cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease: Functional prognosis in an era of high expectations: commentary on an article by A. Noelle Larson, MD, et al.: "A prospective multicenter study of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. Functional and radiographic outcomes of nonoperative treatment at a mean follow-up of twenty years".

In this important paper by Larson, Sucato, Herring et al., the authors have studied a subset of patients from the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital who had participated in a prospective multicenter study of Legg-Calve-Perthes (LCP) disease1, focusing on long-term follow-up of patients who received little or no treatment. Their goal was to determine the functional and radiographic outcome twenty years after treatment. LCP disease remains one of the most challenging conditions presenting to pediatric orthopaedic surgeons. The goal of treatment includes maintaining hip motion and joint sphericity, by containing the femoral head within the acetabulum during its biologically plastic phase, to provide the best chance for joint remodeling as well as to minimize the risk of premature hip arthritis. However, the best treatment methods for achieving this goal remain elusive. The continuing skepticism regarding treatment efficacy allowed inclusion of a minimal nontreatment cohort in the Texas prospective trial, providing the patients available for the current long-term follow-up study. Classic teaching regarding the outcome of LCP disease, based on long-term studies by Gower and Johnston2, Stulberg et al.3, and McAndrew and Weinstein4 from the University of Iowa, has been that most …
Incidence Rates of Firearm Injuries in Galveston, Texas, 1979–1981

Firearm injury mortality rates have been characterized in various settings, but little is known of the total magnitude of firearm injury, including morbidity. The authors determined population-based incidence rates of firearm injury among residents of Galveston, Texas, from 1979-1981 by using police, emergency department, hospital, emergency medical services, medical examiner, and vital records to identify 239 firearm injury cases. Vital records, medical examiner, and police records each identified more than 95% of the fatalities, but police records (sensitivity = 98%) were better than emergency department or hospital records (sensitivity = 82% and 28%, respectively) for identifying all nonfatal cases. The annual age-adjusted incidence rate of firearm injury was 128 per 100,000 persons. Black males, with the highest firearm injury rate (459 per 100,000 persons), were injured at 46 times the rate of white females (10 per 100,000 persons). The overall case fatality rate was 30%, including 25% of the assaults/homicides, 81% of the parasuicides/suicides, and 0% of the unintentional injuries. On the basis of the case fatality rates, an estimated 140,000 firearm injuries occur in the United States annually. The case fatality rate for penetrating head injuries was 80% versus 48% for chest injuries and 6% for all other parts of the body. The results are discussed with respect to policy recommendations for reducing firearm injuries.
Characterization of Calmodulin–Fas Death Domain Interaction: An Integrated Experimental and Computational Study

The Fas death receptor-activated death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) regulates apoptosis in many normal and cancer cells. Qualitative biochemical experiments demonstrate that calmodulin (CaM) binds to the death domain of Fas. The interaction between CaM and Fas regulates Fas-mediated DISC formation. A quantitative understanding of the interaction between CaM and Fas is important for the optimal design of antagonists for CaM or Fas to regulate the CaM-Fas interaction, thus modulating Fas-mediated DISC formation and apoptosis. The V254N mutation of the Fas death domain (Fas DD) is analogous to an identified mutant allele of Fas in lpr-cg mice that have a deficiency in Fas-mediated apoptosis. In this study, the interactions of CaM with the Fas DD wild type (Fas DD WT) and with the Fas DD V254N mutant were characterized using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), circular dichroism spectroscopy (CD), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. ITC results reveal an endothermic binding characteristic and an entropy-driven interaction of CaM with Fas DD WT or with Fas DD V254N. The Fas DD V254N mutation decreased the association constant (Ka) for CaM-Fas DD binding from (1.79 ± 0.20) × 10(6) to (0.88 ± 0.14) × 10(6) M(-1) and slightly increased a standard state Gibbs free energy (ΔG°) for CaM-Fas DD binding from -8.87 ± 0.07 to -8.43 ± 0.10 kcal/mol. CD secondary structure analysis and MD simulation results did not show significant secondary structural changes of the Fas DD caused by the V254N mutation. The conformational and dynamical motion analyses, the analyses of hydrogen bond formation within the CaM binding region, the contact numbers of each residue, and the electrostatic potential for the CaM binding region based on MD simulations demonstrated changes caused by the Fas DD V254N mutation. These changes caused by the Fas DD V254N mutation could affect the van der Waals interactions and electrostatic interactions between CaM and Fas DD, thereby affecting CaM-Fas DD interactions. Results from this study characterize CaM-Fas DD interactions in a quantitative way, providing structural and thermodynamic evidence of the role of the Fas DD V254N mutation in the CaM-Fas DD interaction. Furthermore, the results could help to identify novel strategies for regulating CaM-Fas DD interactions and Fas DD conformation and thus to modulate Fas-mediated DISC formation and thus Fas-mediated apoptosis.
Ultrastructural and biochemical characterization of glycosaminoglycans in HNK-1-positive large granular lymphocytes.

Natural killer (NK) cells are large granular lymphocytes (LGLs) that contain distinct lysosomal granules. The present study was undertaken to determine if these lysosomes contain glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) similar to those previously described in myeloid cells. Mononuclear cells from human blood were stained with HNK-1 fluoresceinated monoclonal antibody, and the NK cell population reactive with this antibody were isolated with a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS). Specific staining of sulfated macromolecules with the cationic reagent, high iron diamine, was observed in the lysosomal granules of 90% of the HNK-1 positive cells. Staining in the same location was also observed in the unsorted LGLs, presumed to be NK cells, and intense staining of the cell surface was also a prominent feature of these cells. Surface staining was not evident in the majority of the FACS- separated NK cells. Digestion with chondroitinase ABC or treatment with nitrous acid reduced the staining in both locations; after sequential treatment with both chondroitinase and nitrous acid, little or no staining was seen. The presence of chondroitin sulfate (and/or dermatan sulfate) and heparan sulfate was also shown by the finding that incubation of the isolated NK cells with 35S-sulfate yielded cell- associated radiolabeled macromolecules with the characteristics of these two groups of GAGs. Of the labeled GAG pool, 60% was degraded by chondroitinase and 40% was susceptible to nitrous acid treatment. LGLs of a patient with Chediak-Higashi syndrome was also stained, and intracellular sulfate staining was clearly localized to the enlarged granules, supporting the conclusion that the lysosomes are the major site of intracellular accumulation of GAGs in normal NK cells.
SU‐C‐207B‐07: Deep Convolutional Neural Network Image Matching for Ultrasound Guidance in Radiotherapy

Purpose: Robust matching of ultrasound images is a challenging problem as images of the same anatomy often present non-trivial differences. This poses an obstacle for ultrasound guidance in radiotherapy. Thus our objective is to overcome this obstacle by designing and evaluating an image blocks matching framework based on a two channel deep convolutional neural network. Methods: We extend to 3D an algorithmic structure previously introduced for 2D image feature learning [1]. To obtain the similarity between two 3D image blocks A and B, the 3D image blocks are divided into 2D patches Ai and Bi. The similarity is then calculated as the average similarity score of Ai and Bi. The neural network was then trained with public non-medical image pairs, and subsequently evaluated on ultrasound image blocks for the following scenarios: (S1) same image blocks with/without shifts (A and A_shift_x); (S2) non-related random block pairs; (S3) ground truth registration matched pairs of different ultrasound images with/without shifts (A_i and A_reg_i_shift_x). Results: For S1 the similarity scores of A and A_shift_x were 32.63, 18.38, 12.95, 9.23, 2.15 and 0.43 for x=ranging from 0 mm to 10 mm in 2 mm increments. For S2 the average similarity score for non-related block pairs was −1.15. For S3 the average similarity score of ground truth registration matched blocks A_i and A_reg_i_shift_0 (1≤i≤5) was 12.37. After translating A_reg_i_shift_0 by 0 mm, 2 mm, 4 mm, 6 mm, 8 mm, and 10 mm, the average similarity scores of A_i and A_reg_i_shift_x were 11.04, 8.42, 4.56, 2.27, and 0.29 respectively. Conclusion: The proposed method correctly assigns highest similarity to corresponding 3D ultrasound image blocks despite differences in image content and thus can form the basis for ultrasound image registration and tracking.[1] Zagoruyko, Komodakis, “Learning to compare image patches via convolutional neural networks”, IEEE CVPR 2015,pp.4353–4361.
The status value theory of power and mechanisms of micro stratification: Theory and new experimental evidence

This paper employs sociological theories of status and power to explore the mechanisms wherein status characteristics produce power in exchange relations. Theories in the status and exchange literature suggest that status characteristics produce power most strongly when actors possess (i) multiple differentiating status characteristics, and (ii) multiple resources. An experiment manipulating these factors finds that the former is related to expectations of competence while the latter induces perceptions of status value - mechanisms whereby status produces power. A second experiment manipulates the race and gender of the participants enabling white males to negotiate with African-American females in dyads. This study produces some of the largest dyadic power differences ever reported in micro sociology. These findings have implications for the mechanisms of power from Thye's (2000a) status value theory of power and Berger and Fisek's (2006) formal theory of status value. More generally, this research bears on the rudimentary foundations of social stratification in groups both small and large.
[59] (with P. R. Garabedian) A coefficient inequality for schlicht functions

Let Σ 0 denote the class of functions \(g(z) = z +\sum _{ n=1}^{\infty }b_{n}{z}^{-n}\) analytic and univalent in |z| > 1. The area theorem says that ∑ n=1 ∞ n|b n |2 ≤ 1 so that \(\vert b_{n}\vert \leq 1/\sqrt{n}\), but the latter inequality is sharp only for n = 1. In 1938, Schiffer (Bull. Soc. Math. France, 66, 48–55, 1938) proved that |b 2|≤ \(\frac{2}{3}\), with equality only for \(g(z) = z{\left (1 + {z}^{-3}\right )}^{2/3}\) and its rotations. This result gave rise to the conjecture that \(\vert b_{n}\vert \leq \frac{2} {n+1}\), with equality only for rotations of $$\displaystyle{ g(z) = z{\left (1 + {z}^{-(n+1)}\right )}^{2/(n+1)} = z + \frac{2} {n + 1}{z}^{-n} +\ldots \, . }$$ (1)
Statistical computational methods for mixed-signal performance metrics under process variations and noise models

This paper presents a method to compute the combined effects of process variations and various noise models in predicting performance metrics of analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits and subsystems. Without resorting to the traditional Monte Carlo simulation and specialized noise simulators, the method incorporates both behavioral simulation and statistical simulation to gain speed while ensuring reasonable accuracy in the performance predictions. A case study based on a published 60-GHz polyphase filter illustrates the method. The computed results are compared to the measured chip data to demonstrate the prediction accuracy. The method is intended to be used in the early design stages to select appropriate system architecture and blocks for lower-level circuit implementations.
Mini-Gunrock: A Lightweight Graph Analytics Framework on the GPU

Existing GPU graph analytics frameworks are typically built from specialized, bottom-up implementations of graph operators that are customized to graph computation. In this work we describe Mini-Gunrock, a lightweight graph analytics framework on the GPU. Unlike existing frameworks, Mini-Gunrock is built from graph operators implemented with generic transform-based data-parallel primitives. Using this method to bridge the gap between programmability and high performance for GPU graph analytics, we demonstrate operator performance on scale-free graphs with an average 1.5x speedup compared to Gunrock's corresponding operator performance. Mini-Gunrock's graph operators, optimizations, and applications code have 10x smaller code size and comparable overall performance vs. Gunrock.
Emerging Opportunities for Two-Dimensional Materials in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have achieved widespread utilization as primary rechargeable energy storage devices. In recent years, significant advances have been made in two-dimensional (2D) materials that have the potential to bring unprecedented functionality to next-generation LIBs. While many 2D materials can serve as a new class of active materials that exhibit superlative energy and power densities, they can also be employed as versatile additives that improve the kinetics and stability of LIBs. Here, we present a Perspective on how 2D materials can impact each of the primary components of a LIB including the anode, cathode, conductive additive, electrode–electrolyte interface, separator, and electrolyte. In this manner, emerging opportunities and challenges for 2D materials are identified that can inform future research on high-performance LIBs.
Korean physicians' bond defies borders.

In his Science Insider “North Korea travel ban would hit Pyongyang University hard” (21 July; ), R. Stone reports that the U.S. State Department plans to ban travel by U.S. citizens to North Korea. The ban would be particularly disruptive for Korean-American
Focused issue on interventional pulmonology.

We are pleased to announce this focused issue of the Journal of Thoracic Disease on “interventional pulmonology”. Thoracic procedures are better tolerated when they are minimally invasive, leading to shorter hospital stays, fewer complications, and possibly lower costs.
Dyadic power, marital status, face concerns, and politeness in the context of relational complaining:

This study examined the role of dyadic power, marital status, and face concerns in shaping the politeness strategies dating and married partners use to express complaints toward one another. Two hu...
Polymers with Large Spin-Orbit Coupling

The dynamics of spin singlet and triplet excitons in p-conjugated polymers define their performance as optically active layer in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells. As an example, if both triplet and singlet excitons can be used in OLEDs to convert electrical energy to electroluminescence (EL) emission, then the fraction of excitons that potentially can emit light may reach 100 % [1]. Similarly in OPV based on donor/acceptor (D–A) blends, the photogenerated singlet exciton in the polymer donor domains may recombine before reaching the D–A interface, because of its relatively short lifetime (~100 ps). In contrast, because of the much longer lifetime (~5 ms), triplet excitons could reach the D–A interface with larger probability and thus could potentially be the answer to this loss mechanism [2]. Therefore, both OLED and OPV technologies may substantially benefit from the proper use of the spin triplet states. Alas, because the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in polymers is typically very weak (<5 Gauss), triplet excitons cannot be efficiently photogenerated via intersystem crossing (ISC) in most donor polymers for OPVenhancement and, similarly, cannot efficiently emit light in OLEDs. The SOC however can be enhanced by embedding heavy atoms such as platinum (Pt) in the polymer backbone chains. Recently a series of polymers and oligomers in which platinum (Pt) atoms are inserted in the organic polymer’s building blocks have been synthesized [3, 4]. The Pt atom has large SOC and thus increases the effective SOC of the polymer chain. In fact, the Pt atoms may be inserted into the polymer chain with variable inter-Pt distance (i.e., between adjacent intrachain Pt atoms), and this tunes the effective SOC of the polymers [5, 6]. Such enhanced SOC, in turn, may increase the ISC rate from the singlet to the triplet manifold, which would make triplet excitons more viable for OPV applications. In addition, the enhanced SOC may also trigger substantive phosphorescence (PH) emission from the lowest triplet state [3–6], and thus the emission spectrum from such semiconductor polymers may contain both fluorescence (FL) and PH bands (Fig. 1). In fact, these two bands span the visible spectral range and therefore may potentially be used in designing “white” electroluminescence emission from the same polymer in OLEDs (dubbed WOLED), with internal quantum efficiency approaching 100 % [7]. Encyclopedia of Polymeric Nanomaterials DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-36199-9_170-1 # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014
A diverse deep-sea trace fossil assemblage from the Adriatic Flysch Formation (middle Eocene – middle Miocene), Montenegro (central Mediterranean)

Abstract Our study of ichnofossils in the Adriatic Flysch suggests that mid-fan environments, with 30 ichnospecies and 13 architectural designs, provided most productive and best preservation conditions in the fine-grained turbidite system of the Dinarides-Albanides-Helenides deep foreland basin. The Adriatic Flysch Formation at its type section in Crnjak Cove (Montenegro) represents a 300-m-thick turbidite succession deposited from the middle Eocene to the middle Miocene. The flysch is exposed in an asymmetrical syncline in a 750-m-long outcrop. The conglomerates, sandstones, and mudstones are arranged in seven distinct turbidite facies, which represent three superimposed submarine fans. The inner-, mid-, and outer-fan facies of the submarine fans contain sixteen ichnogenera and thirty three ichnospecies, which exhibit thirteen architectural designs. The inner fan conglomerates and coarse-grained sandstones contain a low diversity (Ophiomorpha rudis, Ophiomorpha annulata, and Halopoa imbricata), a low disparity (two architectural designs), and a low-density post-depositional trace fossil assemblages of the Ophiomorpha rudis ichnosubfacies of the Nereites ichnofacies. The mid-fan greywackes contain very diverse pre-depositional trace fossils (Belorhaphe zickzack, ?Cosmorhaphe isp., Desmograpton dertonensis, Gordia isp., Helminthopsis isp., Helminthorhaphe flexuosa, ?Megagrapton isp., Paleodictyon arvense, Paleodictyon hexagonum, Paleodictyon itallicum, Paleodictyon latum, Paleodictyon majus, Paleodictyon maximum, Paleodictyon strozzii, Paleodictyon isp., Scolicia strozzii, Squamodictyon isp.) having six architectural designs and abundant post-depositional trace fossils (Halopoa imbricata, Ophiomorpha annulata, Ophiomorpha nodosa, Ophiomorpha rudis, Planolites beverleyensis, Planolites montanus, Palaeophycus alternatus, Palaeophycus striatus, Palaeophycus tubularis, Rhizocorallium commune, Scolicia prisca, Scolicia strozzii, Zoophycos isp.) exhibiting seven architectural designs, which constitute the Paleodictyon-Ophiomorpha rudis ichnosubfacies of the Nereites icnhnofacies in the Adriatic Flysch. The waning turbidity currents with slower rates of sediment deposition and deficiency of nutrients favored grapholyptid colonization of the outer fans. Relatively low abundance, and great diversity of graphoglyptids (Helminthorhaphe flexuosa, Desmograpton dertonensis, ?Megagrapton isp., Paleodictyon arvense, Paleodictyon hexagonum, Paleodictyon majus, Paleodictyon minimum, Paleodictyon strozzii, Paleodictyon isp., Squamodictyon isp.), but low disparity (three architectural designs), represents the Paleodictyon ichnosubfacies of the Nereites ichnofacies in the outer fan facies of the Adriatic Flysch. The diversity of pre-depositional ichnofossils in the Adriatic Flysch exceeds post-depositional forms, reflecting a dominance of K-selected over r-selected population strategies in a stable oligotrophic environment.
Neuroethical and Social Implications of Using Transcranial Electrical Stimulation to Augment Creative Cognition

Recent research indicates that transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) of specific brain regions can successfully improve various forms of creative cognition. Although the endeavor to increase hu...
Mammary-type myofibroblastoma of the larynx: A rare tumor of the head and neck

Abstract Background Mammary type-myofibroblastoma is a rare, benign tumor that is morphologically identical to myofibroblastoma of the breast. We describe, for the first time, a case of mammary-type myofibroblastoma arising in the larynx. Methods and results A 70 year-old man presented with dysphagia and dysphonia and was found to have a right vocal cord cystic-appearing lesion, which was surgically excised. Histologic examination showed short fascicles of spindle cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm, oval nuclei with fine chromatin and inconspicuous nucleoli, thick bundles of collagen, and peripherally located focal scattered adipocytes. Immunohistochemical staining was positive for CD34 and negative for MDM2, CDK4, ER, and PR. Conclusion We report the first rare case of a patient with a mammary-type myofibroblastoma of the larynx. While rare, it is important to consider this in the differential diagnosis when a spindle-cell tumor arises in the head and neck and to review the histopathological findings.
Farm entry and persistence: Three pathways into alternative agriculture in southern Ohio

Abstract This paper investigates the role the food movement has played in catalyzing the entrance of new farmers into alternative agriculture. I analyze 30 interviews with farmers who participate in Alternative Food Networks in southern Ohio to understand what kinds of strategies and support were important for facilitating their entrance into alternative agriculture. I develop a typology of three distinct pathways into alternative agriculture, based on the values and goals that motivated famers' decision to participate in alternative agriculture, their farming experience and skills, professional networks and socialization, land access, and persistence strategies. I show how farmers' pathways shape the kinds of enterprises they establish and their strategies for getting started and persisting in alternative agriculture. The farmers’ strategies include a reliance on non-farm income and wealth and non-production revenue strategies for some types of farmers, while other types of farmers are able to make it by farming full-time. The study identifies a new pathway into alternative agriculture: Returning farmers come from farm families, but left agriculture to pursue higher education or a non-farm career and then re-entered agriculture later in life through Alternative Food Networks.
Quantitative MRI Analyses of Regional Brain Growth in Living Fetuses with Down Syndrome.

Down syndrome (DS) is the most common liveborn autosomal chromosomal anomaly and is a major cause of developmental disability. Atypical brain development and the resulting intellectual disability originate during the fetal period. Perinatal interventions to correct such aberrant development are on the horizon in preclinical studies. However, we lack tools to sensitively measure aberrant structural brain development in living human fetuses with DS. In this study, we aimed to develop safe and precise neuroimaging measures to monitor fetal brain development in DS. We measured growth patterns of regional brain structures in 10 fetal brains with DS (29.1 ± 4.2, weeks of gestation, mean ± SD, range 21.7~35.1) and 12 control fetuses (25.2 ± 5.0, range 18.6~33.3) using regional volumetric analysis of fetal brain MRI. All cases with DS had confirmed karyotypes. We performed non-linear regression models to compare fitted regional growth curves between DS and controls. We found decreased growth trajectories of the cortical plate (P = 0.033), the subcortical parenchyma (P = 0.010), and the cerebellar hemispheres (P < 0.0001) in DS compared to controls. This study provides proof of principle that regional volumetric analysis of fetal brain MRI facilitates successful evaluation of brain development in living fetuses with DS.
Hazards of reentry disposal of satellites from large constellations

Abstract This study looks at the history of debris surviving satellite reentries to develop a first-order estimate of the hazard level for people on the ground and in aircraft from falling debris after reentries of satellites from proposed large constellations. Projecting to the year 2030, when several proposed constellations are assumed to be operational, the results show that cumulative hazard to people on the ground due to reentries from a single constellation could be on the order of 0.1/year, or one casualty would be expected every 10 years. The probability of debris striking a commercial aircraft would be 0.001/year, and without emergency action by pilots, the maximum yearly casualty expectation for reentries of satellites disposed from a single large constellation for people in aircraft could be 0.3/year. Those estimates would be higher if commercial air traffic were updated to include all worldwide flights. While there are currently no guidelines or requirements to manage cumulative risks from the disposal of satellites, there are advisory USG standards on acceptable annual risks from launch and reentry vehicle disposal operations. Test-verified satellite designs that minimize survival of hazardous objects will certainly help reduce risks. The most effective mitigation technique would be to deorbit all satellites into a safe ocean area.
Alveolar Ridge Augmentation Around Exposed Mandibular Dental Implant With Histomorphometric Analysis.

Introduction Alveolar ridge augmentation either before or during implant placement is a predictable procedure under certain conditions. A major complication during the healing phase is incision line opening and membrane exposure, which may result in reduced bone gain and reduced implant survival. This case report describes alveolar bone regeneration around three dental implants despite membrane exposure that developed during healing post-surgically. Case presentation A 72-year-old female presented requesting dental implants to replace tooth numbers 18, 19, and 20. A cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan showed loss of horizontal and vertical ridge dimensions. All implants were placed with a variable degree of implant thread exposure on their buccal surfaces, ranging from 3 to 4.5 mm. Simultaneous bone grafting was performed using freeze dried bone allograft and deproteinized bovine bone mineral that was covered by a d-PTFE membrane that was secured with tacking screws. Primary closure was obtained, and flaps were sutured. Three weeks post-surgically, membrane exposure occurred. Exposure was monitored and patient was instructed to follow strict oral hygiene instructions around the exposed membrane. Membrane exposure gradually increased without infection and was removed at 16 weeks. Membrane removal revealed dense fibrous tissues covering all implant surfaces. At the second stage surgery, new bone was seen covering all the implants coronal to the cover screws. A trephine core biopsy specimen revealed significant new bone formation and connective tissue around any residual grafted bone. Conclusion d-PTFE membrane exposure does not necessarily lead to adverse healing outcomes for alveolar ridge augmentation if handled properly with close patient follow-up.
Anestesia para hemicorporectomia: relato de caso

Abstract Introduction: Hemicorporectomy progresses with hemodynamic and ventilatory repercussions that make anesthesia management definitive to patient outcome. Objective: Report anesthesia approach for a patient with squamous cell carcinoma submitted to urgent hemicorporectomy after an episode of hypovolemic shock. Case report: After lesion bleeding, the patient presented hypovolemic shock class 3, and was submitted to urgent procedure under general inhalation anesthesia and intravenous multimodal analgesia, presenting hemodynamic instability requiring massive blood transfusion after spinal cord transection and removal of surgical specimen. Conclusion: Anesthetic management is essential in scenarios such as the one reported to assure patient survival.
Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation after prior targeted therapy for high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) can cure previously treated high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients if they are suitable for transplant through the graft-versus-leukemia effect. However, since the emergence of targeted therapies, the role of alloHCT for high-risk CLL is less clear. To address this question, we evaluated 108 high-risk CLL patients who underwent alloHCT from 2010 to 2018. Thirty patients from the period of 2013 to 2018 received targeted therapy prior to alloHCT. The median age for the targeted therapy cohort was 60 years (range, 30-71 years), and 20% and 73% had complete and partial remission, respectively: 76% had del(17p), 46.2% had 5 or more cytogenetic abnormalities, and 78.9% were IGHV unmutated. The median number of prior therapies was 4 (range, 1-9). With a median follow-up time of 36 months (range, 10-72 months), the 3-year overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 87% and 69%, respectively. The 3-year cumulative incidence of nonrelapse mortality and relapse was 7% and 24%, respectively. For the control cohort of 78 patients who underwent alloHCT from 2010 to 2014 and received only chemoimmunotherapy prior to transplant, the 3-year OS and PFS were 69% and 58%, respectively. Patients treated with targeted therapy prior to alloHCT had a significantly higher number of circulating T and B cells and a lower ratio of CD4 regulatory T cells to CD4 conventional T cells early after transplant. In summary, despite multiple high-risk features, the clinical outcome of CLL patients who receive targeted therapy prior to transplant is excellent and alloHCT should be offered while the disease is under control.
Role of cumulative biological risk in mediating socioeconomic disparities in cognitive function in the elderly: a mediation analysis.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate whether allostatic load (AL), a measure of cumulative biological risk, fully or partially mediates observed socioeconomic status (SES) differences in cognitive function in the elderly. DESIGN Cross-sectional mediation analysis. SETTING Community-dwelling US elderly who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). PARTICIPANTS The NHANES uses a complex, multistage, probability sampling design to select a nationally representative sample. Of the 4976 elderly (60 years or older) who were selected, 3234 agreed to participate in the household and medical exam interviews (65% response rate). PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES Performance on the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST)-a measure of cognitive function. RESULTS Relative to participants with the lowest level of education or family income, participants who were college graduates (β=24.4, 95% CI 22 to 26.8, p<0.0001) or in the highest income quartile (β=17.3, 95% CI 15.2 to 19.4, p<0.0001) had the highest DSST scores and the least AL burden (β=-0.72, 95% CI -0.98 to -0.47 and β=-0.82, 95% CI -1 to -0.57; p<0.0001, respectively). Although, AL was significantly negatively associated with cognitive performance (β = -1, 95% CI -1.4 to -0.5, p<0.0001), it mediated at most 4.5% of the SES effect on DSST performance. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that AL, as measured by a summary index of parameters for cardiovascular function, metabolism and chronic inflammation, is not a significant mediator of SES-related differences in cognitive function in the elderly. Further efforts are required to elucidate the exact physiological pathways and mechanisms through which SES impacts cognitive function in late life.
Early Detection of Acute Chest Syndrome Through Electronic Recording and Analysis of Auscultatory Percussion

Acute chest syndrome (ACS) is the leading cause of death among people with sickle cell disease. ACS is clinically defined and diagnosed by the presence of a new pulmonary infiltrate on chest imaging with accompanying fever and respiratory symptoms like hypoxia, tachypnea, and shortness of breath. However, the characteristic chest x-ray (CXR) findings necessary for a clinical diagnosis of ACS can be difficult to detect, as is determining which patient needs a CXR. This makes early detection difficult; but it is critical in order to limit ACS severity and subsequent fatalities. This research project looks to apply percussion and auscultation techniques that can provide an immediate diagnosis of acute pulmonary conditions by using an automated standard percussive input and electronic auscultation for computational analysis of the measured signal. Measurements on sickle cell patients having ACS, vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC), and regular clinic visits (healthy) were recorded and analyzed. Average intensity of sound transmission through the chest and lungs was determined in the ACS and healthy subject groups, revealing an average of 10–14 dB decrease in sound intensity in the ACS group compared to the healthy group. A random under-sampling boosted tree classification model identified with 94% accuracy the positive ACS and healthy observations. The analysis also revealed unique measurable changes in a small number of cases clinically classified as complicated VOC, which later developed into ACS. This suggests the developed approach may also have early predictive capability, identifying patients at risk for developing ACS prior to current clinical practice.
Two-Phase Stefan Problem

While in Sect. 4.4 we already dealt with an approximation of the influence of the solid phase, where non-monotonic interface dynamics arose due to incorporating a heat loss at the interface in the one-phase Stefan model, such a heat loss should be exactly modeled by a PDE for the solid phase and with the effect of the heat flux from the solid phase on the interface ODE. The control design to asymptotically stabilize the resulting PDE-ODE-PDE system is quite challenging. We present it in this chapter.
Social Security Administration Payments to State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies for Disability Program Beneficiaries Who Work: Evidence from Linked Administrative Data

This article’s authors use linked administrative data from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration to evaluate SSA’s investment in services provided by the federal-state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program. A unique data resource permits a comparison of the value of SSA payments to state VR agencies for services provided to disability program beneficiaries who find and maintain a substantial level of work with the value of the cash benefits those beneficiaries forgo because of work. The authors find that the value of cash benefits forgone by beneficiaries after applying for VR services is substantially greater than the value of SSA payments to state VR agencies for those services.
What Do Black Students Need? Exploring Perspectives of Black Writers Writing Outside of Educational Research

What does it mean to educate the Black student? How do education stakeholders committed to Black students and communities understand the role of teaching and teachers to help students meet educatio...
The total costs of seismic retrofits: State of the art

This article presents the current state-of-practice with respect to quantifying the total cost to retrofit an existing building. In particular, we combine quantitative, qualitative, and heuristic d...
Influence of material microstructure on grindability of bearing steel

Abstract Innovative new materials and microstructures are being continually developed to meet increasingly challenging applications. These newly developed microstructures pose significant challenges in terms of grindability and component distortion. This fundamental study sheds light on the grindability of microstructure variations of through hardened A485–1 grade steel. Results indicate that the phase composition and carbide distribution significantly influence grindability which is characterized in terms of specific grinding energy, G-ratio and part distortion. The study also demonstrates that the numerically quantified carbide distribution exhibits a strong correlation to grindability when phase compositions are similar.
Customer Relationship Management Association Establishing A Customer Relationship Management Association That Will Act As A Roof With Big Data

The purpose of this study is to work efficiently with the customer relations management "Big Data" of corporations on a global scale. We asked 15 companies about 15 questions about customer relationship management. As a result of 10 article reviews, we examined customer relationship management data. Descriptive research design was used in the research with a quantitative research approach. The collected data were analyzed with inferential statistics using linear regression as descriptive statistics. When the researches on "customer relationship management" are examined, the complaints of the customers and the problems of customer loss are discussed. There are suggestions for the problems examined. However, this study describes a model that will support these recommendations and take them forward. From the research conducted so far, it is understood that there are difficulties in the use of technology. The association, which is planned as the Customer Relationship Management Association, will serve as a framework for the customer relations units of institutions using "Big Data". Customer acquisition and development is targeted by combining organizations with technology and manpower in customer relationship management.
Association between HIV PrEP indications and use in a national sexual network study of US men who have sex with men.

Introduction HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is effective in preventing HIV transmission. United States Public Health Service (USPHS) clinical practice guidelines define biobehavioral indications for initiation. To assess guideline implementation, it is critical to quantify PrEP nonusers who are indicated and PrEP users who are not indicated. We sought to estimate current PrEP use among US men who have sex with men (MSM), characterize whether their PrEP use aligned with their current indications for PrEP, and assess whether the association between PrEP indications and PrEP use differed by demography or geography. Methods Using data from a US web-based sexual network study of MSM between 2017 and 2019, we measured PrEP usage and assessed whether respondents met indications for PrEP. Log-binomial regression was used to estimate the relationship between PrEP indications and PrEP use, with adjustment for geography, age and race/ethnicity. Results Of 3508 sexually active, HIV-negative MSM, 34% met indications for PrEP. The proportion with current PrEP use was 32% among MSM meeting indications and 11% among those without indications. Nearly 40% of those currently using PrEP did not meet indications for PrEP, and 68% of MSM with indications for PrEP were not currently using PrEP. After adjusting for geography and demographics, MSM with PrEP indications were about three times as likely to be currently using PrEP. This association varied slightly, but not significantly, by geographic region, age and race/ethnicity. Conclusions Indications for PrEP strongly predicted current PrEP use among US MSM. However, we identified substantial misalignment between indications and use in both directions (indicated MSM who were not benefitting from PrEP, and MSM taking PrEP while not presently being indicated). PrEP underuse by those at greatest risk for HIV acquisition may limit the projected impact of PrEP implementation, despite reported increases in PrEP provision. This calls for further implementation efforts to improve PrEP delivery to those most in need during periods of elevated sexual risk and to close the gap between indications and uptake.
Building blocks for autonomous computing materials: Dimers, trimers, and tetramers.

Autonomous computing materials for data storage and computing offer an opportunity for next generation of computing devices. Patchy nanoparticle networks, for example, have been suggested as potential candidates for emulating neuronal networks and performing brain-like computing. Here, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to show that stable dimers, trimers, and tetramers can be built from citrate capped gold nanoparticles (cit-AuNPs) linked by poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) chains. We use different lengths of PAHs to build polymer-networked nanoparticle assemblies that can emulate a complex neuronal network linked by axons of varying lengths. We find that the tetramer structure can accommodate up to 11 different states when the AuNP pairs are connected by either of two polymer linkers, PAH200 and PAH300. We find that the heavy AuNPs contribute to the assembly’s structure stability. To further illustrate the stability, the AuNP–AuNP distances in dimer, trimer, and tetramer structures are reduced by steering the cit-AuNPs closer to each other. At different distances, these steered structures are all locally stable in a 10 ns MD simulation time scale because of their connection to the AuNPs. We also find that the global potential energy minimum is at short AuNP–AuNP distances where AuNPs collapse because the -NH3+ and –COO− attraction reduces the potential energy. The stability and application of these fundamental structures remain to be further improved through the use of alternative polymer linkers and nanoparticles.
AutoSens: inferring latency sensitivity of user activity through natural experiments

We consider the problem of inferring the latency sensitivity of user activity in the context of interactive online services. Our method relies on natural experiments, i.e., leveraging the variation in user-experienced latency seen in the normal course. At its core, our technique, dubbed AutoSens, compares the distribution of latency of the user actions actually performed with the underlying distribution of latency independent of whether users choose to perform any action. This then yields a normalized user preference based on latency. We discuss ways of mitigating various confounders and then present our findings in the context of a large online email service, Microsoft Outlook Web Access (OWA).
Test Validation Pitfalls

The principles of test validation are well established, but there has been many a recorded slip between accepted theory and acceptable validation studies, or simply the argument that the selection method is appropriate for the situation. This disconnect has legal consequences when the test is implicated in violations of equal employment opportunity laws and regulations. This chapter discusses more than 50 pitfalls in attempting to reach successful validation, illustrated by situations arising in federal court cases. The sections include general problems, as well as those likely to arise during job analysis, content validation strategy, criterion validation strategy, scoring strategy, use of background information, and generalization of validity across selection situations.
An Application of Beck's Cognitive Therapy to General Anger Reduction

Beck's cognitive therapy (CT) was compared to a no-treatment control in the reduction of anger in college students. CT lowered trait anger, anger reactivity to many potential provocations, anger in the individual's most angering ongoing situation, daily anger, anger-related physiological arousal, anger suppression, and outward negative expression. CT also enhanced positive forms of anger expression. Treatment effect sizes were medium to large, with many being quite large, and significantly more CT participants met an index of clinically significant change. Moreover, CT lowered trait anxiety and depression. Reductions of anger and trait anxiety were maintained at 15-month follow-up. CT was judged an effective, promising treatment for anger reduction.
Characterization of culturable bacterial endophytes and their capacity to promote plant growth from plants grown using organic or conventional practices.

Plants have a diverse internal microbial biota that has been shown to have an important influence on a range of plant health attributes. Although these endophytes have been found to be widely occurring, few studies have correlated agricultural production practices with endophyte community structure and function. One agricultural system that focuses on preserving and enhancing soil microbial abundance and biodiversity is organic farming, and numerous studies have shown that organically managed system have increased microbial community characteristics. Herein, the diversity and specificity of culturable bacterial endophytes were evaluated in four vegetable crops: corn, tomato, melon and pepper grown under organic or conventional practices. Endophytic bacteria were isolated from surface-sterilized shoot, root and seed tissues and sequence identified. A total of 336 bacterial isolates were identified, and grouped into 32 species and 5 phyla. Among these, 239 isolates were from organically grown plants and 97 from those grown conventionally. Although a diverse range of bacteria were documented, 186 were from the Phylum Firmicutes, representing 55% of all isolates. Using the Shannon diversity index, we observed a gradation of diversity in tissues, with shoots and roots having a similar value, and seeds having the least diversity. Importantly, endophytic microbial species abundance and diversity was significantly higher in the organically grown plants compared to those grown using conventional practices, potentially indicating that organic management practices may increase endophyte presence and diversity. The impact that these endophytes could have on plant growth and yield was evaluated by reintroducing them into tomato plants in a greenhouse environment. Of the bacterial isolates tested, 61% were found to promote tomato plant growth and 50%-64% were shown to enhance biomass accumulation, illustrating their potential agroecosystem application.
The amylase system of Drosophila—II: Effects of development and diet on amylase activity in Drosophila pseudoobscura☆

Abstract Two baseline aspects of regulation of the Amylase system of Drosophila pseudoobscura were studies in respect to amylase activity: developmentally associated changes and the effects of diet (medium). Two strains of D. pseudoobscura were used. One was isogenic for the Amy 1.0 allele and the other was isogenic for the Amy 0.84 allele. Both strains gave similar results. The dietary studies demonstrated that highest amylase activity is seen in flies reared on starch medium. The developmental studies gave results which were more ambiguous and depended in part on how the activity was calculated. In general, adults had the highest activity compared with the other developmental stages examined. No differences between the sexes were detected.