cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predictive models and risk of biopsy progression in active surveillance patients.

Abstract Objective To analyze the performance of different radical prostatectomy–based prognostic tools in predicting the biopsy progression in our active surveillance cohort. Materials and methods We analyzed 326 patients with biopsy Gleason grade≤6,≤2 positive biopsy cores,≤20% tumor present in any core, prostate-specific antigen Results Predictions of Partin and Dinh tables were not associated with the biopsy progression. The predictive value of Kattan and Truong nomograms was higher when compared with the other tools, although it was significant only on the first and second surveillance biopsies. Both nomograms were able to identify low- and high-risk subgroups within the cohort. Kattan nomogram demonstrated better correlation with the observed rate of progression over the first 3 biopsies and higher clinical net benefit. Conclusion Kattan and Truong nomograms demonstrated the best performance in predicting biopsy progression, although their value was largely limited to the first 2 surveillance biopsies. Both tools were able to stratify patients into subgroups with different risks of progression. These nomograms have important differences, which suggest that a more effective predictive model combining the strong sides of both tools and possibly some other variables could be developed.
Equipping Future Marketers to Meet the Emerging Demand for Video Communications

The use of video in commerce is on the rise. There is good reason to believe that today’s students will encounter a task involving the application of an online video at some point in their career. Even though this Millennial generation is more technologically savvy, the average student does not have experience in creating a video that will engage the viewer while also conveying pertinent information. This paper describes a video assignment in which teams are required to create a 10-minute video that demonstrates the application of a concept from the course material. The video assignment may: (a) help equip students for using digital marketing strategies that require the use of video, and (b) provide an active learning exercise in which students can be creative while applying marketing concepts to business situations. Positive side effects of the assignment may include enhanced learning and improved student engagement.
Examining strategic planning processes in Student Affairs

Strategic planning is inevitable in most institutions, but at the Divisional level, the process is largely unknown. Divisions of Student Affairs often engage in planning, but there is not an evidence-based, appropriate model to apply. This study suggests exploring this gap in literature by conducting a mixed methods inquiry.
Model for end-stage liver disease Na Score predicts incident major cardiovascular events in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality among adults with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); however, accurate tools for identifying NAFLD patients at highest CVD risk are lacking. Using a validated algorithm, we identified a retrospective cohort of 914 NAFLD patients without known CVD. Fibrosis severity was estimated using the fibrosis-4 index. Patients were followed for 5 years for the development of a major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE); a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or unstable angina; urgent coronary revascularization; or stroke. Using an adjusted Cox proportional hazard regression model, NAFLD-specific biomarkers of CVD risk were identified. Discrimination was compared to that of the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Among 914 patients, the mean age was 53.4 years and 60.6% were female. Over 5 years, 288 (31.5%) experienced MACE. After adjustment for traditional cardiometabolic risk factors and underlying FIB-4 index score, each 1-point increase in the model for end-stage liver disease integrating sodium (MELD-Na) was associated with a 4.2% increased risk of MACE (hazard ratio, 1.042; 95% confidence interval, 1.009-1.075; P = 0.011). Compared to patients in the lowest MELD-Na quartile (<7.5), those in the highest quartile (≥13.2) had a 2.2-fold increased risk of MACE (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-4.40; P = 0.024; P trend = 0.004). Incorporating MELD-Na with the FRS significantly improved discrimination of future CVD risk (combined C-statistic 0.703 versus 0.660 for the FRS alone; P = 0.040). Conclusion: Among patients with NAFLD, the MELD-Na score accurately stratifies the risk for patients according to future CVD event risk. The addition of the MELD-Na score to the FRS may further improve discrimination of NAFLD-related CVD risk. (Hepatology Communications 2017;1:429–438)
Ethical Issues in Research in Child Psychiatry

In addition to the general concerns for protection of human subjects that govern all research, several special issues around research in children must be considered by investigators and Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). This chapter attempts to highlight those ethical questions that investigators in psychiatry and the neural sciences must consider in designing their projects to ensure the protection of children who are research subjects and to meet the scrutiny of the IRB process. All who contemplate research with children should be familiar with the Code of Federal Regulations1 governing human research in the United States and the specific report and recommendations of the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research on Research Involving Children.2 In this chapter, such familiarity is assumed as we discuss specific issues of importance to the expected readers of this volume.
Can the introduction of a full-service supermarket in a food desert improve residents' economic status and health?

Abstract Purpose To estimate the impacts of a new supermarket in a low-income desert, on residents' economic status and health. Methods We surveyed a randomly selected cohort in two low-income Pittsburgh neighborhoods before and about 1 year following the opening of a supermarket. We used difference-in-difference approach to test changes across the two neighborhoods in residents' food security, United States Department of Agriculture Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infant and Children participation, employment, income, and self-reported health/chronic disease diagnoses. Results We observed declines in food insecurity (−11.8%, P Conclusions Locating a new supermarket in a low-income neighborhood may improve residents' economic well-being and health. Policymakers should consider broad impacts of neighborhood investment that could translate into improved health for residents of underserved neighborhoods.
Sedation of the Obese Patient: Indications, Management, and Complications

As the prevalence of obesity increases, so too does the number of obese patients being cared for in the critical care setting. Many patients will require the administration of analgesics and sedative medications during the course of their critical illness. Therefore, it is important for clinicians to recognize not only the effect of critical illness on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of these medications but also how obesity further alters these effects. A lack of knowledge in these areas may lead to excessive or inadequate sedation.
A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON THE RESTORATION PROJECT OF ST. VINCENT DE FERRER CHURCH OF DUPAX DEL SUR: PROJECT IMPLICATION

This research aims to undergo preliminary study on the current condition of Saint Vincent de Ferrer Church of Dupax del Sur, Nueva Vizcaya. It exposes its present status in terms of architectural and structural elements carried out through qualitative and case analysis methods. It also aims to provide awareness regarding its cultural significance to the surrounding community particularly the Isinay minority group and the locals of Nueva Vizcaya. It is also in this research that the researchers highlighted the deteriorating structural and architectural conditions of the church as well as the negative and irreversible impact of uncontrolled and improper restoration works to a cultural treasure such as the church - most of them undertaken by persons that do not possess any qualification or knowledge on restoration and conservation. It also provides an inventory of potential hazards to the people particularly to the congregation when the Church’s deteriorating structural and architectural components are not properly repaired and restored. With this, the researchers highly recommended conservation and restoration of the church and its support structures before elements of nature and man can wipe them out of sight.
Measuring Geographic Pull Power: A Case Study of U.S. College Athletic Teams

Institutions such as firms, universities, and governments drive migration. Yet we know little about the different “pull powers” of institutions; that is, their ability to draw new members from dist...
The Course of Reform

In modern times, parliamentary governance has become a very common constitutional template for democratic governance. Parliaments are widely used throughout Europe and in many other parts of the world. Yet, parliamentary systems have not always been liberal democratic institutions. The early parliaments were often consultative bodies with little real policy-making power. Nor were the early parliaments representative in the modern sense of the term. Membership was generally reserved for the elites of powerful and well-organized groups, the nobles, senior church officials, and wealthy commoners. In the nineteenth century, many of the ancient European parliamentary systems gradually took their modern form, as the locus of policy-making power shifted to the parliament and as parliaments came to be elected by universal suffrage. Parliamentary democracy, in this modern sense, is only approximately 100 years old in Western Europe.
Chiral discrimination by ionic liquids: impact of ionic solutes.

Chiral ionic liquids hold promise in many asymmetric applications. This study explores the impact of ionic solutes on the chiral discrimination of five amino acid methyl ester-based ionic liquids, including L- and D-alanine methyl ester, L-proline methyl ester, L-leucine methyl ester, and L-valine methyl ester cations combined with bis(trifluoromethanesulfonimide) anion. Circularly polarized luminescence spectroscopy was used to study the chiral discrimination by measuring the racemization equilibrium of a dissymmetric europium complex, Eu(dpa)33− (where dpa = 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylate). The chiral discrimination measured was dependent on the concentration of Eu(dpa)33− and this concentration-dependence was different in each of the ionic liquids. Ionic liquids with L-leucine methyl ester and L-valine methyl ester even switched enantiomeric preference based on the solute concentration. Changing the cation of the Eu(dpa)33− salt from tetrabutylammonium to tetramethylammonium ion also affected the chiral discrimination demonstrated by the ionic liquids. Chirality 27:320–325, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Equality of Opportunity in Classification: A Causal Approach

The Equalized Odds (for short, EO) is one of the most popular measures of discrimination used in the supervised learning setting. It ascertains fairness through the balance of the misclassification rates (false positive and negative) across the protected groups -- e.g., in the context of law enforcement, an African-American defendant who would not commit a future crime will have an equal opportunity of being released, compared to a non-recidivating Caucasian defendant. Despite this noble goal, it has been acknowledged in the literature that statistical tests based on the EO are oblivious to the underlying causal mechanisms that generated the disparity in the first place (Hardt et al. 2016). This leads to a critical disconnect between statistical measures readable from the data and the meaning of discrimination in the legal system, where compelling evidence that the observed disparity is tied to a specific causal process deemed unfair by society is required to characterize discrimination. The goal of this paper is to develop a principled approach to connect the statistical disparities characterized by the EO and the underlying, elusive, and frequently unobserved, causal mechanisms that generated such inequality. We start by introducing a new family of counterfactual measures that allows one to explain the misclassification disparities in terms of the underlying mechanisms in an arbitrary, non-parametric structural causal model. This will, in turn, allow legal and data analysts to interpret currently deployed classifiers through causal lens, linking the statistical disparities found in the data to the corresponding causal processes. Leveraging the new family of counterfactual measures, we develop a learning procedure to construct a classifier that is statistically efficient, interpretable, and compatible with the basic human intuition of fairness. We demonstrate our results through experiments in both real (COMPAS) and synthetic datasets.
The Trump/Clifford Non-Disclosure Agreement: Violation of Public Policy and the First Amendment

On Oct. 28, 2016, 11 days before the 2016 presidential election, Stephanie Clifford signed a non-disclosure agreement pursuant to which Ms. Clifford was paid $130,000 in exchange for her promise not to disclose any information about her alleged affair with Donald Trump. Ms. Clifford now wishes to be released from this agreement so that she can publicly discuss this matter, and she has filed an action for a declaratory judgment to invalidate the agreement. Mr. Michael Cohen, who formerly served as President Trump’s personal attorney, threatened to sue Ms. Clifford for $20 million for breaching the non-disclosure agreement. Ms. Clifford has challenged the validity of the non-disclosure agreement on several grounds. This essay discusses just one possible defense to the enforcement of this contract: Does the public’s First Amendment “right to know” about this matter outweigh the interest of Mr. Trump in enforcing this contract and keeping this information secret? When Donald Trump ran for President — certainly by the time he became the Republican nominee for President — the American people acquired a vital interest in knowing about his character. Is he honest or dishonest? Is he candid or secretive? Is he trustworthy or untrustworthy? It is at least debatable that Mr. Trump’s interest in enforcing the non-disclosure agreement against Ms. Clifford is clearly outweighed by the interest of the public in not enforcing that agreement — and that as President, Mr. Trump is no longer entitled to enlist the aid of the courts to suppress public access to information about his honesty, candor, and trustworthiness.
Simulation and experiment of asymmetric electrode placement for electrophoretic exclusion in a microdevice.

Electrophoretic exclusion (EE) is a counterflow gradient technique that exploits hydrodynamic flow and electrophoretic forces to exclude, enrich, and separate analytes. Resolution for this technique has been theoretically examined and the smallest difference in electrophoretic mobilities that can be completely separated is estimated to be 10-13 cm2 /Vs. Traditional and mesoscale systems have been used, whereas microfluidics offers a greater range of geometries and configurations towards approaching this theoretical limit. To begin to understand the impact of seemingly subtle changes to the entrance flow and the electric field configurations, three closely related microfluidic interfaces were modeled, fabricated, and tested. These interfaces consisted of systematically varying placement of an asymmetric electrode relative to a channel entrance: leading electrode placed outside the channel entrance, leading electrode aligned with the channel, and leading electrode placed within the channel. A charged fluorescent dye is used as a sensitive and accurate probe for the model and to test the concentration variation at these interfaces. Models and experiments focused on visualizing the concentration profile in areas of high temporal dynamics, thus providing a severe test of the models. Experimental data and simulation results showed strong qualitative agreement. The complexity of the electric and flow fields about this interface and the agreement between models and testing suggests the theoretical assessment capabilities can be used to faithfully design novel and more efficient interfaces.
Energy consumption optimization with geometric accuracy consideration for fused filament fabrication processes

Due to the unique capability of producing parts with complex geometries and functionally graded materials, additive manufacturing (AM) is taking the leading role in the “third industrial revolution” and has attracted significant attentions in multiple industrial sectors. Part quality and energy consumption are two highly interdependent outcomes, and thus it is difficult to improve one without changing the other. However, to the best of our knowledge, prior pertinent studies usually considered and optimized quality and energy consumption individually. This proposed study aims to (1) obtain a fundamental quantitative relationship between AM process design parameters and AM part quality as well as process energy consumption, and (2) develop a general framework to optimize energy consumption in AM fabrication without compromising part quality (i.e., geometric accuracy). Linear regression models are used to capture the relationship between process design parameters and the part quality and energy consumption, respectively. Then, a non-linear optimization framework is proposed to minimize the energy consumption on the part level given specific quality requirements. A case study developed based on a fused filament fabrication (FFF) process and a specific part design is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. The effects of quality requirements on the optimal energy consumption solution are also explored in the case study.
Leakage Current and Thermal Effects

Abstract This chapter discusses two very important aspects of the device and their modeling in BSIMIMG: leakage currents and thermal effects. Leakage currents are undesirable with multiplesources and mechanisms causing them. Each leakage current source and its modeling in BSIMIMG model is described in different sub-sections of this chapter. The ambient temperature changes several key device parameters, in-turn affecting its terminal behavior. These parametervariations are modeled with ambient temperature as an input to the model. The modeling formulations and the associated model parameters are described in this chapter.
Common cutaneous neoplasms in patients with immunodeficiency: A case series

Through humoral and cell-mediated mechanisms, the immune system plays a vital role in protecting every organ system. Disorders of the immune system may result in various cutaneous manifestations, including cutaneous malignancies. In patients with immunodeficiency, the risk of development of malignant cutaneous neoplasms is substantially increased. This increased risk may be due to oncogenic viruses that find a suitable microenvironment for tumorigenesis and cancer development. A subset of cutaneous malignancies that develop in patients with immunodeficiency may show aggressive clinical and biological behavior. Here, we report six cases of highly aggressive and deadly cutaneous neoplasms that arose in patients with a known history of immunodeficiency: two cases of Kaposi sarcoma in patients with immunosuppression due to human immunodeficiency virus infection; a case of Merkel cell carcinoma and a case of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in patients receiving immunosuppressive drugs after organ transplant; a case of multiple cutaneous tumors, including invasive melanoma, SCC, and sebaceous carcinoma, in a patient with hypogammaglobulinemia and a history of organ transplant; and a case of basal cell carcinoma and melanoma in situ in a patient with primary immunodeficiency.
Plastic deformation of pure copper in ultrasonic assisted micro-tensile test

Abstract The softening effect of ultrasonic vibration on pure copper is studied from a new perspective with micro-tensile tests, where the gauge length of the specimen is one order of magnitude smaller than the ultrasonic wavelength. With this configuration, the amount of flow stress reduction increases linearly with vibration amplitude whereas the flow stress reduction is insensitive to the studied strain rate ranging from 0.06/s to 1/s. Temperature rise associated with ultrasonic vibration is minimal from infrared thermal imaging. In situ digital image correlation (DIC) analysis shows strain localization near ultrasonic source whereas uniform strain distribution was observed during conventional tensile test. Optical microstructure characterization shows that area fraction of annealing twins in the deformed copper reduced from 3.3% to 1.8% with ultrasonic vibration. This is possibly attributed to enhanced interaction of dislocation between twin boundaries which act as non-regenerative dislocation source. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) results show that ultrasonic vibration promotes preferential grain re-orientation and reduces the misorientation within grains.
Exoplanets Sciences with Nulling Interferometers and a Single-Mode Fiber-Fed Spectrograph

Understanding the atmospheres of exoplanets is a milestone to decipher their formation history and potential habitability. High-contrast imaging and spectroscopy of exoplanets is the major pathway towards the goal. Directly imaging of an exoplanet requires high spatial resolution. Interferometry has proven to be an effective way of improving spatial resolution. However, means of combining interferometry, high-contrast imaging, and high-resolution spectroscopy have been rarely explored. To fill in the gap, we present the dual-aperture fiber nuller (FN) for current-generation 8-10 meter telescopes, which provides the necessary spatial and spectral resolution to (1) conduct follow-up spectroscopy of known exoplanets; and (2) detect planets in debris-disk systems. The concept of feeding a FN to a high-resolution spectrograph can also be used for future space and ground-based missions. We present a case study of using the dual-aperture FN to search for biosignatures in rocky planets around M stars for a future space interferometry mission. Moreover, we discuss how a FN can be equipped on future extremely large telescopes by using the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) as an example.
Lässt sich die COVID-19-Pandemie mit dem SARS-Ausbruch von 2003 vergleichen?

Unter allen Viren, die Menschen infizieren, ist SARS-CoV am engsten mit SARS-CoV-2 verwandt, der Erreger, der 2002/2003 die SARS-Epidemie verursachte. Ahnlich sind nicht nur die Genome der beiden Viren, sondern auch die Wege, auf denen sie in Zellen gelangen, und einige klinische Merkmale. Von dem SARS-Erreger haben wir seit 2003 vieles gelernt.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Job Prospects and Educational Training for Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellows.

Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted graduate medical education with redistribution of trainees, altered clinical care, and decreased research. For graduating trainees, there remains concern that financial stability of health systems will affect the availability of new positions and hiring practices. This survey aims to evaluate the pandemic's impact from pediatric gastroenterology fellows' perspectives. Methods An anonymous survey was distributed by e-mail from June 11 to July 1, 2020 to all North American pediatric gastroenterology and advanced training fellows. The survey was tailored for the fellows' year of training including questions on education, clinical experience, research, and job outlook. Results Of the 434 pediatric gastroenterology fellows, 145 completed the survey. Of all respondents, negative impact was reported in 52% on clinical training, 46% research projects, and 41% procedural confidence. A majority (93%) of third-year respondents had a job contract signed at the time of the survey; however, 18% of those contracts were subsequently altered with five respondents having job contracts rescinded due to hiring freezes. Fifty-four percent of first- and second-year fellow respondents reported concern regarding finding a job with the majority being second-year fellows (78%). Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the medical system and healthcare professionals. This survey identified significant impact on job acquisition for graduating pediatric gastroenterology fellows as well as other critical components of training, which are likely applicable to other pediatric trainees. The survey results raise questions about potential strategies to improve medical education and job search success for graduating trainees.
The neural bases of multimodal sensory integration in older adults.

Although hearing often declines with age, prior research has shown that older adults may benefit from multisensory input to a greater extent when compared to younger adults, a concept known as inve...
Treatment Outcomes of Well-Differentiated High-Grade Neuroendocrine Tumors.

INTRODUCTION Recent classification of neuroendocrine neoplasms has defined well-differentiated high-grade neuroendocrine tumors (NET G3) as a distinct entity from poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma. The optimal treatment for NET G3 has not been well-described. This study aimed to evaluate metastatic NET G3 response to different treatment regimens. MATERIALS AND METHODS This was a retrospective study of patients with NET G3 within the Mayo Clinic database. Patients' demographics along with treatment characteristics, responses, and survival were assessed. Primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival. Secondary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR). RESULTS Treatment data was available in 30 patients with median age of 59.5 years at diagnosis. The primary tumor was mostly pancreatic (73.3%). Ki-67 index was ≥55% in 26.7% of cases. Treatments included capecitabine + temozolomide (CAPTEM) (n = 20), lutetium 177 DOTATATE (PRRT; n = 10), Platinum-etoposide (EP; n = 8), FOLFOX (n = 7), and everolimus (n = 2). CAPTEM exhibited ORR 35%, DCR 65%, and median PFS 9.4 months (95% confidence interval, 2.96-16.07). Both EP and FOLFOX showed similar radiographic response rates with ORR 25.0% and 28.6%; however, median PFS durations were quite distinct at 2.94 and 13.04 months, respectively. PRRT had ORR of 20%, DCR of 70%, and median PFS of 9.13 months. CONCLUSION Among patients with NET G3, CAPTEM was the most commonly used treatment with clinically meaningful efficacy and disease control. FOLFOX or PRRT are other potentially active treatment options. EP has some activity in NET G3, but responses appear to be short-lived. Prospective studies evaluating different treatments effects in patients with NET G3 are needed to determine an optimal treatment strategy. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE High-grade well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NET G3) are considered a different entity from low-grade NET and neuroendocrine carcinoma in terms of prognosis and management. The oral combination of capecitabine and temozolomide is considered a good option in the management of metastatic NET G3 and may be preferred. FOLFOX is another systemic option with reasonable efficacy. Similar to other well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy seems to have some efficacy in these tumors.
"The cops didn't make it any better": Perspectives on police and guns among survivors of gun violence.

Abstract Background Survivors of gun violence in the United States (US) are twenty times more likely to be re-injured with a firearm and three times more likely to be arrested under a violence or a weapons-related charge. The mechanisms for these outcomes are multifactorial and remain largely understudied. We aimed to examine perspectives on both the police and guns among survivors of guns violence. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of qualitative data from a study that examined the post-hospitalization recovery experience of survivors of firearm violence. Using a conceptual framework derived from sociology literature and a coding team made up of researchers, community members and former police officers, we used directed content analysis to construct themes. Results The data set included interviews with 20 survivors of gun violence that were all Black males, aged 20–51 years. The recurring themes around the police included: (1) Legal cynicism: “I don't like police, none of them”; (2) Interactions with the police in a medical setting: “The cops didn't make it any better” and (3) Ambivalence around police presence within the community: “That's their job to protect me, too.” Themes related to guns in the community encompassed: (1) The availability of guns: “Getting a gun is about as easy as buying a pair of sneakers”; (2) Symbolic meaning: “Guns give them courage”; (3) Social meaning: “I just let them know: I have a gun, too.” and (4) Strategic meaning: “It's just for protection.“ Conclusions Survivors of gun violence describe distrust for the police and an ecology of guns that confers symbolic, social and strategic meaning to owning a gun. Interventions to decrease gun violence should address the cultural value of a gun as well as focus on improving police relations with the community.
Effect of narcotic prescription limiting legislation on opioid utilization following pediatric spinal fusion for scoliosis

Since 2016, 35 of 50 US states have approved opioid-limiting and monitoring laws. The impact on postoperative opioid prescribing and secondary outcomes following pediatric scoliosis deformity correction surgery remains unknown. To evaluate the effect of CURES 2.0 opioid-limiting regulations on postoperative opioid prescriptions and unplanned readmissions following pediatric scoliosis deformity correction surgery. Retrospective review of prospectively collected data. Two patient cohorts (pre-CURES January 1, 2017-October 22, 2018 and post-CURES September 1, 2018-May 30, 2020) that included all patients undergoing pediatric scoliosis deformity surgery at a single institution. Demographic, medical, surgical, clinical, and pharmacological data was collected from all patients. Total morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) prescribed was compared at 30-day postoperative intervals. Readmission rates were calculated. Categorical variables were evaluated with Chi squared analysis and continuous variables were evaluated with t test or Mann–Whitney U test as appropriate. Logistic regression was used to evaluate risk factors for increased postoperative opioid. Of 108 identified patients, 94 (49 pre-CURES, 45 post-CURES) were included in the study. Post-CURES patients were older (p = 0.001). All other demographic, medical, and surgical factors were similar between pre-CURES and post-CURES patients (all p > 0.05). Post-CURES, patients received fewer pills in their first postoperative prescription (43.4 vs. 57.4 pills, p = 0.006), less opioids (MMEs) during the first 0 to 30-day and 31 to 60-day postoperative intervals (261.8 MMEs vs. 337.6 MMEs, p = 0.028 and 17.8 MMEs vs. 59.7 MMEs, p = 0.016, respectively). Increased 120-day opioid utilization was associated with surgery in the pre-CURES period, age, BMI, and decreased number of levels fused (all p < 0.05). Postoperative readmission within 90 days was associated with age, BMI, number of levels fused, and length of stay. Implementation of CURES 2.0 has resulted in a reduction in the opioid prescription following pediatric scoliosis deformity surgery without an increase in readmissions. Further studies are needed to evaluate how legislations of this kind affect patient reported outcomes, satisfaction, and quality of life.
Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2 (Lrrk2) Deficiency Diminishes the Development of Experimental Autoimmune Uveitis (EAU) and the Adaptive Immune Response

Background Mutations in LRRK2 are related to certain forms of Parkinson’s disease and, possibly, to the pathogenesis of Crohn’s disease. In both these diseases inflammatory processes participate in the pathogenic process. LRRK2 is expressed in lymphoid cells and, interestingly, Lrrk2 (-/-) mice were reported to develop more severe experimental colitis than their wild type (WT) controls. Here, we examined the possible involvement of LRRK2 in the pathogenesis of experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU), an animal model for human uveitis, by testing Lrrk2 (-/-) mice for their capacity to develop this experimental eye disease and related immune responses.
A Review of “Beans: A History”

In his preface, Ken Albala describes his work as a series of bean biographies, giving us chapters according to type—lentils, fava, chickpeas, mung, and so on—in which he provides the origins, histo...
Disappearance of plasmalogens from membranes of animal cells subjected to photosensitized oxidation.

Abstract Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1) photosensitized with 12-(1'-pyrene)dodecanoic acid (P12) are killed when exposed to long wavelength ultraviolet (UV) light (greater than 300 nm). Mutants deficient in plasmalogen biosynthesis are hypersensitive to this treatment. We now demonstrate that plasmenylethanolamine is rapidly and preferentially destroyed when CHO-K1 cells, photosensitized either with P12 or merocyanine 540, are irradiated with light of the appropriate wavelength. Using [2-14C]ethanolamine, [1-14C]hexadecanol, or [U-14C]hexadecanol to follow the turnover of plasmenylethanolamine, we show that 2-monoacylglycerophosphoethanolamine, formic acid, and pentadecanal are formed during P12/UV treatment of CHO-K1 cells, but not of mutant cells deficient in plasmalogen synthesis. The decomposition of plasmenylethanolamine is O2-dependent, is enhanced in D2O, and is reduced in the presence of sodium azide. The process may be explained, in part, by the cycloaddition of singlet oxygen to the vinyl ether linkage of plasmenylethanolamine, generating a dioxetane intermediate that would be expected to decompose under physiological conditions to the observed products. An additional possibility is the formation of an allylic hydroperoxide at the 1'-carbon of the alkyl moiety by an "ene" reaction of singlet oxygen, or by radical-mediated oxidation, followed by metabolism or chemical decomposition of the hydroperoxide. Given the P12/UV hypersensitivity of plasmalogen-deficient mutants, we suggest that plasmalogens might protect animal cell membranes from singlet oxygen and/or radical-initiated oxidation by functioning as scavengers and decomposing to products that can be reutilized.
Quasi-Linear Parabolic Systems

We have studied second-order quasi-linear parabolic systems in Chapter 14, where it was assumed that the equations admitted a bounded invariant region. For the gas dynamics equations with all of the dissipative mechanisms taken into account (viscosity and thermal conductivity), and for various models of these, there may exist invariant regions, but they are usually unbounded. Thus we cannot conclude that the solution is a-priori bounded, and global existence theorems become more difficult to prove. One way to overcome this problem is to obtain “energy” inequalities in the unknown function and its derivatives, in a manner somewhat analogous to what we have done for linear hyperbolic equations in Chapter 4. In order to obtain these estimates for nonlinear equations, certain additional restrictions must be imposed : small data, special forms of the equations, restrictions on the data at infinity, and so on.
Efectividad de las pensiones contributivas y financiadas con cargo a los impuestos de la seguridad social en América Central y efectos de la crisis mundial

Durante los ultimos treinta anos, America Latina ha sido pionera en la realizacion de reformas estructurales de las pensiones. Este articulo se centra en una muestra regional representativa formada por siete paises de America Central con diferentes niveles de desarrollo (Belice, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua y Panama), y estudia las pensiones contributivas y financiadas con cargo a los impuestos, asi como las recientes reformas de las pensiones. Evalua de manera comparada la efectividad de los regimenes de pension, basandose en los siguientes principios de la seguridad social: unidad, cobertura universal, adecuacion de las prestaciones, igualdad de trato, solidaridad social e igualdad de genero, y sostenibilidad financiera. Analiza tambien el efecto de la crisis mundial en los regimenes de pensiones de estos paises, hace hincapie en las diferencias entre las pensiones publicas y privadas, y extrae ensenanzas y sugiere politicas para el futuro.
Overview of Forensic Psychology

Forensic psychology has received considerable attention in recent years. This introductory chapter presents both an overview of the field as well as a description of how this volume is organized and the various psycho-legal questions it addresses. The field of forensic psychology is defined and fundamental differences between it and clinical psychology are discussed. These include differences in roles, the significance of diagnoses, concepts of human behavior, trust in the client's responses, temporal focus of the evaluation, and professional accountability. The history of the field is briefly reviewed. The major sections of this volume are described: the nature of the field including training, ethics, and testimony; approaches to forensic assessment, including the use of third-party information and the assessment of malingering; special topics, such as eyewitness memory and jury selection; civil issues, including child custody, personal injury, and Americans with Disabilities Act assessments; criminal issues, such as the evaluation of juveniles; Miranda waivers and false confessions, trial competence, criminal responsibility, death penalty and child sexual abuse assessments; evaluating special populations, including sex offenders, battered women, and those for whom violence is at issue; and emerging directions for the field of forensic psychology. This volume reflects the most up-to-date description of the field as we enter the twentieth century. Keywords: criminal responsibility; expert testimony; forensic psychology defined; forensic psychology v. clinical; forensic training; jury selection; levels of proof
A Friendly Critique of a Child's Right to an Open Future

In an inspiring and provocative essay, Joel Feinberg considers appropriate forms of a child’s rights, and identifies these as “a child’s right to an open future.” A test case of this right is Wisconsin versus Yoder, a landmark case. This case shows what happens to a 15-year-old adolescent who is denied the right to decide on her education. In that case, the court ruled that Amish parents may take their children out of school altogether after the eighth grade and into their own technical, vocational, farming schools. According to Justice W.O. Douglas, Barbara, then 15, and all the other Amish children whose parents exercise the right to take their children out of school will be denied the opportunity to become surgeons, astronauts, musicians, or engineers. Barbara’s life will be truncated and deformed. Justice Byron White sided with the Amish parents, and is joined philosophically by Feinberg, but only because the Amish children’s rights are pitted against the survival of the Amish sect.
Chapter 8 – Metal matrix composites—Local approach

This chapter deals with a local approach to metal–matrix composites. The approach followed in this chapter to characterize damage is termed local in the sense that damage is introduced at the constituent or local level. For composite material, two damage tensors M M and M F are introduced for the two constituents, that is, matrix and fibers of the composite system. For a composite system consisting of n constituents, n damage tensors M (1) , M (2) ,…. , M ( n ) are introduced to locally characterize damage in a complete manner. These damage variables are then combined in a systematic way with an appropriate micromechemical constitutive model to develop the overall damage response of the composite system. The matrix damage effect tensor M M is assumed to reflect all types of damage that the matrix material undergoes, like nucleation and coalescence of voids and mircocracks, whereas the fiber damage effect tensor M F is considered to reflect all types of fiber damage, like fracture of fibers. These two tensors are then related through an overall damage effect tensor M for the whole composite system.
The public interest and professional guilds in 21 st century medicine

Die starke Entwicklung der Wissenschaft in der 2. Halfte des 20. Jahrhunderts und die Entstehung machtiger beruflicher Vereinigungen zur Steuerung dieser Wissenschaft bilden ein grundsatzliches Hindernis fur eine breite Nutzung gewonnener Forschungsergebnisse. Mit jeder neuen Erkenntnis werden Berufe und Institutionen im Gesundheitssektor in neue, noch starker spezialisierte Fachgebiete unterteilt. Die Vereinigten Staaten geben ungefahr doppelt soviel wie andere Lander fur medizinische Leistungen aus. Trotzdem liegen die USA, was die Lebenserwartung betrifft, im Weltvergleich nur auf dem 24. Platz, und ein immer groβerer Teil der Bevolkerung kann keine Krankenversicherung aufweisen. Die Leistungen von Arzten und anderen Berufsvertretern im medizinischen Bereich stellen nur einen Teil der Suche des Menschen nach Gesundheit dar. Die Lander versuchen, den Zugang zu und die Kosten medizinischer Versorgung sowie die beruflichen Vereinigungen, die die medizinische Versorgung kontrollieren, in Ubereinstimmung mit den herrschenden Wirtschaftsideologien zu regulieren. Wirtschaftstheorien uberschatten die Realitat der medizinischen Versorgung. Der Patient ist der Verbraucher medizinischer Leistungen und nicht der Kaufer. Der Arzt ist Kaufer fast der gesamten medizinischen Leistungen. Er hat groβes finanzielles Interesse an den angebotenen Diensten, und er leistet einen Beitrag zu der starken Zergliederung dieser Dienste.
Formation and characterization of paper pulp flocs

Abstract An experimental study on softwood pulp flocs was performed to obtain an improved understanding of floc structure and floc strength. The work highlights morphological studies of model flocs and their strain behavior under tensile loading. The studies showed that the pulp flocs used are a composite of several concentrated regions separated by weaker interfaces. The dispersion of such flocs is by fracture at the interfaces. The fracture of several of these interfaces gives multiple yield points on a stress-strain plot. The fracture itself is by the slipping of fibers from the network and not by the breakage of fibers. The observed slippage supports the view that mechanical entanglement of fibers can be one of the main causes of fiber flocculation.
A lecithin:retinol acyltransferase activity in human and rat liver.

Summary This report demonstrates that exogenous phosphatidylcholine will serve as an acyl donor for the esterification of retinol complexed to cellular retinol-binding protein (CRBP) by human and rat liver microsomal preparations. The retinyl ester synthases utilized phosphatidylcholine but had little or no ability to transfer acyl groups from lysophosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, or phosphatidic acid to retinol-CRBP. The human and rat activities also demonstrated positional selectivity as only the fatty acyl group at the sn -1 position of phosphatidylcholine was transferred. This in vitro activity may have considerable physiological importance since the fatty acyl composition at the sn -1 position of phosphatidylcholine is remarkably similar to the hepatic retinyl esters observed in vivo .
Statistical methods in lexicological research in the Baltic states

In this study "lexicology" refers to the dictionary form of a text, a vocabulary, without consideration of the lexical structure of an individual word and the system of its meaning.The first attempts to apply statistical methods in lexicological research are connected with the computation of "frequency dictionaries", particularly various specialized lexica aimed at mechanical exploitation. A "frequency dictionary" is a list of words in which every word carries an indicator or its occurence frequenc in a text of a certain length. Frequency dictionaries permit one to compare words from the standpoint of their usage frequency. The data of frequency dictionaries are of great theoretical interest for studies of certain properties of the text with regard to its relation to the vocabulary.In the Baltic states we find research work pertaining to compilation of frequency dictionaries. In Tallin, Estonia, work was started pertaining to compilation of Russian frequency dictionary for teaching purposes (1960). The project worked on a number of texts, amounting to 400, 000 tokens. The completed dictionary reveals frequency distributions according to word-classes, government of case by verbs, prepositional phrases and also the substantival cases.In other Baltic States we find linguists engaged in similar forms of study on the word level. On the basis of results gained from the statistical word count of Latvian technical-industrial texts, the first volume (pertaining to technical industrial field) of a frequency dictionary of Latvian language was compiled and published in 1966.The statistical approach is used in the studies of style. The concept of "style" presupposes the presence of several properties inherent in a given text or texts or author, as opposed to others. One can propose that style is a sum of statistical characteristics describing the content properties of a particular text as distinct from others.In the Baltic states we find linguists using statisical methods in the analysis of style. In scanning some prose texts of Latvian writer Blaumanis, K. Karulis found that words that Blaumanis uses in the direct speech are shorter than those in the indirect speech.
Development of bariatric surgery-specific risk assessment tool

Abstract Background Administrative databases have increasingly been used to assess bariatric surgery outcomes, resulting in policy recommendations about bariatric practice. However, surgical outcomes must be risk adjusted to compare patients of varying potential risk fairly with those to whom the policies will apply. To date, the risk adjustment tools used for database analysis of bariatric surgical outcomes have been those designed for other purposes, and their sensitivity for bariatric outcomes has not been established. Methods Bariatric surgical procedures contained in the National Hospital Discharge Summary for 1993–2003 were assembled into a database. The standard set of Elixhauser co-morbidity variables used by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality were entered into the database. Those variables that were significantly associated with adverse outcomes were entered into a stepwise-elimination logistic regression equation, yielding a set of variables related to adverse outcomes from bariatric surgery. These were then prospectively applied to another database (the National Inpatient Survey) to determine their sensitivity for predicting outcomes and were compared with the commonly used Charlson score. Results The variables significantly correlating with bariatric adverse events included chronic pulmonary disease, hypertension, diabetes with chronic complications, fluid and electrolyte disorders, deficiency anemias, and depression. Age and male gender were also signficantly related to adverse events. The c-index (a correlative index, with .5 showing no, and 1, a perfect, relationship) for bariatric surgery mortality with the Charlson index is .52. For the Elixhauser-based system we developed, it is .72. Conclusions We have developed a new risk-adjustment tool for bariatric surgery outcomes studies that use administrative databases. Its performance was clearly better than that of the commonly used Charlson co-morbidity score. Bariatric studies that have used the Charlson index should not be considered adequately risk adjusted.