cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PATRIARCHAL STRUGGLES AND STATE PRACTICES A Feminist, Political-Economic View

Feminist scholars challenge ahistorical conceptions of the patriarchal state and emphasize the importance of power struggles across class, race, and gender lines in transforming state gender policies. They also unintentionally downplay the ideological power struggles among race- and class-homogeneous patriarchal institutions, especially in relatively monolithic political contexts with little or no independent feminist movement. Our historical (1945-89) case study of the transformations of Polish abortion laws and selected economic policies geared toward women explores how these changing policies were used in, and shaped by, the ideological power struggles between two homogeneous, powerful, male-dominated institutions: the Communist Party and the Catholic Church. We argue that one cannot understand patriarchal state practices without considering the ideological power struggles between patriarchal institutions in homogeneous social contexts as well as in those of a more heterogeneous nature.
Acute Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Acute infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a frequent but underrecognized problem among substance users, because it produces few symptoms. Despite this fact, a good deal has been learned recently from studies of cohorts of persons with acute HCV infection. Intensive study of these cohorts has suggested that there is a higher frequency of spontaneous clearance among persons with symptomatic infection and persons with vigorous adaptive immune responses. Similarly, polymorphisms for genes involved in innate immunity also appear to influence the outcome of acute HCV infection. Data on injection drug users with repeated exposures to HCV reveal the presence of partially protective immunity, which suggests that vaccine-based approaches may be feasible. Finally, antiviral therapy with interferon-based regimens for acute HCV infection produces significantly higher sustained virological responses than observed for chronic infection. Further work is needed to develop more-accurate assays for acute HCV infection, to define host and viral factors that predict outcome and to define the optimal duration and regimen of therapy.
Linear scaling molecular orbital calculations of biological systems using the semiempirical divide and conquer method

A “linear-scaling revolution” is occurring in quantum chemistry. This development is allowing for the first time the routine examination of large molecular assembles (e.g., proteins and DNA in water) using electronic structure methods. One of these approaches is the divide and conquer method and, in this article, we review the implementation of this approach for semiempirical Hamiltonians. This is then followed by brief reviews of three application areas. First, we will discuss the charge distribution of biological molecules in solution as described by quantum mechanics. In particular, the role polarization and charge transfer plays in affecting the charge distribution of proteins will be discussed. Next, we will examine the energetic consequences of charge transfer and polarization on biomolecular solvation. The final section will describe the computation of solvation free energies using a combined divide and conquer/Poisson–Boltzmann approach. The application of linear scaling quantum mechanical methods to biology is only just beginning, but the future is very bright, and it is our opinion that quantum mechanics will have a profound influence on our understanding of biological systems in the coming years. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 21: 1494–1504, 2000
Product differentiation and quality in food markets: industrial organization implications.

This paper summarizes and evaluates recent research on food product quality and differentiation, both key dimensions of modern food markets. We emphasize the implications for modeling of violation of the product homogeneity and perfect information axioms of perfect competition and focus on issues that are important and/or unique to agriculture. We first review modeling approaches for studying competition in differentiated-agricultural-product markets and then address research in the areas of product quality, labeling, and certification. A unique aspect of agricultural industries is the autonomy that they often have to engage in collective action and self-regulation through producer-controlled marketing organizations. We investigate the role of these organizations in influencing and certifying product quality and in creating product differentiation.
Collisional Evolution in the Vulcanoid Region: Implications for Present-Day Population Constraints

Abstract We explore the effects of collisional evolution on putative Vulcanoid ensembles in the region between 0.06 and 0.21 AU from the Sun in order to constrain the probable population density and population structure of this region today. Dynamical studies have shown that the Vulcanoid Zone (VZ) could be populated. However, we find that the frequency and energetics of collisional evolution this close to the Sun, coupled with the efficient radiation transport of small debris out of this region, together conspire to create an active and highly intensive collisional environment that depletes any very significant population of rocky bodies placed in it, unless the bodies exhibit orbits that are circular to ∼10 −3 or less or highly lossy mechanical properties that correspond to a fraction of impact energy significantly less than 10% being imparted to ejecta. The most favorable locale for residual bodies to survive in this region is in highly circular orbits near the outer edge of the dynamically stable Vulcanoid Zone (i.e., near 0.2 AU), where collisional evolution and radiation transport of small bodies and debris proceed most slowly. If the mean random orbital eccentricity in this region exceeds ∼10 −3 , then our work suggests it is unlikely that more than a few hundred objects with radii larger than 1 km will be found in the entire VZ; assuming the largest objects have a radius of 30 km, then the total mass of bodies in the VZ down to 0.1 km radii is likely to be no more than ∼10 −6 M ⊕ , −3 the mass of the asteroid belt. A 0.01-AU-wide ring near the outer stability boundary of the VZ at 0.2 AU would likely not contain over a few tens of objects with radii larger than 1 km. Despite the dynamical stability of large objects in this region (Evans, N. W., and S. Tabachnik, 1999, Nature 399, 41–43), it is plausible that the entire region is virtually empty of kilometer-scale and larger objects.
1 × 2 fiber-optic heterodyne array for laser Doppler velocimetry and angular orientation measurements

A 1 × 2 single-mode fiber-optic heterodyne array is presented that simultaneously measures the radial and angular Doppler velocities of a target. This heterodyne array also provides an amplitude-dependent error signal suitable for angular tracking.
Isolation of oligodendrocyte-like cells from human umbilical cord blood.

Background As human umbilical cord blood (UCB) is known to be a rich source of progenitor cells, the prospect of isolating a subset of these cells that could differentiate into cells of non-hematopoietic lineages suggests a therapeutic use for patients with inherited lysosomal and peroxisomal storage diseases currently treated with UCB transplantation. Methods Oligodendrocyte-like cells were isolated from UCB by density-gradient centrifugation and expanded using selective media. We then characterized this population of cells using standard immunohistochemical staining methods for neural cell proteins and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect RNA sequences for myelin basic protein (MBP). We also developed a functional assay demonstrating myelination of neurons in vitro.
Extension of landscape-based population viability models to ecoregional scales for conservation planning

Landscape-based population models are potentially valuable tools in facilitating conservation planning and actions at large scales. However, such models have rarely been applied at ecoregional scales. We extended landscape-based population models to ecoregional scales for three species of concern in the Central Hardwoods Bird Conservation Region and compared model projections against long-term trend data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey. We used a spatially-explicit demographic model and structured the regional population into ecological subsections on the basis of habitat, landscape pat- terns, and demographic rates to assess species viability. Our model projections were within 2% of the Breeding Bird Survey trends over the last 40 years for each species. Wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) populations remained relatively stable over the simulation and worm-eating warbler (Helmitheros ver- mivorus) abundance increased throughout most of the time period until reaching carrying capacity. In contrast, the prairie warbler (Dendroica discolor) population steadily declined by 0.59% annually. The combination of habitat and demographic modeling allowed us to create models that address processes driving these populations at all scales, which is critical to understanding how regional populations respond to landscape processes such as habitat loss and fragmentation. Therefore, because it is spatially explicit and directly addresses population growth and viability, this approach provides a valuable foun- dation to planning conservation strategies, offering the ability to identify the most salient risks to viabil- ity and explore ways to address them.
Novel Treatment Planning Techniques for Treatment of Chest Wall Lesions using Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy

Materials/Methods: Ten patients with the target volumes attached or near to the chest wall were chosen for this study. Treatment plans using three different techniques were performed retrospectively. These three techniques included conventional 3D planning (3D), forward planning with manual optimization (Field in Field (FIF)) and segmented beams with inverse planning optimization (SIP). A 4DCT simulation was performed using a Philips 16 slice CT scanner. All patients were simulated in the supine position with arms placed above their head and immobilized using a body frame or body fix. These 4D-CT images were fused with helical CT scans and were primarily used for target delineation. Note that all the treatment plans were performed on the free breathing helical CT scans. Plans involved anywhere between 7 -11 noncoplanar beams. 3D conformal plans were designed by manually creating all beam apertures using a uniform margin around the PTV and adjusting the block shape for avoiding critical structures. For FIF technique, 2-3 segments were created for each field. A segment was created by manually moving the MLC leaves into the aperture from the original block edge effectively blocking out an area where too much dose was being delivered. SIP technique uses the same beam angles as the two other techniques. Plans were optimized using direct machine parameter optimization, allowing 1-2 segments per beam. A minimum of 50 to 100 monitor units along with a minimum segment size of 5 to 10 cm was used. Additional structures and optimization constraints were used for inverse planning. The following criteria were used for plan evaluation. All treatment plans had to adhere to the RTOG 0236 protocol. Volume of the PTV covering 90% prescription dose should be at least 99%. Conformality index (CI) was defined as the ratio of the volume of prescription isodose to the volume of PTV. Plans were evaluated for plan quality and time efficiency.
PHOSPHATE UPTAKE UNDER NITRATE LIMITATION BY SCENEDESMUS SP. AND ITS ECOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS1

SUMMARY Under nitrogen limitation the phosphate content of Scenedesmus sp. shows little variation regardless of growth rate and the N/P atomic ratio of the medium. P uptake therefore can be calculated as the product of P content and N-dependent growth rate. The maximum rate of P uptake in N limitation is lower by a factor of about 8 than the rate in P limitation. As reported earlier, P uptake by this alga under P limitation is described by the kinetics resembling non-competitive enzyme inhibition, with one or several intracellular P fractions as inhibitors. These fractions include surplus P (water extractable) and inorganic polyphosphate fractions A (acid soluble) and B, C, and D (acid insoluble). In N limitation, the ratios of fractions A, B, C, and D are quite different from the ratios of P limitation at comparable growth rates. The concentrations of polyphosphate fraction A in N-limited cells are much, higher than the levels in P-limited cells, and this fraction becomes more predominant at low growth rates in N limitation. This fraction, if introduced as the inhibitor into the noncompetitive scheme, explains the uptake kinetics in both N- and P-limited cells and the low maximum uptake rate in N limitation. This finding may have two significant ecological implications: (1) A nutrient imbalance which brings about changes in the internal, level or the metabolism, of fraction A would affect P uptake. (2) Nitrogen sufficiency would cause a competitive advantage in P uptake. This advantage would be shared by N2 fixers and algae with low optimum N/P ratios. In Scenedesmus sp. P limitation switches to N limitation and vice versa when the cell N/P atomic ratio is about 30.
Modeling Affect in Socially Interactive Robots

Humans use expressions of emotion in a very social manner, to convey messages such as ?I?m happy to see you? or ?I want to be comforted,? and people?s long-term relationships depend heavily on shared emotional experiences. We believe that for robots to interact naturally with humans in social situations they should also be able to express emotions in both short-term and long-term relationships. To this end, we have developed an affective model for social robots. This generative model attempts to create natural, human-like affect and includes distinctions between immediate emotional responses, the overall mood of the robot, and long-term attitudes toward each visitor to the robot. This paper presents the general affect model as well as particular details of our implementation of the model on one robot, the Roboceptionist.
Diamond deposition by atmospheric pressure induction plasma: effects of impinging jet fluid mechanics on film formation

The effect of boundary layer thickness on diamond film formation in an atmospheric pressure plasma was investigated by adding argon to the methane-hydrogen reactant jet so as to increase the jet momentum. It was found that argon addition significantly increased the range of conditions over which well-faceted, continuous diamond film could be grown. A numerical model was developed to predict the two-dimensional temperature and flow fields in the reactor and the one-dimensional chemical kinetics in the substrate boundary layer. An interesting outcome of these calculations is that the largest effect of thinning the boundary layer by adding argon to the central jet is a significant enhancement in the flux of monatomic carbon vapor to the substrate, and the experimentally observed results can be correlated with the calculated carbon fluxes.
Hanford Site Environmental Surveillance Master Sampling Schedule for Calendar Year 2008

Environmental surveillance of the Hanford Site and surrounding areas is conducted by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy. Sampling is conducted to evaluate levels of radioactive and nonradioactive pollutants in the Hanford environs, as required in DOE Order 450.1, "Environmental Protection Program," and DOE Order 5400.5, "Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment." The environmental surveillance sampling design is described in the "Hanford Site Environmental Monitoring Plan, United States Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office." This document contains the calendar year 2008 schedule for the routine collection of samples for the Surface Environmental Surveillance Project and Drinking Water Monitoring Project. Each section includes sampling locations, sampling frequencies, sample types, and analyses to be performed. In some cases, samples are scheduled on a rotating basis. If a sample will not be collected in 2008, the anticipated year for collection is provided. Maps showing approximate sampling locations are included for media scheduled for collection in 2008.
Lazy modular upgrades in persistent object stores

Persistent object stores require a way to automatically upgrade persistent objects, to change their code and storage representation. Automatic upgrades are a challenge for such systems. Upgrades must be performed in a way that is efficient both in space and time, and that does not stop application access to the store. In addition, however, the approach must be modular: it must allow programmers to reason locally about the correctness of their upgrades similar to the way they would reason about regular code. This paper provides solutions to both problems.The paper first defines upgrade modularity conditions that any upgrade system must satisfy to support local reasoning about upgrades. The paper then describes a new approach for executing upgrades efficiently while satisfying the upgrade modularity conditions. The approach exploits object encapsulation properties in a novel way. The paper also describes a prototype implementation and shows that our upgrade system imposes only a small overhead on application performance.
Soluble CD163, a Novel Marker of Activated Macrophages, Is Elevated and Associated With Noncalcified Coronary Plaque in HIV-Infected Patients

Background. Pro-inflammatory monocytes/macrophagesmay contribute to increased atherosclerosis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐infected patients. We investigatedto our knowledge, for the first timedsCD163 and other markers of monocyte activation in relationship to atherosclerotic plaque in HIV-infected patients. Methods. One hundred two HIV-infected and 41 HIV-seronegative men with equivalent cardiovascular risk factors and without history of coronary artery disease were prospectively recruited and underwent computed tomography coronary angiography. Results. sCD163 levels and presence of plaque were significantly higher among antiretroviral-treated subjects with undetectable HIV RNA levels, compared with seronegative controls (1172 6 646 vs. 883 6561 ng/mL[P 5 .02] for sCD163 and 61% vs. 39% [P 5 .03] for presence of plaque). After adjusting for age, race, lipids, blood pressure, glucose, smoking, sCD14, and HIV infection, sCD163 remained independently associated with noncalcified plaque (P 5 .008). Among HIV-infected patients, sCD163 was associated with coronary segments with noncalcified plaque (r 5 0.21; P 5 .04), but not with calcium score. In contrast, markers of generalized inflammation, including C-reactive protein level, and D-dimer were not associated with sCD163 or plaque among HIV-infected patients. Conclusions. sCD163, a monocyte/macrophage activation marker, is increased in association with noncalcified coronary plaque in men with chronic HIVinfectionand low or undetectable viremia. These data suggest a potentially important role of chronic monocyte/macrophage activation in the development of noncalcified vulnerable plaque. Clinical Trial Registration. NCT00455793.
Scalar Field Equations from Quantum Gravity during Inflation

We exploit a previous computation of the self-mass-squared from quantum gravity to include quantum corrections to the scalar evolution equation. The plane wave mode functions are shown to receive no significant one loop corrections at late times. This result probably applies as well to the inflaton of scalar-driven inflation. If so, there is no significant correction to the {phi}{phi} correlator that plays a crucial role in computations of the power spectrum.
Escalating Commitment to a Course of Action: A Reinterpretation

Escalating commitment to a losing course of action is usually attributed to a need on the part of decision makers to maintain the illusion that they have not erred. Prospect theory suggests a different explanation for this commonly observed tendency—escalating commitment is seen as an artifact of the framing of decisions. As a result, escalating commitment may occur in a much wider variety of circumstances than is suggested by the view that it is a product of self-justification motives.
Efficient Rotation Invariant Retrieval of Shapes with Applications in Medical Databases

Recognition of shapes in images is an important problem in computer vision with application in various medical problems, including robotic surgery and cell analysis. The similarity measures for such purpose must be robust to various transformations and modest occlusions. Transformations, such as scaling and translation can be handled easily by techniques through data representations or similarity measures. Rotation invariance is an inherently more difficult problem and can be handled through data representation, but at the expense of poor discrimination. Approaches which provide excellent discrimination require a complexity of O(n3) for each shape comparison. In this paper, we present a framework that provides a speedup over the slow but accurate approaches. The algorithm is inspired by the iterative deepening framework in artificial intelligence, by examining the data at increasingly fine levels of approximation until it is either considered irrelevant or submits to the full calculations. Although we examine the data several times at different levels of abstractions, because the time required for the last iteration dwarfs all others, this apparent redundancy is inconsequential. We will show that our method provides at least a 3-4 orders of magnitude in speedup without generating any false dismissals.
Toward a Formal Derivation of the Expected Behavior of Prefix B-Trees

Via order statistics we analyze the average length of all separators in random Prefix B-trees. From this result we draw some conclusions and conjectures concerning the average overall storage of random Prefix B-trees.
Global Sourcing Strategies Under Exchange Rate Uncertainty

Firms competing in the “global” marketplace have to take into account the comparative advantages of various countries in forming their manufacturing and sourcing strategies. Developing countries, for instance, have advantages over the developed nations in terms of low labor and raw material costs. Such cost advantages provide strong motivation for multinational firms to seek offshore sourcing arrangements in developing countries. In other cases, critical technological components and/or process equipment are available only from few foreign sources, which are in many cases located in technologically advanced countries other than the firm’s home country. In such cases the firm has no choice but to look at these foreign suppliers for its sourcing needs. Because of these reasons, global sourcing is increasingly emerging as a key strategy for companies seeking competitive advantages, and it represents a sizable amount of the economic activities cf multinational firms. Nearly 10 percent of Chrysler’s $8.6 billion outsourcing budget is spent on global purchases. Westinghouse spent more than 7 percent of its total purchasing dollars on international procurement.
Timeliness in Breast Cancer Treatment—The Sooner, the Better

Defining the impact of delays in breast cancer care is a difficult task. Although the question—“when should I undergo treatment?”—is simple, necessary, and asked by patients every day, our understanding of its therapeutic implications is incomplete. Prospective trials comparing longer vs shorter pretreatment intervals would not be ethically acceptable to patients or clinicians, and will not be performed. Therefore, we rely on retrospective and observational data. Numerous factors confound analysis of the correlation between treatment delay and survival outcomes, and many of these (including level of comorbidity, treatment compliance, social support, and access to health care) are impossible to capture fully even with highly granular data sets and sophisticated statistical models. However, despite the inherent pitfalls of retrospective analyses, the articles by Bleicher et al 1 and ChavezMacGregor et al 2 in this issue of JAMA Oncology are an important step toward defining the risks of delay.
Isoscalar electric multipole strength in 12 C

The excitation region in ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}$ below ${E}_{x}=45\mathrm{MeV}$ was studied using 240 MeV \ensuremath{\alpha}-particle scattering. Elastic scattering was measured from ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}=3.8\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ to 49.4\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and density dependant folding optical model parameters were obtained. Inelastic scattering to the 4.44 MeV ${2}^{+},$ 7.65 MeV ${0}^{+},$ 9.64 MeV ${3}^{\ensuremath{-}},$ 10.3 MeV ${0}^{+},$ and 10.84 MeV ${1}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ states was measured and $B(\mathrm{EL})$ values obtained. Inelastic scattering exciting ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}$ to $10\mathrm{MeV}l~{E}_{x}l~12.5\mathrm{MeV}$ was measured from $1.4\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}l~{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}l~10\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ and to $12.5\mathrm{MeV}l~{E}_{x}l~45\mathrm{MeV}$ from $1.4\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}l~{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}l~16\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ and $E0,$ $E1,$ $E2,$ and $E3$ strength distributions were obtained. Strength was identified corresponding to 27\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}5, 78\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}9, and 51\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}7% of the isoscalar $E0,$ $E1,$ and $E2$ energy weighted sum rule (EWSR), respectively, with centroids of 21.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3, 27.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.4, and 22.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5 MeV and rms widths of 4.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5, 7.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.6, and 6.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.6 MeV. Less than 7% of the $E3$ EWSR strength was identified.
The Food Assistance Landscape

Expenditures for USDA's 15 food assistance programs totaled $46 billion in fiscal 2004 (October 1, 2003, to September 30, 2004), marking the second consecutive year in which spending exceeded the previous record high. The fiscal 2004 spending level represented a 10-percent increase from the previous fiscal year, the fourth consecutive year in which total food assistance expenditures increased. Five programs - the Food Stamp Program, the National School Lunch Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the School Breakfast Program, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program - accounted for 94 percent of USDA's total expenditures for food assistance. While each of these major programs expanded during fiscal 2004, most of the increase in total food assistance expenditures between fiscal 2003 and fiscal 2004 was due to the increase in Food Stamp Program expenditures.
Influence of Carbon Black Surface Properties and Morphology on Hysteresis of Rubber Vulcanizates

Abstract A linear relation is found between tan δ and a loading-interfacial-area parameter, ϕψ, for NR vulcanisates with six untreated carbon blacks at several loadings. In IIR, a better linear rel...
Sleep disturbances and substance use disorders: An international study of primary care and mental health specialty care patients

Introduction There is no comprehensive evidence on the influence of sleep disturbances (SD) on substance use disorders (SUD) or treatment use patterns of individuals with comorbid disturbances. Objective/aim To better understand comorbidities and treatment use patterns of individuals with SD and SUD. Methods We combine 2010–2012 electronic health record (EHR) data from healthcare system in Boston (n = 131,966 person-years) and Madrid, Spain (n = 43,309 person-years). Patients with sleep disturbances (SD) were identified in the EHR through ICD-9 codes and medical records and substance use disorders (SUD) identified by documented treatment for drug or alcohol abuse or dependence. Rates of SUD are compared between individuals with and without SD. Among those with both, adequacy of mental health treatment (defined as eight or more outpatient visits or four or more outpatient visits with a psychotropic prescription) and ER use is compared. Results Among the individuals, 21.1% with SD also report SUD, compared to only 10.6% of individuals without SD (P Conclusions SD is correlated with SUD and comorbid patients are more likely to use emergency services.
Medical decision-making in a patient with a history of cancer and chronic non-malignant pain.

The selection of cancer pain treatment modalities depends on careful assessment to establish the pathophysiology of the pain complaint. Treatment may consist of a single modality--e.g., pharmacotherapy--or multiple modalities--e.g., pharmacotherapy, anesthetic intervention, and radiotherapy for bone pain. Cancer patients may present with pain and multiple concomitant medical problems related to their primary neoplastic disease, complications of cancer treatment, or unrelated conditions including preexisting pain of nonmalignant origin. We present the case of a patient with new onset of pain superimposed on chronic nonmalignant pain. This case emphasizes the need for careful assessment and the close cooperation required between the pain consultant and the referring oncology staff to make optimal treatment decisions in the context of a complex medical illness.
Immune Response Associated with Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer

The incidence of skin cancer has risen steadily in recent decades, approaching 1 million new cases reported per year in the United States alone. In this article, we review the clinical studies implicating the immune system as a component in the development and progression of human cutaneous squamous and basal cell carcinomas. In addition, we summarize the findings from studies of ultraviolet carcinogenesis in mice. In spite of the many differences between skin cancers of mice and humans, findings in the animal model may provide new insight into the immunobiology of human skin cancer and suggest new avenues for investigating this problem. Results from the animal model may also suggest new approaches to the immunotherapy of cutaneous malignancies.
Case 22: Never Give Up

You have submitted a paper to a large North American medical journal. It is the opinion of you and your coworkers that it is a great paper. Over 100 patients were included and the paper shows interesting and previously unpublished results.
A Joint Diagnostic Test Generation Procedure with Dynamic Test Compaction

A complete industrial defect diagnosis flow for yield learning includes the use of diagnostic tests. Diagnostic tests improve the ability of a defect diagnosis procedure to provide accurate diagnosis results. Because of the costs involved, diagnostic test generation is carried out only for units where the results of defect diagnosis based on a fault detection test set are not accurate enough. This paper formulates the diagnostic test generation problem under this scenario with the goal of simplifying the test application process for diagnostic tests, taking into consideration that different units require different diagnostic tests. The parameters that the problem formulation targets are the numbers of diagnostic tests for the individual units, and the total number of diagnostic tests for all the units. A lower total number of diagnostic tests increases the similarity between the diagnostic test sets for the individual units. With similar diagnostic test sets, the units are partitioned into groups such that all the units in a group are tested using the same diagnostic test set. The paper describes a diagnostic test generation procedure that uses dynamic test compaction to optimize these parameters.
Estimating extreme losses for the Florida Public Hurricane Model—part II

Rising global temperatures are leading to an increase in the number of extreme events and losses ( http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/indicators/ ). Accurate estimation of these extreme losses with the intention of protecting themselves against them is critical to insurance companies. In a previous paper, Gulati et al. (2014) discussed probable maximum loss (PML) estimation for the Florida Public Hurricane Loss Model (FPHLM) using parametric and nonparametric methods. In this paper, we investigate the use of semi-parametric methods to do the same. Detailed analysis of the data shows that the annual losses from FPHLM do not tend to be very heavy tailed, and therefore, neither the popular Hill’s method nor the moment’s estimator work well. However, Pickand’s estimator with threshold around the 84th percentile provides a good fit for the extreme quantiles for the losses.
Difference-in-Differences Analysis of the Association Between State Same-Sex Marriage Policies and Adolescent Suicide Attempts.

Importance Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents between the ages of 15 and 24 years. Adolescents who are sexual minorities experience elevated rates of suicide attempts. Objective To evaluate the association between state same-sex marriage policies and adolescent suicide attempts. Design, Setting, and Participants This study used state-level Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) data from January 1, 1999, to December 31, 2015, which are weighted to be representative of each state that has participation in the survey greater than 60%. A difference-in-differences analysis compared changes in suicide attempts among all public high school students before and after implementation of state policies in 32 states permitting same-sex marriage with year-to-year changes in suicide attempts among high school students in 15 states without policies permitting same-sex marriage. Linear regression was used to control for state, age, sex, race/ethnicity, and year, with Taylor series linearized standard errors clustered by state and classroom. In a secondary analysis among students who are sexual minorities, we included an interaction between sexual minority identity and living in a state that had implemented same-sex marriage policies. Interventions Implementation of state policies permitting same-sex marriage during the full period of YRBSS data collection. Main Outcomes and Measures Self-report of 1 or more suicide attempts within the past 12 months. Results Among the 762 678 students (mean [SD] age, 16.0 [1.2] years; 366 063 males and 396 615 females) who participated in the YRBSS between 1999 and 2015, a weighted 8.6% of all high school students and 28.5% of students who identified as sexual minorities reported suicide attempts before implementation of same-sex marriage policies. Same-sex marriage policies were associated with a 0.6–percentage point (95% CI, –1.2 to –0.01 percentage points) reduction in suicide attempts, representing a 7% relative reduction in the proportion of high school students attempting suicide owing to same-sex marriage implementation. The association was concentrated among students who were sexual minorities. Conclusions and Relevance State same-sex marriage policies were associated with a reduction in the proportion of high school students reporting suicide attempts, providing empirical evidence for an association between same-sex marriage policies and mental health outcomes.
Evaluate muscle tension using intramuscular pressure device in rabbit tibialis anterior model for improved tendon transfer surgery.

Quantitative evaluation of passive tension in a muscle is important in tendon transfer surgeries, however, currently appropriate intraoperative measurement techniques are lacking. OBJECTIVE Intramuscular pressure (IMP) is explored as an application to access force. APPROACH The tibialis anterior (TA) in New Zealand white rabbits (n = 9) was used to test the hypothesis of a strong correlation between the IMP, muscle force, and length. This study also helped to develop intraoperative techniques for future human studies evaluating various insertion techniques (parallel versus perpendicular). MAIN RESULTS The Pearson correlation between IMP and force for all trials was 0.74 ± 0.30. Separating out the parallel insertion from the perpendicular insertion revealed a significantly higher correlation for parallel, 0.91 ± 0.13 versus 0.56 ± 0.32. SIGNIFICANCE These data indicate IMP sensors can be used to assess force in a single muscle and the parallel insertion method should be used. New findings • What is the central question of this study? Successful outcomes of tendon and muscle transfers depend on proper muscle tension. A near linear relationship has been seen between muscle force and intramuscular pressure. This study aims to develop an intraoperative technique for assessing passive muscle tension using intramuscular pressure. • What is the main finding and its importance? The findings from this study reveal a high correlation between pressure and passive tension in a single muscle. The techniques developed in this study will allow the translation to a human model. The work will help to improve surgical outcomes and aim to retain muscle strength in the patient following procedures such as tendon and muscle transfers.
Targeting mTOR and VEGF in CRPC: Preliminary results of a phase I/II trial of temsirolimus (T) and bevacizumab (B) in docetaxel-refractory metastatic CRPC.

e15208 Background: Despite the availability of novel agents in the docetaxel-refractory setting, their activity is often short lived as all pts eventually progress. Activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR/...
Doomed Interventions: The Failure of Global Responses to AIDS in Africa

Between 2002 and 2013, bilateral donors spent over $64 billion on AIDS intervention in low- and middle-income countries. During the same period, nearly 25 million died of AIDS and more than 32 million were newly infected with HIV. In this book for students of political economy and public policy in Africa, as well as global health, Kim Yi Dionne tries to understand why AIDS interventions in Africa often fail. The fight against AIDS requires the coordination of multiple actors across borders and levels of governance in highly affected countries, and these actors can be the primary sources of the problem. Dionne observes misaligned priorities along the global chain of actors, and argues this misalignment can create multiple opportunities for failure. Analyzing foreign aid flows and public opinion polls, Dionne shows that while the international community highly prioritizes AIDS, ordinary Africans view AIDS as but one of the many problems they face daily.
Song is not a reliable signal of general cognitive ability in a songbird

Learned aspects of song affect female mating preferences in a number of species of songbirds, including swamp sparrows, Melospiza georgiana. One explanation for why female songbirds attend to such song features is that these song attributes convey information on the general cognitive ability of singers. The fact that song attributes and cognitive ability are affected during development by the same stressors makes a connection between the two plausible. Here we test the hypothesis that song is a signal of cognitive ability by relating five measures of song quality to five measures of cognitive performance in 49 captive male swamp sparrows. The five song measures are repertoire size, mean and minimum vocal deviation (measures of vocal performance), and mean and maximum typicality (measures of song learning). Cognitive performance was measured as the speed with which five cognitive tasks were mastered: a novel foraging task, a colour association, a colour reversal, a spatial learning problem and a detour-reaching test. In general linear mixed models controlling for neophobia, none of the song measures were predictive of any of the cognitive performance measures. Thus the results do not support the hypothesis that song attributes signal general cognition in swamp sparrows.
Dominant and subordinate outside options alter help and eviction in a pay-to-stay negotiation model

Subordinates “pay rent” to stay in their group, but pay less when they can move elsewhere. For many animals, group living comes with costs: smaller individuals get evicted unless they help on the territory. Using theoretical models, we show that negotiation is key to enforcing pay-to-stay cooperation: subordinates provide fitness benefits to dominants and negotiate help based on breeding opportunities outside the group, but only when subordinates can plastically increase help in response to demanding dominants.
THz Metamaterials Perfect Absorber for Sensing and Communication Application

The ability to design and engineer sub-wavelength metamaterial structures capable of manipulating the propagation of Terahertz waves and the manner in which they interact with matter is of great fundamental and practical interest. In this paper, we review our recent work on the design, simulation and implementation of metamaterial devices operating at the Terahertz frequencies for applications such as sensors, imaging, and communication.
Central nervous system control of blood pressure

Increased awareness of the effects on the central nervous system (CNS) of untreated hypertension has fostered a successful era of preventive medicine within neurology. The decline in mortality from stroke within the last decade is partly a result of early detection and treatment of hypertension. Conversely, the role of the CNS as a cause of hypertension is currently the focus of major research efforts in neuropharmacology. New classes and generations of antihypertensive drugs have been designed as a result of an increased understanding of the involvement of CNS in blood pressure control. One example is clonidine which, although initially developed as a nasal decongestant, has been successfully used as an antihypertensive and a pharmacological research tool. This paper will briefly review the role of the CNS in blood pressure control and the assessment of sympathetic neuronal function in man.
Duality of a nonconvex sum of ratios

For mathematical programs with objective involving a sum of ratios of affine functions, there are few theoretical results due to the nonconvex nature of the program. In this paper, we derive a duality theory for these programs by establishing their connection with geometric programming. This connection allows one to bring to bear the powerful theory and computational algorithms associated with geometric programming.
Histosplines with Knots Which are Order Statistics

The histospline considered here is a quadratic spline density estimate analogous to the Boneva-Kendall-Stefanov (BKS) histospline, with their equally spaced knots replaced by knots at every knth-order statistic. This estimate can be expected to be relatively more "flexible" where the density is greatest. We obtain "mean square error at a point" convergence rates. The rates obtained are uniform over classes of densities which have first (alternatively second or third) derivatives in a bounded set in Y, If kn is chosen optimally, then this estimate shares the same "near optimal" convergence rates of certain BKS estimates when the knot spacing is chosen optimally, kernel estimates when the scale factor is chosen optimally, and orthogonal series estimates when the length of the series is chosen optimally.
A novel electro-deposition based asphaltene removal strategy

Abstract The deposition of asphaltene on interior pipe surfaces is considered a challenging flow assurance issue. By exploiting the net charge of the asphaltene molecule, it can be effectively removed from the flow stream by means of electro-deposition before transportation to prevent later deposition. To evaluate this concept, electro-deposition of asphaltene from a synthetic oil using varying electric field strength and solvent type were studied. The results demonstrate that the asphaltene molecule possesses a native positive charge, however an induced negative charge can be observed under high current density; depending on the current density, deposition onto the cathode, anode, or both were observed. Both solvent polarity and viscosity affected the removal performance by way of effect on the asphaltene stability and electrophoretic mobility. The interaction of asphaltene and resin resulted in a slight neutralization of charge and strong repression of charge alternation behavior. A series of experiments were conducted to mimic a continuous process by means of repeated electro-deposition cycles. With 8000 V/cm electric field applied, 119 g/m2 asphaltene can be deposited onto electrodes within 10 min using ∼1 kJ energy input. Finally, electro-deposition of actual crude oil was conducted; the electric field strength required to deposit the asphaltene decreased with higher dilution ratio. The speed and high energy efficiency make electro-deposition a promising strategy for asphaltene removal.
Data-trace types for distributed stream processing systems

Distributed architectures for efficient processing of streaming data are increasingly critical to modern information processing systems. The goal of this paper is to develop type-based programming abstractions that facilitate correct and efficient deployment of a logical specification of the desired computation on such architectures. In the proposed model, each communication link has an associated type specifying tagged data items along with a dependency relation over tags that captures the logical partial ordering constraints over data items. The semantics of a (distributed) stream processing system is then a function from input data traces to output data traces, where a data trace is an equivalence class of sequences of data items induced by the dependency relation. This data-trace transduction model generalizes both acyclic synchronous data-flow and relational query processors, and can specify computations over data streams with a rich variety of partial ordering and synchronization characteristics. We then describe a set of programming templates for data-trace transductions: abstractions corresponding to common stream processing tasks. Our system automatically maps these high-level programs to a given topology on the distributed implementation platform Apache Storm while preserving the semantics. Our experimental evaluation shows that (1) while automatic parallelization deployed by existing systems may not preserve semantics, particularly when the computation is sensitive to the ordering of data items, our programming abstractions allow a natural specification of the query that contains a mix of ordering constraints while guaranteeing correct deployment, and (2) the throughput of the automatically compiled distributed code is comparable to that of hand-crafted distributed implementations.
Civil Resistance and Procreative Agency in Harriet Jacobs’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

“There is something akin to freedom in having a lover who has no control over you, except that which he gains by kindness and attachment.”– Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (18...
Comic Cons and Libraries: Opportunities for Patron Outreach

Comic books and graphic novels are a common part of public library collections. This research used quantitative survey methodologies to investigate the library-based behaviors and attitudes of atte...