cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Competence of the UN Human Rights Council and its Special Procedures in relation to Armed Conflicts: Extrajudicial Executions in the ‘War on Terror’

Since 2003, as part of its ' war on terror ' , the United States has taken the position that the UN Commission on Human Rights and its successor, the UN Human Rights Council, as well as the system of ' special procedures ' reporting to both bodies, all lack the competence to examine abuses committed in the context of armed confl icts. The article examines the argu- ments put forward by the US in the specifi c context of the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. The authors conclude that the consistent practice of the human rights organs for almost 25 years, often supported and until 2003 never opposed by the US, runs counter to the current US position. Acceptance of the US position would not only undermine efforts to hold the US accountable but would also have a major impact on the international system of accountability as a whole.
B16LS9 melanoma cells spread to the liver from the murine ocular posterior compartment (PC).

Purpose. To create a murine ocular melanoma model that consistently metastasizes to the liver. Methods. Twelve-week-old C57BL6 mice (n=10) were inoculated in the posterior compartment (PC) of one eye with 5×10 5 tissue culture B16LS9 melanoma cells. The inoculated eyes were enucleated at two weeks and the mice were sacrificed with necropsies performed at four weeks post-inoculation. Results. Melanoma grew and was confined to the eyes of all 10 mice. The melanoma hematogenously spread to the lungs in 9 of 10 mice and the liver in 8 of 10 mice. There was a positive correlation between pulmonary and liver metastasis (r=0.94). Conclusions. B16LS9 melanoma cells consistently hematogenously spread to the liver when implanted into C57BL6 mice eyes. The value of this model is unknown at this time since it is not known if the intrahepatic melanoma is capable of growing and killing the host.
Proton-coupled electron transfer at the Qo site: what type of mechanism can account for the high activation barrier?

In Rhodobacter sphaeroides, transfer of the first electron in quinol oxidation by the bc(1) complex shows kinetic features (a slow rate (approx. 1.5 x 10(3)/s), high activation energy (approx. 65 kJ/mol) and reorganization energy, lambda (2.5 V)) that are unexpected from Marcus theory and the distances shown by the structures. Reduction of the oxidized iron-sulfur protein occurs after formation of the enzyme-substrate complex, and involves a H-transfer in which the electron transfer occurs through the approx. 7 A of a bridging histidine forming a H-bond with quinol and a ligand to 2Fe-2S. The anomalous kinetic features can be explained by a mechanism in which the electron transfer is constrained by coupled transfer of the proton. We discuss this in the context of mutant strains with modified E(m,7) and pK for the iron-sulfur protein, and Marcus theory for proton-coupled electron transfer. We suggest that transfer of the second proton and electron involve movement of semiquinone in the Q(o) site, and rotation of the Glu of the conserved -PEWY- sequence. Mutational studies show a key role for the domain proximal to heme b(L). The effects of mutation at Tyr-302 (Tyr-279 in bovine sequence) point to a possible linkage between conformational changes in the proximal domain, and changes leading to closure of the iron-sulfur protein access channel at the distal domain.
Teenaged pregnancy and childbearing.

This article reviews recent evidence on the changing patterns of childbearing among adolescents and the impact of premature parenthood on the life course of young mothers and their children. Although adolescent mothers experience conspicuous disadvantages in educational attainment and economic well-being over time the differences between early and later childbearing appear to diminish somewhat at least for Blacks. The children of teenage mothers however are distinctly worse off throughout childhood than the offspring of older childbearers. The reasons for this disparity are explored. The concluding section discusses a range of preventive and ameliorative strategies for reducing the cost of early childbearing. The evidence supports the need for more integration among services and the importance of increasing the availability of services to those in need. (authors)
A constant switching frequency coupled-inductor VR with improved light load efficiency

Coupled-inductor voltage regulator (VR) topology is one candidate for high-efficiency VR applications with stringent steady-state and dynamic requirements. This paper presents a coupled inductor voltage regulator operating at a fixed switching frequency with improved light load efficiency. The proposed VR concept is discussed, analyzed and experimentally verified.
Insights into the life of an oxygenic phototroph

We have the capability of completing the first draft of the description of life on Earth within the lifetime of many of the youngest scientists among us. This description is an enormous challenge and will be one of the great accomplishments of modern science. It will yield fundamental paradigm shifts in biology and revolutionary breakthroughs in medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology. Like life, a meaningful description of life will be enormously complex. Although it will certainly comprise grand generalizations and natural laws, it will also include sufficient detail to capture the nuances of life and unite molecular biology with natural history. The PNAS paper by Rubin et al. (1) is a major step toward this goal by providing a detailed examination of gene function in a cyanobacterium, one of the dominant groups of oxygenic photosynthetic organisms on Earth.
Analyzing Cognitive Space

This chapter continues my exploration of the spatial dynamics of the transition from mercantile to competitive capitalist modes of production in the early nineteenth century by exploring how a new sociospatial order was cognitively conceived by various plantation theorists in response to the crisis of the early nineteenth century. Prior to emancipation, such schemes sought to re-create a social order in which the planter class maintained exclusive control of productive space; following emancipation, the schemes attempted to materially create and legitimate a new set of social relations of production based on wage labor. In Jamaica, this spatial reorganization included the development of new patterns of landownership as the emancipated slave labor force transformed into an agrarian peasantry, the creation of new town and village forms inhabited by the peasantry, and the abandonment of large areas of land formally cultivated in sugar. Significantly, in the years leading up to emancipation, these processes also included the introduction of new crops — most notably coffee — and the spaces needed to create commodities from these plants. To understand how plantations were designed and imagined, that is, how some elements of cognitive space were negotiated, this chapter will analyze how contemporary plantation theorists recognized plantation spaces during the period of crisis I outlined in earlier chapters.
Dissecting the Mechanisms Underlying Unusually Successful Human Health Span and Life Span

Humans age at different rates and families with exceptional survival provide the opportunity to understand why some people age slower than others. Unique features exhibited by centenarians include a family history of longevity, compression of morbidity with resultant extension of health span, and biomarkers such as low-circulating insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and elevated high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. Given the rarity of the centenarian phenotype, it has not been surprising that the use of discovery methods that relied on common population single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to unlock the genetic determinants of exceptional longevity have not yielded significant results. Conversely, gene sequencing has resulted in discoveries of functional gene variants that support several of the centenarian phenotypes. These discoveries have led to the strategic developments of drugs that may delay aging and prolong health span.
Glucagon acts in the liver to control spontaneous meal size in rats

To determine the site of origin of pancreatic glucagon's inhibitory effect on spontaneous feeding in rats, glucagon was infused into either the hepatic portal vein or the inferior vena cava during spontaneous meals late in the dark phase. Hepatic portal infusion of 1.7-13.6 micrograms glucagon/meal reduced spontaneous meal size. In contrast, these doses did not significantly affect meal size when delivered via vena caval catheters that ended near the junction of the hepatic vein. This difference indicates that glucagon receptor sites in the liver initiate the satiating action of glucagon during spontaneous meals. The vagal dependency of glucagon satiety was also tested. Hepatic portal infusion of 13.6 micrograms glucagon/meal reduced the size of spontaneous meals both early and late in the dark in neurally intact rats, but not in hepatic-vagotomized rats. Finally, antagonism of endogenous glucagon with hepatic portal infusion of glucagon antibodies in a dose sufficient to neutralize 1 ng glucagon in vitro increased spontaneous meal size in intact rats, but not in hepatic-vagotomized rats. Thus the satiating effects of both exogenous and endogenous glucagon on spontaneous food intake appear to depend on the hepatic branch of the vagus. Taken together, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that glucagon acts in the liver to produce a satiety signal that is transmitted to the brain by the hepatic branch of the abdominal vagus.
Apollinaire, Poetry, and Fashion

Conceived as a satirical poem in the best French tradition, “1909” contrasts a beautiful woman dressed in the latest fashion with the “atrocious women” who work in factories. That Apollinaire finds the latter more appealing has important ramifications for modern poetry. The present article examines the previous studies, synthesizes their findings, and analyzes the poem in detail.
Flight test imagery - Getting more for less

Transmission of television quality live digital imagery requires nearly 60 Mbs when using Pulse Code Modulation (PCM). Many methods of compression of imagery have been investigated. Simple techniques, such as Differential Pulse Code Modulation (DPCM), are relatively easy to implement but have limited performance. Transform techniques, such as Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT), offer more compression but are difficult to implement at video rates within stringent airborne hardware constraints. Vector Quantization has been an area of research for many years. Advances in digital hardware during the last few years have made many implementations possible, therefore spurring renewed interest in active research. Vector Quantization has been applied to various types of data and results of the experimentation have been appearing regularly in the literature during the past several years. This technique of image coding has applications for any digitally sampled waveform. images are taken every 1130th of a second. The other types of sensors are for special purpose image collection and are not used for real time monitoring of remote activity as in flight test environments. Analog imagery, such as a television signal, requires 5MHz of analog channel bandwidth. The same signal when digitized using Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) requires 60 to 80 Mbits per second (Mbps) of a digital communication channel. If PCM were used as the final digital signal, the result is an expansion of bandwidth to convert from an analog to a digital imagery system. The amount of expansion would depend on the type of modulation. Data compression techniques reduce the bit rate of the PCM digital signal. This paper will address issues surrounding digital video imagery and show how frame rate, spatial resolution, sample resolution, and data compression techniques effect the bit rates while providing television quality imagery at 1 to 15 Mbps.
Tangent modulus matrix for finite element analysis of hyperelastic materials

In this study, using the VEC operator [1], compact expressions are formulated for the tangent modulus matrix of hyperelastic materials, in particular elastomers, using Lagrangian coordinates. Compressible, incompressible, and near-compressible materials are considered. Expressions are obtained for the corresponding finite element tangent stiffness matrices. It is observed that the incremental stress-strain relations should be considered anisotropic. Numerical procedures based on Newton iteration are sketched. The limiting case of small strain is developed. Finally, the tangent modulus matrix is presented for the Mooney-Rivlin material, with application to the rubber rod element.
Effect of Sodium Alginate on Raphanus sativus L.Seedlings in Adaptation to Salt-tolerance

The effect of sodium alginate on Raphanus sativus L.seedlings in adaptation to salttolerance was studied by water culture.The results showed that after culture solution seedlings of Raphanus sativus L.were dealt with NaCl concentration at 3-12 g·L-1,adding sodium alginate concentration at 0.5 g·L-1,the seedlings survival rate was increased by 41.1 %,the number of root was increased by 34.9 %,the single plant seedlings weight was increased by 34.7 %,and the SOD activity was increased by 35.4 %.All these indicated that sodium alginate can increase salt-tolerance adaptability of Raphanus sativus L.seedlings,and relief the harm brought about by NaCl stress.
Rotations About a Point of a Neutral Plane (ROT)

This chapter defines point rotations and point reflections (about a point O) on a neutral plane, and derives their elementary properties to the extent possible without a parallel axiom. It ends with a classification of isometries of a neutral plane, and proof of the existence of a “square root” of a rotation.
Life-course changes in the mediation of cognitive and non-cognitive skills for parental effects on children’s academic achievement

We assess life-course changes in how cognitive and noncognitive skills mediate the effect of parental SES on children's academic achievement using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort. Our results show: (1) the direct effect of parental SES declines while the mediating effect of skills increases over time; (2) cognitive and non-cognitive skills differ in their temporal sensitivities to parental origin; and (3) in contrast to the effect of cognitive skills, the mediating effect of non-cognitive skills increases over time because non-cognitive skills are more sensitive to changes in parental SES. Our results offer insights into the dynamic role skill formation play in status attainment.
Phase I/II Study of Dasatinib In Relapsed or Refractory Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL)

Abstract 288 This is phase I/II trial designed to evaluate the safety and clinical activity of Dasatinib, a potent, broad spectrum inhibitor of 5 critical oncogenic tyrosine kinase families: BCR-ABL, SRC, c-KIT, PDGF receptors (α and β) and ephrin (EPH) receptor kinases, in NHL. The primary end point was maximum tolerable dose (MTD) of dasatinib in the phase I stage and overall response rate (ORR) in phase II stage of the study. Eligible patients must be at least 19 y/o with relapsed or refractory NHL after at least one prior systemic therapy, ECOG performance status 0–2, and able to take oral medications. The Phase I trial utilized a 3+3 design where patients received Dasatinib once daily for 28 day cycles in one of 3 dose cohorts (100, 150, 200 mg daily). Patients continued on Dasatinib until disease progression. NCI grade IV non-hematological toxicity defined dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) in phase I. The phase II stage used a two-stage design. Patients who are in complete or partial remission (CR or PR) after one cycle were considered responders. The study enrolled 27 patients until June 2010. The median age was 58 years (range 34–87). 12 were females and 15 were males. The median number of prior therapies was 4 (range 1–20). The median follow-up period for survivors was 24 months (range 2–30 months). 14 patients were treated in the phase I part of the study and 13 patients were enrolled in phase II so far. 3 patients received 100 mg, 3 patients received 150 mg, and 8 patients received 200 mg daily. The MTD was determined to be 200 mg PO daily. This was later reduced to 150 mg PO daily when a higher incidence of grade 3 pleural effusions was noted (2 of 10 patients receiving 200 mg dose in the first stage of phase II) . 19 patients were evaluable for clinical response after 2 cycles of treatment and are as follows: CR 2, PR 4, SD 8, and PD 5. The ORR was 6/19 (32%). PFS was 17% (with a 95% CI of 5–34%) at 1 year, and 13% (3-29%) at 2 years. Overall survival was 60% (95% CI 38–76%) at 1 year and 50% (95% CI 29–68%) at 2 years. The 2 patients who sustained a CR had peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL). Both patients remained alive, and disease free, for over 2 years since start of treatment. The histological subtypes of the 4 patients who had a PR were: diffuse center follicular lymphoma (2), marginal zone lymphoma (1), and peripheral T-cell lymphoma (1). NCI grade III-IV toxicities noted were hematological (5 thrombocytopenia, 2 anemia, 1 leukopenia, 3 neutropenia), pleural effusion (6), rash (1), diarrhea (2), weakness/orthostasis (1), prolonged QTc interval (1), flash pulmonary edema (1), and skin graft failure (1). In conclusion, Dasatinib shows encouraging activity in heavily pre-treated, recurrent or refractory NHL patients. Toxicity is acceptable and pleural effusions, in addition to cytopenias, were the major toxicities. Dasatinib may be particularly effective in patients with PTCL; possibly because of high expression of PDGFR-α. Phase II of the study is ongoing. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Surface regeneration and signal increase in surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates

Regenerated surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates allow users the ability to not only reuse sensing surfaces, but also tailor them to the sensing application needs (wavelength of the available laser, plasmon band matching). In this review, we discuss the development of SERS substrates for response to emerging threats and some of our collaborative efforts to improve on the use of commercially available substrate surfaces. Thus, we are able to extend the use of these substrates to broader Army needs (like emerging threat response).
Single Institution Experience with Two High-Dose Chemotherapy (HDC) Conditioning Regimens Prior to Autologous Stem Cell Transplant (ASCT) for Multiple Myeloma (MM).

Abstract HDC with ASCT has become a standard treatment for patients with MM. Based on the results of recent trials, the use of melphalan (MEL) 200mg/m2 has emerged as the preferred HDC conditioning regimen, although research towards defining the optimal preparative regimen for these patients continues. We report our institution's experience with two sequential patient cohorts receiving HDC regimens prior to ASCT as treatment for MM. From July 1992 through August 2003, 62 patients received the combination of high-dose busulfan (1 mg/kg orally every 6 hours for 14 doses on day −8 to −5), etoposide (60 mg/kg 36-hour continuous intravenous [IV] infusion on days −5 and −4) and cyclophosphamide (60 mg/kg/day IV on days −3 and −2) (BVC), and 48 patients received MEL 200 mg/m2 as a single IV dose on day −2). Prior to conditioning, peripheral blood stem cells were mobilized with etoposide or cyclophosphamide followed by filgrastim (gCSF) given subcutaneously at 10 μg/kg/day. At least 5 x 106 CD34+/kg ideal body weight was targeted for collection. Two patients in the BVC group had CD34+ cells harvested directly from bone marrow. In both groups, autologous stem cells were infused on day 0. Patients received aggressive supportive care measures including intravenous anti-emesis medications and analgesia as required, prophylactic antibiotics, blood product transfusion and filgrastim (gCSF) support. Patients treated with BVC and MEL were similar in age (median ages, 55 vs 58 years), MM subtype (IgG in BVC = 65%, IgG in MEL = 56%) and timing of transplant from diagnosis. Median time from diagnosis to transplant for BVC was 289 days (d), and for MEL was 287 d. 90% of BVC patients and 91% of MEL patients were receiving HDC/ASCT as second-line therapy. Whereas 39% of BVC patients and 58% of MEL patients had stage III disease, 30% of BVC patients and 23% of MEL patients were classified as having “progressive” or “refractory” disease at time of transplant. Median beta-2 microglobulin for BVC patients was 2.99 mg/dl and for MEL patients was 3.87 md/dl. Patients were similar in median length of hospitalization (BVC = 20 d vs MEL = 16 d), median duration of neutropenia (BVC = 9 d vs MEL = 10 d), and mdian duration of thrombocytopenia (BVC= 15 d vs MEL = 17 d). Toxicities of therapy were similar between groups, although there were two treatment related mortalities (TRM) in the BVC group (one attributed to infection, one to hepatic veno-occlusive disease). The median progression-free survival was similar between groups (BVC = 803 d vs MEL = 749 d, p > .05). The median overall survival (OS) for BVC pts was 1394 d while the median OS for MEL pts has not been reached to date (p>0.05). Our results indicate that MEL and BVC achieve similar long-term outcomes in patients with MM.
Neurocritical Care of Acute Subdural Hemorrhage

Although urgent surgical hematoma evacuation is necessary for most patients with subdural hematoma (SDH), well-orchestrated, evidenced-based, multidisciplinary, postoperative critical care is essential to achieve the best possible outcome. Acute SDH complicates approximately 11% of mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) that require hospitalization, and approximately 20% of severe TBIs. Acute SDH usually is related to a clear traumatic event, but in some cases can occur spontaneously. Management of SDH in the setting of TBI typically conforms to the Advanced Trauma Life Support protocol with airway taking priority, and management breathing and circulation occurring in parallel rather than sequence.
Dispatchable renewable energy model for microgrid power system

Over the years, many research projects have been performed and focused on finding out the effective ways to balance the power demands and supply on the utility grid. The causes of the imbalance could be the increasing demands from the end users, the loss of power generation (generators down), faults on the transmission lines, power tripped due to overload, and weather conditions, etc. An efficient Load Frequency Control (LFC) can assure the desired electricity quality provided to the residential, commercial and industrial end users. A simulation model is built in this project to investigate the contribution of the modeling of dispatchable energy such as solar energy, wind power, hydro power and energy storage to the balance of the microgrid power system. An analysis of simplified feedback control system with proportional, integral, and derivative (PID) controller was also performed. The purpose of this research is to investigate a simulation model that achieves certain degree of the resilient control for the microgrid.
Effects of Backpacker Use, Pack Stock Trail Use, and Pack Stock Grazing on Water-Quality Indicators, Including Nutrients, E. coli, Hormones, and Pharmaceuticals, in Yosemite National Park, USA

We investigated how visitor-use affects water quality in wilderness in Yosemite National Park. During the summers of 2012-2014, we collected and analyzed surface-water samples for water-quality indicators, including fecal indicator bacteria Escherichia coli, nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon), suspended sediment concentration, pharmaceuticals, and hormones. Samples were collected upstream and downstream from different types of visitor use at weekly to biweekly intervals and during summer storms. We conducted a park-wide synoptic sampling campaign during summer 2014, and sampled upstream and downstream from meadows to evaluate the mitigating effect of meadows on water quality. At pack stock stream crossings, Escherichia coli concentrations were greater downstream from crossings than upstream (median downstream increase in Escherichia coli of three colony forming units 100 mL-1), with the greatest increases occurring during storms (median downstream increase in Escherichia coli of 32 CFU 100 mL-1). At backpacker use sites, hormones, and pharmaceuticals (e.g., insect repellent) were detected at downstream sites, and Escherichia coli concentrations were greater at downstream sites (median downstream increase in Escherichia coli of 1 CFU 100 mL-1). Differences in water quality downstream vs. upstream from meadows grazed by pack stock were not detectable for most water-quality indicators, however, Escherichia coli concentrations decreased downstream, suggesting entrapment and die-off of fecal indicator bacteria in meadows. Our results indicate that under current-use levels pack stock trail use and backpacker use are associated with detectable, but relatively minor, effects on water quality, which are most pronounced during storms.
A Phosphorescent Trinuclear Gold(I) Pyrazolate Chemosensor for Silver Ion Detection and Remediation in Aqueous Media.

We report a phosphorescent chemosensor based on a trinuclear Au(I) pyrazolate complex or [Au(3-CH3,5-COOH)Pz]3 (aka Au3Pz3) stabilized in aqueous chitosan (CS) polymer media. Au3Pz3 is synthesized in situ within aqueous CS media at pH ∼ 6.5 and room temperature (RT). Au3Pz3 exhibits strong red emission (λmax ∼ 690 nm) in such solutions. On addition of silver salt to Au3Pz3/CS aqueous media, a bright-green emissive adduct (Au3Pz3/Ag+) with a peak maximum within 475–515 nm is developed. The silver adduct exhibits a 4-fold increase in quantum yield (0.19 ± 0.02) compared to Au3Pz3 alone (0.05 ± 0.01), along with a corresponding increase in phosphorescence lifetime. With almost zero interference from 15 other metal ions tested, Au3Pz3 exhibits extreme selectivity for Ag+ with nM/ppb detection limits (6.4−72 ppb, depending on %CS and on the sensitivity basis being a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) = 3 or a baseline-corrected signal change = 10%). Au3Pz3 exhibits sensitivity to higher concentrations (>1 mM) of othe...
LSD1 activates a lethal prostate cancer gene network independently of its demethylase function

Medical castration that interferes with androgen receptor (AR) function is the principal treatment for advanced prostate cancer. However, clinical progression is universal, and tumors with AR-independent resistance mechanisms appear to be increasing in frequency. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop new treatments targeting molecular pathways enriched in lethal prostate cancer. Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) is a histone demethylase and an important regulator of gene expression. Here, we show that LSD1 promotes the survival of prostate cancer cells, including those that are castration-resistant, independently of its demethylase function and of the AR. Importantly, this effect is explained in part by activation of a lethal prostate cancer gene network in collaboration with LSD1’s binding protein, ZNF217. Finally, that a small-molecule LSD1 inhibitor―SP-2509―blocks important demethylase-independent functions and suppresses castration-resistant prostate cancer cell viability demonstrates the potential of LSD1 inhibition in this disease.
Progressive Contextualization: Thinking about Extreme Events

This essay reviews the following works: Side Effects: Mexican Governance under NAFTA’s Labor and Environmental Agreements. By Mark Aspinwall. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2013. Pp. ix + 209. $24.95 paper. ISBN: 9780804782302. Toxic Injustice: A Transnational History of Exposure and Struggle. By Susanna Rankin Bohme. Oakland: University of California Press, 2015. Pp. vii + 343. $29.95 paper. ISBN: 9780520278998. Rubble: The Afterlife of Destruction. By Gaston R. Gordillo. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2014. Pp. xi + 315. $26.95 paper. ISBN: 9780822356196. Unearthing Conflict: Corporate Mining, Activism, and Expertise in Peru. By Fabiana Li. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2015. Pp. vii + 265. $24.95 paper. ISBN: 9780822358312. Engineering Mountain Landscapes: An Anthropology of Social Investment. Edited by Laura L. Scheiber and Maria Nieves Zedeno. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2015. Pp. ix + 201. $45.00 paper. ISBN: 9781607814337.
Safety and Outcomes of Oral Graded Challenges to Amoxicillin without Prior Skin Testing

Background Unconfirmed penicillin allergy poses substantial public health consequences. The most widely accepted protocol to evaluate penicillin allergy is skin testing followed by an amoxicillin challenge. Objective To evaluate the safety of direct oral graded challenges to amoxicillin. Methods A prospective single-blind clinical trial with historical controls of patients ≥7 years old with historical non–life-threatening reactions to penicillin was conducted. Patients received placebo followed by a 2-step graded challenge to amoxicillin. The allergic reaction rate was compared with the rate observed in our previous study that included skin testing and with the currently reported penicillin allergy prevalence in the US population. Results Of the 155 participants who completed an amoxicillin challenge, 120 patients (77.4%) experienced no reaction whereas 31 patients (20%) experienced nonallergic reactions to either placebo (n = 16) or amoxicillin (n = 15). Four patients (2.6%) developed mild allergic reactions. Significantly (P = .03) fewer patients (4 of 155, 2.6%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.0%, 6.5%) were determined to be allergic compared with 14 of 170 subjects (8.2%, 95% CI: 5.0%, 13.4%) in our previous study where patients were determined to be allergic based on either positive skin tests (n = 11) or allergic challenge reactions after negative skin tests (n = 3). This 2.6% reaction rate was also significantly less than the 10% reported US prevalence of penicillin allergy (P = .003). Conclusions Placebo-controlled oral graded challenges to amoxicillin without prior skin testing may be safe for patients ≥7 years old with non–life-threatening historical reactions to penicillin. Amoxicillin can be tolerated by the majority of patients with self-reported penicillin allergy.
A Behavioral Analysis and Modeling Method for Real-Time Systems

Abstract This paper describes a method for analyzing and modeling real-time systems called Concurrent Object-Based Real-Time Analysis (COBRA). COBRA is an alternative approach to Real-Time Structured Analysis, Object-Oriented Analysis, and Jackson System Development, for analyzing and modeling real-time systems. It blends concepts from all three methods. A COBRA behavioral model can be mapped to an object-oriented design.
Times Squared: Historical Time in Sartre and Foucault

This is not about the “life and times” of either philosopher, though it is about their “times.” Anyone familiar with the work of Foucault knows that such a foray into intellectual history would be inappropriate. Rather, I wish to examine what each has to say about the nature of time, especially about historical time. Both were historians of a sort, the one psychoanalytic and sociological (Sartre) and the other archaeological and genealogical (Foucault), and each expressed a distinctive understanding of historical temporality. Sartrean time is progressive and moral while that of Foucault is noncumulative and comparative. In fact, I shall argue that the latter is spatialized (“squared,” if you will) in a sense that resists Hegelian-Marxist dialectic and forces us to view “history” from a unique perspective. Our examination of what these distinctive and seemingly contradictory positions reveal about the nature of history will also help to elucidate the phenomenological heritage of each.
Gaze-Enhanced Student Modeling for Game-based Learning

Recent advances in eye-tracking technologies have introduced the opportunity to incorporate gaze into student modeling. Creating student models that leverage gaze information holds significant promise for game-based learning environments. This paper introduces a gaze-enhanced student modeling framework that incorporates student eye tracking to dynamically predict students' performance in a game-based learning environment for microbiology education, CRYSTAL ISLAND. The gaze-enhanced student modeling framework was investigated in a study comparing a gaze-enhanced student model with a baseline student model that does not utilize student eye-tracking. Results of a study conducted with 65 college students interacting with the CRYSTAL ISLAND game-based learning environment indicate that the gaze-enhanced student model significantly outperforms the baseline model in dynamically predicting student problem-solving performance. The findings suggest that incorporating gaze into student modeling can contribute to a new generation of student models for game-based learning environments.
Detecting Driver’s Emotion: A Step Toward Emotion-based Reliability Engineering

In our traditional engineering design, systems are designed so that machines work today in the same way as yesterday, no matter how the situations may change. In short, our traditional goal was to build up a context-independent system. Up to now, situations have not changed appreciably, but today, they change very rapidly and very frequently. Therefore, the context independent approach is no longer effective. To cope with the rapid and frequent changes, a more context-dependent approach is called for. We could possibly develop many context-dependent approaches. But what should be pointed out is the importance of human cognition and decision making. We could possibly install many sensors and actuators so that a machine could respond to rapid changes. However, it should be stressed that human factors are getting more and more important in securing system reliability. This is not a human factor in traditional reliability engineering, where it is considered as a system element and in a more context-independent framework.
Correlates of Refusal of Surgery in the Treatment of Non-metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.

Surgical resection is the most important therapeutic intervention for eligible patients with pancreatic cancer; however, a majority of patients never receive surgery for a variety of reasons, including patient refusal. Utilizing the National Cancer Database, we investigated the associated sociodemographic and clinical factors for those patients who refused surgery, and the impact of this decision on overall survival (OS). We analyzed adult patients with non-metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas diagnosed from 2004 to 2013. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression modeling was used to identify factors predictive of refusing surgery, and Kaplan–Meier and log-rank analysis was performed to investigate the effect on OS. A total of 48,902 patients were identified: 47,107 received surgery (96.3%) and 1795 were offered surgery but refused (3.7%). Factors associated with refusing surgery include both sociodemographic factors [age > 50 years, female sex, Black race, non-private insurance, treatment at a non-academic institution or non-metro facility, Carlson Comorbidity Index of 2 + (p ≤ 0.01)], and clinical factors [advanced clinical T (tumor) category and tumor size > 20 cm (p ≤ 0.01)]. Patients who refused surgery and received no treatment at all experienced a median survival of 5.1 months, while those who refused surgery but received chemoradiotherapy experienced a median survival of 11.2 months. As an index for comparison, those who received surgery had a median survival of 20.5 months. Refusing surgery is an understudied phenomenon associated with several sociodemographic and clinical factors. The expected prognosis for patients who refuse surgery is presented.
Fabrication of a bilayer scaffold for small diameter vascular applications

One of the greatest challenges plaguing cardiovascular tissue engineering has been the development of a compliant vascular graft. In this work, we report the development of a synthetic vascular graft with compliance similar to native arteries at physiological pressures. A bilayer scaffold was fabricated from a solid polymeric lumen made from poly(1,8 octanediol-co-citrate) (POC) and a microfibrous medial layer composed of type I collagen, elastin, and POC. Mechanical analysis revealed dynamic compliance, ~6.9% within 1% of native vessels, 5.9%. The burst pressure was an order of magnitude lower than native vessels (~400 mmHg vs. ~3000 mmHg) but was above physiological pressure ranges. Biocompatibility studies indicated the scaffold posed no acute cytotoxic risk to relevant cell types and supported the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. In addition, upon exposure of the scaffold to whole blood, there was no statistically significant hemolysis, <2%. Overall this is a promising material system and scaffold to develop a biodegradable tissue-engineered vascular graft. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 2850-2862, 2018.
Early life stress leads to sex differences in development of depressive-like outcomes in a mouse model.

Childhood trauma and neglect influence emotional development and increase the risk for and severity of mental illness. Women have a heightened susceptibility to the effects of early life stress (ELS) and are twice as likely as men to develop debilitating, stress-associated disorders later in life, such as major depressive disorder (MDD). Until now, mouse models of depression have been largely unsuccessful at replicating the diverse symptomatology of this disease and the sex bias in vulnerability. From P4 to P11, a limited bedding model that leads to fragmented maternal care, was used to induce ELS. Early adolescent and young adult mice were tested on an array of assays to test for depressive-like behavior. This included our newly developed automated home cage behavioral recognition system, where the home cage behavior of ELS and control mice could be monitored over a continuous 5–10 day span. ELS females, but not males, exhibited depressive-like behaviors on traditional assays. These effects emerged during adolescence and became more severe in adulthood. Using the novel home cage video monitoring method, we identified robust and continuous markers of depressive-like pathology in ELS females that phenocopy many of the behavioral characteristics of depression in humans. ELS effects on home cage behavior were rapidly rescued by ketamine, a fast-acting antidepressant. Together, these findings highlight that limited bedding ELS (1) produces an early emerging, female-specific depressive phenotype that responds to a fast-acting antidepressant and (2) this model has the potential to inform sex-selective risk for the development of stress-induced mental illness.
Quantitative assessment of dMRI-based dentate-rubro-thalamic tractography in squirrel monkey

Background: The dentate-rubro-thalamic-tract (DRTT) has recently been suggested as a new target in treatment of tremors for patients of essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease. Diffusion MRI (dMRI) tractography was reported to able to reconstruct DRTT non-invasively in human brain. However, the performance of dMRI tractography with different setups has not been rigorously evaluated, which serves as a necessary step to optimize the protocol of reconstruction. Purpose: In this study, we aim to assess the efficacy of the dMRI-based DRTT tractography by comparing with histological “ground truth” in the same brain. Method: A fixed squirrel monkey brain was scanned in 9.4T magnet with four shells (b=3000/6000/9000/12000s/mm2 ) and 100 diffusion gradient directions for each shell. Probabilistic tractography was implemented with a set of variables (i.e., b value, number of gradient directions, step length and binarization threshold), and the dMRI-derived DRTT volume was quantitatively compared with histological DRTT volume, which was obtained from Myelin stain of the same brain. Moreover, the primary orientations estimated by dMRI were compared with histological fiber orientations along the skeleton of histological DRTT. Result: The sensitivity of dMRI measure increases as the number of gradient directions increases and decreases as the binarization threshold increases. As b value increases, primary orientations estimated from dMRI agree more with histological ones along the skeleton of histological DRTT. Conclusion: Our work provides a valuable assessment of DRTT tractography, which serves as a guideline for optimization of protocol starting from image acquisition, orientation estimation to tractography.
Thyroid hormones and neurobehavioral functions among adolescents chronically exposed to groundwater with geogenic arsenic in Bangladesh.

Abstract Groundwater, the major source of drinking water in Bengal Delta Plain, is contaminated with geogenic arsenic (As) enrichment affecting millions of people. Children exposed to tubewell water containing As may be associated with thyroid dysfunction, which in turn may impact neurodevelopmental outcomes. However, data to support such relationship is sparse. The purpose of this study was to examine if chronic water As (WAs) from Holocene alluvial aquifers in this region was associated with serum thyroid hormone (TH) and if TH biomarkers were related to neurobehavioral (NB) performance in a group of adolescents. A sample of 32 healthy adolescents were randomly drawn from a child cohort in the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study (HEALS) in Araihazar, Bangladesh. Half of these participants were consistently exposed to low WAs (
Melodies of child: Greek-English phonological interference (Melodias de criança: interferência fonológica grego-inglês)

In this paper, I will operationalise phonological interference in terms of psycholinguistic and phonological theory by utilizing a Greek-English bilingual girl’s naturalistic speech data for a month at age 2;7, in a language pair that is not researched much in bilingualism. The ultimate goal is to decipher the psycholinguistic and linguistic processes involved in the child’s phonological interference at a qualitative level (the melodic tier), also backed by in-depth quantitative evidence. Phonological interaction is scrutinised in the child’s developing phonologies in an under-represented linguistic context: one of the languages (English) is exogenously acquired and, thus, characterized by compromised exposure in terms of quantity and quality of input. The results sustain the manifestation of phonological interference at both the surface and underlying levels of only certain melodic units in the bilingual’s languages, rather than across the board. The ensuing analyses illuminate the indisputable interaction of several developments at work. Neste artigo, operacionalizarei a interferencia fonologica em termos de teoria psicolinguistica e fonologica, utilizando dados naturalisticos de uma menina bilingue greco-inglesa de 2;7 anos, em um par de idiomas que nao e muito pesquisado no bilinguismo. O objetivo final e decifrar os processos psicolinguisticos e linguisticos envolvidos na interferencia fonologica da crianca em um nivel qualitativo (o nivel melodico), tambem apoiado por evidencias quantitativas. A interacao fonologica e examinada nas fonologias em desenvolvimento da crianca em um contexto linguistico sub-representado: uma das linguas (ingles) e adquirida exogenamente e, portanto, caracterizada pela exposicao comprometida em termos de quantidade e qualidade de entrada. Os resultados sustentam a manifestacao da interferencia fonologica tanto na superficie quanto nos niveis subjacentes de certas unidades melodicas nos idiomas bilingues, mas nao em todo o quadro melodico. As analises que se seguem iluminam a interacao indiscutivel de varios desenvolvimentos.
The effects of QuikClot Combat Gauze and Celox Rapid on hemorrhage control

Objective: Compare QuikClot Combat Gauze (QCG) and Celox Rapid (CR) for initial hemostasis and over a 1-hour period. Design: Experimental study. Setting: Approved animal laboratory. Subjects: Twenty-one Yorkshire swine. Interventions: Subjects were randomly assigned to either the QCG (n = 11) or CR (n = 10) group. An arteriotomy was made in the right femoral artery with a 6-mm vascular punch. Bleeding was allowed for 45 seconds. QCG or CR was applied followed by firm pressure for 3 minutes according to Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care guidelines. A 10-pound weight simulating a pressure dressing was applied, and the wound was observed for 1 hour. Dressing failure was bleeding > 2 percent of blood volume. Main outcome measures: Achievement and maintenance of hemostasis and amount of hemorrhage during observation. Odds of successful hemostasis. Results: QCG was significantly better than CR in initial hemostasis (p = 0.049) and maintaining hemostasis over 1 hour (p = 0.020). One hundred percent of QCG subjects and 70 percent of CR subjects achieved initial hemostasis. During the 1-hour observation, one additional CR subject failed to maintain hemostasis. CR had significantly more hemorrhage than QCG during the 1-hour observation (p = 0.027). QCG had no bleeding compared to CR that had a mean of 162 ± 48 mL (standard error of mean) over 2 minutes. QCG had 15.9 times greater odds of success compared to CR over a period of 1 hour. Over the 1-hour observation time, 100 percent of QCG achieved hemostasis compared to 60 percent of CR. Conclusions: QCG is more effective than CR.
Measures of Agreement: Reliability, Classification Accuracy, and Classification Consistency

Gierl, Cui, and Zhou (J Educ Meas 46:293–313, 2009), Cui, Gierl, and Chang (J Educ Meas 49:19–38, 2012), Templin and Bradshaw (J Classif 30:251–275, 2013), Wang, Song, Chen, Meng, and Ding (J Educ Meas 52:457–476, 2015), Johnson and Sinharay (J Educ Meas, 55: 635–664, 2018), and Johnson and Sinharay (J Educ Behav Stat, in press) suggested reliability-like measures for the estimates obtained from a diagnostic classification model. These measures mostly express the agreement between the estimated skill and the true skill, or between estimated skills from parallel assessments. This paper provides a review of these measures and demonstrates some of them for a real data example.
Children's theory of mind as a mechanism linking parents' mind-mindedness in infancy with children's conscience.

Abstract Growing research on parental mind-mindedness has revealed significant positive associations between parents’ appropriate mind-minded (MM) comments to their infants and children’s future theory of mind (ToM). In turn, ToM has been broadly linked with a range of social-moral competencies. However, few (if any) studies have examined long-term paths from mothers’ and fathers’ mind-mindedness in infancy to conscience at early school age, with ToM serving as a mediator of those links. We tested such a model in a prospective longitudinal study of 102 community infants, mothers, and fathers. Parents’ MM comments to their infants were coded in naturalistic interactions in snack and play contexts at 7 months. Children’s ToM was assessed in false-belief tasks at 4.5 and 5.5 years, and two aspects of their conscience were assessed at 6.5 years: discomfort following transgressions and prosocial judgments in hypothetical moral dilemmas. We tested our model in a comprehensive path analysis that accounted for developmental continuity of both aspects of conscience. Children’s ToM was positively associated with both measures of future conscience. The long-term paths from parental mind-mindedness in infancy to conscience were found for mother–child relationships only. For mothers and children, we supported the paths from maternal appropriate MM comments during a snack context in infancy to both aspects of children’s conscience mediated by children’s ToM. The findings extend earlier evidence suggesting the potentially important role of the parent–child interactive context for long-term effects of early parental mind-mindedness and highlight differences in the roles MM comments may play in mother–child and father–child relationships.