cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nondestructive Evaluation of Metal Fatigue Using Nonlinear Acoustics

Safe-life and damage-tolerant design philosophies of high performance structures have driven the development of various methods to evaluate nondestructively the accumulation of damage in such structures resulting from cyclic loading. Although many techniques have proven useful, none has been able to provide an unambiguous, quantitative assessment of damage accumulation at each stage of fatigue from the virgin state to fracture. A method based on nonlinear acoustics is shown to provide such a means to assess the state of metal fatigue. The salient features of an analytical model are presented of the microelastic-plastic nonlinearities resulting from the interaction of an acoustic wave with fatigue-generated dislocation substructures and cracks that predictably evolve during the metal fatigue process. The interaction is quantified by the material (acoustic) nonlinearity parameter extracted from acoustic harmonic generation measurements. The parameters typically increase monotonically by several hundred percent over the fatigue life of the metal, thus providing a unique measure of the state of fatigue. Application of the model to aluminum alloy 2024-T4, 410Cb stainless steel, and IN100 nickel-base superalloy specimens fatigued using different loading conditions yields good agreement between theory and experiment. Application of the model and measurement technique to the on-site inspection of steam turbine blades is discussed.
Voltammetry of Peroxide and Superoxide in Fused Salts

Abstract The first successful electroanalytical investigation of the superoxide ion O2, is reported in molten alkali nitrate solvents at 265°C. At Levich's rotated platinum disk electrode, the reactions O2 − + e = O2 − and O2 − = O2 + e yielded Nernst controlled voltammograms with well-defined limiting currents.
Constrained worst case loads for microprocessors

The risk of a microprocessor execution error increases as the voltage at the die decreases, making worst case analysis of the die voltage a good metric for microprocessor voltage regulation performance. However, the actual worst case load is unlikely to ever occur. This paper derives the results for the worst case load from linear system theory, and then uses a constrained optimization problem to calculate the worst case load under more probable circumstances, demonstrating that loads with much higher likelihood of occurrence can cause voltages at the die nearly as low as the worst case.
Measuring Organizational Readiness for Nursing Research Programs

Nursing research programs are important innovationsfor health services organizations (HSOs). Evidence supports the positive impact that successful programs have on both clinical practice and patien...
Thickness Effects on the Magnetic Hysteresis of Equiatomic CoPt Films

The magnetic hysteresis behavior of crystalline Co 50 Pt 50 films has been studied in samples with thickness in the range of 100-2000 A. The room temperature coercivities of the as-grown films are of the order of 100 Oe. After annealing at 650°C the coercivities vary between 400 and 4300 Oe with the higher values obtained in thicker specimens. The high coercivities obtained are attributed to the hard magnetic phase CoPt with an ordered fct structure that is formed after annealing. The variaton of coercivity with thickness is examined and related to the crystal structure evolution and to grain size effects.
Variation-tolerant Spin-Torque Transfer (STT) MRAM array for yield enhancement

Spin-Torque Transfer Magnetic RAM (STT MRAM) has emerged as a promising candidate for future universal memory. It not only combines the desirable attributes of all current memory technologies (SRAM, DRAM and flash memories) but also solves the critical drawbacks of conventional MRAM technology: poor scalability and high write current. However, variations in process parameters can lead to large number of cells to fail, severely affecting the yield of the memory array. In this paper, we provide a thorough understanding of the interrelationship between design parameters and parametric failures of STT MRAM cell in presence of process variations. Based on comprehensive physics-based model, solving the Non-Equilibrium Greenpsilas Function (NEGF) formalism in the ballistic regime, we develop an optimization methodology for robust cell design (in 1T1M configuration) to account for both stability and cell area. Further, we propose an efficient circuit design for variation tolerance. The proposed technique can effectively decouple the conflicting design requirements of read/write stability and area in conventional 1T1M cell, leading to considerably improved yield of memory array. Simulation results show that in our proposed cell, the robustness (cell stability) is improved by 36% with only 9% area overhead.
The Assessment of Teaching

The role of the teacher in the classroom carries tremendous responsibility. A group of students that can range from a half-dozen to several hundred depend on their professor to provide structure to a body of knowledge, to guide the learning process, to convey difficult subjects in a clear manner, to lead the classroom and out-of-class activities so that student time is used efficiently, and to provide a course of instruction in which the students can successfully complete the learning objectives. And somehow, the teacher is expected to establish some rapport with these students along the way. How does the teacher know when he or she is doing well? And how does someone who oversees a program know that the program’s faculty members are teaching at an appropriate standard? This Teaching Lessons Learned installment attempts to answer these questions, using tools and techniques currently in use at the U.S. Military Academy as illustrations.
Why Do We Want to Delay Actions on Climate Change? Effects of Probability and Timing of Climate Consequences

This research tests people’s support for the ‘‘wait-and-see’’ approach in climate change due to the uncertainty in both the timing and probability of future consequences. In a laboratory experiment, carbon-tax consequences were presented to participants in one of two forms: a written description, where the probability, consequences, and timing were explicitly provided; and experience, where the probability, consequences, and timing were sampled through unlabeled buttons. Four problems were presented in each condition such that the probability of consequences was high or low and the timing was early or late. Results indicated that the proportion of wait-and-see choices was greater in experience than description. Furthermore, in both experience and description, the proportion of wait-and-see choices was greater when the probability was low rather than high. The difference in the proportion of wait-and-see choices between the low and high probability was amplified in experience and attenuated in description. Finally, there was no difference in the proportion of wait-and-see choices when the timing of climate consequences was early rather than late in both experience and description. These results are explained by people’s risk and time preferences. Copyright # 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Learning and Remembering New Words: Clinical Illustrations From Children With Specific Language Impairment

The learning of a new word involves at least two processes: learning from input and memory evolution in the absence of input. The authors will review the literature and describe the relationship between these two processes and novel word learning by children with specific language impairment (SLI). Cases from an ongoing preliminary clinical trial of word learning in kindergarten children with SLI will serve as clinical illustrations. In particular, one case will be used to demonstrate a pattern of good learning from input and good memory retention (i.e., desirable learning pattern during treatment). Three additional cases will be used to illustrate patterns indicative of poor learning from input and/or poor memory retention. Suggestions will be provided concerning how treatment can be altered when these patterns appear, to promote desirable learning outcomes.
Comparison of Peanut Dryer Control Strategies1

Abstract Peanuts were mechanically cured from field moisture contents ranging from 11.5 to 32.8% wet basis to levels acceptable for marketing (< 10.5%) using two dryer control strategies. The first control algorithm consisted of a constant thermostat setting of 39 C, while the second required manual thermostat control on an hourly basis such that the minimum plenum relative humidity was between 40 and 60% and the maximum plenum temperature was less than 39 C. The average drying rate using the variable thermostat set point (0.3%/hr) was half that obtained with the constant set point (0.6%/hr). Average curing time for the variable thermostat setting was 56% longer than for the peanuts cured using the constant thermostat. Fuel consumption was reduced by approximately 30% using the variable set point. Kernel size distributions and milling quality indicated by bald kernels were significantly better (P ≤ 0.1) for peanuts cured using the variable thermostat control. Increasing available dryer capacity by 40% wou...
Wind Energy Meteorology: Insight into Wind Properties in the Turbine-Rotor Layer of the Atmosphere from High-Resolution Doppler Lidar

Addressing the need for high-quality wind information aloft in the layer occupied by turbine rotors (~30–150 m above ground level) is one of many significant challenges facing the wind energy industry. Without wind measurements at heights within the rotor sweep of the turbines, characteristics of the flow in this layer are unknown for wind energy and modeling purposes. Since flow in this layer is often decoupled from the surface, near-surface measurements are prone to errant extrapolation to these heights, and the behavior of the near-surface winds may not reflect that of the upper-level flow.
Sex Change by Gene Conversion in a Caenorhabditis elegans fog-2 Mutant

Caenorhabditis elegans primarily reproduces as a hermaphrodite. Independent gene conversion events in mutant obligately outcrossing populations of C. elegans [fog-2(lf)] spontaneously repaired the loss-of-function mutation in the fog-2 locus, thereby reestablishing hermaphroditism as the primary means of reproduction for the populations.
Processor scheduling for multiprocessor joins

A family of practical algorithms is presented to schedule join execution in a shared-memory multiprocessor environment. The algorithms are based on page connectivity graphs and determine when to read each data page into memory and how to schedule page joins on the available processors. The goal is to overlap page reads with parallel join execution in such a way that both the number of processors and total duration of join processing time are minimized. Upper and lower bounds are derived on the number of processors required to complete join execution in optimal time. A description is given of a general strategy for generating read schedules that it is conjectured can be processed in minimal time (over all read schedules on any number of processors) and a family of practical algorithms utilizing an arbitrary number of lookahead steps to approximate this general strategy. >
Carotid Plaque Surface Irregularity Predicts Ischemic Stroke The Northern Manhattan Study

Background and Purpose— There is scant population-based evidence regarding extracranial carotid plaque surface irregularity and ischemic stroke. Using a prospective cohort design, we evaluated the association of carotid plaque surface irregularity and the risk of ischemic stroke in a multiethnic population. Methods— High-resolution B-mode ultrasound of the carotid arteries was performed in 1939 stroke-free subjects (mean age 69±10.0 years; 59% women; 53% Hispanic, 25% black, 22% white). Plaque was defined as a focal protrusion 50% greater than the surrounding area and localized along the extracranial carotid tree (internal carotid artery/bifurcation vs common carotid artery). Plaque surface was categorized as regular or irregular. Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the association of surface characteristics and the risk of ischemic stroke. Results— Among 1939 total subjects, carotid plaque was visualized in 56.3% (1 plaque: 21.6%, >1 plaque: 34.7%, irregular plaque: 5.5%). During a mean fo...
Spatial Distribution Patterns, Power Law, and the Agent-based Directed Diffusion Sensor Networks

The directed diffusion sensor networking was proposed by Intanagonwiwat et al. (2003) as an alternative to the IP-based end-to-end and the hop-by-hop ad-hoc routing architectures. This paradigm was apparently inspired by Alan Turing's (1952) seminar paper on the morphogenesis and pattern formation theory. Among numerous follow-up studies to the directed diffusion architecture, Malik and Shakshuki (2007) recently extended the directed diffusion networking by introducing mobile agents (MA) with the goal of increasing the operation efficiency, and the extended paradigm is termed agent-based directed diffusion (AbDD). We suggest two potential improvements to the AbDD, introducing spatial distribution modeling and optimizing the number of mobile agents (MA) employed. We choose to seek inspiration from the spatial distribution patterns of insect populations, which is an emergent property of the individual behaviors at the population level. An insect population can be envisioned as a multi-modal "wireless" network in which individuals are capable of processing multimodal signals (e.g., auditory, visual, and chemosensory) from environment and their peers. From evolutionary theory, we can expect that insect spatial distribution patterns should be optimized to facilitate the communications among population individuals since communications regulate or control the insect behaviors, which in turn, play crucial roles in the survival and prospering of insects.
A comparison of copper and gold wire bonding on integrated circuit devices

A comparative approach was used to develop new copper wire bond technology using the current standard production gold wire process as a baseline. Characterizations were made in the areas of assembly processes and material selection, electrical and thermal performance, intermetallic formation on Al and Al alloy bond pads, and reliability testing. It was demonstrated that copper wire bond strength tested with wire-pull and ball-shear methods can be maintained at higher levels than comparable gold wire bonds. Die shear strengths were degraded by temperature cycling, but not by high-temperature storage. AC/DC parameter characterizations across temperature and power supply exhibited identical performances on copper and gold devices. Input impedance, capacitance, and ESD (electrostatic discharge) showed no deviations between Au and Cu wire bonded devices selected for this investigation. The lower resistivity of Cu wire offers the potential for increased device power ratings. The thermal transient response showed negligible differences between Au and Cu wire bonded devices. The difference in intermetallic growth rates between Au and Cu wire processed devices suggest that Cu wire bonded devices will have greater reliability than Au wire bonded devices. The reliability data indicate that copper wire bonding is at least equal to conventional gold wire bonding. It is concluded that a copper ball bond assembly process can be developed for mass production which will equal and potentially surpass the performance and reliability of the present gold ball bond assembly process. >
Enteric protein loss in necrotizing enterocolitis as measured by fecal α1-antitrypsin excretion

THE DIAGNOSIS of necrotizing enterocolitis is based on the clinical findings of abdominal distention, vomiting, melena, or hematochezia. ~' 2 Other than changes found on abdominal radiographs, there are few diagnostic aids. Recently we saw two infants with NEC who, despite appropriate parenteral nutritional support, developed hypoproteinemia. Because no proteinuria or evidence of liver dysfunction was present, we suspected that the NEC was associated with significant gastrointestinal protein loss. a~-Antitrypsin is a serum protein that, when lost into the gastrointestinal tract, is not degraded and absorbed. 3 Thus, in disorders associated with enteric protein loss, such as intestinal !ymphangiectasia and inflammatory bowel disease, fecal a~-antitrypsin excretion is increased. 4-6 The fecal concentration of c~-antitrypsin correlates with the degree of intestinal protein loss. 7'8 This study was carried out to test the hypothesis that NEC induces a protein-losing enteropathy and, if true, that increased fecal arantitrypsin excretion may provide a marker for the presence of NEC. METHODS Preterm and term infants in the neonatal nurseries at Texas Children's Hospital who were receiving enteral feeding were selected at random and observed prospectively. None of the patients had congestive heart failure, a condition that may increase the fecal excretion of ~antitrypsin (unpublished data). Laboratory methods. When an infant passed a stool into the diaper, the stool was collected and placed into a plastic cup and stored at -20 ~ C until analyzed. An attempt was made to collect all stools. Determination of fecal a~-antitrypsin was made using
The Familial Intracranial Aneurysm (FIA) study protocol

Background: Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) due to ruptured intracranial aneurysms (IAs) occurs in about 20,000 people per year in the U.S. annually and nearly half of the affected persons are dead within the first 30 days. Survivors of ruptured IAs are often left with substantial disability. Thus, primary prevention of aneurysm formation and rupture is of paramount importance. Prior studies indicate that genetic factors are important in the formation and rupture of IAs. The longterm goal of the Familial Intracranial Aneurysm (FIA) Study is to identify genes that underlie the development and rupture of intracranial aneurysms (IA). Methods/Design: The FIA Study includes 26 clinical centers which have extensive experience in the clinical management and imaging of intracerebral aneurysms. 475 families with affected sib pairs or with multiple affected relatives will be enrolled through retrospective and prospective screening of potential subjects with an IA. After giving informed consent, the proband or their spokesperson invites other family members to participate. Each participant is interviewed using a standardized questionnaire which covers medical history, social history and demographic information. In addition blood is drawn from each participant for DNA isolation and immortalization of lymphocytes. High- risk family members without a previously diagnosed IA undergo magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) to identify asymptomatic unruptured aneurysms. A 10 cM genome screen will be performed to identify FIA susceptibility loci. Due to the significant mortality of affected individuals, novel approaches are employed to reconstruct the genotype of critical deceased individuals. These include the intensive recruitment of the spouse and children of deceased, affected individuals. Discussion: A successful, adequately-powered genetic linkage study of IA is challenging given the very high, early mortality of ruptured IA. Design features in the FIA Study that address this challenge include recruitment at a large number of highly active clinical centers, comprehensive screening and recruitment techniques, non-invasive vascular imaging of high-risk subjects, genome reconstruction of dead affected individuals using marker data from closely related family members, and inclusion of environmental covariates in the statistical analysis.
Permission to be Authentic An Intervention for Postpartum Women

This is a qualitative study of postpartum women recipients of a home-visitation social support program. Recipients of the program have been identified by a health care professional as at risk for moderate postpartum mood disorder. Relational–cultural theory and social support theories provided a conceptual framework. Results indicated (a) new mothers feel isolated and guilt at not feeling happier and (b) that a relational component this study termed “permission to be authentic” appeared to be important. New mothers experience motherhood in a profoundly different context than mothers of other times. These findings may improve the training of providers and program development for postpartum women.
Fuzzy Logic Based Data Association with Target/Sensor Soft Constraints

For the typical case in target association, where both the target tracks and the measurements are described with Gaussian random variables, the standard association uses the chi-squared metric, a weighted inner product of the residual formed by an estimated measurement and the true measurement. There are, however, cases where the measurements are not well described as Gaussian random variables, including when the Gaussian distribution is corrupted by sensor blockage or target constraints. Based upon the proven concept of the chi-squared metric, a straightforward fuzzy-logic based association method was developed to emulate this metric for Gaussian and non-Gaussian measurements. This approach was previously developed for the cases where non-Gaussian measurements and hard constraints were present. In actual operations, soft constraints on sensor performance and target capabilities are often present. This effort develops a penalty-method-based capability into the association scheme to handle operational concerns.
Cardiac Rehabilitation in Older Cardiac Patients

“Cardiac rehabilitation services are comprehensive, long-term programs involving medical evaluation, prescribed exercise, cardiac risk factor modification, education and counseling. These programs are designed to limit the physiologic and psychologic effects of cardiac illness, reduce the risk for sudden death or reinfarction, control cardiac symptoms, stabilize or reverse the atherosclerotic process, and enhance the psychosocial and vocational status of patients with coronary heart disease” (1). Although meta-analyses of randomized trials of cardiac rehabilitation, including over 4000 patients, document a 25% decreased mortality over an average follow-up of 3 years after cardiac rehabilitation (2, 3, 4), these studies are limited by the inclusion of few patients over the age of 65 years and none over the age of 75 years.
PiE: programming in eliza

Eliza, a primitive example of natural language processing, adopts a rule-based method to conduct simple conversations with people. In this paper, we extend Eliza for a novel application. We propose a system to assist with program synthesis called Programming in Eliza (PiE). According to a set of rules, PiE can automatically synthesize programs from natural language conversations between Eliza and users. PiE is useful for programming in domain-specific languages. We have implemented PiE to synthesize programs in the LOGO programming language, and our experimental results show that, on average, the success ratio is 88.4% for synthesizing LOGO programs from simple conversations with Eliza. PiE also enables end-users with no experience to program in LOGO with a smoother learning curve.
Authorship, Co‐Authorship, and Multiple Authorship

In this article, I use the example of the novel Micro, authored by Michael Crichton and Richard Preston, to tease out the relationships between an author and his work and with other authors of that work. The case presents a complication for a number of contemporary views on authorship and co-authorship, which suggest that Crichton is either not an author of the novel or an author but not a co-author�both, I suggest, are counterintuitive views. After working through the leading views on the topic, I present my own view of authorship, co-authorship, and multiple authorship, centrally resting on issues of power, responsibility, and creation.
Competitive Market Analysis of Transplant Centers and Discrepancy of Wait-Listing of Recipients for Kidney Transplantation.

Background: There are over 250 kidney transplant programs in the USA. Objective: To determine if highly competitive regions, defined as regions with a higher number of transplant centers, will approve and wait-list more end-stage renal disease (ESRD) candidates for transplant despite consistent incidence and prevalence of ESRD nationwide. Methods: ESRD Network and OPTN data completed in 2011 were obtained from all transplant centers including listing data, market saturation, market share, organs transplanted, and ESRD prevalence. Herfindahl- Hirschman Index (HHI) was used to measure the size of firms in relation to the industry to determine the amount of competition. Results: States were separated into 3 groups (HHI 1800 considered highly concentrated). The percentage of ESRD patients listed in competitive, moderate, and highly concentrated regions were 19.73%, 17.02%, and 13.75%, respectively. The ESRD listing difference between competitive versus highly concentrated was significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: When there is strong competition without a dominant center as defined by the HHI, the entire state tends to list more patients for transplant to drive up their own center’s market share. Our analysis of the available national data suggests a discrepancy in access for ESRD patient to transplantation due to transplant center competition.
Reducing Power During Idle Cycles

The Linux™ community has long been concerned with power saving measures, particularly in the mobile computing sector. Linux has been quick to leverage architectural features of microprocessors to reduce power consumption during idle cycles (and under load as we will discuss in Chap. 6) as these features have become commercially available. The High Performance Computing (HPC) community makes use of Linux on many of their platforms, but lightweight kernels (LWKs) are often used to deliver the maximum amount of performance at large scale (Red Storm and Blue Gene, for example). To achieve greater performance at scale, LWKs have a selective feature set when compared to general purpose operating systems like Linux. As a result, LWKs are a prime area for investigating opportunities for power savings, as long as performance is not affected. In the area of idle power usage, Linux serves as an established benchmark. The goal of this first experiment is to match or beat the idle current draw of Linux.
Systematic Approach to Tumors and Tumor-Like Conditions of Soft Tissue

“Soft tissue tumors represent a relatively common problem for musculoskeletal radiologists. This chapter reviews the classification of soft tissue tumors and the clinical, histological, and imaging features of the most common benign and malignant soft tissue tumors. It also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of various modalities to evaluate these lesions.”
The Political Economy of Investment in Human Capital

The recent political history of Latin America has been characterised by frequent violent upheavals. From 1963 to 1979 coups have occurred in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Uruguay and Nicaragua. There has also been a marked increase in both left- and right-wing violence throughout the continent. The most recent examples are El Salvador and Guatemala.
Bringing science inside prison walls

![Figure][1] PHOTO: CARRI LEROY No cell phone, no car keys, nothing in my pockets. I make my way through the metal detector and past the sentry posted in the armored box. I walk into the first of several sealed concrete rooms. Clangs and buzzes signal the closing of one door, the opening of
The Kinetic Investigation of the Deposition of Alumina and Aluminosilicates from Mixtures of SiCl4, AlCl3, CO2, and H2

The codeposition of alumina, silica, and aluminosilicates from mixtures of silicon tetrachloride, aluminum trichloride, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen is investigated in this study. Chemical vapor deposition experiments are carried out in a hot-wall reactor of tubular geometry coupled with an electronic microbalance. In order to elucidate some aspects of the codeposition process, the deposition of pure alumina and pure silica from mixtures of silicon tetrachloride and aluminum trichloride, respectively, with CO2 and H2, is also investigated. Among the most interesting findings of our study is that the presence of AlCl3 has a catalytic effect on the incorporation of silica in the deposit, leading to codeposition rates that are higher than the deposition rates that are obtained when only one of the two chlorides (SiCl4 or AlCl3) is present in the feed.
350 VARUS DEROTATIONAL OSTEOTOMY AND CLOSED REDUCTION IN THE TREATMENT OF SPASTIC HIP DISLOCATION IN CEREBRAL PALSY.

Summary This study presents the results of a long-term retrospective study investigating the outcomes of a varus derotational osteotomy (VDRO) without concomitant capsulorrhaphy for the treatment of spastic hip dislocation in children with cerebral palsy (CP). The patient population consisted of 57 patients (107 hips) with spastic neuromuscular hip dislocation, all with migration indices greater than 90%. All patients selected obtained adequate clinical and radiographic follow-up lasting until skeletal maturity. Medical records and radiographs were examined for the presence of complications associated with treatment of their spastic hips, as well as the need for revision procedures at the hip. Results of the study indicate that the closed reduction has few risks associated with it, as indicated by a low incidence of complications, especially serious postoperative complications such as avascular necrosis (AVN). Whereas other studies in which a concomitant capsulorrhaphy was performed showed incidences of AVN as high as 50%, this study reports AVN in only 1.8% of the patients. Even without a concomitant capsulorrhaphy, only three patients required a revision procedure, indicating that good reduction of the hip can be achieved without a capsulorrhaphy. It is the authors9 opinion that if an acceptable reduction can be achieved without opening the joint capsule then performing a VDRO without a capsulorrhaphy is preferred due to the much lower incidence of AVN and other serious complications.
Expanding and Mapping the Indexical Field: Rising Pitch, the Uptalk Stereotype, and Perceptual Variation

While rising terminal pitch on declarative syntax (“uptalk”) has received a fair amount of attention in scholarly and popular media, relatively little work has focused specifically on perceptions o...
Bone marrow niche-mediated survival of leukemia stem cells in acute myeloid leukemia: Yin and Yang

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is characterized by the accumulation of circulating immature blasts that exhibit uncontrolled growth, lack the ability to undergo normal differentiation, and have decreased sensitivity to apoptosis. Accumulating evidence shows the bone marrow (BM) niche is critical to the maintenance and retention of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), including leukemia stem cells (LSC), and an increasing number of studies have demonstrated that crosstalk between LSC and the stromal cells associated with this niche greatly influences leukemia initiation, progression, and response to therapy. Undeniably, stromal cells in the BM niche provide a sanctuary in which LSC can acquire a drug-resistant phenotype and thereby evade chemotherapy-induced death. Yin and Yang, the ancient Chinese philosophical concept, vividly portrays the intricate and dynamic interactions between LSC and the BM niche. In fact, LSC-induced microenvironmental reprogramming contributes significantly to leukemogenesis. Thus, identifying the critical signaling pathways involved in these interactions will contribute to target optimization and combinatorial drug treatment strategies to overcome acquired drug resistance and prevent relapse following therapy. In this review, we describe some of the critical signaling pathways mediating BM niche-LSC interaction, including SDF1/CXCL12, Wnt/β-catenin, VCAM/VLA-4/NF-κB, CD44, and hypoxia as a newly-recognized physical determinant of resistance, and outline therapeutic strategies for overcoming these resistance factors.
Maintenance Record Analysis and Failure Data Regression

AbstractThis paper presents how maintenance record analysis and failure data regression was done as part of a Reliability, Availability and Maintainability (RAM) study on an acetic acid plant in Europe. Specifically, it describes how to build a failure data bank (reliability database) from which the site can benefit to make the right decisions on maintenance strategies. By choosing the most appropriate maintenance strategy, it can increase the process availability and reduce cost and risks caused by unexpected shutdowns. This unique database will reflect the reality of the individual items and system failures in the process of the plant.
Study on MultiObjective Optional Allocation of Complex Water Resources System

From chapter three, it can be seen that the water resources system in Shendong mining area has complexity, i.e., multilevel (surface water, groundwater, and mine water). Multiuser and distributive characters, at the same time, are impacted by coal mining activities.
Urinary Tract Infection: USA

Diagnosis, treatment and management of urinary tract infections in the pediatric population remain controversial. Pediatric UTIs are common and constitute a significant health burden; it is estimated that 7% of girls and 2% of boys under age 6 will be diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. In addition to appropriate treatment, the goal of managing UTIs in children should be to identify and modify factors that may affect renal parenchyma and function.
Enhanced nonresonant nonlinear-optical susceptibilities from populated electronic excited states

The microscopic second-order β i j k S n ( ∼ ω 3 ; ω 1 , ω 2 ) and third-order γ i j k l S n ( ∼ ω 4 ; ω 1 , ω 2 ω 3 ) optical susceptibilities for conjugated molecular structures with real population of the Sn electronic excited state have been examined in detail and found to be generally enhanced by orders of magnitude compared to β i j k S 0 ( ∼ ω 3 ; ω 1 , ω 2 ) and γ i j k l S 0 ( ∼ ω 4 ; ω 1 , ω 2 ω 3 ) for systems that occupy the ground electronic state S0. The enhancement mechanisms for excited-state nonlinear-optical processes will be discussed based on electron correlation theory of nonlinear-optical processes, which has been proven successful in explaining the ground-state susceptibilities β i j k S 0 ( ∼ ω 3 ; ω 1 , ω 2 ) and γ i j k l S 0 ( ∼ ω 4 ; ω 1 , ω 2 ω 3 ) for conjugated structures.
Choosy mothers pick challenging plants: maternal preference and larval performance of a specialist herbivore are not linked

1. Maternal preference is a dynamic process and interactions between preference and performance are fundamental for understanding evolutionary ecology and host association in insect–plant interactions. In the present study, the hypothesis of preference–performance was tested by offering solanaceous specialist Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) larvae and adult females four plant congeners that ranged in suitability. 2. Larval feeding, development, oviposition, plant glycoalkaloids, and headspace volatiles in the four plant species were analysed to examine the extent of variation, which might explain performance–preference differences. 3. It was found that larval performance was mismatched with adult oviposition preferences. Adults laid more eggs on Solanum immite Dunal plants, which were poor hosts for larval development, feeding, and survival, compared to the other three Solanum species. 4. Chemical plant defenses, in general, did not correlate with performance or preference, but some plant volatiles may have played a role in resolving female choice. Glycoalkaloids such as solanine and chaconine were detected in similar amounts in preferred and non-preferred hosts, but there was significantly more limonene in the headspace of S. immite than in S. tuberosum L. 5. The present findings suggest that we must consider the risk-spreading hypothesis in cases where preference and performance are not positively correlated, particularly in specialist herbivores that can feed on a diversity of congener plants and may attempt to expand their exploits to other solanaceae species.
Energy-Aware Link Adaptation for a MIMO Enabled Cognitive System

Circuit designers have put substantial effort to reduce the energy consumption of specific blocks in wireless communication devices. However, much more significant increase in energy efficiency can be achieved at the system level by proper choice of transmission parameters. Choosing the best mode to transmit given the channel conditions in a wireless link is referred to as link adaptation. In this chapter, we present the state-of-the-art on link adaptation protocols for emerging Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) systems, and we provide a novel energy-aware fast link adaptation protocol which provides orders of magnitude gain in energy efficiency of the communication link.
A Probability Distribution with Applications to Monte Carlo Simulation Studies

A probability distribution which is a generalization of Tukey’s (1960) lambda distribution is given. This distribution includes a wide range of unimodal curve-shape characteristics.
Prenatal paradox: an integrative review of women’s experiences with prenatal screening for fetal aneuploidy and neural tube defects

Background: As prenatal screening for fetal aneuploidy and neural tube defects evolves technologically and becomes increasingly utilized worldwide, an evaluation of the available evidence on women’s experiences with prenatal screening is warranted.Aims: To conduct an integrative review to enhance understanding of women’s experiences with prenatal screening for fetal aneuploidy and neural tube defects.Design: Systematic literature searches from January 2005 through January 2016, using the CINAHL, PubMed, and PsychInfo electronic databases and ancestry searches of included studies were performed to identify previously published, peer-reviewed quantitative and qualitative studies.Review methods: The integrative review method as proposed by Whittemore and Knafl was selected.Results: Thirty-nine studies were included in the review. The literature reveals that prenatal screening occurs in a complex social, ethical, and political reality. A theme of paradox emerged indicating the incongruity between reported and...
Progressive Assessment and Competency Evaluation Framework for Integrating Simulation in Nurse Practitioner Education

Competencies for nurse practitioner students have been published with the goal of preparing graduates who are ready to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex health care system. Standardized preclinical assessment of graduate-level competencies have been suggested as a means to optimize the student experience in clinical rotations and maximize the preceptor's time toward preparing students for the transition to independent practice. The main objectives of this study are to describe progressive assessment and competency evaluation as an integral framework for integration of simulation in graduate-level curriculum and present the feasibility and challenges to consider during implementation of Progressive Assessment and Competency Evaluation-directed simulations.
Oxygenation as a driver of the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event

The largest radiation of Phanerozoic marine animal life quadrupled genus-level diversity towards the end of the Ordovician Period about 450 million years ago. A leading hypothesis for this Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event is that cooling of the Ordovician climate lowered sea surface temperatures into the thermal tolerance window of many animal groups, such as corals. A complementary role for oxygenation of subsurface environments has been inferred based on the increasing abundance of skeletal carbonate, but direct constraints on atmospheric O2 levels remain elusive. Here, we use high-resolution paired bulk carbonate and organic carbon isotope records to determine the changes in isotopic fractionation between these phases throughout the Ordovician radiation. These results can be used to reconstruct atmospheric O2 levels based on the O2-dependent fractionation of carbon isotopes by photosynthesis. We find a strong temporal link between the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event and rising O2 concentrations, a pattern that is corroborated by O2 models that use traditional carbon–sulfur mass balance. We conclude that that oxygen levels probably played an important role in regulating early Palaeozoic biodiversity levels, even after the Cambrian Explosion. An increase in biodiversity 450 million years ago coincided with a rise in atmospheric oxygen concentrations, suggests a geochemical analysis. Oxygen availability may have thus helped spur the radiation alongside climatic cooling.
Reproductive history, breast-feeding and risk of triple negative breast cancer: The Breast Cancer Etiology in Minorities (BEM) study.

Few risk factors have been identified for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) which lacks expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). This more aggressive subtype disproportionately affects some racial/ethnic minorities and is associated with lower survival. We pooled data from three population-based studies (558 TNBC and 5,111 controls) and examined associations of TNBC risk with reproductive history and breast-feeding. We estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using multivariable logistic regression. For younger women, aged <50 years, TNBC risk was increased two-fold for parous women who never breast-fed compared to nulliparous women (OR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.12-3.63). For younger parous women, longer duration of lifetime breast-feeding was associated with a borderline reduced risk (≥24 vs. 0 months: OR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.26-1.04, Ptrend = 0.06). Considering the joint effect of parity and breast-feeding, risk was increased two-fold for women with ≥3 full-term pregnancies (FTPs) and no or short-term (<12 months) breast-feeding compared to women with 1-2 FTPs and breast-feeding ≥12 months (OR = 2.56, 95% CI = 1.22-5.35). None of these associations were observed among older women (≥50 years). Differences in reproductive patterns possibly contribute to the ethnic differences in TNBC incidence. Among controls aged <50 years, the prevalence of no or short-term breast-feeding and ≥3 FTPs was highest for Hispanics (22%), followed by African Americans (18%), Asian Americans (15%) and non-Hispanic whites (6%). Breast-feeding is a modifiable behavioral factor that may lower TNBC risk and mitigate the effect of FTPs in women under age 50 years.
Nanoliposomal irinotecan with fluorouracil for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer, a single institution experience.

Effective treatment options for advanced pancreatic cancer are finite. NAPOLI-1, a phase III randomized trial, demonstrated the efficacy of nanoliposomal irinotecan with fluorouracil/leucovorin (nal-IRI + 5-FU/LV) for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer following progression on gemcitabine-based chemotherapy. There are limited additional data on the safety and efficacy of nal-IRI + 5-FU/LV following FDA approval in October 2015. We examined the post-approval safety and effectiveness of nal-IRI + 5-FU/LV in advanced pancreatic cancer patients receiving treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. A retrospective chart review was conducted of all patients beginning treatment with nal-IRI + 5-FU/LV from October 2015 through June 2017. Using the electronic medical record and institutional database, information was extracted pertaining to demographics, performance status (ECOG), prior therapies, dose, duration of treatment, adverse events, progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and treatment response. Fifty six patients were identified. Median progression free survival (PFS) was 2.9 months and median overall survival (OS) was 5.3 months. Patients with prior disease progression on irinotecan experienced PFS and OS of 2.2 and 3.9 mo, respectively. Patients without prior irinotecan exposure experienced significantly longer PFS (4.8 mo, p = 0.02) and OS (7.7 mo, p = 0.002), as did patients who received prior irinotecan without disease progression (PFS, 5.7 mo, p = 0.04; OS, 9.0 mo, p = .04). Progression on prior irinotecan was associated with greater lines of prior advanced disease chemotherapy (2 vs 1). Dose reductions (DR) were most frequently due to fatigue (42%) and diarrhea (37%), but were not associated with worse outcomes. In fact, patients with ≥1 DR experienced longer PFS (5.4 v 2.6 mo, p = 0.035). Sequential therapy with nab-paclitaxel + gemcitabine (nab-P + Gem) followed by nal-IRI + 5-FU/LV (n = 25) resulted in OS of 23.0 mo. Mutations in TP53 were associated with shorter PFS. These data support the safety and efficacy of nal-IRI + 5-FU/LV, reinforcing results of NAPOLI-1. Patients without disease progression on prior irinotecan fared significantly better than patients with progression, when treated with nal-IRI + 5-FU/LV. Sequential therapy with nab-P + Gem followed by nal-IRI + 5-FU/LV demonstrates encouraging median OS. These findings provide guidance for patients most likely to benefit from nal-IRI + 5-FU/LV.
The Patient with a Chronic Disease

Mr. Dickens is a principal at a local high school, who has been seeing you for the past 2 years about his chronic urticaria. He is typically a very pleasant and compliant patient. As an educator, Mr. Dickens values the patient education component of his visits with you, and is generally eager to share his experiences of living with a chronic skin condition. When he started with you, each urticarial episode lasted up to 12 h and occurred approximately every other day. Once aggressive therapy was instituted, his condition gradually improved to the point where he now experiences an episode every other week, with each one lasting no more than 1 h. Today is his regular 3-month follow-up, and the receptionist noted that he appeared quite unhappy.
A unique method for studying the initiation of Bacillus megaterium spore germination.

Abstract The sequence of events that characterize initiation of Bacillus megaterium QM B1551 spore germination can be interrupted by the presence of 1 mM HgCl2. Whereas these was a complete loss in spore dipicolinic acid, only partial losses in absorbance, refractility, density and resistance to staining occurred. This simple technique allows one to determine the necessity of certain reactions for initiation of germination.
New Physics Models Underlying Postformal Thought

As I described in Chapter 3, new physics is one of the intellectual antecedents of postformal thought. New physics thinking is the kind of logical thinking structure that complex postformal thinkers—like my wise relatives and Einstein—have always had at their disposal in various forms. The purpose of this chapter is to review some important original ideas basic to the new physics as it was first articulated, that is, to relativity theory and quantum physics. Of course, physics has evolved immensely since the origins of the new physics. But my purpose is to show how useful even the basic new physics ideas are as metatheories for life-span development, especially for cognitive life-span development. Other post-Newtonian physics paradigms, especially general systems theory, chaos theory, complexity theories of self-regulating systems, and postmodern thought, will be discussed in Chapters 6 and 7. All these paradigms reflect elements of basic postformal thought and provide ways to study such thought.