cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Capecitabine and lapatinib uptake in surgically resected brain metastases from metastatic breast cancer patients: a prospective study.

Breast cancer brain metastases (BCBM) are a devastating complication and portend a poor prognosis.1 The role of systemic therapy is limited and secondary for BCBM. The normal blood–brain barrier excludes entry of drugs, and the degree to which it remains patent with a brain metastasis (BM), as the blood–tumor barrier (BTB), is debated.2 Contrast agents show uptake into BCBM, but chemotherapy has been generally ineffective; presumably the BTB prevents attainment of active drug levels. Very limited data exist on drug uptake in human BCBM.1 Evidence for CNS drug penetration is usually based on preclinical xenograft models or evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid in human clinical samples.3–6 In experimental BCBM models, most lesions exhibit drug uptake greater than that of the normal brain, but brain lesion uptake may be heterogeneous and insufficient to mount an apoptotic response.6 Capecitabine and lapatinib have demonstrated efficacy in clinical trials among patients with BCBM.7,8 Capecitabine is an oral prodrug of 5-flourouracil (5-FU), an antimetabolite, and undergoes 3-step enzymatic conversion to 5-FU (Supplementary Fig. S1). Lapatinib is an oral small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that reversibly targets epidermal growth factor receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). The uptake of lapatinib in BCBM has been demonstrated in a preclinical model.5 Clinical evidence for BM uptake of drugs is scarce, and it is unclear whether preclinical models reflect human BM pharmacokinetics (PK). Prospective evaluation of BM drug uptake in humans is challenging but valuable for future drug development. In this study, we examined the uptake of capecitabine, its metabolites, and lapatinib in BCBM resected from patients undergoing medically indicated craniotomy.
Prospective assessment of the diagnostic utility of esophageal brushings in adults with eosinophilic esophagitis.

Summary Patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) undergo multiple endoscopies with biopsy for both diagnosis and assessment of treatment response, which is inconvenient and costly. Brush cytology has been examined in Barrett's esophagus to reduce the need for repeated endoscopic biopsies. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the ability of brush cytology to detect mucosal eosinophilia in patients with EoE. This prospective study included adults with untreated and treated esophageal eosinophilia undergoing endoscopy at a tertiary care center. Patients received paired brushings and biopsies at the proximal and distal esophagus. A blinded pathologist quantified the number of eosinophils and epithelial cells per high-power field (hpf) on the cytology slides. The ratio of eosinophils/epithelial cells was used to normalize the cytology specimens for density of cells collected. The main outcome measures were sensitivity and specificity of brush cytology, and correlation between cytology and histology. Twenty-eight patients enrolled. The average age of the cohort was 37.7 ± 10.4 years; 75% of subjects were male. The sensitivity of cytology was 67–69% at the proximal esophagus and 70–72% at the distal esophagus. The specificity was 61–67% proximally and 70–75% distally. Histology was not significantly correlated with the max ratio of eosinophils/epithelial cells per hpf or the absolute number of eosinophils on cytology slides. Cytology using esophageal brushing has limited sensitivity and specificity for the detection of esophageal mucosal eosinophilia. The presence of exudates on endoscopy increased the detection of eosinophilia, which could make cytology useful in pediatric EoE, which often has a more exudative presentation. Diagnostic yield may improve with alternative acquisition techniques or the incorporation of eosinophil degranulation proteins.
Analytical and numerical solutions for laminar flow of the non‐Newtonian ellis fluid

Because of the apparent success in the use of the three-constant Ellis model to describe a wide variety of experimental data, a summary is given of analytical and numerical solutions for this model. The solutions include isothermal flow between flat plates, in tubes, in films, in annuli (axial, tangential, and radial) and nonisothermal flow in tubes with constant wall temperature and with constant heat flux at the tube wall.
Salt in Infant Foods

The Subcommittee on Safety and Suitability of MSG and Other Substances in Baby Foods of the Food Protection Committee, Food and Nutrition Board, NAS-NRC, recently submitted a report entitled “Safety and Suitability of Salt for Use in Baby Foods” to the Food and Drug Administration. The major findings of the Subcommittee are summarized in this article.
Endoscopic laser therapy for esophageal cancer: Present status with emphasis on past and future

Although the major initial application for endoscopic laser therapy was for the management of gastrointestinal hemorrhage, it is now more common to use the laser endoscopically for the treatment of gastrointestinal neoplasms. A major body of literature surrounds the use of endoscopic laser therapy for esophageal cancer. The initial patient evaluation to determine if laser therapy is indicated includes a contrast radiograph, a screening endoscopy, and an imaging study. After these tests have been performed, it can be determined whether endoscopic laser therapy (ELT) is the best of the many endoscopic options. There is some difference of opinion as to the specifics of the treatment technique, and these are described. There is general agreement from reviewing the clinical data that it is possible to open the obstructed lumen in a large majority of cases and that functional success (the ability to achieve technically good results as well as clinical improvement without complications) is also possible in the majority of patients. Despite the information suggesting the benefits of ELT for esophageal cancer, there are both conceptual and technical limitations to the current approach to therapy. These limitations as well as potential future applications are discussed.
Overcoming the illusion of will and self‐fabrication: Going beyond naïve subjective personal introspection to an unconscious/conscious theory of behavior explanation

Naive subjective personal introspection includes the failure to recognize the confirmability of one's own attitudes and personal meanings learned explicitly from self-examining such topics and explaining one's own behavior. Unconscious/conscious theory of behavior explanation follows from unifying the research on unintended thought–behavior with folk explanations of behavior. This article describes advances in research confirming own attitudes and personal meaning and suggests the need for applying multiple methods to overcome the fundamental attribution error, inherent cultural prejudices, and the general bias toward self-fabrication. The discussion is valuable for achieving a deep understanding of how customers think, advancing from subjective to confirmatory personal introspection, and understanding the need to apply research tools useful for enlightening knowledge and overcoming the inherent bias within subjective personal introspection. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Identifying Individual and Contextual Barriers to Seeking Mental Health Services Among Korean American Immigrant Women

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore perceptions about barriers to Korean American immigrant women's seeking mental health services. Four focus groups were conducted with 27 Korean American participants, including two groups of providers and two groups of community women. Discussions were recorded and transcribed to identify and code themes. Barriers included language problems, cultural differences, lack of time, financial limitations, lack of transportation, lack of knowledge, lack of funding for community agencies, lack of partnership with churches, and perceived stigma. Recommendations include ethnically and linguistically matched mental health services, community outreach services, training for providers, and community education.
Some dynamics of social balance processes: bringing Heider back into balance theory

Structural (or social) balance is regarded as a fundamental social process. It has been used to explain how the feelings, attitudes and beliefs, which the social actors have towards each other, promotes the formation of stable (but not necessarily conflict free) social groups. While balance theory has a rich and long history, it has lost favor in recent times. The empirical work has taken one of two forms. Most empirical work on social balance has focused on dyads and triples, and findings have been inconsistent. The remaining studies focus on the structure of the group as a whole. Results here have been inconsistent also. One major problem is that the first line of work is based only on the source ideas of Heider while the second has been based only on the ideas of Cartwright and Harary. Some of the inconsistencies may be due to this empirical split where the two streams of ideas do not inform each other. We propose a new theoretical model for social balance in the form of an agent-based simulation model. The results we present account for several of the inconsistencies found in the literature. The model simulates distinct but interdependent social actors making positive and negative selections of each other in efforts to reach balanced cognitive states. The design variables for the simulations are group size, degree of contentiousness of a group and the mode of communicating choices regarding the existence and sign of social ties. The group level balance mechanism used by the dynamic model is based on the idea of partition balance, as proposed by Doreian and Mrvar [Soc. Netw. 18 (1996) 149]. Actor selections, over time, generate networks that partition group members into stable, balanced subsets at equilibrium or near equilibrium. The design variables have complicated impacts on the number of actor choices made to reach balance, the level of group imbalance, the number of actors with balanced images and the number of plus-sets formed.
Procedural Rules for Claiming Set-Offs Continue to Emphasize the Importance of Maintaining Contemporaneous Documentation

In July 2005, the IRS issued Rev. Proc. 2005-46 updating the procedural rules concerning how taxpayers facing proposed transfer-pricing adjustments under Code Sec. 482 may claim set-offs. The term 'set-off' refers to the effect that other non-arm's-length transactions may have on proposed adjustments under Sec. 482. Thus, when the IRS proposes a Sec. 482 adjustment with respect to a transaction between controlled entities, and provided that the taxpayer properly asserts a set-off claim in accordance with Rev. Proc. 2005-46, the IRS will take into account the impact of other non-arm's-length transactions - which will result in a set-off against - the proposed Sec. 482 adjustment. The article discusses the updated procedural rules in details, identifies certain ambiguities in Rev. Proc. 2005-46, and suggests practical courses of action to mitigate the negative effect of such ambiguities. The article also explains the importance of both filing with the IRS a timely, complete and proper written notice of the basis for the claimed set-offs and maintaining contemporaneous documentation with respect to controlled transactions. Among other things, the article concludes that taxpayers should be particularly careful while preparing the notice regarding their setoff claim, include all available information about the non-arm's length transactions that are the basis of the claimed setoffs, and submit the notice in sufficient time to permit correction of any deficiencies. Additionally, when necessary, taxpayers also should consider extending the statue of limitations to allow sufficient time to fully substantiate their setoff position
Nondestructive monitoring of subsurface damage progression in concrete columns damaged by earthquake loading

Abstract The assessment of the structural integrity of infrastructure after extreme events is an important application of nondestructive technology. Advancements in elastic wave-based methods in recent years have allowed for productive and accurate quantitative analysis which was previously lacking. In this study, ultrasonic array measurements coupled with a modified signature analysis method were implemented for damage detection purposes. Full-scale testing of a reinforced concrete column subjected to simulated earthquake loading was tested using ultrasound nondestructive testing at various stages of loading. A signature analysis technique was adapted to create improved reconstructions and was coupled with a quantitative analysis incorporating Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The results demonstrated the ability to detect internal damages and defects prior to appearance on the surface using one-sided access, showing promise for health monitoring applications.
Radium needles implant in the treatment of extensive vaginal involvement from cervical carcinoma. A dosimetry appraisal.

An appraisal of the dosimetry of a modified brachytherapy approach is presented for improving the local control of extensive vaginal involvement from carcinoma of the cervix. This approach incorporates radium needles implant to the vaginal disease in conjunction with the usual routine intracavitary radium application. The aim of the interstitial implant is specifically to supplement the dose to the vaginal disease from the intracavitary application. Our procedure for accomplishing this boost in the dose to the vagina depends on the location, extent and thickness of the vaginal lesion following external beam irradiation of the whole pelvis. An increase of greater than 50 per cent in the dose to the vaginal disease is gained by this combination intracavitary/implant approach which has been used in a variety of cases covering virtually all pertinent stages of cervical carcinoma. Discussion of the dosimetry of example cases is presented to demonstrate the value of combining interstitial and intracavitary ther...
Early use of adaptable seating for patients with head trauma. Suggestion from the field

The indivdiual who has suffered a severe head injury and is recovering from coma has unique problems in his ability to sit. These patients often lack head and trunk control and have abnormal muscle tone that further complicates any attempts at seating them. Initially, these patients require a maximum amount of head, trunk and pelvic support; as recovery progresses, external support can be reduced. Recovery of motor control in the head-injured patient will often occur at a relatively rapid rate. Changes in the amount of support may need to be made on a daily basis. Thus, manufacture of a permanent adaptive seat in the early stages of recovery is neither practical nor cost-efficient. The staff of the Brain Injury Program at Elizabethtown Hospital has developed a temporary, reusable adaptive seat insert, which is individually fitted and has the capability for adjustable external supports.…
Notes on the rhizomorphs and mating system of Xeromphalina campanella.

(1990). Notes on the Rhizomorphs and Mating System of Xeromphalina Campanella. Mycologia: Vol. 82, No. 5, pp. 651-655.
The NMDA Receptor and Schizophrenia: From Pathophysiology to Treatment

Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that affects almost 1% of the population worldwide. Even though the etiology of schizophrenia is uncertain, it is believed to be a neurodevelopmental disorder that results from a combination of environmental insults and genetic vulnerabilities. Over the past 20 years, there has been a confluence of evidence from many research disciplines pointing to alterations in excitatory signaling, particularly involving hypofunction of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), as a key contributor to the schizophrenia disease process. This review describes the structure-function relationship of the NMDAR channel and how the glycine modulatory site acts as an important regulator of its activity. In addition, this review highlights the genetic, pharmacologic, and biochemical evidence supporting the hypothesis that NMDAR hypofunction contributes to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Finally, this chapter highlights some of the most recent and promising pharmacological strategies that are designed to either, directly or indirectly, augment NMDAR function in an effort to treat the cognitive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia that are not helped by currently available medications.
Analysis on the Disinfection of the Dishware in Dinning Halls of Colleges and Secondary Schools of Zhumadian City

[Objective]To understand the disinfection of dishware in dinning halls of colleges and secondary schools of Zhumadian City of Henan.[Methods] Tableware after disinfection were randomly selected,rapid paper strip method and bacteria increasing method were adopted to detect coliform and pathogenic bacteria on tableware.[Results]The qualified rate was over 90%;of 540 tableware,39(7.2 2%)were detected coliform.[Conclusion]the qualified rates of disinfection of dishware in dinning halls of colleges and secondary schools do not reach 100%,it is still necessary to strengthen food hygiene in school canteens.
Stem cell therapies in reparative medicine.

The future implementation of stem cell therapies to treat conditions thus far considered incurable has been envisioned as logical consequence of the fast-paced progress in stem cell research over the last few years. Still, many practical obstacles stand in the way to the routine application of these novel technologies in medicine. The conference “Stem Cell Therapies in Reparative Medicine,” held aboard the cruise vessel Majesty of the Seas (Miami, USA- Nassau, Bahamas, April 19–22, 2002), focused on the analysis of these problems from different perspectives, including developmental biology (cell proliferation, fate determination, and enrichment), immunology (allorejection and prevention of autoimmunity recurrence), and clinical therapy, emphasizing the impact of stem cell technologies on the emerging field of tissue engineering and the treatment of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.
Nonpharmacologic Activity Interventions to Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract Activity-based interventions seeking to slow cognitive declines with age and delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are on the rise and hold promise with longer-term follow-up. Physical exercise, yoga, and low-intensity physical activity embedded within one’s complex social environment may impact cognitive and brain health in multiple ways that impact directly or indirectly the neuropathology and clinical symptoms of AD. Intervention efforts are increasingly targeting individuals in the community at elevated risk for AD based on poor cognitive function or the presence of known behavioral risk factors (inactivity, low education). Many of these programs are scalable through existing clinical settings and community infrastructures. At the same time, much remains to be learned about the specific activities that contribute to cognitive health and offer resilience to pathology, and the limits of their effectiveness. Questions that remain to be addressed in this developing field include dosing, incentives for adherence, and sustainability of gains postexposure. A critical objective for studies going forward will be to explore the potentially synergistic effects of multimodal interventions incorporated into daily life using real-time wearable technologies that increase measurement precision.
Survey of major African language families

Introduction Among the corpus of bozal Spanish and Portuguese materials, none of the texts show the neat template-like superposition of Romance and African language patterns found among creole languages, perhaps not surprising in view of the fact that bozal language was re-created spontaneously each time a diverse group of Africans was thrust into a situation where learning Spanish or Portuguese was instantly necessary. Despite the lack of systematic one-to-one correspondences between grammatical structures peculiar to individual African languages and bozal Spanish or Portuguese, there are some recurring traits among major African languages whose traces among Afro-Iberian speech can potentially be separated from the spontaneous effects of imperfect second language acquisition. Among later bozal texts, particularly those from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, there is a higher overall degree of linguistic accuracy, and even some attempts at anthropological accounts of Afro-Hispanic language and culture. Available documentation on the demographics of the African population in nineteenth-century Latin America is also more complete, and there are occasional glimpses of substratum influence on bozal Spanish syntax. An assessment of several prominent cross-sections of African grammatical structures is therefore not without merit, even in the absence of stable creoles. The following survey is not intended to be complete, but rather to underscore the type of considerations that might be brought to bear on individual bozal texts in order to fathom the possible effects of African grammatical patterns.
Molecular Modeling of the Lamellar to Inverse Hexagonal Phase Transition in Dope-Dopc Lipid Systems

In the proper physiological state, myelin sheaths consist of tightly packed lipids and proteins and insulate neurons in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. However, defective myelin sheaths in multiple sclerosis (MS), and other demyelinating diseases, ultimately cause vesiculation of the lipids contained in the sheaths. Increasing the proportion of phosphatidylethanolamine in myelin was shown experimentally to cause structural instabilities due to an abnormal packing structure. The unstable form favors inverted hexagonal phases as a result of lipid headgroup size and geometry, whereas normal myelin composition favors a smooth lamellar phase. Through a molecular mean field theory approach, we produce phase diagrams of lipid systems with varying concentrations of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine to capture the transitions between inverted hexagonal and lamellar phases. Analyzing structural instabilities in myelin sheaths may provide us with a clearer understanding of multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases.
Exploring geographic distributions of high-risk water, sanitation, and hygiene practices and their association with child diarrhea in Uganda.

Background : High-risk water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices are still prevalent in most low-income countries. Because of limited access to WASH, children may be put at an increased risk of diarrheal diseases. Objectives : This study aims to 1) develop a new measure of WASH-induced burden, the WASH Resource Index (WRI), and estimate its correlation with child diarrhea and an additive index of high-risk WASH practices; 2) explore the geographic distribution of high-risk WASH practices, child diarrhea, and summary indices at the cluster level; and 3) examine the association between the WRI and child diarrhea at the individual level. Design : A sample of 7,019 children from the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey 2011 were included in this study. Principal component analysis was used to develop a WRI, and households were classified as WASH poorest, poorer, middle, richer, and richest. A hot spot analysis was conducted to assess whether and how high-risk WASH practices and child diarrhea were geographically clustered. A potential association between the WRI and child diarrhea was examined through a nested regression analysis. Results : High-risk WASH practices were clustered at geographically distant regions from Kampala. The 2-week prevalence of child diarrhea, however, was concentrated in Eastern and East Central regions where high-risk WASH practices were not prevalent. At the individual level, none of the high-risk WASH practices were significantly associated with child diarrhea. Being in the highest WASH quintile was, however, significantly associated with 24.9% lower prevalence of child diarrhea compared to being in the lowest quintile ( p <0.05). Conclusions : Only a weak association was found between the WRI and child diarrhea in this study. Future research should explore the potential utility of the WRI to examine WASH-induced burden. Keywords: WASH; water; sanitation; hygiene; Uganda (Published: 26 October 2016) Citation: Glob Health Action 2016, 9 : 32833 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/gha.v9.32833
André Bazin, le cinéma et l’historiographie française

ResumeCet article analyse l’influence exercee par l’historiographie francaise sur la conception du cinema developpee par Andre Bazin. Sur la base de documents d’archives et de l’analyse de ses text...
Increased risk of 30-day postoperative complications for diabetic patients following open reduction-internal fixation of proximal humerus fractures: an analysis of 1391 patients from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database.

Background Prior database studies have shown that complication rates following surgical treatment of proximal humerus fractures are low. However, diabetes has been shown across orthopedics to have significantly increased risks of postoperative complications. The purpose of our study was to identify complications for which diabetic patients are at increased risk following operative treatment of proximal humerus fractures. Methods The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database from 2005 to 2014 identified patients >18 years undergoing open reduction-internal fixation for proximal humerus fractures. Patients with incomplete perioperative data were excluded. Patients with non–insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) were compared with nondiabetic patients using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Odds ratio (OR) was calculated with a 95% confidence interval, and the significance level was held at P Results There were 1391 patients identified; 1147 (82%) were not diabetic, 91 (7%) had IDDM, and 153 (11%) had NIDDM. Of these, 39.68% (550) were obese (body mass index >30.0). Hypertension, dyspnea, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were the most frequent concurrent patient factors in diabetic patients. Postoperatively, patients with diabetes had a statistically significant higher risk of pneumonia (OR, 217.80; P = .002) and length of stay >4 days (OR, 2.05; P = .010). Among diabetics, non–insulin-dependent diabetics had a greater risk of sepsis (OR, 25.84; P = .022) and pneumonia (OR, 12.19; P = .013) than insulin-dependent diabetics. Conclusion Both NIDDM and IDDM were associated with a number of adverse postoperative events. Importantly, NIDDM was found to be an independent risk factor for postoperative sepsis and pneumonia, whereas IDDM was identified as an independent risk factor for pneumonia and prolonged length of stay (≥4 days).
Curcumin mediated modulation of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) metabolism.

2367 Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of death among Americans. Epidemiological evidences suggest the association of colon cancer with increased exposure of heterocyclic amines (HA) due to consumption of well-done cooked red meat and other dietary carcinogens. PhIP, the most abundant HA, has been reported to be a carcinogen in rodents and an etiological factor for colon and breast cancer. PhIP is activated by cytochrome P4501A2 (CYP1A2), and detoxified by phase 2 enzymes such as UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT), glutathione- S -transferase (GST). Curcumin, a yellow pigment derived from the spice, turmeric, shows anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties and is being developed as a cancer chemopreventive agent. This study was designed to test the efficacy of curcumin to alter the PhIP metabolism. Global analysis of gene expression (using Affymetrix rat genechip 230A) in liver of rat fed on 1% curcumin for 14 days revealed up-regulation of several genes associated with detoxification and antioxidants (UGT, GST, aflatoxin B1 aldehyde reductase, epoxide hydrolase, NAD(P)H:menadione oxidoreductase, glutathione reductase, glutamate-cysteine ligase) and repressed genes associated with PhIP activation (CYP1A2 and sulfotransferase). Administration of PhIP by gavage (1mg/kg body weight, single dose) to rat fed on 1% curcumin resulted in significant increase in the urinary PhIP-glucuronide metabolites such as N2-OH-PhIP-N2-glucuronide, N2-OH-PhIP-N3-glucuronide, and PhIP-N2-glucuronide relative to control group as measured by LC/MS/MS. Recent studies have demonstrated that Nrf2, a bzip transcription factor plays a pivotal role in induction of phase 2 enzymes and curcumin activates Nrf2. To investigate the role of Nrf2 on PhIP metabolism and the underlying mechanism of curcumin blocking action, we administered PhIP to Nrf2 -wild type and Nrf2 -deficient mice which were fed AIN-76 diet with or without 1% curcumin for 14 days. Nrf2 -deficient mice had decreased amount of urinary PhIP-glucuronide metabolites as compared to wild type mice indicating the positive role of Nrf2 in detoxification of this dietary carcinogen. Curcumin further enhanced the amount of PhIP-glucuronide metabolites in urine of wild type relative to Nrf2 -deficient mice demonstrating that the mechanism of action in part, appears to be through Nrf2 mediated induction of phase 2 enzymes. (Supported by NCI Howard/Hopkins Partnership grant).
Political Competition and Judicial Integrity: The Case of Mexico

Political competition, over time, both lowers politicians’ resistance to judicial neutrality and increases their electoral motivations to honor political and economic rights of citizens, making judicial independence the least needed precisely where it is the most feasible. Empirical investigation, however, shows that competition alone is a poor predictor of the adoption of judicial reform to insulate courts from political influence in Mexican states. Competition appears to have a non-linear effect on political calculations. When competition is very weak, incumbent politicians are under little pressure to sell themselves to voters as proponents of judicial integrity. A long standing party slipping in the polls, on the other hand, may have an incentive to adopt judicial reforms as a way to bolster itself with swing voters or to protect itself from future legal depredations of the prospective new party. But when electoral margins are knife-edged, an incumbent party faces strong short term incentives to use whatever tools available, including judicial manipulation, to stay in office. This latter impulse, we expect, is stronger in transitional democracies in which clientelism and poor voter information interferes with electoral punishment of political corruption.
Trust and the Lifecycle of Organizations

A friend related the following story. He had accepted a position as a Vice President in a large corporation but would not assume the position officially for approximately six months. During this period, the President of the corporation, whom he greatly admired and to whom he was to report, became ill and announced that he was stepping down. A vice president who was a member of the leadership team accepted the Presidency of another firm. Searches for two management executives were suspended pending the naming of the President’s successor. My friend was dismayed to learn that the organization he was eager to join would change substantially before he got there. He was especially concerned because his boss and some of his future associates were people whom he believed he could trust and work with effectively. His expectations of the trustfulness of the organization he had committed to join were influenced by people who were no longer there. An organization is like a moving train which takes on and drops off passengers at various points en route to its destination. Establishing and reestablishing trust is what passengers do as the train moves from point to point.
Easy authentication for student web applications

Student projects often need to authenticate users to implement the application's access control policies. There are several challenges with having students implement an authentication subsystem from scratch. This demonstration showcases a web application that can handle the authentication task for a wide range of student web applications.
Wire Debris Modeling of the Z-Accelerator

The Z-Accelerator is an intense x-ray source located at Sandia National Laboratory. On a typical shot, 20 MA of current passes through a cylindrical array of wires over tens of nanoseconds. The result is the release of 2 MJ of low-energy x-rays at approximately 200 TW. The wires are mostly vaporized in this time, but some wire fragments remain[1]. We have developed a model for the deformation of these wires as they accelerate towards the center of the device. While the shot is generally over 200 nanoseconds, the model only covers times on the order of 1-4 nanoseconds, as it is a continuum model. The model begins with a 2-D finite element model that determines the forces and magnetic fields the titanium wires experience early in a typical shot. The magnetic field around the wires reaches a maximum of 210 Tesla when the current is a maximum. ANSYS provides a force per unit length that is applied to the wire over time. The forces that are determined in ANSYS are used in a separate computer code that solves the equations of motion for the wires. The code solves the 1-D wave equation with a periodic forcing function using only the early portions of a cycle to approximate a monotonically increasing load. As the wire is displaced from its initial position, the tension should increase as the length of the wire increases. An incremental model is used to update the tension as the wire is displaced, effectively linearizing an inherently nonlinear problem[2]. Results will be described that show the wires' behavior as a function of the initial tension applied to the wire.
Organ culture of the goldfish pineal body. An ultrastructural and biochemical study.

The ultrastructure and biochemistry of the goldfish pineal organ were examined in expiants cultured for 1, 3, and 6 days. All four cell types (photoreceptor, supportive, ganglion, phagocytic) were identified; they exhibited many of the characteristics of these cells in vivo. Exceptions included a gradual disorganization of the outer segments and reduction of synaptic ribbons in photoreceptors with time in culture. In addition, there was a marked proliferation of endoplasmic reticulum in both photoreceptor and supportive cells. The indoles 5-hydroxytryptophan, serotonin, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, 5-methoxytryptophol, and melatonin were separated in expiants by high performance liquid chromatography using electrochemical detection. Serotonin levels could be depleted by p-chlorophenylalanine and elevated by nialamide or by adding 5-hydroxytryptophan to the culture medium. These findings suggest that organ culture may be a useful model for study of regulatory processes related to the photoneuroendocrine functions of the teleost pineal organ.
Real World Survivor: Simulating Poverty to Teach Human Rights and Sustainable Development

Amanda M. Rosen discusses a unique undergraduate course called “Real World Survivor: Experiencing Poverty at Heifer Ranch”—a team-taught course that combines academic content on the United Nations’ Millennium and Sustainable Development Goals with skill-building exercises and experiential learning. The course incorporates innovative pedagogical elements such as the flipped classroom, games, simulations, and problem-based learning, as well as a three-day experiential simulation on hunger and poverty at Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Arkansas. Students produce short videos advocating for action on various issues, using recordings and reflections from their experiences. Highlighting various measurement data, Rosen notes that participants in this course broadly achieve the course learning outcomes, including greater levels of empathy and a desire to improve the situation of poor and oppressed people around the world.
Approximate submodularity and its applications: subset selection, sparse approximation and dictionary selection

We introduce the submodularity ratio as a measure of how "close" to submodular a set function f is. We show that when f has submodularity ratio γ, the greedy algorithm for maximizing f provides a (1 - e-γ)-approximation. Furthermore, when γ is bounded away from 0, the greedy algorithm for minimum submodular cover also provides essentially an O(log n) approximation for a universe of n elements. As a main application of this framework, we study the problem of selecting a subset of k random variables from a large set, in order to obtain the best linear prediction of another variable of interest. We analyze the performance of widely used greedy heuristics; in particular, by showing that the submodularity ratio is lower-bounded by the smallest 2k- sparse eigenvalue of the covariance matrix, we obtain the strongest known approximation guarantees for the Forward Regression and Orthogonal Matching Pursuit algorithms. As a second application, we analyze greedy algorithms for the dictionary selection problem, and significantly improve the previously known guarantees. Our theoretical analysis is complemented by experiments on real-world and synthetic data sets; in particular, we focus on an analysis of how tight various spectral parameters and the submodularity ratio are in terms of predicting the performance of the greedy algorithms.
Case 3: A 10-year-old Boy with Saber Shins.

1. Noelle Andrea V. Fabie, MD* 2. Vinod K. Misra, MD, PhD* 1. *Division of Genetic and Metabolic Disorders, Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI A 10-year-old boy is seen for evaluation of short stature and tibial deformity. His medical history is notable for term birth with the following birth parameters: birth weight, 2,460 g (<10th percentile); length, 19.1 in (48.5 cm) (50th–75th percentile); and head circumference, 13 in (33 cm) (25th–50th percentile). His medical history is significant for at least 5 long bone fractures with low-impact trauma as a toddler (Table 1). On physical examination he is thin-appearing, with height at the 4th percentile and weight at the 23rd percentile. Striking anterior bowing of his tibiae (Fig 1) and bowing and decreased forearm supination are observed. There is absence of dental anomalies and scleral discoloration. A skeletal survey demonstrates Wormian bones, diffuse osteopenia, multiple areas of periosteal and cortical thickening, and calcification of the interosseous membrane between the radius and ulna (Fig 2). Specialized testing reveals the diagnosis. View this table: Table 1. Summary of the Patient's Trauma-Related Injury Figure 1. Anterior bowing of the tibiae (saber shins). Figure 2. Cortical thickening, bony excrescence, and calcification of the interosseous membrane between the right radius and ulna. Because of the significant tibial bowing, prenatal maternal rapid plasma reagin was reviewed and was noted to be nonreactive. Initial analysis of type I procollagen produced by cultured dermal fibroblasts did not find alterations in the quantity or structure of the type I procollagen molecules made. Sequencing and deletion/duplication analysis of the COL1A1 and COL1A2 genes …
Dynamic ride sharing using traditional taxis and shared autonomous taxis: A case study of NYC

Abstract This study analyzes the potential benefits and drawbacks of taxi sharing using agent-based modeling. New York City (NYC) taxis are examined as a case study to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of ride sharing using both traditional taxis (with shifts) and shared autonomous taxis. Compared to existing studies analyzing ride sharing using NYC taxi data, our contributions are that (1) we proposed a model that incorporates individual heterogeneous preferences; (2) we compared traditional taxis to autonomous taxis; and (3) we examined the spatial change of service coverage due to ride sharing. Our results show that switching from traditional taxis to shared autonomous taxis can potentially reduce the fleet size by 59% while maintaining the service level and without significant increase in wait time for the riders. The benefit of ride sharing is significant with increased occupancy rate (from 1.2 to 3), decreased total travel distance (up to 55%), and reduced carbon emissions (up to 866 metric tonnes per day). Dynamic ride sharing, wich allows shared trips to be formed among many groups of riders, up to the taxi capacity, increases system flexibility. Constraining the sharing to be only between two groups limits the sharing participation to be at the 50–75% level. However, the reduced fleet from ride sharing and autonomous driving may cause taxis to focus on areas of higher demands and lower the service levels in the suburban regions of the city.
Does robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy improve outcomes in patients with high risk morphometric features compared to the open approach

Abstract Background We sought to investigate whether robotic pancreatoduodenectomy (RPD) mitigates adverse outcomes in patients with high-risk morphometric features compared to the open approach (OPD). Methods Morphometric parameters for RPD and OPDs were measured by two blinded radiologists. The morphometric parameter best correlating with adverse outcomes was identified and used in multivariable models to evaluate the impact of surgical approach (open vs. robotic) on outcomes of patients with high-risk morphometric features. Results Of 282 PDs available for morphometric analysis, 134 (47.5%) underwent RPD. Average Psoas Density demonstrated the most frequent association with adverse outcomes, with correlations to prolonged LOS (ρ= -0.154, p=0.01), severe complications (ρ= -0.159, p=0.007), readmission (ρ= -0.16, p=0.007), and discharge to home (ρ= 0.2, p Conclusion This study confirms the association between morphometrics and outcomes following PD, and suggests that the robotic approach may be associated with improved outcomes in PD patients with high-risk morphometric features.
High prf e-beam preionized XeCI laser

High prf discharge rare gas halide (RGH) lasers have continued to advance as efficient high average power sources in the UV.1 This paper will describe ongoing work with the Closed Cycle Test Bed high prf RGH laser at LLNL, The operation of this device in its original UV-preionized configuration has been described in Refs. 2 and 3. Briefly a maximum XeCl (308-nm) average power of 55 W was produced at 600 Hz, and a power lifetime result of 4 h at 40 W was achieved for operation at ~500 Hz. Fresh gas purge flow across the optical windows was used to prevent the deposition of reflective coatings on the windows during long runs. High resolution plots of the laser energy prf dependence exhibited detailed structure which can apparently be attributed to acoustic resonances in the flow loop. It is believed that the density fluctuations associated with the acoustic oscillations impair the discharge stability and thus decrease the high prf laser energy.
Hierarchical structure and the origins of coercivity in exchange-coupled Co-Pt nanochessboards

Abstract We report the first detailed investigation into how exchange-coupled magnetic properties evolve during the formation of the Co-Pt L10 + L12 nanochessboards, which self-assemble by a pseudo-spinodal mechanism below the eutectoid isotherm. The maximum observed coercivities exceed 3 kOe, but these values are more than 5 times lower than the largest values predicted by micromagnetics simulations of ideal, single-colony chessboards. For magnetization reversal controlled by nucleation, a simple analysis readily reconciles this discrepancy by accounting for misorientation associated with the polycrystalline structure that exists at the 50 µm lengthscale, demagnetizing fields associated with eutectoid colonies at the 0.5 µm lengthscale, and non-idealities in the chessboard structure at the tiling lengthscale of about 20 nm.
Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics

Multiple barriers to high quality maternity care have been identified in Indonesia. One barrier is the shortage of well-trained maternity care providers, particularly in remote and rural areas. Maternity care training programs do not consistently prepare their graduates to provide high quality care. Poor pre-service training may then be compounded by a lack of post-service supervision and inadequate multispecialty teamwork. Maternity care continuing education is an important means to reinforce and improve the skills needed to provide high quality maternity care. Programs that have been developed for low- to middle-income countries focus on providing culturally appropriate information to improve competency, communication and teamwork. Improvement in quality of care has been documented, showing a decrease in maternal morbidity and mortality. This trend is reflected in improvements in patient satisfaction and trust, and ultimately supports the tenets of patient-centered care.
Abstract 177: Sulfiredoxin promotes the invasion of human colorectal cancer cells through the activation of fascin

Sulfiredoxin (Srx) is multifunction enzyme with a primary antioxidant role of reducing the overoxidized inactive form of peroxiredoxins (Prxs). In contrast to the well-studied biochemical function, the biological significance of Srx in human diseases including cancer has not been well studied. Our previous studies show that it plays an important role in tumorigenesis and malignant progression of human skin, lung and colorectal cancers. Fascin homologue 1 (FSCN1) is an actin-binding protein that is critical for cancer cell invasion and metastasis. The purpose of this study is to understand the molecular mechanism of Srx on the invasion and metastasis of human colorectal cancer cells through the regulation of FSCN1. The effects of Srx on the migration and invasion of human colon cancer HCT116 cells were evaluated by wound healing and matrigel invasion assay, respectively. Actin stress fiber was visualized by F-actin fluorescence staining. Western blotting and reverse transcription & real-time PCR were used to examine the protein and RNA levels of FSCN1 in HCT116 cells. The effect of Srx on FSCN1 promoter and 3’ UTR were determined using luciferase reporter construct. We demonstrated that (1) knockdown of Srx suppressed HCT116 colony formation and cell invasion in the matrigel invasion assay; (2) knockdown of Srx inhibited FSCN1 expression in HCT116 cells at both RNA and protein level; (3) the inhibition is the result of decreased FSCN1 mRNA stability; (5) Srx stabilizes FSCN1 mRNA 3’ UTR mediated reporter expression; (4) knockdown of Srx reduced actin stress-fiber formation; (5) Srx and Prx4 synchronically regulates FASN1 expression. Therefore, we concluded that Srx promotes the invasion and metastasis of human colon cancer cells through the upregulation of FSCN1. Citation Format: Hong Jiang, Qi Ying, B. Mark Evers, Qiou Wei. Sulfiredoxin promotes the invasion of human colorectal cancer cells through the activation of fascin [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 177.
The cat is out of the bag: How parasites know their hosts.

Toxoplasma gondii is a remarkably successful protozoan parasite that infects a third of the human population, along with most mammals and birds. However, the sexual portion of the parasite’s life cycle is narrowly limited to cats. How parasites distinguish between hosts has long been a mystery. A new study reveals that Toxoplasma identifies cats based on a single fatty acid, linoleic acid. Experimental manipulation of fatty acid metabolism by drug treatment turns a mouse into a cat in the “eye” of the parasite. This new model enables genetic crosses of an important human pathogen without the use of companion animals and opens the door to future discovery.
School Crime and the Patterns of Roles of School Resource Officers: Evidence From a National Longitudinal Study:

This study used national-level two-wave longitudinal data from school principals (N = 850) to examine whether and the extent to which implementing school resource officers (SROs) with varying role ...