cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Major Investor Losses Due to Conflicted Advice: Brokerage Industry Advertising Creates the Illusion of a Fiduciary Duty

No uniform national standard exists today requiring brokerage firms to put their clients’ interests first by avoiding making profits from conflicted advice. Since the passage of the Dodd Frank Act, inaction by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on a fiduciary standard has cost American investors nearly $80 billion, based on estimated losses of $17 billion per year. There is a compelling case to be made for a ban on conflicted advice in order to protect investors. In the absence of such a standard, brokerage firms now engage in advertising that is clearly calculated to leave the false impression with investors that stockbrokers are fiduciaries. But, while brokerage firms advertise as though they are trusted guardians of their clients’ best interests, they deny any such duty exists when they arbitrate any resulting disputes. The Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA) reviewed the advertising and arbitration stances of nine major brokerage firms – Merrill Lynch, Fidelity Investments, Ameriprise, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, Allstate Financial, UBS, Berthel Fisher, and Charles Schwab. This paper describes the findings of the review. The paper concludes that all nine firms advertise in a fashion that is designed to lull investors into the belief that they are being offered the services of a fiduciary. For example, Merrill Lynch advertises as follows: “It’s time for a financial strategy that puts your needs and priorities front and center.” Fidelity Investments appeals to investors with these words: “Acting in good faith and taking pride in getting things just right. The personal commitment each of us makes to go the extra mile for our customers and put their interests before our own is a big part of what has always made Fidelity a special place to work and do business.” Nonetheless, all nine brokerage firms using the fiduciary-like appeals in their ads eschew any such responsibility when it comes to battling investor claims in arbitration. Adding to the confusion is the fact that five of the eight brokerage firms – Ameriprise, Merrill Lynch, Fidelity, Wells Fargo, and Charles Schwab – have publicly stated that they support a fiduciary standard. But these firms are every bit as vociferous as the other four brokerages in denying that they have any fiduciary obligation in arbitration cases filed by investors who have lost some or all of their nest egg due to conflicted advice.
Redefining the positive margin in pancreatic cancer: Impact of distance on survival.

4122Background: Significant controversy exists regarding prognostic significance of margin clearance and what constitutes a positive margin (R1) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA). We perfor...
An Innovative Professional Development Model for Teaching Robotics to Novice Educators

This Innovative Practice Category Work in Progress Paper presets an innovate professional development (PD) model for teaching robotics to educators with little to no robotics experience. Robotics education is a growing field that embodies a complete integration of science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), and computer science, as well as the application of the desired STEM skills of critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration. Despite the fast growing opportunities for K-12 students to participate in robotics challenges and competitions, very few robotics professional development opportunities exist, leaving educators unprepared to guide and coach their students. To address the need, the STEM Education Center at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) developed the Robotics for Educators program, a 5-day robotics experience for K-12 educators in formal and informal settings. In the unique format of the program, students and teachers learn together, participate in the same challenges, and assist each other in the design and programming of the robots. The educators attend additional sessions that incorporate best practices for STEM, as well as state standards. This paper describes the framework of the program, its schedule, evaluation of the 6 years of the program, and future research directions.
The Simplest Protocol for Rapid and Long-Term Culture of Primary Epidermal Keratinocytes from Human and Mouse

Although mouse models have been used as an essential tool for studying the physiology and diseases of the skin, propagation of mouse primary epidermal keratinocytes remains challenging. In this chapter, we introduce the simplest, at least to our knowledge, protocol that enables long-term expansion of p63+ mouse epidermal keratinocytes in low Ca2+ media without the need of progenitor cell-purification steps or support by a feeder cell layer. Pharmacological inhibition of TGF-β signaling in crude preparations of mouse epidermis robustly increases proliferative capacity of p63+ epidermal progenitor cells, while preserving their ability to differentiate. Suppression of TGF-β signaling also permits p63+ epidermal keratinocytes to form macroscopically large clones in 3T3-J2 feeder cell co-culture. Suppression of TGF-β signaling also enhances the clonal growth of human keratinocytes in co-culture with a variety of feeder cells. This simple and efficient approach will not only facilitate the use of mouse models by providing p63+ primary epidermal keratinocytes in quantity but also significantly reduce the time needed for preparing the customized skin grafts in Green method.
Exploring HIV concern in a population of Dominican American women midlife and older.

The feminization and ethnic diversification of HIV infection, has resulted in a call for gender- and culture-specific prevention strategies for at-risk groups including Latinos in the United States. The steadily changing demographic profile of the AIDS epidemic challenges prevention strategies to remain relevant and up-to-date, particularly in populations of women midlife and older where an understanding of risk remains under explored. As the CDC requests country-specific HIV risk profiles for Latino communities in the US, understanding the socio-economic, behavioral and personal risk reasons of HIV risk for older Dominican women is critical for prevention. We conducted focus group discussions informed by the Theory of Gender and Power (TGP). The three constructs of the TGP: 1) Affective influences/social norms; 2) Gender-specific norms and. 3) Power and Authority guided the thematic analysis and identified themes that described the socio-cultural and contextual reasons that that contribute to perceptions of HIV risk. Sixty Dominican American women ages 57–73 participated in our focus group discussions. Sexual Division of Labour: 1) Economic Dependence; 2) Financial Need and 3) Education and Empowerment. Sexual Division of Power: 4) HIV Risk and 5) Relationship Dynamics. Cathexis: Affective Influences/Social Norms: 6) HIV/AIDS Knowledge and 7) Prevention and Testing. Importantly, participants were concerned about partner fidelity when visiting the Dominican Republic, as the country accounts for the second highest HIV rates in the Caribbean. Our results confirm previous findings about perceptions of HIV risk and provide additional insight into aging-related aspects of HIV risk for Latino women midlife and older.
Behandeling van ernstige zelfverwonding

Dit hoofdstuk is een van de meest verontrustende hoofdstukken om te lezen, omdat het gaat over ernstige zelfverwonding. Het is geen relevant hoofdstuk voor mensen die op scholen of universiteiten werken, of op andere locaties waar de clientele hoogfunctionerend is. Het kan nuttig zijn voor mensen die werkzaam zijn in penitentiaire inrichtingen, psychiatrische ziekenhuizen, instellingen, begeleid-wonenprojecten, ambulante behandelteams voor mensen met ernstige psychiatrische stoornissen of specifieke groepshuizen, en voor anderen die werken met mensen met ernstige psychische aandoeningen of zware persoonlijkheidsstoornissen.
U.S. county-level characteristics to inform equitable COVID-19 response

The spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) across the United States confirms that not all Americans are equally at risk of infection, severe disease, or mortality. A range of intersecting biological, demographic, and socioeconomic factors are likely to determine an individual's susceptibility to COVID-19. These factors vary significantly across counties in the United States, and often reflect the structural inequities in our society. Recognizing this vast inter-county variation in risks will be critical to mounting an adequate response strategy. Using publicly available county-specific data we identified key biological, demographic, and socioeconomic factors influencing susceptibility to COVID-19, guided by international experiences and consideration of epidemiological parameters of importance. We created bivariate county-level maps to summarize examples of key relationships across these categories, grouping age and poverty; comorbidities and lack of health insurance; proximity, density and bed capacity; and race and ethnicity, and premature death. We have also made available an interactive online tool that allows public health officials to query risk factors most relevant to their local context. Our data demonstrate significant inter-county variation in key epidemiological risk factors, with a clustering of counties in certain states, which will result in an increased demand on their public health system. While the East and West coast cities are particularly vulnerable owing to their densities (and travel routes), a large number of counties in the Southeastern states have a high proportion of at-risk populations, with high levels of poverty, comorbidities, and premature death at baseline, and low levels of health insurance coverage. The list of variables we have examined is by no means comprehensive, and several of them are interrelated and magnify underlying vulnerabilities. The online tool allows readers to explore additional combinations of risk factors, set categorical thresholds for each covariate, and filter counties above different population thresholds. COVID-19 responses and decision making in the United States remain decentralized. Both the federal and state governments will benefit from recognizing high intra-state, inter-county variation in population risks and response capacity. Many of the factors that are likely to exacerbate the burden of COVID-19 and the demand on healthcare systems are the compounded result of long-standing structural inequalities in US society. Strategies to protect those in the most vulnerable counties will require urgent measures to better support communities' attempts at social distancing and to accelerate cooperation across jurisdictions to supply personnel and equipment to counties that will experience high demand.
Treatment and prevention approaches for economically disadvantaged young children: challenges and opportunities

During early childhood, economically disadvantaged children can experience challenges that affect their social-emotional, language, and physical health development across the lifespan. Psychologist...
Elevated EZH2 in ischemic heart disease epigenetically mediates suppression of NaV1.5 expression

Suppression of the cardiac sodium channel NaV1.5 leads to fatal arrhythmias in ischemic heart disease (IHD). However, the transcriptional regulation of NaV1.5 in cardiac ischemia is still unclear. Our studies are aimed to investigate the expression of enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) in IHD and regulation of cardiac NaV1.5 expression by EZH2. Human heart tissue was obtained from IHD and non-failing heart (NFH) patients; mouse heart tissue was obtained from the peri-infarct zone of hearts with myocardial infarction (MI) and hearts with a sham procedure. Protein and mRNA expression were measured by immunoblotting, immunostaining, and qRT-PCR. Protein-DNA binding and promoter activity were analyzed by ChIP-qPCR and luciferase assays, respectively. Na+ channel activity was assessed by whole-cell patch clamp recordings. EZH2 and H3K27me3 were increased while NaV1.5 expression was reduced in IHD hearts and in mouse MI hearts compared to the controls. Reduced NaV1.5 and increased EZH2 mRNA levels were observed in mouse MI hearts. A selective EZH2 inhibitor, GSK126 decreased H3K27me3 and elevated NaV1.5 in HL-1 cells. Silencing of EZH2 expression decreased H3K27me3 and increased NaV1.5 in these cells. EZH2 and H3K27me3 were enriched in the promoter regions of Scn5a and were decreased by treatment with EZH2 siRNA. GSK126 inhibited the enrichment of H3K27me3 in the Scn5a promoter and enhanced Scn5a transcriptional activity. GSK126 significantly increased Na+ channel activity. Taken together, EZH2 is increased in ischemic hearts and epigenetically suppresses Scn5a transcription by H3K27me3, leading to decreased NaV1.5 expression and Na+ channel activity underlying the pathogenesis of arrhythmias.
Collaborative Learning in Multi-Domain Optical Networks

This paper presents a collaborative learning framework for multi-domain optical networks to enable cognitive end-to-end networking while guaranteeing the autonomy of each administrative domain. © 2020 The Author(s)
Timucua Hand Use: Dispelling the Myth of Left-Hand Preference

At the time of Spanish contact, the Timucua were the original people of northern central Florida. Granberry (1996) claimed in a provocative article that Timucua constitutes an exception to the universal or near-universal property of preference for the right hand, and showed a preference for the left hand instead. This article critically examines Granberry's argument, and shows that there is no good linguistic evidence to support left-hand preference in Timucua
Economic loss from COVID-19 fatalities across countries: a VSL approach

COVID-19 has quickly propagated throughout the globe and triggered the worst economic crisis the world has experienced in recent history. We estimate mortality rates and associated economic loss of...
An Overview of Cybersecurity for Natural Gas Networks: Attacks, Attack Assessment, and Attack Detection

Cyber technology is used frequently today to control and monitor many important physical systems. Such Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) are of great importance as they provide fundamental services to society. The focus here is on one particular Cyber-Physical System (CPS) focusing on the delivery of natural gas. Natural gas pipeline system operations rely heavily on industrial control systems (ICSs) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. While the ICSs and SCADA systems introduce many advantages, they also introduce more vulnerabilities by providing opportunities for malicious cyber-attackers. However, academic investigations on cyber-attacks on gas systems have appeared only sparingly. Therefore, we intend to inform the community about this important topic that needs further study. We introduce the typical structure of natural gas systems and the natural gas markets. We also introduce the partial differential equations (PDEs) that describe the dynamics of the gas flows through pipelines. We focus on cyber-physical-attacks on natural gas systems that can be classified into three categories: man-in-the-middle attacks (MiMA), spoofing attacks, and topology attacks. We provide an overview of cyber-physical-attack detection approaches for gas networks. We provide a detailed discussion on the models, theories, and representative detection approaches for natural gas networks. Using numerical examples, we analyze the damage caused by three particular cyber-physical-attacks on natural gas systems. We also illustrate the performance of a representative attack detection approach.
The Use of Cardiopulmonary Stress Testing to Predict Poor Outcomes Post-Heart Transplantation

Purpose Cardiopulmonary stress testing (CPX) has been used as a reliable marker for poor outcomes among patients with chronic heart failure. The utility of pre-transplant CPX to predict post heart transplant (HT) outcomes has not been evaluated. Methods We conducted an observational, retrospective, cohort study of all HT recipients who underwent a pre-HT CPX at a single center from 2013 to 2019. Measures of cardiovascular performance were evaluated including METs achieved, peak VO2, %-predicted peak VO2, VE/VCO2 slope, RER, and VO2/heart rate (HR). These were correlated to post-HT clinical outcomes including hospital length of stay (LOS), ICU LOS, need for mechanical circulatory support (MCS) (e.g. intra-aortic balloon pump or VA-ECMO), and death. Results 52 HT recipients were included (mean age 57 years, 67% male). All subjects underwent a CPX and subsequently received a HT within 139 ± 122 days. Subjects exhibited poor cardiovascular performance with 57% achieving a VE/VCO2 greater than 35 (average 37± 8), only 35% able to demonstrate greater than 6 METs, 58% with %-predicted peak VO2 less than 50, and 60% with VO2/HR of less than 11. Subjects with VE/VCO2 greater than 35 were older (60 years vs 49 years, p = 0.013) and had lower BSA (1.9 m2 vs 2.1 m2, p = 0.04). Ability to achieve greater than 6 METs was associated with less than 5-day ICU LOS (25% vs 10%, p=0.03) and a reduced need for MCS (2% vs 33%, p Conclusion Ability to achieve greater than 6 METs and a VE/VCO2 less than 35 were associated with positive post-HT clinical outcomes of reduced ICU LOS, reduced need for MCS, and reduced total hospital LOS. Pre-operative CPX measures may provide clinical utility in identifying subjects at risk for adverse post-HT outcomes.
Alternative Codes and Phase Rotation Extensions for Alternating Space-Time Coding-Based Physical Layer Security

In this article, several extensions to an alternating space-time (ST) code (STC) physical layer security (PLS) scheme from the literature are proposed. These contributions include alternative orthogonal STCs as well as non-orthogonal and spatially-multiplexed (SM) STCs for improved bandwidth efficiency. Phase rotation (PR) algorithms are provided to build very large sets of unique alternative STCs for use with this scheme. Decoding methods are discussed for alternating non-orthogonal and SM STCs. Monte Carlo simulations are provided to compare bit error rate (BER) performance between different decoding methods. Secrecy system nomenclature is adapted to the alternative STCs and proposed algorithms. Information-theoretic security analysis including message and key equivocation is provided along with expected eavesdropper BER based on an assumed attack methodology. A comparison of security offered by the alternating STC PLS scheme with and without incorporation of proposed PR algorithms is performed. Substantially greater exhaustive key search attack complexity is achieved by using the PR algorithms proposed in this article.
Revisiting Geologic Storage Potential in Unconventional Formations Is Key to Proactive Decision Making on CCS in India

Global energy modeling exercises project significant deployment of CO2 capture and storage (CCS) to bridge the gap between India’s pledged climate commitments and the 1.5 deg. C target. Despite advances in laboratory analyses and process modeling, the information on geologic storage potential in India is limited. Prior studies indicate that the vast majority of storage potential exists in saline aquifers (50-300 Gt-CO2); though, this might be overestimated. These estimates also estimate the theoretical potential in coal seams to be <5 Gt-CO2 while shale basins have not been evaluated as geologic CO2 sinks on a systems level. Based on several recent climate developments and CCS best practices, we suggest revisiting these potential estimates. We demonstrate how revisiting some assumptions might enhance the coal repository available as a sink by a factor of 7-8. We also present proof-of-concept analysis to show that Indian shale reservoirs might have suitable CO2 adsorption capacity. With detailed recommendations for revising these estimates, we present a methodological framework for incorporating the best practices for coal seam and shale basin storage potential. Based on source-sink mapping exercises, we also argue that unconventional basins in India are especially relevant because of their proximity to large point sources of CO2.
The Application of the X-ray Transform to 3D Conformal Radiotherapy

The inversion problem for γ-ray (≥1MeV) conformal radiotherapy is analyzed using the mathematics of tomographic reconstruction. It is shown that the delivered dose can be approximated by the dual attenuated x-ray transform of the filtered beam profile function. The number of intensity-modulated beams required for dose conformation to a tumor is derived. The sampling requirement is at most (2πr max W max + 5/2) beams for a 2D tomotherapy geometry, where r max and W max are the maximum spatial extent and frequency, respectively, of the radiation dose. We generalize this ‘Bow Tie’ solution to 3D, suggesting a sufficient beam number given by (Δω/2πW max )(2πr max W max +5/2)2, where Δω is the frequency resolution of the beam front modulation. The matrix inversion implicit in this bound suggests a criterion for beam orientation selection. Beam angles should be chosen such that the SVD inversion to beam profiles is non-singular for the entire configuration of beams. The natural Hilbert space metric among beam profiles provides another criterion for choosing beam angles. The total squared intensity at each beam angle (in the ρ - metric) is used as a ranking of beam orientations to maximize the overlap between the sampled and continuous beam profile functions. The measure is displayed relative to 3D tissue space contours to define an optimum subset of beams. The formalism is applied to real brain and prostate tumor data consisting of radiologist-generated tumor and organ-at-risk contours, prescribed dose and dose limits, and CT images.
Behavioral changes in Parkinson patients following surgery. A factor analytic study.

Abstract Factor analytic procedures were applied to ratings of motor performance of two groups of patients with a diagnosis of Parkinsonism. The first analysis, prior to surgery, revealed the presence of five principal factors: general gross motor efficiency speech, right side activity, lower limb tremor, and left side activity. The second analysis, following surgery also revealed the factors of general gross motor efficiency and speech. In the second analysis there were three new factors: tremor, fine motor skills, and finger movement. A comparison of patients' factor scores with the changes present in the original ratings indicates a high degree of validity for this approach to the evaluation of behavioral change as the result of surgery.
Parametric feature-based voice recognition system using artificial neural network

A speaker identification experiment was conducted using an artificial neural network. The speech data were collected from nine different speakers saying the same word, "hello". The speech data were then preprocessed for signal conditioning. Fourteen feature parameters were obtained: 12 of them are the coefficients of the 12/sup th/ order linear predictor (LPC); and the other two were selected as the peak and bandwidth of the spectral envelope. These 14 feature parameters then served as the inputs to the neural network for speaker classification. A standard two-layer feedforward neural network was trained to identify different feature sets associated with the corresponding speakers. The network size was selected to be 14-8-4 (14 input, 8 hidden, and 4 output units). Nine utterances from each speaker were used as training data, and the other one served as testing data. The results showed that the trained network can correctly identify the speakers to an accuracy of 90%. The success rate could be increased by increasing the number of utterances per speaker. >
Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a complex, multidetermined syndrome involving altered gut reactivity, altered pain perception, and brain-gut dysregulation that is modulated by psychosocial and biological factors (Palsson & Drossman, 2005). The symptomatology of IBS is a combination of abdominal pain or discomfort, rectal distension, and altered bowel habit (i.e., diarrhea or constipation). Keywords: medically unexplained illness; gut reactivity; stress
The diagnosis and management of pre-invasive breast disease: another point of view

I read with interest the series of articles on 'Pre-invasive breast disease' in the September and November issues of Breast Cancer Research [1-9]. Although each of the articles is well written, the series raises several issues and in places is contradictory. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) has been detected in invasive carcinomas, in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), in atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) and in atypical lobular hyperplasia/lobular carcinoma in situ [10,11]. LOH has also been detected in much lesser frequency in ductal hyperplasia usual type, in normal breast [12] and in gynecomastia [13]. Two mutually contradictory conclusions can be drawn from this data. First, LOH studies indicate a progressive build-up of molecular abnormalities, which in some instances culminate in malignant transformation. Similar frequencies of LOH in ADH and in low-grade DCIS indicate a relationship close enough to justify merger of these entities (suggested by Pinder and Ellis [2]). The second conclusion is that, since LOH is seen even in normal breast, it has no significance. This conclusion is supported by the distinct keratin profiles of ductal hyper-plasia usual type and of ADH/DCIS [14]. Lesions called 'atypical hyperplasia' are either hyperplastic or neoplastic but are not precursory in nature, and the term ADH is best discarded (suggested by van de Vijver and Peterse [5]). The morphological identification and distinction of ADH from DCIS is problematic to say the least. One can easily agree with van de Vijver and Peterse [5] in questioning the use of the term ADH for lesions that have the morphological features of DCIS but are smaller than 2 mm. Whatever our individual bias may be, it seems clear from the studies initiated by Page and colleagues [15] that there exists a lesion that is a marker of increased risk for breast cancer. This lesion is similar to atypical lobular hyperplasia/lobular carcinoma in situ and is distinct from DCIS in that cancers arising in patients with this lesion are not localized to the area of prior abnormality, but can arise anywhere in the same breast or in the contralateral breast. Although some forms of low-grade DCIS, such as micropapillary DCIS, can be multicentric, most DCIS is unicentric and cancers arising in patients with this condition seem to arise at the site of prior lesion. Whatever the molecular resemblance, this biologic behavior should be sufficient to merit the distinction of ADH from DCIS. I agree that the term ADH is a misnomer as the lesion arises in terminal duct lobular units and not in 'true' ducts [15]. However, ADH still serves an important function of identifying a unique lesion that indicates an increase in risk for breast cancer and indicates that this risk, unlike that associated with DCIS, is bilateral. Combining ADH with low-grade DCIS, on the basis of the limited molecular data currently available, is premature.
Abstract 1594: Targeting UBP43 for repression destabilizes PML/RARα and inhibits acute promyelocytic leukemia growth

All-trans-retinoic acid (RA) successfully treats acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) at least partly through triggering degradation of the PML/RARα translocation product. Prior work revealed that the E1-like ubiquitin-activating enzyme (UBE1L) associates with the interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) to repress PML/RARα protein expression. The ubiquitin protease 43 (UBP43) removes ISG15 from conjugated proteins. We derived two different anti-human UBP43 antisera to examine UBP43 protein expression. This study explored whether RA regulates UBP43 expression and if UBP43 affects PML/RARα protein stability as well as growth or apoptosis of APL cells. Retinoid regulation of the UBE1L-ISG15-UBP43 pathway was studied in cultured NB4 APL cells, transgenic APL mice and leukemic cells harvested from APL patients. Whether the deconjugase UBP43 was a therapeutic target was determined through gain and loss of UBP43 expression experiments. This study extends prior work by reporting that RA-treatment induced UBP43 expression in RA-sensitive, but not in RA-resistant NB4 APL cells. This followed an induction of UBE1L and ISG15 expression in RA-sensitive APL cells. UBP43 functions as a negative feedback loop by reversing ISG15 conjugation of PML/RARα protein. Deregulating this loop by UBP43 knock-down repressed APL cell growth by further destabilizing the PML domain of PML/RARα protein. Notably, this triggered apoptosis in APL cells. In contrast, UBP43 over-expression stabilized PML/RARα protein and promoted APL cell growth by inhibiting apoptosis. RA-treatment of a murine transgenic APL model and of de novo cultures of APL cells from patients increased UBE1L, ISG15 and UBP43 expression. Thus, this study found that the deconjugase UBP43 was retinoid regulated in NB4 APL cells as well as in leukemic cells isolated directly from APL patients and in a mouse model for APL. Oncogenic effects of PML/RARα were reversed by UBP43 knock-down, which destabilized PML/RARα protein and triggered apoptosis in APL cells. Taken together, these findings establish UBP43 as a novel molecular pharmacologic target for APL. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1594.
SU‐E‐T‐274: Dosimetric Indicators of Radiation‐Induced Toxicity in Meningioma Patients

Purpose: In this study, we retrospectively reviewed treatment plans and normal tissue toxicities for patients who were treated for meningiomas to investigate the correlation between DVH parameters and late Grade 3 radiation‐induced brainstem toxicity and hearing or vision changes. Methods: We analyzed data from 26 patients treated for brain meningiomas with either proton radiation or photon IMRT (11 were treated to 54Gy and 15 to 59.4Gy or higher) between 2009 and 2012 at the University of Pennsylvania. Five patients developed late Grade 3 toxicity with the remaining patients having late Grade 2 toxicity or less. Eight patients experienced hearing changes and seventeen experienced vision changes. We evaluated the maximum brainstem dose and volume of brainstem receiving more than 50∼54Gy for late Grade 3 toxicities. We also evaluated maximum and mean doses to the optic structures and cochlea. Statistical significance of the correlation between late Grade 3 toxicity or hearing and vision changes and the above mentioned DVH constraints was evaluated using Fisher exact test (two‐tailed). Results: The proportion of patients with Dmax > 45Gy or Dmean > 30 Gy for the cochlea was significantly greater in patients with hearing changes (p 5% was observed, this difference did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: Differences were observed in the DVHs of meningioma patients who experienced radiation injury after radiation therapy. The mean dose to the cochlea is related to the likelihood of developing hearing changes. Based on the results of this study, dose volume parameters (that is, V54Gy) for the brainstem may be expected to be associated with Grade 3 toxicity in a larger cohort of patients.
Nuclear data sheets for A = 104

Nuclear structure data available through January 1976 are compiled, and adopted level properties are given. The bulk of the data is presented pictorially for easy comparison. Experimental details, references, and additional comments, where required, are given in the text. All drawings, tables, and comments are reproduced from the computerized Evaluated Nuclear Structure Data File (ENSDF). Any additions or corrections desired by the users should be addressed to the compilers for maintenance and updating of the computer file.
Menstrual synchrony and suppression

Synchrony and suppression among a group of women living together in a college dormitory suggest that social interaction can have a strong effect on the menstrual cycle.
Hemispheric Correlates of the Rod-And-Frame Test.

38 right-handed children in sixth grade (17 boys and 21 girls) were administered the WISC Block Design to reflect activity of the right hemisphere of the brain and two versions (verbal and nonverbal) of the Rod-and-frame Test, a measure of field dependence/independence. The Pearson product-moment correlations showed a significant negative correlation between the traditional verbal administration of the Rod-and-frame Test and the WISC Block Design only for the 17 boys. The nonverbal procedure used to administer the Rod-and-frame Test showed a significant negative correlation with the WISC Block Design for both boys and girls. These results were interpreted to reflect a right hemisphere processing for the nonverbal Rod-and-frame Test and a possible sex bias in the traditional verbal administration of the Rod-and-frame Test which might inhibit girls' performance.
Vocal mimicry of the paraside whydahs (Vidua) and response of female whydahs to the songs of their hosts (Pytilia) and their mimics

Abstract Parasitic paradise whydahs (Vidua paradisaea) mimic the vocalizations of their hosts, Pytilia melba. Photostimulated female whydahs isolated in large aviaries responded to broadcasts of recorded song. Approach occurred significantly more often to songs of the host species P. melba than to the similar P. phoenicoptera. Females approached with equal frequency the songs recorded from their hosts and the mimetic songs of the male whydahs. No significant differences were found between the responses of females to songs of sympatric and allopatric forms of their host. It is suggested that mimetic songs of males and the responses of females are behavioural isolating mechanisms among species of whydahs.
Regulatory Compliance and the Correlation to Privacy Protection in Healthcare

Recent government-led efforts and industry-sponsored privacy initiatives in the healthcare sector have received heightened publicity. The current set of privacy laws and regulations mandate that all parties involved in the delivery of care specify and publish privacy policies regarding the use and disclosure of personal health information. Our study of actual privacy policies in the healthcare industry indicates that the vague representations in published privacy policies are not strongly correlated with adequate privacy protection for the patient. This phenomenon is not due to a lack of available technology to enforce privacy policies, but rather to the will of the healthcare entities to enforce strong privacy protections and their interpretation of minimum compliance obligations. Using available information systems and data mining techniques, we describe an infrastructure for privacy protection based on the idea of policy refinement to allow the transition from the current state of perceived to be privacy-preserving systems to actually privacy-preserving systems.
Grasped object stiffness detection for adaptive PID sliding mode position control of a prosthetic hand

A PID sliding mode position controller and an adaptive sliding mode controller are presented for a prosthetic hand. The adaptive controller modulates the PID gains based on the detected stiffness of the grasped object. The results from benchtop experiments indicate statistically significant improvements such as improved tracking error and reduced steady state error in the system response when using the adaptive controller.
Compared with unilateral TKA, simultaneous bilateral TKA was linked to in-hospital mortality

Source Citation Odum SM, Springer BD. In-hospital complication rates and associated factors after simultaneous bilateral versus unilateral total knee arthroplasty. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2014;96:105...
Patterns of United States–Canadian maritime container flows

The focus of this paper is to identify the origins and the destinations of containerized movements between the United States and Canada during 1977. Additionally, the paper examines the nationality or flag of the carrier with regard to such flows.
Purification of bovine rhodopsin by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography

Abstract Bovine rhodopsin was purified from n -octylglucoside-solubilized retinas by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography. In one chromatographic step, six protein fractions were separated with baseline resolution. The major fraction was identified as monomeric rhodopsin by absorption spectroscopy. Amino acid analysis of this fraction further supported the assignment. A comparison of the elution profiles of rhodopsin purified by this method with that purified by Concanavalin A—Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography suggested that rhodopsin from high-performance chromatography was slightly purer than the conventionally purified rhodopsin.
Prolongation of myocardial viability by proteasome inhibition during hypothermic organ preservation

Recently, we provided evidence for a possible role of the cardiac proteasome during ischemia, suggesting that a subset of 26S proteasomes is a cell-destructive protease, which is activated as the cellular energy supply declines. Although proteasome inhibition during cold ischemia (CI) reduced injury of ischemic hearts, it remains unknown whether these beneficial effects are maintained throughout reperfusion, and thus, may have pathophysiological relevance. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of epoxomicin (specific proteasome inhibitor) in a rat heterotopic heart transplantation model. Donor hearts were arrested with University of Wisconsin solution (UW) and stored for 12h/24h in 4°C UW ± epoxomicin, followed by transplantation. Efficacy of epoxomicin was confirmed by proteasome peptidase activity measurements and analyses of myocardial ubiquitin pools. After 12hCI, troponin I content of UW was lower with epoxomicin. Although all hearts after 12hCI started beating spontaneously, addition of epoxomicin to UW during CI reduced cardiac edema and preserved the ultrastructural integrity of the post-ischemic cardiomyocyte. After 24hCI in UW ± epoxomicin, hearts did not regain contractility. When hearts were perfused with epoxomicin during cardioplegia, the cardiac proteasome was inhibited immediately, all of these hearts started beating after 24hCI in UW plus epoxomicin and cardiac edema and myocardial ultrastructure were comparable to hearts after 12hCI. Epoxomicin did not affect markers of lipidperoxidation or neutrophil infiltration in post-ischemic hearts. These data further support the concept that proteasome activation during ischemia is of pathophysiological relevance and suggest proteasome inhibition as a promising approach to improve organ preservation strategies.
High energy scattering of strongly interacting composite particles

Abstract High energy electron-nucleus, nucleon-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus scattering are analyzed in the framework of geometrical optics. It is shown that good agreement with experimental cross sections is obtained provided that a correction for the center of mass motion is included.
A cross-shelf gradient in δ15N stable isotope values of krill and pollock indicates seabird foraging patterns in the Bering Sea

Abstract Concurrent measurements of predator and prey δ 15 N isotope values demonstrated that a cross-shelf isotopic gradient can propagate through a marine food web from forage species to top-tier predators and indicate foraging areas at a scale of tens of kilometers. We measured δ 13 C and δ 15 N in muscle tissues of thick-billed murres ( Uria lomvia ) and black-legged kittiwakes ( Rissa tridactyla ), and in whole body tissues of walleye pollock ( Gadus chalcogrammus ) and krill ( Thysanoessa spp), sampled across the continental shelf break in the Bering Sea in 2008 and in 2009. We found significant basin-shelf differences at fine scales ( 15 N among murres but not kittiwakes, and no such differences in δ 13 C in either seabird species at that scale. We then quantified the multi-trophic signal and spatial structure of a basin-shelf δ 15 Nitrogen gradient in the central and southern Bering Sea, and used it to contrast foraging patterns of thick-billed murres and kittiwakes on the open ocean. Seabird muscle δ 15 N values were compared to baselines created from measurements in krill and pollock tissues sampled concurrently throughout the study area. Krill, pollock, and murre tissues from northern, shallow, shelf habitat ( 15 N relative to samples taken from deeper habitats (>200 m) to the south and west. Krill δ 15 N baseline values predicted 35–42% of the variability in murre tissue values. Patterns between kittiwakes and prey were less coherent. The persistence of strong spatial autocorrelation among sample values, and a congruence of geospatial patterns in δ 15 N among murre and prey tissues, suggest that murres forage repeatedly in specific areas. Murre isotope values showed distinct geospatial stratification, coincident with the spatial distribution of three colonies: St. Paul, St. George, and Bogoslof. This suggests some degree of foraging habitat partitioning among colonies.
Age, Rapid-Cycling, and Pharmacotherapy Effects on Ventral Prefrontal Cortex in Bipolar Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background Neuroimaging data suggest that deficits in ventral prefrontal cortex (VPFC) function in bipolar disorder (BD) progress during adolescence and young adulthood. However, the developmental trajectory of VPFC morphological abnormalities in BD is unknown. This study investigated potential age-dependent volume abnormalities in VPFC in BD. Methods Thirty-seven individuals diagnosed with BD I (14 adolescents, 10 young adults and 13 older adults) and 56 healthy comparison subjects (HC) participated in imaging. Gray and white matter volumes of VPFC were measured using high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We used a mixed model, repeated measures analysis to examine VPFC volumes across age groups while co-varying for total brain volume. Potential effects of illness features including rapid-cycling and medication were explored. Results VPFC volumes declined with age ( p p = .01). Relative to HC subjects, VPFC gray and white matter volumes were significantly smaller in BD patients only in young adulthood ( p = .04). In participants with BD, VPFC volumes were significantly smaller in participants with rapid-cycling than participants without rapid-cycling ( p = .02). Conversely, current use of medication was associated with larger VPFC gray matter volumes ( p = .005), independent of age. Conclusions These preliminary findings suggest the presence of a more rapid initial decline in VPFC volumes with age in adolescents and young adults with BD than HC. These findings also suggest that the rapid-cycling subtype of BD is associated with larger VPFC volume deficits than the non-rapid-cycling subtype, and that pharmacotherapy may have trophic or protective effects on VPFC volumes in BD patients.
A parallel molecular dynamics strategy

This article presents a strategy to perform molecular dynamics simulations using parallel processing techniques on a parallel-distributed loosely coupled system consisting of IBM host computers (4341 and 4381) with attached scientific processors (FPS-164). This substantially enhances our ability to perform fast and more realistic large scale many-body trajectory simulations. A powerful extention of the computational range of molecular dynamics the parallel approach offers the opportunity to substantially reduce the simulation time to allow a longer simulation period to study more realistic models and larger systems. It is flexible and uses, for the most part, standard products and straightforward implementation with a broad range of applicability. The implementation of a simulation of water molecules with the inclusion of two- and three-body interactions is discussed. Some considerations in the design and implementation of parallel programs on a loosely coupled system are also presented.
Stock Identification of Haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus on Georges Bank Based on Otolith Shape Analysis

Abstract Otolith shape analysis was examined to determine its utility for stock identification of haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus on Georges Bank. Otolith samples were collected from the Northeast Peak (eastern Georges Bank) and the Great South Channel (western Georges Bank) spawning components to examine stock continuity across Georges Bank. Otolith shape was described using 20 Fourier harmonics, four morphometric characteristics (area, length, width, and perimeter), and two shape indices (circularity and rectangularity). Potential confounding sources of variation (fish length, otolith position, age-group, and year-class) were examined and accounted for in the analyses before interpretation of spatial/stock differences. Significant age-specific differences in otolith shape between eastern and western Georges Bank haddock indicated stock separation across the Bank. Classification success for each spawning component ranged from 63 to 80% across age-groups and appeared to depend on growth rate differences....
Effects of Conductance Variations In Electrical Resistivity Measurements Through Metal Casing

The effects of conductance variations in electric resistivity measurements made through metal casing is investigated. A surface integral equation method described by Schenkel (1991) is used to model the casing and layer as scatterers in a homogeneous medium. Using resistor circuit relations, an expression is derived that incorporates the localized spatial conductance variations. The numerical example shows that d&continuities or localized spatial variations of the casing conductance can result in a large anomalous response in the vicinity of the conductance inhomogeneity. These perturbations are the result of slight variations in the electric fields within the casing due to the change of the conductance. By incorporating these electric field variations into the transverse resistance calculation, the anomalous response is greatly reduced.
Ischemic Preconditioning of Rat Livers from Non-Heart-Beating Donors Decreases Parenchymal Cell Killing and Increases Graft Survival after Transplantation

A critical shortage of donors exists for liver transplantation, which non-heart-beating cadaver donors could help ease. This study evaluated ischemic preconditioning to improve graft viability after non-heart-beating liver donation in rats. Ischemic preconditioning was performed by clamping the portal vein and hepatic artery for 10 min followed by unclamping for 5 min. Subsequently, the aorta was cross-clamped for up to 120 min. After 2 h of storage, livers were either transplanted or perfused with warm buffer containing trypan blue. Aortic clamping for 60 and 120 min prior to liver harvest markedly decreased 30-day graft survival from 100% without aortic clamping to 50% and 0%, respectively, which ischemic preconditioning restored to 100 and 50%. After 60 min of aortic clamping, loss of viability of parenchymal and nonparenchymal cells was 22.6 and 5.6%, respectively, which preconditioning decreased to 3.0 and 1.5%. Cold storage after aortic clamping further increased parenchymal and non-parenchymal cell killing to 40.4 and 10.1%, respectively, which ischemic preconditioning decreased to 12.4 and 1.8%. In conclusion, ischemic preconditioning markedly decreased cell killing after subsequent sustained warm ischemia. Most importantly, ischemic preconditioning restored 100% graft survival of livers harvested from non-heart-beating donors after 60 min of aortic clamping.