cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Soluble CD44 Is Increased in Haematopoietic Stem Cell Grafts of Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Multiple Myeloma and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (autoHSCT) after high dose chemotherapy is a widely used form of therapy for patients with leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Malignant cells remaining in the graft, however, may reengraft leading to relapse of the original disease. CD44, a transmembrane glycoprotein, which is overexpressed in many malignancies, including most haematological malignancies, and which plays a role in the engraftment of leukemia-initiating cells, is shed from the surface of malignant cells. In order to establish whether there is a correlation between the amount of CD44 shed from the surface of the malignant cells with the number of contaminating cells remaining in the graft, the engraftment potential of the malignant cell population, or clinical outcome after autoHSCT, we measured soluble CD44 (sCD44) in 86 haematopoietic stem cell grafts from patients with haematological malignancies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and compared the results to sCD44 levels in the HSC grafts from 33 healthy donours. The levels of sCD44 were almost 2fold higher in the grafts of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (mean: 30,015 ng/ml ± 8524), multiple myeloma (mean: 27,564 ng/ml ± 7,801) and diffuse large B-cell Non-Hodgkin-Lymphomas (mean: 22,539 ng/ml ± 8,382) than in healthy HSC donour grafts (mean: 13,035 ng/ml ± 10,075). As expected, levels of sCD44 were highest in auto HSCT grafts of patients with AML. The majority of patients who achieved a complete remission after autoHSCT had relatively low sCD44 values (mean: 22,610 ng/l ± 7439). Levels of sCD44 were greatest in patients who experienced progressive disease (mean: 28,918 ng/ml ± 10,431), and somewhat less elevated in patients with relapsed disease after auto HSCT (mean: 26,171 ng/ml ± 7616). In addition, patients who had levels of sCD44 25,500 ng/ml). These results argue that the levels of soluble CD44 in an HSC graft could serve as a biomarker for the engraftment potential of contaminating malignant cells in the graft, and may correlate with clinical outcome after autoHSCT. Further, these results raise the possibility that CD44 blocking strategies may be beneficial in autoHSCT.
Toward Implementing Quantifiable Social Justice Metrics in the Design Process

The recent increased popularity in teaching social justice in an engineering context has revealed issues related to implementing social justice criteria in a design process. Recent experiences with undergraduate engineering students from a variety of disciplines at the Colorado School of Mines indicate that quantifying the six social justice criteria may aid in the understanding and acceptance of social justice in the design process. This paper presents our efforts toward quantifying the social justice criteria and implementing that quantification into the design process as a set of metrics that can be tracked and potentially used as part of a design space exploration or optimization effort. While the implications of quantifying and using social justice criteria as part of the design process may at first seem ripe for misuse or misunderstanding, we have found our students more receptive of social justice as an integral part of engineering design when presented in the proposed quantified manner. Much work remains to be done to fully integrate social justice into the design process. The initial efforts to more strongly link social justice with the design process and findings of that effort are presented in this paper and indicate that this is a promising area of further research.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
A demonstration of interactive task learning

We will demonstrate a tabletop robotic agent that learns new tasks through interactive natural language instruction. The tasks to be demonstrated are simple puzzles and games, such as Tower of Hanoi, Eight Puzzle, Tic-Tac-Toe, Three Men's Morris, and the Frog and Toads puzzle. We will include a live, interactive simulation of a mobile robot that learns new tasks using the same system.
Negative Poisson’s ratio in 1T-type crystalline two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides

Materials with a negative Poisson’s ratio, also known as auxetic materials, exhibit unusual and counterintuitive mechanical behaviour—becoming fatter in cross-section when stretched. Such behaviour is mostly attributed to some special re-entrant or hinged geometric structures regardless of the chemical composition and electronic structure of a material. Here, using first-principles calculations, we report a class of auxetic single-layer two-dimensional materials, namely, the 1T-type monolayer crystals of groups 6–7 transition-metal dichalcogenides, MX2 (M=Mo, W, Tc, Re; X=S, Se, Te). These materials have a crystal structure distinct from all other known auxetic materials. They exhibit an intrinsic in-plane negative Poisson’s ratio, which is dominated by electronic effects. We attribute the occurrence of such auxetic behaviour to the strong coupling between the chalcogen p orbitals and the intermetal t2g-bonding orbitals within the basic triangular pyramid structure unit. The unusual auxetic behaviour in combination with other remarkable properties of monolayer two-dimensional materials could lead to novel multi-functionalities. Auxetic materials—those that expand laterally when stretched—can possess enhanced mechanical properties, including shear modulus, indentation resistance, and fracture toughness. Here the authors show that 1T-type crystalline 2D transition metal dichalcogenides exhibit intrinsic in-plane negative Poisson’s ratios.
Recurrent parathyroid carcinoma and the need for molecular profiling to aid in prognostication and therapeutics.

e17012 Background: Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is rare, has high morbidity and poor overall survival. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment but recurrence is common. There are no known therapeutic op...
A new species of Chaneya from the Oligocene Ningming Formation, Guangxi, South China

Abstract Chaneya ningmingensis sp. nov. is described from the Oligocene Ningming Formation in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, South China. Fruits of the new species are characterized by bearing five persistent, free, large petals, each containing five craspedodromous, longitudinally subparallel primary veins, and their thickened central disk bearing one whorl of five free, orbicular ovaries. The discovery of C. ningmingensis provides the evidence of the occurrence of Chaneya Wang et Manchester in Oligocene sediments of South China. This is the first Oligocene record of Chaneya from East Asia. Considering the continuous occurrence of Chaneya in the Cenozoic deposits from the early Eocene to the Miocene, East Asia may be a center of diversification and differentiation for the genus Chaneya.
Draft Genome Sequences of Thermophiles Isolated from Yates Shaft, a Deep-Subsurface Environment.

ABSTRACT The whole-genome sequences of seven thermophiles that could grow at >55°C, but not at 37°C, were generated. These thermophilic bacteria will play a useful role as model microorganisms, and analyzing their genomes will help to understand the observed production of novel bioactive compounds, including thermozymes and macromolecules.
Association of In Vivo Adipose Tissue Cellular Kinetics With Markers of Metabolic Health in Humans.

Context Adipose tissue (AT) expansion occurs by hypertrophy and hyperplasia. Impaired hyperplasia, or adipogenesis, has been associated with obesity-related diseases. Objective We examined how in vivo adipogenesis in the subcutaneous abdominal (scABD) and femoral (scFEM) depots (via 8-week incorporation of deuterium) correlates with markers of metabolic health. Design Data from 52 women with obesity [27 black and 25 white; 29.7 ± 5.5 years; body mass index (BMI) 32.2 ± 2.8 kg/m2; 44.3% ± 4.0% body fat] were analyzed at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Main Outcomes A linear repeated measure model was used to assess the fraction of new adipose cells and the associated covariates. Akaike information criterion determined the covariates that best described the data. Simple associations were examined using Spearman's correlation. Results The covariates that were associated with adipose kinetics included BMI, visceral AT/total abdominal AT (VAT/TAT) ratio, and the Matsuda index. Simple correlations demonstrated that adipocyte and preadipocyte formation in scABD (P = 0.02 and P = 0.16, trend, respectively) and scFEM (P = 0.01 and P = 0.24, trend, respectively) depots correlated positively with VAT/TAT. Preadipocyte and adipocyte formation in the scABD (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.02, respectively) and scFEM (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.003, respectively) was negatively associated with insulin sensitivity. Conclusions Our results challenge the AT expandability hypothesis and suggest that higher in vivo adipose cell turnover is positively associated with BMI and VAT/TAT and negatively associated with insulin sensitivity, all correlates of impaired metabolic health.
Probing the geometry and motion of AGN coronae through accretion disc emissivity profiles

To gain a better understanding of the inner disc region that comprises active galactic nuclei it is necessary to understand the pattern in which the disc is illuminated (the emissivity profile) by X-rays emitted from the continuum source above the black hole (corona). The differences in the emissivity profiles produced by various corona geometries are explored via general relativistic ray tracing simulations. Through the analysis of various parameters of the geometries simulated it is found that emissivity profiles produced by point source and extended geometries such as cylindrical slabs and spheroidal coronae placed on the accretion disc are distinguishable. Profiles produced by point source and conical geometries are not significantly different, requiring an analysis of reflection fraction to differentiate the two geometries. Beamed point and beamed conical sources are also simulated in an effort to model jet-like coronae, though the differences here are most evident in the reflection fraction. For a point source we determine an approximation for the measured reflection fraction with the source height and velocity. Simulating spectra from the emissivity profiles produced by the various geometries produce distinguishable differences. Overall spectral differences between the geometries do not exceed 15 per cent in the most extreme cases. It is found that emissivity profiles can be useful in distinguishing point source and extended geometries given high quality spectral data of extreme, bright sources over long exposure times. In combination with reflection fraction, timing, and spectral analysis we may use emissivity profiles to discern the geometry of the X-ray source.
First reports of six planthoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Tagosodes, Delphacodes, Pareuidella, Nilaparvata, Asarcopus, Bruchomorpha) in Texas.

We present the first records of six fulgoroid species in Texas. Tagosodes wallacei (Muir and Giffard, 1924) (Delphacidae) is recorded from Texas (new state record), Belize, Honduras, and Ecuador (new country records). Delphacodes puella (Van Duzee, 1897) (Delphacidae), Pareuidella magnistyla (Crawford, 1914) (Delphacidae), Nilaparvata wolcotti Muir and Giffard, 1924 (Delphacidae), and Asarcopus palmarum Horvath, 1921 (Caliscelidae) are recorded from Texas (new state records). Also, a Bruchomorpha species (Caliscelidae) is reported from Texas that is either B. costaricensis Schmidt, 1927 or an undescribed species. Distributional commentary is provided for the aforementioned species, as well as Isodelphax basivitta (Van Duzee, 1909).
Morphological Segmentation and Part-of-Speech Tagging for the Arabic Heritage

We annotate 60,000 words of Classical Arabic (CA) with topics in philosophy, religion, literature, and law with fine-grain segment-based morphological descriptions. We use these annotations for building a morphological segmenter and part-of-speech (POS) tagger for CA. With character-level classification and features from the word and its lexical context, the segmenter achieves a word accuracy of 96.8% with the main issue being a high rate of out-of-vocabulary words. A token-based POS tagger achieves an accuracy of 96.22% with 97.72% on known tokens despite the small size of the corpus. An error analysis shows that most of the tagging errors are results of segmentation and that quality improves with more data being added. The morphological segmenter and tagger have a wide range of potential applications in processing CA, a low-resource variety of the language.
Identification of TyeA residues required to interact with YopN and to regulate Yop secretion

The secretion of Yops via the Yersinia type III secretion system (T3SS) is controlled, in part, by a cytoplasmic YopN/TyeA complex. This complex is required to prevent Yop secretion in the presence of extracellular calcium and prior to contact between the bacterium and a eukaryotic cell. In this study we utilized site-directed mutagenesis to analyze the role of specific TyeA regions and residues in the regulation of Yop secretion. We identified two spatially distinct, surface-exposed regions of the TyeA molecule that were required to regulate Yop secretion. One region, identified by residues M51, F55 and P56, was required for TyeA to interact with YopN. A second region, identified by residues R19, W20 and D25 was not involved in the interaction of TyeA with YopN, but may be required for the YopN/TyeA complex to interact with the T3S apparatus in a manner that blocks Yop secretion.
Optimization-Based modeling with applications to transport: part 3. computational studies

This paper is the final of three related articles that develop and demonstrate a new optimization-based framework for computational modeling. The framework uses optimization and control ideas to assemble and decompose multiphysics operators and to preserve their fundamental physical properties in the discretization process. One application of the framework is in the formulation of robust algorithms for optimization-based transport (OBT). Based on the theoretical foundations established in Part 1 and the optimization algorithm for the solution of the remap subproblem, derived in Part 2, this paper focuses on the application of OBT to a set of benchmark transport problems. Numerical comparisons with two other transport schemes based on incremental remapping, featuring flux-corrected remap and the linear reconstruction with van Leer limiting, respectively, demonstrate that OBT is a competitive transport algorithm.
Blinders to Comprehensive Psychiatric Diagnosis in the Correctional System

There are challenges in providing adequate mental health services to prisoners, but the task is not insurmountable. This chapter focuses on the issues related to full and accurate psychiatric diagnoses as an underpinning to comprehensive treatment. Another focus is on the attitudes and biases about mental disorders held by correctional staff, health professionals, and the inmates themselves. These are inextricably bound to a contemporary understanding of the complexities of multiple coexisting psychiatric diagnoses in a given individual These attitudes can lessen the acceptance of mental disorders as disorders of brain function. The reality of budgetary constraints is an additional difficulty that needs to be redressed, but not here. This chapter aims at the importance of accurate delineation of the mental disorders that bring suffering to those patients and the correctional staff in the form of inner mental anguish and outwardly disordered and disruptive behavior. I posit that a fuller awareness, understanding, and acceptance of this issue could provide an impetus for change in the allocation of resources toward accurate mental health diagnosis leading to more effective treatment. Going beyond the correctional system to any psychiatric care setting, accurate psychiatric diagnosis in each mental health care recipient is the gateway to comprehensive and effective treatment. Throughout this chapter, the term psychiatry, unless otherwise specified, is used in its broadest context to include all mental health care personnel involved in the process of screening, assessment, and treatment of individuals with mental disorders. Secondarily involved are all health care providers in any system where mental disorders are prevalent. All may be blinded to varying degrees from a truly comprehensive view of the impact of mental disorders on the behavior and emotional distress of the persons for whom they have clinical responsibility. These blinders may prevent appropriate referral for a psychiatrist’s scrutiny. The concept of “blinders” refers to the metaphorical difficulty one has, when looking directly at the headlight of a train at night, in seeing what the rest of Chapter 17
Nocturia and Surgical Treatment of the Prostate

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are common in the aging male [1]. The incidence of nocturia increases with age as well, with rates ranging from 30% of men over 50 years of age to 60% of men in their 70s [2]. Nocturia has been noted to be the most bothersome symptom in men with LUTS suspected of or having BPH [3]. Multivariate analysis has shown that nocturia is one of the most important factors determining pretreatment health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with BPH/LUTS 4].
An Integrated Approach Using Publicly Available Resources for Identifying and Characterizing Chemicals of Potential Toxicity Concern: Proof-of-Concept With Chemicals That Affect Cancer Pathways

We developed an integrated, modular approach to predicting chemical toxicity relying on in vitro assay data, linkage of molecular targets to disease categories, and software for ranking chemical activity and examining structural features (chemotypes). We evaluate our approach in a proof-of-concept exercise to identify and prioritize chemicals of potential carcinogenicity concern. We identified 137 cancer pathway-related assays from a subset of U.S. EPA's ToxCast platforms. We mapped these assays to key characteristics of carcinogens and found they collectively assess 5 of 10 characteristics. We ranked all 1061 chemicals screened in Phases I and II of ToxCast by their activity in the selected cancer pathway-related assays using Toxicological Prioritization Index software. More chemicals used as biologically active agents (eg, pharmaceuticals) ranked in the upper 50% versus lower 50%. Twenty-three chemotypes are enriched in the top 5% (n = 54) of chemicals; these features may be important for their activity in cancer pathway-related assays. The biological coverage of the ToxCast assays related to cancer pathways is limited and short-term assays may not capture the biology of some key characteristics. Metabolism is also minimal in the assays. The ability of our approach to identify chemicals with cancer hazard is limited with the current input data, but we expect that our approach can be applied with future iterations of ToxCast and other data for improved chemical prioritization and characterization. The novel approach and proof-of-concept exercise described here for ranking chemicals for potential carcinogenicity concern is modular, adaptable, and amenable to evolving data streams.
4-Manifold Invariants

The concept of moduli space was introduced by Riemann in his study of the conformal (or equivalently, complex) structures on a Riemann surface. Let us consider the simplest non-trivial case, namely, that of a Riemann surface of genus 1 or the torus T 2. The set of all complex structures \(\mathcal{C}({T}^{2})\) on the torus is an infinite-dimensional space acted on by the infinite-dimensional group Diff(T 2). The quotient space $$\mathcal{M}({T}^{2}) := \mathcal{C}({T}^{2})/\mathrm{Diff}({T}^{2})$$ is the moduli space of complex structures on T 2. Since T 2 with a given complex structure defines an elliptic curve, \(\mathcal{M}({T}^{2})\) is, in fact, the moduli space of elliptic curves. It is well known that a point ω = ω1 + iω2 in the upper half-plane H (ω2 > 0) determines a complex structure and is called the modulus of the corresponding elliptic curve. The modular group SL(2, Z) acts on H by modular transformations and we can identify \(\mathcal{M}({T}^{2})\) with H ∕ SL(2, Z). This is the reason for calling \(\mathcal{M}({T}^{2})\) the space of moduli of elliptic curves or simply the moduli space. The topology and geometry of the moduli space has rich structure. The natural boundary ω2 = 0 of the upper half plane corresponds to singular structures. Several important aspects of this classical example are also found in the moduli spaces of other geometric structures. Typically, there is an infinite-dimensional group acting on an infinite-dimensional space of geometric structures with quotient a “nice space” (for example, a finite-dimensional manifold with singularities). For a general discussion of moduli spaces arising in various applications see, for example, [193].
Clinical impact of an antimicrobial stewardship program on high-risk pediatric patients.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical impact of an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) on high-risk pediatric patients.Design:Retrospective cohort study.Setting:Free-standing pediatric hospital.Patients:This study included patients who received an ASP review between March 3, 2008, and March 2, 2017, and were considered high-risk, including patients receiving care by the neonatal intensive care (NICU), hematology/oncology (H/O), or pediatric intensive care (PICU) medical teams.Methods:The ASP recommendations included stopping antibiotics; modifying antibiotic type, dose, or duration; or obtaining an infectious diseases consultation. The outcomes evaluated in all high-risk patients with ASP recommendations were (1) hospital-acquired Clostridium difficile infection, (2) mortality, and (3) 30-day readmission. Subanalyses were conducted to evaluate hospital length of stay (LOS) and tracheitis treatment failure. Multivariable generalized linear models were performed to examine the relationship between ASP recommendations and each outcome after adjusting for clinical service and indication for treatment.Results:The ASP made 2,088 recommendations, and 50% of these recommendations were to stop antibiotics. Recommendation agreement occurred in 70% of these cases. Agreement with an ASP recommendation was not associated with higher odds of mortality or hospital readmission. Patients with a single ASP review and agreed upon recommendation had a shorter median LOS (10.2 days vs 13.2 days; P < .05). The ASP recommendations were not associated with high rates of tracheitis treatment failure.Conclusions:ASP recommendations do not result in worse clinical outcomes among high-risk pediatric patients. Most ASP recommendations are to stop or to narrow antimicrobial therapy. Further work is needed to enhance stewardship efforts in high-risk pediatric patients.
Beliefs of Board Certified Substance Abuse Counselors Regarding Multiple Relationships

The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of beliefs of substance abuse counselors regarding multiple relationships. The association between beliefs and educational level, recovery status, experience, and supervision were explored. Results showed that non-recovering individuals and individuals receiving supervision found more multiple relationship behaviors to be ethically problematic. Highest degree obtained, experience prior to licensure, and supervision prior to licensure did not contribute to beliefs regarding multiple relationship behaviors.
Magnetic anisotropy and geometrical frustration in the ising spin-chain system Sr5Rh4O12

Abstract A structural and thermodynamic study of the newly synthesized single crystal Sr 5 Rh 4 O 12 is reported. Sr 5 Rh 4 O 12 consists of a triangular lattice of spin chains running along the c -axis. It is antiferromagnetically ordered below 23 K with the intrachain and interchain coupling being ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM), respectively. There is strong evidence for an Ising character in the interaction and geometrical frustration that causes incomplete long-range AFM order. The isothermal magnetization exhibits two step-like transitions leading to a ferrimagnetic state at 2.4 T and a FM state at 4.8 T, respectively. Sr 5 Rh 4 O 12 is a unique frustrated spin-chain system ever found in 4d and 5d based materials without a presence of an incomplete 3d-electron shell.
Ethnically Chinese and culturally American: Exploring bicultural identity negotiation and co-cultural communication of Chinese-American female adoptees

While many studies on international/interracial adoptees were conducted quantitatively with adoptees, or by various research methods from the perspective of adoptive parents, this study seeks to ga...
Massage increases satellite cell number independent of the age-associated alterations in sarcolemma permeability.

Massage is a widely accepted manual therapy used to modulate the inflammatory response of muscle and restore function, but prolonged compression of muscle potentially causes overt injury and damage to muscle fibers. Therefore, a balance exists between the positive effects of massage and the induction of mechanical damage and injury. In addition, skeletal muscle of aged individuals displays increased stiffness, and therefore, the response to massage is likely different compared with young. We hypothesized that the aged skeletal muscle exhibits increased sarcolemmal permeability when subjected to massage compared with young skeletal muscle. Male Brown Norway/F344 rats, 10 and 30 months of age, were each divided into control, non-massaged (n = 8) and massaged (n = 8) groups. The right gastrocnemius muscle received one bout of cyclic compressive loading for 30 min at 4.5 N as a massage-mimetic. Muscles were dissected and frozen 24 h after massage. Alterations in sarcolemma permeability were quantified by measuring the level of intracellular IgG within the muscle fibers. Immunohistochemistry was performed to determine IgG inside fibers and Pax7+ cell number as an indicator of stem cell abundance. Average IgG intensity was not different between control and massaged animals at either age. However, a significant shift to the right of the density histogram indicated that massaged animals had more fibers with higher IgG intensity than control at 10 months. In addition, Pax7+ cell number was significantly elevated in massaged muscles compared with control at both ages. One bout of massage did not induce overt muscle injury, but facilitated membrane permeability, which was associated with an increase in satellite cell number. Data suggest that the load applied here, which was previously shown to induce immunomodulatory changes, does not induce overt muscle injury in young and old muscles but may result in muscle remodeling. Funded by NIH grant AG042699 and AT009268.
Respect for the Sensory and Anxiety Issues of Children with ASD

Children with ASD experience the world through their senses in a way that is often different from neurotypical children. Any or all senses can be affected, and each sense may be felt as more intense than expected or less intense. These sensory differences and the associated anxiety that accompanies them can lead to behaviors that are unexpected and intense and difficult to understand unless we try to imagine what the child is going through. Most children are doing the best they can with what they have to work with, and it is our job to understand them, not their responsibility to conform to our behavioral expectations. Children can’t do what we want if we don’t understand the factors driving them and teach them skills they need. Foreshadowing an office or ED experience can help a child have the best experience possible. You can provide a great service if you work with parents to help them prepare children for office visits.
Pediatric thyroidectomies: A surgical subspecialty comparison.

Abstract Objective This study aims to establish the typical population, safety, and outcomes of pediatric thyroidectomies, specifically identifying surgical complication rates. Furthermore, the study compares management and complication differences between the two specialties that most often manage these patients - Pediatric General Surgery and Otolaryngology. Methods National Surgical Quality Improvement Program – Pediatrics (NSQIP-P) data between the years of 2012 and 2016 was reviewed and analyzed for patient characteristics, perioperative course and outcomes. Sub-group analysis was used to compare groups based on surgeon sub-specialty: Otolaryngology or Pediatric General Surgery. Results The study identified 516 cases pediatric patients operated on by Pediatric Otolaryngology (229; 44.4%) and Pediatric General Surgery (287; 55.6%). Overall, rates of surgical and medical adverse events were low (1.2% and 0.7%, respectively). Upon univariate analysis, there were no differences between specialties in surgical adverse events (p = 1.000), medical adverse events (p = 0.196), reoperation (p = 0.505), or readmission (p = 0.262). Indication for surgery differed between specialties, with benign neoplasm more common in the Pediatric Otolaryngology group (48.9% vs. 35.2%), and thyrotoxicosis more common in the Pediatric General Surgery group (43.9% vs. 23.1%) (p Conclusion Thyroidectomy in the pediatric population is a safe procedure with no differences in adverse outcomes noted when comparing Pediatric General Surgeons to Pediatric Otolaryngologists. Pediatric General Surgeons were observed to have a significantly shorter operative time.
Accuracy Comparisons Between ASTM 1318-09 and COST-323 (European) WIM Standards Using LTPP WIM Data

Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) is a primary technology used for monitoring and collecting vehicle weights and axle loads on roadways. Highway agencies collect WIM data for many reasons, including highway planning, pavement and bridge design, freight movement studies, motor vehicle enforcement, and regulatory studies. The process of weighing vehicles in motion estimates static truck weight by the wheel [single or tandem axles] or gross vehicle weight (GVW) as vehicles drive over sensors installed in a roadway or under a bridge. Two primary protocols are currently used across the globe to assess the accuracy of a WIM system, (a) ASTM E1318-09 and (b) European WIM accuracy protocols. The quality and accuracy of the data largely depend on the characteristics of the WIM equipment, calibration/validation, site characteristics, and data reporting. This paper compares the WIM sensor accuracies in the LTPP data for both protocols. The results show that there are minor differences in calculated accuracies.
Identification and Characterization of a High-Need, High-Cost group among Hospitalized SLE patients.

Objective To identify a high-need, high-cost (HNHC) group among hospitalized lupus patients and compare clinical and social factors of the HNHC group with other lupus patients. Methods All hospitalizatins for lupus to a tertiary care center over a 3-year period were recorded. The number of admissions, 30-day readmissions, length of stay (LOS) and cost of admissions were compared for high-risk patients with all other hospitalized lupus patients (OHLP) during this period. We then compared clinical measures - dsDNA, complements, BMI, SLICC damage index (SDI) and comorbidity index (CMI), for the HNHC cohort with the OHLP group. We additionally differentiated social factors- age, race/ethnicity, poverty and medication adherence between the two groups. Results A total of 202 patients with lupus accounted for 467 hospitalizations over the study period. The total cost of admissions was $13,192,346. Forty-four patients had significantly higher admissions, 30-day readmissions and LOS. Furthermore, the cost for this group was 6-fold that for OHLP, confirming the presence of a HNHC cohort. The HNHC group had significantly higher dsDNA, SDI and CMI compared with the OHLP. Infections were the most common cause for admission for both groups. The HNHC group were more likely to be African American, younger, diagnosed with lupus at an earlier age, have lower medication adherence and significantly more likely to live in areas of poverty. Conclusion A small group of lupus patients, HNHC account for most of the hospitalizations and cost. The HNHC group has both social and clinical factors significantly different from other lupus patients.
Equity for and Inclusion of Non-Tenure-Track Pharmacy Faculty Within Academia.

Although there are at least twice as many non-tenure-track first-time pharmacy faculty as tenured and tenure-track first-time pharmacy faculty entering academia based on data collected from 2013 to 2019, there are ongoing equity, inclusion, and advancement issues between these categories of faculty that require consideration. Contracts with clear descriptions of responsibilities are needed along with regular evaluations and promotion opportunities based on the faculty member’s performance of the assigned responsibilities, appropriate compensation including fringe benefits, inclusion in institutional voting and governance, and due process protections against abrupt termination. Further, universities and schools and colleges of pharmacy should foster a culture that values all faculty regardless of rank or position. The purpose of this commentary is to describe ongoing efforts and lessons learned by one public university with a college of pharmacy that has non-tenure-track and tenure-track faculty. Our hope is to provide insight into how these experiences could be used as a basis to inform changes in policy by other universities with a school or college of pharmacy, as well as to inform possible changes to the Academy’s policies.
Voltage/Calcium Uncoupling Underlies Sustained Torsade de Pointes Ventricular Tachyarrhythmia in an Experimental Model of Long QT Syndrome.

Background Clinical experience showed that the majority of Torsade de Pointes (TdP) ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VT) in patients with long QT syndrome (LQTS) are self-terminating (ST), but the few that are non-self-terminating (NST) are potentially fatal. A paramount issue in clinical arrhythmology is to understand the electrophysiological mechanism of ST vs. NST TdP VT. Methods We investigated the electrophysiological mechanism of ST vs. NST TdP VT in the guinea pig Anthopleurin-A experimental model of LQTS, a close surrogate model of congenital LQT3. We utilized simultaneous optical recordings of membrane voltage (V m ) and intracellular calcium (Ca i ) and a robust analytical method based on spatiotemporal entropy difference (E d ) to investigate the hypothesis that early V m /Ca i uncoupling during TdP VT can play a primary role in perpetuation of VT episodes. Results We analyzed a total of 35 episodes of TdP VT from 14 guinea pig surrogate models of LQTS, including 23 ST and 12 NST VTs. E d values for NST VT were significantly higher than E d values for ST VT. Analysis of wave front topology during the early phase of ST VT showed the Ca i wave front following closely V m wave front consistent with a lower degree of E d . In contrast, NST VT was associated with uncoupling of V m /Ca i wave fronts during the first 2 or 3 cycles of VT associated with early wave break propagation pattern. Conclusions Utilizing a robust analytical method we showed that, in comparison to ST TdP VT, NST VT was consistently predated by early uncoupling of V m /Ca i that destabilized wave front propagation and can explain a sustained complex reentrant excitation pattern.
Immunotherapy for Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma

Immunotherapy has revolutionized the management of urothelial carcinoma. In the last few years 5 immune checkpoint inhibitors have been developed and approved for the treatment of advanced urothelial cancer after demonstrating durable responses in a subset of patients. Given that these agents are overall better tolerated than chemotherapy, their use has allowed treatment of otherwise chemotherapy ineligible patients. Ongoing research will help determine the utility of these agents in earlier stages of disease as well as possible combinations with other agents or chemotherapy. In this chapter we will review the currently approved checkpoint inhibitors and their indications for the treatment of advanced urothelial carcinoma as well as the management of their potential toxicity.
Time discounting and time preference in animals: A critical review

Animals are an important model for studies of impulsivity and self-control. Many studies have made use of the intertemporal choice task, which pits small rewards available sooner against larger rewards available later (typically several seconds), repeated over many trials. Preference for the sooner reward is often taken to indicate impulsivity and/or a failure of self-control. This review shows that very little evidence supports this assumption; on the contrary, ostensible discounting behavior may reflect a boundedly rational but not necessarily impulsive reward-maximizing strategy. Specifically, animals may discount weakly, or even adopt a long-term rate-maximizing strategy, but fail to fully incorporate postreward delays into their choices. This failure may reflect learning biases. Consequently, tasks that measure animal discounting may greatly overestimate the true discounting and may be confounded by processes unrelated to time preferences. If so, animals may be much more patient than is widely believed; human and animal intertemporal choices may reflect unrelated mental operations; and the shared hyperbolic shape of the human and animal discount curves, which is used to justify cross-species comparisons, may be coincidental. The discussion concludes with a consideration of alternative ways to measure self-control in animals.
Analyzing Data from Mixture Experiments Containing Process Variables: A Split-Plot Approach

(This paper was presented at the Journal of Quality Technology Session at the 31st Annual Fall Technical Conference of the of the chemical and Process Industries Division of the American Society for Quality Control and the Section on Physical and Engine..
Relational Work in Economic Sociology: A Review and Extension

Understanding how economic transactions are constitutive in the development, maintenance, and solidification of relationships has been of particular importance for economic sociologists in recent years. Following the work of Viviana Zelizer, economic sociologists have expanded from a purely network-based approach of analyzing economic action to consider how and in what ways relations shape economic life. This paper provides a review of Zelizer's relational view of economic activity and presents an extension to the theory. While scholars have successfully applied “relational work” to many areas of economic life, this paper asks whether one can use the theory to examine economic interactions between human and non-human agents. The example of tithing in the Prosperity Gospel tradition is used in order to expand relational work to this realm.
Prognostic factors in early‐stage uterine sarcoma: A gynecologic oncology group study

Background. A clinicopathologic evaluation of clinical Stage I and II uterine sarcoma was done by the Gynecologic Oncology Group from 1979-1988. Methods. After all eligibility criteria were met, 453 cases were evaluable and analyzed for prognostic factors. Results. Of the 301 mixed mesodermal tumors (MMT), 167 were homologous (HO), and 134 were heterologous (HE). Fifty-nine tumors were leiomyosarcomas (LM). The remaining 93 sarcomas were predominantly stromal cell and adenosarcomas. For this study, only the MMT or LM tumors were analyzed
Mediating women: gender, power and community television

This focus examines the possibilities and challenges that women from marginalised neighbourhoods (barrios) face in the field of grassroots media production in Caracas, Venezuela. Significant gains ...
Formalism in Safety Cases

Suitable formalisms could allow the arguments of a safety case to be checked mechanically. We examine some of the issues in doing so.
Neural Network for Positioning Space Station Solar Arrays

As a shuttle approaches the Space Station Freedom for a rendezvous, the shuttle's reaction control jet firings pose a risk of excessive plume impingement loads on Freedom solar arrays. The current solution to this problem, in which the arrays are locked in a feathered position prior to the approach, may be neither accurate nor robust, and is also expensive. An alternative solution is proposed here: the active control of Freedom's beta gimbals during the approach, positioning the arrays dynamically in such a way that they remain feathered relative to the shuttle jet most likely to cause an impingement load. An artificial neural network is proposed as a means of determining the gimbal angles that would drive plume angle of attack to zero. Such a network would be both accurate and robust, and could be less expensive to implement than the current solution. A network was trained via backpropagation, and results, which compare favorably to the current solution as well as to some other alternatives, are presented. Other training options are currently being evaluated.
Projections of Probability Distributions: A Measure-Theoretic Dvoretzky Theorem

Many authors have studied the phenomenon of typically Gaussian marginals of high-dimensional random vectors; e.g., for a probability measure on \({\mathbb{R}}^{d}\), under mild conditions, most one-dimensional marginals are approximately Gaussian if \(d\) is large. In earlier work, the author used entropy techniques and Stein’s method to show that this phenomenon persists in the bounded-Lipschitz distance for \(k\)-dimensional marginals of d-dimensional distributions, if \(k = o(\sqrt{\log (d)})\). In this paper, a somewhat different approach is used to show that the phenomenon persists if \(k < \frac{2\log (d)} {\log (\log (d))}\), and that this estimate is best possible.
Reversal of growth retardation in Crohn's disease with therapy emphasizing oral nutritional restitution.

Abstract Seven children with Crohn's disease and growth retardation responded to therapy which focused upon oral nutritional restitution and maintainence. The study population included children whose disease activity varied from mild to severe, but patients who were receiving daily suppressive doses of corticosteroids were not included. Diet counselling and supplementation were designed to reverse the prominent deficit in caloric intake which was characteristic of each patient before therapy. An increase in caloric intake from 1535 ± 148 kcal/day to 2493 ± 108 kcal/ day (a change from 56% to 91% of that recommended for height age and sex) was achieved. Five patients increased growth velocity from a mean of 1.8 cm/yr to a mean of 6.2 cm/yr after drug therapy and oral nutritional supplementation. In 2 other patients, oral nutritional therapy was supplemented for a period of 4 wk by peripheral intravenous nutrition; growth velocity in these patients increased from
Ethical demands of transformative learning

This chapter addresses ethical issues that can arise for an educator who ascribes to and practices from the theoretical perspective of transformative learning.
Chemical and mineralogical influences on concentrations of trace metals in hydrothermal fluids

Abstract Concentrations of trace metals in hydrothermal solutions from the southern Juan de Fuca Ridge (SJFR) and the TAG Hydrothermal Field on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge are influenced by the combined effects of source rock composition, brine–seawater mixing and complex interplay among various metals and minerals deposited and remineralized in vent mounds and chimneys. Copper, Mo, and Co show predicted, sharp decreases in concentration for vent fluids as temperatures decrease below 350°C; however, concentrations of Cu in 363°C fluids at the TAG site are well above values determined from seawater/basalt interactions due to subseafloor-refining processes and remineralization of chalcopyrite. Concentrations of Zn, Cd, Pb, As, and Ga do not show any temperature dependence between 214 to 363°C. However, Zn values do correlate well with Cl on an area-by-area basis due to subseafloor mixing of brine with altered seawater. Zinc levels also correlate well with concentrations of Cd, Pb, and As for all vent fluid samples, as well as with basalt and Zn-rich sulfides, implying some continuity in behavior from source rock to vent fluid to sulfide minerals. Gallium values correlate with Zn and Cl levels for the SJFR, but are high relative to Zn at the TAG site due to subseafloor refining processes. Concentrations of Tl follow Cl, K, and Rb, consistent with the behavior predicted for Tl + . Overall, the Cl- and Zn-rich fluids from the SJFR are characteristic of a brine-dominated system formed during recent volcanism. In contrast, high-temperature fluids from the TAG area are representative of a system that has evolved over the past 100,000 yr with high concentrations of Cu, Co, and Ga that result from higher temperatures and complex refining processes within a large vent mound.
Fluid viscosity nanosensor

Quartz shear resonators are employed widely as sensors to measure Newtonian viscosities of liquids. Perturbation of the electrical equivalent circuit parameters of the plate resonator by the fluid loading permits calculation only of the mass density - shear viscosity product. In these measurements, the resonator surface is exposed to a measurand bath whose extent greatly exceeds the penetration depth of the evanescent shear mode excited by the active element. Here we discuss the more interesting situation where the separation between the resonator and a confining wall is less than the penetration depth of the fluid occupying the intervening region. This modality allows separate and unique determinations of shear viscosity and mass density. Moreover, because evanescent shear wave penetration depth usually is nanometers to micrometers, extreme miniaturization is enabled.
Nanostructure of exchange coupled hard/soft FePt composite films

Abstract Multilayers of Fe and Pt were deposited by sputtering. The ratio of the thickness of Fe to Pt was adjusted such that stoichiometric FePt and Fe rich films were formed. These films were either annealed at 500 °C and above, or processed by rapid thermal annealing (RTA) using a high power lamp. Both the Fe and Pt in the as-deposited films were found to be FCC structure. After heat treatment, L10 phase (hard phase) and disordered FCC phase (soft phase) were identified in Fe-rich films. Small precipitates of 3–8 nm in the matrix which has larger grains of about 50–200 nm are observed. Perfect coherent interface between the hard phase and soft phase is observed. Processing route, microstructure and properties relation will be discussed.