cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electrospun PLGA Nanofiber Scaffolds Release Ibuprofen Faster and Degrade Slower After In Vivo Implantation

While delayed delivery of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has been associated with improved tendon healing, early delivery has been associated with impaired healing. Therefore, NSAID use is appropriate only if the dose, timing, and mode of delivery relieves pain but does not impede tissue repair. Because delivery parameters can be controlled using drug-eluting nanofibrous scaffolds, our objective was to develop a scaffold for local controlled release of ibuprofen (IBP), and characterize the release profile and degradation both in vitro and in vivo. We found that when incubated in vitro in saline, scaffolds containing IBP had a linear release profile. However, when implanted subcutaneously in vivo or when incubated in vitro in serum, scaffolds showed a rapid burst release. These data demonstrate that scaffold properties are dependent on the environment in which they are placed and the importance of using serum, rather than saline, for initial in vitro evaluation of biofactor release from biodegradable scaffolds.
Submillimeter, millimeter, and microwave spectral line catalog.

This paper describes a computer accessible catalog of submillimeter, millimeter, and microwave spectral lines in the frequency range between 0 and 10,000 GHz (i.e., wavelengths longer than 30 μm). The catalog can be used as a planning guide or as an aid in identification and analysis of observed spectral lines. The information listed for each spectral line includes the frequency and its estimated error, the intensity, lower state energy, and quantum number assignment. The catalog has been constructed by using theoretical least-squares fits of published spectra lines to accepted molecular models. The associated predictions and their estimated errors are based on the resultant fitted parameters and their covariances.
Differences in Proinflammatory Cytokines and Monocyte Subtypes in Older as Compared With Younger Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Author(s): Liang, Emily C; Rossetti, Maura; Sidwell, Tiffany; Groysberg, Victoria; Sunga, Gema; Korin, Yael; Vangala, Sitaram; Abdalla, Basmah; Lum, Erik; Bunnapradist, Suphamai; Pham, Phuong-Thu; Danovitch, Gabriel; Reed, Elaine F; Schaenman, Joanna | Abstract: Background:The number of elderly patients with end-stage kidney disease requiring kidney transplantation continues to grow. Evaluation of healthy older adults has revealed proinflammatory changes in the immune system, which are posited to contribute to age-associated illnesses via "inflamm-aging." Immunologic dysfunction is also associated with impaired control of infections. Whether these immunologic changes are found in older kidney transplant recipients is not currently known, but may have important implications for risk for adverse clinical outcomes. Methods:Three months after transplant, innate immune phenotype was evaluated by flow cytometry from 60 kidney transplant recipients (22 older [≥60 years] and 38 younger [l60 years old]). Multiplex cytokine testing was used to evaluate plasma cytokine levels. Younger patients were matched to older patients based on transplant type and induction immune suppression. Results:Older kidney transplant recipients demonstrated decreased frequency of intermediate monocytes (CD14++CD16+) compared with younger patients (1.2% vs 3.3%, P = 0.007), and a trend toward increased frequency of proinflammatory classical monocytes (CD14++CD16-) (94.5% vs 92.1%) (P = 0.065). Increased levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) were seen in older patients. Conclusions:In this pilot study of kidney transplant recipients, we identified differences in the innate immune system in older as compared with younger patients, including increased levels of IFN-γ. This suggests that age-associated nonspecific inflammation persists despite immune suppression. The ability to apply noninvasive testing to transplant recipients will provide tools for patient risk stratification and individualization of immune suppression regimens to improve outcomes after transplantation.
Teaching Grammar and Editing in Public Administration: Lessons Learned from Early Offerings of an Undergraduate Administrative Writing Course

College graduates need to possess strong writing skills before entering the workforce. Although many public administration undergraduate programs primarily focus on policy, finance, and management,...
The central role of case managers in early discharge planning for hospitalized persons with AIDS.

Case managers can play a pivotal role in the hospital discharge planning process for medically complex patients. This is particularly true for persons with AIDS. This prospective study quantifies the importance of this role by examining the ability of case managers, nurses, and physicians to predict (at the time of admission) whether hospitalized AIDS patients would be appropriate for transfer to long-term care facilities after their hospital stays. We studied 120 AIDS patients and their primary providers; 38 (32%) patients were found to be appropriate for discharge to long-term care facilities at the end of their hospital stays. Physicians and nurses had similar accuracy in predicting eventual appropriateness for long-term care (75% and 73% correct, respectively); however, case managers were far more accurate than the physicians and nurses (93% correct, p < .05). This finding highlights the unique ability of case managers to facilitate discharge planning early on in the hospital stays of these complex patients. In this study, case managers were more accurate than physicians or nurses in predicting appropriateness for long-term care of hospitalized persons with AIDS. Case managers should play an integral role in coordinating discharge planning of persons with AIDS; this planning should be part of the hospital admission process.
Tumor Angiogenesis: General Principles and Therapeutic Approaches

Tumor growth is dependent on angiogenesis, the process by which new capillary blood vessels are recruited and sustained. In recent years, key steps in the angiogenic process have been identified, and various angiogenesis inhibitors have been developed. These agents are now in clinical testing for cancer and a number of other diseases. In the majority of cases, angiogenesis inhibitors are being tested alone and in combination with chemotherapy for advanced or metastatic cancers. Recent evidence suggests, however, that they potentially may be beneficial in earlier stage disease (i.e., chemoprevention) or in combination with other modalities such as radiation therapy. Furthermore, tumor ablation techniques such as hyperthermia and chemoembolization work, at least in part, through effects on the tumor vasculature. Understanding mechanisms of tumor angiogenesis, therefore, may shed light on ways to inhibit tumor growth and increase the effectiveness of existing treatment modalities.
Impact of Oral Anticancer Medication From a Family Caregiver Perspective

Purpose To describe how family caregivers of patients receiving oral anticancer medication (OAM) may affect family caregivers' lives and determine what support caregivers need to manage OAM in the home successfully. Participants & setting Family caregivers of individuals with cancer prescribed OAM recruited from oncology clinics in the Midwest region of the United States. Methodologic approach Focus group methodology was used to elicit caregivers' perspectives. Sessions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative analysis used a constant comparative approach. Findings Themes specific to OAM treatment were convenience, safe handling, financial worries, and medical impact of OAM treatment course. Implications for nursing Providing support and educating caregivers on preparation, administration and safe handling, precautions for the handling of patient bodily fluids, potential for treatment interruptions, and financial assistance and resources for OAM may bolster effective caregiving in home environments.
Forging ties: the effect of discrimination on Asian Americans’ perceptions of political commonality with Latinos

There is little consensus on how discrimination against racial minorities affects their potential for forming political alliances with out-groups who are also targets of racial discrimination. Furt...
The Solvability of Nonlinear Split Ordered Variational Inequality Problems in Partially Ordered Vector Spaces

The concept of nonlinear split ordered variational inequality problems on partially ordered Banach spaces extends the concept of the linear split vector variational inequality problems on Banach sp...
Exercise induced bronchoconstriction assessed using the forced oscillation technique

Exercise induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is assessed in the laboratory with an exercise challenge (EC). A ≥10% decline in FEV1 post EC is considered positive. The forced oscillation technique (FOT) is suggested to produce equivalent and more sensitive measures of airway calibre post EC than maximal expiratory manoeuvres. The rate of recovery and effect of raised minute ventilation (VE) post EC is uncertain. We investigated changes in airway mechanics measured with FOT post EC in people with asthma. Method: Inspiratory resistance (R5in) and reactance (X5) at 5Hz were measured prior to FEV1, before and up to 20min after an EC. BHR to the hyperosmolar mannitol test was measured in the asthmatic subjects within one week of the EC. Baseline and sequential FEV1, R5in, X5 and VE post EC were compared using ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation. Results: Subjects with current asthma (n=19, mean[SD] age 28[6] yr) and controls (n=10, 31[5] yr) were studied. Baseline FEV1, R5in, X5 and VE were similar between groups (P>0.09). BHR was present in 12/19 of asthmatic subjects. The %change in R5in (13[10] vs 105[106]% p=0.01) and X5 (16[14] vs 178[188]%, p=0.01) were different to controls in EC-positive but not EC-negative asthmatic subjects. Following EC, max %change FEV1 correlated with R5in and X5 (R>0.8, p 0.3). Conclusion: FOT parameters tracked well with forced manoeuvres following EC and were not influenced by the raised VE. FOT could be used as an end-point in EC in identifying EIB from those with BHR.
A survey on literature based discovery approaches in biomedical domain

Literature Based Discovery (LBD) refers to the problem of inferring new and interesting knowledge by logically connecting independent fragments of information units through explicit or implicit means. This area of research, which incorporates techniques from Natural Language Processing (NLP), Information Retrieval and Artificial Intelligence, has significant potential to reduce discovery time in biomedical research fields. Formally introduced in 1986, LBD has grown to be a significant and a core task for text mining practitioners in the biomedical domain. Together with its inter-disciplinary nature, this has led researchers across domains to contribute in advancing this field of study. This survey attempts to consolidate and present the evolution of techniques in this area. We cover a variety of techniques and provide a detailed description of the problem setting, the intuition, the advantages and limitations of various influential papers. We also list the current bottlenecks in this field and provide a general direction of research activities for the future. In an effort to be comprehensive and for ease of reference for off-the-shelf users, we also list many publicly available tools for LBD. We hope this survey will act as a guide to both academic and industry (bio)-informaticians, introduce the various methodologies currently employed and also the challenges yet to be tackled.
Mechanism of processive telomerase catalysis revealed by high-resolution optical tweezers

Telomere maintenance by telomerase is essential for continuous proliferation of human cells and is vital for the survival of stem cells and 90% of cancer cells. To compensate for telomeric DNA lost during DNA replication, telomerase processively adds GGTTAG repeats to chromosome ends by copying the template region within its RNA subunit. Between repeat additions, the RNA template must be recycled. How telomerase remains associated with substrate DNA during this critical translocation step remains unknown. Using a newly developed single-molecule telomerase activity assay utilizing high-resolution optical tweezers, we demonstrate that stable substrate DNA binding at an anchor site within telomerase facilitates the processive synthesis of telomeric repeats. After release of multiple telomeric repeats from telomerase, we observed folding of product DNA into G-quadruplex structures. Our results provide detailed mechanistic insights into telomerase catalysis, a process of critical importance in aging and cancer.
Addressing the Marriage Penalty in Tax Reform

Both political parties have been attacking the marriage penalty in the federal income tax code for a long time. Resulting from tax brackets that do not double upon marriage, the marriage penalty disproportionately affects the majority of married women who are secondary income earners due to their lower earnings compared to their husbands, which makes their wages more discretionary. Additionally, the marriage penalty impacts many same-sex married couples. Therefore, the next revision of the tax code should neutralize the tax disincentives facing secondary income earners.
Ethnic Socialization, Family Cohesion, and Ethnic Identity Development Over Time among Latinx Adolescents

Family socialization of one’s ethnic culture is essential for ethnic identity development among Latinx adolescents. However, less is known about how the likely changes in family interaction that transpire during adolescence may impact this socialization process. A three-year longitudinal study of 148 Latinx adolescents (ages 13-14; 53% females) examined how changes in youth’s family ethnic socialization experiences and sense of family cohesion were related to two dimensions of their ethnic identity development (i.e., exploration and resolution). Youth’s family ethnic socialization experiences and sense of family cohesion remained stable, while their exploration and resolution increased across three years. More ethnic socialization experiences at Wave 1 predicted higher initial levels and stability of ethnic identity exploration over time. However, more ethnic socialization at Wave 1 predicted higher initial levels of resolution and predicted less resolution development as youth progressed through adolescence. Among youth who perceived less ethnic socialization, a greater sense of family cohesion was associated with more initial exploration; this compensatory effect was only present at Wave 1. These results illustrate how distinct aspects of the family context uniquely and interactively inform ethnic identity exploration and resolution development.
Machine Learning Approaches to Improve Three Basic Plant Phenotyping Tasks Using Three-Dimensional Point Clouds

Developing automated methods to efficiently process large volumes of point cloud data remains a challenge for three-dimensional (3D) plant phenotyping applications. Here, we describe the development of machine learning methods to tackle three primary challenges in plant phenotyping: lamina/stem classification, lamina counting, and stem skeletonization. For classification, we assessed and validated the accuracy of our methods on a dataset of 54 3D shoot architectures, representing multiple growth conditions and developmental time points for two Solanaceous species, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv 75 m82D) and Nicotiana benthamiana. Using deep learning, we classified lamina versus stems with 97.8% accuracy. Critically, we also demonstrated the robustness of our method to growth conditions and species that have not been trained on, which is important in practical applications but is often untested. For lamina counting, we developed an enhanced region-growing algorithm to reduce oversegmentation; this method achieved 86.6% accuracy, outperforming prior methods developed for this problem. Finally, for stem skeletonization, we developed an enhanced tip detection technique, which ran an order of magnitude faster and generated more precise skeleton architectures than prior methods. Overall, our improvements enable higher throughput and accurate extraction of phenotypic properties from 3D point cloud data.
Christian Leaders as Role Models: The Life of Job as an Authentic Leader

There are seven principles for Christian leaders as role models derived from the life of Job: (a) It is through personal integrity that leaders develop high levels of respect and trust; (b) authentic leaders model self-sacrificial behaviors that potentially cascade across organizational levels; (c) authentic leaders model humility through honest reflection; (d) it is through the vulnerability and transparency of authentic leaders that followers identify with leadership; (e) the trust developed by authentic leaders is the crucial to effective leadership and positive organizational outcomes; (f) it is through authentic leadership that followers develop empathy and concern for others; and (g) authentic leaders are values-driven such that their leadership evokes shares values in their followers and organizations.
Landscapes of beauty and plunder: Japanese American flower growers and an elite public garden in Los Angeles:

In 1942, Los Angeles newspaper publisher Elias Manchester Boddy purchased the nursery stock of at least three Japanese-owned nurseries. Two grower families, the Yoshimuras and the Uyematsus, were f...
Effects of music therapy on the anxiety level of patients recovering from acute myocardial infarction

Objective To investigate effects of music therapy on the anxiety level of patients recovering from acute myocardial infarction. Methods The population of this study was composed of 88 patients diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction in CCU department of hospital. Eighty-eight patients were allocated with random. Forty-one patients formed the control group, they were given routine medication method; the other 47 patients formed the experimental group who received music therapy intervention except routine medication method. The level of patients' anxiety was compared before and after intervention in experimental and control group. The homoscedasticity t-test of two independent samples was used to detect if they have statistical significance between experimental group and control group. Results The level of SAS in experimental group (music therapy) and control group were midrange level before intervention. After music therapy intervention, the level of Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) degrades obviously (P < 0. 005) only in experimental group (music therapy). The level of SAS in experimental group was slight level, but the level of SAS in control group remained midrange level. The score of SAS in experimental group was lower compared with control group after two weeks intervention. The discrepancies were statistically significant. Conclusions Music therapy can degrade level of Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) of patients recovering from acute myocardial infarction. Key words: Myocardial Infarction; Music Therapy; Anxiety Level
Anisotropic analysis of fibrous and woven materials part 2: Computation of effective conductivity

Abstract Micro-scale modeling enables the study of composite material properties at a fundamental level. These properties must be computed at the scale of a representative elementary volume in order to accurately inform macro-scale response simulations. The main focus of this work is to predict the effective thermal conductivity of anisotropic materials based on the three-dimensional reconstruction of their fibrous structure, obtained from X-ray micro-tomography. A computational method that accounts for multiple scales of anisotropy of woven composites is presented, including that of the constituting fibers and tows, and that of woven architectures. The finite volume formulation and implementation based on the Multi-Point Flux Approximation method is detailed. The algorithm was verified against analytical solutions and validated against experiments on both random and woven fibrous samples. In order to apply the method to real materials, the techniques presented in the first part of this study [1] are used to compute the local material orientation, necessary to align the conductivity tensor along the fibers. The method is ultimately used to reverse engineer the orthotropic conductivity of a single carbon fiber by performing parametric studies and comparing against experiments.
Head Trauma and Seizures

Selected patients with a history of head trauma may have isolated or recurrent seizure activity. Seizures may occur in the setting of an acute traumatic brain injury, i.e., post-traumatic seizures, or 1 week or longer from the head trauma, i.e., post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE). Several clinical risk factors may be associated with an increased risk of PTE including severe head trauma with dural penetration, intracerebral hemorrhage, and need for operative intervention; combat or military-related traumatic brain injuries; and acute post-traumatic seizures. The prophylactic use of antiseizure drugs (ASDs) is controversial. ASD may reduce the presence of early post-traumatic seizures, but are not effective prophylactically in preventing PTE. Ultimately, the care and management of the patient with traumatic brain injury and seizures is to render the patient seizure-free and minimize the adverse effects of therapy.
Longitudinal changes in HRV across pregnancy and postpartum: Effect of negative partner relationship qualities.

Abstract During pregnancy, there are significant physiological changes to support a healthy fetus. Parasympathetic activity normatively decreases across pregnancy, and psychological stress can promote even further decreased heart rate variability (HRV). This study evaluated (1) changes in vagally-mediated HRV from pregnancy to postpartum, (2) changes in vagally-mediated HRV from pregnancy to postpartum based on negative partner relationship qualities, and (3) changes in depressive symptoms from pregnancy to postpartum based on negative partner relationship qualities. 78 participants in their 3rd trimester self-reported their relationship quality with their partner at the first visit. Depressive symptoms and vagally-mediated HRV were evaluated at rest at five time points from 3rd trimester to 12 months postpartum. On average, the only significant increase in vagally-mediated HRV occurred between the 3rd trimester and 4–6 weeks postpartum. However, those who reported more negative partner relationship qualities during their 3rd trimester of pregnancy maintained lower vagally-mediated HRV levels across all of the first year postpartum and significantly lower vagally-mediated HRV at both 4 and 8 months postpartum as compared to people who reported fewer negative partner relationship qualities. Across the first year postpartum, people reporting more negative partner relationship qualities experienced more severe depressive symptoms than their counterparts with fewer negative partner relationship qualities; however, there was no difference in the rate of change of depressive symptoms across the first year postpartum based on negative partner relationship qualities. Because lower vagally-mediated HRV is associated with depressive symptoms, future work should explore the temporal relationship between vagally-mediated HRV and depressive symptoms in the postpartum period.
Transcriptomic analysis identifies differences in gene expression in actinic keratoses after treatment with imiquimod and between responders and non responders

The presence of actinic keratoses (AKs) increases a patient’s risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma by greater than six-fold. We evaluated the effect of topical treatment with imiquimod on the tumor microenvironment by measuring transcriptomic differences in AKs before and after treatment with imiquimod 3.75%. Biopsies were collected prospectively from 21 patients and examined histologically. RNA was extracted and transcriptomic analyses of 788 genes were performed using the nanoString assay. Imiquimod decreased number of AKs by study endpoint at week 14 (p < 0.0001). Post-imiquimod therapy, levels of CDK1, CXCL13, IL1B, GADPH, TTK, ILF3, EWSR1, BIRC5, PLAUR, ISG20, and C1QBP were significantly lower (adjusted p < 0.05). Complete responders (CR) exhibited a distinct pattern of inflammatory gene expression pre-treatment relative to incomplete responders (IR), with alterations in 15 inflammatory pathways (p < 0.05) reflecting differential expression of 103 genes (p < 0.05). Presence of adverse effects was associated with improved treatment response. Differences in gene expression were found between pre-treatment samples in CR versus IR, suggesting that higher levels of inflammation pre-treament may play a part in regression of AKs. Further characterization of the immune micro-environment in AKs may help develop biomarkers predictive of response to topical immune modulators and may guide therapy.
High Speed and Low Dark Current InGaAs Photodiodes on CMOS-Compatible Silicon by Heteroepitaxy

High speed InGaAs photodiodes were realized on (001) Si by direct heteroepitaxy, demonstrating low dark current, high responsivity, a bandwidth of 11 GHz and up to 30 Gbps operation at a wavelength of 1550 nm.
A Preliminary Study Examining Self-Reported Invincibility, Alcohol Problems, and the Nonmedical Use of Prescription Stimulants in College Students:

The nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NMUPS) is becoming more common among college students. Identifying the variables associated with NMUPS is important for educational efforts and to pro...
Impact of 3D Printing on Occupational Therapy Student Technology Efficacy

This study examines a mixed methods experiment, evaluating the impact of 3D printing on Occupational Therapy student’s self-reported technology efficacy levels, before and after an educational module focused on 3D printing technology. Utilizing free and online software and university owned 3D printers, students were challenged to create client centered assistive devices. Software included free computer aided drafting software, slicing software, and an online design repository. Copyright and attribution licensing concepts were also addressed for design modification considerations and use in clinical settings. Participants explored adaptations of 3D designs to meet individualized client needs and integration of rehabilitative theories. Project-based implementation of 3D printing with ‘real world’ clients created increased student ‘buy-in’ and engagement. Participants were recruited from private, rural, higher education, occupational therapy students in pre-clinical lab courses. Comparisons between student groups exposed to 3D printing and a control group without exposure are assessed using quantitative and qualitative data. The control group expressed interest in further technology education in their field. Students show significant increases in technology focused self-efficacy between participant groups.
SBRT Treatment Planning Study for the First Clinical Biology-Guided Radiotherapy System.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) The first clinical biology-guided radiation therapy (BgRT) system - RefleXion X1 - is installed and is being commissioned for clinical use at our institution. The system delivers 6MV-FFF beam via 50 firing positions at 850 cGy/min dose rate on 60 rpm rotating gantry with the couch advancing in 2.1 mm increments. Collimation is achieved through a binary multi-leaf collimator system composed of 64 (6.25 mm width at 850 cm SAD) leaves and 10mm or 20mm jaws. The purpose of this study was to compare the treatment plan quality and delivery efficiency for SBRT cases without PET-guidance. MATERIALS/METHODS Five lung cancer patients (50 Gy/4fx) with motion-inclusive PTV previously treated with VMAT SBRT were selected for this retrospective study. For each VMAT plan a corresponding plan was generated on the RefleXion treatment planning system (TPS) using our institutional planning constraints. VMAT SBRT plans used 1-2 partial arcs with 10MV-FFF energy and 2400 MU/min dose rate. RefleXion SBRT plans used all 50 firing positions and 1 cm jaw collimation. As plan normalization option does not yet exist in the RefleXion TPS, the plans were optimized to achieve PTV D95% coverage with 100% of prescription dose to the best of planner's ability. All clinically relevant metrics in this study, including plan PTV D95%, PTV D1%, 50% isodose volume (I50%), Conformity Index (CI), organs at risk constraints, and treatment time were analyzed and compared between VMAT and RefleXion plans using paired t-tests. RESULTS Clinically acceptable plans were obtained with both techniques. The average PTV volume was 14.1 ± 6.4cc. For VMAT and RefleXion plans, no statistically significant difference was observed in PTV D95%, PTV D1%, CI or I50%. Ipsilateral lung volume spared at 12.4 Gy (VS12.4) was slightly greater (31.6cc increase, P < 0.035) and skin Dmax was slightly lower (1.4 Gy decrease, P < 0.038) for RefleXion plans. Treatment beam-on time was significantly longer for RefleXion plans (23.4min increase, P < 0.0002). CONCLUSION RefleXion TPS provided comparable plan quality to lung SBRT VMAT plans. Treatment beam-on time is significantly longer for the RefleXion system.
Evolutionary Navigation of Autonomous Robots Under Varying Terrain Conditions

Optimal motion planning is critical for the successful operation of an autonomous mobile robot. Many proposed approaches use either fuzzy logic or genetic algorithms (GAs), however, most approaches offer only path planning or only trajectory planning, but not both. In addition, few approaches attempt to address the impact of varying terrain conditions on the optimal path. This chapter presents a fuzzy-genetic approach that provides both path and trajectory planning, and has the advantage of considering diverse terrain conditions when determining the optimal path. The terrain conditions are modeled using fuzzy linguistic variables to allow for the imprecision and uncertainty of the terrain data. Although a number of methods have been proposed using GAs, few are appropriate for a dynamic environment or provide response in real-time. The method proposed in this research is robust, allowing the robot to adapt to dynamic conditions in the environment.
State Accountancy Regulations, Audit Firm Size, and Auditor Quality: An Empirical Investigation

This paper extends the literature on occupational licensing by examining the effect of states' licensing requirements for Certified Public Accountants (CPAs). We related variations in licensing requirements across states to CPA firm based assessments of service quality. Based upon prior research, we also examined the relationship between service quality and a market generated quality indicator: CPA firm size. The results show no association between audit quality and variations in regulatory strictness. However, a positive relationship was found between audit quality and firm size, suggesting that market forces, rather than governmental intervention, is effective in addressing the information asymmetry that can exist between CPAs and their clients.
Predicting future duration from present age: Revisiting a critical assessment of Gott's rule

Gott has promulgated a rule for making probabilistic predictions of the future duration of a phenomenon based on the phenomenon's present age [Nature, Vol. 363, 315 (1993)]. I show that the two usual methods for deriving Gott's rule are flawed. Nothing licenses indiscriminate use of Gott's rule as a predictor of future duration. It should only be used when the phenomenon in question has no identifiable time scales.
Reversibility in neural processing systems

Reversibility (or the lack of it)is one of the most important properties any physical system, model, or theory may have. Here I explore a number of reversibility (irreversibility)aspects of neural processing systems, with reversibility taken in the widest possible sense. The format is nonstandard: far more questions than answers.
A concurrency abstraction model for avoiding inheritance anomaly in object-oriented programs

In a concurrent object-oriented programming language one would like to be able to inherit behavior and realize synchronization control without compromising the flexibility of either the inheritance mechanism or the synchronization mechanism. A problem called the inheritance anomaly arises when synchronization constraints are implemented within the methods of a class and an attempt is made to specialize methods through inheritance. The anomaly occurs when a subclass violates the synchronization constraints assumed by the superclass. A subclass should have the flexibility to add methods, add instance variables, and redefine inherited methods. Ideally, all the methods of a superclass should be reusable. However, if the synchronization constraints are defined by the superclass in a manner prohibiting incremental modification through inheritance, they cannot be reused, and must be reimplemented to reflect the new constraints; hence, inheritance is rendered useless. We have proposed a novel model of concurrency abstraction, where (a) the specification of the synchronization code is kept separate from the method bodies, and (b) the sequential and concurrent parts in the method bodies of a superclass are inherited by its subclasses in an orthogonal manner.
Shall we delay teaching characters in teaching Chinese as a foreign language

The study explored when characters were introduced as part of first-year Chinese as a foreign language courses as well as students' and instructors' beliefs and rationales within the context of postsecondary programs in the United States. Data were collected through a large-scale online survey of 914 students and 192 instructors. Results indicated that the majority of Chinese programs did not delay teaching characters. Most instructors and students believed that the best time point to introduce characters was near the beginning of the first semester. However, after they were presented with reasons for and against delaying the introduction of characters, both instructors and students showed a significant increase in support for delaying character introduction. Native and nonnative Chinese instructors expressed similar preferences for an ideal time point to teach Chinese characters, but students at different instructional levels expressed significantly different beliefs regarding the ideal time point at which to begin learning Chinese characters.
CPU support for secure executables

Vulnerabilities in complex software are a major threat to the security of today's computer systems, with the alarming prevalence of malware and rootkits making it difficult to guarantee security in a networked environment. Due to the widespread application of information technology to all aspects of society, these vulnerabilities threaten virtually all aspects of modern life. To protect software and data against these threats, we describe simple extensions to the Power Architecture for running Secure Executables. By using a combination of cryptographic techniques and context labeling in the CPU, these Secure Executables are protected on disk, in memory, and through all stages of execution against malicious or compromised software, and other hardware. Moreover, we show that this can be done efficiently, without significant performance penalty. Secure Executables can run simultaneously with unprotected executables; existing applications can be transformed directly into Secure Executables without changes to the source code.
Sasakian-Einstein structures on 9#(²×³)

We show that 9#(S 2 × S 3 ) admits an 8-dimensional complex family of inequivalent non-regular Sasakian-Einstein structures. These are the first known Einstein metrics on this 5-manifold. In particular, the bound b 2 (M)≤8 which holds for any regular Sasakian-Einstein M does not apply to the non-regular case. We also discuss the failure of the Hitchin-Thorpe inequality in the case of 4-orbifolds and describe the orbifold version.
Non-monotonic transformation of access rights

It is known that monotonic transformations unify a number of diverse access control mechanisms such as amplification, copy flags, separation of duties, and synergistic authorization. The importance and expressive power of nonmonotonic transformations is demonstrated. A formal model, called nonmonotonic transform (NMT), is defined. A distributed implementation of NMT is proposed using a client-server architecture. The implementation is remarkably simple and modular in concept. It is based on access control lists and allows for efficient and immediate revocation which could be partial, complete, selective, temporary, or permanent. >
The flying doctor from Pointe-Claire

Dave Williams met his wife-to-be when she joined the swimming class he taught at the neighbourhood pool. Later, it would make sense for Cathy Fraser, an Air Canada pilot, to teach Williams, a young physician, her own skill in return. She did a pretty good job. Williams, who heads the enormous Space
Bumps on the hand

A young girl presented with flesh-colored lesions on her hands that were increasing in size and number (Figures ​Figures11 and ​22). There were no associated symptoms. Figure 1 Numerous flesh-colored lesions on the dorsal hand. Figure 2 Dome-shaped papules on bilateral fifth fingers. What is your diagnosis? DIAGNOSIS: This patient has two unrelated cutaneous lesions: verrucae (Figure ​(Figure1)1) and rudimentary ulnar supernumerary digits (Figure ​(Figure2).2). For both lesions, the diagnosis is based primarily on history and clinical findings.
Ginger and Its Constituents: Role in Prevention and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Cancer

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, a cancer of different organs of the digestive system, is one of the most common cancers around the world. The incidence and death rate of some of these cancers are very high. Although a large variety of chemotherapeutic agents have been introduced since the last few decades to combat GI cancer, most of them are very expensive and have side effects. Therefore, the compounds derived from natural sources, which are considered to be safe and cost effective, are needed. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is one of the most widely used natural products consumed as a spice and medicine for treating nausea, dysentery, heartburn, flatulence, diarrhea, loss of appetite, infections, cough, and bronchitis. Experimental studies showed that ginger and its active components including 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol exert anticancer activities against GI cancer. The anticancer activity of ginger is attributed to its ability to modulate several signaling molecules like NF-κB, STAT3, MAPK, PI3K, ERK1/2, Akt, TNF-α, COX-2, cyclin D1, cdk, MMP-9, survivin, cIAP-1, XIAP, Bcl-2, caspases, and other cell growth regulatory proteins. In this review, the evidences for the chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic potential of ginger extract and its active components using in vitro, animal models, and patients have been described.
Suburbanization and transportation in the monocentric model

Abstract This paper presents a version of the monocentric city model that incorporates heterogeneous commuting speeds by introducing radial commuting highways. This model implies that metropolitan area population spreads out along new highways, which are positively valued by residents. Simulations of conservative specifications of the model imply that each additional highway ray causes about a 10 percent decline in central city population. Given observed central population declines and urban highway construction between 1950 and 1990, this model implies that highways can account for an important part of urban population decentralization.
Contact Dependence of α-Sexithienyl Thin Film Transistor Characteristics

We have fabricated thin film transistors (TFTs) using a-sexithienyl (α-6T) as the active material and have investigated the dependence of transistor characteristics on the choice of source/drain contact metal. Using α-6T synthesized from terthiophene and purified by vacuum gradient sublimation, we have fabricated TFTs with material deposited by evaporation onto substrates held at both room and elevated temperature. We have studied devices fabricated by depositing the active material onto previously patterned source/drain contacts and also by depositing the source/drain contacts after the active layer deposition, in both cases with the gate contact and dielectric underneath the active material. For both device types we find a clear dependence on the choice of source/drain contact metal with correlation to the metal work function. For our devices the best performance is obtained using metals with largest work function (Pd, Pt, or Au), intermediate performance is obtained using a metal with somewhat smaller work function (Cr), and significantly degraded performance is obtained using a metal with relatively small work function (Al). Despite the apparent correlation to the metal work function, we cannot yet rule out oxidation or other chemical effects with the more reactive metals. We have also examined doping of the α-6T layer as a possible route to improved contacts and find that FeCl3 can be used to shift the threshold voltage of α-6T TFTs by more than 50 V.
Electronic, magnetic, and vibrational properties of the molecular magnet Mn4 monomer and dimer

Abstract A new type of the single-molecule magnet [Mn 4 O 3 Cl 4 (O 2 CEt) 3 (py) 3 ] forms dimers. Recent magnetic hysteresis measurements on this single-molecular magnet revealed interesting phenomena: an absence of quantum tunneling at zero magnetic field and tunneling before magnetic field reversal. This is attributed to a significant antiferromagnetic exchange interaction between different monomers. To investigate this system, we calculate the electronic structure, magnetic properties, intramolecular and intermolecular exchange interactions using density-functional theory within the generalized-gradient approximation. Our calculations agree with experiment. We find that the calculated threefold symmetric structure is vibrationally stable. We also calculate vibrational infrared absorption and Raman scattering intensities for the monomer which can be tested experimentally.
Metastatic prostate cancer simulating sclerosing cholangitis

We report what we believe to be the first case of metastatic prostate cancer presenting as sclerosing cholangitis. In a 71-year-old man with known prostate cancer and cholestatic jaundice, an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography revealed multifocal strictures of both the intrahepatic and e
What Are We Putting in Our Food That Is Making Us Fat? Food Additives, Contaminants, and Other Putative Contributors to Obesity

The “chemical obesogen” hypothesis conjectures that synthetic, environmental contaminants are contributing to the global epidemic of obesity. In fact, intentional food additives (e.g., artificial sweeteners and colors, emulsifiers) and unintentional compounds (e.g., bisphenol A, pesticides) are largely unstudied in regard to their effects on overall metabolic homeostasis. With that said, many of these contaminants have been found to dysregulate endocrine function, insulin signaling, and/or adipocyte function. Although momentum for the chemical obesogen hypothesis is growing, supportive, evidence-based research is lacking. In order to identify noxious synthetic compounds in the environment out of the thousands of chemicals that are currently in use, tools and models from toxicology should be adopted (e.g., functional high throughput screening methods, zebrafish-based assays). Finally, mechanistic insight into obesogen-induced effects will be helpful in elucidating their role in the obesity epidemic as well as preventing and reversing their effects.
Locally Adjusted Robust Regression for Human Age Estimation

Automatic human age estimation has considerable potential applications in human computer interaction and multimedia communication. However, the age estimation problem is challenging. We design a locally adjusted robust regressor (LARR) for learning and prediction of human ages. The novel approach reduces the age estimation errors significantly over all previous methods. Experiments on two aging databases show the success of the proposed method for human aging estimation.
Nursing standard of practice protocol: Depression in elderly patients

Abstract Depression is a highly prevalent but underrecognized and undertreated mental health problem in community-dwelling, medically ill, and institutionalized
Electron-capture detection: difluorobenzyl and related electrophores

Abstract Difluorobenzyl derivatives (several isomers were tested) of 4-hydroxyacetophenone were synthesized and found to have similar properties (retention and response) by both reversed-phase HPLC and GC-ECD relative to each other, and also relative to that of a corresponding conventional pentafluorobenzyl derivative. The same was true for a representative difluorobenzyl derivative of thymine and 1-naphthoic acid. Overall, the responses by GC-ECD for the same core structure were only about two- to four-fold lower for a difluorobenzyl compared to a corresponding pentafluorobenzyl derivative. This makes a difluorobenzyl derivative attractive as an HPLC-UV retention marker, and sometimes as a substitute for a pentafluorobenzyl derivative (to help overcome an interference) in a method based on detection by electron capture. We also observed, somewhat as an aside, that the GC-ECD response of the benzyl derivative of 4-hydroxyacetophenone was only seven-fold lower than that of the corresponding pentafluorobenzyl derivative, and this former benzyl derivative gave a 2·104 higher response than acetophenone. Thus, replacing the ring hydrogen atoms of a benzyl group with fluorine atoms had a relatively small impact on both the hydrophobicity and electron capture properties of the compounds tested here.
Temper tantrums in healthy versus depressed and disruptive preschoolers: defining tantrum behaviors associated with clinical problems.

Objective To investigate whether differences in the tantrum behaviors of healthy versus mood and disruptive disordered preschoolers can be detected. Study design Caregivers of 279 preschool children (3 to 6 years old) completed the Preschool-Age Psychiatric Assessment (Egger HL, Ascher B, Angold A. Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment (PAPA): version1.1. Durham, NC: Center for Developmental Epidemiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center; 1999), which was used to determine preschoolers' diagnostic classification and to measure tantrum behaviors. Preschoolers were placed in 1 of 4 diagnostic groups, healthy, pure depressed, pure disruptive, and comorbid depressed/disruptive, on the basis of the application of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition algorithms. Parametric and non-parametric analyses were used to examine characteristics of children's tantrums: intensity, frequency, context, and recovery ability. Results Disruptive preschoolers displayed violence during tantrums significantly more often than the depressed and healthy groups. The disruptive group had significantly more tantrums at school/daycare than the depressed and healthy groups. The disruptive group had a more difficult time recovering from tantrums than healthy preschoolers. In addition, depressed preschoolers were more aggressive toward objects and other people than healthy children. Finally, depressed preschoolers displayed significantly more self-harmful tantrum behaviors than preschoolers in the healthy and disruptive groups. Conclusion These findings provide preliminary guidelines to parents, teachers, and practitioners in identifying tantrum behaviors that may be markers of a psychiatric disorder and therefore require mental health referral.