cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intelligent Systems Technologies for Human Space Exploration Mission Operations

Human space flight and exploration continues to be a key goal of the NASA, with an emphasis on utilizing new technologies to improve the effectiveness, efficiencies and safety associated with this endeavor, including the ground-based mission support. This search for improvement has led to cross-fertilization between the advanced software development community and the manned spaceflight operations community within NASA. This paper discusses the latest status of the on-going application of a variety of intelligent systems technologies adopted for manned mission operations. We discuss several specific projects between the Ames Research Center Intelligent Systems Division and the Johnson Space Center's Mission Operations Directorate, and how these technologies and projects are enhancing the mission operations support for the International Space Station and preparing for the mission operation support of the future human exploration Programs.
The Embodiment of the Subject: Feminism and the Communitarian Critique of Liberalism

Communitarian critiques of liberalism and feminist critiques of traditional political theory have much in common, most notably the rejection of the rational, disembodied subject of the liberal tradition. Despite the similarities of the two critiques, however, feminist and communitarian attempts to embody the subject lead them in significantly different directions. This study argues that one aspect of the feminist critique of the subject, the attempt to articulate the discursive subject, offers the most promising alternative to the communitarian/liberalism debate that has polarized both political theory and feminist theory.
Is D2 lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer a staging tool or a therapeutic intervention

The extent of lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer is a controversial topic widely debated by those treating the disease. Regional differences in outcome have been noted between patients treated in Japan centers and those treated in Western centers. Technical differences have been investigated within the context of two large, prospective randomized trials, which found no benefit to more extensive lymphadenectomy procedures with increased morbidity. Subsets of patients being treated for cure may benefit from extended resections. The impact of tumor features, such as depth of invasion and number of metastatic lymph nodes, has been described and incorporated into current staging systems. The role of enhanced pathologic evaluation of surgical specimens and impact on staging and treatment strategies is evolving.
Assessing the Relationship between Violent and Nonviolent Criminal Activity among Serious Adolescent Offenders

Understanding the progression of violent and nonviolent criminal activity remains a matter of theoretical debate. In the present study, the authors build on criminological theory and assess the extent to which the progression of violent and nonviolent criminal behaviors follows different trajectories. The authors rely on semiparametric mixture models to examine these comorbidities of offending in a longitudinal sample of delinquent adolescents. The results suggest that the trajectories of violent and nonviolent criminal offending follow similar paths over time and that membership in the chronic violent and nonviolent offender groups are associated with overlapping sets of risk factors. However, the results also indicate that at the individual level, membership in a particular nonviolent offending group does not share high concordance with membership in a particular violent offender group. These findings raise questions about the adequacy of general theories of crime progression and suggest the need to con...
Carcinoma erysipelatoides from the colon

Carcinoma erysipelatoides, a form of metastatic cancer to the skin, has been attributed to many primary tumor types, but there has only been one previous report of this condition resulting from carcinoma of the colon. 1 This is the second case.
Does unconventional medicine work through conventional modes of action

It is often maintained that although conventional medicine works by means of pharmacotherapy with predominantly proved effects, unconventional therapies are more or less spiritual therapeutic approaches without a scientific basis. We hypothesize that both conventional and unconventional medicine might be effective because of similar modes of action. Certainly, this does not imply that every unconventional method has any effect. Conventional and effective unconventional medicine might both work by means of pharmacology (eg, substances in medical herbs), including pharmacologic interactions between the 2 treatment options (eg, herbs and drugs with coagulation effects). Both conventional and unconventional treatments involve a considerable risk of side effects, which are sometimes even severe. In general, the pattern of side effects of alternative treatments is similar to that observed with the use of conventional medicine. The placebo effect and suggestive aspects are also apparent in both treatments. Furthermore, mind-body medicine (eg, use of relaxation techniques) might be explained by pathophysiologic mechanisms. Overall, many aspects seem to contribute to the mosaic of joint modes of action involved in both conventional and unconventional medicine. This might demystify the aura of some of the complementary and alternative approaches and might help to bring both conventional and unconventional approaches together on a scientific basis.
Refugees and medical student training: results of a programme in primary care

CONTEXT Medical schools have responded to the increasing diversity of the population of the USA by incorporating cultural competency training into their curricula. This paper presents results from pre- and post-programme surveys of medical students who participated in a training programme that included evening clinical sessions for refugee patients and related educational workshops. METHODS A self-assessment survey was administered at the beginning and end of the academic year to measure the cultural awareness of participating medical students. RESULTS Over the 3 years of the programme, over 133 students participated and 95 (73%) completed pre- and post-programme surveys. Participants rated themselves significantly higher in all 3 domains of the cultural awareness survey after completion of the programme. CONCLUSIONS The opportunity for medical students to work with refugees in the provision of health care presents many opportunities for students, including lessons in communication, and scope to learn about other cultures and practise basic health care skills. An important issue to consider is the power differential between those working in medicine and patients who are refugees. To avoid reinforcing stereotypes, medical programmes and medical school curricula can incorporate efforts to promote reflection on provider attitudes, beliefs and biases.
Risk factors for early repeat ERCP in liver transplantation patients with anastomotic biliary stricture.

Introduction. Anastomotic biliary strictures (ABS) are a significant clinical problem associated with decreased survival post-liver transplantation (LT). Contributing to the morbidity of ABS is the need for early (i.e. emergent or unplanned) repeat endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographies (ER-ERCPs). Our aim was to determine clinical, operative, and endoscopic predictors of ER-ERCP in patients with ABS. Material and methods. Medical records of 559 patients who underwent LT at our institution from 2000-2012 were retrospectively reviewed for pertinent data. The primary endpoint was need for ER-ERCP. Seventeen potential predictors of ER-ERCP were assessed in bivariate analyses, and those with p < 0.20 were included in multivariate regression models. Results. Fifty-four LT patients developed ABS and underwent a total of 200 ERCPs, of which 40 met criteria for ER-ERCP. Predictors of ER-ERCP in bivariate analyses included balloon dilation within 3 months post-LT and donation after cardiac death (both p < 0.05). Balloon dilation within 3 months post-LT was also associated with shorter ER-ERCP-free survival (p = 0.02). Moreover, a significantly higher proportion (67%) of patients who underwent balloon dilation within 3 months post-LT subsequent experienced ≥ 1 ER-ERCP (p = 0.03), and those who experienced ≥ 1 ER-ERCP had lower stricture resolution rates at the end of endoscopic therapy compared to those who did not (79 vs. 97%, p = 0.02). In multivariate analyses, balloon dilation within 3 months post-LT was the strongest predictor of ER-ERCP (OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.7-8.6, p = 0.001). Conclusions. Balloon dilation of ABS within 3 months post-LT is associated with an increased risk of ER-ERCP, which itself is associated with lower ABS resolution rates. Prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings and their implications for endoscopic management and follow-up of post-LT ABS.
A Revised Proposal, Proposal

This symposium reveals widely differing views about specific data replication policies. The proposals represent, according to Kenneth Meier, "the single most significant contribution in turning political science into a rigorous discipline in my professional lifetime." According to Paul Herrnson, they "would harm researchers, journals, the discipline, and the acquisition of knowledge about politics." Much of the diversity of views across other disciplines reported by the Lineberrys is well reflected within political science. Yet, despite the wide range of opinion as to how or whether to set specific replication policies in practice, I am encouraged that the authors in this symposium have demonstrated strong agreement on some fundamental principles, as Walter Stone and Jim Gibson em-
The emotional context of information privacy

Why are ongoing legal, design, and policy debates around information privacy often divorced from the lived experience of everyday digital media use? This article argues that human emotion is a critical but undertheorized element in users' subjective sense of information privacy. The piece advocates for a greater attention to the phenomenology of feeling and to the concept of “visceral” design in information privacy scholarship, policy, and design practice.
A video-based speed estimation technique for localizing the wireless capsule endoscope inside gastrointestinal tract

Wireless Capsule Endoscopy (WCE) is progressively emerging as one of the most popular non-invasive imaging tools for gastrointestinal (GI) tract inspection. As a critical component of capsule endoscopic examination, physicians need to know the precise position of the endoscopic capsule in order to identify the position of intestinal disease. For the WCE, the position of the capsule is defined as the linear distance it is away from certain fixed anatomical landmarks. In order to measure the distance the capsule has traveled, a precise knowledge of how fast the capsule moves is urgently needed. In this paper, we present a novel computer vision based speed estimation technique that is able to extract the speed of the endoscopic capsule by analyzing the displacements between consecutive frames. The proposed approach is validated using a virtual testbed as well as the real endoscopic images. Results show that the proposed method is able to precisely estimate the speed of the endoscopic capsule with 93% accuracy on average, which enhances the localization accuracy of the WCE to less than 2.49 cm.
Reprint of “The benzoin condensation: Charge tagging of the catalyst allows for tracking by mass spectrometry”

Abstract A novel thiazolium with a sulfonate charge tag was synthesized to test the feasibility of tracking the progress of a thiazolylidene-catalyzed benzoin condensation reaction using electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI–MS). Intermediates in the benzoin condensation were “fished” out of a reaction mixture and detected using MS. Tandem MS and calculations were used to support structural assignments. The results are consistent with the Breslow mechanism. These data show the viability of synthesizing negatively charged compounds that will both catalyze and track reactions involving N -heterocyclic carbene organocatalysis, which are becoming increasingly prevalent in organic synthesis.
POSITIVE SOLUTIONS FOR BOUNDARY VALUE PROBLEMS OF NONLINEAR THIRD ORDER DIFFERENTIAL SYSTEM

The folllowing boundary value problem of the nonlinear third-order differential system is investigated: -u′′′(x)=f(x,v),-v′′′(x)=g(x,u),x (0,1),u(0)=0,αu′(0)-βu″(0)=0,γu′(1)+δu″(1)=0,v(0)=0,αv′(0)-βv″(0)=0,γv′(1)+δv″(1)=0.Under some suitable conditions,the existence and multiplicity of positive solutions are established by cone expansion and compression theorems in norm type.
The use of fluorescein for determining the site for internal mammary artery implantation.

Summary Fluorescein can be used safely and easily to delineate marginally vascularized from well-vascularized and non-vascularized myocardium, thereby facilitating site selection for an internal mammary artery implant.
Visualization of Human Dmc1 Presynaptic Filaments

Meiosis is initiated by the programmed formation of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). These DSBs are repaired by homologous recombination to promote crossover formation that ensures proper chromosomal segregation in meiosis. hRad51 and hDmc1 are two human recombinases present during meiosis that are homologous to the RecA recombinase from Escherichia coli. The hRad51 and hDmc1 recombinases bind the nucleolytically processed ends of the DSB forming a presynaptic filament. Formation of the presynaptic filament is necessary for the search for homology and the progression of recombination. In this chapter, we provide a method to purify hDmc1 and prepare samples for visualizing hDmc1 nucleoprotein presynaptic filaments via transmission electron microscopy.
Sparse PCA-based on high-dimensional Itô processes with measurement errors

Abstract This paper investigates the eigenspace estimation problem for the large integrated volatility matrix based on non-synchronized and noisy observations from a high-dimensional Ito process. We establish a minimax lower bound for the eigenspace estimation problem and propose sparse principal subspace estimation methods by using the multi-scale realized volatility matrix estimator or the pre-averaging realized volatility matrix estimator. We derive convergence rates of the proposed eigenspace estimators and show that the estimators can achieve the minimax lower bound, and thus are rate-optimal. The minimax lower bound can be established by Fano’s lemma with an appropriately constructed subclass that has independent but not identically distributed normal random variables with zero mean and heterogeneous variances.
METABOLIC COMPLICATIONS OF TOTAL PARENTERAL NUTRITION

There is little question that total parenteral nutrition constitutes a valuable and often life-saving therapy for complex nutritional disorders of infants, children and adults. As the use of this technique has become widespread, the indications and contraindications for its use are beginning to emerge rather clearly. However, such widespread use of the technique has been attended by a sometimes alarming degree of abuse as reflected by the high rates of serious metabolic and septic complications which have been reported. It is the purpose of this paper to review the origin of various metabolic complications which may occur during the course of parenteral nutrition and, perhaps of greater importance, to present our views on how these complications can be minimized or avoided.
Irresponsible Nonsense: An Epistemological and Ethical Critique of Postmodern Trauma Theory

Extending the critique of trauma theory by scholars like Ruth Leys, Wulf Kansteiner, and Harald Weilnbock, this chapter criticizes the transformation of the trauma concept from signifying the psychological aftereffects of extreme violence into a metaphor for a stipulated postmodern crisis of signification. The supposedly extensive interdisciplinary links of trauma theory to therapeutic practice, psychoanalytic theory, and cognitive science are not only superficial, but its trauma concept is inherently incompatible with these disciplines and the simulation of interdisciplinarity thus solely serves to authorize postmodern speculations. Moreover, trauma is turned into a quasi-sacred object of veneration whose representation is simultaneously defined as impossible and prohibited as sacrilegious—rather untenable axioms for a scholarly discourse. Similarly nonsensical and unethical is the claim that trauma can only be communicated indirectly as an infection that supposedly traumatizes those who listen to survivor testimony or consume media artifacts depicting traumatizing experiences. This notion not only equates listening to survivor testimony in face-to-face interaction with media consumption and with the immediate experience of traumatizing events, but also confuses and conflates the subject position of victim and perpetrator. For these reasons, I consider trauma theory to be both nonsensical and irresponsible.
Anxiety Related to Nonsurgical Root Canal Treatment: A Systematic Review

Abstract Introduction Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes. Dental anxiety has been associated with pain, fear, care avoidance, and more invasive treatments including nonsurgical root canal treatment (NSRCT). The very words root canal are deeply embedded in societal consciousness. Better understanding of dental anxiety may prevent treatment avoidance. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of NSRCT-associated anxiety. Methods Inclusion/exclusion criteria defined MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, psychINFO, manual, and citation searches. Title lists and abstracts were read to determine utility; data were extracted, summarized, and compiled into an evidence table, and meta-analyses were performed. Results Defined searching produced 835 titles; 36 articles were included, mostly representing modern populations from countries with very high human development indices. Major sources of heterogeneity included differing study aims, outcome measures, clinical settings, locations, operators, sample selection, and sample size. Meta-analysis of 18 articles including 1989 subjects gave a pretreatment anxiety rating of 39 (standard deviation, 9) on a normalized 100-point scale. Meta-analysis of 4 articles including 232 subjects gave a post-treatment anxiety rating of 27 (standard deviation, 5) on a normalized 100-point scale, representing a 30% reduction. A L'Abbe plot of 5 studies also showed that anxiety decreased after NSRCT. Limited data indicated that gender, age, and prior NSRCT experience influenced NSRCT-associated anxiety. NSRCT-associated anxiety was ranked high among dental treatments, often close to oral surgery. Conclusions NSRCT-associated anxiety was generally moderate. Anxiety decreased after NSRCT. Limited evidence suggested that anxiety is influenced by patient and treatment factors.
Ethics in the Conflicts of Modernity: An Essay on Desire, Practical Reasoning, and Narrative

Preface 1. Desires, goods, and 'good', the philosophical issues 2. Theory, practice, and their social contexts 3. Morality and modernity 4. Neo-Aristotelian ethics and politics developed in contemporary Thomistic terms: issues of relevance and rational justification 5. Four narratives Index.
A Theory of Style

ART HISTORIANS are especially preoccupied with defining the nature and behavior of style. For history to be written at all we must find in what we study factors which at once are consistent enough to be distinguishable and changeable enough to have a "story." In political-social history these factors are sometimes institutions, sometimes persons or groups-units which retain their identity over a span of time or shift of locale, yet change and develop as they react to their environment and its changes. In the study of the arts, works, not institutions or people, are the primary data; in them we must find certain characteristics
Minder sterfte door continuïteit van zorg

Maarsingh OR, Henry Y, van de Ven PM, Deeg DJH. Minder sterfte doorcontinuiteit van zorg. Huisarts Wet 2017;60(3):122-4. Continuiteit van zorg is een grondbeginsel van de huisartsgeneeskunde, maar de harde effecten ervan zijn beperkt onderzocht. Wij onderzochten in een cohort ouderen of er een samenhang is tussen continuiteit van zorg en overlijden. Onze onderzoekspopulatie bestond uit 1712 deelnemers van 60 jaar en ouder aan de Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA). De deelnemers zijn over een periode van 17 jaar (1992-2009) zesmaal geinterviewd in driejaarlijkse cycli. Uit gegevens van het bevolkingsregister (peildatum november 2013) berekenden we de overlevingsduur, dat wil zeggen de periode tussen het laatste interview en de datum van overlijden. Continuiteit van zorg definieerden we als de duur van de behandelrelatie(s) tussen de patient en diens huisarts(en). Als maat daarvoor namen we de continuity of care-index (COC-index), oplopend van laag (0,001-0,500), laaggemiddeld (0,501-0,556) en hooggemiddeld (0,557-0,999) tot maximaal (1,000: steeds dezelfde huisarts). Met de Cox-regressieanalyse onderzochten we de associatie tussen de COC-index en de overlevingsduur, rekening houdend met bekende confounders zoals roken, alcoholgebruik en chronische ziekte. Van de 1712 ouderen hadden er 742 (43,3%) de maximale COC-index en 370 deelnemers (21,6%) een lage COC-index. Laatstgenoemde groep had een significant grotere kans om te overlijden dan de eerstgenoemde (hazard ratio 1,20; 95%-BI 1,01 tot 1,42). Confounders hadden geen doorslaggevende invloed. Lage continuiteit van zorg in de huisartsenpraktijk is geassocieerd met hogere mortaliteit bij ouderen. Die continuiteit staat echter door maatschappelijke ontwikkelingen onder druk. Het groeiende bewijs dat continuiteit van zorg echt werkt, is een wake-up call voor patienten, huisartsen, onderzoekers en beleidsmakers.
Educational Resources for Resident Training in Quality Improvement: A National Survey of Urology Residency Program Directors

AbstractIntroduction: A key physician competency outlined in the Urology Milestone Project is engagement in quality improvement. Despite this mandate little is known about the attitudes of urology residency program directors regarding the relative importance of quality improvement education. Therefore, we performed a national survey of program directors.Methods: A 25-item survey was developed to investigate program director knowledge and training in quality improvement methodology, participation in quality improvement related activities, curriculum support for resident quality improvement educational activities, and attitudes regarding the relative importance of quality improvement education. The survey was sent via e-mail (November 1, 2016) to all program directors affiliated with the Society of Academic Urologists (sample size 116 of 134, 87% of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education programs).Results: A total of 36 program directors returned a completed survey for a response rate of 31%. ...
Engaging Undergraduate Kinesiology Students in Clinically-Based Research.

ABSTRACTMany undergraduate students in kinesiology are interested in clinical careers and seek research opportunities for advanced study and unique learning experiences. This article describes a process of engaging undergraduate students in a multi-disciplinary, National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded program project investigating factors that may affect pelvic floor support and symptoms in primiparous women during the first year postpartum. Students complete general and protocol-specific training prior to engagement, have specific tasks that reinforce skill development and require independence, and are invited to participate in additional opportunities with the investigative team. The topic of pelvic floor health is novel to most students and participation in this research expands their knowledge beyond a mainstream kinesiology curriculum. Institutionalizing this type of program could formalize undergraduate student research experiences and facilitate ongoing clinical research efforts with a kinesiolo...
Rapid Capsular Contraction with Secondary Intraocular Lens Dislocation Associated with Unspecified Rod-Cone Dystrophy: A Case Report.

Purpose We report an unusual case of rapid and severe anterior capsular contraction associated with secondary intraocular lens (IOL) dislocation following cataract surgery in a patient with unspecified rod-cone dystrophy. Case report A 68-year-old woman with a history of uncharacterized bilateral rod-cone dystrophy presented with blurry vision 1 month after cataract surgery. Best corrected visual acuity was 20/40 in the operative eye. Slit-lamp exam showed severe anterior capsular phimosis limiting view of the fundus. Our patient underwent 2 sessions of Nd:YAG anterior capsulotomy with limited success. Limited anterior vitrectomy was then performed without success due to densely adherent capsular tissue to the anterior surface of the IOL and additional secondary IOL dislocation. She ultimately underwent pars plana vitrectomy, removal of the capsular bag, and IOL exchange with a scleral fixated IOL. Conclusion Rapid and severe anterior capsular contraction following cataract surgery is rare but appears to be associated with rod-cone dystrophy.
CARDIOPULMONARY BYPASS-INDUCED INFLAMMATION : IS IT IMPORTANT ?

The systemic endotoxemia that occurs with the institution of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is a potent stimulus for the release of proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1 (IL-1), and IL-6. Raised IL-6 levels have been reported to correlate with post-CPB left ventricular wall-motion abnormalities and myocardial ischemic episodes. Neutrophil-endothelial adhesion is strongly implicated in the inflammation and reperfusion injury that may follow a period of CPB, and organ injury is thought to be, in part, neutrophil mediated. The CD11b neutrophil integrin primarily responsible for endothelial binding is rapidly, permanently, and preferentially expressed on exposure to cytokines. The endothelial ligand intercellular adhesion molecule-1 is also upregulated by cytokine exposure. Nitric oxide (NO) synthesized by the vascular endothelium can inhibit neutrophil-endothelial adhesion by downregulating CD11b/CD18 receptor expression and inhibit platelet activation. The cytokines TNF-alpha, IL-1, and endotoxin can cause the induction of NO synthase and the release of large amounts of NO that may cause tissue injury. Various treatment strategies to reduce CPB-induced inflammation provide evidence to support the causal relationship between CPB-activated cytokine release, neutrophil activation, and stimulation of increased NO synthesis. The significant reductions in TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels with hemofiltration during CPB in children are associated with improved hemodynamics and early postoperative oxygenation. Acadesine can inhibit the upregulation of leukocyte CD11b adhesion receptors, and treatment in patients before and during surgery can reduce early cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and combined adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Recent data suggest that administration of the serine protease inhibitor aprotinin to patients undergoing myocardial revascularization with CPB can reduce TNF-alpha blood levels and blunt neutrophil CD11b upregulation. Preliminary data suggest that aprotinin can inhibit cytokine-induced nitric oxide synthase expression and subsequent NO production by murine bronchial epithelial cells. These effects may explain some of the reported antiinflammatory effects of the serine protease inhibitors.
Large sparse least squares computations

Orthogonal Givens factorization is a popular method for solving large sparse least squares problems. Row and column permutations of the data matrix are necessary to preserve sparsity, and reduce the computational effort during factorization. The computation of a solution is usually divided into a symbolic ordering phase, and a numerical factorization and solution phase. Some theoretical results on row ordering are obtained using a graph-theoretic representation. These results provide a basis for a symbolic Givens factorization. Column orderings are also discussed, and an efficient algorithm for the symbolic ordering phase is developed. Sometimes, due to sparsity considerations, it is advantageous to leave out some rows from the factorization, and then update only the solution with these rows. A method for updating the solution with additional rows or constraints is extended to rank-deficient problems. Finally, the application of sparse matrix methods to large unbalanced analysis of variance problems is discussed. Some of the developed algorithms are programmed and tested.
γ-GLUTAMYL DOPA AND γ-GLUTAMYL DOPAMINE AS KIDNEY SPECIFIC PRO-DRUGS

γ-Glutamyl derivatives of DOPA and dopamine (DA) are pro-drugs metabolized in the kidney to free DA which in turn produces renal vasodilation. In the rat both prodrugs show greater kidney-specificity than DOPA or DA. γ-Glutamyl DOPA was a more potent vasodilator and elicited a less Pronounced pressor response than γ-glutamyl DA. The pro-drugs may be of therapeutic value as kidney-directed vasodilators.
Cobalt Staining of Neurons by Microelectrodes

The purpose of this chapter is to provide the basic technical information required to trace the course of individual neurons from which recordings of electrophysiologic activity have been made. Two basic methods, intracellular and extracellular, have been established for achieving this goal. Both methods depend upon the introduction of a dye or staining substance through a recording microelectrode into the recorded neuron. The geometry of the neuron is then revealed after suitable histologic treatment.
Comparison and Analysis of Governance Mechanisms Employed by Blockchain-Based Distributed Autonomous Organizations

One of the distinguishing features of blockchain-based Distributed Autonomous Organizations(DAO) is lack of a central authority. Changes to blockchain data is achieved through consensus amongst blockchain network participants, rather than through a central node’s authoritative decision. Similarly, governance, i.e., changes to features and underlying source code, is achieved through a decentralized mechanism. As adoption of blockchain has increased, the need to evolve and adopt new features has grown. These changes highlight the mechanism by which the network, rather than a central node, makes decisions. One change in particular, proposed increases to the block size to address scalability limitations, has been particularly demonstrative of the governance mechanisms employed by disparate blockchains. For example, two digital currency projects, Bitcoin and Dash, employ significantly different governance mechanisms: the Dash Decentralized Governance By Blockchain (DGBB) process, and the Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP) process, to decide what changes to make to their blockchains. Dash governance was able to decide to alter the block size in a matter of hours, while Bitcoin governance took several years to make the same decision. This paper evaluates the governance mechanisms of blockchain projects using the change in block size as an exemplar. Two prominent governance mechanisms are described, compared, and assessed based upon how effective they came to consensus and made the decision to change to support the disparate needs of stakeholders.
National Conservation: Kenya, Britain, and World Bank and Global Entanglements

This chapter examines the interplay between neo-colonialism and African states’ efforts during the 1970s and beyond to nationalize wildlife sectors. In the 1970s, the World Bank became an important funder of wildlife development, working to strengthen states’ capacities while limiting their lateral movement, a position which changed by the 1990s. One result was a controversial merger of Kenya’s wildlife departments, generating an explosive debate about corruption, nationalization, and expatriates, involving administrators, conservationists, parliamentarians, journalists, and citizens. Amidst corruption debates, global conservationists sought to persuade Britain to intercede with the Kenyan government, but commercial ties made Britain reluctant to do so, although it could not avoid entanglement when the Kenyan state worked with conservationists to support the continued presence of expatriates in the 1980s wildlife sector.
The use of Solid Phase MicroExtraction (SPME) devices in analysis for potential mosquito oviposition attractant chemicals from cyanobacterial mats

Females of Anopheles albimanus mosquito are known to prefer floating cyanobacterial mats over open water for oviposition. We used Solid Phase MicroExtraction (SPME) devices on-site to trap substances volatilized from these two environments, followed by analysis by GC-MS (gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer). In enclosed headspace field microcosms, an unidentified C-15 aliphatic alcohol was persistently found over cyanobacterial mats as compared to open water. Based on this finding, we conducted oviposition experiments using a commercially available compound, n-pentadecanol, close in molecular weight and mass spectral pattern to the unknown C-15 aliphatic alcohol. The results indicate a tendency of female mosquito to oviposit more eggs in containers with the tested chemical as compared to water and blank.
A computational study of regioselectivity in aluminum hydride ring-opening of cis- and trans-4-t-butyl and 3-methylcyclohexene oxides.

Nucleophilic ring opening of cyclohexene oxides is known to proceed preferentially through the trans-diaxial pathway (the Furst-Plattner rule). This preference, however, is not absolute, and can be affected by substituents on the cyclohexene oxide ring, as illustrated by LiAlH4 ring-opening of the cis- and trans-isomers of 4-t-butyl- and 3-methylcyclohexene oxide (cis- and trans-1, cis- and trans-2). We performed B3LYP/6-31+G*(PCM) geometry optimizations to locate the chair-like and twist-boat-like transition structures for the hydride attacks on the pseudoaxial and pseudoequatorial conformers of these epoxides. Our calculations are consistent with the experimental observation of effective Furst-Plattner control of AlH4--opening of cis-1, trans-1, and cis-2, but low selectivity in ring-opening of trans-2. Our data at B3LYP/6-31+G*(PCM) suggests this reduction in selectivity is due to a diminished pseudoequatorial preference of the 3-methyl group in trans-2 relative to that in cis-2. The two calculated chair-like transition structures for hydride opening of trans-2 differ in activation energy free energy (ΔΔG‡) by only 0.4 kcal mol-1. Thus, these calculations account for the reduced regioselectivity of ring opening seen for trans-2 by AlH4- and other nucleophiles.
Diazole and triazole inhibition of nitrification process in return activated sludge.

Abstract Azoles are emerging contaminants that are resistant to biodegradation during wastewater treatment. Their presence has been widely reported in wastewater effluents and receiving waters. In this work, the potential inhibition of nitrification process by six different azole compounds in wastewater treatment plants was investigated in batch bioassays. The azoles studied included three diazoles: pyrazole (Pz); 1-methylpyrazole (MePz); 3,5-dimethylpyrazole (DMePz); and three triazoles: 1,2,4-triazole (Tz); benzotriazole (BTz); and 5-methyl benzotriazole (MeBTz). The concentration of azoles causing 50% inhibition (IC50) increased (azoles became less inhibitory) in the following order (mg L−1): BTz (1.99)
An epidemiological diffusion framework for vehicular messaging in general transportation networks

Abstract Emerging Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) technologies are expected to significantly contribute to the safety and growth of shared transportation provided challenges towards their deployment can be overcome. This paper focuses on one such challenge: characterizing the fraction of vehicles which have received a message, as a function of space and time, and operating under different traffic and communication conditions. V2V technologies bridge two infrastructures: communication and transportation. These infrastructures are interconnected and interdependent. To capture this inter-dependence, which may vary in time and space, we propose a new methodology for modeling information propagation between V2V-enabled vehicles. The model is based on a continuous-time Markov chain which is shown to converge, under appropriate conditions, to a set of clustered epidemiological differential equations. The fraction of vehicles which have received a message, as a function of space and time may be obtained as a solution of these differential equations, which can be solved efficiently, independently of the number of vehicles. Such characterizations can form the basis of assessing several attributes of V2V systems, some of which we demonstrate. The characterizations lend themselves to a variety of generalizations and capture various interdependencies between communication and mobility. As tests of the model we provide applications both in real-world settings using microscopic traffic traces and in postulated scenarios of outages and system perturbations: we find good model agreement with microscopic trajectory from two actual trajectory datasets, as well as a synthetic trajectory dataset generated from the origin/destination matrix.
Traffic Flow Control in Vehicular Multi-Hop Networks With Data Caching and Infrastructure Support

This work studies the user equilibrium (UE) state and the system optimal (SO) state in vehicular communication networks that support both V2V and V2I communication. Each user in this network is assumed to make route choice that optimizes a utility function that involves the traditional travel cost and the data communication utility. The overall social cost is minimized when the network is in the SO state. However, the rational and selfish user behavior brings the network to the UE state. It is well known that, in general, the UE state does not necessarily coincide with the SO state. In this paper, we leverage the data communication aspect of the decision making to influence the users’ route choices, driving the UE state to the SO state. We provide a guideline for the system operator on how to drive the network towards the SO state using the V2I bandwidth allocation scheme developed in the paper. The model and the proposed algorithm are validated using Veins simulation under IEEE 802.11p protocol. In the simulation, we also show that the system cost can be lowered compared with the UE state if the bandwidth allocation is close to the optimal solution under the proposed algorithm.
Development of low-cost cardiac and skeletal muscle laboratory activities to teach physiology concepts and the scientific method.

Anatomy and Physiology courses taught at community colleges tend to focus laboratory hours primarily on anatomy as opposed to physiology. However, research demonstrates that, when instructors utili...
13 – Human Needs

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the issue of satisfying human needs in engineering design. In most attempts to define the role of engineers, phrases such as the satisfaction of human needs and for the good of mankind are used. These are high-sounding words but not useful as a guiding principle unless there is more common acceptance as to what is good and what human needs are. Engineers are practiced in working with optimization problems in which a required balance among such factors as cost, performance, and ease of manufacture is to be realized. The engineer's main objective is the optimal utilization of resources in achieving the satisfaction of human needs. He attempts to do this in the light of certain criteria ordered in a way that he supposes will lead to the most satisfactory outcome. This implies that he and those who influence his actions work by a system of values commensurate with the attainment of the good life for all.
MEDIA APPLICATION OF FLASH BASED ANIMATION ON EVALUATION COURSE

This research is an application of animation media that has been developed previously. The purpose of this study is to look at the effect of flash-based animation media that has been developed on improving learning outcomes in Chemistry Learning Outcomes Evaluation courses, and see the percent increase in student learning outcomes As a sample, the 2016 students consisted of 2 classes as an experimental class and a control class in the chemistry department at Unimed. After a normality test and a homogeneity test, the hypothesis is tested using a t test, and an increase in learning outcomes using a normalized gain test. From the results of the study obtained average pre-test learning outcomes in the experimental group and in the control group of 31.6 and 33.5. While the average post-test learning outcomes in the experimental group (79.5) and in the control group (75.0). From the average value, it can be seen that students who are taught by using the animation media developed by FLAS, have a higher average value compared to students who are taught without using media. While the gain of an increase in student learning outcomes in the experimental class by 70.6% and an increase in the increase in student learning outcomes in the control class by 63.4%. So it was concluded that flash-based animation media is good to be used in learning the Chemistry Learning Outcomes Evaluation course.
The diagnostic yield of implantable loop recorders stratified by indication: “real-world” use in a large academic hospital

To report on the clinical utility of implantable loop recorders (ILRs) in a large academic hospital setting over a 4-year period. Retrospective study (2013–2016) of patients receiving ILRs for any indication including syncope, cryptogenic stroke (CrS), atrial fibrillation (AF) burden, palpitations, ventricular arrhythmias (VA), and other. Remote checks, symptomatic transmissions, and in-person checks were reviewed. Time to diagnosis was documented. A total of 263 patients (54% male, mean age 63 ± 15 years, mean follow-up 601 (range 9–1714) days) received ILRs for 324 indications; multiple indications were noted in 53/263 (20.2%) patients. ILR indications were 126 (39%) syncope, 81 (25%) CrS, 46 (14%) AF, 37 (11%) palpitations, 10 (3%) VA, and 24 (7%) other. Diagnostic yield for each indication was compared to the overall yield for all other indications. Three indications showed a significantly higher yield: AF (65% vs. 22%, p < 0.002), palpitations (60% vs. 24%, p < 0.001), and VA (70% vs. 28%, p < 0.004). For all other indications, there were no significant differences. Syncope had nearly half the diagnostic yield of previously published trials (28% vs. 43–56%). We observed a fourfold increase in ILR implant rate over the study duration. In a “real-world” academic hospital setting, the diagnostic rate of ILRs was highest for AF, palpitations, and VA; however, these high yield indications comprised only 29% of all indications. The diagnostic yield for the commonest indication (syncope) was approximately half that reported in the previously published trials. With increasing implantation rates, additional studies are required to refine guideline-based indications for ILR implantation to improve diagnostic yield.
'Educated' Osteoblasts Reduce Osteoclastogenesis in a Bone-Tumor Mimetic Microenvironment.

Breast cancer (BC) metastases to bone disrupt the balance between osteoblasts and osteoclasts, leading to excessive bone resorption. We identified a novel subpopulation of osteoblasts with tumor-inhibitory properties, called educated osteoblasts (EOs). Here we sought to examine the effect of EOs on osteoclastogenesis during tumor progression. We hypothesized that EOs affect osteoclast development in the bone-tumor niche, leading to suppressed pre-osteoclast fusion and bone resorption. Conditioned media (CM) was analyzed for protein expression of osteoclast factors receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-β ligand (RANKL), osteoprotegerin (OPG), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) via ELISA. EOs were co-cultured with pre-osteoclasts on a bone mimetic matrix to assess osteoclast resorption. Pre-osteoclasts were tri-cultured with EOs plus metastatic BC cells and assessed for tartrate-resistance acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive, multinucleated (≥3 nuclei), mature osteoclasts. Tumor-bearing murine tibias were stained for TRAP to determine osteoclast number in-vivo. EO CM expressed reduced amounts of soluble TNFα and OPG compared to naive osteoblast CM. Osteoclasts formed in the presence of EOs were smaller and less in number. Upon co-culture on a mimetic bone matrix, a 50% reduction in the number of TRAP-positive osteoclasts formed in the presence of EOs was observed. The tibia of mice inoculated with BC cells had less osteoclasts per bone surface in bones with increased numbers of EO cells. These data suggest EOs reduce osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption. The data imply EOs provide a protective effect against bone resorption in bone metastatic BC.
Family Building Desires among a Sample of Transgender and Nonbinary Students

Transgender and nonbinary (TNB) individuals may elect gender-affirming treatment that may affect their ability to have genetically-related children. The purpose of this study was to explore how the...
The impact of ischemic postconditioning on ischemic skin flap injuries

UNLABELLED ﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿ Ischemic postconditioning (IPOC) is a useful manipulation to reduce the undesirable effects of ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. The effects of IPOC were studied in an axial pattern skin flap model. METHODS The skin flaps of 40 rabbits were randomly divided into four groups. Ischemic postconditioning was performed using six 10-second cycles of repeated ischemia/reperfusion periods. The animals were al- located into four groups: group 1 (control); group 2 (ischemia); group 3 (postconditioning); group 4 (postconditioning 10 minutes later). Flap viability was assessed 1 week after the operation. The surviving flap area was recorded as a percentage of the entire flap area. Fisher's least significant difference (LSD) test was used for statistical analysis among different groups to evaluate the effects of ischemic preconditioning against ischemia. RESULTS The mean ± SD of surviving flap areas for groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 97.86 ± 0.62, 31.64 ± 1.04, 48.95 ± 0.82, and 30.01 ± 1.12, respectively. Statistical difference did not exist between group 2 and 4, but they were statistically different (P < 0.05) when compared to group 1 or group 3. CONCLUSION Ischemic postconditioning has a protective effect on ischemic flaps, but post- conditioning should be performed just after the ischemic event. ﻿﻿﻿.
COMMENT: CHEMICAL AND MINERALOGICAL APPROACHES TO CERAMIC PROVENANCE DETERMINATION

This comment concerns an ‘absolutist’ perspective on the superiority of mineralogical analysis over chemical analysis for the determination of ceramic provenance. This point of view has appeared in the literature in recent years, but it has not been justified and is not justifiable. Mineralogy and chemistry are complementary. They measure different things and are best used in combination to generate secure, geographically specific ceramic source assignments.