cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Platelets for multiscale analysis in medical imaging

Describes the development and use of multiscale, platelet-based image reconstruction algorithms in medical imaging. Such algorithms are effective because platelets approximate images in certain (piecewise) smoothness classes significantly more efficiently than sinusoids, wavelets, or wedgelets. Platelet representations are especially well-suited to the analysis of Poisson data, unlike most other multiscale image representations, and they can be rapidly computed. We present a fast, platelet-based maximum penalized likelihood algorithm that encompasses denoising, deblurring, and tomographic reconstruction and its applications to photon-limited imaging. Platelet-based estimation techniques are applied to nuclear medicine data for denoising and confocal microscopy data for deblurring.
Multiscale Analysis of River Networks using the R Package linbin

Abstract Analytical tools are needed in riverine science and management to bridge the gap between GIS and statistical packages that were not designed for the directional and dendritic structure of streams. We introduce linbin, an R package developed for the analysis of riverscapes at multiple scales. With this software, riverine data on aquatic habitat and species distribution can be scaled and plotted automatically with respect to their position in the stream network or—in the case of temporal data—their position in time. The linbin package aggregates data into bins of different sizes as specified by the user. We provide case studies illustrating the use of the software for (1) exploring patterns at different scales by aggregating variables at a range of bin sizes, (2) comparing repeat observations by aggregating surveys into bins of common coverage, and (3) tailoring analysis to data with custom bin designs. Furthermore, we demonstrate the utility of linbin for summarizing patterns throughout an entire ...
Parallel Simulated Annealing for Stochastic Reservoir Modeling

Simulatedannealing (SA) Wutiques have shown great potential to generate geologically realistic permeability fields by combining data from many sources, such as well logs, cores, and tracer tests. However, the application of SA in reservoir description and simulation is limited owing to its prohibitively large computational time requirement, even on modern MqXWornputem. This paper introduces an implementation of a parallel SA algoxithmfor stochastic reservoir modeling on a Hypercube praxtwor network (Mel iPSC 860). The corresponding sequential code, which incorporates univariate and bivariate statistics to generate the permeability field, is optimized to gain maximum advantage fkom the parallel application. In this particular parallel implementation, each processor runs the same source code asynchronously using the single-instructionmultipledata (SXMD)approach, with synchronization linked to an optirmdity tesL By porting the SA algorithm to a parallel cOmputerwe can generate permeabilityfielm that representnonGaussian bivariate statistics and complex flow geometry at a finer scale than was previously feasible.
Outcome of Patients with Immunoglobulin Light-Chain Amyloidosis with Lung, Liver, Gastrointestinal, Neurologic, and Soft Tissue Involvement after Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Abstract There is limited information on the outcome when organs other than heart or kidneys are involved by immunoglobulin light-chain amyloidosis (AL). We report the outcome of 53 patients with AL with gastrointestinal (GI), peripheral nerve (PN), liver, lung, or soft-tissue involvement, who underwent high-dose chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HCT) at our institution between 1997 and 2013. The median age at auto-HCT was 56 years (range, 35 to 74). One, 2, 3, or 4 organs were involved in 43%, 22%, 28%, and 4% of patients, respectively. Concurrent cardiac, renal, or both were involved in 24 (45%) patients. Forty-six patients received induction therapy before auto-HCT. The 100-day and 1-year treatment-related mortality (TRM) were 3.8% (n = 2) and 7.5% (n = 4), respectively. Forty-one (80%) patients achieved a hematologic response. Organ response at 1 year after auto-HCT was seen in 23 (57%) of the 40 evaluable patients. With a median follow-up of 24 months, the median progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) were 36 and 73 months, respectively. Auto-HCT was associated with a low TRM, durable organ responses, and a median OS of > 6 years in selected patients with AL and GI, PN, liver, lung, or soft-tissue involvement.
Conservative self-force correction to the innermost stable circular orbit: Comparison with multiple post-Newtonian-based methods

Barack and Sago [Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 191101 (2009)] have recently computed the shift of the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) of the Schwarzschild spacetime due to the conservative self-force that arises from the finite-mass of an orbiting test-particle. This calculation of the ISCO shift is one of the first concrete results of the self-force program, and provides an exact (fully relativistic) point of comparison with approximate post-Newtonian (PN) computations of the ISCO. Here this exact ISCO shift is compared with nearly all known PN-based methods. These include both "nonresummed" and "resummed" approaches (the latter reproduce the test-particle limit by construction). The best agreement with the exact (Barack-Sago) result is found when the pseudo-4PN coefficient of the effective-one-body (EOB) metric is fit to numerical relativity simulations. However, if one considers uncalibrated methods based only on the currently known 3PN-order conservative dynamics, the best agreement is found from the gauge-invariant ISCO condition of Blanchet and Iyer [Classical Quantum Gravity 20, 755 (2003)], which relies only on the (nonresummed) 3PN equations of motion. This method reproduces the exact testparticle limit without any resummation. A comparison of PN methods with the ISCO in the equal-mass case (computed via sequences of numerical relativity initial-data sets) is also performed. Here a (different) nonresummed method also performs very well (as was previously shown). These results suggest that the EOB approach—while exactly incorporating the conservative test-particle dynamics and having several other important advantages—does not (in the absence of calibration) incorporate conservative self-force effects more accurately than standard PN methods. I also consider how the conservative self-force ISCO shift, combined in some cases with numerical relativity computations of the ISCO, can be used to constrain our knowledge of (1) the EOB effective metric, (2) phenomenological inspiral-merger-ringdown templates, and (3) 4PN- and 5PN-order terms in the PN orbital energy. These constraints could help in constructing better gravitational-wave templates. Lastly, I suggest a new method to calibrate unknown PN terms in inspiral templates using numerical-relativity calculations.
PR92 antigen in human prostate fluid: Elevated levels in prostate cancer

In this preliminary study, we report that an enzyme-linked immunofluorescence assay (EFLA) was developed for the determination of PR92 antigen in prostatic fluid, utilizing anti-PR92 monoclonal antibody. Fluid samples from 64 patients were assayed. PR92 antigen was expressed as unit per microgram (U/microgram) of prostatic fluid proteins. One hundred percent of men (7 out of 7) less than 50 years of age demonstrated concentrations less than 25 U/micrograms; 91% of men (10 out of 11) with documented carcinoma, and only 9.5% of men (2 out of 21) with benign prostatic hyperplasia, demonstrated concentrations above 230 U/micrograms. The mean concentration of PR92 antigen in prostatic fluid of a group of patients suspected of having prostate cancer (high-risk group; 227 +/- 42 U/micrograms) was significantly greater than that of those with benign prostatic hyperplasia (87 +/- 23 U/micrograms; P = 0.05). Further evaluation of this potential marker and of other antigens within the prostatic fluid is warranted.
Hybrid MoM/SBR and FEM/SBR methods for scattering by large bodies with inhomogeneous protrusions

A hybrid technique was developed for computing scattering by large bodies with cracks and cavities (Jin et al. 1995). This technique employs the shooting and bouncing ray (SBR) method to compute the scattering by large bodies and uses the finite-element method (FEM) to characterize the cracks and cavities. The two methods are combined through a coupling scheme based on the EM equivalence principle and the reciprocity theorem. The coupling scheme is designed in such a manner that it includes all significant interactions between the FEM and the SBR methods and it permits the SBR and FEM computations to be done separately. The resulting technique is efficient and accurate and, because of this, is extended to the calculation of the radiation patterns of conformal antennas in a complex environment (Greenwood et al. 1996). We further extend the hybrid FEM/SBR method and also develop a new hybrid method-of-moments (MoM)/SBR method to compute scattering by large bodies with small protruding scatterers. To be more specific, we first employ the field equivalence principle to replace the protruding scatterers by a set of equivalent electric and magnetic currents. The total scattered field then becomes the superposition of the field scattered by the large body without protrusions, which is calculated using the SBR method, and the field radiated by the equivalent currents in the presence of the large body, which is also calculated using the SBR method with the aid of the reciprocity theorem. The required equivalent currents are computed using the FEM of MoM, which permits the handling of complex material composition of the protrusions.
Effect of drugs on heme synthesis in the liver

Abstract Several substances have been shown to affect hepatic heme synthesis in the rat liver. Phenobarbital and the polycyclic hydrocarbon, 3,4-benzpyrene, produce an induction of aminolevulinic acid synthetase (ALAS), the enzyme mediating the first step in heme synthesis. This is followed sequentially by increased incorporation of glycine into microsomal heme, increased microsomal protoheme, cytochrome P-450, and increases in activity of certain microsomal mixed function oxidate reactions. Microsomal cytochrome b 5 is not altered during such events. 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole inhibits increases in hepatic heme synthesis and drug oxidations produced by phenobarbital and 3,4-benzyprene, but has no effect on ALAS changes or cytochrome b 5 . Ferrchelatase, an enzyme mediating the last step in heme synthesis, is also increased by phenobarbital treatment. This enzyme was shown to be inhibited by lead and prior administration to the animal of 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-2,4,6-trimethylpyridine (DDC). DDC also induces ALAS activity. The combined increase in ALAS activity and inhibition of ferrochelatase by DDC could account for the profound porphyria produced by this agent.
DNA identification by pedigree likelihood ratio accommodating population substructure and mutations

DNA typing is an important tool in missing-person identification, especially in mass-fatality disasters. Identification methods comparing a DNA profile from unidentified human remains with that of a direct (from the person) or indirect (for example, from a biological relative) reference sample and ranking the pairwise likelihood ratios (LR) is straightforward and well defined. However, for indirect comparison cases in which several members from a family can serve as reference samples, the full power of kinship analysis is not entirely exploited. Because biologically related family members are not genetically independent, more information and thus greater power can be attained by simultaneous use of all pedigree members in most cases, although distant relationships may reduce the power. In this study, an improvement was made on the method for missing-person identification for autosomal and lineage-based markers, by considering jointly the DNA profile data of all available family reference samples. The missing person is evaluated by a pedigree LR of the probability of DNA evidence under alternative hypotheses (for example, the missing person is unrelated or if they belong to this pedigree with a specified biological relationship) and can be ranked for all pedigrees within a database. Pedigree LRs are adjusted for population substructure according to the recommendations of the second National Research Council (NRCII) Report. A realistic mutation model was also incorporated to accommodate the possibility of false exclusion. The results show that the effect of mutation on the pedigree LR is moderate, but LRs can be significantly decreased by the effect of population substructure. Finally, Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA were integrated into the analysis to increase the power of identification. A program titled MPKin was developed, combining the aforementioned features to facilitate genetic analysis for identifying missing persons. The computational complexity of the algorithms is explained, and several ways to reduce the complexity are introduced.
A longitudinal examination of the role of stereotype threat and racial climate on college outcomes for minorities at elite institutions

This paper employs hierarchical linear models to explore the long-term effects of stereotype threat on college outcomes for students in the National Longitudinal Survey of Freshmen. Performance burden was negatively related to both grades and social satisfaction with college. Social satisfaction with college was also significantly impacted by students’ perception of the campus racial climate. This paper examines the combined impact of performance burden, campus racial climate, cumulative GPA, and social life satisfaction early in college on 4 year graduation rates. Overall, while there are large initial differences in the likelihood of graduating on time for black and Hispanic students relative to whites, these differences are completely explained by assessments of campus racial climate, social life satisfaction, and grades. The findings suggest that interventions to reduce stereotype threat and improve the racial atmosphere on campus may go a long way towards reducing—and in some cases eliminating—disparities between racial/ethnic groups in college outcomes.
STEM: Spatiotemporal Management of Capacity for Intra-core Last Level Caches

Efficient management of last level caches (LLCs) plays an important role in bridging the performance gap between processor cores and main memory. This paper is motivated by two key observations, based on our study of LLCs: 1) the capacity demand is highly non-uniform and dynamic at the set level, and 2) neither spatial nor temporal LLC management schemes, working separately as in prior work, can consistently and robustly deliver the best performance under different circumstances. Therefore, we propose a novel adaptive scheme, called STEM, which concurrently and dynamically manages both spatial and temporal dimensions of capacity demands at the set level. In the proposed scheme, a set-level monitor captures the temporal and spatial capacity demands of individual working sets and judiciously pairs off sets with complementary capacity demands so that the underutilized set in each pair can cooperatively cache the other’s victim blocks. The controller also decides on the best temporal sharing patterns for the coupled sets in the event of inter-set space sharing. Further, if the LLC controller cannot find a complementary set for a particular set, STEM can still decide on the best set-level replacement policy for it. Our extensive execution-driven simulation data shows that the proposed scheme performs robustly and consistently well under various conditions.
Using prime-and-switch phasing to reduce model bias in molecular replacement

Atomic models are commonly used to calculate phases in macromolecular crystallography. When combined with measured amplitudes, model-based phases yield electron-density maps with features of the correct structure but with a significant bias towards features of the model. The present contribution shows applications of the technique of prime-and-switch phasing to reduce this bias. An atomic model is used to generate phases that are close to the correct set but that may be biased. An unbiased source of phase information, an estimate of the probability that the electron-density map corresponds to a macromolecule, is then used to select a set of phases that are near the biased set, without further reference to the biased phases. The probability that the electron-density map corresponds to a macromolecule is based on agreement of the map with expectations such as a flat solvent region. Prime-and-switch phasing can be useful even for crystals with low solvent content and may reduce errors in interpretation of electron density in a wide range of applications of macromolecular crystallography, including molecular replacement, model building, ligand-binding and conformation-change studies, refinement and structure validation.
Learning new tricks: An assessment of novel versus traditional patient counseling strategies

Abstract Objective To determine if there is a difference between the knowledge acquisition produced by traditional patient counseling strategies versus novel Coumadin patient counseling strategies. Methods Participants were exposed to a verbal-based or video-based patient counseling session. The same content of the Coumadin Rap Song (CRS) was orally delivered to participants within the verbal-based arm by a licensed pharmacist. A ten-question assessment was administered to participants in both the groups before and after exposure to the respective counseling sessions. Performances on the assessments were evaluated on a scale from 0% to 100%. Results A total of 50 participants were screened and included in the study. Of these, 26 participants were assigned to the CRS group and 24 participants were assigned to the verbal-based group. Assessment of score changes from baseline between the verbal and CRS groups did not demonstrate statistical significance ( p = 0.18; Fig. 2). Evaluation of responses within the CRS and verbal-based group revealed statistical differences from baseline (Tables 1 and 2). Conclusion Video-based counseling was shown to be equally effective as verbal-based counseling techniques. Widespread implementation of video-based mediums may find favor within various health care settings. Increasing the amount of innovative platforms for patient education can potentially augment counseling efforts of health care professionals.
Adverse Events Associated With Exchange Transfusion in Healthy and Ill Newborns

Objective . To determine the incidence of adverse events attributable to exchange transfusion during the past 15 years and compare the incidence of severe complications between healthy and ill infants. Design . Medical records for the past 15 years from two teaching hospitals with neonatal intensive care units were reviewed. Those newborns who underwent exchange transfusions were classified as healthy or ill. Adverse events were analyzed to determine whether they were attributable to the procedure. Results . Of the 106 patients who underwent exchange transfusion, 81 were healthy and had no medical problems other than jaundice. The remaining 25 patients were classified as ill and had medical problems ranging from mild to severe. At least 2 (2%) of the 106 patients died of complications probably attributable to exchange transfusion. None of the 81 healthy infants died, but 1 had severe necrotizing enterocolitis requiring surgery. Of the 25 ill infants, at least 3 (12%) experienced severe complications (including 2 deaths) probably attributable to exchange transfusion. Serious complications from the most common adverse events, hypocalcemia and thrombocytopenia, were limited to the group of infants already ill with other medical problems. Conclusions. Because of the significantly greater rate of severe complications in ill infants, exchange transfusion should be delayed until the risk of bilirubin encephalopathy is as high as the risks of severe complications from the procedure itself (12%). These results do not support recommendations to use lower exchange levels in ill infants compared with healthy infants. exchange transfusion, whole-blood; adverse events, jaundice, neonatal; kernicterus, infant, newborn.
Chronic effects of nonpolar narcotics on a model microbial community

The dynamics of a model of a microbial batch culture community consisting of Tetrahymena pyriformis and Escherichia coli populations are explored when the community is stressed by chemicals with a nonpolar narcosis mode of action. The framework for the community consists of two individual-based population models, individual models of the organisms T. pyriformis and E. coli, and exposure and effect modules for each species. The exposure module is based on passive diffusion and describes both environmental and resource routes of exposure. The effect module utilizes quantitative structure–activity relationships to determine resource uptake reduction, the effect chosen as the primary consequence of exposure to the chemical. The range of possible effects on the model ciliate–bacterial community includes results that do not arise from population studies; for example, chemically depressed growth rates of individuals can be stimulatory for a population in a community setting. Community structure and feedback mechanisms are demonstrated to be fundamental for effects determination in that structure evolves as a function of exposure concentration. In a closed system, the presence of nonviable organic material modifies bioavailability of the toxicant and allows for community persistence above concentration levels that cause mortality in a continuous culture. An indicator of stress, the community extinction threshold, is developed as a function of chemical diffusivity and hydrophobicity.
Effects of tobacco smoking and schizotypal personality on spectral contents of spontaneous EEG.

Abstract Effects of chronic tobacco smoking on the spectral contents of spontaneous electroencephalogram (EEG) were examined in connection with schizotypal personality. EEG recorded from 19 smokers and 20 non-smokers college students were studied by means of parametric spectral estimation followed by a statistical analysis of differences. We observed that tobacco smoking affects EEG of high and low schizotypy individuals differently. Tobacco smoking may (with the probability exceeding 95%) lead to an increase in high frequency contents of EEG while evaluated for low schizotypy participants. For high schizotypy individuals, on the other hand, the most pronounced changes associated with smoking (increase of EEG power) arose in the low frequency rhythms. The most significant changes in spontaneous EEG—as attributed to smoking—were observed in the occipital region for both groups of high and low schizotypy participants. The observations are consistent with the finding reported on the schizophrenia patients and partially support the nicotine self-medication model.
Second order switching time optimization for time-varying nonlinear systems

This paper presents second-order switching time optimization techniques for nonlinear time-varying systems that are piecewise second-differentiable. The techniques are based on direct analysis of flows rather than constrained optimization methods, making it possible to take higher order derivatives. The resulting algorithms also use the same number of integrations along the trajectory regardless of the number of switching times. Two examples are included-a linear example seen previously in the literature and a nonlinear example that emphasizes the fast convergence rates of second-order optimizations compared to first order techniques (e.g. convergence in 19 iterations compared to over 25,000).
Student Magnitude Knowledge of Negative Numbers

Numerous studies have demonstrated the relevance of magnitude estimation skills for mathematical proficiency, but little research has explored magnitude estimation with negative numbers. In two experiments the current study examined middle school students’ magnitude knowledge of negative numbers with number line tasks. In Experiment 1, both 6th (n = 132) and 7th grade students (n = 218) produced linear representations on a -10,000 to 0 scale, but the 7th grade students’ estimates were more accurate and linear. In Experiment 2, the 7th grade students also completed a -1,000 to 1,000 number line task; these results also indicated that students are linear for both negative and positive estimates. When comparing the estimates of negative and positive numbers, analyses illustrated that estimates of negative numbers are less accurate than those of positive numbers, but using a midpoint strategy improved negative estimates. These findings suggest that negative number magnitude knowledge follows a similar pattern to positive numbers, but the estimation performance of negatives lags behind that of positives.
Delivery of Antifungal Agents from Bone Cement

Fungal osteoarticular infections, including prosthetic joint infections and osteomyelitis, are rare yet present a therapeutic challenge with no guidelines to direct optimal treatment. When these infections occur, the majority are due to Candida species. In addition to systemic therapy, adjunctive antifungal-loaded bone cement has been utilized to successfully treat these infections. Amphotericin B is used most commonly, but cases utilizing voriconazole, fluconazole, and itraconazole have been reported as well. In vitro data suggest better elution of voriconazole from bone cement while there is minimal elution of amphotericin B. Unfortunately, a lack of consistency in the methods of both in vitro studies and case reports makes it difficult to determine if the addition of an antifungal agent in bone cement improves outcomes in fungal osteoarticular infections. This article provides an overview of bone cement as a delivery system for antifungal agents in vitro and in clinical reports.
The Impact of Racial Redistricting Upon State Legislative Decisionmaking

The principal purpose of this research is to examine empirically the legislative districts of state legislators to discern their impact upon legislative decisionmaking. Essentially, the goal is to analyze the changing demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of state legislative districts. While African American state legislators typically represent majority Black districts, a growing number of districts represented by Black state legislators are majority minority. Hence, the study seeks to determine whether or not the changing nature of these districts influence legislatorsﾒ behavior and responsiveness measured in terms of their bill sponsorship activity on minority-related policy issues.
Triply resonant sum frequency spectroscopy: combining advantages of resonance Raman and 2D-IR.

This article describes the new multidimensional spectroscopy technique triply resonant sum frequency spectroscopy, a four-wave mixing technique sharing advantages of both 2D-IR and resonance Raman ...
P6.075 Attend to the “Small P” Policy Issues: State Policy Issues Preventing Effective Cervical Cancer Efforts

Background We know little about policy issues at state level that impede cervical cancer efforts in the US. This study identifies and explores state policy issues in cervical cancer to inform future policy and programme strategies. Methods Sixty minute key informant interviews were conducted with 15 professionals working in and around cervical cancer: federal and state government breast and cervical cancer programmes; women’s health and cancer control; national advocacy organisations engaged in sexual health and cancer; legislative affairs; researchers working in cervical cancer intervention and evaluation; state coalitions engaged in cervical cancer efforts; and partners from industry working on diagnostics, therapeutics or vaccines. Results State policy issues included health system complexity; lack of state level cervical cancer programme and policy coordination, and socio-organisational culture issues. System complexity was fueled by disparate and uncoordinated financing, controlled by different state programmes/agencies. A paucity of state level coordination exacerbated by a lack of cervical cancer inter-agency/programme influence prevented comprehensive, streamlined systems of care. Despite recent efforts to coordinate statewide cancer planning, cervical cancer issues and actors were not active in state priority setting. Socio-organisational cultural issues prevented normalisation of HPV vaccine for boys and girls, as well as programme and practitioner adoption of recent screening recommendations focused on identifying and monitoring persistent HPV. Conclusions Critical state policy issues are not ‘big p’ issues or laws, but ‘small p’ issues of implementation and unintended systems outcomes of policy. Cross-agency, statewide planning could streamline systems for comprehensive and coordinated funding and policy. Critical need to address state leadership vacuum for cervical cancer efforts. Increasing the policy acumen and skill set of cervical cancer related programmes and coalitions could facilitate change navigation. Success at this ‘small p’ policy level will help to make big strides toward removing structural barriers to cervical cancer efforts in the U.S.
Effect of high hydrostatic pressure and pressure cycling on a pathogenic Salmonella enterica serovar cocktail inoculated into creamy peanut butter.

The ability of Salmonella enterica serovars to survive in high fat content, low water activity foods like peanut butter has been demonstrated by large foodborne illness outbreaks in recent years. This study investigates the potential of high hydrostatic pressure processing, including pressure cycling, to inactivate Salmonella inoculated into creamy peanut butter. A cocktail of pathogenic strains of Salmonella Enteritidis PT30, Salmonella Tennessee, Salmonella Oranienburg, Salmonella Anatum, Salmonella Enteritidis PT 9c, and Salmonella Montevideo obtained from peanut butter– and nut-related outbreaks was inoculated (106 to 107 CFU/g) into creamy peanut butter and high pressure processed under five different sets of conditions, which varied from 400 to 600 MPa and from 4 to 18 min. The log CFU reductions achieved varied from 1.6 to 1.9. Control experiments in which Salmonella was inoculated (109 CFU/g) into 0.1% peptone buffer and high pressure processed at 600 MPa for 18 min showed inactivation to below th...
The Health Care Workforce: How to Understand Accommodations

The celebrations of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the ADA have sounded the somber note that people with disabilities continue to be under- and unemployed in disproportionate numbers. Health care — because it represents nearly 20% of GDP, is to some extent funded by pooled resources, and is familiar with disabilities and accommodations for them — ought to be an industry at the forefront of disability employment. Yet it is not; and in this article we document some of the reasons why. Health care employers are too likely to engage in stereotyped assessments of the ability of people with disabilities to perform essential job responsibilities or judgments of the likelihood that an employee poses a direct threat to patient safety — and courts are too likely to defer. Refusals by training programs to make accommodations adversely affect the pipeline of eligible workers. Deploying an account of reasonable accommodations as a civil right, we suggest strategies for individualized assessment to counter these barriers.
Adrenergic denervation in rabbits with diabetes mellitus

The influence of alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus on the sympathetic neuroeffector junction of the rabbit carotid artery denuded of endothelium was studied. Six weeks of diabetes resulted in a neuropathy characterized by a 38% reduction in the arterial content of norepinephrine. Norepinephrine release from the nerves measured from electrically stimulated superfused arterial segments was decreased. The cocaine-sensitive accumulation of [3H]-norepinephrine (NE) was also reduced, reflecting decreased neuronal uptake. The consequences of these prejunctional changes were studied by measuring isometric contractions of arterial rings caused by electrical nerve stimulation or by exogenous norepinephrine. Despite the reduced release of norepinephrine, neurogenic contractions were normal, suggesting an increased sensitivity of the smooth muscle. After neuronal uptake was blocked, the neurogenic contractions of diabetic arteries were less than normal, reflecting the reduction in transmitter release. The sensitivity of diabetic arteries to exogenous norepinephrine was increased under control conditions; maximal contractions were unchanged. Blockade of norepinephrine uptake increased norepinephrine sensitivity more in normal than in diabetic arteries, and there was no longer a significant difference in sensitivity. Thus, under control conditions, neurogenic contractions of the partially denervated diabetic rabbit carotid artery are paradoxically normalized by increased alpha-adrenergic sensitivity of the smooth muscle. The increased sensitivity caused by reduced neuronal uptake can thus preserve neurogenic vasoconstriction and cause supersensitivity to exogenous catecholamines in the sympathetic neuropathy caused by diabetes mellitus.
An Experimental and Computational Investigation of (α-Methylbenzylidene)carbene

Photolysis of 1-(1-phenylethylidene)-1a,9b-dihydro-1H-cyclopropa[l]phenanthrene, in C6H6 (or C6D6), at ambient temperature, produces (α-methylbenzylidene)carbene which undergoes a facile Fritsch–Buttenberg–Wiechell (FBW)-type rearrangement to 1-phenylpropyne. The alkyne results exclusively from a 1,2-phenyl shift as evident from the use of a 13C-labeled precursor. This experimental result is consistent with CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ//B3LYP/6-31+G* calculations which reveal that a 1,2-phenyl shift in the singlet carbene needs to overcome a barrier of only 3.8 kcal/mol whereas the 1,2-methyl shift has to surmount a much larger barrier of 11.9 kcal/mol. The alkyne remains the predominant product when the photolysis is carried out in cyclohexene but the carbene-alkene cycloadduct could be detected, albeit in low yield, in the photolysate.
A flicker assessment method for PV plants considering solar radiation condition

Voltage flicker of PV plants due to the illumination condition is widely discussed. This paper introduced a flicker assessment method for PV plants considering the illumination variation. By wavelet transform method, the illumination condition is classified into four typical type. The PV inverter is tested under these typical condition and the PV station model are built on simulation platform. Then the flicker of PCC under typical condition is simulated. Using wavelet transform and statically method, weights of four typical type is calculated from the illumination condition historical data. By the simulation results and weights of four illumination condition, the flicker assessment considering an area's illumination condition is given. In this paper, the evaluation model and the evaluation process of the PV station are of a certain reference value for the evaluation of photovoltaic power station.
Inflammatory Th1 and Th17 in the Intestine Are Each Driven by Functionally Specialized Dendritic Cells with Distinct Requirements for MyD88

Summary Normal dynamics between microbiota and dendritic cells (DCs) support modest numbers of T cells, yet these do not cause inflammation. The DCs that induce inflammatory T cells and the signals that drive this process remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that small intestine DCs lacking the signaling attenuator A20 induce inflammatory T cells and that the signals perceived and antigen-presenting cell (APC) functions are unique for different DC subsets. Thus, although CD103 + CD11b − DCs exclusively instruct IFNγ + T cells, CD103 + CD11b + DCs exclusively instruct IL-17 + T cells. Surprisingly, APC functions of both DC subsets are upregulated in a MyD88-independent fashion. In contrast, CD103 − CD11b + DCs instruct both IFNγ + and IL-17 + T cells, and only the IL-17-inducing APC functions require MyD88. In disease pathogenesis, both CD103 − CD11b + and CD103 + CD11b + DCs expand pathologic Th17 cells. Thus, in disease pathogenesis, specific DCs instruct specific inflammatory T cells.
Methods of approximate reasoning for power system equipment condition and reliability analysis

Traditional power system maintenance and equipment condition monitoring schedules have been based on manufacturer recommended fixed time intervals. Under greater economic pressures, electric utilities have begun: to shift towards reliability centered maintenance or other maintenance programs with longer maintenance intervals; and to load equipment significantly beyond manufacturer ratings. This work focuses on developing an information theoretic framework for systematically assessing equipment condition and incorporating this into maintenance, diagnostic and operational practices. A numerical example highlights the approach.
Vascular Closure Devices and Complications

When compared to manual compression, utilization of vascular closure devices (VCDs) in an appropriate patient population has the potential to reduce time to post procedure mobility and thereby improve patient comfort after percutaneous procedures. Additionally, reduced time to ambulation is important as more hospitals adopt same-day discharge strategies. However it has not been clearly established if VCDs reduce overall complication rates when compared to manual compression. When utilizing these devices, one must weigh the potential complications associated with these devices against their potential benefits. This chapter will review VCDs commonly used with respect to their specific indications for use, specific contraindications, and safe deployment practices.
Dehydrodechlorination of Methylene Chloride, Chloroform, and Chlorodiphenylmethane in the Presence of Ga/N Lewis Pairs

Transmetalation occurs upon addition of GaCl3 to (quinolin-8-yl)trimethylstannane. The compound dissolves immediately in pyridine, and recrystallization gives dichloropyridinyl(quinolin-8-yl)gallium(III). In chloroform, the compound bis-μ-(quinolin-8-yl)-μ-chloro-dichlorodigallium(III) tetrachlorogallate could be isolated in small quantities; however, the major product was trichloro(quinolinium-8-yl)gallate(III) zwitterion. The zwitterion also formed upon addition of methylene chloride or chlorodiphenylmethane. We hypothesize that the highly electrophilic digallyl cation abstracts chloride to form a carbocation and that proton transfer from the carbocation to the quinoline nitrogen affords transient carbenes. In particular, diphenyl carbene forms from dehydrodechlorination of chlorodiphenylmethane in toluene/cyclohexene to give a well-defined mixture of products due to cyclopropanation and C–H insertion reactions. Dichloropyridinyl(quinolin-8-yl)gallium(III) undergoes reaction with chloroform only at elev...
Long-term studies of seasonal variability enable evaluation of macroinvertebrate response to an acute oil spill in an urban Mediterranean-climate stream

Benthic macroinvertebrates show seasonal fluctuations with variability in hydrologic conditions. Coastal northern California (USA) is located in a Mediterranean-climate area, which is characterized by predictable wet and dry seasons, and consequently stream flows. Monthly sampling over multiple years (2004–2005, 2010–2013) was used to examine seasonal variability in taxonomic composition and abundances of benthic macroinvertebrates at three sites in Strawberry Creek, an urban stream on the University of California, Berkeley campus. Although wet and dry seasons at all sites had similar taxa occurrences, seasonal variation in taxa abundances was evident at two sites. The effects of an accidental oil spill in winter 2011 were examined using a Before–After design. Three days post-spill, macroinvertebrate richness and abundances at the impacted site decreased dramatically compared with pre-spill levels; taxonomic composition recovered one year later. Resilience was likely from drift via an unaffected stream fork and the flushing effects of winter stream flows. The combination of monthly sampling over multiple years and the opportunistic evaluation of responses to an acute disturbance enabled us to identify five taxa that are common, abundant, and easily identified, which can be used as a framework for enhancing future volunteer-based biomonitoring research projects.
Composite ceramics for power beaming

In the search for candidate materials for a robust mm-wave heat-exchanger, composite materials composed of a thermally conductive “host” material and a small inclusion of a very lossy material are particularly promising. However, there is little data available on the properties of materials in the W-band, a frequency range which is particularly useful for long-range power transmission. In this work, we measure the dielectric properties of composite materials composed of aluminum oxide with a lossy material inclusion and subject these materials to heating by a 100 Watt W-band mm-wave source. The results of these measurements are presented and discussed.
Rate impact analysis in robotic systems

Changes to robotic systems as they are updated or upgraded often affect the flow of control and sensor data. Developers and users spend a significant amount of time tracing the impact of these changes that could otherwise have negative impacts on the robot's performance and behavior. Changes to the rates at which data is published from sensors, controllers, and other parts of the system are particularly subtle and difficult to detect. These rate changes, even if minor (e.g. lowering the frame rate of a camera), can propagate throughout the system and have broad impacts. In this work, we develop and implement an approach to help identify the set of components whose rate may be impacted by a system change. The approach builds on the insight that certain code patterns render component's outgoing data rate independent of the component's incoming data rate. We use that insight to reduce the number of components reported as affected by the change to minimize the number of components that must be reevaluated by the developer. A study of an implementation of the approach on three ROS systems shows that it can reduce the size of the impact set by up to 41% in cases when the changes have broad data impacts. The analysis is performed at compile time and only adds a third more to the compilation time.
The Problem: Prevalence of Burnout and Depression

Burnout is a stress-induced syndrome defined by the three distinct manifestations: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished sense of personal accomplishment (Maslach et al., Annu Rev Psychol 52:397–422, 2001; Maslach and Jackson, J Occup Behav 2:99–113, 1986; Maslach burnout inventory manual, Palo Alto, CA, 1996).
Robotic Surgery in General Thoracic Surgery

Robotic assistance can facilitate minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and has been widely adopted across multiple specialties. This article reviews the published literature on the use of this technology for the treatment of thoracic diseases and describes the robot-assisted thoracoscopic techniques for lung cancer and mediastinal tumors. Although the most common use for robotics has been to treat urologic oncologic conditions, it has also widely started to be adopted for general thoracic surgeries. For early-stage lung cancer treatment, there is evidence that robotics offers short-term benefits, such as shorter lengths of stay (LOS) and decreased postoperative pain, with safety profiles and oncologic outcomes comparable with open or thoracoscopic approaches. However, long-term oncologic outcomes are generally lacking, and robotic surgeries are more costly than open or thoracoscopic surgeries. Therefore, whether the benefits of robotics justify the higher costs warrant large comparative effectiveness studies with long-term outcomes.
The Nature of Repeatability and Reproducibility

Repeatability and reproducibility are usually defined by the relation R = 2sr divided by k, where R stands for repeatability or reproducibility, and sr is the corresponding standard deviation. It is then stated that the probability is C that a differenc..
A novel 3D ultrasound thermometry method for HIFU ablation using an ultrasound element

High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a non-invasive thermal ablation technique. To perform the ablation procedure safely, temperature monitoring is employed to preserve healthy tissues while simultaneously ensuring that the targeted region is completely ablated. Ultrasound (US) thermometry techniques have the advantages of cost-effectiveness and portability over other medical imaging modalities such as MRI. We propose a 3D US thermal monitoring method for HIFU ablation. A US element and sampling device are used to acquire time-of-flight (TOF) information, from which we reconstruct speed of sound (SOS) images to detect the temperature increase during the ablation. We use a physics-based HIFU simulation to segment the ablated region of interest (ROI) to cope with the sparsity of the recorded data. HIFU thermal ablations were performed under MR monitoring on a phantom and the results from the proposed method were compared with MR thermometry. On average, the difference between those two datasets was 1.3°C in the ROI around the ablation focal point, which verifies the feasibility of the proposed method.
A longitudinal examination of US teen childbearing and smoking risk.

BACKGROUND Teenage motherhood and smoking have important health implications for youth in the United States and globally, but the link between teen childbearing and subsequent smoking is inadequately understood. The selection of disadvantaged young women into early childbearing and smoking may explain higher smoking levels among teen mothers, but teen motherhood may also shape subsequent smoking through compromised maternal depression or socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity may condition these processes. OBJECTIVE This study examines the relationship between US teen childbearing and subsequent daily smoking, accounting for prior smoking and selection processes related to social disadvantage. Analyses investigate whether socioeconomic status and depression in young adulthood explained any relationship between teen childbearing and daily smoking, as well as examining racial/ethnic heterogeneity in these processes. METHODS Multivariate binary logistic regression analyses employ the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health; N = 7,529). RESULTS The highest daily smoking prevalence occurred among non-Hispanic White teen mothers, with lower prevalence among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black teen mothers. Compared to other women, teenage mothers are 2.5 times as likely to smoke daily in young adulthood. Their greater likelihood of daily smoking is due in part to selection and is also mediated by socioeconomic status in ways that differ by race/ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that preventing teen pregnancy or ameliorating its socioeconomic consequences may decrease daily smoking in this vulnerable population. Reducing teen smoking, especially during pregnancy, could improve teen, maternal, and infant health and thereby increase US health and longevity. CONTRIBUTION This study provides new, nationally representative information about selection, mediation, and heterogeneity processes in the relationship between teen childbearing and subsequent smoking.