cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reforming payments to healthcare providers: the key to slowing healthcare cost growth while improving quality?

The seemingly intractable debate about how to slow the growth of healthhe seemingly intractable debate about how to slow the growth of healthcare costs in the United States and elsewhere has traditionally boiled care costs in the United States and elsewhere has traditionally boiled down to efforts to limit prices and quantities directly. In public healthdown to efforts to limit prices and quantities directly. In public healthcare programs, the focus in the United States is often on tighter price regulation. care programs, the focus in the United States is often on tighter price regulation. For example, the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 achieved most of its savings by For example, the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 achieved most of its savings by reducing the growth of regulated prices in Medicare for physicians, hospitals, reducing the growth of regulated prices in Medicare for physicians, hospitals, and most other healthcare providers. The Affordable Care Act of 2010 also and most other healthcare providers. The Affordable Care Act of 2010 also achieved most of its “scored” budgetary savings (which were used as a partial achieved most of its “scored” budgetary savings (which were used as a partial offset for the costs of coverage expansions) through reducing Medicare price offset for the costs of coverage expansions) through reducing Medicare price growth (Elmendorf, 2010). A
An Investigation of an ESL Placement Test of Writing Using Many-facet Rasch Measurement

Because performance assessment, such as a composition test, introduces a range of factors that may influence the chances of success for a candidate on the test, those in charge of monitoring quality control for performance assessment programs need to gather information that will help them determine whether all aspects of the programs are working as intended. In the present study, Many-facet Rasch measurement (Linacre, 1989) was employed to examine the effects of various sources of variability on students’ performance on an ESL placement test of writing and also to investigate the validity of the assigned scores for students’ essays.
Genomic Applications in Gynecologic Malignancies

To date, genomic approaches implemented in clinical practice for patients with gynecological cancers have been limited to human papillomavirus DNA testing, which is considered the molecular genetic basis of uterine cervical carcinoma, and to the identification of specific gene mutations associated with hereditary gynecological cancer syndromes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 germline mutations in ovarian cancer patients. Recently, the advent of high-throughput genomic technologies allowed for substantial advances in our understanding of the molecular underpinning of sporadic gynecological malignancies, in particular of ovarian and uterine cancers, the two most frequently diagnosed malignancies of the female reproductive tract in the western world. Genomic approaches applied to the study of these cancers have the potential to not only improve disease classification and diagnostic reproducibility, but may also lead to the identification of novel prognostic and predictive subclasses of these diseases as well as novel therapeutic targets, ultimately providing an opportunity for the realization of precision medicine. This chapter focuses on recent advances in our understanding of endometrial carcinoma and common malignant uterine mesenchymal tumors, which are likely to affect clinical care in the near future, and we discuss the integration of genomic tests in the diagnostic armamentarium of these cancers.
Mitochondrial Toxicity and Lipodystrophy

The advent of potent antiretroviral drugs (ARV) in recent years has had an impressive impact on mortality and disease progression in HIV-infected patients (1 , therefore, issues related to long-term effects of ARV are of growing importance. Perhaps the most serious and distressing toxicities are mitochondrial toxicity and lipodystrophy, a syndrome of fat redistribution recently linked to mitochondrial dysfunction. Lipodystrophy includes peripheral fat wasting (referred to as lipoatrophy), with or without fat accumulation (abdominal visceral fat accumulation, breast enlargement, and/or buffalo hump). It is commonly associated with metabolic abnormalities—dyslipidemias and/or insulin resistance (2, 3). The lipodystrophy syndrome was initially believed to be associated with use of protease inhibitor (PI) agents (3, 4), but recent studies called into question this association (5, 6, 7). Lipodystrophy is not only disfiguring, but is also associated with decreased adherence to ARV (8), hypertension (9), as well as decreased quality of life, self-esteem, and sexual difficulties (10). The lipodystrophy syndrome will be discussed here, mainly as it relates to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) therapy and mitochondrial toxicity.
Does Brainstorming Help Detect and Deter Fraud

Though the Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 99, Consideration of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit has identified factors that led to fraud risk, the Statement did not provide preventive actions on fraud risk. This paper fills the gap. It reports results of two separate brain-storming sessions, one with three auditors, and another with a preparer of the financial statements, a stockbroker and a lawyer on identifying and detecting fraud risk. This study has wide implications to the audit profession, preparers and users of financial statements, professional bodies and regulators.
The Impact of Droughts on Food Consumption and the Mitigating Effects of a Conditional Cash Transfer Program - Evidence from Rural Mexico

This paper exploits the panel data of a randomized experiment from PROGRESA program to evaluate the impact of droughts on food consumption and the mitigating effects of the conditional cash transfer program on such impacts. Drought reduces caloric availability from vegetables, fruits and animal products but increases calories from grains. PROGRESA can completely mitigate the effects of droughts on calories from most sources, but not on calories from grains. The Engel curve analysis shows that grains are inferior goods. Conditional cash transfer program should strengthen the educational components on the importance of balanced diets and nutritional intake.
Impact of Intraoperative Continuous-Infusion Versus Intermittent Dosing of Cefazolin Therapy on the Incidence of Surgical Site Infections After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

tudy Objectives To determine whether intraoperative continuous-infusion (CI) cefazolin reduces the incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs) compared with intermittent (INT) cefazolin dosing in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB); safety end points and protocol adherence comparing the two dosing strategies were also explored. Design Retrospective quasi-experimental (pre–post intervention) cohort study. Setting Large academic medical center. Patients A total of 516 adults who underwent CABG on CPB and received cefazolin intraoperatively between June 1, 2013, and December 31, 2014, were included. The INT cohort included 284 patients who underwent CABG from June 2013 to February 2014. The CI cohort included 232 patients who underwent CABG from April to December 2014, after an intraoperative CI cefazolin protocol for cardiac surgery patients undergoing CPB was adopted in March 2014. Measurements and Main Results The primary end point was incidence of SSIs, and safety end points of renal dysfunction and seizures were evaluated. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine the impact on SSIs when controlling for other risk factors. A subgroup analysis for this study included 2 months within each time period to evaluate protocol adherence. The overall incidence of SSIs was decreased in patients receiving CI cefazolin, although this did not reach statistical significance (4.6% in the INT cohort vs 1.7% in the CI cohort, p=0.116). Superficial SSIs were significantly reduced in the CI cohort (2.8% in the INT cohort vs 0.4% in the CI cohort, p=0.039). In the regression analysis, CI cefazolin decreased the odds of SSI by 66%, although it did not reach statistical significance (p=0.077). Safety end points were not significantly different between groups. Overall protocol adherence did not differ significantly between the cohorts: 77% in the INT cohort and 67% in the CI cohort (p=0.212). Conclusion CI cefazolin significantly decreased the incidence of superficial SSIs compared with INT cefazolin in patients undergoing CABG on CPB, without increasing the risk for adverse effects. As this study was underpowered to detect a significant difference in overall SSIs, larger, randomized studies are required to validate the superiority of CI cefazolin.
Development and experiment of fast breaker-type fault current limiter

Fault current limiter (FCL) is one of the efficient technological measures to solve the increasingly serious problem of excessive short-circuit current in power grid. A fast breaker-type fault current limiter with modularized design is developed on the basis of 12kV fast-speed vacuum breakers and short-circuit current perfect forecast and zero-cross point precise phase controlled breaking technologies. Zero-loss of the FCL is obtained under normal condition and up to 80 kA short-circuit current could be limited within 20ms to the safe breaking level of the system circuit breaker. The security, efficiency and reliability of the device are verified by field operation and two single-phase transient short-circuit experiment in a 330 kV network.
A Flight Sensory-Motor to Olfactory Processing Circuit in the Moth Manduca sexta

Neural circuits projecting information from motor pathways to sensory pathways are common across sensory domains. These circuits typically modify sensory function as a result of motor pattern activation; this is particularly so in cases where the resultant behavior affects the sensory experience or its processing. However, such circuits have not been observed projecting to an olfactory pathway in any species despite well characterized active sampling behaviors that produce reafferent mechanical stimuli, such as sniffing in mammals and wing beating in the moth Manduca sexta. In this study we characterize a circuit that connects a flight sensory-motor center to an olfactory center in Manduca. This circuit consists of a single pair of histamine immunoreactive (HA-ir) neurons that project from the mesothoracic ganglion to innervate a subset of ventral antennal lobe (AL) glomeruli. Furthermore, within the AL we show that the Manduca sexta histamine B receptor (MsHisClB) is exclusively expressed by a subset of GABAergic and peptidergic LNs, which broadly project to all olfactory glomeruli. Finally, the HA-ir cell pair is present in fifth stage instar larvae; however, the absence of MsHisClB-ir in the larval antennal center (LAC) indicates that the circuit is incomplete prior to metamorphosis and importantly prior to the expression of flight behavior. Although the functional consequences of this circuit remain unknown, these results provide the first detailed description of a circuit that interconnects an olfactory system with motor centers driving flight behaviors including odor-guided flight.
Properties of Solutions of Rodlike Chains from Dilute Solutions to the Nematic State

Certain aspects of the physical chemistry of solutions rodlike polymers are reviewed. The range of concentrations includes infinite dilution ([ŋ]c<<l), dilute solutions ([ŋ,]c<l), moderately concentrated solutions (l<[ŋ]c<[ŋ]cNI), and concentrated solutions (c<cN,), where [ŋ] is the intrinsic viscosity and cNI. is the concentration required for a stable nematic phase. Studies of chain conformation are emphasized at infinite dilution, and rheological behavior is emphasized for more concentrated isotropic and nematic solutions. Both theoretical and experimental considerations are included.
Religiosity, Denomination, and Mental Health among Young Men and Women

The relations among religiosity, denomination, and mental health were studied. Comparisons of groups high, medium, and low in religiosity were made possible by extracting data from a large data set for three denominational groups and gender in a three-way analysis of variance design. There were significant main effects, with higher scores on three mental health measures for high religious groups, Mormons, and men. There were interactions resulting from highly religious Mormon women, but not highly religious Mormon men scoring higher. The three scores were self-esteem, emotional maturity, and nondepression.
Notes on the Parasitology of Sclerotium Rolfsii

(1928). Notes on the Parasitology of Sclerotium Rolfsii. Mycologia: Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 22-26.
Process synthesis of biorefineries: Optimization of biomass conversion to fuels and chemicals

Biorefineries are facilities for the production of fuels and chemicals from biomass, which can tackle the increasing emissions of carbon dioxide. In this paper, we formulate a systematic biorefinery process synthesis problem with the goal of finding which of these products and process technologies result in a biorefinery with the highest economic potential or carbon efficiency. Our approach allows for the explicit evaluation and comparison of different biorefinery configurations. We also aim to investigate the relationship (and competition) between chemicals and fuels production. We initially develop a biorefinery superstructure and formulate a mixed integer nonlinear program which we solve for the optimal biorefinery configuration. We present sensitivity analyses with respect to changes in product prices and feedstock costs which allows us to better understand how the optimal configuration responds to changing economic conditions. We present a Monte Carlo type sampling of these parameters which indicates...
Model for Managing Resistance to Fenvalerate in the Diamondback Moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

Evolution of resistance to the pyrethroid insecticide fenvalerate in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), was simulated by a computer model. Predictions from the model agree with data documenting development of diamondback moth resistance to fenvalerate in Ban-chau, Taiwan, in <4 years. Sensitivity analyses varying fecundity (4-fold), initial R gene frequency (10,000-fold), initial population density (100-fold), and percentage of larvae escaping insecticide exposure (0–20%) resulted in predicted times for resistance development under Ban-chau conditions ranging from <1–4 years. Simulations of 15 management strategies suggest that under tropical conditions, spray frequency must be less than two per cabbage cycle or spray concentration less than the LC75 of susceptible larvae to substantially delay resistance development. Adoption of alternative tactics for management of the diamondback moth is strongly urged.
Using Online Social Media and Social Networks as a Public Health Intervention

We performed a public reporting data-based intervention using social media and social network marketing campaigns to influence women in Los Angeles to seek public information on maternity care hospital quality. More than four million women give birth in the US every year, and more than three fourths of all American women will become mothers at some stage in their lives. Yet on key objective evidence-based metrics such as the proportion of women who received antenatal care within the first trimester, low birth weight infant deliveries, infant mortality, and maternal death rates, progress has either been away from or incompletely towards federal targets.We used cutting edge social media and social network listening tools to understand the extent and types of communications that pregnant women engaged in online. We leveraged these understandings to design commercial marketing campaigns to drive consumer interest through targeted communications on Facebook, Twitter and Google search platforms. Our campaigns reached a little more than 140,000 consumers each day across the three platforms, with a little more than 400 click-throughs each day. Facebook and Google search had broader reach, better click-through rates, and lower costs than Twitter. Our results suggest that commercially available 2 online advertising platforms in wide use by other industries may play a low cost role in targeted public health interventions.
Indifference bands for boundedly rational route switching

The replacement I-35W bridge in Minneapolis saw less traffic than the original bridge though it provided substantial travel time saving for many travelers. This observation cannot be explained by the classical route choice assumption that travelers always take the shortest path. Accordingly, a boundedly rational route switching model is proposed assuming that travelers will not switch to the new bridge unless travel time saving goes beyond a threshold or “indifference band”. Indifference bands are assumed to follow lognormal distribution and are estimated in two specifications: the first one assumes every driver’s indifference band is drawn from a population indifference band and the second one assumes that the mean of drivers’ indifference bands is a function of their own characteristics. Route choices of 78 subjects from a GPS travel behavior study were analyzed before and after the addition of the new I-35W bridge to estimate parameters. This study provides insights into empirical analysis of bounded rationality and sheds light on indifference band estimation using empirical data.
Effective or ephemeral? the role of energy information dashboards in changing occupant energy behaviors

Abstract Building energy use research has largely been focused on technological performance despite growing evidence that human behavior has an equally significant role (Sovacool, 2014) [34]. This paper aims to address this by examining how the role of real-time information affects building occupant attitudes and behaviors toward energy use. Four buildings located on four different community college campuses in Illinois were outfitted with a centrally located graphic display of the building’s real-time energy use (an energy dashboard) and implemented a 6-week energy behavior change campaign. Intervention efficacy was tested with an online survey that was distributed to each campus population before and after the intervention. Pre-post analysis, comparison between exposed and unexposed populations, and cross-campus comparisons were then conducted. Our findings show that although the interventions resulted in significant energy savings (7–10% in electricity and 50% decrease in natural gas), differences in student and faculty/staff energy attitudes or behaviors proved insignificant. Post-intervention longitudinal interviews with building facility managers, however, showed that energy dashboards improved their ability to detect system faults that led to their implementation of energy-saving building adjustments. While energy dashboards can be effective at improving facility management approaches, they are less useful for measurably affecting occupant attitudes and behaviors.
Long-term follow-up after isolated aortic valve replacement

Follow-up information was obtained for 1,127 patients having had isolated aortic valve replacement between May, 1963 and April, 1976. The mean follow-up period was 4.4 years. Valves employed included Starr-Edwards Models 1000 (83 patients), 1200 (203 patients), 1260 (435 patients), and 2320 (52 patients), as well as homograft valves (103 patients) and porcine xenograft valves (251 patients). The over-all mortality rate was 7.6 percent, and the linear attrition rate thereafter was 2.7 percent per year. Long-term survival was found to be significantly related to the following preoperative variables: age, congestive heart failure, functional class, radiographic cardiac enlargement, history of acute or remote myocardial infarction, valvular lesion, left atrial mean pressure, pulmonary artery mean pressure, coronary artery disease, left ventricular angiogram, and cardiac index. From this analysis, we conclude that aortic valve replacement in asymptomatic severe aortic regurgitation, (AR) is indicated. Actuarial analysis of prosthetic valve-related death and complications suggest that the porcine xenograft valve is an excellent choice for aortic valve replacement.
Morphological channeling by structural constraint: convergence in styles of dwarfing and gigantism in Cerion , with a description of two new fossil species and a report on the discovery of the largest Cerion

A survey of all Cerion taxa and geographic variants reveals that a distinctive shape—a narrowly spired “smokestack” shell more than three times higher than wide—occurs only in dwarfs and giants and never in the much more common populations of normal size. The smokestack shape evolved once in giants (in the newly described species C. excelsior from Great Inagua and Mayaguana—the largest of all Cerion ), but at least seven and probably eight times independently in dwarfs. A study of complex allometric patterns in Cerion 's ontogeny, and of covariance sets in growth, indicates that smokestacks can easily evolve in dwarfs and giants by the common route of relative increase in whorl number during an allometric phase that adds height but no width to the shell. (Giants simply add more whorls to a shell with whorls of normal size; dwarfs grow a normal number of whorls in a shell with small whorls and reduced maximum width.) This pathway is not open to Cerion of normal size, and the restriction of smokestacks to both extremes of the size range records a channel set by Cerion 's invariant allometries and the geometry of spiral growth in general, not an immediate adaptation conferring special advantages via the elevated spire itself.
Management of Varicella-Zoster Virus Infections in Children

Most disease caused by varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in children results from primary infection with the virus, which is manifest clinically as varicella or chickenpox.1–3 Varicella is a very common illness in early childhood. VZV maintains a high prevalence because cases of herpes zoster, caused by reactivation of latent VZV in adults, provide a source of infectious VZV for spread to susceptible contacts. Varicella occurs in a worldwide geographic distribution and causes annual epidemics in temperate climates. These epidemics are less common in tropical areas; as a result, more adults remain susceptible to varicella.
Risk and Resilience Factors Associated with Resident Burnout.

We investigated hypothesized risk and resilience factors and their association with burnout in first year medicine and psychiatry residents at an urban teaching hospital in order to help guide the development of interventions targeted at reducing burnout. We administered the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Perceived Stress Scale-10, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Fatigue Scale, Penn State Worry Questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (depression symptoms), Revised Life Orientation Test (optimism), Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale, Interpersonal Reactivity Index Perspective-Taking Scale (empathy), and Measure of Current Status-Part A to first year medicine and psychiatry residents prior to initiation of clinical rotations in June. The response rate was 91 % (68 of 75 residents). Nineteen respondents (28 %) met criteria for burnout as measured by the MBI. Residents with burnout scored higher on self-report measures assessing perceived stress (Cohen’s d = 0.97; p = 0.004), fatigue (d = 0.79; p = 0.018), worry (d = 0.88; p = 0.0009), and depression symptoms (d = 0.84; p = 0.035) and scored lower on questionnaires assessing mindfulness (d = −0.63; p = 0.029) and coping ability (d = −0.79; p = 0.003). In a cross-sectional assessment using self-report measures, we found that nearly a third of first year residents prior to starting their internships experience burnout. They exhibit lower levels of mindfulness and coping skills and higher levels of depression symptoms, fatigue, worry, and stress. These preliminary findings should encourage programs to initiate and study curricula that combine mindfulness and self-awareness coping strategies to enhance or protect against burnout as well as cognitive behavioral coaching strategies to offset symptoms of burnout when present.
Static and dynamic visual vertical perception in subjects with migraine and vestibular migraine.

Abstract Objective To measure the static visual vertical and the effect of visual rotation on the perception of visual vertical in migraine and vestibular migraine subjects. By so doing, we may better understand the vestibular contribution to the pathophysiology of migraine, as well as the capacity for visual compensation. Methods The perception of visual vertical in the presence of static and dynamic visual cues was prospectively studied in 10 subjects with migraine, 6 subjects with vestibular migraines, and 10 controls. Subjects used a dial to rotate a fluorescent green line to the vertical position. Static visual vertical (SVV) was measured with a black background, as well as with a static random-dot visual pattern. This pattern was then rotated at various velocities to measure dynamic visual vertical (DVV). Results Migraine subjects had greater deviation from true vertical than controls in SVV ( P P P P P P P P P Conclusions This study demonstrates a significant deviation of the perceived static as well as dynamic visual vertical in migraine subjects. Moving stimuli may have a greater influence on migraine and vestibular migraine subjects, which suggests an underlying sensory integration disorder.
Use of research evidence in health enhancing physical activity policy making in Finland

Background The European Commission and national governments have expressed increasing interest to use research evidence in policy making. The various types of scientific knowledge provide opportunities to identify problems, find tools to tackle challenges, and forecast the likely effect of policy choices. The growing sedentarism and health challenges sets the ground for the use of both scientific knowledge and practical know-how to make …
Deep Learning for Classification of Colorectal Polyps on Whole-slide Images.

Context: Histopathological characterization of colorectal polyps is critical for determining the risk of colorectal cancer and future rates of surveillance for patients. However, this characterization is a challenging task and suffers from significant inter- and intra-observer variability. Aims: We built an automatic image analysis method that can accurately classify different types of colorectal polyps on whole-slide images to help pathologists with this characterization and diagnosis. Setting and Design: Our method is based on deep-learning techniques, which rely on numerous levels of abstraction for data representation and have shown state-of-the-art results for various image analysis tasks. Subjects and Methods: Our method covers five common types of polyps (i.e., hyperplastic, sessile serrated, traditional serrated, tubular, and tubulovillous/villous) that are included in the US Multisociety Task Force guidelines for colorectal cancer risk assessment and surveillance. We developed multiple deep-learning approaches by leveraging a dataset of 2074 crop images, which were annotated by multiple domain expert pathologists as reference standards. Statistical Analysis: We evaluated our method on an independent test set of 239 whole-slide images and measured standard machine-learning evaluation metrics of accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score and their 95% confidence intervals. Results: Our evaluation shows that our method with residual network architecture achieves the best performance for classification of colorectal polyps on whole-slide images (overall accuracy: 93.0%, 95% confidence interval: 89.0%–95.9%). Conclusions: Our method can reduce the cognitive burden on pathologists and improve their efficacy in histopathological characterization of colorectal polyps and in subsequent risk assessment and follow-up recommendations.
Junction Propagation in Organometal Halide Perovskite–Polymer Composite Thin Films

With the emergence of organometal halide perovskite semiconductors, it has been discovered that a p–i–n junction can be formed in situ due to the migration of ionic species in the perovskite when a bias is applied. In this work, we investigated the junction formation dynamics in methylammonium lead tribromide (MAPbBr3)/polymer composite thin films. It was concluded that the p- and n- doped regions propagated into the intrinsic region with an increasing bias, leading to a reduced intrinsic perovskite layer thickness and the formation of an effective light-emitting junction regardless of perovskite layer thicknesses (300 nm to 30 μm). The junction propagation also played a major role in deteriorating the LED operation lifetime. Stable perovskite LEDs can be achieved by restricting the junction propagation after its formation.
Heart Toxicity Related to Herbs and Dietary Supplements: Online Table of Case Reports. Part 4 of 5.

ABSTRACTBackground: The purpose of this review was to create an online research summary table of heart toxicity case reports related to dietary supplements (DS; includes herbs). Methods: Documented PubMed case reports of DS appearing to contribute to heart-related problems were used to create a “Toxic Table” that summarized the research (1966 to April, 2016, and cross-referencing). Keywords included “herb,” “dietary supplement,” and cardiac terms. Case reports were excluded if they were herb combinations (some exceptions), Chinese herb mixtures, teas of mixed herb contents, mushrooms, poisonous plants, self-harm (e.g. suicide), excess dose (except vitamins/minerals), drugs or illegal drugs, drug-herbal interactions, and confounders of drugs or diseases. The spectrum of heart toxicities included hypertension, hypotension, hypokalemia, bradycardia, tachycardia, arrhythmia, ventricular fibrillation, heart attack, cardiac arrest, heart failure, and death. Results: Heart related problems were associated with a...
Finding the Right Balance in Appraisal Litigation: Deal Price, Deal Process, and Synergies

This article examines the evolution of Delaware appraisal litigation and concludes that recent precedents have created a satisfactory framework in which the remedy is most effective in the case of transactions where there is the greatest reason to question the efficacy of the market for corporate control, and vice versa. We suggest that, in effect, the developing framework invites the courts to accept the deal price as the proper measure of fair value, not because of any presumption that would operate in the absence of proof, but where the proponent of the transaction affirmatively demonstrates that the transaction would survive judicial review under the enhanced scrutiny standard applicable to fiduciary duty-based challenges to sales of corporate control. We also suggest, however, that the courts and expert witnesses should and are likely to refine the manner in which elements of value (synergies) should, as a matter of well established law, be deducted from the deal price to arrive at an appropriate estimate of fair value.
Advancing Pharmacotherapy Development from Preclinical Animal Studies.

Animal models provide rapid, inexpensive assessments of an investigational drug’s therapeutic potential. Ideally, they support the plausibility of therapeutic efficacy and provide a rationale for further investigation. Here, I discuss how the absence of clear effective-ineffective categories for alcohol use disorder (AUD) medications and biases in the clinical and preclinical literature affect the development of predictive preclinical alcohol dependence (AD) models. Invoking the analogical argument concept from the philosophy of science field, I discuss how models of excessive alcohol drinking support the plausibility of clinical pharmacotherapy effects. Even though these models are not likely be completely discriminative, they are sensitive to clinically effective medications and have revealed dozens of novel medication targets. In that context, I discuss recent preclinical work on GLP-1 receptor agonists, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, glucocorticoid receptor antagonists, nocioceptin agonists and antagonists, and CRF1 antagonists. Clinically approved medications are available for each of these drug classes. I conclude by advocating a translational approach in which drugs are evaluated highly congruent preclinical models and human laboratory studies. Once translation is established, I suggest the burden is to develop hypothesis-based therapeutic interventions maximizing the impact of the confirmed pharmacotherapeutic effects in the context of additional variables falling outside the model.
Lasers and light sources for rosacea

Pharmacologic agents remain the mainstay for initial and maintenance treatment of rosacea. However, monochromatic (i.e., laser) and polychromatic light-based therapies are increasingly being used for the treatment of certain signs of rosacea. Despite the increased use of lasers and other light-based therapies, few well-controlled studies have been conducted on their use for the treatment of rosacea. The studies that do exist suggest that these modalities have value in treating erythematotelangiectatic rosacea, including persistent erythema and phymatous rosacea. Light-based therapies should be strongly considered in cases of serious erythema, flushing, and telangiectasia because these signs are not optimally addressed by pharmacologic interventions.
STUDY OF STRESS HYPERGLYCEMIA AS A PREDICTOR OF OUTCOME IN CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS WITH SEPSIS

ABSTRACT Background: In hospital hyperglycemia (Stress Hyperglycemia) is defined as any glucose value >7.8 mmol/l (140 mg/dl. Hyperglycemia is a common finding in patients with severe sepsis and is related with higher mortality rates. We aimed to evaluate the effects of SH in critically ill patients with sepsis. Methods : In this observational study, non-diabetic critically ill patients with sepsis admitted to our facility over a 1-year period were included. Results: Out of 62 patients (n=62) who met the inclusion criteria 31 patients (n=31) were found to have stress hyperglycemia and 31 patients (n=31) were non-stress hyperglycemic. There were no statistically significant difference in Mean duration of complaints, Hemodynamic variables, Laboratory parameters, Requirement of mechanical ventilation, Hypoglycemic episodes, Hemodialysis; Blood/urine infections between the two groups. Rate of insulin requirement was significantly higher in patients of stress hyperglycemia as compared to without hyperglycemia. SOFA score and procalcitonin levels of patients of both the groups were found to be comparable. Proportion of patients without hyperglycemia was higher as compared to those with stress hyperglycemia among discharged (64.52% vs. 61.29%) and vice-versa among expired patients (29.03% vs. 38.71%). Difference in outcome of patients of both the groups was not found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: On the basis of the study it was concluded that clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with sepsis and stress hyperglycemia do not differ substantially from those patients of sepsis who do not have stress hyperglycemia.
Pathophysiology of kidney stones and strategies for treatment.

In all but one case, the salts that contribute to stone formation normally supersaturate the urine. Why then do some persons form kidney stones? This is discussed, along with the role of urine pH, as the most critical determinant of stone type and, in turn, of therapy choice. The importance of meticulous and continuing measurement of all of the biochemical variables during treatment is stressed.
A Different Look at the “Population Problem”

The elite in Iran have been trained in Western economic ideas and committed to solving the problem of poverty either by Marxist or by neo-liberal methods. The author found that neither fit the real situation of people who live in traditional ways. Indeed, economic thought and modern practice are the causes of poverty. They have also imposed on people the false idea that population growth, rather than policies of domination, are the source of environmental damage and shortages.
Surface Interactions of Radicals During Plasma Processing of Polymers

Surface interactions of radical species were investigated using the imaging of radicals interacting with surfaces (IRIS) technique during plasma surface modification of polymers. Three plasma systems were investigated by spatially probing the laser induced fluorescence of individual radical species and determining their surface scattering coefficients, S. The behavior of CF2 moieties on polymer surfaces was studied using the fluorocarbon plasmas C2F6 and hexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO). Three types of surface interactions were observed, surface generation of CF2 (S > 1), surface loss of CF2 (S < 1), and unit scattering (S = 1). Surface loss of CF2 was seen in HFPO plasmas, while CF2 was generated in C2F6 systems. The differences between these systems is believed to be the result of different overall surface interactions, specifically film deposition in the HFPO system and etching in the C2F6 system. Using NH3 plasmas, the surface interactions of NH2 radicals with polymers was also investigated. Here, NH2 is generated at the surface of polyethylene and polytetrafluoroethylene substrates, but is consumed on polyimide substrates. Ion effects were also investigated by placing a grounded mesh in the path of the molecular beam to remove charged species.
Economic Change and Intellectual Innovation in Tokugawa Japan

To understand the origins of Shibusawa Eiichi’s vision of Confucian capitalism, this chapter focuses on intellectual responses to economic change in the late Tokugawa period. Changing economic realities created new avenues of social mobility, as intellectuals adjusted ideologies to address the ambitions of the upwardly mobile among the peasant and merchant classes. Shibusawa’s experience in his family’s farming and commercial enterprises combined with his samurai-style Confucian education prepared him extraordinarily well to act as a mediator between samurai bureaucrats and commoners. Traveling to Europe in 1867, Shibusawa attributed advancements in European technology to the commercial classes’ high social status. Returning to Japan, he became committed to establishing capitalist joint-stock companies guided by a Confucian ethic of public service.
Proceedings of the 2015 Workshop on Future Mobile User Interfaces

It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the ACM MobiSys 2015 Future Mobile User Interfaces workshop. This is a new workshop that aims to provoke thoughts about the future of mobile interfaces. Mobile user interfaces have always been constrained to the shape of the mobile devices and the limitations due to the size of the display. However in recent years, we have seen the emergence of devices with new form factors, including foldable screens or even vibro-tactile displays. These new devices include various sensors allowing for novel types of input and outputs with the mobile technologies. This workshop will address innovations in terms of interaction with mobile and wearable devices, as well as with the applications they enable. The workshop program includes an interesting mix of papers and includes four refereed paper presentations as well as invited talks around the themes of mobile User Interfaces for special applications, integration of mobile devices with larger systems and wearable technologies. We have included a discussion and activity period to engage the speakers and the audience as well as some time at the end of the workshop to discuss the future directions. We thank the MobiSys organizers for supporting this workshop and we look forward to your participation in the workshop!
Does Political Entrepreneurship Follow a

This paper attempts to understand how political entrepreneurs choose which policies to support. Two opposing camps of contemporary public choice place the weight on either the result of the choice of the rationally-ignorant median voter, or at the mercy of interest groups who capture regulation to suit their interests. I combine the two as opposing forces of a quasi-market for political support, which provides signals for political entrepreneurs to calculate which policy programs are worth implementing. I extend and apply this metaphor to sketch a narrative of the behavior of the fuzzy border between public and private action in an entangled political economy.
The foreign and the familiar: Reading the China bag in South Africa:

This article explores the China bag, the iconic red-white-blue plaid bag, as a global commodity, material object, and art object in the context of racialized xenophobia in South Africa. With multip...
Potential new biomarkers for endometrial cancer

Incidence of endometrial cancer are rising both in the United States and worldwide. As endometrial cancer becomes more prominent, the need to develop and characterize biomarkers for early stage diagnosis and the treatment of endometrial cancer has become an important priority. Several biomarkers currently used to diagnose endometrial cancer are directly related to obesity. Although epigenetic and mutational biomarkers have been identified and have resulted in treatment options for patients with specific aberrations, many tumors do not harbor those specific aberrations. A promising alternative is to determine biomarkers based on differential gene expression, which can be used to estimate prognosis. We evaluated 589 patients to determine differential expression between normal and malignant patient samples. We then supplemented these evaluations with immunohistochemistry staining of endometrial tumors and normal tissues. Additionally, we used the Library of Integrated Network-based Cellular Signatures to evaluate the effects of 1826 chemotherapy drugs on 26 cell lines to determine the effects of each drug on HPRT1 and AURKA expression. Expression of HPRT1, Jag2, AURKA, and PGK1 were elevated when compared to normal samples, and HPRT1 and PGK1 showed a stepwise elevation in expression that was significantly related to cancer grade. To determine the prognostic potential of these genes, we evaluated patient outcome and found that levels of both HPRT1 and AURKA were significantly correlated with overall patient survival. When evaluating drugs that had the most significant effect on lowering the expression of HPRT1 and AURKA, we found that Topo I and MEK inhibitors were most effective at reducing HPRT1 expression. Meanwhile, drugs that were effective at reducing AURKA expression were more diverse (MEK, Topo I, MELK, HDAC, etc.). The effects of these drugs on the expression of HPRT1 and AURKA provides insight into their role within cellular maintenance. Collectively, these data show that JAG2, AURKA, PGK1, and HRPT1 have the potential to be used independently as diagnostic, prognostic, or treatment biomarkers in endometrial cancer. Expression levels of these genes may provide physicians with insight into tumor aggressiveness and chemotherapy drugs that are well suited to individual patients.
ProXray: Protocol Model Learning and Guided Firmware Analysis

The number of Internet of Things (IoT) has reached 7 billion globally in early 2018 and are nearly ubiquitous in daily life. Knowing whether or not these devices are safe and secure to use is becoming critical. IoT devices usually implement communication protocols such as USB and Bluetooth within firmware to allow a wide range of functionality. Thus analyzing firmware using domain knowledge from these protocols is vital to understand device behavior, detect implementation bugs, and identify malicious components. Unfortunately, due to the complexity of these protocols, there is usually no formal specification available that can help automate the firmware analysis; as a result significant manual effort is currently required to study these protocols and to reverse engineer the device firmware. In this paper, we propose a new firmware analysis methodology using symbolic execution called ProXray, which can learn a protocol model from known firmware, and apply the model to recognize the protocol relevant fields and detect functionality within unknown firmware automatically. After the training phase, ProXray can fully automate the firmware analysis process while supporting user’s queries in the form of protocol relevant constraints. We have applied ProXray to the USB and the Bluetooth protocols by learning protocol constraint models from firmware that implement these protocols. We are then able to map protocol fields and identify USB functionality automatically within all 6 unknown USB firmware while achieving more than an order of magnitude speedup in reaching protocol relevant targets in unknown Bluetooth firmware. Our model achieved high coverage of the USB and Bluetooth specifications for several important protocol fields. ProXray provides a new method to apply domain knowledge to firmware analysis automatically.
Strain-Dependent Contribution of MAVS to Spontaneous Germinal Center Responses.

Germinal centers (GCs) are essential for the production of somatically hypermutated, class-switched Abs that are protective against infection, but they also form in the absence of purposeful immunization or infection, and are termed spontaneous GCs (Spt-GCs). Although Spt-GCs can arise in nonautoimmune-prone mice, aberrant regulation of Spt-GCs in autoimmune-prone mice is strongly associated with the development of autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus. The formation of Spt-GCs is crucially driven by TLR7-mediated RNA sensing. However, the impact of MAVS-dependent, Rig-like receptor–mediated RNA sensing on the Spt-GC response remains unknown. In this study, we assessed the Spt-GC response and splenic B cell development in two MAVS-deficient mice with distinct genetic backgrounds. Importantly, we found that MAVS differentially controls Spt-GC responses and B cell development, depending on genetic background. B6/129 mixed background MAVSKO mice had nearly absent Spt-GC responses in the spleen and cervical lymph nodes, which were associated with impaired splenic B cell development, in addition to impaired B cell activation and TLR7 expression. Interestingly, treatment of mice with TLR7 agonist could partially rescue GC responses by overcoming follicular B cell activation deficits. Contrastingly, the absence of MAVS on a B6 background resulted in normal B cell development and Spt-GC formation. Our results highlight important differences in the contribution of MAVS to B cell development and Spt-GC function, depending on the genetic background, warranting greater regard for the impact of genetic background in further studies using these mice for the study of autoimmunity.
Neurosyphilis: Old Disease, New Implications for Emergency Physicians

Recent epidemiologic data demonstrate increasing rates of neurosyphilis, particularly among those in the community of men who have sex with men and those coinfected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Here we discuss a case of early neurosyphilis and new HIV diagnosis in a 27-year-old previously-healthy trans woman presenting for the second time with progressive, ascending weakness and cranial nerve VI palsy. Emergency physicians should consider this rare but highly morbid diagnosis, given the rising prevalence of neurosyphilis among at-risk patients and those with new neurologic deficits.