cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The radiotherapeutic management of carcinoma of the cervical stump.

Abstract Twenty-seven patients with carcinoma of the cervical stump were seen from 1960 to 1970 in the Department of Radiation Therapy at the Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital. This represented 5.4% (27496) of carcinomas of the cervix seen during this time interval. A standard treatment regimen combining supervoltage external radiation and intracavitary radium was utilized. Work-up included chest radiograph, IVP, barium enema, cystoscopy and sigmoidoscopy, as well as a complete physical examination and blood studies. Five-year actuarial survivals according to stage were: 80% for Stage I, 78% for Stage II, 57% for Stage III, and 0% for Stage IV. The complication rate was minimal.
Bridged dibenzimidazolinylidenes as new derivatives of tetraaminoethylene

Abstract The deprotonation of N,N′-polymethylene bridged bis-benzimidazolium salts in the absence of air provides the corresponding bridged dibenzimidazolinylidenes which undergo a spontaneous chemiluminescent reaction with dioxygen to afford ureaphanes.
Measurement of Defect-Mediated Diffusion: The Case of Silicon Self-Diffusion

In many solids, diffusion of foreign atoms takes place primarily through highly mobile intermediate species that periodically exchange with atoms in the crystalline lattice. A method is developed for determining key diffusion parameters via the short-time decay of an initial step concentration profile. This method takes advantage of the relative ease with which step concentration profiles can be fabricated by thin film deposition, and in the limit of very short times provides particularly simple analytical means for obtaining parameters connected to diffusion length and defect formation. Application of the method to isotopic heterostructures of silicon shows that under the ultrahigh vacuum conditions of the experiment, interstitial atoms mediate self-diffusion. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2006
Disposing of the world`s excess plutonium

The authors undertake three key objectives in addressing the issue of plutonium disposition at the end of the Cold War. First, the authors estimate the total global inventory of plutonium both from weapons dismantlement and civil nuclear power reactors. Second, they review past and current policy toward handling this metal by the US, Russia, and other key countries. Third, they evaluate the feasibility of several options (but especially the vitrification and mixed oxide fuel options announced by the Clinton administration) for disposing of the increasing amounts of plutonium available today. To undertake this analysis, the authors consider both the political and scientific problems confronting policymakers in dealing with this global plutonium issue. Interview data with political and technical officials in Washington and at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria, and empirical inventory data on plutonium from a variety of sources form the basis of their analysis.
Activation of Abl Family Kinases in Solid Tumors

Although c-Abl and Arg non-receptor tyrosine kinases are well known for driving leukemia development, their role in solid tumors has not been appreciated until recently. Accumulating evidence now indicates that c-Abl and/or Arg are activated in some solid tumor cell lines via unique mechanisms that do not involve gene mutation/translocation, and c-Abl/Arg activation promotes matrix degradation, invasion, proliferation, tumorigenesis, and/or metastasis, depending on the tumor type. However, some data suggest that c-Abl also may suppress invasion, proliferation, and tumorigenesis in certain cell contexts. Thus, c-Abl/Arg may serve as molecular switches that suppress proliferation and invasion in response to some stimuli (e.g., ephrins) or when inactive/regulated, or as promote invasion and proliferation in response to other signals (e.g., activated growth factor receptors, loss of inhibitor expression), which induce sustained activation. Clearly, more data are required to determine the extent and prevalence of c-Abl/Arg activation in primary tumors and during progression, and additional animal studies are needed to substantiate in vitro findings. Furthermore, c-Abl/Arg inhibitors have been used in numerous solid tumor clinical trials; however, none of these trials were restricted to patients whose tumors expressed highly activated c-Abl/Arg (targeted trial). Targeted trials are critical for determining whether c-Abl/Arg inhibitors can be effective treatment options for patients whose tumors are driven by c-Abl/Arg.
Methods for planning repeated measures accelerated degradation tests

Repeated measures accelerated degradation tests can sometimes be used to assess product or component reliability when one would expect few or even no failures during a study. Such tests can be used to estimate the lifetime distributions of highly reliable items. This paper describes methods for selecting a single-variable accelerated repeated measures degradation test plan when the possibly transformed degradation that is linear in possibly transformed time and unit-to-unit variability is described by a random-effects model. To find optimum test plans, we use a criterion based on a large-sample approximation to the estimation precision of a quantile of the failure-time distribution at use conditions. We also discuss how to find compromise test plans that satisfy practical constraints. We use the general equivalence theorem to verify that a test plan is globally optimum. The resulting optimized plans are also evaluated using simulation and compared with other test plans. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Molecular typing of papillomatous digital dermatitis-associated Treponema isolates based on analysis of 16S-23S ribosomal DNA intergenic spacer regions.

Papillomatous digital dermatitis (PDD), an emerging infectious disease of cattle, is characterized by painful, ulcerative foot lesions. The detection of high numbers of invasive spirochetes in PDD lesions suggests an important role for these organisms in the pathogenesis of PDD. PDD-associated spirochetes have phenotypic characteristics consistent with members of the genus Treponema. Partial 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequence analysis of clonal isolates from California cattle showed that they comprise three phylotypes which cluster closely with human-associated Treponema spp. of the oral cavity (T. denticola and T. medium/T. vincentii) or genital area (T. phagedenis). The goal of our study was to apply 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer region (ISR) sequence analysis to the molecular typing of U.S. PDD-associated Treponema isolates. This methodology has potentially greater discriminatory power for differentiation of closely related bacteria than 16S rDNA analysis. We PCR amplified, cloned, and sequenced the ISRs from six California PDD-associated Treponema isolates and, for comparative purposes, one strain each of T. denticola, T. medium, T. vincentii, and T. phagedenis. Two ISRs that varied in length and composition were present in all the PDD-associated Treponema isolates and in T. denticola, T. medium, and T. phagedenis. ISR1 contained a tRNAAla gene, while ISR2 contained a tRNAIle gene. Only a single ISR (ISR1) was identified in T. vincentii. Comparative analyses of the ISR1 and ISR2 sequences indicated that the California PDD-associated Treponema isolates comprised three phylotypes, in agreement with the results of 16S rDNA analysis. PCR amplification of the 16S-tRNAIle region of ISR2 permitted rapid phylotyping of California and Iowa PDD-associated Treponema isolates based on product length polymorphisms.
Time-Varying Internal Model-Based Control of a Camless Engine Valve Actuation System

This paper focuses on the motion control of a camless engine valve actuation system during both steady state and transient engine operation. The precise tracking performance obtained using controllers based on the internal model principle for the constant speed case motivates the investigation under engine speed transients. The cyclic but aperiodic reference signal to be tracked is modeled using two different methods, i.e., as a combination of frequency varying sinusoids in the time domain or as a repetitive (periodic) signal in the rotational angle domain. The recently developed time-varying internal model-based controller is ideally suited for both the approaches. The details associated with the design of the controller for each of the approaches are first documented. A quantitative analysis comparing various performance metrics for both the approaches helps to highlight the relative advantages of each method. The experimental results from a prototype camless engine valve actuation system are then presented to help in validating the overall effectiveness of the proposed control method.
4-AcNH-TEMPO-CATALYZED OXIDATION OF ALDOSES TO ALDARIC ACIDS USING CHLORINE OR BROMINE AS TERMINAL OXIDANTS

The 4-AcNH-TEMPO-catalyzed oxidation of d-glucose to d-glucaric acid using elemental chlorine or bromine as the terminal oxidant is reported. The pH and temperature of the reactions were closely controlled to be between 0–5°C and pH 11.5, respectively. Spectroscopically (1H NMR) determined yields of glucarate were greater than 90%; yields of crystalline monopotassium d-glucarate (or disodium d-glucarate), isolated and purified by precipitation, were between 70 and 85%. Oxidations of mannose to mannaric acid and galactose to mucic acid were also demonstrated.
Efficient Algorithms for Global Snapshots in Large Distributed Systems

Existing algorithms for global snapshots in distributed systems are not scalable when the underlying topology is complete. There are primarily two classes of existing algorithms for computing a global snapshot. Algorithms in the first class use control messages of size 0(1) but require O(N) space and O(N) messages per processor in a network with JV processors. Algorithms in the second class use control messages (such as rotating tokens with vector counter method) of size O(N), use multiple control messages per channel, or require recording of message history. As a result, algorithms in both of these classes are not efficient in large systems when the logical topology of the communication layer such as MPI is complete. In this paper, we propose three scalable algorithms for global snapshots: a grid-based, a tree-based, and a centralized algorithm. The grid-based algorithm uses O(N) space but only O(?(N)) messages per processor each of size O(?(N)). The tree-based and centralized algorithms use only O(1) size messages. The tree-based algorithm requires O(1) space and O(log N log(W/N)) messages per processor where W is the total number of messages in transit. The centralized algorithm requires O(1) space and O(log(W/N)) messages per processor. We also have a matching lower bound for this problem. We also present hybrid of centralized and tree-based algorithms that allow trade-off between the decentralization and the message complexity. Our algorithms have applications in checkpointing, detecting stable predicates, and implementing synchronizers.
Design and assessment of a sustainable networked system in the U.S.; Case study of book delivery system

In this paper, we attempted to design and assess a sustainable networked delivery (SND) system, which can achieve significant reductions of energy consumption and environmental emissions of critical local pollutants and greenhouse gases due to growing local transportation in urban areas. SND system is a combination of e-commerce and centralized pickup point (PP), with the PP being a location that the consumer will already be visiting regularly. Transportation energy consumption and concomitant emissions in the three delivery systems (traditional networked delivery (TND) system, e-commerce networked delivery (END) system, and sustainable networked delivery (SND)) were compared. Our research results show that the SND system has a lot of possibilities to save local transportation energy consumption and reduce environmental emissions in delivery system.
Hydrogenated Amorphous Carbon(a-C:H), an Overview

Over the past several years, numerous new materials have been prepared by the glow discharge decomposition of gaseous species. Among these, a material with extraordinary though as yet unfulfilled potential is hydrogenated amorphous carbon(a-C:H). As a metastable state between the two naturally occurring carbons, graphite and diamond, a-C:H can display a wide range of phyical characteristics. Film optical and electronic properties are a strong function of deposition parameters, where 2.1>Eopt >0.9eV. and 1016 >ρ>106Ω-cm., for films deposited between 75 and 375C. Occasionally referred to as “diamond-like”, such films can be extraordinarily hard and virtually impervious to chemical attack. The interrelation of film structure on the atomic level and macroscopic film properties will be discussed, with emphasis on the current controversy over whether such material is indeed diamond-like in its microscopic ordering.
ON THE DETECTION OF ULTRAHIGH ENERGY NEUTRINOS

Cross sections for the interactions of ultrahigh energy neutrinos with nucleons are evaluated using contemporary information about nucleon structure functions. For 10” eV neutrinos, the cross section is an order of magnitude larger than the values traditionally used in astrophysical calculations. Some consequences for interaction rates in the earth and for event rates in large-scale acoustic and electronic detectors from generic astrophysical neutrino sources are noted.
Evaluation and Problem Redefinition

Inadequate problem formulation leads to inadequate, alas persistent, solutions (programs). Program evaluation is commonly held as a means to put programs and policies to the test. The best of controlled experimentation, however, cannot serve as the ‘potential falsifier’ of problem formulation, only of the adequacy of means to solve a pre-conceptualized problem. An analysis of disadvantaged youth policy in Israel is provided to illustrate and support these contentions.
Libaffy: software for processing Affymetrix(R) GeneChip(R) data

Summary: Affymetrix(R) GeneChip(R) microarrays are increasingly used in gene expression studies and in greater number. A software library was developed that supports Affymetrix file formats and implements two popular summary algorithms (MAS5.0 and RMA). The library is modular in design for integration into larger systems and processing pipelines. Additionally, a graphical interface (GENE) was developed to allow end-user access to the functionality within the library. Availability: libaffy is free to use under the GNU GPL license. The source code and Windows binaries can be freely accessed from the website http://src.moffitt.usf.edu/libaffy. Additional API documentation and user manual are available. Contact: Steven.Eschrich@moffitt.org
Single-Event Sensitivity and Hardening of a Pipelined Analog-to-Digital Converter

Circuit simulations are used to determine the response of a pipelined analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to radiation-induced single-event transients. The ADC uses a cascade of 9 stages which each resolve 1.5 bits. Digital error correction is used to reassemble the bits and to correct for errors in the comparators and sub-DAC. A Monte-Carlo methodology is used to simulate the single-event vulnerability of the circuit. Circuit simulations are performed using the Spectre circuit simulator. Sensitive cross-sections were derived from an analysis of the simulation results. Sensitive areas were identified and hardening techniques were applied to the circuit. These techniques may be applicable to other mixed-signal and switched-capacitor circuits. A significant reduction in the sensitive cross-section was obtained by application of these hardening techniques
Behavioral and adrenal relationships to audiogenic-seizure susceptibility in BALB/cJ mice

Abstract This study reports behavioral, biochemical and endocrine differences in audiogenic-seizure susceptible and resistant male mice (BALB/cJ) observed at 6 to 11 weeks of age. The various findings (total leukocyte and adrenal corticosterone) indicated hypoadrenal function in the audiogenic-seizure susceptible mice. The evaluation demonstrated that locomotor activity and emotionality were significantly increased in the audiogenic-seizure susceptible mice with suggestions of increased timidity. The interrelationships of hypoadrenocortical function and audiogenic-seizure susceptibility with locomotor activity, emotionality and timidity in the BALB/cJ mice merit further investigation.
A complex adaptive equalizer ASIC

An adaptive equalizer ASIC has been developed with a structure which implements either the FIR filter function or the adaptive weight generator function. The ASIC contains full complex arithmetic, saturation logic, tap leakage logic, complex conjugation, and selectable adaptation loop gain, and is cascadable without external logic. It contains 4 taps, cascadable to 8 T-spaced or 16 T/2-spaced taps, with each tap having 4 8*8 bit multipliers. The ASIC supports a 10 MHz throughput rate. >
THE FIRST GREAT WAVES: AFRICAN PROVENANCE ZONES FOR THE TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE TO CARTAGENA DE INDIAS, 1570–1640

Drawing on port entry records for 487 ships disembarking nearly 80,000 captives in Cartagena de Indias, the primary slaving port in early colonial Spanish America, this article provides a new assessment of the relative importance of major African provenance zones for the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century transatlantic slave trade. Upper Guinea and Angola furnished roughly equal shares of forced migrants to Cartagena between 1570 and 1640, with a smaller wave of captives from Lower Guinea. While Angola eventually replaced Upper Guinea as the main source of slave traffic to Cartagena, the shift was more gradual than scholars have previously believed.
How Can We Help a Patient With a Small Failing Bioprosthesis?: An In Vitro Case Study

Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the hemodynamic performance of a transcatheter heart valve (THV) deployed at different valve-in-valve positions in an in vitro model using a small surgical bioprosthesis. Background Patients at high surgical risk with failing 19-mm surgical aortic bioprostheses are not candidates for valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement, because of risk for high transvalvular pressure gradients (TVPGs) and patient-prosthesis mismatch. Methods A 19-mm stented aortic bioprosthesis was mounted into the aortic chamber of a pulse duplicator, and a 23-mm low-profile balloon-expandable THV was deployed (valve-in-valve) in 4 positions: normal (bottom of the THV stent aligned with the bottom of the surgical bioprosthesis sewing ring) and 3, 6, and 8 mm above the normal position. Under controlled hemodynamic status, the effect of these THV positions on valve performance (mean TVPG, geometric orifice area, and effective orifice area), thrombotic potential (sinus shear stress), and migration risk (pullout force and embolization flow rate) were assessed. Results Compared with normal implantation, a progressive reduction of mean TVPG was observed with each supra-annular THV position (normal: 33.10 mm Hg; 3 mm: 24.69 mm Hg; 6 mm: 19.16 mm Hg; and 8 mm: 12.98 mm Hg; p Conclusions Supra-annular implantation of a THV in a small surgical bioprosthesis reduces mean TVPG but may increase the risk for leaflet thrombosis and valve migration. A 3- to 6-mm supra-annular deployment could be an optimal position in these cases.
CHINA'S ONLINE EDUCATION: Rhetoric and Realities

Although little is currently known of distance education in China, especially in Western educational circles, there is a long-standing wellestablished instructional television system of distance education that has flourished in China since the 1960s (Howells, 1989). In fact, one of the world’s largest education systems is the Dianda system in China, a combined radiotelevision university system capable of enrolling upwards of 100,000 learners (Keegan, 1994). With the advent of online education, however, China must face a brave new world of innovation. This chapter examines the political rhetoric surrounding the allocation of funds and energies to online learning, considers the critical components of that rhetoric, and discusses the impacts on the way China adopts the new online learning technologies. As you read this chapter, please reflect upon the following questions:
Synthesis and x-ray crystallographic characterization of [In(tsalen)(OAc)] (tsalen = N,N '-ethylenebis(thiosalicylideneimine))

Abstract The first synthesis and crystallographic characterization of a main-group metal complex of the N2S2 ligand N,N′-ethylenebis(thiosalicylideneimine) (tsalen) is reported, with the isolation and characterization of the indium(III) compound [In(tsalen)(OAc)]. This compound has been crystallographically characterized and is shown to have a distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry with a ligand that is unusually distorted from planarity. A byproduct of the synthesis, [In(en)2(OAc)2](OAc), has also been isolated and characterized.
Ischemic Pre- and Post-conditioning in the Retina

Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) protects the rat retina against the injury that ordinarily follows severe ischemia. The retina is protected against the damage following severe ischemia for up to 72 h after the application of ischemic preconditioning. However, there is no early preconditioning, i.e., protective effects starting within hours of preconditioning. The IPC stimulus consists of a brief, non-damaging period of ischemia. It results in complete preservation of retinal structure and function following ischemia and is thus the most robust neuroprotection demonstrated in the retina to date. Release of adenosine, de novo protein synthesis, and mediators including protein kinases B and C, nitric oxide synthase, MAPK p38, and K+ ATP channels are required for IPC protection. Both the adenosine A1 and A2a receptors are involved. However, the molecular mechanisms for neuroprotection have not been completely described. It appears that both increased expression of protective proteins and decreased expression of pro-apoptotic proteins are involved. In addition, IPC prevents hypoperfusion following severe ischemia. Recently, ischemic post-conditioning (Post-C) has been described, wherein a transient ischemic stimulus as late as 24 h following damaging ischemia robustly preserved retinal function and structure. To date, little has been described concern the mechanism of Post-C. Further study of the ischemic pre- and post-conditioning phenomena could lead to an enhanced understanding of the mechanisms of ischemic damage and its prevention in the retina.
Streptomycin Resistance Genes in Pseudomonas Syringae Isolated from Woody Plants

Faiiure to controi diseases incited by Pseudomonas syringae with streptomycin (Sm) sprays led to collecting and testing of isolates from 25 different woody plant species in 44 nurseries spread over a 275 km area of Oregon for resistance to this antibiotic. Of the 467 isolates collected, 38% grew on King’s Medium B amended with 100 μg streptomycin sulfate/ml (KBS). Colony hybridization was evaluated as a method to improve the efficiency and accuracy of detection of Sm-resistant strains as spontaneous Smf mutants are common when P. syringae is grown on KBS. The Smr gene probe consisted of a 3.7-kb Pst1 fragment from pPSR1, a piasmid from P. syringae strain A2, recovered from an ornamental pear in Oklahoma. The Smr gene probe is homologous to the strA-strB genes of the broad host-range enterobacterial Plasmid RSF 1010. The probe was labeled with digoxigenin and colony hybridization was conducted under conditions of moderate stringency. There was 94% agreement between growth on KBS and hybridization with the probe. Of the remaining isolates, 2% grew on KBS but did not hybridize with the probe and 4% hybridized with the probe but did not grow on KBS. This is the first report of sirA-strB homologues in indigenous populations of P. syringae in the Pacific Northwest.
Competition for Students in a Local School District

I study how competition played out between elementary schools in a Colorado school district. When the school board approved new schools without catchments, schools faced with declining catchment populations responded. Some schools adapted by altering programming away from the standard district curriculum. I model a school’s success in recruiting students from other catchments as a function of program changes, shifts in catchment size, school demographics, competition from charter and magnets, and success on standardized exams. Program changes increased recruitment. As catchment populations decreased, recruitment increased. Aggregate school level reading scores did not directly impact recruiting, but parents made school choice decisions based on relative test score differences between schools.
Anticarcinogenic and Other Protective Effects of Dithiolthiones

In this chapter we discuss a class of chemicals that protect against carcinogenesis, radiation, and injury by a variety of toxic agents. These compounds are dithiolthiones (Fig. 1). They are characterized by a pentacyclic ring, consisting of two adjacent sulfurs with a third sulfur attached to a carbon, and an aromatic ring attached to another carbon. As found in collaboration with Dr. Wattenberg, a single dose of a dithiolthione called oltipraz protects against the carcinogenic effects of benzo(α)pyrene (BP) in mice. When oltipraz was administered 24 hr before BP, the number of malignancies in the lung was reduced from 23.4 to 4.6, and the number in the forestomach from 5.1 to 2.8, This protection lasted for at least two days because, if oltipraz was administered 48 hr (instead of 24 hr) before BP, there was a similar reduction of tumors in both the lung and the forestomach.
Reproducibility and accuracy of angle measurements obtained under static conditions with the Motion Analysis video system.

The development of computerized and semi-automated motion analysis systems has made the study of human motion more widely available in research and clinical settings. Although many of these systems are currently used by physical therapists, the accuracy and reproducibility of some of these systems in estimating joint angles have not been reported. In this study, the accuracy and reproducibility of angle measurements obtained by use of the Motion Analysis™ video system were evaluated under static conditions using a standard goniometer. Reflective markers placed on a goniometer were recorded by two video cameras at 17 angles, from 20 to 180 degrees, in 10-degree increments. Recordings of the goniometer were made at three locations within the field of view of the cameras. The intraclass correlation coefficient for each location tested was .99. Average within-trial variability was less than 0.4 degree at all locations. A linear regression of the system-calculated angles and reference angles for all locations had slopes near unity (ie, 1) and intercepts that were not statistically different from zero. A preliminary evaluation of the system under dynamic conditions revealed that distances were slightly underestimated, regardless of where the movement occurred within the calibration cube.
Equilibria in two-stage electricity markets

Most electricity markets have multiple stages, which include one or more forward markets and the spot market. We consider two stages - a day-ahead market and a real-time market. We study equilibrium outcomes in such markets assuming demand to be deterministic. We show via counterexamples that in such two-stage electricity markets, (i) a Nash equilibrium may not exist, or (ii) there may be multiple inefficient Nash equilibria. We also give two sufficient conditions - a “congestion-free” condition and a “monopoly-free” condition - under which a subgame perfect Nash equilibrium exists and yields efficient outcome.
Session T2B: Tutorial: Internet of Things (IoT) — Opportunities for SoC designers

Internet of Things (IoT) is considered to be a technological trend that is likely to have a far reaching impact on every one's lives in many distinct ways. IoTs changs the internet from internet for people to internet of things. Enabling of IoT is accomplished through efforts by hardware and network industry and the enormous amount of data generated through IoTs impacts Big Data and data mining fields. With its wide ranging applications in Healthcare, Home automation, Industrial Control and environmental and social domains, IoTs can have wide ranging expectations. Major roadblocks to the deployment and prevalent use of IoTs are power and privacy-security vulnerabilities. IoTs have conflicting requirements and choosing appropriate tradeoffs based on the situation will lead to its increased use. Though varying projections have large investment in IoTs, there is also increased skepticism due to privacy and security concerns. This tutorial will introduce IoTs, specifications, opportunities for SoC designers and their integration into diverse applications. Possible solutions will be discussed in dealing with power and security aspects as well.
Penile inversion through a penoscrotal incision for the treatment of penile urethral strictures

Purpose This article describes a novel technique for the repair of penile urethral strictures and establishes the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of this innovative surgical approach. Materials and methods Patients with urethral strictures underwent a one-sided anterior dorsal oral mucosal graft urethroplasty through a penoscrotal inversion technique. The clinical outcome was considered a failure when any instrumentation was needed postoperatively, including dilatation. Results Five patients underwent the novel procedure. The patients' mean age was 58 years. The cause of stricture was instrumentation in 2 cases (40%), lichen sclerosis in 1 case (20%), and failed hypospadias repair in 2 cases (40%). The mean stricture length was 3 cm. The overall mean (range) follow-up was 6 months (range, 3-9 months). Of the 5 patients, 4 (80%) had a successful outcome and 1 (20%) had a failed outcome. The failure was successfully treated by use of a meatotomy. Conclusions The penile inversion technique through a penoscrotal incision is a viable option for the management of penile urethral strictures with several advantages to other techniques: namely, no penile skin incision, a single-stage operation, and supine positioning.
Models to relate wafer geometry measurements to in-plane distortion of wafers

Achieving satisfactory overlay is increasingly challenging as feature sizes are reduced and allowable overlay budgets shrink to several nanometers and below. Overlay errors induced by wafer processing, such as film deposition and etching, constitute a meaningful fraction of overlay budgets. Wafer geometry measurements provide the opportunity to quantify stress-induced distortions at the wafer level and provide information that can be used in a feedback mode to alter wafer processing or in a feed-forward mode to set wafer-specific corrections in the lithography tool. In order for such feed-forward schemes based on wafer geometry to be realized, there is a need for mechanics models that relate in-plane distortion of a chucked wafer to the out-of-plane distortion of a wafer in a free state. Here, a simple analytical model is presented that shows the stress-induced component of overlay is correlated to a corrected local wafer slope metric for a wide range of cases. The analytical model is validated via finite element (FE) simulations of wafers with nonuniform stress distributions. Furthermore, FE modeling is used here to examine the effect of the spatial wavelength of stress variation on the connection between slope and the wafer stress-induced component of overlay.
Are Adverse Outcome Pathways Here to Stay

Social pressure to minimize the use of animal testing and the ever-increasing concern on animal welfare, together with the need for more human-relevant and more predictive toxicity tests, are some of the drivers for new approaches to chemical screening. These approaches must also be able to accelerate the screening and assessment of the thousands of chemicals that are currently in use and in development for potential hazards to human and ecological health. Ideally, approaches are needed that decrease (or eliminate) animal testing while increasing predictivity. Efforts in many countries have focused on a toxicological pathway-based vision for human health assessments relying on in vitro systems and predictive models,1 vision equally applicable to ecological risk assessment.2 A pathway-based analysis of chemical effects opens numerous opportunities to apply nontraditional approaches for understanding the risks of chemical exposure. Conservation of molecular initiating and key events leading to adverse outcomes of regulatory concern provide a defensible framework for extrapolating chemical effects across species, even if the specific adverse outcomes differ between them.3.
Number of serum markers in patients with renal insufficiency detection significance

Objective:To study the four indicators in renal insufficiency patients check meaning.Selected from November 2008 to February 2010 in our hospital for treatment of 36 cases of renal failure as the research object,set it to the observa tion group,also selected 36 healthy people the same period in the control group,after two groups of patients serum urea ni trogen,estradiol,progesterone,nitric oxide,IL-15 and IL-6 levels were detected and compared.Results:The comparative study found that observed in the serum urea nitrogen,estradiol,progesterone,IL-6,IL-15 were higher,and increased with the severity of the disease and increased serum nitric oxide in low in the control group,with the severity of the disease in creased and decreased,by comparison,P0.05,differences were statistically significant.Conclusion:Serum urea nitrogen,estradiol,progesterone,nitric oxide,IL-15 and IL-6 levels detecte in patients with renal insufficiency to understand the gravity and provide the basis for the treatment of positive significance,worthy of further study and application of.
Generic redescription, two new species, and a key to the species of the cicada genus Ariasa Distant, 1905 with the description of a new genus (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadinae: Fidicinini)

The cicada genus Ariasa Distant, 1905 is redescribed. Ariasa albimaculosa n. sp. is described from Colombia and A. bartletti n. sp. is described from Peru. The current 14 species of Ariasa are listed along with their synonymies, known distribution of each species, and a key to the species is provided. The first records of Ariasa bilaqueata (Uhler, 1903) for Peru and French Guiana are provided. Cracenpsaltria brasiliorum (Kirkaldy, 1909) rev. stat., n. comb. is determined to be the correct name for the taxon Cicada marginata Olivier, 1790 and the new genus Cracenpsaltria n. gen. is erected for the taxon. The distribution of C. brasiliorum rev. stat., n. comb. is expanded to include Bolivia and Peru.
Novel Pleiotropic Effects of Thrombin in Regulation of the Metastatic Potential of Human Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) Cells.

Abstract Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft-tissue sarcoma of adolescents and children that frequently infiltrates bone marrow (BM). We identified chemokines and growth factors [i.e., stromal derived factor (SDF)-1, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)] that play important roles in RMS metastasis (Blood 2002; 100:2597, Cancer Res. 2003; 63:7926,Cancer Res. 2007; 67:2131). However, novel evidence indicates that the metastatic process for many tumors may be modulated by components of the coagulation cascade (e.g., thrombin, activated platelets). Thus, we became interested in the role of coagulation cascade in modulating metastasis of RMS cells. We learned that RMS cells express tissue factor (TF) and thus may activate coagulation by generating thrombin. Thrombin activated in the tumor microenvironment activates platelets that release microvesicles. These interact with RMS cells and/or directly stimulate PAR 1–4 receptors that are expressed on RMS cells. Focusing on these effects, 9 human RMS cells lines were employed for our studies. We learned that platelet-derived microvesicles (PMVs) transfer several platelet integrin receptors to RMS cells (e.g., a2b3) that are important for interaction with the endothelium, thus increasing their adhesive potential to endothelial cells, fibronectin, and fibrinogen. More importantly, RMS cells covered with PMVs showed higher metastatic potential after intravenous injection into severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. This could be explained by enhanced adhesiveness of PMV-covered RMS cells to endothelial cells in small vessels. On the other hand, PMVs also directly chemoattracted RMS cells and activated MAPKp42/44 and AKT. Since we found that RMS cell lines express functional PAR 1–4 receptors, we become interested in the thromin-mediated responses of these cells. In RMS, we observed cells stimulated by thrombin phosphorylation of MAPKp42/44 and p38, but not AKT. However, we did not observe any effect from thrombin on proliferation and survival of RMS cells. To our surprise, thrombin decreased RMS chemotactic responses to SDF-1, HGF, and PMVs. Thrombin also decreased adhesion of RMS cells to fibronectin and laminin. In conclusion, we demonstrate for first time that RMS-expressed TF activates prothrombin and that thrombin is a novel, underappreciated, pro-metastatic factor for these cells. Activated in tumor proximity by thrombin, platelets release PMVs that chemoattract and transfer several platelet-derived receptors/adhesion molecules to RMS cells that are crucial for adhesion/interaction with the endothelium. Conversely, by decreasing the responsiveness of RMS cells to local chemoattractants and decreasing adhesiveness of RMS cells, thrombin promotes their release from the primary tumor into circulation. Consequently, RMS cells that are covered by PMVs release into circulation and respond to chemoattractants in distant organs for metastasis.
Dialogue Pedagogical Strategies Perceived to Enhance Online Interaction: Instructors' Perspective

The advent and success of online academic programs in recent years have prompted many institutions of higher learning to increase the number of courses they offer online. As the number of online courses increases, however, so has a growing concern about the effectiveness of this instructional delivery method in adequately preparing students for further education and career aspirations. This study explored dialogue pedagogical strategies employed by instructors of online courses to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in the online environment. It also investigated challenges faced by instructors of online courses in their effort to maximize students' learning in this environment. Ten instructors of online courses participated in the study. The analysis identified instructors' presence, learning communities, instructional differentiation, and strict deadlines as dialogue factors that promote the quality of online teaching and learning. The response data also pointed to dialogue related three issues, namely: student issues; instructor issues; and technological issues that constrain students' learning in the online environment. Implications and recommendations for educators, instructors, and policymakers are provided.
A multiscale method for model order reduction in PDE parameter estimation

Abstract Estimating parameters of Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) is of interest in a number of applications such as geophysical and medical imaging. Parameter estimation is commonly phrased as a PDE-constrained optimization problem that can be solved iteratively using gradient-based optimization. A computational bottleneck in such approaches is that the underlying PDEs need to be solved numerous times before the model is reconstructed with sufficient accuracy. One way to reduce this computational burden is by using Model Order Reduction (MOR) techniques such as the Multiscale Finite Volume Method (MSFV). In this paper, we apply MSFV for solving high-dimensional parameter estimation problems. Given a finite volume discretization of the PDE on a fine mesh, the MSFV method reduces the problem size by computing a parameter-dependent projection onto a nested coarse mesh. A novelty in our work is the integration of MSFV into a PDE-constrained optimization framework, which updates the reduced space in each iteration. We present a computationally tractable way of explicitly differentiating the MOR solution that acknowledges the change of basis. As we demonstrate in our numerical experiments, our method leads to computational savings for large-scale parameter estimation problems where iterative PDE solvers are necessary and offers potential for additional speed-ups through parallel implementation.
Transforming the Dynamic Response of Robotic Structures and Systems Through Laminar Jamming

Researchers have developed variable-impedance mechanisms to control the dynamic response of robotic systems and improve their adaptivity, robustness, and efficiency. However, these mechanisms have limitations in size, cost, and convenience, particularly for variable damping. We demonstrate that laminar jamming structures can transform the dynamic response of robotic structures and systems while overcoming these limitations. In laminar jamming, an external pressure gradient is applied to a laminate of compliant material, changing its stiffness and damping. In this latter, we combine analysis, simulation, and characterization to formulate a lumped-parameter model that captures the nonlinear mechanical behavior of jamming structures and can be used to rapidly simulate their dynamic response. We illustrate that by adjusting the vacuum pressure, the fundamental features of the dynamic response (i.e., frequency, amplitude, decay rate, and steady-state value) can be tuned on command. Finally, we demonstrate that jamming structures can be integrated into soft structures and traditional rigid robots to considerably alter their response to impacts. With the models and demonstrations provided here, researchers may move further toward building versatile and transformative robots.
The Indian Buffet Hawkes Process to Model Evolving Latent Influences

Temporal events in the real world often exhibit reinforcing dynamics, where earlier events trigger follow-up activity in the near future. Such dynamics have been represented using models of reinforcement and reciprocation, a canonical example being the Hawkes pro- cess (HP). However, previous HP models do not capture the rich dynamics of real-world activity—which can be driven by multiple la- tent triggering factors shared by past and future events, with the latent features themselves ex- hibiting temporal dependency structures. For instance, rather than view a new document just as a response to other documents in the recent past, it is important to account for the factor- structure underlying all previous documents. This structure itself is not fixed, with the influ- ence of earlier documents decaying with time. To this end, we propose a novel Bayesian non- parametric stochastic point process model, the Indian Buffet Hawkes Processes (IBHP), to learn multiple latent triggering factors under- lying streaming document/message data. The IBP facilitates the inclusion of multiple trig- gering factors in the HP, and the HP allows for modeling latent factor evolution in the IBP. We develop an efficient and scalable learning algo- rithm for the IBHP based on Sequential Monte Carlo and demonstrate the effectiveness of the model, both quantitatively and qualitatively, in experiments on synthetic and real data.
Hydrogen peroxide activates agonist-sensitive Ca 2+ -flux pathways in canine venous endothelial cells

The effect of the biological oxidant H2O2 on purinergic-receptor-stimulated Ca2+ signalling was determined in canine venous endothelial cells. H2O2 increased cytosolic free [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]i), the rate of rise of which was dose-dependently related to H2O2 concentration. The response of [Ca2+]i to H2O2 resulted in part from release of Ca2+ from internal stores. The H2O2-sensitive intracellular Ca2+ pool was characterized in cells suspended in Ca(2+)-free/EGTA buffer and stimulated in sequence with H2O2 and ionomycin or ATP. Under this condition, the rank order of apparent compartment size sensitive to each compound was ionomycin > H2O2 > ATP. Stimulation of cells with H2O2 eliminated any response of [Ca2+]i to subsequent addition of ATP. To test more directly whether H2O2 accesses the inositol trisphosphate-sensitive Ca2+ store, cells were pretreated with thapsigargin, a selective inhibitor of that store's Ca2+ pump. Release of Ca2+ from internal Ca2+ stores by H2O2 declined as the interval after thapsigargin addition increased, a finding that supports the contention that H2O2 accesses the inositol trisphosphate-sensitive Ca2+ store. H2O2-stimulated Ca2+ influx across the cell membrane was sensitive to Ni2+, La3+, and 1-(beta-[3-(4-methoxyphenyl)propoxy]-4-methoxyphenethyl)-1H-imidazole HCl (SKF-96365), a selective inhibitor of the agonist-stimulated Ca(2+)-influx pathway. Ca2+ entry triggered by H2O2 appears to occur via the agonist-sensitive Ca2+ influx pathway. Together, these results suggest that H2O2, which is normally secreted by activated neutrophils and monocytes, may act as an intercellular messenger and stimulate Ca2+ signalling in target endothelial cells.
THE COUPLED-MODE FORMALISM IN GUIDED-WAVE OPTICS

The problem of propagation and interaction of optical radiation in dielectric waveguides is cast in the coupled-mode formalism. This approach is useful for treating problems involving energy exchange between modes. A derivation of the general theory is followed by application to the specific cases of electrooptic modulation, photoelastic and magnetooptic modulation, and optical filtering. Also treated are nonlinear optical applications such as second-harmonic generation in thin films and phase matching.
Flowline design and thermodynamic implications of the vector potential (Conference Presentation)

The flowline design has been shown to be a powerful tool for nonimaging optics, utilizing a vector field analogy to describe the reasoning behind the various designing method. However, as a set of tools the vector analysis has not been fully explored, especially it vector potential, A, which has found its usage in modern physics. In this talk we will try to link the vector potential with the fundamental understanding of thermodynamics.
Clinical factors associated with mortality within three months after radiosurgery of asymptomatic brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer.

Routine brain MRI surveillance frequently diagnoses small, asymptomatic brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that are effectively treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). A subset of patients, however, may die prior to the onset of symptoms. This study identifies clinical features that distinguish neurologically-asymptomatic NSCLC brain metastases patients that die prior to routine 3 month follow-up after SRS. Retrospective chart review from 2007 to 2017 identified 18 patients with neurologically-asymptomatic NSCLC brain metastases who died 6 months after SRS were identified. Clinical factors were examined to determine characteristics correlated with survival using cox proportional hazards and nominal logistic regression models. Logistic regression models using salient factors were trained with 10-fold cross-validation and compared to the graded prognostic assessment (GPA) and score index of radiosurgery (SIR) using the AUC from receiver operant characteristic curves. The median survival following SRS was 1.4 and 9.2 months for the 6 months groups, respectively. Age, number of brain metastases, and Karnofsky performance status were associated with overall survival while gender and interval between primary cancer and first brain metastasis diagnoses were associated with 6 months survival, respectively. Models using GPA and SIR performed poorly compared to preliminary metrics generated in this study for prognosis of both 6 months survival. Physicians require data to provide high-value, cost-conscious health care. Clinical metrics can screen patients with asymptomatic NSCLC brain metastases likely to die prior to the standard screening interval and observation could be considered.