cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of Surgery in Oligometastatic Disease

Solitary and oligometastatic lesions occur in a subset of patients afflicted by bone metastases. Oligometastases may represent a distinct spectrum of disease for which aggressive surgical management may prolong survival or even potentiate cure. Basic research and empiric clinical evidence suggest that some cancers are biologically restricted in the capacity for distant spread. Renal cell carcinoma and thyroid cancer have been most frequently reported to benefit from aggressive treatment of bone oligometastases. Complete surgical resection of solitary and oligometastases has been associated with improved survival in numerous retrospective studies. Although rare compared with widespread bone metastases, the incidence of resectable oligometastatic cases likely outnumbers that of primary bone sarcomas.
[Microsurgical treatment of ophthalmic segment aneurysms of internal carotid artery: 28 cases report].

Objective To investigate the operative modalities and outcomes of 28 cases of ophthalmic segment aneurysms of internal carotid artery. Methods Twenty-eight cases of ophthalmic segment aneurysms of internal carotid artery were operated on from May 2004 to August 2009. Of all 28cases, 20 were large or giant. Nineteen aneurysms were directly clipped or resected with internal carotid artery revascularization. Since 2006, high-flow extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC)bypass were available and performed in 9 patients of large or giant aneurysms and then the aneurysms were resected or trapped. Results Seventeen patients underwent digital subtraction angiography (DSA), computed tomography angiography (CTA) or magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) postoperatively. The images demonstrated that 5 grafts of bypass were in patency, and 2 were occluded. Only 1 aneurysm was partially clipped and the others disappeared on imaging. The 78% of these cases had good results( GOS 4-5). One patient died after EC-IC bypass due to neck hematoma. Conclusions The treatment of ophthalmic segment aneurysms of internal carotid artery, especially the large and giant ones, remains a challenge for neurovascular neurosurgeon. The accessorial high-flow EC-IC bypass procedures and selection of suitable aneurysm clips are very important to improve the effectiveness of the operation. Key words: Intracranial aneurysrns; Ophthalmic artery; Microsurgery; Bypass surgery
Heart-Stopping Treatment

This case discusses a pharmacokinetic interaction between verapamil and erythromycin, leading to AV nodal blockade and prolongation of QTc interval. Verapamil is a cytochrome P450 3A4 substrate and erythromycin is a 3A4 inhibitor.
Optimal choices: Azeri multilingualism in indigenous and diaspora contexts:

Purpose:This study provides a comparative-theoretic account of code-switching in Azeri-Farsi-English multilingual communities in the USA and Iran. The salient differences between the grammars of these communities, I claim, reside in the relative ‘value’ each community places on the two relational constraints: POWER and SOLIDARITY.Approach:I follow Bhatt and Bolonyai’s (2011) optimality-theoretic framework for the analysis of inter-community variation.Data and analysis:The data are drawn from over 15 hours of audio-recorded natural conversations among Azeri-Farsi-English multilingual speakers in Iran and the USA. The recordings were transcribed and coded for the five meta-pragmatic constraints of FAITH, FACE, SOLIDARITY, POWER and PERSPECTIVE proposed by Bhatt and Bolonyai.Findings and conclusions:The results reveal that despite overwhelming similarities in Azeri communities in the USA and Iran, the difference in their sociolinguistic grammars are significant, resulting from the interaction of SOLIDARTY an...
Strategies for enhancing fire performance of steel bridges

Abstract This paper presents an approach for developing strategies to mitigate fire hazard in critical bridges. The proposed approach comprises of two steps; namely estimating fire risk in a bridge, and then developing strategies for minimizing fire hazard on a critical bridge. As part of the first step, an analytical procedure is employed to derive a fire-based importance factor to assess the vulnerability of a bridge to fire. When the bridge is susceptible to likely fire damage, the second step involves a sequential finite element analysis to develop alternate strategies for minimizing the consequences of fire hazard on that bridge. The applicability of this approach is demonstrated through case studies on three major steel bridges that experienced failure due to fire incidents in recent years. It is shown that the proposed approach can be used as a practical tool for identifying critical bridges from the point of fire hazard and then developing solutions to overcome fire hazard in such critical bridges.
Dentoalveolar effects of nonextraction orthodontic treatment of moderate crowding: A comparison of conventional, active self-ligating, and passive self-ligating bracket systems

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to compare patterns of dentoalveolar changes that take place after nonextraction treatment of Class I malocclusions with moderate crowding using conventional (CON), active self-ligating (ASL), and passive self-ligating (PSL) bracket systems. Material and Methods Three cast and nine cephalometric variables on 39 patients were evaluated and compared before treatment (T0), at end of treatment (T1), and ≥6 months in retention (T2). The pattern of change over time points was visualized and defined as the profile formed on a graph of the measurement over time. Differences in patterns between the groups were visualized as nonparallel profiles, and detected statistically using time*group interaction terms that were included in multivariable analyses of variance. Post hoc Tukey test was used to compare estimated means between all possible paired time points within each system. Results Patterns of change did not differ significantly for cephalometric variables, most of the arch widths (AW), the maxillary arch perimeter (AP) ( P = 0.1404), or maxillary arch depth (AD) ( P = 0.2601), but did differ for the mandibular AP ( P = 0.0145) and AD ( P = 0.0224). Conclusions Although there were no significant differences between CON and PSL in the patterns of changes for any of the variables studied, ASL showed some differences from either CON or PSL. All three groups showed statistically significant increases in AWs of maxillary or mandibular premolars. Although ASL seemed to have controlled the mandibular incisors better, the results need to be interpreted with caution, as the clinical significance of the differences seen could be limited under certain circumstances.
Development and Theoretical Evaluation of Optimized Phonemic Interfaces

In this paper, optimized communication interfaces in which users select phonemes (sounds) instead of letters or whole words are presented and evaluated. Optimization is based on phoneme transition likelihoods (i.e., the probability of transitioning from one phoneme to another in a particular communication corpus), similar to letter-to-letter transition likelihoods used to optimize orthographic interfaces. However, it is unknown to what extent phoneme transition likelihoods vary by corpus, nor how optimizing based on different corpora affects the final interface efficiency. Here we used computational evaluations to compare phoneme transition likelihoods between various phonemic corpora and optimize phonemic interfaces with each corpus. Each interface's efficiency was evaluated against all the corpora. Phoneme-to-phoneme transitions were highly correlated across corpora (r = 0.7-0.86). Optimization based on phoneme-to-phoneme transition likelihoods improved efficiency by around 20-30% compared to random phonemic layouts, regardless of the corpus used to optimize the interface. Optimizations using different corpora were similar, varying only by 3-5%. We conclude that, if possible, future phonemic interfaces should be optimized via a corpus from the intended user's communication. If this is not possible, however, optimization still improved efficiency using all testing corpora, suggesting that optimizing via any relevant corpus is indicated over other layouts.
In Situ Synaptic Programming of CBRAM in an Ionizing Radiation Environment

Cu–SiO2 and Ag–Ge30Se70 conductive bridging random access memory (CBRAM) resistive memories are shown to be susceptible to ionizing radiation effects during neuromorphic pulse programming. in situ measurements were performed to evaluate the response of CBRAM devices during 60Co irradiation. DC current–voltage ( $I$ – $V$ ) sweeps and pulse testing were performed. No total ionizing dose (TID) effects were observed during the in situ $I$ – $V$ measurements; however, the conductance change caused by pulsed programming was shown to decrease with increasing TID. Both device types were tested beyond 1 Mrad.
A 50 dB variable gain amplifier using parasitic bipolar transistors in CMOS

Amplifiers with electrically controllable gain are essential parts of AGC loops in front-end analog circuits for telecommunications applications. They are typically implemented using binary weighted arrays of capacitors or resistors that are digitally selected as feedback elements around op amps. This approach can consume substantial chip area when a large range of variable gain is sought In contrast, amplifiers whose gain is determined by bias currents, like the Gilbert gain cell, can be compact because they take advantage of the linear dependence of the transconductance of bipolar transistors on emitter current
Identification and Complete Stereochemical Assignments of the New Resolvin Conjugates in Tissue Regeneration in Human Tissues that Stimulate Proresolving Phagocyte Functions and Tissue Regeneration.

Resolvin conjugates in tissue regeneration (RCTRs) are new chemical signals that accelerate resolution of inflammation, infection, and tissue regeneration. Herein, using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry–based metabololipidomics, we identified RCTRs in human spleen, lymph node, bone marrow, and brain. In human spleen incubated with Staphylococcus aureus , endogenous RCTRs were increased along with conversion of deuterium-labeled docosahexaenoic acid, conferring pathway activation. Physical and biological properties of endogenous RCTRs were matched with those prepared by total organic synthesis. The complete stereochemical assignment of bioactive RCTR1 is 8 R -glutathionyl-7 S ,17 S -dihydroxy-4 Z ,9 E ,11 E ,13 Z ,15 E ,19 Z -docosahexaenoic acid, RCTR2 is 8 R -cysteinylglycinyl-7 S ,17 S -dihydroxy-4 Z ,9 E ,11 E ,13 Z ,15 E ,19 Z -docosahexaenoic acid, and RCTR3 is 8 R -cysteinyl-7 S ,17 S -dihydroxy-4 Z ,9 E ,11 E ,13 Z ,15 E ,19 Z -docosahexaenoic acid. These stereochemically defined RCTRs stimulated human macrophage phagocytosis, efferocytosis, and planaria tissue generation. Proteome profiling demonstrated that RCTRs regulated both proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines with human macrophages. In microfluidic chambers, the three RCTRs limited human polymorphonuclear cell migration. In hind-limb ischemia-reperfusion–initiated organ injury, both RCTR2 and RCTR3 reduced polymorphonuclear cell infiltration into lungs. In infectious peritonitis, RCTR1 shortened the resolution intervals. Each RCTR (1 nmol/L) accelerated planaria tissue regeneration by approximately 0.5 days, with direct comparison to both maresin and protectin CTRs. Together, these results identify a new bioactive RCTR (ie, RCTR3) in human tissues and establish the complete stereochemistry and rank-order potencies of three RCTRs in vivo . Moreover, RCTR1, RCTR2, and RCTR3 each exert potent anti-inflammatory and proresolving actions with human leukocytes.
Distinguished Essay: Good Agency Practice and the Implementation of Competition Law

In recent decades, the community of jurisdictions with systems of competition laws has experienced a stunning enlargement. By 1990, fewer than 20 jurisdictions had established competition laws and mechanisms for their enforcement. Today, the number of systems stands at over 120. By 2020, new additions will bring the number of adopters to over 130.
Computational Approaches for Analyzing Latent Social Structures in Open Source Organizing 1

Open source software represents a novel form of organizing that leaves digital trace data for organizational researchers to analyze using computational methods. Computational social science has emerged as an important approach to understanding patterns that represent latent social structures in sociological, organizational, and technical phenomena. Within the context of open and digitalized collaboration the clearest manifestation of computational social science has been social network analysis. While social network analysis is a powerful approach for understanding social phenomena in terms of their latent relational social structure, the network lens does not capture the entirety of social structures. Procedural social structures undergirding recurrent patterns of action form another important element of latent social structure. Analyzing such structures requires alternative methods able to deal with historydependent patterning of activities. Therefore, we investigate the concepts of latent relational and procedural structures, and discuss computational approaches for analyzing patterns and interdependencies among such structures.
Assessing the effectiveness of riparian restoration projects using Landsat and precipitation data from the cloud-computing application ClimateEngine.org

Abstract Riparian vegetation along streams provides a suite of ecosystem services in rangelands and thus is the target of restoration when degraded by over-grazing, erosion, incision, or other disturbances. Assessments of restoration effectiveness depend on defensible monitoring data, which can be both expensive and difficult to collect. We present a method and case study to evaluate the effectiveness of restoration of riparian vegetation using a web-based cloud-computing and visualization tool ( ClimateEngine.org ) to access and process remote sensing and climate data. Restoration efforts on an Eastern Oregon ranch were assessed by analyzing the riparian areas of four creeks that had in-stream restoration structures constructed between 2008 and 2011. Within each study area, we retrieved spatially and temporally aggregated values of summer (June, July, August) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and total precipitation for each water year (October-September) from 1984 to 2017. We established a pre-restoration (1984–2007) linear regression between total water year precipitation and summer NDVI for each study area, and then compared the post-restoration (2012–2017) data to this pre-restoration relationship. In each study area, the post-restoration NDVI-precipitation relationship was statistically distinct from the pre-restoration relationship, suggesting a change in the fundamental relationship between precipitation and NDVI resulting from stream restoration. We infer that the in-stream structures, which raised the water table in the adjacent riparian areas, provided additional water to the streamside vegetation that was not available before restoration and reduced the dependence of riparian vegetation on precipitation. This approach provides a cost-effective, quantitative method for assessing the effects of stream restoration projects on riparian vegetation.
Computerized reminders for syphilis screening in an urban emergency department.

Point of care reminders have been shown to be effective in changing ordering behavior in primary care settings, but electronic reminders in the emergency department have not been studied. We retrospectively evaluated a computerized system designed to prompt syphilis testing in an emergency department during an outbreak . Most individual reminders were not followed by a test. However, there was a marked general increase in syphilis testing.
Evaluation of medical marijuana topics in the PharmD curriculum: A national survey of schools and colleges of pharmacy.

Abstract Introduction To summarize the status of medical marijuana instruction in the PharmD curriculum and capture future plans for the incorporation of medical marijuana content. Methods One hundred and forty United States schools and colleges of pharmacy were contacted to complete an anonymous survey regarding inclusion of medical marijuana topics in their curriculum, future plans for inclusion, and evaluation of perceived importance of specific topics. Results Forty nine percent (68/140) of schools and colleges completed the survey and 62% (44/68) include medical marijuana content in their curriculum. Of the schools and colleges that do not include it, 23% (6/26) plan to incorporate medical marijuana topics within the next 12 months. In regards to perceived importance of specific topics related to medical marijuana, all topics received a median score of three on a scale of one to five, with one being of high importance. Conclusion With more states legalizing medical marijuana, schools and colleges of pharmacy need to evaluate inclusion of medical marijuana topics in their curriculum to prepare student pharmacists to effectively care for patients using this product.
Evidence of problem exploration in creative designs

Design problems are often presented as structured briefs with detailed constraints and requirements, suggesting a fixed definition. However, past studies have identified the importance of exploring design problems for creative design outcomes. Previous protocol studies of designers has shown that problems can “co-evolve” with the development of solutions during the design process. But to date, little evidence has been provided about how designers systematically explore presented problems to create better solutions. In this study, we conducted a qualitative analysis of 252 design problems collected from publically available sources, including award-winning product designs and open-source design competitions. This database offers an independent sample of presented problems, designers’ alternative problem descriptions, and innovative solutions. We report the results of this large-scale qualitative analysis aimed at characterizing changes to problems during the design process. Inductive coding was used to identify content patterns in “discovered” problem descriptions, with qualitative codes reliably scored by two independent coders. A total of 32 distinct patterns of problem exploration were identified across designers and presented problems. Each pattern is described in the form of a generalized strategy to guide designers as they explore problem spaces. The exploration patterns identified in this study are the first empirical evidence of problem exploration in independent design problems. Further, the presence of exploration patterns in discovered problems is associated with the selection of the corresponding solution as a challenge finalist. These empirically identified strategies for problem exploration may be useful for computational tools supporting designers.
What Hippo and Grand Rapids Have to Say to Each Other

This essay situates James K. A. Smith’s Awaiting the King: Reforming Public Theology in the context of contemporary social criticism, Augustinian politics, and the cultural turn in religious ethics...
Cyber Handyman and Nursing for Humanitarian Services and Disaster Relief

Calamities cause immense damage to the lives and properties; emergency management and humanitarian support have always been a challenge in the disaster-hit areas due to deficiency of skilled workforce and increase in demand for available experts. Not all the volunteers have the required technical expertise to handle those situations, utilizing the services of the remotely located experts to enhance the skills of the volunteers can help them to handle the situations efficiently. The existing communication mechanisms do not have the capabilities required for collaborating people over physical tasks, which is crucial during the emergency situations. In this paper, we present two novel remote collaboration systems, Cyber-Handyman and Cyber-Nurse using which the less-trained and inexperienced aid workers can enhance their capabilities with the help from remote experts. These units will be deployed in the disaster sites, and the remote experts access and control the sensors on it to guide the aid workers or the victims. The efficiency of the collaboration over physical tasks, which is vital during emergency situations, depends on the complexity of the protocols utilized and the efficiency of the collaboration system. We also propose a methodology to evaluate the protocol complexity and efficiency of the system. Our experiments and results show that with our collaboration system a remote helper can successfully guide the workers in performing a physical task with minimum difficulty.
Myanmar in Contemporary Chinese Foreign Policy – Strengthening Common Ground, Managing Differences

This assessment first briefly examines recent features of China’s approach to foreign affairs, and then examines in greater detail features in China’s approach to relations with its neighbours, especially in Southeast Asia. It does so in order to discern prevailing patterns in Chinese foreign relations and to determine in the review of salient recent China–Myanmar developments in the concluding section how China’s approach to Myanmar compares with Chinese relations with other regional countries and more broadly. The assessment shows that the strengths and weaknesses of China’s recent relations with Myanmar are more or less consistent with the strengths and weaknesses of China’s broader approach to Southeast Asia and international affairs more generally. On the one hand, China’s approach to Myanmar, like its approach to most of the states around its periphery, has witnessed significant advances and growing interdependence in the post-Cold War period. On the other hand, mutual suspicions stemming from negative historical experiences and salient differences require attentive management by Chinese officials and appear unlikely to fade soon.
The Role of Atrial Arrhythmia Ablation in Adolescent and Adult Congenital Heart Disease

Atrial arrhythmias cause significant morbidity in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). Catheter ablation remains one of the most effective treatment modalities for atrial arrhythmias. However, patients with congenital heart disease present unique challenges for catheter ablation. Recent expert consensus guidelines inform physicians about treating arrhythmias in patients with CHD. These guidelines outline appropriate selection criteria for ablation and highlight treatment alternatives. The authors also suggest electrophysiology laboratory and physician standards for performing these complex procedures. Recent studies report that 51% of atrial arrhythmias in CHD involve the cavo-tricuspid isthmus (CTI), 28% were non-CTI related and two types of IART were present in 21%. These studies link recurrence of tachycardia after ablation to CHD complexity, non-CTI-related arrhythmias, and patients with prolonged intra-atrial conduction. An analysis of patients with displaced AV nodes showed that cryoablation is a safe and effective technology to perform ablation in CHD with perinodal substrates. Changes in surgical Fontan palliation away from intracardiac baffles to extracardiac conduit has hopefully decreased arrhythmia burden in single ventricle patients. However, in those with atrial arrhythmias, access to the atria is complicated by no direct systemic venous access to the heart. Recent single-center and multicenter studies evaluated the success of ablation in these patients and outline safe approaches to transbaffle puncture. Acute success was 83% with similar complication profile to other CHD patients. The anatomic variations of congenital heart disease create special problems for catheter ablation. Teams performing ablation need pre-procedural preparation and specialized understanding of a vast anatomic variation and surgical repairs. This understanding coupled with the knowledge of the pathophysiology of arrhythmia disorders and the biophysics of catheter ablation technology is required to perform successful and safe ablation procedures.
An Examination of Gain- and Loss-Framed Messaging on Smart Home Security Training Programs

The Internet of Things (IoT) has gained popularity among home consumers due to its characteristics related to automation, information gathering, and purported physical security benefits. In an effort to capitalize on an expanding market, IoT developers have rushed products to market without proper due diligence regarding device cybersecurity. By being more focused on the utility and convenience of IoT devices without being concerned about their devices’ inherent security flaws, consumers may be unwittingly putting themselves at risk. Gain- and loss-framed messaging has been an extensively studied form of persuasive communication in other research fields but has not been previously examined in the context of information security research. Using an experimental design, we assess the efficacy of applying gain- and loss-framed principles to a security education training and awareness (SETA) program designed to bolster IoT users’ concerns related to pertinent IoT-based threats and provide information about their corresponding countermeasures. We found that for consumers with low initial IoT security concerns, loss-framed messaging is more effective in increasing security concerns. For consumers with higher initial concerns, messages focusing on desirable outcomes, regardless of an overall gain- or loss-framed message valence, are effective at increasing IoT security concerns.
Efficacy of Controlled Whole-Body Vibration Training on Improving Fall Risk Factors in Stroke Survivors: A Meta-analysis

Background. Controlled whole-body vibration (CWBV) training has been applied to people with stroke. However, it remains inconclusive if CWBV reduces fall risk in this population. Objective. To (1) assess the immediate and retention effects of CWBV training on fall risk factors in people at postacute and chronic stages of stroke and (2) examine if CWBV dosage is correlated with the effect size (ES) for 3 fall risk factors: body balance, functional mobility, and knee strength. Methods. Twelve randomized controlled trials were included. ES was calculated as the standardized mean difference, and meta-analyses were completed using a random-effects model. Results. CWBV training may lead to improved balance and mobility immediately after training (ES = 0.27, P = .03 for balance; ES = 0.34, P = .02 for mobility) but not at the 3-month follow-up test (ES = 0.02, P = .89 for balance; ES = 0.70, P = .11 for mobility). CWBV affects knee strength capacity with mild ES (ES = 0.08 and 0.11, respectively, for immediate and retention effect; P ≥ .68 for both). Metaregression indicated that the immediate ES is strongly correlated with training dosage for balance (r = 0.649; P = .029) and mobility (r = 0.785; P = .036). Conclusions. CWBV training may benefit balance and mobility immediately, but the training effect may not persist among people with stroke. Additionally, the CWBV dosage correlates with the ES for body balance and mobility. More high-quality studies are needed to determine the retention effects of CWBV training.
How the Show Goes On: Using the Aesthetic Experience of Collective Performance to Adapt while Coordinating:

Coordinating in action groups consists of continuously adapting behaviors in response to fluctuating conditions, ideally with limited disruption to a group’s collective performance. Through an 18-m...
9 – Superlattice Structures

Publisher Summary This chapter explains that the lattice constant of a desired alloy differs from that of an underlying layer or the substrate. This gives rise to a layer under biaxial stress. It is no longer cubic, because the lattice constant in the growth plane differs from that in the perpendicular direction. The strained layer is often, somewhat incorrectly, termed “pseudo-morphic”. This term is to denote a situation where the crystal structure of an epitaxial layer is modified to match that of the substrate material to minimize the total energy of the system. Reduced dimensionality also reduces scattering because it reduces the number of momentum states into which a free carrier can scatter. This leads to higher free-carrier mobilities in 2D structures and even higher mobilities in quantum wires. The chapter discusses that clever configurations can be used to separate the free carriers from the fixed charges on the do-pant impurities. So far no development in semiconductor device technology has been more significant than the ability to grow hetero-structures and super-lattices by epitaxial techniques. It has resulted to a revolution in device performance.
Oncology patients' perceptions of and experiences with COVID-19.

No information is available on cancer patients’ knowledge of and experiences with COVID-19. We undertook an evaluation of differences in COVID-19 symptom occurrence rates, COVID-19 testing rates, clinical care activities, knowledge of COVID-19, and use of mitigation procedures between patients who were and were not receiving active cancer treatment. Patients enrolled were > 18 years of age; had a diagnosis of cancer; and were able to complete the emailed study survey online. Of the 174 patients who participated, 27.6% (n = 48) were receiving active treatment, 13.6% were unemployed because of COVID-19, 12.2% had been tested for COVID-19, and 0.6% had been hospitalized for COVID-19. Patients who were not on active treatment reported a higher mean number of COVID-19 symptoms (3.1 (± 4.2) versus 1.9 (± 2.6)), and patients who reported a higher number of COVID-19 symptoms were more likely to be tested. Over 55% of the patients were confident that their primary care provider could diagnose COVID-19, and the majority of the patients had high levels of adherence with the use of precautionary measures (e.g., social distancing, use of face coverings). The high level of COVID-19 symptoms and the significant overlap of COVID-19 and cancer-related symptoms pose challenges for clinicians who are assessing and triaging oncology patients for COVID-19 testing. For patients on active treatment, clinicians face challenges with how to assess and manage symptoms that, prior to COVID-19, would be ascribed to acute toxicities associated with cancer treatments or persistent symptoms in cancer survivors.
Transdermal Testosterone Attenuates Drug-Induced Lengthening of Both Early and Late Ventricular Repolarization in Older Men

We have previously reported that transdermal testosterone attenuates drug-induced QT interval lengthening in older men. However, it is unknown whether this is due to modulation of early ventricular repolarization, late repolarization, or both. In a secondary analysis of a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled three-way crossover study, we determined if transdermal testosterone and oral progesterone attenuate drug-induced lengthening of early and late ventricular repolarization, represented by the electrocardiographic measurements J-Tpeak c and Tpeak -Tend , respectively, as well as Tpeak -Tend /QT, a measure of transmural dispersion of repolarization. Male volunteers ≥ 65 years of age (n = 14) were randomized to receive transdermal testosterone 100 mg, oral progesterone 400 mg, or matching transdermal/oral placebo daily for 7 days. On the morning following the seventh day, subjects received intravenous ibutilide 0.003 mg/kg, after which electrocardiograms were performed serially. One subject was excluded due to difficulty in T-wave interpretation. Pre-ibutilide J-Tpeak c was lower during the testosterone phase than during progesterone and placebo (216 ± 23 vs. 227 ± 28 vs. 227 ± 21 ms, P = 0.002). Maximum post-ibutilide J-Tpeak c was also lower during the testosterone phase (233 ± 22 vs. 246 ± 29 vs. 248 ± 23 ms, P < 0.0001). Pre-ibutilide Tpeak -Tend was not significantly different during the three phases, but maximum post-ibutilide Tpeak -Tend was lower during the testosterone phase (80 ± 12 vs. 89 ± 18 vs. 86 ± 15 ms, P = 0.002). Maximum Tpeak -Tend /QT was also lower during the testosterone phase (0.199 ± 0.023 vs. 0.216 ± 0.035 vs. 0.209 ± 0.031, P = 0.005). Progesterone exerted minimal effect on drug-induced lengthening of J-Tpeak c, and no effect on Tpeak -Tend or Tpeak -Tend /QT. Transdermal testosterone attenuates drug-induced lengthening of both early and late ventricular repolarization in older men.
Temas y motivos de los discursos en prosa de la Academia de Nocturnos de Valencia

From the mid-fifteenth century, different Spanish scholarly groups gathered under the name of «academies». They were growing interest thanks to the argumentative text prior to the debate they generated. One of the most well-known groups, mostly because of the name of some of the participants and the high quality of the texts presented, was the Academia de Nocturnos of Valencia (1591-1594). Its members met once per week for reading poetry or discussing essays, reviews, etc. In its three years’ life, the Academia de Nocturnos of Valencia held a total of 88 sessions presenting 805 verse compositions and 88 prose speeches. This paper tries to classify those 88 prose speeches and analyze which themes predominated.
Trait aggression is primarily a facet of antagonism: Evidence from dominance, latent correlational, and item-level analyses

Trait aggression has been studied for decades and yet remains adrift from broader frameworks of personality such as the Five Factor Model. Across two datasets from undergraduate participants (Study 1: N = 359; Study 2; N = 620), we observed strong manifest and latent correlations between trait aggression and lower agreeableness (i.e., greater antagonism). Trait aggression was also linked to greater neuroticism and lower conscientiousness, but their effect sizes fell beneath our preregistered threshold. Subsequent item-level analyses were unable to articulate trait aggression and agreeableness items into separate factors using the IPIP-NEO, but not the Big Five Inventory. Our findings suggest that trait aggression is accurately characterized as primarily a facet of antagonism, while also reflecting other personality dimensions.
Multi-scale Coupled Processes Modeling of Fractures as Porous, Interfacial and Granular Systems from Rock Images with the Numerical Manifold Method

The greatest challenges of rigorously modeling coupled hydro-mechanical processes in fractured rocks at different scales are associated with computational geometry. In addition, selections of continuous or discontinuous models, physical laws, and coupling priorities at different scales based on different geometric features determine the applicability of a numerical model for a certain type of problem. In this study, we present our multi-scale modeling capabilities that have been developed based on the numerical manifold method for analyzing coupled hydro-mechanical processes in fractured rocks. Based on their geometric features, the fractures are modeled as continua—finite-thickness porous zones, and discontinua—discontinuous interfaces and microscale asperities and granular systems. Different governing equations, physical laws, coupling priorities, and approaches for addressing fracture intersections and shearing are then applied to describe these. We applied these models to simulate coupled processes in fractured rocks using realistic geometry obtained from rock images at different scales. We first calculated shearing of a single fracture with different models and demonstrated the impacts of asperities on shearing. We then applied the continuous and discontinuous models to simulate a network of rough fractures, demonstrating that contact dynamics contribute significantly to the geometric, multi-physical evolution of systems where rough fractures are not mineral filled. For a discrete fracture network, our coupled processes modeling demonstrates that shearing of the discrete fractures can have a major impact on stress and pore pressure distribution. Lastly, we applied the discontinuous granular model to simulate evolution of a complex granular system with a deformation band, demonstrating that the deformation band can dominate contact dynamics, the structural and the stress evolution of the granular system.
Have U.S. Gun Buyback Programs Misfired

Gun buyback programs (GBPs), which use public funds to purchase civilians' privately-owned firearms, aim to reduce gun violence. However, little is known about their effects on firearm-related crime or deaths. Using data from the National Incident Based Reporting System, we find no evidence that GBPs reduce gun crime. Given our estimated null findings, with 95 percent confidence, we can rule out decreases in firearm-related crime of greater than 1.3 percent during the year following a buyback. Using data from the National Vital Statistics System, we also find no evidence that GBPs reduce suicides or homicides where a firearm was involved. Institutional subscribers to the NBER working paper series, and residents of developing countries may download this paper without additional charge at www.nber.org.
Bad Arguments and Rationalization in Business

The following note attempts to catalog and analyze a set of flawed but common arguments made in business and organizational settings to drive strategic and operational decision-making. The arguments are deconstructed into syllogistic form—a set of premises leading to a conclusion—and analyzed for validity and soundness. The final part of this note pays attention to ways decision-makers can avoid such bad arguments and the rationalization that often goes hand in hand with them. Excerpt UVA-E-0406 Rev. Nov. 29, 2018 Bad Arguments and Rationalization in Business The following note attempts to identify and analyze a few examples of flawed but common arguments made in business and organizational settings to drive strategic and operational decision-making. The arguments are deconstructed into syllogistic form—a set of premises leading to a conclusion—and analyzed for validity and soundness. The final part of this note pays attention to ways decision-makers can avoid such bad arguments and the rationalization that often goes hand in hand with them. The Legal Defense: “Well, it ain't against the law” This is a common defense for a variety of wildly profitable corporate maneuvers, including lobbying government officials, corporate inversion, and patent trolling. The below syllogism illustrates one of the most common structures of this argument: . . .
Incidence and Severity of Myelosuppression With Palbociclib After Palliative Bone Radiation in Advanced Breast Cancer: A Single Center Experience and Review of Literature.

Abstract Background Palbociclib is a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor with a primary toxicity of myelosuppression, especially neutropenia, due to cytostatic CDK6 inhibition on bone marrow. Preclinical studies suggest palbociclib may enhance radiation toxicity, but this was only evaluated in limited case series of palliative radiotherapy and not specific to radiation targeting bony metastases. Patients and Methods This was a single institution retrospective cohort study. We included female patients who initiated palbociclib for advanced breast cancer between 2015 and 2019. The primary exposure was receipt of palliative radiation to bony metastases within 1 year prior to starting palbociclib. The primary outcome was the incidence and severity of myelosuppression during cycle one. Secondary outcomes include treatment interruptions and cycle 2 dose reductions, with subgroup analysis of radiation timing, type, dose, and location. Results Of the 247 patients, 47 received radiation to bone metastases. Only absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) after cycle one of palbociclib was significantly lower in the group receiving radiation (median ALC 0.84 vs. 1.10 K/mm3, P Conclusion Palliative bone radiation within 1 year prior to palbociclib initiation was associated with greater lymphopenia during the first cycle than patients unexposed to radiation, but not neutropenia, anemia, or thrombocytopenia that would modify treatment.
Toleration of Free Speech: Imposing Limits on Elected Officials

Tolerance is a nuanced issue, inevitably raising concerns regarding tolerant of what and whom. There is a sense of subjective judgment in the tolerance-intolerance debate; the terminology reflects particular norms, mores, customs, and traditions. What one might perceive as a healthy and tolerable challenging of existing acceptable “ways,” another would not tolerate because of the very challenge it poses to society. That split between tolerance-intolerance applies to both speech and conduct. It reflects everyday tensions, challenges, and conflict. In examining the tolerance-intolerance debate in the speech context there are a number of assumptions integral to a robust, liberal democracy: the freedom of speech is given a wide swath, whereby courts broadly protect the freedom of speech guaranteed in constitutions and legislation. While the speech may make certain sectors of the population uncomfortable, may be perceived as offensive, courts are tolerant of such speech provided it does not morph-transition into the realm of incitement. National leaders have significant power when they speak. The scope of this chapter is limited to analyzing the extent to which national leaders’ speech should be tolerated. Donald Trump and Bibi Netanyahu both provide salient examples regarding the extent to which speech should be tolerated. Both Netanyahu and Trump have used social media to great effect. The way that social media facilitates the spread of misinformation plays must be taken into account when analyzing the importance of contemporary leaders’ speech. In addition, the level to which qualified immunity and the freedom of speech should apply to elected officials comes under question. This chapter analyzes the extent to which qualified immunity should apply and the level of tolerance that the speech of leaders should be afforded.
Lenticular Objects: 3D Printed Objects with Lenticular Lens Surfaces That Can Change their Appearance Depending on the Viewpoint

In this paper, we present a method that makes 3D objects appear differently under different viewpoints. We accomplish this by 3D printing lenticular lenses across the curved surface of objects. By calculating the lens distribution and the corresponding surface color patterns, we can determine which appearance is shown to the user at each viewpoint. We built a 3D editor that takes as input the 3D model, and the visual appearances, i.e. images, to show at different viewpoints. Our 3D editor then calculates the corresponding lens placements and underlying color pattern. On export, the user can use ray tracing to live preview the resulting appearance from each angle. The 3D model, color pattern, and lenses are then 3D printed in one pass on a multi-material 3D printer to create the final 3D object. To determine the best fabrication parameters for 3D printing lenses, we printed lenses of different sizes and tested various post-processing techniques. To support a large number of different appearances, we compute the lens geometry that has the best trade-off between the number of viewpoints and the protrusion from the object geometry. Finally, we demonstrate our system in practice with a range of use cases for which we show the simulated and physical results side by side.
Persistent Hyper-Transmission Defects Detected on En Face Swept Source OCT Images Predict the Formation of Geographic Atrophy in AMD.

ABSTRACT Purpose To determine if persistent hyper-transmission defects (hyperTDs), previously shown to have a greatest linear dimension (GLD) ≥ 250µm on en face swept source OCT (SS-OCT) images, serve as a stand-alone early biomarker for the future formation geographic atrophy (GA). Design Post-hoc cohort study using a subgroup of a prospective study. Participants Patients with intermediate age-related macular degeneration (iAMD). Methods All subjects underwent 6 × 6mm SS-OCT raster scans at baseline and during their follow-up period. En face images were generated using a slab with segmentation boundaries positioned 64µm to 400µm beneath Bruch's membrane. Two graders independently evaluated all en face structural images for the presence of hyperTDs with a GLD ≥ 250µm and GA. Results A total of 190 eyes were included with a mean follow up of 31(SD: 13.2) months. At baseline, 31 eyes (16%) had at least one hyperTD ≥ 250µm and 13 eyes (42%) progressed to GA. In those eyes without a hyperTD ≥ 250µm at baseline, 42 (26%) developed hyperTDs ≥ 250µm during their follow-up and 11 eyes (7%) progressed to GA. At the last available follow-up visit, 25 eyes (13%) progressed to GA and of these 25 eyes, 24 eyes had a prior hyperTD ≥ 250µm detected before GA formed. A time-dependent Cox-survival regression analysis estimated an 80-fold (95% CI: 10.7 – 614, p Conclusions Persistent hyperTDs detected on en face OCT images were shown to serve as an early stand-alone OCT biomarker for the future formation of GA.
The Role of Online Communication in the Lives of Military Spouses

The present study explored the impact of online communication and social networking sites on military spouses as they experienced a deployment of their spouse. Qualitative data were collected through one-on-one, semi-structured Skype interviews with ten married military spouses from Eastern North Carolina. Phenomenological data analysis revealed three major themes: (1) social media and its purpose in the life of military spouses; (2) social media and its role in maintaining the relationships among military couples; and (3) implications for therapists to incorporate online communication into treatment plans of military couples around the topics of relocation, deployment, reintegration, and mental health. Key findings suggest that the use of online communication during a military deployment is a positive influence and support for military spouses. The present study provides insights into the life of military spouses and how they use online communication, including social media, as a tool for relational maintenance. By better understanding the function of social media and online communication for military spouses, family therapists can better assist military families through deployments and wartime separations.
Towards a framework for communication media implementation: Information richness and critical mass as complementary theories

The rapid evolution of communication technology creates confusion for many businesses in deciding which technologies fit the organization. While technologies such as electronic mail, group decision support systems, and video conferencing are mature and readily available, a problem exists in determining how well such media will work within a particular organization. This review examines case examples and research of communication media implementa­ tion within the framework of two theories, critical mass and information richness. Examples of using electronic mail, video conferencing, and group decision support systems are used to illustrate how a framework combining the two theories may be executed. The result is a thought provoking look at a potential framework for revealing communication media implementation issues and potential strategies for success. INTRODUCTION Researchers have spent years testing theories related to the implementation of communica­ tion media, particularly in the area of implementation success and technology adoption. Two noteworthy theories, information (media) richness and critical mass have experienced a depth of scrutiny, both with similar results. With each given theory, some elements of communication media are predictable, others are not. The result of this has been that individually, neither of these theories is particularly strong in universally predicting communication media implementation success. However, upon further examination, it can be noted that these theories are complemen­ tary in nature. When combined, they provide a more complete framework from which to evaluate communication media implementation issues. This paper sets out to demonstrate by literature survey that combining information richness and critical mass theories together, along with tech-