cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Locking plate fixation for proximal humeral fractures: initial results with a new implant.

Treatment of proximal humeral fractures remains controversial, with multiple reported techniques and variable results. Recently, locking plates have become available for fixation of osteopenic and comminuted fractures. This study reports our initial experience with a new locking plate designed specifically for proximal humeral fractures. We observed 16 patients until union or revision with a mean of 12 months' follow-up. Of the 16 patients, 9 had high-energy injuries. There were nine 3-part, five 2-part, and two 4-part fractures. Twelve of sixteen patients healed without complications. There were 4 nonunions; all occurred in patients with 3-part fractures with metadiaphyseal comminution, 3 of whom were heavy smokers. In patients with united fractures, mean elevation was 132° and mean external rotation was 43°, with mean internal rotation to T11. Locking plate fixation achieved union in 75% of patients in this series. Risk factors for delayed union or nonunion included comminution, smoking, and 3-part fractures. These fractures remain challenging despite the availability of locked plating systems.
On random power series with nonidentically distributed coefficients

Abstract The distribution of the radius of convergence r ( ω ) of a random power series with nonidentically distributed coefficients is considered. The results obtained here extend the well-known work in the identically distributed case.
In Situ Growth of High Quality Epitaxial Yba2cu3O7-X Thin Films at Moderate Temperatures by Pulsed Laser Ablation

Pulsed KrF (248 nm) laser ablation has been used for in situ growth of smooth, high‐quality YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7‐x epitaxial films of variable thickness on SrTiO 3 , KTaO 3 , LaGaO 3 , LaA1O 3 , cubic ZrO 2 , and MgO substrates, at temperatures of ∼60O‐730°C, without higher temperature post‐annealing. A rotating target pellet, fine focusing by a single cylindrical lens, laser‐beam scanning over the target, and laser energy densities ∼2.5‐3 J/cm 2 can be combined to yield films of completely uniform composition and with ∼25% thickness variation over areas ∼8 cm 2 . The best films have T c > 92 K and J C (H = 0, T = 77 K) > 2 MA/cm 2 . Film‐growth procedures are described, together with results of superconducting and normal‐state transport measurements.
Molecular simulations of electro-osmosis in fluid mixtures using semi-permeable membranes

Computer simulations using the method of molecular dynamics have been carried out to study electro-osmosis in polar and ionic solutions. The overall objective was to model and study the separation of a variety of fluid mixtures, by electro-osmosis through semi-permeable membranes at the molecular level. The effects of direction of the external electric field on the extent of separation have been investigated. The density profiles of the components of the fluid mixtures have been reported to show adsorption near the membrane. Our results have shown the feasibility of using uniform external electric fields to enhance separation processes, such as osmosis and reverse osmosis, in polar solutions. In the past, it was generally believed that these solutions do not undergo electro-osmosis. In the case of ionic solutions, we find a similar increase, but only if the direction of the field is reversed periodically. We also show that computer simulation techniques can be a unique tool to improve our understanding of important separation processes such as electro-osmosis, which at present are not well understood.
Estimation of scale parameters in mixture distributions

Simultaneous estimation of scale parameters is considered in mixture distributions under squared-error loss. A general class of estimators is obtained which dominates the componentwise best multiple estimators and the moment estimators. As special cases, improved estimators are obtained for the multivariate t-distribution and the p-variate Lomax distribution. On considere ľestimation simultanee de parametres d'echelle apparaissant dans une loi ayant la forme d'un melange aleatoire. Une fonction de perte quadratique est utilisee. Les estimateurs consideres dominent ceux obtenus par la methode des moments et aussi ceux obtenus en considerant chaque parametre separement et en ľestimant par un multiple de ľobservation correspondante, ce multiple etant choisi de facon optimale. En particulier, des estimateurs ameliores sont obtenus pour les parametres d'une loi t multivariee et ceux d'une loi Lomax de dimension p.
Dynamic response analysis of embankment dams

A one-dimensional wave propagation method for earthquake response analysis of horizontally-layered sites of infinite lateral extent is adapted to account for the finite cross-sectional dimensions of an embankment dam overlying a foundation deposit which may be considered infinite in its lateral extent. The procedure is used to study the response of an existing embankment dam for an actual earthquake record. A two-dimensional dynamic finite element analysis is also performed for this case. The records of ground acceleration at an outcropping base rock and at the crest of the dam are available for the site. The comparisons of computed and observed responses support the modified use of the simple numerical procedure.
Controlling Actively Q-Switched Laser Output by Nonlinear State Feedback

A powerful nonlinear controlmethodology known as feedback linearization is appliedin order to enhance the performance of Q-switched lasers. Specifically, anactively Q-switched laser system is described, where the desired output pulse shape is generated by nonlinear state feedback control. Open-loop performance is compared with closed-loop performance. After feedback is applied the system can still produce the desired output response even if the pump power is reduced or increased by a factor of two. Excellent approximation of the desired output profile can also be obtained with a 30% fluctuation in the stimulated emission cross section.
Intervention of Eating Disorder Symptomatology Using Educational Communication Messages

This study explored an intervention of body image disturbance by employing short educational messages. A public service announcement (PSA) comprised of a realistic body image photo and a text emphasizing genetic diversity of body types improved young women’s body satisfaction, although it did not affect the size of ideal female-body norm. A variation of the PSA, an alignment ad, generated a similarly positive effect on body satisfaction. The alignment ad, in comparison to a control, also increased the size of ideal female-body norm. At the same time, these positive main effects were mostly due to the gains in body satisfaction and the size of ideal female-body norm by women whose body satisfaction was relatively undamaged to begin with. For women who were already suffering from low body satisfaction, the educational messages interacted with the predisposition to further deteriorate body satisfaction and the norm of ideal female body. Theoretical implications of these effects were discussed and practical s...
Hypothyroidism and the ear: Electrophysiological, morphological, and chemical considerations

There is both clinical and laboratory evidence that hearing loss can result from congenital and acquired hypothyroidism. The reversibility of this process, however, and its incidence and pathophysiology are not universally agreed upon. Laboratory animals rendered hypothyroid with radioactive iodine 131 or propylthiouracil demonstrated normal perilymph sodium and potassium levels but increased auditory thresholds for N1N2 response and brain stem evoked audiometry as well as a crystallized consistency of the bone of the bullae and cochleae, ossicular abnormalities, obliteration of the oval and round window, large dark staining lipid accumulations in Hensen's cells, large intercellular spaces in the stria vascularis with degeneration of the marginal and intermediate cells, inner and outer hair cell degeneration, debris in the cochlear duct, and tectorial membrane irregularity. Otic capsule biochemical alterations were identified which may account for the osseous changes observed morphologically. The morphological, biochemical, and electrophysiological findings in this study support the hypothesis that the cochlea is a site of lesion for sensorineural hearing loss in hypothyroidism. Middle ear changes identified could be responsible for the conductive component.
The mental health needs of military service members and veterans

Abstract The prevalence in active duty military service members of 30-day DSM-IV psychiatric disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorders and major depressive disorder, is greater than among sociodemographically-matched civilians. Only 23–40% of returning military who met strict criteria for any mental health problem in 2004 had received professional help in the past year. One-fourth of Regular Army soldiers meet criteria for a 30-day DSM-IV mental disorder, two-thirds of whom report a pre-enlistment age of onset. Both pre- and post-enlistment age of onset are predictors of severe role impairment which was reported by 12.8% of respondents. In addition, three-fifths of those with severe role impairment had at least one psychiatric diagnosis. The number of deployments, especially three or more, is positively correlated with all disorders, especially major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and intermittent explosive disorder. Patients w...
Assured Counter-Terrorism Information Sharing Using Attribute Based Information Security (ABIS)

For counter-terrorism information sharing, just like for many other government and military operations in the post-9/11 world, the traditional mindset of "need to know" is being overtaken by the "need to share" among dynamic communities of interests (COIs). The problem with current IT environments and security mechanisms forces equal sharing of all information at the lowest common denominator, often requiring setting up new physical networks to protect the information boundaries, which is often time-consuming, costly, and not interoperable. The recent technology evolution towards service oriented architectures (SOAs) helps establish a loosely coupled, interoperable "system of systems" platform, however they also bring about their own security challenges. This paper outlines the inefficiency of conventional network boundary based, protection-oriented information security mechanisms as well as the new security challenges for the emerging SOA technologies, and proposes attribute based information security (ABIS) as a new approach for addressing these challenges. Center to this new approach is a generic attribute based access control (ABAC) model, which is based on subject, object, and environment attributes and supports both mandatory and discretionary access control needs. To realize the potentials of the ABAC model, the paper introduces a high level ABIS reference architecture, which reflects the proposed technical approaches to achieve an attribute-centric security methodology: First of all, to establish such an environment that facilitates the seamless flow of information between collaborating parties, the capability to provision and manage attributes for subjects and resources needs to be established. Secondly, attribute-binding mechanisms need to be in place to support the integrity and data assurance of the information objects. Next, the architecture should provide identification, authentication and authorization mechanisms based on the attributes. Building upon these tasks will lead to the establishment of "trusted information domains" within a shared network infrastructure, providing the ability to establish logical COIs seamlessly, created as needed or modified as policy dictates. The paper explores the possibilities of extending the ABAC model to across trust domains, allowing multiple levels of policy enforcement and policy federation
First-Line Treatment of Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer

Metastatic pancreatic cancer is an aggressive malignancy that is difficult to treat. Gemcitabine monotherapy has been used first line and many contemporary treatment approaches have focused on gemcitabine plus experimental agents. The 2012 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium Abstract #213 is a study of gemcitabine with IPI-926, a novel hedgehog pathway inhibitor. Abstract #227 is a study of gemcitabine with 90Y-hPAM4 radioimmunotherapy with yttrium labeled anti-mucin humanized antibody. Abstract #296 is a study of gemcitabine with temsirolimus, an mTOR inhibitor. Gemcitabine and erlotinib has shown slight advantages to gemcitabine alone. Abstract #253 takes this one step further and evaluates gemcitabine and erlotinib with apricoxib, a COX-2 inhibitor. FOLFIRINOX has shown superiority to gemcitabine; however, doing so at the cost of significantly greater toxicity. Abstract #199, is a study which examines the cost effectiveness of first line FOLFIRINOX approaches. Another cost effective study is portrayed in Abstract #372, a study evaluating the survival of unresectable pancreatic cancer patients treated with gemcitabine and the disease course is followed clinically without radiographic follow-up.
Management systems for innovation and productivity

Abstract Innovation and productivity should be balanced differently in multi-business firms depending on their context. The management system appropriate to each context differs in its degree of centralisation in the strategy making process and the degree of standardisation in the strategy implementation process. This study shows that despite the concurrence of senior managers with the need for such tailormaking, the management systems in use are typically not tailored to their context. Implications of such misfitted systems for innovation and productivity are discussed.
Functional patency of autogenous AV fistulas for hemodialysis

BackgroundAlthough AV fistulas are the preferred access for hemodialysis and have low complication rates, failure to function remains high and time to first dialysis may be several months.MethodsDa...
Activation of the Proprotein Transcription Factor Pro-ςE Is Associated with Its Progression through Three Patterns of Subcellular Localization during Sporulation in Bacillus subtilis

The activity of the sporulation transcription factor ςE in Bacillus subtilis is governed by an intercellular signal transduction pathway that controls the conversion of the inactive proprotein pro-ςE to the mature and active form of the factor. Here I use immunofluorescence microscopy to show that the activation of the proprotein is associated with its progression through three patterns of subcellular localization. In the predivisional sporangium, pro-ςE was found to be associated with the cytoplasmic membrane. Next, at the stage of asymmetric division, pro-ςE accumulated at the sporulation septum. Finally, after processing, mature ςE was found to be distributed throughout the mother cell cytoplasm. The results of subcellular fractionation and sedimentation in density gradients of extracts prepared from postdivisional sporangia confirmed that pro-ςE was chiefly present in the membrane fraction and that ςE was predominantly cytoplasmic, findings that suggest that the pro-amino acid sequence is responsible for the sequestration of pro-ςE to the membrane. The results of chemical cross-linking experiments showed that pro-ςE was present in a complex with its putative processing protein, SpoIIGA, or with a protein that depended on SpoIIGA. The membrane association of pro-ςE was, however, independent of SpoIIGA and other proteins specific to B. subtilis. Likewise, accumulation of pro-ςE at the septum did not depend on its interaction with SpoIIGA. Sequestration of pro-ςE to the membrane might serve to facilitate its interaction with SpoIIGA and may be important for preventing its premature association with core RNA polymerase. The implications of these findings for the compartmentalization of ςE are discussed.
TEST: a Tracer for Extracting Speculative Threads

Thread-level speculation (TLS) allows sequential programs to be arbitrarily decomposed into threads that can be safely executed in parallel. A key challenge for TLS processors is choosing thread decompositions that speedup the program. Current techniques for identifying decompositions have practical limitations in real systems. Traditional parallelizing compilers do not work effectively on most integer programs, and software profiling slows down program execution too much for real-time analysis. Tracer for Extracting Speculative Threads (TEST) is hardware support that analyzes sequential program execution to estimate performance of possible thread decompositions. This hardware is used in a dynamic parallelization system that automatically transforms unmodified, sequential Java programs to run on TLS processors. In this system, the best thread decompositions found by TEST are dynamically recompiled to run speculatively. The paper describes the analysis performed by TEST and presents simulation results demonstrating its effectiveness on real programs. Estimates are also provided that show the tracer requires minimal hardware additions to our speculative chip-multiprocessor (< 1% of the total transistor count) and causes only minor slowdowns to programs during analysis (3-25%).
An application of the energy—moment tensor relation to estimation of seismic energy radiated by point and line sources

Summary. We derive expressions for the seismic energy radiated from point and line sources in terms of the moment tensor of the source. Using moment tensors based on previously published fault plane solutions for the 1960 Chilean earthquake, the precursor to that event, and the 1964 Alaskan earthquake, we present power spectra for various fault length, rupture velocity, and source duration combinations. The results showed that, for point sources, a half-sine-wave increase in applied moment is necessary to insure a finite radiated energy asymptote at high frequencies. The results for a line source with finite propagation velocity were smoother than those for an equivalent point source. However, for reasonable combinations of fault plane parameters, the total radiated energy did not differ appreciably between the two source models. On the other hand, the energy radiated from a moving line source is quite sensitive to the rupture propagation velocity when that approaches the phase velocity of a mode. In our numerical experiments for these three events, we were always able to find combinations of source parameters which agreed with those from other investigators and that produced radiated energies consistent with either independent estimates or reported M, values.
Effect of cell culture conditions on the anticytomegalovirus activity of maribavir

The cytomegalovirus UL97 kinase inhibitor maribavir suppressed viral growth more effectively in lung fibroblasts than in skin fibroblasts, and some cellular kinase inhibitors enhanced its antiviral activity. These effects influence the phenotypic assay of drug susceptibility and suggest the possibility of therapeutically useful combinations of maribavir and cellular kinase inhibitors.
Amanitin intoxication in two beef calves in California

Two 2- and 3-month-old beef calves from 2 separate herds, locations, and times were found dead and were submitted to the veterinary diagnostic laboratory for diagnostic work-up. In both cases, no premonitory signs were seen by the owners. Histopathology revealed acute panlobular hepatic necrosis in both calves. In addition, calf A had copper and selenium deficiency, and calf B had oxalate nephrosis, and selenium and zinc deficiencies. Alpha-amanitin was detected in the urine from calf A, and in the liver and rumen contents from calf B using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The cause of panlobular hepatic necrosis and death of both calves was determined to be amanitin toxicosis from ingestion of amanitin-containing mushrooms based on microscopic changes and toxicological analysis of tissues. In cases of sudden death in cows with histopathological findings of panlobular hepatic necrosis, toxicological analysis for amanitin is needed for a definitive diagnosis of poisoning by amanitin-containing mushrooms.
Identification of a cyclic-di-GMP-modulating response regulator that impacts biofilm formation in a model sulfate reducing bacterium.

We surveyed the eight putative cyclic-di-GMP-modulating response regulators (RRs) in Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough that are predicted to function via two-component signaling. Using purified proteins, we examined cyclic-di-GMP production or turnover in vitro of all eight proteins. The two RRs containing only GGDEF domains (DVU2067, DVU0636) demonstrated cyclic-di-GMP production activity in vitro. Of the remaining proteins, three RRs with HD-GYP domains (DVU0722, DVUA0086 and DVU2933) were confirmed to be Mn2+ dependent phosphodiesterases in vitro and converted cyclic-di-GMP to its linear form, pGpG. DVU0408, containing both cyclic-di-GMP production (GGDEF) and degradation domains (EAL), showed cyclic-di-GMP turnover activity in vitro also with production of pGpG. No cyclic-di-GMP related activity could be assigned to the RR DVU0330, containing a metal-dependent phosphohydrolase HD-OD domain, or to the HD-GYP domain RR, DVU1181. Studies included examining the impact of overexpressed cyclic-di-GMP-modulating RRs in the heterologous host E. coli and led to the identification of one RR, DVU0636, with increased cellulose production. Evaluation of a transposon mutant in DVU0636 indicated that the strain was impaired in biofilm formation and demonstrated an altered carbohydrate:protein ratio relative to the D. vulgaris wild type biofilms. However, grown in liquid lactate/sulfate medium, the DVU0636 transposon mutant showed no growth impairment relative to the wild-type strain. Among the eight candidates, only the transposon disruption mutant in the DVU2067 RR presented a growth defect in liquid culture. Our results indicate that, of the two diguanylate cyclases that function as part of two-component signaling, DVU0636 plays an important role in biofilm formation while the function of DVU2067 has pertinence in planktonic growth.
Information & social networks: engineering attitudes & behaviors

Over the past fifteen years communication networks have become increasingly pervasive, and none more significantly than the Internet. For hundreds of millions of people around the world recently emerging information and social networks are key points of contact with the Internet. These networks are platforms engineered to leverage personal data and activities to provide tailored experiences and deliver targeted advertisements that seek to guide users' attitudes and behaviors. This paper highlights the author's studies examining how these networks' designs and existence amongst other networks impact our interactions with one another, and his plans for addressing this domain for his dissertation.
Optoelectronics Encoder for a 12-bit 1.28-GSPS Analog-to-Digital Converter

In this letter, a novel 1.28-gigasamples/s (GSPS) 12-bit optoelectronics analog-to-digital converter (ADC) system is presented. The ADC architecture encodes and multiplexes four 320-megasamples/s 12-bit time-interleaved quantized data into an aggregated 1.28-GSPS 12-bit digital signal in real time. All clock signals at frequencies of 1.28 GHz, and 640 and 320 MHz are generated from a single 320-MHz femtosecond laser source, thereby eliminating the need for external synchronization and control signals. A spurious-free dynamic range of value 80.6 dB, signal-to-noise and distortion ratio of value 54.33 dB, full-scale and zero-scale offset errors of value 2 least significant bits, and an effective number of bits of value 8.8 bits were all measured for the system.
Beam breakup simulations for the cornell x-ray ERL

Multi-pass, multi-bunch beam-breakup (BBU) can limit the current in linac-based recirculating accelerators. We have made the computation of the transverse and longitudinal BBU-threshold current available in BMAD,Cornell's main accelerator simulation library. The coupling of horizontal and vertical motion as well as time of flight effects are automatically contained. Subsequently we present a detailed simulation study of transverse and longitudinal BBU in the proposed 5GeV Energy Recovery Linac light source at Cornell University, including the use of frequency randomization, polarized cavities and optical manipulations to improve the threshold current.
Consequences of individual removal on persistence of a protected population of long‐lived turtles

Box turtles Terrapene carolina are long-lived vertebrates found in many habitats throughout eastern North America. Because they routinely live >30–70 years, individuals and populations likely face periodic catastrophic effects from habitat alteration, such as hurricanes and other violent storms, flooding, and climatic perturbations such as cold or drought. We used a dataset based on a 16-year mark-recapture study of a Florida box turtle population inhabiting an isolated island to model the effects of rare and chronic removal of individuals from the population. ‘Removing’ individuals based on actual sampling records allowed us to compare the resulting effects on population structure and persistence with the known demographic characteristics of the population. For the increasing population, removal had no effect on population size over a projected 50-year time span. However, only the increasing population could sustain an annual loss of up to 56 individuals (3.8% of our initial model population) per year. Beyond this level of annual removal, the population would eventually go extinct. Both the stable and declining populations were projected to become extinct by year 50, regardless of removal intensity. Irrespective of frequency, a pre-reproductive season loss leads to a smaller population than a post-reproductive season loss. These results have implications for understanding the effect of individual removal on population persistence of declining box turtle populations.
Knowledge representation of pedestrian dynamics in crowd: formalism of cellular automata

The aim of the article is to suggest knowledge representation in modeling pedestrian traffic dynamics using the method of Cellular Automata. The article also proposes a modified formalization of Cellular Automata. The formalization enables the introduction of a new automata class with automata exceeding their classic formula, under which the condition of a cell depends only on local relations. The extended idea of the Cellular Automaton makes considering global relations in decision-making processes possible. The automata class presented here is used in modeling pedestrian dynamics in crowd.
Managing Customer Retention in Private Clubs Using Churn Analysis: Some Empirical Findings

Successful private club management requires multiple leadership skill sets and managerial capabilities including but not limited to; relational marketing efforts, quality service delivery, financial/asset management, member enrollment, and member retention activities. Given the uniqueness of private club industry ownership and member governance oversight, this places a premium on member relationships and financial performance. This study set out to uncover new ways of analyzing private-club member behavioral patterns utilizing decision-tree analyses to predict private-club member resignation patterns. Results indicated that non-revenue-generating private club events are the best predictors of member resignation within 120 days of departure. These findings provide new insight into customer behavioral patterns associated with relational marketing practices in private clubs and provide club managers with practical ways to improve member retention strategies.
Relative stresses of wheelchair activity

To study relative stresses of wheelchair activity, seven able-bodied subjects' metabolic (oxygen uptake) and cardiopulmonary (heart rate and pulmonary ventilation) responses were determined during wheelchair (arm stroking) and bicycle (leg pedaling) exercise at identical propulsion velocities and work rates. For this, subjects exercised on a combination wheelchair-bicycle ergometer at wheel velocities of 1.17, 2.34, and 3.51 km/hr. The six bouts of exercise were intennittent~5-min exercise periods interspersed by 10-min rest periods. At 1.17 km/hr, no significant differences were found between wheelchair and bicycle exercise for each of the monitored variables. At 2.34 and 3.51 km/hr, however, all responses were significantly higher for wheelchair exercise. At these higher velocities, calculated respiratory exchange ratio and ventilatory equivalent values were also significantly higher for wheelchair exercise. These results suggest that acute exposure to wheelchair activity could be relatively stressful a...
Morphological variability of the Bulgarian endemic Betonica bulgarica Degen et Neič. (Lamiaceae) from Sinite Kamani Natural Park, Eastern Balkan Range

Four populations of Betonica bulgarica Degen et Neic. at Sinite Kamani Natural Park were morphologically tested. Intrapopulation and interpopulation variabilities were established. The relationship between morphological variability, number, area and ecological appurtenance of the studied populations were explored. The results demonstrated that the main source of phenotype variation is intrapopulation variability, mainly due to the age structure of populations. The most variable traits are height of stem and dimensions of leaves. The registered interpopulation variability was affected by the differences in altitude, soil type and differences in environmental conditions and soil properties. Indumentum and morphology of generative organs had taxonomic significance for distinguishing B. bulgarica from the other species in the genus, including the species that were morphologically most similar to it – Betonica officinalis L.
Initial Baseline Blood Chemistry of the Oyster Toadfish, Opsanus tau

Blood chemistry is commonly used to explore the dynamics of health in captive animals in biomedical facilities. Yet, studies of blood serum chemistry in teleost fish are almost nonexistent (1). Such information would be beneficial in determining the baseline health and physiology of captive animals. Physiological assays would allow pre-screening of experimental subjects and decrease the loss of time, effort, and animals by indicating which fish are most suited to survive the rigors of surgery, experimentation, and long-term maintenance. In mariculture, early indication of disease or infection would allow therapeutic measures to be. taken to alleviate adverse conditions and resultant death or disease. The oyster toadfish, Opsanus tuu, is a valuable vertebrate model for biomedical research (2, 3), but little is known about its blood chemistry. This study’s objective is to establish some initial baseline values for blood parameters that may be important in understanding the health of the captive toadfish. Male and female toadfish of various sizes (200-1200 g; 1833 cm-standard length) were selected from the holding tanks in the Marine Resources Center (MRC) of the Marine Biological Laboratory. Selection was based on the alertness (erect fin position), integument appearance, and regular respiration of the fish-the same characteristics investigators currently use to choose’ toadfish for experiments. Blood was collected in July 1997 (n = 20) and June 1998 (n = 40), between 0800 and 1000 h, from recently captured fish that had been acclimated for l-2 weeks in MRC holding tanks. These fish were taken from the general population in the holding tanks, and therefore their health status was unknown. Consequently, any fish that died within 45 days of the initial blood sampling (less than 10%) were excluded from the study. Within 1.5 min after the fish were anesthetized in a 0.001% solution of MS-222 (tricaine methanesulfonate), blood was drawn by caudal puncture. A 3ml heparinized syringe and a 25gauge needle were used to extract l-3 ml of mixed arterio-venous blood. Each fish was then weighed, measured, sexed, and tagged with an Avid radio tag. Only one blood sample was taken from each fish. The percentage of the blood volume composed of red blood cells (hematocrit) was determined by transferring a portion of each blood sample directly from the syringe into capillary tubes, which were centrifuged and then read using a Monoject Scientific Critocaps micro-hematocrit capillary tube reader. The remaining blood
The indifference of Christian ethics to human evolution

Most approaches to Christian ethics assume that the natural sciences have little or nothing to contribute regarding the issues that they care about the most. This assumption runs against the theological bent of the tradition of Christian ethics, and especially against those streams that give a central place to human flourishing. The variety of ways in which science and theology, and science and religion, have been related to one another is more or less replicated in discussions of the relation between evolution and Christian ethics. John Haught traces four modes of relating science and religion – “conflict,” “contrast,” “contact,” and “confirmation.” This book recognizes that each of these responses is appropriate for various evolutionary positions. Christian ethicists tend to view evolution in one of three basic ways: as misleading and dangerous (“conflict”), as irrelevant (“contrast”), and as helpful (“contact” and “confirmation”). Christian ethicists generally tend to presume the irrelevance position: they accept the fact of evolution, show indifference to the theory of evolution, and reject naturalistic ontology. In this chapter I examine the two major approaches to Christian ethics that display the most consistent indifference to science in general and evolutionary theory in particular, namely, narrative theology and natural-law theory. The figures chosen for this chapter are representative of broad movements within Christian ethics; weaknesses in these positions reflect variations on weaknesses found in related schools of thought as well. Disciplinary specialization presents a reason for theological indifference.
Multivalent Vaccine Studies for HTLV-1 Associated Diseases

Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus Type-1 is the causative agent of Adult T-cell Leukemia (ATL) and HTLV-1 associated Myelopathy or Tropical Spastic Paraparesis (HAM/TSP). In addition, HTLV-1 has been implicated in a variety of other inflammatory disorders. Natural immune responses to the virus, mainly against the envelope protein have been detected in infected individuals [1], HTLV-1 also displays very low genomic and antigenic variation making it an attractive candidate for vaccine studies [2].
Medical Student Perception of the Impact of Early Ultrasonography Education on Experiences during Clinical Rotations

Teaching medical students ultrasonography has a positive impact on their confidence in its use. The study institution has integrated ultrasonography education into the first 2 years of its 4-year curriculum. The first-year ultrasonography course taught students how to use ultrasound equipment and identify a number of structures in the neck, abdomen, pelvis, chest, and extremities. A pass/fail elective course during second year provided more opportunities to practice ultrasonography skills and use ultrasonography training models for guided procedures. The objective of this study was to investigate student perception of early ultrasonography education as related to their experience during clinical rotations. After completing third-year rotations, students were surveyed on their perception of how ultrasonography training impacted their clinical decision-making abilities, how often they engaged in ultrasonography activities, the obstacles that prevented them from using ultrasonography, and the specialties in which they used ultrasonography most. Eighty-five students from the class of 2015 and 162 students from the class of 2016 participated. Students agreed ultrasonography training aided their clinical decision-making abilities (P<.001) and their ultrasonography skills were used during third-year rotations (P<.001). Many students experienced at least 1 obstacle, most commonly lack of permission. Ultrasonography was used most during obstetrics and gynecology rotations. Despite obstacles, ultrasonography was used in a variety of specialties. These results support the inclusion of ultrasonography in the medical school curriculum to improve clinical decision-making skills and promote the development of ultrasonography skills.
Time to Stay Home? Global Diversification during the Past 25 Years

Over the past 25 years, as financial markets have become increasingly integrated, the role of foreign equities in a well-diversified portfolio has become increasingly uncertain. We present evidence that a globally diversified portfolio underperforms, on average, a U.S.-only allocation. Investors should not be overly optimistic about the potential benefits of international portfolio diversification.
Targeting intercellular adhesion molecule-1 prolongs survival in mice bearing bevacizumab-resistant glioblastoma.

// Yuji Piao 1 , Verlene Henry 2 , Ningyi Tiao 1 , Soon Young Park 1 , Juan Martinez-Ledesma 1 , Jian Wen Dong 1 , Veerakumar Balasubramaniyan 1 and John F. de Groot 1 1 Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA 2 Department of Neuro-Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA Correspondence to: John F. de Groot, email: jdegroot@mdanderson.org Keywords: intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1, bevacizumab, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, macrophage Received: November 10, 2016 Accepted: June 10, 2017 Published: June 29, 2017 ABSTRACT Intercellular cell adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1; also known as CD54) is overexpressed in bevacizumab-resistant glioblastoma. In the present study, we tested our hypothesis that highly expressed ICAM-1 mediates glioblastoma’s resistance to antiangiogenic therapy. We validated ICAM-1 overexpression in tumors resistant to antiangiogenic therapy using real-time polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting. We also detected ICAM1 expression in most glioma stem cells (GSCs). We investigated the mechanism of ICAM-1 overexpression after bevacizumab treatment and found that ICAM-1 protein expression was markedly increased in a time-dependent manner in GSC11 and GSC17 cells under hypoxic conditions in vitro . We also found that hypoxia induced ICAM-1 overexpression through the up-regulation of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription (p-STAT3). Hypoxia-induced p-STAT3 increased the mRNA transcription of ICAM-1, which we could inhibit with the STAT3 inhibitor AZD1480. Next, we used GFP-tagged ICAM-1 shRNA lentivirus to knock down ICAM-1 in GSC11 and GSC17 glioma cell lines. Then, we injected shICAM-1 GSC11 and scramble glioma stem cells into the brains of nude mice. Mice bearing tumors from shICAM-1 GSC11 cells survived significantly longer than mice injected with control cells did. The tumor sizes was significantly decreased in mice bearing tumors from shICAM-1 cells than that in mice bearing tumors from GFP-tagged GSC11 control cells. Knocking down ICAM-1 suppressed tumor invasion in vitro and in vivo and inhibited macrophage infiltration to the tumor site in bevacizumab-treated mice. Our findings suggest that ICAM-1 is a potentially important mediator of tumor migration and invasion in bevacizumab-resistant glioblastoma. Targeting ICAM-1 may provide a new strategy for enhancing the efficacy of antiangiogenic therapy against glioblastoma and preventing the invasive phenotype of the disease.
Brønsted Acid Catalyzed Synthesis of Functionalized 1,4- and 1,6-Dicarbonyl Monosilyl Enol Ethers under Operationally Practical Conditions.

Herein, we report an improved protocol for the concise synthesis of functionalized 1,4- and 1,6-dicarbonyl-derived monosilyl enol ethers via ionization of α′-hydroxy silyl enol ethers to generate unsymmetrical silyloxyallyl cations that were subsequently captured by TBS silyl enolates. These transformations were efficiently performed in acetonitrile at room temperature by employing pyridinium triflate as a catalyst. Our new reaction conditions are operationally more practical and broaden the accessibility of various 1,4- and 1,6-dicarbonyl groups, which include diketone, ketoester, and ketothioester functionalities.
Potential Political Cultures

In the previous chapter, I defined a nation as a group of people whose members self-identify with a political culture of a certain kind. This political culture is related to the group’s shared goal of maintaining or acquiring collective agency that would enable it to control its political future. I also established that nations have the capacity of being free in relation to other similar agents and thus of holding a primary moral right. The self-identification component in my definition of nationhood is designed to exclude vacuous political cultures in transitional or oppressive societies, but it is these societies that most need claims to self-determination on their territory to be regulated.
BIFURCATIONS AND MODAL INTERACTIONS IN FLUID MECHANICS: SURFACE WAVES

An experimental approach is described for the quantitative study of bifurcations and modal interactions in spatially extended fluid systems such as surface waves. Trajectories are followed in the phase space spanned by the amplitudes of the various modes into which the patterns can be decomposed. The various stable and unstable fixed points and the bifurcations that affect their stability are determined. The experiments illustrate the importance and usefulness of symmetry considerations in determining the nature of the dynamics and the presence or absence of chaos.
Collaboration Across Borders, or Piiride-ülene Koostöö: Estonians and Americans Working Together Towards Accessible Archival Collections

A collaborative project to improve global description and thus discovery of library material is shared and analyzed after a decade of activity. The Immigration History Research Center Archives and ...
Aggressive Epstein‐Barr virus‐negative B‐cell post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorder in a hepatitis C‐negative liver transplant recipient who received a hepatitis C‐positive graft: Implications for D+/R− hepatitis C virus seroconversion

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is an uncommon, but well-described complication after liver transplantation. Most recently, Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been implicated in the development of PTLD. A HCV-negative 62-year-old man with autoimmune hepatitis received a HCV nucleic acid amplification test-positive liver graft from a 73-year-old brain-dead donor (D+/R-). After his recovery from the operation, the patient was treated for HCV and achieved an undetectable viral load. He was readmitted 6 months after transplant with a spontaneous perisplenic hematoma, weight loss, failure to thrive, low-grade fevers, and abnormal liver function tests. He had a rapid clinical deterioration and expired shortly after admission. His liver biopsy demonstrated EBV-negative monomorphic B-cell PTLD. Our case is the first to report an aggressive early-onset EBV-negative monomorphic B-cell PTLD in a HCV D+/R- liver transplant. This case illustrates the paucity of knowledge on HCV seroconversion and its involvement in EBV-negative monomorphic B-cell PTLD development.
Green’s function approach to electrical conductivity of an excess charge carrier interacting with phonons in molecular crystals

The Green’s function method has been applied to determine the conductivity tensor of an excess charge carrier in a molecular crystal. The charge carrier has been represented by Wannier functions. The temperature dependence of the conductivity tensor has been obtained by the aid of temperature-dependent Green’s functions. The damping of the charge carrier due to acoustic phonons has been investigated via the imaginary part of the self-energy expression. The theory has been formulated in a manner which easily permits one to take into account impurity scattering and scattering due to optical phonons, once their dispersion is known. Numerical estimates give data consistent with presently existing experiments or theoretical calculations. It is proposed to study anisotropic transport coefficients of highly purified molecular crystals.
A long-necked tanystropheid from the Middle Triassic Moenkopi Formation (Anisian) provides insights into the ecology and biogeography of tanystropheids

This project was funded by the Virginia Tech Department of Geosciences and is supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, grant number DGE-1418060.
Chronic viral infection promotes early germinal center exit of B cells and impaired antibody development

SUMMARY Chronic viral infections disrupt B cell responses leading to impaired affinity maturation and delayed control of viremia. Previous studies have identified early pre-germinal center (GC) B cell attrition but the impact of chronic infections on B cell fate decisions in the GC remains poorly understood. To address this question, we used single-cell transcriptional profiling of virus-specific GC B cells to test the hypothesis that chronic viral infection disrupted GC B cell fate decisions leading to suboptimal humoral immunity. These studies revealed a critical GC differentiation checkpoint that is disrupted by chronic infection, specifically at the point of dark zone re-entry. During chronic viral infection, virus-specific GC B cells were shunted towards terminal plasma cell (PC) or memory B cell (MBC) fates at the expense of continued participation in the GC. Early GC exit was associated with decreased B cell mutational burden and antibody quality. Persisting antigen and inflammation independently drove facets of dysregulation, with a key role for inflammation in directing premature terminal GC B cell differentiation and GC exit. Thus, these studies define GC defects during chronic viral infection and identify a critical GC checkpoint that is short-circuited, preventing optimal maturation of humoral immunity.
Different associations of tumor PIK3CA mutations and clinical outcomes according to aspirin use among women with metastatic hormone receptor positive breast cancer

The relationships among PIK3CA mutations, medication use and tumor progression remains poorly understood. Aspirin use post-diagnosis may modify components of the PI3K pathway, including AKT and mTOR, and has been associated with lower risk of breast cancer recurrence and mortality. We assessed time to metastasis (TTM) and survival with respect to aspirin use and tumor PIK3CA mutations among women with metastatic breast cancer. Patients with hormone receptor positive, HER2 negative (HR+/HER2-) metastatic breast cancer treated in 2009–2016 who received tumor genotyping were included. Aspirin use between primary and metastatic diagnosis was extracted from electronic medical records. TTM and survival were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression. Among 267 women with metastatic breast cancer, women with PIK3CA mutated tumors had longer TTM than women with PIK3CA wildtype tumors (7.1 vs. 4.7 years, p = 0.008). There was a significant interaction between PIK3CA mutations and aspirin use on TTM (p = 0.006) and survival (p = 0.026). PIK3CA mutations were associated with longer TTM among aspirin non-users (HR = 0.60 95% CI:0.44–0.82 p = 0.001) but not among aspirin users (HR = 1.57 0.86–2.84 p = 0.139). Similarly, PIK3CA mutations were associated with reduced mortality among aspirin non-users (HR = 0.70 95% CI:0.48–1.02 p = 0.066) but not among aspirin users (HR = 1.75 95% CI:0.88–3.49 p = 0.110). Among women who develop metastatic breast cancer, tumor PIK3CA mutations are associated with slower time to progression and mortality only among aspirin non-users. Larger studies are needed to confirm this finding and examine the relationship among aspirin use, tumor mutation profile, and the overall risk of breast cancer progression.
Anyone, but not Everyone: Undergraduate Engineering Students’ Claims of Who Can Do Engineering

This paper examines students’ claims about who can become an engineer and what it takes in engineering culture to be successful. Through longitudinal interviews with 20 undergraduate engineering st...