cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parasites in Laying Hen Housing Systems

Abstract In this chapter the life cycles of selected principal internal and external parasites and pests of laying hens are presented including photographs of organisms and typical signs of infestation. Parasites are categorized according to whether they are (1) permanent parasites (e.g., coccidia, intestinal nematodes, and northern fowl mites), (2) spend only part of their lives as on-host parasites (e.g., sticktight fleas and red mites), or (3) are environmental pests which actually only live in close association with hens (e.g., darkling beetles and houseflies). Hen housing and management are subject to animal welfare concerns as well as public attitudes regarding pesticide use. This chapter approaches parasite prevalence and management from the standpoint of how they are impacted by housing. Parasites are rated for their severity in different housing types, and approaches to their control in those types of facilities are discussed.
Correlation of New Method for Measuring Plasma Myeloperoxidase with Clinical Behavior in Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

Abstract We previously reported that levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO) enzyme in plasma of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) may correlate with aggressive disease. However, we found poor reproducibility and significant variability from lot to lot when commercially available kits are used. We developed a cytometric beads assay (CBA) for measuring plasma MPO that shows high reproducibility (CV 70 ng/ml) correlated with shorter survival (P=0.04). Similarly, patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and high levels of MPO (>70 ng/ml) had shorter survival (P=0.05). Despite there was a correlation between the commercially available kit for measuring MPO and our CBA method (r=0.71, P Download : Download high-res image (75KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure
Spatial and temporal determinants of A-weighted and frequency specific sound levels-An elastic net approach.

Abstract Background Urban sound levels are a ubiquitous environmental stressor and have been shown to be associated with a wide variety of health outcomes. While much is known about the predictors of A-weighted sound pressure levels in the urban environment, far less is known about other frequencies. Objective To develop a series of spatial-temporal sound models to predict A-weighted sound pressure levels, low, mid, and high frequency sound for Boston, Massachusetts. Methods Short-term sound levels were gathered at n = 400 sites from February 2015 – February 2016. Spatial and meteorological attributes at or near the sound monitoring site were obtained using publicly available data and a portable weather station. An elastic net variable selection technique was used to select predictors of A-weighted, low, mid, and high frequency sound. Results The final models for low, mid, high, and A-weighted sound levels explained 59 – 69% of the variability in each measure. Similar to other A-weighted models, our sound models included transportation related variables such as length of roads and bus lines in the surrounding area; distance to road and rail lines; traffic volume, vehicle mix, residential and commercial land use. However, frequency specific models highlighted additional predictors not included in the A-weighted model including temperature, vegetation, impervious surfaces, vehicle mix, and density of entertainment establishments and restaurants. Conclusions Building spatial temporal models to characterize sound levels across the frequency spectrum using an elastic net approach can be a promising tool for noise exposure assessments within the urban soundscape. Models of sound's character may give us additional important sound exposure metrics to be utilized in epidemiological studies.
Real-time, in situ monitoring of nanoporation using electric field-induced acoustic signal

The use of nanoporation in reversible or irreversible electroporation, e.g. cancer ablation, is rapidly growing. This technique uses an ultra-short and intense electric pulse to increase the membrane permeability, allowing non-permeant drugs and genes access to the cytosol via nanopores in the plasma membrane. It is vital to create a real-time in situ monitoring technique to characterize this process and answer the need created by the successful electroporation procedure of cancer treatment. All suggested monitoring techniques for electroporation currently are for pre-and post-stimulation exposure with no real-time monitoring during electric field exposure. This study was aimed at developing an innovative technology for real-time in situ monitoring of electroporation based on the typical cell exposure-induced acoustic emissions. The acoustic signals are the result of the electric field, which itself can be used in realtime to characterize the process of electroporation. We varied electric field distribution by varying the electric pulse from 1μ - 100ns and varying the voltage intensity from 0 − 1.2 to energize two electrodes in a bi-polar set-up. An ultrasound transducer was used for collecting acoustic signals around the subject under test. We determined the relative location of the acoustic signals by varying the position of the electrodes relative to the transducer and varying the electric field distribution between the electrodes to capture a variety of acoustic signals. Therefore, the electric field that is utilized in the nanoporation technique also produces a series of corresponding acoustic signals. This offers a novel imaging technique for the real-time in situ monitoring of electroporation that may directly improve treatment efficiency.
Lead Zirconate Titanate

Ceramics are inorganic, non-metallic, solids that consist of a metal, a non-metal, a metalloid such as silicon, or a combination of these. Ceramics utilize ionic or covalent bonding, or both. When thinking of a ceramic you may think of pottery. This is perfectly reasonable since the word “ceramic” is derived from the Greek word keramikos, which means “of pottery” or “for pottery”. “Keramic” is an old, rare, now disused spelling of “ceramic”. The main commercial piezoelectric ceramic is Lead Zirconium Titanate with a typical composition of PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3. It is referred to a PZT and adopts the perovskite crystal structure.
Nonlinear Phenomena in Climate Dynamics

Climate dynamics is a new and rapidly developing geophysical discipline. Selected problems from this discipline are presented, starting with their physical motivation. Both equilibrium models and oscillatory models are introduced. Mathematical aspects emphasize multiple equilibria and their stability on the one hand, and nonlinear oscillations, entrainment and detrainment by periodic and quasi-periodic forcing, on the other.
Attributional Style, Self-Esteem, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus: A Test of the Hopelessness and Self-Esteem Theories of Depression

Research on the hopelessness and self-esteem theories of depression (Abramson, Metalsky, & Alloy, 1989; Metalsky, Joiner, Hardin, & Abramson, 1993) suggests that HIV-infected persons with depressotypic attributional style (AS) and low self-esteem (SE) may be at risk for onset of a syndrome referred to as “hopelessness depression” (HD). In a prospective study conducted to test these theories, measures of anxiety and depression, AS, and SE were administered to 85 HIV+ and 43 HIV− men; symptoms were reassessed 6 months later. Results indicated that: (1) The interaction of AS, SE, and HIV status predicted change in HD symptoms, but not overall depression or anxiety symptoms; (2) HIV+ men with depressotypic AS and high SE had increased HD symptom levels while other men with high SE had decreased HD symptom levels; (3) HD symptoms remained stable over the 6-month interval among men with low SE; and (4) High SE predicted decreases in anxiety symptoms among HIV− men, but not among HIV+ men. Contrary to the study hypothesis, these findings suggest that among individuals with life-threatening illnesses such as HIV infection, those with depressotypic AS and high SE may be at highest risk for onset of HD.
A fixed point approach to Nehari’s problem and its applications

We introduce a new approach to Nehari’s problem. This approach is based on some kind of fixed point theorem and allows us to obtain some useful generalizations of Nehari’s and Adamyan — Arov — Krein (AAK) theorems. Among those generalizations: descriptions of Hankel operators in weighted l2 spaces; descriptions of Hankel operators from Dirichlet type spaces to weighted Bergman spaces; commutant lifting theorem for non-contractive operators; AAK theorem for “four block operator” etc.
Impact of Quality Improvement on Care of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients in an Internal Medicine Resident Clinic.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Guideline-discordant care of COPD is not uncommon. Further, there is a push to incorporate quality improvement (QI) training into internal medicine (IM) residency curricula. This study compared quality of care of COPD patients in an IM residents’ clinic and a pulmonary fellows’ clinic and, subsequently, the results of a quality improvement program in the residents’ clinic. Pre-intervention rates of quality measure adherence were compared between the IM teaching clinic (n = 451) and pulmonary fellows’ clinic (n = 177). Patient encounters in the residents’ teaching clinic after quality improvement intervention (n = 119) were reviewed and compared with pre-intervention data. Prior to intervention, fellows were significantly more likely to offer smoking cessation counseling (p = 0.024) and document spirometry showing airway obstruction (p < 0.001). Smoking cessation counseling, pneumococcal vaccination, and diagnosis of COPD by spirometry were targets for QI. A single-cycle, resident-led QI project was initiated. After, residents numerically improved in the utilization of spirometry (66.5% vs. 74.8%) and smoking cessation counseling (81.8% vs. 86.6%), and significantly improved rates of pneumococcal vaccination (p = 0.024). One cycle of resident-led QI significantly improved the rates of pneumococcal vaccination, with numerical improvement in other areas of COPD care.
Prepare yourself for the worst: narratives of fear in late-twentieth century women’s travel guides

ABSTRACTDuring the 1970s and ’80s, the United States experienced a dramatic rise in crime. As violent offenses increased, so did Americans’ fear of crime. Dialogue about criminality provided an out...
Civil war mediation and integration into global value chains

How does the globalization of production affect interstate behavior? While scholars have paid significant attention to the effect of global value chains on trade and political economy, there has be...
Consumer Brand Value Co-creation Typology:

AbstractCo-creation is said to take place in a variety of domains when two or more actors interact to create value. The topic of brand co-creation has been in the literature for 15 years. During th...
Relative household wealth and non-fatal road crashes: analysis of population-representative data of Kenyan adults

Background This study aims to examine potential road crash disparities across relative wealth and location of residence in Kenya by analyzing population-representative Demographic and Health Survey data. Methods Relative wealth was measured by household assets, converted into an index by polychoric principal components analysis. Location and sex-stratified associations between wealth quantiles and crashes were flexibly estimated using fractional polynomial models. Structural equation models were fit to examine whether observed differences may operate through previously identified determinants. Results In rural areas, crashes were least common for both the poorest men (-5.2 percentage points, 95% CI: -7.3 to -3.2) and women (-1.6 percentage points, 95% CI: -2.9 to -0.4). In urban areas, male crashes were lowest (-3.0 percentage points, 95% CI: -5.2 to -0.8) among the wealthiest, while they peaked in the middle of the female wealth distribution (2.0 percentage points, 95% CI: 0.3-3.8). Male differences operate partially though occupational driving and vehicle ownership. Urban female differences operate partially through household vehicle ownership, but differences for rural women were not explained by modeled determinants. Conclusions Relative wealth and road crash have opposite associations in rural and urban areas. Especially in rural areas, it is important to mitigate potential unintended effects of economic development.
The smart city of évora

Abstract The decarbonization of cities’ energy systems requires multiple data sources, increasingly available at different temporal and spatial resolutions, as well as integrated energy planning tools to identify smart and sustainable solutions. This chapter presents the case of Evora Municipality, in Portugal, which launched several initiatives toward a smart city, namely, the rollout of more than 34,000 smart meters from 2010. An integrated analytical framework, supported by multiple data sources, models and tools over the city, is presented to illustrate how decarbonized pathways up to 2030 can be generated throughout an energy planning process. A codesign practice with the stakeholders’ participation along this process was taken as a crucial step to consider aspects other than technological options and its cost-effectiveness. Evora city’s energy system includes residential buildings, transport and mobility, other energy demand sectors (i.e., waste water and sewage systems, industries, public lighting, public buildings, services, and agriculture), and the energy supply system, including local renewable energy sources. Multiple cost-effective measures were assessed through a multicriteria tool, and its costs were estimated to feed a mid-term sustainable energy plan. Evora is presented as an example of a smart city regarding its energy system, with implemented and planned smart solutions to be adopted for a sustainable and local empowered city.
Reoperative mitral valve surgery via sternotomy or right thoracotomy: A propensity-matched analysis

BACKGROUND There is, as yet, no broad consensus regarding the optimal surgical approach for patients requiring reoperative mitral valve surgery. Consequently, we sought to evaluate the perioperative outcomes for patients undergoing redo mitral surgery via right mini thoracotomy as compared with traditional resternotomy. METHODS A comprehensive retrospective review of our prospectively collected database was undertaken from January 2011 to December 2017. We propensity matched 90 patients who underwent reoperative mitral valve surgery via right mini thoracotomy with a concurrent cohort of patients who had redo median sternotomy. Intraoperative data and short-term clinical outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS The 30-day mortality was 3.3% (six deaths) in the entire cohort, not significantly different between redo sternotomy and mini thoracotomy groups. Patients who had their procedure via right mini thoracotomy had reduced intensive care unit (P = .029) and overall hospital (P < .0001) lengths of stay, a diminished requirement for perioperative transfusion (P = .023), and a trend towards faster postoperative extubation. Right thoracotomy patients experienced shorter cardiopulmonary bypass (P = .012) and cardiac arrest (P < .0001) times than did the sternotomy cases. Peripheral cannulation was utilized more frequently in the mini thoracotomy group, as were fibrillatory arrest techniques. CONCLUSION Reoperative mitral valve surgery via right mini thoracotomy is safe, and is associated with shorter extracorporeal circulation times, reduced transfusion, and faster postoperative recovery.
Organizational Identity and Affective Commitment to Dyad (WITHDRAWN)

The current research investigated whether the content of organizational identity determines affective commitment to the work dyad, particularly when opinion difference exists within such dyads. The...
Improved Diagnostic Accuracy of Periprosthetic Breast Infection: Novel Application of the Alpha Defensin-1 Biomarker.

Implant-related infections complicate 20% of breast reconstructions and are associated with implant loss, multiple reoperations, and substantially diminished quality of life.1 As approximately 75% of all breast reconstructions today are implant based, periprosthetic infection is among the most feared complications and prompt, accurate diagnosis of infection is critical to minimizing patient morbidity.2 Currently available diagnostic tests for breast implant-related infection are often unreliable and lack sensitivity in the setting of antibiotic exposure.3 Bacterial culture, the current diagnostic standard, is falsely negative in 25%–30% of untreated patients.4 Furthermore, microbiological data require several days to result, leading to delays in treatment for subclinical infections as well as unnecessary antibiotic exposure in culture-negative patients. Thus, a critical need exists for more accurate testing modalities that remain cost-effective. Alpha defensin-1 (AD-1) is an antimicrobial peptide released from neutrophils in response to local pathogen invasion. In addition to inducing bactericidal effects through disruption of bacterial membranes, it serves as an indirect biomarker for infection.5 Exhibiting several unique biological characteristics, AD-1 is ideally suited for detecting infection and may be a superior indicator of breast periprosthetic infection compared to currently available diagnostic tests. Unlike bacterial cultures, which may provide misleading results in colonized tissues, AD-1 specifically targets metabolically active microbes in the setting of active infection. It also demonstrates microbicidal activity against the spectrum of bacteria as well as fungi, spirochetes, protozoa, and enveloped viruses. Bacterial cultures, in contrast, are frequently negative in atypical infections. Most importantly, studies have demonstrated that previous antibiotic exposure does not affect AD-1 performance, whereas culture sensitivity drops to 50%–70% in patients receiving antibiotics.4 With sensitivity and specificity of 97% and 96%, it has replaced bacterial culture as the preferred diagnostic modality for orthopedic periprosthetic infection.6,7 However, it has yet to be evaluated in the setting of breast implant-related infection. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic sensitivity of AD-1 in suspected breast periprosthetic infection and compare performance to bacterial culture.
Cryotherapy Improves Limb Use But Delays Normothermia Early After Stifle Joint Surgery in Dogs

Objective: To evaluate the short-term efficacy and safety of cold compression therapy (CCT) relative to a soft padded bandage (SPB) in dogs undergoing surgery to manage cranial cruciate ligament injury. Methods:Dogs were randomized into groups that received CCT or SPB after surgery. Weight bearing was measured using a weight distribution platform before and the day after surgery. Stifle joint flexion and extension were measured using a goniometer before and the day after surgery. Rectal temperatures were measured every 15 min for 2 h after surgery and the morning after surgery. Mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNT) were measured using an algometer the day after surgery. Findings in both groups were compared using a mixed model ANOVA. Results:20 dogs were enrolled: 10 in the CCT and 10 in the SPB group. Dogs undergoing CCT had more stifle joint flexion (P = 0.008) and weight bearing (P < 0.001) after surgery than dogs with SPB. MNT after surgery correlated statistically with stifle joint flexion after surgery (r = -0.315, P = 0.014), extension after surgery (r = 0.310, P = 0.016), and weight bearing after surgery (r = 0.314, P = 0.003). Return to normothermia was delayed in the CCT group, with temperatures ~0.5°C (1.0°F) lower 105 (P = 0.018) and 120 min (P = 0.013) after surgery. Conclusion:Relative to bandaging, CCT had a positive short-term impact on stifle flexion and weight bearing. CCT delayed warming after surgery but dogs were only mildly hypothermic [0.5°C [1.0°F]].
Chemical Biology Toolbox for Studying Pancreatic Islet Function – A Perspective

Summary The islets of Langerhans represent one of the many complex endocrine organs in mammals. Traditionally, islet function is studied by a mixture of physiological, cell biological, and molecular biological methods. Recently, novel techniques stemming from the ever-increasing toolbox provided by chemical laboratories have been added to the repertoire. Many emerging techniques will soon be available to manipulate and monitor islet function at the single-cell level and potentially in intact model animals, as well as in isolated human islets. Here, we review the most current small-molecule-based and genetically encoded molecular tool sets available to study islet function. We provide an outlook regarding future tool developments that will impact islet research, with a special focus on the interplay between different islet cell types.
Improving oil recovery of Eagle Ford shale samples using cryogenic and cyclic gas injection methods - An experimental study

Abstract Despite containing massive volumes of hydrocarbons, unconventional reservoirs have low recovery factors,
Patient adherence to LungRADS recommendations at an academic institution.

e18592Background: The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) demonstrated a 20% reduction in lung cancer mortality when screened with low dose computed tomography (LDCT) as opposed to chest radiograp...
“People Nowadays Will Take Everything They Can Get”: American Perceptions of Basic Income Usage

Universal basic income (UBI) is a centuries-old policy proposal in which every citizen is granted a regular cash payment to provide basic security. One defining concept of a UBI is that it is unconditional, unlike most modern social welfare programs. While decades of pilot data suggest UBI to be superior to traditional means tested assistance, public support is divided and heavily based on stereotypes of dependency and negative consumption effects. A mixed-method research design was utilized to explore the projected behavioral response to UBI of current and former recipients of traditional assistance, in regard to themselves and others. Responses indicate that the majority of participants would not alter their current work arrangements and would rather plan for future financial stability while assuming that other Americans would quit working and spend the money irresponsibly. These results suggest that even among welfare recipients, neoliberal and conservative narratives of dependency and irrationality persist.
Protecting Liberty in Times of Calamity: The Long and Short Term Benefits of Data Minimization During National Emergencies Like COVID-19 (preprint)

Overall, data minimization provides more benefits to the United States in both the short and the long term because it directs governmental resources to areas that curb the spread and effects of COVID-19; it honors our democratic, republican principles of government; and it protects individual liberties reinstated by judicial precedent and guaranteed by the United States Constitution. While it may appear, in the short term, broader data information would aid in the fight against COVID-19, it would need to reach the level of surveillance as seen in communist, dictatorial regimes in order to be effective, which is something the Constitution and the American people will not allow. Thus, in the short term, it is far wiser and more prudent to direct financial energy toward those areas that do in fact aid in the fight against COVID-19, which, in the long term, upholds American democracy and liberty. When the COVID-19 chapter of history closes, those governments that did not give in to the reactionary, totalitarian temptations will be made clear. If there only be one, let it be America.
Beliefs About Faith and Work: Development and Validation of Honoring God, Prosperity Gospel Scales

Disputes over the connection between beliefs and behaviors, coupled with the relative paucity of survey measures of specific theological beliefs related to work and its association with financial success, motivated the development of two beliefs scales: beliefs about work as a means to honor God and beliefs about God promising prosperity for believers. Analyses demonstrated these two scales to be distinct from one another and reliable. Using a national sample of over 1,000 working adults, we assessed the relationship of the specific belief scales to Lynn et al.’s (J Bus Ethics 85(2):227-241, 2009) faith at work scale, Mirels and Garrett’s (J Consul Clin Psychol 36(1):40-44, 1971) Protestant Work Ethic scale, two personality scales (Conscientiousness and Neuroticism), entrepreneurial behavior, helping behavior, and religious tradition. Results indicate convergent and divergent validity and demonstrate the potential utility of these beliefs scales for predicting work-related attitudes and practices.
The Manifestation of Sexual Repression, Gender in Popular Music: A Case Study on Katy Perry

Michel Foucault had discussed that the repression of sexuality was a manipulation of ideology by dominant group. He stated that sexual repression was nothing but a hypothesis that allowed the agencies of power (bourgeoisies, or males) to verbalize sexuality to satisfy their pleasures and desires. On the other hand, women repression has been long existed in popular music culture. The empowerment and independence of women, therefore, became a breakthrough in the history of popular music. However, the author made an assumption that the repressive hypothesis also occurred in this music-gender context. This paper critically analyzed Katy Perry’s hit single “Teenage Dream” by applying Foucault’s statements in finding the implication of the women repressive hypothesis. The study showed that the traditional context of sexual repression has been transferred to a masculinity-femininity conflict where the repression of womenwas only a hypothesis, raising a conclusionthat the liberation of women in popular music is the pleasures of the patriarchy.
Nearest Neighbor Classifier with Optimal Stability.

Stability has been of a great concern in statistics: similar statistical conclusions should be drawn based on different data sampled from the same population. In this article, we introduce a general measure of classification instability (CIS) to capture the sampling variability of the predictions made by a classification procedure. The minimax rate of CIS is established for general plug-in classifiers. As a concrete example, we consider the stability of the nearest neighbor classifier. In particular, we derive an asymptotically equivalent form for the CIS of a weighted nearest neighbor classifier. This allows us to develop a novel stabilized nearest neighbor classifier which well balances the trade-off between classification accuracy and stability. The resulting classification procedure is shown to possess the minimax optimal rates in both excess risk and CIS. Extensive experiments demonstrate a significant improvement of CIS over existing nearest neighbor classifiers at an ignorable cost of classification accuracy.
Carcinogenic potential and genomic instability of beryllium sulphate in BALB/c-3T3 cells.

Occupational exposure to beryllium (Be) and Be compounds occurs in a wide range of industrial processes. A large number of workers are potentially exposed to this metal during manufacturing and processing, so there is a concern regarding the potential carcinogenic hazard of Be. Studies were performed to determine the carcinogenic potential of beryllium sulfate (BeSO4) in cultured mammalian cells. BALB/c‐3T3 cells were treated with varying concentrations of BeSO4 for 72 h and the transformation frequency was determined after 4 weeks of culturing. Concentrations from 50–200 μg BeSO4/ml, caused a concentration‐dependent increase (9–41 fold) in transformation frequency. Non‐transformed BALB/c‐3T3 cells and cells from transformed foci induced by BeSO4 were injected into both axillary regions of nude mice. All ten Be‐induced transformed cell lines injected into nude mice produced fibrosarcomas within 50 days after cell injection. No tumors were found in nude mice receiving non‐transformed BALB/c‐3T3 cells 90 days post‐injection. Gene amplification was investigated in K‐ras, c‐myc, c‐fos, c‐jun, c‐sis, erb‐B2 and p53 using differential PCR while random amplified polymorphic DNA fingerprinting was employed to detect genomic instability. Gene amplification was found in K‐ras and c‐jun, however no change in gene expression or protein level was observed in any of the genes by Western blotting. Five of the 10 transformed cell lines showed genetic instability using different random primers. In conclusion, these results indicate that BeSO4 is capable of inducing morphological cell transformation in mammalian cells and that transformed cells induced by BeSO4 are potentially tumorigenic. Also, cell transformation induced by BeSO4 may be attributed, in part, to the gene amplification of K‐ras and c‐jun and some BeSO4‐induced transformed cells possess neoplastic potential resulting from genomic instability.
Lipid metabolism in the larval and adult forms of the tapeworm Spirometra mansonoides.

Abstract The composition and metabolism of the fatty acids and lipids in the larval and adult forms of Spirometra mansonoides were studied. The parasite has a high content of cholesterol and of neutral and phospholipids which contain large amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The fatty acid composition of the parasite closely resembles that of its host. S. mansonoides lacks the mechanisms required for the synthesis de novo of its sterols and long chain saturated and unsaturated fatty acids either in the presence or in the absence of molecular oxygen. By contrast, it possesses mechanisms for the synthesis of its own triglycerides, sterolesters, and phospholipids, with the use of exogenously supplied sterols and fatty acids.
Exploring Noncommutative Algebras via Deformation Theory

This is an expository paper which explains how one can use deformation theory to construct new algebras from known ones, and study their properties.
Operationalizing Central Place and Central Flow Theory With Mobile Phone Data

Central Place and Central Flow Theory are geographic explanations as to why and how settlements or cities develop in size. Central Place Theory postulates that cities self-organize into a spatial hierarchy were small numbers of very large ‘Central Places’ support numerous surrounding and less developed ‘Low Places’, while ‘Middle Places’ develop at the periphery of where Central Places carry spatial influence. Central flow theory is a complementary notion that explains the cooperative development of cities through joint information sharing. Both theories are often discussed, with multiple regional development and economic models built upon their tenets. However, it is very difficult to quantify the degree to which Central Place and Central Flow Theory explains the development and positions of cities in a region, particularly in developing countries where socioeconomic data is difficult to collect. To facilitate these measurements, this paper presents a way to operationalize Central Place and Central Flow Theory using mobile phone data collected across a region. It defines a set of mobile phone data attributes that are related to basic facets of the two theories, and demonstrates how their measurements speak to the degree to which the theories hold in the region the mobile phone data covers. The theory is applied in a case study where promising locations for economic investment in a developing nation are identified.
Phase II trial of biweekly paclitaxel and cisplatin in advanced breast carcinoma: an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group study.

PURPOSETo determine the efficacy of a biweekly paclitaxel and cisplatin regimen in patients with advanced breast carcinoma, which has previously been reported to produce an 85% response rate in such patients.PATIENTS AND METHODSSixteen patients with metastatic breast carcinoma who had relapsed after prior doxorubicin-containing adjuvant chemotherapy were treated with paclitaxel (90 mg/m2) by intravenous (i.v.) infusion over 3 hours followed by cisplatin (60 mg/m2) given by i.v. infusion over 1 hour on an outpatient basis. Treatment was repeated every 2 weeks if the absolute neutrophil count was > or = 750/microL and platelet count > or = 75,000/microL. After a maximum of eight cycles of paclitaxel/cisplatin, patients received biweekly paclitaxel alone (90 mg/m2 with dose escalation). Thirteen patients were assessable for response and all for toxicity. Nine of 13 patients assessable for response (69%) had at least three sites of metastases and 10 patients (77%) had visceral-dominant disease.RESULTSPartial ...
WIP Limiting Control Strategies

Many companies find themselves with too much work-in-process. The disadvantages of high levels of WIP are numerous. Two major disadvantages of high WIP levels that are difficult to economically evaluate are not being able to respond to demand changes quickly and the potential to build a considerable quantity of poor quality stock before realizing that there is a quality problem. To help control inventory within production and manufacturing facilities, WIP limiting production procedures are frequently used.
Achieving accelerated and shared growth in Ghana : a MAMS-based analysis of costs and opportunities

This paper relies on the recently developed Maquette for Millennium Development Goals Simulations (MAMS) model to assess the consistency of alternative scaling-up and policy packages for growth and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in Ghana. In the baseline scenario, Ghana's strong near and medium-term growth outlook puts it in a good position to achieve the poverty Millennium Development Goal ahead of schedule, but other goals are likely to remain elusive before 2015. In the accelerated growth scenario-which addresses the major gaps in water and sanitation and other infrastructure-even more rapid growth and poverty reduction are possible, but important targets in the areas of education, health, and environment remain unattainable. Although growth is complementary to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, the authors also find important growth-human development trade-offs in the near term. The estimates show that the resource requirements for achieving the key Millennium Development Goals by 2015 are large, reaching US$82 per capita in an illustrative foreign-grant financed scenario. Increased intake and retention of students contribute to rising scarcity of unskilled labor, buttressing unskilled wages, while high demand for skills from the sectors related to the Millennium Development Goals raises the returns to human capital. These developments lead to improvements in the welfare of the poorest members of Ghanaian society and contribute to a small reduction in overall inequality.
Do amount of variant differentiation and mitotic rate in bladder cancer change with neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is currently recommended to all candidate patients with muscularis propria-invasive bladder cancer. However, NAC is effective in only a subset of patients, and predictors of response are lacking. Our study aimed to characterize tumoral changes with NAC usage and to identify features at bladder biopsy/transurethral resection (Bx/TUR) that may predict response. A retrospective search was performed to identify patients with bladder cancer that were pT2 at Bx/TUR upon whom a radical cystectomy (RC) was performed from 2007 to 2010. A blinded slide review of the Bx/TUR and RC was conducted. Presence, type, percent of tumor variant morphology, and tumoral mitotic rate were assessed. Ninety RC patients with slides available were identified (46 NAC, 44 non-NAC). In NAC-treated patients, there was a significantly higher percentage of nonurothelial variant differentiation in the RC compared with Bx/TUR, whereas there was no difference in the non-NAC subgroup. Percent variant differentiation at Bx/TUR was not a predictor of response. There was a significant decrease in mitotic rate between Bx/TUR and RC in NAC patients, whereas there was no difference in the non-NAC subgroup, although mitotic rate was not a predictor of response. In conclusion, percent variant differentiation and mitotic rate changed significantly from Bx/TUR to RC with NAC usage, although neither predicted response. Pathologists should be aware that variant differentiation is common in bladder cancer, with increased presence after NAC, in order to improve recognition and documentation of these findings.
Controlled assembly of rodlike viruses with polymers

A practical method to assemble rodlike tobacco mosaic virus and bateriophage M13 with polymers was developed, which afforded a 3D core–shell composite with morphological control.
Lymphadenectomy for anterior cutaneous malignancies of the head and neck

Cutaneous cancer is the most common malignancy in the United States. Basal cell carcinomas (BCC), squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) represent the nonmelanoma category and correspond to 3.5 million skin cancers annually. Melanoma, a more aggressive skin cancer with a higher propensity for regional metastases, represents 5% of all diagnosed skin cancers, but 75% of skin cancer related deaths. Appropriate evaluation and management of regional lymph nodes is an important part of workup, staging and prognosis. Cervical lymphadenectomy in anterior cutaneous malignancies is dependent on the histology of lesion, location of the primary lesion, stage at presentation, and the status of the parotid basin. Regardless of histology, node positive disease in the absence of distant metastasis should be managed surgically with complete lymphadenectomy. In anterior cutaneous malignancies, this includes level I-IV neck dissection and often a parotidectomy. As for the N0 neck, appropriate evaluation and management of at-risk nodal basins differs by the type of cancer. In this article, we will review workup and management of head and neck primary skin cancers, and present our technique for anterior cervical lymphadenectomy.
The Reactive Oxygen Species- and Michael Acceptor-inducible Human Aldo-Keto Reductase AKR1C1 Reduces the α,β-Unsaturated Aldehyde 4-Hydroxy-2-nonenal to 1,4-Dihydroxy-2-nonene *

The human aldo-keto reductase AKR1C1 (20alpha(3alpha)-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase) is induced by electrophilic Michael acceptors and reactive oxygen species (ROS) via a presumptive antioxidant response element (Burczynski, M. E., Lin, H. K., and Penning, T. M. (1999) Cancer Res. 59, 607-614). Physiologically, AKR1C1 regulates progesterone action by converting the hormone into its inactive metabolite 20alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, and toxicologically this enzyme activates polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon trans-dihydrodiols to redox-cycling o-quinones. However, the significance of its potent induction by Michael acceptors and oxidative stress is unknown. 4-Hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) and other alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes produced during lipid peroxidation were reduced by AKR1C1 with high catalytic efficiency. Kinetic studies revealed that AKR1C1 reduced HNE (K(m) = 34 microm, k(cat) = 8.8 min(-1)) with a k(cat)/K(m) similar to that for 20alpha-hydroxysteroids. Six other homogeneous recombinant AKRs were examined for their ability to reduce HNE. Of these, AKR1C1 possessed one of the highest specific activities and was the only isoform induced by oxidative stress and by agents that deplete glutathione (ethacrynic acid). Several hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases of the AKR1C subfamily catalyzed the reduction of HNE with higher activity than aldehyde reductase (AKR1A1). NMR spectroscopy identified the product of the NADPH-dependent reduction of HNE as 1,4-dihydroxy-2-nonene. The K(m) of recombinant AKR1C1 for nicotinamide cofactors (K(m) NADPH approximately 6 microm, K(m)(app) NADH >6 mm) suggested that it is primed for reductive metabolism of HNE. Isoform-specific reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction showed that exposure of HepG2 cells to HNE resulted in elevated levels of AKR1C1 mRNA. Thus, HNE induces its own metabolism via AKR1C1, and this enzyme may play a hitherto unrecognized role in a response mounted to counter oxidative stress. AKRs represent alternative GSH-independent/NADPH-dependent routes for the reductive elimination of HNE. Of these, AKR1C1 provides an inducible cytosolic barrier to HNE following ROS exposure.
Corrosion resistance of welds in type 304L stainless steel made with a nickel-copper-ruthenium welding consumable

Ni–Cu–Pd welding consumables have been recently developed for 300-series austenitic stainless steels such as Type 304L (SS304L) to reduce the amount of Cr(VI) in the welding fumes. In this study, a modified filler metal that replaces Pd with Ru was evaluated. Initial tests conducted on button-melted samples and bead-on-plate welds indicated that Ni–Cu–Ru exhibited good corrosion properties. Actual Ni–Cu–Ru arc welds made on SS304L were successfully produced and the corrosion performance was comparable to or better than that of Ni–Cu–Pd welds. These welds are a suitable replacement for welds made with standard 300-series welding consumables, such as SS308L.
Sugar and Society in China: Peasants, Technology, and the World Market . By Sucheta Mazumdar. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1998. Pp. xx, 657. $49.50.

This thoroughly researched history of sugar in Qing China (1644–1911) was published at a fortuitous time. After nearly two decades of “China-centered” history, scholars are again situating China within a global context. In the early 1980s, when Sucheta Mazumdar began her research, many scholars were turning away from questions relating to China's contact with the outside world in order to concentrate on developments within China. Reacting against an established body of scholarship that portrayed late imperial China as technologically stagnant, isolated, and impervious to change, historians set out to document the myriad social, political, and economic transformations underway in China prior to the “Western impact” (Paul Cohen. Discovering History in China. New York: Columbia University Press, 1984). The new comparativists build upon these insights. With a wealth of local and regional histories to draw upon, they are now returning to the old question of why China failed to experience its own self-induced industrial revolution (See, for example, the recent exchange of views in the Journal of Asian Studies 61, no. 2 [May 2002]: 501–662). Published on the upstroke of this reinvigorated debate, this book combines “China-centered” and comparative approaches to analyze why China, “universally acknowledged to be one of the most developed economies up through the mid-eighteenth century, paused in this development in the nineteenth” (p. 10).
Identifying molecular mechanisms underlying PKC regulation of Cav1.2

The regulation of Ca2+ influx through the phosphorylation of the L-type Ca2+ channel, Cav1.2, is important for the modulation of excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling in the heart. Cav1.2 is thought to be the target of multiple kinases that mediate the signals of both the renin-angiotensin and sympathetic nervous systems. Detailed biochemical information regarding the protein phosphorylation reactions involved in the regulation of Cav1.2 is limited. The PKC family of kinases can modulate cardiac contractility in a complex manner, such that contractility is either enhanced or depressed, and relaxation is either accelerated or slowed. We have previously reported that Ser1928 in the C-terminus of α1c was a target for PKCα, ζ and e phosphorylation. Using GST fusion proteins of all intracellular domains, we have mapped additional phosphorylation sites of several PKC isoforms. We then developed phospho-epitope specific antibodies for these phosphorylation sites to test for regulation in a heterologous expression system and cardiac myocytes. Here, we report the identification of a new PKC phosphorylation site, Ser1674 in C-terminus of the Cav1.2 α1c subunit. Phosphorylation of this site is PKC isoform-specific, as only PKC α, βI, βII, γ, δ and θ, but not PKC e, ζ and η, were able to phosphorylate this site. This site could not be phosphorylated by PKA and PKG in vitro. Using a phospho-epitope-specific antibodies to Ser1674 (pS1674) and Ser1928 (pS1928), we demonstrated that both sites within C-terminus are phosphorylated in HEK cells in response to PMA. Phosphorylation was inhibited with a PKC inhibitor, bisindolylmaleimide. In Langendorff-perfused rat hearts, both Ser1674 and Ser1928 were phosphorylated in response to PMA. In conclusion, we have identified a new PKC phosphorylation site within the C-terminus of α1c.Supported by HL68093.
I Love You, I Hate You: Toward a Psychology of the Hindu Deus Absconditus

pathology (Carstairs 1961; Spratt 1966; Masson 1980; Kakar 1981) or normative developments relative to each culture (Roland 1988; Kurtz 1992), the seemingly uncontested consensus is that Hindu India nurtures a "collective self." Though generally finding many of these studies quite fascinating and often persuasive, I wish to draw attention to a dimension that is routinely overlooked. In an effort to paint with broad strokes a culture preoccupied with psychological mergers and integrations, many authors fail to take note of particular forms of bhakti, or devotion, that appear to contest such a preoccupation. The structural features of viraha bhakti (love-in-separation) and virodha bhakti (love-manifest-as-enmity) in particular reflect and influence a psychological construction of self that is not merged in or integrated with the other: viraha bhakti and virodha bhakti present Hindu god images that model a separated-individuated self. Because any one religious tradition is clearly overdetermined, definitive psychological interpretations remain elusive. This is certainly the case with viraha bhakti and virodha bhakti. While maintaining that the two devotional models similarly reflect a separated-individuated self, I nevertheless present competing interpretations. The competition issues from the difference between interpreting god imagery as either corresponding with or compensating for the realities of childhood (Kirkpatrick 2005). In the former case, the religious model repeats culturally normative developments; in the latter, the religious model deviates from culturally normative developments. Whether or not the compensation is psychologically deviant is an altogether different issue. The two interpretations I present here share a common point of departure in what the psychoanalytic anthropologist Stanley N. Kurtz calls the "new psychology of Hinduism" (1992: 6). Kurtz's new psychology is based upon what many contemporary ethnographers consider to be a "more" accurate portrait of Hindu childrearing practices. Where the "classical" account addresses the Hindu mother's wholesale indulgence of her child, the new account stresses physical indulgence accompanied
Teaching the environment to control quantum systems

A nonequilibrium, generally time-dependent, environment whose form is deduced by optimal learning control is shown to provide a means for incoherent manipulation of quantum systems. Incoherent control by the environment (ICE) can serve to steer a system from an initial state to a target state, either mixed or in some cases pure, by exploiting dissipative dynamics. Implementing ICE with either incoherent radiation or a gas as the control is explicitly considered, and the environmental control is characterized by its distribution function. Simulated learning control experiments are performed with simple illustrations to find the shape of the optimal nonequilibrium distribution function that best affects the posed dynamical objectives.