cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
'Party line' information use studies and implications for ATC datalink communications

As part of the Federal Aviation Administration's National Airspace System modernization plan, digital datalink communications will be introduced as a means of air/ground information exchange. Care must be taken, however, to continue to provide pilots with the 'Party Line' Information (PLI) that pilots currently overhear on the shared voice frequencies. Several studies have examined the importance of PLI through surveys and simulator studies. Pilots have consistently rated PLI as 'Important', with several specific information elements identified as 'Critical'. However, PLI is not a reliable source of information during high workload conditions, and it is not always compelling enough for pilots to commit to a required action for safety. Therefore, several recommendations can be made for datalink communications.
Estimating cardiac output from arterial blood pressurewaveforms: a critical evaluation using the MIMIC II database

Cardiac output (CO) estimation using arterial blood pressure (ABP) waveforms has been an active area of physiology research over the past century. However, the effectiveness of the estimators has not been extensively studied in a clinical setting. In this paper, we evaluate 11 well-known CO estimators using clinical radial ABP waveforms from the multi-parameter intelligent monitoring for intensive care II (MIMIC II) database, using thermodilution CO (TCO) as reference for comparison. We compare estimations to 988 TCO measurements in 84 patients, totaling 165 hours of ABP waveforms sampled at 125 Hz. As a necessary step for producing absolute CO estimates, we also present 3 methods of calibrating the estimators, each tailored towards a different use model. The results show that the standard deviation of error between TCO and the best CO estimators is approximately 1 L/min for absolute CO estimates. For relative estimates without calibration, the best CO estimator has 18% error at 1 standard deviation
In Situ Analysis of Cellular Proliferation in Canine, Feline and Equine Tumors by Immunohistochemistry: A Comparison of Bromodeoxyuridine, Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen, and Interchromatin-Associated Antigen Immunostaining Techniques

Cell proliferation in canine, feline, and equine tumors was evaluated using immunohistochemical detection of in vitro 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and interchromatin-associated antigen (p105). Ten tumors in each species were analyzed. The tumor proliferative fraction (PF) was defined as the percentage of labeled nuclei for 5,000 tumor nuclei counted. Immunoreactivity was observed with all techniques in all species. A good correlation was observed between the proliferative fractions measured with the BrdU (PFBrdU) and PCNA (PFPCNA) techniques (rs = 0.523, P = 0.0026). There was no correlation between the PFs measured with the BrdU (PF BrdU) and p105 (PFP105) techniques. Using the median values obtained from the different approaches as cutoff points to define slowly and rapidly proliferating tumors, there was an 80% agreement (P = 0.009) between PFBrdU and PFPCNA and no agreement between PFBrdU and PFP105 The results of this study indicate that both BrdU and PCNA labeling methods can be used reliably for identifying proliferating cells in animal tumors. In addition, PCNA could be used to replace the BrdU method to assess tumor proliferative fraction because it does not require pretreatment of tissues.
An assertion language for debugging SDN applications

Software Defined Networking (SDN) provides opportunities for network verification and debugging by offering centralized visibility of the data plane. This has enabled both offline and online data-plane verification. However, little work has gone into the verification of time-varying properties (e.g., dynamic access control), where verification conditions change dynamically in response to application logic, network events, and external stimulus (e.g., operator requests). This paper introduces an assertion language to support verifying and debugging SDN applications with dynamically changing verification conditions. The language allows programmers to annotate controller applications with C-style assertions about the data plane. Assertions consist of regular expressions on paths to describe path properties for classes of packets, and universal and existential quantifiers that range over programmer-defined sets of hosts, switches, or other network entities. As controller programs dynamically add and remove elements from these sets, they generate new verification conditions that the existing data plane must satisfy. This work proposes an incremental data structure together with an underlying verification engine, to avoid naively re-verifying the entire data plane as these verification conditions change. To validate our ideas, we have implemented a debugging library on top of a modified version of VeriFlow, which is easily integrated into existing controller systems with minimal changes. Using this library, we have verified correctness properties for applications on several controller platforms.
Genetic Evaluation of E. coli Strains Isolated from Asymptomatic Children with Neurogenic Bladders

This study was conducted to describe the genetic profiles of E. coli that colonize asymptomatic pediatric neurogenic bladders. E. coli was isolated from 25 of 80 urine samples. Patients were excluded if they presented with symptomatic urinary tract infection or received treatment with antibiotics in the preceding three months. Multiplex PCR was performed to determine E. coli phylotype (A, B1, B2, and D) and the presence of seven pathogenicity islands (PAIs) and 10 virulence factors (VFs). E. coli strains were predominantly of the B1 and B2 phylotype, with few strains in the A or D phylotype. The PAIs IV536, ICFT073, and IICFT073 had the highest prevalence: 76%, 64%, and 48%, respectively. The PAIs II536, IJ96, and IIJ96 were less prevalent: 28%, 20%, and 24%, respectively. The most prevalent VF was vat (40%), while the least prevalent VFs were sfa (8%) and iha (12%). None of the strains carried the VF fyuA, which is very common in uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC). The genetic profiles of E. coli in this cohort seem to be more similar to UPEC than to commensal E. coli. However, they appear to have reduced virulence potential that allows them to colonize asymptomatically.
Intimate partner violence and physical health outcomes among Southeast Asian American women.

Although intimate partner violence is prevalent among Southeast Asian American women, little is known about the associations between the experience of intimate partner violence and negative health outcomes in this population. Resnick et al. proposed a model explaining the development of health problems following violent assault. This article assesses the applicability of Resnick et al.'s model to Southeast Asian American women who have experienced intimate partner violence by reviewing cultural, historical, and social factors in this population. Our review indicates that the applicability of Resnick et al.'s model to Southeast Asian American women is mixed, with some components of the model fitting well with this population and others requiring a more nuanced and complex perspective. Future studies should take into consideration cultural, historical, and social factors. Language: en
A new species of the subterranean amphipod genus Stygobromus (Amphipoda: Crangonyctidae) from two caves and a spring in western Maryland, USA with additional records of undescribed species from groundwater habitats in central Maryland.

A new species of the subterranean amphipod genus Stygobromus is described from two caves and a small spring on the Appalachian Plateau in Garrett County in western Maryland, USA. The description of this species brings to six the total number of species in the genus Stygobromus from the state of Maryland. The other five species are recorded from shallow groundwater habitats (e.g., seeps and springs) in the eastern and southeastern parts of the state. In addition, at least four new species of Stygobromus from central Maryland are recognized but remain undescribed to date.
The importance of within‐year repeated counts and the influence of scale on long‐term monitoring of sage‐grouse

Long-term population monitoring is the cornerstone of animal conservation and management. The accuracy and precision of models developed using monitoring data can be influenced by the protocols guiding data collection. The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is a species of concern that has been monitored over decades, primarily, by counting the number of males that attend lek (breeding) sites. These lek count data have been used to assess long-term population trends and for multiple mechanistic studies. However, some studies have questioned the efficacy of lek counts to accurately identify population trends. In response, monitoring protocols were changed to have a goal of counting lek sites multiple times within a season. We assessed the influence of this change in monitoring protocols on model accuracy and precision applying generalized additive models to describe trends over time. We found that at large spatial scales including >50 leks, the absence of repeated counts within a year did not significantly alter population trend estimates or interpretation. Increasing sample size decreased the model confidence intervals. We developed a population trend model for Wyoming greater sage-grouse from 1965 to 2008, identifying significant changes in the population indices and capturing the cyclic nature of this species. Most sage-grouse declines in Wyoming occurred between 1965 and the 1990s and lek count numbers generally increased from the mid-1990s to 2008. Our results validate the combination of monitoring data collected under different protocols in past and future studies—provided those studies are addressing large-scale questions. We suggest that a larger sample of individual leks is preferable to multiple counts of a smaller sample of leks. 2011 The Wildlife Society.
Optical Constants of (011) Tungsten in the Visible Region

Optical constants for tungsten measured ellipsometrically at room temperature in the visible spectrum are reported. Results are given for (011)-oriented tungsten characterized as clean by low-energy-electron diffraction, for the same surface saturated with oxygen, and for the surface after exposure to air at atmospheric pressure for several hours. Results are compared with earlier work and differences are attributed primarily to differences of surface contamination.
Inter-Calibration of Microwave Radiometers Using the Vicarious Cold Calibration Double Difference Method

The double difference method of inter-calibration between spaceborne microwave radiometers is combined with the vicarious cold calibration method for calibrating an individual radiometer. Vicarious cold calibration minimizes the effects of geophysical variability on radiative transfer models (RTMs) of the brightness temperature (TB) data and it accounts for frequency and incidence angle dissimilarity between radiometers. Double differencing reduces the sensitivity of the inter-calibration to RTM error and improper accounting for geophysical variables in the RTM. When combined together, the two methods significantly improve the confidence with which calibration differences can be identified and characterized. This paper analyzes the performance of the vicarious cold calibration double difference method for conical scanning microwave radiometers and quantifies the improvement this method provides compared to performing a simpler inter-calibration by direct comparison of radiometer measurements.
The Arts Of Deception: Verbal Performances By The Ra¯ute Of Nepal

A small population of Tibeto-Burman-speaking hunter-gatherers, the Ra¯ute avoid intercultural communication with surrounding Nepa¯li-speaking agriculturalists except during barter sessions. During these intercultural interactions, Ra¯ute often charm their trading partners with Nepa¯li verbal art, including recitation of rhymes, songs, and blessings. In this article I suggest that Ra¯ute perform verbal art in order to draw attention away from their radically different lifestyle and as a way of resisting the hegemonic process of Hinduization. The article details Ra¯ute oral performance as a strategy of verbal indirection, focusing on the context and framing of rhyming proverbs as a means of camouflaging Ra¯ute people’s actual cultural practices. ba¯darko sa¯pet.o Ra¯uteko dha¯mi la¯i, kheti cha¯ina pa¯ti cha¯ina, ke kha¯nu ha¯mi la¯i? ‘The monkey’s thigh is the shaman’s meat, Having no farmland, what shall we eat?’ Gogane Ra¯ute
Nickel(II) Peroxide

[12035-36-8] NiO2 (MW 90.69) InChI = 1S/Ni.O2/c;1-2/q+2;-2 InChIKey = IDPXRSSSGYNVDL-UHFFFAOYSA-N (reagent for oxidation of alcohols,2 phenols,3 and amines,4 and for dehydrogenation of heterocycles5) Physical Data: black hydrous powder, reportedly a mixture of higher nickel oxides. Form Supplied in: supplied as nickel peroxide hydrate, NiO2ċxH2O, with Ni content >25%, active oxygen content >30%. Preparative Methods: by treatment of alkaline nickel sulfate with sodium hypochlorite.2 Handling, Storage, and Precautions: as with most nickel compounds, a presumed carcinogen which should be handled with extreme care. Irritating to mucous membranes and upper respiratory tract. Causes dermatitis and may cause allergic respiratory reactions. Use in a fume hood.
Multi-scale factors and long-term responses of Chihuahuan Desert grasses to drought

Factors with variation at broad (e.g., climate) and fine scales (e.g., soil texture) that influence local processes at the plant scale (e.g., competition) have often been used to infer controls on spatial patterns and temporal trends in vegetation. However, these factors can be insufficient to explain spatial and temporal variation in grass cover for arid and semiarid grasslands during an extreme drought that promotes woody plant encroachment. Transport of materials among patches may also be important to this variation. We used long-term cover data (1915–2001) combined with recently collected field data and spatial databases from a site in the northern Chihuahuan Desert to assess temporal trends in cover and the relative importance of factors at three scales (plant, patch, landscape unit) in explaining spatial variation in grass cover. We examined cover of five important grass species from two topographic positions before, during, and after the extreme drought of the 1950s. Our results show that dynamics before, during, and after the drought varied by species rather than by topographic position. Different factors were related to cover of each species in each time period. Factors at the landscape unit scale (rainfall, stocking rate) were related to grass cover in the pre- and post-drought periods whereas only the plant-scale factor of soil texture was significantly related to cover of two upland species during the drought. Patch-scale factors associated with the redistribution of water (microtopography) were important for different species in the pre- and post-drought period. Another patch-scale factor, distance from historic shrub populations, was important to the persistence of the dominant grass in uplands (Bouteloua eriopoda) through time. Our results suggest the importance of local processes during the drought, and transport processes before and after the drought with different relationships for different species. Disentangling the relative importance of factors at different spatial scales to spatial patterns and long-term trends in grass cover can provide new insights into the key processes driving these historic patterns, and can be used to improve forecasts of vegetation change in arid and semiarid areas.
Influence of Annealing on Crystallinity and Conductivity of p-type Nanocrystalline Si films

Nanocrystalline p-type Si:H layers are important for photovoltaic and MOSFET devices. A high conductivity in these layers leads to better voltages in PV devices and to lower series resistance in both PV and MOSFET devices. The lower resistance results in higher channel mobility in MOSFET devices and higher fill factors in PV devices. In this work, we discuss the improvement in conductivity and crystallinity of p-type nanocrystalline Si:H layers by the use of post-deposition annealing. The p layers were deposited at ~ 180°C from mixtures of silane, hydrogen, helium and diborane using ECR plasma deposition techniques. It was found that addition of He to H at first improved both the conductivity and crystallinity, but too much He led to an amorphous phase and lower conductivity. The as-grown films were measured for their crystallinity using both Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction. The conductivity and activation energies were also measured. The films were then successively annealed at temperatures of 250, 300, 350 and 400°C. The crystallinity and grain size were found to increase as the annealing temperature increased. The greatest relative increase was during the initial annealing stages. The conductivity of the films increased significantly as a consequence of the annealing. Conductivities as large as 20 S/cm were obtained in very thin films (~50–150 nm). The corresponding activation energies were in the range of 0.03 eV. When these annealed layers were used for MOSFET and PV devices, there was an appreciable increase in performance characteristics.
Foreign (Non-US) Taxes On Internet Transactions

In most discussions of Internet taxation in the United States focus is on sales and use taxation of e-commerce. While such taxes are an important component of the taxing regime on e-commerce, it would be myopic to consider only US taxes as the only tax on Internet transactions. This paper discusses the most important foreign tax on e-commerce is the Value Added Tax (VAT), since a large number of foreign countries impose the VAT.
Commercializing Energy-efficient Affordable Housing: The EcoMOD South Project

This paper addresses some of the recent activities of the ecoMOD project, a research and design / build / evaluate initiative at the University of Virginia School of Architecture and School of Engineering and Applied Science. In 2011, the ecoMOD received a substantial portion of a $2.45 milliongrant from a regional economic development funder to work with commercial companies and non-profit organizations in the two most economically deprived areas of Virginia, Southside and Southwestern Virginia. The funding is being used to develop a commercially available version of an ecoMOD home design. Since 2004, ecoMOD has designed, built and evaluated prefabricated affordable homes for affordable housing organizations such as Piedmont Housing Alliance and Habitat for Humanity. This recent grant is intended to commercialize a modular Passive House Standard version of one of the previous designs and help develop the capacity for fabricating sophisticated, high-performance homes in the region. The effort is dubbed ‘ecoMOD South’ because the affordable housing organizations and fabricators are based in Southside and Southwestern Virginia.
Multicopper Models for the Laccase Active Site: Effect of Nuclearity on Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction

Cu complexes of 2,2′-dipicolylamine (DPA) were prepared and tested as electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). To study the effect of multinuclearity on the ORR, two Cu–DPA units were connected with a flexible linker, and a third metal-binding pocket was installed in the ligand framework. ORR onset potentials and the diffusion-limited current densities of di- and tricopper complexes of DPA derivatives were found to be comparable to those of the simpler Cu–DPA system. Electrochemical analyses, crystallographic data, and metal-substitution studies suggested that Cu complexes of DPA derivatives reacted with O2 via a binuclear intermolecular pathway but that the Cu center in the third binding site did not participate in the ORR process. This study highlights the viability of Cu–DPA complexes to mimic the T3-site of laccase, and serves as a guide for designing future laccase models.
Follow the money: There's no business like the ed. business.

The debate about charter schools and public schools has been conducted on an ideological level. However, the ideological argument obscures the ongoing transfer of public funds to private use, the creation of business and investment opportunities, and the effects of the private enterprise model on education. In the current two-part article, the authors discuss charter schools and finances. Part 1 concerns charter schools and management organizations. Part 2 focuses on charter schools as business investments. Throughout, the authors link the information to effects on education.
Health literacy associated with blood pressure but not other cardiovascular disease risk factors among dialysis patients.

BACKGROUND Limited health literacy is prevalent and has been linked to adverse patient outcomes. We examined the relationship between health literacy and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, including blood pressure (BP) parameters, lipids, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), body mass index (BMI), and tobacco utilization among dialysis patients. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study of 72 participants in a prospective cohort study of vascular calcification in newly initiated dialysis patients. Health literacy was assessed using the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy (S-TOFHLA) in Adults. The study population was dichotomized into those with and without adequate literacy. Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to predict continuous and dichotomous cardiovascular risk factor variables, respectively. RESULTS Twenty-one percent had limited health literacy. Compared to limited health literacy, adequate health literacy was associated with lower BP parameters in multivariable analyses (systolic blood pressure (SBP): β -16.8, s.e. 6.7, P = 0.01; diastolic blood pressure (DBP): β -13.8, s.e. 4.1, P = 0.001; mean arterial pressure (MAP): β -14.8, s.e. 4.6, P = 0.002). Health literacy was not a statistically significant predictor of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides, WHR, BMI, or tobacco utilization. CONCLUSIONS Limited health literacy is common in individuals on dialysis. Individuals with adequate health literacy skills had DBP readings that were on average 13.8 mm Hg lower and MAP that was 14.8 mm Hg lower than those with inadequate health literacy. Prospective studies to elucidate if improvements in health literacy skills will lead to improvement in BP control are needed.
In the Days Before Ecumenism: American Catholics, Anti-Semitism, and the Spanish Civil War

Nearly two thousand years after the birth of Jesus of Nazareth and the emergence of the Christian religion, a Vatican approved document urged the Roman Catholic Church to promote better relations between Christians and Jews. The document proposed joint worship services "whenever possible and mutually desirable," and continued that "it is the one and unique God who speaks through the Old and New Testaments." These statements and the formation
Crystal plasticity analysis of stress–assisted martensitic transformation in Ti–10V–2Fe–3Al (wt.%)

A new model based on crystal–plasticity, crystallography, thermodynamics, kinetics and statistics is developed for stress–assisted martensitic transformation. The model includes the essential features of the stress–assisted martensitic transformation, such as: nuclei of progressively lower potency are activated in the course of transformation, the martensite phase appears in the form of thin plates, the parent phase exerts a higher resistance toward the growth of a plate in the thickness than in the radial direction, the average plate size decreases while the average plate aspect ratio increases with the extent of transformation, etc. The model is implemented in the commercial finite element code ABAQUS/Standard to analyze the evolution of martensite, materials texture and the resulting equivalent stress–equivalent strain curve during the stress–assisted martensitic transformation under different stress and strain states in a polycrystalline Ti–10V–2Fe–3Al (wt.%) alloy. The equivalent stress–equivalent strain curves and the volume fraction of martensite–equivalent strain curves are found to be mainly controlled by the applied stress state. Conversely, the texture observed in the transformed Ti–10V–2Fe–3Al is found to be primarily controlled by the imposed macroscopic strain state. The validity of the proposed materials constitutive model has been established by demonstrating a reasonable agreement between the model predictions and the available experimental data.
Abstract C133: Aresenic Trioxide as targeted therapy for cancers harboring TRIM33-RET -fusion proteins

Chromosomal rearrangements are genomic events that can result in oncogenic gene fusions that are important drivers of tumerogenesis in multiple human cancers. Gene re-arrangements involving RET proto-oncogene were initially reported in papillary thyroid carcinoma. Recent genomic sequencing analysis have identified several rearrangements involving RET gene in other solid cancer types including lung cancers. The fusion protein resulting from the rearrangements usually contain the intact tyrosine kinase domain of RET fused to a partner protein which provides a constitutive dimerization domain. One such rearrangement involved Tripartite repeat motif containing protein 33 (TRIM33) where exons 1-14 of TRIM33 was fused with exon 12-19 of RET which was in frame. Rearrangements involving TRIM33 and RET have been reported in both thyroid cancer and lung cancer. Although these cancers respond to RET inhibitors, the responses are not durable, demonstrating the need for additional treatment approaches to these cancers. Arsenic, an ancient drug originally used in traditional Chinese medicine, shows remarkable anticancer activity in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and is now part of the standard therapy of this disease. Several studies have given new insight into the mechanism of action and specificity of AS2O3 in treatment of APL. AS2O3 promotes degradation of fusion protein, PML-RAR α, a fusion protein containing PML zinc finger protein and retinoic acid receptor alpha. The protein degradation is triggered by arsenic binding to cysteine residues in RBCC domain of PML and PML-RARα. Interestingly PML and TRIM33 both belong to same family of TRIM proteins and have highly conserved RBCC domains, suggesting that arsenic may also induced degradation of TRIM33-fusion proteins. To evaluate the effect of arsenic trioxide on TRIM33-RET fusion proteins, we first synthesized the in-frame fusion gene, and demonstrated that expression of TRIM33-RET fusion protein in primary cell lines leads to transformation. Cells transformed by TRIM33-RET fusion were highly sensitive to arsenic treatment, compared with similar cells expressing other gene fusions. Acute treatment with arsenic induced ubiquitiylation and degradation of TRIM33-RET fusion protein. The detailed molecular mechanism of arsenic-induced degradation of the TRIM33-RET fusion and possible role of such treatment in treating cancers with such rearrangements will be presented and discussed. These data suggest that arsenic trioxide, which is now used to target PML-RARa fusion protein in APML, may also be effective in treatment of solid-tumors driven by TRIM33-containing fusion proteins. Citation Format: Atul Kulkarni, Jeremy Tang, Kim Hirshfield, Lorna Rodriguez, Shridar Ganesan. Aresenic Trioxide as targeted therapy for cancers harboring TRIM33-RET -fusion proteins. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2015 Nov 5-9; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2015;14(12 Suppl 2):Abstract nr C133.
TNF-alpha and IL-6 expression in perfused rat liver after intraportal candidemia vs. E. coli or S. aureus bacteremia

We tested the hypothesis that regulation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and IL-6 by the liver differs after intraportal challenge with Candida albicans spp. vs. gram-negative or gram-positive bacteria, independent of microbial clearance kinetics or hepatic O2 consumption (VO2). Buffer-perfused rat livers were infected with equivalent inocula (10(9) colony-forming units) of viable Escherichia coli serotype 055:B5 (EC), exotoxin C-producing Staphylococcus aureus (SA), or two strains of yeast phase C. albicans (CA-1 and CA-2). Microbial clearance and circulating cytokine levels were assessed over 180 min while monitoring VO2 and functional parameters, after which organ-based microbial killing, cell-associated TNF-alpha, and cytokine mRNA levels were determined. Compared with saline controls (normal saline solution; NSS), circulating and cell-associated TNF-alpha and TNF-alpha transcripts minimally increased after CA. In contrast, large increases in perfusate TNF-alpha occurred after EC, peaking at 180 min [135 +/- 32 U/ml (mean + SE)], concomitant with rises in cell-associated cytokine and TNF-alpha transcripts (P < 0.01 vs. NSS). Circulating TNF-alpha also rose after SA but neither cell-associated nor mRNA levels exceeded NSS values. There were no pathogen-specific differences in microbial clearance or VO2. IL-6 gene expression paralleled that for TNF-alpha, but IL-6 bioactivity in perfusates was inhibited by TNF-alpha-dependent and -independent mechanisms. We conclude that hepatic TNF-alpha and IL-6 expression are differentially regulated after taxonomically diverse microbial challenges, with E. coli eliciting the strongest and Candida spp. the weakest stimulatory responses.
Failure of the Bethanechol Supersensitivity Test to Predict Improved Voiding After Subcutaneous Bethanechol Administration

Subcutaneous administration of 5 mg. bethanechol chloride did not change significantly either flow rates or percentage residual urine in 11 patients with a positive bethanechol supersensitivity test. Therefore, a positive response to this test cannot be used to predict improved voiding function after subcutaneous or oral administration of the drug. Studies that purport to show a long-term rather than a short-term facilitory effect of this agent on voiding must satisfy rigid criteria, which include totally excluding a change in any other factor affecting the lower urinary tract.
The Finite Element Method

The finite element method (FEM) belongs to the broad class of variational methods; so it is natural to start this chapter with an introduction and overview of such methods. This section emphasizes the importance of the variational approach to computation: It can be claimed—with only a small bit of exaggeration—that all numerical methods are variational.
Vowel reduction across tasks for male speakers of American Englisha)

This study examined acoustic variation of vowels within speakers across speech tasks. The overarching goal of the study was to understand within-speaker variation as one index of the range of normal speech motor behavior for American English vowels. Ten male speakers of American English performed four speech tasks including citation form sentence reading with a clear-speech style (clear-speech), citation form sentence reading (citation), passage reading (reading), and conversational speech (conversation). Eight monophthong vowels in a variety of consonant contexts were studied. Clear-speech was operationally defined as the reference point for describing variation. Acoustic measures associated with the conventions of vowel targets were obtained and examined. These included temporal midpoint formant frequencies for the first three formants (F1, F2, and F3) and the derived Euclidean distances in the F1–F2 and F2–F3 planes. Results indicated that reduction toward the center of the F1–F2 and F2–F3 planes increased in magnitude across the tasks in the order of clear-speech, citation, reading, and conversation. The cross-task variation was comparable for all speakers despite fine-grained individual differences. The characteristics of systematic within-speaker acoustic variation across tasks have potential implications for the understanding of the mechanisms of speech motor control and motor speech disorders.
Sensitivity and elasticity analysis of a Lur’e system used to model a population subject to density-dependent reproduction

Abstract Sensitivity and elasticity analyzes have become central to the analysis of models in population biology and ecology. While much work has been done applying sensitivity and elasticity analysis to study density-independent (linear) matrix and integral projection models, little work has been done to study the sensitivity and elasticity of density-dependent models, especially integral projection models. In this paper we derive sensitivity and elasticity formulas for the equilibrium population n* of a structured population modeled by a Lur’e system, which consists of a linear system plus a nonlinearity modeling density-dependent fecundity. Sensitivity and elasticity formulas are easy to interpret ecologically, and we apply these formulas to published models for Chinook Salmon and Platte thistle (Cirsium canescens). In the C. canescens example we show that models with identical equilibrium populations can have sensitivities that are an order-of-magnitude apart, depending on the functional form for the nonlinearity.
Superselective vs. lobar transarterial ethiodized oil-chemoembolization - occurrence and clinical significance of non-target embolization

Purpose: To determine occurrence and clinical significance of non-target embolization (NTE) after superselective and lobar transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with ethiodized oil. Material and Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent ethiodized oil-based TACE from 2000 to 2013 were evaluated. NTE was defined as the presence of ethiodized oil in organs other than the liver, as seen on non-contrast CT performed day after TACE. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for NTE symptoms. Results: 583 TACEs were performed in 360 patients. Superselective TACE had lower overall rate of NTE than non-selective TACE: 21% (34/164) vs. 38% (160/419), p <0.001, as well as lower rates of gallbladder NTE 4% (7/164) vs. 16% (67/419), p <0.001 and stomach NTE 1% (2/164) vs. 6% (25/419). The overall incidence of NTE was 33% (194/583): 20% (114/583) lung; 13% (74/583) gallbladder; 5% (27/583) stomach; 1% (8/583) pancreas; 1% (6/583) spleen; 0.5% (3/583) duodenum; and 0.3% (2/583) adrenal. The incidence of pulmonary symptoms was 7% (32/448) and higher in patients with lung oil deposition (17/88; 19%) than those without (15/360; 4%; p <0.001). Oil deposition in pancreas was associated with clinical pancreatitis in 38% (3/8); all patients with pancreatitis were treated with a lobar approach. The length of hospital stay was longer for patients with non-target embolization: 2.6 ± 1.5 days vs. 1.9 ± 1.0 days in patients without non-target embolization, p =0.01. Conclusion: Transarterial chemoembolization with a superselective approach results in decreased incidence of non-target embolization.
Permissive Effects of Hormones on the Induction of δ-Aminolevulinic Acid Synthase in Cultured Chick-Embryo Liver Cells

The biosynthesis of heme is regulated by the activity of the first enzyme of its biosynthetic pathway, δ-aminolevulinic acid synthase (ALA-S) (4). This enzyme is present in the mitochondria and is inducible in the liver by a variety of compounds of hydrophobic nature. Studies of the regulation of ALA-S have been facilitated by the introduction of a tissue-culture technique for cultivating monolayer of chick-embryo liver cells (2). A major drawback of this system, however, has been the variability of hormone content of fetal bovine serum, which is used to supplement the culture medium. In addition, the presence of heme in such sera has also been shown to be inhibitory to the formation of ALA-S (3). In the present study, we report that chickembryo liver cells can be cultivated in a completely chemically defined medium, thus allowing detailed studies on the mechanism of hormone action in these cells. Utilizing this culture method, the permissive effect of insulin, hydrocortisone and triiodothyronine on the induction of ALA-S has been demonstrated.
Beyond the Pale? Exploring Prospects for Negotiations with Al Qaeda and the Islamic State

ABSTRACTThis article argues that prospects for negotiations with Al Qaeda and the Islamic State have been undertheorized. Drawing on nearly two thousand pages of primary source material— all issues of Inspire and Dabiq magazines published at the time of writing—it examines these groups' statements about their motivations for violence, their objectives, and their views about the possibility of dialogue with the West. It finds stark differences in all three areas and suggests that assumptions that have prevented theorizing about negotiations with these groups should be revisited.
Sample Preparation for Mass Spectrometry-based Identification of RNA-binding Regions

Noncoding RNAs play important roles in several nuclear processes, including regulating gene expression, chromatin structure, and DNA repair. In most cases, the action of noncoding RNAs is mediated by proteins whose functions are in turn regulated by these interactions with noncoding RNAs. Consistent with this, a growing number of proteins involved in nuclear functions have been reported to bind RNA and in a few cases the RNA-binding regions of these proteins have been mapped, often through laborious, candidate-based methods. Here, we report a detailed protocol to perform a high-throughput, proteome-wide unbiased identification of RNA-binding proteins and their RNA-binding regions. The methodology relies on the incorporation of a photoreactive uridine analog in the cellular RNA, followed by UV-mediated protein-RNA crosslinking, and mass spectrometry analyses to reveal RNA-crosslinked peptides within the proteome. Although we describe the procedure for mouse embryonic stem cells, the protocol should be easily adapted to a variety of cultured cells.
Three Role Models of Leadership for the Law School Dean

This article addresses key leadership traits by examining the lives of successful leaders. It tells the stories of Anwar Sadat, William Wilberforce, and John Winthrop to inspire readers to pursue vision, endurance, and a heart to serve others.
Synergistic immuno photothermal nanotherapy (SYMPHONY) to treat unresectable and metastatic cancers and produce and cancer vaccine effect

Biocompatible gold nanostars (GNS) with tip-enhanced electromagnetic and optical properties have been developed and applied for multifunctional cancer diagnostics and therapy (theranostics). Their multiple sharp branches acting like “lightning rods” can convert safely and efficiently light into heat. As with other nanoparticles, GNS sizes can be controlled so that they passively accumulate in tumors due to the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect of tumor vasculature. This feature improves tumor-targeting precision and permits the use of reduced laser energy required to destroy the targeted cancer cells. The ability to selectively heat tumor areas where GNS are located while keeping surrounding healthy tissues at significantly lower temperatures offers significant advantages over other thermal therapies. GNS-mediated photothermal therapy combined with checkpoint immunotherapy was shown to reverse tumor-mediated immunosuppression, leading to the treatment of not only primary tumors but also cancer metastasis as well as inducing effective long-lasting immunity, i.e. an anticancer ‘vaccine’ effect.
Role of Autophagy in Post-Mitotic Midbody Fate and Function: A Dissertation

The midbody (MB) is a proteinaceous complex formed between the two daughter cells during cell division and is required for the final cell separation event in late cytokinesis. After cell division, the post-mitotic midbody, or midbody derivative (MB d ), can be retained and accumulated in a subpopulation of cancer cells and stem cells, but not in normal diploid differentiated cells. However, the mechanisms by which MB d s accumulate and function are unclear. Based on this, I hypothesize that the MB d is degraded by autophagy after cell division in normal diploid differentiated cells, whereas non-differentiated cells have low autophagic activity and would accumulate MB d s. Indeed, I found this to be the case. MB d degradation occurred soon after cytokinesis in differentiated cells that possess high autophagic activity. Specifically, I found MB d degradation to be mediated by binding of the autophagy receptor, NBR1, to the MB protein Cep55. Moreover, by performing proteomic analysis of NBR1 interactions I found additional MB-localized proteins that are potential substrates for NBR1. In contrast to differentiated cells, stem and cancer cells have low autophagic activity thus MB d s evade autophagosome encapsulation and accumulate. To examine whether MB d s can define the differentiation status of a cell, we depleted NBR1 from differentiated fibroblasts causing an increase in MB d number. Strikingly, under these conditions, reprogramming of fibroblasts to pluripotent stem cells is increased. Equally interestingly, cancer cells with increased MB d s have increased in vitro tumorigenicity. In conclusion, this study gives an insight into the fates of post-mitotic midbodies and also suggests a non-cytokinetic role of midbodies in enhancing pluripotency in stem cells and cancer stem cells.
Parallel Computer Systems Testing and Integration

The ever-growing complexity of computer systems testing is becoming more important than ever. With today’s technology we are capable of building the systems that may contain in a cage or a frame several millions of circuits which, even with high level integration, may have to be packaged in several hundred thousand chips. The quest for testing in multiprocessors is a very challenging one and it is our intent to shed some light on this important, but frequently underestimated, aspect of implementing large parallel computers.
Stabilizing control of a singularly perturbed system driven by wide-band noises

A nonlinear singularly perturbed system is considered where the state equations as well as the output equations are corrupted by wide-band noises. The purpose of this paper is to spell out sufficient conditions under which an output feedback stabilizing control designed for a reduced-order model, via the use of stochastic observer, will stabilize the full-order system. Our results, which were established earlier on order-reduction and stability are applied to justify the use of the reduced-order models and the stability of the closed-loop systems which result from applying output feedback to the open-loop systems.
Industrial Adoption and Use of Programmable Controllers

Programmable controllers, originally used as a replacement for relay logic, have evolved into an important tool in factory automation and Computer Integrated Manufacturing. Programmable controllers are used mainly for production and process control. The benefits, obstacles and the success factors associated with their usage were examined through a user survey. Most respondents used additional advanced technology such as Computer Aided Design or Automated Quality Control in conjunction with programmable controllers. For the majority of the respondents, programmable controllers were integrated within manufacturing automation. Approximately half of the respondents did not undertake a feasibility study to evaluate programmable controllers which, surprisingly, did not influence the time needed for implementation or contribute to the difficulties encountered.
The Physiatrist and Subacute Rehabilitation

Subacute rehabilitation (SR) is a relatively new level of care that is being integrated into the practice of physiatry. This article focuses on the issues for physiatrists in providing SR in a variety of settings, with an emphasis on the nursing home environment, and explores several important issues related to integrating SR into the current and future physiatric practice.
Early and late complications of bariatric operation

Weight loss surgery is one of the fastest growing segments of the surgical discipline. As with all medical procedures, postoperative complications will occur. Acute care surgeons need to be familiar with the common problems and their management. Although general surgical principles generally apply, diagnoses specific to the various bariatric operations must be considered. There are anatomic considerations which alter management priorities and options for these patients in many instances. These problems present both early or late in the postoperative course. Bariatric operations, in many instances, result in permanent alteration of a patient’s anatomy, which can lead to complications at any time during the course of a patient’s life. Acute care surgeons diagnosing surgical emergencies in postbariatric operation patients must be familiar with the type of surgery performed, as well as the common postbariatric surgical emergencies. In addition, surgeons must not overlook the common causes of an acute surgical abdomen—acute appendicitis, acute diverticulitis, acute pancreatitis, and gallstone disease—for these are still among the most common etiologies of abdominal pathology in these patients.
Contraceptive Desert? Black-White Differences in Characteristics of Nearby Pharmacies

Race differences in contraceptive use and in geographic access to pharmacies are well established. We explore race differences in characteristics of nearby pharmacies that are likely to facilitate (or not) contraceptive purchase. We conducted analyses with two geocode-linked datasets: (1) the Relationship Dynamics and Social Life (RDSL) project, a study of a random sample of 1003 women ages 18–19 living in a county in Michigan in 2008–09; and (2) the Community Pharmacy Survey, which collected data on 82 pharmacies in the county in which the RDSL study was conducted. Although young African-American women tend to live closer to pharmacies than their white counterparts (1.2 miles to the nearest pharmacy for African Americans vs. 2.1 miles for whites), those pharmacies tend to be independent pharmacies (59 vs. 16%) that are open fewer hours per week (64.6 vs. 77.8) and have fewer female pharmacists (17 vs. 50%), fewer patient brochures on contraception (2 vs. 5%), more difficult access to condoms (49% vs. 85% on the shelf instead of behind glass, behind the counter, or not available), and fewer self-check-out options (3 vs. 9%). More African-American than white women live near African-American pharmacists (8 vs. 3%). These race differences are regardless of poverty, measured by the receipt of public assistance. Relative to white women, African-American women may face a “contraception desert,” wherein they live nearer to pharmacies, but those pharmacies have characteristics that may impede the purchase of contraception.
A Wantless, Workless World: How the Origins of the University Can Inform Its Future

From China to North Africa to Europe, the earliest institutions of higher education arose as a set of strategies to protect and encourage practices of productive leisure. These were knowledge-production practices the surrounding social and economic order might not otherwise have seen fit to value: self-directed time organized to meet collectively agreed-upon standards. Practices of productive leisure have also become targets for colonial regimes seeking to undermine local civilizations for their own ends. Today, in an era of growing labor precarity and the specter of technological unemployment, higher education is poised to ensure that the benefits of the transformation underway circulate to a broader set of people than is currently the case. Updating the medieval guild structure of universities with cooperative enterprise, and platform cooperativism in particular, can facilitate the capture and sharing of economic surplus. By protecting productive leisure through higher education, automation can yield widespread dividends of liberated time.