cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The evolution of geobiology in the context of living stromatolites

Science has achieved tremendous success over the centuries, partly because the complexities of the Earth, the physical processes that sustain the planet, and the enormity of life were separated into disparate fi elds of study—mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and geology, to name only a few. Scientifi c compartmentalization was initially necessary to impart enough focus to make progress on complicated issues. However, as the knowledge base grew, it became more and more diffi cult to separate life and the history of the Earth, and vice versa. We now understand that to investigate the Earth’s surface as an abiologic system is folly: Life and Earth processes are intimately linked. Hence, a new fi eld was born at the interface between biology and geology: geobiology. As a fi eld, geobiology seeks to understand the intersection of life and the rock record across Earth’s history: how organisms infl uence the physical Earth and vice versa, and how the marriage of physical and biological processes have transformed our planet over its long history. The assessment of life’s macromolecules of DNA, RNA, polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids, and their potential recalcitrance in an ecosystem, has opened up the fi eld of geobiology to lead us toward a solid explanation of where life came from, how life has altered the planet, what may be possible for life elsewhere, and what represents one of the reasons for the explosion of geobiologic studies today. Here we outline how molecular biology has transformed our understanding of geobiology, describing a few of the essentials needed to understand geobiology and exploring an example of a modern geobiologically relevant system: a living stromatolite from the shore of a geothermal hot spring in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA.
Analysis of progesterone receptor binding in the ovine uterus.

Abstract The appropriate conditions for the measurement of ovine uterine cytoplasmic progesterone receptors (PR) have been determined to be 20 nM 3 H-progesterone ( 3 H-P 4 ) with and without a 100-fold excess of non-radioactive progesterone (P 4 ) 0–4°C and 4 h of incubation. Under these conditions PR readily exchanged bound progesterone for progesterone added during the assay. This exchange occurred even when saturating concentrations of P 4 were present. The progestins, R5020 and P 4 , effectively competed for the ovine uterine PR binding while non-progestin steroids and diethylstilbestrol failed to compete for the PR binding. The dissociation constant (K d ) measured for the 3 H-P 4 binding was 1.60 × 10 −9 M indicating that the 3 H-P 4 binding was of high affinity. The levels of PR and the dissociation constant measured using 3 H-R5020 in place of 3 H-P 4 were similar indicating a lack of corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG)-like binding in the ovine uterus.
The revenge of the JD

Manifestations of the "universal relation assumption" can be seen either as definitions of a one-relation user view of data, or as algorithms for answering queries about arbitrary sets of attributes. In this paper we explore equivalences between these two points of view. We show that if the user's view is the representative instance, then our ability to answer queries about the universal relation, by applying relational algebra to the actual database, is equivalent to a "boundedness" condition on the dependencies of the database scheme. Further, whenever this condition holds, there is a finite union of lossless tableau mappings that produces the desired relation.
Diet quality during pre-laying and nestling periods influences growth and survival of Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) chicks

Food availability is one of the most important determinants of successful reproduction in birds. In a previous study, it was shown that Florida scrub-jays Aphelocoma coerulescens maintained a third egg mass when supplemented with a high fat and high protein diet during pre-breeding, as opposed to birds that were not supplemented that laid third eggs markedly lighter in mass than first- and second-laid eggs. Increases in egg quality promote chick growth and survival in many avian species. In this study, scrub-jays were provided with supplements throughout the pre-laying and nestling periods of 2001 and 2002 to investigate whether diet quality influenced growth and survival of chicks. Fledging success and survival to independence of unsupplemented chicks were higher for 2002 compared with 2001 indicating that breeding conditions (e.g. natural food availability) for jays were probably improved in the former year. Consistent growth patterns were found during the first 11 days post-hatch between chicks on supplemented and those on unsupplemented territories. Of the three growth measures, only seventh primary feather growth tended to be greater for third-hatched chicks on supplemented territories compared with third-hatched chicks on control territories. Food supplementation influenced survival of chicks. Compared with chicks hatching on unsupplemented territories, fledging success of chicks hatching from second-laid eggs was significantly greater in 2001, but not in 2002. Chicks from third-laid eggs on supplemented territories also tended to survive better in 2001 compared with chicks from unsupplemented territories, but, again, no such effect was found in 2002. We conclude that food supplementation in the pre-laying and nestling periods results in little measurable improvement in chick growth. However, improvements were found in survival of chicks that may be mediated through improvements in egg quality, but also may be the result of changes in foraging strategies of provisioning birds on supplemented territories. Chicks on supplemented territories might be in better body condition than those on unsupplemented ones. Methods other than morphometrics may be required to detect elevations in body condition of chicks raised on supplemented territories.
A Comparative Analysis of Economic Development in the American West and South

In 1930, the West—for present purposes, Kansas, Nebraska, the Dakotas, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado—had a level of per capita income payments that stood at 79 per cent of the national figure. In that same year, the figure for the South—Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas—was 51 per cent.
Role of the Right and Left Hemispheres in Recovery of Function during Treatment of Intention in Aphasia

Two patients with residual nonf luent aphasia after ischemic stroke received an intention treatment that was designed to shift intention and language production mechanisms from the frontal lobe of the damaged left hemisphere to the right frontal lobe. Consistent with experimental hypotheses, the first patient showed improvement on the intention treatment but not on a similar attention treatment. In addition, in keeping with experimental hypotheses, the patient showed a shift of activity to right presupplementary motor area and the right lateral frontal lobe from pre- to post-intention treatment functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of language production. In contrast, the second patient showed improvement on both the intention and attention treatments. During pre-treatment fMRI, she already showed lateralization of intention and language production mechanisms to the right hemisphere that continued into post-intention treatment imaging. From pre- to post-treatment fMRI of language production, both patients demonstrated increased activity in the posterior perisylvian cortex, although this activity was lateralized to left-hemisphere language areas in the second but not the first patient. The fact that the first patient's lesion encompassed almost all of the dominant basal ganglia and thalamus whereas the second patient's lesion spared these structures suggests that the dominant basal ganglia could play a role in spontaneous reorganization of language production functions to the right hemisphere. Implications regarding the theoretical framework for the intention treatment are discussed.
A taxonomy of current issues in requirements engineering

The purpose of this article is to increase awareness of several requirements specifications issues: (1) the role they play in the full system development life cycle, (2) the diversity of forms they assume, and (3) the problems we continue to face. The article concentrates on ways of expressing requirements rather than ways of generating them. A discussion of various classification criteria for existing requirements specification techniques follows a brief review of requirements specification contents and concerns.
Learning in Character: Building Autonomous Animated Characters That Learn What They Ought to Learn

We suggest that the ability to learn from experience and alter its observable behavior accordingly is a fundamental capability of compelling autonomous animated characters. We highlight important lessons from animal learning and training, machine learning, and from the incorporation of learning into digital pets such as AIBO and Dogz. We then briefly present our approach, informed by the lessons above, toward building characters that learn. Finally, we discuss a number of installations we have built that feature characters that learn what they ought to learn.
Periscope/SQ: interactive exploration of biological sequence databases

Life science laboratories today have to rely on procedural techniques to store and manage large sequence datasets. Procedural techniques are cumbersome to use and are often very inefficient compared to optimized declarative techniques. We have designed and implemented a system called Periscope/SQ that makes it possible to rapidly express complex queries within a declarative framework and take advantage of database-style query optimization. As a result, queries in Periscope/SQ run orders of magnitude faster than typical procedural implementations. We demonstrate the power of Persicope/SQ through an application called Gene-Locator which allows biologists to rapidly explore large genomic sequence databases.
Public outreach and education as part of a commercial cruise liner and academic partnership on Explorer of the Seas

The Explorer of the Seas, a 1020 ft (311 m) long cruise liner operated by Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. (RCCL), cruises a 7-day itinerary from Miami, Fl through both the Eastern and Western Caribbean on alternating weeks. In 2000, a cooperative agreement between RCCL and the University of Miami established two staffed onboard laboratories with comprehensive meteorological and oceanographic instrumentation. Coincident with the laboratory operations, a public outreach component was incorporated into the onboard facilities from the beginning. This program consists of a weekly onboard visiting scientist lecturer or researcher and interactive educational galleries permanently installed on Deck 4. Since operations began in October 2000, over 56,000 vacationers have toured the laboratory facilities onboard and been given exposure to marine and atmospheric research topics as well as the importance of long-term monitoring. Over 200 scientists have participated in the visiting scientist program providing two lectures to the guests onboard each week. This unique combination, research and education, facility has the potential to reach 180,000 family vacationers annually and to provide training and education extension programs throughout the Caribbean region. Since the program inception, undergraduate education and K-12 teacher mentoring programs have been added as extensions to the original outreach component of the program. The visiting scientist program has attracted participation from scientists around the world and a new pilot program has been initiated to provide an opportunity for regional Caribbean marine science facilities to invite the visiting scientists onboard to give seminars at their facilities while the ship is in port. The program continues to introduce innovation and quality educational opportunities through this partnership.
A simple and general parameterization quantifying performance in fading channels

We quantify the performance of wireless transmissions over random fading channels at high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The performance criteria we consider are average probability of:error and outage probability. We show that as functions of the average SNR, they can both be characterized by two parameters: the diversity and coding gains. They both exhibit identical diversity orders, but their coding gains in decibels differ by a constant. The diversity and coding gains are found to depend on the behavior of-the random SNR's probability density function only at the origin, or equivalently, on the decaying order of the corresponding moment generating function (i.e., how fast the moment generating function goes to zero as its argument goes to infinity). Diversity and coding gains for diversity combining systems are expressed in terms of the diversity branches' individual diversity and coding gains, where the branches can come from any diversity technique such as space, time, frequency, or, multipath. The proposed analysis offers a simple and unifying approach to evaluating the performance of uncoded and (possibly space-time) coded transmissions over fading channels, and the method applies to almost all digital modulation schemes, including M-ary phaseshift keying, quadrature amplitude modulation, and frequency-shift keying with coherent or noncoherent detection.
Splenic infarct as complication of sleeve gastrectomy

Splenic infarct as complication of sleeve gastrectomy Andrew P. Dhanasopon, B.S., Catherine E. Lewis, M.D., Jessica M. Folek, M.D., Erik P. Dutson, M.D., Amir Mehran, M.D.* University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California Department of Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Program, Department of Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California Received March 18, 2009; accepted March 18, 2009
The role of niche divergence and phenotypic adaptation in promoting lineage diversification in the Sage Sparrow (Artemisiospiza belli, Aves: Emberizidae)

Niche divergence or conservatism and phenotypic adaptation are important in lineage diversification. We used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), morphology and ecological niche models to examine these processes in three subspecies of Sage Sparrow (Artemisiospiza belli belli, A. b. canescens and A. b. nevadensis) that breed in bioclimatically diverse ecoregions in western North America. Overall, mtDNA and morphology are congruent with subspecies, ecoregion and bioclimatic niche. Niche divergence, rather than niche conservatism, accompanied by phenotypic adaptation, is associated with lineage diversification between subspecies. This diversification has occurred with and without physical barriers or accompanying genetic divergence. Populations of A. b. canescens are divided by a montane barrier into two bioclimatic regions (San Joaquin Valley, Mojave Desert), where they are indistinguishable phenotypically, but show distinctive genetic patterns. Although there is no physical barrier between A. b. canescens in the San Joaquin Valley and A. b. belli in the Coast Ranges, these populations occupy different bioclimatic niches and are phenotypically, but not genetically, diagnosable. Niche overlap is greatest between A. b. canescens from the Mojave Desert and A. b. nevadensis from the Great Basin, yet these subspecies maintain distinctive phenotypes and mtDNA, even in local secondary contact and sympatry. Palaeoclimatic niche models for the Last Glacial Maximum (c. 21 000 bp) and the Last Interglacial (c. 120 000 bp) suggest that ecoregionally distinct populations of Artemisiospiza belli experienced different Pleistocene range fluctuations and glacial refugia, with temporal niche conservatism. Populations probably reached their current distributions as favourable climates and habitats expanded after the last glaciation. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, ••, ••–••.
An integrated system for intelligent seam tracking in robotic welding. II. Design and implementation

For pt.I see ibid., p.1904-9 (1990). The design and implementation issues for ARTIST (adaptive real-time intelligent seam tracker), which is essentially a microcomputer-based single-pass system characterized by the absence of an additional teaching phase, are addressed. ARTIST uses a welding torch and a laser-ranging sensor mounted on the end-effector of a six-axis robot. Sources of error that could potentially contribute to inaccuracy in the seam tracking process are discussed. Suggestions are also made for enhancing the performance and applicability of ARTIST for welding automation. >
The effects of state-level expenditures for home- and community-based services on the risk of becoming a long-stay nursing home resident after hip fracture.

This study measures the effect of spending policies for long-term care services on the risk of becoming a long-stay nursing home resident after a hip fracture. Relative spending on community-based services may reduce the risk of long-term nursing home residence. Policies favoring alternative sources of care may provide opportunities for older adults to remain community-bound. This study aims to understand how long-term care policies affect outcomes by investigating the effect of state-level spending for home- and community-based services (HCBSs) on the likelihood of an individual’s nursing home placement following hip fracture. This study uses data from the 5 % sample of Medicare beneficiaries from 2005 to 2010 to identify incident hip fractures among dual-eligibility, community-dwelling adults aged at least 65 years. A multilevel generalized estimating equation (GEE) model estimated the association between an individual’s risk of nursing home residence within 1 year and the percent of states’ Medicaid long-term support service (LTSS) budget allocated to HCBS. Other covariates included expenditures for Title III services and individual demographic and health status characteristics. States vary considerably in HCBS spending, ranging from 17.7 to 83.8 % of the Medicaid LTSS budget in 2009. Hip fractures were observed from claims among 7778 beneficiaries; 34 % were admitted to a nursing home and 25 % died within 1 year. HCBS spending was associated with a decreased risk of nursing home residence by 0.17 percentage points (p 0.056). Consistent with other studies, our findings suggest that state policies favoring an emphasis on HCBS may reduce nursing home residence among low-income older adults with hip fracture who are at high risk for institutionalization.
Sediment Movement Along the Eastern Margin of the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway, as Revealed by Cross-stratification in the Dakota Formation, Washington County, Kansas

Abstract A detailed paleocurrent study of Cretaceous Dakota Formation sandstones in Washington County, Kansas was undertaken to determine directions of sand movement and depositional environments along the eastern margin of the Western Interior Seaway. Azimuth measurements of cross-stratified units were plotted in “rose diagrams” and examined with respect to their geographic and approximate stratigraphic position. A general southwestward direction of sediment transport is indicated (244° mean azimuth). Although mean paleocurrent directions can differ markedly from outcrop to outcrop, most sandstones in the lower part of the Dakota Formation generally have unimodal paleocurrent directions. Some of these sandstones have channel-like geometry and are situated in paleovalleys, with their mean paleocurrent direction oriented subparallel to the channel axis. Fluvial deposition is indicated. Higher in the Dakota Formation unimodal and bipolar paleocurrent azimuths are oriented nearly perpendicular to the axis of...
Verletzungen der oberen Extremitäten im Kindesalter

Bei der Frakturbehandlung im Wachstumsalter kam es in den letzten 20 Jahren durch die Einfuhrung der intramedullaren Markraumschienung zu einem Paradigmenwechsel, sodass nicht nur bei dislozierten Gelenkfrakturen, bei denen operative Verfahren schon seit langem bewahrt sind, sondern auch bei Schaftfrakturen vermehrt eine operative Versorgung in Erwagung gezogen wird. Die konservative Behandlung ist bei Schaftfrakturen an der oberen Extremitat weiterhin die Methode der ersten Wahl, allerdings mit der Einschrankung, dass mit einem Therapieschritt das Behandlungsziel erreicht und Nachrepositionen vermieden werden konnen. Sonst sollte hier – v. a. am Unterarm – die operative Versorgung gewahlt werden.
Osteosarcoma developing in solitary enchondroma of the tibia.

Cervical spine injuries are frequently encountered in any practice treating patients in the emergency department or outpatient trauma victims. When upper or lower cervical spine injuries are suspected, immediate immobilization, physical and neurologic examination, and radiographic evaluation are imperative. For spinal cord injuries, knowledge of microscopic and cellular pathology helps to determine appropriate management.
Alternative synthetic approaches to rac-progesterone by way of the classic Johnson cationic polycyclization strategy

Abstract Three alternative synthetic entries into Johnson's classic synthesis of rac-progesterone are presented in this manuscript. ent-Progesterone, the non-natural enantiomer of progesterone, has recently been identified as a potential alternative to progesterone for investigations into possible prevention and treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Difficulties in accessing ent-progesterone in large quantities prevent it from being studied more thoroughly. Strategies for producing synthetic rac-progesterone are described and discussed herein.
Original article School personnel’s perceptions of their schools’ involvement in culturally and linguistically diverse school-family-community partnerships

background The achievement gap between White and culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students is a chronic issue in many U.S. schools that stakeholders endeavor to eliminate through best practices involving curriculum, instruction, and early interventions; however, disparities often persist. In addition to all educational efforts provided by schools and implementation of best practices when students begin to struggle academically or behaviorally in schools, family involvement cannot be disregarded.
Numerical Study of Ram Air Airfoils and Upper Surface Bleed-Air Control

Abstract : Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center has been leading a Modeling and Simulation effort to develop high fidelity simulations of ram-air parachute systems to complement the design and analysis of new and existing airdrop systems. In this paper an unsteady numerical study of two-dimensional, rigid, ram-air sections with an array of upper surface bleed-air actuators is presented. Aerodynamic forces and lift-to-drag ratios of a modified Clark-Y ram-air airfoil are calculated from unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations, using the Kestrel and Cobalt flow solvers. The flow fields exhibit a complicated cavity flow coupling with the airfoil profile. Variations in the locations and number of bleed air actuators and trailing edge deflection yield time averaged L/D values between 1.24 and 59.14, and strongly support the utility of the bleed air actuators for use as an enhanced lateral/longitudinal control mechanism. Additionally, these initial results emphasize the requirements for prudent mesh generation and the performance of unsteady calculations for ram-air canopy simulations.
Randomized Phase 2 Trial of the Oncolytic Virus Pelareorep (Reolysin) in Upfront Treatment of Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Pelareorep causes oncolysis in tumor cells with activated Ras. We hypothesized that pelareorep would have efficacy and immunomodulatory activity in metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (MPA) when combined with carboplatin and paclitaxel. A randomized phase 2 study (NCT01280058) was conducted in treatment-naive patients with MPA randomized to two treatment arms: paclitaxel/carboplatin + pelareorep (Arm A, n = 36 evaluable patients) versus paclitaxel/carboplatin (Arm B, n = 37 evaluable patients). There was no difference in progression-free survival (PFS) between the arms (Arm A PFS = 4.9 months, Arm B PFS = 5.2 months, P = 0.6), and Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene (KRAS) status did not impact outcome. Quality-adjusted Time without Symptoms or Toxicity analysis revealed that the majority of PFS time was without toxicity or progression (4.3 months). Patient immunophenotype appeared important, as soluble immune biomarkers were associated with treatment outcome (fractalkine, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)). Increased circulating T and natural killer (NK)-cell subsets were also significantly associated with treatment outcome. Addition of pelareorep was associated with higher levels of 14 proinflammatory plasma cytokines/chemokines and cells with an immunosuppressive phenotype (Tregs, cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA4)(+) T cells). Overall, pelareorep was safe but does not improve PFS when administered with carboplatin/paclitaxel, regardless of KRAS mutational status. Immunologic studies suggest that chemotherapy backbone improves immune reconstitution and that targeting remaining immunosuppressive mediators may improve oncolytic virotherapy.
A New Phase in the Na/Cu/O System Prepared by High Pressure Synthesis

A new compound CurNasOt has been formed with composition given roughly by r:s:t equal to 5:2:7 and nominal Cu valence roughly 2.4+. The unit cell is close to orthorhombic, with a slight monoclinic distortion. The material was fabricated by a solid state reaction between CuO and NaCuO2 at pressure exceeding 40Kbar and temperature exceeding 800°C. The product is multi-phased, containing CuO and the new material. The electrical properties of the multi-phased product are those of a narrow gap semiconductor. No superconductivity was detected down to 4.2K.
An Analysis of 3 Common CardioGen-82 82Rb Infusion System Injection Methods and Their Impact on Clinical Volume and Image Counts.

In the wake of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recall, many clinics have had to reduce their examination volumes to meet the new generator volume usage requirements. This review tests 3 common infusion methods and how they affect patient dose, generator volume usage, image counts, and generator volume limits. Methods: Three common configurations of the 82Rb infusion system settings—standard 50-mL, volume-limiting, and bolus methods—were tested to determine how they affect patient dose, generator volume, and image counts. Each injection configuration was tested daily for the duration of 3 consecutive generators by injection into separate vials. Each injection configuration was also infused into a beaker and imaged to determine the impact of image counts for each method. The total estimated volumes for multiple examination and quality assurance clinical situations were simulated to observe the use of each method relative to the new FDA volume alert and expiration limits. Results: Vial tests confirmed that the bolus method used the least amount of volume per infusion and stayed the most consistent throughout the life of the generator. The bolus method also produced a lower patient dose after approximately 10 d of use. The beaker tests in the scanner showed that the standard 50-mL method produced the greatest number of total counts for the flow and uptake images. On the basis of the estimated total volume simulations, the bolus method allowed for the most examinations over the life of the generator while staying within the new FDA limits. Conclusion: All 3 methods for augmenting the 82Rb infusion system produced different outcomes for patient dose, image counts, and total generator volume use. The standard 50-mL method ensured the maximum amount of counts available for imaging throughout the life of the generator. The bolus method provided a consistent and predictable amount of volume use. The volume-limiting method fell somewhere in the middle of volume predictability and count preservation.
Comparing and contrasting 2D versus 1D performance modeling in NV-IPM v1.6

Version 1.6 of the Night Vision Integrated Performance Model (NV-IPM) introduced two-dimensional Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) and noise signals within the model architecture. These two-dimensional signals enable the model to more accurately treat systems with non-separable MTF components. These non-separable MTF components may be introduced by optical elements, electronic post-processing, or atmospheric effects. In this paper we discuss the differences between the new two-dimensional signal architecture and the one-dimensional separable representation used in earlier versions of the model and highlight some cases which demonstrate the utility of the two-dimensional signals.
Exploiting single-cell expression to characterize co-expression replicability

Co-expression networks have been a useful tool for functional genomics, providing important clues about the cellular and biochemical mechanisms that are active in normal and disease processes. However, co-expression analysis is often treated as a black box with results being hard to trace to their basis in the data. Here, we use both published and novel single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data to understand fundamental drivers of gene-gene connectivity and replicability in co-expression networks. We perform the first major analysis of single-cell co-expression, sampling from 31 individual studies. Using neighbor voting in cross-validation, we find that single-cell network connectivity is less likely to overlap with known functions than co-expression derived from bulk data, with functional variation within cell types strongly resembling that also occurring across cell types. To identify features and analysis practices that contribute to this connectivity, we perform our own single-cell RNA-seq experiment of 126 cortical interneurons in an experimental design targeted to co-expression. By assessing network replicability, semantic similarity and overall functional connectivity, we identify technical factors influencing co-expression and suggest how they can be controlled for. Many of the technical effects we identify are expression-level dependent, making expression level itself highly predictive of network topology. We show this occurs generally through re-analysis of the BrainSpan RNA-seq data. Technical properties of single-cell RNA-seq data create confounds in co-expression networks which can be identified and explicitly controlled for in any supervised analysis. This is useful both in improving co-expression performance and in characterizing single-cell data in generally applicable terms, permitting cross-laboratory comparison within a common framework.
Endometrial ossification; report of two cases.

Abstract Two cases of metaplastic endometrial ossification are reported. In one, the ossification was a manifestation of hypervitaminosis D. Both patients had previous therapeutic abortions. The basis of the endometrial bone formation is discussed.
Convergence and Optimization Study of a Growing Parallel Som Through a Genetic Algorithm

A self-organizing map (SOM) is a type of unsupervised artificial neural network (ANN) that can be used in applications of pattern recognition, and classification. A SOM is a viable approach to many avionics problem domains that include threat identification (classification), air traffic flow management (pattern recognition) and intelligent systems for vehicle autonomy (classification and pattern recognition). An implementation of a parallelized SOM entitled ParaSOM, was developed which allows for a more accurate mapping of input; and far less iterations (hundreds, as opposed to tens or hundreds of thousands) are required in this implementation versus a classical SOM (Kohonen, 1995) and many of its variations - including but not limited to growing cell structures (Fritzke, 1994); growing grid (Fritzke, 1995); hierarchical (Lampinen and Oja, 1992); and growing hierarchical (Dittenbach et al., 2000). In a recent advancement to ParaSOM a genetic algorithm (GA) implementing evolutionary computation was created that quasi-randomly generates (or randomly selects) values for ParaSOM parameters from a lower and upper bound pairing of values for each ParaSOM parameter elected for use during execution. When used in conjunction with a convergence test, the GA identifies parameters of ParaSOM that bring execution and performance as close to optimum as possible, without human interaction. An automated generation of parameters for optimum performance of ParaSOM allows for a more accurate use of ParaSOM and therefore more accurate use in the problem domains discussed. Optimum performance is defined as highest accuracy of classification with least amount of iterations prior to convergence
Franson interference in the filtered resonance fluorescence from a quantum dot

We report Franson interference from the light scattered by a single two-level InAs quantum dot interacting with a strong near-resonant monochromatic laser with the application of spectral filtering.
Chart review versus an automated bioinformatic approach to assess real-world crizotinib effectiveness in ALK-positive NSCLC.

PurposeThe efficacy of targeted therapies such as crizotinib in anaplastic lymphoma kinase–positive non–small-cell lung cancer has been well established by multiple clinical trials. However, clinical trials involve highly selected participants, and manual data curation is resource intensive. With the increasing use of electronic medical records, there is potential for the development of electronic algorithms that could quickly generate outcomes data, but the validation of such algorithms requires comparison with historical methods, such as retrospective chart review.Materials and MethodsUsing a cohort of patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase–positive non–small-cell lung cancer, we performed manual chart review to retrospectively evaluate time on treatment (TOT) for crizotinib and cytotoxic chemotherapies. Thirty-three patients were identified, with a total of 70 regimens administered. We developed a computational algorithm to mine electronic charts for crizotinib therapy data and correlated that with m...
Extreme anisotropy, spectral modification, and intensity enhancement in luminescent hyperbolic metasurfaces

We report the demonstration of luminescent hyperbolic metasurfaces (LuHMS) fabricated from deeply subwavelength multilayer metal-semiconductor nanostructures. The LuHMS exhibit extreme polarization anisotropy of absorption and emission, modified emission spectra, and enhanced emission intensity.
Association of Long-term Opioid Therapy With Functional Status, Adverse Outcomes, and Mortality Among Patients With Polyneuropathy

Importance Polyneuropathy is one of the most common painful conditions managed within general and specialty clinics. Neuropathic pain frequently leads to decisions about using long-term opioid therapy. Understanding the association of long-term opioid use with functional status, adverse outcomes, and mortality among patients with polyneuropathy could influence disease-specific decisions about opioid treatment. Objectives To quantify the prevalence of long-term opioid use among patients with polyneuropathy and to assess the association of long-term opioid use with functional status, adverse outcomes, and mortality. Design, Setting, and Participants A retrospective population-based cohort study was conducted of prescriptions given to patients with polyneuropathy and to controls in ambulatory practice between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2010, to determine exposure to long-term opioid use as well as other outcomes. The latest follow-up was conducted through November 25, 2016. Exposures Long-term opioid therapy, defined by 1 or multiple consecutive opioid prescriptions resulting in 90 continuous days or more of opioid use. Main Outcomes and Measures Prevalence of long-term opioid therapy among patients with polyneuropathy and controls. Patient-reported functional status, documented adverse outcomes, and mortality were compared between patients with polyneuropathy receiving long-term opioid therapy (≥90 days) and patients with polyneuropathy receiving shorter durations of opioid therapy. Results Among the 2892 patients with polyneuropathy (1364 women and 1528 men; mean [SD] age, 67.5 [16.6] years) and the 14 435 controls (6827 women and 7608 men; mean [SD] age, 67.5 [16.5] years), patients with polyneuropathy received long-term opioids more often than did controls (545 [18.8%] vs 780 [5.4%]). Patients with polyneuropathy who were receiving long-term opioids had multiple functional status markers that were modestly poorer even after adjusting for medical comorbidity, including increased reliance on gait aids (adjusted odds ratio, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.4-2.6); no functional status markers were improved by long-term use of opioids. Adverse outcomes were more common among patients with polyneuropathy receiving long-term opioids, including depression (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.29-1.82), opioid dependence (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.85; 95% CI, 1.54-5.47), and opioid overdose (adjusted hazard ratio, 5.12; 95% CI, 1.63-19.62). Conclusions and Relevance Polyneuropathy increased the likelihood of long-term opioid therapy. Chronic pain itself cannot be ruled out as a source of worsened functional status among patients receiving long-term opioid therapy. However, long-term opioid therapy did not improve functional status but rather was associated with a higher risk of subsequent opioid dependency and overdose.
Spatial and Temporal Variation in the Diets of Pacific Staghorn Sculpins Related to Hydrological Factors in a Glacially Influenced Estuary

AbstractIn southeastern Alaska, a large volume of freshwater flows into estuaries from thinning and retreating glaciers and from high rainfall in the surrounding coastal temperate rainforest. Freshwater runoff to the coast affects the physical and chemical properties of estuarine habitats and, in turn, the structure and dynamics of biological communities. This study quantified temporal and spatial variation in the diets of Pacific Staghorn Sculpins Leptocottus armatus as an important step toward understanding how climate-driven changes in freshwater runoff may translate into shifts in the feeding ecology of a highly abundant consumer in estuaries along the west coast of North America. Stomach contents of Staghorn Sculpins were collected monthly (April–September 2014) from three intertidal sites at the mouths of rivers that differ in their headwater hydrology. Staghorn Sculpins (N = 402) consumed a variety of marine prey items including epibenthic invertebrates, juvenile fishes, and terrestrial and aquatic...
Role of particles spatial distribution in drag reduction performance of superhydrophobic granular coatings

Abstract This work presents a detailed computational study on the role of microstructural properties of a superhydrophobic granular coating on its drag reducing performance. More specifically, the effects of the Young–Laplace contact angle, particle diameter, and solid volume fraction on drag reduction are studied for submerged superhydrophobic granular coatings under negative (suction) and positive hydrostatic pressures. In addition, four different particle arrangements (square, staggered, reticulated, and random) are considered to investigate the effects of particle spatial distribution on coatings’ drag reduction performance. This was accomplished by accurately predicting the 3-D shape and surface area of a coating's wetted area fraction, and then by using this information to solve the flow field over the coating in a Couette configuration to obtain its drag reduction efficiency. As expected, it was found that drag reduction performance of submerged superhydrophobic coatings decreases with increasing hydrostatic pressure. However, in contrast to coatings comprised of sharp-edged pores, it was found that drag reduction efficiency of granular coatings monotonically increases with decreasing the pressure when the pressure is negative. It was also found that spatial distribution of the particles has no significant effect on drag reduction. The only exception to this conclusion is the case of coatings with reticulated particle packing. Results of our simulations are compared with available data in the literature and discussed in detail.
Integration of On-Column Chemical Reactions in Protein Characterization by Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry: Cross-Path Reactive Chromatography.

Profiling of complex proteins by means of mass spectrometry (MS) frequently requires that certain chemical modifications of their covalent structure (e.g., reduction of disulfide bonds), be carried out prior to the MS or MS/MS analysis. Traditionally, these chemical reactions take place in the off-line mode to allow the excess reagents (the majority of which interfere with the MS measurements and degrade the analytical signal) to be removed from the protein solution prior to MS measurements. In addition to a significant increase in the analysis time, chemical reactions may result in a partial or full loss of the protein if the modifications adversely affect its stability, e.g,, making it prone to aggregation. In this work we present a new approach to solving this problem by carrying out the chemical reactions online using the reactive chromatography scheme on a size exclusion chromatography (SEC) platform with MS detection. This is achieved by using a cross-path reaction scheme, i.e., by delaying the prot...
Ancient Geography: The Discovery of the World in Classical Greece and Rome

Duane W. Roller. New York: I. B. Tauris, 2015. vii and 294 pp., $99.00 cloth (ISBN 978-1-78453-076-1).It has been many years since anyone has attempted a comprehensive survey of ancient geographica...
College Student Led One-on One Stroke education: A Model to Increase EMS Prehospital Notification for Acute Ischemic Stroke. (P1.218)

Objective: To evaluate if premedical students can be excellent resource for increasing prehospital notification for stroke patients. Background: Early identification of stroke begins in the prehospital phase and is necessary to mobilize appropriate resources. Appropriate methods of EMS education and EMS feedback are known to increase prehospital notification rates. Motivated premedical students who want to pursue a career in medicine can be excellent resource for EMS education. Design/Methods: The study is currently surveying EMTs and paramedics (EMS) that bring patients to eastern region Northwell Health hospitals. A team of premedical college students during the summer were assigned to survey EMS and do one on one stroke education in the emergency department(ED). The Data collected from the EMS consisted names of agencies, how they identify stroke, preferred method for prehospital notification and barriers encountered. After completion of survey, students provided each EMS personnel with a flyer consisting of components of prehospital notification. Students also created EMS appreciation board and distributed EMS education flyer. Results: Thus far, 110 surveys have been completed at NSUH and LIJ. 93% of EMS personnel said that they always provide prehospital notification, which stands in contrast to the information on stroke log (23.6%). 60% of EMS personnel noted barriers to prehospital notification. Conclusions: Premedical students can be excellent resource in providing one on one EMS education and hence increasing rates of prehospital notification for acute ischemic stroke. Every effort must be taken to provide feedback to the EMS, identify local barriers and overcome them to increase prehospital notification. Disclosure: Dr. Hazra has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hollis has nothing to disclose. Dr. Chaudhry has nothing to disclose. Dr. Landers has nothing to disclose. Dr. Haber has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wright has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gujral has nothing to disclose. Dr. Katz has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wright has nothing to disclose. Dr. Arora has nothing to disclose.
Instantaneous Fuel Growth Rates for Breeder Reactors

Breeding estimates for long-term reactor fuel logistics are pursued, specifically deriving as instantaneous or transitory fuel growth rate definition ..gamma..(t), from the basic space- and time-dependent fuel cycle equations. The derivation is valid for either the discontinuous or continuous fuel cycle treatments. The resulting definition is applied to a uranium-plutonium fast reactor operating in the closed fuel cycle mode. Transitory growth rate results are calculated for various fuel isotopic weight-factor sets and initial fuel compositions. These results show ..gamma..(t) to be practically independent of the isotopic weight-factor sets, provided the ..gamma..(t) is calculated from the time-dependent variation of the fuel isotopes. The growth rate derivation automatically yields the fuel composition shift in the form of the reactor fuel time derivative. Investigations of the impact of this quantity on transitory breeding descriptions show that it is the erroneous neglect of the fuel composition-shift term that induces the previously observed strong dependence of the growth rate upon the fuel isotopic weight-factor sets. Accurate approximation of the instantaneous fuel growth rate using transitory static reaction rate information (fuel-shift term neglected) is shown possible with the substitutional critical mass (CM) worth weights, w/sub i//sup CM/.
A Feasibility Study of Model-Based Natural Ventilation Control in a Midrise Student Dormitory Building

_______________________________________________________________i Acknowledgments _______________________________________________________iii List of Tables ___________________________________________________________v List of Figures __________________________________________________________vi
Finding all of the Solutions to a Problem

This paper describes a method of cutting off reasoning when all of the answers to a problem have been found. Briefly, the method involves keeping and maintaining information about the sizes of important sets, and using this information to determine when all of the answers to a problem have been found. We show how this information can be dynamically calculated and kept accurate in a changing world. Additional complexity is encountered when this maintenance is mixed with independent meta-level reasoning for pruning search spaces.
Amines in Molluscan Nervous Tissue and their Subcellular Localization

The ganglia of bivalve molluscs contain comparatively large amounts of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) (Welsh and Moorhead 1960), dopamine (DA) (Sweeney 1963; Cottrell 1967) and, in certain species at least, high levels of acetylcholine (ACh) (Cottrell 1966). Consequently, bivalve ganglia would appear to provide convenient material for investigations on the subcellular localization of these substances in nervous tissue.
The Modified Pyramid Hypospadias Procedure: Repair of Megameatus and Deep Glanular Groove Variants

AbstractWe present our experience with the pyramid hypospadias repair in 37 patients with distal or subcoronal hypospadias. We also describe a significant modification (in the 7 most recent patients) of Duckett’s original procedure that minimizes the risk of ventral fistula formation. This modification involves the creation of a vascularized second-layer tissue flap. We incorporated the modified pyramid hypospadias repair into the general surgical approach to subcoronal hypospadias. Our operative approach permits the delayed selection of either a perimeatal-based flap, preputial flap or a modified pyramid type repair after release of the shaft skin. In 35 patients the repair achieved excellent results, while only 2 had urethrocutaneous fistulas. No patient who underwent the modified repair suffered fistula formation. Our surgical technique is applicable to a number of variants of subcoronal hypospadias and maximizes repair options.