cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Are We Using the Best Tumor Size Cut-points for Renal Cell Carcinoma Staging?

Objective To compare the predictive ability for oncologic outcomes among current tumor size cut-points and clinically relevant alternatives to determine which are optimal. Methods Patients who underwent radical or partial nephrectomy between 1970 and 2010 for T1-2Nx/N0M0 renal cell carcinoma (RCC) were identified. Associations between tumor size and progression-free survival (PFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analyses and Cox models. Predictive ability was assessed using c-indexes. Results The cohort included 3304 patients with a median age of 63 years (interquartile range 53, 70). Median follow-up among survivors was 9.9 years (interquartile range 6.9, 14.3). There were 536 patients who progressed and 354 who died from RCC. For RCC tumors ≤3.0 cm, 10-year PFS and CSS rates were 93%-95% and 97%-99%, respectively. For tumors >3.0-4.0 cm, PFS and CSS began to decline (91% and 95%, respectively), with further gradual declines in PFS and CSS with increasing tumor size. Plots of hazard ratios for progression and RCC death as a function of tumor size did not reveal major inflection points. Differences in discrimination based on various combinations of tumor-size cut-points for progression or RCC death were small, with c-indexes ranging between 0.691-0.704 and 0.734-0.750, respectively. Conclusion RCC tumors ≤3.0 cm in size are associated with favorable outcomes. Thereafter, risks of progression and RCC death increase gradually with tumor size, with no compelling biological reason to endorse a given cut-point over another.
Quasi-parton distribution functions, momentum distributions, and pseudo-parton distribution functions

We show that quasi-parton distribution functions (quasi-PDFs) may be treated as hybrids of PDFs and primordial rest-frame momentum distributions of partons. This results in a complicated convolution nature of quasi-PDFs that necessitates using large ${p}_{3}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}3\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$ momenta to get reasonably close to the PDF limit. As an alternative approach, we propose using pseudo-PDFs $\mathcal{P}(x,{z}_{3}^{2})$ that generalize the light-front PDFs onto spacelike intervals and are related to Ioffe-time distributions $\mathcal{M}(\ensuremath{\nu},{z}_{3}^{2})$, the functions of the Ioffe time $\ensuremath{\nu}={p}_{3}{z}_{3}$ and the distance parameter ${z}_{3}^{2}$ with respect to which it displays perturbative evolution for small ${z}_{3}$. In this form, one may divide out the ${z}_{3}^{2}$ dependence coming from the primordial rest-frame distribution and from the problematic factor due to lattice renormalization of the gauge link. The $\ensuremath{\nu}$ dependence remains intact and determines the shape of PDFs.
Direct Catalytic Desaturation of Lactams Enabled by Soft Enolization

A direct catalytic method is described for the α,β-desaturation of N-protected lactams to their conjugated unsaturated counterparts under mildly acidic conditions. The reaction is consistently operated at room temperature and tolerates a wide range of functional groups, showing reactivity complementary to that of prior desaturation methods. Lactams with various ring sizes and substituents at different positions all reacted smoothly. The synthetic utility of this method is demonstrated in a concise synthesis of Rolipram. In addition, linear amides also prove to be competent substrates, and the phthaloyl-protected product serves as a convenient precursor to access various conjugated carboxylic acid derivatives. Strong bases are avoided in this desaturation approach, and the key is to merge soft enolization with a Pd-catalyzed oxidation process.
Comparative genomics and transcriptomics of Escherichia coli isolates carrying virulence factors of both enteropathogenic and enterotoxigenic E. coli

Escherichia coli that are capable of causing human disease are often classified into pathogenic variants (pathovars) based on their virulence gene content. However, disease-associated hybrid E. coli, containing unique combinations of multiple canonical virulence factors have also been described. Such was the case of the E. coli O104:H4 outbreak in 2011, which caused significant morbidity and mortality. Among the pathovars of diarrheagenic E. coli that cause significant human disease﻿ are the enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) and enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC). In the current study we use comparative genomics, transcriptomics, and functional studies to characterize isolates that contain virulence factors of both EPEC and ETEC. Based on phylogenomic analysis, these hybrid isolates are more genomically-related to EPEC, but appear to have acquired ETEC virulence genes. Global transcriptional analysis using RNA sequencing, demonstrated that the EPEC and ETEC virulence genes of these hybrid isolates were differentially-expressed under virulence-inducing laboratory conditions, similar to reference isolates. Immunoblot assays further verified that the virulence gene products were produced and that the T3SS effector EspB of EPEC, and heat-labile toxin of ETEC were secreted. These findings document the existence and virulence potential of an E. coli pathovar hybrid that blurs the distinction between E. coli pathovars.
Biochemical and molecular mechanisms of cisplatin resistance.

According to the DISCOVERY Anticancer Drug Screen of the National Cancer Institute in the USA, the inorganic antitumor agent cisplatin(cisdiammine-dichloro-platinum(II); Figure 1) and its analogs fall into at least 13 clustered regions, each reflecting a distinct mechanism of action1. Many of these analogs have not been investigated in depth to unravel their fundamental mechanism of action. Indeed, almost 30 years after its clinical acceptance as a potent antitumor drug, which has dramatically changed the course of treatment of ovarian, testicular and head and neck cancerscancers2 we are still searching for answers to explain how cisplatin works. There is no doubt, however, that DNA is the primary target of cisplatincancers3 but understanding how signals emanating from the damaged DNA are relayed to the apoptotic or cell death machinery is still a subject of much debate. An understanding of this process can be an important step toward defining mechanisms of resistance, which continues to impede the curative use of cisplatin in the clinic. This impediment can be gleaned from the knowledge that in ovarian cancer, for instance, the initial response rate of up to 70% leads to a 5-year survival rate of only 15-20%cancers4. Indeed, the majority (80-85%) of patients relapse and fail to further treatment with cisplatin as a result of acquired drug resistance. Similarly, in patients with small cell lung cancer,the relapse rate can be as high as 95%5.
Assessment of Rock Strength from Measuring While Drilling Shafts in Florida Limestone

The focus of this research is the real-time assessment of drilled shaft capacity based on the unconfined compressive strength (qu) obtained from measuring while drilling (MWD). Measures of qu, a fu...
Immediate Postpartum LARC: An Underused Contraceptive Option.

Providing immediate postpartum LARC to women who want it is an evidence-based, patient-centered, and safe practice.
Concurrent conversation modeling and parallel simulation of the naming game in social networks

The Naming Game is an effective self-organization model to understand the emergence of linguistic consensus and to investigate the system dynamics in a variety of phenomena over social networks of autonomous agents. The Naming Game is an effective description for the evolution of consensus despite the absence of any central coordination or specialized initialization even in large-scale networks. While the classical game is effective in description, it was defined with inherently sequential evaluation semantics over the entire network. Here, we develop a new concurrent model as a relaxation of the classical formulation and express it in a discrete event style of evaluation. Further, with the uncovered concurrency that was absent in the classical algorithm, we map the concurrent model to parallel discrete event simulation. Using a prototype implementation, we present an initial parallel performance study on networks containing hundreds of thousands of individuals, with a decrease in simulation time in the best-observed case from 4800 seconds down to 1400 seconds.
ANALYZING LABOR HETEROGENEITY IN GHANAIAN COCOA PRODUCTION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR SEPARABILITY IN HOUSEHOLD DECISIONS AND POLICY ASSESSMENT

Researchers have employed farm household models (FHMs) for policy analysis under the separability assumption. However, separability can fail, and the household's production and consumption decisions become simultaneous. Using 5 years of household data, the separability assumption among Ghana's cocoa-producing households is tested via heterogeneity of household adult males and females, household children, and hired and exchange labor. Results show labor is heterogeneous, implying a lack of separability. Simulation analysis also shows that ignoring nonseparability leads to an underestimation of policy effects. Thus, nonseparability in production and consumption decisions must be incorporated in FHMs developed for Ghanaian cocoa-producing households.
Qualitative Research on What Leads to Success in Professional Writing

This article examines the experiences of advanced students and of graduates in a non-traditional MA in professional writing program to discover how faculty may assure student success in professional writing occupations. The study investigates the knowledge domains and habits of mind that foster student success in writing. The research is the collaborative effort of three rhetoric and composition specialists. Their research discovered that successful writers (1) define success as gaining a response from readers; (2) master six knowledge domains—genre, writing process, rhetorical, subject matter, discourse community, and metacognitive knowledge; (3) put their knowledge into action through eight similar habits of mind—persevering, embracing learning, attempting challenges, responding positively to critique, engaging in collaboration, understanding how to write in complicated contexts, and engaging in metacognition; and (4) acquire these abilities from a range of personal, professional, and academic experiences.
Insight into the Pathophysiology of Atrial Flutter and Its Relationship to Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial flutter (AFL) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are frequently associated. Both are reentrant tachycardias; AFL is usually a stable macroentrant tachycardia with defined boundaries of areas with functional or anatomical block, whereas AF is a multiwavelet reentrant tachycardia with shifting activation. It has been reported that more than 50% of patients with one of them will at some point exhibit the other arrhythmia. This can be spontaneous, secondary to medications, after ablation, or after surgical procedures. Triggers that can initiate AF, whether the pulmonary veins or other extrapulmonary foci, also trigger AFL in the setting of lines of block. These lines of block can be functional as a result of antiarrhythmic drug therapy or anatomical lines, which can be native, as in typical AFL or iatrogenic anatomical lines of block after surgery or previous ablation.
Theatre and the First-Year Experience: Activities for Transdisciplinary Teaching

Greater emphasis on integrative learning in higher education has led to widespread adoption of the First-Year Experience (FYE), an interdisciplinary course usually centered on a contemporary theme, designed to introduce students to difficult texts, challenging assignments, campus events, and community service. This essay offers ways to incorporate theatre as an integral part of a team-taught FYE: how to use plays, performance, theatre games, and improvisation to engage students, encourage creativity, and develop critical thinking. The wide range of subjects in dramatic literature not only complements content from other fields, but serves the transdisciplinary function of connecting relevant learning across disciplines and to the real world. Learning thus transcends the confines of the subject areas to involve students in contemporary social, scientific, or political issues.
Cost-effectiveness of pre-operative Staphylococcus aureus screening and decolonization.

Objective We developed a decision analytic model to evaluate the impact of a preoperative Staphylococcus aureus decolonization bundle on surgical site infections (SSIs), health-care-associated costs (HCACs), and deaths due to SSI. Methods Our model population comprised US adults undergoing elective surgery. We evaluated 3 self-administered preoperative strategies: (1) the standard of care (SOC) consisting of 2 disinfectant soap showers; (2) the "test-and-treat" strategy consisting of the decolonization bundle including chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) soap, CHG mouth rinse, and mupirocin nasal ointment for 5 days) if S. aureus was found at any of 4 screened sites (nasal, throat, axillary, perianal area), otherwise the SOC; and (3) the "treat-all" strategy consisting of the decolonization bundle for all patients, without S. aureus screening. Model parameters were derived primarily from a randomized controlled trial that measured the efficacy of the decolonization bundle for eradicating S. aureus. Results Under base-case assumptions, the treat-all strategy yielded the fewest SSIs and the lowest HCACs, followed by the test-and-treat strategy. In contrast, the SOC yielded the most SSIs and the highest HCACs. Consequently, relative to the SOC, the average savings per operation was $217 for the treat-all strategy and $123 for the test-and-treat strategy, and the average savings per per SSI prevented was $21,929 for the treat-all strategy and $15,166 for the test-and-treat strategy. All strategies were sensitive to the probability of acquiring an SSI and the increased risk if SSI if the patient was colonized with SA. Conclusion We predict that the treat-all strategy would be the most effective and cost-saving strategy for preventing SSIs. However, because this strategy might select more extensively for mupirocin-resistant S. aureus and cause more medication adverse effects than the test-and-treat approach or the SOC, additional studies are needed to define its comparative benefits and harms.
Investigating School Climate and School Leadership Factors that Impact Secondary STEM Teacher Retention

The present study used 2011–12 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) data to determine the impact of school organizational factors on secondary STEM teacher retention in the post-NCLB era. Researchers utilized teacher and principal instruments from the SASS to measure the retention of grades 9–12 STEM teachers (n = 920). Due to the nested nature of teachers within schools and based on previous retention research, multilevel logistic regression was used to examine the proportion of variance in STEM teacher retention across schools. The study focused on identifying the proportion of variance in STEM teacher retention that was attributable to school differences, as well as the effect of school climate on STEM teacher retention, controlling for teacher and principal characteristics. The study’s most important finding was that having a principal who majored in a STEM subject had a positive and significant effect on the retention of secondary STEM teachers.
Paucity of Literature Relevant to SMC Numbers and the Aging Risk Factor

The data reviewed in this book are almost entirely those from personal experiences of the author. Readers may be puzzled by the paucity of reference to data from other laboratories. This puzzle seems to call for some brief comment.
The Brief Case: Pneumonia Caused by Talaromyces marneffei.

A 45-year-old male was transferred to the emergency department (ED) following a syncopal event. He had struck his head on the ground but was found at the scene to be normotensive with normal blood sugar. Upon evaluation in the ED, the patient denied chest pain, palpitations, or shortness of breath.
Comparison of Modular PM Propulsion Machines for High Power Density

Electrification of aircraft propulsion will require significant improvements in the power density of electric machines beyond the current state-of-the-art. Permanent magnet (PM)synchronous machines are capable of achieving high power density values, but selection of the rotor topology is sensitive to the application. This paper presents and compares four 1 MW highspeed PM machine designs, including variations of surface and interior PM machines. Each design meets identical specifications and is compatible with stator modularization, which offers multiple drive system benefits. The performance and features of the developed machines are compared, and a preliminary PM machine design using an inner rotor surface PM machine topology is presented for further investigation as a candidate for a future aircraft propulsion system.
Equilin does not affect thyroid hormone signaling in the developing Xenopus laevis tadpole brain

Abstract Toxcast/Tox21 is a massive federally run research effort dedicated to better understanding the potential toxicity of thousands of compounds in a high throughput manner. Among this list of compounds is equilin, an estrogen-like compound that was flagged as a potential thyroid hormone agonist. Here we examine if equilin acts like a thyroid hormone agonist on cellular and molecular mechanisms of brain development in Xenopus laevis tadpoles. To examine the effect of equilin, tadpoles were divided into eight groups and received 4 days of exposure. The experimental groups were as follows: 1 μL, 10 μL, and 100 μL of equilin, 1 μL, 10μM, and 100 μM of 17-β estradiol as an estrogen control, 15 μg/mL thyroxine (T4) as a thyroid hormone control, and a no-exposure control. After 4 days of treatment, animals were treated with CldU to label dividing cells for 2hr and then euthanized in MS-222. After fixation, body length was measured and the brains dissected out. IHC was performed on brains for CldU to label proliferating neural progenitor cells. Brains were then whole-mounted and analyzed using confocal microscopy. We found that equilin did not increase the number of dividing progenitor cells in a T4-like manner. Instead, equilin decreased proliferation in a dose-dependent manner, as did estradiol. The same paradigm was performed separately staining for caspase-3 and h2ax, finding that equilin increased cell death in contrast to CNTL and T4. In another experiment, RNA was extracted from tadpole brains in each group and qPCR was performed to assess change in expression of thyroid hormone-sensitive genes, Equilin did not affect gene expression in a thyroid hormone-like manner. Our data indicate that equilin does not act as a thyroid hormone agonist in the Xenopus laevis nervous system but instead acts similarly to estradiol. Our data strongly suggest that equilin is not a TH disruptor, contrary to the findings of the ToxCast/Tox21 dataset.
Where have all the wildflowers gone? The role of exotic grass thatch

Invasion by exotic plant species can profoundly affect native plant species performance and the inferred proximate cause is typically competition. We used invaded grasslands in the semi-arid Western USA to separate resource competition from structural interference of an exotic grass on native forb performance, specifically evaluating the role of competition from living vegetation versus litter accumulation (hereafter, thatch). We simultaneously tested whether a positive thatch-feedback exists for the dominant exotic grass species, Bromus diandrus. Thatch and B. diandrus density were manipulated and coupled with native seed addition to separate the effect of B. diandrus competition relative to thatch accumulation. To determine the response of native forb species and B. diandrus to varying thatch abundance, we created a gradient of thatch densities and measured species response, soil moisture and light availability. The thatch of B. diandrus greatly reduced native forb performance (number of individuals and biomass) and resulted in near complete exclusion of many species. The effect of living B. diandrus density on native forb performance was minimal and inconsistent. Forb performance and light availability both exhibited exponential declines with thatch build-up suggesting that light reduction is a primary mechanism through which thatch affects forbs. Simultaneous with forb suppression, B. diandrus performance was positively affected by thatch, consistent with a positive feedback initiated by invasion of this species. Our results demonstrate that thatch accumulation, rather than competition for resources, is the primary cause of native species decline in grasslands invaded by this exotic annual grass. In addition, the dominance of B. diandrus in many invaded grasslands may be reinforced through a positive thatch-feedback and require active management, such as grazing or fire, to be broken.
Automatic detection of defects in high reliability as-built parts using x-ray CT

Automatic detection of defects in as-built parts is a challenging task due to the large number of potential manufacturing flaws that can occur. X-Ray computed tomography (CT) can produce high-quality images of the parts in a non-destructive manner. The images, however, are grayscale valued, often have artifacts and noise, and require expert interpretation to spot flaws. In order for anomaly detection to be reproducible and cost effective, an automated method is needed to find potential defects. Traditional supervised machine learning techniques fail in the high reliability parts regime due to large class imbalance: there are often many more examples of well-built parts than there are defective parts. This, coupled with the time expense of obtaining labeled data, motivates research into unsupervised techniques. In particular, we build upon the AnoGAN and f-AnoGAN work by T. Schlegl et al. and created a new architecture called PandaNet. PandaNet learns an encoding function to a latent space of defect-free components and a decoding function to reconstruct the original image. We restrict the training data to defect-free components so that the encode-decode operation cannot learn to reproduce defects well. The difference between the reconstruction and the original image highlights anomalies that can be used for defect detection. In our work with CT images, PandaNet successfully identifies cracks, voids, and high z inclusions. Beyond CT, we demonstrate PandaNet working successfully with little to no modifications on a variety of common 2-D defect datasets both in color and grayscale.
UV Imaging Polarimetry of the peculiar Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 477

We present the results of UV imaging polarimetry of the Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 477 taken by the Faint Object Camera onboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). From a previous HST UV image (lambda ~ 2180A), Mrk 477 has been known to have a pointlike bright UV hotspot in the central region, peculiar among nearby Seyfert 2 galaxies. There are also claims of UV/optical variability, unusual for a Seyfert 2 galaxy. Our data show that there is an off-nuclear scattering region ~ 0."6 (~ 500 pc) NE from the hotspot. The data, after the subtraction of the instrumental effect due to this bright hotspot region, might indicate that the scattered light is also detected in the central 0."2 radius region and is extended to a very wide angle. The hotspot location is consistent with the symmetry center of the PA pattern, which represents the location of the hidden nucleus, but our data do not provide a strong upper limit to the distance between the symmetry center and the hotspot. We have obtained high spatial resolution color map of the continuum which shows that the nuclear spiral arm of 0."4 scale (~ 300pc) is significantly bluer than the off-nuclear mirror and the hotspot region. The nature of the hotspot is briefly discussed.
Quantitative Characterization of Recanalization and Distal Emboli with a Novel Thrombectomy Device

The first-pass effect during mechanical thrombectomy improves clinical outcomes regardless of first-line treatment approach, but current success rates for complete clot capture with one attempt are still less than 40%. We hypothesize that the ThrombX retriever (ThrombX Medical Inc.) can better engage challenging clot models during retrieval throughout tortuous vasculature in comparison with a standard stent retriever without increasing distal emboli. Thrombectomy testing with the new retriever as compared to the Solitaire stent retriever was simulated in a vascular replica with hard and soft clot analogs to create a challenging occlusive burden. Parameters included analysis of distal emboli generated per clot type, along with the degree of recanalization (complete, partial or none) by retrieval device verified by angiography. The ThrombX device exhibited significantly higher rates of first-pass efficacy (90%) during hard clot retrieval in comparison with the control device (20%) (p 200 μm) across both device groups (p = 0.0147), and no significant differences in numbers of distal emboli were noted between the ThrombX and Solitaire techniques. Irrespective of clot composition, use of the ThrombX retriever demonstrated high rates of complete recanalization at first pass in comparison with a state-of-the-art stent retriever and proved to be superior in the hard clot model. Preliminary data suggest that risk of distal embolization associated with the ThrombX system is comparable to that of the control device.
Users’ Needs in Designing a Mobile Dialysis Device. Insights from an Interview in a Mixed Methods Study:

The goal of this study is to identify ways to increase the usability of a mobile dialysis device through semi-structured interviews during the early stage of product development. We analyzed interv...
The Dimensions of an Islamic Economic Model

The paper answers in the affirmative the question about the need for an Islamic economic model, and then proceeds to delineate its dimensions. The distinguishing characteristic of such a model is to highlight the ethical dimension of the economic calculus - i.e., that without ethical moorings individual economic behaviour remains unpredictable. It shows that rational utility-maximizing behaviour will be helped by an ethically-oriented reorganization of present-day economic systems in Muslim countries. Formally, the Islamic economic system is presented as an ‘optimum regime’. On the methodological plane, such a regime gives due prominence to both value judgments and positive judgments in making generalizations about an idealized Islamic economy. At the theoretical level, it is a way of transforming their refutable ethical principles into refutable statements about the behaviour of economic agents in a typical real-life Muslim society. In practice, for such a regime to reflect Islam’s overarching ethical vision of economic processes, it would take assigning top priority to the needs of the least-privileged people in a growing economy. This implies giving greater weight to the wage-goods in total output, minimizing the production and consumption of wasteful luxuries, and redistributing income and wealth from the rich to the poor.
Psi, the Indexing Function: a basis for FFP with arrays

An array of arbitary components can be viewed as a variable whose value is a function from subscripts into its components[17]. The subscripts(or indices) of a 1-dimensional array are related to the system of integers, more precisely the natural numbers, which play an important role in the theory of groups. A Mathematics of Arrays(MOA)[13]_builds upon these ideas to construct permutation and transformation groups into a calculus of n-dimensional arrays with the Psi function as the fundamental building block. We propose that this calculus provide a basis for Formal Functional Programming(FFP)[2]_with arrays for parallel architectures.
In the Twinkling of an Eye - The Annotated Pyrocodex

Sharon McQueen uses a satire of Carroll's "Jabberwocky" to parody the over-zealous scrutiny and censorship of children's library books.
Are There Gangs in Schools? It Depends Upon Whom You Ask

Abstract In the past, juvenile gang researchers have focused primarily on the characteristics of gangs and the prevalence of gangs in communities and schools. One of the greatest limitations of this research, however, surrounds the lack of agreement on the definition of a gang and, consequently, the prevalence of gangs in the community and in schools. In this paper, we attempt to provide a new method to (1) define a gang, from a triangulation of the perspectives of law enforcement, school principals, and gang researchers and (2) estimate the prevalence of gangs in schools in a three-state region. We determine that the type of definition used dramatically impacts estimates of the prevalence of gangs in schools. The limitations and implications of this finding for school administrators and law enforcement are also discussed. In the past, juvenile gang researchers have focused primarily on the characteristics of gangs and the prevalence of gangs in communities and schools. One of the greatest limitations of ...
Age and IQ at Intake as Predictors of Placement for Young Children with Autism: A Four- to Six-Year Follow-Up

The predictive power of age and IQ at time of admission to an intensive treatment program using applied behavior analysis were examined in a 4- to 6-year follow-up of educational placement. Twenty-seven children with autistic disorder who were between the ages of 31 and 65 months and had IQs on the Stanford Binet between 35 and 109 at time of admission to the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center were followed up 4 to 6 years after they left the preschool. The results showed that having a higher IQ at intake (M = 78) and being of younger age (M = 42 months) were both predictive of being in a regular education class after discharge, whereas having a lower IQ (M = 46) and being older at intake (M = 54 months) were closely related to placement in a special education classroom. The results are interpreted as pointing to the need for very early intervention for children with Autistic Disorder. It is also emphasized that older children and those with lower IQs in the present study showed measurable gains in IQ from treatment. The data should not be taken to suggest that children older than 4 years of age do not merit high quality treatment.
Equity, Antitrust, and the Reemergence of the Patent Unenforceability Remedy

The conventional legal analysis of technical standard setting derives primarily from antitrust law. But antitrust remedies, taken alone, may not be broad enough to address recent abuses of the standardization process. The principal example of this shortcoming is the well-known case of Rambus, Inc., which, over the course of several years, was alleged to have concealed relevant patent applications from a standards organization in which it participated and then successfully sued the entire DRAM industry for royalties after the standard was “locked-in.” Remarkably, Rambus prevailed in its litigation campaign despite aggressive enforcement efforts by the Federal Trade Commission. Rambus’s success stemmed, in part, from inherent limitations of the antitrust theories asserted against it to reach its opportunistic behavior.Another tool for redressing deceptive conduct in the context of standard setting is the equitable remedy of patent unenforceability, the use of which was recently affirmed by the Federal Circuit in Qualcomm v. Broadcom. The Qualcomm decision marks an important advance in the law surrounding standards-based patent hold-up by making available a remedy that is not constrained by the narrow requirements of antitrust law and which is effective toward both defendants in private litigation and the broader community of standards implementers. Though not yet universally acknowledged as such, the remedy of patent unenforceability, when coupled with affirmative theories of liability, may offer the most effective tool available to address patent hold-up in standard setting, both for private litigants and, potentially, for public enforcement agencies.
Aspergillus Endophthalmitis: An Unrecognized Endemic Disease in Orthotopic Liver Transplantation

Abstract Purpose: The authors discovered an unusually high incidence of Aspergillus endophthalmitis in an autopsy series of orthotopic liver transplantation recipients. This study was conducted to discern the frequency, topographic distribution, and potential significance of the infections. Methods: Autopsy reports from liver transplant patients were reviewed. All patients with Aspergillus endophthalmitis were studied by gross and histologic examination. Histologic sections were stained with Grocott-Gomori methenamine-silver nitrate and periodic acid-Schiff stains. Some Grocott-Gomori methenamine-silver nitrate stained sections were counterstained with hematoxylin-eosin. The distribution of ocular infections in the eye was determined for each patient. The organs infected were determined at autopsy. Results: The authors found seven patients with Aspergillus endophthalmitis. Six of these seven patients were from a group of 85 (7.1 %) orthotopic liver transplantation recipients. Fourteen (16.5%) orthotopic liver transplantation recipients had invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and ten (11.8%) had disseminated disease. The eyes were the second most common site of infection. Two patients had ocular involvement as the only nonpulmonary site of infection. Aspergillus endophthalmitis was diagnosed in only one patient before death. Infection was located posterior to the equator in all patients; three patients were anterior to the equator as well. The retina (5/7), vitreous (5/7), and choroid (3/7) were common sites of infection. Conclusions: This is the first report of Aspergillus endophthalmitis associated with orthotopic liver transplantation recipients. Patients with orthotopic liver transplants are unusually susceptible to invasive aspergillosis and Aspergillus endophthalmitis. Aspergillus infection is frequently bilateral, begins posteriorly in the retina or choroid, and has vitreous involvement. Recognition of this entity is important because many patients die of disseminated Aspergillus infection that may be detected early with bedside funduscopic examination.
Nurturing Professional Growth Through Cognitive Mapping

Abstract The paper concerns ways to further professional development of multinational managers. It describes how cognitive modeling tools drawn from knowledge engineering (an Artificial Intelligence discipline in which they are used in developing expert systems) can be used effectively to assist these managers both to make decisions and to grow professionally. The experiences described involve Motorola and other firms operating in China and Japan, and concern the decisions involved in selecting which method of entry/operation to use.
A Concept for Catalyzed Ignition of Diesel Soot

This paper discusses the technology for disposal of diesel particulate by catalytic ignition and combustion. Using the trap-oxidizer concept, the collected soot was catalytically treated to make ignition and combustion more practical under diesel engine exhaust conditions. The catalyzed ignition was examined in a laboratory hot-tube reactor. The information thus obtained was used to design trials under engine exhaust conditions. Most of this study was carried out using solutions of mixtures of copper chloride and sodium chloride. Suitable solvents included methanol, glycol-water mixtures, and distilled water. Soot-related parameters such as the soluble organic content, degree of compaction, graphitization, and surface were examined briefly during the course of the study. To minimize the possibilities of a secondary pollution hazard, most of the tests were conducted using low concentrations of catalytic salts.
Prevention of Prematurity

D ESPITE ADVANCES over the past 20 years in tocolytic therapy, there has been little progress in reducing the frequency of premature delivery in this country. Epidemiologic studies of preterm birth’,* have indicated that 60% to 80% of preterm births follow two principal diagnoses: premature labor and preterm prematurely ruptured membranes. These births are classified as spontaneous. The remainder occur secondary to maternal or fetal compromise (because of intrauterine growth retardation, maternal diabetes, or hypertension, etc), and may, therefore, be termed indicated preterm births. Prevention of indicated preterm births lies in improved prevention and therapy of the maternal and fetal diseases involved. Efforts at the prevention of spontaneous preterm births must involve different strategies. The traditional disease-oriented approach to the multiple conditions leading to premature birth has not been particularly successful. This strategy for prematurity prevention has ignored prematurely ruptured membranes (PROM) entirely, placing it in the category of indicated preterm birth, a preterm birth not to be actively postponed. Preterm birth in women presenting with preterm labor has traditionally been prevented by employing tocolytic drugs. This approach selects the target population passively, placing the initial responsibility for identification of preterm labor with the patient. Although this approach has the advantage of limiting the number of women treated with tocolytics, it has resulted in only up to 10% to 20% of women presenting with preterm labor being candidates for tocolysis, with the rest having advanced dilation or ruptured membranes. 3 These spontaneous preterm births due to PROM and preterm labor are now the focus of a wide
The Discrete Finite-Memory Channel

The discrete channel. We begin this chapter with a description of the general discrete channel. The term "“discrete” means that both input and output alphabets have a finite number of elements. For the sake of simplicity and without essential loss of generality we take both these alphabets to be {1, . . . , a}. This will lighten somewhat the heavy burden of definitions and notation. The application of the theorems to cases where the alphabets have different numbers of elements will be obvious and will be made freely. (See also Chapter 3, Remark 10.) It is hoped that this manner of proceeding will make things less ponderous. Unless the contrary is explicitly stated the channels involved will have a single c.p.f., unlike, for example, the compound channels of Chapter 4.
SRA: Fast Removal of General Multipath for ToF Sensors

A major issue with Time of Flight sensors is the presence of multipath interference. We present Sparse Reflections Analysis (SRA), an algorithm for removing this interference which has two main advantages. First, it allows for very general forms of multipath, including interference with three or more paths, diffuse multipath resulting from Lambertian surfaces, and combinations thereof. SRA removes this general multipath with robust techniques based on L 1 optimization. Second, due to a novel dimension reduction, we are able to produce a very fast version of SRA, which is able to run at frame rate. Experimental results on both synthetic data with ground truth, as well as real images of challenging scenes, validate the approach.
Más allá de la frontera: penetración del estado-nación, TLC y control externo en la industria México-Americana del mango

Using the case of the US-Mexico Mango Industry this paper explores the engagement of the nation-state in transnational activity through the activities of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). US control and certification of mangos imported into the United States is part of a broader system that includes NAFTA and historic labor immigration inducing new markets for “ethnic products”. This is part of a broader hemispheric system linked to US prerogatives. Although the USDA (like other border agencies) controls the entrance of commodities at the US-Mexico geopolitical border, the encroachment of this agency into Mexico and its offshore control of commodity production and deistribution is not often a subject of investigation. This paper traces the development of the current USDA certification of mangos for US import, focusing on the hot water treatment of mangos and its controlling effects at local sites of production and distribution.
The potential of tumor-derived exosomes for noninvasive cancer monitoring

Tumor-derived exosomes (TEX) are emerging as a new type of cancer biomarker. TEX are membrane-bound, virus-size vesicles of endocytic origin present in all body fluids of cancer patients. Based on the expanding albeit incomplete knowledge of their biogenesis, secretion by tumor cells and cancer cell-specific molecular and genetic contents, TEX are viewed as promising, clinically-relevant surrogates of cancer progression and response to therapy. Preliminary proteomic, genetic and functional profiling of tumor cell-derived or cancer plasma-derived exosomes confirms their unique characteristics. Alterations in protein or nucleic acid profiles of exosomes in plasma of cancer patients responding to therapies appear to correlate with clinical endpoints. However, methods for TEX isolation and separation from the bulk of human plasma-derived exosomes are not yet established and their role as biomarkers remains to be confirmed. Further development and validation of TEX as noninvasive, liquid equivalents of tumor biopsies are necessary to move this effort forward.
ANALYSIS OF HEXAMINE COMBUSTION

Hexamine was combusted under varying amounts of oxygen in a modified Parr combustion bomb. The products were collected and analyzed by gas chromatography, ion chromatography, ion-selective electrodes, and calorimetric tests. The primary products were nitrogen and carbon dioxide, with small amounts of nitrogen monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ammonia. Other possible products such as hydrogen cyanide, dinitrogen monoxide, and carbon monoxide were not detected. Experiments conducted in larger concentrations of oxygen showed an increase in the amounts of nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide and a decrease in the amount of ammonia relative to experiments conducted in smaller concentrations of oxygen.
Retinal ischemia in aortic arch atheromatous disease

Retinal ischemia is often caused by emboli arising from the cardiac chambers or the common carotid artery bifurcation; the latter are often composed of cholesterol. However, in many patients no lesions are identified after evaluation of these sources of emboli. Two patients were observed who had retinal ischemia and emboli originating from aortic atheromatous plaques that were visualized by transesophageal echocardiography. Cardiac, carotid, and intracranial sources of emboli were excluded. The embolic nature of retinal ischemia was further corroborated by the presence of microembolic signals during transcranial Doppler insonation of the middle cerebral artery on the side ipsilateral to the symptomatic retina. In patients with Hollenhorst plaques the aortic arch can be a potential source of emboli. Transesophageal echocardiography should be considered in these patients when the initial evaluation does not identify a cardiac or carotid lesion.
Multiracial Daughters of Asian Immigrants: Identity and Agency

Multiracial daughters of Asian immigrants must navigate complex pathways to adulthood, self-efficacy, and self-concept. Frequently they are required by family and society to bridge the cultural divide among a variety of Asian and American norms. Conflicting loyalties at times manifest as psychological struggles, which the daughter may be unable to resolve without therapeutic intervention. This article describes a culturally responsive approach to therapeutic intervention that takes into account both developmental and multiracial identity models, along with specific tools for exploring the complexities of cultural background, familial expectations, and issues of power and oppression. Both Hays' ADDRESSING model (2001, 2009) and construction of the genogram are used to explore individual differences. Case examples are presented to illustrate interventions.
Radiation damage effects in δ-Sc4Zr3O12 irradiated with Kr2+ ions under cryogenic conditions

Abstract Radiation damage effects in polycrystalline pellets of the oxide Sc 4 Zr 3 O 12 irradiated with 300 keV Kr 2+ ions were studied by combining grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Kr 2+ ion irradiations were performed to a maximum fluence of 3 × 10 20 Kr m −2 at cryogenic temperature (100 K). GIXRD and cross-sectional TEM observations revealed that the crystal structure of the irradiated Sc 4 Zr 3 O 12 was unchanged by irradiation to a dose of ∼23 displacements per atom (dpa). However, by a dose of ∼70 dpa, much of the irradiated Sc 4 Zr 3 O 12 experienced an order-to-disorder transformation. The structure of pristine Sc 4 Zr 3 O 12 possesses rhombohedral symmetry and is referred to as the delta (δ) phase. However, this rhombohedral structure is closely related to the cubic fluorite structure. Following high dose ion irradiation the δ-Sc 4 Zr 3 O 12 experienced a rhombohedral-to-cubic transformation. This transformation is discussed in terms of a new, layered atom description for compounds with the δ-Sc 4 Zr 3 O 12 structure.
Nonlinearity in the apical turn of living guinea pig cochlea

Mechanical vibrations were measured at the apical turn in living guinea pig cochlea, in response to sinusoidal acoustic stimuli, using heterodyne interferometry. The cochlea was sealed and the vibrations were measured at different cellular locations along a radial track at the level of reticular lamina and one point on the osseous spiral lamina. Averaged time waveforms were recorded at each test frequency. The nonlinearity in the apical turn is demonstrated by the distortion in the time waveforms and the richness of the harmonic components in their Fourier transforms. Tuning curves and input/output curves for the fundamental and harmonics components are shown. The fundamental component is essentially linear below about 90 dB SPL while the harmonics display strong nonlinearity and saturation. Negative feedback in the apical turn of the cochlea linearizes the response at the fundamental frequency.
Clustering to minimize the maximum intercluster distance

The problem of clustering a set of points so as to minimize the maximum intercluster distance is studied. An O(kn) approximation algorithm, where n is the number of points and k is the number of clusters, that guarantees solutions with an objective function value within two times the optimal solution value is presented. This approximation algorithm succeeds as long as the set of points satisfies the triangular inequality. We also show that our approximation algorithm is best possible, with respect to the approximation bound, if PZ NP.
Characterization and evaluation of a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine expressed in yeast defective for N-linked hyperglycosylation

The hepatitis B (HB) virus preS2 + 2 polypeptide (the M or middle envelope polypeptide) is N-glycosylated at the N4 residue of the preS2 domain when expressed in recombinant yeast. Hyperglycosylation at this amino acid residue (the addition of a large number of mannose residues to the core oligosaccharide), which occurs in common yeast strains, results in an HB vaccine with diminished immunogenicity. Hyperglycosylation can be prevented by expressing the preS2 + S polypeptide in mutant yeast strains (e.g. mnn9) which limit N-linked glycosylation to the addition of only core saccharide residues. An HB vaccine prepared from recombinant yeast expressing the non-hyperglycosylated preS2 + 2 polypeptide was of similar immunogenicity in mice to a licensed HB vaccine and was much more immunogenic in humans than the hyperglycosylated preS2 + 2 vaccine.
On the Compatibility of the Divine Attributes

According to Anselm, all Divine qualities are tightly interrelated: they are implied by the unique central property of being absolutely perfect. In the second chapter of the Proslogium, Anselm claims that it is the essence of our concept of God that He is a being greater than which nothing can be conceived. From this, he argues, it is possible to infer that He is eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent, and so on. In other words, given an absolutely perfect being we can derive all the attributes commonly ascribed to Him.