cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The cure for the cynical physician: Gratitude and global health.

Why did I choose my career in medicine? For me, it’s simple. Most of us, I think, in our medical school or residency applications, shared the same vision: to help people. So we chose a profession that would allow us to put others before ourselves. Often now, however, our profession can seem full of cynicism driven by increased work hours and insurance hoops. Some—perhaps many—physicians are burning out. A recent online CBS News article titled, “$1 million mistake: Becoming a doctor,”1 describes a 2013 survey showing that, if given the opportunity to choose a career again, fewer than 50% of physicians would pursue medicine. When did insurance companies and electronic charting distance us from our core values? Simply stated, I believewe physicians need to return to our vision, our “first love.” That belief comes from faith. When a person has strayed from faith, a return to “first love” can mean—at least in my case—remembering the passion of discovering God’s unconditional love. I call on all physicians to return to our first love in medicine: helping people. To do so, for me, has required putting aside cynicism and doing something vastly different from the contemporary physician’s normal day. For me, a return to my first love in medicine has come from serving global health. I know what you are thinking: why am I, a radiation oncology resident, writing about global health? Doesn’t radiation oncology require millions of dollars for equipment and extensive technical expertise? Or maybe you wonder why, with a passion for global health, why didn’t I choose primary care, infectious disease, or obstetrics and gynecology? My answer is that my calling is to help patients through their cancer journeys while pursuing my passions for research, technology, and physics. In fact, my involvement with
On a class of stochastic pairing processes and the Mycielski-Ulam notions of genealogical distance

Abstract We generalize Mycielski and Ulam's results for their genealogical distances d r and ϱ r to a wider class of pairing processes in which the number of offspring per couple is allowed to vary, and derive considerably more stringent upper and lower bounds for the expected values. We also note certain additional properties of the pairing processes that may be of interest.
Effects of bromocriptine on prolactin cellular hypertrophy, proliferation and secretory activity in diethylstilbestrol-induced pituitary tumors

Abstract Pituitary tumors induced by chronic diethylstilbestrol (DES) treatment in female F344 rats were treated subsequently with bromocriptine (BC). Effects of BC on separable subpopulations of lactotrophs were examined. Enzymatically dissociated cells from individual pituitaries were assessed regarding total number, relative lactotroph population, intracellular prolactin (PRL) content, PRL release in primary culture, and density alterations by separation in Ficoll-Hypaque or after sedimentation at unit gravity. In addition to the treatment and analysis of in situ tumors, the effects of BC treatment in vitro were assessed, using tumor cells which were first separated on Ficoll-Hypaque. Cell proliferation was assessed by cell cycle analysis, using DNA measurement by laser flow cytometry. BC treatment of tumors reversed the effects of DES on pituitary weight, PRL content and in vitro PRL release. Total cell recovery was not affected by BC, but cell separation showed that BC reduced the number of larger PRL-containing cells. Cell cycle analysis showed a decrease in numbers of cells in S and G 2 cycle phases after BC in only one of four experiments. BC had an effect on proliferation in only the upper gradient fractions, containing the smallest cells. Culture of Ficoll-separated tumor cells revealed greater PRL release among lighter/smaller cells. BC treatment inhibited PRL release from both light and dense cells. The results establish that PRL cell hypertrophy, as well as hyperplasia, results from DES treatment. Bromocriptine treatment reverses this hypertrophy concomitant with inhibiting PRL synthesis and release. Reversal of proliferation in tumor cells is not a major effect of bromocriptine treatment.
The word-detection effect: Sophisticated guessing or perceptual enhancement?

Subjects discriminate letters in words better than letters in nonwords. The sophisticated guessing hypothesis attributes this word advantage to a guessing strategy. In words, the possible letters at each letter position are constrained by letters at other positions, whereas letters in nonwords are not restricted in this manner. A critical test of this hypothesis is that if subjects are givenexplicit knowledge of the letters in nonwords before the trial, the word advantage would disappear. We investigated the effect of preknowledge of the alternatives in the word-detection effect. In the word-detection effect, subjects decide which of two character strings contains letters and which contains pseudoletters. In four experiments, subjects were more accurate with words than with nonwords, and subjects were more accurate when they were told the word or nonword before the trial. However, even with foreknowledge of the alternatives, subjects were more accurate with words than with nonwords.
Isolation and electrophoresis of nuclear proteins of bean

Abstract Methods are described for the fractionation of the acidic and basic proteins associated with the chromatin of plant tissue. Polyacrylamide gel systems are also described which give optimal electrophoretic resolution of these protein fractions. Utilizing these techniques, comparative studies revealed a differential specificity of these proteins for the undifferentiated hook and the more differentiated lower hypocotyl tissue of bean hypocotyls. The acidic nuclear protein fractions exhibited a difference in gel patterns of the two stages of development while the histones showed little difference. The ratio of the ethanol-HCl extracted histones to the HCl extracted histones appeared to increase with development.
Antimicrobial activities of commercial nanoparticles against an environmental soil microbe, Pseudomonas putida KT2440.

Background The release of heavy metal-containing nanoparticles (NP) into the environment may be harmful to the efficacy of beneficial microbes that function in element cycling, pollutant degradation and plant growth. Nanoparticles of Ag, CuO and ZnO are of interest as antimicrobials against pathogenic bacteria. We demonstrate here their antimicrobial activity against the beneficial soil microbe, Pseudomonas putida KT2440.
Olfaction--and the smell of summer.

Redolent summer! More than any other time of year, summer smells. The variety and intensity of odors makes the hot months a time of exquisite joy or exquisite agony. Joy for lovers of gardens who can savor the scent of roses, lavender, thyme, manure, and well tilled earth after a rain. Agony for unfortunate sufferers, genetically condemned to sneeze and weep and snuffle because of pollen allergies. Joy for creatures finding mates through the remarkable specificity of chemosensory communicationpherhormones and olfactory receptor systems. Agony for creatures snared by Wiley predators subverting the very same chemisensory communication network. The fragrant chemical cacophony of summer obscures the precision of odor, especially to olfactory neophytes like human beings. The summer garden is enveloped by a cloud of aromatic messages as dense as a pea soup fog. The diversity, precision, and ubiquity of communication by odor prompted Dr Lewis Thomas over a decade ago to write some delightful, prescient musings about the specificity of smell [l]. The olfactory signaling system consists of receptors ensconced in the membrane of the sentient cell and chemical compounds, almost all simple and small molecules, that are released by the signaling cell. Message transmission is completed when the aromatic chemical-the ligand-touches and tickles the receptor. The simplicity of ligand-receptor com-
AN ENERGY-DISPLACEMENT INEQUALITY APPLICABLE TO PROBLEMS IN THE DYNAMIC STABILITY OF STRUCTURES,

Abstract : An inequality is derived which relates the strain energy of an elastic beam to its displacement. Generalizations to other structures and applications to problems of dynamic stability are discussed.
Model compound study for acrylic latex crosslinking reactions with cycloaliphatic epoxides

Cyclohexene oxide, methanol, and acetic acid were used as model compounds to study the competitive crosslinking of cycloaliphatic diepoxides with hydroxyl and carboxyl functionalized acrylic copolymers. Model reactions were performed as a function of molar ratio, pH, and temperature. At a 2:1:1 molar ratio of epoxide: hydroxyl: carboxyl, the formation of the primary ether and ester linkages were found to be the major crosslinking reactions. By increasing the molar ratio to 3:1:1, the formation of both the ether and ester oligomer products were significantly enhanced. As the pH of the media decreased, the rate of the crosslinking reactions increased, and generally ester products were formed preferentially to ether products. A temperature dependence of the rate of reactions were generally more pronounced at higher pH.
Platelet microvesicles adhere to subendothelium and promote adhesion of platelets

A role in hemostasis has been suggested for platelet membrane microvesicles (mv). The objectives of the studies reported here include functional analysis of platelet mv in models developed for study of platelet adhesion, as well as investigation of possible interactions between mv and intact platelets in these same adhesion models. Microvesicles were prepared from washed platelet concentrates by repeated freezing and thawing. Adhesion to subendothelium was measured quantitatively by radiolabelling mv with 111-In, and morphologically by scanning electron microscopy. Platelet mv adhered to subendothelium quantitatively over time. Using a modified Baumgartner chamber, we found adhesion of mv to subendothelium significantly increased with increasing shear rates. With this same model we found that prior exposure of subendothelium to mv greatly increased subsequent adhesion of platelets to the same everted vessel, compared to platelet adhesion in the absence of mv. All of these experiments were conducted with mv suspended in ACD/saline, indicating that plasma components are not essential for adhesion of mv. Our studies show that platelet mv adhere to subendothelium in much the same way as do platelets, and support the concept of a hemostatic role for mv in that they appear to increase platelet adhesion.
Differential reactivity of wild and semi-domestic deermice (Peromyscus maniculatus)

Abstract A strain of deermice ( Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii ) maintained in captivity for 17 years (twenty to twenty-five generations) was compared with the laboratory-reared offspring of a field-caught population in regard to the propensity to enter an unfamiliar open-field. Controls were established for the post-natal maternal environment and post-weaning rearing experience (laboratory cages versus outdoor enclosure). The semi-domestic subjects exhibited significantly shorter latencies in entering the open-field and significantly fewer subjects failed to enter during the 2-min test trial. Fostering offspring both between and within strains did not affect these results. Whereas early experience in a semi-natural field enclosure did not change the open-field behaviour of the wild genotype subjects, propensity to enter was significantly decreased in the male semi-domestic animals. Only the laboratory reared semi-domestic subjects showed significantly decreased avoidance after 48 hr habituation to the open-field. The propensity of both strains to enter the open-field was significantly decreased in the presence of a caged least weasel. The reduced reactivity of the semi-domestic subjects was explained by differential selection pressure in field and laboratory environments.
Construction of New Forest Roads in Malaysia Using a GIS-Based Decision Support System

This paper describes how a Geographical Information System (GIS)-based Decision Support System (DSS) was applied in selecting the most compatible block or compartment to construct a new forest road for a sustainable timber harvesting purposes. The study area was located in Gunong Stong Permanent Forest Reserve, Kelantan, Malaysia between latitude 5 o 00’ N and 5 o 25’ N and longitude 101 o 20’ E and 102 o 05’ E. Four criteria have been considered in this paper which is timber volume (m 3 ), slope (degree), ground condition and distance from the primary and secondary forest road that previously exists (m). ArcView and ArcMap softwares were used to evaluate all the criteria using remote sensing and field data. Results indicated that the best block that fulfill all the criteria chosen for the new forest road construction is Block Nos. 9 and 11.
The structure of the solution set for the Yang-Mills equations

The solution set for the (sourceless) Yang-Mills equations on a spacetime with compact Cauchy surface is a smooth manifold (i.e. the equations are linearization stable) except at solutions that are symmetric. At such symmetric solutions, the structure is described by a homogeneous quadratic form. The degeneracy space for this form is tangent to a manifold of symmetric solutions. Symmetry breaking occurs for perturbations in the nondegenerate directions of the quadratic form. The terms ‘symmetry’ and ‘stability’ in the present work are compared to these terms as used elsewhere in the literature.
Malignant lymphoproliferative diseases induced by Epstein-Barr virus in immunodeficient patients, including X-linked, cytogenetic, and familial syndromes

Old paint on canvas as it ages, sometimes becomes transparent. When that happens it is possible, in some pictures, to see the original lines: a tree will show through a woman's dress, a child makes way for a dog, a large boat is no longer on an open sea. That is called pentimento because the painter "repented," changed his mind. Perhaps it could be as well to say that the old conception, replaced by another choice, is a way of seeing and then seeing again.
Nuclear and cytoplasmic dynamics of sperm penetration, pronuclear formation and microtubule organization during fertilization and early preimplantation development in the human

This report describes spatial and temporal aspects of sperm penetration and intracytoplasmic migration, pronuclear evolution and the specificity of presyngamic opposition, stage-specific changes in cytoskeletal organization and the relative contribution of maternal and paternal components to mitotic spindle formation. These studies involved observations of living human oocytes during conventional insemination in vitro and after intracytoplasmic deposition of spermatozoa, analysis of chromatin organization and distribution during pronuclear evolution, and detection of actin and alpha-, beta- and gamma-tubulin by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy. Immature and mature oocytes, penetrated but unfertilized oocytes, fertilized but arrested eggs, and cleavage-stage embryos from normal and dispermic fertilizations were examined. The results demonstrate that sperm nuclear migration to the maternal perinuclear region is rapid and linear, occurs in the absence of a detectable cytoskeletal system and appears to be assisted by an unusual configuration of the sperm tail principal piece which results from either retained intracytoplasmic motility or the process by which the sperm tail is progressively incorporated into the oocyte. Our findings also show a specificity of pronuclear alignment that is associated with a polarized distribution of both maternal and paternal chromatin, and with the position of the sperm centrosome and the presence of microtubules nucleated from this structure. The results also indicate that a maternal microtubule nucleating capacity is present in the immature oocyte but is apparently inactive until spindle formation. The poles of the first mitotic spindle appear to be derived from the sperm centrosome, although some maternal contribution cannot be excluded. The sperm tail and centrosome persist in a single cell through the cleavage stages, and the latter serves as a prominent site of cytoplasmic microtubule nucleation. The results provide a detailed understanding of the cellular and nuclear morphodynamics of the human fertilization process and indicate subtle defects that may be responsible for early developmental failure.
Volumetric assessment of secondary alveolar bone grafting using cone beam computed tomography.

Abstract Objective: To assess the radiographic outcome of secondary alveolar bone grafting in individuals with nonsyndromic unilateral or bilateral cleft lip and palate using cone beam computed tomography. Methods: This prospective study was conducted at the University of California at San Francisco Center for Craniofacial Anomalies on 21 consecutive nonsyndromic complete cleft lip and palate individuals between 8 and 12 years of age who required alveolar bone grafting. Seventeen unilateral and four bilateral cleft lip and palate individuals had preoperative and postoperative cone beam computed tomography scans that were analyzed using Amira 3.1.1 software. Results: The average volume of the preoperative alveolar cleft defect in unilateral cleft lip and palate was 0.61 cm3, and the combined average volume of the right and left alveolar cleft defects in bilateral cleft lip and palate was 0.82 cm3. The average percentage bone fill in both unilateral cleft lip and palate and bilateral cleft lip and palate wa...
Oryx gazella (Cape oryx, gemsbok)

The karyotypes were prepared from tissue cultures of skin biopsies. The animals, identified by Dr. H. Heck, came from the Catskill Game Farm, Catskill, New York, USA.
Towards a scalable data center-level evaluation methodology

As the popularity of Internet services continues to rise, the need to understand the design of the data center systems hosting these workloads becomes increasingly important. Unfortunately, research in this area has been stifled, primarily due to a lack of tools, workloads, and rigorous evaluation methodology. Traditional tools, such as architectural simulators, do not directly address data center-level issues and do not scale to simulate the thousands of machines needed for data center research. We introduce, Stochastic Queuing Simulation (SQS), our methodology for characterization and evaluation of data center systems. By leveraging techniques from stochastic modeling, queuing theory and statistical sampling, SQS uses discrete-event simulation to drive models that scale to tens of thousands of machines. Whereas detailed architectural simulations can last hours or days, SQS turnaround time is typically on the order of tens of minutes to an hour. Furthermore, computation can be distributed across cores and machines, achieving speedup using commodity clusters.
Persistence of Botulinum Neurotoxin A Subtypes 1-5 in Primary Rat Spinal Cord Cells

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are the most poisonous substances known and cause the severe disease botulism. BoNTs have also been remarkably effective as therapeutics in treating many neuronal and neuromuscular disorders. One of the hallmarks of BoNTs, particularly serotype A, is its long persistence of 2-6 months in patients at concentrations as low as fM or pM. The mechanisms for this persistence are currently unclear. In this study we determined the persistence of the BoNT/A subtypes 1 through 5 in primary rat spinal neurons. Remarkably, the duration of intracellular enzymatic activity of BoNT/A1, /A2, /A4 and /A5 was shown to be at least 10 months. Conversely, the effects of BoNT/A3 were observed for up to ∼5 months. An intermittent dosing with BoNT/E showed intracellular activity of the shorter acting BoNT/E for 2-3 weeks, followed by reoccurrence and persistence of BoNT/A-induced SNAP-25 cleavage products.
Synthesis of vanadium dioxide thin films on conducting oxides and metal–insulator transition characteristics

Abstract We report on growth and physical properties of vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ) films on model conducting oxide underlayers (Nb-doped SrTiO 3 and RuO 2 buffered TiO 2 single crystals). The VO 2 films, synthesized by rf sputtering, are highly textured as seen from X-ray diffraction. The VO 2 film grown on Nb doped SrTiO 3 shows over two orders of magnitude metal–insulator transition, while VO 2 film on RuO 2 buffered TiO 2 shows a smaller resistance change but with an interesting two step transition. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been performed as a function of depth on both sets of structures to provide mechanistic understanding of the transition characteristics. We then investigate voltage-driven transition in the VO 2 films grown on Nb-doped SrTiO 3 substrate as a function of temperature. The present study contributes to efforts towards correlated oxide electronics utilizing phase transitions.
Aspects of activities and participation in daily life related to body structure and function in adolescents with obstetrical brachial plexus palsy: a descriptive follow-up study.

Aim: To analyse whether activities and participation in daily life differed between adolescents with obstetrical brachial plexus palsy (OBPP) and their able-bodied peers. Method: Fifty-one teenagers born in 1985–1987 with OBPP and a comparison group consisting of 116 age-matched adolescents in a socioeconomically and socioculturally representative area answered a self-report questionnaire concerning their daily life, school performance and friendships. The OBPP group was divided into three functional groups according to the degree of severity of the OBPP. Results: Subjects with OBPP had interests, activities and a social life very similar to those of the teenagers in the comparison group. Differences were, however, found in self-esteem for sport/motor activities, with self-esteem being significantly lower in teenagers with the most severe type of OBPP. The OBPP groups were concerned about the risks for their affected and unaffected limb. Conclusion: In our society, adolescents with OBPP report a typical teenage life today. However, the indications for distress and worry related to the disability have to be considered
The Conceptual Contours of Sex in the Chinese Life Sciences: Zhu Xi (1899-1962), Hermaphroditism, and the Biological Discourse of Ci and Xiong, 1920-1950

This paper “maps” a number of trajectories through which the conceptual contours of sex could be traced in the bioscientific discourse of Republican China. Focusing on the writings of the embryologist Zhu Xi (1899–1962), I analyze the epistemic functionality of such biological terms as ci (“biological femaleness”) and xiong (“biological maleness”) that acquired an unprecedented scope of cultural discursiveness in China only alongside the arrival of Western biology, which replaced classical learning and natural studies as the authoritative field of inquiry about life. I first show that when Chinese scientists used these terms to describe the sex of biological species, they relied on an epistemological framework of visual knowledge that granted some foundational operative power to a signifying order in which one could know by seeing the differences between ci and xiong (and, ultimately, sexual differences). These two terms’ lexicality and indexicality thus mutually reinforced one another in the production of their semiotic possibilities and epistemo-logicality. I then show that while they adopted ci and xiong as the bioscientific synonyms of the more culturally anthropocentric words such as nu (woman) and nan (man), Chinese biologists also incorporated sophisticated biological theories of sex from Europe and North America, including the theories of “gynandromorphism” and “intersexuality.” The implicit and explicit figurations of hermaphroditism reveal the ways in which at the heart of the entire bioscientific discourse of ci and xiong resides its key conceptual anchor: the human–non-human divide.
Inhibition of protein synthesis transiently stimulates initiation of minichromosome replication in Escherichia coli.

Abstract Replication of oriC-dependent minichromosomes was found to be transiently stimulated when protein synthesis was inhibited by the addition of chloramphenicol. Initiation of replication was also induced by amino acid starvation of relA mutant strains and a nutritional upshift. The results are explained on the basis that these treatments rendered RNA polymerase more available for participation in the initiation process. As a consequence, the oriC duplex may be transcriptionally activated to an open form, a necessary prerequisite for DNA polymerization.
Biventricular cannulation for the thoratec ventricular assist device

The Thoratec biventricular assist device has been used extensively as a bridge to heart transplantation. Right atrial cannulation has always been used during right ventricular support, however diminished filling and output of the right ventricular assist device have been noticed when compared with filling and output of the left ventricular assist device. We describe a technique to directly cannulate the right ventricle to maximize filling and output of the right ventricular assist device.
Standards for Broadcast Content Protection

The consumers want to distribute television content across home networks while the content providers want the content to flow, provided they get paid for it. Public service broadcasters have obligations to ensure content is freely accessible. Protecting the broadcast is a different problem from protecting in-home. There are are multiple approaches in use today where interoperability between these approaches is a challenge.
Optical correlator field demonstration

A first-phase demonstration of the capabilities and limitations of an optical correlator in a realistic environment has been completed. The testing was divided into several areas, from gathering laboratory data to a fully functional helicopter-delivered demonstration airframe. The basic research performed has led to three fully fieldable test units which have proven to be rugged and dependable under normal test range conditions. The units were transportable and required no realignment of the optics. Two of the test systems were modular in construction while the third was a 'solid optic' design having optical paths and components contained within a solid glass construction. Two flights have been completed so far, and in both cases the target was identified and tracked, and an airframe guided to target impact.
Gadolinium pharmacokinetics of chronic myocardial infarcts: Implications for late gadolinium-enhanced infarct imaging.

Purpose To monitor gadolinium pharmacokinetics in the hearts of patients with chronic myocardial infarcts and to determine the variability of contrast agent concentrations and accuracy of infarct detection over an hour time period. Materials and Methods Twenty-five patients with chronic myocardial infarcts were examined. T1 measurements were performed every 2 minutes using an inversion recovery CINE balanced steady-state free precession technique. Paired differences in T1 values over time for the discrimination between the left ventricular (LV) bloodpool, viable, and infarct myocardium were statistically evaluated. The average change per 1, 5, and 10 minutes of the inversion time parameter for optimal nulling of viable myocardium was calculated. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to compare the performance of late gadolinium-enhanced infarct imaging at increasing delays after contrast agent administration. Results Significantly different T1 values were reached after 10 minutes between the LV bloodpool, infarcted, and viable myocardium. The T1 difference between myocardial infarcts and the LV bloodpool increased over time, while the difference between viable myocardium and the LV bloodpool decreased. ROC curve analysis showed a decrease in performance of a fixed T1 value to discriminate between the LV bloodpool and viable myocardium over time, while there was a marked increase in the discrimination between the LV bloodpool and infarcted myocardium. Conclusion The ability to discriminate between infarcted myocardium and the LV bloodpool improves with an increasing delay after contrast agent administration while discrimination between viable myocardium and the LV bloodpool decreases. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2009;30:763–770. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A variance-decomposition approach to investigating multiscale habitat associations

Abstract The recognition of the importance of spatial scale in ecology has led many researchers to take multiscale approaches to studying habitat associations. However, few of the studies that investigate habitat associations at multiple spatial scales have considered the potential effects of cross-scale correlations in measured habitat variables. When cross-scale correlations in such studies are strong, conclusions drawn about the relative strength of habitat associations at different spatial scales may be inaccurate. Here we adapt and demonstrate an analytical technique based on variance decomposition for quantifying the influence of cross-scale correlations on multiscale habitat associations. We used the technique to quantify the variation in nest-site locations of Red-naped Sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) and Northern Flickers (Colaptes auratus) associated with habitat descriptors at three spatial scales. We demonstrate how the method can be used to identify components of variation that are associat...
Trends in direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription contraceptives.

Abstract Objective Despite much speculation about the role of direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) in increasing demand for prescription contraceptives in the United States, there is little published research on this topic. We sought to quantify the prevalence and magnitude of DTCA for prescription contraceptives over the last decade. Study design Using cross-sectional data from January 2005 through December 2014, we performed descriptive analyses on trends in DTCA expenditure for prescription contraceptives. We also quantified the amount of DTCA according to contraceptive method category and individual brand. Results During the study period, pharmaceutical companies spent a total of US$1.57 billion in the United States on DTCA of prescription contraceptives. Annual expenditure for contraceptive DTCA reached a peak value of US$260 million in 2008, with a progressive decline to a nadir of US$69 million by 2013. Of the contraceptive methods, oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) have been the most heavily promoted, with Yaz (drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol) — the most advertised brand — accounting for US$347 million of cumulative DTCA expenditure. However, DTCA spending on OCPs peaked in 2007 and was overtaken in 2012 by the DTCA of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), the contraceptive method now receiving the largest amount of DTCA promotion. Conclusions DTCA is a major form of promotion for prescription contraceptives. Recent trends in DTCA expenditure indicate a shift from promotion of the OCPs to the LARCs. DTCA's effect on provider and patient utilization of various contraceptive methods has yet to be determined. Implications This study provides the first quantitative evaluation of DTCA of prescription contraceptive methods and reveals DTCA's importance as a form of promotion. Recent DTCA trends indicate increased promotion of LARCs, coinciding with greater uptake of LARC methods by patients and prescribers.
Asian American Politics: An Agenda for Research

The following overview is based on data collected from multiple research strategies and a review of existing literature. It will attempt to analyze conceptual parameters and to suggest major lines of inquiry. Preliminary findings from two empirical case studies on the electorial potential of Asian Americans, a focus of much media attention and little academic inquiry, will be explored. The case studies deal with registered voters in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the two largest communities in the mainland United States. The studies are part of larger research endeavors which are intended to develop a database for future work, and for ongoing voter registration drives.
Genome Editing in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), defined by their capacity for self-renewal and differentiation into all cell types, are an integral tool for basic biological research and disease modeling. However, full use of PSCs for research and regenerative medicine requires the ability to precisely edit their DNA to correct disease-causing mutations and for functional analysis of genetic variations. Recent advances in DNA editing of human stem cells (including PSCs) have benefited from the use of designer nucleases capable of making double-strand breaks (DSBs) at specific sequences that stimulate endogenous DNA repair. The clustered, regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 system has become the preferred designer nuclease for genome editing in human PSCs and other cell types. Here we describe the principles for designing a single guide RNA to uniquely target a gene of interest and describe strategies for disrupting, inserting, or replacing a specific DNA sequence in human PSCs. The improvements in efficiency and ease provided by these techniques allow individuals to precisely engineer PSCs in a way previously limited to large institutes and core facilities.
Chronic lymphoproliferative disorders involving blood and bone marrow

The chronic lymphoproliferative disorders are predominantly neoplasms of B lymphocytes. They encompass a variety of diseases that include, but are not restricted to, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). 1 These diseases are characterized by the expression of monoclonal immunoglobulin of the cell surface and/or cytoplasm, rearrangement of immunoglobulin genes, and demonstration of one or more cell-surface B-lineage differentiation antigens. The much less common group of T-lineage lymphoproliferative disorders is also a heterogeneous group that characteristically demonstrates cell-surface T-lineage associated antigens as well as T-cell receptor gene rearrangement. The introduction of immunophenotypic studies into diagnostic pathology has allowed a more precisecharacterization of these disorders
Controlled nucleation and growth of pillared paddlewheel framework nanostacks onto chemically modified surfaces.

The nucleation and growth of metal–organic frameworks onto functional surfaces stands to facilitate the utility of these supramolecular crystalline materials across a wide range of applications. Here, we demonstrate the solvothermal nucleation and growth of a pillared paddlewheel porphyrin framework 5 (PPF-5) onto semiconductor surfaces modified with carboxylic acids. Using versatile diazonium and catechol chemistries to modify silicon and titania surface chemistries, we show that solvothermally grown PPF-5 selectively nucleates and grows as stacked crystalline sheets with preferential (001), (111), and (110) crystallographic orientations. Furthermore, variations in the synthesis temperature produce modified stack morphologies that correlate with changes in the surface-nucleated PPF-5 photoluminescence.
Mechanical Properties and Fatigue Behavior of 2D and 3D Woven PMC Airframe Structures at Elevated Temperature

The tension-tension fatigue behavior of newly developed polymer matrix composites (PMCs) was studied. The PMCs investigated in this effort consisted of an NRPE (a hightemperature polyimide) matrix reinforced with carbon fibers. Two PMCs consisting of the aforementioned matrix with different fiber architectures were studied: one reinforced with a 2D woven fiber fabric and another reinforced with a non-crimp 3D orthogonal woven fiber fabric. For both material systems (3D PMC and 2D PMC), material properties were investigated for both on-axis [0/90°] and off-axis [±45°] fiber orientations. Tensile properties were evaluated at (1) room temperature and (2) with one side of the specimen at 329 °C and the other side exposed to ambient air. Tension-tension fatigue tests were conducted at elevated temperature at a frequency of 1.0 Hz with a ratio of minimum stress to maximum stress of R=0.05. Fatigue run-out for this effort was defined as 2×10 cycles. Elevated temperature had little effect on the tensile properties of both material systems with the 0/90° fiber orientation; however, specimens with the ±45° fiber orientation exhibited a significant increase in failure strain at elevated temperature. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of both PMCs with the ±45° fiber orientation decreased slightly at elevated temperature. The 3D PMC did not not exhibit an increase in tensile strength and stiffness compared to the 2D PMC. However, the 2D PMC with ±45° fiber orientation produced significantly greater failure strain. The 2D PMC showed slightly better fatigue resistance than the 3D PMC with the 0/90° fiber orientation. For the ±45° fiber orientation, the fatigue limit for the 2D PMC was approximately two times greater than that for the 3D PMC. Microstructural investigation of tested specimens revealed delamination in the 2D PMC. However, the 3D PMC offered improved delamination resistance.
Technology Framework of Self-Healing Control in Smart Distribution Grid

Smart distribution grid is an important part of smart grid.As an"immune system",self-healing is the most important feature of smart grid.This paper,firstly,describes the problems to be solved mainly by the self-healing control,as well as the function of such problem solution.Then,it analyzes the structure and technology components of the self-healing control,including the base layer,support layer,and application layer.The base layer is composed of the power grid ande quipment,the support layer composed of data and communication,and the application layer composed of monitoring,assessment,pre-warning/analysis,decision making,control and restoration.Based on research on the application oft he self-healing control in smart distribution grid,power supplyr eliability is improved remarkably,while the outage time is reduced significantly.Especially in extreme weather conditions,the distribution grid equipped with the self-healing control fullyd emonstrates its self-prevention and self-recovery capability,g iving priority to protection of people's life and supplyinge lectricity farthest.
Unilateral versus bilateral neck exploration in parathyroid surgery: an assessment of 55 cases.

We retrospectively evaluated the cases of 55 patients who had undergone surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism at our institution to determine whether their parathyroid glands were abnormal on bot...
Tumor volume and stage in carcinoma of the prostate detected by elevations in prostate specific antigen.

AbstractWe reviewed the surgical specimen from 142 men undergoing radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer detected because of an elevation in serum prostate specific antigen alone. No patient had a palpable abnormality suggestive of cancer. One patient had no identifiable tumor in the radical prostatectomy specimen, 8 (6%) had only a few high power microscopic fields showing cancer, 40 (28%) had an estimated tumor volume of less than 1cc and 93 (65%) had a tumor volume of greater than 1cc. Surgical margins were positive in 37 patients (26%) and negative in 105 (73%). Most patients with cancer detected because of modest elevation in prostate specific antigen, even without palpable abnormalities, have a clinically significant tumor volume and are good candidates for radical prostatectomy.
Evaluation of various interpolants available in DICE

This report evaluates several interpolants implemented in the Digital Image Correlation Engine (DICe), an ima ge cor relation software package developed by Sandia. By interpolants we refer to the basis functions used to represent discrete pixel inten sity data as a continuous signal. Inte rpolation is used to determine intensity values in an image at non - pixel locations. It is also used, in some cases, to evaluate the x and y gradients of the image intensities. Intensity gradients subsequently guid e the optimization process. The goal of this report is to inform analysts as to the characteristics of each interpolant and provide guidance towards the best interpolant for a given dataset. This work also serves as an initial verification of each of the i nterpolants implemented.
The Pennsylvania Republicans

John Adams’s use of the word ‘republican’, to evoke Roman models of probity and a balanced constitution strengthened America’s first self-consciously ‘republican’ party — the Republicans of Pennsylvania, whose fight for a bicameral Pennsylvania constitution paralleled and prefigured the Constitutional Convention’s move towards a bicameral Federal Congress.1 The Republican platform became the Pennsylvania Federalist platform after 17872 and leading Pennsylvania delegates to the United States Constitutional Convention, including James Wilson, Robert Morris, Thomas Fitzsimons, and Thomas Mifflin, had signed the Republican manifesto of 1779.3
NPAS1-ARNT and NPAS3-ARNT crystal structures implicate the bHLH-PAS family as multi-ligand binding transcription factors.

Transcription factors are proteins that can bind to DNA to regulate the activity of genes. One family of transcription factors in mammals is known as the bHLH-PAS family, which consists of sixteen members including NPAS1 and NPAS3. These two proteins are both found in nerve cells, and genetic mutations that affect NPAS1 or NPAS3 have been linked to psychiatric conditions in humans. Therefore, researchers would like to discover new drugs that can bind to these proteins and control their activities in nerve cells. Understanding the three-dimensional structure of a protein can aid the discovery of small molecules that can bind to these proteins and act as drugs. Proteins in the bHLH-PAS family have to form pairs in order to bind to DNA: NPAS1 and NPAS3 both interact with another bHLH-PAS protein called ARNT, but it is not clear exactly how this works. In 2015, a team of researchers described the shapes that ARNT adopts when it forms pairs with two other bHLH-PAS proteins that are important for sensing when oxygen levels drop in cells. Here, Wu et al. – including many of the researchers involved in the earlier work – have used a technique called X-ray crystallography to determine the three-dimensional shapes of NPAS1 when it is bound to ARNT, and NPAS3 when it is bound to both ARNT and DNA. The experiments show that each of these structures contains four distinct pockets that certain small molecules might be able to bind to. The NPAS1 and NPAS3 structures are similar to each other and to the previously discovered bHLH-PAS structures involved in oxygen sensing. Further analysis of other bHLH-PAS proteins suggests that all the members of this protein family are likely to be able to bind to small molecules and should therefore be considered as potential drug targets. The next step following on from this work is to identify small molecules that bind to bHLH-PAS proteins, which will help to reveal the genes that are regulated by this family. In the future, these small molecules may have the potential to be developed into new drugs to treat psychiatric conditions and other diseases in humans.
266. G-Force Loading of Virus Vectors into Vesicles for Enhanced Gene Therapy Vehicles

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors have shown remarkable efficiency in a number of preclinical models of disease in several organs including the eye, brain, muscle, heart, and liver. A major limitation to long term transduction, especially via the systemic route, is pre-existing immunity (humoral and cell-mediated) as well as the high vector load required to achieve sufficient levels of gene expression in the desired organ. Natural nanoparticles released from all cells, called extracellular vesicles (EVs), may have utility in creating better AAV vectors for human gene therapy. We have previously shown that harvesting AAV vectors from the media of 293T producer cells contains AAV vectors endogenously associated with EVs (called ev-AAV, aka vexosomes). We have gone on to demonstrate that 293T-derived ev-AAV can evade neutralizing anti-AAV antibodies and greatly increase transduction in mice. An alternative strategy would be to load purified AAV vectors into separately purified EVs. This would have the benefit of using EVs from a variety of cellular sources with desired biological activity and also to use donor-derived autologous EVs. Here we demonstrate a simple method for loading EVs with AAV vectors using high speed centrifugation forces.Iodixanol density gradient-purified AAV was mixed with conditioned media containing EVs from 293T cells and also primary human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and then ultracentrifuged to co-pellet EVs and AAV. The pellet was resuspended in media and used in transduction assays and anti-AAV antibody neutralization assays.Strikingly we found that this process bestowed greatly enhanced transduction of cells in culture (36-fold) as well as resistance to neutralizing anti-AAV antibodies. To demonstrate that EVs were essential to this enhancement, we mixed AAV with plain media (no EVs) or depleted conditioned media of EVs before addition of AAV using either Triton-X-100 EV lysis or ultracentrifugation. In all cases there was a large decrease in the transduction efficiency and antibody evasion compared to conditioned EV media mixed with AAV.Together these data suggest that g-force loading of AAV into EVs represents a promising method to increase performance of the vector. We will continue to optimize the protocol and test the gene delivery functions in vivo.
Growth of laser damage on the input surface of SiO2 at 351 nm

Growth of laser initiated damage is a potential lifetime limiter of laser optics. While laser initiated damage occurs most often on the exit surface of optical components, some damage sites can occur on the input surface. We have investigated the growth of laser initiated damage in fused silica when the damage occurs on the input surface of the optic. We have measured both the threshold for growth as well as the lateral growth rate at 351 nm. The lateral growth of damage on the input surface is best described as having a linear dependence on shot number. The rate of growth has a linear dependence on fluence, with an extrapolated threshold of approximately 6 J/cm 2 . This behavior will be contrasted to growth of damage when located on the exit surface. The behavior will be compared to growth of input surface damage when the irradiation wavelength is 1053 nm or 527 nm.
The Case Against the Borgias: Motive, Opportunity, and Means

The clan of Rodrigo Borgia, aka Pope Alexander VI, has been charged with the crime of murder by poison. Recent scholarship, however, has contested this charge based on lack of evidence. In this chapter, we further dispute the charge—give reasons to doubt that the Borgias used poison at all, let alone routinely—and support our stance with technical as well as historical arguments. We conclude that the Borgias may have been guilty of many evils, but on the charge of poisoning, they should be acquitted.
Purchase Intention Toward Luxury Fashion Brands from the Social Comparison Perspective: An Extended Abstract

Luxury fashion brands have significantly expanded their market globally in response to the rising wealth as well as in response to the growing middle class in Asian and Middle Eastern countries that have expressed an increasing desire for luxury goods (Kapferer 2012). Thorstein Veblen (1899) explained that luxury goods consumption is, by nature, conspicuous consumption. In addition, rarity and exclusiveness as attributes of luxury goods may trigger different shopping motivations (Tsai et al. 2013). Given the unique nature of luxury goods and their importance in the global market, investigating the underlying factors that influence purchase intention for luxury fashion brands is important for luxury fashion brand managers and communicators. Thus, this study aims to investigate relationships between social comparisons and purchase intentions toward luxury fashion brands from a social comparison theoretical perspective among young female consumers in the USA.