cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design soil moisture estimation by comparing continuous and storm-based rainfall-runoff modeling

[1] In recent years local, national, and international authorities have showed an increasing awareness of flood and inundation hazard, likely due to the large floods which occurred in the past years in many regions of the world. In this context, the estimation of the design flood values to be adopted for flood risk assessment or floodplain management represents a crucial factor. In the case of ungauged or scarcely gauged catchments where a sufficiently long discharge time series is missing, a relevant uncertainty is involved in the flood frequency analysis and a possible solution to reduce this uncertainty is the application of continuous simulation (CS) approaches. Because of the complex structure of this type of approaches and pursuing the parameters parsimony criteria, in the hydrological practice the approaches based on the design storm (DS) estimation are more widely known and applied, mainly for their simplicity. However, one major limit of the DS method is the choice of the “design soil moisture” conditions, representing a critical parameter for assessing the initial wetness of the basin. To that end, this study of investigating six subcatchments of the upper Tiber River basin (Central Italy), with drainage area ranging from 13 to 284 km2, proposes a procedure based on the application of the CS approach as a tool to define the design soil moisture to be afterwards incorporated into the more simple DS method. For each catchment, the procedure consists of (1) stochastic generation of long synthetic rainfall and temperature series starting from observed hourly data; (2) application of a lumped continuous rainfall-runoff model to generate synthetic discharge series and, hence, to obtain the corresponding flood frequency curves; (3) estimation of the design soil moisture, for each return period, by varying in the DS approach the initial wetness conditions of the catchment so that the peak discharge estimated by the DS method matches the one given by the synthetic flood frequency curve. Moreover, in order to apply the more simple DS approach avoiding the use of the CS one, a preliminary analysis to regionalize the design soil moisture as a function of the geo-morphological characteristics and the return period is also shown.
Evaluation of Carotid Stenosis by Angiography: Potential Bias toward Overestimated Measurements Introduced by Prior Interpretation of Doppler Sonograms

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Doppler sonography of the carotid arteries is routinely performed before catheter angiography, and its results may bias the subsequent interpretation of angiograms. We attempt to establish that Doppler sonography may show an exagerrated degree of carotid stenosis, introducing bias to the evaluation of carotid stenosis by subsequent catheter angiography. METHODS: Angiograms of the carotid arteries obtained to evaluate potential carotid stenosis in patients who had undergone Doppler sonography of the carotid arteries were retrospectively reviewed (from 1993 to 1998). Readers who were blinded to the previous interpretations of the angiography and Doppler sonography results measured carotid stenosis. The results of Doppler sonography of the carotid arteries were not re-evaluated. Based on the original Doppler sonograms, stenoses were categorized as normal/mild (<30%), moderate (30–59%), severe (60–79%), and critical (80–99%). Within these categories, the differences between the original percent stenosis, as determined by angiography, and the blinded measurements were determined. RESULTS: A total of 106 patients with angiographically measurable stenoses in 128 vessels were identified. The difference between the blinded readers was 3% (±8%), with no category statistically different from the other. The difference between original and remeasured stenoses in carotid arteries in the Doppler categories were as follows: mild stenosis, 2% (±9%); moderate stenosis, 6% (±15%); severe stenosis, 8% (±15%); and critical stenosis, 22% (±12%). A significant overestimation occurred in the severe ( P < .05) and critical ( P < .0001) stenosis categories. One third of patients with stenoses in the severe or critical Doppler category had significant stenoses on the original angiograms that were less than 60%, according to blinded remeasurement. CONCLUSION: Doppler sonography of the carotid arteries has the potential to bias the subsequent interpretation of catheter angiography. Care must be taken to measure stenosis accurately, using strict criteria to determine the potential benefit of carotid endarterectomy for the individual patient and to ensure that the criteria for Doppler sonography of the carotid arteries are based on accurate catheter angiography measurements.
BMPing Up Angiogenesis via BMPER

Over the past 20 years, there has been considerable interest in the elucidation of factors that mediate angiogenesis. Early efforts, including Michaelson's description of “Factor X” in mediating retinal neovascularization and Folkman's attempts at isolating “tumor angiogenesis factor,” have blossomed into a plethora of investigations identifying regulators, both positive and negative, of blood vessel formation.1,2 These efforts led to the identification of factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor, acid- and basic-fibroblast growth factor, angiogenin, and angiopoietins, to name a few.3–5 Subsequent detailed investigations have revealed that finely tuned and precisely coordinated expression of these factors is critical for angiogenesis during both development and adult life. Failure to coordinate expression has significant implications, as excess angiogenesis can contribute to tumor growth and inflammatory disorders, whereas insufficient angiogenesis can contribute to ischemic heart disease and preeclampsia.6 See accompanying article on page 2216 More recently, additional angiogenic mediators, including Notch, Wnt, and morphogens such as bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), have emerged as critical regulators for proper blood vessel formation. BMPs, members of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily of proteins, were initially characterized by their ability to …
cRGD-functionalized, DOX-conjugated, and 64Cu-labeled superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for targeted anticancer drug delivery and PET/MR imaging

Multifunctional and water-soluble superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanocarriers were developed for targeted drug delivery and positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) dual-modality imaging of tumors with integrin α(v)β₃ expression. An anticancer drug was conjugated onto the PEGylated SPIO nanocarriers via pH-sensitive bonds. Tumor-targeting ligands, cyclo(Arg-Gly-Asp-d-Phe-Cys) (c(RGDfC)) peptides, and PET ⁶⁴Cu chelators, macrocyclic 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-N, N', N″-triacetic acid (NOTA), were conjugated onto the distal ends of the PEG arms. The effectiveness of the SPIO nanocarriers as an MRI contrast agent was evaluated via an in vitro r₂ MRI relaxivity measurement. cRGD-conjugated SPIO nanocarriers exhibited a higher level of cellular uptake than cRGD-free ones in vitro. Moreover, cRGD-conjugated SPIO nanocarriers showed a much higher level of tumor accumulation than cRGD-free ones according to non-invasive and quantitative PET imaging, and ex vivo biodistribution studies. Thus, these SPIO nanocarriers demonstrated promising properties for combined targeted anticancer drug delivery and PET/MRI dual-modality imaging of tumors.
Theoretical prediction of electric field‐enhanced coalescence of spherical drops

A fundamental study of drop collision, coalescence and growth induced by combined effects of gravitational and electrostatic forces is presented. The focus is on the enhancement of rates of collision and growth of spherical, conducting drops bearing zero net charge in dilute, homogeneous dispersions by an external electric field. By completely accounting for hydrodynamic and electrostatic interactions, a trajectory analysis is used to follow the relative motion of two drops and predict pairwise collision and coalescence rates. A population dynamics equation is then solved to predict the evolution in time of the size distribution and the average size of drops. The results show that the rates of drop collision and growth can be increased significantly by applying an electric field, in accord with fundamental experiments and patents on electrocoalescence. The enhancement of drop collision and coalescence is especially pronounced when the imposed electric field acts horizontally, that is, in a direction perpendicular to gravity.
Model and simulation of a 75kW PV solar array

This paper proposes a model for an actual photovoltaic solar array and a method for estimating total power output. The array is analyzed by modeling individual panels and calculating their cumulative effect. The system model is then used to estimate future power output based on stochastic inputs. The paper includes a system description, system model, and computer simulations.
Invited Commentary: Circular Epidemiology

Circular epidemiology can be defined as the continuation of specific types of epidemiologic studies beyond the point of reasonable doubt of the true existence of an important association or the absence of such an association. Circular epidemiology is an extreme example of studies of the consistency of associations. A basic problem for epidemiology is the lack of a systematic approach to acquiring new knowledge to reach a goal of improving public health and preventive medicine. For epidemiologists, research support unfortunately is biased toward the continued study of already proven hypotheses. Circular epidemiology, however, freezes at one point in the evolution of epidemiologic studies, failing to move from descriptive to analytical case-control and longitudinal studies, for example, to experimental, clinical trials. Good epidemiology journals are filled with very well-conducted epidemiologic studies that primarily repeat the obvious or are variations on the theme.
Optimal video replication and placement on a cluster of video-on-demand servers

A cost-effective approach to building up scalable video-on-demand (VoD) servers is to couple a number of VoD servers together in a cluster. In this article, we study a crucial video replication and placement problem in a distributed storage VoD cluster for high quality and high availability services. We formulate it as a combinatorial optimization problem with objectives of maximizing the encoding bit rate and the number of replicas of each video and balancing the workload of the servers. It is subject to the constraints of the storage capacity and the outgoing network bandwidth of the servers. Under the assumption of single fixed encoding bit rate for all videos, we give an optimal replication algorithm and a bounded-placement algorithm for videos with different popularities. To reduce the complexity of the replication algorithm, we present an efficient algorithm that utilizes the Zipf-like video popularity distributions to approximate the optimal solution. For videos with scalable encoding bit rates, we propose a heuristic algorithm based on simulated annealing. We conduct a comprehensive performance evaluation of the algorithms and demonstrate their effectiveness via simulations over a synthetic workload set.
Circumstances surrounding the first injection experience and their association with future syringe sharing behaviors in young urban injection drug users

Abstract Young injection drug users are at heightened risk for acquisition of blood-borne infections because of their high rates of unsafe injection behaviors, yet there has been little research examining the circumstances surrounding injection drug users’ first injection experience (‘hit’). We examined the relationship between factors associated with young drug users’ first hit and their future syringe sharing behaviors among 420 new initiates to injection drug use (less than 5 years), aged 15–30 years old in urban Baltimore, Maryland. Contingency table analysis and logistic regression were used to determine the association between circumstances surrounding the first hit and recent receptive syringe sharing. Participants were primarily male (58.8%), White (71.2%), and were a median age of 24 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 21–27 years). Adjusting for race, gender, and homelessness, the following variables were independently associated with recent receptive syringe sharing: age at first hit (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.92 per year increase; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.87–0.98), self-injection at initiation (AOR = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.32–0.97) and using a syringe that had previously been used by someone else at first hit (AOR = 2.81; 95% CI: 1.70–4.64). These data suggest that injection-related risk behaviors may be established as early as the onset of injection initiation, supporting the need to educate non-injectors of the harms associated with unsafe injection practices.
Eastern North Pacific Hurricane Season of 2008

Abstract The hurricane season of 2008 in the eastern North Pacific basin is summarized, and the individual tropical cyclones are described. Official track and intensity forecasts of these cyclones are also evaluated. The 2008 eastern North Pacific season was relatively quiet, with overall activity at about 75% of the long-term median. A total of 16 tropical storms formed, of which 7 became hurricanes and 2 became major hurricanes. One hurricane, one tropical storm, and two tropical depressions made landfall in Mexico, causing eight direct deaths in that country along with significant property damage. In addition, Tropical Storm Alma was the first tropical cyclone on record to make landfall along the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. On average, the official track forecasts in the eastern Pacific for 2008 were quite skillful and set records for accuracy from 1 to 3 days. However, no appreciable improvement in mean intensity forecast skill was noted.
Recurrent microhyphema in the pseudophakic eye.

Abstract Although painless transient obscurations of vision are usually attributed to conditions affecting the posterior segment, careful slit-lamp, gonioscopic, and angiographic evaluations may establish an anterior segment origin for these symptoms. Recurrent hyphema, an uncommon late complication following routine cataract extraction, can be caused by spontaneous rupture of incisional vessels. In pseudophakic eyes, the uveitis-glaucoma-hyphema (UGH) syndrome and intermittent visual "white out" are late complications that may necessitate removal of the implant. The authors report five patients with uncomplicated extracapsular cataract extraction and implantation of a Binkhorst biplane, two-loop, capsule-fixated lens who presented with episodes of visual white out on the basis of iris bleeding. Argon laser photocoagulation to sites of iris leakage, at points of lens iris contact, resulted in prompt cessation of bleeding. Laser treatment appears to be a safe and effective alternative to removal of an otherwise satisfactory intraocular lens.
High-resolution spatio-temporal modeling of public transit accessibility

Abstract This paper details the creation of a model to measure the accessibility, in the form of travel time, from origins to destinations by way of public transit. The model is a high-resolution spatio-temporal, GIS-based public transit network model. It includes the travel modes of walking and bus and their associated travel times. The total travel time is based on walking times to reach bus stops, typical waiting times at bus stops, travel times on the bus network and transfer times between routes, if necessary. As an example of the model's applicability, it is used to analyze the effects on accessibility of the addition of rapid bus routes in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This multimodal, network-based model has other applications as well, such as assessing sustainable transportation performance measures, estimating transit demand based on varying value of time, or comparing the relative accessibility of new route alignments.
Current issues in design of home telecare technologies

Home telehealthcare technologies can enable care services to be delivered to persons more easily and frequently than is possible using conventional channels. Certain design issues greatly impact on the efficacy of the use of the technology, however, one of these being ease of use. Provision of cardiorehabilitation service delivery in the home is described as an example of possible applications of telerehabilitation to extend and improve patient care.
Property Taxes and Insurance Premiums as Fixed Costs in Farm Valuations and Rental Determinations

PROPERTY taxes and insurance premiums differ from other fixed costs as to their incidence in valuation and rental problems. The essence of the difference is that these fixed costs are not output determining: they affect net but not gross revenue in the firm. Although they are directly correlated with factor value, they have no effect on factor productivity. From a production economics viewpoint, they are overhead firm costs rather than part of the cost of the factors with which they are associated. The incidence of property taxes and of insurance premiums as overhead costs to the firm is firm-, not factor-centered. This incidence has pertinent implications for factor value and farm rental determination problems. The general problem in factor valuation via the income approach is that of allocating gross firm returns to the factors that contribute to earnings, and at the same time to pay all necessary firm costs. The situation is the same for owner and tenant-operated firms in estimating the earnings of any one factor, fixed or variable. But in the tenant-operated firm there is the further problem of preventing any input by either party from causing a shift in income earned by that input to the other party. The objective in firm organization is for the resource owner to receive the marginal value products of his factors. The gist of the requirement in handling property taxes and insurance premiums is to prevent them from interfering with the achievement of that objective.2 What is the basis for distinction between a dollar of property tax and a dollar of factor investment cost per year? Does not one dollar in tax con-
Studies on a pit making scale asterolecanium minus on quercus lobata

There was no significant correlation either between temperature and duration of crawler production or between temperatures and numbers of females not producing crawlers. However, the numbers of crawlers produced per female were significantly different at different constant temperatures, with the least at 15 and 35°C. The number of crawlers produced per female was not significantly affected by relative humidity, except at relatively low temperatures. Correlations between constant temperatures and cumulative percentage mortality were only significant during the periods 0–1 day and 1–2 days after crawler emergence. The relationship between relative humidity and cumulative mortality was not significant. Settling time and distance of settling of crawlers from parent femals were not significantly influenced by whether they emerged early or late in the season. No significant difference was observed between numbers of crawlers settling above or below the point of release and no significant correlation existed between settling time and distance of settling from parent female. The correlation between log of the avg length of crawlers and age in weeks was highly significant. In the field, the range of crawlers produced per female was 7–50; females produced crawlers discontinuously and maximum duration of crawler production by individual females was 5 mo. All single females observed started crawler production in late Apr. Newly-emerged crawlers had no significant preference for either the distal or proximal directions on horizontal and vertical twigs. Emergence patterns of crawlers from females at different exposures on trees were similar, and more than 50% of all crawlers trapped emerged in May. The July population exhibited a 2nd but lower peak.
Southeast Asia as a Problem Area in the Next Decade

Four areas in the world are at present or potentially major power centers: the United States, the Soviet Union, Western Europe, and Communist China. In all four, productivity is on the increase and the political system performs relatively well its integrating and decisionmaking functions. Despite major differences among them which need not be examined here and various weak spots which might reverse trends, these four areas are likely to be in a position to play major roles in political, economic, and cultural international affairs in the coming decade. In contrast, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Tropical Africa, and Latin America are apt to remain power vacuums during this period, owing to their lack of unity, political instability, economic stagnation, and cultural heterogeneity.
Solid State Laser Ultraviolet Source

A laser source based on a solid state laser pump and operating at 0.304 µm was demonstrated by employing a Nd:YAG oscillator and amplifier, second harmonic, Raman scattering, and another second harmonic process. Nonlinear efficiencies of >0.6, >0.4, and >0.15, respectively, were obtained. Measured efficiencies compare well with a model which includes pulse distortion caused by the laser amplifier.
Imaging Epilepsy Using Finite Element-based Photoacoustic Tomography: Initial in vivo Results

We report on an exciting new application of our finite element based photoacoustic tomography method for imaging epilepsy. Initial in vivo animal results are demonstrated and confirmed with EEG recordings.
Regional Trade Agreements and Bilateral Trade: An Eclectic View of the Hidden Trade Costs

Trade costs associated with institutional failures and political risks, continue to serve as a big barrier to regional and international trade. Despite this strong impediment, limited work has been done to investigate the effect of weak institutions and type of political regime on bilateral trade. In an attempt to bolster this literature, this paper investigates the effects of these hidden trade costs on bilateral trade. The paper employs an augmented gravity equation derived from a monopolistic competition model of product differentiation to examine this effect for a sample of 46 countries in three distinct regional trade blocs. Using the Poisson Quasi Maximum Likelihood, the Heckman two-stage, Tobit and Negative Binomial estimation techniques, this paper concluded that stronger institutions of trading partners leads to an increase in trade. I argue that stronger institutions of both the exporting and importing countries in the form of good regulatory and legal framework reduce the uncertainty in contract enforcement, transactions costs and ultimately increase trade. Differences in political regimes of trading partners also have a strong effect on trade. Results also indicate that regional integration boosts bilateral trade, but there is evidence of trade diversion in WAMZ and MRU trading blocs.The proposition that geographically proximate partners traded more is supported according to the results, but there is little or no empirical support for the hypothesis that differences in factor endowments predict patterns of trade in the sample of countries. The sensitivity and robustness tests results indicate that the parameter estimates are robust to different estimation techniques and specification of the gravity model.
Cryosurgical ablation for prostate cancer : a current review

The available data on the efficacy of cryosurgery are still too immature to recommend this as a comparable option to radical surgery in the younger patient (< 72 years old) with organ-confined disease and at least a 10- to 15-year life expectancy. The available 3-month and 1-year positive biopsy figures of 10% to 20% are inversely comparable to the 10-year 80% to 90% disease-free survivals in contemporary radical prostatectomy series. While we wait for survival data to mature, it is unlikely that 10% to 20% local recurrence rates will translate into 80% to 90% disease-free survival rates. Only the data from the Crittendon Hospital group, which reports positive biopsies at 1 year of 3% to 4%, deserves special attention. Their protocol of optimal presurgical androgen ablation, use of thermosensors, and use of 2 to 3 freeze cycles may direct the way to a better cryosurgical technique. Conversely, the 2 to 8 months of presurgical androgen deprivation may just be prolonging the appearance of cryo-resistant cells. Regarding clinical stage C disease, the data looks promising with similar results as in organ-confined disease with a 10% to 20% positive biopsy rate at 3 months. One has to be cautious about what is really a stage C lesion, and comparison of preoperative PSA values enhance the comparisons between series. Overall, if the 1-year local recurrence rate does not exceed 30%, recommending cryosurgery as a viable option seems reasonable.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Remodeled Right Colon: An Alternative Urinary Reservoir

A total of 11 patients underwent bladder substitution or continent supravesical diversion with a remodeled right colonic segment as a urinary reservoir. Of the patients 1 woman and 2 men had bladder substitution: in 2 the bladder neck and urethra were preserved, and in 1 man radical cystoprostatectomy with preservation of the distal sphincteric mechanism was performed. All 3 patients currently are continent. In the 8 diversion patients an anti-incontinence mechanism was reconstructed with a segment of plicated ileum sutured to the abdominal wall. Six patients are completely dry between catheterizations every 4 to 6 hours, 1 man requires more frequent catheterizations, and the woman has refused self-catheterization and wears an external appliance. There were 18 ureterointestinal reimplantations performed successfully for upper tract protection, and 1 ureterocolonic reimplantation became partially obstructed and required percutaneous dilation. Reflux did not occur. This remodeled right colonic segment, reconstructed with interruption of the intestinal circular fibers, allows for storage of large urine volumes at reasonable pressures and it is a suitable alternative bladder substitution procedure. Plicated ileum has allowed for easy catheterization and it has been an adequate anti-incontinence mechanism when associated with this colonic reservoir.
44.5 Million Americans Uninsured and 187.2 Million Insured in 1996: An Analysis Ofthe 1996 Medical Expenditure

Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) estimates of preliminary data from the 1996 Panel Round 1 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) indicate that 44.5 million nonelderly Americans (19.2 percent) were uninsured during the first half of 1996. This number differs from that in the March 1996 Current Population Survey (CPS), which suggests that 40.3 million nonelderly Americans (17.4 percent) were uninsured during calendar year 1995. Comparison of these data sets should not lead to the belief that the number (or percentage) of uninsured Americans has risen. Underlying differences in the two surveys are the main cause of these differences.
BioPartsDB: A synthetic biology workflow web-application for education and research

Synthetic biology has become a widely used technology, and expanding applications in research, education and industry require progress tracking for team-based DNA synthesis projects. Although some vendors are beginning to supply multi-kilobase sequence-verified constructs, synthesis workflows starting with short oligos remain important for cost savings and pedagogical benefit. We developed BioPartsDB as an open source, extendable workflow management system for synthetic biology projects with entry points for oligos and larger DNA constructs and ending with sequence-verified clones. Availability and implementation BioPartsDB is released under the MIT license and available for download at https://github.com/baderzone/biopartsdb Additional documentation and video tutorials are available at https://github.com/baderzone/biopartsdb/wiki An Amazon Web Services image is available from the AWS Market Place (ami-a01d07c8). Contact joel.bader@jhu.edu.
Dependability assessment of networked embedded software systems

Networked embedded software systems incorporate varying degrees of adaptation behavior to sustain their operations with acceptable quality of service (QoS), in the face of hostile external events (resource outages, component failures, etc). For e.g., a high-availability air-traffic map data service increases the number of replica servers to counter attacks on the data hosting nodes. With the high complexity of such adaptive systems, their trustworthiness in responding to hostile external events should be assessed. The paper formulates model-based assessment techniques to measure how trustworthy a networked software system S is. We benchmark the QoS capability of S by a stress-testing of S with artificially injected failures. As case study in CPS domains, we describe the model-based assessment of collision avoidance systems in automobiles.
Abstract 1403: SOX2 as a marker of oral cancer stem-like cells: Cell division patterns and chromosomal instability

Introduction: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a serious public health problem, caused primarily by smoking and alcohol consumption. The prognosis remains poor due in part to therapeutic resistance. The cancer stem cell (CSC) theory posits that oral cancer stem-like cells (CSLCs) show unique characteristics, including self-renewal by symmetric cell division and tumor recapitulation by asymmetric cell division. Identifying markers of CSLCs is an important step in better understanding the biology of these cells. Chromosomal instability is a feature of cancer cells that leads to altered gene copy numbers; some of which is caused by chromosome segregation defects (CSDs). We observed previously that chromosomal instability occurs in colon CSLCs. Here, we compare instability between OSCC CSLCs and non-CSLCs from the same tumors. Methods: We assessed CSLCs in two OSCC cell lines (UPCI:SCC040 and UPCI:SCC131) using spheroid enrichment assays. We examined the marker, SOX2 in our cell lines using double antibody staining with division and other stemness markers. We then evaluated the cell division patterns of CSLCs marked by SOX2 to test the hypothesis that cell division patterns change from asymmetric to symmetric after ionizing radiation (IR) treatment. Finally, we analyzed the CSDs after IR in CSLCs marked by SOX2 compared to non-CSLCs. Results: Both cell lines formed spheroids. Strongly SOX2-positive cells were a rare population (∼3%) in our OSCC cell lines. SOX2 positivity was highly correlated with other CSLC markers, including CD44, CD133 and BMI1. A cluster plot of the mitotic pair analysis revealed that SOX2-positive cells divide both symmetrically and asymmetrically (p Conclusions: Our results show that therapeutic intervention does not change the ratio of symmetric to asymmetric cell division in CSLCs. These results suggest that only therapies that target the self-renewal potential of CSLCs might effectively eradicate these cells. CSLCs showed less chromosomal instability as assessed by CSDs, possibly due either to the relative quiescence of these cells or enhanced checkpoints that result in cell death when CSDs are present. Cell division and chromosome segregation patterns in CSLCs may provide insight into the biology of therapeutic resistance in CSLCs and reveal strategies to eradicate these cells. Keywords: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), Cancer stem-like cells (CSLCs), ionizing radiation (IR), chromosome segregation defects (CSDs). Citation Format: Hatem Kaseb, Dale Lewis, Sussane Gollin. SOX2 as a marker of oral cancer stem-like cells: Cell division patterns and chromosomal instability. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1403. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1403
Latino Families in the United States

Latino families are a large and rapidly growing segment of the U.S. population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008). Latinos currently comprise 15.1 % of the U.S. population and are the fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S., increasing 3.3 % from 2006 to 2007, compared to 2.9 % for Asians, 1.6 % for Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, 1.3 % for Blacks, 1 % for American Indians and Alaska Natives, and 0.3 % for Whites (U.S. Census, 2008). In fact, U.S. Census projections indicate that, by the year 2050, Latinos will comprise 24.4 % of the U.S. population, Blacks will comprise 14.6 %, and Asians will represent 8 % (Bergman, 2004). For the most part, the tremendous growth in the Latino population is the result of higher birth rates compared to other ethnic populations in the U.S. and immigration from Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America (Knight, Roosa, & Umana-Taylor, 2009). The impact of the Latino population in the U.S. is evident in a number of ways beyond their large size and rapid growth. For instance, in the U.S. Census 2000, 18 % of the nation’s population reported that they spoke a language other than English at home and, in every region of the U.S., Spanish was the leading non-English language spoken at home (Shin & Bruno, 2003). In fact, approximately 78 % of Latinos reported that they spoke Spanish at home (Ramirez, 2004). Thus, the presence of Latino families is now felt across all regions of the U.S. As the presence of Latinos in the U.S. has become more salient, the amount of scholarship devoted to Latino families also has increased.
Comparison of Short-Term Outcomes After Total Hip Arthroplasty Between an Orthopedic Specialty Hospital and General Hospital.

Abstract Background The purpose of this study is to compare perioperative outcomes for total hip arthroplasty (THA) at an orthopedic specialty hospital (OSH) and a general hospital (GH). Methods A retrospective study of all primary THAs was performed at an OSH and GH in 2014. A cohort of GH patients was manually matched to the OSH by clinical and demographic variables blinded to outcome. These matched groups were then unblinded and compared by length of stay (LOS), 90-day readmissions, mortality, reoperations, and inpatient rehabilitation utilization. Results The 329 THAs at the OSH were matched with 329 THAs at the GH. Average LOS for THA at the OSH was 1.10 ± 0.51 days compared with 1.27 ± 0.93 ( P = .004) at the GH. There were 2 OSH readmissions vs 5 GH readmissions ( P = .25). There were 3 OSH reoperations vs 4 GH reoperations ( P = .70). There were no mortalities. Three OSH patients used inpatient rehabilitation vs 13 GH patients ( P = .011). When GH outlier and rehabilitation patients were excluded, the difference in LOS was not significant (1.08 ± 0.47 vs 1.13 ± 0.55 days; t = 1.331; P = .184). Two OSH patients required transfer to a GH postoperatively (angina and gastrointestinal bleed). Conclusion This study found that perioperative outcomes for THA were equally good at the OSH and GH. Rehabilitation utilization was higher at the GH. The LOS at both facilities was lower than the national average of 2.9 days. When rehabilitation patients and outliers were excluded, there was no significant difference in LOS between the two.
Comprehensive and Individualized Patient Care in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: Refining Approaches to Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Treatment

As seen in this CME online activity (available at http://courses.elseviercme.com/chest16/647e), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a specific form of chronic progressive fibrotic lung disease of unknown cause. It is the most common form of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia in adults. Its prevalence among US Medicare beneficiaries has more than doubled in the past 14 years. With the approval of two agents that reduce functional decline and disease progression, and the 2015 update of the American Thoracic Society guidelines on the treatment of IPF, the options for appropriate clinical management of the disease have become well defined. Early diagnosis and early initiation of treatment are of critical importance for long-term clinical outcomes. The diagnostic process, which may require a multidisciplinary team of experts, is centered on excluding systemic diseases and exposures and identifying a pattern of usual interstitial pneumonia on high-resolution CT or surgical lung biopsy results. Familiarity with the 2015 American Thoracic Society guidelines is critical with respect to both the treatments that the guidelines recommend and those that they advise against. Standard immunosuppressive therapy is no longer indicated, whereas pirfenidone, nintedanib, and antacid therapy are all conditionally recommended for use. Individualizing treatment is important in light of potential improved adherence to both drug therapy and health behaviors. An early referral to an interstitial lung disease center offers the advantages of comprehensive diagnostic and disease-management expertise, potential enrollment in a clinical trial, and evaluation for transplantation.
Stress relaxation in a nickel-base superalloy at elevated temperatures with in situ neutron diffraction characterization: Application to additive manufacturing

Abstract The complex thermal histories in additive manufacturing (AM) of metals result in the presence of residual stresses in the fabricated components. The amount of residual stress accumulated during AM depends on the high temperature constitutive behavior of the material. The rapid solidification and repeated thermal cycles with each laser pass result in material contraction, and subject the surrounding, constrained material to both elevated temperatures and internal stresses, providing driving forces for stress relaxation. In this study, the stress relaxation behavior and mechanisms of conventionally processed and additively manufactured Inconel 625 (CP-IN625 and AM-IN625) at 600 °C and 700 °C were investigated via compression tests up to an engineering strain of 9% with in situ neutron diffraction characterization. The stress decayed to a plateau stress equivalent to 18% of the peak stress in CP-IN625 and 16% in AM-IN625 at 600 °C, and 39% in CP-IN625 and 44% in AM-IN625 at 700 °C. At the same temperature, the stress relaxation rate in AM-IN625 was twice as high as that in CP-IN625, and the magnitude of the plateau stress in AM-IN625 was slightly lower than that in CP-IN625, as the textured AM-IN625 had much larger grains than the texture-free CP-IN625. The stress relaxation in CP- and AM-IN625 was deduced to be controlled by dislocation glide and climb, where dislocations interact with grain boundaries, solute atoms, and secondary phases. The stress relaxation constitutive behavior reported here is a necessary input for the development of accurate thermomechanical models used to predict and minimize residual stresses and distortion in AM, as well as to predict the stress relaxation behavior of Inconel 625 in high temperature structural applications.
Hyperinsulinism of infancy: Localization of focal forms

Congenital hyperinsulinism is the most common cause of persistent hypoglycemia in infants and children (1). Infants with severe forms of the disorder (formerly termed nesidioblastosis) present with hypoglycemia in the newborn period and are at high risk of seizures, permanent brain damage, and retardation. Infants with congenital hyperinsulinism may have either focal or diffuse abnormalities of the pancreatic β cells. In cases with diffuse disease, an underlying defect in the β-cell adenosoine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent potassium channel may be present, caused by recessive loss of function mutations of the two genes encoding the KATP channel, SUR1 or Kir6.2 (1,2). These mutations may also cause focal hyperinsulinism in which there is an area of β-cell adenomatosis due to loss of heterozygosity for the maternal 11p region and expression of a paternally derived KATP channel mutation (3). Most of the cases with severe hyperinsulinism do not respond to medical therapy with diazoxide, octreotide (Fig. 27B.1), or continuous feedings and require near-total pancreatectomy to control hypoglycemia. However, cases of focal hyperinsulinism can be treated effectively with partial pancreatectomy. The surgical approach and therapeutic outcome for the infants depends on preoperatively distinguishing between focal and diffuse forms of hyperinsulinism. This chapter describes the focal lesions of hyperinsulinism, the pancreatectomy procedure, previous methods of determining the site of focal lesions, and the rationale for using positron emission tomography (PET) scans with 18F-fluoro-L-DOPA.
2p $Yields$ 1s PIONIC TRANSITION.

In an attempt to get better agreement between the theoretical predictions and the observed energies and widths of $2p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}1s$ pion-atomic transitions, we have numerically integrated the Klein-Gordon equation assuming the optical model for the strong interaction potential. We have characterized the interaction by six $s$-wave and four $p$-wave parameters. Using the available data from ${\mathrm{B}}^{10}$ to ${\mathrm{Mg}}^{24}$, we have performed a least-squares fit of the $s$-wave parameters. We find agreement between the observed shifts and our predictions, and the real parts of the $s$-wave parameters agree well with those predicted by Ericson and Ericson. However, our predicted widths vary as much as 50% from the observed widths and we find very poor agreement between the imaginary $s$-wave parameters and Ericson and Ericson's predictions.
Ownership Type and Quality of Care in Residential Facilities for the Developmentally Disabled

Following the closure of large state hospitals, which in official parlance are classified as “Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities” (ICF-IIDs), many individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities have resided in smaller, community-based ICF-IIDs funded by the same Medicaid program. These facilities exhibit considerable heterogeneity, with private for-profit facilities operating alongside ones that are nonprofit or government-owned. Since the turn of the millennium, there has been no systematic assessment of whether ownership type affects the quality of care provided to the individuals residing in these homes. Using a national dataset with information on all ICF-IIDs for the years 2008-2017, we examine whether ownership type predicts differences in facility-level outcomes that at least arguably correlate with the quality of care. The two measures we regard as the least vulnerable to bias – the frequency of regulatory citations and the frequency of complaints – suggest strongly that for-profit facilities underperform both government-owned and nonprofit facilities. The other metrics examined tell a far more complex story that, unfortunately, sheds little light on quality differences per se, but underscores the need for better data and further empirical scholarship in this neglected field. In particular, the importance of reducing the susceptibility of national datasets to reporting bias, obtaining more detailed data on the characteristics of ICF-IID residents such as comorbid mental illness and (self-)injurious behaviors, and linking facility-level datasets to individual outcomes that can be tracked over time, cannot be overstated.
Revisiting the Synthesis and Nucleophilic Reactivity of an Anionic Copper Superoxide Complex.

The addition of 1 equiv of KO2 and Kryptofix222 (Krypt) in CH3CN to a solution of LCu(CH3CN) [L = N,N′-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-2,6-pyridinecarboxamide] in tetrahydrofuran at −80 °C yielded [K(Krypt)][LCuO2], the enhanced stability of which enabled reexamination of its reactivity with 2-phenylpropionaldehyde (2-PPA). Mechanistic and product analysis studies revealed that [K(Krypt)][LCuO2] reacts with wet 2-PPA to form [LCuOH]−, which then deprotonates 2-PPA to yield the copper(II) enolate complex [LCu(OC═C(Me)Ph)]−. Acetophenone was observed upon workup of this complex or mixtures of KO2 and 2-PPA alone, in support of an alternative mechanism(s) to the one proposed previously involving an initial nucleophilic attack at the carbonyl group of 2-PPA.
Amidst the Walking Dead: Judicial and Nonjudicial Approaches for Eradicating Zombie Mortgages

The collapse of the residential housing market in 2007 brought with it a wave of foreclosures. Subprime borrowers, who were once elated by loans they secured from lenders, suddenly found themselves strangled by the predatory terms of their newfound loans and ultimately became unable to pay their outstanding loan balance. Amidst a growing number of residential foreclosures, lenders discovered the financial downside of foreclosing on residential properties — though this realization often surfaced after the foreclosure proceeding had commenced — and began to delay, or halt, foreclosure sales altogether. These purposeful maneuvers by lenders resulted in borrowers’ continued legal liability for a residential property, a property which borrowers believed they had lost as a result of the lender’s foreclosure; in other words, a “zombie mortgage.”This Comment analyzes the different circumstances under which lenders can foster the creation of zombie mortgages. Particularly, this Comment focuses on stalled and incomplete residential foreclosure sales and failures to execute deeds of sale, tactics which serve to maintain legal liability of the mortgaged property on a borrower. Notwithstanding a lender’s right to foreclose on residential property to satisfy the obligations that it is owed under a promissory note, this Comment argues that strategic delays in completing a foreclosure sale entitle state courts and legislatures to either (1) force a lender to complete a sale or (2) divest a lender from both its right to foreclose and its security interest. Though some other solutions for zombie mortgages have been proposed, this Comment urges courts and legislatures to look outside criminal sanctions and nuisance abatement actions when developing strategies to eradicate zombie mortgages. Through judicial and legislative intervention, lenders would be incentivized to complete the foreclosure proceeding, or risk losing their security interests in the mortgaged property.
Marital privilege: Bias against divorced patients in medical decision-making:

Social support consists of the emotional, informational, and instrumental resources we receive from others, and buffers against negative health outcomes. However, as an eligibility criterion for sc...
Technology Considerations in Urban Systems Analysis

System analyses of urban areas usually include certain features of technologies: the inputs required, steps to transform inputs to outputs and the stochastic properties of those transformations, costs, risks and so forth. But the processes of technological change are not ordinarily incorporated in analysis, and their omission can lead to forecasting errors. More serious matters are the lack of attention to policies influencing technical change and system development and the overlooking of sources of critical problems and inefficiencies.