cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Cost of Learning Robotic-Assisted Prostatectomy

Objectives To describe the costs associated with the learning curve of robotic-assisted prostatectomy (RAP). Methods A theoretical model of the cost of operative time during the learning curve for RAP was constructed. Within the theoretical model varying rates of improvement were considered, and once the learning curve was complete, the total cost of operative time was calculated. This cost was then compared with an actual series of RAP, whose operative time and associated costs during the learning curve were also calculated. Results In the theoretical model, surgeons improved at rates of 1, 5, or 10 minutes per case, and began the learning curve that required 8 or 9 hours to perform a single RAP. At the end of the learning curve it took either 3 or 4 hours. The most expensive learning curve was 360 cases long and cost $1.3 million; the least expensive learning curve was 24 cases and cost $95,000. The literature search involved 8 series, with a range of learning curves from 13 to 200 cases. The least expensive learning curve was $49,613 and the most expensive learning curve was $554,694. The average learning curve was 77 cases and cost $217,034. Conclusions Costs associated with operative time while learning RAP are substantial, and should be considered when deciding whether to implement RAP at an individual institution. RAP may best be suited to high volume prostatectomy centers, in which the learning curve can be rapidly traversed, and associated costs minimized.
The scales of mantle convection

Seismic, topographic and gravity data show that there are two important scales of mantle convection. These are associated with spherical harmonic degrees l=2 and 6. The l=2 pattern corresponds to the pattern of subduction cooling since the breakup of Pangea. Most hotspots and ridges occur in the half of the globe unaffected by this cooling and all large igneous provinces were generated over this part of the mantle. The l=2 distribution of upwellings and downwellings is likely to be a long-lived feature of the Earth; cold regions of the mantle repeatedly attract continents and subduction reinforces the coldness. An l=1 pattern of convection is probably related to supercontinents and their breakup. Degree 6 convection shows up in the spectrum of hotspots and upper mantle tomography and in the correlation of tomography and topography with the geoid. Cratons, with their deep cold keels, control the l=6 pattern, and may even cause it, by their role in establishing lateral temperature gradients and relief at the top of the convecting mantle. Subduction zones reinforce the craton pattern. Downwellings preferentially occur under cratons; upwellings, and hotspots, occur at complementary locations. Supercontinents, and their associated subduction zones (l=1) constantly assemble and reassemble in the African-Atlantic hemisphere and the continental fragments, in the dispersed state, periodically settle into the polar band of geoid lows (l=2 and 6) that now includes the Americas, Antarctica, Australia and India. If cratons control the l=6 pattern of convection (and many patterns of l=6 are possible; e.g., sectoral, zonal, checker-board) then upper-mantle convection may reorganize roughly every 30 Ma as cratons move about. The hotspot spectrum is probably related to lithospheric extension as well as to broad upwellings. A third and smaller scale of convection, order 400–1000 km in dimension, is just below the resolution of global tomography but shows up in the gravity field (geoid) and topography. This scale is controlled by the depth of an endothermic phase change which tends to stratify mantle convection, and the thickness of the upper mantle low viscosity zone. Convective domains of this dimension are also implied by the scales of chemical homogeneity, lengths of rifts, ridges and seamount chains, fracture zone spacing and mid-ocean ridge segmentation. The temperature, geochemistry and fertility of these upper-mantle scale domains is controlled by their previous history of subduction, continental insulation or refrigeration, and processing by ridges. Fertile, or volatile-rich, or hot, cells can be mistaken for plumes. Hotspot swells are typically of the dimension that we argue is a characteristic upper mantle scale rather than a deep mantle plume scale. Geochemical domains of various sizes exist in the upper mantle. They are broad-scale features, rather than point sources, as in plume theories. Lithospheric dynamics and geometric focusing, not mantle dynamics, control the dimensions of so-called hotspot eruptives.
Comparative Advertising in the Global Marketplace: The Effects of Cultural Orientation on Communication

This research examined the efficacy of one type of communication strategy, comparative advertising, in communicating product superiority to consumers across different cultures. In individualist cultures such as the United States, comparative advertising that highlights the superiority of the target brand is seen as more effective. However, in collectivist cultures such as Thailand, comparative advertising that highlights the similarity between brands is more likely to be effective. In addition, comparative advertising was more believable for unfamiliar brands in individualist cultures whereas comparison for familiar brands was more believable in collectivist cultures.
Atmospheric Limitations on Antenna Pointing Performance

Atmospheric limitations to the pointing performance of a ground-based satellite antenna are analyzed in terms of power loss relative to perfect pointing. The antenna under consideration employs an open-loop tracking technique for pointing to a satellite with known position. A model is set up for the analysis to account for the statistical effect of atmospheric refraction of waves on the pointing performance of the ground antenna. An analytic result is obtained for prediction of the pointing performance. Measured atmospheric refraction data are incorporated into the model to demonstrate the atmospheric limitations to the highest antenna gain permissible within a specified pointing loss.
Ecosystem engineers maintain a rare species of butterfly and increase plant diversity

We evaluated whether ecosystem engineers can accomplish two conservation goals simultaneously: (1) indirectly maintain populations of an endangered animal through habitat modifi cation and (2) increase riparian plant diversity. We tested for eff ects of a prominent ecosystem engineer, the beaver Castor canadensis, on populations of St. Francis’ satyr butterfl y Neonympha mitchellii francisci and plant species richness and composition. We performed our test by surveying riparian vegetation communities in all stages of beaver-infl uenced wetland succession. We found that beavers created wetland habitats that supported plant species not found elsewhere in riparian zones and increased plant species diversity across the landscape by creating a novel combination of patch types. Our results confi rmed what others have found about engineering eff ects on plant diversity, but these results further demonstrated a case where ecosystem engineers indirectly maintain populations of rare animals by modifying the composition and diversity of plant communities within wetlands. Our research demonstrates how an ecosystem engineer can infl uence habitat availability and composition of plant communities important for an endangered insect, and maintain overall plant species diversity by increasing habitat heterogeneity.
Democratization and Linguistic Complexity: The Effect of Franchise Extension on Parliamentary Discourse, 1832–1915

We consider the impact of the Second Reform Act, and the doubling of the electorate it delivered, on the linguistic complexity of speeches made by members of parliament in Britain. Noting that the new voters were generally poorer and less educated than those who already enjoyed the suffrage, we hypothesize that cabinet ministers had strong incentives—relative to other members—to appeal to these new electors with simpler statements during parliamentary debates. We assess this claim with a data set of over half a million speeches for the period between the Great Reform Act and Great War, along with methods for measuring the comprehensibility of texts—which we validate in some detail. The theorized relationship holds: ministers become statistically significantly easier to understand (on average) relative to backbenchers, and this effect occurs almost immediately after the 1868 election. We show that this result is not an artifact of new personnel in the House of Commons.
Factors Influencing Enrollment in an Urban Agricultural Education Program

The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing students to enroll in an urban agricultural education program. Former students' in the study indicated parents and/or guardians as the individuals most influencing their decision to enroll in an urban agricultural education program. However, former students' indicated their mother or female guardian as having more influence than the father or male guardian. Former students also indicated events and experiences focused around several themes influencing their decision to enroll in an urban agricultural education program. However, recruitment activities, interest in animals, agricultural career aspirations, and parents accounted for more than 50% of the events and experiences. Thus, for the participants in this study, it was concluded that there were several factors influencing their decision to enroll in an urban agricultural education program.
Measuring attosecond pulses generated from polarization gating

Angle-resolved photoelectron spectra of argon atoms by XUV attosecond pulses in the presence of a circularly polarized laser field are calculated to examine their dependence on the duration and the chirp of the attosecond pulses. From the calculated electron spectra, we show how to retrieve the duration and the chirp of the attosecond pulse using genetic algorithm. The method is expected to be used for characterizing the attosecond pulses which are produced by polarization gating of few-cycle left- and right-circularly polarized infrared laser pulses.
On the mechanism of the binding of sulfonamides to bovine serum albumin.

The mechanism of the binding of several sulfonamides to bovine serum albumin has been investigated by relaxation time measurements on their high resolution proton magnetic resonance spectra. Upon addition of albumin to the sulfonamide solutions generally a larger increment in the relaxation rate was found for the p -aminobenzenesulfonamide moiety than for any of the substituents on N-1, indicating that the parent molecule is the primary binding site. The three-ring compound sulfaphenazole was found to be an exception. Two of the three rings, the p -aminobenzene sulfonamide and the phenyl portion of the N-1 substituent, bind independently. The two binding sites can be clearly distinguished since phenylpropanol interferes with the binding of the p -aminobenzenesulfonamide moiety and slightly enhances the binding of the phenyl group.
The progress cascading model: A scalable model for teaching and mentoring graduate trainees in exposure therapy

Abstract Little has been written as to how clinicians in specialty treatment clinics go about training unlicensed trainees to work with patients with OCD. The University of Florida's OCD (UF OCD) treatment and training program was founded over 20 years ago by Drs. Wayne Goodman and Gary Geffken and has reported treatment response rates above the national average. The success of the program is largely due to a continued emphasis on trainee development through a progressive cascading model of mentorship. Using this competency based model, the UF OCD program focuses on skill acquisition and competency based evaluation through mentoring, collaboration, and co-therapy with clinicians and other trainees. Trainee satisfaction with this model was assessed using qualitative and questionnaire based feedback from trainees whom had completed at least one semester within the training program. Most trainees felt competent in implementing exposure therapy and were satisfied following their training within the program, reporting particular benefit from the co-therapy approach. Recommendations for implementation of this model in graduate training clinics are discussed.
Pressor and vascular responsiveness in renal prehypertensive rabbits with a nonfiltering kidney.

~~ Abstract. This study examined the possibility that the renal tubules are the site of the sensors that respond to renal artery stenosis (RAS) and which initiate the events leading to pressor hyperresponsiveness. A nonfiltering kidney (NFK) was produced in 32 rabbits by 2 hr of total renal ischemia plus permanent ligation of the ureter; the opposite kidney remained undisturbed. Sixteen of these rabbits also received RAS of the NFK. An additional 16 rabbits received RAS without production of a NFK, and 16 more rabbits were sham-operated controls. In acute experiments 3 days later in conscious rabbits, infusions of norepinephrine at several doses resulted in greater increases in mean arterial pressure in the RAS rabbits, with filtering kidneys (2-K, I-clip) and with NFKs (2-K, 1-clip with NFK), than in the NFK rabbits without RAS (2-K control with NFK) or in the control rabbits (2-K control). Measurements of cardiac output revealed greater increases in total peripheral resistance as well as in mean arterial pressure in response to norepinephrine in the RAS rabbits both without and with a NFK. Because production of a NFK in rabbits did not prevent the development of pressor and vascular hyperresponsiveness 3 days after RAS, these studies indicated that the renal sensors that detect changes in the kidney following RAS and which initiate the series of events leading to pressor and vascular hyperresponsiveness, probably are not located in the renal tubules.
Welding of Gold Nanoparticles on Graphitic Templates for Chemical Sensing

Controlled self-assembly of zero-dimensional gold nanoparticles and construction of complex gold nanostructures from these building blocks could significantly extend their applications in many fields. Carbon nanotubes are one of the most promising inorganic templates for this strategy because of their unique physical, chemical, and mechanical properties, which translate into numerous potential applications. Here we report the bottom-up synthesis of gold nanowires in aqueous solution through self-assembly of gold nanoparticles on single-walled carbon nanotubes followed by thermal-heating-induced nanowelding. We investigate the mechanism of this process by exploring different graphitic templates. The experimental work is assisted by computational studies that provide additional insight into the self-assembly and nanowelding mechanism. We also demonstrate the chemical sensitivity of the nanomaterial to parts-per-billion concentrations of hydrogen sulfide with potential applications in industrial safety and p...
The morals of modernity

The essays collected in this volume all explore the problem of the relation between moral philosophy and modernity. Charles Larmore addresses this problem by attempting to define the way distinctive forms of modern experience should orientate our moral thinking. Charles Larmore wonders whether the dominant forms of modern philosophy have not become blind to important dimensions of the moral life.The book argues against recent attempts to return to the virtue-centered perspective of ancient Greek ethics. As well as exploring the differences between ancient and modern ethics, the author examines such topics as the roles of reason and history in our moral understanding, the inadequacy of philsophical naturalism, and the foundations of modern liberalism. There are also extended discussions of a number of leading contemporary philosophers: Rawls, Habermas, Williams and Rorty.
Binding affinity of a small molecule to an amorphous polymer in a solvent. Part 2: preferential binding to local sites on a surface.

Crystallization, a separation and purification process, is commonly used to produce a wide range of materials in various industries, and it usually begins with heterogeneous nucleation on a foreign surface in industrial practice and most other circumstances. Recent studies show that amorphous polymeric substrates are useful in controlling crystallization and selectively producing pharmaceutical polymorphs. In our previous publication, we investigated the possible correlation of the binding affinity of one molecule to key binding sites (local binding), and the possibility of using this binding affinity to guide the selection of polymers promoting heterogeneous nucleation. The studied systems were aspirin binding to four nonporous cross-linked polymers in ethanol–water 38 v% mixture. Cross-linked with divinylbenzene (DVB), these polymers were poly(4-acryloylmorpholine) (PAM), poly(2-carboxyethyl acrylate) (PCEA), poly(4-hydroxylbutyl acrylate) (PHBA), and polystyrene (PS). We discovered that the trend of th...
American Public Policy and International Arbitration

In the past, a certain irreducible minimum of public interest legal subject areas, such as antitrust law, were held by the courts to be non-arbitral because of fundamental legislative value-judgment underpinnings. The judiciary seemed to be laboring under the apprehension that private arbitrators would not, or could not, effectively enforce public laws enacted for the protection of the entire society.A frequently invoked device to circumvent arbitration is an allegation of fraud in the inducement of the contract. This allegation is intended to force the courts to conclude that since this issue is intrinsic to the validity of the contract, it is therefore beyond the power of the arbitrator to decide, because the arbitrator’s legal power to act is subject to the condition precedent of contractual validity.This article presents how the United States’ judicial approach to arbitration of international disputes is robustly healthy, flexible and clear-minded. A significant factor in the development of this judicial reasoning has been the efforts of arbitration bodies to adjust arbitration procedures to modern times. This willingness to adapt and change should ensure that the modern approach of the U.S. courts discussed in this paper will not be evanescent, but rather will endure for the foreseeable future. As a result, the role that United States arbitration will continue to play in actively resolving international disputes is considerably enhanced for some time to come. In short, United States arbitration and its interpretation and enforcement by the courts now unquestionably provide an invaluable model, worthy of emulation by other jurisdictions.
Octave-spanning mid-infrared pulses by plasma generation in air pumped with an Yb:KGW source.

Femtosecond mid-infrared (IR) supercontinuum generation in gas media provides a broadband source suited for time-domain spectroscopies and microscopies. This technology has largely utilized <100 fs Ti:sapphire pump lasers. In this Letter, we describe the first plasma generation mid-IR source based on a 1030 nm, 171 fs Yb:KGW laser system; when its first three harmonics are focused in air, a conical mode supercontinuum is generated that spans <1000 to 2700 cm−1 with a 190 pJ pulse energy and 0.5% RMS stability.
Hepatocellular adenoma among adult survivors of childhood and young adult cancer

Hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) is a rare benign epithelial neoplasm with potential for hemorrhage, rupture, or malignant transformation. Reported annual incidence of HCA is approximately 1/1,000,000. We identified 12 cases of HCA among adults with a history of childhood or young adult cancer. The most common cancer diagnosis was leukemia (N = 4). Five had undergone allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant with total body irradiation. All 11 females had prior estrogen therapy; the male case was hypogonadal. This report suggests childhood and young adult cancer survivors may be at increased risk for HCA, but further investigation is needed.
Why Checkins: Exploring User Motivation on Location Based Social Networks

Checkins, the niche service provided by location based social networks (LBSN), bridge users' online activities and offline social lives in a seamless way. Therefore, knowledge discovery on check in data has become an important research direction [1], [2], [3], [4]. However, a fundamental and interesting question about checkins remains unanswered yet. What are people's motivations behind those checkins? We give the first attempt to answer this question. Motivation studies first appear in social psychology in a less quantitative way. For example, the goal-directed behavior (MGB) model [5] uncovers the association between behaviors and motivations. Following a similar rationale, we design a computational model for the mining of user check in motivations from large scale real world data. We assume that the check in motivation has two types: social motivation and individual motivation. Social motivation is the type of check in incentive that stimulates interactions or influences among friends. Individual motivation is another type of check in incentive that aims to explore and share attractive places. Following the structure of the MGB model, we construct user check in motivation prediction model (UCMP) and then formalize the motivation prediction problem as an optimization problem. The idea is minimizing the difference between the estimated behavior and the true behavior to get the predicted motivations. The experiment on this GOWALLA dataset shows not only prediction results, but also very interesting phenomenons about social users and social locations.
Subprime Meltdown: American Housing and Global Financial Turmoil

SUBJECT AREAS: Market failures, Market structure, Monetary policy, Mortgages. This case focuses on the financial difficulties faced in the US from August to December 2006 as well as their roots in subprime lending. After briefly discussing how mortgages were structured and traded in the pre-1990 period, it describes subprime mortgage lending, as well as other innovative mortgages issued in the 1990s. It also discusses how these mortgages were packaged into securities, and who ultimately came to own these claims and their attendant risk. The case then describes the pain inflicted by raising foreclosures, as well as the financial market ramifications of the rise in mortgage delinquencies. It also chronicles the response of the US and European central banks to the unfolding financial difficulties. Lastly, the case lays policies that have been proposed to deal with either the consequences or the causes of the crisis. These include policies for reforming the supervision of the financial system, changing bankruptcy rules and regulating mortgage finance. Some attention is paid to the role of credit rating agencies in the crisis, and in the financial system as a whole.
CIDER: Resources to Analyze Sequence-Ensemble Relationships of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins

Intrinsically disordered proteins and regions (IDPs) represent a large class of proteins that are defined by conformational heterogeneity and lack of persistent tertiary/secondary structure. IDPs play important roles in a range of biological functions, and their dysregulation is central to numerous diseases, including neurodegeneration and cancer. The conformational ensembles of IDPs are encoded by their amino acid sequences. Here, we present two computational tools that are designed to enable rapid and high-throughput analyses of a wide range of physicochemical properties encoded by IDP sequences. The first, CIDER, is a user-friendly webserver that enables rapid analysis of IDP sequences. The second, localCIDER, is a high-performance software package that enables a wide range of analyses relevant to IDP sequences. In addition to introducing the two packages, we demonstrate the utility of these resources using examples where sequence analysis offers biophysical insights.
ICSBP Activates Transcription of the Gene Encoding Neurofibromin 1 in Differentiating Myeloid Cells.

Abstract Previous studies in murine models and human myeloid malignancies indicate that the interferon consensus sequence binding protein (ICSBP) functions as a leukemia tumor suppressor. Previously identified ICSBP target genes include genes encoding gp91phox and p67phox (components of the phagocyte respiratory burst oxidase), the Toll like receptor 4, and other genes involved in mediating the phagocyte inflammatory response. Transcription of these target genes involves interaction of ICSBP with PU.1 and/or interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1), and is restricted to mature phagocytic cells. These results predict that ICSBP-deficiency would be associated with terminal differentiation block and immune dysfunction. However, the phenotype of ICSBP −/− mice is dominated by development of a myeloproliferative disorder which evolves to acute myeloid leukemia. Therefore, we used the chromatin immuno-precipitation technique to identify novel ICSBP target genes which might be involved in the ICSBP tumor suppressor effect. We identified the gene encoding neurofibromin 1 (the NF1 gene) as an ICSBP-target-gene. We found that ICSBP activates NF1 transcription during cytokine induced differentiation of myeloid progenitor cells. Because Nf1 protein has ras-GAP activity, increased Nf1-expression down regulates cytokine-induced ras activity, resulting in proliferation arrest during myeloid cell differentiation. In the current studies, we investigate the mechanism by which ICSBP activates NF1-transcription. We find that ICSBP is part of a multi protein complex that binds to and activates a cis element in the NF1 gene. This complex also includes the ets protein PU.1 and interferon regulatory factor 2 (IRF2). We find that tyrosine phosphorylation of ICSBP in response to hematopoietic cytokines is required for assembly of this transcriptional activation complex and therefore NF1-transcription. Identification of NF1 as an ICSBP target gene represents a mechanism for ICSBP-leukemia-suppression. These studies also provide the first indication of the importance of NF1-transcriptional regulation to the control of cytokine-induced proliferation in differentiating myeloid cells.
Aerosol Formation from OH Oxidation of the Volatile Cyclic Methyl Siloxane (cVMS) Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane.

Aerosol formation from OH oxidation of decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5, C10H30O5Si5), a cyclic volatile methyl siloxane (cVMS) found in consumer products, was studied in a flow-through photo-oxidation chamber with and without the presence of ammonium sulfate seed aerosol. For the unseeded experiments, chemical characterization with high-performance mass spectrometry showed that the molecular composition changed substantially with aerosol mass loading in the 1–12 μg/m3 range. Monomers (5 Si atoms/molecule) and dimers (10 Si atoms/molecule) dominated the mass spectra of aerosols at higher mass loadings, while ring-opened species (neither 5 nor 10 Si atoms/molecule) dominated the mass spectra of aerosols at lower mass loadings. Molecular signal intensity dependencies upon the aerosol volume/surface area ratio suggest that non-volatile ring-opened species are formed in the gas phase and assist particle formation through condensation, while dimers are formed by accretion reactions within the particle phase as...
Leadership in Dialogue: How Courage Informs

This chapter examines leadership as courage, and places them both in the context of dialogue. By making the discussion surrounding leader behavior one which relies on courage and making courage-based decisions, I argue that leadership in dialogue makes for more effective leadership. It can also be inferred that the most effective and flexible leadership paradigm is one that engages leaders, those operationalizing the vision of the leader, and the others who operate in the local environment. Through an examination of the writings of Rollo May as well as Albert Bandura the exploration of courage is demonstrated to be a crucial component for developing leaders and leadership. Specifically, courage is an essential factor in leadership in dialogue and it adds to the role played by cognition, behavior, and the environment. Courage is the key element needed to create the opportunity to grow. Through examples from everyday leadership and from media, dialogue is shown to be an essential component of effective and collaborative leader behavior. Dialogue is how the personal trait of courage can be made visible to leaders and followers alike. Developing courage in dialogue is critical for leader development.
Use of flaxseed in poultry feeds to meet the human need for n-3 fatty acids

Health benefits of fatty acids (FA) of the n-3 family have been well documented. The current consumption of n-3 FA by humans is below the recommended intake in Western countries. There are two sour...
Hormigones de ultra alto desempeño: diseño para una alta resistencia a la compresión (138 megapascal) y a la erosión-abrasión manteniendo alta trabajabilidad

El desarrollo y produccion de hormigones de alto desempeno o HPC (High Performance Concrete) han evidenciado un avance lento en Ecuador. En este articulo se reportan los resultados de una investigacion que tuvo como objetivo la obtencion de una dosificacion volumetrica de hormigon capaz de cumplir tres requerimientos de desempeno: proporcionar una resistencia a la compresion mayor a los 90 megapascal, en conjunto con una adecuada trabajabilidad de mezcla y, a su vez, presentar una muy alta resistencia a la erosion abrasion, requerimientos necesarios para el revestimiento de los desagues de fondo de algunos proyectos hidroelectricos en Ecuador. Asimismo, este trabajo pretende servir como quna guia y punto de partida para el desarrollo de hormigones de alto y ultra alto desempeno. La investigacion toma en cuenta consideraciones economicas, asi como disponibilidad de los materiales en el mercado local y la relacion resistencia/costo del producto final. Para estos fines se desarrollaron varios disenos distintos de mezclas utilizando microsilice ASTM C1240 y un aditivo reductor de agua de alto rango de ultima generacion acorde con ASTM C494. Como resultado final, se obtuvo una mezcla de alta trabajabilidad con una resistencia ultima a la compresion de 98 MPa a una edad temprana de siete dias, con resistencia maxima 138 MPa a los 28 dias, siendo hasta hoy, el hormigon de mayor resistencia producido en Ecuador, y con porcentajes de desgaste en relacion al peso segun ensayo ASTM C1138 que no superan el 0.8%.
Abstract 563: Serum Amyloid A3 is a High Density Lipoprotein-associated Acute Phase Protein

Acute phase serum amyloid (SAA) is a family of evolutionarily conserved, secreted proteins that exerts innate functions relevant to vascular disease. In humans, two SAA isoforms (SAA1 and SAA2) are highly induced in the liver and extrahepatic tissues under the regulation of inflammatory cytokines. During severe inflammation, SAA1/2 levels can increase ≥1000-fold in plasma, where it is found associated with HDL. Mice produce an additional acute phase SAA, SAA3, which is thought to be produced mainly by adipocytes and macrophages and has not previously been found circulating on HDL. The goal of this study was to investigate whether SAA3 serves as a third liver-derived, HDL-associated acute phase SAA in mice. Using isoform-specific oligonucleotide primers for qRT-PCR, we determined that SAA3 is transcriptionally induced to a similar extent (~2500-fold) compared to SAA1.1/2.1 (~6000-fold) in livers of C57BL/6 mice 19 hr after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection (100 μg/mouse). SAAs were also robustly induced in fat tissue (SAA1/2~100-fold; SAA3~400-fold). The analysis of primary mouse hepatocytes and in situ hybridization of mouse liver sections indicated that liver-derived SAAs are produced by hepatocytes and not other stromal cells, including Kupffer cells. All 3 SAA isoforms were detected in plasma of LPS-injected mice, although SAA3 levels were ~20% of SAA1/2. After separation by FPLC, virtually all of plasma SAA1/2 eluted with the HDL fraction, whereas ~15% of plasma SAA3 appeared to be lipid poor/free. HDL isolated from acute phase mouse plasma by density gradient ultracentrifugation was subjected to isoelectric focusing to determine the relative recovery of the various SAA isoforms. Whereas the bulk of plasma SAA1.1 was found in the d=1.063-1.21 fraction, only ~50% of SAA2.1 and ~10% of SAA3 was recovered after ultracentrifugation. These findings suggest that SAA3 may be more loosely associated with HDL compared to SAA1.1/2.1, which may give rise to lipid poor/free SAA3 that is susceptible to more rapid clearance in vivo. We conclude that SAA3 is a major hepatic acute phase SAA in mice that may produce systemic effects during inflammation. Future studies investigating SAA pathobiology in mice must take into account the previously under-studied SAA3.
Is it melanoma-associated retinopathy or drug toxicity? Bilateral cystoid macular edema posing a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma.

Abstract Purpose To report the clinical presentation, multimodal imaging, and management of a patient with metastatic melanoma who presented with cystoid macular edema (CME). Observations We report a case of a 71-year-old Caucasian male with metastatic melanoma who presented with bilateral cystoid macular edema after being on treatment with a programmed T cell death ligand 1 inhibitor, MPDL3280, for 1 year. Multimodal imaging techniques, including color fundus photographs, autofluorescence, spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT), fluorescein angiography (Spectralis, Heidelberg, Germany), and spectral-domain OCT angiography (Zeiss; California, USA) were performed to evaluate the etiology of his CME and to monitor his response to treatment. Clinical examination and multimodal imaging revealed 1 + chronic vitreous cells, an epiretinal membrane, and mild macular edema in both eyes. Fundus autofluorescence showed paravenous hypoautofluorescence in the right eye and scattered hypoautofluorescent spots in the left eye. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) revealed mild drop out of superficial vessels in the peri-foveal region bilaterally. These findings were concerning for melanoma-associated retinopathy, drug-related uveitis, or activation of a previous chronic autoimmune process. The patient was started on prednisone 30 mg oral daily and ketorolac tromethamine 0.5% 1 drop four times daily. He was then treated with bilateral sustained-release dexamethasone intravitreal implants (Ozurdex). He had complete resolution of CME, and was tapered off of oral steroids within 6 weeks. Conclusions and Importance Melanoma-associated retinopathy can be accompanied by CME, which presents a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma in cases where a new drug has been recently initiated. By treating the condition locally, the ophthalmologist may be able to taper systemic immunosuppression more quickly.
The impact of outpatient acute kidney injury on mortality and chronic kidney disease: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND Acute kidney injury (AKI) has been extensively studied in hospital settings. Limited data exist regarding outcomes for patients with outpatient AKI who are not subsequently admitted. We investigated whether outpatient AKI, defined by a 50% increase in creatinine (Cr), is associated with increased mortality and renal events. METHODS In this retrospective study, outpatient serum Cr values from adults receiving primary care at a health system during an 18-month exposure period were used to categorize patients into one of five groups (no outpatient AKI, outpatient AKI with recovery, outpatient AKI without recovery, outpatient AKI without repeat Cr and no Cr). Principal outcomes of all-cause mortality and renal events (50% decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate to <30 mL/min/1.73 m2) were examined using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS Among 384 869 eligible patients, 51% had at least one Cr measured during the exposure period. Outpatient AKI occurred in 1.4% of patients while hospital AKI occurred in only 0.3% of patients. The average follow-up was 5.3 years. Outpatient AKI was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality {adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.90 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.76-2.06]} and results were consistent across all AKI groups. Outpatient AKI was also associated with an increased risk of renal events [aHR 1.33 (95% CI 1.11-1.59)], even among those who recovered. CONCLUSIONS Outpatient AKI is more prevalent than inpatient AKI and is a risk factor for all-cause mortality and renal events, even among those who recover kidney function. Further research is necessary to determine risk factors and identify strategies for preventing outpatient AKI.
Semi-Blind Channel Estimation in Massive Mimo Systems with Different Priors on Data Symbols

This paper investigates semi-blind channel estimation in massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems using different priors on data symbols. We derive two tractable expectation-maximization (EM) based channel estimation algorithms; one based on a Gaussian prior and the other one based on a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) for the unknown data symbols. The numerical results show that the semiblind estimation schemes provide better channel estimates compared with the estimation based on training sequences only. The EM algorithm with a Gaussian prior provides superior channel estimates compared to the EM algorithm with a GMM prior in low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime. However, the latter one outperforms the EM algorithm with Gaussian prior as the SNR or as the number antennas at the base station (BS) increases. Furthermore, the performance of the semi-blind estimators become closer to the genie-aided maximum likelihood estimator based on known data symbols as the number of antennas at the BS increases.
Actualism, Presentism and the Grounding Objection

Presentism is the view that only presently existing things exist. Actualism is the view that only actually existing things exist. Although these views have much in common, the position we take with respect to one of them is not usually thought to constrain the position that we may take toward the other. In this paper I argue that this standard attitude deserves further scrutiny. In particular, I argue that the considerations that motivate one common objection to presentism—the grounding objection—threaten to give rise to an analogous grounding objection to actualism. Those who are moved by grounding considerations to give up presentism should either be moved by analogous considerations to give up actualism as well or be prepared to undertake quite a bit of further work in order to defend their position.
The quantitative distribution of the erythron and the RE cell in the bone marrow organ of man.

Studies of the quantitative distribution of the RES and the erythron in the bone marrow of the pelvis and lower extremities were performed in a 52 year old male undergoing hemicorpectomy. 198 Au colloid and transferrin bound 59 Fe were injected 24 hours prior to disarticulation of the lower skeleton. Thirty-three per cent of the injected 59 Fe and 3.2 per cent of the injected 198 Au-colloid was recovered in the excised skeleton. By calculation approximately 84 per cent of the injected 59 Fe and 8 per cent of the 198 Au was deposited in the total body marrow. The spatial distribution of 198 Au and 59 Fe activity was essentially the same in each bone and in multiple small sections of them. The results support the concept that in normal situations the quantitative distribution of the RES and the erythron in the bone marrow organ of man is essentially identical and that radioisotope photoscanning of the marrow using radiocolloids does depict the quantitative distribution of the erythropoietic marrow.
A Nonlinear Real Arithmetic Fragment

We present a new procedure for testing satisfiability (over the reals) of a conjunction of polynomial equations. There are three possible return values for our procedure: it either returns a model for the input formula, or it says that the input is unsatisfiable, or it fails because the applicability condition for the procedure, called the eigen-condition, is violated. For the class of constraints where the eigen-condition holds, our procedure is a decision procedure. We describe satisfiability-preserving transformations that can potentially convert problems into a form where eigen-condition holds. We experimentally evaluate the procedure and discuss applicability.
Japan: Beyond the End of History

In this analysis of Japan's policy-making, David Williams places his argument within the debates about Japanese political economy in the United States and Britain, debates previously polarised between 'market' and 'ministry' views. He presents Japanese-style nationalist development as a serious challenge to Western values and theory.
Early Occupational Defamation and Disloyal Lawyers: “He is Ambodexter. There Cannot Be A Greater Slander”

Defamation, a subject of considerable interest to legal historians, did not become actionable in the royal courts until the early 16th century. As the secular cause of action for defamation developed, there were a number of actions instituted by lawyers, including a significant number of defamation suits by lawyers accused of being ambidexters, the contemporary term for conflict of interest. Medieval discipline of lawyers for ambidexterity, a common form of lawyer misconduct, likely contributed to making these accusations actionable defamation. This paper studies 45 early modern defamation cases involving accusations of lawyers of ambidexterity. The discussion analyzes the initial and evolving defamatory language and its judicial treatment. The cases show that accusing a lawyer of being an ambidexter was clearly and unequivocally actionable as defamation and that nothing was more defamatory than charging a lawyer with disloyalty to a client. Moreover, the word, ambidexter, signified substantial opprobrium. The defamatory nature of such accusations and this word and the negative impact on professional reputation of these accusations were linked to usages within the legal profession and contemporary literary works and religious discourse. The paper concludes by suggesting that these early defamation suits by lawyers may have played a role in the evolution of the more general category of professional and occupation defamation that probably did not arise until the next century.
Obesity and Pancreatic Cysts in African American Patients.

Objective Obesity is one of the risk factors for pancreatic cancer and a prognostic factor for acute-chronic pancreatitis. Aim To explore the relationship and association between obesity and pancreatic cysts over a 25-year period in African American patients. Methods We reviewed the medical records of 207 patients diagnosed with pancreatic cysts via radiology and pathology data from January 1988 to December 2012. A control group was selected from a separate group of healthy patients without a history of pancreatic disease. The patients were evaluated in five groups according to the last 20 years of diagnosis in five-year intervals. Results Most patients with pancreatic cyst (73%) were overweight (defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25), and 53% had a history of chronic pancreatitis compared to patients in the control group. There was a significant difference between the two groups; 79% of patients group were overweight (BMI ≥ 25) vs. 66% in control group (p = 0.02). The incidence of obese and overweight patients was significant (85%) during the 2008 to 2012 interval for the test group (p = 0.009). Conclusion Given the increasing proportion of obese pancreatic cyst patients in recent decades compared to the proportion noted in the 1990s, obesity plays a large role in the formation of pancreatic cysts.
Prokineticin-2 and ghrelin robustly influence the sexual and ingestive behaviors of female Syrian hamsters

Abstract Prokineticins are involved in many physiological processes including circadian rhythms, neurogenesis, angiogenesis, and cancer. Recently, they have been found to play a role in regulating food intake. Historically, proteins that increase feeding behavior in mammals decrease reproductive behavior to prevent pregnancy and lactation when food is scarce. In the current study, prokineticin-2 (PK2) had pronounced effects on reproductive and ingestive behaviors when given to female Syrian hamsters. Administration of PK2 prevented ingestive behaviors induced by food restriction, such as the amount of time spent with food and eating. Hamsters given PK2 preferred to engage in reproductive behaviors, including spending time with a male and lordosis. Furthermore, analysis of blood plasma revealed that changes to behavior persisted despite similar levels of des-acyl ghrelin (DAG) and reduced glucose concentrations in the blood. Additionally, administering 10 mg/kg of acyl ghrelin (AG) to a different cohort of animals significantly decreased the amount of time females spent with a potential mating partner, increased the amount of time females spent with food, decreased the duration of lordosis, and increased the duration of eating. Results from the current study support the need for further research investigating the reproductive and ingestive roles of PK2 and ghrelin.
Childhood asthma is associated with COPD and known asthma variants in COPDGene: a genome-wide association study.

Childhood asthma is strongly influenced by genetics and is a risk factor for reduced lung function and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults. This study investigates self-reported childhood asthma in adult smokers from the COPDGene Study. We hypothesize that childhood asthma is associated with decreased lung function, increased risk for COPD, and that a genome-wide association study (GWAS) will show association with established asthma variants. We evaluated current and former smokers ages 45–80 of non-Hispanic white (NHW) or African American (AA) race. Childhood asthma was defined by self-report of asthma, diagnosed by a medical professional, with onset at < 16 years or during childhood. Subjects with a history of childhood asthma were compared to those who never had asthma based on lung function, development of COPD, and genetic variation. GWAS was performed in NHW and AA populations, and combined in meta-analysis. Two sets of established asthma SNPs from published literature were examined for association with childhood asthma. Among 10,199 adult smokers, 730 (7%) reported childhood asthma and 7493 (73%) reported no history of asthma. Childhood asthmatics had reduced lung function and increased risk for COPD (OR 3.42, 95% CI 2.81–4.18). Genotype data was assessed for 8031 subjects. Among NHWs, 391(7%) had childhood asthma, and GWAS identified one genome-wide significant association in KIAA1958 (rs59289606, p = 4.82 × 10− 8). Among AAs, 339 (12%) had childhood asthma. No SNPs reached genome-wide significance in the AAs or in the meta-analysis combining NHW and AA subjects; however, potential regions of interest were identified. Established asthma SNPs were examined, seven from the NHGRI-EBI database and five with genome-wide significance in the largest pediatric asthma GWAS. Associations were found in the current childhood asthma GWAS with known asthma loci in IL1RL1, IL13, LINC01149, near GSDMB, and in the C11orf30-LRRC32 region (Bonferroni adjusted p < 0.05 for all comparisons). Childhood asthmatics are at increased risk for COPD. Defining asthma by self-report is valid in populations at risk for COPD, identifying subjects with clinical and genetic characteristics known to associate with childhood asthma. This has potential to improve clinical understanding of asthma-COPD overlap (ACO) and enhance future research into ACO-specific treatment regimens. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00608764 (Active since January 28, 2008).
Use of Dermabond Tissue Adhesive for Oculoplastic Incision Closure

Sutureless oculoplastic surgery is an available option to both the oculoplastic surgeon and his/her patients. Cyanoacrylate adhesives with their delivery systems and applicators can be adapted to work on periorbital skin wounds. This chapter describes some techniques in sutureless oculoplastic wound closure.