cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cervical biopsy versus conization.

The accuracy of a punch biopsy diagnosis of cervical neoplasia in patients with abnormal cytologic findings is assessed. Cervical punch biopsies were performed in 859 patients, and 258 had subsequent cold-knife conizations. Invasive carcinoma was diagnosed in 189 patients by the initial cervical biopsy. Carcinoma in situ was noted in 194 patients, and this diagnosis was confirmed by conization in 75% of the cases. Pathology of a lower rank was found in 17%, microinvasion in 6%, and frank invasion in 2%. Dysplasia was diagnosed by biopsy in 246 patients. Of the cold-knife conizations performed in 66 cases of dysplasia, 40% confirmed the dysplastic lesion, 40% revealed carcinoma in situ, 10% chronic cervicitis, 3% microinvasion and 2% invasive carcinoma. A comparative analysis of the biopsy, conization and hysterectomy findings is presented. Multiple cervical punch biopsies from properly selected sites aided by Schiller stain and including an adequate area of the squamocolumnar junction are useful as the initial diagnostic procedure in women with abnormal cytology or suspicious cervical lesions. Conization is indicated if biopsy or cytology findings raise suspicion of a higher rank of neoplasia. All patients with carcinoma in situ and severe dysplasia on biopsy must have subsequent conizations performed. The postmenopausal female with any degree of dysplasia on biopsy and patients with repeated abnormal cytologic findings despite negative biopsy results must also undergo conization.
Mortgage Delivery to the Secondary Market when Interest Rates are Falling

A borrower whose loan is committed to the securitization process has the ability and incentive to switch lenders if market rates drop during the loan origination period, which creates significant exposure for primary lenders. A simple secondary market contract innovation we call a mortgage rate drop guarantee (MRDG) could shift this risk to the securitizers who represent portfolio investors. Our simulation results indicate this shifting would have improved the risk/return distribution faced by originators without damaging the risk/return position of securitizers during our 1977–2010 sample period. Assuming conservative loan lives and origination periods, and competitive lending markets, the risk reduction features of MRDGs could also have generated significant interest savings for borrowers.
Scattering engineering: From broadband cloaking and resonance effects, to embedded scattering eigenvalues in 3D nanostructures

Invisibility, resonant scattering and light trapping are among the most intriguing optical phenomena. Here, we show that these seemingly unrelated effects are tightly connected and can be tailored by suitably engineering the scattering response of composite nanoparticles. We demonstrate broadband cloaking and resonance effects, as well as embedded scattering eigenstates with infinite lifetime.
CD8+ T lymphocytes and cytomegalovirus retinitis in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Purpose We compared the levels of CD8+ and CD4+ cells in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositive patients who had normal eye examinations, microvasculopathy, or ocular infections other than cytomegalovirus retinitis to those of patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis, to determine whether lymphocyte counts other than CD4+ are predictive of cytomegalovirus retinitis. Methods The records of HIV-positive patients who had a lymphocyte subset analysis within three months of a complete eye examination were reviewed for age, gender, mode of HIV transmission, stage of disease, ocular findings, and absolute lymphocyte counts. Data for patients without cytomegalovirus retinitis were compared with those for patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis. Results Ninety-three HIV-positive patients had a lymphocyte subset analysis within three months of a complete eye examination; 76 patients had no cytomegalovirus retinitis and 17 had cytomegalovirus retinitis. Patients without cytomegalovirus retinitis and those with cytomegalovirus retinitis had the following median cell counts: CD4+, 76.0 and 15.0 cells/μl; CD8+, 634.5 and 280.0 cells/μl, respectively. Patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis had significantly lower CD4+ and CD8+ cell counts than those without cytomegalovirus retinitis (P r = .80, P r = .57, P Conclusion Patients with low CD4+ cell counts are known to be at high risk for cytomegalovirus retinitis. We showed that patients with low CD8+ cell counts are also at high risk for cytomegalovirus retinitis.
Arabidopsis thaliana gene expression microarray services

Incyte has developed a new gene expression microarray (GEM) for analysis of the plant functional genomic system Arabidopsis thaliana. This GEM features over 7,000 array elements from a non-redundant cDNA collection; nearly 30% of the estimated 25,000 genes in this organism. Over 2,000 of these clones represent genes that have functional annotation in public databases. We are offering hybridization and analysis services for the Arabidopsis GEM via Incyte and Genome Systems. Arabidopsis is the primary model system for the study of dicot plant genomics. Academic and commercial groups are using the combination of genomic and genetic tools available for Arabidopsis to study complex problems in plant biology. We have performed a few biological studies using the Arabidopsis GEM to validate the platform and provide examples of possible applications. We will present sample data on these studies.
What residents are not learning: observations in an NICU.

In light of the November 1999 report of the Institute of Medicine on medical errors as a leading cause of death and injury, and the July 2000 report of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education citing violations of work-hour standards for residents and interns, there is a clear need for substantial changes in residency training. The author, a clinical bioethicist, uses his extended observations at a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a major U.S. teaching hospital to outline specific concerns about residents' and interns' training, medical and otherwise, that create unnecessary hazards and other difficulties in the medical care of children. These concerns-which arise from constructive criticisms he makes of specific NICU procedures, methods, approaches, and policies-apply directly to training residents in several areas of medicine and more generally to all residents' training, and echo many of the issues stated in the reports mentioned above. The author maintains that a well-rounded medical education, fostering not only clinical skills but others (e.g., skills in teaching; in communication; in collaborating with nurses, social workers, and others; in working with families; in showing compassion; in dealing with confidentiality issues; in using common sense; in being the patient's advocate), is crucial for producing well-rounded physicians. He emphasizes that in order for such a well-rounded education to occur, the residency program-which in many cases means the attending physicians-must teach and model these varied skills and attitudes to their trainees.
The Effect of Cause of Death on Responses to the Bereaved: Suicide Compared to Accident and Natural Causes.

This study investigated the impact of cause of death on responses to a bereaved individual. Sixty participants (30 men and 30 women) listened to an audiotape of a recently bereaved widow. There were three versions of the tape, each identical except for the stated cause of death: suicide, accident, or heart attack. Participants listened and responded to three segments of the tape. Results indicated that respondents were more anxious after the interaction than before. In addition, perceptions of the individual bereaved by suicide were more negative, but these perceptual differences were not reflected in quantitative measures of behavior. Qualitative data suggested that for suicidal deaths issues of blame and responsibility are more salient than for deaths due to accidents or natural causes.
The design and analysis of multi-megawatt distributed single pole double throw (SPDT) microwave switches

We present a design methodology and analysis for an SPDT switch that is capable of handling hundreds of megawatts of power at X-band. The switch is designed for application in high power RF systems in particular future linear colliders. In these systems switching needs to be fast in one direction only. We use this to our advantage to reach a design for a super high power switch. In our analysis we treat the problem from an abstract point of view. We introduce a unified analysis for the microwave circuits irrespective of the switching elements. The analysis is, then, suitable for different kinds of switching elements such as photoconductors, PIN diodes, and plasma discharge in low-pressure gases.
Convex compactness and its applications

The concept of convex compactness, weaker than the classical notion of compactness, is introduced and discussed. It is shown that a large class of convex subsets of topological vector spaces shares this property and that is can be used in lieu of compactness in a variety of cases. Specifically, we establish convex compactness for certain familiar classes of subsets of the set of positive random variables under the topology induced by convergence in probability. Two applications in infinite-dimensional optimization—attainment of infima and a version of the Minimax theorem—are given. Moreover, a new fixed-point theorem of the Knaster-Kuratowski-Mazurkiewicz-type is derived and used to prove a general version of the Walrasian excess-demand theorem.
Robust unmixing of tumor states in array comparative genomic hybridization data

Motivation: Tumorigenesis is an evolutionary process by which tumor cells acquire sequences of mutations leading to increased growth, invasiveness and eventually metastasis. It is hoped that by identifying the common patterns of mutations underlying major cancer sub-types, we can better understand the molecular basis of tumor development and identify new diagnostics and therapeutic targets. This goal has motivated several attempts to apply evolutionary tree reconstruction methods to assays of tumor state. Inference of tumor evolution is in principle aided by the fact that tumors are heterogeneous, retaining remnant populations of different stages along their development along with contaminating healthy cell populations. In practice, though, this heterogeneity complicates interpretation of tumor data because distinct cell types are conflated by common methods for assaying the tumor state. We previously proposed a method to computationally infer cell populations from measures of tumor-wide gene expression through a geometric interpretation of mixture type separation, but this approach deals poorly with noisy and outlier data. Results: In the present work, we propose a new method to perform tumor mixture separation efficiently and robustly to an experimental error. The method builds on the prior geometric approach but uses a novel objective function allowing for robust fits that greatly reduces the sensitivity to noise and outliers. We further develop an efficient gradient optimization method to optimize this ‘soft geometric unmixing’ objective for measurements of tumor DNA copy numbers assessed by array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) data. We show, on a combination of semi-synthetic and real data, that the method yields fast and accurate separation of tumor states. Conclusions: We have shown a novel objective function and optimization method for the robust separation of tumor sub-types from aCGH data and have shown that the method provides fast, accurate reconstruction of tumor states from mixed samples. Better solutions to this problem can be expected to improve our ability to accurately identify genetic abnormalities in primary tumor samples and to infer patterns of tumor evolution. Contact: tolliver@cs.cmu.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
RON overexpression drives macrophage differentiation toward an alternatively activated (M2) phenotype in a mouse model of spontaneous pancreatic carcinogenesis

tumor type, and pancreatic cancer is associated with the highest risk. Virchow’s triad describes three factors contributing to Vte: hypercoagulability, stasis, and endothelial injury. Rotational thromboelastography (ROTEM) is a new point of care test that allows rapid quantification of coagulation status, for which there is limited information in cancer. We used ROTEM to compare preoperative clot kinetics/strength in patients undergoing surgery for malignant disease.
Exploiting spatio-temporal characteristics of human vision for mobile video applications

Video applications on handheld devices such as smart phones pose a significant challenge to achieve high quality user experience. Recent advances in processor and wireless networking technology are producing a new class of multimedia applications (e.g. video streaming) for mobile handheld devices. These devices are light weight and have modest sizes, and therefore very limited resources - lower processing power, smaller display resolution, lesser memory, and limited battery life as compared to desktop and laptop systems. Multimedia applications on the other hand have extensive processing requirements which make the mobile devices extremely resource hungry. In addition, the device specific properties (e.g. display screen) significantly influence the human perception of multimedia quality. In this paper we propose a saliency based framework that exploits the structure in content creation as well as the human vision system to find the salient points in the incoming bitstream and adapt it according to the target device, thus improving the quality of new adapted area around salient points. Our experimental results indicate that the adaptation process that is cognizant of video content and user preferences can produce better perceptual quality video for mobile devices. Furthermore, we demonstrated how such a framework can affect user experience on a handheld device.
A study of a kinematically redundant manipulator structure

Six degrees of freedom is only the minimum requirement for a manipulator to have full spatial positioning capability. However, effective use of more than six degrees of freedom is not a simple problem. Those systems with redundant degrees of freedom which have been successfully operated are based on end-point sensing. The present paper deals with ways of making effective use of additional degrees of freedom in conventional, open-loop, industrial robot type operation.
Nigrescence Attitudes in Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood, and Adulthood:

In this study, the author reports on a cross-sectional examination of nigrescence attitudes measured with the Cross Racial Identity Scale (CRIS) using three demographically and developmentally different samples already in the literature: adolescents ( n = 143; M age = 14), emerging adults (n = 306; M age = 20.7), and adults (n = 105; M age = 34.1). Results indicated that CRIS subscales are measuring congruent constructs across these three developmental periods. Adolescents reported higher Assimilation, Miseducation, and Self-Hatred scores than emerging adults and higher Miseducation and Self-Hatred scores than the adult sample, with effect sizes in the medium to high range. Differences among the groups on Immersion-Emersion and Internalization subscales were small, and the six subscale scores did not allow for discrimination among the groups. These findings provide support for using the CRIS in longitudinal examinations of racial identity attitudes.
Special phase transformation and crystal growth pathways observed in nanoparticles

Phase transformation and crystal growth in nanoparticles may happen via mechanisms distinct from those in bulk materials. We combine experimental studies of as-synthesized and hydrothermally coarsened titania (TiO2) and zinc sulfide (ZnS) with thermodynamic analysis, kinetic modeling and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, synchrotron X-ray absorption and scattering, and UV-vis spectroscopy. At low temperatures, phase transformation in titania nanoparticles occurs predominantly via interface nucleation at particle–particle contacts. Coarsening and crystal growth of titania nanoparticles can be described using the Smoluchowski equation. Oriented attachment-based crystal growth was common in both hydrothermal solutions and under dry conditions. MD simulations predict large structural perturbations within very fine particles, and are consistent with experimental results showing that ligand binding and change in aggregation state can cause phase transformation without particle coarsening. Such phenomena affect surface reactivity, thus may have important roles in geochemical cycling.
Ecological Value of Submerged Breakwaters for Habitat Enhancement on a Residential Scale

Estuarine shorelines have been degraded since humans arrived in the coastal zone. In recent history, a major cause of habitat degradation has been the armoring of shorelines with vertical walls to protect property from erosive wave energy; however, a lack of practical alternatives that maintain or enhance ecological function has limited the options of waterfront residents and coastal zone managers. We experimentally investigated the habitat value of two configurations of submerged breakwaters constructed along an eroding shoreline in northwest Mobile Bay, AL (USA). Breakwaters comprised of bagged oyster shell or Reef Ball™ concrete domes were built by a community-based restoration effort. Post-deployment monitoring found that: bagged oyster breakwaters supported much higher densities of live ribbed mussels than Reef Ball breakwaters; both breakwater configurations supported increased species richness of juvenile and smaller fishes compared to controls; and that larger fishes did not appear to be affected by breakwater presence. Our study demonstrates that ecologically degraded shorelines can be augmented with small-scale breakwaters at reasonable cost and that these complex structures can serve as habitat for filter-feeding bivalves, mobile invertebrates, and young fishes. Understanding the degree to which these structures mitigate erosive wave energy and protect uplands will require a longer time frame than our 2-year-long study.
The Reliability and Stability of Television Exposure

A study was conducted to assess the reliability and stability of television exposure, and the relationship of various demographic variables to this, presumed hypothetical construct, when measurement error is removed. A secondary analysis of survey data collected from a sample of black adults over two points in time served as the basis for this investigation. Using a LISREL model. the results indicated that: (1) the indicators of television exposure are moderately reliable and any unreliability is almost entirely due to random error; (2) the construct is substantially unstable over the interval assessed and (3) education is inversely related to television exposure. it was concluded that more attention should be given to theoretically defining media exposure, a central concept in communication research, and to taking into account measurement error.
CAMBIOS EN LA CAPACIDAD DEL ESTADO PARA ENFRENTAR LAS VIOLACIONES DE LAS NORMAS LABORALES: LOS TALLERES DE CONFECCIÓN DE PRENDAS DE VESTIR EN BUENOS AIRES

velozmente en el curso del auge economico posterior a la crisis del ano 2001, y junto con esa expansion se produjo un aumento del numero de los llamados talleres "clandestinos" de confeccion de ropa, muchos de los cuales presentaban violaciones extremas de dichas normas. Pese a los esfuerzos realizados en este periodo en todo el pais para fortalecer las Instituciones laborales, en los primeros anos el Estado casi no reacciono frente a tales transgresiones. Luego, a partir de 2006, fecha en que tuvo lugar un incendio tragico en uno de los talleres, la aplicacion de las normas se incremento drasticamente durante casi dos anos; pero desde 2008 volvio a menguar, y se recrearon las condiciones que permitian la proliferacion de transgresiones a la ley en esta Industria. SI se consideran los argumentos prevalecientes sobre la capacidad del Estado para realizar Inspecciones laborales, segun los cuales los elementos constitutivos de la capacidad para la aplicacion de las normas es muy estable, los cambios mencionados son desconcertantes. Los debates sobre la regulacion laboral conciben la capacidad de aplicacion de las normas como producto de uno o dos elementos organizativos del ente regulador: recursos administrativos (v. gr., cantidad de inspectores) y/o autonomia (v. gr., proteccion respecto de la interferencia politica) (Jatoba, 2002; Bensusan, 2006; Cooney, 2007; Bernhardt, McGrath y DeFilippis, 2008;
GC- and AT-rich chromatin domains differ in conformation and histone modification status and are differentially modulated by Rpd3p

Base-composition varies throughout the genome and is related to organization of chromosomes in distinct domains (isochores). Isochore domains differ in gene expression levels, replication timing, levels of meiotic recombination and chromatin structure. The molecular basis for these differences is poorly understood. We have compared GC- and AT-rich isochores of yeast with respect to chromatin conformation, histone modification status and transcription. Using 3C analysis we show that, along chromosome III, GC-rich isochores have a chromatin structure that is characterized by lower chromatin interaction frequencies compared to AT-rich isochores, which may point to a more extended chromatin conformation. In addition, we find that throughout the genome, GC-rich and AT-rich genes display distinct levels of histone modifications. Interestingly, elimination of the histone deacetylase Rpd3p differentially affects conformation of GC- and AT-rich domains. Further, deletion of RPD3 activates expression of GC-rich genes more strongly than AT-rich genes. Analyses of effects of the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A, global patterns of Rpd3p binding and effects of deletion of RPD3 on histone H4 acetylation confirmed that conformation and activity of GC-rich chromatin are more sensitive to Rpd3p-mediated deacetylation than AT-rich chromatin. We find that GC-rich and AT-rich chromatin domains display distinct chromatin conformations and are marked by distinct patterns of histone modifications. We identified the histone deacetylase Rpd3p as an attenuator of these base composition-dependent differences in chromatin status. We propose that GC-rich chromatin domains tend to occur in a more active conformation and that Rpd3p activity represses this propensity throughout the genome.
Application of formal specification to software maintenance

The authors describe the use of formal specifications and associated tools in addressing various aspects of software maintenance-corrective, perfective, and adaptive. They also address the refinement of the software development process to build programs that are easily maintainable. The task of software maintenance in this case includes the task of maintaining the specification, as well as the program. The authors focus on the use of Anna, a specification language for formally specifying Ada programs, to aid in maintaining Ada programs. The techniques are applicable to most other specification language and programming language environments. The tools of interest are (1) the Anna Specification Analyzer, which permits analysis of the specification for correctness with respect to the informal understanding of program behavior; and (2) the Anna Consistency Checking System, which monitors the Ada program at run time on the basis of the Anna specification. >
Inflammation Modifies the Effects of a Reduced-Fat Low-Cholesterol Diet on Lipids Results From the DASH-Sodium Trial

Background— Inflammatory mediators regulate key aspects of lipid metabolism. We hypothesized that inflammation could diminish the cholesterol-lowering effect of a reduced-fat/low-cholesterol diet. Methods and Results— After a 2-week run-in period on a control diet (37% total fat, 16% saturated fat), 100 participants were randomized to the control or DASH diet (27% total fat, 6% saturated fat) for 12 weeks. Median C-reactive protein (CRP) at baseline was 2.37 mg/L (interquartile range, 1.20, 3.79). The DASH diet, net of control, had no effect on CRP. Overall, there were significant net reductions in total (−0.34 mmol/L), LDL (−0.29 mmol/L), and HDL (−0.12 mmol/L) cholesterol from the DASH diet (each, P<0.001) and little change in triglycerides (+0.05 mmol/L, P=0.21). Baseline CRP was strongly associated with lipid responsiveness to the DASH diet. Total and LDL cholesterol were reduced to a greater degree in those with a “low” (below median) compared with a “high” (above median) baseline CRP (total, −9.8% v...
Congressional Salaries and the Politics of Unpopular Votes

This article examines the process of roll call voting when constituency pressures run counter to the desires of legislators. Previous research has emphasized concerns about reelection. Using votes on the congressional pay raise of 1989, I demonstrate that a variety of legislative goals are useful for explaining the roll call decisions made by members of the House of Representatives. Members turned to reelection, policy, power, and economic self-interest in deciding how to vote on the pay raise issue. Importantly, the contexts of the voting decisions help to explain both the behavior of individual legislators and the ultimate outcome of the legislative process.
C-terminus determinants for Mg2+ and polyamine block of the inward rectifier K+ channel IRK1

Critical loci for ion conduction in inward rectifier K+ channels are only now being discovered. The C-terminal region of IRK1 plays a crucial role in Mg2+i blockade and single-channel K+ conductance. A negatively charged aspartate in the putative second transmembrane domain (position 172) is essential for time-dependent block by the cytoplasmic polyamines spermine and spermidine. We have now localized the C-terminus effect in IRK1 to a single, negatively charged residue (E224). Mutation of E224 to G, Q and S drastically reduced rectification. Furthermore, the IRK1 E224G mutation decreased block by Mg2+i and spermidine and, like the E224Q mutation, caused a dramatic reduction in the apparent single-channel K+ conductance. The double mutation IRK1 D172N+ E224G was markedly insensitive to spermidine block, displaying an affinity similar to ROMK1. The results are compatible with a model in which the negatively charged residue at position 224, E224, is a major determinant of pore properties in IRK1. By means of a specific interaction with the negatively charged residue at position 172, D172, E224 contributes to the formation of the binding pocket for Mg2+ and polyamines, a characteristic of strong inward rectifiers.
E’s are good: Standards of quality in public administration as reflected in discourse on Canadian public policy design

Promoting understanding of quality in the context of good governance can be a challenging classroom exercise not only because of the potential for hijacking politicization of the discussion, but also because of the variety of ways in which public sector goals can be defined, even in the context of a single policy. Standards of quality in the present in the contemporary practice of public administration include many words beginning with “E” in the English language. Employing the “E’s are Good” taxonomy helps communicate different aspects of good governance to students in public administration and policy courses. In this article, literature surrounding the public sector standards of quality is reviewed using this framework. Examples of discussion of the E concepts drawn from legislative discourse surrounding Canadian health and social policy designed are then considered as an empirical case study.
Infection and Development of the Obligate Parasite Catenaria Allomycis on Allomyces Arbuscula

Catenaria allomycis occurs as an endobiotic parasite of Allomyces arbusculo. Light and electron-microscopic observations on the establishment of the parasite are described. The encysted zoospore pr...
By Whose Words Shall We Know, and to What End? Genealogies and its Others in Geography

The discursive and material tensions between words and ideas within geography have real impacts on the lives of peoples and the places we describe and study, and thus we should not take such tasks lightly. Political geography is limited by relying on existing genealogies and the limits of Anglo-based language. Silences and gaps can be better addressed by engaging with scholarship and ways of being from ‘other’ places as well as enriching genealogies to include postcolonial and feminist scholarship. While we can argue over the tracing of keywords or problematic interpretations in genealogical interventions, we should also at the same time be accountable to what has been and is continued to be overlooked, ignored, erased, or captured.
Pools of programmed death-ligand within the oral cavity tumor microenvironment: Variable alteration by targeted therapies.

Background Enhanced understanding of programmed death-ligand (PD-L) expression in oral cancer is important for establishing rational combinations of emerging immune checkpoint and molecular targeted therapies. Methods We assessed PD-L and interferon (IFN) expression in immunogenic murine oral cancer-1 (MOC1) and poorly immunogenic MOC2 cell models after treatment with mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and MEK1/2 small molecule inhibitors in vitro and in vivo. Results PD-L1 but not PD-L2 is expressed on MOC1 and 2 cells and is type I and II IFN-dependent. PD-L1 is differentially expressed on cancer and endothelial cells and infiltrating myeloid-derived suppressor cells, macrophages, and regulatory T cells (Tregs) in highly and poorly immunogenic tumors. PD-L1 expression is variably altered after treatment with inhibitors in vivo, with an imperfect relationship to alterations in IFN levels in the tumor microenvironment. Conclusion PD-L1 expressed on cancer and infiltrating immune cells is variably altered by targeted therapies and may, in part, reflect changes in tumor IFN. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2015
Gender‐specific analysis of outcomes from endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis

Background Women electing endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) report higher symptom burden but have lower computed tomography (CT) scores. Gender-specific analysis of outcomes from ESS therefore merits further study. The objective of this work was to study gender-specific differences in outcomes from ESS for CRS by analyzing preoperative and postoperative 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) scores. Methods Data from adult CRS patients electing ESS (2011-2013) were retrospectively collected. SNOT-22 total, rhinologic/nonrhinologic subdomain, and individual item scores were analyzed for gender-specific differences. Results Two hundred and forty-eight patients met study criteria (mean age 55.4 years; 49.6% female). Preoperatively, mean Lund-Mackay CT score was 11.1; average total SNOT-22 score was 41.9. Compared to men, women had lower CT score (10.2 vs 12.0; p = 0.004) but higher total SNOT-22 score (44.7 vs 39.1; p = 0.02). Both genders showed significant improvement in total SNOT-22 scores at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months following ESS (p < 0.001), with largely similar slopes of improvement. The greatest improvement occurred at 3 months (SNOT-22 decreased by 25.4 points), with stable improvement after 12 months (SNOT-22 decreased by 21.3 points). Higher total SNOT-22 scores in females were noted preoperatively and until 6 months post-ESS; these were driven by rhinologic and nonrhinologic-otolaryngic subdomain items. No gender differences in anxiety/depression prevalence or psychological subdomain scores were noted preoperatively or postoperatively. Conclusion Both male and female CRS patients showed significant and durable symptom relief following ESS. Women reported higher symptom burden prior to surgery, and in the early postoperative period. However, after 1-year post-ESS, both genders showed similar symptom scores. The trend and magnitude of improvement were similar in both genders.
Investigation of Vibrio Cholerae strains isolated between 1999 and 2005 by drug sensitivity test and toxic gene expression profile

Objective To determine whether there was relationship between the stains isolated between 1999 and 2005 in Jiangsu Province by their phenotypes and genotypes analysis.Methods Phenotypic characteristics of the total 136 V.Cholerae strains were determined by antibiotic susceptibility testing(AST),and four cholerae virulence genes were analyzed by PCR.Results Among of 136 strains,1 was resistant to eight antibiotics,1 to seven antibiotics,73 to six antibiotics,36 to five antibiotics,7 to four antibiotics,12 to three antibiotics,1 to two antibiotics,3 to one antibiotic,respectively.It was found that 102 V.Cholerae strains had four toxin-related genes,15 had three toxin-related genes,11 had two toxin-related genes,and 4 had one toxin-related gene,the rest of other strains had none of the four toxin-related genes.Conclusion Strains isolated from patients with a wilder drug-resistant spectrum than those from environment suggests the abuse of antibiotics is very serious.Virulence gene expression profiles and AST complements and confirms each other,which can be used in tracking the source of outbreak and to investigate the evolutionary line of V.cholerae.
A hybrid path planning technique developed by integrating global and local path planner

Finding path in a given environment seems trivial so research, these days, is focused at finding optimal and quality path. Among others, distance traversed by a robot from start point to reach goal is an important measure of optimality and so is safety of robot while traveling through identified path. In this paper, we present a hybrid technique developed by integrating visibility graph as global path planners and potential field method as local or reactive planner. The hybrid technique not only generates a near optimal path in terms of distance but also ensures that robot, at no point from start to goal, touches any obstacle or comes closer than a user defined distance. The results of proposed technique are really encouraging as robot is kept sufficiently away from obstacles while navigating through them. While maintaining safe distance, increase in distance as compared to shortest possible path is only 3.93 %.
Studying with H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr.: Lessons in an Engelhardtian Weltanschauung

Undertaking graduate study with Dr. Engelhardt provided a window into a rich tradition of true disciplinary mentorship. This was not the world of periodic email communication, neatly scheduled deadlines, measured progress and a final congratulatory handshake. For all his Germanic tendencies, Dr. Engelhardt inhabits (and therefore by association, we students inhabited) a chaotic, fertile, humorous, rigorous, unpredictable Weltanschauung. We received calls outside the normal boundaries of the work day, found our dearest assumptions poked at repeatedly, were humbled by Tris’s stamina for work and late nights, were thrilled and intimidated by opportunities he sent our way, and learned enormous amounts of philosophy, culture, history, religion, oenology and Texarcana. It was an apprenticeship with a master craftsman who took responsibility for our enculturation and education in a personal way. It was never boring.
Universality in the non-Newtonian viscous flow behavior of AsxSe1 − x liquids: Results from capillary rheometry

Abstract The shear rate dependence of the viscosity of AsxSe1 − x (5 ≤ x ≤ 40) liquids is studied using capillary rheometry. All liquids display non-Newtonian rheological behavior in the form of shear thinning. The onset of such behavior is characterized by shear rates that are nearly four orders of magnitude slower than the average rate of structural relaxation. Proper normalization of the viscosity vs. shear rate data demonstrates a remarkable universality in this behavior, irrespective of chemical composition, structure, topology and temperature. The existence of such universality suggests an underlying commonality in the fundamental atomistic mechanism of shear thinning in these chalcogenide liquids.
RETHINK: Wearing Kombucha in Santa Fe

Inspired by the concept “sustainability,” we challenged ourselves to rethink what constitutes sustainable consumer products in a world of increasingly stressed natural resources. We explored the innovative way to develop renewable biocomposite materials, leather-like nonwoven fabrics, which can be used for wearable products such as vest, jacket, bag, and shoes.
Divergent mechanisms of iron-containing enzymes for hydrocarbon biosynthesis

Increasing levels of energy consumption, dwindling resources, and environmental considerations have served as compelling motivations to explore renewable alternatives to petroleum-based fuels, including enzymatic routes for hydrocarbon synthesis. Phylogenetically diverse species have long been recognized to produce hydrocarbons, but many of the enzymes responsible have been identified within the past decade. The enzymatic conversion of Cn chain length fatty aldehydes (or acids) to Cn-1 hydrocarbons, alkanes or alkenes, involves a C-C scission reaction. Surprisingly, the enzymes involved in hydrocarbon synthesis utilize non-heme mononuclear iron, dinuclear iron, and thiolate-ligated heme cofactors that are most often associated with monooxygenation reactions. In this review, we examine the mechanisms of several enzymes involved in hydrocarbon biosynthesis, with specific emphasis on the structural and electronic changes that enable this functional switch.
Personal Transparency, Total Absence of Conflicts of Interest, Both Personal and for Your Unit

With computerized records, the growth of administration everywhere. and the ubiquitous presence of media, the records of your unit and the behavior of everyone working for you must be transparent and ethical. Conflicts of interest by responsible individuals, and you in particular, must be avoided.
A systematic synthesis of direct costs to treat and manage tuberculosis disease applied to California, 2015.

The cost of treating and managing cases of active tuberculosis (TB) disease—from diagnosis to treatment completion—is needed by agencies working on public health budgets, resource allocation and cost-effectiveness analysis. Although components of TB costs have been published in the United States (US), no recent study has assessed overall costs for TB care and potential gaps. To systematically review the US literature for costs of treating and managing cases of active TB disease, adjust these costs to current (2015) values, and assess gaps. We quantified total direct costs—from the perspective of the health care payer—of the treatment and case management of active TB disease. Estimates were based on published figures in the US, and operational data of the California Department of Public Health. The average direct cost of treating and managing a TB case was $34,600 in 2015. The average cost of a multidrug-resistant TB case was $110,900. Health care spending for treating and case managing TB patients in California amounted to approximately $75.6 million for the 2133 new cases reported in 2015. Most published cost estimates were based on data from the 1990s. TB is resource-intensive to treat and manage. Our synthesis provides inputs for budgets and economic analyses. New studies to provide original cost data are needed to better reflect current clinical and public health practices.
Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on Outcomes in Patients Supported With Left Ventricular Assist Devices: A Single Institutional 9-Year Experience

Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a risk factor for morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure. The effect of DM on post–left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation outcomes is unclear. This study sought to investigate whether patients with DM had worse outcomes than patients without DM after LVAD implantation and whether LVAD support resulted in a better control of DM. Methods and Results We retrospectively reviewed 341 consecutive adults who underwent implantation of LVAD from 2007 to 2016. Patient characteristics and adverse events were studied and compared between patients with and without DM. One hundred thirty-one patients (38%) had DM. Compared with patients without DM, those with DM had higher rates of ischemic cardiomyopathy, LVAD implantation as destination therapy, and increased baseline body mass index. In a proportional hazards (Cox) model with adjustment for relevant covariates and median follow-up of 16.1 months, DM was associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 1.73; 95% confidence interval: 1.18–2.53; P =0.005) and increased risk of nonfatal LVAD-related complications, including a composite of stroke, pump thrombosis, and device infection (hazard ratio, 2.1; 95% confidence interval: 1.35–3.18; P =0.001). Preoperative hemoglobin A1c was not significantly associated with mortality or adverse events among patients with DM. LVAD implantation resulted in a remarkable decrease in hemoglobin A1c levels (7.4±1.9 pre-LVAD versus 6.0±1.5 and 6.3±1.4 after 3 and 12 months post-LVAD, respectively; P Conclusions DM is associated with increased rates of all-cause mortality and major adverse events despite favorable glycemic control after LVAD implantation.
The Effect of Base Rate on Calibration of Subjective Probability for True-False Questions: Model and Experiment

Abstract The degree of calibration of subjective probabilities of events is the extent to which the observed proportion of events that occur agrees with the assigned probability values. The decision variable partition model of calibration is reviewed tutorially. It shows how numerical subjective probabilities for discrete events can be related to the perceived truth of propositions. It has been able to explain a number of experimental findings about calibration of subjective probabilities of correct response to two-alternative multiple-choice questions and to questions to which the respondent supplies the answer. In this paper, the model's predictions for true-false items axe derived, and an experiment testing them is reported. The model predicts that when the subjective probability that items are true is assessed, there will be a specific effect of the base rate, the proportion of true items, but that there will be no effect when the respondent decides true or false and then reports a subjective probability of being correct. A systematic effect of task difficulty is predicted in both cases. The experimental results are in close agreement with the model's predictions.
Chapter 12 Motoric Characteristics of Adult Aphasic and Apraxic Speakers

Aphasia, apraxia of speech and dysarthria are the three major impairments of spoken language resulting from damage to the nervous system. Traditional definitions of these disorders imply clear separations in terms of the affected mechanisms or processes. For example, aphasia is assumed to be an impairment of language rather than a disorder of the motor control of speech. However, the contemporary classification of aphasia rests to a large degree on characteristics of speech, perhaps even on characteristics of speech motor control. This chapter examines evidence of motor disturbances in the speech patterns of certain aphasia ‘types’ and in apraxia of speech. Data from perceptual, acoustic, and physiologic investigations point strongly to the conclusion that movement-level disturbances can be observed in apraxia of speech, Broca aphasia, conduction aphasia and Wernicke aphasia. It is concluded that traditional classifications and descriptions of the aphasia syndromes and of apraxia of speech should be reconsidered in the light of recent perceptually, acoustically and physiologically derived evidence for speech movement-level deficits in speakers with these disorders.
Electrodes derivatized with mono- and multilayer assemblies containing preformed binding sites

Recent work on the design, preparation, and characterization of thiolate-on-gold self-assembled mono- layers and multilayers containing preformed binding sites is reviewed. The use of these interracial systems as molecular sensors in the vapor and solution phases is discussed.
Optimization of electrical treatment strategy for surface roughness reduction in conducting thin films

The surface roughness of deposited conducting thin films is responsible for various materials reliability problems in nanoelectronics and nanofabrication technologies. Here, we report a modeling and simulation study that aims at optimizing the electrical surface treatment of deposited conducting thin films as a physical processing strategy for their surface roughness reduction. Our study is based on a continuum model of film surface morphological evolution that accounts for the residual stress in the deposited conducting thin film, the film’s wetting of the substrate layer that it is deposited on, film texture and surface diffusional anisotropy, and surface electromigration. Through systematic linear stability analysis and dynamical simulation protocols, we examine in detail the effects of film surface crystallographic orientation and applied electric field direction toward minimizing the electric field strength required for film surface smoothening. We find that the critical electric field strength requirement for surface roughness reduction on {110}, {100}, and {111} surfaces of face-centered cubic crystalline conducting thin films exhibits a very strong dependence on the applied electric field direction, expressed as the electric field misalignment with respect to the principal residual stress directions in the film and the fast surface diffusion directions. Based on these findings, we optimize the electrical treatment strategy for surface roughness reduction of conducting thin films with respect to all relevant processing and material parameters.
Chronic Pain Mitigation and Opioid Weaning at a Multidisciplinary AIDS Clinic: A Case Report.

Background and Purpose:Chronic pain has emerged as a treatment priority among people living with HIV (PLHIV). Recent studies indicate the use of physical therapy (PT) for chronic pain mitigation among PLHIV; however, there is a paucity of literature regarding PT as part of multidisciplinary collabor
Impact of New Vascular Fellowship Programs on Vascular Surgery Operative Volume of Residents in Associated General Surgery Programs

Background General surgery (GS) resident vascular surgery (VS) operations have declined significantly in the last 15 years. We hypothesized that initiation of VS fellowship programs (VSFPs) contributes to that decline. This study examined the effect of establishing new VSFPs on VS case volumes of residents in associated GS programs. Study Design General surgery programs were reviewed if associated with VSFPs accredited since July 1, 2002 that had 1 or more matriculants (GS case logs only available since 2002 to 2003). Total VS cases by residents in those programs was analyzed before and after matriculation of first fellow into the associated VSFP. Results Twenty-two programs were available for analysis. General surgery case-log data were available variably from 0 to 14 years before and 0 to 14 years after first fellows in the associated VSFPs. In 12 programs with 4 years of data before and after matriculation of associated VSFPs' first fellows, VS cases increased from 109.6 ± 32.4 cases to 143.65 ± 78.15 cases in 4 years before matriculation (p = 0.008) of VS fellows and then declined from 143.65 to 114.04 ± 46.97 in 4 years after (p = 0.0134). In all 16 programs with 4 years of data after matriculation of the associated VSFP's first fellow, VS cases declined from 123.37 ± 71.42 to 103.23 ± 44.35 (p = 0.0232). Conclusions New VSFPs diminished peak VS operative volume of residents in associated GS programs, thereby contributing to declining national average number of VS cases done by GS residents. Nevertheless, resident VS case volumes remained robust in most GS programs associated with new VSFPs. Additional study is required to determine both resident perception and overall impact of VSFPs on associated GS training.