cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Late-stage nodular erythema elevatum diutinum

Erythema elevatum diutinum (EED) is a rare chronic vasculitic process of unknown etiology that presents as bilateral, symmetrical, periarticular, red-brown papules and plaques, often over dorsa of joints. Early histologic changes are characterized by leukocytoclastic vasculitis. With chronicity, the lesions develop dense neutrophilic infiltrate and fibrosis. We describe an unusual case of late-stage nodular EED present for 35 years in a seronegative 75-year-old man. Asymptomatic papules and plaques measuring from 0.7 to 9.0 cm were seen over the interphalangeal joints, elbows, knees, and ankles. The histologic findings were characterized by predominant concentric fibrosis that formed well-circumscribed dermal and subcutaneous nodules. Awareness of this unusual presentation of EED helps to avoid misdiagnosis as cutaneous neoplasms.
Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VBScript)

Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VBScript) is important both as a language for the development of applications for the World Wide Web and as a scripting language for the Windows operating system itself. In the context of the Web, it is one of the most important scripting languages used for server-side applications. For client-side Web applications it is secondary to JavaScript and is limited to intranets relying exclusively on the Microsoft Internet Explorer Web browser. This chapter describes the history and use of VBScript through version 5.6. Essential elements of the language are summarized and its object-oriented programming aspects are briefly described. A few of its most important advanced features are then discussed. The chapter closes with an overview of the migration of VBScript applications to the new .NET framework. The bringing together of the previously distinct languages of Visual Basic, Visual Basic for Applications, and VBScript under Visual Basic.NET may in the future obviate the need for VBScript as a separate language. Keywords: .NET; client side applications; object-oriented programming; scripting language; server side applications; VBScript; Visual Basic
Analysis of fecal glucocorticoids in the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis).

Very little is known about the endocrinology of the baleen whales. The highly endangered North Atlantic right whale (NARW; Eubalaena glacialis) is a good model species, because most NARW individuals are photo-identiWed with known histories. We used an 125 I corticosterone assay, shown to reliably measure cortisol metabolites, to determine glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in 177 NARW fecal samples collected between 1999‐2004 in the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations varied signiWcantly with sex and reproductive category, being highest in pregnant females (mean §SE: 238.14 §74.37 ng/g) and mature males (71.6 §11.36), intermediate in lactating females (39.33 §5.82), and lower in non-reproducing females (23.11 §4.25) and immature males (34.33 §5.01) and females (14.0 §0.41). One case also suggests that glucocorticoids rise markedly in response to severe entanglement in Wshing lines. Whales with fecal glucocorticoid content over 100 ng/g (termed “high-cort” samples) were rare, and included most pregnant females, some mature males, a fatally entangled whale, and several very young animals. Glucocorticoid concentrations were highly correlated with androgen concentrations in males and pregnant females. We analyzed the elution proWles of glucocorticoid and androgen metabolites in 13 samples with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to determine the extent to which androgen metabolites cross-react with our glucocorticoid assay. Males, pregnant females, non-pregnant females, and “high-cort” whales each had distinctly diVerent immunoreactive HPLC proWles of glucocorticoid and androgen metabolites. A major glucocorticoid metabolite was prominent in all “high-cort” whales including the fatally entangled whale. The major fecal androgen was not testosterone but was instead a more nonpolar steroid (possibly dihydrotestosterone), which may be diagnostic of males. Androgen metabolites showed only minor cross-reactivity to our glucocorticoid assay, having a slight inXuence on glucocorticoid results in particular individuals. We conclude that fecal glucocorticoid analysis appears to be a useful measure of adrenal activity and reproductive condition for NARW. ! 2006 Published by Elsevier Inc.
Efficacy and safety of sildenafil added to treprostinil in pulmonary hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by abnormalities in endothelial and smooth muscle cell function. Prostacyclin released by endothelial cells is a potent vasodilator by increasing cyclic adenosine monophosphate. Sildenafil, an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase-5, increases cyclic guanosine monophosphate in the lungs, producing vasodilation. To test for a therapeutic benefit of the combination of a prostacyclin analogue, subcutaneous treprostinil, and sildenafil, a proof-of-concept, open-label investigational trial was initiated. Subjects with PAH in World Health Organization (WHO) functional classes II to IV receiving subcutaneous treprostinil for ≥6 months were evaluated with an exercise treadmill test using the Naughton-Balke protocol at baseline and after 12 weeks. Sildenafil 50 mg 3 times daily was added to the treprostinil. Mean treadmill times in seconds were compared before and after 12 weeks of therapy. Nine subjects enrolled in the trial; 7 were women (mean age 35 years). At baseline, 3 subjects were in WHO functional class II and 6 subjects were in WHO functional class III. The mean treadmill time at baseline was 465 ± 167 seconds and at 12 weeks was 656 ± 205 seconds (42% improvement, p = 0.049). All patients had symptomatic improvement. In conclusion, this pilot study of subcutaneous treprostinil with sildenafil for PAH suggests additive beneficial effects.
Paradoxical Effects of Epinephrine on Excitation-Contraction Coupling in Cardiac Muscle

The possibility that the inotropic action of epinephrine might be mediated through an effect on the excitation-contraction coupling process was explored, using techniques for measurement of isometric tension, together, in some experiments, with recording of the transmembrane potential time course from short lengths of cat papillary muscle. Four observations relevant to this question, have been made: (1) Extracellular calcium concentration can be raised and extracellular sodium concentration lowered to a point at which contraction cannot be further augmented by the addition of epinephrine. (2) The early relaxation induced by epinephrine occurs well in advance of membrane repolarization. This effect is antagonized by increasing calcium concentration, although the action of epinephrine in augmenting developed tension appears to be synergistic with that of calciumion. (3) The length-tension relationship is undiminished in the calcium-rich (8.1 mmoles /liter), sodium-poor (75 mEq/liter) medium. (4) Epinephrine, in a dose (1 to 2 µg/ml) which markedly augments twitch tension, profoundly decreases tension developed by the same preparation during a potassium chloride contracture; this is the case for both the frog ventricle strip and the cat papillary muscle. A preliminary concept of the ionic mechanism of excitation-contraction coupling, compatible with these facts and with some others, is described.
Femtosecond transient absorption dynamics of close-packed gold nanocrystal monolayer arrays.

Abstract Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy is used to investigate hot electron dynamics of close-packed 6 nm gold nanocrystal monolayers. Morphology changes of the monolayer caused by the laser pump pulse are monitored by transmission electron microscopy. At low pump power, the monolayer maintains its structural integrity. Hot electrons induced by the pump pulse decay through electron–phonon (e–ph) coupling inside the nanocrystals with a decay constant that is similar to the value for bulk films. At high pump power, irreversible particle aggregation and sintering occur in the nanocrystal monolayer, which cause damping and peak shifting of the transient bleach signal.
Shelterin complex and associated factors at human telomeres

The processes regulating telomere function have major impacts on fundamental issues in human cancer biology. First, active telomere maintenance is almost always required for full oncogenic transformation of human cells, through cellular immortalization by endowment of an infinite replicative potential. Second, the attrition that telomeres undergo upon replication is responsible for the finite replicative life span of cells in culture, a process called senescence, which is of paramount importance for tumor suppression in vivo. The process of telomere-based senescence is intimately coupled to the induction of a DNA damage response emanating from telomeres, which can be elicited by both the ATM and ATR dependent pathways. At telomeres, the shelterin complex is constituted by a group of six proteins which assembles quantitatively along the telomere tract, and imparts both telomere maintenance and telomere protection. Shelterin is known to regulate the action of telomerase, and to prevent inappropriate DNA dam...
Pion-nucleon phase-shift analyses: 0-350 MeV

Energy-dependent and energy-independent partial-wave analyses of the low-energy ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}p$ elastic and charge-exchange scattering data are presented. Unique, unitary, energy-dependent solutions giving a $\frac{{\ensuremath{\chi}}^{2}}{\mathrm{datum}}$ of 1 are obtained. The solutions exhibit charge splitting in both the ${S}_{31}$ and ${P}_{33}$ partial waves. The $T$-matrix pole positions and residues of the ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}^{++}$ and ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}^{0}$ resonances are determined to a new precision. $D$ and $F$ waves are well determined independent of theoretical constraints. New values for the $S$- and $P$-wave scattering lengths and effective ranges are reported.
Drafting New York Civil-Litigation Documents: Part II - The Complaint

This article, the second in a series, discusses how to draft a complaint under New York law. Much of the advice in the article applies to all litigation drafting, regardless of the jurisdiction.
Caring for the Dead Ritually in Cambodia

Buddhist conceptions of the after-life, and prescribed rites in relation to the dead, were modified adaptations of brahmanical patterns of religious culture in ancient India. In this article, I demonstrate how Buddhist conceptions, rites and dispositions have been sustained and transformed in a contemporary annual ritual of rising importance in Cambodia, pchum ben. I analyze phcum ben to determine its fundamental importance to the sustenance and coherence of the Khmer family and national identity. Pchum ben is a 15-day ritual celebrated toward the end of the three-month monastic rain retreat season each year. During these 15 days, Buddhist laity attend ritually to the dead, providing special care for their immediately departed kin and other more recently deceased ancestors. The basic aim of pchum ben inolves making a successful transaction of karma transfer to one’s dead kin, in order to help assuage their experiences of suffering. The proximate catalyst for pchum ben’s current popularity is recent social and political history in Southeast Asia, especially the traumatic events that occurred nationally in Cambodia during the early 1970s through the 1980s when the country experienced a series of convulsions. Transformations in religious culture often stand in reflexive relationship to social and political change.
Evaluating tablet computers as a survey tool in rural communities.

Purpose Although tablet computers offer advantages in data collection over traditional paper-and-pencil methods, little research has examined whether the 2 formats yield similar responses, especially with underserved populations. We compared the 2 survey formats and tested whether participants’ responses to common health questionnaires or perceptions of usability differed by survey format. We also tested whether we could replicate established paper-and-pencil findings via tablet computer.
An Overview of Explosion-Proof Enclosure Research

This paper presents an overview of explosion-proof enclosure research currently being conducted by the Bureau of Mines. It emphasizes the increasing importance of research related to the safety considerations of explosion-proof (XP) enclosures used in underground coal mines. Selected topics are included that summarize results of research in the areas of electrical clearances, reliability of enclosures with windows, safety factors in XP enclosures, potting materials, performance tests for XP enclosures, high-voltage explosion protection techniques and innovative XP devices.
The Violent Pilgrimage: Christians, Muslims and Holy Conflicts, 850–1150

In The Violent Pilgrimage – a descriptive reference to the First and Second Crusades – Tim Rayborn attempts to trace the development of various Christian postures towards non-Christian communities ...
On the Dynamics of a Storm Track

Abstract An idealized primitive equation model is used to determine the factors controlling the dynamics and maintenance of eddy activity in a storm track. The results show that localized regions of enhanced baroclinicity do not necessarily lead to localization of eddy activity. By studying the energetics of the storm track, it is shown that while baroclinic conversion does indeed correlate with the region of maximum baroclinicity, it is the downstream radiation of energy through the ageostrophic geopotential fluxes which acts as a trigger for the development and maintenance of eddy activity over less baroclinic regions, extending the region of eddy activity much further downstream from the region of high baroclinicity. Examples of eddy life cycles are given that show that convergence and divergence of ageostrophic fluxes can dominate baroclinic and barotropic conversion, especially in regions with weak baroclinicity. Factors that may limit the zonal extent of a storm track are discussed. Evidence of down...
A Commons Exchange: Aiding the Commons through Facilitating Website and Digital Art Adoption

Much cultural commentary focuses on the problem that private or potentially embarrassing information on the Internet seems to live forever. But recently a new anxiety has developed, based on the fact that parts of the Internet simply die off. Ultimately all digital cultural creation that is not hosted by an established institution, and even much institutional material, will stagnate or be lost if possession of such work is not passed on to an enthusiastic new owner. Ventures like Internet Archive attempt to preserve the remains of the Internet gone by, but there is no entity that seeks to breathe new life into websites that would otherwise disappear, by helping to transition their ownership. A legal and technological mechanism is needed to maneuver around the intellectual property rights regime that hinders the free flow and evolution of artwork. This paper proposes a new idea to bolster the commons and increase the dissemination of cultural creation: a commons exchange that facilitates contacts between those who are looking to hand off a project and those who are willing to take one up, so artists and website owners can protect and carry on the legacies of established works. In essence, the Internet needs an adoption agency for digital cultural creation.
Intracellular and Extracellular Expression of Bacillus thuringiensis Crystal Protein Cry5B in Lactococcus lactis for Use as an Anthelminthic

The Bacillus thuringiensis crystal (Cry) protein Cry5B (140 kDa) and a truncated version of the protein, tCry5B (79 kDa), are lethal to nematodes. Genes encoding the two proteins were separately cloned into a high-copy-number vector with a strong constitutive promoter (pTRK593) in Lactococcus lactis for potential oral delivery against parasitic nematode infections. Western blots using a Cry5B-specific antibody revealed that constitutively expressed Cry5B and tCry5B were present in both cells and supernatants. To increase production, cry5B was cloned into the high-copy-number plasmid pMSP3535H3, carrying a nisin-inducible promoter. Immunoblotting revealed that 3 h after nisin induction, intracellular Cry5B was strongly induced at 200 ng/ml nisin, without adversely affecting cell viability or cell membrane integrity. Both Cry5B genes were also cloned into plasmid pTRK1061, carrying a promoter and encoding a transcriptional activator that invoke low-level expression of prophage holin and lysin genes in Lactococcus lysogens, resulting in a leaky phenotype. Cry5B and tCry5B were actively expressed in the lysogenic strain L. lactis KP1 and released into cell supernatants without affecting culture growth. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays indicated that Cry5B, but not LDH, leaked from the bacteria. Lastly, using intracellular lysates from L. lactis cultures expressing both Cry5B and tCry5B, in vivo challenges of Caenorhabditis elegans worms demonstrated that the Cry proteins were biologically active. Taken together, these results indicate that active Cry5B proteins can be expressed intracellularly in and released extracellularly from L. lactis, showing potential for future use as an anthelminthic that could be delivered orally in a food-grade microbe.
Takeover! 1997 (B): The Raider: Continental Finance Corporation

The B case, part of a series of cases that simulate a hostile-takeover attempt involving four companies in January 1997 (see also the A [UVA-F-1170], C [UVA-F-1172], and D [UVA-F-1173] cases), focuses on the raider company, which has a history of hostile action, usually profiting from greenmail or the bust-up liquidation of the unfortunate target. The exercise organizes students into teams representing the four companies, and each team must negotiate an outcome that is most advantageous to its firm. The parties are motivated to act because the expiration of the raider's tender offer will occur soon, and if there is no higher offer outstanding, the arbitrageurs will tender their shares and the raider will tender its control. All parties know that the target company's board of directors is meeting in a few hours to settle on a course of action. This exercise is ideally suited to (1) hone students' valuation and negotiation skills, (2) train students in the unusual dynamics of hostile takeovers, and (3) develop an understanding of some fundamental points of corporate governance, including the responsibilities of a board of directors and the agency problems that can arise when managers' jobs are threatened.
Soda Consumption is Associated with Risk-Taking Behaviors in Adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: Soda consumption is on the rise among children and adolescents. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that increased soda consumption predicts risk-taking behavior among high school students. METHODS: To test this hypothesis, we used data from the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System to compare the odds of engaging in a series of risk-taking behaviors among students who reported no soda consumption, occasional soda consumption (1 - 6 times per week), and daily soda consumption (≥ 7 times per week). RESULTS: Daily soda consumption was associated with increased odds of engaging in 90% of the risk behaviors analyzed. In addition, there were sex differences in the magnitude of the relationships for many of these behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that in addition to increased risk of obesity, dental caries, and reduced sleep quality, soda consumption is associated with increased risk-taking behavior. Language: en
Abstract 1655: The ubiquitin protease UBP43 is a target for lung cancer therapy and prevention

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality for women and men in the United States. Given this, there is a need to find new targets to combat lung cancer. This study explores the E1-like ubiquitin-activating enzyme (UBE1L) that associates with the interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15), which complexes with cyclin D1 and other specific proteins. The ubiquitin protease UBP43 removes ISG15 from conjugated proteins. The UBE1L-ISG15-UBP43 pathway was previously proposed to inhibit lung carcinogenesis by repressing cyclin D1 expression. Our prior work is extended here by reporting that UBP43 is enzymatically active in cells. Also, gain of UBP43 expression specifically stabilizes cyclin D1 while UBP43 knock-down destabilizes cyclin D1, but not cyclin E or other D-type cyclins. This occurs by regulating ISG15 complexes with cyclin D1. UBP43 effects on cyclin D1 were not antagonized by cycloheximide treatment. Whether the deconjugase UBP43 was a lung cancer target was independently addressed through engineered gain and loss of UBP43 expression in lung cancer cells. UBP43 knock-down triggered apoptosis in these cells. In contrast, UBP43 over-expression promoted lung cancer cell growth by inhibiting apoptosis. That cyclin D1 plays a key role in conferring these effects was shown by engineered loss of UBP43 along with forced cyclin D1 expression. Cyclin D1 antagonized effects of loss of UBP43. Engineered UBP43 knock-down in lung cancer cells significantly increased apoptosis (P < 0.05), reduced growth (P < 0.05) and inhibited lung cancer formation (P < 0.05) in FVB mice injected via tail veins with syngeneic lung cancer cells. In marked contrast, forced UBP43 over-expression in lung cancer cells antagonized the effects of interferon, cisplatin and all-trans-retinoic acid, indicating that UBP43 can regulate response to anti-neoplastic agents. To ascertain the clinical impact of this pathway, a paired normal-malignant human lung tissue array from 74 cases was examined for immunohistochemical expression profiles of UBP43 and cyclin D1 proteins. Notably, UBP43 was significantly increased in the malignant as compared to the adjacent normal lung tissues (P = 0.04 for adenocarcinoma and P = 0.02 for squamous cell carcinoma). Intriguingly, a direct relationship was found between UBP43 and cyclin D1, validating clinical relevance. Thus, UBP43 knock-down appears to exert its anti-neoplastic effects by destabilizing cyclin D1. Taken together, these findings establish that the deconjugase UBP43 is a tractable target for lung cancer therapy and prevention. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1655. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1655
Fasting Blood Sugar in Rats

It was found that the blood sugar during fasting falls more rapidly in women than in men.1The study has been continued on rats. The animals were divided into 3 groups; the first group was fasted 12 hours, the second, 24 hours, and the third, 42 hours. Water was allowed during the fast. At the close of the fasting period, the rats were decapitated, and the blood sugar determined in duplicate by the Shaffer-Somogyi method.The values found are shown in Table I.The total fall for the female rats was 27.8%; of this 67% occurred between 12 and 24 hours; the total fall for the male rats was 20.9%; of this, 59% occurred between 12 and 24 hours.These results agree with those found in men and women in that the blood sugar falls more rapidly in females during fasting.
Nonenzymatic glycosylation of protein does not increase with age in normal human lenses.

Nonenzymatic glycosylation or glycation is a posttranslational modification of proteins which has been implicated in the aging of lens proteins and the development of senile and diabetic cataracts. The extent of glycation of normal human lens proteins was measured by reduction of the protein with [3H]NaBH4, acid hydrolysis and quantitation of radioactive hexitol-amino acids by phenylboronic acid (PBA) affinity chromatography. Hexitollysine (HL) accounted for greater than or equal to 90% of total radioactivity recovered as hexitol-amino acids (HAA). In lenses in the age range (1-79) years (n = 26) there was no significant age-dependent increase in glycation of lens proteins (p greater than .10). The average extent of glycation was 2.3 +/- 0.3 mmol glycated lysine/mol lysine, or approximately 0.8 nmol hexitollysine/mg lens protein. These results indicate that the extent of glycation of lysine residues in lens proteins is comparable to that of lysine residues in soluble proteins, such as hemoglobin and albumin, and that the extent of glycation of lens proteins does not increase with age. Thus, glycation, per se, is not an age-dependent chemical modification of human lens protein.
Evaluating the Impact of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) Perspective in Social Work Curriculum

AbstractA trauma-informed care (TIC) curriculum was integrated into a school of social work master’s level program. Measures assessed the impact of the curriculum on first and advanced-year students’ knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention at the beginning and end of a semester. Initial comparisons show advanced-year students as having more knowledge about TIC, more positive attitudes toward TIC, higher levels of self-efficacy to use TIC approaches, and greater likelihood to engage in TIC behaviors than first-year students. However, by the end of the semester, the latter were equivalent with advanced students on all measures. Results suggest the first-year curriculum provides sufficient background in TIC approaches to allow for significant gains across all areas assessed. However, integration of the TIC perspective within advanced courses needs further assessment.
Entering Another Culture

In 1997 I traveled to the Aleut community of King Cove, Alaska, where the Aleutian Island Chain begins. A student of mine from my early years of teaching had taken a job there and married an Aleut man. By the time I arrived in that port of clear waters, she was the mother of two children, and after I’d been there for a week interviewing King Cove teachers and enjoying what they were doing, I could see why she made King Cove her home. On the weekends, I was immersed in the lively life of the village. The crews of the fishing fleet were preparing for the salmon season and waiting until the time was just right to head to sea. In just one day I had gone clamming with a favorite family uncle; seen sea lions in the harbor when visiting the family boat that was preparing to get underway; seen the postcard view of the mother seal, with baby on belly, eating shell fish in a lagoon; and been to the dump in the family vehicle, seeing ravens and eagles sitting on fence posts while bears recycled the garbage. When back at the house, an aunt called up to tell me to look into the cove so I could see the whale she had spotted breeching a few moments before. I missed the whale, but I was in awe with the place that the Aleut family loved, and I felt welcome in that research site.
Cardiac myocyte exosome isolation

Exosomes are cell-derived small extracellular membrane vesicles (50-100 nm in diameter) actively secreted by a number of healthy and diseased cell types. Exosomes can mediate cellular, tissue, and organ level micro communication under normal and pathological conditions by shuttling proteins, mRNA, and microRNAs. Prior to vesicle molecular profiling, these exosomes can be isolated from conditioned cell media or bodily fluids such as urine and plasma in order to explore the contents and functional relevance. Exosome purification and analyses are a fast-growing research field. Regardless of several advances in exosome purification and analyses methods, research still faces several challenges. Despite tremendous interest in the role of extracellular vesicles, there is no general agreement on dependable isolation protocols. Therefore, there is an urgent need to establish reliable protocol of exosome purification and analysis. Here, we report a simple cost-effective isolation and analysis of cardiac myocyte exosomes from conditioned media.
Making faith: treaty practices amongst ancient peoples

This chapter continues the previous discussion of the ancient world's engagement with the ideas of community, tolerance, and trust, the basic prerequisites for the development of international law. The focus shifts away from ancient civilizations' treatment of individual foreigners, whether they be visiting merchants, resident aliens, or honored guests and emissaries. Instead, the goal now is to explore the ways that ancient peoples pledged their troth in international relations. The emphasis here must be on the formal methods and structures of ancient treaty-making, the nature and sources of international legal obligation (partly manifested in international agreements) having already been considered earlier in this study. This chapter will examine the forms of treaties in antiquity, their substantive terms and conditions, as well as consider the procedures by which they were concluded, altered, and terminated. Beginnings of the ancient treaty tradition in the Near East General suppositions and the earliest texts Much historiographic attention has been directed to examining the structure and forms of ancient Near Eastern international agreements. The bulk of this literature was inspired by parallels between biblical texts and the extant records of Egyptian and Hittite international transactions. As a result of this investigation, the contours of which will be reviewed here, some scholars have suggested that there is an essential unity in “the ancient oriental treaty pattern.”
III. The Value of Football

(1917). III. The Value of Football. American Physical Education Review: Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 138-142.
Implementing lung cancer screening: the US experience

The reduced lung cancer mortality observed with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening in the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) has led to annual screening in the United States as a covered benefit by both private insurers and the federal health insurance programme, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Reimbursement for screening requires data submission to a federal registry on all individuals, whether privately or federally insured. Data must document individual patient eligibility as well as shared decision-making regarding the benefits and risks of LDCT screening, smoking cessation counselling, and the importance of annual screening. Beyond these requirements lie opportunities to maximise the benefits of screening in the radiology setting. Individuals eligible for screening account for a minority of those diagnosed with lung cancer in the US; the evidence needed to improve patient selection must be collected systematically for both screen-detected and incidentally detected lung nodules. Current nodule management and tracking guidelines reduce the false-positive rates observed in the NLST, but fall short in their ability to correctly classify nodules as benign or malignant. Smoking cessation is inadequately managed in most busy clinician practices. As a common nidus for tobacco-associated lung diseases, imagers are uniquely poised to collect the longitudinal data to better inform screening eligibility and to improve indeterminate nodule management, while maximising the setting of screening to motivate and provide smoking cessation. By re-engineering the notion of imaging practice, radiologists can be major contributors to lung cancer early detection and mortality reduction.
Assessment of Healthy Food Availability in Washington State-Questioning the Food Desert Paradigm

Abstract Objective To assess the geographic distribution of healthy food retailers in Washington State and estimate the number of Washington State residents with restricted availability of healthy food. Methods Street network service areas were drawn around Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infant, and Children retailers for multiple drive times and walking distances in urban and rural Washington State. Population characteristics inside and outside each service area were examined. Results Nearly all Washington State residents in urban areas lived within a 10-minute drive of a Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infant, and Children retailer. Among rural residents, 4.6% were in census blocks outside a 20-minute drive, but the populations were dispersed. Differential access related to income was attributable to a lack of transportation. Conclusions and Implications Disparities in nutrition described in the published literature may not be due to the geographic distribution of healthy food retailers. Programs for improving nutrition should consider broader interventions to increase access to healthy food.
The Integrated Well-Child Visit: Behavioral Health Treatment Engagement in Pediatric Primary Care

Prevention of behavioral health problems is integral to promoting worldwide health. Alarmingly, many behavioral health problems occur early in life, significantly disrupting normal developmental processes. Most people that require intervention never engage in care and symptoms worsen over time. This chapter articulates a viable solution—integration of behavioral health prevention and treatment into primary care well-child health maintenance visits. Readers are provided with an empirically based argument for this novel practice as well as a formulation of how this approach may improve lifetime treatment engagement.
Choosing to Lead: The Motivational Factors of Underrepresented Minority Librarians in Higher Education . Ed. Antonia P. Olivas. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2017. 151p. Paper, $38.00 (ISBN 978-083898887-9).

Surveys of academic librarians completed by ALA and ARL have found that, while there are more people of color who have entered the profession in the past 20 years, there is still a gap in representation at the managerial level, and especially in upper management (vi–viii). They have also found that many library directors and upper managers are bound for retirement. While many people have called this looming crisis in librarianship (“the graying of the profession”) a myth, it does make for a good premise for this book: now is the time to think about how to fill some of those vacant leadership roles with librarians from diverse backgrounds.
The Language of Place: Semantic Value from Geospatial Context.

There is a relationship between what we say and where we say it. Word embeddings are usually trained assuming that semantically-similar words occur within the same textual contexts. We investigate the extent to which semantically-similar words occur within the same geospatial contexts. We enrich a corpus of geolocated Twitter posts with physical data derived from Google Places and OpenStreetMap, and train word embeddings using the resulting geospatial contexts. Intrinsic evaluation of the resulting vectors shows that geographic context alone does provide useful information about semantic relatedness.
Moderate Aerobic Exercise, T'ai Chi, and Social Problem-Solving Ability in Relation to Psychological Stress

This study evaluated the importance of exercise mode, social problem-solving ability, gender, and age in relation to anxiety and perceived daily hassles. Adult participants were classified as moderate aerobic exercisers, T'ai Chi exercisers, or sedentary via completion of a questionnaire. Social problem-solving ability, state and trait anxiety, and frequency and severity of daily hassles were measured. As predicted, scores indicating effective social problem-solving ability were associated with fewer reported severe daily hassles and with lower scores on state and trait anxiety. For state and trait anxiety, a main effect of exercise mode emerged after age and gender were controlled. A 3-way interaction involving age, gender, and exercise mode suggested that age and gender moderate the effects of exercise on anxiety, that is, the stress-reducing efficacy of different exercise modes may be dependent on a person's age and/or gender. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed.
Precision timing photon detectors using Cadmium-Telluride sensors

Precision timing properties of high energy physics detectors in high luminosity colliders has become an important requirement for the success of particle detection, of which new calorimeter with timing precision of few tens of ps is the main interest. In this paper, we presented the first calorimetry and timing performance measurement of Cadmium-Telluride (CdTe) as the active material of sampling calorimeter, using 2 GeV to 200 GeV electron beam from CERN beam lines. A good energy performance is achieved due to the better sensitivity of CdTe to X ray photons in the secondary shower than other semi-conducting sensors such as silicon. The timing resolution of the tested CdTe sensor is measured to be down to 21 ps under the best conditions.
Toward a Taxonomy of Food Supply Chain Security Practices

Supply chain security (SCS) breaches in the food supply chains are distressing respective firms across the globe. They also have the potential of inflicting pain on the society at large. Despite the abundance of practices that have been advocated to cope with SCS breaches, the literature lacks a conceptual taxonomy to organize them. Classifying practices into respective taxa can advance theory building and stimulate the testing of substantive hypotheses. Toward this end, we develop a taxonomy which conceptually rests on the human immune system and its attempts to protect the human body from pathogens. We deploy a metaphorical transfer process and postulate that SCS practices can be classified into four classes based on their intent: prevention, detection, reaction, and restoration. We then discuss the implications of the taxonomy and assert that our taxonomy can be exploited to a variety of domains in the realm of risk management.
Educational and Criminal Justice Outcomes 12 Years After School Suspension

A third of U.S. students are suspended over a K-12 school career. Suspended youth have worse adult outcomes than nonsuspended students, but these outcomes could be due to selection bias: that is, s...
EFF-1 fusogen promotes phagosome sealing during cell process clearance in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Phagocytosis of dying cells is critical in development and immunity1-3. Although proteins for recognition and engulfment of cellular debris following cell death are known4,5, proteins that directly mediate phagosome sealing are uncharacterized. Furthermore, whether all phagocytic targets are cleared using the same machinery is unclear. Degeneration of morphologically complex cells, such as neurons, glia and melanocytes, produces phagocytic targets of various shapes and sizes located in different microenvironments6,7. Thus, such cells offer unique settings to explore engulfment programme mechanisms and specificity. Here, we report that dismantling and clearance of a morphologically complex Caenorhabditis elegans epithelial cell requires separate cell soma, proximal and distal process programmes. Similar compartment-specific events govern the elimination of a C. elegans neuron. Although canonical engulfment proteins drive cell soma clearance, these are not required for process removal. We find that EFF-1, a protein previously implicated in cell-cell fusion 8 , specifically promotes distal process phagocytosis. EFF-1 localizes to phagocyte pseudopod tips and acts exoplasmically to drive phagosome sealing. eff-1 mutations result in phagocytosis arrest with unsealed phagosomes. Our studies suggest universal mechanisms for dismantling morphologically complex cells and uncover a phagosome-sealing component that promotes cell process clearance.
The fate of the bone graft in cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea endoscopic repair for idiopathic intracranial hypertension: a retrospective case series analysis.

Introduction Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a common cause of spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks necessitating surgical intervention, and grafting of septal, mastoid, or turbinate bone over the defect is increasingly performed to strengthen the repair of the primary defect. However, the postoperative fate of these grafted bone fragments is largely unknown. Methodology We performed a retrospective study of patients at the University of Pennsylvania undergoing repair of spontaneous CSF leaks secondary to IIH. Preoperative and postoperative CTs were analyzed to determine the integration status of the transplanted bone. Results Fourteen patients with IIH and spontaneous CSF leak were analyzed, with a mean postoperative imaging follow-up period of four years. Thirteen patients (93%) had bone present on CT imaging, with 11 of these patients displaying evidence of bone integration. Two patients (14%) had a recurrent CSF leak in the same area, including the patient with absence of bone on imaging follow-up. Conclusions Bone grafts frequently incorporate when used for repair of spontaneous CSF leaks associated with IIH. The rate of incorporation is comparable to bone grafts used for other etiologies of CSF leak, despite the increased pressure on the repair site. Any rigid repair of the leak site should likely be accompanied by treatment of the underlying intracranial hypertension to avoid leak recurrence.
Engineering the field enhancement factor and work function toward ultra-low threshold field electron emitter

This paper presents the experimental demonstration of control over field enhancement factor and work function of the hybrid field emitter to reduce the threshold field required for electron emission. The field enhancement is engineered through microfabrication of the underlying silicon wafers, and the work function is controlled by the transfer and deposition of monolayer graphene and low work function lanthanum hexaboride (LaB 6 ) nanoparticles. As a result, the threshold field, defined as the electric field required for 10 μΑ/cm2 of emission current density achieved as small as 2.6 V/μm. We also carry out photoemission spectroscopy (PES) to measure the effective work function of our emitters as 3.62eV, significantly lower than work function of the graphene. The measured work function allows us independent extraction of the field enhancement factor of underlying silicon tip array from Fowler-Nordheim (FN) analysis of the experimental I-E curves. Through these measurements and work function characterization, we show that the work function and field enhancement factor can be independently controlled, potentially enabling ultra-low turn on, uniform, and stable emitters.
Adsorption of Viruses by Diatomaceous Earth Coated with Metallic Oxides and Metallic Peroxides

Diatomaceous earth coated with oxides of aluminium, calcium, iron, magnesium, or manganese were not found to be useful for recovering viruses from water. The oxide coatings were not stable in water or only adsorbed viruses in small volumes of water. Further modification of coatings of magnesium oxide to make magnesium peroxide produced a modified diatomaceous earth that efficiently adsorbed viruses in water. Filters containing 3.5 g of diatomaceous earth adsorbed an average of greater than 90% of MS2, polio 1, coxsackie B5, and echo 5 in tapwater at approximately pH 8.5, even after 100 liters of tapwater had passed through the filters. From 15 to 40% of MS2 or enteroviruses could be recovered from tapwater using filters containing diatomaceous earth coated with magnesium peroxide.
Abstract 2376: Elevated Protein Z as a Risk Factor for Unexplained Cerebral Infarction: The THrombophilia In Cryptogenic stroKe (THICK) Study

Background: Protein Z (PZ) is a vitamin K-dependent plasma protein that exhibits both pro-and anticoagulant properties. There are conflicting data as to the role of PZ in cerebrovascular disease, with some studies showing a relation between high PZ levels and ischemic stroke, others highlighting an association for reduced PZ, and still others finding no relation. Methods: We evaluated PZ in an ongoing prospective case-control study of prothrombotic risk factors for cryptogenic stroke in subjects ages 18 to 64. Cases consisted of patients referred to Weill-Cornell Medical Center (09/2002 – 05/2007) for evaluation of cerebral infarction in whom a probable stroke etiology could not be assigned despite neuroimaging and transesophageal echocardiography. The classification of cryptogenic stroke was based on modified TOAST criteria. Controls included stroke-free volunteers recruited from the area. PZ was measured, >2 months post-stroke in cases, using a commercial immunoassay. Results: PZ level was available in 156 cases and 165 controls. Participants were similar in age [44 (24 – 64) vs. 42 (19 – 64)], gender (49 vs. 56% women) and race-ethnic distribution (15 vs. 13% black, 17 vs. 21% Hispanic), but cases were more frequently hypertensive (24 vs. 13%) than controls, and more often had a family history (27 vs. 18%), and personal history of stroke (5 vs. 0%) or coronary disease (2 vs. 0%). There was no difference in PZ level between cases and controls (1.85±0.8 vs. 1.80±0.6 μg/ml, P=.52). There were also no significant differences in prevalence of low or high PZ levels as defined by cutpoints at the 5 th , 10 th or 90 th percentiles. At the 95 th percentile (>2.70 μg/ml), however, significantly more cases than controls had a high PZ (12.8 vs. 4.2%, P=.006). After adjustment for clinical covariates, this association remained significant (OR=3.61, 95% CI=1.44 –9.04), and did not change when cases with prior stroke were excluded. Conclusions: In this study of younger adults, PZ elevation, but not deficiency, was strongly and independently associated with cryptogenic stroke. Further research is necessary to determine whether this relationship has a causal basis, and to explore the role of PZ as a potential screening and therapeutic target in cerebral ischemia.
Inverse Optimal Control with Regular Language Specifications

Given a description of system dynamics, input constraints, and a cost function, the problem of optimal control is to find a sequence of inputs and a state trajectory that minimizes the total cost. A related problem posed by Kalman in the 1960s, called the inverse problem of optimal control, is to determine the objective function given optimal inputs and state trajectories. In this work, we pose the inverse problem of optimal control under temporal behavior specifications. In our setting, we are given demonstrations of optimal trajectories of a finite transition system, which may come from an expert, simulation, or some other process. In addition to these demonstrations, we are also given extra side information that optimal trajectories must satisfy temporal behavior constraints, expressed as an automaton over the state labels. We explore the value of this temporal side information in imputing an approximately optimal policy from finitely many demonstrations, and give a gridworld example with an eye toward extending the framework to hybrid systems with continuous states.