cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pathology of incipient pancreatic cancer.

Background: An understanding ofincipient pancreatic neoplasia is an essential foundation for the future development of effective screening tests for pancreatic cancer. Only when we understand early pancreatic neoplasms will we be able to detect tumors that are curable with surgical resection. Method: Two approaches have helped define incipient pancreatic neoplasia. First, the histologic examination of pancreata has helped identify the most common histologic lesions in pancreatic tissues adjacent to infiltrating carcinomas. The assumption is that some of these lesions represent the precursors to the infiltrating cancers. Second, advances in molecular genetics now make it possible to define the genetic alterations present in small lesions. The demonstration that a suspected precursor lesion and an infiltrating pancreatic carcinoma share the same genetic alterations would help establish that the lesion is indeed a precursor to infiltrating pancreatic carcinoma.
A Direct Test of Risk Aversion and Regret in First Price Sealed-Bid Auctions

Why do bidders tend to bid higher than the risk-neutral Nash equilibrium in sealed-bid first price auction experiments? The effect of risk aversion has long been offered as a possible explanation. More recently, several studies proposed regret as another explanation, citing strong experimental evidence. But which effect is more important? We design an experiment to separate the effects of risk aversion from those of regret. We find overwhelming evidence in support of the regret model, and virtually no support for the constant relative risk aversion model.
Vasopressin-induced nitric oxide production in rat inner medullary collecting duct is dependent on V2 receptor activation of the phosphoinositide pathway

We previously reported that arginine vasopressin (AVP) stimulates the production of nitric oxide (NO) in inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) via activation of V2 receptors (V2R) and the mobiliza...
Low-overhead design technique for calibration of maximum frequency at multiple operating points

Determination of maximum operating frequencies (Fmax) during manufacturing test at different operating voltages is required to: (a) to ensure that, for a Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS) system, the adaptation hardware actually applies the correct operating frequency corresponding to a scaled supply and (b) to sort chips in different voltage-frequency (V-Fmax)bins, so that chips at different bins can be used for different applications. Existing speed binning approach requires extensive delay testing at all operating points with all possible frequencies, which increases test cost and test time significantly. In this paper, we propose a low-overhead solution for characterizing Fmax of a circuit at different operating voltages that can eliminate the complex and expensive Fmax calibration at multiple voltage points. The basic idea is to choose a small set of representative paths in a circuit based on their voltage sensitivity and dynamically configuring them into ring oscillator to compute the Fmax. The proposed calibration mechanism is all-digital, robust to process variations, reasonably accurate (average 2.8% error) and incorporates minimal hardware overhead (average 1.7% delay, 3.5% area and 0.28% power overhead).
The role of microstructure and processing on the proton conducting properties of gadolinium-doped barium cerate

The influence of grain boundary conductivity and microstructure on the electrical properties of BaCe0.85Gd0.15O3–δ have been examined. Grain sizes were varied by sintering at various temperatures. Impedance data were analyzed using the brick layer model, and some new consequences of this model are presented. The specific grain boundary conductivity exhibits an activation energy of ~0.7 eV, and for similar processing routes, is independent of grain size. An isotope effect was observed, indicating that protons (or deuterons) are the mobile species. TEM investigations showed the intergranular regions to be free of any glassy phase that could account for the differences in bulk and grain boundary properties. Single-crystal fibers, grown by a modified float zone process, were notably barium deficient, and exhibited a low conductivity, comparable to that of polycrystalline Ba0.96Ce0.85Gd0.15O3–δ.
The effect of Cu diffusion on the TDDB behavior in a low-k interlevel dielectrics

Abstract The effect of Copper on TDDB failure in a structure incorporating a low-k interlevel dielectric was studied theoretically and experimentally. Interdigitated comb capacitor structures were prepared with and without Cu metallization and stressed at 4.0 to 6.6 MV/cm at 150C. The samples without Cu did not fail to over 1800 hours at 4 MV/cm whereas the samples with Cu exhibited a median time to failure (t50) of ∼45 minutes. At 6.6 MV/cm, the t50 was ∼1.8 hours for the Cu free samples. This experiment demonstrated the importance of Cu in the TDDB behaviour of low-k dielectrics, but also demonstrated that the presence of Cu was not a necessary condition for failure. The effect of Cu diffusion on TDDB behaviour was studied in the context of the “Impact Damage” model. Both field assisted ionic diffusion and diffusion of neutral Cu was considered. It is seen that the behaviour at low fields near use conditions may have little relationship to the predictions obtained from the results of typical TDDB testing.
Broth-disk elution determination of antimicrobial susceptibility of selected anaerobes isolated from animals.

4 Be- cause members of the Bacteroides fragilis group now com- prise about 13% of isolates of anaerobic bacteria (44% of all isolates of Bacteroides), 6 susceptibility data are needed for treatment of animals with conditions that may be caused by members of this group of bacteria. We present the suscep- tibility to the customarily recommended antimicrobial agents (chloramphenicol, clindamycin, metronidazole, penicillin G, tetracycline) of obligate anaerobes commonly isolated from animals, i.e., representative members of the genera Bacter- oides, Fusobacterium, Peptostreptococcus, and Clostridium. 4
Pathway programs to life after college

Programs are one avenue for preparing students for after-college life. General principles, theories, and examples of such programs are discussed here.
Reconceiving Recognition: Towards a Cumulative Politics of Recognition

THE politics of recognition asks us to make a “presumption of equal worth” when encountering cultures other than our own. It seeks to reconcile a western, liberal belief in the importance of equal dignity with the increasing heterogeneity of the modern world, through an openness to seeing the value in others’ modes of living. Yet the politics of recognition have been variously critiqued: as too abstract; as too detached from the material conditions of daily life; as a distraction from efforts to ameliorate injustice through redistribution; as being focused on remedies that are mostly symbolic; as being dependent on oversimplifications of structures of power; as being destined to create irresolvable struggles for sovereignty; as essentializing; as potentially condescending; as too heavily dependent on collective identities; and as somehow inauthentic. Recognition remains an attractive end for those interested in multiculturalism, feminism, democracy, and the possibility of living a just life in an ever-expanding world. Still, these critiques are sufficiently serious that they would, if correct, undermine the hope that recognition holds out as a remedy for enduring
The 150,000-volt transmission line of the Knoxville Power Company

AT a point on the Little Tennessee River a short distance above the mouth of the Cheoah River in North Carolina, the Knoxville Power Company has completed within the past year, the first portion of an extensive hydroelectric development. The ultimate development will require the tying together of a number of plants scattered over a large area and it was therefore necessary to choose powerhouse and transmission line equipment which would be best adapted to the entire system.
Operational cost benefits study of flexible on-farm irrigation supply systems

Efficient on-farm use of water and labor for all methods requires a water supply flexible in frequency, rate, and duration and under the control of the irrigator at the point of application. For surface irrigation, the use of large capacity systems for supply and distribution are essential and economical, especially when considering the reduced labor needs, increased irrigation efficiency, and reduced potential high water table problems resulting from having a large, flexible supply associated with a flexible arranged-demand schedule. Automation and stability of flow at the farm turnout, comparable to a domestic system with variable flow delivery conditions, are typically accomplished by use of large capacity semiclosed pipeline systems. A cost comparison of capital investment for various sized, flexible supply systems with resulting farm water and labor costs is presented which shows the great value from the upgraded management made possible.
On semantic issues in the relational model of data

This paper discusses the semantics of Codd's relational model of data, considered as being time-independent properties of the relations describing the data. The paper emphasizes those properties which are expressible in terms of the relations present in the data base, as opposed to the properties which relate the data base to the outside world. Among the semantic properties being discussed are the functional dependencies, the weak dependencies, the integrity constraints and the cross-referencing of the data base entities.
Impact of patient positioning on lung ultrasound findings in acute heart failure

Aim:The purpose of this study was to compare lung ultrasound findings in both the supine and upright positions in heart failure patients presenting with dyspnea or chest pain.Methods and results:We performed lung ultrasonography on 50 heart failure patients in the emergency department. Each subject underwent eight-zone lung sonography in the seated upright position, followed by a repeat ultrasound in the supine position. Each ultrasound video clip was later assigned a score (0–2 B-lines=0 points, 3–7 B-lines=1 point, >7 B-lines=2 points) by a physician who was blinded to patient position, chest zone, and clinical information. The median B-line score on eight-zone lung ultrasound was significantly higher in the supine (6, interquartile range (IQR) 2–10) vs the sitting position (5, IQR 1–8; p<0.001). Subjects with vascular congestion or pulmonary edema on chest x-ray (CXR) (n=29) also had higher median eight-zone B-line scores in the supine position (6, IQR 4–10) compared to the sitting position (5, IQR 2–8...
Genomic Organization and Molecular Characterization of SM1, a Temperate Bacteriophage of Streptococcus mitis

The direct binding of Streptococcus mitis to human platelets is mediated in part by two proteins (PblA and PblB) encoded by a lysogenic bacteriophage (SM1). Since SM1 is the first prophage of S. mitis that has been identified and because of the possible role of these phage-encoded proteins in virulence, we sought to characterize SM1 in greater detail. Sequencing of the SM1 genome revealed that it consisted of 34,692 bp, with an overall G+C content of 39 mol%. Fifty-six genes encoding proteins of 40 or more amino acids were identified. The genes of SM1 appear to be arranged in a modular, life cycle-specific organization. BLAST analysis also revealed that the proteins of SM1 have homologies to proteins from a wide variety of lambdoid phages. Bioinformatic analyses, in addition to N-terminal sequencing of the proteins, led to the assignment of possible functions to a number of proteins, including the integrase, the terminase, and two major structural proteins. Examination of the phage structural components indicates that the phage head may assemble using stable multimers of the major capsid protein, in a process similar to that of phage r1t. These findings indicate that SM1 may be part of a discrete subfamily of the Siphoviridae that includes at least phages r1t of Lactococcus lactis and SF370.3 of Streptococcus pyogenes.
Results of breast conservation therapy from a single-institution community hospital in Hawaii with a predominantly Japanese population

Purpose: To evaluate the outcome data from breast conservation therapy performed at the Kuakini Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. The remarkably low rates of recurrence found in this study prompted a review of the literature and evaluation of the prognostic factors that may explain these results. Methods and materials: The data from patients with Tis, T1 or T2 breast tumors, treated with lumpectomy and radiotherapy during the 12-year period between January 1990 and December 2001 were retrospectively reviewed and compared to results found in national publications. Results: Current follow-up data was available in 97.1% of patients who met these criteria, identifying a total of 896 patients who were analyzed in this study. With a median follow-up exceeding 6 years, the local in-breast failure rate was 0.67%. Survival data was superior to the National Cancer Data Base for each stage of disease. Conclusion: This low rate of local relapse is extraordinary and unmatched by the published results generally cited in the literature. The findings are consistent with other studies reporting unusually low rates of breast cancer recurrence in patients of Japanese ancestry.
MILITARIZED INTERSTATE DISPUTES, 1816-1992: RATIONALE, CODING RULES, AND EMPIRICAL PATTERNS

Militarized interstate disputes are united historical cases of conflict in which the threat, display or use of military force short of war by one member state is explicitly directed towards the gov...
Risk Factors Affecting Escape Behaviour by Puerto Rican Anolis Lizards

Approach distance (flight initiation distance) and escape methods depend on predation risk. I studied escape methods and effects of risk factors (temperature, perch height and orientation, conspicuousness) on approach distance in seven Puerto Rican anoles. Approach distance increased as temperature decreased in Anolis gundlachi Peters, 1876, presumably because of decreasing running speed, but not in other species (probably because of narrow temperature range). Perch height and approach distance varied inversely in four arboreal species that escape upward, positively in two grass–bush species that are more conspicuous when higher and flee downward, and were unrelated in cryptic Anolis stratulus Cope, 1861. Approach distance was shortest in cryptic A. stratulus and shorter intraspecifically in three species for partially concealed lizards and at sites providing more cover in two species. Approach distance was shorter for A. gundlachi on vertical than nonvertical perches, suggesting that ease of escape upwar...
Effect of pH, ionic charge, and osmolality on cytochrome c-mediated caspase-3 activity

Cytochromec-mediated activation of caspase-3 is the final common pathway for most signals that induce apoptosis. Before release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, K+ and Cl− efflux and intracellula...
“Paris Thin”: A Call to Regulate Life-Threatening Starvation of Runway Models in the US Fashion Industry

This article discusses the increasing pressure on the United States government to implement laws and regulations regarding the health of fashion models. The author comments on the clear trend of thinness among fashion and runway models, which many experts consider life-threatening. Medical standards of body mass index are also considered.
“‘PRACTICAL BEARINGS:’ A PASTORAL THEOLOGY OF RELIGIOUS COPING RESEARCH”

Introduction In his history of pastoral care in North America, E. Brooks Holifield lamented that pastoral theologians in the late twentieth century seemed unable to resist the temptation "to allow psychological language to overwhelm or define religious tradition." Since that lament, however, many pastoral theologians have successfully avoided significant traffic not only with psychology but also with the social sciences in general. They have done so for good cause. After all, pastoral theologians are primarily theologians, not pastoral social scientists, or even pastoral researchers of religion. As theologians, one of their tasks is to set captives free from various forms of idolatrous bondage—including Max Weber's dreaded "iron-cage" of bureaucratic/managerial "purposive rationality" in which the social sciences are often trapped. Moreover, while psychology may have once been very dear to the church and pastoral theologians, many pastoral theologians nowadays eschew its all too often individualistic theory and elitist practice.
Current Treatment Options for Nonneurogenic Overactive Bladder in Children

Nonneurogenic overactive bladder (OAB) is one of the most common types of voiding dysfunction in children. Treatment options vary, ranging from conservative behavioral management to medical therapy and even surgical intervention. Treatment, however, should progress in a step-wise manner with surgery reserved for those refractory to more conservative interventions. Urotherapy is an important first step with bowel management of value in patients with both urinary and bowel symptoms. In addition, biofeedback can be used to treat pelvic floor dysfunction. Anticholinergics are the mainstay of medical treatment. Neuromodulation is another means of controlling urinary symptoms and includes temporary patches or needles as well as surgically placed permanent leads. Botulinum toxin injections are another surgical option, albeit with concerns for only temporary response. Despite OAB being associated with significant morbidity for both patient and parent, various treatment options exist to address this all too commonly seen problem.
Big Data in the Big Easy: How Social Networks Can Improve the Place for Young People in Cities

Access to social data on human experience of place has never been more available than now. Social media, smart phones, and the Internet of Things provide glimpses into individual activity across the globe. The nearly-boundless stream of information is called “big data.” Today, physically and even socially disconnected individuals can benefit from the similar experiences of others to adapt and change their environment. I argue that big data provides two critical benefits for landscape architecture research and practice: (1) big data opens a window into previously inaccessible human experiences of designed environments, introducing new metrics for evidence-based design and new ways of improving design literacy; and (2) the design, planning, and management of the land—especially in cities—can benefit from scraping big data to support urban ecological design. My study of YouTube use in New Orleans shows that big data can advance landscape research to support positive, interdependent relationships between people and built environments. Landscape architecture would benefit by harnessing this resource to better understand relationships with place and encourage individuals to participate in the design, creation, and evolution of cities.
Design strategies for the sequence-based mimicry of side-chain display in protein β-sheets by α/β-peptides.

The sophistication of folding patterns and functions displayed by unnatural-backbone oligomers has increased tremendously in recent years. Design strategies for the mimicry of tertiary structures seem within reach; however, a general method for the mimicry of sheet segments in the context of a folded protein is an unmet need preventing realization of this goal. Previous work has shown that 1→1 α→β-residue substitutions at cross-strand positions in a hairpin-forming α-peptide sequence can generate an α/β-peptide analogue that folds in aqueous conditions but with a change in side-chain display relative to the natural sequence; this change would prevent application of single β-residue substitutions in a larger protein. Here, we evaluate four different substitution strategies based on replacement of αα dipeptide segments for the ability to retain both sheet folding encoded by a parent α-peptide sequence as well as nativelike side-chain display in the vicinity of the β-residue insertion point. High-resolution ...
Bacterial Testing Plate Incubation in Developing Regions

Prefabricated bacterial testing plates are frequently used during assessment, implementation, and monitoring phases of Engineers without Borders (EWB) water projects. Results from these plates are used to determine the presence of biological contamination in surface and ground water sources. However, lack of incubation equipment in developing regions of the world—to provide standard temperature and environmental conditions for bacterial growth—is a significant challenge to utilizing such plates for EWB projects. Using a common water source, several variants of prefabricated bacterial testing plates were inoculated and incubated in standard temperature and environmental conditions, following manufacturer's recommendations. A parallel set of plates was inoculated and allowed to develop at ambient temperature for a longer duration, comparable to the environmental conditions frequently found in EWB project locations within developing regions. The ambient set of testing plates provided comparable results to the incubated set of testing plates. For the purposes of identifying scale of water contamination in regions where standard testing facilities and/or equipment are not available, this approach to testing plate incubation for water biological contaminants may potentially simplify procedures for a range of EWB water projects.
Effects of Reduced Citrate Synthase Activity and Feedback-resistant Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase on Lysine Productivities of Brevibacterium flavum Mutants

In order to re-examine the effects of reduced citrate synthase activity (designated as CSL) and feedback-resistant phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PCR) on the lysine productivities of mutants with feedback-resistant aspartokinase (AK) (AKR), six AKR lysine producers were derived from Brevibacterium flavum No. 15-8 with the CSL and PCR characters and isolated as mutants resistant to S-(2-aminoethyl)-L-cysteine plus threonine on the medium containing acetate plus pyruvate as carbon sources. These mutants produced more than 40 g/1 of lysine as its HC1 salt in the medium containing 10% glucose. In particular, strain No. 664-7 with normally active and completely feedback-resistant AK produced 45 g/1 of lysine, whereas an AKR lysine producer, FA1-30, derived directly from wild strain No. 2247 produced only 20 g/1 at maximum. A homoserine dehydrogenase-defective (HD-) mutant, H-3-4, with the CSL and PCR characters also showed higher lysine productivity, 41 g/1, than an HD- mutant, H1013, which was derived directly from the wild strain and produced 35 g/1 of lysine. From the above results, it was concluded that the CSL and PCR characters were effective for enhancement of the lysine productivities of both AKR and HD- type producers.
Localization of chemical sources using e. coli chemotaxis

This paper furthers the application of chemotaxis to small-scale robots by simulating a system that localizes a chemical source in a dynamic fluid environment. This type of system responds to a chemical stimulus by mimicking, for example, the way that E. Coli bacteria move toward attractants (nutrients) and away from repellents. E. Coli use the intracellular signaling pathway to process the temporal change in the chemical concentration to determine if the cells should run or tumble. Previous work has shown that this process can be simulated with robots and used to localize chemical sources based upon a fixed nutrient gradient. Our work furthers this study by simulating the injection of an effluent of chemical at a specified location in an environment and uses computational fluid dynamics to model the interactions of the robot with the fluid while performing chemotaxis. The interactions between the chemical and fluid are also modelled with the advection diffusion equation to determine the concentration gradient. This method allows us to compute, over a lattice, the chemical concentration at all points and feed these results into an existing E. Coli controller for the robot, which results in the robot executing a tumble or a run according to a probabilistic formula. By simulating the robot in this complex environment, our work facilitates refinement of the chemotaxis controller while proving the ability of chemotactic robots to localize specific chemicals in environments that more closely resemble those encountered in the wide-ranging types of locations in which this robotic system might be deployed.
Agent-based distributed intrusion alert system

Intrusion detection for computer systems is a key problem in today’s networked society. Current distributed intrusion detection systems (IDSs) are not fully distributed as most of them centrally analyze data collected from distributed nodes resulting in a single point of failure. Increasingly, researchers are focusing on distributed IDSs to circumvent the problems of centralized approaches. A major concern of fully distributed IDSs is the high false positive rates of intrusion alarms which undermine the usability of such systems. We believe that effective distributed IDSs can be designed based on principles of coordinated multiagent systems. We propose an Agent-Based Distributed Intrusion Alert System (ABDIAS) which is fully distributed and provides two capabilities in addition to other functionalities of an IDS: (a) early warning when pre-attack activities are detected, (b) detecting and isolating compromised nodes by trust mechanisms and voting-based peer-level protocols.
Strain rate dependency in paratransit bus rollover

This paper examines the effect of structural steel strain rate dependency on the outcome of the FDOT/ECE-R66 bus rollover test. Bending and impact tests were performed on structural tubing in order to evaluate strain rate dependency parameters. Several mesh densities were used to investigate the influence of mesh size on the final outcome of the analysis. Two strain rate dependency formulations, Cowper-Symonds and Johnson-Cook, were calibrated and then implemented in the finite element analysis of a paratransit bus rollover. Unlike strain rate effect on other types of impact such as the frontal crash, the results show that the strain rate has no significant effect on the FDOT/ECE-R66 rollover test. Therefore, the current approach used by researchers investigating bus rollovers, to validate finite element models based on quasi-static experiments, is well-grounded and the strain rate dependent effects may be ignored for the global deformation response in the ECE-R66 bus rollover.
Risiken und Potentiale von F&E

Das Ergebnis von Forschung und Entwicklung ist Wissen. Es ist zwar idealerweise Wissen mit einem bestimmten unternehmerischen Zweck, aber es ist trotzdem nur Wissen. Forschung und Entwicklung fuhrt nicht zu Umsatz, nicht zu Ertragen und nicht zu Kostensenkungen.
Supported Bimetallic Nb−Mo Carbide: Synthesis, Characterization, and Reactivity

The temperature programmed synthesis technique was employed for the preparation of a new bimetallic oxycarbide-supported system, Nb−Mo−O−C/Al2O3 (Mo/Nb = 1.2;1.6;2.0). The catalysts were characterized by CO chemisorption, BET surface area measurement, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS). The supported bimetallic materials were tested for simultaneous hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) of quinoline and hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene. The supported bimetallic oxycarbide was found to be highly active for both HDN and HDS, demonstrating higher activities than a commercial sulfided Ni−Mo/Al2O3 when compared on the basis of active sites. NEXAFS analysis indicated that the electronic properties of the oxycarbide were modified by the interaction with the Al2O3 support.
Partisan Provocation: The Role of Partisan News Use and Emotional Responses in Political Information Sharing in Social Media

Citizens increasingly rely on social media to consume and disseminate news and information about politics, but the factors that drive political information sharing on these sites are not well understood. This study focused on how online partisan news use influences political information sharing in part because of the distinct negative emotions it arouses in its audience. Using panel survey data collected during the 2012 U.S. presidential election, we found that use of proattitudinal partisan news online is associated with increased anger, but not anxiety, directed at the opposing party's presidential candidate and that anger subsequently facilitated information sharing about the election on social media. The results suggest partisan media may drive online information sharing by generating anger in its audience.
The Second and Third Laws of Thermodynamics: Entropy

This chapter describes the second and the third laws of thermodynamics. The Kelvin statement of the second law of thermodynamics involves cyclic processes, which are processes in which the final state of the system is the same as its initial state, and states that it is impossible for a system in a cyclic process to turn heat completely into work done on the surroundings. The mathematical statement of the second law establishes a new state function, the entropy. The mathematical statement provides a means of calculating the entropy change of any process that begins and ends at equilibrium states. The second law of thermodynamics governs whether any macroscopic process can occur spontaneously. The criterion is that the entropy of the universe cannot decrease. The third law of thermodynamics allows the entropy of a pure crystalline substance to be set equal to zero at absolute zero of temperature. Entropies relative to the entropy at zero temperature are called absolute entropies. A consequence of the second and third laws of thermodynamics is that no finite number of operations, either reversible or reversible, can bring an object to absolute zero temperature.
The Inclusion of Shear Deformations in a Plate Bending Boundary Element Algorithm

A plate bending formulation for thick and thin plates is considered. No ad hoc assumptions are made to derive the plate formulation for the inclusion of shear deformations. The given representation of the plate displacements ensures a priori the satisfaction of both the three-dimensional Navier-equations and the stress boundary conditions on the upper and lower plate faces. The use of the formulation for boundary element calculations is discussed and an example is shown how a symmetric stiffness matrix can be obtained with the aid of boundary integrals. The numerical results are compared with an exact three-dimensional solution.
An Analysis of Individual Body Fat Depots and Risk of Developing Cancer: Insights From the Dallas Heart Study

Abstract Objective To examine the association between specific adipose tissue depots and the risk of incident cancer in the Dallas Heart Study. Patients and Methods Individuals without prevalent cancer in the Dallas Heart Study underwent quantification of adipose depots: visceral adipose tissue (VAT), abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue, and liver fat by magnetic resonance imaging, and subcutaneous lower-body fat (LBF) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry from January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2002, and were observed for the development of cancer for up to 12 years. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling was performed to examine the association between fat depots and cancer. Results Of 2627 participants (median age, 43 years; 69% nonwhite race), 167 (6.4%) developed cancer. The most common primary sites of cancer were the breast (in women) and the prostate (in men). In multivariable models adjusted for age, sex, race, smoking, alcohol use, family history of malignancy, and body mass index, a 1-SD increase in VAT was not associated with increased risk of cancer (hazard ratio [HR], 0.94; 95% CI, 0.77-1.14). In contrast, each 1-SD increase in LBF was associated with a reduced incidence of cancer (HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.52-0.92) in the fully adjusted model. Conclusions In this study, adiposity-associated cancer risk was heterogeneous and varied by fat depot: VAT was not independently associated with incident cancer, and LBF seemed to protect against cancer development. Further studies of the adiposity-cancer relationship, including serial assessments, are needed to better elucidate this relationship.
The impact of human development on individual health: a causal mediation analysis examining pathways through education and body mass index

Author(s): Wang, Aolin; Arah, Onyebuchi A | Abstract: BackgroundThe macro environment we live in projects what we can achieve and how we behave, and in turn, shapes our health in complex ways. Policymaking will benefit from insights into the mechanisms underlying how national socioeconomic context affects health. This study examined the impact of human development on individual health and the possible mediating roles of education and body mass index (BMI).MethodsWe analyzed World Health Survey data on 109,448 participants aged 25 or older from 42 low- and middle-income countries with augmented human development index (HDI) in 1990. We used principal components method to create a health score based on measures from eight health state domains, used years of schooling as education indicator and calculated BMI from self-reported height and weight. We used causal mediation analysis technique with random intercepts to account for the multilevel structure.ResultsBelow a reference HDI level of 0.48, HDI was negatively associated with good health (total effect at HDI of 0.23: b = - 3.44, 95% CI [-6.39--0.49] for males and b = - 5.16, 95% CI [-9.24,--1.08] for females) but was positively associated with good health above this reference level (total effect at HDI of 0.75: b = 4.16, 95% CI [-0.33-8.66] for males and b = 6.62, 95% CI [0.85-12.38] for females). We found a small positive effect of HDI on health via education across reference HDI levels (b ranging from 0.24 to 0.29 for males and 0.40 to 0.49 for females) but not via pathways involving BMI only.ConclusionHuman development has a non-linear effect on individual health, but the impact appears to be mainly through pathways other than education and BMI.
Humanistic Guidelines for Public Administration Professionals

In 1937 Luther Gulick created POSDCORB. Forty years later he wrote, " ... we all assumed in the 1930s that ... public management flowed in a broad, strong stream of value-filled ethical performance. Were we blind or only naive ... ?" Stephen Blumberg has created the acronym EVPOSDCORB, which represents Ethics, Values, Patience, Openness, Sensitivity, Dignity, Cooperation, Responsiveness, and Beneficence. These humanistic guidelines bring to our focus of attention what was inadvertently left out of Gulick's prescription.
A fast and accurate zebra finch syllable detector

The song of the adult male zebra finch is strikingly stereotyped. Efforts to understand motor output, pattern generation, and learning have taken advantage of this consistency by investigating the bird’s ability to modify specific parts of song under external cues, and by examining timing relationships between neural activity and vocal output. Such experiments require that precise moments during song be identified in real time as the bird sings. Various syllable-detection methods exist, but many require special hardware, software, and know-how, and details on their implementation and performance are scarce. We present an accurate, versatile, and fast syllable detector that can control hardware at precisely timed moments during zebra finch song. Many moments during song can be isolated and detected with false negative and false positive rates well under 1% and 0.005% respectively. The detector can run on a stock Mac Mini with triggering delay of less than a millisecond and a jitter of σ ≈ 2 milliseconds.
New innovations in public opinion research in the broader Mediterranean region

The academic study of public opinion in the broader Mediterranean and Middle East has flourished in recent decades. Seismic shifts in the region and methodological advancements in political science...
Review of "Fundamentals of User-Centered Design: A Practical Approach," by Still, B., & Crane, K. (2017). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

Over the past 100 years, user-centered design (UCD) has evolved from an idea to a developed area of research in design communication for academics and practitioners. Since UCD was coined by Donald Norman in 1986, it has slowly become a guiding theory behind many design practices, pushing user needs over technological desires. In Fundamentals of User-Centered Design: A Practical Approach, Brian Still and Kate Crane illustrate the history, implementation, and best and worst practices in UCD. This book pulls from expertise in both academia and industry to create a handbook on UCD in both a print and eBook edition. Using their combined experiences, Still and Crane provide thoughtful commentary on the current state of UCD by establishing theory and applying it to their own work and the work of others within the field of design.
Culture and computation: Steps to a Probably Approximately Correct theory of culture

Abstract This paper outlines some provisional steps toward a theory of culture grounded in computational thinking. I begin by describing computational thinking, drawing on Marr’s hierarchy for the analysis of information processing systems. I then address the definition of culture, arguing that culture is a property of causal chains, rather than a thing-in-the-world. I briefly address contemporary debates over the nature of culture—embodied versus embedded—and argue for an ecological approach in which culture-in-action unfolds as embodied schemas recognize (and produce) “handles” in the environment. When schemas are “objectively adapted” to the handles, they generate action that is ecologically rational. To explain ecologically rational culture-in-action, I outline a formal approach to cultural learning based on Probably Approximately Correct (PAC)-learning theory. I illustrate my approach throughout with examples drawn from the sociology of science.
Use of non-ionic and zwitterionic surfactants to enhance selectivity in high-performance capillary electrophoresis : an apparent micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography mechanism

Augmentation de la selectivite de separation soit de medicaments proches comme le desipramine et la nortriptyline, soit d'heptapeptides de l'angiotensine III en utilisant l'electrophorese capillaire a haute performance en presence d'un agent de surface zwitterion
Backscattering Analysis with MeV 4He Ions

In this review we apply the formulae developed in reviews of backscattering spectrometry (Chu, et al, 1973; Ziegler, 1975; Mayer, et al, 1977) to examples which illustrate the analytical approach and the magnitude of such quantities as spectrum heights, typical energy losses and measurable amounts of impurities in the samples. This review was taken from Chapter 5 of Backscattering Spectrometry (Chu, et al, 1977). The examples were chosen to illustrate analytical methods rather than to describe applications; therefore, many of them are academic rather than practical. Often two or more different approximations are applied to the same example. Comparison of the results will help the reader decide whether to make a zero-th order approximation to get a quick answer, or make a detailed second-order analysis.
SP14 Genome-Wide High-Resolution Mapping and Functional Analysis of DNA Methylation

Methylation of cytosines in DNA sequences is a major part of epigenetic regulation, resulting in proximal transcriptional silencing and enabling the stable inheritance of a pattern of transcriptional activity. DNA methylation in higher eukaryotes is involved in transposon silencing and regulation of gene expression; however, the full extent to which this mechanism regulates the genome has remained unknown. Tiling arrays representing the entire genome of the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana, tiled at 35-bp resolution, provide a platform upon which to analyze the methylated component of the Arabidopsis genome. Hybridization of methylated genomic DNA isolated by 5-methyl-cytosine immunoprecipitation to the whole-genome tiling arrays produced the first comprehensive DNA methylation map of an entire genome, identifying heavy DNA methylation at pericentromeric heterochromatin, repetitive sequences, and regions producing small interfering RNAs. Over one-third of expressed genes contain methylation within transcribed regions, whereas only ~5% of genes show methylation within promoter regions. Genes methylated in transcribed regions are highly expressed and constitutively active, whereas promoter-methylated genes show a greater degree of tissue-specific expression. Whole-genome tiling-array transcriptional profiling of DNA methyltransferase null mutants identified hundreds of genes and intergenic noncoding RNAs with altered expression levels, many of which may be epigenetically controlled by DNA methylation. The approaches developed should assist in the study of DNA methylation in larger and more complex genomes, for which whole-genome tiling arrays are now available.
Rayleigh scattering for density measurements in premixed flames

Rayleigh scattering measurements for molecular number density in turbulent, premixed CH4-air flames are discussed, and data for both flamelet passage time distributions and power spectral density functions are reported and compared to the recent predictions of Bray, Libby and Moss (1984). Measurement problems associated with variations in mixture-averaged Rayleigh scattering cross section, index of refraction fluctuations, finite spatial and temporal resolution and with scattering from particles are discussed. It is concluded that these effects are relatively minor in the reported experiments. Correction procedures are suggested for the effects of cross section variation and of finite resolution.
Outcome of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and acute kidney injury: Single-center experience (2000-2012).

e18012 Background: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a B cells neoplasia that commonly affects lymph nodes, liver, spleen and bone marrow. Acute Kidney injury (AKI) in CLL is difficult to review sinc...
Exploring everyday examples to explain basis: insights into student understanding from students in Germany

There is relatively little research specifically about student understanding of basis. Our ongoing work addresses student understanding of basis from an anti-deficit perspective, which focuses on the resources that students have to make sense of basis using everyday ideas. Using data from a group of women of color in the United States, we previously developed an analytical framework to describe student understanding about basis, including codes related to characteristics of basis vectors and roles of basis vectors in the vector space. In this paper, we utilize the methods of the previous study to further enrich our findings about student understanding of basis. By analyzing interview data from students in Germany, we found that this group of students most often used ideas that we describe by the roles generating, structuring, and traveling, and the characteristics different and essential. Some of the themes that emerged from the data illustrate common pairings of these ideas, students’ flexibility in interpreting multiple roles within one everyday example, and the ways that the roles and characteristics motivate students to create additional examples. We also discuss two ways that differences between the German and English languages were pointed out by students in the interviews.
Beyond the Wheelchair: Workplace Bullying and Persons With Disabilities

Researchers nationally and internationally have reflected on the impact of workplace bullying for employees. While the impact on women and people of color has been considered, little attention has been paid to American workers with disabilities who face workplace bullying. This article strives to shed light on the potential frequency in which American workers with disabilities face workplace bullying. As there are no studies on this topic, the essay will apply British findings, to the American population in an effort to develop insight to workplace bullying for Americans with disabilities. Reasonably, one could consider that approximately 41% of those with disabilities face workplace bullying despite the United States protections for those with disabilities.
Complications of Neuromodulation

All neuromodulation device operations are elective procedures. Accordingly, it is essential for referring practitioners and implanting practitioners to thoroughly understand the risks and that the implanting practitioner is aware of and utilizes the most up-to-date risk mitigation protocols and procedures. The most serious complications are those that lead to neurological injury and, fortunately, are rare. On the other hand the more commonly occurring complications and adverse events such as lead migration or fracture, hardware-related pain or discomfort, and aberrant stimulation are distressing to the patient, frustrating for the implanting practitioner, and often lead to increased costs since these scenarios may require repeated office visits and even hardware revision to adequately treat or resolve the problem. This chapter will discuss the most common and serious complications and adverse events associated with neuromodulation devices.
Effect of Blood Flow on Platelets, Leukocytes, and Extracellular Vesicles in Thrombosis of Simulated Neonatal Extracorporeal Circulation.

BACKGROUND Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has frequent and sometimes lethal thrombotic complications. The role that activated platelets, leukocytes, and small (0.3-micron to 1-micron) extracellular vesicles (EVs) play in ECMO thrombosis is not well understood. OBJECTIVES To test the effect of blood flow rate on the generation of activated platelets, leukocytes, and EVs in a simulated neonatal ECMO circuit using heparinized human whole blood. METHODS Simulated neonatal roller pump circuits circulated whole blood at low, nominal, and high flow rates (0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 L/min) for 6 h. Coagulopathy was defined by thromboelastography (TEG), STA® -procoagulant phospholipid clot time (STA®- Procoag-PPL), and calibrated automated thrombogram. High-resolution flow cytometry measured the cellular expression of prothrombotic phospholipids and proteins on platelets, leukocytes, and EV. RESULTS Despite heparinization, occlusive thrombosis halted flow in two of five circuits at 0.3 L/min and three of five circuits at 0.7 L/min. None of the five circuits at 0.5 L/min exhibited occlusive thrombosis. Phosphatidylserine (PS)-positive platelets and EVs increased at all flow rates more than blood under static conditions (P < .0002). Tissue factor (TF)-positive leukocytes and EVs increased only in low-flow and high-flow circuits (P < .0001). Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI), at 50 times more than the concentration in healthy adults, failed to suppress thrombin initiation in low-flow and high-flow circuits. CONCLUSIONS This in vitro study informs ECMO specialists to avoid low and high blood flow that increases TF expression on leukocytes and EVs, which likely initiate clot formation. Interventions to decrease TF generated by ECMO may be an effective approach to decrease thrombosis.