cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Virtual Student: Not an Ordinary Joe.

Abstract Some researchers and educators contend that distance education is the new, student-centered paradigm for future learning and one of the fastest growing areas in education. Despite its continued growth and popularity, distance education suffers from a number of problems. One of the most troubling is a much higher course “dropout” rate in online courses compared to traditional campus-based education. There are a number of factors that contribute to course noncompletion in Web-based distance education: feelings of isolation, frustrations with the technology, anxiety, and confusion. This article provides a discussion on certain tools used by the author to mitigate these negative factors, such as the use of electronic office hours. Explored in depth, however, is a tool that the author has had the most success using in reducing some of the chronic problems that seem to assail students taking online courses. This same tool promotes learner interaction and collaborative learning at a distance. This “magical” tool the author has created for his online classes is a fictitious virtual student who is “not an ordinary Joe.”
TrfA-Dependent Inner Membrane-Associated Plasmid RK2 DNA Synthesis and Association of TrfA with Membranes of Different Gram-Negative Hosts

TrfA, the replication initiator protein of broad-host-range plasmid RK2, was tested for its ability to bind to the membrane of four different gram-negative hosts in addition to Escherichia coli: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas putida, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, and Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Cells harboring TrfA-encoding plasmids were fractionated into soluble, inner membrane, and outer membrane fractions. The fractions were subjected to Western blotting, and the blots were probed with antibody to the TrfA proteins. TrfA was found to fractionate with the cell membranes of all species tested. When the two membrane fractions of these species were tested for their ability to synthesize plasmid DNA endogenously (i.e., without added template or enzymes), only the inner membrane fraction was capable of extensive synthesis that was inhibited by anti-TrfA antibody in a manner similar to that of the original host species, E. coli. In addition, although DNA synthesis did occur in the outer membrane fraction, it was much less extensive than that exhibited by the inner membrane fraction and only slightly affected by anti-TrfA antibody. Plasmid DNA synthesized by the inner membrane fraction of one representative species, P. aeruginosa, was characteristic of supercoil and intermediate forms of the plasmid. Extensive DNA synthesis was observed in the soluble fraction of another representative species, R. sphaeroides, but it was completely unaffected by anti-TrfA antibody, suggesting that such synthesis was due to repair and/or nonspecific chain extension of plasmid DNA fragments.
Localization and identification of human quantitative trait loci: King Harvest has surely come

The scientific process of localization and subsequent identification of genes influencing risk of common diseases is still in its infancy. Initial localization of disease-related loci has traditionally been performed using family-based linkage methods to scan the genome. Early pronouncements of the failure of this approach for common diseases were premature and based on comparing suboptimal linkage designs with overly optimistic and empirically unproven association-based designs. On the contrary, substantial recent progress in the positional cloning of genes influencing such complex phenotypes suggests that modern approaches based around a family-based linkage paradigm will be successful. In particular, the rapidly growing emphasis on the analysis of the genetic basis of quantitative correlates of disease risk represents a novel and promising approach in which initial localization is performed using linkage and subsequent identification utilizes association approaches in positional candidate genes.
Decomposing NC and AC

It is shown that it is possible to decompose any level of NC into components involving lower levels. The results are extended to the class AC. The method presented results in a natural way to provide NC and AC with oracles. >
Exponential-Growth Bias and Long-Run Investment Decisions

Exponential-growth bias is the tendency for individuals to underestimate exponential growth due to neglecting the role of compounding. We run an online study to measure the extent of exponential-growth bias in a representative sample of the U.S. population. We measure the effects of a simple graphical intervention on the bias. We run a laboratory study on students to measure both the bias and the extent of overconfidence in answering the questions. We find both a large bias and overconfidence.
Overruling Erie: Nationwide Class Actions and National Common Law

In this essay, part of a symposium on the Class Action Fairness Act, I argue that CAFA should be read as having overruled Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins as applied to the nationwide class actions that fall within CAFA's jurisdictional grant. In the principal paper on which this essay comments, Linda Silberman suggests that Congress should overrule Klaxon v. Stentor Electric Mfg. Co. That suggestion, I propose, amounts to swimming halfway across a river. One of Congress's stated goals in enacting CAFA was to restore the intent of the founding generation. Examining the history and purposes of both diversity jurisdiction and the Rules of Decision Act demonstrates that unless CAFA is read to overrule Erie, it has achieved only half its goal.
Piperidinyl thiazole isoxazolines: A new series of highly potent, slowly reversible FAAH inhibitors with analgesic properties

Abstract Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is a membrane anchored serine hydrolase that has a principle role in the metabolism of the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide. Docking studies using representative FAAH crystal structures revealed that compounds containing a novel piperidinyl thiazole isoxazoline core fit within the ligand binding domains. New potential FAAH inhibitors were designed and synthesized incorporating urea, carbamate, alkyldione and thiourea reactive centers as potential pharmacophores. A small library of candidate compounds (75) was then screened against human FAAH leading to the identification of new carbamate and urea based inhibitors ( K i = pM and nM, respectively). Representative carbamate and urea based chemotypes displayed slow, time dependent inhibition kinetics leading to enzyme inactivation which was slowly reversible. However, evidence indicated that features of the mechanism of inactivation differ between the two pharmacophore types. Selected compounds were also evaluated for analgesic activity in the mouse-tail flick test.
Hierarchy of events regulating neural crest induction.

The neural crest is a group of cells that has a transient existence in the developing vertebrate embryo. Arising at the edges of the neural plate during nervous a formation, these cells initiate life within the central nervous system but soon leave to invade the far reaches of the body (Fig. 7.1). They undergo an epithelial to mesenchymal transition, emigrate from the neuroepithelium, and become a highly migratory cell type that follows distinct and characteristic pathways to numerous sites. They populate most of the peripheral nervous system, parts of the adrenal gland, and much of the facial region. Upon reaching their final destinations, these cells differentiate into a myriad of cell types ranging from pigment cells to sensory and autonomic neurons to cartilage and bone of the face.
Discrimination with Self-Selection

This paper studies the effect of employee job selection in a model of statistical discrimination in a competitive market. In an economy in which there are quality differences between groups, the conditions under which all members of one group suffer from discrimination turn out to be surprisingly strong. In general it is quite possible that for certain jobs the discrimination can favor the group that is, on average, worse qualified, while for other jobs it favors the group that is, on average, better qualified. In addition, because of the self-selection bias induced by competition, in many cases the resulting discrimination will be very small when compared to the magnitude of the underlying quality differences between groups. We also show that in cases in which the discrimination results because employers' ability to measure qualifications differs from one group to another, the conditions under which all members of one group suffer from discrimination are much weaker. In general, the group employers know least about is always favored. The economic impact of discrimination that is derived from quality differences between groups is shown to be quite different to the economic impact of discrimination that derives from differences in employer familiarity between groups. The paper concludes by considering some of the policy implications of the results.
Human RAG mutations: biochemistry and clinical implications

The recombination-activating gene 1 (RAG1) and RAG2 proteins initiate the V(D)J recombination process, which ultimately enables the generation of T cells and B cells with a diversified repertoire of antigen-specific receptors. Mutations of the RAG genes in humans are associated with a broad spectrum of clinical phenotypes, ranging from severe combined immunodeficiency to autoimmunity. Recently, novel insights into the phenotypic diversity of this disease have been provided by resolving the crystal structure of the RAG complex, by developing novel assays to test recombination activity of the mutant RAG proteins and by characterizing the molecular and cellular basis of immune dysregulation in patients with RAG deficiency.
Isn’t It Time We Did Something About the Lack of Teaching Preparation in Business Doctoral Programs?

In this essay, we explore why there has traditionally been so little emphasis on teaching preparation in business doctoral programs. Program administrators and faculty typically espouse support for...
Reconstruction and the Rehabilitation of Jefferson Davis: Charles G. Halpine's Prison Life

F OR over a century, Prison Life of Jefferson Davis, by John J. Craven, has occupied a prominent but dubious position in the literature of the Civil War. Is it a fraud, a work of fiction composed by a ghost-writer for financial gain,1 or is it an honest book written from reliable sources with the assistance of a professional writer?2 Thanks to the long-buried testimony of Charles G. Halpine and of Jefferson Davis himself, it is now possible to say. Following his capture in Georgia in May 1865 by United States soldiers, Jefferson Davis was imprisoned at Fort Monroe, Virginia. Since he was believed to have been involved in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, he was at first treated badly. For a few days, he was even forced to wear shackles; for a somewhat longer time, a light and a guard were kept always in his room. Virtually the only person who treated him with compassion was Craven, the army surgeon assigned to look after him. Craven treated Davis' various illnesses, interceded in his behalf with the commandant, General Nelson A. Miles, and conversed with him respectfully. Mrs. Craven and her daughter provided the prisoner with clean clothes and good food. "I feel deeply indebted to Dr. Craven and the ladies of his family . . Davis wrote to his wife. Varina Davis, too, was grateful. "I will teach my children to pray for dear Dr. Craven all his life," she promised. After meeting Craven and his family in New York following his discharge from the army, she wrote her husband: "God bless and keep them, for all they have
Understanding Technology and Industry Emergence: A Qualitative Study of the Fuel Cell Industry

This research empirically examines the Aldrich and Fiol (1994) model of industry creation to assess the cognitive and sociopolitical factors at the organizational, intra-industry and inter-industry...
Situation of carrier rate of Neisseria meningitides in school healthy population in Quzhou City during 2003～2008

Objective: To understand the circurnstances of Neisseria meningitides carrier incidence in population of Quzhou.Methods:In the year 2003 to 2008,epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis succeeding in the imperial civil service examinations season,gathers the Quzhou 2~4 schools healthy crowds to swallow cotton swab altogether 1507 to examine meningitis Neisseria.Results:The normal crowd disease carrier rate is 5.77%(87/1507) by investigation,epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis is a carrier by A crowd primarily,accounts for 63.2%,next is C crowd accounting for 10.34% and B crowds accounting for 5.75%.Conclusion:The carrier rate of N.meningitides is high in population of Quzhou school,the bacterial community and epidemic bacterial community has changed,mostly is the carrier rate of group A N.andC N.
Novel method for circuit fault diagnosis based on the BP-ART hybrid neural network

A circuit fault diagnosis model based on the back propagation(BP) neural network and adaptive resonance theory neural network is established,and then circuit fault diagnosis method of the BP and ART hybrid neural network is brought forwold.Adaptive resonate theory(ART) network is used to identify new fault,and the BP network is used to identify multi-class faults,the competition method of ART neural network is improved.The method solve the problem of complex circuit fault diagnosis effectively.The experiments show that circuit fault diagnosis method based on BP and improved ART hybrid neural network has characteristics of good adaptability,short training time and high accuracy.
Abstract B27: The Ohio Patient Navigation Research Program (OPNRP): Does the ACS-patient navigation model improve time to resolution among patients with abnormal screening tests?

Objectives: To test the Ohio American Cancer Society (ACS) model of patient navigation (PN) as it relates to reducing time to diagnostic resolution among persons with abnormal breast, cervical, or colorectal cancer screening tests or symptoms. Methods: 862 patients from 18 primary care and specialty clinics within the Ohio State University (OSU) Medical Center and Columbus Neighborhood Health Centers with one of these abnormal findings were eligible to participate in this group-randomized study. Clinics were paired and randomized within pairs to either usual care or PN. Patients were informed about the study, consented, and completed a baseline survey. The navigators were not clinic-based, but followed the Ohio ACS-PN model where navigators mainly used phone contact from a non-clinic location. Chart review was done to capture medical information on the abnormality as well as the date of resolution and follow-up tests received. The primary analysis focused on time to resolution using shared gamma frailty models used to test for effect of navigation on time to resolution. Crude Hazard Ratios (HR) were used, as adjustment for OSU and national variables did not significantly change the hazard ratios. Assessment of effect modification was also conducted. Results: Crude HR9s deviated starting at 6 months, so that by 15 months, participants in the PN arm were 61% more likely to have their abnormality resolved (p=0.004 for difference in risks across arms; p=0.005 for increase in relative risk over time). Effect modifier analysis showed a trend for income ( Participants in the navigation arm (N=475) were further assessed in terms of reported barriers and navigator actions documented in the navigation encounters. Almost half reported no barriers (n=226; 46.6%), while the remainder reported one barrier (n=113; 23.8%), or 2+ barriers (n=136; 28.6%). The most frequently reported barriers were perception/beliefs about tests or treatment (n=89), communication with providers (n=84), scheduling problems (n=65), insurance/co-pay problems (n=49), and medical/mental health co-morbidities (n=44). Most frequent action taken by navigators were providing support (n=175), referrals (n=125), and education (n=74). On average, navigated participants with barriers received 3 encounters with a PN, and 90.9% of the encounters lasted Conclusions: The OPNRP demonstrated that patients with abnormal cancer screening tests or symptoms are more likely to resolve their abnormality, if assigned to a PN program compared to those not assigned to a PN program, even when navigators are not embedded in the clinic. Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2011;20(10 Suppl):B27.
The Characteristics and Analysis of Malignant Cancer in Residents of Chengguan District of Lanzhou in 2008

OBJECTIVE To know and analyze the epidemic characteristics and trend of malignant cancer prevalence of residents in Lanzhou Chengguan District in 2008, as the basis for prevention and control this disease. METHODS The disease data from all diagnostic medical institutions in Chengguan District from Jan 1st, 2008 to Dec 31st, 2008 were collected. The incidence and main index were analyzed. RESULTS Among the 1 996 patients in registered medical report, the incidence and the standardized rate are 221.17/100 000 and 184.33/100 000. Among them, 1 129 were male with the incidence of 251.29/100 000, and the rate was 56.56%, while 867 were female with the incidence of 191.30/100 000, and the rate was 43.44%.The rate of incidence of male was 13.12% higher than that of female. The incidence increased with aging and male’s is higher than female’s(1.3:1). The first ten malignant cancers are trachea, bronchus and lung cancers, stomach cancer, liver cancer, anus cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, esophageal cancer, brain and nervous system cancer, gallbladder and other cancer, bladder cancer. CONCLUSIONS The main malignant cancers of residents in Chengguan District are respiratory and digestive system cancers and breast and cervical cancers. The positive measures of prevention and control should be taken to reduce the malignant cancer hazards to the residents.
Permanent Nephrostomy via Percutaneous Puncture

A technique to convert a standard temporary percutaneous nephrostomy to prolonged or permanent nephrostomy diversion with Foley catheters up to 16F in diameter is described herein. The method has been used for up to 22 months of drainage and is likely to be of principal benefit in the management of obstructive nephropathy in adults when the primary lesion is not readily amenable to repair. There have been no serious complications in our 4 cases.
The Age of Ecological Scarcity

A critical problem facing humankind today is the rapid disappearance and degradation of many ecosystems worldwide. For the first time in history, fossil fuel energy and raw material use, environmental degradation and pollution has occurred on such an unprecedented scale that the resulting consequences in terms of global warming, ecosystem decline and environmental degradation are generating worldwide impacts. As a consequence, we are on the verge of a new era, the “Age of Ecological Scarcity”.1
Characterization of fracture behavior of human atherosclerotic fibrous caps using a miniature single edge notched tensile test

Abstract One well-established cause of ischemic stroke is atherosclerotic plaque rupture in the carotid artery. Rupture occurs when a tear in the fibrous cap exposes highly thrombogenic material in the lipid core. Though some fibrous cap material properties have been measured, such as ultimate tensile strength and stress-strain responses, there has been very little, if any, data published regarding the fracture behavior of atherosclerotic fibrous caps. This study aims to characterize the qualitative and quantitative fracture behavior of human atherosclerotic plaque tissue obtained from carotid endarterectomy samples using two different metrics. Uniaxial tensile experiments along with miniature single edge notched tensile (MSENT) experiments were performed on strips of isolated fibrous cap. Crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) and stress in the un-cracked segment (UCS) were measured at failure in fibrous cap MSENT specimens subjected to uniaxial tensile loading. Both CTOD and the degree of crack blunting, measured as the radius of curvature of the crack tip, increased as tearing propagated through the tissue. Higher initial stress in the UCS is significantly correlated with higher collagen content and lower macrophage content in the fibrous cap (ρ = 0.77, P = 0.009; ρ = −0.64, P = 0.047; respectively). Trends in the data show that higher CTOD is inversely related to collagen content, though the sample size in this study is insufficient to statistically substantiate this relationship. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the pioneering study examining the fracture behavior of fibrous caps and the first use of the CTOD metric in vascular tissue. Statement of Significance A tear in the fibrous cap of atherosclerotic plaque can lead to ischemic stroke or myocardial infarction. While there is some information in the literature regarding quantitative measures of fibrous cap failure, there is little information regarding the behavior of the tissue during failure. This study examines the failure behavior of fibrous caps both qualitatively, by examining how and where the tissue fails, and quantitatively, by measuring (a) crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) in vascular tissue for the first time and (b) uniaxial stress in the un-cracked segment (UCS). This study shows that both metrics should be evaluated when assessing plaque vulnerability.
Integrated modeling system for evaluating water quality benefits of agricultural watershed management practices: Case study in the Midwest

Abstract Nonpoint source pollution (NPS) resulting from agricultural production is one of the major causes of impaired natural resources, adversely affecting the provision of ecosystem services. Best management practices (BMPs) are commonly implemented in watersheds to mitigate agricultural NPS. Appropriate selection of BMP type and its placement in agricultural watersheds are crucial for successful mitigation efforts. In this study, an integrated modeling system was developed to identify scenarios of best management practices such as nutrient management, constructed wetlands and filter strips that provide downstream water quality improvements. The modeling system is a coupling of Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for simulating watershed responses and impacts of BMPs, with cost evaluation model solved using Archived Micro-Genetic Algorithm (AMGA2) for generating optimal reduction strategies of NPS pollution at a watershed scale. Its application was demonstrated using tributary watersheds of Lake Decatur – a water supply reservoir located in Illinois, which is listed as impaired for nitrate-nitrogen (N) and total phosphorus (P) in the 2004 Section 303(d) List of Clean Water Act. Study results indicate that nutrient management is the best alternative practice to provide water quality benefits with annual nitrate-N loss reduction of 14.9 percent and cost savings of $6.42 per kg of nitrate-N reduction per hectare (ha). In contrast, constructed wetlands and filter strips were found to incur implementation costs of $10.89/kg N/ha and $1.74/kg N/ha, respectively, including associated land revenue losses. The effectiveness of the filter strips was very limited because of extensive tile drainage in the study watersheds. The integrated modeling system generates valuable information for developing sound watershed management plan and its framework can be adapted to investigate other environmental challenges detrimental to sustainability of water resources.
Framework for a Developmental Model of Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder

It is a heartfelt honor to have been asked to contribute to this volume honoring Herbert C. Quay for his contributions to the field of developmental psychopathology. We have long benefitted personally in our teaching and research from his voluminous and seminal work and have valued his friendship and mentoring immensely over the years. In choosing a topic for this chapter, we selected one that we have discussed many times with Herb, a model of the development of serious conduct problems. We chose this topic because it reflects, and indeed incorporates, many of Herb’s contributions to the classification and development of conduct problems. Because the scope of Herb’s work and impact is broad, however, we could just as easily have chosen to write on our views on the environmental and biological correlates of conduct disorder, as his work has stimulated our interest in that field as well.
Bright and Stable External Fluorophores in Untransformed Living Cells

We have come up with a technique, relying on the well-known bacterial protein Streptolysin O (SLO), where we can take fluorophores bound to antibodies (or other similar entities, such as single-chain antibodies, called nanobodies) and non-intrusively site-specifically label intracellular proteins, whether transfected or non-transfected. The procedure is also versatile and efficient, allowing delivery of virtually any fluorescent probes ranging from labeled IgG's to small ligands in over 85% of the cells within 30 minutes. Furthermore, we have increased the photostability of fluorophores by >10x, using a “cell-friendly” photostabilizer called Oxyrase, and using glutathione, have increased the stability of blinking fluorophores by ∼100x or more. This makes super-resolution microscopy on untransformed cells possible. We have watched actin in cells split into fibers and watched proteins involved in cancer, namely p65, p53, and ERα, go from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in response to stress factors or hormones.
Transverse Myelitis with Acute Inflammatory Polyradiculoneuropathy

A 15-year-old previously healthy female presented with lower extremity weakness and numbness, demonstrating imaging and laboratory characteristics diagnostic of both acute transverse myelitis (TM) and acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculopathy (AIDP). AIDP typically presents as a distinct clinical entity limited to the peripheral nervous system and nerve roots, but has been reported in association with central demyelinating syndromes including transverse myelitis. The signs and symptoms of the two syndromes may mimic one another and should always be considered in the differential diagnosis. Thus, careful investigation and a high index of suspicion are necessary to thoroughly exclude the coexistence of peripheral and central demyelination. When the conditions do co-occur, systemic inflammatory disease or infection should be considered and thoroughly investigated, as treatment must be directed toward any such underlying disease. In the rare case where no associated disease is identified, the treatment plan should independently consider recommendations for each demyelinating condition. Outcomes of AIDP versus central demyelinating syndromes vary considerably depending upon various prognostic factors, and it remains unclear how such prognosis translates to those cases with co-occurrence.
The Vietnam Central Coastline and the Emergent Nguyễn State, c. 1500-1700: Port, Coastline, Hinterland Interrelations

This study, building upon earlier works published from 2011 to the present, focuses on sixteenth through eighteenth century Cochinchina’s upstream-downstream networked relations and how they contributed to the re-development of the region’s economy and consequently its political and social development, with particular emphasis on its coastal ports and related trade under the Nguyen. These relations revolve around tightly connected interactions among diverse groups including long-term resident diasporic Fujian merchant communities, newly introduced Chan Buddhist monks, maritime-based Chinese pro-Ming piratical syndicates, local Cham raiding cohorts, and the alien Nguyen clan who in 1600 claimed political authority over the Vietnamese littoral’s central coastal region (Trung Bộ) and extended central lands (Miền Trung). The partnerships the Nguyen established with each of these groups (merchants, monks, pirates, upstream and downstream multiethnic communities) enabled the major ports of Đa Nang, and particularly, of Hội An, to thrive and produce the income needed to support both the Nguyen bureaucracy and its military conquest of the southern third of the littoral. Over the course of the seventeenth and into the eighteenth centuries, the Nguyen co-opted the cultural, spiritual, and maritime-based power and influence exercised by each of each these groups in an initial effort to fulfill its dynastic ambitions that remained unfulfilled until 1802. This work moves beyond other regional studies by using the approach proposed in Michael Pearson’s writings regarding the Indian Ocean ports-of-trade littoral and extending them eastward, to the further edges of the Indian Ocean borderless world, and applying them to the complex interactions of the Vietnamese littoral populations-coastal urban and hinterland - as they contributed to the development of the central Vietnamese littoral’s ports-of-trade and of Nguyen authority and power in this era.
Measurement-Based Entanglement of Noninteracting Bosonic Atoms.

We demonstrate the ability to extract a spin-entangled state of two neutral atoms via postselection based on a measurement of their spatial configuration. Typically, entangled states of neutral atoms are engineered via atom-atom interactions. In contrast, in our Letter, we use Hong-Ou-Mandel interference to postselect a spin-singlet state after overlapping two atoms in distinct spin states on an effective beam splitter. We verify the presence of entanglement and determine a bound on the postselected fidelity of a spin-singlet state of ($0.62\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03$). The experiment has direct analogy to creating polarization entanglement with single photons and hence demonstrates the potential to use protocols developed for photons to create complex quantum states with noninteracting atoms.
Antioxidant Chemistry of α-Tocopherol in Biological Systems

Vitamin E is the family name given to a group of tocopherols and tocotrienols that function as the principal lipid-soluble chain-breaking antioxidants in biological membranes and lipoproteins. α-Tocopherol (1) and, to a lesser extent, λ-tocopherol (2) constitute an essential component of cellular defense against endogenous and exogenous oxidants.
Systematic reviews: what are they and why should we care?

Cet article intervient dans le cadre d'une rubrique consacree a la methodologie et presente, definit et explique l'importance des methodes de travail permettant de rechercher les donnees, de resumer et de presenter les resultats de recherches de la maniere la plus objective possible.
Failures in Group Therapy and the Potential for Growth through the Study of such Factors

In evaluating any therapeutic method (whatever the malady requiring care and treatment), one crucial issue involves failure - the cause and nature of failure to achieve the goals of patient or therapist. This is an important subject because failure may reflect limitations in our theory or concept of practice and the study of failure may help us enhance our understanding. Such considerations led to my proposal that the American Group Psychotherapy Association devote a session of the February 1980 Los Angeles meeting to a study of failures in group therapy.
Integrin alphavbeta5 participates in the binding of photoreceptor rod outer segments during phagocytosis by cultured human retinal pigment epithelium.

PURPOSE To examine the expression of integrin vitronectin receptors (integrins alphavbeta3 and alphavbeta5) in native human fetal retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and cultured hunman fetal RPE and to examine the role of RPE VnRs in the phagocytosis of photoreceptor rod outer segments (ROS). METHODS Monoclonal antibodies against human integrin subunit alphav and heterodimers alphavbeta3 (LM609) and alphavbeta5 (P1F6) were used to label freshly isolated human fetal RPE explant and cultured human fetal RPE and to immunoprecipitate membrane proteins from cultured human RPE. Effects of antibodies and peptides that inhibit integrin vitronectin receptors on phagocytosis of ROS by RPE were determined using cultured human fetal RPE and fluorescein-labeled bovine outer segments. RESULTS Antibodies against integrin subunit alphav and against alphavbeta5 (P1F6) labeled the RPE apical membrane in both native tissue and cultured RPE, while anti-alphavbeta3 antibody (LM609) labeled less than 1% of cultured RPE and did not label native RPE. Antibodies against alphav and alphavbeta5 P1F6 also immunoprecipitated 2 protein bands corresponding to integrin subunits alphav and beta5 from a membrane extract of cultured human RPE. The peptide Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser-Pro (GRGDSP, 1 mM) inhibited the total ROS uptake (externally bound and ingested) by 48% (P < 0.001) and ingestion of ROS by 37% (P < 0.001). Antibody PIF6 (50 microg/ml) inhibited the total ROS uptake and the ingestion of ROS by 63% (P < 0.001) and 43% (P < 0.01), respectively. CONCLUSIONS The integrin alphavbeta5 vitronectin receptor is expressed on the apical membrane of human RPE and participates in the binding of photoreceptor ROS during phagocytosis by cultured human RPE.
Patient and disease factors affecting the choice and adherence to active surveillance.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Treatment decisions for low-risk prostate cancer are arguably some of the most challenging in oncology. Active surveillance has emerged as an important option for many men with tumors estimated to have a low metastatic potential. Multiple complex patient and physician factors affect the recommendation, selection, and adherence to active surveillance. While baseline clinical criteria are used to identify candidates for this approach, it is important to identify and understand other forces that may influence the management of prostate cancer with active surveillance. RECENT FINDINGS Patient perceptions and acceptance of active surveillance have improved over time. Treatment decisions for prostate cancer are strongly associated with physician recommendations, and a high-quality relationship between the patient and his healthcare system is critical to successful active surveillance. Patient understanding of prostate cancer and consistency of information received from separate physicians can affect a decision to pursue active surveillance. Psychological symptoms, most notably regarding anxiety and distress, can affect adherence to active surveillance over time. In general, anxiety for men on active surveillance is low, and lifestyle interventions and self-management strategies may be helpful for increasing quality of life and limiting abandonment of active surveillance in the absence of disease progression. SUMMARY Multiple factors may affect the decision for and adherence to active surveillance for prostate cancer. It is important for both physicians and patients to be aware of these issues and work towards individualized approaches and interventions as needed to increase adoption of active surveillance in the future.
Tryptophan Excited States in the Lens

Calf aqueous humor, whole rat lenses, and solutions of purified calf lens gamma crystallin were exposed to near UV-light in the presence and absence of tryptophan. ESR signals of these preparations demonstrated excited state species similar to the signals of whole dried normal human lenses. The findings support a theory that such excited state species can accumulate in the lens by binding to its proteins. A positive relationship between lens color and ESR signal intensity was also found. The near-UV light induction of stable colored excited state species from tryptophan that become associated with the lens proteins may thus be one means by which lens pigmentation is enhanced.
Philosophical Antecedents for Post Ageing

We propose that a significant part of post ageing is therefore revolutionary and heterodoxy and iconoclastic if taken from the stance of the established domain and received view of gerontology. We further propose that there is need for the renaissance of an active philosophical examination of the emergence of post ageing scholarship activities. Whether or not one side can convince the other or win the hearts and minds of the general public, the post ageing inflection point has indeed occurred and there is the need to utilize the full range of philosophical tools at hand (e.g., epistemology, ontology, ethics) to understand the underpinnings of how it came to be, and where it is leading us.
Real Accountability: The NCAA Can No Longer Evade Antitrust Liability Through Amateurism After O’Bannon v. NCAA

On August 8, 2014, in O’Bannon v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California held that the NCAA’s restriction on compensating student-athletes for the use of their names, images, and likenesses violated the Sherman Act. The court ruled against the NCAA despite a long history of judicial deference grounded in preserving the amateur and educational nature of the NCAA. The NCAA has appealed the decision. Despite annual revenues approaching $1 billion, the NCAA claims its amateur and educational fundamentals distinguish its product from commercialized professional sports. This Comment argues that the O’Bannon decision must be upheld because it correctly identified the contradiction of the NCAA’s amateurism antitrust defense.
How Much Can Product Reformulation Improve Diet Quality in Households with Children and Adolescents

Improvements in the healthfulness of packaged foods and beverages through reformulation could help reduce the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents through improved diet quality. This study assessed changes in calories and four nutrients (saturated fat, total sugars, sodium, and dietary fiber) from 2012 through 2014 for packaged products frequently consumed by children and adolescents, simulated effects of potential improvements in 12 frequently consumed product categories based on actual purchasing patterns, and compared differences in prices of healthier versus less healthy products. Analysis of trends showed limited evidence that healthfulness of foods improved over the years examined. Simulation results showed minimal changes for calories and sodium, but daily intake of saturated fat could decrease by 4%, sugar consumption could decrease by 5%, and dietary fiber consumption could increase by 11% if products were reformulated to meet an existing healthfulness standard. Using a higher standard, caloric intake could decline by 4%, saturated fat by 6%, sugar by 9%, and sodium by 4%, and dietary fiber could increase by 14%. Healthier versions of most products ranged from an average of 3 to 12 cents more per serving, but not all healthier versions were more costly. Overall, reformulation is a potential avenue for improving diet quality in households with children and adolescents, but price could be a barrier to purchasing healthier products for some households.
Metal-insulator transition-induced adaptive multispectral infrared camouflage (Conference Presentation)

Performance of adaptive infrared camouflage is usually parameterized in terms of cycle-ability, response time, actuation mechanism, stability etc., however, one of the key components that has not been addressed so far is the spatial density of infrared information that can be encoded and actively manipulated for camouflaging. We report an adaptive infrared camouflage system that can be engineered to operate at any desired wavelength in the technologically relevant, infrared transparent 3 – 5 µm and 8 – 12 µm bands. We exploit the metal-insulator phase transition in VO2 to design an optical cavity coupled infrared absorber where the cavity length can be altered by controlling the VO2 phase. Cavity tuning is done by strategically placing the VO2 layer inside the optical cavity composed of a tri-layer architecture. In its insulating state VO2 is transparent to infrared such that incident light couples to the entire cavity length, however in the metallic state, VO2 behaves like a mirror and shortens the cavity length by reflecting ~80% of incident light. The Maxwell Garnett EMT describes the phase transition dependent optical response of the absorber better than the Bruggeman EMT when compared to the experimental results. We tailor the device parameters to demonstrate adaptive thermal camouflage of multispectral encoded infrared information on a pixelated designer surface with a pixel resolution (~20 µm) and density comparable to the industry standard for infrared sensors. We envision this work will pave the way for novel tunable optical devices for technological advancements in infrared tagging, camouflaging and anti-counterfeiting efforts.
Higher Temperatures Generically Favor Slower-Growing Bacterial Species in Multispecies Communities

Temperature is among the cardinal environmental variables which determine the composition and function of microbial communities. Many culture-independent studies have characterized communities that are affected by changing temperatures, either due to seasonal cycles1-3, long-term warming4-6, or latitudinal/elevational gradients7-8. However, a predictive understanding of how microbial communities respond to such changes in temperature is still lacking, partly because it is not obvious which aspects of microbial physiology determine whether a species should benefit from temperature alteration. Here, we incorporate how microbial growth rates change with temperature to a modified Lotka-Volterra competition model9, and predict that higher temperatures should generically favor slower-growing species in a bacterial community. We experimentally confirm this prediction in pairwise cocultures assembled from a diverse set of species, and we show that these changes to pairwise outcomes with temperature are also predictive of changing outcomes in three-species communities, suggesting our theory may propagate to more complex assemblages. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to predict how bacterial communities will shift with temperature knowing only the growth rates of the community members. These results provide a testable hypothesis for future studies of more complex, natural communities, and we hope that this work will help bridge the gap between ecological theory and the complex dynamics observed in metagenomic surveys.
Formalizing Event-Driven Behavior of Serverless Applications

We present new operational semantics for serverless computing that model the event-driven relationships between serverless functions, as well as their interaction with platform services such as databases and object stores. These semantics precisely encapsulate how control transfers between functions, both directly and through reads and writes to platform services. We use these semantics to define the notion of the service call graph for serverless applications that captures program flows through functions and services. Finally, we construct service call graphs for 12 serverless JavaScript applications, using a prototype of our call graph construction algorithm, and we evaluate their accuracy.
Navigating the Transition from Advanced Illness to Bereavement: How Provider Communication Informs Family-related Roles and Needs.

Person-centered, family-oriented services are integral to palliative and end-of-life care. Effective communication with providers informs the quality of the dying experience for patients and how fa...
Layouts of Unit-Load Warehouses with Multiple Slot Heights

We describe a method to generate layouts for unit-load warehouses that use multiple slot heights as a way to maximize warehouse space utilization. The problem has two parts: slots must be arranged ...
Did SFAS 141/142 improve the market’s understanding of net assets, goodwill, or other intangible assets?

Statement of Financial Accounting Standards nos. 141 and 142 eliminated the pooling method of accounting for acquisitions and altered the accounting for intangible assets, respectively. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) asserts that as a result of these changes financial statement users (i.e., market participants) will be “better able to understand the investments” made and have an improved “ability to assess the future profitability and cash flows” derived from these assets. In this paper, we address whether the FASB accomplished its goals with these new standards. We utilize an OLS regression to assess investors’ ability to forecast a firms’ future performance and to determine whether the information related to these accounting changes are impounded into market prices. The overall evidence partially supports FASB’s assertion of providing better information. While there is a significant improvement in market participants’ ability to assess the future economic benefits associated with goodwill, there does not appear to be any improvement in the market’s ability to understand the future implications of other intangible assets or net assets in general.
Solvent choice influences final toxicity results in Thamnocephalus platyurus bioassay when exposed to microcystin -LR.

Abstract Cyanobacterial blooms present a threat to many waterbodies around the world used for drinking water and recreational purposes. Toxicology tests, such as the Thamnotoxkit-F which uses the cladoceran T. platyurus, have been employed to assess the health hazards that these blooms may pose to the public. However, reported median lethal concentrations (LC50) of microcystin -LR to T. platyurus vary significantly from one study to the next. The variation in solvent type and concentrations used to dissolve microcystin -LR in preparation for toxicity experiments may be contributing to the variations in LC50 values found in the literature. The primary goal of this study was to determine what solvents and their corresponding concentrations can be used for microcystin -LR testing using T. platyurus without artifactually impacting LC50 values. All toxicity testing was completed using glassware as polystyrene containers have been shown to sorb microcystin. Microcystin -LR LC50 values for T. platyurus were determined using United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) moderately hard standard freshwater as a control for comparison with systems that were prepared using dimethyl sulfoxide or methanol to dissolve microcystin -LR. Low levels of dimethyl sulfoxide (2%) or methanol (1%) did not impact LC50 values of microcystin -LR to T. platyurus compared to US EPA moderately hard standard freshwater diluted in microcystin -LR. However, higher levels of dimethyl sulfoxide (4%) and methanol (1.4% and 4%) did lower the LC50 for microcystin -LR to T. platyurus, consistent with the toxicity of these solvents to T. platyurus when dosed in the absence of microcystin -LR. Researchers need to report the type and concentrations of solvents used in toxicity tests using cyanotoxins in order to ensure that results can be intercompared appropriately. Furthermore, researchers need to use caution when using organic solvents such as dimethyl sulfoxide or methanol to ensure that these solvents are not causing significant mortality in toxicity testing.