and Performance of a Suprathermal Electron Spectrometer to Study Auroral Precipitations

The design, development, and performance of Medium-energy Electron SPectrometer (MESP), dedicated to the in situ observation of suprathermal electrons in the auroral ionosphere, are summarized in this paper. MESP employs a permanent magnet filter with a light tight structure to select electrons with proper energies guided to the detectors. A combination of two avalanche photodiodes and a large area solid-state detector (SSD) provided 46 total energy bins (1 keV resolution for 3−20 keV range for APDs, and 7 keV resolution for >20 keV range for SSDs). Multi-channel ultra-low power application-specific integrated circuits are also verified for the flight operation to read-out and analyze the detector signals. MESP was launched from Poker Flat Research Range on 3 March 2014 as a part of ground-to-rocket electrodynamics-electrons correlative experiment (GREECE) mission. MESP successfully measured the precipitating electrons from 3 to 120 keV in 120-ms time resolution and characterized the features of suprathermal distributions associated with auroral arcs throughout the flight. The measured electrons were showing the inverted-V type spectra, consistent with the past measurements. In addition, investigations of the suprathermal electron population indicated the existence of the energetic non-thermal distribution corresponding to the brightest aurora.
Evaluation and management of pain in children with rheumatic diseases.

SUMMARY The evaluation and management of pain in children with rheumatic diseases are still in the early stages of empirical development. Nevertheless, with the advent of the PPQ, systematic research efforts are now underway to develop the reliability and validity of the PPQ’s measurement characteristics for pediatric rheumatic diseases. With these developments, the inclusion of pediatric pain measurement as an essential outcome variable in controlled clinical trials should be advocated. The major points to be advocated by professionals who care for these children are (1) Children can accurately report their pain when age-appropriate measures are used; (2) pharmacologic treatment is not a sufficient condition for adequate pain management; (3) cognitive-behavior therapy techniques can facilitate children’s coping with “breakthrough” recurrent musculoskeletal pain with no known side effects; and (4) adequate pain control should be viewed as a quality assurance issue, considered as another indicator of the adequacy of pediatric health care.
An Illustrative History of Artificial Photosynthesis

Abstract This chapter presents a brief history of molecule-based artificial photosynthesis research. The emphasis is on early work on the subject beginning in the late 1970s, but the evolution of the field up through the present day is discussed. The main subjects covered are artificial reaction centres and photoinduced electron transfer, artificial photosynthetic antennas, mimicry of photosynthetic photoprotection and photoregulation and the construction of systems that couple these processes to the production of fuels.
Granulomatous hepatitis associated with Hepatozoon sp. meronts in a southern water snake (Nerodia fasciata pictiventris)

A wild-caught adult female southern water snake (Nerodia fasciata pictiventris) did poorly in captivity. A peripheral blood-film examination demonstrated numerous hemogregarines characterized as fusiform nondividing intraerythrocytic gametocytes. Xenodiagnostic typing in laboratory-reared mosquitoes demonstrated the parasite to be of the genus Hepatozoon. Gross and histopathologic examination of the liver demonstrated numerous granulomas centered on groups of one to six Hepatozoon sp. meronts, an unusual finding in naturally infected wild-caught snakes.
The invention of private life: literature and ideas, by Sudipta Kaviraj, New York, NY, Columbia University Press, 2015, 376 pp., US$30.00/£20.50 (paperback), ISBN 978-0-231-17439-8

If Dipesh Chakrabarty’s essay ‘Open space/public space: garbage, modernity and India’ (1991) had inaugurated the contemporary social scientific study of how people relate to public space in general...
WE‐H‐BRA‐04: Biological Geometries for the Monte Carlo Simulation Toolkit TOPASNBio

Purpose: New advances in radiation therapy are most likely to come from the complex interface of physics, chemistry and biology. Computational simulations offer a powerful tool for quantitatively investigating radiation interactions with biological tissue and can thus help bridge the gap between physics and biology. The aim of TOPAS-nBio is to provide a comprehensive tool to generate advanced radiobiology simulations. Methods: TOPAS wraps and extends the Geant4 Monte Carlo (MC) simulation toolkit. TOPAS-nBio is an extension to TOPAS which utilizes the physics processes in Geant4-DNA to model biological damage from very low energy secondary electrons. Specialized cell, organelle and molecular geometries were designed for the toolkit. Results: TOPAS-nBio gives the user the capability of simulating biological geometries, ranging from the micron-scale (e.g. cells and organelles) to complex nano-scale geometries (e.g. DNA and proteins). The user interacts with TOPAS-nBio through easy-to-use input parameter files. For example, in a simple cell simulation the user can specify the cell type and size as well as the type, number and size of included organelles. For more detailed nuclear simulations, the user can specify chromosome territories containing chromatin fiber loops, the later comprised of nucleosomes on a double helix. The chromatin fibers can be arranged in simple rigid geometries or within factual globules, mimicking realistic chromosome territories. TOPAS-nBio also provides users with the capability of reading protein data bank 3D structural files to simulate radiation damage to proteins or nucleic acids e.g. histones or RNA. TOPAS-nBio has been validated by comparing results to other track structure simulation software and published experimental measurements. Conclusion: TOPAS-nBio provides users with a comprehensive MC simulation tool for radiobiological simulations, giving users without advanced programming skills the ability to design and run complex simulations.
An Exploration of Mutation Status of Cancer Genes in Breast Cancers

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in US, and has the second highest mortality rate that accounts for about 25% of all cancer deaths. It has been recognized that genetic biomarkers for cancer are useful for estimating the cancer recurrence risk, and guiding targeted treatment of cancer. Since breast cancers carry a wide spectrum of gene mutations in their genomes, identification of these mutations would be promising in improving diagnosis and treatment of breast cancers. The rapid advances in Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology have generated a large amount of NGS data on breast cancer genomes that makes detection and application of mutant biomarkers for breast cancer a reality. This study performed a wide survey of mutation status of cancer genes in breast cancers based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) breast cancer data. Some frequently mutant genes in breast cancers were detected and analyzed.
Neurosurgical Emergencies in Sports Neurology.

Purpose of Review Athletic neurosurgical emergencies are injuries that can lead to mortality or significant morbidity and require immediate recognition and treatment. This review article discusses the epidemiology of sports-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) with an attempt to quantify the incidence of neurosurgical emergencies in sports. Emergencies such as intracranial hemorrhage, second impact syndrome, vascular injuries, and seizures are discussed.
Positive Criminology and Rethinking the Response to Adolescent Addiction: Evidence on the Role of Social Support, Religiosity, and Service to Others.

Adolescent addiction has emerged as a major public health problem. The greatest increase in alcohol and other drug use disorders can be found among youth. Concurrently, technological advances in policing coupled with aggressive prosecuting and sentencing practices have contributed to the growth of America’s correctional system. The assertive response of policing, courts, and corrections, however, have not prevented the dramatic rise of adolescent addiction. Unfortunately, there is no national data tracking addicted youth in the criminal justice system to evaluate what works when it comes to youth with addiction. This article reviews justice system responses to adolescent offenders with addiction, and promising approaches engaging juveniles in programmatic components of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). This study highlights the role of spirituality, service to others, and social support in maintaining sobriety, reducing arrests, and lowering recidivism for adolescents court-referred to treatment. Recommendations for improving the response to adolescent offenders with addiction are offered.
Vascular Access in the Pediatric Population

Vascular access procedures are an important and frequent component of the day-to-day practice of the pediatric surgeon. Most access procedures can be performed percutaneously via Seldinger or modified Seldinger technique and are aided by technology, such as ultrasound and fluoroscopy. Complications, such as infection, do occur, and the pediatric surgeon should be able to diagnose and treat these when they arise. The indications, techniques, and complications of vascular access are covered in this article.
The Value of Relevant, Project-Based Learning to Youth Development

Project Based Learning models present authentic learning opportunities with real-life situations, enabling students to set their own learning goals and forge their own relationships (Barab, et al., 2001). The autonomy inherent in this model allows youth to bring their skills and experiences to real situations and to be seen as valued community members. This article describes a project-based learning model involving “externs,” who developed and implemented sustainability projects in their communities. Externs worked with Cooperative Extension professionals on locally relevant community projects during the summer of 2011 in three Arizona counties. The project based learning experience had a positive impact on the lives of our three externs.
Peptides Derived from the CMV Proteome Mimic Unique Stem Cell Transplant Recipient Specific Peptides: Possible Role in Eliciting a Pro-Gvh T Cell Response

Stem cell transplant (SCT) recipients who develop human cytomegalovirus (hCMV) reactivation are at risk of developing graft versus host disease (GVHD). This may stem from immune cross reactivity (Figure 1) towards both pathogen-derived peptides and nearly identical recipient-derived alloreactive peptide minor histocompatibility antigens from SCT donor-recipient pairs (DRP). Whole exome sequencing was performed on 9 SCT DRP, and the resulting nucleotide sequences aligned and compared, identifying all the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) present in the recipient and absent in the donor. Alloreactive peptide libraries were compiled for each DRP (9-mer peptides) and HLA binding affinity calculated for relevant HLA (Front Immunol 2014). A library representing the hCMV proteome was generated from the NCBI Protein database and directly compared to libraries of recipient specific peptide-HLA complexes from the SCT D-R pairs. BLAST Protein sequence alignment was performed to interrogate each pair9s peptide-HLA complex library for matches with hCMV peptides, identifying CMV peptides with a 6/6-9/9 amino acid sequence matching to recipient peptides bound to HLA (IC50 Disclosures Buck:CHRB: Research Funding. Neale:CHRB: Research Funding.
Insomnia and Relationship With Immunosuppressant Therapy After Lung Transplantation.

Background:Lung transplant recipients are at high risk of developing sleep disorders such as insomnia, but the prevalence and features are currently poorly characterized within this population. Sin...
In situ dynamic TEM characterization of unsteady crystallization during laser processing of amorphous germanium

Abstract The unsteady propagation mechanism for the crystallization of amorphous germanium (a-Ge) was studied with in situ movie-mode dynamic transmission electron microscopy (MM-DTEM). Short laser pulses were used to heat sputter-deposited a-Ge films and the resulting crystallization process was imaged with up to 16 sequential 50 ns long electron pulses separated by a controlled delay that was varied between 0.5 and 5 μs The unsteady crystallization in the radial, net-growth direction was observed to occur at a decreasing rate of ∼1.5–0.2 m/s through a mechanism involving the formation of discrete ∼1.1 μm wide bands that grew with velocities of 9–12 m/s perpendicular to the radial direction and along the perimeter of the crystallized area. The crystallization rate and resulting microstructure were consistent with a liquid-mediated growth mechanism, which suggests that locally the band front reaches the amorphous melting temperature of Ge. A mechanism based on the notion of a critical temperature is proposed to explain the unsteady, banded behavior.
A Systematic Review of Surgical Management of Melanoma of the External Ear.

Background Historically, external ear melanomas have been treated aggressively, due to early perceptions suggesting they had poor prognosis and aggressive biological behavior. More recent evidence has not supported these notions. Methods We completed a complete review of the literature involving malignant melanoma of the external ear. We then completed a quantitative analysis on seventy-three cases from 8 reports that contained case-level data, assessing factors that influence recurrence, and assessing characteristics of the melanomas based on histological subtype. Baseline and outcomes data for all 20 studies were then compiled but not statistically evaluated. Results In our subanalysis, patients who had recurrence were significantly more likely to have had wedge resection versus wide-local excision, and those with no recurrence were more likely to have undergone wide local excision. Nodular tumors had significantly greater thickness. Overall, conservative excisions provided excellent outcomes. Conclusions Conservative treatment for external ear melanoma produces satisfactory outcomes. There is no evidence to support the use of radical amputation and little evidence to support the removal of cartilage or perichondrium. Sentinel lymph node biopsy is warranted only with positive nodes. There is no role for elective neck dissection. The roles for chemo/radiation therapy are unclear and guidelines for other cutaneous melanomas should be followed.
Revolution in Obstetrics: Pregnancy Nutrition

Doctors, nurses, and the people they help take care of have all seemed to develop their own particular, and at times unusual, views of how and what and how much pregnant women should eat. Over the past four decades, theories on feeding pregnant women have jumped from pushing red meat, to no meat, to starvation, and currently to a total reversal of the latter. In the past five years there has been a strong interest developing in all aspects of nutrition by the public and professionals alike. In many areas of medicine, this interest has raised more questions than there are answers available. In this short treatise, an attempt will be made to contrast the older ideas of the past decade, about some of the more common prenatal nutrition problems, to ideas that have sprung up recently. For more detailed information on these and some of the less common nutrition problems in pregnancy, references 1–4 are good general works to consult.
Murine models of lupus induced by hypomethylated T cells (DNA hypomethylation and lupus

CD4+ T cell DNA hypomethylation may contribute to the development of drug induced and idiopathic human lupus. Inhibiting DNA methylation in mature CD4+ T cells causes MHC-specific autoreactivity in vitro. The lupus-inducing drugs hydralazine and procainamide also inhibit T cell DNA methylation and induce autoreactivity, and T cells from patients with active lupus have hypomethylated DNA and a similarly autoreactive T cell subset. Further, T cells treated with DNA methylation inhibitors demethylate the same sequences that demethylate in T cells from patients with active lupus. The pathologic significance of the autoreactivity induced by inhibiting T cell DNA methylation has been tested by treating murine T cells in vitro with drugs which modify DNA methylation, then injecting the cells into syngeneic female mice. Mice receiving CD4+ T cells demethylated by a variety of agents including procainamide and hydralazine develop a lupus-like disease. Further, transgenic mice with an inducible T cell DNA methylation defect also develop lupus-like autoimmunity. This chapter describes the protocols for inducing autoreactivity in murine T cells in vitro and for inducing autoimmunity in vivo using an adoptive transfer approach or transgenic animal models.