cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Are there gender differences in choosing a surgical career

Abstract Background Interest in general surgery has declined among US medical students, with the increasing number of female medical students being cited as a causative factor. This study evaluates factors related to choosing a general surgery career and determines if they differ between men and women. Methods A survey assessing factors that contributed to career choice was distributed to a 2002 graduating medical school class to be returned with their match lists. Students were asked, from a given list, which factors influenced their career choice. Those students who did not pursue a career in general surgery were asked what factors contributed to that decision. The results were stratified by gender. Results Of 120 surveys, 54 women and 48 men responded (response rate = 85%). The reason most commonly cited for a particular career choice by both men and women was the intellectual challenge of the field, chosen by 41 men (85%) and 46 women (85%). The two next most common reasons cited by male students were an elective in the field and practice lifestyle (40 of 48 respondents, or 82%, for each). Practice lifestyle was a contributing factor for 37 of the 54 women, or 69% (P = .132). The other reasons most commonly cited by women were an elective and faculty in the chosen field (46 of 54, or 85%, and 38 of 54, or 70%). Thirty-seven of the 48 men, or 77% (P = .588), felt that faculty in the field contributed to their career choice. The most commonly cited reasons for not choosing general surgery—residency lifestyle, practice lifestyle, and length of training—were the same for both groups. Conclusions Fewer women than men considered practice lifestyle in choosing their medical career. However, both men and women considered lifestyle, elective in the field of choice, and faculty important in career choice. In 2002, men and women had the same reasons for pursuing a career in general surgery or seeking another specialty.
Low expression of the E3 Ubiquitin Ligase CBL Confers Chemoresistance in Human Pancreatic Cancer and is Targeted by Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibition

Purpose: Expression of CBL, an ubiquitin ligase, is decreased in 60% of human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) and is associated with shorter overall survival. We sought to determine how low CBL directly contributes to clinically more aggressive PDAC. Experimental Design: Human PDACs were stained for CBL, pEGFR, and EGFR. CBL-low was modeled in PDAC cells (Panc-1, L3.6pl, and AsPC-1) via transient transfection (siRNA) or stable knockdown (shRNA). Cell viability and apoptosis were measured by MTT assays and FACS. Immunoblot and a phospho-receptor tyrosine kinase (pRTK) array were used to probe signal transduction. NOD- scid - IL2Rγ null mice were subcutaneously implanted with PDAC or PDAC CBL-low cells on opposite flanks and treated with gemcitabine ± erlotinib for ≥4 weeks. Results: There was an inverse correlation between CBL and pEGFR protein expression in 12 of 15 tumors. CBL knockdown increased PDAC resistance to gemcitabine and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) by upregulating pEGFR (Y1068), pERK, and pAKT. A pRTK array of PDAC CBL-low cells revealed additional activated tyrosine kinases but all to a much lower magnitude than EGFR. Increased chemoresistance from low CBL was abrogated by the EGFR inhibitor erlotinib both in vitro and in vivo . Erlotinib+gemcitabine–treated PDAC CBL-low cells exhibited greater apoptosis by cleaved PARP, caspase-3, and Annexin V/PI. Conclusions: Low CBL causes chemoresistance in PDAC via stress-induced EGFR activation that can be effectively abrogated by EGFR inhibition. These results suggest that dysregulation of ubiquitination is a key mechanism of EGFR hyperactivation in PDAC and that low CBL may define PDAC tumors likely to respond to erlotinib treatment. Clin Cancer Res; 21(1); 157–65. ©2014 AACR .
Serum Bactericidal Assays To Evaluate Typhoidal and Nontyphoidal Salmonella Vaccines

Invasive Salmonella infections for which improved or new vaccines are being developed include enteric fever caused by Salmonella enterica serovars Typhi, Paratyphi A, and Paratyphi B and sepsis and meningitis in young children in sub-Saharan Africa caused by nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) serovars, particularly S. enterica serovars Typhimurium and Enteritidis. Assays are needed to measure functional antibodies elicited by the new vaccines to assess their immunogenicities and potential protective capacities. We developed in vitro assays to quantify serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) activity induced by S. Typhi, S. Paratyphi A, S. Typhimurium, and S. Enteritidis vaccines in preclinical studies. Complement from various sources was tested in assays designed to measure antibody-dependent complement-mediated killing. Serum from rabbits 3 to 4 weeks of age provided the best complement source compared to serum from pigs, goats, horses, bovine calves, or rabbits 8 to 12 weeks of age. For S. Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium, and S. Typhi SBA assays to be effective, bacteria had to be harvested at log phase. In contrast, S. Paratyphi A was equally susceptible to killing whether it was grown to the stationary or log phase. The typhoidal serovars were more susceptible to complement-mediated killing than were the nontyphoidal serovars. Lastly, the SBA endpoint titers correlated with serum IgG anti-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) titers in mice immunized with mucosally administered S. Typhimurium, S. Enteritidis, and S. Paratyphi A but not S. Typhi live attenuated vaccines. The SBA assay described here is a useful tool for measuring functional antibodies elicited by Salmonella vaccine candidates.
Structure of Taq Polymerase with DNA at the Polymerase Active-Site

The DNA polymerase from Thermus aquaticus (Taq polymerase) is homologous to Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I (Pol I) and likewise has domains responsible for DNA polymerase and 5' nuclease activities. The structures to the polymerase domains of Taq polymerase and of the Klenow fragment (KF) of Pol I are almost identical, whereas the structure of a vestigial editing 3'-5' exonuclease domain of Taq polymerase that lies between the other two domains is dramatically altered, resulting in the absence of this activity in the thermostable enzyme. The structures have been solved for editing complexes between KF and single-stranded DNA and for duplex DNA with a 3' overhanging single strand, but not for a complex containing duplex DNA at the polymerase active-site. Here we present the co-crystal structure of Taq polymerase with a blunt-ended duplex DNA bound to the polymerase active-site cleft; the DNA neither bends nor goes through the large polymerase cleft, and the structural form of the bound DNA is between the B and A forms. A wide minor groove allows access to protein side chains that hydrogen-bond to the N3 of purines and the O2 of pyrimidines at the blunt-end terminus. Part of the DNA bound to the polymerase site shares a common binding site with DNA bound to the exonuclease site, but they are translated relative to each other by several angstroms along their helix axes.
An Empirical Investigation of Sexual Harassers: Toward a Perpetrator Typology:

This study used published arbitration decisions as a data source to explore identifiable behavioral patterns of sexual harassment perpetrators. The results of the multi-method analysis generally supported the need to distinguish between different types of perpetrators and provided the basis for a new typology of sexual harassers. Two dominant themes emerged around the number of targets and the nature of the harassing behavior. Some harassers appear to target a small number of victims persistently, while others appeared to harass any and all targets whenever possible. Whereas some harassers engaged in very sexualized behaviors, others seem to prefer aggressive actions. A discussion of research and managerial implications focuses on the importance of distinguishing between different types of sexual harassers.
A ground and obstacle collision avoidance technique (GOCAT)

The authors present a novel solution to the problem of providing aircrew with a timely warning of a dangerously close approach to the terrain. An overview of why such a capability is required, the benefits it is expected to provide, and specific requirements that it must fulfil is given. The ground proximity warning techniques which are currently available are reviewed, and the benefits and limitations of each technique are assessed. The GEC Avionics Ground and Obstacle Collision Avoidance Technique (GOCAT), which forms part of the Total Terrain Avionics system, is introduced. The particular advantages of the GOCAT approach, such as the use of a terrain database, are identified, and issues of parameter selection, search area definition, and system limitations are described. The results of a GOCAT simulation are presented to demonstrate the conditions under which a warning is required and generated. The characteristics of a practical implementation for both civil and military applications are discussed. >
Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 nanowires are outer membrane and periplasmic extensions of the extracellular electron transport components

Bacterial nanowires offer an extracellular electron transport (EET) pathway for linking the respiratory chain of bacteria to external surfaces, including oxidized metals in the environment and engineered electrodes in renewable energy devices. Despite the global, environmental, and technological consequences of this biotic-abiotic interaction, the composition, physiological relevance, and electron transport mechanisms of bacterial nanowires remain unclear. We report, to our knowledge, the first in vivo observations of the formation and respiratory impact of nanowires in the model metal-reducing microbe Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. Live fluorescence measurements, immunolabeling, and quantitative gene expression analysis point to S. oneidensis MR-1 nanowires as extensions of the outer membrane and periplasm that include the multiheme cytochromes responsible for EET, rather than pilin-based structures as previously thought. These membrane extensions are associated with outer membrane vesicles, structures ubiquitous in Gram-negative bacteria, and are consistent with bacterial nanowires that mediate long-range EET by the previously proposed multistep redox hopping mechanism. Redox-functionalized membrane and vesicular extensions may represent a general microbial strategy for electron transport and energy distribution.
Fear of Movement: Factor Structure of the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia in Patients With Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Abstract Chronic pain patients often report fears that movement will exacerbate their symptoms. The Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK) was designed to assess fear of movement. Previous findings with the TSK showed inconsistent factor structures and varied measurement properties. The TSK was completed by a sample of 233 patients with fibromyalgia syndrome who were being evaluated for participation in a rehabilitation program. A principal components analysis initially derived a 5-factor solution. However, the factor structure accounted for less than 50% of the variance, and the internal consistency of the factors was below conventional standards ( Perspective Although the TSK is one of the most commonly used measures of fear of movement, the present study using the TSK with a sample of patients with fibromyalgia syndrome suggests that the measurement properties of the TSK are problematic. Recommendations for use of the TSK are provided.
Effects of neural network feedback to physicians on admit/discharge decision for emergency department patients with chest pain

Abstract Study objective Neural networks can risk-stratify emergency department (ED) patients with potential acute coronary syndromes with a high specificity, potentially facilitating ED discharge of patients to home. We hypothesized that the use of "real-time" neural networks would decrease the admission rate for ED chest pain patients. Methods We conducted a before-and-after trial. Consecutive ED patients with chest pain were evaluated before and after implementation of a neural network in an urban university ED. Data included 40 variables used in neural networks for acute myocardial infarction and acute coronary syndrome. Data were obtained in real time, and neural network outputs were provided to the treating physician while patients were in the ED. On hospital discharge, attending physicians received feedback, including neural network output, their initial clinical impression, cardiac test results, and final diagnosis. The main outcome was the actual admit/discharge decision made before versus after the implementation of the neural network. Results Before implementation, 4,492 patients were enrolled; after implementation, 432 patients were enrolled. Implementation of the neural network did not decrease the hospital admission rate (before: 62.7% [95% confidence interval (CI) 61.3% to 64.1%] versus after: 66.6% [95% CI 62.2% to 71.0%]). Additionally, the ICU admission rates were not different (11.4% [95% CI 10.5% to 12.3%] versus 9.3% [95% CI 6.6% to 12.0%]). Physician query found that the neural network changed management in only 2 cases ( Conclusion The use of real-time neural network feedback did not influence the admission decision for ED patients with chest pain, most likely because the neural network output was delayed until the return of cardiac markers, and the disposition decision had already been made by that time.
Identification of soybean elicitation competency factor, CF-1, as the soybean Kunitz trypsin inhibitor

The soybean defence responses that occur in cells immediately adjacent (proximal) to the hypersensitive response (HR) can be induced by the cell wall glucan elicitor (WGE) from Phytophthora sojae, but in some cultivars only in cells that have been pre-conditioned by endogenous competency factors associated with wounded or HR-dying cells. Competency factor, CF-1, causes a general amplification of phenylpropanoid responses to elicitor and greatly enhances the phenolic polymer response to elicitor. CF-1 activity, which is heat-labile and associated with a low speed centrifugal pellet of soybean tissues, can be partially mimicked by reduced glutathione (GSH). Here it is reported that GSH releases CF-1 activity into intercellular washing fluids, suggesting it is associated with the apoplast. Likewise, GSH can be used to enrich CF-1 activity greatly in extracts from low speed pellets. This enrichment allowed the purification of CF-1 to near homogeneity and its subjection to mass spectral and sequence analysis. CF-1 was identified as the soybean Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (SKTI). Although plant protease inhibitors have been implicated in insect and pathogen resistance, to the authors' knowledge this is the first suggestion of a regulatory role in activation of cellular defence responses. Protease inhibitors play a role in many signaling processes in eukaryotic systems, and SKTI has intriguing three-dimensional homologies to interleukin 1-α and 1-β and fibroblast growth factor.
The Stiff Man Syndrome: A Psychiatric Disease?

Abstract Although the Stiff Man Syndrome has been traditionally viewed as a neurologic disorder, a number of recent articles have documented a pattern of familial, interpersonal, and intrapsychic stress which suggests that this disease may be, to a considerable degree, psychosomatic in origin. The present paper reviews several recent articles and focuses on a single case study. Although the medical diagnosis was earlier confirmed, an in-depth psychiatric evaluation and extensive psychological assessment showed many psychopathological concomitants associated with the severe muscle spasm and stiffness. A follow-up after about a year of group and individual psychotherapy showed that the symptoms were still in remission, and that the patient was functioning personally and occupationally on a significantly improved level.
Management of Hyperglycemia in the Intensive Care Unit: When Glucose Reaches Critical Levels

Hyperglycemia among hospitalized critically ill patients has been shown to be an independent predictor of poorer outcomes. Appropriate treatment of hyperglycemia among these patients has been associated with reduced mortality and morbidity. There are risk and benefits associated with management of hyperglycemia in the critically ill patient. The ultimate goal of treatment is to obtain glycemic control without causing undue hypoglycemia. This article discusses issues related to glycemic control among critically ill patients, glucose targets in this population, and best practices in the management of hyperglycemia in patients in the intensive care unit.
Regulation of mouse lens fiber cell development and differentiation by the Maf gene.

Maf is a basic domain/leucine zipper domain protein originally identified as a proto-oncogene whose consensus target site in vitro, the T-MARE, is an extended version of an AP-1 site normally recognized by Fos and Jun. Maf and the closely related family members Neural retina leucine zipper (Nrl), L-Maf, and Krml1/MafB have been implicated in a wide variety of developmental and physiologic roles; however, mutations in vivo have been described only for Krml1/MafB, in which a loss-of-function causes abnormalities in hindbrain development due to failure to activate the Hoxa3 and Hoxb3 genes. We have used gene targeting to replace Maf coding sequences with those of lacZ, and have carried out a comprehensive analysis of embryonic expression and the homozygous mutant phenotype in the eye. Maf is expressed in the lens vesicle after invagination, and becomes highly upregulated in the equatorial zone, the site at which self-renewing anterior epithelial cells withdraw from the cell cycle and terminally differentiate into posterior fiber cells. Posterior lens cells in Maf(lacZ) mutant mice exhibit failure of elongation at embryonic day 11.5, do not express (α)A- and all of the (beta)-crystallin genes, and display inappropriately high levels of DNA synthesis. This phenotype partially overlaps with those reported for gene targeting of Prox1 and Sox1; however, expression of these genes is grossly normal, as is expression of Eya1, Eya2, Pax6, and Sox2. Recombinant Maf protein binds to T-MARE sites in the (alpha)A-, (beta)B2-, and (beta)A4-crystallin promoters but fails to bind to a point mutation in the (alpha)A-crystallin promoter that has been shown previously to be required for promoter function. Our results indicate that Maf directly activates many if not all of the (beta)-crystallin genes, and suggest a model for coordinating cell cycle withdrawal with terminal differentiation.
Seeking NSF funding opportunities: tutorial presentation

NSF supports projects to improve education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through several programs in its Education and Human Resources (EHR) directorate, as well as in its research directorates, including Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE). This forum presents a description of some education-related programs in the EHR and CISE directorates, and enables participants to interact with the presenters concerning specific project ideas that could be appropriate for the various programs. We also plan to discuss the requirements and guidelines for the selected programs describe the review processes as well as strategies for writing competitive proposals.
Studying Contention in Contemporary China

Do ideas drawn from the social movement literature travel well once we leave the democratic West? Research on protest in contemporary China shows that familiar concepts can be applied to China, and can also modify or question ideas that do not square with the realities of an authoritarian, non-western state. To this point, the biggest payoffs of studying popular contention in China have been: new ways of thinking about political opportunities, mobilizing structures, and framing. There remain three important gaps, however, in the study of Chinese collective action, all of which are places where future research can contribute to the understandings of contentious politics: 1) activism and the upwardly mobilie, 2) international influences, and 3) repression.
“We Want to Learn”: Middle School Latino/a Students Discuss Social Studies Curriculum and Pedagogy

AbstractThis qualitative study examines the perceptions that Latino students have of middle school social studies. Twelve Latino/a middle school students provided written narratives recounting their experiences in social studies and participated in two semi-structured phenomenological interviews. Findings indicate that social studies teachers rely heavily upon “banking” pedagogy and the curriculum lacks cultural diversity. Students also perceived social studies as the ideal subject area in middle school to engage in global learning opportunities as well as discussion about current events. Latino/a students’ experiences and subsequent perceptions of middle school social studies are consistent with theory and research pertaining to adolescent identity, cognitive, and psychosocial development. Findings from this investigation add to the extant canon of literature on students’ perceptions of social studies and further emphasize the significance of social studies in meeting the needs of 21st century diverse le...
Experimental Verification of Tritium Control by Glove-Box Containment

Concepts being developed for tritium containment at proposed fusion power plants will rely on existing laboratory experiences. The successful operation of a glove-box containment system was demonst...
Respiratory precautions for MERS-CoV: acceptable risk-benefit determination

There is currently no specific treatment for the infection other than supportive medical care. The majority of recent cases appeared to arise from human-to-human transmission and have mainly occurred within the healthcare setting. (2) Although Singapore has had no MERS-CoV cases to date, we remain at continued risk for MERS-CoV importation in view of the significant number of travellers to and from the Middle East for religious (i.e. Umrah and Hajj), recreational, medical and business purposes. In this issue of Singapore Medical Journal, Chung et al have summarised a very interesting and relevant debate on whether surgical masks – as opposed to N95 respirators – would suffice in the prevention of MERS-CoV transmission in non-aerosol-generating circumstances in the hospital setting. (3)
Patents for the people

Robert E. Wolverton, Jr. and Karen DavidsonWelcome to another edition of E-Resource Round Up! This issue's column covers a variety of information on libraries and electronic resources, including on...
The Anti-tumor Effects of Vitamin D in Other Cancers

Publisher Summary Apart from their potential role in cancer cause and treatment, substantial research has been carried out to study the role of vitamin D in prostate, breast, colorectal cancer, and hematologic malignancies, especially acute leukemias. This chapter examines the potential role of vitamin D and its analogs across the less commonly studied tumors for a vitamin D effect, such as thyroid cancer, bone and soft tissue sarcoma, melanoma, gastro-esophageal cancers, lung cancers, heptocellular carcinoma, bladder cancer, glioma, head and neck cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and pancreatic cancer, where the data are not as extensive or as well characterized. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) expression is found across all these tumor types and differences between the level of expression and cancer grade/pathologic type have been identified with the need for further studies warranted. Anti-proliferative activities of vitamin D and its analogs are observed across all of these tumors with many in vivo studies in relevant tumor models showing a vitamin D benefit. However, these clinical studies are limited as in the other more commonly studied tumor types, in that the optimal dose is yet to be determined and the availability of vitamin D preparations for clinical use is also limited.
Growing Corn in Clumps Reduces Canopy Temperature and Improves Microclimate

ABSTRACTUniform or evenly spaced planting (ESP) geometry is practiced when resources, such as water, are nonlimiting for growing crops, but under resource-limited environments, nonuniform treatment of the land can be an advantage. Corn (Zea mays L.) field studies were conducted in Gruver (Gruver field study, GFS) and Bushland (Bushland field study, BFS), Texas to compare plant canopy temperature, within-canopy vapor pressure deficit (VPD), grain yield, and yield components for clump (3 plants clustered) and ESP geometries with the same plant populations. At different growth stages for both studies, thermal images were taken for calculating canopy temperature (CT), and temperature and relative humidity (RH) within the plant canopy were measured. Overall, CTs were significantly lower for clumps compared with ESPs, and mean VPDs within the clumps were consistently lower than those for ESPs, indicating that clumps improved the microclimate. Compared with ESPs, clumps produced similar or higher grain yields, a...
Splice form-dependent regulation of axonal arbor complexity by FMRP.

The autism-related protein Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) is an RNA binding protein that plays important roles during both nervous system development and experience dependent plasticity. Alternative splicing of the Fmr1 locus gives rise to 12 different FMRP splice forms that differ in the functional and regulatory domains they contain as well as in their expression profile among brain regions and across development. Complete loss of FMRP leads to morphological and functional changes in neurons, including an increase in the size and complexity of the axonal arbor. To investigate the relative contribution of the FMRP splice forms to the regulation of axon morphology, we overexpressed individual splice forms in cultured wild type rat cortical neurons. FMRP overexpression led to a decrease in axonal arbor complexity that suggests that FMRP regulates axon branching. This reduction in complexity was specific to three splice forms—the full-length splice form 1, the most highly expressed splice form 7, and splice form 9. A focused analysis of splice form 7 revealed that this regulation is independent of RNA binding. Instead this regulation is disrupted by mutations affecting phosphorylation of a conserved serine as well as by mutating the nuclear export sequence. Surprisingly, this mutation in the nuclear export sequence also led to increased localization to the distal axonal arbor. Together, these findings reveal domain-specific functions of FMRP in the regulation of axonal complexity that may be controlled by differential expression of FMRP splice forms. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 738–752, 2017
Foreign-made Apparel

With the use of a congruity theory approach, consumers were asked to evaluate the quality of apparel for three brand types (name, designer, store), four store types (department, discount, national chain, off-price) and imported versus US-made apparel. They were then asked to evaluate the quality of each store type in association with either US-made or imported merchandise. Subjects were also asked to evaluate the quality of brand types in association with US-made or imported goods. Results revealed that a brand or store association with imported or US-made apparel may significantly increase or decrease the perception of apparel quality. The implications for advertisers, manufacturers and retailers are discussed.
Influence of geometry-induced frequency dispersion on the impedance of rectangular electrodes

Abstract Three-dimensional finite-element simulations were performed to identify the characteristic frequency associated with the influence of electrode geometry on the impedance response. An expression for the characteristic dimension of the rectangular electrode was found that can be used to estimate the frequency associated with geometry-induced frequency dispersion. These results may serve to guide the design of rectangular-shaped sensors that employ impedance measurements. A systematic approach is presented for selection of appropriate domain size and element density for the finite-element simulations and for estimation of the error in the calculated ohmic resistance.
Treatment of profound thrombocytopenia in a patient with Gaucher disease type 1: Is there a role for substrate reduction therapy

Abstract The availability of three enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) drugs and two substrate reduction therapy (SRT) drugs to treat Gaucher disease provides an opportunity to tailor therapies to a patient's specific clinical concerns. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding individual drug effectiveness in treating particular symptoms and the potential benefits of combination treatment. This report details treatment of a patient with Gaucher disease type 1 whose main clinical concern was profound thrombocytopenia (around 20 × 10 9 /L, normal range: 150–450 × 10 9 /L) with several episodes of bleeding with minimal trauma and bruises. The patient was treated with ERT at doses up to 60 units/kg weekly, with no improvement in platelet levels for 6 years. Subsequently, the patient transitioned to SRT and platelet levels increased almost two fold within the first month, and have remained stable at safe levels (30–60 × 10 9 /L) for almost 2.5 years at the time of publication. This report demonstrates a possible therapeutic benefit of SRT in individual patients who do not meet therapeutic goals in terms of thrombocytopenia after a considerable period on first-line ERT treatment. Oral administration of SRT also improved this patient's quality of life allowing discontinuation of weekly ERT infusions, which better accommodated her demanding career and busy lifestyle.
Bend-bend-twist vibrations of a wind turbine blade

Dynamics of a wind turbine blade under bend-bend-twist coupled vibrations is investigated. The potential and kinetic energy expressions for a straight nonuniform blade are written in terms of beam parameters. Then, the energies are expressed in terms of modal coordinates by using the assumed mode method, and the equations of motion are found by applying Lagrange's formula. The bend-bend-twist equations are coupled with each other and have stiffness variations due to centrifugal effects and gravitational parametric terms, which vary cyclicly with the hub angle. To determine the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the system, a modal analysis is applied on the linearized coupled equations of constant angle snapshots of a blade with effects of constant speed rotation. Lower modes of the coupled bend-bend-twist model are dominantly in-plane or out-of-plane modes. To investigate the parametric effects, several blade models are analyzed at different angular positions. The stiffness terms involving centrifugal and gravitational effects can be significant for long blades. To further see the effect of blade length on relative parametric stiffness change, the blade models are scaled in size and analyzed at constant rotational speeds, at horizontal and vertical orientations. These studies show that the parametric stiffness effects should be taken into account when designing long blades.
Contiguous Minimum Single-Source-Multi-Sink Cuts in Weighted Planar Graphs

We present a fast algorithm for uniform sampling of contiguous minimum cuts separating a source vertex from a set of sink vertices in a weighted undirected planar graph with n vertices embedded in the plane. The algorithm takes O(n) time per sample, after an initial O(n 3) preprocessing time during which the algorithm computes the number of all such contiguous minimum cuts. Contiguous cuts (that is, cuts where a naturally defined boundary around the cut set forms a simply connected planar region) have applications in computer vision and medical imaging [6,14].
The Role of Circulating Tumor DNA in Renal Cell Carcinoma

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a novel technology that can complement tumor tissue NGS and has the potential to influence diagnosis and treatment of both localized and metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). ctDNA NGS is an attractive alternative to tumor tissue NGS because it circumvents the need for repeated, invasive tissue biopsies while providing a contemporary mutational profile of a patient’s tumors. While the role of ctDNA NGS in non-small cell lung cancer and colorectal cancer is well established, studies of ctDNA NGS in mRCC are only hypothesis-generating to date. In the localized RCC setting, ctDNA has demonstrated potential as a surveillance biomarker for disease recurrence. Earlier detection of mRCC, prior to the onset of symptoms, may lead to improved clinical outcomes. NGS of ctDNA in mRCC is even more promising in patients with metastatic disease. The majority of patients with mRCC have detectable ctDNA. Thus, ctDNA could be used to select patients for biomarker-guided clinical trials, such as savolitinib in MET-positive papillary RCC. Furthermore, studies have shown that the mutational profile of mRCC in ctDNA evolves after treatment progression. The most exciting potential role for ctDNA in mRCC is as a predictive biomarker for response to immunotherapy. Studies have shown that tumor mutational burden (TMB) is predictive of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors, and hypermutated ctDNA can act as a surrogate biomarker for TMB and response to immunotherapy. While studies of ctDNA in RCC are still in their infancy, there are many promising roles for ctDNA in localized and metastatic RCC.
The mark of criminality: Rhetoric, race, and gangsta rap in the war-on-crime era

Bryan McCann’s recent study of crime, race, hip-hop, and rhetoric will find a wide audience not only among communication scholars interested in these ideas, but also among political scientists, his...
Difficulties Implementing Big Data: A Big Data Implementation Study

The exponential increase in the volume of data, the velocity at which they are created and their vast and progressively expanding varieties can be derived from virtually all aspects of our everyday lives. This situation prompts the need for urgent change in the way data are stored, received, and analyzed. Today, organizations under appreciate the changes, growth and strategic development their Big Data are capable of providing. Organizations also overestimate their own ability to access and interrupt their data in order to derive benefit from it. Big Data problems in organizations have historically been approached with an isolated outlook, rather than viewing issues as co-dependent parts of one another. The purpose of this research is to identify and summarize the general challenges faced by an organizations ability to adequately utilize and capitalize on the opportunities presented by its Big Data. Through the research methods of data collection and multiple case study analysis, this paper proposes a three-step framework model, which focuses on definition, organization and value creation. The proposed framework serves to mitigate Big Data implementation challenges and their involved issues faced by an organization.
Die Ausführung Definierter Funktionen

Wenn in einer APL2-Anweisung definierte Funktionen und Operatoren auftreten, dann werden sie wie Elementarfunktionen und -operatoren behandelt, das heist, sie unterliegen den gleichen syntaktischen Regeln wie diese. Insbesondere gilt dies fur die Regeln uber die Reihenfolge der Ausfuhrung (S. 53).
Nanoindentation analysis methods examined with finite element simulations

Abstract Quantitative mechanical properties were obtained from simulated nanoindentation load–depth curves using three analysis methods. Unloading curve fits for stiffness, depth and contact area g...
Immunofluorescence Microscopy to Study Endogenous TAZ in Mammalian Cells

The transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ), which is encoded by the WWTR1 gene, is a key transcriptional effector of the Hippo signaling pathway. TAZ function has been implicated in a variety of developmental processes and diseases, most notably in driving oncogenesis. Given that nuclear-cytoplasmic localization dynamics dictate TAZ activity, techniques for visualizing TAZ localization are critical for its study. Here we describe an immunofluorescence microscopy protocol that allows for the visualization of TAZ subcellular localization in mammalian cells, offering an approach that can aid in the analysis of TAZ regulation and function.
PSEUDO-DYSKINESIS: NOT ALWAYS AN INSIGNIFICANT FINDING

Pseudo-Dyskinesis (PD) of the LV inferior wall is characterized by diastolic flattening and systolic outward motion. PD results predominantly from intra-abdominal processes like ascites and is often overlooked. We present a case of PD, noted on a bedside transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) done for
Conversations in a Pub: Positioning the Critical Friend as "Peer Relief" in the Supervision of a Teacher Educator Study Abroad Experience

In this paper, we share the results of a self-study of our experience as university supervisors in a study abroad program for U.S. pre-service teachers. We share the shifts in our thinking that occurred as a result of our daily conversations about our work as teacher educators. Our reflections led us to new understandings of the nuances of field experiences, our constructions of pre-service teachers in the field, and the necessity of personal and professional renewal for faculty, not only as critical friends, but as peer relief. Keywords: Autoethnography, Study Abroad, Supervision, Teacher Education The stories of teacher educators' professional lives and identities are fostered through the portrayals of "self-narratives" (Sachs, 2001) in which the role of the critical friend can be essential to the process of problematizing practice. Costa and Kallick (1993) conceptualized a critical friend as a "trusted friend who asks provocative questions, provides data to be examined through another lens, and offers critique of a person's work as a friend" (p. 49). Bambino (2002) described critical friends as catalysts for change—the role is evaluative, consultative, and challenging. The role may be formalized through protocols and procedures (Wachob, 2011) or less formal and open-ended through discussions or journals (Hickson, 2011). As Schuck and Russell (2005) state, "a critical friend acts as a sounding board, asks challenging questions, supports reframing of events, and joins in the professional learning experience" (p. 107). In teacher education, critical friends are valuable change agents who make the work of reflexive practice more collaborative. The critical friend serves as a mirror and a lens, providing a conduit for blending research into practice. As Hedges (2010) describes the relationship, the presence of a critical friend in the field can raise consciousness about practice. In this paper, we describe the role of a critical friend from a different perspective— as one of "peer relief" during a study abroad experience. In other words, we position the critical friend as a colleague who provides relief in the form of a professional clique, serving first as an insider and informant positioned against students and then as a reflexive partner positioned with students.
"Just Living With Them": Symptom Management Experiences of Rural Residents With Advanced Cancer.

Purpose To understand how rural residents with advanced cancer experience and manage their symptoms. Participants & setting 16 adult patients with a diagnosis of advanced cancer, who were receiving antineoplastic treatment and living in rural areas of southeastern Iowa, participated in the study. Methodologic approach Data were collected through semistructured, audio-recorded interviews using open-ended questions. Data were analyzed using content and dimensional analyses. Findings Four themes were developed from the completed interviews, including (a) barriers and challenges associated with rural cancer care, (b) physical symptoms experienced from the time of diagnosis through the cancer trajectory, (c) symptom management strategies used to control physical symptoms, and (d) perceptions of having cancer and the use of technology in managing symptoms. Implications for nursing Rural residents with advanced cancer experience a wide range of physical symptoms that may affect their quality of life. Although residents may develop self-management strategies to cope with symptoms, additional guidance on and interventions for how best to manage physical symptoms are needed.
Effects of emotion-induced self-focused attention on item and source memory

Affective states are closely linked to attention to internal aspects of the self (i.e., self-focused attention). We investigated how self-focused attention induced by emotional experiences affects memory for subsequently presented information. Prior to incidental encoding of affectively neutral target words, participants were induced to feel shame or anger through autobiographical recall (vs. no emotion-induction control condition). Memory for words (item memory) and their associated contextual features (source memory) were subsequently assessed. Self-focused attention, measured by the private self-consciousness scale, was highest in the shame condition, followed by the anger and then control conditions. Item memory was significantly impaired in the shame condition compared to both the anger and control conditions, and self-focused attention negatively mediated the effect of emotion condition on memory performance. Source memory did not significantly differ across the emotion conditions, and we discuss possible factors contributing to this null finding. Our findings suggest that emotion-induced self-focused attention may reduce attentional resources available for encoding task-relevant external information.
Advanced Practice Nursing in the United States

The formation of a national association in the United States to represent all nurse practitioners (NPs) regardless of specialty has been a process of seeking out opportunities and facing challenges. From humble beginnings in the mid-1980s, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) has grown to nearly 100,000 members representing over 270,000 NPs. AANP provides leadership through grassroots efforts and coalitions at the national, state, and community levels to advance the agenda of NPs, including influencing legislation for payment for NPs from programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, the ability for NPs to prescribe medication-assisted treatments for opioid abuse disorders, and input from practice to the advanced practice nursing Consensus Model. AANP continues to be an agent for reform in the US health system by representing NPs who render high-quality cost-effective care.
Theory and Technology in Behavior Analysis

The differences within behaviorism in general and behavior analysis in particular have been described in many ways. Some of the more common distinctions are “basic versus applied”, “clinical versus non-clinical”, “behavior therapy versus behavior analysis”, and “experimental analysis of behavior versus applied behavior analysis”. These and other such distinctions do not seem to refer to truely important differences, or refer to important differences in confusing ways. It is suggested that there are two main dimensions which divide behaviorists into meaningful units: the type of paradigm (behavior analysis versus methodological behaviorism) and the level of analysis (technical, methodological, conceptual, or philosophical). By considering these two dimensions a number of issues in the field are recast. In particular, many of the differences within behavior analysis are recast into questions of the relationship between theory and technology.
Word retrieval improves following a mindful breathing exercise but is unrelated to dispositional mindfulness

Mindfulness can reduce anxiety and improve attentional control, so we tested for relationships between mindfulness and performance on word retrieval tasks. In Study 1, college students experienced ...
Status and Solidarity: A Reformulation of Early Durkheimian Theory*

Previous scholars have charged that Durkheim provides an inadequate theory of inequality, that the concept of organic solidarity is not well supported, and that egoistic and anomic suicide cannot be adequately distinguished. Although these problems appear distinct, they each arise because Durkheim naturalized inequality and ignored social status. Introducing a concept of status permits a reconceptualization of the types of suicide and creates new analytic connections between The Division of Labor and Suicide. Social solidarity and status hierarchies are presented as variations in the relationship between social integration and social regulation. The interplay between status and solidarity influences the expression of social practice, power, belief, and justice.
The Origin of Granite and Continental Masses in an Expanding Earth

In the 1940s a major debate raged as to whether some granite bodies of plutonic dimensions were formed from magmas or by replacement processes (Grout, 1941; Read, 1948). Geologists favoring replacement, the “granitizers,” suggested that Si and K are introduced into diorites and gabbros as Al, Fe, Mg, and Ca are subtracted from the mafic rocks to convert them to felsic granites (Table 1). “Magmatists,” geologists supporting a melt-origin, believed that granitic magmas are created in “dry” rocks devoid of free water and at temperatures hot enough to cause thermal breakdown of water-bound minerals (Whitney, 1988; Leake, 1990). At these temperatures partial melting of granitic compositions occur and leave mafic restites. Experimental work in closed systems on melted natural and artificial granites convinced the magmatists that granites of plutonic dimensions formed from melts derived from mantle or lower crustal sources (Tuttle and Bowen, 1958; Luth et al, 1964). The experimental work showed that granitoid compositions plot near eutectics of phase diagrams. Lowest temperature points in these diagrams represent ultimate conditions for either (1) initial melting or (2) fractional crystallization of silica-saturated magmas. The magmatists concluded that because most granites plot near these low-temperature points, their bulk chemical content must be controlled by the sequence in which minerals first melt or the sequence in which minerals first crystallize and fractionally settle from a melt.Magmatists also opposed the forming of granites by replacement processes on the basis that, (1) although many granitic terranes are heterogeneous, many large granite bodies are homogeneous, and (2) because replacing fluids are likely heterogeneous, the creation of uniform granite plutons from them is unlikely (Clarke, 1992).
Improvements in the diagnosis of acute kidney injury.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) represents a wide range of heterogeneous clinical conditions with a high mortality rate. Despite improvements in our understanding of the disease processes, mortality has only marginally improved and remains unacceptably high. An additional consequence of AKI is the marked acceleration of pre-existing chronic kidney disease to end­stage renal disease. A major limitation in improving outcomes of AKI has been the lack of common standards for diagnosis and severity stratification. Serum creatinine is a late marker of kidney dysfunction and injury. Presently, no available commercial test offers diagnosis, nor the ability to stratify patients by severity of injury, early in the course of disease when therapy may be beneficial. The Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative (ADQI) group proposed a standard definition and classification system for the syndrome of acute renal failure. Based on data that even small changes of serum creatinine result in increased mortality, the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) has recently proposed modified criteria. Both staging systems emphasize changes in serum creatinine and urine output. There is also potential that a number of serum and urine bio-markers developed in preclinical studies and currently being investigated and validated, will enable the early diagnosis of AKI.