cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding how breast cancer patients use risk information from genomic tests.

We sought to examine how patients’ treatment decisions incorporate potentially conflicting information from standard clinical indicators (e.g., tumor size) and genomic tests for breast cancer recurrence risk. Participants were 77 early stage breast cancer survivors who previously received genomic testing. They read six hypothetical vignettes that varied recurrence risk indicated by standard tests (low or high risk) coupled with the genomic test (low, intermediate or high risk). For each vignette, women reported their perceived recurrence risk and treatment preferences. Test results indicating high recurrence risk increased perception of risk and preference for chemotherapy (p < .001 for all). Perceived risk explained (i.e., mediated) the effect of test results on chemotherapy preferences. When test results conflicted, women gave more weight to genomic over standard test results. Hypothetical genomic test results had the intended effect of influencing women’s perceptions of recurrence risk and interest in chemotherapy.
Prenatally diagnosed hypoplastic left heart syndrome--outcomes after postnatal surgery.

Objective: To identify prenatally diagnosed cases of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and then to determine postnatal outcomes after surgical interventions.Methods: An ultrasound and pediatric cardiology database was used to identify all fetuses diagnosed prenatally from 1991–1996 with HLHS. Fetal karyotypes were performed on cultured amniocytes. After diagnosis, parents were given several management options: pregnancy termination before 22 weeks, postnatal hospice care, or surgery using the Norwood procedure or cardiac transplantation. Ultrasound and echocardiography findings were later compared to karyotype results and postnatal outcome data.Results: Fifteen fetuses with HLHS were identified. Two (16%) chromosome abnormalities and three (20%) structural defects were detected. Three mothers (20%) opted for pregnancy termination, two (13%) chose postnatal hospice care, and one aneuploid fetus had an intrauterine death. Nine parents (60%) chose surgery for their infants; however, one infant was not a...
ROBUST ADAPTIVE CONTROL OF LINEARIZABLE NONLINEAR SINGLE INPUT SYSTEMS

Abstract In this paper a nonlinear robust adaptive control algorithm is designed and analyzed for a class of single-input nonlinear systems with unknown nonlinearities. The controller guarantees closed loop semiglobal stability and convergence of the tracking error to a small residual set. The region of attraction for semiglobal stability depends on the number of nodes and weights in the single layer neural network used to estimate the unknown plant nonlinearities. The size of the residual set depends on design parameters and can be calculated apriori. One example is used to demonstrate the performance and properties of the proposed scheme.
Tissue and Egg Cholesterol Concentrations of Laying Hens Fed High-Protein Barley Flour, α-Tocotrienol, and Cholesterol

Abstract The effect of high-protein barley flour (HPBF), cholesterol, and α-tocotrienol on tissue and egg cholesterol homeostasis of laying hens was investigated. Laying hens (eight per treatment) were fed a basal diet with 0, 5, or 10% HPBF in the presence or absence of 1% cholesterol for 8 wk. In a second experiment, laying hens were fed diets with 0, 10, or 20% added HPBF (± 1% cholesterol). In a final experiment, α-tocotrienol was incorporated into a basal diet at 0, 20, or 200 ppm and fed to laying hens for 6 wk. In all experiments, plasma and egg cholesterol concentrations were determined biweekly and upon termination of the experiment, liver and breast tissue samples were removed for cholesterol analysis. Inclusion of HPBF in laying hen diets did not significantly influence plasma or egg cholesterol concentrations. However, when fed in the presence of 1% cholesterol, HPBF significantly (P
Substance use and dependence education in predoctoral dental curricula: results of a survey of U.S. and Canadian dental schools.

The purpose of this study was to obtain information about education in substance use and dependence that appears in the predoctoral curricula of U.S. and Canadian dental schools. Sixty-eight deans were sent a twenty-item survey requesting information about when in the curriculum these subjects were taught, what instructional methods were used, and whether behavior change instruction was included to address these issues in clinical interactions. The survey had an 81 percent response rate. The topics of alcohol use and dependence, tobacco use and dependence, and prescription drug misuse and abuse were reported in over 90 percent (N=55) of responding schools’ predoctoral curricula. The topic of other substance use and dependence was reported in only 72.7 percent (N=40) of these schools. The primary instructional method reported was the use of lecture. Less frequently used methods included small-group instruction, instruction in school-based clinic, community-based extramural settings, and independent study. As future health professionals, dental students are an important source for patients concerning substance use, abuse, and treatment. Our investigation confirmed that alcohol, tobacco, and prescription drug abuse is addressed widely in predoctoral dental curricula, but other substance use and dependence are less frequently addressed.
Evolving Strategies in the Initial Treatment of Multiple Myeloma

Until the advents of novel agents, partial response (PR) or better was the established gold standard to initial therapy of multiple myeloma (MM), and treatment goals were focused on relieving symptoms, prevention of organ damage, and modest improvements in survival. With the introduction of autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT), deeper responses, including complete responses (CRs) were more frequent, and contributed to longer survival. In the era of novel therapies, ASCT remains commonly used and its impact on outcome appears superior, albeit less so than when compared with conventional therapy, and its survival benefit is yet to be established in either setting. In addition, in non-transplant candidates, novel therapies have now significantly improved the overall response rates, depth of response, and clinical benefit, to the levels previously only observed with ASCT, which now increasingly challenges the role and timing of ASCT in eligible patients. Nevertheless, the two approaches of treatment, transplant or no transplant, remain commonly accepted. With an improvement in the tolerability of newer regimens and the deferral of ASCT in transplant candidates, the debate has emerged whether the two-pathway approach to the treatment of newly diagnosed myeloma should be re-evaluated. At the same time, treatment goals are also shifting. Many believe that MM can be converted into a chronic disease and that a functional cure maybe a realistic goal, for at least a proportion of patients. This contribution will review these points of discussion and the evolving approach to treatment of newly diagnosed MM.
Unleashing the potential of the root hair cell as a single plant cell type model in root systems biology

Plant root is an organ composed of multiple cell types with different functions. This multicellular complexity limits our understanding of root biology because –omics studies performed at the level of the entire root reflect the average responses of all cells composing the organ. To overcome this difficulty and allow a more comprehensive understanding of root cell biology, an approach is needed that would focus on one single cell type in the plant root. Because of its biological functions (i.e. uptake of water and various nutrients; primary site of infection by nitrogen-fixing bacteria in legumes), the root hair cell is an attractive single cell model to study root cell response to various stresses and treatments. To fully study their biology, we have recently optimized procedures in obtaining root hair cell samples. We culture the plants using an ultrasound aeroponic system maximizing root hair cell density on the entire root systems and allowing the homogeneous treatment of the root system. We then isolate the root hair cells in liquid nitrogen. Isolated root hair yields could be up to 800 to 1000 mg of plant cells from 60 root systems. Using soybean as a model, the purity of the root hair was assessed by comparing the expression level of genes previously identified as soybean root hair specific between preparations of isolated root hair cells and stripped roots, roots devoid in root hairs. Enlarging our tests to include other plant species, our results support the isolation of large quantities of highly purified root hair cells which is compatible with a systems biology approach.
Conservation genetics of edaphic endemics in naturally isolated habitats: A case study with Geocarpon minimum (Caryophyllaceae)

Abstract Theory predicts that edaphic endemics should exhibit high levels of population differentiation due to restricted gene flow among patchily distributed habitats. Here, we tested this prediction with the federally threatened annual Geocarpon minimum, an edaphic endemic restricted to sandstone outcrops and slick spots associated with saline prairies in the Southeastern United States. We used AFLP data to quantify population genetic variation and structure in 13 G. minimum populations using a bulked sampling scheme. Modest but significant components of genetic variance are partitioned among populations (16%) and among regions (north, south; 3%). The maintenance of private bands within most G. minimum populations suggests limited gene flow among geographically isolated populations. However, a Mantel test failed to detect a pattern of isolation by distance. Estimates of within population variation in G. minimum are relatively low compared to other edaphic endemics with similar life-histories. Results su...
Computer simulation of protein refolding pathways and intermediates

Computer simulation studies of refolding pathways and the formation of intermediates for a simple, 2–D lattice protein model are presented. The sequence of the 20–bead model protein chain is chosen so that hydrophobic beads will reside in the protein interior in the native state. Nonbonded hydrophobic beads attract each other with strength ϵ decreasing the |ϵ/kT| mimics increasing the concentration of the denaturant. Dynamic Monte Carlo simulations and exhaustive conformational searches have been performed on an isolated model protein sequence at different levels of |ϵ| (different denaturant concentrations). As the denaturant is withdrawn, the model protein exhibits a transition from a random coil state to a compact native state with a hydrophobic core. The refolding process is observed to be cooperative in that the chain does not start folding until the middle section has folded correctly, and proceeds along preferred pathways that are populated by distinct, partially folded intermediates.
Measuring Change in a Short-Term Educational Program Using a Retrospective Pretest Design:

The Pennsylvania Governor's School for International Studies is an intensive summer program designed to give talented high school students a challenging introduction to the study of international affairs. One focus of the evaluation seeks to understand the effect of the program on the students' perception of their knowledge concerning core issues. Across the long history of the program, a variety of measures were used (and subsequently discarded) to assess changes in knowledge and perception of competence. Four years ago the program instituted a retrospective pre-post design. Results from these years, indicate that these students have consistently overestimated their pre-test understanding of core competencies emphasized in the program and that they seem better able to assess their knowledge gains and their initial inflated sense of knowledge as a result of the program. This article offers an overview of the development, application, use and analysis of a retrospective pre-post instrument to address respo...
Insect cellular reactions to the lipopolysaccharide component of the bacterium Serratia marcescens are mediated by eicosanoids.

Nodulation, which begins with the formation of cellular microaggregates, is the predominant cellular defense reaction to bacterial infections in insects. We suggested that these reactions to bacterial infections are mediated by eicosanoids. The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) component of some bacterial cells stimulates defense reactions in mammals and insects. Here, we report on experiments designed to test the hypothesis that eicosanoids mediate microaggregation reactions to LPS. Injections of LPS (purified from the bacterium, Serratia marcescens) into larvae of the tenebrionid beetle, Zophobas atratus, stimulated microaggregation reactions in a dose-dependent manner. Treatments with eicosanoid-biosynthesis inhibitors immediately prior to LPS challenge sharply reduced the microaggregation responses. Separate treatments with specific inhibitors of phospholipase A2, cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase reduced microaggregation, supporting our view that microaggregate formation involves lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase products. The inhibitory influence of dexamethasone was apparent within 30 min after injection, and microaggregation was significantly reduced, relative to control insects, over the following 90 min. The dexamethasone effects were reversed by treating LPS-injected insects with the eicosanoid precursor, arachidonic acid. These findings indicate that cellular defense reactions to a specific component of bacterial cells are mediated by eicosanoids, and open up new possibilities for dissecting detailed hemocytic actions in insect immune reactions to bacterial infections. © 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Combined equalization and coding for T1 data rates on carrier serving area subscriber loops

Techniques are presented to provide high-rate digital services on a limited class of subscriber loops known as a carrier serving area (CSA). Specifically considered is the use of vector coding to reach a goal of 1.544 Mb/s, the T1 carrier rate. The subscriber loop and the parameters that are critical in determining the ability of the loop to support the T1 rate are examined. Three techniques are identified for dealing with the characteristically long postcursors. A nonlinear program is presented to calculate a bound on the performance of vector coding and to identify a target for the allocation of power and bits to the subchannels. Then, the performance of a practical system using finite-length filters is considered. The performance of a special combination of a least-squared-error-block decision-feedback equalizer (LSBDFE) and a four-dimensional trellis code is compared with that of a scalar decision-feedback equalizer (DFE) with both a long feedback section (96 taps) and a feedforward section (32 taps), using the same code. >
Distillers Dried Solubles as a Source of Unidentified Growth Factors Required by the Chick and Poult

Abstract SINCE the isolation of vitamin B12, distillers dried solubles (DDS), dried whey, butyl fermentation solubles, fish meal, grain juice concentrate, condensed fish solubles, liver preparations and dried brewers yeast have been shown to promote chick growth, even when the diets were considered to be complete with respect to all known nutrients (Hill et al., 1944; Carlson et al., 1949; Menge et al., 1949; Arscott and Combs, 1950; Hill and Briggs, 1950; Sunde et al., 1950; Combs, 1951; Couch et al., 1951; Heuser and Norris, 1951; Kohler and Graham, 1951; Reed et al., 1951). The subject has since been reviewed by Menge et al. (1952); Branion and Hill (1953); Rasmussen et al. (1956); Reid et al. (1958); Couch et al. (1960). Hill et al. (1944) were the first to show that DDS contained unidentified growth factor activity; this was later confirmed by Novak et al. (1947). Attempts to identify the growth. . .
Induction of c-fos and c-jun Gene Products and Heat Shock Protein After Brief and Prolonged Cerebral Ischemia in Gerbils

Background and Purpose Proto-oncogene activation and induction of heat shock protein (HSP) occur in response to various stimuli to brain, but the role in neuronal survival after cerebral ischemia remains uncertain. We compared the extent of insults and induction of c-fos and c-jun gene products (c-FOS and c-JUN) as well as HSP in ischemic and postischemic gerbil brains immunohistochemically. Methods Common carotid arteries of Mongolian gerbils were occluded for 5 or 15 minutes and recirculated for 0 minutes to 7 days. Antibodies for c-FOS, c-JUN, and HSP 70 were used for immunohistochemistry, and positive reactions were semiquantitatively analyzed. The presence of ischemic and postischemic lesions was ascertained with an antibody for microtubule-associated proteins. Results After ischemia for 15 minutes and reperfusion, c-FOS was induced promptly after 1 to 6 hours in pyramidal cells of the CA3 and CA4 regions, while c-JUN became visible in the same areas after recirculation for 4 to 48 hours. HSP 70 was ...
About the mechanisms of auditory verbal hallucinations: a positron emission tomographic study.

Objective: Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) likely result from disorders, as yet unspecified, of the neural mechanisms of language. Here we examine the functional neuroanatomy of single-word reading in patients with and without a history of AVH. Method: Eighteen medicated schizophrenia patients (8 with AVH and 10 without AVH) and 12 healthy control subjects were scanned with PET 15 O-water technique under 2 conditions: reading aloud English nouns and passively looking at English nouns without reading them. Results: The contrast between the 2 conditions shows higher activation in Wernicke’s area during the reading condition in the patient group and a reversed laterality index for the supplementary motor area in the AVH group. Conclusions: These findings provide indications about the possible mechanisms of AVH. We suggest that the abnormal laterality of the supplementary motor area activity accounts for the failure to attribute speech generated by one’s own brain to one’s self and that the activation of Wernicke’s area accounts for the perceptual nature (hearing) of the patient’s experience.
Mechanical properties of the passive sea urchin sperm flagellum.

In this study we used Triton X-100 extracted sea urchin spermatozoa to investigate the mechanical behavior of the basic 9+2 axoneme. The dynein motors were disabled by vanadate so that the flagellum is rendered a passive structure. We find that when a proximal portion of the flagellum is bent with a glass microprobe, the remainder of the flagellum distal to the probe exhibits a bend in the opposite direction (a counterbend). The counterbend can be understood from the prevailing sliding doublet model of axoneme mechanics, but does require the existence of elastic linkages between the outer doublets. Analysis of the shapes of counterbends provides a consensus value of 0.03-0.08/µm^2 for the ratio of the interdoublet shear resistance (E_S) to the bending resistance (E_B) and we find that the ratio E_S/E_B is relatively conserved for both passive flagella and transiently quiescent live flagella. This ratio expresses a fundamental mechanical property of the eukaryotic axoneme. It defines the contributions to total bending resistance derived from bending the microtubules and from stretching the interdoublet linkages, respectively. Using this ratio, and computer simulations of earlier experiments that measured the total stiffness of the flagellum, we obtain estimates of approximately 1 × 10^8 pN nm^2/rad for E_B and 6 pN/rad for E_S, assuming that both elasticities are linear. Our results indicate that the behavior of the flagellum is close to that predicted by a linear model for shear elasticity.
Electronic health record solutions to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections by enhancing documentation of central line insertion practices, line days, and daily line necessity

Background Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) continue to cause preventable morbidity and mortality, but methods for tracking and ensuring consistency of CLABSI-prevention activities remain underdeveloped. Methods We created an integrated electronic health record solution to prompt sterile central venous catheter (CVC) insertion, CVC tracking, and timely line removal. The system embedded central line insertion practices (CLIP) elements in inserter procedure notes, captured line days and new lines, matching each with its CLIP form and feeding back compliance, and enforced daily documentation of line necessity in physician progress notes. We examined changes in CLIP compliance and form submission, number of new line insertions captured, and necessary documentation. Results Standard reporting of CLIP compliance, which measures compliance per CLIP form received, artificially inflated CLIP compliance relative to compliance measured using CVC placements as the denominator; for example, 99% per CLIP form versus 55% per CVC placement. This system established a higher threshold for CLIP compliance using this denominator. Identification of CVCs increased 35%, resulting in a decrease in CLABSI rates. The system also facilitated full compliance with daily documentation of line necessity. Conclusions Integrated electronic health records systems can help realize the full benefit of CLABSI prevention strategies by promoting, tracking, and raising the standard for best practices behavior.
Should Online Defamation Be Criminalized

In 1961 the drafters of the Model Penal Code decided that defamation should not be criminalized, even though libel was a common law crime. They based their decision on two assumptions: One was that defamation does not inflict "harm" of a severity comparable to rape or murder; the other was that while defamation concededly inflicts a lesser "harm," the likelihood of its being inflicted was too slight to justify the imposition of criminal sanctions. This article argues that our increasing use of cyberspace makes the second assumption increasingly problematic, and therefore requires that we revisit the need to criminalize online defamation.
Review of Euceratia Walsingham (Lepidoptera, Ypsolophidae) with Description of a New Species

ABSTRACT. The genus Euceratia is reviewed by the re-descriptions of two known species, E. castella and E. securella, and the description of a new species from California, E. intermedia n. sp. Euceratia is compared to other genera of Ypsolophidae. Diagnostic characters are provided for the three species of Euceratia and their distribution in the Nearctic Region is discussed. Imagoes and genitalia of all the species of Euceratia are illustrated.
Effects of instruction and interstimulus interval in human GSR conditioning

Facilitating and inhibiting sets were given to 72 human Ss in a classical galvanic skin response (GSR) conditioning situation employing a within-S design. Three groups of 24 Ss each were given 4 UCS adaptation trials followed by 10 acquisition and 16 extinction trials. Three different interstimulus intervals (ISI) were included as a between-S variable. Both acquisition and extinction data revealed that GSR magnitude on facilitatory trials was significantly larger than on inhibitory trials (p <.01). Results further indicated that differential responding in accord with instructional set was not dependent upon an extended CS-UCS interval.
Zur Implementation eines evidenzbasierten Therapie­verfahrens in die deutsche Suchtkrankenver­sorgung: Der Community Reinforcement Approach

Die Bemuhungen um eine Implementation des Community Reinforcement Approaches in verschiedenen Regionen Deutschlands und der Schweiz haben die Vertreter und Vermittler dieses evidenzbasierten Konzeptes auf das Problem stosen lassen, dass der Transfer evidenzbasierten Wissens von der Aus- und Fortbildungsveranstaltung bis in den unmittelbaren Klientenkontakt eine kaum zu uberschatzende Hurde darstellt, die nur zu uberwinden ist, wenn auch bei der Implementation auf empirisch begrundetes Wissen zuruckgegriffen werden kann. Im deutschsprachigen Raum ist diesem Aspekt bisher zu wenig Aufmerksamkeit geschenkt worden. Die von Wissenschaftlern wie Dean Fixsen aus North Carolina/USA propagierte Forderung einer solchen Implementationswissenschaft wird im vorliegenden Beitrag zum Ausgangspunkt, sich auch fur den deutschsprachigen Raum darum zu bemuhen, Anschluss an die internationale Forschung in diesem Bereich zu erhalten, damit deutsche Klienten von dem profitieren, was Therapeuten uber aktuelle Suchttherapie wissen konnen.
Relationship between Bushel Weight, Metabolizable Energy, and Protein Content of Corn from an Adverse Growing Season

Abstract Twenty-six yellow corn samples of varying bushel weight, free of observable insect or mold damage, were evaluated for metabolizable energy and protein content. A slight but significant positive correlation was observed between bushel weight and true metabolizable energy (TMEn) of corn samples, which increased by an average of 6.9 kcal/kg (3.1 kcal/lb) for each lb increase in bushel weight. However, considerable variation in the TMEn content of samples of similar weight suggests that this observation has limited practical significance for samples above 50 lbs/bushel. There was no significant effect of bushel weight on crude protein content.
Conditionals as Definite Descriptions

In Counterfactuals David Lewis noticed that definite descriptions and conditionals display the same kind of non-monotonic behavior. We take his observation literally and suggest that if-clauses are, quite simply, definite descriptions of possible worlds [related ideas are developed in M. Bittner (2001) Proceedings from SALT XI, CLC, Cornell University, Ithaca, pp. 36–55]. We depart from Lewis,s analysis, however, in claiming that if-clauses, like Strawsonian definite descriptions, refer. We develop our analysis by drawing both on Stalnaker,s Selection Function theory of conditionals and on von Heusinger,s Choice Function theory of definiteness, and by generalizing their analyses to plural Choice/Selection Functions. Finally, we explore some consequences of this referential approach: being definites, if-clauses can be topicalized; the word then can be analyzed as a pronoun that doubles the referential term; the syntactician,s Binding Theory constrains possible anaphoric relations between the if-clause and the word then; and general systems of referential classification can be applied to situate the denotation of the descriptive term, yielding a distinction between indicative, subjunctive and ‘double subjunctive’ conditionals.
Managing E-commerce Platform Quality and its Performance Implication: A Multiple-Group Structural Model Comparison

ABSTRACTThis study develops a comprehensive e-service quality measure of e-commerce platforms as intermediaries, which considers both the functionality of the website itself and the performance assessment of independent sellers. The study further investigates the joint impacts of both the attributes of e-commerce platforms and the performance of independent sellers on users’ online shopping experience: perceived online transaction value and the ensuing satisfaction. Finally, the study examines the effects of e-service quality on the outcome variables across two major e-commerce platforms as intermediaries, eBay and Amazon. The multiple-group structural model analysis provides important insights to understanding differing impacts of different quality components on shopping experiences across various online marketplaces. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.
Appealing to Congress

In recent years, a swelling chorus of critics has taken aim at the Roberts Court’s (mis)use of avoidance canons. For many of these critics, Exhibit A has been a pair of cases involving constitutional challenges to the Voting Rights Act (VRA). In the first of these cases, Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District No. 1 v. Holder, the Court invoked the avoidance canon and decided the case on (dubious) statutory grounds. It left open the ultimate question of the VRA’s constitutionality, but it did raise constitutional scruples rooted in the novel doctrine of “equal sovereignty.” In the second case, Shelby County v. Holder, the Court relied on those Northwest Austin dicta to invalidate the VRA’s preclearance provisions. Defenders of these decisions suggest that the Northwest Austin Court clearly signaled to Congress that the VRA was in constitutional peril, and that the Shelby County Court simply made good on that earlier admonition. Long ago Alexander Bickel wrote that, in constitutional cases, the Supreme Court “nearly always has three courses of action open to it: it may strike down legislation as inconsistent with principle; it may legitimate it; or it may do neither.” The avoidance canon has, in the view of the Roberts Court’s defenders, been the Court’s favored way of “doing neither.”But, as an alternative to invalidating or upholding a federal statute, the modern avoidance canon leaves much to be desired. This Article describes why this is so, and points to a more attractive “third way,” one first developed in Germany. In judgments known as “appeal decisions,” the German Constitutional Court does one of two things: it either declares that the challenged law is constitutional “as yet,” or it rules that the law’s unconstitutionality must be provisionally accepted. In both cases, the Court “appeals” to the legislature to act affirmatively — in the one case to prevent a foreseeable constitutional defect; in the other to cure a defect that already exists. Counterintuitively, this seemingly aggressive practice can actually promote dialogue and deference.At a superficial level, the U.S. Supreme Court has long engaged in analogous practices. But those practices have been covert, half-hearted, and inadequate. Of late, the situation has grown worse. This Article contends that there would be great advantages to adopting the German practice openly and in full. The U.S. Supreme Court should, in certain settings, appeal to Congress.
Defining and evaluating a novel outcome measure representing end-stage knee osteoarthritis: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative.

We described a definition of end-stage knee osteoarthritis (esKOA) and evaluated its association with health outcomes and osteoarthritis risk factors. We included Osteoarthritis Initiative participants with or at risk for knee osteoarthritis who had complete baseline data. We defined esKOA by adapting a validated appropriateness algorithm for total knee replacement based on data from baseline and the first four follow-up visits. We performed person-based analyses, including both knees from all participants. Participants met the definition of esKOA at the visit at which ≥1 knee reached the esKOA criteria. We assessed differences in individual characteristics between groups at baseline and over time and tested if incident esKOA (outcome) was associated with osteoarthritis risk factors (e.g., age, maximum adult weight, and quadriceps strength). The cohort consisted of 3916 participants with mean age of 61 (SD = 9) years and mean body mass index of 28.4 (4.7) kg/m2; 59 % were female and 9.7 % developed incident esKOA. Those with incident esKOA had poorer health outcomes at baseline and greater declines in health outcomes, with the exception of SF-12 mental health score. Five out of nine tested risk factors were associated with incident esKOA in unadjusted analyses, with older age (≥65 years; odds ratio = 1.44, 95 % confidence interval = 1.19 to 1.83) and quadriceps weakness (odds ratio = 0.78, 95 % confidence interval = 0.71 to 0.86) remaining significant in adjusted models. Older age and quadriceps weakness predicted esKOA. esKOA is also characterized by poor health-related outcomes. This definition of esKOA could be a new clinically relevant outcome measure for osteoarthritis research.
CRT-200.64 Impact of Surgical Consultation on Outcomes in Hemodynamically Supported High Risk Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Insights From PROTECT II Randomized Study

In observational studies of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), surgical ineligibility is associated with increased mortality. Whether the use of hemodynamic support during PCI can mitigate the adverse prognostic importance of surgical ineligibility is unknown. We sought
The Turbulent 1990s and 2000s

Chapter 3 examines several key events in the 1990s and 2000s that opened the door for greater queer visibility in public schools, particularly on the behalf of queer students who were willing to be “out” about their identities. I also address the dilemmas that queer educators confronted if they came out or were forcibly “outed.”
A Novel Spatial Cloaking Scheme Using Hierarchical Hilbert Curve for Location-Based Services

With the rapid development of positioning and wireless technologies, Location-based Services (LBS) appear anywhere in our daily life. Though LBS brings a great convience to users, the location privacy is vulnerable in many ways (e.g., untrusted LBS Server). To address privacy issues, we propose HHScloak, a novel Hierarchical Hilbert Curve Spatial Cloaking algorithm to effectively achieve k-anonymity for mobile users in LBS. Different from existing methods, we take Average Query Density (AQD) into consideration, and generate the Anonymity Set (AS) which satisfies reciprocity and uniformity. Based on the hierarchical method and optimal splitting bucket strategy, our scheme provides a larger cloaking region which guarantees privacy level. Security analysis and experimental evaluation prove that HHScloak scheme can perform more efficiently and effectively than other methods.
Fully persistent arrays

This paper has outlined an algorithm for fully persistent arrays in which Access operations take O(log log n) time and Store operations take O(log log n) amortized expected time. The algorithm uses linear space.
Interactions, Structure, and Dynamics of Polymer-Tethered Nanoparticle Blends

We report on the structure, jamming, and dynamics of blends of self-suspended hairy silica nanoparticles grafted with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). We find that favorable enthalpic attraction between tethered PEG and PMMA chains augment previously reported entropic attractions between tethered polymer chains in self-suspended suspensions to enhance particle-particle correlations, increase jamming, and slow down chain dynamics. As with their single-component counterparts, the hairy SiO2-PEG/SiO2-PMMA nanoparticle blends exhibit soft glassy rheological behavior and both the energy dissipated at yielding and the plateau elastic modulus display strong maxima in the symmetric case. A comparison of the small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements with theoretical analysis from density functional theory (DFT) reveals that the addition of SiO2-PMMA to a self-suspended SiO2-PEG suspension initially leads to a higher degree of stretching of the corona chains, which produces s...
Collagenase Injection: Journey from Bench to Current Advanced Clinical Use

The eponym for Dupuytren disease was coined because Dupuytren, a French surgeon, performed a surgery using an open transverse incision in 1831 on his patient with a hand contracture. However, Dupuytren disease was actually originally described earlier in 1614 by Felix Plater of Basel. Some reports describe Dupuytren disease even earlier in Orkney and Iceland in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Interestingly, Englishman John Hunter reported that Dupuytren disease originated in ligaments and not tendons, in 1777—the year of Dupuytren’s birth. Hunter also suggested that surgical fasciotomy might be done to resolve the contractures (Elliot 1989). The introduction of collagenase for the treatment of Dupuytren disease is a much more recent event. Doctors Hurst and Badalamente invented this therapeutic option for treating Dupuytren disease with collagenase and have championed its development since the early 1990s (Hurst 2011).
Forecasts and Decisions

A survey of literature appropriate to the problem of weather-sensitive decisions in agriculture leads into at least two disciplines, in addition to meteorology. These are the theory of decisions and the management of farms.
Exercise protects against methamphetamine-induced aberrant neurogenesis.

While no effective therapy is available for the treatment of methamphetamine (METH)-induced neurotoxicity, aerobic exercise is being proposed to improve depressive symptoms and substance abuse outcomes. The present study focuses on the effect of exercise on METH-induced aberrant neurogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus in the context of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) pathology. Mice were administered with METH or saline by i.p. injections for 5 days with an escalating dose regimen. One set of mice was sacrificed 24 h post last injection of METH, and the remaining animals were either subjected to voluntary wheel running (exercised mice) or remained in sedentary housing (sedentary mice). METH administration decreased expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins and increased BBB permeability in the hippocampus. These changes were preserved post METH administration in sedentary mice and were associated with the development of significant aberrations of neural differentiation. Exercise protected against these effects by enhancing the protein expression of TJ proteins, stabilizing the BBB integrity, and enhancing the neural differentiation. In addition, exercise protected against METH-induced systemic increase in inflammatory cytokine levels. These results suggest that exercise can attenuate METH-induced neurotoxicity by protecting against the BBB disruption and related microenvironmental changes in the hippocampus.
Development of a screening tool to prioritize testing for the carcinogenic hazard of residual aromatic extracts and related petroleum streams.

Abstract Residual aromatic extracts (RAE) are petroleum substances with variable composition predominantly containing aromatic hydrocarbons with carbon numbers greater than C25. Because of the high boiling nature of RAEs, the aromatics present are high molecular weight, with most above the range of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, refinery distillations are imperfect; some PAHs and their heteroatom-containing analogs (collectively referred to as polycyclic aromatic content or PAC) may remain in the parent stream and be extracted into the RAE, and overall PAC content is related to the carcinogenic potential of an RAE. We describe here a real-time analytical chemistry-based tool to assess the carcinogenic hazard of RAE via the development of a functional relationship between carcinogenicity and boiling point. Samples representative of steps along the RAE manufacturing process were obtained from five refineries to evaluate relationships between mutagenicity index (MI), PAC ring content and gas chromatographic distillation (GCD) curves. As expected, a positive linear relationship between MI and PAC ring content occurred, most specifically for 3–6 ring PAC (R 2 = 0.68). A negative correlation was found between MI and temperature at 5% vaporization by GCD (R 2 = 0.72), indicating that samples with greater amounts of lower boiling constituents were more likely to be carcinogenic. The inverse relationship between boiling range and carcinogenicity was further demonstrated by fractionation of select RAE samples (MI = 0.50 + 0.07; PAC = 1.70 + 0.51 wt%; n = 5) into low and high boiling fractions, where lower boiling fractions were both more carcinogenic than the higher boiling fractions (MI = 2.36 ± 0.55 and 0.17 ± 0.11, respectively) and enriched in 3–6 ring PACs (5.20 + 0.70 wt% and 0.97 + 0.35 wt%, respectively). The criteria defining carcinogenicity was established as 479 °C for the 5% vaporization points by GCD, with an approximate 95% probability of a future sample having an MI below the recommended limit of 0.4 for RAEs. Overall, these results provide a cost-efficient and real-time tool by which the carcinogenic potential of RAEs can be assessed at the refinery level, ultimately providing a means to readily monitor and minimize the carcinogenic potential of RAEs.
Increasing the efficacy of radiotherapy by modulating the CCR2/CCR5 chemokine axes

// Kelli A. Connolly 1 , Brian A. Belt 2 , Nathania M. Figueroa 2 , Aditi Murthy 1 , Ankit Patel 2 , Minsoo Kim 1 , Edith M. Lord 1 , David C. Linehan 2 , Scott A. Gerber 1, 2 1 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA 2 Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA Correspondence to: Scott A. Gerber, email: scott_gerber@urmc.rochester.edu Keywords: radiotherapy, myeloid cells, chemokines, immunotherapy, immune response Received: August 02, 2016 Accepted: October 29, 2016 Published: November 11, 2016 ABSTRACT Although radiotherapy (RT) is widely used to control tumor growth across many cancer types, there is a relatively high incidence of RT failure exhibited by tumor recurrence, therefore a clear need exists to achieve improved effectiveness of RT. The RT-elicited immune response largely impacts the efficacy of RT and includes immune cells that kill tumor cells, but also immunosuppressive cells, which dampen anti-tumor immunity. Using murine models in which syngeneic tumor cell lines (Colon38, Glioma261, Line1) are grown intramuscularly and treated with 15 Gy local RT, we assessed the effects of RT on both the systemic and intratumoral immune response. Here we demonstrate that RT stimulates increased production of two chemokines, CCL2 and CCL5, at the tumor site. Further, that this leads to increased CCR2+ CCR5+ monocytes in circulation and subsequently alters the intratumoral immune infiltrate favoring the largely immunosuppressive CCR2+ CCR5+ monocytes. Importantly, a CCR2/CCR5 antagonist administered daily (15 mg/kg subcutaneously) starting two days prior to RT reduces both circulating and intratumoral monocytes resulting in increased efficacy of RT in radioresponsive tumors. Overall, these data have important implications for the mechanism of RT and present a means to improve RT efficacy across many cancer types.
The Impact of Taiwanese Popular Literature on China

By focusing on the cases of two prominent Taiwanese writers, Qiong Yao and Xi Murong, Yeh explores and explains in this chapter how and why they captivated Mainland Chinese so easily in the 1980s and 1990s. Yeh shows that they were appealing to Mainland Chinese who were just beginning to emerge from the highly regimented and brutish world of the Cultural Revolution and the anti-Confucius campaign. They provided a glimpse of what a China that was modernized, unregimented, and comfortable with its heritage might look like. Yeh reveals that by resonating with the collective unconscious of post-Mao Chinese society these writers made their writings readily accepted and loved by mainland readers and tolerated by the CCP in quest of modernization and Chineseness.
Effects of agent timing on the human-agent team

Abstract As technology becomes more sophisticated, autonomous agents are applied more frequently to improve system performance. The current research employed a five step method, including modeling, simulation, and human experimentation to explore the effect of an artificial agent’s timing on the performance of a human-agent team within a highly dynamic task environment. Agent timing significantly influenced the role assumed by the human within the team. Further, agent timing changed system performance by approximately 40% within the experimental conditions. Results indicate that an artificial agent’s timing can be varied as a function of the task demands placed upon the human-agent team to maintain an appropriate level of human activity and engagement. Therefore, agent timing may be controlled to adapt autonomy to provide an apparent continuum along which to control human engagement in systems employing human-agent teaming within dynamic environments.
DNA double strand break (DSB) induction and cell survival in iodine-enhanced computed tomography (CT).

A multi-scale Monte Carlo model is proposed to assess the dosimetric and biological impact of iodine-based contrast agents commonly used in computed tomography. As presented, the model integrates the general purpose MCNP6 code system for larger-scale radiation transport and dose assessment with the Monte Carlo damage simulation to determine the sub-cellular characteristics and spatial distribution of initial DNA damage. The repair-misrepair-fixation model is then used to relate DNA double strand break (DSB) induction to reproductive cell death. Comparisons of measured and modeled changes in reproductive cell survival for ultrasoft characteristic k-shell x-rays (0.25-4.55 keV) up to orthovoltage (200-500 kVp) x-rays indicate that the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) for DSB induction is within a few percent of the RBE for cell survival. Because of the very short range of secondary electrons produced by low energy x-ray interactions with contrast agents, the concentration and subcellular distribution of iodine within and near cellular targets have a significant impact on the estimated absorbed dose and number of DSB produced in the cell nucleus. For some plausible models of the cell-level distribution of contrast agent, the model predicts an increase in RBE-weighted dose (RWD) for the endpoint of DSB induction of 1.22-1.40 for a 5-10 mg ml-1 iodine concentration in blood compared to an RWD increase of 1.07 ± 0.19 from a recent clinical trial. The modeled RWD of 2.58 ± 0.03 is also in good agreement with the measured RWD of 2.3 ± 0.5 for an iodine concentration of 50 mg ml-1 relative to no iodine. The good agreement between modeled and measured DSB and cell survival estimates provides some confidence that the presented model can be used to accurately assess biological dose for other concentrations of the same or different contrast agents.
Achilles Tendon Pathology

The achilles tendon is the confluence of the distal gastrocnemius and soleus muscles which inserts on the posterior superior calcaneus. Pathology of the achilles tendon falls in a spectrum of disorders including retrocalcaneal bursitis/insertional achilles tendinopathy, achilles tendinosis/tendonitis, and achilles tendon rupture. Diagnosis relies most heavily on clinical presentation and examination. Although commonly not needed for diagnosis, imaging techniques for evaluation include conventional radiography, ultrasound, and MRI. Nonoperative management strategies are the treatment of choice across the spectrum of achilles pathology. In select scenarios, including a prominent Haglund’s deformity in recalcitrant retrocalcaneal bursitis and achilles tendon rupture, surgical intervention may be indicated and performed with excellent results.
“A scene of Villainy acted by a dirty Banditti, as must astonish the Public”: The Creation of the Boston Massacre

In the years before the American Revolution, “A scene of Villainy acted by a dirty Banditti” argues, Boston's Sons of Liberty built their claim to govern their community, at the expense of both Loyalists and laboring Bostonians, by transforming a street fight between soldiers and civilians into the Boston Massacre.
Simulation of Human Head Response to Impact Loading Using Newly Developed Biofidelic Material Models for Brain Tissue

This research sought to develop a biofidelic material model for brain tissue by accounting for the underlying microstructure of the material. Based on the microstructure observed at the neuron level, a mesoscale model was developed which included neurons, glial cells and Cerebro-Spinal Fluid (CSF). A semi-analytical model was first developed using a simplified geometry accounting for separate fiber and matrix (fluid) behavior of the medium. A second computational model was constructed by developing a representative volume element of brain tissue that includes the neurons, glial cells and CSF. Diffusion Tensor Imaging was also utilized to capture anisotropy and directional dependence of the tissue on the continuum scale. Using these models, computational simulations were performed to predict the mechanical response of the brain tissue when subjected to a non-penetrating, impact load.