cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Army and Politics in France

I N JUNE 1960 THE ALGERIAN wAR seemed to enter a new phase. General de Gaulle declared that the French were prepared to discuss with the leaders of the insurrection an "honorable end" to the fighting, which would include guaranties conceming the "destination" of arms and the fate of the combatants. The Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic (GPRA) despatched two emissaries to France to make the necessary arrangements for a meeting between Ferhat Abbas and General de Gaulle. The conversations, which took place at Melun from June 25th through 29th, resulted in an impasse. The GPRA declared "inopportune" further negotiations on the basis of the conditions (involving mainly limitations on the movements of their delegates) laid down by the French. Even if agreement had been reached on procedure, freedom of maneuver on both sides was severely restricted. The activists among the rebels insist on independence (or a settlement of the war which will guarantee that outcome), while the French government envisages a referendum which will lead the Algerian people (under the prodding of the Army and the administration) to prefer a close association between "Algerian Algeria" and France. It appears doubtful that either the French government or the GPRA can impose a compromise solution upon their respective armed forces. In theory, as General de Gaulle observes in his memoirs, "Armies exist to serve the policy of states." Yet, little more than a year after his inauguration as President of the Republic, General de Gaulle donned his uniform, addressed the nation on radio and television, and denounced those elements of the Army who think that "they have a right to a policy which would not be France's policy."
Strain in Caring for Youths Meeting Diagnosis for Disruptive Behavior Disorders

The present study investigated hypotheses focusing on the relationship between youths with disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) and caregiver strain. Furthermore, analyses explored whether the relationship between youths with DBDs and caregiver strain depended on the amount of service use in three separate settings (outpatient, school-based, and inpatient). Participants were high-risk youths from the Patterns of Care study who were randomly sampled from one of five public sectors of care. Findings supported hypotheses linking caregiver strain to individuals caring for youths meeting diagnosis for DBDs. Furthermore, the relationship between youths with DBDs and caregiver strain varied depending on the amount of inpatient service use, but the relationship did not differ across levels of outpatient and school-based counseling service use. These findings suggest the importance of addressing caregiver strain when developing treatment plans for youths with DBDs.
Measuring Requirement Quality to Predict Testability

Software bugs contribute to the cost of ownership for consumers in a software-driven society and can potentially lead to devastating failures. Software testing, including functional testing and structural testing, remains a common method for uncovering faults and assessing dependability of software systems. To enhance testing effectiveness, the developed artifacts (requirements, code) must be designed to be testable. Prior work has developed many approaches to address the testability of code when applied to structural testing, but to date no work has considered approaches for assessing and predicting testability of requirements to aid functional testing. In this work, we address requirement testability from the perspective of requirement understandability and quality using a machine learning and statistical analysis approach. We first use requirement measures to empirically investigate the relevant relationship between each measure and requirement testability. We then assess relevant requirement measures for predicting requirement testability. We examined two datasets, each consisting of requirement and code artifacts. We found that several measures assist in delineating between the testable and non-testable requirements, and found anecdotal evidence that a learned model of testability can be used to guide evaluation of requirements for other (non-trained) systems.
Showing them how to mean business: teaching business information to health sciences librarians

Changes in the health care environment have made providers more competitive and business-like in delivering services. Health sciences librarians must expand their information retrieval skills beyond traditional medical resources to a new knowledge of basic business information resources. This will enable them to assist facility administrators and practitioners seeking needed business information. This article discusses a continuing education course design­ ed to introduce these librarians to business reference books and online databanks. The goal of the course is to make health sciences librarians familiar with the disciplines, terminology and resources of business in order that they may show their patrons, administrators and clinical practitioners that they mean business.
Abstract 5092: Ziv-aflibercept treatment reduces intra-hepatic tumor growth of a preclinical colorectal carcinoma liver metastasis model, monitored using non-invasive micro-ultrasound and bioluminescent imaging.

The liver is a frequent metastatic site for different types of cancers, including colorectal carcinomas (CRC). Therapies that inhibit the angiogenic growth factor VEGF, such as bevacizumab and ziv-aflibercept, are used in combination with chemotherapies to treat metastatic CRC. Ziv-aflibercept (also known as VEGF Trap) is being developed as a part of a collaboration between Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and was recently approved by the FDA in metastatic colorectal cancer that is resistant to or has progressed following an oxaliplatin-containing regimen. To better understand the role of VEGF in metastatic CRC, we aimed to assess the effects of ziv-aflibercept on intrahepatic CRC tumor growth, invasion and angiogenesis in a preclinical model. For that we developed and characterized a CRC liver metastasis model that would allow us to longitudinally assess the effects of ziv-aflibercept on CRC growth in the liver parenchyma using non-invasive high frequency micro-ultrasound and bioluminescent imaging modalities. Briefly, luciferase-expressing HCT116 (human colorectal carcinoma) tumor cells were implanted into the left liver lobe of male CB17 SCID mice using image-guided micro-ultrasound. Tumor growth was monitored using both micro-ultrasound and bioluminescent imaging. When tumors were established (approximately 70 mm3), mice were treated with either control protein (hFc, 25 mg/kg, 2x/wk) or ziv-aflibercept (25 mg/kg, 2x/wk) for up to 13 days. Ziv-aflibercept treatment inhibited tumor growth by 95% compared to control treatment. This inhibition of tumor growth was accompanied by significantly decreased cell proliferation (50-70%), as measured by Ki67 immunohistochemistry, and markedly decreased vessel density (approximately 50%), as revealed by CD31 immunohistochemistry. Ziv-aflibercept did not seem to increase tumor invasiveness, as HE 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5092. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5092
Reforming Agricultural Nonpoint Pollution Policy in an Increasingly Budget-Constrained Environment

Agricultural nonpoint source water pollution has long been recognized as an important contributor to U.S. water quality problems and the subject of an array of local, state, and federal initiatives to reduce the problem. A "pay-the-polluter" approach to getting farmers to adopt best management practices has not succeeded in improving water quality in many impaired watersheds. With the prospects of reduced funding for the types of financial and technical assistance programs that have been the mainstay of agricultural water quality policy, alternative approaches need to be considered. Some changes to the way current conservation programs are implemented could increase their efficiency, but there are limits to how effective a purely voluntary approach can be. An alternative paradigm is the "polluter pays" approach, which has been successfully employed to reduce point source pollution. A wholesale implementation of the polluter-pays approach to agriculture is likely infeasible, but elements of the polluter-pays approach could be incorporated into agricultural water quality policy.
The progress in the research of metal-oxide catalysts used for selective oxidation of propane

The present review analysised the general features of multicomponent oxide catalysis for heterogeneous selective oxidation ,which involves acid-base feature and the nature of oxygen species and structure/crystallization state changes during catalytic reaction.The reaction mechanism of propane oxidation to acrylic and acids and the crystallization structure and perpformance of the Mo-V-Sb(Te)-Nb-O mixed metal-xides catalysts are summaried.
Taking the RISC of exiting naïve pluripotency.

A new study shows how RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC)-mediated posttranscriptional regulation of chromatin remodelers allows for tight control of the naive-to-primed pluripotency transition.
Effect of brown midrib and normal genotypes of sorghum X sudangrass on ruminal fluid and particulate rate of passage from the rumen and extent of digestion at various sites along the gastrointestinal tract in sheep.

The objectives of this experiment were to determine fluid and particulate rate of passage from the rumen and extent of digestion at various sites along the gastrointestinal tract in sheep fed normal and brown midrib sorghum X sudangrass hybrids. Four Suffolk wethers (80 kg) with ruminal, duodenal and ileal cannulae were assigned to one of four diets in a 4 X 4 Latin square with a 2 X 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Diets were hays of two sorghum X sudangrass varieties, Redlan X Greenleaf and Redlan X Piper, and their corresponding brown midrib mutants. There were no compositional differences resulting from variety or genotype in lignin content or fiber components, although alkali-soluble phenolic acids were higher in normal genotypes than in brown midrib. Vanillin was lower, whereas para-coumaric acid was higher, in normal genotypes than in brown midrib mutants. Ruminal digestibility of neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber and cellulose was lower (P less than .05) for normal genotypes than for the brown midribs. Total-tract digestibility of cellulose was higher (P less than .05) for brown midrib mutants than for corresponding normal genotypes. No quantitative differences in fiber composition or lignin content were detected between normal and brown midrib genotypes; however, differences in composition of alkali-soluble phenolic acids of the lignin fraction could explain differences in digestibility detected between the two genotypes.
Meprane in the treatment of the menopausal syndrome; an evaluation of estrogenic efficiency and toxicity.

Abstract The estrogenic effectiveness, chronic toxicity, and side-effects of Meprane were evaluated in 45 menopausal patients followed from two to twelve months. This evaluation was accomplished by observing the effects on cornification of vaginal smears, by urinalysis, by hematologic and blood chemistry studies, by repeated physical examinations, and by direct questioning of the patients at frequent intervals. Meprane was found to cornify vaginal smears effectively, the maximum effect being evident in approximately four weeks. The dosage required to produce full cornification varied from 3.0 to 5.0 mg. per day. After the attaining of full cornification, minimal maintenance dosages resulting in the precornified vaginal smear were established. No differences in results were noted between a single daily dose and divided daily dosage. Better symptomatic responses were obtained from lower maintenance dosages when full cornication had first been established. Maintenance dosages were more difficult to establish than cornification dosages, since they depended in large part on the patient's subjective evaluation of her symptoms. No chronic toxic manifestations resulting from therapy were encountered in any patient, and no sensitization to Meprane occurred. Laboratory values remained unchanged throughout therapy, extending in some cases over a period of a year. Side-effects were not common. They included increased vaginal discharge, heaviness or tenseness of the breasts and vaginal spotting, in most cases due to withdrawal bleeding when the daily dosage was markedly decreased. Tentative impressions of symptomatic responses indicate that Meprane is a highly effective agent in the control and alleviation of the menopausal syndrome. A plea is made to evaluate every menopausal patient as a whole, searching for other causes of symptoms than the menopausal syndrome alone. Many patients in this age group are suffering from hypertension, chronic sinusitis, chronic eyestrain and subclinical hypothyroidism, and these must be recognized and independently treated.
Community networks: Community capital or merely an affordable Internet access tool?: Research Articles

In this study a perceived gap between the ideal and the reality of a community network (CN) is examined. Most proponents of CNs state that building a better physical community is their major service goal. However, there has been a concern that citizens might use the service simply as a means to connect to the Internet rather than as a means to connect to their communities. Using a survey research method (n = 213), users' perceptions of community aspects of CN service and the influence of such perceptions on their use were investigated. User demographics and alternative service accessibility were also examined as predictors of use. The present study found that the respondents were using the service mainly for general Internet features. More than two thirds of the respondents were not aware of the community content aspect of the service. Approximately 20p of respondents were identified as those whose perceptions of the community aspects actually affected their use of the service. They were both aware of community contents and using an additional Internet service provider. Findings suggest that the providers did not fully communicate the community aspects of the service with the users, while the user perception of community aspects is a key to further promotion of the service. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The OOPS Program at Bates

We report on recent high-precision, exclusive measurements of γ*N → Δ and of virtual Compton scattering from the proton (VCS). These studies are part of the unique program pursued by the OOPS collaboration at the MIT-Bates laboratory. For the first time we made use of high-duty factor, high-energy, extracted electron beams. The full OOPS set-up was commissioned and new data collected in the H(e, e′p)π0, H(e, e′π + )n and H(e, e′p)γ reactions.
Diamagnetic particle separation by shape in ferrofluids

Separating particles, which can be either biological or synthetic, in a continuous label-free manner is essential to many applications. Magnetic separation has several advantages over other field-driven particle separation techniques. It, however, has been limited primarily to situations where particles differ in size or magnetization. We demonstrate in this paper a continuous-flow separation of equal-volumed spherical and peanut-shaped diamagnetic particles in a dilute ferrofluid. This separation is attributed to the shape-dependent magnetophoretic motion, which is the combined result of the shape dependences of the magnetic force and viscous drag. We also develop a three-dimensional numerical model to understand this shape-based diamagnetic particle separation and predict the effects of the determining factors.
Bizarre parosteal osteochondromatous proliferation of the metatarsal bone

Eine bizarre paraosseale osteochondromatose Proliferation (BPOP), auch als Nora-Lasion bekannt, ist eine selten auftretende gutartige Knochenneubildung, ausgehend von intakter Kortex der Metaphyse kurzer Rohrenknochen von Hand oder Fus. Konventionelle Rontgenaufnahmen sollten mit weiteren Bildgebungsverfahren (CT/MRT) erganzt werden. In Abwesenheit von Symptomen ist ein konservatives Vorgehen mit radiologischen und klinischen Kontrollen moglich. Kommt es zu Symptomen, ist die Exzisionsbiopsie die Therapie der Wahl. Die histopathologische Untersuchung bestatigt die Diagnose und zeigt typischerweise eine endochondrale Ossifikationszone und eine mineralisierte Knorpelmatrix, bezeichnet als blauen Knochen. Die Rezidivrate nach chirurgischer Exzision ist hoch.
Socio-economic impacts of a closed fishing season on resource-dependent stakeholders in Tamil Nadu, India: Differences in income and expenditure effects by occupational group

Abstract Resource use restrictions often disproportionately impact the most vulnerable stakeholders. This research aims to understand how conservation policies – particularly harvest restrictions – affect different segments of resource dependent populations. Through an examination of a closed fishing season in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, India data was collected over three seasons on resource-dependent and independent stakeholder groups’ incomes, expenditures, smoothing mechanisms and livelihood enhancement preferences. While regulated harvest-sector stakeholder groups are heavily impacted by the regulation as expected, the results indicate that it is actually the less politically powerful within this group that are disproportionately impacted. Additionally, those individuals in allied professions, outside of the harvest sector and excluded from fisheries management decisions, are also heavily impacted by the closed season. The acceptability of livelihood enhancement options offered to affected individuals is impacted by both gender and cultural constraints. The results highlight distributional equity concerns stemming from a resource management decision and bring attention to the cultural considerations that must be taken when developing viable alternative livelihood options for short and long term relief.
Postoperative Management of Periprosthetic Joint Infection

Although the rate of prosthetic joint infections is low, the total number of cases is increasing with a rise in the number of joint replacements completed each year. There is a lack of studies addressing the management of these infections postoperatively. Issues that should be addressed include the optimal choice of antibiotics, the use of oral suppressive antibiotics, the duration of antimicrobial therapy, and the monitoring for complications, such as recurrence of infection, and adverse effects related to medications.
Group Psychotherapy as Spiritual Discipline: From OZ to the Kingdom of God

In this article, the author uses the process of a single session in the work of a long-term psychotherapy group to structure an exploration of the way in which psychological models, theological com...
Electron-Transfer Dynamics in a Zn-Porphyrin-Quinone Cyclophane: Effects of Solvent, Vibrational Relaxations, and Conical Intersections.

Rate constants for photochemical charge separation and recombination in a zinc-porphyrin-benzoquinone cyclophane are calculated by an approach that was developed recently to include effects of vibrational dephasing and relaxation and to reduce the dependence on freely adjustable parameters. The theory is extended to treat the rate of vibrational relaxation individually for each vibrational sublevel of the initial charge-transfer product. Quantum-mechanical/molecular-mechanical simulations of the reactions in iso-octane, toluene, dichloromethane, and acetonitrile suggest that charge separation occurs at conical intersections in the two more polar solvents, but at avoided crossings in the nonpolar solvents. In agreement with experimental measurements, however, the calculated rate constants for charge separation are similar in polar and nonpolar solvents. Charge recombination to the ground state is found to have electronic coupling factors smaller than that of charge separation and to be affected more strong...
Developmental, Quantitative, and Multicultural Assessment of Psychopathology

In the chapter that I wrote for the first edition of this Handbook (Lewis & Miller, 1990), I focused mainly on how to conceptualize developmental psychopathology. In the second edition of the Handbook (Sameroff, Lewis, & Miller, 2000), my chapter focused on assessment of psychopathology within the conceptual framework of developmental psychopathology. In light of growing awareness of quantitative and cultural variations in people’s needs for help, the time has come to integrate developmental, quantitative, and multicultural concepts, methods, and findings in order to advance both our understanding of behavioral, emotional, and social problems and our efforts to ameliorate them.
How to fight against southern pine beetle epidemics: An insurance approach

The southern pine beetle (SPB) is among the leading biological agents killing southern pine species in the eastern United States. In light of recognized spatiotemporal autocorrelation in SPB outbreaks, we devise a spatiotemporal block bootstrapping method that can be applied to analyze spatiotemporally dependent infestations. We also identify the relevant risk determinants and evaluate their impacts on the frequency of SPB outbreaks. For example, we find forest type, climate, and natural disasters like storm and forest management are all significantly associated with SPB risks. Using the results of a statistical model, we design a county‐level group index insurance plan that generates estimates of actuarially fair premium rates for timber stands containing southern pine species. Given that no government‐provided compensation scheme for SPB epidemics currently exists, application of this new insurance product could reduce forest owners losses. Our study offers an approach to analyzing and protecting against risks of other destructive pests affecting the timber sector.
Direct Ag-Ag bonding by in-situ reduction of surface oxides for advanced chip-package interconnection

Abstract Direct Ag-Ag bonding was achieved at 210 °C with 1.38 MPa static pressure through in-situ reduction of surface Ag2O, which was produced by applying oxidizing plasma on the surface of Ag films. During bonding, Ag2O decomposed into the in-situ formed Ag atoms, which significantly enhanced surface diffusion. It facilitated the joining of materials at atomic scale and merging of grains at the original bonding interface. Cross-sectional studies showed that two Ag films join together to form a “bulk-like” polycrystalline material without any trace of the original interface. This new bonding technique is promising in flip chip interconnect and 3D integration.
Signal Integrity Analysis of BMC Assisted Remote Debug Solution

In the 1980s, multi-layer circuit boards and non-lead-frame integrated circuits (ICs) were becoming standard and connections were being made between ICs that were not available to probes. The majority of manufacturing and field faults in circuit boards were due to poor solder joints on the boards, imperfections among board connections, or the bonds and bond wires from IC pads to pin lead frames. The Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) was formed in 1985 to provide a pins-out view from one IC pad to another so these faults could be discovered [1] [2].Nowadays, Intel server platforms provide two primary paths for debug – One is Intel In-Target Probe (Intel® ITP) via on board eXtended Debug Port (XDP) and JTAG path for debug. The other is USB 3.0 hosted Direct Connect Interface (DCI) for closed chassis debug. Software developers and system level debuggers use either path to access internal resources and events to triage failures. But both approaches require close proximity to the failing server as the debug host with necessary software needs to be physically connected. Both ways are time-consuming and expensive for OEMs/ODMs engineers to debug a failing system once the system is far away from their company. To solve this problem and reduce debug time and cost, BMC Assisted Remote Debug Solution is proposed as a new choice.
The Chimpanzee Model

Efforts to control the global pandemic of human hepatitis B virus (hHBV) infection have been hampered by incomplete understanding of viral–host interactions in this disease. This situation has been confounded by the fact that hHBV has a limited host range and cannot be propagated in simple cell culture (1). Reproducible experimental infection with determination of infectivity was demonstrated in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), but not other primates (2–4), long before other animal models such as the woodchuck were identified. After successful inoculation of chimpanzees was reported in 1972, multiple institutions, including a multigroup collaboration between the FDA, CDC, and NIH, initiated studies to evaluate them as a model for the study of HBV. For the majority of studies only chimpanzees “with no prior exposure” to virus were used because those with positive serology [either from exposure to hHBV or chimpanzee HBV (chHBV)], with an estimated prevalence of 3–6% in Africa (5), were not reproducibly susceptible to infection (3). It has been widely reported that the effects of HBV infection in chimpanzees are milder than in humans, that is, few have developed fulminant hepatitis, and inoculated chimpanzees exhibit few symptoms or signs of infection. Furthermore, the incidence of chronic infection with HBV (see Table 2) and horizontal and vertical transmission (from mother to offspring) in chimpanzees is lower than in humans (6,7). Chimpanzees have been the cornerstone of all research on infectivity of HBV and safety and efficacy of vaccines. Chronic HBV infection occurs in approx 5% of experimentally infected chimpanzees, defined as persistence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) for 12 months (approx 2⁄3 clear HBsAg between 6 and 12 months of infection) (8). Liver biopsies of chimpanzees with chronic HBsAg have never been reported to have more severe abnormalities than mild persistent hepatitis (8–11), but we were unable to find published
Control charts for autocorrelated process data

We show that the conventional X-chart based on the independence assumption is not robust because of the bias present in the moving range estimate of the standard deviation when the data are autocorrelated. We give a simple way to correct for this bias which results in a modified X-chart. Next we show that the frequently made proposal of control charting the residuals obtained by fitting a time-series model to autocorrelated data suffers from loss of power under certain situations commonly met in practice. This chart also requires a sufficiently large initial sample to obtain a good fit when used for online monitoring. A simulation study is performed to compare the performances of alternative control charts for data following the ARMA(1,1) model.
Marijuana Use and Its Associations With Pain, Opioid Dose, and HIV Viral Suppression Among Persons Living With HIV on Chronic Opioid Therapy.

BACKGROUND Medical marijuana is legal in 29 US states and the District of Columbia: both HIV and chronic pain are "approved conditions" for receipt. Chronic pain is common among people living with HIV (PLWH). We anticipate PLWH will question their providers about medical marijuana for chronic pain. We examined marijuana use and its associations with pain, opioid dose, and HIV viral suppression among PLWH receiving chronic opioid therapy. METHODS PLWH prescribed chronic opioid therapy were recruited into the Targeting Effective Analgesia in Clinics for HIV cohort. The main exposure variable was any past 12-month marijuana use. The primary outcomes were (1) opioid misuse (≥9 on the Current Opioid Misuse Measure) and (2) opioid dose (morphine equivalent daily dose). HIV viral load (VL) suppression (<200 copies/μL) and pain severity and interference using the Brief Pain Inventory were exploratory outcomes. RESULTS Participants (n = 166) were men (65%), Black (72%), and had an undetectable VL (89%). We found no significant association between current marijuana use and opioid misuse, opioid dose, or pain. Current marijuana use was associated with 3.03 times the odds of having a detectable VL (95% odds ratio: 1.11-8.31, P = 0.03) while controlling for depressive symptoms and other substance use. DISCUSSION We did not detect an association between marijuana use and opioid misuse behaviors, opioid dose, or pain. In an exploratory analysis, current marijuana use was associated with 3× greater odds of having a detectable VL. This study provides insights into potential consequences of marijuana use among PLWH with chronic pain.
Immune Thrombocytopenia: Incidence, Diagnosis, Presentation, and Surgical Management

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), previously referred to in literature and practice as idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura, is an acquired disorder of immune-mediated destruction of platelets. In the acute setting, the principal goals of treatment are to prevent or stop life-threatening hemorrhage, evaluate for secondary causes, and promptly initiate treatment while monitoring for adverse events. The treatment of chronic ITP has evolved over the last 20 years, and with new therapeutic targets, improving rates of remission with medical therapy alone is possible. Patients with chronic ITP require a multidisciplinary team whose job is to navigate important decisions with regard to treatment and management of the patient’s comorbidities and mitigate the risk of deleterious effects caused by many of these therapies. Surgery remains an important treatment modality in refractory cases.
Neural Tissue Transplants Modify Response of the Immature Spinal Cord to Damage

Neural tissue transplantation techniques have been used extensively in recent years to examine questions concerning development and regeneration in the developing and mature central nervous system (see 1,2,3, for reviews). For example, transplants derived from various levels of the neuraxis survive, grow, and differentiate when placed into cavities or lesions in the adult or newborn nervous system (4–13). Often anatomical projections between host and transplant tissue are established. In some instances, the transplants are able to mediate recovery of function after CNS lesions either by establishing axonal connections with the host nervous system or by releasing hormones or neurotransmitters which are able to act on neurons within the host (3, 7, 14-19).
Emerging serine-threonine kinase inhibitors for treating ovarian cancer

Introduction: Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of gynecologic cancer death, owing to high rates of incurable, recurrent disease after initial treatment. Serine threonine kinases (STKs) have been proposed as potential therapeutic targets in ovarian cancer because of their role in the initiation and progression of cancers. Experience in non-ovarian cancers suggests that STK inhibitors are active against tumors with specific molecular alterations.Areas covered: This review discusses STK inhibitors in active development in phase II/III clinical trials for ovarian cancer. PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov were systematically searched to identify STK inhibitor trials for ovarian cancer; active development was confirmed via Pharmaprojects. Available data regarding the efficacy and safety of these compounds are explored.Expert opinion: STK inhibitors currently in development have modest activity as single agents and are unlikely to achieve approval as monotherapy for unselected ovarian cancer patients. Combination trials of STK inhibitors with chemotherapy and/or targeted therapies have suggested an acceptable efficacy/toxicity ratio for certain combinations but confirmatory studies are needed. Carefully designed trials, especially those including somatic molecular analysis, may help identify the subsets of patients most likely to benefit from these therapeutic strategies and determine the role of STK inhibitors in the evolving landscape of precision oncology.
Charger Scheduling Optimization Framework

Wireless Rechargeable Sensor Network (WRSN), consisting of sensors with rechargeable batteries and mobile chargers, has become a promising solution to the energy limitation problem in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). Charger scheduling optimization focuses on optimizing the trajectory of mobile chargers to prolong the life of a WRSN system. Charger scheduling optimization problems are in general NP-hard. Previous solutions using traditional algorithms often require problem-specific design and a trade-off between the performance and computing time. An insight into these optimization problems is that a domain-specific charger scheduling strategy could be learned automatically when the objective function of an optimization problem is considered as a reward. We model charger scheduling optimization problems using a weighted graph and consider the objective function as a cumulative reward of charging sensors along a charging path in one cycle. We then build a deep reinforcement learning based framework to solve a diverse range of charger scheduling optimization problems. The biggest advantage of the framework is that an optimal charger scheduling strategy can be learned from previous experiences, i.e., different graphs with various sizes. A framework also simplifies the complexity of algorithm design for individual charger scheduling optimization problem. We compare the performance of algorithms based on the proposed framework with traditional ones on a set of selected charger scheduling optimization problems. They outperform all existing algorithms.
N-Acetyl Aspartic Acid (NAA) and N-Acetyl Aspartylglutamic Acid (NAAG) in Human Ventricular, Subarachnoid, and Lumbar Cerebrospinal Fluid

N-Acetylaspartic and N-acetylaspartylglutamic acid concentrations in human ventricular, subarachnoid and lumbar cerebrospinal fluid were measured by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using selected ion monitoring with deuterated internal standards. N-Acetylaspartate concentrations were in the range 55, 9, and 1 μM, respectively; N-acetylaspartylglutamate concentrations in the same fluids were in the range 8, 3 and 4 μM, respectively. There did not appear to be any difference in lumbar fluid concentrations of either compound between control subjects, schizophrenic patients, Alzheimer's disease patients and a pooled group of patients with neurological degeneration. Ventricular concentrations of both compounds were greatly increased in deceased patients suggesting that maintenance of their intracellular concentrations is probably energy dependent. The concentrations of these compounds in lumbar cerebrospinal fluid from living, and ventricular cerebrospinal fluid from deceased subjects were weakly correlated with one another. In lumbar fluid neither compound appeared to be correlated with age. Analysis of serially collected lumbar samples from two subjects showed a weak concentration gradient for both compounds. Neither antipsychotic medication nor the acid transport inhibitor probenecid had any effect on lumbar concentrations of either compound. Attempts to use anion exchange high pressure liquid chromatography with UV detection for measurement of the low concentrations of N-acetylaspartate found in cerebrospinal fluid from living subjects were unsuccessful.
Wide Area Transepithelial Sampling with Computer-Assisted Analysis (WATS 3D ) Is Cost-Effective in Barrett's Esophagus Screening.

Background Wide area transepithelial sampling with three-dimensional computer-assisted analysis (WATS3D) is an adjunct to the standard random 4-quadrant forceps biopsies (FB, "Seattle protocol") that significantly increases the detection of Barrett's esophagus (BE) and associated neoplasia in patients undergoing screening or surveillance. Aims To examine the cost-effectiveness of adding WATS3D to the Seattle protocol in screening patients for BE. Methods A decision analytic model was used to compare the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of two alternative BE screening strategies in chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease patients: FB with and without WATS3D. The reference case was a 60-year-old white male with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Effectiveness was measured by the number needed to screen to avert one cancer and one cancer-related death, and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Cost was measured in 2019 US$, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was measured in $/QALY using thresholds for cost-effectiveness of $100,000/QALY and $150,000/QALY. Cost was measured in 2019 US$. Cost and QALYs were discounted at 3% per year. Results Between 320 and 337 people would need to be screened with WATS3D in addition to FB to avert one additional cancer, and 328-367 people to avert one cancer-related death. Screening with WATS3D costs an additional $1219 and produced an additional 0.017 QALYs, for an ICER of $71,395/QALY. All one-way sensitivity analyses resulted in ICERs under $84,000/QALY. Conclusions Screening for BE in 60-year-old white male GERD patients is more cost-effective when WATS3D is used adjunctively to the Seattle protocol than with the Seattle protocol alone.
Abstract P136: Feasibility and Safety of an Expedited Emergency Department TIA Evaluation

Introduction: Transient ischemic attack (TIA) can portend impending stroke, but it is unclear whether a TIA evaluation necessitates inpatient admission. We assessed feasibility and safety of a TIA ...
Bigotry, Civil Rights, and LGBTQ Child Welfare

Linda McClain's book "Who’s the Bigot? Learning From Conflicts Over Marriage and Civil Rights Law" provides a novel analysis of the role of rhetoric involving bigotry in conflicts over marriage and civil rights law. The book ambitiously traces how people understood and discussed bigotry in various past and present struggles over marriage and civil rights dating back to the mid-twentieth century. In this Book Review, I highlight the strengths of Professor McClain’s book while also calling attention to the ways in which McClain’s analysis helps us to understand the patterns of arguments in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia — the latest conflict between marriage and the scope of civil rights before the U.S. Supreme Court. As discussed, connecting McClain’s arguments to LGBTQ child welfare literature and the Fulton controversy illustrates the importance of viewing LGBTQ child welfare issues through a civil rights lens.
Policy responses to foodborne disease outbreaks in the United States and Germany

This paper explores differences in national responses to foodborne disease outbreaks, addressing both the sources of policy divergence and their implications for public health and coordinated emergency response. It presents findings from a comparative study of two multi-state E. coli outbreaks, one in the United States (2006) and one in Germany (2011), demonstrating important differences in how risk managers understood and responded to each nation’s first major outbreak associated with fresh produce. Drawing on a qualitative analysis of 36 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and hundreds of archival documents, this paper traces how social constructions of the E. coli risk interacted with organizational dynamics among state and industry actors to produce divergent policy outcomes: the U.S. outbreak was understood primarily as an agricultural problem that led to an industry-led agricultural solution, whereas the German outbreak was understood as a human disease problem that did not result in a substantial policy response once the acute health crisis passed. The paper concludes by discussing how these policy processes generate partial solutions to foodborne contamination that expose modern societies to systemic vulnerabilities.
Targeting Mitochondria and Metabolism in Acute Kidney Injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) significantly contributes to morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. AKI is also an independent risk factor for the development and progression of chronic kidney disease. Effective therapeutic strategies for AKI are limited, but emerging evidence indicates a prominent role of mitochondrial dysfunction and altered tubular metabolism in the pathogenesis of AKI. Therefore, a comprehensive, mechanistic understanding of mitochondrial function and renal metabolism in AKI may lead to the development of novel therapies in AKI. In this review, we provide an overview of current state of research on the role of mitochondria and tubular metabolism in AKI from both pre-clinical and clinical studies. We also highlight current therapeutic strategies which target mitochondrial function and metabolic pathways for the treatment of AKI.
Age-Related Changes in Memory

We begin this chapter with a review of theoretical and practical issues relevant to studies of age-related memory decline. Next we discuss the neural substrates and psychological components of memory in relation to memory changes that occur as part of the normal aging process. In the third section biological changes that occur with aging and that provide the backdrop against which memory decline occurs are discussed. In the final section neuropsychological studies of the relationship between aging and dementia are reviewed.
Conformity in Groups: The Effects of Others’ Views on Expressed Attitudes and Attitude Change

Two experiments demonstrate the powerful influence of others’ views on individual attitudes and attitude expression. Those around us can influence our views through persuasion and information exchange, but the current research hypothesizes that exposure to alternate views even without discussion or exchange of persuasive arguments can also alter what attitudes are expressed, and even generate long term shifts in attitudes. In an initial study, naive participants were asked their attitudes on a range of standard survey items privately, publicly in a group with trained confederates, and again privately following the group setting. Findings indicate significant attitudinal conformity, which was most pronounced when participants were faced with a unanimous (versus non-unanimous) group. The group experience continued to influence participants’ views when they were again asked their views in private. A second experiment varied whether participants heard views from live confederates or via computer, demonstrating that these effects could not be attributed only to issue-relevant information provided by or inferred from group members, and that attitude change persisted long after participants had left the laboratory. In summary, when people are asked their attitudes publicly, they adjust their responses to conform to those around them, and this attitude change persists privately, even weeks later. Accordingly, such purely social processes of attitude change may be every bit as important as more traditional cognitive informational processes in understanding where people’s political attitudes come from, and how they may be changed.
Study of platinum electrodes by means of thin layer electrochemistry and low-energy electron diffraction 0

Thin layer electrochemistry (t.l.e.) was combined with low-energy electron diffraction (1.e.e.d.) in order to study the relationship between electrochemical reactivity and the structure of the electrode surface with an adsorbed layer of electrolyte. Atomically clean Pt(100) single crystal electrode surfaces were prepared and characterized by means of 1.e.e,d. and a.e.s. The elemental composition of the interface was monitored by means of a.e.s., at a sensitivity of about 1% of a monolayer toward significant surface contaminants, after each stage of the experiment, so as to verify the absence of accidental contamination throughout the procedure. An adsorbed layer remains on the Pt(100) surface after treatment with liquid H20 or vapor. This layer gives well defined 1.e.e.d. patterns, indicating that the metal surface has reconstructed from the [x/29 x lx~, 111.8 ° ] R 4.4 ° symmetry observed before exposure to the simpler [ 1 X 1 ] surface. Treatment of the surface with 1 M HC104 gave a similar 1.e.e.d. pattern, but with more evidence of diffuse scattering by the adsorbed layer, and strong a.e.s, signals for the elements C1 and O.
Digital Multiplexed Gene Expression Analysis Using the NanoString nCounter System

This unit presents the protocol for the NanoString nCounter Gene Expression Assay, a robust and highly reproducible method for detecting the expression of up to 800 genes in a single reaction with high sensitivity and linearity across a broad range of expression levels. The methodology serves to bridge the gap between genome-wide (microarrays) and targeted (real-time quantitative PCR) expression profiling. The nCounter assay is based on direct digital detection of mRNA molecules of interest using target-specific, color-coded probe pairs. It does not require the conversion of mRNA to cDNA by reverse transcription or the amplification of the resulting cDNA by PCR. Each target gene of interest is detected using a pair of reporter and capture probes carrying 35- to 50-base target-specific sequences. In addition, each reporter probe carries a unique color code at the 5' end that enables the molecular barcoding of the genes of interest, while the capture probes all carry a biotin label at the 3' end that provides a molecular handle for attachment of target genes to facilitate downstream digital detection. After solution-phase hybridization between target mRNA and reporter-capture probe pairs, excess probes are removed and the probe/target complexes are aligned and immobilized in the nCounter cartridge, which is then placed in a digital analyzer for image acquisition and data processing. Hundreds of thousands of color codes designating mRNA targets of interest are directly imaged on the surface of the cartridge. The expression level of a gene is measured by counting the number of times the color-coded barcode for that gene is detected, and the barcode counts are then tabulated.
Transdermal Delivery of Isoproterenol HC1: An Investigation of Stability, Solubility, Partition Coefficient, and Vehicle Effects

Effects of solubility, partition coefficient, and selected adjuvants (propylene glycol and Azone) on percutaneous penetration of isoproterenol HC1 have been investigated using human cadaver skin. Isoproterenol was found to be stable (<1% decomposition) for 24 hr at 22 ± 0.5°C in the pH range 1 to 7 in the following solvents: water, normal saline, propylene glycol and a series of propylene glycol–water mixtures (10, 20, 40, and 60%; v/v); however, decomposition was significant beyond pH 8. In normal saline, the rate of decomposition increased significantly with an increase in temperature to 37°C. The solubility of isoproterenol HC1 decreased and its skin/vehicle partition coefficient increased with increasing proportions of propylene glycol in the vehicle, while the product of the solubility and partition coefficient appeared to plateau at 20% propylene glycol in water. Optimal penetration enhancing effects of Azone were seen when incorporated at a concentration of 1% (v/v) in the 20% (v/v) propylene glycol–water blend and, more significantly, when skin was pretreated with pure Azone for 60 min prior to application of the drug formulation.
Brachial vein transposition arteriovenous fistula: is it an acceptable option for chronic dialysis vascular access?

PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate the midterm performance of brachial vein arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) and to compare this performance with arteriovenous grafts (AVGs) and basilic vein...