cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of the Heterogenization Methodology to the Analysis of Elastic Bodies with Defects

Numerous defects in materials may be characterized as cavities or inclusions within the framework of linear elasticity. Recently, the author and co-workers have developed a general procedure termed “Heterogenization”, which permits an efficient analysis of elastic bodies with circular cavities or inclusions in terms of correspondingly loaded homogeneous bodies without such defects. One of the features of this novel methodology is that the expressions derived are completely independent of the loading. The present contribution summarizes the essentials of this methodology, which is based on a certain involution correspondence, and considers specific applications to cavities, elastic inclusions with different boundary conditions, as well as to coupled fields such as piezoelectricity and thermoelasticity.
Survival rate to term of chimeric morulae produced by aggregation of five to nine embryos in the mouse, Mus musculus.

Abstract Chimeric morulae from five to nine embryos were produced by aggregation after removal of the zonae pellucidae and brief incubation in phytohemagglutinin-P. After 28 hr of in vitro culture, these aggregates were transferred to the left uterine horn of pseudopregnant recipient female mice. Each recipient also received control embryos in the right uterine horn. Genetic markers were included so that aggregate-derived offspring could be distinguished from control offspring. Aggregate-derived embryos survived to term, but at a much reduced rate. In the 25 recipients that produced litters, 6.2% (N=211) of the aggregated embryos developed into liveborn young. Survival-to-term for control embryos was 38.8% (N=387). Survival-to-term was independent of the number of embryos aggregated. The aggregate-derived embryos were apparently undergoing size regulation following implantation.
Translational Research and Clinical Applications in the Management of Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-shortening and recessive genetic disorder that affects approximately 1 in 2500 live births worldwide. The disorder affects the functions of multiple organs including the lungs, pancreas, liver, and reproductive system and requires adherence to a time-consuming and burdensome treatment regimen. This chapter reviews literature regarding adherence to this treatment regimen, the role of the family in treatment adherence, the impact of CF on family functioning and psychological health, the effect of infection control guidelines on CF patient social support and functioning, and the processes associated with the transition from pediatric to adult care. Empirically evaluated interventions targeting each of these challenges are discussed. Reviewed literature points to the importance of: 1) considering the changing needs of individuals with CF in light of developments in medical practices and policy, 2) the need for supportive interventions for families and individuals with CF to improve family functioning, 3) treatment adherence and mental health, and 4) the necessity of programs that facilitate the transition of treatment responsibility from parents to their children with CF.
Abstract B41: Direct inhibition of oncogenic KRAS by hydrocarbon-stapled SOS1 helices

Activating mutations in KRAS represent the most frequent oncogenic driving force among the RAS homologs K-, N- and H-RAS, and are associated with poor prognosis and chemoresistance. KRAS mutations are present in approximately 30% of tumors, and at even higher frequencies in cancers of the pancreas, lung, thyroid gland, colon, and liver. In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC), which carries a 5-year survival rate of less than 5%, activating KRAS mutations are present in over 90% of tumors. Moreover, these mutations have been causally linked to the initiation and progression of PDAC. Despite the mechanistic insights into KRAS-mediated oncogenesis, development of high affinity targeted inhibitors remains a formidable challenge. Here, we report the synthesis and application of hydrocarbon-stapled peptides as prototype therapeutics for blocking wild type and mutant KRAS in vitro and in cancer cells. Stabilized Alpha-Helices of SOS1 (SAH-SOS1) were generated by inserting hydrocarbon staples into SOS1 peptide sequence to recapitulate the alpha-helical structure of the native KRAS-interaction domain. SAH-SOS1 peptides, but not negative control analogs, bound to a variety of KRAS constructs with nanomolar affinity, inhibiting nucleotide exchange. This sequence-specific biochemical activity correlated with impairment of KRAS-driven cancer cell viability and signal transduction. These studies provide proof-of-concept for the utility of SAH-SOS1 peptides in dissecting and targeting the oncogenic KRAS pathway in human cancer. Citation Format: Elizaveta S. Leshchiner, Joseph Bellairs, Gregory H. Bird, Kwadwo Opoku-Nsiah, Marina Godes, Loren D. Walensky. Direct inhibition of oncogenic KRAS by hydrocarbon-stapled SOS1 helices. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on RAS Oncogenes: From Biology to Therapy; Feb 24-27, 2014; Lake Buena Vista, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2014;12(12 Suppl):Abstract nr B41. doi: 10.1158/1557-3125.RASONC14-B41
To Mix, or To Demix, That Is the Question

Membraneless organelles are micron or sub-micron-sized bodies that consist of multiple proteins and, in many cases, RNA molecules (1,2). Unlike typical intracellular organelles such as mitochondria and nuclei, membraneless organelles lack a surrounding phospholipid membrane. A variety of nuclear (1–3) and cytoplasmic functions (1,2,4–6) are associated with membraneless organelles and these include ribosomal biogenesis, RNA processing, and stress response. How do membraneless organelles form, and how are the hundreds of distinct protein and RNA molecules organized within these organelles? In 2009, Brangwynne et al.
Antioxidants: Wonder drugs or quackery?

An answer to the question posed by the title must be simple not to disturb in his tomb Albert Einstein, who wrote "Man mus die Dinge so einfach wie moglich machen. Aber nicht einfacher". A simple answer (not simpler) can be: Antioxidants are not antioxidants, they are not wonder drugs and they are not all quackery; but they are not nothing. The arguments in support of this conundrumic statement will be developed below. © 2017 BioFactors, 43(6):785-788, 2017.
Addressing Housing Insecurity and Living Costs in Higher Education

This Guidebook, co-authored with the Wisconsin HOPE Lab, reviews and explains strategies that institutions of higher education may consider to support their students with housing insecurity and other living costs, as well as examples of these strategies’ implementation. In the introduction, the Guidebook contextualizes these strategies with reference to evidence on student living costs, most of which has been discussed in prior PDR partnering with local agencies and organizations such as Continuums of Care; and connecting students with benefits. The Guidebook is sourced from interviews, suggestions from stakeholders including other federal agencies, and existing research.
Abstract 19257: Mesenchymal Stem Cells Require CD73 Activity to Reduce Leukocyte Associated Inflammation Following Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Introduction: Cell death following myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MI/R) injury releases toxic metabolites in the interstitium, eliciting a potent immune response. Therapeutic use of MSCs represen...
Be Prepared!: Things You May Not Have Thought About

Given that the independent medical evaluation is not a standard medical encounter, unusual circumstances can occur. The IME physician should be prepared to answer and address the examinee when they attempt to ask for treatment. There should be limits to who is in the examination room. It is recommended to not allow audio or video recording of the evaluation, as these serve no purpose other than a future attempt to try to discredit the IME physician.
H-index and academic rank in general surgery and surgical specialties in the United States

Abstract Background H-index serves as an alternative to measure academic achievement. Our objective is to study the h-index as a measure of academic attainment in general surgery and surgical specialties. Methods A database of all surgical programs in the United States was created. Publish or Perish software was used to determine surgeons h-index. Results A total of 134 hospitals and 3712 surgeons (79% male) were included. Overall, mean h-index was 14.9 ± 14.8. H-index increased linearly with academic rank: 6.8 ± 6.4 for assistant professors (n = 1557, 41.9%), 12.9 ± 9.3 for associate professors (n = 891, 24%), and 27.9 ± 17.4 for professors (n = 1170, 31.5%); P Conclusions The h-index of academic surgeons correlates with academic rank and serves a potential tool to measure academic productivity.
Disciplinary Practices in Nebraska's Public Schools

Increasing rates of youth violence and crime have exerted pressure on schools to maintain an orderly learning environment. Exclusionary measures, a common disciplinary procedure, however, have been under intense scrutiny. Our study examined disciplinary practices in elementary and secondary schools by surveying building administrators. Findings indicate strong correlation between level (secondary) and size of school, and socioeconomic status of students and rates of disciplinary actions; significant differences between school levels on disciplinary action for similar offenses and on availability of support programs; and differences in beliefs between elementary and secondary level administrators on the consequences of exclusionary actions.
The Tasks of Programming

Abstract Computer programming and other design tasks have often been characterized as a set of non-interacting subtasks. In principle, it may be possible to separate these subtasks, but in practice there are substantial interactions between them. We argue that this is a fundamental feature of programming deriving from the cognitive characteristics of the subtasks, the high uncertainty in programming environments, and the social nature of the environments in which complex software development takes place.
Enterprise Information Systems Security: A Conceptual Framework

Over the past half a century, organizations have implemented information systems for managing their business processes. These information systems have now evolved into what are more commonly known as enterprise information systems. An important facet of implementing an enterprise information system in an organization is the development of security related issues within the information system for the business processes. In this paper, we review the relevant literature related to the security policies that are associated with the use of enterprise information systems within organizations. Based on this literature review, we identify four major issues which are security policy documentation, employee awareness, top management support, and access control. A conceptual framework based on these four issues is then presented within the context of corporate governance for the security of the enterprise information systems. We conclude our work with the future direction for this research.
Patient Safety in Pediatrics

Leaders in pediatric health care have focused attention on many aspects of care that are unique to assuring individual and population health for children. Many of these, such as preventative measures like immunization, access to appropriate pediatric specialists, and championing for research for childhood diseases and treatments reflect the fact that these programs are seen as fundamental to sustaining a healthy society. None of these will be successful, however, if care is not delivered safely. The Institute of Medicine’s publication To Err is Human [1] shocked many and brought to light the stark reality of medicine’s failure to attend to processes of care. For pediatrics, the specialty with patients ranging in weight from one to hundreds of kilograms and varying widely in physiologic and developmental stages and abilities, the risk of error and real harm occurring in this kind of healthcare system is heightened.
3.43 – Recent Advances in Solid-Phase Microextraction for Forensic Applications

This chapter provides a review of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) applications in forensic studies including analytical toxicology, explosive detection, instrumental analysis of human scent, and detection of chemical warfare agents. The most recent trends within this analytical technique are discussed. As SPME successfully integrates a number of analytical steps such as sampling, extraction, preconcentration, and sample introduction for instrumental analysis, which are both laborious and time consuming, making the sample preparation and instrumental analysis relatively faster, SPME has gained enormous popularity among forensic scientists in recent years. Recent trends in the advancement of the extraction process including novel fiber coatings and in vivo sampling applications are described and a detailed discussion on important chemical analysis needed in the forensic laboratory for use in criminal investigations is presented. Highlights of the SPME process encompass recent novel applications such as the detection of chemical warfare agents and the identification of volatile organic signatures of live human scent for potential biometric measurements. The future of SPME methods lies in the development of more rugged fiber prototypes that can provide enhanced selectivity to the coatings as well as high thermal and solvent stability when performing complex analysis.
A continuum model of multi-phase reactive transport in igneous systems

Multiphase reactive transport processes are ubiquitous in igneous systems. A challenging aspect of modelling igneous phenomena is that they range from solid-dominated porous to liquid-dominated suspension flows and therefore entail a wide spectrum of rheological conditions, flow speeds and length scales. Most previous models have been restricted to the two-phase limits of porous melt transport in deforming, partially molten rock and crystal settling in convecting magma bodies. The goal of this paper is to develop a framework that can capture igneous system from source to surface at all phase proportions including not only rock and melt but also an exsolved volatile phase. Here, we derive an n-phase reactive transport model building on the concepts of Mixture Theory, along with principles of Rational Thermodynamics and procedures of Non-equilibrium Thermodynamics. Our model operates at the macroscopic system scale and requires constitutive relations for fluxes within and transfers between phases, which are the processes that together give rise to reactive transport phenomena. We introduce a phase- and process-wise symmetrical formulation for fluxes and transfers of entropy, mass, momentum and volume, and propose phenomenological coefficient closures that determine how fluxes and transfers respond to mechanical and thermodynamic forces. Finally, we demonstrate that the known limits of two-phase porous and suspension flow emerge as special cases of our general model and discuss some ramifications for modelling pertinent two- and three-phase flow problems in igneous systems.
Deficits in Self-Reported Initiation Are AssociatedWith Subsequent Disability in ICU Survivors

Objective To determine whether deficits in a key aspect of executive functioning, namely, initiation, were associated with current and future functional disabilities in intensive care unit survivors. Methods A nested substudy within a 2-center prospective observational cohort. We used 3 tests of initiation at 3 and 12 months: the Ruff Total Unique Design, Controlled Oral Word Association, and Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function initiation. Disability in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) was measured with the Functional Activities Questionnaire. We used a proportional odds logistic regression model to evaluate the association between initiation and disability. Covariates in the model included age, education, baseline Functional Activities Questionnaire, pre-existing cognitive impairment, comorbidities, admission severity of illness, episodes of hypoxia, and days of severe sepsis. Results In 195 patients, after adjusting for covariates, only the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function initiation was associated with disability at any time point. Comparing the 25th vs the 75th percentile scores (95% confidence interval) of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function initiation at 3 months, patients with worse initiation scores had 5.062 times the odds (95% confidence interval: 2.539, 10.092) of disability according to the Functional Activities Questionnaire at 3 months, with similar odds at 12 months (odds ratio: 3.476, 95% confidence interval: 1.943, 6.216). Worse Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function initiation scores at 3 months were associated with future disability at 12 months odds ratio (95% confidence interval) 5.079 (2.579, 10.000). Conclusions Executive function deficits acquired after a critical illness in the domain of initiation are common in intensive care unit survivors, and when they are identified via self-report tools, they are associated with current and future disability in instrumental activities of daily living.
Soybean vein necrosis virus: an emerging virus in North America

Few diseases have emerged in such a short period of time as soybean vein necrosis. The disease is present in all major producing areas in North America, affecting one of the major row field instead of row crops for the United States. Because of the significance of soybean in the agricultural economy and the widespread presence of the disease, the causal agent, soybean vein necrosis virus has been studied by several research groups. Research in the past 10 years has focused on virus epidemiology, management, and effects on yield and seed quality. This communication provides a review of the current knowledge on the virus and the disease.
Liquidity, Price Impact, and Foreign Trading: Does Identity Matter?

This paper examines the price impact of liquidity demanding order flow. We define liquidity demand as trading in the direction of the daily price movement. We use Indonesian data on foreign and domestic order flow to examine whether the liquidity impact is different between foreign and domestic investors. Our findings show that foreign investors demand liquidity more aggressively than domestic investors and the price impact of foreign liquidity demand is significantly larger than domestic liquidity demand.
Hepatitis C care cascade in HIV patients at an urban clinic in the early direct-acting antiviral era:

Guidelines advocate universal, prompt treatment of hepatitis C (HCV) infection in HIV/HCV co-infected patients, but barriers to uptake of HCV direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) remain unclear in this ...
Nonparametric identification of discrete choice models with lagged dependent variables

Abstract Variation in covariates can be used to nonparametrically identify a discrete choice model with a lagged dependent variable and discrete unobserved heterogeneity (Kasahara and Shimotsu, 2009; Browning and Carro, 2014). In some cases the number of support points of the unobserved heterogeneity distribution is restricted only by the number of points of support in the distribution of the covariates. This paper provides conditions under which these models can be identified with continuous heterogeneity using continuous variation in the covariates. The identification argument is related to that of Honore and Lewbel (2002) in that it requires a “special regressor” (Lewbel, 1998), but it does not assume an additively separable latent index. Identification requires only 3 time periods, neither stationarity nor time homogeneity is imposed, and the distribution of the initial condition is not restricted apart from conditions required for the special regressor. I demonstrate the result through a Monte Carlo simulation.
The Roles of Alcohol Use Severity and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms as Risk Factors for Women's Intimate Partner Violence Experiences.

Background: To reduce women's risk for intimate partner violence (IPV), it is critical to elucidate malleable psychiatric and behavioral health risk factors. We aimed to identify if alcohol use pro...
Large effect of structural variations in the columnar silicon electrode on energy storage capacity and electrode structural integrity in Li-ion cells

Silicon electrodes with the columnar macroporous structure were investigated to determine the effect of variations in the columnar pore morphology on lithiation and energy storage capacity in Li-ion cells. Several variants of macroporous Si columnar electrodes were electrochemically cycled against the Li reference electrode. The changes in macro-pore size and Si wall thickness of the columnar architecture greatly affected the cyclic Li storage and discharge capacities. A strong correlation of the Li-storage capacity with the ratio of Si wall thickness to pore diameter is found to exist. Specifically, one columnar Si electrode with an optimum macroporous structure exhibited a very high reversible specific capacity of ~1250 mAh/g (total capacity 1.2 mAh/cm2) for over 200 cycles. Electron microscopy revealed that the high reversible Li-storage capacity is due to the macropores accommodating the change in volume of lithiation and providing nearly complete reconstruction of Si walls upon delithiation. The present observations can lead to practical, high-capacity, and damage-resistant Si electrodes for Li-ion batteries.
The effect of validation and invalidation on positive and negative affective experiences

Validation communicates that another’s experiences make sense and are understood, while invalidation dismisses the validity of an individual’s experience. Validation has the potential to preserve p...
Assembling a Pipeline for 3D Face Interpolation.

This paper describes a pipeline built with open source tools for interpolating 3D facial expressions taken from images. The presented approach allows anyone to create 3D face animations from 2 input photos: one from the start face expression, and the other from the final face expression. Given the input photos, corresponding 3D face models are constructed and texture-mapped using the photos as textures aligned with facial features. Animations are then generated by morphing the models by interpolation of the geometries and textures of the models. This work was performed as a MS project at the University of California, Merced.
Analysis of learner demographics from a massive open online course in oral medicine

Objectives The aims of this study were as follows: (1) to review the learning impact of The Oral Cavity: Portal to Health and Disease (TOC), a massive open online course in oral medicine developed by Penn Dental Medicine using the Coursera platform; and (2) to analyze course enrollment to determine worldwide interest in accessible, high-quality oral medicine education. Methods The authors analyzed Coursera learner statistics to critically evaluate learner traits and course engagement for TOC, which launched on September 17, 2017, and covers topics relevant to oral medicine and the interprofessional relationship between dentistry and medicine. Results To date, TOC has garnered 16,653 visitors, 4,318 of whom have enrolled and demonstrate approximately steady continued monthly and daily engagement. Most learners are between 25 and 34 years of age, and 54% are female, reflecting interest in acquiring oral medicine–related knowledge in this demographic. TOC includes more participants than Coursera averages who have obtained professional and doctoral degrees. TOC participants also include more individuals who are unemployed, employed part time, and self-employed, demonstrating a broad range of participants. Some participants have successfully applied to and enrolled in dental schools and oral medicine residency programs, including at the University of Pennsylvania. Enrollees are from 6 continents, with higher proportions of learners than other courses on the platform being from Africa and Asia. The countries with the highest proportions of participants include the United States, India, Egypt, the United Kingdom, and Brazil, demonstrating a geographically wide interest among these participants. One hundred twenty-six learners have rated the course with 4.9 of 5 stars; 95% of participants have given the course a “thumbs up”; and many submit positive reviews, including one individual who remarked, “It is a great course for dental students who want to know how systemic diseases or conditions may affect in [sic] the Oral Cavity.” Conclusions Coursera is a worldwide technology platform that hosts free courses spanning various levels and disciplines. TOC presents an opportunity to learn oral medicine and interprofessional health care concepts for individuals with interests in dental, medical, and allied health professions. High learner engagement with wide global distribution demonstrates interest in oral medicine–related education worldwide.
Development and validation of the Child Weight Risk Questionnaire

The study objective was to develop and validate a measure of parent perception of child weight-related risk, the Child Weight Risk Questionnaire (CWRQ), among a sample of US parents. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a sample of 216 parents of 6- to 12-year-old children who were overweight. The CWRQ was used to assess parent beliefs about their child’s susceptibility to physical, social-emotional, and behavioral health problems due to weight. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the three-factor structure of the CWRQ and acceptable fit was achieved. The internal consistency of the measure was excellent. Convergent, discriminant, and incremental validity analyses provided initial evidence for CWRQ validity. The CWRQ is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing parent perception of child weight-related risk. This measure could be utilized in research and applied settings to capture the multifaceted nature of parent risk perception and support efforts to tailor family weight interventions in ways that align with parent beliefs. Level V, cross-sectional, descriptive study.
Generation of functional human thymic cells from induced pluripotent stem cells.

Background The thymus is a glandular organ that is essential for the formation of the adaptive immune system by educating developing T cells. The thymus is most active during childhood and involutes around the time of adolescence, resulting in a severe reduction or absence of naive T-cell output. The ability to generate a patient-derived human thymus would provide an attractive research platform and enable the development of novel cell therapies. Objectives This study sought to systematically evaluate signaling pathways to develop a refined direct differentiation protocol that generates patient-derived thymic epithelial progenitor cells from multiple induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that can further differentiate into functional patient-derived thymic epithelial cells on transplantation into athymic nude mice. Methods Directed differentiation of iPSC generated TEPs that were transplanted into nude mice. Between 14 and 19 weeks posttransplantation, grafts were removed and analyzed by flow cytometry, quantitative PCR, bulk RNA sequencing, and single-cell RNA sequencing for markers of thymic-cell and T-cell development. Results A direct differentiation protocol that allows the generation of patient-derived thymic epithelial progenitor cells from multiple iPSC lines is described. On transplantation into athymic nude mice, patient-derived thymic epithelial progenitor cells further differentiate into functional patient-derived thymic epithelial cells that can facilitate the development of T cells. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of iPSC-derived grafts shows characteristic thymic subpopulations and patient-derived thymic epithelial cell populations that are indistinguishable from TECs present in primary neonatal thymus tissue. Conclusions These findings provide important insights and resources for researchers focusing on human thymus biology.
Analysis on the Investment Strategy of Chinese Baijiu Industry Based on Markowitz Model

Chinese Baijiu industry is of great importance due to its profound history and cultural meanings. The stock of Baijiu industry has been favored by lots of investors for its unique stability and long-term development space. Even under the strike of Covid-19, the stock of Baijiu industry has ascended consistently, with 10 out of 19 stocks’ yields exceeding 100%. However, after the Spring Festival of 2021, there is a strange phenomenon of market prosperity coexisting with severe stock losses. To explore the investment strategy of Baijiu industry, Wuliangye and Luzhou Laojiao, two top Baijiu companies are selected as examples. Through financial analysis of these two companies, this paper studies the investment status and risks of Baijiu industry. After ensuring its investing value, the author uses Markowitz Model to conduct quantitative analysis on the stock portfolio consisting of these two companies. The optimal investing portfolio, constituting of 80% L and 20% W, is decided. After evaluation, this portfolio is more defensive and beneficial than the whole market, which would provide suggestions for investors.
Dexamethasone Effectively Reduces the Incidence of Post-neurotomy Neuropathic Pain: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND Radiofrequency neurotomy (RFN) of facet or sacroiliac joints is widely used for the treatment of chronic axial pain and can provide long-term pain relief in well-selected patients. The most common side effect is transient neuropathic pain at the paravertebral level of interest. Pain physicians commonly administer corticosteroid post-neurotomy to reduce the risk of post-neurotomy neuropathic pain, yet it remains unclear if this provides a true reduction in incidence. OBJECTIVES To determine the efficacy of corticosteroid administration post-lesion in preventing the development of post-neurotomy neuropathic pain after cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacroiliac joint radiofrequency denervation. STUDY DESIGN Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind prospective study. SETTING Ambulatory Surgical Center within a Tertiary Hospital System. METHODS This trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03247413). Permission to conduct human research was obtained from the Institutional Review Board. Eligible patients included those with cervical, thoracic, or lumbar facet or sacroiliac joint pain who had positive concordant medial branch blocks (thus scheduled for bilateral RFN), at least 18 years of age, and English-speaking. Patients received dexamethasone vs saline (control) at each lesion site, serving as their own control (with laterality). Follow-ups were completed at 4- and 8-weeks post-intervention to evaluate the incidence of post-procedure pain (questionnaire) and function using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) or the Neck Disability Index (NDI). RESULTS At the time of data analysis, 35/63 patients completed the study protocol. There was a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of post-neurotomy pain in the steroid group vs the control group (20/35 control group vs 3/35 steroid group, P < 0.001). ODI/NDI scores changed differently over time depending on the spinal level of neurotomy, showing statistically significant improvement in ODI/NDI in the cervical subgroup and lumbar subgroup at 4-week (P = 0.05) and 8-week time points (P < 0.01), respectively. There was no improvement of ODI scores in the sacral subgroup. The incidence of post-neurotomy neuropathic pain was not significantly different among patients with different spinal levels of neurotomy. Patients who developed post-neurotomy neuropathic pain did not differ in ODI/NDI scores at any time point. LIMITATIONS This study has several limitations, most notably the number of patients lost to follow-up, the use of a single corticosteroid, and the use of laterality for incidence reporting. Additionally, all procedures were performed by a single interventionalist using one neurotomy system. CONCLUSIONS A statistically significant reduction in post-neurotomy pain was observed in the steroid group. This protocol can be feasibly conducted in an effective and resource-efficient manner. Additional research is needed to increase the power of the study.
C++ Distilled: A Concise ANSI/ISO Reference and Style Guide

Preface. 1. Program Structure. 2. Lexical Elements. Comments. Identifiers. Keywords. 3. Constants. 4. Declarations and Scope Rules. Namespaces. 5. Linkage Rules. 6. Types. 7. Conversion Rules and Casts. 8. Expressions and Operators. sizeof Expressions. Autoincrement and Autodecrement Expressions. Arithmetic Expressions. Relational, Equality, and Logical Expressions. Assignment Expressions. Comma Expressions. Conditional Expressions. Bit Manipulation Expressions. Address and Indirection Expressions. new and delete Expressions. Other Expressions. 9. Statements. Expression Statements. The Compound Statement. The if and if-else Statements. The while Statement. The for Statement. The do Statement. The break and continue Statements. The switch Statement. The goto Statement. The return Statement. The Declaration Statement. 10. Functions. Prototypes. Call-by-Reference. Inline Functions. Default Arguments. Overloading. Type-Safe Linkage for Functions. 11. Classes. Constructors and Destructors. Member Functions. Friend Functions. The this Pointer. Operator Overloading. static and const Member Functions. Mutable. Class Design. 12. Inheritance. Multiple Inheritance. Constructor Invocation. Abstract Base Classes. Pointer to Class Member. Run-Time Type Identification. Virtual Functions. 13. Templates. Template Parameters. Function Template. Friends. Static Members. Specialization. 14. Exceptions. Throwing Exceptions. Try Blocks. Handlers. Exception Specification. terminate() and unexpected(). Standard Library Exceptions. 15. Input/Output. The Output Class ostream. Formatted Output and iomanip.h. User-Defined Types: Output. The Input Class istream. Files. Using Strings as Streams. The Functions and Macros in ctype.h. Using Stream States. Mixing I/O Libraries. 16. STL. Containers. Iterators. Algorithms. Functions. Allocators. 17. String Library. Constructors. Member Functions. Global Operators. 18. Caution and Compatibility. Nested Class Declarations. Type Compatibilities. Miscellaneous. 19. New Features in C++. 20. References. Index. 0201695871T04062001
General Floristic Survey of Grand Teton National Park and Vicinity, Wyoming

A broad-scale floristic inventory of all vascular plants was proposed for Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway (JDR) primarily to document the extant flora in remote backcountry areas. The Teton Mountains are floristically important because of the unique habitats which they contain, because their relatively undisturbed (human disturbance) condition, and because of their proximity to the Yellowstone Plateau, a floristically unique area of Wyoming. Many studies have explored these lands for purposes of vegetation characterization (Cogan et al. 2005, McCloskey 2006) though an explicit and complete plant inventory parkwide had never been undertaken.
Problem-solving skills and emotional distress in spouses of men with prostate cancer.

Abstract Background. Prostate cancer, the most common cancer in American men, may increase the risk of emotional distress in patients and their spouses. Problem‐solving skills may be related to the emotional distress of the spouses. Method. Thirty‐two spouses of prostate cancer patients completed measures of problem‐solving skills and emotional distress. Results. Proactive problem‐solving skills were related to less emotional distress in spouses. Subtypes of problem‐solving skills were differentially related to emotional distress. Conclusions. Enhancement of problem‐solving skills may contribute to improved health‐related quality of life of spouses of prostate cancer patients.
Does star norm capture l/sub 1/ norm?

This paper pertains to the results obtained in Nagpal et al. (1994) where the authors present a norm, which they call the "*-norm", and conclude that minimizing the star norm results in good peak to peak disturbance rejection. The problem they treat reduces to solving a set of parameter dependent LMIs for standard synthesis problems in control and estimation. In this paper, the authors show using examples that minimizing the star norm does not necessarily imply good peak to peak disturbance rejection.
Biology of erythropoietin

Recombinant erythropoietin is a 165-amino acid glycoprotein hormone with a molecular weight of 30.4 kDa that contains 39% carbohydrate [1, 2] and has the same biologic function as the endogenous product of a human gene located on chromosome 7q22 [3, 4]. Both the endogenous material (eEPO), and recombinant human glycoprotein (rHuEPO) bind a single receptor (EPOR) [5, 6, 7]. Although data from one group challenge this concept by suggesting signaling through a heterodimeric receptor including the beta-common cytokine receptor [8], these data have yet to be confirmed by other groups. For some years it had been widely accepted that EPOR was expressed broadly within the body in both normal and diseased tissues (e.g., [9]), but as discussed elsewhere in this book, methodological flaws in almost all of the published data draw this conclusion into doubt. To date, it is possible only to conclude with certainty that EPOR is expressed at effective levels in erythroid tissues in the bone marrow and spleen, so our discussion will focus only on the function of EPOR in that context.
Nα -acetylation is linked to α -MSH release from pars intermedia of the amphibian pituitary gland

Most amphibians can adapt their colour to that of their background by a mechanism which is controlled by melanophore stimulating hormone (MSH), a product of the pars intermedia of the pituitary gland1. Although the melanotropic peptides of amphibians have never been sequenced, immunological evidence indicates that at least some of them are structurally related to α-MSH2–4. In our studies of the biosynthesis and structure of melanotropic peptides in the pars intermedia of Xenopus laevis, we have found evidence, reported here, for des-Nα-acetyl-α-MSH as the immediate precursor of α-MSH, with the acetylation taking place just before or during release from the pituitary.
Rings and filaments of β protein from bacteriophage λ suggest a superfamily of recombination proteins

The β protein of bacteriophage λ acts in homologous genetic recombination by catalyzing the annealing of complementary single-stranded DNA produced by the λ exonuclease. It has been shown that the β protein binds to the products of the annealing reaction more tightly than to the initial substrates. We find that β protein exists in three structural states. In the absence of DNA, β protein forms inactive rings with ≈12 subunits. The active form of the β protein in the presence of oligonucleotides or single-stranded DNA is a ring, composed of ≈15–18 subunits. The double-stranded products of the annealing reaction catalyzed by the rings are bound by β protein in a left-handed helical structure, which protects the products from nucleolytic degradation. These observations suggest structural homology for a family of proteins, including the phage P22 erf, the bacterial RecT, and the eukaryotic Rad52 proteins, all of which are involved in homologous recombination.
Substorm electric fields in the earth's magnetotail

A survey has been made of all the electric field data from the University of California, Berkeley, double probe experiment on ISEE-1 (apogee approximately 22 earth radii) during 1980 when the satellite was in the magnetotail. This study was restricted to the 74 events where E cross B flows could be calculated and were equal to or greater than 100 km/s. Substorm times were determined by examining the Ae index for peaks equal to or greater than 250 gamma. In association with substorms, approximately 70 percent of the flows were earthward, and approximately 20 percent had a signature called 'near satellite reconnection' (first described by Nishida et al. (1983) of tailward flow followed by earthward flow which can be interpreted in terms of a model where the x-line forms earthward of the satellite and subsequently propagates tailward of X(GSM) = -21 earth radii and within the absolute value of Y(GSM) equal to or less than 4.5 earth radii. These data suggest that the near earth x-line usually forms tailward of X(GSM) approximately -20 earth radii.
Expectant management for men with early stage prostate cancer

Answer questions and earn CME/CNE Since the dissemination of prostate-specific antigen screening, most men with prostate cancer are now diagnosed with localized, low-risk prostate cancer that is unlikely to be lethal. Nevertheless, nearly all of these men undergo primary treatment with surgery or radiation, placing them at risk for longstanding side effects, including erectile dysfunction and impaired urinary function. Active surveillance and other observational strategies (ie, expectant management) have produced excellent long-term disease-specific survival and minimal morbidity for men with prostate cancer. Despite this, expectant management remains underused for men with localized prostate cancer. In this review, various approaches to the expectant management of men with prostate cancer are summarized, including watchful waiting and active surveillance strategies. Contemporary cancer-specific and health care quality-of-life outcomes are described for each of these approaches. Finally, contemporary patterns of use, potential disparities in care, and ongoing research and controversies surrounding expectant management of men with localized prostate cancer are discussed. CA Cancer J Clin 2015;65:264–282. © 2015 American Cancer Society.
Every finite complex has the homology of some {\mathrm{CAT}(0)} cubical duality group

We prove that every finite connected simplicial complex has the homology of the classifying space for some $${\mathrm{CAT}(0)}$$ cubical duality group. More specifically, for any finite simplicial complex $$X$$ , we construct a locally $${\mathrm{CAT}(0)}$$ cubical complex $$T_{X}$$ and an acyclic map $$t_{X} : T_{X} \rightarrow X$$ such that $$\pi _{1}(T_{X})$$ is a duality group.
Studies on the chemical basis of cellular radiosensitization by 5-bromouracil substitution in DNA. I. Pulse- and steady-state radiolysis of 5-bromouracil and thymine.

SummaryPulse- and steady-state radiolysis studies show two major differences in the radiation chemistry of aqueous solutions of E. coli DNA (DNA) and bromouracil substituted DNA (BU-DNA): on exposure of N2-saturated solutions to low doses of radiation the absorbance of BU-DNA increases while that of DNA decreases; the free radicals formed by OH· attack on BU-DNA decay more rapidly than those on DNA. The differences are explained with the help of results from the accompanying paper by a mechanism involving conversion of the BU moiety of BU-DNA to a uracil (U) moiety by reaction of BU-DNA with organic free radicals. Uracil-5-yl radicals are formed which may abstract H· from neighbouring deoxyribose moieties to give uracil and a radical which may lead to a single-strand break. A hypothesis for BU radiosensitization, based on these and earlier results, account for (a) more DNA base damage and (b) more single-strand breaks in BU-DNA than in DNA; and (c) formation of U in BU-DNA.
The Evolution of Latent Genes in Subdivided Populations

We define latent genes as phenotypically silent DNA sequences which may be reactivated by various genetic mechanisms. Of interest is how they and their functional counterparts can be maintained at high frequency in the face of mutation and selection pressure. We propose a two-deme, three-allele model incorporating viability selection, mutation and migration in haploid populations. It is shown that polymorphism for the three alleles can be easily maintained for a wide range of biologically meaningful parameter values. Computer simulations were employed to gain qualitative insight into the global dynamics of the system. It was found that the dynamics of the latent allele is closely correlated with that of the functional allele. In addition, bias in the migration rates can strengthen or weaken selective conditions for preservation of the functional and latent alleles.
Upper limit to the mass of pulsationally stable stars with uniform chemical composition

Nuclear-energized pulsational instability is a well-known feature of models of chemically homogeneous stars above a critical mass. With the Rogers-Iglesias opacities, the instability occurs above 120-150 solar mass for normal Galactic Population I chemical compositions, and above approximately 90 solar mass for stars in metal-poor environments like the outer Galaxy and the Small Magellanic Cloud. Models of homogeneous helium-burning stars are unstable above masses of 19 and 14 solar mass, respectively. These significant increases of the critical masses, in the normal metallicity cases, over the values derived previously with the Los Alamos opacities can explain the stability of the brightest observed O-type stars, but they do not exclude the possibility that the most luminous hydrogen-deficient Wolf-Rayet stars are experiencing this type of instability.
Integral-equation theory of the structure of polymer melts.

A general, analytically tractable, nonperturbative theory of the equilibrium structure of dense polymer melts is proposed on the basis of modern integral-equation theories of molecular liquids. Calculations are presented for polymer rings obeying Gaussian statistics and interacting via hard-core repulsions. The correlation hole, compressibility, and static structure factor are found to be sensitive functions of liquid density and degree of polymerization.
Research on the Interface Bonding Conditions of Bimetallic Rolls Manufactured by Liquid-Solid Bonding Method

Bimetallic rolls’ interfaces manufactured by liquid-solid bonding method have been studied in the manuscript. Effect of pretreatment method of roll core, pouring temperature and preheating temperature of core to the bonding of interfaces are analyzed. Line scanning to the element chromium is done with SEM, the effect of technology to the organize structure and element diffusion is researched; Shear stress experiment of interface is done to analyze the effect of technology to bond strength.
The inhibitory action of taxol on granulosa cell steroidogenesis is reversible

Taxol is a novel anticancer agent extracted from the bark of Pacific yew trees. The drug has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer and is in clinical trials for other malignancies, including breast cancer. The goals of this study were to determine whether taxol adversely and irreversibly affects ovarian granulosa cell steroidogenesis. Cultured porcine granulosa cells were treated with taxol (0.12-12 microM) or vehicle (0.01-1% ethanol) in the absence or presence of 10(-9) M hCG in a time- and dose-response study. Morphological changes were recorded every 2 h, and media were collected for the measurement of progesterone (P4) and 17 beta-estradiol. Taxol suppressed both basal P4 and 17 beta-estradiol production and hCG-stimulated P4 production in a time- and dose-dependent manner and drastically changed cell shape by causing disorganization of microtubule bundles and other subcellular organelles. hCG partially reversed the steroid inhibition induced by taxol. These changes are not attributed to ethanol used as the vehicle, because ethanol at higher concentrations than that present in taxol did not suppress P4 production. When taxol was removed from the culture, P4 production returned to control levels. The results of this study show that taxol causes a significant, but reversible, inhibition of granulosa cell steroidogenesis. This inhibitory effect can be partially overcome by co-treatment with hCG.