cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Condom Beliefs in Urban, Low Income, African American and Hispanic Youth

This article focuses on the condom beliefs of low income, urban African American and Hispanic youth living in the Midwest. The condom beliefs under investigation were derived from prior research with members of this population and through consultation with African American and Hispanic youth and service providers. Significant gender, ethnic, and acculturation differences were found among beliefs related to frequency of condom use in the past year (p < .05). These differences indicated that women, African American respondents, and Hispanic respondents high in acculturation tended to have more neutral or more positive views about condoms than other types of respondents.
Feeding Problems of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Graduates: Perceptions of Parents and Providers

Abstract There is little known about family experiences with pediatric feeding problems after neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) or pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) discharge. The study purposes were to better understand the family experiences with and consequences of feeding problems among NICU and PICU graduates after they transitioned home. Using a qualitative, descriptive design, 15 parents and 10 health professionals completed in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Analysis revealed that feeding problems greatly impacted families. Education and resources were considered important but generally insufficient. Although some parent-provider partnerships were strong, many others were not, and at times, partnerships were fraught with conflict, communication problems, and lack of collaboration. System barriers and financial concerns escalated parents' distress, affecting their emotional responses. Parents' perceptions of discrepancies between their family situation and those of “normal” families violated their expectations. Understanding the perspectives of parents and providers regarding feeding problems common among NICU and PICU graduates is essential to developing effective interventions.
Systematic lossy forward error protection for error-resilient digital video broadcasting - a Wyner-Ziv coding approach

We present a practical scheme for error-resilient digital video broadcasting, using the Wyner-Ziv coding paradigm. We apply the general framework of systematic lossy source-channel coding to generate a supplementary bitstream that can correct transmission errors in the decoded video waveform up to a certain residual distortion. The systematic portion consists of a conventional MPEG-2 bitstream, which is transmitted over the error-prone channel without forward error correction. The supplementary bitstream is a low rate representation of the transmitted video sequence generated using Wyner-Ziv encoding. We use the received error-prone MPEG-2 prediction error signal as side information to decode the Wyner-Ziv bits. The decoder combines the error-prone side information and the Wyner-Ziv description to yield an improved decoded video signal. Wc describe a system that uses an embedded Wyner-Ziv codec to achieve graceful quality degradation without the need for a layered representation of the video waveform.
The Happenstance Learning Theory

What-you-should-be-when-you-grow-up need not and should not be planned in advance. Instead career counselors should teach their clients the importance of engaging in a variety of interesting and beneficial activities, ascertaining their reactions, remaining alert to alternative opportunities, and learning skills for succeeding in each new activity. Four propositions: (1) The goal of career counseling is to help clients learn to take actions to achieve more satisfying career and personal lives—not to make a single career decision. (2) Assessments are used to stimulate learning, not to match personal characteristics with occupational characteristics. (3) Clients learn to engage in exploratory actions as a way of generating beneficial unplanned events. (4) The success of counseling is assessed by what the client accomplishes in the real world outside the counseling session.
Amplified stretch of bottlebrush-coated DNA in nanofluidic channels

The effect of a cationic-neutral diblock polypeptide on the conformation of single DNA molecules confined in rectangular nanochannels is investigated with fluorescence microscopy. An enhanced stretch along the channel is observed with increased binding of the cationic block of the polypeptide to DNA. A maximum stretch of 85% of the contour length can be achieved inside a channel with a cross-sectional diameter of 200nm and at a 2-fold excess of polypeptide with respect to DNA charge. With site-specific fluorescence labelling, it is demonstrated that this maximum stretch is sufficient to map large-scale genomic organization. Monte Carlo computer simulation shows that the amplification of the stretch inside the nanochannels is owing to an increase in bending rigidity and thickness of bottlebrush-coated DNA. The persistence lengths and widths deduced from the nanochannel data agree with what has been estimated from the analysis of atomic force microscopy images of dried complexes on silica.
Synthesis of zirconium poly-O-amidoximes†

Synthesis of zirconium poly-O-amidoximes was affected by using both interfacial and aqueous solution techniques. Reaction is rapid. The yield for the synthesis of analogous titanium product is Cp2ZrCl2 > Cp2TiCl2 which is consistent with that predicted by the hard-soft acid–base theory.
Biochemical Characterization and Molecular Cloning of an α-1,2-Fucosyltransferase That Catalyzes the Last Step of Cell Wall Xyloglucan Biosynthesis in Pea

Pea microsomes contain an α-fucosyltransferase that incorporates fucose from GDP-fucose into xyloglucan, adding it preferentially to the 2-O-position of the galactosyl residue closest to the reducing end of the repeating subunit. This enzyme was solubilized with detergent and purified by affinity chromatography on GDP-hexanolamine-agarose followed by gel filtration. By utilizing peptide sequences obtained from the purified enzyme, a cDNA clone was isolated that encodes a 565-amino acid protein with a predicted molecular mass of 64 kDa and shows 62.3% identity to itsArabidopsis homolog. The purified transferase migrates at ∼63 kDa by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis but elutes from the gel filtration column as an active protein of higher molecular weight (∼250 kDa), indicating that the active form is an oligomer. The enzyme is specific for xyloglucan and is inhibited by xyloglucan oligosaccharides and by the by-product GDP. The enzyme has a neutral pH optimum and does not require divalent ions. Kinetic analysis indicates that GDP-fucose and xyloglucan associate with the enzyme in a random order. N-Ethylmaleimide, a cysteine-specific modifying reagent, had little effect on activity, although several other amino acid-modifying reagents strongly inhibited activity.
Avian Tracheal Rings

Abstract IN A recent publication, Mennega (1964) shows the supposed structure of the rings of the trachea of the chicken, the turkey and the duck. Mennega depicts these structures in sketches. It seems apparent that the sketch of the tracheal rings of the chicken is actually based on the description by Bradley and Grahame (1950) which follows: “A relatively long trachea, composed of complete rings of hyaline cartilage united by narrow membranous ligaments, connects the cranial larynx with the caudal larynx or syrinx. The cartilaginous rings are of alternate sizes, so that a large ring half overlaps a small ring, and nearly touches the end of the previous small ring. The rings have thick middle portions and thin edges. The ends of the rings are joined by a band of connective tissue. Commonly, ossification takes place in the ventral part of the tracheal rings.” McLeod et al. (1964) say: “The trachea…
Did you hear the one about…? Leading with humor pays dividends

The article focuses on the relationship between humor at workplace and organizational performance. Noting that such organizations as Southwest Airlines, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, and Sun Microsystems credit their success, in part, to cultures that readily embrace humor, researchers Bruce Avolio, of the State University of New York at Binghamton, Jane Howell, of the University of Western Ontario, and John Sosik, of Pennsylvania State University, assessed the impact of leaders' use of humor on organizational performance. The results of their research are described.
Differential inhibition of nerve growth factor responses by purine analogues: correlation with inhibition of a nerve growth factor-activated protein kinase

Purine analogues were used in this study to dissect specific steps in the mechanism of action of nerve growth factor (NGF). Protein kinase N (PKN) is an NGF-activated serine protein kinase that is active in the presence of Mn++. The activity of PKN was inhibited in vitro by purine analogues, the most effective of which was 6-thioguanine (apparent Ki = 6 microM). Several different criteria indicated that 6-thioguanine is not a general inhibitor of protein kinases and that it is relatively specific for PKN. For instance, it did not affect protein kinases A or C and was without effect on the overall level and pattern of protein phosphorylation by either intact or broken PC12 cells. Since purine analogues rapidly and effectively enter cells, they were also assessed for their actions on both transcription-dependent and -independent responses of PC12 cells to NGF. NGF-promoted neurite regeneration was reversibly suppressed by the analogues and at concentrations very similar to those that inhibit PKN. Comparable concentrations of the analogues also blocked NGF-stimulated induction of ornithine decarboxylase activity. In contrast to its inhibition of neurite regeneration and ornithine decarboxylase induction, 6-thioguanine did not suppress NGF-dependent induction of c-fos mRNA expression. Thus, purine analogues such as 6-thioguanine appear capable of differentially suppressing some, but not other actions of NGF. These findings suggest the presence of multiple pathways in the NGF mechanism and that these can be dissected with purine analogues. Moreover, these data are compatible with a role for protein kinase N in certain of these pathways.
Phagocyte-like NADPH oxidase generates ROS in INS 832/13 cells and rat islets: Role of protein prenylation

Recent evidence suggests that an acute increase in the generation of phagocyte-like NADPH-oxidase (Nox)-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) may be necessary for glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Using rat islets and INS 832/13 cells, we tested the hypothesis that activation of specific G proteins is necessary for nutrient-mediated intracellular generation of ROS. Stimulation of β-cells with glucose or a mixture of mitochondrial fuels (mono-methylsuccinate plus α-ketoisocaproic acid) markedly elevated intracellular accumulation of ROS, which was attenuated by selective inhibitors of Nox (e.g., apocynin or diphenyleneiodonium chloride) or short interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of p47phox, one of the subunits of Nox. Selective inhibitors of protein prenylation (FTI-277 or GGTI-2147) markedly inhibited nutrient-induced ROS generation, suggesting that activation of one (or more) prenylated small G proteins and/or γ-subunits of trimeric G proteins is involved in this signaling axis. Depletion of endogenous GTP levels with mycophenolic acid significantly reduced glucose-induced activation of Rac1 and ROS generation in these cells. Other immunosuppressants, like cyclosporine A or rapamycin, which do not deplete endogenous GTP levels, failed to affect glucose-induced ROS generation, suggesting that endogenous GTP is necessary for glucose-induced Nox activation and ROS generation. Treatment of INS 832/13 cells or rat islets with pertussis toxin (Ptx), which ADP ribosylates and inhibits inhibitory class of trimeric G proteins (i.e., Gi or Go), significantly attenuated glucose-induced ROS generation in these cells, implicating activation of a Ptx-sensitive G protein in these signaling cascade. Together, our findings suggest a prenylated Ptx-sensitive signaling step couples Rac1 activation in the signaling steps necessary for glucose-mediated generation of ROS in the pancreatic β-cells.
Efficient simulations for option pricing

This paper presents an overview of techniques for improving the efficiency of option pricing simulations, including quasi-Monte Carlo methods, variance reduction, and methods for dealing with discretization error.
Adsorption of Phenol from Aqueous Solution Using Lantana camara , Forest Waste: Packed Bed Studies and Prediction of Breakthrough Curves

In this paper, the feasibility of the dry stem of Lantana camara waste as an adsorbent to remove phenol from aqueous solution was investigated in a packed-bed column. The effect of bed height (5, 10, 15 cm), initial phenol concentration (100, 150, 250 mg L−1) and feed flow rate (10, 15, 20 mL min−1) on the adsorption were studied by evaluating the breakthrough curves. The following models were used to assess the column performance: Thomas, Adams-Bohart, Yoon Nelson, Modified dose–response, linear driving force model based on fluid phase concentration difference (LDFC) and linear driving force model based on particle phase concentration difference (LDFQ). The Thomas model and the LDFC model were in good agreement with the experimental data. The bed depth service time (BDST) model was used to predict adsorption performance at other experimental conditions. The maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 149.77 mg g−1, confirming that Lantana camara is a suitable adsorbent for the removal of phenol from aqueous solution.
Engineering Licensure Innovations

The engineering profession generally and others affected by engineering must examine the requirements for licensing and effect needed changes to registration laws. In so doing, particular attention should be given to removing exemptions from licensure, reducing experience requirements, demonstrating current competence, and licensing technicians performing engineering-related services directly to the public.
Nonrigid Registration of Pre-Procedural MRI and Intra-Procedural CT in CT-Guided Cryoablation of Lung Tumors to Improve Lung Tumor Conspicuity

To improve lung tumor conspicuity during CT-guided cryoablations, we used nonrigid image registrations to fuse pre-procedural MR images and intra-procedural CT images and determined which set of CT images taken at planning, targeting, and monitoring phases of the procedure provided the most accurate and fastest registrations. In 10 percutaneous CT-guided cryoablation procedures, MR images were registered with intra-procedural CT images using a nonrigid registration technique using an intensity-based approach with affine and B-Spline transformations. The time to complete the registration as well as the accuracy of the registration defined by Target Registration Error (TRE), Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC), and Hausdorff Distance (HD) were measured to assess the performance of the registration. The least significant difference (LSD) method was used as a post-hoc analysis for comparing time and accuracy among planning, targeting, and monitoring phases. The mean TRE of the registration ranged from 6.26 (planning) to 10.31 (monitoring) mm. The mean DSC ranged from 83.86 (monitoring) to 89.22 (planning). The mean HD values ranged from 7.74 (targeting) to 12.20 (monitoring). Mean registration time ranged from 68.67 (monitoring) to 92.02 (planning) s. Using HD, registrations in either the planning or targeting phase were more accurate than in the monitoring phase. The registration was faster using monitoring images than using planning images. Nonrigid registration techniques can be used to fuse pre-procedural MR images with intra-procedural CT images with varying performance depending on the CT images taken at the different phases of the procedure. Therefore, caution should be taken in setting expectations on accuracies and speeds of registration depending on the phases of the CT-guided ablation procedures.
Within-Field Variation in Susceptibility of Colorado Potato Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) to Insecticides: Implications for Sampling Methods in an Insecticide Resistance Bioassay

Within-field variation in mortality of Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa Decemlineata (Say), in a filter-paper insecticide bioassay was determined in three Virginia potato fields in 1989 and five fields in 1990. Bioassays were done for each of three different insecticides on Colorado potato beetle larvae collected from 12-16 different locations (equal = size blocks or grids) per field. Comparisons of 95% mortality confidence intervals (CI) between all possible block-pair combinations per field indicated that field size had no influence on variation in Colorado potato beetle mortality in the bioassay. No apparent relationship existed between the level of insecticide susceptibility of the Colorado potato beetle population (LC90) and the percentage of blocks within a field with overlapping mortality CIs. Bioassay data from sample fields indicated that a single bioassay (of Colorado potato beetles from one location per field) will yield at least a 0.50 probability (>0.90 in six of the eight fields) of estimating the mean mortality response (±5%) of Colorado potato beetles in the entire field. The probability of sampling potato beetles from one location that differed in mean mortality from individuals collected in another location within the same field decreased as the number of locations sampled increased (e.g., the probability is 0.12 if three locations are sampled).
Isolation and identification of arboviruses from mosquito pools of Xinyang city of Henan province in 2009

Objective To isolate and identify arboviruses from mosquito pools in Xinyang city of Henan province in 2009.MethodsMosquitoes were collected from Xinyang city of Henan province in 2009.Isolated viruses were inoculated into BHK-21 cells and identified the virus species by PCR and sequencing.ResultsA total of 3 050 mosquitoes were collected and three isolates produced CPE in BHK-21 cell culture with two isolates were identified as Getah virus and one unknown strain,respectively.ConclusionsTwo strains of Getah virus and one unknown strain were isolated from mosquitoes and reported first time in Xinyang city of Henan province.
Clinical Observation and Nursing Care of the Traumatic Hepatorrhexis in Children

Objective:Thirty-two children occurred traumatic hepatorrhexis from Jan.1998 to Dec.2005 were analyzed.Results:indicated that 14 cases were cured and one died of hemorrhea among those 15 cases who were performed with operation.All of the 17 cases performed with conservative treatment were cured.Main nursing measures included nursing of associative injury,perioperative nursing,and prevention of postoperative complication.
Treatment and Analysis of One CVT Fault

As for the abnormality of secondary voltage of 330 k V capacitor voltage transformer(CVT)in operation,it is checked clearly by way of site inspection and disassembly at factory that the cause for such abnormality is due to insulation strength reduction of arrester for primary part protection of electromagnetic unit. The normal inspection and test result of the CVT capacitor and electromagnetic unit are analyzed and compared. The judgment method and conclusion are given. Also elimination method and procedure on abnormality of secondary voltage of CVT are proposed;corresponding suggestion are provided;and the specific measures on strengthening condition monitoring of CVT in operation in network are also proposed.
A Real-Time Monitoring and Assessment System for Existing CFST Arch Bridges

The real-time monitoring and assessment system for existing concrete-filled steel tube(CFST) arch bridges is a system that is used for monitoring the temperature fields at bridge sites,the traffic load conditions,the static and dynamic effect of the bridges and also for assessing the operation status of the principal structures of the bridges.The system is mainly composed of the condition monitoring,damage alarming,performance assessment and auxiliary decision subsystems.The system can automatically acquire,analyze and assess the different condition data of the bridge structures,make judgment of and alarm the abnormal conditions,automatically detect and acquire the malfunction of the system itself,flexibly set the time sections of data acquisition,record in a long term and all-round way the load and the response history on the bridges,real-time inquire and analyze the operation conditions of the bridges,determine the rational locations of layout of sensors through calculation and remotely transmit the data by the wired data transmission.The operation of the system shows that the system has realized the real time linkage acquisition and automatic transmission of the data and images of the CFST arch bridges as well as the remote automatic monitoring,performance assessment and safety alarming of the operation conditions of the bridges.
Academics, social media and the continued need for slow thinking

The online response to the recent attacks in Paris, from #JeSuisParis to the French flag profile filter on Facebook, as both Catto and Verrall (this volume) describe, follows familiar paths in resp...
The panoramic view of clear cell renal cell carcinoma metabolism: values of integrated global cancer metabolomics.

Kidney is a highly metabolic organ that filters approximately 180 liters of plasma every day through glomeruli in adult human, reabsorbs most of filtered small molecule nutrients such as amino acid, glucose, fatty acid through renal tubules, consumes a large amount of energy through oxidizing free fatty acid, lactate and ketoacid, and produces glucose through gluconeogenesis during a fight-or-flight situation. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common (~75%), lethal subtype of kidney cancer, and originates from the renal tubule epithelium (1). Morphologically, ccRCC cells are lipid- and glycogen- laden, implicating altered fatty acid and glucose metabolism in the development of ccRCC. However, the casual relationship between these unique metabolic derangements and the pathobiology of ccRCC is unknown. Furthermore, the global metabolic shifts during the pathogenesis and the progression of ccRCC remain to be determined.
Design and implementation of a load scheduling embedded system for off grid solar power systems

Power drives most activities in health centers and homes. However, its availability and high cost make it an expensive commodity. Off grid power systems like PV-battery setups are more sensitive to fluctuations in the generation and load. Power generation in such systems is also intermittent due to dynamic weather changes and other natural factors which require inevitable use of batteries. Batteries are the most expensive part of off-grid solutions and their use has to be optimized. Furthermore, these systems, like any other power source, have maximum capacities beyond which they should not operate. If these limitations are not well observed, usage of the available power cannot be maximized and the power equipment may be damaged. In this regard, this paper proposes an embedded system solution that schedules appliances to run when there is available power from solar panels. The appliances are connected to the smart scheduler through a dedicated smart plug that powers the appliance depending on the conditions set by the smart scheduler. This solution not only ensures that loads are served at the earliest possible availability, but also avoids blackouts in the system. Furthermore, smart utilization of the resources minimizes the battery need and hence, the investment costs.
Hierarchical Design of Connected Cruise Control in the Presence of Information Delays and Uncertain Vehicle Dynamics

In this paper, we investigate the design of connected cruise control that exploits wireless vehicle-to-vehicle communication to enhance vehicle mobility and safety. A hierarchical framework is used to reduce the complexity for design and analysis. A high-level controller incorporates the motion data received from multiple vehicles ahead and also considers information delays, in order to generate the desired longitudinal dynamics. At the lower level, we consider a physics-based vehicle model and design an adaptive sliding-mode controller that regulates the engine torque, so that the vehicle can track the desired dynamics in the presence of uncertainties and external perturbations. Numerical simulations are used to validate the analytical results and demonstrate the robustness of the controller.
Decreasing 30-day surgical mortality in a VA Medical Center utilizing the ACS NSQIP Surgical Risk Calculator.

Abstract Background The Overton Brooks VA Medical Center Surgical Service had a high mortality. In an effort to reduce surgical mortality, we implemented a series of quality improvement interventions, including utilization of the ACS Surgical Risk Calculator to identify high-risk surgical patients for discussion in a multidisciplinary Pre-Operative Consultation Committee. Methods Retrospective study describing the implementation of a risk stratification intervention incorporating the ACS Surgical Risk Calculator Tool and a multidisciplinary Pre-Operative Consultation Committee to target high-risk patients. Measurement of 30 day surgical mortality and risk adjusted Observed to Expected (O/E) mortality ratio. Results From May 2013 to September 2014, 614 high-risk patients were selected utilizing the ACS Risk Calculator and presented at the Pre-Operative Consultation Committee. Following implementation of this risk stratification intervention, 30-day mortality decreased by 66% from 0.9% to 0.3%, and risk adjusted O/E mortality ratio decreased from 2.5 to 0.8. Among the high risk patients presented, there was no increase in referrals to other facilities. There was a significant increase in cases requiring further preoperative optimization, from 6.3% at the beginning of the study period to 17.5% at the end of the study period. Conclusions Implementation of a preoperative risk stratification intervention utilizing the ACS Surgical Risk Calculator along with a multidisciplinary Pre-Operative Consultation Committee can be successfully accomplished, with a significant decrease in 30-day surgical mortality. This is the first published report of utilization of the ACS Risk calculator as part of a systematic quality improvement tool to decrease surgical mortality.
Expression of hGSTA1 in stably transfected V79MZ cells co-expressing hCYP1B1 or hCYP1A1 confers variable resistance to cytotoxicity of dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DB[a,l]P) or its dihydrodiol metabolite

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 45, 2004 1372 Cytochrome p450s (CYP) are phase I enzymes that catalyze activation of a wide range of carcinogens to more reactive electrophilic metabolites. Glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs) are phase II enzymes that can conjugate glutathione (GSH) to intermediate metabolites, thus detoxifying these reactive compounds. Either human CYP1A1 or CYP1B1 can activate DB[a,l]P to dibenzo[a,l]pyrene-11,12-dihydrodiol-13,14-epoxide (DB[a,l]PDE); however, DB[a,l]P has previously shown higher cytotoxicity in cells expressing human P4501A1. Further, human GSTA1-1 is the most effective of the GST isoforms in conjugating (-)-anti-DB[a,l]PDE with GSH. We developed V79MZ hamster lung fibroblasts stably transfected with either human P4501B1 (V79MZh1B1), or human P4501A1 (V79MZh1A1), alone or in combination with human GST alpha-1 (hGSTA1-1) and used them to examine GST protection against DB[a,l]P cytotoxicity.As expected, DB[a,l]P had higher cytotoxicity in V79MZh1A1 (IC50 = 2.7 nM, compared to 6.0 nM in V79MZh1B1). Expression of hGSTA1-1 conferred 2-fold resistance to cytotoxicity in the hCYP1A1-expressing cells, relative to control V79MZ cells expressing hCYP1A1 alone. In V79MZh1B1 cells (expressing hCYP1B1), added expression of hGSTA1-1 conferred a 5-fold protection relative to cells expressing hCYP1B1 alone. When cells were exposed to (+/−)DB[a,l]P-11, 12-dihydrodiol, again V79MZh1A1 was more sensitive to cytotoxicity than V79MZh1B1 (IC50 = 0.7 nM compared to 4.8 nM respectively). The expression of hGSTA1-1 conferred a slight (1.3-fold) protection in the cells expressing human P4501A1, but in the V79MZ cells expressing hCYP1B1, the GSTA1-1 conferred a robust 9-fold protection (both relative to the respective controls expressing hCYP1A1 or hCYP1B1). These findings demonstrate that: a) the relative protection by hGSTA1 against cellular toxicity of DB[a,l]P is much more effective when it is activated by hCYP1B1 than by hCYP1A1; and b) in cells expressing hCYP1B1, the fold-resistance conferred by hGSTA1 expression against the toxicity of DB[a,l]P-diol is twice that conferred against the parent compound DB[a,lP. In view of the known variations in expression of these genes among human tissues, these findings have implications for differential tissue-specific protection by GSTA1 against DB[a,l]P and possibly other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon carcinogens a
NONHYDROSTATIC EFFECTS IN STRESS-WAVE INDUCED PHASE TRANSFORMATION OF CALCITE

Displacive phase transformation occurs readily under stress-wave loading and there are indications that transformation is dependent on the nonhydrostatic stress state. Both static and stress-wave data for phase transformation in calcite rock are compared to provide evidence for shear stress dependence. A nonhydrostatic thermodynamic theory applicable to stress-wave propagation in isotropic phase transforming solids has been developed to describe the data. Although past theoretical studies emphasize that a Gibbs potential is not generally appropriate to nonhydrostatic phenomena, this thermodynamic approach has still been found appropriate in the present application. Through the theory, nonhydrostatic relations of phase equilibria are obtained which constrain the volume and shape change through the transformation. The theory is applied to the stress-induced displacive calcite I-II phase change in Oakhall limestone.
Controllable Moderate Heating Enhances the Therapeutic Efficacy of Irreversible Electroporation for Pancreatic Cancer.

Irreversible electroporation (IRE) as a non-thermal tumor ablation technology has been studied for the treatment of pancreatic carcinoma and has shown a significant survival benefit. We discovered that moderate heating (MH) at 43 °C for 1-2 minutes significantly enhanced ex vivo IRE tumor ablation of Pan02 cells by 5.67-fold at 750 V/cm and by 1.67-fold at 1500 V/cm. This amount of heating alone did not cause cell death. An integrated IRE system with controllable laser heating and tumor impedance monitoring was developed to treat mouse ectopic pancreatic cancer. With this novel IRE system, we were able to heat and maintain the temperature of a targeted tumor area at 42 °C during IRE treatment. Pre-heating the tumor greatly reduced the impedance of tumor and its fluctuation. Most importantly, MHIRE has been demonstrated to significantly extend median survival and achieve a high rate of complete tumor regression. Median survival was 43, 46 and 84 days, for control, IRE with 100 μs, 1 Hz, 90 pulses and electric fields 2000–2500 V/cm and MHIRE treatment respectively. 55.6% of tumor-bearing mice treated with MHIRE were tumor-free, whereas complete tumor regression was not observed in the control and IRE treatment groups.
Vitamin D metabolic loci and preeclampsia risk in multi-ethnic pregnant women.

Abstract Allelic variants in vitamin D metabolism genes may increase the risk of preeclampsia, but few studies have systematically tested this hypothesis. Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between maternal allelic variants in three vitamin D metabolism genes and risk of preeclampsia. Samples were from two case‐control studies of pregnant women who delivered in Pittsburgh, PA from 1999 to 2010 and twelve recruiting sites across the United States from 1959 to 1965. Single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped 50 kilobases up‐ and down‐stream in three genes ( VDR , GC , and CYP27B1 ) in the samples from both studies, for a total of 744 preeclampsia cases and 2411 controls. Using multivariable logistic regression, we estimated the associations between allelic variation in each locus and preeclampsia risk by maternal race and study. Meta‐analysis was used to estimate the association across race‐study groups for each SNP. Minor allele of a noncoding region of the VDR gene was significantly associated with preeclampsia risk, which was verified in the meta‐analysis [odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence intervals (CI)] after adjusting for multiple comparisons [rs12831006:1.5 (1.2, 2.0), P GC variant [rs843010:1.4 (1.1, 1.9) P GC [rs842991:1.5 (1.1, 2.0) P P CYP27B1 SNPs. Our results provide additional support for a biological role of vitamin D in preeclampsia.
The Dog Who Barks and the Noise of the Human: Psychoanalysis After the Animal Turn

ABSTRACTWhat would or could a psychoanalysis beyond the human be? And who—and how—might we who call ourselves human be or become in turn? In the “Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis,” Freud (19...
Anion-enhanced solvophobic effects in organic solvent

The influence of salts on the solvophobic interactions of two non-polar surfaces in organic solvent was examined using a series of molecular balances. Specific anion effects were observed that followed the Hofmeister series and enhanced the solvophobic effect up to two-fold.
Influence of ionic strength on sodium-calcium exchange of two temperate climate soils

Salt-affected soils have been studied extensively with respect to their Na–Ca exchange properties. These studies have focused on soil environments of the arid West. However, because of irrigation and oil well brine discharges in the temperate region of the U.S. there is need to understand sodicity behavior of such soils. In this study, two Kentucky soils (Pembroke and Uniontown) at the 0–10 cm depth were studied to evaluate the influence of ionic strength (I) and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) on cation selectivity coefficients. The data showed that both soils exhibit at least two classes of exchange sites and in general the apparent affinity for Na+ increased when solution ionic strength increased. Furthermore, both soils under all three ionic strengths tested showed greater affinity for Na+ than the average agricultural saline soil of the arid West. The data suggested the need for establishing critical salt dispersion thresholds for temperate climate soils and developing effective brine management approaches.
From SNP Genotyping to Improved Pediatric Healthcare

SNP genotyping arrays have become an important tool for cohort identification and stratification, phenotype-genotype association studies, discovery of disease markers, prediction of molecular phenotypes, and clinical decision support. In this chapter, large-scale SNP genotyping and the resulting informatics challenges are discussed in the context of basic as well as translational studies. Tailored research informatics solutions and integration with clinical informatics systems are illustrated using several specific examples of applications, including: (i) cohort stratification analysis; (ii) prediction of classical HLA alleles from SNP data in the context of pediatric autoimmune diseases; and (iii) predictive decision models for the management of surgical pain and avoidance of opioid-related adverse outcomes in children.
Asymmetric Laplace Distributions

Chapter 3 is devoted to asymmetric Laplace distributions — a skewed family of distributions that in our opinion is the most appropriate skewed generalization of the classical Laplace law. In the last several decades, various forms of skewed Laplace distributions have sporadically appeared in the literature. One of the earliest is due to McGill (1962), who considers distributions with p.d.f. $$ f(x) = \left\{ {\begin{array}{*{20}c} {\frac{{\varphi _1 }} {2}e^{ - \varphi _1 |x - \theta |} , x \leqslant \theta ,} \\ {\frac{{\varphi _2 }} {2}e^{ - \varphi _2 |x - \theta |} , x > \theta ,} \\ \end{array} } \right. $$ (3.0.1) while Holla and Bhattacharya (1968) study the distribution with p.d.f. $$ f(x) = \left\{ {\begin{array}{*{20}c} {p\varphi e^{ - \varphi \left| {x - \theta } \right|} , x \leqslant \theta ,} \\ {(1 - p)\varphi e^{ - \varphi \left| {x - \theta } \right|} , \theta < x,} \\ \end{array} } \right. $$ (3.0.2) where 0 < p < 1. Lingappaiah (1988) derived some properties of (3.0.1), terming the distribution two-piece double exponential. Poiraud-Casanova and Thomas-Agnan (2000) exploited a skewed Laplace distribution with p.d.f. $$f\left( x \right) = \alpha \left( {1 - \alpha } \right)\left\{ {\begin{array}{*{20}{c}} {{{e}^{{ - \left( {1 - \alpha } \right)\left| {x - \theta } \right|}}}, for x < \theta ,} \hfill \\ {{{e}^{{ - \alpha \left| {x - \theta } \right|}}}, for x \geqslant \theta ,} \hfill \\ \end{array} } \right. $$ (3.0.3) and α∈(0,1), to show the equivalence of certain quantile estimators.
Teacher-Designers: How Teachers Use Instructional Design in Real Classrooms

INTRODUCTION If you are a practicing teacher at any level—primary, secondary, or higher education—you already know quite a lot about designing instruction. Your work, prior to teaching a course, includes finding out what your students already know when they walk into the first day of class and determining what knowledge you hope they will gain by the end of the course. You design activities that enhance their new knowledge and allow them to practice with it. You plan tests that help the students demonstrate their newfound understanding. Every time you teach the course, and even at some points during the course, you make changes based on “how things are going” and later on you think about “what happened” throughout the course. The next time you teach the course, it is (hopefully!) much improved. That is, in essence, exactly what instructional design is all about. But instructional design practices proceed from a more formal and systematic way of thinking about the teaching and learning process. Such systematic thinking helps designers focus on each component of the design process that ensures a successful design for learning.
EVIDENCE FOR AND NATURE OF A NONTHERMAL MECHANISM OF PULSED LASER ANNEALING OF Si

Pulsed lasers have been studied for use as weapons for twenty years. They are known to damage materials by causing local heating, differential thermal expansion and normal thermal melting, with a large change in volume. In the author's view, no viable explanation has been given how such normal thermal effects could produce the remarkably high crystallographic, morphological and electrical quality of some pulsed laser annealed Si. Nor has there been given an explanation why higher energy pulses ruin Si. Acoustic and elastic evidence has been presented that no violent change in density, as would occur with normal melting, occurs during successful annealing. It has been shown that the segregation of Se, Te and other elements is not consistent with regrowth from the normal melt. Time resolved surface reflectivity measurements reveal qualitative and quantitative discrepancies with the thermal hypothesis. Here the alternative of excited carrier induced annealing is discussed.
Race and Marital History as Correlates of Women's Access to Family-Friendly Employee Benefits

Using a nationally representative sample of young women surveyed intermittently since 1968 (N = 2030), this study assessed the effects of race and marital history on access to family-friendly employee benefits between 1978 and 1995. Accounting for such factors as work history, total number of employers for whom the respondent has worked, education level, and number of children, race was found to act as a suppressor variable. White women were found to work for more years for employers providing family-friendly benefits even though Black women worked for more years in full-time jobs. Results suggested that systematic biases relegated Black women to lower-paying full-time jobs without family-friendly benefits more so than was the case for White women. Policy implications regarding affirmative action are discussed. No relationship was found between marital history and access to jobs with family-friendly benefits when taking into account other sociodemographic and employment-related characteristics.
The Mythical and the Meaningless: Husserl and the Two Faces of Nature

In the course of his attempt to determine the idea of nature in Ideas II, Husserl encounters an apparent “vicious circle.”1 The initial approach to nature “as the object of the natural sciences” shows itself to be “in need of supplementation” (IV: 172/180) to account for a certain “surplus” (IV: 140/147) that exceeds the naturalistic consideration of the lived body. But then this supplement—the whole domain of “spirit” and the personalistic attitude—swallows up the naturalistic starting point, as nature and the lived body become “something constituted” (IV: 210/220). Are persons “component parts of nature,” then, “subordinated” to it, or does the very constitution of nature presuppose the non-natural realm of spirit? The whole structure of Husserl’s text is oriented toward demonstrating “The Ontological Priority of the Spiritual World Over the Naturalistic,” as the final chapter heading reads. But the very moment Husserl prepares to announce that priority, nature emerges once more as the “obscure depths, a root soil” of the spirit, spirit’s “lower life of feeling, the instinctual life,” its “natural side” (IV: 279/292), the “obscure underlying basis” by which it is “dependent on nature” (IV: 276/289). Here, then, the circle is neither abrogated nor resolved, but internalized: not into an absolute transcendental consciousness, but into a Janus-faced creature, the Body as “the point of conversion” from spirit to nature (IV: 285/299).
The use of indocyanine green angiography in postmastectomy reconstruction: Do outcomes improve over time?

Summary Background Indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) reduces ischemic complications by assessing mastectomy flap perfusion intraoperatively. However, outcomes of ICGA can be surgeon-dependent due to its relative novelty. We aimed to determine whether patient outcomes improved with the adoption of ICGA over time. Methods We conducted a single-institution retrospective study of mastectomy patients between March 2012 (date of ICGA introduction) and October 2016. We included patients who underwent immediate expander-based reconstruction with intraoperative ICGA, followed by second-stage permanent implant placement. Patients were chronologically sorted into 3 groups, of 45 patients each, based on the date of ICGA. Complications and reconstruction wait times (time between initial expander placement and subsequent final reconstruction) amongst the 3 groups were evaluated. Using the Cochran–Armitage test for trend, we tested the change in median adjusted expander fill volumes (expander fill volume in milliliter per gram of breast removed) over time. Results We identified 135 patients. Rates of ischemic complications significantly decreased (Group 1, 36%; Group 2, 22%; Group 3, 11%; p = 0.03), despite significantly increasing median adjusted expander fill volumes (Group 1, 0.46 mL/g; Group 2, 0.63 mL/g; Group 3, 0.76 mL/g; p = 0.003) over time. The rates of unexpected returns to the operating room across the 3 groups were not significantly different. The median reconstruction wait time was significantly reduced in the later groups (Group 1, 146 days; Group 2, 122 days; Group 3, 87 days; p = 0.01). Conclusions Outcomes for mastectomy with immediate expander-based reconstruction were found to improve with increasing case volume after implementation of ICGA.
Interruption of behavior, inescapable shock, and experimental neurosis: A neurophysiologic analysis

Experiments reported in the literature involving interruption of behavior and leading to symptoms of anxiety in conditioned rats are analyzed from the neurophysiologic point of view and compared with the effects of inescapable electric shocks in dogs. It is suggested that anxiety and neurotic behavior (failure to attempt to escape from shock) are accompanied by a state of high ergotropic excitation which leads to a “spilling over” of ergotropic discharges into the trophotropic system. The resulting simultaneous ergotropic and trophotropic discharges impinging on the cerebral cortex are thought to induce abnormal emotions and behavior. Normal behavior is restored by reducing excessive ergotropic activity and re-establishing reciprocal relations between the ergotropic and trophotropic systems.
Preparation of 2-Vinylcyclobutanones via m-Chloroperbenzoic Acid: Oxidation of Allylidenecyclopropanes.

The fused alkylidenecyclopropanes (I) react with MCPBA (II) to give the oxiranes (III) which are cleaved by m-chlorobenzoic acid (IV) also formed to produce the intermediate α-hydroxy carbocations (V).
Prospective and External Evaluation of a Machine Learning Model to Predict In-Hospital Mortality

The ability to accurately predict in-hospital mortality for patients at the time of admission could improve clinical and operational decision-making and outcomes. Few machine learning models have been developed to predict in-hospital death that are both broadly applicable to all adult patients across a health system and readily implementable, and, to the best of our knowledge, none have been implemented, evaluated prospectively, or externally validated. The primary objective of this study was to prospectively and externally validate a machine learning model that predicts in-hospital mortality for all adult patients at the time of hospital admission. Model performance was quantified using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and area under the precision recall curve (AUPRC). Secondary objectives were to design the model using commonly available EHR data and accessible computational methods. A total of 75,247 hospital admissions (median [IQR] age 59.5 [29.0] years; male [45.9%]) were included in the study. The in-hospital mortality rates for the training validation, retrospective validations at Hospitals A, B, and C, and prospective validation cohorts, respectively, were 3.0%, 2.7%, 1.8%, 2.1%, and 1.6%. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs), respectively, were 0.87 (0.83-0.89), 0.85 (0.83-0.87), 0.89 (0.86-0.92), 0.84 (0.80-0.89), and 0.86 (0.83-0.90). The area under the precision recall curves (AUPRCs), respectively, were 0.29 (0.25-0.37), 0.17 (0.13-0.22), 0.22 (0.14-0.31), 0.13 (0.08-0.21), and 0.14 (0.09-0.21). The results demonstrated accurate prediction of in-hospital mortality for adult patients at the time of admission. The data elements, methods, and patient selection make the model implementable at a system-level.
On the margins of friendship: Aggression in an elementary school peer group:

This article uses qualitative data from a larger study of two elementary schools in a rural city of about 15,000 people in the Midwestern United States. Here, I focus on a single peer group and tho...