cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular radiosensitization of prostate cancer by modulating cell death pathways

A120 Radioresistance markedly impairs the efficacy of cancer therapy and involves anti-apoptotic signal transduction pathways that prevent the treatment-induced cell death. Anti-apoptotic proteins such as Bcl-xL, Bcl-2, Mcl-1, and inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAP), are overexpressed in prostate cancer and contribute to prostate tumor initiation, progression and resistance to therapy. They are promising molecular targets for modulating therapeutic resistance of prostate cancer. Anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family of proteins and IAP family of proteins quickly emerge as highly attractive molecular targets for the development of novel anti-cancer therapy to overcome apoptosis-resistance. We recently demonstrated that, (-)-gossypol, a natural product from cottonseed and a potent small molecule inhibitor of both Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, can radiosensitize prostate cancer cells 10- to 20-fold in clonogenic assays. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay suggests that (-)-gossypol potently blocks the interaction of Bcl-xL with Bax and Bad, in a time- and dose-dependent manner. In a PC-3 xenograft model in nude mice, orally administered (-)-gossypol achieved a much greater efficacy with long-term tumor regression when used in combination with ionizing radiation. Tumors treated with (-)-gossypol plus radiation showed much more increased apoptosis and reduced angiogenesis than either treatment alone. Mechanism studies indicate that Mcl-1 is also involved in the (-)-gossypol-induced prostate cancer cell death. We have also tested a series of novel small-molecule IAP-inhibitors. They bind to XIAP BIR3 domain 20-30-times more potent than Smac peptide, potently antagonize XIAP BIR3, and promote activation of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 in a dose-dependent manner. They potently enhanced apoptosis induction in cancer cells and sensitized cancer cells to TRAIL and radiation. Biotin-labeled compound pull-down assay showed that XIAP, cIAP-1 and cIAP-2 proteins can be pulled down by the IAP-inhibitors. In nude mouse xenograft models, IAP-inhibitors Embelin and SH-130 potently sensitized the DU-145 tumors to X-ray radiation. Bioluminescence imaging confirmed SH-130 plus radiation resulted in complete tumor regression in 6 out of 10 tumors, comparing 2/10 tumors with radiation alone, and 0/10 tumors with SH-130 alone. Taken together, our results demonstrate that small-molecule inhibitors of anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2/Bcl-xL or IAPs can overcome apoptosis-resistance and sensitize human prostate cancer to radiation therapy. (-)-Gossypol is now in Phase I-II clinical trials in patients with prostate cancer, and represents the world’s first Bcl-2 inhibitor in clinical study. These studies pave the way to develop the most potent small molecule Bcl-2 or IAP inhibitors as a novel adjuvant therapy for radiosensitizing human prostate cancer with high levels of Bcl-2/IAPs. Molecular modulation of anti-apoptotic proteins may improve the outcome of conventional cancer therapy and represents a promising novel molecularly targeted therapy for human prostate cancer.
REVIEW - Afsaruddin, Asma. Striving in the Path of God: Jihād and Martyrdom in Islamic Thought. x + 370 pp. Oxford University Press, 2013.

REVIEW - Afsaruddin, Asma. Striving in the Path of God: Jihād and Martyrdom in Islamic Thought. x + 370 pp. Oxford University Press, 2013.
Information Technology Framework for Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Demand Management: a Brazilian Case Study

Purpose – The paper aims at proposing an information technology framework for demand management within a dyad on the supply chain pharmaceutical industry. Design/methodology/approach - The paper adopts the exploratory study as research method, involving a producer of generic drugs and its main distributor. Data was collected by semi-structured interviews. Findings – In pharmaceutical supply chain, sharing information boosted by information technology translates into greater flexibility and reliability, lower costs, obtained through more reliable forecasting, and lower inventory requirements. Research limitations/implications – Because of the chosen research approach, results may be restricted to these specific dyadic processes. Further application of the proposed IT framework have to be tested. Practical implications – The paper identifies demand management strategic and operational processes that can reach a better performance by using the proposed framework. Originality/value – This paper covers a field that is not widely researched that is IT solution application into pharmaceutical demand management processes, and related performance improvements.
Design and Optimization of Piezoelectric Zero-Net Mass-Flux Actuators

This paper describes the design and optimization of piezoceramic zero-net mass-flux (ZNMF) actuators, otherwise known as synthetic jet actuators, for active flow control applications. The active flow control community generally lacks the design tools and methodology necessary to design robust actuators for a wide range of applications. Lumped Element Modeling (LEM) in conjunction with MATLAB’s optimization toolbox is used to perform constrained design optimization of different topology actuators. Two optimization approaches are undertaken in this study. The first approach optimizes the cavity and orifice/slot dimensions for a given piezoceramic diaphragm (Cases I & II). The second approach optimizes the entire actuator topology (Case III). Several different objective functions, which are in general application specific, are considered as well as various linear and nonlinear constraints. The numerical results of the optimization study are presented and are compared with experimental results to validate the use of LEM as a design tool that can be used to optimize the performance of ZNMF actuators. The result of this work is a validated design tool that will aid in the “intelligent” design of optimized ZNMF actuators.
Analysis of Quantitative Trait Loci for Resistance to Rice False Smut

A recombinant inbred line (RILs) population with 157 lines derived from an inter-subspecies cross of Daguandao/IR28 by the single seed descent method was used to detect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) conferring resistance to rice false smut [caused by Ustilaginoidea virens (Cooke) Takahashi] in 2007 and 2009.The disease rate index of the two parents and 157 RILs caused by rice false smut were scored and the QTLs for rice false smut resistance were detected accordingly by QTL Cartographer software.Seven QTLs controlling false smut resistance were detected on chromosomes 1,2,4,8,10,11,and 12,respectively,with the phenotypic variance of 9.8-22.5%.There were five and four QTLs detected in 2007 and 2009,respectively,and only two QTLs were found in both two years,the phenotypic variation was explained by individual QTL ranged from 18.0% to 19.3% for these two QTLs,and the additive effects of these two QTLs contributed to the 8.0-16.3% decrease of disease index and therefore the disease resistance increased.The direction of the additive effects at six loci qFsr1,qFsr2,qFsr8,qFsr10,qFsr11,and qFsr12 coincided with that predicted by phenotypes of the parents,and the IR28 alleles at these loci had positive effect against rice false smut while the negative effects were found in Daguandao alleles at qFsr4.Both qFsr11 and qFsr12 should be useful in rice breeding for resistance to rice false smut in marker-assisted selection (MAS) program.
Hemodynamic effects of intravenous timolol in coronary artery disease

The hemodynamic effects of intravenous timolol were evaluated in 20 patients with coronary artery disease during diagnostic cardiac catheterization. The threshold dose of 0.25 mg reduced heart rate and cardiac index by 15% (p less than 0.05), left ventricular work index by 21% (p less than 0.05), and left ventricular dp/dt by 16% (p less than 0.05) while increasing left ventricular end-diastolic pressure by 49% (p less than 0.01), mean pulmonary arterial pressure by 17% (p less than 0.01), and systemic vascular resistance by 16% (NS). Larger doses (0.5 mg and 1.0 mg) induced similar responses with a greater effect on systemic vascular resistance (+22%, p less than 0.01, and +31%, p less than 0.001). The mean arterial pressure and stroke volumes were not affected by timolol. Peak effects, occurring at about 10 min after drug injection, did not correlate with plasma levels. The overall hemodynamic effects of timolol were similar to those reported for equipotent doses of propranolol and could be accounted for by the beta-adrenoceptor blocking activity.
Instructional Module Development System (IMODS)

To ensure that future generations of engineering, science, and other technological practitioners are equipped with the required knowledge and skills to continue to innovate solutions to solve societal challenges, effective courses or instructional modules that incorporate best pedagogical and assessment practices must be designed and delivered. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) educators typically come from STEM backgrounds and have little or no formal STEM education training. Their approaches to learning, instruction, and assessment mimic the experiences they were exposed to as students and are not necessarily informed by scholarship in the area of how people learn. The road to effective STEM instruction starts with a well-conceived and constructed plan or curriculum that includes the tight alignment of content, pedagogical approaches and assessments, around the learning objectives, and draws upon best-practices in each of these areas. An information technology (IT) tool that can guide STEM educators through the complex task of course design development, ensure tight alignment between various components of an instructional module, and provide relevant information about research-based pedagogical and assessment strategies will be of great value. This demonstration presents a Web-based software tool called the Instructional Module Development System (IMODS) that supports these ventures and broadens the impact and reach of professional development in the scholarship of teaching and learning, particularly to STEM faculty.
Role of Water in Biomaterials

Abstract This chapter first introduces the physical and chemical properties of water, and then expands upon water’s significance for biomaterials and biology. This chapter encourages you to think about how the phenomena you are reading about may be driven or controlled by the water that comprises such a large fraction of all biological systems.
Novel double-stage high-concentrated solar hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) collector with nonimaging optics and GaAs solar cells reflector

Abstract A novel double stage high-concentration hybrid solar photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) collector using nonimaging optics and world record thin film single-junction gallium arsenide (GaAs) solar cells has been developed. We present a detailed design and simulation of the system, experimental setup, prototype, system performance, and economic analysis. The system uses a parabolic trough (primary concentrator) to focus sunlight towards a secondary nonimaging compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) to simultaneously generate electricity from single junction GaAs solar cells, as well as high temperature dispatchable heat. This study is novel in that (a) the solar cells inside the vacuum tube act as spectrally selective mirrors for lower energy photons to maximize the system exergy, and (b) secondary concentrator allows the thermal component to reach a concentration ratio ∼60×, which is significantly higher than conventional PV/T concentration ratios. The maximum outlet temperature reached was 365 °C, and on average the thermal efficiency of the experiment was around 37%. The maximum electrical efficiency was around 8%. The total system electricity generation is around 25% of incoming DNI, by assuming the high temperature stream is used to power a steam turbine. The installed system cost per unit of parabolic trough aperture area is $283.10 per m2.
Human Rights in the Digital Age: Opportunities and Constraints

This article seeks to demonstrate the ways in which the growing digital diffusion of ideas and visions can help shape the political and social landscape at the local, national, regional, and global levels. While the context is varied, from the Occupy Wall Street movement to the Arab Spring to other social movements across the world, it is fair to argue that the new technologies have precipitated social change technologically and from a normative standpoint, and that such trends need to be analyzed in terms of their implications for the field of human rights.
PERTAINING TO PRESTRESS

The purpose of this paper is to summarize in some detail the application of prestressed concrete to coastal structures, explain the basic theories of prestressed concrete, and give an explanation of an application of prestressed concrete recently designed and used by the author.
Is Point-of-Care (POC) Coagulation Testing Worthwhile Before Regional or Neuraxial Anesthesia?

A 58-year-old man is brought into the trauma center with a crush injury of his bilateral lower extremities after a steel beam fell on him at a construction site. After responding to the page reporting the level-1 trauma, you evaluate whether the patient will need to go to the operating room (OR) emergently. Arriving at the trauma unit, you get a report from the emergency medical services (EMS) stating that this man has a history of coronary artery disease (CAD) with a drug-eluting stent (DES) placed 8 months ago and that he is on both aspirin and clopidogrel. The patient is obese, with a Mallampati IV airway, and has obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This chapter will review point of care coagulation testing and its role in regional and neuraxial anesthesia.
FLT3 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia: An Evaluation of Efficacy of Target Inhibition and Relationship to Disease Progression

Abstract Introduction FLT3 is a receptor tyrosine kinase that plays a role in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell proliferation and survival and is frequently found to be mutated in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Mutations that lead to constitutive activation of FLT3 (such as internal tandem duplications of the juxtamembrane domain or point mutations involving the kinase domain) are associated with a poor prognosis. This poor prognosis is in part due to an increased relapse rate after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT). Several compounds that inhibit the activity of FLT3 in vitro, including ASP2215, midostaurin and quizartinib, are now being studied in clinical trials for the treatment of AML. Inhibition of the formation of phospho-FLT3 has been correlated with clinical anti-leukemia effects and remissions. Methods In this pilot study we use immunohistochemistry to measure the levels of activated FLT3 in bone marrow biopsies of patients prior to and during treatment inclinical trials at our institution to determine the efficacy of these FLT3 inhibitors and correlate it with patient outcomes. Results The different FLT3 compounds tested had a heterogenous effect on activated FLT3 levels. In some patients, ASP2215 caused a decrease in levels of activated FLT3 (indicated by brown nuclear staining), which corresponded to a decrease in leukemic blasts (Fig 1). Other patients, however, showed similar amounts of activated FLT3 both before and after treatment, which corresponded with no significant change in leukemic blasts. (Fig 2). Other FLT3 inhibitors also showed differences in their effects. Midostaurin reduced activated FLT3 levels, which correlated with a positive clinical response. In contrast, one patient receiving quizartinibshowed little to no decrease in activated FLT3 levels, despite remaining in clinical remission. This suggests that this FLT3 inhibitor may have alternative targets, such as the tyrosine kinases AXL or LTK. Conclusions The heterogeneity in the responses to ASP2215, midostaurin, and quizartinib suggests that there may be other targets for these compounds that are not currently accounted for in the clinical studies. Immunohistochemicalmeasurements of activated FLT3 in bone marrow sections before and after treatment with FLT3 inhibitors was not predictive for clinical response. Download : Download high-res image (175KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure 1 . Activated FLT3 levels in patient responsive to ASP2215; pre-treatment (A) and post-treatment (B) Download : Download high-res image (187KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure 2 . Activated FLT3 levels in patient not responsive to ASP2215; pre-treatment (A) and post-treatment (B) Disclosures Larson: Pfizer: Consultancy; Ariad: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy.
Intraoperative bladder perforation during primary total hip arthroplasty

We present a unique case of bladder perforation occurring intraoperatively during primary total hip arthroplasty. It is suspected that the patient's aberrant bladder anatomy, with idiopathic erosion of the quadrilateral space, predisposed the patient to bladder injury. Several preoperative risk factors for bladder injury were identified in the literature. These factors include cemented acetabular components, previous history of hip arthroplasty, history of pelvic trauma or intrapelvic surgery, and poor bone quality. Management of bladder injury, should it occur, includes bladder decompression with a Foley catheter, antibiotic administration, hemodynamic monitoring, and urology consult with close follow-up. This case reinforces the importance of urologic preoperative evaluation for anatomic variations of the bladder. In such cases, intraoperative Foley catheters to prevent distension may reduce the risk of perforation.
Early appendectomy reduces costs in children with perforated appendicitis

Abstract Background Perforated appendicitis can be managed with early appendectomy, or nonoperative management followed by interval appendectomy. We aimed to identify the strategy with the lowest health care utilization and cost. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all children ≤18 years old with perforated appendicitis admitted to a single institution between January 2009 and March 2016. After excluding immunosuppressed patients and transfers from outside hospitals, we grouped the remaining patients by early or interval appendectomy. Cost accounting data were obtained from our institutional database. The primary outcome was total hospital cost over 2 y from initial admission for appendicitis. Other outcomes analyzed included initial admission costs, number of admissions, emergency room and clinic visits, percutaneous procedures, cross-sectional and overall imaging studies, and length of stay. Results A total of 203 children with perforated appendicitis were identified. After exclusion of immunosuppressed patients and outside hospital transfers, 94 patients were included in the study. Thirty-nine underwent early appendectomy and 55 initial nonoperative management; of these, 54 underwent elective interval appendectomy. Five of 55 patients (9%) failed initial nonoperative management and required earlier-than-planned appendectomy. Total cost over 2 y was significantly lower with early appendectomy than initial nonoperative management ($19,300 ± 14,300 versus $26,000 ± 17,500; P = 0.05). Early appendectomy resulted in fewer hospital admissions, clinic visits, invasive procedures, and imaging studies. Conclusions Early appendectomy results in lower hospital costs and less health care utilization compared with initial nonoperative management with elective interval appendectomy. A prospective study will shed more light on this question and can assess the role of nonoperative management without interval appendectomy in children with perforated appendicitis.
Big-data-driven network partitioning for ultra-dense radio access networks

The increased density of base stations (BSs) may significantly add complexity to network management mechanisms and hamper them from efficiently managing the network. In this paper, we propose a big-data-driven network partitioning and optimization framework to reduce the complexity of the networking mechanisms. The proposed framework divides the entire radio access network (RAN) into multiple sub-RANs and each sub-RAN can be managed independently. Therefore, the complexity of the network management can be reduced. Quantifying the relationships among BSs is challenging in the network partitioning. We propose to extract three networking features from mobile traffic data to discover the relationships. Based on these features, we engineer the network partitioning solution in three steps. First, we design a hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) algorithm to divide the entire RAN into sub-RANs. Second, we implement a traffic load balancing algorithm to characterize the performance of the network partitioning. Third, we adapt the weights of networking features in the HCA algorithm to optimize the network partitioning. We validate the proposed solution through simulations designed based on real mobile network traffic data. The simulation results reveal the impacts of the RAN partitioning on the networking performance and the computational complexity of the networking mechanism.
Detecting diversification rates in relation to preservation and tectonic history from simulated fossil records

For mammals today, mountains are diverse ecosystems globally, yet the strong relationship between species richness and topographic complexity is not a persistent feature of the fossil record. Based on fossil-occurrence data, diversity and diversification rates in the intermontane western North America varied through time, increasing significantly during an interval of global warming and regional intensification of tectonic activity from 18 to 14 Ma. However, our ability to infer origination and extinction rates reliably from the fossil record is affected by variation in preservation history. To investigate the influence of preservation on estimates of diversification rates, I simulated fossil records under four alternative diversification hypotheses and six preservation scenarios. Diversification hypotheses included tectonically controlled speciation pulses, while preservation scenarios were based on common trends (e.g., increasing rock record toward the present) or derived from fossil occurrences and the continental rock record. For each scenario, I estimated origination, extinction, and diversification rates using three standard methods—per capita, three-timer, and capture-mark-recapture (CMR) metrics—and evaluated the ability of the simulated fossil records to accurately recover the underlying diversification dynamics. Despite variable and low preservation probabilities, simulated fossil records retained the signal of true rates in several of the scenarios. The three metrics did not exhibit similar behavior under each preservation scenario: while three-timer and CMR metrics produced more accurate rate estimates, per capita rates tended to better reproduce true shifts in origination rates. All metrics suffered from spurious peaks in origination and extinction rates when highly volatile preservation impacted the simulated record. Results from these simulations indicate that elevated diversification rates in relation to tectonic activity during the middle Miocene are likely to be evident in the fossil record, even if preservation in the North American fossil record was variable. Input from the past is necessary to evaluate the ultimate mechanisms underlying speciation and extinction dynamics.
Bi-objective mixed integer linear programming for managing building clusters with a shared electrical energy storage

Abstract Emerging smart grid infrastructures are allowing buildings to connect to components in other buildings and utilize them in different ways. Clearly, these interconnected building clusters provide new opportunities for building operators to collaborate and help reduce their operational costs over a planning horizon. Nevertheless, since each building can be treated as an independent decision maker here, related fairness concerns have to be addressed in these collaborative environments. We address these issues on building clusters when a single electrical energy storage is shared between two buildings with deterministic demand. We introduce three energy storage sharing strategies, and develop a bi-objective mathematical formulation for each strategy. Several techniques such as piecewise McCormick relaxation are employed for linearizing non-linear terms in the proposed formulations. An extensive computational study demonstrates the efficacy of our proposed linearization techniques, and compares all three strategies in terms of fairness and freedom.
A Single Center Experience of 1500 Lung Transplant Patients

Abstract Objective Over the past 30 years, lung transplantation has emerged as the definitive treatment for end-stage lung disease. In 2005, the lung allocation score (LAS) was introduced to allocate organs according to disease severity. The number of transplants performed annually in the United States continues to increase as centers have become more comfortable expanding donor and recipient criteria and have become more facile with the perioperative and long-term management of these patients. We report a single-center experience with lung transplants, looking at patients before and after the introduction of LAS. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 1500 adult lung transplants at a single center performed between 1988 and 2016. Patients were separated into 2 groups, before and after the introduction of LAS: group 1 (April 1988 to April 2005; 792 patients) and group 2 (May 2005 to September 2016; 708 patients). Results Differences in demographic data were noted over these periods, reflecting changes in allocation of organs. Group 1 patient average age was 48 ± 13 years, and 404 subjects (51%) were male. Disease processes included emphysema (52%; 412), cystic fibrosis (18.2%; 144), pulmonary fibrosis (16.1%; 128) and pulmonary vascular disease (7.2%; 57). Double lung transplant (77.7%; 615) was performed more frequently than single lung transplant (22.3%; 177). Group 2 average age was 50 ± 14 years, and 430 subjects (59%) were male. Disease processes included pulmonary fibrosis (46%; 335), emphysema (25.8%; 188), cystic fibrosis (17.7%; 127) and pulmonary vascular disease (1.6%; 11). Double lung transplant (96.2%; 681) was performed more frequently than single lung transplant (3.8%; 27). Overall incidence of grade 3 primary graft dysfunction (PGD) in group 1 was significantly lower at 22.1% (175) than in group 2 at 31.6% (230) (P Conclusions Patient demographics over the study period have changed with an increased number of fibrotic patients transplanted. In addition, more aggressive strategies with donor/recipient selection appear to have resulted in a higher incidence of primary graft dysfunction. This does not, however, appear to affect patient survival on index hospitalization or at 1 year. In fact, we have observed a significant improvement in survival at 1 year in the more recent era. This observation suggests that continued expansion of possible donors and recipients, coupled with a more sophisticated understanding of primary graft dysfunction and long-term chronic rejection, can lead to increased transplant volume and prolonged survival.
Trend-based Design Research

This paper presents the main principles of the trend-based design research process as a tool for design innovation. It is based on the methods created, developed and implemented by the author throughout 20 years of applied professional, real-world experience and academic practice. It revolves around utilizing trend research as a tool rather than as an end, to identify market directions and potential design opportunities, based on tangible manifestations of consumer behavior.
The influence of helium on cavity evolution in ion-irradiated T91

Abstract The effect of helium pre-implanted in concentrations spanning 0 to 1000 appm on the swelling evolution in ferritic-martensitic alloy T91 was explored. Irradiation with 5.0 and 4.4 MeV Fe2+ ions at 460 °C up to damage levels of 350 dpa were performed with pre-implanted helium levels of 0, 1, 10 and 1000 appm. Low concentrations of helium were found to enhance nucleation at low damage levels. However, at high damage levels, differences in nucleation became insignificant, and nearly identical cavity distributions were created. At low helium levels, the cavity evolution was facilitated by similar cavity sink strengths. High helium concentrations reduced the critical cavity radius and resulted in the formation of a high-density bubble population. The bubbles were
Jewish Ethics and Beneficence

Medical care and illness have always provided opportunities for the exercise of altruism and beneficence, but in our own day these opportunities have in some ways expanded. The growing field of medical experimentation and the possibility of organ transplantation and donation, for example, have provided new occasions for acts of selfless devotion to the welfare of other persons. Against the background of these very contemporary issues, it is useful to ask what the attitude of a traditional faith like Judaism is to acts of beneficence. Does traditional Jewish teaching, as elaborated in major legal texts and rabbinic writings, permit persons to subordinate their interests in order to promote the welfare of others? Does Judaism ever require an individual actively to risk his interests or his life on others’ behalf? And what are the implications of answers to these questions for one’s participation in experimentation, organ donation, or other forms of medical beneficence? Because of the richness of the Jewish tradition of moral reflection, the answers to these questions are of interest not only to those who identify themselves as Jews but also to those who seek to come to terms with the difficult new choices imposed by modern medical care.
The Formal Model and Axiomatic Derivation

Because the rules of the bargaining problem permit the final outcome to be determined only by the coalition of all the participants acting together, or by the individual participants acting alone, the special case of bargaining among two participants shares many of the properties of the general case of bargaining among n participants, for n ≥ 2. That is, even when n is greater than two, so that intermediate coalitions exist which contain more than one participant but fewer than n, these coalitions cannot by themselves secure any outcome but the disagreement outcome; i.e., they cannot secure any outcome which is not available to their members acting individually. So the effect of intermediate coalitions on the bargaining process is of generally minor importance.1
Drawing Lunar Features

Why go to the trouble of drawing lunar features? First, the exercise will force you to sharpen your visual observing skills. Later in this chapter there is a checklist that will help you to better describe what you are seeing. This exercise will also give you a chance to apply what we’ve learned about lunar geology. Second, drawings are the best way of preserving your observations — a picture is worth a thousand words, as they say. This will prove useful when you want to remember what you’ve already observed, and to compare observations of the same features at different Sun angles or at different stages of a lunation.
Recent Developments in Process Capability Analysis

This is the introductory article in a special issue of the Journal of Quality Technology devoted to the topic of process capability analysis. Statistical issues generated by the current use of process capability indices are outlined. The contributors of..
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF). Soon after the amino acid sequence of VEGF was established, it was recognized to be distantly related to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Subsequently, four additional homologous VEGF family members, denoted placental growth factor (P1GF), VEGF-B, VEGF-C, and VEGF-D were identified. The primary translation products of all of the VEGF family members contain amino-terminal hydrophobic secretory leader sequences that are proteolytically removed upon secretion. All of the VEGF family members appear to function as dimers. The crystal structure of the core region of VEGF-A common to all of the receptor-binding isoforms has confirmed the similarity of its tertiary structure with that determined previously for PDGF-B. Two virus-derived proteins have been identified that bind and activate VEGF receptors. The first, denoted VEGF-E, is a dimeric VEGF homologue encoded by an off virus that normally infects sheep and, with much lower frequency, humans. The second is the HIV-1 tat protein also known as a transactivator of HIV and host genes. The binding of VEGF to its high-affinity receptors can increase receptor tyrosine kinase catalytic activity and trigger the activation of signal transduction proteins by binding to receptor phosphotyrosine residues. VEGF-A is active in animal models of angiogenesis and in peripheral and cardiac ischemia. In addition, VEGF also drives pathologic angiogenesis in neovascular ocular diseases, some types of inflammation, and a wide range of cancers. The genetics of VEGF-A and its receptors demonstrate their importance in normal development. The transgenic expression of VEGF-A under the control of either the keratin K6 or rhodopsin gene regulatory regions results in hypervascular development in the skin and retina.
From Dasein to Being in Heidegger’s totality

For Heidegger, Being is prior to the subject-object split and prior to man. Being is the past plenitude which offers its services in various epochs of history in revealing and concealing ways. Basically Being functions as the otherness for man, making claims upon him and issuing its constraints and revelations. Man is the place of Being’s disclosures. When man is a part of such a totality of Being man quickly moves from his claims and transcending functions to Beings’s claims and transcendence over him. Being thus makes its presence known as otherness to man. While Being is more pronounced in the writings of the later Heidegger it is assumed in the early writings, too, only there it is poorly presented. Because infinite transcendence resides in Dasein’s constitution and within temporality it is just a matter of time before Being appears in its otherness to Dasein. It is the same nonhuman form of infinite transcendence that dwells both in Dasein and Being, as well as in their togetherness. Infinite transcendence is’the far side’ of finite transcendence that resides in totalities making extraordinary claims on us and provides all those excesses we are familiar with in transcendence. Infinite transcendence is thus an outside transcendence, and also an alien anti-human force within finitude.
Uterus Transplantation: Response to Open Peer Commentaries on the Ethics of Using Deceased Versus Living Donors.

We thank the commentators for their thoughtful responses. The breadth of thematic material in the responses is a testament to the complexity of the evolving science and bioethical conversation. Fur...
H.E.R.M.E.S: rapid blood-plasma separation at the point-of-need

The global healthcare landscape is experiencing increasing demand for CLIA-waived testing facilities that offer diagnostic capabilities at lower costs and greater convenience than traditional laboratory testing. While several new diagnostic tools have emerged to fulfill testing requirements in these environments, centrifuges have been stymied from transitioning to the point-of-need as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies them as mostly unsuitable for use in CLIA-waived environments. Limitations in sample processing capabilities adversely affects the ability for CLIA-waived testing environments to offer a broad testing portfolio and present-day diagnostics are bottlenecked by the requirement for centrifugation. Here we present the High Efficiency Rapid Magnetic Erythrocyte Separator (H.E.R.M.E.S), a rapid low-cost technology that can perform the separation of red blood cells from plasma at a fraction of the time and cost of that of a centrifuge. We demonstrate that H.E.R.M.E.S is able to obtain highly-pure plasma (greater than 99.9% purity) at less than 2 minutes per test. Further, we detail that it is an easy-to-use method capable of being incorporated with present-day diagnostic technologies and prove that it is superior to existing alternatives to centrifugation by validation with a ferritin lateral flow test. H.E.R.M.E.S is a suitable alternative for centrifugation in point-of-need settings and aims to facilitate the decentralization of commercial blood testing.
Tsetse Flies (Glossinidae)

Abstractd Tsetse flies, with one exception, are all found in Africa. All of the 31 known species and subspecies are capable of transmitting the trypanosome parasites that cause human sleeping sickness and disease in domestic animals that is known as nagana. For centuries, tsetse have been one of the greatest factors affecting the course of economic and social development in Africa. Sleeping sickness has hampered human productivity, and nagana has prevented the widespread use of domestic animals as sources of food, transport, labor, or fertilizer. Tsetse flies are obligately hematophagous and are in a group of flies with the unusual characteristic of having the female retain the larval offspring until it is fully grown and just about ready to pupate. This maternal care and the deposition of individual puparia by different species in particular microhabitats present unique challenges to controlling the adults and offspring. Tsetse are found over an estimated area of at least 10 million square kilometers on land governed by 36 different countries, which makes coordination and the institution of public health initiatives difficult. Sleeping sickness is not found wherever tsetse are known to occur because several species do not readily feed on humans, but nagana is found everywhere that tsetse are distributed.
Assessing Workplace Breastfeeding Support Among Working Mothers in the United States

Background: Workplace breastfeeding resources (e.g., break times and private spaces) help working mothers exclusively breastfeed for 6 months. However, not every employer offers lactation resources as specified in the Affordable Care Act. This study examined working mothers' access to workplace breastfeeding resources, their barriers and facilitators to combining breastfeeding and work, and their recommendations to improve access to breastfeeding resources. Methods: Working mothers between the ages of 18 to 50 years who had given birth in the previous 2 years were recruited online to participate in the study. An online, cross-sectional survey collected qualitative and quantitative data from working mothers on their access to workplace breastfeeding resources and experiences with breastfeeding at work. Descriptive statistics were used to report the quantitative results from the survey, and the qualitative data were examined using the constant comparative method. Findings: Fifty-two participants met the inclusion criteria for the study and completed the survey. Most of the participants in the study were White, college-educated women who worked in clerical or administration support and education occupations. Approximately 78.8% of the participants reported access to private spaces and 65.4% reported access to break times for breastfeeding. Fewer participants reported access to breast pumps, lactation consultants, and support groups. Conclusions/Application to Practice: There are gaps in access to workplace breastfeeding resources, but occupational health nurses can inform and help employers implement lactation resources to reduce breastfeeding disparities.
Accurate CYP2D6 genotyping using whole genome sequencing data

Responsible for the metabolism of 25% of all drugs, CYP2D6 is a critical component of personalized medicine initiatives. Genotyping CYP2D6 is challenging due to sequence similarity with its pseudogene paralog CYP2D7 and a high number and variety of common structural variants (SVs). Here we describe a software tool, Cyrius, that accurately genotypes CYP2D6 using whole-genome sequencing. We show that Cyrius has superior performance (96.5% concordance with truth genotypes) compared to existing methods (83.8-86.6%). Using Cyrius, we built a haplotype frequency database from 2504 ethnically diverse samples and estimate that SV-containing star alleles are more frequent than previously reported.
The materialities, effects and affects of Portuguese decolonisation

This aptly titled monograph combines the best in historical and ethnographic scholarship. It is an exploration of a crucial stage in Portuguese, Indian, Mozambican and Angolan history viewed as an ...
Selecting a minimum diameter for forest biomass and carbon estimation: How low should you go?

Forest inventories are traditionally designed to produce estimates of merchantable timber volume but are increasingly used to estimate stand-level biomass or carbon. Since inventory is volume-focused, it is common practice to tally stems 5 inches and greater in diameter (at breast height; d.b.h.). When estimating carbon or biomass, practitioners may be concerned about the effect of omitting smaller stems from the inventory. We present summaries to provide indicators of when smaller diameters may be less important for an accurate estimate to assist those foresters considering adding carbon estimates to traditional inventory objectives. Small stems (e.g., 2 or 3 inches d.b.h.) may contribute appreciable biomass within a few specific types of forest stands, such as for spruce-fir or lodgepole pine, but generally the contribution is minor. Similarly, the 5- or 6-inch stems, which are moderately large for some stands, will contribute very little to stand biomass for some forest types, particularly in western forests (e.g., Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine). These are well known patterns, and we suggest such information be used to inform the choice of minimum tally diameter. Pragmatic threshold values vary by region because the importance of smaller stems is not fixed at a single diameter over all U.S. forests.
Ethics and Economics of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

The Covid-19 experience provides a natural experiment in personal and social ethics. Difficult decisions are routinely made to optimize lives and livelihoods. This commentary provides background and insight into the ethical and economic foundations underpinning dilemmas of this historic pandemic.
Amazon’s HQ2 Site Selection Criteria: The New ‘Gold Standard’ in FDI Decision-Making

In 2017–2018, Seattle-based Tech behemoth Amazon executed a highly publicised location-finding process for a $5 billion investment project, dubbed ‘HQ2’. Owing to the combination of high investment volume and the company’s unique public exposure, the HQ2 process is on course to becoming a basic yardstick for future foreign direct investment (FDI) projects all over the world. This article compiles the company’s previously unpublished site selection criteria and develops an evidence-based system of investment decision arguments which is employed to test the currently dominant approaches in location decision theory—behavioural, neoclassical, and institutional. Our results identify gaps vis-a-vis this emerging ‘Gold Standard’ and we propose the addition of a fourth, project-oriented approach to theory to fill the detected shortcomings. Furthermore, this system equips policymakers with a tool to evaluate their investment attraction strategies based on the decision criteria extracted from the HQ2 process.
Multi Objective Visual optimization of SFC Starting Control System for Synchronous Generator

Static frequency converter (SFC) is widely applied in the pump storage power plant synchronous generator units. However, adjusting PI control of speed-current double closed loop is a very difficult problem. A multi objective visual optimization method is proposed, the speed and current closed loop control can be optimized according to the performance specifications. The SFC starting control model is established, and D-partition technique is applied to obtain the PI parameters stable region respectively. Besides, multiple performance specifications of current loop control is analyzed. And most importantly, the PI parameters of speed-current double closed loop can be selected from the optimization area. Experimental results verify the proposed method of effective and practical.
A cross-sectional analysis of compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction in pediatric surgeons in the U.S.

Abstract Background/Purpose To determine the prevalence of compassion fatigue (CF), burnout (BO), and compassion satisfaction (CS) and identify potential predictors of these phenomena in pediatric surgeons. Methods The Compassion Fatigue and Satisfaction Self-Test and a survey of personal/professional characteristics were distributed electronically to American Pediatric Surgical Association members. Linear regression models for CF, BO, and CS as a function of potential risk factors were constructed. Results The analyzeable study response rate was 25.7%. The prevalence of CF, BO, and CS was 22%, 24% and 22, respectively, which were similar to prevalences previously identified in pediatric subspecialists. Higher CF scores were significantly associated with: higher BO scores; solo practice; compensation; ≥5 operating days/week; current distress about a ‘clinical situation’; mental health-care for work-related distress; and history of childhood surgery. Lower CF scores were significantly associated with ‘talking with a life partner’ about work-related distress. Higher BO scores were significantly associated with: higher CF scores; current distress about ‘coworkers’; and ‘keeping lawsuits confidential’. Lower BO scores were significantly associated with higher CS scores. Conclusions CF, BO, and CS are distinct but highly related entities. Pediatric surgeons experience these phenomena at similar rates to other pediatric subspecialists. Establishing local channels for physician peer support may be particularly impactful.
Chemiluminescent probe for the detection of inverse electron demand Diels-Alder reaction between tetrazine and trans-Cyclooctene.

Abstract A chemiluminescent probe has been developed, consisting of phenoxy-dioxetane moiety covalently attached to trans-cyclooctene. The inverse electron demand Diels-Alder reaction with tetrazine produces a cycloaddition product which undergoes a series of spontaneous rearrangements resulting in emission of green light. The chemiluminescent probe can be applied to study bioconjugation chemistry with tetrazine-modified biomaterials, which have recently been shown to have great potential for anticancer drug delivery. This work describes in vitro studies, including NMR and spectroscopic investigation of chemiluminescence, which will pave way for future in vivo bioconjugation experiments.
A Case Study in Simulation Methods for Power Electronic Circuits

Motivated by the challenge of capturing the new discrete dynamics that fundamentally characterize modern grid technologies, we revisit the problem of simulating power electronic circuits. A simplified circuit is used as a case study to uncover and highlight key considerations in the use of traditional numerical simulation methods and compare them with those obtained from alternative methods that are discrete event-based from the outset. Results show the regimes where the traditional numerical methods and the alternative discrete event methods are applicable, and the need for discrete event approaches that precisely and efficiently resolve switching dynamics produced by power electronics systems that are important in emerging grid scenarios, such as large scale renewable energy.
Process identification using a mode learning machine.

Pattern recognition techniques applied to process identification, examining capability of mode learning machines for on-line identification of both linear and nonlinear processes