cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intra-Abdominal Reservoir Placement During Penile Prosthesis Surgery in Post-Robotically Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy Patients: A Case Report and Practical Considerations

ABSTRACT Introduction Robotically assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) provides decreased surgical morbidity and faster recovery for patients, but has not significantly changed the incidence of erectile dysfunction and many post RALP patients may require penile prosthesis surgery. Aim To make physicians aware of the anatomical changes after RALP in comparison to traditional retropubic radical prostatectomy and to make suggestions for safer reservoir placement. Main Outcome Measures Reservoir location after RALP. Methods A 68 year-old patient with severe vasculogenic ED refractory to pharmacologic management following RALP underwent a 3-piece penile prosthesis insertion surgery and laparoscopic right lower abdominal hernia repair. Laparoscopy revealed an intraperitoneal reservoir that was overlying the sigmoid colon with multiple diverticula. The reservoir was laparoscopically repositioned in the dependent pelvis away from the diverticula and the pelvic vessels. Results The patient's postoperative course was uneventful without any postoperative complications (2 year follow up). Conclusions The altered anatomy of the space of Retzius following RALP will likely result in significantly more cases of inadvertent intraperitoneal reservoir placement. Surgeons performing inflatable penile prosthesis surgery should be aware of these anatomical changes and prepared to consider ectopic reservoir placement when necessary. Sadeghi-Nejad H, Munarriz R, and Shah N. Intra-abdominal reservoir placement during penile prosthesis surgery in post-robotically assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy patients: A case report and practical considerations. J Sex Med 2011;8:1547–1550.
Clustering of microarray data via clique partitioning

Microarrays are repositories of gene expression data that hold tremendous potential for new understanding, leading to advances in functional genomics and molecular biology. Cluster analysis (CA) is an early step in the exploration of such data that is useful for purposes of data reduction, exposing hidden patterns, and the generation of hypotheses regarding the relationship between genes and phenotypes. In this paper we present a new model for the clique partitioning problem and illustrate how it can be used to perform cluster analysis in this setting.
Applicability of the Nonverbal Learning Disability Paradigm for Children With 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome

Chromosome 22qll.2 deletion syndrome (22qllDS) is the most common microdeletion in humans. Nonverbal learning disability (NLD) has been used to describe the strengths and deficits of children with 22q11DS, but the applicability of the label for this population has seldom been systematically evaluated. The goal of the current study was to address how well the NLD diagnosis characterizes children and adolescents with 22q11DS. A total of 74 children and adolescents with 22q11DS were given neurocognitive, socioemotional, and academic assessments to measure aspects of NLD. Of the cohort, 20% met at least 7 of 9 assessed criteria for NLD; 25% showed verbal skills exceeding their nonverbal skills as assessed by an IQ test; and 24% showed the good rote verbal capacity commonly associated with NLD. Hypothesizing that if the entire cohort did not show consistent NLD characteristics, the descriptor might be more accurate for a distinct subgroup, the authors used latent class analysis to divide participants into three subgroups. However, the lines along which the groups broke out were more related to general functioning level than to NLD criteria. All three groups showed a heightened risk for psychiatric illness, highlighting the importance of careful mental health monitoring for all children with 22qllDS.
Hydrothermal synthesis and structural characterization of organically templated zinc vanadium phosphates: [Zn(2,2′-bipyridine)(VO2)(PO4)], [Zn(2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine)(VO2)(PO4)], and [Zn(1,10-phenanthroline)(ZnVO)(PO4)2]

The hydrothermal reactions of zinc oxide, phosphoric acid, sodium orthovanadate, and the appropriate polyimine ligand at 200 °C for 95, 68, and 42.5 h, respectively, have yielded three novel compounds, [Zn(bpy)(VO2)(PO4)] (1), [Zn(terpy)(VO2)(PO4)] (2), and [Zn(o-phen)(ZnVO)(PO4)2] (3). Compounds 1 and 2 are both one-dimensional chains with discreet {V2P2O4} rings linked through zinc organoimine components. Compound 3 exhibits unusual {V2P4O18} subunits which are bound through fully bridging zinc tetrahedra to form a two-dimensional sheet. The sheet is further surface decorated by {Zn(o-phen)}2+ moieties.
The isolation of ecdysterone inducible genes by hybridization subtraction chromatography

Abstract We have developed a procedure for selectively enriching a mRNA population for inducible sequences. Other than the induced mRNA species, the population of mRNA in control cells is approximately the same as the mRNA population in induced cells. Cytoplasmic mRNA from control cells is bound to oligo (dT)-cellulose and used as a template for reverse transcriptase, the oligo (dT) serving as a primer. After removing the template mRNAs, the cDNA-cellulose column is used to hybridize a population of mRNAs from induced cells. The non-hybridized poly A+ RNAs are greatly enriched in the inducible sequences. We have used this technique of hybridization subtraction chromatography to select a mRNA population enriched for the mRNAs inducible by ecdysterone in Schneider's Line 2 Drosophila cells. This population of RNAs was used to screen a recombinant library. Preliminary results indicate that approximately 10% of the RNA in the probe population represents ecdysterone inducible sequences. Methods are described for optimizing the cDNA synthesis reaction (we obtain greater than or equal to 30% efficiency) and hybridizing RNA to the cDNA-cellulose resin. This method can be used to select induced mRNAs regardless of the way in which the induction is brought about.
Cutting Edge: Persistence of Increased Mast Cell Numbers in Tissues Links Dermatitis to Enhanced Airway Disease in a Mouse Model of Atopy

The development of chronic allergic dermatitis in early life has been associated with increased onset and severity of allergic asthma later in life. However, the mechanisms linking these two diseases are poorly understood. In this study, we report that the development of oxazolone-induced chronic allergic dermatitis, in a mouse model, caused enhanced OVA-induced allergic asthma after the resolution of the former disease. Our findings show that oxazolone-induced dermatitis caused a marked increase in tissue mast cells, which persisted long after the resolution of this disease. Subsequent OVA sensitization and airway challenge of mice that had recovered from dermatitis resulted in increased allergic airway hyperreactivity. The findings demonstrate that the accumulation of mast cells during dermatitis has the detrimental effect of increasing allergic airway hypersensitivity. Importantly, our findings also show that exposure to a given allergen can modify the immune response to an unrelated allergen.
Gender Roles in Transition: Career and Family Expectations of Accounting Students

Quantitative data from a study of gender differentiation among accounting students are analyzed to discover if male and female accounting students have different attitudes, orientations, and expectations for career and family. Although some changes towards a more gender‐equal population are found, the study results also indicate several potential conflicts which accounting students will have to face as they attempt to combine work and family roles. Both male and female accounting students have strong commitments to work roles, and both value family. However, both male and female accounting students expect females to play a more prominent role in the family and males a stronger role in the workplace. The orientation and plans of these accounting students do not anticipate symmetrical relationships in which both males and females share household and work responsibilities.
Oral rehabilitation of a patient with bruxism and cluster implant failures in the edentulous maxilla: A clinical report

For most patients with failed dental implants, the placement of new implants is the only option that allows for retreatment with a fixed dental prosthesis. This clinical report describes the rehabilitation of a patient with a history of bruxism and cluster implant failures in the edentulous maxilla 10 years after the insertion of a milled bar overdenture. Seven failed implants were removed and simultaneous bone grafting was performed. After an 8-month healing period, 8 dental implants with new surfaces were placed. These supported a metal ceramic fixed complete denture with a metal occlusal surface. The prosthesis was retained with 3 sections of milled bars and 3 set screws. This clinical report describes the details of the treatment with an emphasis on prosthetics.
Relationship Between Instantaneous Aortic Flow and the Pressure Gradient

The relationship between the pressure gradient and the instantaneous blood flow in the descending thoracic aorta was studied in six dogs. Instantaneous flow was calculated from the pressure gradient using the simple analog approach of Fry and the more elaborate calculations of Womersley. The flows computed by either of these techniques were essentially indistinguishable from one another and compared favorably with the "true" flow. The "true" flow at the point of pressure gradient measurement was determined indirectly from the flow signals of two electromagnetic flowmetering systems, one placed upstream and the other downstream from the point of pressure gradient measurement. The probes were placed sufficient distances from the site at which pressure gradients were measured so that the pulsations of the vessel at that site were unaffected by application and removal of the probes. Thus, the vessel was presumed to be in its normal pulsating state. It is concluded, first, that the simpler approach of Fry is the method of choice in large vessels such as the aorta because the results do not differ appreciably from those using the Womersley approach. Second, the favorable comparison of either of the pressure gradient techniques with the "true" flow is strong evidence for the validity of this method and places the theoretical considerations of Womersley and others on a firmer experimental footing than previously.
Robust active stereo calibration

We present a calibration procedure to determine the kinematic parameters of an active stereo system in a robot-centric frame of reference. Our goal was to obtain a solution of sufficient accuracy that the kinematic model information can be used to estimate scene structure given the measured motion/position of the eye and target object's image location. We formulate our problem using canonical coordinates of the rotation group. which enables a particularly simple closed form solution. Additionally, this formulation and solution provides quantitative measures of the resulting solutions. Experiments verify that the solutions are accurate, 3D structure can be estimated from the kinematic models, and the algorithm can indicate when image errors are large enough to produce unreliable results.
Some new lattice quantization algorithms for video compression coding

We describe some improvements to a proposed algorithm which encodes the error due to motion compensation in a videoconferencing codec. The algorithm involves lattice quantization using the 8-dimensional E8 lattice. We show that by using a different but equivalent form of E8 based on the extended Hamming code, we can significantly reduce storage requirements and computational complexity at the receiver. We also show that it is easy to perform lattice quantization using the well known 24-dimensional Leech lattice, which is an even better quantizer than E8.
Clinical impact of bacteria and fungi recovered only from broth cultures

We prospectively evaluated 356 bacteria and fungi recovered from broth enrichment tubes from cultures with sterile direct plates to determine the clinical impact of isolates recovered only from broth cultures. These "broth only" isolates (BOI) were classified as contaminants or true on the basis of review of patient charts. True isolates were considered clinically relevant only if they altered or should have altered patient management. Of 356 BOI, 259 (73%) were considered contaminants (mostly coagulase-negative staphylococci and Propionibacterium spp.) and 97 (27%) were considered true. For individual microorganisms, 9 of 9 (100%) Staphylococcus aureus isolates, 13 of 13 (100%) members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, 10 of 12 (83%) fungi, 7 of 10 (70%) enterococci, 7 of 11 (64%) other gram-negative bacilli, 13 of 31 (45%) anaerobic bacteria, 10 of 24 (42%) streptococci, 22 of 140 (16%) coagulase-negative staphylococci, 6 of 92 (7%) Propionibacterium spp., and 0 of 14 (0%) diphtheroids and Bacillus spp. were classified as true. Eleven of 97 (11%) patients with true BOI had clinically relevant isolates. Fifty-nine of the 97 (61%) patients with true isolates already were on therapy, and no change was made because of the BOI. Six (6%) patients with contaminants received therapy for their BOI. We conclude that broth inoculated as an adjunct to direct plating seldom yields results that favorably alter patient management and could be omitted for most specimens without compromising patient care.
Decolonizing travesti space in Buenos Aires: race, sexuality, and sideways relationality

Scholars of space usually neglect the history of travesti populations in Latin America. It is misrepresented not only by disciplinary blind spots but also by global narratives concerned with rehabilitating queer subjects within homonormative projects. Analyzing neoliberal narratives that delink conflicts about racialization and sexuality in Argentina, this article makes room to decolonize the study of travesti experience and embodiment in Buenos Aires's red zone. It examines a network of racialized travestis and their spatial practices, including their migration from the Andean northwest to the sex-work circuits of Buenos Aires. Finally, this article introduces the notion of sideways relationality to account for the cultural and spatial labor that racialized travestis perform at the oppositional margins of homonormative reflexivity.
Correction: Drugs, Diagnostic Tests Approved Quickly

doi: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-11-0299 ©2011 American Association for Cancer Research. Published OnlineFirst November 22, 2011. In this article (Cancer Discovery 2011;1:371), which was published in the October 2011 issue of Cancer Discovery (1), the agent later named crizotinib was incorrectly referred to as PLX4032 rather than PF-02341066. The online version of the article has been corrected and therefore no longer matches the print version. The author regrets the error.
The effects of repeated withdrawals from alcohol on the memory of male and female alcoholics

The measure of number of withdrawals, as a separate drinking variable of relevance to cognitive functioning in alcoholics, is a relatively uninvestigated measure. An ethanol withdrawal hypothesis has been suggested that would predict poorer cognitive performance with increased number of withdrawals from alcohol. In this study, the effects of withdrawals (defined as a 24 hr period of abstinence following the consumption of alcohol) on tests of learning and memory were examined. Using 76 male and 67 female alcoholics, results indicate that greater number of withdrawals is related to poorer memory test performance. Results provide support for the ethanol hypothesis of poorer cognitive performance with increasing number of withdrawals, and suggest that females may exhibit accelerated responses to the effects of alcohol misuse.
Exploring Leader Identity and Development

Taking on a leader identity can be a motivating force for pursuing leader development. This chapter explores the reciprocal and recursive nature of identity development and leader development, emphasizing how shifting views of self influence one's motivation to develop as a leader.
Distributed attitude synchronization on SO(3) using inertial vector measurements

We address the problem of attitude synchronization for multiple networked spacecraft in a setting that is completely free of any attitude parameterizations. In particular, we propose distributed cooperative control protocols that allow multiple spacecraft to align their attitudes and angular velocities through direct feedback of inertial vector measurements and angular velocity. The salient feature of this approach is that no observers or filters are utilized to recover the explicit attitude of any spacecraft in the formation. Two control protocols are presented: the first drives all spacecraft to a common attitude and angular velocity, while the second guarantees convergence to a constant reference attitude while ensuring that spacecraft align their attitudes during maneuvers. We provide rigorous analyses for both control protocols and verify the theoretical results with numerical simulations.
Inadvertent leaks: exploration via agent-based dynamic network simulation

A significant volume of information leaks in organizations are inadvertent, a form of information spillage. Because the leakage of information is driven by the complex interaction of technology, social, and behavioral factors, we use a hybrid agent-based and dynamic network model, Construct, to simulate the flow of sensitive information in knowledge-driven organizations. Because interaction patterns often change when an organization is under stress, we simulate stress to the organization with effect-based (reliability and integrity) crisis scenarios. Using a virtual experiment, we vary the crisis scenarios, organization's structure, IT connections, and pressure to separate personnel based on security ratings. Our experiment suggests that the organization's structure, IT connections, separation pressure, and typical performance all influence how much an organization suffers from inadvertent leakage. In evaluating how organizations respond to crisis, organizations with stove-piped IT tend to clamp down on leakage in response to the crisis, while organizations with Mesh IT tend to have more leakage. Integrity crises tend to decrease leakage; while reliability crises tend to increase leakage in organizations, especially those with Mesh-based IT.
Modeling of H2SO4−FeSO4−H2O and H2SO4−Fe2(SO4)3−H2O Systems for Metallurgical Applications

Hydrometallurgy is a specialized branch of extractive metallurgy dealing with metal recovery from ores, concentrates, and other metallurgical intermediate products in aqueous phase. These processes operate typically at the temperatures between 50 and 250 °C, which is lower than that used in pyrometallurgical processes. The knowledge of solubilities of solids and gases in electrolyte systems is required for process development. In this work, H2SO4−FeSO4−H2O and H2SO4−Fe2(SO4)3−H2O systems have been studied for their interest in the zinc leaching process and also for regeneration of pickling acids in stainless steel manufacturing. Database development and Gibbs energy minimization methods for evaluating relevant process systems are discussed. Ternary phase diagrams were compiled with new optimized Pitzer parameters. Development of the databases and calculations presented in this work are the kinds of tools, which may be the basis for controlling the processes in the future.
Engineering Curriculum Change at a Private Midwest School of Dental Medicine: A Faculty Innovation

The national dental educational environment has been sensitized to the changing needs of the profession and students, resulting in an agenda for curriculum change in a number of dental schools. This report discusses the impetus for change at a private Midwestern school that has begun a multiyear implementation of an innovative curriculum. The process by which the innovations have been instituted, while unique to this school, may provide insights for change at other dental schools.
Differential genotoxicity mechanisms of silver nanoparticles and silver ions.

In spite of many reports on the toxicity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), the mechanisms underlying the toxicity are far from clear. A key question is whether the observed toxicity comes from the silver ions (Ag+) released from the AgNPs or from the nanoparticles themselves. In this study, we explored the genotoxicity and the genotoxicity mechanisms of Ag+ and AgNPs. Human TK6 cells were treated with 5 nM AgNPs or silver nitrate (AgNO3) to evaluate their genotoxicity and induction of oxidative stress. AgNPs and AgNO3 induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in a similar range of concentrations (1.00–1.75 µg/ml) when evaluated using the micronucleus assay, and both induced oxidative stress by measuring the gene expression and reactive oxygen species in the treated cells. Addition of N-acetylcysteine (NAC, an Ag+ chelator) to the treatments significantly decreased genotoxicity of Ag+, but not AgNPs, while addition of Trolox (a free radical scavenger) to the treatment efficiently decreased the genotoxicity of both agents. In addition, the Ag+ released from the highest concentration of AgNPs used for the treatment was measured. Only 0.5 % of the AgNPs were ionized in the culture medium and the released silver ions were neither cytotoxic nor genotoxic at this concentration. Further analysis using electron spin resonance demonstrated that AgNPs produced hydroxyl radicals directly, while AgNO3 did not. These results indicated that although both AgNPs and Ag+ can cause genotoxicity via oxidative stress, the mechanisms are different, and the nanoparticles, but not the released ions, mainly contribute to the genotoxicity of AgNPs.
Process Ecology: Making Room for Creation

The laws of physics, because they are cast in terms of homogeneous variables, fall short of determining outcomes in heterogeneous biological systems that are capable of an immense number of combinatoric changes. The universal laws are not violated and they continue to constrain, but specification of results is accomplished instead by stable configurations of processes that develop in a nonrandom, but indeterminate manner. The indeterminacy of physical laws puts an end to Deist speculations and necessitates an alternative to the mechanical-reductionistic metaphor for nature. An antithetical Heraclitan metaphysics, called ‘Process Ecology,’ entails a dialectic between centripetal creation and centrifugal decay in which nature, humanity and the Divine can all potentially participate. The dialectic can be quantified and tracked using information measures applied to networks of processes to allow for the statement and testing of falsifiable hypotheses. Creation no longer appears as an emergent enigma, but rather as a core phenomenon of Process Ecology that allows for free will, Divine intervention, intercessory prayer and a necessary tolerance for petty evil. No longer is ‘heat death’ the inevitable and only endpoint of the cosmos. Rather, the course of the universe may include as well the production of ‘perpetual harmonies’ akin to Teilhard’s ‘Omega Point.’
AV activities of state departments in teacher education

In 1947 the author conducted a survey to determine the extent to which A V methods and techniques were being incorporated into the pre-service and in-service teacher education programs throughout the nation. A decade later an identical survey was made to determine the nature and extent of changes in these programs. This is the first in a series of articles which will compare the two status surveys. Robert E. de Kieffer is director of the Bureau of AudioVisual Instruction, University of Colorado.
Die Onkologie-Vereinbarung und der Kaukasische Kreidekreis

„Ein onkologisch kranker Patient ist ohnehin ausreichend belastet, als dass man noch aus widrigen, nicht nachvollziehbaren Grunden interdisziplinar an ihm zerren musste.“
A Decentralizing Coalition Finds Political Leverage

Pro-municipal activists included politicians (in both the local and national arenas), technocrats, academics, jurists, and international aid agencies. Th is coalition endorsed decentralization to improve both local administration and the quality of democratic participation. Trends toward decentralization became strong enough to support some advocates’ careers in the field. The infl uence of municipalista forces grew when three-party competition came to dominate national politics, between 1986 and 2004. Election results since 1978 (national vote percentages, numbers of parliament members elected, and municipalities controlled) demonstrate these changes in party structure. The comparative literature on three-party competition is examined, and the roles of mini-parties, factions, and perceptual lags in party strategizing are described.
Mixture Modeling for Longitudinal Data

In this article, we propose an unbiased estimating equation approach for a two-component mixture model with correlated response data. We adapt the mixture-of-experts model and a generalized linear model for component distribution and mixing proportion, respectively. The new approach only requires marginal distributions of both component densities and latent variables. We use serial correlations from subjects’ subgroup memberships, which improves estimation efficiency and classification accuracy, and show that estimation consistency does not depend on the choice of the working correlation matrix. The proposed estimating equation is solved by an expectation-estimating-equation (EEE) algorithm. In the E-step of the EEE algorithm, we propose a joint imputation based on the conditional linear property for the multivariate Bernoulli distribution. In addition, we establish asymptotic properties for the proposed estimators and the convergence property using the EEE algorithm. Our method is compared to an existing...
Short-term immune challenge does not influence social dominance behaviour in top-ranked black-capped chickadees

In social species, groups of individuals that live, forage or interact with each other often form a linear dominance hierarchy. Dominant individuals are thought to have greater access to resources and the ability to obtain higher-quality territories or mates, making dominance rank important to maximizing fitness. Social animals are often susceptible to infections from parasites or pathogens, and the energetic cost of mounting an immune response, along with displaying sickness behaviours, could affect an individual's social relationships. If a dominant individual becomes sick and is made vulnerable to challenges from lower-ranking group members, a loss in rank could be detrimental. Many songbirds, such as the black-capped chickadee, Poecile atricapillus, form seasonal social flocks during the winter, then divide into pairs for breeding during the spring. Our study used captive chickadees to determine whether a challenge to the immune system affects social dominance behaviour and status in the winter flock. In captive experimental flocks, top-ranked individuals were given an immune challenge in the form of a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection, and dominance behaviour was observed to determine whether status was altered. LPS-injected individuals lost a significant amount of weight and increased feeding rate when compared to control-injected birds, indicating an energetic cost, but they showed no change in dominance behaviour or loss of rank. These findings suggest that maintaining rank by continuing to invest in dominance behaviours is important in order to retain the fitness benefits associated with a high dominance rank.
Administrative Law: The Short Course

If wetlands suffered from a public relations problem, its counterpart in law schools is Administrative Law. Administrative Law is not part of the first-year law school curriculum, like Property or Contracts. No one makes movies like The Paper Chase or Legally Blonde about an Administrative Law course.1 On the surface, Administrative Law seems to lack the sexiness and political controversies associated with Constitutional Law and Criminal Law. In many law schools, it is not even required for graduation. Yet Administrative Law is, or at least can be, a keystone course. And it requires, as Elizabeth in Pirates of the Caribbean discovered to her detriment, the ability to understand the difference between a code or statute and mere guidance: How are rules made and when must they be followed?
Improving Cost and Schedule Performance on Municipal Pipeline Projects: Realizing the Benefits of the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) Alternative Project Delivery Method

The water and wastewater infrastructure in the United States is failing. In its 2013 Report Card on American Infrastructure, ASCE stated: “The water and wastewater infrastructure is in poor to fair...
Intervención en alimentación y actividad física en escolares de Quillota, Chile: Efectos sobre marcadores de riesgo cardiovascular.

Background: Chilean school children present a high prevalence of cardiovascular risk (CVR) factors related with bad eating practices and sedentary habits, including overweight and obesity. Objective: to evaluate the impact on RCV of improving the quality of meals delivered by State programs for school children and optimizing their physical activity. Methods: an intervention study was realized in 269 children of both sexes attending third basic grade during 2013 in Quillota, Chile. The subjects were randomized into four groups: Control (C, no intervention); Intervention in diet with the addition of dehydrated vegetables into desserts and jellies given at lunch (D); Intervention in physical activity, improving quantity and quality (PA); Intervention in diet and PA (DPA). Anthropometry and biochemical serum markers were assayed before and after the intervention. Results: no evidence of change in nutritional status as an effect of the interventions was observed during the annual school period. The level of triglycerides and VLDL-cholesterol augmented in the group C but not in the intervened groups. Plasma levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and glucose did not differ in children from groups D, PA and DPA versus Control. Conclusion: even though the intervention of diet and/or physical activity in children during a school year was probably too short to support changes in the nutritional status, a reduction in some CVR factors may already be observed.
History of Harnessing Wind Power

Abstract The history of wind power evolution from antiquity to contemporary time is presented. From the use of sails to electrical utility-scale modern wind generators, wind power has been reengineered using modern materials and engineering knowledge. It is a fascinating field of study and captivates the interest of passionate creative, and romantic people. Its future success will depend on setting its footing on solid and realistic science and engineering and away from unrealistic dreams of perpetual motion machines and unbiased romanticism. As wind machines depend on the wind as an energy source and as wind is intermittent, unreliable, unsteady, and unpredictable, it requires the development of innovative energy storage technologies. The advantage of the wind as a source of energy is that it is not just renewable, but infinite in magnitude originating in the Sun’s fusion energy that is trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere. As fossil fuels are experiencing localized as well as global peaking in their production and concerns about pollution and the release of greenhouse gases, wind machines are reclaiming, with new materials, electronic controls and advanced technology, an important share of the energy production realm. The renewable sources of energy are characterized by the use of a large labor supply providing job opportunities in highly populated economies. Their implementation is rapid: it takes about 2 years in the United States for the production of wind turbines, the implementation and the establishment of a wind park or farm as they only require local regulations, whereas nuclear power stations require 10 years or more because they are bound by lengthy federal regulations. The world is embarking on a third industrial revolution: the Low Carbon Age; and wind power is being reinvented to help fill the emergent need.
Developing family medicine in Ethiopia.

Dear Editor,It is exciting to see the increasing appreciation of the role of a family medicine doctor who can provide comprehensive care to men, women, and children of all ages as well as conduct o...
Using Informant and Performance Screening Methods to Detect Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia.

Purpose of Review Dementia detection in the community is challenging. The purpose of this paper is to review methods of dementia screening and provide a useable algorithm for screening for dementia a variety of clinical settings.
Prison employment and post-traumatic stress disorder: Risk and protective factors.

Objectives To examine the prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in a sample of prison employees, investigate risk factors, and explore protective factors for PTSD. Methods We surveyed 355 Washington State Department of Corrections employees. The survey included the PTSD checklist for the DSM-5 (PCL-5), the Critical Incident History Questionnaire, and the Work Environment Inventory. Results We found 19% of the sample met the criteria for diagnosable PTSD. Several risk factors were associated with a higher PCL-5 score, including exposure to critical incidents, and having greater ambiguity in the job role. Being happy with job assignments and having positive relationships with supervisors and coworkers were associated with decreased PCL-5 score. Conclusions Prison employees have a PTSD rate equivalent to Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans and higher than police officers, suggesting the importance of developing programs for promoting resilience to stress, incorporating the knowledge gained on risk, and protective factors.
Infinite Series Solutions

This chapter discusses the infinite series solutions. The differential equations and differential systems can be explicitly solved in a closed form in cases that include the linear equations of the first order, the linear systems with constant coefficients, the linear equations of arbitrary order with constant coefficients, and the special differential equations with variable coefficients. For practical purposes, only approximations of the solutions are needed. These can be obtained by the use of Taylor series. However, in this case, the solutions have to possess convergent expansions in a Taylor series. Such functions are called real analytic. The definition of convergent infinite series of matrices is the same as for ordinary infinite series. It is easy to verify that many of the criteria for convergence remain true for the series of matrices. It is not necessary to reduce a differential equation to a system to find the Taylor expansion of the solution. With the a priori knowledge of the existence of such expansions, it is possible to find the coefficients by a direct substitution.
Pharmacogenomics of endocrine therapy in breast cancer.

The treatment of breast cancer with selective estrogen receptor modulators such as tamoxifen and with aromatase inhibitors represents a major advance in cancer chemotherapy. However, there are large variations among patients in both the therapeutic efficacy and side effects of these drugs. Pharmacogenomics is the study of the role of inheritance in this variation and genetic variation in tamoxifen response represents one of the most striking examples of the potential clinical importance of pharmacogenomics. Tamoxifen requires “metabolic activation” catalyzed by cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) to form hydroxylated metabolites—4-hydroxytamoxifen and endoxifen (N-desmethyl-4-hydroxytamoxifen)—both of which are much more potent than is the parent drug. However, CYP2D6 is genetically polymorphic. Approximately 5–8% of Caucasian subjects are CYP2D6 “poor metabolizers” on a genetic basis and, as a result, are relatively unable to catalyze tamoxifen hydroxylation. These same subjects appear to have poorer outcomes when treated with tamoxifen than do CYP2D6 “extensive metabolizers”. These data led the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to hold public hearings in 2006 on the inclusion of this pharmacogenomic information in tamoxifen labeling. However, a series of important questions still remains to be addressed with regard to tamoxifen pharmacogenomics. There have also been preliminary attempts to study the pharmacogenomics of aromatase inhibitors, including the application of a genotype-to-phenotype research strategy designed to explore the nature and extent of common DNA sequence variation in the CYP19 gene that encodes aromatase. Those results—together with our current level of understanding of tamoxifen pharmacogenomics—will be reviewed in this chapter and both will be placed within the context of the overall development of pharmacogenomics.
Long-term Evaluation of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Lime Requirements of Continuous Corn

Introduction A long-term study was established in 1963 and was continued until 2001 at the Northern Research Farm to evaluate the nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and lime requirements of continuous corn. The experimental area was on Nicollet soil, pH was 6.1, and both soil P and K were very low. Because one main objective was to study nutrient interactions, 25 treatments evaluated selected combinations of five annual rates of each nutrient using a complex statistical central-composite experimental design.
Comparison of the Tolvaptan Versus Furosemide-Based Diuretic Regimes in Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure with Hyponatremia (AQUA-AHF)

Introduction Hyponatremia is associated with worse longitudinal outcomes, and recently, poorer diuretic response in patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF). Whether tolvaptan monotherapy is a viable alternative to intravenous loop diuretics for decongestive therapy has not been tested. This study prospectively compared the efficacy and safety of a tolvaptan-based versus furosemide-based diuretic regimen on short-term outcomes in hyponatremic acute HF patients. Methods Prospective, randomized, open-label, parallel-group, pilot study comparing a tolvaptan-based versus conventional continuous infusion furosemide-based regimen. Thirty-three subjects requiring hospitalization for acute HF with evidence of volume overload, and a serum sodium Results Tolvaptan subjects were less often male (61 vs 93%) and had lower LVEF (24 vs 33%). Age, home diuretic dose, baseline serum sodium and vitals were not different. Four subjects in each group required study drug dose escalation (median daily dose throughout was tolvaptan 30mg and furosemide 120mg). Urine output and net fluid balance was not significantly different between tolvaptan or furosemide groups at 24h or any subsequent time point up to 96h. GFR tended to increase with tolvaptan, whereas it decreased with furosemide. Cystatin C improved at 24h with tolvaptan and the % change was significant compared to furosemide (-6.4±11.8 vs 4.1±17.2 % change, p=0.036). No significant between group differences were seen at 24h or study drug discontinuation/96h for NT-proBNP or PRA. As expected, serum sodium and potassium increased with tolvaptan compared to furosemide. Proportion with self-reported dyspnea that was moderately or markedly better at 24h was not different between groups (44% tolvaptan vs 27% furosemide, p=0.469). No major adverse events occurred. Conclusions Diuresis with tolvaptan was similarly effective compared to intravenous furosemide for acute HF. Tolvaptan was associated with signals for improved renal and electrolyte safety, however the clinical significance needs to be tested in a larger study.
Implementation of a patient experience–focused review at the time of radiation therapy simulation.

211Background: Anxiety impairs information retention and may lower patient satisfaction. Because anxiety is highest at the time of radiation therapy (RT) simulation, we added a personal patient experience (PX) review of the treatment process focusing on resolution of any outstanding concerns and measured for a benefit using patient satisfaction scores. Methods: A single PX trained Senior Radiation Therapist met patients at simulation and reviewed multiple factors from registration to any outstanding medical issues, with the goal of addressing and resolving all questions. A CMS-approved patient satisfaction tool was recorded during this time to assess for any benefit of this PX review. The tool asks 17 questions in 5 domains (Registration, Facility, Your Treatment, Personal Issues, and Overall Assessment) and calculates an Overall Facility Rating. Tools received between the date of simulation and the date of follow-up were considered an on-treatment evaluation and were used for assessment. Scores were comp...
Social disorganization and gender equality as correlates of family violence and rape

Social disorganization theory suggests residential instability, ethnic heterogeneity, family disruption, and low socioeconomic status will positively predict crime in a community. Much of the earli...
Still Life, With Lobster

On March 1, 2018, the Swiss government enacted a ban against boiling live lobsters to death. This article explores the significance of that ban: Is it a political statement, a symbolic gesture, or both? In asking those questions, the author seeks to understand what kind of food politics are at play when a country bans a cooking technique. Drawing upon such seemingly disparate works as David Foster Wallace9s landmark essay “Consider the Lobster,” the author9s own ethnographic fieldwork in an haute cuisine restaurant in Europe, and the teachings of the French existentialist philosopher Emmanuel Levinas, this article argues that regulations over how we kill the animals that will become our food are ripe for reconsideration.
Implications of Image-Defined Risk Factors and Primary-Site Response on Local Control and Radiation Treatment Delivery in the Management of High-Risk Neuroblastoma: Is There a Role for De-escalation of Adjuvant Primary-Site Radiation Therapy?

Purpose The predictive value of Image-Defined Risk Factors (IDRFs) developed by the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group Task Force as it relates to primary-site management is undefined and may aid patient selection for de-escalation of adjuvant radiation therapy to the primary site in high-risk neuroblastoma. Methods and Materials Patients (N = 76) with high-risk neuroblastoma treated on prospective trials at our institution from 1997 to 2014 were eligible for inclusion. IDRFs were defined based on pretherapy imaging. Overall survival, progression-free survival, and locoregional failure-free survival (LRFFS) were described using the Kaplan-Meier estimator and tested across strata by using the log-rank test. Results Twenty of 76 patients (26%) experienced local (n = 6), regional (n = 6), or combined locoregional failure (n = 8) with or without distant failure. Ten (50%) of the locoregional failures had concurrent distant relapse. Of patients who completed all therapy, both those with no IDRFs and those with >90% resection had a 3-year LRFFS of 100%, with or without radiation therapy. Patients with either ≥1 IDRF or Conclusions Patients with >90% tumor resection and no primary site IDRFs at diagnosis may be candidates for de-escalation of adjuvant primary-site radiation therapy, although validation of these findings in future studies is required.
UNIT 3.14 DNA Ligases

The DNA ligase enzyme family catalyzes the formation of a phosphodiester bond between juxtaposed 5′-phosphate and 3′-hydroxyl termini in duplex DNA. This activity can seal nicks in duplex DNA or join double-stranded DNA fragments having either blunt or cohesive ends. DNA ligases are central enzymes in molecular biology, nucleic acid research, and in next-generation sequencing applications. Reaction conditions and applications for T4 DNA ligase, E. coli DNA ligase, and thermostable DNA ligases are described in this unit. These enzymes differ in their cofactor requirements, substrate specificity, and thermal stability. Curr. Protoc. Mol. Biol. 94:3.14.1-3.14.7. © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: T4 DNA ligase; Taq DNA ligase; DNA ligation; blunt-end ligation; cloning
Timeliness of care among elderly women with breast cancer.

e17720 Timeliness of Care Among Elderly Women with Breast Cancer Background: Previous studies about timeliness of breast cancer (BC) care are limited as they did not define timeliness of diagnosis ...
Do joint ventures and strategic alliances create value for bondholders

Abstract This paper investigates whether joint ventures and strategic alliances create value for bondholders by examining the bond market’s reaction to announcements of these two types of cooperative business activities. Based on 2964 announcements from 1985 to 2011, we find that joint ventures and strategic alliances create significant value for bondholders. The average two-month abnormal bond return is 0.64% for joint ventures and 0.70% for strategic alliances. We find no evidence of a wealth transfer between the bondholders and stockholders. We further explore the determinants of bond value creation through hypotheses on the synergy effect, the alleviation of financial constraints, and real options. The results of our study show that financial synergy is a main driver of bondholder wealth effects in joint ventures, while operating synergy is a dominant factor in strategic alliances. We also find evidence to support the real option hypothesis for both events. Finally, we show that the structure of bond contracts plays an important role in the link between synergy and abnormal bond returns.
Orthopaedic diagnoses in patients with Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome

Abstract Purpose Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS) is a rare combined vascular malformation composed of capillary malformation, lymphatic and/or venous malformation and limb overgrowth, which common...
Variable Fast Transient Digitizer

A low cost, low power substitute for expensive, high power high-speed analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) in some situations is presented. This circuit is called a variable fast transient digitizer (VFTD). This paper provides an overview of the design and measured test results. The VFTD is designed to sample a high-speed analog input signal and later reconstruct the captured signal at a much slower rate, for example, around three orders of magnitude. This approach eliminates quantization error in the captured signal. Further, this approach enables the use of slow, low cost, analog-to-digital converters such as those found in microcontrollers. The VFTD discussed in this paper uses 256 sequential sample and hold cells with a process dependent variable delay element controlled by an off-chip voltage source. Using a power supply voltage of 5V the input range extends from 0 V to 3 V corresponding to an output voltage range from 2 V to 5 V, a capture window range from 81 ns to 1.78 µs, and a sampling rate range from 143.82 MS/s to 3.16 GS/s. The VFTD is fabricated on a 2 mm x 2 mm die using ON Semiconductor's 0.5 µm C5 process and requires a 0.5 mm x 1.5 mm area.
Mitigating Poverty through the Formation of Extended Family Households: Race and Ethnic Differences

In times of hardship, moving in with family is one strategy for alleviating economic deprivation and uncertainty. The ability of the family to buffer against poverty may vary by the resources available to and the economic needs of individuals. I assess how the formation of extended-family households is associated with a move into or out of poverty and how this association varies by race and ethnicity, since economic resources and norms around extended-family households differ. Using longitudinal data that span four years, I estimate linear fixed effects regression models to assess how changes in living arrangements are related to changes in poverty. I find that moving into an extended-family household reduces poverty, especially for the joining family unit. Most of this poverty reduction occurs through a family safety net, with a non-poor family taking in poor family units.