cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Social Costs of Underemployment: Reverse Causation: Findings on the Selection Hypothesis

… it is doubtful if many of them could or would work full time for long together if they had the opportunity. … there will be found many of them who from shiftlessness, helplessness, idleness, or drink, are inevitably poor. Booth, 1892, pp. 42–43. INTRODUCTION Background A century of research has repeatedly found an association between adverse employment change – usually unemployment – and indicators of ill health, particularly behavioral and emotional disorders. However, the interpretation of this correlation has proved difficult. As noted in Chapter 2, at least three different mechanisms could account for it, each intuitively plausible: social causation, confounding, and selection. Social causation views adverse employment change as the cause of ill health. The remaining chapters of this book will focus on this mechanism, with the others controlled. An ever-present rival explanation to both social causation and selection involves confounding by other variables. When the contributions of such confounding variables are removed, usually by statistical control, the initial association may weaken or disappear. Any prior variable that serves as a risk factor for both employment and health change could function as a confounder. For example, growing up in poverty may increase the risk of intermittent unemployment in adulthood because of educational inadequacies. In addition, it may increase the risk of ill health in adulthood as a result of inadequate health care in childhood or the acquisition of poor health habits.
Blood fatty acid patterns are associated with prostate cancer risk in a prospective nested case-control study.

Circulating fatty acids are highly correlated with each other, and analyzing fatty acid patterns could better capture their interactions and their relation to prostate cancer. We aimed to assess the associations between data-derived blood fatty acid patterns and prostate cancer risk. We conducted a nested case–control study in the Physicians’ Health Study. Fatty acids levels were measured in whole blood samples of 476 cases and their matched controls by age and smoking status. Fatty acid patterns were identified using principal component analysis. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI). Two patterns explaining 40.9 % of total variation in blood fatty acid levels were identified. Pattern 1, which mainly reflects polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism, was suggestively positively related to prostate cancer risk (ORquintile 5 vs. quintile 1 = 1.37, 95 % CI = 0.91–2.05, P trend = 0.07). Pattern 2, which largely reflects de novo lipogenesis, was significantly associated with higher prostate cancer risk (ORquintile5 vs. quintile1 = 1.63, 95 % CI = 1.04–2.55, P trend = 0.02). This association was similar across tumor stage, grade, clinical aggressiveness categories and follow-up time. The two patterns of fatty acids we identified were consistent with known interactions between fatty acid intake and metabolism. A pattern suggestive of higher activity in the de novo lipogenesis pathway was related to higher risk of prostate cancer.
Synthesis, growth and characterization of l -Alanine Potassium Chloride single crystal: a phase-matchable semi-organic material for second and third order NLO applications

l-Alanine Potassium Chloride single crystals have been grown by slow evaporation solution growth technique. The cell parameters were estimated from single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and it was found that the material crystallizes in orthorhombic symmetry with space group of P212121. The powder X-ray analysis proved its crystalline nature without the formation of secondary phases. The presence of functional groups and the nature of bonds appearing in the material were identified by FTIR spectroscopy. Optical constants were estimated by UV–visible spectrum and the lower cut off wavelength was observed at 330 nm. Photoluminescence emission spectrum show violet band through a strong peak centred at 380 nm. The scanning electron microscope analysis has been carried out to determine the surface morphology of the grown crystal. Energy dispersive spectrum was done to identify the composition of elements present in the title material. The second harmonic generation efficiency of the sample was confirmed and measured by Kurtz powder technique which reveals that the conversion efficiency was found to be two times that of urea crystal. Third order nonlinear optical susceptibility was identified using Z-scan technique and it is found that the crystal has a positive refractive index which is self focusing in nature. The obtained results show that l-Alanine KCl crystals are potential materials in NLO device applications.
Acculturation and Dental Service Use Among Asian Immigrants in the U.S

Introduction The objective of this study was to assess dental service utilization across different Asian immigrant groups and to examine the relationship between acculturation and dental service utilization among Asian immigrants in the U.S. Methods Data were from the 2013 and 2014 National Health Interview Surveys. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the association between acculturation and having a dental visit in the previous 12 months, controlling for predisposing, enabling, and need factors. Acculturation was measured by length of stay in the U.S., English language proficiency, and U.S. citizenship. The sample was 2,948 adult Asian immigrants who were dentate. Data were analyzed in 2016. Results Dental service utilization varied across Asian immigrant groups. High English proficiency and longer length of stay were significantly associated with having a dental visit ( p Conclusions Length of stay in the U.S. is a significant factor affecting dental service utilization among Asian immigrants.
Design of a Hybrid Electric Vehicle

As part of the EcoCAR: The next challenge student competition, the Georgia Tech (GT) team is designing a hybrid vehicle to be integrated into a production stock 2009 Saturn Vue. The team chose to use E85 in a spark-ignition engine with lithium ion batteries and employ GM's 2-mode hybrid transmission (2-MT). The preliminary results in terms of performance, emissions, and fuel economy are presented.
Concluding Thoughts on Female Olympians

The story of women’s participation in the Olympics, as well as women’s stories about that participation, needs an holistic approach such has been taken here. At this point, it is worth noting that my subtitle’s use of the term “mediated” includes both mainstream media (print, electronic, filmic, and technological) and mediatization theory, the latter dealing with ways that media shapes and frames the language of communication within societal boundaries. This undertaking also requires the inclusion of sociocultural and political--economic considerations in its examination of female Olympians’ historical timeline. Here, read about sport/gender, sport communication, Olympism/gender, and Olympics ethics.
Those puzzling infinities

Since it opened for business a couple of years back, CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has been confirming the validity of the Standard Model of particle physics to ever-greater precision and accuracy.
Institutional economics and firm creation in the hospitality and tourism industry: A comparative analysis of developing and developed economies

Despite its importance for the global hospitality and tourism industry, firm creation remains an under-researched activity, particularly in terms of differences across developing and developed economies. By examining the impact of institutional structure on firm creation across economies of varying development levels, this study aims to address gaps in the literature and inform theory, practice, and public policymaking. More specifically, formal institutions such as government size, protection of property rights, sound money, free trade, and regulation are examined to understand their impacts on firm creation. This study draws upon institutional theory and uses panel data (2001–2012) from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor and Economic Freedom of the World index to test hypotheses with a sample of 37 developing and 28 developed countries. Analyses reveal differential effects of formal institutions on firm creation in developing and developed economies. Implications for future research, practice, and public policy are further discussed.
MicroRNA-34 mediates AR-dependent p53-induced apoptosis in prostate cancer

1822 Recent reports show that AR is the key determinant for the molecular changes required for resistance to apoptosis and for driving prostate cancer cells from an androgen-dependent to androgen depletion, independent (ADI) state. Further recent publications suggest that downregulation of AR expression should therefore be considered the main strategy for the treatment of ADI disease. However, there is little data about how androgen-dependent cancer cells respond to apoptosis-inducing agents after knocking down AR expression. We therefore investigated whether downregulation of AR expression using siRNA AR (si-AR) would be effective for inducing apoptosis in combination with apoptosis-inducing agents. si-AR prevented apoptosis induced by the DNA damage inducing drugs doxorubicin (DOX) and camptothecin (Campt). These agents activate, i.e. phosphorylate, p53, which in turn regulates the expression of a variety of apoptosis-related genes, including microRNA-34a and 34b/c. We investigated 7 phosphorylation sites of p53 after DOX treatment and found that DOX induced 5 of them (Ser15, 20, 37, 46, and 392); phosphorylation of all 5 sites was inhibited by si-AR. This suggests that at least two kinases are involved in AR-mediated suppression of p53. We have also found that three kinases (SPAK, NFBD1, and CaMKII) are under AR control and participate in events upstream of p53 that result in p53 inhibition. Using q PCR we then investigated miRNA-34a and -34c expression. The level of miRNA-34a increased 3X after DOX treatment but no increase was found in si-AR cells; the level of miRNA-34c increased 27X after DOX and only by 2X with si-AR. The data suggest that AR-dependent inhibition of p53 results in suppression of microRNA-34a and -34c that in turn inhibits DOX-induced apoptosis. To directly investigate the role of microRNA-34 in apoptosis, we transfected cells with anti-microRNA-34 oligonucleotides or with microRNA-34, and found that anti-microRNA-34a/c inhibited DOX-mediated apoptosis whereas microRNA-34a/c enhanced DOX-mediated apoptosis; even without DOX treatment microRNA-34 transfection itself induced caspase activity. Taken together, our data indicate that microRNA-34a and 34c play important roles in AR-dependent p53-mediated apoptosis in prostate cancer.
Using Field Data to Validate Satellite Models of Elk Forage in the Upper Yellowstone River Basin

Spatial and temporal variations in grassland phenology are thought to play a critical role in migration patterns of large herbivores in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Phenology, referring to the timing of green-up in this study, is directly related to biomass and forage quality. Migratory elk (Cervus elaphus), therefore, are believed to follow phenology across an elevation gradient during the growing season to maximize their access to high quality and quantity of forage. Concern that climate change and human land use alterations of phenology may impact the benefits of elk migration highlights the need for landscape-scale vegetation phenology monitoring. Satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) shows potential as a remote sensing tool to predict landscape-level shifts in grassland phenology, but is limited by a lack of validation at varying scales, seasons, and in human land use areas. This study is focused on validating the accuracy of satellite-derived NDVI in estimating grassland phenology, biomass, and forage quality throughout the summer growing season within elk migratory ranges in the Upper Yellowstone River Basin. Results from this study will provide managers and researchers with information on the accuracy of NDVI as a tool for monitoring the effects of climate change and human land use on grassland dynamics relevant to migratory elk.
Utilizing the Android Robot Controller for robots, wearable apps, and the Hotel Room of the Future

The Android Robot Controller (ARC) is designed to be a simple, standardized system that is able to be applied to robot or IoT devices using their native APIs. A description of how the different parts of ARC were chosen is discussed. The usability of ARC is shown through the development of applications running on multiple platforms. Application examples include: Controlling robots, a wearable metronome, and various human-in-the-loop applications for the IEEE RAS Winter School on Consumer Robotics' Hotel Room of the Future, Examples are given on mobile and wearable devices.
Antigenicity of the 2015–2016 seasonal H1N1 human influenza virus HA and NA proteins

Antigenic drift of the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) influenza virus proteins contributes to reduced vaccine efficacy. To analyze antigenic drift in human seasonal H1N1 viruses derived from the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus (pH1N1-like viruses) accounts for the limited effectiveness (around 40%) of vaccination against pH1N1-like viruses during the 2015-2016 season, nasal washes/swabs collected from adult subjects in the Rochester, NY area, were used to sequence and isolate the circulating viruses. The HA and NA proteins from viruses circulating during the 2015-2016 season encoded eighteen and fourteen amino acid differences, respectively, when compared to A/California/04/2009, a strain circulating at the origin of the 2009 pandemic. The circulating strains belonged to subclade 6B.1, defined by HA amino acid substitutions S101N, S179N, and I233T. Hemagglutination-inhibiting (HAI) and HA-specific neutralizing serum antibody (Ab) titers from around 50% of pH1N1-like virus-infected subjects and immune ferrets were 2-4 fold lower for the 2015-2016 circulating strains compared to the vaccine strain. In addition, using a luminex-based mPlex HA assay, the binding of human sera from subjects infected with pH1N1-like viruses to the HA proteins from circulating and vaccine strains was not identical, strongly suggesting antigenic differences in the HA protein. Additionally, NA inhibition (NAI) Ab titers in human sera from pH1N1-like virus-infected subjects increased after the infection and there were measurable antigenic differences between the NA protein of circulating strains and the vaccine strain using both ferret and human antisera. Despite having been vaccinated, infected subjects exhibited low HAI Ab titers against the vaccine and circulating strains. This suggests that poor responses to the H1N1 component of the vaccine as well as antigenic differences in the HA and NA proteins of currently circulating pH1N1-like viruses could be contributing to risk of infection even after vaccination.
The Role of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in the Treatment of Chronic Total Occlusions: Rationale and Review of the Literature.

Background Chronic total occlusion (CTO) of a coronary artery is defined as an occluded segment with no antegrade flow and a known or estimated duration of at least 12 weeks. Objective We considered the current literature describing the indications and clinical outcomes for denovo CTO- percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and discuss the role of CTO-PCI and future directions for this procedure. Methods Databases (PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, EBSCO, Web of Science, and CINAHL were searched and relevant studies of CTO-PCI were selected for review. Results The prevalence of coronary artery CTO's has been reported to be ~ 20% among patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography for suspected coronary artery disease. Revascularization of any CTO can be technically challenging and a time-consuming procedure with relatively low success rates and may be associated with a higher incidence of complications, particularly at non-specialized centers. However, with an increase in experience and technological advances, several centers are now reporting success rates above 80% for these lesions. There is marked variability among studies in reporting outcomes for CTO-PCI with some reporting potential mortality benefit, better quality of life and improved cardiac function parameters. Anecdotally, properly selected patients who undergo a successful CTO-PCI most often have profound relief of ischemic symptoms. Intuitively, it makes sense to revascularize an occluded coronary artery with the goal of improving cardiovascular function and patient quality of life. Conclusion CTO-PCI is a rapidly expanding specialized procedure in interventional cardiology and is reasonable or indicated if the occluded vessel is responsible for symptoms or in selected patients with silent ischemia in whom there is a large amount of myocardium at risk and PCI is likely to be successful.
Reasserting the Refounding

What is worth reasserting from the tradition begun by Refounding Public Administration? In this time of reboots and remixes in pop-culture, it may seem trite to suggest reevaluating an established ...
On Certain Fracture Mechanics Considerations in Environmental Cracking

A combination of macroscopic fracture mechanics and microscopic defect physics considerations is adopted to interpret hydrogen- controlled cracking. A distinction is made between the “plastic zone” which defines the structure of the stress field ahead of the crack tip due to external loading and the “process zone” which accomodates the hydrogen species and defines the distribution of the cohesive forces in the immediate vicinity of the crack controlling fracture. The crack kinetics is modelled on a discrete basis in terms of an average critical concentration of hydrogen in the process zone and an average critical time for hydrogen species to travel the process zone distance and build up its concentration.
Implications of the comparisons of age-related macular degeneration treatments trials on clinical practice: what have we learned?

Topic Discussion of Comparisons of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Treatments Trials (CATT) results and the potential impact on neovascular AMD treatment. Clinical Relevance Ranibizumab and bevacizumab are most commonly used for treatment of neovascular AMD. Although bevacizumab costs less, its use primarily has been based on retrospective studies without level 1 medical evidence. Thus, there was an unmet need to determine whether there is any difference in efficacy and safety between the 2 agents when used monthly or as needed (pro re nata [PRN]). Methods Review of CATT (focusing on 1-year data because 2-year data were not released at the time of this symposium), a randomized clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of monthly and PRN dosing of ranibizumab and bevacizumab. Results At the 1-year primary end point, eyes that received monthly ranibizumab gained an average of 8.5 letters; those that received monthly bevacizumab gained a mean of 8 letters. Eyes randomized to PRN ranibizumab gained an average of 6.8 letters; those randomized to PRN bevacizumab gained a mean of 5.9 letters. In the pairwise comparisons, PRN bevacizumab compared with monthly bevacizumab and PRN bevacizumab compared with monthly ranibizumab both were found to be inconclusive. At the 2-year end point, eyes that received monthly ranibizumab gained an average of 8.8 letters; those that received monthly bevacizumab gained a mean of 7.8 letters; those randomized to PRN ranibizumab gained an average of 6.7 letters; those randomized to PRN bevacizumab gained a mean of 5 letters. A higher rate of serious systemic adverse events also was detected among bevacizumab-treated subjects. Conclusions The CATT demonstrated that PRN ranibizumab is equivalent to monthly ranibizumab at the 1-year primary outcome. Monthly bevacizumab also is equivalent to monthly ranibizumab at the 1-year end point. The 2-year data showed less visual acuity gain with PRN dosing of either drug than monthly dosing. Financial Disclosure(s) Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.
Considerations for the Neuropsychological Evaluation of Older Ethnic Minority Populations

The US population is rapidly becoming both older and more culturally diverse. These changes in the demographic profile of the US highlight the need for clinical neuropsychologists to be equipped to competently evaluate the growing population of older individuals from culturally diverse backgrounds. However, there is a relative dearth of empirically based, practical resources specifically targeted toward serving such individuals. The aim of this chapter is to identify some of the most salient challenges in the evaluation of culturally diverse ethnic minority older adults and provide some guidelines to help face these challenges. We will examine sociocultural issues germane to older ethnic minority patients referred for neuropsychological evaluation and discuss relevant assessment considerations. Although the focus of this chapter is on ethnic minority older adults, this discussion may also be germane to other nontraditional, older populations including those from rural and low socioeconomic backgrounds.
Soil Conditions Following Hydrologic Restoration in Cypress Dome Wetlands

Soil characteristics and decomposition rates were investigated in 12 geographically isolated wetlands (cypress domes) across a gradient of hydrologic alteration (altered, marginally altered and least altered sites) seven years after passive recovery from historic groundwater withdrawals. Above- and belowground decomposition rates were determined in transition (seasonally flooded) and outer deep (semi-permanently) hydrologic zones. Flood duration, frequency, redox conditions, pH, and soil organic matter were measured to potentially explain patterns across the alteration gradient. Despite the reduction in groundwater withdrawals, altered sites exhibited fewer days of inundation in transition and outer deep zones compared to marginally altered and least altered wetlands. Over a 56 week period, altered wetlands displayed greater decomposition in the aboveground outer deep zone (73.3 ± 4.0% mass remaining) and in the belowground transition zone (62.0 ± 4.5% mass remaining) compared to marginally and least altered sites. Analyses indicated that marginally altered wetlands were more comparable to least altered wetlands however differences in altered wetland soils (including decomposition) persist. Although wetland hydrology has been partially restored, additional time and/or further site augmentation may be needed for altered sites to be functionally equivalent to least altered wetlands and in some cases (e.g., excessive subsidence) the degree of past alteration may limit restoration potential.
Effects of Preweaning Manganese in Combination with Adult Striatal Dopamine Lesions on Monoamines, BDNF, TrkB, and Cognitive Function in Sprague–Dawley Rats

Manganese (Mn) is an essential nutrient especially during development, but Mn overexposure (MnOE) produces long-term cognitive deficits. Evidence of long-term changes in dopamine in the neostriatum was found in rats from developmental MnOE previously. To examine the relationship between MnOE and dopamine, we tested whether the effects of developmental MnOE would be exaggerated by dopamine reductions induced by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) neostriatal infusion when the rats were adults. The experiment consisted of four groups of females and males: Vehicle/Sham, MnOE/Sham, Vehicle/6-OHDA, and MnOE/6-OHDA. Both MnOE/Sham and Vehicle/6-OHDA groups displayed egocentric and allocentric memory deficits, whereas MnOE+6-OHDA had additive effects on spatial memory in the Morris water maze and egocentric learning in the Cincinnati water maze. 6-OHDA reduced dopamine in the neostriatum and nucleus accumbens, reduced norepinephrine in the hippocampus, reduced TH+ cells and TrkB and TH expression in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), but increased TrkB in the neostriatum. MnOE alone had no effect on monoamines or TrkB in the neostriatum or hippocampus but reduced BDNF in the hippocampus. A number of sex differences were noted; however, only a few significant interactions were found for MnOE and/or 6-OHDA exposure. These data further implicate dopamine and BDNF in the cognitive deficits arising from developmental MnOE.
Designing Alternative Non-Fullerene Molecular Electron Acceptors for Solution-Processable Organic Photovoltaics.

Until recently, solution-processable organic photovoltaics (OPVs) mainly relied on fullerene derivatives as the n-type material, paired with a p-type conjugated polymer. However, fullerene derivatives have disadvantages that limit OPV performance, thus fueling research of non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs). Initially, NFAs showed poor performance due to difficulties in obtaining favorable blend morphologies. One example is our work with 2,6-dialkylamino core-substituted naphthalene diimides. Researchers then learned to control blend morphology by NFA molecular design. To limit miscibility with polymer while preventing excessive self-aggregation, non-planar, twisted or 3D structures were reported. An example of a 3D structure is our work with homoleptic zinc(II) complexes of azadipyrromethene. The most recent design is a planar A-D-A conjugated system where the D unit is rigid and has orthogonal side chains to control aggregation. These have propelled power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) to ∼14 %, surpassing fullerene-based OPVs. These exciting new developments prompt further investigations of NFAs and provide a bright future for OPVs.
Development of metrics and an external benchmarking program for healthcare facilities

This paper describes the development of a benchmarking program for healthcare projects. Healthcare construction projects tend to be unique due to varied healthcare facilities and offered services, ...
Chapter Ten Aging and Everyday Cognitive Abilities

Summary In this chapter, recent work on everyday cognitive abilities in adults and the elderly is reviewed. Despite substantial theory and data that have been generated in the study of intellectual aging, there has been a recurrent concern that traditional paradigms for assessing intellectual abilities are insensitive to cognitive skills adults use in adapting to the demands of everyday life. In the first section, we examine how this concern has been paralleled by recent studies of people's implicit theories of intelligence. Implicit theories refer to people's ideas and beliefs about intelligence and how it changes across the life span. Findings show that people have distinct concepts of everyday and academic intelligence, and they believe that facets of everyday intelligence become increasingly salient, especially in middle age and late adulthood. In the second section, research on adults' self-conceptions of intelligence and conceptions of ability tests is discussed. The findings underscore the multidimensional nature of everyday intelligence and highlight the distinct importance of practical and social cognitive abilities in conceptions of everyday intelligence. In the third section, two tasks recently developed to assess adults' strategic knowledge about solutions to problems in everyday and stressful situations are described. Results show differences and similarities between performance on everyday and traditional ability
Planning for Change in Instrument FSW: Successes and Failures on MMS HPCA

Instrument Flight Software Developers face challenges when designing for operations. On the one hand, a highly flexible and reconfigurable system can permit adaptation on orbit without the need to develop, validate, and update software on orbit. On the other hand, projects are limited in budget and schedule, and predicting future needs for requirements that are not currently in scope may be untenable. For the Magnetospheric Multiscale Hot Plasma Composition Analyzer, we tried to anticipate future needs and build adaptable software. We had significant success, but some needs were difficult to predict. We discuss what we predicted correctly, what we missed, and interesting operational adaptions that allowed us to avoid flight software updates.
Multispecialty Microsurgical Course Utilizing the Blue-Blood Chicken Thigh Model Significantly Improves Resident Comfort, Confidence, and Attitudes in Multiple Domains.

Background The high level of technical skill required by microsurgical procedures has prompted the development of in vitro educational models. Current models are cost-ineffective, unrealistic, or carry ethical implications and are utilized as isolated experiences within single surgical specialties. The purpose of this study was to assess the educational and interprofessional effect of a microsurgical training course utilizing the nonliving “Blue-Blood” chicken thigh model (BBCTM) in a multidisciplinary environment. Methods A 10-hour course was developed integrating didactic lectures, case presentations, and one-on-one practical sessions utilizing hydrogel microvessels and the BBCTM. Pre- and postcourse surveys were administered assessing participants' self-reported comfort and confidence within fundamental microsurgical domains, assessments of the models utilized, and the effects of a multidisciplinary environment on the experience. Results A total of 19 residents attended the course on two separate occasions (n = 10 and n = 9, respectively). Respondents varied from postgraduate year-2 (PGY-2) to PGY-6+ and represented plastic and reconstructive surgery (n = 10), urology (n = 6), and otolaryngology (n = 3). On average, each participant performed 4.3 end-to-end, 1.3 end-to-side, and 0.4 coupler-assisted anastomoses. Following the course, participants felt significantly more comfortable operating a microscope and handling microsurgical instruments. They felt significantly more confident handling tissues, manipulating needles, microdissecting, performing end-to-end anastomoses, performing end-to-side anastomoses, using an anastomotic coupler, and declaring anastomoses suitable (all p Conclusion A microsurgical training course utilizing nonliving models such as the “BBCTM significantly improves resident comfort and confidence in core operative domains and offers an in vivo experience without the use of live animals. Multispecialty training experiences in microsurgery are beneficial, desired, and likely underutilized.
Current Therapeutic Strategies for Glioblastoma.

Glioblastomas (GB) are grade 4 brain tumors, one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer found in humans. Although current treatments for GB are largely ineffective, new alternate approaches, beyond standard chemo- or radiation therapies have shown promising results in both pre-clinical and clinical settings. Some of these approaches include stem cell therapy, new pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals, and the use of tumor specific peptides or GB-targeted antibodies and immune-based therapies. A common limitation in the efficacy of these treatments is the inability of these therapeutic agents to readily cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) to reach the tumor site. Therefore, many strategies are being developed to achieve targeted delivery of drugs across the BBB so that they can kill the cancer cells, while sparing healthy tissue. One of the most promising new approaches involves the use of nanoparticles that can carry therapeutic drugs and genes across the BBB and home in on the GB tumor site.
A Phase II Study of Pembrolizumab in Combination With Palliative Radiotherapy for Hormone Receptor-positive Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to investigate whether combining pembrolizumab with palliative radiation therapy (RT) improves outcomes in patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Patients and Methods Eligible patients had HR+/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative MBC; were candidates for RT to ≥ 1 bone, soft tissue, or lymph node lesion; and had ≥ 1 lesion outside the RT field. Patients received 200 mg pembrolizumab intravenously 2 to 7 days prior to RT and on day 1 of repeating 21-day cycles. RT was delivered to a previously unirradiated area in 5 treatments each of 4 Gy. The primary endpoint was objective response rate. The study used a 2-stage design: 8 women were enrolled into the first stage, and if at least 1 of 8 patients experienced an objective response, 19 more would be enrolled. Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival, overall survival, and safety. Exploratory endpoints included association of overall response rate with programmed death-ligand 1 status and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Results Eight patients were enrolled in stage 1. The median age was 59 years, and the median prior lines of chemotherapy for metastatic disease was 2. There were no objective responses, and the study was closed to further accrual. The median progression-free survival was 1.4 months (95% confidence interval, 0.4-2.1 months), and the median overall survival was 2.9 months (95% confidence interval, 0.9-3.6 months). All-cause adverse events occurred in 87.5% of patients, including just 1 grade 3 event (elevation of aspartate aminotransferase). Conclusions RT combined with pembrolizumab did not produce an objective response in patients with heavily pre-treated HR+ MBC. Future studies should consider alternative radiation dosing and fractionation in patients with less heavily pre-treated HR+ MBC.
Debilitamiento biopolítico: afrocolombianos en Manos sucias (2014)

In this essay, I rely on Jasbir Puar’s concept of debility to analyze the American-Colombian co-production Manos sucias (Joseph Wladyka 2014), a film that has garnered recognition both in Colombia ...
Reference-Free Dynamic Distributed Monitoring of Damage in Multispan Bridges

AbstractThe work presented pertains to the development and application of a damage detection method in bridges by use of distributed fiber-optic sensors. It utilizes the dynamic mode of the Brillou...
Evidence for an Integrated Gene Repression Mechanism based on mRNA Isoform Switching in Human Cells

We recently discovered a common mode of gene regulation in budding yeast, by which mRNA production represses protein expression. Whether this regulatory mechanism is conserved was unknown. Here we find that a similar mechanism regulates the human oncogene MDM2, which is transcribed from two promoters. Transcription from the distal MDM2 promoter produces a poorly translated mRNA isoform and transcription from the proximal promoter produces a well-translated transcript. Remarkably, we find that down-regulation of transcription from the distal promoter markedly up-regulates expression from the proximal promoter and results in the loss of histone H3K36 trimethylation marks. Moreover, we observe transcript toggling between the two different MDM2 isoforms as a natural part of two distinct human embryonic stem cell differentiation programs. We conclude that the integrated gene repression mechanism recently identified in yeast is conserved in human cells.
A systematic review of cost-effectiveness analyses across the acute kidney injury landscape.

Introduction: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a complex and common condition associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and costs. Evidence from cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) have targeted va...
Vascular Closure Devices and Complications

When compared to manual compression, utilization of vascular closure devices (VCDs) in the appropriate patient population has the potential to reduce time to post-procedure mobility and improve patient comfort [1–3]. However, it has not been clearly established if VCDs reduce overall complication rates when compared to manual compression. When utilizing these devices, one must weigh the potential complications associated with these devices against their potential benefits. This chapter will review VCDs commonly used with respect to their specific indications for use, contraindications, and safe deployment practices.
Maternal habitual snoring and blood pressure trajectories in pregnancy

Study Objectives: Habitual snoring has been associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. However, exactly when blood pressure (BP) trajectories diverge between pregnant women with and witho...
Impacts of salinization on aquatic communities: Abrupt vs. gradual exposures.

Abstract Increasing chloride concentrations from road salt applications are an emerging threat to freshwater diversity in cold weather regions. Few studies have focused on how road salt affects freshwater biota and even fewer have focused on how the rate of exposure alters organism responses. We hypothesized that road salt concentrations delivered gradually would result in slower population declines and more rapid rebounds due to evolved tolerance. To test this hypothesis, we examined the responses of freshwater lake organisms to four environmentally relevant salt concentrations (100, 230, 860, and 1600 mg Cl−/L) that differed in application rate (abrupt vs. gradual). We used outdoor aquatic mesocosms containing zooplankton, filamentous algae, phytoplankton, periphyton, and macroinvertebrates. We found negative effects of road salt on zooplankton and macroinvertebrate abundance, but positive effects on phytoplankton and periphyton, likely resulting from reduced grazing. Only rarely did we detect a difference between abrupt vs gradual salt applications and the directions of those differences were not consistent. This affirms the need for additional research on how road salt pollution entering ecosystems at different frequencies and magnitudes will alter freshwater communities.
General principles of simulation techniques.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the general principles of simulation techniques. The chapter deals mainly with those cases in which the real time aspect is not present. It is assumed that the data to be processed by the computer are somewhere in the core, and become available to the processor at the time they are needed. This is a very important factor for the programming system in studying problems through the simulation of physical phenomena with a computer system; the most interesting thing is to compare the results with those obtained in real time with real experiments. In simulation, certain phenomena are studied as a function of time. This aspect will always be dominant in simulation. The chapter focuses on the software program used for simulation in digital computer systems. Modern digital computers are constructed in words with bits that can be either a 1 or a 0. There are three types of information stored in such words. The first type is an instruction for the machine, the second is an address (or a number to calculate an address), and the third one is data that is temporarily loaded into the accumulator and used for calculations.
Advances in lupus genetics.

Purpose of Review The field of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) genetics has been advancing rapidly in recent years. This review will summarize recent progress.
Mixed Messages: Emotions in the Modern Era

The Sociology of Emotions: Original Essays and Research Papers, Edited by David D. Franks and E. Doyle McCarthy
AN ASSESSMENT OF THE ACCIDENT AVOIDANCE AND SEVERITY REDUCTION POTENTIAL OF RADAR WARNING, RADAR ACTUATED, AND ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEMS

A group of 215 in-depth accident reports prepared as part of a tri-level accident causation study by a multi-disciplinary team was examined to assess the benefit derived from the hypothetical application of various combinations of radar warning, radar actuated, and anti-lock braking systems. The approach was to have an accident analyst evaluate post hoc the benefit which would have been derived if one or more of the vehicles involved in each accident had been equipped with various types and combinations of these hypothetical systems; twin system types or combinations were defined. On one extreme, it was found that two-wheel anti-lock systems, by themselves, had relatively little accident prevention potential; only one of the 215 accidents (o.5%) would definitely have been prevented by such a system, although with less assurance there was some possibility of prevention of up to eight accidents (3.7%). On the other extreme, the most complex of the systems defined, comprised of a non-cooperative radar system with both actuation and warning potential, coupled with a four-wheel anti-lock system, would definitely have prevented 39 of these accidents (18.0%), with some possibility of prevention of up to (0 accidents (41.9% of those examined). /HSRI/
Anomalous Resistivity of Nb 3 Sn

The resistivity of several specimens of niobium stannide has been measured over the range 18-850\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The resistivity rises rapidly up to 200\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and then approaches a linear variation with a considerably smaller slope. Over the entire range the resistivity can be fit to better than 1% by the form $\ensuremath{\rho}(T)={\ensuremath{\rho}}_{0}+{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{1}T+{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{2}\mathrm{exp}(\ensuremath{-}\frac{{T}_{0}}{T})$ where ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{0}\ensuremath{\approx}1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$\ensuremath{\Omega}-cm, ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{1}=4.66\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$\ensuremath{\Omega}-cm/\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{2}=7.47\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$\ensuremath{\Omega}-cm, and ${T}_{0}=85\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$K. Hall measurements made at 27, 77, and 300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, if interpreted on a one-band model, indicate a constant hole density of 1.77\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{22}$/cc, and an effective valence of 0.27/atom. The anomalous resistivity can not be explained on the basis of present models of the resistivity of transition metals, although the constancy of the Hall constant implies that the scattering probability rather than the effective number of carriers is changing with temperature. The relevance of the present results to recent models of the electronic structure of ${\mathrm{Nb}}_{3}$Sn is discussed.
Vodou Nation: Haitian Art Music and Cultural Nationalism

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Michael Largey Year: 2006 Publisher: University of Chicago Press ISBN: 0-226-46863-1 (hard cover). Prices: $60.00 USD(hard cover).
MAINTENANCE OF GENETIC VARIATION WITH A FREQUENCY-DEPENDENT SELECTION MODEL AS COMPARED TO THE OVERDOMINANT MODEL

A frequency-dependent selection model proposed by Huang, Singh and Kojima (1971) was found to be more effective at maintaining genetic variation in a finite population than the overdominant model. The fourth moment parameter of the distribution of unfixed states showed that there was a more platykurtic distribution for the frequency-dependent model. This agreed well with the expected gene frequency change found for an infinite population.
Diffusion of the Interspecies Electron Carriers H2 and Formate in Methanogenic Ecosystems and Its Implications in the Measurement of Km for H2 or Formate Uptake

We calculated the potential H2 and formate diffusion between microbes and found that at H2 concentrations commonly found in nature, H2 could not diffuse rapidly enough to dispersed methanogenic cells to account for the rate of methane synthesis but formate could. Our calculations were based on individual organisms dispersed in the medium, as supported by microscopic observations of butyrate-degrading cocultures. We isolated an axenic culture of Syntrophomonas wolfei and cultivated it on butyrate in syntrophic coculture with Methanobacterium formicicum; during growth the H2 concentration was 63 nM (10.6 Pa). S. wolfei contained formate dehydrogenase activity (as does M. formicicum), which would allow interspecies formate transfer in that coculture. Thus, interspecies formate transfer may be the predominant mechanism of syntrophy. Our diffusion calculations also indicated that H2 concentration at the cell surface of H2-consuming organisms was low but increased to approximately the bulk-fluid concentration at a distance of about 10 μm from the surface. Thus, routine estimation of kinetic parameters would greatly overestimate the Km for H2 or formate.
Incidence and survival of patients with carcinoma of the ureter and renal pelvis in the USA, 1973-2005.

Study Type – Prognosis (retrospective cohort) Level of Evidence 2b What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add? Upper-tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is a relatively uncommon urological malignancy with survival and outcomes data largely determined from single-centre series which can be limited by relatively small case numbers. Through review of a large population based cohort, this study provides valuable information regarding epidemiological and survival patterns for over 13,000 patients with UTUC diagnosed over the past three decades. OBJECTIVE • To evaluate epidemiological and survival patterns of upper-tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) over the past 30 years through a review of a large, population-based database. PATIENTS AND METHODS • Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database from 1973 to 2005 were reviewed in 10-year increments to evaluate disease trends. • Univariate and multivariate survival analyses identified prognostic variables for outcomes. RESULTS • In total, 13 800 SEER-registered cases of UTUC were included. The overall incidence of UTUC increased from 1.88 to 2.06 cases per 100 000 person-years during the period studied, with an associated increase in ureteral disease (0.69 to 0.91) and a decrease in renal pelvic cancers (1.19 to 1.15). • The proportion of in situ tumours increased from 7.2% to 31.0% (P < 0.001), whereas local tumours declined from 50.4% to 23.6% (P < 0.001). • There was no change in the proportion of patients presenting with distant disease. • In multivariate analysis, increasing patient age (P < 0.001), male gender (P < 0.001), black non-Hispanic race (P < 0.001), bilateral UTUC (P= 0.001) and regional/distant disease (P < 0.001) were all associated with poorer survival outcomes. CONCLUSIONS • The incidence of UTUC has slowly risen over the past 30 years. • Increased use of bladder cancer surveillance regimens and improved abdominal cross-sectional imaging may contribute to the observed stage migration towards more in situ lesions. • Although pathological disease characteristics impact cancer outcomes, certain sociodemographic factors also appear to portend worse prognosis.
Inhibition of NF-κB Activity in Human T Lymphocytes Induces Caspase-Dependent Apoptosis Without Detectable Activation of Caspase-1 and -3

NF-κB is involved in the transcriptional control of various genes that act as extrinsic and intrinsic survival factors for T cells. Our findings show that suppression of NF-κB activity with cell-permeable SN50 peptide, which masks the nuclear localization sequence of NF-κB1 dimers and prevents their nuclear localization, induces apoptosis in resting normal human PBL. Inhibition of NF-κB resulted in the externalization of phosphatidylserine, induction of DNA breaks, and morphological changes consistent with apoptosis. DNA fragmentation was efficiently blocked by the caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-fmk and partially blocked by Ac-DEVD-fmk, suggesting that SN50-mediated apoptosis is caspase-dependent. Interestingly, apoptosis induced by NF-κB suppression, in contrast to that induced by TPEN ( N , N , N ′, N ′-tetrakis [2-pyridylmethyl]ethylenediamine) or soluble Fas ligand (CD95), was observed in the absence of active death effector proteases caspase-1-like (IL-1 converting enzyme), caspase-3-like (CPP32/Yama/apopain), and caspase-6-like and without cleavage of caspase-3 substrates poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and DNA fragmentation factor-45. These findings suggest either low level of activation is required or that different caspases are involved. Preactivation of T cells resulting in NF-κB nuclear translocation protected cells from SN50-induced apoptosis. Our findings demonstrate an essential role of NF-κB in survival of naive PBL.