cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the effect of ethylene oxide and γ-irradiation on selected tyrosine-derived polycarbonates and poly(L-lactic acid)

Tyrosine-derived polycarbonates are a new class of degradable polymers that have possible biomedical applications. In this study, the effect of the two most common sterilization techniques, ethylene oxide and γ-irradiation (0.3, 1.1, 3.9, 6.4, 10.6 Mrad), was evaluated for a family of four structurally related tyrosine-derived polycarbonates and for poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA). The four polycarbonates were poly(DTE carbonate), poly(DTB carbonate), poly(DTH carbonate), and poly(DTO carbonate) and differed only in the length of the pendent chain. Ethylene oxide exposure had little effect on molecular weight, surface composition, mechanical properties, or degradation rate of all test polymers except for poly(DTO carbonate). Poly(DTO carbonate) was unique since following ethylene oxide exposure it degraded faster than did the nonsterilized control. γ-Irradiated tyrosine-derived polycarbonates retained over 81% of their initial molecular weight when exposed to a clinically relevant dose of 3.9 Mrad and retained still 58% of the initial molecular weight when exposed to the highest test dose of 10.6 Mrad. No changes in surface composition and only slight changes in yield strength and the Young's modulus were detected for any of the tyrosine-derived polycarbonates following γ-irradiation. In vitro, irradiated films of poly(DTE carbonate), poly(DTB carbonate), and poly(DTH carbonate) degraded at approximately the same rate as did the nonsterilized films regardless of irradiation dose. Only poly(DTO carbonate), irradiated at high doses, degraded faster than did the control. Medical-grade PLLA was tested under identical conditions. Ethylene oxide exposure of PLLA did not affect the molecular weight, surface composition, mechanical properties, or in vitro degradation rate. However, upon irradiation at 10.6 Mrad, PLLA retained only 29% of its initial molecular weight; a dose of 3.9 Mrad resulted in retention of 49% of the initial molecular weight. In correspondence with earlier publications, irradiation of PLLA induced significant losses in the Young's modulus, % strain at break, and changes in the postirradiation rate of degradation in some specimens. Compared to PLLA, tyrosine-derived polycarbonates are significantly more stable to γ-irradiation and can be sterilized by conventional γ-sterilization techniques. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 63: 1499–1510, 1997
Mammalian histidine decarboxylase. Activation of the apoenzyme with phospho-5'-pyridoximinotriazole.

Abstract Histidine decarboxylase (apoenzyme) from a murine mastocytoma was activated by phospho-5′-pyridoximinotriazole (PPIT), a condensation product of pyridoxal-5′-phosphate (PALP) and 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole. PPIT was found to be less active at low concentrations and more active at higher concentrations than PALP in equimolar concentrations. Excess PPIT did not cause inhibition of the enzyme activity as did excess PALP. It was established that PPIT takes part in transaldimination reactions. It appeared that its coenzyme activity was a consequence of an initial transaldimination reaction in which PPIT reacted with a free amino group at the apoenzyme active site (i.e. the binding site for the natural coenzyme, PALP) leaving the conventional holoenzyme (the PALP-apoenzyme complex) and free aminotriazole. PPIT readily took part in transaldimination reactions with certain amino acids but not with others. It is possible that a systematic study of the selective readiness of various PALP derivatives with coenzyme activity to engage in transaldimination reactions may provide an analytical tool for identifying the amino acid which functions as the PALP binding site of the apoenzyme.
The African Americanization of menthol cigarette use in the United States

Today, over 70% of African American smokers prefer menthol cigarettes, compared with 30% of White smokers. This unique social phenomenon was principally occasioned by the tobacco industry’s masterful manipulation of the burgeoning Black, urban, segregated, consumer market in the 1960s. Through the use of television and other advertising media, coupled with culturally tailored images and messages, the tobacco industry ‘‘African Americanized’’ menthol cigarettes. The tobacco industry successfully positioned mentholated products, especially Kool, as young, hip, new, and healthy. During the time that menthols were gaining a large market share in the African American community, the tobacco industry donated funds to African American organizations hoping to blunt the attack on their products. Many of the findings in this article are drawn from the tobacco industry documents disclosed following the Master Settlement Agreement in 1998. After a short review of the origins and growth of menthols, this article examines some key social factors that, when considered together, led to disproportionate use of mentholated cigarettes by African Americans compared with other Americans. Unfortunately, the long-term impact of the industry’s practice in this community may be partly responsible for the disproportionately high tobacco-related disease and mortality among African Americans generally and African American males particularly.
An efficient procedure for computing exact confidence limits for a standardized mortality ratio

Abstract An efficient computing procedure is described for obtaining exact confidence limits for the mean of a Poisson distribution. It is shown how this procedure can be used to obtain the exact confidence limits for a standardized mortality ratio, a parameter of great interest to epidemiologists. An example is presented illustrating the technique.
Integrated phased array for wide-angle beam steering

We demonstrate an on-chip optical phased array fabricated in a CMOS compatible process with continuous, fast (100 kHz), wide-angle (51°) beam-steering suitable for applications such as low-cost LIDAR systems. The device demonstrates the largest (51°) beam-steering and beam-spacing to date while providing the ability to steer continuously over the entire range. Continuous steering is enabled by a cascaded phase shifting architecture utilizing, low power and small footprint, thermo-optic phase shifters. We demonstrate these results in the telecom C-band, but the same design can easily be adjusted for any wavelength between 1.2 and 3.5 μm.
Activation of JAK-STAT and nitric oxide signaling as a mechanism for donor heart dysfunction

Background Donor heart dysfunction (DHD) precluding procurement for transplantation occurs in up to 25% of brain-dead (BD) donors. The molecular mechanisms of DHD remain unclear. We investigated the potential role of myocardial interleukin (IL)-6 signaling through the JAK2-STAT3 pathway, which can lead to the generation of nitric oxide (NO) and decreased cardiac myocyte contractility. Methods Hearts were procured using standard technique with University of Wisconsin (UW) solution from 14 donors with a left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction of Results Myocardial IL-6 expression was 8-fold greater in the DHD group vs NF controls. Phosphorylated STAT3 expression was 5-fold higher in DHD than in NF, indicating increased JAK2-STAT3 signaling. LV activity of iNOS was 2.5-fold greater in DHD than in NF. LV expression of the pro-apoptotic gene Bnip3 and caspase-3 activity were 3-fold greater in the DHD group than in the NF group. Conclusions Myocardial IL-6 expression is significantly higher in the setting of DHD compared with hearts procured with normal function. This may lead to increased JAK2-STAT3 signaling and upregulation of iNOS, which has been shown to decrease cardiac myocyte contractility. Increased NO production may also lead to increased apoptosis through upregulation of Bnip3 gene expression. Increased iNOS signaling may be an important mechanism of DHD and represents a novel therapeutic target to improve cardiac function after BD.
Finite element implementation of a kinetic model of dynamic strain aging in aluminum–magnesium alloys

Soare and Curtin (Acta Mater. 2008; 56:4091-4101, 4046-4061) have recently developed a model of dynamic strain aging in solute-strengthened alloys. Their constitutive law describes time-dependent solute strengthening using rate equations that can be calibrated using atomistic simulations. In this paper, their material model is incorporated into a continuum finite element simulation, with a view to completing a multi-scale method for predicting the formability of solute-strengthened alloys. The Soare-Curtin model is first re-formulated as a state-variable constitutive law, which is suitable for finite element computations. An efficient numerical procedure is then developed to track the strength distribution of aging mobile and forest dislocations in the solid during deformation. The method is tested by simulating the behavior of a 3D aluminum-magnesium alloy tensile specimen subjected to uniaxial loading at constant nominal strain rate. The model predicts the influence of strain rate on the steady-state flow stress of Al-Mg alloys, but no Portevin-Le Chatelier bands or serrated flow were observed in any of our simulations, and the influence of strain rate on tensile ductility is not predicted correctly. The reasons for this behavior and possible resolutions are discussed. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Expression of the myc cellular proto-oncogene in human thyroid tissue

The expression of cellular oncogenes was examined in human thyroid tissue. Four thyroid adenomas and three thyroid carcinomas expressed c-myc oncogene mRNA transcripts, which were not expressed in normal thyroid tissues. Agarose gel electrophoresis of poly(A) RNA extracts of adenoma tissues followed by hybridization with v-myc DNA yielded two distinct c-myc mRNA species [2.1 and 4.0 kilobases (kb)]. Thyroid cancer tissue poly(A) RNA revealed a predominant larger c-myc mRNA species (approximately 6 kb) and a smaller 2.1-kb species. After enzymatic dispersion of thyroid adenoma cells, cytoplasmic dot blot hybridization of immobilized thyroid adenoma RNA extracts with the v-myc cDNA probe showed stimulation of c-myc mRNA expression by TSH in a dose- and time-dependent manner. After 72-h pretreatment with serum-free medium, the quiescent adenoma cells yielded a negligible hybridization signal which was stimulated by TSH (10 mU/ml) after 6 h of treatment. Although normal cultured thyroid cells did not contain detectable c-myc mRNA, TSH also stimulated the myc protooncogene expression in a time-dependent manner in normal thyroid cells. These results demonstrate the expression of c-myc mRNA in human thyroid tumors and the in vitro induction of c-myc mRNA in both normal and adenoma thyroid cell cultures by TSH.
Determination of anserine, carnosine, and other histidine compounds in muscle extractives

Abstract A method for the determination of anserine, carnosine, homocarnosine, histidine, 1-methylhistidine, and 3-methylhistidine with the Phoenix amino acid analyzer is described. A study of the separation of these compounds on the 60 cm column of the Beckman amino analyzer is also presented. The present method utilizing the Phoenix amino acid analyzer is particularly suitable for the analysis of muscle tissue extracts since in the range of elution volumes from 180 to 264 ml there are no absorption peaks from muscle filtrates except those corresponding to the standard compounds listed above. It is of special importance that the elution of the NH 4 + , which may be present in the deproteinizing agents, occurs well beyond that of the histidine compounds.
General formulation for wavefront curvature correction in polar-formatted spotlight-mode SAR images using space-variant post-filtering

We introduce a general formulation for wavefront curvature correction in spotlight-mode SAR images formed using the polar-formatting algorithm (PFA). This correction is achieved through the use of an efficient, image domain space-variant filter which is applied as a post-processing step to the PFA. Wavefront curvature defocus effects occur in certain SAR collection modes that include imaging at close range, using a low center frequency, and/or imaging very large scenes. Our formulation is general in that it corrects for wavefront curvature in broadside as well as squinted collection modes, with no computational penalty for correcting squint-mode images. Algorithms such as the range migration technique (also known as seismic migration), and an enhancement known as frequency domain replication, FReD, have been developed to accommodate these wavefront curvature effects. However, they exhibit no clear computational advantage over space-variant post-filtering in conjunction with polar formatting (PF2). This paper presents the basic concepts of the formulation, and provides computer results demonstrating the capabilities of space-variant post-filtering.
A Christian Rationale for Vegetarianism

This article lays out an argument for vegetarianism based on a Christian theological rationale, specifically on a new articulation of a Christian anthropology for the 21 st century. What I suggest is that an exploration of what it means to be human in a contemporary first world context leads to the conclusion that vegetarianism is a logical expression of one's understanding of oneself as a Christian, and one's exercise of one's Christian faith and discipleship. Key Terms: vegetarianism, Christian anthropology, animal rights, animal ethics, imago Dei
Comparison of the Work Function of Pt–Ru Binary Metal Alloys Extracted From MOS Capacitor and Schottky-Barrier-Diode Measurements

This paper describes a systematic comparison of work function for the Pt-Ru binary-alloy metals, extracted from capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics of MOS capacitors and the current-voltage (I-V) and C-V characteristics of Schottky-barrier diodes. Our results indicate that the work function of the Pt-Ru binary-alloy system can be tuned over the wide range of 4.8-5.2 eV. Furthermore, the results indicate that the change of film properties, i.e., resistivity, work function, and crystal structure, with composition is consistent with the equilibrium-phase diagram and that the work function in the face-centered cubic and the hexagonal-close-pack single-phase regions is only weakly dependent on composition while a strong dependence is observed in the intermediate compositional range. It is also observed that work-function values obtained from the Schottky I-V analysis are significantly lower than those extracted from the MOS C-V data
Using Icebox to View and Explore Satellite Images of the Gulf of Maine

A Web-based system using satellite imagery for studying changes in chlorophyll and sea surface temperature in the Gulf of Maine is described. The system was created by combining the image composite editor (ICE), a simple web-based visualization and analysis tool developed for the NASA Earth Observatory, with a data processing stream used by the Coastal Ocean Observing Center at the University of New Hampshire. The system, called ICEbox, provides easy access to a suite of historical and near-real time images from the MODIS sensor aboard NASA's TERRA and AQUA satellites. This paper demonstrates a method for getting timely and important research-quality data into the classroom that is easily reproducible by projects that use remotely-sensed data.
A DC-DC digitally controlled buck regulator utilizing multi-bit ∑Δ. frequency discriminators

This paper describes a novel feedback digitization architecture for a digitally controlled PWM DC-DC buck converter. A multi-bit Sigma-Delta frequency discriminators (MB-SDFD) is used. This multi-bit parallelization technique is an extension to the first-order Sigma-Delta frequency discriminators (SDFD) concept. SDFD concept is based on a non-feedback Sigma-Delta modulator that uses FM signal as its input and it outputs stream of bits (ones and zeros) with quantization noise being first-order shaped similar to the traditional Sigma-Delta modulators. The output of the multi-bit discriminator is decimated to obtain a higher resolution depending on the output ripple specifications. A block diagram and a behavioral model are presented along with simulation results. Based on 1% allowed output voltage ripple, an 8-bit ADC resolution is achieved using a reference clock frequency of 1 MHz. This architecture is flexible and scalable and can fully be implemented in standard digital CMOS.
Algorithm for automatic beat detection of cardiovascular pressure signals

Pressure beat detection is an integral part of most analysis techniques for arterial blood pressure (ABP), intracranial pressure (ICP), and pulse oximetry (SpO 2 ) signals. Beat detection has been used to estimate heart rate in the ABP signal, to classify ICP morphologies, and to estimate blood pressure using pulse oximeter waveforms. This paper describes an algorithm that was developed to detect pressure peak beats in ABP, ICP, and SpO 2 signals. When compared to the expert annotation of several signals consisting of over 42,500 pressure beats, the algorithm detected pressure peaks with an average sensitivity of 99.6% ± 0.27 and an average positive predictivity of 98.6% ± 1.1.
SINUSITIS IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Sinusitis is common in children because of the anatomy of their sinuses and frequent upper respiratory tract infections (URIs). It is estimated that as many as 5% to 10% of all children with URIs have sinusitis. 37 A high index of suspicion and good clinical evaluation usually can lead to the diagnosis of pediatric sinusitis without excessive use of radiographs or laboratory tests. It is equally important for primary care physicians to guard against excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics in an era of increasing antibiotic resistance of many bacteria. Most notably, purulent rhinitis alone is not the equivalent of sinusitis. This article summarizes the information needed by a practicing primary care physician to diagnose, manage, and refer children with sinusitis appropriately. The discussion includes the development and anatomy of the sinuses, predisposing conditions, signs and symptoms, diagnostic evaluation, microbiology, therapeutic interventions, complications, and surgical interventions. The primary emphasis is on acute sinusitis. Subacute, recurrent, and chronic sinusitis also are covered but in less detail because these entities are encountered less frequently by the primary care physician and usually result in referral to a consultant.
Virus-like particle vaccine containing hemagglutinin confers protection against 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza.

Immunization of the world population before an influenza pandemic such as the 2009 H1N1 virus spreads globally is not possible with current vaccine production platforms. New influenza vaccine technologies, such as virus-like-particles (VLPs), offer a promising alternative. Here, we tested the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a VLP vaccine containing hemagglutinin (HA) and M1 from the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus (H1N1pdm) in ferrets and compared intramuscular (i.m.) and intranasal (i.n.) routes of immunization. Vaccination of ferrets with VLPs containing the M1 and HA proteins from A/California/04/2009 (H1N1pdm) induced high antibody titers and conferred significant protection against virus challenge. VLP-vaccinated animals lost less weight, shed less virus in nasal washes, and had markedly lower virus titers in all organs tested than naive controls. A single dose of VLPs, either i.m. or i.n., induced higher levels of antibody than did two doses of commercial split vaccine. Ferrets vaccinated with split vaccine were incompletely protected against challenge; these animals had lower virus titers in olfactory bulbs, tonsils, and intestines, but lost weight and shed virus in nasal washes to a similar extent as naive controls. Challenge with heterologous A/Brisbane/59/07 (H1N1) virus revealed that the VLPs conferred minimal cross-protection to heterologous infection, as revealed by the lack of reduction in nasal wash and lung virus titers and slightly higher weight loss relative to controls. In summary, these experiments demonstrate the strong immunogenicity and protective efficacy of VLPs compared to the split vaccine and show that i.n. vaccination with VLPs has the potential for highly efficacious vaccination against influenza.
A block-based reservation architecture for the implementation of large packet buffers

DRAM is typically needed to implement large packet buffers, but DRAM devices have worst-case random access latencies that are too slow to match the bandwidth requirements of high-performance routers. Existing DRAM-based architectures for supporting linespeed queue operations can be classified into three categories: prefetching-based [1], randomization-based [2], and reservation-based [3]. They are all based on interleaving memory accesses across multiple parallel DRAM banks for achieving higher memory bandwidths, but they differ in their packet placement and memory operation scheduling mechanisms. Each class of architectures has its own benefits. For router architectures where the departure times of packets can be deterministically calculated before the packets are inserted into the packet buffer, the reservation-based approach has the nice property that in-time packet retrievals can be guaranteed. Reservation-based architectures work by constructive placement of packets and scheduling of memory operations based on the departure times of packets.
Knowledge barriers to diffusion of telemedicine

Telemedicine is one proposed solution to problems of accessibility, quality, and costs of medical care. Although telemedicine applications have proliferated in recent years, their diffusion has remained low in terms of the volume of consultations. In this study, Attewell’s (1992) theory of knowledge barriers is extended to explain why diffusion of telemedicine remains low. In case studies of telemedicine programs in three worldrenowned medical centers in Boston, Massachusetts, we find that, in addition to technical knowledge barriers, as suggested by Attewell, there are economic, organizational, and behavioral knowledge barriers that inhibit the diffusion of telemedicine. The lowering of these barriers entails intensive learning efforts by proponents of applications within adopter organizations. They need to develop technically feasible, medically valid, reimbursable, and institutionally supported applications in order to justify the value of telemedicine and engender frequent and consistent use by physicians.
Effects of 131I on vascularized allografts of canine thyroid and parathyroid

Abstract Eighteen dogs received allografts of thyroid and parathyroid transplanted by vascular reconstruction. The recipient animals underwent removal of their own thyroid and parathyroid glands at the same operation. They received 600 to 1200 r of 131 I in an attempt to prolong function of the grafts and to study the effects of the 131 I on the grafts. Thyroid function was monitored by the Triosorb (Abbott), T 3 uptake test and parathyroid function was monitored by serum calcium and phosphorous levels. The animals receiving 131 I showed decreased biochemical evidence of survival of the grafts but the animals survived a significantly greater length of time than did animals receiving allografts but no therapy. Normal animals receiving 131 I in the same doses as those given to the animals undergoing transplantation showed no change in serum calcium, phosphorous, or T 3 levels. Animals undergoing autologous heterotopic transplantation maintained normal thyroid and parathyroid function.
Wyner-Ziv coding over broadcast channels using hybrid digital/analog transmission

This paper deals with the design of coding schemes for transmitting a source over a broadcast channel when there is source side information at the receivers. Based on Slepian-Wolf coding over broadcast channels, three hybrid digital/analog schemes are proposed and their power-distortion tradeoff is investigated for Gaussian sources and Gaussian broadcast channels. All three transmit the same digital and analog information but with varying coding order. Although they are not provably optimal in general, they can significantly outperform uncoded transmission and separate source and channel coding.
Measurement of Isocitric Dehydrogenase Activity in Body Fluids

1. Factors influencing the isocitric dehydrogenase (ICD) activity of serum were studied. Substrate inhibition by high concentrations of isocitrate was observed. 2. The temperature-activity curve of serum ICD was determined. The importance of controlling the temperature of the reaction was stressed. 3. Using this information, a method of measuring the ICD activity in 0.2 ml. of serum is described. 4. The range of ICD activity in 50 healthy males was 30 to 192 units with a mean of 90 units and a standard deviation of ± 34.3 units.
The Maoist Insurgency in Nepal and the Political Economy of Violence

This paper studies the incidence of political violence associated with the Maoist insurgency in Nepal. I take a cross-sectional approach where the unit of analysis is the district, and dependent variable is total killings by state and Maoists normalized by district population. I find no evidence that political and economic grievances are linked to the incidence of political violence. There is also very little evidence that district prosperity or political ideology are associated with the incidence of violence. On the other hand, I find that the intensity of violence was greatest in the Midwestern districts and in districts with low road density. Historical evidence suggests that the dummy variable for Midwestern districts that appears robust and significant reflects the political entrepreneurship of leftist leaders more than half a century ago. The results support a theory of conflict that treats an insurgency as analogous to a profit maximizing firm.
Novel effect of rapamycin on experimental obliterative bronchiolitis

From the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, the University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, Wash. Disclosures: Authors have nothing to disclose with regard to commercial support. Received for publication Sept 29, 2015; accepted for publication Sept 29, 2015. Address for reprints: Michael S. Mulligan, MD, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Washington Medical Center, 1959 NE Pacific St, Box 356310 Room AA-115, Seattle, WA 98195-6310 (E-mail: msmmd@u.washington.edu). J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2016;151:317-8 0022-5223/$36.00 Copyright 2016 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of The American Association for Thoracic Surgery http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcvs.2015.09.119
Ovipositional preference of pear psylla (Homoptera: Psyllidae) for resistant and susceptible pear

Ovipositional preference of pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola Foerster, for selected Pyrus genotypes known to differ in nymphal feeding antixenosis was quantified in the field and greenhouse during the dormant-bud, green-tip, and fully expanded-leaf stages of bud phenology. Definite ovipositional preferences were displayed by pear psylla. Ovipositional antixenosis was particularly evident in Pyres communis L. and P. communis L. × P. ussuriensis Maxim. hybrids that were also known to have nymphal feeding antixenosis during the fully expanded-leaf stage. Although ovipositional and nymphal feeding antixenosis did show significant correlation, there were exceptions that suggest these two pear traits are independent. In greenhouse and field studies, we found that ovipositional antixenosis varied with bud phenology within pear genotypes, which indicated that ovipositional cues differed. However, several P. communis and P. communis × P. ussuriensis genotypes exhibited ovipositional antixenosis during all stages of bud phenology. Results of greenhouse ovipositional studies were similar to those observed for these pear genotypes in the field. Our greenhouse technique offers a rapid means of evaluating ovipositional antixenosis in pear genotypes compared with field studies, which are hampered by variable pear psylla populations, time, and space requirements.
The Role of Laboratory Experiments to Test Marketing Strategies

An experiment described in this article is used to illustrate how laboratory experimentation can be an efficient and managerially useful information source. Procedures to assess the validity of a l...
Onset of cross-modal synthesis in the neonatal superior colliculus is gated by the development of cortical influences.

Many neurons in the superior colliculus (SC) are able to integrate combinations of visual, auditory, and somatosensory stimuli, thereby markedly affecting the vigor of their responses to external s...
Redefiniendo una escuela de animación

The Animation Department at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) was founded in the 90’s based on the pedagogical idea of the auteur model that Dan McLaughlin used successfully at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA): one student, one film. In 2007, a curricular innovation redefined its pedagogical approach. A new approach promoted critical thinking for purposes of development and conceptualization, promoted teamwork and diversity in student projects. An intense program based on the analytic virtues of observational drawing supported all of these. The change elevated the value of production but most importantly it unleashed an unexpected social and artistic dynamic change that affected the program as a whole. This school’s redefinition has contributed to educate several generations of artists tolerant to diversity and enthusiastic about collaboration.
An Electronic Health Record Investigation of Lenticulostriate Vasculopathy Features.

Objective Lenticulostriate vasculopathy (LSV) is characterized by linear hyperechogenicities in the basal ganglia found on the head ultrasounds of infants. We reviewed electronic health records of infants with and without LSV to investigate whether physician dictations indicated symptoms which could reflect subtle basal ganglia injury. Study Design In a case–control study, we analyzed data from 46 infants with LSV and 127 controls. Infants were stratified between term and preterm birth. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for tone abnormalities, apnea, feeding difficulties, seizures, and movement abnormalities in the presence of LSV. Results Both term and preterm infants with LSV showed elevated risks for tone abnormalities (OR: 3.6 and 2.9, respectively). Term infants with LSV showed elevated risks for hypotonia (OR: 4.3), apnea (OR: 2.9), and feeding difficulties (OR: 4.1). Preterm infants with LSV showed elevated risks for truncal hypotonia (OR: 3.9) and hyperreflexia (OR: 3.9). Conclusion Our findings provide some evidence that LSV is associated with an increased risk of early signs of abnormal development, possibly relating to signs of subtle basal ganglia injury. Historically LSV has been considered incidental. The associations identified here suggest that LSV findings are worthy of further study.
Cheers of protest? the public, the Post, and the parable of learning

In 1994, the Washington Post decried the appointment of a white archaeologist to excavate an African-American site in Charlottesville, Virginia. Considerable discussion resulted: in the media, in the Smithsonian’s African American Archaeology Newsletter, and at conferences. Charlottesville held a similar debate between the public and the academy. What story was to be told? Who would tell the story? Would it get told at all? Both debates are embedded in historic and modern relationships of race and class. By the nature of our work, many historical archaeologists are forced to enter these debates or walk away from them. These issues, then become fundamental to involving and exciting the public about what we do. This paper explores the nature of the Charlottesville debate, suggesting that archaeology can be a meaningful form of activism, provided that it yields to the needs of the public it hopes to engage.
The Emergence of the Mona Lisa Battalions: Graffiti Art Networks in Post-2011 Egypt

During and after the January 2011 revolutionary protests, Egypt witnessed the surge and spread of graffi ti and street art activities. The story of graffi ti in Egypt is usually rendered as voices of dissent, modes of symbolic resistance, or expressive force of anger, solidarity, and commemoration. While it is true that the collapse of the state security services and the liberation of public space after the 2011 had fostered the growth of artistic revolutionary expressions, the story of artistic production implies more than politics of cultural representation. Rather, these artistic expressions are usually grounded in the formations, expansions, and contractions of social groups that keep on negotiating their identities, networks, capacities and limitations.
How Much Do the Effects of Education and Training Programs Vary Across Sites? Evidence From Past Multisite Randomized Trials

ABSTRACTMultisite trials, in which individuals are randomly assigned to alternative treatment arms within sites, offer an excellent opportunity to estimate the cross-site average effect of treatment assignment (intent to treat or ITT) and the amount by which this impact varies across sites. Although both of these statistics are substantively and methodologically important, only the first has been well studied. To help fill this information gap, we estimate the cross-site standard deviation of ITT effects for a broad range of education and workforce development interventions using data from 16 large multisite randomized controlled trials. We use these findings to explore hypotheses about factors that predict the magnitude of cross-site impact variation, and we consider the implications of this variation for the statistical precision of multisite trials.
The development of well-defined catalysts for ring-opening olefin metathesis polymerizations (ROMP)

The present article reviews the development of well-defined transition metal compounds which catalyze the ring-opening polymerization of strained cyclic olefins by the olefin metathesis reaction (ROMP). Several titana- and tantalacyclobutane compounds and tungsten- and molybdenum carbenes polymerize norbornene and norbornene derivatives by a “living” mechanisms, thus producing polymers of controlled molecular weights with narrow molecular weight distributions. Some of these systems have been successfully applied to the synthesis of block and graft copolymers. Studies on Ru-based catalysts resulted in the development of olefin metathesis polymerizations in aqueous solutions.
Two sample inference for the mean and covariance functions

Due to possibly different FPC’s structures, working with two functional samples may be difficult. An important contribution has been made by Benko et al. (2009) who developed bootstrap procedures for testing the equality of mean functions, the FPC’s, and the eigenspaces spanned by them. In this chapter, we present asymptotic procedures for testing the equality of the means and the covariance operators in two independent samples. Section 5.1 focuses on testing the equality of mean functions. It shows that instead of statistics which have chi–square limits, those that converge to weighted sums of squares of independent standard normals can also be used. In other chapters we focus on statistics converging to chi–square distributions, but analogous versions converging to weighted sums of normals can be readily constructed.
Food web complexity II: empirical results

The last chapter concerned the question: does the requirement of stability impose upper or lower bounds on how complex a food web can be? This chapter presents three kinds of empirical evidence which bear upon this question. The first is direct tests of the relationship between complexity and stability. The second involves attempts to demonstrate the theoretically suggested hyperbolic relationship between the connectance and the number of species. Finally, there is the indirect evidence on the consequences of species removals; this evaluates whether donor-controlled dynamics are good descriptions of the real world.
THE NUTRITION TRANSITION IN CHINA : A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS

Diets and activity patterns are changing rapidly in low-income countries, and problems of undernutrition and overnutrition commonly exist side by side. China has conquered problems of food scarcity at the national level and has undergone a remarkable transition in the structure of its diet in the last decade. In this paper, we use data from the 1989 China Health and Nutrition Survey and national data from the State Statistical Bureau to explore China's recent history with respect to nutrition and to identify patterns of under- and overnutrition. In particular, we see that higher income levels, particularly in urban areas, are associated with consumption of a diet higher in fat and with problems of obesity. At the same time, undernutrition is a problem in important segments of Chinese society. There is a need for the Chinese government to consider ways to address these problems of deficit and excess jointly.
Comparison of Stand-Alone, Transpsoas Lateral Interbody Fusion at L3-4 and Cranial vs Transforaminal Interbody Fusion at L3-4 and L4-5 for the Treatment of Lumbar Adjacent Segment Disease.

ABSTRACT Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Objective: To compare outcomes and complications of stand-alone minimally invasive lateral interbody fusion (LIF) vs revision posterior surgery for the treatment of lumbar adjacent segment disease. Methods: Adults who underwent LIF or transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) for adjacent segment disease were compared. Exclusion criteria: >grade 1 spondylolisthesis, posterior approach after LIF, and L5/S1 surgery. Patient demographics, estimated blood loss, hospital length of stay, complications, reoperations, health-related quality of life measures, and radiographs were examined. Data were analyzed with the χ2, Wilcoxon signed rank, and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: A total of 17 LIF and 16 TLIF patients were included. Demographics were similar. Follow up was similar (LIF: 22.9 ± 11.8 months vs TLIF: 22.0 ± 4.6 months; P = .86). The LIF patients had significantly less blood loss (LIF: 36 ± 16 mL vs TLIF: 700 ± 767 mL; P Conclusions: Patients with adjacent segment disease may receive significant benefit from stand-alone LIF or TLIF. The LIF offers advantages of less blood loss and a shorter hospital stay. Level of Evidence: 3
Due Process for Article III—Rethinking Murray's Lessee

The Founders sought to protect federal judges’ impartiality primarily because those judges would review the political branches’ actions. To that end, Article III judges retain their offices during “good behaviour,” and Congress cannot reduce their compensation while they are in office. But Article III has taken a curious turn. Article III generally does not prohibit Article I courts or agencies from deciding “public rights” cases, i.e., when the government is a party and seeking to vindicate its own actions and interpretations under federal law against a private party. In contrast, Article III courts generally must resolve cases that concern “private rights,” i.e., disputes under state or common law between private parties. In other words, despite Article III’s raison d’etre, Article III is less likely to apply when the government is a party seeking to advance interests under federal law, and more likely to apply when the government has little to no interest in the controversy. This essay for the George Mason Law Review’s “Agency Adjudication and the Rule of Law” symposium argues that the ever-expanding, shape-shifting public-rights exception to Article III—as it has developed from abstruse passages in Murray’s Lessee v. Hoboken Land & Improvement Co., 59 U.S. (18 How.) 272 (1856)—was neither inevitable nor consonant with Article III purposes or separation-of-powers underpinnings of Due Process. The public-rights exception is best justified, in general, as extending only to those matters that due process does not implicate (and thus those that Congress could have decided on its own). Accordingly, the public-rights exception’s domain should have an inverse relationship with Due Process’s domain. The essay concludes by considering whether Article III should track traditional notions of due process or modern ones.
Objective Measurement of Women's Post-Abortion Attitudes and the Relationship of Selected Variables to Those Attitudes

AbstractThis research objectively examined the attitudes of 151 post-abortion women, three to four weeks after their abortions. A Likert-type attitude scale and a variable data sheet were administered to each subject. An analysis of variance and a post hoc LSD were computed for the categories within each variable to determine the statistical significance of the differences in mean attitude scores. The 151 women had a mean attitude score on the positive end of the attitude continuum, and eleven variables were related to post abortion attitude. Most of the women felt relieved after their abortion, the most emotionally difficult time being the weeks preceding the abortion. The majority of women did not indicate the need for additional counseling and received their primary emotional support from their male partner. It is suggested that counseling be provided in the weeks prior to abortion, including sexual partners or significant others. Abortion attitudes should be objectively determined by counselors both p...
Environmental Effects on Human Health and Immune Responses

Depletion of stratospheric ozone is expected to lead to an increase in the amount of UV-B radiation present in sunlight. In addition to its well known ability to cause skin cancer, UV-B radiation has been shown to alter the immune system. The immune system plays an essential role in defending the body against invading organisms and provides resistance against the development of certain types of cancer. All of the known effects of UV-B radiation on the immune system are mediated through the skin. Because skin is our primary organ that comes in contact with the environment, changes that occur within the environment can alter the immune response by means of their interaction with the skin. Such an impairment of immune function may jeopardize health by increasing susceptibility to infectious diseases, increasing the severity of infections, or delaying recovery from infections. In addition, impaired immune function can increase the incidence of certain cancers, particularly cancers of the skin.
Technical Report: Partial Dependence through Stratification

Partial dependence curves (FPD) introduced by Friedman, are an important model interpretation tool, but are often not accessible to business analysts and scientists who typically lack the skills to choose, tune, and assess machine learning models. It is also common for the same partial dependence algorithm on the same data to give meaningfully different curves for different models, which calls into question their precision. Expertise is required to distinguish between model artifacts and true relationships in the data. In this paper, we contribute methods for computing partial dependence curves, for both numerical (StratPD) and categorical explanatory variables (CatStratPD), that work directly from training data rather than predictions of a model. Our methods provide a direct estimate of partial dependence, and rely on approximating the partial derivative of an unknown regression function without first fitting a model and then approximating its partial derivative. We investigate settings where contemporary partial dependence methods---including FPD, ALE, and SHAP methods---give biased results. Furthermore, we demonstrate that our approach works correctly on synthetic and plausibly on real data sets. Our goal is not to argue that model-based techniques are not useful. Rather, we hope to open a new line of inquiry into nonparametric partial dependence.
Evaluation of Serious Postmarket Safety Signals Within 2 Years of FDA Approval for New Cancer Drugs

BACKGROUND We examined how often new serious safety signals were identified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration within the first 2 years after approval for new molecular entities (NMEs) for treatment of cancer that required specific regulatory actions described here. METHODS We identified, for all NMEs approved for treatment of cancer or malignant hematology indications between 2010 and 2016, substantial safety-related changes within the first 2 years after approval, which included a new Boxed Warning or Warning and Precaution; requirement for (or modification of existing) Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS); and withdrawal from the market because of safety concerns. RESULTS Fifty-five NMEs were approved between 2010 and 2016: 32 (58%) under regular approval (RA) and 23 (42%) under accelerated approval (AA). Of these 55 NMEs, 9 (16%) had substantial safety-related changes after approval. Across all 55 NMEs, one was temporarily withdrawn from the market for safety reasons (1.8%); one (1.8%) required a new REMS; nine required labeling revisions-new Boxed Warnings were required for two NMEs (3.6%), and new Warnings and Precautions subsections were required for eight (14.6%). One drug (ponatinib) was responsible for several of the substantial safety-related changes (withdrawal, REMS, Boxed Warnings). One of 32 NMEs approved under RA required a new Warning and Precaution, whereas 7 of 23 NMEs approved under AA had substantial safety-related changes in the first 2 years after approval. CONCLUSION Based on our analysis we conclude that although there was a greater incidence of substantial safety-related changes to AA drugs versus RA drugs, the majority of these were changes to the Warnings and Precautions and did not substantially alter the benefit-risk profile of the drug. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE The majority of new cancer drugs (84%) approved in the U.S. do not have new substantial safety information being added to the label within the first 2 years of approval. Unprecedented efficacy seen in contemporary cancer drug development has led to early availability of effective cancer therapies based on large effects in smaller populations. More limited premarket safety data require diligent postmarketing safety surveillance as we continue to learn and update drug labeling throughout the product lifecycle.
The Perils of Prudence

Risk assessment is an integral part of decision-making at the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). In some US EPA programs, no regulatory decisions are made without considering risk, often in the form of a quantitative risk assessment. Partly because of its widespread use, quantitative risk assessment has come under increasing scrutiny, particularly the way assumptions are made and uncertainty is expressed: often, risk assessments ignore or gloss over uncertainty, and confine the expression of uncertainty to a qualitative discussion at the end of the document. In response to these concerns, the US EPA is reexamining the assumptions in its previous risk assessments, especially the assumptions in the cancer assessments, and is searching for new ways to incorporate and describe uncertainty.
ASCPN - A Security Evaluation System for Cyber Power Networks

This paper presents a new system for the security evaluation of power networks. The proposed system named ASCPN evaluates the security of power network operations based on the magnitude of changes between the voltage and power values of nodes resulting from a power flow analysis and the corresponding values of node-based perturbation estimation algorithms. The system computes the relative significance of power nodes, the power transfer between nodes, the amount of loading of lines, the dynamic changes of the power flow during perturbations and the availability of alternative lines for contingency. Results of the system implementation on an IEEE 57-bus system and on the 10-Machine New England 39-bus system show that the proposed system could be used to evaluate the vulnerability of nodes in a power network and lead up to 48% improvement in the security of the cyber power networks.