cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integrated care pathways: an audit tool in paediatric oncology.

The families of children undergoing treatment for cancer encounter many professionals with varying levels of training, experience and competency. This can lead to variance in the care and advice they receive. The aim of the audit described in this article was to improve care for children with fever and neutropenia by introducing an integrated care pathway. Guidelines for neutropenia were examined and a retrospective analysis of notes undertaken to study what was happening before a pathway was introduced. From this, standards were set and a pathway developed which was introduced to all members of the oncology unit and implemented as part of the children’s care. This article will also focus on the audit and evaluation of the pathway. Following this, the pathway has been changed to reflect care and can now be used to introduce new evidence or research in this field.
Vitamin D kinetics in vivo: effect of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D administration

Administration of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] can increase the metabolic clearance rate (MCR) of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. To determine whether administration of 1,25(OH)2D can also influence the metabolic clearance rates (MCR) of 1,25(OH)2D and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 24,25(OH)2D, we measured metabolic clearance of 1,25(OH)2D, 24,25(OH)2D, and 25(OH)D in rats in which the serum concentration of 1,25(OH)2D was increased by continuous infusion. Infusion of 1,25(OH)2D (12 days at 75 pmol/day) increased serum 1,25(OH)2D from 128 +/- 11 to 244 +/- 14 pg/ml (P less than 0.005) and increased MCR from 169 +/- 13 to 210 +/- 9 microliters.min-1.kg-1 or 24% (P less than 0.025). Increasing serum 1,25(OH)2D to 330-360 pg/ml increased MCR 72%. Infusion of 1,25(OH)2D decreased serum 24,25(OH)2D from 3.5 +/- 0.5 to 2.4 +/- 0.3 ng/ml (P less than 0.05), increased MCR from 25 +/- 2 to 48 +/- 6 microliters.min-1.kg-1 (P less than 0.0025), and increased the production rate (PR) from 70 +/- 11 to 124 +/- 26 pg.min-1.kg-1 (P less than 0.05). Infusion of 1,25(OH)2D decreased serum 25(OH)D from 13.0 +/- 0.5 to 8.0 +/- 0.5 ng/ml (P less than 0.005) and increased MCR from 45 +/- 1 to 75 +/- 7 microliters.min-1.kg-1 (P less than 0.001) but had no effect on PR. The data indicate that increasing serum 1,25(OH)2D by chronic administration can increase the MCR of 1,25(OH)2D and suggest that 1,25(OH)2D can feedback regulate its serum concentration by regulating its MCR. The data also suggest that 1,25(OH)2D administration can increase the MCRs of 24,25(OH)2D and 25(OH)D.
DEVELOPMENT OF TREE SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS IN DOUGLAS‐FIR FORESTS UNDER DIFFERING DISTURBANCE REGIMES

Two conceptual models describe the successional and structural development of mature and transitional stands toward old-growth Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco forests in the Pacific Northwest. The "catastrophic/maturational" model is based on infre- quent catastrophic disturbances that initiate the successional cycle, while the "chronic/ partial fire" model is based on low- to moderate-severity fires which, over long periods of time, can create old-growth conditions through multiple disturbances. Although both models can produce similar structural characteristics, quantitative differences in speed and pathways of structural development with respect to these models are not well understood. To elucidate these quantitative differences, diameter distributions of live trees were investigated in a chronosequence of mature, transitional, and old-growth stands subjected to these two dis- turbance models. Stands characterized by the "catastrophic/maturational" model exhibited varying degrees of rotated sigmoid distributions up to 250-300 years of age because of long establishment periods and differential growth and mortality rates of the component species. They also showed a modest trend toward reverse-J distributions with increasing stand age. Stands characterized by the "chronic/partial fire" model had a stratum of dis- tinctly older emergent trees with younger cohorts of Pseudotsuga menziesii, Tsuga heter- ophylla (Raf.) Sarg., and Thuja plicata Donn. and exhibited reverse-J distributions within about 150-200 years after disturbance. These results suggest that reconsideration of current definitions of what constitutes old-growth on Tsuga sites may be necessary. A conceptual model is presented, which links pathways of structural development to disturbance regimes. This model indicates that active management can hasten the development of old-growth structure, even in some older forests.
Flexibility of sensory representations in prefrontal cortex depends on cell type

Discrimination tasks require processing, interpreting, and linking sensory information to the appropriate motor response. We report that neurons in prefrontal cortex (PFC) represent visual motion with precision comparable to cortical neurons at early stages of motion processing, and readily adapt this representation to behavioral context. We found that direction selectivity, recorded while the monkeys discriminated directions, decreased when they judged motion speed and ignored its direction. This decrease was more pronounced in neurons classified as narrow-spiking (NS) putative interneurons than in broad-spiking (BS) putative pyramidal neurons. However, during passive fixation, when the link between motion and its behavioral relevance was removed, both cell types showed a severe selectivity loss. Our results show that flexible sensory representation during active discrimination tasks is achieved in the PFC by a specialized neuronal network of both NS neurons readily adjusting their selectivity to behavioral context, and BS neurons capable of maintaining relatively stable sensory representation.
Achieving 'Shared Reality' in the Communication Game: A Social Action That Create; Meaning

This paper reviews research on the 'communication game' (Higgins, 1981a) that supports two sets of conclusions. The first set of conclusions concerns communication as social action: (a) Communicators tailor their summary of target information to suit their audience's knowledge of or attitudes toward the target; that is, they achieve 'shared reality' with their audience and thereby perform a social action; (b) Communicators' different motivations to achieve 'shared reality' with their audience influences the extent to which they tailor their message to suit the audience, as evident in 'super-tuning', 'anti-tuning', and 'nontuning'; (c) When there is a delay between successive messages about a target, communicators' use their first message to construct their second message even though the two audiences have different characteristics. The second set of conclusions concerns how communication as social action creates meaning: (a) Communicators use their message summaries about a target as a direct source of in...
Supply Curves and Maximum Satisfaction

I. The decreasing cost schedule as a schedule of uniform or average cost, 170. — Incompatible with rent, 170. — Marshall's particular expenses curve and its uses, 171. — II. Professor Knight's prediction that an increased demand increases normal price, 175. — It ignores possible economies, 177. — It overlooks reduced demand elsewhere, 178. — III. The possibility of increasing cost, 180. — Professor Sraffa's view, 181. — Professor Pigou's view, 183. — Professor H. E. Miller on consumers' surplus, 185. — IV. The maximum satisfaction doctrine, 189. — Professor Pigou's statement, 189. — Marshall's treatment, 190. — Method and assumptions in dealing with the tax and the bounty as one problem, 191. — Four cases, 193. — The general conclusion, 196.
Electro-thermal transient simulation of silicon carbide power MOSFET

This research focuses on the transient performance of N-Channel Silicon Carbide (4H-SiC) vertical D-MOSFET structure at 300K and elevated temperature conditions. Transient analysis enables the designer to understand the thermal stress the semiconductor device undergoes while dissipating high power for short period of time. Silicon carbide has been a material of interest in the development of high power semiconductor device especially due to its wide band gap and high temperature operational stability [1]. The 2D device model was created and simulated using Silvaco© ATLAS Technology Computer-Aided Design (TCAD) physics based simulation software [2]. The MOSFET was designed for a blocking voltage of 1200V and a rated drain current of 1A at 100A cm-2 current density. Physics based models were included to accurately model electrical device parameters like mobility, impact ionization, lattice heating etc. In order to first verify the proper functioning of the MOSFET cell, the device structure was simulated for its DC characteristics which includes Breakdown characteristics, Drain current and Drain voltage characteristics, Transfer characteristics and Body diode forward conduction characteristics. For the transient analysis, the device was simulated for transient conditions pertaining to current densities of 500A cm-2 and 1000A cm-2 and pulse width varying from 50μs to 1ms. Silvaco© ATLAS introduces a scaling factor for 2D simulations where the node variables like current gets scaled as per the value mentioned for the third dimension The scaling factor was optimized to obtain the required current density. Each simulation was performed using a current pulse generated through an RLC ring down circuit.
Quantitative liver function tests define the functional severity of liver disease in early-stage cirrhosis

Some patients with early-stage cirrhosis preserve hepatic function, whereas others have little hepatic reserve and rapidly deteriorate. The aim of this study was to use quantitative tests of liver function (QLFTs) to define the degree of functional hepatic impairment in patients with early-stage cirrhosis (Child-Pugh score 5-7) and to determine whether the tests predicted subsequent hepatic decompensation. We recruited 10 cirrhotic (Cr) patients and 10 healthy controls (NI), who were well matched for race, age, weight, and gender. Clearances of caffeine (CF) and antipyrine (AP) after oral administration were measured from timed samples of saliva. The clearance of cholate (CA) was measured from serum samples obtained after simultaneous oral ([2,2,4,4-2H]CA) and intravenous ([24-13C]CA) administration. CA shunt was calculated as (Cl i.v./Clo x 100%). CF elimination rate (Cr v NI, mean +/- SD: 0.03 +/- 0.02 v 0.075 +/- 0.018 h-1, P < .0005) and AP clearance (24 +/- 16 v 40 +/- 7 mL/minute, P < .02) were reduced in Cr patients. CA shunt was increased in Cr patients (43 +/- 18 v 18 +/- 7%, P < .002). Five Cr patients decompensated during follow-up and had the worst CA shunts (76%, 66%, 51%, 48%, and 45%). Three subsequently received successful orthotopic liver transplantation, 1 died of hepatoma, and 1 is on the waiting list for transplantation. In conclusion, QLFTs define the degree of functional impairment in early cirrhosis and may identify Cr patients at greatest risk of decompensation who may require transplantation for survival.
Fractography of human hair

The fracture behavior of human hair has been investigated with a view toward delineating fracture mechanisms that lead to different types of fracture under tensile loading. Principally, three types of fracture are encountered—smooth fractures, step fractures, and fractures involving undefined fibrillated ends. The moisture content of the fiber plays an important role in determining the type of fracture that occurs. Fiber conditioned at either low (∼0%) or high (90%) relative humidity give predominantly smooth fractures, whereas those conditioned at intermediate relative humidities given predominantly step fractures. Surface treatments with polymers or surfactants do not seem to have any effect on the strength or the fracture behavior of fibers. At low moisture contents, fracture initiation occurs more often in the cortex, whereas, at high moisture contents, fracture almost always initiates at the surface of the fiber, suggesting that the swelling pressure of the cortex plays a significant role in fracture initiation. Fibers with larger cross-sectional areas tend to split along the axis because of the higher probability of encountering flaws or medullary cells which direct cracks along the fiber axis. Unlike synthetic polymeric fibers, hair fibers seem to follow the Griffith criterion of brittle fracture. This may be coincidental since electron microscopic evidence suggests that fracture propagation occurs by secondary cracks generated as a result of stress concentrations building up at the periphery of the primary crack. The rate of stress transfer to adjacent cortical cells via intercellular cement probably plays an important role in the fracture mechanism.
Theragnostics for tumor and plaque angiogenesis with perfluorocarbon nanoemulsions.

Molecular imaging agents are extending the potential of noninvasive medical diagnosis from basic gross anatomical descriptions to complicated phenotypic characterizations based upon the recognition of unique cell-surface biochemical signatures. Although originally the purview of nuclear medicine, “molecular imaging” is now studied in conjunction with all clinically relevant imaging modalities. Of the myriad of particles that have emerged as prospective candidates for clinical translation, perfluorocarbon nanoparticles offer great potential for combining targeted imaging with drug delivery, much like the “magic bullet” envisioned by Paul Ehrlich 100 years ago. Perfluorocarbon nanoparticles, once studied in Phase III clinical trials as blood substitutes, have found new life for molecular imaging and drug delivery. The particles have been adapted for use with all clinically relevant modalities and for targeted drug delivery. In particular, their intravascular constraint due to particle size provides a distinct advantage for angiogenesis imaging and antiangiogenesis therapy. As perfluorocarbon nanoparticles have recently entered Phase I clinical study, this review provides a timely focus on the development of this platform technology and its application for angiogenesis-related pathologies.
Validation of a 3D hidden-Markov model for breast tissue segmentation and density estimation from MR and tomosynthesis images

Breast cancer is the most common non-skin cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women here in the United States. Mammography is the current standard clinical imaging modality for breast cancer screening and diagnosis, and mammographic breast density (i.e. the percentage of the entire breast volume that is taken up by dense glandular tissue) has been shown to be a biomarker well correlated with cancer risk. However, a mammogram is limited by its projective nature, and its quantitative abilities would likely be surpassed by 3D imaging modalities. This study plans to extract quantitative 3D breast tissue density information using a fully automatic probabilistic model trained on pre-segmented MRIs. This model “ground truth” was obtained from MRIs for 293 breasts by iterative threshold-based voxel value classification. Before model training/testing, all images were processed to optimize the available range of values for this breast tissue segmentation task. After training a 3D hidden Markov model (HMM) on 10 segmented “ground truth” MR images, our model was validated by segmenting the remaining 283 breasts. Initial training/testing of the HMM on MRIs matched density to thresholding within 5% for 99/283 breasts and 10% for 171/213 breasts. After the same task-based value optimization method was applied to digital breast tomosynthesis (“tomo”) images, the same trained HMM was tested to segment tomo volumes of subjects with at least one MRI for validation. HMM segmentation was qualitatively superior at the most cranial/caudal slices in MRIs and quantitatively superior when tested across modalities. Its robustness and ease of modification give the HMM great promise and potential for expansion to more novel 3D breast imaging modalities like breast tomo.
Fast precision voltage rectifier

A fast precision rectifier based on a maximum circuit is presented. A new circuit technique results in a very sharp corner in the transfer characteristic. A prototype has been fabricated using a 2 µm CMOS process. Experimental results confirm a small input/output error and low output distortion for frequencies up to 1 MHz.
Enhanced ovarian inhibin subunit gene expression in aging rats is due to chronic anovulation.

The persistent-estrous (PE) state in aging rats, characterized by a lack of ovulation and absence of estrous cycles, is associated with enhanced inhibin a and jA subunit mRNA expression in the ovaries. It has been shown that the PE state can be interrupted by successive treatments with a progesterone implant (P-implant) and that estrous cycles can be transiently restored after implant removal. The present study examined whether restoration of estrous cycles in PE rats could reverse the altered ovarian inhibin a and I, subunit gene expression. PE rats were treated with subcutaneous P-implants for 6 wk. After implant removal, the return of estrous cyclicity was confirmed by characteristic cyclic changes in vaginal cytology. Ovaries collected from the P-implanttreated animals at 1100 h on diestrus Day 2 or proestrus showed significantly decreased levels of both inhibin at and PA subunit mRNAs compared to those of PE controls and young cyclic females. In situ hybridization revealed that the decreased inhibin a subunit mRNA after P-implants was due to decreased gene expression in the granulosa cells of large preovulatory follicles and to a complete absence of gene expression in large, cystic follicles devoid of granulosa cells and oocytes. In addition, inhibin a subunit mRNA was expressed in the newly developed follicles after implant removal. The PA subunit mRNA was detected only in maturing follicles, not in newly developing follicles or in the large cystic follicles. The patterns of ovarian inhibin a and PA subunit gene expression mimicked those of cyclic animals. These data indicate that loss of estrous cycles in aging rats results in an overexpression of inhibin ao and PA mRNAs in large and anovulatory follicles and that reinstatement of ovarian cycles in aged rats restores inhibin gene expression to normal levels.
When is an Integrate-and-fire Neuron like a Poisson Neuron?

In the Poisson neuron model, the output is a rate-modulated Poisson process (Snyder and Miller, 1991); the time varying rate parameter r(t) is an instantaneous function G[.] of the stimulus, r(t) = G[s(t)]. In a Poisson neuron, then, r(t) gives the instantaneous firing rate--the instantaneous probability of firing at any instant t--and the output is a stochastic function of the input. In part because of its great simplicity, this model is widely used (usually with the addition of a refractory period), especially in in vivo single unit electrophysiological studies, where s(t) is usually taken to be the value of some sensory stimulus. In the integrate-and-fire neuron model, by contrast, the output is a filtered and thresholded function of the input: the input is passed through a low-pass filter (determined by the membrane time constant τ) and integrated until the membrane potential v(t) reaches threshold θ, at which point v(t) is reset to its initial value. By contrast with the Poisson model, in the integrate-and-fire model the ouput is a deterministic function of the input. Although the integrate-and-fire model is a caricature of real neural dynamics, it captures many of the qualitative features, and is often used as a starting point for conceptualizing the biophysical behavior of single neurons. Here we show how a slightly modified Poisson model can be derived from the integrate-and-fire model with noisy inputs y(t) = s(t) + n(t). In the modified model, the transfer function G[.] is a sigmoid (erf) whose shape is determined by the noise variance σn2. Understanding the equivalence between the dominant in vivo and in vitro simple neuron models may help forge links between the two levels.
Comparing clusterings---an information based distance

This paper proposes an information theoretic criterion for comparing two partitions, or clusterings, of the same data set. The criterion, called variation of information (VI), measures the amount of information lost and gained in changing from clustering C to clustering C^'. The basic properties of VI are presented and discussed. We focus on two kinds of properties: (1) those that help one build intuition about the new criterion (in particular, it is shown the VI is a true metric on the space of clusterings), and (2) those that pertain to the comparability of VI values over different experimental conditions. As the latter properties have rarely been discussed explicitly before, other existing comparison criteria are also examined in their light. Finally we present the VI from an axiomatic point of view, showing that it is the only ''sensible'' criterion for comparing partitions that is both aligned to the lattice and convexely additive. As a consequence, we prove an impossibility result for comparing partitions: there is no criterion for comparing partitions that simultaneously satisfies the above two desirable properties and is bounded.
Not My Fault Blame Externalization Is the Psychopathic Feature Most Associated With Pathological Delinquency Among Confined Delinquents

The association between psychopathy and crime is established, but the specific components of the personality disorders that most contribute to crime are largely unknown. Drawing on data from 723 confined delinquents in Missouri, the present study delved into the eight subscales of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Short Form to empirically assess the specific aspects of the disorder that are most responsible for explaining variation in career delinquency. Blame externalization emerged as the strongest predictor of career delinquency in ordinary least squares regression, logistic regression, and t-test models. Fearlessness and carefree nonplanfulness were also significant in all models. Other features of psychopathy, such as stress immunity, social potency, and coldheartedness were weakly and inconsistently predictive of career delinquency. Implications of these findings for the study of psychopathy and delinquent careers are discussed in this article.
Effects of drop and film viscosity on drop impacts onto thin films

While drop-film impacts have been studied extensively in the past, little thought has been given to separating the effects of the drop fluid properties and those of the film. Notably in the field of pool fire suppression, sprays impact pools consisting of different fluids, and both the spray properties and the pool properties will govern the resulting behavior [1, 2]. Distinguishing between the film and droplet’s effects will also provide insight into behaviors observed on more common same-liquid drop-film impacts. In this study, the central parameter examined is the fluid viscosity. Using various mixtures of water and glycerol, as well as FC-72, a range of kinematic viscosity covering 3 orders of magnitude (3.8E-7 to 1.1E-4 m 2 /s) is examined, while the surface tensions cover a smaller range, from 0.01 to 0.07 N∙m. A microliter valve creates mm-scale drops that freefall into the target film at velocities of 0.5 to 3.5 m/s, where a high speed video camera records the impact. The final parameter considered in this study is the ratio of pool depth to droplet diameter, which is examined in three regimes: 0.5 (shallow film), 1.0, and 3.0 (deep pool). This configuration covers Weber numbers from 20 – 3000 and Reynolds from 20 – 14000. The impact outcomes characterized are coalescence, crown formation, jetting, and splashing of the crown and the jet. These regimes have been defined by past work, and for the same film-droplet liquids they have been mapped to ranges of dimensionless numbers, primarily the Weber number. These dimensionless ranges are examined for differing liquid impacts. To correct for differing drop and film properties, alternative dimensionless criteria are suggested. These criteria are proposed in light of substrate effects in the shallow film regime as well as in the deep pool regime where bottom effects are lessened. Crown formation and subsequent crown splashing are shown to be governed by the viscosity and surface tension of the film, with minimal dependence on drop fluid properties. With a dimensionless pool depth (H* = pool depth/drop diameter) of 1, for every fluid examined, the critical Weber number for crown formation is on the order of 100 when pool density and surface tension are used. Applying the drop density and surface tension gives no apparent correlation between common dimensionless groups and observed behavior. In contrast, when characterizing the appearance of a post-impact Worthington jet, the drop’s properties play a much larger role, with a critical minimum Weber number utilizing drop surface tension and density between 50 and 200 resulting in the appearance of a jet. The impact outcomes in other pool depth regimes are explored, as well.
A flexible blood flow phantom capable of independently producing constant and pulsatile flow with a predictable spatial flow profile for ultrasound flow measurement validations

The validation of the ultrasound time-domain correlation method of measuring blood flow has required the development of a flexible blood flow phantom capable of generating predictable flow profiles under a wide variety of conditions. The purpose of the phantom is to generate flow with well-known flow properties and not to mimic actual in vivo vessels. This paper describes a flow phantom which can independently generate both constant and pulsatile flow over a wide range of flow rates with a spatially fully developed laminar flow profile. It incorporates a computer-controlled pulsatile pump, which can produce different temporal pulsatile waveforms. The flow phantom also supports multiple vessels, different vessel sizes, as well as different attenuating media. The fluid most commonly used in the phantom is Sephadex mixed in water, and the probability density function of ultrasound reflected from Sephadex is experimentally determined and compared with that of blood. Examples of different constant and pulsatile flow experiments using the phantom are presented. >
CMOS PLL calibration techniques

The article discusses auto calibration of phase lock loops (PLLs), particularly when used as frequency synthesizers in fully integrated radios targeting future generations of broadband wireless applications. These PLLs use wideband voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) covering a wide tuning range. A calibration technique is discussed and used in a wireless LAN radio.
Suppressing the Thermal Broadening/Instability of On-chip Ultra-high Q Silicon Microdisk Resonators

Ultra-high Q microdisk resonators are fabricated and demonstrated on silicon-on-insulator platform. The presence of oxide substrate and a thin Si pedestal layer dramatically reduce the thermal resistance, thereby, increasing input optical power threshold for thermal instability. Critical coupling for a <2~2times106 is experimentally observed.
Introduction & overview of “artificial life”—evolving intelligent agents for modeling & simulation

"Artificial Life," despite its biological analogy and the hyperbole that its name implies, is really a collection of methods for building discrete event simulations with evolving multiple agents. It consists mainly of representing parts of systems or natural phenomena as individual active objects that may be both persistent and self-modifiable, operating on them with genetic algorithms or other evolutionary computing techniques and treating their multi-dimensional parameter (state) space discretely, by using cellular automata or similar coupled map lattices. The attractiveness of these methods for general purpose modeling and simulation lies in their ability to produce complex emergent phenomena out of a small set of relatively simple rules, constraints and relationships couched in either quantitative or qualitative terms. This tutorial includes brief introductions to both GA and CA, a description of a tool kit for building multi-agent simulations, and an outline of a current application to electric power systems and to the evolution of the electric power industry itself References are included to demonstration software and source code available on the internet.
Synthesis and antiviral activity of 7-deazaneplanocin A against orthopoxviruses (vaccinia and cowpox virus)

An efficient method for the synthesis of 7-deazaneplanocin A (2) has been accomplished by the condensation of cyclopentenol 3 with 6-chloro-7-deazapurine followed by subsequent functional group manipulations. The synthesized 7-deazaneplanocin A (2) exhibited potent antiviral activity against cowpox and vaccinia viruses without cytotoxicity in HFF cells.
Federalism, International Human Rights, and Immigration Exceptionalism

This essay addresses three related topics. The first is immigration federalism: the role of states and localities in immigration-related matters. While the prevailing view favors federal exclusivity, the state and local role has expanded in recent years. This expansion draws support from the expansion of state activity in foreign affairs. The argument is that if federal exclusivity in foreign affairs is no longer justified, then federal exclusivity in immigration-related matters also should end. I find this argument unconvincing and explain why. Second, I caution against overreliance on international human rights law in immigration matters. International human rights norms are sometimes poorly suited to express fundamental and distinctively American concepts of immigration and citizenship in the United States. Also, the focus on international human rights accentuates the tendency to focus on the interests and rights of noncitizens, without also analyzing how citizens are also affected. Third, I address "immigration exceptionalism," or the view that immigration should be exempt from common constraints, like constitutional judicial review. Many commentators criticize immigration exceptionalism as part of their argument for constitutional judicial review in immigration cases. Does this contradict their support of federal exclusivity, which also may constitute immigration exceptionalism? My answer is no. I explain how it is consistent to argue both for (a) constitutional judicial review in immigration-related cases and an end to immigration exceptionalism for that purpose, and (b) severe limits on the state and local role in favor of federal exclusivity in immigration-related matters, even if this also reflects immigration exceptionalism.
Eliminate Exams in Intro to Flight with Portfolios? An Update After 6 Years of Improvement

A portfolio can be an extremely powerful tool to determine the degree of learning experienced by a student throughout the semester, and to coax the student into a higher level of reflective learning and meta-cognition not generally possible by studying for and taking the traditional in-class, timed final exam. Portfolios have been common in art, photography, journalism, business, architecture and other professions for quite some time. Strong justification can be found in learning theory for using Portfolios in engineering. Even though engineering design provides the most immediately obvious application of portfolios within engineering, different kinds of portfolios can be implemented across the engineering curriculum. This paper will briefly discuss what an engineering portfolio is in the context of an Introduction to Flight course given to sophomore year students at the University of Dayton. The paper will describe in detail what has been learned in 6 years of implementing portfolios in Intro to Flight. By the time the students submit their portfolios, almost all of the students are extremely positive about the entire portfolio experience. Most importantly, the portfolios elucidate the level of understanding and comprehension of the breadth and depth of the subject being examined for the student and instructor in a manner not possible through the use of a traditional in-class timed final exam. Portfolios provide an individualistic and creative outlet for assessment that leads to self-motivated and energized students. Finally, portfolios frequently cause a paradigm shift in student expectations for learning by shifting responsibility for the learning to the student which promotes a tendency towards life-long learning practices.
The sensory control of motor output in fly proboscis extension

Proboscis extension, the initial sequence of feeding behavior in the blowfly, Phormia regina, can be induced by sucrose stimulation of a single labellar sensillum. Exploiting the ability to record single unit sensory input from labellar sensilla and single unit motor output from the extensor of the haustellum, I have investigated the degree of control exerted by the sensory spike train from the sugar receptors on motor output. Extension of the proboscis can be triggered by temporal summation of sensory activity during a 20 millisecond period after the first sensory spike (Fig. 1, Tables 1, 2). The duration and number of muscle spikes per motor response are determined in part by the sensory frequency and duration of sensory input (Figs. 2, 3). Habituation of the motor response to repeated stimulation of a single sugar receptor occurs and is independent of activity in other sugar receptors (Fig. 4). A role for receptor adaptation and habituation at central synapses in determining the duration and number of spikes per motor response is postulated. Nonlinear summation between spatially separate sensory inputs was found and is discussed in terms of the findings from stimulation of single receptors. (Figs. 5, 6) A minimal neuronal model to account for motor activity in response to labellar sugar receptor activity is proposed (Fig. 7).
DYNAMIC THERMAL STRESS CREEP BUCKLING, PROBABILISTIC FAILURES AND SURVIVAL TIMES OF VISCOELASTIC COLUMNS WITH FOLLOWER LOADS 1

The influence of temperatures on viscoelastic energy dissipation is investigated. While dissipation may help retard creep buckling the associated presence of thermal stresses can be detrimental to material failures and thus shorten column lifetimes. Analytical results indicate that large deflection linearly viscoelastic columns with quasi-static follower and thermal loads under quasistatic conditions exhibit smaller deflections, smaller probabilities of failure and longer survival times than identical columns under the same loads but with dynamic effects caused solely by viscoelastic creep. Column end shortening due to both curvature, and external and thermal loads is also taken into account and the governing coupled nonlinear differential equations are solved numerically. The effects of end shortening on elastic and viscoelastic columns are discussed. Probabilistic column survivability due to creep buckling and material failure (delamination) are examined in detail.
Hollow cone illumination for fast TEM, and outrunning damage with electrons

We consider the possibility of imaging individual bioparticles using snapshot diffraction from femotsecond pulses, using a 3 MeV electron beam, based on the recent experimental performance of these coherent beams. Assuming that radiation damage can be outrun using 100 fs pulses (or less), we find that a sufficient number of electrons are scattered per particle only if the beam diameter can be matched to that of the particle (e.g. a virus), about three orders of magnitude smaller than has currently been demonstrated (and limited by space-charge effects). We then propose the use of the hollow-cone illumination mode for fast transmission electron microscope imaging, because it can provide full-field atomic resolution imaging despite the use of the large incoherent annular source required for an efficient photocathode, so that coherent illumination is not needed for high-resolution imaging. Reciprocity arguments are used to compare this full-field mode with data aquisition times and source brightness in scanning transmission electron microscopy.
Format appears to matter less than story salience

Researchers suggest another factor other than format may be at work in determining the amount of time readers spend with an online news story, and that is the story’s relevance. They suggest journalists choose the format based upon the best way for telling a particular story.
Induced hydrosalpinges in rabbits: comparison of hysterosalpingographic media and development of an animal mode

Experiments were conducted in rabbits to test the effect of commonly used hysterosalpingographic media on tubal structure and function. A model of hydrosalpinx was created by ligating both ends of the oviduct, and the lumen was filled with test solutions. Three groups of animals were studied. Group 1 rabbits (operated controls) received Hanks' balanced salt solution or no solution. In the second group (unoperated controls), no solution or occlusive ligature was applied. Group 3 received either Ethiodol (Savage Laboratories, Missouri City, TX), an oil-soluble contrast medium (OSCM), or Sinografin (E. R. Squibb & Sons, Princeton, NJ), a water-soluble contrast medium (WSCM). Histopathologic changes in the endosalpinx were moderate in the doubly ligated oviducts, and no difference was found between the effects of OSCM and WSCM in group 3 or between groups 1 and 3. Ciliary transport rate on the ampullary endosalpinx of group 1 was 0.05mm/second, i.e., half the normal rate in the unoperated controls ( P P P
My role is a fine balancing act.

HISTORY When the Government consulted patients and the public about what they wanted of a modern NHS, the resounding answer was a call for the return of the matron. They wanted an authoritative figure who would not only provide clinical leadership, but who would also be easily identifiable, have close contact with patients and ensure delivery of care to the highest standards. Jo McDonald, who took on the challenge of such a role, describes what the introduction of modern matrons has meant at her trust and what her role entails.
Influence of robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy on vaginal cuff healing and brachytherapy initiation in endometrial carcinoma patients.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy (RALH) compared with total abdominal hysterectomy by laparotomy (TAH) on vaginal cuff healing in early-stage endometrial carcinoma patients receiving adjuvant intravaginal brachytherapy (IVBT). Methods and materials We included 137 consecutive patients who underwent adjuvant IVBT without external beam radiation therapy or chemotherapy for stage I-II endometrial carcinoma. All patients underwent either RALH or TAH. Vaginal cuff healing status as assessed by inspection and palpation at initial evaluation by radiation oncology (VC1) was the primary outcome, with secondary outcomes including vaginal cuff healing status at first scheduled IVBT (VC2), time interval from hysterectomy to initiation of IVBT, and local recurrence. Results Among 137 patients, 74 (54.0%) underwent RALH and 63 (46.0%) underwent TAH. There was no significant difference in mean time from hysterectomy to initial radiation oncology evaluation between RALH and TAH patients (approximately 30 days in both groups). RALH was the only covariate associated with protracted vaginal cuff healing time at both VC1 ( P = .003) and VC2 ( P = .038). There was a significantly increased mean interval between hysterectomy and start of IVBT for patients undergoing RALH from 47.7 to 55.0 days ( P Conclusions RALH for early-stage endometrial carcinoma was associated with longer vaginal cuff healing time and a mean increase in interval from hysterectomy to IVBT of 1 week compared with TAH.
Alcohol and Illicit Drug Use in the Workforce and Workplace

Employee substance use is an issue ofinterest to managers, unions, and policy­ makers because it may lead to costs being incurred by employers due to potential negative effects involving employee health, attendance, productiv­ ity, and safety. Moreover, workplace substance use by some employees may negatively affect the larger group of employees who do not use alcohol or illicit drugs at work. Occupational health psychologists, however, have devoted little attention to the issue of employee substance use. The bulk of research that does exist has been conducted by substance use researchers and is located in substance use and public health journals. One outcome ofthis lack of involvement by occupational health psychologists is that employee sub­ stance use research does not take full advantage of theoretical perspectives and measures developed in occupational health psychology, industrial and organizational psychology, and organizational behavior. The goal of this chapter, therefore, is to summarize briefly for occupational health psycholo­ gists the literature on employee substance use. The first section ofthis chap­ ter defines some key terms. The second section explores the prevalence of alcohol and illicit drug use among employees. The third section summarizes key causes of employee substance use. The fourth section looks at organiza­ tional consequences of employee substance use. The final section provides concluding thoughts.
Redox-Switchable Chiral Anions and Cations Based on Heteroatom-Fused Biferrocenes

A new class of planar chiral heteroatom-bridged biferrocene species was prepared using (pR,pR,SS,SS)-2,2″-bis(p-tolylsulfinyl)-1,1″-biferrocene (pR,pR,SS,SS)-2 as a readily accessible precursor. Initially, one of the sulfinate groups in compound 2 is replaced with a trimethylstannyl or dimesitylboryl group. Replacement of the second sulfinate group with t-BuLi then results in cyclization to give the Me2Sn-bridged species (pS,pS)-4Sn and the Mes2B-bridged borate anion [(pS,pS)-4B]−. The products are redox active, as cyclic and square wave voltammetry data of (pS,pS)-4Sn and [Li(12-c-4)2][(pS,pS)-4B] reveal two separate reversible oxidation events. The mixed-valent species [(pS,pS)-4Sn]+ and (pS,pS)-4B can also be obtained by chemical oxidation with AgPF6 or by simple exposure to air, respectively. A comparison of X-ray crystal structures reveals that the oxidized (mixed-valent) species contain distinct Fe(II) and Fe(III) sites, but UV–visible–NIR spectra display IVCT bands at ca. 4000 and 5000 cm–1, indica...
Dark Zones: The Ebola Body as a Configuration of Horror

Ebola virus disease has a media presence and imaginative traction disproportionate to its statistical probability in most parts of the world. This chapter attributes that rhetorical power to a particular figurative structure, the “Ebola body,” which has the topology of an opaque receptacle subject to rupture. Reading Richard Preston’s The Hot Zone as an influential poetics of the Ebola body, metonymic across scales, from the geomorphic body of an infected patient through the anthropomorphic landscape of the Congo, Belling argues that the Ebola body is a topos locating what, after both Julia Kristeva’s account of the abject and Joseph Conrad’s account of the Congo, we can identify as horror—and that this horror may be endemic to the experience of human embodiment.
Temporal and Spatial Evolution of Raised Intraspinal Pressure after Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) often leads to permanent neurological impairment. Currently, the only clinically effective intervention for patients with acute SCI is surgical decompression by removal of impinging bone fragments within 24 h after injury. Recent clinical studies suggest that elevated intraparenchymal spinal pressure (ISP) limits functional recovery following SCI. Here, we report on the temporal and spatial patterns of elevated ISP following a moderate rodent contusion SCI. Compared with physiological ISP in the intact cord (2.7 ± 0.5 mm Hg), pressures increase threefold 30 min following injury (8.9 ± 1.1 mm Hg, p < 0.001) and remain elevated for up to 7 days (4.3 ± 0.8 mm Hg). Measurements of rostrocaudal ISP distribution reveal peak pressures in the injury center and in segments rostral to the injury during the acute phase(≤ 24 h). During the subacute phase(≥ 72 h), peak ISP decreases while a 7.5 mm long segment of moderately elevated ISP remains, centered on the initial contu...
Effect of intermediate principal stress and loading-path on failure of cementitious materials using granular micromechanics

Abstract The failure behavior of rock-like cemented granular materials shows dependency upon both the intermediate principal stress as well as the loading path. Here, we apply a thermo-mechanics based granular micromechanics constitutive relationships of cementitious materials to predict such failure phenomena and investigate the macro- and the micro-scale mechanisms that govern the predicted behavior. True triaxial tests with different levels of minor and intermediate principal stress are simulated. The simulations clearly show that for a given loading path, the maximum principal stress at failure depends upon both the minor and the intermediate principal stress components in a manner that conform closely with recent experimental observations. The path dependent nature of the material response to loading is also demonstrated in the failure behavior by simulations performed for two different types of true triaxial loading paths. The macro-scale failure mechanisms are investigated using the eigenvalues of the tangent stiffness matrix which indicate the corresponding Kelvin mode at failure. From microscopic viewpoint, the evolution of normal and tangential components of inter-granular force vectors is analyzed to reveal the inter-granular mechanisms associated with the load bearing and failure. With respect to the localized failure modes, the eigenvalue analysis of the localization tensor is performed and the direction of failure plane is studied. The direction of failure plane is seen to depend on all component of the principal stress. Further, the results show a change in the localized macro-scale failure mechanism from shear dominated at low confinement to a mixture of shear and compaction at higher confinement, which agrees with the decreasing trend observed in fault angle by increasing confinement. This result is in agreement with experimental results of true triaxial tests on rock samples which report similar transition from shear to compaction bands.
Understanding Deep, Socially Embedded Human Motivations and Aspirations for Work from Whole Person and Interdisciplinary Perspectives

As someone trained exclusively as a quantitative researcher, who recently became a semi-autodidactic qualitative researcher (see Rothausen, Henderson, Arnold, & Malshe, in press; “semi” in part because I am still learning and in part because my coauthors have taught me), I would like to extend the argument made by Pratt and Bonaccio (2016) for increasing qualitative research in the domains of industrial–organizational psychology (IOP), organizational behavior (OB), and human resources (HR), and I would also add industrial relations (IR), which was my doctoral field of study and “where workers went” within business and management studies as HR became more aligned with organizational interests (see Lefkowitz, 2016, from this journal). I extend their argument by deepening one of their reasons, understanding the “why” of work, and adding another potential use, understanding the “what could be” of work.