cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Live radioisotopes as signatures of nearby supernovae

Abstract Nearby (≲1 kpc) supernovae were almost certainly common in earth’s geological history. Such events allow the direct study of their freshly synthesized live radioisotopes, opening new windows onto supernovae. Very close supernovae (within a few tens of pc) may deposit radioisotopes directly on the earth. Recent high-sensitivity accelerator mass spectrometry measurements of deep-ocean samples find live 60Fe at levels that greatly exceed background, suggesting an explosion occurred within 30 pc during the last 5 Myr. Somewhat more distant – but also more frequent – supernovae leave observable signatures of radioisotopes whose decay includes γ-ray line emission. In particular, a large, old supernova remnant was recently discovered at ∼100 pc, and appears to contain 26Al. If confirmed, this would be the first detection of 26Al in a single remnant, and would be a new probe of supernova nucleosynthesis and astrophysics.
Panitumumab: leading to better overall survival in metastatic colorectal cancer?

Introduction: Survival of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients has improved greatly over the past few years, essentially due to the appearance of new biological therapies. Among these new therapies, monoclonal antibodies targeting the EGFR are the leading contributors to the so-called personalized medicine. Biomarkers within the EGFR pathway, such as K-Ras mutation, have proved to help better select the patients benefiting from these treatments. Areas covered: Panitumumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody that targets the EGFR and is currently approved in combination with chemotherapy or in monotherapy for the treatment of mCRC patients. Following a description of the pharmacological and tolerability data, this review focuses on the clinical activity of panitumumab through the description of clinical trials and biomarker research. Expert opinion: Recent biomarker research with expanded Ras testing has led to an improvement in overall survival for all Ras wild-type patients treated with panitumu...
The political realities of African management

Abstract Amidst the outburst of concern for public management in Africa there is frequently a failure to distinguish among its components—policy-making, leadership, general internal administration and bureaucratic hygiene (accounting, procurement, the merit system, etc.). Each of these four areas is different in the importance that it has for project performance, the knowledge base that is available for improving it, and the way in which it is affected by African political and social structures. As a consequence those seeking to improve public management on the continent frequently are mistaken in the priorities that they establish and import inappropriate management technologies.
Covalent bond formation between amino acids and lignin: Cross-coupling between proteins and lignin

The present study characterized the products formed from the reaction of amino acids and in turn, proteins, with lignin resulting in cross-coupling. When added to reaction mixtures containing coniferyl alcohol, horseradish peroxidase and H2O2, three amino acids (Cys, Tyr, and Thr) are able to form adducts. The low molecular weight products were analyzed by HPLC and from each reaction mixture, one product was isolated and analyzed by LC/MS. LC/MS results are consistent with bond formation between the polar side-chain of these amino acids with Cα. These results are consistent with the cross-coupling of Cys, Tyr and Thr through a quinone methide intermediate. In addition to the free amino acids, it was found that the cross-coupling of proteins with protolignin through Cys or Tyr residues. The findings provide a mechanism by which proteins and lignin can cross-couple in the plant cell wall.
Spinning the Web of Cell Fate

Spatiotemporal changes in nuclear lamina composition underlie cell-type-specific chromatin organization and cell fate, suggesting that the lamina forms a dynamic framework critical for genome function, cellular identity, and developmental potential.
Adding precision to airborne video with model based registration

While unmanned aerial vehicles are gaining wider use in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance applications, the utility of airborne video has been hampered due to inaccurate telemetry data. Too much manual control is required for exploitation and it is difficult to relate video to other data due to its small field of view and limited context. In this paper, we present our approach for autonomous, near real time registration of video imagery to a reference image with high geodetic accuracy. We describe a rigorous sensor model that fully captures the dynamics of an airborne video camera, the autonomous generation of correspondence points between the video and the reference image, and the adjustment of the sensor model parameters using a Kalman filter. We also outline our approach to obtaining improved imaging parameters for video frames that were not actually registered by the system. Finally, we present experimental results that compare the Kalman filtered registration accuracy with that obtained using triangulation of the individual frames within a video clip. Empirical results from the prototype system show geolocation improvements of an order of magnitude and indicate that our technique works well in practice.
Online communites: stabilising e-business

Community, coupled with commerce, content and communication are widely discussed as the essential components of successful web presence. Those organisations that control popular virtual communities are in a position to dominate business transactions over the Internet. Community means customer commitment, return visits, repeat purchases, recommendations to other parties and an audience. The challenge for business is to establish consumer communities, or to piggyback on existing online communities. Approaches to value creation through communities need to ensure that value is created for merchants and community members. Key issues in managing online communities are technology, member content, member engagement, member privacy, corporate value, and critical mass.
Evolving concepts in the management of renal osteodystrophy

Abstract Renal osteodystrophy presents an ongoing challenge for clinicians, despite numerous therapeutic advances in its management. Hyperphosphatemia is found in approximately 70% of patients undergoing regular dialysis, and secondary hyperparathyroidism is common. Soft-tissue and vascular calcifications also often occur in patients with end-stage renal disease. Recently, concern has developed about potentially adverse consequences associated with certain therapeutic interventions designed to manage secondary hyperparathyroidism and renal bone disease, particularly with regard to vascular calcification. Treatment with vitamin D sterols and the use of large oral doses of calcium as a phosphorus-binding agent, either alone or together with vitamin D therapy increase the risk of soft-tissue calcification in patients with end-stage renal disease. Vascular calcification contributes substantially to the development of cardiovascular disease and to high mortality rates from cardiovascular causes. Therefore, it is appropriate to re-examine the guidelines for managing renal osteodystrophy in patients undergoing long-term dialysis. Alternative strategies for managing phosphorus retention are being implemented, and new phosphate-binding agents are being developed. Vitamin D analogs that may have a greater therapeutic index than calcitriol are also available for clinical use. The successful development of calcimimetic compounds would provide another mechanistically distinct therapeutic approach that could be used either alone or together with vitamin D to more effectively manage secondary hyperparathyroidism.
Photomodulation of growth

Light, and its balance, has a remarkable influence on the growth and form of plants. In the dark, the new growth of plants develops a peculiar appearance: stems become long and spindly, leaves remain folded and small, and the apical part of the stem often forms a hook (Fig.1). Such an appearance is referred to as etiolated. Other characteristics of etiolation include suppressed chloroplast development, reduced pigmentation (both photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic pigments), and reduced levels of many enzymes and other substances. In this chapter the modulation plant size and shape by light is examined.
Enhancing DNS Resilience against Denial of Service Attacks

The Domain Name System (DNS) is a critical Internet infrastructure that provides name to address mapping services. In the past few years, distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks have targeted the DNS infrastructure and threaten to disrupt this critical service. In this paper we show that the existing DNS can gain significant resilience against DDoS attacks through a simple change to the current DNS operations, by setting longer time-to-live values for a special class of DNS resource records, the infrastructure records. These records are used to navigate the DNS hierarchy and change infrequently. Furthermore, in combination with a set of simple and incrementally deployable record renewal policies, the DNS service availability can be improved by one order of magnitude. Our approach requires neither additional physical resources nor any change to the existing DNS design. We evaluate the effectiveness of our proposed enhancement by using DNS traces collected from multiple locations.
Vascular effects of maternal alcohol consumption

Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy is a significant field of scientific exploration primarily because of its negative effects on the developing fetus, which is specifically defined as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Though the effects on the mother are less explored compared with those on the fetus, alcohol produces multiple effects on the maternal vascular system. Alcohol has major effects on systemic hemodynamic variables, endocrine axes, and paracrine factors regulating vascular resistance, as well as vascular reactivity. Alcohol is also reported to have significant effects on the reproductive vasculature including alterations in blood flow, vessel remodeling, and angiogenesis. Data presented in this review will illustrate the importance of the maternal vasculature in the pathogenesis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and that more studies are warranted in this field.
Governing the world's money: don't just do something; stand there!

Aliber, Robert Z. (editor). National Monetary Policies and the International Financial System. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1974, viii + 331 pp. Bergsten, C. Fred. The Dilemmas of the Dollar: The Economics and Politics of United States International Monetary Policy. New York: New York University Press for the Council on Foreign Relations, Inc., 1975, xv + 584 pp. Boarman, Patrick M. and David G. Tuerck (editors). World Monetary Disorder: National Policies vs. International Imperatives. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1976, xv + 269 pp. Calleo, David P. (editor). Money and the Coming World Order. New York: New York University Press for the Lehrman Institute, 1976, xv + 120 pp. Eckes, Alfred E., Jr. A Search for Solvency: Bretton Woods and the International Monetary System, 1941-1971. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1975, xiii + 355 pp. Johnson, Harry G. The Problem of International Monetary Reform. London: University of London-The Ethlone Press, 1974 (The 1973 Stamp Lecture), 22 pp. Makin, John H. and Carl H. Stem (editors). Eurocurrencies and the International Monetary System. Washington, D. C.: American Enterprise Institute, 1976, 192 pp. (reviewed from page proofs). Monroe, Wilbur F. International Monetary Reconstruction: Problems and Issues. Lexington, Mass.: Lexington Books-D. C. Heath and Company, 1974, xiv + 191 pp.
Hypotension and bradycardia during caloric restriction in mice are independent of salt balance and do not require ANP receptor.

We hypothesized that caloric restriction (CR)-induced hypotension would correlate with increased sodium excretion through an atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP)-dependent mechanism. To test this hypot...
Testosterone Supplementation Improves Anemia in Aging Male Mice

Whether aging alone causes anemia is still controversial. In this study, we show that 28-month-old male C57BL/6 mice, maintained in a pathogen-free environment, had significantly lower hemoglobin, hematocrit, and erythrocyte counts than young mice. The anemic condition aggravated further from 28 to 30 months. Old mice displayed increased erythropoietic activity, evidenced by an increase in reticulocyte counts, serum erythropoietin, and splenic expression of erythropoietic genes. An increase in late-stage erythroid progenitors was detected in spleen but not in bone marrow of the old mice. However, old mice also had lower serum iron and transferrin saturation, as well as lower erythrocyte iron incorporation rate. Testosterone supplementation restored serum iron status in old mice to levels similar to that of young adults, further upregulated splenic expression of erythropoietic genes, increased splenic erythroid progenitors, and significantly improved the red cell index. In conclusion, we found that mice can become anemic at very old age without apparent illness. The endogenous compensatory erythropoietic activity was insufficient to normalize the red cell index in old mice, either due to impaired iron homeostasis, ineffective erythropoiesis, or other unknown factors. Testosterone supplementation normalized the iron status and further stimulated splenic erythropoietic activity; both may contribute to improve the anemic condition in the old mice.
Invited Commentary: The Perils of Birth Weight—A Lesson from Directed Acyclic Graphs

The strong association of birth weight with infant mortality is complicated by a paradoxical finding: Small babies in high-risk populations usually have lower risk than small babies in low-risk populations. In this issue of the Journal, Hernandez-Diaz et al. (Am J Epidemiol 2006;164:1115-20) address this "birth weight paradox" using directed acyclic graphs (DAGs). They conclude that the paradox is the result of bias created by adjustment for a factor (birth weight) that is affected by the exposure of interest and at the same time shares causes with the outcome (mortality). While this bias has been discussed before, the DAGs presented by Hernandez-Diaz et al. provide more firmly grounded criticism. The DAGs demonstrate (as do many other examples) that seemingly reasonable adjustments can distort epidemiologic results. In this commentary, the birth weight paradox is shown to be an illustration of Simpson's Paradox. It is possible for a factor to be protective within every stratum of a variable and yet be damaging overall. Questions remain as to the causal role of birth weight.
Enhanced behavioral responses to cold stimuli following CGRPα sensory neuron ablation are dependent on TRPM8

Background Calcitonin gene-related peptide-α (CGRPα) is a classic marker of peptidergic nociceptive neurons and is expressed in myelinated and unmyelinated dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons. Recently, we found that ablation of Cgrpα-expressing sensory neurons reduced noxious heat sensitivity and enhanced sensitivity to cold stimuli in mice. These studies suggested that the enhanced cold responses were due to disinhibition of spinal neurons that receive inputs from cold-sensing/TRPM8 primary afferents; although a direct role for TRPM8 was not examined at the time.
Gluonic contribution to g1 and its relationship to the spin-dependent parton distributions

We examine the suggestion of Altarelli and Ross and of Carlitz, Collins, and Mueller that there is a hard gluonic contribution to the first moment of the proton's spin-dependent structure function {ital g}{sub 1}. We find that if the soft (collinear) divergence in the gluonic contribution is regulated dimensionally or with a quark mass, then the first moment vanishes. More generally, we suggest that the hard gluonic contribution to {ital g}{sub 1} be identified by subtracting certain contributions that are attributable to the spin-dependent quark distributions. We show that the first moment of the resulting hard gluonic contribution vanishes, provided that the UV regulator for the spin-dependent quark distributions respects gauge invariance, Lorentz invariance, and the analyticity structure of the unregulated distributions. However, by relaxing the Lorentz-invariance requirement, we are able to construct quark distributions such that the hard gluonic contribution to the first moment of {ital g}{sub 1} is nonzero. The corresponding quark distributions are related to matrix elements of Lorentz-variant operators. Hence, they have no analogue in the standard operator-product expansion and do not satisfy the usual forms of the quark sum rules. We conclude that the size of the gluonic contribution to the first moment of {italmore » g}{sub 1} is entirely a matter of the convention used in defining the quark distributions.« less
Characterization of the twenty-four hour secretion patterns of adrenocorticotropin and cortisol in normal women and patients with Cushing's disease

The episodic and circadian secretory patterns of ACTH and cortisol were studied in five patients with Cushing's disease (CD) and nine normal women by repetitive (every 20 min) venous blood sampling. In contrast to normal women, the 24-h transverse mean plasma ACTH levels were more than 3-fold greater (P less than 0.01), and the 24-h transverse mean serum cortisol levels were more than 2-fold higher (P less than 0.001) in the CD patients. Using a pulse detection algorithm, we found that the elevated ACTH levels in CD were accounted for, in part, by the more than 2-fold greater elevation in mean pulsatile ACTH amplitude (P less than 0.01), while the mean frequency of episodic ACTH and cortisol secretion was similar to that in normal subjects (10-12 episodes/24 h). Although a relatively close temporal relationship between ACTH and cortisol secretory episodes was found (r = 0.70 and 0.72, normal and CD groups, respectively), the increased ACTH pulse amplitude was not consistently associated with comparable cortisol pulses in CD patients. Circadian rhythms were identified for ACTH in two CD patients and for cortisol in all CD patients. The timing of the acrophases and nadirs for cortisol was not significantly altered compared to that in the normal group. After the noon meal, the normal postprandial elevation in cortisol was depressed or absent in the CD group. ACTH and cortisol responses to CRH in four CD patients were highly variable, but were not significantly different from those in normal subjects. These studies demonstrate that the elevated plasma ACTH levels in CD are sustained in part by increased ACTH pulse amplitude without significant alterations in pulse frequency. Despite the persistently high ACTH levels, the circadian variation of cortisol is maintained. The finding of an abnormal postprandial cortisol response in CD may provide an additional biological marker for CD.
Far field radiation from an arbritrarily oriented Hertzian dipole over layered gyroelectric medium

Applying the method of stationary phase to the dyadic Green's function for layered anisotropic medium, the explicit expression for the radiated electric field from an arbitrarily oriented Hertzian dipole over layered gyroelectric medium is obtained. Numerical analysis for the radiation of elementary dipole over half-space gyroelectric medium is presented and the results are discussed. A relation between the radiated field and total internal reflection of the characteristic waves in gyroelectric medium is revealed.
Growth and maintenance components of leaf respiration of cotton grown in elevated carbon dioxide partial pressure

Elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide partial pressures have been shown to have variable direct and indirect effects on plant respiration rates. In this study, growth, leaf respiration, and leaf nitrogen and carbohydrate partitioning were measured in Gossypium hirsutum L. grown in 35 and 65 Pa CO2 for 30d. Growth and maintenance coefficients of leaf respiration were estimated using gas exchange techniques both at night and during the day. Elevated CO2 stimulated biomass production (107%) and net photo-synthetic rates (35–50%). Total day-time respiration (Rd) was not significantly affected by growth CO2 partial pressure. However, night respiration (Rn) of leaves grown in 65 Pa CO2 was significantly greater than that of plants grown in 35 Pa CO2. Correlation of Rd and Rn with leaf expansion rates indicated that plants in both CO2 treatments had equivalent growth respiration coefficients but maintenance respiration was significantly greater in elevated CO2. Increased maintenance coefficients in elevated CO2 appeared to be related to increased starch accumulation rather than to changes in leaf nitrogen.
GENETIC FEEDBACK AND SIMULATED ENVIRONMENTAL CATASTROPHES

An investigation was made of the impact of a series of environmental catastrophes upon herbivore population regulation through density-dependent genetic feedback interactions with simulated plants. Mean density and amplitude of fluctuation of the herbivore in the control system (only susceptible alleles in the plant population) were higher than in the genetic feedback system (3 resistant alleles and 3 susceptible alleles in the plant population). Mean density and amplitude of fluctuation of the herbivores in the catastrophic system (only susceptible alleles in the plant population and the herbivore population subject to a series of environmental catastrophes) were lower than in the control and genetic feedback systems, but both mean density and amplitude of fluctuation were higher than in the genetic feedback and catastrophic system (3 resistant and 3 susceptible alleles in the plant population and the herbivore population subject to a series of environmental catastrophes). The results of this experiment suggest that genetic feedback can exert a controlling influence in population dynamics even in systems where environmental catastrophes are a common occurrence.
Anaerobic Digestion technologies for the treatment of Municipal Solid Waste

Anaerobic Digestion (AD) of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is used in several regions worldwide and systems span a range of design options including wet, dry, thermophilic, mesophilic, batch, continuous, single-stage, and multi-stage configurations. This paper reviews a number of commercial and emerging solid waste digestion systems discussing performance and costs. Systems yield 250–710 m3 of biogas per tonne of VS at rates of 1–6 m3/m3/d with methane content of 55–65%, depending on MSW composition. Economies of scale have been shown for system costs. Economic viability depends heavily on capital and operating costs, tipping fees and product/co-product revenues.
Steady state and scaling limit for a traffic congestion model

In a general model (AIMD) of transmission control protocol (TCP) used in internet traffic congestion management, the time dependent data flow vector x ( t ) > 0 undergoes a biased random walk on two distinct scales. The amount of data of each component x i ( t ) goes up to x i ( t )+ a with probability 1- ζ i ( x ) on a unit scale or down to γ x i ( t ), 0 γ ζ i ( x ) on a logarithmic scale, where ζ i depends on the joint state of the system x . We investigate the long time behavior, mean field limit, and the one particle case. According to c = lim inf | x |→∞ | x | ζ i ( x ) , the process drifts to ∞ in the subcritical c c + ( n , γ ) case and has an invariant probability measure in the supercritical case c > c + ( n , γ ). Additionally, a scaling limit is proved when ζ i ( x ) and a are of order N –1 and t → N t , in the form of a continuum model with jump rate α ( x ).
Baccalaureate Expectations of Community College Students: Socio-Demographic, Motivational, and Contextual Influences.

Background/ContextAlthough much research has dealt with the factors that influence educational expectations, few studies have addressed recent high school graduates who attend community colleges as...
Nonlinear Differential Equation of Drain Spacing

The nonlinear partial differential equation governing spacing of horizontal, parallel, subsurface, agricultural drains is solved numerically by finite difference methods. The differential equation is based on the Dupuit-Forchheimer assumption. Since use of Hooghoudt’s equivalent depth is suggested as a means of accounting for the effect of convergence, a simplified formula is derived from computing that quantity. Solutions are presented in the form of dimensionless curve families whose abscissas are a time parameter and whose ordinates represent: (1) Maximum water table height between drains, (2) rate of discharge, and (3) volume of water removed. Individual curve parameters establish the depth from drains to an impermeable barrier which can vary from zero to infinity. An example of application is given.
Even harmonious labelings of disjoint graphs with a small component

Abstract A graph G with q edges is said to be harmonious if there is an injection f from the vertices of G to the group of integers modulo q such that when each edge x y is assigned the label f ( x ) + f ( y ) ( mod q ) , the resulting edge labels are distinct. If G is a tree, exactly one label may be used on two vertices. Over the years, many variations of harmonious labelings have been introduced. We study a variant of harmonious labeling. A function f is said to be a properly even harmonious labeling of a graph G with q edges if f is an injection from the vertices of G to the integers from 0 to 2 ( q − 1 ) and the induced function f ∗ from the edges of G to 0 , 2 , … , 2 ( q − 1 ) defined by f ∗ ( x y ) = f ( x ) + f ( y ) ( mod 2 q ) is bijective. We investigate the existence of properly even harmonious labelings of families of disconnected graphs with one of C 3 , C 4 , K 4 or W 4 as a component.
Highly luminescent nanoscale quasi-2D layered lead bromide perovskites with tunable emissions.

Herein, we report a new color tuning approach for highly luminescent nanoscale lead(II) bromide perovskites with a quasi-2D layered structure. By synthetically manipulating the quasi-2D layered structure, different quantum size confinement effects can be realized to enable a precise color tuning of emissions ranging from deep blue to bright green.
Now is the Moment to Reflect: Two Years of Experience with Oregon's Physician Assisted Suicide Law

In November of 1994, Oregon voters approved Measure 16, the Death with Dignity Act, making Oregon the first state to legalize the practice of physician-assisted suicide. Three years later, the law went into effect. The authors begin by looking to the state's own assessment of its law as set forth in two reports from the Oregon Department of Human Resources. They emphasize that all of the restrictive elements of the state law, the law's supposed "teeth" are vague, elastic concepts, subject to personal interpretation by physicians. The Oregon statute depends upon and requires physicians to determine such illusive factors as whether the patient is competent, is acting voluntarily, is suffering pain, or is terminally ill. The authors review each of these components of the law, analyzing the law's objectives in light of recent experience with its operation. They then explore issues surrounding a physician's determination of capacity and voluntariness and confront the complexities of determining what constitutes "terminal illness" and physician "assistance." They conclude that the law imposes in practice no effective or enforceable restrictions on physician-assisted suicide, and that these statutory requirements make physicians, not their patients, the effective decisionmaker about whether a suicide wish is granted. The authors therefore recommend that other states who consider Oregon's experience refrain from enacting similar laws.
Is Religious Coping a Moderator Of Perceived Control and Panic Symptoms in African American Adults

Extant research has established a strong association between perceived control and anxiety; however, limited work has examined perceived control within the context of fear-based anxiety disorders and in ethnic minority populations. Further, scant attention has been paid to protective factors that may moderate the relationship between perceived control and anxiety. The current study investigated the relationship between perceived control, positive religious coping, and panic-related fears in a community-based African American adult sample (N = 91, mean age = 38, 91% female). Results from hierarchical linear regression indicated that perceived control significantly predicted all panic subscales (i.e., total panic symptoms, agoraphobic fears, social phobia fears, interoceptive fears); however, positive religious coping moderated only the relationship between perceived control and agoraphobic fears. Simple slopes analyses revealed that increased levels of positive religious coping resulted in a strengthened n...
Traumatic brain injury: the importance of rehabilitation and treatment.

This review of traumatic brain injury encompasses its impact on society, pathophysiology, and rehabilitative management. Topics discussed include mechanisms of injury, complications, outcomes, rehabilitative therapies, pharmacology, and mild traumatic brain injury. Emphasis has been placed on clinically relevant topics for medical professionals who may encounter those affected by traumatic brain injury. Language: en
Ion Beam Assisted Deposition- R&D to Production

Ion Beam Assisted Deposition (IBAD) involves vacuum deposition processes which incorporate concurrent energetic ion bombardment and material deposition. The effects of the ions are to promote adhesion, densify the films, and to help chemically incorporate reactive ions into the coatings. Examples of IBAD studies that have progressed from R&D to production status are presented with a discussion of the technical and marketing factors influencing their commercial acceptance.
Resurrecting Democracy: A Note on Method

In order to research the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF)/London Citizens, my research colleague Maurice Glasman and I drew from ethnographic approaches so as to pay close attention to the people, institutions, practices, and processes involved in community organizing. In keeping with ethnographic research methods we became embedded within London Citizens. This enabled us to excavate how those involved conceptualized and enacted their involvement and learn what discourses and practices they utilized. The primary point of data collection was through being participant observers from 2008 to 2012. This involved formally noting and assessing more than 100 events and meetings that themselves represented hundreds of hours and innumerable conversations in and around these gatherings. These mostly took place in London, but also included Chicago, Berlin, and Sydney. The meetings and events ranged in focus from the local, citywide, national, and international levels. They included internal organizational meetings, large public actions, training events (including the five-day training program), seminars, day-long retreats, as well as private meetings among participants and between representatives from Citizens UK and political or business leaders. In addition to those meetings and events specifically organized by London Citizens, we attended numerous meetings put on by other institutions that leaders and organizers from London Citizens attended as representatives of the organization. To supplement this process of apprenticeship in the craft of organizing, we undertook thirty-five in-depth interviews with key leaders, organizers, and critics of London Citizens’ work and organizers from the IAF, DICO, and Sydney Alliance (some of whom were interviewed more than once). The information and reflections based on this process of participant observation and interviews were then triangulated by references to archive material (both from Citizens UK’s records and the IAF archive held by the University of Illinois in Chicago), video footage of assemblies, coverage of the work in the mainstream media and “blogosphere,” and other academic studies of community organizing in the United Kingdom and the United States. The emerging conclusions were then checked with both long-established organizers and commentators on community organizing both within and outside of the IAF network.
Evaluation of Uncertainty in Acetic Acid Measurement in Workplace Air

[Objective]To evaluate the uncertainty in acetic acid measurement in workplace air,and provide quality assurance for measurement. [Methods]The evaluation was based on the principles and methods for uncertainty evaluation.And the results were fully descript. [Results]The combined standard uncertainty was 41.36 mg/m3,acetic acid concentration was 13.26%,and the expanded uncertainty was 10.96 mg/m3. [Conclusion]Uncertainty of the studied method mainly comes from the fitting of working curve,desorption efficiency,sampling instrument,temperature,sampling volumetric errors induced by?atmospheric pressure,standard solution preparation and gas chromatography,ect.
Where Race, Emotions and Research Meet: Moving Towards a Framework of Race Critical Researcher Praxis

This chapter considers the intersections between race, emotions and qualitative research that occurred in the context of two studies conducted by an African American, female researcher with participants who were White and of color. To do this Brown critically reflects on experiences in the field using a conceptual framework she calls race critical researcher praxis. This framework is informed by critical emotional reflexivity, critical theories on race, Black political thought and researcher reflexivity on race. Brown proposes that engagement with race critical researcher praxis is useful in two ways. First it critically addresses how race and emotions operate in research. Second it allows one to attend to researcher identities and encounters in the field as everyday, individual level factors and those connected to larger institutional, historically situated patterns of interactions.
Measurement Sufficiency Versus Completeness: Integrating Safety Cases into Verification and Validation in Nuclear Control Room Modernization

This paper reviews verification and validation (V&V) as applied in the context of nuclear power plant control room modernization. A common approach for V&V is summative or late-stage evaluation of the finalized design through a process called integrated system validation. Yet, common practice in user-centered design is to conduct evaluations early on in-progress system prototypes. Iterative, early-stage evaluation can form the basis of a safety case argument to ensure the regulatory acceptability of the new human-machine interface in the control room. It is argued that a series of formative evaluations provide more complete evidence of the safety of the new system than does a single summative evaluation.
A cortical–hippocampal–cortical loop of information processing during memory consolidation

Hippocampal replay during sharp-wave ripple events (SWRs) is thought to drive memory consolidation in hippocampal and cortical circuits. Changes in neocortical activity can precede SWR events, but whether and how these changes influence the content of replay remains unknown. Here we show that during sleep there is a rapid cortical-hippocampal-cortical loop of information flow around the times of SWRs. We recorded neural activity in auditory cortex (AC) and hippocampus of rats as they learned a sound-guided task and during sleep. We found that patterned activation in AC precedes and predicts the subsequent content of hippocampal activity during SWRs, while hippocampal patterns during SWRs predict subsequent AC activity. Delivering sounds during sleep biased AC activity patterns, and sound-biased AC patterns predicted subsequent hippocampal activity. These findings suggest that activation of specific cortical representations during sleep influences the identity of the memories that are consolidated into long-term stores.
Using a sketch pad interface for interacting with a robot team

Because our research emphasis is on providing easy-to-use, intuitive interfaces for the user, the onus of maneuvering around obstacles and in general of interacting with the environment is placed on sensors onboard the robot and other capabilities that allow a robot to handle both unstructured and dynamic environments. However, higher level tasks, such as strategic planning, are the role of human users. It is, therefore, incumbent on designers of the interface to facilitate high level, human interactions and decisions. Thus, the interface should be the tool by which humans can easily, intelligently, and even intuitively communicate their goals to a robot or a team of robots.
CALCITONIN-SECRETING PANCREATIC NEUROENDOCRINE TUMOR IN A PATIENT WITH MULTIPLE ENDOCRINE NEOPLASIA TYPE 1

ABSTRACT Objective: To present a patient with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) syndrome recently diagnosed with a calcitonin-secreting pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. Methods: Clinical and diagnostic evaluation, along with intervention, is presented. The relevant literature is reviewed. Results: The patient was a 52-year-old Caucasian man with a history of known MEN1 who had a right parathyroidectomy 10 years prior to admission, completion parathyroidectomy and total thyroidectomy for C cell hyperplasia 3 years prior, and removal of a pituitary adenoma 4 years prior. He was asymptomatic but had persistently elevated serum calcitonin levels. Venous sampling and positron emission tomography–computerized tomography indicated several lesions in the pancreas as the most likely cause of ectopic calcitonin secretion. The patient underwent pylorus-sparing pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure). Several well-differentiated neuroendocrine lesions of the pancreas were noted, with lymphatic invasion a...
Suicide patterns in children and adolescents: a review from a pediatric institution in England

Suicide is a catastrophic event to both families and communities yet it is potentially preventable. This study aims to determine incidence and patterns of suicide in children and young adolescents in our region, raise awareness of this entity as a potentially preventable cause of death in this age group, and identify its possible associated risk factors. We retrospectively reviewed suicide cases presenting as sudden unexpected death in children and adolescents that underwent coronial post-mortems at our institution. This is the largest pathological review of completed suicide in children and young adolescents within a single institution in the United Kingdom. We identified 23 suicide cases during a 12 year period from 2003 to 2015, in which 18 cases (78%) were male and 5 cases (22%) were female. The age range was from 8 to 16 years (mean age 12.82 +/- 2.52 SD). With the exception of one case, all of the victims were Caucasian. The majority, 19 cases (81%), were found dead inside their place of residence, 15 of whom were discovered in their own bedrooms. Twenty-one cases (91%) died from neck compression due to hanging; 6 cases (26%) had used the cord of a dressing gown and 5 (22%) opted to use a belt as the ligature. Two cases (9%) that died from multiple-drug toxicity were female. In 7 cases (30.5%) there was evidence of self-harm and in 3 cases (13%) there was a history of previous suicide attempts. Petechial hemorrhages were found at autopsy in more than half of hanging victims and only three cases (14%) displayed dual distribution of post-mortem hypostasis (back and legs). Seven victims (30.5%) left some form of suicide message to family members and friends, 2 of which wrote the message on their arm. Parental separation, conflict with parents, and depression, were common amongst decedents prior to committing suicide. Substance abuse was uncommon in suicide within our cases. Valuable information is available from thorough review of suicide data in children and young adolescents from a single institution. Pathologists and clinicians can play crucial roles in identifying potential risk factors that may contribute to prevent future deaths.
Randomized phase III trial of busulfan plus melphalan versus melphalan alone for multiple myeloma.

8538 Background: High-dose melphalan at 200 mg/m2 (Mel) is the standard for autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HCT) for multiple myeloma. Two recent retrospective analyses sug...
Adaptor protein mediates dynamic pump assembly for bacterial metal efflux.

Multicomponent efflux complexes constitute a primary mechanism for Gram-negative bacteria to expel toxic molecules for survival. As these complexes traverse the periplasm and link inner and outer membranes, it remains unclear how they operate efficiently without compromising periplasmic plasticity. Combining single-molecule superresolution imaging and genetic engineering, we study in living Escherichia coli cells the tripartite efflux complex CusCBA of the resistance–nodulation–division family that is essential for bacterial resistance to drugs and toxic metals. We find that CusCBA complexes are dynamic structures and shift toward the assembled form in response to metal stress. Unexpectedly, the periplasmic adaptor protein CusB is a key metal-sensing element that drives the assembly of the efflux complex ahead of the transcription activation of the cus operon for defending against metals. This adaptor protein-mediated dynamic pump assembly allows the bacterial cell for efficient efflux upon cellular demand while still maintaining periplasmic plasticity; this could be broadly relevant to other multicomponent efflux systems.
The Duke's Assassin: Exile and Death of Lorenzino de’ Medici. By Stefano Dall'Aglio. Translated by Donald Weinstein. (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2015. Pp. vii, 300. $40.00.)

Through a masterful combination of archival sleuthing and careful historical revisionism, the author of this book sheds new light on the shadowy figure of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de’ Medici, best ...
Efficacy of alternating-week fixed dose rate gemcitabine (FDR gem) plus capecitabine (CAP) in advanced pancreatic cancer (APC).

e15758Background: Phase III trials support the use of FOLFIRINOX and gemcitabine plus albumin-bound paclitaxel as first-line treatment options in patients with APC. However, these treatments have s...
SUM RULES IN NUCLEAR BETA DECAY

The previously developed "elementary-particle" treatment of nuclear beta decay, ${N}_{i}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{N}_{j}+{e}^{\ensuremath{\mp}}+{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{e}$, is combined with the Adler-Weisberger procedure, to obtain sum rules relating axial-vector coupling constants for nuclear beta decays, ${G}_{A}({N}_{i}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{N}_{f})$, to integrals over pion energy of pion-final-nucleus total cross sections, $\mathcal{g}({\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}},{N}_{f})$. It is shown that the ratio $[\frac{\mathcal{g}({\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}},{N}_{f})}{\mathcal{g}({\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}},p)}]=\ensuremath{-}[\frac{\mathcal{g}({\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}},{N}_{f})}{\mathcal{g}({\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}},n)}]$ is just equal to the difference between the number of protons and the number of neutrons in ${N}_{f}$, [$Z\ensuremath{-}(A\ensuremath{-}Z)$], multiplied by a factor which becomes unity in the approximation of neglect of meson-exchange corrections to ${G}_{A}({N}_{i}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{N}_{f})$.
Patient Factors Associated With Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Septic Arthritis in Children

Staphylococcus aureus is the most common causative organism in pediatric septic arthritis, with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) being responsible for a significant portion of these infections. Early identification and initiation of proper treatment may improve outcomes by minimizing potential morbidity. The purpose of this study was to identify variables obtained on initial patient presentation associated with MRSA septic arthritis. Sixteen factors were retrospectively evaluated in 109 consecutive pediatric patients diagnosed with culture-confirmed septic arthritis. Graphical and logistical regression analyses were employed to determine factors independently predictive of MRSA septic arthritis. Twenty-seven (25%) patients had MRSA and 82 (75%) had non-MRSA septic arthritis. C-reactive protein of 13.7 mg/L or greater, duration of symptoms of 4 days or more, heart rate of 126 beats per minute or greater, and absolute neutrophil count of 8.72×103 cells/µL or greater were associated with MRSA septic arthritis. Ultimately, 98% of patients with 1 or no risk factors had non-MRSA and 96% of patients with MRSA septic arthritis had 2 or more positive risk factors. Elevated C-reactive protein, duration of symptoms, heart rate, and absolute neutrophil count are predictive of MRSA infection in the setting of pediatric septic arthritis and can be obtained on initial evaluation. In patients for whom there is concern for MRSA infection, this may guide more expedient treatment, such as early initiation of contact precautions and appropriate antibiotic therapy before culture results become available. [Orthopedics. 2018; 41(2):e277-e282.].
Robustness, solidity, and multiple determinations

William Wimsatt’s 1981 essay ‘‘Robustness, Reliability, and Overdetermination’’ was a seminal contribution to philosophical discussions about robustness. In it, Wimsatt offered a synthesis of available concepts and ideas related to robustness. According to Wimsatt, robustness can be understood as invariance of a phenomenon, object, or result under multiple independent determinations. Since the early 1980s, philosophical discussions about robustness—often inspired by Wimsatt—have ranged over a number of issues, including the analysis of the structure of robust evidence and the question of whether robustness is a criterion for attribution of reality. Recent conceptual analyses have yielded distinctions among three concepts of robustness within the broad Wimsattian notion with regard to the nature of the phenomenon, object, or result that is considered robust (e.g., Woodward 2006; Calcott 2011). According to this threefold distinction, robustness concepts may pertain to models and model outcomes, experimental results (‘‘robust detection’’), or complex biological, technical, and epistemic systems and causal relations ‘‘in the world.’’ Most discussions in philosophy of science about robustness have been concerned with models and model outcomes. The epistemic force of arguments pertaining to the robustness of model outcomes has appeared particularly problematic, and doubts have been raised specifically about the confirmatory role of robustness (see, e.g., Orzack and Sober 1993, and more recently Odenbaugh and Alexandrova 2011). The volume Characterizing the Robustness of Science, a collection of essays stemming from a conference on robustness in Nancy in 2008, deals with one aspect of the discussion about robustness that has received comparatively little attention: the functions and uses of robustness in actual scientific practice. The collection opens