cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Maintainability analysis using Q-GERT network simulation

In reliability analyses of nuclear reactor safety systems, time- dependent phenomena (such as component failure during op eration and the ensuing repair activity) are often disregarded or treated quasi-statically because the time dependencies involved are not amenable to closed-form analytic formulation. In addi tion, conditional phenomena (such as a failure mode that depends on the failure mode in a previous event) and phenom ena that must be characterized by arbitrary probability distribu tions are often ignored. This paper reports the initial applica tion of the computer program Q-GERT, an existing code that uses dynamic Monte Carlo modeling, to reactor safety-system simulation and analysis. Using Q-GERT with its Monte Carlo techniques, the above shortcomings can, in principle, be dealt with, and the analysis can be elevated from the level of a reliabil ity analysis to that of a maintainability analysis. This new applica tion of Q-GERT, called the Maintainability Analysis Procedure (MAP), is illustrate...
BIJECTIVE PROOFS OF JENSEN'S AND MOHANTY-HANDA'S IDENTITIES

This article provides bijective proofs of Jensen’s identity and a multivariate generalization called Mohanty-Handa’s identity. Our proofs employ suitable combinatorial operations on lattice paths.
A correction of the termination conditions of the Henschen-Naqvi technique

Henschen and Naqvi described a technique for translating queries on recursively defined relations of a Datalog database into iterative programs that invoke a query processor for conventional select-project-join queries of the relational algebra. Although the technique has been cited as one of the most efficient available, it will in some cases fail to produce all answers defined by the usual semantics for such databases. The technique is reviewed, a recursive query is exhibited where it fails, the cause of failure is noted, and a correction is described. A graphical representation of the computation based on a formal representation of rule expansions is employed.
Surgical Oncology Trials and Surgeons in the Real World

Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) are reputed to be critical to the everyday practice of surgery by providing high-quality evidence to guide, inform, and establish the standards of treatment for persons with cancer. 1,2 RCTs are designed to minimize bias and equalize potential confounding effects of measured and unmeasured variables. To this date, RCTs remain the gold standard to assess the efficacy of alternative interventions, as enormous resources and time are expended to conceive, conduct, monitor, and complete cancer trials. The ultimate goal of this effort is to improve survival and functional outcomes of patients with cancer, but achieving this goal requires rapid adoption and wide-scale implementation of trial results into standard clinical practice. Unfortunately, the hoped-for rapid, widespread dissemination of surgical oncology trial results into clinical practice often does not occur. 3‐5 Those exploring reasons for this failure have suggested that we lack the infrastructure, broad-based provider networks, and effective incentives and resources to drive fundamental changes in the delivery of cancer care in our fragmented, highly independent, fee-for-service health care system. 4,6,7 However, are these the fundamental reasons for failure, or are there other factors to explain the wide discrepancy of accrual to cancer trials of less than 5% in adults versus 70% in children? 8,9 Many surgeons question the applicability of RCT results to their day-to-day practices, especially when fewer than 5% of adult cancer patients participate in surgical oncology trials. 9 Most RCTs are conducted in university hospitals or
Large-scale motions in a supersonic turbulent boundary layer

Wide-field particle image velocimetry measurements were performed in a Mach 2 turbulent boundary layer to study the characteristics of large-scale coherence at two wall-normal locations ($y/\delta\,{=}\,0.16$ and 0.45). Instantaneous velocity fields at both locations indicate the presence of elongated streamwise strips of uniform low- and high-speed fluid (length$\,{>}\,8\delta$). These long coherent structures exhibit strong similarities to those that have been found in incompressible boundary layers, which suggests an underlying similarity between the incompressible and supersonic regimes. Two-point correlations of streamwise velocity fluctuations show coherence over a longer streamwise distance at $y/\delta\,{=}\,0.45$ than at $y/\delta\,{=}\,0.16$, which indicates an increasing trend in the streamwise length scale with wall-normal location. The spanwise scale of these uniform-velocity strips increases with increasing wall-normal distance as found in subsonic boundary layers. The large-scale coherence observed is consistent with the very large-scale motion (VLSM) model proposed by Kim & Adrian (Phys. Fluids, vol. 11, 1999, p. 417) for incompressible boundary layers
Immune thrombocytopenia: surgical therapy and predictors of response.

Abstract We have reviewed 40 patients with immune thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP) to assess current methods of preparation for surgery and to evaluate perioperative complications and response to splenectomy. Twenty-one patients had chronic ITP (> 1 year duration) and 19 patients had severe acute thrombocytopenia (platelet counts P
Peritransplant injury to the myocardium associated with the development of accelerated arteriosclerosis in heart transplant recipients.

Accelerated arteriosclerosis is now the major long-term complication of heart transplantation. Defining the risk factors associated with the development of accelerated arteriosclerosis will provide not only a means of identifying patients at risk for this complication but also clues to the etiology of accelerated arteriosclerosis. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between peritransplant myocardial ischemic injury and the development of accelerated arteriosclerosis. In a case-control study we examined the first three endomyocardial biopsies from 50 heart transplant recipients and graded the degree of ischemic injury present in these biopsies. The histologic changes graded in the biopsies included contraction band necrosis, coagulative necrosis, and macro-phagic removal of ischemically injured myocytes. Of the 50 recipients included in the study, 25 had angiographic evidence of accelerated arteriosclerosis and 25 did not. In multivariate analysis, which included the number of class I major histocompatibility (MHC) antigen mismatches between the donor and the recipient, the recipient's post-transplant cytomegalovirus status, the donor's age, and the number of rejection episodes, the histologic degree of ischemic injury present in the biopsies emerged as the strongest predictor of the development of accelerated arteriosclerosis (RR 2.6, 95% CI 1.2–5.8, p = 0.02). These results suggest that ischemic injury to the heart during the peritransplant period significantly contributes to the development of accelerated arteriosclerosis in heart transplant recipients and that histologic changes in early post-transplant biopsies can be used to identify recipients at risk of developing acclerated arteriosclerosis.
RAPID ANTAGONISTIC COEVOLUTION BETWEEN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERS IN HORNED BEETLES

Different structures may compete during development for a shared and limited pool of resources to sustain growth and differentiation. The resulting resource allocation trade-offs have the potential to alter both ontogenetic outcomes and evolutionary trajectories. However, little is known about the evolutionary causes and consequences of resource allocation trade-offs in natural populations. Here, we explore the significance of resource allocation trade-offs between primary and secondary sexual traits in shaping early morphological divergences between four recently separated populations of the horned beetle Onthophagus taurus as well as macroevolutionary divergence patterns across 10 Onthophagus species. We show that resource allocation trade-offs leave a strong signature in morphological divergence patterns both within and between species. Furthermore, our results suggest that genital divergence may, under certain circumstances, occur as a byproduct of evolutionary changes in secondary sexual traits. Given the importance of copulatory organ morphology for reproductive isolation our findings begin to raise the possibility that secondary sexual trait evolution may promote speciation as a byproduct. We discuss the implications of our results on the causes and consequences of resource allocation trade-offs in insects.
Government as an Obstacle to Industrialization: The Case of Nineteenth-Century China

This paper presents a brief summary of recent findings by a number of historians to the effect that the reputed official hostility to commerce has been greatly exaggerated. Many ch'ing government officials not only understood commerce, but were deeply involved in it themselves. The standard view of Chinese commerce used to be that it was a despised profession. If the imperial government of china was an obstacle to industrialization, it was more because of what it did not do than because of harmful efforts which it did undertake. China provides a test of the proposition that a government in a late-developing nation not only can, but must, take steps to aid economic growth if the country is to avoid a long slow process of institutional change prior to industrialization. Key areas where the government must take on major responsibilities are in the fields of education and banking reform. Keywords: banking reform; Chinese commerce; education; imperial government; industrialization
Linking soil food web structure to above- and belowground ecosystem processes: a meta-analysis

Soil fauna can be an important regulator of community parameters and ecosystem processes, but there have been few quantitative syntheses of the role of soil fauna in terrestrial soil communities and ecosystems. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the impacts of invertebrate soil micro- and mesofauna (grazers and predators) on plant productivity and microbial biomass. Overall our results indicate that an increase in the biomass of soil fauna increased aboveground plant productivity across ecosystems by 35% and decreased microbial biomass by 8%. In addition, we found no evidence for trophic cascades in terrestrial soil food webs, but the bacterivorous component of soil fauna influenced plant productivity and microbial biomass more than did the fungivorous component. Furthermore, changes in the biomass of soil fauna differentially affected plant productivity among plant functional groups: a higher biomass of soil fauna increased aboveground productivity by 70% in coniferous systems. However, in ecosystems dominated by legumes, a functional group with lower inorganic nitrogen requirements, there was no response of aboveground productivity to increases in the biomass of soil fauna. In sum, the results of this meta-analysis indicate that soil fauna help to regulate ecosystem production, especially in nutrient-limited ecosystems.
Structured learning with constrained conditional models

Making complex decisions in real world problems often involves assigning values to sets of interdependent variables where an expressive dependency structure among these can influence, or even dictate, what assignments are possible. Commonly used models typically ignore expressive dependencies since the traditional way of incorporating non-local dependencies is inefficient and hence leads to expensive training and inference. The contribution of this paper is two-fold. First, this paper presents Constrained Conditional Models (CCMs), a framework that augments linear models with declarative constraints as a way to support decisions in an expressive output space while maintaining modularity and tractability of training. The paper develops, analyzes and compares novel algorithms for CCMs based on Hidden Markov Models and Structured Perceptron. The proposed CCM framework is also compared to task-tailored models, such as semi-CRFs. Second, we propose CoDL, a constraint-driven learning algorithm, which makes use of constraints to guide semi-supervised learning. We provide theoretical justification for CoDL along with empirical results which show the advantage of using declarative constraints in the context of semi-supervised training of probabilistic models.
Synthesis and characterization of radiolabeled 17β‐estradiol conjugates

The use of radioactive tracers for environmental fate and transport studies of emerging contaminants, especially for those that are labile, offers convenience in tracking study compounds and their metabolites, and in calculating mass balances. The aim of this study was to synthesize radiolabeled glucuronide and sulfate conjugates of 17b-estradiol (17b-E2). The conjugates 17b-[4- 14 C]estradiol-3-glucuronide ([ 14 C]17b-E2-3-G) and 17b-[4- 14 C]estradiol-17-sulfate ([ 14 C]17b-E2-17-S) were synthesized utilizing immobilized enzyme and chemical syntheses, respectively. Microsomal proteins from the liver of a phenobarbital induced pig (Sus scrofa domestica) were harvested and used to glucuronidate [ 14 C]17b-E2. Synthesis of [ 14 C]17b-E2-17-S consisted of a three-step chemical process – introducing a blocking group at the C-3 position of [ 14 C]17bE2, sulfation at C-17 position, and subsequent deblocking to yield the desired synthetic product. Successful syntheses of [ 14 C]17b-E2-3-G and [ 14 C]17b-E2-17-S were achieved as verified by liquid chromatography, radiochemical analyses, quadrupole-time-of-flight (QTOF) mass spectrometry, and 1 H and 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Radiochemical yields of 84 and 44% were achieved for 17b-E2-3-G and 17b-E2-17-S, respectively. Synthetic products were purified using high-performance liquid chromatography and radiochemical purities of 98% or greater were obtained.
Cost-effectiveness of provider-based HIV partner notification in urban Malawi

Provider-initiated partner notification for HIV effectively identifies new cases of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, but is not widely implemented. Our objective was to determine whether provider-based HIV partner notification strategies are cost-effective for preventing HIV transmission compared with passive referral. We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis using a decision-analytic model from the health system perspective during a 1-year period. Costs and outcomes of all strategies were estimated with a decision-tree model. The study setting was an urban sexually transmitted infection clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi, using a hypothetical cohort of 5000 sex partners of 3500 HIV-positive index cases. We evaluated three partner notification strategies: provider notification (provider attempts to notify indexes’ locatable partners), contract notification (index given 1 week to notify partners then provider attempts notification) and passive referral (index is encouraged to notify partners, standard of care). Our main outcomes included cost (US dollars) per transmission averted, cost per new case identified and cost per partner tested. Based on estimated transmissions in a 5000-person cohort, provider and contract notification averted 27.9 and 27.5 new infections, respectively, compared with passive referral. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was $3560 per HIV transmission averted for contract notification compared with passive referral. Provider notification was more expensive and slightly more effective than contract notification, yielding an ICER of $51 421 per transmission averted. ICERs were sensitive to the proportion of partners not contacted, but likely HIV positive and the probability of transmission if not on antiretroviral therapy. The costs per new case identified were $36 (provider), $18 (contract) and $8 (passive). The costs per partner tested were $19 (provider), $9 (contract) and $4 (passive). We conclude that, in this population, provider-based notification strategies are potentially cost-effective for identifying new cases of HIV. These strategies offer a simple, effective and easily implementable opportunity to control HIV transmission.
A note on adaptive approximation in Sobolev spaces

In this article, we consider the adaptive approximation in Sobolev spaces. After establishing some norm equivalences and inequalities in Besov spaces, we are able to prove that the best N terms approximation with wavelet-like basis in Sobolev spaces exhibits the proper approximation order in terms of N−1. This indicates that the computational load in adaptive approximation is proportional to the approximation accuracy. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2007
Data access for the masses through OLE DB

This paper presents an overview of OLE DB, a set of interfaces being developed at Microsoft whose goal is to enable applications to have uniform access to data stored in DBMS and non-DBMS information containers. Applications will be able to take advantage of the benefits of database technology without having to transfer data from its place of origin to a DBMS. Our approach consists of defining an open, extensible Collection of interfaces that factor and encapsulate orthogonal, reusable portions of DBMS functionality. These interfaces define the boundaries of DBMS components such as record containers, query processors, and transaction coordinators that enable uniform, transactional access to data among such components. The proposed interfaces extend Microsoft's OLE/COM object services framework with database functionality, hence these interfaces are collectively referred to as OLE DB. The OLE DB functional areas include data access and updates (rowsets), query processing, schema information, notifications, transactions, security, and access to remote data. In a sense, OLE DB represents an effort to bring database technology to the masses. This paper presents an overview of the OLE DB approach and its areas of componentization.
Local emergency evacuation planning in California, USA: a comparison with the hurricane states

Many of the losses due to wildfires, floods, and other hazards can be avoided with proper evacuation planning. This study examined local emergency evacuation readiness in the State of California of the USA. Emergency planning documents were obtained from 41 of the 58 California counties; only 8 of those were free-standing emergency evacuation plans eligible for evaluation. The plans were evaluated using a tool previously developed for a congressional study of hurricane evacuation plans. The California plans scored relatively well in the areas of decision making and communications but scored poorly on other issues including planning for alternative transportation modes and evacuating special needs populations. Overall, the California evacuation plans did not measure up to those developed in the hurricane states. This study highlights the need to strengthen and standardise evacuation planning in at-risk areas and to improve knowledge about local evacuation preparedness.
Sampling-based robotic information gathering algorithms

We propose three sampling-based motion planning algorithms for generating informative mobile robot trajectories. The goal is to find a trajectory that maximizes an information quality metric (e.g. variance reduction, information gain, or mutual information) and also falls within a pre-specified budget constraint (e.g. fuel, energy, or time). Prior algorithms have employed combinatorial optimization techniques to solve these problems, but existing techniques are typically restricted to discrete domains and often scale poorly in the size of the problem. Our proposed rapidly exploring information gathering (RIG) algorithms combine ideas from sampling-based motion planning with branch and bound techniques to achieve efficient information gathering in continuous space with motion constraints. We provide analysis of the asymptotic optimality of our algorithms, and we present several conservative pruning strategies for modular, submodular, and time-varying information objectives. We demonstrate that our proposed techniques find optimal solutions more quickly than existing combinatorial solvers, and we provide a proof-of-concept field implementation on an autonomous surface vehicle performing a wireless signal strength monitoring task in a lake.
A spectral multi‐domain technique for viscous compressible reacting flows

The first application of a spectral multidomain method for viscous compressible flow is presented. The method imposes a global flux balance condition at the interface so that high-order continuity of the solution is preserved. The solution scheme can be adapted to the particular requirement in each subdomain. To illustrate these advantages, a Mach 11 shock calculation is presented to study the chemical kinetics initiated as air passes through a fully resolved shock wave.
Role of surgery in the treatment of motor complications

When medications no longer provide patients with Parkinson's disease a reasonable quality of life due to the presence of levodopa-associated motor fluctuations and dyskinesias, surgical treatment is often pursued. Numerous studies have examined the antiparkinsonian efficacy of procedures currently available, but surprisingly few studies have evaluated their effect on motor response complications in a systematic, controlled manner, using appropriate instruments. Nonetheless, the combined evidence from uncontrolled case series and more recent randomized controlled trials reviewed here indicates that unilateral pallidotomy, bilateral pallidal deep brain stimulation, and bilateral subthalamic deep brain stimulation all substantially alleviate levodopa-induced dyskinesias and, to a lesser extent, motor fluctuations. Incorporation of standardized, validated instruments for the quantification of motor response complications in future surgical study protocols will not only allow more accurate comparison of different interventions but also will help physicians select the most appropriate procedure for their patients.
Maternal health and knowledge and infant health outcomes in the Ariaal people of northern Kenya.

Abstract There is a strong link between maternal knowledge and child well-being in many populations worldwide. Fewer studies have investigated the links between indigenous systems of medical knowledge and infant outcomes in non-Western societies, such as the Ariaal people of northern Kenya. This study has four goals. First, it defines culture-specific domains of health knowledge in Ariaal mothers using the cultural consensus method, a statistical model that measures knowledge shared by a set of informants. Second, it identifies factors that predict maternal health knowledge. Third, it investigates associations between maternal health knowledge and treatment-seeking behaviors. Finally, it associates health knowledge with biomarkers of infant health. Data collection took place in two separate periods. The first data collection period (October–November 2007) enrolled 41 women to participate in an open-ended interview or true-false consensus questionnaire. The second data collection period (November 2008–January 2009) used information from the cultural consensus analysis to assess how health knowledge impacted infant health outcomes and treatment. Women and infants in this data collection period (n = 251 pairs) underwent anthropometric measurement and participated in a questionnaire that included traditional medicine consensus questions. Data were analyzed using the cultural consensus capabilities in ANTHROPAC 4.98; univariate and multivariate statistics were performed in SAS 9.2. This study found consensus in the domains of infant illness, traditional medicine, Western medicine, and treatment decision-making. Proximity to a medical dispensary and use of public health infrastructure significantly predicted higher levels of maternal health knowledge. Mothers’ knowledge of traditional medicine was positively associated with treating infants at a dispensary versus at home. Finally, women with greater knowledge of traditional medicine had infants who were significantly less likely to have been ill in the previous month. These results highlight the importance of both traditional and Western health knowledge for Ariaal mothers and infants.
Self-scanning of a continuous-wave dye laser having a phase-conjugating resonator cavity.

A continuous-wave dye laser having a self-pumped phase conjugator in place of its usual output mirror will slowly change its own output wavelength with time. The laser has a bandwidth of 1.5 GHz and can self-scan to either longer or shorter wavelengths over a 37-nm range. The phase conjugator uses self-pumped four-wave mixing in a BaTiO3 crystal. A ring laser that uses two-wave mixing in the same crystal is also observed to have a frequency offset of a few hertz compared with the frequency of the pumping beam. These two effects are related; both are caused by a spontaneously moving photorefractive-index grating in the BaTiO3 crystal.
The Decline of Transit: A Corporate Conspiracy or Failure of Public Policy? The Case of Portland, Oregon

In his 1974 testimony before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust and Monopoly, Bradford Snell lay partial blame for the decline of mass transit in the United States on a targeted program, spearheaded by General Motors (GM), with the goal of “substitution of buses for passenger trains, streetcars and trolley buses; monopolization of bus production; and diversion of riders to automobiles.” Snell argued that General Motors and its subsidiary company National City Lines were responsible for “the destruction of more than 100 electric surface rail systems in 45 cities including New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, St. Louis, Oakland, Salt Lake City and Los Angeles.”
Observation After a Positive Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Patients with Melanoma

Background The benefit of completion lymph node dissection (CLND) in melanoma patients with a positive sentinel lymph node (SLN) remains unknown.
A Theory of Negotiations and Formation of Coalitions

This paper proposes a new solution concept to three-player coalitional bargaining problems where the underlying economic opportunities are described by a partition function. This classic bargaining problem is modeled as a dynamic non-cooperative game in which players make conditional or unconditional offers, and coalitions continue to negotiate as long as there are gains from trade. The theory yields a unique stationary perfect equilibrium outcome—the negotiation value—and provides a unified framework that selects an economically intuitive solution and endogenous coalition structure. For such games as pure bargaining games the negotiation value coincides with the Nash bargaining solution, and for such games as zero-sum and majority voting games the negotiation value coincides with the Shapley value. However, a novel situation arises where the outcome is determined by pairwise sequential bargaining sessions in which a pair of players forms a natural match. In addition, another novel situation exists where the outcome is determined by one pivotal player bargaining unconditionally with the other players, and only the pairwise coalitions between the pivotal player and the other players can form.
A randomized pilot study on the effect of niacin on pulmonary arterial pressure

Background Niacin induces the release of vasodilating prostaglandins, for which receptors are present within the pulmonary arterial circulation. We hypothesized that immediate-release niacin would reduce right ventricular systolic pressure in patients with pulmonary hypertension in a randomized, double-blinded, single-dose provocation study.
Social support attenuates the harmful effects of stress in healthy adult women

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that social support buffers the effects of perceived stress on physical symptoms in healthy women. Methods The study was conducted in the Southwest United States and data were collected from 2006 to 2010. Participants were 52 healthy adult women who completed a baseline questionnaire and a 21-day daily diary. Social support was assessed in the baseline questionnaire and perceived stress and physical symptoms were assessed in the daily diary. Multilevel analyses were used to predict both same day and next day physical symptoms from baseline social support and daily perceived stress. Results The hypotheses were supported when predicting both same and next day physical symptoms. For the same day, perceived stress and the social support × perceived stress interaction were both related to physical symptoms. For the next day, the social support × perceived stress interaction but not perceived stress was related to physical symptoms when controlling for previous day physical symptoms. The interactions were such that women higher in social support had smaller increases in same and next day physical symptoms on days of higher perceived stress than women lower in social support. Conclusions Social support may buffer the effects of daily perceived stress on physical symptoms in healthy women. Future research should investigate what aspects and in what contexts social support may reduce the effects of perceived stress on physical symptoms and examine how social support may affect the development of long-term health problems through increases in daily physical symptoms.
1463OPROSPECTIVE MOLECULAR EVALUATION OF SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER (SCLC) UTILIZING THE COMPREHENSIVE MUTATION ANALYSIS PROGRAM (MAP) AT MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER (MSKCC)

ABSTRACT Aim: Recent studies using next generation sequencing (NGS) on resected SCLC specimens have led to insights into the molecular heterogeneity of this disease. However, comprehensive, prospective molecular profiling of patients (pts) with advanced SCLC using the biopsy specimens available in clinical practice has not been performed. Methods: Utilizing an IRB-approved protocol, we prospectively are evaluating SCLC tumors (SCLC-MAP) of pts in active treatment. These biopsies are evaluated by: fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for FGFR1 and MET copy number; point mutation genotyping for known oncogenes by a mass spectrometry based assay (Sequenom); and NGS with a panel of 300 cancer-related genes. We first tested the feasibility of this approach in a series of pts with SCLC identified retrospectively, with matched tumor and normal pairs, and performed NGS, confirming the findings by FISH. Results: In the feasibility cohort, 21 pts with SCLC had FFPE samples available. After histologic review and DNA extraction, 10 pts had adequate material for NGS. We observed recurrent mutations in RB1 (N=7) and TP53 (N=8) and amplifications of FGFR1 (N=2) and MET (N=1), using as little as 15 nanograms of DNA. FISH confirmed FGFR1 and MET amplification in the identified cases. Since 2/2013, SCLC pts undergoing active treatment, with sufficient archived tissue, are providing consent for SCLC-MAP. Thus far, 36 pt samples have been tested. Sequenom (N=32) identified an AKT1 E17 mutation (N=1) and a PIK3CA E542K mutation (N=1). NGS (N=25) has yielded the following: loss of RB1 (N=18 mutations; N=4 deletions); mutations in TP53 (N=24), MLL3 (N=9), and EPHA 5 (N=9); and amplifications of CDKN2C (N=5), MYCL1 (N=3), SOX2 (N=2), and FGFR1 (N=1, confirmed by FISH). 4 pts had insufficient material. Conclusions: Comprehensive molecular evaluation of SCLC is feasible on clinical specimens. Prospective collection of SCLC tumor samples and mutational analyses continue. Such analyses will allow us to characterize the molecular diversity of SCLC, identify pts who will be candidates for targeted therapies, and ascertain clinical characteristics. Funded, in part, by the Lung Cancer Research Foundation. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
Performance Study of Vane Pump Power Split Transmission for a Highway Vehicle

A novel Vane Pump Power Split Transmission (VPPST), applied to a class 1 pickup truck, is demonstrated in this paper. The VPPST, a power split hydraulic transmission consists of Vane Pump Power Split Unit (VPSU) and a variable displacement hydraulic motor. The VPSU is a double acting vane pump with a floating ring. The floating ring is coupled to the output shaft, which is connected to the drive shaft. The input shaft of the VPSU is coupled to the engine. The control flow of the VPSU is fed to a variable displacement motor mounted on the VPSU output shaft. The transmission ratio is adjusted by controlling the displacement of the variable motor. The resulting continuous variable transmission allows for optimum engine operation by decoupling the engine speed from the drive speed. The transmission also has an integral clutch that allows de-clutching the engine from the drive train by retracting the vanes of the VPSU. In this paper, a quasi-static simulation approach is used to study the performance of the transmission.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Collective identity, rationality and collective political action:

This paper explores the effects of collective identity on protest behavior by applying an extended version of the theory of collective action. Hypotheses are derived about the following questions t...
Beliefs in Context: Understanding Language Policy Implementation at a Systems Level

Drawing on institutional theory, this study describes how cognitive, normative, and regulative mechanisms shape bilingual teachers’ language policy implementation in both English-only and bilingual contexts. Aligned with prior educational language policy research, findings indicate the important role that teachers’ beliefs play in the policy implementation process. However, findings also reveal several other dimensions of the policymaking process that contribute to the coupling of language policy and classroom practice, including district-level policy, administrative oversight, and teacher training policies. This study thus offers an institutional view of language policy implementation that accounts for teachers’ beliefs in a more nuanced and realistic way. Results from the study suggest the need to respond to both individual- and systems-level policy mechanisms—and the interplay between them—when designing school systems that address the educational needs of English language learners, whose presence is i...
Abstract 1343: Tracking T cell leukemogenesis in mice with green fluorescence protein-labeled LSTRA leukemic cells

LSTRA leukemia was originally induced in a BALB/c mouse by the Moloney murine leukemia virus. The established LSTRA leukemic T cell line is transplantable in BALB/c mice and serves as an important animal model for leukemogenesis. Numerous studies using LSTRA cells have been reported in the field of cancer therapy, including immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Subsequent identification of a lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase gene Lck in LSTRA cells further highlights the LSTRA leukemia as a key model in studying hematologic malignancy induced by oncogenic Lck protein tyrosine kinase. While intraperitoneal inoculation of LSTRA cells reproducibly induces leukemic death in syngeneic BALB/c mice, very little is known on the details of its malignant progression. It also is not clear if LSTRA leukemia in mice resembles any specific T cell leukemia in humans. To better understand the process of LSTRA leukemia, we engineered LSTRA cells to stably express green fluorescence protein (GFP) by retroviral transduction. GFP-labeled LSTRA cells are easily distinguishable by flow cytometry, immunofluorescence microscopy, and immunoblotting. Biochemical characterization confirms that, like the parental LSTRA leukemia, GFP-tagged LSTRA cells express high levels of active Lck kinase. Consistent with our previous report (J Immunol 159:5206), GFP-tagged LSTRA cells also exhibit constitutive activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and STAT5. BALB/c mice receiving 10 million GFP-labeled LSTRA cells intraperitoneally show signs of leukemia, such as acute weight loss, abdominal swelling, hunched posture, and squinting eyes, within 1 week. All mice die within 10 days. Even intraperitoneal inoculation of 50 GFP-labeled LSTRA cells results in 40% lethality within a month. By tracking GFP, we were able to identify multi-organ metastasis of LSTRA leukemia, including bone marrow, spleen, and liver. Immunohistochemistry analysis of tissue sections further revealed a unique concentration of LSTRA cells in the red pulp of spleen. It is important to note that mild to moderate lymphocytic infiltration of the spleen red pulp has been reported in patients with T cell large granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukemia. It suggests that LSTRA leukemia may represent a murine model of distinct human T cell maliganacy, such as LGL leukemia. All together, we have shown here that the GFP-labeled LSTRA cell line is a powerful tool to monitor leukemic progression in immune-competent mice. It has important implications in utilizing LSTRA leukemia for future studies in cancer therapy. Experiments are also in progress to define the molecular mechanisms underlying LSTRA infiltration in the spleen red pulp. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1343. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1343
Manuel Cardona, The Person

Because others will treat Manuel’s scientific accomplishments in detail, I am writing this from a more personal perspective. In a field filled with outstandingly intelligent people, Manuel was arguably the brightest individual I ever met. His language skills were legendary, and his scientific skills no less. Much of what I have accomplished in my career, and certainly much of the recognition that has come my way, I owe to Manuel. Probably most graduate students and postdoctoral research associates who have had the opportunity to work with Manuel will say the same thing, which gives some idea of his impact.
Multiplexed Molecular Imaging of SERS Nanoparticles for Guiding Breast Tumor Resection

To guide breast cancer lumpectomy procedures, we are developing a system for wide-area raster-scanned multiplexed molecular imaging human breast tumor excisions rapidly stained with a mix of topically applied molecularly targeted SERS nanoparticles.
Feminist ecology: Doing, undoing, and redoing gender in science.

0 0 1 198 1135 Carleton College 9 2 1331 14.0 Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language:JA;} Women continue to be underrepresented in STEM fields and also are more likely to leave academic careers than men. While much existing sociological research on gender in science focuses on structures, institutions, and policies, we take a cultural and phenomenological approach to the question. We focus on the interaction between structural and micro-sociological forces that uphold existing gender inequalities and drive new forms of inequality within the discipline of ecology by tracing the experience of female graduate students. Ecology in the United States and elsewhere is currently undergoing three shifts well documented by previous studies—more female scientists, interdisciplinary work, and research in human-altered landscapes—that comprise a transition to what we call “feminist ecology.” We ask whether these disciplinary-level shifts in ecology are accompanied by renegotiations in the way ecologists “do gender” as they work. In this paper we argue that despite structural changes toward a feminist ecology, gender inequalities are not eliminated. Our data collected using ethnographic and autoethnographic methods during ecological fieldwork in the northeastern United States, show that gender inequality persists through daily interactions, shaping the way that fieldwork is conducted and bodies are policed. We provide additional evidence of the way that ecologists and non-ecologists interact during fieldwork, highlighting the embeddedness of scientific disciplines within larger societal forces. Thus, the question of women in science cannot be understood strictly from within the bounds of science but extends to gender relations in society at large. We hope that this study can serve as a teaching tool for university efforts to increase the success, not just the prevalence, of women in science, and facilitate productive interdisciplinary research across disciplines.
Fuzzy logic controlled power balancing for low voltage ride-through capability enhancement of large-scale grid-connected PV plants

This paper proposes an advanced control methodology to enhance the low-voltage ride-through (LVRT) capability of a large-scale two-stage grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) plants. The inverter of the three-phase grid-connected PV system should insert the reactive power according to the LVRT regulations without exceeding the maximum current rating during the grid fault. Both active and reactive power control schemes are incorporated according to the recent grid code. Since a PV system is nonlinear in nature, a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) has been implemented for the active power insertion considering the severity of grid voltage dip. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology in improving the LVRT of the grid-connected PV system is verified by applying both balanced and unbalanced faults in the network. The proposed method is able to protect the DC-link overvoltage, and is capable of suppressing the transient overcurrent and inserting the reactive current. Also, the proposed method is better than the conventional control strategy during the event of grid fault without incurring the extra device.
An Active Learning Pedagogy for International Management: Cases in Germany, Mexico, and Ethiopia

Three very different study abroad visits for US students illustrate limitations of short-term study abroad experiences as well as highlight successful approaches. Lessons can be gained for strategically planning experiences that gain the most cross-cultural learning from short study abroad visits.
Probing Gelation and Rheological Behavior of a Self-Assembled Molecular Gel.

Molecular gels have been investigated over the last few decades; however, mechanical behavior of these self-assembled gels is not well understood, particularly how these materials fail at large strain. Here, we report the gelation and rheological behavior of a molecular gel formed by self-assembly of a low molecular weight gelator (LMWG), di-Fmoc-l-lysine, in 1-propanol/water mixture. Gels were prepared by solvent-triggered technique, and gelation was tracked using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and shear rheology. FTIR spectroscopy captures the formation of hydrogen bonding between the gelator molecules, and the change in IR spectra during the gelation process correlates with the gelation kinetics results captured by rheology. Self-assembly of gelator molecules leads to a fiber-like structure, and these long fibers topologically interact to form a gel-like material. Stretched-exponential function can capture the stress-relaxation data. Stress-relaxation time for these gels have been found...
Statin Denial: An Internet-Driven Cult With Deadly Consequences.

Zhang and colleagues report that among patients who reported an adverse reaction to statins, those who continued to receive statins had a lower cardiovascular event rate at 4 years than those who s...
The impact of medication nonadherence on the relationship between mortality risk and depression in heart failure.

Objective Heart failure affects more than 5 million U.S. adults, and approximately 20% of individuals with heart failure experience depressive symptoms. Depression is detrimental to prognosis in heart failure, conferring approximately a 2-fold increase in mortality risk. Medication nonadherence may help explain this relationship because depressed patients are less likely to adhere to the medication regimen. Method Depression, electronically monitored medication adherence, and mortality were measured in a sample of 308 patients with heart failure participating in a study of self-management behavior. Cardiovascular and all-cause mortality data were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Death Index (median 2.9-year follow-up). Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess the relationship between depression and mortality, with and without adjustment for age, gender, disease severity, and medication nonadherence. Results In adjusted analyses, depression was associated with an increased all-cause mortality risk (hazard ratio 1.87; 95% confidence interval 1.04-3.37). Depression was not related to cardiovascular mortality, potentially because of a low number of cardiac-related deaths. When medication nonadherence was added to the model, nonadherence (hazard ratio 1.01; 95% confidence interval 1.004-1.02), but not depression, predicted all-cause mortality risk. Conclusions Depressive symptoms confer increased all-cause mortality risk in heart failure, and medication nonadherence contributes to this relationship. Depression and nonadherence represent potentially modifiable risk factors for poor prognosis. Future research is needed to understand whether interventions that concomitantly target these factors can improve outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record
Electron Propagator Theory: Foundations and Predictions

Abstract Electron propagator theory is an efficient means to accurately calculating electron binding energies and associated Dyson orbitals that is systematically improvable and easily interpreted in terms of familiar concepts of valence theory. After a brief discussion of the physical meaning of the poles and residues of the electron propagator, the Dyson quasiparticle equation is derived. Practical approximations of the self-energy operator in common use are defined in terms of the elements of the Hermitian superoperator Hamiltonian matrix. Methods that retain select self-energy terms in all orders of the fluctuation potential include the two-particle-one-hole Tamm–Dancoff approximation, the renormalized third-order method, the third-order algebraic diagrammatic construction, and the renormalized, nondiagonal second-order approximation. Methods based on diagonal second-order and third-order elements of the self-energy matrix, such as the diagonal second-order, diagonal third-order, outer valence Green's function, partial third-order, and renormalized partial third-order approximations, provide efficient alternatives. Recent numerical tests on valence, vertical ionization energies of representative, small molecules, and a comparison of arithmetic and memory requirements provide guidance to users of electron propagator software. A survey of recent applications and extensions illustrates the versatility and interpretive power of electron propagator methodology.
The ethical landscape of patients with leukemia: Common issues and best practices.

e18085 Background: Leukemia represents a complex spectrum of malignancies, involving numerous treatment options and substantial symptom burden for patients. Ethical dilemmas may arise which challen...