cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pulmonary hypertension predicts mortality in infants with omphalocele.

Objective The objective of this study was to identify predictors of mortality in infants with omphalocele. Methods Medical records of infants with omphalocele born between January 1992 and June 2012, with follow-up toDecember 2012, were retrospectively reviewed. Survivors and non-survivors were compared. Evidence for pulmonary hypertension was sought between the second and seventh day after birth. All included infants had increased right ventricular pressures (RVP >40 mmhg) on echocardiogram on the second day of life with increased oxygen requirements, therefore, the finding of increased pressure was not considered a result of the transitional circulation. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the importance and independence of various factors. Results Of 51 infants whose records were reviewed, 13 died (25%) and 38 survived (75%). The median time to death was 34 days (range: 4 -408 days). The median follow-up time for those who died was 1.5 years (range: 0.01-15 years) and for survivors was 2.6 years (range: 0.08-15 years). Logistic regression revealed that respiratory insufficiency at birth (OR: 14.8; 95% CI: 2.5-85.0) and pulmonary hypertension (OR: 6.4; 95% CI: 1.1-39.0) were independently associated with mortality. Conclusion Respiratory insufficiency after birth and pulmonary hypertension are independent predictors of mortality in infants with omphalocele.
Constructive Intelligence, Human Rights and the Social Responsibility Continuum: Criminal Law Jurisprudence in a Brave New World

How should the law respond in light of emergent technologies and life forms? More particularly, should the legislative process be proactive and if so, on whose behalf and what should be the test? Are there sufficient provisions in our legal systems to address the inevitable developments of future animate and inanimate intelligences? Human rights are inalienable. Intelligence, as a social matter, is innate and subjective and can only be identified by its actions and results. Duties, by and large, must accompany the rights claimed and exercised by all intelligent beings in any cultural or legal system. Rights, by definition, must be enjoyed by those who are able to or have the potential not only to assert them but also to bear the social and moral burdens that accompany those rights. The third element in the social responsibility continuum (cognitive dependency) is however, quite a different story. It is introduced in this study as being analogous to the concept of 'intention' in criminal law and assumes volition as an extension of our social inheritance. Thus, this paper argues, social participation and human rights depend on identification with a cultural perspective and willingness to or otherwise be a part of it. The study argues that the successful enforcement of our criminal laws rely largely on our perception and participation in the social responsibility continuum. Thus, the presence of emotional detachment undermines the law. In light of emergent technologies and better understanding of the animal kingdom, the question of constructive intelligence with regards to bio-technology and the animal kingdom poses challenges for our socio-political and legal systems. These, in turn, compel us to confront our narrow intellectual perspectives and reservations and address urgent questions about the concept of intelligence, the definition of humanity and thus, the frontiers of human rights. This study examines the relationship between self-awareness in the areas of AI and the animal kingdom and explores the pressures on the frontiers of human rights. Given the reality of intelligent computer systems, nanotechnology and the perplexing yet undeniable relationship between humans and the great apes, this study will explore whether criminal jurisprudence should develop proactively in order to safeguard the nature of law as an embodiment of an ordered society. In this pursuit, the paper will also explore the interplay between arrogated intelligence and rights. It will conclude by highlighting some of the challenges that could confront our brave new world and by presenting the new concept of the Social Responsibility Continuum.
Abstract 155: MicroRNA ‘signature’ during estrogen-mediated mammary carcinogenesis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important role in a wide range of normal biological processes. Dysregulated miRNA expression has been reported with the development and progression of cancers, including breast cancer. The role of estrogens in regulation of cell proliferation and breast carcinogenesis is well known. Recent reports have associated several miRNAs with estrogen receptors in breast tumors. However, identification of miRNA ‘signature’ during estrogen-mediated carcinogenesis may be critical for understanding the effect of estrogen in human breast cancer, as well as for developing strategies for cancer chemoprevention. In this study we analyzed miRNAs at 3 weeks, 12 weeks close to the appearance of first palpable tumor and 28 weeks when tumor incidence reaches 85-90% following treatment of female ACI rats with 17s-estradiol (E2) silastic implants. Total RNA from mammary tissues and tumors were isolated using mirVana microRNA kit and analyzed using Affymetrix GeneChip miRNAarray. This array had 351 rat specific miRNAs probes. E2 treatment resulted in significant up regulation or repression (2 fold change) of 33 miRNAs at two or more time points. A total of 9 (p Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 155. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-155
Histopathology Implication of Abnormal Thinprep Cytologic Test of Cervix(ASCUS) in 325 Postmenopausal Woman

Objective To analysis the histopathology of biopsy under colposcopy in postmenopausal woman with abnomal Thinprep Cytologic of Test of cervix(ASCUS).Methods Totally 325 postmenpausal woman with TCT(ASCUS) were given biopsy under colposcopy.Results There were in 191 patients chronic cervical inflammation(58.14%),74 patients(10.34%) who had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia Ⅰ,34 patients(24.14%) who had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia Ⅱ,17 patients(5.17%) who had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia Ⅲ,5 patients(1.72%) who had cervical invasive cancer.Conclusion Varerity of histopathology with TCT(ASCUS),it is necessery to detect TCT for postmenpausal woman.
Toward habitable assistance from spoken dialogue systems

Spoken dialogue is increasingly central to systems that assist people. As the tasks that people and machines speak about together become more complex, however, users' dissatisfaction with those systems is an important concern. This paper presents a novel approach to learning for spoken dialogue systems. It describes embedded wizardry, a methodology for learning from skilled people, and applies it to a library whose patrons order books by telephone. To address the challenges inherent in this application, we introduce RFW+, a domain-independent, feature-selection method that considers feature categories. Models learned with RFW+ on embedded-wizard data improve the performance of a traditional spoken dialogue system.
Making PowerPoint Interactive with Hyperlinks

The traditional "slide show" method of a PowerPoint presentation does not easily lend itself to active teaching techniques. Incorporating hyperlinks into a presentation turns a linear presentation into a web-like presentation that allows for students to become active participants in the learning process by making choices about the direction and depth of the lecture.
Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Treatment—Strategies and Clinical Trials—Western Perspective

Gastric cancer is uncommon in the USA but is very common globally and is endemic in East Asia. It is a virulent disease that presents with metastases in about one-half of US patients. In this review chapter, we discuss validated pre-, peri-, or postoperative strategies for locally advanced disease, with specific emphasis on studies performed in the West. These studies reveal that perioperative chemotherapy or postoperative chemoradiation improve outcomes relative to surgery alone.
Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model of Rifapentine and 25-Desacetyl Rifapentine Disposition in Humans.

ABSTRACT Rifapentine (RPT) is a rifamycin antimycobacterial and, as part of a combination therapy, is indicated for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Although the results from a number of studies indicate that rifapentine has the potential to shorten treatment duration and enhance completion rates compared to other rifamycin agents utilized in antituberculosis drug regimens (i.e., regimens 1 to 4), its optimal dose and exposure in humans are unknown. To help inform such an optimization, a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model was developed to predict time course, tissue-specific concentrations of RPT and its active metabolite, 25-desacetyl rifapentine (dRPT), in humans after specified administration schedules for RPT. Starting with the development and verification of a PBPK model for rats, the model was extrapolated and then tested using human pharmacokinetic data. Testing and verification of the models included comparisons of predictions to experimental data in several rat tissues and time course RPT and dRPT plasma concentrations in humans from several single- and repeated-dosing studies. Finally, the model was used to predict RPT concentrations in the lung during the intensive and continuation phases of a current recommended TB treatment regimen. Based on these results, it is anticipated that the PBPK model developed in this study will be useful in evaluating dosing regimens for RPT and for characterizing tissue-level doses that could be predictors of problems related to efficacy or safety.
Why Knowledge of “Business 101” Matters

Ask communication students or professionals about their ultimate career goals, and their answers will no doubt be that they seek more than simply “jobs in the profession.” Communication professionals today want to become respected voices in their organizations. Most say they strive to create value for society at large, and they want a “seat at the table.” That’s why this book was written—to equip communication students and professionals with business insights that help make those students and professionals true partners with their management peers.
An Examination of the Impact of Option Preference on Success in FAA ATC Academy Training

In 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) modified the selection and placement process for newly hired air traffic controllers. Among other procedural changes, the way new hires were assigned to the air traffic options (i.e., en route vs. terminal) changed significantly from previous placement practices. This study looks at the reactions of students regarding their option placements under the new system. In particular, their original option preference, actual option assigned, satisfaction with their actual option placement, and intentions to switch options later on in their career were assessed with a brief survey. The relationship of their responses to these items and their first performance indicator (i.e., passing/failing at the Academy) was also examined.
Validation of Autoclave Protocols for Successful Decontamination of Category A Medical Waste Generated from Care of Patients with Serious Communicable Diseases

In response to the Ebola outbreak in 2014, many hospitals designated specific areas to care for patients with Ebola and other highly infectious diseases. The safe handling of category A infectious substances is a unique challenge in this environment. One solution is on-site waste treatment with a steam sterilizer or autoclave. The Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) installed two pass-through autoclaves in its biocontainment unit (BCU). The JHH BCU and The Johns Hopkins biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) clinical microbiology laboratory designed and validated waste-handling protocols with simulated patient trash to ensure adequate sterilization. The results of the validation process revealed that autoclave factory default settings are potentially ineffective for certain types of medical waste and highlighted the critical role of waste packaging in successful sterilization. The lessons learned from the JHH validation process can inform the design of waste management protocols to ensure effective treatment of highly infectious medical waste.
The Challenges of Transitional Justice in Nigeria: Echoes from the Oputa Panel, 1999

AbstractNigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, set the stage for an appraisal of the many decades of obnoxious military rule and its consequent abuses. The widespread demand for accountability occasioned by the resurgence of civil society activism in Nigeria facilitated the formation of the Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission. The atmosphere led to an epoch making announcement in June 14, 1999, to constitute the Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission -- popularly known as the Oputa Panel. President Olusegun Obasanjo charged the Panel to review past authoritarian regimes and the human rights abuses for the purpose of enhancing reconciliation, national cohesion and entrenching the nascent democracy. The scope of investigation spanned from 1966 to 1999. The Commission received more than 10,000 petitions representing several cases of physical and mental torture, assassination, unlawful arrest and detention, intimidation, communal violence, and disappearances were received by the Panel. Of the total received petitions, only about 340 cases were heard. Faced with many hurdles, the commission almost halted its work. However, at the end, the Panel submitted a report of eight volumes, amounting to 15,000 pages. Findings indicated that there was gross violation of human rights perpetuated by the military ruling class. The Panel was jeopardised by the refusal of key suspects (Senior Military officers) to appear before its hearing, this was further compounded by many court injunctions to restrain the Panel. Nonetheless, the victims’ petitions were heard, to that effect, neither retributive nor restorative justice was offered to them. As tradition permits, the report will usually be published and implemented immediately. Nigerians waited patiently without recourse. Six months later, the Government of Obasanjo surprisingly annulled the report citing constitutional reasons. This research seeks to underscore the numerous challenges of truth commission as a tool for transitional justice in Nigeria with specific reflections on the Oputa panel. The research deployed qualitative method to articulate issues and intrigues that encompassed the operations and findings of the Oputa Panel. It draws attention to the underlying dangers that the unresolved violations and injustices potent for national cohesion and stability in Nigeria. Key Words: Military, Transitional Justice, Nigeria, Human Rights, Democracy
A spiral antenna for amplitude-only direction finding

A two-arm Archimedean spiral antenna which covers 1GHz to 23GHz is discussed. We describe the practical implementation of the antenna, report on the feed structure and show a simulation comparison study with a equiangular spiral regarding direction finding performance in an amplitude-only system.
An L-Band Low Phase Noise Evanescent-Mode Cavity-Based Frequency Synthesizer

In this paper, an L-band low phase noise evanescent-mode (EVA) cavity-based frequency synthesizer is developed, implemented, and experimentally validated. The oscillator is integrated on the substrate of a high- $Q$ ( $Q_{u}\geq 430$ ) EVA resonator board to reduce parasitics in the circuit. A piezoelectric actuator is used as a tuner. A phase-locked loop is used to control the output frequency. The frequency tuning range is from 1000 to 1700 MHz (1.7:1). The circuit achieves a phase noise as low as −94 dBc/Hz at 10-kHz offset, −122 dBc/Hz at 100-kHz offset, and −146 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset. The RMS jitter of the system is 267 fs at 1000 MHz. The frequency synthesizer consumes 64.3 mW without the active loop filter, which consumes 200 mW.
IMMUNOELECTRON MICROSCOPIC ANALYSIS OF THE IMMUNOGLOBULIN MOLECULE FOR IDIOTYPES AND ALLOTYPES

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses an approach for the analysis of antigenic determinants such as idiotypes and allotypes or intact immunoglobulin molecules. Immune complexes composed of IgG in combination with an anti-idiotype or an anti-allotype antibody were visualized by transmission electron microscopy in this approach. Samples were prepared and negatively stained. Specific antibodies were used either as intact molecules or as Fab fragments. Unreacted IgG was observed to be in the classical configuration. Individual Fab fragments of anti-idiotype or anti-allotype Ab, when bound to the IgG, altered the configuration of the molecule in an interpretable manner. Fab of anti-idiotype antibody was bound to the distal terminus of the V region of the IgG molecule, thus extending the long axis of the Fab arms. Similarly, whole molecules of anti-idiotype were bound to idiotype-bearing IgG at the distal terminus of the V region. Analysis of a rabbit VH framework allotype revealed that the determinants are located on the lateral portion of the V region of IgG. Binding of the anti-al Fab fragments was always at approximately right angles to the long axis of the IgG Fab arms. Fab antibody to an allotype located on the constant region of the rabbit k light chain was bound to the lateral portion of the proximal half of the IgG Fab arms.
Nasal Reconstruction and Aesthetic Rhinoplasty

The nose is one of the most prominent features on the human face, and rhinoplasty has preoccupied surgeons for centuries. The nose is often divided into thirds, each third has its own features. Nasal analysis begins with a frank discussion with the patient and includes a thorough history taking, including prior surgeries and any drug use. Analysis of the nose consists of the relationship of the nose to the face in the facial horizontal thirds, vertical fifths, and facial angles. It also includes an assessment of harmony between the nasal segments, nasal length, tip shape, projection, and rotation, and the alar—columellar relationship. Deformities of the upper vault include a dorsal hump, which is treated with rasping and occasionally block resection, or dorsal deficiency, which is treated with grafts. The tip can be modified by grafts, resection of alar cartilages, or suture placement. Nasal deviation must be localized to the upper, middle, or lower vault and is treated with either osteotomies for the upper vault or cartilaginous repositioning for the middle and lower vaults. All rhinoplasties require thoughtful planning and preoperative customization.
Adherence to drug-drug interaction alerts in high-risk patients: a trial of context-enhanced alerting.

Objective Drug–drug interaction (DDI) alerting is an important form of clinical decision support, yet physicians often fail to attend to critical DDI warnings due to alert fatigue. We previously described a model for highlighting patients at high risk of a DDI by enhancing alerts with relevant laboratory data. We sought to evaluate the effect of this model on alert adherence in high-risk patients. Methods A 6-month randomized controlled trial involving 1029 outpatient physicians was performed. The target interactions were all DDIs known to cause hyperkalemia. Alerts in the intervention group were enhanced with the patient's most recent potassium and creatinine levels. The control group received unmodified alerts. High -risk patients were those with baseline potassium >5.0 mEq/l and/or creatinine ≥1.5 mg/dl (132 μmol/l). Results We found no significant difference in alert adherence in high-risk patients between the intervention group (15.3%) and the control group (16.8%) (p=0.71). Adherence in normal risk patients was significantly lower in the intervention group (14.6%) than in the control group (18.6%) (p<0.01). In neither group did physicians increase adherence in patients at high risk. Conclusions Physicians adhere poorly to hyperkalemia-associated DDI alerts even in patients with risk factors for a clinically significant interaction, and the display of relevant laboratory data in these alerts did not improve adherence levels in the outpatient setting. Further research is necessary to determine optimal strategies for conveying patient-specific DDI risk.
Reversible aggregation of mouse prion protein derivatives with PrPSC-like structural properties.

Three carbamylated derivatives of reduced mouse prion protein (mPrP) were isolated during the aborted oxidative folding in the presence of urea. These three prion protein derivatives (mPrP-a, mPrP-b, and mPrP-c) exist as monomer in the acidic solution (pH < 2.0) and exhibit prevalent random coil structure. However, they undergo rapid aggregation and transformation to a predominant β-sheet structure upon exposure to ionic buffer with pH greater than 3.0. The stability of aggregates of mPrP conformers is in part dependent upon the time that they were allowed to develop. The nascent aggregates comprise a significant fraction of loosely packed mPrP monomers that can be dissociated by treatment with strong acidic solution. Matured aggregates acquired through prolonged sample incubation contain more tightly packed mPrP monomers that cannot be dissociated by strong acid but can be disaggregated by denaturant. The properties of reversible aggregation of mPrP-a, mPrP-b, and mPrP-c bear a striking resemblance to that observed with aggregates of hamster PrPSC.
42 – EMI Effects of Power Converters

This chapter is devoted to the effects of electromagnetic interference (EMI) generated by power electronic converters. The switch-mode operation of those converters is explained as a cause of the interference. Measurements of conducted EMI are described, and basic EMI parameters are defined. Common EMI filters and their mathematical models are introduced. Random pulse-width modulation as a means of EMI mitigation is presented. Other means of electromagnetic noise suppression, such as grounding and shielding, are reviewed. Various standards of the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) are listed along the international institutions issuing those standards. List of useful references and Internet links concludes the chapter.
Corrosion Issues in Current and Next-Generation Nuclear Reactors

Abstract Corrosion of structural components in nuclear power plants is a major issue impacting plant capacity factor and operational costs, and it will continue to grow in importance both in light-water reactors (LWRs) receiving life extensions and in next-generation systems. This chapter reviews the corrosion processes, mechanisms, and consequences of the coolants currently in use and expected in GenIV reactors. These include LWR coolants; primary and secondary water systems in pressurized water reactors, and normal and hydrogen water chemistries in boiling water reactors, as well as supercritical water in the supercritical water reactor. Corrosion, carburization, and decarburization due to impurities in high-temperature helium are covered as well as corrosion in molten salt and liquid metals including sodium and lead alloys. Together, these coolants cover the majority of current and next-generation environments in which structural materials must function.
Combinatorial Studies of Palladium-Based Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts for Alkaline Fuel Cells.

Hydrogen fuel cells have emerged as promising, potentially renewable energy-based, energy conversion technologies for powering electric vehicles. However, the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (OR...
Evaluation of Engineering Controls at Bagging Operations to Reduce Exposures to Respirable Crystalline Silica Dust.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the former U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) have given a significant effort over the past four decades in researching and developing engineering controls and interventions to reduce mine workers’ dust exposures during the bagging and palletizing of industrial minerals. Workers performing manual bagging and palletizing of 50- to 100-pound bags typically have some of the highest dust exposures of all workers at mining and mineral processing operations. This paper will provide an overview of available dust control technologies for bagging operations and present the findings of a recent case study that was conducted at four different industrial sand operations to identify the current types of bagging and palletizing technologies being used and to evaluate their effectiveness in reducing workers’ exposures to respirable crystalline silica dust. An evaluation will also be performed to determine if further reductions in respirable dust levels can be achieved by incorporating additional modifications or improvements into the existing technology.
Average annual wind loss libraries to support resilient housing and community decision-making

One of the key components to increase the resiliency of communities from wind hazards is enhancing individuals` and homeowner’s resilience continuously during and after a storm. A variety of wind h...
Clustered Discriminant Regression for High-Dimensional Data Feature Extraction and Its Applications in Healthcare and Additive Manufacturing

The recent increase in applications of high-dimensional data poses a severe challenge to data analytics, such as supervised classification, particularly for online applications. To tackle this challenge, efficient and effective methods for feature extraction are critical to the performance of classification analysis. The objective of this work is to develop a new supervised feature extraction method for high-dimensional data. It is achieved by developing a clustered discriminant regression (CDR) to extract informative and discriminant features for high-dimensional data. In CDR, the variables are clustered into different groups or subspaces, within which feature extraction is performed separately. The CDR algorithm, which is a greedy approach, is implemented to obtain the solution toward optimal feature extraction. One numerical study is performed to demonstrate the performance of the proposed method for variable selection. Three case studies using healthcare and additive manufacturing data sets are accomplished to demonstrate the classification performance of the proposed methods for real-world applications. The results clearly show that the proposed method is superior over the existing method for high-dimensional data feature extraction. Note to Practitioners —This article forwards a new supervised feature extraction method termed clustered discriminant regression. This method is highly effective for classification analysis of high-dimensional data, such as images or videos, where the number of variables is much larger than the number of samples. In our case studies on healthcare and additive manufacturing, the performance of classification analysis based on our method is superior over the existing feature extraction methods, which is confirmed by using various popular classification algorithms. For image classification, our method with elaborately selected classification algorithms can outperform a convolutional neural network. In addition, the computation efficiency of the proposed method is also promising, which enables its online applications, such as advanced manufacturing process monitoring and control.
An international collaboration: Linguistic editing of scholarly work.

Abstract English as an additional language scholars may be at a disadvantage when submitting manuscripts to most professional publications. This international collaboration between two Sigma chapters provided linguistic review of Jordanian nurses' manuscripts and dissertation chapters by American scholars. The background for the collaboration and the process are described. During the first year, formative evaluation was ongoing, allowing minor revisions to the program. Summative evaluation was completed after one year guided by Stufflebeam's (2014) context, input, process, and product (CIPP) model. Both authors and reviewers indicated satisfaction with the collaboration. All of the authors indicated that the feedback that they had received was clear. All of the reviewers indicated that they were willing to complete additional reviews. The evaluation also indicated areas of concern, including a reviewer's struggle to limit comments to linguistic changes rather than additional suggestions regarding content and discussion.
Design of a multi-element FSO transceiver array for mobile communication links

Free-space optical communication (FSOC) have directional light beams which makes communication links very sensitive to movement. A major challenge in mobile settings is handling of this fragility of FSOC links due to the highly directional distribution of light intensity within the light beams. Differing from previous studies using mechanical steering of the transceivers to remedy the brittleness of FSOC links, we use a square array of stationary elements for each transceiver for better directionality, optimum combination of elements (transmitter/receiver ratio along with location), and robustness to mobility. Based on previous studies showing the optimum transmit to receive area ratio in a square array layout, we locate the transmitters as a box around the center with extra elements on the four corners of the transceiver plane with the rest of the elements on the array being receivers. We design a hardware prototype using the same optimum transmit/receive ratio and a lOxlO square array layout with size, weight and power, cost, and geometric simplicity appropriate for a low-flying multi-copter drone. A full link margin analysis was completed for the lOxlO array, using commercial off-the-shelf components, with the same optimum transmit and receive combination. The range for the system was found to be rv 150 m operating at 1 Mbps. The outcome of this work will give us insight of how the tiling of transmit/receive elements affects a transceiver system to implement a directional wireless link in the optical spectrum for mobile settings, particularly for emerging use of low-flying drones.
Socioeconomic Factors Affect Presentation Stage and Survival in Sinonasal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES Socioeconomic factors affect oncologic outcome in sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SNSCC). However, the relationship between these factors and stage at presentation (SAP)-a critical, early point in the care cycle-is not known. This study sought to determine the role of race/ethnicity, treatment facility type, insurance status/carrier, and other socioeconomic factors in SAP and survival among patients with advanced SNSCC. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. METHODS Using the National Cancer Database, 6,155 patients with SNSCC were identified and divided into those with "early" (Stage I or II; 2,212 (35.9%)) versus "advanced" (Stage III or IV; 3,943 (64.1%)) disease. Associations between sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors on SAP and survival were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS Black (odds ratio [OR]: 2.18, CI: 1.74-2.76), Asian and Pacific Islander (API) (OR: 2.37, CI: 1.43-4.14), and Medicaid or uninsured (OR: 2.04, CI: 1.66-2.53) patients were more likely to present with advanced disease. Among patients with advanced disease, API patients demonstrated the highest 10-year survival rate (30.2%), and Black patients had the lowest 2-, 5-, and 10-year survival rates (47.7%, 31.9% and 19.2%, respectively). Older age (HR:1.03, CI:1.03-1.04), Black race (HR:1.39, CI:1.21-1.59), Medicaid or uninsured status (HR:1.48, CI:1.27-1.71), and treatment at a community hospital (HR:1.25, CI:1.14-1.37) were associated with poorer overall survival among patients with advanced disease. CONCLUSIONS Factors including race/ethnicity, treatment facility type, insurance status/carrier, and other socioeconomic factors influence SAP and survival in SNSCC. An improved understanding of how these factors relate to outcomes may elucidate opportunities to address gaps in education and access to care in vulnerable populations. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4 Laryngoscope, 131:2421-2428, 2021.
Impaired weight loss in laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding patients over 50 years of age: diabetes mellitus as an independent risk factor

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) represents a safe and effective bariatric procedure, particularly for patients over 50. Preoperative risk factors for impaired post-LAGB excess weight loss are not well characterized for this population. This study aimed to identify demographics, characteristics or comorbidities associated with excess weight loss at 6 and 12 months postoperatively (EWL180 and EWL365, respectively) for these patients. One hundred and seventeen LAGB patients >50 years of age from 2005 to 2014 were retrospectively reviewed for factors potentially associated with EWL180 and EWL365. Rationally selected variables chosen for analysis included age, race, gender, initial body mass index and preoperative weight loss; comorbidities assessed included hypertension, psychiatric disorders and diabetes mellitus (DM). Variables correlated with EWL180 or EWL365 on bivariate linear regression analysis (P ≤ .05) were input into multivariate linear regression analysis to confirm independent association. Preoperative DM (B = −9.1 % EWL; 95 % CI −13.6, −4.5 %; P 50 years of age. Preoperative DM is an independent risk factor for impaired EWL in this cohort.
Maritime Carriers in Theory

A transportation carrier (or fi rm) provides for hire transportation services. A transportation service is the movement of goods and/or individuals from one location to another. Freight (passenger) transportation service involves the movement of goods (individuals) from one location to another. A transportation service creates value for goods and individuals by transporting them so that they arrive at the right time (time utility) and at the right place (place utility). Unlike a transportation carrier that transports the goods of others in return for monetary compensation, a private provider of transportation service uses its own resources (e.g., its own vehicles and labor) for the transportation of its own goods and individuals. A maritime carrier is a carrier that uses a waterway – an ocean, a river or a lake – in the provision of a transportation service; that is, a maritime carrier transports goods and/or individuals in vessels that move over a waterway from one location to another. Maritime carriers are described by the type of vessel utilized – cruise and ferry lines use cruise and ferry vessels – and by the type of cargo transported – container shipping lines transport containers and LNG carriers carry liquefi ed natural gas (McConville 1999 ; Stopford 1997 ). This chapter describes a maritime carrier from a microeconomic theory perspective. Section 5.2 considers maritime carrier resources, production functions, transportation service measures, operating options for varying the quality of service, and resource functions. Section 5.3 discusses the cost of maritime transportation service – long run and short run cost functions of single service and multi service maritime carriers in providing cost effi cient maritime transportation service in the long run and the short run, non shared versus shared costs, and internal versus external costs. Section 5.4 discusses demand for the transportation services of maritime carriers with respect to the full prices for these services, that is the carrier ’ s price that is charged for a transportation service plus the logistics Maritime Carriers in Theory
Adhesion of ungerminated conidia of Colletotrichum graminicola to artificial hydrophobic surfaces

Conidia of Colletotrichum graminicola , the causal agent of corn anthracnose, begin to adhere to hydrophobic surfaces immediately after contact with the surface and hours before the onset of germination. Conidia rarely adhered to glass, a hydrophilic surface. The maximum percentage adhesion of ungerminated conidia was approx. 30–40% on polystyrene Petri dishes and 20–25% on dimethyldichlorosilane (DMS)-coated glass slides. The maximum adhesion on both surfaces was attained within 30 min of the time of contact. Thus, conidia appear to require hydrophobic surfaces for adhesion. The extracellular mucilage that is produced in association with conidia was shown to not be involved in adhesion. Adhesion was not influenced by conidium concentration but was influenced by conidium age. Exposure of conidia to different temperatures in adhesion assays delayed the ability of conidia to adhere. The respiration inhibitor, sodium azide and the transcription inhibitor, actinomycin D, had no effect on adhesion. In contrast, inhibitors of glycoprotein transport (brefeldin A) and protein synthesis (cycloheximide) reduced conidial adhesion by 30 and 50%, respectively. Treatment of conidia with pronase E prevented adhesion completely. If conidia were pre-treated with pronase E and then washed free of the enzyme, approx. 20 % of the conidial population recovered the ability to adhere. Conidia treated with Concanavalin A at a concentration of 1 mg ml −1 also failed to adhere. This effect was partially reversed by the haptens glucose and mannose. Together, these results suggest that glycoprotein synthesis is involved in the adhesion of ungerminated conidia.
Effect of Insulin on Cell Cycle Progression in MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells: DIRECT AND POTENTIATING INFLUENCE *

We recently demonstrated that in MCF-7 breast cancer cells, insulin promoted the phosphorylation and activation of geranylgeranyltransferase I (GGTI-I), increased the amounts of geranylgeranylated Rho-A and potentiated the transactivating activity of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) (Chappell, J., Golovchenko, I., Wall, K., Stjernholm, R., Leitner, J., Goalstone, M., and Draznin, B. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 31792-31797). In the present study, we explored the mechanism of this potentiating effect of insulin on LPA. Insulin (10 nm) potentiated the ability of LPA to stimulate cell cycle progression and DNA synthesis in MCF-7 cells. The potentiating effect of insulin appears to involve increases in the expression of cyclin E and decreases in the expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27Kip1. All potentiating effects of insulin were inhibited in the presence of an inhibitor of GGTase I, GGTI-286 (3 microm) or by an expression of a dominant negative mutant of Rho-A. In contrast to its potentiating action, a direct mitogenic effect of insulin in MCF-7 cells involves activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and increased expression of cyclin D1. We conclude that the ability of insulin to increase the cellular amounts of geranylgeranylated Rho-A results in potentiation of the LPA effect on cyclin E expression and degradation of p27Kip1 and cell cycle progression in MCF-7 breast cancer cells.
Momentum Distributions: An Overview

While all systems of classical particles have single-particle momentum distributions n(p) of Maxwell-Boltzmann form, the momentum distribution plays a role central to our understanding of systems of quantum particles. An outstanding example is the low-temperature superfluid behavior of the Bose liquid, 4He, where the superfluidity is associated with Bose condensation of a macroscopic fraction of the 4He atoms into a zero-momentum state. The momentum distribution is complementary to other characterizations of many-body systems and can be more informative. The pair correlation function of liquid 4He is very close to that of a hard-sphere classical fluid, whereas the momentum distribution reveals the quantum behavior in the form of a δ-function spike in n(p) at p = 0 due to the Bose condensate. Momentum distributions are equally fundamental to the description of Fermi systems. The Fermi-liquid properties of 3He and electrons in metals are associated with a discontinuity in the momentum distribution at the Fermi momentum, k F , which defines a Fermi surface for a three-dimensional system. A detailed description of the, often complex, Fermi surfaces in metals is essential to understanding their transport, optical, and magnetic properties. At low temperatures, the transition to superfluid behavior of 3He and the transition to superconducting behavior of electrons is associated with the disappearance of this Fermi surface.
Transformation of erythroid progenitors by viral and cellular tyrosine kinases

Recently, two different normal avian erythroid progenitors were described. They differ in the receptor tyrosine kinases they express and in their ability to undergo self-renewal in culture. A common progenitor, termed stem cell factor (SCF) progenitor, expresses the receptor for avian SCF c-Kit, and undergoes short-term self-renewal when grown in the presence of avian SCF. A second progenitor, referred to as SCF/transforming growth factor-alpha progenitor, coexpresses c-Kit and the avian epidermal growth factor receptor homologue c-ErbB. These progenitors undergo sustained self-renewal when grown in the presence of transforming growth factor-alpha plus estradiol. The phenotype of the normal SCF/transforming growth factor-alpha progenitors closely corresponded to that of erythroid cells transformed by the tyrosine kinase oncogenes v-erbB or v-sea. This suggested that these cells, but not the SCF progenitors, would be the target cells for erythroblast transformation by these oncogenes. However, we demonstrate that both progenitor cells can be transformed by the v-erbB and v-sea oncogenes and also by the ligand-activated proto-oncogene product c-ErbB. We conclude that the target cell specificity of certain tyrosine kinase oncoproteins for erythroid cells is a reflection of their ability to provide signals for self-renewal that normally emanate from the endogenous c-ErbB protein.
Bootstrap Confidence Regions for Multidimensional Scaling Solutions

Multidimensional scaling (or MDS) is a methodology for producing geometric models of proximities data. Multidimensional scaling has a long history in political science research. However, most applications of MDS are purely descriptive, with no attempt to assess stability or sampling variability in the scaling solution. In this article, we develop a bootstrap resampling strategy for constructing confidence regions in multidimensional scaling solutions. The methodology is illustrated by performing an inferential multidimensional scaling analysis on data from the 2004 American National Election Study (ANES). The bootstrap procedure is very simple, and it is adaptable to a wide variety of MDS models. Our approach enhances the utility of multidimensional scaling as a tool for testing substantive theories while still retaining the flexibility in assumptions, model details, and estimation procedures that make MDS so useful for exploring structure in data.
Poisons, toxungens, and venoms: redefining and classifying toxic biological secretions and the organisms that employ them

Despite extensive study of poisonous and venomous organisms and the toxins they produce, a review of the literature reveals inconsistency and ambiguity in the definitions of ‘poison’ and ‘venom’. These two terms are frequently conflated with one another, and with the more general term, ‘toxin.’ We therefore clarify distinctions among three major classes of toxins (biological, environmental, and anthropogenic or man-made), evaluate prior definitions of venom which differentiate it from poison, and propose more rigorous definitions for poison and venom based on differences in mechanism of delivery. We also introduce a new term, ‘toxungen’, thereby partitioning toxic biological secretions into three categories: poisons lacking a delivery mechanism, i.e. ingested, inhaled, or absorbed across the body surface; toxungens delivered to the body surface without an accompanying wound; and venoms, delivered to internal tissues via creation of a wound. We further propose a system to classify toxic organisms with respect to delivery mechanism (absent versus present), source (autogenous versus heterogenous), and storage of toxins (aglandular versus glandular). As examples, a frog that acquires toxins from its diet, stores the secretion within cutaneous glands, and transfers the secretion upon contact or ingestion would be heteroglandular–poisonous; an ant that produces its own toxins, stores the secretion in a gland, and sprays it for defence would be autoglandular–toxungenous; and an anemone that produces its own toxins within specialized cells that deliver the secretion via a penetrating wound would be autoaglandular–venomous. Adoption of our scheme should benefit our understanding of both proximate and ultimate causes in the evolution of these toxins.
The Computation of Multi-Stage Attribute Sampling Plans

Abstract For multi-stage fraction-defective sampling by attributes, the current methods for determining sampling plans (1) restrict the range of values of some combination of the input parameters for determining such plans and (2) are generally based on the Poisson approximation to the binomial. This report describes the development of a computational algorithm which allows a continuous range of input parameter values and bases sampling plan computations on the binomial probability distribution. The computerized algorithm has been successfully implemented in an industrial firm and requires only a few seconds or less computer time per sampling plan, depending on the input parameters.
Web-based Survey Research: Lessons from the University of Akron Study

Survey research via the World Wide Web (WWW) has sparked an enormous interest in the social sciences. Because the WWW has the ability to reach millions of users worldwide, it is no surprise that researchers are interested in using the web to conduct surveys. This paper describes one such experience, a case study that shares our experiences using the 2Way application to administer a web-based survey, and discusses the implications of using the Internet for theory, research, and practice.
DART/CAM: An Ensemble Data Assimilation System for CESM Atmospheric Models

AbstractThe Community Atmosphere Model (CAM) has been interfaced to the Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART), a community facility for ensemble data assimilation. This provides a large set of data assimilation tools for climate model research and development. Aspects of the interface to the Community Earth System Model (CESM) software are discussed and a variety of applications are illustrated, ranging from model development to the production of long series of analyses. CAM output is compared directly to real observations from platforms ranging from radiosondes to global positioning system satellites. Such comparisons use the temporally and spatially heterogeneous analysis error estimates available from the ensemble to provide very specific forecast quality evaluations. The ability to start forecasts from analyses, which were generated by CAM on its native grid and have no foreign model bias, contributed to the detection of a code error involving Arctic sea ice and cloud cover. The potential of param...