cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pro-active Page Replacement for Scientific Applications: A Characterization

Paging policies implemented by today's operating systems cause scientific applications to exhibit poor performance, when the application's working set does not fit in main memory. This has been typically attributed to the sub-optimal performance of LRU-like virtual-memory replacement algorithms. On one end of the spectrum, researchers in the past have proposed fully automated compiler-based techniques that provide crucial information on future access patterns (reuse-distances, release hints etc) of an application that can be exploited by the operating system to make intelligent prefetching and replacement decisions. Static techniques like the aforementioned can be quite accurate, but require that the source code be available and analyzable. At the other end of the spectrum, researchers have also proposed pure system-level algorithmic innovations to improve the performance of LRU-like algorithms, some of which are only interesting from the theoretical sense and may not really be implementable. Instead, in this paper we explore the possibility of tracking application's runtime behavior in the operating system, and find that there are several useful characteristics in the virtual memory behavior that can be anticipated and used to pro-actively manage physical memory usage. Specifically, we show that LRU-like replacement algorithms hold onto pages long after they outlive their usefulness and propose a new replacement algorithm that exploits the predictability of the application's page-fault patterns to reduce the number of page-faults. Our results demonstrate that such techniques can reduce page-faults by as much as 78% over both LRU and EELRU that is considered to be one of the state-of-the-art algorithms towards addressing the performance shortcomings of LRU. Further, we also present an implementable replacement algorithm within the operating system, that performs considerably better than the Linux kernel's replacement algorithm
17β-Estradiol-sensitivity of cultured myometrial cells

The estrogen sensitivity of cells cultured from the rat myometrium was studied by growing the cells in the absence or presence of 1 nM 17β-estradiol. Following a time lag of ∼10 days, exposure to estrogen resulted in increased incorporation of radiothymidine by the cells. Estrogen treatment also decreased isoproterenol-dependent and GTP-dependent adenylate cyclase activity, but had no effect on basal activity. These cultured cells have been shown previously to have some properties of uterine smooth muscle. The effects estrogen has in viyro, therefore, may reflect important properties in vivo that account for the mechanism by which the sex steroid decreases the sensitivity of the myometrium to isoproterenol.
Overview of High Power and Large Signal Measurements and Calibration

This paper is an overview of the present state of the art in high power measurement methods. It certainly does not cover all aspects and approaches, but is meant to give a flavor of some of the key advances using these technologies.
Is the universe simpler than ΛCDM

In the standard cosmological model, the Universe consists mainly of two invisible substances: vacuum energy with constant mass-density (where is a ‘cosmological constant’ originally proposed by Einstein and is Newton’s gravitational constant) and cold dark matter (CDM) with mass density that is currently . This ‘CDM’ model has the virtue of simplicity, enabling straightforward calculation of the formation and evolution of cosmic structure against the backdrop of cosmic expansion. Here, we review apparent discrepancies with observations on small galactic scales, which CDM must attribute to complexity in the baryon physics of galaxy formation. Yet, galaxies exhibit structural scaling relations that evoke simplicity, presenting a clear challenge for formation models. In particular, tracers of gravitational potentials dominated by dark matter show a correlation between orbital size, , and velocity, , that can be expressed most simply as a characteristic acceleration, kmspc cm s, perhaps motivating efforts to...
Acoustic Characterization of Poling Effects in PZT Ceramics

Acoustic velocity and attenuation were measured in poled and unpoled lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics prepared by sintering and hot-pressing under-different conditions. Hot-pressed PZT was found to have attenuation values approximately 1 order of magnitude smaller than simered PZT. For both materials, poling caused a decrease in attenuation. Depolarization and phase transition phenomena were also observed at elevated temperatures using a novel laser-ultrasound technique in combination with conventional pulse-echo measurements.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Renal Bone Diseases in Children Undergoing CAPD/CCPD

Bone disease is a well-recognized consequence of chronic renal failure. Its development during the critical years of skeletal growth commonly results in bone deformities and growth retardation in pediatric patients with advanced renal disease. Although the association of bone disease and renal failure has been described more than a century ago, the management of renal osteodystrophy continues to be a major challenge for pediatric nephrologists because of the severity of its clinical sequelae. Moreover, the improvement in long-term outcome of maintenance dialysis and successful renal transplantation make the prevention, early diagnosis and prompt treatment of renal bone disease essential if these devastating complications of bone disease are to be avoided.
Production and Characterization of Diverse Developmental Mutants of Medicago truncatula

The diploid annual legume Medicago truncatula has been developed as a tractable genetic system for studying biological questions that are unique to, or well suited for study in legume species. An efficient mutagenesis protocol using ethyl-methyl sulfonate and a polymorphic ecotype with properties appropriate for use as a mapping parent are described. Isolation and characterization of three developmental mutants are described. The mtapetala mutation results in homeotic conversions of floral organ whorls 2 and 3 into sepals and carpelloid structures, respectively, similar to mutations in the apetala3/pistillata genes of Arabidopsis. The palmyra mutation primarily affects seedling shoot meristem initiation, and thus phenocopies meristem function mutations identified in Arabidopsis such as the zwille locus. The phenotype of the palmyra and mtapetala double mutant is additive, with seedling shoot meristems and floral organs indistinguishable from those of the single palmyra and mtapetala mutants, respectively. These results are consistent with a lack of genetic interaction between these loci. A third mutant, speckle, is characterized by spontaneous necrotic lesion formation on leaves, root, and stems, similar to necrosis mutants identified in other plant species. In addition to documenting the efficient mutagenesis of M. truncatula, the availability of developmental mutants that phenocopy characterized Arabidopsis mutants will provide a basis for establishing orthologous gene function between M. truncatula and Arabidopsis, once the genes responsible are cloned. Moreover, the male-sterile, female-fertile nature of the mtapetala mutant provides a convenient tool for genetic analyses in M. truncatula.
Complex nesting behavior by two Neotropical species of the ant genus Stenamma (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Two Neotropical ant species, Stenamma expolitum Smith and S. alas new species (described here), exhibit three unusual nesting behaviors: (1) they build architecturally sophisticated nest entrances that elevate the nest opening away from the surface; (2) they maintain multiple identical nests but occupy only one of them; and (3) they keep a round "door pebble" at the nest entrance, with which they plug the opening in response to army ants. Adaptive hypotheses for these behaviors are discussed, including the possibility that there are multiple lines of defense against army ant predation.
Regulating radiology: ethical issues in mammography and federal legislation.

One in nine women can expect to develop breast cancer over the course of a lifetime, which suggests that a posture of vigilance is appropriate. The form of breast imaging known as mammography will detect masses that self-examination and yearly clinical examinations may miss. Given that most types of breast cancer are not clinically preventable, early detection of such masses offers the best opportunity for survival for the affected women. Recognizing the need to ensure quality testing and interpreting procedures for so many women, the federal government has enacted legislation that requires breast imagers to read 240 mammograms in 6 months to qualify for certification and another 960 mammograms in the following 2 years. The burdensome nature of these requirements has had the effect of reducing the number of radiologists certified to read mammograms, and this has decreased the overall availability of this service to women. I explore two possible rationales for instituting such strict federal regulation of ...
Articulating and Disarticulating the American Welfare State

This study describes the stories that contributed to the expressions of welfare rituals in the early American welfare system and explains how these stories articulated a framework for welfare discourse in the U.S. The construction of this framework established the conflict space in which welfare practices were institutionalized. The welfare forum established within the liberal democratic state favored stories privatizing the scope of conflict. In addition, the patterns of interaction that construct the legitimate place for people in the welfare conflict is a function of the history of property rights used to justify policy and sets the stage for degenerative political theatre. The disarticulation of the structure of the welfare state and the articulation of “government innovations” like New Public Management muted alternative welfare stories.
A novel switched frequency 3He/1H high‐pass birdcage coil for imaging at 1.5 tesla

The ability to produce hyperpolarized noble gases 3He and 129Xe has opened up exciting possibilities for pulmonary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We have recently built a hyperpolarizer with the goal of using hyperpolarized 3He gas for MRI in neonatal lungs in a dedicated small foot-print 1.5 T MR scanner developed at our institution and sited in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Although hyperpolarized gas imaging can provide unique insights into lung ventilation, acinar microstructure, and gas-exchange dynamics, there is an undiminished need for 1H MRI of the lung to provide anatomic references, B1 and B0 maps, and 1H images of lung parenchyma. To address this need, we designed, built and tested a novel radiofrequency body coil that provides a high-pass birdcage coil that can be used for both 3He and 1H frequencies (48.65 and 63.86 MHz, respectively, at 1.5 T). To switch between frequencies, the birdcage coil has a large mechanical actuator that simultaneously changes the capacitance between every rung of the birdcage. Advantages of this coil design include: 1) quadrature excitation and reception at the 3He and 1H frequencies, 2) identical B1 field maps for 3He and 1H imaging, 3) excellent signal-to-noise ratio and B1 homogeneity at both frequencies, and 4) rapid (10–20 s) switching times between 3He and 1H operation. This report provides details of the coil's design and fabrication. Images of hyperpolarized 3He and 1H in phantoms and ex vivo rabbit lungs demonstrate the image quality obtained with the coil. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part B (Magn Reson Engineering) 45B: 174–182, 2015
Utilisation of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation in blunt thoracic trauma

Blunt thoracic trauma patients are at high risk of mortality when conventional mechanical ventilation fails to sustain respiratory function.We provide an overview of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) as a potential rescue therapy for such patients.Although few studies have examined the utilisation of HFOV specifically for blunt thoracic trauma, available evidence indicates that this ventilatory strategy may be beneficial when instituted relative early in the management of patients with severe pulmonary contusion or blunt thoracic trauma with superimposed acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Serial Production of Phage from Intracellular Phage Precursor.

Recently experimental evidence was advanced indicating that phage production occurs according to the reaction: inactive phage precursor + phage → phage.1 The particular point of interest in this concept is the dissociation of phage production from what was previously held to be an essential conditioning factor, namely, bacterial growth. Furthermore, there exist authentic models for such a reaction in the autocatalytic transformation of inactive enzyme precursors into the active enzymes when the precursors are brought in contact with small amounts of active enzyme.To summarize the experimental data it was found by Krueger and Baldwin1 that under certain conditions cell-free ultrafiltrates of staphylococci added to solutions of bacteriophage resulted in 100% increases in phage activity. In studying the effect of salts on the phage-bacterium reaction it was found that the presence of sodium chloride2 or sodium sulphate3 during the phage-bacterium reaction produced a prelytic plateau in the bacterial growth c...
Pharyngeal Colonization with Haemophilus influenzae Type b: A Longitudinal Study of Families with a Child with Meningitis or Epiglottitis Due to H. influenzae Type b

A longitudinal study of pharyngeal colonization with Haemophilus influenzae type b included 264 members of families that had a child with meningitis or epiglottitis due to this organism. It was found that (1) 52 of 67 such families contained at least one carrier of H. influenzae type b, who was usually a sibling; (2) H. influenzae type b spread slowly in 39 families colonized continuously during a six-month period, with only eight of 19 uncolonized siblings acquiring the organism during that time; (3) 18 of 30 initially colonized families contained one or more carriers after 12 months, including 30% of initially colonized siblings; (4) the highest carrier rate of H. influenzae type b occurred in recovered patients, 80% of whom were colonized after hospital discharge; (5) titers of antibody in serum were higher in colonized than in uncolonized individuals (P less than 0.001); (6) levels of antibody in colonized children were lower in those younger than two years than in older children (P less than 0.001); and (7) prolonged or heavy colonization with H. influenzae type b was not associated with unusually high titers of antibody.
Inhibition and complexation of activated protein C by two major inhibitors in plasma

To determine the major physiologic inhibitors of activated protein C (APC), plasma was incubated with APC or with Protac C and subjected to immunoblotting. APC:inhibitor complexes gave two major bands reacting with antiprotein C antibodies when immunoblotted on nondenaturing gels, and additional minor bands that varied between serum and plasma. Formation of one of the two major bands of APC:inhibitor complex, but not the other, was stimulated by heparin and only this band reacted with antibodies to the previously described APC inhibitor that is here designated PCI-1. Plasma immunodepleted of PCI-1 formed complexes with APC as visualized with antiprotein C but not anti-PCI-1 antibodies, and exhibited heparin-independent inhibition of APC activity, providing evidence for the existence of a second major physiologic APC inhibitor, PCI-2. Formation of APC:PCI-2 complexes in PCI-1-depleted plasma paralleled inhibition of APC amidolytic activity. PCI-2 was separated from PCI-1 and partially purified using column chromatography. PCI-2 formed inactive complexes of approximately 110,000 molecular weight (mol wt) with APC suggesting PCI-2 has an approximate mol wt of 50,000. Thus, inhibition of APC in plasma involves two major distinct 50,000 mol wt inhibitors, the heparin-dependent PCI-1 and the heparin-independent PCI-2.
Torque Ripple Reduction for Step Motors

In this chapter, we present controllers that reduce torque ripple for different types of stepper motors. The pulsating torque developed when a stepper motor is full- or half-stepped is known as the torque ripple and is the main cause of exciting resonance in the motor. This ripple can have a peak value of 20 or more times the friction torque value. Torque ripple itself is a result of several factors that are related to both the motor and the driver. Some of these factors are geometric imperfections in the motor, imprecise commutation, fidelity of current driving waveforms, phase delays, friction, and magnetic hysteresis in the motor and may be reduced (but not eliminated) either through the careful design of the motor itself or through the utilization of better controllers.
Self-Management Behaviors in Adults on Insulin Pump Therapy: What Are Patients Really Doing?

Background:Successful diabetes management requires behavioral changes. Little is known about self-management behaviors (SMB) in adults on insulin pump (IP) therapy.Objective:Analyze and characteriz...
IT Risk Disclosure, Governance and Compliance: Complementary or Conflicting Agendas?

In 2005, the Securities and Exchange Commission mandated disclosure in an organization’s annual report of significant risks that may adversely affect the company. We examine the risk disclosures of the largest 100 U.S. firms over the period 2004-2006 to determine the extent of coverage of IS/IT risks. We find that IS/IT risks represent less than 4% of total risks disclosed and that 40% of companies do not address a single IS/IT risk. An analysis of disclosures by industry suggests evidence of normative or mimetic isomorphism. We conclude that IS/IT risks are underreported or under-analyzed, giving financial statement users a false sense of IS/IT security.
Targeted analytic methods for deep sequencing

W genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been marginally successful at identifing high risk SNPs for cancer, further deep sequencing efforts are needed. This presentation discusses novel analytic approaches for optimizing search strategy and reducing false positive findings. Validation techniques also will be discussed in the context of independent multicentric approaches. Jimmy T. Efird, J Biotechnol Biomater 2013, 3:3 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2155-952X.S1.023
Incorporating simulation-based models into planning systems

General-purpose planners have been proposed but few have shown to work effectively and efficiently enough for enough domains to be really called general purpose. A general-purpose planner that uses a single methodology is often too restrictive and therefore cannot plan effectively for all domains. As planning problems become more complicated, having multiagents of different types in dynamic environments, evaluating candidate plans and choosing the best plan becomes prohibitively complex if not impossible within a single methodology. To overcome this problem, we propose simulation-based planning where simulation is used to evaluate the candidate plans. By allowing appropriate simulation model types to accurately express each type of agent in the domain, the task of measuring the success and effects of each candidate plans is simplified and the resulting evaluation will be more accurate since plans are simulated using dynamic models. We describe an application along with the implementation of simulation-based planning in the domain of mission planning. Possible future experiments related to Soar are also discussed. >
Citizen Trust in Civil Servants: A Cross-National Examination

ABSTRACTHow trusting of civil servants are citizens in North America and Europe? What individual-level and national-level attributes correlate with trust in civil servants? To answer these questions, data from national samples across 21 countries are taken from the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) 2006 Role of Government module and are analyzed by estimating multilevel binary logistic regression models. Trust is correlated with both subjective (at the individual-level) and objective (at the national-level) indicators of performance. The quality of institutions also matters as countries with lower levels of public sector corruption experience higher levels of trust in the civil service.
Incidence of kidney stones in kidney transplant recipients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Incidence of kidney stones in kidney transplant recipients: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Applications of energy dispersive microprobe analysis in ophthalmic pathology

The first application of electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPXMA) in ophthalmic pathology was reported in 1963 by Tousimis and Adler, using the electron probe X-ray microanalyzer at the US Geological Survey in Washington, DC. They were able to demonstrate deposits of copper in Descemet's membrane, using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections of corneas obtained at autopsy from patients with Wilson's disease (hepatolenticular degeneration) compared with normal control eyes. Since then, this valuable addition to the ophthalmic pathologist's armamentarium has aided in the characterization of a variety of ocular disorders, and has been particularly useful in the elemental analysis of foreign materials. Soft contact lenses are used to correct refractive errors, such as myopia and the hyperopia of surgical aphakia. Soft bandage lenses are also beneficial in the therapy of patients with certain corneal diseases and eyelid abnormalities. Silicon has been demonstrated by X-ray diffraction and atomic absorption analyses within contact lenses. The source of this element may be casual contaminants or silicone derivatives used as fillers in the lens polishing process. Calcification of soft contact lenses may be clinically significant in certain instances, as when the tear calcium concentration becomes elevated.
Value function approximation for the control of multiscale dynamical systems

This paper presents a novel approximate dynamic programming (ADP) algorithm for the optimal control of multiscale dynamical systems comprised of many interacting agents. The ADP algorithm presented in this paper is obtained using a distributed optimal control approach by which the performance of the multiscale dynamical system is represented in terms of a macroscopic state, and is optimized subject to a macroscopic description provided by the continuity equation. A value function approximation scheme is proposed and tested using a data set obtained by solving the necessary conditions for optimality for the distributed optimal control problem. The results shows that the proposed approximation method can learn the value function accurately and, thus, may be applied to adapt the optimal control law.
Role of Transbronchial Needle Aspiration (Conventional and EBUS Guided) in the Diagnosis of Histoplasmosis in Patients Presenting with Mediastinal Lymphadenopathy.

Objectives The superior performance of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) in the diagnosis and staging of malignancy has been demonstrated, with some investigators suggesting the same for sarcoidosis. The role of EBUS-TBNA in the diagnosis of histoplasmosis is not clear, however. In this study we estimate the diagnostic yield of conventional TBNA (cTBNA) and EBUS-TBNA for the diagnosis of histoplasmosis in patients with mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Methods Retrospective chart review was conducted on 452 consecutive patients who underwent cTBNA or EBUS-TBNA for mediastinal lymphadenopathy from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2014 at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare-affiliated hospitals in Memphis, Tennessee. Data collection included demographic information, reason for the procedure, size of the lymph nodes, procedures performed, and the final diagnosis. Results Among 452 cases reviewed, 146 underwent cTBNA and 306 underwent EBUS-TBNA. Final diagnoses include malignancy (41.5%), sarcoidosis (11.2%), and histoplasmosis (8.1%). Among 146 patients who underwent cTBNA, a final diagnosis was obtained by this modality in 58 patients (39.7%). The diagnostic rate for cTBNA for malignancy was 68% (40/59), 30% (4/13) for sarcoidosis, and 43% (6/14) for histoplasmosis. In 306 patients who underwent EBUS-TBNA, 188 had a final diagnosis (61.4%) obtained by this modality. For EBUS-TBNA, the diagnostic rates were 79.5% (101/127) for malignancy, 74% (28/38) for sarcoidosis, and 78% (18/23) for histoplasmosis. Conclusions EBUS-TBNA had a higher yield than cTBNA for the diagnosis of histoplasmosis. Clinicians practicing in areas with a high prevalence of histoplasmosis and sarcoidosis should use EBUS-TBNA, whenever available, for this reason.
Cerebellar tDCS: A Novel Approach to Augment Language Treatment Post-stroke

People with post-stroke aphasia may have some degree of chronic deficit for which current rehabilitative treatments are variably effective. Accumulating evidence suggests that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may be useful for enhancing the effects of behavioral aphasia treatment. However, it remains unclear which brain regions should be stimulated to optimize effects on language recovery. Here, we report on the therapeutic potential of right cerebellar tDCS in augmenting language recovery in SMY, who sustained bilateral MCA infarct resulting in aphasia and anarthria. We investigated the effects of 15 sessions of anodal cerebellar tDCS coupled with spelling therapy using a randomized, double-blind, sham controlled, within-subject crossover trial. We also investigated changes in functional connectivity using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging before and 2 months post treatment. Both anodal and sham treatments resulted in improved spelling to dictation for trained and untrained words immediately after and 2 months post treatment. However, there was greater improvement with tDCS than with sham, especially for untrained words. Further, generalization to written picture naming was only noted during tDCS but not with sham. The resting state functional connectivity data indicate that improvement in spelling was accompanied by an increase in cerebro-cerebellar network connectivity. These results highlight the therapeutic potential of right cerebellar tDCS to augment spelling therapy in an individual with large bilateral chronic strokes.
Evidence that tristetraprolin is a physiological regulator of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor messenger RNA deadenylation and stability.

Deficiency of tristetraprolin (TTP), the prototype of the CCCH zinc finger proteins, results in a complex inflammatory syndrome in mice. Most aspects of the syndrome are secondary to excess circulating tumor necrosis factor (TNF)–, a consequence of increased stability of TNF- messenger RNA (mRNA) in TTP-deficient macrophages. TTP can bind directly to the AU-rich element in TNF- mRNA, increasing its lability. Here we show that TTP deficiency also results in increased cellular production of granulocyte-macrophage colony–stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and increased stability of its mRNA, apparently secondary to decreased deadenylation. Similar findings were observed in mice also lacking both types of TNF- receptors, excluding excess TNF- production as a cause of the increased GM-CSF mRNA levels and stability. TTP appears to be a physiological regulator of GM-CSF mRNA deadenylation and stability.
The Affordable Care Act: Do No Harm

In this opinion piece, the author discusses the plans of the Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress to repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and urges U...
Atrial Fibrillation: Current Therapies

A rate control, or a rhythm control, strategy can be applied to the management of atrial fibrillation. Rate control of atrial fibrillation consists of decreasing the ventricular response rate by limiting the number of supraventricular impulses that can travel through the atrioventricular node. The goal of decreasing heart rate in dogs with atrial fibrillation is usually achieved with a combination of the calcium channel blocker diltiazem and digoxin. Rhythm control of atrial fibrillation encompasses pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic methods to terminate the arrhythmia and restore sinus rhythm. Transthoracic synchronized electrical cardioversion is commonly used to stop atrial fibrillation.
Helenococcus, A New Genus of Diaspididae with Description of a New Species, Helenococcus hokeae (Homoptera: Coccoidea) from Australia

Helenococcus, a new genus of Diaspididae, is described and designated, including detailed illustrations and descriptions of the adult female, second instar, and first instar of the type species, Helenococcus hokeae. The new species was collected on Hokea pampliniana from New South Wales, Australia.
First Impressions, "America's Paper" and Pre-Primary Black Presidential Candidates: The New York Times Coverage of Rev. Jesse Jackson (1983), Rev. AI Sharpton (2003), and Sen. Barack Obama (2007) Campaign Announcements and Initial Days

Recent research documents how party rules, election reforms, and the growth of primaries and caucuses have greatly changed the presidential nomination process. Acknowledging that most Americans get their information about presidential candidates through the news and that mass media have played a significant role in introducing candidates to potential voters, I conduct an longitudinal content analysis of the New York Times articles to ethnographically explain how language, article placement and content in ‘America9s Paper’ has significantly impacted the framing of black presidential candidates9 pre-primary presidential campaigns. In particular, the data reveal how the newspaper9s coverage of the candidates appears to vary based on perceived viability and as willingness to vote for a black president increases.
Succession Planning in Family-Owned Businesses

This chapter explores succession planning as it relates to family-owned businesses through a review of literature and discussions with the presidents of family-owned businesses. The chapter begins with the role of family-owned businesses in the USA and their contributions to gross domestic product and employment. Using the theoretical construct of resource-based theory, the authors compare the cultural impact of family-owned businesses in Canada, India, China, and Mexico. The chapter focuses on the factors that affect the ability of family-owned businesses to participate in succession planning by concentrating on a comparison across countries and gender.
Dermoid cysts of the conus medullaris: Clinical review, case series and management strategies

Abstract Background The management of dermoid cysts can be tedious as they have a tendency to recur, and respond poorly to chemotherapy and radiation. Management is especially difficult for tumors involving highly eloquent areas such as the conus medullaris. Objective We aim to provide a summary of the pathology, clinical presentation, and operative management strategies of dermoid cysts involving the conus medullaris. Methods Two clinical cases of dermoid cysts of the conus are presented, as well as a commented surgical video. Results A 33 year-old man with a history of cystic conus medullaris tumor presented with progressive low back pain and loss of bowel and bladder function. His magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan showed recurrence of his tumor with tethering of the spinal cord. He was taken for a midline myelotomy that drained yellowish keratinous fluid and decompressed the cyst. No aggressive attempt at complete resection of the cyst wall was undertaken. He made a complete recovery after surgery. A 25 year-old woman with a history of dermoid cyst of the conus that was previously treated surgically, presented with lower extremity weakness and debilitating pain. Her MRI showed significant recurrence of the cystic lesion. She was taken for a midline myelotomy and improved after surgery with complete resolution of her symptoms. Conclusion Dermoid cysts of the conus medullaris are challenging to treat. Surgical control and restraint are key, especially when patients are young and could potentially fully recover and remain in remission for a period of years.
A CD19/CD3 bispecific antibody for effective immunotherapy of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the ibrutinib era.

The Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor ibrutinib induces high rates of clinical response in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However, there remains a need for adjunct treatments to deepen response and to overcome drug resistance. Blinatumomab, a CD19/CD3 bispecific antibody (bsAb) designed in the BiTE (bispecific T-cell engager) format, is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Because of its short half-life of 2.1 hours, blinatumomab requires continuous intravenous dosing for efficacy. We developed a novel CD19/CD3 bsAb in the single-chain Fv-Fc format (CD19/CD3-scFv-Fc) with a half-life of ∼5 days. In in vitro experiments, both CD19/CD3-scFv-Fc and blinatumomab induced >90% killing of CLL cells from treatment-naive patients. Antileukemic activity was associated with increased autologous CD8 and CD4 T-cell proliferation, activation, and granzyme B expression. In the NOD/SCID/IL2Rγnull patient-derived xenograft mouse model, once-weekly treatment with CD19/CD3-scFv-Fc eliminated >98% of treatment-naive CLL cells in blood and spleen. By contrast, blinatumomab failed to induce a response, even when administered daily. We next explored the activity of CD19/CD3-scFv-Fc in the context of ibrutinib treatment and ibrutinib resistance. CD19/CD3-scFv-Fc induced more rapid killing of CLL cells from ibrutinib-treated patients than those from treatment-naive patients. CD19/CD3-scFv-Fc also demonstrated potent activity against CLL cells from patients with acquired ibrutinib-resistance harboring BTK and/or PLCG2 mutations in vitro and in vivo using patient-derived xenograft models. Taken together, these data support investigation of CD19/CD3 bsAb’s and other T cell-recruiting bsAb’s as immunotherapies for CLL, especially in combination with ibrutinib or as rescue therapy in ibrutinib-resistant disease.
Minimization and Least Squares

Because Nature seems to strive for efficiency, many systems arising in physical applications are founded on a minimization principle. In a mechanical system, the stable equilibrium configurations minimize the potential energy. In an electrical circuit, the current adjusts itself to minimize the power. In optics and relativity, light rays follow the paths of minimal distance — the geodesics on the curved space-time manifold. Solutions to most of the boundary value problems arising in applications to continuum mechanics are also characterized by a minimization principle, which is then employed to design finite element numerical approximations to their solutions, [61, 81]. Optimization — finding minima or maxima — is ubiquitous throughout mathematical modeling, physics, engineering, economics, and data science, including the calculus of variations, differential geometry, control theory, design and manufacturing, linear programming, machine learning, and beyond.
The Golgi Apparatus in Plant Cells

During the early investigations there was little exploration of the possibility of the presence of the Golgi apparatus in plant cells. Several factors contributed to this situation. The early presumed analogy between the Golgi apparatus and the canals of Holmgren (1902) led to an assumption of equivalence between the Golgi apparatus and elements of the vacuome. This idea was supported in one form or another by Bensley (1910), Guilliermond and Mangenot (1922), and Guilliermond (1929). The association of the apparatus with secretion tended to de-emphasize plant cells, only a few types of which were recognized as secreting cells. Nonetheless, Bowen (1926) concerned himself with the question of whether plant cells contained Golgi apparatus. He developed an idea that the plastids might equate to the Golgi apparatus. This idea was picked up by Weier (1932) who gave credit for it to Bowen. Bowen subsequently undertook a detailed study of plant cells and concluded that he could demonstrate the normal components of animal cells and something in addition, to which he applied the term osmiophilic platelets which were much more demonstrable in certain tissues than in others (Bowen 1928). Having done so, he accepted the equivalence of these osmiophilic platelets and the Golgi apparatus.
Hysteroscopic cannulation for proximal tubal obstruction : a change for the better ?

Objective To compare overall the results of hysteroscopic tubal cannulations and resection anastomosis for proximal tubal occlusion. Design Nonrandomized retrospective analysis of patients operated on by two surgeons. Setting University and large tertiary referral private practice. Patients Seventy-four patients over a 10-year period, with bilateral or unilateral proximal occlusion of a single tube. Interventions Hysteroscopic cannulation, resection anastomosis, or both. Main Outcome Measures Intrauterine and ectopic pregnancy rates, long-term tubal patency, and pathology of tubal segments. Results In patients with normal distal tubes, intrauterine pregnancy rates were similar (12/21, 57% versus 12/24, 50%) and ectopic pregnancy rates were lower (0/21, 0% versus 7/24, 29.1%) in the cannulation group. One-year patency rates in nonpregnant patients was higher in the anastomosis group (12/15, 80% versus 3/8, 33%). Conclusions Hysteroscopic cannulation should be first choice in the management of proximal tubal obstructions in selected patients. It may be a treatment option for delayed occlusion after successful cannulation or resection anastomosis.
Age-related differences in patient-reported outcomes in patients with advanced lung cancer receiving anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy.

Abstract Background Older adults with lung cancer often have comorbidities that may increase risk of symptomatic adverse events (AEs) and physical function decline. The objective of this study was to examine age-related differences in patient-reported symptoms and functional domains in patients with advanced lung cancer receiving immunotherapy drugs. Methods Three randomized controlled trials of anti-programmed death receptor-1/programmed death-ligand 1 therapy in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer that included patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were identified. Baseline PRO data were pooled for treatment arms from 2 trials that included the same PRO tools. Age-related differences in baseline mean scores for each of the health-related quality of life functional and symptom scales were assessed for patients ≥70 years and Results Across the 3 trials, 75 of patients were under 70 and 26% patients were 70 and older. Comparing baseline scores in the 2 trials with the same PRO tool, older adults reported small differences including lower physical functioning, less pain, insomnia and financial difficulties, and higher social functioning than younger patients at baseline. No large differences in the distributions of mean change from baseline in function or symptom were identified. Several common clinician-reported symptomatic AEs were not assessed by the PRO strategy employed in the 3 trials. Three clinician-reported symptomatic AEs (rash, fever, and pruritus) that were commonly reported in the safety data (9%–19%) were not assessed using the PRO tools employed. Conclusion While several small differences were seen, there did not appear to be large differences at baseline or in the distributions of change from baseline in PRO functional domains between younger and older patients with lung cancer undergoing anti-programmed death receptor -1/programmed death-ligand 1 therapy. Relevant symptomatic side effects were not assessed by PRO measures in these trials, and this is a limitation of current PRO assessment strategies.
Inpatient β-lactam test-dose protocol and antimicrobial stewardship in patients with a history of penicillin allergy.

Abstract Background Penicillin allergy is the most commonly reported drug allergy in hospitalized patients, resulting in increased second-line antibiotic use, nosocomial infections, and health care use. Given that most patients are not truly allergic, a safe strategy that empowers the admitting physician is needed. Objective To assess the effect on antibiotic prescribing practices for hospitalized patients with penicillin allergy using a validated intervention. Methods An intervention was implemented to educate health care professionals on management of patients with penicillin allergy using a validated risk stratification algorithm to guide testing and antibiotic use. Thirty days of control data using current standard of care was compared with 60 days of postintervention data measuring documentation of penicillin allergy history and antibiotic selection. Results The relative use of cephalosporin and penicillin antibiotics increased by 121.2% (P = .03) and 256% (P = .04), respectively, without an increase in adverse drug reactions. There was a decrease in the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics: vancomycin, 67.2% (P = .04); quinolones, 33.3% (P = .31); carbapenems, 81.9% (P = .08); and aztreonam, 73.8% (P = .18). Conclusion The antibiotic choice in patients admitted to the hospital with a reported penicillin allergy can be improved by better evaluation of the allergy history and the use of a risk stratification guideline.
Advances in Optical Sensing and Bioanalysis Enabled by 3D Printing

The recent explosion of 3D printing applications in scientific literature has expanded the speed and effectiveness of analytical technological development. 3D printing allows for manufacture that is simply designed in software and printed in-house with nearly no constraints on geometry, and analytical methodologies can thus be prototyped and optimized with little difficulty. The versatility of methods and materials available allows the analytical chemist or biologist to fine-tune both the structural and functional portions of their apparatus. This flexibility has more recently been extended to optical-based bioanalysis, with higher resolution techniques and new printing materials opening the door for a wider variety of optical components, plasmonic surfaces, optical interfaces, and biomimetic systems that can be made in the laboratory. There have been discussions and reviews of various aspects of 3D printing technologies in analytical chemistry; this Review highlights recent literature and trends in their...
Episodic ataxia in CASPR2 autoimmunity

A 64-year-old man developed cognitive dysfunction and generalized seizures, followed by episodes of transient speech and gait disturbances lasting several minutes, occurring multiple times per day; the events were not associated with any triggers. Neurologic examination during one of his episodic symptoms (video 1) showed transient ataxic dysarthria. Testing for neural autoantibodies revealed evidence of voltage-gated potassium channel complex antibodies by radioimmunoprecipitation assay; CASPR2-IgG was positive in serum and CSF by cell-based assay. Brain MRI was normal; CSF analysis showed an elevated protein level at 101 mg/dL, but it was otherwise normal. Oncologic evaluation was negative. The cognitive symptoms improved; seizures and episodic ataxia resolved after 12 weeks of treatment with IV methylprednisolone. Episodic ataxia is a manifestation of CASPR2 autoimmunity;1 patients can have normal MRI, and immunotherapy is beneficial.
BARGAINING WITH OPTIMISM: IDENTIFICATION AND ESTIMATION OF A MODEL OF MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LITIGATION

We study a model of bargaining with optimism where players have heterogeneous beliefs about the final resolution. Beliefs and bargaining surplus are identified from the settlement probability and the distribution of accepted transfers. Using data from medical malpractice lawsuits in Florida, we estimate doctor and patient beliefs and the distribution of potential compensation. We find that patients are more optimistic and doctors more pessimistic when the severity of injury is higher, and the joint optimism diminishes as severity increases. We quantify the increase in settlement probability and the reduction in accepted settlement offers under counterfactual caps on the total compensation.
Awake Craniotomies for Motor Cortex Lesions

Abstract It has been well established that extent of tumor resection impacts both overall and progression-free survival for many patients with intrinsic brain tumors. Over 60% of intrinsic brain tumors are thought to infiltrate functional brain regions, making maximal safe resection difficult to achieve. Direct stimulation of the cerebral cortex was first employed by Foerster in 1931 and is the gold standard approach for the identification and preservation of functional areas of the brain. Meticulous preoperative planning and communication among neurosurgery, neuroanesthesia, and the rest of the mapping team is critical to ensure a safe surgical procedure. This chapter outlines the evidence supporting extent of resection for motor cortex lesions and technical strategies for successful intraoperative mapping.
Alteration of Escherichiacoli RNase D by infection with bacteriophage T4

Abstract Infection of a variety of E. coli strains with bacteriophage T4 leads to about a 25,000 dalton increase in the apparent molecular weight of RNase D based on gel filtration on Ultrogel AcA44. No alteration occurs when infection is carried out in the presence of chloramphenicol. The change in RNase D is substantially completed by 7.5 min of infection. Chromatography of the altered RNase D on the adsorbant, Affi-gel Blue, restores the enzyme to its original molecular weight of 40,000, indicating that the modification is reversible. Mixing an extract from infected cells with one from uninfected cells converts a portion of the uninfected cell enzyme to the higher molecular weight form. No conversion takes place if the infected cell extract is first treated with phenol to inactivate proteins. Preliminary analysis indicates that the factor in infected cell extracts responsible for the conversion is a heat-labile, relatively low-molecular weight protein, and that RNase D is modified by association with this phage-specific component. The potential role of RNase D in the 3′ processing of bacteriophage T4 tRNA precursors, and the involvement of a phage gene product in this process, are discussed.
Spin-dependent charge transport through 2D chiral hybrid lead-iodide perovskites

Chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) occurs when the chirality of the transporting medium selects one of the two spin ½ states to transport through the media while blocking the other. Monolayers of chiral organic molecules demonstrate CISS but are limited in their efficiency and utility by the requirement of a monolayer to preserve the spin selectivity. We demonstrate CISS in a system that integrates an inorganic framework with a chiral organic sublattice inducing chirality to the hybrid system. Using magnetic conductive-probe atomic force microscopy, we find that oriented chiral 2D-layered Pb-iodide organic/inorganic hybrid perovskite systems exhibit CISS. Electron transport through the perovskite films depends on the magnetization of the probe tip and the handedness of the chiral molecule. The films achieve a highest spin-polarization transport of up to 86%. Magnetoresistance studies in modified spin-valve devices having only one ferromagnet electrode confirm the occurrence of spin-dependent charge transport through the organic/inorganic layers.