cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term follow-up of vocal fold movement impairment and feeding after neonatal cardiac surgery

Abstract Objective To determine the long-term prognosis of children with vocal fold mobility impairment (VFMI) after cardiac surgery, with respect to time to normal feeding and incidence of admissions for pneumonia and feeding difficulties. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted of all neonates who had otolaryngology exam after cardiac surgery at a tertiary children's hospital from May 2007 to May 2008. Charts were reviewed for demographics, type of cardiac surgery, vocal fold mobility, diet at time of discharge and at last follow-up, time to full oral feeding, and hospital admissions. Results There were a total of 94 patients included in the study, 17 of whom had VFMI. While significantly more patients with VFMI required modified diet at discharge, 48% compared to 19% of patients with normal vocal fold mobility; there was no statistically significant difference in time to regular diet on long-term follow-up, 0.8 years (VFMI) compared to 0.4 years (normal vocal fold mobility). Of the 25 patients with modified diet or gastrostomy tube at discharge, 52% returned to full feeds within a year. There was no difference in hospitalizations for pneumonia in patients with or without VFMI. However in patients with VFMI, 35% required readmission for feeding difficulty or poor weight gain compared to only 5% in the infants with normal vocal fold mobility. Conclusion After neonatal cardiac surgery, there do not appear to be long-term effects of VFMI with regards to readmission for pneumonia. However, there is an increased risk for hospitalization with respect to feeding difficulties in those neonates with VFMI. The overall prognosis for time to oral feeding is good.
Focusing on the Human Factor in Future Expert Systems

Technological advances in the area of artificial intelligence have produced expert systems that hold much promise for the design, operation, and maintenance of complex systems such as nuclear power plants. Such systems have been designed and implemented in a wide variety of task settings (see papers in this volume).In spite of the gains that have been made in the application of expert systems, there are still several difficult problems which have yet to be resolved. One of these problems is a frequently noted lack of user acceptance of newly fielded intelligent systems (e.g., Rohm, this volume). This lack of acceptance can be attributed to a variety of factors, including unfamiliarity with computer technology, difficulty in adjusting to interface mechanisms, fear that the system was designed to replace the human operator, and a feeling that the human can perform the job better than the system. Some of the problems may be related to the fact that expert system design is essentially in it’s infancy; much as we may not like to admit the fact, sometimes systems are built where the person simply can do a better or faster job on the task.
P2.102 The Influence of Anti Retroviral Treatment (ART) on the Treatment of Trichomonas Vaginalis Among HIV-Infected Women in Three Southern Cities the U.S.

Background Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) is the most common non-viral STI and has been linked to premature membrane rupture, preterm birth, and low birth weight in pregnant women. TV has also been shown to increase vaginal shedding of HIV and, thus, may influence HIV sexual and perinatal transmission. Repeat infection rates among HIV+ women are high. We have shown that bacterial vaginosis (BV) is associated with single dose metronidazole (MTZ) treatment failure in HIV+ women. A recent study in Africa has found that nevirapine is also associated with a higher rate of repeat infections. The purpose of this study is to determine if other ART interferes with single dose MTZ treatment of TV. Methods A secondary data analysis was performed on a cohort of HIV+/TV+ women who had been randomised to single (2gm) dose or 7 day (500mg BID) dose MTZ. Follow-up visit, including culture, occurred 6–12 days after treatment completion. Data on sexual exposure was collected. Repeat TV infection rates were compared for women on ART at baseline versus not on ART, controlling for BV and treatment arm. Results Of the 230 women included, 65% were receiving ART: NRTI (95%), NNRTI (31%), PI (58%) and other ART (2%). Those on ART had higher repeat infections than women not on ART [25/150 (16.7%) vs. 6/80 (6.3%), p-value = 0.03]. Controlling for BV status and stratifying by treatment arm, the association was found only in the single-dose arm (p-value = 0.05) and not in the multi-dose arm (p-value = 0.39). Only 5% of the women were sexually re-exposed during follow-up. Conclusions ART in general is associated with a higher TV repeat infection rate following single dose MTZ treatment but not for multi-dose. These data further support the recommendation that single dose MTZ not be used in HIV+ women.
Delay Optimization for Airspace Capacity Management with Runtime and Equity Considerations

En route air trac management is dicult and can benet greatly from decision support tools. This paper presents a study of the eciency and eectiv eness of two practical approaches to real-time scheduling algorithms: a simple greedy scheduler and a well-studied optimal scheduler. A subset (region) of the National Airspace System is isolated to perform optimization on a manageable portion of the airspace. The schedulers are tested on realistic data sets representing trac and conditions in the corridor between Chicago and New York area airports. In particular, the optimal scheduling of igh ts with both origin and destination in that corridor is considered, while reserving sucien t airspace for other air trac. In a majority of cases, the greedy method provides sucien t (often optimal) results, while under dicult trac and weather conditions, the optimal scheduler is worth the runtime requirements due to the inability of the greedy version to nd satisfactory solutions. Further benets of an optimal scheduler are demonstrated by incorporating the concept of equity or ‘fairness’ into the scheduling decision. Design choices in implementing equity amongst the various airlines are discussed and results demonstrating the utility of these choices are provided. Equity is easily implemented for the optimal scheduler but not the greedy, and does not require signican t additional run time. Ultimately, it is shown that an equity-aware decision support tool for delay optimization can be developed to run in real-time and can benet from incorporating more than one approach depending on the complexity of the scenario.
Malady and Menopause

Culver and Gert define 'malady' in their book Philosophy in Medicine. It is shown that this definition is sexist in its implication in that it either indirectly contributes to women's oppression or indirectly supports a policy that discriminates against women. This is because, on Culver and Gert's definition of 'malady', menopause, menstruation, and pregnancy become maladies. It is also argued that malady claims are normative in a way not recognized by Culver and Gert.
One-Dimensional Inverse Acoustic Scattering for Lossy Media

In our previous work, we developed numerical techniques to reconstruct the acoustic impedance, density, and sound velocity profiles of a one-dimensional lossless inhomogeneous medium and investigated the effect of noise, limited transducer bandwidth, and deconvolution on the algorithms [1–2]. In addition, we studied the direct problem in lossy media and extended the previously developed transmission matrix method and impediography method [3] to lossy media [4].
Interaction of phenothiazines and lower aliphatic alcohols with erythrocyte membranes: a scanning calorimetric study.

Human erythrocyte membranes at pH 7.4 in 310 imosm sodium phosphate buffer show severa1 distinct endothermic transitions when studied by differential heat capacity calorimetry. Various tranquilizers in the phenothiazine family shift one of these major transitions, normally at 67°, down to about 60° when present at concentrations of the order of 40 µM or less. The lower aliphatic alcohols in dilute concentrations affect two of these transitions and at higher concentrations shift all the transitions down, by temperatures as much as 30°. The concentrations of alcohols needed to cause similar effects decrease with increasing number of carbon atoms. The effect of alcohols and phenothiazines below 150 µM can be reversed by washing the membranes in sodium phosphate buffer. The common effect of all these compounds at anesthetic concentrations seems to be mainly on one transition, which has been tentatively identified as involving a lipid domain on the membrane which has previously been shown to function in anion transport.
Radar Design to Protect Against Surprise

Technological and doctrinal surprise is about rendering preparations for conflict as irrelevant or ineffective . For a sensor, this means essentially rendering the sensor as irrelevant or ineffective in its ability to help determine truth. Recovery from this sort of surprise is facilitated by flexibility in our own technology and doctrine. For a sensor, this mean s flexibility in its architecture, design, tactics, and the designing organizations ' processes. - 4 - Acknowledgements This report is the result of a n unfunded research and development activity . Sandia National Laboratories is a multi - program laboratory manage d and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE - AC04 - 94AL85000.
Investigation of the Impact of Simple Carbon Interstitial Formations on Thermal Neutron Scattering in Graphite

In both the prismatic and pebble bed designs of very high temperature reactors, the graphite moderator is expected to reach exposure levels of 10 21 to 10 22 n/cm 2 over the lifetime of the reactor. This exposure results in damage to the graphite structure. Studies of the thermal properties of irradiated graphite show changes in the thermal conductivity and (to a lesser extent) the heat capacity at fluences <10 21 n/cm 2 . In graphite, these properties depend on the behavior of atomic vibrations (phonons) in the solid. Therefore, it can be expected that alterations in the phonon behavior that would produce changes in these properties would have an impact on the thermal neutron scattering behavior of that material. In this work, an atomistic ab initio investigation is performed to explore the potential impact of simple carbon interstitial formations on the inelastic thermal neutron scattering behavior of graphite. Using the VASP/ PHONON code system, graphite supercells were modeled with and without either a single carbon interstitial or a di-interstitial (C 2 ) molecule between the graphite planes. This resulted in the production of the phonon frequency spectra for these structures. From the phonon data, the inelastic thermal neutron scattering cross sections were generated, using the NJOY code system, at temperatures of 300 and 1200 K. A comparison of the generated cross sections shows that accounting for the interstitials in the calculations affects the cross sections mainly in the energy range from 0.01 to 0.1 eV.
Random Effects and Variance Components

If the levels of a treatment factor used in an experiment are selected at random from a large population of possible levels, the effects of that factor are known as random effects. Random-effects models are discussed in this chapter. Of main concern is the variability of the effects of all the levels in the population rather than comparison of the effects of the few levels observed. The sample size calculation and modeling are introduced via experiments containing one random effect and are then extended to experiments with two or more random effects. The analysis of mixed-effects models is also discussed in which both fixed effects and random effects are present. The concepts introduced in this chapter are illustrated through examples and the use of SAS and R software.
Target DNA recognition and cleavage by a reconstituted Type I-G CRISPR-Cas immune effector complex.

CRISPR-Cas immune systems defend prokaryotes against viruses and plasmids. CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) associate with various CRISPR-associated (Cas) protein modules to form structurally and functionally diverse (Type I-VI) crRNP immune effector complexes. Previously, we identified three, co-existing effector complexes in Pyrococcus furiosus -Type I-A (Csa), Type I-G (Cst), and Type III-B (Cmr)—and demonstrated that each complex functions in vivo to eliminate invader DNA. Here, we reconstitute functional Cst crRNP complexes in vitro from recombinant Cas proteins and synthetic crRNAs and investigate mechanisms of crRNP assembly and invader DNA recognition and destruction. All four known Cst-affiliated Cas proteins (Cas5t, Cst1, Cst2, and Cas3) are required for activity, but each subunit plays a distinct role. Cas5t and Cst2 comprise a minimal set of proteins that selectively interact with crRNA. Further addition of Cst1, enables the four subunit crRNP (Cas5t, Cst1, Cst2, crRNA) to specifically bind complementary, double-stranded DNA targets and to recruit the Cas3 effector nuclease, which catalyzes cleavages at specific sites within the displaced, non-target DNA strand. Our results indicate that Type I-G crRNPs selectively bind target DNA in a crRNA and, protospacer adjacent motif dependent manner to recruit a dedicated Cas3 nuclease for invader DNA destruction.
Pelger-Huët anomaly and Greenberg skeletal dysplasia: LBR-associated diseases of cholesterol metabolism

Lamin B Receptor (LBR) is an inner nuclear membrane protein associated with the rare human diseases Pelger-Huet anomaly and Greenberg skeletal dysplasia. A new study has used CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genetic manipulations in a human cell system to determine that the molecular etiology of these previously poorly understood disorders is a defect in cholesterol synthesis due to loss of LBR-associated sterol C14 reductase activity. The study furthermore determined that disease-associated LBR point mutations reduce sterol C14 reductase activity by decreasing the affinity of LBR for the reducing agent NADPH. Moreover, two disease-associated LBR truncation mutants were found to be highly unstable at the protein level and are rapidly turned over by a novel nuclear membrane-based protein quality control pathway. Thus, truncated LBR variants can now be used as model substrates for further investigations of nuclear protein quality control to uncover possible implications for other disease-associated nuclear envelopathies.
Optimal sampling lattices for high-fidelity CT reconstruction

We show that the familiar Cartesian lattice, while convenient for signal processing and representation, is suboptimal when it comes to signal fidelity. We explore various applications of optimal sampling lattices, such as the Hexagonal and Body Centered Cartesian (BCC) lattices for 3D Computed Tomographic (CT) Reconstruction, both in terms of the (2D) detector and the (3D) reconstructed object. We find that BCC lattices compare favorably with CC lattices for both CT data acquisition and reconstruction. For example they increase the recovery and detectability of small features, such as small tumors in the brain.
Green-Emitting MADF Complex for OLED Applications

In this article, we demonstrated an exceptional palladium complex that exhibits both phosphorescence and delayed fluorescence for use as an efficient emitter in OLEDs. Devices employing PdN3N achieved external quantum efficiencies in excess of 22% and remarkable device operational lifetime to 90% initial luminance estimated at over 30,000 h at a practical luminance of 100 cd/m2. Further tuning of the phosphorescent and delayed fluorescent emission should have a great impact in the development of efficient and stable emitters for deep blue or white OLEDs.
Henry George Farmer and the First International Congress of Arab Music (Cairo 1932) by Israel Katz, Sheila M. Craik, and Amnon Shiloah: (2014). Leiden: Brill. 430 pp., $181.00. ISBN 978-90-04-26319-2 (hardcover), ISBN 978-90-04-28414-2 (e-book)

The result of four decades of scholarship, this most recent volume from Israel Katz focuses on the life and work of musicologist Henry George Farmer and the series of events that led him to take pa...
Clinical Features and Prognosis of Patients with Myelodysplastic/Myeloproliferative Syndrome-Unclassified (MDS/MPD-U): Refractory Anemia with Ringed Sideroblasts with Thrombocytosis (RARS-T) Is a Favorable Prognostic Subgroup.

MDS/MPD-U is a newly defined clinical entity in the WHO classification. It includes patients (pts) with features of both myelodysplasia and myeloproliferation that cannot be classified under any other WHO category. In addition it includes the provisional entity RARS-T. Recent reports found an increased incidence of JAK-2 mutation in pts with RARS-T, suggesting possibly a different biological behavior. The clinical outcome of MDS/MPD-U, and in particular RARS-T, pts have not been well described. We reviewed 142 patients in the MD Anderson Leukemia Department patient database with the diagnosis of MDS/MPD or MPD-U seen from September 1987 to July 2006, and identified 32 pts that fulfilled MDS/MPD-U criteria according to WHO classification. The median age was 64 years (range 21–82), with a male: female ratio of 3:1. Six pts had RARS-T (19%). Six pts had a previous malignancy (19%), of which 3 received radiation therapy; no chemotherapy was given. Twenty-five pts (73%) were symptomatic at presentation, including fatigue in 17 (53%), weight loss in 13 (41%), fever in 2 (6%), and night sweats in 7 (22%) pts. Fifteen (45%) pts were transfusion dependent. The median hemoglobin was 9.6 g/dl (range 4.8–15.3), white blood cell count 9x10 9 /L (range 0.6–141), platelets 234x10 9 /L (range 7–1687), and percentage of bone marrow blasts 3% (range 0–16). Fifteen pts (45%) had more than one lineage dysplasia and 22 pts (69%) had increased reticulin in the bone marrow. Cytogenetic analysis revealed diploid cytogenetics in 13, trisomy 8 (either alone or with other abnormalities) in 8, complex cytogenetics in 3, and others in 8 pts. Twenty-two pts were treated with multiple different therapies, including hypomethylating agent in 8, with no sustained responses to any therapy. Six pts received supportive care only and 4 are unknown. Two pts underwent bone marrow transplant; one is in remission for >4 years and the other died from acute graft versus host disease. Median follow up time for alive pts was 10.6 months (range 0.3–147). Median survival of the whole group was 19 months (95% CI; range 8–29). Of the 6 pts with RARS-T, 5 had diploid cytogenetics, two had prior malignancy and 5 were transfusion dependent at the time of diagnosis. Patients with RARS-T had a significantly better survival than the other pts (median survival not reached vs. 12 months; p=0.019; Figure 1). In conclusion, pts with MDS/MPD-U have a poor prognosis with a median survival of one year. However, RARS-T represents a subgroup of pts with better prognosis and long overall survival justifying their separate categorization.
Postoperative Immobilization and Pain Management After Repair of Bladder Exstrophy

Surgical repair of bladder exstrophy is an ongoing challenge for pediatric urologists. Postoperative immobilization is a mainstay of care to decrease tension on the repair site and is often utilized in conjunction with pelvic osteotomies performed in the same operative setting by pediatric orthopedic surgeons. Multiple pelvic immobilization techniques have been developed in conjunction with repair techniques including special techniques for neonates. The most commonly utilized techniques for pelvic immobilization are Buck’s and Bryant’s traction and spica casting. A multimodal pain management approach is critical with pelvic immobilization to minimize postoperative pain and anxiety associated with reconstructive surgery at a young age.
Sources of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells and Methods to Optimize Yields for Clinical Cell Therapy

Abstract Bone marrow (BM) aspirates, mobilized peripheral blood, and umbilical cord blood (UCB) have developed as graft sources for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) for stem cell transplantation and other cellular therapeutics. Individualized techniques are necessary to enhance graft HSPC yields and cell quality from each graft source. BM aspirates yield adequate CD34+ cells but can result in relative delays in engraftment. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)–primed BM HSPCs may facilitate faster engraftment while minimizing graft-versus-host disease in certain patient subsets. The levels of circulating HSPCs are enhanced using mobilizing agents, such as G-CSF and/or plerixafor, which act via the stromal cell-derived factor 1/C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 axis. Alternate niche pathway mediators, including very late antigen-4/vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, heparan sulfate proteoglycans, parathyroid hormone, and coagulation cascade intermediates, may offer promising alternatives for graft enhancement. UCB grafts have been expanded ex vivo with cytokines, notch-ligand, or mesenchymal stromal cells, and most studies demonstrated greater quantities of CD34+ cells ex vivo and improved short-term engraftment. No significant changes were observed in long-term repopulating potential or in patient survival. Early phase clinical trials using nicotinamide and StemReginin1 may offer improved short- and long-term repopulating ability. Breakthroughs in genome editing and stem cell reprogramming technologies may hasten the generation of pooled, third-party HSPC grafts. This review elucidates past, present, and potential future approaches to HSPC graft optimization.
Assessing the Development of an Emerging Critical Consciousness through Service Learning

Service learning has gained traction in higher education as an accepted pedagogical model, but practitioners question the types of learning outcomes that emerge from it. How does service learning contribute to student growth, particularly in the area of critical consciousness development? This study investigates how service-learning experiences impact the ways in which students think about issues of Inequality, Social Justice, and Power & Privilege. Qualitative data collected from 17 service learning courses were coded within these three major themes, and then further categorized within each major theme as statements that reflect Cognitive Recognition, Perspective Taking, or Student Agency.
Jóvenes latinoamericanos en riesgo: los desafíos para lograr el cambio

Fostering the well-being of Latin American and Caribbean youth is vital to the region’s success. Despite their significant presence in the population, many youth face extraordinary challenges, such as poverty, exposure to violence, and lack of access to quality education. We review some successful interventions from an ecological perspective that address the needs of at-risk youth in the region. Interventions in a variety of countries have been aimed at altering the microsystems or ecosystems of youth as well as involving them directly. Direct interventions with youth must involve them in meaningful activities that provide a sense of empowerment. The lessons learned from these interventions reveal the outstanding potential of youth to thrive despite the obstacles they face.
Believing in climate change, but not behaving sustainably: Evidence from a one-year longitudinal study

Abstract We conducted a one-year longitudinal study in which 600 American adults regularly reported their climate change beliefs, pro-environmental behavior, and other climate-change related measures. Using latent class analyses, we uncovered three clusters of Americans with distinct climate belief trajectories: (1) the “Skeptical,” who believed least in climate change; (2) the “Cautiously Worried,” who had moderate beliefs in climate change; and (3) the “Highly Concerned,” who had the strongest beliefs and concern about climate change. Cluster membership predicted different outcomes: the “Highly Concerned” were most supportive of government climate policies, but least likely to report individual-level actions, whereas the “Skeptical” opposed policy solutions but were most likely to report engaging in individual-level pro-environmental behaviors. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Study on Walking Training System for Using High-Performance Shoes with Human Compatibility

The number of elderly in the Japanese population has been increasing, and is expected to reach about 40% by 2060. This means that those aged 65 and over in Japan will be roughly every one in 2.5 persons (Cabinet office, Government of Japan, Director General for Policies on Cohesive Society, “H.26 Aged Society White Paper”, 2014, [1]). With this are increases in the need for elder-to-elder nursing and shortage in and an increased burden on care takers. These developments have resulted in efforts to promote independence among the elderly—something that has brought walking to the attention of those promoting good health and independence among the elderly. The increasing number of accidental falls among the elderly while walking (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions” IV conditions of care, [2]). Among the main factors in falls are a deteriorating center of gravity of balance due to declining physical performance and weakening in the muscular strength of the lower limbs. In this study, we focused on shoes to be worn daily in walking aimed at both assisting walking and preventing falls. Further, we proposed training in walking that is continues and daily that detects and corrects the center of balance during walking. To add detection of staggering, we used a sponge-core soft-rubber actuator consisting of open-cell foam sponge coated in silicon rubber. This actuator changes stiffness with inner pressure. Equipping insoles, with it means that it can be used for both detecting the pressure distribution of the foot sole while prompting correct walking by changing the stiffness of the insole. We also developed a means of walking status presentation that confirms walking status on a display in real time.
Safety and Monitoring for Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging

An increasing proportion of patients with cardiovascular disease have higher acuity of disease and may have ferromagnetic implants with potential for interaction with the MRI environment. Familiarity with each device class and its potential for electromagnetic interaction is essential for radiologists and cardiologists performing MRI examinations in this population of patients. The final decision to perform MRI in patients with electronic devices or other implants is frequently made by considering the potential benefit of MRI relative to the attendant risks associated with various devices. While techniques for safe imaging with MRI in the setting of certain devices have been developed, the potential for catastrophic complications exists and dictates a high degree of vigilance to minimize patient risk.
Introduction and Overview of the Economics of International Trade and the Environment

We describe the theoretical and empirical contributions that rigorous economic analysis can make in improving our comprehension of the important issues pertaining to environmental protection in the presence of international trade. We do this by studying and summarizing the scholarly contributions of nineteen theoretical and empirical articles about the connections between trade and environmental policy.
Enteric Neurodegeneration Is Mediated Through Independent Neuritic and Somal Mechanisms in Rotenone and MPP+ Toxicity

Gut motility malfunction and pathological changes in the enteric nervous system (ENS) are observed in the early stages of Parkinson's disease (PD). In many cases disturbances in the autonomous functions such as gut motility precedes the observed loss of central motor functions in PD. However, the mechanism by which ENS degeneration occurs in PD is unknown. We show that parkinsonian mimetics rotenone and MPP+ induce neurite degeneration that precedes cell death in primary enteric neurons cultured in vitro. If the neuronal death signals originate from degenerating neurites, neuronal death should be prevented by inhibiting neurite degeneration. Our data demonstrate that overexpression of cytNmnat1, an axon protector, maintains healthy neurites in enteric neurons treated with either of the parkinsonian mimetics, but cannot protect the soma. We also demonstrate that neurite protection via cytNmnat1 is independent of mitochondrial dynamics or ATP levels. Overexpression of Bcl-xl, an anti-apoptotic factor, protects both the neuronal cell body and the neurites in both rotenone and MPP+ treated enteric neurons. Our data reveals that Bcl-xl and cytNmnat1 act through separate mechanisms to protect enteric neurites. Our findings suggest that neurite protection alone is not sufficient to inhibit enteric neuronal degeneration in rotenone or MPP+ toxicity, and enteric neurodegeneration in PD may be occurring through independent somatic and neuritic mechanisms. Thus, therapies targeting both axonal and somal protection can be important in finding interventions for enteric symptoms in PD.
VARIATIONAL THEORY AND OPTIMAL CONTROL THEORY

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews variational theory and optimal control theory. It discusses a problem of minimizing a function of the form dt in a class of functions x i (t), u k (t), w σ . This formulated problem is a very general problem in the calculus of variations and is equivalent to the problem of Bolza. It contains as special cases a large class of optimal control problems arising in applications. This problem can be referred to as the optimal control problem in variational theory. In1936, Bliss wrote a paper entitled The Development of Problems in the Calculus of Variations , where he made a strong case for the study of the problem of Bolza as a standard problem in variational theory. However, in his evaluation, he did not consider the optimal control problem. Studies conducted for this problem led to two principles being evolved, namely the maximum principle of Pontryagin and the principle of optimality of Bellman. In each case, they represent the first-order necessary conditions for an optimal solution.
Helical core formation and evolution during current ramp-up in the high-field tokamak Alcator C-Mod

Large, spontaneous m/n = 1/1 helical cores are predicted in tokamaks with extended regions of low- or reversed-magnetic shear profiles in a region within the q = 1 surface and an onset condition determined by constant (dp/dρ)/Bt2 along the threshold. These 3D modes occurred frequently in Alcator C-Mod during ramp-up when slow current penetration results in a reversed shear q-profile. The onset and early development of a helical core in C-Mod were simulated using a new 3D time-dependent equilibrium reconstruction, based on the ideal MHD equilibrium code VMEC. The reconstruction used the experimental density, temperature, and soft-X-ray fluctuations. The pressure profile can become hollow due to an inverted, hollow electron temperature profile caused by molybdenum radiation in the plasma core during the current ramp-up phase before the onset of sawteeth, which may also occur in ITER with tungsten. Based on modeling, it is found that a reverse shear q-profile combined with a hollow pressure profile reduces the onset condition threshold, enabling helical core formation from an otherwise axisymmetric equilibrium.Large, spontaneous m/n = 1/1 helical cores are predicted in tokamaks with extended regions of low- or reversed-magnetic shear profiles in a region within the q = 1 surface and an onset condition determined by constant (dp/dρ)/Bt2 along the threshold. These 3D modes occurred frequently in Alcator C-Mod during ramp-up when slow current penetration results in a reversed shear q-profile. The onset and early development of a helical core in C-Mod were simulated using a new 3D time-dependent equilibrium reconstruction, based on the ideal MHD equilibrium code VMEC. The reconstruction used the experimental density, temperature, and soft-X-ray fluctuations. The pressure profile can become hollow due to an inverted, hollow electron temperature profile caused by molybdenum radiation in the plasma core during the current ramp-up phase before the onset of sawteeth, which may also occur in ITER with tungsten. Based on modeling, it is found that a reverse shear q-profile combined with a hollow pressure profile reduces ...
Effective and Inexpensive HPLC Analogue for First-Year Students: Buret Chromatography of Food Dyes in Drinks

Chromatography is a ubiquitous technique in analytical chemistry, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is the industry standard for quantitation of components in solution mixtures. However, demonstrating the principles of liquid chromatography to undergraduates via HPLC-based experiments often proves ineffective because of the fully automated nature of modern HPLC units. This paper details a novel laboratory exercise that is accessible to students in first-year chemistry and high school and helps to demonstrate and demystify the principles involved in HPLC. Using only common and inexpensive laboratory equipment found in most general-chemistry laboratories (burets and benchtop spectrophotometers), students are able to replicate results that are equivalent to those obtained on research-grade HPLC instruments, while gaining valuable insight into chromatography principles.
Modular synthesis of silicon (IV) phthalocyanine conjugates bearing glycosylated axial ligands

Phthalocyanines (Pcs) are near-infrared photosensitizers with therapeutic potential for the treatment of bacterial infections and cancer. However, their clinical utility has been hindered by poor s...
Ring closure of diethyl 2-methoxy-2-[N-(5-amino-1-benzylimidazolyl-4-carbonyl)amino]malonate: Product structures and pathways of product formation

Ring closure of the title compound (1) with sodium methoxide in methanol yielded three products, one 5∶6-fused and two 5∶7-fused heterocyclic systems: 9-benzyl-2-methoxycarbonylhypoxanthine (2), 3-benzyl-4,5,7,8-tetrahydro-6-methoxy-6-methoxycarbonyl-6H-imidazo[4,5-e][1,4]-diazepine-5,8-dione (3), and 3-benzyl-4,5,7,8-tetrahydro-6-methoxy-6H-imidazo[4,5-e][1,4]-diazepine-5,8-dione (4). Structures and pathways of formation of all three products have been described. Structures of2 and3 were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses.
Inferring and Comparing Game Difficulty Curves using Player-vs-Level Match Data

Prior work has focused on formalizing difficulty curves by using function composition to give precise definitions to curves and their transformations. However, the proposed framework was demonstrated using a single game, and the curves and transformations were defined with respect to the game’s ratings-based dynamic difficulty system. In this work, we infer difficulty curves from gameplay data using a method that is based on the aforementioned difficulty system but that can also be generalized to other games for which information on player-vs-level win/loss outcomes is available. Moreover, since this method uses the same difficulty mechanism as past work, it lets us similarly leverage function composition to compare difficulty curves across games, having either a fixed or dynamic level ordering, using a clearly defined vocabulary. We use four different games to demonstrate our method, which relies on an adjustment to traditional playback of ratings-based match data, which we also present in this work.
Dual drug-loaded biodegradable Janus particles for simultaneous co-delivery of hydrophobic and hydrophilic compounds.

Bicompartmental Janus particles have many advantages in drug delivery, including co-delivery of two compounds with varying solubilities, differential release kinetics, and two surfaces available fo...
Two Sides to Same Drought: Measurement and Impact of Ethiopia’s 2015 Historical Drought

Climate change is likely to lead to more frequent and more severe droughts with risk of socio-economic suffering. Utilization of satellite data, available almost instantaneously, is a great tool now providing the backbone of drought monitoring. However, the measurement of drought for socio-economic impact is poorly understood, questioning our ability to deal efficiently with future challenges. This study showcases the challenge by estimating the impact of Ethiopia’s historical 2015 drought, reported to be the worst in five decades, according to different drought indicators. The analysis shows a sever meteorological and self-reported drought, with substantially less rainfall than average and a high share of households reporting drought exposure. Also, more than half of the rural households reported lower consumption in 2016 than two years prior, despite large amounts of food aid were distributed in response to the drought. There are, however, no or limited signs of an agricultural drought, based on vegetation indices and predicted crop losses. Agricultural production, price, and wage data also support 2015 being a normal agricultural year. Further, based on spatial rank correlation, none of the different drought indicators (self-reported, vegetation anomalies, predicted crop losses, or rain anomalies) provide a coherent story of where the drought was worst. In fact, across years the spatial rank correlation between drought indicators shifts sign, highlighting that the inconsistent information on drought from different indicators is not restricted to 2015. In terms of drought impact on consumption, no impact, on average, is found for rain anomalies, predicted crop losses, or vegetation anomalies in the growing season, while a large impact is found for self-reported drought exposure and a smaller impact for vegetation anomalies in the harvest season. The self-reported drought exposure is not a trustworthy drought indicator due to endogeneity, while the impact from vegetation anomalies in the harvest season seems driven by better than average, as opposed to worse than average, vegetation. With indicators showing two such different sides to the same drought and limited spatial correlation between them, the case study calls for more research on the suitability of these indicators, and care and robustness checks when utilizing drought indicators to understand socio-economic impact.
Selecting support pillars in underground mines with ore veins

We address the design optimization problem for a mine in which the ore is concentrated in a system of long, thin veins and for which the so-called top-down open-stope mining method is customarily u...
Analysis and Temporal Evolution of Extubation Parameters for Patients Undergoing Single-Stage Circumferential Cervical Spine Surgery

OBJECTIVE Airway obstruction after postoperative extubation is a dreaded but uncommon complication in patients undergoing circumferential cervical spine surgery (CCSS). The cuff leak test (CLT) has been utilized to assess air leak around the endotracheal tube which may reflect airway swelling. In this prospective observational study, we analyze the temporal evolution of CLT and perioperative factors that may influence it. METHODS Twenty patients undergoing single-stage CCSS were managed according to our extubation protocol. Patients were maintained intubated overnight following surgery. They were extubated if a CLT > 200 mL and both intensive care unit (ICU) and Neurosurgery teams agreed that it was safe. Patients extubated in the first postoperative day (8 of 20) comprised the early group, and the remaining patients (12 of 20) the delayed group. Patient and operative data were analyzed as a single group and comparing both groups. RESULTS The main indication for surgery was cervical deformity. Median number of levels fused was 5 anteriorly (range, 1-6) and 6 (range, 1-13) posteriorly. Patients were kept intubated for an average of 73.6 hours (range, 26-222 hours) and stayed in the ICU for 119.1 hours (range, 36-360 hours). There were 4 failed extubations and 3 patients (15%) required a tracheostomy. Patient profiles between both groups were very similar across most patient variables but differed significantly regarding infraglottic luminal area (p < 0.05). Patients with larger preoperative cuff leak values tended to have a shorter intubation period (p = 0.053). CONCLUSION This study objectively demonstrates the difficulties in airway management following CCSS and provides useful insight for preoperative planning and counseling. Local anatomic factors influence airway outcome more than operative factors. The study format does not allow for testing of interventions but we suggest that patients with favorable anatomy (larger infraglottic luminal area) may benefit from a less strict airway management protocol.
Conceptualizing Student Socialization in Higher Education: An Intellectual Journey

This chapter contains a brief synopsis of and reflection on the intellectual journey that brought the author to where he is today with respect to the study of student socialization in higher education as well as other directions his career has taken over the course of more than half a century. Evolution of the frameworks developed for understanding the socialization of undergraduate students in higher education is described, starting with the basic model used for his doctoral dissertation (Weidman JC, The effects of academic departments on changes in undergraduates’ occupational values. Unpublished PhD dissertation, University of Chicago. Published as final report, project no. 1-E-111, Grant No. OEG-5-72-0010 (509), U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Office of Education, National Center for Educational Research and Development (Regional Research Program). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED087364.pdf, 1974). This was followed by elaboration in subsequent empirical work (Weidman JC, J High Educ 50 (January/Feburary:48–62, 1979, Res High Educ 20 (4):445–476, 1984) as well as conceptually focused literature reviews (Weidman JC, Undergraduate socialization: a conceptual approach. In: Smart JC (ed) Higher education: handbook of theory and research, vol 5. Agathon Press, New York, pp 289–322, 1989, Socialization of students in higher education: organizational perspectives. In: Conrad CC, Serlin RC (eds) The Sage handbook for research in education: engaging ideas and enriching inquiry. Sage, Thousand Oaks, pp 253–262, 2006). All of the figures depicting each subsequent framework are reprinted in this chapter.
Postpartum urinary retention: a survey of obstetrics and gynaecology residents in the United States

Postpartum urinary retention (PUR) is a common and potentially morbid condition if not recognised and managed promptly. We surveyed obstetrics and gynaecology (OBGYN) residents to determine residents' knowledge of the management of PUR. A total of 168 OBGYN residents in ACGME accredited programmes in the United States completed the survey. A percentage of 30.3 reported having a PUR prevention protocol at their institution, 43.3% reported not having a protocol and 26.7% did not know whether a protocol existed. About 89.3% of participants reported having previously taken care of a patient with PUR and 17.1% reported prior formal teaching on the management of PUR. Those who reported having a protocol were more likely to report feeling comfortable managing PUR. Overall, knowledge was low for management of PUR. Given the potential morbidity associated with inadequate management of PUR, formal education and standardisation through national guidelines may help improve care of patients with PUR.Impact statementWhat is already known on this subject? PUR is a common condition and if left untreated may lead to long-term impacts on patients' health. Early recognition of the condition and appropriate management can prevent these complications. Protocols have been shown to improve patient outcomes. Thus, it has been postulated that the implementation of protocols could improve recognition of the condition.What do the results of this study add? No previous studies have looked at the impact of PUR management protocols on physicians in training. Because physicians in training are often the first-in-line to manage patients at academic institutions, we sought to determine the proportion of obstetrics and gynaecology residents in the United States who report having a PUR management protocol at their institution and how this impacts their reported comfort at caring for patients with PUR, knowledge on PUR risk factors and recognition of scenarios concerning for PUR. While awareness of a PUR protocol did not lead to increased knowledge of risk factors or increased recognition of scenarios concerning for PUR, it did increase resident comfort with managing PUR patients. We also found that overall PUR knowledge was low.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Based on our findings, OBGYN residents would benefit from having protocols at their institutions since it increased their comfort at managing patients with PUR. Further, formal education on PUR is likely needed to improve knowledge of risk factors and recognition of scenarios concerning for PUR.
Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) receptor signaling regulates kinase networks and phosphatidylinositol metabolism during T-cell activation.

The cytokine content in tissue microenvironments shapes the functional capacity of a T cell. This capacity depends on the integration of extracellular signaling through multiple receptors, including the T-cell receptor (TCR), co-receptors, and cytokine receptors. Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signals through its cognate receptor, TGFβR, to SMAD family member proteins and contributes to the generation of a transcriptional program that promotes regulatory T-cell differentiation. In addition to transcription, here we identified specific signaling networks that are regulated by TGFβR. Using an array of biochemical approaches, including immunoblotting, kinase assays, immunoprecipitation, and flow cytometry, we found that TGFβR signaling promotes the formation of a SMAD3/4-protein kinase A (PKA) complex that activates C-terminal Src kinase (CSK) and thereby down-regulates kinases involved in proximal TCR activation. Additionally, TGFβR signaling potentiated CSK phosphorylation of the P85 subunit in the P85–P110 phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) heterodimer, which reduced PI3K activity and down-regulated the activation of proteins that require phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PtdIns(3,4,5)P3) for their activation. Moreover, TGFβR-mediated disruption of the P85–P110 interaction enabled P85 binding to a lipid phosphatase, phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), aiding in the maintenance of PTEN abundance and thereby promoting elevated PtdIns(4,5)P2 levels in response to TGFβR signaling. Taken together, these results highlight that TGF-β influences the trajectory of early T-cell activation by altering PI3K activity and PtdIns levels.
What is Price Suppression in Abnormal Economic Times? Reflections in Light of the Russia–Commercial Vehicles Ruling

This article discusses the ambiguity found in the WTO Anti-Dumping Agreement concerning price suppression analysis. Previous case law has established that investigating authorities undertaking to highlight price suppression must conduct a counterfactual analysis. This article examines the difficulties that investigating authorities face in performing such an analysis when the investigating period overlaps with a financial crisis or other abnormal economic circumstances. It suggests that the Appellate Body was correct to require consideration of how profit margins and costs are affected by market circumstances, but ought to pay further attention to the behavior of firms in imperfectly competitive markets.