cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacologic characterization of opioid peptide release from chromaffin cell transplants using a brain slice superfusion method.

A simple chamber and an inexpensive superfusion system for studying mammalian brain slices containing neural transplants is described. With this method, rat brain slices containing bovine chromaffin cell transplants can be maintained for several hours, allowing for the determination of neurochemical characteristics and pharmacologic responsiveness of the grafted cells. Using this technique, basal and nicotine-stimulated release of metenkephalin from rat periaqueductal gray slices containing bovine chromaffin cell transplants were measured. Results showed that met-enkephalin release can be increased by nicotinic stimulation in slices containing chromaffin cell, but not control implants, for at least 8 weeks postimplantation. Furthermore, this response was doserelated. These results are in good agreement with previous behavioral studies and provide corroborative evidence for the mechanism of pain reduction by the release of opioid peptides from chromaffin cell transplants in the periaqueductal gray. This study demonstrates that neurochemical and pharmacologic analyses of neural transplants using a superfused brain slice method can be a complementary approach in determining the underlying mechanisms of neural transplants in the central nervous system.
Maraviroc: a CCR5-receptor antagonist for the treatment of HIV-1 infection.

Abstract Background: The emergence of viral resistance is one of the greatest challenges in the treatment of HIV infection. Maraviroc is the first member of a new class of antiretroviral medications, the CCR5-receptor antagonists. It is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in combination with other antiretroviral agents in treatment-experienced patients infected with multidrug-resistant, CCR5-tropic HIV-1. Objective: This article provides an overview of the pharmacology, efficacy, and tolerability of maraviroc in the treatment of HIV-1 infection. Methods: Relevant information was identified through a search of MEDLINE (January 2000-May 2008) using the terms maraviroc , UK-427,857 , and CCR5-receptor antagonist . Also consulted were abstracts from the International AIDS Society Conference, the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, and other relevant scientific meetings. Additional publications were found by searching the reference lists of the identified articles and the FDA Web site. Results: Maraviroc is a selective, reversible, small-molecule CCR5-receptor antagonist. In vitro, it has potent anti-HIV-1 activity, with a mean 90% inhibitory concentration of 2.0 nmol/L. It is widely distributed, with a V d of ~194 L. Maraviroc is moderately metabolized in the liver (65.3%), primarily via the cytochrome P450 3A4 isozyme. It has an elimination t 1/2 of 15.9 to 22.9 hours. Until more data are available, maraviroc should be avoided in patients with severe hepatic insufficiency; dose adjustment does not appear to be necessary on the basis of age, sex, or renal function. In 2 Phase IIb/III studies, maraviroc 300 mg PO QD or BID was found to be more efficacious than placebo in reducing the viral load at 48 weeks in treatment-experienced, CCR5-tropic HIV-1-infected patients receiving an optimized background regimen (difference vs placebo—QD arm: -0.89 log 10 copies/mL [97.5% CI, -1.17 to -0.62]; BID arm: -1.05 log 10 copies/mL [97.5% CI, -1.33 to -0.78]). The proportion of patients with a viral load P Conclusion: When used in combination with other antiretroviral agents, maraviroc appears to be a promising agent for treatment-experienced patients infected with multidrug-resistant, CCR5-tropic HIV-1.
Coding of sung queries for music information retrieval

Much research in music information retrieval has focused on query-by-humming systems, which search melodic databases using sung queries. The database retrieval aspect of such systems has received considerable attention, but the query processing and the resulting melodic representation have not been examined as carefully. Common methods for query processing are rudimentary, which suggests that more advanced methods might improve retrieval performance. Researchers have also proposed that coarsely quantized melodic representations might improve performance, but these claims have not been carefully investigated. We examine several advanced query processing methods as well as quantized melodic representations for a query-by-humming system. We compute the retrieval accuracy of a complete query-by-humming system that uses these transcription methods along with varying degrees of pitch and duration quantization. We also compare the transcription methods in isolation by computing their segmentation performance. The results show that more advanced query processing can improve both segmentation performance and retrieval performance. Further, coarsely quantizing the melodic representation generally degrades retrieval accuracy rather than improving it.
Off-line handwritten word recognition using a hidden Markov model type stochastic network

Because of large variations involved in handwritten words, the recognition problem is very difficult. Hidden Markov models (HMM) have been widely and successfully used in speech processing and recognition. Recently HMM has also been used with some success in recognizing handwritten words with presegmented letters. In this paper, a complete scheme for totally unconstrained handwritten word recognition based on a single contextual hidden Markov model type stochastic network is presented. Our scheme includes a morphology and heuristics based segmentation algorithm, a training algorithm that can adapt itself with the changing dictionary, and a modified Viterbi algorithm which searches for the (l+1)th globally best path based on the previous l best paths. Detailed experiments are carried out and successful recognition results are reported. >
Establishment of tumor-associated immunity requires interaction of heat shock proteins with CD91.

Host antitumor adaptive immune responses are generated as a result of the body9s immunosurveillance mechanisms. How the antitumor immune response is initially primed remains unclear, given that soluble tumor antigens generally are quantitatively insufficient for cross-priming and tumors generally lack the classical pathogen-associated molecular patterns to activate costimulation and initiate cross-priming. We explored the interaction of the tumor-derived heat shock proteins (HSP) with their common receptor (CD91) on antigen-presenting cells (APC) as a mechanism for host-priming of T-cell–mediated antitumor immunity. Using targeted genetic disruption of the interaction between HSPs and CD91, we demonstrated that specific ablation of CD91 in APCs prevented the establishment of antitumor immunity. The antitumor immunity was also inhibited when the transfer of tumor-derived HSPs to APCs was prevented using an endogenous inhibitor of CD91. Inhibition was manifested in a reduction of cross-presentation of tumor-derived antigenic peptides in the lymph nodes, providing a molecular basis for the observed immunity associated with tumor development. Our findings demonstrate that early in tumor development, the HSP-CD91 pathway is critical for the establishment of antitumor immunity. Cancer Immunol Res; 2(3); 217–28. ©2013 AACR.
Maternal postpartum group B beta-hemolytic streptococcus ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection.

Background. Women with cerebrospinal fluid shunts require special management during the course of pregnancy.
Dual Minority Stress and Asian American Gay Men's Psychological Distress.

The present study investigated the direct and additive effects of racial minority stress and sexual minority stress on the psychological well-being among a community sample of 139 Asian American gay men. Self-esteem was tested to see whether it moderated or mediated the effects of perceived dual minority stress on psychological distress. Results revealed that sexual minority stress predicted self-esteem and both were predictors of psychological distress. Racial minority stress did not predict psychological distress. Contrary to the minority stress model existing in the current literature, the added disadvantages of racial/ethnic minority status did not increase Asian American gay men's psychological distress. Self-esteem did not mediate or moderate the relationships between minority stresses and psychological distress. These findings highlight the robust effects of stresses related to one'es homosexuality on psychological well-being and suggest that self-esteem may not always protect against multiple discriminations for Asian American gay men. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Psychosomatic and Psychophysiologic Disorders

Accumulating evidence indicates that we are becoming a psychosomati-cally oriented society. Results from many community surveys and data from physicians’ practices show that psychosomatic disorders and psycho-physiologic complaints are exceedingly frequent.* Moreover, Tringo2 has found that psychosomatic illnesses are now considered to be “acceptable.” His 1972 study revealed that respondents gave diseases such as peptic ulcer, arthritis, and heart disease much higher (more favorable) acceptability ratings than disorders such as tuberculosis, carcinoma, and mental illness. Tringo suggests that the psychosomatic illnesses are acceptable because of their great frequency and “lessened shock value.”
Mutual Coupling Effects in MIMO MRC Systems with Limited Feedback

We consider the impact of transmitter correlation, mutual coupling and matching networks on the design and performance of MIMO MRC systems with limited feedback. We present codebook design techniques for three measures of transmitted power and we investigate the impact of antenna matching on the performance of these codebooks. Numerical results suggest that, regardless of the power measure and matching networks, the benefits of MIMO MRC with limited feedback can be achieved with antennas spaced as close as 0.2 - 0.3 wavelengths apart.
A low loss monolithic five-bit PIN diode phase shifter

A novel monolithic 5-b phase-shifter topology made realizable by the use of PIN diode switching elements has demonstrated lower insertion loss than that available from more conventional configurations. The phase shifter features predicted insertion loss >
Encouraging Homeownership Through the Tax Code

Owning one’s home is widely viewed as an integral part of the American dream. Americans are taught from an early age to aspire to homeownership, and several long-standing federal institutions and regulations support owner-occupied residential housing.The income tax deduction for mortgage interest payments is possibly the best-known federal housing policy and is deeply ingrained in the economic and social fabric of the country. Evidence suggests, however, that the mortgage interest deduction (MID) does little if anything to encourage homeownership. Instead, it serves mainly to raise the price of housing and land and to encouragepeople who do buy homes to borrow more and to buy larger homes than they otherwise would. Most tax return filers, especially those with low or moderate incomes, do not itemize their deductions and therefore are not in a position to take advantage of the deduction if they were to buy a home. As a result, the deduction not only drains significant revenues from the Treasury every year, it also provides much larger benefits to high-income households than to low- or moderate-income households, and has at best a small effect on homeownership.In light of those concerns, the President’s Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform (2005) suggested major changes to the once politically sacrosanct MID. The panel proposed changing the deduction to a 15 percent credit and making it available to all filers, regardless of itemization status. Those proposals would partially address some of the problems noted above.While we believe the panel’s proposals regarding the MID would be a step in the right direction, we advocate bolder changes in federal housing policy. We propose a tax credit and a subsidized saving vehicle for first-time home buyers, financed by the elimination of the MID. Relative to current policy or to the panel’s recommendations, our proposals would be less expensive, more progressive, and more effective in encouraging homeownership.The report is organized as follows. Parts II and III provide background information on U.S. homeownership rates and federal housing policies, respectively. Part IV discusses the underlying justification for encouraging homeownership through public policy. Part V discusses the economic effects of the MID. Parts VI and VII describe our two proposed alternative policies and describe their potential effects. Part VIII is a short conclusion.
The DNA Sensor, Cyclic GMP–AMP Synthase, Is Essential for Induction of IFN-β during Chlamydia trachomatis Infection

IFN-β has been implicated as an effector of oviduct pathology resulting from genital chlamydial infection in the mouse model. In this study, we investigated the role of cytosolic DNA and engagement of DNA sensors in IFN-β expression during chlamydial infection. We determined that three-prime repair exonuclease-1, a host 3' to 5' exonuclease, reduced IFN-β expression significantly during chlamydial infection using small interfering RNA and gene knockout fibroblasts, implicating cytosolic DNA as a ligand for this response. The DNA sensor cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) has been shown to bind cytosolic DNA to generate cyclic GMP-AMP, which binds to the signaling adaptor stimulator of IFN genes (STING) to induce IFN-β expression. We determined that cGAS is required for IFN-β expression during chlamydial infection in multiple cell types. Interestingly, although infected cells deficient for STING or cGAS alone failed to induce IFN-β, coculture of cells depleted for either STING or cGAS rescued IFN-β expression. These data demonstrate that cyclic GMP-AMP produced in infected cGAS(+)STING(-) cells can migrate into adjacent cells via gap junctions to function in trans in cGAS(-)STING(+) cells. Furthermore, we observed cGAS localized in punctate regions on the cytosolic side of the chlamydial inclusion membrane in association with STING, indicating that chlamydial DNA is most likely recognized outside the inclusion as infection progresses. These novel findings provide evidence that cGAS-mediated DNA sensing directs IFN-β expression during Chlamydia trachomatis infection and suggest that effectors from infected cells can directly upregulate IFN-β expression in adjacent uninfected cells during in vivo infection, contributing to pathogenesis.
Isolation and footprint analysis of the Escherichia coli thr leader paused transcription complex

The E. coli thr operon leader region contains a cluster of transcription pause sites upstream of the attenuator. In this report, we determine the exact sites of pausing and analyze the structure of the ternary complex by footprint techniques. Under synchronized transcription initiation conditions in vitro, three closely-spaced transcription pause sites were identified. These pause sites appeared downstream of the first region of dyad symmetry, which encodes an RNA hairpin in the transcript, and occurred at positions G112, G114 and A116 of the thr leader RNA. The results showed that the half-life of the thr paused complexes at G112 and G114 could be enhanced by limiting the concentration of the nucleoside triphosphate GTP in the transcription reactions. In addition, the half-life of the paused complexes was shown to increase in the presence of NusA protein. The thr leader complex that paused immediately before residues G112 and G114 of the nascent transcript was isolated and its structure was analyzed with enzymatic and chemical cleavage reagents. The footprinting studies using DNase I showed that there were approximately 35 nucleotides on both strands of the DNA that were protected by RNA polymerase from DNase I cleavage. The DNA segment protected by RNA polymerase is approximately 19 nucleotides upstream and 14 nucleotides downstream of the pause sites. The results from hydroxyl radical footprints also showed a similar pattern of protection at the transcription pause sites. However, no significant differences in the footprinting patterns were observed in the presence or absence of NusA protein.
Upper bound on bit error rate for time synchronization errors in bandlimited distributed MIMO networks

Distributed multiple-input-multiple-output system (e.g., inter-cluster communication with cooperating nodes in a wireless sensor network) is a topic of emerging interest. Much of the previous studies in this area, however, assumed perfect synchronization among cooperating nodes and identically distributed communication links. Such assumptions are rarely valid in practical operating scenarios. This paper develops an analytical framework for computing an upper bound on the average bit error rate of a distributed space-time coded system with inter-symbol interference (due to imperfect location predictions and clock jitters between cooperating nodes and choice of data pulse shaping filters) over generalized fast fading channels. As an illustrative example, the performance of 2x1 multiple-input-single-output system that uses distributed orthogonal space-time block coding is presented, although this approach can be readily extended to analyze distributed transmit maximal ratio diversity and other variants of space-time schemes
MobiSys 2010 Conference Report

This report summarizes the work presented in the 8th Annual International Conference on Mobile Systems, Applications, and Services (MobiSys 2010). This conference included a keynote talk given by Rosalind W. Picard, a keynote by Deborah L. Estrin, and eight distinctive sessions covering different aspects of mobile computing. All the interesting and diverse talks made the conference fruitful and inspiring.
Can primordial magnetic fields seeded by electroweak strings cause an alignment of quasar axes on cosmological scales

The decay of nontopological electroweak strings may leave an observable imprint in the Universe today in the form of primordial magnetic fields. Protogalaxies preferentially tend to form with their axis of rotation parallel to an external magnetic field, and, moreover, an external magnetic field produces torque which tends to align the galaxy axis with the magnetic field. We demonstrate that the shape of a magnetic field left over from two looped electroweak strings can explain the observed nontrivial alignment of quasar polarization vectors and make predictions for future observations.
Precipitation Efficiency of Warm-Season Midwestern Mesoscale Convective Systems

Abstract The precipitation efficiencies for mesoscale convective systems (MCS) over the central United States are calculated. During July–September 2000 and June–September 2001, 24 MCS for which sufficient data were available occurred over or near Missouri. Precipitable water fields from the hourly Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) and radar-derived precipitation grids are used to calculate the precipitation efficiency. Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite soundings and RUC winds are used to assess the pre-MCS environment. Statistical analysis reveals that precipitation efficiency has a relatively strong positive correlation with the relative humidity in the layer between the surface and the lifting condensation level; significant negative correlations are found between the precipitation efficiency and both the convective inhibition and the environmental wind shear. The latter, inverse relationship between shear and precipitation efficiency supports the findings of previous investigators.
Leukotriene B4 formation: human neutrophil-airway epithelial cell interactions

Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) is a potent inflammatory mediator involved in the pathogenesis of many pulmonary diseases. Although the neutrophil is the predominant source of LTB4, other cells can also interact with neutrophils and increase LTB4 formation. In this study, we investigated whether human neutrophil-airway epithelial cell interactions can increase LTB4 formation. Neutrophils were cocultured with transformed airway epithelial cells (9HTEo- cells), and LTB4 and leukotriene A4 (LTA4) degradation product release was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography and ultraviolet spectrometry. When stimulated with the calcium ionophore A-23187, neutrophil-9HTEo- cell cocultures released more LTB4 and less LTA4 degradation products in a time- and dose-related manner than did neutrophils alone. This increase in LTB4 release involved the metabolism of neutrophil-derived LTA4 to LTB4 by 9HTEo- cells and was affected by the neutrophil-to-epithelial cell ratio. Enhanced LTB4 release required proximity between neutrophils and 9HTEo- cells but not specific cell-cell adhesion. Our data demonstrate that human neutrophil-airway epithelial cell interactions can increase LTB4 formation through transcellular arachidonic acid metabolism.
Politics : towards a New African Order?

Professor Edmond J Keller who is Director of the James S Coleman African Studies Center, University of California, Los Angeles, and a Research Fellow of the Africa Institute of South Africa, is optimistic that Africa's position within the New World Order and its consequent marginalization is forcing African civil society to find African solutions to African problems. This article is based on a lecture delivered at a seminar held at the Africa Institute.
Case report of using curved tip electrothermal bipolar coagulation to improve hilar dissection in VATS lobectomy.

Abstract Introduction Thoracoscopic lobectomy has gained a pivotal role in the resection of lung cancer. To facilitate the minimally invasive approach, new surgical devices have been developed to help improve the feasibility of performing complex cases. Recently, we adopted the use of a 5 mm curved tip electrothermal bipolar sealing device. Presentation of case We highlight two patients with different type of hilum during VATS lobectomy. First patient had a peripheral lung cancer with simple hilum while second patient had bronchiectasis with very complex hilum. In both cases, use of 5 mm curved tip electrothermal bipolar sealing device helped in successful completion of video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy. Discussion In these two cases, we were able to take advantage of the 5 mm curved tip electrothermal bipolar sealing device in completion of the hilar dissection. Conclusion Curved tip electrothermal bipolar sealing device allows complete dissection of hilar structures more easily during a lobectomy for simple and complex hilum. Use of this device may lead to more efficient VATS lobectomy.
Off-Dollar Pricing, Residential Property Prices, and Marketing Time

Academics participating in the residential real estate literature have recently begun to focus on the design of list prices, as opposed to the magnitude of list prices. The specialized design of list prices, referred to as “charm,” “even,” and “just-below-even” pricing is the subject of three recent works. This paper provides an alternative theoretical framework from earlier works and examines empirically the effect of off-dollar pricing, a heretofore uninvestigated listing design, on market outcomes. The results suggest that off-dollar pricing does not affect selling price, but properties exhibiting off-dollar pricing characteristics show signs of significantly shorter marketing times than their counterparts.
Long-term follow-up of subarterial ventricular septal defect with aortic valvular deformity

Objective To evaluate the natural history of the development and progression of aortic valve prolapse and aortic regurgitation (AR) in subarterial ventricular septal defect (VSD) and to suggest the indication of surgical management in Chinese patients Methods Between June 1975 and October 1999, 210 patients (133 male, 77 female) with subarterial VSD were studied Their ages ranged from 4 0 months to 30 7 years (mean, 12 2 ± 6 8 years) The ages at the first diagnosis ranged from 1 day to 13 5 years (mean, 2 5 ±2 4 years) The follow up period extended from 3 5 months to 24 3 years (mean, 8 6±5 3 years) All available data including clinical, echocardiographic, angiographic and surgical information were reviewed in detail Results Among 210 cases of subarterial VSD seventy five cases (36%) had early surgical closure of VSD because of congestive heart failure Of them, none developed aortic valve prolapse or AR after operation Among the other 135 patients without complication of congestive heart failure, 99 patients (73%) developed aortic valve prolapse with incidence rates of 8% (at the age of 1 year old), 31% (at the age of 5 years old), 66% (at the age of 10 years old) and 85% (at the age of 15 years old), respectively Seventy eight of 99 patients with aortic valve prolapse (79%) developed AR Fifty percent of patients with AR showed a progressive worsening of their AR severity during follow up At the 1st year and the 5th year of follow up, 19% and 66% of the cases of AR became worse The patients who developed aortic valvular deformities had a large size of VSD (≥5mm) but a normal pulmonary arterial pressure Their left to right shunt was not large Forty six patients (22%) were operated on (closure of VSD in 27 and closure of VSD plus valvuloplasty in 19 patients) because of significant AR or aortic valve prolapse Overall postoperative follow up ranged from 2 months to 15 9 years (mean 5 7 ± 4 6 years) None of patients with aortic valve prolapse alone developed AR after operation AR was improved in 39 patients Only 2 patients required subsequent aortic valve replacement for AR Conclusions Majority of patients with subarterial VSD are likely to develope aortic valve prolapse and AR which are progressive in most patients Serial echocardiographic studies are necessary during follow up Surgical intervention is recommended if there is any progression of aortic valve prolapse or AR The valvuloplasty is still regarded as a useful therapeutic option for patients who are not at the early stage of AR
Extended subendocardial resection. A surgical approach to ventricular tachyarrhythmias that cannot be mapped intraoperatively.

The optimal surgical management of patients with sustained, uniform-morphology ventricular tachycardia is endocardial activation sequence mapping during ventricular tachycardia and directed resection and/or cryoablation of the involved endocardium. The results of these procedures are superior to those obtained with nondirected aneurysmectomy. The optimal operative procedure when stable uniform ventricular tachycardia cannot be induced intraoperatively is uncertain. Between April, 1982, and April, 1984, intraoperative endocardial mapping was attempted on 33 patients with prior ventricular tachycardia. There were six perioperative deaths. Completely satisfactory intraoperative electrophysiologic maps were obtained in only 17 of the remaining 27 patients (63 %). In 10 of these 27 patients, stable ventricular tachycardia could not be induced in the operating room, and satisfactory mapping thus could not be performed. In the first three of these 10 patients, limited subendocardial resection was performed either in regions with fractionated activity during sinus rhythm (two patients) or in regions suggested by preoperative catheter mapping (one patient). Ventricular tachycardia recurred postoperatively in two of these three patients. In the next seven patients, all visible endocardial scar around the border of the aneurysm was resected. Clinical ventricular tachycardia could not be induced at postoperative electrophysiologic study and has not recurred in these seven patients. These results suggest that complete endocardial resection provides an acceptable operative approach when intraoperative electrophysiologic mapping is not satisfactory.
Leiomyosarcoma of the esophagus. Report of two cases, one with associated squamous cell carcinoma

Two new cases of leiomyosarcoma of the esophagus, one with an associated intraepithelial squamous cell carcinoma with foci of microinvasion, are presented and the literature is reviewed. Electron microscopic findings are presented with emphasis on features which may be helpful in determining the malignant potential of smooth muscle tumors, a determination which is often difficult at the light microscopic level. The literature regarding the association of leiomyosarcoma with epithelial malignancy in the gastrointestinal tract is reviewed, and the impression that this is a highly unusual occurrence is supported.
Renal Aneurysmectomy in the Ex Vivo Setting

The use of ex vivo dissection and reconstruction as definitive surgical management in 3 cases of renal artery aneurysms is presented. The indications, rationale for therapy and review of technique are discussed.
Conformation of beta-endorphin analogues in cerebroside sulfate solution.

The conformation of synthetic β-endorphin fragments in cerebroside sulfate solutions was studied by circular dichroism. The lipid was solubilized by the inert nonionic surfactant cetylpoly(oxyethylene) ether to facilitate optical measurements. All peptides show an aperiodic conformation in water. Addition of cerebroside sulfate induces a partial helical structure for human peptides, βh-endorphin(14-31), (17-31), and (1-5)-(16-31), and porcine peptides, βp-endorphin(1-25) and (6-31), but α-endorphin, γ-endorphin, and βh-endorphin(1-19), (6-17), (22-31), and (26-31) remain unordered in the lipid solution. Thus, the helical segment in , β-endorphin is deduced to be in the middle region of the parent molecule, probably involving two to three helical turns of approximately eight to nine amino acid residues between residues 13 and 24. This helical segment may bring the active sites of the otherwise flexible polypeptide to a correct geometry in the lipid environment in order to express its biological activity.
Becoming a Stop on the Road to the White House: Using a University Protocol to Govern Candidate Visits

Winthrop University capitalized upon South Carolina’s early presidential primary to bring 10 US Presidential candidates to campus between August 2015 and February 2016. These events are part of Winthrop University’s intentional commitment to civic engagement. This essay describes and analyzes how Winthrop University developed a campus-wide protocol for hosting visits by public officials and candidates. It also provides best practices that campuses may emulate in future election cycles.
Shifting Client Expectations of Law Firms: Morphing Law Firms into Managed Services Providers

It’s good to be the client. We dictate what we want from the law firms and when we want it delivered. That may have been true for decades, if not centuries, but now it is becoming more complicated. As pressure continues to mount on internal legal departments to do more with less, and as legal professionals are functioning more and more like business professionals, we have to think differently. Legal departments need to ask for different outputs from their outside counsel firms, and the law firms need to deliver legal services in a different way.
Motion Control in Intelligent Machines

Motion control in Intelligent Machines is a part of their system of Intelligence. The system of Intelligence is viewed as a nested heterarchical structure with control loops associated with its nested mechanism of decision making. NICS philosophy is outlined, and an attempt is made to consider an operator of information representation and refinement serving the decision making processes. Different task-decomposition routines are considered supporting decision making within the level of resolution and decision-making processes which determine the interaction of adjacent resolution levels. NICS* - operator is introduced applicable to systems of Intelligent Control.
Novel targets in the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors: RBP2

Retinoblastoma binding protein 2, also known as RBP2, JARID1A or KDM5A, is an H3K4 demethylase implicated in a variety of non-neuroendocrine, and more recently, neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). NETs are tumors that form from neuroendocrine cells in tissues of the GI tract, endocrine pancreas, lung, skin and other tissues. RBP2 is expressed at abnormally high levels in NETs and recent work demonstrates that modulation of RBP2 in vitro and in vivo impacts end points of tumorigenesis. Interestingly, the demethylase activity of RBP2 is not exclusively responsible for these changes, as RBP2's binding partners may mediate its activity in a tissue- or context-dependent manner. Here, we discuss the features of RBP2 and its role in cell cycle regulation, angiogenesis and drug resistance in cancer.
Caching at the web scale

Today's web applications and social networks are serving billions of users around the globe. These users generate billions of key lookups and millions of data object updates per second. A single user's social network page load requires hundreds of key lookups. This scale creates many design challenges for the underlying storage systems. First, these systems have to serve user requests with low latency. Any increase in the request latency leads to a decrease in user interest. Second, storage systems have to be highly available. Failures should be handled seamlessly without affecting user requests. Third, users consume an order of magnitude more data than they produce. Therefore, storage systems have to be optimized for read-intensive workloads. To address these challenges, distributed in-memory caching services have been widely deployed on top of persistent storage. In this tutorial, we survey the recent developments in distributed caching services. We present the algorithmic and architectural efforts behind these systems focusing on the challenges in addition to open research questions.
Distributed Acoustic Sensing for Seismic Monitoring of The Near Surface: A Traffic-Noise Interferometry Case Study

Ambient-noise-based seismic monitoring of the near surface often has limited spatiotemporal resolutions because dense seismic arrays are rarely sufficiently affordable for such applications. In recent years, however, distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) techniques have emerged to transform telecommunication fiber-optic cables into dense seismic arrays that are cost effective. With DAS enabling both high sensor counts (“large N”) and long-term operations (“large T”), time-lapse imaging of shear-wave velocity (V S ) structures is now possible by combining ambient noise interferometry and multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW). Here we report the first end-to-end study of time-lapse V S imaging that uses traffic noise continuously recorded on linear DAS arrays over a three-week period. Our results illustrate that for the top 20 meters the V S models that is well constrained by the data, we obtain time-lapse repeatability of about 2% in the model domain—a threshold that is low enough for observing subtle near-surface changes such as water content variations and permafrost alteration. This study demonstrates the efficacy of near-surface seismic monitoring using DAS-recorded ambient noise.
Parental perceptions of disease-severity and health-related quality of life in school-age children with congenital heart disease

PURPOSE Understanding parents' perceptions of their child's health status is important as parents are drivers of healthcare utilization in the pediatric setting. Understanding parent-perceived disease-severity and its effects on a child's health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) is necessary to evaluate outcomes of care, improve care coordination, and inform policies focused on advancing family-centered care for pediatric cardiac patients. The impact of CHDs and disease-severity on the child's HRQOL has been investigated with inconsistent results. The overall aim of this study was to examine parents' perceptions of HRQOL in their school-age child with CHD, and to compare HRQOL among patients with CHD across severity categories. DESIGN This was a descriptive correlational study design. METHODS A total of 71 parents of school-age children aged 5-12 years completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 Generic Core Scale (PedsQL) (including total, physical health, and psychosocial health summary scores) and cardiac-specific HRQOL Scale (PedsQL 3.0). PedsQL scores among CHD severity categories were compared by analysis of variance. RESULTS School-age children with CHDs had an overall good HRQOL with significant differences among disease severity categories for all scores. Parents reported lower scores on their HRQOL of older children compared to younger children across severity groups (p < .01) and for those children with more severe disease (p < .01). PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Based on the results of this study, interventions should focus on targeting psychosocial health in older children with CHD and physical health in younger children with CHD. This information is useful in providing practical recommendations in caring for children with CHDs while informing relevant policies.
The viral mediation of terror: ISIS, image, implosion

Operations involving the capture, processing, and transmission of terrorist events, campaigns, or images produce effects well beyond the representational/informational functions of media. This arti...
Global Cerebral Atrophy Detected by Routine Imaging: Relationship with Age, Hippocampal Atrophy, and White Matter Hyperintensities.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Interpreting the clinical significance of moderate-to-severe global cerebral atrophy (GCA) is a conundrum for many clinicians, who visually interpret brain imaging studies in routine clinical practice. GCA may be attributed to normal aging, Alzheimer's disease (AD), or cerebrovascular disease (CVD). Understanding the relationships of GCA with aging, AD, and CVD is important for accurate diagnosis and treatment decisions for cognitive complaints. METHODS To elucidate the relative associations of age, moderate-to-severe white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), and moderate-to-severe medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTA), with moderate-to-severe GCA, we visually rated clinical brain imaging studies of 325 participants from a community based sample. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the relations of GCA with age, WMH, and MTA. RESULTS The mean age was 76.2 (±9.6) years, 40.6% were male, and the mean educational attainment was 15.1 (±3.7) years. Logistic regression results demonstrated that while a 1-year increase in age was associated with GCA (OR = 1.04; P = .04), MTA (OR = 3.7; P < .001), and WMH (OR = 8.80; P < .001) were strongly associated with GCA in our study population. Partial correlation analysis showed that the variance of GCA explained by age is less than the variance attributed to MTA and WMH (r = .13, .21, and .43, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Moderate-to-severe GCA is most likely to occur in the presence of AD or CVD and should not be solely attributed to age when evaluating clinical imaging findings in the workup of cognitive complaints. Developing optimal diagnostic and treatment strategies for cognitive decline in the setting of GCA requires an understanding of its risk factors in the aging population.
Locking In Human Rights in Africa: Analyzing State Accession to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights

The establishment of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights was a pivotal moment for the African human rights system. To date, 30 of the African Union’s 55 member states have accepted the Court’s jurisdiction by ratifying the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Establishment of an African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. This article uses statistical analysis of state action on the Protocol to shed light upon the factors that have led some states to accept the Court’s jurisdiction and other states to thus far decline to do so. The results provide strong support for accounts of the origins of international human rights regimes that emphasize transitional states’ desire to “lock in” new commitments to democracy and human rights. Potential compliance costs, regimes’ ideological orientations, domestic legal traditions, and regional dynamics have also exerted significant effects upon the likelihood of ratification.
Researching Eating Disorders and Body Image in Sport: Challenges and Recommendations

The number of studies examining eating disorders and body image in sport has increased, although several major challenges associated with conducting this research must be addressed to continue grow...
Pennsylvania policymakers’ knowledge, attitudes andlikelihood for action regarding waterpipe tobacco smoking andelectronic nicotine delivery systems

INTRODUCTION Use of waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS, or hookah smoking) and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS, such as e-cigarettes) is rapidly increasing. However, legislatures have been slow to update policy measures related to them. Therefore, we aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes and likelihood to take future action regarding WTS and ENDS among Pennsylvania legislators. METHODS We approached all Standing Members of key Pennsylvania House and Senate health and welfare committees to complete a survey about substances of abuse, including WTS and ENDS. Closed-ended knowledge, attitude and action items used a 100-point scale. Responses to open-ended items were assessed using thematic analysis by three independently working researchers. RESULTS We received responses from 13 of 27 eligible policymakers (48%). Participants answered a mean of only 27% (SD=20%) of knowledge items correctly. When asked to rank by priority eight issues in substance abuse, WTS ranked eighth (least urgent) and ENDS ranked fifth. Participants reported low likelihood to introduce legislation on WTS (mean=29, median=25) and/or ENDS (mean=28, median=10). Thematic analysis revealed that participants readily acknowledged lack of understanding of WTS and ENDS, and were eager for additional information. CONCLUSIONS Policymakers exhibit a lack of knowledge concerning newer forms of tobacco and nicotine delivery systems and consider them to be relatively low legislative priorities. However, respondents expressed a desire for more information, suggesting the potential for public health entities to promote effective policy development via improved dissemination of information.
Metaphor production in creative writing

The present research examined patterns of metaphor production in autobiographical and nonautobiographical creative writing contexts by experienced and novice writers. Subjects wrote brief descriptions of feelings and actions related to intensely emotional experiences. Support was obtained for the hypothesis that more experienced writers would display consistent patterns of figurative language production while novice writers would dipper in their production of metaphorical language as a function of writing context. Support was also obtained for the generalizability of previous findings on verbal metaphor production to the writing domain—but only for novice writers.
Intergenerational and Cross-National Comparisons of Child and Youth Well-Being

This chapter extends the analyses of trends and levels of child and youth well-being presented in prior chapters in two directions—across generational time and across nations. First, we pose the question: How does the well-being of American youths in recent years compare with that of a generation ago when the parents of today’s children themselves were youths? Because most of the key indicator time series of the Child and Youth Well-Being Index date back to the mid-1970s and because the mean length of a generation is about 25–30 years (the modal age of childbearing in recent decades has been approximately 28), we can use the indicators and composite indices of the CWI to address this question. Secondly, we turn our attention to international comparisons and pose the question: How well are America’s children and youth doing in recent years as compared to the children and youth of other nations? Land et al. (2011) addressed this question by comparing data on a number of child and youth well-being indicators for the USA and four other English-speaking countries, specifically Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK. A number of findings from that article are reported and described in the second part of this chapter.
DiGeorge Syndrome/Velocardiofacial Syndrome: The Chromosome 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome

Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion (CH22qD) syndrome is also known as DiGeorge syndrome or velocardiofacial syndrome. This deletion syndrome is extremely common with nearly one in 4000 children being affected. Recent advances and a holistic approach to patients have improved the care and well-being of these patients. This review will summarize advances in understanding the health needs and immune system of patients with CH22qD syndrome. Patients will most often need interventions directed at maximizing function for many organ systems but can ultimately have a high level of functioning.
Decision making in a case of personality change.

Any determination of decision-making capacity is situation-specific and time-specific and must be reassessed routinely. Also, the patient's decision-making process is as important as the decision he or she reaches. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
A dataflow graphical language for database applications

In this paper we discuss a graphical language for information retrieval and processing. A lot of recent activity has occurred in the area of improving access to database systems. However, current results are restricted to simple interfacing of database systems. We propose a graphical language for specifying complex applications.
Behavioral Teratology of Alcohol

It has been over a decade since Jones and Smith (1973) brought to the attention of the medical community the effects of chronic maternal alcohol consumption on the developing fetus. They described a pattern of malformations in some children of chronic alcoholic women, which included distinct craniofacial anomalies, pre- and postnatal growth retardation, and some central nervous system dysfunction. They termed this cluster of anomalies the “fetal alcohol syndrome” (FAS). The incidence of FAS is now placed at about 1 or 2 cases per 1,000 live births. Additionally, another 3–5 infants per 1,000 live births are affected with some physical anomaly related to prenatal alcohol exposure, although they are not classified as having FAS. In the United States, between 6,000 and 11,000 infants are born each year with either a major or a minor anomaly related to prenatal alcohol exposure (Abel, 1984).