cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 255: Induction of microRNA-21 Inhibits Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Development and Nicotine-Augmented Expansion

Identification and treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) remain among the most prominent challenges in vascular medicine. MicroRNAs (miRs) are crucial regulators of cardiovascular pathology, and represent possible targets for the inhibition of AAA expansion. We identified miR-21 as a key modulator of proliferation and apoptosis in developing AAA in two established murine models: porcine-pancreatic-elastase, and angiotensin II-infusion. In both models, miR-21 increased with AAA development. Lentiviral overexpression of miR-21 (pre-21) induced cell proliferation and decreased apoptosis in the aortic wall, with protective effects on aneurysm expansion (as shown in Picrosirius Red stained images in the attached Figure below). miR-21 overexpression substantially decreased phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), leading to increased levels of p-AKT, a known pro-proliferative and anti-apoptotic pathway. Systemic injection of a locked-nucleic-acid-modified antagomiR targeting miR-21 (anti-21) diminished the pro-proliferative impact of down-regulated PTEN, leading to significantly increased AAA size as compared to scrambled-control-miR (scr-miR). Importantly, similar results were seen in nicotine-augmented murine AAAs, while parallel findings were observed in human aortic tissue samples from patients undergoing surgical AAA repair (with more pronounced effects in smokers). In vitro studies using human aortic smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts as well as endothelial cells identified NFκB signaling pathways as the key regulator of miR-21 induction. Modulation of miR-21 expression shows great potential as a novel and powerful therapeutic option to limit AAA disease progression.
Novel Investigation of Iron Cross Sections via Spherical Shell Transmission Measurements and Particle Transport Calculations for Material Embrittlement Studies

AbstractWe have carried out a multifaceted research project to improve our knowledge of the iron nonelastic scattering cross sections. Spherical shell transmission measurements were made using time-of-flight techniques with neutrons from the 15N(p,n)15O and D(d,n)3He source reactions. For the 15N(p,n)15O work, measurements were made with a proton energy of 5.1 MeV. Measurements were made from 3 to 7-MeV deuteron energy for the D(d,n)3He work. For both source reactions, the angular range was as large as 15 to 135 deg. Two shell thicknesses were used. Comparisons are given between Monte Carlo predictions and experimental data.Utilizing a new tallying option, the estimated total iron cross sections at energies corresponding to the peak of the spectra for the 0-deg experiments were calculated to within 1% of the data in the ENDF/B-VII library. A processing code was developed to adjust ENDF format files to obtain closer agreement between measurements and calculations. Sensitivity analyses were performed at ene...
Impact of Infectious Diseases Consultation on Mortality in Patients with Candidemia

AbstractBackgroundAn infectious diseases (ID) consultation is often, but not always, obtained to help guide treatment of patients with candidemia. We examined if ID consultation affected patient outcome in patients with culture positive candidemia.MethodsWe assembled a retrospective cohort of 1,873 cases of candidemia in patients hospitalized in our academic tertiary care hospital from 2002 to 2015. We collected data on comorbidities, predisposing factors; antifungal therapy, survival and ID consult. Patients who died within 24 hours of diagnosis were excluded, under the presumption that they did not have an opportunity to receive an ID consult. Survival analysis was performed via univariate and multivariate Cox Regression with censoring at 90 days, as subsequent mortality was less likely to be related to candidemia.Results913 (49%) of the candidemic patients received an ID consult; 960 (51%) did not. Underlying comorbidities were evenly distributed between patients with and without an ID consult, except that patients with an ID consult more frequently had a central line (39% vs. 26%, p < 0.001), were on mechanical ventilation (4% vs. 2%, P = 0.003) or were receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (2.2% vs. 0.5%, p = 0.002). The ID consult group had lower 90-day mortality compared with patients without an ID consult (34% vs. 49%, P < 0.001), with an adjusted hazard ratio of mortality for those patients receiving an ID consult of 0.55 (95% CI: 0.48, 0.64, P < 0.001) (Fig 1). Patient management differed significantly: the ID consult group was more likely to receive an echinocandin (29% vs. 21%, P < 0.001) or amphotericin B (AmB) (3.4% vs. 1.4%, P = 0.006).ConclusionCandidemic patients who received an ID consult were significantly less likely to die, and were more likely to receive therapy with amphotericin or an echinocandin. These data suggest that an ID consult should be an integral part of clinical care of patients with candidemia.Figure 1.Survival curve of 1,873 patients with candidemia by receipt of ID consult adjusted for age above 50, receipt of chemotherapy, the presence of central line, previous use of corticosteroids, receipt of ECMO and recent `pleural procedure.Disclosures W. Powderly, Merck: Grant Investigator and Scientific Advisor, Consulting fee and Research grant; Gilead: Scientific Advisor, Consulting fee; Astellas: Grant Investigator, Research grant; A. Spec, Astellas Pharma US, Inc.: Grant Investigator, Research grant
New Supervisors' Struggles and Successes With Corrective Feedback

Seven doctoral supervisors described their experiences giving corrective feedback, including events when constructive feedback and confrontation did and did not go well. Findings reveal their thoughts and feelings before, during, and after each event. The authors suggest several specific pedagogical directions for facilitating supervisor development in this area.
Environmental Health Regulation in the Trump Era: How President Trump’s 2-for-1 Regulatory Plan Impacts Environmental Regulation

On February 8, 2017, a lawsuit was filed challenging President’s Trump regulatory reform paradigm. Plaintiffs were an unlikely alliance of a Congressional watch group, an environmental group and a labor group. The crux of the lawsuit argued that Executive Order 13771 “corrupts agency decision making across the board.” Trump’s regulatory reform initiatives were issued in fulfillment of his campaign promise to reduce the burden of federal regulation on American businesses by requiring agencies to repeal two regulations for every one promulgated. On April 17, 2017, fourteen states filed an amicus brief supporting Trump’s deregulatory initiative signaling the civil war over the efficacy of federal regulation ignited during the 2016 election cycle continues with vigor during the Trump presidency. The supporting states argued that “the administrative state has accelerated further the long-term growth of new regulatory burdens, while rarely eliminating unnecessary regulations issued in the past” and the “unlawfully-imposed burden has been largely borne by the States and their citizens.” This article explores how the Trump regulatory reform agenda impacts environmental regulation. The paper begins with an overview of the Trump regulatory reform formula describing executive orders and memoranda that outline regulatory guidelines generally and concerning federal environmental policy specifically. Next the paper examines the federal agency initiatives undertaken in response to the Trump directives, including both fact-finding dockets and regulatory action published in the federal register applying analysis of the executive orders as they pertain to environmental regulation. The article concludes by discussing the impact of both the process of reform efforts on environmental health policy and the likely legal result if reform is successful as designed.
How people protect their privacy on Facebook: A cost-benefit view

Realizing the many benefits from Facebook require users to share information reciprocally, which has overtime created trillions of bytes of information onlineâ€”a treasure trove for cybercriminals. The sole protection for any user are three sets of privacy protections afforded by Facebook: settings that control information privacy (i.e., security of social media accounts and identity information), accessibility privacy or anonymity (i.e., manage who can connect with a user), and those that control expressive privacy (i.e., control who can see a user's posts and tag you). Using these settings, however, involves a tradeâ€ off between making oneself accessible and thereby vulnerable to potential attacks, or enacting stringent protections that could potentially make someone inaccessible thereby reducing the benefits that are accruable through social media. Using two theoretical frameworks, Uses and Gratifications (U&G) and Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), the research examined how individuals congitvely juxtaposed the cost of maintaining privacy through the use of these settings against the benefits of openness. The application of the U&G framework revealed that social need fulfillment was the single most significant benefit driving privacy management. From the cost standpoint, the PMT framework pointed to perceived severity impacting expressive and information privacy, and perceived susceptability influencing accessibility privacy.
Changes in Scope of Procedures Performed by Pediatric Otolaryngologists in the Past Decade.

Importance Monitoring current trends in pediatric otolaryngology will help adjust our training and practice paradigms in a way that ensures the long-term viability of the specialty. Objectives To gauge the current scope of pediatric otolaryngology (ORL) practice within and outside of the United States and to identify changes in caseload over the past decade. Design, Setting, and Participants An online survey was sent to pediatric ORL chairs and/or fellowship directors at 42 institutions in the United States and abroad. For 59 procedures, respondents were asked to estimate the percentage of cases performed by their department, determine whether this percentage has changed over the past 10 years (2006-2016), and identify any other specialties performing the procedure. Data were collected during a 2-week period in October 2016, from October 7 through 21, and analyzed from November 2016 through February 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures Main outcomes included the percentage of operations currently performed by the respondent’s department for each procedure; whether this percentage has decreased, increased, or remained the same over the past decade; other specialties that perform each procedure; and any procedures added to or eliminated from the respondent’s practice over the past decade. Results Respondents from 33 of the 42 academic institutions completed the survey (23 in the United States and 10 international; 79% response rate). Respondents reported the least involvement in procedures pertaining to facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, aerodigestive endoscopy, and congenital anomalies. Conversely, a mean (SD) of 91% (7%) reported performing 90% to 100% of otology, airway, rhinology, and general procedures. A mean (SD) of 82% (11%) reported that their department’s involvement in each procedure has remained the same from 2006 to 2016. Conclusions and Relevance The specialty of pediatric ORL has evolved over the past decade. There has been a notable decline in involvement in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery and treatment of vascular malformations and esophageal disorders. The management of thyroid disease is in flux. Monitoring current trends to adjust training and practice paradigms will ensure the long-term viability of the specialty.
The Logic of The Goldhagen Debate

Since Daniel J. Goldhagen's Hitler's Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaustattempts to show that the Holocaust is explicable and can be understood largely in terms of a single cause, “eliminationist anti-Semitism”, it is not surprising that the book has generated an international debate. What is surprising is the magnitude and emotional intensity of the debate. This article argues that the deepest flaws in it Hitler's Willing Executioners,as well as the chasm of disagreement between Goldhagen's detractors and defenders, have as much to do with reasoning and concepts as with matters of fact. It concludes that Goldhagen's central argument is stronger than many of his critics claim, but that the inadequacy of his cognitive interpretation of anti-Semitism and his unexamined psychological assumptions weaken his attempt to explain the Holocaust.
Actin Assemblies in the Axon Shaft - some Open Questions.

The actin cytoskeleton in neurons plays critical roles in axonal growth and synaptic organization. Until recently, most studies on axonal actin were limited to terminal growth cones or synapses, whereas the organization of actin along the shaft of the axon was relatively ignored. However, experiments using super-resolution microscopy and live imaging have revealed previously unknown actin structures along the axonal shaft, such as periodic ‘actin rings’ circumferentially wrapping underneath the plasma membrane and dynamic actin pools deeper within the axon shaft (termed actin ‘hotspots’ and ‘trails’). In this short review, we highlight some open questions that have surfaced as a direct result of these discoveries.
Mechanisms how mucosal innate immunity affects progression of allergic airway disease.

Introduction: Activation of antigen-independent inflammation (a.k.a. the ‘innate’ immune response (IIR)) plays a complex role in allergic asthma (AA). Although activation of the pulmonary IIR by ae...
Pharmacotherapy in Heart Failure (II): Beta Adrenergic Blocking Drugs, Ivabradine, Hydralazine and Nitrates

Sympathetic nervous system activation is a cardinal feature of heart failure. Cannon [1] first described this component of the autonomic nervous system as the “fight or flight response” which became activated to react to short bursts of activity associated with “pain, hunger, fear or rage.” The principal responses seen in the cardiovascular system are an increase in heart rate and myocardial contractility, an increase in peripheral vasoconstriction, and other alterations in vascular tone causing redirection of blood flow to vital organs. Chidsey [2] was one of the earliest investigators to demonstrate that heart failure was accompanied by chronic activation of the sympathetic nervous system. This was at one time felt to be a beneficial response, helping to restore cardiac output through inotropic and chronotropic actions which were held to be beneficial to the failing heart. Beta adrenergic blocking drugs were believed to be contraindicated in heart failure and labeled as such. An improved understanding of the potential detrimental effects of chronic sympathetic activation emerged with new insights into the pathophysiology of heart failure, and from small clinical studies which suggested patients with heart failure could benefit from treatment with beta adrenergic blockade.
Evaluating the Impact of Wait Time on Orthopaedic Outpatient Satisfaction Using the Press Ganey Survey.

The Press Ganey Outpatient Medical Practice Survey is a commonly utilized questionnaire that attempts to measure satisfaction with outpatient health care. A wide variety of factors have been associated with lower satisfaction scores among orthopaedic patients, including age, sex, presence of psychological disorders, and driving distance to the point of care. The impact of clinic workflows is less clear. In this study, we hypothesized that an increased clinic wait time was an independent predictor of lower patient satisfaction as measured by the Press Ganey survey. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 4,216 new outpatient orthopaedic surgery visits between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2016, at a single academic institution. For patients with multiple visits, only the first new patient visit was analyzed. Satisfaction was defined as achieving a score above the 33rd percentile of the cohort. Univariate analysis followed by multivariable binary logistic regression was used to detect factors associated with patient satisfaction. Results Of the 4,216 unique patients, the mean age (and standard deviation) was 52.8 ± 15.8 years, and 58.9% of the patients were female. The mean total wait time was 17.8 ± 19.4 minutes. Univariate analysis revealed greater odds of achieving satisfaction on the Press Ganey survey for a wait time of <15 minutes compared with a wait time of ≥15 minutes; the odds ratio (OR) was 3.78 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.30 to 4.33; p < 0.01). The multivariable model revealed an association between satisfaction and wait time while controlling for other potential contributing factors: the odds of achieving satisfaction after waiting for 15 to 29 minutes were 0.36 (95% CI, 0.31 to 0.43; p < 0.01) compared with waiting for <15 minutes, with significantly decreasing odds (p < 0.01 for all) observed with further increments of increased wait time. Conclusions A wait time exceeding 15 minutes in an outpatient orthopaedic clinic was an independent predictor of scoring at or below the 33rd percentile on the Press Ganey survey. Further increases in wait time significantly increased the odds of dissatisfaction. Measures to reduce clinic wait time may improve the patient experience and satisfaction with the orthopaedic encounter.
The Touristic Upgrade Through Preservation and Respect of Environmental and Cultural Heritage: The Ayasi Project

This chapter aims to address the duty of maintaining and honoring our natural and cultural inheritance in the field of tourism. On this attempt we have created a project to represent this idea of ameliorating cultural and touristic services. It is about the alternation of an old traditional private residence in Paros island into agrotouristic guest houses with ecologically friendly solutions. Agrotourism is an original type of tourism where costumers are not only offered accommodation but instead they are given the chance to get involved with close to nature and culture activities. This project stands as a fine example of how tourism instead of aiming in low quality and short term profit could be inviting costumers to get closer to nature and tradition and support cultural education and local economy.
Association between asthma symptom scores and perceived stress and trait anxiety in adolescents with asthma.

Background: Emotional disorders, including depression and anxiety, are more prevalent in individuals with asthma than in the general population and are associated with poor asthma outcomes. Identification of patients with increased levels of stress and anxiety may be helpful when treating asthma and during asthma counseling. Objective: To further characterize the relationship between asthma symptoms and perceived stress and trait anxiety in an adolescent population. Methods: Adolescents (N = 335) ages 14-17 years were recruited to examine the effect of stress on health measures. They were included in the present analysis if they reported current asthma, defined as self-reported clinician-diagnosed asthma plus one or more episodes of asthma in the past year. Asthma symptoms were assessed on a 7-point scale by using a standardized questionnaire that targets nocturnal awakening due to asthma, symptoms on awakening, activity limitation, shortness of breath, time spent wheezing, and short-acting bronchodilator use. Stress was measured by using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and trait anxiety was measured by using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Linear regression was used to associate asthma symptoms with PSS and trait anxiety. Results: Thirty-eight adolescents (11.3%), with mean ± standard deviation age 16.7 ± 0.9 years, reported current asthma. Four of the six asthma symptom assessments had significant associations with PSS: symptoms on awakening (β = 4.82, p < 0.001), nocturnal awakening due to asthma (β = 4.47, p < 0.001), activity limitation (β = 2.78, p = 0.005), and shortness of breath (β = 1.73, p = 0.014). These associations remained significant after adjusting for gender, race, and the body mass index percentile. Trait anxiety had significant associations with nocturnal awakening (β = 9.28, p = 0.002) and symptoms on awakening (β = 8.74, p = 0.002). Associations remained significant after adjusting for gender, race, and body mass index percentile. Conclusion: Asthma symptom severity is associated with increased perceived stress and trait anxiety. Adolescents with asthma may represent a population that is particularly vulnerable to perceived stress and anxiety, which highlights the importance of considering these factors in asthma counseling.
Arthroscopy of the Pediatric Elbow: Review of the Current Concepts

As surgeons have become more familiar with elbow arthroscopy, the indications for arthroscopy of the pediatric elbow have expanded to include contracture releases, fracture fixation, treatment of osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesions, correction of elbow deformity, and debridement of soft tissue and bony pathologies. The treatment of various pathologies via an arthroscopic approach demonstrates equal, if not better, efficacy and safety as open surgery for the pediatric elbow. Arthroscopy provides the unique advantage of enabling the performance of extensive surgeries through a minimally-invasive approach, and it facilitates staged interventions in cases of increased complexity. For fracture work, arthroscopy enables direct visualization to assess reduction for percutaneous fixations. While future research is warranted to better evaluate the indications and outcomes of pediatric elbow arthroscopy, this update article presents a review of the current literature, as well as several innovative cases highlighting the potential of arthroscopy.
An isolated ruptured spinal aneurysm presents with a thalamic Infarct: case report.

Background Isolated spinal artery aneurysms are extremely rare, and their pathogenesis, clinical presentation, and treatment strategies are poorly established. We report only the second case of a patient with an isolated posterior spinal aneurysm and concurrent left thalamic infarct and review the literature to help clarify treatment strategies of isolated spinal aneurysms. Case presentation A 49-year-old patient presented with acute onset walking difficulty followed by diaphoresis, back and abdominal pain, and paraplegia. Imaging was notable for a hemorrhagic spinal lesion with compression at T12 through L4 and an acute left thalamic infarct. Surgical exploration revealed an isolated posterior spinal artery aneurysm. The aneurysm was surgically resected and the patient had partial recovery six months post-operatively. Conclusions Isolated posterior spinal artery aneurysms of the thoracolumbar region are rare lesions that commonly present with abdominal pain, radiating back pain, and lower extremity weakness. Imaging may not provide a definitive diagnosis. The three primary treatment strategies are conservative management, endovascular treatment, or surgical resection. In patients with symptomatic cord compression, immediate surgical intervention is indicated to preserve neurologic function. In all other cases, the artery size, distal flow, morphology, and location may guide management.
Perceptions of Successful Veterinary School Applicants: Assessment Data to Improve Student Success

Admission to colleges of veterinary medicine has become increasingly more competitive through the years. The increased number of applicants require students and the programs they are attending to help students distinguish themselves in the applicant pool. Many students understand the importance of the science related coursework early on in their undergraduate career. The soft skills along with mentoring have been shown to be important for applicant success. Time management skills can be some of the most vital skills for undergraduate students to practice before matriculation to veterinary school. In addition, group skills and conflict resolution are perceived as important among veterinary alumni and students. Mentoring is critical throughout the education process. The personal aspects and professional guidance given by professors make for the most successful advising of undergraduate pre-veterinary students. Results indicated that students could benefit from communication skills being included throughout the curriculum, especially in context of veterinary science courses.
Genetic structure of leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata) populations along the Pacific coast of North America

Abstract Poorly understood genetic structure throughout a species' range can impede the implementation of effective management strategies. Leopard sharks ( Triakis semifasciata ) are known to form seasonal aggregations along the California coastline, but little is known about broad-scale movement patterns once aggregations disperse. If aggregations represent isolated populations, increased protective measures of known aggregation sites may be required to reduce the risk of local extirpation. Five highly polymorphic microsatellite markers were used to analyze the genetic population structure of T. semifasciata . A total of 382 individuals were genotyped from six locations in California and one location in Mexico, spanning approximately 1800 km of coastline. In addition, the mitochondrial DNA control region was sequenced for five individuals in Mexico to compare to a previous analysis of T. semifasciata haplotypes found in California. Analyses of the genetic data show that T. semifasciata does not form one panmictic population and significant population structure is present. Pairwise F ST tests and Bayesian clustering analyses show significant differentiation between northern and southern California populations (north and south of Point Conception, CA). Based on limited sampling, analyses of both microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA indicate that the Mexican population is genetically isolated from the California populations, making it more susceptible to local decline.
Exploring the Proton Channels of Cytochrome Oxidase

Cytochrome oxidase is a marvelous molecular machine designed to conserve energy by coupling the chemical reduction of dioxygen to the generation of a transmembrane proton electrochemical potential. There is actually a large number of related enzymes, comprising the heme-copper oxidase superfamily, that perform this function in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes [1]. The enzyme isolated from bovine heart mitochondria is the best studied member of this superfamily, but bacterial enzymes from Escherichia coli, Rhodobacter sphaeroides, and Paracoccus denitrificans are also under intense investigation. The use of the prokaryotic oxidases has provided the full array of molecular genetics tools to probe structure/function relationships in this group of enzymes. The high resolution structures of the cytochrome oxidases from both bovine heart [2, 3] and from Paracoccus denitrificans [4] have been solved and are stellar achievements. These structures have resolved a number of questions and confirmed the close relationship of the 13-subunit mammalian enzyme and the smaller (3 or 4 subunit) bacterial enzymes. However, many questions concerning the mechanism by which these enzymes work, especially regarding the nature of the proton pump, remain unresolved. The structures provide a rich source of information and clues, but do not define the catalytic mechanism.
An accurate and practical method for inference of weak gravitational lensing from galaxy images

We demonstrate highly accurate recovery of weak gravitational lensing shear using an implementation of the Bayesian Fourier Domain (BFD) method proposed by Bernstein & Armstrong (2014, BA14), extended to correct for selection biases. The BFD formalism is rigorously correct for Nyquist-sampled, background-limited, uncrowded image of background galaxies. BFD does not assign shapes to galaxies, instead compressing the pixel data D into a vector of moments M, such that we have an analytic expression for the probability P(M|g) of obtaining the observations with gravitational lensing distortion g along the line of sight. We implement an algorithm for conducting BFD's integrations over the population of unlensed source galaxies which measures ~10 galaxies/second/core with good scaling properties. Initial tests of this code on ~10^9 simulated lensed galaxy images recover the simulated shear to a fractional accuracy of m=0.0021+-0.0004, substantially more accurate than has been demonstrated previously for any generally applicable method. Deep sky exposures generate a sufficiently accurate approximation to the noiseless, unlensed galaxy population distribution assumed as input to BFD. Potential extensions of the method include simultaneous measurement of magnification and shear; multiple-exposure, multi-band observations; and joint inference of photometric redshifts and lensing tomography.
El bolerazo del general

El general en su laberinto. Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Editonal Oveja negra. Bogota, 1989, 286 pags.
Denovo: A New Three-Dimensional Parallel Discrete Ordinates Code in SCALE

Denovo is a new, three-dimensional, discrete ordinates (SN) transport code that uses state-of-the-art solution methods to obtain accurate solutions to the Boltzmann transport equation. Denovo uses ...
Polyphenol oxidase activity as a potential intrinsic index of adequate thermal pasteurization of apple cider.

In response to increasing concerns about microbial safety of apple cider, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has mandated treatment of cider sufficient for a 5-log reduction of the target pathogen. Pasteurization has been suggested as the treatment most likely to achieve a 5-log reduction, with Escherichia coli O157:H7 as the target pathogen. Regulators and processors need a reliable method for verifying pasteurization, and apple cider polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity was studied as a potential intrinsic index for thermal pasteurization. The effect of pasteurization conditions and apple cider properties on PPO activity and survival of three pathogens ( E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes) was studied using a Box-Behnken response surface design. Factors considered in the design were pasteurization conditions, i.e., hold temperature (60, 68, and 76° C), preheat time (10, 20, 30 s), and hold time (0, 15, 30 s), pH, and sugar content (° Brix) of apple cider. Response surface contour pl...
General Theories of Software Engineering (GTSE): Key Criteria and an Example

An essential consideration for a candidate General Theory of Software Engineering (GTSE) is the criteria by which it should be evaluated. This summary will include a proposed set of criteria and their rationale; an overview of an existing GTSE (Theory W: stakeholder win-win) that will be presented in the keynote address; and a summary of its ability to satisfy the criteria.
Gideon v. Wainwright and the Right to Counsel in Immigration Removal Cases: An Immigration Gideon for Lawful Permanent Residents?

Fifty years ago, the Supreme Court decided Gideon v. Wainwright, the landmark case that constitutionally guaranteed counsel to defendants in criminal prosecutions in the United States. In evaluating the ripple effects of that decision, it is critical to remember that the Court’s decision rested on the Sixth Amendment right to counsel for the accused in criminal cases. American law sharply demarcates between the many rights available to criminal defendants and the significantly more limited bundle of protections for civil litigants. As is often true for dichotomies, the differences between civil and criminal proceedings blur at the margins. There are, for example, civil cases where the stakes are extraordinarily high, so high that they arguably approximate the life and liberty interests implicated by a criminal prosecution. For example, a loss of public benefits, or potential eviction from an apartment, can have devastating impacts on the lives of the indigent. The assistance of a lawyer obviously can make all the difference to the ultimate outcome of such high stakes civil proceedings. This Essay studies the right to counsel in a particular category of civil cases – immigration removal cases, which implicate life and liberty interests similar in important respects to those at stake in criminal prosecutions. The existing scholarship analyzing the right of counsel for noncitizens in removal proceedings generally has highlighted the great need for representation, as well as the weighty interests at issue, but has not fully fleshed out the legal arguments for guaranteed representation. Alternatively, some commentators argue for a right to counsel for narrow categories of particularly sympathetic noncitizens facing removal, such as detained immigrants, asylum-seekers, or juveniles. In contrast, this Essay contends that classic Due Process analysis, including the constitutional protections previously extended by the Supreme Court to lawful permanent residents, requires guaranteed counsel for lawful permanent residents, the group of noncitizens most likely to have the strongest legal entitlement to remain in, as well as the likelihood of having the deepest community ties to, the United States. Temporary visitors and undocumented immigrants generally lack such a legal interest and community ties. Recent developments in U.S. immigration law and enforcement, including the dramatic increase in removal proceedings instituted by the U.S. government over the last ten years, limits imposed by Congress on judicial review of agency removal decisions, and the racially disparate impacts of immigration enforcement, make guaranteed representation for lawful permanent residents more necessary now than ever.
Thermal Properties of the Polyamide from 2-Methylpentamethylenediamine and Dodecanedioic Acid

The polyamide from 2-methylpentamethylenediamine and dodecanedioic acid (MPMD-12) has been studied by differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, dielectric analysis, X-ray crystallography, and simultaneous small and wide-angle X-ray scattering using synchrotron radiation. The polymer exhibits polymorphism which is shown to be associated with the incorporation of the branched diamine. At relatively low temperatures, the crystal structure is similar to the gamma form which has been found in many other polyamides. At higher temperatures, a new delta form appears in which the diamine moiety adopts a bent conformation. In this form, the chains follow a zig-zag pattern with two chemical repeats units per crystallographic repeat with a shortening of about 10% along the c-axis.
A comparison study of hip range of motion and electromyography during backward walking between children with spastic diplegia and children without known disabilities

OF THE THESIS A COMPARISON STUDY OF HIP RANGE OF MOTION AND ELECTROMYOGRAPHY DURING BACKWARD WALKING BETWEEN CHILDREN WITH SPASTIC DIPLEGIA AND CHILDREN WITHOUT KNOWN DISABILITIES
Should exercise be promoted as an effective intervention strategy to off-set excessive college student drinking?

In response to the Weinstock 1 article published in the May/June (2010) issue of the Journal of American College Health, entitled “A Review of Exercise as Intervention for Sedentary Hazardous Drink...
IRAS observations of the zodiacal background

IRAS sky survey measurements are used to constrain a model for the interplanetary dust emission. Efforts to date, although hampered somewhat by calibration uncertainties, indicate that the cloud is inclined to the ecliptic by approximately 1.7 deg, with its line of ascending nodes at 70 deg ecliptic longitude. The data is well fit by a dust density distribution presently described in cloud symmetry plane coordinates, where the dust has a gray emissivity and an equilibrium temperature at 1 AU of 280 K.
Parton distributions in the valon model

The parton distribution functions determined by CTEQ at low $Q^2$ are used as inputs to test the validity of the valon model. The valon distributions in a nucleon are first found to be nearly $Q$ independent. The parton distribution in a valon are shown to be consistent with being universal, independent of the valon type. The momentum fractions of the partons in the valon add up separately to one. These properties affirm the validity of the valon model. The various distributions are parameterized for convenient application of the model.
Prone-Positioning Therapy in ARDS

The prone position has been used to improve oxygenation in patients with severe hypoxemia and acute respiratory failure since 1974. All studies with the prone position document an improvement in systemic oxygenation in 70% to 80% of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), with maximal improvement seen in the most hypoxemic patients. This article reviews data regarding efficacy for use of the prone position in patients with ARDS. Also described is a simple, safe, quick, and inexpensive procedure used to prone patients with severe ARDS on a standard bed in the intensive care unit at the University of Michigan.
Outcome of treatment for distal bile duct cancer

All patients with distal bile duct tumours over a 10-year period (October 1983 to December 1993) were identified by means of a prospective database. The medical records of 104 patients were reviewed. Univariate and multivariate analysis for predictors of outcome was performed. Median age of the patients was 65 (range 30-89) years. Patients presented with a clinical picture indistinguishable from that of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Twenty patients had no surgical treatment and 23 had a diagnostic laparotomy only. Biliary bypass was performed in 16 patients and radical resection was performed in 45 (pancreaticoduodenectomy, 39; bile duct excision, six). Operative mortality occurred in two of 45 patients having radical resection and complications in 17. Resection provided significant survival benefit. By univariate and multivariate analysis, resectability and negative node status (P < 0.001) were the only predictors of favourable outcome. Sex, age, preoperative stenting, grade of tumour and bilirubin level did not predict outcome. The 5-year survival rate for radically resected, node-negative tumours was 54 per cent. Surgical resection is effective therapy for distal bile duct tumours. These patients have a better outlook than those having resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
Wireless instantaneous neurotransmitter concentration sensing system (WINCS) for intraoperative neurochemical monitoring

The Wireless Instantaneous Neurotransmitter Concentration Sensing System (WINCS) measures extracellular neurotransmitter concentration in vivo and displays the data graphically in nearly real time. WINCS implements two electroanalytical methods, fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) and fixed-potential amperometry (FPA), to measure neurotransmitter concentrations at an electrochemical sensor, typically a carbon-fiber microelectrode. WINCS comprises a battery-powered patient module and a custom software application (WINCSware) running on a nearby personal computer. The patient module impresses upon the electrochemical sensor either a constant potential (for FPA) or a time-varying waveform (for FSCV). A transimpedance amplifier converts the resulting current to a signal that is digitized and transmitted to the base station via a Bluetooth® radio link. WINCSware controls the operational parameters for FPA or FSCV, and records the transmitted data stream. Filtered data is displayed in various formats, including a background-subtracted plot of sequential FSCV scans — a representation that enables users to distinguish the signatures of various analytes with considerable specificity. Dopamine, glutamate, adenosine and serotonin were selected as analytes for test trials. Proof-of-principle tests included in vitro flow-injection measurements and in vivo measurements in rat and pig. Further testing demonstrated basic functionality in a 3-Tesla MRI unit. WINCS was designed in compliance with consensus standards for medical electrical device safety, and it is anticipated that its capability for real-time intraoperative monitoring of neurotransmitter release at an implanted sensor will prove useful for advancing functional neurosurgery.
Musings about personal competence: The contributions of sport, health, and fitness

Since my election as President-elect 2 years ago I have thought about this address with mixed emotions, both excitement and anxiety. I decided last year I would not discuss the status of community psychology. Instead I have chosen to express my views about the future and status of community psychology in the Presidential columns of the Newsletter. It was my decision to focus on a substantive area related both to community psychology and to my own areas of involvement. The difficulty in pinpointing a topic was compounded by my being on sabbatical this past year. During my leave I was an Assistant Women's Basketball Coach at Eastern Connecticut State College and pursued my growing interest in health and sport psychology. In other words, I had little contact with mainstream psychology per se; in fact, I chose to read and study in physical education, health, and recreation and to put psychology "on the back burner." So when it became time to choose a topic I found myself in a quandary. I wanted my address to have as its focus my newly developing interests, yet I did feel a nagging obligation to make the talk relevant to an aspect of community psychology. Fortunately (or unfortunately), this restriction was not severe given the broad scope of activities which constitute community psychology. I knew there was a relationship between
The arthritis of sarcoidosis.

Eighty-two patients with sarcoidosis were studied. Arthritis was found in 10 of 64 unselected patients with proved sarcoidosis (15.6 per cent). Clinical analysis of 28 additional patients with the arthritis of sarcoidosis showed two types of arthritis: (1) An acute, transient type which was often associated with the clinical onset of the disease. A chest radiograph usually disclosed enlarged hilar nodes. This type was most common and tended to disappear without residua. (2) A persistent or chronic form which appeared either early or late in the course of the disease, and sometimes led to joint destruction. Radiographs of the affected joints often failed to show abnormalities. Erythema nodosum may or may not be present. Hyperuricemia was found in 20.4 per cent, rheumatoid factor in about 10 per cent, and antinuclear antibodies in 5 per cent of patients with sarcoidosis.
Commonly Used Methods of Estimating Creatinine Clearance Are Inadequate for Elderly Debilitated Nursing Home Patients

We evaluated the Jelliffe and the Cockcroft and Gault methods of estimating creatinine clearance in elderly nursing home patients (65 years) with chronic indwelling urethral catheters. Although these relationships have been prospectively validated in hospitalized and ambulatory populations previously, we found that they produced poor estimates of creatinine clearance in this patient group. For the Jelliffe method, 11 of 19 estimates were 20% or greater from the measured value; 10 of 11 poor estimates were high. The Cockcroft-Gault method had 10 of 19 estimates 20% or greater from the measured value with 8 of 10 of the poor estimates being high. An altered relationship between body weight, muscle mass, and daily creatinine production is the most likely explanation for the bias in these creatinine-clearance estimations. New estimates of the relationships between age, weight, serum creatinine, and creatinine clearance need to be developed for this population.
The effect of carbon tetrachloride on the total plasma protein concentration of rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri

Abstract 1. The effect of a single i.p. injection of CCl4 on total plasma protein and albumin concentrations was measured in the rainbow trout. 2. CCl4 treatment caused a significant reduction in total plasma protein concentration at 12, 24 and 36 hr post-treatment. 3. At 24 hr post-treatment plasma albumin concentration was significantly reduced only in fish given the highest dose of CCl4 (2.0 ml/kg). 4. Several factors, including intestinal inflammation and hemorrhages, could have contributed to the decreased plasma protein concentration in the trout.
Human stem cells and drug screening: opportunities and challenges

High-throughput screening technologies are widely used in the early stages of drug discovery to rapidly evaluate the properties of thousands of compounds. However, they generally rely on testing compound libraries on highly proliferative immortalized or cancerous cell lines, which do not necessarily provide an accurate indication of the effects of compounds in normal human cells or the specific cell type under study. Recent advances in stem cell technology have the potential to allow production of a virtually limitless supply of normal human cells that can be differentiated into any specific cell type. Moreover, using induced pluripotent stem cell technology, they can also be generated from patients with specific disease traits, enabling more relevant modelling and drug screens. This article discusses the opportunities and challenges for the use of stem cells in drug screening with a focus on induced pluripotent stem cells.
Subclinical hypothyroidism and pregnancy.

Pregnancy has a considerable impact on thyroid homeostasis that complicates the diagnosis of hypothyroidism. Pregnant women with overt hypothyroidism have appreciable maternal morbidity as well as perinatal morbidity and mortality. Treatment of such women has been shown to improve these outcomes. Co
Two-dimensional wall temperature measurements and heat transfer enhancement for top-heated horizontal channels with flow boiling

Abstract Two-dimensional (circumferential and axial) wall temperature distributions were measured for top-heated coolant channels with internal geometries that include smooth walls, spiral fins and both twisted tape and spiral fins. Freon-71 was the working fluid. The flow regimes studied were single-phase, subcooled flow boiling, and stratified flow boiling. The inside diameter of all test sections was near 10.0 mm. Circumferentially averaged heat transfer coefficients at several axial locations were obtained for selected coolant channels for a volumetric flow rate of 4.738 x 10 −5 m 3 /s, 0.19 MPa (absolute) exit pressure, and 22.2°C inlet subcooling. Overall (averaged over the entire channel) heat transfer coefficients were compared for the various channel geometries. This comparison showed that the channel with large-pitch spiral fins had higher heat transfer coefficients at all power levels. However, the results appear to indicate that if the twist ratio (ratio of the twisted tape period to the inside diameter) is decreased, the configuration employing both fins and a twisted tape will have had greater enhancements.