cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Liberalism, Imperialism, and the Historical Imagination: Imagining a British India: history and the reconstruction of Empire

The writings and records of the antient inhabitants of Hindoostan, it is probable, encircle most of the branches of human knowledge. The current learning, however, of its present inhabitants is contracted within very narrow bounds, from the operation of many causes … It is, therefore, only from a diligent research into books that we can expect to become acquainted with the science and learning of the nations of the East. W. B. Bayley, student essay presented at Fort William College, Calcutta, February 6, 1801, in Primitae Orientales , 2 vols. (Calcutta, 1802–3), I: 40–1 This writer, it will be said, has never been in India; and … [has little] acquaintance, with any of the languages of the East. I confess the facts; and will now proceed to mention the considerations, which led me, notwithstanding, to conclude that I might still produce a work of considerable utility, on the subject of India. In the first place, it appeared to me, that a sufficient stock of information was now collected in the languages of Europe, to enable the inquirer to ascertain every important point, in the history of India. James Mill, The History of British India , 6 vols. [1818] (New York, 1968), I: xx–xxi In the still more important qualities, which constitute what we call the moral character, the Hindu, as we have already seen, ranks very low; and the Mahomedean is little, if at all above him. […]
Automating Environmental Impact Assessment during the Conceptual Phase of Product Design

Product environmental impact reduction efforts largely focus on incremental changes during detailed design. Application of automated concept generation using a design repository and integral life cycle assessment approach is explored to evaluate and reduce environmental impacts in the conceptual phase of product design.
Current Thoughts on Crossover Designs

AbstractIn this paper a historical perspective will be developed regarding the use by drug sponsors of crossover designs in clinical trials in reference to new drug application (NDA) submissions to FDA and FDA's concerns with these designs. From the standpoint of drug sponsors, drug researchers and FDA statistical reviewers the possible impact of a report by the former Biometric and Epidemiological Methodology Advisory Committee (BEMAC) of the FDA and of recommendations contained in 22 FDA clinical guidelines on the matter of crossover designs will be discussed. Additionally, current experience gained from the FDA's statistical evaluation of crossover designs will be briefly presented and some constructive suggestions will be made to guide drug sponsors and drug researchers regarding the use of crossover designs in clinical trials.
Sildenafil citrate suppresses disease progression in patients with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia

7556 Background: Responses to sildenafil citrate (Viagra), a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor used to treat erectile dysfunction, have been observed in patients with Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia (WM). Moreover, sildenafil citrate induces apoptosis of WM lymphoplasmacytic cells (Clin Lymphoma 5:205, 2004). We therefore conducted a prospective phase II study of sildenafil citrate in patients with slowly progressing WM who did not meet consensus eligibility for active therapy (Semin Oncol 2003; 30:116). Intended therapy was as follows: Week 1 25 mg po qD Week 2 50 mg po qD Week 3 75 mg po qD Week 4, then Months 2–24 100mg po qD or Maximum Tolerated Dose Methods: Thirty patients were enrolled, 18 of whom were previously untreated. All patients demonstrated progressing disease prior to enrollment. Median age was 66 (range 43–85 yrs), baseline BM involvement was 30% (range 5–90%), serum IgM was 3,640 (range 790–6,720 mg/dL), hematocrit was 37.1% (range 32.7–58.5%), and B2M was 2.3 (range 1.5–8.9 mg/dL). Patient...
Patients involved in clinical research are more concerned about intrinsic and traditional research (“publish or perish”) conflicts of interests (COI) than potential financial conflicts: Results of interviews with advanced cancer patients enrolling in phase I trials

6008 Background: Concerns exist about the potential for financial COI to bias the design, conduct, analysis, and reporting of clinical trials. However, information is lacking about the perceptions ...
Getting to Deuce: Professional Tennis and the Need for Expanding Coverage of Federal Antidiscrimination Laws

In 2007, Wimbledon became the last Grand Slam tournament to equalize prize money payouts for male and female players. But research shows the persistence of a gender pay gap in tennis where women earn less than men. If this is the case, why haven’t women filed suit against their employers for unlawful sex discrimination? The answer is simple: because federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex — such as Title VII and the Equal Pay Act — only apply to employees. Tennis players are independent contractors. The distinction between employees and independent contractors is perhaps the most litigated issue in employment law. Federal statutes define the term “employee” circularly and courts have applied the common law agency test, which is useful for adjudicating tort liability but not employment discrimination. The underinclusiveness of current antidiscrimination laws is especially problematic for high-paid independent contractors, like professional tennis players, because unequal treatment can mean the difference between hundreds of thousands of dollars in earnings. To effectuate the broad remedial purposes of the antidiscrimination laws, Congress and the courts should expand the laws' coverage. This Note takes a novel approach by using a socio-legal framework, with tennis as a case study, to argue that some independent contractors should be protected under federal law. The most practical and effective approach for expanding coverage is returning to the "economic realities" test. Courts have had no trouble applying the test in employment discrimination cases in the past, and it would enable the federal statutes to protect independent contractors who do not have employees, have unequal bargaining power, and exercise relatively little control over the manner in which they perform their work.
Dynamic equivalent of an industrial induction motor load by parameter identification

A method is proposed to represent an induction motor group by a third order nonlinear model of an equivalent induction machine for transient stability studies. The equivalent motor and load parameters are obtained by a parameter identification technique which requires no knowledge of the individual machine and load parameters of the motor group beyond its overall current response to a voltage dip field test. With a simulated four induction motor group representing a statistically typical industrial load, the equivalent machine is shown to predict satisfactorily the machine group behavior under power system fault conditions.
The Effect of Hypermedia Assisted Instruction on Second Language Learning

Literature on hypermedia has been growing. Although its potentials and educational implications are being explored, not much empirical research has been done to substantiate its rich theoretical as...
Population-based dietary intakes and tap water concentrations for selected elements in the EPA region V National Human Exposure Assessment Survey (NHEXAS).

A National Human Exposure Assessment Survey (NHEXAS) field study was performed in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region V, providing population-based exposure distribution data for selected elements in several personal, environmental, and biological media. Population distributions are reported for the 11 elements that were measured in water and dietary samples. Dietary intakes and home tap water concentrations of lead, arsenic, and cadmium were further examined for intermedia associations, for differences between dietary exposure for adults and children, and to estimate the proportion of the population above health-based reference values (dietary) or regulatory action levels or maximum contaminant levels (water). Water lead and arsenic concentrations were significantly associated with dietary intake. Intake of all elements was higher from solid foods than from liquid foods (including drinking water). Dietary intakes of Pb, As, and Cd were greater than those calculated for intake from home tap water or inhalation on a microg/day basis. Median dietary intakes for the Region V population for Pb, As, and Cd were 0.10, 0.13, and 0.19 microg/kg bw/day, respectively. While Pb, As, and Cd concentrations in the foods consumed by 0 to 6-year-old children were similar to or lower than those for adults, dietary intakes calculated on a body weight basis were 1.5 to 2.5 times higher for young children. Intrapersonal intake differences accounted for most of the variance in short-term (daily) dietary intakes for Pb and As, while interpersonal differences accounted for more of the intake variance for Cd. Only small percentages of the population exceeded health-based intake reference values or concentrations equal to regulatory levels in water for Pb, As, and Cd.
Using an iPad App to Improve Phonological Awareness Skills in Young English-Language Learners With Disabilities

This study evaluated the efficacy of using a researcher-developed iPad app that incorporated to 0-5 s constant time delay procedures to improve phonological awareness skills in young English-language learners with disabilities. A multiple probe design across three target phoneme sets and replicated with three students was used to evaluate experimental control. All students mastered their target phonemes and also learned some of the nontarget information (vocabulary) from the vocabulary models provided during instruction. Further, they generalized the skills across materials and maintained the majority of the skills after 3 weeks post-intervention. Findings are discussed with regard to using researcher-developed apps in daily instruction.
Theoretical and experimental researches on the laser gyro fractal noise

A method of calculating fractal noise parameters by wavelet is developed.The signals of middle-and high-precision laser inertial navigation system(LINS) are decomposed for 7 times by dB10 wavelet.The 100 Hz data sampling frequency is employed in both systems.The parameters of fractal noise are estimated.The fractal exponent γ approximately equals 1 in high-precision laser gyro and about equals 2 in middle-precision laser gyro.The experiments further indicate that the noise in laser gyro signal is not angel random walk but bias instability and rate random walk.This conclusion is different from common paper.Two advices are presented in order to reduce the fractal noise.The laser output power and the technique for deposition should be improved during the laser gyro design and production.And good filter algorithm should be used in LINS when more laser gyros are applied.A new finite impulse response(FIR) filter example is introduced at last.It has three notches to decrease influence of three gyro jither at the same time.
Effects of 14 Versus 21 Days of Nimodipine Therapy on Neurological Outcomes in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Patients

Background: Oral nimodipine is standard therapy for patients suffering an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). During a national drug shortage, nimodipine therapy was shortened from a 21-day course to a 14-day course at our institution. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare neurological outcomes among patients who had previously received the standard duration of therapy compared with those who received a shortened duration as a result of the national drug shortage. Methods: This retrospective cohort study evaluated adult patients receiving nimodipine for aSAH from January 2012 to August 2013. Neurological outcome, graded by Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at hospital discharge, was compared between patients receiving a shortened course and those receiving the standard duration of nimodipine. Results: A total of 199 aSAH patients were included in the analysis. There were 164 patients in the standard-duration and 35 patients in the shortened-duration group. Baseline patient severity of ill...
Epidemiologie cerebraler Gefäßverschlüsse

Ein fur die Vorbereitung dieses Referates notwendiger Uberblick uber das Grosenausmas des Problems der cerebrovascularen Erkrankungen in der Bundesrepublik erbrachte ein unerwartetes Resultat: Unter allen europaischen Landern liegt die BRD in der standardisierten Mortalitatsrate an Gehirnblutung und Cerebralinfarkt pro 100 000 pro Jahr mit an der Spitze. Wir kommen zu dieser Feststellung bei Berucksichtigung zweier voneinander unabhangiger Publikationen, dem Gesundheitswesen der BRD 1970 und dem Statistical Bulletin der Metropolitan Life Insurance Company vom August 1971.
"Names, Emotions and Product Appeal and Growth in the U.S. Craft Beer Market, 1996-2012"

A name is a central feature of any product, yet it is not well understood how names affect product growth - a key factor in a firm’s success on the market. Product growth happens in a number of dif...
Social Determinants of Health, Violent Radicalization, and Terrorism: A Public Health Perspective

Background: Terrorism-related deaths are at an all-time high as there were 32,685 and 29,376 terrorism-related deaths in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Terrorism is defined as the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims. Terrorism is detrimental for mental health, premature mortality, and economic losses and undermines the central tenets of public health to improve the health and well-being of populations. Despite the impact terrorism has on avoidable morbidity and mortality, population health research largely overlooks social determinants of terrorism and risk factors that contribute to terrorist activities. Methods: Drawing from what is known about commonly studied social determinants of health topics, including the relationships between structural and interpersonal discrimination, social cohesion, and gang violence and health, we present a public health framework, rooted in the social determinants of health, for identifying potential factors influencing terrorism and violent radicalization. Results: Social determinants of health provide unique insight into how interpersonal and structural factors can influence risk for violent radicalization and terrorist activity. Each of the topics we review provides an entry point for existing public health and behavioral science knowledge to be used in preventing and understanding violent radicalization and terrorism. For example, anti-Muslim sentiment has promoted discrimination against Muslims, while also serving to marginalize and stigmatize Muslim communities. These conditions limit the social resources, like social cohesion, that Muslims have access to and make political violence more appealing to some. Conclusions: Public health can contribute much to the ongoing debate around terrorism. The field must take a more prevention-focused approach to the problem of terrorism. Failure to do so only perpetuates approaches that have not been successful.
Erratum to: Communications and Multimedia Security Issues of the New Century

Erratum to: R. Steinmetz et al. (Eds.) Communications and Multimedia Security Issues of the New Century DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-35413-2
Robin Approximation of Dirichlet Boundary Value Problems

This paper describes the rate of convergence of solutions of Robin boundary value problems of an elliptic equation to the solution of a Dirichlet problem as a boundary parameter decreases to zero. ...
High-accuracy Geant4 simulation and semi-analytical modeling of nuclear resonance fluorescence

Abstract Nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF) is a photonuclear interaction that enables highly isotope-specific measurements in both pure and applied physics scenarios. High-accuracy design and analysis of NRF measurements in complex geometries is aided by Monte Carlo simulations of photon physics and transport, motivating Jordan and Warren (2007) to develop the G4NRF codebase for NRF simulation in Geant4. In this work, we enhance the physics accuracy of the G4NRF code and perform improved benchmarking simulations. The NRF cross section calculation in G4NRF, previously a Gaussian approximation, has been replaced with a full numerical integration for improved accuracy in thick-target scenarios. A high-accuracy semi-analytical model of expected NRF count rates in a typical NRF measurement is then constructed and compared against G4NRF simulations for both simple homogeneous and more complex heterogeneous geometries. Agreement between rates predicted by the semi-analytical model and G4NRF simulation is found at a level of ∼ 1 % in simple test cases and ∼ 3 % in more realistic scenarios, improving upon the ∼ 20 % level of the initial benchmarking study and establishing a highly-accurate NRF framework for Geant4.
Heterosis and Hybrid Seed Production in Barley

The successful use of hybrid cultivars depends upon the existence of an economically significant level of heterosis, sufficient cross-pollination to make hybrid seed production cost competitive and an efficient and reliable system of producing the female parent of the hybrid. The possibilities of commercial exploitation of heterosis in barley have been discussed since the description of the first genetic male sterile by Suneson (1940). A number of genetic and cytogenetic schemes have been proposed to use genetic male sterility in commercial hybrid seed production. A cytoplasmic male sterile system that is similar to the systems that are used to produce hybrid maize, sorghum and other crops has been described (Ahokas 1979a). The only commercial production of hybrid barley used a genetic recessive gene for male sterility in a balanced tertiary trisomic system (Ramage 1965).
Emotions and Their Development in Childhood

The theory of emotions and its development are unique among the various domains of psychological research. Until recently, this domain was completely dominated by a pure naturalism of a kind profoundly foreign to other domains of psychological investigation. These other domains have shifted to purely naturalistic theories only with the emergence of behaviorism and similar behavioristic research traditions. Methodologically, the entire future of behaviorism is contained in the old theory of emotions, since both have developed as a reaction to the forms of spiritualistic introspective psychology that preceded them. Developing primarily on a naturalistic plane, research on the emotions stood out like a white raven from other domains of psychological research contemporary to it.
Stress and Allostasis

The concept of homeostasis is potentially one of the most studied and understood aspects of physiology. Also well known are the effects of threats to homeostasis, known as stressors. It has long been appreciated that the body responds to stressors actively, known as an allostatic response. The classic stress response – the activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the release of glucocorticoids from the adrenal glands – has been well studied, though perhaps it has been painted in a somewhat negative light as being detrimental to health. In fact, stress responses are necessary for the survival of an organism when it faces a threat to homeostasis, and so in the acute sense, stress is beneficial. The cost of restoring normal homeostasis through active intervention is known as allostatic load. This load, be it through chronic stress, or malfunctions in the systems regulating allostasis, can lead to wear and tear on the brain and body, with significant implications for mental and physical health. This chapter will summarize how stress, and the allostatic responses that accompany stress, affects physical and psychological health. We will discuss how chronic stress and allostatic overload can contribute to disease states and affect disease progression and the role of the body’s circadian (daily) timing systems: what they mean for maintaining homeostasis and how disruption of circadian timing may lead to allostatic load and overload.
Evaluating Elite Alfalfa Lines for N2-Fixation Under Field Conditions

The nitrogen (N2) fixation capacity of a legume-Rhizobium symbiosis is associated with several metabolic processes and morphological characteristics of the host and of the bacterium. These processes and characteristics are quantitatively regulated with gene expression often dependent upon the environment in which the symbiosis develops. Because of the close association between gene expression and environment, we must understand how metabolic processes investigated in the artificial and relatively uniform environments of laboratories and glasshouses respond to the uncontrolled environments of the field. This understanding is essential if research to improve N2−fixation of legumes is to impact beneficially on agricultural cropping systems. For this reason, a major thrust of our research program is to conduct field experiments to determine the N2−fixation capabilities of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) previously selected in artificial environments for traits associated with N2−fixation. The purpose of this communication is to report three investigations of alfalfa N2−fixation and Rhizobium strain preference using germplasm from our breeding program, and to interpret the results in the context of plant improvement.
Sexual Health Interventions for Black Women in the United States: A Systematic Review of Literature

Objective: The purpose of this systematic review was to identify and evaluate approaches used in sexual health interventions targeting Black women in the United States. Methods: We conducted a review of 15 sexual health intervention studies for Black women published between January 2000 and May 2017 in the United States. Results: Each intervention focused on HIV/sexually transmitted infection prevention, incorporated an asset and deficit-based approach, primarily used individual-level assets, and was effective in achieving the stated sexual health-related outcomes. Conclusions: Comprehensive sexual health interventions require further development and refinement to include more community and institutional-level assets to improve long-term sustainable change and empower Black women.
The reciprocal theorem in fluid dynamics and transport phenomena

In the study of fluid dynamics and transport phenomena, key quantities of interest are often the force and torque on objects and total rate of heat/mass transfer from them. Conventionally, these integrated quantities are determined by first solving the governing equations for the detailed distribution of the field variables (i.e. velocity, pressure, temperature, concentration, etc.) and then integrating the variables or their derivatives on the surface of the objects. On the other hand, the divergence form of the conservation equations opens the door for establishing integral identities that can be used for directly calculating the integrated quantities without requiring the detailed knowledge of the distribution of the primary variables. This shortcut approach constitutes the idea of the reciprocal theorem, whose closest relative is Green’s second identity, which readers may recall from studies of partial differential equations. Despite its importance and practicality, the theorem may not be so familiar to many in the research community. Ironically, some believe that the extreme simplicity and generality of the theorem are responsible for suppressing its application! In this Perspectives piece, we provide a pedagogical introduction to the concept and application of the reciprocal theorem, with the hope of facilitating its use. Specifically, a brief history on the development of the theorem is given as a background, followed by the discussion of the main ideas in the context of elementary boundary-value problems. After that, we demonstrate how the reciprocal theorem can be utilized to solve fundamental problems in low-Reynolds-number hydrodynamics, aerodynamics, acoustics and heat/mass transfer, including convection. Throughout the article, we strive to make the materials accessible to early career researchers while keeping it interesting for more experienced scientists and engineers.
End-of-Treatment Intracerebral and Ventricular Hemorrhage Volume Predicts Outcome: A Secondary Analysis of MISTIE III

Background and Purpose- Trials have shown potential clinical benefit for minimally invasive clot evacuation of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Prior research showing an association between ICH size and functional outcome did not fully address the spectrum of hematoma volumes seen after clot evacuation. Methods- In this secondary analysis of the MISTIE III trial (Minimally Invasive Surgery Plus Alteplase for Intracerebral Hemorrhage Evacuation III), we included patients randomized to the surgical arm. The primary outcome was good outcome (modified Rankin Scale score 0-3 at 1 year from study enrollment). The primary predictors were the end-of-treatment (EoT) ICH and intraventricular hemorrhage volumes and an end-of-treatment ICH stratification scale called the EoT ICH volume score. Results- In 246 patients, the end-of-treatment computed tomography was performed an average of 5 days from onset. For patients with good versus poor outcomes, the mean end-of-treatment ICH and intraventricular hemorrhage volumes were 12.9 versus 18.0 mL (P=0.002) and 0.5 versus 2.3 mL (P 20 mL; P=0.001). Conclusions- After surgical clot evacuation, both ICH and intraventricular hemorrhage volumes have a strong association with good neurological outcome. The EoT ICH volume score needs independent verification, but such an approach could be used for prognostication and therapeutic planning.
Plasmonic ommatidia for lensless compound-eye vision.

The vision system of arthropods such as insects and crustaceans is based on the compound-eye architecture, consisting of a dense array of individual imaging elements (ommatidia) pointing along different directions. This arrangement is particularly attractive for imaging applications requiring extreme size miniaturization, wide-angle fields of view, and high sensitivity to motion. However, the implementation of cameras directly mimicking the eyes of common arthropods is complicated by their curved geometry. Here, we describe a lensless planar architecture, where each pixel of a standard image-sensor array is coated with an ensemble of metallic plasmonic nanostructures that only transmits light incident along a small geometrically-tunable distribution of angles. A set of near-infrared devices providing directional photodetection peaked at different angles is designed, fabricated, and tested. Computational imaging techniques are then employed to demonstrate the ability of these devices to reconstruct high-quality images of relatively complex objects. The compound eyes of arthropods provide a visual advantage by seeing a wide range of angles all at once, but cameras that mimic them are usually curved and bulky. Here, the authors develop a flat, plasmonic image sensor array that enables high-quality wide-angle vision without lenses or curvature.
Decreased torsinA or LINC Complex Function Rescues a Laminopathy in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract The function of the nucleus depends on the integrity of the nuclear lamina, an intermediate filament network associated with the linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) complex spanning the nuclear envelope. In turn, the AAA+ ATPase torsinA regulates force transmission from the cytoskeleton to the nucleus. In humans, mutations affecting nuclear envelope-associated proteins cause laminopathies, including progeria, myopathy, and dystonia. We report that decreasing the function of the C. elegans torsinA homolog, OOC-5, rescues the sterility and premature aging caused by a null mutation in the single worm lamin homolog, lmn-1. Loss of OOC-5 activity prevents nuclear collapse in lmn-1 mutants by disrupting the function of the LINC complex. These results suggest that LINC complex-transmitted forces damage nuclei with a compromised nuclear lamina. One Sentence Summary Inhibiting LINC complex activity prevents a progeric syndrome in C. elegans.
Comparison of the clinical effects of three artificial abortion methods in mid-term pregnancy

Objective To compare the effects of three artificial abortion methods, Mifepriston with Misopro-fil,Rivanol with Mifepristone and Rivanol,in mid-term pregnancy. Methods 235 women who were pregnant for 12 to 28 weeks and volunteered to abort with drugs were selected and observed. The total subjects were randomly divided into three groups,study group Ⅰ (n=80),study group Ⅱ (n=78),and control group (n=77). In study group Ⅰ, each was given Mifepristone 50 mg, po, bid, for 3 days. On the fourth day, Misoprofil 200-1000 μg was administered though vagina. In study group Ⅱ, Rivanol(70-100 mg) was injected into amniotic cavity and at the same tame, Mife-pfistone,75 mg was given bid,po,for each case for 1 day. In study group Ⅲ,each case was injected with Rivanol (70-100 nag) only into amniotic cavity. Results The complete abortion rate in study group Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ was 88.75% (71/80), 65.38% (51/78), 38.96% (30/77) respectively. The success rate was 98.75% (79/80), 71.79% (56/78),76.62% (59/77) respectively. The mean time from the initial uterine contraction to the expulsion of the fetus and placenta was (6.85±3.68) h, (8.87±3.58) h, (14.67±3.50) h respectively. The volume of in-trapartum and postpartum vaginal hemorrhage within 2 hours was (80.86±40.28) ml, (94.70±42.35) ml, (120. 68±43.30)ml respectively. The complete abortion rate and success rate in study group Ⅰ was significantly greater than that in study group Ⅱ and study group Ⅲ. In addition, the birth process was shorter and the vaginal hemorrhage was less significantly in study group Ⅰ than those in the other two groups (P<0.01). The complete abortion rate in study group Ⅱ was significantly greater than that in study group Ⅲ (P<0.01). Conclusions Mffepristone admin-istered with Misoprpfil has many advantages usages, such as high complete abortion rate and success rate, short birth process, and less volume of vaginal hemorrhage, when used for artificial abortion in mid-term pregnancy. They are es-pecially suitable for the mid-term artificial abortion under 20-week pregnancy. Rivanol administered with Mifepristone can raise complete abortion rate,shorten labor process and decrease vaginal hemorrhage when they are used in artifi-cial abortion. They are suitable for the mid-term artificial abortion above 16-week pregnancy. The stage of labor lasts long when using only Rivanol for artificial abortion. The pain is relatively heavier and the rate of incomplete abortion is higher. Key words: Mid-term abortion; Mifepristone; Misoprofil; Rivanol
The Many Facets of Nanotechnology [Highlights]

I first heard the word "nanotechnology" probably in the late 1980s, when the field was largely unknown and just beginning to sprout. Working with electrochemists in the early 1990s, I stumbled on a process for creating interesting patterns of nanoscale undulations on the surface of a commercially sourced aluminum foil using electropolishing. When the foil is electropolished in a suitable mixture of perchloric acid, butyl cellusolve, ethanol, and distilled water at certain voltages and for certain durations, these patterns spontaneously appear on the surface [1]. Examples are shown in Figure 1. Some of these patterns, like the ones that are formed after electropolishing at 50 V for 10 s, or 60 V for 30 s, are interesting in that they are well-ordered arrays of stripes and mounds. The explanation for their formation is not simple and involves the nonlinear dynamics of chemical processes that were first explained by my colleagues Prof. Albert Miller and Prof. Hseuh-Chia Chang from the University of Notre Dame [2], [3]. These patterns were interesting in their own right but did not immediately lead to anything very useful. However, something else did.
Association Between Preoperative Statin Use and Respiratory Complications After Noncardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis.

BACKGROUND Statins possess pleiotropic effects, which potentially benefit noncardiovascular conditions. Previous work suggests that statins reduce inflammation and prevent acute respiratory distress syndrome and infections. However, there is a paucity of data regarding potential benefits of statins on respiratory and infectious complications, particularly after noncardiac surgery. We therefore evaluated respiratory and other complications in noncardiac surgery patients taking or not taking statins preoperatively. METHODS We obtained data from the Cleveland Clinic Perioperative Health Documentation System and evaluated medical records of 92,139 inpatients who had noncardiac surgery. Among these, 31,719 patients took statins preoperatively. Statin patients were compared to nonstatin patients on incidence of intraoperative use of albuterol and postoperative respiratory complications for primary analysis. Infectious complications, cardiovascular complications, in-hospital mortality, and duration of hospitalization were compared for secondary analyses, using inverse probability of treatment weighting to control for potential confounding. RESULTS Statin use was associated with lower odds of intraoperative albuterol treatment (odds ratio [OR] = 0.89; 97.5% confidence interval [CI], 0.82-0.97; P = .001; number needed to treat [NNT] = 216). Postoperative respiratory complications were also less common (OR = 0.82; 98.75% CI, 0.78-0.87; P < .001). Secondarily, statin use was associated with lower odds of infections, cardiovascular complications, in-hospital mortality, and shorter duration of hospitalization. The interaction between statin use and sex was significant (with significance criteria P < .10) for all primary and secondary outcomes except intraoperative use of albuterol. CONCLUSIONS Preoperative statin use in noncardiac surgical patients was associated with slightly reduced odds of postoperative respiratory, infectious, and cardiovascular complications. However, the NNTs were high. Thus, despite the fact that statins appeared to be associated with lower odds of various complications, especially cardiovascular complications, our results do not support using statins specifically to reduce noncardiovascular complications after noncardiac surgery.
Climate change and anadromous fish: How does thermal acclimation affect the mechanics of the myotomal muscle of the Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar?

In response to accelerated temperature shifts due to climate change, the survival of many species will require forms of thermal acclimation to their changing environment. We were interested in how climate change will impact a commercially and recreationally important species of fish, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). As climate change alters the thermal environment of their natal streams, we asked how their muscle function will be altered by extended exposure to both warm and cold temperatures. We performed a thermal acclimation study of S. salar muscle mechanics of both fast-twitch, or white, and slow-twitch, or red, myotomal muscle bundles to investigate how temperature acclimated Atlantic salmon would respond across a range of different temperatures. Isometric contraction properties, maximum shortening velocity, and oscillatory power output were measured and compared amongst three groups of salmon-warm acclimated (20°C), cold-acclimated (2°C), and those at their rearing temperature (12°C). The Atlantic salmon showed limited thermal acclimation in their contraction kinetics, and some of the shifts in contractile properties that were observed would not be predicted to mitigate the impact of a warming environment. For instance, the maximum shortening velocity at a common test temperature was higher in the warm acclimated group and lower in the cold-acclimated group. In addition, critical swimming speed did not vary with temperature of acclimation when tested at a common temperature (12°C). Our results suggest that Atlantic salmon populations will continue to struggle in response to a warming environment.
Nectar addition changes pollinator behavior but not plant reproduction in pollen-rewarding Lupinus argenteus.

PREMISE In addition to its role as the male gamete, pollen is often used as a food reward for pollinators. Roughly 20,000 species of angiosperms are strictly pollen-rewarding, providing no other rewards to their pollinators. However, the influence of this strategy on pollinator behavior and plant reproduction is poorly understood, especially relative to the nectar-reward strategy. We performed a field experiment using the strictly pollen-rewarding Lupinus argenteus to explore how the absence of nectar influences pollinator behavior and plant reproduction. METHODS We added artificial nectar to Lupinus argenteus individuals to simulate a phenotype that would reward pollinators with both nectar and pollen. We compared bee pollinator behavior, via direct observation, and female reproduction between nectar-added and nectarless control plants. RESULTS Bees exhibited behavioral responses to the novel reward, collecting nectar as well as pollen and spending 27% longer per flower. Pollen transfer increased with flower visit duration. However, plants in the study population were not pollen-limited; consequently, the observed changes in pollinator behavior did not result in changes in female components of plant reproduction. CONCLUSIONS The addition of nectar to pollen-rewarding plants resulted in modest increases in per-flower pollinator visit duration and pollen transfer, but had no effect on reproduction because, at the place and time the experiment was conducted, plants were not pollen-limited. These results suggest that a pollen-only reward strategy may allow plants that are visited by pollen foragers to minimize some costs of reproduction by eliminating investment in other rewards, such as nectar, without compromising female plant fitness.
Large areal capacity and dendrite-free anodes with long lifetime enabled by distributed lithium plating with mossy manganese oxides

Graphitic carbon materials are commonly used for storing Li ions owing to their outstanding electrochemical stability and electrical conductivity, and their 3D porous structures are promising for achieving high capacity anodes by depositing Li metal beyond lithiation. However, lithiophobicity and high conductivity of the graphitic surface engender dendrite formation on the outer surface of the electrode rather than inserting Li metal into the pores. Here, we grafted mossy MnO2 uniformly on the entire surface of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), concurrently providing lithiophilic and dendrite-less surfaces. Our MnO2-decorated CNTs can deliver an outstanding performance parameter, which considers both areal capacity and lifetime, over 10 000 mA h2 cm−2, which is the highest to the best of our knowledge, due to a super-long lifetime over 1800 hours for repeated Li plating/stripping at a high areal capacity of 6 mA h cm−2. The striking improvement can be attributed to low overpotential due to superior lithiophilicity and electrolyte wetting characteristics of MnO2, large surface areas of the mossy structures (low local current density), distributed Li insertion into MnO2/CNTs for suppressing dendrite formation, and porous CNT frameworks with high conductivity according to our electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and density functional theory calculation results. We anticipate that our results will give rise to subsequent research about mossy structure coatings on porous structures with various metal oxides and Li attracting groups for further improving the energy density of Li batteries.
Advanced Performance Metrics and Their Application to the Sensitivity Analysis for Model Validation and Calibration

High-quality generator dynamic models are critical to reliable and accurate power systems studies and planning. With the availability of PMUs, measurement-based approach for model validation has gained significant prominence. In this approach, the quality of a model is analyzed by visually comparing measured generator response with the model-based simulated response for large system disturbances. This paper proposes a new set of performance metrics to assess the model validation results to facilitate automation of the model validation process. In the proposed methodology, first, the slow governor response and comparatively faster oscillatory response are separated, and then a separate set of performance metrics is calculated for each of these two components. These proposed metrics quantify the mismatch between the actual and model-based response in a comprehensive manner without missing any information enabling automation of the process. Furthermore, in this paper, we are also proposing that the sensitivity analysis for model calibration be performed with respect to the proposed metrics for the systematic identification of key parameters. Results obtained using both simulated and real-world case-studies validate the effectiveness of the proposed performance metrics for model validation and their application to the sensitivity analysis for model calibration.
Survival Advantage of Yttrium-90 Radioembolization to Systemic Therapy in Patients with Hepatic Metastases from Colorectal Cancer in the Salvage Setting: Results of a Matched Pair Study.

Rationale and Objectives Patients with hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer have a poor prognosis in the salvage setting. This study assessed the survival benefit of adding transarterial 90Y radioembolization in the salvage setting to systemic therapy. Materials and Methods In this retrospective, matched-pair study, 21 patients who underwent radioembolization plus systemic therapy were matched with a cohort of 173 patients who received systemic chemotherapy alone in the salvage setting, defined as progression on at least two different regimens of systemic chemotherapy. Patients were matched one-to-one on Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status, presence of extrahepatic disease, and presence of tumor KRAS mutation. Radioembolization patients underwent treatment using standard dosimetry to either a hepatic lobe or the whole liver. Survival data was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results Patients who underwent radioembolization plus systemic therapy vs. those who had systemic therapy alone had similar demographics and exposure to prior systemic chemotherapies. Median survival from the date of primary diagnosis was 38 (95% CI 26 to 50) v 25 (95% CI 15 to 35) months in radioembolization with systemic therapy vs. systemic therapy alone (p = 0.17). Median survival from the date of hepatic metastases was 31 (95% CI 23.8 to 38.2) v 20 months (95% CI 10.2 to 29.8) in radioembolization with systemic therapy vs. systemic therapy alone (p = 0.03). Conclusion The addition of radioembolization to systemic therapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer to the liver may improve survival in the salvage setting.
Elevated Eosinophil Count Following Pembrolizumab Treatment for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Immune-related adverse events (IRAEs) are a common yet problematic phenomenon in patients who are treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Current research efforts have explored the exact pathophysiology of IRAEs in the clinical setting. However, a rare subset of IRAEs that is less highlighted and may cause detrimental effects are hematological IRAEs (heme-IRAEs). Of note, immune-induced eosinophilia itself is a heme-IRAE that is worthy of further investigation. In this report, we present two cases of advanced staged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with single-agent pembrolizumab, and who subsequently sustained markedly elevated eosinophil counts (EEC) on laboratory findings. The two patients were Caucasian and both were diagnosed with NSCLC, although with differing histologies: a 76-year-old male with adenocarcinoma and a 66-year-old female with squamous cell carcinoma. Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression was detected via immunohistochemistry (IHC) and molecular tumor profiling did not show any actionable oncogenic mutations. Both patients were treatment-naive and received pembrolizumab as first-line systemic therapy. The male patient, a former heavy smoker, underwent 18 months of pembrolizumab treatment before high eosinophil counts and was diagnosed with immunotherapy-related apoptotic colopathy after colonoscopy. Following pembrolizumab discontinuation, he remains under surveillance with good disease control and does not show any ongoing symptoms. The female patient, a never-smoker, underwent 15 cycles of pembrolizumab before the discontinuation of the treatment after consistently high levels of eosinophil counts. Both patients were treated with systemic corticosteroids after the discontinuation of immunotherapy, and their eosinophil levels returned to normal values. However, the female patient declined any further therapy and expired 24 months after the discontinuation of immunotherapy. Immune-induced eosinophilia is a rare event and reported in only 2.9% of NSCLC cases. Outcomes in the two patients differed, indicating that further research related to eosinophilia and its causes in the context of varying histologies and clinical profiles of patients is warranted.
Language Variation in the Writing of African American Students: Factors Predicting Reading Achievement

Purpose This study aims to examine the predictive relation between measures obtained from African American students' written narrative language samples and reading achievement, as measured by standardized academic assessments. Method Written language samples were elicited from 207 African American students in Grades 1-8. The samples were examined for morphosyntactic variations from standardized written Generalized American English (GAE). These variations were categorized as either (a) specific to African American English (AAE) or (b) neutral across AAE and standardized written GAE (i.e., considered ungrammatical both in AAE and in standardized written GAE). Structural equation modeling was employed to then examine the predictive relation between the density of AAE-specific forms in students' writing and their performance on standardized assessments of literacy and reading vocabulary. This relation was examined while accounting for the density of dialect-neutral morphosyntactic forms, reported family income, age, and written sample length. Results The written samples were highly variable in terms of morphosyntax. Younger students and those from lower income homes tended to use AAE-specific forms at higher rates. However, the density of AAE-specific forms did not significantly predict standardized literacy scores or reading vocabulary after accounting for dialect-neutral variations, income, and sample length. Conclusions These results support the ongoing need to better understand the language, literacy, and overall academic development of students from all backgrounds. It may be essential to focus on dialect-neutral language forms (i.e., morphosyntactic forms that are consistent across both AAE and standardized written GAE) in written samples to maximize assessment validity across students who speak varying dialects of English. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.16879558.