cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Elastic Tournament: The Second Transformation of the Big Law Firm

In 1991, Galanter and Palay published 'Tournament of Lawyers: The Transformation of the Big Law Firm', which documented the regular and relentless growth of large U.S. law firms. The book advanced several structural and historical factors to explain these patterns, centering on the adoption of the promotion-to-partnership tournament. Systemic changes in the marketplace for corporate legal services in the intervening years suggest the need for an updated account of the modern large law firm.Using 'Tournament of Lawyers' as a starting point, we propose to fill this void in the literature. Marching through a wide array of empirical evidence covering the last twenty to thirty years, our findings corroborate some of the core theoretical insights of 'Tournament of Lawyers'. For example, the continuous upward growth of the partnership based on the tournament is clearly evidenced by a 'smooth' upward trajectory in the partnership ranks while associate hiring hews more closely to the underlying business cycle. On the other hand, the widening ranks of permanent 'off track' attorneys and non-equity partners, including the prevalence of de-equitizations, suggest the emergence of a more complex and elongated tournament structure that applies to both partners and associates. Under a new model, which we dub the 'elastic tournament,' the equity core is primarily reserved for partners who control access to key clients. This structure reduces cross-subsidies between lawyers with differential value to the firm, thus reducing the potential for large-scale lateral defections. Yet, this reduced sharing of risks and benefits simultaneously creates an environment in which it becomes more costly - at the individual lawyer level - to faithfully adhere to professional and ethics principles that are in tension with client objectives. Arguably, these dynamics have made zealous advocacy the touchstone of ethical lawyering. The diminution in sharing also reduces the time horizons of individual lawyers and decreases their willingness to invest in firmwide initiatives that do not simultaneously optimize their own practice. Amidst this widening collective action problem, the 'firm' itself has remarkably little autonomy to pursue non-economic objectives, such as racial and gender diversity (particularly efforts directed at retention) or the training and mentoring of the next generation of lawyers. Further, except in some exceptional cases, the influence of firm culture, which may have moderated lawyer self-interest in an earlier era, is weakened by the sheer size and geographic dispersion of the modern big law firm. Although this model is fundamentally 'stable' in the economic sense, it raises several philosophical and practical issues regarding lawyer independence and the long-term viability of professional self-regulation.
Spontaneous development of endometrial venous malformation: diagnosis with color Doppler sonography

We report the case of a spontaneous development of venous malformation within the endometrium of a patient with adenomyosis who was on oral contraceptives for a prolonged period of time. This vascular abnormality was incidentally identified and diagnosed with color Doppler ultrasound when the patient was referred for pelvic ultrasound for her symptoms related to adenomyosis. The vascular abnormality was characterized as venous malformation based on its Doppler tracing. The possible causes of its spontaneous development are discussed.
WSN13-5: A Location-based Directional Route Discovery (LDRD) Protocol in Mobile Ad-hoc Networks

Mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) are important in pervasive computing systems, in which users discover and utilize various services to achieve their goals. Integrating service discovery with efficient route discovery protocol in MANETs can greatly improve the efficiency of pervasive computing systems, and hence an efficient route discovery protocol in MANETs is desirable. In this paper, a location-based directional route discovery (LDRD) protocol with a node location service based on local coordinates in MANETs is presented. In our LDRD protocol, route discovery is only performed in allowed areas using directional route requests. This LDRD protocol is shown to greatly reduce the overhead of route discovery, and improve the efficiency, adaptability and applicability of MANETs in various types of network scenarios.
Channels of energy redistribution in short-pulse laser interactions with metal targets

The kinetics and channels of laser energy redistribution in a target irradiated by a short, 1 ps, laser pulse is investigated in computer simulations performed with a model that combines molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with a continuum description of the laser excitation and relaxation of the conduction band electrons, based on the two-temperature model (TTM). The energy transferred from the excited electrons to the lattice splits into several parts, namely the energy of the thermal motion of the atoms, the energy of collective atomic motions associated with the relaxation of laser-induced stresses, the energy carried away from the surface region of the target by a stress wave, the energy of quasi-static anisotropic stresses, and, at laser fluences above the melting threshold, the energy transferred to the latent heat of melting and then released upon recrystallization. The presence of the non-thermal channels of energy redistribution (stress wave and quasi-static stresses), not accounted for in the conventional TTM model, can have important implications for interpretation of experimental results on the kinetics of thermal and mechanical relaxation of a target irradiated by a short laser pulse as well as on the characteristics of laser-induced phase transformations. The fraction of the non-thermal energy in the total laser energy partitioning increases with increasing laser fluence.
Solar Forcing of Earth's Climate

The sun is the primary source of energy for the climate of the earth. Variations in solar energy reaching the earth’s surface change the climate. Several factors control the influx of solar energy, including (1) variations in the earth’s albedo, (2) variations in earth’s orbit and rotation, and (3) variations in solar energy output. In the short time since 1978, direct measurement of total solar irradiance (TSI) by satellites has shown cyclical variations in solar energy of 0.1% in conjunction with the 11-year sunspot cycle. Indirect evidence from the sun and other sunlike stars indicate that TSI has had significantly greater variation as the the sun goes through various cycles. The correlations between climate and TSI variations are statistically solid. Small variations in TSI initiate indirect mechanisms on earth that yield climate changes greater than that predicted for the TSI change alone. At least three solar variables are known to affect earth’s climate: (1) TSI, which directly affects temperatures; (2) solar unltraviolet radiation, which affects ozone production and upper atmospheric winds; and (3) solar wind, which affects rainfall and cloud cover, at least partially, through control of the earth’s electrical field. Each affects the earth’s climate in different ways, producing indirect effects that amplify small changes in TSI. Individually, they do not cause the entire observed climate changes. Collectively, they appear to be sufficient, especially because solar forcing of earth’s climate is still an emerging science. Undoubtedly, other mechanisms of solar forcing are poorly understood, perhaps even unknown.
A Social History of Everyday Practice: Sadie T.M. Alexander and the Incorporation of Black Women into the American Legal Profession, 1925-60

This article presents a humanist social history of the everyday professional lives of Sadie T.M. Alexander and her peers at the early twentieth-century black women's bar, contending that a finely-detailed analysis of quotidian law practice reveals the methodological limitations of the reigning interpretations of the history of the American bar during this period. Alexander and her peers' professional lives were hemmed in by race and gender-based structural features of the bar, as the received interpretations of the period would predict, but those professional lives were also shaped by an under-theorized social milieu of race and class formation, gender role contestation, lawyer-client conflict and day-to-day professional relationships. That social milieu would provide Alexander and her peers with tools that would enable them to obtain a surprising, and often ironic, degree of power and prestige in the profession - surprising, at least, from the perspective of the dominant interpretive paradigm for the bar in this period.
Characterization of the periplasmic flagellum proteins of Leptospira interrogans.

The structure and composition of periplasmic flagella (PF) from Leptospira interrogans serovar pomona type kennewicki were characterized. Electron microscopic observations showed that leptospiral PF were complex structures composed of an 11.3-nm-diameter core surrounded by two sheath layers with 21.5- and 42-nm diameters. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of isolated PF showed the presence of seven different proteins ranging in mass from 31.5 to 36 kDa. Rabbit polyclonal and mouse monoclonal antibodies against PF proteins were prepared and were used to localize specific proteins to portions of the PF structure by immunoelectron microscopy. A 34-kDa protein was associated with the 11.3-nm-diameter core filament, while a 36-kDa protein was associated with a PF sheath (21.5-nm-diameter filament). The amino termini of the 34- and 35.5-kDa proteins were homologous to PF core proteins of other spirochetes. The experimental data suggested that L. interrogans PF contains 2 proteins (34 and 35.5 kDa) in the PF core. Images
Cross-Linking of Polymers With a primary Size Distribution. II. Calculation of Size Distributions in the Sol Fraction of Nonlinear Polymers

Abstract In a recent series of related papers [1,2], we called attention to the use of simple statistical distribution functions in the treatment of molecular size distributions of polymers. The basic distribution functions involved are the binomial, the Poisson, and the negative binomial distributions with discrete, nonzero variables. Depending on the physical conditions imposed, these distributions can be combined in a variety of ways to yield more complicated size distributions. Such combinations are exemplified by the convolution of distributions in addition polymers, the power series distribution for simple condensation polymers, the Lagrange distribution for branched polymers, etc. The most complicated case is a compound Lagrange distribution for the condensation of polymer chains with a primary size distribution [2].
Effectiveness of Prolonged Exposure for PTSD in Older Veterans

Exposure-based therapy is an effective treatment for PTSD, including combat-related PTSD. However, questions remain within PTSD treatment literature and among front-line clinicians about the appropriateness of exposure-based therapies for older adults. The current study examined the effectiveness of Prolonged Exposure (PE) in reducing PTSD and depression symptoms in a sample of 65 Veterans age 60 and older who were diagnosed with PTSD via structured clinical interview. In addition to within-subject repeated measure analyses, the entire intent to treat sample was compared to treatment completers. Within group d-type effect sizes across both groups were large (1.13-1.90) and the retention rate was high (85%). Importantly, no adverse medical or psychiatric events were reported over the course of the study. Results are discussed and limitations, along with future directions, are presented.
Observations of liquid lithium uptake in a porous molybdenum foam

Recent experiments with liquid lithium in magnetically confined plasmas have demonstrated improved plasma performance. These results have led researchers working on the National Spherical Torus Experiment to consider using a porous molybdenum foam and liquid lithium composite as a future liquid lithium divertor. In order to better understand the properties of this composite material, a small experimental apparatus was constructed at the University of Illinois to test lithium wetting uptake into the porous material. We report here results of the wetting behavior of a porous molybdenum foam with liquid lithium. Based on these observations, a simple model was used to estimate the thermal properties of the lithium infused porous material. Finally, the results of water-bath cleaning tests of the porous metal after lithium exposure are shown.
In vitro labeling of proteins by reductive methylation: application to proteins involved in supramolecular structures.

Actin and tropomyosin, purified from both muscle and brain, and α-actinin, purified from muscle, have been labeled in vitro by reductive methylation to specific activities of greater than 105 dpm/μg protein. Actin so modified bound DNase I and polymerized identically to unmodified actin. Furthermore, the spectral properties of actin did not change after labeling. The interactions of labeled tropomyosin and α-actinin with F-actin were nearly identical to those of the unmodified proteins. These modified proteins comigrated with their unmodified counterparts in both SDS-containing polyacrylamide gels and isoelectric focusing gels. The labeled actin was quantitatively extracted from SDS-containing polyacrylamide gels (yield > 98% of radioactivity applied demonstrating that all of the radioactivity was protein bound. The reductive methylation procedure worked well at pH 8.0–8.5 in either pyrophosphate buffer or Bicine buffer using formaldehyde with [3H]-sodium borohydride as the reducing agent. The procedure could also be performed at pH 7.0 in phosphate buffer using [14C]-formaldehyde with sodium cyanoborohydride as the reducing agent. Proteins so labeled are ideal for use in quantitative experiments involving protein-protein interactions.
Computer-Assisted Navigation—Total Knee Arthroplasty

Computer-assisted total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has been implemented to improve the accuracy of implant positioning and limb alignment. Studies have shown several benefits of computer-assisted TKA over conventional TKA. However, the technology is not without potential pitfalls. The following article is a technique guide for the use of computer-assisted navigation for TKA.
Associations between Twice-Yearly Oscillations of the North Pacific Cyclone Track and Upper-Tropospheric Circulations over the Eastern Hemisphere

Abstract A reexamination is made of the seasonal course of extratropical cyclone activity over the North Pacific based mainly on monthly cyclone statistics by Whittaker and Horn and upper-tropospheric wind analyses by Sadler, with support by other investigations. In the Asiatic coastal region, the prevailing cyclone track is south of Japan from midwinter through spring, shifting abruptly northward following a collapse of Kuroshio cyclogenesis from June to July. Farther east over the central Pacific this sequence gives way to a twice-yearly oscillation. Tracks are farthest north in April and August, and farthest south in January–February and secondarily in June. Eastward from Japan, the oscillations of cyclone activity take place in unison with fluctuations in latitude of the monthly mean jet stream. It is related to the intensifying and weakening phases of the subtropical jet during the winter monsoon regime and migrations of the mean jet between positions south and north of the Tibetan Plateau during mos...
The Impact of Faculty Status and Gender on Employee Well-Being in Academic Libraries.

This study measures job satisfaction, personal fulfillment, work/life balance, and stress levels of male and female librarians. Researchers surveyed 719 librarians at ARL institutions that either offer faculty status and tenure or offer neither. Females at libraries offering faculty status indicated poor work/life balance and high levels of stress compared to male colleagues and female librarians without faculty status; however, their reported job satisfaction was similar. Possible implications of the results are discussed.
Introduction to the Snowmastodon Project Special Volume The Snowmastodon Project

Studies of terrestrial biotic and environmental dynamics of Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 5, also called the Last Interglacial Period, provide insight into the effects of long-term climate change on Pleistocene ecosystems. In North America, however, there are relatively few fossil sites that definitively date to MIS 5. Even fewer contain multiple ecosystem components (vertebrates, invertebrates, plants) that have been studied in detail, and none are located at high elevation. Thus, our view of North American ecosystems during MIS 5 is, at best, an incomplete composite view, and alpine ecosystems are entirely undocumented.
Targeting of glioblastoma with activated T cells armed with anti-CD3xanti-HER2/neu (HER2Bi) and anti-CD3xanti-EGFR (EGFRBi) bispecific antibodies

3038 Background: Malignant gliomas are the most common primary brain tumors in adults. The prognosis for patients with glioblastoma remains poor despite aggressive multimodality treatment including surgery and chemoradiotherapy. The receptor tyrosine kinases EGFR, mutant EGFR (EGFRvIII), and HER2/neu are expressed on the majority of glioblastomas and are potential targets for activated T cells (ATCs) armed with bispecific antibodies (BiAbs). Methods: ATCs were generated from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) by culture for 14 days with monoclonal anti-CD3 and interleukin-2 and armed with HER2Bi and/or EGFRBi. HER2Bi- and/or EGFRBi-armed ATCs were examined for in vitro cytotoxicity (MTT and 51Cr release assays) against long-term malignant glioma lines (U87MG, U118MG, and U251MG) as well as primary glioblastoma lines derived from surgical specimens. Expression of EGFR and HER2/neu were evaluated by FACS. Anti-CD133 coated magnetic microbeads were used to separate CD133-positive and CD133-negat...
Effects of synchronicity and belongingness on face-to-face and computer-mediated constructive controversy.

Adapting face-to-face (FTF) pedagogies to online settings raises boundary questions about the contextual conditions in which the same instructional method stimulates different outcomes. We address this issue by examining FTF and computer-mediated communication (CMC) versions of constructive controversy, a cooperative learning procedure involving dialogic argumentation and the shared goal of reaching an integrative position. One hundred seventy-one undergraduates were randomly assigned to a 3 (synchronicity: FTF, synchronous CMC, asynchronous CMC) × 3 (belongingness: acceptance, mild rejection, control) quasi-experimental design. As predicted, FTF and synchronous CMC conditions increased cooperation, epistemic conflict regulation, motivation (interest-value), and achievement (completion rate, integrative statements), whereas asynchronous CMC increased competition and relational conflict regulation and decreased motivation and achievement. Also as predicted, satisfying belongingness needs (through acceptance) increased cooperation, epistemic conflict regulation, and motivation compared with control. Unexpectedly, there was no evidence that mild rejection diminished outcomes. Results inform theory by demonstrating that FTF and CMC synchronicity represent boundary conditions in which constructive controversy stimulates different social-psychological processes and, in turn, different outcomes. Results also inform practice by showing that synchronicity and belongingness have additive effects on constructive controversy and that satisfying belongingness needs buffers but does not offset the deleterious effects of asynchronous CMC.
Laboratory infestation of cotton bolls by Mediterranean fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Adults of laboratory-reared Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), laid eggs, and mature larvae developed in green intact bolls of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., in laboratory cage tests. Cotton bolls collected from early-season plants (102 d old) supported more larvae that developed to pupae (70.07 +/- 13.13 pupae per kilogram of bolls) (mean +/- SEM) than bolls collected from the top (23.34 +/- 5.66 pupae per kilogram of bolls) and bottom (0 pupae per kilogram of bolls) of late-season plants (175 d old). Pupal weight and adult emergence was similar among insects reared from bolls collected from either early-season plants (4.4 +/- 0.7 mg, 23.8 +/- 13.1% emergence) or the top of late-season plants (4.5 +/- 0.3 mg, 30.2 +/- 9.6% emergence). The number of eggs laid by adults and percentage egg hatch were similar between adults that had been reared from bolls from early-season plants (47.6 eggs per female, 67.8% hatch) and bolls from the tops of late-season plants (38 eggs per female, 81.6% hatch).
Antidiuretic effects of physostigmine and atropine in the dog.

SummaryPhysostigmine and atropine produce antidiuresis in the dog by increasing tubular reabsorption of water. The doses required, however, are large and usually accompanied by signs of toxicity.
Seismite in the Devonian Sultan Formation, Frenchman Mountain, Nevada: Evidence of far-field effect of the Alamo Event

Abstract We interpret a discrete, anomalous ~10-m-thick interval of the shallow-marine Middle to Late Devonian Valentine Member of the Sultan Formation at Frenchman Mountain, southern Nevada, to be a seismite, and that it was generated by the Alamo Impact Event. A suite of deformation structures characterize this unique interval of peritidal carbonate facies at the top of the Valentine Member; no other similar intervals have been discovered in the carbonate beds on Frenchman Mountain or in equivalent Devonian beds exposed in ranges of southern Nevada. The disrupted band extends for 5 km along the Mountain, and onto the adjoining Sunrise Mountain fault block for an additional 4+km. The interval displays a range of brittle, ductile and fluidized structures, and is divided into four informal bed-parallel units based on discrete deformation style and internal features that carry laterally across the study area. Their development is interpreted as the result of intrastratal compressional and contractional forces imposed upon the unconsolidated to fully cemented near-surface carbonate sediments at the top of the Valentine Member. The result is an assemblage of fractured, faulted, and brecciated beds, some of which were dilated, fluidized and injected to form new and complex matrix bands between beds. We interpret that the interval is an unusually thick and well displayed seismite. Because the Sultan Formation correlates northward to the Frasnian (lower Upper Devonian) carbonate rocks of the Guilmette Formation, and the Guilmette contains much thicker and more proximal exposures of the Alamo Impact Breccia, including seismites, we interpret the Frenchman Mountain seismite to be a far-field product of the Alamo Impact Event. Accompanying ground motion and deformation of the inner reaches of the Devonian carbonate platform may have resulted in a fall of relative sea level and abrupt shift to a salt-pan paleoenvironment exhibited by the post-event basal beds of the directly overlying Crystal Pass Member.
CHAPTER 10 – Implantation in GaAs Technology

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses implantation in GaAs technology. The application of ion implantation to the fabrication of GaAs devices has not developed rapidly. The reasons for this lag are that the development of implantation doping techniques in GaAs matured somewhat later, and the development of integrated circuit technologies in GaAs have only recently occurred. These integrated circuit technologies require the reproducibility and uniformity of doping, which implantation has demonstrated in silicon and represent the first widespread use of implantation in GaAs device technology. There are several features of implantation in GaAs that are different from implantation in silicon. The most notable of these is the dissociation of GaAs by loss of arsenic. The chapter also discusses the doping effects in GaAs that are the result of the chemical or electrical nature of the implanted species.
Improving the Integration of Performance Assessments Within the Curriculum Across the Professions

Assessment of performance is an essential component of any curriculum across the professions. In this chapter, we characterize the major conceptual frameworks and traditions of development and investigation for the curriculum. In this context, we provide recommendations for policies and best practices for improving the integration of performance assessment within curricula across the professions. Other chapters in this book explain the importance of an array of different types of assessment. This chapter provides a broader context for consideration of the role of assessment generally, as integrated into curricula across the professions. A key recommendation is that assessment of performance in the professions includes both specialized and subspecialized knowledge for the profession including practical skills domains, and equally important, other cross professional competencies, such as professionalism, communication skills, collaboration and teamwork, and skills for reflective practice, and lifelong learning. In turn, another key recommendation is that for assessment in the context of professions curricula, assessment of performance in the actual settings of practice, or in authentic simulations, is essential.
The scientific agreement on firearm issues

Introduction No one has systematically collected the views of firearm researchers to determine if and where agreement exists on the scientific evidence about firearms and firearm violence. Methods We send a short monthly on-line survey to firearm researchers. Each survey asks respondents their level of agreement with a statement about firearms, their rating of the quality of the scientific evidence on the specific issue, their familiarity with that literature and their area of expertise. Survey participants are first-authors of a firearms article published in a peer-reviewed journal since 2011. For the first 15 surveys, on average, surveys were sent to 322 researchers, and 109 researchers responded (34% response rate). Results Among respondents, approximately 46% were public health researchers and 32% were sociologists/criminologists. Agreement exists among firearm researchers that more guns and weaker gun laws cause serious public health problems, that the costs of gun availability are typically greater than the benefits and that stronger gun laws may improve public safety and health. 84% of researchers agreed, and only 8% disagreed with the statement ‘in the United States, having a gun in the home increases the risk of suicide’. For only three statements did most respondents rate the quality of the scientific evidence as strong or very strong. Overall, there was a higher level of agreement among public health/medicine researchers than among researchers in the other disciplines. Discussion Surveys of researchers can provide useful information about agreement on specific issues and about the quality of the scientific evidence.
FoXQ - XQuery by forms

We introduce FoXQ, a visual language that enables end users to query XML We are currently developing a language that brings a lot of the functionality of XQuery within the reach of the end users without getting them embroiled in the intricacies of XQuery syntax. The query interface is form-based and the query model is based on a document metaphor in which the users formulate queries by filling out forms.
Targeting neoantigens to augment antitumour immunity

The past decade of cancer research has been marked by a growing appreciation of the role of immunity in cancer. Mutations in the tumour genome can cause tumours to express mutant proteins that are tumour specific and not expressed on normal cells (neoantigens). These neoantigens are an attractive immune target because their selective expression on tumours may minimize immune tolerance as well as the risk of autoimmunity. In this Review we discuss the emerging evidence that neoantigens are recognized by the immune system and can be targeted to increase antitumour immunity. We also provide a framework for personalized cancer immunotherapy through the identification and selective targeting of individual tumour neoantigens, and present the potential benefits and obstacles to this approach of targeted immunotherapy.
Respiratory Motion Correction of Compressively Sampled Myocardial Perfusion Data by Using Robust Matrix Decomposition

Motion correction is a challenging problem in free breathing undersampled cardiac perfusion magnetic resonance images. It is due to aliasing artifacts in the reconstructed images and the rapid contrast changes in the perfusion images. In addition to the reconstruction limitations, many registration algorithms underperforms in the presence of the rapid intensity changes. In this paper, we propose a novel motion correction technique that reconstructs the motion-free images from the undersampled cardiac perfusion MR data. The technique utilizes the robust principal component analysis along with the periodic decomposition to separate the respiratory motion component that can be registered, from the unchanged contrast intensity variations. It was tested on synthetic data, simulated data, and the clinically acquired data. The performance of the method was qualitatively assessed and validated by comparing manually acquired time–intensity curves of the myocardial sectors to automatically generated curves before and after registration.
Aneuploidy screening by non-invasive prenatal testing in twin pregnancy

Objectives To describe our experience with non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in twin pregnancy. Methods Two sets of maternal blood samples from twin pregnancies were analyzed at our laboratory using NIPT: 115 stored samples from pregnancies with known outcome (Clinical Study A) and 487 prospectively collected samples for which outcomes were requested from providers (Clinical Study B). NIPT was used to screen for the presence of fetal aneuploidy on chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X and Y in all cases, and results were compared with outcomes when known. Results In Clinical Study A, all 115 samples were classified correctly by NIPT: three cases of trisomy 21 (one fetus affected), one of monochorionic trisomy 18 (both fetuses affected) and 111 euploid. In Clinical Study B, a NIPT result was reported for 479 (98.4%) of the 487 samples. Aneuploidy was detected or suspected in nine (1.9%) cases: seven cases of trisomy 21 detected, one case of trisomy 21 suspected and one case with trisomy 21 detected and trisomy 18 suspected. Information on aneuploidy outcome was available for 171 (35.7%) cases in Clinical Study B. Of the nine cases with aneuploidy detected or suspected, six were confirmed to be a true positive in at least one twin based on karyotype or birth outcome and two were suspected to be concordant based on ultrasound findings; the one known discordant result was for the aneuploidy suspected case. No false negatives were reported. Conclusion NIPT performed well in the detection of trisomy 21 in twin pregnancy, with a combined false-positive frequency for trisomies 13, 18 and 21 of 0% for Clinical Study A and 0.2% for Clinical Study B. © 2016 Illumina. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Fibromyalgia treatment update.

Purpose of review Fibromyalgia is a common chronic pain disorder characterized by complex symptomatology and few consistently effective treatments. The purpose of this review is to highlight the recent literature from April 2005 through September 2006 involving treatment options. Recent findings Prior evidence suggests that medication and self-management approaches to care can improve symptoms, function and well-being in this patient population. Recent studies examining the efficacy of two serotonin and norepinephrine-reuptake inhibitors – duloxetine and milnacipran – and the anticonvulsant pregabalin are encouraging. Studies evaluating different forms of exercise continue to support the belief that increased physical activity is an essential component of any treatment plan for the patient with fibromyalgia. Three studies added to the understanding of treatment adherence. Finally, three studies evaluating the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of fibromyalgia showed conflicting results, but added to the knowledge needed for clinicians to have substantive conversations with patients. Summary Recent studies support the recommendation of a multimodal approach to treatment involving individualized, evidence-based pharmacotherapy and self-management. Treatment goals should include the improvement of symptoms, primarily pain and sleep, and the promotion of positive health behaviors with the aim of improving physical function and emotional well-being.
Spin-injection-induced gain anisotropy in a polariton diode laser

Optical effects arising from spin-induced gain anisotropy such as threshold reduction and emission intensity enhancement, hitherto unobserved in electrically injected polariton lasers, are predicted theoretically for a bulk GaN-based exciton-polariton diode laser operated with electrical injection of spin-polarized electrons. These phenomena are deduced from a simplified spin-dependent rate equation model. We also demonstrate an electrical excitation scheme, which can amplify the degree of a deterministic circular polarization of the output emission by an order of magnitude, compared to the injected electron spin polarization, above threshold.
Machine learning for phase selection in multi-principal element alloys

Abstract Multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) especially high entropy alloys have attracted significant attention and resulted in a novel concept of designing metal alloys via exploring the wide composition space. Abundant experimental data of MPEAs are available to show connections between elemental properties and the resulting phases such as single-phase solid solution, amorphous, intermetallic compounds. To gain insights of designing MPEAs, here we employ neural network (NN) in the machine learning framework to recognize the underlying data pattern using an experimental dataset to classify the corresponding phase selection in MPEAs. For the full dataset, our trained NN model reaches an accuracy of over 99%, meaning that more than 99% of the phases in the MPEAs are correctly labeled. Furthermore, the trained NN parameters suggest that the valence electron concentration plays the most dominant role in determining the ensuing phases. For the cross-validation training and testing datasets, we obtain an average generalization accuracy of higher than 80%. Our trained NN model can be extended to classify different phases in numerous other MPEAs.
Pancreatic deletion of the interleukin-1 receptor disrupts whole body glucose homeostasis and promotes islet β-cell de-differentiation

Abstract Objective Pancreatic tissue, and islets in particular, are enriched in expression of the interleukin-1 receptor type I (IL-1R). Because of this enrichment, islet β-cells are exquisitely sensitive to the IL-1R ligands IL-1α and IL-1β, suggesting that signaling through this pathway regulates health and function of islet β-cells. Methods Herein, we report a targeted deletion of IL-1R in pancreatic tissue (IL-1RPdx1−/−) in C57BL/6J mice and in db/db mice on the C57 genetic background. Islet morphology, β-cell transcription factor abundance, and expression of the de-differentiation marker Aldh1a3 were analyzed by immunofluorescent staining. Glucose and insulin tolerance tests were used to examine metabolic status of these genetic manipulations. Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion was evaluated in vivo and in isolated islets ex vivo by perifusion. Results Pancreatic deletion of IL-1R leads to impaired glucose tolerance, a phenotype that is exacerbated by age. Crossing the IL-1RPdx1−/− with db/db mice worsened glucose tolerance without altering body weight. There were no detectable alterations in insulin tolerance between IL-1RPdx1−/− mice and littermate controls. However, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion was reduced in islets isolated from IL-1RPdx1−/− relative to control islets. Insulin output in vivo after a glucose challenge was also markedly reduced in IL-1RPdx1−/− mice when compared with littermate controls. Pancreatic islets from IL-1RPdx1−/− mice displayed elevations in Aldh1a3, a marker of de-differentiation, and reduction in nuclear abundance of the β-cell transcription factor MafA. Nkx6.1 abundance was unaltered. Conclusions There is an important physiological role for pancreatic IL-1R to promote glucose homeostasis by suppressing expression of Aldh1a3, sustaining MafA abundance, and supporting glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in vivo.
Aestheticized Geographies of Conflict: The Politicization of Culture and the Culture of Politics in Belfast’s Mural Tradition

A culture war has been fought on the walls of Belfast. Factions which had long been accustomed to voicing their dissent through violence and fear-mongering no longer have the openly public support to back their campaigns of bigotry and hatred via the gun [Note 1]. Instead, those who still seek to express their dissent over the Northern Ireland issue have found alternative methods by which they can voice their opinion. The re-opening of the devolved legislature for the Northern Ireland Assembly has re-opened a dialogue at the political level; on the ground, however, where political assertions are embedded in social practice, “political” communities express their cultural authority (in a way that is no less critical although more intriguingly subversive) through the production of mural art.
Repeat A2 Into B Kidney Transplantation After Failed Prior A2 Into B Transplant: A Case Report

Kidneys from donors with blood type A2 can be successfully transplanted into blood type B and O recipients without the need for desensitization if the recipient's starting anti-A hemagglutinin titer is within an acceptable range. National kidney allocation policy now offers priority for eligible B recipients to receive A2 or A2B deceased donor kidneys, and therefore, the frequency with which A2 or A2B to B transplants will occur is expected to increase. The precise mechanisms by which antibody-mediated rejection is averted in these cases despite the presence of both circulating anti-A antibody and expression of the A2 antigen on the graft endothelium are not known. Whether this process mirrors proposed mechanisms of accommodation, which can occur in recipients of ABO incompatible transplants, is also not known. Repeated exposure to mismatched antigens after retransplantation could elicit memory responses resulting in antibody rebound and accelerated antibody-mediated rejection. Whether this would occur in the setting of repeated A2 donor exposure was uncertain. Here we report the case of a patient with history of a prior A2 to B transplant which failed owing to nonimmunologic reasons; the patient successfully underwent a repeat A2 to B transplant. Neither rebound in anti-A2 antibody nor clinical evidence of antibody-mediated rejection were observed after the transplant. Current kidney allocation will likely enable more such transplants in the future, and this may provide a unique patient population in whom the molecular mechanisms of incompatible graft accommodation may be investigated.
Approach to local thermodynamic equilibrium and the evolution to a glassy core following neutron/ion radiation impact

Using molecular dynamics simulations and statistical-mechanical metrics, we make quantitative predictions on the local thermodynamic and dynamic states following an ion or neutron impact in three m...
Trypsinogen isoforms in the ferret pancreas

The domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) recently emerged as a novel model for human pancreatic diseases. To investigate whether the ferret would be appropriate to study hereditary pancreatitis associated with increased trypsinogen autoactivation, we purified and cloned the trypsinogen isoforms from the ferret pancreas and studied their functional properties. We found two highly expressed isoforms, anionic and cationic trypsinogen. When compared to human cationic trypsinogen (PRSS1), ferret anionic trypsinogen autoactivated only in the presence of high calcium concentrations but not in millimolar calcium, which prevails in the secretory pathway. Ferret cationic trypsinogen was completely defective in autoactivation under all conditions tested. However, both isoforms were readily activated by enteropeptidase and cathepsin B. We conclude that ferret trypsinogens do not autoactivate as their human paralogs and cannot be used to model the effects of trypsinogen mutations associated with human hereditary pancreatitis. Intra-pancreatic trypsinogen activation by cathepsin B can occur in ferrets, which might trigger pancreatitis even in the absence of trypsinogen autoactivation.
End of the line: central venous catheter mishap.

Central venous catheters (CVCs) are a form of intravenous access usually indicated for infusions of vasoactive drips. CVCs are usually placed at bedside, aided by ultrasound or landmark guidance. Success of CVC placement is later confirmed via chest X-ray (CXR).[1][1] A 40-year-old woman was
Rural Native and European American Custodial Grandparents: Stressors, Resources, and Resilience

Native American grandparents by tradition are expected to play a role in rearing grandchildren. However, in many Native grandfamilies, grandparents are rearing grandchildren not by choice or tradition, but as the result of family crises that necessitated grandparent intervention. European American grandparents have likewise been called to rear their grandchildren when their adult children are unable or unwilling to perform parental duties. Less is known about these custodial grandparents' resilience pathways, particularly among rural grandfamilies. Guided by the Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment, and Adaptation, this study examined the relationships between stressors, resources, and resilience among rural Native and European American custodial grandparents. Correlates of resilience were economic stress and stress management. Significant interactions were found between economic stress and government assistance and economic stress and stress management, indicating complex resilience pathways. Implications of study findings for research and intervention are discussed.
On not wanting more: feminist drift in Zeyneb Hanoum’s A Turkish Woman’s European Impressions

ABSTRACTThis essay reads Zeyneb Hanoum’s A Turkish Woman’s European Impressions as a key site where early-twentieth-century feminism, Orientalism, and queer modernism intersect. Zeyneb’s text offer...
Reliability and validity of PROMIS® pediatric family relationships short form in children 8–17 years of age with chronic disease

Families play a key role in managing pediatric chronic illness. The PROMIS® pediatric family relationships measure was developed primarily within the general pediatric population. We evaluated the Family Relationships short form in the context of pediatric chronic diseases. Children aged 8–17 years with asthma (n = 73), type 1 diabetes (n = 122), or sickle cell disease (n = 80) completed the Family Relationships 8a short form and the PROMIS Pediatric Profile-25′s six domains representing physical, mental, and social health. Parents (N = 275) of these children completed the parent versions of the same measures. We evaluated reliability of the Family Relationships measure using Cronbach’s alpha and IRT-based marginal reliability, and the standard error of measurement (SEM). Convergent/discriminant validity were assessed from correlations between the Family Relationships domain and the PROMIS-25 domains. SEM increased for scores above the normative mean of 50. Cronbach’s alpha and IRT-estimated marginal reliabilities exceeded 0.80 for children and parents across diseases, except in asthma, where marginal reliability was 0.75 for parents. Scores displayed small to large correlations in the expected directions with social and mental health domains. The largest correlations occurred with parents’ proxy reports of children’s depressive symptoms in sickle cell disease and asthma, r = − 0.60 (95% CI − 0.74, − 0.48) and r = − 0.58 (95% CI − 0.68, − 0.48) respectively. The Family Relationships 8-item short form demonstrated adequate reliability and convergent/discriminant validity for use in pediatric chronic conditions, though scores above the mean displayed greater uncertainty. Evidence of the measure’s reliability and validity in multiple contexts furthers the case for its use.
Far-field sensitivity of droplet generation: Exponential scaling and cutoff

Alternating current (AC) immersed electrospray exhibits a new microdripping phenomenon whose droplet size is exponentially sensitive to the applied field.
Balanced-Diplexer Frequency Division Duplex Subarray for X-band Phased Array

A compact dual-circularly polarized magneto-electric dipole subarray is proposed as a unit cell of a phased array for geostationary satellites. A balanced-diplexer is fully integrated with the array to enable frequency division duplex at X-band. The proposed architecture allows to have high rejection between transmit and receive bands without increasing the complexity of diplexers. Isolation > 50 dB, gain > 15 dBic, symmetric patterns, and axial ratio < 2 dB are demonstrated computationally and experimentally.
Flame-driven deflagration-to-detonation transitions in Type Ia supernovae?

Although delayed detonation models of thermonuclear explosions of white dwarfs seem promising for reproducing Type Ia supernovae, the transition of the flame propagation mode from subsonic deflagration to supersonic detonation remains hypothetical. A potential instant for this transition to occur is the onset of the distributed burning regime, i.e. the moment when turbulence first affects the internal flame structure. Some studies of the burning microphysics indicate that a deflagration-to-detonation transition may be possible here, provided the turbulent intensities are strong enough. Consequently, the magnitude of turbulent velocity fluctuations generated by the deflagration flame is analyzed at the onset of the distributed burning regime in several three-dimensional simulations of deflagrations in thermonuclear supernovae. It is shown that the corresponding probability density functions fall off towards high turbulent velocity fluctuations much more slowly than a Gaussian distribution. Thus, values claimed to be necessary for triggering a detonation are likely to be found in sufficiently large patches of the flame. Although the microphysical evolution of the burning is not followed and a successful deflagration-to-detonation transition cannot be guaranteed from simulations presented here, the results still indicate that such events may be possible in Type Ia supernova explosions.