cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Imaging artificial secondary caries under composite sealants and restorations

Polarization Sensitive Optical Coherence Tomography (PS-OCT) was used to monitor the progression of simulated caries lesions on occlusal surfaces and image the lesions underneath composite sealants. The polarization sensitive system, recording images in both the parallel and perpendicular axes, was useful for enhancing the image contrast of the artificial caries and minimizing the interference of the strong reflections at surface interfaces. Using the perpendicular axis signal, the mean integrated reflectivity increase from day 0 to day 14 was 5.1 dB (p<0.01, Repeated-Measures ANOVA, Tukey-Kramer). For imaging the lesions underneath sealants, the mean integrated reflectivity of the enamel underneath 250, 500, 750 and 1000 μm of composite was calculated for the demineralized and control samples. The artificial lesions could be detected under 750 μm of visibly opaque sealant, with a 5.0 dB difference from the control samples (t-test, p<0.001). Tooth colored sealants allowed deeper imaging depth. The artificial lesions could be detected under 1000 μm of sealant, with a 6.6 dB difference from the control samples (t-test, p<0.001). This study demonstrated that PS-OCT can be used to track lesion progression on occlusal surfaces non-destructively with or without sealants.
Chromatin Remodeling in Cancer: A Gateway To Regulate Gene Transcription

Cancer cells are remarkably adaptive to diverse survival strategies, probably due to its ability to interpret signaling cues differently than the normal cells. It appears as if cancer cells are constantly sampling, selecting and adapting signaling pathways to favor its proliferation. This process of successful adaptive evolution eventually renders a retractile nature to therapeutic regimens, fueling to the process of cancer progression. Based on plethora of available information, it is now evident that multiple signaling pathways eventually converge, perhaps, in a tempo-spatial manner, onto DNA template-dependent dynamic processes. Considering the complexity and packaging of eukaryotic genome, this process involves energy-dependent sub-events mediated by chromatin remodelers. Chromatin remodeler proteins function as gatekeepers and constitute a major determinant of accessibility of accessory factors to nucleosome DNA, allowing a wide repertoire of biological functions. And thus, aberrant expression or epigenetic modulation of remodeler proteins confers a unique ability to cancer cells to reprogram its genome for the maintenance of oncogenic phenotypes. Cancer cells can uniquely select a multi-subunit remodeler proteome for oncogenic advantage. This review summarizes our current understanding and importance of remodeler and chromatin proteins in cancer biology and also highlights the paradoxical role of proteins with or without dual-regulator functions. It is our hope that an in-depth understanding of these events is likely to provide a next set of opportunities for novel strategies for targeted cancer therapeutics.
Modulation of differentiation and proliferation in human colon carcinoma cells by transforming growth factor β1 and β2

We have previously characterized the diversity of cellular responses to transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta 1 from human colon carcinoma cells. We now show that morphological alteration and part of the growth-inhibitory responses elicited by growth factor (GF) are associated with the secondary effect of the induction of synthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM) glycoproteins. Specifically, morphological alteration is associated with the ECM glycoprotein laminin, and growth inhibition is associated with both laminin and fibronectin. Both TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 down-modulate the expression of nucleolar protein B23 (also known as numatrin or nucleophosmin, a positive regulator of cell proliferation). With one exception, the biological effects of both TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 on these human colon carcinoma cell lines are identical. Both GFs up-modulate the expression of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and CEA-related gene products. However, some of these products are differentially regulated by TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2. The differences in the profile of the induction of these CEA and CEA-related gene products, in the responsive cells, functionally distinguish TGF-beta 1 from TGF-beta 2. Finally, we identified and characterized some of the cellular proteins, the expression of which is up-modulated by GF. These proteins are epithelium-associated, differentiation-related cytokeratins. Both TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 up-modulate expression of the acidic and basic subtypes of human keratins in the responsive human colon carcinoma cells. Both the responsive and unresponsive cells, however, possess receptors for GFs.
The determinants of walking velocity in the elderly. An evaluation using regression trees.

Objective. To determine predictors of walking velocity in the elderly. Methods. Five hundred thirty-two persons from 3 cohorts of elderly persons (retirement community, ambulatory care medical clinic, or chronically homebound population) performed a 10-foot (for the homebound subjects) or 50-foot (for all other subjects) walk time test and underwent a standardized interview, chart review, and clinical examination. The 73 independent variables that were evaluated included demographic, musculoskeletal, neurologic, psychologic, and other comorbidity items. Least-squares and least-absolute-deviation regression tree analyses were performed to determine the strongest predictive factors associated with walking velocity. Results. Sampling cohort (homebound versus non-homebound), quadriceps strength, hip flexion strength, lumbosacral spine impairment, lower joint impairment, and education were found to be associated with walking velocity. Joint pain measures were not associated with walking velocity. Conclusion. Muscle strength variables are better predictors of walking velocity than are joint pain variables. Thus, clinical trials and observational studies using walking velocity as an outcome need to take into consideration the influence of muscle strength on this outcome variable.
Power to the People? Emotional Components of Media Power, Mobile ICTs, and Their Potential to Alter Individual-Media Dependency Relations

Within the individual-media dependency relation (IMDR), individuals are at a disadvantage. Because media control the information resources individuals require, media typically have more power. However, with the proliferation of mobile information communication technologies (ICTs), that power is being challenged. ICTs allow individuals more control over their interactions with media-provided information. To see if ICTs altered IMDR, media power was conceptualized as changes in emotional response to media access for informational goal achievement. An experiment using an active imagery task was conducted and emotional responses to accessing information via ICTs and traditional media were obtained, along with media use measures. Emotional responses were measured along three factors: valence, arousal, and most importantly, dominance, or control. Results showed that ICT use did not have the predicted impacts on emotional responses. When ICT use was a significant factor, it was related to decreases in all three ...
Mobile Device-Based Applications for Childhood Anxiety Disorders

Abstract Objective: Given that childhood anxiety disorders are common and frequently undertreated, novel treatment platforms are needed. The current article explores the potential for mobile device-based (m-health) applications, to expand access to evidence-based treatment. Methods: This article reviews the relevant literature regarding barriers to disseminating evidence-based treatment, the potential benefits of the m-health platform, standards for evaluating m-health interventions, and currently available applications. Results: Although a large number of m-health applications for anxiety are available, the vast majority of them are inconsistent with therapy protocols supported by the child anxiety treatment literature. The relatively few m-health applications based on evidence-based practice have not yet been examined empirically. Conclusions: Realizing the potential of m-health for child anxiety will require addressing the uncertainty around the necessary and sufficient components of cognitive-behavior...
Edge detection using refined regularization

An edge detection algorithm based on the regularization theory in which the smoothness is controlled spatially over the image space is presented. The algorithm starts with an oversmoothed regularized solution and iteratively refines the surface around discontinuities using the knowledge on the structure of discontinuities exhibited in the error signal between the image data and the previous regularized solution. The spatial control of smoothness is shown to resolve the conflict between detection and localization criteria. The adaptive nature of the algorithm eliminates the need to select image-dependent parameters and enables the extraction of multiscale features from the image. The computational aspects of the algorithm as well as its performance on real and synthetic images are considered. >
K-Ar Apparent Ages, Peninsular Ranges Batholith, Southern California and Baja California

More than 200 K-Ar apparent ages have been determined from minerals from the Peninsular Ranges batholith of southern California and northern Baja California. In general, the apparent ages show a progressive decrease from about 120 m.y. in the southwestern (coastal) pan of the batholith to less than 70 m.y. in the northeastern (desert) part. The gradients for biotite and hornblende ages can be represented by contours of equal ages. Both concordant and discordant hornblende-biotite pairs and minerals, from a variety of plutonic and metamorphic rock types, share in the apparent-age gradient. Ages for hornblende average 5 m.y. older than the ages for coexistent biotite. Isotopic U-Pb and Pb-α measurements on zircon indicate ages greater than those calculated from K-Ar ratios of hornblende or biotite. It is believed that in the Peninsular Ranges province, the U-Pb ages for zircon approximate the ages of emplacement, whereas concordant K-Ar ages may or may not approximate the ages of emplacement, depending on the depth of emplacement and the rate of uplift and denudation.
Chronic kidney disease, exercise, and sports in children, adolescents, and adults.

AbstractIndividuals with chronic kidney disease have poor exercise tolerance and are easily fatigued compared with their healthy peers. The primary reasons for poor exercise tolerance include anemia, effects of chronic uremia and metabolic acidosis on the heart and skeletal muscles, and lower levels of physical activity. Studies suggest that regular and early implementation of both aerobic and resistance exercise programs in persons with chronic kidney disease have positive effects on muscle function, exercise tolerance, and quality of life. Before starting any exercise program, a medical assessment and exercise testing are generally recommended. No consensus exists regarding allowing young athletes with a solitary kidney who want to participate in contact or collision sports. Decisions to allow participation in different sports and leisure activities should be made on an individual basis, considering multiple factors. This article reviews factors that affect exercise tolerance in persons with chronic kid...
Manga receives 2002 James B. Macelwane Medal

Michael Manga was awarded the 2002 James B. Macelwane Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony. The medal is given for significant contributions to the geophysical sciences by a young scientist of outstanding ability.
Anisotropic in‐plane permeability of fabric media

An elegant procedure is proposed for obtaining components of the orthotropic or anisotropic in-plane permeability tensor from experimental data on flow front position and time. A radial flow geometry allows the shape of the advancing flow front to be dictated by the in-plane permeability of the fabric media. The directional permeabilities in the fabric plane are directly calculated from fluid and fabric properties together with data from the mold filling experiment (resin injection pressure and flow front position with time). The simplicity of the apparatus and proposed analytical procedure permit easy testing and comparison of different types of fibrous media.
Topology design for fast convergence of network consensus algorithms

The quantities of coefficient of ergodicity and algebraic connectivity have been used to estimate the convergence rates of discrete-time and continuous-time network consensus algorithms respectively. Both of these two quantities are defined with respect to network topologies without the symmetry assumption, and they are applicable to the case when network topologies change with time. We present results identifying deterministic network topologies that optimize these quantities. We will also propose heuristics that can accelerate convergence in random networks by redirecting a small portion of the links assuming that the network topology is controllable.
High-pressure liquid chromatographic determination of tetracyclines in urine

The quantitation of oxytetracycline, tetracycline, and chlortetracycline was accomplished by high-pressure liquid chromatography using an anion-exchange column. The tetracyclines were extracted from urine as their calcium complexes. Concentrations as low as 12 microgram of oxytetracycline/ml and 4 microgram of tetracycline and chlortetracycline/ml were quantitated accurately. The relative standard deviation of the method varied from 0 to 5%.
Modeling the chelation of As(III) in lewisite by dithiols using density functional theory and solvent-assisted proton exchange

Dithiols such as British anti-lewisite (BAL, rac-2,3-dimercaptopropanol) are an important class of antidotes for the blister agent lewisite (trans-2-chlorovinyldichloroarsine) and, more generally, are chelating agents for arsenic and other toxic metals. The reaction of the vicinal thiols of BAL with lewisite through the chelation of the As(III) center has been modeled using density functional theory (DFT) and solvent-assisted proton exchange (SAPE), a microsolvation method that uses a network of water molecules to mimic the role of bulk solvent in models of aqueous phase chemical reactions. The small activation barriers for the stepwise SN2-type nucleophilic attack of BAL on lewisite (0.7-4.9kcal/mol) are consistent with the favorable leaving group properties of the chloride and the affinity of As(III) for soft sulfur nucleophiles. Small, but insignificant, differences in activation barriers were found for the initial attack of the primary versus secondary thiol of BAL and the R vs S enantiomer. An examination of the relative stability of various dithiol-lewisite complexes shows that ethanedithiols like BAL form the most favorable chelation complexes because the angles formed in five-membered ring are most consistent with the hybridization of As(III). More obtuse S-As-S angles are required for larger chelate rings, but internal As⋯N or As⋯O interactions can enhance the stability of moderate-sized rings. The low barriers for lewisite detoxification by BAL and the greater stability of the chelation complexes of small dithiols are consistent with the rapid reversal of toxicity demonstrated in previously reported animal models.
The Issue of Paper Money in the American Colonies, 1720–1774

Every generation has interpreted the monetary experience of the colonies in the light of its own problems. The Jacksonian period produced the interpretations of Gouge just as the silver controversy of the 1890's produced the work of Bullock and Davis. The reaction to the financial fundamentalism of the 1890's came largely from the work of R. A. Lester and the unpublished but celebrated work of L. Brock in the late thirties and early forties, heavily influenced by the experience of the depression. From the latter two, a new orthodoxy has emerged among American historians, under the authority of E. James Ferguson, whose important recent study, The Power of the Purse, defends the paper money currencies of the colonies by a well-reasoned appeal to the modern fiscal practice of financing war by inflation.
An Extension of a Calibration-Free Trajectory Reconstruction Method for Wireless Networks

A signal processing algorithm for the estimation of the trajectory of a mobile transmitter in a wireless network, based on RSSI measurements, was proposed in [A. Almudevar, “Approximate calibration-free trajectory reconstruction in a wireless network,” IEEE Trans. Signal Process., vol. 56, no. 7, pp. 3081-3088, 2008]. The problem of explicit transmission source location estimation is bypassed, producing instead an estimation of the trajectory shape which does not require a translation of RSSI measurements into transmission distance estimates. It was proven for the case of k=3 receivers that the resulting mapping of the source to an estimation region is 1-1 and continuous while preserving directionality and providing robustness to measurement distortion. The purpose of this correspondence is to extend these results to the general k ≥ 3 case. The method is demonstrated using a commercial RSSI home monitoring system using k=4 receivers.
Informational structure of the developmental tree of multi-cellular organisms.

From an abstract mathematical point of view, an evolving organism at the cellular level can be described in terms of developmental trees where cells can be conceived of as terminal nodes of a binary tree initiated with a zygote as a root. Information associated with the process of cell differentiation can be expressed by means of labeling the branches of the developmental tree. Specificity of a given cell is determined by the history of its divisions which is represented by a path leading to this cell from the root. In this paper a formal scheme for the construction of a developmental tree is considered and its several biological implications are discussed.
Review: House a Home

House & Home National Building Museum, Washington, D.C. 28 April 2012–1 May 2017 It is hard to conceive of a more challenging exhibition than one devoted to two interrelated topics: the American house and the intangible phenomenon of home. Both are breathtaking in scope. Since the first period of white settlement in what is now the United States, the house has been an emblem of achievement, independence, sanctuary, individualism, and many other attributes that Americans, regardless of origin, hold dear. These dwellings, moreover, hold strong appeal among people of virtually all income groups—from the owners of subsistence homesteads in isolated rural areas to the very rich commissioning houses of great size and pretense. Perhaps in no other country has the house held deeper meaning for so long and for large a segment of the population. On the other hand, “home” is an omnipresent phenomenon, transcending time, place, and culture. Home, of course, is where one makes it, be the premises a house, an apartment, a tent, a boat, or any number of other constructions where people have sought shelter. And home is an institution, the act of living in a place whether it is by oneself, as part of a large family, with friends or cohorts; it can be stationary or mobile, permanent or in a continual state of flux. No exhibition could begin to address the building of houses and the creation of homes comprehensively, let alone definitively, but the National Building Museum has succeeded in reminding …
Rationalizing decision-making through computer technology: a critical appraisal.

Summary As human services become more complex and multi-faceted, sound decision-making guiding the service delivery process becomes critical. Administrators and others view computer technology as a means to rationalize the decision-making process at all levels of organizational life. The Management Information System (MIS) and program evaluations are viewed as technologies particularly useful for enhancing the decision-making process through computer technology. The strengths and limitations of computer technology are discussed. Strategies for using computer technology responsibly are offered.
Simultaneous Concept Testing with Computer-controlled Experiments:

One means for reducing the costs and risks associated with developing marketing strategies is simultaneous concept testing. This article explores one technique for simultaneous concept testing—computer-controlled behavioral experiments.
Spring Timing Applications for Control of the Alfalfa Weevil in New York

Six insecticides were applied both before and after alfalfa weevil adults oviposited in the spring of 1969. Carbofuran gave by far the best control in both experiments. In the pre-oviposition test this compound gave satisfactory control for up to 4 weeks after application. Five other insecticides were about equal in their control of the alfalfa weevil, and counts of adults and larvae, together with rating estimates of damage, were significantly lower than in the untreated check plots. In both experiments, regrowth in the carbofuran plots was sufficiently good to make a stubble treatment unnecessary. Caruofuran also gave excellent pea aphid and spittlebug control.
Increased expression of fractionated radiation response genes of PC3 cells after valproic acid treatment

430 Prostate carcinoma currently is the most common malignant tumor in men with greater than 230,000 new cases diagnosed in 2005. Radiation therapy is one method of treating early stage prostate cancer, however it is still not 100 percent effective as the cellular response to radiation variables (low, high, single or fractionated dose) is still unclear. To test our hypothesis that fractionated radiation can induce or modulate molecular targets and thereby make tumors more susceptible to molecular-targeted therapy, we treated the androgen receptor-negative PC3 cell line with two different irradiation schemes, single (10 Gy) and fractionated (1 Gy X 10). Cells were harvested 24 hours after radiation treatment and mRNA isolated. Focusing on molecular targeting agents that are already in clinical use or under development, we explored the effects of the histone deacetylase inhibitor, valproic acid (VPA), on PC3 radiation induced molecular targets, as it has become evident that VPA possesses antitumor properties. Results: Gene expression analysis by microarray revealed that fractionated radiation altered significantly more genes compared to the single dose radiation. The data also revealed significant modulation in several interferon related genes in fractionated irradiated cells. Up regulated genes include IFI27, OSAL, OSA1, IFI44, and TNFAIP2. Up regulation of STAT1, STAT2, and STAT4 were also present in cells treated with fractionated radiation. Down regulated genes in fractionated radiation samples included cell cycle dependent genes, E2F transcription factor 2 and 8, Aurora Kinase, Polo-Like Kinase 1, Cyclin A2, E2, and B1. Cells treated with VPA alone increased gene expression of fractionated radiation induced mRNAs and the magnitude of fold change was also more in comparison to single dose radiation. Verification was performed on genes of interest by RT-PCR or Western analysis. Conclusion: Our data indicate that VPA may enhance the radiation-inducible and -suppressible gene profile and might be an important addition to the radiation-inducible molecular targeted therapy. Additional experiments are planned to determine if VPA can enhance radiosensitivity in combination with fractionated irradiation compared to a single dose treatment within the PC3 cell line. We are also currently in the process of identifying other additional radiation-induced targets for molecular-targeted drug therapy. This work was supported by the Intramural Research Program of Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health.
Contacting Pressure Analysis of Stator and Rotor of Progressive Cavity Pump

The progressive cavity pump(PCP) distortions,forces and contacting instance of different pressure with the finite element analysis method are analyzed,the PCP two-dimension finite element model is constituted,the stress distributing correspond to the PCP stator rubber and the contacting pressure of the stator and rotor are obtained in this paper.The results indicated that the sealing of the PCP is based on the stator and rotor contacting pressure of the interference fit degree.The PCP sealing capability reduced with the contacting pressure when forced the uniformity pressure.When the pressure difference exists,the stator rubber deforms largely by the pressure difference,and the contacting pressure increases with the stator and rotor contacting pressure.
The effects of estrogen on adrenal androgens in oophorectomized women

The serum levels of adrenal androgens (aa) are lower in oophorectomized (OO) than in ovulating (OV) women. This study was carried out in an effort to further investigate these findings and to study the effects of administration of estrogen on the levels of aa in OO women. Ten OO and seven OV women participated in this study in which aa were measured basally and after stimulation with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), both before and 4weeks after conjugated estrogens (CE). Seven women received 0.625mg of CE, and five received 2.5mg of CE. Compared to OV women, OO women had significantly lower levels of androstenedione (Adione), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate (DHEA-S), testosterone (T), ∆5-androstenediol (Adiol), and 17 β -estradiol (E 2 ) (p β ol dehydrogenase-isomerase (3 β ol) activity. In response to CE, there was a dose-related increase in aa and cortisol. After 2.5mg of CE, as were significantly higher and similar to those levels in OV women. Despite the known increases in sex hormone binding globulin–binding capacity and transcortin after estrogen, unbound T increased slightly, as did urinary free cortisol in women treated with 2.5mg of CE. After treatment with estrogen, there was a dose-related change in the ACTH-stimulated steroid ratios that indicated an increase in 17,20D and 3 β ol activities. In women who were given 2.5mg of CE, these enzyme activities were similar to those in OV women.
Novel HDAd/EBV Reprogramming Vector and Highly Efficient Ad/CRISPR-Cas Sickle Cell Disease Gene Correction

CRISPR/Cas enhanced correction of the sickle cell disease (SCD) genetic defect in patient-specific induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) provides a potential gene therapy for this debilitating disease. An advantage of this approach is that corrected iPSCs that are free of off-target modifications can be identified before differentiating the cells into hematopoietic progenitors for transplantation. In order for this approach to be practical, iPSC generation must be rapid and efficient. Therefore, we developed a novel helper-dependent adenovirus/Epstein-Barr virus (HDAd/EBV) hybrid reprogramming vector, rCLAE-R6, that delivers six reprogramming factors episomally. HDAd/EBV transduction of keratinocytes from SCD patients resulted in footprint-free iPSCs with high efficiency. Subsequently, the sickle mutation was corrected by delivering CRISPR/Cas9 with adenovirus followed by nucleoporation with a 70 nt single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotide (ssODN) correction template. Correction efficiencies of up to 67.9% (βA/[βS+βA]) were obtained. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of corrected iPSC lines demonstrated no CRISPR/Cas modifications in 1467 potential off-target sites and no modifications in tumor suppressor genes or other genes associated with pathologies. These results demonstrate that adenoviral delivery of reprogramming factors and CRISPR/Cas provides a rapid and efficient method of deriving gene-corrected, patient-specific iPSCs for therapeutic applications.
Regulation of Multicellular Spheroids by MAPK and FYN Kinase

Understanding of the biology of oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has not progressed significantly in the past 60 years, with 5-year survival remaining at approximately 50%. The epidemic of Human Papilloma Virus and its associated SCC warrants a renewed emphasis on fully understanding this disease. We previously used the 3-dimensional multicellular spheroid (MCS) model system to evaluate SCC behavior more accurately. In this study, we determined that SCC growth in MCS approximates epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Organization of an MCS requires the full-length β6 integrin subunit and its maintenance requires mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Limiting FYN kinase activation results in the down-regulation of E-cadherin, β-catenin and an increase in expression of N-cadherin and SNAIL. These results indicate that the microenvironment and growth patterns in an MCS are complex and require MAPK and FYN kinase.
The Power of Constructivist Grounded Theory for Critical Inquiry

The pragmatist roots of constructivist grounded theory make it a useful method for pursuing critical qualitative inquiry. Pragmatism offers ways to think about critical qualitative inquiry; constru...
Fundamentals of Business Intelligence

The rapid growth of data generated in organizations calls for the use of efficient tools to analyze big data sources. The term business intelligence (BI) is used to refer to a set of powerful model...
OS04.3 Extent of resection and overall survival in risk adjusted and exact matched analyses of 22,928 glioblastoma (all molecular subtypes) patients

Abstract Maximal tumor resection, chemo- and radiotherapy are the standard of care for glioblastoma (GBM), of which robust assessment by clinical trial methodology has been limited by GBM’s severely abridged survival and relatively rare prevalence. The United States National Cancer Database was queried for GBM patients newly-diagnosed from 2004–2014. Overall survival (OS) was assessed by Cox proportional hazards, stratified by extent of resection, and risk adjusted for age, sex, race, Charlson’s comorbidity index, insurance, facility location, facility annual case volume, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, tumor location, tumor laterality, and tumor size; and estimated by Kaplan-Meier methods. Subgroup analyses included MGMT methylation or Karnofsky Performance Score, in the risk adjustment. Coarsened exact matching was used to simulate allocation in an interventional trial. 82,960 adult GBM (all molecular subtypes) patients remained after exclusion, 22,928 with complete data for extent of resection and risk adjustment variables, 83% (n=19,007) of which reached endpoint for OS. Median OS for gross total resection (GTR) was 15.5 mos. (95%CI: 15.2–15.9), compared to 11.7 mos. for subtotal resection (STR; 95%CI: 11.3–12.0; HR 1.29, p<0.001) and 5.9 mos. for those who did not undergo resection (NR; 95%CI: 5.7–6.2; HR 1.56, p<0.001). Estimated 2yr OS rates were GTR 30.7% (95%CI: 29.7–31.8), STR 22.1% (95%CI: 21.1–23.0), and NR 14.8% (95%CI: 14.1–15.5). Notably, in the risk-adjustment adjuvant chemotherapy (HR 0.63, 95%CI: 0.60–0.66), radiotherapy (HR 0.71, 95%CI: 0.68–0.75), unilateral tumor (HR 0.66 vs. bilateral, 95%CI: 0.58–0.76), and supratentorial tumors (HR 0.77 vs. infratentorial, 95%CI: 0.71–0.86) were associated with significantly (p<0.001) improved OS. Additionally, coarsened exact matched (5,867 GTR: 5,867 STR) cohorts demonstrated similar outcomes, (GTR HR vs. STR: 0.74, 95%CI: 0.71–0.78). Median OS for patients with these favorable characteristics was 24.2 mos. vs. 1.5 mos. for those with unfavorable characteristics. In subgroup analyses, GTR significance remained after including MGMT (n=2,776) status in the risk-adjustment (HR vs. STR: 0.74) and MGMT methylation was associated with improved OS (HR 0.66, 95%CI: 0.60–0.72). Compared to STR, GTR was associated with reduced rates of 30- and 90-day mortality (OR 0.71 and 0.64, respectively). In the largest prospectively collected dataset of its kind, GTR for GBM was associated with significantly improved OS compared to STR or NR, in risk adjusted and exact matched analyses. Adjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy, unilaterality, supratentorial location, and MGMT methylation in the risk adjusted analysis were also associated with significantly improved OS.
Credit and Collections Corporation

An accounting issue arose when a firm that managed accounts receivable for clients began planning for a public issue of its shares. Two public accounting firms it approached gave different opinions on when revenue could be recorded. The arguments included: earned and realized; the Financial Accounting Standard Board's statements of Financial Accounting Concepts: Con 5 and Con 6; discussions about whether the service being sold was the process or whether it was the collections themselves. Comparable accounting practices in other industries (franchising, real estate, software, oil and gas carve out, health clubs and life insurance) seemed to follow conflicting policies.
Treatment of acute pouchitis

Abstract Acute pouchitis is a common disease that affects many patients with an ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. The management of acute pouchitis remains largely empiric with the mainstay of therapy being the antibiotics ciprofloxacin and metronidazole. Probiotics may have a role in the primary and secondary prophylaxis of acute pouchitis. In addition, there are modest data that probiotics are effective in the treatment of mild acute pouchitis. There are limited data for other treatments of acute pouchitis including oral and rectal budesonide and glutamine suppositories. Diet plays a largely undefined role in the development and management of acute pouchitis, and, although many have been studied, no specific diet can currently be recommended. Larger well-designed clinical trials are necessary to confirm the efficacy of current treatments and to investigate new treatments for the management of acute pouchitis.
Charting Our Future Together: Turning Discovery Science Into Cardiovascular Health

As director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), it is my privilege to be a public servant and an accountable steward of the nation’s investment in heart, lung, blood, and sleep research. The NHLBI strives to advance science that enhances human health through several enduring principles that have sustained the Institute’s legacy of excellence: value investigator-initiated fundamental discovery science; maintain a balanced portfolio across basic, translational, clinical, population, and implementation science; train a diverse new generation of scientists; support implementation science that empowers patients and partners to improve the nation’s health; and innovate an evidence-based elimination of health inequities. The pursuit of the NHLBI mission involves the collective effort of a diverse community of partners including patients, researchers, policymakers, care providers, professional organizations, and the private sector. Over the past 2 years, we engaged our partners in a process of unprecedented scope to create the NHLBI Strategic Vision , a framework of research priorities to guide the activities and initiatives that NHLBI will catalyze over the next decade.1 The Strategic Visioning process revealed an NHLBI community poised to take bold steps forward toward the prevention and preemption of cardiovascular disease. The Strategic Vision charts a future that exploits emerging disciplines and new tools and technologies in computation, imaging, and high-throughput omic analytics to further our understanding of normal biology, pathobiology, individual and population differences, precision medicine, data science, novel therapeutics and diagnostics, and workforce development. Below, I highlight 2 areas in the Strategic Vision that hold great promise for cardiovascular research and …
Sensory Reduction on the General Milieu of a High-Acuity Inpatient Psychiatric Unit to Prevent Use of Physical Restraints: A Successful Open Quality Improvement Trial.

BACKGROUND: Impaired sensory gating in patients with acute mental illness predisposes to overstimulation and behavioral dyscontrol. OBJECTIVE: Explore use of sensory reduction interventions on a hi...
RECENT ADVANCES IN THE ANALYTIC THEORY OF NONLINEAR DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS WITH AN IRREGULAR TYPE SINGULARITY

This chapter discusses recent advances in the analytic theory of nonlinear differential equations with an irregular type singularity. The chapter presents a system of nonlinear differential equations xw ' = h ( x, w ), where x is a complex variable, w and h are n -dimensional vectors, h is holomorphic in a neighborhood of (0, 0) and satisfies h (0, 0) = 0. In such a case, x = 0 is called a Briot–Bouquet type singularity. Under the assumptions I ∼ V , there exists a sector θ 1 x 1 , which has Property-J with respect to {Λ j ( x ) | j = 1, 2, …, m }.
Geschlechterdifferenzierung und Ödipuskomplex

Die kindliche Entwicklung der Geschlechtsidentitat und der gleichgeschlechtlichen bzw. gegengeschlechtlichen Beziehungen im Anschlus an die Erkenntnis des Geschlechtsunterschieds steht im Mittelpunkt von Freuds Theorie des Odipuskomplexes. Unter der Perspektive der Geschlechterdifferenzierung handelt es sich bei diesen Entwicklungen um die Erarbeitung subjektiver Definitionen von Mannlichkeit und Weiblichkeit, einer mit dem Geschlecht (in korperlicher und sozialer Hinsicht) ubereinstimmenden Definition des Selbst und einer im Hinblick auf das Geschlecht erfolgenden Definition gleichgeschlechtlicher und gegengeschlechtlicher Beziehungen.
Resurrecting the Spirit of the Law: Copyright Preemption and Idea Protection in Montz v. Pilgrim Films

On May 4, 2011, in Montz v. Pilgrim Films & Television, Inc., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that an implied-in-fact contract claim survived preemption by the Copyright Act of 1976 because it was qualitatively different from a copyright claim. It did so by applying a permissive interpretation of the extra element test. Under this interpretation, the contract claim alleged an extra element that transformed the nature of the action. This Comment argues that this narrow interpretation of the Copyright Act’s preemption clause was correct because it provides idea-creators with greater protection for their creative concepts and conforms with the Copyright Act’s underlying goals.
Piracy Deserves No Privacy

The Recording Industry Association of America (“RIAA”), the music industry's trade and lobbying group, recently initiated a controversial tactic to bring to surface previously anonymous digital pirates of the Internet. This aggressive tactic aims to make safe the digital oceans for copyright and involves identifying and bringing claims against infringing individuals who download, swap, and/or post copyrighted music illegally via the Internet. The RIAA cares not who the infringers are or whether the infringers know the illegality of their actions. Nor does the music industry concern itself with the inevitable storm of backlash bound to fall upon them for suing uninformed or unintentional infringers. Internet users and privacy advocates, however, care all too much. This i-brief attempts to alleviate the fears of privacy infringement by bringing to light certain safeguards built into the Digital Millennium Copyrights Act (“DMCA”) to deal with the possibility of both fraudulent identity subpoenas and infringement into personal privacy. In addition, case law will show that the subpoena powers of the DMCA will not be abused by those who truly wish to enforce copyright laws and legitimate claims of ownership, thereby maintaining the privacy of law abiding Internet users.
Characterization and Character Engagement in the Documentary

When documentaries represent people, they do not offer a transparent record of “who they really are,” but rather a constructed representation: in other words, a characterization. Such characterizations are not merely fictions, however. Documentary characterization implies specific ethical responsibilities to the people thus represented, precisely because documentaries are nonfiction. This chapter discusses the seeming paradox that the representation of people in documentaries is both constructed and nonfictional, and discusses the implications of considering documentaries as “asserted veridical representations.” It describes the most salient tools used by documentary filmmakers to construct characters, and the ethical obligations such characterization implies.
Honoring the Voices of Polyamorous Clients: Recommendations for Couple and Family Therapists

Recent studies demonstrating the prevalence of polyamory have highlighted the dearth of research on this topic in the mental health literature, and have increased the urgency to better understand t...
Information Targeting Increases the Weight of Stigma: Leveraging Relevance Backfires When People Feel Judged

Abstract Although relevance is viewed as a panacea for persuasion, there may be contexts in which attempts to leverage relevance backfire. Across two experiments, we investigated conditions under which signaling personal relevance, via targeting information to audiences based on identities, backfires. In particular, we assessed how activation of personal characteristics (e.g., identities, health goals, and both identities and goals), as well as context cues (e.g., time of year), impact persuasion. Because people with higher body mass indexes (BMIs) are frequently targets of weight stigma, particularly within health contexts, we expected that perceiving relevance based on weight identities would elicit identity threat and subsequently inhibit persuasion for people with higher, versus lower, BMIs. Across studies, participants were told they received information about obesity due to chance (control condition), or after providing their demographics (e.g., weight status; Studies 1–2), health goals (Study 2), or demographics and goals (Study 2). Findings revealed that, particularly for participants with higher BMIs, being targeted to receive information about obesity and obesity-related illness increased perceived relevance among recipients, which predicted increases in irritation and self-conscious emotions. Negative emotional responding produced heterogenous, but primarily deleterious, effects on self-efficacy and behavioral intentions to engage in healthy behavior because recipients felt unfairly judged (Study 2). Study 2 determined that targeting on goals and changes in context (e.g., stronger beliefs that change is possible at New Year's) decreased the link between perceived relevance and feeling judged. Collectively, this work shows that leveraging message relevance may inhibit persuasion for target audiences when they feel unfairly judged.
Coding Scheme Optimization for Fast Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging

Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) is used for measuring material properties in a wide range of applications, including biology, medical imaging, chemistry, and material science. In frequency-domain FLIM (FD-FLIM), the object of interest is illuminated with a temporally modulated light source. The fluorescence lifetime is measured by computing the correlations of the emitted light with a demodulation function at the sensor. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the acquisition time of a FD-FLIM system is determined by the coding scheme (modulation and demodulation functions). In this article, we develop theory and algorithms for designing high-performance FD-FLIM coding schemes that can achieve high SNR and short acquisition time, given a fixed source power budget. Based on a geometric analysis of the image formation and noise model, we propose a novel surrogate objective for the performance of a given coding scheme. The surrogate objective is extremely fast to compute, and can be used to efficiently explore the entire space of coding schemes. Based on this objective, we design novel, high-performance coding schemes that achieve up to an order of magnitude shorter acquisition time as compared to existing approaches. We demonstrate the performance advantage of the proposed schemes in a variety of imaging conditions, using a modular hardware prototype that can implement various coding schemes.
Understanding the role of rf-power on AlN film properties in hollow-cathode plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition

In this study, the authors have carried out real-time process monitoring via in situ ellipsometry to understand the impact of rf-plasma power and plasma exposure time on self-limiting aluminum nitride (AlN) growth character and the corresponding film properties. AlN thin films were grown on Si(100) substrates with plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition using trimethyl-aluminum (TMA) as a metal precursor and Ar/N2/H2 plasma as a coreactant. Saturation experiments have been employed in the range of 25–200 W plasma power and 30–120 s plasma exposure time. In situ multiwavelength ellipsometry identified single chemical adsorption (chemisorption) and plasma-assisted ligand removal events, as well as changes in growth per cycle (GPC) with respect to plasma power. The real-time dynamic in situ monitoring study revealed that GPC and TMA chemisorption thickness gain exhibited plasma power dependent saturation behavior. The amount of chemisorption saturated at ∼2.3 A for higher rf-power levels, while for 25 and 50 W it went below 1.0 A, which is mainly attributed to incomplete ligand removal. Besides in situ characterization, ex situ measurements to identify optical, structural, and chemical properties were also carried out on 500-cycle AlN films as a function of plasma power. AlN samples displayed a single-phase hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure with (002) preferred orientation for 150 and 200 W, while the dominant orientation shifted toward (100) at 100 W. 50 W and lower rf-power levels resulted in amorphous material with no apparent crystal signature. Furthermore, it was found that when the plasma exposure time was increased from 30 to 120 s for 25 and 50 W, the amount of chemisorption exceeded the thickness gain values recorded for 150–200 W (∼2.4 A). However, such a recovery in the chemisorption thickness gain did not restore the crystallinity as the AlN films grown at sub-50 W showed amorphous character independent of plasma exposure time.In this study, the authors have carried out real-time process monitoring via in situ ellipsometry to understand the impact of rf-plasma power and plasma exposure time on self-limiting aluminum nitride (AlN) growth character and the corresponding film properties. AlN thin films were grown on Si(100) substrates with plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition using trimethyl-aluminum (TMA) as a metal precursor and Ar/N2/H2 plasma as a coreactant. Saturation experiments have been employed in the range of 25–200 W plasma power and 30–120 s plasma exposure time. In situ multiwavelength ellipsometry identified single chemical adsorption (chemisorption) and plasma-assisted ligand removal events, as well as changes in growth per cycle (GPC) with respect to plasma power. The real-time dynamic in situ monitoring study revealed that GPC and TMA chemisorption thickness gain exhibited plasma power dependent saturation behavior. The amount of chemisorption saturated at ∼2.3 A for higher rf-power levels, while for 25 and 50...
Secondary erythrocytosis due to hemoglobin San Diego

High-oxygen-affinity hemoglobin variants are a rare clinical entity that can present with secondary erythrocytosis. Herein, the author reports a case of a 41-year-old man with a 4-year history of secondary erythrocytosis of unknown etiology. Physical examination was unremarkable except for plethora of the palms. Myeloproliferative neoplasms and common causes of secondary erythrocytosis were ruled out. The P50 oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve was left shifted. Hemoglobin electrophoresis was silent; however, globin mass spectrometry revealed a β-globin variant. Globin sequencing confirmed hemoglobin San Diego. This case highlights the fact that rare high-oxygen-affinity variants should be considered in the differential diagnoses of secondary erythrocytosis.