cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hyperspectral Texture Synthesis Using Histogram and Power Spectral Density Matching

Image synthesis tools provide a means for generating hyperspectral image data without the expense of data collection. An important use of these tools is to provide data for the assessment of image exploitation algorithms. However, the detailed spectral/spatial structure of synthetic images is typically not sufficiently realistic to support the prediction of algorithm performance on real data. In this paper, we develop a new method for hyperspectral texture synthesis that accurately simulates the spectral/spatial structure of real hyperspectral image data. The method uses the multiband histogram to model spectral properties and a 3-D Fourier representation to model within-band and cross-band spatial properties. Since multiband histogram equalization does not have a unique solution, we employ a sorting-based method for equalizing multiband distributions that is efficient and produces an exact histogram match. Spatial properties are matched by equalizing the power spectral density (psd) derived from the 3-D Fourier representation. An iterative scheme is used to equalize the histogram and psd for an input and synthesized image. Experiments show that the iteration tends to converge after a small number of steps. A subspace correction method is used to further refine the spectral accuracy of the synthesized image. We demonstrate the utility of the new technique by presenting real and synthesized images and by analyzing spectral angle deviation from the mean functions that describe spectral properties.
Automation and Microfluidic Assays: In Vitro Models of the Mammalian Microcirculation

The red blood cells (RBCs) from patients with such diseases as pulmonary hypertension (PH) and diabetes (Type I and II) have a unique physical property, namely, the deformability of their RBCs are different from those of healthy patients. For example, patients with PH and diabetes have RBCs whose deformability is less than that of healthy patients. Unfortunately for these patients, there have been very few reports relating these somewhat abnormal RBC deformabilities to a cause/effect of the aforementioned diseases. Our group believes there is a link between the physical properties of these RBCs, the chemical properties they induce, and the resultant physiological consequences of the induced chemical properties. However, characterization or verification of the physical, chemical, and physiological processes is difficult because current analytical tools do not enable all three processes to be monitored simultaneously. Here, the ability of microchip technology to monitor physical, chemical, and physiological...
Cost-Effectiveness and Value of Information of Erlotinib, Afatinib, and Cisplatin-Pemetrexed for First-Line Treatment of Advanced EGFR Mutation-Positive Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer in the United States

Abstract Objectives To determine the cost-effectiveness of tyrosine kinase inhibitors erlotinib or afatinib, or chemotherapy cisplatin-pemetrexed, for first-line treatment of advanced epithelial growth factor receptor mutation-positive non–small-cell lung cancer in the United States. We also assessed the expected benefit of further research to reduce uncertainty regarding which treatment is optimal. Methods We developed a Markov model to compare the cost-effectiveness of erlotinib, afatinib, and cisplatin-pemetrexed. Model transition and adverse-effect probabilities were from two published phase III trials: EURTAC (Erlotinib versus standard chemotherapy as first-line treatment for European patients with advanced EGFR mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer) and LUX-Lung (Afatinib versus cisplatin-based chemotherapy for EGFR mutation-positive lung adenocarcinoma) 3. EURTAC survival estimates were corrected for patients entering the trial with more severe disease, compared with LUX-Lung 3. Health utilities and costs were from national estimates or the published literature. Inputs were modeled as distributions for probabilistic sensitivity analysis and expected value of perfect information (EVPI) analysis to estimate the expected benefit of reducing uncertainty regarding the decision of optimal treatment. Results In the base case, both tyrosine kinase inhibitors were more cost-effective than cisplatin-pemetrexed. Erlotinib had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $61,809/quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) compared with afatinib. The acceptability curve showed that erlotinib was the optimal treatment at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000/QALY (10-year population EVPI=$85.9 million). At a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000/QALY to $70,000/QALY (EVPI = $211.5 million–$261.8 million), however, there was considerable uncertainty whether erlotinib or afatinib was the optimal treatment. Conclusions Our analysis suggests that erlotinib is the preferred first-line treatment for advanced epithelial growth factor receptor mutation-positive non–small-cell lung cancer. Further research comparing erlotinib and afatinib is potentially justified, although accurate data are needed on the required cost and sample size of the trial.
Resonant frequency selectable induction heating targets

This paper examines a scheme for developing frequency selectable induction heating targets for stimulating temperature sensitive polymer actuators. "Frequency selectable" implies that each target has a frequency at which it heats preferentially compared to other remaining targets. Resonant RLC circuits that are inductively coupled to a primary induction coil are examined. One way to achieve selectivity with frequency is to design each target to have a different resonant frequency. In this way, a target driven at its resonant frequency will heat preferentially when compared to the remaining targets.
Hemodynamic Predictors of Mortality in Adults with Sickle Cell Disease

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) in adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with early mortality, but no prior studies have evaluated quantitative relationships of mortality to physiological measures of pre- and postcapillary PH. Objectives: To identify risk factors associated with mortality and to estimate the expected survival in a cohort of patients with SCD with PH documented by right heart catheterization. Methods: Nine-year follow-up data (median, 4.7 yr) from the National Institutes of Health SCD PH screening study are reported. A total of 529 adults with SCD were screened by echocardiography between 2001 and 2010 with no exclusion criteria. Hemodynamic data were collected from 84 patients. PH was defined as mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) > 25 mm Hg. Survival rates were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and mortality risk factors were analyzed by the Cox proportional hazards regression. Measurements and Main Results: Specific hemodynamic variables were independently related to mortality: mean PAP (hazard ratio [HR], 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05‐2.45 per 10 mm Hg increase; P ¼ 0.027), diastolic PAP (HR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.09‐3.08 per 10 mm Hg increase; P ¼ 0.022), diastolic PAP 2 pulmonary capillary wedgepressure(HR,2.19;95%CI,1.23‐3.89per10mmHgincrease; P ¼ 0.008), transpulmonary gradient (HR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.14‐ 2.79 per 10 mm Hg increase; P ¼ 0.011), and pulmonary vascular resistance (HR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.09‐1.89 per Wood unit increase; P ¼ 0.009) as risk factors for mortality. Conclusions: Mortality in adults with SCD and PH is proportional to the physiological severity of precapillary PH, demonstrating its prognostic and clinical relevance despite anemia-induced high cardiac output and less severely elevated pulmonary vascular resistance.
Routine computed tomography in the evaluation of vocal fold movement impairment without an apparent cause.

ObjectiveRoutine computed tomography (CT) for vocal fold movement impairment (VFMI) without an apparent cause is common. However, given increased cancer risk associated with ionizing radiation exposure, our purpose is to evaluate the utility of routine scans for these patients.Study DesignRetrospective case series.SettingHouston, Texas.Subjects and MethodsA 5-year review of patients with VFMI diagnosed at an academic institution was conducted. For patients without an apparent cause (eg, recent head, neck, or cardiothoracic surgery or known malignancy), CT head/neck and chest was performed to evaluate the recurrent laryngeal nerve course. Data included demographics, symptoms, radiography, and interventions. Statistical analyses were performed via χ2 analysis.ResultsOf 406 patients with VFMI, 47 (11%) patients had no apparent cause clinically. Routine CT revealed abnormalities in 10 (21%) patients, of which only 3 (6%) could account for VFMI: benign thyroid adenoma (1), papillary thyroid cancer (1), and an ...
Hypothermia-induced platelet aggregation and cognitive decline in coronary artery bypass surgery: a pilot study.

Hypothermia-induced platelet aggregation (HIPA) was previously reported in whole blood exposed to synthetic surfaces at 248/328C in one-third of normal subjects tested. Cardiopulmonary bypass, conducted with hy- pothermia, may lead to such aggregation, resulting in microvascular occlusion contributing to cognitive impair- ment. This pilot study was conducted to explore the relationship between HIPA and cognitive outcome at hospital discharge in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery as a first step toward a longer-term study. Patients (n /45) undergoing mild to moderate hy- pothermia (328/288C) during CABG surgery underwent cognitive testing preoperatively and prior to hospital discharge. Tests included: visual and verbal memory, mental processing speed, executive function, language, and intellectual function. HIPA was identified using an in vitro assay in which blood flowing in polyvinychloride tubing was subjected to hypothermia, and platelet aggre- gates were detected using microscopy and passing the exiting blood through a 20-mm pore filter. Forty-four percent of patients exhibited HIPA. The entire cohort exhibited significant postoperative cogni- tive decline in verbal memory, mental processing speed and executive function. There was greater cognitive decline in the group with HIPA compared with the group not exhibiting this phenomenon. The patients with HIPA showed significant decline in four of five cognitive measures whereas patients not exhibiting this phenom- enon declined in only two of five cognitive measures. HIPA appears to be associated with an added risk of cognitive decline immediately following CABG surgery employing mild to moderate hypothermia. The findings of our study suggest the long-term cognitive effects of hypothermia-induced platelet aggregation need to be explored. Perfusion (2005) 20, 157/167.
Revealed Preference Analysis of Commercial Vehicle Choice Process

The paper discusses modeling the commercial vehicle choice process as part of a discrete-continuous choice formulation, with the shipment size as the continuous variable, and the type of vehicle as the discrete choice, in the context of a case study. The results indicate that shipment size could be adequately modeled as a function of the trip distance, the type of commodity being transported, and the type of economic activity taking place at the origin and destination of the trip. The choice of the type of vehicle was modeled using a discrete choice formulation with variable choice sets conditioned by the shipment size. Market elasticities were estimated under two different models—a multinomial logit model and the heteroscedastic extreme value (HEV) model. It was found that the HEV model provided a more realistic assessment of the cross-elasticities of choice. The strong role played by the economic activity at the trip origin and destination suggests the need for further exploring the integration of these variables as part of commodity based modeling. Among other things, this has the potential for providing and enhanced representation of the economic linkages that determine freight demand.
GentleCool: cooling aware proactive workload scheduling in multi-machine systems

In state of the art systems, workload scheduling and server fan speed operate independently leading to cooling inefficiencies. In this work we propose GentleCool, a proactive multi-tier approach for significantly lowering the fan cooling costs without compromising the performance. Our technique manages the fan speed through intelligently allocating the workload across different machines. The experimental results show our approach delivers average cooling energy savings of 72% and improves the mean time between failures (MTBF) of the fans by 2.3X compared to the state of the art.
The Saga of Peter Still

The following is an expanded and footnoted version of the twenty-fourth annual Louis FaugA¨res Bishop III lecture, held Monday, February 23, 2009 at the Alexander Library of Rutgers University in New Brunswick.
Review: Leonard and Virginia Woolf, the Hogarth Press and the Networks of Modernism, Ed. Helen Southworth (Edinburgh: Edinburgh UP, 2010)

A review of Helen Southworth (Editor), Leonard and Virginia Woolf, the Hogarth Press and the Networks of Modernism . ix + 256 pp., notes, appendix, index. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2010. £75.
A Monte Carlo Test of the Robustness of Parametric and Nonparametric Analysis of Covariance Against Unequal Regression Slopes

Abstract The power of parametric ANCOVA was compared with the power of three nonparametric ANCOVA techniques both when the parametric assumption of equal slopes was violated and when all parametric assumptions were met. The data situations involved two groups with one covariate and one criterion, normal distributions, equal group sizes, and varying slope combinations. Parametric ANCOVA maintained larger empirical power for nearly all of the data situations. Both parametric and nonparametric techniques appeared not to be robust when violation of the parametric assumption of equal slopes was coupled with unequal group sizes and distributions were normal.
XSLT for tailored access to a digtal video library

Surrogates, summaries, and visualizations have been developed and eval uated for accessing a digital video library containing thousands of documents and terabytes of data. These interfaces, formerly implemented within a monolithic stand-alone application, are being migrated to XML and XSLT for delivery through web browsers. The merits of these interfaces are presented, along with a discussion of the benefits in using W3C recommendations such as XML and XSLT for delivering tailored access to video over the web.
Survey of feasibility of a peelable and point-of-use labelling system

Objectives This article describes a collaborative survey undertaken along with clinical practitioners in the UK and in Canada, in the fall of 2008. Its purpose was to identify the risks associated with poor labelling of injectable medicines. Additionally, it seeks to make recommendations to improve patient safety through the use of an innovative labelling system, including ‘peelable labels with patient-specific data’ and ‘point-of-use drug information labels’. Methods In order to assess the use of these labelling systems, clinicians were surveyed regarding their opinions on ‘peelable labels with patient-specific data’ and ‘point-of-use drug information labels’. Results Practitioners expressed their support for the use of an innovative labelling system, including ‘peelable labels with patient-specific data’ and ‘point-of-use drug information labels’. Conclusions Due to the deleterious consequences of medication errors, health systems are always seeking ways to improve and prevent these errors. Innovative drug labelling is one mechanism that can be used to prevent errors. A ‘peelable label with patient-specific data’ can be affixed to a syringe. This is one proposed mechanism to ensure that patients receive the correct medication and the correct dose. A ‘point-of-use drug information label’ provides clinicians with drug information at the site of treatment, which may prevent mistakes.
Isolating causal pathways between flow and fish in the regulated river hierarchy

Unregulated river systems are organized in a hierarchy in which large-scale factors (i.e., landscape and segment scales) influence local habitats (i.e., reach, meso-, and microhabitat scales), and ...
The Applied Physiology of American Football

American football is the most popular sport in the United States. Its popularity is likely related to the intense, fast-paced, physical style of play. The importance of strength and conditioning to success in football has been long understood. In fact, the strength and conditioning profession in North America can take its roots from American football. However, only recently has scientific study confirmed the positive relationships between strength, speed, and power to success in this sport. Although strength and conditioning are integral to every American football program, the collaboration with sport scientists has not been as fruitful. Only limited studies are available examining the physiological effects of actual competition and physiological adaptations or maladaptations during a season of competition. Most studies on American football have primarily focused on physical performance characteristics of these athletes and how various training paradigms can be used to improve performance.
Isolated pulmonic valve endocarditis presenting as neck pain

We discuss a unique case of a 52-year-old man with no history of intravenous drug use or dental procedures who presented with neck pain, 2 weeks of fevers, chills, night sweats, cough, and dyspnea found to have isolated pulmonic valve (PV) endocarditis. The patient did not have an associated murmur, which is commonly seen in right-sided infectious endocarditis. A transthoracic echocardiogram showed a thickened PV leaflet, with subsequent transesophageal echocardiogram showing a PV mass. Speciation of blood cultures revealed Streptococcus oralis . In right-sided infective endocarditis, usually the tricuspid valve is involved; however, in our case the tricuspid valve was free of any mass or vegetation. The patient did meet Duke criteria and was thus started on long-term intravenous antibiotics for infectious endocarditis. The patient’s symptoms quickly improved with antibiotics. A careful history and evaluating the patient’s risk factors are key in earlier detection of infective endocarditis (IE). Because of early detection and a high index of suspicion, the patient had no further complications and did not require any surgery. In conclusion, clinical suspicion of right-sided IE should be high in patients who present with persistent fevers and pulmonary symptoms in order to reduce the risk of complications, and to improve outcomes. Keywords: pulmonic; endocarditis; vegetation; septic emboli (Published: 11 December 2015) Citation: Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives 2015, 5 : 29647 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/jchimp.v5.29647
Single-Genome Sequencing of Hepatitis C Virus in Donor-Recipient Pairs Distinguishes Modes and Models of Virus Transmission and Early Diversification

ABSTRACT Despite the recent development of highly effective anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) drugs, the global burden of this pathogen remains immense. Control or eradication of HCV will likely require the broad application of antiviral drugs and development of an effective vaccine. A precise molecular identification of transmitted/founder (T/F) HCV genomes that lead to productive clinical infection could play a critical role in vaccine research, as it has for HIV-1. However, the replication schema of these two RNA viruses differ substantially, as do viral responses to innate and adaptive host defenses. These differences raise questions as to the certainty of T/F HCV genome inferences, particularly in cases where multiple closely related sequence lineages have been observed. To clarify these issues and distinguish between competing models of early HCV diversification, we examined seven cases of acute HCV infection in humans and chimpanzees, including three examples of virus transmission between linked donors and recipients. Using single-genome sequencing (SGS) of plasma vRNA, we found that inferred T/F sequences in recipients were identical to viral sequences in their respective donors. Early in infection, HCV genomes generally evolved according to a simple model of random evolution where the coalescent corresponded to the T/F sequence. Closely related sequence lineages could be explained by high multiplicity infection from a donor whose viral sequences had undergone a pretransmission bottleneck due to treatment, immune selection, or recent infection. These findings validate SGS, together with mathematical modeling and phylogenetic analysis, as a novel strategy to infer T/F HCV genome sequences. IMPORTANCE Despite the recent development of highly effective, interferon-sparing anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) drugs, the global burden of this pathogen remains immense. Control or eradication of HCV will likely require the broad application of antiviral drugs and the development of an effective vaccine, which could be facilitated by a precise molecular identification of transmitted/founder (T/F) viral genomes and their progeny. We used single-genome sequencing to show that inferred HCV T/F sequences in recipients were identical to viral sequences in their respective donors and that viral genomes generally evolved early in infection according to a simple model of random sequence evolution. Altogether, the findings validate T/F genome inferences and illustrate how T/F sequence identification can illuminate studies of HCV transmission, immunopathogenesis, drug resistance development, and vaccine protection, including sieving effects on breakthrough virus strains.
Comparing a mass-balance algorithm with a Bayesian regression analysis computer program for predicting serum phenytoin concentrations.

The ability of a mass-balance algorithm to predict non-steady-state phenytoin concentrations in neurosurgery patients was compared with that of Phenda, a computerized Bayesian regression analysis program. Fifty neurosurgery patients who had had two or more initial phenytoin serum concentrations measured at least 60 hours apart and at least 1 hour after any i.v. doses, with the second concentration being not more than twice and not less than half of the first, and who had had a third or final phenytoin measurement (for use in a prediction analysis) were evaluated. The patients' maximum rates of metabolism were calculated by using the two initial phenytoin concentrations and a mass-balance algorithm, and the third phenytoin concentration was predicted. The patients' demographics and phenytoin dosages and concentrations were entered into Phenda, which was used to predict the third phenytoin concentration. The ability of the two methods to predict the third concentration was evaluated by the method of Sheiner and Beal. Fifty observations from 48 patients were evaluated. The mass-balance algorithm had a positive prediction bias of 2.52 mg/L and a precision error of 5.08 mg/L, compared with 2.30 and 5.30, respectively, for Phenda. The difference in the results between the two methods was not significant. There was no significant difference between the mass-balance algorithm and Phenda in the ability to predict phenytoin concentrations.
Mars in motion.

The article discusses the changing surface of the planet Mars and whether water may be the cause. The author notes that most of the discoveries of water on Mars have involved visual evidence of ancient water, ice vapor, or hydrated minerals. He adds that the discovery of actual water on the surface could alter the course of Mars exploration. Topics include the first credible evidence of actual water via data from the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft in 2000 that identified Martian gullies suggestive of flowing water, detailed images of the gullies by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), and the discovery of a class of features, called recurring slope lineae (RSL), that could harbor microbial life.
Motion Planning in Complex Environments using Closed-loop Prediction

This paper describes the motion planning and control subsystems of Team MIT’s entry in the 2007 DARPA Grand Challenge. The novelty is in the use of closed-loop prediction in the framework of Rapidly-exploring Random Tree (RRT). Unlike the standard RRT, an input to the controller is sampled, followed by the forward simulation using the vehicle model and the controller to compute the predicted trajectory. This enables the planner to generate smooth trajectories much more efficiently, while the randomization allows the planner to explore cluttered environment. The controller consists of a Proportional-Integral speed controller and a nonlinear pure-pursuit steering controller, which are used both in execution and in the simulation-based prediction. The main advantages of the forward simulation are that it can easily incorporate any nonlinear control law and nonlinear vehicle dynamics, and the resulting trajectory is dynamically feasible. By using a stabilizing controller, it can handle vehicles with unstable dynamics. Several results obtained using MIT’s race vehicle demonstrate these features of the approach.
The Political Form Constitution Power Restraint and Human Rights Protection

As a basic law in modern democratic countries,Constitutional Law is the highest rule for regulating the state organ's activities and realizing the people's rights.It can form,by its highest state authority,a system of control state power and guarantee citizen's rights which can be achieved though the political operation of constitutionalism.The key in the course is to establish the idea of constitutionalism,and to enact Constitutional Law,to respect Constitutional Law and to enforce Constitutional Law according to the original principles of constitutionalism.
Visiting doctor opportunity and its influencing factors of rural hypertensive patients in Jinshan District of Shanghai

[Objective]To understand the visiting doctor opportunity and its influencing factors of rural hypertensive patients in Jinshan District of Shanghai,provide basis for giving targeted intervention among hypertensive patients.[Methods]The general conditions,disease characteristics,health awareness,behaviour and visiting doctor opportunity of 430 hypertensive patients aged above35 years old in 6 counties of Jinshan District were investigated by cross-sectional survey.[Results]The timely visiting doctors rate of hypertensive patients in Jinshan rural area was 61. 26%. Visiting doctor not in time of young,short disease course and asymptomatic patients was correlated with the health awareness,hypertensive knowledge and visited hospitals.[Conclusion]The health education among rural residents should be strengthened to improve their health awareness and knowledge.
Subtunical Total Reduction Clitoroplasty: A Safe Modification of Existing Techniques

Abstract Subtunical resection of hypertrophied cavernous tissue of the enlarged clitoris allows for maintenance of an intact blood supply to the glans and is an alternative safe method of diminishing shaft and glans size.
Drought in the Pacific Northwest, 1920-2013

AbstractThe severity–area–duration (SAD) method is used in conjunction with the Variable Infiltration Capacity model (VIC) to identify the major historical total moisture (TM; soil moisture plus snow water equivalent) droughts over the Pacific Northwest region, defined as the Columbia River basin and the region’s coastal drainages, for the period 1920–2013. The motivation is to understand how droughts identified using TM (a measure similar to that used in the U.S. Drought Monitor) relate to sector-specific drought measures that are more relevant to users. It is found that most of the SAD space is dominated by an extended drought period during the 1930s, although the most severe shorter droughts are in the 1970s (1976–78) and early 2000s (2000–04). The impact of the three severe TM droughts that dominate most of the SAD space are explored in terms of sector-specific measures relevant to dryland and irrigated agriculture, hydropower generation, municipal water supply, and recreation. It is found that in man...
Work, Occupations, and Entrepreneurship

This chapter provides an overview of research on the relationship between religion and work, occupations, and entrepreneurship. It begins with a review of Max Weber’s well-known Protestant Work Ethic thesis and problematizes it using extant research from sociology, psychology, and business. The relationship of religion to workplace outcomes is complex, neither always positive nor always negative. We highlight various dimensions of religion and their implications from job satisfaction to work-life balance strategies. We review growing scholarship on the role of religious stratification in the workplace as well. We introduce new research examining the impact of religion on entrepreneurship and close with suggestions for future research.
Assessment of methods for construction of an equivalent top loading curve from O-cell test data

Abstract This paper presents a systematic review of existing methods (original, modified, and load-transfer methods) for constructing an equivalent top loading (ETL) curve using the results of O-cell tests for drilled shaft foundations. The authors performed parametric studies using load-transfer analyses to investigate the effects of the slenderness ratio, foundation stiffness, and the stiffness of the surrounding geomaterials on the elastic shortening of the foundation, which is one of the key components when constructing an ETL curve. Results from the parametric study showed that the foundation compressibility increased with an increasing slenderness ratio, increasing stiffness of the surrounding medium, and decreasing stiffness of the foundation material. It was further shown that when O-cell tests are performed on drilled shafts with very high slenderness ratios or drilled shafts with moderate slenderness ratios, but installed in a very stiff medium, the elastic shortening must be taken into consideration when constructing ETL curves. Full-scale load test data from projects with both the conventional top-down and O-cell load tests performed at the same site were collected and used to assess the validity of the existing ETL methods through three case studies. Analyses of the case studies suggested that the differences among the three existing ETL methods were not significant in terms of ultimate capacity. However, in terms of head settlement, the original ETL method yielded a significantly stiffer load-settlement response than a conventional top-down load test. In contrast, ETL curves constructed by the load-transfer method or the modified method were both practically accurate enough to estimate the head settlement under the service load.
Mössbauer Spectroscopy of Soils and Sediments

Soils are the most wide-spread form of iron-containing material on the land portion of the earth’s surface. Together with aquatic sediments they provide a varied and important group of materials for which Mossbauer spectroscopy is an appropriate technique of study. They have been, however, less studied by this technique than many more-specialized geological samples. Part of this is certainly due to the complicated iron mineralogy of soils. Another important reason is the requirement of scientific expertise in two diverse areas in order to have a reasonable expectation of obtaining significant results. This review will concentrate on papers of the last five years, during which time there has been significant increase in both quantity and quality of reports in this applied field of Mossbauer spectroscopy. As far as we are aware, all papers dealing with this subject refer to the 57Fe resonance.
From externality in economics to leakage in carbon markets: An anthropological approach to market making

This article aims to demonstrate how anthropological studies may contribute to the economic experimentation toward a “good” market, that is, a market always open to uncertainty and contestation by different stakeholders. Taking up the recent call to study “marketization,” this is an ethnographic study of on-the-ground practices in experimenting with the REDD+ carbon trading scheme and institutionalizing the REDD+ carbon markets. Focusing on a pilot REDD+ project in the Brazilian Amazon, this article engages the formulation of the technical concept of leakage both in the economic theories of externalities and in the challenging practice of monitoring and calculating leakage. In the economic conceptualization of externalities, leakages are but the new externalities generated by the process of making new markets to internalize the externalities of previous markets. Whereas current debates about carbon leakages are predominantly concerned with the limited capacity of existing technologies for leakage monitoring and calculation, I suggest rethinking the leakage issue in a different rationale: Insufficient leakage accounting is an inevitable result of a forever imperfect process of framing in marketization. This article is focused on leakages in carbon markets not only as the subject of my ethnographic inquiry but also as an entry point for my theoretical extrapolation, because leakages have the advantage of making visible the social–technological assemblages for marketization, exposing the unequal power relations between the various stakeholders and thus opening onto new modalities of market framing and economic theorization.
Structural elucidation and physiologic functions of specialized pro-resolving mediators and their receptors

The acute inflammatory response is host-protective to contain foreign invaders. Many of today's pharmacopeia that block pro-inflammatory chemical mediators can cause serious unwanted side effects such as immune suppression. Uncontrolled inflammation is now considered a pathophysiologic basis associated with many widely occurring diseases such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, obesity and asthma, as well as the classic inflammatory diseases, e.g. arthritis, periodontal diseases. The inflammatory response is designated to be a self-limited process that produces a superfamily of chemical mediators that stimulate resolution of inflammatory responses. Specialized proresolving mediators (SPM) uncovered in recent years are endogenous mediators that include omega-3-derived families resolvins, protectins and maresins, as well as arachidonic acid-derived (n-6) lipoxins that stimulate and promote resolution of inflammation, clearance of microbes, reduce pain and promote tissue regeneration via novel mechanisms. Here, we review recent evidence from human and preclinical animal studies, together with the structural and functional elucidation of SPM indicating the SPM as physiologic mediators and pharmacologic agonists that stimulate resolution of inflammation and infection. These results suggest that it is time to develop immunoresolvents as agonists for testing resolution pharmacology in nutrition and health as well as in human diseases and during surgery.
A National Cancer Data Base report on mesothelioma.

e18501 Background: This is the first report on mesothelioma using Commission on Cancer National Cancer Database information and this is the largest study on mesothelioma to date. Methods: Using the National Cancer Database (NCDB) 26,605 patients diagnosed with mesothelioma between 2000 and 2010 were identified and analyzed. The NCDB contains data from more than 70% of all new cancers diagnosed in the U.S. each year. Results: The majority of mesothelioma patients are Caucasian (89%), males (78%), over the age of 70 (60%), and are diagnosed with stage IV disease (41%). The majority of patients (41%) received no first course treatment. The patients that were most likely to have surgery include patients 80 received the least (12%). Patients with private insurance receive...
A Critical Assessment of Comparative Sociology of Race and Ethnicity

This article provides a critical assessment of comparative sociology of race and ethnicity (CSRE). It underscores leading themes and conceptual paradigms that shape current studies in cross-cultura...
CHALLENGES FACING COMMERCIAL BANKS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CAPITAL ADEQUACY REQUIREMENT IN BASEL III FRAMEWORK

Purpose : The purpose of the study was to identify challenges facing commercial banks in the implementation of capital adequacy requirement in Basel III framework. Methodology : A descriptive survey design was applied to a population of 43 commercial banks operating in Kenya. The target population composed of the 159 management staff currently employed at the head offices of the various commercial banks in Kenya. The population was composed of Senior, Middle and Junior or Entry level Management staff. A sample of 30% was selected from within each group. Primary data was gathered using questionnaires which were dropped off at the bank’s head offices and picked up later when the respondents had filled the questionnaires. Descriptive analysis was used to analyze quantitative data while content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Results : The study concludes that the implementation of Basel III requirement has been faced by various challenges like growth barrier, regulatory constraints, risk and finance management culture and additional capital challenges. In addition, the study concluded that commercial banks face challenges in deciding how best to implement a solution that will allow them to comply with Basel III, how to operate the systems and processes for improved operational effectiveness, and how to understand and ultimately reduce their capital requirements. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommends that Banks should manage their risks more closely and avoid a build-up of unintended risk, reducing the opportunities for regulatory capital arbitrage. This would go a long way in eliminating growth barriers, regulatory constraints, capital adequacy requirement, risk and finance management culture and additional capital challenges.
Abstract 478: Regulation of cross talk between AR and wnt/beta-catenin pathways in prostate cancer

Prostate Cancer (PCa) is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States with 180,890 males diagnosed and is predicted to cause approximately 26,000 deaths in 2016. The current treatment of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) initially depletes circulating androgens; however, intratumoral androgens rescue androgen receptor (AR) signaling and promotes the development of castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The dysregulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway has been implicated in the development of many cancers including PCa. The disruption of this signaling leads to the stabilization of β-catenin which upregulates many genes involved in tumorigenesis. Additionally, β-catenin acts as AR cofactor. Our previous studies show that AR is a direct target of miR-644a. We hypothesized that targeting the expression of both the β-catenin pathway and AR by conventional drugs and/or tumor suppressor miR-644a would have synergistic therapeutic benefits. In this study, we are investigating miR-644a mediated posttranscriptional downregulation of GSK3-β and β-catenin in the wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. The effect of miR-644a in combination with inhibitors (β-catenin or GSK3-β) was also assessed using proliferation assays and a significant downregulation was observed. We will further study the posttranscriptional effects of tumor suppressor miR-644a on the wnt/β-catenin pathway and also the processing and regulation of miR-644a in PCa. Citation Format: Alexis Plaga, Girish C. Shukla. Regulation of cross talk between AR and wnt/beta-catenin pathways in prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 478. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-478
Polymer-spray mass spectrometric detection and quantitation of hydrophilic compounds and some narcotics.

Rationale High throughput screening of biofluids is essential in monitoring concentration of a variety of drugs to determine their efficacy and toxicity. Organosiloxane polymers prepared by sol-gel chemistry as sample supports and electrospray-ionization emitters in a single material and as an alternative to paper substrates, is described in this study. Methods Hydrophobic drugs and hydrophilic streptomycin were analyzed by polymer-spray MS with an LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometer. Drug samples in urine (1-2 μL) were deposited on an OSX polymer, allowed to dry, then electrosprayed from the polymer tip into the mass spectrometer without sample pretreatment. The OSX polymers, whose polarity and porosity can be controlled, were prepared by sol-gel chemistry where methyl-substituted alkoxysilanes were hydrolyzed in the presence of a pore template and an acid catalyst. Results Five nanograms each of 7 narcotic drugs were detected in <1 min (RSD of response <1% for each drug). Calibration curves of cocaine and streptomycin in urine was used to establish the performance of the polymer. For sample 1 (n=2), the mean recovery for cocaine was 81% with paper and 90% with polymer. Streptomycin is detected with polymer, not with paper; for samples 1 and 2 (n=3), mean recovery was 97% and 95%, respectively. Conclusions Organosiloxane polymers achieve better sensitivity analysis than paper, allowing for more accurate quantitation of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drug compounds. The ability to tailor the polymer polarity and porosity allows for the synthesis of a wide range of polymers, and thus opens many possibilities for further development and applications.
The Evolution of the Islet Organ

Phylogenetically, the islet hormones or closely related substances appeared long before the islet organ. Indeed, there is increasing evidence that all major types of messenger substances (steroids, catecholamines, peptides) are present in prokaryotes (bacteria) and/or unicellular karyotes (for literature see Coupland 1979; Hunt and Dayhoff 1979; Sandor and Mehdi 1979; LeRoith et al. 1983 a; Kolata 1984; LeRoith and Roth 1984). However, it has been questioned if this is a truly primitive condition, or the result of secondary gene transfer from higher organisms (LeRoith et al. 1983 b), a possibility supported by a recent report of fish to bacterium gene transfer (Bannister and Parker 1985). The functions of the messenger substances in unicellular organisms are largely unknown, although they may be involved in both intra- and extracellular actions. Csaba (1980, 1981) and Josefsson and Johansson (1979) have shown that there are specific receptors for vertebrate messenger substances (peptides and catecholamines) in unicellular organisms; there is no doubt that pheromone-type interactions involving these substances exist in at least some species (Bonner 1971; Kochert 1978; Dunny et al. 1979; Kaiser et al. 1979; O’Day and Horgen 1981). Among the islet hormones so far only insulin- and somatostatin-like material have been described for unicellular organisms. “Insulin” was identified in fungi (Aspergillus and Neurospora), the ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis, and the bacterium Escherichia coli (cf. LeRoith et al. 1983 a).
AgRP knockdown blocks long-term appetitive, but not consummatory, feeding behaviors in Siberian hamsters

Arcuate hypothalamus-derived agouti-related protein (AgRP) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) are critical for maintaining energy homeostasis. Fasting markedly upregulates AgRP/NPY expression and circulating ghrelin, and exogenous ghrelin treatment robustly increases acute food foraging and food intake, and chronic food hoarding behaviors in Siberian hamsters. We previously demonstrated that 3rd ventricular AgRP injection robustly stimulates acute and chronic food hoarding, largely independent of food foraging and intake. By contrast, 3rd ventricular NPY injection increases food foraging, food intake, and food hoarding, but this effect is transient and gone by 24h post-injection. Because of this discrepancy in AgRP/NPY-induced ingestive behaviors, we tested whether selective knockdown of AgRP blocks fasting and ghrelin-induced increases in food hoarding. AgRP gene knockdown by a novel DICER small interfering RNA (AgRP-DsiRNA) blocked food-deprivation induced increases in AgRP expression, but had no effect on NPY expression. AgRP-DsiRNA attenuated acute (1day), and significantly decreased chronic (4-6days), food deprivation-induced increases in food hoarding. In addition, AgRP-DsiRNA treatment blocked exogenous ghrelin-induced increases in food hoarding through day 3, but had no effect on basal food foraging, food intake, or food hoarding prior to ghrelin treatment. Lastly, chronic AgRP knockdown had no effect on body mass, fat mass, or lean mass in either food deprived or ad libitum fed hamsters. These data collectively suggest that the prolonged increase in food hoarding behavior following energetic challenges, and food deprivation especially, is primarily regulated by downstream AgRP signaling.
Modeling the Nuclear Air-Brayton Combined Cycle

Given that the combined cycle (CC) code does a good job of modeling current generation gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) plants, it is useful to extrapolate its capabilities to Nuclear Air-Brayton Combined Cycle (NACC) power plants and Nuclear Air-Brayton Recuperated Cycle (NARC) power plants. The combined cycle plants will be dealt with in this chapter and the recuperated plants in the next chapter. In the Nuclear Air-Brayton power plants, the combustion chamber of the gas turbine system is replaced by the nuclear reactor and a heat exchanger. The nuclear reactor will heat a working fluid and that working fluid will in turn pass through a heat exchanger to heat the air for the turbine. Because the heat transfer process for a nuclear system is in the opposite direction (solid to gas) from that in the gas turbine (gas to solid), the peak temperatures achievable in a Nuclear Air-Brayton system will never be as high as those in a gas turbine system. However, the nuclear system can reheat the air multiple times and expand it across multiple turbines to increase the available power.
LAPlACIAN GROWTH MODELS OF NEURAL CONNECTIVITY

A Laplacian growth model of neural connectivity in the rudimentary brain is investigated by computer simulation and polymer-based growth experiments. The model assumes that neurons grow by following the concentration gradient of tracer chemicals emitted by other neurons. Computer simulations of the resulting hierarchical branching structures are compared to the interconnection arrangements observed in fully optimized electronic computer systems. It is shown that the interconnection complexity of both systems may be characterized by a fractal dimension near two and that this is a direct consequence of minimizing the spatial resources devoted to wiring the system. We conclude by proposing a polymer-based analog of the Laplacian interconnection process which may find applicability in the implementation of interconnections in silicon-based neural networks.
Steps per Day and Its Relationship to Energy Expenditures.

Dear Editor-in-Chief,Chomistek et al. (1) investigated the association between energy expenditure measured with doubly labeled water (DLW) and physical activity (PA) outputs derived from the ActiGraph GT3X in a sample of adults. The authors concluded that total activity counts per day, steps per day
A Fundamental Theorem for the $K$-theory of connective $\mathbb{S}$-algebras

Invoking the density argument of [Dundas-Goodwillie-McCarthy], we extend the Fundamental Theorem of $K$-theory from the category of simplicial rings to the category of $\mathbb{S}$-algebras. This recovers as a special case the Fundamental Theorem for the $K$-theory of spaces appearing in [H\"uttemann-Klein-Vogell-Waldhausen-Williams].