cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Syndromes of facial clefting.

Within the compass of these few pages, we can only limn an abbreviated presentation of the subject of syndromes of facial clefting-as it were an antipasto to whet the appetite of the reader for further reading. Those of you who wish to seek expanded versions of this subject are referred to Gorlin, Cervenka & Pruzansky (1971) or especially to the forthcoming second edition of the tract Syndromes of the Head and Neck by Gorlin, Pindborg &Cohen (1975). It is our modest hope that this presentation will aid the reader in several ways: (a) one must be cognizant that facial clefting is a component of over 100 syndromes, (6) many of these syndromes exhibit single gene inheritance and hence appropriate genetic counselling must be given, (c) conversely, parents should be apprised if clefting has only aleatory association with their child's disorder, and (d) we cannot but secretly hope that our efforts will serve a heuristic purpose in catalysing others to create and define new entities within the bag of genetic heterogeneity.
Gene expression analysis of biological systems driving an organotypic model of endometrial carcinogenesis and chemoprevention.

An organotypic model of endometrial carcinogenesis and chemoprevention was developed in which normal endometrial organotypic cultures exposed to the carcinogen, DMBA (7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene), developed a cancerous phenotype in the absence, but not presence of subsequent treatment with a flexible heteroarotinoid (Flex-Het), called SHetA2. A discriminant function based on karyometric features of cellular nuclei and an agar clonogenic assay confirmed these histologic changes. Interpretation of microarray data using an internal standard approach identified major pathways associated with carcinogenesis and chemoprevention governed by c-myc, p53, TNFα and Jun genes. Cluster analysis of functional associations of hypervariable genes demonstrated that carcinogenesis is accompanied by a stimulating association between a module of genes that includes tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), c-myc, and epidermal growth factor-receptor (EGF-R) and a module that includes insulin-like growth factor I-receptor (IGF-IR), p53, and Jun genes. Two secreted proteins involved in these systems, tenascin C and inhibin A, were validated at the protein level. Tenascin C is an EGF-R ligand, and therefore may contribute to the increased EGF-R involvement in carcinogenesis. The known roles of the identified molecular systems in DMBA and endometrial carcinogenesis and chemoprevention supports the validity of this model and the potential clinical utility of SHetA2 in chemoprevention.
Patient and Family Reflections on the Use of Subcutaneous Insulin to Prevent Diabetes: A Retrospective Evaluation from a Pilot Prevention Trial

Abstract A retrospective, semi-structured telephone interview was used to collect data from 28 of 31 families who participated in a pilot study testing subcutaneous insulin as a means to prevent or delay insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) onset. Interviews were conducted an average of 3 years after the initiation of the subcutaneous insulin protocol. Both the high-risk person (if ⩾ 8 years of age) and a family member (spouse or parent) were interviewed. Most participants reported that they were distressed to learn that they or a family member were at risk for IDDM, and families readily agreed to initiate subcutaneous insulin therapy. More children than adults reported insulin injections and blood glucose tests were “hard” or “very hard,” but noncompliance was more common in adults. Of the high-risk participants interviewed, 58% of children and 100% of adults reported experiencing hypoglycemia, although episodes requiring someone else’s assistance were rare, occurring in 38% of the children and 27% of the adults. Participants remained enthusiastic about trial participation; most favored screening programs to identify those at risk for IDDM, believed screening should be conducted regardless of age, believed subcutaneous insulin prevented or delayed IDDM onset, and would recommend subcutaneous insulin therapy to another high-risk individual. In addition, more than 40% of children, parents, and spouses reported that they would have benefited from access to a mental health professional at some point during the trial.
Postnatal development and properties of ultimobranchial follicles in the rat thyroid

Mature ultimobranchial follicles in the Fischer rat thyroid are characterized by being lined by two or more layers of cells (U cells) and by having an abundance of desquamated cells in the lumen. Such follicles, of variable size and shape, were found in almost every lobe in rats at least 30 days old. They were usually in the interior of the lobe in contact with perivascular connective tissue. Ultimobranchial follicles with multiple layers of cells were not observed in the two‐day‐old rat indicating that these follicles are an example of postnatal development. The most common precursor in the rat was a follicle, relatively large compared with the usual thyroid follicle, containing some cells or debris. Other precursor structures included narrow tubes, sheets or spheroids of cells characteristically having little cytoplasm. Intermedlate forms between these precursors and mature ultimobranchial follicles were recognized. Cells were desquamated while nucleated, and, later, the nuclei disappeared. Thus, in some follicles non‐nucleated debris accumulated. Many follicles were composed of mixed populations of cells, both typical thyroid epithelium and U cells. The relative abundance of the two cell types varied markedly as did the proportions of colloid and cell debris. Copyright © 1971 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A long‐term data set for hydrologic modeling in a snow‐dominated mountain catchment

[1] A modeling data set (meteorological forcing data, geographic information system data, and validation data) is presented for water years 1984 through 2008 for a snow-dominated mountain catchment. The forcing data include hourly precipitation, wind speed and direction, air and soil temperature, relative humidity, dew point temperature, and incoming solar and thermal radiation from two sites. Validation data include stream discharge, snow water equivalent, snow depth, soil moisture, and groundwater elevation. These data will improve the development, testing, and application of the next generation of hydrologic models.
Severe, childhood-onset, idiopathic, life-long insomnia responding selectively to opiate therapy: case report with 19 year follow-up.

Abstract Background : Idiopathic (primary) insomnia can be difficult to treat; only two prior cases responsive to opiate therapy have been reported. A case is now presented of severe, idiopathic, childhood-onset, familial insomnia, with increased libido, absence of psychopathology, tardive emergence of restless legs syndrome (RLS), and selective response to opiate therapy. Case report : A 39-year-old woman was referred in 1981 by her physician who had discovered 3 years earlier that propoxyphene treatment of migraines also controlled her chronic insomnia. She had experienced severe insomnia since childhood, and during early adulthood the insomnia intensified, as she would sleep 0–3 h nightly and never napped. Daily generalized motor restlessness resulted in her frequently walking around the house while feeling exhausted. The quality of her life was considerably compromised by her insomnia, motor restlessness, and by an increased libido that was present since puberty and that was only partially relieved by having sex repeatedly with her husband. Results : Nightly opiate therapy for 19 years has controlled the insomnia, motor restlessness, and excessive libido without affecting her normal libido. The insomnia had not responded to treatment with >25 agents covering >10 pharmacologic categories. During her first (unmedicated) polysomnographic (PSG) study in 1981, she slept 0 min while spending 436 min in bed. In 1984, four consecutive PSG studies were conducted in a design that confirmed the efficacy of propoxyphene therapy of her insomnia. In 1990, an ambulatory PSG revealed two runs of EEG rhythmic paroxysmal activity arising from sleep and wakefulness, without clinical correlate. Neurologic history was negative for seizures, but positive for complete right carotid artery occlusion and three transient ischemic attacks. At age 55 years, typical RLS emerged that was controlled with levodopa therapy, and a concurrent relapse of insomnia was controlled with oxycodone replacing propoxyphene. Conclusions : Nightly opiate therapy of severe idiopathic (primary) insomnia can remain effective during very long-term clinical follow-up. Guidelines are provided for when to consider such an unusual treatment in other cases of severe, chronic insomnia.
Accelerating peer-to-peer networks for video streaming using multipoint-to-point communication

Existing transport layer protocols such as TCP and UDP are designed specifically for point-to-point communication. The increased popularity of peer-to-peer networking has brought changes in the Internet that provided users with potentially multiple replicated sources for content retrieval. However, applications that leverage such parallelism have thus far been limited to non-real-time file downloads. In this article we consider the problem of multipoint-to-point video streaming over peer-to-peer networks. We present a transport layer protocol called R/sup 2/CP that effectively enables real-time multipoint-to-point video streaming. R/sup 2/CP is a receiver-driven multistate transport protocol. It requires no coordination between multiple sources, accommodates flexible application layer reliability semantics, uses TCP-friendly congestion control, and delivers to the video stream the aggregate of the bandwidths available on the individual paths. Simulation results show great performance benefits using R/sup 2/CP in peer-to-peer networks.
The effect of maternal age on primary cesarean section rate

A retrospective analysis of computerized data from 11,815 patients with no history of previous cesarean section revealed an increasing primary cesarean section rate with increasing maternal age. This increase occurred over the entire reproductive age span. Fetal distress as an indication for primary cesarean section may account for this increase.
Modulation domain reference point detection for fingerprint recognition

Accurate reference point detection is one of the first and most important signal processing steps in automatic fingerprint identification systems. The fingerprint reference point, which is also known as the core point, except in the case of arch type fingerprints, is defined as the location where the concave ridge curvature attains a maximum. We introduce a multi-resolution reference point detection algorithm that calculates the Poincare index in the modulation domain using an AM-FM model of the fingerprint image. We present experimental results where this new algorithm is tested against the FVC 2000 Database 2 and a second database from the University of Bologna. In both cases, we find that the modulation domain algorithm delivers accuracy and consistency that exceed those of a recent competing technique (Jain, A.K. et al., IEEE Trans. Image Proc., vol.9, no.5, p.846-59, 2000) based on integration of sine components in two adjacent regions.
Natural killer cell activity in adolescents with major depression

An increasingly large body of work in adults has shown that derangements in the immune system, a critical protector from disease, are associated with stress, bereavement, and depression (for review, see Schleifer et al 1986, Calabrese et al 1987). We (Kronfol et al 1989) and others (Mohl et al 1987; Nerozzi et al 1989; Irwin et al 1990) have reported lower natural killer (NK) cell activity, a parameter of immune function directed against virus-infected or tumor cells (Herberman and Ortaido 1981), in adults with major depression. Other investigators, however, found no difference in NK cell activity between depressed adults and controls (Schleifer et al 1989). The current study compares NK cell activity in depressed adolescent inpatients a n d a o # . n n d ~ o Y . m ~ t t ' h e d n o r m a ! r n n f r n k
Use of the HLB system in selecting emulsifiers for emulsion polymerization

In the present work a wide variety of nonionic emulsifiers and anionic/nonionic blends of emulsifiers were evaluated in the emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate and styrene. It was found that the emulsion stability and other polymer emulsion properties are often dependent upon a certain property of the emulsifier known as the HLB value. It has been shown elsewhere that the HLB value can be correlated with a fundamental physical property of the system oil–water–emulsifier, namely, the spreading coefficient of the internal phase liquid on the surface of a 1% solution of the emulsifier in the external phase. In the emulsion polymerization of styrene, good emulsion stability coupled with adequate conversion rate was obtained in an emulsifier HLB range of 13 to 16. For certain emulsifier blends it was found that emulsion viscosity and emulsion particle size were strongly dependent on the HLB of the emulsifier. Similar comments apply to vinyl acetate polymerization, except that the most stable emulsions were obtained with emulsifiers in an HLB range from 14.5 to 17.5. These observations on preferred HLB range apply only to nonionic emulsifiers and anionic/nonionic emulsifier blends, which were the emulsifier types screened in the present investigation. For both styrene and vinyl acetate the most generally satisfactory emulsion properties were obtained in the present work by the use of an anionic/nonionic emulsifier blend (G-3300/G-3920).
The complement system in lupus nephritis

The complement is part of the innate immune system and can be activated through one of three pathways. To prevent injury of self-tissue, complement is tightly regulated by over 30 proteins. Complement plays dual roles in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). On one hand, hereditary homozygous deficiencies of classical pathway components, such as C1q and C4, are associated with an increased risk for SLE, suggesting that complement is protective. On the other hand, complement is systemically consumed in both experimental and human SLE, suggesting its pathogenic role. Studies in genetically altered mice have shown that lack of complement inhibitors, such as complement factor H (CFH) or decay-accelerating factor (DAF) accelerates the development of experimental lupus nephritis; while treatment with recombinant protein inhibitors such as CR1-related protein y (Crry)-Ig, CR2-Crry, CR2-DAF and CR2-CFH ameliorates the disease development. Complement-targeted drugs, including soluble complement receptor 1 (TP10), C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH), and a monoclonal anti-C5 antibody (Eculizumab) have been shown to inhibit complement safely, and are now being investigated in a variety of clinical conditions. These clinical developments support their therapeutic use in lupus nephritis.
Semi-Exact Natural Frequencies for Kirchhoff–Love Plates Using Wave-Based Phase Closure

This paper presents semi-exact, closed-form algebraic expressions for the natural frequencies of Kirchhoff–Love plates by analyzing plane waves, their edge reflections, and their phase closure. The semi-exact nature is such that the analysis exactly satisfies plate boundary conditions along each edge when taken in isolation, but not fully when combined, and thus is approximate near a corner. As frequency increases, the expressions become increasingly more accurate. For clamped square plates, closed-form expressions are reported in algebraic form for the first time. These expressions are developed by tracing the path of plane waves as they reflect from edges while accounting for phase changes over a total trip. This change includes phase addition/subtraction due to edge reflections. A natural frequency is identified as a frequency in which three phase changes (in the plate's horizontal, vertical, and path directions) each sum to an integer multiple of 2π, enforcing phase closure along each direction. A solution of the subsequent equations is found in closed form, for multiple boundary conditions, such that highly convenient algebraic expressions result for the plate natural frequencies. The expressions are exact for the case of all sides simply supported, while for other boundary conditions, the expressions are semi-exact. For the practically important and difficult case of a fully clamped plate, the expressions for a square plate yield the first 20 nondimensional natural frequencies to within 0.06% of their exact values.
Are Some of the Things Faculty Do to Maximize Their Student Evaluation of Teachers Scores Unethical

This paper provides a philosophical analysis of some of the things faculty do to maximize their Student Evaluation of Teachers (SET) scores. It examines 28 practices that are claimed to be unethical methods for maximizing SET scores. The paper offers an argument concerning the morality of each behavior and concludes that 13 of the 28 practices suggest unethical behavior. The remaining 15 behaviors are morally permissible.
Sex Differences in the Social Behavior Network and Mesolimbic Dopamine System

Abstract Sexual selection is based on differential investment in reproduction by males and females, and in most species of vertebrates females invest more energy in each individual offspring than males. Neurobiological systems controlling social behaviors have thus evolved under some form of sexual selection for millions of years. An evolutionarily conserved social behavior network consisting of hypothalamic and limbic brain nuclei contains several regions that are sexually dimorphic. Intriguingly, even nodes within this network that are not sexually dimorphic play a key role in mediating sex differences in behavior. In contrast, little anatomical sexual dimorphism is observed within the mesolimbic dopamine system. Nonetheless, important sex differences in dopamine functions have been identified. This chapter will review sex differences in the structure and function of these circuits and examine how social experience acting on these circuits induces long-term changes in behavior.
Safety Issues for Performance Based Design of High-Speed MAGLEV Guideway Structures

High speed magnetically levitated (Maglev) rapid transit is a promising technology for meeting transportation needs between urban areas in the coming decades, offering competitive economics and travel times with other technologies. Research in this area has been ongoing for many years, and at least one alternative system has reached the “market ready” state. Although the initial construction cost may be high, with the guideway representing 46-67% of the overall cost [Sandberg and Williams, 1997], the completed system has the potential of reduced maintenance costs, high operational reliability, and inter-city trip times that may compete favorably with air travel. The systems also have the potential for enhanced energy efficiency and reduced pollution relative to competitive transportation modes. A Maglev system may be considered to consist of four subsystems: the vehicle, the propulsion system, the guideway and the ATP (control system) [Blomerius, 2000]. The safe operation of a Maglev system requires that each of the four subsystems be safe and reliable.
Queering the brothel: Identity construction and performance in Carson City, Nevada

In an attempt to examine the brothel as a queer space, this article investigates identity construction and performance within the Cookie Guest Ranch, a legal brothel in Carson City, Nevada. This an...
Exploring Communication between Health Care Professionals and Older Adults

The purpose of this study is to understand the communication problems that older adults may encounter when interacting with their health care professionals. In particular, we are interested in the types of communication problems older adults have experienced such as memory, comprehension, and sensory issues. A structured interview consisting of two parts was designed to gather this information. The first part focuses on the specific communication problems participants may have had. The second part of the study involves six scenarios in which a fictitious patient has a communication problem with a health care professional. The goal of the scenarios is to determine the types of strategies, if any, participants recommend using when faced with communication problems with their health care professional. The findings from this study will be used to identify and categorize problems and strategies to inform design solutions to remedy these communication problems.
Pelagic larval duration of the Caribbean wrasse, Thalassoma bifasciatum.

was highly specific to Alexandrium when tested against members of three other dinoflagellate genera, Gymnodinium sp. (CCMP1937), Lingulodinium polyedra (GPES22), and Amphidinium carterae (Amphi) (Fig. 1B). The LSU primers were tested on A. fundyense clonal culture DNA, extracted from a range of known cell quantities. QPCR was performed using SYBR green fluorescent dye with amplification conditions established previously from gradient PCR. Successful amplification resulted in a standard curve (Fig. 1C) that compares the PCR cycle number that crosses a designated fluorescence threshold (CT) to cell density (R 2 0.98). The specific rbcL primers designed and tested during this project may be used for further research on rbcL expression to determine if there is a correlation between growth rate and rbcL message abundance. This could be a valuable tool for rapid analysis of Alexandrium growth rate in field populations. The LSU primers described here may be useful for analysis of Alexandrium cell densities within mixed field samples, augmenting our abilities to monitor Alexandrium fundyense population density in the field. Future work is needed to optimize conditions for DNA extraction from mixed samples containing known A. fundyense cell densities. If successful, A. fundyense cell numbers in field samples could be quantified by QPCR determination of LSU abundance through comparison to a standard curve. This work was supported by NSF-REU site grant (OCE0097498), Boston University Marine Program and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Fine Mapping of the Body Fat QTL on Human Chromosome 1q43.

Introduction Evidence for linkage and association of obesity-related quantitative traits to chromosome 1q43 has been reported in the Quebec Family Study (QFS) and in populations of Caribbean Hispanic ancestries yet no specific candidate locus has been replicated to date. Methods Using a set of 1,902 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyped in 525 African American (AA) and 391 European American (EA) women enrolled in the NIEHS uterine fibroid study (NIEHS-UFS), we generated a fine association map for the body mass index (BMI) across a 2.3 megabase-long interval delimited by RGS7 (regulator of G-protein signaling 7) and PLD5 (Phospholipase D, member 5). Multivariable-adjusted linear regression models were fitted to the data to evaluate the association in race-stratified analyses and meta-analysis. Results The strongest associations were observed in a recessive genetic model and peaked in the 3’ end of RGS7 at intronic rs261802 variant in the AA group (p = 1.0 x 10−4) and in meta-analysis of AA and EA samples (p = 9.0 x 10−5). In the EA group, moderate associations peaked at rs6429264 (p = 2.0 x 10−3) in the 2 Kb upstream sequence of RGS7. In the reference populations for the European ancestry in the 1,000 genomes project, rs6429264 occurs in strong linkage disequilibrium (D’ = 0.94) with rs1341467, the strongest candidate SNP for total body fat in QFS that failed genotyping in the present study. Additionally we report moderate associations at the 3’ end of PLD5 in meta-analysis (3.2 x 10−4 ≤ p ≤ 5.8 x 10−4). Conclusion We report replication data suggesting that RGS7, a gene abundantly expressed in the brain, might be a putative body fat QTL on human chromosome 1q43. Future genetic and functional studies are required to substantiate our observations and to potentially link them to the neurobehavioral phenotypes associated with the RGS7 region.
Professionally Speaking: Rhetoricity and Mimesis in the Classroom

Teaching literature has never been easy — the old Oxford skeptics were not altogether wrong in thinking literature unteachable. Despite undergraduates’ ever-lessening knowledge of the cultural information necessarily assumed by writers of every age, it is not the body of students but the subject that is, in an important sense, unteachable. Facts, conventions, and the expectations of writers can be taught. But the process of assembling what is necessary to understand what is read is purely heuristic; the value of literature lies in the experience of understanding it and then exploring its significance within one’s own mental milieu. The classroom lecture can point the way, but the experience is an event (an event which need not end when the final sentence of a text has been read), not the sum of preparatory information.
The Things of Auschwitz

Like any other factory, the death factory of Auschwitz consumed primary materials and produced secondary products. Unique to Auschwitz, though, is that the primary material was human life; and not just the life of the breathing human body, but also the material possessions associated with that life. The detritus of this most efficient genocide—including clothing, jewelry, food, and corpses—was appropriated and put to new uses by the Schutzstaffel (SS) and the prisoners. Others have recognized the various postwar material cultural outcomes of the camp: the writing, the film, the theater, the art, the tourism. This chapter, however, demonstrates that the material culture of Auschwitz is not a phenomenon exclusive to the postwar era. Inside the camp during the war, despite the landscape of death and deprivation, intimate interaction between humans and material culture continued; and, as we move into a new era of study, understanding that interaction will play an important role in our continued probing of wartime Auschwitz.
Adjuvant Therapy for Resected Gallbladder Cancer: Analysis of the National Cancer Data Base.

Background Management of resected gallbladder cancer relies on single-arm trials and retrospective observations. Our objective was to evaluate adjuvant therapy in a nationwide data set using causal inference methods to address sources of bias. Methods We studied patients with T2-3 or node-positive, nonmetastatic gallbladder cancer, resected with grossly negative margins and reported to the National Cancer Data Base between 2004 and 2011. We defined adjuvant therapy as any chemotherapy within 90 days of surgery, and upfront concurrent chemoradiation as radiation within 14 days of first chemotherapy. After adjusting for missing data and guarantee-time bias, and using propensity score analysis to minimize indication bias, we compared overall survival of patients receiving adjuvant therapies with untreated case subjects. Results Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered to 28.8% of 4775 patients, and upfront chemoradiation to 13.5%. Treatment was less frequent among patients who were older, patients with comorbidities, and among white Hispanic women. T3 or node-positive disease, microscopically positive margins, or extended resection increased the likelihood of adjuvant therapy. Overall survival at three years was 39.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 38.4% to 41.4%) and was unaffected by adjuvant therapy after adjusting for multiple confounders (hazard ratio = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.92 to 1.10). Patients with T3 or node-positive tumors treated with upfront adjuvant chemoradiation had a modest early survival advantage (absolute difference at two years = 6.8%, 95% CI = 1.1% to 12.6%), but survival curves converged after five years of follow-up. Conclusions The curative potential of current adjuvant therapy in gallbladder cancer is questionable, justifying placebo-controlled investigation of novel chemotherapy combinations or alternative approaches. Chemoradiation may provide a short-term benefit in locally advanced tumors.
Identification of the Rotor Time Constant in Induction Machines without Speed Sensor

A differential-algebraic method is used to estimate the rotor time constant T R of an induction motor without measurements of the rotor speed/position. The method consists of solving for the roots of a polynomial equation in T R whose coefficients depend only on the stator currents, stator voltages, and their derivatives. Experimental results are presented.
Something’s Fishy

The telephone rang early one morning at my desk at the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System. As was my habit, I was reviewing the previous day’s cases called into the poison center. It was Elvis Perez on the line. Elvis, a certified poison information specialist who was trained as a nurse and had spent the last several years fielding the telephones at the hotline for drug and poison information, had a doctor on the line with some questions that he felt I should handle. Dr. Goldsmith was calling about a 38-year-old woman who had come to his office on October 11 with what he thought were strange, unrelated complaints. She explained to him that her hands felt as if they were burning, and that she felt weak and had a metallic taste in her mouth. Dr. Goldsmith had done routine laboratory work, which did not help him make a diagnosis. When she returned to his office a week later, she was complaining of a continuation of those symptoms but now also had extreme fatigue, itching all over, excess tearing, and pain in her eyes. She was so sensitive to light that she resorted to wearing sunglasses most of the time. She had searched the Internet and asked him to check her for mercury poisoning. He read her laboratory results for me: chemistry profile normal; complete blood count normal; Lyme titer by immunoassay screening test was 1.81, but specific testing by a more precise test was negative; a blood mercury level was abnormal with a result of 29.8 μg/L (normal for environmental exposure is less than 15 and should not be greater than 15 at the end of a shift if there is an occupational exposure). We spoke about the interpretation of her results and the usual symptoms of mercury poisoning. He knew of no obvious exposure that his patient had to mercury. She was a graduate student and no member of her family worked with mercury.
The Impact of a Topical Sexual Enhancement Cream on the Female Sexual Response and Its Relationship to Clitoral Blood Flow.

Objective The aim of this investigation was to determine, through two Investigational Review Board (IRB)-approved studies, if a new topical vasodilating cream (NTVC; Life Science Enhancement Corporation, Pittsburgh PA) could improve female sexual response. Study I subjectively evaluated sexual female response as accessed by a modification of the Female Intervention Efficacy Index (FIEI). FIEI was developed at the University of California as an immediate outcome measure of medical intervention to treat female sexual dysfunction.1 In Study II, 10 randomly selected positive responders from Study I were subsequently analyzed objectively with clitoral plethysmography in order to determine the effect of the NTVC and placebo on blood flow.2 RESULTS: In the subjective Study I (81 patients ranging in age from 18 to 63), a positive response trend for the NTVC was demonstrated compared to the placebo. In the objective Study II, 10 randomly selected patients who responded positive in Study I were objectively evaluated for response of increased blood flow in the clitoris after application of both the NTVC and placebo. The clitoral blood flow was shown to have increased with statistical significance for the NTVC in all 10 patients compared to the placebo, with the NTVC exhibiting an average 69% increase in clitoral blood flow. Conclusions The female sexual response is complex. In the subjective Study I, the NTVC demonstrated positive trends for enhanced lubrication, genital sensation, intercourse, and overall sexual experience. In the objective Study II, 10 of the positive subjective responders from Study I were randomly selected to evaluate their response to the NTVC compared to the placebo. This was done via Doppler plethysmography (DP). All 10 patients demonstrated a statistically significant response rate for increase in clitoral blood flow using the NTVC compared to the placebo, with an average blood flow increase of 69%. This portion of the investigation demonstrates a significant positive end organ response to the NTVC. The positive subjective trends combined with the significant and substantial increase in clitoral blood flow may result in enhanced female sexual satisfaction.
The Impact of Brand Awareness and Customer Experience on the Brand Loyalty of MI

This study discusses the impact of brand awareness and customer experience on brand loyalty of MI. This study randomly selected the people who have purchased the MI’s product to complete the questionnaire. The variables of this questionnaire included population statistics variables, the brand awareness of consumers, the experience of consumers when purchasing, and the customer’s loyalty of its brand. By using the SPSS to analyze the date from reliability analysis, validity analysis, correlation analysis and descriptive statistical analysis of each variable. As the results shown, brand awareness can positively predict brand loyalty. Service experience and emotional experience can positively affect brand loyalty. There existed significantly positive correlation among brand awareness, service eexperience, emotional eexperience and brand loyalty. Finally, summarizing the empirical results, and bringing up some limitation and expanding direction of this research.
Glycoprotein Ibα Forms Catch Bonds with von Willebrand Factor A1 Domain but Not with Mutant A1 Domains Exhibiting Properties of Type 2B von Willebrand Disease.

Abstract Interactions between glycoprotein Ibα (GPIbα) and von Willebrand factor (VWF) initiate platelet adhesion to injured vascular surfaces, which is enhanced by arterial blood flow. The flow requirement for adhesion is reduced (i.e., gain-of-function) by single-residue substitutions of the VWF-A1 domain, e.g., R543Q that occurs in some patients with type 2B von Willebrand disease (VWD) and R687E that was designed to exhibit type 2B VWD properties. Yet the mechanisms for flow-enhanced adhesion through GPIbα-VWF interactions are not understood. By probing single bonds with atomic force microscopy, we showed that lifetimes of GPIbα/VWF-A1 bonds first increased (catch) and then decreased (slip) with increasing force applied to the bond. Remarkably, the catch bond aspect of the GPIbα/VWF-A1 bonds was eliminated by the R543Q and R687E mutations, which exhibited slip bonds only with prolonged lifetimes at low forces. Flow chamber experiments showed that catch-slip transitional bonds governed flow-enhanced rolling of platelets and GPIbα-coated microspheres on wild-type A1, such that rolling velocities first decreased and then increased with increasing flow. By contrast, slip bonds governed rolling velocities on R543Q and R687E A1 mutants, which increased monotonically with increasing flow. We changed fluid viscosity by adding Ficoll to the medium, tether force by using microspheres of different radii, and platelet deformability by using a chemical fixative. The rolling velocity vs. flow curves aligned with tether force but not with transport parameters and were minimally affected by fixation, which respectively rule out transport-enhanced GPIbα/VWF-A1 bond formation and force-induced enlargement of platelet-surface contact area as the causes for flow-enhanced rolling. Flowing platelets agglutinated with microspheres bearing R543Q and R687E A1 mutants but not with those bearing wild-type A1, suggesting that GPIbα/VWF-A1 catch bonds prevent agglutination of circulating platelets via binding to VWF multimers and that platelet agglutination in patients with type 2B VWD may be explained by the prolonged lifetimes at low forces resulting from elimination of catch bonds in the interactions of GPIbα with VWF-A1 mutants.
Abexinostat (ABX) as a means to reverse pazopanib (PAZ) resistance: A phase 1 study in advanced solid tumor malignancies.

2519Background: PAZ is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of VEGFR approved for use in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). ABX is a potent pan-HDAC inhibitor (HDACi). Pre-clinical models suggest that HDACi-mediated epigenetic modulation of VEGF expression prevents PAZ resistance and potentiates efficacy. We therefore designed a Phase I clinical trial combining ABX with PAZ in pts with advanced solid tumors with an expansion cohort in RCC. Methods: The primary endpoint was the maximal tolerated dose (MTD) of PAZ plus ABX. Secondary endpoints included pharmacokinetics (PK) and efficacy. PAZ was dosed days 1-28 and ABX days 1-5, 8-12, and 15-19 of 28-day cycle (schedule A) with at a starting dose of 400 mg/day and 45 mg/m2orally twice daily respectively. An alternate ABX dosing schedule days 1-4, 8-11, and 15-18 was investigated (schedule B) due to toxicity of Schedule A. Results: 52 patients (pts) (RCC; N = 23) with advanced solid tumors were enrolled (N = 22 schedule A; N = 30 schedule B). There were six dose-limiting to...
Charge recovery implementation of an analog comparator: Initial results

This work introduces a charge recovery comparator circuit for low-power, low-frequency applications. For the first time, the principles of charge recovery logic, or adiabatic logic, are applied to an analog circuit. The comparator is designed and simulated in a 180 nm technology and compared to state of the art solutions. Post-extraction simulations show that the proposed comparator consumes only 46 fJ per conversion in the nominal PVT corner, while having a total area of 45 μm2. The proposed comparator consumes up to 70 % less power than a state of the art dynamic latch comparator.
Clean Water Act NPDES Developments in the Courts

Although the Clean Water Act has been in effect for over thirty-three years, many aspects of the Act remain for the Supreme Court to define. In fact, the Court is still called upon to determine certain threshold questions about the Act’s scope and jurisdiction, permits, water quality standards and enforcement. One central question has been the definition of “navigable waters” as it relates to wetlands. The purpose of the Act is to protect the nation’s waters, and a logical question that the Court must address is “to what extent can wetlands be included as navigable waters?” Two cases have been instrumental in addressing this question, finding that wetlands must bear some connection to navigable waters or interstate commerce. These cases also serve to highlight the split amongst the circuits with regard to the connection between wetlands and navigable waters, i.e., is there a need for “adjacency,” “ecological connection” or “direct abutment?” Questions have also arisen with regard to pollutants and point sources and whether pesticides may be considered pollutants. Similarly, can mine shafts be considered point sources that discharge pollutants? Other sources of controversy among the key terms of the CWA include those involving concentrated animal feeding operations, ballast discharges, general permits, storm water permits and NPDES delegation. This article attempts to answer these questions.
Epidural analgesia in hispanic parturients: A single-blinded prospective cohort study on the effects of an educational intervention on epidural analgesia utilization

Introduction: Epidural analgesia for the management of labour pain in pregnant women is a common intervention. In the United States, Hispanic parturients underutilize epidural anaesthesia when compared to other ethnic groups. Data suggest that misinformation deters many women from epidural analgesia while in labour. We hypothesized that education regarding epidural analgesia provided during a prenatal visit would normalize the utilization rates of Hispanic women while in labour. Materials and Methods: We performed a prospective, single-blinded cohort study with participants of self-described Hispanic origin in the second or third trimester. Participants (n = 45) were randomly assigned to receive an educational pamphlet on epidural anaesthesia or a control pamphlet. Following completion of their pregnancy, medical records were reviewed and participants were contacted for subjective information regarding their birth experience. Results: 38.9% of the control group was compared with 34.8% of the epidural group that received epidurals for labour analgesia (P value = 0.83), with no statistically significant differences noted between the two groups. Collection of subjective comments was notable for repeated concerns regarding complications due to neuraxial analgesia. Conclusions: A passively delivered educational pamphlet on epidural analgesia is unlikely to significantly influence Hispanic parturients' utilization of epidural analgesia. Cultural differences and values should be considered when addressing epidural analgesia to Hispanic patients. Additionally, in this patient population preemptively addressing concerns of chronic back pain may help alleviate reservations regarding epidural use.
The PEPS Protocol: Toward a Pedagogy of Self-Directed Wellness for Nurse Role Models:

Nurses play an important part in educating and promoting health to the public, yet they face the same behavioral challenges and health conditions as the general population. The challenge for nursin...
Mixed-type distribution plots:

Plotting is among the most effective ways to quickly and accurately describe a probability distribution. It makes often complex information accessible, enabling intuition for respective outcomes at...
IS LADY JUSTICE BLIND? READING BRAZIL’S 2012 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION DECISION THROUGH THE STRUGGLE FOR GENDER EQUALITY / A DONA JUSTIÇA É CEGA? LENDO A DECISÃO DE AÇÃO AFIRMATIVA DE 2012 NO BRASIL ATRAVÉS DA LUTA PELA IGUALDADE DE GÊNERO

Brazil has boldly embraced affirmative action on a scale never before attempted in in the Americas. Despite this innovation, scholars have not analyzed this surprising development in a rigorous and grounded fashion. This essay seeks to delve deeper into the Brazilian Supreme Court’s (STF) 2012 decision ( acordao ) to uphold the University of Brasilia’s racial quota system against allegations by the conservative Democrat Party (DEM). The DEM argued that such a system of affirmative discrimination violated a “fundamental [i.e. constitutional] precept”, a procedure of relief and remedy that serves as a last resort for resolving constitutional disputes. The unanimous decision came as surprise to most Brazilian observers both for its broad ideological consensus and for its explicit endorsement of racial quota policies in a country that still widely regarded itself as relatively free of racial tensions and biases. Closely analyzing the judges’ final opinions ( votos ), this essay makes the case that the decision’s unanimity came from a constellation of metaphors and constitutional philosophies. These metaphors and philosophies, at times in tension, coalesced to form a coherent defense of protected identity classes and the state’s duty to protect them. In fact, the decision served to converge two categories of affirmative action that previously had operated on parallel tracks: Racial and gender quotas. Finally, each vote relied on concepts of difference and equality (in the feminist sense) to arrive at a decision favorable to quotas.
Theory of optical couplers

The propagation of solitons through optical couplers is studied here in this paper. Both the twin-core couplers as well as the multiple-core couplers are considered here in this paper. The parameter dynamics of the solitons that are governed by the coupled generalized nonlinear Schrodinger's equation, due to non-Kerr law nonlinearity, has been obtained for such couplers.
AOQ and AOQL for Stoplight Acceptance Sampling

Stoplight control rules can be used as the basis for acceptance sampling of incoming units or process control. In this paper we determine the acceptance probability (Pa) and average outgoing quality (AOQ) that is achieved by using the standard stoplight..
Small sample size problems in wildlife ecology: a contingent analytical approach

Administrative, political, and natural history constraints on the design of research studies in ecology often result in small data sets. In this paper, I identify some problems associated with small data sets and describe a contingent process for data analysis. I argue that exploring small data sets is heuristic and can be a valuable first step in the formulation of biologically interesting hypotheses.
Transit-oriented autonomous vehicle operation with integrated demand-supply interaction

Abstract Autonomous vehicles (AVs) represent potentially disruptive and innovative changes to public transportation (PT) systems. However, the exact interplay between AV and PT is understudied in existing research. This paper proposes a systematic approach to the design, simulation, and evaluation of integrated autonomous vehicle and public transportation (AV + PT) systems. Two features distinguish this research from the state of the art in the literature: the first is the transit-oriented AV operation with the purpose of supporting existing PT modes; the second is the explicit modeling of the interaction between demand and supply. We highlight the transit-orientation by identifying the synergistic opportunities between AV and PT, which makes AVs more acceptable to all the stakeholders and respects the social-purpose considerations such as maintaining service availability and ensuring equity. Specifically, AV is designed to serve first-mile connections to rail stations and provide efficient shared mobility in low-density suburban areas. The interaction between demand and supply is modeled using a set of system dynamics equations and solved as a fixed-point problem through an iterative simulation procedure. We develop an agent-based simulation platform of service and a discrete choice model of demand as two subproblems. Using a feedback loop between supply and demand, we capture the interaction between the decisions of the service operator and those of the travelers and model the choices of both parties. Considering uncertainties in demand prediction and stochasticity in simulation, we also evaluate the robustness of our fixed-point solution and demonstrate the convergence of the proposed method empirically. We test our approach in a major European city, simulating scenarios with various fleet sizes, vehicle capacities, fare schemes, and hailing strategies such as in-advance requests. Scenarios are evaluated from the perspectives of passengers, AV operators, PT operators, and urban mobility system. Results show the trade off between the level of service and the operational cost, providing insight for fleet sizing to reach the optimal balance. Our simulated experiments show that encouraging ride-sharing, allowing in-advance requests, and combining fare with transit help enable service integration and encourage sustainable travel. Both the transit-oriented AV operation and the demand-supply interaction are essential components for defining and assessing the roles of the AV technology in our future transportation systems, especially those with ample and robust transit networks.
Toward a History of the Teaching of Calculation in Russia

This chapter is devoted to the history of teaching calculation in Russia. It is a history in which political, pedagogical, and technological questions intersect, and much in it sounds quite contemporary and gives the mathematics educator much to think about. We analyze certain sections of Russian textbooks and approaches employed by them. Some characteristics specific to Russia are also discussed: the use of so-called number alphabets and the Russian abacus during certain periods.