cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Arrestins as signaling modulators: the plot thickens. Focus on “Arrestins 2 and 3 differentially regulate ETA and P2Y2 receptor-mediated cell signaling and migration in arterial smooth muscle”

arrestins are proteins that bind to G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to affect their functions. There are four mammalian arrestins, which are cytosolic proteins that undergo a global conformational change upon binding to a GPCR. The nomenclature for arrestin subtypes is as follows, with common
An Examination of the Effectiveness of Domestic Violence Coordinating Councils

The community response to domestic violence has been characterized by a lack of coordination across systems. Recent efforts have focused on bringing together stakeholders from an array of community sectors to promote a comprehensive response. Coordinating councils are commonly employed to encourage such a response, yet little is known about the extent to which they effectively promote community change. This study examined 41 councils in one state to better understand (a) the types of issues they addressed, (b) the extent to which they reported accomplishing their goals, and (c) the degree to which councils' climate and membership influenced the extent to which they achieved their goals within the criminal justice system and in other community sectors (e.g., health care, human service).
Calcium binding and allosteric signaling mechanisms for the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase

The sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ ATPase (SERCA) is a membrane-bound pump that utilizes ATP to drive calcium ions from the myocyte cytosol against the higher calcium concentration in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Conformational transitions associated with Ca²⁺-binding are important to its catalytic function. We have identified collective motions that partition SERCA crystallographic structures into multiple catalytically-distinct states using principal component analysis. Using Brownian dynamics simulations, we demonstrate the important contribution of surface-exposed, polar residues in the diffusional encounter of Ca²⁺. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate the role of Glu309 gating in binding Ca²⁺, as well as subsequent changes in the dynamics of SERCA's cytosolic domains. Together these data provide structural and dynamical insights into a multistep process involving Ca²⁺ binding and catalytic transitions.
Applying undertaker cost functions to model quality assessment.

Undertaker is a program designed to help predict protein structure using alignments to proteins of known structure and fragment assembly. The program generates conformations and uses cost functions to select the best structures from among the generated conformations. This paper describes the use of Undertaker's cost functions for model quality assessment. We achieve an accuracy that is similar to other methods, without using consensus-based techniques. Adding consensus-based features further improves our approach substantially. We report several correlation measures, including a new weighted version of Kendall's τ (τ3) and show model quality assessment results superior to previously published results on all correlation measures when using only models with no missing atoms. Proteins 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Rise of Communications Policy Research

Technological change transforms entire communications systems. Alternative ways of organizing systems confront societies with difficult choices. Hard knowledge is needed to make the policy decisions of the future.
Risk factors for preterm birth among opiate-addicted gravid women in a methadone treatment program

Objective Prior studies noted elevated preterm birth (PTB) rates among opiate-addicted women treated with methadone. We sought to determine the risk factors for PTB in this population. Study Design We performed a retrospective cohort study of opiate-addicted gravid women treated with methadone who delivered a single neonate between 2000 and 2006. Variables evaluated as potential risk factors for PTB less than 37 weeks included medical and infectious comorbidities and "supplements to methadone" (illicit drugs and/or alcohol). Results The overall PTB rate was 29.1% (75/258). No medical or infectious comorbidity was predictive of PTB. Among women abusing 0, 1, 2, or 3 or more supplements in addition to methadone, the PTB rate was 24.2% (reference), 25.5% ( P = .50), 47.6% ( P = .04), and 64.7% ( P = .01), respectively. Conclusion The PTB rate among women on methadone (29.1%) is nearly 3 times the national average (11.1%), and those abusing 2 or more supplements to methadone are at further increased risk for PTB.
On Conformational Changes in the Regulatory Enzyme Aspartate Transcarbamoylase

Our preliminary studies provide clear answers to only some of the basic questions posed above regarding the nature of conformational changes in ATCase. By exploiting the reverse reaction to develop a kinetic active site titration technique we demonstrated that symmetry-related regions of ATCase are affected equally in the allosteric transition even though the bisubstrate analog is bound to only one of the six active sites. This is a vivid illustration of a "global" change in an enzyme, and it provides powerful support for the view that active site ligands promote a concerted transition of the enzyme from the low-activity to the high-activity conformation. Kinetic experiments show that this conformational change is rapid, requiring only tenths of a second. In contrast, the studies with isolated catalytic subunits provide evidence for a much more local conformational change which occurs after the ligand is bound and which is much slower, lasting over a time period of many seconds. Although the experiments on the holoenzyme do not show directly how many atoms are involved in the conformational change or how large are the displacements, they do indicate, especially in conjunction with other studies, that many amino acid residues in both the catalytic and regulatory chains must be implicated in the T----R allosteric transition. Why PALA has such a different local effect on the catalytic subunit than does the combination of carbamoylphosphate and succinate is not clear, but this uncertainty may be resolved by further NMR studies. Determining how the local changes at the active sites are linked to the global transition affecting the quaternary structure of the enzyme remains a formidable problem. Also further work is needed in order to determine whether unliganded ATCase molecules exist in an equilibrium mixture of T and R conformations even prior to the ligand binding event.
Origin of the Resistivity Anisotropy in the Nematic Phase of FeSe

The in-plane resistivity anisotropy is studied in strain-detwinned single crystals of FeSe. In contrast to other iron-based superconductors, FeSe does not develop long-range magnetic order below the tetragonal-to-orthorhombic transition at T_{s}≈90 K. This allows for the disentanglement of the contributions to the resistivity anisotropy due to nematic and magnetic orders. Comparing direct transport and elastoresistivity measurements, we extract the intrinsic resistivity anisotropy of strain-free samples. The anisotropy peaks slightly below T_{s} and decreases to nearly zero on cooling down to the superconducting transition. This behavior is consistent with a scenario in which the in-plane resistivity anisotropy is dominated by inelastic scattering by anisotropic spin fluctuations.
Content Models for Survey Generation: A Factoid-Based Evaluation

We present a new factoid-annotated dataset for evaluating content models for scientific survey article generation containing 3,425 sentences from 7 topics in natural language processing. We also introduce a novel HITS-based content model for automated survey article generation called HITSUM that exploits the lexical network structure between sentences from citing and cited papers. Using the factoid-annotated data, we conduct a pyramid evaluation and compare HITSUM with two previous state-of-the-art content models: C-Lexrank, a network based content model, and TOPICSUM, a Bayesian content model. Our experiments show that our new content model captures useful survey-worthy information and outperforms C-Lexrank by 4% and TOPICSUM by 7% in pyramid evaluation.
Abstract T P151: Ethnic Differences in Associations Between Short-Term Exposures to Ambient Air Pollution and the Risk of Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background: Air pollution may contribute to ethnic differences in stroke risk, but little research has been conducted in diverse US populations. We investigated the association between daily changes in ambient pollution (PM2.5 and ozone (O3)) and the risk of ischemic stroke among individuals living in a biethnic community and whether the association differed by ethnicity. Methods: We identified incident ischemic stroke cases from the population-based Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) project between 2000 and 2012. Air pollutant data were obtained from a state website. The association between average daily levels of PM2.5 and O3, measured on the same-day and lags of 1-3 days, and odds of ischemic stroke was assessed using a time-stratified case-crossover study design. We explored race/ethnicity of Mexican American (MA) and non-Hispanic white (NHW) as an interaction of the associations between air pollution and stroke. Results: There were 2,948 ischemic strokes during the study period. Med...
Calcium and phosphate dependency of amino acid transport in rat kidney-cortical slices in vitro.

SummaryThe net accumulation of (14C) amino acids in rat renal-cortical slices in vitro is inhibited by decreased concentrations of calcium or inorganic phosphate in the incubation media. Renal-cortical slices from para-thyroidectomized rats also were unable to accumulate amino acids normally. Vitamin D deficient rickets in rats was not associated with a defect in the ability of the kidney to transport (14C) amino acids. The role of Ca2+ and Pi in the maintenance of normal cellular function may contribute to the normal renal transport mechanism for amino acids.
Inverse aeroacoustic problem for a rectangular wing interacting with a gust

A method is described for predicting the unsteady pressure on a rigid rectangular wing in subsonic flow from its acoustic signal. Presently, convected vortical gusts interacting with the wing serve as the unsteady disturbance responsible for the acoustic field: however, the inversion method is also valid for incident acoustic disturbances and for oscillating wings. The linearized Euler's equation is used to model the problem. Subsequently, the acoustic signal and the unsteady surface pressure are related by an integral equation. Determining the near-field pressure from the radiated sound is an inherently ill-posed problem. This is reflected in the ill-conditioning of the matrix equation obtained from the integral equation. Collocations series are used to obtain the matrix equation and the Singular Value Decomposition is used to solve the system of equations. To handle the ill-conditioning, either a spectral cut-off regularization scheme is embedded in the SVD method or an a priori cut off is used to truncate the collocations series appropriately. Preliminary tests, using numerically generated input data, show the inversion is feasible for low Mach numbers and low-tomoderate reduced frequencies. The location of the Copyright ©1996 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Inc.. All rights reserved. •Assistant professor. Member AIAA 'Professor. Member AIAA acoustic field measurements do affect the inversion, however, an optimal choice for the locations has not been determined.
Design and Validation of a Dynamic Digital Ruler for Hands-Free Chronic Wound Assessment

This paper documents the design and validation of a measurement tool for chronic wound assessment. Using the Google Glass™ head-mounted display (HMD) as a platform for research, we developed a digital ruler to dynamically capture wound dimensions in a hands-free manner. The system consists of the Glass HMD equipped with an infrared light emitting diode (IR-LED) distance sensor, lithium polymer battery, and a custom printed circuit board. Programmed using Android 4.4.2 (API 19), orthogonal rulers along the X and Y axes are superimposed on the Glass eyepiece and calibrated for measurement accuracy. To evaluate system performance, we conducted an ANOVA Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility (R&R) analysis with six wound care nurses measuring seven artificial wounds of various dimensions, two times each. Data was analyzed using Minitab statistical software. For width measurements, the results indicate that the total Gage R&R percent contribution was 10.2%, with 4.2% attributed to equipment variation (repeatability) and 6.0% to operator variation (reproducibility). Wound-to-wound variation was 89.8%. For length measurements, the total Gage R&R percent contribution was 16.7%, with 14.1% attributed to equipment variation and 2.6% to operator variation. Wound-to-wound length variation was 83.3%. The system received positive feedback from nurses as a hands-free measurement tool for sterile wound handling. Yet, further refinements are needed to improve system accuracy and depth measurement capabilities.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Theoretical Studies on the Structure and Spectral Properties of Cycloocta - 1,5 - diene - 3,7 - diyne

Ab initio calculations have been carried out for cycloocta -1,5- diene -3,7- diyne at the RHF/ 6 - 31G* * ,RHF/6 - 31 + + G* * ,B3LYP/6 - 31G* * .B3LYP/6 - 31 + + G* * ,MP2/6 - 31G* * levels. The net charge of each atom and vibration spectra for the optimized geometry have been calculated. The isodesmic reaction and nature bond orbital analyses for cycloocta -1,5- diene -3,7- diyne molecule have been obtained at the MP2/6 - 31G * level . According to the analyses , the results show that cycloocta -1,5- diene -3,7- diyne is a rigid planar molecule with relative stability. There is conjugation between G C bond and C = C bond. Therefore, the cycloocta -1,5- diene - 3,7 - diyne molecule may have certain aromatic character and stability.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MEDICAL STUDENT INTEREST GROUP IN GERIATRICS

As society ages, there is an increasing demand for knowledge and skills to care for the elderly. Innovative ways to stimulate the interest of medical students in geriatric medicine present an important challenge to medical schools today. This article discusses the value of a student interest group in meeting this challenge. In 1988, the Department of Geriatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City initiated a student interest group in geriatrics. Over the ensuing years, this group has provided medical students with a forum for pursuing research interests in geriatrics, networking with other students, and interacting with faculty role models interested in geriatric medicine.
Three decades of our graduate research and education in compound semiconductor materials and devices

In the 37 years of activity in Cornell University's research on compound semiconductor materials and devices, much has been discovered, and many students have been educated. The materials include GaAs, AlGaAs, InGaAs, InAlAs, InGaP, GaN, AlGaN, and InN. The devices have included microwave MESFETs, HEMTs, and HBTs, as well as semiconductor lasers for high speed modulation. The students and results have been hired and transferred to industry, where they have made strong contributions to devices for radar and communication.
OPEN CYCLE OTEC NON-CONDENSIBLE GAS EXCHANGE CHARACTERISTICS

ABSTRACT Experiments in Hawaii using natural seawater indicate that the rates of gas exchanges under vacuum from both the warm and cold seawater streams in the open-cycle OTEC process are significantly more rapid than have been assumed in making preliminary design calculations. These observations imply that pre-deaeration and down-comer re-injection can be included in the design of open cycle OTEC plans thereby resulting in a net improvement of efficiency as well as the environmental benefits of oxygenated discharge water and prevention of atmospheric discharge of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse effect gases.
Light-Induced Degradation in Solar Cells with Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon-Sulfur Active Layers

We have made a series of a-SiSx:H based solar cells, with a pin structure, in a multichamber plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system. The sulfur concentration ranges from zero to 5 x 1018 cm-3 as measured by secondary ion mass spectroscopy. The initial conversion efficiencies of cells in this series with sulfur concentrations ≤ 1018 cm-3 are approximately 7%. The time constants for degradation increase with increasing sulfur concentration, but not fast enough to be of practical importance in photovoltaic devices.
Typical and atypical clinical appearance of atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is a complex, systemic inflammatory disorder associated with a variety of clinical features. The original criteria of Hanifin and Rajka include major criteria and a list of about two dozen minor criteria however, even the minor criteria do not include some features of atopic dermatitis noted less commonly but still seen with some frequency. This contribution first reviews the common clinical appearance of atopic dermatitis in infancy, childhood, and adulthood, as well as the less typical appearances, including lichenoid atopic dermatitis; juvenile plantar dermatosis; nummular-type atopic dermatitis; follicular atopic dermatitis; alopecia of atopic dermatitis; eczema coxsackium; and psoriasiform, perineal, and lip licker's dermatitis. The clinician will be able to recognize and treat rarer forms of atopic dermatitis and incorporate this into their daily practice.
Effect of occupation of the excited states and phonon broadening on the determination of the hot carrier temperature from continuous wave photoluminescence in InGaAsP quantum well absorbers

An InGaAsP quantum well with a type-II band alignment is studied using continuous wave power and temperature dependent photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The small energy separation between the ground state and first excited state results in significant thermal carrier redistribution and excited state occupation, particularly, with increasing excitation power and temperature. This state filling is evident as a high-energy shoulder in the PL spectra, the same energy region where in the simplest Planck-description the gradient is considered inversely proportional to carrier temperature. The outcome of an excited state occupation in broadening the high-energy PL tail is to perturb the temperature extracted using this analysis; therefore, the true temperature of carriers is not properly evaluated when significant state filling occurs. In addition, broadening of the PL due to phonons at higher temperatures also distorts (or falsely increases) the non-equilibrium “hot” carrier temperature and as such should be considered when using Planck's relation. The role of these two effects is considered and their mutual effect on the analysis of the extracted hot carrier temperature discussed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Unscheduled Bleeding on Hormonal Contraceptives: Pathophysiology, Evaluation, and Management Options

Unscheduled bleeding is a common side effect of hormonal contraception and is a common reason for method discontinuation. This review summarizes the pathophysiology, evaluation, and current evidence-based management recommendations for the unscheduled bleeding that can occur with hormonal contraception use. Prior to initiation of a hormonal contraceptive method, detailed structured counseling about the likelihood of unscheduled bleeding and its likely improvement with continued use is an important component of method continuation and patient satisfaction. For unscheduled bleeding that is persistent and bothersome, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and estrogen alone or estrogen and progestin in combined oral contraceptive (COC) are commonly used for management. The antibiotic doxycycline is somewhat effective at reducing unscheduled bleeding in users of combined hormonal contraceptive methods and progestin implants. Small randomized controlled trials of mifepristone, an antiprogestin, and tranexamic acid, an antifibrinolytic, demonstrated a decrease in unscheduled bleeding in users of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), progestin implants, and levonorgestrel intrauterine devices (IUDs). Tamoxifen, a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), in progestin implant users reduces unscheduled bleeding. Ulipristal acetate, a selective progesterone receptor modulator (SPRM), is not effective at reducing unscheduled bleeding in levonorgestrel IUD users and may result in an increase in bleeding. Expectant management is a mainstay of treatment of unscheduled bleeding that occurs as a result of hormonal contraceptive use. NSAIDs and COCs are commonly used for treatment. Small randomized controlled trials of other methods have demonstrated some effectiveness, although evidence is limited.
Enhanced sensing and communication via quantum networks

A network based on quantum information has been developed to improve sensing and communications capabilities. Quantum teleportation offers features for communicating information not found in classical procedures. It is fundamental to the quantum network approach. A version of quantum teleportation based on hyper-entanglement is used to bring about these improvements. Recently invented methods of improving sensing and communication via quantum information based on hyper-entanglement are discussed. These techniques offer huge improvements in the SNR, signal to interference ratio, and time-on-target of various sensors including RADAR and LADAR. Hyper-entanglement refers to quantum entanglement in more than one degree of freedom, e.g. polarization, energy-time, orbital angular momentum (OAM), etc. The quantum network makes use of quantum memory located in each node of the network, thus the network forms a quantum repeater. The quantum repeater facilitates the use of quantum teleportation, and superdense coding. Superdense coding refers to the ability to incorporate more than one classical bit into each transmitted qubit. The network of sensors and/or communication devices has an enhanced resistance to interference sources. The repeater has the potential for greatly reducing loss in communications and sensor systems related to the effect of the atmosphere on fragile quantum states. Measures of effectiveness (MOEs) are discussed that show the utility of the network for improving sensing and communications in the presence of loss and noise. The quantum repeater will reduce overall size, weight, power and cost (SWAPC) of fielded components of systems.
On Alternative Models of Hypnosis: An Integration and Some New Proposals

Two theoretical approaches to hypnosis—the role model and the special state model—are described and compared. It is noted that both conceptualize hypnosis as an alteration in the subject’s prevailing here-and-now belief system. The role model, however, focuses on the new belief system the subject accepts, whereas the special state model focuses on the subjective condition in which this alteration most expeditiously occurs. Further theoretical suggestions, in which hypnosis is conceptualized within a cognitive framework, are presented.
Quantifying the Capacity of Phloem Loading in Leaf Disks with [14C]Sucrose

Phloem loading and transport of photoassimilate from photoautotrophic source leaves to heterotrophic sink organs are essential physiological processes that help the disparate organs of a plant function as a single, unified organism. We present three protocols we routinely use in combination with each other to assess (1) the relative rates of sucrose (Suc) loading into the phloem vascular system of mature leaves (this protocol), (2) the relative rates of carbon loading and transport through the phloem ( Yadav et al., 2017a ), and (3) the relative rates of carbon unloading into heterotrophic sink organs, specifically roots, after long-distance transport ( Yadav et al., 2017b ). We propose that conducting all three protocols on experimental and control plants provides a reliable comparison of whole-plant carbon partitioning, and minimizes ambiguities associated with a single protocol conducted in isolation ( Dasgupta et al., 2014 ; Khadilkar et al., 2016 ). In this protocol, Arabidopsis leaf disks isolated from mature rosette leaves are infiltrated with a buffered solution containing [14C]Suc. Suc transporters (SUCs or SUTs) load Suc into the phloem and excess, unloaded Suc in the leaf disk is then washed away. Loading of labeled Suc into the veins is visualized by autoradiography of lyophilized leaf disks and quantified by scintillation counting. Results are expressed as disintegration per minute per unit of leaf disk fresh weight or area.
In-season changes in ventricular morphology and systolic function in adolescent female athletes.

Purpose: To evaluate the influence of physical maturity on the changes in ventricular morphology and function with sport training in female youth athletes.Methods: Thirty-two female athletes (age 1...
Bestimmung von Blei

Die Einfuhrung von Dithizon durch Fischer (9) und seine darauffolgende Anpassung als Spezialreagenz fur die Bestimmung kleinster Bleimengen durch Fischer und Leopoldi (10) hat zu seiner Verwendung bei zahlreichen Methoden gefuhrt, die fur die Bestimmung von Blei in biologischen Stoffen entwickelt worden sind (1, 2, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15). Ein Studium dieser Verfahren hat zur Ausarbeitung einer photometrischen Dithizonmethode gefuhrt, die im wesentuchen auf der sog. „Mischfarbenmethode“ von Clifford und Wichmann (8) beruht, jedoch unter Benutzung von Anregungen von Wilkins, Willoughby, Winter und ihren Mitarbeitern (13, 14, 15). Diese Methode hat sich fur die genaue Bestimmung von Blei fast jeden Konzentrationsbereichs als zuverlassig erwiesen, und sie ist durch Vergleiche mit der spektrographischen Methode eingehend gepruft worden, die in unserem Laboratorium in den letzten Jahren angewandt worden ist (4, 5).
Antibody Response in Swine to Individual Transmissible Gastroenteritis Virus (TGEV) Proteins

Transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) is a coronavirus that produces a life-threatening diarrhea in neonatal pigs. Whereas sows infected with virulent virus produce protective colostral antibody, sows vaccinated with attenuated virus are significantly less effective in passively protecting baby pigs. Therefore, an understanding of the antigenic and biochemical properties of pathogenic TGEV and the pigs’ immune response to these antigens is a critical area of TGEV research. We are in the process of characterizing the porcine immune response to major TGEV antigens in a protein A immunoprecipitation assay. Protein A is known to bind approximately 90% of the swine immunoglobulin isotypes, IgG1. and IgG2, but is less efficient in binding either swine IgM or IgA.1 This study has led to the serological identification of a new TGEV-specific low molecular weight polypeptide.
Renal amyloidosis: new perspectives

It has been recognized for more than 100 years that some forms of renal disease are associated with, or even due to, amyloidosis. Early papers merely described deposits of amorphous eosinophilic material. After Congo Red was introduced as a stain for amyloid, many reports appeared of the type exemplified by the publication of Heptinstall and Joekes [1] who, on studying the kidneys of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, were intrigued by finding amyloid primarily in the glomerular tufts and the basement membrane with little tubular involvement until late in disease. These descriptions were followed by the application of ultrastructural techniques and the discovery that amyloid is fibrillar [2–6]. In the kidney, such fibrils are seen in the region referred to as the mesangium, in close proximity to endo- and epithelial cells as well as within the basal lamina, particulary where they are thickened (Figs 1A and B). During the past two decades, when it became clear that amyloid may represent many different precursor proteins, it has even become possible to define the type of amyloid protein deposited in the kidney with the help of specific antisera which can be used on the light as well as on the electron microscopic level.
Preliminary analysis of a phase II study of paclitaxel, carboplatin, and hyperfractionated radiation therapy for locally advanced inoperable non- small cell lung cancer

We conducted a prospective phase II study to determine the response rate, toxicity profile, and survival rate among patients with locally advanced unresectable non-small cell lung cancer receiving concurrent weekly paclitaxel (Taxol; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ), carboplatin, and hyperfractionated radiation therapy followed by two cycles of adjuvant paclitaxel and carboplatin. The weekly paclitaxel/carboplatin regimen was designed to optimize the radiosensitizing properties of paclitaxel during the concurrent phase of treatment. Thirty-two patients with unresectable stage IIIA and IIIB non-small cell lung cancer from Vanderbilt Cancer Center Affiliate Network institutions entered the study from June 1996 until February 1997. Weekly intravenous paclitaxel (50 mg/m2 over 1 hour) and weekly carboplatin (area under the concentration-time curve of 2) plus concurrent hyperfractionated chest radiotherapy (1.2 Gy twice daily [69.6 Gy total]) delivered for 6 weeks were followed by two cycles of paclitaxel (200 mg/m2) and carboplatin (area under the concentration-time curve of 6). Among 22 patients evaluable for response, one (4.5%) achieved a complete response and 16 (72.7%) achieved partial response, for an overall response rate of 77%. Among 23 patients evaluable for toxicity, esophagitis was the principal finding: grade 3 or 4 esophagitis occurred in eight patients (35%). Grade 3 and 4 pulmonary toxicities each occurred in 26% of patients. Thus, weekly paclitaxel/carboplatin plus concurrent hyperfractionated radiotherapy is a well-tolerated outpatient regimen with an encouraging response rate that is at least equivalent to more toxic chemoradiation regimens. These findings indicate that further clinical evaluation of weekly paclitaxel/carboplatin/hyperfractionated radiotherapy is warranted in phase III trials.
Preserving privacy in structural neuroimages

Evolving technology has enabled large-scale collaboration for neuroimaging data. For high resolution structural neuroimages, these data are inherently identifiable and must be given the same privacy considerations as facial photographs. To preserve privacy, identifiable metadata should be removed or replaced, and the voxel data de-identified to remove facial features by applying skull stripping or a defacing algorithm. The Quickshear Defacing method uses a convex hull to identify a plane that divides the volume into two parts, one containing facial features and another the brain volume, and removes the voxels on the facial features side. This method is an effective alternative to existing solutions and can provide reductions in running time.
TACTUAL EQUIVALENCE CLASS FORMATION AND TACTUAL-TO-VISUAL CROSS-MODAL TRANSFER

Five adults, two who were deaf-blind and three who were hearing-sighted but blindfolded for the experiment, learned the conditional discriminations AB and BC that consisted of complex tactual stimuli. Class-consistent responding to symmetry, transitivity, and equivalence probes demonstrated the emergence of tactual equivalence classes by four of the subjects. These data confirm that visual or auditory stimuli are not needed for the induction of equivalence classes. They also suggest that equivalence class procedures might facilitate the formation of communicational skills by individuals who are deaf and blind. Following the formation of the tactual equivalence classes by the two hearing-sighted adults, they immediately showed tactual-to-visual cross-modal generalization of equivalence relations. These results suggest that prior equivalence class formation facilitate the reliable emergence of cross-modal transfer.
Early mobilization of LVAD recipients: Who require prolonged mechanical ventilation

Early mobilization and aggressive physical therapy are essential in patients who receive left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) due to long-term, end-stage heart failure. Some of these patients remain ventilator dependent for quite some time after device implantation. We report our regimen of mobilization with the aid of a portable ventilator, in patients with cardiac cachexia and LVAD implantation. Further, we describe the specific physical therapy interventions used in an LVAD patient who required prolonged mechanical ventilation after device implantation. The patient was critically ill for 5 weeks before the surgery and was ventilator dependent for 48 days postoperatively. There were significant functional gains during the period of prolonged mechanical ventilation. The patient was able to walk up to 600 feet by the time he was weaned from the ventilator and transferred out of the intensive care unit. He underwent successful heart transplantation 6 weeks after being weaned from the ventilator. We believe that improving the mobility of LVAD patients who require mechanical ventilation has the potential both to facilitate ventilator weaning and to improve the outcomes of transplantation.
"Materia combustible": hacia una poética del amor

espanolEste ensayo esta dedicado al poemario Materia combustible de Josefa Parra, el cual explora el proceso amoroso a traves de la dialectica entre vida y muerte. La hermeneutica que Parra lleva a cabo inscribe el encuentro trascendental con el otro en la temporalidad tragica del ser mortal. Este estudio se propone demostrar como, en esta exegesis, Parra revela un optimismo vital que concibe la memoria y la palabra como los medios para exorcizar la transitoriedad y el desengano del amor. El acto recursivo de la lectura, asociado para la poeta con un renacimiento, resucita la posibilidad de lo trascendental que se pierde en la existencia mortal. EnglishThis essay is devoted to the poet Josefa Parra’s collection Combustible Matter, which explores the process of love through the dialectic between life and death. Parra’s hermeneutics inscribes the transcendent encounter with the other within the tragic temporality of mortal being. This study aims to demonstrate how, in Parra’s exegesis, she reveals a vital optimism that conceives memory and the word as the means of exorcising the transient nature and disappointment of love. The recursive act of reading, for the poet linked with rebirth, reawakens the possibility of the transcendent that is lost in mortal existence.
The War on Public Education: Agonist Democracy and the Fight for Schools as Public Things

Agonistic critiques of democratic theory conceptualize democracy as a site of conflict and struggle; as the fight against privatization escalates, these critiques become more relevant for educational governance. Public education governance has, in addition, increasingly been the site of growing conflicts between federal, states and local levels, as populist and other types of dissent are now emerging in educational politics. These conflicts reached a new nexus with the nomination of Betsy DeVos as U.S. Secretary of Education. This nomination represents a vivid battle over public school as a “public thing,” a material object, space, institution or place of symbolic and embodied civic importance (Honig 2017). DeVos’ nomination stirred up, in popular imagination, the idea of public schools as “public things” of meaning and value for many citizens who participated in unprecedented ways to (unsuccessfully) block her appointment. It was with this threat to public education that the value of school as a “public thing” became crystalized among a diverse network of citizens. This political moment reveals 1) the nature of schools as public things, 2) the importance of agonist critiques of democracy, and public work, as a means for citizens to help safe-guard the future of schools as public things. I conclude by explaining the limits of agonism as a comprehensive approach to the democratic governance of schooling, advocating for its use as a critique and expansion of current models of public engagement with educational politics.
Swinging high or low? Measuring self-esteem in swingers

Abstract This study sought to examine the self-esteem of individuals involved in a consensually non-monogamous relationship, the swinging lifestyle. Utilizing the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the self-esteem of swingers was quantified and compared to a general sample. The results reveal that swingers have higher self-esteem. However, gender differences emerged in post hoc analyses whereby men who engage in swinging have higher self-esteem, but women who engage in swinging have self-esteem comparable to others. Results are discussed in terms of evolutionary and clinical importance. Limitations and future directions are also discussed.
Safety of Inactivated Influenza Vaccine in Cancer Patients Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.

Background: Cancer patients are at a higher risk for developing influenza (flu)- related complications. It is unclear if the flu vaccine exacerbates immune events in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Methods: We conducted an institutional review board-IRB-approved retrospective review of advanced cancer patients on ICIs who received the flu vaccine during three 3 consecutive seasons: 2014-2015, 2015-2016, and 2016-2017. The primary outcome assessed was any "new onset" immune-related adverse event (IRAE). A subset analysis of vaccinated patients newly treated with anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) agents (nivolumab or pembrolizumab) was conducted to assess overall IRAE rates for comparison with published clinical trials. Results: During the three 3 seasons, 370 patients met criteria for ICI and vaccination within ~ twoapproximately 2 months (65 days). The most common underlying cancers were lung (46%) and melanoma (19%); 61% of patients received an anti-PD-1 agent only. In the entire cohort, 20% experienced an IRAE (any grade); incidence of grade 3 or 4 toxicity was 8%. No grade 5 events occurred. In the subset of 170 patients newly treated with anti-PD-1 agents, the overall IRAE rate was 18% and, grade 3/4 events occurred in 7.6%. Influenza was diagnosed in 2 patients. Conclusions: No increase in incidence or severity of IRAEs was detected in patients on ICIs who received the inactivated influenza vaccine within ~ approximately 2 months of ICI. For newly treated patients on anti-PDI-1 agents, IRAE rates were comparable to those from published clinical trials and did not vary with order of administration. Routine seasonal flu vaccination is encouraged in patients on ICIs.
The Role of Stock Prices in Litigation

Stock prices play an important role in litigation but their role depends on the type of litigation and the relevance of assumptions underlying stock price theory in specific cases. This paper examines the role of stock prices in two types of litigation; one involves fraudulent statements which affect prices, the other with management decisions which affect prices but where no fraud is involved. It suggests that while market prices are useful in fraud cases and are often appropriate for assessing monetary damages, they might not always be so. It also finds that market prices are frequently not appropriate for judging governance cases.
Ultrasonic Damping and Velocity During Recovery and Recrystallization of Aluminum

Vibrational damping at 0.4–2.0 MHz in fully annealed pure polycrystalline aluminum has been found to increase dramatically and monotonically with temperature between 92°C and 465°C.1 This temperature dependence and a frequency dependence that changes systematically with temperature are consistent with a physical damping mechanism involving the anelastic response of pinned dislocations to ultrasonic stress.1 The apparently dominant contribution of dislocations to the damping at elevated temperatures leads to the suggestion that ultrasonic measurements may be used to monitor the microstructural evolution of commercial alloys during industrial annealing processes that induce partial or complete recovery or recrystallization. (The definitions of “recovery” and “recrystallization” are discussed by Cahn.2) Measurements presented in this report show that two large irreversible drops in the damping of shear modes and corresponding increases in the velocity occur in cold-worked aluminum during ramped anneals and that the dependences of these changes on temperature, time, and deformation are consistent with recovery and recrystallization.
The Relative Power of Composite Loop Agreement Tasks.

Loop agreement is a family of distributed tasks that includes set agreement and simplex agreement, and was used to prove the undecidability of wait-free solvability of distributed tasks by read/write memory. Herlihy and Rajsbaum defined the algebraic signature of a loop agreement task, which consists of a group and a distinguished element. They used the algebraic signature to characterize the relative power of loop agreement tasks. In particular, they showed that one task implements another exactly when there is a homomorphism between their respective signatures sending one loop to the other. In this paper, we extend the previous result by defining the composition of multiple loop agreement tasks to create a new one with the same combined power. We generalize the original algebraic characterization for relative power to compositions of tasks. In this way, we can think of loop agreement tasks in terms of their basic building blocks. We also investigate a category-theoretic perspective of loop agreement by defining a category of loops, showing that the algebraic signature is a functor, and proving that our definition of task composition is the "correct" one, in a categorical sense.
FETAL OXYGEN SUPPLY AND DEMAND: COMPARATIVE ASPECTS

ABSTRACT Experimental evidence in six placental mammals (horse, cattle, sheep, man, rhesus monkey, and guinea pig) indicates that fetal O2 uptake per unit fetal body mass does not vary markedly from small to large animals, in sharp contrast to the fact that small adults have a much greater O2 consumption rate per unit body mass than large adults. As a consequence, in an 800-g guinea pig, the mass-specific O2 consumption of the pregnant uterus is less than the mass-specific O2 consumption of the maternal organism, whereas the opposite is true in a 50-kg sheep. This effect of body size on the relationship between maternal and uterine O2 consumption may provide a physiological explanation for the evidence that small mammals are capable of producing a greater total newborn mass in relation to maternal body mass than large mammals. There are major differences among pregnant mammals in the rate of uterine perfusion which is used to supply O2 to the fetus. Variability in placental structure accounts in part for ...
Plasma-Actuated Flow Control of Hypersonic Crossflow-Induced Boundary-Layer Transition

The purpose of this research was to design, fabricate, and test a plasma-based active flow-control system to accelerate and delay crossflow-induced boundary-layer transition on a cone at an angle o...
Improved Response of Closed Loop Dual Active Bridge Converter Using Combined Feedback and Feed-forward Control

In this paper, a feedforward based controller has been proposed for a single phase shift dual active bridge. Typically, the output voltage or power of a dual active bridge converter is controlled by means of the phase shift between the primary and secondary bridges. A feedback based controller can correct the steady state errors and track a set point, but it is usually sluggish in response and has a limited bandwidth. Based on parameter measuring technique, the bandwidth can even reduce further causing the overall system unsuitable for fast response application. In this work a combined feedforward and feedback controller has been proposed where the feedforward term is calculated based on the limited system model available. It is seen that the combined controller greatly improves the response time and voltage overshoots. Modeling error or system degradation can cause inaccuracies over time, even for the combined controller, hence an adaptive gain correction mechanism is introduced for the feedforward controller which improves the feedforward gain with each load transient making it insensitive to modeling error or system degradation. The proposed controller is developed theoretically and verified in Matlab. A simulation model is developed in PSIM environment, which further validates the system behavior using the proposed controller.
The failing Fontan.

Nearly 50 years back, Francis Fontan pioneered an operation for tricuspid atresia that bears his name today. The operation has since undergone numerous modifications and continues to be widely applied to an array of single ventricles. Despite restoring normal oxygen levels in the body, the operation creates a neoportal system where adequate cardiac output can be generated only at the expense of increased systemic venous congestion. This results in slow but relentless damage to the end organ systems especially the liver. Continuous surveillance of the patient to monitor this circulation, that will ultimately fail, is of paramount importance. Timely medical and cardiac catheterization and surgical intervention can extend the life span of Fontan patients. Ultimately a change of the hemodynamic circuit in the form of heart transplantation or ventricular assist device will be required to salvage the failing Fontan circuit.
Deploying Human Capital Resources: Accentuating Effects of Situational Alignment and Social Capital Resources

Researchers and organizational leaders alike have long known that securing human capital (HC) is critical for organizational success. The bulk of research in this domain has addressed issues regard...
Psychotherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder: Does the Type of Treatment Make a Difference?

The first aim of this review is to summarize the major evidence-based psychotherapies for borderline personality disorder (BPD) and the research supporting their use. The second aim is to explore the evidence for the differential effectiveness of these treatments. Four types of specific psychotherapies are identified that show promising results in at least two randomized controlled trials. In addition, several adjunctive and minimal/pragmatic interventions are available that are supported by research evidence. Recent findings highlight the applicability of these treatments across settings and populations and have begun to show that modified versions of them are also beneficial. There is solid evidence that various specific therapies are superior to treatment as usual in the community for borderline personality disorder. There is no reliable evidence that any of these specific treatments is more effective than any other, however. In addition, existing treatments have many elements in common that may be responsible in part for their effects. Future research will be needed to uncover the influence of various study design factors, patient characteristics, and treatment parameters on psychotherapy outcome for BPD.
The History of Wound Healing

Since the dawn of humanity, wounds have afflicted humans, and healers have held responsibility for treating them. This article tracks the evolution of wound care from antiquity to the present, highlighting the roles of surgeons, scientists, culture, and society in the ever-changing management of traumatic and iatrogenic injuries.