cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Online Doctoral Students Writing for Scholarly Publication

Abstract Scholarly publication remains an indication that doctoral students have successfully joined their field’s dialogue—that they are doing the work of scholars, which is critical to their career progression in academia and important in other contexts, as well. Yet, how best to support and instruct doctoral students in writing for scholarly publication continues to be debated, particularly in relation to online students. As such, this qualitative archival analysis of online interdisciplinary leadership doctoral students’ discussion boards from three course sections of an elective course on writing for scholarly publication uncovered behavioral and emotional barriers that inhibited students’ progression toward scholarly publication. Its aim was to discover best practices for easing and quickening doctoral students’ paths to scholarly publication. Findings resulted in the creation of a grounded theory that took a comprehensive vantage point of the issue and offered practicable tenets for programmatic implementation.
Atrial fibrillation ablation in practice: assessing CABANA generalizability.

AIMS The Catheter Ablation vs. Antiarrhythmic Drug Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation (CABANA) trial aimed to assess the impact of ablation on morbidity and mortality. This observational study was conducted in parallel to CABANA to assess trial generalizability. METHODS AND RESULTS Using a large US administrative database, we identified 183 760 patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) treated with ablation or medical therapy (antiarrhythmic or rate control drugs) between 1 August 2009 and 30 April 2016 (CABANA enrolment period). Propensity score weighting was used to balance patients treated with ablation (N = 12 032) or medical therapy alone (N = 171 728) on 90 dimensions. Ablation was associated with a reduction in the composite endpoint of all-cause mortality, stroke, major bleeding, and cardiac arrest [hazard ratio (HR) 0.75, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70-0.81; P < 0.001]. The majority of patients (73.8%) were potentially trial eligible; among whom the risk reduction associated with ablation was greatest (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.63-0.77; P < 0.001). Among the 3.8% of patients who failed to meet the inclusion criterion, i.e. patients under 65 years without stroke risk factors, the event rates were low and there was no significant relationship with ablation (HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.29-1.56; P = 0.35). Among the 22.4% patients who met at least one of the trial exclusion criteria, there was a lesser but statistically significant reduction associated with ablation (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.75-0.95; P = 0.01). CONCLUSION In routine clinical care, ablation was associated with a reduction in the primary CABANA composite endpoint of all-cause mortality, stroke, major bleeding, and cardiac arrest, particularly in patients who were eligible for the trial.
Thrombectomy in the Venous System: Approaches and Techniques

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is an uncommon cause of acute stroke that can become a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) techniques have significantly evolved over the past decade, but the data regarding the efficacy and safety of MT for CVST remains poorly defined. Most evidence is limited to small case series and pooled reviews, and high-quality data from randomized trials of endovascular therapy of CVST is currently lacking. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive discussion of the feasible approaches and techniques for endovascular management of CVST. Presenting some of our institutional experience in the field, we aim to provide some technical tips for the successful endovascular treatment of this disease.
Bifidobacterium dentium Fortifies the Intestinal Mucus Layer via Autophagy and Calcium Signaling Pathways.

Much remains unknown about how the intestinal microbiome interfaces with the protective intestinal mucus layer. Bifidobacterium species colonize the intestinal mucus layer and can modulate mucus production by goblet cells. However, select Bifidobacterium strains can also degrade protective glycans on mucin proteins. We hypothesized that the human-derived species Bifidobacterium dentium would increase intestinal mucus synthesis and expulsion, without extensive degradation of mucin glycans. In silico data revealed that B. dentium lacked the enzymes necessary to extensively degrade mucin glycans. This finding was confirmed by demonstrating that B. dentium could not use naive mucin glycans as primary carbon sources in vitro To examine B. dentium mucus modulation in vivo, Swiss Webster germfree mice were monoassociated with live or heat-killed B. dentium Live B. dentium-monoassociated mice exhibited increased colonic expression of goblet cell markers Kruppel-like factor 4 (Klf4), Trefoil factor 3 (Tff3), Relm-β, Muc2, and several glycosyltransferases compared to both heat-killed B. dentium and germfree counterparts. Likewise, live B. dentium-monoassociated colon had increased acidic mucin-filled goblet cells, as denoted by Periodic Acid-Schiff-Alcian Blue (PAS-AB) staining and MUC2 immunostaining. In vitro, B. dentium-secreted products, including acetate, were able to increase MUC2 levels in T84 cells. We also identified that B. dentium-secreted products, such as γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), stimulated autophagy-mediated calcium signaling and MUC2 release. This work illustrates that B. dentium is capable of enhancing the intestinal mucus layer and goblet cell function via upregulation of gene expression and autophagy signaling pathways, with a net increase in mucin production.IMPORTANCE Microbe-host interactions in the intestine occur along the mucus-covered epithelium. In the gastrointestinal tract, mucus is composed of glycan-covered proteins, or mucins, which are secreted by goblet cells to form a protective gel-like structure above the epithelium. Low levels of mucin or alterations in mucin glycans are associated with inflammation and colitis in mice and humans. Although current literature links microbes to the modulation of goblet cells and mucins, the molecular pathways involved are not yet fully understood. Using a combination of gnotobiotic mice and mucus-secreting cell lines, we have identified a human-derived microbe, Bifidobacterium dentium, which adheres to intestinal mucus and secretes metabolites that upregulate the major mucin MUC2 and modulate goblet cell function. Unlike other Bifidobacterium species, B. dentium does not extensively degrade mucin glycans and cannot grow on mucin alone. This work points to the potential of using B. dentium and similar mucin-friendly microbes as therapeutic agents for intestinal disorders with disruptions in the mucus barrier.
Mitigating the Negative Market Reaction Associated with Acquisition Announcements by Cash-Rich Firms

Managers of cash-rich firms who are contemplating an acquisition face a dilemma. On the one hand, if they finance the acquisition with cash, the market could presume that they undertake the acquisition simply because the firm has excess cash (the free cash flow hypothesis). On the other hand, if they finance it with securities, the market could presume that they prefer to use securities, although they have excess cash, because the securities are overvalued (the substitution hypothesis). Consistent with these two hypotheses, we find that the association between excess cash and the market reaction to acquisition announcements is negative for both pure cash and pure noncash acquisitions. It would appear then that the managers of an average cash-rich acquirer have no good option - the market reacts negatively to an acquisition by the average cash-rich firm whether the acquisition is financed with cash or with securities. However, we find evidence suggesting that there is an optimal mix of cash and security financing that enables the average cash-rich firm to undertake acquisitions without eliciting negative market reactions, with the optimal mix tilted toward securities. The results also indicate that the market differentiates between acquirers that apparently opt for mixed financing as a means of distinguishing themselves and those that use mixed financing because of financing constraints.
Sensitive Oligodeoxynucleotide Synthesis Using Dim and Dmoc as Protecting Groups.

In traditional oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) synthesis, phosphate groups are protected with the 2-cyanoethyl group, and amino groups are protected with acyl groups. At the end of ODN synthesis, deprot...
A concurrent implementation of the surrogate management framework with application to cardiovascular shape optimization

The surrogate management framework (SMF) is an effective approach for derivative-free optimization of expensive objective functions. The SMF is typically comprised of surrogate-based infill methods (SEARCH step) coupled to pattern search optimization (POLL step). Although the latter is easy to parallelize, parallelization of the SEARCH step requires surrogate-based strategies that generate multiple candidates at each iteration. The impact of such SEARCH methods on SMF performance remains poorly explored. In this paper, we extend the SMF to incorporate concurrent evaluations at the SEARCH step by comparing two different infill approaches: single search multiple error sampling and expected improvement constant liar approaches. These variants are generalized to address non-linearly constrained problems by the filter method. The proposed methods are benchmarked for different infill sizes, while accounting for the variability in initialization. We then demonstrate the proposed methods on two shape optimization problems motivated by hemodynamically-driven surgical design. Surrogate-based multiple-infill strategies outperform their single-infill counterparts for a fixed computational time budget on bound constrained problems. Insights drawn from this study have implications not only on future instances of the SMF, but also for other surrogate-based and hybrid parallel infill methods for derivative-free optimization.
Two cases of severe Purtscher-like retinopathy demonstrating recurrence and progression to neovascularization and vitreous hemorrhage.

Abstract Purpose To report the clinical course of two cases with Purtscher-like retinopathy (PLR), associated with peritoneal dialysis (PD), demonstrating disease recurrence and progression to neovascularization and vitreous hemorrhage. Observations Case 1 (45-year old woman) experienced acute bilateral vision loss. Medical history included hypertension, end-stage renal failure (ESRF), PD, and obstructive sleep apnea. Visual acuity (VA) was 20/100 OD, 20/80 OS. Fundus findings were pathognomonic for PLR and included white streaks within arterioles. Nine months later, repeat imaging demonstrated disease recurrence and progression, including increased ischemia and new retinal neovascularization. The patient was managed with pan-retinal photocoagulation, sleep apnea treatment, and oral corticosteroids. Four months later, VA remained stable without additional progression. Case 2 (74-year old woman) experienced acute bilateral vision loss. Medical history included hypertension, ESRF, and PD, complicated by peritonitis. VA was 20/25 OD, 20/32 OS. Fundus findings were pathognomonic for PLR and included white streaks within arterioles. Three months later, further acute vision loss occurred, coinciding with recurrent peritonitis. Repeat imaging revealed disease recurrence and progression, including severely increased retinal ischemia. The PD catether was removed and the patient converted to hemodialysis. Bilateral vitreous hemorrhage later complicated the course. Conclusions and importance PLR can occur in association with PD, particularly in acute peritonitis. Contrary to classical descriptions, PLR may take a chronic and progressive course, with increasing ischemia and progression to neovascularization or vitreous hemorrhage. Increased surveillance for complications is recommended and treatment of neovascularization may be required.
Dietary suppression of MHC-II expression in intestinal stem cells enhances intestinal tumorigenesis [preprint]

Abstract Little is known about how interactions between diet, immune recognition, and intestinal stem cells (ISCs) impact the early steps of intestinal tumorigenesis. Here, we show that a high fat diet (HFD) reduces the expression of the major histocompatibility complex II (MHC-II) genes in ISCs. This decline in ISC MHC-II expression in a HFD correlates with an altered intestinal microbiome composition and is recapitulated in antibiotic treated and germ-free mice on a control diet. Mechanistically, pattern recognition receptor and IFNg signaling regulate MHC-II expression in ISCs. Although MHC-II expression on ISCs is dispensable for stem cell function in organoid cultures in vitro, upon loss of the tumor suppressor gene Apc in a HFD, MHC-II- ISCs harbor greater in vivo tumor-initiating capacity than their MHC-II+ counterparts, thus implicating a role for epithelial MHC-II in suppressing tumorigenesis. Finally, ISC-specific genetic ablation of MHC-II in engineered Apc-mediated intestinal tumor models increases tumor burden in a cell autonomous manner. These findings highlight how a HFD alters the immune recognition properties of ISCs through the regulation of MHC-II expression in a manner that could contribute to intestinal tumorigenesis.
Bimetallic cyclometalated iridium complexes bridged by a BODIPY linker

Presented here is a new class of supramolecular cyclometalated Ir(III) complexes. The 2 : 1 assemblies include two phosphorescent cyclometalated Ir(III) centers spanned by a BODIPY bridge with pyridine substituents at the β-pyrrole positions. The three complexes, which vary with respect to the cyclometalating ligand on iridium, are prepared via a simple one-pot procedure, with the target complexes isolated in 31–75% yield. The photophysics of these new compounds are described in detail. All complexes are strongly photoluminescent, with fluorescence from BODIPY being the dominant emission pathway. One member of the series has a near-unity photoluminescence quantum yield, significantly enhanced relative to the free BODIPY. The cyclometalating ligand on iridium controls the energy of the Ir-centered triplet excited state, but in all cases energy transfer from the Ir centers to the BODIPY quenches almost all phosphorescence. This work outlines a new, simple synthetic method for accessing supramolecular complexes.
Regional human resource development: the case of Southeast Asia and ASEAN

This paper presents a multilevel framework and initial definition of Regional Human Resource Development (Regional HRD) via an examination of the role of human resource development (HRD) in the reg...
Existence of the Gauge for Fractional Laplacian Schrödinger Operators

Let $$\Omega \subseteq \mathbb {R}^n$$ be an open set, where $$n \ge 2$$ . Suppose $$\omega $$ is a locally finite Borel measure on $$\Omega $$ . For $$\alpha \in (0,2)$$ , define the fractional Laplacian $$(-\triangle )^{\alpha /2}$$ via the Fourier transform on $$\mathbb {R}^n$$ , and let G be the corresponding Green’s operator of order $$\alpha $$ on $$\Omega $$ . Define $$T(u) = G(u \omega ).$$ If $$\Vert T \Vert _{L^2(\omega ) \rightarrow L^2 (\omega )} <1$$ , we obtain a representation for the unique weak solution u in the homogeneous Sobolev space $$L^{\alpha /2, 2}_0 (\Omega )$$ of $$\begin{aligned} (-\triangle )^{\alpha /2} u = u \omega + \nu \,\,\, \text{ on } \,\,\, \Omega , \,\,\, u=0 \,\,\, \text{ on } \,\,\, \Omega ^c, \end{aligned}$$ for $$\nu $$ in the dual Sobolev space $$L^{-\alpha /2, 2} (\Omega )$$ . If $$\Omega $$ is a bounded $$C^{1,1}$$ domain, this representation yields matching exponential upper and lower pointwise estimates for the solution when $$\nu = \chi _{\Omega }$$ . These estimates are used to study the existence of a solution $$u_1$$ (called the “gauge”) of the integral equation $$u_1=1+G(u_1 \omega )$$ corresponding to the problem $$\begin{aligned} (-\triangle )^{\alpha /2} u = u \omega \,\,\, \text{ on } \,\,\, \Omega , \,\,\, u \ge 0 \,\,\, \text{ on } \,\,\, \Omega , \,\,\, u=1 \,\,\, \text{ on } \,\,\, \Omega ^c . \end{aligned}$$ We show that if $$\Vert T \Vert <1$$ , then $$u_1$$ always exists if $$0<\alpha <1$$ . For $$1 \le \alpha <2$$ , a solution exists if the norm of T is sufficiently small. We also show that the condition $$\Vert T \Vert <1$$ does not imply the existence of a solution if $$1< \alpha <2$$ . The condition $$\Vert T \Vert \le 1$$ is necessary for the existence of $$u_1$$ for all $$0<\alpha \le 2$$ .
Land use for United States power generation: A critical review of existing metrics with suggestions for going forward

Abstract Renewable-based energy systems have the potential to vastly increase the use of land devoted to energy, thus drastically changing landscapes and habitats, since conventional, fossil-based energy systems use a very small proportion of earth's land surface. Land use affects ecosystems, biodiversity, and geochemical cycles. It also affects people's well-being due to effects on views, noise, recreation, and quality of life. This means strong and transparent metrics to assess land use for energy systems are needed. This review considers some of the most influential papers and metrics in this category, namely ecological footprint, land use intensity and power density, attempting to make them transparent in terms of data used and calculations performed. The literature frequently relies heavily on assessments that are decades old, many dating from the 1980's. The lack of transparency in the methods and even confusion in the units has led to the published metrics being applied incorrectly. Even within the same paper, the calculation is often performed several different ways, leading to errors and confusion on several orders of magnitude. An assessment of land use by major electricity production technologies and fuels as well as an explanation and guide to commonly used metrics is provided.
Juror Perceptions of Machine Learning Based Diagnoses of Mental Disorders

Advances in technology have led to ever more sophisticated methods for identifying and diagnosing mental disorders. This study aims to understand how jurors will react to machine learning based diagnoses of mental disorders in the sentencing process. Participants read a summary of a criminal court case that included either psychological or neuroscientific expert evidence that was or was not based on machine learning outputs. We found expert evidence generally produced contradictory effects (decreasing culpability but increasing perceived dangerousness), but the effects were consistent across psychological, neurological, and machine learning-based evidence.
Deep Learning Semantic Segmentation for High-Resolution Medical Volumes

Automated semantic segmentation in the domain of medical imaging can enable a faster, more reliable, and more affordable clinical workflow. Fully convolutional networks (FCNs) have been heavily used in this area due to the level of success that they have achieved. In this work, we first leverage recent architectural innovations to make an initial segmentation: (i) spatial and channel-wise squeeze and excitation mechanism; (ii) a 3D U-Net++ network and deep supervision. Second, we use classical methods for refining the initial segmentation: (i) spatial normalization and (ii) local 3D refinement network applied to patches. Finally, we put our methods together in a novel segmentation pipeline. We train and evaluate our models and pipelines on a dataset of a 120 abdominal magnetic resonance – volumetric – images (MRIs). The goal is to segment five different organs of interest (ORI): liver, kidneys, stomach, duodenum, and large bowel. Our experiments show that we can generate high resolution segmentation of comparable quality to the state-of-the-art methods on low resolution without adding significant computational cost.
Immediate Postpartum Long-Acting Reversible Contraception: Review of Insertion and Device Reimbursement Policies.

Abstract Background Previous assessment of statewide policies on long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) indicate that an increasing number of states are implementing policies specifically for provision immediately postpartum, supported by current clinical guidelines. Less is known about how state policies describe payment methodologies for the insertion procedure and device costs. Methods We conducted a systematic, web-based review of publicly available statewide policy language on immediate postpartum LARC among all 50 states. We examined the payor/s identified in the policy and policy type, if the policy included language on the global obstetric fee, whether providers and/or facilities were authorized to bill for procedure or device costs, and if the billing mechanism was identified as inpatient and/or outpatient services. Results Three-fourths of states (76%; n = 38) had statewide policies on immediate postpartum LARC. All policies identified Medicaid as the payor, although two also included non-Medicaid plans. Language allowing for reimbursement separate from the global obstetric fee for insertion procedures was present in 76% of states; 23 states permit it and 6 do not. Device cost reimbursement separate from the fee was identified in more state policies (92%); 31 states allow it and 4 do not. More policies included inpatient or outpatient billing mechanisms for device costs (82%; n = 31) than insertion procedures (50%; n = 19). Conclusions Medicaid reimbursement policies for immediate postpartum LARC services vary by state reimbursement process, type, and mechanism. Observed differences indicate payment methodologies more often include the cost of the device than provider reimbursement (31 states vs. 23 states). Fewer than one-half of states offer reimbursement for provider insertion fees, a significant systems barrier to contraceptive access for women who choose LARC immediately postpartum.
Pragmatic variation in first and second language contexts : methodological issues

1. Acknowledgements 2. Notes on contributors 3. Introduction: Pragmatic variation in first and second language contexts (by Felix-Brasdefer, J. Cesar) 4. Chapter 1. Pragmatic variation by gender in market service encounters in Mexico (by Felix-Brasdefer, J. Cesar) 5. Chapter 2. Cross-cultural stances in online discussions: Pragmatic variation in French and American ways of expressing opinions (by Blyth, Carl S.) 6. Chapter 3. Pragmatic variation in therapeutic discourse: An examination of mitigating devices employed by Dominican female clients and a Cuban American therapist (by Flores-Ferran, Nydia) 7. Chapter 4. Disagreement and sociolinguistic variables: English as a Lingua Franca of Practice in China (by Zhu Hua, Wei) 8. Chapter 5. Variation in the pragmatic use of conventional expressions (by Bardovi-Harlig, Kathleen) 9. Chapter 6. Variation in NS-learner interactions: Frames and expectations in pragmatic coconstruction (by Koike, Dale A.) 10. Pragmatic variation in learner perception: The role of retrospective verbal report in L2 speech act research (by Woodfield, Helen) 11. Chapter 8. Variationist sociolinguistics, L2 sociopragmatic competence, and corpus analysis of classroom-based synchronous computer-mediated discourse (by Compernolle, Remi A. van) 12. Research methods for describing variation in intercultural pragmatics for cultures in contact and conflict (by Cohen, Andrew D.) 13. Chapter 10. Between pragmatics and sociolinguistics: Where does pragmatic variation fit in? (by Terkourafi, Marina) 14. Chapter 11. Conclusions: Methodological issues in pragmatic variation (by Koike, Dale A.)
Will the Unions Find Their Way in the World of Globalization

This concluding chapter reviews why and how unions turn to traditional and non-traditional approaches in their responses to globalization. We ask how can unions represent workers at their workplaces while also speaking for and protecting workers in other countries? How will globalization be changed by unions and how will unions be changed by globalization? I emphasize again that globalization calls into question the fundamental union mission and compels unions to choose between being representatives solely of their own members or voices for workers around the globe, whether unionized or not. The future of the union movement hinges on their ability to respond to globalization.
Scientific Objectivity and the Aims of Belief

Science aims at knowledge. Knowledge involves belief. And belief aims at truth. Or so it is said. And so, therefore, it may also be said: science aims truth. These claims might be seen as belonging to a set of truisms or near-truisms that the philosopher of science denies at his peril. Realist and anti-realist, empiricist and pragmatist—all alike must be able to capture them, or re-explain them.
Design Considerations for Developing Biodegradable Magnesium Implants

The integration of biodegradable and bioabsorbable magnesium implants into the human body is a complex undertaking that faces major challenges. The complexity arises from the fact that biomaterials must meet both engineering and physiological requirements to ensure the desired properties. Historically, efforts have been focused on the behavior of commercial magnesium alloys in biological environments and their resultant effect on cell-mediated processes. Developing causal relationships between alloy chemistry and micro structure, and its effect on cellular behavior can be a difficult and time intensive process. A systems design approach driven by thermodynamics has the power to provide significant contributions in developing the next generation of magnesium alloy implants with controlled degradability, biocompatibility, and optimized mechanical properties, at reduced time and cost. This approach couples experimental research with theory and mechanistic modeling for the accelerated development of materials. The aim of this article is to enumerate this strategy, design considerations and hurdles for developing new magnesium alloys for use as biodegradable implant materials [1].
Capabilities, Transaction Costs, and Firm Boundaries: A Dynamic Perspective and Integration

A large literature has developed in recent years that attempts to compare transaction cost and capabilities explanations of firms’ vertical boundaries. Much of this literature has treated comparative capabilities (buyers’ vs. potential suppliers’) as determinants that are independent of transaction costs, based on the idea that capabilities theories of the firm are distinct from the transaction cost theory of the firm. We argue that this approach is mistaken. We contend that capabilities differences are largely the creatures of past boundary decisions made on the basis of transaction cost considerations. Therefore, the two theories of the firm cannot be conceptually distinguished. We then seek to articulate an integrated perspective that incorporates both capabilities and transaction cost logic. Our argument carries implications for theories of the firm, and for empirical research aimed at testing those theories.
Stability and piezoresistive properties of indium-tin-oxide ceramic strain gages

Thin film strain gages were developed to assess the mechanical behavior of components used for power and propulsion systems in harsh environments. Several types of strain sensors were fabricated with indium tin oxide (ITO) active strain elements and were tested at temperatures up to 1560/spl deg/C. These ceramic sensors exhibited excellent thermal stability and piezoresistive response at elevated temperature. A self-compensated ceramic strain gage (8 /spl mu/m thick) with thin film platinum resistors placed in series with the ITO active element exhibited a gage factor of 20.9 and a drift rate of 0.010%/hour at 1443/spl deg/C. To further increase the sensitivity and responsiveness of the ceramic sensors, uncompensated ITO strain gages prepared with an enlarged active area showed an increased piezoresistive response at 1455/spl deg/C with a gage factor of 39.1. Thus, at temperatures beyond 1400/spl deg/C, thickness of the ITO elements played a significant role in the high temperature stability and sensitivity of the gages. Self-compensated ITO sensors prepared with 8 /spl mu/m thick survived 20 hours at 1481/spl deg/C with a gage factor 2.36 and drift rate 0.0092%/hour. However, 10 /spl mu/m thick ITO strain gages were operated at temperatures beyond 1500/spl deg/C for tens of hours. The latter sensors exhibited a drift rate < 0.00001%/hour and a gage factor of 131 at 1530/spl deg/C. SEM micrographs of thick ITO sensors revealed a partially sintered microstructure with a uniform distribution of nanopores. To reproduce this microstructure by alternative means, ceramic sensors were prepared in nitrogen rich environments and tested to verify the large piezoresistive response at temperatures above 1550/spl deg/C. The results of our efforts to improve the stability and piezoresistive response of ITO strain gages at high temperature are presented here and the potential applications of these nanoporous ceramic sensors are discussed.
A design technique for a linear system with an amplitude-constrained actuator

We consider a design approach for a linear system with an amplitude-constrained actuator. The design approach is a sequential two-step process that seeks to stabilize the plant over a set of initial conditions and provides the required robustness. This design approach is illustrated with numerical examples.
Discrete feedback stabilization of nonlinear control systems at a singular point

For continuous time nonlinear control systems with constrained control values stabilizing discrete feedback controls are discussed. It is shown that under an accessibility condition exponential discrete feedback stabilizability is equivalent to open loop uniform exponential asymptotic controllability. A numerical algorithm for the computation of discrete feedback controls is presented and a numerical example is discussed.
A one microsecond, thirty-five kilojoule, one hertz pulse generator'

A repetitive high-voltage pulser has been developed at Sandia National Laboratories that will drive a vacuum diode for electron beam production. It is a 1 /spl mu/s, 200-kV, 1-ohm, 35-kJ unit that is designed to operate in the 1-10 Hz range (this report will cover the 1-Hz operation). The design concept utilizes a pulse forming network (PFN) to form the output waveshape. The pulser is developed in a modular concept that will allow series/parallel operation of the PFNs to meet changing energy and/or voltage needs. Achieving sufficiently low inductance is generally the chief design challenge in producing a low-impedance PFN. Because it allows the greatest amount of inductance in the circuit, the Guillemin/sup 1/ type "C' PFN is used in each module. Several capacitive stages are charged to +100 kV (maximum) and then discharged (by spark-gap switches) through turned inductances to obtain a relatively square waveform. A PFN consisting of two stages (the main energy storage stage and a pulse shaping stage) was evaluated in this study. Each stage generates a different harmonic of the desired waveshape. When the outputs of both stages are added together at the load, the resultant waveform has the desired shape and amplitude. This paper focuses on the design and operation of the high-voltage module and a pulser which was developed using two of the modules in series. Design philosophy, module fabrication. and operational results will be presented. Each component of the pulser is discussed.
Early experiences in the treatment of carcinoma of the uterine cervix with cobalt60 teletherapy and intracavitary radium

Abstract Our preliminary experience with cobalt 60 teletherapy in the management of patients with primary carcinoma of the cervix uteri has been based upon theories of optimal dosage obtained from previous studies. We have found that we were able to reproduce the desired levels of dosage in the parametrium by the techniques employed. The early results of treatment indicate that the basic theories seem to hold for the treatment of patients with less advanced lesions. The upper limits of what we considered optimal dose levels may not be so important in the management of patients with far-advanced lesions. The lack of severe complications of treatment at the dosage levels employed indicates that doses may well be increased with safety. Comparative studies of results in patients treated with the cobalt 60 unit and those treated with the 450 kv. x-ray apparatus show a slight superiority for those in the cobalt 60 series. This superiority seems to be related to a more uniform distribution of radiation throughout the parametrium. Modifications in treatment plan based upon these findings are suggested. These include only moderate increase in parametrial dose by means of external radiation for the early cases, and an appreciable increase in parametrial dose by means of external radiation with moderate limitation of the intracavitary dose from the intracavitary radiation for the advanced cases.
cis-9,10-Bis(bromo-meth-yl)-1,4,5,8-tetra-oxadeca-lin.

The title compound, C8H12Br2O4, is a bicyclic ketal in which the two six-membered rings are cis to one another and assume a double-chair conformation. A crystallographic twofold axis bisects the molecule.
The Generation and Characterization of a Cell Line Derived from a Sporadic Renal Angiomyolipoma : Use of Telomerase to Obtain Stable Populations of Cells from Benign Neoplasms

Angiomyolipomas are benign tumors of the kidney derived from putative perivascular epithelioid cells, that may undergo differentiation into cells with features of melanocytes, smooth muscle, and fat. To gain further insight into angiomyolipomas, we have generated the first human angiomyolipoma cell line by sequential introduction of SV40 large T antigen and human telomerase into human angiomyolipoma cells. These cells show phenotypic characteristics of angiomyolipomas, namely differentiation markers of smooth muscle (smooth muscle actin), adipose tissue (peroxisome proliferator-activator receptor γ, PPARγ), and melanocytes (microophthalmia, MITF), thus demonstrating that a single cell type can exhibit all of these phenotypes. These cells should serve as a valuable tool to elucidate signal transduction pathways underlying renal angiomyolipomas.
Ventricular myosin heavy chain isoform expression is altered in vitro in low score normal chickens

The low score normal (LSN) chicken exhibits a genetic muscle weakness and altered in vitro myogenesis compared to the normal White Leghorn chicken. The ventricular myosin heavy chain isoform has been reported to be the initial muscle-specific contractile protein expressed during myogenesis. The goals of this study were to determine whether altered myogenesis of the LSN satellite cells in culture was accompanied by delayed ventricular myosin heavy chain expression and to further characterize the altered myogenic events exhibited by the LSN chicken. Immunocytochemical and ELISA analyses were employed to document the temporal expression of the ventricular myosin heavy chain during LSN chicken myogenesis. Satellite cells derived from the LSN chicken pectoralis major exhibited lower (P≤0.05) expression of ventricular myosin heavy chain during proliferation and differentiation in culture than did satellite cells derived from White Leghorn chickens. Low score normal cells failing to express the ventricular myosin heavy chain generally remained mononucleated and unfused, whereas cells that were multinucleated appeared to express ventricular myosin heavy chain regardless of the avian source. These results suggest that the altered myogenesis observed in LSN chickens is associated with delayed ventricular myosin heavy chain expression.
Erosion of Psoriatic Plaques After Chronic Methotrexate Administration

: A 43-year-old while man developed a shallow erosion of a psoriatic plaque after chronic administration of methotrexate. This unusual cutaneous sign may be the first sign of methotrexate toxicity.
The Importance of Lender Heterogeneity in Mortgage Lending

Abstract Previous studies of the mortgage lending process, which fail to adequately account for inter-lender differences, suffer from a potentially serious omitted-variables bias. Using a sample of 23,094 home purchase mortgage applications from Pinellas County (St. Petersburg) Florida, over the 1993–1995 interval, I demonstrate that the inclusion of lender characteristics enhances the predictive power of accept/reject decision models of mortgage origination. In addition, the inclusion of lender attributes is shown to substantially influence the coefficient estimates of additional model parameters of interest, such as the applicant race and neighborhood racial composition variables. Finally, this study provides unique and supportive evidence regarding the existence and persistence of information externalities in home purchase mortgage markets.
Unusual reactions of the model carcinogen N-acetoxy-N-acetyl-2-amino-α-carboline

The aqueous solution reactions of the title compound, 1, were examined for comparison to those previously reported for another model carcinogen N-pivaloyloxy-2-amino-α-carboline, 2. Both of these are models for the ultimate carcinogenic metabolites of 2-amino-α-carboline (AαC), a food-derived heterocyclic amine mutagen and carcinogen. The present study was undertaken to determine the effect of the N-acetyl group on the chemistry of such compounds. The N-acetyl group slows down N−O bond cleavage by a factor of (5.5 × 103)-fold. This allows other reactions not observed in 2, or in other model carcinogens, to be observed. Among these are acyl-transfer reactions to the aqueous solvent, both uncatalyzed and catalyzed by N3-. In addition, the conjugate acid of 1, 1H+, is subject to a spontaneous decomposition not previously observed in other esters of heterocyclic hydroxylamines or hydroxamic acids. This reaction yields the hydroxylamine, 5, and does so without the intermediacy of the hydroxamic acid, 3, and wi...
Debt Overhang and Recapitalization in Closed and Open Economies

This paper analyzes an economy in which debt overhang occurs simultaneously in the mortgage market and in the market for bank debt. Overhang in one market reinforces overhang in the other. In a closed economy, it is ex post Pareto-efficient to tax households and recapitalize the banks. In an open economy, however, some of the gains are transferred abroad, whereas all the costs are borne by domestic households. Efficient recapitalization programs therefore require global coordination.
A Logistic Regression Model When Some Events Precede Treatment: The Effect of Thrombolytic Therapy for Acute Myocardial Infarction on the Risk of Cardiac Arrest

When outcomes occur in clinical trials before treatment can be given, neither intent-to-treat nor according-to-protocol analyses give optimal estimates of the treatment effect. A better approach employs a time-dependent variable for treatment. Intent-to-treat analyses are conservative, biasing against treatment; according-to-protocol analyses bias in favor of treatment. We show how to measure the effect of a time-dependent variable in a logistic regression using person-time intervals as units of measurement and describe appropriate methods for reporting model performance. The method is applied to develop a model to predict the probability that a patient with a myocardial infarction will have a sudden cardiac arrest within 48 hours of presentation to emergency medical services both when treated with thrombolysis and when not treated. We use a time-dependent treatment variable because many patients went into cardiac arrest while awaiting treatment. This technique has been programmed into an electrocardiograph for real-time use in an emergency department.
Latent inhibition in the aversion to oral methadone

Fourteen adult Sprague-Dawley rats received daily 3 mg/kg naltrexone (Group One, n = 7) or saline (Group Two, n = 7) injections for 24 days. During this time they underwent forced choice testing with 0.125 mg/ml methadone (the unconditioned stimulus, UCS) versus taste-balanced 0.04 mg/ml quinine placebo solutions. The handling, injection ritual, and taste cues served as a conditioned stimulus (CS)-complex. While Group Two (CS-UCS paired) animals showed pronounced pharmacological methadone aversions, those in Group One (CS pre-exposed rats in which the effects of methadone were blocked by the naltrexone) maintained a moderate intake of the opiate solution. When the injection conditions were reversed for 10 days, no change in percent methadone solution occurred for either group; thus, Group One displayed a latent inhibition effect after the CS pre-exposure, while Group Two maintained its previously acquired aversion. Testing after a 3-month drug free period, however, revealed the acquisition of a comparable methadone aversion by Group One (hence, recovery from the latent inhibition observed in the first reversal phase). Parallels with latent inhibition and retention in conditioned taste aversion studies were drawn, and further support for generality in the laws of learning, suggested.
Ocular actions of an octahydrobenzo[f]quinoline: Ha117

An octahydrobenzo[f]quinoline compound, Ha117, was examined for activity on: (1) intraocular pressure and in normal, sympathectomized and water loaded rabbits and aqueous flow rate in normal and sympathectomized rabbits, respectively; (2) contractions of the cat nictitating membrane elicited by electrical stimulation of cervical sympathetic nerves; (3) cAMP accumulation in the isolated rabbit iris root-ciliary body preparation. Ha117 lowered intraocular pressure and aqueous flow rate in normal but not in sympathectomized rabbits. Elevated intraocular pressure produced by water loading was suppressed by Ha117 and pretreatment with metoclopramide antagonized the inhibitory effect of Ha117. Neuronally mediated contractions of the nictitating membrane were inhibited in a dose-related fashion by Ha117, and inhibitory effects were antagonized by domperidone. Ha117 and an analog, Ha118, did not suppress isoproterenol- and vasoactive intestinal peptide-induced accumulation of cAMP in the rabbit iris root/ciliary body. In vivo results in rabbit and cat models suggest that the ocular hypotensive effect of Ha117 is mediated by an action on prejunctional dopamine (DA2) receptors. In vitro data in the rabbit iris root/ciliary body suggest that Ha117 and Ha118-induced lowering of intraocular pressure does not involve postjunctional suppression of cAMP accumulation.
BH3-only proteins in rheumatoid arthritis: potential targets for therapeutic intervention

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a debilitating disease, resulting in the destruction of bone and cartilage, and in the permanent disfigurement of joints. Although the precise cause of RA is currently unresolved, it has become clear that the damaging effects are a result of the toxic milieu caused by an influx of inflammatory cells and the resulting heightened proinflammatory state within the joint. As the amount of literature suggesting that this preponderance of cells is a result of decreased local apoptosis in the joint continues to increase, in this review, we describe how Bcl-2 family pro-apoptotic BH3-only proteins, particularly Bim and Bid, could act to protect against the development of the disease. We also suggest a role for BH3-mimetic drugs as potential therapeutics in the treatment of RA.
Coupled vibrations of thin-walled beams of open section using the finite element method

Abstract The stiffness and consistent mass matrices and their derivation for a thinwalled beam element of open cross-section with non-collinear shear center and centroid are given. Three examples on coupled vibrations are presented. Numerical results are compared with known exact solutions or experimental data.
PPARδ is pro-tumorigenic in a mouse model of COX-2-induced mammary cancer

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), overexpressed in inflammatory conditions and cancer, regulates angiogenesis and tumorigenesis via the production of biologically active prostanoids. Previously, we showed that COX-2 over-expression in the mammary gland of transgenic mice induces an angiogenic switch and transforms the mammary epithelium into invasive mammary carcinoma. Since COX-2-derived prostanoids can activate the nuclear receptor PPARδ, we crossed Pparδ−/− mice with COX-2 transgenic mice in the FVB/N background. PPARδ was expressed constitutively in the mammary gland of virgin, pregnant and lactating mice. Mammary hyperplasia and tumorigenesis in the COX-2 transgenic mice was markedly reduced in the Pparδ−/− mice compared to their wild type counterparts. Analysis of the mammary tissues indicated that immunoreactive Ki-67, cyclin D1 and phosphorylated histone 3 (Phospho H3) were reduced in Pparδ−/− mice, suggesting that PPARδ activation regulates cell proliferation in the mammary gland. We postulate that activation of the nuclear receptor PPARδ by COX-2-derived prostanoids may be involved in the proliferation of mammary epithelial cells and therefore contribute to mammary cancer development.
A Sex Pheromone in the Pacific Coast Wireworm

A sex pheromone was extracted with ether and with methylene chloride from virgin females of the Pacific Coast wireworm. Limonius canus LeConte. In laboratory bioassays, male beetles became sexually excited when they were offered glass rods that had been dipped into these crude extracts Containing as little as 0.005 female equivalents per ml of solvent. In field tests, the extracted pheromone attracted male beetles even when low concentrations were used in unfavorable weather or in the presence of natural pheromone from wild virgin females. Chemical tests indicate that the pheromone is a carboxylic acid.
Measurement of H2S Crossover Rates in Polymer Fuel Cell Membranes Using an Ion-Probe Technique

A sulfide antioxidant buffer solution was used to trap and concentrate trace quantities of H 2 S that permeated through 50 cm 2 samples of fuel cell Nafion 117, 212, and 112 membranes using a H 2 S partial pressure difference up to 1000 ppm at room temperature. Experiments were conducted between 24 and 48 h to achieve sulfide ion concentrations high enough to be determined accurately by subsequent titration with Pb(NO 3 ) 2 . In contrast to previous work, a special H 2 S mixing system was employed to achieve reproducible delivery of H 2 S concentrations throughout each experiment. The calculated rates of H 2 S crossover, normalized for membrane area, thickness, and differential PH 2 S varied from as low as 7.58 X 10 ―10 to 4.65 × 10- 9 g/s atm cm depending on the type of Nafion sample and humidity conditions. Even low levels of humidification of the membrane and gases (saturated at 25°C) increased the crossover rate of H 2 S in the Nafion materials. H 2 S permeation through the electrolyte membrane negatively impacts the oxygen reduction rate occurring on the cathode and possibly causes an irreversible decrease in the overall fuel cell performance.
A Nurse Educator Teaching with Technologies Course: More Than Teaching on the Web

This article describes a Web-based "teaching with technology" course that is part of the online Nurse Educator Certificate at University of Kansas (Journal of Professional Nursing . 2003;19:347-353). Challenges and strategies in developing and implementing the course, first in a Web-enhanced format and then in a Web-based format, are presented. Selected online activities and assignments are shared. Evaluative comments from students are included in this article and indicate that the course helps new educators focus on thoughtful and appropriate selection of how and where technology should be integrated to meet educational goals.