cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heartbeat: Intervention for asymptomatic severe aortic stenosis?

There is no question that aortic valve replacement (AVR) improves survival and reduces symptoms in symptomatic adults with severe aortic stenosis (AS); this recommendation in both European Society of Cardiology and American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology guidelines is supported by high-quality clinical trials, observational data and clinical experience. However, it remains controversial whether AVR would improve long-term outcomes in adults with severe AS who have not yet developed symptoms. Given the absence of a randomised clinical trial to address this question, Lim et al ( see page 268 ) performed a meta-analysis of four observational studies (with a total of 1300 patients) that compared AVR at symptom onset to AVR in the absence of symptoms in adults with severe AS. The pooled data showed no significant difference between an early AVR versus symptom-driven AVR approach in cardiac mortality (OR 0.78, p=0.85) or sudden death (OR 0.34, p=0.25). There was a trend toward reduced overall mortality with early AVR using a random effects model, which is the most appropriate statistical approach given heterogeneity between studies (figure 1). The authors conclude, “We do not believe the data are sufficient to change clinical practice until more robust, randomised data are available.” Figure 1 Random-effects model comparing all-cause mortality between patients with asymptomatic severe aortic stenosis undergoing early aortic valve replacement (AVR) and patients on a …
An Analysis of Malaise-Trap Effectiveness in Assessing Robber Fly (Diptera: Asilidae) Species Richness

Abstract Little quantitative information is available on the effectiveness of Malaise traps in estimating insect species richness. I used the Chao1 nonparametric species richness estimator to evaluate the effectiveness of Malaise traps in assessing species richness of robber flies in west-central Illinois burned and unburned deciduous forest and tallgrass prairie habitats. Two of 12 traps yielded asymptotic species richness values, with remaining traps requiring fold increases ranging from 3.1 to 20.9 to reach asymptotic richness. Overall, observed species richness was over 85% of estimated species richness, but a 3.9-fold sample-size increase would have been required to reach asymptotic species richness. For individual habitats, estimated fold increases in sample size ranging from 1.9 to 9.7 would have been needed to reach asymptotic species richness. These results show that Malaise traps are effective in sampling robber flies, but asymptotic species richness would be difficult to achieve. Lower target c...
A fuzzy-trace theory of risk and time preferences in decision making: Integrating cognition and motivation.

We provide an overview of fuzzy-trace theory (FTT) and its implications for risk and time preferences, drawing on evidence from behavioral economics, psychology, and neuroscience. FTT’s central construct is mental representation, specifically verbatim (literal surface form) and gist (bottom-line meaning) representations. The differences between these types of representation determine risk and time preferences, in combination with social values as well as developmental and individual differences. In particular, sensitivity to rewards and inhibitory control vary across the life span and across people, but impulsivity and risk taking can be modified by applying principles of FTT. We discuss the origins of FTT in prospect theory and distinguish risk preference, impulsivity versus intuition, temporal discounting (i.e., delay discounting), and delay of gratification, as well as FTT’s approach compared to standard dual-process models of judgment and decision making. As we discuss, there are parallels in FTT’s explanations of people’s willingness to tolerate risk as well as their willingness to wait for future rewards. FTT predicts theoretically crucial effects, such as increasing cognitive biases from childhood to adulthood, greater “rational” analysis among adolescents compared to adults, elimination of gain–loss biases through truncation of zero parts of gambles in risky choice framing, and hidden-zero effects in temporal discounting. We conclude that FTT yields qualitatively different interpretations of risk preference and time preference compared to other theories and that it offers new approaches to understanding and improving problem behaviors.
Topiramate-induced macular neurosensory retinal detachment.

Abstract Purpose To present a previously unreported retinal side-effect from topiramate use in two cases. Observations Macular neurosensory retinal detachments were seen in two patients shortly after beginning oral topiramate. The macular detachments resolved shortly after discontinuing this medication. Conclusions and importance As these two cases represent the first reports of topiramate-induced macular neurosensory retinal detachment, clinicians should be aware of this potential ocular side effect when administering this medication.
A Comparison of Alkaline Water and Mediterranean Diet vs Proton Pump Inhibition for Treatment of Laryngopharyngeal Reflux

Importance Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is a common disorder with protean manifestations in the head and neck. In this retrospective study, we report the efficacy of a wholly dietary approach using alkaline water, a plant-based, Mediterranean-style diet, and standard reflux precautions compared with that of the traditional treatment approach of proton pump inhibition (PPI) and standard reflux precautions. Objective To determine whether treatment with a diet-based approach with standard reflux precautions alone can improve symptoms of LPR compared with treatment with PPI and standard reflux precautions. Design, Setting, and Participants This was a retrospective medical chart review of 2 treatment cohorts. From 2010 to 2012, 85 patients with LPR that were treated with PPI and standard reflux precautions (PS) were identified. From 2013 to 2015, 99 patients treated with alkaline water (pH >8.0), 90% plant-based, Mediterranean-style diet, and standard reflux precautions (AMS) were identified. The outcome was based on change in Reflux Symptom Index (RSI). Main Outcomes and Measures Recorded change in the RSI after 6 weeks of treatment. Results Of the 184 patients identified in the PS and AMS cohorts, the median age of participants in each cohort was 60 years (95% CI, 18-82) and 57 years (95% CI, 18-93), respectively (47 [56.3%] and 61 [61.7%] were women, respectively). The percentage of patients achieving a clinically meaningful (≥6 points) reduction in RSI was 54.1% in PS-treated patients and 62.6% in AMS-treated patients (difference between the groups, 8.05; 95% CI, −5.74 to 22.76). The mean reduction in RSI was 27.2% for the PS group and 39.8% in the AMS group (difference, 12.10; 95% CI, 1.53 to 22.68). Conclusions and Relevance Our data suggest that the effect of PPI on the RSI based on proportion reaching a 6-point reduction in RSI is not significantly better than that of alkaline water, a plant-based, Mediterranean-style diet, and standard reflux precautions, although the difference in the 2 treatments could be clinically meaningful in favor of the dietary approach. The percent reduction in RSI was significantly greater with the dietary approach. Because the relationship between percent change and response to treatment has not been studied, the clinical significance of this difference requires further study. Nevertheless, this study suggests that a plant-based diet and alkaline water should be considered in the treatment of LPR. This approach may effectively improve symptoms and could avoid the costs and adverse effects of pharmacological intervention as well as afford the additional health benefits associated with a healthy, plant-based diet.
The Bursty Steiner Tree Problem

We introduce and study a new Steiner tree problem variation called the bursty Steiner tree problem where new nodes arrive into bursts. This is an online problem which becomes the well-known online ...
Checkpoint Inhibitors in the Treatment of Breast Cancer.

The treatment landscape for many cancers has dramatically changed with the development of checkpoint inhibitors. This article will review the literature concerning the use of checkpoint inhibitors in breast cancer. The histological subtype of BC with the strongest signal of efficacy has been triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Early trials of single-agent checkpoint inhibitors did not demonstrate a uniformly positive signal. Clinical studies suggest response rates between 5 and 10% in pretreated patients and roughly 20–25% for untreated advanced TNBC. However, in the small subset of patients who do respond, the response is often durable. More encouraging results have been reported with their use in combination with chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting. Larger phase III studies are underway to confirm these earlier findings. An immune-directed therapeutic approach for the management of BC is underway, and it is likely that combination therapy will be required to achieve a level of efficacy worthy of use in the BC treatment paradigm. These agents are not without both economic and clinical toxicity; therefore, it is imperative that we identify patients most likely to benefit from these therapies through well-designed biologically plausible clinical studies and by evaluating novel combinatorial approaches with informative biomarker driven correlative studies.
Dissociation of hypertrophy and altered function in senescent rat myocardium

In the rat aging model functional and biochemical alterations of senescence are accompanied by myocardial hypertrophy. The studies described herein indicate that this hypertrophy (1) does not involve a concomitant alteration in myofibrillar ATPase activity, (2) is not the cause of prolonged contraction times, i.e., time-to-peak force and relaxation time observed in the senescent heart.
The Fate of Calcium Ions Entering a Cell

Ca2+ influx from the extracellular space across the plasma membrane into the cytosol plays an important role in cell signalling. Secretion of neurotransmitters at synapses and activation of gene expression are two of many processes that require a substantial increase in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) through Ca2+ translocation across the membrane. Considering these tremendous consequences of intracellular Ca2+ changes, it is not surprising that cells have developed a wide variety of mechanisms to precisely regulate [Ca2+]i. This chapter will briefly review the basic mechanisms that control Ca2+ elevations; however, the main emphasis will be on Ca2+ transport through organelles. This recently discovered process is important for redistributing Ca2+ within the cytosol following Ca2+ influx across the plasma membrane. Redistribution of Ca2+ helps to refill Ca2+ stores in certain locations of the cell and supports the generation of cytosolic Ca2+ signals and subsequent cellular functions such as gene expression.
Review: recent studies on taurine in the central nervous system.

The functions of taurine in the central nervous system are ambiguous at best and any review concerning this ubiquitous compound, unless truly exhaustive, suffers from the problem of where to start. With this problem in mind I have opted to review select papers dealing with taurine and the brain that have been published since 1989 when the very elegant and comprehensive review entitled “Taurine in the Central Nervous System and the Mammalian Actions of Taurine” by Ryan Huxtable was published1. Articles referring to taurine and the retina will also be omitted since this subject has been recently reviewed elsewhere2.
An Integrative Approach to Prostate Cancer.

Abstract Objectives: The mostly indolent natural history and long overall survival associated with a diagnosis of prostate cancer provides a unique opportunity for men to explore diet and lifestyle...
Thermomechanical Analysis and Package-Level Optimization of Mechanically Flexible Interconnects for Interposer-on- Motherboard Assembly

This paper explores different means by which the interconnect reliability is improved and interposer warpage is decreased for an interposer-to-board integration platform using mechanically flexible interconnects (MFIs). Central to this exploration is the design and distribution/orientation of the MFIs on the interposer. Using finite-element-based tool ANSYS, different MFI distributions and configurations are investigated. A radially oriented interconnect distribution in which the MFIs line up along the contours of thermal expansion/contraction is evaluated. Furthermore, a multiobjective genetic algorithm is employed to reduce max von-Mises stress in the MFIs and warpage in the interposer for each MFI distribution configuration. The impact of chip size and MFI pitch (from 400 to $1200~\mu \text{m}$ ) on the mechanical integrity of the MFIs and interposer are also explored.
Multi-agent System for Cloud Manufacturing Process Planning

Abstract The fundamental concern of building a distributed Cloud manufacturing (CM) platform is how wide variety of manufacturing services (SaaS, PaaS, HaaS, IaaS) can be integrated under a common cloud platform? More technically, this concern is related to the classical data integration problem, i.e. how to universally map information from heterogeneous data sources. Adoption of CM may become possible if collaborative agents can automatically discover a set of suitable CM services, and invoke them in a particular order to achieve a certain manufacturing task. Cloud computing community suggested semantic web services in order to enable automatic discovery, invocation and orchestration of web services. In this paper, we describe a novel multi-agent framework, where agents are configured based on Belief, Desire, and Intention (BDI) formalism. In this proposed framework, agents are capable of autonomously discovering and orchestrating manufacturing services based on their intrinsic and extrinsic awareness of the manufacturing knowledge at its most contemporary state. The internal structure of agents are constructed by Horn-DL rules, arguing such DL-safe rules will be able to extract and analyze manufacturing knowledge bases, built with OWL-DL. This chapter also introduces a novel method of selecting suitable services, from the intrinsic semantic in Horn-DL rule. This integration of Horn-Dl and semantic cloud services is designed based on a logical extension of Horn-DL.
The role of carbon and SiC crystallinities in the oxidation and mechanical property improvement of hybrid nano-fibers

Abstract In this study, electrospinning was successfully used to fabricate hybrid Carbon-Silicon Carbide (C-SiC) fibers using polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and silicon (Si) nano-particles as precursors. Silicon-to-carbon precursor ratios and heat treatment were optimized to fabricate hybrid nano-fibers with high oxidation resistance. After heat treatment, the nano-fibers showed two-dimensional ordered carbons and SiC nano-phases formation. As a result, a noticeable improvement in mechanical and thermal properties was achieved. Samples with 90 wt% PAN/10 wt% Si showed about four-time improvements in char yield as compared with 100 wt% PAN. In addition, after heat treatment of the fiber at 1250 °C, SiC was formed. The SiC phase played a major role in ordering the carbon phase. The carbon and SiC crystallinities had a great impact on the oxidation and mechanical property improvement of hybrid nanofibers. The determination of crystal size was carried out using X-ray results obtained at different temperatures and holding times. The SiC grain growth was predicted using kinetic model and its exponent was found to be around n = 4 with an activation energy around 35 KJ/mol.K. For such growth, the dominant grain growth mechanism was grain boundary diffusion.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy secondary to non-accidental trauma presenting as an "unwitnessed" arrest

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is characterised by akinesis and ballooning of the left ventricular apex during contraction of the otherwise normal base of the heart. We describe the case of a 7-month-old previously healthy female who presented with an unwitnessed cardiac arrest. Workup raised suspicion for non-accidental trauma. Despite progression to brain death, the severely decreased ventricular function and apical akinesis of the left ventricle improved within 40 hours of admission. This report will familiarise paediatricians with this rare cardiomyopathy and emphasise the importance of considering non-accidental trauma as an inciting event for patients with unwitnessed cardiac arrest found to have decreased ventricular function.
Enabling Cross-Technology Coexistence for Extremely Weak Wireless Devices

Cross-technology coexistence is crucial to avoid collisions of wireless transmissions and improve the efficiency of spectrum utilization in today’s large-scale wireless network systems, especially the Internet of Things. However, existing approaches to cross-technology coexistence incur additional transmission delay and signal processing overhead, which are unaffordable by extremely weak wireless devices such as embedded sensors and computational RFIDs. These schemes hence fail when being applied to emerging application scenarios, such as smart cities and connected healthcare where weak devices play important roles. In this paper, we design and implement EmBee, a new wireless PHY technique that enables cross-technology coexistence at zero cost or performance loss to these extremely weak wireless devices. The basic idea of EmBee is to exploit the diversity of different wireless technologies’ spectrum utilization, so as to adaptively reserve occupied spectrum from the strong devices for weak wireless devices’ concurrent data transmissions. We have implemented EmBee over custom wireless hardware and evaluated EmBee under different wireless scenarios. Experiment results show that EmBee can effectively support ZigBee transmissions over a fully occupied WiFi channel without causing any extra delay, while only resulting in 10% WiFi throughput loss.
Estimating the Cost of Equity: Why Do Simple Benchmarks Outperform Factor Models?

We compare the accuracy of cost of equity estimates based on leading factor models to two simple alternatives: the asset mean and the market mean. The market mean proves to be a serious competitor to traditional implementations of factor models even if the underlying factor model is true. Pricing errors (alphas) that are negatively correlated with firm and industry market betas further improve the performance of the market mean relative to model-based approaches. We propose Bayesian estimators that address key weaknesses in standard plug-in approaches. These estimators outperform plug-in methods and the market mean in simulations and out-of-sample.
First-Principles Comparative Study of UN and Zr Corrosion

Abstract We studied surface corrosion effects on Zr and UN using first-principles density functional theory-based calculations. We focused on the energetics of Zr (1000), UN (100) and UN (110) surfaces, exposed to water and oxygen. Average distance between the terminating UN (100) surface and bulk increases due to the presence of additional oxygen content, as well as for the (110) surface. The average distance between the surface layer and bulk is greater in the (110) surface than the (100) surface after water adsorption. Oxygen concentration determines whether H2 or oxynitrde is formed on the (110) surface. Local density of states and partial charge density show the bonding between the UN surfaces and adsorbates. From an electronic energy of −2 eV to the Fermi level, the majority of electrons are found to be localized around U atoms. Electron localization function calculations further reveal the corrosion mechanism details.
Strength-ductility modulation via surface severe plastic deformation and annealing

Abstract Surface severe plastic deformation (S2PD) techniques such as surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) allow processing of metals to form a gradient of stored deformation energy and microstructure. Though strengthening of S2PD metals has been investigated in the literature, little information is available on the influence of subsequent annealing on microstructure and mechanical property evolution of the S2PD metals. Here, the SMAT process of Cu followed by heating at temperatures of 175 °C, 225 °C and 275 °C for 1 h is performed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) are utilized to investigate microstructural evolution at different depths from the treated surface. To evaluate the spatial distribution of hardness, cross-section microhardness measurements are incorporated. The stored gradient of deformation has caused a reduction in the recrystallization temperature of the SMAT treated Cu, and following the annealing, microstructural evaluation reveals a recrystallized layer near the treated surface, the depth of which increased with a higher annealing temperature. Uniaxial tension testing is utilized to analyze the mechanical properties of the SMAT processed and annealed specimen, and a substantial increase in uniform elongation is observed with the 225 °C and 275 °C heat-treated specimens when compared to the as-SMAT processed state. This increase in uniform elongation is attributed to extra work-hardening rate due to the higher dislocation storage capacity of the recrystallized layer. This study shows that with annealing after SMAT, modulated grain structure gradients can be obtained. The strength-ductility combinations of the material can be flexibly altered in order to adapt to different applications with different mechanical property requirements by using different annealing parameters.
Heliopolitics: The international political economy of solar supply chains

Abstract Tariffs imposed by the United States government under Sections 201 and 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 have given rise to a broadly protectionist exercise of energy policy discretion by the executive branch of government. How can such actions be understood within a wider context of geopolitical competition and the international political economy of an emerging global solar industry? This article proposes that a “Solar Trilemma” could be a key concept for understanding the geo- (or helio-) politics of a new era. It analyzes how renewed solar protectionism counteracts against past progress, and opens the way for a return to the counterproductive economic conflicts and “managed trade” of the 1970s and 1980s; for the energy transition as a whole, decarbonization of the energy system could be delayed. Long-run gains in specialization and efficiency will require global supply chains; the historical experience of the WTO Information Technology Agreement suggests a way forward for heliopolitical restabilization, so as to ensure future liberalization and growth in the sector.
Charging of Oxide Nanoparticles in Media of Intermediate Dielectric Constant.

The use of surfactants to charge colloidal particles in solvents of intermediate dielectric constants (5 < e < 40) is investigated. While particle charging mechanisms in aqueous (e = 80) and apolar (e < 5) media are well understood, the interplay of these different charging mechanisms, which can all occur in solvents of intermediate dielectric constants (sometimes referred to as "leaky dielectrics"), remains to be fully explored. Conductometric titrations determining the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the surfactant (aerosol-OT) confirm the existence of reverse micelles in intermediate dielectrics and show that as the solvent dielectric constant decreases, the CMC decreases as well. Electrophoretic mobility measurements of three oxide particles (SiO2, TiO2, and MgO) highlight various charging mechanisms that arise from particle-solvent, particle-surfactant, and solvent-surfactant interactions in a solvent series of alcohols and ketones. The results show that a combination of donor-acceptor particle-solvent interactions, surfactant ion adsorption, and reverse micelle-mediated acid-base interactions can all charge oxide particles in intermediate dielectrics. Furthermore, the results show that the dielectric constant of the solvent affects the relative magnitudes of each charging mechanism.
Treatment of velopharyngeal dysfunction: A clinical report

Abstract Current tumor therapies can impair velopharyngeal function and lead to the development of hypernasality and nasal regurgitation. This article describes a prosthetic restoration of velopharyngeal dysfunction with a multidisciplinary approach including a speech pathologist and videofluoroscopic and nasal endoscopic procedures.
Biliary tract cancers: systemic therapy for advanced disease

Biliary tract carcinomas (BTC) present with minimal symptoms and thus they are often diagnosed in advanced stages that require systemic therapy. Unfortunately, if not resected, BTC's prognosis is generally poor, in part due to limited therapeutic options. Herein we will highlight the various systemic therapies that have proven efficacy in these diseases in both 1st and 2nd line. As it stands now, the combination of Gemcitabine and Cisplatin is the gold standard. Gemcitabine plus Cisplatin (Gem-Cis)-nab-paclitaxel showed improved survival in a phase II trial compared with historical controls. SWOG 1815 is a phase III trial currently underway comparing Gem-Cis-nab-paclitaxel to Gem-Cis and if positive, this has the potential to establish a new standard of care. New data from the ABC-06 study has shown a survival benefit using FOLFOX in the 2nd line setting. Molecularly targeted agents in BTC have demonstrated potential beyond Gem-Cis and while currently limited to second- and later-line therapies, ongoing trials are testing their efficacy even in newly diagnosed patients. With both incremental improvements in existing therapies and the development of entirely novel agents, the future of systemic therapy for BTC is promising.
A Computer Scientist Teaches Gen Ed Math

A nationwide effort is underway to provide students pursuing higher education with options for satisfying general education (gen ed) math requirements. Within the context of this effort, computer science has an opportunity to introduce students to programming fundamentals and computer science principles while also satisfying gen ed math requirements. This paper is an experience report that describes initial efforts at the University of Nebraska-Omaha in piloting a course, satisfying the gen ed math requirements for non-STEM majors, whose content spans computer science, mathematics as well as the visual arts.
A Retrospective Analysis of Hospital Electrocardiogram Auto-Populated QT Interval Calculation.

Background The current electrocardiogram (ECG) standard for rate correction of the QT interval (QTc) is a power function known as the Bazett formula (QTcB). QTc formulae are either power functions or linear functions. QTcB is known to lack reliability, as heart rate (HR) rises from or falls below 60 beats per minute (bpm). The American Heart Association (AHA), the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF), and the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) have recommended using other formulae in place of QTcB since 2009. The Epic Electronic Health Record System (Epic Systems Corporation, Verona, WI) automatically populates the Fridericia formula (QTcFri) on hospital ECG reports without any provider calculation. Methods We aimed to retrospectively investigate the effect of QTcFri on one year of ECGs in the Epic Electronic Health Record (EHR) at a single tertiary care center. Inclusion criteria for ECG reports specified HR 60-120 bpm without QRS duration > 120 ms. Gathered data from Epic EHR ECG reports included patient age, sex, HR, QRS duration (QRSd), QT interval, QTcB, and QTcFri. EHR documented 61,946 ECG reports for the year, with 44,566 meeting criteria for inclusion. General statistical methods included range, median, mean, and standard deviation. Confidence intervals were assessed to maintain the fidelity of analysis. The normality of data distribution was assessed with Kolmogorov-Smirnov testing. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was then performed to confirm a statistically significant difference between the Bazett and Fridericia formulae. The ∆QTc analysis was conducted on prolonged QTc (males > 450 ms; females > 460 ms) and severely prolonged QTc > 500 ms data subsets. A value of p 500 ms by 57.3%. A total of 125 ECG reports, 117 females and eight males, corrected to normal gender-specific QTc with QTcFri. The mean decrease in QTc with the Fridericia formula when QTcB > 500 ms was 31 ± 14.5 ms (99% CI: 30.4 ms, 31.7 ms). Conclusion Our data from the Wilcoxon rank-sum analysis indicated that the EHR QTcFri analysis yields a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) in QTc calculation of 22 ms over 44,566 ECG reports. The data showed a 21% reduction in inaccurately documented test results. The utilization of this resource will provide the most accurate and clinically relevant data to inform clinical decision-making. Accurate QT interval calculation will better inform downstream clinical decision-making through a wider scope of therapeutic intervention. This analysis is readily available to clinicians without calculation and its awareness will benefit patient care.
Towards a Problem-Solving Approach to Addressing Racial Disparities in School Discipline Under Anti-Discrimination Law

Racial disparities in exclusionary school discipline pose a serious threat to equal educational opportunity. Federal anti-discrimination law, which largely protects against direct forms of racial bias, is too narrowly focused to require schools, districts, and states to consider the broad range of factors that contribute to racial disparities in school discipline. Anti-discrimination law could more effectively address complex issues like racial disparities in exclusionary school discipline if it created an affirmative duty to engage in a problem-solving approach focused on goals related to achieving equity. To support the argument, this article draws on the example and experience of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which requires use of a problem-solving approach to identify and address “significant disproportionality” in discipline outcomes of students with disabilities based on their race. The basic framework of the IDEA serves as an example for implementation of a problem-solving approach for anti-discrimination law. It also highlights practical, legal, and methodological issues inherent in the assessment of racial disparities and evaluation of interventions to address them. Building on research on measures of and approaches for resolving racial disparities in discipline, the manuscript proposes ways to address these issues. It also uses national school discipline data to illustrate show how the proposed approaches could make anti-discrimination law more effective at addressing these issues.
Fluid shear stress generates a unique signaling response by activating multiple TGFβ family type I receptors in osteocytes

Bone is a dynamic tissue that constantly adapts to changing mechanical demands. The transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) signaling pathway plays several important roles in maintaining skeletal homeostasis by both coupling the bone-forming and bone-resorbing activities of osteoblasts and osteoclasts and by playing a causal role in the anabolic response of bone to applied loads. However, the extent to which the TGFβ signaling pathway in osteocytes is directly regulated by fluid shear stress (FSS) is unknown, despite work suggesting that fluid flow along canaliculi is a dominant physical cue sensed by osteocytes following bone compression. To investigate the effects of FSS on TGFβ signaling in osteocytes, we stimulated osteocytic OCY454 cells cultured within a microfluidic platform with FSS. We find that FSS rapidly upregulates Smad2/3 phosphorylation and TGFβ target gene expression, even in the absence of added TGFβ. Indeed, relative to treatment with TGFβ, FSS induced a larger increase in levels of pSmad2/3 and Serpine1 that persisted even in the presence of a TGFβ receptor type I inhibitor. Our results show that FSS stimulation rapidly induces phosphorylation of multiple TGFβ family R-Smads by stimulating multimerization and concurrently activating several TGFβ and BMP type I receptors, in a manner that requires the activity of the corresponding ligand. While the individual roles of the TGFβ and BMP signaling pathways in bone mechanotransduction remain unclear, these results implicate that FSS activates both pathways to generate a downstream response that differs from that achieved by either ligand alone.
Capicua Suppresses YAP1 To Limit Tumorigenesis and Maintain Drug Sensitivity in Human Cancer

Inactivation of Capicua (CIC) or upregulation of yes-associated protein 1, YAP1, leads to broad RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK inhibitor resistance and tumor progression in multiple human cancers. Despite these shared malignant phenotypes, it remains unknown if CIC and YAP1 are mechanistically linked. Here, we show that the ERK-regulated transcription factor CIC can directly repress YAP1 transcription through non-consensus GGAAGGAA DNA-binding motifs in a proximal YAP1 regulatory element. Through binding at GGAA repeats, CIC regulates YAP1 transcriptional output in both normal and human cancer cells. Silencing YAP1 in CIC -deficient cells restores MAPK inhibitor sensitivity and suppresses tumor growth. Thus, we have uncovered a molecular link between the MAPK-ERK effector CIC and YAP1 in human cells and establish YAP1 inhibition as a strategy to target CIC-deficient cancers.
Self-Regulation, Innovation, and the Financial Industry

The paper shows that the presence of continuous innovation may be one of the driving forces of self-regulation. In an infinitely repeated game, there exists a class of subgame perfect equilibria in which the self-regulatory organization, or SRO, pursues socially desirable objectives along the equilibrium path to stave off government intervention. Delegating regulatory authority to the SRO eliminates certification-related delays in the adoption of new services, fosters innovation and leads to higher social welfare.
A two-level aggregation-based newton-Krylov-Schwarz method for hydrology

This chapter discusses the design and implementation of a Newton-Krylov-Schwarz solver for the implicit temporal integration on an unstructured three-dimensional spatial mesh of time-dependent partial differential equations. The novel feature of this approach is the formation of a coarse mesh problem using aggregation methods from algebraic mutt\grid. The solver was tested within the Adaptive Hydrology (ADH) Model, a finite element code being developed by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) that is designed to solve a variety of hydrology problems including surface water flow. This approach is applied to the solution of Richards' equation for groundwater flow in the unsaturated zone while also discussing an application to surfacewater-groundwater interaction. This chapter discusses the performance of the method in a Navier-Stokes simulation. The weak formulation of the Navier-Stokes equations leads to implicit temporal integration. The discretization of the weak formulation leads to a system of nonlinear equations that must be solved at each time step. These equations are solved via Newton-Krylov-Schwarz (NKS) methods.
Phoneme repetition in the structure of languages.

The structure of phoneme repetition in Croatian and Hawaiian was found to be remarkably similar. In both languages, immediate repetition of phonemes as in AACHEN was very infrequent, but phoneme repetition after some degree of separation as in PROPER was significantly more frequent than chance expectation.The degree of separation for maximum probability of repetition was slightly different for vowels and consonants in both languages. This pattern of phoneme repetition was unrelated to syllable length, word length or word frequency in these languages.The hypothesis was advanced that this pattern of repetition resulted from an evolutionary process, reflected not only in recorded phonological changes in the history of languages, but also in errors in speech, and phonetic changes at rapid rates of speech, all of which frequently involve repeated phonemes.
A targeted approach to identification of vaccinia virus postreplicative transcription elongation factors: Genetic evidence for a role of the H5R gene in vaccinia transcription

Abstract Treatment of wild-type vaccinia virus infected cells with the anti-poxviral drug isatin-β-thiosemicarbazone (IBT) induces the viral postreplicative transcription apparatus to synthesize longer-than-normal mRNAs through an unknown mechanism. Prior studies have shown that virus mutants resistant to or dependent on IBT affect proteins involved in control of viral postreplicative transcription elongation, including G2, J3, and the viral RNA polymerase. Prior studies also suggest that there exist additional unidentified vaccinia genes that influence transcription elongation. The present study was undertaken to target candidate transcription elongation factor genes in an error-prone mutagenesis protocol to determine whether IBT-resistant or -dependent alleles could be isolated in those candidate genes. Mutagenesis of genes in which IBT resistance alleles have previously been isolated, namely A24R (encoding the second largest RNA polymerase subunit, rpo132) and G2R (encoding a positive transcription elongation factor), resulted in isolation of novel IBT resistance and dependence alleles therefore providing proof of principle of the targeted mutagenesis technique. The vaccinia H5 protein has been implicated previously in transcription elongation by virtue of its association with the positive elongation factor G2. Mutagenesis of the vaccinia H5R gene resulted in a novel H5R IBT resistance allele, strongly suggesting that H5 is a positive transcription elongation factor.
Accountability Practices of School Counselors: A National Survey.

A national survey of practicing school counselors was conducted to obtain information regarding (a) their accountability practices, (b) barriers to the collection of accountability data, (c) the relationship between involvement in accountability efforts and demographic variables, and (d) strategies for increasing activity in the area of accountability. Results indicated that 55% of the 239 respondents were collecting accountability data, often for the purpose of enhancing their professional growth and development. The 108 school counselors not involved in the collection of such data identified lack of familiarity with procedures and time constraints as major barriers. Respondents indicated a need for additional preservice and in-service training, as well as for dissemination of exemplary procedures.
Pathogenicity of swine influenza viruses possessing an avian or swine-origin PB2 polymerase gene evaluated in mouse and pig models

PB2 627K is a determinant of influenza host range and contributes to the pathogenicity of human-, avian-, and mouse-adapted influenza viruses in the mouse model. Here we used mouse and pig models to analyze the contribution of a swine-origin and avian-origin PB2 carrying either 627K or 627E in the background of the classical swine H1N1 (A/Swine/Iowa/15/30; 1930) virus. The results showed PB2 627K is crucial for virulence in the mouse model, independent of whether PB2 is derived from an avian or swine influenza virus (SIV). In the pig model, PB2 627E decreases pathogenicity of the classical 1930 SIV when it contains the swine-origin PB2, but not when it possesses the avian-origin PB2. Our study suggests the pathogenicity of SIVs with different PB2 genes and mutation of codon 627 in mice does not correlate with the pathogenicity of the same SIVs in the natural host, the pig.
Complex uniform rotundity in symmetric spaces of measurable operators

Abstract Let M be a semifinite von Neumann algebra with a faithful, normal, semifinite trace τ and E be a symmetric Banach function space on [ 0 , τ ( 1 ) ) . We show that E is complex uniformly rotund if and only if E ( M , τ ) + is complex uniformly rotund. Moreover, under the assumption that E is p -convex for some p > 1 , complex uniform rotundity of E implies complex uniform rotundity of E ( M , τ ) . Therefore if E has non-trivial convexity, complex uniform convexity of E is equivalent with complex uniform convexity of E ( M , τ ) . We obtain an analogous result for the unitary matrix space C E and a symmetric Banach sequence space E . From the above we conclude that E ( M , τ ) + is complex uniformly rotund if and only if its norm ‖ ⋅ ‖ E ( M , τ ) is uniformly monotone.
Energy conservation for point particles undergoing radiation reaction

For smooth solutions to Maxwell's equations sourced by a smooth charge-current distribution $j_a$ in stationary, asymptotically flat spacetimes, one can prove an energy conservation theorem which asserts the vanishing of the sum of (i) the difference between the final and initial electromagnetic self-energy of the charge distribution, (ii) the net electromagnetic energy radiated to infinity (and/or into a black hole/white hole), and (iii) the total work done by the electromagnetic field on the charge distribution via the Lorentz force. A similar conservation theorem can be proven for linearized gravitational fields off of a stationary, asymptotically flat background, with the second order Einstein tensor playing the role of an effective stress-energy tensor of the linearized field. In this paper, we prove the above theorems for smooth sources and then investigate the extent to which they continue to hold for point particle sources. The ``self-energy'' of point particles is ill defined, but in the electromagnetic case, we can consider situations where, initially and finally, the point charges are stationary and in the same spatial position, so that the self-energy terms should cancel. Under certain assumptions concerning the decay behavior of source-free solutions to Maxwell's equations, we prove the vanishing of the sum of the net energy radiated to infinity and the net work done on the particle by the DeWitt-Brehme radiation reaction force. We also obtain a similar conservation theorem for angular momentum in an axisymmetric spacetime. In the gravitational case, we argue that similar conservation results should hold for freely falling point masses whose orbits begin and end at infinity.
The importance of a servant leader orientation.

Background Ensuring a quality nursing workforce for the future in a time of increasing labor shortage and declining nurse satisfaction is a key challenge to the health care industry. Understanding what impacts job satisfaction is vital to solving the problem of nurse attrition. Purposes We suggest that the approach to supporting staff in the care giving role requires additional expectations of managers who supervise inpatient nursing staff. This study empirically tested the impact of nurse managers' servant leadership orientation on nurse job satisfaction. Methodology/approach Nurses providing direct bedside patient care within inpatient departments of a five-hospital system were asked to respond to four questionnaires. Seventeen departments participated. There were 346 available nurses across the departments. The average response rate was 73% across all of the units surveyed. Hypotheses were tested using multivariate regression analysis of the nurse-nurse manager dyad. Findings Statistical findings of this study provided evidence that behaviors and attitudes of the nurse manager do impact employee job satisfaction. Departments where staff perceived that managers had higher servant leadership orientation demonstrated significant positive impact on individual employee job satisfaction. Practice implications Nursing is a unique occupation in that it requires both competence in professional service and compassion in patient caregiving. Hospitals are not factories dealing with inanimate objects or data. The results of this research suggested that the management approach in a health care environment might be enhanced by a more servant-oriented management approach. Specific policy changes that may be implied on the basis of findings of this research include key areas of management selection, management development, and management reward/evaluation.
Abstract 1690: Analysis of benzo[a]pyrene and phenanthrene tetraol enantiomers in human urine: Relevance to the bay region diol epoxide hypothesis of benzo[a]pyrene carcinogenesis and to biomarker studies

One widely accepted metabolic activation pathway of the prototypic carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) proceeds through the bay region diol epoxide BaP-(7R,8S)-diol-(9S,10R)-epoxide. However, few studies have addressed the analysis of human urinary metabolites of BaP which result from this pathway. Phenanthrene (Phe) is structurally related to BaP, but human exposure to Phe is far greater and its metabolites can be readily detected in human urine. Thus, we have proposed that Phe metabolites can be biomarkers of PAH exposure and metabolic activation. Phe-tetraols in particular could be biomarkers of the diol epoxide pathway. While BaP-tetraols and Phe-tetraols have been previously quantified in human urine, no published studies have determined their enantiomeric composition. This is important because different enantiomers would result from the bay region diol epoxide and “reverse” diol epoxide pathways, the latter being associated with weak mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. We addressed this problem using chiral HPLC to separate the enantiomers of Phe-1,2,3,4-tetraol and BaP-7,8,9,10-tetraol. Urine samples from smokers were subjected to hydrolysis with β-glucuronidase and arylsulfatase followed by solid-phase extraction on a Strata-X polymeric sorbent cartridge and a Bond Elute phenylboronic acid cartridge, chiral HPLC on a Cyclobond II or Pirkle column, and quantitation by gas-chromatography-negative ion chemical ionization-tandem mass spectrometry-selected reaction monitoring analysis of the Phe-tetraols, as their tetra-trimethylsilyl ethers. The results demonstrated that >96% of Phe-tetraol in smokers’ urine was Phe-(1S,2R,3S,4R)-tetraol, resulting from the “reverse” diol epoxide pathway, whereas less than 4% resulted from the bay region diol epoxide pathway of Phe metabolism. The corresponding (R,R)-stereochemistry of their precursor diols Phe-1,2-diol and Phe-3,4-diol was also confirmed. Urine from creosote workers with very high exposure to PAH was similarly analyzed for BaP-tetraol enantiomers. In contrast to the results of the Phe-tetraol analyses in smokers’ urine, >75% of BaP-tetraol in these human urine samples was BaP-(7R,8S,9R,10S)-tetraol resulting from the bay region diol epoxide pathway of BaP metabolism. These results provide the first direct support based on human urinary metabolite analysis for the bay region diol epoxide pathway of BaP metabolism and demonstrate differences in BaP and Phe metabolism which may be important when considering Phe-tetraols as biomarkers of PAH metabolic activation. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1690.
To Be a Slave in Brazil, 1500‐1888

To Be. Slave in Brazil, 1500-1888. Katia M. De Queiros Mattos New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1986. xiv. 250 pp., appendices, glossary, tables, bibliography. $40.00 (cloth), $12.00(paper). ISBN 0-8135-1154-2, ISBN 0-8135-1155-0
Digestive system of larval black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae): structure and phylogeny

Abstract. Larval gut characters of 45 species of black flies, representing 17 subgenera and 15 genera, were studied for their utility in taxon diagnosis and phylogenetic inference. Phase-contrast and scanning electron microscopy revealed a wealth of new characters in the esophageal armature of the foregut. Larval gut morphology, particularly characters of the esophageal armature, varied significantly among taxa, permitting generic diagnoses. A cladogram inferred from 13 gut characters supported a sister-group relationship between Parasimulium and the remaining simuliids, but did not show a strong phylogenetic signal for the current, well-supported concept of tribal level monophyly.