cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of Frequency-Limited Adaptive Quadrocopter Control

Adaptive control systems have long been used to effectively control dynamical systems without excessive reliance on system models. This is due mainly to the fact that adaptive control guarantees stability, the same however, cannot be said for performance; adaptive control systems may exhibit poor tracking during transient (learning) time. This paper discusses the experimental implementation of a new architecture to model reference adaptive control, specifically, the reference system is augmented with a novel mismatch term representing the high-frequency content of the system tracking error. This mismatch term is an effective tool to remove the high frequency content of the error signal used in the adaptive element update law. The augmented architecture therefore allows high-gain adaptation without the usual side-effect of high-frequency oscillations. The proposed control architecture is validated using the Georgia Tech unmanned aerial vehicle simulation tool (GUST) and also implemented on the Georgia Tech Quadrocpoter (GTQ). It is shown that the new framework allows the system to quickly suppress the effect of uncertainty without the usual side effects of high gain adaptation such as high-frequency oscillations.
Approximation Algorithms for Scheduling with Resource and Precedence Constraints

We study non-preemptive scheduling problems on identical parallel machines and uniformly related machines under both resource constraints and general precedence constraints between jobs. Our first result is an O(logn)-approximation algorithm for the objective of minimizing the makespan on parallel identical machines under resource and general precedence constraints. We then use this result as a subroutine to obtain an O(logn)-approximation algorithm for the more general objective of minimizing the total weighted completion time on parallel identical machines under both constraints. Finally, we present an O(logm logn)-approximation algorithm for scheduling under these constraints on uniformly related machines. We show that these results can all be generalized to include the case where each job has a release time. This is the first upper bound on the approximability of this class of scheduling problems where both resource and general precedence constraints must be satisfied simultaneously.
Like a Good Neighbor, Squatters Are There: Property and Neighborhood Stability in the Context of Urban Decline:

In declining cities, an abundance of vacant, devalued property, and under–resourced regulatory mechanisms challenge dominant understandings of private ownership of real property as a source of inve...
Professional Responsibility in an Age of Experts and Large Organizations

The social position of the professions was historically built, in part, on claims to higher ethical principles than those on which business people relied. This ideology began to wane in the early twentieth century and by the 1960s was no longer dominant. I argue that that a coherent and broadly inclusive ideology of professional responsibility cannot be reconstructed in the twenty-first century. Any effort to do so would require realism about four decentering elements in the circumstances of professional life: (1) the limited appeal of contemporary versions of progressive idealism; (2) continuing prominence of occupational skill and expertise in the definition of the professional stratum; (3) the decisive role of formal organizations in shaping and allocating professional responsibilities; and (4) the contested and unsettled nature of professional responsibilities in practice. I do not think that the issue of professional responsibility is unimportant or beyond discussion. Instead, I argue that identifying its influence properly will require piecing together the net results of multiple strands of supportive ideology, organization, and practice, rather than focusing on the development of a single broadly inclusive framework.
Quine, Willard van Ormand (1908–2000)

Willard van Ormand Quine(1908–2000) was the Edgar Pierce Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, at Harvard University. Quine was one of the major figures in American logic and wrote several standard texts on the subject. While not a linguist, Quine came from the Logical Positivist School of logic and philosophy, which sees philosophy in terms of language use. The logical positivists have exerted a substantial influence on modern linguistics, not on grammar per se, but on their emphasis on the structure of thought, and notions such as Wittgenstein's ‘language games.’
Sinapis alba seed meal as a feedstock for extracting the natural tyrosinase inhibitor 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol

Abstract Although mustards are ideal rotational crops in moisture-limited environments, biofuels production from mustard seed isn’t economically feasible unless the de-oiled seed meal is used to generate co-products. 4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol (HBA) derived from Sinapis alba (yellow mustard) seed meal is a potentially high value co-product that acts as a skin lightening agent. With increasing demand for skin lightening agents, there is need for the development of alternative products preferably derived from what are perceived as renewable, safer natural materials. Although HBA is known to have inhibitory activity on the tyrosinase reaction by reducing melanin production, the use of HBA from S. alba, a widely grown agricultural crop, has not been described. Our objective was to evaluate the potential of an HBA-containing S. alba extract to act as an inhibitor for the tyrosinase reaction by 1) optimizing the conditions for production and recovery of HBA from S. alba seed meal and 2) quantifying the inhibitory effect of S. alba seed meal extracts on the tyrosinase-activated reaction of l -3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine ( l -DOPA). The optimized procedure to produce an S. alba mustard seed meal extract with an HBA concentration of 2 mM included using ground mustard meal, 100 mM citrate-phosphate buffer (pH 3.8), and a 24-h incubation. The calculated IC50 value for the S. alba extract is equivalent to 6.0 μM demonstrating that potency of the extract is comparable to that achieved using standard skin lightening agents. The procedure for HBA extraction from seed meal is relatively rapid and does not require sophisticated equipment or solvent systems, making it easily adapted to large scale industrial processing facilities. The potential thus exists to use a feedstock that is readily available from an agriculturally important oilseed crop to produce HBA as a natural tyrosinase inhibitor.
Patient Patterns and Perspectives on Using Opioid Regimens for Chronic Cancer Pain

Abstract Context With increasing attention to the undertreatment of cancer pain in parallel with concerns about opioid misuse, little is known about how patients with advanced cancer adhere to opioid regimens for chronic cancer pain. Objectives We explored patient approaches to managing chronic cancer pain with long-acting opioids. Methods In a multimethods study at an academic medical center, adult patients with chronic cancer pain (n = 17) used electronic pill caps to record adherence to prescribed long-acting opioid regimens. After eight weeks, patients viewed their adherence records and completed a semistructured interview about their opioid use. With a framework approach, we coded interview data (Kappa >0.95) and identified themes in how patients perceived and used opioids to manage cancer pain. Results Patients (59% female; 94% non-Hispanic white; median age = 65 years) felt grateful about pain benefit from opioids yet concerned about opioid side effects and addiction/tolerance. Main reasons for nonadherence included both intentional decisions (e.g., skipping doses) and unintentional barriers (e.g., missing doses due to inconsistent sleep schedules). Overall, patients set their own opioid adherence goals and developed routines to achieve them. Residual pain varied and was not consistently linked with opioid adherence. Conclusion Patients commonly felt conflicted about using prescribed long-acting opioids to manage cancer pain due to concurrent perceptions of their risks and benefits, and they set their own parameters for opioid-taking practices. Intentional and unintentional deviations from prescribed opioid schedules highlight the need to enhance adherence communication, education, and counseling, to optimize the use of long-acting opioids as a component of cancer pain management.
Cross-shelf habitat shifts by red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) in the Gulf of Mexico

Habitat shifts that occur during the life cycles of marine fishes influence population connectivity and structure. A generalized additive modeling approach was used to characterize relationships between environmental variables and the relative abundance of red snapper Lutjanus campechanus over unconsolidated substrate on the continental shelf ( 300 mm FL). Fisheries independent data (2008-2014) were used to develop separate models for both the eastern and western GoM, and final models were used to predict the relative availability of suitable habitat for each life stage across the two regions. Predictor variables included in final models varied by age class and region, with depth, dissolved oxygen, longitude, and distance to artificial structure common to most models. Depth was among the most influential variables in all models, and preferred depth increased with increasing size/age. Regional differences in fish-habitat relationships were also observed, as relative abundance of larger red snapper over unconsolidated substrates was more closely linked to artificial structure in the eastern GoM. The location of predicted high quality habitat for juvenile red snapper was greatest on the inner Texas shelf and a smaller area east of the Mississippi River Delta, suggesting these two areas may represent important nursery grounds for the respective regions. Clear ontogenetic shifts in the spatial distribution of predicted high quality habitat were evident in both the eastern (expansion from west to east with age) and western (shift from inshore to offshore) GoM. Given the unique population dynamics between the eastern and western GoM, improving our understanding of spatial and temporal variability in habitat quality may be important to maintaining connectivity between juvenile and adult habitats, and may enhance recovery and management of red snapper stocks in the GoM.
Factors Associated with PrEP Support and Disclosure Among YMSM and Transgender Individuals Assigned Male at Birth in Chicago

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is one of the best biomedical HIV prevention tools available. However, uptake, particularly in communities of men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender individuals assigned male at birth (AMAB), remains low. Further, the role of an individual’s social support structure on PrEP uptake and adherence remains largely understudied. Understanding MSM and AMAB transgender individuals’ perceptions of PrEP use as well as support and patterns of disclosure of (or intent to disclose) their PrEP status may offer key insights into how best to improve uptake in vulnerable communities. Further, the influence of one’s social connections on other factors, such as perceptions of and conversations about PrEP deserves attention as well, as these factors may be key to improved knowledge and uptake. Therefore, we assessed perceptions of PrEP use, disclosure of or intent to disclose PrEP status, and social support and associated factors among a cohort of MSM and AMAB transgender individuals in a large Midwestern city. Results demonstrated that, among those not taking PrEP, bisexual participants and those unsure of their sexual identity were less likely to be comfortable with the idea of disclosing PrEP use were they ever to start taking it. Encouragingly however, we found that individuals who reported disclosing their PrEP status had high rates of support among friends and relatives. We also observed that knowing someone else who was on PrEP was associated with increased likelihood of discussing PrEP with one’s medical provider, as was increased age. Other findings and implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed within.
XSTRESSOR : Automatic Generation of Large-Scale Worst-Case Test Inputs by Inferring Path Conditions

An important part of software testing is generation of worst-case test inputs, which exercise a program under extreme loads. For such a task, symbolic execution is a useful tool with its capability to reason about all possible execution paths of a program, including the one with the worst case behavior. However, symbolic execution suffers from the path explosion problem and frequent calls to a constraint solver, which make it impractical to be used at a large scale. To address the issue, this paper presents XSTRESSOR that is able to generate test inputs that can run specific loops in a program with the worst-case complexity in a large scale. XSTRESSOR synthetically generates the path condition for the large-scale, worst-case execution from a predictive model that is built from a set of small scale tests. XSTRESSOR avoids the scaling problem of prior techniques by limiting full-blown symbolic execution and run-time calls to constraint solver to small scale tests only. We evaluate XSTRESSOR against WISE and SPF-WCA, the most closely related tools to generate worst-case test inputs. Results show that XSTRESSOR can generate the test inputs faster than WISE and SPF-WCA, and also scale to much larger input sizes.
Party Competition in Latin America in Flux: Party Systems, Parties, and Partisans

This essay reviews the following works: The Fates of Political Parties: Institutional Crisis, Continuity, and Change in Latin America. By Jennifer Cyr. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2017. Pp. v + 269. $99.99 hardcover. ISBN: 9781107189799. Los sistemas de partidos en America Latina, 1978–2015. Tomo 1: Mexico, America Central, y Republica Dominicana; Tomo 2: Cono Sur y paises andinos. Edited by Flavia Freidenberg. Mexico City: Instituto de Investigaciones Juridicas de la Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico and Instituto Nacional Electoral, 2016. Pp. vii + 465 and vii + 543. Collection ISBN: 9786078510078. Party Brands in Crisis: Partisanship, Brand Dilution, and the Breakdown of Political Parties in Latin America. By Noam Lupu. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2016. Pp. xii + 247. $32.99 paperback. ISBN: 9781107423206. Changing Course in Latin America: Party Systems in the Neoliberal Era. By Kenneth M. Roberts. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2014. Pp. ix + 330. $35.99 paper. ISBN: 9780521673266.
Large sound speed in dense matter and the deformability of neutron stars

The historic first detection of the binary neutron star merger GW170817 by the LIGO-Virgo collaboration has set a limit on the gravitational deformability of neutron stars. In contrast, radio observations of PSR $\mathrm{J}0740+6620$ find a very massive neutron star. Tension between the small deformability and the large maximum mass may suggest that the pressure rises rapidly with density and thus the speed of sound in dense matter is likely a large fraction of the speed of light. We use these observations and simple constant sound-speed model equations of state to set a lower bound on the maximum speed of sound in neutron stars. If the tidal deformability of a $1.4\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$ neutron star is less than 600, as is suggested by subsequent analyses of GW170817, then we find that the sound speed in the cores of neutron stars is likely larger than the conformal limit of $c/\sqrt{3}$. Implications of this for our understanding of both hadronic and quark-gluon descriptions of dense matter are discussed.
Does Drinking Together Promote Relationship Intimacy? Temporal Effects of Daily Drinking Events

Objective:Although research has documented harms associated with drinking within intimate relationships, there is evidence that some drinking patterns—characterized by congruent or shared partner d...
Hydrothermal-Assisted Transient Binder Jetting of Ceramics for Achieving High Green Density

Ceramic additive manufacturing (AM) provides a freeform fabrication method for creating complex ceramic structures that have been extremely difficult to build by traditional manufacturing processes. However, ceramic structures made by AM processes usually exhibit a relatively low density, which is largely due to the use of a large amount of organic binder in shaping green bodies. In this research, we present a new ceramic AM process, named hydrothermal-assisted transient binder jetting (HTBJ), which utilizes a water-based hydrothermal mechanism to fuse particles, eliminating the use of binders in forming green bodies. A prototype system for the proposed HTBJ process is introduced. The effects of process parameters (such as layer thickness, printing passes, prepressing and final pressing pressure, and temperature) on the properties of achieved green parts are investigated. Experimental results indicate that, with optimized process parameters, HTBJ can achieve three-dimensional ceramic green parts with a high density of up to 90%.
CHAPTER 11 – Uniform Spaces

Publisher Summary A uniform space is a set with a uniform structure. Uniform spaces are topological spaces with additional structure that is used to define uniform properties, such as completeness, uniform continuity, and uniform convergence. A quasi-uniform space is quasi-metrizable if its quasi-uniformity has a countable base and every topological space is quasi-uniformizable. The interior of every member of a uniformity belongs to the uniformity so that every member of a uniformity is a neighborhood of the diagonal in the product topology induced by the uniformity. Furthermore, the family of closed symmetric members of the uniformity is also a base for the uniformity. Although every member of a uniformity is a neighborhood of the diagonal, the converse is not always true. In the usual metric uniformity for the reals, for example, not all neighborhoods of the diagonal belong to the uniformity.
Ion Channel Contributions to Morphological Development: Insights From the Role of Kir2.1 in Bone Development

The role of ion channels in neurons and muscles has been well characterized. However, recent work has demonstrated both the presence and necessity of ion channels in diverse cell types for morphological development. For example, mutations that disrupt ion channels give rise to abnormal structural development in species of flies, frogs, fish, mice, and humans. Furthermore, medications and recreational drugs that target ion channels are associated with higher incidence of birth defects in humans. In this review we establish the effects of several teratogens on development including epilepsy treatment drugs (topiramate, valproate, ethosuximide, phenobarbital, phenytoin, and carbamazepine), nicotine, heat, and cannabinoids. We then propose potential links between these teratogenic agents and ion channels with mechanistic insights from model organisms. Finally, we talk about the role of a particular ion channel, Kir2.1, in the formation and development of bone as an example of how ion channels can be used to uncover important processes in morphogenesis. Because ion channels are common targets of many currently used medications, understanding how ion channels impact morphological development will be important for prevention of birth defects. It is becoming increasingly clear that ion channels have functional roles outside of tissues that have been classically considered excitable.
A Game Show-Based Curriculum for Teaching Principles of Reproductive Infectious Disease (GBS PRIDE Trial).

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a game show-based curriculum improves obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) residents' confidence in and understanding of the principles of reproductive infectious disease (RID), clinical manifestations and sequelae of sexually transmitted infection (STI), and management of serious long-term consequences of STIs. METHODS A game show-based curriculum was developed from the basic principles of RID, which include the following: (1) distinguishing between clinical manifestations of STIs and management of long-term sequelae of STIs; (2) evaluation and management of common gynecologic infectious diseases, including chronic vaginitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, and other pelvic infections; (3) diagnosis and management of perinatal infectious diseases, such as parvovirus, varicella-zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, human immunodeficiency virus, toxoplasmosis, and infection-mediated prematurity; (4) evaluation and management of obstetric and gynecologic postoperative infections; and (5) diagnosis and management of acute and chronic human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus infections in pregnancy. OBGYN residents at a large urban academic training program were randomized to either a Jeopardy-style educational game show intervention plus a traditional didactic-based curriculum or traditional didactic-based curriculum alone. The study team recruited participants by sending out an e-mail to all of the residents, detailing the study and consent process. Participants from both the intervention and control groups completed confidence and knowledge-based pretests. Posttests were administered 4 weeks after completion of the pretests. Statistical methods were applied to analyze the data. RESULTS Thirty-eight residents were randomized to a Jeopardy-style game show-based educational intervention (n = 19) or to a traditional didactic-based curriculum (n = 19). All of the participants (100%) completed the pre- and posttests. Pretest median scores were similar between both groups, in which the Jeopardy group had a median score of 48.5 and the traditional group had a median score of 51.4 (P = 0.091). The Jeopardy group median test scores improved between the pretest and posttest (48.5 vs 62.8, P ≤ 0.001). The traditional didactic-based curriculum had a minimal increase in its median posttest scores (51.4 compared with 54.2, P = 0.773). The Jeopardy group had significantly higher posttest median scores and confidence scores than the traditional didactic-based curriculum (Jeopardy = 62.8, traditional = 54.2, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS A game show-based curriculum improves OBGYN residents' confidence and retention of knowledge regarding RIDs, clinical manifestations and sequelae of STIs, and management of serious long-term consequences of STIs. Additional studies that include longer posttest time intervals are needed to assess the longer-term impact of game show-based curriculum on knowledge retention among OBGYN residents.
Visualizing Income Distribution in the United States

Visit research.depauw.edu/econ/incomevis to see a novel, eye-catching visual display of the income distribution in the United States that conveys fundamental information about the evolution and current level of income inequality to a wide audience. We use IPUMS CPS data to create household income deciles adjusted for price level and household size for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia from 1976 to 2018. We adjust for state price differences from 2008 to 2018. Plotting these data gives a 3D chart that provides a startling picture of income differences within and across states over time. Those interested in further customization can use our Python visualization toolbox, incomevis, available at pypi.org/project/incomevis.
Diversity in Sport Organizations

This chapter covers all aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion as it relates to sport organizations. There are four major aspects of diversity to consider: ethical, legal, economic, and consumer/participant. First, understanding what diversity and inclusion are provides the foundation for building a better sport organization. The research in sport management indicates diversity and inclusion can be beneficial to the organization. Practical steps and considerations for improving diversity and inclusion in sport organizations are discussed in this chapter. This includes diversity statements, recruitment strategies, hiring process issues, programming, and organizational structure.
The Predicted Metabolic Function of the Gut Microbiota of Drosophila melanogaster

ABSTRACT An important goal for many nutrition-based microbiome studies is to identify the metabolic function of microbes in complex microbial communities and its impact on host physiology. This research can be confounded by poorly-understood effects of community composition and host diet on the metabolic traits of individual taxa. Here, we investigated these multi-way interactions by constructing and analyzing metabolic models comprising every combination of five bacterial members of the Drosophila gut microbiome (from single taxa to the five-member community of Acetobacter and Lactobacillus species) under three nutrient regimes. We show that the metabolic function of Drosophila gut bacteria is dynamic, influenced by community composition and responsive to dietary modulation. Furthermore, we show that ecological interactions such as competition and mutualism identified from the growth patterns of gut bacteria are underlain by a diversity of metabolic interactions, and show that the bacteria tend to compete for amino acids and B vitamins more frequently than for carbon sources. Our results reveal that in addition to fermentation products such as acetate, intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle including 2-oxoglutarate and succinate are produced at high flux and cross-fed between bacterial taxa suggesting important roles for TCA cycle intermediates in modulating Drosophila gut microbe interactions and the potential to influence host traits. These metabolic models provide specific predictions of the patterns of ecological and metabolic interactions among gut bacteria under different nutrient regimes, with potentially important consequences for overall community metabolic function and nutritional interactions with the host. IMPORTANCE Drosophila is an important model for microbiome research partly because of the low complexity of its mostly culturable gut microbiota. Our current understanding of how Drosophila interacts with its gut microbes and how these interactions influence host traits derives almost entirely from empirical studies that focus on individual microbial taxa or classes of metabolites. These studies have failed to capture fully the complexity of metabolic interactions that occur between host and microbe. To overcome this limitation, we reconstructed and analyzed 31 metabolic models for every combination of the five principal bacterial taxa in the gut microbiome of Drosophila. This revealed that metabolic interactions between between Drosophila gut bacterial taxa are highly dynamic and influenced by co-occurring bacteria and nutrient availability. Our results generate testable hypothesis about among-microbe ecological interactions in the Drosophila gut and the diversity of metabolites available to influence host traits.
Numerical Uncertainty Quantification for Radiation Analysis Tools

Recently a new emphasis has been placed on engineering applications of space radiation analyses and thus a systematic effort of Verification, Validation and Uncertainty Quantification (VV&UQ) of the tools commonly used for radiation analysis for vehicle design and mission planning has begun. There are two sources of uncertainty in geometric discretization addressed in this paper that need to be quantified in order to understand the total uncertainty in estimating space radiation exposures. One source of uncertainty is in ray tracing, as the number of rays increase the associated uncertainty decreases, but the computational expense increases. Thus, a cost benefit analysis optimizing computational time versus uncertainty is needed and is addressed in this paper. The second source of uncertainty results from the interpolation over the dose vs. depth curves that is needed to determine the radiation exposure. The question, then, is what is the number of thicknesses that is needed to get an accurate result. So convergence testing is performed to quantify the uncertainty associated with interpolating over different shield thickness spatial grids.
The desperate parent and the lure of experimental treatment.

Physicians should demonstrate compassion when the parent of an ill child asks the physician for his or her personal opinion regarding the parents' choice to continue experimental treatment when the prognosis is not good. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Sifting, Winnowing, and Scaffolding: Structured Exploration for Engineering in a Modern World

Over a century ago, in response to a complaint about a faculty member’s teaching strategies, the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents issued a statement declaring that the purpose of higher education was to foster unfettered exploration with the faith that both faculty and students, if given the time and tools, would decide for themselves what to believe. The Regents’ now-famous phrase “sifting and winnowing” emphasized the importance of the process of discovery, rather than mastery of rote knowledge, as crucial to true education, and served as the foundation for academic freedom as we know it today. The educational notion of sifting and winnowing, born in a time of clashing political philosophies and cultures, can serve as a guide for building engineering ethics curricula for a newly globalized world. But this exploration need not mean a free-for-all. Scaffolded learning can bring structure to the process of building students’ capacity for independent, creative work in a wide variety of circumstances and cultures. This combination of organization and autonomy, counterintuitive though it may seem, provides an ideal grounding for globalized engineering practice.
Sigmoid volvulus in children and adolescents.

Abstract Background: Sigmoid volvulus is an exceptionally rare and potentially life-threatening condition in the pediatric age group. Study Design: We report our experience with three children treated for sigmoid volvulus and review the cases reported in the medical literature since 1940. Results: Since 1940, 63 cases of sigmoid volvulus in children (including this series) have been reported. The median age was 7 years and the male to female ratio was 3.5:1. Two distinct presentations (acute and recurrent) were identified. Abdominal symptoms dominated the clinical picture. Barium enemas either confirmed or were highly suggestive of sigmoid volvulus. Reduction by barium enema was successful in 77% (10 of 13) of the attempts. Forty-nine patients underwent operative treatment, with sigmoidectomy (with or without primary anastomosis) being the most common. The overall mortality rate was 6%, operative mortality was 8.1%, and neonatal mortality was 14%. Associated conditions were frequent. Particular emphasis should be placed on ruling out Hirschsprung's disease (present in 11 of 63 patients). Conclusions: Sigmoid volvulus remains a rare occurrence in children, but it should be included in the differential diagnosis of pain in children when colonic distention is present. An algorithm for treatment is proposed.
The New York Bar and Reform of the Elected Judiciary After the Civil War

This paper deals with the history of America's other peculiar institution: the elected judiciary. Elected judges are found virtually nowhere else in the world, but in America they are a fact of life in the considerable majority of states. The history of the elected judiciary is surprisingly little explored. This paper examines the post-Civil War trend away from Jacksonian populism and toward a more aristocratic view of the judiciary as a body set apart from the people. After the Civil War, many states, including New York, lengthened terms of office for their elected judges; some states even switched back to an appointive system. In New York, this reform was sparked by a perception of rampant corruption among New York City judges. The paper delves into the little-understood areas of how elected judges were nominated and how they campaigned in the late nineteenth century. The judicial elections process is set against the social backdrop of massive immigration into New York City and the resulting rise of the Tweed Ring. The paper describes the Ring's corruption of key members of the judiciary, together with the ethnic rancor ignited by allegations of judicial corruption. Leading the judicial reform efforts were members of the elite bar. The paper discusses the backgrounds of elite lawyers and their role in lengthening judicial terms and in founding the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. The Association proved active in working to impeach the most notorious judges of the Tammany Hall Ring. For some time, many worried that the lack of a sound judiciary would cause New York's newly burgeoning economy to collapse, much like the difficulties a corrupt judiciary poses in developing countries today. In the end, New York was able to reform the judiciary sufficiently that persons and property were reasonably secure, and New York's rise to commercial prominence could continue.
Expression of the core lipopeptide of the glycopeptidolipid surface antigens in rough mutants of Mycobacterium avium

Toward studying the genetics, biosynthesis, and roles in the pathogenesis of the dominant surface glycopeptidolipid antigens of Mycobacterium avium, rough colony variants of M. avium serovar 2 were picked, cultured in quantity, and their lipid composition examined. Two of the rough (Rg) variants, Rg-3 and Rg-4, were devoid of glycopeptidolipids or any more elemental structures and thus were similar to those described previously. Two others, Rg-0 and Rg-1, each contained two novel lipopeptides, devoid of any of the carbohydrate substituents that confer serotypic activity on the glycopeptidolipids. The application of gas chromatography, fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry and 1H NMR to lipopeptide I established the structure C32:2-beta-OH-fatty acyl-D-Phe-D-allo-Thr-D-Ala-L-alaninol. Lipopeptide II represented a minor variation of this structure: C32:1-beta-OH-fatty acyl-D-Phe-D-allo-Thr-D-Ala-L-alaninol. These newly discovered lipopeptides are identical to the fatty acyl-tripeptide-amino alcohol "core" component of the glycopeptidolipids of the M. avium complex, and thus the Rg-0 and Rg-1 variants represent a form of "deep rough" mutation in M. avium. Separately, we report that these rough variants of M. avium differ genetically from the smooth, virulent form by major deletions of portions of the genes responsible for glycopeptidolipid synthesis (Belisle, J. T., Klaczkiewicz, K., Brennan, P. J., Jacobs, W. R., Jr., and Inamine, J. M. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 10517-10523). The isolation of different sets of spontaneous mutants of M. avium differentially defective in the capacity to synthesize glycopeptidolipids provides the means to explore their biosynthesis and roles in opportunistic pathogenesis.
An autoradiographic study of the development of the anterior thalamic group and limbic cortex in the rabbit

Using autoradiographic technique the migratory movements of cells destined to form the anterior thalamic nuclear group and the limbic cortex were studied in 54 embryos or newborn rabbits the mothers of which were injected with a single dose of tritiated thymidine on the fifteenth to twenty-fifth day of gestation. Neurons which form the anterior thalamic group originate between the fifteenth and eighteenth day of gestation. An orderly relation exists between the time of origin of the anterior thalamic neurons and their definitive position within the dorsal thalamus. The cells which originate earliest lie most laterally in the dorsal thalamus; those which originate later lie successively more medially. No nucleus in the anterior group is isochronic in regard to the origin of its cells and in each a latero-medial gradient corresponding to early-late origin is apparently present. Neurons forming the limbic cortex (upon which the anterior thalamic group projects) originate between the fifteenth and twenty-fifth day of gestation. The anterior and the posterior limbic regions seem to develop synchronously. In agreement with other workers it is concluded that neurons which originate earliest form the VIth layer of the differentiated cortex while those which originate later form successively the more superficial cortical layers. No retrograde movements of the migrating cells were observed. It is suggested that during cortical development each migratory wave of cells, after passing the thickness of the already existing cortical plate, constitutes at some stage the most superficial cell layer of the then existing cortex.
EGFR: The Paradigm of an Oncogene-Driven Lung Cancer.

Somatic, activating mutations in EGFR identify a significant minority of patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although these mutations are associated with an approximately 70% response rate to some EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (gefitinib, erlotinib, and afatinib), patients develop resistance (i.e., “acquired resistance”) after a median of 9 to 12 months. In patients with clinical acquired resistance, repeat biopsy of tumors has identified a number of relevant mechanisms of resistance, but by far the most frequent event is the acquisition of EGFR T790M, a mutation in the “gatekeeper” residue that confers resistance to gefitinib, erlotinib, and afatinib. This emphasizes the critical dependence upon EGFR signaling for some tumors, a property that has been exploited therapeutically. Dual EGFR blockade using afatinib and cetuximab led to a 29% radiographic response rate. More recently, drugs that target EGFR T790M (e.g., rociletinib, AZD9291, and others) have entered clinical trials, with impressive results observed in phase I clinical trials. The development of these newer drugs, with efficacy after resistance to first-line EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has led to exploration of these strategies in multiple disease settings: at resistance, in the first line, and in adjuvant treatment of those with completely resected early-stage disease who would otherwise die of recurrent/metastatic disease. This example of translational research that identifies mechanisms of resistance to first-generation drugs, and then targets those mechanisms yielding clinical benefit, is a paradigm for how targeted therapies can be developed. Clin Cancer Res; 21(10); 2221–6. ©2015 AACR . See all articles in this CCR Focus section, “Progress in Lung Cancer.”
Package plane model validation using test chip, test package, and test board

A test vehicle, which includes test chips, test packages, and a test board, has been developed for validation of the partial-element-equivalent-circuit (PEEC) plane inductance model. Actual noise level on the planes was measured and compared to that from modeling and simulation and the results are presented. The main features of the test vehicle as well as the validation procedure are also described.
Annual Molt in Ruby-Throated and Black-Chinned Hummingbirds

Details of the annual molt in Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) and Black-chinned Hummingbirds (Archilochus alexandri) are presented. Young of both species hatch essentially naked but within three weeks acquire a full set of feathers. After the birds migrate to winter quarters, these feathers are replaced completely before the first year of age and annually thereafter. The postnuptial molt in adult males and females is similar within species and proceeds at about the same rate. The same is true for young birds in juvenal plumage, though molting is generally initiated and completed later than in adults. The period required for the molt of remiges and rectrices in an individual is estimated at around four months, while on a population basis it is underway for 7-8 months. Comparisons of the annual molt in Ruby-throated and Black-chinned Hummingbirds to other hummingbirds show that there are numerous similarities, differences being primarily attributable to migrant versus resident status
Abstract 2241: Differential regulation of Gli1 transcriptional activity by MAPK and PI3K pathways in neuroblastoma

Activation of Hedgehog (Hh) pathway has been reported in multitude of cancers including neuroblastoma. Activation of Gli1, the nuclear effector of Hh pathway, is associated with differentiation and indicates good prognosis in neuroblastoma patients. However, the mechanism by which Gli1 protein is regulated in neuroblastoma remains unknown. MAPK pathway, but not PI3K/AKT pathway, synergizes with Hh signaling and positively regulates Gli1 activity in gastric and pancreatic cancers. Interestingly, activation of PI3K/AKT is associated with poor outcomes in neuroblastoma. Hence, the aim of this study was to examine the regulation of Gli1 transcriptional activity by RAF-MEK-ERK and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways. METHODS. NIH3T3, HEK 293T and the human neuroblastoma cell line, BE(2)-C, were used for our study. Gli1 transcriptional activity was measured by a Dual-Glo Luciferase Assay using the reporter 8X3′GLI-BS-Luc or its mutant form. Chemical inhibition and genetic manipulations were performed to modulate specific genes of the MAPK and PI3K signaling pathways. Transfection was achieved using Lipofectamine 2000 and cycloheximide chase assay was employed to study Gli1 protein degradation. RESULTS. Gli1 luciferase activity in neuroblastoma cells was decreased by specific MEK1/2 inhibitor U0126, but enhanced by PI3K inhibitor, LY294002. Activation of MAPK pathway by overexpression of its components (BRAF, MEK or ERK) enhanced Gli1 activity. Inhibiting the PI3K signaling by using deletion mutant of the PI3K subunit p85 (p≤85), a dominant negative form of AKT (dnAKT) or PTEN overexpression potentiated Gli1 transcriptional activity in neuroblastoma cells, whereas, constitutively active PI3K (p110α) decreased Gli1 luciferase activity. Interestingly, targeted silencing of AKT1 isoform inhibited Gli1 transcriptional activity, whereas, silencing the AKT2 isoform enhanced Gli1 signaling in neuroblastoma cells. Alternatively, using constitutively activated AKT1 or AKT2 (myr-AKT1 or myr-AKT2), we found opposing regulation of Gli1 transcriptional activity by these isoforms in neuroblastoma cells. Stable knockdown of AKT2 using shRNA further confirmed the increase in Gli1 transcriptional activity by stabilization of Gli1 protein. CONCLUSION. Here, we report that MAPK pathway positively regulates Gli1 transcriptional activity, whereas, PI3K pathway inhibits it. AKT isoforms 1 and 2 have opposing effect on the activity of Gli1. AKT2 appears to enhance Gli1 protein degradation in neuroblastoma cells. Hence, AKT2 activation in neuroblastoma might indicate a shift to a more aggressive phenotype and require the suppression of Gli1, which is pro-differentiation. The biological significance of this negative regulation in the progression of neuroblastoma remains to be determined. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2241. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2241
Rectification of the chordal axis transform skeleton and criteria for shape decomposition

Skeletonization and parts-based decomposition are important to the analysis, characterization, and recognition of shapes. In earlier works we proposed the chordal axis transform (CAT), based on constrained Delaunay triangulations (CDT), for analyzing discrete shapes. In this paper, we refine the CAT skeleton to have smoother branches and stable branch points of any degree based on approximate co-circularity of edge-adjacent triangles. We also introduce new criteria for obtaining visually meaningful shape decompositions using approximate co-circularity and a discrete axial derivative for shapes based on their CDTs.
Classification of the flow regimes in the flow-through cell

This paper examines the dissolution apparatus referred to as the flow-through cell from an engineering fluid mechanics viewpoint. The analysis demonstrates that laminar flow predominantly occurs in the standard operation of this apparatus. It is argued that fully turbulent conditions are unlikely. Consequently, the phrases 'open column' and 'packed column' are suggested as technically more accurate terms for its operational characteristics than the conventionally referenced 'turbulent mode' and 'laminar mode'. Examples of flow profiles are given to show that the criterion of a "sinusoidal" input flow profile required by USP is not a sufficiently accurate characterization at the inlet as numerous profiles can be conceived which have the same average flow rate. The rationale of pulsating flows versus constant, steady flows is discussed. Examples of how references to turbulence in the dissolution-related literature can lead to ambiguities and/or inconsistencies are highlighted.
LAPAROSCOPIC LYMPHOCELECTOMY: A MULTI-INSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS

Purpose: Because symptomatic lymphoceles are infrequent, single center studies generally report small numbers of patients. We report a multi-institutional experience with and long-term outcome following laparoscopic lymphocelectomy in 81 patients. Materials and Methods: Data were obtained from 9 institutions at which at least 5 cases of laparoscopic lymphocelectomy had been performed. Baseline patient demographics, operative time and blood loss, special operative adjunct techniques, postoperative course, convalescence, complications and lymphocele recurrence data were collected and analyzed. Results: A total of 56 men and 25 women with a mean age of 41 years were included in the study. Lymphocele formed after renal transplantation in 78 patients (96%) and after pelvic lymph node dissection in 3 (4%). Average operating time was 123 minutes with a mean blood loss of 43 ml. Omentopexy was performed in 11 cases (13.6%). No intraoperative stenting of the transplant ureter was performed. Intraoperative complications consisted of laryngospasm, bladder injury, inferior epigastric artery injury and mild renal capsule hematoma in 1 patient each. Conversion to open surgery was required for repair of bladder injury in 1, repair of preexisting hernia in 1, unusually thickened lymphocele wall in 1 and inaccessible lymphocele location in 4 cases. Mean time to ambulation and resumption of regular diet was 1 day, and mean hospital stay was 1.5 days. Postoperative complications included trocar site hernia in 1 and urinary retention in 2. Convalescence averaged 2.5 weeks. During a mean followup of 27 months 5 patients (6%) had lymphocele recurrence. Conclusions: Laparoscopic lymphocelectomy is safe, minimally invasive and effective. It is an excellent alternative to the conventional open surgical approach.