cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
System for Measuring Conditional Amplitude, Phase, or Time Distributions of Pulsating Phenomena

A detailed description is given of an electronic stochastic analyzer for use with direct "real-time" measurements of the conditional distributions needed for a complete stochastic characterization of pulsating phenomena that can be represented as random point processes. The measurement system described here is designed to reveal and quantify effects of pulse-to-pulse or phase-to-phase memory propagation. The unraveling of memory effects is required so that the physical basis for observed statistical properties of pulsating phenomena can be understood. The individual unique circuit components that comprise the system and the combinations of these components for various measurements, are thoroughly documented. The system has been applied to the measurement of pulsating partial discharges generated by applying alternating or constant voltage to a discharge gap. Examples are shown of data obtained for conditional and unconditional amplitude, time interval, and phase-of-occurrence distributions of partial-discharge pulses. The results unequivocally show the existence of significant memory effects as indicated, for example, by the observations that the most probable amplitudes and phases-of-occurrence of discharge pulses depend on the amplitudes and/or phases of the preceding pulses. Sources of error and fundamental limitations of the present measurement approach are analyzed. Possible extensions of the method are also discussed.
Comparing phytoplankton seasonality in the eastern and western subarctic Pacific and the western Bering Sea

Abstract The observations of phytoplankton pigment by the former Coastal Zone Color Scanner for offshore areas of the subarctic Pacific and the western Bering Sea were reprocessed with attention to electronic overshoot. The data comprise 1979 to mid-1986, with two to three years of good coverage early in the period. Means for the individual days for seven large offshore `boxes' in each of the eastern and western subdivisions are depicted and evaluated, as are some surface observations of chlorophyll a and nutrients from ships. Basically, the entire deep-water region is a High Nutrient (nitrate)/Low Chlorophyll (HNLC) regime, excepting the areas off Washington/California and Hokkaido. Eastern and western subarctic including the deep Bering Sea do not differ in respect to the seasonal patterns of phytoplankton. Spring and summer blooms are absent throughout. Apparently, the winter production of phytoplankton is high enough also in the west, in spite of a deeper mixed layer, to maintain enough microzooplankton to suppress these blooms. The seasonal pattern of pigment appears to have been unaffected by the interdecadal regime shift of 1976/1977. This holds probably also for the concentrations, so that satellite observations of pigment will tell little about such shifts. The mechanism leading to rare autumn blooms in some boxes, relatively close to the continents, is unclear. In place of relaxation of grazing pressure from seasonal downward migration of larger zooplankton, a case is made for seasonally blown ash from volcanic eruptions as a source of iron, which increases algal division rates. Lack of sufficient size-fractionation data for phytoplankton in terms of chlorophyll is a serious impediment to understanding the seasonal phenomena.
Gas-Chromatographic Determination of Diospyramide With Nitrogen Detection

A sensitive and specific method is presented for the quantification of disopyramide, a new antiarrhythmic agent, in blood plasma or serum. Aminopentamide, a chemically similar compound, is added to the biological fluid, and the two compounds are extracted with chloroform. The concentrated extract is treated with trifluoroacetic anhydride, resulting in the dehydration of the primary amide group of the drug and internal standard to the corresponding nitriles. The dehydrated derivatives are gas chromatographed and detected using a nitrogen-phosphorus detector. The method is applicable to the determination of the drug in plasma in the 1-10 microgram/mL concentration range.
Tight regulation of plant immune responses by combining promoter and suicide exon elements

Effector-triggered immunity (ETI) is activated when plant disease resistance (R) proteins recognize the presence of pathogen effector proteins delivered into host cells. The ETI response generally encompasses a defensive 'hypersensitive response' (HR) that involves programmed cell death at the site of pathogen recognition. While many R protein and effector protein pairs are known to trigger HR, other components of the ETI signaling pathway remain elusive. Effector genes regulated by inducible promoters cause background HR due to leaky protein expression, preventing the generation of relevant transgenic plant lines. By employing the HyP5SM suicide exon, we have developed a strategy to tightly regulate effector proteins such that HR is chemically inducible and non-leaky. This alternative splicing-based gene regulation system was shown to successfully control Bs2/AvrBs2-dependent and RPP1/ATR1Δ51-dependent HR in Nicotiana benthamiana and Nicotiana tabacum, respectively. It was also used to generate viable and healthy transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants that inducibly initiate HR. Beyond enabling studies on the ETI pathway, our regulatory strategy is generally applicable to reduce or eliminate undesired background expression of transgenes.
Two methods for measuring carbohydrate-deficient transferrin in inpatient alcoholics and healthy controls compared

Carbohydrate-deficient transferrins (CDTs), naturally occurring glycosylated transferrin proteins, are reported to be increased in the serum of individuals who consume large quantities of alcohol (ethanol). We compared two methods for the separation and quantification of CDT, using the same alcohol-dependent patients and age-, gender-, and race-matched controls as sources of samples for both assays. There was good correlation (r = 0.89) between the microcolumn anion-exchange chromatography/RIA (MAEC/RIA) procedure and the isoelectric focusing, immunoblotting, and laser densitometry (IEF/IB/LD) procedure. Receiver operating characteristic analysis suggested that the IEF/IB/LD procedure would perform slightly better than MAEC/RIA for the overall population. However, both assays were much more sensitive for the detection of heavy alcohol consumption in men, compared with women. Alcohol consumption in the week prior to CDT measurement correlated only weakly with the concentrations measured with either assay.
A Vision of Family Policy for the 21st Century

This article explores parallels between family policy issues prominent at the close of the 19th century and those facing us now, one century hence. Among these parallels are concerns about substance abuse, economic inequality, “family values” and the reproductive behavior of young women, child maltreatment, and family stability. Recurring themes in American responses to these issues include continuing debate about the role of government in family life and support, enduring efforts to reconcile sentiments of individualism with those of communal-ism, and concern with the practical impact on policy and institutions of both traditional and contemporary renderings of human rights, as articulated in the Declaration of Independence and the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child. Of concern in ongoing debate is the rising level of cynicism and distrust among youth of government, and the increasingly toxic social environment for American families.
Food irradiation and sterilization

Abstract Radiation sterilization of food (radappertization) requires exposing food in sealed containers to ionizing radiation at absorbed doses high enough (25–70 kGy) to kill all organisms of food spoilage and public health significance. Radappertization is analogous to thermal canning is achieving shelf stability (long term storage without refrigeration). Except for dry products in which autolysis is negligible, the radappertization process also requires that the food be heated to an internal temperature of 70–80°C (bacon to 53°C) to inactivate autolytic enzymes which catalyze spoilage during storage without refrigeration. To minimize the occurence of irradiation induced off-flavors and odors, undesirable color changes, and textural and nutritional losses from exposure to the high doses required for radappertization, the foods are vacuum sealed and irradiated frozen (-40°C to -20°C). Radappertozed foods have the characteristic of fresh foods prepared for eating. Radappertization can substitute in whole or in part for some chemical food additives such as ethylene oxide and nitrites which are either toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, or teratogenic. After 27 years of testing for “wholesomeness” (safety for consumption) of radappertized foods, no confirmed evidence has been obtained of any adverse effecys of radappertization on the “wholesomeness” characteristics of these foods.
Astrocytic TYMP and VEGFA drive blood-brain barrier opening in inflammatory central nervous system lesions

In inflammatory central nervous system conditions such as multiple sclerosis, breakdown of the blood-brain barrier is a key event in lesion pathogenesis, predisposing to oedema, excitotoxicity, and ingress of plasma proteins and inflammatory cells. Recently, we showed that reactive astrocytes drive blood-brain barrier opening, via production of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA). Here, we now identify thymidine phosphorylase (TYMP; previously known as endothelial cell growth factor 1, ECGF1) as a second key astrocyte-derived permeability factor, which interacts with VEGFA to induce blood-brain barrier disruption. The two are co-induced NFκB1-dependently in human astrocytes by the cytokine interleukin 1 beta (IL1B), and inactivation of Vegfa in vivo potentiates TYMP induction. In human central nervous system microvascular endothelial cells, VEGFA and the TYMP product 2-deoxy-d-ribose cooperatively repress tight junction proteins, driving permeability. Notably, this response represents part of a wider pattern of endothelial plasticity: 2-deoxy-d-ribose and VEGFA produce transcriptional programs encompassing angiogenic and permeability genes, and together regulate a third unique cohort. Functionally, each promotes proliferation and viability, and they cooperatively drive motility and angiogenesis. Importantly, introduction of either into mouse cortex promotes blood-brain barrier breakdown, and together they induce severe barrier disruption. In the multiple sclerosis model experimental autoimmune encephalitis, TYMP and VEGFA co-localize to reactive astrocytes, and correlate with blood-brain barrier permeability. Critically, blockade of either reduces neurologic deficit, blood-brain barrier disruption and pathology, and inhibiting both in combination enhances tissue preservation. Suggesting importance in human disease, TYMP and VEGFA both localize to reactive astrocytes in multiple sclerosis lesion samples. Collectively, these data identify TYMP as an astrocyte-derived permeability factor, and suggest TYMP and VEGFA together promote blood-brain barrier breakdown.
THE FEMINIST IMAGINATION

Barbara Taylor, Mary Wollstonecraft and the Feminist Imagination (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003)Ruth H. Bloch, Gender and Morality in Anglo-American Culture, 1650–1800 (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2003)Barbara Taylor entitles her new book Mary Wollstonecraft and the Feminist Imagination. The imagination in question is Wollstonecraft's, but, like Wollstonecraft, Taylor is interested in the imagination more generally, both the problems that the imagination gets women into and the ways in which the feminist imagination can get women out of those problems and help them imagine a more just and equitable future. Ruth H. Bloch's aim in Gender and Morality in Anglo-American Culture, 1650–1800, the newly published collection of her essays, is somewhat more modest. Although her chief objective is to analyze the transformation in American views about women, gender, the family, and religion in the era of the American Revolution, she also offers case studies in the use of a culturalist approach to feminist history. Although there are important differences in approach and subject matter between these two books, their similarities and areas of overlap—not the least of which is that their authors are two of the best feminist intellectual historians at work today—make it instructive to review them together.
Chronic wasting disease of captive mule deer: a spongiform encephalopathy.

In the past 12 years (1967–79) a syndrome we identify as chronic wasting disease has been observed in 53 mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) and one black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) held in captivity in several wildlife facilities in Colorado and more recently in Wyoming. Clinical signs were seen in adult deer and included behavioral alterations, progressive weight loss and death in 2 weeks to 8 months. Gross necropsy findings included emaciation and excess rumen fluid admixed with sand and gravel. Consistent histopathologic change was limited to the central nervous system and characterized by widespread spongiform transformation of the neuropil, single or multiple intracytoplasmic vacuoles in neuronal perikaryons and intense astrocytic hypertrophy and hyperplasia. Presented is a clinical characterization of chronic wasting disease and pathologic evidence supporting the conclusion that the disease is a specific spontaneously occurring form of spongiform encephalopathy.
Perspectives on HRD and Diversity Education

The quotation by Cohn and Mullennix that begins this article is also an apt beginning for this issue. Globalization and workforce demographics have made diversity an organizational concern. In resp...
Unwanted Feature Interactions Between the Problem and Search Operators in Evolutionary Multi-objective Optimization

Providing self-reconfiguration at run-time amidst adverse environmental conditions is a key challenge in the design of dynamically adaptive systems (DASs). Prescriptive approaches to manually preload these systems with a limited set of strategies/solutions before deployment often result in brittle, rigid designs that are unable to scale and cope with environmental uncertainty. Alternatively, a more scalable and adaptable approach is to embed a search process within the DAS capable of exploring and generating optimal reconfigurations at run time. The presence of multiple competing objectives, such as cost and performance, means there is no single optimal solution but rather a set of valid solutions with a range of trade-offs that must be considered. In order to help manage competing objectives, we used an evolutionary multi-objective optimization technique, NSGA-II, for generating new network configurations for an industrial remote data mirroring application. During this process, we observed the presence of a hidden search factor that restricted NSGA-II’s search from expanding into regions where valid optimal solutions were known to exist. In follow-on empirical studies, we discovered that a variable-length genome design causes unintended interactions with crowding distance mechanisms when using discrete objective functions.
Creating biological nanomaterials using synthetic biology

Synthetic biology is a new discipline that combines science and engineering approaches to precisely control biological networks. These signaling networks are especially important in fields such as biomedicine and biochemical engineering. Additionally, biological networks can also be critical to the production of naturally occurring biological nanomaterials, and as a result, synthetic biology holds tremendous potential in creating new materials. This review introduces the field of synthetic biology, discusses how biological systems naturally produce materials, and then presents examples and strategies for incorporating synthetic biology approaches in the development of new materials. In particular, strategies for using synthetic biology to produce both organic and inorganic nanomaterials are discussed. Ultimately, synthetic biology holds the potential to dramatically impact biological materials science with significant potential applications in medical systems.
Sacha Guitry, National Portraiture and the Artist's Hand:

Sacha Guitry is known for his witty farces and flamboyant historical film pageants. This study examines his documentary films and their function as archive and display case of French genius: Ceux de chez nous (1915; 1952), a home movie showing among others Rodin, Anatole France and Andre Antoine, and MCDXXIX–MCMXLII De Jeanne d’Arc a Philippe Petain (1943–4), a film consisting of an anonymous hand turning the pages of a book (of the same title), displaying in full view portraits, hand moulds and original manuscripts on and by great figures of French culture, arts and politics. The essay discusses how the image of the hand, omnipresent in the filmmaker's work and collections, bridges his passion for the theatre, collecting and film. The hand is central to Guitry's gestures of display, his presentational aesthetics. It is also the key signifier for traces of French identity and artistic genius.
Metal versus Plastic Stent for Transmural Drainage of Pancreatic Fluid Collections

The conventional management of pancreatic fluid collections (PFCs) involves surgery or percutaneous drainage. While surgery is associated with significant complications and mortality, percutaneous drainage is associated with prolonged hospitalization and oftentimes the need for other adjunctive treatment measures. Therefore, the use of endoscopy to drain PFCs is becoming increasingly popular. Randomized trials have demonstrated that endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage is superior to conventional endoscopy in terms of technical success and potentially decreases the rates of procedural complications. While transmural drainage is usually undertaken by deployment of plastic endoprosthesis, of late, fully covered self-expandable metal stents are being placed with increasing frequency. However, the benefits of this approach are unclear and require further validation in prospective trials.
Polycystic ovary syndrome. Phenotype to genotype.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has long been noted to have a familial component. 14 Phenotype studies have been hampered by the lack of a universal definition of the syndrome. 11 The uncertainty about the key aspects of the syndrome in women is intensified when one attempts to apply key criteria to first-degree relatives of these patients. Assigning a phenotype to first-degree relatives of women with PCOS is the first step in performing genetic analysis. The next step is identifying specific markers in the genome that segregate with the disease. In the final step, the disease genes that determine the phenotype must be located that lie in the proximity of the genetic marker. Genetic analysis of families ultimately offers the greatest hope of deciphering the complexity of PCOS. Despite hundreds of clinical studies of its pathophysiology, many questions remain unsolved. Early familial studies of PCOS suggested a simple solution to what most researchers acknowledge is a complex and heterogeneous disorder. Most of these studies suggested a dominant form of inheritance. Additionally, positive findings have been reported with candidate genes in both association 29 and linkage studies of PCOS. 43 This article reviews phenotype and genotype studies in PCOS, summarizes the author's work (National Cooperative Program in Infertility Research or NCPIR) to date, and discusses some of the challenges for the future.
Biomarkers and obesity in surgically treated patients with prostate cancer

14536 Background: Obesity is associated with poor outcomes in prostate cancer (PC). We explored if biomarkers for proliferation and estrogen signaling relate to obesity and surgical outcomes in PC ...
An Optimization Study on the Control of NOx and Particulate Emissions from Diesel Engines

This is an optimization study on the use of filtered exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) to reduce the NO emissions of diesel engines. Control of the particulate emissions and provisions for filtered EGR were achieved by an Aerodynamically Regenerated Trap (ART) with collection efficiencies in the order of 99%. The amount of EGR was regulated to provide for substantial NO reduction, without unacceptably decreasing the thermal efficiency of the engine or increasing the CO emissions. EGR regulation was accomplished by monitoring the injection pump setting which was correlated to the fuel flow rate, the speed of the engine, the amount of EGR flow, and the ambient air temperature. Through these parameters, the mixture strength expressed as the equivalence ratio {phi} was calculated and related to the power output of the engine. Thus, a map of engine performance parameters was generated and related to measured NO and CO emissions. A series of road tests showed that EGR most effectively reduces NO emissions at high {phi}`s (by a factor of two at 20% EGR) which, however, is accompanied by an increase in CO emissions by a factor of two, and a penalty in fuel economy by 8%. Benefits and losses can be optimizedmore » by automatically varying the level of EGR, using feedback from the aforementioned engine parameters. An algorithm was developed to govern the electrically controlled EGR valve and tests showed that the NO levels decreased by 30%, while the CO increased by 30%, showing no penalty in fuel economy. The resulting specific NO and CO emissions were well within the current US EPA standards.« less
Role of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology, viscosity, and carcinoembryonic antigen in pancreatic cyst fluid

Due to the advances and increased utility of abdominal cross-sectional imaging, the diagnosis of pancreatic cysts continues to increase. Many endosonographers, pancreatologists, and surgeons consider endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) to be an essential tool in the management of pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs). EUS can help distinguish between mucinous and nonmucinous lesions and may identify the specific cyst type. EUS achieves these goals by delineating the cyst morphology, identifying high risk stigmata and worrisome features, and through image-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and cyst fluid analysis. However, recent consensus statements have called to question the utility and diminished the role of EUS in this setting. The aim of this review is to assess the role and advances of EUS-FNA in pancreatic cyst fluid analysis, specifically in terms of fluid cytology, viscosity, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) analysis.
Stimulated Emission and Gain Measurements from InGaN/GaN Heterostructures

InGaN/GaN Heterostructures were deposited on c-plane sapphire substrates by atmospheric pressure Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD). A frequency tripled modelocked Ti-sapphire laser with a 250 fs pulse operating at 280 nm was used for photoexcitation. Photopumped stimulated emission was observed from InGaN/GaN single heterostructures (SH’s) in both edge and surface emitting configurations. A sharp threshold at the onset of stimulated emission and a strong nonlinear dependence of output emission on input power density was observed. Distinct Fabry-Perot modes corresponding to both cavity configurations were also observed. Gain coefficients were measured from an In0.14Ga0.86N film using the method developed by Shaklee and Leheny for the edge emitting configuration.
Glacial cirques and the relationship between equilibrium line altitudes and mountain range height

A global GIS- and literature-based analysis of the altitude and relief of more than 14,000 ice-free glacial cirques in 56 study areas ranging from 69°N to 77°S shows that average cirque floor altitudes vary with latitude in a zone centered on the Quaternary average equilibrium line altitude (QA-ELA). In addition, relief above cirque floors averages 346 ± 107 m, and is rarely >600 m. In regions where ice-free cirques are abundant, cirque relief is independent of modern precipitation rates, tectonic regime, and relative peak height, limiting peaks to within a fixed distance above the QA-ELA and thus causing them to also parallel the ELA. We propose a physical process model where, under suitable geologic and tectonic conditions, climate exerts a first-order control on mountain range height. In this model, glacial erosion excavates a zone of cirques with floors centered on the QA-ELA, while climate-driven weathering processes on adjacent slopes limit the peaks to within a few hundred meters above this zone.
Manipulation of Calcite Crystals in a Beam with a Polarization Singularity

We demonstrate the rotation of birefringent calcite in a laser mode with a polarization singularity. The rotation direction of the calcite changes at different transverse coordinates depending on the circular polarization of the mode at each location.
Treatment of simple and postphlebitic varicose veins.

There are two main types of varicose veins, namely, simple saphenous varices and postphlebitic varices. Even in cases in which simple saphenous varices are extensive, the number of superficial veins that remain normal are sufficient to permit the so-called peripheral venous heart to protect the leg against the development of induration and ulcer. In decided contrast, the peripheral venous heart often cannot lower the pressure in the superficial veins in cases of postphlebitic varices.
Pollution Control Based on Market Me chanism and Reformation of Fee System Levies for Pollution Discharge

The paper descrided the relations of pollution control based on market me chanism and reformation of fee system levied for pollution discharge.
Downstream Bioengineering of ACE Chromosomes for Incorporation of Site-Specific Recombination Cassettes

Advances in mammalian artificial chromosome technology have made chromosome-based vector technology amenable to a variety of biotechnology applications including cellular protein production, genomics, and animal transgenesis. A pivotal aspect of this technology is the ability to generate artificial chromosomes de novo, transfer them to a variety of cells, and perform downstream engineering of artificial chromosomes in a tractable and rational manner. Previously, we have described an alternative artificial chromosome technology termed the ACE chromosome system, where the ACE platform chromosome contains a multitude of site-specific, recombination sites incorporated during the creation of the ACE platform chromosome. In this chapter we review a variant of the ACE chromosome technology whereby site-specific, recombination sites can be integrated into the ACE chromosome following its de novo synthesis. This variation allows insertion of user-defined, site-specific, recombination systems into an existing ACE platform chromosome. These bioengineered ACE platform chromosomes, containing user-defined recombination sites, represent an ideal circuit board to which an array of genetic factors can be plugged-in and expressed for various research and therapeutic applications.
Effect of selegiline (deprenyl) on the progression of disability in early Parkinson's disease. Parkinson Study Group

In patients with early, otherwise untreated Parkinson's disease, the abilities of selegiline (deprenyl) and tocopherol, antioxidative agents that act through complementary mechanisms, to delay the emergence of more severe disability requiring treatment with levodopa were evaluated. Eight hundred subjects were randomly assigned in a two-by-two factorial design to receive selegiline (10 mg per day), tocopherol (2000 IU per day), selegiline and tocopherol, or placebo and were followed up to determine the frequency of development of disability requiring treatment with levodopa, the primary end point. Interim analysis performed by an independent safety monitoring committee prompted a preliminary comparison of the 401 subjects assigned to tocopherol or placebo with the 399 subjects assigned to selegiline, alone or with tocopherol. During an average of 12 months of follow-up, only 97 subjects who received selegiline reached the end point. In contrast, 176 subjects who did not receive selegiline reached the end point during this period (P < 10(-8)). Selegiline was also found to be well tolerated and to have a small, but statistically significant symptomatic benefit. These results indicate that use of selegiline (10 mg per day) in patients with early, otherwise untreated Parkinson's disease, delays the emergence of more severe disability.
Inhibition of Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens by Bacteriocins from Lactococcus lactis and Pediococcus pentosaceous1

The objective of this study was to develop an appropriate method for detecting specific bacteriocin-mediated inhibition. This method could be used to determine the effectiveness of known bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria against foodborne pathogens. Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis 11454, Pediococcus pentosaceous FBB61, and P. pentosaceous FBB63-DG2 were evaluated for their ability to inhibit a variety a foodborne pathogens. Of the three procedures used, the agar spot method was chosen as the most reproducible and reliable assay method. After optimization of the plate agar media composition, and the time and temperature of the assay, the three bacteriocin-producing strains were screened against a broad range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative foodborne pathogens. The three bacteriocin-producing organisms inhibited the following Gram-positive foodborne pathogens: Bacillus cereus , Clostridium perfringens . Staphylococcus aureus , and 22 representatives of 5 species of Listeria including L. monocytogenes , L. ivanovii , L. innocua , L. seeligeri , and L. welshimeri . Additionally, strain 11454 slightly inhibited several Gram-negative foodborne pathogens, including Aeromonas hydrophila AH2, Escherichia coli 0157:H7, Vibrio cholerae 851, and V. parahaemolyticus A865957. Gram-negative organisms not inhibited by any of the bacteriocin-producing organisms included Campylobacter jejuni , several serovars of Salmonella enteriditis , and species of Yersinia and Vibrio .
Assessing Product Development Agility

Agile software development grew out of a variety of alternative software development methods that shared a common set of values and principles. After two decades with these alternative methods, agile software development remains loosely defined, but has been widely accepted. This acceptance has gained the attention of other fields with discussions of applying agile to their work, for example agile systems engineering and agile program management. However, within the larger field of product development, agility was defined in terms of software development, both in practice and in principle. This chapter focuses on a set of general agile characteristics derived from the agile values and principles embraced by many software developers. This set of characteristics provides a basis for (a) assessing difficulties in software development projects employing agile practices, (b) applying concepts of agility to other disciplines beyond software development, and (c) measuring agility. In addition to deriving general agile characteristics, this chapter relates two stories of agile methods adoption that illustrate both the need for and the utility of general agile characteristics.
Incidence, Severity, and Outcomes of AKI Associated with Dual Renin-Angiotensin System Blockade

Background and objectives The benefit of dual blockade of the renin-angiotensin system is limited by adverse effects. We performed a secondary analysis of the Veterans Affairs Nephropathy in Diabetes (VA NEPHRON-D) Study to describe the effect of increased intensity of renin-angiotensin system blockade on the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of AKI. Design, setting, participants, & measurements In the VA NEPHRON-D Study, we randomized 1148 veterans receiving outpatient care with type 2 diabetes mellitus, eGFR of between 30 and 89.9 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 , and urinary albumin excretion of at least 300 μ g/mg creatinine (or a urinary total protein of at least 0.5 mg/mg creatinine) to either combination therapy with losartan and lisinopril or monotherapy with losartan. We identified hospitalized AKI events and their outcomes during a median follow-up of 2.2 years through systematic reporting of serious adverse events. Results The incidence of AKI was 12.2 (95% confidence interval, 10.5 to 14.0) versus 6.7 (95% confidence interval, 5.6 to 8.2) per 100 patient-years in the combination arm versus monotherapy arms ( P P P =0.04), lower 30-day mortality (4.7% versus 15.0%; P Conclusions Dual renin-angiotensin system blockade was associated with an increased risk of AKI compared with monotherapy, but AKI in the setting of monotherapy was associated with lower rates of recovery of kidney function, higher mortality, and higher risk of progression of kidney disease.
Performance characteristics of the Starr-Edwards Model 1260 aortic valve prosthesis beyond ten years.

The Starr-Edwards non-cloth-covered silicone ball (Model 1260) aortic valve prosthesis has been widely used for over 15 years and remains a standard against which newer values are compared. To define more completely the performance characteristics of this prosthesis, this study (including 449 patients) analyzed the long-term function of this specific valve over a cumulative total of 2,896 patient-years (pt-yrs) of follow-up which extended beyond 13 years. Expressed in both actuarial (% [± standard error of the mean] free at 10 years) and linearized (% /pt-yr) terms, respectively, valve-related complications occurred at the following rates: thromboembolism, 76 ± 3 and 2.7; anticoagulant-related hemorrhage, 74 ± 3 and 3.1; prosthetic valve endocarditis, 92 ± 2 and 0.9; reoperation, 90 ± 2 and 1.1; valve failure, 82 ± 2 and 2.2; all valve-related morbidity and mortality, 51 ± 3 and 6.0; and valve-related death, 88 ± 2 and 1.3. Thirteen percent of hospital and 18% of late deaths were due to valve-related causes. No case of structural failure was documented. This prosthesis has an admirable structural durability record out to 13 years, and its long-term performance is satisfactory, albeit not optimal. Despite the indestructable design and construction of this mechanical valve substitute, 12% ±2% of patients had died of valve-related complications by 10 years, and fully 49% ±3% had had some form of serious valve-related complication. The long-term data reported herein can be used for analytical comparison when follow-up of patients with newer mechanical prostheses and tissue bioprostheses reaches 10 years to elucidate whether or not these newer valves truly represent improvements and which type of valve substitute proffers the most possible net benefit to the patient.
Religion and New Media: A Uses and Gratifications Approach

This research examines specific relationships between new media and religion. While prior research has focused on the question of whether a relationship exists, we explore technology usage as a pre...
Understanding barriers and facilitators to healthy eating and physical activity from patients either before and after knee arthroplasty

AbstractPurpose: We sought to identify patient-reported barriers and facilitators to healthy eating and physical activity among patients before or after knee arthroplasty.Materials and methods: Twenty patients with knee osteoarthritis aged 40–79 years who had knee arthroplasty surgery scheduled or completed within 3 months were interviewed. Interview topics included perceived barriers and facilitators to healthy eating and activity before or after surgery. Interviews were coded and analyzed using constant comparative analysis.Results: Interviews were completed with 11 pre-operative (67.1 ± 7.6 years, 45.5% female, BMI 31.2 ± 6.3) and nine post-operative patients (61.7 ± 11.7 years, 44.4% female, BMI 30.2 ± 4.7 kg/m2). The most commonly identified personal barriers to healthy eating identified were desire for high-fat/high-calorie foods, managing overconsumption and mood. Factors related to planning, portion control and motivation to improve health were identified as healthy eating facilitators. Identified...
ADULT CALOSOMA SAYI (COLEOPTERA: CARABIDAE) AS A PREDATOR ON FALL ARMYWORM PUPAE

Pupae of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), placed on the soil surface or partially buried under laboratory conditions, were readily consumed by adult Calosoma sayi DeJean. Pre...
Uncommon Epithelial Ovarian Tumors

This chapter familiarizes the reader with the different types of uncommon epithelial ovarian tumors: Brenner (transitional cell) tumors, mixed Brenner-mucinous tumors, atypical proliferative (transitional cell) tumors, malignant transitional cell tumors (malignant Brenner tumor and transitional cell carcinoma), squamous tumors, mixed epithelial tumors, undifferentiated carcinomas, and malignant mixed mesodermal tumors (carcinosarcoma). The reader will learn about these tumors’ clinical features, macroscopic and microscopic features, relevant ancillary studies, immunophenotypes, and clinical outcomes. Diagnostic pitfalls and differential diagnoses are also discussed.
AN UNUSUAL CASE OF CONSTRICTIVE PERICARDITIS

Establishing the diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis as a cause for secondary congestive hepatopathy or cirrhosis remains a challenge. A 32 year-old man presented with three days of abdominal pain and distention. His past medical history included liver cirrhosis thought to be due to remote
Lamas, Empresses and Tea: Early Twentieth-Century Sino-British Encounters in Eastern Tibet

ABSTRACTAt the turn of the twentieth century, the Tibetan plateau was a zone of intense imperial contact—and competition—between British India and Qing China. Even before the 1904 Younghusband Expe...
Gun Enthusiasm, Hypermasculinity, Manhood Honor, and Lifetime Aggression

Links between gun enthusiasm, hypermasculinity, manhood honor maintenance, trait antagonism, and lifetime aggression were examined in this national sample of American men (N = 861). Regression anal...
Practice patterns and outcomes among patients with N0M0 prostate cancer and a very high prostate-specific antigen.

48Background: There are limited data regarding practice patterns and outcomes among patients with a very high prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level ( > = 98.0 ng/mL) but clinically localized (N0M0) prostate cancer. Methods: We used the National Cancer Database (NCDB) to identify 748,825 patients with prostate cancer diagnosed 2004-2012. We subdivided these patients by PSA level (0-9.9, 10-19.9, 20-39.9, 40-59.9, 60-79.9, 80-97.9, and > = 98.0 ng/mL), nodal status (N0 vs N1) and the presence of distant metastases (M0 vs M1). We determined the rate of definitive LR therapy (pelvic and/or prostate radiation and/or radical prostatectomy) in each group. Overall survival was compared using Cox multivariable regression modeling after adjusting for patient race, income quartile, education quartile, age, and year of diagnosis. Results: Rates of definitive LR therapy for patients with PSA > = 98.0 ng/mL and N0M0 disease were significantly lower than they were for those with N1M0 disease (52.6% vs 60.4%, p < 0.001) ...
Social movement involvement and healthy diet and activity behaviors among US adults.

Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, namely poor diet and inadequate physical activity, significantly contribute to poor health and obesity risk, which in turn impact chronic illness outcomes. A possible approach to improving these health behaviors and subsequent outcomes is to capitalize on the theorized link between social movement involvement and overlapping health behaviors. Social movement involvement may be a viable stealth intervention for health, utilizing intrinsic motivators to improve health without an explicit focus on changing health behavior. Thus, the current study explored the links between social movement involvement and diet and physical activity. Two samples from a college population (N = 196) and the general population (N = 195) participated in an online survey, which included measures of social movement involvement, social movement-related health behaviors and dietary intake and physical activity. After controlling for known covariates, social movement-related health behaviors mediated the relationship between level of social movement involvement and fruit and vegetable consumption, whole grain intake and average daily physical activity in both samples. These findings suggest that health behaviors associated with social movement involvement may be an important mechanism in promoting health among social movement members and that the model holds across adult populations. This research adds to existing literature on stealth interventions as a viable means of improving important behavioral health components linked with obesity and chronic disease and supports social movement involvement as a potential form of stealth intervention.
Prognostic Significance of Modified Residual Disease in Breast and Nodes (mRDBN) Algorithm After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer.

Objectives We hypothesized that prognostic accuracy of the residual disease in breast and lymph nodes (RDBN) method, which is calculated using residual tumor size, nodal involvement, and tumor grade, may be improved by incorporating residual tumor cellularity. Methods Cases included 614 patients who underwent neoadjuvant therapy for breast cancer. Tumor size was adjusted for residual cellularity of invasive carcinoma and used to calculate modified RDBN (mRDBN) and compared with unmodified gross tumor size (gRDBN). Results RDBN could be calculated in 428 cases. Relative risks of recurrence and death were significantly higher for RDBN-3 and RDBN-4 compared with RDBN-1. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed significant differences in disease-free survival and overall survival for estrogen receptor (ER)-negative/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative and ER-positive/HER2-negative subgroups (P < .0001). Conclusions Both mRDBN and gRDBN provide prognostic information, particularly in HER2-negative carcinoma; however, mRDBN showed better stratification of RDBN-3 and RDBN-4 patients.
Complexity Versus Diversity

Nature is enormously complex, but the nature of this complexity is difficult to rigorously define or quantify. The related concepts of ecological complexity and biological diversity provide some utility in this regard. Ecological complexity links the structural intricacy of biological communities with the dynamics and stability of ecosystems. Biodiversity, in contrast, concerns the extent of genetic, taxonomic, phylogenetic, ecosystem, and functional structure of ecosystems over space and time. Because complexity and diversity are both declining in our rapidly changing world, these topics have become increasingly important in contemporary environmental science.
Critical Error 9 Not Accounting for Murphy’s Law

The legend goes that a new physics professor at a Midwestern school wanted to impress the undergraduates with his teaching. 2 In his fi rst semester, he requested to teach one of the large sections of freshman physics. Held in a huge lecture hall, each class period consisted of a lecture about a major topic and then a demonstration of a principle associated with that topic. For the class period that discussed motion in a plane, the new professor refused to use the six-foot air table that everyone else used. Instead, he had the technicians build him something twice as large. Likewise, for the class period on Newton’s laws, he refused to use the tabletop spring balance that everyone else chose; he had the technicians build him something much larger.
Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) Helps with Anger Issues in the Severe and Persistently Mentally Ill (SPMI) Population

This paper summarizes a study conducted which used Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) to help with anger issues in people who have been previously diagnosed with a severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI). Fifty-six participants were studied and questioned in depth for an understanding of their anger issues; as they relate to their diagnosis. Some of the questions that were considered were as follows: Is anger a direct result of their diagnosis? Is the medication they take somehow responsible? Are anger outbursts controllable or at least foreseeable? How can a counselor provide therapy for someone when that person is so angry all the time that they cannot calm down long enough to listen or participate in any form of therapy? This study also looks at the use of animals to calm this population using their blood pressure levels before and after the fifteen minute intervention with an animal of their choice on a farm. Subject’s reflections were documented through a selfefficacy questionnaire that was offered both before and after the intervention, as well as their counselor’s trained subjective analysis of what creates the anger in each participant.
Modification of the Two-Point Touch Cane Technique: A Pilot Study.

In this pilot study four subjects were observed to determine the extent of the natural movement of their centers of gravity in relation to arc height during the two-point touch cane technique. The ...
The Presentation of Self in Rural Life: The Use of Space at a Connected Farmstead

Archaeological investigation at the Pettengill farmstead site, a mid-19th-century connected farmstead in southern New Hampshire, prompted questions regarding the use of divided spaces, along with associated economic and social implications. During the 19th century, nearly 60% of the farmsteads constructed in northern New England were built with the principal farm structures connected into a single sprawling block. this shift away from a disconnected arrangement was an attempt at increasing efficiency while maintaining a traditional way of life in the face of increased competition from western farms. By connecting the farmstead, farmers visually and functionally divided spaces, both utilitarian and symbolic. When combined with documentary evidence, this site illustrates how the arrangement of the farmstead space affected the Pettengills’ presentation of themselves to their community.
High Performance Buildings: Measures, Complexity, and Current Trends

Most people are intimately involved with the built environment, while unfamiliar with detailed aspects of its design and operation. Buildings are everywhere and are designed and equipped using an agglomeration of many different design elements or puzzle pieces. With the recent trends towards a more energy efficient world, there has been an attempt to make buildings more efficient by using highly efficient pieces of the design puzzle. Not always does the integration of these subsystems result in an efficient building as a whole. The goal of this chapter is to highlight some of these boundaries and current engineering trends to surpass these obstacles. The discussion will be focused on large commercial buildings in the United States, while similar concerns are prevalent in other building types and in other global locations. We start by highlighting different ways that performance is measured and review the different design elements and equipment choices that are available to construct a building. The large number of interacting components creates complexity and a challenge to obtain a high performance structure. Specifically, technology barriers to realizing high performance buildings through this integration process lie in the ability to create useful models, data analysis tools, and effective control strategies. The chapter concludes with some current applied research in building systems that address the complexities in building systems and methods being developed to overcome the barriers that lie in the way.