cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of FDG-PET Imaging Versus Conventional Staging Modalities on Staging and Treatment Decisions in Large B-Cell, Follicular, and Hodgkin’s Lymphomas.

Clinical staging of lymphomas has a critical role in determining appropriate therapy and in therapeutic response assessment. While anatomic imaging by CT or MRI, together with physical examination and bone marrow biopsy (conventional staging modalities or CSM), have historically provided the basis for staging and response assessment, positron emission tomography using 18-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG-PET) has increasingly been employed in the management of patients (pts) with lymphomas. Studies comparing FDG-PET with anatomic imaging have generally found that FDG-PET identifies more sites of disease; however, the impact of FDG-PET imaging on assignment of clinical stage and treatment decisions is unclear. We retrospectively examined the impact of FDG-PET imaging on assignment of disease stage and treatment decisions compared with CSM alone in 91 pts with large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL; n=30), follicular lymphoma (FL; n=29) and Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL; n=32). 25/30 LBCL (83%), 26/32 HD (81%) and 17/29 FL pts (59%) were evaluated at initial diagnosis by FDG-PET imaging and CSM, while others were evaluated during subsequent relapse. FDG-PET and CSM defined the same stage in 69/91 pts (76%). Stage assignment was most concordant in LBCL with only 5/30 (17%) of cases having different stages, while stage assignments were discrepant in 7/32 (22%) of cases of HL and in 10/29 (34%) of cases of FL. Of the 22 pts with discrepant results, FDG-PET resulted in upstaging of disease in 11 pts and downstaging in 11 pts. Independent confirmatory tests resolving the discrepancy were obtained in 3 of 11 pts upstaged (27%) and 7 of 11 pts downstaged by FDG-PET (64%). Abnormal FDG uptake in lymph nodes accounted for all cases upstaged by FDG-PET in which no confirmatory test was available (8/8 pts). Among 10 cases resolved by biopsy, discrepant sites included bone marrow (n = 4), bone (n = 1), pelvic or abdominal structures (n = 3), and lymph nodes (n = 2). FDG-PET results were true positive in 2/10, true negative in 1/10, false positive in 1/10, and false negative in 6/10 cases (including 4 cases with BM involvement). Incorporation of FDG-PET led to treatment changes in a minority of patients (2%). We conclude that FDG-PET is an efficient single imaging modality in pts with LBCL, FL and HL, providing information complementary to CSM. However, changes in treatment based on FDG-PET results are rare. Discrepancies between FDG-PET and CSM should be resolved by biopsy when feasible, particularly in cases in which treatment would be altered.
Assessment of marine boundary layer cloud simulations in the CAM with CLUBB and updated microphysics scheme based on ARM observations from the Azores

To assess marine boundary layer (MBL) cloud simulations in three versions of the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM), three sets of short-term global hindcasts are performed and compared to Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM) observations on Graciosa Island in the Azores from June 2009 to December 2010. The three versions consist of CAM5.3 with default schemes (CAM5.3), CAM5.3 with Cloud Layers Unified By Binormals (CLUBB-MG1), and CAM5.3 with CLUBB and updated microphysics scheme (CLUBB-MG2). Our results show that relative to CAM5.3 default schemes, simulations with CLUBB better represent MBL cloud base height, the height of the major cloud layer, and the daily cloud cover variability. CLUBB also better simulates the relationship of cloud fraction to cloud liquid water path (LWP) most likely due to CLUBB's consistent treatment of these variables through a probability distribution function (PDF) approach. Subcloud evaporation of precipitation is substantially enhanced in simulations with CLUBB-MG2 and is more realistic based on the limited observational estimate. Despite these improvements, all model versions underestimate MBL cloud cover. CLUBB-MG2 reduces biases in in-cloud LWP (clouds are not too bright) but there are still too few of MBL clouds due to an underestimate in the frequency of overcast scenes. Thus, combining CLUBB with MG2 scheme better simulates MBL cloud processes, but because biases remain in MBL cloud cover CLUBB-MG2 does not improve the simulation of the surface shortwave cloud radiative effect (CRESW).
Environmental Enrichment and Psychological Well-Being of Nonhuman Primates

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the commitment to animal welfare that exist within the scientific community. It suggests that to continue the complex task of determining how the psychological well-being of captive nonhuman primates can be best enhanced, one must reject the polarizing idea that there are two opposing groups in contention for this determination: the animal welfare group and animal scientists. The majority of scientists studying nonhuman primates and the biomedical professionals concerned with the psychological and physical health of primates have traditionally been concerned with the welfare of their subjects. The chapter discusses the sources of the differences in perspective that emerge among the groups concerned with the welfare of nonhuman primates. It also discusses the problems that are inherent to the criteria for assessing well-being. There are several central themes in the chapter's perspective on environmental enrichment. It is imperative that one recognizes the inherent limitations in the use of human, a priori judgments regarding the nature of environments that are most desirable for a wide range of primate species maintained under laboratory conditions. In addition, a body of hard data regarding the preferences of species and classes within species for different environmental components must be developed.
100 Most Influential Publications in Scoliosis Surgery

Study design Bibliometric analysis. Objective To apply the established technique of citation analysis to identify the 100 most influential articles in scoliosis surgery research published between 1900 and 2015. Summary of background data Previous studies have applied the technique of citation analysis to other areas of study. This is the first article to apply this technique to the field of scoliosis surgery. Methods A two-step search of the Thomson Reuters Web of Science was conducted to identify all articles relevant to the field of scoliosis surgery. The top 100 articles with the most citations were identified based on analysis of titles and abstracts. Further statistical analysis was conducted to determine whether measures of author reputation and overall publication influence affected the rate at which publications were recognized and incorporated by other researchers in the field. Results Total citations for the final 100 publications included in the list ranged from 82 to 509. The period for publication ranged from 1954 to 2010. Most studies were published in the journal Spine (n = 63). The most frequently published topics of study were surgical techniques (n = 35) and outcomes (n = 35). Measures of author reputation (number of total studies in the top 100, number of first-author studies in the top 100) were found to have no effect on the rate at which studies were adopted by other researchers (number of years until first citation, and number of years until maximum citations). The number of citations/year a publication received was found to be negatively correlated with the rate at which it was adopted by other researchers, indicating that more influential manuscripts attained more rapid recognition by the scientific community at large. Conclusion In assembling this publication, we have strived to identify and recognize the 100 most influential articles in scoliosis surgery research from 1900 to 2015. Level of evidence N/A.
To move or to wait? Everything you need to know about making the first offer

Abstract Most people believe that negotiators should avoid making the first offer. Yet, decades of research have documented the first-offer effect, wherein the person who moves first achieves a better outcome than the person who moves second. This gap between lay beliefs and research evidence may stem, in part, from the fact that studies on the first-offer effect are scattered across numerous scientific articles and journals. In hopes of bridging the gap and providing useful guidance to negotiators, this installation of Negotiating Life seeks to synthesize the evidence in one place. Reviewing many of the major articles on the first-offer effect, it concludes that negotiators should generally strive to make the first offer for specific reasons, in specific situations, and in a specific fashion.
Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution: Implementation in the Acute Care Setting

The number of opioid related overdose deaths has increased significantly over the past ten years. In order to combat this problem, many drug treatment programs have implemented Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution programs as a harm reduction technique. While these programs are fairly new, initial research demonstrated effective reduction in the number of opioid overdose related deaths. The risk of overdose deaths increases when an opioid addicted person is abstinent for a period of time and loses tolerance. Individuals who have been incarcerated, completed inpatient detoxification, or who have been admitted into an acute care setting face the risk of losing tolerance as a result of being opiate-free for a period of time. This decrease in tolerance significantly increases the risk of overdose when they resume using opioids. The purpose of this program was to develop and implement an educational program on the epidemic of opioid overdose and the safe administration of Naloxone by lay people. This program was aimed at Registered Nurses working on an inpatient medical/surgical telemetry unit within a small, academic medical center. A needs assessment was performed and a 20 minute educational program was offered during a scheduled staff meeting. Pre and post surveys based on knowledge content were collected and results were analyzed. Program evaluation was conducted in order to define the strengths and weaknesses of the developed program. Conclusions and implications for APRN practice were presented to the organization’s Nurse Practice Council as well as Rhode Island College .
Dictionary learning for sparse representation and classification of neural spikes

Spike sorting is the problem of identifying and clustering neurons spiking activity from recorded extracellular electro-physiological data. This is important for experimental neuroscience. Existing approaches to solve this problem consist of three steps: spike detection, feature extraction, and clustering. In our method, we use Fisher discriminant based dictionary learning to learn dictionary, whose sub-dictionaries are class specific, and estimate discriminative sparse coding coefficients by minimizing the within class scatter and maximizing the between class scatter. Both the reconstruction error and coding coefficients are used for clustering the testing data. The dictionary learn the proper features specific to this problem. The proposed method has high reconstruction power and high clustering accuracy of testing data.
Community Detection on Large Graph Datasets for Recommender Systems

The explosion of content on World Wide Web (WWW) means that consumers are presented with a wide variety of items to choose from (items that concur with their taste and requirements). The generation of personalized consumer recommendations has become a crucial functionality for many web applications, yet a challenging task, given the scale and nature of the data. One popular solution to creating personalized item suggestions to users is recommender systems. In this work, we propose an approach that integrates community detection with neighborhood-based recommender systems, specifically, the Adsorption algorithm, for recommending items using implicit user preferences. Network communities represent a principled way of organizing real-world networks into densely connected clusters of nodes. We believe that these dense clusters identified by the community detection algorithm will be helpful to construct user neighborhoods for Adsorption algorithm for recommending collaborators and books to users. Through comprehensive experimental evaluations on the DBLP co-author dataset and Book Crossing dataset, the proposed approach of integrating community detection with the Adsorption algorithm is shown to deliver good performance.
The Association of Arsenic Exposure and Metabolism With Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes in Youth: The SEARCH Case-Control Study.

OBJECTIVE Little is known about arsenic and diabetes in youth. We examined the association of arsenic with type 1 and type 2 diabetes in the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Case-Control (SEARCH-CC) study. Because one-carbon metabolism can influence arsenic metabolism, we also evaluated the potential interaction of folate and vitamin B12 with arsenic metabolism on the odds of diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Six hundred eighty-eight participants <22 years of age (429 with type 1 diabetes, 85 with type 2 diabetes, and 174 control participants) were evaluated. Arsenic species (inorganic arsenic [iAs], monomethylated arsenic [MMA], dimethylated arsenic [DMA]), and one-carbon metabolism biomarkers (folate and vitamin B12) were measured in plasma. We used the sum of iAs, MMA, and DMA (∑As) and the individual species as biomarkers of arsenic concentrations and the relative proportions of the species over their sum (iAs%, MMA%, DMA%) as biomarkers of arsenic metabolism. RESULTS Median ∑As, iAs%, MMA%, and DMA% were 83.1 ng/L, 63.4%, 10.3%, and 25.2%, respectively. ∑As was not associated with either type of diabetes. The fully adjusted odds ratios (95% CI), rescaled to compare a difference in levels corresponding to the interquartile range of iAs%, MMA%, and DMA%, were 0.68 (0.50–0.91), 1.33 (1.02–1.74), and 1.28 (1.01–1.63), respectively, for type 1 diabetes and 0.82 (0.48–1.39), 1.09 (0.65–1.82), and 1.17 (0.77–1.77), respectively, for type 2 diabetes. In interaction analysis, the odds ratio of type 1 diabetes by MMA% was 1.80 (1.25–2.58) and 0.98 (0.70–1.38) for participants with plasma folate levels above and below the median ( P for interaction = 0.02), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Low iAs% versus high MMA% and DMA% was associated with a higher odds of type 1 diabetes, with a potential interaction by folate levels. These data support further research on the role of arsenic metabolism in type 1 diabetes, including the interplay with one-carbon metabolism biomarkers.
Involuntary Electro-Convulsive Therapy to Restore Competency to Stand Trial: A Five Year Study in New York State

As a result of the recent United States Supreme Court case of Riggins v. Nevada, lower courts are likely to review if, and under what conditions, pretrial criminal defendants may be treated involuntarily with antipsychotic medication. It may also be time to re-consider the similar use of electro-convulsive therapy (ECT), if indeed it is still being used in this context. This is the first known recent study to determine the frequency of ECT among incompetent defendants. Records from the two forensic psychiatric facilities in New York State that receive over 95% of all indicted felony offenders who are incompetent to stand trial were retrospectively reviewed for a five year study period. All requests to the court for authorization for involuntary treatment with ECT were sought. In the study period, out of approximately 1365 total persons committed, there was one case of a request to the court to administer involuntary ECT to an incompetent defendant. This request was granted after a Rivers hearing. This single case, in which involuntary ECT was not effective, is described. This study serves to demonstrate that involuntary ECT is still requested and administered in New York State to incompetent defendants. In light of the concerns raised in Riggins about involuntary medication, it seems reasonable and necessary to re-consider whether and under what conditions ECT should be involuntarily administered to a pre-trial defendant. Several recommendations are suggested.
Crystallographic and compositional contributions to the breakdown of the GdNi1−x Cox solid solution

Abstract The GdNi GdCo pseudo-binary system, GdNi 1− x Co x , has been investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). While x-ray powder diffraction analysis indicates the existence of the GdNi-type phase in samples up to x = 0.50, SEM investigation of the x = 0.50 sample reveals a two-phase microstructure consisting of the GdNi (1:1) phase and a new Gd 3 (Ni,Co) 2 (3:2) phase. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) of the 1:1 phase in the x = 0.50 sample indicates a composition near GdNi 0.60 Co 0.40 which is assumed to be the upper limit of the solid solution. The persistence of ∼ 5 vol% of a Gd(Ni,Co) 2 -type (1:2) secondary phase, fine features penetrating entire grains, and slight Ni,Co composition changes are observed in samples from x = 0.00 to 0.30. EDS analyses of these 1:2 regions indicate a sharp increase in Co with increasing x , while the matrix remains at the nominal composition despite variations suggested from backscattered electron (BSE) imaging. Electron backscattered diffraction analysis points to significant texturing with large similarly oriented grains; the coupons have an overwhelming tendency to grow in the [010] direction in columnar grains roughly 50 μ m wide and hundreds of microns long. BSE images of x = 0.30 sectioned along the long direction ( yz ) of the grains exhibit contrast variations reminiscent of “tiger stripes” while those of surfaces cut perpendicular to the long direction ( xy ) exhibit long thin features (“stitches”) surrounded by darker dendritic regions. Orientation Imaging Microscopy (OIM) of the stitches reveals small rotations of roughly 40 ∘ from one side of the stitch to the other, fitting with a mirror twin on the (110) plane. The formation of these twins is assumed to relieve stress caused by the incompatibility of Co in the GdNi matrix and the directional solidification during arc melting.
Positioning errors in transfer printing-based microassembly

Positioning errors in transfer printing that utilizes an elastomeric stamp to transfer microobjects (also termed “inks”) is studied here to determine the limit of positioning resolution of transfer printing-based microassembly. The angular misalignment between a stamp and a receiving substrate emerges as a crucial source of positioning errors because it is hard to eliminate completely based on capabilities of a transfer printing setup. In this paper, the positioning error induced by angular misalignment is quantitatively studied using a numerical approach and qualitatively investigated by experiments. Elastomeric stamps with two standard designs, ie flat stamp and microtip stamp, are both examined in the numerical study, and the results predict that higher accuracy can be achieved with a microtip stamp. Nevertheless, both designs show the potential to achieve submicron positioning resolution in well-controlled transfer printing conditions (less than 1° of angular misalignment). Analytical models are built based on pin joint mechanism and beam theory to compare with the numerical models. Finally, transfer printing experiments are carried out with prescribed angular misalignment in order to verify the proposed error generation mechanism. This work serves as the first attempt to systematically study positioning errors occurring during transfer printing-based microassembly.
Reading and Writing Interventions for Students with and at Risk for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: An Introduction:

In this article, we introduce the focus of this special issue. We begin by establishing the importance of meeting the instructional needs of students with and at risk for emotional and behavioral d...
Investigation of Deaths in Seizure Patients

Epilepsy is commonly encountered in forensic pathology and is ultimately determined to be the cause of death in 1–2% of medicolegal death investigations. Epilepsy is a risk factor for death from ex...
Counter-buffing: A Visual Criticism of Guerrilla Advertising

AbstractThis article addresses and explores hip-hop’s reclamation of space using transit as a public bulletin. It is situated within counter-publics discourse and couched in the theoretical frameworks offered by visual rhetorical theory. This article also discusses hip-hop counter-publics through guerrilla advertising by former graffiti artists, SKI and 2ESAE.
Herbicide Combinations for Control of Prostrate Spurge in Container-Grown Landscape Plant

Abstract Studies were conducted in 1989 and 1990 to evaluate combinations of herbicides for control of prostrate spurge (Euphorbia humistrata Engelm. ex. Gray) in container-grown landscape plants. In 1989, the combination of Ronstar 2G [oxadiazon (2.24 kg/ha) (2.0 lb/A)] with Surflan 40 AS [oryzalin (2.24 kg/ha) (2.0 lb/A] or Barricade 65 WG [prodiamine (2.24 kg/ha) (2.0 lb/A)] resulted in 95% or better control of prostrate spurge. Combinations of Ronstar 2G [oxadiazon (2.24 kg/ha) (2.0 lb/A)] and Pennant 5G [metalochlor (4.48 kg/ha) (4.0 lb/A] or Rout 3G [oxyfluorfen (2.24 kg/ha) (2.0 lb/A) plus oryzalin (1.12 kg/ha) (1.0 lb/A)] controlled more than 80% of the weeds after 12 weeks in 1989. Some herbicide treatments containing oryzalin and pendimethalin reduced the root grade of Rhododendron cv. ‘Stewartsonian’ and Ilex crenata Thunb. ‘Helleri’ in 1990. Herbicide treatments in the 1990 study had no effect on growth parameters of Juniperus chinensis L. ‘Pfitzeriana Glauca’. Rout (oxyfluorfen plus oryzalin)...
Anomalous baroreflex functionality inherent in floxed and Cre-Lox mice: an overlooked physiological phenotype

The last two decades have seen the emergence of Cre-Lox recombination as one of the most powerful and versatile technologies for cell-specific genetic engineering of mammalian cells. Understandably, the primary concerns in the practice of Cre-Lox recombination are whether the predicted genome has been correctly modified and the targeted phenotypes expressed. Rarely are the physiological conditions of the animals routinely examined because the general assumption is that they are normal. Based on corroborative results from radiotelemetric recording, power spectral analysis, and magnetic resonance imaging/diffusion tensor imaging in brain-derived neurotrophic factor-floxed mice, the present study revealed that this assumption requires amendment. We found that despite comparable blood pressure and heart rate with C57BL/6 or Cre mice under the conscious state, floxed and Cre-Lox mice exhibited diminished baroreflex-mediated sympathetic vasomotor tone and cardiac vagal baroreflex. We further found that the capacity and plasticity of baroreflex of these two strains of mice under isoflurane anesthesia were retarded, as reflected by reduced connectivity between the nucleus tractus solitarii and rostral ventrolateral medulla or nucleus ambiguus. The identification of anomalous baroreflex functionality inherent in floxed and Cre-Lox mice points to the importance of incorporating physiological phenotypes into studies that engage gene manipulations such as Cre-Lox recombination.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We established that anomalous baroreflex functionality is inherent in floxed and Cre-Lox mice. These two mouse strains exhibited diminished baroreflex-mediated sympathetic vasomotor tone and cardiac vagal baroreflex under the conscious state, retarded capacity and plasticity of baroreflex under isoflurane anesthesia, and reduced connectivity between key nuclei in the baroreflex neural circuits.
Translational Control in the Latency of Apicomplexan Parasites

Apicomplexan parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium spp. use latent stages to persist in the host, facilitate transmission, and thwart treatment of infected patients. Therefore, it is important to understand the processes driving parasite differentiation to and from quiescent stages. Here, we discuss how a family of protein kinases that phosphorylate the eukaryotic initiation factor-2 (eIF2) function in translational control and drive differentiation. This translational control culminates in reprogramming of the transcriptome to facilitate parasite transition towards latency. We also discuss how eIF2 phosphorylation contributes to the maintenance of latency and provides a crucial role in the timing of reactivation of latent parasites towards proliferative stages.
Classroom Strategies to Enhance Academic Engaged Time

A strong predictor of student achievement is the amount of time students are actively engaged in learning, or academic engaged time (AET). Sustained engagement, in turn, is influenced by the extent to which students are motivated to invest time in learning. Despite the importance of AET, studies reveal that engagement (determined by motivation) may be as low as 45–50% in some classrooms. Beginning with a model developed by Carroll in 1963, several theoretical conceptualizations of school learning have emphasized the critical role of engaged time in determining student achievement. Subsequently, empirical studies focusing on the relationship between time and learning have documented the role of the instructional context in explaining both student motivation (willingness to invest time in learning) and student engagement (actual involvement or participation in learning). In addition to discussing theory and research that implicate time in the teaching-learning process, this chapter describes three groupings of evidence-based practices that contribute to student engagement and motivation, including classroom management, instructional design, and student-mediated strategies.
High Altitude and Common Medical Conditions

Increasing numbers of people are traveling to high altitude for work or pleasure. Given the prevalence of medical conditions in the general population, it is likely that many of these travelers will have one or more underlying medical problems. Unsure of how they will tolerate high altitude, these patients often seek input from their primary care physicians or travel clinical providers to determine if it is safe for them to make such a sojourn and, if so, what precautions should be taken during their trip to avoid problems that might lead to unplanned interruption of their trip. Clinicians faced with these concerns must address whether the underlying medical condition could be adversely affected by the hypoxic environment or alters the traveler’s risk for developing high-altitude illness. This chapter provides information to guide clinicians in answering these questions as they pertain to patients with a wide variety of medical problems including pulmonary diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and obstructive sleep apnea; cardiac problems including coronary artery diseases, cardiomyopathy, and adult congenital heart diseases; as well as gastrointestinal, endocrine, hematologic, neurologic, and renal disorders. For each disorder we consider the primary challenges faced by those patients at altitude and provide recommendations for pretravel assessment as well as risk mitigation during the trip. The chapter concludes by considering medication use at high altitude and, in particular, whether medications used for treatment of underlying disorders have the potential for adverse interactions with medications used in the prophylaxis and treatment of acute altitude illness and whether the dose and choice of altitude illness medication needs to be altered depending on the patients underlying health issues.
Der Puls der Sonne

Die Sonne spielt tief in ihrem Inneren eine leise Melodie, die ihre Oberflache weithin pochen last. Die Klange im Sonneninneren ziehen die ganze Kugel oder jedenfalls grose Teile von ihr langsam und rhythmisch nach innen und ausen, etwa so, wie die Gezeiten in einer Bucht regelmasig kommen und gehen oder wie ein Herz schlagt (Abb. 4.1). Diese erstaunliche Entdeckung war das Ergebnis eines langen und ergebnisreichen Wechselspiels zwischen uberraschenden und einzigartigen, oft mit neuartigen Instrumenten angestellten Beobachtungen und neuen Theorien und Vorhersagen.
An Examination of Wage and Income Inequality within the American Farmworker Community

This article explores the reasons for earning inequalities among farmworkers. Using national data from the US Department of Labor’s National Agricultural Worker Survey (NAWS), we detail and examine...
Regression techniques employing feature selection to predict clinical outcomes in stroke

It is not fully clear which measurable factors can reliably predict chronic stroke patients’ recovery of motor ability. In this analysis, we investigate the impact of patient demographic characteristics, movement features, and a three-week upper-extremity intervention on the post-treatment change in two widely used clinical outcomes—the Upper Extremity portion of the Fugl-Meyer and the Wolf Motor Function Test. Models based on LASSO, which in validation tests account for 65% and 86% of the variability in Fugl-Meyer and Wolf, respectively, were used to identify the set of salient demographic and movement features. We found that age, affected limb, and several measures describing the patient’s ability to efficiently direct motions with a single burst of speed were the most consequential in predicting clinical recovery. On the other hand, the upper-extremity intervention was not a significant predictor of recovery. Beyond a simple prognostic tool, these results suggest that focusing therapy on the more important features is likely to improve recovery. Such validation-intensive methods are a novel approach to determining the relative importance of patient-specific metrics and may help guide the design of customized therapy.
Sparing of the scalp in severe Demodex folliculitis after stem cell transplantation.

Facial erythema after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) is most commonly caused by acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), although viral exanthema, drug reactions, and chemotherapy toxicity are also on the differential.1 Immunosuppressed patients have higher rates of more severe infestations with Demodex folliculorum, and there are few reports of demodicidosis presenting as facial erythema after SCT.2, 3, 4, 5 We report 2 cases of Demodex folliculitis presenting as erythematous papules on the face resembling aGVHD but with a distinctive cutoff sign at the scalp that may serve as an important diagnostic tool in differentiating demodicidosis from the other etiologies of facial erythema.
Wide Scan, Wide band Arrays with Self-Dual Point-Like Elements

The unique matching properties of self-dual structures provide a rich platform to engineer and control the distribution of the power inside such structures. For instance, narrow gaps embedded inside a self-dual structure can be designed to predominantly carry the incident energy into the outbound interface of the structure. This phenomenon can be used to create quasi-matched radiating apertures made of point-like radiating elements. These elements possess patterns that are quite similar to those of an isolated element in free space, being fairly well-behaved and free of blind spots. These characteristics are envisioned to be of great interest for highly demanding applications of phased arrays.
Flight from Quantity...Flight to Quality? A Differences in Differences Analysis of Patent Applications and Complaints Following Patent Reform (Presentation Slides)

In 2014-2015, policymakers made changes to the patent system that were intended to decrease abusive litigation and increase the quality of patents and complaints. The changes included the Octane Fitness & Highmark (fee-shifting, Alice (patentable subject matter), Teva, and Williamson cases (definitness) and Form 18 reform (pleading standards). Have they worked, based on looking at complaints and applications pre-and post-change? In this analysis, initially presented to the FTC's Hearings on Innovation and Competition in Oct 2018, and performed with Santa Clara Law Students Nicholas Halkowski, Marvin Mercado, Priyanka Vyas, we document the following changes: patent complaints across technology areas are much more likely to contain claim charts and product details than they were in the pre-2014 period; using a differences in differences approach, software claims are longer, narrower (based on unique words), and software applications are longer, relative to non-s/w claims; we also find a decline in scale (10+) and NPE (both PAE and non-PAE) assertions. The data suggests that patent reform has had one of its intended impacts, of increasng the quality of patent applications and complaints.
Inferring brain functional hubs by eigencentrality mapping of phase fMRI connectivity

Considering brain functional connectivity (FC) as a graph network, we can identify the brain function hub nodes that have the most dense and heavy connections in the network. For a real-valued FC matrix (unsigned connections in a value range [0,1]), we can identify the hub nodes by a new method of eigencentrality mapping, which not only counts for the connections to other nodes but also the other nodes’ centrality values through the eigen decomposition of the FC matrix. In addition, there are two kinds of fMRI data, magnitude and phase, that can be used for brain FC and hub analysis. Although both magnitude and phase fMRI data are generated from the same magnetic source through different transformations, they are different in signal measurements, consequently leading to different inferences. We herein report on brain functional hub analysis by constructing the FC matrix from phase fMRI data and identifying the hub nodes by eigencentrality mapping. In our experiment, we collected a cohort of 160 complex-valued fMRI dataset (consisting of magnitude and phase in pairs), and performed independent component analysis (ICA), FC matrices calculation and FC matrices eigen decomposition; thereby obtained the node eigencentrality values in the largest eigenvalue-associated eigenvector. Our results showed that phase fMRI data analysis could determine the resting-state brain functional hubs primarily in the central subcortex and the posterior brain region (parieto-occipital lobes and cerebellum), which were different from the magnitude-inferred hubs in brain superior region (frontal and parietal lobes).
Epithelial Plaque Formation Secondary to Recombinant Human Nerve Growth Factor.

Purpose To report a case of corneal epithelial plaque formation associated with recombinant human nerve growth factor (cenegermin 0.002%; Oxervate, Dompe[Combining Acute Accent] US Inc., Boston, MA), an as-yet unreported adverse event. Methods A case report and review of literature. Results A 45-year-old woman presented with a nonhealing 3.25- × 4.25-mm corneal epithelial defect secondary to multifactorial neurotrophic keratitis in the right eye. The epithelial defect was resistant to maximal medical therapy, and so cenegermin 0.002% was initiated, resulting in resolution of the corneal epithelial defect. After 6.5 weeks of treatment, she developed an unusual corneal epithelial plaque, decreased visual acuity, and eye pain. Cenegermin was ceased, after which the lesion resolved, visual acuity improved, and eye pain resolved. Conclusions Cenegermin 0.002% has emerged as a promising treatment for neurotrophic keratitis. Reported adverse events with this agent have been minor and typically not vision threatening. Here, we describe corneal epithelial plaque formation as a visually significant adverse event that resolved with cessation of cenegermin 0.002%. Although the underlying mechanism is unknown, clinicians should be alerted to the possibility of epithelial plaque formation in patients being treated with recombinant human nerve growth factor for neurotrophic keratitis.
Assessing the Impact and Equity of an Integrated Rural Sanitation Approach: A Longitudinal Evaluation in 11 Sub-Saharan Africa and Asian Countries.

Few rural sanitation programs have documented large increases in sanitation coverage or have assessed if interventions equitably increase sanitation coverage for vulnerable groups. We characterize the impact of the Sustainable Sanitation and Hygiene for All (SSH4A) approach on key program WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) indicators, and also assess if these increases in WASH coverage are equitably reaching vulnerable groups. The SSH4A approach was administered in 12 program areas in 11 countries, including Bhutan, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nepal, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Repeated cross-sectional household surveys were administered over four rounds at annual follow-up rounds from 2014 to 2018. Surveys were conducted in an average of 21,411 households at each round of data collection. Overall, sanitation coverage increased by 53 percentage points between baseline and the final round of data collection (95% CI: 52%, 54%). We estimate that 4.8 million people gained access to basic sanitation in these areas during the project period. Most countries also demonstrated movement up the sanitation ladder, in addition to increases in handwashing stations and safe disposal of child feces. When assessing equity—if sanitation coverage levels were similar comparing vulnerable and non-vulnerable groups—we observed that increases in coverage over time were generally comparable between vulnerable groups and non-vulnerable groups. However, the increase in sanitation coverage was slightly higher for higher wealth households compared to lower wealth households. Results from this study revealed a successful model of rural sanitation service delivery. However, further work should be done to explore the specific mechanisms that led to success of the intervention.
Advocating for Safe Sleep

We all have a role in advocating for our most vulnerable. A systematic and coordinated approach to advocating for safe sleep will result in a significant reduction in preventable sleep-related infant deaths. Using a foundation of the psychology of risk with targeted messaging and methods will result in sustained improvement. This advocacy should be routed in an understanding of established beliefs, norms, and structures. Through effective advocacy across the infant life course, we will change the culture of infant sleep. Thousands of infant deaths can be prevented if we choose to advocate and act.
The Effect of Police Layoffs on Crime: Results from a Natural Experiment Involving New Jersey’s Two Largest Cities

The current study tests the effect of police layoffs on crime through a natural experiment involving Newark and Jersey City, New Jersey’s two largest municipalities. In response to severe budget shortfalls resulting from the economic recession beginning in 2008, officials in both Newark and Jersey City explored police layoffs as a potential component of their cutback strategies. In November 2010, the Newark Police Department terminated 13% of the police force while Jersey City officials were able to avert any layoffs from occurring. The current study uses monthly Part 1 crime counts spanning from 2006 to 2015 to measure the effect of the police layoffs on crime in Newark. Findings of time series generalized least squares regression models using panel data indicate the police layoffs were associated with significant increases of violent crime, murder, robbery, and larceny theft in Newark as compared to Jersey City. This study contributes to the literature on the relationship between police force size and crime by demonstrating sudden, drastic reductions in police force size may generate significant crime increases.
Manufacturing Processes for the Creation of 15% Power Conversion Efficiency Inorganic Inorganic-Organic Perovskite Solar Cells

Solar cell research aims at a gradual increment on the overall power conversion efficiency, looking into the possibility of an increment on the output current of the device. This research discusses the different methods applied during experimentation allowing for the reach of higher efficiency, explaining the effects each method had on the different samples used. Some of the methods to be discussed are some conventional methods in the creation of perovskite solar cells such as sonication, spin spin-on doping, annealing, and contact creation. In accordance to the methods used, a power conversion efficiency of 15.2% was obtained, as well as an open circuit voltage (Voc) of 1.065 V, a short circuit current (Isc) of 1.99 mA, a fill factor (FF) of 50.4%, a short circuit current density (Jsc) of 28.2 mA/cm2, and a shunt resistance of 3.3 kΩ. Each sample is discussed in order to provide a wider view on the positive and negative aspects of each method applied.
Immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia and thrombocytopenia in 25 adult equids: 1997-2016

BACKGROUND Information concerning clinical presentation, conditions associated with immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA) and thrombocytopenia (IMTP) and outcome in equids is lacking. Previous case reports suggest that immune-mediated disease and neoplasia are associated. OBJECTIVES Characterise the clinical presentation, clinicopathologic data, underlying conditions, treatment and outcome of IMHA and IMTP cases in equids. We hypothesise that IMHA with concurrent thrombocytopenia occurs more often than IMHA or IMTP alone, and that neoplasia is commonly associated with these immune diseases and cases frequently have a poor prognosis. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective case-control study. METHODS Medical records were reviewed from 1997 to 2016. Twenty-five equids were diagnosed with IMHA, IMTP or IMHA with thrombocytopenia by Coombs test or flow cytometry. Controls were equids presented for nonimmune-mediated disease immediately prior to and after study animals. Fisher's exact test was used to compare between groups for categorical variables (P < .05). Results reported as odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Unpaired t test and Mann-Whitney test were used to compare between groups for continuous variables (P < .05). RESULTS Neoplasia incidence was significantly higher in the study population (28%) versus controls (8%) (P = .04). Equids with primary disease were more likely to survive to discharge than equids with secondary disease (8/9 vs 7/16; P = .03; OR = 13.3; 95% CI: 1.3-134.7). Survivors had a significantly lower blood urea nitrogen (BUN) than those that died or were subjected to euthanasia (survivors, 6.1 ± 2.5 mmol/L vs nonsurvivors, 9.9 ± 3.1 mmol/L P = .003). The odds of short-term mortality were higher in horses presenting with increased BUN (OR = 19.5; 95% CI, 1.8-214.1; P = .009). MAIN LIMITATIONS Retrospective nature of the study, small case numbers and limited long-term follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Primary IMHA/IMTP cases have a reasonable prognosis and warrant treatment. Secondary cases have a poor prognosis, and are frequently associated with cancer. BUN may have utility as a prognostic indicator for IMHA/IMTP cases.
Subjective binge eating: a marker of disordered eating and broader psychological distress.

There is building, but limited evidence to suggest that subjective binge eating (SBE) is clinically concerning. The current study examined associated features of SBEs including disordered eating, body shame, negative affect, and interpersonal problems, as well as how SBE occurrence relates to other daily eating experiences. Participants were 400 individuals recruited via internet snowball or Amazon Mechanical Turk, including 132 with at least one SBE [with or without objective binge eating episodes (OBEs)] in the prior 3 months, 135 with at least one OBE (and no SBEs) in the prior 3 months, and 133 with no loss of control eating in the prior 3 months nor a likely lifetime history of anorexia nervosa. Participants responded to questionnaires assessing eating disorder behaviors (i.e., frequency of compensatory behaviors, dietary restriction), body shame, negative affect (depressive/anxiety symptoms), interpersonal difficulties, and perception of daily eating experiences. Individuals with SBEs had higher numbers of vomiting, laxative misuse and hard exercise episodes, dietary restriction, body shame, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and negative perceptions of daily eating experiences as compared to those with only OBEs and no loss of control eating. These results suggest that SBEs (whether on their own or combined with OBEs) are more related to disordered eating symptoms, body image concerns, depressive/anxiety symptoms, and general eating distress than OBEs on their own, suggesting that clinicians may view SBEs as markers of concern across domains. III, well-designed group-comparison regression analysis.
Risk Factors and Biomarkers for Chronic Hepatitis B Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Globally, hepatitis B virus (HBV) related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the major causes of cancer-related mortality. This is, in part, due to delayed diagnosis and limited therapeutic options with more advanced stages of the disease. Given the prognostic importance of early diagnosis, novel methods for early detection are in need. Unlike most other cancer types, tissue is not required to diagnose HCC and is frequently avoided given the inherent risks of liver biopsy, so less invasive methods of obtaining tumor material are currently under investigation. Material shed from tumors into the periphery are being investigated for their potential to both surveil and diagnose patients for HCC. These materials include circulating tumor cells, DNA, RNA, and exosomes, and are collectively termed a “liquid biopsy”. In this review article, we discuss the evolving literature regarding the different risk factors for HCC and the types of emerging novel biomarkers that show promise in the prevention and early diagnosis of HCC within the context of HBV infection.
Feasibility Study of Stretchable Antenna

Effective stretchable antennas are receiving increased demands in applications from inflatable antennas to smart cars. Recognizing the trade-off between the stretchability and antenna gain as a key design consideration, this paper presents a cost effective and realistic method to achieve an effective antenna with a high stretch ratio.
Sex differences in the elevated plus-maze test and large open field test in adult Wistar rats.

Abstract There is a growing need for a better understanding of sex differences in animal models of psychiatric disorders. The elevated plus-maze (EPM) test and large open field (LOF) test are widely used to study anxiety-like behavior in rodents. Our studies explored sex differences in anxiety and activity parameters in the LOF and EPM and determined whether these parameters correlate within and between tests. Drug naive adult male and female Wistar rats (n = 47/sex) were used for the studies, and the rats were tested for 5 min in the EPM and 10 min in the LOF. The females spent more time on the open arms of the EPM and made more open arms entries than the males. The females also spent more time in the center zone of the LOF and made more center zone entries. The females traveled a greater distance in the LOF and EPM. There was a moderate positive correlation between time on the open arms of the EPM and time in the center zone of the LOF. There was also a moderate positive correlation between open arms entries in the EPM and center zone entries in the LOF. A hierarchical cluster analysis revealed one cluster with LOF parameters, one cluster with EPM parameters, and one cluster with parameters related to the avoidance of open spaces. In conclusion, these findings indicate that female rats display less anxiety-like behavior in the EPM and LOF. Furthermore, there are sex differences for almost all behavioral parameters in these anxiety tests.