cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolution of Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Characteristics and Storm Structure in the Spearman, Texas, Tornadic Supercells of 31 May 1990

Abstract On 31 May 1990, four tornadic supercell storms formed sequentially near the intersection of a dryline and an outflow boundary in the northern Texas panhandle. “Staccato” lightning flashes, which have been hypothesized to be positive ground flashes, were observed beneath the anvil of one storm during the most violent tornado that the storm produced. Evidence was found from a lightning mapping system that at least some of the staccato flashes were negative ground flashes. Although the four supercell storms on this day formed in approximately the same area, traveled over roughly the same region, and produced tornadoes and large hail, the relationship between the genesis and evolution of tornadoes and the polarity and flash rates of ground flashes varied widely, as in previous studies. The second of the supercell storms had low-precipitation supercell characteristics; the third and fourth did not. In previously studied storms, ground flash activity in low-precipitation supercell storms has always bee...
Temporal Trends in Postmastectomy Radiation Therapy and Breast Reconstruction Associated With Changes in National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guidelines.

Importance Evolving data on the effectiveness of postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) have led to changes in National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recommendations, counseling clinicians to “strongly consider” PMRT for patients with breast cancer with tumors 5 cm or smaller and 1 to 3 positive nodes; however, anticipation of PMRT may lead to delay or omission of reconstruction, which can have cosmetic, quality-of-life, and complication implications for patients. Objective To determine whether revised guidelines have increased PMRT and affected receipt of breast reconstruction. We hypothesized that (1) PMRT rates would increase for women affected by the revised guidelines while remaining stable in other cohorts and (2) receipt of breast reconstruction would decrease in these women while increasing in other groups. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective, population-based cohort study of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data on women with stage I to III breast cancer undergoing mastectomy from 2000 through 2011. Our analytic sample (N = 62 442) was divided into cohorts on the basis of current NCCN radiotherapy recommendations: “radiotherapy recommended” (tumors >5 cm or ≥4 positive lymph nodes), “strongly consider radiotherapy” (tumor ≤5 cm, 1-3 positive nodes), and “radiotherapy not recommended” (tumors ≤5 cm, no positive nodes). Main Outcomes and Measures We used Joinpoint regression analysis to evaluate temporal trends in receipt of PMRT and breast reconstruction. Results The 3 cohorts comprised 15 999 in the “radiotherapy recommended” group, 15 006 in the “strongly consider radiotherapy” group, and 31 837 in the “radiotherapy not recommended” group. Rates of PMRT were unchanged in the radiotherapy recommended (29.9%) and radiotherapy not recommended (7.4%) cohorts over the study period. Receipt of PMRT for the strongly consider radiotherapy cohort was unchanged at 26.9% until 2007. At that time, a significant change in the APC was observed ( P = .01) with an increase in APC from 2.1% to 9.0% ( P = .02) through the end of the study period, for a final rate of 40.5%. Breast reconstruction increased across all cohorts. Despite increasing receipt of PMRT, the strongly consider radiotherapy cohort maintained a consistent increase in reconstruction (annual percentage change, 7.4%) throughout the study period. This is similar to the increase in reconstruction observed for the radiotherapy recommended (10.7%) and radiotherapy not recommended (8.4%) cohorts. Conclusions and Relevance Changes in NCCN guidelines have been associated with an increase in PMRT among patients with tumors 5 cm or smaller and 1 to 3 positive nodes without an associated decrease in receipt of reconstruction. This may represent increasing clinician comfort with irradiating a new breast reconstruction and may have cosmetic and quality-of-life implications for patients.
Problems in Estimating the HR-Firm Performance Relationship

Because companies differ in factors such as management ability that may lead to both high performance work systems and enhanced firm performance, conventional estimates of the effects of human resource (HR) management practices on firm performance may be biased upward. Alternatively, if HR management practices are measured with error, estimates of their effects on firm performance may be biased downward. We find that while longitudinal estimates that avoid the first source of bias are substantially smaller than cross-sectional estimates, the former are strongly influenced by errors in measuring HR management practices. Based on independent estimates of the measurement error, we calculate a range of estimates that correct for both biases. We estimate that a one-standard deviation increase in our measure of high performance work systems raises the market value of the corporation by approximately $15,000 per employee.
Tax Consequences Associated with Quid Pro Quo 'Charitable' Contributions

Over the last decade, Congress has instituted several measures designed to curb taxpayer abuse when it comes to quid pro quo arrangements between taxpayers and charities. In the absence of these measures, Congress feared that taxpayers would aggressively take charitable deductions when the true benefit that inured to charity was far less than that reflected by taxpayers on their tax returns. Thus, among other prophylactic measures it has instituted in the charitable area, Congress implemented the following two safeguards. First, taxpayers are not allowed to deduct charitable contributions of $250 or more unless they can substantiate the contribution by receipt of a contemporaneous written acknowledgement from the donee organization. Second, a charitable organization that receives a payment in excess of $75 must provide a written statement to the donor in connection with the solicitation or receipt of the contribution informing the donor that the deduction is limited to the difference between (i) the money and the value of other property contributed and (ii) the value of the goods or services provided. The charity must also supply the donor with a good faith estimate of the value of goods or services furnished by the organization. Notwithstanding the institution of these safeguards, the IRS has not prevented taxpayers from wrongfully continuing to take deductions. Sometimes taxpayers take charitable deductions relating to quid pro quo arrangements unwittingly, sometimes not. This paper explores the implications to taxpayers, tax professionals, and charitable organizations when such deductions are mistakenly or intentionally taken; and it proposes another measure to prevent such deductions.
The Four-Function Model of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: Key Directions for Future Research

Nonsuicidal self-injury is receiving increasing attention in empirical and clinical realms. Indeed, the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders designated nonsuicidal self-injury as a condition that requires further study, which signals possible future official adoption. Despite growing interest in this perplexing phenomenon, much remains unknown about why nonsuicidal self-injury occurs, including fundamental features of its etiology and underlying mechanisms. In addition, no evidence-based interventions that directly target this maladaptive behavior currently exist. The recently developed, empirically supported four-function model posits that nonsuicidal self-injury is maintained by four distinct reinforcement processes. In this review, we used the four-function model to guide the understanding of important unanswered questions and suggest much-needed studies for future research in the field of self-injury.
Tension-Efficient Cable-Driven Robot Design Using Particle Swarm Optimization

Cable-driven robots have advantages which make them attractive solutions for a variety of tasks, however, the unidirectional nature of cable actuators complicates the design and often results in multiply redundant cable architectures which increase cost and robot complexity. This paper presents a stochastic optimization approach to the problem of designing a cable routing for a cable-driven manipulator to provide the desired robot workspace while minimizing the cable tensions required to perform a desired task.Two cable routing design variants are developed for a robot leg through the application of a stochastic optimization methodology called Particle Swarm Optimization. The PSO methodology is summarized, followed by a description of the specific implementation of the methodology to the particular problem of optimizing the cable routing of a robot leg. An objective function is developed to capture all pertinent design criteria in a quantitative evaluation of each particular set of cable parameters. Finally, a description of the PSO execution is presented and the results of the two optimization problems are presented and discussed.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
The Institutionalization of Human Rights and its Discontents: A World Cultural Perspective:

A recurring theme in the sociology of human rights is the vast decoupling that exists between the formal codification of these rights in principle and their implementation in practice, fueling much...
Secretory PAF-acetylhydrolase of the rat hepatobiliary system: characterization and partial purification.

Hepatocytes and Kupffer cells in primary culture both secrete plasma-type platelet-activating factor-acetylhydrolase (pPAF-AH) into serum-free culture medium. The rate of secretion of pPAF-AH by Kupffer cells was 20 to 25 times higher than from hepatocytes, and Kupffer cells expressed a higher level of pPAF-AH mRNA than did hepatocytes. Purified liver cell-secreted pPAF-AH exhibited a major protein band of 65–67 kDa on SDS-PAGE; this was the band predominantly labeled when the enzyme catalytic center was reacted with [3H]diisopropylfluorophosphate ([3H]DFP). Rat bile collected from cannulated bile ducts contained significant PAF-AH activity, and bile samples possessed a prominent band at 30–32 kDa, which was the exclusive target for [3H]DFP. Experiments using tunicamycin, an inhibitor ofN-linked glycosylation, and endoglycosidase H suggested that pPAF-AH secreted constitutively by cultured hepatocytes and Kupffer cells is glycosylated. The present study supports the notion that hepatic secretion of pPAF-A...
Phases of Nurse-patient Relationships

In this chapter four overlapping phases of nurse-patient relationships will be considered. In order to recognize and study what happens in a nurse-patient relationship, it is helpful to delineate aspects of the total situation. While there appear to be four clearly discernible phases in the relationship—orientation, identification, exploitation, and resolution—these are to be thought of as interlocking. (See Fig. 3, p. 21.) Each phase is characterized by overlapping roles or functions in relation to health problems as nurse and patient learn to work co-operatively to resolve difficulties. Each phase defines tasks and roles required of the nurse in the situation. These four units can be recognized; they enter into every total nursing situation.
Some new and rarely documented Late Cretaceous calcareous nannofossils from subsurface sediments in South Carolina

One new calcareous nannofossil genus Senilatus; four new calcareous nannofossil species Calculites favosus, Lithraphidites? charactozorro Self-Trail and Pospichal, Rucinolithus oriens, and Watznaueria bybelliae; and one new combination, Senilatus zipperum n. gen. and comb., are described from Upper Cretaceous (upper Campanian to Maastrichtian) sediments of east-central South Carolina. These new species were described from five coreholes located in marine coastal plain deposits. There is evidence that the presence of one species, Senilatus zipperum, is indicative of nearshore, restricted environments. Scanning electron and light microscope pictures are provided for two species, Cretarhabdus multicavus Bukry, 1969 and Retemediaformis teneraretis Varol, 1991, that have previously been documented only with the transmission electron microscope. The ranges of these two species have been extended beyond those stated in the original descriptions.
Innovative Approaches to Study Abroad at Harper College and Fox Valley Technical College

Community colleges have an imperative to attend to building the global citizen (Raby and Tarrow 1996) as do all institutions of higher education. Despite the fact that community college students now comprise approximately half of the American higher education student population, only about 1 % of the American students engaged in study abroad are from community colleges (Institute of International Education Studies 2014). The reasons attributed to this are many, and they mainly revolve around the distinct characteristics and needs of the typical community college student demographic.
Analogous Modes of Convection in the Atmosphere and Ocean

Various modes of large scale corrective overturning relevant to the atmosphere and ocean will be briefly reviewed, with emphasis on similarities and fundamental differences between the two systems. Analogous dynamics on both the mesoscale (convective vortices) and the planetary scale (Hadley cells) can be identified. A new convective mode, generated by strong interaction between overturning motions and topography, is also suggested as relevant to circulation on continental shelves.
A versatile method to prepare size- and shape-controlled copper nanocubes using an aqueous phase green synthesis

We demonstrate a versatile, simple, and environmentally friendly method for preparing copper nanocubes with controlled morphology in aqueous solution at room temperature. Copper(II)chloride is used as a precursor and the reduction is performed under an argon atmosphere with milder and non-toxic sodium borohydride in de-ionized water. The molar ratios of the precursor and the reducing agent, and sodium borohydride addition time play a key role in the preparation of copper nanocubes with an average edge length in the range of 100 ± 35 nm. With the addition of 20 w% poly(vinylpyrrolidone) prior to the addition of the reducing agent, well-dispersed PVP-capped copper nanocubes were also prepared in considerably good yield. The UV-visible absorption traces and transmission electron microscopy analysis were used to monitor the formation of copper nanocubes. The powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) reveals the packing of copper nanocrystals to cubic 3D structures.
Tunable terahertz response of plasmonic vee-shaped assemblies with a graphene monolayer

There have been extensive research to systematically tailor terahertz (THz) plasmonics structures to support strong resonant modes as platforms for designing practical nano and microscale devices with high efficiency and tunability. Here, using a symmetric four-member assembly of plasmonic vee-shaped structures, we introduce a quadratic, multiresonant plasmonic THz antenna to support significant resonant modes with high efficiancy. The effect of unique geometrical shape of the structure on the quality of the proposed structure is analyzed to provide ultrasharp resonant modes with high plasmon resonance confinement. Employing both numerical and experimental studies, we investigated and confirmed the tunable plasmonic response of the suggested antenna. In addition, by depositing an atomic graphene monolayer below the antenna, we enhanced the THz response of the proposed structure, including remarkable absorption cross-section correlating with the resonant frequencies. This understanding will contribute to a promising model for practical all-optical and optoelectronic devices operating in the THz spectrum.
Novel Allele Quantification Method To Classify Childhood Leukemia.

Abstract Background: Leukemia is the most common pediatric malignancy, accounting for nearly 40% of all new childhood cancer. The cure rates for pediatric ALL have increased to more than 80% and the cure rates for pediatric AML now approach 50%. Much of this progress can be attributed to cytogenetic and molecular risk stratification with subsequent randomized control trials. Genomic instability events may also serve as relevant prognostic biomarkers. A novel high-throughput genomic technology called Molecular Inversion Probes (MIPs) quantifies genomic instability, gene copy number and allelic imbalances at the highest genomic resolution. MIPs can analyze genetic target sequences in parallel with high specificity and sensitivity. Further classifying leukemic blasts using more precise molecular techniques could prove useful in further risk stratifying and developing new treatment strategies. Objective: To adapt MIPs to characterize and define unique molecular subtypes of childhood leukemia. Methods: DNA was extracted from AML and ALL clinical samples obtained at diagnosis. 400 ng of leukemic DNA was mixed with a previously synthesized MIP cancer probe set (667 probes representing all human chromosomes from exon sequences of 298 cancer genes); each probe contains two unique recognition sequences to targeted genomic DNA and a unique barcode (tag) sequence. A thermostable polymerase and ligase were added, and the mixture was denatured. Probe homology sequences were then annealed to complementary genome sites. Standard PCR reagants were added including one fluorescent-labeled primer and unlabeled primer. The reaction was thermocycled and probes circularized in the nucleotide specific “gap fill” reaction were amplified. The PCR mixture was hybridized to a barcode microarray overnight. The chip was stained and washed, and then interrogated by an Affymetrix scanner via argon laser excitation at 488-nm. ‘Cluster along Chromosomes' analysis was performed to detect significant amplifications or deletions. Results: Childhood ALL and AML samples had unique patterns of multiple gene deletions. Additionally, overlap was found in several of these deleted genes. Significantly deleted genes in common between ALL and AML samples included: RAP1GA1, HYAL1, HSPA9B, CSF1R, TNF, NOTCH4, FANCE, CCND3, BAG2, PLAGL1, MAD1L1, POLM, POLD2, IGFBP3, PSD, SUFU, CYP17A1, MXI1, HRAS, IGF2, RRM1, BRCA2, TP53, ERBB2, ERCC2, and POLD1. Conclusions: MIPs represent a novel technology for highly sensitive and specific gene copy analysis of childhood leukemia. Unique and distinguishing signatures of allelic imbalance can be determined between ALL and AML clinical samples using MIP technology. The unexpected overlap of deleted genes in both ALL and AML may represent a common molecular mechanism that requires further investigation. We currently are adapting MIPs for an expanded cancer probe set and are exploring new techniques to determine loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in pediatric leukemia.
Identifying Relevant Socio-Theoretic Foundations for Supporting Multi-Issue IT Cloudsourcing Negotiations

Service level agreement (SLA) negotiations involving cloud-based information technology (IT) service providers and customers are now commonplace. Although historical research on negotiation has often relied on economic foundations, the important nature of IT service levels to organizations’ operational effectiveness suggests that negotiation complexities in the context of cloud-based outsourcing (or cloudsourcing ) cannot be well understood by relying on economic perspectives alone. To that end, this paper reports on experiments designed to determine the relevance of competing sociotheoretic frameworks as they pertain to IT cloudsourcing negotiations. Contributions include a rigorous examination of hypotheses derived from social exchange theory, equity theory, learning theory, and the win–win theories of negotiation. Additional contributions include the development of methodological constructs (using the Euclidean geometry) that reflect the complex nature of IT cloudsourcing SLAs, i.e., that they are composed of numerous service category contract clauses where negotiation tradeoffs within a service category as well as across service categories are possible. We find strong support for the relevance of the social exchange theory to IT cloudsourcing negotiations, as well as moderate support for the win-win theories of negotiation. Our conclusions provide clear directions for extending our work into the realm of negotiation support systems, and we rely on our findings to conjecture that IT cloudsourcing negotiation is a unique context for sociotheoretic negotiation research due to the inherent importance of information technologies to organizations’ operational effectiveness.
Sleep duration is associated with survival in advanced cancer patients.

Abstract Objective Sleep problems have been linked to increased risk of mortality in the general population. Limited evidence suggests similar relationships among people diagnosed with cancer. The aims of the present study were to investigate the type and rates of sleep problems in advanced cancer patients and examine whether sleep problems are associated with survival. Methods A prospective study of 292 patients with advanced cancers affecting the hepatobiliary and pancreatic systems were administered a battery of questionnaires measuring sociodemographic information, sleep, and depression. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, Chi-square, Kaplan–Meier survival, and Cox regression analyses were performed to test the aims. Results The majority of patients were male (64%) and the mean age was 62 years (SD = 11). Fifty-nine percent of patients reported poor sleep quality; 43% reported sleeping ≤6 h and 2% ≥10 h; 40% reported sleep latency of 30 min or greater; average sleep efficiency was 80%. Of the 292 patients, 58% reported clinically levels of depression and depressive symptoms were related to shorter sleep duration ( p = 0.02). After adjusting for factors known to contribute to survival, a curvilinear relationship was observed between sleep duration and mortality: short and long sleep duration were associated with increased mortality [linear term: hazard ratio (HR) = 0.485, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.275–0.857; quadratic term: HR = 1.064, 95% CI = 1.015–1.115]. Conclusions Consistent with findings in the general population, a curvilinear relationship between sleep duration and mortality was observed in advanced cancer patients. The high prevalence of sleep problems and link with mortality warrants routine screening and development of evidence-based treatments for sleep problems in the oncology setting.
WANDERING INTO ACCOUNTING—NOTES ON WRITING CAREER

After urgent invitations by,the editors, W. A. Paton has sent us some recollecions of the circumstances leading to his interest in accounting, and of his experience as a writer in this field. The editors have added a bibliography of his major accounting works, but the list doesn't include data regarding some of the translations mentioned in these reminiscences. Additional information is invited from readers who may be familiar with Paton's writing.
Infiltration model in sloping layered soils and guidelines for model parameter estimation

ABSTRACTA Green-Ampt type model for sloping layered soils (GASLS) was developed to investigate infiltration processes. We introduced a factor c, which is the same for all layers and represents the ratio of effective hydraulic conductivity over saturated hydraulic conductivity. Guidelines to estimate the factor c were established based on 234 scenarios under various conditions. The model with the estimated factor c can describe infiltration processes better than that with c = 1. For fine soils, or layered formations with finer soils on the top, c is smaller than 1. The factor c for coarse soils, or layer formations with coarse soils on the top is close to 1. Comparison with laboratory experiments on a sloping surface indicated that the GASLS model with a slope factor that is adjusted by the sine of the slope angle can represent the sloping surface effects. The GASLS model can incorporate any slope factor.
Survival for small, well-differentiated PNETs in relation to treatment.

222Background: Management of small well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) is controversial, and the malignant potential remains uncertain. Treatment options include observatio...
Correction to: Optical remote sensing for monitoring flying mosquitoes, gender identification and discussion on species identification

In the original publication of the article, many references were cited incorrectly. Now, the original article has been corrected accordingly.
Mechanism of stochastic switching in single-atom absorptive bistability

We analyze a single-atom cavity QED model to isolate the dynamic mechanism of stochastic switching between regions of state space associated with mean-field attractors of absorptive bistability. We present evidence from simulations that such switching is correlated with variations in the timings of atomic spontaneous emission events, and we interpret this finding in terms of the dynamics of the coupled intracavity field and atomic dipole. Somewhat surprisingly, both upward and downward (in intracavity photon number) switching transitions may be induced by rapid succession of several atomic emissions. Based on our results we propose an implementation of bidirectional ``toggle'' control for a single-atom optical latch.
Molecular analysis of calmodulin and smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase.

Of all the known members of the superfamily of proteins that utilize the EF-hand helix-loop-helix configuration to bind Ca++, calmodulin is unique. This intracellular receptor is ubiquitous in eukaryotes and is highly conserved at the primary amino acid sequence level. In vertebrates only a single conservative amino acid substitution exists between fish and humans 1. Even between primitive eukaryotes such as yeasts and higher vertebrate species, the proteins show at least 80% amino acid identity. In addition calmodulin serves as the obligatory Ca++-dependent activator of a variety of enzymes, exists in enzyme and organelle complexes in the Ca free state and is associated with several intracellular structural proteins. These characteristics are in sharp contrast to other members of this superfamily such as troponin C, calbindins, S-100, calretinin, calcineurin B and myosin light chains. The function of these proteins, when known, tends to be highly specific. Distribution is largely restricted to vertebrates and even within members of this phylum, is found only in selected cell types. The one exception to this generalization is calcineurin B which enjoys a much broader species distribution. However this breadth may also be related to calmodulin since calcineurin is the only known Ca /calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase. Indeed some calmodulin-dependent enzymes are more widely distributed among phyla and between cell types of a given organism than are the other members of the calmodulin superfamily 2.
Preliminary Security Analysis of the Multi-stage Protocol

This chapter presents a security analysis of the multi-stage protocol assessing its vulnerability to known security attacks. It shows that the multi-stage protocol can offer quantum level security under certain conditions. The material presented in this chapter is based on the authors’ work previously published in [12, 13].
Extrasynaptic γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor-mediated sex differences in the antiseizure activity of neurosteroids in status epilepticus and complex partial seizures.

OBJECTIVE Sex differences are evident in the antiseizure activity of neurosteroids; however, the potential mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we sought to determine whether differences in target extrasynaptic δ-subunit γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA-A) receptor expression and function underlie the sex differences in seizure susceptibility and the antiseizure activity of neurosteroids. METHODS Sex differences in seizure susceptibility and protective activity of three distinct neurosteroids-allopregnanolone (AP), androstanediol (AD), and ganaxolone-were evaluated in the pilocarpine model of status epilepticus (SE) and kindling seizure test in mice. Immunocytochemistry was used for δGABA-A receptor expression analysis, and patch-clamp recordings in brain slices evaluated its functional currents. RESULTS Sex differences were apparent in kindling epileptogenic seizures, with males exhibiting a faster progression to a fully kindled state. Neurosteroids AP, AD, or ganaxolone produced dose-dependent protection against SE and acute partial seizures. However, female mice exhibited strikingly enhanced sensitivity to the antiseizure activity of neurosteroids compared to males. Sex differences in neurosteroid protection were unrelated to pharmacokinetic factors, as plasma levels of neurosteroids associated with seizure protection were similar between sexes. Mice lacking extrasynaptic δGABA-A receptors did not exhibit sex differences in neurosteroid protection. Consistent with a greater abundance of extrasynaptic δGABA-A receptors, AP produced a significantly greater potentiation of tonic currents in dentate gyrus granule cells in females than males; however, such enhanced AP sensitivity was diminished in δGABA-A receptor knockout female mice. SIGNIFICANCE Neurosteroids exhibit greater antiseizure potency in females than males, likely due to a greater abundance of extrasynaptic δGABA-A receptors that mediate neurosteroid-sensitive tonic currents and seizure protection. These findings indicate the potential to develop personalized gender-specific neurosteroid treatments for SE and epilepsy in men and women, including catamenial epilepsy.
Immunological consequences of chemotherapy: Single drugs, combination therapies and nanoparticle-based treatments

The tumor environment has been shown to employ several immunosuppressive mechanisms to evade cancer treatments. While immunotherapies actively reverse such mechanisms and polarize the immune system against malignant cells, combining immunotherapy with certain chemotherapeutics can lead to increased efficacy compared to either treatment alone. Low-dose chemotherapy demonstrates several immunogenic effects that can favorably potentiate immunotherapies. However, the clinical benefits of such therapies are confounded by treatment complexity and marginal improvements. The highly complex relationship between chemotherapeutic drug dosing and subsequent immunological consequences is often generalized, thus limiting their efficacy and potential. Also, continuous monitoring of the immunological impact is crucial for designing superior synergies while optimizing chemotherapeutic combinations or chemotherapeutics in novel delivery systems. In this review, we summarize the existing literature on the immunological outcomes of chemotherapies administered individually, in combination regimens, and in formulation with novel delivery agents. Further, we discuss the relevance of key parameters including dosage, schedule, and tumor models, and describe their clinical implications with an emphasis on approaches and evaluations that are crucial for developing effective immune-stimulating therapies.
The perpetuation of colonial legacy: uncovering internal orientalism in the form of English supremacy in Pakistan

This paper identifies the issues of internal orientalism that are reproduced at a micro level within Pakistan because of English linguistic imperialism. The unequal education system engenders attit...
Management of Marginal Ulcers

The number of bariatric surgeries being performed each year in the United States is over 200,000 cases per year. While the number of gastric bypasses has been on the decline in recent years relative to other surgeries like the sleeve gastrectomy, complications such as marginal ulceration still pose a challenge for patients and surgeons alike. In this chapter we will discuss the underlying etiology of the disease process, strategies for prevention, and ultimately the management of marginal ulcers with associated algorithms.
Short‐term safety and effectiveness of sugammadex for surgical patients with end‐stage renal disease: a two‐centre retrospective study

Sugammadex is a novel reversal agent for aminosteroid neuromuscular blocking drugs, especially rocuronium. Given its renal excretion, sugammadex is not recommended for patients with end-stage renal disease; however, reports exist of its use in this group of patients. This two-institutional retrospective observational study aimed to review the safety profile and effectiveness of sugammadex in surgical patients with end-stage renal disease who required pre-operative renal replacement therapy. Adult surgical patients with end-stage renal disease requiring pre-operative renal replacement therapy, who received sugammadex between April 2016 and January 2019, were studied. The primary outcome was the incidence of postoperative tracheal re-intubation within 48 h. The secondary outcome was the incidence of deferred tracheal extubation in the operating theatre. One hundred and fifty-eight patients were identified from 125,653 surgical patients: 48 patients (30%) underwent renal transplantation and 110 (70%) underwent non-renal transplantation procedures. There were 22 instances (14%) of deferred tracheal extubation due to surgical and/or pre-existing medical conditions. Out of the 136 patients who had the tracheal tube removed at the end of the procedure, three patients had their trachea re-intubated within 48 h: two patients developed pulmonary oedema resulting from volume overload; and one patient had worsening sepsis. No incidence of recurrence of neuromuscular blockade was observed. Of note, 24 (18%) patients were found to have incomplete neuromuscular blockade reversal with neostigmine but administration of sugammadex led to successful tracheal extubation. In conclusion, sugammadex appears to be safe and effective in adult patients with end-stage renal disease receiving pre-operative renal replacement therapy.
Analytical Approaches To Identify Plasmon-like Excited States in Bare and Ligand-Protected Metal Nanoclusters

Noble metal nanoclusters containing dozens to hundreds of metal atoms are of great interest because of their unique optical properties. Classical electrodynamics fails to describe the optical prope...
A single-cell RNAseq atlas of the pathogenic stage of Schistosoma mansoni identifies a key regulator of blood feeding

Abstract Schistosomiasis is an ancient and chronic neglected tropical disease that infects over 240 million people and kills over 200,000 of the world’s poorest people every year1, 2. There are no vaccines and because there is only one drug available, the need for new therapeutics is great. The causative agents of this disease are flatworm parasites that dwell inside the host’s circulation, often for decades, where they feed on blood and lay eggs which are primarily responsible for disease pathology. As metazoans comprised of multiple tissue types, understanding the schistosome’s tissues on a molecular level and their functions during what can be decades of successful parasitism could suggest novel therapeutic strategies. Here, we employ single-cell RNAseq to characterize 43,642 cells from the pathogenic (adult) stage of the schistosome lifecycle. From these data, we characterize 68 molecularly distinct cell populations that comprise nearly all tissues described morphologically, including the nervous and reproductive systems. We further uncover a lineage of somatic stem cells responsible for producing and maintaining the parasite’s gut – the primary tissue responsible for digestion of host blood. Finally, we show that a homologue of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 (hnf4) is expressed in this gut lineage and required for gut maintenance, blood feeding and inducing egg-associated pathology in vivo. Together, the data highlight the utility of this single-cell RNAseq atlas to understand schistosome biology and identify potential therapeutic interventions.
Mediating Sovereignty: The Qing legation in London and its diplomatic representation of China, 1876–1901

In 1896, Sir Halliday Macartney, counsellor of the Qing London legation, detained the revolutionary Sun Yat-sen on legation grounds in an attempt to deport him back to China. Since then, the image of the legation as an ossified extension of a despotic government has dominated public imagination. This article proposes a new way of understanding the legation's action: it exemplifies the legal activism of Qing diplomats in recovering judicial sovereignty that had been compromised by the presence of extraterritoriality and colonialism. Legations represented a broad range of interests of China through diplomatic negotiations and legal mediations, and brought unresolved disputes between foreign ministers and the Zongli Yamen in Beijing to the attention of their home governments. This article analyses the mediation and collaboration performed by the London legation between the various levels of the Qing government and the British Foreign Office. It argues that Qing legations and their diplomatic representation abroad were essential to the construction and imagination of China as a sovereign state.
Plant Counts in Dense Red Beet Crops: A Computer Vision Approach

Yield assessment in broadacre crops is often base on time-consuming and labor-intensive approximations. However, the emergence of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) has allowed for rapid and cost-effective data acquisition. We evaluated red beet plant counts using multispectral UAS data via computer vision and regression analysis. Flight data were captured twice during summer 2019. Our preprocessing steps included i) vegetation detection, ii) feature generation, and iii) feature selection. Partial least squares regression was used as a statistical predictor. Results showed that plant count could be predicted with an acceptable coefficient of determination ( $R^{2}=0.76$ for calibration; $R^{2}=0.54$ for cross-validation) and a low root-mean-square-error ( $\text{RMSE} =12.27$ plants/plot for calibration, $\text{RMSE} =17.45$ plants/plot for cross-validation). These results are promising, since the error margin, relative to the average density (175 plants/plot), was below 10%. Future efforts should include different geographical locations, higher resolution imagery, and more advanced approaches such as deep learning algorithms with potential for improved accuracy and precision.
Presidential Leadership in Public Opinion: Causes and Consequences

1. The many meanings of presidential leadership 2. Evidence on the public demand for presidential leadership 3. Congressional sources of the president's leadership image 4. Success in Congress and perceptions of presidential strength 5. Presidential representation and public opinion 6. Presidential leadership and presidential elections 7. Perceptions of presidential leadership, trust in government, and attitudes toward Congress 8. Presidential leadership, public opinion, and American democracy.
Best Linear Unbiased Prediction: Applications

Best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) can be thought of as best linear prediction (BLP) with one difference: the vector of fixed effects (α) associated with the vector of observations (y) is assumed known in BLP, but estimated in BLUP. Many of the steps required to accomplish BLUP and characteristics of how BLUP handles data are similar to those discussed for BLP in Chapters 4- 8; they are therefore not discussed in detail in this chapter. The purpose of this chapter is to apply BLUP for two simple cases, and to illustrate some interesting aspects of prediction that are unique to BLUP, and therefore not covered in earlier chapters. Finally, we present some examples where use of BLUP might accrue significant advantages over BLP.
Maya v. Centex Corp.

Analysis of a recent Ninth Circuit Decision holding that plaintiffs have alleged sufficient injury for standing purposes in claiming that developers misrepresented the future quality of the neighborhood to them.
Natural attenuation of fuel hydrocarbon contaminants: Hydraulic conductivity dependency of biodegradation rates in a field case study

Two biodegradation models are developed to represent natural attenuation of fuel-hydrocarbon contaminants as observed in a comprehensive natural-gradient tracer test in a heterogeneous aquifer on the Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi. The first, a first-order mass loss model, describes the irreversible losses of BTEX and its individual components, i.e., benzene (B), toluene (T), ethyl benzene (E), and xylene (X). The second, a reactive pathway model, describes sequential degradation pathways for BTEX utilizing multiple electron acceptors, including oxygen, nitrate, iron and sulfate, and via methanogenesis. The heterogeneous aquifer is represented by multiple hydraulic conductivity (K) zones delineated on the basis of numerous flowmeter K measurements. A direct propagation artificial neural network (DPN) is used as an inverse modeling tool to estimate the biodegradation rate constants associated with each of the K zones. In both the mass loss model and the reactive pathway model, the biodegradation rate constants show an increasing trend with the hydraulic conductivity. The finding of correlation between biodegradation kinetics and hydraulic conductivity distributions is of general interest and relevance to characterization and modeling of natural attenuation of hydrocarbons in other petroleum-product contaminated sites.
Hydroxyurea affects cell morphology, cation transport, and red blood cell adhesion in cultured vascular endothelial cells

Hydroxyurea (HU) significantly increases fetal hemoglobin (Hb) production and concomitantly affects passive erythrocyte K transport and cell volume in patients homozygous for Hb S, thus decreasing disease severity. Red blood cells (RBCs) with Hb S display a greater adherence to vascular endothelial cells (VECs) than do Hb A cells, thus increasing the probability of vaso-occlusive crisis. The effect of HU on the structure and function of VECs is still unknown. In the present study, HU significantly changed, in a dose-dependent manner, the morphology and monovalent cation composition of cultured VECs after incubation in normal culture medium for up to 10 days in the absence and presence of 0.3 (therapeutic dose) and 3.0 (toxic dose) mmol/L HU. Treated cells showed significant morphologic changes such as an increase in apparent cell size and the formation of multinucleated giant cells. The protein content per dish decreased by 50% and 80% at 0.3 and 3.0 mmol/L HU, respectively, accompanied by an increase in cell Na (maximum, approximately 200%) and cell K (maximum, approximately 50%) contents at about days 4 to 6 and 8 to 10, respectively. In addition, HU decreased RBC adherence to VECs in experiments with 51Cr-loaded Hb A or Hb S RBCs. The HU-induced changes in VEC morphology, cation composition, and RBC adherence may be caused or accompanied by alterations in cell membrane permeability, transformation of endothelial cells, or decreased number/density of VEC adhesion molecules. Precise mechanisms of the HU effects warrant further investigation in light of the reported beneficial effects of HU in the treatment of sickle cell anemia.
Studies of microwave thermal balloon angioplasty in rabbits

A study of the technique of microwave (2.45 GHz) thermal balloon angioplasty has established a correlation between recorded temperature and observed injury. In addition, a trend pointing toward an inverse relationship between intimal proliferation and medial injury has been observed. Angioplasty was performed on 30 normal New Zealand white rabbits, providing 60 iliac arteries for histopathologic analysis. The angioplasty catheter consists of a 3.0-mm angioplasty balloon with an intrinsic thermocouple placed on the interior surface of the midportion of the balloon. A 0.023-in coaxial cable was used to deliver the microwave power, and a slot antenna configuration was chosen for the radiating element. >
Automatic Reasoning for Defining Lathe Operations for Mill-Turn Parts: A Tolerance Based Approach

With the increase in computer-controlled hybrid machining (e.g., mill-turn machining), one needs to discern what features of a part are created during turning (i.e., with a lathe cutter) versus those created by milling. Given a generic part, it is desirable to extract the turnable and nonturnable features in order to obtain feasible machining plans. A novel approach for automating this division and for defining the resulting turning operations in a hybrid process is proposed in this paper. Given a mill-turn part, the algorithm first identifies the dominant rotational-axis in order to quickly generate the axisymmetric “as-lathed” model. This model is then subtracted from the original part to isolate the nonturnable features. Next, the as-lathed model is translated to a label-rich graph, which is fed into a grammar reasoning algorithm to produce feasible turning sequences. During the turning process planning, the knowledge encapsulated in the design tolerances is used to guide the generation of feasible turning sequences. Two case studies are provided to explain the details of our algorithm. One of the suggested turning plans is compared with a manually proposed plan from an expert machinist and the results show the optimality of our plan in satisfying the prescribed tolerances.
Positive solutions for third order multi-point singular boundary value problems

We study a third order singular boundary value problem with multi-point boundary conditions. Sufficient conditions are obtained for the existence of positive solutions of the problem. Recent results in the literature are significantly extended and improved. Our analysis is mainly based on a nonlinear alternative of Leray-Schauder.
A novel peptide designed for sensitization of terbium (III) luminescence

Several synthetic peptides, modelled from a Ca(2+)-binding loop of the EF-hand family of proteins, were prepared containing cysteine residues. The peptide, GDKNADGFICFEEL, was labelled covalently at the cysteine residue (loop position 9) with iodoacetamidosalicylic acid. This novel conjugate is a metal-binding loop containing a salicylic acid side chain that could not only chelate Tb3+ in conjunction with the other chelating groups in the sequence, but could also sensitize Tb3+ luminescence. The loop had a high Tb3+ affinity, with stoichiometric binding observed under experimental conditions. The luminescence from the Tb(3+)-peptide complex was more than 10-fold greater than the luminescence reported from a related peptide which contained Trp as the Tb3+ donor at loop position 7. This peptide has significant potential for use in lanthanide-based time-resolved luminescence immunoassays.
Minority Private Equity: A Market in Transition

This article examines the current changes in the minority segment of the private equity market. It argues that there is a confluence of three major changes: the demographic changes in the U.S. population, the changes in the amount of funding available for private equity, and the elimination of the SSBIC program. Together these changes imply a profound rethinking of the investment concepts in the minority market.