cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dietary fiber and intestinal adaptation: effects on lipid absorption and lymphatic transport in the rat

Adult male rats fed defined diets containing various fiber supplements or cholestyramine for 4 wk were surgically provided with lymphatic drainage catheters and starved overnight. After duodenal administration of a standard lipid test emulsion, absorption rates and lipoprotein distributions of cholesterol and oleic acid were determined. Prefeeding diets containing cellulose or alfalfa had no significant effect on oleic acid absorption. Diets containing pectin, guar gum, metamucil, mixed fibers (Fibyrax), or cholestyramine caused decreased lymphatic recovery in the initial period; except for the metamucil diet, no decrease was caused in the 24-h recovery, suggesting delayed but not impaired absorption. Fatty acid distribution among lipoproteins and chylomicron size were not altered by diet. All supplements caused a significant reduction in cholesterol absorption during the initial period, and cholesterol absorption remained depressed in animals prefed pectin, guar gum, mixed fibers, metamucil, and cholestyramine.
Restitution for Wrongs and the Restatement (Third) of the Law of Restitution and Unjust Enrichment

The law of restitution has been the forgotten step-child of American private law for many decades. The American Law Institute's current project to produce a new restatement of the law of restitution holds the promise of bringing the subject to the foreground and removing some of the confusion that many lawyers and judges feel in approaching the topic.One of the important issues that must be addressed in any comprehensive treatment of the law of restitution is how to treat those areas where the possibility of recovery based on the unjust enrichment principle overlaps with recovery based on the law of contract or tort. In those areas, it has been common to regard the law of restitution as "parasitic," that is, it is widely assumed the other law determines whether conduct is rightful or wrongful; restitution simply provides an additional remedy in those cases where the conduct is wrongful.The thesis of this article is that this common view of the relationship between restitution and tort is wrong. It argues that it is not helpful to think that the law of tort is the natural source of judgments about what is rightful and what is wrongful. That is, the contribution of the law of restitution in that area is more than to provide an additional remedy for conduct that is judged wrongful under the law of tort or other law.The topic is not only important and timely, it has an attribute not often found in law - it's fun. How can one resist an area where the cases themselves involve such matters as trespass in the Great Onyx Cave or wrongful use of an egg washing machine, and where explanation of the problems brings to mind the Three Little Pigs or musings about the dealings between crusty old Vermonters and New York tourists?
Modulation of MHC isoforms in functionally overloaded and exercised rat plantaris fibers

Roy, Roland R., Robert J. Talmadge, Kenneth Fox, Michael Lee, Aki Ishihara, and V. Reggie Edgerton. Modulation of MHC isoforms in functionally overloaded and exercised rat plantaris fibers.J. Appl....
Alternative Reality: A Bipartisan Approach to Curing the Social Security Shortfall and Insuring 'Viability in Perpetuity'

For the past two decades Americans have debated how to prevent the Social Security System from going bankrupt by either instituting a tax increase or a benefit reduction. In this article the authors propose a bipartisan approach, presenting 1) a detailed understanding of the root causes of the system’s insolvency and 2) a viable solution to insure long-term solvency without tax increases or benefit reductions. Secured Transparent Retirement Account Program (STRAP) is the long term solution for our ailing Social Security system.
Mediational pathways connecting secondary education and age at marriage to maternal mortality: A comparison between developing and developed countries

While studies have shown that maternal mortality rates have been improving worldwide, rates are still high across developing nations. In general, poor health of women is associated with higher maternal mortality rates in developing countries. Understanding country-level risk factors can inform intervention and prevention efforts that could bring high maternal mortality rates down. Specifically, the authors were interested in investigating whether: (1) secondary education participation (SEP) or age at marriage (AM) of women were related to maternal mortality rates, and (2) adolescent birth rate and contraceptive use (CU) acted as mediators of this association. The authors add to the literature with this current article by showing the relation of SEP and AM to maternal mortality rates globally (both directly and indirectly through mediators) and then by comparing differences between developed and developing/least developed countries. Path analysis was used to test the hypothesized model using country level longitudinal data from 2000 to 2010 obtained from United Nations publications, World Health Organization materials, and World Bank development reports. Findings include a significant correlation between SEP and AM for developing countries; for developed countries the relation was not significant. As well, SEP in developing countries was associated with increased CU. Women in developing countries who finish school before marriage may have important social capital gains.
Synaptic Mechanisms Generating Orientation Selectivity in the ON Pathway of the Rabbit Retina

Neurons that signal the orientation of edges within the visual field have been widely studied in primary visual cortex. Much less is known about the mechanisms of orientation selectivity that arise earlier in the visual stream. Here we examine the synaptic and morphological properties of a subtype of orientation-selective ganglion cell in the rabbit retina. The receptive field has an excitatory ON center, flanked by excitatory OFF regions, a structure similar to simple cell receptive fields in primary visual cortex. Examination of the light-evoked postsynaptic currents in these ON-type orientation-selective ganglion cells (ON-OSGCs) reveals that synaptic input is mediated almost exclusively through the ON pathway. Orientation selectivity is generated by larger excitation for preferred relative to orthogonal stimuli, and conversely larger inhibition for orthogonal relative to preferred stimuli. Excitatory orientation selectivity arises in part from the morphology of the dendritic arbors. Blocking GABAA receptors reduces orientation selectivity of the inhibitory synaptic inputs and the spiking responses. Negative contrast stimuli in the flanking regions produce orientation-selective excitation in part by disinhibition of a tonic NMDA receptor-mediated input arising from ON bipolar cells. Comparison with earlier studies of OFF-type OSGCs indicates that diverse synaptic circuits have evolved in the retina to detect the orientation of edges in the visual input. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A core goal for visual neuroscientists is to understand how neural circuits at each stage of the visual system extract and encode features from the visual scene. This study documents a novel type of orientation-selective ganglion cell in the retina and shows that the receptive field structure is remarkably similar to that of simple cells in primary visual cortex. However, the data indicate that, unlike in the cortex, orientation selectivity in the retina depends on the activity of inhibitory interneurons. The results further reveal the physiological basis for feature detection in the visual system, elucidate the synaptic mechanisms that generate orientation selectivity at an early stage of visual processing, and illustrate a novel role for NMDA receptors in retinal processing.
A Periodic Optimal Search

(1964). A Periodic Optimal Search. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 71, No. 1, pp. 15-21.
Towards space-to-ground SuperDense teleportation

We use photons entangled in polarization and temporal mode to implement SuperDense Teleportation (SDT), a protocol for the transmission of states between remote parties. We are investigating the possibility implementing SDT between the International Space Station (ISS) and a receiver on Earth.
Cellular Response to Insulin in Suprarenals of Pigeons

In tests made on 41 normal young White Carneau pigeons daily injections of 1-60 units of insulin during 10 hours to 10 days enlarged the adrenals, produced mitosis and cellular activity. These cytological effects were more pronounced in cortical cells than in medullary cells. Wholly comparable effects were produced in the adrenals of 16 additional birds previously deprived of their anterior pituitary glands. The cytological changes in the cortex following insulin are identical with those induced by adrenotrophic pituitary extracts. Food consumption of the test animals and of 73 controls was regulated at different and definite levels.
Executive Agreements as a Foreign Policy Tool During the Bush and Obama Administrations

Modern presidents complete 95% of their international agreements as executive agreements, a unilateral tool, rather than as treaties, a power shared with the Senate. Close examination of the use of executive agreements vis-a-vis treaties during the 21st century indicates significant differences in how the Obama Administration completes its international agreements compared to the Bush Administration. Both Bush and Obama completed far fewer treaties than executive agreements; however, Obama has used far fewer treaties than any other modern president, including Bush. Both presidents used executive agreements to complete a broad range of international agreements, from the mundane to the truly significant. I argue that Obama’s singular reliance on executive agreements represents an important change that is largely a result of polarization in the Senate and the attractiveness of unilateral authority. To understand the importance of this shift in foreign policy making, I undertake an extensive analysis of the hundreds of agreements signed from 2005 to 2012. Over 1,900 executive agreements are coded on a variety of variables, including topic, agreement partner, agency, etc. The evidence supports the notion that the presidents during the 21st century, but especially Obama, are violating the norms developed during the 20th century that most significant agreements will be completed as treaties or with some direct input from Congress. The implications of this change are discussed.
Laboratory diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii infection.

Pneumocystis is a difficult infection to diagnose, with biopsy material obtained by such procedures as open lung biopsy yielding the most reliable results. The methods used by the laboratory should be individualized to reflect its capabilities as well as the severity and rate of progression of the disease in a patient.
Crowding on DNA in Protein Search for Targets

Proteins searching and recognizing specific sites on DNA is required for initiating all major biological processes. While the details of the protein search for targets on DNA in purified in vitro systems are reasonably well understood, the situation in real cells is much less clear. The presence of other types of molecules on DNA should prevent reaching the targets, but experiments show that, surprisingly, the molecular crowding on DNA influences the search dynamics much less than expected. We develop a theoretical method that allowed us to clarify the mechanisms of the protein search on DNA in the presence of crowding. It is found that the dimensionality of the search trajectories specifies whether the crowding will affect the target finding. For 3D search pathways it is minimal, while the strongest effect is for 1D search pathways when the crowding particle can block the search. In addition, for 1D search we determined that the critical parameter is a mobility of crowding agents: highly mobile molecules...
Platelet-derived growth factor promotes human peripheral monocyte activation.

Like in the polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN), the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) purified to homogeneity is capable of inducing monocyte activation responses as evaluated by generation of superoxide anion (O-.2) from membrane-associated oxidase system, release of granule enzymes, and enhanced cell adherence and cell aggregation. Superoxide anion release was maximized at 10 ng/mL PDGF and was comparable to that induced by 10(-7) mol/L formyl-methionyl-leucyl- phenylalanine. The potency of PDGF to induce this response in monocytes was of the same magnitude as that observed in PMNs. Similarly, lysozyme release and monocyte adherence were also increased in a dose-dependent manner and achieved maximal responses at 40 ng/mL concentration of PDGF. The PDGF concentration required to achieve maximal monocyte aggregation was two-fold (60 ng/mL) of that found for PMNs. In contrast to PMNs, a positive correlation (gamma = .93; P less than .01) was observed between the increases of PDGF concentration and beta- glucuronidase release. These findings indicate that PDGF can induce the full sequence of cell activation events in human monocytes similar to human PMNs.
On Mediated Communication Theory: The Rise of Format

(1988). On Mediated Communication Theory: The Rise of Format. Annals of the International Communication Association: Vol. 11, Communication Yearbook 11, pp. 224-229.
The Sweat Gland

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the anatomy and function of the sweat gland. There are two types of sweat glands: eccrine and apocrine. The eccrine sweat glands are simple tubular glands that extend down from the epidermis to the lower dermis. The lower portion is a tightly coiled secretory apparatus consisting of two types of cells. The apocrine gland is a dark basophilic cell that secretes mucous material, while the eccrine sweat gland is a light acidophilic cell that is responsible for the passage of water and electrolytes. The major function of the sweat gland in humans is thermoregulatory. There are a number of factors that affect the sweat response. With repeated episodes of profuse sweating, the salt content in the sweat progressively declines. In an individual acclimatized to a hot climate, the salt content is reduced, probably reflecting an increase of mineralocorticoids in response to thermal stress. The sweat gland is prone to atrophy and hypertrophy. Repeated stimulation results in a several-fold increase in the size and function of the gland.
Auto Industry Related Japanese HRD Practices: Case Study of Indian Automobile Industry

This paper discusses Japanese multinational enterprises' (MNEs) human resource development (HRD) practices in Japan and India. In addition an example of a Japanese automaker's training and development (T&D) practices in India is presented based on empirical data collected during interviews with current and previous expatriates in India. The purpose of the paper is to understand the effects of host country on multinationals HRD practices in developing countries. The paper explores questions related with the extent that Japanese automakers are applying home country HRD practices in the selected host country and the characteristics of the host country's market that play a role in the implementation of HRD policies. The results found show that host country characteristics shape the HRD practices of MNEs to a great extent. The studied company is implementing different T&D strategies in India. The company is transferring its home country T&D strategies to the engineering side of the company, while on the other hand, adjusting its T&D strategies for the service side of the company in order to adapt to the host country characteristics.
SWI/SNF complex subunit aberrations in diverse cancers: Next-generation sequencing of 539 patients.

2588Background: The SWI/SNF complex is an ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler that is enriched at promoters and enhancers of active genes. It has been implicated as both an oncogene and tumor suppres...
Mixed phenotype acute leukemia contains heterogeneous genetic mutations by next-generation sequencing.

// Andres E. Quesada 1 , Zhihong Hu 1 , Mark J. Routbort 1 , Keyur P. Patel 1 , Rajyalakshmi Luthra 1 , Sanam Loghavi 1 , Zhuang Zuo 1 , C. Cameron Yin 1 , Rashmi Kanagal-Shamanna 1 , Sa A. Wang 1 , Jeffrey L. Jorgensen 1 , L. Jeffrey Medeiros 1 and Chi Young Ok 1 1 Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA Correspondence to: Chi Young Ok, email: COk@mdanderson.org Keywords: mixed phenotype; leukemia; mutations; sequencing Received: July 29, 2017 Accepted: November 05, 2017 Published: January 03, 2018 ABSTRACT Mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL) is an uncommon manifestation of acute leukemia. The aim of this study is to further characterize the genetic landscape of de novo cases of MPAL that fulfill the 2016 World Health Organization (WHO) classification criteria for this entity. We identified 14 cases examined by next generation sequencing (NGS) using 28 ( n = 10), 53 ( n = 3) or 81 ( n = 1) gene panels: 7 cases with a B-cell/myeloid (B/My) immunophenotype, 6 T-cell/myeloid (T/My) immunophenotype, and 1 B-cell/T-cell (B/T) immunophenotype. A total of 25 distinct mutations were identified in 15 different genes in 9/14 (64%) patients. FLT3 -ITD was the only recurrent mutation in 2 patients. B/My MPAL cases less commonly harbored mutations compared with T/My MPAL cases (43% vs. 100%, p = 0.07). In contrast, B/My MPALs more commonly showed a complex karyotype compared to T/My MPALs (71% vs. 17%, p = 0.1). With NGS and karyotype combined, most (93%) MPAL cases had mutations or cytogenetic abnormalities. With a median follow-up of 12.5 months, there were no significant differences in median overall survival (OS) between patients with B/My or T/My MPAL (17.8 and 6.5 months, respectively, p = 0.81) or between patients with MPAL with versus without gene mutations (6.5 and 13.3 months, respectively, p = 0.86). Our data suggest that the distinguishing cases of MPAL according to immunophenotype has value because the underlying mechanisms of leukemogenesis might differ between B/My and T/My MPAL.
"Networks, Alliances and Acquisitions: Role Of Social Embeddedness In Acquirer Performance."

In this paper I investigate how alliances and multiplex interorganizational networks, into which all firms are embedded, affect acquisition performance of acquirer firms. I propose that resources e...
Education session 4 — Low Power IoT wireless powering for ultra low power batteryless IoT sensing and communication

•Miniaturized, light weight wireless sensors for IoT applications. •Goal: cm-scale dimensions, <1g weight. •Enable several people/object tracking and communication applications.
CLaDS: a cloud-based virtual lab for the delivery of scalable hands-on assignments for practical data science education

The rise of the ``big data'' era has created a pressing demand for educating many data scientists and engineers quickly at low cost. It is essential they learn by working on assignments that involve real world data sets to develop the skills needed to be successful in the workplace. However, enabling instructors to flexibly deliver all kinds of data science assignments using real world data sets to large numbers of learners (both on-campus and off-campus) at low cost is a significant open challenge. To address this emerging challenge generally, we develop and deploy a novel Cloud-based Lab for Data Science (CLaDS) to enable many learners around the world to work on real-world data science problems without having to move or otherwise distribute prohibitively large data sets. Leveraging version control and continuous integration, CLaDS provides a general infrastructure to enable any instructor to conveniently deliver any hands-on data science assignment that uses large real world data sets to as many learners as our cloud-computing infrastructure allows at very low cost. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of CLaDS and discuss our experience with using CLaDS to deploy seven major text data assignments for students in both an on-campus course and an online course to work on for learning about text data retrieval and mining techniques; this shows that CLaDS is a very promising novel general infrastructure for efficiently delivering a wide range of hands-on data science assignments to a large number of learners at very low cost.
Vertebral Artery Arteriovenous Fistula: Complication Following Cervical Spinal Fusion:

We report a rare case of extradural arteriovenous (AV) fistula of the right vertebral artery and vein following cervical spinal fusion. A 68-year-old female patient presented with complaints of a persistent buzzing sound in her right ear for 4 months that began following cervical spinal fusion surgery via an anterior approach. A right-sided bruit was noted and the patient was referred for a carotid duplex study. A carotid duplex was performed on a Philips IU22 using a 9-3 linear array transducer. The exam revealed a high-velocity vertebral artery waveform with spectral broadening and venous component suggestive of an AV fistula. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of the neck confirmed a right extradural AV fistula at the level of C4 between the right vertebral artery and vein. The patient subsequently underwent angiography and coil embolization of the right vertebral artery. Postembolization angiography revealed resolution of the AV fistula and occlusion/near occlusion of the vertebral artery distal to ...
Potential Sources of Protein

The world’s population currently derives about 70% of its protein from plant sources. It is unlikely that the proportion of protein from animal sources will increase in the foreseeable future, in view of the increased pressure on the land for total food production.
Analysis and Comparison of Products from Wood Liquefaction

This paper describes the results of the analytical effort dealing with the products from the United States Department of Energy, Biomass Liquefaction Experimental Facility at Albany, Oregon. This facility, which was operated under contract to DOE by Wheelabrator Cleanfuel produced approximately 80 barrels of wood-derived oil in the period from August 1979 to March 1981.1,2 The oil was produced by two variations of the basic CO-steam process.3 One variation, the PERC process, involved recycle of a portion of the product so that a wood-flour-in-oil slurry system was used. The other variation, the LBL process, was a once-through process wherein the wood was prehydrolyzed and then processed in a water slurry mode. Both variations operated at about 340 °C and 3000 psig with aqueous sodium carbonate as the catalyst and CO/H2 as the cover gas. Both processes were tested in a number of reactor configurations. The actual plant operation time is therefore broken into a number of test runs; products from runs 7 through 12 will be discussed in this paper. A detailed description of the equipment configuration and processing conditions for each test run is given in refs 1 and 2.
Single asperity friction in the wear regime

We used molecular dynamics simulation to investigate the friction of a single asperity against a rigid substrate, while generating debris. In the low wear regime (i.e., non-linear wear rate dependence on the contact stress, via atom-by-atom attrition), the frictional stress is linearly dependent on the normal stress, without any lubrication effect from the wear debris particles. Both the slope (friction coefficient) and friction at zero normal stress depend strongly on asperity-substrate adhesion. In the high wear regime (i.e., linear wear rate dependence on the contact stress, via plastic flow), the friction-normal stress curves deviate from a linear relation merging toward plastic flow of the single asperity which is independent of the interfacial adhesion. One can further link wear and friction by considering debris generation as chemical reaction, driven by both normal and frictional forces. The coupling between wear and friction can then be quantified by a thermodynamic efficiency of the debris generation. While the efficiency is less than 5% in the low wear regime, indicating poor mechanochemical coupling, it increases with normal stress toward 50% in the high wear regime.
Generated Document Trees: Latent Dirichlet Allocation

Creating Structure or building hierarchy is a very frequently performed task. We are familiar with this act when organizing our documents in folders and subfolders on our personal computer hard drives and attempting to determine which documents are more "general" or should be in "parent" folders. When dealing with a handful of documents, the task is usually trivial. However, what about when a physician needs to diagnose a complicated disease and explore alternative treatments by attempting to sort through thousands of related article documents? In the past several years, machine learning and information retrieval techniques have been used to develop many topic models based on the extremely popular Latent Dirichlet Allocation algorithm. However, in the space of unsupervised dynamically generated document structures, this specific area of machine learning has been lacking. We propose a new method, which we call Generated Document Trees Latent Derelict Allocation. Our method does not rely on being given manually created document structures apriori and was developed to dynamically generate trees of documents in an unsupervised fashion. We show an example of its application on the TREC clinical decision support dataset and explore its performance.
Toward a Greekish Model: How the Concept of 'Guest-Friendship' Can Inform Our Modern Immigration Crisis

Buoyed by the broken-record Dobbs screed, the issue of immigration has once again risen to the apogee of our political discourse. Linda Chavez has noted that talk about immigration and immigration reform has rarely been this ubiquitous - or this "misinformed, misleading, and ahistorical." With a changing dynamic of who comes here and why, and where they settle, many Americans must deal with immigrants in a way they have never had to before. This Note proceeds to explore various images of immigrants and immigration from our Western mythology - both the myths of the "ancestors" (ancient Greeks, Romans, Jews, and Christians) and the "inheritors" (Americans). The Note's ultimate conclusion is that we can distill from the classical Greek code of hospitality ("guest-friendship") certain lessons that are valuable precisely because they are rooted in a practical and practicable ethic.
IBRUTINIB-INDUCED ACUTE EOSINOPHILIC MYOCARDITIS MIMICKING INFILTRATIVE CARDIOMYOPATHY

Increased left ventricular (LV) wall thickness is usually caused by chronic conditions like aortic stenosis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or cardiac amyloidosis (CA). We report a case of acute eosinophilic myocarditis (EM) with findings mimicking CA. A 59-year-old male presented after syncope 4
Lymphomatoid Granulomatosis (LYG)

Lymphomatoid granulomatosis (LYG) is an angiocentric lymphoproliferative disease involving extranodal sites (particularly the lung and skin) composed of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive B cells admixed with reactive T cells. There is a spectrum of histopathologic grade and clinical behavior, which are related to the proportion of large B cells.
Repair and translesion synthesis of O6-alkylguanine DNA lesions in human cells

O6-alkyl-2′-deoxyguanosine (O6-alkyl-dG) lesions are among the most mutagenic and prevalent alkylated DNA lesions that are associated with cancer initiation and progression. In this study, using a shuttle vector–based strand-specific PCR-competitive replication and adduct bypass assay in conjunction with tandem MS for product identification, we systematically assessed the repair and replicative bypass of a series of O6-alkyl-dG lesions, with the alkyl group being a Me, Et, nPr, iPr, nBu, iBu, or sBu, in several human cell lines. We found that the extent of replication-blocking effects of these lesions is influenced by the size of the alkyl groups situated on the O6 position of the guanine base. We also noted involvement of distinct DNA repair pathways and translesion synthesis polymerases (Pols) in ameliorating the replication blockage effects elicited by the straight- and branched-chain O6-alkyl-dG lesions. We observed that O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase is effective in removing the smaller alkyl groups from the O6 position of guanine, whereas repair of the branched-chain lesions relied on nucleotide excision repair. Moreover, these lesions were highly mutagenic during cellular replication and exclusively directed G→A mutations; Pol η and Pol ζ participated in error-prone bypass of the straight-chain lesions, whereas Pol κ preferentially incorporated the correct dCMP opposite the branched-chain lesions. Together, these results uncover key cellular proteins involved in repair and translesion synthesis of O6-alkyl-dG lesions and provide a better understanding of the roles of these types of lesions in the etiology of human cancer.
Chemical Activation of a Deuterium Molecule by Collision with a Quantum Electronic State-Selected Vanadium Cation

By combining a newly developed spin–orbit electronic state-selected ion source for vanadium cations (V+) with a double quadrupole–double octopole mass spectrometer, we have investigated in detail t...
Operational planning of public transit with economic and environmental goals: application to the Minneapolis–St. Paul bus system

This study develops a framework to optimize bus assignments and operating practices to routes considering both operating costs and environmental goals. The mixed-integer programming model is applied to the Metro Transit bus system in the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area. The model is used to derive representative solutions on the efficient frontiers between operating costs and emissions, and to demonstrate how economic factors such as fuel cost and service level affect the trade-offs between costs and environmental outcomes. An analysis of fleet composition shows that vehicle assignments can significantly affect the cost and emission performance of the fleet. We then use the model to evaluate the actual bus assignment schedule used by Metro Transit, and provide suggestions on how to reduce operating costs and emissions. The model is useful in supporting strategic decisions such as vehicle replacement and purchase, as well as operational planning.
Adherence with operative standards in the treatment of gastric cancer in the United States.

Despite multiple clinical trials and practice guidelines for the treatment of gastric cancer, oncologic outcomes have not improved in the United States. One potential reason could be differences in the quality of surgery as performed in a controlled trial versus in practice. Using the National Cancer Database, rates of adherence with operative standards for gastrectomy for cancer were analyzed. Of the numerous evidence-based operative standards outlined in the manual, two were reliably measured in the NCDB: (1) achieving and R0 resection, and (2) having > 16 lymph nodes examined. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard modeling and logistic regression were performed. A total of 28,705 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma who underwent curative-intent gastrectomy during 2004–2014 were identified. Only 36.5% of stage 0/I patients, and 41.8% of stage II/III patients, met minimum standards. Predictors for meeting standards included age < 65, fewer comorbidities, Asian/Pacific Islander race, and treatment at academic and high-volume centers. Patients who met standards had longer OS (stage 0/I: 104.9 versus 66.6 months; stage II/III: 40.6 versus 26.0 months; p < 0.001 for both). Meeting standards was a significant predictor for improved OS for both stage 0/I and II/III patients (HR = 0.665 and HR = 0.747, respectively, p < 0.001 for both). For standards that are measurable in the NCDB, adherence is poor. Improved adherence with operative standards may improve survival for gastric cancer patients in the U.S. There is a need for better measuring of, and adherence with, operative standards in gastrectomy for cancer.
Enhanced Energy Absorption Performance of Liquid Nanofoam-Filled Thin-Walled Tubes under Dynamic Impact

Thin-walled structures have been widely used among other energy absorbing structures in automotive, aerospace and other industries, due to their high energy absorption capacity and light weight. In some cases, these structural components were filled with metallic foams to further improve their energy absorption performance and capacity. This may lead to an increase in the structural component weight. In this study, a highly compressible liquid filler, i.e. liquid nanofoam (LN), has been introduced into the thin-walled tubes. We have characterized the mechanical response of these LN-filled tubes (LNFTs) by using quasi-static compression tests and dynamic impacts. The quasi-static compression tests are conducted by an MTS system. Results show that the energy absorption capacity of LNFTs is 45% higher than that of identical empty tubes. The dynamic behavior of LNFTs is characterized by using a gas gun apparatus at impact speed of 6.7 m/s. It is found that the energy absorption capacity of LNFTs is 76% higher than that of identical empty tubes. Importantly, by increasing the strain rate from quasi-static condition (10−2 s−1) to intermediate range (102 s−1), the energy absorption capacity of LNFTs is increased by 54% without increasing the working pressure of the system. The strain rate sensitive behavior of LNFTs suggests that LNFTs can be used as advanced energy absorber whose impact mitigation capability is adaptive to the impact energy levels. These findings warrant future considerations of these new liquid nanofoam filled thin-walled structures for vehicle crashworthiness and infrastructure protection.
Anionenaustausch — Selektivitätssequenzen in homologen Reihen hydrophober Ionen

Die Gleichgewichtsselektivitatskoeffizienten wurden als Funktion der Temperatur fur den Austausch von n-Alkylsulfaten ROSO3(Na) mit der Chloridform des stark basischen Anionenaustauscherharzes AG-IX8 bestimmt. Selektivitatskoeffizienten und thermodynamische Grosen (ΔG, ΔH, ΔS) wurden fur die Austausche in den homologen Reihen der Anionen ROSO3− und RSO3− verglichen. Die Austauschentropien nahmen mit zunehmender Kettenlange fur beide Ionenfamilien in ahnlicher Weise zu; das Bestehen eines allgemeinen “hydrophoben Selektivitatseffektes” — wirksam fur alle gelosten Ionen, die gesattigte Kohlenwasserstoffketten enthalten — wurde festgestellt.
Novel Biomarkers of Invasive IPMN

Purpose: With the increased utilization of cross-sectional imaging, pancreatic cystic lesions (PCL) are common incidental findings, detected in up to 20% of abdominal MRI scans in adults. While PCL, especially mucinous PCL, have the capacity to develop into invasive carcinoma, it is increasingly being recognized that their malignant potential is neither uniform nor certain. Indeed, while data from long-term cohorts of PCL have identified a small but ongoing risk to the development of carcinoma, this must be balanced against the increasing data demonstrating low yield and high potential morbidity of surgical intervention in elderly patients with non-worrisome PCL. Furthermore, ongoing surveillance of PCL of little or no risk represents a large cost and strain on healthcare systems. Current guidelines that rely on clinical and imaging criteria to stratify risk of malignancy while sensitive, are highly non-specific. Given the morbidity and mortality associated with pancreatic resections, there remains an unmet need for molecular tools to stratify high-risk/malignant from low-risk lesions.
Genomic GC content drifts slowly downward in most bacterial genomes

In every kingdom of life, GC->AT transitions occur more frequently than any other type of mutation due to the spontaneous deamination of cytidine. In eukaryotic genomes, this slow loss of GC base pairs is counteracted by biased gene conversion which increases genomic GC content as part of the recombination process. However, this type of biased gene conversion has not been observed in bacterial genomes so we hypothesized that GC->AT transitions cause a reduction of genomic GC content in prokaryotic genomes on an evolutionary time scale. To test this hypothesis, we used a phylogenetic approach to analyze triplets of closely related genomes representing a wide range of the bacterial kingdom. The resulting data indicate that genomic GC content is slowly declining in bacterial genomes where GC base pairs comprise 40% or more of the total genome. In contrast, genomes containing less than 40% GC base pairs have fewer opportunities for GC->AT transitions to occur so genomic GC content is relatively stable or actually increasing at a slow rate. It should be noted that this observed change in genomic GC content is the net change in shared parts of the genome and does not apply to parts of the genome that have been lost or acquired since the genomes being compared shared common ancestor. However, a more detailed analysis of two Caulobacter genomes revealed that the acquisition of mobile elements by the two genomes actually reduced the total genome content as well.
Nonunion Rates After Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: Comparison of Polyetheretherketone vs Structural Allograft Implants

Background Although advances in implant materials, such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK), have been developed aimed to improve outcome after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), it is essential to confirm whether these changes translate into clinically important sustained benefits. Objective To compare the radiographic and clinical outcomes of patients undergoing up to 3-level ACDF with PEEK vs structural allograft implants. Methods In this cohort study, radiographic and symptomatic nonunion rates were compared in consecutive patients who underwent 1 to 3 level ACDF with allograft or PEEK implant. Prospectively collected clinical data and patient-reported outcome (PRO) scores were compared between the allograft and PEEK groups. Regression analysis was performed to determine the predictors of nonunion. Results In total, 194 of 404 patients met the inclusion criteria (79% allograft vs 21% PEEK). Preoperative demographic variables were comparable between the 2 groups except for age. The rate of radiographic nonunion was higher with PEEK implants (39% vs 27%, P = .0035). However, a higher proportion of nonunion in the allograft cohort required posterior instrumentation (14% vs 3%, P = .039). Patients with multilevel procedures and PEEK implants had up to 5.8 times the risk of radiographic nonunion, whereas younger patients, active smokers, and multilevel procedures were at higher risk of symptomatic nonunion. Conclusion Along with implant material, factors such as younger age, active smoking status, and the number of operated levels were independent predictors of fusion failure. Given the impact of nonunion on PRO, perioperative optimization of modifiable factors and surgical planning are essential to ensure a successful outcome.
Abstract P739: Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Comparison of Temporal Changes in Brain Microstructure After Microemboli Injection in Control and Diabetic Rats: Relevance to Vascular Cognitive Impairment/Dementia

Diabetes doubles the risk of VCID but underlying reasons remain unclear. We reported that diabetic animals are more prone to microemboli (ME)-mediated tissue damage/demyelination and progressive co...
Safety and Efficacy of Balloon Kyphoplasty for Vertebral Fractures With Posterior Wall Disruption.

ABSTRACT Background: Percutaneous balloon kyphoplasty (BK) is widely accepted as both a safe and effective method for the treatment of symptomatic benign vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) of the thoracic and lumbar spines. A disruption in the posterior wall of the affected vertebra is often considered to be a relative or an absolute contraindication to BK. This study was performed to determine the safety as well as the efficacy of BK for vertebral body compression fractures associated with posterior wall disruption. Methods: This was a retrospective, nonrandomized clinical cohort investigation of patients with VCF and posterior wall disruption treated with BK between 2010 and 2018. All cases were performed using a bipedicular technique. Each case was examined for cement leakage, anterior vertebral body height restoration, improvement in pain (determined by VAS) from baseline and 6-week postprocedure, and clinical sequelae from cement leakage. Results: Ninety-eight consecutive patients with 157 VCF levels who underwent BK were evaluated. There was a significant improvement in anterior vertebral height, vertebral wedge angle, and local kyphotic angle in all cases. The mean preoperative VAS improved from 8.7 preprocedure to 2.5 postprocedure (P = .001). There were 14 (9%) cases with asymptomatic cement leakage outside of the vertebral body, and no patients experienced postprocedure neurological symptoms at the 6-week follow up. Conclusions: BK in the setting of posterior wall disruption was found to be a safe and highly effective treatment for patients with benign compression fractures. Posterior wall disruption should not be considered an absolute contraindication to BK.
Remote Monitoring of the Performance Status and Burden of Symptoms of Patients With Gastrointestinal Cancer Via a Consumer-Based Activity Tracker: Quantitative Cohort Study

Background: The number of older patients with gastrointestinal cancer is increasing due to an aging global population. Minimizing reliance on an in-clinic patient performance status test to determine a patient’s prognosis and course of treatment can improve resource utilization. Further, current performance status measurements cannot capture patients' constant changes. These measurements also rely on self-reports, which are subjective and subject to bias. Real-time monitoring of patients' activities may allow for a more accurate assessment of patients’ performance status while minimizing resource utilization. Objective: This study investigates the validity of consumer-based activity trackers for monitoring the performance status of patients with gastrointestinal cancer. Methods: A total of 27 consenting patients (63% male, median age 58 years) wore a consumer-based activity tracker 7 days before chemotherapy and 14 days after receiving their first treatment. The provider assessed patients using the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG-PS) scale and Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale-Short Form (MSAS-SF) before and after chemotherapy visits. The statistical correlations between ECOG-PS and MSAS-SF scores and patients’ daily step counts were assessed. Results: The daily step counts yielded the highest correlation with the patients' ECOG-PS scores after chemotherapy (P<.001). The patients with higher ECOG-PS scores experienced a higher fluctuation in their step counts. The patients who walked more prechemotherapy (mean 6071 steps per day) and postchemotherapy (mean 5930 steps per day) had a lower MSAS-SF score (lower burden of symptoms) compared to patients who walked less prechemotherapy (mean 5205 steps per day) and postchemotherapy (mean 4437 steps per day). Conclusions: This study demonstrates the feasibility of using inexpensive, consumer-based activity trackers for the remote monitoring of performance status in the gastrointestinal cancer population. The findings need to be validated in a larger population for generalizability.
Understanding English Grammar: Morphology – the shapes of words

I ascribe a basic importance to the phenomenon of language … To speak means to be in a position to use a certain syntax, to grasp the morphology of this or that language, but it means above all to assume a culture, to support the weight of a civilization. Frantz Fanon (1952) Morphology in linguistics is all about the shapes of words. Every language has certain consistent patterns by which the shapes of words can be adjusted to express ideas. In this chapter we will discuss the word structure of Modern English, beginning with definitions of some basic concepts in morphology, and how they apply to English. Following this, the distinction between derivation and inflection will be outlined, and a brief overview of derivational categories in English presented. Inflectional categories are discussed in more detail in the discussions of nouns, verbs, and auxiliaries in Chapters 5, 6, and 11. Some basic concepts in morphology The first term that needs to be defined in any discussion of morphology is the notion of word . What is a word? This question is not as easy to answer as it might seem at first. See Dixon and Aikhenvald (2002) for an in-depth, cross-linguistic approach to this question. One possible definition of a word is “the smallest structural piece that can be surrounded by pauses.” In practice, however, this definition quickly breaks down. For example, pauses may occur between any two syllables, whether we intuitively think of them as two words or not.
Statistical simulation of SAR variability with geometric and tissue property changes by using the unscented transform

Purpose The local specific absorption rate (SAR) is critical to the safety of radio frequency transmit coils. A statistical simulation approach is introduced to address the local SAR variability related to tissue property and geometric variations. Methods The local SAR is modeled as the output of a nonlinear transformation with factors that may affect its value being treated as random input variables. Instead of using the Monte Carlo method with a large number of sample points, the unscented transform is applied with a small set of deterministic sample points. A sensitivity analysis is further performed to determine the significance of each input variable. Electromagnetic simulations are carried out by the finite-difference time-domain method implemented on graphic processing unit. Results The local SAR variability of a 7 Tesla square loop coil for spine imaging and a 16-element brain imaging array as the result of tissue property and geometric changes were examined respectively. SAR limits were determined based on their means and standard deviations. Conclusion The proposed approach is efficient and general for the study of local SAR variability. Magn Reson Med 73:2357–2362, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Performance-based measures of physical function for high-function populations.

OBJECTIVES: To improve and broaden the applicability of performance-based measures of function for use in clinical and research settings. DESIGN: Cross-sectional repeated-measures study. SETTING: Research clinic. PARTICIPANTS: Population-based sample of Japanese Americans without significant functional impairments aged 35 to 55 and 56 to 71 (N=203). MEASUREMENTS: Performance-based measures of physical function, including range of standard tests, newer automated measures of balance and strength and data on cognitive function, lifestyle, medical history, and physical activity. RESULTS: Of the nonplatform balance measures, only the one-leg stand was reliable (reliability coefficient (rc) =0.69) and able to discriminate between functional levels. Combining the Fourth National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey protocol of folded arm position while standing on a foam pad with the more-sophisticated balance platform test had the highest reliability and discrimination. With the strength chair, high rcs (0.88–0.96) were found for upper and lower extremity tests. Timed chair stands, a test of lower extremity and central strength were reliable. The 6-minute walk had a high rc (0.90). CONCLUSION: Many performance tests used today are not reliable. Only a few discriminate between the most highly functioning individuals and individuals with good function. Thus, a new recommended battery includes unassisted single-leg stand, balance platform “foam pad, eyes closed,” elbow flexion and knee extension strength (strength chair), grip strength, timed chair stands, and the 6-minute walk. These simple performance-based tests have good reliability and discrimination across the range of function and can be used in most clinical and research settings to quickly assess global functional level.