cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Loop electrosurgical excision procedure for partial upper vaginectomy

Abstract Objectives: Partial upper vaginectomy consists of removal of the vaginal apex and is indicated for the diagnosis and treatment of vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia and recurrent cancer. We present a novel surgical approach to partial upper vaginectomy by use of the loop electrosurgical excision procedure. Study Design: A total of 15 consecutive patients with abnormal vaginal cytologic results were treated by the loop electrosurgical excision procedure for partial upper vaginectomy. After submucosal injection of local anesthetic, the loop electrode was used to resect the upper third of the vagina. An iodoform vaginal pack was placed for 24 hours. All patients with high-grade vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia received intravaginal 5-fluorouracil cream postoperatively. Results: The mean blood loss was 0 mL, and the mean surgical time was 30 minutes. A complication developed in 1 patient (7%). One case of invasive carcinoma was diagnosed. No recurrences have developed in any patients with vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia after hysterectomy. Conclusions: The loop electrosurgical excision procedure for partial upper vaginectomy can be performed quickly, with minimal blood loss, minimal complications, and minimal recurrence of neoplasia, and it provides a histologic specimen for evaluation. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999;181:1382-5.)
Primary progressive aphasia: clinicopathological correlations

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a disorder of declining language that is a frequent presentation of neurodegenerative diseases such as frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Three variants of PPA are recognized: progressive nonfluent aphasia, semantic dementia, and logopenic progressive aphasia. In an era of etiology-specific treatments for neurodegenerative conditions, determining the histopathological basis of PPA is crucial. Clinicopathological correlations in PPA emphasize the contributory role of dementia with Pick bodies and other tauopathies, TDP-43 proteinopathies, and Alzheimer disease. These data suggest an association between a specific PPA variant and an underlying pathology, although many cases of PPA are associated with an unexpected pathology. Neuroimaging and biofluid biomarkers are now emerging as important adjuncts to clinical diagnosis. There is great hope that the addition of biomarker assessments to careful clinical examination will enable accurate diagnosis of the pathology associated with PPA during a patient's life, and that such findings will serve as the basis for clinical trials in this spectrum of disease.
Longitudinal analysis of bacterial vaginosis: findings from the HIV epidemiology research study.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To determine the natural history of bacterial vaginosis in women with or at risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). METHODS: A cohort of 854 HIV-infected women and 434 HIV-uninfected women from four US sites was followed prospectively with gynecologic exams every 6 months over a 5-year period. The prevalence, incidence, persistence, and severity of bacterial vaginosis, which was defined using a Gram-staining scoring system, were calculated using generalized estimating equation methods. RESULTS: In adjusted analyses, HIV-infected women had a higher prevalence of bacterial vaginosis than HIV-uninfected women (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08, 1.55). Although HIV-infected women were not more likely to have incident infections, they were more likely to have persistence of their infections (adjusted OR 1.49; 95% CI 1.18, 1.89). Similarly, immunocompromised women (CD4+ cell count less than 200 cells/μL) were more likely than HIV-infected women with higher CD4+ cell counts (more than 500 cells/μL) to have prevalent (adjusted OR 1.29; 95% CI 1.03, 1.60) and persistent (adjusted OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.01, 1.91) bacterial vaginosis infections, but not more likely to have incident infections. Immunocompromised women had more severe bacterial vaginosis by both clinical criteria (adjusted OR 1.40; 95% CI 1.08, 1.82) and by Gram-staining criteria (adjusted OR 1.50; 95% CI 1.12, 2.00). CONCLUSIONS: Bacterial vaginosis is more prevalent and persistent among HIV-infected women, particularly among those who are immunocompromised. Immunocompromised women are more likely than HIV-infected women with higher CD4+ cell counts to have severe bacterial vaginosis.
Race, gender, and leadership identity: an autoethnography of reconciliation

This article is an autoethnography of the author’s journey researching Black men. She highlights two critical incidents during the research process that aided in the formation of her identity as a leader. Drawing on Hill Collins’ Black Feminist Thought the author also identifies key women leaders whose examples fueled her commitment to addressing issues of race and gender in Black communities. Implications of this autoethnography suggest the necessity for men to interrogate intersections of race and gender alongside women as partners in a communal struggle against oppression.
Estimation of the parameters of Herschel-Bulkley fluid under wall slip using a combination of capillary and squeeze flow viscometers

The determination of the parameters of viscoplastic fluids subject to wall slip is a special challenge and accurate results are generally obtained only when a number of viscometers are utilized concomitantly. Here the characterization of the parameters of the Herschel-Bulkley fluid and its non-linear wall slip behavior is formulated as an inverse problem which utilizes the data emanating from capillary and squeeze flow rheometers. A finite element method of the squeeze flow problem is employed in conjunction with the analytical solution of the capillary data collected following Mooney’s procedure, which uses dies with differing surface to volume ratios. The uniqueness of the solution is recognized as a major problem which limits the accuracy of the solution, suggesting that the search methodology should be carefully selected.
DAVID CRIGHTON, 1942–2000: A Commentary on His Career and His Influence on Aeroacoustic Theory

▪ Abstract David Crighton, a greatly admired figure in fluid mechanics, Head of the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at Cambridge, and Master of Jesus College, Cambridge, died at the peak of his career. He had made important contributions to the theory of waves generated by unsteady flow. Crighton's work was always characterized by the application of rigorous mathematical approximations to fluid mechanical idealizations of practically relevant problems. At the time of his death, he was certainly the most influential British applied mathematical figure, and his former collaborators and students form a strong school that continues his special style of mathematical application. Rigorous analysis of well-posed aeroacoustical problems was transformed by David Crighton.
Malicious PDF detection using metadata and structural features

Owed to their versatile functionality and widespread adoption, PDF documents have become a popular avenue for user exploitation ranging from large-scale phishing attacks to targeted attacks. In this paper, we present a framework for robust detection of malicious documents through machine learning. Our approach is based on features extracted from document metadata and structure. Using real-world datasets, we demonstrate the the adequacy of these document properties for malware detection and the durability of these features across new malware variants. Our analysis shows that the Random Forests classification method, an ensemble classifier that randomly selects features for each individual classification tree, yields the best detection rates, even on previously unseen malware.Indeed, using multiple datasets containing an aggregate of over 5,000 unique malicious documents and over 100,000 benign ones, our classification rates remain well above 99% while maintaining low false positives of 0.2% or less for different classification parameters and experimental scenarios. Moreover, the classifier has the ability to detect documents crafted for targeted attacks and separate them from broadly distributed malicious PDF documents. Remarkably, we also discovered that by artificially reducing the influence of the top features in the classifier, we can still achieve a high rate of detection in an adversarial setting where the attacker is aware of both the top features utilized in the classifier and our normality model. Thus, the classifier is resilient against mimicry attacks even with knowledge of the document features, classification method, and training set.
Temperature Dependence of Electrical Characterization in n + - CdS/ p - CdTe Thin Film Solar Cells – Study of Shallow/Deep Defects

For CdTe there is no real distinction between defects and impurities exists when non-shallow dopants are used. These dopants act as beneficial impurities or detrimental carrier trapping centers. Unlike Si, the common assumption that the trap energy level Et is around the middle of the band-gap Ei, is not valid for thin film CdTe. Trap energy levels in CdTe band-gap can distributed with wide range of energy levels above EF. To identify the real role of traps and dopants that limit the solar cell efficiency, a series of samples were investigated in thin film n+-CdS/p-CdTe solar cell, made with evaporated Cu as a primary back contact. It is well known that process temperatures and defect distribution are highly related. This work investigates these shallow level impurities by using temperature dependent current-voltage (I-V-T) and temperature dependent capacitance-voltage (C-V-T) measurements. I-V-T and C-V-T measurements indicate that a large concentration of defects is located in the depletion region. It further suggests that while modest amounts of Cu enhance the cell performance by improving the back contact to CdTe, the high temperature (greater than ~100°C) process condition degrade device quality and reduce the solar cell efficiency. This is possibly because of the well-established Cu diffusion from the back contact into CdTe. Hence, measurements were performed at lower temperatures (T = 150K to 350K). The observed traps are due to the thermal ionization of impurity centers located in the depletion region of p-CdTe/n+-CdS junction. For our n+-CdS/p-CdTe thin film solar cells, hole traps were observed that are verified by both the measurement techniques. These levels are identical to the observed trap levels by other characterization techniques.
Testicular Chromosomal Mosaicism and Infertility

Abstract A healthy young man with azoospermia and no other endocrinological abnormalities was shown to have chromosomal mosaicism with the cytogenetic errors found only in testicular tissue. Three clones of cells were identified in both meiosis I and meiosis II by cytogenetic analysis of direct testicular smears. Peripheral blood karyotypes and buccal smear preparations revealed no abnormalities. It is postulated that the gonadal cytogenetic defects account for this patient's azoospermia. In addition, it is hypothesized that this type of incomplete spermatogenesis nonetheless produces sufficient feedback material (“inhibin”) so that FSH levels are not affected.
Changing the Donor Cofactor of Bovine α1,3-Galactosyltransferase by Fusion with UDP-galactose 4-Epimerase: MORE EFFICIENT BIOCATALYSIS FOR SYNTHESIS OF α-Gal EPITOPES *

Two fusion enzymes consisting of uridine diphosphogalactose 4-epimerase (UDP-galactose 4-epimerase, EC ) and alpha1, 3-galactosyltransferase (EC ) with an N-terminal His(6) tag and an intervening three-glycine linker were constructed by in-frame fusion of the Escherichia coli galE gene either to the 3' terminus (f1) or to the 5' terminus (f2) of a truncated bovine alpha1, 3-galactosyltransferase gene, respectively. Both fusion proteins were expressed in cell lysate as active, soluble forms as well as in inclusion bodies as improperly folded proteins. Both f1 and f2 were determined to be homodimers, based on a single band observed at about 67 kDa in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and on a single peak with a molecular mass around 140 kDa determined by gel filtration chromatography for each of the enzymes. Without altering the acceptor specificity of the transferase, the fusion with the epimerase changed the donor requirement of alpha1, 3-galactosyltransferase from UDP-galactose to UDP-glucose and decreased the cost for the synthesis of biomedically important Galalpha1,3Gal-terminated oligosaccharides by more than 40-fold. For enzymatic synthesis of Galalpha1,3Galbeta1,4Glc from UDP-glucose and lactose, the genetically fused enzymes f1 and f2 exhibited kinetic advantages with overall reaction rates that were 300 and 50%, respectively, higher than that of the system containing equal amounts of epimerase and galactosyltransferase. These results indicated that the active sites of the epimerase and the transferase in fusion enzymes were in proximity. The kinetic parameters suggested a random mechanism for the substrate binding of the alpha1, 3-galactosyltransferase. This work demonstrated a general approach that fusion of a glycosyltransferase with an epimerase can change the required but expensive sugar nucleotide to a less expensive one.
Menarche and Eating Disorders

160 undergraduate women (M age = 20.3, SD = 1.52) were assessed for depression, drug abuse, and eating disorders. The age of menarche was positively correlated with higher scores on a screening measure for eating disorders, a finding opposite to past studies for adolescent girls.
Does it pay to venture abroad? Exporting behavior and the performance of firms in Indian industry

Using contemporary data for a firm-level sample of over 600 Indian firms, this paper investigates the impact that an export-orientation has on the profitability of the firms studied. The results, based on a two-stage least squares method, establish a positive and significant relationship between firms’ levels of exports and profitability. For firms from developing and transition economies like India it does pay to venture abroad, and the ability to sell goods overseas has a significant impact on firms’ economic performance. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Brookhaven ATF low-emittance beam line

One component of the experimental program at the Brookhaven Accelerator Test Facility (ATF) consists of a class of experiments which will study the acceleration of electrons through micron-size structures which are exposed in coincidence to a 100-GW CO/sub 2/ laser beam. These experiments require the development and control of an electron beam with geometric emittances on the order of 10/sup -10/ m-rad and intensities on the order of 10/sup 6/ electrons. >
Arylation of Unsaturated Compounds by Diazonium Salts (The Meerwein Arylation Reaction)

The arylation of olefinic compounds by diazonium halides with a copper salt catalyst was discovered by Meerwein. The Meerwein arylation reaction proceeds best when the olefinic double bond is activated by an electron attracting group Z, such as cyano, carbonyl, or aryl. The net result is the union of the aryl group from diazonium salt with carbon atom beta to the activating group, either by substitution of a beta hydrogen atom or the addition of Ar and Cl to the double bond. The reaction is a valuable synthetic tool. This chapter is confined to reactions in which a new carbon-carbon bond is formed between the aromatic ring of a diazonium salt and aliphatic unsaturated compound. Keywords: arylation; unsaturated compounds; diazonium salts; Meerwein arylation reaction; unsaturated component; quinones; arylation; cinnamic acid; maleic acid; side reactions; decarboxylation; experimental conditions
Combating Academic Fraud: Are Students Reticent about Uncovering the Covert?

This study links Cressey’s established fraud triangle theory to a recently developed academic fraud risk triangle as a platform for identifying the determinants of academic fraud risk factors. The study then evaluates the magnitude and extent to which students are willing to confront the realities of academic fraud and move towards a culture of academic integrity. Most of the studies pertaining to combating academic fraud have primarily been the opinions of the researchers, namely, the faculty. Although students may not be expected to police the fight against academic fraud, their opinions as to what would work and what would not, have not been sufficiently examined, and this study contributes to filling that void. We explore the agreement among students and groups of students concerning specific deterrent strategies. We find two types of strategies, student action and faculty/administration action. Results from 740 students surveyed found that the most widely supported strategies are stronger penalties, parental notification, an anonymous tip line, and administering a uniform policy. The least supported strategies were academic honor code, no strategy at all, requiring an ethics course, and leaving individual instructors to determine penalties. Further, full time, domestic, undergraduate, and male students favor student action strategies, which are more reactionary and less punitive.
A wideband AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor amplifier optimized for low-near-carrier-noise applications up to 18 GHz

A wideband AlGaAs/GaAs HBT Darlington feedback amplifier has been optimized for low near-carrier noise. The amplifier has 10 dB gain and a 3 dB bandwidth of 18 GHz. The amplifier has a residual phase noise of -156 dBc/Hz at 1 KHz offset from the carrier (2.23 GHz). This near-carrier performance is superior to that of amplifiers realized with other device technologies capable of similar bandwidths. >
HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS UPREGULATES NF-KAPPA B ACTIVITY BY TRANSACTIVATING THE NF-KAPPA B P105/P50 AND P65 PROMOTERS

During human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection, a series of regulated events take place following virus binding and entry into the cell, including the upregulation of cellular transcription factors, such as NF-kappa B, which play an essential role in the viral life cycle. We show here that NF-kappa B message is induced during HCMV infection and that the induction is biphasic, suggesting an initial induction at immediate-early (IE) times and a second round of induction at early times. This hypothesis is supported by experiments using cyclohexamide, which showed that the first tier of induction was drug insensitive, while the second tier was drug sensitive. We then show that virus binding alone is sufficient to stimulate NF-kappa DNA binding activity, supporting its role in the initial induction of NF-kappa B. To begin to elucidate the mechanism(s) for the second tier of NF-kappa B regulation, we examined promoter constructs from the NF-kappa B subunits (p105/p50 and p65) for responsiveness following HCMV infection. HCMV infection transactivated the p105/p50 and p65 promoters. The viral IE proteins (IE1-72, IE2-55, and IE2-86) are expressed during the time we see NF-kappa B induction, so we examined their role in NF-kappa B induction. The IE1-72, IE2-55, and IE2-86 proteins transactivated the p65 promoter, while only the IE2-55 protein transactivated the p105/p50 promoter. The p105/p50 promoter has NF-kappa B sites; therefore, upregulation could also be caused by an autoregulatory mechanism. The p65 promoter, however, has been demonstrated to contain only Sp1 sites. To investigate the potential role of SP1, we examined nuclear extracts from HCMV-infected cells. Here, we show that there is a biphasic increase in SP1 activity during viral infection and that there is apparently an absolute requirement for SP1 in the transactivation of the p65 promoter. In conclusion, we suggest a model in which the initial induction of NF-kappa B occurs through viral modulation of cellular factors and the sustained levels of NF-kappa B induction are regulated by a combination of cellular and viral factors.
Yield enhancement by tube redundancy in CNFET-based circuits

This paper analyzes the functional yield of CNFET based circuits when the metallic tubes are removed by extra processing steps. Functional yield for various gates is obtained through both Monte-Carlo (MC) simulations and analytical models. Tube Level Redundancy (TLR) is proposed to increase the functional yield of gates to an acceptable level when a large fraction of tubes are removed. Our results are very promising and indicate that when critical paths are considered, almost 100% yield can be achieved for relatively complex systems.
Precepting nurse practitioner students: One medical center's efforts to improve the precepting process

AbstractPurpose:To describe the challenges shared by schools of nursing and precepting institutions in meeting the clinical rotation requirements for nurse practitioner (NP) students. A formal process was developed to screen students and provide appropriate clinical placement with ongoing evaluation
THE BEEF COW-CALF ENTERPRISE IN THE GEORGIA PIEDMONT: A CASE STUDY IN CONSPICUOUS PRODUCTION

Economists have demonstrated considerable concern with the appropriateness of profit maximization as a sole firm objective. Agricultural economists have adopted suggestions of economic theorists in writings on production economics; for example, Heady relaxed the objective of profit maximization to incorporate preferences for family consumption and risk aversion. Production economics research has supported the theoretical reasoning for multiple firm objectives; in a recent article, Lin, Dean, and Moore state “… empirical studies explicitly employing the profit maximization hypothesis … have generally provided results inconsistent with observed or plausible behavior”. Previous studies incorporating multiple objectives in analysis of agricultural production have largely been concerned with the general theoretical categories suggested by Heady. Lin, Dean, and Moore considered profit maximization and risk aversion. Patrick and Eisgruber considered accumulation of net worth, annual net income for consumption, leisure, and risk-taking; Hatch, Harmon, and Eidman included eight similar goals in their analysis. These studies have followed the tradition in micro-economic theory of separate production and consumption decision-making. While previous analyses have departed from the perfect knowledge, static basis of conventional micro-economics, the major interaction between production and consumption decisions concerns the level and variability of income available for consumption.
Addressing Metacognitive Capacity in the Psychotherapy for Schizophrenia: A Case Study

Deficits in metacognition, that is, in the ability to think about one’s own thinking and the thinking of others, have been identified as a significant barrier to recovery from schizophrenia. While this has raised the possibility that individual psychotherapy might be focused to help persons with schizophrenia improve their capacity for metacognition, little has been written about what that might entail. To explore this issue, a case study is presented in which ongoing assessments of metacognition were used to guide the selection of interventions. Interventions were chosen in particular to match the client’s capacity for metacognition at that time and were conceptualized as offering maximal opportunities for the practice and development of metacognitive capacity. Improvements in function and the development of the ability to perform increasingly complex acts of metacognition are reported over the course of approximately 1.5 years of therapy and implications for research and theory are discussed.
Liver stem cells and hepatocellular carcinoma

Although the existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) was first proposed over 40 years ago, only in the past decade have these cells been identified in hematological malignancies, and more recently in solid tumors that include liver, breast, prostate, brain, and colon. Constant proliferation of stem cells is a vital component in liver tissues. In these renewing tissues, mutations will most likely result in expansion of the altered stem cells, perpetuating and increasing the chances of additional mutations and tumor progression. However, many details about hepatocellular cancer stem cells that are important for early detection remain poorly understood, including the precise cell(s) of origin, molecular genetics, and the mechanisms responsible for the highly aggressive clinical picture of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Exploration of the difference between CSCs from normal stem cells is crucial not only for the understanding of tumor biology but also for the development of specific therapies that effectively target these cells in patients. These ideas have drawn attention to control of stem cell proliferation by the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), Notch, Wnt, and Hedgehog pathways. Recent evidence also suggests a key role for the TGF-β signaling pathway in both hepatocellular cancer suppression and endoderm formation, suggesting a dual role for this pathway in tumor suppression as well as progression of differentiation from a stem or progenitor stage. This review provides a rationale for detecting and analyzing tumor stem cells as one of the most effective ways to treat cancers such as HCC.
Policy Interventions for Industrial Network Formation: Contrasting Historical Underpinnings of the Small Business Policy in Japan and the United States

This article examines the role of policies in promoting inter-firm networks, by contrasting policy frameworks for small businesses in Japan and the United States. While the policies in two countries share similarities in many respects, different historical underpinnings have led small business policies to play different roles in economies of Japan and the United States. This paper analyzes how Japan's small business policy came to encourage inter-firm collaborations over the course of its history, while policies in the United States have not had explicit orientation toward the development of inter-firm networks until the 1990s.
The Implications of Two Conceptions of Happiness (Hedonic Enjoyment and Eudaimonia) for the Understanding of Intrinsic Motivation

The distinction between hedonic enjoyment and eudaimonia was evaluated in three data sets involving use of the Personally Expressive Activities Questionnaire—Standard Form (PEAQ-S) with college student samples (n > 200 in each sample). Indices of these two conceptions of happiness were strongly and reliably related across the three samples. Differences between these two conceptions of happiness were evaluated in two ways. First, we examined and compared correlations of hedonic enjoyment and eudaimonia with variables related to intrinsic motivation. Zero-order correlations involving hedonic enjoyment were significantly stronger with respect to measures of self-determination and interest than were the corresponding correlations involving feelings of personal expressiveness (eudaimonia). In contrast, correlations involving eudaimonia were significantly stronger with measures of the balance of challenges and skills, self-realization values, effort, and importance than were the corresponding correlations with hedonic enjoyment. Second, we empirically distinguished between activities for which both hedonic enjoyment and eudaimonia are present (intrinsically motivated activities) and activities for which hedonic enjoyment alone is present (hedonically enjoyed activities). Intrinsically motivated activities were judged to be significantly higher with respect to measures of the balance of challenges and skills, self-realization values, effort, importance, interest, and flow experiences. No differences between the two categories of activities were found for self-determination and the frequency with which activities were performed. Given these distinguishable patterns in the two conceptions of happiness, a reconceptualization for the understanding of intrinsic motivation is proposed.
The Italian Vote Abroad: Electing from Afar

AbstractWith the passing of recent landmark legislation, Italy is now among the few countries in the world that allow citizens living abroad to elect their own representatives to the national Parliament. This unique situation provides an opportunity to investigate several interesting questions about political participation and representation. This work argues that, given the lack of official Italian party structure in foreign countries, a new type of informal structure has arisen. This type of party structure strikingly resembles the arcane notion of a ‘party of notables.’ Abroad, candidates for election to the Italian national parliament who can most effectively utilize a combination of political, business, and community resources are most likely to get elected. Although individual candidates calling upon all of these resources have had some degree of electoral success, it seems that those candidates who use these resources in order to participate in the local politics of the foreign country in which the...
Electromagnetic field plot of an inductive window by the moment method

A moment method is used to plot the electromagnetic field of an inductive window in a TE/sub 10/-mode rectangular waveguide. Green's dyadic functions are derived based on Tai's approach, which is a modified form of Hansen's vector wave functions. Based on the computed electric fields, the S matrix and the equivalent aperture reactance of the waveguide window are calculated. This calculation agrees with the previously published closed-form results of N. Marcuvitz (1964). >
Hydrogen bonding modulates binding of exogenous ligands in a myoglobin proximal cavity mutant.

In the sperm whale myoglobin mutant H93G, the proximal histidine is replaced by glycine, leaving a cavity in which exogenous imidazole can bind and ligate the heme iron (Barrick, D. (1994) Biochemistry 33, 6545-6554). Structural studies of this mutant suggest that serine 92 may play an important role in imidazole binding by serving as a hydrogen bond acceptor. Serine 92 is highly conserved in myoglobins, forming a well-characterized weak hydrogen bond with the proximal histidine in the native protein. We have probed the importance of this hydrogen bond through studies of the double mutants S92A/H93G and S92T/H93G incorporating exogenous imidazole and methylimidazoles. 1 H NMR spectra reveal that loss of the hydrogen bond in S92A/H93G does not affect the conformation of the bound imidazole. However, the binding constants for imidazoles to the ferrous nitrosyl complex of S92A/H93G are much weaker than in H93G. These results are discussed in terms of hydrogen bonding and steric packing within the proximal cavity. The results also highlight the importance of the trans diatomic ligand in altering the binding and sensitivity to perturbation of the ligand in the proximal cavity.
Estrogen and Progesterone Metabolism in the Cervix during Pregnancy and Parturition

Context: Experimental and clinical studies in a variety of nonprimate species demonstrate that progesterone withdrawal leads to changes in gene expression that initiate parturition at term. Mice deficient in 5α-reductase type I fail to undergo cervical ripening at term despite the timely onset of luteolysis and progesterone withdrawal in blood. Objective: Our objective was to test the hypothesis that estrogen and progesterone metabolism is regulated in cervical tissues during pregnancy, even in species in which parturition is not characterized by progesterone withdrawal in blood. Design: Estradiol and progesterone metabolism was quantified in intact cervical tissues from nonpregnant and pregnant women at term before or after labor. Setting: The study was conducted at a university hospital. Patients: Tissues were obtained from five nonpregnant and 21 pregnant women (nine before labor and 12 in labor). Main Outcome Measures: Enzyme activity measurements, Northern blot analysis, quantitative real-time RT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry were used to quantify steroid hormone metabolizing enzymes in cervical and myometrial tissues. Results: During pregnancy, 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 was induced in glandular epithelial cells to catalyze the conversion of estradiol to estrone and stroma-derived 20α-hydroxyprogesterone to progesterone. During parturition, 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 was down-regulated in endocervical cells, thereby creating a microenvironment favorable for cervical ripening. Conclusions: Together, the data indicate that cervical ripening during parturition involves localized regulation of estrogen and progesterone metabolism through a complex relationship between cervical epithelium and stroma, and that steroid hormone metabolism in cervical tissues from pregnant women is unique from that in mice.
Insurance Coverage and Care of Patients with Non–ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndromes

The authors studied the care received for non–ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes by 37 345 patients younger than age 65 years and 59 550 patients age 65 years or older. Compared with pri...
A tale of two species: Habitat conservation plans as bounded conflict

Abstract Worldwide human population expansion and rising standards of living place increasing pressure on wildlife populations and their habitats. Conflict regarding conservation and preservation of endangered species is among the greatest challenges of the 21st century. Endangered species management on private lands magnifies the problems encountered by natural resource policy-makers and managers. Given that conservation of endangered species increasingly depends on securing cooperation of private property owners in local communities, understanding how to secure that cooperation is important. We used an ethnographic approach to critically review the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) processes used in attempts to develop regional HCPs to benefit the Houston toad (Bufo houstonensis) and the Florida Key deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium; hereafter, Key deer). In both cases, the process was framed as a search for the optimum solution through collaboration and consensus building, and in neither case was the ...
Supportive and Insight-Oriented Psychodynamic Psychotherapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in an Adult Male Survivor of Sexual Assault

This is a single case study of a middle-aged man with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Dissociative Disorder Not Otherwise Specified following sexual assault as an adult. Treatment consiste...
The number of functions defining complex analytical sets

In 1973 D. Eisenbud and E. B. Evans showed that every algebraic set in n-space is the intersection of n hypersurfaces {3}. In 1975 A. Cassa showed that every algebraic curve in an n-dimensional Stein manifold is defined by n holomorphic functions {2}. Here we prove the following theorem: Theorem. Suppose V is an analytic subset of an n-dimensional Stein manifold, M. Then there are n functions f(,1),...,f(,n) holomorphic on M so that: (1) V(f,...,f(,n)) = V and (2) f(,1(,x)),...,F(,n(,x)) generate I(,V(,x)) for x reg V. (V(f(,1),...,f(,n)) denotes the variety defined by f(,1),...,f(,n). f(,i(,x)) is the germ at x of f(,i(,x)), and I(,V(,x)) is the stalk at x of the ideal sheaf of V,I(,V). Reg V is the regular set of V.)
RENÉ DUMONT AND THE FATE OF POLITICAL ECOLOGY IN FRANCE

L'A. etudie l'impact de l'œuvre de Rene Dumont sur le mouvement ecologiste en France. Il examine de quelle maniere ce dernier a contribue a la politisation de l'ecologie dans ce pays. Il s'efforce de mettre en lumiere les caracteristiques de la perspective developpee par Dumont en matiere d'ecologie. Il evalue l'influence de R. Dumont au sein des differentes composantes du mouvement ecologiste en France. Il montre que celui-ci constitue une des sources d'inspiration politique majeure dans ce mouvement
CSLSI Servant Leadership Character, Competency, and Skill Sets

Servant leadership entails key CSLSI skill sets. It begins with elements such as God-directed public-speaking skills, the humility and ability to empower others, making ourselves dispensable and creating disciples who do greater things, providing corrective feedback with godly love and skill, and driving fear from the workplace to promote innovation and creativity. As our personal relationship with God is never static, a key competency area is managing organizational change to overcome obstacles such as fear and power politics. It is critical to recognize that overcoming obstacles to change must begin with our own overt and covert forms of resistance. The end result of high levels of CSLSI is the ability to make God-honoring decisions.
Low self-control takes flight: The association between indicators of low self-control and imprudent airline passenger behavior

Abstract A large body of research finds that low self-control is associated with a variety of antisocial behaviors and undesirable outcomes. Yet, several behavioral domains remain unexplored. The purpose of the current study is to expand the boundaries of the literature concerning the behavioral outcomes of low self-control by examining its association with the likelihood that individuals will engage in imprudent behavior when flying on airplanes. To consider this, survey data was collected from a U.S. sample of 750 adults. Results indicate that, controlling for a host of demographic characteristics and one's frequency of flying, individuals who are lower in self-control are more likely to report they would engage in a range of imprudent behaviors when flying. This association was particularly evident when the analysis was focused on the self-centeredness dimension of low self-control. Implications of this study and directions for future research are discussed with regard to the potential for low self-control to account for a very wide variety of behaviors not directly associated with crime.
Occipital Bony Abnormality and Multiple Strokes in a Pediatric Patient Case Report and Review of the Current Literature

This study presents a case of a 15-year-old boy who had a right vertebral artery dissection with distal embolization from repeated trauma from an occipital bony spicule. The authors hypothesize that this bony spicule was contacting the left vertebral artery during head rotation, resulting in trauma to the vessel and formation of emboli which then showered distally, causing strokes in the posterior circulation of the brain. This specific phenomenon has previously been reported three times, only one of which was in pediatric literature. It is important for individuals to be aware of this rare anatomic cause of vertebral artery dissection in patients presenting with an odd constellation of symptoms related to strokes from vertebro-basilar system. Treatment options including early intervention with intravascular coil embolization are also discussed.
Measurement-based voltage stability assessment and control on CURENT hardware test bed system

A measurement-based voltage stability assessment and closed-loop control strategy is proposed and demonstrated on the Center for Ultra-Wide-Area Resilient Electric Energy Transmission Networks (CURENT) Hardware Test Bed (HTB) system, a power electronic converter-based research and experiment platform. This new strategy is based on an N+1 buses equivalent proposed recently by Ref. [1] for calculating real-time voltage stability margins on individual tie lines of a load area. Two voltage stability scenarios are designed and implemented on the HTB system that emulates a three-area power system integrating conventional generation, wind generation, and multi-terminal HVDC transmission. The tests validate the effectiveness of real-time monitoring and closed-loop control against voltage instability initiated from one tie line of the load area.
A New Procoagulant Mechanism Mediated by Fucoidans

Abstract 4420 Fucoidans are heterogeneous, polyanionic molecules with procoagulant activities in a wide concentration range. They have been described as non-anticoagulant sulfated polysaccharides (NASP) and shown to improve clotting in FVIII- and FIX-deficient plasma. In vitro characterization has suggested that fucoidans exert their procoagulant activity by inhibiting tissue factor pathway inhibitor (Liu et al. Thromb Haemost 2006; 95:68) and by accelerating thrombin-dependent FVa formation (Mutch et al. J Thromb Haemost 2007; 5 Suppl2). In our study we describe a new, previously unrecognized mechanism by which fucoidans act as procoagulant agents. The procoagulant activity of several fucoidans was characterized by calibrated automated thrombography in tissue factor (TF)-dependent experiments and by using coagulation factor-deficient plasmas. Spiking experiments with purified coagulation factors or inhibitory antibodies verified the mechanism. Stimulation of thrombin generation (TG) by fucoidans requires anionic lipid surfaces like synthetic phospholipid vesicles which contain phosphatidylserine and is TF-dependent (0-20pM). However, stimulatory activity was most pronounced in the absence of TF. Control experiments with corn trypsin inhibitor or FXII-deficient plasma excluded any involvement of the contact system. Plasmas from patients with congenital coagulation factor deficiencies were screened for TG to identify the target coagulation factor by which fucoidans exert their procoagulant activities. In the absence of TF, plasmas deficient in coagulation factors from the common pathway do not support fucoidan-mediated thrombin generation, whereas FVII-deficient plasma does. FXI was identified as the most upstream factor of the intrinsic pathway which is required for fucoidan-stimulated thrombin generation, suggesting it to be the target for the procoagulant activities of fucoidan. Spiking 30nM FXI to FXI-deficient plasma restored fucoidan-mediated TG and addition of polyclonal FXI inhibitory antibodies to normal plasma abrogated TG. Fucoidan-dependent TG did not improve when FXIa (60pM) was added to FXI-deficient plasma, suggesting activation of FXI by fucoidan. The relevance of this mechanism in hemophilia A plasma was studied by addition of low levels of FVIII (0.2-10%) resulting in a FVIII concentration-dependent increase in fucoidan-mediated TG. These results highlight the requirement of a functional intrinsic pathway for this new mechanism of fucoidans. Our findings present FXI activation at low TF concentrations as a possible mechanism for fucoidan. Disclosures: Dockal: Baxter Innovations GmbH: Employment. Panholzer: Baxter Innovations GmbH: Employment. Hartmann: Baxter Innovations GmbH: Employment. Ehrlich: Baxter Innovations GmbH: Employment. Scheiflinger: Baxter Innovations GmbH: Employment.
Modifiable risk factors and the role of driving pressure in acute respiratory distress syndrome.

In the December 2016 issue of Intensive Care Medicine (1), Laffey et al. published their analysis of potentially modifiable risk factors of mortality in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) enrolled in the LUNG SAFE prospective cohort study.
Martin Buber and the Problem of Dialogue in Contemporary Thought

This paper asks two questions: (1) Who in the history of ideas were the main initiators of dialogical thinking? (2) What are Martin Buber’s main merits in this regard? It comes to the conclusion that Buber’s main achievement was his understanding of the performative character of statements about the personhood of God. His dialogical understanding of religious experience is in need of being synthesized with an empirically grounded understanding of human intersubjectivity as it has been prepared by G. H. Mead and others.
The Large-Scale Dynamical Response of Clouds to Aerosol Forcing

AbstractRadiative kernels are used to quantify the instantaneous radiative forcing of aerosols and the aerosol-mediated cloud response in coupled ocean–atmosphere model simulations under both historical and future emission scenarios. The method is evaluated using matching pairs of historical climate change experiments with and without aerosol forcing and accurately captures the spatial pattern and global-mean effects of aerosol forcing. It is shown that aerosol-driven changes in the atmospheric circulation induce additional cloud changes. Thus, the total aerosol-mediated cloud response consists of both local microphysical changes and nonlocal dynamical changes that are driven by hemispheric asymmetries in aerosol forcing. By comparing coupled and fixed sea surface temperature (SST) simulations with identical aerosol forcing, the relative contributions of these two components are isolated, exploiting the ability of prescribed SSTs to also suppress changes in the atmospheric circulation. The radiative impac...
Role of Molecular Dipoles in Charge Transport across Large Area Molecular Junctions Delineated Using Isomorphic Self-Assembled Monolayers

Delineating the role of dipoles in large area junctions that are based on self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) is challenging due to molecular tilt, surface defects, and interchain coupling among other features. To mitigate SAM-based effects in study of dipoles, we investigated tunneling rates across carboranes—isostructural molecules that orient along the surface normal on Au (but bear different dipole moments) without changing the thickness, packing density, or morphology of the SAM. Using the Au-SAM//Ga2O3-EGaIn junction (where “//” = physisorption, “–” = chemisorption, and EGaIn is eutectic gallium–indium), we observe that molecules with dipole moments oriented along the surface normal (with dipole moment, p = 4.1D for both M9 and 1O2) gave lower currents than when the dipole is orthogonal (p = 1.1 D, M1) at ±0.5 V applied bias. Similarly, from transition voltage spectroscopy, the transition voltages, VT (volt), are significantly different. (0.5, 0.43, and 0.4 V for M1, M9, and 1O2, respectively). We infe...
Discrete event simulation scenario testing of schematic layouts in an emergency department expansion project

Emergency department (ED) expansion and redesign is a complex design task which must take into account many operational processes (current and proposed) as well a projected changes in the system, e.g., patient volume. Discrete event simulation (DES) is a tool to aid the decision making process by simulating these processes; however, it's typically used in the operations or early design stages before many decisions are made about layout, capacity, and new processes. Later in the design process, the use of simulation can provide an avenue for what-if scenario testing of layout and programmatic changes. This presentation presents an initial discrete event simulation analysis of various layout options during the schematic design stage of an ED expansion project and provides a brief overview of future research directions evaluating decision making using discrete event simulation and visualization simulation.
Connecting the Sequence-Space of Bacterial Signaling Proteins to Phenotypes using Coevolutionary Landscapes

Two-component signaling (TCS) is the primary means by which bacteria sense and respond to the environment. TCS involves two partner proteins working in tandem, which interact to perform cellular functions while limiting interactions with non-partners (i.e., “cross-talk”). We construct a Potts model for TCS that can quantitatively predict how mutating amino acid identities affect the interaction between TCS partners and non-partners. The parameters of this model are inferred directly from protein sequence data. This approach drastically reduces the computational complexity of exploring the sequence-space of TCS proteins. As a stringent test, we compare its predictions to a recent comprehensive mutational study, which characterized the functionality of 204 mutational variants of the PhoQ kinase in Escherichia coli. We find that our best predictions accurately reproduce the amino acid combinations found in experiment, which enable functional signaling with its partner PhoP. These predictions demonstrate the evolutionary pressure to preserve the interaction between TCS partners as well as prevent unwanted “cross-talk”. Further, we calculate the mutational change in the binding affinity between PhoQ and PhoP, providing an estimate to the amount of destabilization needed to disrupt TCS.