cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hard and Soft Networks for Urban Competitiveness

The concept of competitiveness has grown significantly and it is now common for cities, regions and nations to assess, improve and publicise their competitive standing vis-a-vis other places. Yet it remains rather unclear just what competitiveness is when applied to places, which have objectives distinct from those of private-sector organisations, for whom share price and profitability serve as common metrics. The blurring of the responsibilities of the public and private sectors also complicates matters, with the former making increasing use of the terminology and priorities of business. This paper takes the view that both public and private sectors-and their interactions—are sustained by networks. To be effective, these networks must operate at the global, national, regional and local scales, gathering knowledge via social interaction—that is, through 'soft' networks. To a growing degree, competitive networking also demands technological capability, whether in high-tech sectors, `smokestack' industries ...
Breast cancer detection by time reversal imaging

This paper examines a time reversal beamforming imager for detecting early stage breast cancer tumors. We use numerical simulations and electromagnetic tissue experiments to validate the imager. Microwave radiation is known to be a potential diagnostic imaging tool for breast cancer detection that could complement the standard X-ray mammography. Electromagnetic radiation waves undergo multiple scattering due to the inhomogeneities of biological tissues. In this paper, we demonstrate that our proposed time reversal imager exploits successfully the multiple path electromagnetic scattering to achieve higher resolution and robustness than the direct subtraction beamforming imager.
Tolerance to Cyclosporin A-Induced Autologous Graft-Versus-Host Disease Is Mediated by a CD4+CD25+ Subset of Recent Thymic Emigrants

Our previous studies revealed that both the autoeffector and immunoregulatory T cells in cyclosporin A (CSA)-induced autologous graft-vs-host disease are recent thymic emigrants (RTEs). The autoeffector cells appear in and are released from the thymus during the first week of CSA treatment, whereas the immunoregulatory thymocytes appear during the second week but are not released until several days after cessation of CSA treatment. In the present study, the antigenic phenotypes of these functional T cell subsets were determined by immunomagnetic separation and flow immunocytometric analysis. During CSA wk 1, the autoeffector T cells in both the thymus and lymph node (LN) expressed a CD4+8+ double-positive (DP) phenotype, after which those in the LN became CD8 single positive (SP). Timed thymectomy experiments confirmed that the CD8-SP autoeffector T cells in LN originated from these DP RTEs. During CSA wk 2, the immunoregulatory thymocytes also displayed a DP phenotype. However, they were not exported to the periphery until several days after CSA treatment had been interrupted and they had acquired a CD4-SP phenotype. In LN, these immunoregulatory RTEs expressed the CD25+ marker characteristic of anergic/suppressor T cells. Cell separation and mixing experiments demonstrated that the autoeffector T cells persist in LN after cessation of CSA treatment, but their activity is not detectable in the presence of recently exported CD4+ T cells. Hence, the results indicate that tolerance to CSA-induced autologous graft-vs-host disease is actively mediated by CD25+CD4+ RTEs that suppress the function of CD8 autoeffector T cells.
Legislation affecting governmental assistance for children of parents with substance use: a policy analysis of social justice.

There is legislation that withdraws governmental assistance where parents are using drugs. Social justice is an important consideration in any policy that modifies governmental assistance that benefits vulnerable children. The purpose of this policy analysis is to analyze identified legislation that effect governmental assistance for children in response to parents’ substance misuse. A selective review of data-driven studies examined findings describing actual or potential effects on children of legislation targeting parental substance misuse. Challenges in design, processes, and implementation contribute to poor child outcomes. Identifiable constructs of social justice were missing in the reviewed legislation. Social injustice is a potential outcome for children when legislative intent focuses solely on addressing parental drug behaviors. Legislative alternatives to withdrawing support can address substance abuse while maintaining health promotion for these vulnerable children.
Lithium Polysulfidophosphates: A Family of Lithium-Conducting Sulfur-Rich Compounds for Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Given the great potential for improving the energy density of state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries by a factor of 5, a breakthrough in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries will have a dramatic impact in a broad scope of energy related fields. Conventional Li-S batteries that use liquid electrolytes are intrinsically short-lived with low energy efficiency. The challenges stem from the poor electronic and ionic conductivities of elemental sulfur and its discharge products. We report herein lithium polysulfidophosphates (LPSP), a family of sulfur-rich compounds, as the enabler of long-lasting and energy-efficient Li-S batteries. LPSP have ionic conductivities of 3.0 10-5 S cm-1 at 25 oC, which is 8 orders of magnitude higher than that of Li2S (~10-13 S cm-1). The high Li-ion conductivity of LPSP is the salient characteristic of these compounds that impart the excellent cycling performance to Li-S batteries. In addition, the batteries are configured in an all-solid state that promises the safe cycling of high-energy batteries with metallic lithium anodes.
Development of a Culturally Targeted Smoking Cessation Intervention for African American Smokers

In this paper we describe the development a culturally targeted (CT) smoking cessation intervention for low-to-middle income African–American smokers. Based on theoretically based guidelines, modifications were made to a standard treatment manual for group-based smoking cessation counseling that incorporates cognitive-behavioral, motivational, and twelve step skills. Approximately 41% of the standard treatment materials were modified, and four new modules were developed. A pilot study was conducted to compare acceptability, feasibility and early outcome indicates in African American smokers randomized to the CT intervention compared with existing data from African American smokers treated using a non-targeted standard approach (ST). Outcomes from the CT pilot study were promising: results showed high levels of feasibility, acceptability and better adherence to nicotine replacement therapy, higher quit rates, and better retention and follow-up compared with the ST. Findings suggest that a culturally targeted and intensive group based smoking cessation treatment is plausibly effective in improving smoking cessation outcomes in African American smokers, warranting a larger randomized trial.
Equation of state for the Lennard-Jones fluid

Molecular dynamics calculations of the pressure and configurational energy of a Lennard-Jones fluid are reported for 108 state conditions in the density range 0·35 ≦ ρ* ≦ 1·20 and temperature range 0·5 ≦ T* ≦ 6 (where ρ* = ρσ3, T* = kT/e). Particular attention is paid to the dense fluid region (ρ* ≧ 0·9), including state conditions in the subcooled liquid region. These new simulation results for P and U are combined with those of previous workers, together with low density values calculated from the virial series and values of the second virial coefficients themselves, to derive an equation of state for the Lennard-Jones fluid that is valid over a wide range of temperatures and densities. The equation of state used is a modified Benedict-Webb-Rubin equation having 33 constants. It fits the data well over the density range 0 ≦ ρ* ≦ 1·2 and for T* values ranging from 0·5 to 6·0 (the exact temperature range depending to some extent on the density considered). We also calculate for the same range of state con...
Challenges in the Translation of Cardiovascular Cell Therapy

Ischemic cardiovascular diseases cause a significant burden of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Over the past decade, we have learned a tremendous amount about the biology of various stem and progenitor cells. Multiple preclinical experiments have demonstrated significant bioactivity in a wide variety of stem and progenitor cells. Early clinical trials have also shown some promising results. This review will focus on the current challenges in the translation of cell therapy to a viable clinical therapy. Additionally, we will highlight the role of cardiovascular imaging and molecular imaging in the future of stem cell therapy.
Chronic Corticosterone Exposure Increases Expression and Decreases Deoxyribonucleic Acid Methylation of Fkbp5 in Mice

There is evidence for hypercortisolemia playing a role in the generation of psychiatric symptoms and for epigenetic variation within hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis genes mediating behavioral changes. We tested the hypothesis that expression changes would be induced in Fkbp5 and other HPA axis genes by chronic exposure to corticosterone and that these changes would occur through the epigenetic mechanism of loss or gain of DNA methylation (DNAm). We administered corticosterone (CORT) to C57BL/6J mice via their drinking water for 4 wk and tested for behavioral and physiological changes and changes in gene expression levels using RNA extracted from hippocampus, hypothalamus, and blood for the following HPA genes: Fkbp5, Nr3c1, Hsp90, Crh, and Crhr1. The CORT mice exhibited anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze test. Chronic exposure to CORT also caused a significant decrease in the hippocampal and blood mRNA levels of Nr3c1 and a decrease in Hsp90 in blood and caused an increase in Fkbp5 ...
Linking Parents' Work Stress to Children's and Adolescents' Psychological Adjustment

Recent research indicates that parental work stress has implications for the quality of family interaction and, in turn, children's and adolescents' adjustment. Studies in two distinct genres are reviewed: investigations relying on global reports of work demands, family dynamics, and child and adolescent adjustment and studies focusing on within-person comparisons of family interaction on days characterized by high and low work stress. The effects of parental work stress on children's and adolescents' adjustment appear to be indirect. Work stress is linked to parents' feelings of overload and strain, which in turn predict lower parent-child acceptance and higher conflict, processes that in turn are related to less positive adjustment of children and adolescents. In the face of high work stress, withdrawing from family involvement may be adaptive in the short run but ultimately problematic. The strength of these associations depends on parents' personality qualities, parents' coping styles, and work and fa...
Budding of enveloped viruses: Interferon-induced ISG15 - Antivirus mechanisms targeting the release process

Pathogenic strains of viruses that infect humans are encapsulated in membranes derived from the host cell in which they infect. After replication, these viruses are released by a budding process that requires cell/viral membrane scission. As such, this represents a natural target for innate immunity mechanisms to interdict enveloped virus spread and recent advances in this field will be the subject of this paper.
Measurement of Structural Changes Accompanying Enzyme Turnover by Nuclear Relaxation Rates in Enzyme-Bound Equilibrium Mixtures Containing Paramagnetic Cations

The purpose of this communication, spurred by our recent experiments, is to derive expressions which depict the role of the interconversion rates in the observed relaxation rates in such a system applicable to experimental conditions typically employed for such measurements.
Topoisomerase II-dependent and -independent Mechanisms of Etoposide Resistance in Chinese Hamster Cell Lines

Resistance to etoposide (VP-16), amsacrine (mAMSA), and doxorubicin (Adriamycin) was studied in two Chinese hamster cell lines primarily selected for resistance to the epipodophyllotoxin. Both lines demonstrated profound resistance to VP-16, and mAMSA stimulated DNA breakage. However, the resistance to mAMSA cytotoxicity in both lines was less than expected from the level of resistance to the effects of topoisomerase II inhibition. Similarly, resistance to the cytotoxicity of high VP-16 concentrations in one of the lines was less than expected from the resistance to inhibition of topoisomerase II. An analysis of the relation of DNA breaks to drug cytotoxicity suggests that cross-resistance to mAMSA was mainly conferred through loss of mAMSA-stimulated, topoisomerase II-mediated DNA breaks. This mechanism also contributed towards reduced VP-16 cytotoxicity. However, our studies suggest that additional mechanisms, independent of resistance to VP-16-mediated topoisomerase II effects, greatly increased the resistance to this agent. Resistance to VP-16 cytotoxicity, not dependent on resistance to drug-mediated DNA cleavage, could be overcome at high drug concentrations in one of the resistant lines and might be responsible for the greater relative resistance to VP-16 than to mAMSA. These findings suggest the presence of two distinct mechanisms of resistance to VP-16 cytotoxicity, one presumably mediated by topoisomerase II and dependent on resistance to drug-mediated DNA scission, and a second mechanism independent of the effects of the drug on topoisomerase II.
TIME TO COMPLETION OF WEB-BASED PHYSICS PROBLEMS WITH TUTORING

We studied students performing a complex learning task, that of solving multipart physics problems with interactive tutoring on the web. We extracted the rate of completion and fraction completed as a function of time on task by retrospectively analyzing the log of student-tutor interactions. There was a spontaneous division of students into three groups, the central (and largest) group (about 65% of the students) being those who solved the problem in real time after multiple interactions with the tutorial program (primarily receiving feedback to submitted wrong answers and requesting hints). This group displayed a sigmoidal fraction-completed curve as a function of logarithmic time. The sigmoidal shape is qualitatively flatter for problems that do not include hints and wrong-answer responses. We argue that the group of students who respond quickly (about 10% of the students) is obtaining the answer from some outside source. The third group (about 25% of the students) represents those who interrupt their solution, presumably to work offline or to obtain outside help.
Identification of Genes that May Play Critical Roles in Phenobarbital (PB)-Induced Liver Tumorigenesis due to Altered DNA Methylation

Aberrant DNA methylation plays important roles in tumorigenesis, and the nongenotoxic rodent tumor promoter phenobarbital (PB) alters methylation patterns to a greater extent in liver tumor susceptible as compared to resistant mice (Watson and Goodman, 2002). Unique hepatic regions of altered DNA methylation (RAMs) were identified in sensitive B6C3F1, as compared to resistant C57BL/6, mice at 2 or 4 weeks of PB treatment using a novel approach involving methylation-sensitive restriction digestion, arbitrarily primed PCR, and capillary electrophoresis (Bachman et al., 2006b). PCR products representing 90 of 170 (53%) total unique B6C3F1 RAMs at 2 or 4 weeks were cloned and subjected to BLAST-like alignment tool searches that resulted in 51 gene matches; some of these have documented oncogenic or tumor suppressor roles. Importantly, uniquely hypomethylated genes play roles in angiogenesis (e.g., chymase 1, tyrosine kinase nonreceptor 2, and possibly ephrin B2 and triple functional domain, PTPRF interacting) and invasion and metastasis, including those involved in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (transcription factor 4, transforming growth factor beta receptor II, and ral guanine nucleotide dissociation stimulator). Common cellular targets and regulators of the genes representing unique B6C3F1 RAMs were uncovered, indicating that they might act in concert to more efficiently promote tumorigenesis. Genes not previously associated with mouse liver tumorigenesis exhibited altered methylation at these very early times following PB treatment. We hypothesize that at least some of the unique PB-induced B6C3F1 RAMs represent key events facilitating transformation, which is consistent with a causative role of altered DNA methylation during early stages of tumorigenesis.
Olfactory bulbectomy counteracts inhibitory effect of food restriction on reproductive function

Previous studies have shown that bilateral removal of the olfactory bulbs (BX) results in a large increase in gonadotropin secretion in golden hamsters. The principal question addressed by the present study was whether BX would offset the inhibitory effect of food restriction on reproductive function. BX or sham (SH) BX male golden hamsters were fed ad libitum or were restricted to only enough food to maintain them at 70% of the body weight of control groups fed ad libitum. The SH-70% group underwent marked testicular regression after approximately 6-8 wk, but the testes size of the BX-70% hamsters decreased only in proportion to the decrease in body weight. The BX food-restricted group had to be fed more food to maintain the same weight as the SH-70% hamsters, and the BX-70% group also had a higher core body temperature, lower percent body fat, and higher serum free thyroxine levels than SH food-restricted animals. In summary, removal of the olfactory bulbs appears to facilitate tonic gonadotropin secretion, such that food restriction is no longer capable of inducing testicular regression. In addition, the olfactory bulbs may have a strong influence on metabolic function in golden hamsters.
Montage of a Queering Deferred: Memory, Ownership, and Archival Silencing in the Rhetorical Biography of Langston Hughes

This article explores the intersection of archival privilege and heteronormative bias in the queering of Langston Hughes. Although it has been a common belief in LGBTQ communities that Hughes was gay, the battle over how his sexuality is defined in various biographical texts involves broader issues of dominant representations of sexuality and who gets to speak for those no longer able to speak for themselves. As such, the article examines the texts Looking for Langston and The Life of Langston Hughes as well as the discourses that surrounded both. Through this case study, it is apparent that there are still numerous cultural challenges posed to historical queering and that scholars must take an inventive approach to overcome them.
Abstract W P249: Agonism of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid Member 1 Induces a Protective Heat Shock Response in the Brain

Background: There is a lack of widely applicable treatments of stroke. One of the potential new treatment strategies is the induction of heat shock proteins (HSPs), such as Hsp27 and Hsp70, in the brain, which was shown to confer neuroprotection from ischemia. In epithelial cells, HSPs were shown to be induced by agonists of the Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid Member 1 ion channel (TRPV1), also known as the heat and capsaicin receptor. Therefore, our overall hypothesis is that systemic administration of TRPV1 agonist dihydrocapsaicin (DHC) induces HSPs in the brain cortical neurons and thus provides neuroprotection from stroke. In the present study we focus on the initial portion of the hypothesis, that TRPV1 agonism promotes HSP induction in the brain. Methods: We determined relative expression of candidate HSP genes by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction after DHC treatment in cultured rat primary cortical neurons as well as in cortex tissue samples of in vivo DHC-treated wild-type and TRPV1 knock-out mice. Results: First, we established that DHC injection (4 mg/kg i.p.) 4 hours before tissue harvest led to 3- and 5-fold upregulation of mRNA of the Hsp27 and Hsp70 respectively in the cortex of mice (compared to vehicle injection, n=3 mice per group). This effect was specific to TRPV1 channels, as it was absent in TRPV1 knock-out mice. Second, we determined that 3-hour DHC treatment led to upregulation of Hsp70 mRNA in cultured rat primary cortical neurons, which was dependent on the dose of DHC (1-1000 nM). Conclusions: We present the first demonstration that systemic delivery of TRPV1 agonists promotes an upregulation of neuroprotective heat shock proteins in the brain. We have further demonstrated that cortical neurons have the capacity to respond to TRPV1 agonism directly rather than through other TRPV1-mediated physiologic responses. We propose that systemic delivery of TRPV1 agonists may offer a novel treatment option in the protection or recovery from ischemic stroke.
An Unusual Case of Cellulitis Associated With a Molteno Implant in a 1-Year-Old Child

The Molteno seton implant has recently been used in pediatric patients with advanced childhood glaucoma, who would otherwise have been treated with cyclodestructive surgery. We report a case of Molteno implant (first stage) associated with orbital cellulitis in a 1-year-old child. The presence of the implant was initially unrecognized until, in the course of evaluation for orbital cellulitis, computerized tomography of the orbit suggested a foreign body. We believe this is the first report of a complication associated with the first stage of this procedure.
ACTIVATION OF CHYMOTRYPSINOGEN BY PURIFIED THROMBOKINASE. PHOSPHATIDE AND IONIC CALCIUM AS ACCESSORY FACTORS.

SummaryHighly purified thrombokinase, derived from bovine plasma, activated chymo-trypsinogen. Chymotrypsin was assayed by the hydrolysis of BTEE, which was not split by thrombokinase under the conditions used. Activation of chymotrypsinogen may have been due to thrombokinase, per se, or to an impurity, since a large quantity of thrombokinase was required. However, phosphatide accelerated the process, provided that ionic calcium was included. Without thrombokinase, phosphatide plus ionic calcium failed to activate chymotrypsinogen.Much of the preparative work was done by William S. Bartek and Harriet F. Brown. We are indebted to Nadia Oulianoff for thrombokinase assays.
Ain't Got No Home: America's Great Migrations and the Making of an Interracial Left

Southern poverty and violence in the wake of the Great Depression generated a series of attempts at escape. Poor whites left rural areas for cities, then left the South entirely for points north an...
Microbial Metagenomics Reveals Climate-Relevant Subsurface Biogeochemical Processes

Microorganisms play key roles in terrestrial system processes, including the turnover of natural organic carbon, such as leaf litter and woody debris that accumulate in soils and subsurface sediments. What has emerged from a series of recent DNA sequencing-based studies is recognition of the enormous variety of little known and previously unknown microorganisms that mediate recycling of these vast stores of buried carbon in subsoil compartments of the terrestrial system. More importantly, the genome resolution achieved in these studies has enabled association of specific members of these microbial communities with carbon compound transformations and other linked biogeochemical processes–such as the nitrogen cycle–that can impact the quality of groundwater, surface water, and atmospheric trace gas concentrations. The emerging view also emphasizes the importance of organism interactions through exchange of metabolic byproducts (e.g., within the carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles) and via symbioses since many novel organisms exhibit restricted metabolic capabilities and an associated extremely small cell size. New, genome-resolved information reshapes our view of subsurface microbial communities and provides critical new inputs for advanced reactive transport models. These inputs are needed for accurate prediction of feedbacks in watershed biogeochemical functioning and their influence on the climate via the fluxes of greenhouse gases, CO2, CH4, and N2O.
Evaluation of implementing effects of fighting Tnterulosis Project from Global Fund during five years in Hefei

Objective To analyze the social benefit and economic ones of Global Fund to Fight Tuberculosis Project Round 1 in Hefei.Method To collect and analyze the project quarterly and annual reports in the period during 2003~2008.Result 9 791 cases of sputum smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 2 722 severe sputum smear-negative cases were treated and managed during implementing the project for five years.In Hefei 100% of counties(districts) has been covered by DOTS strategy.The case detection rate of new smear positive was 70% for three consecutive years and five-year average cure rate was 87.49%.And the fund supported by the locality at all levels and spurred by the project was 553.6 ten thousand Yuan.Conclusion Hefei Global Fund to Fight Tuberculosis Project Round 1 made a great progress including the social benefit and economic ones during the last five years,which had played a good supplementary role in TB control in our Hefei and promoted TB control in Hefei.
Cause of fault in the pharmacy of out-patient department and measures for prevention

Objectives: To analyze the causes leading to faults in pharmacy of outpatient department and to adopt preventive measures. Methods: Some measures were explored for dealing with these faults on the basis of practical experiences and analysis of the causes of faults. Results: what we had done proved that the taken measures could decrease the faults on formula and guarantee the safety of drug-use patients. Conclusions: It’s of great importance for all the medical staff members who dispense the drug safely and reasonably.
A Drug Experience Registry

The Drug Exerience Registry is a system for the recording and filing of drug-related patient events in a readily retrievable form. The purpose of the registry is to accumulate information on adverse drug reactions, unusual therapeutic successes of failures, and other experiences that may be useful for education, research or promotion of rational drug therapy. Data are recorded on case report forms which are categorized by organ-disease system affected, the clinical event and involved drug(s). These are then filed in the clinical event file along with literature synopses that serve as guides in evaluating the incidents and determining proper therapy. A drug file serves as a cross index to the clinical event file and allows one to quickly locate clinical events involving a drug. Both files contain sufficient hospital data to allow later retrieval of additional information if needed.
Chemical structure-activity correlation in the O-methylation of substituted catechols by catechol O-methyltransferase.

The Hansch method of correlating biological activity with chemical structure, using regression analysis, was applied to the catechol O -methyltransferase-catalyzed O -methylation of neutral side chain-substituted catechols. A correlation of the ratio ( meta:para ) of O -methylated products with the steric effect of the substituent, as well as the transport factor, was found. The electronic character of the substituent did not effect the product distribution. The experimentally determined maximum velocities for the substrate reaction could be correlated with the steric and electronic parameters of the substrates. The Michaelis-Menten coefficient ( K m ) was poorly correlated, apparently because of the inherent error in the extrapolation from which it was obtained.
Cancer in Pregnancy

Cancer in pregnancy requires the careful consideration of multiple complex issues to achieve the most favorable outcome for mother and fetus. Presented are the principles of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy as they pertain to pregnancy, and a discussion of site-specific cancers.
Law as a Means to an End: Twentieth-century Supreme Court instrumentalism

A 1909 article on the courts by political scientist W. F. Dodd observed that “In this field [public policy] decisions of the courts necessarily depend not upon any fixed rules of law but upon the individual opinions of the judges on political and economic questions; and such decisions, resting, as they must, upon no general principles, will be especially subject to reversal or modification when changes take place in the personnel of the courts.” Dodd presciently encapsulated what became the standout theme surrounding the twentieth-century Supreme Court. This chapter conveys how judging and judges on the Supreme Court in several different ways came to be perceived in instrumental terms. The events covered are the 1937 Court Packing Plan and its aftermath, the reforms brought by the Warren Court, and the backlash against those reforms as they played out in connection with later Supreme Courts, leading up to the present. Court packing plan President Franklin D. Roosevelt's failed 1937 “court packing plan” has been characterized as a “great constitutional war,” which culminated in a “constitutional revolution.” It was the closest the country had come to a genuine constitutional crisis since the Civil War and Reconstruction. Roosevelt's New Deal legislative program was an attempt to find solutions to the ongoing economic crisis and to ameliorate the most desperate social and economic consequences that continued to linger from the recent Depression.
Experimental study of core size effect on CH4 huff-n-puff enhanced oil recovery in liquid-rich shale reservoirs

Abstract Gas huff-n-puff injection, which avoids the viscous fingering phenomenon or gas channeling between connected wells, is a potential method to efficiently enhance oil recovery (EOR) in liquid-rich shale oil cores. In this paper, an experimental study of core size effect on the gas huff-n-puff EOR was implemented by using two groups of cores from the Wolfcamp field in West Texas. The first group contained core plugs with a length of 2″, but different diameters varying from 1″ to 4″. The second group of core plugs had a diameter of 1.5″, but differed in length from 1″ to 3.5″. CH4 huff-n-puff EOR experiments with an injection pressure of 2000 psi were conducted to analyze the size effects. CT scan was also implemented to check the oil saturation and cumulative oil recovery for each cycle. The results show that after eight huff-n-puff cycles, the oil recovery of cores with 1″, 1.5″, 2″, 3″, 3.5″ and 4″ in diameter are 49.65%, 48.57%, 47.76%, 46.15%, 43.55%, and 42.64%, respectively. The core plug with a larger diameter yields a relatively smaller oil recovery due to its lower apparent surface-to-volume ratio (AS/V) and smaller pressure gradient (ΔP/Δr). The core plugs with 1″, 2″, 2.75″, and 3.5″ achieve almost the same oil recovery during the huff-n-puff process. It is demonstrated that core length has no effect on final cumulative oil recovery. The result also shows that the oil recovered in one cycle decreases as the huff-n-puff cycle number increases. The first cycle gives the peak incremental oil recovery. The obtained CT scan images together with the analysis of CT number reveal the density and oil saturation change inside the core and reflect the cumulative oil recovery during the gas huff-n-puff process.
Genetics of age-related macular degeneration.

There have been major advances over the past two years in identifying genetic risks for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The complexity of genetic association and genetic epidemiology studies and differences in the conclusions and data reported from various laboratories make it difficult for the general scientific reader to understand the significance and limitations of these advances. Thus, the scientific foundations and limitations of these genetic studies are not widely understood. The general scientific reader needs an approach to recognize spurious genetic association from those that are real and to understand what genetic association studies can teach us about AMD and where we need to be cautious. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the genetics of AMD and explain how to approach a genetic association study.
Regenerative Endodontic Procedures: Clinical Outcomes

Immature teeth are at risk for pulp necrosis, resulting in arrested root development and poor long-term prognosis. There is growing evidence that regenerative endodontic procedures promote desirable clinical outcomes. Despite significant advances in the field of regenerative endodontics and acceptable clinical outcomes, current evidence suggests that the tissues formed following currently used procedures do not completely recapitulate the former pulp-dentin complex. Further research is needed to identify prognostic factors and predictors of successful outcomes and to develop different treatment strategies to better predictably achieve all identified clinical outcomes, while favoring tissue formation that more closely resembles the pulp-dentin complex.
Crossing the gender boundaries: The gender experiences of male nursing students in initial nursing clinical practice in Taiwan.

Abstract Background The initial nursing clinical practice is the necessary practicum required for nursing students. Because of the changing learning style, many of them are under great pressure for environmental change and therefore their daily routine is severe affected. Interacting directly with patients in a female-dominated occupation, along with the general gender stereotypes, the impact is especially significant to male nursing students than to female nursing students. Purpose The purpose of this preliminary qualitative study is to explore the gendered experiences of male nursing students during their first initial nursing clinical practice. Methods Both focus group interviews and individual interviews are conducted with twenty-two sophomore nursing students from a university of technology in northern Taiwan, with ten male students and twelve female students. Results Two main themes emerge from the gendered experiences shared by the nursing students: Gender consciousness awakening and thus maintaining masculinity, and male advantage in the learning environments. Conclusions The results identify the specific gendered experiences of nursing students, providing implications for future nursing education and counseling service. Further, this study may serve to promote an active yet gender-sensitive nursing education for training nursing professionals.
The Boy is Gone: Conversations with a Mau Mau General

The study of the Mau Mau has always incorporated the interplay between the micro analysis and the macro considerations; the individual experiences and their linkages to the Mau Mau movement in a na...
Autophagy, Cell Viability, and Chemoresistance Are Regulated By miR-489 in Breast Cancer

It is postulated that the complexity and heterogeneity in cancer may hinder most efforts that target a single pathway. Thus, discovery of novel therapeutic agents targeting multiple pathways, such as miRNAs, holds promise for future cancer therapy. One such miRNA, miR-489, is downregulated in a majority of breast cancer cells and several drug-resistant breast cancer cell lines, but its role and underlying mechanism for tumor suppression and drug resistance needs further investigation. The current study identifies autophagy as a novel pathway targeted by miR-489 and reports Unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1 (ULK1) and lysosomal protein transmembrane 4 beta (LAPTM4B) to be direct targets of miR-489. Furthermore, the data demonstrate autophagy inhibition and LAPTM4B downregulation as a major mechanism responsible for miR-489-mediated doxorubicin sensitization. Finally, miR-489 and LAPTM4B levels were inversely correlated in human tumor clinical specimens, and more importantly, miR-489 expression levels predict overall survival in patients with 8q22 amplification (the region in which LAPTM4B resides).Implications: These findings expand the understanding of miR-489-mediated tumor suppression and chemosensitization in and suggest a strategy for using miR-489 as a therapeutic sensitizer in a defined subgroup of resistant breast cancer patients. Mol Cancer Res; 16(9); 1348-60. ©2018 AACR.
Systemisch denken, handeln und gestalten — der gemeinsame Nenner einer situationsgerechten Universalität

Angewandte Systemforschung? Diese Titulierung wirft sofort eine ganze Reihe von Fragen auf: Gibt es uberhaupt so etwas wie eine eigenstandige Systemforschung und wo wird sie betrieben? Worum geht es, was wird erforscht? Welches sind die Gebiete und Themen grundlagenorientierter Systemforschung? In welchen Anwendungsfeldern kann Systemforschung zu neuen, wichtigen Ergebnissen fuhren?
Letting Students Teach Each Other: Using Peer Conferences in Upper-Level Legal Writing

This Article illustrates how incorporating structured one-on-one student conferences in an upper-level legal writing course helps novice writers develop expertise. This Article also explains how peer conferences help students to develop critical skills that they will need as practicing lawyers. Although the peer conferences described in this Article are discussed in the context of legal writing, peer conferences may be used in any upper-level course, including both practice-oriented courses and doctrinal courses. This Article responds to the recent impetus to reexamine the nature and purpose of legal education by providing students with more skills training.
Networked Lagrangian Systems

This chapter moves from point models primarily adopted in distributed multi-agent coordination to more realistic Lagrangian models. A class of mechanical systems including autonomous vehicles, robotic manipulators, and walking robots are Lagrangian systems. We focus on fully-actuated Lagrangian systems. We first study distributed leaderless coordination algorithms for networked Lagrangian systems. The objective is to drive a team of agents modeled by Euler–Lagrange equations to achieve desired relative deviations on their vectors of generalized coordinates with local interaction. We then study distributed coordinated regulation and distributed coordinated tracking algorithms in the presence of a leader for networked Lagrangian systems under the constraints that the leader is a neighbor of only a subset of the followers and the followers have only local interaction. In the case of coordinated regulation, the leader has a constant vector of generalized coordinates. In the case of coordinated tracking, the leader has a varying vector of generalized coordinates. In both cases, the objective is to drive the vectors of generalized coordinates of a team of followers modeled by Euler–Lagrange equations to approach that of a leader. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.
Factors Influencing Acute Leukemia Relapse: A Single-Center Look at Post-Transplant Maintenance Therapy

Background Relapse after allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (alloSCT) remains a leading cause of mortality in patients with acute leukemia. Recently, post-transplant maintenance strategies with tyrosine kinase inhibitors, immunomodulators, or hypomethylating agents, either beginning immediately after alloSCT or pre-emptively at the earliest detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) have been described. Post-transplant maintenance therapy may reduce relapse risk. Methods As part of a performance improvement initiative to best assess areas for improvement or intervention, we performed a retrospective chart review of patients who underwent alloSCT for acute myeloid (AML) and lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) from 7/2011 to 12/2017 at San Antonio Military Medical Center. Evaluation included pre-transplant disease status, use of MRD testing, presence of targetable molecular mutations, pre-transplant conditioning regimen, choice and duration of immunosuppression, use of post-transplant maintenance therapy, relapse, and death. Results A total of 46 alloSCTs were performed for high-risk AML or ALL. There were 18 relapses and 23 deaths. Of those who relapsed, 9 (50%) died from relapse and 2 (11%) died from non-relapse. Five people received a second salvage alloSCT, 3 of which were successful. There was no statistically significant difference in relapse rates with type of transplant or conditioning regimen or type/duration of graft versus host disease prophylaxis. Persistent pre-transplant MRD was associated with a higher risk of relapse (p=0.05). Among patients who relapsed, 17 (94%) underwent pre-transplant MRD testing, 7 (41%) of these had pre-transplant persistent disease. Post-transplant MRD testing was highly variable. Overall, utilization of post-transplant maintenance therapy was 26%. Ten patients had mutations for which a targetable drug exists, 7 of which received post-transplant targeted therapy. Only two patients received a post-transplant hypomethylating agent. Three patients received donor lymphocyte infusions. Although not statistically significant, use of post-transplant maintenance therapy resulted in numerically fewer disease relapses (33 vs. 41%, p=0.63). Conclusion Post-alloSCT maintenance strategies are highly variable among institutions. Our transplant center has no standard protocol for post-transplant maintenance therapy or utilization of post-transplant MRD monitoring as a way to guide pre-emptive treatment. There are several limitations with our review, but with the identification of new molecular targets, a more aggressive approach to maintenance therapy should be investigated on a large, multi-center scale and considered as a way to reduce relapse rates, particularly in those with pre- or post-transplant MRD positivity.
Mechanical Energy Harvesting Using Wurtzite Nanowires

This chapter reviews a novel technology that uses piezoelectric nanowires to harvest nanoscale mechanical energy. Wurtzite ZnO nanowires were first applied for this purpose. Due to the bending of nanowires, the piezoelectric effect induces positive and negative potentials on the stretched surface and compressed surface, respectively. This effect has been proved by using a conductive AFM tip to deflect individual wurtzite ZnO and CdS nanowires as well as vertically aligned ZnO nanowire arrays. On the basis of this phenomenon, a prototype nanodevice (nanogenerator) has been successfully developed to convert ultrasonic wave energy into electricity. After optimization, the nanogenerator’s output has reached ∼83 nW/cm2, which shows a great potential to power nanosensors. A flexible substrate and textile fibers were also integrated with the ZnO nanowire array for harvesting energy from low-frequency perturbations. At the end of this chapter, several pathways are suggested for further performance improvements.
Boosting FIB Caching Performance with Aggregation

In the era of high-performance cloud computations, networks need to ensure fast packet forwarding. This task is carried by TCAM forwarding chips that perform line-rate Longest Prefix Matches in a Forwarding Information Base (FIB). However, with the increasing number of prefixes in IPv4 and IPv6 routing tables the price of TCAM increases as well. In this work, we present a novel FIB compression technique by adding an aggregation layer into a FIB caching architecture. In Combined FIB Caching and Aggregation (CFCA), cache-hit ratio is maximized up to 99.94% with only 2.50% entries of the FIB, while the churn in TCAM is reduced by more than 40% compared to low-churn FIB aggregation techniques.
A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF REMOTE INTERVIEWS AND HIRING FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

In increasingly globalized societies, heavily dependent on online communication, it is crucial to provide children with exposure to various languages, cultural influences, and ideas linking people from all around the world. The choice to hire an au pair from outside the US not only allows families to broaden their intercultural horizons, but also provides unique opportunities for talented, specially trained childcare providers eager to experience life in America. Most families do not have the means to travel with their children internationally but can bring an authentic experience from another part of the world into their homes. People rely on online tools to ensure they have found the very best family-caregiver match. This study explores 123 host families’ experiences of interviewing and selecting au pairs, based on survey responses about the technological tools they used for interviewing and their recommended selection modalities. Article visualizations:
Cumulative Employment Intensity and Complexity across the Life Course and Cognitive Function in Later Life among European Women and Men.

Abstract Purpose Relatively little is known about how working-age life course cumulative exposure to employment intensity and job complexity informs older-age cognitive function. We investigate these associations, separately for men and women, and net of known confounders. Methods Using retrospective lifetime employment histories of Europeans born 1923–1959 (2004–2009, N = 22 266), we calculate cumulative working-age exposure to nonemployment, full-time and part-time employment, and a professional occupation. In gender-stratified linear regression models, these indicators predict cognitive function score based on the DemTect scale and Mini Mental State Exam. Results Nonemployment ≥25% of the working life course was associated with poorer cognitive function for men by −0.43 points (95% CI = −0.79, −0.06) on a 19-point scale. Women's full-time employment, even if Conclusions This paper provides novel evidence that older-age cognitive functioning is associated with cumulative exposure to both employment intensity and complexity, but that these relationships vary by sex.
On the relationship between mutual and tight stationarity

Abstract We construct a model where every increasing ω-sequence of regular cardinals carries a mutually stationary sequence which is not tightly stationary, and show that this property is preserved under a class of Prikry-type forcings. Along the way, we give examples in the Cohen and Prikry models of ω-sequences of regular cardinals for which there is a non-tightly stationary sequence of stationary subsets consisting of cofinality ω 1 ordinals, and show that such stationary sequences are mutually stationary in the presence of interleaved supercompact cardinals.
Questions and Discussions

(1919). Questions and Discussions. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 26, No. 7, pp. 291-298.
The Unintended Effect of Corporate Social Responsibility Performance on Investors' Estimates of Fundamental Value

ABSTRACT: We provide theory and experimental evidence consistent with an unintended, causal relation between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) performance and investors' estimates of fundamental value that can be attenuated by investors' explicit assessment of CSR performance. Consistent with “affect-as-information” theory from psychology, we find that investors who are exposed to, but do not explicitly assess, CSR performance derive higher fundamental value estimates in response to positive CSR performance, and lower fundamental value estimates in response to negative CSR performance. Explicit assessment of CSR performance, however, significantly diminishes this effect, indicating that the effect among investors who do not explicitly assess CSR performance is unintended; i.e., they unintentionally use their affective reactions to CSR performance in estimating fundamental value. Supplemental findings shed light on consequences of these fundamental value estimates: investors who do not explicitly asses...