cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis (ROCM) and associated cerebritis treated with adjuvant retrobulbar amphotericin B.

Abstract Purpose We report a case of rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis (ROCM) with focal anterior cerebritis treated favorably with retrobulbar amphotericin B and systemic antifungals. Observations A 55-year-old diabetic male presented to the emergency department with left sided proptosis, left temple headache, maxillary sinus pain, and diplopia of 3 days duration. Biopsy results from the left middle turbinate, ethmoid, and maxillary sinus revealed broad and irregular non-septate hyphae consistent with mucormycosis. Despite treatment with intravenous antifungals and endoscopic debridement of the sinuses, his condition did not improve. Disease progression included the development of left ophthalmoplegia and left-sided cerebritis. The patient received retrobulbar injection of deoxycholate amphotericin B with eventual disease resolution, without exenteration. Conclusions We present a case of ROCM with associated cerebritis that responded to retrobulbar amphotericin B, without exenteration.
The Origin of Ovarian Cancer Species and Precancerous Landscape

Unlike other human cancers, in which all primary tumors arise de novo, ovarian epithelial cancers are primarily imported from either endometrial or fallopian tube epithelium. The prevailing paradigm in the genesis of high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC), the most common ovarian cancer, posits to its development in fallopian tubes through stepwise tumor progression. Recent progress has been made not only in gathering terabytes of omics data but also in detailing the histologic-molecular correlations required for looking into, and making sense of, the tissue origin of HGSC. This emerging paradigm is changing many facets of ovarian cancer research and routine gynecology practice. The precancerous landscape in fallopian tubes contains multiple concurrent precursor lesions, including serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC), with genetic heterogeneity providing a platform for HGSC evolution. Mathematical models imply that a prolonged time (decades) elapses from the development of a TP53 mutation, the earliest known molecular alteration, to an STIC, followed by a shorter span (6 years) for progression to an HGSC. Genetic predisposition accelerates the trajectory. This timeline may allow for the early diagnosis of HGSC and STIC, followed by intent-to-cure surgery. This review discusses the recent advances in this tubal paradigm and its biological and clinical implications, alongside the promise and challenge of studying STIC and other precancerous lesions of HGSC.
Factors associated with underrepresented minority physician scientist trainee career choices.

Recently, there have been concerted efforts to improve racial and ethnic diversity in the physician-scientist workforce. Identifying factors associated with career choices among those underrepresented in medicine and science is a necessary first step to advance this objective. The aim of the present study was to assess the attitudes and factors associated with academic and research career interests among underrepresented predoctoral physician-scientists. A cross-sectional 70-question survey was distributed to all predoctoral single degree (MD or DO) and dual degree (MD/PhD or DO/PhD) trainees at 32 medical schools in the United States from 2012 to 2014. Main outcomes included factors important to advancement in academic medicine, intended medical specialty, and future career plans. To test the post-hoc hypothesis of whether trainees from underrepresented groups have differing perceptions of career trajectories and obstacles than their counterparts, we evaluated responses according to self-identified race/ethnic status using Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests. All tests were two-sided and significance level of < 0.05 was used. There were a total of 4433 responses representing all predoctoral training stages. The response rate was 27%. Most respondents were single degree trainees (MD/DO 79% vs MD/DO-PhD 21%). Most respondents self-identified as White (67%), followed by Multi-racial or Other (14.3%), Asian or Pacific Islander (10.4%), Hispanic (6%), and Black or African American (4.1%). Desired career sector, career intention, and clinical specialty interest differed across race/ethnic groups. With respect to career selection factors, anticipated non-work related responsibilities during residency were also significantly different between these groups. By multivariable regression analysis, Black or African American trainees were significantly less likely than White trainees to indicate a career in academia (OR 0.496, 95% CI 0.322–0.764) and basic research (OR 0.314, 95% CI 0.115–0.857), while Multi-racial or Other trainees were also less likely than White trainees to indicate a career in academia (OR 0.763, 95% CI 0.594–0.980). These data represent the first in-depth survey of career aspirations, perceptions, and interests between demographically underrepresented and non-underrepresented predoctoral physician-scientist trainees. Our results identify key differences between these cohorts, which may guide efforts to improve diversity within the physician-scientist workforce.
APPLICABILITY OF SIMILITUDE PRINCIPLE TO STUDY STRATIFICATION THEORY OF GRAVITY CONCENTRATION

The stratification processes were studied in detail by the applicationof the similitude principle, and the similitude criteria were derived. Two possibleπ equations were deduced on the basis of the experimental results. How to applythe π equation to predict separating results and to control separating processes wasintroduced with examples.
The Future Role of Vaccines and Microbicides

Infection with sexually transmitted pathogens, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), continues to be a major public health problem despite conventional prevention methods, such as mutual monogamy, condom use, and treatment campaigns. This is most evident among women, who are being infected with HIV in increasing numbers in every region of the world, primarily through heterosexual contact. In addition to biological factors, such as the increased susceptibility of the uterine cervix to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), social, cultural, and economic inequalities limit women’s ability to protect themselves. Conventional prevention strategies, such as abstinence, mutual monogamy, condom use, and treatment of existing STIs, are not feasible for many women (1,2). For couples who desire to conceive, condom use to prevent or decrease the risk of HIV transmission is counterproductive. As a result, scientists, public health organizations, and advocacy groups have searched for effective adjuncts to traditional methods of prevention.
What does the future hold for clinical studies in vasculitis

The era prior to 1990 was a time of careful observation of disease presentation, course, outcomes and meticulous pathology studies. These mainly single-centre studies introduced new life-saving therapies for drugs still used effectively today. In the 1970-1980s, cyclophosphamide (CyP) added to glucocorticosteroids (GCS) was shown to be life-saving. The trade-off was often severe adverse events. Some forms of vasculitis were found not as ominous as thought initially. Some could be treated with safer drugs [e.g. methotrexate (MTX)]. However, whether mild or severe, patients were not cured. From 1990 to the present large collaborative networks have provided studies were not possible heretofore. Randomized controlled trials captured and manipulated vast amounts of data, banked biological specimens and shared these resources and intellectual capital, moving the field forward at an extraordinary pace. We now know that even for severe forms of granulomatosis and polyangiitis [granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), Wegener's granulomatosus (WG)], microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS), we do not need to use CyP for extended periods. We have learned recently that rituximab is as effective as CyP for severe WG and MPA. We should never again see the permanent toxicities born from years of chronic CyP use. However, short courses of CyP remain useful and can be life-saving. Step-down therapy from CyP is now a standard of care, perhaps to be replaced by rituximab in the future. If one accepts the premise that there are few cures at present for idiopathic large- and small-vessel vasculitis, we will serve our patients well if we can determine the most effective initial therapy that leads to a maintenance strategy for remission with least risk. Ultimately, we wish to identify causes of vasculitis so they can be used as a wedge to secure cures. Unmet needs and strategies are as follows: (1) to increase the numbers of vasculitis-trained physicians; (2) to define risk-benefit formulae for chronic maintenance therapy versus discontinuation of treatment after remission; (3) to define risk- and cost-benefit formulae for laboratory monitoring; (4) large-scale studies with longer follow-up that explore inhibition of interleukin-5 in CSS; (5) to explore the value of anti-interferon-γ for GCA, Takayasu's and other granulomatous vasculitides; and (6) identification of aetiological factors: cures will probably be linked to knowledge of the antigen driving the disease, plus vulnerabilities of the patient that prepare them to develop an illness phenotype. Improved outcomes using anti-inflammatory/immunosuppressive agents do not rule out infection as a driver for autoimmunity. Techniques that can facilitate pathogen discovery have never been more sophisticated.
Chinese Companies Investing in Europe: Modern Conquerors or Strategic Partners?

As the Year of the Dragon unfolds, Chinese companies continue to nurture their ambitious plans to expand into Europe supported by the Chinese government (Anderlini, 2011). These modern conquerors can contribute to reshape global trade and investment flows in the coming years (Miller, 2011), which has caused controversial reactions in the European Union (EU) (Voss & Clegg, 2011). On the one hand, as Chinese banks and investment funds are state-controlled, concerns have been raised about the real motives underlying their investment. In fact, what today seems to be a commercially motivated investment strategy might be leveraged in the future to pursue political goals. Moreover, the EU does not have a central investment review system similar to those of other developed countries such as USA, Australia, or Japan, which can prevent it from losing its industrial capabilities and preserve its technological leadership. In other words, the EU, as a whole, has a lower sensitivity and control over national-security issues than USA and other Western developed economies (Miller, 2011). However, potential and actual local conflicts with the national interest of host countries represent concrete barriers to Chinese expansion (Shi, Milelli, & Hay, 2010).
Case Study: West Point Terminal/Southern Railway

This real world case study investigates how priority of claim interacts with the rules of bankruptcy to preserve the values of securities issued by corporations in the context of one of the most famous reorganizations of all times. (However, many facts have been changed to facilitate classroom use.) The case does not presume prior knowledge of the rules of bankruptcy. It is recommended for a senior-level undergraduate or MBA course in financial management.
Experimental and Analytical Study of Pantograph Dynamics

A nonlinear, lumped parameter pantograph model including geometric and coulomb friction nonlinearities and variable stiffness has been developed. The model performance has been compared with experimental dynamic response data measured on a prototype pantograph. Responses of the model and the experimental data including subharmonic and harmonic resonances are in close agreement for motions excited by comparable forcing functions for input frequencies of 0 to 12 Hz. The model has been used to identify the primary parameters and nonlinear effects which influence dynamic pantograph performance.
Recipient’s monocyte-derived dendritic cells and macrophages play key roles in acute cardiac allograft rejection (TRAN3P.864)

Donor-derived dendritic cells (DCs) migrating out of allografts into recipient lymphoid organs, and recipient lymphoid-resident DCs within draining lymphoid organs are classically considered the instigators of acute rejection in heart transplants. However, the role of the more recently described CD11cint CD11b+ Ly6C+ monocyte-derived (mo) DCs in acute allograft rejection is unknown. We demonstrate in a mouse model that cardiac allografts are infiltrated by recipient mo-DCs and mo-macrophages, each originating from different subsets of blood monocytes, within one week of transplantation. Graft-infiltrating mo-DCs are the main producers of IL-12p70 and exhibit potent T cell allo-stimulation and Th1 bias. Ablation of DCs after allo-sensitization correlates with reduced T cell proliferation and increased T cell death inside the graft, and prolonged transplant survival. Comparatively, graft-infiltrating mo-macrophages are far less efficient Ag-presenting cells, but release TNF-α and nitric oxide, the latter of which impairs T cell survival and promotes allograft survival. Our results indicate that both recipient mo-DCs and mo-macrophages play key roles during acute rejection within heart allografts, and that these cell subtypes, or potentially their blood monocyte precursors, could serve as therapeutic targets to prevent or treat acute rejection.
GTP‐binding Loop

The GTP-binding loop is an evolutionarily conserved structure found in the GTPase superfamily of proteins. The GTP-binding loop enables GTPases to bind and hydrolyse GTP molecules and makes them excellent regulators of cellular processes. Keywords: GTPase; GTP hydrolysis; guanine nucleotide; molecular switch; Ras
Quality of service provision in high-speed networks: an active approach

Active networks (ANs) provide a programmable platform on which network services can be constructed and refined by injecting code into the nodes of the network. They offer an effective scheme for high-speed networks to manage the provision of quality of service (QoS) that advanced services may require. In this paper, we propose an approach that allows the description of QoS requirements as programs that can be used by a node in order to change its behavior to satisfy the required QoS. The approach is based on the notion of logical data unit state that can be observed at an appropriate level of granularity and implemented using several mechanisms for resource reallocation.
Cytokines in Type 2 Diabetes

Publisher Summary Type 2 diabetes is distinguished by the development of insulin resistance, a condition where normal physiological levels of insulin are insufficient in maintaining glucose homeostasis. The role of proinflammatory cytokines in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and augmenting the complications associated with type 2 diabetes is becoming clearer. In general, cytokines are low molecular weight proteins produced by nearly all cells of the immune system as well as many cells not normally considered immune cells, that is, epithelial cells and adipocytes. Cytokines are chemical messengers and coordinate the myriad host responses during immunological challenge. They initiate the innate immune response and coordinate the adaptive immune response by directing the Th1/Th2 course. It is now well established that obesity is associated with low‐grade chronic inflammation and that this inflammation, orchestrated by the classic proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), and IL‐1β, may be a causative factor in the development of diabetes and/or its complications. The anti‐inflammatory cytokines are typically described as IL‐4, IL‐10, IL‐13, IL‐16, IGF‐1, and IL‐1RA. Cytokine receptors that utilize the tyrosine‐dependent IRS/PI‐3K association as a means of conveying intracellular signals are potentially susceptible to the same impaired signaling that is seen during insulin resistance. Therefore, in the obese and/or type 2 diabetic individual ‘‘cytokine resistance’’ may exist side‐by‐side with insulin resistance.
In Silico Design and Evaluation of Carboxylesterase Inhibitors

Carboxylesterases (CEs) are important enzymes that catalyze biological detoxification, hydrolysis of certain pesticides, and metabolism of many esterified drugs. The development of inhibitors for CE has many potential uses, including increasing drug lifetime and altering biodistrubution; reducing or abrogating toxicity of metabolized drugs; and reducing pest resistance to insecticides. In this review, we discuss the major classes of known mammalian CE inhibitors and describe our computational efforts to design new scaffolds for development of novel, selective inhibitors. We discuss several strategies for in silico inhibitor development, including structure docking, database searching, multidimensional quantitative structure activity analysis (QSAR), and a newly-used approach that uses QSAR combined with de novo drug design. While our research is focused on design of specific inhibitors for human intestinal carboxylesterase (hiCE), the methods described are generally applicable to inhibitors of other enzymes, including CE from other tissues and organisms.
SHEAR STRAIN LOCALIZATION IN PLASTIC DEFORMATIONS

Shear instabilities in the form of shear bands are often observed during high speed, plastic deformations of metals. According to one theory, their formation is attributed to effective strain-softening response, which results at high strain rates as the net outcome of the influence of thermal softening on the, normally, strain-hardening response of metals. In order to test the core instability mechanism set forth by such theories, we consider one-dimensional shear deformations of a material exhibiting strain softening and strain-rate sensitivity. The deformation is caused by either prescribed tractions or prescribed velocities. As it turns out, for moderate amounts of strain softening, strain-rate sensitivity exerts a dissipative effect and stabilizes the motion. However, once a threshold is exceeded, the response becomes unstable and shear strain localization can occur.
Dose to water versus dose to medium in proton beam therapy

Dose in radiation therapy is traditionally reported as the water-equivalent dose, or dose to water. Monte Carlo dose calculations report dose to medium and thus a methodology is needed to convert dose to medium into dose to water (or vice versa) for comparison of Monte Carlo results with results from planning systems. This paper describes the development of a formalism to convert dose to medium into dose to water for proton fields when simulating the dose with Monte Carlo techniques. The conversion is based on relative stopping power but also considers energy transferred via nuclear interactions. The influence of different interaction mechanisms of proton beams (electromagnetic versus nuclear) is demonstrated. Further, an approximate method for converting doses retroactively is presented. Based on the outlined formalism, five proton therapy patients with a total of 33 fields were analyzed. Dose distributions, dose volume histograms and absolute doses to assess the clinical significance of differences between dose to medium and dose to water are presented. We found that the difference between the two dose reporting definitions can be up to 10% for high CT numbers if analyzing the mean dose to the target. The difference is clinically insignificant for soft tissues. For the structures analyzed, the mean dose to water could be converted to dose to medium by applying a correction factor increasing linearly with increasing average CT number in the volume. We determined that an approximate conversion method, done retroactively with an energy-independent stopping power ratio and without considering nuclear interaction events separately (as compared to on-the-fly conversion during simulation), is sufficiently accurate to compute mean doses. It is insufficient, however, when analyzing the beam range. For proton beams stopping in bony anatomy, the predicted beam range can differ by 2-3 mm when comparing dose to tissue and dose to water.
Associations between coping, affect, and social support among low-income African American smokers

Abstract Objective Previous research has documented disparities in smoking cessation between African Americans and Caucasians. Many low-income African American smokers face a range of circumstances that may inhibit effective coping during quit attempts, yet previous research has not considered factors that influence coping in this population. This study examined (a) affect (positive and negative) and (b) perceived social support in association with coping strategies. Methods The baseline assessment of African American smokers ( N = 168) enrolled in a randomized controlled trial included the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and the Brief COPE. A factor analysis of the Brief COPE resulted in two factors, adaptive and maladaptive strategies. Results Participants were mostly single (64%), women (61%), with ≥ 12 years of education (68%), and low-income. They were middle aged ( M = 46.1, SD = 8.7), smoked 21.8 ( SD = 13.3) cigarettes/day for 24.3 ( SD = 11) years, and were moderately nicotine dependent. Results demonstrated that adaptive coping was positively correlated with positive affect and social support. Maladaptive coping was positively correlated with negative affect, and inversely related to positive affect and social support. Multivariate analyses revealed that positive affect and social support were independently associated with adaptive coping strategies. In contrast, maladaptive coping was independently associated with negative affect, but not social support. Conclusions Interventions that harness positive resources, such as social support and positive mood, may facilitate adaptive coping. Also, addressing negative affect among low-income African American smokers may be important to reduce maladaptive coping strategies.
Erectile dysfunction after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy

With younger and healthier men being diagnosed and treated for localized prostate cancer, postradical prostatectomy erectile dysfunction has become an ever more important matter of debate. However, the lack of a standardized definition for potency and no consensus regarding the optimal instrument for assessing recovery of erectile function after prostatectomy makes comparison among different series extremely difficult. The potential morbidity associated with the open surgical approach has resulted in the search for less invasive surgical options. One such option is robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) performed with the da Vinci system. In this article we critically review the current outcomes on post-RALP potency rates worldwide and compare the available data with the gold standard open RRP series. A review of the literature was performed for all published manuscripts written in English, comparative and non-comparative, between 2000 and 2009 using the keywords 'robotic radical prostatectomy, 'robot-assisted radical prostatectomy', 'nerve sparing', 'cavernosal nerve' and 'potency outcomes', using the Medline database. Manuscripts were selected according to their relevance to the current topic (i.e., original articles, number of patients in the series and prospective data collection) and incorporated into this review. To date, many large series of RARP are mature enough and have demonstrated that potency outcomes are at least comparable to if not better than open RRP. However, there is still controversy on which form of surgical approach to the neurovascular bundles provides the best results. Prospective multi-institutional studies evaluating outcomes following different techniques need to be designed and results analyzed by an independent third party. Until then, careful patient selection and wise intraoperative clinical judgment should be made when performing nerve-sparing surgery.
The Indian Vocational Education and Training (VET) System: Status, Challenges, and Options

India is at the cusp of becoming an economic powerhouse. For that to happen, however, the country needs to alter its workforce education system by reengineering the Indian Vocational Education and Training (VET) System. India’s VET strategy includes creating basic work-centered common curriculum for the unskilled; developing a more flexible and responsive VET system that effectively educates and trains many more of the semiskilled; and raising the competencies of the skilled worker to international levels by using, for example, public/private partnerships. Regardless of the model for delivery of this training, this article suggests that the Indian workforce education system should adopt a comprehensive organizational strategy that accommodates the balancing of competing missions.
An undergraduate compiler laboratory

A one semester, upper-division undergraduate course in compiler techniques is described. The course is based upon the material contained in Chapter 5 of the text Algorithms + Data Structures = Programs, by Niklaus Wirth. The goals of the course are (1) to introduce students to the fundamental concepts of the design and translation of higher level languages, and (2) to provide an introductory exposure to the related literature. A compiler-writing project of about nine weeks duration is required of all students. Simulators supporting generated code for static and dynamic run-time environments are provided for student use.
Total quality and the abandonment of performance appraisal: Taking a good thing too far?

Abstract Proponents of total quality management often argue that performance appraisal is fundamentally at odds with quality-oriented management. This argument is made both on the basis of logical analysis and statistical demonstration. We show that neither of these arguments creates a compelling case against performance appraisal. We conclude that thoughtful organizations need to make decisions about performance appraisal in the same way that other business decisions are made, that is, in terms of a cost-benefit analysis.
Comparative Effectiveness of Carotid Revascularization Therapies Evidence From a National Hospital Discharge Database

Background and Purpose—Clinical equipoise of carotid revascularization therapies remains controversial. We sought to determine whether adverse outcomes after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS) were similar using propensity score–matched analysis of retrospective data from a large hospital discharge database. Methods—All CEA and CAS cases were identified from the 2006 to 2011 Premier Perspective Database and subjected to 1:1 propensity score matching using 33 clinical covariates associated with carotid revascularization. A primary composite end point of peri- or postoperative mortality, stroke, or acute myocardial infarction and a modified composite end point excluding acute myocardial infarction were used to compare our findings with recent prospective controlled trials. Multivariate regression and Cox-proportional hazard ratio survival analysis were performed to compare revascularization therapy outcomes. Results—After 1:1 propensity score matching, 24 004 (12 002 CEA ...
Salt loaded heat pipes: steady-state operation and related heat and mass transport

Abstract Fluids in the deep-seated zones (3.5–4.5 km) of active geothermal zones are known to have increased salinity and acidity that can enhance interaction with surrounding porous rocks. A possible mechanism for brine generation is the separation of the rising magmatic fluid into a gas-like and a liquid-like component. This work illustrates the main features of this mechanism by investigating the conditions for heat pipe convection of natural brines in hydrothermal systems. The well-established heat pipe regime for convection of two-phase pure water (vapor–liquid) in a porous column is extended to the case of boiling brines. In particular, the NaCl–H 2 O system is used to model the 1-D reactive flow with dissolution-precipitation in geothermal reservoirs. The quasi steady-state equations of the conservation of matter, Darcy’s law for the gas and liquid phases, and the heat balance equation have been examined while neglecting the temporal variation of porosity. A semi-analytical procedure is used to solve these equations for a two-phase fluid in equilibrium with a solid salt. The solution is in the form of the dependence of liquid volume fraction as a function of temperature for different heat fluxes. The solution is separated into two isolated regions by the temperature T =596°C, at the maximum fluid pressure for three-phase (H–L–V) equilibrium. In the case of unsaturated two-phase flow at the reference permeability of porous rocks (3·10 −16 m 2 ), the maximum heat flux that can be transferred through the porous column via convection is analytically estimated to be 4.3 W/m 2 . This is close to the corresponding value for the three-phase case that is numerically calculated to be 6 W/m 2 . Due to dissolution (partial leaching of oxide components by acid condensates) and precipitation of salt at the boiling front, heat transfer in a heat pipe in soluble media occurs in a direction opposite to the associated mass transfer. This can cause deep hydrothermal karsting that is manifested as surface subsidence at rates of about several cm/yr as observed in some active geothermal fields.
Online Adaptive Compression in Delay Sensitive Wireless Sensor Networks

Compression, as a popular technique to reduce data size by exploiting data redundancy, can be used in delay sensitive wireless sensor networks (WSNs) to reduce end-to-end packet delay as it can reduce packet transmission time and contention on the wireless channel. However, the limited computing resources at sensor nodes make the processing time of compression a nontrivial factor in the total delay a packet experiences and must be carefully examined when adopting compression. In this paper, we first study the effect of compression on data gathering in WSNs under a practical compression algorithm. We observe that compression does not always reduce packet delay in a WSN as commonly perceived, whereas its effect is jointly determined by the network configuration and hardware configuration. Based on this observation, we then design an adaptive algorithm to make online decisions such that compression is only performed when it can benefit the overall performance. We implement the algorithm in a completely distributed manner that utilizes only local information of individual sensor nodes. Our extensive experimental results show that the algorithm demonstrates good adaptiveness to network dynamics and maximizes compression benefit.
“Why Do You Say Yes to Pedro, but No to Me?” Toward a Critical Literacy of Dialogic Engagement

The author proposes that teachers of critical literacy must not only decenter texts as infallible authorities, but also decenter teachers as infallible (textual) authorities. She outlines problematic aspects of pursuing critical literacy as outcome, where there is heavy emphasis on having students parrot the teacher's viewpoint, and of pursuing critical literacy as procedure, where the emphasis is on adopting the teacher's analytic toolkit for unpacking texts. Critical literacy as personal response, where students are simply asked to respond to the text but do not confront the contingency of textual perspectives, is also critiqued. Finally, she proposes one alternative, critical literacy as dialogic engagement, that is seldom thought of as critical literacy teaching. In this orientation, the teacher steps out of the role of primary textual authority so that students may realize that multiple reading positions (not just their own, and not just the teacher's) are par for the course.
Ice in the Ocean

“You are in a world of white.…The sun burns low on the horizon through a scintillating suspension of ice crystals.…All around lies a pure white landscape of snow, like a…field, with…gentle hummocks, valleys and occasional rocky lumps softened by the snowy mantle. The field is bordered by what looks like a white stone wall.…Great white rock monoliths rear into the sky, while others lie at random at their feet and in some places there is a semblance of a regularly laid pattern of blocks. It is a pressure ridge…Beneath your feet are three metres of sea ice. Beneath that are five thousand metres of water. You are walking on the Arctic Ocean.”
Reading Sex and the City

Reading Sex and the City Kim Akass and Janet McCabe, Editors. London: I. B. Tauris, 2004. This collection of seventeen essays about the HBO series Sex and the City offers insights for cultural historians, gender analysts, and film theorists, as well as entertaining descriptive tidbits for fans of Carrie Bradshaw, her three girlfriends, and their "boy toys." The essays explore social implications of connections among heterosexual women, with their gay and lesbian friends, and with their boyfriends, sometimes treated as love objects, sometimes as prey. Contributors delve into sexual mores evinced by the racy series and the impassioned critical responses it provoked, the role of costume m a setting of hyperfashionable Manhattan, and some literary and film contexts of this first-person narrative celebration of independence based on Candace BushnelPs 1996 creative nonfiction book. Akass and McCabe, from their vantage as film scholars at universities in Great Britain, conclude their thought-provoking collection with good-natured, loving tributes to the lures of New York City shopping, clubbing, and celebrity hunting, punctuated with a snapshot of the pair on the stoop of Carrie Bradshaw's Manhattan apartment at the end of their "Sex and the City" guided tour. Joanna di Mattia's presentation of the series as a romantic quest narrative that opens the collection depicts "its female protagonists in the renegotiation of the classic romance fantasy" (17) of finding Mr. Right. While her reading exaggerates the importance of success in their quest for Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte, she enumerates the masculine archetypes they encounter, deconstructs the fairy-tale language of Carrie's compositions, and finally affirms the central role of female sexual pleasure that drives the four protagonists in their Manhattan playground. That theme of unabashed sharing of comic and gynelogical details of sex dominates the analysis of sexuality in Sex and the City by media arts professor Mandy Merck. She identifies the powerful appeal of the intimate insights -to include clinical details of sex between men and women, between women and women, and between men and menin the stories of the four women's numerous gay friends, whose views of fashionable cuisine, couture, and masculine good looks foreshadowed the popularity of the television series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Perhaps most illuminating for cultural historians and sociologists is the contribution of women's studies professor Astrid Henry. She identifies Sex and the City as documenting the influence of third-wave feminism in television dramas, placing it in the context of its second-wave predecessors, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Maude, Designing Women, and Murphy Brown, and pointing out the varieties of feminist perspectives represented by the primary community or family of the four friends: "No matter what has transpired over the course of an episode's half hour, Sex and the City routinely concludes with the four women together, laughing and talking, supporting each other" (67). …
Central limit theorem and increment conditions

Abstract Let φ be a convex function defined on R + , with φ (0) = 0 and lim x →0 φ ( x )/ x =0. We show that there exists a uniformly bounded process ( X t ) on [0,1] with continuous sample paths that satisfies the increment condition for every u t , E ( φ (| X t − X u |)) ⩽ t − u . but that fails the CLT.
Glycerol stress and platelet integrity.

Abstract Platelet response to glycerol gradient was studied using a few in vitro parameters. These were platelet count, mean platelet size, platelet response to hypotonic stress (PRHS), and collagen-induced platelet aggregation. An equal volume of 1–10% (w/v) glycerol in plasma was added at once to the platelet concentrate resulting in 5–15 (w/v) final glycerol concentration. The concentrate was kept at 22 °C for 60 min. Platelets were then separated by one centrifugation and resuspended in glycerolfree plasma. A loss in platelet count was observed when the gradient of glycerol was more than 3%. This was associated with an increase in mean cell size and a reduction in aggregability. With 5% glycerol stress, a loss of 30% in cell count, an increase of 18% in cell size, and a 78% loss in aggregability was observed. Declining of PRHS was shown already with a 1% glycerol gradient and 69% of this function was suppressed by 5% glycerol stress. In other experiments, 5% glycerol was first added, then removed in 5 steps with a gradient of 1% each. When time interval between each step was less than 0.5 min, platelet loss and PRHS reduction were 17 and 47% respectively. These values were gradually improved to 4% and 11–20%, respectively, as increasing time interval up to 15 min. It was concluded that a gradient of 1% glycerol and a 15-min interval for each step minimizes the detrimental osmotic stress on platelets while glycerol is added or removed. Our findings may lead up to devising an improved protocol for platelet cryopreservation with glycerol.
Concise Review: Adipocyte Origins: Weighing the Possibilities

Adipose tissue is the primary energy reservoir in the body and an important endocrine organ that plays roles in energy homeostasis, feeding, insulin sensitivity, and inflammation. While it was tacitly assumed that fat in different anatomical locations had a common origin and homogenous function, it is now clear that regional differences exist in adipose tissue characteristics and function. This is exemplified by the link between increased deep abdominal or visceral fat, but not peripheral adipose tissue and the metabolic disturbances associated with obesity. Regional differences in fat function are due in large part to distinct adipocyte populations that comprise the different fat depots. Evidence accrued primarily in the last decade indicates that the distinct adipocyte populations are generated by a number of processes during and after development. These include the production of adipocytes from different germ cell layers, the formation of distinct preadipocyte populations from mesenchymal progenitors of mesodermal origin, and the production of adipocytes from hematopoietic stem cells from the bone marrow. This review will examine each of these process and their relevance to normal adipose tissue formation and contribution to obesity-related diseases.
Computer content analysis of the Schreber case

The text of Schreber's Memoirs of My Nervous Illness was analyzed by computer at the level of the individual word. These words then were grouped into 17 rational categories, and the categories were checked for reliability. The contents of Schreber's work then were compared with three other documents. In general, the Memoirs showed much greater delusional content than the other documents. Interestingly, sexual matters did not appear to be Schreber's principal problem at this atomistic level.
Brainstem respiratory control: substrates of respiratory failure of multiple system atrophy.

Multiple system atrophy may manifest with severe respiratory disorders, including sleep apnea and laryngeal stridor, which reflect a failure of automatic control of respiration. This function depends on a pontomedullary network of interconnected neurons located in the parabrachial/Kolliker Fuse nucleus in the pons, nucleus of the solitary tract, and ventrolateral medulla. Neurons in the preBotzinger complex expressing neurokinin-1 receptors are critically involved in respiratory rhythmogenesis, whereas serotonergic neurons in the medullary raphe and glutamatergic neurons located close to the ventral medullary surface are involved in central chemosensitivity to hypercapnia, hypoxia, or both. Pathological studies using selective neurochemical markers indicate that these neuronal groups are affected in multiple system atrophy. This finding may provide potential anatomical substrates for the respiratory manifestations of the disease.
Simulation of postural control for a walking robot

Postural control is of utmost importance for walking robots, particularly for those that traverse rugged terrain. A dynamic model for locomotion in rugged terrain is presented. The model has 18 actuated degrees of freedom, plus six unactuated body translations and rotations to produce a total of 24 degrees of freedom. Nonlinear foot-terrain interaction models keep track of nonconservative soil deformations, and allow feet to make or break contact any number of times during a simulation. The utilization of this model for postural control studies is presented. A modification of the vertical hybrid control by allocation method is proposed as a viable postural control scheme. However, it is shown that positional control is sufficient in order to achieve stable response with the mechanism. >
Solubility of anthracene in ternary (propanol + heptane + cyclohexane) and (butanol + heptane + cyclohexane) solvent mixtures

Experimental solubilities are reported for anthracene dissolved in ternary (1-propanol + heptane + cyclohexane), (2-propanol + heptane + cyclohexane), (1-butanol + heptane + cyclohexane), and (2-butanol + heptane + cyclohexane) solvent mixtures atT = 298.15 K. Nineteen compositions were studied for each of the four solvent systems. Results of these measurements are used to test the predictive ability of the ternary solvent form of the combined NIBS/Redlich–Kister equation. Computations showed that the model predicted the observed solubility behavior to within an overall average absolute deviation of about 1.3 per cent.
Cure behavior of epoxy/MWCNT nanocomposites: The effect of nanotube surface modification

Abstract The effect of carboxyl and fluorine modified multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the curing behavior of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) epoxy resin was studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), rheology and infrared spectroscopy (IR). Activation energy ( E a ) and rate constants ( k ) obtained from isothermal DSC were the same for the neat resin and fluorinated MWCNT system (47.7 and 47.5 kJ/mol, respectively) whereas samples containing carboxylated MWCNTs exhibited a higher activation energy (61.7 kJ/mol) and lower rate constant. Comparison of the activation energies, rate constants, gelation behavior and vitrification times for all of the samples suggests that the cure mechanisms of the neat resin and fluorinated sample are similar but different from the carboxylated sample. This can be explained by the difference in how the fluorinated nanotubes react with the epoxy resin compared to the carboxylated nanotubes. Although the two systems have different reaction mechanisms, both systems have similar degrees of conversion as calculated from the infrared spectroscopic data, glass transition temperature ( T g ), and predictions based on DSC data. This difference in reaction mechanism may be attributed to differences in nanotube dispersion; the fluorinated MWCNT system is more uniformly dispersed in the matrix whereas the more heterogeneously dispersed carboxylated MWCNTs can hinder mobility of the reactive species and disrupt the reaction stoichiometry on the local scale.
Health Teachers' Perceptions and Teaching Practices Regarding Hearing Loss Conservation

Background Limited research has examined the role of school health personnel in the prevention and early identification of hearing impairment. Purpose This study assessed high school health teachers' perceptions and teaching practices regarding hearing loss conservation. Methods A 26-item survey based on selected components of the health belief model and self-efficacy was developed on hearing loss in students and their teaching practices regarding hearing loss conservation. A national random sample of 600 health teachers was obtained from the US Department of Education. Results A 3-wave mailing was used to achieve a 47% response rate (n = 281). One in 7 (15%) health teachers felt very confident in providing information regarding noise-induced hearing loss and 9% felt very confident in providing referral for students. Common hearing loss prevention topics taught were potential damaging effects of music/other sounds (30%), anatomy and physiology of hearing (16%), impact of hearing loss (15%), and sources of...
Cybernetic legal analysis and human agency

This study aims to examine the legal politics of Presidential Regulation Number 7 Y ear 2018 concerning the Pancasila Ideology Development Board is reviewed from philosophical, sociological, and juridical aspects. This research is a prescriptive legal research, with a conceptual approach. The legal meterials includes primary and secondary legal materials. The data collection technique used is literature study. The analysis technique used is the deductive method. These results and research indicate that the legal politics of the establishment of Presidential Regulation No. 7 of 2018 concerning the Pancasila Ideology Development Board is a body that was built as a form of Pancasila re-actualization in the process of internalizing values in every component of society and state administrators. BPIP is present as a solution in the midst of a crisis of confidence in the relevance of Pancasila as an ideology and state philosophy. This is in accordance with the nine points of President-Vice President Nawacita especially in items 8 and 9 which are carried out through BPIP technical programs.
Numerical analysis of defect formation during fabrication of high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane solutions

Previous studies have shown that defects like pin-holes and air entrainment are common during polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) manufacturing. For mass production of defect-free membranes, an optimized manufacturing process is required. The objective of this work is to understand the nature of defect generation during the manufacturing process of high-temperature PEM membranes and the factors influencing them. An extrusion process is simulated using a multiphase, laminar model using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques. The effects of processing conditions on quality of the cast and pressure drop are analyzed. The results showed that for a constant inlet to substrate velocity ratio, both the substrate velocity and temperature will have an insignificant effect on the entrained air height. However, their effect on pressure drop is found to be substantial. Further, it is shown that the inlet velocity and slot gap width have significant effect on the entrained air height and pressure drop. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers.
Singular nonlinear parabolic boundary value problems in one space dimension

Global existence and uniqueness are established for the mixed initial-boundary problem for the nonlinear parabolic equation ∂u∂t = φ(x, ∂u∂x) ∂2u∂x2 (0 ⩽ x ⩽ 1, t ⩽ 0), where φ(x, ξ) ⩾φ0(x) > 0 for 0 < x < 1 and ∝01 φ0(x)−1 dx < ∞. The boundary conditions can be either linear (e.g., Dirichlet, Neumann, or periodic) or nonlinear, in which case they take the form (− 1)j u(j, t) ϵ βj(ux(J, t)) for j = 0, 1, where βj is a maximal monotone graph in R × R containing the origin.