cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Review of “Questioning Qualitative Inquiry: Critical Essays”: Martyn Hammersley. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. 2008. 216. $48.95 (paper).

Hammersley (2008) writes with compelling curiosity, a charged sense of wonder, and a drive for discovery. Rather than defend, outright, the qualitative inquiry paradigm, he pushes the model—now mor...
Partial abdominal evisceration and intestinal autotransplantation to resect a mesenteric carcinoid tumor

Background Midgut carcinoids are neuroendocrine tumors that commonly metastasize to the intestinal mesentery, where they predispose to intestinal obstruction, ischemia and/or congestion. Because of their location, many mesenteric carcinoid tumors are deemed unresectable due to the risk of uncontrollable bleeding and prolonged intestinal ischemia.
A Coupled Feature-Filter Clustering Scheme for Resolution Synthesis

For many digital image/video processing applications increasing the spatial resolution through modifications in the imaging system is infeasible. Hence post-processing algorithms designed to enhance resolution of the acquired image data prove beneficial. In this paper, we analyze recent work on classification based resolution enhancement and discuss its applicability to low-complexity display systems. In the light of our observations we point out certain short-comings of resolution synthesis and propose a modified training scheme to improve the performance under certain conditions.
Chronic postoperative epidural abscess with ascending neuromyotonia.

IMPLICATIONS Clinicians are reminded that epidural abscesses may not follow epidural space violation, may present a confusing constellation of back pain and paraparesis, and may have serious consequences if not diagnosed accurately and managed aggressively with spinal decompression.
Senate Confirmation of Supreme Court Justices: Partisan and Institutional Politics

A president's most important appointments are to the Supreme Court of the United States. Unlike cabinet officers, the Senate does not routinely confirm Supreme Court justices. To study this phenomenon, I propose four related models of confirmation. The models assume senators to be political persons motivated by both partisan and institutional concerns. The data consist of 138 confirmation decisions, with the parameters estimated by probit. The models explain between 38% and 42% of the variance in confirmation decisions, while predicting 87% and 88% of the cases correctly. Institutional politics are at least as important as partisan politics in predicting decisions.
Better hospital nutrition needed to prevent and treat Aspergillus infections.

SIR: I read with interest Baddley and co-workers’ excellent research paper on antifungal therapy and length of stay of aspergillosis patients [1]. The report mentions that malnutrition is associate...
Robust quantification of the SMN gene copy number by real-time TaqMan PCR

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by mutation or deletion of the survival motor neuron gene 1 (SMN1). The highly homologous gene, SMN2, is present in all patients, but it cannot compensate for loss of SMN1. SMN2 differs from SMN1 by a few nucleotide changes, but a C → T transition in exon 7 leads to exon skipping. As a result, most transcripts from the SMN2 gene lack exon 7. Although SMN1 is the disease-determining gene, the number of SMN2 copies appears to modulate SMA clinical phenotypes. Thus, determining the SMN copy number is important for clinical diagnosis and prognosis. We have developed a quantitative real-time TaqMan polymerase chain reaction assay for both the SMN1 and SMN2 genes, in which reliable copy number determination was possible on deoxyribonucleic acid samples obtained by two different isolation methods and from two different sources (human blood and skin fibroblasts). For SMN1, allele specificity was attained solely by addition of an allele-specific forward primer and, for SMN2, by addition of a specific forward primer and a nonextending oligonucleotide (SMN1 blocker) that reduced nonspecific amplification from SMN1 to a negligible level. We validated the reliability of this real-time polymerase chain reaction approach and found that the coefficient of variation for all the gene copy number measurements was below 10%. Quantitative analysis of the SMN copy number in SMA fibroblasts by this approach showed deletion of SMN1 and an inverse correlation between the SMN2 copy number and severity of the disease..
Design for testability to combat delay faults

To successfully combat delay faults there is an urgent need for a proper design for testability (DFT). The foundation of any DFT methodology rests on its scan design. The paper describes a new design of a shift register latch that lends itself to distributed self-test and delay test. The advantages of this new SRL is faster application of test vectors, higher DC and AC fault coverages, with low performance impact. Operation, cost, and other attributes are studied in detail. Results of adopting this SRL are reported on ten pilot chips.
Clostridium difficile Toxin B causes epithelial cell necrosis through an autoprocessing-independent mechanism.

Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of antibiotic-associated nosocomial infection in the United States. C. difficile secretes two homologous toxins, TcdA and TcdB, which are responsible for the symptoms of C. difficile associated disease. The mechanism of toxin action includes an autoprocessing event where a cysteine protease domain (CPD) releases a glucosyltransferase domain (GTD) into the cytosol. The GTD acts to modify and inactivate Rho-family GTPases. The presumed importance of autoprocessing in toxicity, and the apparent specificity of the CPD active site make it, potentially, an attractive target for small molecule drug discovery. In the course of exploring this potential, we have discovered that both wild-type TcdB and TcdB mutants with impaired autoprocessing or glucosyltransferase activities are able to induce rapid, necrotic cell death in HeLa and Caco-2 epithelial cell lines. The concentrations required to induce this phenotype correlate with pathology in a porcine colonic explant model of epithelial damage. We conclude that autoprocessing and GTD release is not required for epithelial cell necrosis and that targeting the autoprocessing activity of TcdB for the development of novel therapeutics will not prevent the colonic tissue damage that occurs in C. difficile – associated disease.
Critical Load Protection from Transient Surges

Transients in electrical power systems at many installations are found to cause malfunctions in and damage to electronic equipment. Investigations to date indicate that harmful transients are injected into the critical power bus by both external and internal transients producers. Oscilloscope recordings show that the harmful transients consist of oscillatory voltages having predominant frequency components as low as 400 Hertz and high-frequency disturbances in the form of spike voltages as short as 10 ?sec in duration. A study was conducted on the feasibility of developing power filters which could prevent the externally produced transients from reaching transient- sensitive electronic equipment, and prevent load-caused transients from reaching the critical power bus. Based on the findings, a single-phase filter was designed, fabricated, and experimentally evaluated.
Pulse Cytophotometric Analysis of Cell Cycle Perturbation with Bleomycin in Vitro

The kinetic response of a human lymphoma cell line to bleomycin has been analyzed, using an ICP-11 pulse cytophotometer. Bleomycin induced a delay of the cell-cycle traverse in G2 phase, the extent and recovery of which depended on drug concentration, exposure time, and cell cycle stage where treatment was applied. Different phase sensitivity for lethal damage (G2 phase) and kinetic response (early S phase) were documented. Recovery from G2 block did not predict for unimpaired reproductive capacity.
Heparin, urokinase, and ancrod alter neutrophil function.

Abstract Neutrophils (polymorphonuclear neutrophils [PMNs]) have been implicated as mediators of reperfusion injury. Heparin, urokinase, and ancrod are agents used routinely to prevent and treat thrombosis, yet their effects on PMN function are unknown. Therefore human PMNs were obtained and incubated for 30 minutes with either saline solution or one of the following pharmacologic agents, each tested at three different concentrations: group 1, saline solution (control, n = 14); groups 2 through 4, heparin (5000 units/ml, n = 8; 2500 units/ml, n = 6; and 1250 units/ml, n = 6, respectively); groups 5 through 7, urokinase (50,000 units/ml, n = 8; 25,000 units/ml, n = 6; and 12,500 units/ml, n = 6, respectively), and groups 8 through 10, ancrod (70 units/ml, n = 8; 35 units/ml, n = 6; and 17.5 units/ml, n = 6). Superoxide anion production was measured by the reduction of cytochrome c in a spectrophotometric assay. Chemotaxis was evaluated by the number of PMNs migrating across a filter with a Neuro Probe chamber (Neuro Probe, Cabin John, Md.). Phagocytosis was determined by the ingestion of opsonized zymosan particles by PMNs. Serum obtained from each PMN donor was used both to opsonize the zymosan and as a chemoattractant in the chemotaxis assay. Statistical comparison was evaluated by analysis of variance, and post hoc comparisons for each agent with control were performed with the unpaired Student t test. No agent, at any dose, significantly changed superoxide anion production compared with control cells. All three agents significantly inhibited PMN chemotaxis ( p p p p p
Detection of Mutant RAS Subpopulations in Colorectal Cancer Patients

Acquired resistance to molecularly targeted therapies is a major obstacle blocking effective treatment of cancer patients. This is particularly true for therapies that target the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) [1], [2]. Acquired resistance to molecularly targeted therapies may occur de novo (meaning as a consequence of the selective pressure of treatment), or may be due to outgrowth of preexisting tumor subpopulations that are resistant to treatment [3]. Clinical studies have shown that undetected populations of tumor cells carrying KRAS mutations lead to therapeutic resistance and relapse in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients [4], [5]. Consequently, the ability to assess the impact of minor mutant subpopulations on therapeutic resistance has important implications regarding the development of effective strategies for personalized cancer treatment. Detecting and analyzing the major and minor mutant subpopulations of cells carrying specific oncogene mutations in a patient's tumor, therefore, are crucial.
Re-modeling ILS acquisitions data to financially transition from print to digital formats

When Adelphi University Libraries began shifting serials subscriptions from print to digital formats, we recognized a need to alter acquisitions procedures and codes for more effective use of the Innovative Interfaces Millennium acquisitions module for budget management. A review of procedures dictated collapsing fund structures, replacing obsolete and redundant order codes, and adding new codes for electronic resources. As a result, we vastly improved accounting for online resources. Such modifications now enable us to track changing patterns of spending and use our ILS reports to support administrative decisions in anticipation of future increased campus allocations needed for electronic resources.
Tracking Dynamics of Geospatial Phenomena in Distributed and Heterogeneous Environments Using Scientific Workflow and Web Services Technologies

We propose to use W3C Web Services and recently emerging scientific workflow technologies for geospatial data processing in distributed and heterogeneous computation environments. The Web service technology provides platform independence and greater interoperability; the scientific workflow technology provides software reuse and visual programming. We demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach using storm dynamics tracking from weather radar data as an example. Technical details of algorithm development, Web services publishing, workflow composition and execution for the demonstrative example are discussed.
Revolutionary Leadership: From Paulo Freire to the Occupy Movement

All over the world, individuals in groups are attempting to occupy their “Commons.” In an era of gross income and power divides, this reclamation must go hand-in-hand with a process of psychic and interpersonal decolonization, where the received hierarchical roles and leadership practices we have inherited are disrupted and thrown into question. Beginning with Paulo Freire’s ideas on revolutionary leadership, and continuing to the principles and practices emerging in the OCCUPY movement, the author focuses on the consensus process and on horizontalism (horizontalidad). To aid in the radical transformation of the structures of oppression, counselors and other dialogically-skilled individuals are needed to help facilitate shared leadership, inclusive dialogue, conflict transformation, and consensus decision-making.
Subjective Importance and Computational Models of Emotions

In this paper, I shall attempt to do three things. First, I shall try to show that the standard characterization of subjective importance (which is widely recognized as crucial to the elicitation of emotions) is not powerful enough to fulfill the role that is usually attributed to it in accounts of emotions. Second, I shall discuss what the role of subjective importance in emotions is and how it might be computed. Finally, I shall suggest how, through the use of more specific constructs, this role can be realized in a cognitive account of emotion elicitation and intensification to make a system of computationally tractable rules a practical possibility.
Aspartame, Phenylalanine, and Seizures in Experimental Animals

An association has recently been proposed between seizure promotion and consumption of the phenylalanine-containing artificial sweetener aspartame. Since consumption of aspartame, unlike dietary protein, can elevate brain phenylalanine, and thus potentially inhibit the synthesis and release of neurotransmitters known to protect against seizure activity, we have studied the effects of aspartame and of its metabolic breakdown products (aspartic acid, methanol, and phenylalanine) on seizure activity, using two well-established experimental models, i.e., pen-tylenetetrazole and fluorothyl-induced seizures. The doses employed were chosen to produce changes in the plasma phenylalanine ratio which would mimic, in the mouse, the changes seen when humans consume moderate amounts of the sweetener. Mice receiving aspartame in doses of 1000 mg/kg or greater exhibited a significant lowering in the threshold to seizures induced by pentylenetetrazole. This response was mimicked by equimolar phenylalanine, but not by equimolar aspartic acid or methanol. Additionally, we tested the ability of tyrosine, a precursor of seizure-protecting catecholamines, to influence pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures. Tyrosine doses of 500 mg/kg or greater significantly elevated the seizure threshold in this model. Coadministration of tyrosine with either phenylalanine or aspartame prevented the deleterious effects of these compounds on the seizure threshold. Similarly, coadministration of the large neutral amino acid valine, which competes with phenylalanine for entry into the brain, also prevented the phenylalanine-induced changes. When phenylalanine or aspartame were administered prior to fluorothyl exposure, a significant decrease in the seizure threshold was also noted. Doses as low as 500 mg/kg were able to potentiate these seizures in immature mice. We conclude that in these commonly employed seizure models, aspartame, via its metabolic breakdown product phenylalanine, is capable of lowering the threshold to seizures. This may bear on the reported association between aspartame and seizures in humans.
Value Based Management and Eva Practice by Selected Plantation Companies in Sri Lanka

Value Based Management (VBM) is relatively a modern approach used by organization as a tool of measure the performance over its business activities, which links performance of business, strategy and processes; ultimately it leads to maximize the value of an organization. VBM delivers dynamic, high performance organization results. It builds on the strengths of financially focused tools, such as Economic Value Added (EVA) and its derivatives, by adding the perspectives of customers and other stakeholders who make organizations succeed. The purpose of this study is to identify the extent of Value based management (VBM) methods embrace by the Sri Lankan selected plantation companies and characteristics of those companies too. The study is based on a survey of selected seven plantation companies in Sri Lanka and statistical analysis that follows the probability and tabulation of survey data through structured questionnaire and secondary data to investigate the application of value based management practiced by analysis of qualitative choice. The survey results reveals that most popular VBM method among the selected plantation companies in Sri Lanka, from those listed, is the DCF method. Value-based management is used mostly in the areas of investment decisions (DCF and ROIC are the most common), long-term planning (ROIC is the most common).
Isolation of Lymphocyte Activating Factors from Human Milk

The protective effect of breast-feeding against infections has mainly been attributed to the presence in human milk of factors such as secretory immunoglobulins, lactoferrin and lysozyme. However, milk is also a rich source of regulatory molecules with putative immunomodulating functions in the mammary gland, and in the recipient infant. Such factors include many hormones, peptide growth factors and interferon, but others still remain to be characterized. The present study explores human milk in regard to the presence of lymphocyte activating factors. Ammonium sulphate precipitated protein from cell-free and defatted mature human milk was tested for interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-2 (IL-2), thymocyte growth peptide (TGP) as well as T and B lymphocyte stimulating activity in various lymphocyte culture assays. The following results were obtained. Employing the murine thymocyte proliferation assay, human milk protein displayed an IL-1-like activity, which eluted in three distinct peaks after Sephadex G 150 gel chromatography, with apparent Mr’s of 14K, 30K and 60K, respectively. Chromatofocusing revealed charge heterogeneity, with an isoelectric point (pI) of 5 of the major peak. No pI 7 activity was detected, indicating that milk-derived IL-1 is similar to macrophage-derived IL-1α, and that no IL-1β-like material is present. Studies in progress on the cellular origin of milk IL-1 indicate that it is produced in high amounts by milk macrophages. Also T and B lymphocyte stimulating factors were detected. Thus, milk protein was comitogenic in combination with dextran sulphate for rat splenic B lymphocytes and in combination with phytohemagglutinin for guinea pig lymph node T cells. Gel filtration showed four peaks of B cell stimulating activity with apparent Mr’s of less than 10K, 14K, 30K, and 70K, whereas the T cell stimulating activity was even more heterogeneous. IL-1 could be responsible for some, but not all, of this activity. Human milk protein displayed no IL-2 or TGP activity. Pasteurization at 72°C for 15 sec. abolished all activity, except for a slight B cell stimulating effect.
Application of Psychometrics to the Calibration of Air Carrier Evaluators

The FAA's Advanced Qualification Program (AQP) encourages airlines to implement proficiency-based training programs and requires collection of reliable and valid performance assessment data. We present applications of traditional and innovative psychometric methods to this domain.
Autogeny in the flesh fly, Sarcophaga argyrostoma.

The capability of insects to produce offspring in the absence of a protein meal has intrigued biologists for many years. This phenomenon of autogeny has been found frequently among numerous species and strains of mosquitoes (Spielman 1957, Corbet 1964, O'Meara and Krasnick 1970), but the overwhelming majority of data collected for higher Diptera indicates the necessity of protein for ovarian development. Evidence for the protein requirement in the calyptrate Diptera has been provided for numerous species including Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy (Fraenkel 1940), Lucilia sericata Meigen (Hobson 1938), Phormia regina (Meigen) (Rasso and Fraenkel 1954), and Sarcophaga bullata Parker (Wilkens 1968). Autogeny has been observed in the NAIDM strain of Musca domestica L., but here it is possible only when the larval diet is supplemented with of high level of cholesterol (Robbins and Shortino 1962). The present investigation reveals that a calyptrate Diptera Sarcophaga argyrostoma (Robineau-Desvoidy) is capable of egg maturation in the absence of protein.
Gender and Reproductive Labor Migration in Asia, 1960–2000

Studies on gender and migration have focused on how and why men and women migrate. While women often migrate for family reunification, they increasingly do so for their own work and economic opportunities. Studies on women’s migration flows are rare; those that exist neglect increasingly prominent migration dynamics within Global South. Addressing this gap, we map understudied women’s migration flows within Asian sub-regions from 1960–2000. Building on qualitative studies, we consider what these quantitative flows suggest about women’s migration, and their involvement in reproductive labor–care, domestic, and entertainment work, and marriage migration–in the context of bilateral migration policies. We find high volume flows, even if not feminized, are directed primarily from countries in South and Southeast Asia to countries in West Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. We find strong evidence that within Asia, transnational migration has become increasingly feminized and diversified since the 1960s. Varia...
Contamination of Foodborne Pathogens in Directly Edible Food in Fengtai District of Beijing City

[Objective]To understand the contamination status of foodborne pathogens in 11 kinds of directly edible food in Fengtai District of Beijing City. [Methods]Eleven kinds of food samples from 11 kinds of restaurants were tested according to GB/T 4789-2003 and WS/T 9-1996. [Results]A total of 117 strains of Proteus,22 strains of EPEC,3 strains of Listeria monocytogenes,2 strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and 1 strain of Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from food samples and the positive rate was 10.47%,1.97%,0.28%,1.16%,0.08%,0.08% respectively.Salmonella,Shigella and EHEC O157H7/NM were not isolated from all kinds of food samples.The positive rate in summer and autumn was higher than that in winter.The detection rate of foodborne pathogens was highest in cooked meet and salad. [Conclusion]The contamination of foodbome pathogens in food edible directly was serious.The serious contaminated season is summer and autumn,the major contaminated food is cooked meet and salad.
Male factor evaluation in in vitro fertilization: Norfolk experience

Thirty-three patients from the in vitro fertilization (IVF) program at Norfolk are critically reviewed. A battery of tests was designed and an endocrine investigation was carried out on these patients. The fertilization rate for preovulatory oocytes was lower than in the normal male population (39.6% versus 88.6%). When total concentration of sperm with rapidly progressive motility was 5 , to fertilize several eggs together the fertilization rate was zero. No fertilization was obtained when the number of sperm with rapidly progressive motility recovered after the separation was 6 . The hamster zona-free oocyte penetration test correlated well with the human IVF system. The other parameters investigated did not show good correlation. When fertilization was achieved, the results of the IVF procedure in the series reviewed rendered a 30.8% pregnancy rate per transfer in 26 transfers. Fifty percent of the pregnancies were normal (either ongoing or delivered). Thirty-seven percent were preclinical miscarriages, and 12.5% were clinical abortions. In the abnormal male population, higher concentrations of sperm per egg should be used for insemination for achievement of optimum fertilization rates. Once fertilization is obtained, the results do not differ substantially from the IVF population at large.
Prevalence and Correlates of Sex Exchange Among a Nationally Representative Sample of Adolescents and Young Adults

ABSTRACTThe present study examines prevalence and correlates of exchanging sex for drugs, money, food shelter, or other favors (sex exchange) among a nationally representative sample of youth and young adults. Adolescents and young adults (n = 11,620, 53% female, 47% male) from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were used for the current sample. Participants completed in-home interviews at both waves. Results revealed that sex exchange was reported by 4.9% (n = 569) of the population in wave 2 or wave 3, and 4.6% (n = 26) of those who exchanged sex did so at both waves. More males reported exchanging sex than females (n = 332 versus n = 237). Respondents who reported child sexual abuse were more likely to exchange sex (95% CI 2.51–4.28, p < .05) than respondents who reported any other form of child abuse. Both males and females who engaged in sex exchange were at greater risk for sexually transmitted infections; however, the odds of ever exchanging sex were highest among males who ever h...
Case 7: Toxic Ingestion

A 3-year-old Asian boy is brought into the Emergency Department (ED) by emergency medical services (EMS) in respiratory distress. In broken English, his grandmother reports finding him in the living room about 20 min ago with labored breathing and making “wheezing” noises. She also found her pouch of “nganga” on the floor. It appeared to have been opened. She is concerned the boy may have ingested this substance.
An evolutionary approach to feature set selection

This paper investigates an ensemble feature selection algorithm that is based on genetic algorithms. The task of ensemble feature selection is harder than traditional feature selection in that one not only needs to find features germane to the learning task and learning algorithm, but one also needs to find a set of feature subsets that will promote disagreement among the ensemble's classifiers. Our algorithm shows improved performance over the popular and powerful ensemble approaches of AdaBoost and Bagging.
Standard enthalpies of formation of selected Ni2YZ Heusler compounds

Abstract The standard enthalpies of formation (Δ f H °) of selected ternary Ni-based Heusler compounds Ni 2 YZ (Y = Co, Cu, Fe, Hf, Mn, Ti, V; Z = Al, Ga, In, Si, Ge, Sn) were measured using high temperature direct reaction calorimetry. The measured standard enthalpies of formation (in kJ/mole of atoms) of the Heusler structured (L2 1 , prototype Cu 2 MnAl, Pearson symbol cF16, space group Fm3(_) m) compounds are: Ni 2 MnGa (−29.8 ± 3.9); Ni 2 MnIn (−24.5 ± 2.0); Ni 2 MnSn (−29.7 ± 2.9); Ni 2 TiGa (−42.5 ± 2.2); Ni 2 TiIn (−28.5 ± 1.1); Ni 2 TiSn (−46.8 ± 2.0), for the B2 compound (prototype CsCl, Pearson cP2, space group Pm3(_) m): Ni 2 MnAl (−32.0 ± 2.8), for the inverse Heusler structured (i-L2 1 , prototype Li 2 AgSb, Pearson symbol cF16, space group F4(_) 3 m) compound: Ni 2 CuSn (−12.5 ± 2.1), for the compounds of the L1 2 (prototype AuCu 3 , Pearson symbol cP4, space group Pm3(_) m) structure: Ni 2 CuAl (−38.9 ± 3.1); Ni 2 FeGe (−25.8 ± 3.0). Several off-stoichiometric alloys in the Ni–Mn–Sn system were also investigated: Ni 0.55 Mn 0.20 Sn 0.25 (−26.6 ± 1.0); Ni 0.45 Mn 0.30 Sn 0.25 (−27.5 ± 2.6); Ni 0.40 Mn 0.35 Sn 0.25 (−26.6 ± 2.6); Ni 0.25 Mn 0.50 Sn 0.25 (−20.9 ± 2.6); Ni 0.50 Mn 0.30 Sn 0.20 (−21.0 ± 3.2); Ni 0.50 Mn 0.35 Sn 0.15 (−20.1 ± 1.7). Values are compared with those from first principles calculations in published papers and the Open Quantum Materials Database (OQMD). Lattice parameters were determined using X-ray diffraction analysis. Microstructures were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to measure the melting points of the compounds.
Minimizing total completion time in flowshop with availability constraint on the first machine

We study the problem of minimizing total completion time in 2-stage flowshop with availability constraint. This problem is NP-hard in the strong sense even if both machines are always available. With availability constraint, although a bulk of research papers have studied the makespan minimization problem, there is no research done on the total completion time minimization. This paper is the first attempt to tackle this problem. We focus on the case that there is a single unavailable interval on the first machine only. We show that several special cases can be solved optimally or approximated within a constant factor. For the general case, we develop some lower bounds and dominance rules. Then we design and implement a branch and bound algorithm. We investigate the effectiveness of different lower bounds and the dominance rules by computational experiments. We also study how the start time and the duration of the unavailable interval affects the efficiency of the branch and bound algorithm.
Radiation effects on spacecraft dielectrics

Applications of dielectrics that are being applied to present and future spacecraft are treated in this paper. One of these, Galileo (Figure 1) is scheduled to be launched in 1985 and will photograph the detailed changes in the giant red spot and other atmospheric phenomena in 1989–1990. Dielectrics are to be used on other applications also. In this paper, some of the applications simulated test results and results of space phenomena from Shuttle 3 are treated. The radiation aspects will be emphasized.
Photoemission study in modified Millikan apparatus: Application to poly(N-vinylcarbazole)

For a long time poly(N-vinylcarbazole) has served as a model of a polymeric photoconductor and a great deal is known of its electrical properties, especially of charge carrier generation and transport [1]. The detailed electronic structure of this material, and of most amorphous polymers, is, however, not yet clearly understood.
Chapter 8 – Fluorescence

A very important tool used in the biotechnology laboratory is fluorescence. Fluorescent molecules can be used directly or attached to other molecules to determine the locations of certain structures within the cell, the presence of certain membrane constituents on the cell exterior (for the identification of cell type), or used by themselves to verify a certain activity within the cell (such as enzyme activity). This chapter will explain what fluorescence is, how certain fluorescence properties can be harnessed to yield meaningful data, and how pairs of fluorophores are used in conjunction for a technique termed FRET.
Scientific Progress and Human Values

(1968). Scientific Progress and Human Values. Nuclear Science and Engineering: Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 90-90.
Fatigue Life Predictions of PZT Using Continuum Damage Mechanics and Finite Element Methods

Owing to their high dielectric and piezoelectric constants, piezoelectric ceramics have been used for sensor and actuator applications. The reliability of these materials under service conditions is of major concern. The fatigue life of a poled PZT specimen under mechanical cyclic loading conditions in four-point bending is predicted by the finite element method, using a continuum damage mechanics approach. The damage parameter is defined as a scalar in proportion to the microcrack density in a representative volume comparable to a typical finite element size. The material is modelled as transversely isotropic elastic to reflect the 6mm poled crystalline texture, with elastic and piezoelectric constant tensors all functions of the damage parameter. The damage-dependent constitutive laws and energy-based damage evolution law were incorporated into the finite element program to calculate the history of stress, strain, electric potential and damage fields for the four-point loaded beam specimen in an iterative manner as number of loading cycle increases. The results indicated that the macroscopic cracks initiate at loadpoint and inner span which link together to cause failure. Comparisons between the predictions of the total cycle numbers to failure and the experimental stress amplitude-life cycle data at a frequency of 20 Hz showed good agreement. Implications of the results with regards to damage mode, mechanical failure criteria, and its potential applications are discussed.
Role of hypersensitive cell death in conditioning elicitation competency and defense potentiation

A plant’s capacity for the recognition of an incompatible pathogen (mediated by non-host or race-specific resistance) leads initially to a nearly universal defense reaction, the programmed hypersensitive death of cells in immediate contact with the pathogen. This hypersensitive response (HR), in turn, is complemented by the expression of several other forms of induced resistance, including both local and systemic acquired resistance (LAR, SAR). In some species, LAR responses have been further delineated into discrete reactions that are immediately proximal or distal to the HR lesion [see, e.g., 12, 13, 37, 41]. Furthermore, an additional form of induced systemic resistance (ISR) has been described in some plants. Although not as fully characterized as SAR [19, 30, 38, 42, 43], ISR is often associated with host resistance induced by rhizosphere micro-organisms [31]. The spatial and temporal coordination of these various plant defense responses has been the subject of careful study in a number of systems. From these studies, it is clear that the regulation of the various cellular responses involves a very complex array and interplay of signals from the pathogen, the environment and from the host itself [see, e.g. 14, 41]. In the latter area, it is apparent that the host takes a very active role in the orchestration of its defense reactions through the generation of signals that both initiate and condition the responses of specific cell populations. Recent work in several plant species has suggested that signaling processes associated with or initiated during the HR may actively program or condition downstream LAR and SAR reactions. This coordinating
Lack of generalizability of observational studies' findings for turnover time reduction and growth in surgery based on the State of Iowa, where from one year to the next, most growth was attributable to surgeons performing only a few cases per week.

Abstract Study objective Three observational studies at large teaching hospitals found that reducing turnover times resulted in the surgeons performing more cases. We sought to determine if these findings are generalizable to other hospitals, because, if so, reducing turnover times may be an important mechanism for hospitals to use for growing caseloads. Design Observational cohort study. Setting 116 hospitals in Iowa with inpatient or outpatient surgery from July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2015. Subjects Surgeons in Iowa, each with a unique identifier among hospitals. Measurements The independent variable was the number of inpatient and outpatient cases that each surgeon performed each week during the first fiscal year beginning July 1, 2013. The dependent variables were surgeons' number of inpatient and outpatient surgical cases, and intraoperative work relative value units (RVU's) for outpatient cases, during the second fiscal year. Main results The average hospital in Iowa had less than half of its growth from year 1 to year 2 in numbers of cases among surgeons who performed >2 cases per week in the baseline year (23.0%±2.5% [SE], P 2 cases per week at other hospitals in the state during that year (24.4%±2.6%, P Conclusions Most (≥50%) annual growth in surgery, both based on the number of total inpatient and outpatient surgical cases, and on the total outpatient RVU's, was attributable to surgeons who performed 2 or fewer cases per week at each hospital statewide during the preceding year. Therefore, the strategic priority should be to assure that the many low-caseload surgeons have access to convenient OR time (e.g., by allocating sufficient OR time, and assigning surgeon blocks, in a mathematically sound, evidence-based way). Although reducing turnover times and anesthesia-controlled times to promote growth will be beneficial for a few surgeons, the effect on total caseload will be small.
Respiratory dysfunction progresses with age in Kcna1-null mice, a model of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.

SummaryObjective Increased breathing rate, apnea, and respiratory failure are associated with sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). We recently demonstrated the progressive nature of epilepsy and mortality in Kcna1−/− mice, a model of temporal lobe epilepsy and SUDEP. Here we tested the hypothesis that respiratory dysfunction progresses with age in Kcna1−/− mice, thereby increasing risk of respiratory failure and sudden death (SD). Methods Respiratory parameters were determined in conscious mice at baseline and following increasing doses of methacholine (MCh) using noninvasive airway mechanics (NAM) systems. Kcna1+/+, Kcna1+/−, and Kcna1−/− littermates were assessed during 3 age ranges when up to ~30%, ~55%, and ~90% of Kcna1−/− mice have succumbed to SUDEP: postnatal day (P) 32-36, P40-46, and P48-56, respectively. Saturated arterial O2 (SaO2) was determined with pulse oximetry. Lung and brain tissues were isolated and Kcna1 gene and protein expression were evaluated by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot techniques. Airway smooth muscle responsiveness was assessed in isolated trachea exposed to MCh. Results Kcna1−/− mice experienced an increase in basal respiratory drive, chronic oxygen desaturation, frequent apnea-hypopnea (A-H), an atypical breathing sequence of A-H-tachypnea-A-H, increased tidal volume, and hyperventilation induced by MCh. The MCh-provoked hyperventilation was dramatically attenuated with age. Of interest, only Kcna1−/− mice developed seizures following exposure to MCh. Seizures were provoked by lower concentrations of MCh as Kcna1−/− mice approached SD. MCh-induced seizures experienced by a subset of younger Kcna1−/− mice triggered death. Respiratory parameters of these younger Kcna1−/− mice resembled older near-SD Kcna1−/− mice. Kcna1 gene and protein were not expressed in Kcna1+/+ and Kcna1+/− lungs, and MCh-mediated airway smooth muscle contractions exhibited similar half-maximal effective concentration( EC50) in isolated Kcna1+/+ and Kcna1−/− trachea. Significance The Kcna1−/− model of SUDEP exhibits progressive respiratory dysfunction, which suggests a potential increased susceptibility for respiratory failure during severe seizures that may result in sudden death.
Letting the patient decide: A case report of self-administered sedation during mechanical ventilation

It is common for critical care nurses to administer sedative medications to patients receiving mechanical ventilation. Although patient-controlled analgesia is frequently used in practice to promote effective self-management of pain by patients, it is not known if patient-controlled sedation can be used to promote effective self-management of distressing symptoms associated with mechanical ventilation. A randomized pilot trial was conducted to evaluate whether patient self-administered sedation with dexmedetomidine is safe and acceptable for self-management of anxiety during ventilator support. This case report details the experiences of one patient enrolled in the pilot trial who was randomly assigned to the experimental dexmedetomidine intervention, completed the study protocol, and provided feedback. In a poststudy survey, the patient responded positively to the use of self-administered sedation with dexmedetomidine during ventilator support.
Traumatic Brain Injury Among US Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a signature injury among veterans who have served in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation New Dawn (OND) combat operations, though this injury can also occur in the context of a number of other noncombat situations. This chapter presents a historical framework for the evolution in thinking about TBI, from conceptualizing it as a historical event to more modern conceptualizations of a chronic disease process. The chapter reviews ways to approach assessment and treatment of veterans with a history of concussion, with attention to the associations and symbolic significances that accompany a range of post-concussive symptoms, comorbid psychiatric symptoms, and the importance of involvement of the family system. Finally, the chapter discusses existing pathways of care for veterans with a history of TBI and future directions for research inquiry.
Towards refactoring-aware regression test selection

Regression testing checks that recent project changes do not break previously working functionality. Although important, regression testing is costly when changes are frequent. Regression test selection (RTS) optimizes regression testing by running only tests whose results might be affected by a change. Traditionally, RTS collects dependencies (e.g., on files) for each test and skips the tests, at a new project revision, whose dependencies did not change. Existing RTS techniques do not differentiate behavior-preserving transformations (i.e., refactorings) from other code changes. As a result, tests are run more frequently than necessary. We present the first step towards a refactoring-aware RTS technique, dubbed Reks, which skips tests affected only by behavior-preserving changes. Reks defines rules to update the test dependencies without running the tests. To ensure that Reks does not hide any bug introduced by the refactoring engines, we integrate Reks only in the pre-submit testing phase, which happens on the developers' machines. We evaluate Reks by measuring the savings in the testing effort. Specifically, we reproduce 100 refactoring tasks performed by developers of 37 projects on GitHub. Our results show that Reks would not run, on average, 33% of available tests (that would be run by a refactoring-unaware RTS technique). Additionally, we systematically run 27 refactoring types on ten projects. The results, based on 74,160 refactoring tasks, show that Reks would not run, on average, 16% of tests (max: 97% and SD: 24%). Finally, our results show that the Reks update rules are efficient.
Integrated drayage scheduling problem with stochastic container packing and unpacking times

AbstractThis paper considers the integrated drayage scheduling problem. Two new models are developed that account for the uncertainty of (un)packing times in drayage operation without an explicit a...
Acute respiratory emergencies in emergency treatment of the injured athlete.

The growing appreciation of physical fitness and exercise by both physicians and lay people has resulted in an increasing number of individuals who are actively participating in sports and athletics. As a result, physicians will encounter a greater number of individuals who may develop such respiratory emergencies as exercise-induced bronchospasm, hypotension associated with exercise-in- duced anaphylaxis, exercise-induced anaphylaxis, which is dependent on ingestion of a particular foodstuff, or cholinergic urticaria. Those athletes who enjoy alpine sports and recreation, are potentially at risk for the development of high-altitude medical problems, in particular, high-altitude pulmonary edema. Although rare in the well-conditioned athlete, spontaneous pneumothorax and pulmonary emboli do occur, and must be considered in the evaluation of the athlete with an acute onset of cough and dyspnea.
Marine Recreation An Advancing Technology for Future Ocean Space Technology

Major trends and new programs in Marine Recreation are examined, including floating cities, underwater parks and hotels, and aquaculture, as well as effects of stress on humans living and working in the underwater environment.
GENETICS | Genetic Contributions to Brain Structure and Epileptogenesis

Remarkable progress has been made over the last decade toward understanding the function of genes associated with congenital brain malformations, providing mechanistic insight into structure–function relationships leading to epilepsy. One of the most important discoveries is that the final position of a neuron is far less critical than the cell-type composition of cortical regions or the molecular machinery regulating cytoskeletal dynamics that govern neuronal connectivity and influence excitability. Here, we discuss emerging concepts of epileptogenesis in the disorganized brain.
Toward Predicting Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patient Response to 7 + 3 Induction Chemotherapy via Diagnostic Microdosing.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a rare yet deadly cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Presently, induction chemotherapy with the DNA damaging drugs cytarabine (ARA-C) and idarubicin (IDA), known as 7 + 3, is the standard of care for most AML patients. However, 7 + 3 is a relatively ineffective therapy, particularly in older patients, and has serious therapy-related toxicities. Therefore, a diagnostic test to predict which patients will respond to 7 + 3 is a critical unmet medical need. We hypothesize that a threshold level of therapy-induced 7 + 3 drug-DNA adducts determines cytotoxicity and clinical response. We further hypothesize that in vitro exposure of AML cells to nontoxic diagnostic microdoses enables prediction of the ability of AML cells to achieve that threshold during treatment. Our test involves dosing cells with very low levels of 14C-labeled drug followed by DNA isolation and quantification of drug-DNA adducts via accelerator mass spectrometry. Here, we have shown proof of principle by cor...
MYOCARDIAL CELL TENSION DRIVES POPULATION DISTRIBUTION IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH

As CMRI has been increasingly applied to diverse populations, it has been used to characterize the normal range of features such as EF. However, beyond being able to identify how far a pt is from “normal”, such designations fail to identify optimal conditions that are feasible to attain for that
Immigration, Deportation, and Discrimination: Hispanic Political Opinion Since the Election of Donald Trump:

Both the campaign and subsequent election of Donald Trump have brought about marked changes in the overall tone of American political discourse. It is thought that these changes have been particula...