cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fibroepithelial polyps: preoperative diagnosis may avoid thoracotomy.

ative respiratory function (Figure 2). Conversely, preservation of the middle lobe in the absence of the upper and lower lobes may induce torsion. Various factors appear to be associated with lobar torsion, including complete interlobar fissure, absence of adhesions, a narrow middle lobe hilum, and overzealous mobilization of the lobe. In our case, the middle lobe was fixed by adhesions to the chest wall. However, emphysematous changes in the residual middle lobe may be induced owing to volume mismatch in the middle lobe and thoracic cavity during long-term follow-up. In conclusion, preserving the middle lobe after resection of both upper and lower lobes offers advantages to residual respiratory function, compared with results from completion pneumonectomy. References
A Scalable 6-to-18GHz Concurrent Dual-Band Quad-Beam Phased-Array Receiver in CMOS

This paper describes the general architecture and the signal-path behavior of a CMOS programmable phased-array receiver element that simultaneously operates at two frequencies between 6 and 18GHz (a tritave) while forming four independently controlled beams.
Transportation and Emergency Services: Identifying Critical Interfaces, Obstacles, and Opportunities

Transportation and emergency services agencies have many shared and overlapping responsibilities in myriad situations, ranging from routine traffic incidents to large-scale events that threaten public health and safety. The importance of effective coordination among these groups is heightened by the need to improve highway operations, ensure homeland security, and enhance all-hazards emergency management. Research was done to identify and evaluate the underlying obstacles and opportunities for improving coordination among highway transportation and emergency services organizations. Institutional, operational, technological, and financial factors were considered. Most findings and conclusions are based on a survey administered to transportation and emergency services professionals in five states. On the basis of the survey results and subsequent focus group discussions, recommendations are offered for short-term improvement of emergency transportation operations and for additional research.
Disease status in autosomal dominant osteopetrosis type 2 is determined by osteoclastic properties.

Asymptomatic gene carriers and clinically affected ADO2 subjects have the same ClCN7 mutation. We examined osteoclastic bone resorption in vitro as well as osteoclast formation, several markers, acid secretion, and cytoskeletal structure. We found that ADO2 expression results from osteoclast specific properties. Introduction: Autosomal dominant osteopetrosis type II (ADO2) is a heritable osteosclerotic disorder that results from heterozygous mutations in the ClCN7 gene. However, of those individuals with a ClCN7 mutation, one third are asymptomatic gene carriers who have no clinical, biochemical, or radiological manifestations. Disease severity in the remaining two thirds is highly variable. Materials and Methods: Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated and differentiated into osteoclasts by stimulation with hRANKL and human macrophage-colony stimulating factor (hM-CSF). Study subjects were clinically affected subjects, unaffected gene carriers, and normal controls (n = 6 in each group). Pit formation, TRACP staining, RANKL dose response, osteoclast markers, acid secretion, F-actin ring, and integrin αvβ3 expression and co-localization were studied. Results: Osteoclasts from clinically affected subjects had severely attenuated bone resorption compared with those from normal controls. However, osteoclasts from unaffected gene carriers displayed similar bone resorption to those from normal controls. In addition, the resorption lacunae from both unaffected gene carriers and normal controls appeared much earlier and spread much more rapidly than those from clinically affected subjects. As time progressed, the distinction between clinically affected subjects and the other two groups increased. No significant difference was found in acidic secretion or osteoclast formation between the three groups. Osteoclast cytoskeletal organization showed no difference between the three groups but there was low cellular motility in clinically affected subjects. Conclusions: Osteoclasts from the unaffected gene carriers, in contrast to those from the clinically affected subjects, functioned normally in cell culture. This finding supports the hypothesis that intrinsic osteoclast factors determine disease expression in ADO2. Further understanding of this mechanism is likely to lead to the development of new approaches to the treatment of clinically affected patients.
Test generation for path delay faults based on learning

We present a learning-based method of generating tests to detect path delay faults in combinational circuits. The method attacks the problems related to the large numbers of faults and the large numbers of tests to detect all path delay faults directly, and in a controlled way. To achieve these goals, the method uses small versions of the circuit-under-consideration to study rules that describe the most effective test patterns, and then applies these rules to the target circuit. While learning the rules, it is possible to distinguish between rules describing critical faults and other rules, thus exploring the tradeoff between the fault coverage and the coverage of critical faults, and the number of tests. Results for several functional units are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the learning procedure.
A 12 bit 160 MS/s Two-Step SAR ADC With Background Bit-Weight Calibration Using a Time-Domain Proximity Detector

A 12 bit 160 MS/s two-step pipelined SAR ADC was fabricated in a 40 nm CMOS low-leakage digital process. A background bit-weight calibration exploiting the comparator resolving time information and the employment of a sub-binary DAC in the first SAR stage are two key techniques in this work to attain high conversion throughput and power savings at the same time using a simple, low-gain ( $\sim$ 30 dB) residue amplifier. The overall architecture and the digital calibration also enable the downsizing of the first SAR stage to that of the kT/C limit, yielding a wideband input network delivering an over 80 dB spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) while digitizing a 300 MHz input at 160 MS/s. The core ADC consumes 4.96 mW and occupies an area of 0.042 mm $^{2}$ ; the calibration circuits dissipate 0.1 mW (estimated). An 86.9 dB SFDR and a 66.7 dB signal-to-noise plus distortion ratio (SNDR) were measured with a 2 V $_{\rm pp}$ , 5 MHz sine-wave input at full speed. The ADC achieves a Walden figure-of-merit (FoM) of 20.7 fJ/conversion-step with a Nyquist input.
Experimental limitations in impedance spectroscopy: Part VI. Four-point measurements of solid materials systems

Four-point impedance spectroscopy of solid materials systems is severely hampered by unavoidable voltage-divider effects associated with the reference electrodes. As demonstrated by test circuit studies and experiments with Pt/YSZ/Pt cells (with embedded silver reference electrodes), high impedance reference electrodes can produce distorted and erroneous impedance data. The relationships between these data and the sample properties (conductivity, dielectric constant) and instrument limitations (input impedance/capacitance) are derived. Successful four-point impedance measurements on conductive systems require large effective dielectric constants, which may be unattainable in bulk solids, but are often associated with internal interfaces.
The interstitial cells control the sexual phenotype of heterosexual chimeras of hydra

The three stem cell populations in hydra, the epithelial cells of the ectoderm and endoderm, which make up the body of the hydra, and the interstitial cells, which give rise to nerve cells, nematocytes, and gametes, were tested for their effects on determining the sexual phenotype of individuals. This was done by creating epithelial hydra, which are devoid of interstitial cells and their derivatives, of one sexual type and repopulating them with interstitial cells from individuals of the other sexual type. The resulting heterosexual chimeras were found in all cases to display the same sexual phenotype as that of the interstitial cell donor, indicating this cell type is responsible for the sex of the animal. The epithelial tissue had no influence in determining which gamete type was produced.
Endocarditis Due to Streptococcus faecalis with High-Level Resistance to Gentamicin

Recently, reports of Streptococcus faecalis with resistance to high levels of gentamicin have appeared in the literature, although there have been no previous reports of endocarditis due to such organisms. In this article, two cases of endocarditis--both due to Streptococcus faecalis with high-level gentamicin resistance and both presenting in an atypical manner--are described. The data suggest that a high level of suspicion regarding a diagnosis of endocarditis must be maintained in such cases and that, once a case is diagnosed, careful evaluation in the microbiology laboratory is helpful in determining the optimal antimicrobial regimen.
The Hodgkin–Huxley Na+ channel model versus the five‐state Markovian model

In describing the Na+ channel-gating kinetics, it is generally believed the Hodgkin-Huxley model is inadequate and other types of Markovian models are more appropriate. In this paper, we perform detailed kinetic analyses to find out whether the Hodgkin-Huxley model is really unacceptable. Specifically, we consider two models for the analyses: A five-state Markovian model that allows inactivation to take place before opening and a Hodgkin-Huxley eight-state model. The criteria used to check the goodness of the two models are (a) Akaike's information criterion; (b) chi 2 tests on the waiting-time, open-time, and closed-time distributions, and the number of openings per record; and (c) comparison between all latency distributions and the probability of the open state predicted from the two models. In order to do this, we first develop a method of constructing probability density histograms of a specified event (e.g., waiting time, closed time, open time, number of openings per patch) from the multichannel patch-clamp recordings. The goodness of our method is checked by simulating multichannel patch recordings using a multinomial random number generator. Our kinetic analysis on the single Na+ channel recordings from the cardiac cells revealed that (a) on the basis of Akaike's information criterion, the Hodgkin-Huxley model is definitely a better model than the five-state model, but (b) on the basis of chi 2 tests on the probability density functions, the latter model is slightly better than the former. We find no evidence that the Hodgkin-Huxley model is inferior to the five-state model for this cell type.
Methyl-donor nutrients inhibit breast cancer cell growth

Lipotropes (methyl group containing nutrients, including methionine, choline, folate, and vitamin B12) are dietary methyl donors and cofactors that are involved in one-carbon metabolism, which is important for genomic DNA methylation reactions and nucleic acid synthesis. One-carbon metabolism provides methyl groups for all biological methylation pathways and is highly dependent on dietary supplementation of methyl nutrients. Nutrition is an important determinant of breast cancer risk and tumor behavior, and dietary intervention may be an effective approach to prevent breast cancer. Apoptosis is important for the regulation of homeostasis and tumorigenesis. The anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 may be a regulatory target in cancer therapy; controlling or modulating its expression may be a therapeutic strategy against breast cancer. In this study, the effects of lipotrope supplementation on the growth and death of human breast cancer cell lines T47D and MCF-7 were examined and found to inhibit growth of both T47D and MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, the ratios of apoptotic cells to the total number of cells were approximately 44% and 34% higher in the lipotrope-supplemented treatments of T47D and MCF-7 cancer cells, respectively, compared with the control treatments. More importantly, Bcl-2 protein expression was decreased by approximately 25% from lipotrope supplementation in T47D cells, suggesting that lipotropes can induce breast cancer cell death by direct downregulation of Bcl-2 protein expression. Cancer treatment failure is often correlated with Bcl-2 protein upregulation. These data may be useful in the development of effective nutritional strategies to prevent and reduce breast cancer in humans.
Facilitating Shared Decision Making About Prostate Cancer Screening Among African American Men.

Purpose/objectives To describe the development and implementation of a prostate cancer screening intervention and risk assessment decision tool. . Design Community health promotion with pre- and post-education knowledge questionnaires. . Setting Two predominantly African American churches in different suburban communities in Southern California. . Sample A convenience sample of 50 African American men aged from 30-75 years. . Methods A Prostate Cancer Screening Decision Aid was developed and used in conjunction with an educational intervention for African American men in two suburban communities in Southern California. The educational intervention was implemented in local African American churches. The intervention included a PowerPoint® presentation with a four-minute video. Men completed pre- and post-education knowledge questionnaires and a risk assessment decision tool. . Main research variables Prostate cancer knowledge, awareness of prostate cancer personal risks and benefits of prostate cancer screening, information needed for initiating discussions with provider, and intention to participate in shared decision making with healthcare providers. . Findings An 8% increase in knowledge was calculated when comparing pre- and post- education responses. Awareness of personal risks, having the information needed to initiate a discussion with a healthcare provider, intention to participate in shared decision making within six months, prostate cancer knowledge, and having had participated in screening increased. . Conclusions The intervention was successful in increasing knowledge and awareness of personal risks and providing tools to facilitate shared decision making with healthcare providers. . Implications for nursing Nurses can play a meaningful role in collaborating with community lay leaders to develop and implement effective health promotion interventions for African Americans.
Automated construction of potential energy surfaces

ABSTRACTMethods to construct molecular potential energy surfaces through automated generation of ab initio electronic structure data are reviewed. Given a chosen method for fitting ab initio data (electronic energies represented at particular geometries) into an analytic surface, the questions of how best to select the data point locations and how to interface an electronic structure software package with fitting codes in parallel on a high-performance computing cluster are addressed. It is shown that methods based on interpolating moving least squares fitting are useful as they lend themselves to an algorithm which iteratively refines the fitted surface towards arbitrary accuracy. Several variants of the method are illustrated through examples including spectroscopic potentials for van der Waals systems, systems with high permutation symmetry, reactive systems, and systems with multiple coupled electronic states. An outlook identifying areas for future development is given.
The Language of Liberal Constitutionalism: Constitutional Language and the Possibility of Binding Commitments

At this point in the argument, we are presented with two fundamental propositions. First, that the initial commitment is to the creation of a language, and, second, that the commitment to constitutional language binds ourselves and future actors to employ that language for purposes of constitutional discourse. But the idea of a binding commitment to employ constitutional language raises the problem of “precommitment.” How can we justify asserting that a commitment entered into long ago continues to bind actors today facing situations that were not contemplated at the earlier time? To get at that question, some further reflections on the relationship between constitutional language and the constitutional text are required. Chapter 2 considered various challenges to the basic model of Lockean constitutionalism, in particular the idea that constitutional legitimacy can be grounded in a demonstration of sovereignty created by consent. These objections were arrayed around a traditional understanding of the sovereign as lawgiver, based on the adoption of an anthropomorphic metaphor of the state, that continues to play a prominent role in modern discussions of sovereignty and its relationship to the problem of precommitment. In response, an examination of the idea of constitutional authorship and its relation to self-sovereignty, suggested a more subtle description in which self-sovereignty emerged as the authority to engage in collective self-authorship. The question of under what conditions constitutional consent is possible (“Consent How?”) therefore became the question of the conditions under which a people can exercise self-sovereignty as self-authorship.
Testing and Modeling of Mounts for Improved Safety Design and Crashworthiness Analysis

This paper describes (1) the findings from the implementation of a component test methodology for body, engine and transmission mounts [1-3], and (2) the associated CAE model development and mount design robustness enhancement. A series of component tests on light truck body, engine and transmission mounts have been conducted to not only obtain their characteristics as inputs for crashworthiness analysis, but also drive mount design direction for frontal impacts. In this paper, the lessons learned from implementation of the mount testing and modeling methodology [1-3] are reported in three areas: firstly, improvement of test setup and data collection over an existing approach to achieve test robustness, time efficiency and cost effectiveness; secondly, the confirmation of the thread effect on body mount performance for improved body mount design; and thirdly, the confirmation of a dual spring modeling methodology for better simulating engine and transmission mounts based on test finding and existing practice. Component test results and the new mount modeling methodology are incorporated into full vehicle CAE models for crashworthiness analysis of frontal crashes. Simulated results with implementation of the mount modeling methodology, when compared with full vehicle test data, indicate that the quality and the prediction accuracy of the full vehicle CAE models have been improved. Both the test and CAE methodology are implemented into vehicle program for support in crash safety analysis.
Social Support Influences on the Disease Process

This chapter examines the relationship between social support and the disease process with special emphasis on the elderly. The chapter focuses on the proposition that psychosocial factors, predominantly interpersonal transactions in the form of social support, influence and are influenced by physical health. In addition, it is argued that this relationship exists at all levels of the disease process from initial susceptibility, through the full course of the disease, influencing the probability of recovery, rehabilitation, and relapse.
Immediate Effect of Patterned Electrical Neuromuscular Stimulation on Pain and Muscle Activation in Individuals With Patellofemoral Pain

Context: For individuals with patellofemoral pain (PFP), altered muscle activity and pain are common during functional tasks. Clinicians often seek interventions to improve muscle activity and reduce impairments. One intervention that has not been examined in great detail is electrical stimulation. Objective: To determine whether a single patterned electrical neuromuscular stimulation (PENS) treatment would alter muscle activity and pain in individuals with PFP during 2 functional tasks, a single-legged squat and a lateral step down. Design: Cohort study. Setting: Sports medicine research laboratory. Patients of Other Participants: A total of 22 individuals with PFP (15 women, 7 men; age = 26.0 ± 7.9 years, height = 173.8 ± 8.1 cm, mass = 75.1 ± 17.9 kg). Intervention(s): Participants were randomized into 2 intervention groups: a 15-minute PENS treatment that produced a strong motor response or a 15-minute 1-mA subsensory (sham) treatment. Main Outcome Measure(s): Before and immediately after the interven...
Women’s mobilisation in the Portuguese revolution: context and framing strategies

AbstractThis article examines the role of women’s mobilisations related to the 1974 Portuguese revolution. An in-depth analysis of three women’s organisations through archival research and interviews with participants highlights the ways in which they participated in a cycle of contention between 1974 and 1977. Examination of framing strategies demonstrates the effects of political and cultural context. In particular, I demonstrate that movement–party alliances informed and constrained the diagnostic and prognostic frames of women’s movements on feminism and the revolution. Opportunity structures are shown to vary for different organisations within the same cycle of contention. Facing relatively closed opportunities, two of these organisations pursued framing strategies that articulated with the Left-dominated master frame of the cycle in order to carve out spaces for gender-specific demands while rejecting the label of feminism. The third organisation, instead, presented a countercultural frame that alie...
Particle in Cell (PIC) simulations of plasma-electrode interactions for Reentry Blackout Alleviation

The reentry blackout phenomenon has plagued reentering spacecraft since the beginning of human spaceflight. Spacecraft entering a planetary atmosphere from the vacuum of space are surrounded by a layer of plasma due to shock-induced and viscous heating. For capsuleshaped spacecraft this problem is particularly severe, leading to a communications blackout period during reentry. This period may last for several minutes and is a serious safety hazard, especially for human missions. Several methods have been suggested in literature but none have been found fit for integration on a reentry vehicle thus far. This paper discusses a new method that employs pulses of high negative voltage to create temporary “windows” in the plasma layer through which communication may be possible. We discuss this method in detail. The interaction of the electrodes with the plasma is simulated using a newly created electrostatic Particle In Cell (PIC) code. The verification of this code is discussed, including a new test case based on Langmuir oscillations. Preliminary results from a simulation of plasma-electrode interaction show encouraging results that will be verified experimentally in the near future.
Declining Prevalence of Marijuana Use Disorders Among Adolescents in the United States, 2002 to 2013.

Objective Little is known about recent trends in marijuana use disorders among adolescents in the United States. We analyzed trends in the past-year prevalence of DSM-IV marijuana use disorders among adolescents, both overall and conditioned on past-year marijuana use. Potential explanatory factors for trends in prevalence were explored. Method We assembled data from the adolescent samples of the 2002 to 2013 administrations of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (N = 216,852; aged 12−17 years). The main outcome measures were odds ratios describing the average annual change in prevalence and conditional prevalence of marijuana use disorders, estimated from models of marijuana use disorder as a function of year. Post hoc analyses incorporated measures of potentially explanatory risk and protective factors into the trend analyses. Results A decline in the past-year prevalence of marijuana use disorders was observed (odds ratio = 0.976 per year; 95% CI = 0.968, 0.984; p Conclusion Past-year prevalence of marijuana use disorders among US adolescents declined by an estimated 24% over the 2002 to 2013 period. The decline may be related to trends toward lower rates of conduct problems. Identification of factors responsible for the reduction in conduct problems could inform interventions targeting both conduct problems and marijuana use disorders.
Somatotopic Representation of Location: Evidence from the Simon Effect

Representing the locations of tactile stimulation can involve somatotopic reference frames in which locations are defined relative to a position on the skin surface, and also external reference frames which take into account stimulus position in external space. Locations in somatotopic and external reference frames can conflict in terms of left/right assignment when the hands are crossed or positioned outside of their typical hemispace. To investigate the spatial codes of the representation of both tactile stimuli and responses to touch, a Simon effect task, often used in the visual modality to examine issues of spatial reference frames, was deployed in the tactile modality. Participants performed the task with stimuli delivered to the hands with arms in crossed or uncrossed postures and responses were produced with foot pedals. Across all four experiments, participants were faster on somatotopically congruent trials (e.g., left hand stimulus, left foot response) than on somatotopically incongruent trials (left hand stimulus, right foot response) regardless of arm or leg position. However, some evidence of an externally-based Simon effect also appeared in one experiment in which arm (stimulus) and leg (response) position were both manipulated. Overall, the results demonstrate that tactile stimulus and response codes are primarily generated based on their somatotopic identity. However, stimulus and response coding based on an external reference frame can become more salient when both hands and feet can be crossed, creating a situation in which somatotopic and external representations can differ for both stimulus and response codes.
The Relation of Flies and Fly Sprays to Milk Production

1. This paper presents data gathered to check results secured during the summer of 1925 and to attempt to ascertain the causes for losses in production that resulted from spraying. 2. Exposing high producing cows to an exceedingly heavy infestation of house flies did not result in lowered production. 3. In the absence of flies, sponging with water had no effect on production, spraying, with water caused a loss of 5.4 per cent, with pine tar-creosote a loss of 6.9 per cent, and with oil a 9.7 per cent loss. 4. During the last two weeks of spraying the loss in production was 12.5 per cent for the pine tar-creosote and 22.8 per cent for the oil sprayed group. 5. The body temperature was consistently higher, sometimes as much as 3 degrees F., for the oil sprayed group than for the controls. The respiration rate of the former averaged 40 per cent higher than that of the latter.
Intraday effects analysis of Chinese futures markets

This paper adopts minutely high-frequency data of yields,volumes and open interests of the six commodities futures in three exchanges of China to probe into their intraday change patterns,and discovers the `L' pattern intraday movement of absolute yield and volume.We exert financial market microstructure theory,traders' psychology and trading mechanism to explain the different intraday phenomenon between the futures market and the stock market,which has a distinctive `U' pattern.Basing on this,by the help of Granger causality test theories and Vector Autoregressive models(VAR),we study the factors that influence the volatility of yields and the lagged orders.The results show that there are two-way Granger causality among each two of the absolute yield,volume and open interest, which is different from the empirical result of the stock market that there is a one-way Granger causality from volume to absolute yield,and the difference comes from the short mechanism of futures market.Through the decomposition of variance of VAR models and the impulse response analysis,we empirically analyze the dynamic relationship among the three factors.The conclusion shows that: when we treat the volatility of absolute yield as an explained variable,the residual disturbance can be explained about 90% by its lagged terms,and volume can explain about 10%.When volume is interpreted as an explained variable,about 80% of the residual disturbance can be explained by its lagged terms and the volatility of the absolute price explains about 20%.When open interest is considered as an explained variable,lagged terms of its own interprets about 45% to 70% of the residual disturbance,the volume explains 25%-45%,and the volatility of absolute price explains 5% to 10%.All the explanatory variables reach stable about 20-30 minutes later.Empirical result tells the weak impact from open interest to volatility of absolute yield and volume and the strong correlation between volatility of absolute yield and volume.Some investment suggestions are offered from the analysis mentioned above.
What is the ‘true’ effect of Trypanosoma rangeli on its triatomine bug vector?

The phrase, “T. rangeli is pathogenic to its insect vector,” is commonly found in peer-reviewed publications on the matter, such that it has become the orthodox view of this interaction. In a literature survey, we identified over 20 papers with almost the exact phrase and several others alluding to it. The idea is of particular importance in triatomine population dynamics and the study of vector-borne T. cruzi transmission, as it could mean that triatomines infected with T. rangeli have lower fitness than uninfected insects. Trypanosoma rangeli pathogenicity was first observed in a series of studies carried out over fifty years ago using the triatomine species Rhodnius prolixus. However, there are few studies of the effect of T. rangeli on its other vector species, and several of the studies were carried out with R. prolixus under non-physiological conditions. Here, we re-evaluate the published studies that led to the conclusion that T. rangeli is pathogenic to its vector, to determine whether or not this indeed is the “true” effect of T. rangeli on its triatomine vector.
The South Carolina HIV Cascade of Care.

Objectives In recent years, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cascade of care describing the spectrum of engagement in HIV care from diagnosis to virologic suppression has been used widely in determining the progress and success in public health efforts to control the HIV epidemic. For more than a decade South Carolina consistently ranked among the top10 states in the United States with the highest acquired immunodeficiency syndrome case rates, suggesting late diagnoses and issues with retention in care. The primary objective of this study was to develop an HIV cascade of care for the state that may help identify opportunities for appropriate future interventions. Methods The South Carolina Enhanced HIV/AIDS Reporting System database was used to develop the HIV cascade of care indicating the percentages of the diagnosed individuals who were linked to care, received any care, were retained in care, and achieved virologic suppression using standardized metrics recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The sample included all individuals in South Carolina who were diagnosed as having HIV by December 31, 2011 and who were alive at the end of 2012. Results Of the 14,523 South Carolinians living with HIV at the end of 2012, 64% had received any HIV care, 53% were retained in care, and 48% were virologically suppressed during 2012. Conclusions This is the first HIV cascade of care model for South Carolina. Efforts are needed to improve public health initiatives to link, engage, and retain individuals with HIV in care.
A unifying approach to risk-measure-based optimal reinsurance problems with practical constraints

The design of optimal reinsurance treaties in the presence of multifarious practical constraints is a substantive but underdeveloped topic in modern risk management. To examine the influence of these constraints on the contract design systematically, this article formulates a generic constrained reinsurance problem where the objective and constraint functions take the form of Lebesgue integrals whose integrands involve the unit-valued derivative of the ceded loss function to be chosen. Such a formulation provides a unifying framework to tackle a wide body of existing and novel distortion-risk-measure-based optimal reinsurance problems with constraints that reflect diverse practical considerations. Prominent examples include insurers’ budgetary, regulatory and reinsurers’ participation constraints. An elementary and intuitive solution scheme based on an extension of the cost–benefit technique in Cheung and Lo [Cheung, K.C. & Lo, A. (2015, in press). Characterizations of optimal reinsurance treaties: a cost...
Using Flickering Light to Enhance Nonimage-Forming Visual Stimulation in Humans.

Purpose Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) mediate nonimage-forming visual functions such as pupillary constriction and circadian photoentrainment. Optimizing daytime nonimage-forming photostimulation has health benefits. We aimed to enhance ipRGC excitation using flickering instead of steady light.
The role of combination medical therapy in the treatment of acromegaly

Purpose Uncontrolled acromegaly results in approximately 2-fold excess mortality. Pituitary surgery is first-line therapy, and medical treatment is indicated for persistent disease. While cabergoline and pegvisomant are used in select patients, somatostatin receptor ligands (SRLs) remain the cornerstone of medical treatment. Management of patients poorly responsive to SRLs is therefore, challenging. The purpose of this review is to highlight the options for combination medical therapy in the treatment of acromegaly, with an emphasis on efficacy and safety.
Strategy and defence planning: Meeting the challenge of uncertainty

Strategy and Defense Planning is the culminating volume in the “Strategy Bridge trilogy,” Colin S. Gray's magisterial examination of the theory and practice of the art of strategy. Like its precedi...
Flibanserin for hypoactive sexual desire disorder: place in therapy:

The pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of female sexual interest in pre- and post-menopausal women present a complex arena for patients and physicians to navigate. Flibanserin was the first pharmacologic treatment, approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in August 2015, for hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in premenopausal women. Side effects, contraindications and lack of approval in postmenopausal women are all limitations, as are issues surrounding patient and physician knowledge and access. Testosterone, buspirone, sildenafil, bupropion, bremelanotide, as well as herbal medications (Herbal vX or Tribulus terrestris) have demonstrated some clinical benefit in women with sexual dysfunction disorders however, trials have significant design, dosing or generalizability limitations. Nonpharmaceutical cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness meditation, pelvic floor therapy, and clitoral stimulators are also interventions women may pursue. This manuscript will explore the clinical data regarding these therapeutic modalities so as to bring attention to this issue of female HSDD, to offer an overview of current research, and to incite providers to initiate discussion among themselves and their patients.
Induction of an inflammatory response in primary hepatocyte cultures from mice

The liver plays a decisive role in the regulation of systemic inflammation. In chronic kidney disease in particular, the liver reacts in response to the uremic milieu, oxidative stress, endotoxemia and the decreased clearance of circulating proinflammatory cytokines by producing a large number of acute-phase reactants. Experimental tools to study inflammation and the underlying role of hepatocytes are crucial to understand the regulation and contribution of hepatic cytokines to a systemic acute phase response and a prolonged pro-inflammatory scenario, especially in an intricate setting such as chronic kidney disease. Since studying complex mechanisms of inflammation in vivo remains challenging, resource-intensive and usually requires the usage of transgenic animals, primary isolated hepatocytes provide a robust tool to gain mechanistic insights into the hepatic acute-phase response. Since this in vitro technique features moderate costs, high reproducibility and common technical knowledge, primary isolated hepatocytes can also be easily used as a screening approach. Here, we describe an enzymatic-based method to isolate primary murine hepatocytes, and we describe the assessment of an inflammatory response in these cells using ELISA and quantitative real-time PCR.
ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF VEGETABLE PRODUCTION IN GREENHOUSES – RESULTS OF MINI PROJECTS

In modern conditions of market working, it ought to take care that all potential invenstitors, when we talk about economic sphere, they conceived their invest on princip of economics effective, because in that case they can make a big business results related to executed investment. In other words, taking investment decision ought to based on controlled and proved methods of economic effective, because of acquisition a positive finance result which will enable other investments in goal of sustainable social economic growth. On geographical position, where is relief with predominate flat ground, available natural resources, and made economic potentials, the community Pancevo presents important area for vegetable production in greenhouses. This project include three Experimental field, on three location of community Pancevo. Experimental fields are under greenhouses and in period October 2006. – April 2007. breeded vegetables (spinach, radish, green salad and onion). The first experimental field is in village Glogonj, the second in village Banatski Brestovac, and the third belongs Secondary agricultural school „Josif Pancic“ in Pancevo.
Topos Unbound: From Place to Opening and Back

The essay presents four dimensions of Heidegger’s thinking on place: first, his basic insights on Da-sein, place, and opening; second, the details of how he worked out the relationships of things, place, locality, sites, the fourfold gathering, space, and horizon; third, his deepest thoughts in his last works that move beyond horizon to region (Gegend), Gegnet (abiding expanse), and Einraumen (clearing away, making room for); fourth, his ultimate letting go of the entire line of thought from Aristotle onward that conceives place as topos: that is a body’s place is the innermost motionless boundary of another body outside it and containing it, to say what he could of the unbounded which does not come toward us—The Open, The Free.
Involuntary Outpatient Commitment and Homelessness in Persons with Severe Mental Illness

This study took preliminary steps to explore the relationship between involuntary outpatient commitment (OPC) and the risk of homelessness among individuals with severe mental disorders. Involuntarily hospitalized patients were randomly assigned to be released or maintained under OPC following hospital discharge. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that involuntary OPC was associated with a significant decrease in the risk of homelessness during the first 4 months following hospital discharge for participants with severe functional impairment at baseline. OPC did not appear to affect risk of homelessness among participants with mild-to-moderate functional impairment. Co-occurring substance abuse, treatment nonadherence, and outpatient services intensity were found to be strongly associated with episodes of homelessness. This study suggests that involuntary OPC may provide a short-term reduction in the risk of homelessness among a subgroup of treatment-reluctant individuals with severe mental disorders combined with severe functional impairment.
Quickest detection for abrupt changes in neuronal ensemble spiking activity using model-based and model-free approaches

Many real-time brain-machine interface (BMI) applications require quickest detection of abrupt changes in observed neural signals in an online manner. In the presence of multi-neuronal recordings, we propose both model-based and model-free approaches to detect the change in neuronal ensemble spiking activity. The model-based approach is motivated from state space modeling and recursive Bayesian filtering. The model-free approach is motivated from the CUSUM algorithm that computes the cumulative log-likelihood statistics. In the application of detecting the onset of acute thermal pain signals, we validate these approaches using experimental population spike data recorded from freely behaving rats.
Specimen size effects in fracture toughness testing of heterogeneous ceramics by the notch beam method

The variation of apparent K I c with crack length is being studied using a variety of commercial ceramic materials. Test methodology is much the same as has been used in the past for natural rock (notched bend test). Where sufficiently definitive data have been obtained, each material showed decreasing K I c with decreasing crack length with all values falling below K I c determined using constant K specimens (double torsion or constant-moment-arm tests). Included in the study was soda-lime glass because it was anticipated that no size effect would occur. Large variations (a factor of two) did occur, however, differing in that all values were above constant K specimen K I c . Post-mortem fracture surface examination revealed problems that can occur where a specimen-wide sharp crack is not achieved before testing.
On the Hammock, Reading About Wilderness Wanderings

Belden Lane’s book “Backpacking with the Saints: Wilderness Hiking as a Spiritual Practice,” combines a passion for wilderness with a passion for spiritual writings. In each chapter, Lane travels to a wild place and introduces us to a saint. Those saints include, by Lane’s counting, “an early Celtic saint, five Catholics, four Protestants, a Buddhist, a Hindu, and a Sufi Muslim,” along with a sprinkling of the Desert Fathers and Mothers. Lane organizes his experiences around the four legs of a wilderness journey: departure, discipline, descent, and delight. Those legs are further divided into chapters on such topics as disillusionment, desire, mindfulness, failure, and community. Along the way, Lane offers an opportunity to reflect on how laws as diverse as the Wilderness Act, the Organic Act governing national parks, and CERCLA influence our relationship to both ordinary and special places.
Adverse Prognostic Factors for Morbidity and Mortality During Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Mobilization in Patients with Light Chain Amyloidosis

Abstract Patients with immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis undergoing peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell (PBSC) mobilization for autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HCT) can experience significant morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to characterize the adverse events and identify prognostic factors associated with the development of morbidity and mortality in patients with AL amyloidosis who had begun PBSC mobilization for auto-HCT. A retrospective study was performed in 101 consecutive patients with AL amyloidosis who underwent PBSC mobilization for auto-HCT between January 2006 and December 2013. A composite primary endpoint of morbidity and mortality during PBSC mobilization was used. Forty-one patients (41%) experienced at least 1 adverse event, including 4 deaths during PBSC mobilization. Adverse events included in this composite endpoint were cardiac events, thromboembolic events, bleeding events, unplanned hospitalization, weight gain >2% necessitating diuretic intervention, and death. Low serum albumin levels, elevated N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, and increased interventricular septal thickness were significantly associated with the composite primary endpoint (P = .024, .001, and .006, respectively). The median progression-free survival from the start of PBSC mobilization was 4.7 years, and the median overall survival was 6.5 years. In general, PBSC mobilization is associated with minimal complications, but patients with AL amyloidosis can experience more frequent and severe complications, such as volume overload and weight gain. Careful patient selection is warranted in patients with AL amyloidosis before proceeding to PBSC mobilization and auto-HCT.
Functional importance of Glutamate-445 and Glutamate-99 in proton-coupled electron transfer during oxygen reduction by cytochrome bd from Escherichia coli.

The recent X-ray structure of the cytochrome bd respiratory oxygen reductase showed that two of the three heme components, heme d and heme b595, have glutamic acid as an axial ligand. No other native heme proteins are known to have glutamic acid axial ligands. In this work, site-directed mutagenesis is used to probe the roles of these glutamic acids, E445 and E99 in the E. coli enzyme. It is concluded that neither glutamate is a strong ligand to the heme Fe and they are not the major determinates of heme binding to the protein. Although very important, neither glutamate is absolutely essential for catalytic function. The close interactions between the three hemes in cyt bd result in highly cooperative properties. For example, mutation of E445, which is near heme d, has its greatest effects on the properties of heme b595 and heme b558. It is concluded that 1) O2 binds to the hydrophilic side of heme d and displaces E445; 2) E445 forms a salt bridge with R448 within the O2 binding pocket, and both residues play a role to stabilize oxygenated states of heme d during catalysis; 3) E445 and E99 are each protonated accompanying electron transfer to heme d and heme b595, respectively; 4) All protons used to generate water within the heme d active site come from the cytoplasm and are delivered through a channel that must include internal water molecules to assist proton transfer: [cytoplasm] → E107 → E99 (heme b595) → E445 (heme d) → oxygenated heme d.
Prior Trauma Exposure and Serious Illness at End of Life: A National Study of Children in the U.S. Foster Care System From 2005 to 2015

Abstract Context. Children in foster care suffer with serious illness at end of life. However, the relationship between prior trauma exposure and serious illness has received little empirical attention. Objectives The objectives were to examine the prevalence and type of trauma exposure, and investigate the relationship between prior trauma and serious illness among foster children at end of life. Methods We used national longitudinal foster care data. We included children who were less than 18 years with residence in the United States. Serious illness (i.e., physical health, mental/behavioral health, developmental disabilities) was measured via the foster care files. Three measures of prior trauma exposure (i.e., maltreatment, drug/alcohol exposure, psychosocial stressors) were created. Using multivariate logistic regressions, we evaluated the influence of prior trauma on serious illness at end of life, while controlling for demographic, geographic, and foster care support characteristics. Results Sixty-eight percent of children experienced maltreatment, 28% exposure to parental drug/alcohol misuse, and 39% psychosocial stressors prior to entering foster care. Maltreatment was positively associated with physical health and developmental disabilities, while parental drug/alcohol exposure was inversely related to developmental disabilities. Psychosocial stressors contributed to the prediction of poor physical, mental, and developmental health. Conclusions These findings suggest that trauma-informed end-of-life care may be a critical need among children in foster care with serious illness. Future directions are discussed, including collaboration between end-of-life clinicians and social service workers and the importance of future research to understand and improve the quality of health at end of life for this underserved population.