cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacokinetic drug evaluation of tedizolid for the treatment of skin infections.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Tedizolid is indicated for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI). Although tedizolid shares many similar properties with linezolid, another oxazolidinone used to treat ABSSSI, the two antibiotics have several key differences.Areas covered: This review provides a detailed summary of the overall pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, and safety of tedizolid for the treatment of ABSSSI.Expert opinion: Compared to other antibiotics used for ABSSSI, tedizolid has several advantages. Tedizolid has a long half-life, allowing for once daily dosing. Tedizolid also has broad spectrum of activity against Gram-positive pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Coagulase-negative Staphylococci, and Enterococci – including isolates demonstrating resistance to linezolid. It is available in both oral and intravenous formulations, and, has outstanding oral bioavailability, allowing for oral-step down therapy. There is also...
Optimised Gravity Survey Design

An automated technique for optimized placement of gravity stations is presented that takes into account both the spatial distribution of pre-existing data and also variations in the form of the gravity surface. The new method involves calculation of a weighted normalized grid incorporating a point-distance function, a point-density function and information on horizontal gravity gradients determined from pre-existing data. The maximum in the normalized grid is taken as the optimum position for a new gravity station. The positions for multiple new stations can then be generated from successive maxima following iterative recalculation of the point-distance and point-density functions. Gravity grids generated from optimized data distributions require significantly less new data points to achieve the same relative accuracy when compared to regular, systematic infill patterns. Although other factors, such as difficult access, may in some cases limit the application of this technique, there are many circumstances where significant reductions in survey costs can be achieved by application of this new method.
Self-schema as a non-drinker: a protective resource against heavy drinking in Mexican-American college women

Alcohol use is considered less acceptable for women than men in the Mexican culture. However, recent studies of Mexican-American (MA) women show that prevalence and rates of alcohol use are escalating, particularly in those with high acculturation to Western standards. Building on recent studies that demonstrated that drinking-related identities (self-schemas) are important predictors of alcohol use in college populations, this secondary data analysis investigated the association between acculturation, MA cultural values, and acculturative stress, drinking-related self-schemas and heavy drinking over time in college-enrolled MA women. Data were drawn from a 12-month longitudinal study of self-schemas and health-risk behaviors in 477 college-enrolled MA women. Drinking-related self-schemas, acculturation, MA cultural values and acculturative stress were measured at baseline, and heavy drinking was measured at baseline, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Thirty-six percent of women had a non-drinker self-schema but only 3% had a drinker self-schema. Higher spirituality was protective against heavy drinking, and this effect can be partially explained by presence of a non-drinker self-schema. Interventions that emphasize the personal relevance of being a non-drinker and support the importance of spirituality may help to prevent heavy drinking in MA college women.
Nanoparticle Properties for Delivery to Cartilage: The Implications of Disease State, Synovial Fluid, and Off-Target Uptake

A major hurdle limiting the ability to treat and cure osteoarthritis, a common and debilitating disease, is rapid joint clearance and limited cartilage targeting of intra-articular therapies. Nanoscale drug carriers have the potential to improve therapeutic targeting and retention in the joint after direct injection; however, there still lacks a fundamental understanding of how the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles (NPs) influence localization to the degenerating cartilage and how joint conditions such as disease state and synovial fluid impact NP biodistribution. The goal of this study was to assess how physicochemical properties of NPs influence their interactions with joint tissues and, ultimately, cartilage localization. Ex vivo models of joint tissues were used to study how poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and polystyrene (PS) NP size, charge, and surface chemistry influence cartilage retention under normal and disease-mimicking conditions. Of the particles investigated, PLGA NPs surface-m...
A Human/Computer Learning Network to Improve Biodiversity Conservation and Research

In this paper we describe eBird, a citizen-science project that takes advantage of the human observational capacity to identify birds to species, which is then used to accurately represent patterns of bird occurrences across broad spatial and temporal extents. eBird employs artificial intelligence techniques such as machine learning to improve data quality by taking advantage of the synergies between human computation and mechanical computation. We call this a Human-Computer Learning Network, whose core is an active learning feedback loop between humans and machines that dramatically improves the quality of both, and thereby continually improves the effectiveness of the network as a whole. In this paper we explore how Human-Computer Learning Networks can leverage the contributions of a broad recruitment of human observers and processes their contributed data with Artificial Intelligence algorithms leading to a computational power that far exceeds the sum of the individual parts.
Altmetrics: A Practical Guide for Librarians, Researchers, and Academics, edited by Andy Tattersall.

In this recent book on altmetrics, editor Andy Tattersall, a librarian at the University of Sheffield, together with five contributing authors, sets out to provide a 12 chapter overview of altmetri...
THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF LOCAL AND CONVENTIONAL FOOD SALES

Local food systems are frequently touted as economic development strategies for rural communities. In this study, we estimated the local economic impacts of local compared with conventionally produced and marketed food in two regions of Missouri and one region in Nebraska. We found that local food systems generated substantial increases in value added for their local economies.
Femtosecond PSII Reaction Center Studies at 7K

More than ten years after the first isolation of the Photosystem II (PSII) reaction center (RC), a clear picture as to the details of energy transfer and charge separation within this protein has yet to be reached. To a large extent, this is due to the severe overlap of the six chlorophyll a (Chl) and two pheophytin a (Pheo) pigments that form the Qy band, making it is difficult to relate spectroscopic data to specific pigments. A further consequence is that the small energy gaps between pigments allow for rapid bidirectional energy transfer, which, in addition to greatly complicating the energy transfer problem, obscures the intrinsic rate constant for charge separation. Only at low cryogenic temperatures will the uphill energy transfer process(es) become thermally inaccessible, allowing for a direct measurement of the intrinsic rate constant for charge separation. A further advantage of doing time domain experiments at or near liquid He temperatures is that the results can be compared with those of frequency domain (i.e., spectral hole-burning) experiments, the results of which are presumably somewhat easier to interpret than those of time resolved experiments.
If You Book It, Will They Come? Attendance at Postdischarge Follow-Up Visits Scheduled by Inpatient Providers.

BACKGROUND Postdischarge follow-up visits (PDFVs) are widely recommended to improve inpatient-outpatient transitions of care. OBJECTIVE To measure PDFV attendance rates. DESIGN Observational cohort study. SETTING Medical units at an academic quaternary-care hospital and its affiliated outpatient clinics. PATIENTS Adult patients hospitalized between April 2014 and March 2015 for whom at least 1 PDFV with our health system was scheduled. Exclusion criteria included nonprovider visits, visits cancelled before discharge, nonaccepted health insurance, and visits scheduled for deceased patients. MEASUREMENTS The study outcome was the incidence of PDFVs resulting in no-shows or same-day cancellations (NS/SDCs). RESULTS Of all hospitalizations, 6136 (52%) with 9258 PDFVs were analyzed. Twenty-five percent of PDFVs were NS/SDCs, 23% were cancelled before the visit, and 52% were attended as scheduled. In multivariable regression models, NS/SDC risk factors included black race (odds ratio [OR] 1.94, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.63-2.32), longer lengths of stay (hospitalizations ≥15 days: OR 1.51, 95% CI, 1.22- 1.88), and discharge to facility (OR 2.10, 95% CI, 1.70-2.60). Conversely, NS/SDC visits were less likely with advancing age (age ≥65 years: OR 0.39, 95% CI, 0.31-0.49) and driving distance (highest quartile: OR 0.65, 95% CI, 0.52-0.81). Primary care visits had higher NS/SDC rates (OR 2.62, 95% CI, 2.03-3.38) than oncologic visits. The time interval between discharge and PDFV was not associated with NS/SDC rates. CONCLUSIONS PDFVs were scheduled for more than half of hospitalizations, but 25% resulted in NS/SDCs. New strategies are needed to improve PDFV attendance.
Ornithology: All eyes on the 10,000 species

Stuart Pimm considers the obsessive, sometimes dark side to the joyous pursuit of watching birds.
Foundation of Effective Goal Setting

Problems of effective goal setting can be formulated into complex multiple criteria optimal control systems in which the control variables are (i) selecting measurable goal functions, (ii) setting goal achievement levels and (iii) determining effective supportive systems; and the objectives are (I) to maximize the attention time allocation to the work assigned and (II) to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness (or ability) of work performance. Utilizing the concepts of human behavior mechanism and habitual domains, we offer a general principle of effective goal setting as to select control variables which can create favorable working conditions and relative high levels of charges and confidence on the performers so that they can allocate as much time as possible to perform the desired job-related operations in a most efficient and effective way. We give a detailed discussion of the applications of this principle over various classes of problems. Some empirically known results on goal setting, which in general are consistent with and can be explained by the principles, are also sketched.
Cyber-air-gapped detection of controller attacks through physical interdependencies

Trustworthy operation of the power grid critical infrastructures requires real-time intrusion detection systems to identify compromised and malfunctioning controller devices. The past three decades of direct application of the traditional purely-cyber security solutions against these infrastructures has proved insufficient in practice due to emerging sophisticated malicious attacks against power grid control systems. In this paper, we propose PhiDS, a physics-aware intrusion detection system to identify compromised controllers through continuous observation of remote power system sensor measurements. Real-time remote sensor data analysis enables PhiDS to determine the power system state trajectory and infer the control commands issued by the distributed controllers on the plant. Given the power system safety requirements, PhiDS monitors the data stream and identifies the controllers that issue control commands that violates the safety of the power system. PhiDS does not require any cyber communication with the (potentially compromised) controller devices, and hence provides an air-gap between the the security monitor and the target device. Consequently, if the controller is infected, the adversary cannot compromise and corrupt the monitor's reports. The will ensure that the monitor will always remain away from the adversaries' access and hence provide trustworthy reports. We implemented and evaluated PhiDS on a real-world power system test-bed, where the programmable logic controllers are targets for and attacked by the remote network adversaries. PhiDS was able to identify all the infected controllers efficiently without any cyber link to the controllers. PhiDS's outcomes were instead purely based on the power system measurements from sensors that are deployed adjacent to the controllers.
Alpha-synuclein Protein Homeostasis and Oligomerization in Iron-overloaded Cells Expressing Mutant HFE (P3.059)

Objective: Study the direct and indirect effects of iron overload on α-synuclein homeostasis in a genetic model of hemochromatosis ( HFE ) Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by the presence of α-synuclein-containing Lewy bodies with selective vulnerability of particular neurons, especially the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). Increased levels of iron and ferritin in the SN also appear to be consistent features of the disease, but it is unclear whether this accumulation is pathologic and if it relates to synuclein aggregation. Population genotype studies have returned conflicting results regarding correlation between polymorphisms in iron metabolism genes (transferrin, transferrin receptor 1, HFE , frataxin, and lactoferrin) and PD. Nevertheless, a direct effect on synuclein can be postulated due to the known effects of metal ions on protein aggregation in vitro , the presence of a putative iron responsive element (IRE) in the 5′- untranslated region of α-synuclein messenger RNA, and the effects of iron on synuclein disposal via autophagy and proteasome activity. Design/Methods: Human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell lines stably transfected with either of two common HFE mutations (C282Y and H63D) were used to study α-synuclein in iron-overloaded states. Total synuclein protein was assessed by Western analysis, while oligomers were studied using blue native PAGE. Transcription was measured using RT-PCR. Autophagic flux was assessed via Western blot for LC3 and proteasome activity via effects on artificial fluorescent/luminescent substrates. Results: Western blot showed that mutant HFE -expressing cells had higher levels of total α-synuclein compared to wild type. Addition of the iron chelator deferoxamine had varying effects on the intracellular labile iron pool and α-synuclein levels. The impact of the HFE mutants on transcription of α-synuclein, autophagic flux and proteasome activity and ultimately the levels of higher molecular weight oligomers was also assessed. Conclusions: These findings support the concept that iron may play a synuclein-mediated role in PD neurodegeneration. Study Supported by: Penn State Tobacco Settlement Funds (to MS) Disclosure: Dr. Kim has nothing to disclose. Dr. Connor has nothing to disclose. Dr. Stahl has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with GlaxoSmithKline plc.
Limitations and Potential of Metalinguistic Data in Second-Language Acquisition Theory

In the preceding chapter, we sketched the central yet precarious position of metalinguistic data in developing linguistic theory. In Chapter 4, a similar examination is undertaken, this time with the focus on L2 acquisition theory.
Storage System and Multimedia: Classification and Extensions

With the increasing processing speeds, there is a shift away from the paradigm of centralized, sequential storage systems towards distributed and network based storage systems. Further, with the new imaging and real time multimedia applications, it is becoming more than ever important to design powerful, efficient and scaleable I/O systems. In this paper, the requirements of storage subsystems in multimedia environment were presented. The storage system components relating to those requirements were analyzed. Current solutions were surveyed and classified. Then we proposed approaches to improve storage subsystem performance for multimedia. The first approach applies constrained layout currently used for single disk model to multi-disk system. The second calls for using a stripping unit that meets both media and storage system optimization criteria. The third uses a pool of buffers instead of single buffer per stream.
Impact of Chronic Hepatitis B Infection on Patient-Reported Outcomes

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infects a large number of people worldwide causing tremendous clinical burden related to decompensated cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although clinical consequences of HBV are well described, the impact of chronic HBV infection on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) is not well described. Mostly asymptomatic, some HBV patients do have some impairment of their health-related quality of life. In general, the use of interferon-based regimens for HBV has been associated with negative impact on both physical function and psychological function of the treated patients. In contrast, oral antiviral regimens for HBV have few side effects and do not seem to impair PROs. Assessment of PROs for HBV-infected patients is important. These assessments are especially useful in the context of treatment and the clinical trials of future oral antiviral regimens for HBV.
Criminal Justice Barriers to Treatment of Opioid Use Disorders in the United States: The Need for Public Health Advocacy.

Expanding access to treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) is central to addressing the US overdose mortality crisis.Numerous barriers to OUD treatment are encountered in criminal justice institutions and processes, with which people with OUD are disproportionately involved. OUD treatment access is severely limited in US corrections facilities, with few exceptions. Drug treatment courts, which in principle provide court-supervised treatment as an alternative to prison, have also unduly limited treatment options, particularly medication-assisted treatment.The voice and expertise of health professionals are urgently needed to remove these barriers and ensure that criminally accused persons are systematically linked to the care they need.
EVALUATION OF INTRA-PROCEDURE HEPARIN REQUIREMENTS DURING ATRIAL FIBRILLATION ABLATION

Patients undergoing catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation require procedural anticoagulation with heparin. Ablation is generally performed on uninterrupted warfarin, or more recently, with direct acting oral anticoagulants (DOAC) in either an interrupted or uninterrupted fashion. The type of
Inferring Private Information in Wireless Sensor Networks

In wireless sensor networks, estimating a global parameter from locally obtained measurements via local interactions is known as the distributed parameter estimation problem. Solving these problems often require the deployment of distributed optimization algorithms that rely on a constant exchange of information among the sensor nodes. This makes such distributed algorithms vulnerable to attackers or malicious nodes that want to gain access to private information regarding the network. Based on the sliding mode control scheme, here we present a novel approach to infer sensitive information (e.g., gradient or private parameters of the local objective function) regarding a node of interest by intercepting the communication between the nodes. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is illustrated in a representative example of distributed event localization using an acoustic sensor network.
Impact of a US asylum decision on sexual and reproductive health and rights: a call to action for health and legal professionals

The political environment and legal decisions in the United States (US) can impact lives around the globe. A recent attack on women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) occurred in Ju...
Clinical Evaluation of Sarcoidosis in Community Members with World Trade Center Dust Exposure

Background: Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease involving intrathoracic and extrathoracic organs. Genetic and environmental factors, such as exposure to World-Trade Center (WTC) dust after 9/11, may play a role in clinical presentation. Characterization of sarcoidosis in community members with exposure to the WTC dust can provide further insight into the relationship between environmental exposure and sarcoidosis. Methods: Patients with documented sarcoidosis were identified in the WTC Environmental Health Center (EHC), a treatment program for community members. Demographic and clinical data were collected from standardized questionnaires and chart review. Organ involvement was assessed with a standard instrument. Results: Among patients in the WTC EHC, 87 were identified with sarcoidosis after 9/11. Sarcoidosis cases were more likely African-American, local workers, and had more respiratory symptoms, compared with non-sarcoidosis WTC EHC patients. Many (46%) had ≥ Scadding stage 3 on chest imaging, and had reduced lung function measures. Extrathoracic involvement was identified in 33/87 (38%) with a diversity of organs involved. Conclusions: WTC-exposed sarcoidosis in community members is often characterized by severe pulmonary disease and a high rate of diverse extrathoracic involvement. Further analysis is required to characterize the course of disease progression or resolution.
Smartphone-enabled Trackers for Lower-body Monitoring

Movement disorders are among the most common neurologic conditions. Collection of kinematic data using a motion capture system aids in understanding the movement abnormalities and in helping determine the diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Unfortunately, most motion capture systems are limited to the laboratory and therefore do not necessarily reflect movement that occurs in a natural environment. However, recent advancements in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) tracking devices allow for the collection of kinematic data outside the laboratory. This study presents an alternative low-cost smartphone-assisted MEMS tracking device and then assesses the accuracy of angular measurement. The device consisted of four sensors, which can be mounted on the lower limbs of patients. The accuracy of angular measurement was assessed through a benchtop test, where angle measurements from a protractor were used as a comparison. The relationship between the angle measurement from the MEMS tracking device and the actual angle measurement from the protractor was very strong $(r^{2} =0.9994$, p < 0.001). A Bland-Altman plot confirmed the strong consistency between the angle measurement from the MEMS tracker and angle measurement from the protractor, showing no significant difference in the angle (p = 0.9997). The findings suggest that the MEMS tracking device developed in this study could potentially be used for estimating joint angles as a tool to assess outdoor/home rehabilitation and progress associated with rehabilitation programs. However, clinical studies with a wide array of activities are needed to provide a more complete assessment of the device’s accuracy.
Stability of Charge Transfer States in F4TCNQ-Doped P3HT

Printable electronic devices from organic semiconductors are strongly desired but limited by their low conductivity and stability relative to those of their inorganic counterparts. p-Doping of poly...
Low Output Heart Failure: The Cold and Wet Patient

While most patients admitted with congestive heart failure have preserved blood pressure and adequate organ perfusion, an important minority present with low cardiac output and profound organ dysfunction. A careful physical examination can help detect these patients who exhibit signs of volume overload (elevated neck veins, peripheral edema) and impaired cardiac output (narrow pulse pressure, cool or cold extremities). The cold wet patient has significantly increased mortality, even during the hospitalizations because of a cascade of physiologic abnormalities which must be recognized and reversed quickly to avoid multiorgan failure. Worsening renal function is often the first marker of critical illness in the cold wet patient and is one cause of the cardiorenal syndrome. Although low cardiac output may be the cause of a minority of cases of the cardiorenal syndrome, its contribution when present must be recognized and corrected, if possible, to prevent further renal deterioration and patient demise.
High Interfacial Shear Strain in Polyurea–Carbon Nanotube Composite Sheets

One of the factors limiting the performance of polymer–carbon nanotube (polymer–CNT) composites is the insufficient load transfer across their interface. In this study, interfacial strain in polyur...
Impact of PD‐L1 expression and human papillomavirus status in anti‐PD1/PDL1 immunotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma—Systematic review and meta‐analysis

Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) pathway inhibition in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has demonstrated inconsistent efficacy regarding human papillomavirus (HPV) status and PD-L1 expression. This study compared outcomes in HNSCC in the context of PD-L1 and HPV expression. Outcomes: PD-L1 and HPV expression; overall survival (OS), and tumor response (ORR). 1088 patients received PD-1/L1 inhibitors. Four methodologies were identified in determining PD-L1 expression, most commonly using the Dako PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmaDx assay. Using a 1% threshold, ORR was greater for PD-L1 expressers vs non-expressers (18.9%, CI 16.1-21.8 v 8.8% CI 5.3-13.7, P = 0.009), as was OS at 6 months (60.6%, CI 49.2-71.4 v 49.0%, CI 39.1-59.0, P = 0.04) but not at 12 or 18 months. No advantages were identified for HPV expressers. Patients expressing PD-L1 may have a better tumor response and OS. No impact on survival or response was observed based on HPV status.
Aminomethylation of Thioureas with N,N-Dimethyl-1-(triethylsiloxy)methanamine, Involving Amino Group Exchange

The O-triethylsilylated hemiaminal Et3SiOCH2NMe2 readily transfers the Me2NCH2-group to various thioureas under mild conditions and without catalysts or co-reagents. In the reaction with PhNHC(=S)·NHPh, the initially formed mono-substituted derivative PhNHC(=S)NPhCH2NMe2 readily rearranges to produce the unsymmetrical thiourea PhNHC(=S)NMe2 and hexahydro-1,3,5-triphenyl-1,3,5-triazine.
COVID-19 pandemic prompts the development of a Web-OSCE using Zoom teleconferencing to resume medical students' clinical skills training at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar

Web-Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCEs) were piloted for the Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) exams in the USA two decades ago and were shown to be an acceptable way to conduct OSCEs remotely. The learners valued the process yet expressed numerous limitations.1 In response to the COVID-19 outbreak in Qatar, medical schools stopped in-person teaching creating a hiatus in clinical instruction. The Clinical Skills and Simulation Lab (CSSL) team devised and piloted a Web-OSCE to determine its feasibility in this setting, and to evaluate stakeholders’ experiences. We describe the steps taken to create a Web-OSCE built on women’s reproductive and sexual health which is part of the third year Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship curriculum, using Zoom teleconferencing. It mirrored the steps taken when conducting this activity in person; however, all communication relied on emails before the event, Zoom during the event with WhatsApp as a backup for connectivity between learners, Zoom hosts and faculty. ### Pre-Web-OSCE steps #### Preparing students CSSL provided by email a step-by-step instruction guide plus a pre-OSCE task for students to complete to ensure that they could access the OSCE on the day of the activity. A live Zoom session led by faculty reviewed the learning objectives, expectations and assessment and served as an open forum for students to ask questions in order to mitigate any anxiety surrounding the new modality. #### Preparing simulated patients Simulated patients (SP) were surveyed to assess their interest and technology capabilities to participate in Zoom activities. Interested SPs joined a Zoom meeting with staff members, who ensured they had adequate technical capability. SPs were selected and confirmed according to requirements of the case. Training notes and checklists were sent …
Fitting In or Standing Out? The Tradeoffs of Structural and Cultural Embeddedness

A recurring theme in sociological research is the tradeo between fitting in and standing out. Recent work examining this tension has privileged network structural accounts over cultural explanations. We remedy this imbalance by developing a theory of how structural and cultural embeddedness jointly relate to individual attainment within organizations. Given that organizational culture is hard to observe, we develop a novel approach to assessing individuals’ cultural fit with their colleagues in an organization based on the language expressed in internal email communications. Drawing on a unique data set that includes a corpus of 10.25 million email messages exchanged over five years among 601 employees in a high-technology firm, we find that network constraint impedes, while cultural fit promotes, individual attainment. More importantly, we find evidence of a tradeo between the two forms of embeddedness: cultural fit benefits individuals with low network constraint (i.e., brokers) but hurts highly constrained actors.
A Review: Advances and Modernization in U.S Army Gun Propellants

The U.S. Army is entering a period of modernization, phasing out older, limited and costlier weapon designs for new, more efficient, and effective weapon technologies. The emphasis has shifted to optimizing lethality and accuracy at extended ranges to reduce cost per kill via the use of mechanization and automation to provide more coverage with fewer systems while reducing crew burden, size, and training requirements. The improved overall system performance via integration of technology enablers such as additive manufacturing is prepositioned for future capability growth. Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, has been postulated to allow the rate of energy release from gun propellant to be highly optimized by controlling the surface area of the grain, thus resulting in a high generation of gas to maintain pressure later in the ballistic cycle. Consequentially, higher efficiency is achieved with more energy delivered to the projectile, and faster launch velocities are achieved, providing an enhanced capability for maneuvering forces on the battlefield.
Reimagining Campus Community: A Spatio-Rhetorical Analysis of Conventional and Unconventional Planning Discourse

While urban and suburban planning have received sustained scrutiny from rhetoric scholars in recent years, campus planning remains relatively unexplored. Enacting a framework for analyzing the conv...
Infiltration and Antecedent Precipitation

A simple, inexpensive, and expedient method is presented for determining the initial infiltration capacity (\If\do\N), the decay rate of infiltration (\ik), and the constant infiltration capacity (\If\dc\N) to be used in Horton’s equation for a certain soil and for any antecedent precipitation. The method consists of performing a series of infiltration tests using flooding-type test tube infiltrometers for different antecedent precipitation conditions. Horton’s equation is fitted to the available data, thus obtaining values of \If\do\N, \If\dc\N and \ik for each test. Daily rainfall records are used, starting at least 2 months prior to the infiltration tests, to determine the antecedent precipitation index values corresponding to each test. Curves of antecedent precipitation index plotted against Horton’s constants provide the designer with the proper values of \If\do\N and \ik for the soil on which infiltration tests were performed for any specified antecedent condition.
The psychophysiology of risk processing and decision making at a regional stock exchange

A longstanding controversy in philosophy is whether decision-making is governed by reason or emotion. I study the role of physiological responses in the decision-making process within the realm of financial markets, where both the environment and decisions—trades—are measurable. In an experiment performed on a regional stock exchange, my collaborators and I record six different types of physiological signals—skin conductance/galvanic skin response (SCR/GSR), blood volume pulse (BVP), electrocardiogram (ECG), electroencephalogram (EEG), electromyogram (EMG), and temperature (Temp)—of monetarily motivated professionals making high pressure decisions. From these signals I estimate underlying physiological features, such as heart rate, changes in body temperature, and amplitude of SCR, which are proxy for affect. Simultaneously, we record real-time market information which the specialists process and which serves as the basis for their decisions, as well as recording their decisions and outcomes. In a sample of eight market-makers, I find statistically significant differences in mean skin conductance response and cardiovascular variables during transient market events relative to no-market-event control intervals. In addition, I find a strong relationship between trading decisions and physiological responses. Using regression, I demonstrate that heart rate variability can statistically significantly improve predictions of trading decisions, although not by much. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Association of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the United States from 2004 to 2009

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasingly reported in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Our aim was to assess the prevalence and mortality of patients with NAFLD-HCC. We examined Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registries (2004-2009) with Medicare-linkage files for HCC, which was identified by the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, third edition codes using topography and morphology codes 8170-8175. Medicare-linked data was used to identify NAFLD, hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), alcoholic liver disease (ALD), and other liver disease using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. NAFLD was also defined by clinical diagnosis (cryptogenic cirrhosis, obese-diabetics with cryptogenic liver disease). A logistic regression model was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for risk of HCC. In addition, adjusted hazard ratios for 1-year mortality were estimated by Cox's proportional hazard regression. A total of 4,929 HCC cases and 14,937 controls without HCC were included. Of the HCC cases, 54.9% were related to HCV, 16.4% to ALD, 14.1% to NAFLD, and 9.5% to HBV. Across the 6-year period (2004 to 2009), the number of NAFLD-HCC showed a 9% annual increase. NAFLD-HCC were older, had shorter survival time, more heart disease, and were more likely to die from their primary liver cancer (all P < 0.0001). Of those who received a transplant after HCC (n = 488), only 5% were related to NAFLD-HCC. In multivariate analysis, NAFLD increased the risk of 1-year mortality (OR, 1.21; 95% CI: 1.01-1.45). Additionally, older age, lower income, unstaged HCC increased risk of 1-year mortality while receiving a liver transplant (LT), and having localized tumor stage were protective (all P < 0.05). Conclusions: NAFLD is becoming a major cause of HCC in the United States. NAFLD HCC is associated with shorter survival time, more advanced tumor stage, and lower possibility of receiving a LT. (Hepatology 2015;62:1723–1730)
Definite Article Reduction and The Obligatory Contour Principle in York English1: ROEDER - DAR AND OCP IN YORK ENGLISH

This paper provides a phonological explanation for an observed pattern of Definite Article Reduction (DAR) in the city of York, northeast Yorkshire, England. Following a pattern common among very high frequency function words in English, the vowel-less reduced definite article variably attaches leftward as s clitic. The cliticised definite article is subsequently affaected by the Obligatory Contour Principle (OCP). The phonetic realisations accommodated by this explanation include a non-glottalised variant that is perceptually a zero realisation. Sociolinguistic observations indicate that older speakers and more locally-oriented young, working-class men are most likely to have acquired the phonological subtleties of this pattern.
Studies on the water induced plasticization behavior of nylon 4. The influence of crystallinity and radiation crosslinking

The influence of crystallinity and radiation crosslinking on the water induced depression of the glass transition temperature in Nylon 4 [poly(2-pyrrolidone)] has been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. Radiation crosslinking was effective in preventing exothermic events associated with crystallization during the measurement of the incremental change in heat capacity (ΔCp); a parameter necessary for the theoretical evaluation of the depressed glass transition temperature. ΔCp, when normalized to account for fractional crystallinity, was found to deviate substantially from a linear two phase relation. A simple three phase representation of morphology is proposed to account for this deviation, and assumptions have been made regarding the distribution of plasticizer, leading to good agreement between the theoretical and experimentally observed depressions of the glass transition temperature.
Adenocarcinoma of tongue metastatic to bladder.

Abstract A case of carcinoma of the tongue metastatic to the bladder presenting endoscopically as a papillary tumor is presented.
IS PRIMARY OBSTRUCTIVE MEGAURETER REPAIR AT RISK FOR CONTRALATERAL REFLUX

Purpose: Contralateral vesicoureteral reflux occurs after successful unilateral reflux repair in a significant proportion of patients without correlation to the surgical approach. Unilateral congenital obstructive megaureter was compared to primary vesicoureteral reflux with regard to the risk of onset of contralateral reflux after unilateral ureteral reimplantation.Materials and Methods: Unilateral congenital obstructive megaureter was diagnosed in 58 consecutive patients 2 to 10 years old (mean age 3.2). Cross-trigonal ureteroneocystostomy was performed in 57 cases and longitudinal ureteral reimplantation, according to the Politano-Leadbetter technique was done in 1. Longitudinal tapering according to Hendren was performed in 44 ureters, and the Kalicinski folding was used to repair 11 ureters. All patients underwent serial renal ultrasound, diethylenetetraminepentaacetic acid nuclear scan, excretory urogram and voiding cystourethrogram. The control group was composed of 98 age matched children with uni...
1157 STAPHYLOCOCCAL ADHERENCE TO POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC) AND HEPARIN-BONDED POLYURETHANE (HBP) CATHETERS IS SPECIES SPECIFIC AND IS ENHANCED BY FIBRONECTIN (FN)

1157 STAPHYLOCOCCAL ADHERENCE TO POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC) AND HEPARIN-BONDED POLYURETHANE (HBP) CATHETERS IS SPECIES SPECIFIC AND IS ENHANCED BY FIBRONECTIN (FN)
Structure—property relationships in perfectly alternating segmented polysulphone/poly(dimethylsiloxane) copolymers

Abstract Well-defined perfectly alternating multiphase segmented polysulphone/poly(dimethylsiloxane) copolymers have been synthesized by the silylamine-hydroxyl coupling reaction and studied by thermal, mechanical and optical scattering methods. The results showed that by varying the length of the segments for each phase and their relative content, it is possible to alter the mechanical and thermal characteristics from those of a thermoplastic elastomer to a tough ductile transparent thermoplastic. The mechanical response was also shown to be influenced according to which phase was predominantly continuous. The evidence of microphase morphology was principally based on dynamic mechanical, small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements. Differential scanning calorimetry (d.s.c.) scans showed the breadth of the high temperature transitions to span up to 60°C, reflecting the polydisperse nature of both oligomers. New results from SAXS analysis agree well with TEM measurements and indicate that the interfacial thickness parameter and degree of phase separation also show a composition and block length dependency for these copolymers. The interfacial thickness parameter, based on Koberstein's empirical method, was found to vary from 0.8 to 1.3 nm, depending on the composition.
Targeted Disruption of Guanylyl Cyclase-A/Natriuretic Peptide Receptor-A Gene Provokes Renal Fibrosis and Remodeling in Null Mutant Mice: Role of Proinflammatory Cytokines

Binding of atrial and brain natriuretic peptides to guanylyl cyclase-A/natriuretic peptide receptor-A produces second messenger cGMP, which plays an important role in maintaining renal and cardiovascular homeostasis. Mice carrying a targeted disruption of the Npr1 gene coding for guanylyl cyclase-A/natriuretic peptide receptor-A exhibit changes that are similar to those that occur in untreated human hypertension, including elevated blood pressure, cardiac hypertrophy, and congestive heart failure. The objective of this study was to determine whether disruption of the Npr1 gene in mice provokes kidney fibrosis, remodeling, and derangement. We found that systemic disruption of the Npr1 gene causes increased renal tubular damage characterized by dilation, flattening of epithelium, and expansion of interstitial spaces in Npr1−/− (0-copy) mice. Significant increases occurred in the expression levels of TNF-α (4-fold), IL-6 (4.5-fold), and TGF-β1 (2-fold) in 0-copy null mutant mice compared with 2-copy wild-type mice. An increased epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition indicated by increased expression of α-smooth muscle actin, was observed in Npr1−/− mouse kidneys. Treatment with captopril and losartan showed a 38 and 46% attenuation in fibrosis and 30 and 42% reduction in α-smooth muscle actin immunoexpression, respectively, in 1-copy and 0-copy mice compared with 2-copy mice. Although bendroflumethiazide treatment did not show any effect. The present results demonstrate that the disruption of Npr1 gene activates proinflammatory cytokines leading to fibrosis, hypertrophic growth, and remodeling of the kidneys of mutant mice.
Erratum: "A Smaller Radius for the Transiting Exoplanet WASP-10b" (2009, ApJ, 692, L100)

We have identified an error in our Heliocentric Julian Dates (HJDs) of observation caused by incorrect input to the code used to convert from JD to HJD. The times in Table 1 have been corrected by adding 0.006382 day to each entry in the original Column 1. Similarly, the measured mid-transit time in Table 2 has been changed to Tc = 2454664.037295. We also note that the header in Column 1 of Table 1 is incorrect. The label should read HJD, rather than BJD. The updated Tables 1 and 2 have been included herein. This error has no impact on our main conclusions. We thank Pedro Valdes Sada and Gracjan Maciejewski for pointing out the incorrect mid-transit time.
The Relation Between Female Labor Force Participation and Ferti Lity A Theory of Variability

Numerous investigators have reported evidence of an mverse relation between female labor force participation and fertility rates; but the relation has never been systematically derived from a theory, and recognition that it is neither close nor invariant complicates the matter. This paper states a theory from which the relation can be derived, and the theory extends to a testable generalization about variability in the relation. The theory asserts that the relation is contingent on the "career labor force participation" of females; briefly, the greater such participation is in a universe of populations, the more inverse is the relation between female labor force participation and fertility rates. A test based on data for Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (1960) is consistent with the theory.
Evidence for Arousal-Biased Competition in Perceptual Learning

Arousal-biased competition theory predicts that arousal biases competition in favor of perceptually salient stimuli and against non-salient stimuli (Mather & Sutherland, 2011). The current study tested this hypothesis by having observers complete many trials in a visual search task in which the target either always was salient (a 55° tilted line among 50° distractors) or non-salient (a 55° tilted line among 80° distractors). Each participant completed one session in an emotional condition, in which visual search trials were preceded by negative arousing images, and one session in a non-emotional condition, in which the arousing images were replaced with neutral images (with session order counterbalanced). Test trials in which the target line had to be selected from among a set of lines with different tilts revealed that the emotional condition enhanced identification of the salient target line tilt but impaired identification of the non-salient target line tilt. Thus, arousal enhanced perceptual learning of salient stimuli but impaired perceptual learning of non-salient stimuli.
Stress, externality, and depression

Previous research has found mixed support for the possibility that locus of control moderates the effects of life stress on depression. Two methodological choices may have influenced previous findings: the use of a unidimensional rather than a multidimensional locus of control scale, and reliance on linear statistical methods using median splits. We attempted to correct these choices by using the Levenson IPC scale (1974) and multiple regression analyses in a female undergraduate population (N = 158). The results supported use of a multidimensional scale, since Stress, Internality, and Powerful Others were found to have main effects on depression whereas Chance interacted with life stress. The question of whether locus of control refers to responsibility for causing an event, i.e., self-blame, or belief in control over future events, i.e., coping behavior, was discussed.
Phonetic variation in intervocalic onset /l/'s in English

Abstract The English /l/ is often described as having a finite number of contextually determined allophones: a backer, “velarize d”, allophone in syllable rimes, a fronter allophone in syllable onsets, and a syllabic allophone, a special variant of the back /l/, in stressless syllables. In contrast, Sproat & Fujimura (1993) argued that variation in /l/ quality is a more continuous phenomenon, governed by principles of phonetic implementation determining the timing and extent of an apical gesture and a dorsal gesture for /l/. They claimed that the /l/'s dorsum-backing gesture is attracted to the syllable nucleus. Therefore in rimes, dorsum backing begins well before the apical gesture, and the longer the rime, the more extensive the backing. In onsets, on the other hand, the dorsum gesture is either simultaneous with, or follows, the apical gesture, which means that /l/ is short, and there is little time for backing. The study reported here investigates the relation between timing and quality in intervocalic onset /l/'s following schwa, a segmental context expected to produce considerable temporal variation across tokens, but which, according to Sproat and Fujimura's model, should not show much variation in degree of backness. Acoustic data from eight female speakers reading in a fluid narrative style shows that onset /l/'s do vary in backness, and suggests that backness is related to gestural timing. Backer onset /l/'s are usually longer, which means that Sproat and Fujimura’s notions of gestural affinity and gestural separation require modification. The tongue dorsum gesture for /l/ appears to avoid temporal overlap with a stressed vowel, whether or not that vowel is in the same syllable. The data also show, however, that longer /l/'s are not always backer: the relation of duration and backness can be complicated by differences in coarticulatory effects of neighboring vowels, or by speaker-specific constraints on absolute degree of backness. All of these contributing factors can be accommodated within a model of phonetic implementation sensitive to prosodic structure.