cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular Profiling of Tumor Cells in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Matched Primary Tumors from Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients with Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis

Although leptomeningeal carcinomatosis is a well-established clinical syndrome, virtually nothing is known about the tumor cells responsible for this particularly aggressive metastatic process. To isolate cerebrospinal fluid-derived tumor cells (CSFTC) from 15 patients with metastatic breast cancer diagnosed with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, CSF samples were subjected to a two-step method involving immunomagnetic enrichment and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (IE/FACS), a technique previously used for isolating circulating tumor cells (CTC) from blood. CSFTCs were subjected to genome-wide copy number analysis by array comparative genomic hybridization. Genomic profiling was successfully performed for 13 of 15 patients (87%). Copy number analysis in CSFTCs revealed genomic alterations commonly observed in primary breast cancer and CTCs, indicating their malignant origin. Interestingly, 12 (92%) harbored high-level gains on the 8q24 locus, which includes the MYC oncogene. Comparison of CSFTCs against corresponding archival primary tumors in six patients revealed clonal relationships with some divergence. Good concordance among serial samples attested to the reproducibility of the assay. Our approach for isolation and molecular analysis of CSFTCs yielded new insights into the molecular nature of these cells. Further genomic and functional analyses may help elucidate mechanisms by which tumor cells metastasize to the central nervous system.
When a Lot of Knowledge Is a Dangerous Thing: The Debilitating Effects of Plan Complexity on Verbal Fluency.

Three experiments examined the relationships among plan complexity, access to planned actions, and verbal fluency while pursuing a persuasion goal. Consistent with theoretical expectations, complex planners were less fluent than less complex planners under high access conditions. Persons whose access was raised were less fluent than those whose access was not raised. A second experiment showed that reduced fluency was not induced by lowering of self-confidence. The third experiment replicated the findings of the second experiment and demonstrated that the questioning procedure used to raise access in the first two experiments produced increases in plan complexity as suggested by theory. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the study of strategic communication.
RAFT technology for the production of advanced photoresist polymers

Reversible Addition Fragmentation Chain Transfer (RAFT) technology has been developed for use in producing high yield low polydispersity (PD) polymers for many applications. RAFT technology is being used to produce low PD polymers and to allow control of the polymer architecture. A variety of polymers are being synthesized for use in advanced photoresists using this technique. By varying the RAFT reagent used we can modulate the system reactivity of the RAFT reagent and optimize it for use in acrylate or methacrylate monomer systems (193 and 193i photoresist polymers) or for use in styrenic monomer systems (248 nm photoresist polymers) to achieve PD as low as 1.05. RAFT polymerization technology also allows us to produce block copolymers using a wide variety of monomers. These block copolymers have been shown to be useful in self assembly polymer applications to produce unique and very small feature sizes. The mutual compatibilities of all the components within a single layer 193 photoresist are very important in order to achieve low LWR and low defect count. The advent of immersion imaging demands an additional element of protection at the solid/liquid interface. We have used RAFT technology to produce block copolymers comprising a random “resist” block with composition and size based on conventional dry photoresist materials, and a “low surface energy” block for use in 193i lithography. The relative block lengths and compositions may be varied to tune solution behavior, surface energy, contact angles, and solubility in developer. The use of this technique will be explored to produce polymers used in hydrophobic single layer resists as well as additives compatible with the main photoresist polymer.
Contribution of Individual Culms to Yield of Salt-Stressed Wheat

Grain yield in wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Thell.) is highly dependent upon the number of spike-hearing tillers produced by each plant. Soil salinity can greatly decrease their number and productivity. Knowing the contribution of specific tillers is essential for breeding salt-tolerant genotypes and for developing wheat growth simulation models. Our objective was to determine the effects of soil salinity on the contribution of individual cuhns to total grain and dry matter yields of two spring wheat cultivars, Anza and Yecora Rojo. Plants were grown in Pacbappa fine sandy loam soil (mixed, thermic, Mollic Haploxeralf) in outdoor lysimeters for 2 yr. Three salinity treatments were imposed by irrigating with waters containing equal weights of NaCl and CaClr (electrical conductivities z 1, 12, or 18 dS m-r). Despite substantial losses in the number of tillers at moderate levels of salt stress, grain yields of the main stem (MS) and tillers Tl and T2 were as great or greater than those on nonstressed plants of both cultivars. The contribution of the MS to yield on a land area basis increased from about 25 to 35% in nonsaline treatments to over 80% with increasing salinity. The contribution of primary tillers (E 5865% in nonsaline conditions) decreased substantially only at the highest salinity levels. Salinity stress significantly decreased the number of spikelets per spike but the number of kernels per spike either increased or was unaffected except at the highest level of stress. Increasing salinity decreased total straw yields primarily because of fewer tillers, but dry weights of the MSs and remaining tillers were also smaller. Results show that loss of spike-bearing tillers accounts for most of the yield reduction in salt-stressed wheat.
The Virtues of Balm in Late Medieval Literature

This article argues that balm, or balsam, was, by the late medieval period, believed to be a panacea, capable of healing wounds and illnesses, and also preventing putrefaction. Natural history and pharmacological texts on balm from the ancient and late antique periods emphasized specific qualities of balm, especially its heat; these were condensed and repeated in medieval encyclopedias. The rarity and cost of balsam, from antiquity through the medieval period, and the high rate of counterfeiting also demonstrate its high demand and significance in medicine and religious ritual. Travel writing and itineraria from the early and central medieval periods added a new layer to ideas about the capabilities of balsam: that it originated from a Christian miracle and was a particularly Christian plant.
Older spouses' cortisol responses to marital conflict: associations with demand/withdraw communication patterns.

We examined 31 older couples’ wife demand/husband withdraw communication patterns and cortisol responses to marital conflict. Regression analyses indicated that wife demand/husband withdraw sequences during conflict related to cortisol responses only for wives. Based on a mixed model that accounted for the interdependence of spouses’ perceptions of communication patterns and outcomes, older spouses who reported greater wife demand/husband withdraw patterns in their marriage had greater cortisol responses during a conflict discussion; actual demand-withdraw did not relate to cortisol responses in this model. Findings suggest that perceived communication patterns contribute to neuroendocrine responses to marital conflict, and implications for marriage and health research with older couples are discussed.
A Vortex Pair Impinging on a Solid Boundary

An experimental investigation is conducted which considers the interaction of a vortex pair propagating towards a solid boundary. This problem holds significance in several engineering applications including investigations into trailing wing tip vortices and their interaction with the ground. Data are acquired with both a high-speed digital video camera and a laser Doppler velocimetry system (LDV). The digital video camera is used to capture the development and trajectory of one of the primary vortices for a variety of pitch rates. The flow field is assumed to be symmetric and only half of it is investigated. The LDV system measures two components of velocity in a plane at the center of the vortex generating flaps. Grids of data were acquired for three pitch rates and a variety of locations. It is determined that the initial vortex trajectory behaves very much like an inviscid analysis of this problem. Upon development of a secondary vortex, due to separation at the wall, the primary vortex is seen to meander and even stall.
A Watershed in White House Journalism: Explaining the Post-1968 Rise of Aggressive Presidential News

Presidential journalism is known to have grown substantially more aggressive through the 1970s and beyond, but a definitive explanation for this trend remains elusive. Some suggest that events surrounding Vietnam and Watergate transformed the professional norms of journalism. However, the trend could also be a more superficial and transitory response to other circumstantial factors that converged in the same time period, such as president-level characteristics (the prevalence of Republicans, Washington outsiders, and more vigorous news management efforts), the political environment (the rise of official discord), and the economic environment (a downturn in the business cycle). This study disentangles these various factors and assesses their relative success in explaining trends in journalistic conduct in the postwar era. Data are drawn from a large sample of presidential news conferences from 1953 through 2000, focusing on the aggressiveness of journalists' questions. The results strongly support the norm...
Boundary conditions as dynamical fields

The possibility of treating boundary conditions in terms of a bilocal dynamical field is formalized in terms of a boundary action. This allows for a simple path-integral perturbation theory approach to physical effects such as radiation from a time-dependent boundary. The nature of the action which governs the dynamics of the bilocal field is investigated for a limited case (which includes the Robin boundary conditions).
BACB Certification Trends: State of the States (1999 to 2014)

Since the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) was officially created in 1998 (Shook, 2005), the number of individuals certified by the BACB has grown significantly, particularly in the USA. Some states have witnessed a steady growth in the number of certificants, whereas others have witnessed exponential growth. Many factors could account for these overall growth patterns, including (a) geographic variations in distribution of certificants across states, (b) the passage of autism insurance reform laws or state licensing laws that influence the professional practice of applied behavior analysis (ABA) services, and (c) the presence of major academic or practicum training programs. This report documents the growth and geographic distribution of Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBAs) from 1999 to 2014 and also discusses some of the factors that might have influenced the documented growth patterns.
Efficient Photoluminescence via Metal–Ligand Alteration in a New MOFs Family

Here, we introduce a family of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) whose photoluminescence is tunable through metal and organic ligand substitutions. The compounds in this family are composed of In, In–Eu, or Eu metal centers and organic ligand chromophores. Systematic variations in the metal and organic components resulted in materials with emissions ranging from white to red. The single-component white-light emitter material is made of In, 4,4′,4″-s-triazine-2,4,6-triyl-tribenzoic acid (TTB) and oxalic acid. Red-emitting MOFs composed of Eu metal centers and TTB ligands have a room temperature quantum yield (QY) of 50% and a 48% QY at 150 °C due to reversible thermal quenching. This is the highest quantum yield measured at elevated temperatures reported for this class of materials. The materials are thermally stable, retaining their high QY after heating at 150 °C for several hours. These thermal quenching/stability studies show the potential use of MOFs in devices that operate at elevated temperatures, suc...
Song Divergence in Hummingbird and Junco Populations on Guadalupe Island

Guadalupe Island is a true oceanic island of volcanic origin, lying about 240 km west of Baja California, Mexico. W. E. Bryant (1887) was the first naturalist to make a thorough survey of the island's bird fauna. He noted that the song and call of the resident junco, Junco (hyemalis?) insularis, differed from that of mainland populations of J. hyemalis. He suggested that the song resembled somewhat the trill of the Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina). Bryant also collected Anna Hummingbirds (Calypte anna), but did not comment on the song of this species. Howell and Cade (1954) reported that juncos sang frequently during their visit to Guadalupe Island in June 1953, but they did not hear the slow trilling characteristic of mainland populations of J. hyemalis. They also noted that the call and song of both adult and immature Anna Hummingbirds sounded different from those of mainland individuals and suggested, "It is possible that the small insular population does have an established vocal difference, but future observations will be needed to substantiate this." In this paper I document this insular divergence for both the junco and the Anna Hummingbird.
Remembering the songwriter: The life and legacies of Michel-Rolph Trouillot:

This article provides an intellectual biography of the late anthropologist Michel-Rolph Trouillot. Using the metaphor of Trouillot as a songwriter, it foregrounds the unique constellation of themes...
Exploiting Phase Behavior for Coupling Homogeneous Reactions with Heterogeneous Separations in Sustainable Production of Pharmaceuticals

John Prausnitz was never content to measure new data solely because the data were new. He always had an application in mind—a separation or even a process that required the data for implementation. We present here an advance in using designed changes in phase equilibria to enable the facile recovery and recycle of homogeneous catalysts. We show a new application of organic-aqueous tunable solvents (OATS) to run homogeneous reactions (fast rates and high selectivities) followed by facile and efficient heterogeneous separations and the recycle of the homogeneous catalysts. This is done by using CO2 to manipulate the phase behavior of monophasic organic−water mixtures to form heterogeneous organic-rich and aqueous-rich phases. The example shown is the hydroformylation of hydrophobic p-methylstyrene catalyzed by rhodium catalyst to which is attached a hydrophilic phosphorus ligand. The OATS method increases the conversion rate of styrene to the aldehyde products by an order of magnitude compared to heterogene...
A framework for understanding and targeting residual disease in oncogene-driven solid cancers

Molecular targeted therapy has the potential to dramatically improve survival in patients with cancer. However, complete and durable responses to targeted therapy are rare in individuals with advanced-stage solid cancers. Even the most effective targeted therapies generally do not induce a complete tumor response, resulting in residual disease and tumor progression that limits patient survival. We discuss the emerging need to more fully understand the molecular basis of residual disease as a prelude to designing therapeutic strategies to minimize or eliminate residual disease so that we can move from temporary to chronic control of disease, or a cure, for patients with advanced-stage solid cancers. Ultimately, we propose a shift from the current reactive paradigm of analyzing and treating acquired drug resistance to a pre-emptive paradigm of defining the mechanisms that result in residual disease, to target and limit this disease reservoir.
Coccidioidomycosis: Recent Updates

Coccidioidomycosis manifests as a variety of clinical manifestations and ranges in severity from asymptomatic exposure with resultant immunity to reinfection, to fulminant, and life-threatening disseminated disease. Primary coccidioidal pneumonia represents the most common clinical form of infection, and the incidence continues to increase. Within the endemic region, primary pulmonary coccidioidomycosis represents up to 29% of all community-acquired pneumonia emphasizing the frequency with which clinicians encounter this endemic mycosis. Chronic infection develops in 3 to 5% of patients, and almost all morbidity and mortality observed in coccidioidomycosis occur in these forms (e.g., chronic pulmonary disease, extrapulmonary manifestations). This review summarizes the ecology, epidemiology, manifestations of disease, and treatment options currently available for coccidioidomycosis.
Mediterranean anemia; a study of thirty-two cases in Thailand.

1. Thirty-two patients with Mediterranean anemia were studied in Thailand. The diagnotic criteria are presented. All cases fulfilled these requirements. 2. In addition to the classical blood findings, the following observations are presented: (a) fetal hemoglobin, (b) erythrocytic inclusion bodies, (c) liver function tests. 3. Eighty-four per cent of the patients studied were found to have abnormally high amounts of fetal hemoglobin. 4. The inclusion bodies observed in four cases (case histories included) are presented and discussed. 5. Tests for liver function, plasma protein fractions, cephalin cholesterol flocculation, bromsulfalein retention, and bilirubin are reported for twenty patients. 6. A consideration of the effects of splenectomy on the clinical and hematologic status in Mediterranena anemia is presented.
Trauma symptoms in a diverse population of sexually abused children.

Objective: The role of ethnicity, age, and gender in studies of sexually abused children has been overlooked. Yet, studies have found that African American and Latino sexually abused children suffer from more severe symptoms at treatment presentation and longer lasting effects than Caucasian childre
Fish oil: a potent inhibitor of platelet adhesiveness [see comments]

The effect of fish oil administration on platelet function was studied in eight normal individuals, four men and four women, who received fish oil equivalent to 6 g eicosapentaenoic acid per day for a period of 25 days. Platelet aggregation, platelet adhesion, phospholipid and fatty acid distribution were measured at periodic intervals before, during, and after the period of fish oil administration. Platelet aggregation induced by arachidonic acid, adenosine diphosphate, and collagen showed a moderate increase in ED 50 in response to the administration of fish oil. Conversely, platelet adhesion to fibrinogen and collagen I, which was studied at low shear rates in a laminar flow chamber, showed a striking 60% to 65% decrease after fish oil supplementation of the diet. The change in adhesiveness could be correlated with the pseudopodia formed in response to agonistic stimulation. Scanning electron microscopic examination of adherent platelets showed an overall reduction of pseudopodia that appeared short and stubby on fish oil administration. The profile of the fatty acids extracted from plasma confirmed compliance of the volunteers with their dietary supplements. Analysis of phospholipids showed changes in sphingomyelin, lysophosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylcholine between pseudopodia and platelet cell bodies. Fish oil administration did not affect their overall distribution except for a moderate decrease in phosphatidylethanolamine in platelet pseudopodia. Changes were also recognized in the total fatty acids extracted from platelets, affecting primarily arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid. There were no changes in platelet adhesiveness in a group of five normal individuals who received a vegetable oil supplement of equal dose and duration as that of the fish oil. We conclude from these studies that fish oil, at least when administered over a limited period of time, is an effective inhibitor of platelet adhesiveness.
Novel plasma biomarker of atenolol-induced hyperglycemia identified through a metabolomics-genomics integrative approach

While atenolol is an effective antihypertensive agent, its use is also associated with adverse events including hyperglycemia and incident diabetes that may offset the benefits of blood pressure lowering. By combining metabolomic and genomic data acquired from hypertensive individuals treated with atenolol, it may be possible to better understand the pathways that most impact the development of an adverse glycemic state. To identify biomarkers that can help predict susceptibility to blood glucose excursions during exposure to atenolol. Plasma samples acquired from 234 Caucasian participants treated with atenolol in the Pharmacogenomic Evaluation of Antihypertensive Responses trial were analyzed by gas chromatography Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectroscopy. Metabolomics and genomics data were integrated by first correlating participant’s metabolomic profiles to change in glucose after treatment with atenolol, and then incorporating genotype information from genes involved in metabolite pathways associated with glucose response. Our findings indicate that the baseline level of β-alanine was associated with glucose change after treatment with atenolol (Q = 0.007, β = 2.97 mg/dL). Analysis of genomic data revealed that carriers of the G allele for SNP rs2669429 in gene DPYS, which codes for dihydropyrimidinase, an enzyme involved in β-alanine formation, had significantly higher glucose levels after treatment with atenolol when compared with non-carriers (Q = 0.05, β = 2.76 mg/dL). This finding was replicated in participants who received atenolol as an add-on therapy (P = 0.04, β = 1.86 mg/dL). These results suggest that β-alanine and rs2669429 may be predictors of atenolol-induced hyperglycemia in Caucasian individuals and further investigation is warranted.
Biofabrication of Vascular Networks

Abstract The primary function of the mammalian vasculature is to circulate blood throughout the tissues of the body. Necessarily, the varied individual vessels comprising the vasculature are organized into a network, the topology of which establishes an effective perfusion circuit. This is most relevant in the distal portions of the vasculature where numerous, smaller-caliber flow paths must exist to properly distribute blood throughout a tissue. Whether to recreate one in the laboratory or regenerate a vasculature therapeutically, the small vessel calibers and the critical dependence on network topology of these distal microvasculatures create a number of fabrication challenges. A more complete understanding of the determinants of native vascular network form and function coupled with innovative approaches for manipulating and patterning vascular elements are now enabling the development of promising strategies for the fabrication of effective vascular networks.
Legitimacy and Legality, Thinking and Ruling in the Closed Society and the World State

Leo Strauss’s exchange with Alexandre Kojeve concerning Xenophon’s On Tyranny is among the most famous debates between philosophers in the twentieth century – popularized but also distorted by Allan Bloom and, especially, Francis Fukuyama in his The End of History and the Last Man . The essay by Strauss that initiated the controversy, “On Tyranny”, was penned at the end of his stint at the New School, shortly before moving from New York to Chicago. Here we observe for the first time Strauss explicitly deploying the classical perspective on thinking and political action in responding to the challenge described in “German Nihilism” at the beginning of the New School period, namely, the need to answer and check philosophical temptations to political extremism. Studying the way in which Strauss deploys the classics in On Tyranny will allow us to understand the complexity and subtlety of Strauss’s approach to thinkers such as Machiavelli and Thucydides in later works, readings that have given rise to much suspicion, controversy, and confusion among specialists and public intellectuals alike. The issues that are raised in the debate with Kojeve go to the core of Strauss’s thinking about the relationship(s) among law, philosophy, and political violence. The topics of controversy include the relation of legality to legitimacy and of both to violence; whether and how philosophers and intellectuals ought to guide violent political change; and whether a world state or universal society is possible, desirable, or even inevitable.
犬の皮膚細菌性偽菌腫（ボトリオミセス症）：新しい２症例の報告と文献のレビュー

Cutaneous bacterial pseudomycetoma is a chronic pyogranulomatous infection caused by nonbranching, nonfilamentous bacteria. It appears to be very rare in dogs, with only 3 reported cases being well-documented. Skin lesions are characterized by deep-seated nodules and plaques with draining tracts. Tissue grains may not be grossly visible. Diagnosis is confirmed by skin biopsies and cultures. Prognosis appears guarded, with surgical excision and prolonged antibiotic therapy not always being curative.
Tips for Successfully Regulating Sexually Oriented Businesses

This article reviews the current legal rules and techniques for a balanced and successful legal regime for regulating sexually oriented businesses. It begins by looking at social and constitutional issues generated by sexually oriented businesses, followed by a discussion of legal bases for successful regulating and two permissive forms of regulation (zoning and licensing). Nine key points in evaluating regulations of sexually oriented businesses are listed, followed by a sampling of five recent cases (from Connecticut, Kentucky and Utah). Most attempts to regulate sexually oriented businesses are made at the local government level, and these attempts seldom seek to directly ban or prohibit such businesses. To do that requires a ruling that the business falls wholly into the category of obscene conduct, without First Amendment protection. Instead, cities and counties prefer to regulate the ways such businesses operate, with ordinances imposing so-called time, place and manner restrictions. These regulations are usually upheld as legitimate attempts to minimize the adverse secondary effects of such businesses, such as blight, crime and sexual misconduct. Successful ordinances are carefully drafted to identify specific secondary effects that are targeted, relate the restrictions to those targeted effects, avoid vagueness and over-breadth, and ensure adequate alternative means for that type of communication. Although some ordinances regulating sexually oriented businesses continue to be successfully challenged, careful drafting can forestall almost all litigation.
On-line actuator fault detection and accommodation scheme for positive real infinite dimensional systems

Abstract This paper considers on-line health monitoring for a class of infinite dimensional systems which are subject to unanticipated actuator faults. The actuator fault takes the form of a linear map that evolves into a nonlinear map at the onset of the fault occurrence. An infinite dimensional adaptive detection observer is utilized to detect the fault occurrence and to assist with the diagnosis of the nonlinear nature of the actuator fault. Using on-line estimates of the actuator nonlinear map, a fault accommodating controller is proposed given in the form of controller reconfiguration.
Personalized Prognostic Prediction Models for Breast Cancer Recurrence and Survival Incorporating Multidimensional Data.

Background In this study, we developed integrative, personalized prognostic models for breast cancer recurrence and overall survival (OS) that consider receptor subtypes, epidemiological data, quality of life (QoL), and treatment. Methods A total of 15 314 women with stage I to III invasive primary breast cancer treated at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center between 1997 and 2012 were used to generate prognostic models by Cox regression analysis in a two-stage study. Model performance was assessed by calculating the area under the curve (AUC) and calibration analysis and compared with Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI) and PREDICT. Results Host characteristics were assessed for 10 809 women as the discovery population (median follow-up = 6.09 years, 1144 recurrence and 1627 deaths) and 4505 women as the validation population (median follow-up = 7.95 years, 684 recurrence and 1095 deaths). In addition to the known clinical/pathological variables, the model for recurrence included alcohol consumption while the model for OS included smoking status and physical component summary score. The AUCs for recurrence and OS were 0.813 and 0.810 in the discovery and 0.807 and 0.803 in the validation, respectively, compared with AUCs of 0.761 and 0.753 in discovery and 0.777 and 0.751 in validation for NPI. Our model further showed better calibration compared with PREDICT. We also developed race-specific and receptor subtype-specific models with comparable AUCs. Racial disparity was evident in the distributions of many risk factors and clinical presentation of the disease. Conclusions Our integrative prognostic models for breast cancer exhibit high discriminatory accuracy and excellent calibration and are the first to incorporate receptor subtype and epidemiological and QoL data.
Novel thermal barrier oxides for electronics thermal management: an assessment of WO3

WO3 was evaluated as a candidate thermal barrier oxide material for protection of thermally sensitive systems (e.g., electronics packages) exposed to thermal cycling between −51 and 71 °C. A key factor for thermal barrier oxides is low thermal conductivity. Thermal conductivity serves as a quantifiable metric for assessing the thermal shielding/insulation behavior of a material. This paper assesses structural and phase effects on the thermal properties of WO3. Results suggest that the thermal conduction behavior of WO3 powders is driven by crystal/grain packing and in the temperature range of interest.
Reminiscing: Toward Achieving Ego Integrity in Old Age:

Eight interviews with elderly community residents support the view that reminiscing encourages the maintenance of self-esteem and a continuity of identity in the last stage of the life cycle. The i...
Vectors and matrices

The mathematical description of aspects of the natural world requires a collection of numbers. For example, a position on the surface of the earth is described by two numbers, latitude and longitude. To specify a position above the earth requires a third number, the altitude. To describe the state of a gas we have to specify its density and temperature; if it is a mixture of gases like oxygen and nitrogen, we have to specify their proportion. Such situations are abstracted in the concept of a vector.
A Unified Operator Theory of Generalized Inverses

ABSTRACT The main purpose of this paper is to develop a unified approach to generalized inverses of linear operators, with particular emphasis on algebraic, topological, extremal, and proximinal properties.
THE ORIGINS OF THE GENUS CONCEPT IN QUADRATIC FORMS

We present an elementary exposition of genus theory for integral binary quadratic forms, placed in a historical context.
MODULATION OF INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR I AND II mRNA DURING LOCALIZED GROWTH OF RAT SKELETAL MUSCLE AND BROWN ADIPOSE TISSUE

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the modulation of insulin-like growth factor I and II mRNA during localized growth of rat skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissue. The expression of the insulin-like growth factor I and II (IGF-I and IGF-II) genes was evaluated during localized, tissue specific growth using a specific solution hybridization nuclease protection assay to detect IGF-I and IGF-II mRNA. Several tissue specific growth models have been used including compensatory hypertrophy of rat skeletal muscle, cold induced hyperplasia of rat brown adipose tissue, and administration of rat growth hormone to hypophysectomized rats. Compensatory hypertrophy of the plantaris and soleus muscles of the rat hind limb was induced by unilateral excision of the distal gastrocnemius tendon, with the contralateral leg serving as a control. By 8 days post-surgery, hypertrophy in P and S muscles had increased to 120% of control values. Hypertrophy muscle IGF-I mRNA levels rose to 2–3 fold above control values by 4 days post-surgery in both the N and S. IGF-II mRNA levels increased 4–6 fold after 8 and 24 h of cold exposure. IGF-II levels decreased to 2-fold control values by 96 h of cold exposure.
Light spanners in bounded pathwidth graphs

Given an edge-weighted graph G and e>0, a (1+e)-spanner is a spanning subgraph G′ whose shortest path distances approximate those of G within a factor of 1+e. For G from certain graph families (such as bounded genus graphs and apex graphs), we know that light spanners exist. That is, we can compute a (1+e)-spanner G′ with total edge weight at most a constant times the weight of a minimum spanning tree. This constant may depend on e and the graph family, but not on the particular graph G nor on the edge weighting. The existence of light spanners is essential in the design of approximation schemes for the metric TSP (the traveling salesman problem) and similar graph-metric problems. In this paper we make some progress towards the conjecture that light spanners exist for every minor-closed graph family: we show that light spanners exist for graphs with bounded pathwidth, and they are computed by a greedy algorithm. We do this via the intermediate construction of light monotone spanning trees in such graphs.
A contribution to stochastic projects analysis by using PERT

PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) is a well-known method for planning and scheduling large-scale stochastic projects with random activity durations. The paper deals with an approximation to probability distribution of this random variable by using beta distribution and triangular distribution. Basic characteristics of the triangular probability distribution are derived and compared with the corresponding characteristics of the beta distribution with the same values of optimistic, pessimistic and most likely estimate of the random variable. Further, results of some probabilistic calculations in stochastic projects are compared, if the beta distribution or the triangular distribution was used for an approximation to the probability distribution of random activity durations. All derived relations are illustrated by a simple concrete example.
Assessing the Usefulness of Taxonomies of Visual Rhetorical Figures

We compare six taxonomies (including some not previously tested) that systematically categorize visual rhetorical figures (RFs) on their domain coverage, reliability, parsimony, and predictive vali...
Effects of Dissolution Medium pH and Simulated Gastrointestinal Contraction on Drug Release From Nifedipine Extended-Release Tablets.

Abstract In contrast to nifedipine matrix-based extended-release dosage forms, the osmotic pump drug delivery systems have a zero-order drug release independent of external variables such as pH, agitation rate, and dissolution media. The objective of this study focuses on the in vitro evaluation of the mechanical properties of osmotic pump and polymer matrix-based formulations in dissolution media, and the potential impacts that media pH and simulated gastrointestinal contraction have on drug release. Two strengths of osmotic pump product A and polymer matrix-based product B were used in this study. An in-house system was developed with the capability of applying mechanical compression and monitoring mechanical properties of sample during dissolution testing. A United States Pharmacopeia or an in-house apparatus was used for dissolution testing under various conditions. Compared to the product A, the mechanical properties of the product B change significantly at various pHs and mechanical compressions. The results suggest that polymer matrix-based products bear a risk of formulation-related interactions with the gastrointestinal tract during in vivo drug dissolution, especially in the case of concomitant pH and gastric contractile changes. Modified dissolution testing devices may help formulation scientists in product development and provide regulatory agencies with an additional metric for quality assurance of drug products.
Psoas muscle area: a new standard for frailty assessment in cardiac surgery?

Most would agree that a successful cardiac operation ends with a live patient who is able to return to a functional and productive life. When evaluating candidates for surgery, a risk/benefit analysis must be performed that takes into account the likely short- and long-term outcomes for the patient.
Why Nuclear Power Plant Energy

The major growth in the electricity production industry in the last 30 years has centered on the expansion of natural gas power plants based on gas turbine cycles. The most popular extension of the simple Brayton gas turbine has been the combined cycle power plant with the air-Brayton cycle serving as the topping cycle and the Steam-Rankine cycle serving as the bottoming cycle for new generation of nuclear power plants that are known as GEN-IV. The air-Brayton cycle is an open-air cycle, and the Steam-Rankine cycle is a closed cycle. The air-Brayton cycle for a natural gas-driven power plant must be an open cycle, where the air is drawn in from the environment and exhausted with the products of combustion to the environment. This technique is suggested as an innovative approach to GEN-IV nuclear power plants in the form and type of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). The hot exhaust from the air-Brayton cycle passes through a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) prior to exhausting to the environment in a combined cycle. The HRSG serves the same purpose as a boiler for the conventional Steam-Rankine cycle [1, 2].
Factors associated with HIV medication adherence in HIV-positive women enrolled in Option B+ in Zambia: a cross-sectional survey

Abstract Background Every year about 1·4 million women living with HIV become pregnant, and these pregnancies lead to about 220 000 new HIV infections in infants and children. Furthermore, it is estimated that, worldwide, the cumulative total deaths caused by HIV will reach 75 million by 2030. In an effort to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, WHO has recommended Option B+, which gives HIV-positive pregnant women life-long antiretroviral therapy (ART), regardless of their CD4 cell count and viral load. The purpose of this study is to investigate factors associated with HIV medication adherence in HIV-positive women enrolled in Option B+ in Zambia. Methods We recruited pregnant and breastfeeding HIV-positive women enrolled in Option B+ and residing in Lusaka (urban) and Sinazongwe (rural) districts of Zambia. Data were collected using a 122-item structured questionnaire prepared in English and then translated into two local languages (Nyanja and Tonga), which are commonly spoken in the Lusaka and Sinazongwe Districts. We used descriptive statistics to characterise ART adherence in the entire sample and by district. Four generalised modified-Poisson regression models were built using a step-wise approach to assess the association between the factors (age, education, marital status, occupation, income, counselling on side-effects, HIV transmission knowledge, and timing of first prenatal visit during pregnancy) and ART adherence. Findings We included data from 150 participants, 81 (54%) from Lusaka district and 69 (46%) from Sinazongwe district. Mean age was 29 years (SD 6·2). Data were collected between July and September, 2017. A total of 119 respondents (79%) had counselling on the side-effects of ART: 72 (89%) in Lusaka district and 47 (68%) in Sinazongwe district. 36 women (24%) sought a prenatal visit in the first trimester of pregnancy, 93 (62%) in second trimester, and 16 (11%) in the third trimester; five (3%) did not know in which trimester they had first visited the antenatal clinic for care. In all, 37·8% of respondents missed taking their ART at least once in the week before data collection. There was an association between adherence and district of residence (p Interpretation Counselling women on the side-effects of ART before commencing treatment could help promote adherence. Furthermore, encouraging women living with HIV to seek prenatal care early during pregnancy could offer them the opportunity to be educated on the importance of the ART and the need to adhere to treatment. Funding None.
3 degree-of-freedom resonant scanner with full-circumferential range and large out-of-plane displacement

Microsystems-based scanning technologies can achieve deflection angles of several tens of degrees and translational displacements of a couple hundred microns. Emerging applications need performance with multi-fold greater torsional and translational motion. A compliant lever-based mechanism is introduced into the comb-drive actuators of a MEMS resonant scanner to achieve full-circumferential range and large out-of-plane displacement at ambient pressures. A 1.5 mm diameter mirror is demonstrated that generates 494° total deflection angle and 561 μm translational displacement at either 853 or 956 Hz and either 100 or 90V, respectively. At 40V, an optical scan angle of ~200° and translational displacement of ~310 μm are achieved.
Evaluating the Transport Behavior of CO 2 Foam in the Presence of Crude Oil under High-Temperature and High-SalinityConditions for Carbonate Reservoirs

An amine-based surfactant, Duomeen TTM, was evaluated for foam flooding in carbonate rock at high temperature (120 °C), high salinity (22% total dissolved solids), and CO2–oil miscible conditions. We demonstrate enhanced oil recovery by utilizing CO2 foam under miscible conditions in the presence of crude oil. The foam was generated in situ by both co-injection and surfactant alternating gas injection modes. Foam transport and propagation were characterized as a function of the foam quality, shear rate, permeability, surfactant concentration, and method of injection. Finally, we utilize the experimental results to obtain the parameters for the STARS foam model by optimizing multiple variables related to the dry out, shear thinning, and surfactant concentration effects on foam transport. Enhanced oil recovery utilizing CO2 foam under miscible conditions in the presence of SMY crude oil was able to decrease oil saturation to 3.0%. It was also determined that significantly more injected pore volumes were req...
Heat Shock Protein 90 Inhibitors in Lung Cancer Therapy

Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) plays crucial roles in intracellular quality control mechanisms leading to cytoprotection against variety of stressors including hypoxia, oxidative and thermal and oncogenic stress. The chaperoning activity of the evolutionary conserved and ubiquitously expressed HSP90 is adenosine triphosphate (ATP)–dependent and is essential for the folding, maturation, stabilization, activation or proteolytic degradation of its diverse array of client proteins, many of which are products of driver oncogenes in multiple cancers. Hence, tumorigenesis regulation by HSP90 chaperonage function has been the subject of extensive investigation for decades. Targeted HSP90 inhibition has shown promise and may provide an effective and alternate therapeutic approach to treat patients with lung cancer, especially non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with specific mutational background or that have been characterized to show acquired resistance to other drugs targeting different signaling proteins. Although development of HSP90 inhibitors has spanned decades, both preclinically and clinically, the promise is far from being reached. In this chapter, we discuss the potential of HSP90 inhibition, and the preclinical and clinical development and future of important HSP90 small molecule inhibitors that have been or will be critical for lung cancer therapeutics.
Poincare-type inequalities and finding good parameterizations

A very important question in geometric measure theory is how geometric features of a set translate into analytic information about it. Reifenberg (Bull Am Math Soc 66:312–313, 1960) proved that if a set is well approximated by planes at every point and at every scale, then the set is a bi-Holder image of a plane. It is known today that Carleson-type conditions on these approximating planes guarantee a bi-Lipschitz parameterization of the set. In this paper, we consider an n-Ahlfors regular rectifiable set $$M \subset \mathbb {R}^{n+d}$$ that satisfies a Poincare-type inequality involving Lipschitz functions and their tangential derivatives. Then, we show that a Carleson-type condition on the oscillations of the tangent planes of M guarantees that M is contained in a bi-Lipschitz image of an n-plane. We also explore the Poincare-type inequality considered here and show that it is in fact equivalent to other Poincare-type inequalities considered on general metric measure spaces.
Utilizing circles of attention in musical theatre acting: a personal perspective

Pedagogy and methodology for acting curriculum is consistent among universities in the United States. Students are introduced to acting principles formulated by Konstantin Stanislavski, Sanford Mei...
Gender, Maltreatment and Psychiatric Symptoms among Adolescents in Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment.

Childhood maltreatment experiences are risk factors for externalizing and internalizing symptoms, as well as substance abuse problems during adolescence. In the present study, we administered structured interviews to 394 adolescents receiving outpatient substance abuse treatment services (280 males; Myears = 16.33; SDyears = 1.15). K-means cluster analysis was used to examine: (a) the co-patterning of childhood maltreatment experiences and past-year externalizing symptoms (for drug and alcohol abuse and dependence, conduct disorder); (b) between-cluster differences in serious internalizing problems (for past-year anxiety and depression symptoms and current distress); and (c) gender differences in these relations. Both similarities and differences were identified in maltreatment-externalizing behavior patterns and relations with serious internalizing problems across gender groups. Childhood maltreatment and subsequent psychopathology have implications for the adaptation and delivery of substance abuse treatment services to boys and girls to improve their engagement and treatment outcomes.