cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correlated Orienteering Problem and its Application to Persistent Monitoring Tasks

We propose the correlated orienteering problem (COP) as a novel nonlinear extension to the classic orienteering problem (OP). With the introduction of COP, it becomes possible to model the planning of informative tours for the persistent monitoring of a spatiotemporal field with time-invariant spatial correlations using autonomous mobile robots, in which the robots are range- or time-constrained. Our focus in this paper is QCOP, a quadratic COP instantiation that looks at correlations between neighboring nodes in a node network. The main feature of QCOP is a quadratic utility function capturing the said spatial correlation. We solve QCOP using mixed integer quadratic programming, with the resulting anytime algorithm capable of planning multiple disjoint tours that maximize the quadratic utility. In particular, our algorithm can quickly plan a near-optimal tour over a network with up to $150$ nodes. Beside performing extensive simulation studies to verify the algorithm's correctness and characterize its performance, we also successfully applied QCOP to two realistic persistent monitoring tasks: 1) estimation over a synthetic spatiotemporal field and 2) estimating the temperature distribution in the state of Massachusetts in the United States.
Evaluating information diffusion speed and its determinants in social media networks during humanitarian crises

Abstract The rapid diffusion of information is critical to combat the extreme levels of uncertainty and complexity that surround disaster relief operations. As a means of gathering and sharing information, humanitarian organizations are becoming increasingly reliant on social media platforms based on the Internet. In this paper, we present a field study that examines how effectively information diffuses through social media networks embedded in these platforms. Using a large dataset from Twitter during Hurricane Sandy, we first applied Information Diffusion Theory to characterize diffusion rates. Then, we empirically examined the impact of key elements on information propagation rates on social media. Our results revealed that internal diffusion through social media networks advances at a significantly higher speed than information in these networks coming from external sources. This finding is important because it suggests that social media networks are effective at passing information along during humanitarian crises that require urgent information diffusion. Our results also indicate that dissemination rates depend on the influence of those who originate the information. Moreover, they suggest that information posted earlier during a disaster exhibits a significantly higher speed of diffusion than information that is introduced later during more eventful stages in the disaster. This is because, over time, participation in the diffusion of information declines as more and more communications compete for attention among users.
Multiple 5-HT Receptors in the Enteric Nervous System

At the time when peripheral 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptors were first classified, by Gaddum and Picarelli (1957), the complex nature of the enteric nervous system (ENS) was not appreciated, although many of the essential and distinguishing characteristics of that division of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) had already been published. The pioneering experiments of Bayliss and Starling (1899), in vivo, and Trendelenburg (1917), in vitro, established that all of the components of the peristaltic reflex arc, including pressure receptors, primary sensory neurones, interneurones and excitatory and inhibitory motor neurones, are present in the gut as intrinsic elements of the ENS. Because of this enteric autonomy, and because of the matching anatomical discrepancy between a very large number of neurones in the enteric ganglia and a very small number of pre-ganglionic fibres in the diaphragmatic vagus nerves, Langley (1921) classified the ENS as the third division of the ANS. Nevertheless, despite all the evidence showing that most enteric neurones receive no direct input from the CNS, many texts in 1957 continued to treat enteric ganglia simply as parasympathetic relays.
Top 100 Cited Articles in Recent Tobacco Research.

Background: The total citations that a peer-reviewed manuscript has is often used to measure the impact that a publication has in its respective field of study. Both the citation count and total number of publications are often used as measures of academic productivity and success. This issue has been previously investigated in the field of tobacco control research. Given the changing landscape in the field of tobacco research since 2004, we sought to re-examine this issue. The study purpose was to identify the 100 top-cited tobacco-related articles published since 2005, and to categorize and describe the fields of study represented in these articles. Methods: We searched the Scopus library database to determine the citations of the top 100 tobacco-related articles. Information was gathered on: title, number of authors, publication year, journal name and impact factor, country of origin, article type and subject category. Articles were selected and analyzed by two independent investigators. Results: We identified the 100 top-cited articles published in 58 journals, led by The New England Journal of Medicine (8) and Lancet (6), between 2005 and 2014. The United States was the most common country of origin for the highly-cited articles. The top article types were observation (27%), basic science (26%), and review articles (24%). The most common article subject area was medicine (74%). A statistically significant association was found between the journal impact factor and the number of top 100 cited articles (p = 0.03). Conclusions: This review may be helpful to identify articles that may be contributing to the conduct of current and future tobacco research. The analysis can be used as a reference to review and evaluate the publications that are making a high impact in the field of tobacco research.
In Search of Spirituality in the Places of Urban Decay: Case Studies in Detroit

This paper explores spirituality in urban decay. This paper suggests that the spirituality of places in urban decay can be defined in four ways: places in urban decay can be spiritual because they inspire people to do good things for the community (catalytic); places in urban decay can be spiritual because they are consoling (therapeutic); places in urban decay can be spiritual because they help connect individuals to their inner selves (reflective); and places in urban decay can be spiritual because they connect people in different ways (engaging). The literature neglects the catalytic aspect, while supporting other aspects. The results of this paper suggest that the idea of spirituality in architecture needs to be expanded in post-industrial society. This paper suggests that the role that spiritual places in urban decay play in place-making, especially in shrinking cities such as Detroit, deserve further scholarly attention.
Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science (MPEES): A Reflection on 20 Years of Publications and a Brief Report on 2016

This editorial has two purposes that are addressed in the two major sections of this article. The first major section of this editorial provides a reflection on 20 years of publications in MPEES an...
Your teaching strategy matters: how engagement impacts application in health information literacy instruction.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare two pedagogical methods, active learning and passive instruction, to determine which is more useful in helping students to achieve the learning outcomes in a one-hour research skills instructional session. Methods: Two groups of high school students attended an instructional session to learn about consumer health resources and strategies to enhance their searching skills. The first group received passive instruction, and the second engaged in active learning. We assessed both groups’ learning using 2 methods with differing complexity. A total of 59 students attended the instructional sessions (passive instruction, n=28; active learning, n=31). Results: We found that the active learning group scored more favorably in four assessment categories. Conclusions: Active learning may help students engage with and develop a meaningful understanding of several resources in a single session. Moreover, when using a complex teaching strategy, librarians should be mindful to gauge learning using an equally complex assessment method.
Physicians' Experiences with Male Patients Who Perpetrate Intimate Partner Violence

Introduction Despite the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV), there is a paucity of research exploring the role that physicians might play in intervening with IPV perpetrators. Methods A qualitative study explored interactions between family medicine physicians and male perpetrators of IPV. Fifteen physicians were purposefully sampled from 1 hospital system. The physicians were individually interviewed using a semistructured interview guide, and interview transcripts were analyzed using techniques from grounded theory. Results Three main themes relating to physicians' experiences were identified: (1) how physicians learned of or identified IPV perpetration by men (usually disclosure by the victim, but perpetrators also disclosed it); (2) how physicians assessed for comorbidities or responded to IPV perpetration by men; and (3) facilitators of and barriers to physician identification of and response to IPV perpetration by men. Facilitators identified include having a trusting relationship with the perpetrator and support services, whereas barriers consisted of strong negative emotions and a lack of training. Conclusions Family medicine physicians in this sample reported feeling underprepared to serve patients whom they know are perpetrators of IPV, particularly if they are also providing care to the victim. Additional research is needed to develop interventions and effective trainings.
What leaders need to know about organizational culture

Abstract A major factor in the success of an organization is its culture. Organizational culture can significantly influence the performance and effectiveness of a company; the morale and productivity of its employees; and its ability to attract, motivate, and retain talented people. Unfortunately, many leaders are either unaware of the significant impact culture can have, are aware but overwhelmed by the extensive and sometimes conflicting information available on culture, or are not well informed about how to build and sustain cultures effectively. This article integrates the most consistent findings that leaders need to know about culture and what they can do to build strong, successful cultures that bring out the best in people. Developing organizational culture requires far more than talk about culture and emphasis on its importance. In order to achieve the best results, culture development requires leaders who see it as one of their key tasks and who understand the importance of aligning organization strategies and decision making with cultural ideals.
A Latent Growth Moderated Mediation Model of Math Achievement and Postsecondary Attainment: Focusing on Context-Invariant Predictors.

Math proficiency is a strong predictor of postsecondary attainment, yet cross-national comparative assessments show that U.S. students consistently score below many of their peers, especially those in East Asia. Similar math achievement disparities exist across ethnic/racial groups within the U.S., where Asian American students routinely outperform their White and Hispanic counterparts. The stability of math achievement rankings within and across countries suggests that several predictors are transportable and context-invariant, as they forecast math achievement even following striking shifts in contextual characteristics, such as country of residence, language, or school system. We evaluated a multiple mediator model of math achievement and postsecondary attainment that incorporates several of these predictors, using cross-sectional international data (PISA-2012) and longitudinal U.S. data (NELS and ELS). In all samples and data sets, the model explained substantial portions of the variance in educational outcomes. Parents’ educational aspirations for their children were strongly associated with students’ own aspirations which, in turn, were powerful predictors of math achievement and postsecondary attainment—both directly, and through their influence on important mediators such as math self-perception. Longitudinal relations identified in an older national dataset (NELS) were generally cross-validated in ELS. Moreover, in both data sets, construct relations were found to be largely invariant across racial/ethnic groups. Although additional research is needed to clarify the mechanisms underlying group disparities, the outstanding fit of the model (across samples and data sets) provides the empirical foundation for educational interventions that are likely to help all students, regardless of their ethnicity or national origin. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)
Role of dispersant on soot-induced wear in Cummins ISB engine test

Abstract Wear performance of two fully formulated engine oils was evaluated using the Cummins ISB engine test. One of the oil formulations used a multifunctional DVII (Dispersant Viscosity Index Improver) component with enhanced antiwear characteristics to improve durability of engine components while the other formulation comprised of a conventional additive package. After the completion of engine-dynamometer tests, valvetrain components operating primarily in boundary lubrication regime were inspected for wear and weight loss in order to understand soot induced wear effects. In addition, soot was extracted and characterized using temperature resolved XRD, TEM, XANES, BET, Raman and EDS. XRD phase analysis of residue left behind after soot oxidation showed presence of crystalline compounds embedded in the soot structure (CaSO4, Ca3(PO4)2, Zn3(PO4)2 and ZnO). These species form ash pre-cursors which get trapped in the DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) placed in the engine exhaust stream. The turbostratic structure of both soot samples remains the same prior to oxidation; however, the embedded crystalline and amorphous species in the soot structure slightly change with oil formulation. Surface area of the soot measured using BET was found to be inversely proportional to the weight of residue. Additionally, used oil analysis was performed to understand variation in viscosity, wear elements and soot content before and after the test. Findings in this study provide deeper insights into the mechanism for improved wear protection provided by DVII.
Urban sparrows respond to a sexually selected trait with increased aggression in noise

Animals modify acoustic communication signals in response to noise pollution, but consequences of these modifications are unknown. Vocalizations that transmit best in noise may not be those that best signal male quality, leading to potential conflict between selection pressures. For example, slow paced, narrow bandwidth songs transmit better in noise but are less effective in mate choice and competition than fast paced, wide bandwidth songs. We test the hypothesis that noise affects response to song pace and bandwidth in the context of competition using white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys). We measure male response to song variation along a gradient of ambient noise levels in San Francisco, CA. We find that males discriminate between wide and narrow bandwidth songs but not between slow and fast paced songs. These findings are biologically relevant because songs in noisy areas tend to have narrow bandwidths. Therefore, this song phenotype potentially increases transmission distance in noise, but elicits weaker responses from competitors. Further, we find that males respond more strongly to stimuli in noisier conditions, supporting the ‘urban anger’ hypothesis. We suggest that noise affects male responsiveness to song, possibly leading to more territorial conflict in urban areas.
A Systematic, Practical Approach to the Design of Shielded Enclosures for Data Acquisition and Control

The design of shielded enclosures is usually an adjunct to more pressing and interesting activities — the glamor is usually associated with what goes into them, or next to them. The process is often obscure and smacks of the black arts, because the ability to predict the shielding effectiveness of real enclosures, for example, is not high. This lecture will cover the practical design of shielded enclosures for magnetic fusion experiments at Los Alamos. We will discuss models for the prediction of shielding effectiveness, data acquisition cabling schemes, layout of the power and data cables, air conditioning, and ground schemes inside the screen room.
Septic arthritis due to group C streptococcus: Report and review of the literature

A case of polyarticular septic arthritis due to Lancefield group C streptococcus is described and the clinical details of 9 reported cases of septic arthritis due to group C streptococcus reviewed. Several features of the presentation and course of these patients, including polyarticular involvement (4/10), bacteremia (5/10), clinically important dysfunction in other systems (4/10 patients: cardiac, 3; CNS, 2; pneumonia, 1; gastrointestinal, 1), fatal outcome (3/10 patients, 2 during the course of active infection) and poor functional outcome in affected joints (4/7 surviving patients), serve to place group C streptococcus septic arthritis as a syndrome distinct from that usually expected with streptococcal septic arthritis. Specific features of the bacteriology of group C streptococcus are reviewed (including confusion with group A streptococcus when analyzed using nonserologic methods, occasional zoonotic source, and frequency of tolerance to penicillin) in order to emphasize the importance of both the specific identification of this particular streptococcal strain and the initiation of aggressive antibiotic therapy when group C streptococcus is identified as the causative agent in a case of septic arthritis.
Famine: Causes, Consequences, and Responses

Famine has plagued humankind, with accounts of devastation and society's responses to it, throughout history. Definitions vary, but generally refer to widespread starvation, infectious disease, high mortality and the dissolution of community. Causes can involve profound market failure, natural disasters and decline in food access, often provoked by conflict, weak infrastructure and poor governance. Food production and availability have often been noted to be adequate amidst famine conditions. Central plan failure has been a hallmark of twentieth century famines. Coping strategies exist to protect human and production assets in famine-prone societies, but eventual loss of entitlement leads to destitution, migration and high loss of life. Government responses to famine have been pre-emptive, preventive, lagged or, occasionally, promotive. The international response to famine requires adequate surveillance and timely action, but remains challenged by its rarity.
Monitoring the brain during cardiac surgery in children

With substantial effort and research devoted to improving surgical techniques and myocardial protection, excellent results for infant repair of complex congenital heart defects have been achieved. Overall mortality rates for surgical repair of complex congenital heart disease have fallen steadily over the last decade. However, as overall surgical outcome improves, neuropsychological dysfunction becomes a more prominent and visible complication of the congenital heart patient. Because neonates and infants are often exposed to severe physiological extremes of temperature (15-18~ and severe alterations from normal perfusion (total circulatory arrest) during repair, the nature of long-term neuropsychological outcome has been of prominent concern. As a result, investigative efforts have now begun to examine the quality of life for patients surviving these operations. Recent reports suggest that transient and permanent neuropsychological injury occur in as much as 25% of all infants undergoing hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass with circulatory arrest, l In complex palliative repairs, such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome, neurological injury has been reported to be as high as 45%. ~ The causes of injury are unknown, but appear to be related to multiple mechanisms including the use of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA), cerebral air emboli and the conduct of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), especially CPB cooling and rewarming. Because the physiological conduct of CPB is very different in children from that in adults, a better understanding of the effect of CPB and related techniques on the brain during cardiac surgery in children is necessary. Accordingly, investigations of the mechanisms of cerebral injury and interventional strategies to decrease their occurrence are a major area of current paediatric CPB research. In this issue, Burrows and Bissonnette report on the use of transcranial Doppler (TCD) and measurements of anterior fontanel pressure (AFP) to evaluate cerebral
MEDnet, a neural network for automated detection of avascular area in OCT angiography

Screening and assessing diabetic retinopathy (DR) are essential for reducing morbidity associated with diabetes. Macular ischemia is known to correlate with the severity of retinopathy. Recent studies have shown that optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), with intrinsic contrast from blood flow motion, is well suited for quantified analysis of the avascular area, which is potentially a useful biomarker in DR. In this study, we propose the first deep learning solution to segment the avascular area in OCTA of DR. The network design consists of a multi-scaled encoder-decoder neural network (MEDnet) to detect the non-perfusion area in 6 × 6 mm2 and in ultra-wide field retinal angiograms. Avascular areas were effectively detected in DR subjects of various disease stages as well as in the foveal avascular zone of healthy subjects.
Optimization of PMSM Performance with Torque Ripple Reduction and Loss Considerations

The performance of an optimized PMSM machine could be improved by using a control-based torque ripple reduction technique. Optimization of PMSM performance including a torque ripple reduction current injection technique and increasing the operating current, while keeping copper losses to a minimum could lead to a larger set of possible optimal solutions. By adding a torque ripple reduction method to the previously optimized geometries that would be not acceptable, they can become acceptable and optimal, with minimum added losses. Combining cases studied through FEM and a splines regression model together, with a non-sorting genetic algorithm, solutions that have injection and no injection are found to be optimal. This allows the designer to have geometries that would otherwise be rejected become acceptable.
Treatment patterns and predictors of costs among patients with migraine: evidence from the United States medical expenditure panel survey.

AbstractAim: Within a treated migraine population, to evaluate if the sub-group meeting criteria for high disease-specific total costs is significantly different to the sub-group with medium and/or...
Transsulfuration Activity Can Support Cell Growth upon Extracellular Cysteine Limitation

Summary Cysteine acts both as a building unit for protein translation and as the limiting substrate for glutathione synthesis to support the cellular antioxidant system. In addition to transporter-mediated uptake, cellular cysteine can also be synthesized from methionine through the transsulfuration pathway. Here, we investigate the regulation of transsulfuration and its role in sustaining cell proliferation upon extracellular cysteine limitation, a condition reported to occur in human tumors as they grow in size. We observed constitutive expression of transsulfuration enzymes in a subset of cancer cell lines, while in other cells, these enzymes are induced following cysteine deprivation. We show that both constitutive and inducible transsulfuration activities contribute to the cellular cysteine pool and redox homeostasis. The rate of transsulfuration is determined by the cellular capacity to conduct methylation reactions that convert S-adenosylmethionine to S-adenosylhomocysteine. Finally, our results demonstrate that transsulfuration-mediated cysteine synthesis is critical in promoting tumor growth in vivo.
Ischemic preconditioning provides long-lasting neuroprotection against ischemic stroke: The role of Nrf2.

Abstract Background and purpose A major gap in the field of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is whether or not long-lasting neuroprotection can be achieved. Moreover, the specific mechanisms underlying IPC and how they can be translated into the clinic remain uncertain. To fill these gaps, we tested the hypothesis that IPC exerts long-lasting structural and functional neuroprotection against ischemic stroke through the master gatekeeper of antioxidant defenses, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). We also tested whether the brain could be pharmaceutically preconditioned with a potent and blood-brain barrier-permeable Nrf2 activator, 2-cyano-3,12-dioxo-oleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-trifluoethyl amide (CDDO-TFEA). Methods IPC was induced by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 12 min, and ischemic stroke was generated by MCAO for 60 min in wild-type (WT) or Nrf2 knockout (KO) mice. Sensorimotor function, learning/memory skills, and brain tissue loss were measured up to 35 days after stroke. Primary rodent cortical neurons from wildtype (WT) and Nrf2 KO mice were subjected to lethal oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) or a brief OGD episode as a preconditioning (PC) stimulus before OGD. Cell viability/death, lipid electrophile generation, and Nrf2 activation were measured. CDDO-TFEA or its vehicle was administered in vivo for three consecutive days before MCAO. Tissue loss and neurological tests were performed 35 days after stroke. Results IPC significantly reduced sensorimotor deficits, post-stroke cognitive impairments, and brain tissue loss, 35 days after MCAO in WT mice. These enduring protective effects of IPC were inhibited in Nrf2 KO mice. In neuronal cultures, PC also endowed primary neurons with ischemic tolerance against OGD-induced cell death, an effect that was abolished by loss of Nrf2 expression in KO neurons. PC induced the generation of low levels of lipid electrophiles and led to activation of the Nrf2 pathway. The mechanism underlying IPC may be translatable, as exogenous administration of the Nrf2 activator CDDO-TFEA significantly reduced neurological dysfunction and ischemic brain damage after MCAO. Conclusions IPC provides long-lasting neuroprotection against ischemic brain injury and post-stroke cognitive dysfunction. Nrf2 activation plays a key role in this beneficial outcome and is a promising therapeutic target for the attenuation of ischemic brain injury.
Bill burns and the lost art of diplomacy: The back channel: a memoir of American diplomacy and the case for its renewal random house, by Williams Burns, New York, Random House, 2019, $32.00 (hardcover), ISBN 9780525508861

What role does professional diplomacy play in shaping outcomes that matter to the United States in the world? One would think the answer is obvious – quite a lot. Effective statecraft is critical t...
Structural Chemistry Enables Fluorescence of Amino Acids in the Crystalline Solid State

Nonaromatic luminogens have recently emerged as highly attractive materials for biological imaging and sensing applications, due to their good hydrophilicity and biocompatibility. Here, we report t...
TRANSFORMING THE FUTURE OF DELIRIUM AND POST-INTENSIVE CARE SYNDROME (PICS)

Abstract Currently, there are no evidence-based models focused on delirium survivors and their caregivers. This symposium presents innovative clinical care approaches and ongoing research that promote both the well-being of patients suffering from delirium. Examples will focus on the intensive care unit (ICU) population because of the high prevalence of ICU delirium and the rapidly increasing number of ICU survivors. In this session, we will cover novel pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic approaches, including a pharmacologic bundle of care to treat established delirium and a personalized music intervention to prevent delirium. We will then focus on groundbreaking work in delirium severity and mental health symptoms in ICU delirium survivors. Finally, we will discuss novel models of care for ICU delirium survivors, and what the implications are for other neuropsychiatric disorders for our aging population.
Impact of remittances on household health care expenditure: Evidence from the Nepal Living Standards Survey

This paper examines the effect of remittance inflows on health care expenditure in Nepal using the Nepal Living Standards Survey 2010–2011. Using the recursive three‐stage least square regression method, the propensity score matching method, and the Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition method, we find a positive and significant effect of remittances on health care expenditure. In particular, our analysis shows a 0.099% increase in health care expenditure for every 1% increase in overall remittances. This effect increases to 0.189% for earned remittances (remittances received from a household member). We also find that remittance‐receiving households with at least one migrant family member have different health care spending behavior than those with no migrant members.
Pancreatic function in 64 non-survival patients with sepsis and non-sepsis

Objective To study the exocrine pancreatic function in critically ill children with septic shock,sepsis and hyperlactacidemia.Methods A total of 64 critical pediatric patients were admitted from Jan 2009 to Oct 2012,and clinical and laboratory findings including pancreatic function,and histopathological features and score after autopsy were reviewed.Results (1) Compared with non-septic shock children,the pancreatic pathology score and serum lipase in septic shock group were significantly higher and serum calcium was significantly reduced (P ＜0.05) ; (2) The pancreatic histopathology score was significantly increased in patients with elevated plasma lactate ≥2 times (P ＜0.05),but there were no significant differences in serum calcium and blood amylase and lipase between patients with elevated plasma lactate level and patients with normal plasma lactate level; (3) The concentrations of serum amylase,lipase and urinary amylase were significantly increased in patients with pancreatic histopathology score ＞4 points compared with score ≤4 points patients,but there were no significant differences in above three biomarkers between patients with score ≤3 points and patients with score ＞3 points.Conclusions The pancreas is vulnerable to damage easily occurred in septic shock children especially complicated with hyperlactacidemia.The pancreatic histopathology score ＞ 4 points can be as a sensitive and reliable indicator of pancreas damage. Key words: Pancreatic damage; Septic shock; Lactic; Pancreatic histopathology score
Trends in prostatectomy utilization: Increasing upfront prostatectomy and postprostatectomy radiotherapy for high-risk prostate cancer

We aimed to determine patterns in frequency of radiotherapy for prostate cancer and definitive surgical management. There is prospective evidence indicating benefits of radiotherapy for some patients after radical prostatectomy (prostatectomy), with recent evidence suggesting benefit of early salvage radiotherapy. Trends in postoperative radiotherapy have not been elucidated. We analyzed the National Cancer Database for prostate cancer patients treated with curative-intent therapy between 2004 and 2016. Patients were risk stratified according to NCCN treatment guidelines. Linear regression was utilized to examine trends in treatment with initial prostatectomy and trends in postoperative radiotherapy among treatment risk groups. Multivariable logistic regression was utilized to examine clinical-demographic variables associated with prostatectomy and postoperative radiotherapy. From 2004 to 2016, 508,450 patients received prostatectomy and 370,314 received radiotherapy. Median age was 63.6 years. There was increased utilization of prostatectomy from 47.9% in 2004 to 61.3% in 2016 (ptrend 20 ng/ml (OR 1.489) were factors predictive for postoperative radiotherapy. The proportion of prostate cancer patients who undergo definitive prostatectomy and postoperative radiotherapy is increasing. This increase is greatest in high-risk cases. Overall, the proportion of patients who receive any radiotherapy is decreasing. Association with preclinical factors suggests optimization of patient selection should be considered.
High Spectral Resolution V-Band Digital Correlating Spectrometer for Climate Monitoring

Long term direct thermal measurement of the earth's middle and lower tropospheric temperature on a global basis along with the determination of a diurnal temperature climatology is needed to 1) correct historic satellite mid-tropospheric temperature data, 2) estimate the impact of atmospheric greenhouse warming in response to anthropogenic CO2 emissions, 3) inter-calibrate the international fleet of weather satellites, and 4) monitor naturally occurring atmospheric temperature trends. Quantifying anticipated temperature trends on a timely basis requires the globally averaged mid-tropospheric temperature to be observed with a satellite temperature sounding instrument of very high stability and traceability. Stable on-orbit reference instruments are needed to also prevent instrumental drift or deterioration from obscuring trends occurring over several decades. With increased anticipated anthropogenic emission resulting from the imminent deployment of 5G communications electronics and related consumer and defense applications at V-band, radio frequency interference (RFI) detection and mitigation also becomes indispensable for accurate temperature retrievals. A high spectral resolution digital correlating spectrometer at V-band with extremely stable down conversion to precisely characterize spectral variations within a sounding channel and perform real-time RFI detection and mitigation is thus critically needed for climate monitoring. The design, build, and simulation of such an instrument, the V-Band Ultrastable Climate Monitoring Radiometer (VU-CliMMR), being developed at the University of Colorado (CU) Center for Environmental Technology (CET), is discussed.
New World Innovation for an Old World Market: The Case of Chilean Wine

Fermenting grapes into wine is an industry dating to ancient times. It is also an industry that has faced government regulation as far back as at least the Roman Empire. And though the process of viticulture has evolved to some degree, winemaking has largely remained centered in Old World countries in Europe, where winemaking originated. The 20th century gave birth to experimental wine production outside of Europe in the United States, Chile, and Australia, among others. Today, demand for New World wines is outpacing demand for Old World wines, leading producers to ask, what changed? The growth of the New World wine sector has, in part, to do with opportunities created by the regulatory environment. Strict production and quality control standards allow Old World wine to maintain its quality and high price on world markets; however, regulations may also hold back Old World producers from innovative practices that drive market growth. Growth in sales and consumption of Old World wines has been flat for years. New World wine producers, armed with more flexibility in their regulatory environments, have had great success in attracting global customers looking for high-quality yet affordable and interesting wine options by using innovative production and marketing tactics not available to Old World producers. Growth in sales and consumption of New World wines has been surging. The history of wine production in the Old World is one of competition, cycles of overproduction and shortage, and radical variations in quality. These factors imposed costs on producers that made sustainable growth difficult. Governments entered the fray in earnest in the 18th century to lay down regulations that would reduce transaction costs by establishing clear rules for the production of wine. These institutional rules underlie the development of a wine region yielding some of the highest quality wines in the world. However, these rules have also held back this region from innovation and adaptability to changing demands in international wine markets. In this article, I explore whether strict regulatory policies in the production and sale of wine limit the responsiveness of the wine sector to changing market demand. To answer this question, I will perform a legal and public policy analysis of wine regulations, comparing Old World and New World rules and assessing their effects on the responsiveness of producers in each region. Using France as a representative of Old World producers, and Chile and the United States as representatives of New World producers, my study will survey the regulatory environments of each country in historical context. Then, using consumer survey data, I will assess the key determinants for wine selection in the largest market for consumption of wine—the United States. With that information, I will identify the key regulatory policies that may inhibit responsiveness to market demand.
Joint Analysis and Lessons Learned Centre (JALLC)

The JALLC is responsible for serving as a repository of information stemming from the conduct of operations and exercises. Accordingly, it looks to capture lessons learned to dive into what went well, what did not, and how things can be improved upon in the future. This chapter looks at the history of this organization and how it disseminates the knowledge derived from NATO exercises and operations.
Nitrite-induced Germination of Putrefactive Anaerobe 3679h Spores

Sodium nitrite alone has been shown to stimulate germination of PA 3679h spores. The process was accelerated by using increased concentrations of sodium nitrite, a low pH, and a high temperature of incubation. At low concentrations of nitrite (0.01 to 0.2%), the delay of 36 to 48 hr occurred before germination commenced at 37 C. However, with 3.45% nitrite at 45 C and pH 6.0, most of the spores germinated within 1 hr. At pH 7.0, the germination rate decreased markedly, and at pH 8.0 it was nil. The greatest acceleration in germination rate occurred near 60 C. Hydroxylamine was completely inhibitory to nitrite-induced germination. Sodium nitrite, in turn, inhibited germination by l-alanine, the degree of inhibition being influenced by nitrite concentration and pH.
'Guns for Hire, Death on Demand': The Permissibility of U.S. Outsourcing of Drone Attacks to Civilian Surrogates of the Armed Forces and Challenges to Traditional Just War Theory

Assassinations and licit targeted killings - distinctions with a difference?Guns for hire: the history of private military firms and private military corporations as distinct entities and not just mercenaries by another name.Authority and liability of civilian operatives under just war theory, international law, and domestic law.
Transoral laser microsurgery for oral squamous cell carcinoma: oncologic outcomes and prognostic factors.

Background Modest survival rates are published for treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) using conventional approaches. Few cohort studies are available for transoral resection of OSCC. Methods Analysis for recurrence, survival, and prognosis of patients with OSCC treated with transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) ± neck dissection was obtained from a prospective database. Results Ninety-five patients (71 patients had stages T1–T2 and 24 had stages T3–T4 disease) with minimum follow-up of 24 months met criteria and demonstrated negative margins in 95%. Five-year local control (LC) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were 78% and 76%, respectively. Surgical salvage achieved an absolute final locoregional control of 92%. Immune compromise and final margins were prognostic for LC, whereas T classification, N classification, TNM stage, comorbidity, and perineural invasion were also significant for DSS. Conclusion We document a large series of patients with OSCC treated with TLM, incorporating T1 to T4 primaries. A significant proportion of stage III/IV cases demonstrates feasibility of TLM in higher stages, with final margin positivity of 5%, LC greater than 90%, and comparable survival outcomes. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 36: 340–351, 2014
Development of high throughput adhesive bonding scheme by wafer-level underfill for 3D die-to-interposer stacking with 30µm-pitch micro interconnections

In 3D integration, die stacking together with underfilling by capillary-type underfill are the principal processes within whole conventional assembly process. How to integrate and shorten the total process steps during assembly and increase the die-stacking yield especially for thin die stack to improve the throughput that can meet the requirement from industry will be a crucial issue. In this investigation, we proposed the high throughput adhesive bonding scheme by using wafer-level underfill material for the die-to-interposer stacking with 30µm-pitch micro interconnections. The reliability characterization of the die-to-interposer stack by such bonding scheme was implemented and confirmed.
Fostering Curiosity-Driven Learning through Interactive Multimedia Representations of Biological Molecules

A series of QuickTime movies have been developed and are available over the World Wide Web (WWW) to help evoke student curiosity about organic chemistry. When viewed in series the movies start with a 'big picture' view based on crystallographic data and narrow in on the basic concepts needed to understand that scientific observation. The topics of this 'big picture' approach are the structure of DNA, protein secondary structure, and changes in geometry as oxygen binds to heme. These movies are available to students at http://www.chem.arizona.edu/courses/chem242/relevance.html as well as being presented in the classroom.
The snail Smaragdia bryanae (Neritopsina, Neritidae) is a specialist herbivore of the seagrass Halophila hawaiiana (Alismatidae, Hydrocharitaceae)

Abstract. The endemic Hawaiian gastropod Smaragdia bryanae is a specialized marine herbivore that uses the endemic seagrass Halophila hawaiiana as both food and habitat. These small neritids, their grazing scars, and their egg capsules are found year-round on seagrass leaves, where they feed on protoplast contents released as the sharp outer-lateral teeth of the snail's radula puncture leaf epidermal cells; the contents of these cells are likely swept into the mouth by the long, wispy cusps of the marginal teeth. Structural differences from the typical neritid radula include elongated outer-lateral teeth with two sharply pointed cusps, delicate marginal teeth reduced in both size and number, and a compressed central section. Snails grazed on leaves of H. hawaiiana steadily in laboratory culture, and grew and reproduced on this diet. In laboratory choice experiments, snails did not graze the thalli of any of six macroalgal species growing near seagrass where snails were collected, and strongly preferred occupying seagrass. Seagrass samples from five field sites on Oahu and one on Maui showed from 30% to 94% of leaves damaged, with 11% of the total leaf standing area grazed. Snails are smaller (mean length 2.74±0.32 mm, mean width 2.15±0.17 mm, n=217) than the width of the leaves of H. hawaiiana (mean 3.24±1.26 mm, n=790). The snails associate constantly with their host, despite the scattered distribution, small patch size, and variability of the seagrass resource, demonstrated by a sevenfold range in the leaf area index (mean 1.11±0.61 cm2 blade surface cm−2, n=31) among samples. Damage on grazed leaves (mean 8.21±7.05 mm2 per leaf, or 16.5% of leaf surface, n=511) is concentrated in the apical and central epithelia between the midrib and the marginal veins, where snails may access cells with thinner walls and few fibers. Details of the grazing interaction between these extant species in Hawai'i shed light on the ecological specialization of members of the genus Smaragdia to seagrasses over geological time.
Logic verification using binary decision diagrams in a logic synthesis environment

The results of a formal logic verification system implemented as part of the multilevel logic synthesis system MIS are discussed. Combinational logic verification involves checking two networks for functional equivalence. Techniques that flatten networks or use cube enumeration and simulation cannot be used with functions that have very large cube covers. Binary decision diagrams (BDDs) are canonical representations for Boolean functions and offer a technique for formal logic verification. However, the size of BDDs is sensitive to the variable ordering. Ordering strategies based on the network topology are considered. Using these strategies with BDDs, it has been possible to carry out formal verification for a larger set of networks than with existing verification systems. The present method proved significantly faster on the benchmark set of examples tested. >
Estimates of collision frequencies and solvent effects in collision interactions

Abstract The solvent dependence of the broadening of the EPR signal of 4-oxo-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-l-oxyl (TEMPONE) by transition-metal complexes in organic solvents correlated with values of 1 τ (τ = nitroxyl tumbling correlation time) but not with T η (η = viscosity). Plots of the broadening of the EPR spectrum of TEMPONE by ionic metal complexes in water and mixed solvents as a function of 1 τ gave different curves for different solvents which suggested that solvation had effects on the broadening that were not reflected in the values of 1 τ . The importance of examining the broadening over a wide range of values of 1 τ and as a function of solvent was demonstrated for Fe(CN)63−.
First-principles calculations for AlN, GaN, and InN: bulk and alloy properties

First-principles density-functional calculations utilizing ab initio pseudopotentials and plane- wave expansions are used to determine lattice parameters, bulk moduli, and band structures for AlN, GaN, and InN. It is found that large numbers of plane waves are necessary to resolve the nitrogen 2p wave functions and that explicit treatment of the gallium 3d and indium 4d electrons is important for an accurate description of GaN and InN. Several properties of ternary zinc-blende alloys are determined including their bond-length and bond-angle relaxation and their energy-gap bowing parameters. The similarity of the calculated zinc- blende and wurtzite direct gaps also allows estimates to be made of the energy gap versus composition for wurtzite alloys.