cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conservative Renal Surgery: Has It a Role in Renal Cell Carcinoma?

Conservative renal surgery is a viable alternative for patients in whom preservation of renal function is important. The long-term survival is similar to that of radical nephrectomy, especially in low-grade malignancies. The technique is unproven in patients with a normally functioning contralateral renal unit, although it may be an option in small, peripheral, low-grade lesions.
A method for direct computation of the differential seismogram with respect to the velocity change in a layered elastic solid

We derived a method to compute the differential seismogram directly in a layered elastic half-space. This method first computes a differential field caused by the velocity change in the layer and then multiplies it with the original elastic wave field. This product acts like a source, and the seismogram caused by this source term is the differential seismogram. The differential waves are propagated directly to the receiver in frequency/wavenumber domain using the generalized reflection and transmission coefficient method. In comparison with the typical finite-difference approach to compute a complete set of differential seismograms at one station in an N -layered earth model, our method not only saves about N /2 folds of computation time but also leads to a more accurate solution. Thus, it provides an efficient and direct procedure to compute the differential seismogram for a complete waveform fitting in a layered elastic earth model.
What Community-Based HIV Prevention Organizations Say About Their Role in Biomedical HIV Prevention.

Community-based organizations (CBOs) are critical to delivery of effective HIV prevention because of their reach to key populations. This online survey of a national sample of CBOs assessed their awareness of, interest in, and resources needed to provide nonoccupational postexposure prophylaxis (nPEP), preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and HIV treatment as prevention (TasP). One hundred seventy-five CBOs participated: 87 clinical and 88 nonclinical CBOs. For nPEP, PrEP, and TasP, program managers reported that awareness was high (94%, 90%, 85%), meeting current client need was low (20%, 13%, 18%), and the likelihood of increasing their current provision with additional resources was somewhat high (62%, 64%, 62%). Clinical CBOs were more prepared to support expansion of these biomedical interventions than nonclinical CBOs. Meeting the information, training, and resource needs of CBOs is critical for effective collaboration to reduce the number of new HIV infections through expanded delivery of PrEP, nPEP, an...
Best rhetorical practices in risk communication for entrpreneurs, managers, and writers

Whether or not readers successfully process a text so that they can make appropriate decisions in a high risk environment depends on whether writers have considered the context in which the documents will be read and the pattern in which readers will read the messages. A problem exists when the context, especially one involving a potential or real crisis situation, may not be conducive to clarity. Writing reader-based texts becomes increasingly important as written messages migrate to electronic media. Although almost all communication today is conducted electronically, many messages, such as reports, proposals and white papers, are still often read in hard copy. Regardless of whether documents are written as traditional letters and memos or whether they are in the form of emails, text messages, or slideware (PowerPoint) scripts, the need to write reader-based documents remains the same. This paper discusses the criteria for writing reader-based texts. It also explains how context, especially in high risk situations, affects a readers' comprehension and provides documents from situations, such as the opening of the Morganza Floodway during the 2011 Mississippi flood and the water contamination problem in Newark, NJ. Finally, it provides recommendations for writing effective documents in crisis situations.
Towards smarter cities: A self-healing resilient Microgrid Social Network

In recent years, Microgrids (MGs), a widely acceptable smaller-scale energy infrastructure, are proved to be valuable in their resilience and reliability specially during extreme disasters that cause blackouts and major grid instabilities and being positioned to represent modulator building blocks for critical energy infrastructure in future sustainable smarter cities. In this paper, we propose a self-healing resilient Microgrid Social Network (MGSN) architecture in which the networked Microgrids (MGs) are connected by a common physical bus and online social network. To model the interaction between the cyber, physical and social information flow in MGSN, we develop a Deep Belief Network (DBN)-based method that characterizes and predicts the social relation between the individual MGs in the MGSN. Furthermore, we propose a game-theoretic paradigm to design the cooperation between the MGs in an emergency. Case studies demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed MGSN architecture.
Dehydropyrrolizidine Alkaloid Toxicity, Cytotoxicity, and Carcinogenicity

Dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloid (DHPA)-producing plants have a worldwide distribution amongst flowering plants and commonly cause poisoning of livestock, wildlife, and humans. Previous work has produced considerable understanding of DHPA metabolism, toxicity, species susceptibility, conditions, and routes of exposure, and pathogenesis of acute poisoning. Intoxication is generally caused by contaminated grains, feed, flour, and breads that result in acute, high-dose, short-duration poisoning. Acute poisoning produces hepatic necrosis that is usually confirmed histologically, epidemiologically, and chemically. Less is known about chronic poisoning that may result when plant populations are sporadic, used as tisanes or herbal preparations, or when DHPAs contaminate milk, honey, pollen, or other animal-derived products. Such subclinical exposures may contribute to the development of chronic disease in humans or may be cumulative and probably slowly progress until liver failure. Recent work using rodent models suggest increased neoplastic incidence even with very low DHPA doses of short durations. These concerns have moved some governments to prohibit or limit human exposure to DHPAs. The purpose of this review is to summarize some recent DHPA research, including in vitro and in vivo DHPA toxicity and carcinogenicity reports, and the implications of these findings with respect to diagnosis and prognosis for human and animal health.
“It is such a very free job.” Selected aspects of the lifestyle of women in the private sex business

Abstract The lifestyle of people working in the sex business differs, especially due to the financial situation, specific working hours, choice of how leisure time is spent and the nature of the work. Recently, the sex business in the Czech Republic has moved from nightclubs to apartments and private flats. The secretiveness of the private sex business is connected with a very small mapping of this form and the persons working in it, therefore the aim of this paper is to describe the lifestyle of women working in the private sex business considering their everyday life at work as well as out of it. A qualitative research strategy with the technology of a biographical-narrative interview has been used in the research. The research file was formed of 10 women working in the private sex business within the South Bohemian Region. The ascertained data has been processed and coded in the Atlas.ti programme and then by means of set theory the following main categories were identified: addictions (substance and non-substance), relationship to clients, family, partners, relationship to work and healthy lifestyle. The results show that women in the private sex business are a markedly heterogeneous group considering the area of relationships. A common aspect is considering the sex business as “a business”. The informants positively evaluate their work with respect to the opportunity to decide on their working hours and leisure time by themselves, and with respect to the financial benefits that often serve as support for close family.
Walnut Twig Beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) Colonization of Eastern Black Walnut Nursery Trees

Thousand cankers disease, caused by the invasive bark beetle Pityophthorus juglandis Blackman and an associated fungal pathogen Geosmithia morbida M.Kolařik, E. Freeland, C. Utley, N. Tisserat, currently threatens the health of eastern black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) in North America. Both the beetle and pathogen have expanded beyond their native range via transport of infested walnut wood. Geosmithia morbida can develop in seedlings following inoculation, but the ability of P. juglandis to colonize young, small diameter trees has not been investigated. This study assessed the beetle's colonization behavior on J. nigra nursery trees. Beetles were caged directly onto the stems of walnut seedlings from five nursery sources representing a range of basal stem diameter classes. Seedlings were also exposed to P. juglandis in a limited choice, field-based experiment comparing pheromone-baited and unbaited stems. When beetles were caged directly onto stems, they probed and attempted to colonize seedlings across the range of diameters and across sources tested, including stems as small as 0.5 cm in diameter. In the field experiment, beetles only attempted to colonize seedlings that were baited with a pheromone lure and appeared to prefer (though not statistically significant) the larger diameter trees. Despite several successful penetrations into the phloem, there was no evidence of successful progeny development within the young trees in either experiment. Further investigation is recommended to better elucidate the risk nursery stock poses as a pathway for thousand cankers disease causal organisms.
TopologyNet: Topology based deep convolutional and multi-task neural networks for biomolecular property predictions.

Although deep learning approaches have had tremendous success in image, video and audio processing, computer vision, and speech recognition, their applications to three-dimensional (3D) biomolecular structural data sets have been hindered by the geometric and biological complexity. To address this problem we introduce the element-specific persistent homology (ESPH) method. ESPH represents 3D complex geometry by one-dimensional (1D) topological invariants and retains important biological information via a multichannel image-like representation. This representation reveals hidden structure-function relationships in biomolecules. We further integrate ESPH and deep convolutional neural networks to construct a multichannel topological neural network (TopologyNet) for the predictions of protein-ligand binding affinities and protein stability changes upon mutation. To overcome the deep learning limitations from small and noisy training sets, we propose a multi-task multichannel topological convolutional neural network (MM-TCNN). We demonstrate that TopologyNet outperforms the latest methods in the prediction of protein-ligand binding affinities, mutation induced globular protein folding free energy changes, and mutation induced membrane protein folding free energy changes. Availability: weilab.math.msu.edu/TDL/
Intracellular Oxidation-Reduction Studies III. Permeability of Echinoderm Ova to Indicators

1. Of the simple and substituted indophenols used, all except those containing a sulfonate radical could be detected in living Echinoderm ova after immersion in the indicators dissolved in sea-water. All the indophenols containing the sulfonate radical and the three indigo sulfonates do not penetrate. The amphoteric dyes F, N , and the basic dyes Q, Q 1, R, S 1 and V readily penetrate the ova. 2. Under aerobic conditions all the penetrating dyes down to and including methylene blue can be completely reduced within the ova. Ultimately, however, through progressive intracellular accumulation of the oxidant, the dyes all impart a visible coloration to the cytoplasm. There is an apparent relationship between the time necessary for the ultimate visible coloration and the ease with which the dye is reduced in the cytoplasm. 3. Eggs, immersed in the penetrating indicators, eventually die without undergoing segmentation. On the other hand, the eggs immersed in solutions of all but one of the non-penetrating indicators developed into swimming larvae. 4. Upon cytolysis the increased permeability of the disintegrated remains of the eggs permits the washing out of the contained indicator. The dissipation of reducing power has been shown to occur in several instances upon cytolysis by tearing. The agent or agents responsible for the reducing activity of protoplasm apparently escapes from the cytolysed cell debris into the surrounding medium in which it may still exert its reducing action.
The future of manufacturing systems engineering

Manufacturing systems engineering will be greatly affected by advances in technology, including cheaper, ubiquitous sensors, increasing computational speeds, the ability to hold more data and move it faster, and artificial intelligence. This paper discusses the importance of human involvement in the field, especially the role of intuition. The issues examined are the purposes of manufacturing systems engineering; the importance of intuition, and more generally, the role that humans play in the design and operations of manufacturing systems; the effects of new systems-related technologies; how analytical models help the development of intuition; how the use of generic software without intuition can lead to trouble; how intuition is needed to determined what data, and how much of it, is needed for a given purpose. It also describes some successful applications of manufacturing systems research and proposes an organisational structure for manufacturing systems groups.
Textually Presenting Masculinity and the Body on Mobile Dating Apps for Men Who Have Sex With Men

Scholars have noted that men who have sex with men (MSM) place value upon hegemonic masculinity, both in reference to the self as well as potential partners. The current study examined masculinity ...
Rhetoric About the Diverse Jewish Community

The Pew study offers important data for scholars and communal leaders to understand as they research and serve Jewish communities. But based on an analysis of diverse organizations’ responses to the study, this article argues that organizations and funders should not change their priorities because of the findings. Instead of using this random sample of Americans who are willing to tell a phone surveyor that they identify as Jews, organizations should study the local or niche constituencies in which they are interested. At the same time, organizations would benefit from changing their rhetoric based on the Pew findings, especially when they are trying to appeal to younger, less traditional Jews.
On Generosity East and West: The Beauty of Comparison

Generosity is an attribute of the divine in the Christian West and the Islamic East. This essay examines how the art of these two great traditions image divine generosity, both explicitly and phenomenologically. Both traditions derive from iconic and aniconic imagery in the classical world, e.g. Trajan’s Column and the Ara Pacis. In the West the greatest example of generosity of the divine is shown in the sacrifice of Christ, an image that is implicit in Leonardo da Vinci’s Burlington House Cartoon and even in the plans of the great cathedrals. In the East, the benevolence of Allah is proclaimed in the Qu’ran and in the aniconic decorations in sacred architecture. In this paper, the decorative programs Dome of the Rock and the mosques Isfahan—are “read” phenomenologically in relation to the Qu’ran as well as the texts of Mulla Sadra and Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka.
US Army split forward surgical team management of mass casualty events in Afghanistan: surgeon performed triage results in excellent outcomes.

Objective: US Army “split” forward surgical teams (FST) currently provide most of the resuscitative surgical care for combat patients in Afghanistan. These small units typically comprised 10 personnel and two surgeons each, who frequently encounter mass casualty (MASCAL) situations in geographically isolated regions. This article evaluates the effectiveness of one split FST managing 43 MASCAL situations in two separate locations for more than a 14-month period in Afghanistan. Design: An Institutional Review Board-approved review of all admission data of the 541st FST was conducted. Comparison was made between patients treated in MASCAL situations to those of patients treated in non-MASCAL events. Setting: Split-based US Army forward surgical elements in a combat environment in Afghanistan. Patients: Two hundred eighty-two patients were treated during MASCAL events and 479 in non- MASCAL situations. Main Outcome Measures: The primary endpoint was survival outcomes among trauma patients when 5 or more patients arrived simultaneously or if 3 or more patients required immediate surgery. Results: Four patients (1.70 percent) died in the MASCAL group compared with 12 (3.30 percent) in the non-MASCAL group.The mortality of patients receiving surgery at the FST was 2.73 percent and the mortality was 0.93 percent in those transferred without surgery. In the MASCAL group, 41 patients (14.5 percent) were critically injured and the critical mortality rate was 6.25 percent. In MASCAL events, 39 percent of patients required surgery compared with 44.9 percent in the non- MASCAL group. The average Injury Severity Score (ISS) of the most severely injured patient was 21.19 and ISS rapidly decreased to scores consistent with mild injury suggesting over triage at the scene. Conclusions: Despite very limited resources, the split FST can achieve, with appropriate triage, acceptable mortality outcomes in MASCAL situations. Over triage at the wounding scene is common and surgical intervention is frequently required.
A One-Dimensional Sparse Space-Time Specification of the Generalized Railroad Crossing

Modeling and reasoning about critical infrastructure systems is a complex endeavor. Various calculi and algebras have been crafted to help specify physical properties such as time and space, but these do not always translate well between physical entities and their conceptual specifications. Although real-world critical infrastructure systems involve components of both time and space, many existing specification methods focus most strongly on the temporal components, leaving spatial details largely ignored or forcing then to fit within the confines of the temporal specification. This paper presents a one-dimensional sparse space-time specification created using a spatial-temporal logic in which real-world constraints are incorporated in the logic using the next operator. The simplicity and utility of the spatial-temporal formalism is demonstrated by applying it to the generalized railroad crossing problem.
Structural characteristics of low-molecular-mass displacers for cation-exchange chromatography: II. Role of the stationary phase

Abstract The relative efficacy of a variety of low-molecular-mass displacers was examined on three different stationary phase materials. Several homologous series of displacer molecules were evaluated on these ion- exchange resins using a displacer ranking plot based on the steric mass action model. The results demonstrate that while aromaticity and hydrophobicity can play a significant role in the affinity of displacer molecules on polymethacrylate based and hydrophilized polystyrene–divinylbenzene based materials, this effect is much less pronounced on an agarose based resin. The work presented in this paper demonstrates that different structural features of low-molecular-mass displacers can dominate their affinity on various stationary phase materials employed and provides rules of thumb for the design of high affinity, low-molecular-mass displacers for a variety of commercial cation-exchange materials.
Organization in the Sensorimotor Interface: A Case Study with Increased Resolution

Recent studies on the neuronal organization underlying prey orienting behavior in the frog, Rana pipiens, are reviewed and discussed in the context of more general consideration of the information processing characterstics and nervous system structures involved in the production of directed movements. It is suggested that directed movements in general depend on “activity gated divergence,” a property of some neuronal networks which allows them to associate with a given topographically specified sensory input any of a number of outputs, depending on the character of other relevant neuronal signals. It is further suggested that two important information processing steps occur between midbrain sensory maps involved in directed movement and the actual motor output pattern. The first of these involves the production of a signal related to stimulus location in an abstract coordinate frame, one closely related neither to sensory surfaces nor to movement parameters. The second involves the selection of the particular movement to be generated and the creation of the appropriate motoneuron discharge patterns. The first transformation seems to occur in the ventral midbrain, and the latter in the spinal cord. Both transformations are likely to involve an interaction between signals derived from the initial topographically specified sensory input and signals representing other relevant information, and hence both transformations probably contribute to the overall activity gated divergent character of the network involved in directed movement. The context-dependent nature of the neuronal signals, together with evidence that autonomous central organization is critical to their interpretation, raises new questions about how signals represented in different coordinate frames are combined, and suggests that reflex theories are ceasing to provide an adequate conceptual framework for the analysis of sensorimotor processing.
Limiting the number of revisions while providing error-flagging support during tests

Error-flagging support provided during tests leads to higher scores, as reported in literature. Although many beneficial factors contribute to higher scores, one undesirable contributing factor is that students abuse error-flagging feedback to find the correct answer through trial and error even when the test is not multiple-choice in nature. A limit can be placed on the number of revisions allowed per problem to foil the trial and error approach. A follow-up study was conducted to examine whether limiting the number of revisions allowed per problem yielded the benefits of error-flagging feedback while alleviating its shortcomings. The study also considered the effects of error-flagging feedback on partial scores. The findings are: even with a limit placed on the number of revisions per problem, students revised more often and scored higher with rather than without error-flagging. When students solved problems incorrectly without revisions, their solution qualified for more partial credit when error-flagging support was provided. When a limit was placed on the number of revisions and students solved problems correctly with revisions, they did so with fewer revisions when error-flagging feedback was provided than when it was not. When students solved problems incorrectly with revisions, even with a limit placed on the number of revisions, they revised more often with error-flagging than without, scored more partial credit, but did not take more time than when error-flagging was not provided. A limit on the number of revisions may discourage students from using error-flagging feedback as a substitute for their own judgment. Overall, students solved problems faster with error-flagging feedback, even though revisions prompted by such feedback can cost time.
Respiratory sinus arrhythmia and adaptive emotion regulation as predictors of nonsuicidal self-injury in young adults.

Abstract Research suggests that both respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and emotion regulation are related to maladaptive outcomes. However, little is known about how these factors jointly contribute to nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). We examined how resting RSA and RSA withdrawal to stress predicted NSSI among young adults, and whether adaptive emotion regulation strategies moderated this effect. We examined this relation in a sample of 70 young adults (Mage = 19.25, SDage = 0.92, 94% female), 35 with a recent history of NSSI and 35 who had never engaged in NSSI. Participants completed a baseline questionnaire and lab visit where physiological responses to a social stressor were collected. Results indicated that resting RSA did not predict recent NSSI engagement. However, greater RSA withdrawal to social stress significantly predicted recent NSSI (β = 1.35 [0.57], Wald χ2 = 5.52 p = 0.02). Further, problem-solving moderated the relation between RSA withdrawal and recent NSSI such that individuals with greater levels of RSA withdrawal were significantly more likely to engage in NSSI if they also reported low problem-solving (β = −1.44 [0.64], Wald χ2 = 5.16, p = 0.02). In contrast, the effect of greater RSA withdrawal on NSSI was buffered by high problem-solving. Cognitive reappraisal did not moderate the relation between RSA withdrawal and NSSI. These findings suggest that problem-solving may be an important moderator in the relation between physiological reactivity and NSSI. Interventions should help clients with poor self-regulation develop adaptive problem-solving strategies.
Urinary microbes and postoperative urinary tract infection risk in urogynecologic surgical patients

Women have a 20% risk of developing a urinary tract infection (UTI) following urogynecologic surgery. This study assessed the association of postoperative UTI with bacteria in preoperative samples of catheterized urine. Immediately before surgery, vaginal swabs, perineal swabs, and catheterized urine samples were collected, and the V4 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene was sequenced. The cohort was dichotomized in two ways: (1) standard day-of-surgery urine culture result (positive/negative), and (2) occurrence of postoperative UTI (positive/negative). Characteristics of bladder, vaginal, and perineal microbiomes were assessed to identify factors associated with postoperative UTI. Eighty-seven percent of the 104 surgical patients with pelvic organ prolapse/urinary incontinence (POP/UI) were white; mean age was 57 years. The most common genus was Lactobacillus, with a mean relative abundance of 39.91% in catheterized urine, 53.88% in vaginal swabs, and 30.28% in perineal swabs. Two distinct clusters, based on dispersion of catheterized urine (i.e., bladder) microbiomes, had highly significant (p < 2.2–16) differences in age, microbes, and postoperative UTI risk. Postoperative UTI was most frequently associated with the bladder microbiome; microbes in adjacent pelvic floor niches also contributed to UTI risk. UTI risk was associated with depletion of Lactobacillus iners and enrichment of a diverse mixture of uropathogens. Postoperative UTI risk appears to be associated with preoperative bladder microbiome composition, where an abundance of L. iners appears to protect against postoperative UTI.
The Effect of a Student Pharmacist Directed Health-Education Program for Elementary-School Children.

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to measure the effect of an annual student pharmacist led elementary-school health education program by assessing children’s comprehension of educational sessions. Secondary objectives were to evaluate student pharmacists’ knowledge of health-related topics and practice skills. Methods: Student pharmacists led interactive learning sessions for elementary school students on nutrition, physical activity, summer safety, hygiene, medication safety, and tobacco prevention. Pre- and post-intervention surveys were administered to measure change in knowledge of health promotion and healthy lifestyles. Student pharmacists also completed pre- and post-health education intervention surveys to measure change in self-perception of knowledge, confidence, and practice application of health-related topics and practice skills. Results: Three-hundred and four elementary school children participated in the study with significant knowledge improvements observed in medication safety and tobacco prevention. Twenty-five student pharmacists completed surveys, resulting in a collective self-improvement in each area measured. Conclusion: Interactive educational sessions led by student pharmacists have a positive impact on elementary school children’s knowledge. Student pharmacists also demonstrated professional growth through increased knowledge, confidence, and communication skills in interacting with pediatric populations. Practice Implication: A co-curricular educational activity allowed student pharmacists to promote health and wellness to elementary students, a Healthy People 2020 goal, while also providing an opportunity to develop professional skills for future practice with pediatric patients. Article Type: Original Research
Data Collection from Privacy-Aware Users in the Presence of Social Learning

We study a model where a data collector obtains data from users through a payment mechanism to learn the underlying state from the elicited data. The private signal of each user represents her individual knowledge about the state. Through social interactions, each user can also learn noisy versions of her friends’ signals, which is called group signals. Based on both her private signal and group signals, each user makes strategic decisions to report a privacy-preserved version of her data to the data collector. We develop a Bayesian game theoretic framework to study the impact of social learning on users’ data reporting strategies and devise the payment mechanism for the data collector accordingly. Our findings reveal that, the Bayesian-Nash equilibrium can be in the form of either a symmetric randomized response (SR) strategy or an informative non-disclosive (ND) strategy. A generalized majority voting rule is applied by each user to her noisy group signals to determine which strategy to follow. When a user plays the ND strategy, she reports privacy-preserving data completely based on her group signals, independent of her private signal, which indicates that her privacy cost is zero. Both the data collector and the users can benefit from social learning which drives down the privacy costs and helps to improve the state estimation at a given payment budget. We derive bounds on the minimum total payment required to achieve a given level of state estimation accuracy.
Comparison of the technical and economic performances of two different shredders on pomegranate pruning residues

Aim of study: The study aimed to examine the technical and economic performances of two different shredders for three windrow densities of pomegranate residues.Area of study: The study was conducted in the Serik District of Antalya Province, Turkey.Material and methods: Two different pruning residue shredders driven by tractor power take off (PTO) were used. Machine‑I has pick‑up, shredding, screen units. Machine‑II only has a shredding unit. The experiment was conducted at windrow densities of 1.49, 2.10, and 2.41 kg/m2 in a pomegranate orchard; the study used a completely randomized split‐plot design with two treatments and three replications.Main results: The power values for the increasing windrow densities were 8.00, 11.73, and 18.47 kW/m for Machine-I and 5.08, 5.68, and 6.48 kW/m for Machine-II. Moreover, the average particle length of 68.6 mm shredded by Machine‑I was approximately 20 mm smaller than that of Machine‑II. The minimum unit energy value of Machine-II was 2.53 kWh/t at the maximum windrow density of 2.41 kg/m2. This value for Machine-I was 5.58 kWh/t at the medium windrow density of 2.10 kg/m2. The lowest unit cost for Machine-I and Machine-II was calculated as 27.2-7.1 US$/t (at medium density) and 16.8-3.5 US$/t (at maximum density), respectively.Research highlights: The appropriate windrow densities for Machine-I and Machine-II were different in terms of energy requirements and total unit cost. Machine-I is more effective at consistently chopping the residues than Machine-II, but it requires more energy and a higher unit cost.
Trauma Assessment in Personal Injury and Employment Discrimination Cases

When individuals believe that they have been harmed by the actions of other people or of organizations, the US legal system affords them avenues of relief in either the tort or civil rights lawsuits. These cases often stem from experiences of trauma—emotionally painful experiences that occur in a short time frame—such as auto accidents, or repeated painful experiences that occur in the context of sexual harassment, a hostile work environment, or disability or racial discrimination. When mental health professionals are brought into the case by lawyers or by the court, their job is often to assess the plaintiff to determine if the alleged traumatic events have resulted in either transient emotional harm (e.g., “pain and suffering”) or long-term emotional harms that constitute the bases for emotional damages. This chapter focuses on the routes leading to these evaluations, a conceptual framework for conducting the evaluations, and how the mental health professional can be of greatest assistance to the judge and jury.
Book reviewThe Commodification of Academic Research, H. Radder (Ed.), University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA (2010), 350 pp.

The book is a discussion of the commodification of academic research and is informed by existing literature on the topic. Each chapter of the text presents arguments on the strengths and weaknesses...
Performance of Ventana SP263 PD-L1 assay in endobronchial ultrasound guided-fine-needle aspiration derived non-small-cell lung carcinoma samples.

BACKGROUND Introduction of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors has significantly changed the treatment landscape of non-small-cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC). Since endobronchial ultrasound guided fine-needle aspiration (EBUS FNA) has become the primary diagnostic and staging modality for NSCLC, this study was pursued to determine the adequacy of Ventana SP263 PD-L1 assay in cytology cell blocks. DESIGN Fifty NSCLC cases with cytology and corresponding histology specimens obtained between 2014 and 2018 were identified. After assessing for adequacy (100 or more tumor cells), forty cases were selected for Ventana SP263 PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay and assessed for tumor proportion scores (TPS) and staining intensity scores (SIS) and analyzed for concordance. RESULTS Of the 40 matched pairs 33 (82.5%) showed concordant PD-L1 expression. On cytology, 32 cases were positive (8 high-expressors and 24 low-expressors) of which 27 were concordant and 5 discordant with matched histology specimens. On histology, 29 cases were positive (7 high-expressor and 22 low-expressors) while 11 cases were negative for PD-L1 expression of which 6 had concordant negative cytology. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for TPS was 0.81 with 95% confidence interval (0.68, 0.9) and for the SIS, it was 0.78 with 95% CI (0.62, 0.88), both considered as having excellent agreement. CONCLUSION With an overall concordance rate of 82.5% between cytology and histology specimen, this study demonstrates the feasibility of PD-L1 IHC with SP263 clone on cytology samples of NSCLC and adds to a growing body of evidence validating the use of cytology cell blocks for PD-L1 expression testing.
Compositional grading of a 316L-Cu multi-material part using machine learning for the determination of selective laser melting process parameters

Abstract The aim of this work is to propose a methodology for rapidly predicting suitable process parameters for additive manufacturing of a 316L-Cu multi-material part with a compositional gradient by using machine learning. Specifically, an algorithm based on a multivariate Gaussian process is developed to predict part density and surface roughness for a given set of laser power, velocity, and hatch spacing values. The training data for the algorithm is collected using a high-throughput experimentation method that allows for rapid measurement of part density, and surface roughness. After the model is validated using leave-one-out cross validation method, process parameter maps are generated for 316L-Cu parts manufactured using selective laser melting with premixed powder at mass fractions of 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75. A set of suitable process parameters are predicted using the process maps. It is shown that process parameters are a nonlinear function of gradient composition and neither process parameters of 316L or Cu are suitable for the graded region of a 316L-Cu multi-material part. Generated process maps provide a firsthand knowledge of process-property relationships for regions of compositional grading in 316L-Cu parts.
Success and failures of telehealth during COVID-19 should inform digital applications to combat obesity.

Background: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth digital applications (apps) permitted the delivery of health care to millions of individuals, including those with poor access to health services. Aim: To review a body of evidence demonstrating that telehealth and mobile health (mHealth) apps can promote clinically meaningful weight loss, and thus hold potential to increase access to treatment and weight loss care for individuals suffering from obesity. Results: Data from COVID-19 pandemic revealed that access to telehealth and mHealth remains a challenge for underserved communities that are disproportionately affected by obesity. Conclusions: The development of telehealth and mHealth for obesity treatment must be informed by the success and failures of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Failure to do so, risks alienating the very populations that stand most to benefit from telehealth and mHealth apps for obesity treatment.
The Strange Case of the Missing Doctrine and the 'Odd Exercise' of eBay: Why Exactly Must Corporations Maximize Profits to Shareholders?

The doctrine that directors of for-profit corporations have a duty to shareholders to maximize profits is widely accepted in U.S. law. A coherent account of the origin and purpose of this doctrine is, however, strangely missing. The duty to maximize profits is not found in any American statute, has no accepted doctrinal foundation, and has been addressed by only two cases of any significance in the last 100 years – Dodge v. Ford Motor Co. and eBay Domestic Holdings, Inc. v. Newmark – neither of which is generally considered to have cited any supporting authority. For a duty so central to corporate governance and the “purpose” of the corporation, the absence of a coherent doctrine is strange, and the efforts of the Delaware Chancery Court to create one in eBay were, in the words of Chancellor Chandler himself, an “odd exercise.” This Article argues that the profit maximization doctrine emerged from the doctrine of ultra vires in the early 20th century. As articulated in Dodge v. Ford, directors of a for-profit corporation had a duty to maximize profits to shareholders because that is what their shareholders expected, based on the statement of purpose in the corporate charter. Corporate charters have changed, but shareholder expectations remain the only coherent basis for the profit maximization doctrine. Dodge v. Ford should be seen not only as good law, but as an important transitional case. Chancellor Chandler in eBay, by contrast, found in the corporate charter a mandate to maximize profits in spite of shareholder expectations. Chancellor Chandler found this mandate by applying Unocal Corporation v. Mesa Petroleum Company to Craigslist’s poison pill, despite the admitted absence of factors warranting Unocal review, and by redefining Unocal’s “proper” corporate purpose to mean solely “profit-maximizing,” based on Craigslist’s for-profit corporate form. If Dodge v. Ford emerged from the corporate charter, eBay retreats back into it. eBay returns to the ultra vires doctrine and the publicly ordered corporation of the 19th century. If eBay is good law, social enterprises beware.
Influence of media on measurement of bacterial populations in the subsurface

To examine the factors contributing to microbial heterogeneity, the US Department of Energy Subsurface Science Program has initiated research at a Coastal Plain site near Oyster, VA. Sediments at the site are composed of unconsolidated, fine to coarse beach sands and gravel. The influence of microbiological culture media on the measurement of colony-forming units (CFU) and microbial diversity was examined in this study. Two low-nutrient media formulations (i.e., dilute peptone, tryptone, yeast extract, and glucose medium [PTYG] and a soil extract medium) gave equivalent estimates of CFU (maximum of about 6.5 x 105CFU/g). However, a higher nutrient medium, organic nutrients with brain-heart infusion (N/BHI), gave lower numbers than the dilute PTYG. A medium used to enumerate fungi also gave significantly lower counts than the dilute PTYG medium. Although the correlations were highly significant among total CFU numbers measured with the different types of media, we found few significant correlations in several indices of microbial diversity, and the correlation coefficients were below 0.25. Thus, CFU was a relatively robust measurement, but microbial diversity was not consistent between the media. Species richness was highest with the higher nutrient N/BHI medium, and N/BHI may be a better choice for a study of diversity as determined by colony morphology.
A NEAR-BOTTOM WATER SAMPLER1

A water sampler is described that can sample at 0.5-m intervals above the sea floor and contains 560 ml of seawater. It consists of a modified Van Dorn bottle with a release activated by bottom contact.
International Copyright Issues in Action: A Trip Demonstrated How Intellectual Property Law Works Around the World

It’s tough to describe my summer with a straight face, but here it goes: I was on the cruise ship MTS World Renaissance, a “floating university” where I spent my summer teaching law and political science. The nine-week sea voyage visited several ports in eastern and Western Europe including stops in Greece, Russia, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Ireland and Norway.It is not my intention to spend this column expounding on the travel and discovery opportunities of the voyage (although I could.) However, as an instructor (on the trip) and an information professional (my “day job”) it presented an interesting opportunity to move beyond the cliche of “global information networks.” I had a small glimpse of the world of information “haves” and “have nots” and saw how both U.S. and international copyright laws affect day to day life in a variety of contexts.
Suppression of gene expression by tethering KRAB domain to promoter of ER target genesProceedings of Xth International Congress on Hormonal Steroids, Quebec, Canada, 17–21 June 1998.

Estrogens play an important role in the development and progression of breast cancer. Although estrogen antagonist treatment often results in the arrest or remission of breast cancer growth, most breast cancers recur and become resistant to estrogen ablative therapy. The molecular mechanisms underlying these actions remain largely undefined. It is hypothesized that tumor cells of an advanced stage may develop compensatory pathways to stimulate the expression of estrogen receptor (ER) target genes or downstream events, independent of estrogen action. In this study, we developed a chimeric repressor to turn off ER target genes with the aim of directly investigating the role of ER target genes in tumor progression. The chimeric repressor contains the ER DNA-binding domain that recognizes estrogen response elements (EREs), a Krupple-associated box (KRAB) repressor domain which silences target genes when tethered to their promoter regions and a truncated progesterone ligand-binding domain which responds only to the exogenous synthetic ligand, RU486. The ability of the chimeric repressor to block ER mediated transcription was assessed in transient transfection assays. ER-induced reporter activity was inhibited by the repressor in a dose-dependent manner, with the maximum effect of more than 80% reduction. The inhibitory activity of the chimeric repressor was tightly under the control of RU486. Effective suppression by the repressor on the natural promoter of ER target gene, complement factor 3 (C3), was also observed. The inhibitory activity was specific to ER, since the repressor has no effect on other nuclear receptor systems tested. Furthermore, the repressor could inhibit the 4-hydroxy-tamoxifen (4OH-T)-induced ER activity. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the inducible repressor we have designed could specifically inhibit ER target gene expression in response to an exogenous synthetic ligand. This repressor will provide a useful tool to study the role of ER target genes in breast cancer progression and it may be potentially useful for gene therapy of breast cancer.
Immune Deficiency: Severe Combined Immune Deficiency

Severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) represents a diverse group of disorders caused by genetic defects in T-cell development and signalling pathways, the most common being the mutation of the interleukin-2 receptor γ chain leading to X-linked SCID. Keywords: T cell; bubble boy; combined immune deficiency (CID); severe combined immune deficiency (SCID); stem cell transplantation
Chronic exposure to low levels of oestradiol-17β affects oestrous cyclicity, hypothalamic norepinephrine and serum luteinising hormone in young intact rats

Chronic exposure to oestrogens is known to inhibit the secretion of luteinising hormone (LH) in rats causing anovulation. Hypothalamic catecholamines, norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) play an important role in LH regulation. However, the effects of chronic exposure to low levels of oestradiol on hypothalamic catecholamines have not been investigated thoroughly. To study this, adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were either sham implanted or implanted with oestradiol-17s (E2) pellets (20 ng/day) for 30 (E-30), 60 (E-60) or 90 (E-90) days. E2 exposure affected oestrous cyclicity and ovarian morphology in a duration-dependent manner. There was no change in oestrous cyclicity in E-30 rats, however, 75% of E-60 and 95% of E-90 rats were acyclic (p<0.05). Cycling rats from E-30 or control group were sacrificed at different time points on the afternoon of pro-oestrous. E-30 rats in oestrous, constant oestrous rats in the E-60 and E-90 groups and a group of old constant oestrous (OCE) rats were sacrificed at 1200 h. LH was measured in the serum by RIA. Individual hypothalamic nuclei that are involved in LH regulation were microdissected and analysed for NE and DA levels using HPLC-EC. NE levels in the hypothalamic nuclei increased significantly in control and E-30 groups during the afternoon of pro-oestrous which was accompanied by a rise in LH levels (p<0.05). On the day of oestrous, NE concentrations in hypothalamic nuclei and serum LH were significantly lower in E-60, E-90 and OCE rats compared to E-30 and control rats. On the other hand, DA levels declined significantly in one hypothalamic nucleus. These results indicate that chronic E2 exposure affects hypothalamic catecholamine and serum LH levels in a duration-dependent manner. This coincides well with the loss of cyclicity observed in these animals. These results suggest that repeated exposure to endogenous oestrogens could play a role in reproductive senescence.
Boundaries of rotation sets for homeomorphisms of the -torus

We construct a Cω diffeomorphism of the 3-torus whose rotation set is not closed. We prove that the rotation set of a homeomorphism of the n-torus contains the extreme points of its closed convex hull. Finally, we show that each pseudo-rotation set is closed for torus homeomorphisms.
Inhibition by Mycoplasma dispar of Ciliary Activity in Tracheal Organ Cultures

The inhibition by Mycoplasma dispar of ciliary activity of organ cultures of bovine fetal trachea was found to be dependent on the presence of serum in the maintenance medium. Inhibitory activity was unaffected by catalase and no toxic substance was demonstrated in organ culture supernatant fluid.