cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Omeprazole and aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylases: should we be worried?

Diaz and colleagues have carefully studied the effects of omeprazole on the expression of cytochrome P-450 in primary cultures of human hepatocytes. When omeprazole was added to the culture medium in varying concentrations, there was an increase in P-450IA2 protein and mRNA concentrations, an increase in de novo synthesis of P-450IA2 protein, and an increase in microsomal catalytic activities characteristic of P-450IA2 (phenacetin deethylase and acetanilide hydroxylase). Omeprazole treatment also resulted in an increase in both enzymatic activity characteristic of P-450IA1 (ethoxyresorufin deethylase and benzpyrene hydroxylase) and concentration of P-450IA1 mRNA. In contrast, omeprazole appeared to have no significant effect on expression of other P-450s within the P-450II or P-450III families in the hepatocytes. To validate these in vitro observations, liver biopsy specimens were obtained from five patients before and after a 4-day course of pharmacological doses of omeprazole. In each patient, omeprazole treatment appeared to result in a two- to eightfold increase in P-450IA2 immunoreactive protein and P-450IA1 and P-450IA2 enzymatic activities. The authors conclude that omeprazole is an inducer of P-450IA2 and probably P-450IA1 in human liver. Induction of these enzymes could potentiate the bioactivation of carcinogens or the hepatotoxicity of some drugs such as acetaminophen.
Preoperative vs postoperative radiation therapy for extremity soft tissue sarcoma: controversy and present management.

Purpose of review The 5-year results of the Canadian multicenter prospectively randomized phase III trial that compared preoperative with postoperative radiotherapy for patients with extremity soft tissue sarcomas were recently presented at the 2004 meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. These latter findings serve as an impetus for this current review to assess the optimal sequencing of adjuvant radiotherapy for such patients undergoing limb-preserving surgery. Recent findings The recent studies, including the 2004 American Society of Clinical Oncology presentation, described in this paper show no significant rise in the incidence of long-term side effects, such as delayed wound healing and subcutaneous tissue damage, in patients with extremity soft tissue sarcomas who receive once-daily preoperative irradiation followed by limb-preserving surgery. Postoperative radiotherapy may be best reserved for patients who are most likely to undergo a wide local excision with adequate (>10 mm) tumor-free margins (such as low-grade lesions in the lower extremities). There is an increasing use of neoadjuvant chemoradiation in this group of patients, especially for high-grade and large lesions. Summary Further investigations regarding the preoperative management of extremity soft tissue sarcomas are continuing in an attempt to optimize the survival and functional status of these patients, while minimizing the permanent side effects resulting from such treatment.
Electrochemical concentrating and purifying from dilute copper solutions

The effectiveness of a new process for recovering copper ions from dilute solutions has been tested. Porous, fixed, flow-through graphite electrodes are used in conjunction with a membrane which separates the two feed streams. The concept is demonstrated using a dilute feed of 800μ ml{−1} copper ions which is reduced to less than 1μ ml{−1}, and a concentrated stream of 0.4 M copper which is concentrated to 0.7M. The results show the concept is technically feasible and that it is competitive with existing technology for copper recovery.
Genome-Wide Analysis of Alternative Splicing Landscapes Modulated during Plant-Virus Interactions in Brachypodium distachyon

In eukaryotes, alternative splicing (AS) promotes transcriptome and proteome diversity. The extent of genome-wide AS changes occurring during a plant-microbe interaction is largely unknown. Here, using high-throughput, paired-end RNA sequencing, we generated an isoform-level spliceome map of Brachypodium distachyon infected with Panicum mosaic virus and its satellite virus. Overall, we detected ∼44,443 transcripts in B. distachyon, ∼30% more than those annotated in the reference genome. Expression of ∼28,900 transcripts was ≥2 fragments per kilobase of transcript per million mapped fragments, and ∼42% of multi-exonic genes were alternatively spliced. Comparative analysis of AS patterns in B. distachyon, rice (Oryza sativa), maize (Zea mays), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), Arabidopsis thaliana, potato (Solanum tuberosum), Medicago truncatula, and poplar (Populus trichocarpa) revealed conserved ratios of the AS types between monocots and dicots. Virus infection quantitatively altered AS events in Brachypodium with little effect on the AS ratios. We discovered AS events for >100 immune-related genes encoding receptor-like kinases, NB-LRR resistance proteins, transcription factors, RNA silencing, and splicing-associated proteins. Cloning and molecular characterization of SCL33, a serine/arginine-rich splicing factor, identified multiple novel intron-retaining splice variants that are developmentally regulated and modulated during virus infection. B. distachyon SCL33 splicing patterns are also strikingly conserved compared with a distant Arabidopsis SCL33 ortholog. This analysis provides new insights into AS landscapes conserved among monocots and dicots and uncovered AS events in plant defense-related genes.
ITBVM: IT Business Value Modeler

Today, enterprise IT environments are complex as never before with individual applications, tiers, or technologies segregated into individual management domains. Typically, the value of business applications and the dependencies between business and IT objects and IT objects among each other is completely unknown or at least not up to date. Thus, ultimately, the business value of individual IT tasks is unknown. Hence it is very hard to perform global management services such as performance optimization in resource-constrained environments. This deficiency is even more deeply felt by an internal or external services provider called in to set up a new optimization or IT management framework.We propose a framework ITBVM for business-value driven IT optimization with particular emphasis on such enterprise environments. A key part is the use of discovery technologies to provide the link between business value and IT objects. As one instance of the framework, we show how discovery can improve a performance-optimization problem in an otherwise blackbox scenario. We validate these improvements through experiments in a controlled setup and through statistical interpretation of fine-grained dependency discovery in a large real enterprise environment.
Mitigation of cellulose recalcitrance to enzymatic hydrolysis by ionic liquid pretreatment

Efficient hydrolysis of cellulose-to-glucose is critically important in producing fuels and chemicals from renewable feedstocks. Cellulose hydrolysis in aqueous media suffers from slow reaction rates because cellulose is a water-insoluble crystalline biopolymer. The high-crystallinity of cellulose fibrils renders the internal surface of cellulose inaccessible to the hydrolyzing enzymes (cellulases) as well as water. Pretreatment methods, which increase the surface area accessible to water and cellulases are vital to improving the hydrolysis kinetics and conversion of cellulose to glucose. In a novel technique, the microcrystalline cellulose was first subjected to an ionic liquid (IL) treatment and then recovered as essentially amorphous or as a mixture of amorphous and partially crystalline cellulose by rapidly quenching the solution with an antisolvent. Because of their extremely low-volatility, ILs are expected to have minimal environmental impact. Two different ILs, 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIMC1) and 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (AMIMC1) were investigated. Hydrolysis kinetics of the IL-treated cellulose is significantly enhanced. With appropriate selection of IL treatment conditions and enzymes, the initial hydrolysis rates for IL-treated cellulose were up to 90 times greater than those of untreated cellulose. We infer that this drastic improvement in the “overall hydrolysis rates” with IL-treated cellulose is mainly because of a significant enhancement in the kinetics of the “primary hydrolysis step” (conversion of solid cellulose to soluble oligomers), which is the rate-limiting step for untreated cellulose. Thus, with IL-treated cellulose, primary hydrolysis rates increase and become comparable with the rates of inherently faster “secondary hydrolysis” (conversion of soluble oligomers to glucose).
Estimating ground-level PM2.5 concentrations in the southeastern U.S. using geographically weighted regression

Abstract Most of currently reported models for predicting PM2.5 concentrations from satellite retrievals of aerosol optical depth are global methods without considering local variations, which might introduce significant biases into prediction results. In this paper, a geographically weighted regression model was developed to examine the relationship among PM2.5, aerosol optical depth, meteorological parameters, and land use information. Additionally, two meteorological datasets, North American Regional Reanalysis and North American Land Data Assimilation System, were fitted into the model separately to compare their performances. The study area is centered at the Atlanta Metro area, and data were collected from various sources for the year 2003. The results showed that the mean local R2 of the models using North American Regional Reanalysis was 0.60 and those using North American Land Data Assimilation System reached 0.61. The root mean squared prediction error showed that the prediction accuracy was 82.7% and 83.0% for North American Regional Reanalysis and North American Land Data Assimilation System in model fitting, respectively, and 69.7% and 72.1% in cross validation. The results indicated that geographically weighted regression combined with aerosol optical depth, meteorological parameters, and land use information as the predictor variables could generate a better fit and achieve high accuracy in PM2.5 exposure estimation, and North American Land Data Assimilation System could be used as an alternative of North American Regional Reanalysis to provide some of the meteorological fields.
"Our Business, Your Employees: The Management of Human Resource Systems in Franchise Businesses"

Despite the growth and significance of franchising in today’s economy, we know very little about how human resource systems are managed in franchised operations, especially compared to similar company-owned and managed operations in franchise businesses. This study examines the management practices of franchise businesses in one of the most highly franchised industries in the U.S., the hotel industry, exploring the ways in which human resource systems are managed across ownership forms and paying particular attention to the level of corporate (franchisor) involvement in the management of these systems. The results of a matched-pair case study comparison of a franchisee-owned hotel and a company-managed hotel operating under the same parent company reveal significant differences in the management of human resource systems across ownership forms. While corporate provides franchisees with methods of operation and ongoing support, this does not extend to matters of employment. With the exception of training, ...
Extensions of the Fundamental Theorem of Exponential Smoothing

The fundamental theorem of exponential smoothing is extended to include the nonasymptotic case where only a finite number of time series observations are available. This extension leads to the rigorous elimination of the present need for initial conditions in general order exponential smoothing forecasts. In addition, a computationally efficient procedure is presented for the calculation of all elements of the general order exponential smoothing coefficient matrix. These extensions of the fundamental theorem permit the applied use of general order exponential smoothing in a computationally efficient and unambiguous manner.
Separating a gas Mixture into its Constituent Analytes Using FICA

Unlike the conventional "lock-and-key" sensor design in which one sensor is finely tuned to respond to one analyte, the sensor array approach employs multiple sensors in which one sensor responds to many analytes. Consequently, signal processing algorithms must be used to identify the analyte present from the array's response. The analyte identification process becomes significantly more complicated when a mixture of analytes is presented to the sensor array. We have designed a novel method, fingerprint-based ICA (FICA), to extract and identify individual analytes from a sensor array's response to a gas mixture of the analytes. Our results indicate FICA performs better with a simpler, faster classifier than conventional methods.
Bordetella AlcS transporter functions in alcaligin siderophore export and is central to inducer sensing in positive regulation of alcaligin system gene expression.

Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella bronchiseptica , which are respiratory mucosal pathogens of mammals, produce and utilize the siderophore alcaligin to acquire iron in response to iron starvation. A predicted permease of the major facilitator superfamily class of membrane efflux pumps, AlcS (synonyms, OrfX and Bcr), was reported to be encoded within the alcaligin gene cluster. In this study, alcS null mutants were found to be defective in growth under iron starvation conditions, in iron source utilization, and in alcaligin export. trans complementation using cloned alcS genes of B. pertussis or B. bronchiseptica restored the wild-type phenotype to the alcS mutants. Although the levels of extracellular alcaligin measured in alcS strain culture fluids were severely reduced compared with the wild-type levels, alcS mutants had elevated levels of cell-associated alcaligin, implicating AlcS in alcaligin export. Interestingly, a Δ alcA mutation that eliminated alcaligin production suppressed the growth defects of alcS mutants. This suppression and the alcaligin production defect were reversed by trans complementation of the Δ alcA mutation in the double-mutant strain, confirming that the growth-defective phenotype of alcS mutants is associated with alcaligin production. In an alcA ::mini-Tn 5 lacZ1 operon fusion strain background, an alcS null mutation resulted in enhanced AlcR-dependent transcriptional responsiveness to alcaligin inducer; conversely, AlcS overproduction blunted the transcriptional response to alcaligin. These transcription studies indicate that the alcaligin exporter activity of AlcS is required to maintain appropriate intracellular alcaligin levels for normal inducer sensing and responsiveness necessary for positive regulation of alcaligin system gene expression.
Behavior and traditional therapy applied to pedophiliac exhibitionism: a case study.

A 36-year-old male, who was hospitalized or imprisoned from the age of 12 yr. primarily for sexual deviancy, was treated with combined aversion, aversion relief, social and sexual skill training, a...
Third-order Dispersion Coefficients for H(1s)-H(1s) System

Third-order dispersion coefficients C 11, C 13, and C 15 are calculated using variational wavefunctions in Sturmian basis sets. An existing discrepancy in the literature is resolved. Also, second-order dispersion coefficients Cn are calculated with even n up to 16.
Ethnicity and Ethnically “Mixed” Identity in Belize: A Study of Primary School‐Age Children

This article focuses on the ehtnic identity of children in Belize. Belizean nationalism, as taught in the primary schools, is both pan-ethnic and multiethnic. However, because the increasingly widespread practice of ethnic mixing is unacknowledged, there is a discrepancy between what is taught in school and the daily life of children. This has resulted in a paradox. Whereas the overt intent is to recognize and celebrate difference, the result has been to silence children's voices.
Decoding of b.c.h. codes

A new algorithm is given for the decoding of double-error-correcting binary b.c.h. codes. It can be rather simply implemented and is particularly suitable for parallel implementation.
π - N phase shifts from 300-700 MeV☆

A phase shift analysis for π-N scattering has been carried out from 300 to 700 MeV. The T = 32 phase shifts are in qualitative agreement with results of others. However, we find all the T = 12 phase shifts lie within ±45 deg up to 700 MeV.
Effect of wettability alteration on long-term behavior of fluids in subsurface

Wettability is an important factor affecting fluid behavior in the subsurface, including oil, gas, and supercritical $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ in deep geological reservoirs. For example, $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ is generally assumed to behave as a non-wetting fluid, which favors safe storage. However, because of chemical heterogeneity of the reservoirs, mixed wettability conditions can exist. Furthermore, recent experiments suggest that with time, the wettability of super-critical $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ may change from non-wetting to partially wetting due to changes in electrostatic interactions. These changes are caused by chemical reactions between dissolved $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ and its environment. To date, the effect of wettability alteration and mixed wettability on the long-term fate of injected $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ has not well been studied. Here, we use the multiphase pairwise force smoothed particle hydrodynamics model to study complex pore-scale processes involved in geological $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ sequestration, including the effect of spatial and temporal wettability variations on long-term distribution of $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ in porous media. Results reveal that in the absence of dissolution of supercritical $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ and precipitation of carbonate minerals (mineral trapping), the amount of trapped supercritical $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ significantly decreases as the wettability of the porous media changes from brine-wet to partial-wet or $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ -wet.
Pension Plan Property Rights: Evidence from Debt Ratings and SFAS 87 Data

We examine the property rights to excess pension assets and to unfunded pension liabilities by estimating the relation between debt ratings and the funding status of firms' pension plans. We test the hypothesis that a dollar of unfunded pension liabilities augments corporate liabilities more than a dollar of excess pension assets augments corporate assets. This asymmetry hypothesis is motivated by pension laws that restrict the opportunities of firms to shift unfunded pension liabilities to the federal insurer of pension benefits (PBGC), but that require a large proportion of excess pension assets obtained through pension plan terminations (reversions) to be shared with employees and the IRS. The alternative hypothesis -- a symmetric relation -- is based on the premise that firms can avoid the sharing of excess pension assets. For example, the excess assets nominally shared with employees in a reversion can be "recouped" by reductions in some other form of employee compensation. Moreover, firms can obtain excess pension assets and avoid the sharing rules associated with reversions by reducing future contributions to the existing plan. Overall, the evidence is most consistent with an asymmetric relation: unfunded liabilities augment corporate liabilities more than excess pension assets augment corporate assets.
Integrating Technological Obsolesence in Quantitative Forecasting of Memory Device Failure Cost

The current approach to estimate the depreciation in the utility of a piece of equipment is to use a single mortality survivor curve over its entire life cycle. This approach has been demonstrated to be inadequate as it has understated the true impact of technological obsolescence. Nowadays, there are so many devices whose utility is very sensitive to technological innovation. For these products, relying on the traditional historical mortality approach simply leads to a gross error in the estimation of life cycle values such as depreciation in their utility or their life cycle cost. This paper contains three distinctive parts. In the first part, the paper presents analogical derivations of various growth curves and the rationale which leads to the establishment of a statistical methodology for determining the retirement rate due to wear and tear, failure by accidents, and/or simply by age related deterioration. Another significant development presented in this first part is the derivation of the obsolescence chart for a given product. The paper goes on to describe a method to combine the impact of both traditional mortality influence and technological influence on the life cycle of the property. The second part of the paper is used to demonstrate the results of the proposed combined quantitative forecasting methodology via a case study which involves the substitution of mechanical memory devices by solid state (flash) memory devices. This paper discusses the importance of combining the effects of mortality and technological obsolescence when conducting an economic forecast.
Acting Collectively To Develop Midscale Food Value Chains

This paper uses case studies of four innovative U.S. midscale food value chains to provide models of how midsized farms and ranches and associated processing, distribution, and retail businesses can prosper by acting collectively to construct a "third tier" in the U.S. agri-food system. Specifically we consider the importance of acting collectively at three distinct levels: horizontally among producers, vertically within food value chains, and horizontally across food value chains. These midscale food value chains represent strategic alliances among midsized farms and other agri-food enterprises that operate at regional levels, handle significant volumes of high-quality, differentiated food products, and distribute profit margins equitably among the strategic partners. From a market perspective, the key advantage of these food value chains is their ability to provide these high-quality, differentiated products that are not available through the mainstream commodity market.
Effect of methyl-bis (beta-chloroethyl) amine on aerobic glycolysis of thymus lymphocytes.

SummaryAt concentrations of lO-4 and 10-5 M, methylbis (β-chloroethyl) amine stimulates the aerobic glycolysis of thymus lymphocytes in vitro. This phenomenon is discussed in relation to the lymphocytolytic activity of this compound.
Hormones and the aging brain

There is a growing appreciation of the role of ovarian hormones as modulators of neuronal function within the central nervous system. Ovarian failure has long been known to result in reversible changes in mental function, affect, and behavior. Only recently have we begun to appreciate the potential role of these hormones, specifically estrogen, in the aging of the brain and in the expression of Alzheimer's disease. As a consequence of the estrogen deficiency state of the postmenopausal woman, brain aging may be accelerated, resulting in the greater incidence of injurious falls and accidental injuries in women than in men of the same age. This sex steroid deficiency in postmenopausal women may also account for the earlier expression of Alzheimer's disease in women.
Energy-sensitive photon counting detector-based X-ray computed tomography

Energy-sensitive photon counting detectors (PCDs) have recently been developed for medical X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging and a handful of prototype PCD-CT systems have been built and evaluated. PCDs detect X-rays by using mechanisms that are completely different from the current CT detectors (i.e., energy integrating detectors or EIDs); PCDs count photons and obtain the information of the object tissues (i.e., the effective atomic numbers and mass densities) to be imaged. Therefore, these PCDs have the potential not only for evolution-to improve the current CT images such as providing dose reduction-but also for a revolution-to enable novel applications with a new concept such as molecular CT imaging. The performance of PCDs, however, is not flawless, and thus, it requires integrated efforts to develop PCD-CT for clinical use. In this article, we review the current status and the prediction for the future of PCDs, PCD-CT systems, and potential clinical applications.
Predicting Compliance With Command Hallucinations

Of 44 patients who experienced command hallucinations, those with hallucination-related delusions and hallucinatory voices they could identify were more likely to comply with the commands. The danger of the behaviors specified by the hallucinations did not appear to be a factor in compliance.
Phase II trial of inflammation markers and symptom control in metastatic lung cancer: Insync.

TPS9659 Background: Palliative care with focused symptom management and control can improve quality of life outcomes and survival in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) beyond standard ch...
Arresting Leprosy: Therapeutic Outcomes Besides Cure.

This essay focuses on the use of the concept of “arrest” in Hansen’s disease (leprosy) in the United States in the early to middle part of the 20th century, as well as the transformations the concept underwent with the arrival of sulfone drugs and the implications of these changes for patients and public health officers. An “arrest” was a therapeutic outcome characterized by a long course of treatment, noncontagiousness, a very small chance of reactivation, and a need for postdischarge maintenance that depended on sociomedical infrastructures beyond the clinic as well as self-imposed lifestyle limitations. The concept of disease arrest shows that experts and laypeople alike have valued therapeutic outcomes other than “cure” that signal certain optimal therapeutic milestones, despite the practical difficulties they imply and despite the fact that they do not promise a return to a pre-illness stage.
Keynote Lecture: Cognitive Remediation in Schizophrenia

The symptomatic, neurocognitive and functional phenomena of schizophrenia are in constant interaction and flux as determined by the activity of the brain, psychotropic drugs, environmental antecedents and consequences, and behavioral repertoires. Neurocognitive functioning has been hypothesized to be “rate limiting” in the learning capacity of individuals with schizophrenia for acquiring and utilizing knowledge and skills for success in everyday life. Interventions to favorably affect neu-rocognition can be staged from several levels or sources, including medication and direct training, or through more general therapies that may have indirect salutary benefits on brain function. Atypical antipsychotic drugs, such as risperidone and olanzapine, have been documented to enhance neurocognition in schizophrenia; however, whether or not such enhancements result in improved psychosocial functioning may depend upon the concomitant impact and demands of the therapeutic milieu. Direct training of the brain can normalize neurocognition in schizophrenia, but these effects have not been shown to have broad clinical value. Newer methods of cognitive remediation, such as errorless learning, may have more durable and gen-eralizable effects on psychosocial functioning, but their focus will have to be on compensating cognitive deficits that are directly linked to instrumental role activities. Social skills training and a systematic therapeutic environment that reinforces adaptive behavior may also yield both improved neurocognition and higher levels of instrumental role functioning.
Prescribing Bioidentical Menopausal Hormone Therapy: A Survey of Physician Views and Practices.

Abstract Background: It is estimated that 1–2.5 million U.S. women use compounded bioidentical menopausal hormone therapy (MHT). However, the proportion of American physicians prescribing compounded bioidentical hormones remains unknown. This study aims to evaluate obstetrician–gynecologists' (OB/GYNs) and family medicine physicians' decisions reflected in prescribing practices of MHT in Kansas, and level of agreement with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommendations. Methods: An Internet-based 38-item survey was electronically disseminated to OB/GYNs and family medicine physicians identified through the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts licensure list. Results: Out of 1349 physicians contacted, 164 (12.2%) responded to the survey. There were 128 (9.5%) responses included in the final analysis. In the past year, 96.1% (123/128) of respondents prescribed conventional MHT, 93.0% (119/128) prescribed Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved bioidentical MHT, and 66.1% (8...
Exceptional and Destructive: The Dangerous Child and the Atom Bomb in Postwar Science Fiction

This chapter explores the depictions of mutated, gifted, and destructive children that flooded American fiction in the wake of World War II and the bombing of Hiroshima. Gregory suggests that these narratives became so popular because these children allowed Americans to express and alleviate their fears about not only childhood but also their atomic anxieties. The advanced child with cruel instincts, the child who puts his exceptional abilities to work against his household, community, and nation, became a fitting metaphor for another sort of monstrous creation—the atom bomb. In this way, the horror of the dangerous child as a harbinger of our mortality and a threat to the social order was given special expression in postwar America.
Picosecond Laser Studies of a Stilbene Laser Dye

Substituted stilbenes represent a class of molecules that have been used as blue laser dyes (~400–450 ran). studies of one of these dyes — 1,4-Bis(2-methylstyryl)benzene (Bis-MSB), a styryl-substituted stilbene — are reported in this paper. There is apparently little or no net excited-state conversion from the all trans-form to a cis-form in this dye. It is likely that photoisomerization favors the all trans-form in related molecules [1]. The quantum yield of fluorescence is high (Ф = 0.94) [2] as expected for a good laser dye. Recent rapid kinetics studies of photoisomerization in stilbene itself have been reported [3], but picosecond studies of stilbene laser dyes have not been previously reported.
How to Assure Agile Method and Process Alignment in an Organization

After rollout agile methods to an organization with many teams the question is how aligned are these agile teams to the organizational process framework and the team specific internal agile procedures. To address this question and fullfill requirements of the ISO 9000 context the Agile Center of Excellence of Volkswagen AG introduced in 2017 the agile project review. This review is applied to random samples of projects and make the results transparent in a gamification fashion.
Comment on “The plateau of human mortality: Demography of longevity pioneers”

Barbi et al . (Reports, 29 June 2018, p. 1459) reported that human mortality rate reached a “plateau” after the age of 105, suggesting there may be no limit to human longevity. We show, using their data, that potential lifespans cannot increase much beyond the current 122 years unless future biomedical advances alter the intrinsic rate of human aging.
TREE NUT ALLERGY MASQUERADING AS FOREIGN BODY ASPIRATION: PISTACHIO ALLERGY PRESENTING WITH ISOLATED SUPRAGLOTTIC EDEMA

Introduction Foreign body aspiration and food allergy are common causes of respiratory distress in pediatric patients. We present a case of respiratory distress in a 19 month old male who reportedly choked on a pistachio. However, during evaluation for foreign body aspiration, he was found to have isolated supraglottic edema due to pistachio IgE mediated hypersensitivity. Case Description A previously healthy 19 month old male presented with coughing and difficulty breathing immediately after reportedly choking on a pistachio. His respiratory rate was 50, heart rate was 180 bpm, and pulse oximetry was 30% which improved to 100% with supplemental oxygen. Exam was notable for grunting, accessory respiratory muscle use, and the absence of rash, angioedema, or wheezing. He was given intramuscular epinephrine 0.15mg without improvement. Chest X-ray revealed no radio-opaque foreign body or pneumothorax. Otolaryngology performed immediate laryngoscopy/bronchoscopy that revealed significant supraglottic edema of epiglottis, aryepiglottic folds, and bilateral arytenoids (Figure 1). There was no evidence of foreign body, and he was intubated for airway protection. Intravenous epinephrine 9mcg, dexamethasone 7mg, and diphenhydramine 12.5mg were administered with improvement of edema. He was successfully extubated and discharged. Six weeks later, IgE to pistachio was 4.91 KU/L and cashew was 3.25 KU/L. IgE testing to other tree nuts was negative. He has subsequently had no further episodes with strict avoidance of tree nuts. Discussion Food allergy must be considered in the differential diagnosis of foreign body aspiration, despite the lack of cutaneous findings and particularly following the ingestion of commonly allergic foods.
Specific and intraspecific classification ofSorghum species of the ser.Bicoloria (Snowd.) Ivanjuk. et Doron. and of the ser.Caffra (Snowd.) Ivanjuk. et Doron

The intraspecific classification of cultivatedSorghum species of the ser.Bicoloria and ser.Caffra is discussed. The classification is based on studies or large living and herbarium collections as well as on the typical and authentic material; published monographs on the genus being made use of. In 8 cultivated species 70 varieties are considered, 8 of them were discovered for the first time. The data received contributed to enlarging the intraspecific systematics of a number of species presented inSnowden's monograph (1936).
First report of the natural occurrence of soybean bacterial wilt isolates pathogenic to dry beans in Nebraska.

None of the soybean wilt pathogens are commonly found in midwestern soybean crops. This is the first report of naturally-infected US soybean fields in at least 25 years and the first ever for Nebra...
Distributed energy management for ship power systems with distributed energy storage

Electric systems for naval applications create a challenge for the power system associated control. When incorporating loads with a high-power ramp rate within what is essentially an islanded micro...
La naturaleza lingüístico-comunicativa de los gestos emblemáticos: una propuesta de representación

This work intends to construct a conceptualization of the linguistic-communicative nature of emblems, autonomous gestures of verbal language (for example, the gesture where the finger is rotated next to the temple with the meaning 'to be crazy', is an emblem). This conceptualization is done through the study of different linguistic approaches, providing information about the multidimensional configuration of these gestures: through a cognitive approach we explain the association of the signifier and the meaning, in the pragmatic dimension we describe different speech acts and communicative functions that these gestures play in communication; and in the sociolinguistic dimension, we collect information about the social context in which these gestures occur. From a systematization of the previous approaches, we propose a figure for the emblems’ visual representation that can be used in theoretical investigations and works applied to the teaching of second languages or foreign languages.
Hypopyon following selective laser trabeculoplasty.

Abstract Purpose To report a hypopyon following selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT). Observations An 85-year-old woman with primary open-angle glaucoma underwent routine SLT. In the early post-procedural period, she presented with pain and decreased vision, and she was found to have hypopyon, trabeculitis, and corneal edema. The patient was treated with prednisolone acetate and empirically with valacyclovir due to the possibility of herpetic keratouveitis. Work-up for potential etiologies was unrevealing. Her symptoms resolved with treatment, and at eight months follow-up her visual acuity and intraocular pressure had stabilized to her baseline. Conclusions Though safe, SLT may be associated with rare adverse events requiring intervention. Hypopyon following SLT is extremely rare, and investigation for causes unrelated to the history of SLT should be undertaken as appropriate. Importance To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a hypopyon following SLT in a patient with no history of inflammatory intra-ocular disease.
Shakespearean Charity and the Perils of Redemptive Performance

This Element examines recent documentaries depicting marginalized youth who are ostensibly redeemed by their encounters with Shakespeare. These films emerge in response to four historical and discursive developments: the rise of reality television and its emphasis on the emotional transformation of the private individual; the concomitant rise of neoliberalism and emotional capitalism, which employ therapeutic discourses to individualize social inequality; the privatization of public education and the rise of so-called “no-excuses” or “new paternalist” charter schools; and the emergence of new modes of address infusing evangelical conversion narratives with a therapeutic self-help ethos.
Trusting the bot: Addressing the ethical challenges of consumer digital mental health therapy

Abstract In digital mental health, privacy and data protection, safety and transparency are issues critical to efforts to support consumer trust and ensure trustworthy technology. The consumer domain presents particularly vexing issues for trust and associated ethical obligations, because the lines of accountability and oversight are not always clearly established. This article looks at the landscape of consumer therapy options and addresses trust and trustworthiness in association with key ethical challenges for consumer digital mental health, in order to advance ethical use of consumer digital technology for mental health therapy.
Low Reynolds Number Swimming with Slip Boundary Conditions.

We investigate the classical Taylor’s swimming sheet problem in a viscoelastic fluid, as well as in a mixture of a viscous fluid and a viscoelastic fluid. Extensions of the standard Immersed Boundary (IB) Method are proposed so that the fluid media may satisfy partial slip or free-slip conditions on the moving boundary. Our numerical results indicate that slip may lead to substantial speed enhancement for swimmers in a viscoelastic fluid and in a viscoelastic two-fluid mixture. Under the slip conditions, the speed of locomotion is dependent in a nontrivial way on both the viscosity and elasticity of the fluid media. In a two-fluid mixture with free-slip network, the swimming speed is also significantly affected by the drag coefficient and the network volume fraction.
The role of toxic nectar secondary compounds in driving differential bumble bee preferences for milkweed flowers

While morphological differences such as tongue length are often featured as drivers of pollinator floral preferences, differences in chemical detection and tolerance to secondary compounds may also play a role. We sought to better understand the role of secondary compounds in floral preference by examining visitation of milkweed flowers, which can contain toxic cardenolides in their nectar, by bumble bees (Bombus spp.), some of their most abundant and important pollinators. We examine bumble bee species visitation of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) compared to other flowers in the field and test whether observed preferences may be influenced by avoidance and tolerance of cardenolides, as measured by the cardenolide ouabain, in the lab. We reveal that common milkweed is visited predominantly by one bumble bee species, Bombus griseocollis, in a ratio much higher than the abundance of this species in the community. We confirmed the presence and toxicity of cardenolides in A. syriaca nectar. Lab experiments revealed that B. griseocollis, compared to the common bumble bees B. impatiens and B. bimaculatus, exhibit greater avoidance of cardenolides, but only at levels that start to induce illness, whereas the other species exhibit either no or reduced avoidance of cardenolides, resulting in illness and mortality in these bees. Toxicity experiments reveal that B. griseocollis also has a substantially higher tolerance for cardenolides than B. impatiens. Together, these results support a potential evolutionary association between B. griseocollis and milkweed that may involve increased ability to both detect and tolerate milkweed cardenolides.
Patterns of Insider Trading: It Is Not All Black and White

The regular pattern of quarterly earnings announcements sets up a predictable pattern of information asymmetry in the market. Both regulatory restrictions and voluntary corporate restrictions direc...
Esophageal cancer: the rise of adenocarcinoma over squamous cell carcinoma in the Asian belt

Esophageal cancer is a common cancer worldwide with a high associated mortality rate. Amongst the two most frequent subsets of disease, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (AC), there has been an epidemiologic shift towards adenocarcinoma over the last few decades. However, squamous cell carcinoma still predominates worldwide. Within Western countries, obesity has been associated with an increase in esophageal AC. A striking report from the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that worldwide obesity has tripled since 1975. In 2016, the WHO reported that greater than 1.9 billion adults are overweight and over 650 million were obese. In this review our goal is to analyze the esophageal cancer trends of China, which is the largest contributor among the esophageal cancer "Asian belt." Our intent is to evaluate whether there is a correlation between the rise in esophageal adenocarcinoma and obesity in this esophageal cancer "hotspot." With further analysis, the high-risk populations that are identified can be targeted to implement preventative strategies. This focus will aid in decreasing the burden of esophageal cancer at the global health level by addressing preventative strategies, such as screening endoscopy and lifestyle modifications. For example, WHO developed a global action plan on physical activity in response to the rise in obesity worldwide. Prevention is key to decreasing the rate of esophageal adenocarcinoma as majority of cases are diagnosed in the late stages leading to high mortality rates.
India's sustainable energy future and the challenges for optimised integration of variable energy sources

Renewable energy penetration in India is strongly linked to growing energy consumption, energy security and access to energy. Variable energy sources, viz. solar, small hydro power and wind energy form a significant share of India's energy mix. High intermittency in these technologies can lead to system related operational issues such as varying power quality and unreliability. On the other hand, grid integration of renewable energy projects is essential for bringing about an increase in the renewable component of regional and national energy mix. This paper analyses the existing status, technical and systemic challenges in large scale integration of renewable energy sources. In order to understand the complexities therein, the experiences of renewable energy service providers were supplemented by secondary literature. This paper adopts a system-based view for analysing issues of renewable energy integration and up-scaling for India, encompassing technical, infrastructural, and user specific aspects. It stresses the specific interventions that would bolster system strength and readiness for a renewable rich India. It also highlights key challenges of power quality, constancy and grid balancing and each one's unique position in a sustainable energy future for India.
Renovascular Hypertension Induces Myocardial Mitochondrial Damage, Contributing to Cardiac Injury and Dysfunction in Pigs With Metabolic Syndrome.

Background Subjects with renovascular hypertension (RVH) often manifest with metabolic syndrome (MetS) as well. Coexisting MetS and hypertension increases cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, but the mechanisms underlying cardiac injury remain unknown. We hypothesized that superimposition of MetS induces myocardial mitochondrial damage, leading to cardiac injury and dysfunction in swine RVH. Methods Pigs were studied after 16 weeks of diet-induced MetS with or without RVH (unilateral renal artery stenosis), and Lean controls (n=6 each). Systolic and diastolic cardiac function were assessed by multi-detector CT, and cardiac mitochondrial morphology (transmission electron microscopy) and myocardial function in tissue and isolated mitochondria. Results Body weight was similarly higher in MetS groups vs. Lean. RVH groups achieved significant stenosis and developed hypertension. Mitochondrial matrix density and ATP production were lower and H2O2 production higher in RVH groups versus Lean and MetS. Lean+RVH (but not MetS+RVH) activated mitophagy, which was associated with decreased myocardial expression of mitophagy-related microRNAs. MetS groups exhibited higher numbers of inter-mitochondrial junctions (IMJs), which could have prevented membrane depolarization/activation of mitophagy in MetS+RVH. Cardiac fibrosis, hypertrophy (increased left ventricular muscle mass), and diastolic function (decreased E/A ratio) were greater in MetS+RVH versus Lean+RVH. Conclusions Superimposition of MetS on swine RVH induces myocardial mitochondrial damage and dysfunction. MetS+RVH failed to activate mitophagy, resulting in greater cardiac remodeling, fibrosis, and diastolic dysfunction. Mitochondrial injury and impaired mitophagy may constitute important mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets to ameliorate cardiac damage and dysfunction in patients with coexisting MetS and RVH.
Interpersonal theory and personality processes

Abstract This chapter reviews the Contemporary Integrative Interpersonal Theory (CIIT) of personality as it relates to personality dynamics unfolding over time. The interpersonal tradition is rich with theory and research supporting a context-driven and temporally dynamic interplay of the self and important others. The dimensions of agency and communion are used to give structure to these dynamics, by identifying salient contextual features (e.g., perceiving the other as agentic and/or communal), behavioral outputs (e.g., agentic and/or communal behavior), and normative patterns (e.g., complementarity with regards to interpersonal perceptions and behaviors). We also discuss how early theorists linked core affect and mentalization processes into this interpersonal framework. We then present an expanded model of the interpersonal situation and review multimethod evidence supporting this expanded model. We conclude with suggestions for further research and refinements to interpersonal theory.
Surrounding Vehicles’ Contribution to Car-Following Models: Deep-Learning-Based Analysis:

Relatively recent increased computational power and extensive traffic data availability have provided a unique opportunity to re-investigate drivers’ car-following (CF) behavior. Classic CF models ...