cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electrical design for origami solar panels and a small spacecraft test mission

Efficient power generation is crucial to the design of spacecraft. Mass, volume, and other limitations prevent the use of traditional spacecraft support structures from being suitable for the size of solar array required for some missions. Folding solar panel / panel array systems, however, present a number of design challenges. This paper considers the electrical design of an origami system. Specifically, it considers how to provide low impedance, durable channels for the generated power and the electrical aspects of the deployment system and procedure. The ability to dynamically reconfigure the electrical configuration of the solar cells is also discussed. Finally, a small satellite test mission to demonstrate the technology is proposed, before concluding.
Lung cancer-related brain metastases: Further considerations

Despite the high prevalence of brain metastases in patients with metastatic lung cancer, these patients have been excluded from enrollment in clinical trials of new therapeutic drugs. The reasons for exclusion have centered on concerns that the blood-brain barrier may impede drug delivery into brain metastases, that brain metastases confer a dismal survival for metastatic lung cancer patients, and that brain metastases carry risk for cerebrovascular hemorrhage. A focused, updated review of these issues, however, clearly shows that these particular concerns are unwarranted. An extensive review of clinical trials on the efficacy of chemotheraputic agents against lung cancer brain metastases is also provided. This collective information describes an area in need of therapeutic development and supports an initiative to evaluate novel targeted therapies for lung cancer brain metastases.
A New Framework for Addressing Adverse Childhood and Community Experiences: The Building Community Resilience Model

Abstract Objective We propose a transformative approach to foster collaboration across child health, public health, and community-based agencies to address the root causes of toxic stress and childhood adversity and to build community resilience. Methods Physicians, members of social service agencies, and experts in toxic stress and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) were interviewed to inform development of the Building Community Resilience (BCR) model. Through a series of key informant interviews and focus groups, we sought to understand the role of BCR for child health systems and their partners to reduce toxic stress and build community resilience to improve child health outcomes. Results Key informants indicated the intentional approach to ACEs and toxic stress through continuous quality improvement (data-driven decisions and program development, partners testing and adapting to changes to their needs, and iterative development and testing) which provides a mechanism by which social determinants or a population health approach could be introduced to physicians and community partners as part of a larger effort to build community resilience. Structured interviews also reveal a need for a framework that provides guidance, structure, and support for child health systems and community partners to develop collective goals, shared work plans, and a means for data-sharing to reinforce the components that will contribute to community resilience. Conclusions Key informant interviews and focus group dialogues revealed a deep understanding of the factors related to toxic stress and ACEs. Respondents endorsed the BCR approach as a means to explore capacity issues, reduce fragmented health care delivery, and facilitate integrated systems across partners in efforts to build community resilience. Current financing models are seen as a potential barrier, because they often do not support restructured roles, partnership development, and the work to sustain upstream efforts to address toxic stress and community resilience.
Seeing the Social in Technology for Older Adults: Making the Implicit Explicit Through a Multidisciplinary Lens

Technology is profoundly human, shaping and shaped by our social practices. It causes change, engages diverse stakeholders, raises ethical concerns, and embodies values through its design and use. In one form or another, technology is ubiquitous in the lives of elders. Technologies to support connectedness, safety and well-being are fascinating topics of study not only for what they can do and promise to do for older adults, but for what they and their associated practices could tell us about social perceptions and expectations of old age. The aim of this chapter is to feature the diversity of lenses applied to the study of how technology practices intersect with age, as well as implications for future research and policy making processes. Intersections of age and ability, gender, socioeconomic status, and the understudied intersections of technology, age and culture are areas that can be viewed through a single disciplinary lens, but truly illuminated through a multidisciplinary approach.
Concerted nucleophilic aromatic substitutions

Nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr) is one of the most widely applied reaction classes in pharmaceutical and chemical research, providing a broadly useful platform for the modification of aromatic ring scaffolds. The generally accepted mechanism for SNAr reactions involves a two-step addition–elimination sequence via a discrete, non-aromatic Meisenheimer complex. Here we use 12C/13C kinetic isotope effect (KIE) studies and computational analyses to provide evidence that prototypical SNAr reactions in fact proceed through concerted mechanisms. The KIE measurements were made possible by a new technique that leverages the high sensitivity of 19F as an NMR nucleus to quantitate the degree of isotopic fractionation. This sensitive technique permits the measurement of KIEs on 10 mg of natural abundance material in one overnight acquisition. As a result, it provides a practical tool for performing detailed mechanistic analyses of reactions that form or break C–F bonds. Nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions have long been thought to occur primarily via stepwise mechanisms. New and sensitive methodology for measuring carbon kinetic isotope effects now shows that most such substitutions actually occur through concerted mechanisms.
Corn phytochemicals and their health benefits

Abstract Whole grain has a wide range of phytochemicals exhibiting health benefits of lowering risk of chronic diseases. As commonly consumed grain product, corn has unique profiles of nutrients and phytochemicals when compared with other whole grains. Corn nutrients and phytochemicals include vitamins (A, B, E, and K), minerals (Mg, P, and K), phenolic acids (ferulic acid, coumaric acid, and syringic acid), carotenoids and flavonoids (anthocyanins), and dietary fiber. More and more scientific evidences have shown that regular consumption of whole grain corn lowers the risk of developing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity and improves digestive health. Further studies on bioactive compounds of corn related to health are needed.
Agential Realism in a Community-Based Organization in Mexico: An Ethico-Onto-Epistemology of Emancipatory Learning:

This article shares the findings of a qualitative study of a community-based organization in Mexico and the emancipatory pedagogy practiced there in a time characterized by a changing global econom...
The changing career trajectories of new parents in STEM.

The gender imbalance in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields has remained constant for decades and increases the farther up the STEM career pipeline one looks. Why does the underrepresentation of women endure? This study investigated the role of parenthood as a mechanism of gender-differentiated attrition from STEM employment. Using a nationally representative 8-year longitudinal sample of US STEM professionals, we examined the career trajectories of new parents after the birth or adoption of their first child. We found substantial attrition of new mothers: 43% of women leave full-time STEM employment after their first child. New mothers are more likely than new fathers to leave STEM, to switch to part-time work, and to exit the labor force. These gender differences hold irrespective of variation by discipline, race, and other demographic factors. However, parenthood is not just a “mother’s problem”; 23% of new fathers also leave STEM after their first child. Suggesting the difficulty of combining STEM work with caregiving responsibilities generally, new parents are more likely to leave full-time STEM jobs than otherwise similar childless peers and even new parents who remain employed full time are more likely than their childless peers to exit STEM for work elsewhere. These results have implications for policymakers and STEM workforce scholars; whereas parenthood is an important mechanism of women’s attrition, both women and men leave at surprisingly high rates after having children. Given that most people become parents during their working lives, STEM fields must do more to retain professionals with children.
Accurate and efficient thermal stress analyses of functionally graded solids using incompatible graded finite elements

Abstract Functionally graded materials have found a wide usage in high temperature applications . The smooth transition from one material to another, in graded materials, may reduce thermal stresses, residual stresses and stress concentration factors as well as utilize properties of both materials. To perform accurate and efficient finite element analysis for heat transfer and transient thermal stress analyses in two-dimensional functionally graded materials, incompatible graded finite elements are developed and verified. User-defined subroutines in ABAQUS are developed to address the gradation of material properties within an element. An emphasis is made on an incompatible six-node graded finite element (QM6) which is accurate and efficient compared to linear four-node (Q4) and quadratic eight-node (Q8) elements. With the help of posteriori error estimation, a critical comparison is made among three types of solid elements. Modified 6-node (QM6) incompatible graded elements provide better accuracy than Q4 elements and take less computational time than Q8 elements, thereby showing QM6 as an optimal element for engineering analysis.
Regulation of Autophagic Flux by the 20S Proteasome

The proteolytic arm of the protein homeostasis network is maintained by both the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and autophagy. A well-balanced crosstalk between the two catabolic pathways ensures energy-efficient maintenance of cellular function. Our current understanding of the crosstalk between the UPS and autophagy is centered around substrate ubiquitination. Herein we report an additional method of crosstalk involving ubiquitin-independent 20S proteasome regulation of autophagosome-lysosome fusion. We found that enhancement of 20S proteasome activity increased the degradation of the disordered soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor activating protein receptor proteins, synaptosomal-associated protein 29 (SNAP29), and syntaxin 17 (STX17), but not vesicle-associated membrane protein 8. This resulted in a reduction of autophagosome-lysosome fusion, which was ameliorated upon overexpression of both SNAP29 and STX17. In all, we herein present a mechanism of crosstalk between the proteasome and autophagy pathway that is regulated by ubiquitin-independent 20S proteasome-mediated degradation of SNAP29 and STX17.
Pain in Pregnancy and Labor

Pain in pregnancy is extremely common, and pain in labor is universal. Pain during pregnancy can be of a chronic nature due to a preexisting condition or due to the physiologic changes of pregnancy. The treatment of pain during pregnancy is challenging due to restrictions related to fetal development. Labor pain can also vary in character and scope, and the various stages of labor require separate approaches to treatment.
Simulation-driven design of experiments examining the large-scale, explosive dispersal of particles

A series of six, large-scale tests were performed at the Eglin Air Force Base blastpad facility to serve as a validation benchmark for the explosive dispersal of particles. The series contained two baseline tests, one tungsten liner test, and three steel liner tests. Careful emphasis was placed on design of the experiments to allow ease of simulation, uncertainty quantification of experimental inputs, and extraction of prediction metrics. Design decisions, such as using a casing that is negligible to the flow, serve to greatly reduce the computational effort to perform validation. Attention is also paid to quantifying uncertainty in experimental inputs such as explosive density, particle size distribution, particle density, volume fraction, and ambient conditions. For each test, data were collected from four high-speed cameras, 54 inground pressure transducers, and eight unconfined momentum traps. From these diagnostics, prediction metrics are extracted measuring the shock time of arrival, peak pressure, impulse per unit area, and the contact/particle front position. The high-speed video shows significant differences between the steel and tungsten liners. The tungsten particles were incandescent as they dispersed and concentrated in a bright, dense band followed by alternating bright and dark striations. There was little to no incandescence in the dispersed steel particles. The steel liner tests exhibited instabilities with fine fingers racing ahead of the front. The instabilities, however, were so numerous that they are not easily distinguishable from each other, preventing their characterization.
1586 Laparoscopic Suturing and Knot Tying

Video Objective Although reliable knot tying is a one of the most important surgical concepts, few videos exist that illustrate how to tie a reproducible, reliable laparoscopic knot. The purpose of this video is to teach the basics of laparoscopic suturing, as well as to illustrate a reproducible method of tying reliable laparoscopic knots. Setting The video setting uses a 3-D Med laparoscopic trainer box with both standard suture and thick, color-blocked string for better demonstration. Interventions N/A Conclusion Laparoscopic suturing and intracorporeal laparoscopic knot tying is one of the most difficult, yet important, skills to learn as a beginning minimally-invasive surgeon. There are few accessible videos which teach how to correctly insert a needle, suture, and tie a reliable knot using laparoscopic tools. This video aims to teach the basics of laparoscopic suturing with the aid of color-blocked string to aid in the viewer's understanding of how to tie a proper knot.
Modal Model Theory

As we saw in the last chapter, one can get pretty far in studying self-reference in arithmetic by purely syntactic means. Unfortunately, syntax tends to be forgettable as well as limited and somewhat involved. Fortunately, there are various semantic interpretations with suggestive terminologies to aid the memory or, at least, rediscovery.
Online For-Profit Colleges and Universities and the Evolving Role of Academic Librarianship

This presentation reports on a survey of academic librarians and their attitudes on several interrelated professional issues in the online for-profit college and university environment. Librarians ...
TGFβ1 orchestrates renal fibrosis following Escherichia coli pyelonephritis

Renal scarring after pyelonephritis is linked to long-term health risks for hypertension and chronic kidney disease. Androgen exposure increases susceptibility to, and severity of, uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) pyelonephritis and resultant scarring in both male and female mice, while anti-androgen therapy is protective against severe urinary tract infection (UTI) in these models. This work employed androgenized female C57BL/6 mice to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of post-infectious renal fibrosis and to determine how these pathways are altered by the presence of androgens. We found that elevated circulating testosterone levels primed the kidney for fibrosis by increasing local production of TGFβ1 before the initiation of UTI, altering the ratio of transcription factors Smad2 and Smad3 and increasing the presence of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-like cells and Gli1 + activated myofibroblasts, the cells primarily responsible for deposition of scar components. Increased production of TGFβ1 and aberrations in Smad2:Smad3 were maintained throughout the course of infection in the presence of androgen, correlating with renal scarring that was not observed in non-androgenized female mice. Pharmacologic inhibition of TGFβ1 signaling blunted myofibroblast activation. We conclude that renal fibrosis after pyelonephritis is exacerbated by the presence of androgens and involves activation of the TGFβ1 signaling cascade, leading to increases in cortical populations of MSC-like cells and the Gli1 + activated myofibroblasts that are responsible for scarring.
James Cone: Notes on a Critical Theologian

This short essay reflects on James Cone’s transformational impact as a teacher inside the classroom and through his voluminous writings. This is one of several short essays presented by recent students at a public forum at Union Theological Seminary after his death in 2018.
The IL-33 Receptor/ST2 acts as a positive regulator of functional mouse bone marrow hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells

There is a paucity of information on a potential role for the IL-33 receptor/ST2 in the regulation of mouse bone marrow (BM) hematopoietic stem (HSC) and progenitor (HPC) cells. Comparing the BM of st2-/- and wild type (WT) control mice using functional assays, it was found that st2-/- BM cells had poorer engrafting capacity than WT BM in a competitive repopulating assay using congenic mice, with no changes in reconstitution of B-, T- and myeloid cells following transplantation. The BM of st2-/- mice also had fewer granulocyte-macrophage, erythroid, and multipotential progenitors than that of WT BM and these st2-/- HPC were in a slow cycling state compared to that of the rapidly cycling HPC of the WT mice. While functional assessment of HSC and HPC demonstrated that ST2 has a positive influence on regulation of HSC, we could not pick up differences in st2-/- compared to WT BM using only phenotypic analysis of HSC and HPC populations prior to transplantation, again demonstrating that phenotypic analysis of HSC and HPC do not always recapitulate the functional assessments of these immature hematopoietic cells.
A Retrospective Analysis of the Trends in Acute Appendicitis During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: The corona virus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) imposed new public health constraints that deterred people from coming to the hospital. The outcome of patients who developed appendicitis during mandated COVID-19 quarantine has yet to be examined. The main objective was to establish whether there was an increased rate of perforated appendicitis seen during COVID-19 quarantine. Secondary objectives included observing the type of procedure performed, length of stay, and associated complications. Materials and Methods: This retrospective analysis was designed to look at the rates of appendicitis and perforated appendicitis observed during mandatory "safer at home order" from March to May 2020. The same time period a year earlier was used for comparative analysis. The study utilized data gathered from a single health care system, which consisted of a large regional referral center with three emergency rooms (ERs). Patients were included in the study if they presented to any ER in our health care system with a chief complaint of acute appendicitis. Perforated appendicitis was determined either radiographically or intraoperatively. Interventions included surgery, percutaneous drainage, or medical management. Results: There were 107 patients who were included. During quarantine, a total of 48 patients presented with acute appendicitis, with 16 perforations, compared with the previous year where 59 patients presented with acute appendicitis, with 10 perforations (33% versus 17% P = .04). Most patients underwent laparoscopic appendectomy (91%, n = 98), six patients (6%) were managed with intravenous antibiotics and 3 patients (3%) with percutaneous drainage. Patients who perforated had a longer duration of symptoms (2 versus 1, P = .03), white blood cell count (13,190 versus 15,960 cells/mm3, P = .09), and longer operative time (72 versus 89 minutes, P = .01). Patients who perforated had an increased length of stay and rate of complication. Conclusion: There was an overall increased rate of perforated appendicitis seen during quarantine compared with the previous year. Patients with perforated appendicitis had an increased length of stay, longer operative time, and increased rate of complications. Thus, although people were staying home due to public health safety orders, it negatively impacted those who developed appendicitis who may have presented to the hospital otherwise sooner.
Student pharmacists' perspectives on training, readiness, and confidence to provide transition of care services.

Abstract Introduction Previous research has shown that pharmacists can have an essential role in improving patient care transitions. However, the extent of student pharmacists' training, readiness, and confidence in ability to provide transitions of care (TOC) remains unclear. Our goal was to examine student pharmacist preparation, readiness, and confidence for engaging in TOC. Methods Second-year student pharmacists at two schools/colleges of pharmacy in the United States were asked questions about their training, readiness, and confidence for providing TOC services. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data. Results In all, 113 (59 Western New England University [WNE] and 54 University of Wyoming [UWYO]) second-year pharmacy students received the survey request and 78 (50 WNE and 28 UWYO) completed the survey, resulting in an overall response rate of 69%. Participants reported that pharmacy coursework provided the highest level of preparedness to offer TOC services (37%), followed by introductory pharmacy practice experiences (31%). Most participants reported having the highest level of confidence for activities related to gathering patient medication histories during TOC (46.1%), and similarly, this category of activity showed the highest population of participants who indicated a positive level of readiness (41.3%). Conclusions Applicable training and experiences with TOC increase the likelihood of greater confidence and readiness for student pharmacists to provide TOC at their future practice sites. These results provide a framework for additional quantitative research in TOC engagement among student pharmacists.
Reading functional requirements using machine learning-based language processing

Abstract Industrial innovation has accumulated big data in the form of past design successes and failures. Designers must painstakingly identify, extract, and structure requirements from texts and drawings of archived documents to understand the past and guide future designs. This is not a trivial task for human designers, despite the digitalization of design data. This paper presents a system of “Design Reading” which takes in textual design data and applies a machine learning-based language processing model to extract a structured hierarchy of functional requirements by recursively decomposing text passages. Design Reading will benefit future design practice by learning from the past.
Ability of community pharmacists to independently perform CLIA-waived testing – A multistate legal review

Abstract The scope of practice of community pharmacy has continued in its evolution into a clinically focused profession. A critical component to pharmacist clinical offerings in the United States is the performance of Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (“CLIA”) waived tests. However, state laws and regulations greatly influence a pharmacist's ability to perform a CLIA-waived test. Based on this variability and lack of clarity in state laws and regulations, a legal review was performed, which focused on the following themes: 1) states which currently allow a pharmacist to independently perform CLIA-waived testing; 2) of those states, which states impose restrictions on the scope of CLIA-waived tests that may be independently performed by a pharmacist; and 3) states that impose restrictions on the ability of a pharmacist to independently perform CLIA-waived testing. Federal laws already exist that allow individuals, pursuant to certification, to perform CLIA-waived testing. This allowance presumably includes pharmacists if they follow federal law. However, some states regulate and restrict this area for pharmacists, contrary to these federal laws. States may see an improvement in patient care and further expand the practice of pharmacy by limiting restrictions on pharmacists to perform CLIA-waived tests and following federal allowances.
Evaluation of heater size and external enhancement techniques in pool boiling heat transfer with dielectric fluids

Abstract With the advent of digital and information-based economies and increased social interaction on digital media, electronic components have become ever-pervasive, smaller and more powerful, resulting in increased thermal loads. The cooling systems need to become more efficient in extracting the heat and allowing the devices to sustain peak performance for a longer duration. Available pool boiling data is mainly available on heater sizes of 10 mm square, but larger chip sizes of 34.5 × 32 mm are generally employed in data server applications. The present work focuses on pool boiling performance on plain and microchannel chips with dielectric fluids and also brings out the effect of heater size scaling. The pool boiling experiments were conducted in a closed system at atmospheric pressure using PP1, PP1C and FC-87 as the working fluids. A flow pattern with a large plume of bubbles was found to be responsible for generating macroconvection currents and improve the performance of the larger-sized heater, although additional study is recommended to see the transition point and its relation to the bubble flow patterns. Additionally, pool boiling enhancement using a patented hollow volcano-shaped conical enhancement structure was investigated. The conical structure placed above the heater surface similarly generated macroconvection currents that were responsible for boiling enhancement. However, the hollow conical structure did not always improve the performance since the liquid supply mechanism is already present in the microchannel flow passages.
Onboard Image Registration from Invariant Features

This paper describes a feature-based image registration technique that is potentially well-suited for onboard deployment. The overall goal is to provide a fast, robust method for dynamically combining observations from multiple platforms into sensors webs that respond quickly to short-lived events and provide rich observations of objects that evolve in space and time. The approach, which has enjoyed considerable success in mainstream computer vision applications, uses invariant SIFT descriptors extracted at image interest points together with the RANSAC algorithm to robustly estimate transformation parameters that relate one image to another. Experimental results for two satellite image registration tasks are presented: (1) automatic registration of images from the MODIS instrument on Terra to the MODIS instrument on Aqua and (2) automatic stabilization of a multi-day sequence of GOES-West images collected during the October 2007 Southern California wildfires.
Temperature Effect on Ballistic Impact of Woven Graphite/Epoxy Composites

This paper investigates the effect of temperature on the ballistic limit of woven graphite/epoxy composite panels (6 in. × 4 in. × 0.25 in.) at five different temperatures: −60 C, −20 C, R.T, 75 C and 125 C. The studies were conducted by combining experimental and 3-D dynamic finite element approaches. The specimens tested were made of plain-weave IM7graphite fibers/toughened epoxy. The composite panels were impacted using an in-house gas gun. The time-histories of impact-induced dynamic strains were recorded. The damaged specimens were inspected visually and using the ultrasonic C scan method. A 3-D dynamic finite element (FE) software, with Chang-Chang composite damage model, was then used to simulate the experimental results of the ballistic impact tests. Good agreement between experimental and FE results has been achieved.
Two Cases of Urinary Tract Infection Caused by Propionimicrobium lymphophilum

The first case reports involving Propionimicrobium lymphophilum, a rarely encountered anaerobic Gram-positive non-spore-forming rod, are presented here as urinary tract infections. Initial detection of these bacteria required urine Gram stains. Comparison of the type strain to the two isolates by various methods is depicted and includes antimicrobial susceptibility data.
Self-Consistent Simulations of Nanowire Transistors Using Atomistic Basis Sets

As device sizes shrink towards the nanoscale, CMOS development investigates alternative structures and devices. Existing CMOS devices will evolve from planar to 3D non-planar devices at nanometer sizes. These devices will operate under strong confinement and strain, regimes where atomistic effects are important. This work investigates atomistic effects in the transport properties of nanowire devices by using a nearest-neighbor tight binding model (sp3s*d5-SO) for electronic structure calculation, coupled to a 2D Poisson solver for electrostatics. This approach will be deployed on nanoHUB.org as an enhancement of the existing Bandstructure Lab.
Vancomycin-induced vasculitis

A patient receiving vancomycin for a serious staphylococcal infection had a lupus-like syndrome characterized by a malar rash, pain and erythema of the cartilage of both ears, and tender erythematous and hemorrhagic lesions of the finger tips. Biopsy and direct immunofluorescence study of the skin showed changes consistent with the diagnosis of lupus erythematosus. The possible development of a drug-induced vasculitis or lupus-like syndrome should be added to the list of rare toxic effects of vancomycin.
Simplified method for estimation of serum and plasma viscosity in multiple myeloma and related disorders.

In the present study, the red blood cell pipette was tested and found to be a suitable viscometer for detection of the hyperviscosity syndrome in multiple myeloma and macroglobulinemia. Additional studies demonstrated that in normal subjects and in most patients there was little difference in relative viscosity values whether serum or plasma was used and whether the test was performed at room temperature or 37° C. Based on these observations, a rapid screening test for the measurement of serum or plasma viscosities was described.
Compton scattering effects on the duration of terrestrial gamma-ray flashes

[1] Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) are gamma-ray bursts detected from space that are associated with lightning activity. In the present paper, we show that the shorter TGF durations (∼50μs) recently discovered by the gamma-ray burst monitor (GBM) aboard the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope are consistent with the temporal dispersion associated with the Compton scattering of photons produced by an instantaneous TGF source. This new result suggests that short TGF pulses observed from satellites correspond to very short TGF sources with durations less than ∼10μs and that the observed long TGF pulses (≳100 μs) may be due to overlapping of emissions produced by a sequence of elementary processes with much shorter temporal durations.
Changes in due process of law

Joseph J. Senna, MSW, JD, is Associate Pro fessor, College of Criminal Justice, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts. Today the concept of due process of law is being applied increasingly to protect in dividual rights when the government seeks to deprive a person of life, liberty, or prop erty.1 The trend toward a wider use of due process to prevent abuse of power has spread to many fields in the human ser vices, especially public welfare, juvenile delinquency, and corrections. More than ever before, due process of law has been used in these settings to challenge various types of arbitrary action such as the termi nation of aid by welfare officials or the imposition of punishment on prison in mates. Perhaps because consistent judicial intervention has called attention to grave infringements of human rights in the fields mentioned and in mental health—particu larly over the past decade—these fields have become open to severe criticism and change by those providing or receiving services. Prior to the 1960s the judicial system usually refused to become involved in arbi trary administrative practices in human services. Today the courts have discarded the traditional hands-off doctrine and they readily review grievances of individuals in order to insure equal protection and due process of law. The judicial system has begun to recognize that persons on welfare, patients in mental hospitals, juveniles be fore a court, and inmates in correctional facilities have basic rights. Those who are planning and carrying out programs and services are now ques tioning procedures followed for many years because these procedures may vio late the constitutional rights of those in volved. Social work practitioners and other professionals who are in the field of human services and who are providing the services ought to be aware of the extent of judicial intervention, which is occurring increasingly when basic human rights are violated. Also, judicial solutions to human service problems have an impact on overall agency administration, types of programs, and eligibility requirements, as well as pro fessional education.
Influence of backbone solvation on small angle neutron scattering from polyelectrolyte solutions

Recent theoretical and experimental studies of polyelectrolyte solutions have suggested that hydrophobic interactions between the chain backbone and the solvent lead to some of the essential observations of polyelectrolyte solution scattering. In the current paper we present small angle neutron scattering data on a polyelectrolyte, poly(N-methyl-2-vinylpyridinium chloride) dissolved in ethylene glycol where the hydrophobic effect is not present. This system shows the same general pattern, a peak at finite wavevector and steep upturn at low wavevector, as for those having hydrophobic interactions so that the influences of poor backbone solvation appear to be unessential for explaining the characteristics of polyelectrolyte scattering data. We demonstrate that in the scattering from polyelectrolytes after the addition of salt, the unusual peak and steep upturn are suppressed and the scattering parallels scattering from the neutral chains.
Optimization with Stochastic Dominance Constraints

We introduce stochastic optimization problems involving stochastic dominance constraints. We develop necessary and sufficient conditions of optimality and duality theory for these models and show that the Lagrange multipliers corresponding to dominance constraints are concave nondecreasing utility functions. The models and results are illustrated on a portfolio optimization problem.
Endophenotypes for Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Extending Our Reach into the Preclinical Stages of Disease

The key to reducing the individual and societal burden of age-related macular degeneration (AMD)-related vision loss, is to be able to initiate therapies that slow or halt the progression at a point that will yield the maximum benefit while minimizing personal risk and cost. There is a critical need to find clinical markers that, when combined with the specificity of genetic testing, will identify individuals at the earliest stages of AMD who would benefit from preventive therapies. These clinical markers are endophenotypes for AMD, present in those who are likely to develop AMD, as well as in those who have clinical evidence of AMD. Clinical characteristics associated with AMD may also be possible endophenotypes if they can be detected before or at the earliest stages of the condition, but we and others have shown that this may not always be valid. Several studies have suggested that dynamic changes in rhodopsin regeneration (dark adaptation kinetics and/or critical flicker fusion frequencies) may be more subtle indicators of AMD-associated early retinal dysfunction. One can test for the relevance of these measures using genetic risk profiles based on known genetic risk variants. These functional measures may improve the sensitivity and specificity of predictive models for AMD and may also serve to delineate clinical subtypes of AMD that may differ with respect to prognosis and treatment.
Evidence against the presence of spare muscarinic receptors in the rabbit urinary bladder

In a recent study by Anderson and Marks [1982], indirect evidence was presented for the existence of “150-fold muscarinic receptor excess” in the rabbit urinary bladder. This conclusion was based on the quantitative comparison of the ability of carbamylcholine to both directly contract bladder strips and to inhibit (quinuclidinyl benzilate) binding. In order to investigate the presence of “spare receptors” in the bladder directly, we have determined the effect of benzilylcholine mustard (a noncompetitive cholinergic inhibitor) on both bethanechol stimulation of muscle-strip contraction and on [3H]QNB binding (muscarinic receptor density). The results of these studies indicate that there is no significant “muscarinic receptor excess” in the rabbit urinary bladder.
Experimental implementation of coded aperture coherent scatter spectral imaging of cancerous and healthy breast tissue samples

A fast and accurate scatter imaging technique to differentiate cancerous and healthy breast tissue is introduced in this work. Such a technique would have wide-ranging clinical applications from intra-operative margin assessment to breast cancer screening. Coherent Scatter Computed Tomography (CSCT) has been shown to differentiate cancerous from healthy tissue, but the need to raster scan a pencil beam at a series of angles and slices in order to reconstruct 3D images makes it prohibitively time consuming. In this work we apply the coded aperture coherent scatter spectral imaging technique to reconstruct 3D images of breast tissue samples from experimental data taken without the rotation usually required in CSCT. We present our experimental implementation of coded aperture scatter imaging, the reconstructed images of the breast tissue samples and segmentations of the 3D images in order to identify the cancerous and healthy tissue inside of the samples. We find that coded aperture scatter imaging is able to reconstruct images of the samples and identify the distribution of cancerous and healthy tissues (i.e., fibroglandular, adipose, or a mix of the two) inside of them. Coded aperture scatter imaging has the potential to provide scatter images that automatically differentiate cancerous and healthy tissue inside of ex vivo samples within a time on the order of a minute.
Role of radiation in the management of early vocal cord carcinoma

From 1952-1978, 177 patients with epidermoid carcinoma confined to the true vocal cords with normal mobility (T1NO) were treated with radiation alone. Five- and 10-year adjusted actuarial survival rates for all patients were 97 and 95%, respectively. The tumor recurred in the larynx and/or neck in 16% of patients with T1a (one cord involved) and 23% of the patients with T1b (both vocal cords involved) disease. Radiation failures were surgically salvaged in 89% of patients with T1a disease without anterior commissure involvement, in 60% of those with T1a disease with anterior commissure involvement and in 57% of those with T1b disease. Tumor was ultimately controlled in 97% of the patients with T1a and 90% of the patients with T1b disease. Voice was preserved in 93% of the patients with T1a disease and 77% of patients with T1b disease. Of 121 patients evaluated for voice quality, 77% had good and 22% had fair voice, while only one patient had poor quality of voice. Patients with fair or poor quality voice usually had had salvage hemilaryngectomy. We recommend radiation for all patients with early vocal cord carcinoma.
Recurrence after esophagectomy for adenocarcinoma: defining optimal follow-up intervals and testing.

Background To determine the optimal follow-up strategy after esophagectomy for adenocarcinoma of the esophagus or gastroesophageal junction by evaluating the timing of recurrence and the method that first detected the recurrence. Study Design Between 1991 and 2007, 590 patients had an esophagectomy for adenocarcinoma. Recurrence occurred in 233 (40%) and, of those, 174 had complete follow-up at our center with a protocol that consisted of an office visit with CT scans and laboratory studies every 3 months for 3 years, every 6 months for 2 years, and then annually. A subset of patients had PET annually. Results Recurrence in the 174 patients with complete follow-up was systemic in 104 (60%), locoregional/nodal in 51 (30%), and both in 19 (10%). Recurrence was first suspected by symptoms and/or physical examination in 29 patients (17%), by CT scan in 105 (60%), PET in 32 (18%), and by elevated CEA in 8 (5%). Recurrence was detected at a median of 11 months (range 3 to 72 months) and occurred later after esophagectomy alone compared with patients who received neoadjuvant therapy (12 versus 8 months; p=0.01), but the pattern of recurrence was similar. More than 90% of recurrences were detected within 2 years after neoadjuvant therapy, compared with 3 years after esophagectomy alone. Median survival after recurrence was 7 months and was significantly longer in patients treated for the recurrence (9 versus 3 months; p=0.001). Conclusions Frequent early follow-up is appropriate after esophagectomy for adenocarcinoma because >90% of recurrences will occur by 3 years after esophagectomy alone and by 2 years following neoadjuvant therapy. Beyond these time periods, 2% to 3% of recurrences were detected each year, suggesting that annual follow-up is adequate. Survival after recurrence was improved with therapy, confirming the use of careful follow-up in these patients.
The electrochemical behavior of diamond coated molybdenum

Abstract The electrochemical behavior of diamond films (> 10 μm ) grown on molybdenum using large area, filament assisted chemical vapor deposition (FACVD) was studied in deaerated 0.1 M NaCl solutions. The anodic current density on diamond coated molybdenum was significantly lower than that of molybdenum and molybdenum exposed to FACVD conditions. Raman spectroscopy showed that the diamond film was not degraded during electrochemical testing.
Thermodynamic Studies of Ternary Systems: I. LiCl−(n-Bu)4NCl−H2O at 25 °C

Osmotic coefficients were determined for the ternary system lithium chloride−tetra-n-butylammonium chloride−water over a wide range of concentrations and ionic strength fractions at 25 °C by utilizing a gravimetric isopiestic technique. The mean ionic activity coefficients were calculated using the Scatchard−Rush−Johnson equations. Using the theories developed by Friedman and by Leifer and Wigent, the excess free energy, Friedman's interaction parameters, and contributions due to pairwise, triplet, and quadruplet interactions were determined. The types and relative strengths of ionic interactions in the system containing the hydrophilic lithium ion and hydrophobic tetrabutylammonium ion are discussed.
Analysis of clomesone in plasma by gas chromatography-electrolytic conductivity detection.

Abstract A sensitive and specific gas chromatographic (GC) method with electrolytic conductivity detection (ELD) for the analysis of clomesone (2-chloroethylmethylsulfonylmethane sulfonate), a new experimental antitumor alkylating agent, in plasma has been developed for the first time. Clomesone in plasma containing suitable internal standard was extracted with methylene chloride. After evaporation, the residue was analyzed by GC-ELD. Either a 15-m wide-bore DB-17 or a DB-1 column with the corresponding internal standards of propachlor or butachlor, respectively, was used. For the DB-1 column with butachlor as the internal standard, the routine assay limit was 20 ng/ml with linearity from 10 to 2000 ng/ml monitored. The within-run coefficient of variation of eight replicates at 50 ng/ml was 8.0% and the between-run coefficient of variation was 11% at 120 ng/ml. Using this assay procedure, the stability in several aqueous media and protein binding of clomesone were evaluated. In fresh mouse plasma, the half-life of clomesone was less than 1 h, although in aged pooled human plasma the drug was more stable. The mean protein binding value in mouse and human plasma was about 81–85%.
Fatal sickle cell crisis after granulocyte colony-stimulating factor administration

We summarize here a case involving a fatal sickle cell crisis in a patient with previously very mild hemoglobin sickle cell (Hb SC) disease. With granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) priming for peripheral stem cell collection, a crisis developed, followed by death within 36 hours. The case
Analysis of Microfabricated Textured Multicrystalline Beams: II. Probabilistic Approach

This paper reports on detailed approaches to the probabilistic modelling and analysis of multicrystalline microfabricated beams in the context of micro-electromechanical systems (mems) using simulation techniques. Random, textured multicrystalline beam structures are simulated and analyzed using the finite element method, employing randomly oriented orthotropic material properties to model each individual crystal grain. The simulation studies are used to assess the influence of size effects and texture on overall beam characteristics, such as stiffness. Results of these studies are then compared with the current approaches based on deterministic analysis and employing simplifying assumptions such as homogeneous, isotropic material properties, and with results obtained from the homogenization approach of Part I.