cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Partitioning of polychlorinated biphenyls in octanol/water, triolein/water, and membrane/water systems.

Abstract The use of the octanol/water partition constant ( K ow ) as a surrogate parameter for lipid/water partitioning of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) was reassessed by comparing the measured K ow of 12 selected polychlorinated biphenyl congeners (PCBs) with partition constants in triolein/water ( K tw ) and membrane/water ( K mw ) systems. K ow and K tw were measured by the slow-stirring method. K mw was measured by an adaptation of the slow-stirring method using suspensions of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine liposomes. Partitioning of POPs to octanol, triolein, and liposomes is similar but not equal. The log–log correlation for K ow and K tw is excellent ( r 2 = 0.982) and that for K ow and K mw is somewhat weaker ( r 2 = 0.856). K tw values are greater than K ow by a factor of 1.6. K mw of some PCB congeners exceed both K ow and K tw by an order of magnitude. The differences are attributed to different PCB activity coefficients in the different lipid phases. The results imply that K ow can be used as a reasonable conservative estimate of lipid/water partitioning. But the observed differences between K ow and K mw also indicate that using K ow to predict accumulation of POPs, particularly highly hydrophobic ones, in the polar lipids of organisms will underestimate their concentrations at equilibrium.
Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) following prostatectomy: more favorable acute genitourinary toxicity profile compared to primary IMRT for prostate cancer

Abstract Purpose: To report our initial experience on postprostatectomy IMRT (PPI), addressing acute genitourinary (GU) toxicity in comparison to primary IMRT (PI) for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: From April 1998 to December 1999, 40 postprostatectomy patients were treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to a median prescribed dose of 64 Gy (mean dose of 69 Gy). The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) scoring system was used to assess acute GU toxicity. Target volume and maximum and mean doses were evaluated. The mean doses to the bladder and irradiated bladder volume receiving >65 Gy were assessed. These were compared to those of 125 patients treated with PI to a prescribed dose of 70 Gy (mean dose of 76 Gy). Results: The acute GU toxicity profile is more favorable in the PPI group with 82.5% of Grade 0–1 and 17.5% of Grade 2 toxicity compared to 59.2% and 40.8%, respectively, in the PI group ( p 65 Gy was significantly larger in the PI group ( p Conclusions: PPI can be delivered with acceptable acute GU toxicity. The larger PPI target volume may be related to the difficulty in delineating prostatic fossa. Despite a larger target volume and a higher mean dose to the bladder, PPI produced a more favorable acute GU toxicity profile. This may be related to a combination of lower mean and maximum doses and smaller bladder volumes receiving >65 Gy in the PPI group, as well as urethral rather than bladder irradiation. The findings have implications in the evaluation of IMRT treatment plan for prostate cancer, whereby the irradiated bladder volumes above 65 Gy may be more meaningful than the mean dose to the bladder. Longer term toxicity results are awaited.
Use of a viscoelastic model for the seismic response of base-isolated buildings

Due to recent developments in elastomer technology, seismic isolation using elastomer bearings is rapidly becoming an acceptable design tool to enhance structural seismic margins and to protect people and equipment from earthquake damage. With proper design of isolators, high-energy seismic input motions are transformed into low-frequency, low energy harmonic motions and the accelerations acting on the isolated building are significantly reduced. Several alternatives exist for the modeling of the isolators. This study is concerned with the use of a viscoelastic model to predict the seismic response of base-isolated buildings. The in-house finite element computer code has been modified to incorporate a viscoelastic spring element, and several simulations are performed. Then, the computed results have been compared with the corresponding observed data recorded at the test facility.
Harmonic enhancement of a detected ion cyclotron resonance signal by use of segmented detection electrodes

For certain relaxation mechanisms, FT-ICR mass resolving power increases with harmonic order (e.g., threefold enhancement in mass resolving power for the third harmonic frequency (3ω+) compared to fundamental frequency (ω+)). Moreover, ion cyclotron orbital radius may be determined from the ratio of the magnitude of the 3ω+ signal to that of ω+, M(3ω+ )/M(ω+ ). Unfortunately, the magnitude of the 3ω+ signal from a standard cubic FT-ICR ion trap is small (usually ⪕ 10% of the fundamental). In this paper, we present a new theoretical trap design for increasing the 3ω+ content of the detected signal, and we demonstrate experimentally (by measurement of the ICR orbital radius) a wiring configuration which substantially enhances (factor of up to ≈5) the 3ω+ signal.
Comparison of measured neutron spectra with predictions of an intranuclear-cascade model

Neutron spectra resulting from bombardment of targets of /sup 48/Ca, /sup 90/Zr, /sup 120/Sn, and /sup 208/Pb with 45 MeV protons have been measured at many angles between 0/sup 0/ and 160/sup 0/. Intranuclear-cascade, Monte-Carlo calculations predict too many high-energy neutrons in the forward direction and too few neutrons, particularly high-energy neutrons, at angles greater than approx. 45/sup 0/. Beyond 90/sup 0/ the underprediction is by factors of 10 to 100. For angle-integrated spectra, there is reasonable agreement between theory and experiment. (AIP)
Dielectric constant behavior of carbon dioxide—methanol mixtures in the mixture-critical and liquid-phase regions

Abstract The dielectric constant, measured with a frequency-domain technique, is reported for saturated mixtures of carbon dioxide and methanol from 90 to 115° C and at 0.28, 0.325, 0.40 and 0.65 mole fraction methanol. Isothermal dielectric information is obtained for the same compositions at 90 °C and at pressures from the saturation pressure to 240 bar. The data are interpreted using the Kirkwood-Frohlich equation, which incorporates the structure correlation factor, g, that depends on density and temperature. The behavior of g provides information on the type of fluid environment encountered in the mixture-critical and liquid-phase regions.
Some Remarks on Nonnegative Multiplicative Functions on Arithmetic Progressions

The study of the distribution of general multiplicative functions on arithmetic progressions is, largely, an open problem. We consider the simplest instance of this problem and establish an essentially the best possible result of the form[formula]where f is a nonnegative multiplicative function and ( a , q )=1.
In vitro alloreactivity of mouse bone marrow lymphocytes.

Abstract Before characterizing alloreactive cells of the bone marrow, it was necessary to reevaluate the alloantigen response in this tissue. The results of previous studies using the parental-F 1 system in the mixed-lymphocyte reaction (MLR) are open to question because of the recently documented proliferation of F 1 stimulator cells (W. H. Adler, T.Takiguchi, B. Marsh, and R. T. Smith, J. Immunol . 105 , 984, 1970; P. F. Piguet, H. K. Dewey, and P. Vassalli, J. Exp. Med . 146 , 735, 1977). The culture system was optimized for measuring the MLR of bone marrow lymphocytes enriched on sucrose density gradients. The proliferative response of the enriched fraction (BML) to 2000-R irradiated allogeneic spleen cells was three times as high as the response of unfractionated bone marrow. For maximal responses, antigen concentration had to be twice as high for the BML as for the lymph node, and in a time course study the highest [ 3 H]TdR uptake occurred on Day 3 in BML cultures and on Day 5 in the LN. In lymph node semiallogeneic cultures stimulator cell proliferation can be disregarded, while semiallogeneic BML MLR err significantly on the high side. When BML were matched with allogeneic stimulator cells at the H-2 locus, they gave good MLR responses, provided there was a minor Mls histocompatibility locus difference, while in the lymph node the response was greatly diminished in similar mixtures. The differences in the BML and lymph node alloantigen responses with respect to antigen concentration, kinetics and susceptibility to F 1 and Mls stimulation, suggest that the bone marrow alloantigen response is mediated by a cell population that is different than alloresponsive cells in the lymph node.
Renal Pelvis and Ureter

The renal pelvis and ureter are conduits composed of interlacing bundles of spirally oriented smooth muscle, lined by urothelium. Their function depends upon the presence of intrinsically normal musculature and proper spatial orientation relative to the bladder. Surgical correction of malformations may involve excision of an intrinsically defective segment of the collecting system (as in ureteral diverticulum, congenital ureteropelvic junction obstruction, ureterocele, and primary megaureter), or the reconstitution of proper anatomy (as in correction of ureteral reflux, ureteral ectopia, or paraureteral diverticulum). The status of the musculature of an excised segment of the drainage system is of prime importance; the overlying mucosa is generally normal.
New broadband methods for resonance classification and high-resolution imagery of fish with swimbladders using a modified commercial broadband echosounder

© 2010 The Authors. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial License. The definitive version was published in ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil 67 (2010): 365-378, doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsp262.
Optimum pulse duration and radiant exposure for vascular laser therapy of dark port-wine skin: a theoretical study.

Laser therapy for cutaneous hypervascular malformations such as port-wine stain birthmarks is currently not feasible for dark-skinned individuals. We study the effects of pulse duration, radiant exposure, and cryogen spray cooling (CSC) on the thermal response of skin, using a Monte Carlo based optical-thermal model. Thermal injury to the epidermis decreases with increasing pulse duration during irradiation at a constant radiant exposure; however, maintaining vascular injury requires that the radiant exposure also increase. At short pulse durations, only a minimal increase in radiant exposure is necessary for a therapeutic effect to be achieved because thermal diffusion from the vessels is minimal. However, at longer pulse durations the radiant exposure must be greatly increased. There exists an optimum pulse duration at which minimal damage to the epidermis and significant injury within the targeted vasculature occur. For example, the model predicts optimum pulse durations of approximately 1.5, 6, and 20 ms for vessel diameters of 40, 80, and 120 μm, respectively. Optimization of laser pulse duration and radiant exposure in combination with CSC may offer a means to treat cutaneous lesions in dark-skinned individuals.
Noradrenaline: Fate and Control of Its Biosynthesis

In his Nobel lecture in 1970, Axelrod explored the origins of his interests in, and the present state of scientific inquiry for, research of sympathetic amines, noradrenaline and neural uptake and regulation. Axelrod, Ulf von Euler and Sir Bernard Katz, were awarded the Nobel Prize for their "discoveries concerning the humoral transmitters in the nerve terminals and the mechanism for their storage, release and inactivation."
Gastrointestinal tumors in children and adolescents

Tumors of the pediatric gastrointestinal tract are extremely rare. Their infrequent presentation at treatment centers has not allowed for the development of standardized treatment protocols and prospective review. The most prevalent gastrointestinal neoplasms and malignancies are described, including gastrointestinal lymphoma, colorectal carcinoma, carcinoid tumors, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, leiomyomas, juvenile polyps, inflammatory pseudotumors, gastric tumors, and Peutz–Jeghers polyposis syndrome. Current recommendations for the medical and surgical management of these tumors are reviewed and summarized for this vast group of gastrointestinal neoplasms in children.
Wnt Pathway Regulation of Embryonic Stem Cell Self-Renewal

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can generate all of the cell types found in the adult organism. Remarkably, they retain this ability even after many cell divisions in vitro, as long as the culture conditions prevent differentiation of the cells. Wnt signaling and β-catenin have been shown to cause strong effects on ESCs both in terms of stimulating the expansion of stem cells and stimulating differentiation toward lineage committed cell types. The varied effects of Wnt signaling in ESCs, alongside the sometimes unconventional mechanisms underlying the effects, have generated a fair amount of controversy and intrigue regarding the role of Wnt signaling in pluripotent stem cells. Insights into the mechanisms of Wnt function in stem cells can be gained by examination of the causes for seemingly opposing effects of Wnt signaling on self-renewal versus differentiation.
BER performances of ULA and UCA in AWGN

This paper presents the system model of an adaptive UCA along with trellis coded modulation (TCM) to investigate the bit error-rate (BER) of a wireless system in an intensive co-channel interference environment. It is shown that adaptive array systems do have great BER performance over traditional wireless systems. The UCAs generally have better performance than ULAs in a random direction signal environment.
Embracing International Children’s Rights From Principles to Practice

As clinicians, pediatricians need to be cognizant of the how the principles of equity, social justice, and children's rights help to inform and guide us as we strive for the health and well being of all children. Children of the world are frequently the most vulnerable global citizens facing poverty, displacement, and lack of life's basic necessities. An awareness of international children's rights can serve as a catalyst for working toward the ultimate dream that all children have the right to be raised in a warm and loving family as part of the global community where health and well-being is realized. To that end, the American Academy of Pediatrics has a number of valuable resources designed to promote a better understanding of international children's rights. These include the Community Pediatric Section's Children's Rights Curriculum dedicated to increasing awareness of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Children and the relationship between public policy, advocacy, and children's health. In addition, the American Academy of Pediatrics' Section on International Child Health is committed to improving the health and well-being of the world's children through education, advocacy, research, and the delivery of health services and the creation of effective global partnerships.
The Internet as an enabler for dynamic pricing of goods

The Internet offers the potential for dynamic pricing for a wide range of products across the supply chain. Dynamic pricing can be formally defined as the buying and selling of goods in markets where prices move quickly in response to supply and demand fluctuations. Unlike physical markets where change occurs slowly because of information delays, change occurs very rapidly on the Internet. In the marketplace, the Internet is a powerful tool for almost instantaneous consumer feedback. For example, prices can be changed dynamically to meet demand because the cost of changing a price may be lower on the Internet than in physical markets. The success of dynamic pricing is helping in the growth of new businesses, including broad-based e-commerce portals new interactive networks. This paper has several objectives. The first objective is to look at factors that affected the use of dynamic pricing in the past. The second objective is to summarize the notion of dynamic pricing over the Internet. The third objective is to examine the different methods for collecting dynamic demand data over the Internet. The final objective is to present two models to optimize the revenue obtained for build-to-forecast and build-to-order environments.
Adaptive sensor management for feature-based classification

Modern surveillance systems often employ multiple steerable sensors that are capable of collecting information on selected objects in their environment. In this paper, we study the problem of managing these sensors adaptively to classify a collection of objects using information on their observed features. We develop a new theory for sensor management that models sensors as providing observations of object features subject to degradation by noise, obscuration, missed detections and background clutter. We establish a statistical framework, based on random sets, to characterize the relationship between observed features and object types. This model uses Bhattacharyya distances to generate off-line apriori estimates of the discrimination value of measurements. These estimates are combined with real time information to generate predictions of the usefulness of measurements. Using these predictions, we develop assignment algorithms to compute sensor management strategies. The resulting sensor management algorithms are capable of solving problems involving a large numbers of objects in real-time. We show simulations of the resulting algorithms for classifying 3-dimensional objects from 2-dimensional noisy projections, and show how the algorithms select complementary views to overcome obscuration and provide accurate classification. Our real-time algorithms achieve comparable classification accuracy to on-line approaches that also evaluate the value of information, while requiring nearly five orders of magnitude less computation.
Drug interactions in the oncology patient

Cancer patients receiving chemotherapy often require a wide range of drugs to manage symptoms of their cancer, the side effects of the chemotherapy or radiation therapy, and other concomitant illnesses. The greater number of drugs the patient receives the greater the chance of adverse reactions. Clinical drug interactions may be direct, indirect, and additive. Toxicity or an altered therapeutic response secondary to a drug interaction may affect the cancer patient's ability to tolerate and safely receive chemotherapy.
Characterization of a Ca2+-activated K+ current in insulin-secreting murine βTC-3 cells

1. The whole-cell perforated-patch recording mode was used to record a Ca2+-dependent K+ current (IK(Ca)) in mouse betaTC-3 insulin-secreting cells. 2. Depolarizing voltage steps (to potentials where Ca2+ currents are activated) evoked a slowly activating, outward current, which exhibited a slow deactivation (in seconds) upon subsequent hyperpolarization. 3. This current was shown to increase with progressively longer depolarizing voltage steps. It could be reversibly abolished by the removal of Ca2+ from the external medium or by application of Ca2+ channel blockers, such as Cd2+ and nifedipine. It was concluded that the depolarization-evoked current was activated by Ca2+. 4. Variations in external K+ concentration led to shifts in the reversal potential of the Ca2+-dependent current as predicted by the Nernst equation for a K+-selective current. 5. The Ca2+-activated K+ current was insensitive to external TEA (10 mM), a concentration sufficient to block the large-conductance Ca2+-dependent (maxi-KCa) channel in beta-cells. It was also insensitive to apamin, tubocurarine and scyllatoxin (leiurotoxin I), specific blockers of small-conductance KCa channels. 6. The current was blocked by quinine, a non-specific KCa channel blocker and, surprisingly, by charybdotoxin (ChTX; 100 nM) but not iberiotoxin, a charybdotoxin analogue, which blocks the maxi-KCa channel. It was sensitive to block by clotrimazole and could be potently and reversibly potentiated by micromolar concentrations of niflumic acid. Thus, the current exhibited unique pharmacological characteristics, not conforming to the known KCa channel classes. 7. The ChTX-sensitive KCa channel was permeable to Tl+, K+, Rb+ and NH4+ but not Cs+ ions. 8. The ChTX-sensitive IK(Ca) could be activated by the muscarinic agonists in the presence or absence of external Ca2+, presumably by releasing Ca2+ from internal stores. 9. Acutely isolated porcine islet cells also exhibited a slow IK(Ca) resembling that described in betaTC-3 cells in kinetic properties, insensitivity to TEA (5 mM) and sensitivity to quinidine, an analogue of quinine. The porcine IK(Ca), however, was not sensitive to block by 100-200 nM ChTX. It is likely, that species differences account for pharmacological differences between the mouse and porcine slow IK(Ca).
Heat Shock Protein 90 and ErbB2 in the Cardiac Response to Doxorubicin Injury

A major drawback to doxorubicin as a cancer-treating drug is cardiac toxicity. To understand the mechanism of doxorubicin cardiac toxicity and the potent synergic effect seen when doxorubicin is combined with anti-ErbB2 (trastuzumab), we developed an in vivo rat model that exhibits progressive dose-dependent cardiac damage and loss of cardiac function after doxorubicin treatment. The hearts of these animals respond to doxorubicin damage by increasing levels of ErbB2 and the ErbB family ligand, neuregulin 1β, and by activating the downstream Akt signaling pathway. These increases in ErbB2 protein levels are not due to increased ErbB2 mRNA, however, suggesting post-transcriptional mechanisms for regulating this protein in the heart. Accordingly, levels of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), a known ErbB2 protein stabilizer and chaperone, are increased by doxorubicin treatment, and coimmunoprecipitation reveals binding of HSP90 to ErbB2. Isolated cardiomyocytes are more susceptible to doxorubicin after treatment with HSP90 inhibitor, 17-(allylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin, suggesting that the HSP90 is protective during doxorubicin treatment. Thus, our results provide one plausible mechanism for the susceptibility of the heart to anti-ErbB2 therapy post-doxorubicin therapy in subclinical and clinical conditions. Additionally, these results suggest that further testing is needed for HSP90 inhibitors under various conditions in the heart. [Cancer Res 2007;67(4):1436–41]
Transposon-Disruption of a Maize Nuclear Gene, Tha1, Encoding a Chloroplast Seca Homologue: In Vivo Role of Cp-Seca in Thylakoid Protein Targeting

A nuclear mutant of maize, tha1, which exhibited defects in the translocation of proteins across the thylakoid membrane, was described previously. A transposon insertion at the tha1 locus facilitated the cloning of portions of the tha1 gene. Strong sequence similarity with secA genes from bacteria, pea and spinach indicates that tha1 encodes a SecA homologue (cp-SecA). The tha1-ref allele is either null or nearly so, in that tha1 mRNA is undetectable in mutant leaves and cp-SecA accumulation is reduced > or = 40-fold. These results, in conjunction with the mutant phenotype described previously, demonstrate that cp-SecA functions in vivo to facilitate the translocation of OEC33, PSI-F and plastocyanin but does not function in the translocation of OEC23 and OEC16. Our results confirm predictions for cp-SecA function made from the results of in vitro experiments and establish several new functions for cp-SecA, including roles in the targeting of a chloroplast-encoded protein, cytochrome f, and in protein targeting in the etioplast, a nonphotosynthetic plastid type. Our finding that the accumulation of properly targeted plastocyanin and cytochrome f in tha1-ref thylakoid membranes is reduced only a few-fold despite the near or complete absence of cp-SecA suggests that cp-SecA facilitates but is not essential in vivo for their translocation across the membrane.
Variability in Emissions Cost: Implications for Facility Location, Production and Shipping

As countries around the world formulate policies to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, policymakers must weigh the merits of implementing an emissions tax or a cap-and-trade system. A primary barrier to the adoption of a cap-and-trade system is the idea that variability and uncertainty in the permit price (and hence a firm’s emissions cost) has an adverse impact on domestic manufacturing firms. An emissions tax, on the other hand, can establish a fixed, certain emissions cost. Analysis in this chapter, however, suggests that variability in the emissions cost under a cap-and-trade system is beneficial, stimulating domestic manufacturing, compared to a mean-equivalent emissions tax. Hence, if emissions intensity among foreign competitors located in the region without climate policy is high, then variability in the emissions cost decreases expected emissions from production. Although global emissions may increase after a region initiates climate policy, due to a shift in manufacturing to a region without climate policy and increased transportation, that “leakage” phenomenon might be mitigated by adopting a cap-and-trade system, compared to a mean-equivalent tax.
Prebuckling Rotations and Cylinder Buckling Analysis

The quantitative importance of prebuckling-rotation terms in the stability equations for structural shells is examined for cylindrical shells subjected to axisymmetric lateral pressure. In the cases investigated the greatest unconservative error due to neglect of the terms is found to be about 20%. Errors of that magnitude are limited to cylinder length-to-radius ratios of not more than about 0.5.
Primary Psoas Pyomyositis Presenting as Subluxation of the Hip: A Case Report.

Case: An eight-year-old girl presented with a septic subluxation of the right hip secondary to spontaneous drainage of a psoas pyomyositis. The course of the infection was protracted, and the symptoms were mild relative to the magnitude of the psoas abscess and the volume of purulence in the hip that caused subluxation of the femoral head. At the time of surgical drainage, the hip capsule directly communicated with the psoas abscess along the course of the iliopsoas tendon sheath. Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) was the microorganism that was isolated from the abscess and from the hip joint. Conclusion: Drainage of the psoas abscess and septic arthritis coupled with antibiotic treatment eliminated the infection, and the child returned to normal activities. At the five-year follow-up, she was asymptomatic, but the subtle changes in the sphericity of the femoral head as well as the slight joint-space narrowing may be associated with problems in the future.
Transformable Race: Surprising Metamorphoses in the Literature of Early America Katy L. Chiles. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.

Transformable Race: Surprising Metamorphoses in the Literature of Early America Katy L. Chiles. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.Katy L. Chiles's Transformable Race: Surprising Metamorphoses in the Literature of Early America proposes a new way of reading and studying early American literature. Her work significantly argues that both cultural and scientific understandings of race during the eighteenth century informed each other to expand upon scholarly and pedagogical methods of Critical Race, New Early Native American, and Early American Studies. She builds upon Ezra Tawill's and Roxann Wheeler's scholarship on race as a social symbol, where the body was read and could change, rather than a biological category that solidified racial hierarchy in the nineteenth century, to de familiarize contemporary understandings of race.From the Introduction, Transformable Race opens with an accessible metaphor-dye-to explain how race moves fluidly through different systems of understanding. Phyllis Wheatley's "On Being Brought from Africa to America" reveals that race was very much on the surface, a "dye" of the skin, and that one could literally transform based on environmental factors. Chiles emphasizes that dye articulates an essential facet of early American cultural understanding of race as visual and external rather than internal and intrinsic. The introduction also includes two powerful images that embody social obsession with racial transformations, in this case with black skin literally becoming white: "Primrose: The Celebrated Piebald Boy" (7) and de Buff on's image of the "Piebald negre" in his Histoire Naturelle (8). As a structural metaphor for her work, dye reiterates the cultural transformation of race from an external, evolving identifier in the eighteenth century to an interior, essential characteristic in the nineteenth century.Chiles's first chapter considers Wheatley's Poems through the lens of her contemporaries in science, philosophy, and literature to examine the connections between the sun and its effects on physical being and artistic genius. She innovatively pairs Wheatley's poetry with Samson Occum's assertion that the devil and sin make a soul "so"; both writers posit that transformation from good to evil is in the hands of social forces, not natural characteristics. Wheatley's emphasis on the potential for environment to change skin color and Occum's assertion that social forces construct an oppressive Native American identity ultimately offer a deeper understanding of malleable, rather than fixed, race.In Chapter 2, Chiles explores racialization of bodies in Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography and Hendrick Aupaumut's "Short Narration" with "History of the Muh-he-ka-ne-ok Indians. …
Complications, Readmissions, and Reoperations in Posterior Cervical Fusion.

STUDY DESIGN Retrospective cohort study of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database from 2011 to 2012. OBJECTIVE Minimizing the morbidity of posterior cervical fusion can be improved with identification of patient risk factors. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Posterior cervical fusion is an effective technique for treating a variety of pathology. Stability and neurological improvement have been well documented. The increasing frequency of these procedures necessitates further investigation into the factors that may negatively impact perioperative care. METHODS The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was queried for all patients undergoing posterior cervical fusion in 2011 and 2012. Preoperative and intraoperative variables were investigated for correlation to complications, readmissions, prolonged intubation, reintubation, and reoperation. A frailty-based score was used to assess preoperative risk. Regression models for prediction were performed. RESULTS The study identified 5627 patients of posterior cervical fusion in 2011 and 2012. Of these, 2029 patients (36.1%) had any of our identified complications. Transfusion was the most common in 1482 (26.3%) patients. Excluding transfusion, the complication rate was 9.8%. Prolonged intubation greater than 48 hours occurred in 83 (1.5%) patients. Reintubation occurred in 72 (1.3%) patients. Readmission occurred in 398 (7.8%) patients. Reoperation was necessary in 273 (4.9%) patients with postoperative infection being the most common reason. The frailty-based score was shown to be predictive of any of the above events (P < 0.0001). The majority of patients (54.9%) in the group that had complications was found to have a frailty score of 1 or higher. CONCLUSION The predictors for any event included female sex, increased surgical time, combined anterior-posterior procedures, preoperative inpatient status, diabetes, smoking, American Society of Anesthesiologists class 3 or higher, and increasing age. The frailty-based score is a viable option to predict morbidity in posterior cervical fusion.Level of Evidence: 3.
Effects of stem reference on sentence-completion responses.

Sentence-completion items employing personal- and other-reference stems were administered to 40 Ss. Results indicated that personal-reference stems more effectively elicited negative responses and also increased the number of neutral, evasive and ambivalent expressions among Ss.
Beyond the VA Crisis--Becoming a High-Performance Network

The Veterans Health Administration plans to evolve its current troubled system into a high-performance network based on a foundation of timely access and the integration of private-sector providers to ensure the best achievable outcomes for all enrolled veterans.
Analysis and Handling of Faults of Durability Test in Euro IV High Pressure Common Rail Diesel Engine

Introduced a 2013 listed on the India market to meet the euro IV emission of MPV diesel models, in the two endurance road project development phase of the trial, the fault of diesel engine of the car carrying on, such as can not start, oil spills, abnormal sound, the crankshaft can not rotate, the power of the engine, turbocharger damage etc.,analyzes the failure reason, gives the treatment measures, and the fault analysis and treatment methods were summarized.
Analysis on Occupational Hazard Control in A Thermal Power Plant After Improvement Action

Objective To investigate the occupational hazard control effect in the workplace of a thermal power plant after improvement action and provide scientific reference for the prevention and treatment of occupational diseases.Methods Field occupational health investigation,inspection,health examination and checklist analysis were carried out according to the requirements of "Regulations for Occupational Hazard Evaluation of Construction Projects",and the results were compared and analyzed.Results The qualified rate for dust protection increased by 52.38% in individual detection and by 34.38% in fixed-point detection;the earplugs provided to workers could reduce the noise greatly.Conclusion Improvement measures according to the recommendations had significantly improved the control effect of occupational hazards in this thermal power plant.
The Simplified Harmonic Analysis and Calculation for Shunt Capacitor Installation

With the increase of nonlinear inductive load,the problem about harmonic caused by the shunt capacitors is more and more severe.The paper introduces the simplified harmonic calculation for the shunt capacitor installation and derives the calcullation formula of harmonic amplifying rate and resonance capacity using the traditional simplified model,analyses the character harmonic order after the capacitor bank has been turned into operation,recommends the allowable multiple of the harmonic amplifying rate,discusses the way to evaluation the reactance ratio,and analyzes the harmonic response of capacitor bank under different reactance ratio.The result is valuable for the engineering design of shunt capacitor installation.
Identification of high resource utilizing patients on internal medicine hospital services.

In order to provide high quality, cost-efficient care, it is critical to understand drivers of the cost of care. Therefore, we sought to identify clinical variables associated with high utilization (cost) in patients admitted to medical services and to develop a robust model to identify high utilization patients. In this case–control analysis, cases were identified as the 200 most costly patients admitted to internal medicine/internal medicine subspecialty services using our institution9s computerized clinical data warehouse over a 7-month time period (November 1, 2012–May 31, 2013). 400 patients admitted in the same time period were randomly selected to serve as controls. The mean cost for the highest utilization patients was $126,343, while that for randomly matched patients was $15,575. In a multivariable regression model, the following variables were associated with high utilization of resources: African American race, age 35–44, admission through the emergency department, primary service of hematology–oncology, a history of heart failure or paralysis, a diagnosis of HIV, cancer, collagen vascular diseases and/or coagulopathy, a reduced albumin, and/or an elevated creatinine. The in hospital mortality rate for high utilization patients was 19%, compared to 8% for controls (p=0.0002). A predictive model using 14 different readily available clinical variables predicted high utilization with an area under the curve of 0.85. The data suggest that high utilization patients share similar demographic and clinical features. We speculate that a predictive model using commonly known patient characteristics should be able to predict high utilization patients.
Nanoformulations for Pharmacological siRNA Delivery in Cancer

A wide range of nanoparticles has been investigated for the delivery of siRNAs into desired organs in vivo. The formulations include liposomes/polymeric nanoparticles, polyplexes, and organic/inorganic nanoparticles. The physicochemical properties, i.e., particle sizes, surface coatings, and compositions of nanoparticles have been adjusted for enhanced delivery of siRNA. In this chapter, the chemistry of these nanoformulations is reviewed with particular relevance to cancer treatment.
Distributed simulation framework to analyze the energy effects of adaptive thermal comfort behavior of building occupants

People spend most of their time in indoor building environments. Thus, providing a comfortable living environment to the occupants is of extreme importance. Adaptive thermal comfort models developed through many studies suggested that the dynamic thermal based behavior of occupants can be utilized to optimize various energy influencing processes in the building. However, there is little research on how these behavioral patterns can be controlled and influenced using appropriate interventions. In this study, an agent-based model simulating zone-wise thermal comfort level of occupants in an office building is coupled with the energy simulation model through Lightweight Communications and Marshalling (LCM), a distributed computing framework. Case study results demonstrate the LCM framework's ability to communicate between simulation models across various spatially distributed workstations and allow for the quantification of the energy saving potential of various thermal comfort based interventions.
Are patient-reported outcomes predictive of patient satisfaction 5 years after anterior cervical spine surgery?

Abstract Background Context Patient satisfaction is becoming an increasing common proxy for surgical quality; however, the correlation between patient satisfaction and surgical outcomes 2 and 5 years after anterior cervical surgery has not been evaluated. Purpose The study aimed to determine if patient satisfaction is predicted by improvement in patient-reported outcomes (PRO) 2 and 5 years after anterior cervical spine surgery. Study Design This is a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. Patient Sample The sample included patients enrolled in the Food and Drug Administration investigational device exemption clinical trial comparing total disc replacement with Mobi-C cervical artificial disc and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. Outcome Measures The outcome measures were visual analog scale (VAS) neck pain score, Neck Disability Index (NDI), and Short-Form 12-Item scores, as well as patient satisfaction. Methods Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine if improvement in different PRO metrics can accurately identify patient satisfaction. Additionally, a logistic regression analysis was performed on the results at 24 months and 60 months to identify independent predictors of patient satisfaction. This research was supported by LDR (Zimmer Biomet) 13785 Research Boulevard - Suite 200 Austin, TX 78750. Results Data were available for 512 patients at 60 months. At 24 months postoperatively, NDI score improvement (area under the curve [AUC]=0.806), absolute NDI score (AUC=0.823), and absolute VAS neck pain score (AUC=0.808) were all excellent predictors of patient satisfaction. At 60 months postoperatively, NDI score improvement (AUC=0.815), absolute NDI score (AUC=0.839), VAS neck pain score improvement (AUC=0.803), and absolute VAS neck pain score (AUC=0.861) were all excellent predictors of patient satisfaction. Conclusions In patients undergoing one- and two-level anterior cervical spine surgery, between 2 and 5 years postoperatively, patient satisfaction is significantly predicted by PROs, including the VAS neck score and the NDI.
Power distribution system fault cause analysis by using association rule mining

Abstract In recent years, with the increasing requirements on power distribution utilities to ensure system reliability and to improve customers and regulators satisfaction, utilities seek to find practical solutions that enable them to restrict specific faults or to better manage their responses to unavoidable power outages. For achieving either, it is crucial to acquire a profound understanding of different faults by exploring their underlying causes and identifying key variables related to those causes. Currently, statistical models as well as advanced data analytics techniques are common tools to gain such understanding. Although basic statistical analysis provides a general knowledge of the primary causes of faults; nevertheless, it falls short of describing nuanced conditions that lead to a fault. On the other hand, applying sophisticated algorithms can produce deeper insight into the main causes; however, it would be computationally burdensome and might require a tremendous amount of running time. In order to overcome these problems, this paper proposes a novel approach for fault cause analysis by using association rule mining. The primary goals are to characterize faults according to their underlying causes and to identify important variables that strongly impact fault frequency. This paper proposes a step-by-step procedure, which deals with data preparation, practical issues associated with fault data sets, and implementation of association rule mining. The procedure is followed by a comprehensive case study to demonstrate how the proposed approach can be used to mine for causal structures and identify frequent patterns for vegetation, animal, equipment failure, public accident, and lightning-related faults.
Aging is associated with Increased Propensity for Central Apnea during NREM Sleep

The study describes an original finding where healthy older adults compared with healthy young adults demonstrated increased breathing instability during non-rapid eye movement sleep, as suggested ...
Peaceful Personality: Psychological Dynamics and Core Factors

The chapter begins by offering explanations for observed relationships between peacefulness across contextual domains. Why does inner peace relate to individuals’ attitudes and behaviors toward other people? Why does the interpersonal peacefulness of individuals relate to their attitudes about whether their nation should pursue cooperative or militaristic policies with other nations? Evidence is presented that shows reciprocal causal influences between intrapersonal and interpersonal peacefulness. Reasons for believing that interpersonal peacefulness influences attitudes about international relations are also discussed. This analysis of the dynamics of peaceful personality suggests a central role for interpersonal peacefulness as an important aspect of peaceful personality.
The Law Schools' Responsibility for Training Public Servants

IN MAY of 1939 there were 5,368 legal positions in the service of the National Government. It is difficult to attach the adjective "normal" to any period within the past decade, or to conceive that conditions of any particular previous year will soon be duplicated. But if any recent year was normal, 1939 may lay as much claim to the title as may any other. The "defense effort" was barely beginning to stir; the early fervor of the New Deal had abated; the decision as to the third term had not yet been made, and there was little movement in the way of building new agencies or expanding old ones; the "economy bloc" was in the saddle and retrenchment was the order of the day. With the figures for I939 in mind, therefore, one can hazard the somewhat conservative guess that in "normal" times there will be between five and six thousand lawyers doing lawyers' work for the Federal Government. In addition there will be a very substantial number of other lawyers, both old and young, who occupy positions not classed as "legal," though they will be using their professional skills in related areas. There will be, for example, the men and women who serve on administrative staffs, such as the regional organizations of the National Labor Relations Board; there will be those who, through the various branches of the Federal Security Agency, seek to manage the increasingly complicated joint enterprises of the state and National governments; there will be the officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, whose work often resembles the prosecutor's task more closely than the detective's; there will be the lawyers who share in planning and executing vast enterprises such as those of the Tennessee Valley Authority; and, of course, there will be the lawyers who are themselves the law-givers, as members of Congress, as judges, or as important officers of administrative agencies which promulgate regulations or adjudicate controversies. To all these must be added the uncounted number who perform the legal
Exercise prevents high fat diet-induced bone loss, marrow adiposity and dysbiosis in male mice

High fat diets can have detrimental effects on the skeleton as well as cause intestinal dysbiosis. Exercise prevents high fat (HF) diet-induced obesity and also improves bone density and prevents the intestinal dysbiosis that promotes energy storage. Previous studies indicate a link between intestinal microbial balance and bone health. Therefore, we examined whether exercise could prevent HF-induced bone pathology in male mice and determined whether benefits correlate to changes in host intestinal microbiota. Male C57Bl/6 mice were fed either a low fat diet (LF; 10 kcal% fat) or a HF diet (60 kcal% fat) and put under sedentary or voluntary exercise conditions for 14 weeks. Our results indicated that HF diet reduced trabecular bone volume, when corrected for differences in body weight, of both the tibia (40% reduction) and vertebrae (25% reduction) as well and increased marrow adiposity (44% increase). More importantly, these effects were prevented by exercise. Exercise also had a significant effect on several cortical bone parameters and enhanced bone mechanical properties in LF but not HF fed mice. Microbiome analyses indicated that exercise altered the HF induced changes in microbial composition by reducing the Firmicutes/Bacteriodetes ratio. This ratio negatively correlated with bone volume as did levels of Clostridia and Lachnospiraceae. In contrast, the abundance of several Actinobacteria phylum members (i.e., Bifidobacteriaceae) were positively correlated with bone volume. Taken together, exercise can prevent many of the negative effects of a high fat diet on male skeletal health. Exercise induced changes in microbiota composition could represent a novel mechanism that contributes to exercise induced benefits to bone health.
Microbiology catches the cryo-EM bug

Over the past few years, the advances in technology and methods that have revolutionized cryo-EM are allowing for key insights in a variety of areas in biology, and microbiology is no exception. A wide range of important macromolecular assemblies in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, as well as intact viruses, have now become accessible to investigation by new methods in 3D electron microscopy. We focus here on selected examples that illustrate this breadth, and review the application of methods in single particle cryo-EM and cryo-electron tomography to progress in the structural biology of CRISPR systems, visualization of small molecule drugs in membrane proteins, in situ visualization of bacterial nanomachines, and the analysis of antigen-antibody interactions to drive vaccine design.