cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact and timing of bilateral adrenalectomy for refractory adrenocorticotropic hormone-dependent Cushing’s syndrome.

Introduction In patients with refractory adrenocorticotropic hormone−dependent Cushing’s syndrome, we evaluated steroidogenesis inhibition (SI) and bilateral adrenalectomy (BA) to predict which patients might benefit most from each treatment modality. Methods Clinical data from patients treated 1970-2012 were reviewed retrospectively by treatment group (SI or SI+BA). Validated severity scales were used to calculate metabolic (M) score (hypokalemia, hyperglycemia, hypertension, proximal muscle weakness) and adverse events (AE) score (thrombosis, fracture, infection). Results A total of 65 patients (16 pituitary, 49 ectopic) were treated with SI+BA ( n = 21,32%) or SI alone ( n = 44,68%). Presenting M scores and source of adrenocorticotropic hormone excess (ectopic versus pituitary) were similar. Both groups improved metabolically after treatment. Over one-third of AEs in the SI+BA group occurred within 12 months of presentation. Half (n = 24, 55%) of the patients treated with SI died (median survival, 24.0 months). Steroid excess contributed to 71% of complications. Six SI+BA patients died (29%), including all 3 patients with recurrent Cushing’s syndrome after BA. Minor perioperative complications occurred in 7 patients (33%). Conclusion Posttreatment M and AE scores improved for all patients and 70% of AEs occurred in SI+BA patients within 12 months of presentation, emphasizing the importance of early operative intervention. These data argue for the safety and efficacy of early BA in selected patients with uncontrollable Cushing’s syndrome.
Portcullis: protecting connection setup from denial-of-capability attacks

Systems using capabilities to provide preferential service to selected flows have been proposed as a defense against large-scale network denial-of-service attacks. While these systems offer strong protection for established network flows, the Denial-of-Capability (DoC) attack, which prevents new capability-setup packets from reaching the destination, limits the value of these systems.Portcullis mitigates DoC attacks by allocating scarce link bandwidth for connection establishment packets based on per-computation fairness. We prove that a legitimate sender can establish a capability with high probability regardless of an attacker's resources or strategy and that no system can improve on our guarantee. We simulate full and partial deployments of Portcullis on an Internet-scale topology to confirm our theoretical results and demonstrate the substantial benefits of using per-computation fairness.
Susceptibility of Specific Mouse Liver Lobes to Liver Neoplasms Induced with Benzidine Dihydrochloride

The incidence of liver tumors induced in mice with benzidine dihydrochloride was highest in the left lateral lobe, intermediate in the right lateral and central lobes and lowest in the caudate lobe. The distribution of liver tumors was related to lobe volume and weight.
A randomized behavioural trial targeting glycaemic index improves dietary, weight and metabolic outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE Glycaemic index (GI) reflects the postprandial glucose response of carbohydrate-containing foods. A diet with lower GI may improve glycaemic control in people with diabetes. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the change in outcomes following a behavioural intervention which promoted lower-GI foods among adults with diabetes. DESIGN A pre-test-post-test control group design was used with participants randomly assigned to an immediate (experimental) or delayed (control) treatment group. The intervention included a 9-week, group-based intervention about carbohydrate and the glycaemic index. Dietary, anthropometric and metabolic measures were obtained pre/post-intervention in both groups and at 18-week follow-up for the immediate group. SETTING The study was conducted in a rural community in the north-eastern USA. SUBJECTS Adults having type 2 diabetes mellitus for > or =1 year, aged 40-70 years and not requiring insulin therapy (n 109) were recruited. RESULTS Following the intervention, mean dietary GI (P < 0.001), percentage of energy from total fat (P < 0.01) and total dietary fibre (P < 0.01) improved in the immediate compared with the delayed group. Mean BMI (P < 0.0001), fasting plasma glucose (P = 0.03), postprandial glucose (P = 0.02), fructosamine (P = 0.02) and insulin sensitivity factor (P = 0.04) also improved in the immediate group compared with the delayed group. Mean waist circumference among males (P < 0.01) and body weight among males and females (P < 0.01) were significantly different between treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS Educating clients about carbohydrate and the glycaemic index can improve dietary intake and health outcomes among adults with type 2 diabetes.
Paleoindian and Early Archaic Organic Technologies: A Review and Analysis:

A literature review indicates that many Paleoindian and Early Archaic bone, antler, and ivory implements have been recovered from sites across North America. Unfortunately, few of these early organic objects have been described with the detail necessary for comparative analyses of tool functions and manufacturing trajectories. This article represents an attempt to stimulate the reporting of such detailed microtrace data by presenting the results of a study of a transitional Paleoindian/Early Archaic bone pointed implement from the Flora Mastodon site in Carroll County, Indiana. Given appropriate attention, organic implements can provide a more than adequate means of developing and testing hypotheses concerning prehistoric technological organization, social interaction, and settlement distributions.
Modular state variable simulation of a transformer at high frequencies for spacecraft power system applications

The authors present a digital simulation of a power system that includes transformers operating at high frequency. The simulation is conducted using modular state variable models and the state transition matrix. By using a modular approach, each component is modeled separately as a two-port network using the input voltages to each component as independent variables. A high-frequency, lumped-parameter model of a power transformer is presented. The model is used to develop a third-order state variable description of the device that is coupled to state variable models of a resonant converter and resistive-inductive load. Digital simulations of the transformer and system are presented and compared to results from SPICE2 and EMTP. >
The p160/Steroid Receptor Coactivator Family: Potent Arbiters of Uterine Physiology and Dysfunction

The p160/steroid receptor coactivator (SRC) family comprises three pleiotropic coregulators (SRC-1, SRC-2, and SRC-3; otherwise known as NCOA1, NCOA2, and NCOA3, respectively), which modulate a wide spectrum of physiological responses and clinicopathologies. Such pleiotropy is achieved through their inherent structural complexity, which allows this coregulator class to control both nuclear receptor and non-nuclear receptor signaling. As observed in other physiologic systems, members of the SRC family have recently been shown to play pivotal roles in uterine biology and pathobiology. In the murine uterus, SRC-1 is required to launch a full steroid hormone response, without which endometrial decidualization is markedly attenuated. From “dovetailing” clinical and mouse studies, an isoform of SRC-1 was recently identified which promotes endometriosis by reprogramming endometrial cells to evade apoptosis and to colonize as endometriotic lesions within the peritoneal cavity. The endometrium fails to decidualize without SRC-2, which accounts for the infertility phenotype exhibited by mice devoid of this coregulator. In related studies on human endometrial stromal cells, SRC-2 was shown to act as a molecular “pacemaker” of the glycolytic flux. This finding is significant because acceleration of the glycolytic flux provides the necessary bioenergy and biomolecules for endometrial stromal cells to switch from quiescence to a proliferative phenotype, a critical underpinning in the decidual progression program. Although studies on uterine SRC-3 function are in their early stages, clinical studies provide tantalizing support for the proposal that SRC-3 is causally linked to endometrial hyperplasia as well as with endometrial pathologies in patients diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome. This proposal is now driving the development and application of innovative technologies, particularly in the mouse, to further understand the functional role of this elusive uterine coregulator in normal and abnormal physiologic contexts. Because dysregulation of this coregulator triad potentially presents a triple threat for increased risk of subfecundity, infertility, or endometrial disease, a clearer understanding of the individual and combinatorial roles of these coregulators in uterine function is urgently required. This minireview summarizes our current understanding of uterine SRC function, with a particular emphasis on the next critical questions that need to be addressed to ensure significant expansion of our knowledge of this underexplored field of uterine biology.
A gradient extremal walking algorithm

Gradient extremals define stream beds connecting stationary points on molecular potential energy surfaces. Using this concept we have developed an algorithm to determine transition states. We initiate walks at equilibrium geometries and follow the gradient extremals until a stationary point is reached. As an illustration we have investigated the mechanism for exchange of protons on carbon in methylenimine (H2C=NH) using a multi-reference self-consistent-field wave function.
Hierarchical Factor Analysis of the Quick Discrimination Index.

Prior factor analytic studies of the Quick Discrimination Index (QDI) have used principal components factor analysis to develop and validate a three-factor structure with a racially heterogeneous sample. In this investigation, Study 1 explored the factor structure of the QDI with a sample of 428 White university students using a hierarchical factor analysis. The analysis showed that a structure with four first-order factors and one second-order factor was the best fit for the data. Study 2 tested the original three-factor structure and a higher order factor structure from Study 1 in a confirmatory factor analysis using a sample of 363 White students. The implications for interpretation and future research are discussed.
A frontal cortex event-related potential driven by the basal forebrain

Event-related potentials (ERPs) are widely used in both healthy and neuropsychiatric conditions as physiological indices of cognitive functions. Contrary to the common belief that cognitive ERPs are generated by local activity within the cerebral cortex, here we show that an attention-related ERP in the frontal cortex is correlated with, and likely generated by, subcortical inputs from the basal forebrain (BF). In rats performing an auditory oddball task, both the amplitude and timing of the frontal ERP were coupled with BF neuronal activity in single trials. The local field potentials (LFPs) associated with the frontal ERP, concentrated in deep cortical layers corresponding to the zone of BF input, were similarly coupled with BF activity and consistently triggered by BF electrical stimulation within 5-10 msec. These results highlight the important and previously unrecognized role of long-range subcortical inputs from the BF in the generation of cognitive ERPs. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02148.001.
Mitochondria and cancer.

Editorial Proliferating cells such as tumor cells have increased metabolic demands that include ATP, NADPH, lipids, proteins, and nucleotides to allow for a tumor cell to divide into two daughter cells [1]. Tumor cells reprogram their cell metabolism to sustain the increased metabolic demands of cell proliferation. Historically, much attention has focused on glycolysis as the central metabolic pathway important for tumor cell metabolism, an idea that stems from the observation made in 1920s by Otto Warburg that tumor slices consume glucose at a higher rate than normal tissue slices at normal oxygen levels [2]. This high rate of aerobic glycolysis is known as the Warburg effect and can be observed in proliferating tumor cells of cancer patients by the high uptake of the glucose analogue tracer 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) detected by Positron Emission Tomography (PET) technology [3]. The basis and the advantage of the Warburg effect for proliferating cells such as cancer cells had not been fully resolved until recently. Today, there is consensus that combination of gain of function of oncogenes, loss or tumor suppressor and aberrant activation of signaling pathways downstream of growth factor signaling induce the Warburg effect [4]. This increase in glucose metabolism through glycolysis allows the generation of glycolytic intermediates that funnel into biosynthetic pathways that support the production of NADPH, lipids, proteins and nucleotides [5]. However, the biochemists working on cancer metabolism decades ago realized that glucose metabolism alone could not fully support the de novo production of NADPH, ATP, lipids, nucleotides and proteins required for cell proliferation. Today, it is appreciated that mitochondrial metabolism is also essential for building blocks needed for cell proliferation. For example, phospholipid generation needed for de novo cell membranes in proliferating cells requires fatty acids and glycerol. The glycolytic intermediate dihydroxyacetone
The impact of international programs on pedagogical practices of their participants: a Russian experience

International exchange and training programs play a significant role in the development of international cooperation between educators from different nations. More and more teachers and school administrators participate in exchange programs and implement new curricular and instructional practices in their institutions. The objectives of this interpretive exploratory case study were (a) to investigate the impact of international exchange and training programs on pedagogical practices of Russian school teachers and administrators and (b) to find out how participants of international programs apply, implement, and transfer their experiences and knowledge that they obtain during their programs. The data were collected through personal interviews, observations, and materials from several debriefing sessions in 2005. The study demonstrated that the participation in international programs significantly impacts educators’ pedagogical practices, expands the range of their instructional approaches, makes program al...
Human Papillomavirus E7 Oncoprotein Dysregulates Steroid Receptor Coactivator 1 Localization and Function

High-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are present in virtually all cervical carcinomas. However, the majority of women infected with high-risk HPVs do not develop cervical cancer. Therefore, cofactors must contribute to the development and progression of cervical cancer. Although numerous studies have implicated steroid hormones as cofactors in the initiation and progression of cervical neoplasia, the molecular mechanisms by which they contribute to cervical carcinogenesis are currently unknown. These observations led us to investigate a newly discovered association of the high-risk HPV type 16 (HPV16) E7 oncoprotein with steroid receptor coactivator 1 (SRC-1), an essential component of steroid hormone signaling. HPV16 E7 has been previously reported to interact with p300 and p300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF), members of some SRC-1 transcriptional complexes. We demonstrate here that HPV16 E7 associates in vivo and in vitro with SRC-1 independently of p300 and PCAF. Luciferase reporter constructs under the control of either the interleukin-8 promoter or a promoter containing multimerized synthetic estrogen response elements were used to determine the effect of high- and low-risk HPV E7 expression on SRC-1-mediated transcription. In addition, histone acetyltransferase (HAT) assays were performed to determine the effect of HPV E7 on SRC-1-associated HAT activity. These experiments reveal that HPV16 E7 expression down-regulates SRC-1-mediated transcription and SRC-1-associated HAT activity. SRC-1 localization experiments show that SRC-1 is relocalized to the cytoplasm in the presence of high- and low-risk HPV E7 proteins. Our data suggest that HPV E7 proteins dysregulate hormone-dependent gene expression by association with and relocalization of SRC-1. Dysregulation of SRC-1 localization and function by HPV E7 may provide insight into the molecular mechanisms by which steroid hormones act as cofactors in the induction and progression of cervical neoplasia.
Sex differences in structural organization of motor systems and their dissociable links with repetitive/restricted behaviors in children with autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is diagnosed much less often in females than males. Emerging behavioral accounts suggest that the clinical presentation of autism is different in females and males, yet research examining sex differences in core symptoms of autism in affected children has been limited. Additionally, to date, there have been no systematic attempts to characterize neuroanatomical differences underlying the distinct behavioral profiles observed in girls and boys with ASD. This is in part because extant ASD studies have included a small number of girls. Leveraging the National Database for Autism Research (NDAR), we first analyzed symptom severity in a large sample consisting of 128 ASD girls and 614 age- and IQ-matched ASD boys. We then examined symptom severity and structural imaging data using novel multivariate pattern analysis in a well-matched group of 25 ASD girls, 25 ASD boys, 19 typically developing (TD) girls, and 19 TD boys, obtained from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE). In both the NDAR and ABIDE datasets, girls, compared to boys, with ASD showed less severe repetitive/restricted behaviors (RRBs) and comparable deficits in the social and communication domains. In the ABIDE imaging dataset, gray matter (GM) patterns in the motor cortex, supplementary motor area (SMA), cerebellum, fusiform gyrus, and amygdala accurately discriminated girls and boys with ASD. This sex difference pattern was specific to ASD as the GM in these brain regions did not discriminate TD girls and boys. Moreover, GM in the motor cortex, SMA, and crus 1 subdivision of the cerebellum was correlated with RRB in girls whereas GM in the right putamen—the region that discriminated TD girls and boys—was correlated with RRB in boys. We found robust evidence for reduced levels of RRB in girls, compared to boys, with ASD, providing the strongest evidence to date for sex differences in a core phenotypic feature of childhood ASD. Sex differences in brain morphometry are prominent in the motor system and in areas that comprise the “social brain.” Notably, RRB severity is associated with sex differences in GM morphometry in distinct motor regions. Our findings provide novel insights into the neurobiology of sex differences in childhood autism.
Orientation-specific responses to sustained uniaxial stretching in focal adhesion growth and turnover

Cells are mechanosensitive to extracellular matrix (ECM) deformation, which can be caused by muscle contraction or changes in hydrostatic pressure. Focal adhesions (FAs) mediate the linkage between the cell and the ECM and initiate mechanically stimulated signaling events. We developed a stretching apparatus in which cells grown on fibronectin-coated elastic substrates can be stretched and imaged live to study how FAs dynamically respond to ECM deformation. Human bone osteosarcoma epithelial cell line U2OS was transfected with GFP-paxillin as an FA marker and subjected to sustained uniaxial stretching. Two responses at different timescales were observed: rapid FA growth within seconds after stretching, and delayed FA disassembly and loss of cell polarity that occurred over tens of minutes. Rapid FA growth occurred in all cells; however, delayed responses to stretch occurred in an orientation-specific manner, specifically in cells with their long axes perpendicular to the stretching direction, but not in cells with their long axes parallel to stretch. Pharmacological treatments demonstrated that FA kinase (FAK) promotes but Src inhibits rapid FA growth, whereas FAK, Src, and calpain 2 all contribute to delayed FA disassembly and loss of polarity in cells perpendicular to stretching. Immunostaining for phospho-FAK after stretching revealed that FAK activation was maximal at 5 s after stretching, specifically in FAs oriented perpendicular to stretch. We hypothesize that orientation-specific activation of strain/stress-sensitive proteins in FAs upstream to FAK and Src promote orientation-specific responses in FA growth and disassembly that mediate polarity rearrangement in response to sustained stretch.
An Unexpected Journey: Greater Prairie-chicken Travels Nearly 4000 km after Translocation to Iowa

Abstract After translocation a female greater prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) traveled over 3988 km between 5 April 2013 and 20 June 2014. The bird traveled a mean distance of 21.5 km per day during the spring (median distance per day 22.2 km; range 0–115 km per day) moving through portions of four states. Nine other marked birds traveled a mean distance of 336 km and a mean distance per day of 7.5 km during the spring (median distance per day 4.6 km; range 0–92 km per day). This is the first record of movements of this magnitude by a greater prairie-chicken. This report highlights the use of recent advances in satellite/GPS telemetry methods for advancing our knowledge of wildlife movements.
Establishment and persistence of Steinernema scapterisci (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) in field populations of Scapteriscus spp. mole crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae)

The first successful inoculative releases of an entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema scapterisci Nguyen and Smart, for the control of exotic pests, Scapteriscus spp. mole crickets, were made at three pasture sites in Alachua County, Florida in 1985. Based on the evaluation of field-collected crickets, the nematode was established at all sites and persisted for over 5 years. Mean yearly percentage of infected crickets ranged from 0 to 21.4% for individual release sites. Mean adult infection level for all years combined, 10.9%, was significantly greater than that for nymphs (2.5%) and infection levels for Scapteriscus borellii Giglio-Tos, 12.7%, was significantly greater than that for Scapteriscus vicinus Scudder (4.5%) for all years combined. Although 24 h trap catch results indicate mole cricket populations were significantly reduced, the nematode's effect on pest abundance could not be adequately assessed because of the variation in trap catch results and inadequate knowledge about the relationship bet...
Using Reinforcement Learning to Create Communication Channel Management Strategies for Diverse Users

Spoken dialogue systems typically do not manage the communication channel, instead using fixed values for such features as the amplitude and speaking rate. Yet, the quality of a dialogue can be compromised if the user has difficulty understanding the system. In this proof-of-concept research, we explore using reinforcement learning (RL) to create policies that manage the communication channel to meet the needs of diverse users. Towards this end, we first formalize a preliminary communication channel model, in which users provide explicit feedback regarding issues with the communication channel, and the system implicitly alters its amplitude to accommodate the user's optimal volume. Second, we explore whether RL is an appropriate tool for creating communication channel management strategies, comparing two different hand-crafted policies to policies trained using both a dialogue-length and a novel annoyance cost. The learned policies performed better than hand-crafted policies, with those trained using the annoyance cost learning an equitable tradeoff between users with differing needs and also learning to balance finding a user's optimal amplitude against dialogue-length. These results suggest that RL can be used to create effective communication channel management policies for diverse users.
How Does a Campus Recovery House Impact Its Students and Its Host Institution

This is a literature review about a growing trend in meeting the needs of students in recovery who wish to attend an institution of higher education. The trend is campus-based recovery community programs and, more specifically, campus-based recovery houses. The need for, development mechanisms for, and models of different recovery houses are discussed. Trends, disagreements, and gaps in the literature are addressed, as are recommendations for future research. To better understand the context of this type of intervention for recovering college students, long-standing formal and informal recovery tools are defined and addressed. Social support, a significant element of recovery, is given special attention as key to the success of campus recovery programs and houses.
Empowering and Transforming a Community of Learners via a Student‐Centered Approach to Campus Dialogue and Deliberation

This chapter describes Skyline College's student-centered approach to campus dialogue and deliberation and assesses the transferability of these skills to civic, workplace, and personal settings.
Overview of High-Risk Medical Device Innovation in Gastroenterology from 2000 to 2014: Enhancing the Pipeline

Medical devices are a critical component in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the alimentary tract. The United States Food and Drug Administration database was mined for high-risk medical device development via the pre-market approval (PMA) pathway from 2000 to 2014. In total, there were only nine GI (gastrointestinal) devices approved during this period. Furthermore, only one GI device was granted expedited review. The clinical studies leading to approval were mostly limited to non-blinded, non-randomized studies. Only a minority of pivotal studies defined and met their primary endpoints (27 %). Eight out of nine devices were required to undergo post-marketing studies. Ultimately, cardiology led with 157 total approvals in the time period studied. GI ranked 12 out of 18 across various medical and surgical specialties and accounted for <2 % of total PMA approvals. Future efforts should focus on spurring more high-risk device innovation in the field.
Ecology of the American Dog Tick, Dermacentor variabilis in a Study Area in Virginia. 1. Studies on Population Dynamics Using Radioecological Methods.

Field studies were done on the population dynamics of Dermacentor variabilis (Say) in a 43.5-acre area of old fields and woodlands near Montpelier, Virginia, during a 3-year period. Overwinter survival of unfed larvae was much greater in deciduous woodlands (3-year average 37.0%) than in adjacent old fields (3-year average 3.4%); overwinter survival of unfed nymphs was rare. Estimates of populations of larvae and nymphs were made from data on recaptures of radioisotope-tagged ticks following their systematic mass release. The estimated numbers of unfed larvae/acre ± 2 SE present for the April seasonal peak were 44,775±15,439, 34,133±8828, and 16,741±4815 in 1968, 1969, and 1970, respectively; of unfed nymphs in June 1969 (the only estimate obtained) 612±395. Estimates of unfed adults were made by direct sampling; peak abundance values per acre ± 2 SE at the July (or June) peak were 644±240 in 1968, 495±143 in 1969, and 16 in 1970. Estimates of host populations and the number of ticks fed were made from analysis of samples of live trapped mammals and the frequency of tick attachment. The results of all studies were combined to create a life table describing the comparative abundance of each of the life stages of D. variabilis . This life table quantitates certain of the important dynamic variables affecting populations of this species and, therefore, may be useful in designing future studies on the ecology of tickborne infections or tick control.
Impact of the spatial laser distribution on photocathode gun operation

It is widely believed that a drive laser with uniform temporal and spatial laser profiles is required to generate the lowest emittance beam at the photoinjector. However, for a given 3 ps smooth-Gaussian laser temporal profile, our recent simulations indicate that a truncated-Gaussian laser spatial profile produces an electron beam with smaller emittance. The simulation results are qualitatively confirmed by later analytical calculation, and also confirmed by measurements: emittance reduction of $\ensuremath{\sim}25%$ was observed at the linac coherent light source (LCLS) injector with a truncated-Gaussian laser spatial profile at the nominal operating bunch charge of 150 pC. There was a significant secondary benefit---laser transmission through the iris for the truncated-Gaussian profile was about twice that compared to the nearly uniform distribution, which significantly loosens the laser power and quantum efficiency requirements for drive laser system and photocathode. Since February 9, 2012, the drive laser with the truncated-Gaussian spatial distribution has been used for LCLS routine user operations and the corresponding free electron laser power is at least the same as the one when using the nearly uniform spatial profile.
Model to Predict Gypsy Moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) Defoliation Using Kriging and Logistic Regression

Outbreaks of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.), typically occur over large areas but are difficult to predict. Most gypsy moth management programs base suppression decisions on models that predict defoliation from preseason counts of egg masses in a given stand. In this study we developed a statistical model that used spatially stratified egg mass samples to predict gypsy moth defoliation on a regional scale, rather than on a stand level. The model was developed from historical defoliation sketch-map data and counts of gypsy moth egg masses under burlap bands at irregularly distributed plots in Massachusetts. These counts were used to generate interpolated surfaces of egg mass counts in grid cells (2 by 2 km) throughout the state. Maximum-likelihood procedures were used to parameterize a logistic regression model that predicted the probability of defoliation in each grid cell as a function of interpolated egg mass counts, the presence of defoliation in the previous year, and the 30-yr frequency of defoliation. Predicted probability surfaces tended to align mostly with the distribution of actual defoliation in each year. The model appeared to perform better than a previous model that was based on three-dimensional kriging of defoliation.
Brougham on Zeal - A Reply to Zacharias and Green

In a recent article, Professors Fred Zacharias and Bruce Green erroneously wrote that Henry Lord Brougham had repudiated his famous statement on the advocate's duty of zealous representation. I wrote a response for the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics, pointing out the error. Instead of simply acknowledging the mistake and moving on with their main point, Zacharias and Green have written a response, attempting to justify their error. This reply attempts to put the issue finally to rest.
Calculation of the Electric and Magnetic Fields Produced by Close Lightning

Exact expressions for the electric and magnetic fields of an idealized lightning are developed. From these expressions the current moment equation and the charge moment equation are derived, and their applicability is discussed. For a transmission-line return-stroke model, formulas are developed relating electric and magnetic fields to return-stroke currents and velocities. Application of the model to the determination of currents and velocities from measured fields is considered. Computer calculations of return-stroke fields are presented and compared with measurement.
Are high-ability individuals really more tolerant of risk? A test of the relationship between risk aversion and cognitive ability

Abstract A body of literature based primarily on experiments suggests that cognitive ability and risk aversion are inversely related. In contrast, studies using observational data often find that lower ability, or lower income, is positively related to risky behaviors. One potential explanation for the conflicting conclusions is that experimental studies tend to measure risk attitudes by presenting subjects with choices between an option with a certain outcome and an option characterized by risk, which requires computation and, hence, cognitive effort. Additionally, these studies have primarily relied on the use of hypothetical choices. I use an experiment to test whether this frequently-used method of measuring risk preferences is biased toward finding results that indicate that individuals with lower cognitive ability are more risk averse than individuals with higher cognitive ability. I find that the inverse relationship between risk aversion and cognitive ability is not robust and that high-ability subjects may misrepresent their preferences when they face hypothetical choices. Also, similar to earlier studies, I find that low-ability subjects are more likely to make errors and show that the availability of a certain option reduces errors for the lowest-ability subjects.
Water exit dynamics of buoyant spheres

Releasing a beach ball just under the surface of the water will result in a large and violent ``pop-up'' of the ball above the surface. Contrary to intuition, increasing the release depth sometimes results in a lower pop-up height. Experiments show that the pop-up height is directly related to the release depth, but the correlation is not always increasing. Particle image velocimetry reveals that vortical structures shed during ascent result in nonvertical trajectories that alter the pop-up height.
Nuclear Criticism: In Pursuit of a “Politically Enabling” Deconstructive Voice

This essay argues that rhetorical and argument scholars have yet to devise a critical or philosophic perspective adaptive to the quandaries of our nuclear world. The claim is advanced that the nuclear threat is fundamentally a textual problem, a problem created and perpetuated by argumentative and rhetorical practices. If nuclear imperilment is a textual threat, then the response to it should be a critical one. The author maintains that argument critics need to formulate a politically powerful “nuclear criticism” in order to subvert and dismantle argument formations which might motivate nations to engage in nuclear war fighting. Drawing primarily upon the critical perspectives of Jacques Derrida and Kenneth Burke, the essay concludes by offering six methodological injunctions for such a nuclear criticism.
Accreditation in Point of Care Ultrasound

Accreditation in ultrasound can often be confused with credentialing and privileging and some providers use the terms interchangeably not realizing the implications. Accreditation relates to program, laboratory, departmental or institutional accreditation under a recognized body. Accreditation pathways are available to point-of-care ultrasound programs but there is promise in some developing programs but by various specialties. This chapter provides details on accreditation and discusses possible advantages and disadvantages.
Pharmaceutical Supply Chains

In this chapter, we present a generalized network oligopoly model for supply chains of pharmaceutical products using variational inequality theory. The model captures the Cournot competition among the manufacturers who seek to determine their profit-maximizing product flows, with the consumers differentiating among the products of the firms, whether branded or generic, and the firms taking into consideration the discarding costs. A case study demonstrates that a brand pharmaceutical product may lose its dominant market share as a consequence of patent expiration and because of generic competition.
Spreadsheet Modeling for Business Decisions w/St CD, @RISK & Crystal Ball Access Cards

Spreadsheet Modeling for Business Decisions focuses on five fundamental topics of business decision modeling; emphasizing the effective communication of results to the appropriate business decision maker. The topics include spreadsheet modeling, data management and modeling, simulation and linear regression modeling, and decision making under uncertainty. The text strives to educate managers in the process of becoming more effective and efficient problem solvers by providing the most important and useful topics within business decision models while at the same time preparing students to apply those topics to real-world problems, to integrate the use of common software packages into their analysis and solutions, and to prepare written and verbal conclusions from that analysis. Table of contents Brief ContentsPrefaceChapter 1 The Art and Science of Becoming a More Effective and Efficient Problem SolverChapter 2 Introduction to Spreadsheet ModelingChapter 3 Probability and Statistics—A Foundation for Becoming a More Effective and Efficient Problem SolverChapter 4 Decision Analysis: Building the Structure for Solving the ProblemChapter 5 Simulation ModelingChapter 6 Linear Regression ModelingChapter 7 Introduction to ForecastingChapter 8 Introduction to Optimization ModelsChapter 9 Project Management: PERT/CPMChapter 10 Introduction to Visual Basic Programming Appendix A Useful Information
Theoretical and Finite Element Models for Coupled Electro-Mechano-Chemical Transport in Soft Tissues

A general theoretical and finite element model (FEM) for soft tissue structures is described including arbitrary constitutive laws based upon a continuum view of the material as a mixture or porous medium saturated by an incompressible fluid and containing charged mobile species. Example problems demonstrate coupled electro-mechano-chemical transport and deformations in FEMs of layered materials subjected to mechanical, electrical and chemical “loading” while undergoing small or large strains.
William James and the “Theatre” of Consciousness

This essay examines the relationship of philosopher and psychologist William James (1842–1910) to the history of the hard problem of consciousness and to contemporary neuroscience. From the outset, James’s psychological writings fused Darwinian evolutionary theory, physics, and phenomenology in order to address the relation of our felt sense of possessing an autonomous, conscious “self” to a broader environment and social community. For James, the “hard problem” of how the physiological brain gives rise to will, habit, and attention – the essential components of volition – also involved a social component. This essay first traces how James’s earliest writings describe consciousness as a selective agency that works in consort with natural selection to contribute to human evolutionary advancement. Second, it demonstrates how James grafted Darwinian evolutionary thought onto the new physics in ways that anticipate contemporary neuroscientific attempts to resolve the hard problem by identifying the structures in the brain responsible for our phenomenological experience. Finally, it addresses the broader sociological aspects of the hard problem in James’s later writings. Through the lens of James’s writings on the transmission theory and compounding of consciousness we can understand the hard problem as encompassing the biosocial: the experience of individual and collective minds in the process of shaping complex networks of social interaction.
Effect of Amino Acid Imbalance on Polyribosome Profiles and Protein Synthesis in Fetal Cerebral Cortex

Numerous “inborn errors” of amino acid metabolism have been described (15,22). Most of these are associated with clinical disease of varying severity. For example, while maple syrup urine disease is usually rapidly fatal (14) phenylketonuria is competible with relative longevity (10). In most instances, the inherited metabolic block in the amino acid(s) involved has been well defined. However, the pathogensis of the various clinical syndromes is less well delineated.
Prospects for Peace and Democracy: Power-Sharing in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the most politically unstable and undemocratic regions in the world. Theories of power-sharing and recent studies have indicated that institutions that allow for higher levels of power-sharing are often more successful at consolidating democracy and stability in highly divided societies, like those common in Sub-Saharan Africa. By examining the electoral system, executive type, and level of decentralization, this study first determines the level of institutional power-sharing for each of the 48 SubSaharan states. Next, it compares these levels of power-sharing to indicators of democracy and state stability to determine if more power-sharing does correspond to greater democracy and stability. Using a bivariate analysis and factoring in region, the data shows that there is a strong and significant correlation between higher levels of institutional power-sharing and higher levels of democracy and state stability in Sub-Saharan Africa. This article is available in Res Publica Journal of Undergraduate Research: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/respublica/vol16/iss1/ 11
Coupling of hemodynamics to diffusional oxygen mass transport.

Maximally working skeletal muscle exhibits one of the highest O2 consumption rates observed in any tissue. In order to understand the mechanisms which bring about these enormous oxygen fluxes, two key questions have to be addressed: 1. How can diffusional fluxes of that magnitude from the red blood cell into the muscle fiber be achieved in spite of unfavourably long diffusion paths? 2. How is it possible that red cell transit times through the capillary bed are sufficiently long to discharge enough oxygen even though blood flow values are 25-fold compared to rest and the capillary bed is significantly de-recruited due to raised tissue pressures.
[I070] US regulatory requirements for radiation protection of pregnant patients and medical staff

Purpose To discuss harmful effects of ionizing radiation, especially important for fast growing tissues including the human fetus. To go over the strict regulations in the US regarding occupational exposures of pregnant workers to ionizing radiation. Methods Radiation protection of pregnant radiation workers includes written declaration of pregnancy which every female radiation worker can do at any time. The declaration should be done in writing and can be revoked at any time without an additional explanation. Based on this declaration, the employer should review work responsibilities of the employee and her recent radiation badge reading. In some cases, the employee could be reassigned to another type of work to further reduce her potential occupational exposure. A pregnant radiation worker receives an additional badge worn on the abdomen. This badge is being processed on a monthly basis to ensure the compliance with maximum monthly radiation exposure limit. Use of Diagnostic Radiation for pregnant patients should be limited to necessary studies urgently needed to improve the patient’s condition. That could be an acute condition or a life-saving treatment after an automobile accident etc. Before ordering an exam, the practitioner has to take into consideration the patient’s condition and potential harm to the fetus vs. the benefit from the procedure. Results Strict rules of Radiation Safety of pregnant radiation workers allow to reduce the occupational exposure to 500 mR/year and also to 50 mR/month. Two independent radiation badges allow reliable occupational dose measurements on a monthly basis. For pregnant patients it is often possible to assess possible dose to the fetus from the suggested radiation procedure prior to its administration. At that time, the decision should be made whether the procedure should be performed. Conclusions The US regulations regarding the occupational exposure of pregnant radiation workers allow to create a safe work environment which, in the light of the current knowledge, does not cause any harm to the worker and the fetus.
Oral Metolazone Versus Intravenous Chlorothiazide as an Adjunct to Loop Diuretics for Diuresis in Acute Decompensated Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction

Background: Thiazide diuretics are often utilized to overcome loop diuretic resistance when treating acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). In addition to a large cost advantage, several pharmacokinetic advantages exist when administering oral metolazone (MTZ) compared with intravenous (IV) chlorothiazide (CTZ), yet many providers are reluctant to utilize an oral formulation to treat ADHF. The purpose of this study was to compare the increase in 24-hour total urine output (UOP) after adding MTZ or CTZ to IV loop diuretics (LD) in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Methods and Results: From September 2013 to August 2016, 1002 patients admitted for ADHF received either MTZ or CTZ in addition to LD. Patients were excluded for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) (n = 469), <24-hour LD or UOP data prior to drug initiation (n = 129), or low dose MTZ/CTZ (n = 91). A total of 168 patients were included with 64% receiving CTZ. No significant difference was observed between the increase in 24-hour total UOP after MTZ or CTZ initiation (1458 [514, 2401] mL vs 1820 [890, 2750] mL, P = .251). Conclusions: Both MTZ and CTZ similarly increased UOP when utilized as an adjunct to IV LD. These results suggest that while thiazide agents can substantially increase UOP in ADHF patients with HFrEF, MTZ and CTZ have comparable effects.
Introduction to CD-ROM Production in Health Education

Compact disc (CD-ROM) computer technology have been around for at least a decade, but health educators have been slow to use this technology for health education purposes. This paper describes the process of CD-ROM production in health education.
Biological explanations of criminal behavior

There is a growing literature on biological explanations of antisocial and criminal behavior. This paper provides a selective review of three specific biological factors – psychophysiology (with th...