cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Occupational Exposure to Termiticides on DNA Damage in Human Lymphocytes

[Objective ] To explore the DNA damage in lymphocytes of workers exposed to the termiticides( chlordan and arsenies ). [ Methods ] Single cell gel electrophoresis ( comet assay ) was adopted to detect the DNA damage in lymphocytes. The observed indexes include the grade of DNA breakage and the tail length, and the influencing factors such as the exposure duration, smoking, wine drinking and the lody burden of chlordane or arsenic were studied. [ Results ] The grade of DNA breakage and the tail length were significantly higher in all exposed groups than those in the control group (P 0.01 ); and correlated with the exposuse duration. Smoking and wine drinking could enhance the DNA damage levels, and the grade of DNA breakage and the tail length both were correlated with the concentration of serum chlordane, but not with the concentration of urinary arsenic. [ Conclusion ] Long-term exposure to the termiticides containing chlordane or the arsenics can induce the damage of DNA.
What is QT interval prolongation

QT interval prolongation is an irregularity of the electrical activity of the heart that places patients at risk for ventricular arrhythmias. Serious complications of drug-induced QT interval prolongation are rare; the identification of patients at risk may help to prevent these events.
Preoperative Assessment of Colorectal Patients

A thorough and detailed preoperative patient assessment is the first, and can be the most critical, step in the treatment of a colorectal surgery patient. A comprehensive understanding of the patient’s presentation and medical history can reveal cardiac, pulmonary, and renal system disorders that can impact recovery from major abdominal surgery. Many classes of medications need to be managed carefully in the perioperative period, due to potential impact on wound healing, bleeding, and recovery, while balancing their medical necessity. This chapter focuses on the preoperative patient evaluation while highlighting the impact of preoperative assessment and preparation on postoperative outcomes.
A DC power flow controller and its control strategy in the DC grid

The operation principle of the dc power flow controller in the dc grid is presented, the impacts of the dc voltage and line equivalent resistance on dc power flow are analyzed. Based on these studies, a new dc power flow controller based on dual active bridge (DAB) topology is proposed accordingly in this paper. Compared with existing literatures, the proposed dc power flow controller is able to control the bi-directional power flow of the dc transmission line without requiring any external power supplies. PSCAD/EMTDC software simulations are carried out on a two-terminal double-line voltage source converter (VSC) based dc grid including with the proposed dc power flow controller. Furthermore, the corresponding experimental verification is undertaken using a scale-down prototype of the proposed dc power flow controller. The simulation and experimental results under various operation conditions show that the proposed dc power flow controller can effectively control the dc power flow as defined.
High voltage engineering in space

It's a legitimate question to ask “why is high voltage engineering in space a problem?” After all, we have many satellites functioning quite well in orbit as well as several strewn throughout the solar system obviously powered. Most of these devices however were specifically designed for a mission with just enough power provided for the mission and to be able to communicate with the “Goldstone” tracking dish. As we raise the power requirements, we find that the approach to power engineering used in the past is incapable of solving all the problems which are encountered.
Statistical learning on emerging economies

BRIC is an acronym coined by Jim O'Neill from Goldman Sachs in 2001 to abbreviate four emerging economies, Brazil, Russia, India and China, based on economic data at the time. Later, as new data be...
Stabilized Very High–Moisture Dredged Soil: Relative Behavior of Portland-Limestone Cement and Ordinary Portland Cement

AbstractImprovement of poor engineering properties for very high–moisture content fine-grained soils (VHMS) is important for several industries, including dredging. This paper focuses on improving ...
Response Elimination Effectiveness of Omission and Two Extinction Training Procedures

The present study attempted to compare the response-elimination properties of omission training with 2 types of extinction training following VI 20-sec. reinforcement training. One group received conditioned reinforcers during response-elimination sessions, while the other was treated in the traditional manner. Omission training produced relatively more rapid and more complete response elimination than both extinction training techniques. Also, the extinction training procedure employing conditioned reinforcers resulted in faster but less durable response elimination than the traditional extinction training procedure.
Cultivating ecosophy: a dialog with the contemporary vision fast company

ABSTRACTThis paper considers the question, how can ecosophical subjectivities be nourished and provided space to grow? Using the philosophies of Felix Guattari and Val Plumwood, I suggest that ecosophical subjectivity be thought of as an identity and sense of self that both understands and experiences being human as arising from multiple nonhuman components of subjectivity and many inter-species relationships. As one answer to the paper’s central question, I describe and interpret the practice of the contemporary vision fast ceremony. It is a ten-day offering centered on four days of fasting alone in the high desert. Drawing on ethnographic research, I argue that the practice can foster the lived experience of a widely diffused sense of human subjectivity, which arises from a field including many nonhuman others. I offer a descriptive interpretation of the practice by weaving together the ethnographic narrative with the theoretical contributions of Guattari and Plumwood. I conclude by considering critique...
Barriers to genetic testing for breast cancer risk among ethnic minority women: an exploratory study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To assess awareness of genetic testing for breast cancer risk and identify influences on the decision-making process regarding counseling and testing among an ethnically-diverse sample of women. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 33 women who were breast or ovarian cancer survivors or first degree relatives of survivors. Interviews were audiotaped, translated, and transcribed. Analysis of transcripts identified relevant themes and quotes were extracted for illustration. RESULTS: Low levels of awareness were observed in minority women, including those with a significant family history of cancer. A number of potential influences on the decision-making process emerged including beliefs about risk factors for cancer and opinions about the options following testing. Distinct issues were identified within ethnic groups that may function as barriers such as concern about the misuse of genetic information (African Americans), unfamiliarity with Western preventive medicine (Asians), and women prioritizing family obligations over personal health needs (Latinas). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest there may be a need for interventions to raise awareness about genetic counseling and testing among minorities. Our findings contribute to the literature by using in-depth interviews to uncover potential barriers and facilitators to counseling and testing and by including Asians and Latinas, groups under-represented in previous research.
Intending, acting, and doing

I argue that intending and acting belong to the same genus: intending is a kind of doing continuous in structure with intentional acting. Future-directed intending is not a truly separate phenomeno...
The Geography of Migrant Death: Implications for Policy and Forensic Science

This chapter examines US border policy and the changing “geography of death,” a process by which migrants are funneled into increasingly clandestine routes and relationships. But this aspect of dangerous geography is not the full story. The authors explore the many ramifications of geography as the locations of migrant deaths have shifted over time and as the geographic origins of border crossers have changed. It also explores the effects of border policy on the ground and in local places where deaths have been clustered. We aim to unpack the many ramifications of border enforcement’s inextricable relationship with geography as a deadly force multiplier.
Formalising Enterprise Architecture Decision Models

In this we introduce and validate a logic-based framework that serves as the underlying model for Chap. 23 The resulting logic-based framework aims to address some of the challenges identified in Chap. 15
Choreographing Creative Groups: An Inductive Study of Auteur and Distributed Creativity

Using a multi-method inductive study of modern dance groups attempting to develop and perform new choreography, we build a theory of an auteur approach to creativity. Although creativity research h...
Noninvasive Presurgical Data for One-Stage Leucotomy in Catastrophic Epilepsy.

Background Catastrophic epilepsy results in severe neurodevelopmental delay in infants because of frequent and/or long seizures. Therefore, consideration of early epilepsy surgery is essential for neurodevelopmental outcome. Once an infant with catastrophic seizures is identified as a surgical candidate, it is important that the surgical plan be carefully defined based on detailed presurgical evidence to minimize surgical complications in this age group. Case Description We present 2 infants with catastrophic epilepsy, epileptic spasms, and bihemispheric electroencephalographic abnormalities who underwent one-stage disconnection surgery based on a sound hypothesis of the epileptogenic zone. Each patient underwent an extensive noninvasive presurgical investigation followed by stereotactic disconnection leucotomy in a single stage. After the 2 children were followed for 24–36 months. A seizure reduction by at least 90% (Engel class I) was achieved in both cases with subsequent improvement in neurodevelopmental progress. There were no perioperative complications. Both patients had widespread cortical dysplasia on pathologic evaluation. Conclusions Careful consideration of the noninvasive presurgical workup can identify focal onset even in the presence of catastrophic epilepsy with widespread bilateral abnormalities. Single-stage lobar leucotomy for disconnection of the epileptogenic zone can lead to excellent outcome in these patients.
Re-Imagining Higher Education Funding

The primary purpose of this essay is to discuss strategies that could be used to revolve resolve the funding crisis facing higher education and which threatens its long-term sustainability. This objective is facilitated by first defining the nature of the funding crisis and then identifying major factors that have led to the present funding dilemma.
Thermally-Induced Stresses in Insulating Cylinder Liners for Internal Combustion Engines

The survivability of a ceramic cylinder liner for an internal combustion engine was investigated. The study is deemed to be important because the use of such liners in fuel-injected engines may increase fuel efficiency by reducing quench zone thickness and heat loss through the cylinder wall and by permitting effective secondary power extraction. Four ceramic liner candidates having potential for surviving this extreme environment were examined, viz. two densities of both silicon nitride and silicon carbide.
Unemployment, Economic Theory, and Property Crime: A Note on Measurement

Drawing on rational choice theory, this study considers how best to measureunemployment within the context of the unemployment–property crimerelationship. Specifically, we use ARIMA techniques to examine the relativeefficacy of using the conventional Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)unemployment rate and two alternative measures of the demand for labor aspredictors of monthly counts of U.S. property offenses for the years 1982through 1996. The bivariate time series analyses indicate that while theBLS unemployment rate exhibits null effects, the number of individualsunemployed for 15 weeks or more and the capacity utilization ratesignificantly affect the level of property crime. The implications ofthese results are discussed.
Stabilizing Obligatory Non-native Intermediates Along Co-transcriptional Folding Trajectories of SRP RNA Affects Cell Viability

Signal recognition particle (SRP) in Escherichia coli comprises protein Ffh and SRP RNA. Its essential functionality--co-translational protein-targeting/delivery to cellular membranes--hinges on the RNA attaining a native long-hairpin fold that facilitates protein conformational rearrangements within the SRP complex. Since RNA folds co-transcriptionally on RNA polymerase, we use high-resolution optical tweezers to first characterize the mechanical unfolding/refolding of incrementally lengthened RNAs from stalled transcription complexes until reaching the full-length transcript. This analysis allows identification of folding intermediates adopted during the real-time co-transcriptional folding of SRP RNA. The co-transcriptional folding trajectories are surprisingly invariant to transcription rates, and involve formation of an obligatory non-native hairpin intermediate that eventually resolves into the native fold. SRP RNA variants designed to stabilize this non-native intermediate--likely sequestering the SRP ribonucleoprotein complex in an inactive form--greatly reduce cell viability, indicating that the same co-transcriptional folding mechanism operates in vivo and possible alternative antibiotic strategies.
Amorphous Silicon Flat Panel Imagers for Medical Application

A new gamma camera based on hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) pixel arrays to be used in nuclear medicine is introduced. Various performance characteristics of a-Si:H imagers are reviewed and compared with those of currently used equipment. An important component in the a-Si:H imager is the scintillator screen. A new approach for fabrication of high resolution CsI(Tl) scintillator layers, appropriate for coupling with a-Si:H arrays, are presented. Using Monte Carlo Simulation, the performance of the new a-Si:H based gamma camera is evaluated.
Acquisition and expression of sucrose conditioned flavor preferences following dopamine D1, opioid and NMDA receptor antagonism in C57BL/6 mice.

Objectives: Inbred mouse strains differ in the pharmacology mediating sugar and fat intake and conditioned flavor preferences (CFP). C57BL/6, BALB/c and SWR inbred mice are differentially sensitive...
Organizational culture and the adoption of anti-smokinginitiatives at small to very small workplaces: An organizationallevel analysis

INTRODUCTION Many workplaces have adopted anti-smoking initiatives to reduce smoking behavior, but small workplaces are less likely to adopt these initiatives. One factor that could influence adoption is organizational culture, defined as the values and assumptions shared by members of an organization. The aim of this study was to examine the types of organizational culture associated with smoking policy strength and adoption of smoking cessation activities at small (20-99 employees) and very small (<20 employees) workplaces. Two study hypotheses were made: An increase in clan culture (characterized by participation in decision-making and human resources development) will be associated with an increase in smoking policy strength (H1) and higher odds of having cessation activities in the workplace (H2). METHODS Between June and October 2017, executives and employees coming from small and very small workplaces participated in separate surveys. Executives answered questions about their workplace's anti-smoking initiatives, while employees completed a 12-item questionnaire about organizational culture. We aggregated employee data to perform linear and logistic regression at the organizational level. RESULTS Organizational culture was not significantly associated with smoking policy strength, therefore H1 was not supported. Counter to H2, an increase in clan culture was associated with lower odds of offering smoking cessation activities (OR=0.06; 95% CI: 0.01-0.58). CONCLUSIONS We did not find support for the hypothesized relationships. External factors and additional cultural characteristics may explain study findings. Continued research on culture and ways to improve tobacco control within smaller workplaces is needed.
Interpretable Predictive Modeling for Climate Variables with Weighted Lasso

An important family of problems in climate science focus on finding predictive relationships between various climate variables. In this paper, we consider the problem of predicting monthly deseasonalized land temperature at different locations worldwide based on sea surface temperature (SST). Contrary to popular belief on the trade-off between (a) simple interpretable but inaccurate models and (b) complex accurate but uninterpretable models, we introduce a weighted Lasso model for the problem which yields interpretable results while being highly accurate. Covariate weights in the regularization of weighted Lasso are pre-determined, and proportional to the spatial distance of the covariate (sea surface location) from the target (land location). We establish finite sample estimation error bounds for weighted Lasso, and illustrate its superior empirical performance and interpretability over complex models such as deep neural networks (Deep nets) and gradient boosted trees (GBT). We also present a detailed empirical analysis of what went wrong with Deep nets here, which may serve as a helpful guideline for application of Deep nets to small sample scientific problems.
Surgical Techniques Used for the Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation

The use of surgical lesion sets for the treatment of atrial fibrillation has been increasing, particularly in patients with complicated anatomical substrates and those undergoing concomitant surgery. Preferences in terms of lesion set, surgical approach and ablation technology vary by center. This review discusses both the surgical techniques and the outcomes for the most commonly performed procedures in the context of recent consensus guidelines. The Cox-Maze IV, pulmonary vein isolation, extended left atrial lesion sets, the hybrid approach and ganglionated plexus ablation are each reviewed in an attempt to provide insight into current clinical practice and patient selection.
Study of separation between ex vivo malignant and benign prostatic tissue using magnetic resonance electrical property tomography

Magnetic Resonance Electrical Properties Tomography (MREPT) is an imaging modality that uses MR data to directly calculate the conductivity of the imaged object. This study evaluates if MREPT can be used to image differences between cancerous and benign prostate tissue. A total of 39 freshly excised prostates were imaged. MR data and four MREPT approaches were analyzed. Including a new MREPT approach that overlaps tiles (subdomains) resulting in an efficient approach that minimizes artifacts. No direct threshold value was found to differentiate the malignant from benign tissues. However, significance differences were found when comparing malignant and benign differences (differenced on a per slice basis), which reveals there are measurable differences between the two tissues. Ongoing work aims to develop a calibration technique that can exploit these differences so that malignant tissue can be robustly identified.
Performance of High Voltage Bipolar Pulse Generator with Fast Push-Pull Solid-State Switch Modules*

Four identical pulse generators (pulsers) provide fast beam deflection in the Low Energy Beam Transport (LEBT) beam chopping system at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) Linac. The existing pulsers have become obsolete and need to be replaced to improve overall performance of the chopper system. A new bipolar pulse generator has been designed, and a prototype has been built and tested at the SNS. The generator uses fast push-pull transistor BEHLKE switch modules. It can produce a 1MHz burst of alternate 2.5kV with adjustable pulse widths during the 1-ms macro-pulse at a burst repetition frequency of 60Hz with rise/fall times of less than 40ns into a 100pF capacitive load. The performance enhancements of this new pulser in comparison with existing and previous versions of the pulse generator are discussed in the paper. The pulser can be used in applications requiring a series of bipolar ±3.5kV pulses, or unipolar pulses of positive or negative polarity with amplitude up to 4.5kV and various pulse widths with a minimum of 150ns. The maximum switching frequency, number of pulses, or burst repetition frequency in burst mode is limited by maximum power dissipation in the switches and other components. The features of this new pulser along with the results of timing control adjustments, timing and temperature measurements, and HV full power testing on the test stand are presented.
Non-linear piezoelectric fluidic energy harvesters: The mutual interaction of two oscillating cylinders:

The presence of a bluff body upstream of a cantilever beam promotes persistent, aero-elastic vibrations of the beam. Vortex-induced vibration in an array of two mutually interacting bluff bodies in...
Imaging features of gastrointestinal toxicity in non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with erlotinib: A single institute 13-year experience.

Abstract Objectives To investigate the imaging features of erlotinib-associated gastrointestinal toxicity (GT) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and methods The electronic medical records of 157 patients with NSCLC who received erlotinib between 2005 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed to identify patients with GT. Clinical and radiologic evidence of erlotinib-associated GT was evaluated. Imaging findings were cross-referenced with clinical presentation, management, and outcomes. Results 24 (15%) patients (16 women; median age, 68 years) with radiologic evidence of GT were identified. The median time to detection of GT on imaging was 4.5 months (range: 0–58 months). 3/24 (12.5%) patients had no clinical symptoms, but GT was radiologically identified. Erlotinib-associated GT manifested in the large bowel in either a diffuse (42%) or segmental (58%) pattern. The most common imaging finding was fluid-filled bowel (23/24, 96%). Conclusion Erlotinib-associated GT was identified in 15% patients with NSCLC. Fluid-filled colon and segmental involvement were the most common imaging manifestations.
Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor use among pregnant and reproductive-age women in the United States.

Purpose To assess the prevalence and potential indications of PDE5 inhibitor use among pregnant and reproductive-age women in the United States. Methods We identified women 15 to 50 years with a livebirth from January 2001 through March 2018 in Sentinel Database. We assessed the prevalence of PDE5 inhibitor use prior to and during pregnancy by trimester, identified potential on- and off-label indications using predefined diagnosis codes recorded within 90 days before the estimated last menstrual period through delivery. Separately, we used data from IQVIA's National Prescription Audit and Total Patient Tracker to estimate the dispensed prescriptions for PDE5 inhibitors and the number of patients with PDE5 inhibitor prescriptions. Results We identified approximately 3.3 million pregnancies during 2001 to 2018, 96 of which had PDE5 inhibitor use during pregnancy. Prevalence of PDE5 inhibitor use was 2.61, 0.62, and 0.62 per 100, 000 live-born pregnancies during the first, second, or third trimesters, respectively. Among women exposed to a PDE5 inhibitor from 90 days before conception to the end of pregnancy, 25.0%, 31.1%, and 15.5% had a diagnosis code for fetal growth restriction, preeclampsia, and pulmonary arterial hypertension. In IQVIA data, an estimated 223, 000 prescriptions from July 2015 through June 2018 and 58, 000 women received prescriptions for PDE5 inhibitors in 2017, of whom approximately 15, 000 (26%) were aged 15 to 50 years. Conclusion We found a low prevalence of PDE5 inhibitor use in pregnant and reproductive-age women. Given the very low prevalence of use and the inconsistency of neonatal mortality data across STRIDER centers, the risk to public health is low at present.
Managing Diabetes in the Workplace.

Background:Although many adults with diabetes are productive members of the workforce, loss of work productivity has been associated with diabetes. The purpose of this study was to explore the inte...
Rubber Helmets: The Certain Pitfalls of Marshalling Security Council Resources to Combat AIDS in Africa

On January 10, 2000, something remarkable occurred in the chambers of the United Nations Security Council: the Council agreed to consider whether Auto-Immune Deficiency Syndrome ("AIDS") and the burgeoning AIDS crisis in sub-Saharan Africa is a matter of international peace and security deserving of Council oversight. This unprecedented consideration of a health issue as a possible security threat recognized the considerable death toll attributed to the AIDS pandemic and the high infection rate in sub-Saharan Africa. However, does this crisis - serious as it is - warrant viewing international peace and security so expansively? And if disease can constitute a threat against peace, how soon before other causes of deprivation and horror give rise to Security Council jurisdiction? In this article I argue that the approval of this initiative should concern, and not comfort, the global community. The proposal represents yet a further expansion of the Security Council's role in international and domestic affairs; if the Council accepts this invitation to dabble in the area of public health, it risks straining the interpretation of its mandate past the shattering point. Further, if the Council's powers are so expanded, the Council will have nearly unlimited power to intervene in matters of domestic concern that are intended by the Charter to be beyond the Council's reach. One may be tempted to accept the risk of future abuse of power by recognizing the AIDS epidemic as a truly unique exigency. But what would be gained by the exercise of Security Council jurisdiction? In this article I further demonstrate the practical and legal limitations on Council action to curb the spread of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. Simply put, the proposal is dangerous because it is unworkable and meaningful action unlikely, as demonstrated in my "Top Ten Reasons Why the United Nations Security Council Should Not Involve Itself in the AIDS Epidemic in Africa."
Superreplication of the Best Pairs Trade in Hindsight

For a market with m assets and T discrete trading sessions, Cover and Ordentlich (1998) found that the “Cost of Achieving the Best Rebalancing Rule in Hindsight” is p(T, m) = n1 ···Σ nm=T (n1,T...,nm)(n1/T)(n1 · · · (nm/T)nm. Their super-replicating strategy is impossible to compute in practice. This paper gives a workable generalization: the cost (read: super-replicating price) of achieving the best s−stock rebalancing rule in hindsight is (m/s) p(T, s). In particular, the cost of achieving the best pairs rebalancing rule in hindsight is (m/2) TΣn=0 (T/n) (n/T)n ((T − n)/T)T−n = O( √ T). To put this in perspective, for the Dow Jones (30) stocks, the Cover and Ordentlich (1998) strategy needs a 10,000-year horizon in order to guarantee to get within 1% of the compoundannual growth rate of the best (30-stock) rebalancing rule in hindsight. By contrast, it takes 1,000 years (in the worst case) to enforce a growth rate that is within 1% of the best pairs rebalancing rule in hindsight. For any preselected pair (i, j) of stocks it takes 320 years. Thus, the more modest goal of growth at the same asymptotic rate as the best pairs rebalancing rule in hindsight leads to a practical trading strategy that still beats the market asymptotically, albeit with a lower asymptotic growth rate than the full-support universal portfolio.
Gamifying Software Engineering Tools to Motivate Computer Science Students to Start and Finish Programming Assignments Earlier

Contribution: Research has shown that computer science (CS) students who start programming assignments (PAs) early generally receive higher grades. This article presents and evaluates a gamification approach that utilizes software engineering tools to motivate CS students to start and finish PAs earlier. Background: CS can be difficult to learn because students often struggle with errors and how to properly test their code. For these reasons, it is essential that students start their PAs early. Furthermore, software engineering tools, such as version control and unit testing, are increasingly important for students to learn early in their career. Intended Outcomes: This gamification approach aims to motivate CS students to start and complete PAs earlier, as well as instill software engineering best practices. Application Design: To motivate students to start and finish assignments early, an open-source gamification system called the Leaderboard was developed. Using gamified points, the Leaderboard rewards students who pass PA unit tests well before the assignment is due. The system is fully automated using Github Classroom, a build server, and the Moodle learning management system. Findings: Results indicate students who used the Leaderboard did not start assignments significantly earlier; however, they finished assignments earlier, committed code more frequently, and passed more unit tests. The students found the Leaderboard to be motivating and passing unit tests was exciting for them.
Vesicovaginal fistula repair at the time of colpocleisis.

The objectives of this video are to discuss the presentation, evaluation, and surgical management of a patient with a vesicovaginal fistula at the time of colpocleisis. We present the case of an 83-year-old woman with a history of stage IV prolapse who had had a pessary device removed. Urine had been noted to be in the vaginal vault, leading to suspicion of a vesicovaginal fistula. Following evaluation, the patient decided to proceed with surgical management. The patient underwent a vesicovaginal fistula repair with concomitant colpocleisis. A cystoscopy was performed at the conclusion of the case where the bilateral ureteral stents were removed and a strong efflux was noted at both ureteral orifices. At the patient’s 1-month follow-up, she had no complaints of prolapse or vaginal leaking. Neglect of a vaginal pessary can lead to serious complications, indicating the importance of patient education and careful follow-up. Surgical planning is a key component in effectively managing a vesicovaginal fistula with ureteral presentation in order to preserve ureteral integrity. Concomitant vesicovaginal repair and colpocleisis can be performed safely with effective cure of a vesicovaginal fistula and stage IV prolapse.
Asymmetries in the Union Wage Premium in Ghana

There is little evidence on the size of the union wage premium in developing economies. The article uses a matched employer-employee data set for Ghana and adopts a quantile regression approach that allows the effects of unionization to vary across the conditional wage distribution. It is shown that if there are intrafirm differences in unionization, there does appear to be a premium among poorer paid workers in the formal sector. Although this cannot be given a causal interpretation, it suggests important issues about how unions may affect one part of the labor market.
Safety and Satisfaction of Patients Opting for Fully Remote Consultation and On-Treatment Management Visits During COVID-19

Purpose/objective(s) We have previously demonstrated high patient satisfaction with telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the relaxation of pandemic restrictions, patients are now offered a choice of in person or remote visits. Here we report on the experience of a cohort of patients treated with radiotherapy who opted for fully remote providers. Materials/methods At the time of new visit consultation scheduling, patients were offered fully remote management if availability of onsite providers was limited. Additionally, after initial consultation with the treating oncologist, if patients expressed preference for treatment at a regional facility different from the oncologist's primary site, they were offered treatment at the preferred site with fully remote on-treatment visits, without transfer of care to an onsite provider. Potentially harmful patient safety events and "near-misses" were prospectively collected with an in-house quality improvement reporting system. Patient satisfaction surveys assessing several domains of the patient experience (including appointment logistics, patient-physician communication, and overall impressions) were distributed to patients before, during and after treatment. Results From 10/2020 to 2/2021, a total of 192 patients treated to 208 sites opted for fully remote management. 50% were male, 50% female. 61% of patients had metastatic disease. Sites treated included prostate (10%), breast (7%), thoracic (7%), head and neck (2%), gastrointestinal (25%), and other sites including bone, soft tissue and brain (49%). There were 46 minor (no harm or near-miss) patient safety events reported, of which 85% were unrelated to patient condition or physician communication and included events associated with treatment planning, orders, prescriptions and delivery. Minor events related to patient condition and patient scheduling/communication comprised 9% and 6% of events, respectively. There was 1 temporary harm event of patient decompensation in the department requiring activation of emergency services. The safety event rate per patient was similar between this cohort and non-remotely managed patients treated during the same period. The telemedicine survey response rate was 32%. Patient satisfaction with telehealth visits remained high with 98% of experiences across all domains rated as Good to Very Good. 90% of patients either preferred telehealth or expressed no preference with the in person vs. fully remote visits. Conclusion Treatment with fully remote providers is safe and feasible, with no serious patient events and minimal need for onsite care. We observed high patient satisfaction, consistent with our previously reported outcomes for telemedicine visits. These findings support the continuation of fully remote management for select patients in the post-COVID era, which can only continue if the current remote/telehealth exemption is continued beyond the emergency period.
Locke's 1694 Memorandum (and More Incomplete Copyright Historiographies)

This is a reproduction of John Locke's 1694(-5) memorandum opposing renewal of the Licensing Act, along with a short introduction. In the memorandum, Locke strongly attacks the monopoly held by the Stationers Company under the Licensing Act while simultaneously proposing a limited term property right in books - the approach finally accepted in the author-centered Statute of Anne. One option proposed by Locke is that authors' property rights in their works would be recognized for an author's life 70 year term. The introduction provides some historical background on the memorandum and reviews some previous treatments of the memorandum in intellectual property commentary.
Bacteria and fungi associated with isoprene consumption in soil

Isoprene is a reactive volatile organic compound released from the biosphere that can be abundant in the planetary boundary layer, where it can have a myriad of effects on atmospheric chemistry and secondary aerosol formation. There is currently a high degree of uncertainty in forecasts of how atmospheric isoprene concentrations will shift in response to anthropogenic land-use change and climate change. One source of this uncertainty is that studies of terrestrial isoprene fluxes have almost entirely focused on plant sources of isoprene, largely ignoring the role of soils as a sink of isoprene and the corresponding microbial consumption of isoprene. We quantified isoprene consumption rates by the microbial communities found in two distinct soils under laboratory conditions and used high-throughput sequencing to identify the bacterial and fungal taxa that increased in relative abundance with changes in isoprene mixing ratios. On average, soil microbes were capable of consuming 68% (ranging 55% to 80%) of the gaseous isoprene provided to the soils (2–200 ppbv) in a flow-through experiment. Consumption rates increased with increasing levels of isoprene with rates reaching 770 pmol g–1 h–1 in one of the soils exposed to the highest mixing ratio of isoprene (200 ppbv). Increases in isoprene levels were associated with significant shifts in the composition of both soil bacterial and fungal communities. A wide range of taxa were associated with isoprene consumption including members of the Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, and Zygomycota phyla with many of the taxa being closely related to known hydrocarbon degraders. Soils likely represent a significant sink of atmospheric isoprene and our results suggest that a wide range of bacterial and fungal taxa are capable of isoprene degradation.
Variational Principles in Mechanics

The recognition that minimizing an integral function through variational methods (as in the last chapters) leads to the second-order differential equations of Euler-Lagrange for the minimizing function made it natural for mathematicians of the eighteenth century to ask for an integral quantity whose minimization would result in Newton’s equations of motion. With such a quantity, a new principle through which the universe acts would be obtained. The belief that “something” should be minimized was in fact a long-standing conviction of natural philosophers who felt that God had constructed the universe to operate in the most efficient manner—but how that efficiency was to be assessed was subject to interpretation. However, Fermat (1657) had already invoked such a principle successfully in declaring that light travels through a medium along the path of least time of transit. Indeed, it was by recognizing that the brachistochrone should give the least time of transit for light in an appropriate medium that Johann Bernoulli “proved” that it should be a cycloid in 1697. (See Problem 1.1.) And it was Johann Bernoulli who in 1717 suggested that static equilibrium might be characterized through requiring that the work done by the external forces during a small displacement from equilibrium should vanish. This “principle of virtual work” marked a departure from other minimizing principles in that it incorporated stationarity—even local stationarity—(tacitly) in its formulation. Efforts were made by Leibniz, by Euler, and most notably, by Lagrange to define a principle of least action (kinetic energy), but it was not until the last century that a truly satisfactory principle emerged, namely, Hamilton’s principle of stationary action (c. 1835) which was foreshadowed by Poisson (1809) and polished by Jacobi (1848) and his successors into an enduring landmark of human intellect, one, moreover, which has survived transition to both relativity and quantum mechanics. (See [L], [Fu] and Problems 8.11 8.12.)
Direct Host Plasminogen Binding to Bacterial Surface M-protein in Pattern D Strains of Streptococcus pyogenes Is Required for Activation by Its Natural Coinherited SK2b Protein

Streptokinase (SK), secreted by Group A Streptococcus (GAS), is a single-chain ∼47-kDa protein containing three consecutive primary sequence regions that comprise its α, β, and γ modules. Phylogenetic analyses of the variable β-domain sequences from different GAS strains suggest that SKs can be arranged into two clusters, SK1 and SK2, with a subdivision of SK2 into SK2a and SK2b. SK2b is secreted by skin-tropic Pattern D M-protein strains that also express plasminogen (human Pg (hPg)) binding Group A streptococcal M-protein (PAM) as its major cell surface M-protein. SK2a-expressing strains are associated with nasopharynx tropicity, and many of these strains express human fibrinogen (hFg) binding Pattern A-C M-proteins, e.g. M1. PAM interacts with hPg directly, whereas M1 binds to hPg indirectly via M1-bound hFg. Subsequently, SK is secreted by GAS and activates hPg to plasmin (hPm), thus generating a proteolytic surface on GAS that enhances its dissemination. Due to these different modes of hPg/hPm recognition by GAS, full characterizations of the mechanisms of activation of hPg by SK2a and SK2b and their roles in GAS virulence are important topics. To more fully examine these subjects, isogenic chimeric SK- and M-protein-containing GAS strains were generated, and the virulence of these chimeric strains were analyzed in mice. We show that SK and M-protein alterations influenced the virulence of GAS and were associated with the different natures of hPg activation and hPm binding. These studies demonstrate that GAS virulence can be explained by disparate hPg activation by SK2a and SK2b coupled with the coinherited M-proteins of these strains.
Predicted signatures of rotating Bose–Einstein condensates

Superfluids are distinguished from normal fluids by their peculiar response1 to rotation: circulating flow in superfluid helium2,3, a strongly coupled Bose liquid, can appear only as quantized vortices4,5,6. The newly created Bose–Einstein condensates7,9—clouds of millions of ultracold, weakly interacting alkali-metal atoms that occupy a single quantum state—offer the possibility of investigating superfluidity in the weak-coupling regime. An outstanding question is whether Bose–Einstein condensates exhibit a mesoscopic quantum analogue of the macroscopic vortices in superfluids, and what its experimental signature would be. Here we report calculations of the low-energy states of a rotating, weakly interacting Bose gas. We find a succession of transitions between stable vortex patterns of differing symmetries that are in general qualitative agreement with observations5 of rotating superfluid helium, a strong-coupling superfluid. Counterintuitively, the angular momentum per particle is not quantized. Some angular momenta are forbidden, corresponding to asymmetrical unstable states that provide a physical mechanism for the entry of vorticity into the condensate.
COMPARISON OF THREE METHODS FOR DETERMINATION OF URINARY ESTRIOL DURING LATE PREGNANCY.

Abstract Three colorimetric methods for determination of urinary estriol have been compared. When statistical analysis is applied to the estrogen measured by the three methods, one finds that in urine from a normal pregnancy the methods are comparable and show a consistent relationship. The Ittrich method may be used as a rapid screening technique. The short procedure is rapid and gives slightly higher values than the long procedure. In the presence of glycosuria there tends to be greater variation and less correlation between the long procedure and the Ittrich. When the long and the short method are compared there is a high correlation with less variation in individual values.
Relationship between (8-14C)adenosine transport and growth inhibition in Neurospora crassa strain ad-8.

Abstract The kinetic parameters of [8-14C]adenosine transport by a general nucleoside uptake system were studied in germinated conidia of the ad 8 strain of Neurospora crassa. The apparent Km for adenosine uptake by this system was found to be 6.2 μM. The apparent Ki values for other nucleosides competing with adenosine for uptake were measured by using Dixon plots. Nucleosides which were efficient competitive inhibitors of adenosine transport were found to inhibit severely the rate of growth of strain ad-8 on adenosine-supplemented medium. Xanthosine and thymidine did not inhibit [8-14C]adenosine uptake as severely as other nucleosides, nor did they cause significant inhibition of ad-8 growth rate on adenosine.
Operator/system task allocation

Some strategies for allocating tasks across the human and electronic components of a system are explored. There exist the questions of what human operators should do and what should be left to semi- and fully-autonomous electronic systems. It is argued here that the allocation strategy must be based on: (a) the nature of the tasks to be performed by the system, (b) the situational milieu in which the system will operate, and (c) the power of advanced analytical methods. The author indicates that there are some relatively straightforward steps that can be taken for the optimal allocation of tasks across human and electronic or software-intensive system components. >
Superimposed cocaine-induced rhabdomyolysis in a patient with aortic dissection rhabdomyolysis.

Abstract A 52-year-old man presented with acute, sharp chest pain radiating to the back and abdomen after using cocaine 18 hours previously. Computed tomographic angiography revealed a type B aortic dissection that extended to the iliac arteries. The patient underwent balloon fenestration, placement of multiple aortic stents, and bilateral leg fasciotomy. He eventually went into hyperkalemic arrest but was successfully resuscitated, after which his serum lactate and creatine kinase levels peaked at 7.4 mmol/L and 990,400 U/L, respectively. The combination of aortic dissection and creatine kinase toxicity was extensive enough to cause permanent renal failure and paraplegia below T6. The severity of the patient's symptoms was attributed to concomitant cocaine-induced rhabdomyolysis and aortic dissection rhabdomyolysis.
Translating research-based knowledge about infant sleep into practice

AbstractPurposeReview infant sleep research with a focus on understanding the elements related to infant safety and infant and maternal well-being during nighttime care.Data sourcesThis review summarizes current research and addresses the controversies and conflicting outcomes reported in infant nig
Real-time Raman spectroscopic measurement of crystallization kinetics and its effect on the morphology and properties of polyolefin blown films

The nonisothermal crystallization half-time (t0.5), defined as the time taken for a polymer film to reach half of its equilibrium crystallinity, was estimated from Raman spectroscopic measurements of crystallinity during blown film extrusion of a linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and an isotactic polypropylene (i-PP). The crystalline a- and c-axis orientation of LLDPE and i-PP films, respectively, increased with decreasing crystallization half-time. The transverse direction tensile modulus and tear strengths for LLDPE films also increased with decreasing half-time. However, for i-PP films, only the transverse direction tear strength increased with decreasing t0.5, while the machine direction properties did not show a significant dependence on half-time. Our real-time Raman spectroscopy studies provide experimental evidence to theories proposed in the literature1–3 with regards to the influence of the nonisothermal crystallization process (along the film axis) on the imparted final film structure. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 1740–1747, 2005
Electrons and phonons in rare gas crystals: Numerical studies of simple local density models

One-electron, local density results for cohesive energies, T = 0°K equation of state and energy bands of the heavier rare gas crystals arc summarized. New results for Compton profiles (neon) and phonon dispersion (argon) are outlined. It is argued that these results suggest that the Xα model (and similar simple local density schemes) behaves roughly as might be expected of the rigorous Hohenberg-Kohn density functional, to wit: ground state properties are given reasonably while one-electron excitations are not described as reliably.
Impact of new engineering concepts on engineering education

Areas in which the concepts of information, control, and computing theory can exert their greatest impact — memory and recall, routine calculation, and decision making — are explored. Research is urged for their application to the fields of discovery and engineering creativity.