cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A four-color parallel algorithm for the solution of a two-dimensional advection-diffusion equation with the finite element method

Reordering schemes associated with multicoloring and domain decomposition techniques have been introduced in recent years to obtain parallel and/or vectorized versions of recursive linear solvers such as the Gauss-Seidel SOR scheme (Ortega and Voigt, 1986; White, 1989). In this paper we give a brief account of the successfull implementation of a four-color Gauss-Seidel parallel algorithm for the solution of block-tridiagonal matrices resulting from the finite-element discretization of a two-dimensional advection-diffusion equation. Performance data referring to the implementation on the IBM 3090/400 vector multiprocessor are reported and commented on.
Optically integrated millimeter wave systems

Wafer optical interconnections have been fabricated using direct laser writing. Relatively high losses were observed in the channel waveguides. In this work we report the successful reduction of the losses by using a filtered version of the polyimide material. We also describe our on-going work applying this technology for (1) performance evaluation of a 50 to 100 GHz passive repetition-rate doubler and (2) integration of waveguide components with HBTs for systems such as phased array radars.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Octylphenol inhibits testosterone biosynthesis by cultured precursor and immature Leydig cells from rat testes.

Abstract 4-tert-octyphenol (OP) is a surfactant additive widely used in the manufacture of a variety of detergents and plastic products. OP has been reported to mimic the actions of estrogen in many cellular systems. The present studies evaluated the direct effects of OP on human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-stimulated testosterone biosynthesis by cultured precursor and immature Leydig cells from 23-day old (prepubertal) rats. Exposure to increasing OP concentrations (1 to 2000 nM) progressively decreased hCG-stimulated testosterone formation in both precursor and immature Leydig cells at higher OP concentrations (100 or 500 to 2000 nM). Testosterone levels were reduced ∼ 30 to 70% below control at the highest concentration in both cell types. Similar reductions in testosterone associated with OP exposure were observed in cells stimulated with 1 mM 8-Br-cAMP, suggesting that the main actions of OP occur after the generation of cAMP. Increasing concentrations of 17β-estradiol (1 to 1000 nM) had no effect on hCG-stimulated testosterone formation in both precursor and immature Leydig cells and the inclusion of 100 nM ICI 182,780, a pure estrogen antagonist, in precursor and immature Leydig cells exposed to OP and hCG, did not alter the inhibition by higher OP concentrations of testosterone formation in both cell types. These results suggest that OP is a hormonally active agent, but that some of its actions are distinct from those of 17β-estradiol and are not mediated through the estrogen receptor α or β pathway. To further localize the potential site(s) of action of OP, cultured precursor and immature Leydig cells were exposed to increasing concentrations of OP and hCG for 24 h. Next, fresh media containing 1 μM 22(R)-hydroxycholesterol, 1 μM pregnenolone, 1 μM progesterone, or 1 μM androstenedione was added, and the conversion of each substrate to testosterone was determined after incubation for 4 h. The conversion of androstenedione to testosterone was unaffected by exposure to OP, suggesting that the 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase step is not inhibited. However, the conversion of 22(R)-hydroxycholesterol, pregnenolone and progesterone all were inhibited by prior exposure to OP and hCG. This finding suggests that the 17α-hydroxylase/c17–20-lyase step, which converts progesterone to androstenedione, is inhibited by OP, and that the cholesterol side-chain cleavage and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase -isomerase steps, which convert cholesterol to pregnenolone and pregnenolone to progesterone, respectively, are other potential sites of OP action. Because concomitant exposure to the antioxidants α-tocopherol or ascorbate did not alter the inhibition of testosterone formation by higher OP concentrations, it does not appear that OP is acting as a pseudosubstrate for the generation of free radicals, which can damage P450 enzymes.
Sonic Hedgehog Pathway Activation Is Induced by Acute Brain Injury and Regulated by Injury-Related Inflammation

The adult mammalian brain responds to injury by activating a program of cell proliferation during which many oligodendrocyte precursors, microglia, and some astrocytes proliferate. Another common response to brain injury is the induction of reactive gliosis, a process whereby dormant astrocytes undergo morphological changes and alter their transcriptional profiles. Although brain injury-induced reactive gliosis is concurrent with the proliferation of surrounding cells, a functional relationship between reactive gliosis and this cell proliferation has not been clearly demonstrated. Here, we show that the mitogen sonic hedgehog (SHH) is produced in reactive astrocytes after injury to the cerebral cortex and participates in regulating the proliferation of Olig2-expressing (Olig2+) cells after brain injury. Using a cortical freeze injury to induce reactive gliosis in a Gli–luciferase reporter mouse, we show that the SHH pathway is maximally active 3 d after brain injury and returns to baseline levels by 14 d. SHH expression parallels Gli activation and localizes to glial fibrillary acidic protein-expressing reactive astrocytes. Inhibition of the SHH pathway with cyclopamine blocks the Gli response and significantly reduces both the proliferating and overall number of Olig2+ cells in the injured cortex. To provide mechanistic insight into SHH pathway activation in astrocytes, we show that proinflammatory stimuli activate SHH-expressing reactive astrocytes, whereas inhibition of inflammation-induced reactive gliosis by macrophage depletion abolishes SHH activation after brain injury and dampens cell proliferation after injury. Our data describes a unique reactive astrocyte-based, SHH-expressing niche formed in response to injury and inflammation that regulates the proliferation of Olig2+ cells.
Construction of protein phosphorylation networks by data mining, text mining and ontology integration: analysis of the spindle checkpoint

Knowledge representation of the role of phosphorylation is essential for the meaningful understanding of many biological processes. However, such a representation is challenging because proteins can exist in numerous phosphorylated forms with each one having its own characteristic protein–protein interactions (PPIs), functions and subcellular localization. In this article, we evaluate the current state of phosphorylation event curation and then present a bioinformatics framework for the annotation and representation of phosphorylated proteins and construction of phosphorylation networks that addresses some of the gaps in current curation efforts. The integrated approach involves (i) text mining guided by RLIMS-P, a tool that identifies phosphorylation-related information in scientific literature; (ii) data mining from curated PPI databases; (iii) protein form and complex representation using the Protein Ontology (PRO); (iv) functional annotation using the Gene Ontology (GO); and (v) network visualization and analysis with Cytoscape. We use this framework to study the spindle checkpoint, the process that monitors the assembly of the mitotic spindle and blocks cell cycle progression at metaphase until all chromosomes have made bipolar spindle attachments. The phosphorylation networks we construct, centered on the human checkpoint kinase BUB1B (BubR1) and its yeast counterpart MAD3, offer a unique view of the spindle checkpoint that emphasizes biologically relevant phosphorylated forms, phosphorylation-state–specific PPIs and kinase–substrate relationships. Our approach for constructing protein phosphorylation networks can be applied to any biological process that is affected by phosphorylation. Database URL: http://www.yeastgenome.org/
Seasonal and vertical variations in the elemental composition of suspended and settling particulate matter in Puget Sound, Washington

Abstract The distributions of C, Al, Si, P, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb in suspended and settling particulate matter from Puget Sound were studied to investigate the processes affecting the uptake of trace metals by particulate phases. Particulate material was collected by water filtration procedures and sequentially-sampling sediment traps during approximately bimonthly surveys from December 1980 through December 1981 at a station located in the center of the main basin of Puget Sound. The samples were selectively extracted for trace metals associated with oxide, organic, and residual phases and analysed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry and X-ray energy spectrometry. The results show that for Mn, Fe, Zn and Pb, residual and oxide phases were the most important phases controlling the vertical flux; whereas residual and organic phases controlled the vertical flux of Cu. The average annual flux data were used along with dissolved metal profiles to compute scavenging residence times for several trace metals in Puget Sound. Relatively short scavenging residence times (i.e. 100 days) were calculated for metals enriched in organic phases, such as Cu.
Ethanol inhibition of phencyclidine percutaneous absorption.

Abstract The effect of parenterally administered ethanol on the percutaneous absorption of phencyclidine hydrochloride was investigated using the intact hairless (SKH, hr−1/hr−1) mouse as a model. Four hours after topical application of phencyclidine hydrochloride, the mean phencyclidine concentration (129.2 ng/g) in excised liver was significantly lower in mice that had received ethanol by intraperitoneal injection than in mice injected intraperitoneally with water (1730.1 ng/g) (p 0.10), indicating that the observed difference was not due to enhancement of phencyclidine metabolism by ethanol. These findings suggest that ethanol inhibits the percutaneous absorption of phencyclidine hydrochloride.
Liability and Control Risks with Open Source Software

An exploratory investigation was conducted on the liability and control risks posed to U.S. organizations by the adoption of OSS. Three primary risks associated with the use of OSS were identified: upstream intellectual property concerns, viral software issues, and non-infringement warranties or intellectual property (IP) indemnity issues. In the context of a field investigation of these risks, several potential scenarios of OSS risk to organizations were identified, with two of them appearing as primary. The first primary scenario is the potential loss of control over revenue generating proprietary software when OSS source code and proprietary software source code are mixed together in one primary software works. The second primary risk scenario is the potential loss of control over software products or services offered within an organization due to legal disputes about intellectual property (IP). Other secondary risk scenarios are discussed as well. Some emerging trends in this area are also reviewed.
On the Elastic Properties of PVD Coatings in Relation to Their Microstructure

Physical vapor deposited (PVD) coatings have low effective stiffness E eff (as compared to the bulk material) in directions parallel to the substrate, It increases with an increasing residual compressive stress. A simple micromechanical model, based on the contact problem, is constructed that explains the observed behavior. Quantitative characterization of microstructure relevant for E eff is developed.
Perioperative evaluation and management in dermatologic surgery

Thorough and efficient perioperative evaluation is mandatory for all patients undergoing dermatologic operation. Patients may present with concise or extensive medical histories, and an organized approach will focus attention on issues relevant to the patient's dermatologic disease and the planned surgical procedure. Management of common perioperative issues in a proactive and standardized manner, with opportunity to individualize decisions when clinical conditions indicate, is an efficient and optimal approach. This review highlights the efficient and thorough evaluation of perioperative issues and suggests guidelines for the optimal management of common perioperative issues, including cardiac devices, antibiotic prophylaxis, and anticoagulation.
Closed-form control laws for linear time-varying systems

Closed-form control laws are developed for continuous, linear, time-varying (LTV) systems based on approximate solutions to a receding-horizon control problem. These control laws can be derived in the first- or higher order closed forms. Once obtained, the control laws need no explicit gain-scheduling or online integrations to implement. The notion of practical stability is used, and practical or uniform asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system, depending on conditions imposed on the system, is established.
Tyrosine phosphorylation of the Rab24 GTPase in cultured mammalian cells.

Abstract Several members of the large family of Rab GTPases have been shown to function in vesicular trafficking in mammalian cells. However, the exact role of Rab24 remains poorly defined. Rab24 differs from other Rab proteins in that it has a low intrinsic GTPase activity and is not efficiently prenylated. Here we report an additional unique property of Rab24; i.e., the protein can undergo tyrosine phosphorylation when overexpressed in cultured cells. Immunoblot analyses with specific anti-phosphotyrosine monoclonal antibodies revealed the presence of phosphotyrosine (pTyr) on myc-Rab24 in whole cell lysates and immunoprecipitated samples. No pTyr was detected on other overexpressed myc-tagged GTPases (H-Ras, Rab1b, Rab6, Rab11 or Rab13). Comparisons of myc-Rab24 in the soluble and particulate fractions from HEK293 and HEp-2 cells indicated that the cytosolic pool of Rab24 was more heavily phosphorylated than the membrane pool. Treatment of transfected cells with the broad-spectrum tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein, as well as the specific Src-family kinase inhibitor, PP2, eliminated the pTyr signal from Rab24. In contrast the receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, tyrphostin A25, had no effect. Tyrosine phosphorylation of Rab24 was reduced by alanine substitution of two unique tyrosines, one found in a strong consensus phosphorylation motif (YXXφ) in the hypervariable domain (Y172) and the other falling within the GXXXGK(S/T) motif known as the P-loop (Y17). The latter region is known to influence GTP hydrolysis in Rab proteins, so the phosphorylation of Y17 could contribute to the low intrinsic GTPase activity of Rab24. This is the first report of tyrosine phosphorylation in any member of the Ras superfamily and it raises the possibility that this type of modification could influence Rab24 targeting and interactions with effector protein complexes.
Developing Indigenous Rights

Indigenous Peoples, Ethnic Groups and the State. David Maybury-Lewis. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 1997.168 pp. Malaysia and the Original People:. Case Study of the Impact of Development on Indigenous Peoples. Robert Knox Dentan. Kirk Endicott. Alberto G. Gomes. and M. B. Hooker. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 1997. 175 pp. Forest Dwellers, Forest Protectors: Indigenous Models for International Development. Richard Reed. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 1997. 135 pp.
Biosynthesis of UDP-Xylose. Cloning and Characterization of a Novel Arabidopsis Gene Family, UXS, Encoding Soluble and Putative Membrane-Bound UDP-Glucuronic Acid Decarboxylase Isoforms

UDP-xylose (Xyl) is an important sugar donor for the synthesis of glycoproteins, polysaccharides, various metabolites, and oligosaccharides in animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria. UDP-Xyl also feedback inhibits upstream enzymes (UDP-glucose [Glc] dehydrogenase, UDP-Glc pyrophosphorylase, and UDP-GlcA decarboxylase) and is involved in its own synthesis and the synthesis of UDP-arabinose. In plants, biosynthesis of UDP-Xyl is catalyzed by different membrane-bound and soluble UDP-GlcA decarboxylase (UDP-GlcA-DC) isozymes, all of which convert UDP-GlcA to UDP-Xyl. Because synthesis of UDP-Xyl occurs both in the cytosol and in membranes, it is not known which source of UDP-Xyl the different Golgi-localized xylosyltransferases are utilizing. Here, we describe the identification of several distinct Arabidopsis genes (named AtUXS for UDP-Xyl synthase) that encode functional UDP-GlcA-DC isoforms. The Arabidopsis genome contains five UXS genes and their protein products can be subdivided into three isozyme classes (A-C), one soluble and two distinct putative membrane bound. AtUxs from each class, when expressed in Escherichia coli, generate active UDP-GlcA-DC that converts UDP-GlcA to UDP-Xyl. Members of this gene family have a large conserved C-terminal catalytic domain (approximately 300 amino acids long) and an N-terminal variable domain differing in sequence and size (30-120 amino acids long). Isoforms of class A and B appear to encode putative type II membrane proteins with their catalytic domains facing the lumen (like Golgi-glycosyltransferases) and their N-terminal variable domain facing the cytosol. Uxs class C is likely a cytosolic isoform. The characteristics of the plant Uxs support the hypothesis that unique UDP-GlcA-DCs with distinct subcellular localizations are required for specific xylosylation events.
Secondary Carcinogenesis in Patients Treated with Radiation: A Review of Data on Radiation-Induced Cancers in Human, Non-human Primate, Canine and Rodent Subjects

Abstract Suit, H., Goldberg, S., Niemierko, A., Ancukiewicz, M., Hall, E., Goitein, M., Wong, W. and Paganetti, H. Secondary Carcinogenesis in Patients Treated with Radiation: A Review of Data on Radiation-Induced Cancers in Human, Non-human Primate, Canine and Rodent Subjects. Radiat. Res. 167, 12–42 (2007). Concern for risk of radiation-induced cancer is growing with the increasing number of cancer patients surviving long term. This study examined data on radiation transformation of mammalian cells in vitro and on the risk of an increased cancer incidence after irradiation of mice, dogs, monkeys, atomic bomb survivors, occupationally exposed persons, and patients treated with radiation. Transformation of cells lines in vitro increased linearly with dose from ∼1 to ∼4–5 Gy. At <0.1 Gy, transformation was not increased in all studies. Dose–response relationships for cancer incidence varied with mouse strain, gender and tissue/organ. Risk of cancer in Macaca mulatta was not raised at 0.25–2.8 Gy. From the ...
Sorafenib: delivering a targeted drug to the right targets

Approved for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma by the US FDA and other regulatory agencies, sorafenib is an agent with multiple targets that may also prove beneficial in other malignancies. Phase III trials are underway in melanoma, hepatocellular carcinoma and non-small-cell lung cancer. Scrutiny of the Phase II data and correlative studies conducted in that context suggests that inhibition of angiogenesis and signaling in tumor cells may play a part in the clinical efficacy of sorafenib. Although the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitors are the most populated class of targeted agents in cancer clinical trials, sorafenib may prove to have unique properties that distinguish it. A detailed discussion of the clinical trials in renal cell carcinoma, melanoma and hepatocellular carcinoma highlights what is known and what has yet to be understood about this agent.
Early Childhood Family Intervention and Long-term Obesity Prevention Among High-risk Minority Youth

OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that family intervention to promote effective parenting in early childhood affects obesity in preadolescence. METHODS: Participants were 186 minority youth at risk for behavior problems who enrolled in long-term follow-up studies after random assignment to family intervention or control condition at age 4. Follow-up Study 1 included 40 girls at familial risk for behavior problems; Follow-up Study 2 included 146 boys and girls at risk for behavior problems based on teacher ratings. Family intervention aimed to promote effective parenting and prevent behavior problems during early childhood; it did not focus on physical health. BMI and health behaviors were measured an average of 5 years after intervention in Study 1 and 3 years after intervention in Study 2. RESULTS: Youth randomized to intervention had significantly lower BMI at follow-up relative to controls (Study 1 P = .05; Study 2 P = .006). Clinical impact is evidenced by lower rates of obesity (BMI ≥95th percentile) among intervention girls and boys relative to controls (Study 2: 24% vs 54%, P = .002). There were significant intervention-control group differences on physical and sedentary activity, blood pressure, and diet. CONCLUSIONS: Two long-term follow-up studies of randomized trials show that relative to controls, youth at risk for behavior problems who received family intervention at age 4 had lower BMI and improved health behaviors as they approached adolescence. Efforts to promote effective parenting and prevent behavior problems early in life may contribute to the reduction of obesity and health disparities. * Abbreviations: BSR — : Body Size Rating system RCT — : randomized controlled trial
Stocking and Hooking Mortality of Planted Rainbow Trout in Jocassee Reservoir, South Carolina

Abstract Attempts to establish a put-grow-and-take fishery for rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) in Jocassee Reservoir, South Carolina failed despite plantings of 200,000 fish in 1972-1979 because few of the stocked fish survived to legal size. At the same time, a fishery for brown trout (Salmo trutta) was established successfully by planting far fewer fish. Experiments were conducted to determine if stress at stocking and injuries and stress associated with catch and release of fish by shoreline anglers were responsible for the poor survival of rainbow trout. Only 1 of the 606 rainbow trout stocked in floating wire cages anchored in the reservoir died during the first 3 days, and fewer rainbow trout than brown trout died as a result of catch-and-release fishing during the first 11 days after stocking. Thus, these factors were not responsible for the lack of success in establishing a rainbow trout fishery in this reservior.
L,L-Succinamopine: an epimeric crown gall opine

Abstract Alfalfa tumour incited by Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain A281, carrying the tumour inducing plasmid pTi Bo542, synthesizes agropine and related mannityl opines. In addition it contains a small amount of leucinopine and large quantities of a new opine here identified as N-[(1 S )-1-carboxy 2-carbamoylethyl]-( S )-glutamic acid. This new opine, L , L -succinamopine, is the L glu epimer of the succinamopine previously isolated from tumours incited by pTi AT181 and related strains. The latter opine should now be designated D , L -succinamopine. This is the first example of the natural occurrence of epimeric opine structures.
Diagnostic accuracy of an international static-imaging telepathology consultation service

Abstract Static-image and dynamic- (real-time) image telepathology are competing technologies. Although some studies suggest that the diagnostic accuracy of the dynamic-image telepathology approaches the accuracy of light microscopy, few reports have documented the diagnostic accuracy of static-image telepathology as used in the setting of an actual surgical pathology consultation practice. We report the results of an analysis of 171 telepathology consultation cases submitted to the Arizona-International Telemedicine Network (AITN). Digital images were submitted by pathologists from six participating institutions in Arizona, Mexico, and China. Telepathologists could render a telepathology diagnosis (TP) or defer rendering a diagnosis to obtain additional video images, glass slides for detailed analysis, or to obtain tissue blocks for special studies such as immunohistochemistry. The telepathologists rendered diagnoses for 144 cases and deferred 27 cases. Two pathologists retrospectively evaluated glass slides from each case and rendered a consensus glass slide (GS) “truth” diagnosis. There was 88.2% concordance between TP and GS diagnoses (127 of 144 diagnoses). Concordance of 96.5% was achieved for clinically important diagnoses (139 of 144 diagnoses). Telepathologists deferred making a diagnosis to obtain glass slides for conventional light microscopy in 14 cases (8.1%) and for results of immunohistochemistry studies in 13 cases (7.6%). Thus, correct diagnoses were rendered by static-image telepathology in 127 of 171 cases (74.3%) at the time of telepathology diagnostic sessions. Inappropriate field selection and sampling biases of referring pathologists, as well as a tendency of static-image telepathologists to underestimate the complexity of some cases, may reduce the value of consultations based on the viewing of static images.
A new alternative for a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt: EUS-guided creation of an intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (with video)

Background Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPSS) is an effective treatment for portal hypertension and its associated complications. EUS-guided creation of an intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (IPSS) may become a useful alternative to conventional TIPSS. Objective To assess the feasibility of EUS-guided IPSS creation in a live porcine model. Setting Acute and survival experiments in 50-kg pigs. Design and Interventions Under linear-array EUS guidance, the hepatic vein (HV) and then the portal vein (PV) were punctured with a 19-gauge FNA needle. A 0.035-inch guidewire was advanced through the needle into the PV lumen. The needle was exchanged over the wire, a metal stent was deployed under EUS and fluoroscopic guidance, and the distal end of the stent was positioned inside the PV and the proximal end within the HV. Eight animals were euthanized after the procedure, and 2 animals were kept alive for 2 weeks. Main Outcome Measurements Successful EUS-guided IPSS creation. Results Portosystemic shunt placement was successful in all animals. Intrahepatic vascular puncture and stent deployment were technically easy. Portosystemic flow through the shunt was documented by portal venogram and EUS Doppler. Necropsy performed after acute and survival experiments revealed no evidence of bleeding or damage to any intraperitoneal organs. There were no complications during the follow-up period in the 2 animals that were kept alive. Limitation Experiments were performed in healthy animals with normal PV pressure. Conclusion EUS-guided IPSS creation is technically feasible and may become an alternative to the currently used method of TIPSS placement.
Model based clustering approach for identifying structural variation using next generation sequencing data

Structural variation (SV) has been reported to be associated with numerous diseases such as cancer. With the advent of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, various types of SV can be potentially identified. We propose a model based clustering approach utilizing a set of features defined for each type of SV event. Our method, termed SVMiner, not only provides a probability score for each candidate, but also predicts the heterozygosity of genomic deletions. Experiments on genome-wide deep sequencing data have demonstrated that SVMiner is robust against the variability of a single cluster feature, and it performs well when classifying validated SV events with accentuated features.
MIXED MODE SMALL CRACK GROWTH

— The fatigue crack growth behavior of small part-through cracks in 1045 steel and Inconel 718 subjected to biaxial loading has been investigated. Experiments were performed on thin-wall tubular specimens loaded in tension, torsion and combined tension torsion. Crack sizes analyzed ranged from 20 μm to 1 mm and growth rates ranged from 10-7 to 10-4 mm/cycle for 1045 steel and from 10-5 to 10-2 mm/cycle for Inconel. Nucleation and the early growth of cracks occurs on planes of maximum shear strain amplitude for both of these materials even in tensile loading. An equivalent strain based intensity factor was employed to correlate the crack growth rate under mixed mode loading conditions In loading conditions other than torsion, a transition from mode II to mode I was observed for 1045 steel. Principal strains were used to analyze mode I cracks. Cracks in Inconel 718 grow in mode II for the majority of the fatigue life. The maximum shear strain amplitude and the tensile strain normal to the maximum shear strain amplitude plane were used to calculate the strain based intensity factor for mixed mode loading.
Modeling, analysis, and optimization of Electric Vehicle HVAC systems

Major challenges of driving range and battery lifetime in Electric Vehicles (EV) have been addressed by designing more efficient power electronics, advanced embedded hardware, and sophisticated embedded software. Besides the electric motor in EVs, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) has been seen as a significant contributor to the EV power consumption. The main responsibility of automotive climate controls has been to control the HVAC system in order to maintain the passengers' thermal comfort. However, the HVAC power consumption and its dynamic behavior may influence the battery lifetime and driving range significantly. Therefore, modeling and analyzing the HVAC system and its thermodynamic behavior may benefit the control designers to integrate the HVAC control and optimization into Battery Management Systems (BMS) for better battery lifetime and driving range. In this paper, the EV architecture, HVAC system dynamic behavior, and battery characteristics are explained and modeled. Automotive climate controls (e.g. battery lifetime-aware automotive climate control) and the benefits gained by system modeling and estimation for different conditions in terms of battery lifetime and driving range are illustrated. Moreover, present and future challenges regarding the HVAC system and control design are explained.
Cancer-Related Disclosure Among Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors: A Qualitative Study

Purpose: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) employ self-disclosure in normative social interactions and in promoting identity development. Disclosure is associated with numerous psychological and physical benefits. Little research has examined how AYA cancer survivors diagnosed during adolescence disclose their cancer history. Methods: Using a qualitative design, this study explored cancer-related disclosures among survivors (N=26) 16–24 years old at study (M=19.6 years), 14–18 years old at diagnosis (M=15.6 years), and currently at least 6 months post-treatment (M=3.2 years). Semi-structured interview guides were developed and used. Disclosure-related topics included survivorship communications and others' responses to AYAs' disclosure of their cancer experiences. Results: Grounded theory and thematic content analysis guided analyses, with an inductive data-driven approach. Three themes and eight subthemes emerged: “it depends” decision-making processes (don't ask/don't tell, shared experience, relationship potential), perceptions of others' responses (perceived apprehension, positive responses), and methods of disclosure (verbal, written, behavioral). No thematic differences were found by gender or age, although females reported greater frequency of disclosures. Conclusion: Disclosure emerged as a nuanced and complex process. “It depends” decision-making processes were most frequently endorsed, consistent with developmental complexities of this age group. This reflects social and psychological changes and highlights unique challenges for AYA survivors. This also reflects the importance of peers and social interactions as variables that influence disclosure. In the context of AYA cancer survivorship, understanding ways in which disclosure may bolster or hinder social support can assist survivors, clinicians, and families navigate survivorship. Implications for future research are discussed.
A Multi-Bloc Model of The International System

This essay will attempt to define an abstract model of the international system (or, more precisely, a model of the structure of that system), as a supplement to the types presented by Morton A. Kaplan. Before attempting such a construction, it is well to show the utility of the “multi-bloc system” as an alternative to his six models. Kaplan's “balance-of-power” and “unit veto” systems are essentially defined in terms of nation-states as “actors”; and his “universal” and “hierarchical” systems have essentially but one “actor,” though in the former the nation-state subsists as an administrative and local political unit. The two “bipolar” models (“loose” and “tight”) have, by definition, two major bloc “actors,” with uncommitted nation-states on the margin and an “international actor” such as the U.N. playing a limited role in the former model. It is true that his “unit veto” system may have blocs instead of nation-states for “actors,” but by this very token the difference between a system with a multiplicity of states and one with a multiplicity of blocs is not suggested by Kaplan's typology.The possibility of an international system composed of a multiplicity of blocs has been considered by a number of writers in the past few years. Even before the end of the Second World War, Walter Lippmann wrote:The question is whether some sixty to seventy states, each acting separately, can form a universal organization for the maintenance of peace. I contend that they cannot, and that single sovereign states must combine in their neighborhoods, and that the neighborhoods must combine into larger communities and constellations, which then participate in a universal society.
Learning Intercultural Competency through International Immersion Travel

3 Introduction 4 Literature Review 6 Globalization 7 Travel 9 Multicultural Acquisition 11 Personality 14 Theoretical Framework 16 Becoming Interculturally Competent – DMIS 16 Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory 21 Intercultural Competency: A Transformative Learning Process 25 Conclusion 30 Limitations 31 Future research 32 Reference 34 LEARNING INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCY THROUGH TRAVEL 2
Giant ventral hernias: A technical challenge

For giant hernias in which primary repair is impossible, definitive correction can be obtained by applying two layers of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene to reconstruct the fascia and reinforce the abdominal wall. This article describes the use of this technique in 18 patients, most of whom had undergone inadequate conventional repair.
Exercising choice for national healthcare. In the end, we'll get what we choose.

Whether we evolve toward a market model, a play-or-pay model, or a national model will depend largely upon our personal beliefs and perspectives. Unfortunately, in the hectic and fast-paced life that virtually all of us lead, we base many of our conclusions on unexamined bits and pieces of conventional wisdom. We have looked at but five of them. Yet these bits and pieces become the yardsticks by which we measure other plans and other people. Instead of listening to and studying the approaches proposed by others, we are often too quick to dismiss them with labels such as "too costly," or "too capitalist," or "too socialist," or "too whatever." As a consequence, we become prisoners of our own ideology. Would that we were more like Tillich's (1951) description of the famous theologian, Karl Barth, who "...strenuously tries not to become his own follower" (5). In other words, we would work to continually inform and correct ourselves in light of new understanding. Our healthcare problems--any social problems, for that matter--are never really solved. All we can do is do our best at meeting needs, even if it means that in meeting one set of needs we inadvertently create other needs. But that is why we are enriched when we accept the challenge of continuing to question our personal bits and pieces of conventional wisdom. In a recent column in the Houston Post, Richard Reeves cites statistical evidence, known to most who work in the healing professions, indicating that people who live alone tend to suffer from greater illness.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Body Condition of Endangered Humpback Chub in Relation to Temperature and Discharge in the Lower Colorado River

Abstract Determining the population status of endangered Humpback Chub Gila cypha is a major component of the adaptive management program designed to inform operation of Glen Canyon Dam upstream from Grand Canyon, Arizona. In recent decades, resource managers have identified a portfolio of management actions (with intermittent implementation) to promote population recovery of Humpback Chub, including nonnative fish removal, changes in water release volumes and discharge ramping schedules, and reductions in hydropower peaking operations. The Humpback Chub population in Grand Canyon has increased over this same period, causal factors for which are unclear. We took advantage of unusual hydrology in the Colorado River basin in 2011 to assess trends in juvenile Humpback Chub length–weight relationships and condition in the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam as well as in the unregulated Little Colorado River. Within each river, we observed higher length–weight b-parameter estimates (exponent of the standard ...
Cost-efficient desktop vitualization experience at Georgia Southwestern State University

This paper describes the pilot project started at the School of Computing and Mathematics of the Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) in Fall 2009 and targeted towards setting up a cost-effective desktop virtualization environment in one of the computer laboratories. Following the initial setup it was decided to prepare a variety of project-oriented courses for GSW students, including those who enrolled through the exchange program with North Gujarat University, India. The pilot was built on the Citrix XenServer platform running on HP ProLiant ML350 server and Wyse V10L thin clients allowing for complete elimination of ordinary desktop stations and achieving delivery of virtual Windows XP desktops via RDP protocol.
Characterization and estimation of precipitation over the olympic mountains experiment (OLYMPEx) region

The Olympic Mountains Experiment (OLYMPEx) is a ground validation (GV) field campaign conducted, in part, to support the GV efforts of the U.S./Japan Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. The primary goal of OLYMPEx is to validate precipitation measurements in mid-latitude frontal systems moving from ocean to coast to mountains and to determine how remotely sensed measurements of precipitation by GPM can be applied to a range of hydrologic, weather forecasting and climate data. A variety of instruments were deployed for OLYMPEx, including ground radars, disdrometers, rain gauges, and airborne radars. This paper characterizes the microphysical properties of precipitation over the OLYMPEx regime, using observation from NASA dual-polarization radars and disdrometers. Particularly, statistical distribution of raindrop size distribution (DSD) parameters measured by a number of disdrometers is investigated. The dual-polarization radar observations at S- and Ku-band frequencies are used to classify precipitation types, and quantitatively estimate rainfall intensity.
Call for increased pharmacovigilance of gabapentin.

Huybrechts and colleagues find increased risk of neonatal drug withdrawal when gabapentin and opioids are co-prescribed.1 We conducted the first large scale assessment of the prevalence and clinical consequences of gabapentin misuse.23 The top 1% of gabapentin users consumed or diverted 19% of total gabapentin supply at mean (median) 11 274 (9534) mg/day; nearly 25% of these users exceeded 12 822 mg/day.2 Additionally, 24% …
Courts As Institutional Reformers: Bankruptcy and Public Law Litigation

This article compares two spheres in which courts induce and oversee the restructuring of organizations that fail systematically to comply with their legal obligations: bankruptcy reorganization and public law litigation (civil rights or regulatory suits seeking structural remedies). The analogies between bankruptcy and public law litigation (PLL) have grown stronger in recent years as structural decrees have evolved away from highly specific directives to “framework” decrees designed to induce engagement with stakeholders and make performance transparent. We use the comparison with bankruptcy, where the value and legitimacy of judicial intervention are better understood and more accepted, to address prominent criticisms of PLL. Our comparison shows that judicial intervention in both spheres responds to coordination problems that make individual stakeholder action ineffective, and it explains how courts in both spheres can require and channel major organizational change without administering the organizations themselves or inefficiently constricting the discretion of managers. The comparison takes on greater urgency in light of the Trump Administration’s vow to “deconstruct the administrative state,” a promise which, if kept, will likely increase demand for PLL.
Accuracy of Activity Trackers in Parkinson Disease: Should We Prescribe Them?

Wearable, consumer-grade activity trackers have become widely available as a means of monitoring physical activity in the form of step counts. However, step counts may not be accurate in persons with Parkinson disease (PD) due to atypical gait characteristics. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the accuracy of 4 consumer-grade activity trackers in individuals with PD while ambulating during continuous and discontinuous walking tasks. Design: This study used a cross-sectional design. Methods: Thirty-three persons with PD (Hoehn & Yahr stages 1-3) donned 4 models of activity trackers on the less affected side of their bodies. Participants performed 2 continuous walking tasks (2-minute walk tests at comfortable and fast speeds) and 2 discontinuous walking tasks (a simulated household course and an obstacle negotiation course) in an outpatient setting. Bland-Altman plots and intraclass correlation coefficients [ICC(2,1)] were computed as a measure of agreement between actual steps taken (reference standard: video recording) and steps recorded by each tracker. Results: The accuracy of the activity trackers varied widely, with ICCs ranging from -0.03 to 0.98. Overall, the most accurate device across all tasks was the Fitbit Zip, and the least accurate was the Jawbone Up Move during the simulated household course. All activity trackers were more accurate for continuous walking tasks compared with discontinuous walking tasks. Waist-mounted devices were more accurate than wrist-mounted devices with continuous tasks. Bland-Altman plots revealed that all activity trackers underestimated step counts. Limitations: All walking tasks were measured over relatively short distances. Conclusions: In persons with mild-to-moderate PD, waist-worn activity trackers may be prescribed to monitor bouts of continuous walking with reasonable accuracy; however, activity trackers have little utility in monitoring discontinuous walking common in household settings.
Personal Epistemology Research: Implications for Learning and Teaching

The ideas that individuals hold about knowledge and knowing have been the target of research programs with disparate names, such as epistemological beliefs, reflective judgment, ways of knowing, and epistemological reflection, all of which appear to be a part of a larger body of work on “personal epistemology.” Epistemological perspectives are salient in numerous academic experiences, have been shown to be related to learning in various ways, influence reasoning and judgment throughout our lives, and have implications for teaching. Yet this work has remained outside the mainstream of educational psychology and cognitive development. This paper addresses three main questions: (1) What is personal epistemology research and how is it conceptualized? (2) How are individuals' conceptions of epistemology related to learning and instruction? (3) Given what we know about personal epistemology, what might educators do? Suggestions are also provided for future research and theoretical development.
Lochner's Feminist Legacy

This essay is a review of Julie Novkov's "Constituting Workers, Protecting Women: Gender, Law, and Labor in the Progressive and New Deal Years". The book, which discusses the controversy over "protective" laws for women, has some important strengths. Novkov deserves praise for considering a wide range of Lochner-era cases and for reading many of the related legal briefs, an often overlooked but extremely important source for constitutional history. Novkov also provides some compelling analysis. For example, she is one of the few scholars to recognize that the liberal Holden v. Hardy and not the strict Lochner v. New York was the leading case on the constitutionality of protective labor legislation case for much of the so-called Lochner era. The book is also very good at its primary task - explaining how considerations of sex affected legal arguments regarding protective laws for workers during the period studied. On the other hand, several flaws make "Constituting Workers, Protecting Women" less valuable than it might have been. First, Novkov pays almost no attention to any form of economic analysis. For example, Novkov never seriously considers whether economic logic suggests that maximum hours laws or minimum wage laws that applied only to female workers actually aided them. Novkov also fails to discuss the empirical evidence regarding the effect of sex-specific protective labor laws. Moreover, Novkov shows no interest in the public choice aspects of protective labor legislation for women, noting only in passing that protective legislation was often promoted by labor unions that excluded women to prevent women from competing for jobs held or sought by union members. A second problem with "Constituting Workers, Protecting Women" is that its perspective on constitutional change overemphasizes the importance of legal argument at the expense of both important personalities and crucial political developments. For example, remarkably for a book by a political scientist about constitutional law that culminates in the New Deal era, Franklin Roosevelt's name does not appear in the index. A third problem with "Constituting Workers, Protecting Women" is that Novkov overstates the importance of the debate over protective laws for women in the general debate over the constitutionality of police power legislation. And finally, Novkov fails to grapple seriously with the views of judges such as Justice George Sutherland, who invalidated protective laws for women in part because these classical liberal judges sincerely believed in legal equality for women. Despite the reservations noted above, "Constituting Workers, Protecting Women" is recommended for readers interested in constitutional, labor, and women's history. While it does not deliver everything the author promises, or that this reviewer would have liked to have seen, it is a cogent account of an important legal and historical controversy. The definitive book on protective labor legislation and women during the Lochner era, however, remains to be written.