cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Percutaneous treatment of transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract.

SUMMARY Fourteen selected patients with renal pelvic transitional cell carcinoma were managed percutaneously in our institution between March 1984 and April 1987. With a mean follow-up of 19 months, and excluding those patients who underwent immediate nephroureterectomy, six patients remain free of recurrent disease, which is similar to the results obtained with open parenchyma-sparing conservative operations. 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 20 , 24 , 27 Our results suggest that percutaneous operations can provide cure in selected patients, including those with a normal contralateral kidney and with small (no more than 2-cm), single, low-grade, papillary tumors that are confined to the mucosa who, in addition, have negative cytology, negative random biopsies of contiguous mucosa, and no history of or concurrent transitional cell carcinoma elsewhere in the urinary tract. Further, our results suggest that second-look procedures with resection of suspicious residual disease, Nd:YAG laser irradiation of the tumor bed, and intracavitary administration of BCG all appear to help prevent recurrences.
Nonlocality in Relativistic Dynamics

Recent experiments have renewed interest in nonlocal interpretations of quantum mechanics. The experimental observation of the violation of Bell's inequalities implies the existence of nonlocality. Bohm expressed the nonlocal connection between quantum particles through the wave function and the quantum potential. This paper shows that a similar connection exists in a relativistic dynamical theory known as parametrized relativistic quantum theory (PRQT). We present an introduction to PRQT, derive the quantum potential for a system of relativistic scalar particles, and discuss alternative interpretations of nonlocality.
Key foisting and key stealing attacks in sensor networks

We show how to establish cryptographic keys in sensor networks where neither public-key infrastructure PKI nor a trusted third party exists. We use a 'web-of-trust' model, establishing 'path' keys using pairwise trust relationships between intermediaries sharing preloaded keys. We first show how to defeat current schemes with key foisting, a devastating novel attack not described in the literature. Foisting compromises 90% of the path keys, when only 10% of the sensors in the network are seized. We then present a two-way path-key establishment scheme, and a highest random weight HRW based path-key establishment scheme to deal with key foisting, using mGKE as an illustrative example. Our schemes reduce the probability of successful key foisting to nearly zero even when 20% sensors are seized. Its overhead is affordable, and its resilience is excellent. We also discuss key foisting in general distributed systems.
Sequestration of radioactive iodine in silver-palladium phases in commercial spent nuclear fuel

Abstract Radioactive iodine is the Achilles' heel in the design for the safe geological disposal of spent uranium oxide (UO2) nuclear fuel. Furthermore, iodine's high volatility and aqueous solubility were mainly responsible for the high early doses released during the accident at Fukushima Daiichi in 2011. Studies Kienzler et al., however, have indicated that the instant release fraction (IRF) of radioiodine (131/129I) does not correlate directly with increasing fuel burn-up. In fact, there is a peak in the release of iodine at around 50–60 MW d/kgU, and with increasing burn-up, the IRF of 131/129I decreases. The reasons for this decrease have not fully been understood. We have performed microscopic analysis of chemically processed high burn-up UO2 fuel (80 MW d/kgU) and have found recalcitrant nano-particles containing, Pd, Ag, I, and Br, possibly consistent with a high pressure phase of silver iodide in the undissolved residue. It is likely that increased levels of Ag and Pd from 239Pu fission in high burnup fuels leads to the formation of these metal halides. The occurrence of these phases in UO2 nuclear fuels may reduce the impact of long-lived 129I on the repository performance assessment calculations.
A probabilistic framework for unsupervised evaluation and ranking of image segmentations

In this paper, a Bayesian Network (BN) framework for unsupervised evaluation of image segmentation quality is proposed. This image understanding algorithm utilizes a set of given Segmentation Maps (SMs) ranging from under-segmented to over-segmented results for a target image, to identify the semantically meaningful ones and rank the SMs according to their applicability in image processing and computer vision systems. Images acquired from the Berkeley segmentation dataset along with their corresponding SMs are used to train and test the proposed algorithm. Low-level local and global image features are employed to define an optimal BN structure and to estimate the inference between its nodes. Furthermore, given several SMs of a test image, the optimal BN is utilized to estimate the probability that a given map is the most favorable segmentation for that image. The algorithm is evaluated on a separate set of images (none of which are included in the training set) wherein the ranked SMs (according to their probabilities of being acceptable segmentation as estimated by the proposed algorithm) are compared to the ground-truth maps generated by human observers. The Normalized Probabilistic Rand (NPR) index is used as an objective metric to quantify our algorithm's performance. The proposed algorithm is designed to serve as a pre-processing module in various bottom-up image processing frameworks such as content-based image retrieval and region-of-interest detection.
Symmetric repositioning of bisecting K-means centers for increased reduction of distance calculations for big data clustering

Clustering is one of the fundamental data mining procedures. Bisecting K-means (BKM) clustering has been studied to have higher computing efficiency and better clustering quality when compared with the basic Lloyd version of the K-means clustering. Elkan's method of utilizing triangle inequality significantly reduces distance calculations, and is applicable to each K-means iteration without affecting the clustering result of the iteration. Thus, it is natural to think of using the Elkan method to further improve the efficiency of the already efficient bisecting K-means. In this paper, we find that the bisecting K-means allows the repositioning of the two centers of a to-be-bisected cluster to further reduce distance calculations. Based on our heuristic analysis we investigate a repositioning strategy with a set of repositioning parameters, and incorporated the repositioning techniques into the Elkan method for bisecting K-means algorithms. We tested these new algorithms on three big datasets with millions of data points and compared with the straightforwardly combined Elkan-BKM without center repositioning. The experimental results show that the center-repositioned algorithms have fewer distance calculations than the Elkan-BKM algorithms without center repositioning in almost all cases. While our repositioning parameters produced good results for the tested datasets, these parameter sets are derived based on our intuitive thinking and hence they are by no means optimal. The experimental data presented in this paper suggest the potential of achieving higher efficiency if better repositioning parameters can be discovered.
A Simulation and Experimental Environment for Teaching Chemical Reaction Process Dynamics and Control

Abstract In many undergraduate chemical engineering courses, students are taught about the dynamics of chemical reactions. Examining the textbook literature on reaction process dynamics, there is a gap between the concepts presented in theory and their pedagogical realization in laboratory experiments and complementary simulations. This paper presents a simple, safe, economical approach to provide undergraduate students with an experience in reaction dynamics to match the well-established theory. Optical transmissibility is used as a surrogate for concentration allowing ease of transduction. A simple experiment, costing less than $750 US, is designed and presented along with the results for a crystal violet bleaching reaction. A simulation environment is presented alongside the experimental system. The system’s first order dynamics are well established and the simulations match the experiments well. Additionally, influence of temperature on the system’s time constant is demonstrated via temperature control. This first order system provides the chemical engineering equivalent to DC motor velocity or RC circuit voltage experiments used in Mechanical and Electrical engineering education. Use of the approach to illustrate simple process reaction control concepts is also demonstrated.
Learning-based stochastic object models for characterizing anatomical variations

It is widely known that the optimization of imaging systems based on objective, task-based measures of image quality via computer-simulation requires the use of a stochastic object model (SOM). However, the development of computationally tractable SOMs that can accurately model the statistical variations in human anatomy within a specified ensemble of patients remains a challenging task. Previously reported numerical anatomic models lack the ability to accurately model inter-patient and inter-organ variations in human anatomy among a broad patient population, mainly because they are established on image data corresponding to a few of patients and individual anatomic organs. This may introduce phantom-specific bias into computer-simulation studies, where the study result is heavily dependent on which phantom is used. In certain applications, however, databases of high-quality volumetric images and organ contours are available that can facilitate this SOM development. In this work, a novel and tractable methodology for learning a SOM and generating numerical phantoms from a set of volumetric training images is developed. The proposed methodology learns geometric attribute distributions (GAD) of human anatomic organs from a broad patient population, which characterize both centroid relationships between neighboring organs and anatomic shape similarity of individual organs among patients. By randomly sampling the learned centroid and shape GADs with the constraints of the respective principal attribute variations learned from the training data, an ensemble of stochastic objects can be created. The randomness in organ shape and position reflects the learned variability of human anatomy. To demonstrate the methodology, a SOM of an adult male pelvis is computed and examples of corresponding numerical phantoms are created.
Public perceptions of energy policies: Predicting support, opposition, and nonsubstantive responses

Abstract Public policy preferences can impact policymaking, from influencing what policies are or are not implemented to legitimizing policy decisions. Researchers have examined public support/opposition to a wide variety of energy issues, as well as predictors of these preferences. However, researchers have typically excluded the views of those who say they “don’t know” or do not respond to questions about a particular policy, even when they make up a sizable portion of the population. As a result, we know little about those who provide nonsubstantive responses to energy policy questions, as compared to those who provide support/opposition responses. In this article, I examine the roles of issue awareness, risk perception, and socio-demographic characteristics in predicting support, opposition, and not sure responses to three different energy development issues: nuclear power, the Keystone XL pipeline, and hydraulic fracturing. One of the key findings is that the risk perception predictors of nonsubstantive responses more closely resemble the risk perception predictors of opposition rather than the predictors of support. By excluding the policy preferences of those who “don’t know” or do not answer, researchers are likely providing policymakers with estimates that underrepresent the views of those who are more concerned about environmental risk.
Definition development and prevalence of new persistent opioid use following hysterectomy.

Background Opioids used for postoperative pain control after surgery have been associated with an increased risk of chronic opioid use. Hysterectomy is the most common major gynecological procedure in the United States; however, we lack a data-driven definition of new persistent opioid use specific to hysterectomy. Objective The objectives of the study were as follows: (1) determine a data-driven definition of new persistent opioid use among opioid naive women undergoing hysterectomy and (2) determine the prevalence of and risk factors for new persistent opioid use. Study Design We used data from Optum Clinformatics that include both medical and pharmacy data from a single national private health insurer. Hysterectomies performed from Jan. 1, 2011, to Dec. 31, 2014, were identified using current procedural terminology and International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision, codes. Inclusion criteria included the following: age ≤63 years at hysterectomy, no opioid fills for 8 months preceding (excluding the 30 days immediately prior), and no additional surgical procedures within 6 months after hysterectomy. The perioperative period was defined as 30 days prior to 14 days after hysterectomy. Number of opioid prescription fills, days supplied, and total oral morphine equivalents were analyzed to determine the distribution of opioid use in the perioperative and postoperative periods. We obtained demographics including age, race, educational level, and division of the country according to the US Census Bureau and used International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision, diagnosis codes to identify hysterectomy indications, surgical route, chronic pain disorders, depression/anxiety, and substance abuse. Bivariate analyses were used to compare persistent with nonpersistent opioid users. A hierarchical logistic regression model controlling for regional variation was used to determine factors associated with new persistent opioid use following hysterectomy. Results A total of 24,331 women were included in the analysis. New persistent opioid use was defined as follows: ≥2 opioid fills within 6 months of hysterectomy with ≥1 fill every 3 months and either total oral morphine equivalent ≥1150 or days supplied ≥39. Based on this definition, the prevalence of new persistent opioid use was 0.5% (n = 122). Median perioperative oral morphine equivalents prescribed to those who became new persistent users was 437.5 mg (interquartile range, 200–750) compared with 225 mg (interquartile range, 150–300) for nonpersistent users (P Conclusion Based on our definition, the prevalence of new persistent opioid use among opioid-naive women undergoing hysterectomy is low; however, 2 potentially modifiable risk factors are preoperative opioid prescription and abdominal route of surgery.
Conservation dairy farming impact on water quality in a karst watershed in northeastern US

Abstract One crucial challenge of agriculture is to increase productivity to feed the continuously growing population without deteriorating soil, water, and environmental quality. More emphasis on improved efficiencies, appropriate management of agricultural systems, and improved agronomic and nutrient use practices are needed to address this challenge. A conservation dairy farming system that produces the majority of the dairy feed and forage crops, with no-till, continuous diversified plant cover, and manure injection has recently been developed and tested in Pennsylvania, but the effect of this newly developed cropping system on nonpoint source pollution at the watershed scale is yet to be investigated. Topo-SWAT, a variation of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), was used to simulate nutrient and sediment loading processes of four dairy farming scenarios that differed in land area and implemented different feed production and nutrient input strategies: (i) forage crop production only and no best management practice (no-BMP scenario); (ii) forage production only and typical Pennsylvania management, which includes some no-till and cover cropping (typical scenario); (iii) forage and feed crop production with conservation management with broadcast manure (conservation-BM scenario); and (iv) forage and feed crop production with conservation management with injected manure (conservation-IM scenario). The conservation-IM scenario was the most effective for reducing total nutrient (42% N and 51% P) and sediment (41%) load in the watershed. The typical scenario also reduced nutrient and sediment load compared to the no-BMP scenario. Both conservation scenarios significantly reduced the number of in-stream peaks of organic N (73–82%), nitrate-N (43–47%), organic P (41–50%), and soluble P (62–70%) concentration compared to the typical scenario. Introduction of manure injection hindered runoff-mediated loss of nutrients but not leaching. Both conservation scenarios also decreased nitrous oxide emission by reducing denitrification. Additionally, manure injection retarded 91% of the N volatilization that occurred in manure broadcast scenario. The watershed scale study indicates that implementation of the conservation scenarios can largely contribute to the initiatives of achieving a target total maximum daily load in the Chesapeake Bay.
Orientational Bias Model of Unilateral Neglect: Evidence from Attentional Gradients Within Hemispace

INTRODUCTION Bizzarre though its symptomatology might be, the syndrome of unilateral extrapersonal neglect affords unique insights into how the brain is organised. The disorder reflects a breakdown in those interactions between the cerebral hemispheres that control shifts of attention along the horizontal meridian of extrapersonal and personal space. Given the well-known conservatism that characterises the evolution of neural mechanisms, the manner in which the hemispheres interact in controlling attention may reflect how they interact more generally in the control of higher mental functions. This discussion reviews evidence for an opponent processor model, which differs in important ways from some currently popular accounts of the mechanism of neglect. After explaining some of the principles involved, I cite informal observations that favour the model, and then proceed to the major task of summarising the by now plentiful evidence from the experimental literature from which the "orientational bias" model gains powerful support.
Perinatal Sleep Problems: Causes, Complications, and Management

Changes in sleep are ubiquitous in the perinatal period and it is important to be able to determine when these changes are significant enough to indicate sleep deficiency associated with increased risk for poor maternal and infant outcomes. Guidelines for identifying sleep deficiency include insomnia symptoms, excessively shortened sleep duration, and perception of insufficient or nonrestful sleep. Causes and complicating factors related to such sleep problems have been well-documented and are used to tailor behavioral and pharmacologic treatments for women who are pregnant or in the early postpartum period.
Interplay of 14-3-3 Family of Proteins with DNA Damage-Regulated Molecules in Checkpoint Control

DNA damage causes cell cycle delay, and this process involves a number of highly-regulated proteins that sense DNA damage and regulate the cell cycle machinery. For example, tumor suppressor p53 is activated to maintain genome stability, while CDC25 phosphatase is inhibited to prevent further cell cycle progression in response to DNA damage. The 14-3-3 family of phosphoserine/phosphothreonine binding proteins are involved in the regulation of DNA damage check point response, and they coordinate with DNA damage response regulators such as p53 and CDC25 to regulate the cell cycle to promote DNA repair or survival. Here, we discuss recent data that define the roles of 14-3-3 in DNA-damage checkpoint pathway.
Risk of lymphoma in patients with chronic hepatitis C: A retrospective analysis on East Harlem population.

e12526 Background: The association between chronic hepatitis C (HCV) and lymphoma, especially non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), has been conflicting, varies among different geographical regions, and its ...
Pregnancy after direct cerebral bypass for moyamoya disease

Objective Moyamoya disease (MMD) disproportionately affects young to middle-aged women. The main treatment for this challenging disease is cerebral bypass surgery. Vascular neurosurgeons often need to counsel women regarding pregnancy following bypass for MMD, but there is a paucity of data. The authors set out to examine neurological and obstetric outcomes in an extensive cohort of MMD patients who had pregnancies following cerebral revascularization at the Stanford Medical Center. Methods The authors identified all patients at their institution who underwent cerebral bypass for MMD from 1990 through 2018 and who later became pregnant. Some of these patients also had pregnancies prior to undergoing bypass surgery, and the authors examined these pregnancies as well. They performed a chart review and brief telephone survey to identify obstetric complications, transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), and strokes. Neurological and obstetric outcomes were compared to published rates. They also compared pre- and post-bypass pregnancy complication rates using logistic regression techniques. Results There were 71 pregnancies among 56 women whose mean age was 30.5 years. Among 59 post-bypass pregnancies, there were 5 (8%) perinatal TIAs. There were no MRI-confirmed strokes or strokes with residual deficits. Among 12 pre-bypass pregnancies, there were 3 (25%) TIAs and 2 (17%) MRI-confirmed strokes. There were no hemorrhagic complications in either group. In the generalized estimating equations analysis, performing cerebral revascularization prior to pregnancy versus after pregnancy was associated with lower odds of perinatal stroke or TIA (OR 0.15, p = 0.0061). Nine pregnancies (13%) were complicated by preeclampsia, and there was one (1%) instance of eclampsia. The overall rate of cesarean delivery was 39%. There were 2 miscarriages, both occurring in the first trimester. There were no maternal deaths. Conclusions The authors present neurological and obstetric outcomes data in a large cohort of MMD patients. These data indicate that post-bypass pregnancy is accompanied by low complication rates. There were no ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes among post-bypass pregnant MMD patients. The rate of obstetric complications was low overall. The authors recommend close collaboration between the vascular neurosurgeon and the obstetrician regarding medical management, including blood pressure goals and continuation of low-dose aspirin.
Predictors of emergency medical services use by adults with heart failure; 2009-2017.

Abstract Background Heart failure (HF) necessitates frequent transport by emergency medical services (EMS), but few studies have been conducted to evaluate predictors of EMS use and of multiple EMS transports that are amenable to intervention. Objectives To characterize prehospital clinical status of community-dwelling adults with reported HF who used EMS across 8 years and to evaluate predictors of EMS use and multiple EMS transports. Methods Data were from a database in a large Midwestern county. Descriptive statistics, logistic and negative binomial regression were used for analysis. Results EMS transports were evaluated for 6582 adults with 16,905 transports. The most common chief complaints were respiratory problems, feeling sick, and chest pain. Shortness of breath, chest pain, level of consciousness, age, gender, race, and hospital site predicted multiple transports. Conclusions Clinicians need to educate patients with HF about ways to manage shortness of breath and chest pain and when to activate EMS.
The Cukor “Problem”: David Copperfield, Holiday, and the Philadelphia Story

If an auteur is, as Andrew Sarris once explained, necessarily a director with a “distinguishable personality,” whose work “must exhibit certain recurring characteristics of style which serve as his signature,” how can a filmmaker who insisted that a director “should remain unostentatious” become an auteur? Almost everyone would agree that George Cukor made a lot of good movies, but very few people can identify his distinctive style. Solving this Cukor “problem” requires looking closely at the successful decisions he made in shooting three of his best movies.
Microscopic examination of rejuvenated binders with high reclaimed asphalts

Abstract A properly formulated rejuvenator is a possible remedy for asphalt pavements with a high percentage of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP), which is traditionally too stiff to resist premature damage due to fatigue cracking. Rejuvenated asphalt binders with high RAP have traditionally been evaluated by micro- and macro-level test methods, which are transcendental in providing binders’ molecular level properties that govern their performance properties. This paper presents the usefulness of an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and its nanoindentation technique to observe morphological and nanomechanical properties of rejuvenated asphalt binders with high RAP. A commercial rejuvenator is applied in a Performance Grade (PG) (PG 64-22) binder blended with different percentages (25%, 40%, and 60%, by the weight of the blended binder) of a bulk RAP. The rejuvenated asphalt binder blends were subjected to routine tests such as Penetration, Rotational Viscosity (RV), and Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) as well as the AFM-based PeakForce Quantitative Nanomechanical Mapping (PFQNM™) analysis. As expected, the routine test results reveal that the rejuvenator reduces the stiffness of the RAP-modified binders. The effects of rejuvenator on the RAP-blended binders are evident in the morphological images and nano-level mechanistic data. Based on the AFM test results, it is observed that modulus values of RAP blended binders reduced significantly when the rejuvenator was used. The findings of this study will benefit the pavement professionals for assessing the effectiveness of rejuvenators in asphalt binders with high RAP contents.
Liminal Legality Among Mixed-Status Latinx Families: Considerations for Critically Engaged Clinical Practice

Families affected by liminal legality frequently face unique stressors leading to increased mental health risks. As such, it is imperative that clinicians working with mixed-status Latinx families have an understanding of the types of liminal legality and how the various types of may affect family members differently. While not an exhaustive list, we highlight and describe three types of liminal status that commonly effect the families we see in our practice as couple and family therapists; Deferred Action for Early Arrivals (DACA), Temporary Protective Status (TPS) and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR). We offer six considerations for helping therapist increase their effectiveness and help mitigate stressors when working with mixed-status Latinx families.
Loss and mode characteristics of oversized waveguides and resonators

Oversized waveguides and resonators offer advantageous solutions of the waveguiding and circuit problems at millimeter-wave frequencies. They have low losses and high Q factors in comparison with rectangular waveguides of standard sizes and with miniaturized structures, such as microstrip and fin line. Also, manufacturing of integrated circuits based on suitable types of oversized structures is inexpensive. The sizes which are in the magnitude of millimeters are relatively small and, if compared with the usual dimensions of antennas, practical. Miniaturized structures, in comparison with the required antenna dimensions, are only marginally practical.
The Emergence of Alphabetic Writing: Tlahcuiloh and Escribano in Sixteenth-Century Mexico

Over the course of the sixteenth century in Mexico (New Spain), alphabetic writing replaced pictography as the chosen form of written expression in indigenous communities. A new social role, that of the native language escribano (notary), emerged, eventually to become a principal cultural broker in the colonial period. Despite the indigenous escribano's importance, his origins and the source of his authority within the native sphere are poorly understood. This article offers a close reading of a corpus of hybrid pictographic-alphabetic documents, written in Nahuatl and created between 1553 and 1572 in the indigenous cabildo (town council) of Mexico-Tenochtitlan. Within this important body, escribanos appear early in the documentary record; it was within the established indigenous ecosystem of governance that escribanos first found a niche.Here, pictography flourished, as did performances unique to the indigenous sphere. The corpus reveals how escribanos worked side by side with indigenous tlahcuilohqueh, or painters, who drew on a long-established tradition of manuscript painting and cartography to create property maps. These maps adhered to established codes, both social and visual. Initially preeminent in itself, the work of the tlahcuilohqueh came to supply meaning and public authority to the work of the escribano in this crucial formative period.
Buffered lidocaine for paracervical blocks in first-trimester abortions: a randomized controlled trial.

Abstract Objective The objective was to evaluate if buffered lidocaine decreases injection pain as compared to plain lidocaine for paracervical blocks during first-trimester outpatient surgical abortions. Study design We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial among women undergoing outpatient uterine aspiration of a first-trimester pregnancy or an early pregnancy loss. Subjects received a paracervical block with either lidocaine 1% 20 mL or lidocaine 1% 18 mL plus sodium bicarbonate 8.4% 2 mL. The primary outcome was pain from injection of the paracervical block measured on a 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes included pain after cervical dilation, uterine aspiration and overall satisfaction with pain control. Scores were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test. We aimed to detect a 15-mm difference in pain from injection of the paracervical block. Results From May 2017 to October 2018, 48 women received plain lidocaine and 50 women received buffered lidocaine. Groups were similar in demographics. We found no clinically or statistically meaningful difference in pain when evaluating median VAS scores for paracervical block injection between the buffered and plain lidocaine [30.0 (interquartile range (IQR) 15.3–64.5); 44.5 (IQR 18.3–65), respectively, p = .32]. We found no difference in secondary outcomes between buffered and plain lidocaine. Conclusion Buffered lidocaine for paracervical blocks in first-trimester outpatient surgical abortions does not decrease injection pain as compared to plain lidocaine. Implications statement Buffering the paracervical block in first-trimester outpatient surgical abortions does not decrease injection pain as compared to plain lidocaine, nor does it increase patient satisfaction. Eliminating sodium bicarbonate allows for a more cost-effective and readily available solution for paracervical blocks.
Honest Evaluation in the Academy

Honesty is widely understood as an ethical imperative in science and scholarship. This article examines the operation of this ethic in an area crucial to academe but which has not received sufficient attention: faculty review of candidates seeking appointment to academic rank—in hiring and promotion—in U.S. higher education organizations. Confidentiality is a professional norm indicative of these faculty assessments. By turn, academic freedom is exercised by speaking without fear of retribution, but it is handicapped to the extent that breaches of confidentiality—an instance of professional deviance—cause a group to censor speech. The article investigates the conditions under which honesty is undermined and confidentiality transgressed in review proceedings. In addition, three social-institutional forces are theorized to account for lack of honesty in this central practice of academic life. A situation wherein honesty is systemically inhibited renders the legitimacy of academic organizations in question. The argument articulates a path of reform by spelling-out appointment criteria, professional ethics, and the means of their enforcement to maximize requisite behavior.
Extrahepatic Biliary Tract

The extrahepatic biliary tract includes the right, left, and common hepatic ducts; cystic duct; common bile duct; hepatocystic triangle; and the gallbladder. Anomalous hepatic ducts can be a surgically significant source of bile leakage. Detailed step-by-step technique is presented for laparoscopic (robotic) cholecystectomy, intraoperative cholangiogram, common bile duct exploration, open cholecystectomy, sphincteroplasty, choledochoduodenostomy, choledochocystectomy, and hepaticojejunostomy (Hepp-Couinaud) procedure.
Economic Analysis For Regulating Legal Service Pricing; Ethiopian Case

This paper evaluates the inter link between law and economics in the legal service industry. By assessing how the legal service price is determined between the client and the advocate, it evaluates the fairness and effectiveness of the law in place governing legal fees from basic economic theories in market regulation. By employing both doctrinal and non-doctrinal legal research methods it was established that the Ethiopian legal service market on pricing is prone for market failures and regulation must be in place to avoid the gaps of market inefficiency. The theoretical underpinnings on legal service markets have been found to be strongly substantiated in the practical base and justifications. Finally it was found that the Ethiopian legal framework on pricing is less regulated than what economics suggested increasing the risk of market failure.
Examining the Developmental Trajectory of an in Vitro Model of Mouse Primordial Germ Cells following Exposure to Environmentally Relevant Bisphenol A Levels

Background: Animal-based studies indicate that bisphenol A (BPA) exposure is detrimental to reproductive health, but its impact on the earliest stages of germ cell development remains poorly define...
Evans Calcaneal Osteotomy: Assessment of Multiplanar Correction

Abstract Flatfoot deformity consists of collapse of the medial arch, forefoot abduction, increased talonavicular uncoverage, and hindfoot valgus. Although numerous soft tissue and bony procedures have been proposed to correct each plane of deformity, there is a lack of objective data in the literature quantifying the amount of structural correction. The purpose of this study was to quantify the multi-planar deformity correction of the lateral column lengthening osteotomy (Evans) on hindfoot alignment through objective, reproducible, radiographic measurements. We retrospectively reviewed 45 Evans calcaneal osteotomy procedures in 24 female (53%) and 21 male (47%) feet performed on 40 patients (5 bilateral). The mean follow-up was 53 weeks (range, 32 to 116). The mean age at the time of surgery was 35 years (range, 11 to 73). Statistically significant improvement in radiographic alignment was found in the calcaneal inclination angle, tibial-calcaneal angle, tibial-calcaneal position, and the anteroposterior talo-first metatarsal angle (P
Offline Reinforcement Learning: Fundamental Barriers for Value Function Approximation.

We consider the offline reinforcement learning problem, where the aim is to learn a decision making policy from logged data. Offline RL -- particularly when coupled with (value) function approximation to allow for generalization in large or continuous state spaces -- is becoming increasingly relevant in practice, because it avoids costly and time-consuming online data collection and is well suited to safety-critical domains. Existing sample complexity guarantees for offline value function approximation methods typically require both (1) distributional assumptions (i.e., good coverage) and (2) representational assumptions (i.e., ability to represent some or all $Q$-value functions) stronger than what is required for supervised learning. However, the necessity of these conditions and the fundamental limits of offline RL are not well understood in spite of decades of research. This led Chen and Jiang (2019) to conjecture that concentrability (the most standard notion of coverage) and realizability (the weakest representation condition) alone are not sufficient for sample-efficient offline RL. We resolve this conjecture in the positive by proving that in general, even if both concentrability and realizability are satisfied, any algorithm requires sample complexity polynomial in the size of the state space to learn a non-trivial policy. Our results show that sample-efficient offline reinforcement learning requires either restrictive coverage conditions or representation conditions that go beyond supervised learning, and highlight a phenomenon called over-coverage which serves as a fundamental barrier for offline value function approximation methods. A consequence of our results for reinforcement learning with linear function approximation is that the separation between online and offline RL can be arbitrarily large, even in constant dimension.
Adaptive thermal comfort factors in classroom acoustics

Climate change is affecting the built environment with a growing need to balance adaptive comfort models by relating ambient room temperature and outdoor climatic factors, on the one hand, with adequate classroom acoustics, on the other hand. The adaptive approach allows occupants of a space to adjust their clothing, activity and posture in a space to minimize thermal discomfort while strategizing for adequate reverberant energy and speech clarity. A parametric digital classroom model was built and simulated to various thermal comfort conditions while simultaneously observing the reverberation times (RT) to determine how quickly sound decayed in the space. Building materials were tested parametrically with variable thermal transmittance (U-values) analyzed with corresponding changes in reverberation times. Observed outdoor environmental variables included mean monthly outdoor temperature and relative humidity. A classroom with thirty University students were observed. Measured and simulated data were analyzed for the parametric model applying scatter plot of utilizing the ASHRAE seven-point predicted mean vote (PMV), percentage people dissatisfied (PPD) and reverberation time measurements. Initial findings assessed using ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55 indicate that occupants of a space tend to reach adaptive thermal comfort in a wider range of conditions than commonly noted but inadvertently negatively affect good classroom acoustics.
Change in the Change Agents

As we focus on the process of change in people, it may be of interest to turn our attention to those whose job it is to be agents of that change. Within the world of psychotherapy, mental health professionals assume this role. The role of therapeutic change agent can be a difficult and demanding one, involving extensive schooling and supervised training in working with patients or clients. The focus of the training is generally on developing the natural interests and beginning skills of would-be therapists into the professional knowledge and expertise necessary to understand human functioning and to help those who suffer as they struggle to change. The training, like the work itself, is arduous and demanding, and the development of the clinician is a complex process.
Restrictions on an Attorney's Right to Practice

Relationship agreements such as partnership agreements and employment agreements legally may contain restrictions on competition if the parties to the agreements are not lawyers. Covenants not to compete are recognized as a valid tool that can be used for the protection of otherwise vulnerable interests as long as the competition restriction is reasonable. The story is very different for restrictions involving lawyers. A lawyer cannot enter into an employment or other agreement if that agreement restricts the right of a lawyer to practice law. Thus, a typical covenant not to compete, if entered into by an attorney, whether the attorney is an in-house attorney or an attorney in a law firm, is unethical. An attorney entering into such an arrangement is subject to discipline.
Mechanisms for negative regulation by iron of the fatA outer membrane protein gene expression in Vibrio anguillarum 775

Synthesis of the 86-kDa FatA outer membrane protein is repressed under iron-rich conditions. Complementation of transposition mutants derived from clones containing the pJM1 iron uptake region revealed the existence of an antisense RNA, RNA alpha. This RNA is only expressed under iron-rich conditions and acts as a negative regulator of FatA synthesis, with slight but discernible decrease in the steady-state level of fatA mRNA determined by RNase protection and by Northern blot analysis. Primer extension experiments revealed that the level of several possible fatA transcripts was reduced in the presence of RNA alpha. In addition, we found that fatA mRNA expression is slightly reduced in the presence of Escherichia coli Fur. We have identified and cloned a chromosomally encoded fur-like gene in Vibrio anguillarum.
Catalytic Facilitation in Vitro by Two Multienyzme Complexes from Neurospora crassa

Abstract The conversions of 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate (DAHP) to 3-enolpyruvylshikimate 5-phosphate (ES-5-P) and of N-(5'-phosphoribosyl)anthranilate (PR-anthranilate) to indole-3-glycerol phosphate (InGP) are catalyzed in vitro by two multienzyme complexes from Neurospora crassa. The rates of the over-all sequential reactions catalyzed by the two complexes were found to be greater than the rates of reactions initiated later in the sequence with known intermediates. Under conditions of saturation with the substrate, the rate of formation of ES-5-P from DAHP was 10 times the rate of formation of ES-5-P from shikimate, and the rate of formation of InGP from PR-anthranilate was twice the rate of formation of InGP from 1-(o-carboxyphenylamino)-1-deoxyribulose 5-phosphate. With both complexes, addition of the intermediate did not increase or inhibit the more rapid over-all reaction rates. We conclude that for the over-all reaction sequences the catalytic efficiencies of the enzymic components are increased in these multienzyme complexes either by a mechanism of intermediate substrate localization or by an activation of enzymic activities. Although these cases of catalytic facilitation in vitro have not as yet been correlated directly with the phenomenon of metabolic compartmentalization or channeling as observed in vivo, the activation of the components of a specific multienzyme complex or the localization of intermediate substrates within a specific complex are both mechanisms by which the cell could effect a compartmentalization or channeling of biochemical intermediates.
Transient Absorption of Light Induced by Radiation

We have measured two components in the radiation-induced absorption of 250-nm light in fused silica. For the first, the time constant is 48.3 +- 1.3 ns and the absorption coefficient is 6.68 +- 0.37 cm/sup -1/ per Mrad. For the second, the time constant is long compared to 3 ..mu..s, and the absorption coefficient is 1.65 +- 0.36 cm/sup -1/ per Mrad. The errors quoted are purely statistical.
Neural Correlates of Anticipation in Cerebellum, Basal Ganglia, and Hippocampus

Animals anticipate the future in a variety of ways. For instance: (a) they make motor actions that are timed to a reference stimulus and motor actions that anticipate future movement dynamics; (b) they learn to make choices that will maximize reward they receive in the future; and (c) they form memories of behavioral episodes such that the animal's future actions can be predicted by current neural activity associated with those memories. Although these effects are clearly observable at the behavioral level, research into the mechanisms of such anticipatory learning are still largely in the early stages. This review, intended for those who have a computational background and are less familiar with neuroscience, addresses neural mechanisms found in the mammalian cerebellum, basal ganglia, and the hippocampus that give rise to such adaptive anticipatory behavior.
A Survey of Eulerian Posets

An Eulerian poset is a finite graded poset with o and i such that every interval of length at least one has the same number of elements of odd rank as of even rank. For instance, the face lattice of a convex polytope is Eulerian. We survey some numerical and polynomial invariants associated with an Eulerian poset P. The flag f-vector counts the number of chains of P whose elements have specified ranks. A convenient way to represent the flag f-vector is by a noncommutative polynomial Φp(c, d) called the cd-index of P. The problem of characterizing the flag f-vector of certain classes of Eulerian posets, notably those which are Cohen-Macaulay, is best approached in the context of the cd-index. For the special class of simplicial Eulerian posets (which include face lattices of simplicial polytopes and triangulations of spheres), much more can be said about the flag f-vector. A high point of this subject is the g-theorem, which characterizes the f-vectors of simplicial convex polytopes. In Section 4 we discuss the concept of the h-vector of a lower Eulerian poset and its connection with intersection homology theory. The notion of h-vector leads naturally to the theory of acceptable functions on a lower Eulerian poset and their connection with subdivisions and the Ehrhart polynomial.
Infrared Molecular Spectroscopy of Orion

Recent results on infrared spectroscopy of the cluster of sources in the Orion molecular cloud are discussed. These results imply very high abundances of CO, C2H22, HCN, and OCS, suggesting that grain surface chemistry has been important.
Ceramide-Rich Membrane Rafts Mediate CD40 Clustering

Many receptor systems use receptor clustering for transmembrane signaling. In this study, we show that acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) is essential for the clustering of CD40. Stimulation of lymphocytes via CD40 ligation results in ASM translocation from intracellular stores, most likely vesicles, into distinct membrane domains on the extracellular surface of the plasma membrane. Surface ASM initiates a release of extracellularly oriented ceramide, which in turn mediates CD40 clustering in sphingolipid-rich membrane domains. ASM, ceramide, and CD40 colocalize in the cap-like structure of stimulated cells. Deficiency of ASM, destruction of sphingolipid-rich rafts, or neutralization of surface ceramide prevents CD40 clustering and CD40-initiated cell signaling. These findings indicate that the ASM-mediated release of ceramide and/or metabolites of ceramide regulate clustering of CD40, which seems to be a prerequisite for cellular activation via CD40.
Implications of Cultural Context: African American Identity and Possible Selves

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a systematic pattern behind apparently unrelated individual behaviors. The manners in which the characteristic traits of a good person are interpreted in society tend to influence the everyday behavior of people. Cross-cultural theories of individualism and collectivism are discussed next, to help the readers form a proper perspective on the personal and social identity of an individual. The entire study is done in a cultural frame, highlighting the importance of ethnic and racial identities. The individualistic traits of Americans are contrasted with the generally collective tendencies of the Europeans. The various social representations of race and ethnicity play a major role in influencing racial and ethnic identities of Afro-American groups. One's “self-concept” also plays an important role in determining the performance of individuals, but for minor groups, this concept is guided more by social influences. The tripartite model of identity is reviewed in this context. The importance of racial and ethnic identity in the determination of social identity is also highlighted here. The validity of the tripartite model is showcased in the concluding portion of the chapter, with the help of research results.