cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lipstick on a Caterpillar? Assessing the New U.N. Human Rights CouncilThrough Historical Reflection

Several months ago, during the finalization of the plan to replace the U.N. Commission on Human Rights with the new U.N. Human Rights Council, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., John Bolton said with characteristic flourish, We want a butterfly. We're not going to put lipstick on a caterpillar and declare it a success. Is the new U.N. Human Rights Council, which replaced the Human Rights Commission a butterfly or a caterpillar (with or without lipstick)? Bolton's critique of the Commission (if not his language) and his vision to go forward have been shared widely by many academics, policy specialists and western international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) that specialize in human rights advocacy. Indeed, now the new Council is being harshly criticized for its failure to act swiftly to condemn the atrocities in Darfur and for what the West sees as its relentless focus on Israel's human rights violations. The momentum created due to this rare convergence of views between the 'good, bad and the ugly' of human rights NGOs, Western States and the likes of John Bolton, ended up making U.N. reform happen rapidly in the human rights field, ahead of U.N. reform urgently needed in so many other domains, including at the Security Council or the Secretariat. While the initiation of any reform at the U.N. could be welcomed, it is useful to ask if the assumptions on which the reform was based are in fact sound. For if they are not, the reform of the Commission and the creation of the Council could well be a 'caterpillar with lipstick' and fail to achieve the purpose of the reform, which is to make the U.N. [*8] more effective and legitimate in the human rights field. The reform needed depends on the correct diagnosis of the problem with the U.N. Commission.
Bleomycin-Iron Damage To Dna With Formation Of 8-Hydroxydeoxyguanosine and Base Propenals. Indications That Xanthine Oxidase Generates Superoxide From Dna Degradation Products

Bleomycin, in the presence of ferric salts, oxygen and a suitable reductant, degrades DNA with the release of base propenals, detected as thiobarbituric acid (TBA) reactivity, and the formation of 8-hydroxydeo-xyguanosine (80HdG) detected by HPLC. When xanthine oxidase is added to the incubated mixture of DNA degradation products, TBA-reactivity is destroyed but 80HdG formation is increased. EPR Spin trapping experiments show that hydroxyl radicals (OH) are formed in the reaction mixture and can be inhibited by the inclusion of either superoxide dismutase or catalase. These findings suggest that the base propenals and possibly malondialdehyde, formed from them, are aldehydic substrates for xanthine oxidase and, the product of this reaction is superoxide (O2−) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Thus, TBA reactivity is destroyed in the formation of O2− and H2O2 which stimulate further oxidative damage to DNA resulting in increased 8OHdG formation.
Microstructure Based Modelling of Stress Migration and Electromigration Induced Failure Distributions

Stress and current induced degradation of the interconnects may well define the ultimate limits on device density and total on-chip power in microelectronic circuits. The two damage mechanisms are found to be mutually interdependent in a fashion determined by the line microstructure, as well as by design features such as W-studs and refractory metal back up layers. We have developed a comprehensive model for the synergistic effects of stress migration and electromigration, taking such factors into account. The present work reviews the modelling of the statistical failure distributions, with emphasis on the temperature and current density dependencies, for the case of ‘near-bamboo’ sub-micron lines.
Evidence-based uncertainty sampling for active learning

Active learning methods select informative instances to effectively learn a suitable classifier. Uncertainty sampling, a frequently utilized active learning strategy, selects instances about which the model is uncertain but it does not consider the reasons for why the model is uncertain. In this article, we present an evidence-based framework that can uncover the reasons for why a model is uncertain on a given instance. Using the evidence-based framework, we discuss two reasons for uncertainty of a model: a model can be uncertain about an instance because it has strong, but conflicting evidence for both classes or it can be uncertain because it does not have enough evidence for either class. Our empirical evaluations on several real-world datasets show that distinguishing between these two types of uncertainties has a drastic impact on the learning efficiency. We further provide empirical and analytical justifications as to why distinguishing between the two uncertainties matters.
Smart Topic Detection for Robot Conversation

In order for humanoid robots to have believable conversations with humans, the robots will need a reliable method for detecting the topics shared in the interaction to formulate a relevant response. This paper presents a novel application of intelligent indexing and ontology analysis for use in conversational topic detection for human-robot interaction. We evaluate a method for training on a corpus of transcribed phone conversations and using a concept association matrix to determine the strongest common-sense linkages to words in the conversation. This model is placed within the conversation and emotion interface of our humanoid robot, MU-L8, and tested with users. Evaluation is performed both computationally, with the corpus, and perceptually with users, and the promising results are presented in this paper.
Propagation of Light in a Hot and Dense Medium

Photons, as quanta of electromagnetic fields, determine the electromagnetic properties of an extremely hot and dense medium. Considering the properties of photons in the interacting medium of charged particles, we explicitly calculate the electromagnetic properties such as the electric permittivity, magnetic permeability, refractive index and the propagation speed of electromagnetic signals in extremely hot and dense background in cosmos. Photons acquire dynamically generated mass in a medium. The screening mass of photon, Debye shielding length and the plasma frequency are calculated as functions of statistical parameters of the medium. We study the properties of the propagating particles in astrophysical systems of distinct statistical conditions. The modifications in the medium properties lead to the equation of state of the system. We mainly calculate all these parameters for extremely high temperatures of the early universe.
Immunoreactive insulin-like growth factor I in human follicular fluid

Recent studies in laboratory animals suggest that insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) plays an important role in the regulation of granulosa cell function. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the presence of immunoreactive IGF-I in human follicular fluid (FF) and compare the levels of follicular IGF-I (64 follicles) with those detectable in serum (n = 19) in hyperstimulated cycles from 25 infertile patients. Also, the FF IGF-I levels were correlated to corresponding follicular volume (n = 62) and oocyte maturation (n = 37). Levels of IGF-I were determined using a specific radioimmunoassay after acidification and extraction by reversed phase chromatography. Levels of IGF-I in serum were significantly higher than those in FF (37.1 +/- 10.1 versus 24.0 +/- 9.3 nmol/l, n = 19, P less than 0.001). A positive correlation was found between follicular and serum IGF-I concentrations (r = 0.73). No significant differences were found in FF IGF-I levels derived from follicles of different size or from follicles having oocytes with different grades of maturation. These data indicate that immunoreactive IGF-I is present in human FF in nanomolar concentrations and that FF IGF-I levels correlate with those detectable in serum. The source of FF IGF-I and its regulatory role in humans remains to be elucidated.
Production Models for Dietary Department Operations1

The authors demonstrate here. a preliminary technique on which mathematical models may be developed for the scheduling production of diet items and the-ir resources. Such models of each item are prerequisites if production planning and scheduling of the many different menu items produced, daily are to be automated.
Power and Policy: The Two Urban Renewals

Economic characteristics are often seen as non-political constraints on public policy. In empirical research, they are treated as external, ‘natural’ determinants of a city’s policy. Such an approach argues that because political units share common ecological structures or similar levels of economic development, they face similar constraints affecting public policy in similar ways. Such a view assumes that the transmission of economic conditions into public policy is a politically neutral, technical process (Hollingsworth, 1973; Dye, 1972).
Genetic Rodent Models of Systemic Iron Homeostasis

Rodents are commonly used as experimental models in studies of iron homeostasis. They are essential tools for investigating the fundamental mechanisms of iron absorption, tissue distribution, recycling, and excretion. Rodent models with inherited defects in iron homeostasis are particularly valuable. While some models arose serendipitously during routine animal maintenance, most were intentionally generated by irradiation, chemical mutagenesis, or transgenic technologies. In this chapter, we present a survey of most of the currently available mouse and rat models of aberrant iron homeostasis, arranged largely by their respective defects, and discuss the significance of their phenotypes. We also highlight specific areas in need for new or updated models.
Complete Repair of Tetralogy of Fallot in the Neonatal Versus Non-neonatal Period: A Meta-analysis

It is unclear if neonatal tetralogy of Fallot repair offers better outcomes compared to repair later in infancy. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis comparing outcomes of neonatal and non-neonatal repair. Manuscripts were identified and reviewed for quality and bias with favorably scored manuscripts being included in the final meta-analysis. Several perioperative and postoperative variables were compared. A total of 8 studies with 3858 patients were included in the analysis. Of these patients, 19% underwent neonatal repair. Neonatal repair was associated with increased mortality, longer intensive care unit stays, and longer total hospital length of stay.
The link between schizophrenia and substance use disorder: A unifying hypothesis

Substance use disorders occur commonly in patients with schizophrenia and dramatically worsen their overall clinical course. While the exact mechanisms contributing to substance use in schizophrenia are not known, a number of theories have been put forward to explain the basis of the co-occurrence of these disorders. We propose here a unifying hypothesis that combines recent evidence from epidemiological and genetic association studies with brain imaging and pre-clinical studies to provide an updated formulation regarding the basis of substance use in patients with schizophrenia. We suggest that the genetic determinants of risk for schizophrenia (especially within neural systems that contribute to the risk for both psychosis and addiction) make patients vulnerable to substance use. Since this vulnerability may arise prior to the appearance of psychotic symptoms, an increased use of substances in adolescence may both enhance the risk for developing a later substance use disorder, and also serve as an additional risk factor for the appearance of psychotic symptoms. Future studies that assess brain circuitry in a prospective longitudinal manner during adolescence prior to the appearance of psychotic symptoms could shed further light on the mechanistic underpinnings of these co-occurring disorders while identifying potential points of intervention for these difficult-to-treat co-occurring disorders.
A town divided: Community values and attitudes towards coal seam gas development in Gloucester, Australia

Abstract The 2300-person community of Gloucester, New South Wales in Australia anticipated the prospect of coal seam gas (CSG) development, a form of unconventional natural gas, for nearly a decade before a 2016 decision to cancel the project. Gloucester has become well known for its extreme level of community division focused on coal seam gas development: residents report conflicts ranging from blocked access to services through death threats and active boycotts of businesses. We conducted open-ended interviews, participant observation, and mail surveys in Gloucester in late 2015 with the goal of understanding the deeper issues associated with CSG-related conflict in Gloucester. We argue that the long period of stagnant uncertainty associated with the potential development was a major contributor to the amplitude of the community divide. The major conflict focused on whether a coal seam gas development would threaten or accelerate progress toward shared goals of securing Gloucester’s future and maintaining residents’ quality of life. We posit that exacerbating factors include the existence of highly concrete visions of what Gloucester would be like in futures with or without gas and the sense that the community was not empowered to choose whether or not to pursue local gas development.
Patient-Reported Outcomes - Are They Living Up to Their Potential?

There is a growing chorus of support for measuring patient-reported outcomes in clinical care. But there are still important practical questions about how data on these outcomes should be collected, visualized, shared, and used to improve the quality of care.
The Role of Prostaglandins in the Regulation of Growth and Morphology of Transformed Fibroblasts

The use of N6,O2’-dibutyryl 3’,5’-adenosine monophosphate (dbc-AMP) has demonstrated that cyclic AMP regulates several functions of fibroblasts (Table I) (Johnson et al, 1971a and 1971b; Sheppard, 1971; Hsie and Puck, 1971), Since these functions are frequently altered by transformation, the regulation of cyclic AMP metabolism is of obvious inportance to cancer research.
Treatment of Superficial Femoral Artery Restenosis

Abstract Purpose To determine the predictors of restenosis, major adverse limb events (MALEs), postoperative death (POD), and all-cause mortality after repeat endovascular treatment of superficial femoral artery (SFA) restenosis. Materials and Methods This was a retrospective review of 440 patients with 518 SFA lesions who were treated between January 2002 and October 2011. Ninety-six limbs were treated for restenosis with bare metal stents (BMSs) or percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), of which 28 limbs developed another restenosis requiring a third procedure. The interaction measured in this study was between the second and third intervention. Predictors of SFA patency, MALEs, POD, and all-cause mortality after SFA restenosis treatment were identified. Results Patients who were treated with BMSs (n = 51) had similar rates of restenosis compared with patients who were treated with PTA (n = 45) (hazard ratio [HR] 1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.68–2.90; P = .37). Patients in the BMS group who took statins had a significantly lower risk of restenosis than patients who did not take statins (HR 0.13; 95% CI 0.04–0.41; P P = .014) and all-cause mortality (HR 2.83; 95% CI 1.27–6.33; P = .01). Clopidogrel was protective against all-cause mortality (HR 0.41; 95% CI 0.20–0.80; P = .01). Conclusions Patients in the BMS group who took statins at the time of intervention had a significantly lower risk of developing restenosis. Stage 4–5 CKD was a risk factor for MALE + POD and all-cause mortality, while clopidogrel decreased all-cause mortality risk.
Stable Low‐Current Electrodeposition of α‐MnO2 on Superaligned Electrospun Carbon Nanofibers for High‐Performance Energy Storage

Metal oxide/carbonaceous nanomaterials are promising candidates for energy-storage applications. However, inhomogeneous mass and charge transfer across the electrode/electrolyte interface due to unstable metal oxide/carbonaceous nanomaterial synthesis limit their performance in supercapacitors. Here, it is shown that the above problems can be mitigated through stable low-current electrodeposition of MnO2 on superaligned electrospun carbon nanofibers (ECNFs). The key to this approach is coupling a self-designed four steel poles collector for aligned ECNFs and a constant low-current (40 µA) electrodeposition technique to form a uniform Na+-induced a-MnO2 film which proceeds by a time-dependent growth mechanism involving cluster-“kebab” structures and ending with a compact, uniform MnO2 film for high-performance energy storage.
Brain Over Bladder: A Systematic Review of Dual Cholinesterase Inhibitor and Urinary Anticholinergic Use.

Case reports have demonstrated that dual use of cholinesterase inhibitors (ChIs) and urinary anticholinergics (UAChs) in older adults may be associated with delusions, aggression, changes in cognition, and anxiety, which typically resolve on drug discontinuation. Despite opposing mechanisms of action, these drugs continue to be co-prescribed. This systematic review evaluates cognitive and functional outcomes of dual use of ChIs and UAChs and describes its prevalence. A literature search using terms related to ChIs and UAChs was conducted. Observational or interventional studies evaluating cognitive or functional outcomes in subjects receiving dual therapy were included for the primary aim. Articles describing prevalence of dual use were included for the secondary aim. Of 1340 unique results, five studies met the inclusion criteria for the primary aim. Four of the studies assessed cognitive outcomes—three failed to identify a significant difference in cognitive function with dual use and the fourth study observed a statistically significant improvement in cognition with dual use of high-dose donepezil and solifenacin when compared with baseline. Three studies assessed functional outcomes—one revealed a 50% greater quarterly decline in activities of daily living (p = 0.01) among dual users functioning in the top quartile, another revealed significant functional improvement in dual users, and the final study did not demonstrate a significant difference. Seventeen articles were included for the secondary aim. Prevalence of dual use ranged from 1.2 to 40.5%. This systematic review revealed a high prevalence of dual use of ChIs and UAChs; however, there are mixed results for cognitive and functional outcomes. Results were limited by methodological flaws. Observational or interventional studies assessing dual users are lacking and further study of cognitive and functional risks of dual ChI and UACh use is needed.
Pervasive Income-Based Disparities In Inpatient Bed-Day Rates Across Conditions And Subspecialties

Building a culture of health in hospitals means more than participating in community partnerships. It also requires an enhanced capacity to recognize and respond to disparities in utilization patte...
Assisted discovery of software vulnerabilities

As more aspects of our daily lives rely on technology, the software that enables the technology must be secure. Developers rely on practices such as threat modeling, static and dynamic analyses, code review, and fuzz and penetration testing to engineer secure software. These practices, while effective at identifying vulnerabilities in software, are limited in their ability to describe the potential reasons for the existence of vulnerabilities. In order to overcome this limitation, researchers have proposed empirically validated metrics to identify factors that may have led to the introduction of vulnerabilities in the past. Developers must be made aware of these factors so that they can proactively consider the security implications of each line of code that they contribute. The goal of our research is to assist developers in engineering secure software by providing a technique that generates scientific, interpretable, and actionable feedback on security as the software evolves. In this paper, we provide an overview of our proposed approach to accomplish this research goal through a series of three research studies in which we (1) systematize the knowledge on vulnerability discovery metrics, (2) leverage the metrics to generate feedback on security, and (3) implement a framework for providing automatically generated feedback on security using code reviews as a medium.
ASAS — A Large-Scale, Sophisticated Finite Element Analysis System

Design of ASAS commenced in late 1969 and the first computer bureau version was released in December 1971. The original software was based largely on a research package for elasto-plastic analysis sponsored by the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, Aldermaston. Although this was a specialist program in terms of its facilities, the design philosophy was quite general so the extension to more catholic use proved relatively straightforward. Now ASAS is a large-scale and sophisticated system which includes capabilities for linear elastic stress and natural frequency analysis of complex structures. In addition, various facilities for dynamic and heat transfer analysis, a substructure (super-element) capability and numerous specialist pre- and post- processor programs are included.
Adjuvant Therapy for Soft Tissue Sarcomas

The purpose of this manuscript is to provide an overview of the American experiences with the adjuvant use of chemotherapy for patients with soft tissue sarcomas treated with a curative intent but, nonetheless, at high risk of recurrence and/or dissemination. In addition, an update will be provided of the initial Intergroup Sarcoma Group protocol that addresses this issue. Several clinical trials have addressed this issue and the results are shown in Figures 1–3).
Liver Transplantation for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is spectrum of histological findings ranging from steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with progressive fibrosis and liver failure. NAFLD affects up to 30 million people in the United States with more than 600,000 with cirrhosis. With the increasing prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes in North America, NAFLD has become an important emerging public health issue. As the prevalence and severity of obesity continue to increase in the United States, with concomitant rises in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia, the prevalence of all grades of NAFLD can also be expected to increase. In particular, NAFLD will likely become a predominant indication for liver transplantation in the United States over the next decade. This review describes the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and pathogenesis of NAFLD. In addition, the management of NAFLD before and after liver transplantation is discussed.
The adjuvant effect of silicone gel and silicone elastomer particles in rats

This study examines the adjuvant properties of silicone oil, silicone gel and silicone elastomer using a foreign antigen, bovine serum albumin (BSA). Seventy male Harlan Sprague-Dawley rats, approximately 250 grams each, were divided into 7 groups: A- incomplete Freund’s adjuvant (IFA) with BSA; B- silicone oil with BSA; C- IFA/silicone oil with BSA; D- 50% silicone gel/50% silicone oil with BSA; E- silicone oil/1000 micron elastomer particles with BSA; F- silicone oil/500 micron elastomer particles with BSA; G- saline with BSA. Rats were implanted intramuscularly with mixtures or emulsions of the above described treatment materials. Cardiac punctures were performed on days 0, 14, 28, 42, and 55. Serum IgG antibody response to BSA was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Rats were sacrificed on day 55 and sections of the injection sites were collected and stained for histopathologic evaluation. The results demonstrated that silicone gel functions as a potent immunologic adjuvant as measured by a heightened IgG antibody response to BSA. In contrast silicone elastomer particles have no apparent adjuvant effect as determined by the low anti-BSA antibody levels in these treatment groups throughout the course of the study. Histologically, silicone gel and silicone elastomer elicit a moderate to severe “foreign body” granulomatous inflammatory response at the injection site. Silicone oil elicits mild or no local inflammatory response.
Functional Role of Cyclic Nucleotides

Delineation of specific roles of cyclic nucleotides, in particular cyclic AMP, in the nervous system has been based primarily on attempts to correlate alterations of cyclic AMP and/or cyclic GMP levels in intact cells, tissues, or organs with alterations in (1) metabolic pathways, (2) cell differentiation, and growth and expression of the phenotype, (3) membrane function, and (4) central behavioral and vegetative effects. Enhanced intracellular levels of cyclic AMP or a functionally “equivalent” analog have been expected to pertain as a result of the following: (1) the presence of high concentrations of extracellular cyclic AMP, dibutyryl cyclic AMP, butyryl cyclic AMP, 8-benzylthio cyclic AMP, etc.; (2) the presence of a phosphodiesterase inhibitor such as theophylline, isobutylmethylxanthine, papaverine, or RO 20–1724; and/or (3) the presence of an agent that is a stimulant of cyclic AMP-generating systems in neuronal or glial cells i.e., biogenic amines, adenosine, prostaglandin, or depolarizing agents. Antagonists of the stimulatory agents have also been employed to advantage. Similar paradigms have been employed to alter cyclic GMP levels, for example, through the use of dibutyryl cyclic GMP* or agents such as acetylcholine that stimulate cyclic GMP-generating systems. The difficulties in establishing such correlations are apparent.
A CONSTRAINED MULTIVARIABLE NONLINEAR MODEL PREDICTIVE CONTROLLER BASED ON ITERATIVE QDMC

This paper presents a MIMO nonlinear predictive control technique which can handle processes with input and output constraints. The method is a model based control strategy which uses a nonlinear dynamic model in the control loop. Control actions are generated from a special iterative QDMC (Quadratic Dynamic Matrix Control) algorithm and the basic features of the classical QDMC are retained. Update of the linear QDMC model by a disturbance vector which accounts for the nonlinearities in the prediction horizon is the novel feature of the method. It is this disturbance vector that drives the proposed nonlinear control algorithm.
The Marginal Liver Donor and Organ Preservation Strategies

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) data, as of December 2010, 4,448 liver transplants have been performed with 16,118 patients on the waiting list in the same year [1]. The advances in patient and donor selection, surgical techniques, immunosuppression, organ preservation, and critical care management have made lifesaving liver transplantation possible to those with irrevocable liver damage and acute liver failure. Yet the scarcity of organs continues to be a major obstacle to greater application of liver transplantation (Fig. 15.1).
Dichotomous Locomotor Recoveries Are Predicted by Acute Changes in Segmental Blood Flow after Thoracic Spinal Contusion Injuries in Pigs

Neuroimaging facilitates the translation of animal pre-clinical research to human application. The large porcine spinal cord is useful for testing invasive interventions. Ideally, the safety and efficacy of a delayed intervention is tested in pigs that have recovered sufficiently after spinal cord injury (SCI) to allow either deterioration or improvement of function to be detected. We set out to create moderate severity T9 injuries in Yucatan minipigs by conducting a bridging study adapting methods previously developed in infant piglets. The injury severity was varied according to two pneumatic impactor parameters: the piston compression depth into tissue or the velocity. To stratify locomotor recovery, a 10-point scale used in prior piglet studies was redefined through longitudinal observations of spontaneous recovery. Using hindlimb body weight support to discriminate injury severity, we found that end-point recovery was strongly bimodal to either non-weight-bearing plegia with reciprocating leg movements (<5/10) or recovery of weight bearing that improved toward a ceiling effect (≥ 8/10). No intermediate recovery animals were observed at 2 months post-injury. The ability of intra-operative ultrasound and acute magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to provide immediate predictive feedback regarding tissue and vascular changes following SCI was assessed. There was an inverse association between locomotor outcome and early gray matter hemorrhage on MRI and ultrasound. Epicenter blood flow following contusion predicted recovery or non-recovery of weight-bearing. The depth of the dorsal cerebrospinal fluid space, which varied between animals, influenced injury severity and confounded the results in this fixed-stroke paradigm.
Fractionated Radiotherapy Is Associated with Lower Rates of Treatment-Related Edema than Stereotactic Radiosurgery in Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Defined Meningiomas.

Objective Both stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and fractionated radiation therapy (FRT) techniques are used for treatment of intracranial meningiomas with excellent local control (LC) rates. Although SRS techniques are convenient, toxicity including treatment-related edema can significantly impact patient quality of life. The long-term clinical outcomes of patients with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)–defined meningiomas treated with radiation therapy (RT) alone are reported. Methods The charts of 211 patients with meningiomas diagnosed by contrast-enhanced MRI treated with either SRS or FRT between 1991 and 2012 at a single institution were reviewed. Actuarial rates for LC and development of treatment-related radiographic edema (TRE) were determined by the Kaplan-Meier method. Results There were 211 patients who received radiation therapy for 223 lesions. Median follow-up was 5.7 years. Eleven patients experienced a local failure; of these, 2 were ultimately found to have pathologically proven metastatic carcinoma. Two- and 5-year LC was 97.8% and 94.6%, respectively, with no significant difference based on modality of therapy. Actuarial rate for development of TRE at 1 and 2 years was 30.1% and 34.6% for the SRS group and 1.6% and 2.5% for the FRT group, respectively (P Conclusions RT alone using a limited margin is an effective treatment option for MRI-defined meningiomas and should be considered even without biopsy if surgery will present significant morbidity. Although LC with SRS versus FRT was comparable, FRT was associated with a significantly decreased risk of TRE.
Implications of Alternative Land Conversion Cost Specifications on Projected Afforestation Potential in the United States

The Forestry and Agriculture Sector Optimization Model with Greenhouse Gases (FASOMGHG) has historically relied on regional average costs of land conversion to simulate land use change across cropland, pasture, rangeland, and forestry. This assumption limits the accuracy of the land conversion estimates by not recognizing spatial heterogeneity in land quality and conversion costs. Using data from Nielsen et al. (2014), we obtained the afforestation cost per county, then estimated nonparametric regional marginal cost functions for land converting to forestry. These afforestation costs were then incorporated into FASOMGHG. Three different assumptions for land moving into the forest sector (constant average conversion cost, static rising marginal costs, and dynamic rising marginal cost) were run in order to assess the implications of alternative land conversion cost assumptions on key outcomes, such as projected forest area and cropland use, carbon sequestration, and forest product output.
Quantifying neuromuscular rehabilitation using a muscle performance time-constant

In this study we demonstrate the development of a muscle performance metric to facilitate neurorehabilitation. The muscle performance metric measures the change in power of muscle activity over time as repetitive exercise is performed. It will be demonstrated that a time-constant can be constructed to measure progress of muscle activity based on the exercise. We will present herein that this metric is consistent with an exercise and can be used to predict outcomes. We propose that this muscle performance metric can be used to optimize therapeutic interventions and to design user-specific performance targets based on exercise strategies.
Is it Selection or Socialization? Disentangling Peer Influences on Heavy Drinking and Marijuana Use Among Adolescents Whose Parents Received Brief Interventions.

This study attempted to disentangle the effects of peer selection and socialization on heavy drinking and marijuana use among adolescents whose parents received 2 distinct brief interventions (BIs)...
EZILI ET SOLITUDE À MONTRÉAL : mythologie des Amériques et expérience féminine dans Le livre d’Emma de Marie-Célie Agnant

Le livre d’Emma de l’ecrivaine haitienne-quebecoise Marie-Celie Agnant suscite une attention critique qui ne fait que s’accroitre depuis sa parution en 2001. La presente etude elargit la discussion en evoquant l’une des figures feminines les plus importantes du pantheon vodou, Ezili, afin de proposer de lire a travers celle-ci le personnage eponyme du roman. Si des representations d’Ezili font deja l’objet d’etudes dans la litterature haitienne, on ne peut dire de meme quant a la fiction de la diaspora au Quebec. Au-dela d’un simple reperage de caracteristiques partagees par Emma et Ezili, l’analyse textuelle ici proposee demontre combien le personnage d’Agnant dessine un lieu de rencontre ou divers referents culturels entrent en dialogue. De nouvelles significations se produisent dont les repercussions sont importantes pour l’analyse de la litterature transculturelle.
Accrual and retention trends among diverse patients in a supportive cancer care trial.

40Background: Despite reporting similar levels of willingness to participate in clinical trials, minority cancer patients remain underrepresented in research interventions. The purpose of this anal...
Association of West African ancestry and blood pressure control among African Americans taking antihypertensive medication in the Jackson Heart Study.

African Americans have a wide range of continental genetic ancestry. It is unclear whether racial differences in blood pressure (BP) control are related to ancestral background. The authors analyzed data from the Jackson Heart Study, a cohort exclusively comprised of self-identified African Americans, to assess the association between estimated West African ancestry (WAA) and BP control (systolic and diastolic BP 73.7%-81.0%, Q3: >81.0%-86.3%, and Q4: >86.3%). The proportion of participants with controlled BP in the lowest-to-highest WAA quartile was 75.2%, 76.1%, 76.6%, and 74.4%. The prevalence ratios (95% CI) for controlled BP comparing Q2, Q3, and Q4 to Q1 of WAA were 1.00 (0.93-1.08), 1.02 (0.94-1.10), and 0.99 (0.91-1.07), respectively. Among African Americans in the Jackson Heart Study taking antihypertensive medication, BP control rates did not differ across quartiles of WAA.
Surprise rewards and brand evaluations: The role of intrinsic motivation and reward format

Abstract Surprise is a neutral amplifier of emotions and used by marketers to elevate customer affect from satisfaction to delight. The dark side of surprise, however, is that it can turn something mildly unpleasant into something very unpleasant. In this paper, we argue that cash rewards may undermine intrinsic motivation, since cash is an item of trade, and adding a surprise element to the reward may amplify the inherently negative affect. We show that, compared to an expected cash reward, a surprise cash reward degrades evaluations of the focal brand among the more intrinsically engaged consumers. However, the negative effect of surprise reduces (1) if consumers feel that rewards signal communality (friendship) rather than a transaction and (2) if we change the reward’s format from cash to a gift card.
Designing a system for forward-viewing 3D intravascular ultrasound imaging of blood flow velocity: assessing the effect of the catheter on velocity estimation in stenoses

Wall shear stress (WSS) has been associated with development of high-risk plaque, which increases the likelihood for major adverse cardiac events. Recently, we have used a catheter-based, 3D intravascular forward-viewing ultrasound (FV US) transducer to directly estimate velocity fields in the femoral artery of a pig. Because inserting a catheter will affect the blood flow dynamics in the artery, in this work, the effects of a catheter on flow dynamics are experimentally quantified in both femoral and coronary stenotic vessels in phantoms to determine conditions in which velocity can be accurately estimated. An external linear array transducer was used to estimate velocity in the lumen at 5000 fps via a particle imaging velocimetry approach. The current study indicates that a hollow, catheter-based FV US could be used to quantify the flow dynamics surrounding stenoses with minimal flow disturbance, and thus could potentially assess elevated WSS and risk of plaque rupture.
A study of deformation localization in nonlinear elastic square lattices under compression.

The paper investigates localized deformation patterns resulting from the onset of instabilities in lattice structures. The study is motivated by previous observations on discrete hexagonal lattices...
I-Corps@NCATS trains clinical and translational science teams to accelerate translation of research innovations into practice.

Introduction: A key barrier to translation of biomedical research discoveries is a lack of understanding among scientists regarding the complexity and process of implementation. To address this challenge, the National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps™ (I-Corps™) program trains researchers in entrepreneurship. We report results from the implementation of an I-Corps™ training program aimed at biomedical scientists from institutions funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). Methods: National/regional instructors delivered 5-week I-Corps@NCATS short courses to 62 teams (150 individuals) across six institutions. Content included customer discovery, value proposition, and validating needs. Teams interviewed real-life customers and presented the value of innovations for specific end-users weekly, culminating in a “Finale” featuring their refined business thesis and business model canvas. Methodology was developed to evaluate the newly adapted program. National mixed-methods evaluation assessed program implementation, reach, effectiveness using observations of training delivery and surveys at Finale (n = 55 teams), and 3–12 months post-training (n = 34 teams). Results: Innovations related to medical devices (33%), drugs/biologics (20%), software applications (16%), and diagnostics (8%). An average of 24 interviews was conducted. Teams reported increased readiness for commercialization over time (83%, 9 months; 14%, 3 months). Thirty-nine percent met with institutional technology transfer to pursue licensing/patents and 24% pursued venture capital/investor funding following the short courses. Conclusions: I-Corps@NCATS training provided the NCATS teams a rigorous and repeatable process to aid development of a business model based on customer needs. Outcomes of this pilot program support the expansion of I-Corps™ training to biomedical scientists for accelerating research translation.
Evaluating BEST1 mutations in pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial cells

Abstract Bestrophin-1 (BEST1) is a calcium-activated chloride channel (CaCC) predominantly expressed at the basolateral membrane of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Over 250 mutations in the BEST1 gene have been documented to cause at least five retinal degenerative disorders, commonly termed bestrophinopathies, to which no treatment is currently available. Therefore, understanding the influences of BEST1 disease-causing mutations on the physiological function of BEST1 in RPE is critical for deciphering the pathology of bestrophinopathies and developing therapeutic strategies for patients. However, this task has been impeded by the rarity of BEST1 mutations and limited accessibility to native human RPE cells. Here, we describe a pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-based pipeline for reproducibly generating RPE cells expressing endogenous or exogenous mutant BEST1, which provides us with a powerful “disease-in-a-dish” approach for studying BEST1 mutations in physiological environments.
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on APRN practice: Results from a national survey

Abstract Background The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) practice is not well known. Purpose This study aimed to describe state practice barriers and explore the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on APRN practice. Methods A descriptive study design used a 20-item web-based survey open from June 1 through September 23, 2020. Findings A total of 7,467 APRNs responded from all 50 states, including nurse practitioners (n = 6,478, 86.8%), certified registered nurse anesthetists (n = 592, 7.9%), certified nurse-midwives (n = 278, 3.7%), and clinical nurse specialists (n = 242, 3.2%). A number of barriers to practice prior to the pandemic were identified. Most respondents (n = 6334, 84.8%) identified that practice barriers limited the ability of APRNs to provide care during the pandemic. Discussion Barriers to APRN practice continue to restrict aspects of patient care and patient access to care, even in states with Full Practice Authority (FPA), during the COVID-19 pandemic and with state executive orders waiving practice restrictions. The study findings can be used to advocate for policy changes to support APRN practice authority.
The Lateral Arm Flap

The lateral arm flap is a fasciocutaneous flap that can be used either as a pedicled or a free flap. It is a relatively thin flap, although that might not be the case in obese patients or patients with excess skin of the arms, and is mainly used for hand reconstruction as well as head and neck reconstruction. Its major advantage is that it does not sacrifice a major blood supply to the arm. It can be harvested as a fasciocutaneous, fascia-only or osteocutaneous flap, depending on the reconstructive needs of the patient. The flap dimensions can be up to 6×12 cm and the donor site defect can be closed primarily most of the times. The surgical scar produced is often easily concealed. The flap dissection is easy and the anatomy is reliable and constant. It allows the utilization of two teams, minimizing the operative time. When used as a free tissue transfer, the lateral arm flap derives its blood supply from the posterior radial collateral artery. On the other hand, when used as a reverse flow pedicled flap, it derives its blood supply from the recurrent radial collateral artery. The vascular pedicle has a small diameter (1–3 mm) and requires an experienced microsurgeon. The posterior cutaneous nerve needs to be sacrificed during flap dissection, resulting in paresthesias of the lateral arm and that needs to be discussed with the patient prior to proceeding.
German Culture at the "Zero Hour"

The year 1945, and particularly the end of the Second World War on May 8 of that year, have come to be known in Germany as a “Nullpunkt” or a “Stunde Null,” a “Zero Point” or a “Zero Hour.” While the two terms have slightly different denotations and connotations, both imply an absolute break with the past and a radical new beginning. To speak of a Zero Hour is to invoke rich cultural resonances going back to the creation of the world in Judeo-Christian tradition; to the invention of calendars; to the advent of Christ and Christianity’s division of time itself into the old and the new; to the mathematical acceptance of the number zero, with all its problematic philosophical implications; and to the vague but indispensable concept of modernity itself, with its sweeping away of old traditions and customs.
The science of computing - The evolution of parallel processing

The present paper is concerned with the approaches to be employed to overcome the set of limitations in software technology which impedes currently an effective use of parallel hardware technology. The process required to solve the arising problems is found to involve four different stages. At the present time, Stage One is nearly finished, while Stage Two is under way. Tentative explorations are beginning on Stage Three, and Stage Four is more distant. In Stage One, parallelism is introduced into the hardware of a single computer, which consists of one or more processors, a main storage system, a secondary storage system, and various peripheral devices. In Stage Two, parallel execution of cooperating programs on different machines becomes explicit, while in Stage Three, new languages will make parallelism implicit. In Stage Four, there will be very high level user interfaces capable of interacting with scientists at the same level of abstraction as scientists do with each other.
Autoignition of n-Butane/lsobutane Blends in a Knock Research Engine

This paper describes experiments conducted using a single cylinder, spark ignition research engine to examine the effect of the branched chain alkane isobutane (RON 102) on the autoignition chemistry of straight chain n-butane (RON 94). Isobutane was added in increasing quantities. Measurement of cylinder pressure and the analysis of end gas species were used as diagnostics to determine the knock point and ascertain the end gas reactivity. Examination of the chemical species in the end gas suggests that low temperature chemical reactions are occurring; and increasing the amounts of isobutane in the fuel mixture leads to higher yields of propene and chain terminating methyl radicals.
Discrete Optimization with Noisy Objective Function Measurements

The problem of optimizing noisy objective functions over a discrete set—stochastic discrete optimization—occurs in a wide variety of practical applications. This article gives a general formulation of such optimization problems and indicates some of the diverse applications. It also describes several classes of methods for solving such problems and discusses some of their important features such as expected performance and computational efficiency. Keywords: discrete stochastic optimization; optimization of noisy objective functions; discrete stochastic approximation
An empirical investigation of the relationship between change in corporate social performance and financial performance: A stakeholder theory perspective

Stakeholder theory provides a framework for investigating the relationship between corporate social performance (CSP) and corporate financial performance. This relationship is investigated by examining how change in CSP is related to change in financial accounting measures. The findings provide some support for a tenet in stakeholder theory which asserts that the dominant stakeholder group, shareholders, financially benefit when management meets the demands of multiple stakeholders. Specifically, change in CSP was positively associated with growth in sales for the current and subsequent year. This indicates that there are short-term benefits from improving CSP. Return on sales was significantly positively related to change in CSP for the third financial period, indicating that long-term financial benefits may exist when CSP is improved.
Using graphics to support minimalist documentation

Designing a user interface using minimalist principles can reduce the amount of paper and text necessary to document the system. Graphics in the interface helps the user grasp the concepts of the system, while dialog boxes, status information, and error messages aid in recognizing success and recovering from errors. Online help becomes a backup for users if they get stuck. >