cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Ring Compression Testing to Three Point Bend Testing for Unirradiated ZIRLO Cladding

Safe shipment and storage of nuclear reactor discharged fuel requires an understanding of how the fuel may perform under the various conditions that can be encountered. One specific focus of concern is performance during a shipment drop accident. Tests at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) are being performed to characterize the properties of fuel clad relative to a mechanical accident condition such as a container drop. Unirradiated ZIRLO tubing samples have been charged with a range of hydride levels to simulate actual fuel rod levels. Samples of the hydrogen charged tubes were exposed to a radial hydride growth treatment (RHGT) consisting of heating to 400°C, applying initial hoop stresses of 90 to 170 MPa with controlled cooling and producing hydride precipitates. Initial samples have been tested using both a) ring compression test (RCT) which is shown to be sensitive to radial hydride and b) three-point bend tests which are less sensitive to radial hydride effects.Hydrides are generated in Zirconium based fuel cladding as a result of coolant (water) oxidation of the clad, hydrogen release, and a portion of the released (nascent) hydrogen absorbed into the clad and eventually exceeding the hydrogen solubility limit. The orientation of the hydrides relative to the subsequent normal and accident strains has a significant impact on the failure susceptability. In this study the impacts of stress, temperature and hydrogen levels are evaluated in reference to the propensity for hydride reorientation from the circumferential to the radial orientation. In addition the effects of radial hydrides on the Quasi Ductile Brittle Transition Temperature (DBTT) were measured. The results suggest that a) the severity of the radial hydride impact is related to the hydrogen level-peak temperature combination (for example at a peak drying temperature of 400°C; 800 PPM hydrogen has less of an impact/ less radial hydride fraction than 200 PPM hydrogen for the same thermal history) and b) for critical strains in post drying handling, storage and accident conditions the 3 point bend strain tolerance is less affected by radial hydrides than the conventional ring compression test (the radial hydride related Quasi DBTT associated with a three point bend straining is lower (better) than that measured by the ring compression tests).Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Paraneoplastic Disorders and Ovarian Tumors

Researchers in Chang Gung University, Kaohsiung, and National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, assessed the prevalence and spectrum of paraneoplastic neurological disorders (PND) in children with benign ovarian tumor and the long-term outcome.
Altitude Scaling of Ice Crystal Accretion

This paper describes experiments performed in an altitude chamber at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) as the first step towards developing altitude scaling laws and procedures that will possibly allow aero-engines to be certified for operation in ice crystal clouds at high altitude by testing in sea level facilities. The principal objective was to test the hypothesis that accretion within a compressor due to ice crystal ingestion occurs when the local ratio of freestream liquid water content (LWC) to total water content (TWC) lies within a critical range at an accretionsusceptible location. If this hypothesis is correct, the local LWC/TWC ratio is the key parameter that must be matched in tests at low and high pressures to match accretions. Experiments were conducted in a small wind tunnel with an axisymmetric test article, consisting of a hemispherical nose attached to a conical afterbody, at a fixed TWC over a range of LWC/TWC ratios at (absolute) pressures of 34.5 kPa and 69 kPa to test the hypothesis. The LWC/TWC ratio was varied by changing the wet bulb temperature. Accretion steady-state volumes and growth rates measured at the two pressures were compared at conditions which were analytically predicted to produce matched LWC/TWC ratios. Good agreement was achieved in all cases. Accretion growth was greatest for LWC/TWC ratios in the range 10-25%. Additional tests demonstrated that wet bulb temperature, which was identified as an important variable in earlier studies, had little influence on accretion growth beyond its effect on LWC/TWC (i.e. ice particle melting). Tests were also conducted to determine whether accretion growth scales linearly with TWC at constant LWC/TWC. Those tests confirmed that not only does the accretion growth rate in the early growth phase scale in direct proportion to TWC , but so does the final size of the accretion. A simple semi-empirical model for predicting this behavior is described. While most of the tests were conducted with an ice particle median volumetric diameter of 45μ, some of the scaling tests were repeated with larger particles, which produced smaller accretions.
Association Between Sonographic Cervical Appearance and Preterm Delivery After a History-Indicated Cerclage

OBJECTIVES To determine which transvaginal cervical sonographic characteristics are associated with preterm delivery after placement of a history-indicated cerclage. METHODS We conducted a case-control study of all women with a singleton gestation and a history-indicated cerclage placed at a single center between January 1, 2008, and October 1, 2012. Cerclages were placed between 12 and 16 weeks' gestation. Cases were defined as women who delivered before 34 weeks' gestation; controls delivered at or after 34 weeks. Transvaginal cervical characteristics, such as cervical funneling, proximal cervical length, distal cervical length, and total cervical length, obtained between 18 and 24 weeks were compared between the two groups. Bivariable, multivariable, and log rank analyses were performed. RESULTS A total of 124 women met inclusion criteria, with 17 (14%) delivering before 34 weeks. Cervical funneling, a proximal cervical length of less than 1.5 cm, and a total cervical length of less than 2.5 cm were associated with an increased odds of preterm birth before 34 weeks in the bivariable analysis [odds ratio (OR), 10.9 (95% confidence interval (CI), 2.3-62.8), 2.9 (95% CI, 1.0-8.5), and 4.5 (95% CI, 1.3-16.4), respectively], whereas distal cervical length of less than 1 cm was not significantly associated with delivery before 34 weeks [OR, 3.0 (95% CI, 0.8-11.1)]. In multivariable analysis, only cervical funneling remained associated with preterm delivery before 34 weeks [adjusted OR, 10.6 (95% CI, 2.2-51.5)]. CONCLUSIONS In women with a history-indicated cerclage, cervical funneling is the only independently significant sonographic finding associated with an increased risk of preterm birth before 34 weeks.
Optical rotatory dispersion of sugars

Abstract The optical rotatory dispersion properties of uronic acids and acetamido sugars have been investigated. For both categories of sugars, two optically active transitions have been implicated as the foremost factors determining the shapes of the rotatory of dispersion curves in the spectral region below 230 nm. By a study of difference curves, the rotatory properties associated with the individual amide and carboxyl chromophores were isolated. The curves for the uronic acids were characterized by positive Cotton-effect peaks near 220 nm and negative Cotton effects shown below 190 nm. These features were ascribed to the influence of the equatorial carboxyl group on the pyranoid ring. The acetamido sugars were found to exhibit curves having a Cotton-effect minimum near 220 nm and a Cotton-effect peak at 200 nm. The present data have also been related to the results obtained previously for sugars lacking acetamido or carboxyl substituents, and these conform with the established views relating far-ultraviolet rotations to the configuration and conformation of the cyclic forms of sugars.
Autonomous Gust Insensitive Aircraft 1

The study of a small expendable Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that is capable of operating in harsh storm-like conditions is presented. Investigation shows that the selection of certain aerodynamic derivatives combined with a suitable control system has a profound effect on the gust response of a simulated UAV. Simulation comparison of this newly formulated Autonomous Gust Insensitive Aircraft (AGIA) to a conventionally developed aircraft suggests a significant reduction in the required capability of the autopilot control system. Simulation results are presented that show, although the AGIA requires closed-loop control for even still-air flight, the operation of this aircraft in a gusty environment does not significantly increase the requirements of the control system beyond what is typically used for a UAV autopilot. These results are contrasted with a conventionally designed aircraft that does not require automated closed loop control for stable still air flight, but requires more closed loop control than the AGIA for operation in gusty conditions. This result suggests that designing an aircraft with the AGIA formulated flight characteristics offers the benefit of operability in gusty environments using a low-cost autopilot system on a small, perhaps expendable UAV. Nomenclature v(t) = Body y-velocity p(t) = Roll rate r(t) = Yaw rate φ(t) = Bank angle yf(t) = Aircraft y-position relative to a fixed coordinate system ψ(t) = Heading angle Vw(t) = Wind velocity δa(t) = Aileron deflection Fy,v = Force in y-direction due to y-velocity Fy,p = Force in y-direction due to roll rate Fy,r = Force in y-direction due to yaw rate Fy,δa = Force in y-direction due to aileron deflection Mx,v = Moment in roll direction due to y-velocity Mx,p = Moment in roll direction due to roll rate Mx,r = Moment in roll direction due to yaw rate Mx,δa = Moment in roll direction due to aileron deflection Mz,v = Moment in yaw direction due to y-velocity Mz,p = Moment in yaw direction due to roll rate Mz,r = Moment in yaw direction due to yaw rate Mz,δa = Moment in yaw direction due to aileron deflection Cl,β = Coefficient of roll moment due to sideslip Cn,β = Coefficient of yaw moment due to sideslip ρ = Air density V0 = Aircraft cruise velocity S = Aircraft wing surface area b = Aircraft wing span m = Aircraft mass g = Acceleration of gravity
Preventing wounds from healing: a relationship with borderline personality?

Patients with borderline personality disorder are characterized by ongoing engagement in self-destructive behavior, which may, according to previous studies of samples of convenience, include preventing wounds from healing. In this study, we examined in a consecutive sample of internal medicine outpatients the relationship between borderline personality symptomatology (using two self-report measures for borderline personality) and the phenomenon of prevented-wounds-from-healing. According to two different statistical approaches, there was a statistically significant relationship between positive scores of borderline personality symptomatology on both measures, and prevented wounds from healing.
Synthesis of Cyclic Dendronized Polymers via Divergent “Graft-from” and Convergent Click “Graft-to” Routes: Preparation of Modular Toroidal Macromolecules

Cyclic dendronized polymers represent a new class of polymers which exhibit a donut-like “toroidal” shape. Two previous unreported methods for preparing this architecture, the divergent “graft-from” and the convergent click “graft-to” approaches, are explored and the resulting products fully characterized. This route is particularly attractive because it enables production of exact linear and cyclic dendronized analogues, enabling direct comparison of their physical properties. In this preliminary work, the divergent “graft from” approach appears to lead to materials with broad PDI at high DP, whereas the “graft to” approach yields more well-defined dendronized cyclic polymers at larger DP. On the basis of reports to date, a combination of click cyclization followed by click “grafting to” provides the most versatile route for the synthesis of cyclic dendronized polymers.
Beta Spectra of Pr 142 , Tm 170 , and Rb 86

The beta spectra and gamma rays of the isotopes ${\mathrm{Tm}}^{170}$, ${\mathrm{Pr}}^{142}$, and ${\mathrm{Rb}}^{86}$ have been examined with various types of spectrometers. An intermediate-image beta-ray spectrometer with a 10 percent transmission and a 5.5 percent resolution was used to examine the total and coincidence beta spectra. Total beta spectra were also studied with a thin-lens spectrometer set to about two percent resolution. Gamma rays were also studied with a scintillation spectrometer.The results of the investigation indicate that the 125-day activity of ${\mathrm{Tm}}^{170}$ has two beta groups with maximum energies of 970\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2 kev and 886\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}9 kev. Their respective intensities are about 78 percent and 22 percent, and their respective $log\mathrm{ft}$ values are approximately 9.0 and 9.1. Both beta groups are assigned as first forbidden transitions with $\ensuremath{\Delta}I=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1$, "yes." The single observed gamma ray of ${\mathrm{Tm}}^{170}$ is assigned as an $E2$ transition with an energy of 84.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.4 kev.The 19.2-hr activity of ${\mathrm{Pr}}^{142}$ has two beta groups with maximum energies of 2166\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}6 kev and 586\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}15 kev. The 2166-kev beta group has a $log\mathrm{ft}$ value of about 7.8 and the 586-kev beta group has a $log\mathrm{ft}$ value of about 7.1. The $log[(W{o}^{2}\ensuremath{-}1)ft]$ value of the 2166-kev beta group is 10.2. The intensities for the 2166-kev and 586-kev beta groups were found to be, respectively, 90-95 percent and 5-10 percent.The 2166-kev beta group is assigned as first forbidden with $\ensuremath{\Delta}I=2$, "yes" and the 586-kev beta group as first forbidden with $\ensuremath{\Delta}I=0 or\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1$, "yes." The single observed gamma ray, having an energy of 1572\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}8 kev, is tentatively assigned as an $E2$ or $M1$ transition. The $E2$ and $\ensuremath{\Delta}I=0$, "yes" choices are probably correct.The 19.5-day activity of ${\mathrm{Rb}}^{86}$ has two beta groups with maximum energies of 1770\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4 kev and 680\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}6 kev. Their intensities are about 88 percent and 12 percent, respectively. The $log\mathrm{ft}$ value for the 1770-kev beta group is about 8.5 and for the 680-kev beta group 7.8. The $log[(W{o}^{2}\ensuremath{-}1)ft]$ value for the 1770-kev beta group is 9.7. This beta group is assigned as a first forbidden transition with $\ensuremath{\Delta}I=2$, "yes," and the 680-kev beta group is tentatively assigned as first forbidden with $\ensuremath{\Delta}I=0$, "yes." The single gamma ray has an energy of 1080\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}6 kev and is tentatively assigned as an $E2$ transition.The Kurie plots of the 680-kev beta group of ${\mathrm{Rb}}^{86}$ and the 886-kev beta group of ${\mathrm{Tm}}^{170}$ were examined for deviations from a straight line. Within experimental error no deviation from a straight line was observed.
Heroes and Villains: Politics and Historical Memory in Late Medieval East Europe

The paper examines the process of forging a new historical memory in a particular area of the late medieval and early modern Eastern Europe. Because of contemporary intellectual controversy in present-day Lithuania and Belarus over its role in the early Grand Duchy of Lithuania, I have chosen for the study the historical land of Navahrudak. In order to elucidate the role of Navahrudak in the past, I have tried to investigate what a ruling class in Navahrudak did really remember of its past, as well as what was forgotten and why, in the specific conditions of the early sixteenth-century of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. First of all, by utilizing primarily such historical evidence as chronicles and by focusing mainly on the memories of dukes who had ruled in the region, I tried to understand the process of how the region’s historical memory was being forged. My research clearly reveals that most of what we actually know about Navahrudak’s past appears as nothing else as the sixteenth-century construction, initiated primarily by the contemporary Lithuanian chancellor Albertus Gastoldus and forged by a remarkable team of Renaissance intellectuals employed in the grand ducal chancellery. Their vision of the region’s past was greatly influenced by the actual political, social and even personal (familial) considerations and was clearly aimed at glorifying Navahrudak’s past, by highlighting especially Navahrudak as Lithuania’s first political center, where Albertus Gastoldus had began his political career and where also the political and economical interests of his kin were located.
An Optimal Configuration Scheme for Ultra-high Voltage Short-circuit Current Limiter in Guangdong Power Grid

Recent short-circuit current limiters normally present zero impedance and don't affect the operation of power grid.When confronted with system fault,impedance of limiters will increase rapidly to limit short-circuit current to ensure fault current staying below the breaker interrupt capacity.The optimal configuration for the short-circuit current limiters is studied,in which the self-impedance sensitivity weighted sum is used as an index to evaluate the current limiting effect,and the branch-adding method is applied to greatly reduce the calculation of optimization process.A fast calculating global optimization algorithm for configurating ultra-high voltage short-circuit current limiters is proposed with particle swarm optimization(PSO) modeling and corresponding adaptive function.The planning operating modes of Guangdong Grid in 2015 are calculated and analyzed by using the algorithm proposed,and corresponding optimal configuration scheme is obtained for ultra-high voltage short-circuit current limiters.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder.

AbstractMedical and surgical pathological records were analyzed for 46 patients with pure squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder. Nine patients had metastatic disease at the time of presentation and the remainder had disease limited to the bladder. The 5-year survival figures were 37 per cent for patients with submucosal and/or muscular invasion, and 13 per cent for those with perivesical invasion. No patient with extravesical disease survived 5 years. The best survival figures were encountered in patients who had preoperative radiation therapy followed by total cystectomy and urinary diversion compared to other modalities of treatment. Encouraged by these results we recommend preoperative radiation therapy followed by cystectomy and urinary diversion as the treatment of choice for patients with this uncommon bladder neoplasm.
Courts, Agencies, and Social Risk Assessment*

The recent development of new technologies in the health and medical areas has not occurred without cost. Progressive technologies to treat or prevent disease or discomfort may create new risks, even as they reduce risks attributed to “natural” conditions. Selective aversion to the manmade risks of advanced technologies can be counterproductive. A world with vaccines or pharmaceuticals is not perfectly safe, for example, but might be safer than a world without. The objective should not be to eliminate risk, but to reduce it to the minimum overall level by employing new technologies only when they promise to displace a greater amount of risk than they create.
Afterword: The End of Exile: Toward a Global Eutopia

In Part III of this study, we have seen how several major literary works that were written during the modernist period actually question the main philosophical and political assumptions of Modernism and Postmodernism. Although they are products of the exilic-utopian imagination, they question its co-optation by the will to power, showing the need to emancipate it from this will and pointing to alternative values outside their immediate cultural context.
Differential regulation of alpha-toxin expression by SNPs in Staphylococcus aureus isolates of Bovine Mastitis

S aureus is a major human and animal pathogen that can cause a variety of diseases. The exported α-toxin (hla) is an important virulence factor in many S. aureus infections. Although the complicated regulation of hla expression has been well studied in human S. aureus isolates, the mechanisms of hla regulation in bovine S. aureus isolates remain poorly defined. We found that many bovine S. aureus isolates generate tremendous amounts of α-toxin in vitro culture compared to human clinical S. aureus isolates. To explore potential regulatory mechanisms, we identified predominant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the hla promoter regions. Using bioinformatics, site-directed mutagenesis and hla promoter-lux reporter approaches, we identified and demonstrated that the SNPs contribute to the differential control of hla expression among bovine and human S. aureus isolates. Using a DNA affinity assay, gel-shift assays and a null mutant, we identified and revealed that an hla positive regulator, SarZ, mainly contributes to the involvement of the SNPs in mediating hla expression. In addition, we found that the hyper-production of α-toxin in these bovine S. aureus isolates may be partially attributable to higher transcription levels of hla positive regulators, including agrA, saeR, and arlR, but a lower expression level of hla repressor rot compared to the human S. aureus isolate. These findings provide new insights into the regulatory mechanisms of hla expression in S. aureus. Moreover, the identification of predominant SNPs in the hla promoter region may provide a novel method for genotyping the S. aureus isolates.
Obesity, type 2 diabetes, and impaired insulin-stimulated blood flow: role of skeletal muscle NO synthase and endothelin-1.

Although impairments in endothelial signaling are hypothesized to reduce insulin-stimulated blood flow in type 2 diabetes (T2D), human studies examining these links are limited. We provide the firs...
Distress is Interdependent in Patients and Caregivers with Newly Diagnosed Incurable Cancers.

Individuals with advanced, incurable cancer often experience high physical and psychological symptom burden. Family and friend caregivers are at risk for emotional distress. The aim of the study is to investigate the interrelationship of distress in patient-caregiver dyads at the time of newly diagnosed incurable cancer. From May 2011 to July 2015, within 8 weeks of diagnosis of advanced lung or noncolorectal gastrointestinal cancer, 350 patients and 275 family caregivers were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of early palliative care. Actor–partner interdependence modeling was used to examine relationships between dyad’s self-reported anxiety and depressive symptoms on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at baseline. Comparing patients with caregivers, patients reported more depressive symptoms (M diff = .84; t[274] = 3.17, p = .002, d = .22) and caregivers reported more anxiety symptoms (M diff =1.62, t[274] = 4.91, p < .001, d = .39). Dyads’ anxiety symptoms were positively associated, as were depressive symptoms (rs = .21, ps ≤ .001). Actor–partner interdependence modeling showed that patients’ anxiety symptoms were positively associated with their own depressive symptoms, with an equal effect for caregivers (actor effect βs = 0.52, ps < .001). Patients’ own anxiety was concurrently positively associated with their caregivers’ depressive symptoms, with an equal effect for caregivers to patients (partner effect βs=0.08, ps=.008). In the context of newly diagnosed incurable cancer, caregivers experience more pronounced anxiety, while patients report greater depressive symptoms. Findings indicate that anxiety and depressive symptoms are interrelated among dyads facing newly diagnosed incurable disease. Results emphasize the importance of addressing distress in both patients and caregivers. Future research should discern when dyadic versus individual psychosocial interventions would be optimal. The trial was registered with the ClinicalTrials.gov database (NCT02349412) https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02349412 .
An in Silico, Biomarker-Based Method for the Evaluation of Virtual Neuropsychiatric Drug Effects.

The recent explosion in neuroscience research has markedly increased our understanding of the neurobiological correlates of many psychiatric illnesses, but this has unfortunately not translated into more effective pharmacologic treatments for these conditions. At the same time, researchers have increasingly sought out biological markers, or biomarkers, as a way to categorize psychiatric illness, as these are felt to be closer to underlying genetic and neurobiological vulnerabilities. While biomarker-based drug discovery approaches have tended to employ in vivo (e.g., rodent) or in vitro test systems, relatively little attention has been paid to the potential of computational, or in silico, methodologies. Here we describe such a methodology, using as an example a biophysically detailed computational model of hippocampus that is made to generate putative schizophrenia biomarkers by the inclusion of a number of neuropathological changes that have been associated with the illness (NMDA system deficit, decreas...
Deep Learning at Chest Radiography: Automated Classification of Pulmonary Tuberculosis by Using Convolutional Neural Networks

Purpose To evaluate the efficacy of deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) for detecting tuberculosis (TB) on chest radiographs. Materials and Methods Four deidentified HIPAA-compliant datasets were used in this study that were exempted from review by the institutional review board, which consisted of 1007 posteroanterior chest radiographs. The datasets were split into training (68.0%), validation (17.1%), and test (14.9%). Two different DCNNs, AlexNet and GoogLeNet, were used to classify the images as having manifestations of pulmonary TB or as healthy. Both untrained and pretrained networks on ImageNet were used, and augmentation with multiple preprocessing techniques. Ensembles were performed on the best-performing algorithms. For cases where the classifiers were in disagreement, an independent board-certified cardiothoracic radiologist blindly interpreted the images to evaluate a potential radiologist-augmented workflow. Receiver operating characteristic curves and areas under the curve (AUCs) were used to assess model performance by using the DeLong method for statistical comparison of receiver operating characteristic curves. Results The best-performing classifier had an AUC of 0.99, which was an ensemble of the AlexNet and GoogLeNet DCNNs. The AUCs of the pretrained models were greater than that of the untrained models (P < .001). Augmenting the dataset further increased accuracy (P values for AlexNet and GoogLeNet were .03 and .02, respectively). The DCNNs had disagreement in 13 of the 150 test cases, which were blindly reviewed by a cardiothoracic radiologist, who correctly interpreted all 13 cases (100%). This radiologist-augmented approach resulted in a sensitivity of 97.3% and specificity 100%. Conclusion Deep learning with DCNNs can accurately classify TB at chest radiography with an AUC of 0.99. A radiologist-augmented approach for cases where there was disagreement among the classifiers further improved accuracy. © RSNA, 2017.
What is the Human?: Imagining the Self as Post-human

This project consists of a series of three primary media sculptures that progressively remove the human form and replace it with technology. The organic human forms have no active functionality and are juxtaposed with manufactured technological components that provide the interactive aspect of the artwork. The facial molds resemble "death masks" that can be found in art museums and anthropological collections, but are made "alive" with recycled technology. The intention of the artists is to evoke exploration, captivation and fantasy from the viewer as he or she explores these interactive sculptures. The artwork questions as well as highlights the importance of technology as part of our contemporary culture and consciousness and intends to engage in the discourse of human versus cyborg, technicism versus humanism.
Direct analysis of benzo[a]pyrene metabolites with strong overlapping in both the spectral and lifetime domains

Abstract The ultimate goal of the present study is to develop screening methodology for the urine analysis of metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The investigated approach is based on surface matrix fluorescence spectroscopy, where octadecyl silica membranes serve the dual purpose of metabolite extraction and solid substrate for fluorescence measurements. One of the main challenges faced by this approach is the interference of concomitants in the sample matrix. The present study focuses on three metabolites with strong spectral and lifetime overlapping, namely benzo[a]pyrene-trans-9,10-dihydrodiol, benzo[a]pyrene-r-7,t-8,c-9-tetrahydrotriol and benzo[a]pyrene-r-7,t-8,c-9,c-10-tetrahydrotetrol. As an attempt to improve spectral and lifetime resolution, time-resolved excitation emission matrices are recorded at 77 K with the aid of a cryogenic fiber optic probe and laser-based instrumentation. In comparison to conventional spectrofluorimeters, the use of laser-based instrumentation improves the limits of detection by approximately two-orders of magnitude. The fiber optic probe facilitates the collection of time-resolved excitation emission matrices for the detection of the three metabolites at the pg mL− 1 concentration level. Their accurate determination in urine samples of unknwon composition is only possible with the aid of unfolded-partial least squares/residual tri-linearization. This algorithm demonstrated to be well-equipped to handle strong overlapping in both the spectral and time domains.
Adherence to treatment guidelines and survival for older patients with stage II or III colon cancer in Texas from 2001 through 2011.

BACKGROUND Treatment guidelines for colon cancer recommend colectomy with lymphadenectomy of at least 12 lymph nodes for patients with stage I to stage III disease as surgery adherence (SA) and adjuvant chemotherapy for individuals with stage III disease. Herein, the authors evaluated adherence to these guidelines among older patients in Texas with colon cancer and the associated survival outcomes. METHODS Using Texas Cancer Registry data linked with Medicare data, the authors included patients with AJCC stage II and III colon cancer who were aged ≥66 years and diagnosed between 2001 and 2011. SA and adjuvant chemotherapy adherence rates to treatment guidelines were estimated. The chi-square test, general linear regression, survival probability, and Cox regression were used to identify factors associated with adherence and survival. RESULTS The rate of SA increased from 47.2% to 84% among 6029 patients with stage II or stage III disease from 2001 to 2011, and the rate of adjuvant chemotherapy increased from 48.9% to 53.1% for patients with stage III disease during the same time period. SA was associated with marital status, tumor size, surgeon specialty, and year of diagnosis. Patient age, sex, marital status, Medicare state buy-in status, comorbidity status, and year of diagnosis were found to be associated with adjuvant chemotherapy. The 5-year survival probability for patients receiving guideline-concordant treatment was the highest at 87% for patients with stage II disease and was 73% for those with stage III disease. After adjusting for demographic and tumor characteristics, improved cancer cause-specific survival was associated with the receipt of stage-specific, guideline-concordant treatment for patients with stage II or stage III disease. CONCLUSIONS The adherence to guideline-concordant treatment among older patients with colon cancer residing in Texas improved over time, and was associated with better survival outcomes. Future studies should be focused on identifying interventions to improve guideline-concordant treatment adherence. Cancer 2017. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Low carotid stump pressure as a predictor for ischemic symptoms and as a marker for compromised cerebral reserve in octogenarians undergoing carotid endarterectomy

Abstract Background Carotid artery occlusive disease can cause stroke by embolization, thrombosis, and hypoperfusion. The majority of strokes secondary to cervical carotid atherosclerosis are believed to be of embolic etiology. However, cerebral hypoperfusion could be an important factor in perioperative stroke. We retrospectively reviewed the stump pressure (SP) of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) of patients at Pennsylvania Hospital to identify whether physiologic perfusion differences account for differences in perioperative stroke rates, particularly in octogenarians. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of our prospectively maintained database for CEA performed between 1992 and 2015. SP was measured and recorded for 1190 patients. A low SP was defined as systolic pressure Results Symptomatic patients were more likely to have SP P = .0015). Patients having SP 50 mm Hg (2.9% vs 0.9%; P = .0174). Octogenarians were more likely to have a lower SP compared with patients younger than 80 years (35.7% vs 27.7%; P = .0328). Symptomatic patients with low SP were at highest risk for perioperative stroke (6.4% vs 1.2%; P = .001) compared with patients without these factors. Conclusions SP is a marker for decreased cerebrovascular reserve and along with symptomatic status identifies those at highest risk for periprocedural stroke with CEA. Whereas patients older than 80 years may benefit from carotid intervention, they are likely to be at somewhat elevated stroke risk because of higher prevalence of low SP, and shunting does not eliminate this risk.
Disparities in genetics assessment for women with ovarian cancer: Can we do better?

Abstract Objective We sought to characterize referral patterns for genetic counseling for women with ovarian cancer and hypothesized that differences in referral and testing rates are shaped by socioeconomic factors. Methods Patients were identified by pathology reports from August 2012 to January 2016 containing the words "serous" or "ovarian." Patient information was obtained via electronic medical record. Primary outcomes were placement of a genetics referral and completion of counseling. A secondary outcome was completion of genetic testing. Results We identified 246 women with a diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Ten were previously counseled and excluded. 53% of patients were referred for counseling with mean time from diagnosis to counseling of 4.6months. Age and family history were not associated with referral, however rates differed by race with 61% of Caucasian and 40%, 38% and 33% of Asian, Latina and Black women, respectively, referred ( p =0.035). Overall, 36% of patients diagnosed underwent counseling, and 33% were tested. English language ( p p = p Conclusion We have not yet reached the Society of Gynecologic Oncology recommendation for referral to genetics. Women of color and those with public insurance have lower referral rates. This disparity in care impacts cancer treatment options and prevents appropriate screening for other hereditary malignancies. To provide comprehensive oncology care, including genetic assessment, we recommend focusing on these barriers including improving outreach and interpreter services.
Development of an Expert System for Ultrasonic Flaw Classification

The complete characterization of a flaw requires information about the flaw type (crack, void, inclusion, etc.), flaw size, and orientation. Here we are only concerned with the determination of the flaw type so that the appropriate sizing algorithms can be chosen. This type of classification problem using ultrasonic waves is very suitable for employing the tools and techniques of artificial intelligence [1,2]. Adaptive learning methods, for example, have in the past been employed to train a flaw classification module so that it can distinguish between cracks and volumetric flaws [3]. Some of the limitations of this approach, however, have been due to the empirical nature of the features used for classification and the difficulty of understanding and adjusting the decision-making process when errors occur.
Investment Frictions, Aggregate Fluctuations, and Asset Pricing

This research investigates a link between capital market imperfections and asset pricing in a dynamic general equilibrium framework. Capital market imperfections are modeled in the form of investment frictions in a version of the costly state verification model, which is then embedded in a standard real business cycle model to study the effects of such frictions on the behavior of asset returns as well as on the business cycle dynamics. This paper shows how the severity of the frictions in capital markets may increase the volatility of the return on equity. Investment frictions in this model constrain the firm's ability to change its investment plan for intertemporal capital accumulation, which leads to lower variability in investment and higher variability in the price of capital. Consequently, the more severe the frictions, the more volatile is the return on capital, implying that holding equity of the firm is riskier and that the risk-free asset is relatively more valuable, and thereby generating a higher equity premium.
Initial B Cell Activation Induces Metabolic Reprogramming and Mitochondrial Remodeling.

B lymphocytes provide adaptive immunity by generating antigen-specific antibodies and supporting the activation of T cells. Little is known about how global metabolism supports naive B cell activation to enable an effective immune response. By coupling RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data with glucose isotopomer tracing, we show that stimulated B cells increase programs for oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and nucleotide biosynthesis, but not glycolysis. Isotopomer tracing uncovered increases in TCA cycle intermediates with almost no contribution from glucose. Instead, glucose mainly supported the biosynthesis of ribonucleotides. Glucose restriction did not affect B cell functions, yet the inhibition of OXPHOS or glutamine restriction markedly impaired B cell growth and differentiation. Increased OXPHOS prompted studies of mitochondrial dynamics, which revealed extensive mitochondria remodeling during activation. Our results show how B cell metabolism adapts with stimulation and reveals unexpected details for carbon utilization and mitochondrial dynamics at the start of a humoral immune response.
Una mirada internacional al sindicalismo

El declive del sindicalismo en el sector privado de Estados Unidos seha visto replicado en varias economias de altos ingresos. En estetrabajo se propone una explicacion economica para este fenomeno yse examinan diferentes correlaciones entre presencia sindical y cambios en el desempleo y en la desigualdad de ingresos. Contra estetelon de fondo, luego se pasa revista a la teoria y a la evidenciaempirica sobre las repercusiones economicas de cada una de las tres areas de accion del sindicalismo: (1) estructuracion de los salarios, (2) politica y (3) regulacion de la relaciones de trabajo. En cuanto a la primera, se discute el impacto de la negociacioncolectiva en el empleo y en los salarios tanto de los trabajadoressindicalizados como de los que no lo son. Tambien se analizan lasimplicancias economicas de las reglas de extension de los salarios alos trabajadores no pertenecientes al sindicato. En relacion con las actividades politicas de los sindicatos, se explicadesde una perspectiva economica por que estos defienden leyescomo la del salario minimo y restricciones que rigidizan el mercadolaboral. Se evaluan las fortalezas y debilidades de distintos esquemasde negociacion colectiva, y se analiza la evidencia de los efectos en laeconomia de estructuras de negociacion mas y menos centralizadas ycoordinadas. En lo que se refiere a la regulacion de las relaciones laborales, sesenalan los beneficios en productividad vinculados a la representacionde los trabajadores en su lugar de empleo. Al respecto, tambien sesenala que el sindicato no es el unico vehiculo que puede servir deagente de los empleados para estos efectos, analizandose aqui el papelque desempenan hoy en Europa los consejos de trabajadores.
Phosphine-mediated partial reduction of alkynes to form both (E)- and (Z)-alkenes

A mild, phosphine-mediated partial reduction of alkynyl carbonyls to the corresponding alkenes was developed. Tuning of the reaction conditions led to either the (E)- or (Z)-diastereomer with high selectivity. A range of alkynyl esters, amides, and ketones were reduced to form alkenes in good to high yields and with excellent functional group tolerance.
Association of increased somatic mutations in metastatic melanoma patients with clinical outcome.

e21568Background: Melanomas are frequently classified by somatic mutation status for driver mutations including BRAF, NRAS, and c-KIT. With next-generation sequencing (NGS) as part of routine clini...
The procedure value index: a new method for quantifying value in shoulder arthroplasty.

Background The purpose of this study was to introduce the procedure value index (PVI) and apply this value instrument to shoulder arthroplasty. The PVI uses the value equation in units of minimal clinically important difference (MCID) to provide an objective system of quantifying value-driven care. Secondarily, we describe the PVI for both primary anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) and reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) to highlight value differences between these patient populations. Methods Patients undergoing primary shoulder arthroplasty with minimum 2-year follow-up were identified retrospectively. MCIDs were determined for the Simple Shoulder Test (SST) score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, visual analog scale (VAS) score for pain, and Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) score. Cost data were reported as total hospitalization costs, total charges, and total reimbursements. The PVI was calculated as the ratio of outcome improvement in units of MCID over the cost of care. Mean PVIs for TSA and RSA were compared. Results Five hundred thirty-four patients met the inclusion criteria. MCIDs for the SST, ASES, VAS pain, and SANE scores were 3.61, 29.49, 3.28, and 37.05, respectively. With the exception of the ASES score, improvements in units of MCID were not different between TSA and RSA. However, total hospitalization costs and charges were significantly higher for RSA (P Conclusions The PVI was greater for TSA when total hospitalization costs and total charges were considered. The PVI helps highlight value differences in shoulder arthroplasty.
Redefinitions: Race and Rurality

Second-generation Anglo-Caribbean writers, who have often grown up in the metropolis, often show less ambivalence to the English and Welsh countryside environments in their accounts and instead write them from a viewpoint that is less colonially refracted than that of their predecessors. This chapter looks at contemporary accounts by Andrea Levy, Caryl Phillips, and Charlotte Williams. Levy and Phillips’s characters negotiate a difficult relationship with the countryside because of their urban backgrounds, for example by using urban or city terminology to describe rural or country scenes. Both Levy’s and Phillips’s protagonists remain at the margins, continuing to struggle to fit into English countryside village life. However, Williams’s experiences growing up in rural North Wales coupled with her deep connections to both the Caribbean and to her mother’s “Welshness” have allowed her to see and reimagine Wales in vivid and colourful ways.
Expertise, Teaching, and Craft:

My vision of the future: The business school is not an architectural masterpiece across the river from the main campus. It now sits squarely in the middle of campus, a slightly worse for the wear p...
Geometric transformations and Talavera tiles: a culturally responsive approach to teacher professional development and mathematics teaching

Research in mathematics education show that students learn more mathematics when it is connected to what they hear, see, and do outside of school; students’ cultural knowledge and experiences can s...
OM Forum—Challenges and Strategies in Managing Nonprofit Operations: An Operations Management Perspective

The operations management (OM) community is paying increasing attention to the analysis of nonprofit operations. However, what is it about this type of operation that makes it particularly interest...
Engineering Forward Genetics into Cultured Cancer Cells for Chemical Target Identification.

Summary Target identification for biologically active small molecules remains a major barrier for drug discovery. Cancer cells exhibiting defective DNA mismatch repair (dMMR) have been used as a forward genetics system to uncover compound targets. However, this approach has been limited by the dearth of cancer cell lines that harbor naturally arising dMMR. Here, we establish a platform for forward genetic screening using CRISPR/Cas9 to engineer dMMR into mammalian cells. We demonstrate the utility of this approach to identify mechanisms of drug action in mouse and human cancer cell lines using in vitro selections against three cellular toxins. In each screen, compound-resistant alleles emerged in drug-resistant clones, supporting the notion that engineered dMMR enables forward genetic screening in mammalian cells.
Effects of 1,25-Dihydroxy Vitamin D3 in Patients with Early Renal Failure

Patients with chronic renal failure commonly develop secondary hyperparathyroidism as creatinine clearances decrease to less than 30 ml/min.1 However, biochemical abnormalities have also been noted in patients with early renal failure (ERF), with higher creatinine clearances (30 to 90 ml/min). These abnormalities include hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia, and elevated serum levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH).2-4 Such abnormalities indicate that secondary hyperparathyroidism may be present even in the early stages of chronic renal failure.
Exploration of Dual Curves Using a Dynamic Geometry and Computer Algebra System

This submission presents a particular example of the use of the free dynamic mathematics software GeoGebra to determine the dual curve to the given curve and to inspect its properties. The example is aimed at students of mathematics teaching. The combination of dynamic geometry tools with computer algebra functions, namely the functions for the computation of Groebner bases for polynomial ideals and a function for eliminating variables from the system of polynomial equations, based also on the method of Groebner bases, allows them to apply naturally the knowledge they acquire during their study of mathematics.