cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimating the reliability of an exposure variable in the presence of confounders

In this paper we discuss estimation of the reliability of an exposure variable in the presence of confounders measured without error. We give an explicit formula that shows how the exposure becomes less reliable as the degree of correlation between the exposure and confounders increases. We also discuss biases in the corresponding logistic regression estimates and methods for correction. Data from a matched case-control study of hormone levels and risk of breast cancer are used to illustrate the methods.
Press and TV as Opinion Resources in Presidential Campaigns

A comparison of campaign news in two successive presidential elections reveals major deficiencies in information supply. Newspaper audiences, even more than television viewers, receive confusing, heavily negative information which makes candidate appraisal difficult. Incumbency of one candidate does not lead to substantially greater emphasis on public policy issues and professional qualifications. A pattern of heavy stress on personal characteristics and daily campaign events prevails in all sources. Data come from content analysis of nearly 10,000 campaign stories from network television news and 20 U.S. daily newspapers. Doris A. Graber is Professor of Political Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle. POQ 40 (1976) 285-303 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.104 on Sun, 19 Jun 2016 06:43:58 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
Characterization of the transcriptional program of proliferative breast disease.

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA 4415 Proliferative Breast Disease (PBD) describes a sequence of preneoplastic changes in breast tissue that are associated with a four- to five-fold increase in risk for developing breast cancer. These progressive morphological changes, including hyperplasia and ductal carcinoma in situ, have been modeled using the MCF-10 series of breast epithelial cell lines. MCF-10A, 10AT, 10ATG3B, and CA1a cell lines have increasing tumorigenic potential when implanted in mice and represent a range from normal (10A) to highly tumorigenic (CA1a) cells. We used whole genome oligonucleotide microarrays to characterize the series of gene expression events associated with increasing proliferative potential in these cells. Our bioinformatics approach was tailored to identify the subset of genes that are differentially expressed at each step in the cell line progression. Thus, the differentially expressed genes associated with the A to AT, AT to 3B, and 3B to CA1a transitions were identified. Each of these sets of genes was further characterized to identify the gene ontologies, pathways, and chromosomes implicated in each step of increasing tumorigenicity. Additionally, computational analysis of transcription factor binding sites (TFBS) was performed to identify associated transcription factors. The results reveal that the A to AT transition is dominated by genes residing on chromosome 9, while the AT to 3B transition is associated with changes in expression for many genes on chromosome 20 and also those associated with lipid metabolism. Gene ontologies observed in the 3B to CA1a transition include steroid biosynthesis, apoptosis, and cell proliferation. Interestingly, the fraction of differentially expressed genes associated with transcriptional regulation increases with each step of increasing tumorigenicity. Computational analysis of TFBS provides evidence that ETS transcription factors may play a role in each step of the progression. This work was supported by NIH grants ES10595 and ES06639. AAD and SHK contributed equally to this work.
The Status of College and University Archives

IN 1966 the College and University Archives Committee of the Society of American Archivists undertook the first comprehensive survey of colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. The purpose was to ascertain, first, if an institutional archives existed, and, second, something about the nature and scope of the operation. In previous years there had been surveys of archival developments of segments of the higher education community. These studies had produced much useful information, but they did not encompass all institutions of higher learning in the United States and Canada. The 1966 survey was able with but very few exceptions to reach every accredited college and university in the two countries. In all, 46 institutions in Canada and 1,156 in the United States were surveyed. To carry out the work required the efforts of a small platoon of 44 volunteers. The data were obtained by means of a questionnaire, which though far from perfect was simple enough to encourage wide response and provided a considerable amount of significant information. The questionnaire elicited a wide variety of responses, some irritating, some humorous, nearly all useful. One miniscule college in Pennsylvania returned the unfilled questionnaire with a polite but haughty letter stating that because so many questionnaires had been received it had adopted the policy of answering none of them. One of the volunteers received a caustic letter from the archivist of one of the wealthiest institutions in the country complaining of the lack of a stamped return envelope. In another instance the chairman of the committee had to cool the ire of the president of a rather prestigious institution who was quite angry over what he felt was a misinterpretation of the data supplied by his institution. These were the exceptions, however. The general response was friendly, conscientious, and sincere. The data supplied give us the rough outlines of the state of the archival profession within colleges and universities. Of the institutions contacted, one in Canada and 320 in the United States did not respond to the questionnaire. Undoubtedly the principal reason for the failure of most of these institutions to reply was the fact that they had nothing
Participant use and communication of findings from exome sequencing: A mixed-methods study

This study investigated how genome sequencing results affect health behaviors, affect, and communication. We report on 29 participants who received a sequence result in the ClinSeq study, a cohort of well-educated, postreproductive volunteers. A mixed-methods design was used to explore respondents’ use, communication, and perceived utility of results. Most participants (72%) shared their result with at least one health-care provider, and 31% reported subsequent changes in the health care they received. Participants scored high on the Positive Experiences subscale and low on the Distress subscale of a modified version of the Multidimensional Impact of Cancer Risk Assessment. The majority (93%) shared their result with at least one family member. Participants described deriving personal utility from their results. This article is the first to describe research participants’ reactions to actionable sequencing results. Our findings suggest clinical and personal benefit from receiving sequencing results, both of which may contribute to improved health for the recipients. Given the participants’ largely positive or neutral affective responses and disclosure of their results to physicians and relatives, health-care providers should redirect concern from the potential for distress and attend to motivating patients to follow their medical recommendations. Genet Med 18 6, 577–583.
Physicians' and Nurse Practitioners' Level of Pessimism About End-of-Life Care During Training: Does It Change Over Time?

Abstract Context An enhanced understanding of trainee attitudes about end-of-life care is needed to inform interventions to improve clinician communication about dying and death. Objectives To examine changes in trainee pessimism about end-of-life care over the course of one academic year and to explore predictors of pessimism among residents, fellows, and nurse practitioners. Methods We used baseline and follow-up surveys completed by trainees during a randomized controlled trial of an intervention to improve clinician communication skills. Surveys addressed trainee feelings about end-of-life care. Latent variable modeling was used to identify indicators of trainee pessimism, and this pessimism construct was used to assess temporal changes in trainee attitudes about end-of-life care. We also examined predictors of trainee pessimism at baseline and follow-up. Data were available for 383 trainees from two training programs. Results There was a significant decrease in pessimism between baseline and follow-up assessments. Age had a significant inverse effect on baseline pessimism, with older trainees being less pessimistic. There was a direct association of race/ethnicity on pessimism at follow-up, with greater pessimism among minority trainees ( P = 0.028). The model suggests that between baseline and follow-up, pessimism among younger white non-Hispanic trainees decreased, whereas pessimism among younger trainees in racial/ethnic minorities increased over the same period. Conclusion Overall, trainee pessimism about end-of-life care decreases over time. Pessimism about end-of-life care among minority trainees may reflect the influence of culture on clinician attitudes about communication with seriously ill patients. Further research is needed to understand the evolution of trainee attitudes about end-of-life care during clinical training.
Strategies for Postrelease Supervision of Individuals with Serious Mental Illness: Comparing Specialized Community Corrections Officers to Those Not Serving on a Specialized Team

Specially trained parole/probation officers (STOs) increasingly manage caseloads of persons with serious mental illness (SMI). Using an online survey, we compared the supervision approaches of 90 STOs to 132 non-STOs who also currently work directly with adults who have SMI. Results indicate differences between STOs and non-STOs in caseloads and in knowledge and support regarding rehabilitative approaches (i.e., risks-, strengths-, or mental health-focused approaches). Support for a variety of approaches appears common despite the lack of models indicating how to combine aspects of each in practice and a lack of research as with whom specific combinations may be most effective.
Dual Energy: Characterization of Kidney Stone Composition

Symptomatic urinary stone disease affects approximately 900,000 people in the United States each year resulting in annual medical cost of $5.3 billion (National Kidney and Urological Diseases Advisory Board, 1990). Nephrolithiasis has traditionally been evaluated using radiographic techniques with intravenous (IV) contrast administration. In recent years, however, CT has supplanted these traditional techniques due to increased sensitivity, speed and lack of IV contrast. Furthermore, improved CT acquisition techniques can use less radiation dose than was required for a traditional excretory urogram.
A Simple Kinetic Model of Oil Generation, Vaporization, Coking, and Cracking

A simple model is presented that accounts for the effects of temperature, pressure, and externally supplied gas flow rate on the kinetics of oil evolution during oil shale pyrolysis. The primary transport mechanism for generated oil from retorting oil shale particles is, by far, vaporization in co-generated gases. The simple model is based on the concept that an equivalent volatility of the oil must be achieved in order to attain the same extent of oil evolution from the particle. Oil generated at lower temperature (hence, lower volatility) must undergo additional coking and cracking reactions to reach equivalent volatility, and that effect can be modeled by adding a simple term to the effective activation energy. This simple approach explains much of the compensation effect observed in the literature between apparent activation energies and frequency factors derived under different pyrolysis conditions. A similar approach can model the effect of pressure on oil evolution. The effect of pyrolysis temperat...
Parasitismus und ‘Endokrine Disruption’ in Fischen

In den 60er Jahren erfolgte im Bereich der Okotoxikologie ein Umdenken bezuglich der Strategien zur Erforschung und Bewertung von Umweltproblemen zugunsten von verstarkt holistischen Ansatzen. Diese Veranderungen waren auf Erkenntnisse zuruckzufuhren, dass die Wirkung von Schadstoffen auf Organismen in der Umwelt von den jeweiligen okologischen Bedingungen sowie anderen Umweltfaktoren beeinflusst werden. Endokrine und damit assoziierte reproduktionsbiologische Prozesse sind besonders stark von Umwelteinflussen abhangig. Daher ist es unverstandlich, dass entsprechende integrative Ansatze im Bereich der okotoxikologischen Bewertung von reproduktions-endokrinen Storungen eher selten in der heutigen Forschungslandschaft anzutreffen sind. Inzwischen mehren sich Stimmen sowohl aus der Wissenschaft als auch aus der Politik, die den Einsatz alternativer Ansatze in der Forschung mit Endokrinen Disruptoren fordern. Ziel dieses Beitrages ist die kritische Diskussion gegenwartiger Strategien und Forschungsansatze sowie die Identifizierung von alternativen Strategien in der Umweltrisikobewertung endokriner Disruptoren. Als Beispiel dienen okotoxikologische Studien zur Bewertung von endokrinen Storungen in freilebenden Brassen (Abramis brama) entlang der Elbe. Lokale Brassenpopulationen entlang der Elbe waren durch unterschiedliche Auspragungen endokriner Storungen charakterisiert. Trotz der relativ guten Datenlage zur Schadstoffbelastung von sowohl Wasser und Sedimenten/Schwebstoffen der unterschiedlichen untersuchten Flusstationen war es nicht moglich, die beobachteten biologischen Effekte der Exposition mit bestimmten Monosubstanzen bzw. komplexen Substanzgemischen zuzuordnen. Wahrend der grob-morphologischen Untersuchung der gefangenen Fische stellte sich heraus, dass in bestimmten Regionen eine grose Anzahl der Individuen der jeweiligen Brassenpopulation mit dem Bandwurm Ligula intestinalis parasitiert war. Die statistische Analyse des Datensatzes ergab, dass ein relativ hoher Prozentsatz der beobachteten Variabilitat der untersuchten Parameter sowohl zwischen den untersuchten Stationen als auch zwischen Individuen durch diesen Parasiten erklart werden konnte. Insgesamt weisen die Befunde dieser Studie jedoch auf ein komplexes Interaktionsgefuge von Exposition und Parasitisierung sowohl untereinander als auch mit den biologischen Messgrosen hin. Die luckenhafte Datenlage sowie Erkenntnisse aus den wenigen zur Verfugung stehenden Studien im Bereich der endokrinen Okotoxikologie machen deutlich, dass ein Umdenken bezuglich der Charakterisierung und Bewertung von Expositionsszenarien, insbesondere im Hinblick auf ihr Potential, endokrine Storungen in Organismen zu verursachen, notwendig ist. Berucksichtigt man die komplexe Natur von Expositionsszenarien in der aquatischen Umwelt, so sollte dieses Umdenken zugunsten holistischer Ansatze erfolgen, die im ursprunglichen Sinne des Begriffes Okotoxikologie sowohl Okologie als auch Toxikologie integrieren.
Effect of organic and inorganic acids on poliovirus at 50 degrees C.

SummaryType 1 attenuated poliovirus (LSc) was stabilized at 50°C at pH 4.0 to 5.0 in acetic, oxalic and lactic acids. The type 1 virulent strain (Mahoney) was inactivated to a greater degree in all concentrations of these acids at 50°C than in distilled water. Citric, tartaric, benzoic and salicylic acids at pH 4.0 stabilized the attenuated strain to a high degree but the virulent strain only slightly. Inorganic acids (HCl, HNO3, H3PO4 and H2SO4) stabilized the attenuated strain from pH 3.0 to 5.5, but had no effect on the virulent strain. Thus another in vitro character, the acid marker, is available for distinguishing between attenuated and virulent polioviruses.
Patents and literature: selective biotransformations

Stereo- and regioselective biotransformations is an area of intense research interest. The ability to take advantage of microorganisms and isolated enzyme systems to perform selective organic syntheses is well known. In recent years, several new methodologies have caused a rapid growth in the area of selective biotransformations. These novel techniques include genetic and protein engineering, biocatalysis in organic media, improved screening procedures, as well as an increased awareness of the value of biotechnology to solve important problems in organic synthesis. Recent US patents and scientific literature on stereo- and regioselective biotransformations are surveyed. Patent abstracts are summarized individually and a list of literature references are given.
Prognostic Implications of Tumor Diameter in Association With Gene Expression Profile for Uveal Melanoma

Importance Uveal melanoma (UM) can be divided into prognostically significant subgroups based on a prospectively validated and widely used 15-gene expression profile (GEP) test. Class 1 UMs have a low risk and class 2 UMs have a high risk for metastasis. Objective To determine whether any clinicopathologic factors provide independent prognostic information that may enhance the accuracy of the GEP classification. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective observational study performed at 2 ocular oncology referral centers included 339 patients in a primary cohort and 241 patients in a validation cohort. Both cohorts had a diagnosis of UM arising from the ciliary body and/or choroid. All patients underwent tumor biopsy for GEP prognostic testing. Clinicopathologic variables included patient age and sex, tumor thickness, largest basal tumor diameter (LBD), ciliary body involvement, and pathologic cell type. Patients from the primary cohort were enrolled from November 1, 1998, to March 16, 2012; from the validation cohort, from November 4, 1996, to November 7, 2013. Follow-up for the primary cohort was completed on August 18, 2013; for the validation cohort, December 10, 2013. Data were analyzed from November 12, 2013, to November 25, 2015. Main Outcome and Measures Progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary outcome was overall survival. Results The primary cohort included 339 patients (175 women [51.6%]; mean [SD] age, 61.8 [13.6] years). The most significant prognostic factor was GEP classification (exp[b], 10.33; 95% CI, 4.30-24.84;P Conclusions and Relevance Class 2 UMs had better prognosis when the LBD was less than 12 mm at the time of treatment. These findings could have important implications for patient counseling, primary tumor treatment, clinical trial enrollment, metastatic surveillance, and adjuvant therapy.
Method for determination of cesium hydroxide in workplace air by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

Objective:To establish a method for determination of cesium hydroxide in the air of workplace by flame atomic absorption spectrometry.Methods:The sample was absorbed with micro-filter and desorpted by water.KCl as deionization,Cesium hydroxide was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry.Results:The linear range of calibration curves was 0~30 μg/ml,equation of linear regression Y=0.0163X+0.00658,r=0.9997.Retention efficiency 95.0%~102.5%,precision was 1.8%~2.1%,the detection limit was 0.11 μg/ml.The sample could be preserved for at least 14 days at room temperature.Conclusion:This method is suitable for determination of cesium hydroxide in the workplace air.
Body mass index and mortality in asian populations: implications for obesity cut-points.

Investigators have questioned whether body mass index (BMI, kg/m 2 ) cut-points for obesity used in the United States and Europe are appropriate for Asian countries. A recent study examined the association between BMI and mortality in a population-based cohort of Japanese men and women. These and other results did not indicate a need for lower cut-points in Asians.
Restoring the Political Thoughts on the Contribution of Adolph Reed Jr.

This article focuses on the key contributions made by Adolph Reed Jr., focusing on his efforts to “restore the political” to analysis of urban politics and race. Reed’s position resists the lamentable tendency to “naturalize” political phenomena through abstractions such as the rational, utility-maximizing individual; the unitary city interest; and notion of a corporate black interest. In particular, Reed brings into sharp relief the deficiencies of Paul Peterson’s “city limits” idea and the widely popularized notion that African Americans share a “collective racial interest.” I offer an interpretation of Reed’s work that suggests, notwithstanding the centrality of critique in his work, that he offers an optimistic vision that opens up the possibility of alternatives to neoliberalism and its attendant ills.
Particle Size and Permeability in Slip Casting

Ceramic slips are suspensions of polydisperse, lyophobic particles in a liquid, with particles ranging more or less continuously from an upper to some lower size limit. Colloidal lyophobic particles aggregate readily in suspensions, owing to Brownian motion and attracting van der Waals forces, unless these forces are offset by electric double-layers or liquid-solid affinity or both1. Casting slips are fluid high solids suspensions of one or more particulate materials deflocculated by one or more agents that cause development of diffuse electric double-layers. Certain other agents promote compression of double-layers and lead to coagulation. In practice, casting slip rheological and casting properties are controlled by a balance between coagulating and deflocculating agents2.
Adherence in Medicine

After gathering an appropriate history and conducting a diagnostic clinical interview, the biopsychosocial formulation for the patient should drive the comprehensive treatment plan. Selecting the right intervention in collaboration with the patient is complex and open for modification over the treatment course. Furthermore, prescribing a treatment in psychiatry is rarely sufficient to cause a particular clinical disorder to quickly enter full remission without relapse. One of the key factors in treatment success is for patients to actually adhere to their agreed upon treatment plans.
Abstract 4607: Mediator kinase module as a transducer of oncogenic Wnt/beta-catenin signaling

Dysregulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling promotes colorectal cancer (CRC) and other types of malignancies through unprogrammed changes in gene transcription that drive tumorigenesis. CDK8 is a CRC oncoprotein whose amplification-dependent overexpression identifies a significant subset of CRC patients with poor prognosis. CDK8 kinase activity, along with Cyclin C (CycC), drives tumorigenesis by stimulating β-catenin transcriptional activity. Thus, inhibition of CDK8 kinase function offers a promising therapeutic approach for CDK8-overexpressing CRCs. CycC-CDK8, along with MED12 and MED13, compose a four-subunit “kinase” module within Mediator, a conserved multiprotein interface between gene-specific transcription factors and RNA Polymerase II. We have previously identified a network of physical and functional interactions within the Mediator kinase module critical for oncogenic Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Mechanistically, β-catenin binds directly to MED12 in Mediator, thus activating CycC-dependent CDK8 kinase activity and β-catenin transcriptional activity. More specifically, MED12-dependent CDK8 activation occurs through a direct interaction involving the MED12 N-terminus and a phylogenetically conserved surface groove on CycC. Here, we demonstrate that mutagenic disruption of the MED12/CycC interface in CRC cell lines leads to uncoupling of CycC-CDK8 to MED12 and core Mediator, and concomitant loss of Mediator-associated CDK8 activity. Transcriptome analysis of cells lacking CDK8 kinase function revealed downregulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and other oncogenic pathways, consequently impairing CRC cell proliferation and clonogenicity. Our studies therefore identify the MED12/CycC interface as a critical transducer of oncogenic Wnt/β-catenin signaling. By validating MED12/CycC as a potential therapeutic target, our findings have significant implications in current methods of treating CRC as they pave a way for development of novel, targeted inhibitors of Wnt/β-catenin signaling to treat colorectal and other CDK8-driven driven malignancies. Supported by MH085320-05 (TGB), RP140435 (TGB) and T32DE14318 (ADC). Citation Format: Alison Clark, Marieke Oldenbroek, Yao Wang, Jason Spaeth, Fangjian Gao, Victor X. Jin, Thomas Boyer. Mediator kinase module as a transducer of oncogenic Wnt/beta-catenin signaling. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4607.
Social Value, Children, and the Human Right to Education

espanolEl valor social de las instituciones educativas debe ser capturado por cualquier conceptualizacion adecuada del derecho humano a la educacion. La sociedad en su conjunto se beneficia de la educacion formal debido a su interseccion con otros objetivos sociales como la alfabetizacion, la participacion politica, la igualdad y, en particular, la buena salud. En este sentido, el valor social es importante en un sentido aspiracional: la educacion proporciona un lugar donde la accion politica significativa puede ocurrir y es socialmente valiosa como una manera de superar la opresion en una sociedad. La inclusion de este valor social como parte de lo que el derecho humano protege ofrece claras ventajas para nuestra comprension del derecho humano a la educacion de los ninos. Trata el reto conceptualizar como el derecho humano a la educacion es aplicable en los casos de la pobreza infantil e inseguridad social. Tambien proporciona recursos teoricos para abordar el conflicto social que resulta de la escolarizacion formal, incluida la tension entre los ninos y tutores respecto de la educacion de los ninos. EnglishThe social value of educational institutions must be captured by any adequate conceptualization of the human right to education. Society as a whole is benefited by formal education because of its intersection with other social goals like literacy, political engagement, equality, and in particular, good health. In this sense, the social value is importantly aspirational: education provides a place where meaningful political action can occur and is socially valuable as a way to overcome oppression in a society. Including this social value as part of what the human right protects offers distinct advantages for our understanding of children’s human right to education, as well. It addresses the challenge of conceptualizing how the human right to education is applicable in cases of child poverty and social insecurity. It also provides theoretical resources to address social conflict that results from providing formal schooling, including tension between children and guardians regarding children’s education.
Risk Assessment for Working with Infectious Agents in the Biological Laboratory

Seventeen risk factors for working with infectious agents in the laboratory and animal facility environment are identified and discussed. The risk factors are useful in performing qualitative risk ...
Hillary Clinton's Electoral College Defeat: It Almost Happened to George W. Bush in 2004

Supporters of Hillary Clinton are understandably upset about President-elect Donald Trump's victory in the Electoral College, as a result of which it appears he will lawfully take office on January 20, 2017, as the 45th President of the United States.Both Democrats and Republicans, however, are drawing the wrong historical parallels to the shocking outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Everyone compares it to 2000, when Democrat Al Gore defeated Republican George W. Bush by a much narrower margin in the popular vote, while Bush achieved a narrow majority in the Electoral College.Many have also pointed to three earlier cases in American history when the candidate who lost the popular vote eventually won the presidency, either in Congress (1824), in the Electoral College (1888), or in the Electoral College pursuant to resolution of disputed votes by an Electoral Commission specially created by Congress (1876). And it is true that all five of these elections point to serious flaws in our electoral system that cry out for a constitutional amendment.But the better and more intriguing parallel, one to which Republicans in particular should pay closer attention, is to President Bush's reelection in 2004. Democrat John Kerry very nearly succeeded in stealing the presidency from Bush by doing exactly what Trump did succeed in doing in 2016: winning by narrow margins in a handful of large, crucial, midwestern states, while losing the overall popular vote by a healthy margin.This historical precedent, only 12 years old, should make Republicans recognize that they have as much of a vested interest as Democrats in amending our Constitution to get rid of the dangerously archaic, unpredictable, and anti-popular Electoral College.The author of this essay is working on such a proposed draft constitutional amendment.
Mitigation of Structural-Acoustic Mode Coupling in a Modal Test of a Hollow Structure

A phenomenon in which structural and internal acoustic modes couple is occasionally observed during modal testing. If the structural and acoustic modes are compatible (similar frequencies and shapes), the structural mode can split into two separate modes with the same shape but different frequencies; where one mode is expected, two are observed in the structural response. For a modal test that will inform updates to an analytical model (e.g. finite element), the test and model conditions should closely match. This implies that a system exhibiting strongly coupled structural-acoustic modes in test should have a corresponding analytical model that captures that coupling. However, developing and running a coupled structural-acoustic finite element model can be challenging and may not be necessary for the end use of the model. In this scenario, it may be advantageous to alter the test conditions to match the in-vacuo structural model by de-coupling the structural and acoustic modes. Here, acoustic absorption material was used to decouple the modes and attempt to measure the in-vacuo structural response. It was found that the split peak could be eliminated by applying sufficient acoustic absorbing material to the air cavity. However, it was also observed that the amount of acoustic absorbing material had an effect on the apparent structural damping of a second, separate mode. Analytical and numerical methods were used to demonstrate how coupled systems interact with changes to damping and mode frequency proximity while drawing parallels to the phenomena observed during modal tests.
No Substitute for Experience: Presidents, Advisers, and Information in Group Decision Making

Despite advances in the study of individuals in international relations, we still know little about how the traits and biases of individuals aggregate. Most foreign policy decisions are made in groups, usually by elites with varying degrees of experience, which can have both positive and negative psychological effects. This paper addresses the aggregation problem by exploring how the balance of foreign policy experience among leaders and advisers affects decision making in war, using a principal-agent framework that allows the relative experience of leaders and advisers to vary. A leader's experience affects decision making and, ultimately, the risks associated with conflict, through three mechanisms. First, experience influences a leader's ability to monitor advisers. Second, a leader's experience affects the credibility of delegation to experienced advisers and, in turn, the nature and extent of information gathering. Third, experience affects whether leaders are able to diversify advice, as well as their preference for policies that appear certain. I illustrate the argument using two cases that hold an unusual number of factors constant: the 1991 and 2003 Iraq Wars. George W. Bush's inexperience exacerbated the biases of his advisers, whereas his father's experience cast a long shadow over many of the same officials. Understanding the experience and biases of any one individual is insufficient—the balance of experience within a group is also important. Experience is therefore not fungible: a seasoned team cannot substitute for an experienced leader.
Conflict of Interest and the Role of the Food Industry in Nutrition Research

Across medical and scientific research, few areas are as relevant to health as food and nutrition. Suboptimal diet is associated with more deaths and disability worldwide than any other modifiable factor; in the United States alone, poor diet is linked to almost 1000 cardiovascular and diabetes deaths per day.1 The direct and indirect costs of diet-related chronic diseases are astonishing and in the United States are estimated to be as much as $1 trillion annually
Effects of Neem on Spiders

Spiders are often quite susceptible to the pesticides used to control pest insect species. However, botanical insecticides, especially those derived from the neem tree, have been shown to be less toxic to spiders than synthetics.
Managerial resources and International expansion: the Moderating Role of Middle Managers’ Size

This paper examines how international experience and the tenure of top management teams (TMTs) moderated by middle manager (MM) size influence firms’ internationalization. Employing information- processing theory to emphasize that middle managers provide information processing capabilities that assist TMTs to cope with the high demands of information-processing in strategic decisions of international markets. We sample 242 listed manufacturing firms in the optoelectronics and textile industries for the 2006-2010 period. The findings indicate an inverted U curvilinear relationship exists between TMT tenure and firms' internationalization. The MM size positively moderates the relationship between TMT international experience and tenure and firms’ internationalization.
Moving obstacle avoidance for large, high-speed autonomous ground vehicles

This work introduces the use of hard constraints to avoid moving obstacles for navigating a large, high-speed autonomous ground vehicle in an unstructured environment using nonlinear model predictive control in a single-level architecture, where path planning and tracking are combined into a single optimization problem. Additionally, the hard constraints approach is compared to the traditional approach in this context which implements obstacle avoidance by augmenting the obstacle avoidance requirements into the cost function as soft constraints. In both approaches, the control signals, which are steering angle command and reference longitudinal speed, are optimized using a nonlinear vehicle dynamics model, where the objective is to minimize the time-to-goal. Results indicate that the hard constraints approach outperforms the soft constraints approach both in terms of obstacle avoidance performance and optimization time.
Fluoroscopic percutaneous brush cytology, forceps biopsy and both in tandem for diagnosis of malignant biliary obstruction.

To evaluate percutaneous brush cytology, forceps biopsy and a tandem procedure consisting of both, in the diagnosis of malignant biliary obstruction. A retrospective review of consecutive patients who underwent biliary brush cytology and/or forceps biopsy between 01/2010 and 09/2014 was performed. The cytology and pathology results were compared to the composite outcome (including radiological, pathological and clinical data). Cost for tandem procedure compared to brush cytology and forceps biopsy alone was calculated. A total of 232 interventions in 129 patients (70.8 ± 11.0 years) were included. Composite outcome showed malignancy in 94/129 (72.9%) patients. Sensitivity for brush cytology, forceps biopsy and tandem procedure was 40.6% (95% CI 32.6–48.7%), 42.7% (32.4–53.0%) and 55.8% (44.7–66.9%) with 100% specificity, respectively. There were 9/43 (20.9%) additional cancers diagnosed when forceps biopsy was performed in addition to brush cytology, while there were 13/43 (30.2%) more cancers diagnosed when brush cytology was performed in addition to forceps biopsy. Additional costs per additionally diagnosed malignancy if tandem approach is to be utilised in all cases was $704.96. Using brush cytology and forceps biopsy in tandem improves sensitivity compared to brush cytology and forceps biopsy alone in the diagnosis of malignant biliary obstruction. • Tandem procedure improves sensitivity compared to brush cytology and forceps biopsy. • Brush cytology may help to overcome “crush artefacts” from forceps biopsy. • The cost per diagnosed malignancy may warrant tandem procedure in all patients.
Petrobactin Is Exported from Bacillus anthracis by the RND-Type Exporter ApeX

Bacillus anthracis-a Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium-causes anthrax, a highly lethal disease with high bacteremia titers. Such rapid growth requires ample access to nutrients, including iron. However, access to this critical metal is heavily restricted in mammals, which requires B. anthracis to employ petrobactin, an iron-scavenging small molecule known as a siderophore. Petrobactin biosynthesis is mediated by asb gene products, and import of the iron-bound (holo)-siderophore into the bacterium has been well studied. In contrast, little is known about the mechanism of petrobactin export following its production in B. anthracis cells. Using a combination of bioinformatics data, gene deletions, and laser ablation electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LAESI-MS), we identified a resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND)-type transporter, termed ApeX, as a putative petrobactin exporter. Deletion of apeX abrogated export of intact petrobactin, which accumulated inside the cell. However, growth of ΔapeX mutants in iron-depleted medium was not affected, and virulence in mice was not attenuated. Instead, petrobactin components were determined to be exported through a different protein, which enables iron transport sufficient for growth, albeit with a slightly lower affinity for iron. This is the first report to identify a functional siderophore exporter in B. anthracis and the in vivo functionality of siderophore components. Moreover, this is the first application of LAESI-MS to sample a virulence factor/metabolite directly from bacterial culture media and cell pellets of a human pathogen.IMPORTANCEBacillus anthracis requires iron for growth and employs the siderophore petrobactin to scavenge this trace metal during infections. While we understand much about petrobactin biosynthesis and ferric petrobactin import, how apo-petrobactin (iron free) is exported remains unknown. This study used a combination of bioinformatics, genetics, and mass spectrometry to identify the petrobactin exporter. After screening 17 mutants with mutations of candidate exporter genes, we identified the a po- p etrobactin ex porter (termed ApeX) as a member of the resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND) family of transporters. In the absence of ApeX, petrobactin accumulates inside the cell while continuing to export petrobactin components that are capable of transporting iron. Thus, the loss of ApeX does not affect the ability of B. anthracis to cause disease in mice. This has implications for treatment strategies designed to target and control pathogenicity of B. anthracis in humans.
mRNA Translation Gone Awry: Translation Fidelity and Neurological Disease

Errors during mRNA translation can lead to a reduction in the levels of functional proteins and an increase in deleterious molecules. Advances in next-generation sequencing have led to the discovery of rare genetic disorders, many caused by mutations in genes encoding the mRNA translation machinery, as well as to a better understanding of translational dynamics through ribosome profiling. We discuss here multiple neurological disorders that are linked to errors in tRNA aminoacylation and ribosome decoding. We draw on studies from genetic models, including yeast and mice, to enhance our understanding of the translational defects observed in these diseases. Finally, we emphasize the importance of tRNA, their associated enzymes, and the inextricable link between accuracy and efficiency in the maintenance of translational fidelity.
Adenoma Detection Rate Falls at the End of the Day in a Large Multi-site Sample.

There is concern that mental and physical fatigue among endoscopists over the course of the day will lead to lower adenoma detection rate (ADR). There are mixed findings in the prior literature on whether such an association exists. The aim of this study was to measure the association between the number of colonoscopies performed in a day and ADR and withdrawal time. We analyzed 86,624 colonoscopy and associated pathology reports between October 2013 and September 2015 from 131 physicians at two medical centers. A previously validated natural language processing program was used to abstract relevant data. We identified the order of colonoscopies performed in the physicians’ schedule and calculated the ADR and withdrawal time for each colonoscopy position. The ADR for our overall sample was 29.9 (CI 29.6–30.2). The ADR for colonoscopies performed at the 9th + position was significantly lower than those at the 1st–4th or 5th–8th position, 27.2 (CI 25.8–28.6) versus 29.9 (CI 29.5–30.3), 30.2 (CI 29.6–30.9), respectively. Withdrawal time steadily decreased by colonoscopy position going from 11.6 (CI 11.4–11.9) min for the 1st colonoscopy to 9.6 (8.9–10.3) min for the 9th colonoscopy. In our study population, ADR and withdrawal time decrease by roughly 7 and 20%, respectively, by the end of the day. Our results imply that rather than mental or physical fatigue, lower ADR at the end of the day might be driven by endoscopists rushing.
Optimizing Perforator Selection: A Multivariable Analysis of Predictors for Fat Necrosis and Abdominal Morbidity in DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction

Background:This study aims to elucidate the important predicting factors for fat necrosis and abdominal morbidity in the patient undergoing deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flap reconstruction.Methods:The authors conducted a retrospective review of 866 free-flap breast reconstructions perf
Electromigration in Interconnects and Contacts

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses electromigration in interconnects and contacts. The term electromigration refers to the current-induced displacement of atoms that occurs in a conductive material maintained at an elevated temperature and through which current is passed. The majority of the experimental results for electromigration in fine lines suggest that the primary consideration for evaluating accelerated test results is the electric field-driven convective term in the overall continuity equation. Comparatively few experimental results are available presently that have studied this phenomenon compared to electromigration in lines. The chapter also discusses accelerated testing. It also describes electromigration test techniques for fine lines, and presents recent developments using transient resistance measurements. The improvements in electromigration resistance can be accomplished by the addition of dopants, control of the film microstructure, and the presence of dielectric overlayers. These improvements are marked by either higher activation energies or longer meantime to failure.
GaInAsP/GaInAs Tandem Solar Cell with 32.6% One-Sun Efficiency

We demonstrate two-junction, inverted metamorphic GaInAsP/GaInAs solar cells grown by MOVPE on GaAs substrates. The bandgaps of the two junctions were ~1.7 and ~1.1 eV, respectively; the second junction was grown monolithically on a transparent AlGaInAs compositionally graded buffer layer. This tandem architecture achieved a one-sun efficiency of (32.6 ± 1.4)% under the AM1.5 G173 global spectrum at 1000 W/m2, highlighting the promise of newly developed high quality alloys in combination with highly transparent metamorphic buffers with low dislocation density.
Monitoring the strength development of alkali-activated materials using an ultrasonic cement analyzer

Abstract The ultrasonic cement analyzer (UCA) is used as an aid to develop new cement formulations or perform quality assessment on existing formulations prior to on-site application. The non-destructive UCA technique monitors the strength development of cements by measuring the time required for ultrasonic waves to travel through the cement sample and predicting the strength using empirical correlations, which were developed for ordinary Portland cement slurries. Unfortunately, these empirical correlations cannot be used to accurately predict the strength development for fly ash-based alkali activated materials (AAMs), which are a viable alternative to ordinary Portland cement slurries for oil-well cementing applications. Therefore, a new empirical correlation linking the transit time (i.e. the time required for ultrasonic waves to travel through a unit length of the cement sample) to the compressive strength of fly ash-based AAMs was developed in this study. Class F fly ash was activated by four different alkaline solutions, two sodium hydroxide solutions with 6M and 8M concentrations and two sodium silicate solutions with SiO2/Na2O weight ratio of 0.12 and sodium concentration of 6M and 8M, to produce 4 different slurries which were cured under downhole conditions. 50 mm cubes were crushed to determine the compressive strength of these AAMs after 18, 24, 48, and 72 h of curing. UCA testing was conducted to measure the transit time up to 72 h of curing. Linear regression was performed to develop a correlation linking the measured compressive strength to the measured transit time and AAM mix design parameters. One-way ANOVA analysis revealed that the change in transit time, the concentration of sodium in the activator solution, the SiO2/Na2O weight ratio of the activator solution, and the CaO content of the FA were all significant in predicting the compressive strength of the resulting AAM. The proposed model is applicable for AAMs prepared using Class F fly ash and sodium hydroxide/silicate activating solution with sodium concentration and SiO2/Na2O weight ratio ranging between 6M and 8M and 0 and 0.12, respectively.
Noninvasive sublingual microvascular imaging reveals sex-specific reduction in glycocalyx barrier properties in patients with coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND Risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) have been associated with endothelial dysfunction and degradation of the endothelial glycocalyx. This study was designed to compare sublingual microvascular perfusion and glycocalyx barrier properties in CAD patients and controls using noninvasive side stream darkfield imaging. METHODS Imaging of the sublingual microvasculature was performed in 52 case subjects (CAD confirmed by left heart catheterization) and 63 controls (low Framingham risk score). Red blood cell (RBC) filling percentage and functional microvascular density, measures of microvascular perfusion, and perfused boundary region (PBR), an index of glycocalyx barrier function, were measured in microvessels with a diameter ranging from 5-25 µm. RESULTS RBC filling percentage was lower in patients with CAD compared to controls (p < .001). Functional microvascular density did not differ between groups. The overall PBR was marginally greater in the CAD group compared to the control group (p = .08). PBR did not differ between male CAD cases and controls (p = .17). However, PBR was greater in females with CAD compared with female controls (p = .04), indicating reduced glycocalyx barrier function. This difference became more pronounced after adjusting for potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that patients with CAD are characterized by a reduction in percentage of time microvessels are occupied by RBCs. In addition, CAD is significantly associated with impaired sublingual microvascular glycocalyx barrier function in women but not men. More research is needed to determine the significance of peripheral microvascular dysfunction in the pathophysiology of CAD, and how this may differ by sex.