cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-performance computational analysis of glioblastoma pathology images with database support identifies molecular and survival correlates

In this paper, we present a novel framework for microscopic image analysis of nuclei, data management, and high performance computation to support translational research involving nuclear morphometry features, molecular data, and clinical outcomes. Our image analysis pipeline consists of nuclei segmentation and feature computation facilitated by high performance computing with coordinated execution in multi-core CPUs and Graphical Processor Units (GPUs). All data derived from image analysis are managed in a spatial relational database supporting highly efficient scientific queries. We applied our image analysis workflow to 159 glioblastomas (GBM) from The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset. With integrative studies, we found statistics of four specific nuclear features were significantly associated with patient survival. Additionally, we correlated nuclear features with molecular data and found interesting results that support pathologic domain knowledge. We found that Proneural subtype GBMs had the smallest mean of nuclear Eccentricity and the largest mean of nuclear Extent, and MinorAxisLength. We also found gene expressions of stem cell marker MYC and cell proliferation maker MKI67 were correlated with nuclear features. To complement and inform pathologists of relevant diagnostic features, we queried the most representative nuclear instances from each patient population based on genetic and transcriptional classes. Our results demonstrate that specific nuclear features carry prognostic significance and associations with transcriptional and genetic classes, highlighting the potential of high throughput pathology image analysis as a complementary approach to human-based review and translational research.
Renal vein injury complicating removal of intravenous leiomyoma

Intravenous leiomyoma is a benign tumor with an extremely low incidence, first described by Knauer in 1902, with at least 33 reports involving the right ventricle. The tumor extends from the uterine/ovarian vein to the iliac vein and inferior vena cava (IVC), eventually reaching the right side of the heart. The tumor has signs and symptoms of IVC occlusion and the typical sequelae of right heart failure, including hepatomegaly, ascites, peripheral edema, and dyspnea. Sudden cardiac death due to the total obstruction of the tricuspid valve has also been reported. Herein we report an avulsion injury of the renal vein during extraction of a right atrial tumor without abdominal exposure. We believe our experience suggests that a 1-stage approach with venous exposure at the time of tumor extraction would be safer in future cases.
Assessing Organizational Planning and Teamwork: An Action Research Methodology

Organizations often undertake planned change or OD interventions such as Management By Objectives (MBO) or team building without clearly identifying the current state of teamwork and planning among their own personnel. To overcome that deficiency, this article illustrates an approach for providing both quantitative and qualitative data regarding teamwork and planning. Utilization of such data concurrently with a "white paper" and OD survey feedback methodology is described. A case history of an actual intervention and sample data are provided. This approach is assessed using the theory bases of role perception accuracy and role compliance. The use of data from the methodology for providing feedback to individuals, dyads, and management teams as well as a baseline for considering planning or team-building approaches to OD is stressed. Methodological limitations are also considered.
Genetic Diagnosis and Treatment: Ethical Considerations

There is a story about a monk who announced that he was leaving the monastery after 25 years. "Is it the food, Brother John?" his superior asked him. "No," he replied, "the food is bad, but I would not leave because of that." "Is it the illumination? Are you concerned about your eyesight?" he was asked. "No," he replied, "The work is tedious, but I would not leave for that reason." "Is it the celibacy?" he was asked. "No," he replied, "like the others, I am lonely, but I took vows with a full awareness of what I was sacrificing, and I would not leave because of that." "Then what is it, why are you leaving?" his exasperated superior wanted to know. "It's just the whole damn thing," Brother John explained. So it is with the new genetic technologies. They raise no new ethical questions for physicians or patients. There
A DYNAMIC PROCESS MODEL OF DISSATISFACTION FOR UNFAVORABLE, NON-ROUTINE SERVICE ENCOUNTERS

This paper explores the effect of expectations and information on customer dissatisfaction in unfavorable, nonroutine service encounters. In complex services (e.g., health care) with multiple encounters and wide range of services, customers use some of the services rarely or only once. In such encounters, customers may not have clear expectations regarding the process and/or outcome of the impending service delivery. This may increase the likelihood of the customer to perceive poor service or be dissatisfied. Hypotheses regarding the nature of expectations—levels, uncertainty, consistency—and its affects on customer dissatisfaction are tested using a dynamic process model of customer dissatisfaction.
Temperature Dependence of the Raman Spectra of Calcium Oxalate Monohydrate

Analyses of vibrational spectra and X-ray powder diffraction data demonstrate that two phases (space groups I2/m and P21/n) coexist for calcium oxalate monohydrate between 273 and 376 K. Interpretation of the Raman spectra indicates that the I2/m-P21/n phase transition near 320 K is analogous to the cubic-tetragonal phase transition of NH4Cl. Unambiguous Rarnan band assignments are reported for the phase with space group I2/m. Several band reassignments are made for calcium oxalate monohydrate with space group P21/n. Schwingungsspektrenanalysen und Rontgenbeugungsanalysen zeigen, das fur Kalziumoxalat- monohydrat zwischen 273 und 376 K gleichzeitig zwei Phasen (Raumgruppen I2/m und P21/n) vorhanden sind. Die Interpretation der Ramanspektren zeigt, das der 12/m-P21/n-Phasenubergang bei 320 K analog zum kubisch-tetragonalen Phasenubergang des NH4Cl ist. Eine eindeutige Zuordnung der Ramanbanden ist fur die Phase mit der Raunigruppe I2/m moglich. Mehrere Ramanspektralbanden sind Kalziumoxalatmonohydrat init der Raumgruppe P21/n zuzuordnen.
On the use of moment inversion methods for the "quantization" of classical trajectory study vibrational energy distributions. Effects of statistical uncertainties in the moments

Abstract A procedure based on non-negative linear least squares is used to investigate statistical uncertainties in “quantized” vibrational distributions resulting from the inversion of statistically uncertain classical trajectory generated moments of vibrational energy distributions. Test cases considered indicate that due to statistical uncertainties in the trajectory generated moments, the inverted vibrational distributions contain appreciable uncertainties which in general, are at least comparable to those resulting from use of the histogrammic method.
Reliability-Based Assessment of Suspension Bridges: Application to the Innoshima Bridge

Many suspension and cable-stayed bridges were designed and constructed between Honshu Island and Shikoku Island in Japan. All these bridges were designed according to the allowable stress design method. In the allowable stress design method, it is not possible to quantify the reliabilities of both bridge components and the entire bridge system. Therefore, in light of current reliability-based design philosophy, there is an urgent need to assess the safety of suspension bridges from a probabilistic viewpoint. To develop cost-effective design and maintenance strategies, it is necessary to assess the condition of suspension bridges using a reliability-based approach. This is accomplished by a probabilistic finite-element geometrically nonlinear analysis. This study describes an investigation into the reliability assessment of suspension bridges. The combination of reliability analysis and geometrically nonlinear elastic analysis allows the determination of reliabilities of suspension bridges. A probabilistic...
Spatial prediction with mobile sensor networks using Gaussian processes with built-in Gaussian Markov random fields

In this paper, a new class of Gaussian processes is proposed for resource-constrained mobile sensor networks. Such a Gaussian process builds on a GMRF with respect to a proximity graph over a surveillance region. The main advantages of using this class of Gaussian processes over standard Gaussian processes defined by mean and covariance functions are its numerical efficiency and scalability due to its built-in GMRF and its capability of representing a wide range of non-stationary physical processes. The formulas for predictive statistics such as predictive mean and variance are derived and a sequential field prediction algorithm is provided for sequentially sampled observations. For a special case using compactly supported weighting functions, we propose a distributed algorithm to implement field prediction by correctly fusing all observations. Simulation and experimental results illustrate the effectiveness of our approach.
Thirst and saccharin preference in rats.

Abstract Three experiments with 112 water-deprived rats initially showed higher water than saccharin consumption regardless of whether the liquids were presented singly or as a choice, and whether food was available or withheld during testing. More saccharin than water was consumed later. The reversal from water to saccharin was positively related to hours of water deprivation and per cent saccharin concentration and occurred with either continuous or interrupted exposure. It was concluded that rats must first drink water in order to reduce their water deficit to some threshold before saccharin is drunk. Postingestional and oral factors then become responsible for ingestion of large quantities of saccharin.
Vowel Identification by Amplitude and Phase Contrast

Vowel identification is largely dependent on listeners’ access to the frequency of two or three peaks in the amplitude spectrum. Earlier work has demonstrated that, whereas normal-hearing listeners can identify harmonic complexes with vowel-like spectral shapes even with very little amplitude contrast between “formant” components and remaining harmonic components, listeners with hearing loss require greater amplitude differences. This is likely the result of the poor frequency resolution that often accompanies hearing loss. Here, we describe an additional acoustic dimension for emphasizing formant versus non-formant harmonics that may supplement amplitude contrast information. The purpose of this study was to determine whether listeners were able to identify “vowel-like” sounds using temporal (component phase) contrast, which may be less affected by cochlear loss than spectral cues, and whether overall identification improves when congruent temporal and spectral information are provided together. Five normal-hearing and five hearing-impaired listeners identified three vowels over many presentations. Harmonics representing formant peaks were varied in amplitude, phase, or a combination of both. In addition to requiring less amplitude contrast, normal-hearing listeners could accurately identify the sounds with less phase contrast than required by people with hearing loss. However, both normal-hearing and hearing-impaired groups demonstrated the ability to identify vowel-like sounds based solely on component phase shifts, with no amplitude contrast information, and they also showed improved performance when congruent phase and amplitude cues were combined. For nearly all listeners, the combination of spectral and temporal information improved identification in comparison to either dimension alone.
Cover estimation and payload location using Markov random fields

Payload location is an approach to find the message bits hidden in steganographic images, but not necessarily their logical order. Its success relies primarily on the accuracy of the underlying cover estimators and can be improved if more estimators are used. This paper presents an approach based on Markov random field to estimate the cover image given a stego image. It uses pairwise constraints to capture the natural two-dimensional statistics of cover images and forms a basis for more sophisticated models. Experimental results show that it is competitive against current state-of-the-art estimators and can locate payload embedded by simple LSB steganography and group-parity steganography. Furthermore, when combined with existing estimators, payload location accuracy improves significantly.
Diagnosis and treatment of depression.

In the United States, depression is the most common psychiatric disorder and is the psychiatric problem most often seen by the generalist. Thus, it is essential for the primary-care physician to have
Binding of [3H]triamcinolone acetonide-receptor complexes to chromatin from the B-cell leukemia line, BCL1.

Abstract The binding characteristics of partially purified glucocorticoid receptor complexes from hormone sensitive, non-differentiating BCL 1 cells to sequentially deproteinized BCL 1 chromatin-cellulose was investigated. [ 3 H]Triamcinolone acetonide (TA)-receptor complexes were purified (approx. 30-fold) from DEAF-cellulose columns by salt elution which allowed receptor activation only in the absence of molybdate. Addition of 10 mM molybdate completely blocked salt activation. The binding pattern of the activated [ 3 H]TA-receptor complexes to chromatin-cellulose extracted with 0–8 M guanidine hydrochloride revealed three regions of increased binding activity (acceptor sites), at 2, 5 and 7 M guanidine hydrochloride. Acceptor site binding was markedly reduced for chromatin extracted with 3, 6 and 8 M guanidine hydrochloride. Non-activated receptor complexes demonstrated very low binding to deproteinized chromatin. It was also shown that chromatin binding required glucocortical receptors and that free ligand or ligand bound to other proteins did not bind significantly to chromatin. In addition, binding of [ 3 H]TA-receptor complexes to partially deproteinized chromatin was competable by unlabeled TA-receptor complexes. Scatchard analysis demonstrated that chromatin from non-differentiating BCL 1 cells possesses multiple, high-affinity binding sites which differ in their affinity for the glucocorticoid receptor. Partially deproteinized chromatin from lipopolysaccharide-stimulated BCL 1 cells demonstrated a different pattern of receptor binding, i.e., receptor binding was significantly greater to chromatin previously extracted with 6–8 M guanidine hydrochloride. These results suggest that differentiation alters the state of chromatin and the interaction of non-histone protein/DNA acceptor sites with glucocorticoid receptors. These alterations may play a role in the acquisition of hormone resistance.
Effect of dynamic camera control on spatial reasoning in 3D spaces

Game worlds have to be presented to players via some form of visualization to be accessible. Consequently, there is a direct dependency between the virtual game world and this form of presentation. But how does the camera work affect our understanding of the game space? We implemented a dynamic camera system that procedurally switches camera styles depending on the type of region the player is in. We then tested to what degree this camera behavior affects the players' understanding of the game world and its zoning in comparison with a control group playing the same zoned environment with a default camera. In both cases, recognition of the zones was lower than expected but our results show that after an initial learning phase the recognition was significantly faster when the dynamic camera system was active. Players also appeared to be less "lost" in the game world. The results validate the role of the camera in virtual spaces and suggest a stronger role for visualization strategies in 3D game worlds.
Multipurpose Shopping Trips and the Size of Retail Facilities1

ABSTRACT The primary focus of this paper is on the role of multistop multipurpose trips in the interdependence between urban retail facilities. The paper uses an accounting framework to characterize multipurpose travel between retail sectors and between retail sectors and other land uses. A connection is made between the accounting framework and Wilson's aggregate models of urban structure. The (generalized) model is formulated as an equilibrium size problem, and some properties of the equilibrium solutions are derived analytically. The equilibrium size of retail facilities is shown to be sensitive to multipurpose travel behavior.
Microzooplankton grazing in the coastal Gulf of Alaska: Variations in top-down control of phytoplankton

Microzooplankton grazing rates on three phytoplankton size fractions (,5, 5–20, and .20 mm) were measured during spring and summer 2001 in the northern coastal Gulf of Alaska (CGOA). To a first approximation, microzooplankton consumed all production by phytoplankton ,20 mm in size and nearly half the production by phytoplankton .20 mm, mainly diatoms. Microzooplankton (ciliate plus heterotrophic dinoflagellate) biomass ranged from 9.6 m gCL 21 to 82.2 m gCL 21. The highest levels were associated with diatom blooms and equaled those previously reported for highly productive coastal upwelling regions. Regulation of microzooplankton grazing differed according to size class. Grazing on phytoplankton ,5 mm in size averaged 0.48 d21 and was closely correlated with phytoplankton growth rates in the same size class. In contrast, grazing on phytoplankton .20 mm averaged 0.17 d21 and was unrelated to phytoplankton growth rate in this size class. Variations in grazing pressure on these largest phytoplankton arose mainly through variations in the biomass of the larger (.40 mm) ciliates and dinoflagellates. This biomass, in turn, became more closely correlated with .20 mm chlorophyll as the season progressed, indicating removal of top-down control on these ciliates and dinoflagellates as Neocalanus spp. copepods left the upper water column. Because microzooplankton directly consume much of the phytoplankton production in the CGOA, processes that regulate this trophic linkage have major implications for food web structure and secondary production in this coastal ecosystem.
Nonadditive indirect effects of group genetic diversity on larval viability in Drosophila melanogaster imply key role of maternal decision‐making

Genetic variation can have important consequences for populations: high population genetic diversity is typically associated with ecological success. Some mechanisms that account for these benefits assume that local social groups with high genetic diversity are more successful than low-diversity groups. At the same time, active decision-making by individuals can influence group genetic diversity. Here, we examine how maternal decisions that determine group genetic diversity influence the viability of Drosophila melanogaster larvae. Our groups contained wild-type larvae, whose genetic diversity we manipulated, and genetically marked 'tester' larvae, whose genotype and frequency were identical in all trials. We measured wild-type and tester viability for each group. Surprisingly, the viability of wild-type larvae was neither augmented nor reduced when group genetic diversity was altered. However, the viability of the tester genotype was substantially depressed in large, high-diversity groups. Further, not all high-diversity groups produced this effect: certain combinations of wild-type genotypes were deleterious to tester viability, while other groups of the same diversity-but containing different wild-type genotypes-were not deleterious. These deleterious combinations of wild-type genotypes could not be predicted by observing the performance of the same tester and wild-type genotypes in low-diversity groups. Taken together, these results suggest that nonadditive interactions among genotypes, rather than genetic diversity per se, account for between-group differences in viability in D. melanogaster and that predicting the consequences of genetic diversity at the population level may not be straightforward.
Longitudinal Perceptions of Prognosis and Goals of Therapy in Patients With Metastatic Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Results of a Randomized Study of Early Palliative Care

Purpose Understanding of prognosis among terminally ill patients impacts medical decision making. The aims of this study were to explore perceptions of prognosis and goals of therapy in patients with metastatic non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to examine the effect of early palliative care on these views over time. Patients and Methods Patients with newly diagnosed metastatic NSCLC were randomly assigned to receive either early palliative care integrated with standard oncology care or standard oncology care alone. Participants completed baseline and longitudinal assessments of their perceptions of prognosis and the goals of cancer therapy over a 6-month period.
Perceptual decision making "through the eyes" of a large-scale neural model of v1.

Sparse coding has been posited as an efficient information processing strategy employed by sensory systems, particularly visual cortex. Substantial theoretical and experimental work has focused on the issue of sparse encoding, namely how the early visual system maps the scene into a sparse representation. In this paper we investigate the complementary issue of sparse decoding, for example given activity generated by a realistic mapping of the visual scene to neuronal spike trains, how do downstream neurons best utilize this representation to generate a “decision”. Specifically we consider both sparse (L1 regularized) and non-sparse (L2 regularized) linear decoding for mapping the neural dynamics of a large-scale spiking neuron model of primary visual cortex (V1) to a two alternative forced choice (2-AFC) perceptual decision. We show that while both sparse and non-sparse linear decoding yield discrimination results quantitatively consistent with human psychophysics, sparse linear decoding is more efficient in terms of the number of selected informative dimension.
Water flow through a 20-pore perforation plate in vessels of Liquidambar styraciflua

removal (Baas and Schweingruber, 1987). If perforation plates provide a source of resistance to flow, perhaps they The flow of water through perforation plates of have some other significant function such as the trapping Liquidambar styraciflua vessels was studied through a of air bubbles that develop when cellular water freezes computational fluid dynamics approach together with at locations experiencing low seasonal temperatures a large-scale physical model of the perforation plate. ( Zimmermann, 1983). Thus the author has been interesFor the computational approach, a finite elements ted in determining the extent to which perforation plates model was constructed of a 20-pore perforation plate obstruct flow along vessels of plant stems. and the region around the plate. Solutions of this A previous study utilizing a computational fluid model describe pressures and velocities for points dynamics approach applied to perforation plates of within the model. The pressure gradient within the Liriodendron tulipifera having five pores suggested that a pores of the plate was about 40-fold greater than for plate of such structure was not very significant as a source regions away from the plate. However the influence of of resistance (Schulte and Castle, 1993a, b). Although the plate on flow extends for only a very short distance the plate accounted for half of the flow resistance for the before and after the plate. Overall, the perforation region near the plate, when the added resistance of the plate in this model was calculated to account for 23% regions between plates (where only the cell wall resistance of the total resistance to flow encountered along the appears) was considered, the plate accounted for only vessel. Calculations from the physical model provided about 8% of the total resistance to flow along the vessel. a similar estimate of 21% for the contribution of the The present work considers a more complicated plate perforation plate to flow resistance. model of Liquidambar styraciflua having 20 pores. Although pores in the perforation plates of this species
Is cross-femoral bypass grafting a disadvantage of aortomonoiliac endovascular aortic aneurysm repair?

Abstract Purpose The need for cross-femoral bypass grafting (CFBG) is considered by some to be a major disadvantage of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) with the aortomonoiliac technique. To determine the durability of CFBG in this setting, we examined data from 148 consecutive high-risk patients in a clinical trial of EVAR with a custom-made aortomonoiliac endovascular stent graft. Methods All data were collected prospectively. After hospital discharge, patients were evaluated at 1, 3, and 6 months and annually thereafter. All CFBG was constructed of expandable polytetrafluoroethylene. Results During follow-up averaging 23.6 ± 16.2 months, nine CFBG complications developed in 8 patients (5.4%), including disruption (n = 2), infection (n = 3), thrombosis (n = 2), and pseudoaneurysm (n = 3). Four patients with CFBG complications died, of consequences of infection (n = 2), intracranial hemorrhage during attempted CFBG thrombolysis (n = 1), and intracranial hemorrhage during anticoagulation (n = 1). There were no amputations. At life table analysis, freedom from CFBG complication was 96.3% ± 1.6% at 12 months, 94.1% ± 2.2% at 24, 36, and 48 months, and 86.2% ± 7.8% at 60 months. Overall survival for this high-risk patient group was 83.4% ± 3.1% at 12 months, 70.4% ± 4.1% at 24 months, 56.5% ± 5.3% at 36 months, and 44.8% ± 6.4% at 48 months. Conclusion CFBG is durable, with a low rate of complications in patients undergoing aortomonoiliac EVAR. Need for CFBG should not discourage use of aortomonoiliac devices in patients with anatomy unfavorable for other EVAR approaches.
Maternal Regulation of Estrogen Receptor α Methylation

Advances in molecular biology have provided tools for studying the epigenetic factors that modulate gene expression. DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification that can have sustained effects on transcription and is associated with long-term gene silencing. In this review, we focus on the regulation of estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) expression by hormonal and environmental cues, the consequences of these cues for female maternal and sexual behavior, and recent studies that explore the role of DNA methylation in mediating these developmental effects, with particular focus on the mediating role of maternal care. The methylation status of ERalpha has implications for reproductive behavior, cancer susceptibility, and recovery from ischemic injury, suggesting an epigenetic basis for risk and resilience across the life span.
Representational shifts made visible: movement away from the prototype in memory for hue.

In four experiments, a total of 205 participants studied individual color patches and were given an old-new recognition test after a brief retention interval (0.5 or 5.0 s). The pattern of false alarms revealed hue memory shifting away from the prototype of the hue’s basic color category. The shifts demonstrate that hue memory is influenced by categorization early in processing. The shifts did not depend on intentional categorization; the shifts were found even when participants made preference ratings at encoding rather than labeling judgments. Overall, we found that categorization and memory are deeply intertwined from perception onward. We discuss the impact of the results on theories of memory and categorization, including the effects of category labels on memory (e.g., Lupyan, 2008). We also put forward the hypothesis that atypical shifts in hue are related to atypical shifts that have previously observed in face recognition (Rhodes et al., 1987).
An image encryption algorithm with a chaotic dynamical system based Sudoku Grid

Nowadays, increasingly more, it seems that using the most popular games' sets of rules, particularly on new images' encryption algorithms designing branch, leads to crystallization of a new paradigm in the field of cryptography. Motivated by this, present paper aims to assess performances of a digital images' encryption scheme that uses chaos-based Sudoku Grids.
Electronic Simulators for Study of Aircraft Flight Paths

This simulator was designed for use as an aid in the study of the problems of co-ordinating many aircraft in a given geographic area. Correspondingly, the equipment is only as sophisticated as the requirements of the special problem dictated. The main significance of the simulator lies in its ability to develop, with a small operating crew, a complex aircraft traffic situation as might be viewed by a ground based surveillance radar. Further, the simulator is capable of generating signals for use in testing and developing experimental data-processing, computing, and recording equipment. Several methods of simulating simplified aircraft tracks in three dimensions are included. Simulation equipments based on these methods are in use as data sources for track-while-scan radar repeater presentation and for direct use in ground-installed computing and recording equipment. The methods involve both integration and multiplication techniques in generating voltages which represent tracks in rectangular co-ordinates. The voltages may be used directly in computers, or video circuits may be employed to convert aircraft position to polar form for Plan Position Indicator and RHI presentation. The simulation methods vary in the degree of aircraft maneuverability from nonmaneuvering straight-line aircraft to that of fixed-rate-of-turn aircraft. The complete installation has the capacity to simultaneously generate twenty-four aircraft paths.
Exercise hemodynamics and risk assessment in asymptomatic aortic stenosis.

More than half a century ago, in the American Journal of Cardiology , Dr Paul Wood aptly described aortic stenosis (AS) as “a simple mechanical fault which, if severe enough, imposes a heavy burden on the left ventricle and sooner or later overcomes it.”1 Our subsequent understanding of the pathophysiology of AS, using more sophisticated tools than those at Dr Wood's disposal, has confirmed his concept. Severe chronic pressure overload and outflow obstruction beget left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and its attendant myocardial fibrosis and impaired coronary vasodilator reserve, leading to LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction, and progressing ultimately to the anticipated symptoms of dyspnea, angina, and presyncope or syncope, which are harbingers of death within a few years. Once symptoms develop, the treatment strategy is clear, because aortic valve replacement (AVR) improves symptoms, improves LV function, and improves survival. The indications for AVR in asymptomatic patients, however, remain less clear and the subject of ongoing debate.2–4 Although the current evidence-based guidelines recommend a watchful waiting approach for most patients, with no class I indications for surgery in asymptomatic patients with normal LV systolic function,5,6 numerous studies have shown that patients with severe AS have a high likelihood of developing symptoms and requiring surgery within 3 to 5 years,7–10 and some series have reported that asymptomatic patients with severe AS are also at risk of death when managed without surgery.11,12 Because the operative risk of AVR is low in experienced centers,11,13 there is intense interest in identifying the subsets of asymptomatic patients that have the highest likelihood of dying or developing symptoms over the short term and that might benefit from early, preemptive AVR rather than a watchful waiting approach. Article see p 851 Determining …
Skull Base Lesions: Extracranial Origins

A number of extracranial anatomical sites, including the nasopharynx, paranasal sinuses, and masticator space, may give rise to lesions involving the skull base. Implicit in the nature of an invasive lesion, the majority of these lesions are malignant. Accordingly, for optimal patient outcomes and treatment planning, it is imperative to include a search pattern for extracranial sites and to assess accurately the character and extent of these diverse lesions. Of particular importance to radiologists are lesions arising from each extracranial site, the search patterns, and relevant information important to convey to the referring clinician.
PROBING DARK ENERGY: METHODS AND STRATEGIES

The presence of dark energy in the Universe is inferred directly from the accelerated expansion of the Universe, and, indirectly, from measurements of cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy. Dark energy contributes about two-thirds of the critical density, is smoothly distributed, has large negative pressure, and is very mysterious. For now, all of its discernible cosmological consequences follow from its effect on the expansion rate of the Universe. Absent a compelling theoretical model (or even a class of models), we describe the dark energy by its equation of state ${w=p}_{X}/{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{X}$ which is allowed to vary with time. We describe and compare different approaches for determining $w(t),$ including a magnitude-redshift (Hubble) diagram, number counts of galaxies and clusters, and CMB anisotropy. We focus particular attention on the use of a sample of several thousand type Ia supernova with redshifts $z\ensuremath{\lesssim}1.7,$ as might be gathered by the proposed SNAP satellite. Among other things, we derive optimal strategies for constraining cosmological parameters using type Ia supernovae. The redshift range $z\ensuremath{\simeq}0.2\ensuremath{-}2$ has the most leverage for probing ${w}_{X};$ supernovae and number counts appear to have the most potential to probe dark energy. Because the expansion rate depends upon both $w(t)$ and ${\ensuremath{\Omega}}_{M},$ an independent measurement of the matter density is critical for obtaining the most information about dark energy from cosmological observations.
The Intended Relationship Between Federal Operating Subsidy and Cost

There are many studies, including those of J. Pucher et al. and S. C. Anderson, that found higher costs to be associated with transit operating subsidies. However, none of them investigated the eff...
Reasons of Law: Dworkin on the Legal Decision

Ronald Dworkin once identified the basic question of jurisprudence as: ‘What, in general, is a good reason for a decision by a court of law?’ I argue that, over the course of his career, Dworkin gave an essentially sound answer to this question. In fact, he gave a correct answer to a broader question: ‘What is a good reason for a legal decision, generally?’ For judges, officials of executive and administrative agencies, lawyers, non-governmental organizations, and ordinary subjects acting in the variety of legal contexts, Dworkin identified the proper basis for a legal decision, and its implications for the form of well-conducted legal reasoning. Dworkin's stance on the above questions can be characterised by two theses. I defend his view by substantiating each. The result is agnostic about the viability of other aspects of Dworkin's legal theory, as it focuses on the grounds of proper legal decision-making. Whatever the fate of his other philosophical views, Dworkin's jurisprudence includes a clear-heade...
A case of familial calcific aortic and mitral stenosis in association with hereditary sclerosing poikiloderma

Hereditary sclerosing poikiloderma is a rare, familial disease with the primary clinical features being dermatologic. Widespread poikiloderma, as well as linear hyperkeratotic and sclerotic bands, tends to be the most common sign of this disease. It has been suggested that cardiac involvement may represent an important element of this disorder; however, this has not been well studied. We confirm here a case of hereditary sclerosing poikiloderma in a patient and his family with significant cardiac involvement characterized by heavily calcified stenotic aortic and mitral valves on echocardiography. Due to the patient's symptomatic severe valvular disease, he underwent simultaneous aortic and mitral valve replacement. Histopathologic analysis of the valves confirmed severe calcification of the aortic and mitral valve leaflets, suggesting a potential common mechanism between the cardiac and skin pathology of this disease. Multiple other family members had presented with similar cardiac and skin manifestations. Further research is needed to better understand the cardiac pathophysiology of this disease.
Estrogen action in the corpus luteum.

The search for unifying concepts and mechanisms concerning the hormonal regulation of the corpus luteum has been frustrated by the numerous reports of marked species differences in requirements for luteotropic hormones. Astwood’s (1) observation that prolactin is luteotropic in the rat has been confirmed by many but a primary luteotropic role for prolactin in other species has not been found. Instead, LH seems to have a primary role (e.g., in the human female, 2) and in some species estradiol is luteotropic (3,4). To add a further disquieting note, it remains a mystery how the gonadotropic hormones maintain both steroidogenesis and cellular morphology. Prolactin is recognized for its luteotropic action in the rat (5), but the cellular mechanism of action is unknown. Rat luteal cells have LH receptors (6) and the corpora lutea are LH-dependent for several days during pregnancy (7,8), yet the respective roles of LH and prolactin in the regulation of the corpus luteum have not been defined. In those species in which estrogen is thought to act on the corpus luteum, the mechanism is unknown and the role of pituitary gonadotropic hormones is a matter of speculation. The research reported here will add some new ingredients to the ferment of research on the corpus luteum, in the hope that a fruitful new avenue of research might be realized and pursued.
Post-transfusion breathlessness in a patient with acute myeloid leukaemia

We present a case of a 38-year-old man with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in remission who developed sudden-onset chest pain and shortness of breath 30 min after receiving a blood transfusion. His condition deteriorated and required transferring him to the intensive care unit. The initial differential diagnosis was wide given his immunosuppression, recent chemotherapy, hospitalised status and receipt of blood products. Extensive work up concluded Coxsackie virus-induced myopericarditis as the cause of his symptoms. He was treated with colchicine monotherapy for 3 months and remained without recurrence of pericarditis at 3 months of follow-up.
Interactions Between PD-1 and PD-L1 and PD-L2 Promote Malignant B-Cell Growth in Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia

Programmed death 1 (PD-1) is a T cell co-inhibitory receptor with two ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2. In B-cell malignancies, this pathway plays a major role in immune resistance in the tumor environment by promoting the differentiation of regulatory T-cells and inducing T-cell exhaustion. Recent data have shown that blockade of this pathway can enhance antitumor immune responses. While interactions between PD-1 and its ligands have been studied in various lymphoid tissues, little data exist regarding these interactions in the bone marrow, particularly in patients with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM). The goal of this study was therefore to determine the expression of PD-1 and its ligands in the bone marrow of patients with WM and to assess the functional role of PD-1 signaling in this disease. Using immunohistochemistry, the expression of PD-1, PD-L1 and PD-L2 in bone marrow (BM) specimens from patients with WM (n=6) was compared to normal control BM. PD-1 expression was modest and the pattern of staining in WM was similar to normal BM. In contrast however, intense staining for PD-L1 and PD-L2 was seen in WM compared to controls. When analyzed by flow cytometry, PD-L1 and PD-L2 expression was seen on malignant B-cells and also on dendritic cells, monocytes and macrophages isolated from the bone marrow. To determine the functional effect of PD-1 signaling in WM, we stably transfected PD-L1 and PD-L2 into the HEK-293 cell line. The WM cell lines, MWCL-1, BCWM.1 and RPCI-WM1 as well as patient specimens, were then cocultured with either the PD-L1 or PD-L2 expressing HEK-293 cells. When compared to cells expressing an empty vector control, proliferation and viability of WM cells was increased when they were cocultured with cells expressing PD-L1 or PD-L2. Addition of blocking antibodies abrogated the increase in proliferation. These results show that PD-L1 and PD-L2 are highly expressed on both malignant B-cells and non-malignant cells within the BM microenvironment in WM and promote malignant B-cell growth. Inhibition of PD-1 signaling may therefore be a promising therapeutic strategy in patients with WM. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Techniques for analyzing biomaterial surface structure, morphology and topography

Abstract: This is a brief review of the key techniques that are most useful in characterizing the surface structure, morphology, and topography of biomaterials. The emphasis is on the use of these techniques for the evaluation of materials used in prostheses, biomedical implants and tissue scaffolds. The first part describes the techniques using light, electrons and scanning probes to examine the surface morphology. Profilometry that provides quantitative measure of the surface roughness is also presented. Next, techniques that characterize the surface structures at the molecular level, x-ray scattering and Raman spectroscopy, are presented. The enhancements that make these classical techniques surface sensitive are discussed. Finally, contact-angle measurements are discussed in the context of the effect of surface structure and topography on the energetics of the interaction between the substrate and the adsorbing molecules. Principles of each of the techniques are described and illustrated with examples relevant to biomedical applications.
Schema-Based Instruction with Concrete and Virtual Manipulatives to Teach Problem Solving to Students with Autism.

The current study evaluated the effects of modified schema-based instruction on the mathematical word problem solving skills of three elementary students with autism spectrum disorders and moderate intellectual disability. Participants learned to solve compare problem type with themes that related to their interests and daily experiences. In addition, researchers compared the effects of concrete and virtual manipulatives within the treatment package. Results of the multiple probes across participants with an embedded alternating treatments design showed a functional relation between modified schema-based instruction and word problem solving. Two of three participants performed more steps in the virtual condition and one participant had equal performance in both concrete and virtual conditions. When given a choice between conditions upon skill mastery, all three participants preferred the virtual condition and maintained treatment effects. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
A preliminary multiple resistance routine for deriving dry deposition velocities from measured quantities

Because there is no simple device capable of measuring the dry deposition rates of small particles and trace gases directly, much current activity is focused on the use of an inferential technique. In this method, measurements of atmospheric concentration (C) of selected chemical species are coupled with evaluations of appropriate deposition velocity (V d ) to yield estimates of dry deposition rate from their product. Difficulties arise concerning the ability to measure C, and especially regarding the poor knowledge of V d for many species. A multiple resistance routine for deriving deposition velocities is presented here. Current knowledge of biological processes is incorporated into a first-generation lsbig leaf’ model; formulations of resistances appropriate for describing individual leaves are combined to simulate the canopy as a whole. The canopy resistance is combined with estimates of aerodynamic and boundary-layer resistances to approximate the total resistance to transfer, from which deposition velocity is then computed. Special emphasis is given to the influence of the diurnal cycle, to the way in which the various transfer resistances can be inferred from routine data, and to the role of canopy factors (e.g., leaf area index, wetness, temperature response, and sunshade fractions).
Assessment of the inhibition of ricin toxicity by lactose in milk.

The effect of lactose at the concentration typically found in milk (134 mM) on the ability of ricin to inhibit protein synthesis in HeLa cells was studied. Ricin (0.001 to 300 mg/ml) that was either not treated or treated with 134 mM lactose was added to test tubes containing 1 ml of HeLa cells (approximately 3 | 10 5 cells in a low-leucine medium). After 2 h of incubation at 37uC, 0.5 mCi of L-[U- 14 C]-leucine was added to each tube and incubated for another 60 min. The cells were harvested by centrifugation and lysed, and cellular proteins were separated. The amount of radioactivity incorporated into the proteins was determined by liquid scintillation. The biological activity of ricin, i.e., the amount of radioactivity in a sample relative to that of the control (cells not treated with ricin), was calculated for each treatment. The inhibitory effect of 134 mM lactose on the biological activity of ricin was only significant at concentrations of ricin below 1 mg/ml. At higher ricin concentrations, the effect of 134 mM lactose decreased as the concentration of ricin increased, resulting in an increase in the inhibition of proteins synthesis. Our results also indicated that bovine milk, when used in place of 134 mM lactose, was more effective for reducing the activity of ricin at concentrations below 1 mg/ml but was ineffective against ricin concentrations greater than 1 mg/ml. These results suggest that milk may not protect against ricin intoxication at the concentration (0.89 mg/ml) equivalent to the lowest limit of its 50% lethal dose for a 20-kg child consuming 225 ml (8 oz) of milk. Ricin is a globular protein that can be used as a warfare
A rapid technique for the electrophoresis of unconcentrated urine.

A technic for the electrophoretic separation of urinary proteins, without prior concentration of the urine, is described. Four patterns of normal proteinuria were detected, as well as patterns corresponding to disease of the glomerulus or tubules. This procedure allows for routine electrophoresis of urine of patients who have normal total urinary protein outputs.
Video-mediated nostalgia and the aesthetics of technical competencies:

Certain binaries have dominated scholarly approaches to research on digital video creation. The first is concerned with comparing videos made by professionals versus amateurs. The second is the binary contrasting the use of images for memory preservation versus sharing experiences and negotiating identities. The present case study of teen video makers on YouTube illustrates how youth in the United States may approach their video making in more fluid ways that do not fit comfortably within these analytical binaries. The study draws on a range of ethnographic evidence such as interviews, text comments posted to videos, and visual analyses of two videos that are live-action instantiations of a video game. The study suggests that investigating the interaction between aesthetics and technical knowledge in video-mediated, parodic forms of nostalgia may be a rich and productive area to explore. These constructs are particularly fruitful when trying to understand meanings behind video creation and communication. ...