cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Benign Prostate Diseases in Older Men

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is one of the most common urologic disorders among older men. Incidence and prevalence of BPH both increase with advancing age, although the condition should not be considered a normal or inevitable part of the aging process. A variety of pharmacologic, surgical and minimally invasive surgical therapies are available to treat this condition. This chapter reviews BPH in eldelry men including associated lower urinary tract symptoms and treatment outcomes in this population.
Empowering ESOL Social Studies Students with Historical Based Children's Literature

In this self-reflective essay, an experienced secondary social studies speaks for the use of historical based children’s literature in the high school ESOL social studies classroom. The teacher, who is certified to teach social studies and ESOL, explains the activities and books she uses with her Untied States history students to make her classroom more culturally and linguistically relevant to her students.
Quantum dot nano thermometers reveal heterogeneous local thermogenesis in living cells

The local temperature response inside single living cells upon external chemical and physical stimuli was characterized using quantum dots as nano thermometers. The photoluminescence spectral shifts from endocytosed quantum dots were used to map intracellular heat generation in NIH/3T3 cells following Ca(2+) stress and cold shock. The direct observation of inhomogeneous intracellular temperature progression raises interesting new possibilities, including further innovations in nanomaterials for sensing local responses, as well as the concept of subcellular temperature gradient for signaling and regulation in cells.
Optical Leaky-Wave Nano-Antennas Using Plasmonic Nanowires with Periodical Variation of Permittivity

Optical wave propagation along plasmonic nanowires with periodical variation of permittivity is studied theoretically. Both guided and leaky modes are analyzed, and use of such structures as leaky-wave optical nano-antennas is explored through numerical simulation.
Electron Diffraction Studies of Structural Dynamics of Bismuth Nanoparticles

The lattice response of bismuth nanoparticles to femtosecond laser excitation is probed by ultrafast electron diffraction. The transient decay time after laser excitation is observed to be longer for diffraction from the (012) lattice planes compared to that from (110). From the position of the (012) diffraction peak, a transient lattice contraction due to hot electron blast force is observed over several picoseconds followed by expansion while the position of the (110) peak shows only expansion. The diffraction peak width indicates partial disorder of the nanoparticles consistent with formation of a liquid shell as the lattice is heated.
Microwave-Specific Effects on the Equilibrium Constants and Thermodynamics of the Steam–Carbon and Related Reactions

The steam–carbon reaction, which is the essential reaction of the gasification processes of carbon-based feed stocks (e.g., coal and biomass), produces synthesis gas (H2 + CO), a synthetically flexible, environmentally benign energy source. The reaction is very endothermic, which mandates high temperatures and a large expenditure of energy to drive the reaction. We have found that using microwave irradiation to selectively heat the carbon leads to dramatically different observed thermodynamics for the reaction. From measurement of the equilibrium constants as a function of temperature, the enthalpy of the reaction under microwave radiation was found to become significantly more exothermic, dropping from 144.2 kJ/mol at the median reaction temperature of 880 K to 15.2 kJ/mol under microwave irradiation. The reaction conditions under which the steam–carbon reaction was run, and under which the equilibrium measurements were determined, consisted of three other reactions that came to equilibrium. These reacti...
Corrosion of aluminium alloy 1100 in post-LOCA solutions of a nuclear reactor

The corrosion and release of aluminum alloy 1100 in characteristic solutions in the containment sump of a nuclear reactor after a loss-of-coolant accident has been studied by an integral approach of electrochemical characterization and solution analysis by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) techniques. Various temperatures and pHs for a reactor in post-LOCA conditions are investigated to identify the effects of the temperature and solution composition on the corrosion. It was found that the oxygen reduction dominants the cathodic reaction below 55 °C, while water reduction becomes more pronounced at a higher temperature. The adsorption of boron on aluminum was identified by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The boron adsorption decreased the thickness of the passive film by increasing the aluminum hydroxide solubilities, resulting in a very thin (<1.5 nm) passive film in the high boron concentrated post-LOCA solutions. The aluminium corrosion rate and passive film resistance obey an Arrhenius-type correlation with temperature in post-LOCA solutions. The slopes of the logarithmic release rate of aluminium in post-LOCA solutions against the pH and the reciprocal temperature are found to keep constant in solutions with a pH between pH 4–12, and a temperature range of 25 to 130 °C.
Research of Nano-TiO_2+SiO_2 Powder Modified Exterior Wall Latex Coating

Nano-powders modified architectural latex coating of exterior wall was preparated by choosing the Nano-TiO2 powders and Nano-SiO2 powders as the modified material.It was explored that both powders have an effect on the latex coating performance when both powders content and the dispersant were respectively different.The results show the latex coating performance is very excellent when both powders content(relative to the total mass of paint) is 2%TiO2 +2.5%SiO2.Nano-powders are difficult to be reunion,nano-stuff performance is better when the dispersant conten is 2.5%;resistance to water and alkali is improved,weather resistance and washability are better than that of high-class products of national standards.
Simultaneous determination of chlorite,chlorate and bromide in drinking water by ion chromatography

Objective:To establish a method for detemination of chlorate,chlorite and bromide residues in drinking water by ion chromatography(IC).Methods:The separation was performed on an IonPac AS23 analytical column(4×250 mm) and an IonPac AG23 guard column(4×50 mm)with an ASRS300 Suppressor by 4.5 mmol/L sodium carbonate and 0.8 mmol/Lsodium bicarbonate eluent,1.00 ml/min flow rate with a DS6 suppressed conductivity detector.Results:This method had good relativity(r≥0.9996) and good analytic precision(RSD2%).The samples'average rates of recovery were 88.0%～104.0% and the detection limit was 0.0015 mg/L～0.0018 mg/L.Conclusion:The method is simple,rapid,accurate and sensitive.Thus it can be used for determination of by-products in the drinking water.
Pediatric osteosarcoma: a single institution's experience.

Objectives The aim of the study was to evaluate outcomes with an examination of individual predictors influencing survival at a single institution. Methods This was a retrospective review of the 28 pediatric osteosarcoma patients diagnosed and studied from 2000 through 2012. Twenty-eight patient charts and imaging studies were reviewed for age, race, sex, location, extent of disease at presentation, imaging results, histology, treatment options, and overall survival. Results Of the 28 patients who were identified, the median age at diagnosis was 14 years. The majority of the patients were male African Americans with the tumor located in the lower long bones and most had conventional osteosarcoma histology. Four patients had metastasis at diagnosis. Of the 28 patients, 16 patients underwent limb salvage surgery, 6 underwent amputation, 4 had biopsy only, 1 had hip disarticulation, and 1 moved out of state and had no information available. All 28 patients received chemotherapy. Four patients received additional radiation therapy. On follow-up, 15 patients were still alive at last clinical contact and 13 died. Of the deceased, the median survival time was 2.3 years. The patient who lived the longest survived 8.3 years. Metastasis at diagnosis was associated with poorer outcome (P = 0.002). The 5-year overall survival rate was 40% (95% confidence interval 18-62) for our entire population of patients. Conclusions Survival in our patient cohort tended to be at the lower end of the spectrum reported by other contemporary treatment centers of excellence or Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results databases probably because of the large number of African American patients with associated poor socioeconomic status. Future studies should be conducted to explore biological and nonbiological factors that may affect the prognosis in this disease.
Total Synthesis of (+)-6-epi-Ophiobolin A

The ophiobolin sesterterpenes are notable plant pathogens which have recently elicited significant chemical and biological attention because of their intriguing carbogenic frameworks, reactive functionalities, and emerging anticancer profiles. Reported herein is a total synthesis of (+)-6-epi-ophiobolin A in 14 steps, a task which addresses construction of the synthetically challenging spirocyclic tetrahydrofuran motif as well as several other key stereochemical problems. This work demonstrates a streamlined synthetic platform to complex ophiobolins leveraging disparate termination modes of a radical polycyclization cascade for divergent elaboration and functionalization.
Impact of Automation Support on the Conflict Resolution Task in a Human-in-the-Loop Air Traffic Control Simulation

Abstract: To determine the capabilities and limitations of human operators and automation in separation assurance roles, the second of three Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) part-task studies investigated air traffic controllers’ ability to detect and resolve conflicts under varying task sets, traffic densities, and run lengths. Operations remained within a single sector, staffed by a single controller, and explored, among other things, the controller’s responsibility for conflict resolution with or without their involvement in the conflict detection task. Furthermore, these conditions were examined across two different traffic densities; 1x (current-day traffic) and a 20% increase above current-day traffic levels (1.2x). Analyses herein offer an examination of the conflict resolution strategies employed by controllers. In particular, data in the form of elapsed time between conflict detection and conflict resolution are used to assess if, and how, the controllers’ involvement in the conflict detection task affected the way in which they resolved traffic conflicts.
Lungs and Pleura

A 59-year-old patient with end-stage renal disease required direct placement of a central line that resulted in a pneumothorax and a hemothorax. Even after insertion of two chest tubes over a 48-hour period, there was still radiographic documentation of a substantial amount of retained hematoma. The patient is hemodynamically stable with a normal coagulation profile. Which of the following should be the management option? (A) Insertion of a third chest tube (B) Urokinase administration (via chest tube) (C) Video-assisted thoracic surgery (D) Thoracotomy (E) Continued observation
An activating mutation of interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) in adult T cell leukemia

The human T-cell leukemia virus-1 (HTLV-1) oncoprotein Tax drives cell proliferation and resistance to apoptosis early in the pathogenesis of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). Subsequently, probably as a result of specific immunoediting, Tax expression is down-regulated and functionally replaced by somatic driver mutations of the host genome. Both amplification and point mutations of interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) have been previously detected in ATL., K59R is the most common single-nucleotide variation of IRF4 and is found exclusively in ATL. High-throughput whole-exome sequencing revealed recurrent activating genetic alterations in the T-cell receptor, CD28, and NF-κB pathways. We found that IRF4, which is transcriptionally activated downstream of these pathways, is frequently mutated in ATL. IRF4 RNA, protein, and IRF4 transcriptional targets are uniformly elevated in HTLV-1–transformed cells and ATL cell lines, and IRF4 was bound to genomic regulatory DNA of many of these transcriptional targets in HTLV-1–transformed cell lines. We further noted that the K59R IRF4 mutant is expressed at higher levels in the nucleus than WT IRF4 and is transcriptionally more active. Expression of both WT and the K59R mutant of IRF4 from a constitutive promoter in retrovirally transduced murine bone marrow cells increased the abundance of T lymphocytes but not myeloid cells or B lymphocytes in mice. IRF4 may represent a therapeutic target in ATL because ATL cells select for a mutant of IRF4 with higher nuclear expression and transcriptional activity, and overexpression of IRF4 induces the expansion of T lymphocytes in vivo.
Kepler’s First and Second Laws

Our final reading selection from Kepler is taken from Part III of Book IV of his Epitome. It is subtitled On the real and true irregularity of the planets and its causes. By “irregularity,” Kepler means the fact that the planets, when observed carefully, do not exhibit regular, uniform, circular motion, as had been maintained by Aristotle. This irregular motion was, of course, recognized by Ptolemy. But he attempted to rationalize it as only apparently irregular motion. He invoked an equant—a hypothetical point about which the planet moves uniformly. The equant point of each planet was itself offset from the center of the deferent circle about which the planet orbits Earth—all of this to maintain a nominal allegiance to perfect circular motion. Kepler, on the other hand, describes this apparent irregular motion as a true irregular motion. As suggested by the subtitle of Part III, he not only defends a real and true irregularity of the planets’ motion, he also offers a causal explanation as to why the planets might exhibit such irregular motion. What is it?
Automatic Acquisition of CT, MR, and US images for PACS

Existing radiological imaging devices are usually not designed for contemporary network communication. Thus special developments are necessary for their integration into a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS). Requirements and concepts for such developments are discussed demonstrating automatic data acquisition from computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MR), and Ultrasound diagnostic (US) systems at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). The operation of the data transmission depends on the networking capabilities of the imaging device and the accessibility of its internal data structure. While the main frame computers of advanced CT and MR scanners allow an automatic on-line data transfer during clinical operation current ultrasound devices need additional modules for digitizing and transmission of image data. Depending on the system design of the imaging device the on-line acquisition can interfere with the clinical operation whereas an off-line data transfer compromises the timely performance of the image communication system.
Genesis of Pancreatic Ductal Neoplasia

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth overall leading cause of cancer death in both genders, even though it is not among the most frequent. Early detection and targeted therapeutic options, which can be obtained through a better understanding of the cellular and molecular processes which lead to the development of pancreatic carcinoma, are key to improving the outcome of this highly lethal disease. The progress which has been achieved the last two decades towards understanding the mechanisms involved in pancreatic cancer progression has lead to the development of a progression model. Mouse models of pancreatic cancer underscore the significance of the progression model. This chapter highlights the key accomplishments in understanding pancreatic cancer progression over the last two decades.
Geriatric team dynamics: E he dietitian’s role

In 1980, a geriatric consultation team was formed at Massachusetts General Hospital to meet the complex medical, psychological, rehabilitative, nutritional, and social needs of geriatric patients. This team strives to provide elderly patients with the comprehensive care necessary to potentiate return to maximum independent functioning and to change attitudes of primary caretakers toward care of geriatric patients through increased recognition of the elderly as a heterogeneous group. The team consults on patients with (a) changes in mental status, (b) need for physical rehabilitation, (c) “failure to thrive,” or (d) need for definitive planning for posthospital disposition. The dietitian conducts nutritional screening of each patient, is a nutrition resource for team members, and promotes collaboration in nutrition care planning. When the dietitian communicates nutrition concerns, goals, and care plans for patients to other health professionals, they use the information to reinforce her recommendations and integrate nutrition components into their care plans. A multidisciplinary approach has resulted in earlier identification and evaluation of functional ability, more comprehensive individualized care planning, and a reduced percentage of readmissions.
Temporal Lobectomy that Spares the Amygdala for Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Rationale, surgical techniques, and results in 70 patients with complex partial seizures who underwent temporal lobectomy with sparing of the amygdala are discussed. Removal of entorhinal cortex may be the common denominator that explains the similar results obtained with different types of temporal lobectomies for epilepsy.
Role of the Major Histocompatibility Complex in the Timing of Early Mammalian Development

The timing of preimplantation mammalian development is crucial for successful implantation. At the time of implantation, both the embryo and the uterus must be at the correct developmental stage. In the mouse, several studies have suggested that there are “fast” and “slow” developing mouse strains, and that genetic factors influence the timing of development (Whitten and Dagg, 1962; McLaren and Bowman, 1973; Titenko, 1977). Both CBA and C3H mice are “slow” developing strains, and both strains are of the H-2 k haplotype. This led us to postulate that the control of the timing of preimplantation mouse development might reside in genes of the H-2 (major histocompatibility) complex.
The control of reasoning under uncertainty: a discussion of some programs

This paper proposes that managing uncertainty is a control problem, a task for the control component of AI systems that decides what to do next. This view emphasizes the process of planning and executing sequences of actions that simultaneously satisfy domain goals and minimize uncertainty. The paper reviews AI systems that manage uncertainty by control. It is not an exhaustive survey, but rather illustrates issues in managing uncertainty with selected AI programs.
Comprehension effort and programming activities: related? or not related?

Researchers have observed programmers to allocate considerable amount of effort in program comprehension. But, how does program comprehension effort relate with programming activities? We answer this question by conducting an empirical study using the MSR 2018 Mining Challenge Dataset. We quantify programmers' comprehension effort, and investigate the relationship between program comprehension effort and four programming activities: navigating, editing, building projects, and debugging. We observe when programmers are involved in high comprehension effort they navigate and make edits at a significantly slower rate. However, we do not observe any significant differences in programmers' build and debugging behavior, when programmers are involved in high comprehension effort. Our findings suggest that the relationship between program comprehension effort and programming activities is nuanced, as not all programming activities associate with program comprehension effort.
The scale enhanced wild bootstrap method for evaluating climate models using wavelets

Abstract A novel resampling-based method is presented for testing if a Physics-based model or reanalysis object successfully emulates climate signals. We establish asymptotic consistency, present simulations and a real-data application to illustrate the performance of the proposed method.
Adherence to Inpatient Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis: A Single Institution's Concurrent Review.

Hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (VTE) affects morbidity and mortality and increases health care costs. Poor adherence to recommended prophylaxis may be a potential cause of ongoing events....
Coronary Artery Disease and Atherosclerotic Risk Factors in a Population-Based Study of Sudden Death.

Sudden death is a public health problem with major impact on society. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is believed to underlie 60–80% of these deaths. While deaths from CAD have decreased in the recent decades, sudden death rates remain unacceptably high. We aimed to assess the prevalence of CAD and its risk factors among 18–64-year-old adults in a population-based case registry of sudden deaths and compare them to a living population from the same geographical area. From 2013 to 2015, all sudden deaths among 18–64-year-old adults in Wake County, NC, were identified (n = 371). A comparison group was formed by randomly selecting individuals from an electronic health record repository of a major healthcare system in the area (N = 4218). Prevalence of CAD and its risk factors among cases of sudden death and living population across sex and age groups. Odds of sudden death associated with atherosclerotic risk factors and comorbidities. CAD was present in 14.8% of sudden death cases. Among sudden death victims, most risk factors and comorbidities were more common in the older age group, except for obesity which was more common in younger cases, and diabetes which was equally prevalent in younger and older cases. Compared to living population, sudden death cases had higher prevalence of atherosclerotic risk factors across all gender and age groups. Sudden death cases had a numerically higher number of risk factors compared to living population, regardless of age group or presence of CAD. Coronary artery disease is not common among sudden death cases, but risk factors and comorbidities are prevalent. Our findings support the changing etiology of sudden death. In the absence of clinically diagnosed CAD, use of novel imaging modalities and biomarkers may identify high-risk individuals and lead to prevention of sudden death.
Descriptor-Based Analysis of Atomic Layer Deposition Mechanisms on Spinel LiMn2O4 Lithium-Ion Battery Cathodes

Protective coatings have been shown to effectively suppress Mn ion dissolution from the spinel LiMn2O4 lithium-ion battery cathode by stabilizing the surface against undesired side reactions with t...
Office-based inferior turbinate reduction using bipolar cautery: Technique and results.

Abstract Objectives Several methods have been reported for inferior turbinate (IT) reduction. We describe office-based interstitial IT reduction using bipolar cautery and evaluate long-term efficacy. Methods Sixty patients with allergic and nonallergic rhinitis unresponsive to medical treatment underwent office IT reduction between January 2012 and December 2014. Bipolar cautery was used at 15 to 20 W. Mean procedure time was 12 min for unilateral and 16 min for bilateral IT reduction. Patients followed up at 2, 6, and 12 weeks and 1 year. Mean follow-up was 22 months. The Sinonasal Outcome Test was completed before and after at 6 weeks and 1 year. Results SNOT-22 scores were 35.7 ± 5.4 and 18.5 ± 4.2 preoperatively and at 1 year respectively. Symptoms improved at 6 weeks, nasal obstruction and rhinorrhea improving most. Complications included vaso-vagal reactions in 6 requiring rescheduling the procedure in 2 patients. One patient had bleeding controlled conservatively. Conclusion Bipolar IT cautery is safe, effective, well-tolerated and doesn't require expensive equipments. It can be incorporated into general otolaryngology practice.
Mapping PTSD symptoms to brain networks: a machine learning study.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent and debilitating condition with complex and variable presentation. While PTSD symptom domains (intrusion, avoidance, cognition/mood, and arousal/reactivity) correlate highly, the relative importance of these symptom subsets often differs across patients. In this study, we used machine learning to derive how PTSD symptom subsets differ based upon brain functional connectivity. We acquired resting-state magnetic resonance imaging in a sample (N = 50) of PTSD patients and characterized clinical features using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). We compared connectivity among 100 cortical and subcortical regions within the default mode, salience, executive, and affective networks. We then used principal component analysis and least-angle regression (LARS) to identify relationships between symptom domain severity and brain networks. We found connectivity predicted PTSD symptom profiles. The goodness of fit (R2) for total PCL-5 score was 0.29 and the R2 for intrusion, avoidance, cognition/mood, and arousal/reactivity symptoms was 0.33, 0.23, −0.01, and 0.06, respectively. The model performed significantly better than chance in predicting total PCL-5 score (p = 0.030) as well as intrusion and avoidance scores (p = 0.002 and p = 0.034). It was not able to predict cognition and arousal scores (p = 0.412 and p = 0.164). While this work requires replication, these findings demonstrate that this computational approach can directly link PTSD symptom domains with neural network connectivity patterns. This line of research provides an important step toward data-driven diagnostic assessments in PTSD, and the use of computational methods to identify individual patterns of network pathology that can be leveraged toward individualized treatment.
Cardiac amyloidosis possibly secondary to Agent Orange exposure.

Much research has focused on the association between the toxic metabolites of the tactical herbicide Agent Orange and several blood cancers, including systemic amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis....
The Effect of Tariffs on Inventory Performance: The Moderating Role of Supply Base Characteristics

Tariffs have taken a prominent role in the recent news cycle as polititians around the world have increasingly enacted protectionist trade policy in order to incentivize reshoring and local sourcin...
Integrating Student Assistants into Digital Repository Workflows: Challenges and Best Practices

The Scholarly Communication Initiatives and Digital Collections departments within the University adapted staff workflows to become student-centered, where workers create digital content for the University’ digital repositories. Each department has a diverse set of needs; Scholarly Communication Initiatives hires students to help with the creation of metadata records, review open access options for sharing each work, and upload items into the institutional repository. Digital Collections relies on students to scan, create metadata, and upload images online that reflect physical holdings in Special Collections and Archives. Utilizing student workers also provides more time for full-time staff to work on higher-level projects and to update, rethink, improve, and streamline existing workflows. Both departments have found that student-centered workflows teach technical and transferable skills while also encouraging students to grow professionally, academically, and socially, setting students up for success beyond graduation. Empowering the whole student and encouraging their personal and collaborative growth thus helps each department to become more efficient and successful in their missions, a triumph that is possible for any library department of an academic institution. While there is a large body of research on student workers in libraries, including on the topics of management and specific functional areas, there is very little research focused on student workers in digital repositories. This article begins to fill this gap and discusses the philosophies and methodologies of both departments’ approaches, as well as the results of implementing student-centered processes for the department and full-time staff.
The influence of opioids and nonopioid central nervous system active medications on central sleep apnea: a case-control study.

Study Objectives:Opioids are known to contribute to central sleep apnea (CSA), but the influence of nonopioid central nervous system active medications (CNSAMs) on CSA remains unclear. In light of ...
585 Intralesional injection of rose bengal improves the efficacy of gemcitabine chemotherapy against pancreatic cancer

Background Chemotherapy regimens that include gemcitabine are considered standard of care in patients with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, most patients with PDAC die within 2 years of diagnosis, even with these standard of care regimens. In this study, we explored the ability of intratumoral injections of PV-10, a 10% solution of rose bengal, to induce lesion-specific ablation and control of metastatic pancreatic tumors in a murine model. Methods PV-10 was cultured with human pancreatic cancer cell lines overnight and cell death was measured via Annexin-V and DAPI staining. Murine pancreatic tumor cells (Panc02) were injected subcutaneously in one flank to establish a single tumor model; to establish a bilateral tumor model, Panc02 tumor cells were implanted in the opposite flanks. On day 7, a single tumor was treated with intralesional PV-10. Gemcitabine (60 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally twice per week for 2 weeks. These experiments were repeated using Panc02 cells modified to overexpress the neoantigen ovalbumin (OVA). Control mouse tumor were directly injected with PBS. Tumor growth of PV-10 injected tumors and non-injected bystander tumors on the opposite flank were measured. Damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) in serum and immune cell frequencies within the spleens of tumor-bearing mice were measured to identify an associated systemic response with tumor lytic treatment regimen. Results We established that less than 50% of human and murine pancreatic cells were alive after a 24 hour incubation with 200µM PV-10 in vitro. The combination of intralesional PV-10 with the systemic administration of gemcitabine delayed the growth treated tumors and non-injected distal tumors. In contrast, gemcitabine monotherapy failed to delay tumor growth in bilateral Panc02 tumor models. We observed that this treatment strategy was markedly more successful in immunogenic Panc02OVA tumors resulting in lesion-specific ablation in 5/8 mice compared to 0/8 mice that were treated with gemcitabine monotherapy. This suggests that the combination therapy enhanced the immune-mediated clearance of tumors. Moreover, regression of tumors in mice that received PV-10 in combination with gemcitabine was associated with the depletion of splenic CD11b+Gr-1+ cells and increases in damage associated molecular patterns HMGB1, S100A8, and IL-1α. Conclusions Together, these results demonstrate that intralesional therapy with PV-10 can enhance the efficacy gemcitabine against pancreatic tumors. Ethics Approval Studies were performed under approved Institutional Review Board (IRB) laboratory protocols at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center (Tampa, FL).
Foreign independent directors and the quality of legal institutions

Foreign directors can affect firm value through their advising and monitoring functions. However, the demand for these directors, as well as their effect on firm performance is likely to be influenced by firm- and country-level characteristics. In a large sample of non-US firms, we find that foreign directors are more likely to be associated with firms that have more foreign operations and an international shareholder base, and firms that are located in countries with a limited supply of potentially qualified domestic directors – countries with a smaller, less well-educated populace and lower levels of capital market development. We also find that the association between foreign directors and firm performance is more positive in countries with lower quality legal institutions, and when the director comes from a country with higher quality legal institutions than the firm’s host country. Our study highlights the importance of considering national demographic factors and levels of capital market development when modeling the supply and demand for foreign directors, and also underscores the importance of institutional quality in the foreign director’s home and host country when assessing the effect of that director on firm performance.
Peptide Transport System-1

Saturable transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) has been described for several peptides (Table 1) and regulatory proteins from numerous laboratories1–5. The existence of transporters at the BBB for regulatory molecules suggests that the BBB may be involved in controlling communication between the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral organs and tissues. Tyr-MIF-1 (Tyr-Pro-Leu-Gly-NH2) was the first peptide to be definitively shown to cross the BBB by a saturable process6. To distinguish the transporter for Tyr-MIF-1 from that for other, unrelated peptide transporters, the term peptide transport system (PTS)-1 was coined2. We review here some of the salient features of PTS-1 as currently understood.
Divide-and-Conquer Treatments of Electron Correlations

Wilson’s numerical renormalization group treatment of a correlated system requires the existence of an extended range of energy scales in the hamiltonian. The presence of such an energy scale hierarchy is often not evident. We argue here that the hierarchy of scales in the correlation energy can be brought about by a suitable transformation of the single particle orbitals. We formulate a variational procedure to select the optimal orbitals for a general hamiltonian. Our method is a natural generalization of the Hartree-Fock theory with systematic inclusion of correlation effects. It is therefore completely general applicable to real systems such as atoms and molecules. As a test calculation, the method is implemented for a exactly solvable model. Comparing to the exact spectrum, we demonstrated, for the low energy spectrum, a systematic improvement of our method over that of Hartree-Fock theory.
Inelastic Scattering in High-Resolution Transmission Electron Imaging

Plasmon (or valence) excitation is an important source of inelastic scattering in high-resolution TEM because valence loss electrons are distributed very near to Bragg beams. Atomic core-shell excitations are localized scattering processes whose probability is very small. Thermal diffuse scattering is also a localized inelastic scattering, but the large momentum transfer in this process results in the majority of TDS electrons being distributed in the angular range out of the objective aperture. This is partially equivalent to introducing an absorption factor in the elastic HRTEM image simulation, as illustrated in Chapter 6, with electrons enclosed by the objective aperture contributing to the image. Therefore valence excitation and phonon scattering are inelastic-scattering processes that must be considered in HRTEM image simulations.
The Role of Pulsing Events in the Functioning of Coastal Barriers and Wetlands: Implications for Human Impact, Management and the Response to Sea Level Rise

Coastal wetland and barrier systems exist in a dynamic equilibrium, in both horizontal and vertical planes, between forces which lead to their establishment and maintenance and forces which lead to deterioration. Rising sea level will affect both of these systems. The functioning of coastal barriers and coastal wetlands is affected by energetic forcings which serve to enhance productivity, increase materials fluxes, and affect the morphology and evolution of these systems. These forcings occur over a hierarchy of different spatial and temporal scales and include waves and daily tides, frontal passages and other frequent storms, normal river floods, strong storms, great river floods, and switching of river channels. Human impact over the past century has diminished these forcings at all temporal and spatial scales. Sustainable management should include the re-integration of these forcings into coastal management.
Assessing Voting Competence and Political Knowledge: Comparing Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries and “Average” College Students

Abstract The majority of U.S. states have constitutional language, statutes, or court decisions that if applied as worded, could bar individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) from voting. Here, we investigate the difference between the voting competence and political knowledge of individuals with TBI and that of “average” college students using measures of voting capacity and election-specific political knowledge. We recruited 14 individuals with TBI who are participating in a larger study on the relationship between disability and political participation at Carolinas Medical Center. We compared their responses to healthy controls (HC) (students at a large public university in North Carolina; n=22) on voting competency and political knowledge using the Competency Assessment Tool for Voting (designed by Appelbaum, Bonnie, and Karlawish), as well as measures of 2008 election information and questions drawn from the United States Citizen and Immigration Services citizenship exam. To the best of our knowl...
Group Cognition as a Foundation for the New Science of Learning

In the new global world, it is time to recognize that knowledge is primarily produced socially and progressively, not just by spontaneous acts of isolated minds. Individuals participate in this as knowledge learners, knowledge users and knowledge builders, predominantly through their interactions in small groups. The cognitive work of small groups can be distinct from individual thinking and community knowledge processing.
Use of a Plasmid DNA Probe To Monitor Populations of Bacillus pumilus Inoculant Strains in Hay.

The authors are evaluating naturally occurring isolates of Bacillus pumilus for use as microbial hay preservatives. Seven isolates of B, pumilus from hay contained a 42-kb cryptic plasmid (pMGD296). They wished to determine whether pMGD296 could be used as a molecular marker to follow populations of these isolates in hay over time. Southern blots and colony blots of 69 isolates of B. pumilus and other Bacillus spp. were probed with {sup 32}P-labeled pMGD296. Twenty-nine probe-positive isolates were identified; of these, 28 contained a plasmid with a restriction profile identical to that of pMGD296. One isolate from untreated hay contained a 40-kb plasmid (pMGD150) that was homologous to pMGD296 but had a different restriction fragment pattern. Regions of homology between the two plasmids were identified by Southern blotting, and a 1.9-kb HindIII-PstI fragment of pMGD296 lacking strong homology to pMGD150 was cloned in pUC18. The cloned fragment hybridized only with isolates containing pMGD296 and was used to estimate populations of these isolates in treated and untreated hay.
Identification of lysine 134 in the steroid-binding site of the sex steroid-binding protein of human plasma.

Abstract The sex steroid-binding protein of human plasma SBP (or sex hormone-binding globulin, SHBG) was specifically inhibited with the alkylating affinity label, 17 beta-[[( 2-14C]bromoacetyl)oxy]-5 alpha-androstan-3-one. The natural ligand, 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone, was shown to protect against inactivation and labeling. The steroid-binding activity of the protein was abolished when approximately 1 mol of label was incorporated into 1 mol of dimeric SBP. In order to identify and locate the labeled amino acid in the steroid-binding site, the steroidal portion of the bound label was first removed and the protein was digested with Achromobacter protease and subdigested with trypsin. Seven radioactive peptides were isolated, sequenced, and found to contain the common sequence QVSGPLTSXR. Residue X was identified as lysine-134 from the SBP amino acid sequence (Walsh, K. A., Titani, K., Kumar, S., Hayes, R., and Petra, P. H. (1986) Biochemistry 25, 7584-7590). The results indicate that only 1 of the 2 lysine-134 residues in the homodimer was labeled. This suggests that the steroid-binding site is constructed from an association of the two subunits in an AB to BA "sandwich" configuration with lysine-134 residue of one subunit on one surface near the D-ring and the lysine-134 of the other subunit at the opposite end of the steroid, or well away from the steroid-binding site. Although the nature of the data does not allow description of a specific role for lysine-134, its proximity to the 17 beta-OH of the steroid nucleus suggests participation in the binding process through direct or indirect hydrogen bonding.
A general distributed scalable peer to peer scheduler for mixed tasks in grids

We consider non-preemptively scheduling a bag of independent mixed tasks in computational grids. We construct a novel Generalized Distributed Scheduler (GDS) for tasks with different priorities and deadlines. Tasks are ranked based upon priority and deadline and scheduled. Tasks are shuffled to earlier points to pack the schedule and create fault tolerance. Dispatching is based upon task-resource matching and accounts for computation as well as communication capacities. Simulation results demonstrate that with respect to the number of high-priority tasks meeting deadlines, GDS outperforms prior approaches by over 40% without degrading schedulability of other tasks. Indeed, with respect to the total number of schedulable tasks meeting deadlines, GDS outperforms them by 4%. The complexity of GDS is O(n2m) where n is the number of tasks and m the number of machines. GDS successfully schedules tasks with hard deadlines in a mix of soft and firm tasks, without a knowledge of a complete state of the grid. This way it helps open the grid and makes it amenable for commercialization.
Role of scale in partitioning shape

We present three distinct improvements to the neck and limb-based approach to partitioning of visual form, where pairs of negative curvature minima with good continuation of their respective tangents constitute limbs, and locally shortest lines through the shape constitute necks. The numerous conflicting limb and neck hypotheses are resolved through a notion of salience, leading to intuitive parts for smooth shapes. We improve on this approach in three ways. First a significant difficulty is dealing with scale, e.g., in partitioning noisy shapes where some perceptually valid limbs are not marked by salient negative curvature minima, and where numerous hypotheses arise due to noise. We present an approach which can reliably construct and detect coarse-scale negative curvature extremas. Second, we devise a multiscale partitioning scheme, thus minimizing the coarse-scale interaction of part-lines arising from features at different scales. Third, we employ an Euler spiral as the part-curve instead of a straight part-line for partitioning shape thus improving the partitioning results.
RF hand gesture sensor for monitoring of cigarette smoking

Today, over a billion people in the world are smokers. Smoking is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, and various cancers, causing approximately 6 million premature deaths per year. Current methods of assessing smoking behavior (e.g., self-report, portable puff-topography instruments) do not permit the collection of accurate, non-reactive measures that capture real-time smoking frequency and comprehensive within-cigarette puff topography. Our goal is development of a noninvasive wearable sensor system (Personal Automatic Cigarette Tracker - PACT) that is completely transparent to the end user and does not require any conscience effort to achieve reliable monitoring of smoking behavior in free living individuals. A key component of PACT is a sensor that captures a characteristic hand-to-mouth gesture preceding cigarette smoke inhalations. This paper details design and validation of a wearable radio-frequency proximity sensor that measures the distance between an individual's wrist and chest in real-time. Hand-to-mouth gestures detected with this device provide quantitative data that can be used for analysis of behavioral patterns during smoking and other activities.
A student‐designed grammar quiz on the web: a constructive mode of grammar instruction

The World Wide Web has frequently been incorporated into second/foreign language (L2 hereafter) course instruction during the past decade. However, many teaching methods essentially employed it as a reactive mode of L2 instruction. Many other methods have been designed to facilitate constructive L2 production. They are, however, limited in their effectiveness for learners of higher proficiency levels. This article discusses a course project at a US university wherein students produced a Japanese grammar quiz on the World Wide Web. In this project work the students employed a CGI script to produce a simple yet well‐designed web site consisting of multiple choice questions and CGI‐generated answers with concise explanations. Pedagogically, the process of web page production not only generated a high level of motivation among the participants but served as an effective review of L2 grammar rules in a constructive mode. Additionally, with appropriate content adjustment, this process is easily replicable in L2...
Anthropometric Standards on the Flight Deck: Origins of Control-Force-Exertion Limits and Comparisons with Recent Surveys of Human Performance Limitations

Sections of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR 23.143 and 25.143) contain maximum limitations on the force that a pilot can be required to exert on manual controls. The origins of the data, used for testing and certification of aircraft, are unclear. Although some values were recently modified to be congruent with European standards, the continued applicability of these standards is questionable because of the lack of information regarding their origin, changing pilot demographics (a higher percentage of women pilots, an aging pilot population and suspected changes in the overall population), and changing aircraft-control environments. The criteria were compared with several later samples to determine what portion of the potential and actual pilot populations can meet the force-application requirements. Preliminary data reported for women pilots and nonpilots were compared with previously collected data on similar populations and with the standards. Language: en
Dimensions of interpersonal behavior: A convergent validation within a cognitive interactionist framework

In the sphere of interpersonal behavior, R. F. Bales and others have taken the position that the analysis of interpersonal situations best proceeds by way of the dimensions of dominance-submissiveness, friendliness-hostility, and taskorientedness-expressivity. This study offers a convergent validation of those dimensions. On the basis of descriptions of the conceptual content of the Bales dimensions and of the scales of the Jackson Personality Research Form (PRF), predictions were made as to convergence based on the degree of conceptual overlap. Fifty-five members of 4 small groups rated their peers on the three Bales dimensions and also completed the self-report Jackson PRF. As predicted, peer ratings of dominance-submissiveness correlated with dominance and exhibitionism (p < .001), friendliness-hostility with affiliation, nurturance (p < .001) and aggression, and taskorientedness-expressivity with play. The findings represent a substantial convergent validation of the Balesian dimensions. Implications of the dimensional approach for emerging cognitive interactionist models of personality are discussed.