cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predictors of US college students’ participation in study abroad programs: A longitudinal study

Abstract This study was designed to identify variables that predict participation in study abroad programs. A total of 179 undergraduates were followed through their 4-year college career. At year one, students completed a survey packet that included measures of study abroad expectations, ethnocentrism, prejudice, intercultural communication apprehension, language interest and competence, intolerance of ambiguity, and academic and demographic variables. During the students’ senior year, follow-up data was collected from the college registrar's database regarding participation in study abroad, including placement and duration. Students who studied abroad differed significantly from those who did not in terms of concern about completing their major, study abroad expectations, ethnocentrism, prejudice, and foreign language interest. Study abroad expectations and levels of ethnocentrism distinguished participants from nonparticipants in a binary logistic regression analysis. These findings suggest that participation in international study may be facilitated in part by interventions that seek to modify expectations, reduce ethnocentrism and prejudice, and help students understand the value of language study.
Reactions of alkylcobalt complexes containing a tetradentate nitrogen-donating ligand

The reactions of RCo(BDM1,3pn)(H2O) with light, heat, acids, electrophiles and nucleophiles were studied. (HBDM1,3pn is a mononegative, tetradentate dioxime-diimine ligand formed by condensing 2,3-butanedionemonoxime with 1,3-propanediamine in a 2/1 molar ratio; R = CH3, C2H5, n-C3H7, n-C4H9, and C6H3CH2-) Pyrolysis and photolysis of the alkyl complexes result in a cobalt(II) complex (anaerobic conditions) along with alkenes and alkanes. The major organic products from solid state pyrolysis at 200°C or photolysis in water are CH4 (R = CH3), C2H4 (R = C2H5), C3H6 (R = n-C3H7), C4H8 (R = n-C4H9) and (C6H5CH2)2 (R = C6H5CH2). No alkyl—cobalt bond cleavage occurs with acids or bases in most cases. Two exceptions are the reactions with 3 M HNO3 at 25°C and with 1 M NaOH at 52°C. Electrophiles like I2 cleave the alkyl—cobalt bond forming RI and CoIII (BDM1,3pn)I2. Nucleophilic reagents (N-) displace the H2O trans to the alkyl group to form RCo(BDM1,3pn)(N), but do not dealkylate the alkyl complex under the reaction conditions studied.
Protein (BSA) fouling of reverse osmosis membranes : Implications for wastewater reclamation

Abstract Effluent organic matter (EfOM) has been known to contribute significantly to organic fouling of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes in advanced wastewater reclamation. In this study, the effects of feed solution chemistry (calcium concentration, ionic strength, and solution pH) and feed foulant composition on fouling of RO membranes by bovine serum albumin (BSA) – selected to represent proteins in EfOM – are investigated. Crossflow fouling experiments show that RO membrane fouling by BSA is enhanced at higher calcium concentration and at a solution pH at the BSA isoelectric point (pH 4.7). It is further demonstrated that BSA fouling of RO membranes is significantly enhanced in the presence of alginate (a model polysaccharide) as co-foulant. There appears to be an initial synergistic fouling effect when RO membranes are fouled by both BSA and alginate, as compared to fouling by BSA or alginate alone. Foulant–foulant adhesion forces, determined by AFM force measurements under solution chemistries identical to those of the crossflow fouling experiments, further confirm the trends of the fouling profiles. It is consistently shown that solution chemistries and foulant compositions that induce higher fouling rates are associated with greater foulant–foulant adhesion forces.
Embodied Language and Procedural Documentation

Embodied language is grounded in users' concrete experience and thereby reduces user effort when using procedural information. Embodied language does this because doesn't force users to think purely abstractly.
Dreams of Humanization and the Realities of Power

The article focuses on humanization in organizations where employees would use their abilities fully, be treated justly, and be included in the organization's decision making. Research by W. G. Bennis noted that organizational change might be necessary due to growth in science, change in managerial philosophy, education of the work force, association of people with knowledge and those with power, and social values based on humanistic-democratic ideas. Because organizations are political systems, humanization of relationships is limited by the distribution of power and resources. Issues such as organizational power, system design that supports humanized goals in organizations, and resistance to sharing power are discussed.
Enforcing Policy and Data Consistency of Cloud Transactions

In distributed transactional database systems deployed over cloud servers, entities cooperate to form proofs of authorizations that are justified by collections of certified credentials. These proofs and credentials may be evaluated and collected over extended time periods under the risk of having the underlying authorization policies or the user credentials being in inconsistent states. It therefore becomes possible for a policy-based authorization systems to make unsafe decisions that might threaten sensitive resources. In this paper, we highlight the criticality of the problem. We then present the first formalization of the concept of trusted transactions when dealing with proofs of authorizations. Accordingly, we define different levels of policy consistency constraints and present different enforcement approaches to guarantee the trustworthiness of transactions executing on cloud servers. We propose a Two-Phase Validation Commit protocol as a solution, that is a modified version of the basic Two-Phase Commit protocols. We finally provide performance analysis of the different presented approaches to guide the decision makers in which approach to use.
Ice Cloud Optical Thickness and Extinction Estimates from Radar Measurements

A remote sensing method is proposed to derive vertical profiles of the visible extinction coefficients in ice clouds from measurements of the radar reflectivity and Doppler velocity taken by a vertically pointing 35-GHz cloud radar. The extinction coefficient and its vertical integral, optical thickness t, are among the fundamental cloud optical parameters that, to a large extent, determine the radiative impact of clouds. The results obtained with this method could be used as input for different climate and radiation models and for comparisons with parameterizations that relate cloud microphysical parameters and optical properties. An important advantage of the proposed method is its potential applicability to multicloud situations and mixed-phase conditions. In the latter case, it might be able to provide the information on the ice component of mixed-phase clouds if the radar moments are dominated by this component. The uncertainties of radar-based retrievals of cloud visible optical thickness are estimated by comparing retrieval results with optical thicknesses obtained independently from radiometric measurements during the yearlong Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) field experiment. The radiometric measurements provide a robust way to estimate t but are applicable only to optically thin ice clouds without intervening liquid layers. The comparisons of cloud optical thicknesses retrieved from radar and from radiometer measurements indicate an uncertainty of about 77% and a bias of about 214% in the radar estimates of t relative to radiometric retrievals. One possible explanation of the negative bias is an inherently low sensitivity of radar measurements to smaller cloud particles that still contribute noticeably to the cloud extinction. This estimate of the uncertainty is in line with simple theoretical considerations, and the associated retrieval accuracy should be considered good for a nonoptical instrument, such as radar. This paper also presents relations between radar-derived characteristic cloud particle sizes and effective sizes used in models. An average relation among t, cloud ice water path, and the layer mean value of cloud particle characteristic size is also given. This relation is found to be in good agreement with in situ measurements. Despite a high uncertainty of radar estimates of extinction, this method is useful for many clouds where optical measurements are not available because of cloud multilayering or opaqueness.
An unusual presentation of intercostal neuralgia

Patients with abdominal pain are frequently referred for diagnostic blocks to differentiate abdominal wall pain (somatic) versus visceral pain. This unusual case illustrates a patient presenting with viscera pain complaints who responded to intercostal block and subsequent radiofrequency denervation
Parametric modeling of somatosensory evoked potentials

The authors examine methods of characterizing somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) in both the time and frequency domains. They have found that the truncated impulse response (TIR) method produced an accurate time-domain model of the SEP signals at model orders greatly reduced from the original state space matrix. The TIR method was valuable for smoothing signals that were slightly corrupted by noise. For signals that were greatly corrupted by noise, the TIR method was not able to perform as well. Therefore, the TIR method was not a feature extraction method but was valuable for data simulation. In the frequency domain, the autoregressive moving average (ARMA) model was used to parameterize the SEP signal. An overdetermined set of Yule-Walker equations was created to determine the autoregressive (AR) parameters of the original data with the model order established by the singular value decomposition. From these AR parameters, a residual time series was generated which was used to find the moving average parameters. The resulting ARMA model was used to produce a simulated data sequence. >
Spirometric evaluation of acute bronchial asthma

Spirograms were obtained before and after emergency therapy in 85 episodes of acute bronchial asthma in 82 patients. The clinical status of all patients after emergency treatment was reevaluated 48 hours later. Patients could be divided into three groups: I) admissions; II) patients discharged but with later respiratory problems; and III) patients who were discharged and did well. The mean pre- and posttreatment one second forced expiratory volume (FEV 1.0 ) was significantly different among all three groups. FEV 1.0 ≦ 0.6 liter before treatment, or an FEV 1.0 ≦ 1.6 liter after emergency treatment, was associated with an unfavorable course. Eighty-eight percent of Group I patients (admissions) had either an initial FEV 1.0 ≦ 0.6 liter, or a posttreatment FEV 1.0 ≦ 1.6 liter. Among all patients whose initial FEV 1.0 was ≦ 0.6 liter, 80% were either admitted or had subsequent respiratory problems; 75% of all patients whose posttreatment FEV 1.0 was ≦ 1.6 liter were either admitted or developed subsequent respiratory problems. Moreover, 90% of patients who had both a pretreatment FEV 1.0 ≦ 0.6 liter and a posttreatment FEV 1.0 ≦ 1.6 liter were admitted or had subsequent significant airway obstruction. We conclude that spirometry can identify asthmatic patients who require admission or who will have significant airway obstruction within 48 hours after discharge from the emergency department.
Prolonged behavioral effects of in utero exposure to lead or methyl mercury: reduced sensitivity to changes in reinforcement contingencies during behavioral transitions and in steady state.

Abstract Postnatal exposure to lead or methyl mercury results in mental retardation, learning deficits, and other neurobehavioral effects in humans, and adverse consequences of prenatal exposure have been clearly documented with methyl mercury. To examine the developmental neurotoxicity of these metals, especially lead, concurrent schedules of food reinforcement were used to identify learning deficits in squirrel monkeys exposed during gestation to either methyl mercury or lead. Pregnant squirrel monkeys were administered methyl mercury (0.7 to 0.9 ppm in maternal blood) or lead (21 to 79 μg/dl in maternal blood) during the last half to two-thirds of gestation. At about 5-6 years of age, offspring were trained to lever press under concurrent schedules of reinforcement in which separate random interval reinforcement schedules operated independently on two levers. Reinforcement densities were varied such that 20 to 90% of the reinforcers were programmed to derive from the left lever (i.e., one lever was "richer" than the other). At steady state, the behavior of the controls was sensitive to reinforcement density and showed little lever bias, but the behavior of monkeys exposed to more than 40 μg/dl of lead and to methyl mercury was less sensitive to reinforcement rates and heavily biased. When relative reinforcement density on a lever changed, the unexposed animals′ response rates gradually shifted to the newly rich lever. The behavior of monkeys exposed to methyl mercury or more than 40 μg/dl of lead changed slowly, not at all, or in the wrong direction. Steady-state behavior of monkeys exposed to less than 40 μg/dl resembled controls, but acquisition progressed more slowly and required 2-4 times as many reinforcers to complete. These effects suggest a behavioral mechanism-insensitivity to changing reinforcement contingencies-by which learning deficits and behavioral changes associated with these metals might be related to toxicant exposure. Since maternal blood levels corresponded to those that could be experienced in occupational settings, the present data raise the possibility of fetal hazards associated with maternal lead exposures at levels tolerated in humans in occupational settings.
Systemic Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola Infection in a Free-Ranging Plains Garter Snake (Thamnophis radix)

Abstract A free-ranging plains garter snake (Thamnophis radix) with a brown, encrusted, cutaneous facial lesion presented depressed, emaciated, and dehydrated. It developed respiratory distress and was later euthanized after it failed to respond to antibiotics and supportive treatment. Disseminated granulomatous disease with prominent lung involvement was diagnosed at necropsy. Intralesional hyaline fungal elements, consisting of septate hyphae, were detected histologically among the necrotic core of granulomas and aggregates of epithelioid macrophages. Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola was cultured from tissue specimens and identification was confirmed using 18S rRNA ITS DNA sequencing. Isolation of O. ophiodiicola from lesions that contain morphologically consistent fungal elements strongly incriminates this fungus as the cause of disease in this garter snake.
Very thin solid-on-liquid structures: the interplay of flexural rigidity, membrane force, and interfacial force

This paper studies a solid film lying on a liquid layer, which in turn lies on a solid substrate. It is well known that, subject to a compressive membrane force, the solid film wrinkles, dragging the liquid underneath to flow. When the solid film is very thin, the ratio between the number of atoms at the surface and that in the bulk becomes significant, so that surface stress contributes to the membrane force. When the liquid layer is very thin, the two interfaces bounding the liquid interact with each other through forces of various physical origins. We formulate the free energy of the system, and carry out a linear perturbation analysis. A dimensionless parameter is identified to quantify the relative importance of flexural rigidity, membrane force, and interfacial force on stability of the structure. Depending on the nature of the interfacial force, several intriguing behaviors are possible; for example, the solid film may remain flat under a compressive membrane force, or form wrinkles under a tensile membrane force. We estimate the dimensionless parameter for interfacial forces of several specific origins, including photon dispersion, electrical double layer, and electron confinement. Emphasis is placed on identifying the thickness ranges of the solid film and of the liquid layer within which these forces are important. 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Sensitivity-Based Efficient Identification of Oscillatory Stability Margin and Damping Margin Using Continuation of Invariant Subspaces

Successive eigenvalue sensitivities extracted from continuation of invariant subspaces (CIS) are proposed for efficient identification of oscillatory stability margin and damping margin in power systems. Spectrum transformation-based methods are introduced to calculate the critical eigenvalues of interest for CIS initialization. The predictor-corrector method is applied to trace the movements of eigenvalues as power system parameter changes. The eigenvalue sensitivities are by-products of the algorithm. From this information, a step size control strategy is proposed to speed up the oscillatory stability margin and damping margin identification. The proposed method is numerically stable, robust, and converges rapidly. The simulation results and computation performance on New England 39-bus system and IEEE 145-bus system are demonstrated in details.
A Factor-Analytic Study of Job Satisfaction among Special Educators

A job satisfaction questionnaire was developed, and 485 special educators responded to its dissemination. The group included teachers of the mentally retarded, learning disabled, emotionally distur...
Life's Greatest Joy?: European Attitudes Toward the Centrality of Children

This study estimates the effects of selected personal characteristics on attitudes toward the centrality of children in six European countries : Austria, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and the former West Germany. Using data from the 1988 International Social Science Survey (ISSP), the authors' analysis demonstrates that Europeans do not share a common perspective on children : Italians view children as more central, while the Dutch view children as less central, with the other countries in between. They also find that progressive attitudes toward women's work and family roles are negatively associated with favorable attitudes toward the centrality of children in all six countries, although gender itself has no significant effect in Austria, Ireland, Italy and West Germany. Surprisingly, women are less likely than men to view children as central in Great Britain and the Netherlands
Molecular and cytological responses of Medicago truncatula to Erysiphe pisi

SUMMARY Powdery mildew is an economically important disease in a number of crop legumes; however, little is known about resistance to the disease in these species. To gain a better understanding of the genetics of resistance and plant responses to powdery mildew in legumes, we developed a pathosystem with Medicago truncatula and Erysiphe pisi. Screening accessions of M. truncatula identified genotypes that are highly susceptible, moderately resistant and highly resistant to the fungus. In the highly resistant genotype, fungal growth was arrested after appressorium development with no colony formation, while in the moderately resistant genotype a small number of colonies formed. Both resistant and moderately resistant genotypes produced hydrogen peroxide and fluorescent compounds at pathogen penetration sites, consistent with a hypersensitive response (HR), although the response was delayed in the moderately resistant genotype. Very little hydrogen peroxide or fluorescence was detected in the susceptible accession. Microarray analysis of E. pisi-induced early transcriptional changes detected 55 genes associated with the basal defence response that were similarly regulated in all three genotypes. These included pathogenesis-related genes and other genes involved in defence, signal transduction, senescence, cell wall metabolism and abiotic stress. Genes associated with the HR response included flavonoid pathway genes, and others involved in transport, transcription regulation and signal transduction. A total of 34 potentially novel unknown genes, including two legume-specific genes, were identified in both the basal response and the HR categories. Potential binding sites for two defence-related transcription regulators, Myb and Whirly, were identified in promoter regions of induced genes, and four novel motifs were found in promoter regions of genes repressed in the resistant interaction.
Essential thrombocythemia: scientific advances and current practice.

Purpose of reviewMedian survival in essential thrombocythemia exceeds 20 years and clinical course is usually indolent with a minority of patients experiencing thrombohemorrhagic complications. Leukemic, polycythemic, or fibrotic disease transformation in essential thrombocythemia is an infrequent o
The Kelly system maximizes median fortune

It is well known that the Kelly system of proportional betting, which maximizes the long-term geometric rate of growth of the gambler's fortune, minimizes the expected time required to reach a specified goal. Less well known is the fact that it maximizes the median of the gambler's fortune. This was pointed out by the author in a 1988 paper, but only under asymptotic assumptions that might cause one to question its applicability. Here we show that the result is true more generally, and argue that this is a desirable property of the Kelly system.
Macroeconomic Policy Adjustment in Interdependent Economies

Introduction, 1. — I. The model, 3.— II. Comparative statics of the model, 7. — III. The policy adjustment model, 9. — IV. Numerical examples, 12. — V. Simulated policy responses, 15. — VI. Conclusions from the analysis, 22.
Debugging the host browns the fat

Microbiota depletion promotes type 2 cytokine signaling and browning in white adipose tissue of mice.
Even-electron [M-H](+) ions generated by loss of AgH from argentinated peptides with N-terminal imine groups

Rationale Experiments were performed to probe the creation of apparent even-electron, [M–H]+ ions by CID of Ag-cationized peptides with N-terminal imine groups (Schiff bases). Methods Imine-modified peptides were prepared using condensation reactions with aldehydes. Ag+-cationized precursors were generated by electrospray ionization (ESI). Tandem mass spectrometry (MSn) and collision-induced dissociation (CID) were performed using a linear ion trap mass spectrometer. Results Loss of AgH from peptide [M + Ag]+ ions, at the MS/MS stage, creates closed-shell [M–H]+ ions from imine-modified peptides. Isotope labeling unambiguously identifies the imine C-H group as the source of H eliminated in AgH. Subsequent CID of the [M–H]+ ions generated sequence ions that are analogous to those produced from [M + H]+ ions of the imine-modified peptides. Conclusions Experiments show (a) formation of novel even-electron peptide cations by CID and (b) the extent to which sequence ions (conventional b, a and y ions) are generated from peptides with fixed charge site and thus lacking a conventional mobile proton. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Designing Complex Development Programs

Approaches to designing development programs vary. Some program designs emphasize stakeholder involvement, others focus on the program environment, and still others emphasize the sequence of change depicted in program results (change frameworks). This chapter examines change frameworks for designing complex development programs, including the logical framework approach (LFA), theory of change approach (TOCA), and participatory impact pathways approach (PIPA), and the extent to which they enable stakeholders to explicate and question implicit assumptions.
Identification of the Allosteric Site for Phenylalanine in Rat Phenylalanine Hydroxylase

Liver phenylalanine hydroxylase (PheH) is an allosteric enzyme that requires activation by phenylalanine for full activity. The location of the allosteric site for phenylalanine has not been established. NMR spectroscopy of the isolated regulatory domain (RDPheH(25-117) is the regulatory domain of PheH lacking residues 1-24) of the rat enzyme in the presence of phenylalanine is consistent with formation of a side-by-side ACT dimer. Six residues in RDPheH(25-117) were identified as being in the phenylalanine-binding site on the basis of intermolecular NOEs between unlabeled phenylalanine and isotopically labeled protein. The location of these residues is consistent with two allosteric sites per dimer, with each site containing residues from both monomers. Site-specific variants of five of the residues (E44Q, A47G, L48V, L62V, and H64N) decreased the affinity of RDPheH(25-117) for phenylalanine based on the ability to stabilize the dimer. Incorporation of the A47G, L48V, and H64N mutations into the intact protein increased the concentration of phenylalanine required for activation. The results identify the location of the allosteric site as the interface of the regulatory domain dimer formed in activated PheH.
Walleye Foraging Ecology in an Interconnected Chain of Lakes Influenced by Nonnative Species

AbstractThe Laurentian Great Lakes are a source of nonnative species for smaller inland lakes throughout the region; however, the foraging ecology of predators in smaller systems invaded by nonnative species has not been well studied. We used diet and stable isotope analyses to describe the contributions of native and nonnative forage species to the diets of Walleyes Sander vitreus within an inland lake chain invaded by multiple nonnative species. Our hypothesis was that the Walleyes' diet would be associated with the relative amount of prey available in littoral or offshore–pelagic habitats and would ultimately be linked to the dominant habitat type. We found that Walleyes in the study lakes exhibited flexibility in their dietary inclusion of nonnative prey species. Similar to predators in the Laurentian Great Lakes, Walleyes in smaller inland lakes integrated littoral nonnative species into their diets. However, Walleyes unexpectedly showed limited usage of accessible nonnative pelagic forage. We sugges...
"Will my work affect my pregnancy?" Resources for anticipating and answering patients' questions.

Authoritative information on occupational reproductive hazards is scarce and complex because exposure levels vary, multiple exposures may be present, and the reproductive toxicity of many agents remains unknown. For these reasons, women's health providers may find it challenging to effectively address workplace reproductive health issues with their patients who are pregnant, breast-feeding, or considering pregnancy. Reproductive epidemiologists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health answered >200 public requests for occupational reproductive health information during 2009 through 2013. The most frequent occupations represented were health care (41%) and laboratory work (18%). The most common requests for exposure information concerned solvents (14%), anesthetic gases (10%), formaldehyde (7%), infectious agents in laboratories (7%) or health care settings (7%), and physical agents (14%), including ionizing radiation (6%). Information for developing workplace policies or guidelines was sought by 12% of the requestors. Occupational exposure effects on breast-feeding were an increasing concern among working women. Based on information developed in response to these requestors, information is provided for discussing workplace exposures with patients, assessing potential workplace reproductive hazards, and helping patients determine the best options for safe work in pregnancy. Appendices provide resources to address specific occupational exposures, employee groups, personal protective equipment, breast-feeding, and workplace regulations regarding work and pregnancy. These tools can help identify those most at risk of occupational reproductive hazards and improve workers' reproductive health. The information can also be used to inform research priorities and assist the development of workplace reproductive health policies.
Aphelochaeta (Polychaeta: Cirratulidae) from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, with a description of five new species.

Five new species of bitentaculate Cirratulidae belonging to the genus Aphelochaeta are herein described from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, all from shallow subtidal depths. Aphelochaeta antelonga sp. nov. is characterized by a long biannulate peristomium and fibrillated capillary setae and is from 11–18 m in the Gulf of Nicoya. Aphelochaeta guimondi sp. nov., with a wide dorsal trough in the thorax and hirsute capillaries (visible using SEM), is described from 11–26 m in the Gulf of Nicoya. Aphelochaeta praeacuta sp. nov., with its first peristomial annulation extending as a dorsal crest over the second annulation and first setiger, was collected from 11–28 m in Bahia Culebra. Aphelochaeta striata sp. nov., collected from 11–28 m in the Gulf of Nicoya, is recognized by its narrow body and the transverse blue stripes across the venter of setigers 5–8 produced with methyl green stain. Aphelochaeta zebra sp. nov., collected from a coral reef in Golfo Dulce, is characterized by its expanded posterior end and the darkly staining intersegmental regions using methyl green stain. Additionally, A . glandaria Blake, 1996, a species reportedly with a widespread geographic distribution (Blake, 1996), was also encountered subtidally from the Gulf of Nicoya and Golfo Dulce.
100 OBESITY ALTERS MAMMARY TUMOR SURVIVAL AND ESTROGEN RECEPTOR STATUS AFTER OVARIECTOMY.

Each year over 40,000 women die in the United States from metastatic breast cancer. Obese women have an increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. Estrogen levels are positively correlated with breast caner. It has been proposed that excess adipose tissue leads to increased levels of estrogen in postmenopausal obese women, thus increasing breast cancer risk. Purpose of Study This study evaluated whether obesity influences estrogen receptor (ER) expression of tumors arising after menopause as well as the affects of obesity on postmenopausal behavior of tumors established both before and after menopause. An estrogen-rich obese environment is anticipated to support ER-positive tumors more than an estrogen-poor lean environment. Methods Twenty-five rats genetically inclined toward obesity and 25 rats genetically inclined to slenderness were MNU treated at 50 mg/kg of body weight. After the establishment of palpable tumors, ovaries were removed to simulate menopause. Two groups of tumors were evaluated. One group regressed after ovariectomy (OVEX), indicating hormone dependence, and then recurred. Another group arose post-OVEX. Immunohistochemistry using a pan-ER antibody was performed to determine tumor ER status. ER staining was classified +0 to +3 according to the percentage of positive ER-positive (ER+) staining. Tumors with 75% ER+ cells were designated +3. Results Following OVEX, 26 tumors regressed in the lean group of rats and 20 regressed in the obese group. More tumors arose post-OVEX in the obese rats than in the lean rats (38 compared with 28), indicating that the post-OVEX background in obese rates was less supportive of tumor survival. Tumors that regressed after OVEX and then recurred in the obese group were more ER+ than those in the lean group, with average ER+ scores of 2.83 (n = 6) and 0.6 (n = 5), respectively. The ER status of tumors arising after OVEX is under investigation. These data indicate that obesity supports ER+ tumors consistent with adiposite production of estrogen. Conclusion These findings suggest that obesity influences the clinical outcome of breast cancer.
Neurobehavioral Comorbidities of Epilepsy: Lessons from Animal Models

Animal models can afford useful insights into the mechanisms of neurobehavioral comorbidities of epilepsy. However, clinical relevance and value of the information that can be extracted from animal studies depend on many factors, including choice of proper models of epilepsy, choice of proper behavioral tasks, and accounting for the presence of multiple concurrent neurobehavioral disorders in the same epileptic animal. This chapter offers an overview of approaches used to examine selected neurobehavioral comorbidities in animal models of epilepsy. Assays used to study spatial and object memory, depression, anxiety, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, psychosis, and autism are described. First, the approaches are presented from a standpoint of single comorbidity, and mechanisms underlying respective epilepsy-associated neurobehavioral abnormalities are discussed. Further, examples are given as to how concurrent neurobehavioral perturbations may influence one another, and therefore how this may affect outcome measures and interpretation of the obtained data. It is suggested that systemic approach, rather than more commonly used isolated approach, offers more clinical-relevant and complete description of multifactorial systems that underlie neurobehavioral comorbidities of epilepsy.
A High Performance Power Module with >10kV capability to Characterize and Test In Situ SiC Devices at >200°C Ambient

Abstract This paper presents design, fabrication and characterization details of a 10kV power module package for >200°C ambient temperature applications. Electrical simulations were performed to confirm the module design, and that the electric field distribution throughout the module did not exceed dielectric capabilities of components and materials. A suitable copper etching process was demonstrated for DBC layout, and a high melting point Sn/Pb/Ag solder reflow process was developed for device and component attachment. To monitor the operational temperature of the module, a thermistor was integrated onto the substrate. A new silicone gel, having a working temperature up to 210°C, was evaluated and selected for encapsulation and, of great importance, for passivation of high voltage (10kV) SiC dies. An additive manufacturing ‘Design Process’ was developed and applied to printing the housings, molds, and test fixtures. Also, cleaning processes were evaluated for every step in the fabrication process. To ve...
Whither electronic fetal monitoring

Largely based on promising animal studies, continuous electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) was introduced into clinical practice in the early 1970s. After almost 20 years of experience, it is now apparent that the anticipated benefits of this technology have not materialized. Undesirable side effects of EFM include inappropriate operative intervention for some patients and increased liability for physicians and hospitals, resulting in an increase in the costs of obstetric services. After reviewing several research studies, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists concluded that EFM and intermittent auscultation are equivalent methods for intrapartum assessment. We have developed a protocol for the performance of intermittent auscultation, including indicated responses to different levels of bradycardia. This protocol has allowed us to substitute auscultation for EFM in a high percentage of patients using existing nursing personnel. Laboring patients should, at a minimum, receive information on both intermittent auscultation and EFM to enable them to make an informed choice of method for intrapartum fetal assessment.
Beyond the biopsychosocial model: new approaches to doctor-patient interactions.

BACKGROUND The biopsychosocial model has been a cornerstone for the training of family physicians; however, little is known about the use of this model in community practice. This study, conducted in an urban Native American health center, examined the application of the biopsychosocial model by an experienced family physician (Dr M). METHODS Interactions between Dr M and 9 Native Americans with type 2 diabetes were audio-recorded following preliminary interviews. Interpretations of the interactions were elicited from Dr M through interpersonal process recall and interpretive dialogue sessions. The author analyzed this data using techniques from interpretive anthropology and narrative discourse analysis. RESULTS In a preliminary interview, Dr M described a sophisticated biopsychosocial approach to practice. However, she viewed her actual interactions with these patients as imbued with misunderstanding, mistrust, and disconnection. This occurred in spite of her experience and commitment to providing culturally sensitive primary care. CONCLUSIONS Biopsychosocial models of disease may conflict with patient-centered approaches to communication. To overcome difficulties in her practice environment, Dr M adopted a strategy that combined an instrumental biopsychosocial approach with a utilitarian mode of knowing and interacting with patients. The misunderstandings, mistrust, and constrained interactions point to deeper problems with the way knowledge is formed in clinical practice. We need further understanding of the interrelationships between physicians' clinical environments, knowledge of patients, and theories of disease. These elements are interwoven in the physicians' patient-specific narratives that influence their interactions in primary care settings.
Roots and Contexts

Feminist drama emerged as a distinct theatrical genre in the late 1960s in both Britain and the United States. Although plays about women have existed since the origins of drama, and plays by women have been written and performed in the Western world at least since Sappho, it was not until the last decade that playwrights in significant numbers became self-consciously concerned about the presence — or absence — of women as women on stage. Parented by the women’s movement and the ‘new theatre’, feminist drama had its most immediate roots in the political and aesthetic disruptions of the 1960s. As the contemporary playwright Honor Moore has remarked, whether or not they identify themselves publicly and politically as ‘feminists’, there are now playwrights whose ‘art is related to their condition as women’.1 The plays created in the context of that recognition do not just mirror social change but assert a new aesthetic based on the transformation rather than the recognition of persons.
Canakinumab for the treatment of active systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Canakinumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody against interleukin-1β, is a relatively new medication approved for treatment of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA). Here, we review data supporting use of canakinumab for patients with active SJIA, as compared to other available biologic medications.Areas covered: This article provides an overview of chemistry of canakinumab as well as the phase II and phase III trials that led to approval for treatment of active SJIA. To undertake this review, the authors performed literature search using Pubmed, with keywords ‘canakinumab,’ ‘biologic,’ ‘anti-IL-1B,’ and ‘systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis,’ focusing on publications within the last 5 years.Expert commentary: Canakinumab has shown efficacy in treatment of SJIA with active systemic features including fever. There is no evidence to suggest increased risk of macrophage activation syndrome. Its use in the treatment of chronic arthritis without active systemic features has not...
Sensory Endings of Living Isolated Mammalian Muscle Spindles

We report here studies which are still in progress on the structure of living muscle spindle sensory endings, as visualised by differential interference contrast (Nomarski) microscopy and by fluorescence of vital dyes that are taken up by the sensory endings. Confocal microscopy has been used to create a 3-dimensional image of the sensory endings. Banks (1986) has previously used serial electronmicroscopic sections to reconstruct a 3-dimensional view of the sensory region of a cat tenuissimus muscle spindle.
Immigrant America: A Portrait, Alejandro Portes, Ruben G. Rumbaut, University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, CA (2006), 460 pages

Already in its third edition, this book is a work in constant progress. Indeed, this is a good thing, for the authors have done a marvelous job of providing convincing current immigration statistic...
Enhanced Excitation in Biosystem

It is well known that all biological systems contain dipolar components capable of electric oscillations(l–22). The interaction between the giant dipoles comprising a biological system through long range Coulomb forces will establish a branch or several branches of longitudinal electric modes in a frequency range of 1011 – 1012 Hz. The oscillations are considered to involve regions of biological membranes, or substantial segments of macromolecules such as proteins, DNA, etc.
The Basic Multiperiod Dynamic Model

Chapter 1 outlined an approach for constructing a single-period newsvendor-type model that explicitly accounts for future outdating of the current order. In this chapter, we present the extension of this one-period model to a finite horizon dynamic model. We present only the general m-period lifetime case, but the reader may be interested in reviewing the simpler case for m = 2, as this requires only a single-dimensional state variable.
Intra- and inter-rater agreement of the Genital Injury Severity Scale.

Abstract Introduction The Genital Injury Severity Scale (GISS) is a clinimetrically-tested tool in use for quantifying and qualifying external genital injury after sexual intercourse. Purpose To evaluate inter- and intra-rater agreement of the GISS amongst examiner/raters in an urban, ethnically diverse, emergency department based sexual assault center. Methods The study was conducted in three phases. Six examiners with various years of experience rated their own cases and each others' cases greater than one year after the initial exam. They rated the photographs and documentation of each case at least one year apart. Another six raters utilized a combination of the photos and documentation simultaneously from the same cases. The evaluation method was the completion of the GISS for each phase. Results Based on the experience level of the rater, the differences in overall agreement were not significant. Strength of agreement was highest with the combination of photos and documentation with W ranging from 0.60501 (substantial) to 0.91056 (almost perfect). The GISS variables with the highest level of agreement were tissue break type and toluidine blue uptake type, both with photo evaluation alone and combination of documentation and photos (W = 0.72051 and 0.74599, respectively). Conclusion The Genital Injury Severity Scale is a reliable tool to quantify and qualify the severity of external genital injury when used to evaluate a combination of photos and documentation utilizing midlevel providers trained as sexual assault forensic examiners with various years of experience.
MCC/Eisosomes Regulate Cell Wall Synthesis and Stress Responses in Fungi

The fungal plasma membrane is critical for cell wall synthesis and other important processes including nutrient uptake, secretion, endocytosis, morphogenesis, and response to stress. To coordinate these diverse functions, the plasma membrane is organized into specialized compartments that vary in size, stability, and composition. One recently identified domain known as the Membrane Compartment of Can1 (MCC)/eisosome is distinctive in that it corresponds to a furrow-like invagination in the plasma membrane. MCC/eisosomes have been shown to be formed by the Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs (BAR) domain proteins Lsp1 and Pil1 in a range of fungi. MCC/eisosome domains influence multiple cellular functions; but a very pronounced defect in cell wall synthesis has been observed for mutants with defects in MCC/eisosomes in some yeast species. For example, Candida albicans MCC/eisosome mutants display abnormal spatial regulation of cell wall synthesis, including large invaginations and altered chemical composition of the walls. Recent studies indicate that MCC/eisosomes affect cell wall synthesis in part by regulating the levels of the key regulatory lipid phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI4,5P₂) in the plasma membrane. One general way MCC/eisosomes function is by acting as protected islands in the plasma membrane, since these domains are very stable. They also act as scaffolds to recruit >20 proteins. Genetic studies aimed at defining the function of the MCC/eisosome proteins have identified important roles in resistance to stress, such as resistance to oxidative stress mediated by the flavodoxin-like proteins Pst1, Pst2, Pst3 and Ycp4. Thus, MCC/eisosomes play multiple roles in plasma membrane organization that protect fungal cells from the environment.
Synthesis of Spatial 3R Chains With Configuration-Specific Twist System

Mixed-position synthesis of linkages has been used to define local contact conditions and for better adjusting a mechanism to its desired trajectory. In this work, multiple velocities are defined at a configuration in order to fully specify the subspace of twists of the end-effector at that point, and also to specify lower-dimensional subspaces of twists. This is applied to the spatial 3R chain, for which the equations are developed in detail.Copyright © 2017 by ASME
Toward a comprehensive model of chemical transport in porous media

A chemical transport model, CHEMTRN, that includes advection, dispersion/diffusion, complexation, sorption, precipitation or dissolution of solids, and the dissociation of water has been written. The transport, mass action and site constraint equations are written in a differential/algebraic form and solved simultaneously. The sorption process is modelled by either ion-exchange or surface complexation. The model has been used to investigate the applicability of a kD model for simulating the transport of chemical species in groundwater systems, to simulate precipitation/dissolution of minerals, and to consider the effect of surface complexation on sorption.