cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential effect of nutritional status on vascular surgery outcomes in a Veterans Affairs versus private hospital setting.

Abstract Background The goal of this study was to determine whether preoperative albumin level in vascular surgery patients is predictive of postoperative outcomes in the Veterans Affairs (VA) versus private sector and in open versus endovascular interventions. Methods A retrospective analysis of male patients with peripheral arterial disease, carotid artery disease, and abdominal aortic aneurysms who underwent open or endovascular interventions at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center or Northwestern Memorial Hospital from January 2006 to June 2009 was conducted. Preoperative demographics and postoperative outcomes were assessed. Major adverse events (MAE) were defined as myocardial infarction, stroke, or death. Results A total of 591 men were included. Preoperative albumin level was significantly higher in VA versus private sector patients (3.6 ± .5 g/dL vs 3.2 ± .8 g/dL, respectively; P = .0001) and endovascular versus open patients (3.6 ± .6 g/dL vs 3.3 ± .7 g/dL, respectively; P P = .04) and 1-year death (OR, .35; P = .01) for all patients, and was predictive of MAE (OR, .40; P = .05) and 1-year death (OR, .23; P = .0008) in the open cohort. Conclusions Preoperative malnutrition has important prognostic implications for vascular surgery patients in both the VA and private hospital settings, especially for those patients undergoing open repair.
Extracolonic findings on CT colonography: does the benefit outweigh the cost?

Computed tomography (CT) colonography (CTC) was first developed in 1994 as a less invasive alternative to traditional optical colonoscopy to assess for colonic neoplasia. The diagnostic validity of CTC for clinically relevant lesions has since been demonstrated, with studies showing that the sensitivity of CTC compares favorably to that of optical colonoscopy, with acceptable specificity (1). However, in addition to this relative parity for the diagnosis of colonic neoplasia, a unique capability of CTC over other colorectal examinations is the provision of supplemental pericolonic and extracolonic diagnostic information regarding the entire abdomen and pelvis obtained through the cross-sectional volumetric CT scanning technique of the CTC. Thus, because colorectal screening is now recommended for all adults (average risk patients older than age 50; higher risk patients older than age 40), CTC presents a unique opportunity to synchronously evaluate the abdomen and pelvis for extracolonic pathologies that afflict this older population. Several reports on extracolonic findings have been published in the past decade (2–7). Most of them presented cautious conclusions, and the objective benefits of these extracolonic findings on CTC were subsequently debated within the medical community. One point raised by many investigators was that extracolonic findings, although common, were infrequently of clinical importance. Some researchers argued that the ability to detect extracolonic abnormalities can be viewed as a double-edged sword (6). On the positive side, it is beneficial to have the potential to detect serious pathology at an early curable stage. On the negative side, CTC may lead to higher cost and extra radiation from superfluous additional examination of benign lesions, and it has the potential to increase patient anxiety, complications, and potentially morbidity. In this issue, Wernli, Rutter, Dachman, and Zafar (8) summarize investigations on extracolonic findings on CTC to
Contralateral Second Breast Cancers: Prediction and Prevention

Long-term survival after a breast cancer diagnosis has increased markedly in the last decade: 15-year relative survival in the United States is now 75% (1), up from 58% in 2001. This increase is due in part to earlier detection but also to improved treatment options (2,3). So it is highly appropriate that increasing attention is being paid to the issue of breast cancer survivorship and, in particular, the issue of second breast cancers. Several long-term studies suggest that contralateral second breast cancer rates range from 10% to 15% at 15 years after treatment and are even higher for still longerterm survivors (4,5). The risk of a breast cancer survivor developing a second breast cancer is much higher than the risk of a comparable healthy woman developing a first breast cancer. For example, a healthy 55-year-old woman has about a 2.5% chance of developing invasive cancer in a given breast over the next 15 years, whereas a 55-year-old breast cancer survivor has a 10%–15% chance of developing invasive cancer in the contralateral breast over the next 15 years. Only a small component of this disturbingly large risk of a second breast cancer is treatment related: If anything, some chemotherapy regimens may reduce the rate of second breast cancers (6), and the comparatively low and inhomogeneous dose of scattered or leakage radiation to the contralateral breast during radiotherapy (7) results in only a small increase in the risk of contralateral breast cancer (5,8–10). These considerations imply that women with breast cancer are prone to develop a second breast cancer. Lifestyle and reproductive factors (11), as well as genetic factors (12), are each presumably major players in the etiology of second breast cancers, as they are in the etiology of primary breast cancers. Thus, there has been much interest in trying to identify genes that are associated with second breast cancers. Not surprisingly, the same genes that have been linked to increased susceptibility to primary breast cancer have been the most studied with regard to susceptibility to second cancers. For example, Graeser et al. (13) investigated the risk of contralateral second breast cancer in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers and found that women with these mutations were more likely to develop a contralateral second breast cancer compared with breast cancer survivors without these mutations. Likewise, the clinical signifi cance of mutations in the ATM gene with respect to the risk of a
The secondary flow and its stability for natural convection in a tall vertical enclosure

The multicellular flow between two vertical parallel plates is numerically simulated using a time-splitting pseudospectral method. The steady flow of air and the time-periodic flow of oil are investigated, and descriptions of these flows using both physical and spectral approaches are presented. The time dependence of the flow and temperature fields of oil are shown, and the dynamics of the process is discussed. The spectral transfer of energy among the axial modes comprising the flow is explored. The three-dimensional linear stabiltiy of the multicellular air flow is parametrically studied. The domain of stable two-dimensional cellular motion is found to be constrained by the Eckhaus instability and by two types of monotone instability. The two-dimensional multicellular flow is unstable above a Grashof number of about 8550.
Online-offline laser ultrasonic quality inspection tool for multilayer ceramic capacitors - part II

The adoption of surface mount technology has provided many competitive advantages for the electronics industry. Smaller, lighter, and more efficient packages create better products for consumers, but new manufacturing problems are created through the adoption of new technology. Inspection and verification systems are employed to prevent known defective parts from reaching consumers, but not all future reliability problems can be identified through traditional inspection methods. In multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), flex cracks can be created during manufacturing. However, traditional online and offline inspection methods have been unable to consistently identify these defects. The location and orientation of the cracks, perpendicular to the printed wiring board (PWB) and obscured by the MLCCs end metallization for solder connection, makes detection using immersion ultrasound or x-ray inspection difficult. The metallization occludes the ability of these methods to image the defect. Therefore, a new inspection technique is required to identify these defects. A laser-generated ultrasonic system has been designed and constructed to meet the need of a noncontact, nondestructive, fast, and accurate system for identifying defects in a laboratory environment, as well as on the manufacturing fine. The system consists of a pulsed infrared laser that excites samples of both an 0805, 10 /spl mu/F, 6.3 V, X5R and an 0603, X5R, 6.3 V, 1 /spl mu/F, MLCC, both having square cross sections, into small-amplitude structural vibration after attachment to the PWB through the process of laser-generated ultrasound. An interferometer, sampled with a synchronized data acquisition system, records the structural impulse response of the MLCC. Monitoring the impulse response for changes indicates changes in the structure of the device. Several MLCC samples were prepared and mounted on PWBs, and some of them were intentionally flexed until a loss of insulation resistance was recorded, indicating the presence of a flex crack. Measurements were taken on the as-manufactured and flexed-to-failure samples. The test results contained in part I were obtained with 0805 MLCC samples with rectangular cross sections, which are less stiff than MLCCs with square cross sections. These results indicated potential for success using the method described here to identify flex cracks. These results indicated potential for success using the method described here to identify flex cracks. The current results also indicate that the laser ultrasonic system could be used to detect flex cracks in 0805 MLCCs with a square cross section and in the smaller 0603 package configuration with a square cross section. Classification of the capacitors requires a reduction in the variance of the error ratio values, so an average of the values computed in comparison with each of the reference devices is implemented.
Trends Impacting One Public School Program for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing

This article reflects on the author’s experience supervising a public school program for students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, specifically addressing national, regional, and local trends affec...
Significance of Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis in Primary Breast Cancer

PURPOSE: Axillary lymph node status is the single most important prognostic variable in the management of patients with primary breast cancer. Yet, it is not known whether metastasis to the axillary nodes is simply a time-dependent variable or also a marker for a more aggressive tumor phenotype. The purpose of this study was to determine whether nodal status at initial diagnosis predicts outcome after relapse and therefore also serves as a marker of breast cancer phenotype. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Survival experience after first relapse in 1,696 primary breast cancer cases was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression. The following explanatory variables and their first-order interactions were considered: number of axillary lymph nodes involved (zero v one to three v four or more), hormone receptor status (any estrogen receptor [ER] negativity v ER negativity/progesterone receptor positivity v other ER positivity), primary tumor size ( 5 cm), site of relapse (locoregional v di...
Institutional issues when distance learning joins the mainstream

Distance learning began as an institutional innovation, but as the field matures it faces challenges in finding its place in the community college mainstream. This chapter describes the best practices that helped the Extended Learning Institute at Northern Virginia Community College evolve into a mature distance learning program that is successfully integrated into the institution.
Identifying the Dimensions of the Guest's Hotel Experience

This article identifies the underlying dimensions of a guest's hotel experience, using data from a web-based survey of guests at a midwestern hotel and conference center. This study finds that the dimensions obtained in exploratory factor analysis can be replicated by confirmatory factor analysis with the same data set. These scale-development procedures result in an eighteen-item index consisting of four factors: environment, accessibility, driving benefit, and incentive. This four-factor structure of Hotel Experience Index also shows evidence of both convergent and discriminant validity.
Exogenous eosinophil activation converts PSGL-1-dependent binding to CD18-dependent stable adhesion to platelets in shear flow

This study examined the binding kinetics and molecular requirements of eosinophil adhesion to surface-anchored platelets in shear flow. P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) binding to platelet P-selectin initiates tethering and rolling of eosinophils to platelets under flow. These primary interacting cells assist in the capture of free-flowing eosinophils through homotypic tethering (secondary interactions) mediated via L-selectin-PSGL-1 interactions. Differences between eosinophils and neutrophils in PSGL-1 and L-selectin expression levels predict the pattern and relative extent of their adhesive interactions with immobilized platelets under shear, as well as the relative magnitude of their average rolling velocities. The majority of tethered eosinophils become rapidly stationary on the platelet layer, a process that is predominantly mediated via eosinophil PSGL-1 binding to platelet P-selectin and has an absolute requirement for intact cytoskeleton. Only a small fraction of these stationary eosinophils develop shear-resistant attachments mediated by CD18 integrins. However, stimulation of eosinophils with eotaxin-2 converts PSGL-1-P-selectin-dependent stationary adhesion to CD18-mediated shear-resistant stable attachment. These studies provide insights for designing strategies based on blocking of eosinophil-platelet interactions to combat thrombotic disorders in hypereosinophilic patients.
Colloidal diffusion and hydrodynamic screening near boundaries

The hydrodynamic interactions between colloidal particles in small ensembles are measured at varying distances from a no-slip surface over a range of inter-particle separations. The diffusion tensor for motion parallel to the wall of each ensemble is calculated by analyzing thousands of particle trajectories generated by blinking holographic optical tweezers and by dynamic simulation. The Stokesian Dynamics simulations predict similar particle dynamics. By separating the dynamics into three classes of modes: self, relative and collective diffusion, we observe qualitatively different behavior depending on the relative magnitudes of the distance of the ensemble from the wall and the inter-particle separation. A simple picture of the pair-hydrodynamic interactions is developed, while many-body-hydrodynamic interactions give rise to more complicated behavior. The results demonstrate that the effect of many-body hydrodynamic interactions in the presence of a wall is much richer than the single particle behavior and that the multiple-particle behavior cannot be simply predicted by a superposition of pair interactions.
Controlled Flooding in the Grand Canyon Drifting Between Instrumental and Ecological Rationality in Water Management

Construction of the Glen Canyon Dam in northern Arizona was motivated by the conviction that a river running to the sea is a resource forsaken. Since 1963, it has provided water storage, recreation...
INFLUENCE OF PARATHYROID EXTRACT ON THE METABOLISM OF ORGANIC ACIDS BY BONE SLICES.

Slices of femur from rabbits receiving parathyroid extract and slices of bone from control rabbits were incubated in Krebs HCO3 buffer with various C14-labeled substrates. Compared to control slices, experimental tissue converted up to two thirds less succinate, citrate, fumarate and glutamate and up to twice as much glucose and lactate to C14O2. When hypotonic tris buffer was used, the yield of C14O2 from fumarate and citrate was lower than with HCO3 buffer, and no difference was found between control and experimental slices. In the presence of about 10-5 M 2,4-dinitrophenol, bone slices produced 2–3 times more C14O2 from glucose than when dinitrophenol was absent, and the tissue from parathyroid-treated animals still exhibited the same percentage increase in C14O2 yields over the control tissue. With 5 × 1O-4 M dinitrophenol, however, the yield of C14O2 was depressed, and slices from hormone-treated animals produced about the same amount of C14O2 as did control tissue. At all concentrations, dinitrophen...
Effects of physical disturbance and granivory on establishment of native and alien riparian trees in Colorado, U.S.A.

. In western North America, the alien Elaeagnus angustifolia L. invades riparian habitats usually dominated by pioneer woody species such as Populus deltoides Marshall ssp. monilifera (Aiton) Eckenwalder. We conducted manipulative field experiments to compare the importance of physical disturbance and granivory for seedling establishment of these two species. We planted seeds of both species in disturbed and undisturbed study plots, and used exclosures, seed dish trials and live-trapping to assess the role of granivory. Seedling establishment of both species was increased by physical disturbance and seeds of both species were subject to granivory. However, the relative importance of these two factors differed between species. For P. deltoides, lack of physical disturbance prevented seedling establishment in uncleared subplots, but granivory did not prevent seedling establishment outside of exclosures. For E. angustifolia, granivory prevented seedling establishment outside of exclosures, but lack of physical disturbance did not prevent establishment in uncleared subplots. The lesser dependence on disturbance may enable E. angustifolia to invade areas characterized by low levels of fluvial disturbance, such as floodplains along regulated rivers, where P. deltoides recruitment does not occur. Populations of granivorous rodents may affect the susceptibility of riparian ecosystems to invasion by E. angustifolia.
Thinking Ourselves to Liberation?: Advancing Sociopolitical Action in Critical Consciousness

Freire advanced critical consciousness as a tool for the liberation of oppressed communities. Based on his ideas, scholars of theory and practice from myriad disciplines have written about how to advance critical consciousness (CC) among oppressed peoples. We reviewed CC theory and practice articles in scholarly journals with the goal of identifying key elements of CC, advancing practice, and aligning theory with insights from practice. The most prominent elements of CC theory we found were fostering awareness of sociopolitical circumstances, encouraging critical questioning, and fostering collective identity. Surprisingly, few theorists or practitioners gave extensive attention to the community action component of critical consciousness. This led us to give this component of CC close attention and to develop a framework that describes four aspects of “sociopolitical action.” We conclude with a recommendation that CC programming include targets or objectives for sociopolitical action from the outset of a project, rather than limiting CC groups to critical social analysis and problematization. Youth community organizing is a promising strategy for bridging the gap between critical social analysis and sociopolitical action. This approach calls for ongoing partnerships between career researchers and community-based, veteran activists with the expertise to help young people make the transition from insight to action.
The Landscape of Civil Litigation in State Courts

The Landscape of Civil Litigation of State Courts examined case characteristics and outcomes for civil cases disposed during a one-year interval from all courts exercising jurisdiction over civil cases in 10 urban counties in the United States. This report is the first significant multi-jurisdiction study of civil caseloads since the 1992 Civil Justice Survey of State Courts, and is more comprehensive than the 1992 study insofar that it examined the entire civil caseload rather than just cases filed in general jurisdiction courts. The Landscape dataset consisted of 925,344 cases, which reflects approximately 5% of civil caseloads nationally. Key findings: more than half of the Landscape cases were low-value debt collection, landlord/tenant, and small claims cases; three-quarters of the judgments entered in the Landscape cases were $5,200 or less; most cases were resolved through an administrative process rather than an adversarial proceeding; and at least one party was self-represented in more than three-quarters of the cases. These findings offer a dramatically changed picture of civil caseloads compared to two decades ago and to perceptions held by many civil trial lawyers and judges.
Robustness of Structural Equation Modeling to Distributional Misspecification: Empirical Evidence & Research Guidelines

A growing number of theories in information systems (IS) research are developed and tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). Use of statistical techniques for measurement and structural model assessment, reliability, and validity are facilitated by such programs as LISREL and widely reported in the literature. In contrast, identification and correction of distributional misspecification (DM) - non-normality, multicollinearity, heteroscedasticity, and combinations thereof - is rarely reported in SEM analyses, despite its potential to bias statistical estimation and inference. Four principal findings of our literature review and Monte Carlo simulations are: 1) studies using SEM rarely report tests of DM, while studies using OLS typically report such tests; 2) reduced statistical power in the presence of DM for SEM that is correctable for OLS using weighted least squares; 3) negative synergy when different types of DM occur jointly; and 4) worsening statistical power as sample size and variance explained are reduced. We provide practical guidelines for assessing, reporting, and overcoming distributional misspecification.
The Conrad-Harvey-Holland Representation

In 1907 H. Hahn [07] proved that every abelian totally ordered group could be represented as a group of real-valued functions on a totally ordered set. His proof is long and difficult, and is one of the first successful uses of the technique of transfinite induction. It was not until after the Second World War that simplified proofs of Hahn’s theorem appeared, by Conrad [53] and Clifford [54]. In 1963, Conrad, Harvey and Holland [63] were able to generalize Hahn’s theorem to the class of lattice-ordered groups, using the idea of Banaschewski’s proof [57] of the original theorem; their theorem states that any abelian l-group can be represented as a group of real-valued functions on a partially ordered set (in fact, on a root system). In this chapter we shall present Wolfenstein’s proof [66] (or see [C]) of the Conrad-Harvey-Holland theorem.
Coevolutionary clines across selection mosaics.

Much of the dynamics of coevolution may be driven by the interplay between geographic variation in reciprocal selection (selection mosaics) and the homogenizing action of gene flow. We develop a genetic model of geographically structured coevolution in which gene flow links coevolving communities that may differ in both the direction and magnitude of reciprocal selection. The results show that geographically structured coevolution may lead to allele-frequency clines within both interacting species when fitnesses are spatially uniform or spatially heterogeneous. Furthermore, the results show that the behavior and shape of clines differ dramatically among different types of coevolutionary interaction. Antagonistic interactions produce dynamic clines that change shape rapidly through time, producing shifting patterns of local adaptation and maladaptation. Unlike antagonistic interactions, mutualisms generate stable equilibrium patterns that lead to fixed spatial patterns of adaptation. Interactions that vary between mutualism and antagonism produce both equilibrium and dynamic clines. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that these inter- actions may allow mutualisms to persist throughout the geographic range of an interaction, despite pockets of locally antagonistic selection. In all cases, the coevolved spatial patterns of allele frequencies are sensitive to the relative contributions of gene flow, selection, and overall habitat size, indicating that the appropriate scale for studies of geographically structured coevolution depends on the relative contributions of each of these factors.
Investigation of Cold Starting and Combustion Mode Switching as Methods to Improve Low Load RCCI Operation

Reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) is an engine combustion strategy that utilizes in-cylinder fuel blending to produce low NOx and particulate matter (PM) emissions while maintaining high thermal efficiency. The current study investigates RCCI and conventional diesel combustion (CDC) operation in a light-duty multicylinder engine (MCE) using a transient capable engine test cell. The main focus of the work uses engine experiments to investigate methods which can improve low load RCCI operation. The first set of experiments investigated RCCI operation during cold start conditions. The next set of tests investigated combustion mode switching between RCCI and CDC. During the cold start tests, RCCI performance and emissions were measured over a range of engine coolant temperatures (ECTs) from 48 °C to 85 °C. A combination of open- and closed-loop controls enabled RCCI to operate at a 1500 rpm, 1 bar BMEP operating point over this range of coolant temperatures. At a similar operating condition, i.e., 1500 rpm, 2 bar BMEP, the engine was instantaneously switched between CDC and RCCI combustion using the same open- and closed-loop controls as the cold start testing. During the mode switch tests, emissions and performance were measured with high-speed sampling equipment. The tests revealed that it was possible to operate RCCI down to 48 °C with simple open- and closed-loop controls with emissions and efficiency similar to the warm steady-state values. Next, the mode switching tests were successful in switching combustion modes with minimal deviations in emissions and performance in either mode at steady state.
Foreign Supply and Demand Projections: Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Exports

S recently as a year ago, a major emphasis of the export policy of the United States Department of Agriculture was the disposal of agricultural surpluses. The effort was directed toward the development of new markets for products in excess supply. Large stocks of some commodities were in storage and we were looking for markets wherever they could be found. However, concern over "surpluses" has been replaced by a concern over "food shortages." The recent drought in India, the continued large imports of grain by the Communist countries, and the reduction of U.S. grain stocks have brought the world food problem into the headlines. The USDA has recently taken actions to increase the production of grain in the United States. Some people are asking the question: In the future, will there be sufficient food to supply the rapidly expanding population at acceptable levels of nutrition? Many projections have been made of the expanding food import needs of the less-developed countries and the magnitude of their food deficits. In fact, I have given several papers on this subject in the past year [1]. However, this emphasis on need gives only a partial picture of trade. To project world trade, food needs must be translated into effective import demand and countered with effective supplies from exporting countries. In addition, concern about the food needs of the deficit countries sometimes conveys the idea that the gap must be filled largely from U.S. output. This paper, although recognizing the problem of inadequate diets in the less-developed nations, treats the total agricultural export picture of the United States. It makes realistic projections to 1970 of the level of U.S. exports of major commodities to both the commercial and the concessional markets, based upon an evaluation of the total foreign demand and supply situation which will probably exist at that time. Although the emphasis on food needs is important, the development of the commercial market is also important. The eventual goal of world trade-including the goal of the Food for Freedom legislation now being considered by Congress-is the expansion of agricultural trade on a commercial basis. In the Department of Agriculture, we have been analyzing the food sit-
Insulin stimulates phosphate transport in opossum kidney epithelial cells

Insulin is antiphosphaturic in vivo and this effect is due, in part, to increased Na(+)-dependent phosphate uptake across the luminal brush-border membrane of the proximal tubule. The intracellular mechanism is not understood. The present study shows that the stimulatory effect of insulin on phosphate transport can be reproduced in opossum kidney (OK) cells, suggesting that this established renal epithelial cell line may be a good model for further studies on insulin action on renal phosphate transport. The stimulation by insulin was dose related when insulin was used at concentrations within the range of 10(-14) to 10(-8) M. At 10(-8) M, insulin had no effect on Na(+)-independent uptake of phosphate or on the Na(+)-dependent uptakes of methyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside and glutamate. The onset of insulin action on phosphate uptake was detected within 15 min, and the stimulation was reversed completely within 30 min after removal of insulin from the medium. Insulin action was not blocked by protein synthesis inhibitors and was not altered by bacitracin, an inhibitor of intracellular degradation of insulin. Pretreatment with the calcium-channel blockers, nifedipine and verapamil (10(-4) M), produced significant increases in the stimulatory effect of insulin, suggesting indirectly that insulin action on phosphate uptake may be influenced by Ca2+. In contrast to in vivo studies, there was no evidence that insulin interfered with parathyroid hormone action on OK cells.
Three Dimensional Turbine Blade Optimization Using Evolutionary Algorithm with Viscous Flow Analysis

The development of an efficient high fidelity tool to perform an optimal three-dimensional multi-row/multi-stage turbine blade optimization is presented. A multi-block Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code modified for use in multi-stage turbomachines is used for analysis and coupled with an evolutionary algorithm optimizer to provide a solution for all blade rows simultaneously, as well as achieve the optimal turbine stage design for a multi-objective optimization problem. The tool allows for an optimal stage design through the use of a CFD flow solver and an optimization routine that has proven proficient in optimizing up to 136 design variables in an efficient time frame. Optimization results yield a 3.25% increase in stage isentropic efficiency while meeting design constraints. The use of an efficient evolutionary algorithm optimizer coupled with parallel processing performed on a computational cluster reduced optimization time for a single stage to less than 35 hours and less than 20 hours for a single blade row optimization. This tool allows for the efficient optimization of a turbine stage through the use of a high fidelity flow solver, resulting in an optimal, well-defined turbine stage geometry.
Evaluation of Commercially Available Diagnostic Test Kits for Rubella

Three standard hemagglutination-inhibition (HAI) methods were compared with 11 commercially available diagnostic test kits for determination of immunity and serologic diagnosis of rubella using a panel of 100 sera. The three standard HAI methods involved removal of serum inhibitors with kaolin, heparin-MnCl2, or dextran sulfate-CaCl2. The HAI kaolin (Flow Laboratories, McLean, Virginia) and Rubelisa (Microbiological Associates Bioproducts, Walkersville, Maryland) kits gave the best specificity as judged by the absence of false-positive results. Rubacell (Abbott Laboratories, Chicago, Illinois), Rubindex (Ortho Diagnostics, Raritan, New Jersey), Fiax (International Diagnostic Technology, Santa Clara, California), and Rubesure (Calbiochem-Behring, La Jolla, California) gave the best sensitivity as judged by the absence of false-negative results. The kits with the highest degree of both specificity and sensitivity were HAI kaolin (Flow), HAI heparin-MnCl2 (Flow), Rubacell (Abbott), and Rubindex (Ortho). In paired sera from five patients with clinical rubella, seroconversions were shown by seven of the kits. One of the kits, Cordia R (Cordis Laboratories, Miami, Florida), showed no significant rise in antibody titer with one pair of sera. Antibody titers in the same serum varied widely between the different kits.
Swift Jamming Attack on Frequency Offset Estimation: The Achilles’ Heel of OFDM Systems

Frequency offset (FO) refers to the difference in the operating frequencies of two radio oscillators. Failure to compensate for the FO may lead to decoding errors, particularly in OFDM systems. To correct the FO, wireless standards append a publicly known preamble to every frame before transmission. In this paper, we demonstrate how an adversary can exploit the known preamble structure of OFDM-based wireless systems, particularly IEEE802.11a/g/n/ac, to launch a very stealth (low energy/duty cycle) reactive jamming attack against the FO estimation mechanism. In this attack, the adversary quickly detects a transmitted OFDM frame and subsequently jams a tiny part of the preamble that is used for FO estimation at the legitimate receiver. By optimizing the energy and structure of the jamming signal and accounting for frame detection timing errors and unknown channel parameters, we empirically show that the adversary can induce a bit error rate close to $0.5$ , making the transmission practically irrecoverable. Such vulnerability to FO jamming exists even when the frame is shielded by efficient channel coding. We evaluate the FO estimation attack through simulations and USRP experimentation. We also propose three approaches to mitigate such an attack.
Transgender Clients’ Experiences of Eating Disorder Treatment

AbstractThis study examined the treatment experiences of transgender individuals with eating disorders (EDs). Despite this population's elevated risk for EDs, clinicians may be ill equipped to treat these clients. Eighty-four transgender individuals with EDs completed an online questionnaire about their experiences with ED treatment. Inductive thematic analysis produced three themes: role of the body in treatment, negative experiences with clinicians, and recommendations for treatment centers and providers. Participants reported deficits in clinicians’ gender competence, resulting in beliefs that ED treatment was ineffective, sometimes harmful. Further attention to this population's needs is crucial, as inadequate care is potentially life threatening.
Colorectal cancer in patients over 80 years of age.

In the elderly patient with colorectal cancer, problems confronting the surgeon are often complicated by clinically significant co-existent disease, which may substantially increase surgical risk. If the effects of such complications can be recognized and at least partially corrected, surgery is warranted because it is then well tolerated, and the survival rates have proved rewarding.
Effect of number of corpora lutea and fetuses on concentrations of progesterone in blood of goats.

The objectives of this study were to assess relationships between 1) number of corpora lutea (CL) and concentrations of progesterone (P) in plasma of goats from onset of estrus (d 0) to d 45 of pregnancy and 2) concentration of P and number of fetuses on d 45. Blood from 79 pregnant goats was obtained on d 0 and 1 and at 48-h intervals thereafter to d 25 of gestation. Additional samples were collected every 5 d from d 25 to d 45. Plasma samples were analyzed for P by RIA. Fetuses and CL were counted at laparotomy on d 45 +/- 3. Six does had one CL, 47 had two and 26 had three or four. Concentrations of P were compared for 1) animals with different numbers of CL and 2) animals with the same number of CL but different numbers of fetuses on d 45. Concentration of P increased in all animals from d 3 to a maximum of 8.5 +/- .3 ng/ml on d 13, then P declined to 5 +/- .3 ng/ml by d 35. Goats with multiple CL had higher P than goats with one CL (P less than .01) from d 7 to d 30. Of goats with two CL, those with two fetuses at d 45 had higher P on d 13 than those with one fetus (P less than .01). The number of CL or fetuses did not influence the concentration of P after d 30.
Expanding the differential diagnosis for transaminitis in patients with anorexia nervosa

Aminotransferase elevations have been described in patients with anorexia nervosa. Hypothesized etiologies have included ischemic hepatitis, refeeding-induced transaminitis, and the process of autophagy. Supervised enteral nutrition is the mainstay of treatment for severe anorexia, but an increase in aminotransferase levels after initiation of enteral feeding presents clinicians with a diagnostic dilemma. We present a 31-year-old woman with anorexia nervosa (body mass index [BMI] of 13.5 kg/m2) who experienced a worsening of aminotransferase elevations even after the initiation of enteral feeding. Despite nutritional supplementation, the patient’s weight continued to fall for 6 days. Peak aminotransferase concentrations correlated with the patient’s lowest weight and improved only after an increase in BMI was eventually achieved. Secondary causes of severe transaminitis were investigated, and after no cause was found, a liver biopsy was performed. Pathology was consistent with liver injury secondary to severe malnutrition rather than from refeeding syndrome. This case highlights malnutrition as an important cause of aminotransferase elevations and underscores the need for judicious early weight restoration in patients with anorexia and abnormal liver chemistry.
Phase II Study of Lenalidomide (CC-5013, Revlimid®) for Patients (pts) with Myelofibrosis (MF).

Abstract Introduction: Thalidomide has been shown to induce responses in pts with MF but prolonged administration in these pts may be associated with neurotoxicity and other adverse events. Lenalidomide is the lead clinical compound in a new group of drugs called IMiDs®, which have immunomodulatory properties. It affects cytokine expression 200–5000 times more potently than thalidomide but lacks the teratogenecity, sedation and neurotoxicity. Methods: We thus designed a phase II study for pts with myelofibrosis (primary or associated with myeloproliferative disorders) with a platelet (plt) count of at least 30 x109/L. Pts may have received prior therapies, but were excluded if they had known hypersensitivity to thalidomide. Pts received lenalidomide 10 mg/day orally (5 mg daily for patients with platelet count less than 100,000 at study entry). Results: We have treated 41 pts. Their median age was 65 (range, 42 to 83). Thirty-six pts (88%) had received prior therapy for MF, including thalidomide 13 (32%), hydroxyurea 12 (29%), interferon 11 (27%) (pegylated 7), anagrelide 10 (24%), and erythropoietin 6 (15%). Baseline hemoglobin was Conclusion: We conclude that lenalidomide has clinical activity in a subset of patients with myelofibrosis with an acceptable toxicity profile. Studies using lenalidomide in combination with other agents are justified.
Expressed Antigens of Hantaviruses as Potential Vaccines for Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome

Hantaan (HTN) and related viruses, members of the genus Hantavirus, family Bunyaviridae (Schmaljohn and Dalrymple, 1983), cause clinically similar human diseases collectively termed hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) (WHO, 1983). At least three distinct hantaviruses cause human disease: HTN virus, cause of Korean hemorrhagic fever in Korea and epidemic hemorrhagic fever elsewhere in Asia; Puumala (PUU) virus, cause of nephropathia epidemica, found in Europe west of the Ural mountains; and Seoul (SEO) virus, cause of a moderately severe form of HFRS, potentially found wherever urban rat populations are abundant (McKee et al., 1985). Hantaviruses are maintained in nature by chronically infected rodents, which shed infectious virus into the environment in urine, feces, and saliva (Lee et al., 1985; McKee et al 1985). Transmission to humans is usually by the aerosol route; and disease is characterized by an abrupt onset of fever, accompanied by varying degrees of kidney involvement and hemorrhagic manifestations, which may lead to shock, and death (McKee et al., 1983). A number of traditional, inactivated vaccines have been developed and tested in humans, including a rodent brain-derived vaccine developed in South Korea (Lee et al., 1990), and cell culture-derived vaccines, developed in China (Song et al., 1991; 1992). However, these vaccines have not been widely used, partly due to manufacturing difficulties associated with the slow and low-titered replication of hantaviruses in cell culture, and also because of the need to inactivate viral infectivity, which can lead to a loss of antigenic sites required for elicitation of a neutralizing antibody response. Instead of a traditional approach, we decided to pursue a molecular approach to HFRS vaccine development, by using eukaryotic virus vectors to express the genes of HTN virus. This report summarizes our studies with baculovirus- and vaccinia virus-expressed HTN proteins, and our attempts to develop and evaluate through pre-clinical tests a vaccinia-vectored vaccine for HFRS.
RICE CRISPR: Rapidly increased cut ends by an exonuclease Cas9 fusion in zebrafish

Application of CRISPR-Cas9 technology in diverse organisms has resulted in an explosion of genome modification efforts. To expand the toolbox of applications, we have created an E. coli Exonuclease I (sbcB)-Cas9 fusion that has altered enzymatic activity in zebrafish embryos. This Cas9 variant has increased mutation efficiency and favors longer deletions relative to wild-type Cas9. We anticipate that this variant will allow for more efficient screening for F0 phenotypes and mutation of a larger spectrum of genomic targets including deletion of regulatory regions and creating loss of function mutations in transcription units with poor sequence conservation such as lncRNAs where larger deletions may be required for loss of function.
OWCell: Optical wireless cellular data center network architecture

In this paper, we propose OWCells, a class of optical wireless cellular data center network architectures in which fixed line of sight (LOS) optical wireless communication (OWC) links are used to connect racks of servers arranged in regular polygonal topologies. We present the OWCell DCN architecture, develop its theoretical underpinnings, and investigate routing protocol and OWC transceiver design. Simulations are conducted to validate and compare the performance of OWCell. The impact of OWCell design parameters on its performance is also investigated. We compare the performance of OWCell using OCS and hybrid (OCS+OBS) switching schemes. The performance of OWCell is comparatively evaluated with HyScale DCN, a switch-centric hybrid optical DCN. Simulation results show that OWCell can reduce the number of links up by 95–98% while maintaining a performance that is within 15–25% that of HyScale. We discuss future research directions and approaches to improve the performance of the proposed OWCell DCN architectures.
Delta-Quad: An omnidirectional quadruped implementation using parallel jointed leg architecture

Walking robots are in great demand due to their ability to navigate diverse terrains. Currently, many of the robotic legs in development today are serial or prismatic jointed. Such leg architectures have been proven capable but have high power requirements, are limited in overall motion and are relatively slow. This paper discusses the development of a parallel jointed leg, Delta-Leg, that capable of advanced locomotive gaits. The mechanical design and kinematics of a physical working prototype developed is discussed. ANFIS (Adaptive Neural-Fuzzy Inference System) is utilized to describe the inverse kinematics and implement control of the robot. Four Delta-Legs are combined to produce a walking quadruped; Delta-Quad. A simulated model is generated to verify and test the walking capabilities of the Delta-Quad. A physical prototype is constructed to implement a basic omnidirectional walking gait. Both the simulated and physical Delta-Quad models are successful in omnidirectional locomotion.
Taking Care of the Rule of Law

The project of squaring the rule of law with executive governance is coming to a head. Hardly a week passes without commentators summoning the rule of law to pass judgment on the legitimacy or desirability of some executive action. But the more we talk about the rule of law, the further it seems to slip away. Rather than look to the rule of law for answers, this Article shines critical light on what the rule of law ideal cannot tell us. Moreover, the Article explains why even well-intended efforts to square the rule of law with trends in executive governance can be counterproductive. To anchor these points, the Article presents comparative case studies of President Obama’s and President Trump’s signature immigration policies and the rule of law debates surrounding them. The Obama-Trump juxtaposition offers a portrait of some disquieting trends, not only for presidential administration, but also in how we think and talk about the rule of law ideal. This Article intervenes with some prescriptions moving forward — including away from rule of law talk, and towards doctrines and institutional arrangements that could more effectively check presidential power.
Discriminate Use of Varicocelectomy in Light of Advances in Assisted Reproductive Technologies

Varicoceles are common in the population and pose a challenge to infertility providers. The data to support varicocelectomy in infertile males is limited and controversial. Varicocelectomy does demonstrate improvement in semen parameters and may be considered the sole infertility management in only a limited subset of the infertile population. Current advances in assisted reproductive technologies (ART) have demonstrated superior success rates and shorter time to pregnancy compared to surgical repair of varicocele in the sub-fertile male and should be considered the primary treatment.
Self-Lubricating Buckyballs and Buckytubes for Nanobearings and Gears — Science or Science F(r)iction?

A review of the literature shows that the popular misconceptions of employing carbon nanotubes and carbon buckyballs as moving mechani-cal assembly components for Drexlerian nanomachinery are based on incomplete computer models missing the basic tenets of nanotribology. A large number of models fail to take into account (a) the effects of enhancing or retarding the π – π* orbital interaction of contacting flat or curved graphene planes by environmental influences, and (b) the war-ning signs of non-tribology-related data on high cohesive energy density and thus poor self-lubricating ability. A variety of tribometric data on carbon buckyballs, generated by test apparatus ranging from atomic force microscopy to continuum-mechanical testers, are also gleaned from the literature to compare the results of these experiments with the validity of the hypothesis brought forth by this paper. New materials approaches are reviewed for nanomachinery, using other fullerene-like chemistries besides carbon.