cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tumor Necrosis Factor–Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand–Induced Apoptosis Is Inhibited by Bcl-2 but Restored by the Small Molecule Bcl-2 Inhibitor, HA 14-1, in Human Colon Cancer Cells

Purpose: Tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a promising anticancer agent that induces apoptosis in multiple tumor cell types while sparing most normal cells. We determined the effect of ectopic Bcl-2 expression on TRAIL-induced apoptosis and whether the small molecule Bcl-2 inhibitor, HA14-1, could increase TRAIL sensitivity. Experimental Design: SW480 human colon cancer cells were stably transfected with the PC3-Bcl-2 plasmid or vector alone. Cells were incubated with recombinant human TRAIL ± HA14-1 or caspase-9 inhibitor (Z-LEHD-FMK). Apoptosis was analyzed by Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate labeling and DNA fragmentation factor 45 (DFF45) cleavage. Clonigenic survival was also studied. Caspase activation was determined by immunoblotting or colorimetric assay. The cytosolic expression of Bid, Bax, and XIAP and release of cytochrome c and Smac/DIABLO were determined by immunoblotting. Results: Bcl-2 overexpression partially protected SW480 cells from a dose-dependent induction of apoptosis by TRAIL, as did a caspase-9 inhibitor, and increased their clonogenic survival. Bcl-2 overexpression attenuated TRAIL-induced cleavage of caspase-8, indicating its activation upstream and downstream of mitochondria, as well as cleavage of Bid and caspase-3. Bcl-2 inhibited TRAIL-induced Bax translocation, cytosolic release of cytochrome c and Smac/DIABLO, and the downstream cleavage of XIAP and DFF45. Coadministration of HA14-1 and TRAIL increased apoptosis in SW480/Bcl-2 cells by restoring Bax redistribution and cytochrome c release. Conclusions: Bcl-2 confers apoptosis resistance to TRAIL by inhibiting a mitochondrial amplification step and by inactivating downstream XIAP in SW480 cells. HA14-1 reversed Bcl-2–mediated TRAIL resistance, suggesting a novel strategy for increasing TRAIL sensitivity in Bcl-2–overexpressing colon cancers.
Factors influencing maltreated children's early adjustment in foster care

Internal representations of self and primary attachment figures may be one mechanism by which maltreatment affects children's interpersonal behavior and relationships with others. Research on the continuity and influence of maltreated children's attachment representations, however, has not included youngsters removed from abusive or neglectful home environments. This paper examines the influence of maltreated children's maternal and self-representations on subsequent relationships with foster mothers and behavioral adjustment in foster care. Participants included 32 children, ages 9-13 years, who entered foster placement for the first time after a sustained relationship with a maltreating biological mother. Upon initially entering foster care, children's maternal and self-representations were significantly related to each other and to severity of maltreatment history but not to other factors believed to influence the quality of parent-child relationship (e.g., maternal mental health, partner stability). In addition, these representations significantly predicted children's subsequent views of their relationships with foster mothers. Finally, children's behavior in their foster homes was associated with maltreatment severity, internal representations assessed at entry into foster care, and to concurrent perceptions of their new foster mothers. These findings advance our understanding of foster placement's role in maltreated children's development and provide preliminary insight into the processes associated with the formation of potentially compensatory relationships.
Non-axial-scanning second harmonic microscopy

We demonstrate a chromatic second harmonic imaging technique that exploits the chromatic aberration of a Fresnel lens to focus different wavelengths into different axial positions to effectively realize axial scanning and improve imaging speed.
Tend and Befriend Biobehavioral Bases of Affiliation Under Stress

In addition to fight-or-flight, humans demonstrate tending and befriending responses to stress—responses underpinned by the hormone oxytocin, by opioids, and by dopaminergic pathways. A working model of affiliation under stress suggests that oxytocin may be a biomarker of social distress that accompanies gaps or problems with social relationships and that may provide an impetus for affiliation. Oxytocin is implicated in the seeking of affiliative contact in response to stress, and, in conjunction with opioids, it also modulates stress responses. Specifically, in conjunction with positive affiliative contacts, oxytocin attenuates psychological and biological stress responses, but in conjunction with hostile and unsupportive contacts, oxytocin may exacerbate psychological and biological stress responses. Although significant paradoxes remain to be resolved, a mechanism that may underlie oxytocin's relation to the health benefits of social support may be in view.
Practical Challenges in Private Stewardship of Rangeland Ecosystems: Yellow Starthistle Control in Sierra Nevadan Foothills

Private landowners are often de facto stewards of biodiversity and ecosystem services. In California's Sierra Nevada foothills, ranchers frequently present the only defense against biological invasions in private rangelands. Although ranchers' land management goals (e.g., the desire to control invasive species) can be consistent with ecosystem protection, practical constraints often limit their success. Considerable research on the invasive weed, yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis L.), has produced numerous control strategies. Nevertheless, the range of this noxious weed continues to increase. We used surveys and interviews to document the weed control efforts of 202 ranchers and to identify practical limitations to their efficacy. Overall, 86% of ranchers who had experienced yellow starthistle infestation had attempted control, using one or more of 19 methods. Early response reduced negative effects from yellow starthistle. Control methods learned from agricultural advisors were reported more effective than those learned elsewhere. Limitations to yellow starthistle control in our study population resulted from incomplete information regarding control methods, complexity of weed control in heterogeneous landscapes, inconsistent application of methods, and lack of long-term planning for weed control. Such hindrances make it difficult for landowners to implement control methods promoted by researchers. This gap between science and practice contributes to the continued increase of yellow starthistle within the study region. To shrink this gap, researchers and agricultural advisors can incorporate environmental heterogeneity into applied agricultural research, use land stewards' knowledge and experience, and increase public education.
Pulmonary evaluation and prevalence of non-invasive ventilation in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a multicenter survey and proposal of a pulmonary protocol

In order to evaluate the current standard of care for the management of respiratory failure in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a questionaire was mailed to the Medical Directors of 48 multidisciplinary ALS centers in the United States. Twenty centers reported information on 2357 patients, mean of 124 patients per center. Pulmonary function tests were performed at each visit in 17/20 institutions. Arterial blood gases, maximal expiratory pressures and maximal inspiratory pressures were followed in three centers and serum chloride was monitored in only four centers. The use of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) was extremely variable (range 0-50%) and included 360 patients (15%). The majority of centers used symptoms/signs of hypoventilation and worsening forced vital capacity (FVC) to initiate NIV with no established protocol. A FVC between 20 and 40% was used by most centers to initiate NIV. Due to great variability in the approach to monitoring pulmonary function among ALS centers and the modest effects of current medications to slow disease progression, we propose the use of a structured protocol which can prospectively study the role of NIV in prolonging survival and improving quality of life.
Newsvendor games: convex optimization of centralized inventory operations

A finite set of outlets with randomly fluctuating demands bands together to reduce costs by buying, storing and distributing their inventory jointly. This is termed inventory centralization and is a type of risk pooling. The expected centralization cost can be lowered even further, without disrupting the demand behavior at individual outlets, by inducing the outlets to correlate their individual demands. Given that the outlets’ demands are normally distributed, the lowering of the centralized cost corresponds to a semidefinite optimization problem. This paper establishes a closed-form optimal solution of the semidefinite program and a fair allocation of the centralized cost at optimality.
Making the marriage work: The benefits of strategy's takeover of entrepreneurship for strategic organization

It appears to us that strategy is succeeding in its takeover of the academic field of entrepreneurship. It is doing this by acquiring entrepreneurship’s most important assets ‐ faculty members. Of the entrepreneurship division’s 2035 members, 1000 (49.1 percent) are also members of the Business Policy and Strategy (BPS) division. Further, a recent glance at the Academy of Management postings for entrepreneurship positions found that of the 157 job postings, about two-thirds also listed strategy as a teaching preference. Of these, strategy was listed before
Functional differential equations with nonlocal initial conditions

We study the existence, uniqueness, asymptotic properties, and continuous dependence upon data of solutions to a class of abstract nonlocal Cauchy problems. The approach we use is based on the theory of m-accretive operators and related evolution equations in Banach spaces.
Differentiation of lipid-poor adrenal adenomas from non-adenomas with magnetic resonance imaging: Utility of dynamic, contrast enhancement and single-shot T2-weighted sequences

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the utility of dynamic, contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in combination with single-shot T2-weighted (ssT2) sequences in the differentiation of lipid-poor adrenal adenomas from non-adenomas. Materials and methods This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board and is HIPAA compliant. Between January 2007 and December 2010, 46 patients with MRI demonstrating a lipid-poor adrenal lesion who underwent either surgical resection or a minimum of 24 months of imaging follow-up were identified retrospectively. All images were retrospectively reviewed in blinded fashion by two radiologists. Each adrenal lesion was categorized by dynamic enhancement features and qualitative signal on ssT2 images and was categorized as an adenoma if it demonstrated homogenous enhancement in the arterial phase, washout with capsule enhancement in the delayed phase, and T2 signal isointense to normal adrenal tissue. Any lesion that did not fulfill all the criteria was classified as a non-adenoma. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy for characterization of adenoma were calculated for each reader with 95% confidence intervals. A κ test assessed level of agreement between readers. Results Application of our criteria lead to an MRI diagnosis of lipid-poor adrenal adenoma with a sensitivity of 84.2–89.5% (16/19–17/19), specificity of 96.3% (26/27), positive predictive value of 94.1–94.4% (16/17–17/18), negative predictive value of 89.7–92.9% (26/29–26/28), and accuracy of 91.3–93.5% (42/46–43/46). Agreement between the two readers showed substantial κ agreement for the differentiation of adenoma from non-adenoma. Conclusions Dynamic, contrast-enhanced T1-weighted three-dimensional gradient echo sequences in combination with ssT2 images can accurately differentiate lipid-poor adrenal adenomas from non-adenomas.
Chordal transfer for repair of anterior leaflet prolapse

A variety of techniques have been developed for repair of prolapse of the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve. At The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, we favor chordal transfer for this entity. In most instances, normal chordae with a strip of leaflet tissue are transferred from the posterior leaflet to the free edge of the unsupported anterior leaflet; the posterior leaflet is repaired in standard fashion employed for quadrangular resection. In selected cases, chordal transfer is accomplished by transfer of secondary anterior leaflet chordae to the unsupported free edge. Because normal chordae are used in both instances, there is no need for measurement of chordae or judgment of their length. With this technique for correction of anterior leaflet prolapse, 5-year freedom from reoperation after mitral valve repair is 96%.
UVB upregulates the bax promoter in immortalized human keratinocytes via ROS induction of Id3

Id3 belongs to the inhibitor of differentiation family of helix-loop-helix transcription factors, important in proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. We showed that Id3, but not Id2 or Id1, mediates the UVB-sensitization of immortalized keratinocytes by inducing caspase 9-dependent apoptosis. In this study, quantitative PCR analysis revealed a time-dependent increase in Id3 mRNA induced by UVB, dependent on reactive oxygen species. UVB upregulated promoter activity of Id3, but not Id2, at early time points, as shown by reporter assays and also stabilized Id3 mRNA, increasing its half-life from 10 to approximately 60 min. We next examined downstream events related to UVB-induced Id3 upregulation and investigated the effects of UVB or ectopic expression of Id3 on bax promoter activity. Regulatory elements in the bax promoter that mediate transcriptional activation by UVB and Id3, in the absence of p53, were identified. Bax promoter deletion analysis revealed that transcriptional activation by UVB involves a 738-bp region upstream from the transcription start site of bax. Mimicking the effects of UVB, ectopic expression of Id3 also upregulated bax mRNA and activated this 738-bp fragment. Mutational analysis of the transcription binding sites further showed that point mutations of the E-box region found in the 738-bp fragment, but not in a 174-bp fragment, completely abolished Id3- and UVB-inducible bax promoter activity, thus confirming the importance of Id3 and UVB-mediated Id3 upregulation in activating the bax promoter. These results suggest a mechanism whereby reactive oxygen species upregulation of Id3 relieves repression of bax via E-box-binding factors.
Erythema multiforme and epitheliotropic T‐cell lymphoma in the oral cavity of dogs: 1989 to 2009

Objectives To describe the clinical signs, major laboratory findings, diagnostic procedures and outcome in dogs with erythema multiforme or epitheliotropic T-cell lymphoma of the oral cavity. Methods Retrospective analysis identified 14 client-owned dogs with erythema multiforme or epitheliotropic T-cell lymphoma of the oral cavity. Histological changes were combined with immunohistochemistry and clonality testing data in selected cases, and a clinical follow-up was acquired. Results Ulcerative stomatitis with no significant or only minor abnormalities on haematology and serum biochemistry panels was common. Histological features were diagnostic in seven cases. The use of immunohistochemistry distinguished the two diseases in an additional three cases. In four cases, the diagnosis remained questionable, and clonality testing for T-cell receptor gamma gene rearrangement helped confirm erythema multiforme in one case. Clinical follow-up revealed erythema multiforme in two and epitheliotropic T-cell lymphoma in one of the remaining questionable cases. Clinical significance Erythema multiforme and epitheliotropic T-cell lymphoma may affect, but are rarely limited to the oral cavity of dogs, and they usually present as stomatitis. Histological features alone are not always diagnostic. Immunohistochemistry and clonality testing may assist in the differentiation between the two, but in ambiguous cases, repeated biopsy and clinical follow-up are essential.
ETD fragmentation features improve algorithm

Electron transfer dissociation (ETD) is an alternative technique used in mass spectrometry-based proteomics experiments. Because it is newer, most of the protein identification algorithms for ETD are still a simple derivation of well-established collision-activated dissociation algorithms without the consideration of many unique ETD spectral features. Sridhara and coworkers recently reported removing the charge-reduced precursors and corresponding neutral loss peaks to improve ETD peptide identification with the Open Mass Spectrometry Search Algorithm (OMSSA). These peaks were also used to deduce the charge of the precursors for low resolution data. The scheme is a concrete example of implementing known ETD fragmentation features to improve a protein identification algorithm.
Thermoelastic instability in a seal-like configuration

Abstract For the geometry of two flat plates contacting on a straight common edge with sliding parallel to the line of contact, conditions are found where pressure perturbations on the interface will grow, diminish or remain unchanged. The effects of materials properties, friction coefficient, and sliding speed are delineated. Conditions which lead to a growing disturbance may be thought of as undesirable in that they lead to locally increased contact loading as well as locally increased temperatures. Adjacent to the regions of increased pressure are regions of reduced pressure where the surfaces may part, and give rise to leakage when the line of contact is considered to represent the lip of a seal. It is shown that materials sliding on their own kind tend to be stable relative to this phenomenon, while good thermal conductors sliding on good thermal insulators must always have some characteristic sliding speed above which instability will occur.
Brain Reward Systems and Tourette's Syndrome

(1989). Brain Reward Systems and Tourette's Syndrome. International Journal of Neuroscience: Vol. 45, No. 3-4, pp. 255-257.
The Treatment of Animals Within Families of Young Children: Antecedents of Compassion and Cruelty

Although research evidence suggests that violence against animals has been linked with the commission of future interpersonal violence, the idea is far from new and the results are sometimes unclear. Available research does document linkages between animal violence and behavioral issues such as conduct and antisocial personality disorders as well as correlations between violence within the home and abuse of companion animals. Recent acceptance of these results has led to various efforts including mandatory cross reporting, the inclusion of animals as victims in orders of protection, and the presence of animal-friendly shelters for victims of intimate partner violence. There is a growing acceptance of the concept that violence as well as the understanding that violence towards animals is an important predictor of an individual’s propensity for future assaults and his or her level of danger/lethality. Empirical evidence also suggests that the experience of animal violence is significantly more widespread than previously considered, although the factors that influence the commission of these acts are not currently well understood. Educators are placed in a unique position to influence behavior as well as to cultivate relationships and increase understanding of the links between animal and human violence. Likewise, they can serve to model appropriate animal interactions by including humane education within their classrooms.
Symptomatic malignant pericardial effusion due to advanced pericardial malignancies: a palliative approach

We read with great pleasure the manuscript by Gong et al. published in a recent issue of the Journal of Thoracic Disease . Authors describe a rare pericardial neoplasm—primary malignant pericardial mesothelioma (PMPM)—complicated by superior vena cava compression and pericardial constriction (1). They did a commendable job in describing the diagnostic and treatment challenges related to their case. We would however like to highlight the palliative therapeutic approach which remains an extremely important treatment aspect in such cases.
Global Topographic Slope Enforcement to Ensure Connectivity and Drainage in an Urban Terrain

AbstractSources of high-resolution topographic data, such as LiDAR, characterize urban terrains in great detail and can provide a resource for distributed hydrologic modeling. Incorporating these data in a distributed hydrologic modeling framework is complicated by the numerous real and artificial pits, barriers, and surface depressions contained in the urban landscape. These features create difficulties with simulating surface drainage that must be resolved to ensure model stability and convergence. This study presents a methodology to calculate distributed slope fields from LiDAR-based digital elevation models (DEM) that addresses this problem and preserves topographic details. This global slope enforcement approach ensures complete domain drainage, and the effects are demonstrated by performing a rainfall-recession test on an impervious domain using a distributed hydrologic model (ParFlow) of an urban watershed in Baltimore. This study shows that the fraction of rainfall input retained as surface stora...
Abstract 652: Coronary Capillaries in Ischemic Congestive Heart Failure in Rats Exhibit Significant Morphological Disorder

In ischemic congestive heart failure (CHF), the heart is damaged and undergoes compensatory remodeling, a pathological process associated with harmful effects. The goal of this study is to explore the manifestation of CHF by examining the morphological changes occurring in the coronary microvasculature in CHF versus normal rat hearts. We tested the hypothesis that coronary capillaries in rats with CHF exhibit significantly more morphological disorder than those in control rats. Methods: CHF was induced by aortic banding, ischemia/reperfusion injury two months post-banding (left coronary artery ligation for 30 minutes) and aortic debanding one month post-injury. Resin polymer containing fluorescent dye was injected into coronary vasculature of excised hearts. Muscle tissue was digested using NaOH to reveal vascular casts that were sputter coated with gold for imaging under a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). A total of 93 SEM images from 14 rats (7 control, 7 CHF) were analyzed for structural alignment u...
Electromechanical Equilibrium Properties of Poly(acrylic acid/acrylamide) Hydrogels

Thermomechanical properties of poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide) hydrogels have been measured for a range of gels while systematically varying the acrylamide/acrylic acid ratio. The gels have been equilibrated with a buffer solution at constant pH and salinity. The gels were characterized in terms of their equilibrium swelling ratio, elastic modulus, and electrochemical potential. The results are in quantitative agreement with the predictions from a recently published thermodynamic field theory.
Assembled in code.

The article discusses the use of digital simulation in product testing. An example of simulations used by engineers at consumer goods company Procter & Gamble (P&G) to sure that their Tide Pods detergent packages would behave properly inside a washing machine's chaotic environment is presented. Topics include high-performance computing (HPC)-based digital manufacturing, the challenges of switching from traditional methods to HPC-based methods, and Pliant Energy Systems' digital manufacturing concept for the development of technology that generates power from moving water using smart materials, called hydrokinetic devices.
The growth of one-dimensional acceleration waves in a non-simple mixture of chemically reacting elastic materials

Here we consider the growth and decay of onedimensional acceleration waves, as second-order singular surfaces, propagating in a mixture of chemically reacting elastic materials. Many such materials are granular and, or, slightly porous and these properties have a significant influence on the chemical kinetics of the mixture. This is accounted for by a constitutive dependence on higher-order gradients of the deformation and entropy. Following the derivation of a general nonlinear differential equation which governs the wave amplitude, we consider the specific example of a compressive (expansive) wave entering a homogeneous region in strong thermochemical equilibrium and inducing an exothermic (endothermic) reaction. Central to the amplitude behavior is a function, called the thermochemical energy curve, which determines the rate of thermochemical energy released, or absorbed, by the induced reaction.
Contract Choice of Law in the Americas

The lodestar of contract conflicts, i.e., the principle of party autonomy,1 has long been controversial in Latin-American legal literature and practice.2 This principle is of course irreconcilable with the classical Savignian approach, which authors and courts throughout the subcontinent still profess to follow.3 Such doctrinal scruples, however, did not stop European courts from adopting it for the simple reason that party autonomy is indispensable for the conduct of international trade and commerce. Indeed, it is difficult to envision a safe and orderly conduct of business across national borders-in Kozolchyk's terms a "juridical road" on which the free flow of goods
Solitary Fibrous Tumor in a Female Urinary Bladder

Solitary fibrous tumors of the bladder are extremely rare especially in the females. This is the third case of SFT in a female urinary bladder. We are presenting a case of 36-years-old female who underwent a procedure for what thought to be cervical myoma. Cystectomy and bilateral ureteral re-implantation were performed. Mass showed to be solitary fibrous tumor of the urinary bladder. These tumors are rarely occur in extrapleural spaces. Only few cases had been reported in the urinary bladder including 2 in the female and 10 in the male bladder.
THE INFLUENCE AND COUNTERMEASURE OF GENERATING UNIT’S TYPE ON AGC OPERATION PERFORMANCE

Based on actual status of AGC running on north china power grid,summarizes and analyses the load controlling capacity for several main type generation units,and discusses the influence of generation units’ type on AGC running performance,points out that the changing range of generating power of hydroelectric units and gas turbine generation units is large,and the responding velocity is fast,so it is easy to change regulating direction,while the responding velocity of steam power units and nuclear power units is slow and the regulating direction is hard to change.Finally,this paper suggests that a reasonable plane should be made and different evaluation indexes should be taken aiming at different type of AGC unit.
Phenolic compounds from Miconia myriantha inhibiting Candida aspartic proteases.

Assay-guided fractionation of the ethanol extract of the twigs and leaves of Miconia myriantha yielded two new compounds, mattucinol-7-O-[4‘ ‘,6‘ ‘-O-(S)-hexahydroxydiphenoyl]-β-d-glucopyranoside (1) and mattucinol-7-O-[4‘ ‘,6‘ ‘-di-O-galloyl]-β-d-glucopyranoside (2), along with mattucinol-7-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (3), ellagic acid (4), 3,3‘-di-O-methyl ellagic acid-4-O-β-d-xylopyranoside, and gallic acid. Complete 1H and 13C NMR assignments of compound 1, which possesses a hexahydroxydiphenoyl unit, were achieved using the HMBC technique optimized for small couplings to enhance the four-bond and two-bond H/C correlations. Compounds 1 and 4 showed inhibitory effects against Candida albicans secreted aspartic proteases, with IC50 of 8.4 and 10.5 μΜ, respectively.
Staking the Federalist Claim in Ellwangen, Frankfurt and Herrenchiemsee, March 1947–August 1948

The discussions in the CSU concerning the constitutional reformation of postwar Germany had, as has been noted, begun with the foundation of the party. To be sure, in the early days these discussions had been conducted on a rather informal basis, often in the form of exchanges of correspondence, as the physical difficulties involved in politicians’ meeting one another could not easily be overcome.1 This situation changed rapidly under the impact of the beginnings of reconstruction and the growing geopolitical alienation between East and West. Although it is historically inaccurate to classify that portion of Germany in the Soviet zone as ever having belonged to Eastern Europe, one may be allowed to say that, in the view of many responsible political leaders in the British and American zones, Eastern Europe had come to them in the van of the Soviet army in 1945. Minister-President Ehard’s assertion that the whole of Germany would be intellectually, politically, spiritually, and economically delivered ‘to the East’ if a Teilfoderation were not erected was not only a plea for a particular policy, but also the manifestation of a genuine apprehension.2
Foundations of Knowledge

Specific bodies of knowledge are built around embedded noun objects and the structural relation between these key clusters of knowledge centric objects (KCOs). Events, interactions, and social forces alter such KCOs and their structural relationships. Computational design of knowledge deploys these key objects, their interrelationships, and their interactions that can be stored, processed, and altered by knowledge machines (KMs). Structures of specific knowledge can be optimized to suit in the knowledge processor units (KPUs). The social processes modify prior knowledge at numerous levels ranging from gossip to creative problem solving. KMs also process and optimize clusters of KCOs to suit and explore windows of opportunity to heighten information to knowledge, notions, and valuable scientific concepts. In a sense, KMs and human mind handle act alike and follow intrinsic flow patterns to make the flow of knowledge organized, structured, scientific, useful, and possibly benevolent to the society.
A comparison of long-term outcomes between narrow and broad QRS complex patients treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Introduction There are few registries for narrow QRSd ≤ 120 ms patients treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). We report longterm outcomes for patients with narrow QRSd ≤ 120 ms comp...
The Psychological Impact of Previous Victimization: Examining the “Abuse Defense” in a Sample of Harassment Litigants

The present study examines the impact of previous sexual victimization on emotional distress in a sample of women (n = 492) involved in a sexual harassment class action lawsuit. Sexual harassment was found to predict symptoms of PTSD and general symptoms of anxiety, over and above the effects of previous victimization and other relevant personal variables; it also predicted depression and self-esteem, although previous victimization had a stronger impact on these variables than did sexual harassment. The effects of previous victimization and sexual harassment on emotional distress appeared to be independent and cumulative. The legal and clinical relevance of these findings are discussed.
Starting Anew: The ADA’s Disability with Respect to Episodic Mental Illness

This article argues that the judicial construction and application of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) is too narrow to achieve the broader purpose of the legislation. The ADA requires a claimant to establish that he has a diagnosed disability that negatively impacts what is legally defined as a significant life event. The plaintiff must also establish that the discrimination was causally connected to that disability.This essay argues that such an interpretation of the ADA fails to recognize overlapping identity variables and ignores the mental health consequences of persistent and racial harassment. Claimants who develop mental illness because of these kinds of discrimination are currently without relief under the ADA. The current requirements of a claimant to disclose her disability to her employer, that the mental illness pre-exist the discrimination, and that the discrimination not be traceable to other more apparent aspects of the claimant’s identity (e.g., sex, race, and ethnicity) creates too great of a burden and increases the possibility of injustice.This essay argues that an examination of the treatment of the mentally and physically ill should be the essential test for whether discrimination has taken place. Those who discriminate often do not take the time to parse the identity variables of their victim and specify their reasons for discrimination. Discrimination is often based on a sense by the discriminator of “otherness” and such social marginalization is easier the further the victim departs from the norm of heterosexual, white, able-bodied, middle-class man. The ADA should be interpreted in a way that keeps with its broader purpose and allows for determination as to whether the ascription of “otherness” to the claimant by an external observer has had detrimental consequence.
Multimode optomechanics and electrostatic control in slot-mode optomechanical crystals

We demonstrate a flexible slot-mode architecture for cavity optomechanics that supports mechanical frequencies between 400 MHz and 3.5 GHz, multimode operation coupling multiple optical and mechanical resonances, and an electrostatic actuation scheme for wavelength tuning/stabilization.
A cost-utility analysis of sentinel lymph node mapping, selective lymphadenectomy, and routing lymphadenectomy in the management of low-risk endometrial cancer.

10Background: Our objective was to evaluate the cost-utility of 3 lymphadenectomy (LND) strategies in the treatment of low-risk endometrial cancer (EC). Methods: A decision analysis model compared 3 LND strategies in women undergoing minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for EC: 1) routine LND in all pts; 2) selective LND based on intraoperative frozen section, in which 60% of pts undergo LND; and 3) sentinel lymph node mapping (SLN) based on a published algorithm, in which 15% of pts map unilaterally (requiring a contralateral LND) and 5% don’t map (requiring bilateral LND). Costs and outcomes were obtained from published literature and Medicare reimbursement rates. Costs categories consisted of hospital, physician, operating room, pathology, and lymphedema treatment. Effectiveness was defined as 3-year disease-specific survival adjusted for the impact of lymphedema (utility = 0.8) on quality of life. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) per quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained were calculated....
Research on Gain Scheduling: Quiet Past. Noisy Present! Symphonic Future?

After decades of silence on the subject, the academic research community in the 1990's has taken up the topic of gain scheduling for nonlinear control design with increasing interest. Recent work has led to the formalization and clarification of some old practices in gain scheduling, and also to new ideas that show promise of making their way into practice. This plenary lecture will describe some early examples of gain-scheduled control, discuss a number of current research directions, and perhaps comment on possibilities for the future.
Fundamental Understanding of CO2 Capture and Regeneration in Aqueous Amines from First-Principles Studies: Recent Progress and Remaining Challenges

Aqueous amine-based chemical scrubbing has been considered the most promising near-term solution for CO2 capture from flue gas. However, its widespread implementation is hindered by the high cost associated with the parasitic energy consumption during solvent regeneration, along with degradation and corrosion problems. Computer simulations have been widely used to improve our fundamental understanding of CO2 absorption materials and processes in efforts to design and develop high-performance, cost-effective solvents. Here, we review recent progress in first-principles studies on molecular mechanisms underlying CO2 absorption into aqueous amines and solvent regeneration. We also briefly discuss aspects that remain unclear, such as degradation and corrosion mechanisms, and the reaction-diffusion behavior of CO2 at the solvent/gas interface. This review highlights the increasingly significant role of first-principles-based atomistic modeling in exploring the function and properties of candidate materials, as...
Examining the Impact of Adherence to a Vegan Diet on Acid-Base Balance in Healthy Adults

Acidogenic diets, commonly measured by the potential renal acid load (PRAL), have been linked with metabolic diseases including insulin resistance, hepatic dysfunction, and cardiometabolic risk. Vegan diets are linked to low dietary acid loads, but the degree of adherence to a vegan diet to demonstrate this benefit is unknown. This study compared the change in PRAL and urine pH of omnivores who followed a vegan diet for either 2, 3, or 7 days over one week. Healthy adults were recruited from a campus population and randomly assigned to one of the three groups: VEG7 (vegan diet followed for seven consecutive days); VEG3 (vegan diet followed for three evenly spaced days over one week); or VEG2 (vegan diet followed for two evenly spaced days over one week). Gender, age, and body mass index did not differ between groups (overall: 21.8 ± 2.4 y and 24.4 ± 5.6 kg/m2). Following the one week intervention, outcome measures did not vary between the VEG2 and VEG3 groups, and these groups were collapsed for the final analyses. The 24-h urine pH was raised after seven consistent days of vegan diet adherence and was unchanged after 2–3 days of vegan diet adherence over the course of a week (+0.52 ± 0.69 and −0.02 ± 0.56 respectively, p = 0.048). However, dietary PRAL scores fell significantly in both dietary groups during the 7-day trial. Since low dietary PRAL scores have been related to improve metabolic parameters, adoption of a vegan diets for several days per week should be explored as a diet strategy to lower disease risk.
Appendix B to Introducing a New Database of 19th Century US Stocks

Second of three appendices to: http://ssrn.com/abstract=3011486. Critiques design and construction of predecessor indices of 19th century US stocks, including Smith and Cole (1935), Goetzmann, Ibbotson and Peng (2001), Macaulay (1938) and Cowles (1938).
Recent Results and Prospects from the STAR Detector and RHIC

Selected recent results from STAR and highlights from the RHIC complex of detectors, using soft and hard probes in heavy ion Au + Au collisions, are presented. As well, a glimpse to future investigations employing p + Au and nucleon spin structure studies with polarized proton collisions.
CHAPTER 42 – Flt3 ligand

This chapter discusses the interleukins, and the colony-stimulating factors (CSFs), which play a large role in regulating the survival, growth, and differentiation of hematopoietic cells. In the case of two CSFs, CSF-1, and Steel factor, this regulation was shown to result from the interaction of these proteins with specific tyrosine kinase receptors on the surface of these cells. The flt3 (fms like tyrosine kinase 3) tyrosine kinase receptor was isolated independently by two groups using different strategies. One group used low stringency hybridization with a DNA probe from the kinase domain of the CSF-1 receptor (c-fms) to isolate a partial cDNA clone of a related DNA sequence. The gene fragment was then used to isolate a full-length receptor clone, which was named flt3. A second group used a PCR-based strategy to isolate a novel receptor fragment from purified mouse fetal liver stem cells. This fragment was used to isolate a full-length receptor clone that was named flk-2 (fetal liver kinase 2). A comparison of the mouse flt3 and flk-2 receptor sequences revealed that these sequences differ by only two amino acids in their extracellular domain. The flt3 receptor has also been referred to as Stk-1 (stem cell kinase-1).
Elements of Magnetic Storage

Below we summarize some of the key points related to nanoscale processing in magnetic hard disk drives. The hard drive has several interrelated nanoscale components: the media, the sensor, the writer, and the coils; and all of these compenents must be scaled together in order to increase the areal density of the recording system. In scaling the media, one must balance the constraints of superparamagnetism against the ability of the recording head to write high coercivity media. Thermally-assisted recording and perpendicular recording may both offer paths to writing higher coercivity media. The sensor trackwidth is shrinking much fast than the smallest features found in ICs, which may place lithographic tooling constraints on the magnetic storage industry.
Exosomes: Key Supporters of Tumor Metastasis

Abstract Exosomes are secreted nanovesicles that are present in all body fluids under both normal and pathophysiological conditions. They have largely been recognized for their role in mediating intercellular communication by serving as carriers of different biomolecules, including proteins, RNAs, and lipids from one cell to another. Recent studies document that tumor cells shed exosomes at considerably higher rates, and these exosomes play critical roles in several early and late events associated with tumor development and metastasis. Given these observations, exosomes are being investigated for their exploitation in early cancer detection, monitoring of disease progression and chemotherapeutic response, and development of novel targeted therapeutics. In this chapter, we discuss, in detail, the significance of exosomes in tumor metastasis and highlight the strategies being tested to explore their translational potential.
Generative Adversarial Networks for Classification

Our team is reviewing tools and techniques that enable rapid prototyping. Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) have been shown to reduce training requirements for detection problems. GANs compete generative and discriminative classifiers to improve detection performance. This paper expands the use of GANs from detection (k=2) to classification (k>2) problems. Several GAN network structures and training set sizes were compared to the baseline discriminative network and Bayes' classifiers. The results show no significant performance differences among any of the network configurations or training set size trials. However, the GANs trained with fewer network nodes and iterations than needed by the discriminator classifiers alone.
Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling of Students’ Dietary Intentions/Behaviors, BMI, and the Healthfulness of Convenience Stores

Background: When dietary behaviors are habitual, intentions are low, and environmental cues, such as the consumer food environment, might guide behavior. How might intentions to eat healthily and ultimately actual dietary behaviors, be influenced by the consumer food environment (including the availability and affordability of healthy foods) in convenience stores? This study will determine pathways between the healthfulness of convenience stores and college students’ dietary intentions/behaviors, and body mass index (BMI). Methods: Through multilevel structural equation modeling, a comparison was made of students’ healthful meal intentions (HMI); intake (fruits/vegetables, %kcal/fat, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and whole-grains); and measured BMI; as well as the healthfulness of convenience stores (fruits/vegetables availability/quality, healthy food availability/affordability). Data was collected on 1401 students and 41 convenience stores across 13 US college campuses. Results: Controlling for gender, HMI was negatively associated with SSBs (β = −0.859) and %kcal/fat (β = −1.057) and positively with whole-grains (β = 0.186) and fruits/vegetables intake (β = 0.267); %Kcal/fat was positively (β = 0.098) and fruits/vegetables intake (β = −0.055) negatively associated with BMI. Campus level, fruits/vegetables availability were positively associated to HMI (β = 0.214, β = 0.129) and directly/negatively to BMI (β = −2.657, β = −1.124). Conclusions: HMI modifies dietary behaviors, with energy from fat and fruit/vegetable intake the most predictive of weight. Availability of fruit/vegetables in convenience stores make it easier for young adults to eat well.
Handling Forensic Evidence

An audio forensic investigation involves handling evidence. Often the evidence may be simply a digital file transferred from a compact disc, a USB memory stick, or even an email attachment. In other cases, the evidence may be stored in some sort of proprietary manner internally in a device or surveillance system. Even today, some audio forensic evidence may come as an analog tape recording.
Weight-based teasing is associated with gain in BMI and fat mass among children and adolescents at-risk for obesity: A longitudinal study.

Background Youths with overweight and obesity report frequent instances of weight-based teasing. However, little is known about the prospective associations between weight-based teasing and changes in body composition among youth. Objective To assess associations between weight-based teasing and changes in body mass index (BMI) and fat mass in a longitudinal study of youths with, or at-risk for, overweight and obesity. Methods One hundred ten youths with, or at-risk for, overweight participated in a longitudinal observational study. The Perception of Teasing Scale was administered at baseline. Height, weight, and body composition were obtained at baseline and at follow-ups (range: 1-15 years). Results Mean age at baseline was 11.8 years; 53% had overweight/obesity; 36% were non-Hispanic Black; 55% were female; mean follow-up from baseline: 8.5 years. Adjusting for covariates and repeated measures of BMI or fat mass, linear mixed models revealed that weight-based teasing was associated with greater gain of BMI and fat mass across the follow-up period (ps ≤ .007). Adjusting for covariates, youths reporting high weight-based teasing (two standard deviations above the mean) experienced a 33% greater gain in BMI (an additional 0.20 kg/m2 ) and a 91% greater gain in fat mass (an additional 0.65 kg) per year compared with peers who reported no weight-based teasing. Conclusions Among youths with, and at-risk for, overweight and obesity, weight-based teasing was associated with greater weight and fat gain.