cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A natural orifice transrectal approach for oncologic resection of the rectosigmoid: an experimental study and comparison with conventional laparoscopy

Background A transrectal (TR) approach for natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) makes sense for colorectal surgery because the colotomy can be incorporated into subsequent anastomosis. Because cancer is a primary indication for left-sided colon resection, oncologic standards will have to be met by a NOTES procedure. This study aimed to assess whether pure TR rectosigmoidectomy can be performed with strict adherence to oncologic principles compared with a conventional laparoscopically assisted approach (LAP).
Some esters of levoglucosan

Abstract It is shown that esterification of levoglucosan with octanoyl or hexadecanoyl chloride under limiting conditions provides a mixture of the theoretically possible esters. These compounds have been separated, their ratios determined, and their properties recorded.
Use of human immunodeficiency virus-1 protease inhibitors is associated with atherogenic lipoprotein changes and endothelial dysfunction.

Background Human immunodeficiency virus protease inhibitors (HIV PIs) are associated with hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, and obesity; however, it is not known whether they increase risk of atherosclerotic vascular disease. The purposes of this study were to characterize the lipoprotein abnormalities associated with use of HIV PIs in individuals with HIV infection and to determine the pathophysiological significance of these changes by assessing their effect on endothelial dysfunction. Methods and Results This was a cross-sectional study of 37 adults with HIV-1 infection who were receiving antiretroviral therapy. Twenty-two were taking HIV PIs (group 1); 15 were not (group 2). Lipids and lipoproteins were measured by enzymatic techniques and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic analysis. Flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) of the brachial artery was measured by high-resolution ultrasound. Subjects in both groups were similar in regard to age, time since diagnosis of HIV infection, and CD4 cell count. Grou...
On the stability and bifurcation analysis of dual-spin spacecraft

Abstract The dynamics of dual-spin spacecraft under effects of energy dissipation are considered in this paper, where the damper masses in the platform ( P ) and the rotor ( R ) cause energy loss in the system. The Floquet theory is employed to obtain stability charts for different relative spin rates of the subsystem R with respect to the subsystem P . Based on the general model for the system with nutation dampers on both P and R , models are presented for a system whose nutation damper exists only in P as well as a system without nutation damper. The results obtained from the Floquet theory agree with the energy sink analysis in the literature. The bifurcation analysis based on the movement of loci of the Floquet multipliers as the system passes through the flutter stability boundary indicates that the system experiences the secondary Hopf (Neimark–Sacker) bifurcation. The investigations show that for spacecraft whose nutation damper exists only in one of the subsystems, there is no need to apply Floquet theory, and the Routh–Hurwitz criteria provides necessary and sufficient conditions for stability. Furthermore, for the case that only P has damping, the Lyapunov stability criteria agree with Routh–Hurwitz criteria.
Focal, periocular delivery of 2-deoxy-D-glucose as adjuvant to chemotherapy for treatment of advanced retinoblastoma.

Retinoblastoma is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in children, affecting 1 in 15,000 live births.1,2 Significant advances in screening and treatment has prompted a shift from primary enucleation to globe preservation incorporating local tumor control. Nonetheless, enucleation is still necessary in over 20% of children with intraocular retinoblastoma associated with advanced disease.3,4 Current treatment modalities (e.g., chemotherapy, laser, brachytherapy, and enucleation) are associated with significant morbidity and/or potential mortality.3–8 Successful treatments with chemotherapy have been associated with problems extending from bone marrow suppression to treatment associated secondary leukemia.9–11 Carboplatin, a cis-platinum analog and a standard chemotherapeutic agent in retinoblastoma treatment, targets rapidly proliferating cells and is a successful treatment for retinoblastoma when combined with local tumor consolidation therapy (e.g., laser).12 Nevertheless, advanced stage tumors with subretinal and vitreous seeds prove to be chemoresistant.9 Retinoblastoma tumors contain hypoxic regions that are most prominent during advanced disease in LHBETATAG retinal tumors.13 We have previously correlated the vasculature development in this disease with human retinoblastoma tumors.14 Although hypoxia regions cannot be directly evaluated in human retinoblastoma samples by labeling thiol-containing proteins in cells under low oxygen tension,15 ischemia can be evaluated by looking at necrosis. These hypoxic regions have been associated with slowly proliferating cells, which have been proven to be difficult to kill because chemotherapy and radiation specifically target a more rapidly dividing cell population.16 In these hypoxic regions, tumor cells become dependent on anaerobic glycolysis for ATP production and survival, which is a significantly less efficient method than oxidative phosphorylation in generating energy from glucose. Glycolytic inhibitors such as 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2-DG) have been effectively used to target these hypoxic regions in the tumor microenvironment.13,16–19 Because the glycolytic inhibitor 2-DG kills the slowly proliferating cells that standard chemotherapeutic agents cannot target, a combination therapy of carboplatin and 2-DG may be expected to significantly reduce tumor burden. In fact, we have previously shown that systemic delivery of this combination therapy effectively reduces tumor burden and hypoxia in LHBETATAG retinal tumors.13 However, these agents were delivered intraperitoneally, thus increasing the risk for nonocular complications and toxicity. It is necessary to determine the feasibility of local delivery of 2-DG, thus providing a rationale for future clinical trials involving periocular 2-DG in children with advanced retinoblastoma. The purpose of this study is to evaluate focal treatment and its impact on tumor burden and hypoxia in the LHBETATAG retinal tumors after treatment with a combination therapy of periocular carboplatin and 2-DG.
Hatchery practices may result in replacement of wild salmonids: adult trends in the Klamath basin, California

Appraisal of hatchery-related effects on Pacific salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.) is a necessary component of species conservation. For example, hatchery supplementation can influence species viability by changing genetic, phenotypic and life-history diversity. We analyzed time series data for seven salmonid taxa from the Klamath River basin, California, to investigate trajectories of wild and hatchery adult populations. Linear regression coupled with randomized permutations (n = 99,999), two- tailed t tests, and Bayesian change point analysis were used to detect trends over time. Cross correlation was also used to evaluate relationships between wild and hatchery populations. The taxa of interest were spring, fall, and late-fall Chinook Salmon (O. tshawytscha); Coho Salmon (O. kisutch); Coastal Cutthroat Trout (O. clarki clarki); and summer and hybrid Steelhead Trout (O. mykiss). Significant decreases were detected for summer and hybrid Steelhead Trout. The proportion of wild fall Chinook has also significantly decreased concurrently with increases in hatchery returns. In comparison, returns of most Chinook and coho runs to the hatcheries, and fall Chinook strays to wild spawning areas from Iron Gate Hatchery have significantly increased since the 1970s. Increases were also detected for wild late-fall Chinook and spring Chinook adults. However, both of these were significantly correlated with Chinook Salmon returns to Trinity River Hatchery, suggesting augmentation by hatchery strays. Changes in abundances appeared related to changing ocean habitat conditions and hatchery practices. Our results suggest that anadromous salmonid populations in the Klamath River basin are becoming increasingly dependent on hatchery propagation, a pattern that can threaten population persistence.
Quantitative decision-making in preimplantation genetic (aneuploidy) screening (PGS)

Purpose To analyze using hypergeometric probability statistics the impact of performing preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) on a cohort of day 3 cleavage stage embryos.
Misunderstanding Regarding the Carboplatin Dose Comparison in MRC TE19/EORTC 30982

TO THE EDITOR: In the thoughtful editorial by Bosl and Patel, there appeared to be a misunderstanding of the exploratory analysis of the effect of carboplatin dose on outcome in stage I seminoma presented by Oliver et al in the same issue of Journal of Clinical Oncology. The editorial states that “because the prescribed dose was AUC 7, numerous protocol violations must have occurred, probably because the treating physicians were concerned by the effects of thrombocytopenia.” In fact, the exploratory analysis was not between patients who received the prescribed dose and those who received a lower dose because of protocol violation. Rather the TE19 protocol allowed for two methods of calculating glomerular filtration rate (GFR), EDTA (or a comparable isotope) technique and 24-hour urinary creatinine clearance. Those patients who had GFR calculated by the EDTA technique were given the full carboplatin dose of AUC 7. Those in whom GFR was calculated by 24-hour urine creatinine clearance were given only 90% of the AUC 7 dose. Oliver et al state that the exploratory analysis regarding the impact of carboplatin dose was made between these two groups. Because the authors felt that GFR was determined by both methods with comparable accuracy, one group received 10% less carboplatin than the other and a comparison of the two cohorts was performed. In their discussion, Oliver et al address the possible confounders of such an analysis, but the analysis does not in any way suggest that there were “numerous protocol violations” in their study.
Evaluation of commercial metal-oxide based NO2 sensors

Purpose – Selection of a gas sensor requires consideration of environmental effects that can significantly affect performance and cause false alarms. Metal‐oxide sensors have high sensitivity due to the specific interactions of gas molecules with thin metal‐oxide films, however, the films can also be sensitive to variations in temperature and humidity and some oxidizing and deoxidizing gases. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the environmental effect on metal‐oxide nitrogen dioxide (NO2) sensors quantitatively.Design/methodology/approach – Three commercial metal‐oxide NO2 sensors and one electrochemical sensor were tested simultaneously under controlled gas concentrations and various environmental conditions. For this test, a customized sensor testing setup was prepared including a gas mixer, heating module, gas chamber, electronics, and data acquisition units.Findings – Based on the test results for NO2 gas concentrations ranging from 0 to 10 ppm, the metal‐oxide sensors showed significant signal ...
TU‐D‐303A‐04: Immunoliposomes for Targeted Radionuclide Therapy

Liposomes are the prototypical nanodevices for delivery of therapeutics. These nanovesicles are structures comprising a phospholipid membrane, an encapsulated aqueous phase (usually) containing the therapeutic agent and surface grafted polymer chains. Typical diameters are in the hundred nanometer range. The extended structure provides a platform that can increase circulation time, protect the therapeutic from enzymes in the circulation and reduce the interaction of toxic therapeutics with normal organs. Several liposomal drug delivery formulations are now FDA approved. Immunoliposomes or “targeted” liposomes are engineered with surface grafted antibodies or antibody fragments reactive against tumor or other target cell antigens or receptors. Studies have demonstrated that targeted liposomes do not provide a tumor‐targeting advantage in terms of gross localization to the tumor site. For both targeted and untargeted liposomes,tumor localization is accomplished by the enhanced permeability effect that arises because tumor vasculature is “leakier” than normal organ vasculature. Targeted liposomes provide a delivery advantage because of increased interaction with the target cell population once localized to the tumor site. The increased interaction can take on the form of fusion with the cellularmembrane or internalization by endocytosis. We have developed immunoliposomes for the targeted delivery of alpha‐particle emitting radionuclides. Pre‐clinical studies evaluating the efficacy of such constructs will be presented. Learning Objectives: 1. Provide an overview of liposomes as therapeutics 2. Explain how liposomes target 3. Understand the distinction between targeted and untargeted liposomes 4. Understand the possible advantages of using liposomes to target alpha‐particle emitters
Structural and organizational predictors of homicide by police

The present study examined homicides by police officers, testing threat, community violence, and organizational hypotheses. Using UCR, SHR, Census, and LEMAS data the study extends previous research by examining the relative impact of community violence, inequality and race, and organizational characteristics on the number of killings of felons by police officers in large US cities. The findings show that measures of racial threat and community violence were related to police killings. Measures of organizational policies were largely unrelated to the number of police killings. Overall the study extends research in the area, yet it also points to a more general need for research on the effects of organizational factors on police violence.
Confrontation over Kenya: the Colonial Office and its Critics 1918–1940

Between the world wars, Colonial Office decisions regarding Kenya were subject to two opposed pressures: while the settlers wrestled with officials for greater control of their own affairs, a body of pro-African reformers loudly protested every concession and lobbied for equal rights and an end to the colour bar. This humanitarian lobby was largely the creation of two former colonial servants, Dr Norman Leys and W. McGregor Ross. Working mainly through the Labour Party, these men broadcast their social democratic ethics and demonstrated that the colony's political economy was badly weighted against African progress. They were the precursors of a more full-bodied socialist approach to colonial reform which during World War Two began to permeate the imperial bureaucracy. Until African initiative became a major determinant of Colonial Office policy in the early 1950s, these critics, with their colleagues in religious and humanitarian groups, were able to hold the front against settler self-government in a few indirect ways. Their allegations that Africans had been unjustly deprived of land and that they received far less in services than they paid in taxes were officially corroborated by command papers in the thirties. By creating a body of pro-African opinion which could exert political pressure on the Colonial Office they discouraged official plans to surrender responsible government to the settlers. Their direct impact on the Colonial Office was simply to alienate officials. Records of the confrontations between these reformers and Whitehall reveal that during this period Colonial Office officials were not only powerless to initiate reform. They were also, with few exceptions, uninterested in reforming the colony's political economy.
Bicarbonate enhances expression of the endocarditis and biofilm associated pilus locus, ebpR-ebpABC , in Enterococcus faecalis

We previously identified ebpR, encoding a potential member of the AtxA/Mga transcriptional regulator family, and showed that it is important for transcriptional activation of the Enterococcus faecalis e ndocarditis and b iofilm associated p ilus operon, ebpABC. Although ebpR is not absolutely essential for ebpABC expression (100-fold reduction), its deletion led to phenotypes similar to those of an ebpABC mutant such as absence of pili at the cell surface and, consequently, reduced biofilm formation. A non-piliated ebpABC mutant has been shown to be attenuated in a rat model of endocarditis and in a murine urinary tract infection model, indicating an important participation of the ebpR-ebpABC locus in virulence. However, there is no report relating to the environmental conditions that affect expression of the ebpR-ebpABC locus. In this study, we examined the effect of CO2/HCO3-, pH, and the Fsr system on the ebpR-ebpABC locus expression. The presence of 5% CO2/0.1 M HCO3- increased ebpR-ebpABC expression, while the Fsr system was confirmed to be a weak repressor of this locus. The mechanism by which the Fsr system repressed the ebpR-ebpABC locus expression appears independent of the effects of CO2- bicarbonate. Furthermore, by using an ebpA::lacZ fusion as a reporter, we showed that addition of 0.1 M sodium bicarbonate to TSBG (buffered at pH 7.5), but not the presence of 5% CO2, induced ebpA expression in TSBG broth. In addition, using microarray analysis, we found 73 genes affected by the presence of sodium bicarbonate (abs(fold) > 2, P < 0.05), the majority of which belong to the PTS system and ABC transporter families. Finally, pilus production correlated with ebpA mRNA levels under the conditions tested. This study reports that the ebp locus expression is enhanced by the presence of bicarbonate with a consequential increase in the number of cells producing pili. Although the molecular basis of the bicarbonate effect remains unclear, the pathway is independent of the Fsr system. In conclusion, E. faecalis joins the growing family of pathogens that regulates virulence gene expression in response to bicarbonate and/or CO2.
ECC cusp shapes from molecular and atomic gas targets

Abstract Electron capture to the continuum (ECC) cusp shape variations (relative to CH4/Ar) have been examined for 26 molecular gas targets, including hydrocarbons, fluorocarbons, fluorinated hydrocarbons, carbon oxides and SF6. These molecular species were chosen to examine the dependence of the cusp shape on molecular “size”, shape, valence electron density, number of electrons, ionization potentials, or simultaneous electron transfer. To date the only molecular parameter correlated with the appearance of the cusp shape change called the “W” peak is the number of electrons in the molecule — molecules with more than 26–30 electrons all show evidence of the “W” peak. A similar cusp shape variation among He, Ne, Kr and Xe targets relative to Ar can be understood as arising from different shell contributions to the cusp. Different shell contributions is also a likely explanation for the W peak appearance in target molecules with constituent atoms whose ECC cross sections are similar. In the case of hydrocarbon targets, however, no mechanism presently explains the experimental results.
History of Stone Tool Research

Stone tools, which constitute the earliest record of human material culture, have fascinated scholars since archaeology was in its infancy (e.g., Evans 1897; Leakey 1934:3; Roe 1970; Feder 1996:19-21). Early in modern archaeological research, prehistorians were confronted with the difficulty of distinguishing actual prehistorically fashioned stone tools from look-alikes made by natural forces, a situation that spawned a controversy over “eoliths,” or “dawn stones,” i.e., tools originating at the dawn of humankind (Moir 1912, 1920; Warren 1914, 1923). It was not until several years after the apogee of that discussion that Barnes (1939) formulated criteria for humanly flaked tools that put the matter to rest, though objects of potential archaeological interest are often ambiguous enough that the subject keeps cropping up from time to time (e.g., Peacock 1991).
REGULAR-NILPOTENT GROUPS OF AUTOMORPHISMS

Using the definition of regular p-group given by M. Hall (1), a new class of finite groups called regular-nilpotent has been defined. The action of these groups as automorphisms of compact Riemann surfaces has been investigated. It is proved that an ecessary and sufficient condition for a Fuchsian group to cover a regular-nilpotent group is that its orbit genus be zero and its periods satisfy the least common multiple condition ,fi rst defined by Harvey (2 )a nd Maclachlan (4).
Persistent-state checkpoint comparison for troubleshooting configuration failures

Application failures characterized by the phrases, “it worked yesterday, but it doesn’t work today” and “it worked on that machine, but it doesn’t work on this machine” are a major source of computer user frustration and a major component in the total cost of ownership. The typical symptom-based troubleshooting approach relies too much on creative thinking and may lead users or support technicians in directions far from the actual root cause. In this paper, we propose a state-based troubleshooting approach for configuration failures that aims at making the diagnostic process as mechanical as possible. In the narrow-down phase, we use checkpoint comparison and application tracing to determine which pieces of persistent state have changed and are affecting current application execution; ongoing self-monitoring of persistent-state changes by the machine is used to help eliminate false positives. In the solution-query phase, state-to-task mapping and searches of online databases are used to translate low-level state information into highlevel user interfaces and articles. We describe the design and implementation of a troubleshooter that uses this state-based approach and present preliminary results to demonstrate its effectiveness in diagnosing several actual configuration failures.
Evaluating Political Risk Forecasting Models: What Works?

Definitions of “political risk” abound, including with “assessments” or “analysis,” but even though ratings are widely used by investors, few understand either the theory behind particular instruments or what the ratings say about their potential investment. The assessment of political risk works backward from losses to foreign investors (not domestic) that could have been insured or protected, to a determination of how high the risk is, what the cost of the likely loss might be, the type of insurance coverage that might be necessary, and then to what an investor should be willing to pay to protect against that risk. A wide range of potential losses and potential causes of those losses is covered by the many political risk assessment firms and indices that are available to potential investors. BERI, the PRS Group, ICRG, the Eurasia Group, PERC (Hong Kong), and many others provide an array of ratings that investors can employ in making their choices. Few of these focus on the critical element of forecasting. Insurance doesn't relate to circumstances of the moment but rather those of the future. What will they be? Just a few of the risk assessments (PRS, BERI, ICRG) deal explicitly with the future, as good as that might be. Few also deal with the matter of risks to particular industries, companies, regions of a country, or external circumstances (what are the country's neighbors up to?). This article offers some suggestions on improving the political risk assessment business. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Trends in mortality of tuberculosis patients in the United States: the long-term perspective.

Purpose To describe long-term trends in tuberculosis (TB) mortality and to compare trends estimated from two different sources of public health surveillance data. Methods Trends and changes in trend were estimated by joinpoint regression. Comparisons between data sets were made by fitting a Poisson regression model. Results Since 1900, TB mortality rates estimated from death certificates have declined steeply, except for a period of no change in the 1980s. This decade had long-term consequences resulting in more TB deaths in later years than would have occurred had there been no flattening of the trend. Recent trends in TB mortality estimated from National Tuberculosis Surveillance System (NTSS) data, which record all-cause mortality, differed from trends based on death certificates. In particular, NTSS data showed TB mortality rates flattening since 2002. Conclusions Estimates of trends in TB mortality vary by data source, and therefore interpretation of the success of control efforts will depend on the surveillance data set used. The data sets may be subject to different biases that vary with time. One data set showed a sustained improvement in the control of TB since the early 1990s whereas the other indicated that the rate of TB mortality was no longer declining.
Influence of anthropogenic aerosols on the total and spectral irradiance at the sea surface during the Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX) 1999

[1] Unique measurements of the spectral signature of the aerosol forcing at the surface between 350 and 1050 nm wavelength during the 1999 haze event over the tropical Indian Ocean are presented and discussed. The aerosol visible optical depths reached values as high as 0.7 in the northern Indian Ocean and decreased to about 0.1 south of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) tropical oceans. Measurements of aerosol optical depth and global (direct plus diffuse) irradiance have been taken with a grating spectroradiometer with a resolution of 3 nm onboard R/V Ronald H. Brown. The radiometer was calibrated onboard in real time. We inverted the direct solar spectra to obtain aerosol optical depth and to compare these with three independent sunphotometer optical depth at selected spectral intervals to assess the validity of the retrieved optical depth. We took the difference between aerosol optical depth between polluted and pristine air mass spectra to obtain the spectral signature. The difference in optical depth between the polluted regime north of the ITCZ and the pristine air masses south of the ITCZ were between 0.5 at 350 nm wavelength, 0.35 at 500 nm wavelength, and 0.1 at 1050 nm wavelength. Next, we obtained the aerosol forcing by correlating optical depth variations (for the duration of the cruise) with corresponding global irradiance variations. We found the Southern Asian aerosol reduces the solar irradiance (for a unit increase in optical depth at 500 nm wavelength) by about 25% at 350 nm decreasing to about 10% in the near-infrared. The reduction in the direct solar was a factor of 2 to 3 larger. The spectral data shown here will provide a critical test for aerosol-radiation models used for aerosol-forcing estimates.
Adoption of IS development methods across cultural boundaries

In IS practice as well as in the literature, IS development methods are prominently espoused. IS development methods are used around the world and globalization of business stimulates their harmonization. To our knowledge, no empirical research has been reported regarding the effect of national cultures on the actual (non-)adoption of IS development methods, which is the focus of this research project. The study is based on Hofstedes well-known research (conducted within IBM), which has provided a conceptual foundation for cross-national research over the past two decades. Data encompassing approximately 40 countries were collected within one global consulting firm. The outcomes of this study are expected to have implications for how global organizations can introduce new development methods more effectively.
Ferdinand Tönnies on crime and society: an unexplored contribution to criminological sociology

I offer a discussion of the criminological sociology of Ferdinand Tonnies (1855-1936). While Tonnies is generally well known for his theory of Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft, his elaborate contribut...
Resistance and Contradiction: Miskitu Indians and the Nicaraguan State, 1894-1987

A mere eighteen months after the Sandinistas came to power in Nicaragua in 1979, Miskitu Indians engaged in a widespread and militant anti-government mobilization. In late 1984, after more than three years of intense conflict, a negotiated transition to peace and autonomy began. This study analyzes these contrasting moments in Nicaraguan ethnic politics, drawing on four years of field research in a remote Miskitu community and in the central town of Bluefields. Fieldwork on both sides of the conflict allows the author to juxtapose Miskitu and Sandinista perspectives, to show how actors on each side understood the same events in radically different ways and how they moved gradually toward reconciliation. Since 1894, Miskitu people have faced an expansionist nation-state and have participated as well in a U.S.-controlled enclave economy and a civil society dominated by U.S. missionaries. The cultural logic of contemporary ethnic conflict, the book argues, can be found in the legacy of Miskitu responses to this dual subordination. While resisting the Nicaraguan state, Miskitu people drew closer to the Anglo-American institutions and worldview. These inherited premises of "Anglo affinity," combined with militant ethnic demands, motivated the post-revolutionary mobilization. Sadinista revolutionary nationalism, in turn, had little tolerance for ethnic militancy, and even less for Anglo affinity. Only with autonomy negotiations did both sides begin to address these underlying causes of the conflict. Though portraying autonomy as a major step toward peaceful conflict resolution and more egalitarian ethnic relations, the nook concludes that this new political arrangement did not, and perhaps could not, fully overcome the contradictions from which it arose. The book offers a critique of existing approaches to ethnic mobilization and to revolutionary nationalism in Central America, putting forward an alternative framework grounded in Gramscian culture theory. This permits a grasp of the combined presence of ethnic militancy and Anglo affinity in the Miskitu people's consciousness, a previously unexamined key to Miskitu collective action. The same notion of "contradictory consciousness" illuminates the Sadinistas' thought and practice: They too espoused a determined political militancy fused with assimilationist premises toward Indians, which created contradictions at the core of their egalitarian revolutionary vision.
Life-stage Analysis of Solvent Induced Fissures under Static Stress in PET Fibers

Abstract The paper discusses the impact of drawing poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fibers in the presence of solvents, which consist of the first five homologues of aliphatic primary alcohols, namely methanol to amyl alcohol. The solvent induced deformation under tensile load leads to surface fissures characterized by four stages: fissure formation (birth), incipient draw (neck formation), partial draw, and full draw. This process results in internal void formation in the presence of a propagating neck. A design of experiment (DOE) was performed to screen out the process parameters critical for understanding surface fissure formation. Four process parameters were investigated: initial material properties (orientation); environment of draw (i.e. type of alcohols used as solvent); rate of extension; and amount of extension. The response of solvent induced deformation were characterized by the natural draw force reduction; number of fissures formed at time of birth, fissure width at time of formation, and...
Typification and Processing in a Screening Unit for Drug Abusers

This paper reports the results of a study into the diagnosis and assignment to treatment of drug abusers that took place in a screening unit of a large drug treatment facility. Based on observation and interviews among clients and screening staff, the research found that the rational assignment of drug abusers to care was made problematic by the features of daily life with which staff had to deal. In particular, custodial goals, such as the need to manage clients, had considerable influence in staff assessments of what “treatment” drug abusers should receive and where they should be sent for care. Conclusions are drawn with regard to improving the capability of these units to better address client, rather than staff and facility organizational, needs.
Melanoma of the Oral Cavity: an Analysis of 46 New Cases with Emphasis on Clinical and Histopathologic Characteristics

Melanoma of the oral cavity is a rare malignancy that carries a poor prognosis. We identified 46 new cases of both primary and metastatic melanoma to the oral cavity. Following IRB approval, these cases were obtained from the Oral Pathology Biopsy Service archives of the UF College of Dentistry (1994–2014), the UK College of Dentistry (1997–2015), and the UM Medical Center (1988–2015). All slides were reviewed. The location, age, race, gender, clinical impression, duration of lesion, histopathologic diagnosis, and histopathologic features were recorded. Cases from the facial skin and those with an ambiguous diagnosis were excluded. Forty-six cases fulfilled the inclusion criteria with 32 primary cases, 11 known metastases, and 3 cases where metastasis could not be excluded. The primary cases included a total of 20 females and 12 males with an average age of 66.7 (range 27–95), and the majority (80 %) of the patients were Caucasian when race was known. Twenty-two of the 32 primary cases (68.8 %) were located in the maxillary mucosa, 5 in the mandibular mucosa or bone, and 5 in other locations. The clinicians’ impressions varied from benign fibrous growths to high grade malignancies. The histopathology varied widely among the cases, however two cell types predominated (often in combination): epithelioid cells (50.0 %) and spindle cells (50.0 %). Only 53.1 % demonstrated melanin pigmentation. Oral melanoma remains one of the most diverse clinical and histopathologic diagnoses. Better understanding of this neoplasm may promote earlier diagnosis and may lead to improved outcomes.
Widespread RNA binding by chromatin-associated proteins

Recent evidence suggests that RNA interaction can regulate the activity and localization of chromatin-associated proteins. However, it is unknown if these observations are specialized instances for a few key RNAs and chromatin factors in specific contexts, or a general mechanism underlying the establishment of chromatin state and regulation of gene expression. Here, we perform formaldehyde RNA immunoprecipitation (fRIP-Seq) to survey the RNA associated with a panel of 24 chromatin regulators and traditional RNA binding proteins. For each protein that reproducibly bound measurable quantities of bulk RNA (90 % of the panel), we detect enrichment for hundreds to thousands of both noncoding and mRNA transcripts. For each protein, we find that the enriched sets of RNAs share distinct biochemical, functional, and chromatin properties. Thus, these data provide evidence for widespread specific and relevant RNA association across diverse classes of chromatin-modifying complexes.
An Investigation of the Disintegration Schemes of Ru 103 and Rb 86

The disintegration schemes of the 42-day ${\mathrm{Ru}}^{103}$ and the 19-day ${\mathrm{Rb}}^{86}$ have been studied with the use of absorption and coincidence methods. Ninety-two percent of the disintegrations of ${\mathrm{Ru}}^{103}$ proceed by way of an inner beta-ray group at 0.15-Mev coincident in time with a gamma-ray of energy 0.52 Mev, which is (4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1) percent converted. A harder beta-spectrum having a maximum energy of 0.68 Mev leads to the ground state of ${\mathrm{Rh}}^{103}$.It is estimated that (12\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2) percent of the beta-rays of ${\mathrm{Rb}}^{86}$ are contained in the inner spectrum. Absorption measurements confirm the energy values given by the Indiana group.
Capacity value of photovoltaic and wind power plants in an isolated Mini-grid in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) and Wind power plants are becoming increasingly cost competitive when compared with conventional thermal power plants and in the not far future may set the ceiling price of electricity in many markets. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is internationally known for its hydrocarbon reserves but is less recognized for its renewable energy resources, especially wind energy. These renewable energy resources, although known as Variable Energy Resources (VERs), can be efficiently integrated into conventional power systems to provide stable and reliable electricity, whether for national power systems or for isolated Mini-grid power systems in KSA. Traditional capacity measures as Capacity Factor (CF) and Reserve Margin (RM) are not able to deal with the intermittency of Wind and PV power plants. Statistical and probabilistic measures coming from System's Adequacy methodology as Effective Load Carrying Capability (ELCC), Equivalent Firm Capacity (EFC) or Equivalent Conventional Power Plant (ECPP) are available to assess the capacity value of VERs. All of these methods are based on Generation Adequacy where VER is added to conventional power plants to fulfil the load. A case study was completed for a Mini-grid within the Saudi Electric Company's (SEC) Southern Operating Area (SOA) where the Loss of Load Probability (LOLP) for the conventional thermal power plant was estimated and the addition of VER is assessed by using ELCC. Based on the available load data and VER profiles for PV a Capacity Credit of 51.8% was estimated, declining at a rate of 2.2% per MWp of additional installed capacity. The ELCC for Wind was estimated to be 19.4%, declining at a rate of 1.4% per MW of additional installed capacity. It was also found that using VER improves the system reliability in terms of Loss of Load Expectation (LOLE). While excessive VER production does not impact LOLE it does impact the economics. A penetration of up to 25% wind or 30% PV does not result in curtailing VER production.
Reader strategies for CT colonography.

Computed tomographic (CT) colonography currently faces the critical challenge of a rapidly evolving technique being validated in generalizable environments. These environments include the evaluation of the data by less expert readers who have undergone training, with standardized image display and reader protocols. This article reviews the current image display techniques most widely used, the reader protocol for detection and characterization of colorectal lesions, and standardization issues for reporting findings. Important issues of test performance expectations are also reviewed, which greatly affect the development and optimization of the reading paradigm.
Stroke as the Initial Manifestation of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus

A 51-year-old man presented to the emergency department with acute onset of left-sided sensory loss and hemiparesis leading to a fall. The hemisensory loss had resolved at the time of presentation. He denied associated dysarthria, ataxia, visual field deficit, or aphasia. Furthermore, he had no current or history of headaches or seizures. The patient’s past medical history was significant for hypertension, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder and unilateral hearing loss after an explosion. Home medications included quetiapine, desvenlafaxine, amlodipine, benazepril/hydrochlorothiazide, and nebivolol, for which he was compliant. He did not smoke, drink alcohol, or use recreational drugs and was independent in activities of daily living. He denied unprotected sexual intercourse, intravenous drug abuse, and blood transfusions. He presented 1 hour 29 minutes after last seen normal with a blood pressure of 163/97 mm Hg and was in normal sinus rhythm. Neurological examination revealed left hemiparesis with motor strength of 0/5 in left upper and 4/5 in left lower extremity; sensory deficits and cortical findings were absent. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 5. Given the acuity of focal symptoms, stroke was the leading diagnosis. An emergent head computed tomography did not show any acute intracranial pathology. Intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator was administered and the patient subsequently admitted to the neurointensive care unit. Magnetic resonance imaging brain demonstrated acute right frontoparietal infarcts, with a distribution suggestive of a watershed infarct between the anterior and middle cerebral artery territories, and a second acute infarct in the left pons (Figure [A]). Figure. Neuroimaging confirms multifocal acute infarctions and intracranial vasculopathy. A , Magnetic resonance imaging brain demonstrates acute infarcts in right frontoparietal lobe with distribution suggestive of a watershed infarct involving the right middle and anterior cerebral arteries; and left pontine paramedian perforator infarct …
Reinforcement of the abdominal wall following breast reconstruction with abdominal flaps: a comparison of synthetic and biological mesh.

Background: Breast reconstruction using muscle-preserving abdominal flaps occasionally results in an abdominal bulge or hernia. The authors analyzed outcomes and complications following use of a synthetic or biological mesh for abdominal reinforcement following initial harvest or secondary repair of a bulge or hernia. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of all patients (n = 818) who had abdominal flap–based breast reconstruction between 1995 and 2011. Ninety-seven patients met inclusion criteria; 61 had synthetic mesh and 36 had biological mesh (porcine acellular dermal matrix). Complications and outcomes were reviewed. Statistical analysis was performed to determine contributing factors and differences between cohorts. Results: Overall complication rates for the synthetic and biological cohorts were 6.5 and 5.5 percent (p = 0.61), respectively, with slightly higher bulge rates in patients with synthetic compared with biological mesh (18 percent versus 8.3 percent; p = 0.25). Complication rates in primary and secondary placement of synthetic mesh were 5 and 7.3 percent, respectively; bulge rates were 15 and 19.5 percent, respectively. Complication rates in primary and secondary placement of biological mesh were 6.3 and 0 percent, respectively; bulge rates were 9.4 and 0 percent, respectively. Conclusions: Synthetic and biological mesh reconstruction for primary abdominal repair and secondary contouring have similar, low complication rates. Postoperative abdominal wall laxity and bulge occurred in an equal distribution following unilateral or bilateral flap reconstruction. Early investigation demonstrates that porcine acellular dermal matrix is as effective as synthetic mesh for abdominal wall reinforcement and repair, with limited morbidity associated with each. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.
The effects of holding goal difficulty constant on assigned and participatively set goals.

This article examines the effects of holding goal difficulty constant on assigned and participatively set goals. Several experiments regarding employee goal acceptance and commitment were discussed...
Development of ATLAS Liquid Argon Calorimeters readout electronics for HL-LHC

The high-luminosity phase of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will provide 5–7 times greater instantaneous and total luminosities than assumed in the original design of the ATLAS Liquid Argon (LAr) Calorimeters and their readout system. The improved trigger system has a higher acceptance rate of 1 MHz and a longer latency of up to 60 micro-seconds. This requires an upgrade of the readout electronics, and a better radiation tolerance is also required. This paper will present concepts for the future readout of the 182,468 calorimeter channels at 40 or 80 MHz with a 16 bit dynamic range. Progress of the development of low-noise, low-power and high-bandwidth electronic components will be presented. These include radiation-tolerant preamplifiers, analog-to-digital converters (ADC) up to 14 bits and low-power optical links providing transfer rates of at least 10 Gbps per fiber.
Why Psychology hasn't Kept its Promises.

This essay posits that psychology's general lack of respect as a science stems from two related problems: the continued focus on conceptually vague mentalistic constructs and the adherence to a methodology that emphasizesstatistical inference over experimental analysis. The lack of a thoroughgoing experimental analysis has so far prevented psychologists from discovering a set of foundational principles thus inhibiting them from being able to predict and control individual behavior. Psychologists can remake their conceptual and methodological foundations by focusing on the relationship between observed behavior and its context and by adopting methods of experimentation that would aid in the discovery of orderly functional relationships. This knowledge could be used to more parsimoniously explain complex behavior, including cognitive phenomena, and to more effectively solve practical problems.
Traffic analysis, performance evaluation and enhancement in modern data communication networks

Traffic characteristics, which include both short range and long range characteristics, are one of the most important factors that affect the performance of modern data communication networks. Although during the last few years, significant research results have been proposed on models that capture long range dependency in traffic and its impact on Internet performance, they are inadequate for predicting queuing processes, delays and loss rates under dedicated scheduling disciplines or within specific network systems such as optical networks and wireless networks. This work first carries out traffic characteristic studies in communication networks with specific system details. The network systems under study include general communication networks with specific scheduling discipline—Generalized Processor Sharing (GPS), high-speed optical networks with Optical Burst Switching (OBS) paradigm and data intensive wireless cellular networks. Together with traffic characteristic studies, congestion control (using, e.g., TCP, rate assignment or control) is another important factor affecting the network performance, which is studied in this work. In particular, we consider a bufferless network core (as in the case of optical networks) and study how to improve the performance of TCP by enhancing its congestion mechanism. In addition, we investigate how to take advantage of the knowledge of data traffic characteristics to improve rate control and admission control mechanisms in wireless cellular networks. We aim at a comprehensive approach to studying traffic characteristics and enhancing the performance of congestion control mechanisms in different network systems. We develop traffic models and algorithms taking into consideration of network specifics such as schedule disciplines, transmission mechanisms, buffer availability and wireless channel conditions involved. The obtained results and implementations are evaluated analytically and via examples and simulations.
Caregiving by Other Relatives, Secondary Caregivers, and Members of Minority Groups

Caregiving by siblings, grandchildren, and other relatives (including fictive kin and ex-spouses) is discussed. Research on secondary caregivers and team caregiving also is reviewed. Studies of kin care within sexual and racial/ethnic minority groups are covered as well.