cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Current practice of internal jugular venous cannulation in a university anesthesia department: Influence of operator experience on success of cannulation and arterial injury

Abstract Objective: To describe current cannulation of the internal jugular vein (CIJV) practice in a university anesthesia department. Design: Prospective, observational, and not randomized. Setting: Operating rooms of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Participants: Elective surgical patients requiring CIJV (n = 426). Interventions: CIJV performed by real-time ultrasound visualization (U-CIJV) or by anatomic landmarks (AL-CIJV). Measurements and Main Results: A total of 462 procedures were studied in 426 patients. Overall cannulation failure was 2.1% with U-CIJV and 13.8% with AL-CIJV ( p = 0.0001). Cumulative CIJV success by the sixth needle pass was 94.0%, regardless of technique. Junior operators performed 75.3% of CIJV, of which 86.8% was U-CIJV. First-pass success across operators was 60% to 70% for U-CIJV and 50% to 80% for AL-CIJV. Arterial puncture rates averaged 7.0%, regardless of technique ( p = 0.45). The junior operator may be more at risk for arterial puncture during U-CIJV. Conclusion: U-CIJV offers incomplete protection against arterial injury in this practice compared with the literature. A possible solution is the ultrasound needle guide, which may minimize arterial injury, especially with junior operators. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
A Comprehensive Unit-Based Safety Program (CUSP) in Surgery: Improving Quality Through Transparency

Many medical errors can be attributed to large and complex health care systems in which care is increasingly fragmented. Hospitals with good safety cultures have lower complication rates, and improved patient and staff satisfaction. Transparency in health care is an increasingly recognized means to improve outcomes by allowing the free market to reward hospitals with a strong safety culture, good outcomes, and compliance with evidence-based medicine. As more data become available regarding strategies that work to improve patient safety and such strategies are more widely implemented, significant improvements in the quality of care that is delivered nationwide should become apparent.
Nurses' attitudes toward survivors and perpetrators of domestic violence.

Domestic violence is of special concern to nurses, as they are often the first health care professionals to interact with battered women. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe nurses’attitudes toward the survivors and perpetrators of domestic violence. A holistic ecological health promotion framework guided this qualitative investigation. Thirteen participants expert in the care of abused women were interviewed using semistructured questions to describe nurses’ attitudes toward survivors and perpetrators. Significant statements were identified, clustered, and placed into categories of response. Findings included identification of general themes and specific categories related to attitudes nurses have about battered women and those who abuse and injure them. The significance of this research underscores the importance of nurses’attitudes as influencing factors in their interactions with women and families involved in domestic violence. Application of a health promotion framework encourages ...
Water referencing for spectroscopic imaging

A water referencing algorithm for addressing the spectroscopic imaging problems of low SNR and main field inhomogeneities is proposed. Using the location of the water peak from each voxel and additional a priori information results in a parametric estimation problem. Optimum estimates of the desired metabolite concentrations can then be computed and displayed in an image format. The algorithm is shown to be very stable in the presence of noise and is insensitive to B0 inhomogeneity. A detailed error analysis as well as extensions to the basic data model are also discussed. Results from both 1H and 31P experiments are presented to verify the predicted good performance even with extremely low signal-to-noise ratio data. © 1989 Academic Press, Inc.
Verifying interactive Web programs

Web programs are important, increasingly representing the primary public interfaces of commercial organizations. Unfortunately, Web programs also exhibit numerous flaws. In addition to the usual correctness problems faced by software, Web programs must contend with numerous subtle user operations such as clicking the Back button or cloning and submitting a page multiple times. Many existing Web verification tools fail to even consider, much less effectively handle, these operations. This work describes a model checker designed to identify errors in Web software. We present a technique for automatically generating novel models of Web programs from their source code; these models include the additional control flow enabled by these user operations. In this technique, we exploit a constraint-based approach to avoid overapproximating this control flow; this approach allows us to evade exploding the size of the model. Further, we present a powerful base property language that permits specification of useful Web properties, along with several property idioms that simplify specification of the most common Web properties. Finally, we discuss the implementation of this model checker and a study of its effectiveness.
Blind removal of image non-linearities

This paper presents a technique for blindly removing image non-linearities in the absence of any calibration information or explicit knowledge of the imaging device. The basic approach exploits the fact that a non-linearity introduces specific higher-order correlations in the frequency domain (beyond second-order). These correlations can be detected using tools from polyspectral analysis. The non-linearities can then be estimated and removed by simply minimizing these correlations.
Operational discipline in the workplace

The purpose of this paper is to review the development, application, and continuous improvement of operational discipline programs at DuPont. DuPont defines operational discipline as a deeply rooted dedication and commitment by each member of the organization to carry out each task the right way, each time. Operational discipline reflects the strength of an organization's safety culture in making environmental health and safety (EHS) systems effective and in providing tangible results for preventing injuries and incidents. In addition, a high level of operational discipline typically contributes to improved business performance through higher productivity, higher quality, reduced waste, and lower costs. Eleven characteristics are used to help evaluate and drive continuous improvement of operational discipline by self-assessments, audits, and incident investigations. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2005
Structural Incentives for Conservative Mobilization: Power Devaluation and the Rise of the Ku Klux Klan, 1915–1925

This article examines the phenomenal rise in the early 1920s of the Ku Klux Klan, which drew its members primarily from the middle class and was characterized by nativism, racism, religious bigotry, coercive moralism, and economic conservatism. It argues that the Klan's rise is best understood as a response to the sudden devaluation in the economic and political purchasing power of the Klan's recruits. Guided by microeconomic logic, the Klan used cultural appeals to stimulate demand for what its members had to offer in exchange within economic and political markets. It also used cultural attacks to restrict the supply of competitors. I test the argument with statistical analyses of state-level membership estimates and county-level membership data for the state of Indiana
On the independence number of sparse graphs

Let G be a regular graph of degree d on n points which contains no Kr (r ≥ 4). Let α be the independence number of G. Then we show for large d that α ≥ c(r)n ***image***. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Arginase modulates nitric oxide production in activated macrophages.

In macrophages and many other cell types,l-arginine is used as a substrate by both nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and arginase to produce nitric oxide (NO) and urea, respectively. Because the availabi...
The Effects of Genetic Selection on Production Parameters of Single Comb White Leghorn Hens

Four commercial table egg genetic stocks consisting of the Ottawa Control Strains 5, 7, and 10 (CS5, CS7, and CS10) and the 1993 H&N "Nick Chick" (CCS) were housed in the same environment and compared for production characteristics. These birds were housed in an environmentally controlled laying facility with trideck cages. Feed consumption, egg production, and mortality were monitored daily and compiled every 28 d. The study was conducted for two egg production cycles, including the molt period. Body weight was progressively lower for the more modern strains with CS5 being the heaviest and CCS maintaining the smallest body weight throughout the production periods. The CCS had the highest (P < 0.0001) hen-day production rate, which resulted in the greatest daily egg mass among the strains. The CCS consumed the greatest amount of feed and exhibited the highest gross egg income among the strains. We concluded that genetic selection has improved production parameters in commercial layers as determined by measurements in this study.
Potential resistance of crape myrtle cultivars to flea beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and Japanese beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) damage.

Field and laboratory studies were conducted to identify potential resistance among crape myrtles, Lagerstroemia spp., to Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman and to flea beetles, Altica spp. Damage ratings revealed variation among cultivars in susceptibility to beetle feeding. Cultivars with Lagerstroemia fauriei Koehne in their parentage exhibited the least amount of damage in choice and no-choice experiments, with few exceptions. The data indicate that both beetle species cause more feeding damage on certain cultivars of Lagerstroemia indica L., such as ‘Country Red’, ‘Twilight’, and ‘Carolina Beauty’ than interspecific cultivars with L. fauriei in their parentage, such as ‘Natchez’, ‘Tonto’, and ‘Muskogee’. When comparing the effect of parentage on all of the major pests of crape myrtle, L. faurei confers resistance to all pests except crape myrtle aphid. No correlation was found between leaf toughness, leaf color, and leaf nutrients in estimating flea beetle cultivar preference. With this information, growers can more effectively target scouting measures to the most susceptible cultivars, and breeders can select plants that will require the fewest chemical inputs.
Abstract 181: Exploring Symptom Clusters in People with Heart Failure: A Latent Profile Analysis

Background: A symptom cluster is a group of two or more symptoms that occur together and are related to each other. It is important to explore symptom clusters in heart failure (HF) because patients with HF generally experience multiple symptoms that often occur simultaneously in groups or clusters rather than in isolation. The purposes of this study are to identify symptom clusters in patients with HF and to determine socio-demographic and clinical characteristics influencing symptom cluster membership. Methods: The study used existing data in a cross-sectional design. The data were obtained from 4,076 HF patients recruited from in- and out-patients settings from the United States. Symptoms were identified from the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ). Five physical symptoms and three psychological symptoms were examined: edema, shortness of breath, fatigue/increased need to rest, fatigue/low energy, sleep difficulties, worrying, feeling depressed, and cognitive problems. Latent profile analysis was used to identify symptom clusters. Results: Four relatively distinct classes were identified: all mild symptoms (28%), moderate physical symptoms (26%), moderate psychological symptoms (14%), and all severe symptoms (33%). Significant differences among the four latent classes were found for several characteristics including age, gender, ethnicity, educational level, body mass index (BMI), and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification. Conclusion: Identification of four clusters of HF symptoms may be useful in helping patients and clinicians recognize symptoms as a group versus individual and unrelated symptoms. These clinical insights may lead to the development and testing of novel symptom management interventions. The study also suggested that socio-demographic and clinical characteristics are important considerations when assessing the clusters. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Endoscopic Foreign Body Removal

Aspiration of a tracheobronchial foreign body (TFB) is a fairly common emergency occurring more frequently in children than adults. In 2001, an estimated 17,537 children aged ≤14 years were treated in emergency departments for choking-related episodes. One hundred and sixty of these children died due to airway obstruction. A missed or delayed diagnosis of a TFB can cause additional respiratory problems including chronic wheezing that may mimic asthma, chronic cough, and recurrent pneumonia. A delay in diagnosis can also result in airway edema and granulation tissue around the TFB creating difficulty in extraction.
Solving inverse scattering problems in biological samples by quantitative phase imaging

Quantitative phase imaging (QPI), a method that precisely recovers the wavefront of an electromagnetic field scattered by a transparent, weakly scattering object, is a rapidly growing field of study. By solving the inverse scattering problem, the structure of the scattering object can be reconstructed from QPI data. In the past decade, 3D optical tomographic reconstruction methods based on QPI techniques to solve inverse scattering problems have made significant progress. In this review, we highlight a number of these advances and developments. In particular, we cover in depth Fourier transform light scattering (FTLS), optical diffraction tomography (ODT), and white-light diffraction tomography (WDT).
Intramolecular allosteric communication in dopamine D2 receptor revealed by evolutionary amino acid covariation

The structural basis of allosteric signaling in G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is important in guiding design of therapeutics and understanding phenotypic consequences of genetic variation. The Evolutionary Trace (ET) algorithm previously proved effective in redesigning receptors to mimic the ligand specificities of functionally distinct homologs. We now expand ET to consider mutual information, with validation in GPCR structure and dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) function. The new algorithm, called ET-MIp, identifies evolutionarily relevant patterns of amino acid covariations. The improved predictions of structural proximity and D2R mutagenesis demonstrate that ET-MIp predicts functional interactions between residue pairs, particularly potency and efficacy of activation by dopamine. Remarkably, although most of the residue pairs chosen for mutagenesis are neither in the binding pocket nor in contact with each other, many exhibited functional interactions, implying at-a-distance coupling. The functional interaction between the coupled pairs correlated best with the evolutionary coupling potential derived from dopamine receptor sequences rather than with broader sets of GPCR sequences. These data suggest that the allosteric communication responsible for dopamine responses is resolved by ET-MIp and best discerned within a short evolutionary distance. Most double mutants restored dopamine response to wild-type levels, also suggesting that tight regulation of the response to dopamine drove the coevolution and intramolecular communications between coupled residues. Our approach provides a general tool to identify evolutionary covariation patterns in small sets of close sequence homologs and to translate them into functional linkages between residues.
Studies in Vitro on Physiology of Cells Effect of Anisotonic Solutions.

SummaryBy means of the method of unstained cell counts both distilled water and urea were found to be more toxic to testicular cells than to lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Ethyl alcohol was not cytocidal even in relatively high concentrations. The cell membrane of viable thymic, testicular and other cells appeared readily permeable to urea and ethyl alcohol but not to sodium chloride or sucrose. The addition of distilled water or freezing and thawing produced a characteristic gelatinous precipitate only in suspensions of thymic cells but not in suspensions of splenic or testicular cells.
Titania Supported Platinum Catalyst with High Electrocatalytic Activity and Stability for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell

Titania supported Pt electrocatalysts (Pt/TiO2) were synthesized and investigated as alternative cathode catalysts for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images revealed uniform distribution of Pt nanoparticles (dPt = 3-5 nm) on the TiO2 support. In-house developed accelerated durability test (ADT, continuous potential cycling between 0.6 and 1.4 V) in half-cell condition indicated nearly ten-fold higher ORR activity (1.20 mA cm-2) when compared to the Pt/C catalyst (0.13 mA cm-2). The Pt/C catalyst showed no activity in fuel cell testing after 2000 potential cycles due to severe carbon corrosion, Pt dissolution, and catalyst particle sintering. Conversely, the Pt/TiO2 electrocatalyst showed only a small voltage loss (0.09 V at 0.8 A cm-2) even after 4000 cycles. The ADT results showed excellent stability for the Pt/TiO2 electrocatalysts at high potentials in terms of minimum loss in the Pt electrochemical surface area (ECSA).
How Much Do We Know About Retinoid-Regulated Genes?

No Abstract AvailableCommentary to: Title: Retinoid-Induced Growth Arrest of Breast Carcinoma Cells Involves Coactivation of Multiple Growth-Inhibitory Genes Authors: Milos Dokmanovic, Bey-Dih Chang, Jing Fang and Igor B. RoninsonPage Numbers: 24-27
Rationale for setting up a cardio-oncology unit: our experience at Mayo Clinic

The diagnosis and management of cardiovascular complications have become a clinical concern for oncologists, cardiologists, surgeons, interventional radiologists, radiation therapy physicians, internists, nurses, pharmacists, administrators, and all the stakeholders involved in the care of cancer patients. Anticancer therapies have extended the lives of patients with cancer, but for some this benefit is attenuated by adverse cardiovascular effects. This review article aims to provide an overview of the rationale of setting up a cardio-oncology unit and reflect on our own experience establishing this service, and conclude with some fundamental aspects of consideration for evaluation and management of patients with cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Cardiotoxicity can lead to congestive heart failure and cardiac death. In fact, chemotherapy-related cardiac dysfunction may carry one of the worst prognoses of all types of cardiomyopathies, and has a profound impact on morbidity and mortality in oncology patients. Other complex clinical situations involve cancer patients who might benefit from a highly curative drug in terms of cancer survival but face limitations of its administration because of concomitant cardiovascular diseases. Indeed, the balance between the benefits and risks of the cancer therapy regimen in the context of the cardiovascular status of the individual patient can sometimes be extraordinarily challenging. A subspecialty with a multidisciplinary integrative approach between oncologists, hematologists, cardiologists, among others has thus emerged to address these issues, termed cardio-oncology. Cardio-oncology addresses the spectrum of prevention, detection, monitoring and treatment of cancer patients with cardiovascular diseases, or at risk for cardiotoxicity, in a multidisciplinary manner. In this field, cardiologists assist oncologists and hematologists with cardiovascular recommendations. This can be mediated through e-consultations or face-to-face evaluations. Cardio-oncology is a subspecialty that assists in the overall care of cancer patients with and without cardiovascular disease in an interdisciplinary fashion. We believe that this partnership of sharing responsibilities and experiences among health-care team members can potentially decrease cancer therapeutics-related cardiovascular complications and improve clinical outcomes.
Kitchen versus Herbert

The court does not need to impugn the motives of voters to resolve the question of the constitutionality of Utah's marriage amendment. Charging voters with bias will unnecessarily marginalize those who disagree and chill public debate.
Limited Government: Necessary Choice of Chinese Administrative Reform

Since China's open and reform, there are four administrative reforms with obvious effect. Owing to the long-term influence of highly authorized planning economy mode, the reform goes through hardness. From the obstacles to the economic development, it is clear that the power, scale and function of socialistic market economy should be confined by constitution and law with the government supervised openly by public.
Rural–Urban Child Height for Age Trajectories and Their Heterogeneous Determinants in Four Developing Countries

The large literature on health differentials between rural and urban areas relies almost exclusively on cross-sectional data. Bringing together the demographic literature on area-level health inequalities with the bio-physiological literature on children’s catch-up growth over time, this paper uses panel data to investigate the stability and origins of rural–urban health differentials. Using data from the Young Lives longitudinal study of child poverty, I present evidence of large level differences but similar trends in rural versus urban children’s height for age in four developing countries. Further, observable characteristics of children’s environment such as their household wealth, mother’s education, and epidemiological environment explain these differentials in most contexts. In Peru, where they do not, children’s birthweight and mothers’ health and other characteristics suggest that initial endowments—even before birth—may play an important role in explaining "residual" rural–urban child height inequalities. These latter results imply that prioritizing maternal nutrition and health is essential—particularly where rural–urban height inequalities are large. Interventions to reduce area-level health inequalities should begin even before birth.
E-036 age, stroke severity, use of stent retrievers, general anesthesia, and hemorrhagic conversion may predict outcome in stroke patients who undergo successful intra-arterial therapy

Background Early intra-arterial therapy achieves good functional outcome in 32%–70% of patients with acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion. While timely recanalization has been shown to be the prototype predictor for good outcome, other factors that might affect recovery in those patients are not well documented. Method A single center database review identified stroke patients who underwent intra-arterial therapy with successful final recanalization defined as TICI 3 or TICI 2b. Demographic, clinical, radiographic, and procedural variables of these patients were included in logistic statistical analysis using t-test and Chi-square test to study their effects on functional outcome as described by mRS score at 3 months. Results Out of 296 patients treated with intra-arterial therapy, 129 (43.5%) had successful recanalization and were included in our analysis. Of those patients, 68 (52.7%) had good functional outcome defined as mRS 0–2, and 55 (42.6%) had poor outcome (mRS >2). Six patients were lost to follow-up. Mean age of the patients was 63 years, and mean NIHSS score was 16. Onset to groin puncture average time was 352 min, while the mean procedure duration was 108 min. When compared to those who had poor outcome, patients who had good functional outcome were younger (mean age 59 years compared to 66 years, p 0.0116), and had less severe stroke (mean NIHSS score 13 compared to 19, p On multivariate analysis; age (p 0.001), NIHSS score (p Conclusion Age, NIHSS score, use of stent retrievers, mode of anesthesia, and symptomatic ICH might affect functional outcome in stroke patients who achieve successful recanalization via intra-arterial therapy. Prospective studies, or a meta-analysis of sub-groups in the recently published prospective trials are needed to confirm the association between those factors, or others, and functional outcome. Identification of such predictors might help in screening acute stroke patients for intra-arterial therapy. Disclosures M. Noufal: None. J. Mankad: None. D. Shirilla: None. A. Lakraj: None. J. Cox: None. A. Sattar: None. W. Wally: None. Y. Sallowm: None. J. Lynch: None. O. Zaidat: None.
Nucleic Acid Amplification Methods Overview

The development of the polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, by Saiki et al. (1) was a milestone in biotechnology and heralded the beginning of the modern era of molecular diagnostics. Although PCR is the most widely used nucleic acid amplification strategy, other strategies have been developed, and several have clinical utility. These strategies are based on either signal or target amplification. Examples of each category will be discussed in the sections that follow. These techniques have sensitivity unparalleled in laboratory medicine, have created new opportunities for the clinical laboratory to impact patient care, and have become the new “gold standards” for laboratory diagnosis of many infectious diseases.
Neuroglobin Functional Network Associated with Cerebral Ischemia

Results: A total of 511 studies were chosen, and final 22 studies were included that reported NGB locations, NGB protein/mRNA expression, and neurological outcomes for meta-analysis. Plasma membrane (G-protein, NMDA, and flottillin-1), endothelial (VEGF), anti-stress (HIF-1α, AIF), mitochondrial (ATP, cAMP, voltage-dependent anion channels, and cytochrome c), and hormone (estrogen) were predicted to be members of a NGB functional network.
Economic Opportunities and Trade-Offs in Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration

Abstract We modeled forest restoration scenarios to examine socioeconomic and ecological trade-offs associated with alternative prioritization scenarios. The study examined four US national forests designated as priorities for investments to restore fire resiliency and generate economic opportunities to support local industry. We were particularly interested in economic trade-offs that would result from prioritization of management activities to address forest departure and wildfire risk to the adjacent urban interface. The results showed strong trade-offs and scale effects on production possibility frontiers, and substantial variation among planning areas and national forests. The results pointed to spatially explicit priorities and opportunities to achieve restoration goals within the study area. However, optimizing revenue to help finance restoration projects led to a sharp reduction in the attainment of other socioecological objectives, especially reducing forest departure from historical conditions. The analytical framework and results can inform ongoing collaborative restoration planning to help stakeholders understand the opportunity cost of specific restoration objectives. This work represents one of the first spatially explicit, economic trade-off analyses of national forest restoration programs, and reveals the relative cost of different restoration strategies, as well scale-related changes in production frontiers associated with restoration investments.
Analytic versus Synthetic Consistency Properties

We have remarked earlier that magic sets emerged from the completeness proofs of Henkin and Hasenjaeger. In this chapter we wish to discuss the Henkin and Hasenjaeger completeness proofs and their relationship to the completeness proofs of earlier chapters. We conclude this chapter with a new proof of the Unifying Principle—which circumvents the necessity of appealing to systematic tableaux—and we discuss the essential differences and similarities of what are basically two types of completeness proofs; the one along the lines of Lindenbaum-Henkin, the other along the lines of Godel-Herbrand-Gentzen.
The effect of contact pressure and surface texture on running-in behavior of case carburized steel under boundary lubrication

Abstract Many engineering tests start with a run-in procedure, as it is commonly accepted that running-in at some fraction of the target load is beneficial due to a reduction in surface roughness. However, the choice of load and duration is often based on historical context or the experience and philosophies of the testing personnel. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the effects of contact pressure and initial composite roughness on the surface evolution during the initial stage of testing, and (2) use this information to determine if there is an optimal load and time for the run-in portion of a test. These tests were conducted with a disc-type machine using carburized steel specimens with a circumferential lay direction and oil with anti-wear additives under specific conditions of slide-to-roll ratio, entraining velocity, oil spin-off temperature, and oil/additive package. The specimen surface was inspected using non-contact profilometery every minute for the first 10 minutes of testing, with a subsequently increasing inspection interval for a total of 150 minutes. The data demonstrate that the surface roughness reduces within the first few minutes of testing and remains stable for a period of time, which is dependent on the pressure and initial composite roughness. Additionally, hardness measurements indicate that hardness gains are occurring during the test, but over a longer timeframe.
Abstract 711: Mechanistic implications of COL1A1 as a prostate cancer biomarker

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequently diagnosed form of male cancer and shares similar symptoms with BPH (Benign Prostate Hyperplasia), a disease characterized by prostate enlargement. Elevated levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) can be observed with either benign or malignant growth of the prostate and therefore cannot effectively discriminate between these two prostate diseases. Currently, a test that sensitively and accurately distinguishes between BPH and localized prostate cancer does not exist creating an urgent need for novel biomarkers that can successfully distinguish between these two prostate diseases. The goal of this study was to identify and validate non-invasive urinary biomarkers that distinguish between BPH and PCa. Our previous proteomic study identified elevated levels of several proteins, including EGF (epidermal growth factor), HE-4 (human epididymis protein 4), COL1A1 (collagen, type I, alpha 1) and other proteins in the urine of PCa patients compared to urine samples from patients with BPH. In this current study we have analyzed and validated the presence of EGF, HE-4 and COL1A1 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Our ELISA experiments revealed that COL1A1 was significantly (P Citation Format: Andrej Jedinak, Camille Vuichoud, Andrew El-Hayek, Katherine Kaplan, Jason Savage, Sarah Prophet, Adam S. Feldman, Kevin A. Camphausen, Kevin R. Loughlin, Marsha A. Moses. Mechanistic implications of COL1A1 as a prostate cancer biomarker [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 711. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-711
Moral Realism and Virtue Ethics

This chapter considers objections to a deductive model of Aristotelian virtue ethics coming from various sources: from within virtue ethics, from social science, from ethical theory and from the philosophy of biology. Many have thought that Aristotle’s remarks about the lack of precision in ethics have implications that undermine the deductive approach developed in this book. An additional concern is that character-based ethics is wrong-headed based on some of the findings of behavioral psychology. Another objection arises from the long-standing tenet of virtue theory that moral virtue and knowledge are connected in some important way; having virtue seems to require having knowledge. Some have thought that certain virtues require ignorance, which challenges the long-standing assumption. Lastly, many understand Aristotle’s ethics as being based on a teleological conception of human nature to be a serious reason to dismiss the theory. Each of these objections is considered and responses are offered.
Assessing students' higher education performance in minority and non-minority serving universities

Quality of the offered higher education for the next generations plays an important role to shape the future of United States. To improve American society, it is needed to pay profound attention to higher education of racial/ethnic minorities and ensure that all students belonging to different races have access to adequate professional resources and could enhance their academic knowledge in a similar way. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the semester-based academic performance of minority students and compare their performance progress with non-minority educators. To achieve this objective, junior level students' academic performances based on their assignment, midterm, and final exam grades in “Construction Engineering” course in one Hispanic-serving university, one Historically Black College and University (HBCU), and one non-minority university were compared and statistically analyzed. To control the variability of instructor's teaching quality, the same course across all the three institutions were taught by the same professor in three consecutive semesters. To conduct this analysis, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test was utilized to compare the minority and non-minority students' initial and final class performance as well as their rate of progress in each institution. The results indicate that there is a significant difference between the minority and non-minority students' progress in their assignment and exam grades throughout the semester. It is also revealed that minority students' performance had a rapid change and considerable improvement towards the end of the semester. This study suggests that the initial lower performance of minority students could be caused by insufficient earlier resources. The findings of this research will guide the government to allocate resources among universities more efficiently and effectively.
Clusterability and Clustering of Images and Other “Real” High-Dimensional Data

Clustering a high-dimensional data set is known to be very difficult. In this paper, we show that this is not the case when the points to cluster correspond to images. More specifically, image data sets are shown to have a lot of structures, so much, so that projecting the set onto a random 1D linear subspace is likely to uncover a binary grouping among the images. Based on this observation, we propose a method to quantify the clusterability of a data set. The method is based on the probability density of a measure ( $S$ ) of clusterability (in 1D) of the projection of the data onto a random line. After comparing the clusterability of image datasets with that of synthetically generated clusters, we conclude that these intriguing structures we find in image datasets do not fit the notion of clusters in the traditional sense. Further suggested by our observation is a fast method for clustering high-dimensional data in a hierarchical fashion; at each stage, the data is partitioned into two based on the binary clustering found in a 1D random projection of the data. Since most of the computations are performed in 1D, this approach is extremely efficient. But despite its simplicity, it achieves overall a better quality of clustering than existing high-dimensional clustering methods, not only for datasets representing image data, but for other real data sets as well. Our results highlight the need to re-examine our assumptions about high-dimensional clustering and the geometry of real datasets such as sets of images.
Social Integration and Domestic Violence Support in an Indigenous Community: Women’s Recommendations of Formal Versus Informal Sources of Support:

Throughout North America, indigenous women experience higher rates of intimate partner violence and sexual violence than any other ethnic group, and so it is of particular importance to understand sources of support for Native American women. In this article, we use social network analysis to study the relationship between social integration and women's access to domestic violence support by examining the recommendations they would give to another woman in need. We ask two main questions: First, are less integrated women more likely to make no recommendation at all when compared with more socially integrated women? Second, are less integrated women more likely than more integrated women to nominate a formal source of support rather than an informal one? We use network data collected from interviews with 158 Canadian women residing in an indigenous community to measure their access to support. We find that, in general, less integrated women are less likely to make a recommendation than more integrated women. However, when they do make a recommendation, less integrated women are more likely to recommend a formal source of support than women who are more integrated. These results add to our understanding of how access to two types of domestic violence support is embedded in the larger set of social relations of an indigenous community.
Mouse retinol binding protein gene: cloning, expression and regulation by retinoic acid.

A full-length cDNA clone encoding the retinol binding protein (RBP) was isolated from a mouse liver cDNA library by hybridization screening. The nucleotide sequence of murine RBP is 85 and 95% homologous to that of human and rat RBP, respectively, with a deduced amino acid sequence ≥ 83% homologous to both species. Analysis of the tissue expression pattern of RBP mRNA in the female mouse indicated relatively abundant expression in the liver, with lesser amounts in extrahepatic tissues including adipose, kidney, spleen and uterus, suggesting that these tissues may have a significant role in retinol homeostasis. Mouse liver cell RBP regulation by retinoids was also investigated. Both all-trans retinoic acid (AT-RA) and 9-cis retinoic acid (9c-RA) induced RBP mRNA expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Maximal levels (up to 4-fold above controls) were observed at ≥ 48h following treatment of both mouse hepatoma cells in vitro and in vivo in mice receiving a single, oral dose of either retinoid. Interestingly, 9c-RA was more potent at RBP induction in both in vivo and in vitro systems. Given the extent and temporal pattern of RBP induction, we suggest that the RA-mediated increase in liver RBP is part of a cellular protection mechanism. Increased levels of RBP would facilitate sequestration and possibly cellular export of RA in cells receiving prolonged exposure to high levels of RA, thus minimizing toxicity.
Gall-Bearing Plants and Gall-Inducing Organisms

Galls arise on nearly all the major classes of plants. Although no group of plants is entirely free from galls, even casual observation shows that galls are more common on some groups than among others. Relatively few galls are found, for example, on Cryptogams and Gymnosperms, but the Phanerogams, especially the Dicotyle-donae, are remarkable for the abundance and great diversity of their galls (fig. 5).
Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility Parameters: Guidelines for their Rational Selection

Twenty-eight parameters used to characterize measurements of the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility are compared theoretically in this work by introducing the concept of the field of susceptibility tensors, which allows the representation of parameters as families of lines in a plane. It is demonstrated that the foliation and lineation parameters are but a special case of the shape parameters, implying that the resolution of these two rock fabric elements using AMS measurements alone is more an artifact of the numerical range of definition of some parameters than a quantification of two physically independent features. Also, it is shown that parameters presumably of the same type do not necessarily yield equivalent interpretation of results in a qualitative sense, and therefore, caution should be strongly exercised when parameters are to be selected. Paramters quantifying the degree of anisotropy are, in general, equivalent to each other because of the very small departure observed in natural rocks from the isotropic case. However, a final consideration of the possible ability to differentiate rock types and a convenient range of values allowing expression of the degree of anisotropy in a well-defined percentage are pointed out as the main factors to be considered before selecting one parameter within this class.
Therapeutic Alliance and Common Factors in Treatment

Changes in therapy can result from variables unique to a particular treatment package (i.e., specific factors), as a function of variables common to a variety of treatments (i.e., nonspecific/common factors), or a combination of both specific and nonspecific ingredients (Kazdin,1979). Nonspecific (or common) treatment factors include variables that are common across different treatment modalities, which are thought to influence outcomes in therapy but are often not well linked to a mechanism of change. Due to differences in what is posited to be important to the change process by any one treatment theory, specific factors that are deemed crucial for one theoretical approach might be considered a common factor for another approach (Kazdin,1979; Wilkins,1979).
Three-Dimensional Simulations of Core Ignition in Sub-Chandrasekhar Mass Models

We present a number of three-dimensional Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations of the explosion of a sub-Chandrasekhar mass white dwarf. In our models, ignition of our ≈1.1M⊙ progenitors occurs either exactly at the sharp helium and carbon-oxygen interface or at some distance above it. While our simulations in which helium has been ignited above the interface easily result in a core detonation, the ones ignited exactly at the interface present additional numerical difficulties but eventually appear to ignite the core as well. In all cases, the resolution required to model this ignition properly is such that complete three-dimensional models remain beyond our present computational capabilities. The actual path taken to core ignition will depend sensitively on the details of the accretion history of the progenitor.
Treatment of Dyslipidemia in Patients with Renal Insufficiency and End-Stage Renal Disease

A 54-year-old African American male patient comes to the office for a preoperative assessment prior to the placement of an A-V fistula for hemodialysis. He was recently diagnosed with end-stage renal disease and started on hemodialysis through a temporary catheter. He has a long standing history of hypertension which has been poorly controlled due in part to lack of compliance with medications because of side effects. In the office, he has no complaints except for fatigue and pain in his legs when he walks. He has no chest pain. There is no history of prior cardiac disease or diabetes.
The Ethics of Interstitial and Cesarean Scar Ectopic Pregnancies: Four Case Studies and a Review of the Literature.

Catholic bioethicists have extensively addressed extrauterine tubal pregnancies, which represent the great majority of ectopic pregnancies. However, additional management options have been developed for the other 7-10 percent of ectopic pregnancies. Using two cases of interstitial pregnancy and two cases of cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) seen at a Catholic tertiary care center, this article discusses options including expectant management, systemic methotrexate, intragestational methotrexate, intragestational potassium chloride, uterine artery embolization, dilation and curettage (DC less clearly licit are aspiration of gestational sac contents, cornuostomy, gestational excision for CSPs, and methotrexate. Certainly illicit are any techniques leading to direct abortion such as D&Cs on live embryos or fetuses, double-balloon catheter placement, and use of potassium chloride. Summary: An ectopic pregnancy is any pregnancy outside the uterus. These are dangerous because the pregnancy can burst out of its abnormal location and cause life-threatening internal bleeding. Most are in the part of the fallopian tube outside the uterus, but there are other types, including interstitial pregnancies (located in the part of the tube tunneling through the uterine wall) and cesarean scar pregnancies (buried in the uterine scar where the cut for a C-section was made). This article lists the ways that physicians prevent women from dying from interstitial and cesarean scar pregnancies and proposes which treatments are morally acceptable.
PROTECTION OF T-LYMPHOCYTES VIA PD-1 RECEPTOR: NEW MOLECULAR MECHANISM OF CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPY

After briefl y reviewing major forms of cell death and discovery of programmed (cell) death 1 (PD-1) protein and its ligands (PD-L1 and PD-L2), this overview is focused on how PD-1 and PD-1 ligands are involved in a new form of in immunosuppression that represents a new approach to cancer therapy. Namely, tumor cells often kill cytotoxic T lymphocytes through PD-1 mechanisms – hence, PD-L1 inhibitors represent a new molecular mechanism of cancer immunotherapy. Recent translational clinical research also revealed a substantial infl uence of gut microbiome on response to PD-1-based cancer immunotherapy. The initial discovery was that cancer patients treated with antibiotics for various infections have diminished response to anti-PD-1 therapy. Comparing the fecal microbiota of responders to non-responders revealed increased abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila, Faecalibacteria and Bifi dobacteria in patients showing favorable outcomes to anti–PD-1 treatment.Conclusions: 1. Recent studies revealed how inhibition of certain cell death (e.g., cytotoxic T cells) via PD-1 leads to increased death of tumor cells. 2. The eff ectiveness of PD-1-based cancer immunotherapy is greatly infl uenced by gut microbiome (e.g., fi rmicutes and clostridia have positive, while bacteroidia exert negative eff ects). 3. Nevertheless, checkpoint inhibitors (via PD-1, PD-L1) represent a new and eff ective cancer immunotherapy, even in metastatic melanoma. 4. Thus, the discoverers of PD-1 and PD-L1 rightly shared the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Professional identity and hospital‐based registered nurses: A phenomenological study

Introduction Nurses continue to struggle to define their role as professionals in the hospital-setting often being represented in media as less competent than other health care providers. Paradoxically, an annual poll of the public consistently identifies nursing as the most trusted profession. This dichotomy of simultaneously being considered incompetent yet holding a high level of trust leads nurses to question their own professional identity. A gap exists in the literature about the professional identity of nurses who work directly with patients in the hospital environment. Methodology Therefore, the aim of this interpretive phenomenology study was to describe the lived experience of nurses working with patients in the hospital environment and the meaning of this phenomenon as it relates to their professional identity. Results Four themes were identified: (a) being validated as an expert by providers within the healthcare system; (b) working well as a valued member of a team; (c) advocating for the patient's needs despite opposition; and (d) Valuing human-ness in the patient. Implications The findings provide a deeper representation of the practice of hospital-based nurses and implications for Anchornurses to be empowered in their workplace.