cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Control theoretic approach to intrusion detection using a distributed hidden Markov model

Cooperative ad hoc wireless networks are more vulnerable to malicious attacks than traditional wired networks. Many of these attacks are silent in nature and cannot be detected by conventional intrusion detection methods such as traffic monitoring, port scanning, or protocol violations. These sophisticated attacks operate under the threshold boundaries during an intrusion attempt and can only be identified by profiling the complete system activity in relation to normal behavior. In this article we discuss a control-theoretic hidden Markov model strategy for intrusion detection using distributed observation across multiple nodes. This model comprises a distributed HMM engine that executes in a randomly selected monitor node and functions as a part of the feedback control engine. This drives the defensive response based on hysteresis to reduce the frequency of false positives, thereby avoiding inappropriate ad hoc responses.
Best Practices for Artifact Versioning in Service-Oriented Systems

Abstract : This report describes some of the challenges of software versioning in an SOA environment and provides guidance on how to meet these challenges by following industry guidelines and recommended practices. Managing change in software systems becomes more difficult as the software increases in size, complexity, and dependencies. Part of this task is software versioning, in which version identifiers are assigned to software artifacts for the purpose of managing their evolution. However, software versioning is not a self-contained task. Versioning decisions affect a wide range of processes that fall under the broad heading of change management. With the advent of service- oriented architecture (SOA) as a software-development paradigm, software versioning has become even more entwined with the software life cycle, mainly due to the highly distributed nature, multiproduct outcome, and multilayer implementation of service-oriented systems. The report describes typical items that a versioning policy for a service-oriented system should contain, including which artifacts to version, how to apply version control, and the impact of versioning on each phase of the life cycle within an SOA infrastructure.
Functionalized Single Graphene Sheets Derived from Splitting Graphite Oxide

A process is described to produce single sheets of functionalized graphene through thermal exfoliation of graphite oxide. The process yields a wrinkled sheet structure resulting from reaction sites involved in oxidation and reduction processes. The topological features of single sheets, as measured by atomic force microscopy, closely match predictions of first-principles atomistic modeling. Although graphite oxide is an insulator, functionalized graphene produced by this method is electrically conducting.
Varicella Zoster Virus Lumbar Radiculitis: A Case Report (P2.307)

Introduction: Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) is the etiologic agent of varicella (primary infection) and herpes zoster (reactivation of latent infection). Here we describe an immune competent adult with herpes zoster infection complicated by lumbar radiculitis with pain and paresthesia. Method: Case Report We present the case of a 39 year old immune competent male with radiculitis from VZV. He presented with burning lower back pain, paresthesia and hyperesthesia in L3, L4 and L5 dermatomal distribution on the anterior aspect of his thigh and leg. Magnetic resonance imaging of lumbosacral plexus revealed a crescentic shaped peri-articular enhancement adjacent to the right L4-L5 facet joint involving the nerve roots and soft tissue suggestive of inflammation and infections. Three day later he developed an itchy painful vesicular eruption on his lower back in L4-L5 dermatome. Acyclovir and Gabapentin were started. The diagnosis of VZV radiculitis was made based on the symptom onset, magnetic resonance imaging findings and elevated titers IgM virus in serum. HIV was negative. His symptoms and the rash resolved within 2 weeks. MRI of LS spine after 4 weeks revealed resolution of peri-articular enhancement. There have been a few reported cases of VZV-mediated radiculitis. VZV radicultis is a rare complication which occasionally occurs in immune compromised individuals. Oral or intravenous anti-viral agents, most commonly Acyclovir, have been used in cases with VZV radiculitis with complete resolution of symptoms. Conclusion: This case highlights the importance of including a zoster radiculitis as a differential diagnosis of radicular pain syndromes in immune competent adults. In addition, our case also illustrates the significance of performing imaging to learn about the different patterns of lesions visible with viral radiculitis. There’s limited literature regarding VZV radiculitis, the symptoms require proper diagnosis and treatment, and prompt initiation of anti-viral therapy. Disclosure: Dr. Soomro has nothing to disclose. Dr. Allam has nothing to disclose. Dr. Acharya has nothing to disclose.
Loss of single-walled carbon nanotubes selectivity by disruption of the Co-Mo interaction in the catalyst

In previous work, we reported the growth of well-structured single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) by CO disproportionation on Co:Mo/SiO2 catalysts. We have proposed that high SWNT selectivity can only be obtained when most of the Co in the sample is interacting with Mo and forming a cobalt–molybdate surface layer. In this contribution, we report further evidence to the hypothesis by an investigation of Na-doped Co:Mo/SiO2 catalysts. The effect of the sodium addition has been investigated by Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, H2 temperature-programmed reduction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results are compared to those obtained in a previous study on undoped CoMo/SiO2 catalysts. Significant differences are observed between the undoped and Na-doped catalytic systems. It has been found that the presence of sodium favors the dispersion of molybdenum, which tends to form sodium molybdate species over the silica support. At the same time, the formation of these sodium molybdate structures hinders the interaction between cobalt and molybdenum, preventing the formation of the cobalt molybdate species. This disruption has been found to be detrimental to the SWNT selectivity of the catalyst, giving further evidence to the link between the presence of this surface species and the selective SWNT growth.
Diet-Induced Alterations of Host Cholesterol Metabolism Are Likely To Affect the Gut Microbiota Composition in Hamsters

The gastrointestinal microbiota affects the metabolism of the mammalian host and has consequences for health. However, the complexity of gut microbial communities and host metabolic pathways make functional connections difficult to unravel, especially in terms of causation. In this study, we have characterized the fecal microbiota of hamsters whose cholesterol metabolism was extensively modulated by the dietary addition of plant sterol esters (PSE). PSE intake induced dramatic shifts in the fecal microbiota, reducing several bacterial taxa within the families Coriobacteriaceae and Erysipelotrichaceae. The abundance of these taxa displayed remarkably high correlations with host cholesterol metabolites. Most importantly, the associations between several bacterial taxa with fecal and biliary cholesterol excretion showed an almost perfect fit to a sigmoidal nonlinear model of bacterial inhibition, suggesting that host cholesterol excretion can shape microbiota structure through the antibacterial action of cholesterol. In vitro experiments suggested a modest antibacterial effect of cholesterol, and especially of cholesteryl-linoleate, but not plant sterols when included in model bile micelles. The findings obtained in this study are relevant to our understanding of gut microbiota-host lipid metabolism interactions, as they provide the first evidence for a role of cholesterol excreted with the bile as a relevant host factor that modulates the gut microbiota. The findings further suggest that the connections between Coriobacteriaceae and Erysipelotrichaceae and host lipid metabolism, which have been observed in several studies, could be caused by a metabolic phenotype of the host (cholesterol excretion) affecting the gut microbiota.
The Calculation and Use of Sulfide Metal Contents in the Study of Magmatic Ore Deposits: A Methodological Analysis

The base-metal and PGE contents of samples from magmatic sulfide mineralization are commonly correlated with their sulfide contents, indicating that the metal contents of bulk sulfides remain approximately constant within a given prospect or part thereof. Calculated sulfide metal contents provide valuable information in mineral exploration and research, but there are few formal descriptions and analyses of the procedures. Sulfide metal contents are best calculated using an assumed value (35.7% S) for a typical pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite-pentlandite mixture, and there appears to be little advantage in accounting for sulfide species separately. Regression of metal data against sulfur is probably the most rigorous approach, but is not always practical. Above 10% S, calculations are very robust, but lower sulfide contents generally demand at least some correction for non-sulfide-hosted metals. Such corrections can become significant below 5% S, and/or in olivine-rich samples. They are best accomplished by mass-balance calculations, using concentration data from unmineralized host rocks. Significant uncertainties are introduced by analytical errors for sulfur, base-metals, and PGE, which are commonly measured from separate sample aliquots. These combined errors in sulfide metal contents generally exceed ±10%, but expand further at low S contents. In general, treatment of data from samples containing <2.5% S must be approached with caution, especially for PGE, for which the exact host minerals may not be known. Application of the method in simple grade-potential assessment is straightforward, but research studies involving sulfide-poor samples are inherently more complex. Under-correction or over-correction of data for non-sulfide-hosted metals can lead to false negative or positive correlations between sulfide metal contents and sulfide content. As the latter may itself be linked to geological parameters, such as depth within an intrusive body, undue significance could be ascribed to such trends. There are also valid geological reasons for such correlations, and such data require careful assessment to separate true and artificial variations. Propagated analytical uncertainties increase significantly in sulfide-poor samples, and must also be borne in mind whenever data from different localities or units are compared and contrasted.
T-verifier: Verifying truthfulness of fact statements

The Web has become the most popular place for people to acquire information. Unfortunately, it is widely recognized that the Web contains a significant amount of untruthful information. As a result, good tools are needed to help Web users determine the truthfulness of certain information. In this paper, we propose a two-step method that aims to determine whether a given statement is truthful, and if it is not, find out the truthful statement most related to the given statement. In the first step, we try to find a small number of alternative statements of the same topic as the given statement and make sure that one of these statements is truthful. In the second step, we identify the truthful statement from the given statement and the alternative statements. Both steps heavily rely on analysing various features extracted from the search results returned by a popular search engine for appropriate queries. Our experimental results show the best variation of the proposed method can achieve a precision of about 90%.
Investigating the effectiveness of conditional classification: an application to manufacturing scheduling

This paper examines the problem of multidimensional classification, an automated learning process where "rules" are to be inferred on separate but related aspects of a problem, using identical or overlapping data sets. A general framework describing the various types of multidimensional classification is provided. The paper specifically concentrates on conditional classification, wherein the order of classification is based on domain semantics. Drawing from concept learning and information theory, algorithms are presented for acquiring tree-structured knowledge from available data. An application to manufacturing scheduling is presented. Results indicate that conditional classification may provide some ability to better interpret related decisions in automated manufacturing contexts. Further work is necessary to ascertain if the approach is robust, particularly on more complex decisions, larger data sets, and noisy data. >
Evidence for safety of Neurospora species for academic and commercial uses.

Experiments with Neurospora inspired the development of microbial genetics and initiated the molecular revolution in biology by demonstrating that genes encode enzymes. Because of its useful biological attributes, Neurospora crassa has become a favored organism for research in a variety of
A Re-examination of the Infant Industry Argument for Protection

Though a logically tight case for infant industry protection has never been made, proprotection authors have claimed its truth since at least its statement by Alexander Hamilton in 1791. In the 1970s and the 1980s, the argument had receded into the background following its influential critiques by trade economists James Meade, Harry Johnson and Robert Baldwin. But globalisation critics have recently revived it giving it new guises. This requires a fresh response from pro-free trade economists so that the fog is removed yet again and clear thinking restored. Accordingly, in this paper, I revisit the argument and its logical flaws. I demonstrate that the new packaging provided by proprotection authors cannot hide the fundamental logical flaws in the argument. Nor is there compelling evidence of successful infant industry promotion once the costs and benefits are both taken into account instead of just the benefits. The argument is often pegged on externalities. But once the precise source of the externality...
INFLUENCE OF pH ON Clostridium botulinum CONTROL BY SODIUM NITRITE AND SORBIC ACID IN CHICKEN EMULSIONS

The influence of hydrogen-ion concentration on the effectiveness of sodium nitrite and/or sorbic acid to control Clostridium botulinum growth during elevated temperature abuse (27°C) of mechanically deboned chicken meat frankfurter-type emulsions was examined. Toxin production, spore germination (loss of heat resistance) and outgrowth, residual nitrite levels, and total microbial growth (aerobic CFU) were determined at specified times during the incubation period. The effect of sorbic acid (0.2%), alone or in combination with nitrite (40, 156 μg/g), in significantly (p < 0.05) inhibiting spore germination, growth, and toxin production was pH dependent. This effect was not observed at pH values above 6.20 and it increased with decreasing pH. Inclusion of nitrite in the formulation increased the effective pH for sorbic acid inhibition of toxin production. The rapid rate of germination and outgrowth in both control and nitrite-containing treatments was not influenced by pH in the range examined (5.93-6.93). When sorbic acid was included in the formulation, there was a slower nitrite depletion during storage. This effect was also pH dependent and it was not observed at higher pH values (7.15). Total microbial growth was affected by decreasing pH, but not by the inclusion of nitrite and/or sorbic acid in the formulation.
Applied optimal control for dynamically stable legged locomotion

Online learning and controller adaptation will be an essential component for legged robots in the next few years as they begin to leave the laboratory setting and join our world. I present the first example of a learning system which is able to quickly and reliably acquire a robust feedback control policy for 3D dynamic bipedal walking from a blank slate using only trials implemented on the physical robot. The robot begins walking within a minute and learning converges in approximately 20 minutes. The learning works quickly enough that the robot is able to continually adapt to the terrain as it walks. This success can be attributed in part to the mechanics of our robot, which is capable of stable walking down a small ramp even when the computer is turned off. In this thesis, I analyze the dynamics of passive dynamic walking, starting with reduced planar models and working up to experiments on our real robot. I describe, in detail, the actor-critic reinforcement learning algorithm that is implemented on the return map dynamics of the biped. Finally, I address issues of scaling and controller augmentation using tools from optimal control theory and a simulation of a planar one-leg hopping robot. These learning results provide a starting point for the production of robust and energy efficient walking and running robots that work well initially, and continue to improve with experience. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
A Cohort Comparison of Buprenorphine versus Methadone Treatment for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

Objectives To compare the duration of opioid treatment and length of stay among infants treated for neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) by using a pilot buprenorphine vs conventional methadone treatment protocol. Study design This retrospective cohort analysis evaluated infants who received pharmacotherapy for NAS at 6 hospitals in Southwest Ohio from January 2012 through August 2014. A single neonatology provider group used a standardized methadone protocol across all 6 hospitals. However, at one of the sites, infants were managed with a buprenorphine protocol unless they had experienced chronic in utero exposure to methadone. Linear mixed models were used to calculate adjusted mean duration of opioid treatment and length of inpatient hospitalization with 95% CIs in infants treated with oral methadone compared with sublingual buprenorphine. The use of adjunct therapy was examined as a secondary outcome. Results A total of 201 infants with NAS were treated with either buprenorphine (n = 38) or methadone (n = 163) after intrauterine exposure to short-acting opioids or buprenorphine. Buprenorphine therapy was associated with a shorter course of opioid treatment of 9.4 (CI 7.1-11.7) vs 14.0 (12.6-15.4) days ( P P P = .79) between treatment groups. Conclusion The choice of pharmacotherapeutic agent is an important determinant of hospital outcomes in infants with NAS. Sublingual buprenorphine may be superior to methadone for management of NAS in infants with select intrauterine opioid exposures.
Research for River Regulation Dike Design

The investigation is conducted to determine factors affecting the performance of dikes used for the regulation and improvement of alluvial streams and to develop parameters for use in the design of dikes and dike systems. A laboratory stream having the characteristics of problem reaches in alluvial streams is being used for the investigation. The model stream has a sand bed with banks constructed of gravel; the alinement of the banks can be modified to permit the development of conditions required for the study. Tests have been made to determine the effects of crest elevation and profile, relative elevation of each structure in a system and angle of the dikes. Results indicate some of the factors which should be considered in design. The investigation has led to the development of a system for determining the relative effectiveness of the various dike systems. The system considers controlling depth, channel alinement, reduction in dredging, deposition within dike systems, and scour.
Antiglide plating of vertical medial malleolus fractures provides stiffer initial fixation than bicortical or unicortical screw fixation

Abstract Background Vertical shear fractures of the medial malleolus (44-A2 ankle fractures) occur through a supination–adduction mechanism. There are numerous methods of internal fixation for this fracture pattern. Methods Vertical medial malleolus osteotomies were created in synthetic distal tibiae. The models were divided into four fixation groups: two parallel unicortical cancellous screws, two divergent unicortical cancellous screws, two parallel bicortical cortical screws, or an antiglide plate construct. Specimens were subjected to offset axial loading and tracked using high-resolution video. Findings The antiglide plate construct was stiffer ( P P P Interpretation An antiglide plate construct provides the stiffest initial fixation while withstanding higher load to failure for vertical medial malleolus fractures when compared to unicortical and bicortical screw fixation.
A Personal View of Earth Sciences’ Contributions to Archaeology

Archaeologists have been working closely with geologists and paleontologists since the beginning of the 19th century, and the basic concepts employed for the time ordering of prehistoric sites were borrowed by archaeologists from geology. The most common example is the subdivision of the prehistoric sequence into Lower, Middle, and Upper Paleolithic, following the tripartite division of the Pleistocene. Geologists participated in prehistoric excavations and in many regions became responsible for describing the site stratigraphy and the paleo climatic interpretation of the deposits. As the approach of regional archaeology evolved, mainly after the 1950s, geoscientists studied the changes of past landscapes with the archaeologists. The rapid evolution of dating techniques opened a new avenue for the involvement of earth scientists in archaeology, and in particular in the dating of prehistoric periods. Finally, the advancements in fields such as mineralogy, magnetic susceptibility, remote sensing, and others increased the potential interactions between archaeologists and earth scientists. At the end of the 20th century, there are probably thousands of archaeologists who have had at least some experience working closely with a variety of earth scientists. It would therefore be presumptuous to assume that my personal view can represent such a large community. I accepted the invitation of the editors of this volume to write this chapter because I felt that over my 40-year career I have been involved with numerous practitioners of science in archaeology. I was originally trained as both an archaeologist and a geomorphologist, but as one cannot do both full-time, I chose to be responsible only for archaeological research.
Judicial Review, Judicial Activism, Queer Rights, and Literature: A Conversation between the Honorable Michael Kirby and Professor Ruthann Robson

This is a published conversation between Justice Michael Kirby of Australia's High Court and Professor Ruthann Robson. Michael Kirby, recently retired, was the first openly gay judge of a nation's highest court. The discussion encompasses judicial review in Australia and the US, sexual minority rights, the same-sex marriage cases, and personal experiences of being "queer" in the law.
Current status of neutrinoless double-beta decay searches

Abstract This article briefly reviews the current status and near-term prospects of experimental searches for neutrinoless double-beta decay. After discussing the motivation and history of neutrinoless double-beta decay, we will focus on the status of current experiments and the factors limiting their sensitivity. We will then discuss the prospects and requirements for proposed experiments that will probe the inverted neutrino mass hierarchy.
The protective role of racial identity and africentric worldview in the association between racial discrimination and blood pressure

ObjectiveTo examine the protective effects of racial identity and Africentric worldview on the association between racial discrimination and blood pressure (BP).MethodsTwo hundred ten African American young adults completed questionnaires assessing demographic characteristics, prior racial discrimin
The Role of Research in Marketing Management

EXPANSION of marketing research reflects a growing belief that the methods of science are useful in solving the problems of business management. Effective application of marketing research, however, is neither easy nor automatic; and some have even contended that on balance actual applications have been more ineffective than effective.1 This paper represents an attempt to formulate a framework for analysis of conditions under which marketing research can be expected to be effective and to make incidental suggestions for increasing effectiveness. This framework is founded on a priori reasoning and impressionistic evidence; its presentation here is drastically condensed; but it may nonetheless be suggestive both to those who apply research and to those who are intrigued by research for its own sake.
An Improved Continuation Power Flow Algorithm Considering Generator Excitation Current Limit

Continuation power flow(CPF) is a powerful analytical method and tool in static voltage stability analysis.In conventional CPF programs the maximum of reactive power output of generator is utilized to characterize the limit of its reactive power output.In actual power systems,reactive power output of generator is enslaved to the regulating ability of excitation current.In the viewpoint of steady state,a method to approximately characterize the generator reactive power output limit by generator internal EMF is proposed and a static voltage stability analysis model,in which the limit of excitation current is taken into account,is built,and an improved CPF algorithm is put forward.On the basis of considering the maximum of reactive power output of generator,the proposed improved algorithm regards the node,where the reactive power output reaches its maximum,as the node with constant active power and internal EMF.At this node,according to active power output,angle value and terminal voltage of generator the reactive power output is modified by correction step in the improved algorithm,thus the reactive power characteristic of generator under the excitation current limit can be simulated better.Simulation results of IEEE 30-bus system show that the proposed method is feasible and practicable.
Thermogravimetric study of the reduction of copper slag by biomass

The utilization of copper slag is an attractive option of iron resource. However, extra energy consumption is required and contributes to greenhouse gases. In this paper, biomass was introduced as a new kind of reductant for the reduction of copper slag to decrease the energy consumption. The reduction kinetics and reduction characteristics of three kinds of biomasses were studied by thermogravimetric analyzer (TG). The TG curves showed the reduction reaction of copper slag and biomass could be divided into three stages during heating process: drying and pyrolysis of biomass process ( 1100 K). Pine sawdust showed the best reducing property and the reduction ratios of pine sawdust, corncob and straw reached to 80.6, 76.1, and 60.0 %, respectively, when the mass ratio of biomass/slag was 2:1. As the additive, CaO had promotion effects on the reduction reaction. With the increase in CaO addition, the reduction ratio of copper slag increased firstly and reached a peak at CaO/slag was 0.3:1 and then it declined due to the changes of slag viscosity. By kinetics analysis, the reduction reaction confirmed well with shrinking core model (R1). The activation energy of reactions was affected by the addition of biomass and heating rate in experiments. With the increase in the addition of biomass, the activation energy of reduction reaction increased gradually; with the increase in heating rate, the activation energy of reduction reaction decreased.
Vibration Serviceability Issues of Slender Footbridges

AbstractThree important issues related to vibration serviceability were investigated in this study using a slender steel footbridge: (1) the evaluation of footbridge vibrations by passive people (standing still on the footbridge) and active people (pedestrians); (2) the increase in vibrations when a group of people walk/run on a footbridge compared with a single pedestrian crossing the structure; and (3) the modal damping ratios for vibration analysis of footbridges. Using the results of a number of dynamic tests, relationships between various evaluation parameters were established, and more reliable and consistent limits based on the vibration dose values (VDVs) are proposed. In addition, a simplified method of computing the acceptable level of peak acceleration based on average number of footbridge crossings per day for the performance-based (usage-based) serviceability design of footbridges is suggested. The investigation on the group effects showed results consistent with those of past studies when th...
Fracture of the Penis with Associated Laceration of the Urethra

Two patients with rupture of the urethra secondary to sexual trauma are described. Our results with the surgical treatment of such injuries are reported and the potential etiologies are postulated. One patient had an excellent result, while the other had a residual urethral stricture.
The Opening Topics of Hegel’s System: Indeterminateness, the Not, and Becoming

Hegel’s project concerns itself with what can be the same for every thinker, i. e., with concepts, though not with the traditional kind of concept but rather with a novel, active kind of concept. Whereas the traditional, static kind of concept is (with two exceptions to be discussed below) a conjunction of other, separate, non-contradictory static concepts,2 an active concept is an engendering of a further concept. For ease of signification I shall call active concepts ‘topics’ and static concepts ‘representations’. As I shall discuss briefly below, each kind of concept requires a different kind of reasoning, and the executions of these kinds of reasoning belong to different genera of philosophical projects. Unfortunately, several of Hegel’s remarks obscure the clarity of these distinctions,3 but, even if readers attain this clarity, because the kind of reasoning required by topics is for most readers an unacquired habit, and because some of Hegel’s assertions about the opening topics are also misleading, many readers find it difficult even to begin the execution of Hegel’s project. Holding firmly to the distinction between topic and representation, the first section of the following article very briefly distinguishes both the required kinds of reasoning and the accordant genera of philosophical projects. I argue that the definition of Hegel’s project involves not only its genus but also its opening concept. The second section isolates this opening concept, while the third and fourth sections specify the immediately succeeding concepts. Throughout I use less noticed helpful claims which Hegel offers to criticize his misleading assertions.4
One’s Better Half: Romantic Partners Function as Social Signals

Four studies tested the hypotheses that (1) romantic partners function as hard-to-fake signals of status and (2) men are concerned about signaling their status to both other men and to other women. In study 1, participants rated the status of an individual (gender remained neutral) who was described as attending a party with either a high-quality good (watch, car, mate) or a low-quality good. Participants rated the high-quality signaler as possessing more status than the low-quality signaler. Importantly, the high-quality mates functioned similarly to other high-quality material goods. In study 2, participants rated the status, niceness, and competence of men with high-quality mates and similarly described me with low-quality mates. Participants consistently rated the men with high-quality mates as possessing more status than similarly described men with low-quality mates. In study 3, we had only men rate that status of men with high-quality, average-quality, and low-quality mates. Men consistently rated other men with high-quality mates as possessing more status than similarly described men with low-quality mates. Finally, in study 4, we tested whether men signal high-quality mates predominantly to other men or to other women. Results supported the hypothesis that men are more concerned about signaling the quality of their mate to other men than to other women. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of these findings.
The burden of chronic ureteral stenting in cervical cancer survivors

ABSTRACT Purpose Ureteral obstruction in cervical cancer occurs in up to 11% of patients, many of whom undergo ureteral stenting. Our aim was to describe the patient burden of chronic ureteral stenting in a population-based cohort by detailing two objectives: (1) the frequency of repeat procedures for ureteral obstruction; and, (2) the frequency of urinary adverse effects (UAEs) (e.g., lower urinary tract symptoms, flank pain). Materials and Methods From SEER-Medicare, we identified 202 women who underwent ureteral stent placement prior to or following cervical cancer treatment. The frequency of repeat procedures and rate ratios were compared between treatment modalities. The rates and rate ratios of UAEs were compared between our primary cohort (stent + cervical cancer) and the following groups: no stent + cervical cancer, stent + no cancer, and no stent + no cancer. The “no cancer” group was drawn from the 5% Medicare sample. Results 117/202 women (58%) underwent >1 stent procedure. The frequency of additional procedures was significantly higher in patients who received radiation as part of their treatment. UAEs were very common in women with stent + cancer. The rate of UTI was 190 (per 100 person-years), 67 for LUTS, 42 for stones, and 6 for flank pain. These rates were 3-10 fold higher than in the no stent + no cancer control group; rates were also higher than in the no stent + cancer and the stent + no cancer women. Conclusions The burden of disease associated with ureteral stents is higher than expected and urologists should be actively involved in stent management, screening for associated symptoms and offering definitive reconstruction when appropriate.
Traps in and of our minds: relationships between human logic, dialectical traps and social-ecological traps

Social-ecological traps are theorized to be present when human actions affect feedbacks and drivers in social-ecological systems, which, in turn, lead to regime shifts that may alter ecosystem capacity to generate services on which human wellbeing depends, and this, in turn, triggers societal responses, where actors and institutions interact with ecological dynamics and unwittingly lock development into a vulnerable pathway. The key dynamic in this theorization seems to be that human action often predicates or initiates the series of cascading affects that determine the presence of, and, perhaps, the effectiveness of, social-ecological traps. However, what drives human action in this context? What logic, assumptions, decisions, world views, and other processes are implicated in this configuration? This paper first briefly reviews ecological identity and the problems of anthropocentricism, human exceptionalism, and human exemptionalism and introduces the term ecological disenfranchisement. Building upon this, the author invokes Horn’s logic and dialectical traps as a lens for understanding human roles and the prevalence of issues with ecological identities, within social ecological traps. Drilling further down, the paper illustrates these traps with short vignettes, in each case, attempting to link the human logical traps with larger system dynamics. Finally, the author proposes a chain of reasoning to serve as an example of how the presence of human logic traps (or entrapment) in a number of different spheres has an impact upon the larger system, and, perhaps, even predicts entrapment of the larger system. Future efforts to either understand social-ecological traps or navigate away or out of them must first take stock of the human logical traps that actors within the systems are influenced by, and that influence the large system(s).This paper argues that failing to account for human traps within will render most efforts to avoid or escape social-ecological traps futile.
Basic Concepts in Molecular Pathology—Introduction to Molecular Testing in Human Disease

Abstract Human diseases reflect a spectrum of pathologies and mechanisms of disease pathogenesis. Despite the grouping of diseases according to their common features, the pathogenesis of various diseases is unique, and in some cases multiple distinct mechanisms can give rise to a similar pathology (disease manifestation). Disease causation may be related to intrinsic factors or extrinsic factors, but many/most diseases are multifactorial, involving a combination of intrinsic (genetic) and extrinsic factors (exposures). It is now well recognized that most major diseases are ultimately the result of aberrant gene expression, and that susceptibility to disease is significantly influenced by patterns of gene expression in target cells or tissues for a particular type of pathology. It follows that gene mutations and other genetic alterations are important in the pathogenesis of many human diseases. Hence, molecular diagnostic testing for genetic alterations may (1) facilitate disease detection, (2) aid in disease classification (diagnosis), (3) predict disease outcomes (prognostication), and/or (4) guide therapy.
Cardiac Dysfunction and Heart Failure in Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Survivors: Emerging Paradigms in Pathophysiology, Screening, and Prevention

Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) has been used for curative intent in patients with hematologic and nonhematologic malignancies, resulting in an increasing number of HCT survivors. These survivors are at risk for serious and life-threatening complications, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). This article provides an overview of CVD in HCT survivors, describing the pathophysiology of disease, with a special emphasis on therapeutic exposures and comorbidities unique to this population. This article also discusses novel screening and prevention strategies that have shown promise in non-HCT cancer populations, emphasizing opportunities for collaboration between cardiologists and hematologists to improve the cardiovascular health of HCT survivors.
Afterword: From Witchcraft to the Pentecostal-Witchcraft Nexus

Framed by an ambitious introduction, this book contributes importantly to the literature on modernity and the occult by highlighting the workings of Pentecostalism in that relationship.
Patterns of Systemic and Cervicovaginal Fluid Inflammatory Cytokines throughout Pregnancy.

Objective This study describes the normal variations in serum and cervicovaginal fluid (CVF) cytokine levels throughout pregnancy. Study Design This multicenter, prospective study examined trimester-specific maternal serum and CVF cytokines (interleukin [IL]-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α, and C-reactive protein [CRP]). A two-factor linear mixed modeling approach compared cytokine distribution, while pairwise comparisons evaluated differences over time. Results Trimester-specific serum cytokine data were available for 288, 243, and 221 patients, whereas CVF cytokine data were available for 273, 229, and 198 patients. CVF had significantly higher concentrations of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and matrix metalloproteinase-8 (p Conclusion Differences in cytokine distribution across different biological fluids are evident throughout pregnancy. These findings provide a framework for examining patterns of changes in cytokines throughout pregnancy.
Ranking Content based on Semantic Dimensions: A Multi-objective Approach

Whether it’s a social media system populating a news feed or a user searching for content to share, decisions are constantly being made on the basis of semantic information. Topic, sentiment, and preference are among the many semantic dimensions of content that humans and machines must carefully weigh when prioritizing media consumption. Though easy for humans, such natural language tasks are nontrivial computationally. In this paper, we present a novel technique for sorting a corpus of news articles based on two competing semantic objectives. Solving this multi-objective optimization problem yields a pareto front with a finite set of solution articles. Iterating on the remaining data, we construct solution sets in tiers of successive pareto fronts. Our technique allows for exploration of the tradeoffs between semantic concepts, yielding cogent and trope-like results.
Ovulation induction with pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone: a study of the subcutaneous route of administration.

The efficacy of ovulation induction with the use of intermittent gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) therapy was examined in seven infertile women with hypothalamic amenorrhea. GnRH was administered every 90 minutes via the subcutaneous route in doses ranging from 50 to 300 ng/kg. Analysis of the induced gonadotropin pulse pattern revealed normal to modestly increased luteinizing hormone secretory parameters (e.g., pulse amplitude) in six of the seven patients. Six of seven women and 15 of 16 treatment cycles (94%) were ovulatory. The conception rate was 43% per woman and 19% per cycle. However, detailed hormonal analysis of 13 treatment cycles revealed that only 1 cycle was entirely normal in terms of duration and/or steroid secretion.
Analytical test of 3D integrated circuits

Multilayer (3D) integrated circuit technology (3D chip technology) provides an attractive alternative to conventional circuit scaling methods, which rely solely on continued shrinking of device dimension. Chip stacking, through the use of through silicon vias (TSVs) and micro ball grid arrays or copper pillars, allows increasing chip complexity in a node independent way. 3D chip technology also opens up a new way to combine different chip technologies for the fabrication of advanced hybrids. The difficulties associated with 3D technology development include basic technology questions, such as thermal characteristics of chip stacks, chip design, design for test, and test methodologies. We will review results from a test site designed expressly to investigate these issues and discuss test methods used to support diagnostic test of 3D chips in a research environment.
Defining the Ichnogenus Arthrophycus Using Numerical Taxonomic Methods

A century and a half of imprecise or overly brief descriptions and ambiguous or unclear illustrations have rendered the ichnogenus Arthrophycus ripe for reexamination. An abundance of well-preserve...
Anesthesia for bronchoscopic procedures

Bronchoscopic procedures whether diagnostic or therapeutic constitute a challenge to both the brochoscopist and the patient due to the anxiety and vigorous airway reflexes associated with airway instrumentation as well as the pathology affecting airway patency and/or ventilation. This chapter will first describe the common bronchoscopic procedures and the main preoperative evaluation pointers. This is followed by a detailed description of the spectrum of anesthesia techniques, from light sedation to general anesthesia, that can be used to facilitate bronchoscopic procedures. Additionally, a depiction of a variety of ventilation techniques and airway devices that are used for airway procedures is detailed. Complications associated with bronchoscopic airway procedures and their management is also discussed. Lastly, the design of a bronchoscopic suite where anesthesia support for bronchoscopic procedures can be performed safely is described.
Luminal and peritubular steps in renal transport of p-aminohippurate

Why has the PAH transport system proven so difficult to characterize? The major problems appear to arise in three areas: species differences, differences in methodology, e.g., vesicle preparation techniques, and multiplicity of related transport systems. Species differences are certainly important in some areas, e.g., the luminal membrane where the same investigators have shown the presence of an anion exchanger capable of transporting PAH in rat and dog but not in rabbit. Since all of these species effectively secrete PAH, one must question whether or not the primary luminal component of the PAH secretory system has yet been identified. Other species differences have also been described. For example, the amphibian, Necturus, demonstrates bidirectional organic anion transport, including an uphill luminal step and the urinary bladders of certain species of crustaceans show net reabsorption, whereas the bladders of other species show net secretion of PAH. However, these differences may well prove to be important tools in assessing PAH transport, since amplification of specific pathways and the increased experimental control possible in intact tissue preparations from some of these species, e.g., flounder, snake and amphibian tubules or crustacean urinary bladder, may facilitate resolution of many of the remaining uncertainties. Species differences cannot explain the wide variety of results reported for the basolateral membrane transport step, since many of the conflicting studies were done in the same species. Difficulties inherent in vesicle techniques have been discussed above (Subsection III-A2), and emphasize the need to correlate such data with intact tissue preparations. However, the major source of confusion appears to be related to the ability of PAH to interact with several transport systems, directly or indirectly. Thus, despite the preponderance of evidence showing that the PAH transport system at the basolateral membrane is distinct from those for sulfate, mono- and dicarboxylic acids, acidic amino acids, and uric acid, there remains the real possibility that under physiological conditions: PAH may be a minor substrate for these other systems, substrates for other systems may inhibit PAH transport directly through competition for the PAH carrier or indirectly through competition for the same energy source, and entry of a substrate on one system may trans-stimulate PAH uptake on another. Furthermore, the existence of multiple systems may explain the inability of certain manipulations, e.g., Na gradient dissipation in vivo, to block PAH transport. PAH entry may simply increase via another pathway, e.g., anion exchange.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)