cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiparty computation with full computation power and reduced overhead

To better protect information systems, computation time data protection needs to be considered such that even when the system is partially compromised, the security of the system can still be assured. All existing approaches incur high overhead. Some do not support full computation power. In this paper, we propose a secure computation algorithm with the goals of reducing the communication overhead and providing full computation power. We reduce the communication overhead by aggregating multiple operations. Our algorithm has full computation power, and yields better performance than existing approaches. The proposed algorithm focuses on confidentiality assurance. Replication schemes can be combined with the algorithm to assure system integrity.
Relationship of Broiler Flock Numbers to Litter Microflora

Abstract Allowing litter to build up in broiler houses is a common practice. This practice is accompanied by changes in the birds’ environment, such as increases in ammonia emissions and litter pH. In order to evaluate mechanisms for control of the environment, it is important to understand the microbiological population and its relationship to these changes. This study was designed to investigate the relationship of microbiological populations to the number of flocks previously housed on the litter. Total numbers of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, coliforms, Staphylococci, mold, and yeasts were determined. There was no correlation of flock numbers to any of the litter microbial populations.
Case-based Nutrition Teaching for Medical Students

*Address for correspondence: Ashlesha K. Dayal, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Women’s Health, Jack D. Weiler Hospital of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1825 Eastchester Road, 7 Floor, Bronx, NY 10461; Phone: (718) 904-2767; Fax: (718) 904-2799; E-mail: ashdayal@yahoo.com This paper was presented as a poster at the annual meeting of CREOG-APGO on March 2-5, 2005 in Salt Lake City, Utah. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2007.09.010
MOVEMENT IN THE CYANOPHYCEAE : THE EFFECT OF pH UPON MOVEMENT IN OSCILLATORIA.

The effect of pH upon the velocity of translatory movement of Oscillatoria formosa Bory in inorganic culture solutions was determined. Unhindered movement occurred in the range of about pH 6.4 to 9.5. Above and below these limits inhibition was marked. In the unfavorable acid and alkaline ranges inhibition was progressive with exposure time; in the favorable range continuous movement was maintained for 24 hours.
The association between meteorological parameters and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a nationwide analysis.

Prior research has suggested that regional weather patterns impact the risk of rupture of cerebral aneurysms, but the findings in the literature have been inconsistent. Furthermore, no nationwide analysis to date has examined the association between meteorological factors and the post-procedural outcomes of patients after the treatment for ruptured cerebral aneurysms. The purpose of this study was to use a nationwide sample to analyze the association between specific meteorological parameters—temperature, precipitation, sunlight, and humidity—and hospital admission rate for and outcome after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Patients were identified using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2001–2010): Those with an ICD-9 diagnosis code for subarachnoid hemorrhage and a procedural code for aneurysm repair were included. Climate data were obtained from the State of the Climate Report 2010 released by the National Climatic Data Center. Multivariate regression models were constructed to analyze the association between average state monthly temperature, precipitation, and percent possible sunlight, as well as relative morning humidity and both monthly hospital admission rate, adjusted for annual state population in millions, and in-hospital mortality. 16,970 admissions were included from 723 hospitals across 41 states. Decreased daily sunlight and lower relative humidity were associated with an increased rate of admission for ruptured cerebral aneurysms (p<0.001), but had no association with differential inpatient mortality. No significant changes in these observed associations were seen when multivariate analyses were constructed. This is the first nationwide study to suggest that decreased sunlight and lower relative humidity are associated with admission for ruptured cerebral aneurysms. While it has been postulated that external atmospheric factors may cause hormonal and homeostatic changes that impact the risk of rupture of cerebral aneurysms, additional research is needed to confirm and further understand these relationships.
Electrostrictive Graft Elastomers and Applications

Efficient actuators that are lightweight, high performance and compact are needed to support telerobotic requirements for future NASA missions. In this work, we present a new class of electromechanically active polymers that can potentially be used as actuators to meet many NASA needs. The materials are graft elastomers that offer high strain under an applied electric field. Due to its higher mechanical modulus, this elastomer also has a higher strain energy density as compared to previously reported electrostrictive polyurethane elastomers. The dielectric, mechanical and electromechanical properties of this new electrostrictive elastomer have been studied as a function of temperature and frequency. Combined with structural analysis using x-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry on the new elastomer, structure-property interrelationship and mechanisms of the electric field induced strain in the graft elastomer have also been investigated. This electroactive polymer (EAP) has demonstrated high actuation strain and high mechanical energy density. The combination of these properties with its tailorable molecular composition and excellent processability makes it attractive for a variety of actuation tasks. The experimental results and applications will be presented.
Olhando o passado e o futuro: revendo pressupostos sobre as inter-relações pessoa-ambiente

This paper examines some of the assumptions that guided early work in environmental psychology and reviews them in light of contemporary perspectives. Many of these assumptions continue to have relevance to later work but some additions and modifications are needed to address developments in thinking and research, over the years. There is a need to go beyond cross-disciplinary research and to engage in interdisciplinary thinking and collaborative research with people of other disciplines; to broaden the attention to ethical concerns; to examine the role of technology in people's lives; and to recognize the holistic nature of person-environment transactions with attention to the diversities created by age, gender, ability/disability level, culture and economics.
The morphology of Cercophora palmicola (Lasiosphaeriaceae).

A detailed study of ascomal morphology and development in Cercophora palmicola showed that ontogeny is ascohymeniaceous, giving rise to an ostiolate perithecium. Ascomal initials consist of a coiled ascogonium surrounded by several layers of hyphae whose cells become pseudoparenchymatous. The centrum of the young ascoma is composed of a few rows of large, thin-walled pseudoparenchymatous cells that line the ascomal wall, with the central region filled by tightly packed, filamentous paraphyses. The ascogenous system forms along the inside of the layer of pseudoparenchymatous cells at the base of the paraphyses and gives rise to unitunicate asci that grow up among the paraphyses. The wall of the mature perithecium is greatly thickened. It is composed of three regions: a thin outer region of darkly pigmented, angular cells with thickened walls; a broad central region of cells with gelatinized walls; and a thin inner region of flattened cells. Ascomal ontogeny in C. palmicola conforms well to the Sordaria type of development, as defined by Huang. Cercophora palmicolaHanlin & Tortolero is a sordariaceous perithecial ascomycete that occurs on palm stems in the tropics. It possesses several unusual morphological features that were noted in the original description (Hanlin and Tortolero, 1987), but which were not described in detail. The purpose of this paper is to provide additional information on the morphology of C. palmicola and to compare it with information published on related species.
Permeability and Mechanical Properties of Cellulose-Based Edible Films

Factors affecting barrier properties [oxygen permeability (OP) and water vapor permeability (WVP)] and mechanical properties [tensile strength (TS) and elongation (E)] were investigated for methyl ccllulose (MC) and hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) films. OP, WVP and TS of MC and HPC films increased as the molecular weight (MW) of the cellulose increased. E of MC films increased as MW increased, but E of HPC films was highest for the intermediate MW of 370,000. OP, WVP and TS of MC films were not a function of thickness, but E slowly increased as film thickness increased. OP and WVP of HPC films were not relatable to film thickness, but TS and E of HPC films slowly increased as film thickness increased. TS decreased and E increased for both film types as concentration of plasticizers was increased. Plasticizers enhanced or retarded OP and WVP of cellulosebased films, depending on their concentrations.
The design of repeatable controls for kinematically redundant robots

Two methods of generating control strategies which are repeatable are presented. The first method, which involves the solution of a set of partial differential equations, may be difficult to apply to complicated manipulators, thus motivating the second method, which assumes a certain form for the control strategies. Both of these methods result in a technique for designing a repeatable control which is nearest, in an integral norm sense, to a desired optimal control. The desired optimal control is allowed to take the form of any generalized inverse. An example is presented for both methods. >
Performance-Based Seismic Design of Wood Frame Buildings Using a Probabilistic System Identification Concept

Performance-based seismic design (PBSD) of wood frame structures has been only preliminarily investigated by a handful of researchers around the world and is currently under development in the United States as well as other countries worldwide. This paper presents the basic concept of applying system identification logic as one alternative for PBSD of wood frame structures. In PBSD of wood frame structures, one prescribes combinations of hazard level and corresponding performance, and “designs” the system such that these performance metrics are met. For wood frame buildings this procedure fits the definition of a system identification problem, i.e., the input and output are known and the nonlinear system between them is sought. In most cases the shearwall locations, i.e., geometry, are known, and only the wall design is sought. In this paper, the concept is presented and a procedure to apply it within a PBSD framework is proposed. The validity of the procedure is confirmed through two illustrative example...
A Reconsideration of Hylaeogena Obenberger, 1923 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), with Descriptions of a New Genus and New Species from Mexico and Central America

Abstract The leafmining genus Hylaeogena Obenberger, 1923, as currently recognized, is considered to consist of two subgenera, Hylaeogena s. str. and Hedwigiella Obenberger, 1941. Examination of types detected substantial, consistent differences among three different sets of species. I propose that Hylaeogena be split into three genera: Hylaeogena, Hedwigiella, new status, and Euhylaeogena Hespenheide, new genus, with Euhylaeogena byattae Hespenheide, new species, as the type species of Euhylaeogena. Surprisingly, most species belong to the undescribed genus, and only three species are recognized in each of Hylaeogena and Hedwigiella, with Hylaeogena bellamyi Hespenheide, new species, Hedwigiella cbellamyi Hespenheide, new species, and Euhylaeogena clbellamyi Hespenheide, new species, described as new. Hedwigiella laticeps (Waterhouse, 1889) is treated as a new combination. The following species are included in Euhylaeogena: Euhylaeogena affinis (Obenberger, 1923), new combination, Euhylaeogena alibertiae...
Influence of diet on the production of a "lipid-depleting" factor in obese parabiotic rats.

When one member of a parabiosed pair of rats is made obese its part ner experiences a specific loss of body fat. In this study we determined whether pro duction of the "lipid-depleting" factor in obese rats was diet specific. One member in each of 30 pairs was tube fed 200% normal intake of high carbohydrate (CHO), high fat corn oil or high fat medium-chain triglycA©ride diet. Their partners and both members of five control pairs ate CHO diet ad libitum. After 27 d of 200 % feeding, in vitro hepatic, adipose and hypothalamic metabolism were measured. Composition of the diet used to induce obesity did not change the response of partners. All non-tube-fed partners had normal food intakes, body protein, hepatic fatty acid syn thesis (FAS)and esterification (FAE), palmitate, glucose and /3-hydroxybutyrate oxida tion. Adipose FAS and FAE were depressed, body fat was halved. Hypothalamic metabolism was not changed. A lipid-depleting agent originating in obese rats speci fically inhibits adipose lipogenesis in their partners. Production of this factor does not appear to be influenced by dietary energy source. J. Nutr. 116: 2013-2027, 1986.
Influence of enforced motor and sensory sets on reaction latency and movement speed.

Abstract Requiring a performer to consciously attend to the components of a well-learned movement response, rather than to the stimulus which evokes the response is referred to as enforced motor set. The present study tested the prediction that enforced motor set results in longer reaction and movement times than does enforced sensory set (concentrating on the stimulus). Thirty right-handed male college students were randomly assigned to 1 of the 2 enforced sets. Before performing under the influence of either set, each subject was pretested first on the reaction portion of the novel task and then on the movement portion. Following the pretest, each subject performed the reaction-movement time task as a whole in accordance with the set he was randomly assigned to. The ANCOVA revealed that the data supported the prediction being tested for reaction time, but not for movement time.
Longitudinal Study of Borrelia burgdorferi Infection in New Jersey Outdoor Workers, 1988–1991

From 1988 to 1991, annual questionnaires and serosurveys were performed in a cohort of outdoor workers in New Jersey at high risk for Lyme disease to 1) evaluate temporal trends in seroprevalence and seroconversion of antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi; 2) identify risk factors for B. burgdorferi seroconversion during these years; and 3) examine associations between such seroconversion in 1989-1990 and anti-tick saliva antibody (ATSA, a biologic marker of tick exposure) seropositivity in 1990. A total of 1,519 workers participated in at least 1 year of the study. Lyme disease seroprevalence and seroconversion increased from 1988 to 1990 and then decreased in 1991. Years at residence, rural residence, and a history of medical problems were observed to be risk factors for seroconversion from 1988 to 1991. An interaction between pet ownership and rural residence was observed in that rural residents were only at an elevated risk if they owned pets. B. burgdorferi seroconversion from 1989 to 1990 was associated with ATSA seropositivity in 1990; in subjects reporting low tick exposure, the odds ratio was 8.2 (95% confidence interval 1.5-44.7). Associations between ATSA and B. burgdorferi serologic status suggested that educational programs may have contributed to the decline in Lyme seroprevalence and seroconversion in 1991.
The Natural History and Management of Alcoholic Liver Disease

It is evident from the title of this presentation that it is one which could be the topic of an entire symposium rather than the subject of a brief dissertation. Thus, of necessity, this presentation will be a limited review of a series of selected components of this very complex problem.
General characteristics and experiences of specialized standardized patients: Breast teaching associate professionals

Abstract Background. Standardized patients and teaching associates provide, reinforce, and evaluate the teaching of clinical skills to students and health care providers. As new needs and roles emerge for this method of teaching and evaluation, information is needed for recruitment, training, and retention. Methods. This article addresses the general characteristics and experiences of 12 Breast Teaching Associate Professionals (BTAPs) in a two‐year NCI‐funded study aimed to improve breast cancer screening practices of rural primary health care providers in Eastern Arkansas. Results. Areas of focus are demographic characteristics, motivations for serving as BTAPs, their perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of the BTAP role, and the influence or impact the role had on their own health behaviors or personal lives. Conclusion. The evolving commitment to the value of this method of teaching and to health care education on this campus became stronger for many of the women as participation continued i...
Social constraints, loss-related factors, depression, and posttraumatic stress in a treatment-seeking suicide bereaved sample.

OBJECTIVE: Negative social responses that inhibit disclosure in the suicide bereaved may pose an obstacle to recovery. However, such social constraints have not been evaluated in this population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate extent, types, and correlates of social constraints in treatment-seeking community-based participants recently bereaved by suicide. METHOD: This cross-sectional study investigated social constraints and adjustment in a treatment-seeking sample of community-based participants (N = 33) recently bereaved by suicide; pretreatment, baseline data from a graduate school-based research clinic were analyzed. RESULTS: Participants endorsed a moderate level of social constraints; subtle negative social responses appeared more common than overt negative reactions. Social constraints were unrelated to kinship with the deceased or to finding the body. Constraints were positively associated with depression (r =.54, p =.001) and posttraumatic stress (r =.43, p =.012). CONCLUSION: Findings highlight the importance of the interpersonal context of adjustment in suicide postvention. (PsycINFO Database Record(c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved). Language: en
Multimodality management of vertebral artery injury sustained during cervical or craniocervical surgery.

BACKGROUND: Iatrogenic vertebral artery (VA) injury is a rare but potentially devastating complication associated with cervical and craniocervical surgery. OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively evaluate treatment modalities and outcomes associated with iatrogenic VA injury. METHODS: Our institutional surgical database was queried for patients who underwent cervical or craniocervical surgery from January 1997 to August 2012. RESULTS: During this time period, 8213 patients underwent cervical or craniocervical surgery, and 17 (0.2%) cases of VA injury were identified. Eight (47%) of these injuries occurred during C1-2 instrumentation procedures. Primary microsurgical repair of the VA was performed in 5 patients. Other cases were managed by either surgical or endovascular VA occlusion. Of the 17 patients, 15 underwent immediate angiography, 9 of whom were ultimately treated by the use of endovascular techniques. CONCLUSION: VA injury is an uncommon complication of cervical and/or skull base surgery. Standardized management recommendations may help reduce complications associated with these rare but potentially devastating injuries.
A body machine interface based on inertial sensors

Spinal cord injury (SCI) survivors generally retain residual motor and sensory functions, which provide them with the means to control assistive devices. A body-machine interface (BoMI) establishes a mapping from these residual body movements to control commands for an external device. In this study, we designed a BoMI to smooth the way for operating computers, powered wheelchairs and other assistive technologies after cervical spinal cord injuries. The interface design included a comprehensive training paradigm with a range of diverse functional activities to enhance motor learning and retention. Two groups of SCI survivors and healthy control subjects participated in the study. The results indicate the effectiveness of the developed system as an alternative pathway for individuals with motor disabilities to control assistive devices while engaging in functional motor activity.
Age-Related Differences in Associative Learning of Landmarks and Heading Directions in a Virtual Navigation Task.

Previous studies have showed that spatial memory declines with age but have not clarified the relevance of different landmark cues for specifying heading directions among different age groups. This study examined differences between younger, middle-aged and older adults in route learning and memory tasks after they navigated a virtual maze that contained: (a) critical landmarks that were located at decision points (i.e., intersections) and (b) non-critical landmarks that were located at non-decision points (i.e., the sides of the route). Participants were given a recognition memory test for critical and non-critical landmarks and also given a landmark-direction associative learning task. Compared to younger adults, older adults committed more navigation errors during route learning and were poorer at associating the correct heading directions with both critical and non-critical landmarks. Notably, older adults exhibited a landmark-direction associative memory deficit at decision points; this was the first finding to show that an associative memory deficit exist among older adults in a navigational context for landmarks that are pertinent for reaching a goal, and suggest that older adults may expend more cognitive resources on the encoding of landmark/object features than on the binding of landmark and directional information. This study is also the first to show that older adults did not have a tendency to process non-critical landmarks, which were regarded as distractors/irrelevant cues for specifying the directions to reach the goal, to an equivalent or larger extent than younger adults. We explain this finding in view of the low number of non-critical cues in our virtual maze (relative to a real-world urban environment) that might not have evoked older adults’ usual tendency toward processing or encoding distractors. We explain the age differences in navigational and cognitive performance with regards to functional and structural changes in the hippocampus and parahippocampus, and recommend further investigations into the functional connectivity between the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus for a better understanding of the landmark-direction associative learning among the elderly. Finally, it is hoped that the current behavioral findings will facilitate efforts to identify the neural markers of Alzheimer’s disease, a disease that commonly involves navigational deficits.
Asset Stripping, Rule of Law and Firm Survival: The Hoff-Stiglitz Model and Mass Privatization in Montenegro

We provide the first test of the Hoff and Stiglitz (2004) model predicting whether and under what conditions mass privatizations are accompanied by asset stripping. In addition to directly testing the theory, we also tackle an important policy-oriented issue of why a large number of efficient firms disappeared during mass privatization in a booming economy of Montenegro. Econometrically, we present the first study to look at firms that disappeared during a mass privatization transition, improving upon prior studies that focused only on existing firms and assumed away survival bias. Our analysis suggests that asset stripping and firm disappearance were present, and that asset stripping was a likely reason for the loss of efficient firms. We show that because more productive firms were liquidated, it is important to model survival bias in the selection of firms remaining in samples when estimating the effects of privatization or other ownership changes. We also show that one needs to distinguish between true start-ups and liquidated firms that re-appear as start-ups. In the absence of the rule of law, many firms that appear to have disappeared were in fact appropriated by managers and politically connected individuals.
S-Adenosyl-L-homocysteine Hydrolase: Analogues of S-Adenosyl-L-homocysteine as Potential Inhibitors

Structural analogues of S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine with modifications in the purine, sugar, 59-thioether linkage, and/or amino acid portion were tested as substrates and/or inhibitors of S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase (EC 3.3.1.1). It was observed that S-3-deazaadenosyl-L-homocysteine was the only analogue that could serve as a substrate for the enzyme as well as S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine itself. When tested in the direction of S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolysis coupled with calf intestinal adenosine deaminase, the following were found to be the more potent inhibitory analogues: 59-deoxy-59-butylthioadenosine, Nγ-adenosyl-α,γ-diaminobutyric acid, 9-(59-deoxy-59-methylthio-α-D-arbinofuranosyl)adenine, 59-deoxy-59-aminoethylthio-2-chloroadenosine, 3-deazaadenosine, and S-3-deazaadenosyl-L-homocysteine. The inhibitory ability of 3-deazaadenosyl-L-homocysteine is probably related to its ability to serve as substrate, since its hydrolysis generates 3-deazaadenosine, which is the most potent inhibitor of S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase as well as being resistant to adenosine deaminase. When tested in vitro in isolated rat hepatocytes, 3-deazaadenosine caused a drastic increase in the levels of S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine and S-adenosyl-L-methionine, with the formation of S-3-deazaadenosyl-L-homocysteine. 3-Deazaadenosine is thus an interesting analogue with biological potential.
Topical Mitomycin C application in the treatment of refractory benign esophageal strictures in adults and comprehensive literature review

Abstract Background Recurrent complex esophageal strictures remain difficult to manage. Aims To determine the efficacy of topical Mitomycin C application for recurrent benign esophageal strictures. Methods All patients who underwent balloon dilation followed by topical Mitomycin C application for recurrent benign esophageal strictures were included. Primary outcome was number of dilations and change of dysphagia score. Results Nine patients with anastomotic (3), radiation-induced (3), caustic (2), and combined anastomotic and radiation-induced (1) strictures were included. Strictures had a mean length of 13.75 mm, diameter of 8.0 mm, and were dilated 10.7 times over a median of 8 months (1.5 dilations per month). Following Mitomycin C application, the need for further dilation decreased to 0.39 dilations per month over a median of 10 months; however, dysphagia scores improved not significantly from 3.2 to 2.6 (mean). Conclusion In this pilot study, topical Mitomycin C in conjunction with dilation decreased the frequency of esophageal dilations for recurrent benign esophageal strictures.
Observations of Wild Cougar ( Puma concolor ) Kittens with Live Prey: Implications for Learning and Survival

The Cougar ( Puma concolor ) is a cryptic species in which social learning or opportunity learning has yet to be documented in the wild. “Opportunity teaching” is teaching in which an animal creates opportunities for conspecifics to observe or participate in operant learning. We present video data on an observation of Cougar kittens exhibiting social learning and inefficiency and inexperience in attempting to kill a live Mule Deer ( Odocoileus hemionus ) fawn. Our observations provide evidence for the importance of maternal care and they help explain why Cougar kittens less than a year of age have low survival rates.
Sensitivity and specificity of radiographic characteristics in atypical femoral fractures

Using the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research Task Force case definition for atypical femoral fractures, sensitivity and specificity of radiographic fracture characteristics were calculated. Fracture pattern was the most sensitive and specific characteristic. This suggests that some characteristics should be weighted more heavily when identifying these fractures. To estimate the sensitivity and specificity of each radiographic criterion in the 2013 ASBMR atypical femoral fracture (AFF) case definition for distinguishing AFF from other subtrochanteric/diaphyseal fractures (non-AFF) among women enrolled in a large integrated health care organization. Radiographs from 55 physician-confirmed AFFs and a sample of 39 non-AFFs were reviewed by four independent expert reviewers representing four medical specialties. One image per fracture was selected for review. Using a standardized data collection tool, based on the 2013 AFF case definition, reviewers indicated the presence or absence of the following characteristics viewable on radiograph: fracture pattern, comminution, periosteal and/or endosteal thickening, and cortical thickening. Sensitivity and specificity for each characteristic was calculated for each reviewer and summarized across reviewers with the mean and range. Agreement across reviewers was quantified using Fleiss’s kappa (FK) statistic. The most sensitive factors distinguishing AFF from non-AFF were lateral cortex transverse fracture pattern (mean 93.6 %, range 85.5–98.2 %), medial cortex transverse or oblique fracture pattern (mean 84.1 %, range 72.7–98.2 %), and minimal/non-comminution (mean 93.2 %, range 89.1–98.2 %). Specificity was the greatest for lateral cortex transverse fracture pattern (mean 95.5 %, range 92.3–97.4 %). Agreement across reviewers was the highest for lateral cortex transverse fracture pattern (FK 0.83) and incomplete fracture through the lateral cortex only (FK 0.80). Lateral cortex transverse fracture pattern was the most sensitive and specific characteristic and the most highly agreed upon across reviewers. Other characteristics were less readily agreed upon across reviewers. Measurement of discrete combinations of individual characteristics may enhance sensitivity and/or specificity.
The Status of Work Life Balance among Post Graduate Students

Increased emphasis on competition and radical technological advancements has resulted in organizations to be more competitive, agile, and flexible and customer focused. Consequently, organizations require, empowered employees possessing higher competencies and multitasking skills in order to ensure sustained growth at minimum operational costs. Employees working in organizations of the modern era most often encounter eternal challenge of performing well and are forced to devote most of their time at work in this enhanced competitive work setting.
Does my patient still have reflux when ppi therapy does not work

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common condition around the world. The management of this disease is less than satisfying given complexity of patient presentation and suboptimal diagnostic testing when employed for those poorly responsive to acid suppressive therapy. In this mini review, we discuss some new strategies employed for patients with suspected GERD to better understand disease pathophysiology. We compare the strategies and outline a clinically relevant approach in this difficult group of patients.
Generation CS: the growth of computer science

Across North America, universities and colleges are facing a significant increase in enrollment in both undergraduate computer science (CS) courses and programs. The current enrollment surge has exceeded previous CS booms, and there is a general sense that the current growth in enrollment is substantially different from that of the mid-1980s and late 1990s. For example, since the late 1990s, the U.S. Bureau of Labor data shows that the number of jobs where computing skills are needed is on an upward slope [1], illustrating the increased reliance our society has on computing. We also know that more disciplines are becoming increasingly reliant on large amounts of data, and that handling this data effectively depends on having good computational skills. This makes computer science courses at all levels of greater interest to students from other majors.
Risk factors for stent graft thrombosis after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt creation

Background: To identify risk factors of stent graft thrombosis after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation. Methods: Patients who underwent TIPS creation between June 2003 and January 2016 and with followup assessing stent graft patency were included (n=174). Baseline comorbidities, liver function, procedural details and follow-up liver function tests were analyzed in association with hazards of thrombosis on followup. Competing risk cox regression models were used considering liver transplant after TIPS creation as the competing risk variable. Results: One-, 2- and 5-year primary patency rates were 94.1%, 91.7% and 78.2%, respectively. Patient age [sub-hazard ratio (sHR): 1.13; P=0.001], body mass index (BMI) Conclusions: Older age, lower BMI and higher post-TIPS portosystemic gradients were associated with higher hazards of shunt thrombosis after TIPS creation using stent grafts. Higher rates of shunt thrombosis were seen in patients for whom TIPS creation was clinically unsuccessful. The association between TIPS thrombosis and higher post-TIPS portosystemic gradients may indicate impaired flow through the shunt, a finding which may be technical or anatomic in nature and should be assessed before procedure completion.
Growth Rate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms on Slippery Butyl Methacrylate-Co-Ethylene Dimethacrylate (BMA-EDMA), Glass and Polycarbonate Surfaces

Bacterial biofilms pose a significant health risk when they grow on devices placed or implanted in the human body. There is a need to develop new materials that can be used as surface coatings on such devices to inhibit biofilm growth. We report on measurements of the biofilm growth rate on a new polymeric material, slippery BMAEDMA, which can be used as a surface coating for medical devices. Growth rate measurements are also reported for polycarbonate and glass surfaces, for comparison. Measurements are made in a medium shear stress fluid environment. The physical properties of the surfaces are characterized using contact angle, surface roughness, surface skewness and surface kurtosis. Growth rate on the slippery BMA-EDMA is found to be the smallest of the three surfaces. Growth rate is weakly correlated with surface hydrophobicity and surface roughness, while it is strongly correlated with surface skewness and kurtosis.
Social networking profiles and professionalism issues in residency applicants: an original study-cohort study.

Objective To determine the frequency of social networking, the degree of information publicly disclosed, and whether unprofessional content was identified in applicants from the 2010 Residency Match. Background Medical professionalism is an essential competency for physicians to learn, and information found on social networking sites may be hazardous to the doctor-patient relationship and an institution's public perception. No study has analyzed the social network content of applicants applying for residency. Methods Online review of social networking Facebook profiles of graduating medical students applying for a residency in orthopedic surgery. Evidence of unprofessional content was based upon Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education guidelines. Additional recorded applicant data included as follows: age, United States Medical Licensing Examination part I score, and residency composite score. Relationship between professionalism score and recorded data points was evaluated using an analysis of variance. Results Nearly half of all applicants, 46% (200/431), had a Facebook profile. The majority of profiles (85%) did not restrict online access to their profile. Unprofessional content was identified in 16% of resident applicant profiles. Variables associated with lower professionalism scores included unmarried relationship status and lower residency composite scores. Conclusion It is critical for healthcare professionals to recognize both the benefits and risks present with electronic communication and to vigorously protect the content of material allowed to be publically accessed through the Internet.
Influence of Microcracks on Flow and Storage Capacities of Gas Shales at Core Scale

This work investigates the interplay of gas transport in the microcracks and matrix of shale using He and $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ via transient upstream pressure-pulse-decay experiments. The microcracks are natural in the sense no laboratory pretreatment created them. A novel setup of the pressure-pulse-decay experiment was used to determine the storage and flow capacities simultaneously. Experimentally, the pressure signals are used to define time-dependent pore volume partitioning between the microcracks and the matrix. A dual continuum simulator is constructed to decouple the flow and storage capacities at early time where the gas flows simultaneously in both media. A history-matching process quantifies the pore volume partitioning of the microcracks and matrix, the permeability in the microcracks, and the diffusivity of gas in the matrix. A series of experiments were conducted on four shale samples from Eagle Ford and Haynesville shale plays at constant net effective stress of 500 psi and at increasing net effective stresses of 500, 1000, and 2000 psi. Results show that the pore volume of the microcracks in sample 180Ha (Eagle Ford) was from 8.0 to 24.1% of the total pore volume in all experiments at constant and variable net effective stresses. The Haynesville samples (TWG 1-3 & 3-3) had between 68.9 and 87.0% of the total porosity in the microcracks while the remaining percentage represents the pore volume in the matrix. These proportions are related to the magnitude of permeability and void volumes in the system. The values of Klinkenberg-corrected permeability estimated using He vary between 396 and 1.6 $$\upmu \mathrm{D}$$ . The role of adsorption was also investigated using $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ in the same experimental apparatus and conditions. It was found that the influence of pore volume partitioning is suppressed by the large adsorption capacity in the shale samples. It was found that adsorption occurs in the microcracks in permeabilities less than 50 $$\upmu \mathrm{D}$$ along with adsorption in the matrix. For permeabilities greater than that value, adsorption had no importance on microcracks. Adsorption in both media required different adsorption–pressure functions. The $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ permeability was found to be smaller than the He permeability by 2–3 factors. $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ injection into the core caused a reduction in permeability that was observed with He injection after $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ flooding. The He permeability dropped by a factor of 2–3. This permeability hysteresis is attributed to the reduction in pore size accessed by the gas. This observation provides another reason why $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ storage in depleted shale gas reservoirs is practical. Reduction in gas permeability may be essential to keep $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ underground for as long as possible.
Peripheral blood biomarkers correlate with outcomes in advanced non-small cell lung Cancer patients treated with anti-PD-1 antibodies.

Anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) antibodies have demonstrated improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in a subset of patients with metastatic or locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To date, no blood biomarkers have been identified in NSCLC to predict clinical outcomes of treatment with anti-PD-1 antibodies. We performed an analysis of retrospectively registered data of 157 patients with advanced NSCLC treated with anti-PD-1 antibodies at Mayo Clinic in Florida and Rochester. White blood cell count, absolute neutrophil count (ANC), absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), ANC to ALC (ANC: ALC) ratio, absolute eosinophil count, absolute monocyte count (AMC), platelet counts, and myeloid to lymphoid (M:L) ratio at baseline and throughout treatment were assessed. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model were performed. We treated 146 patients with nivolumab and 11 with pembrolizumab between January 1, 2015 and April 15, 2017. At median follow-up of 20 months, median OS and PFS were 6.0 and 2.6 months, respectively. Higher baseline ANC, AMC, ANC: ALC ratio and M: L ratio correlated with worse clinical outcomes in patients who underwent anti-PD-1 treatment. A baseline ANC: ALC ratio of 5.9 or higher had a significantly increased risk of death (hazard ratio [HR] =1.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.24–3.03; P = 0.004) and disease progression (HR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.17–2.34; P = 0.005) compared with patients with lower ratio. Similarly, a baseline M: L ratio of 11.3 or higher had significantly increased risk of death (HR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.54–4.05; P < 0.001), even after a multivariate analysis (HR, 2.31; P = 0.002), compared to those with lower ratio. Increased baseline ANC: ALC ratio and M: L ratio before initiation of anti-PD1 antibodies were associated with poor PFS and OS in advanced NSCLC patients. The potential predictive value of these readily available biomarkers might help with risk stratification and treatment strategies. These findings warrant further investigation in a larger, prospective study.
Mediation analysis in a case-control study when the mediator is a censored variable.

Mediation analysis is an approach for assessing the direct and indirect effects of an initial variable on an outcome through a mediator. In practice, mediation models can involve a censored mediator (eg, a woman's age at menopause). The current research for mediation analysis with a censored mediator focuses on scenarios where outcomes are continuous. However, the outcomes can be binary (eg, type 2 diabetes). Another challenge when analyzing such a mediation model is to use data from a case-control study, which results in biased estimations for the initial variable-mediator association if a standard approach is directly applied. In this study, we propose an approach (denoted as MAC-CC) to analyze the mediation model with a censored mediator given data from a case-control study, based on the semiparametric accelerated failure time model along with a pseudo-likelihood function. We adapted the measures for assessing the indirect and direct effects using counterfactual definitions. We conducted simulation studies to investigate the performance of MAC-CC and compared it to those of the naive approach and the complete-case approach. MAC-CC accurately estimates the coefficients of different paths, the indirect effects, and the proportions of the total effects mediated. We applied the proposed and existing approaches to the mediation study of genetic variants, a woman's age at menopause, and type 2 diabetes based on a case-control study of type 2 diabetes. Our results indicate that there is no mediating effect from the age at menopause on the association between the genetic variants and type 2 diabetes.
Cultural appropriation and oppression

In this paper, I present an outline of the oppression account of cultural appropriation and argue that it offers the best explanation for the wrongfulness of the varied and complex cases of appropriation to which people often object. I then compare the oppression account with the intimacy account defended by C. Thi Nguyen and Matt Strohl. Though I believe that Nguyen and Strohl’s account offers important insight into an essential dimension of the cultural appropriation debate, I argue that justified objections to cultural appropriation must ultimately be grounded in considerations of oppression as opposed to group intimacy. I present three primary objections to the intimacy account. First, I suggest that in its effort to explain expressive appropriation claims (those that purportedly lack an independent ground), the intimacy account doubles down on the boundary problem. Second, I question whether group intimacy possess the kind of bare normativity that Nguyen and Strohl claim for it. Finally, I argue that these objections give us reason to accept the importance of group intimacy to the cultural appropriation debate, but question the source of its significance as identified by Nguyen and Strohl.
The growth of the English rule of law

The following is a work in progress and will be Chapter 2 of a book entitled “The Rule of Law, Economic Development, & Corporate Governance.” The first chapter will be an introduction to the major ideas and themes of the book. This chapter explains the Anglophile Rule of Law and its history. The next chapter will explain the civilian version, termed the Rule through Law and its history. The Rule of Law is part of the Anglo-American liberty narrative, while the Rule through Law is part of the equality narrative. Chapters that follow will focus on how the two different concepts effect Economic Development and Corporate Governance and what this means for developing effective policies in different cultural environments. The work will be aimed at a multi-disciplinary audience.
Multi-segment bioimpedance can assess patients with bilateral lymphedema.

Summary Background Bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) is used to assess lymphedema by measuring limb fluid content as an electric current passes through cell membranes and tissues. There are two primary device modalities, through which BIS is used clinically: single-segment bioimpedance (SSB) and multi-segment bioimpedance (MSB), which differ in their mechanisms of gathering measurements. In this cross-sectional study, we study the difference between SSB and MSB in evaluating lymphedema by referencing the results with indocyanine Green (ICG) lymphography. Methods Patients with unilateral and bilateral lymphedema, presented to our department, were assessed with both SSB and MSB as part of a pre-lymphatic surgery evaluation between May 1, 2017, and November 31, 2017. Patients were imaged with ICG lymphography to confirm lymphedema presence. Standardized device measurement outputs from SSB and MSB were recorded and statistically analyzed. Results SSB was more sensitive (0.9) than MSB (0.75) for unilateral lymphedema. However, MSB had the added ability to assess patients with bilateral lymphedema with a sensitivity of 0.56 and specificity of 0.60. Furthermore, MSB had a stronger correlation with relative disease severity compared to SSB and quantified the differential extents of edema. In comparison, SSB provided a manipulated number, which was derived from a comparison of the abnormal to the normal limb. Medical staff reported MSB being easier to perform, and all patients reported the MSB measurement experience being more favorable. Conclusions While both SSB and MSB provide diagnostic information on lymphedema, MSB is notably easier to perform, can detect bilateral disease states, and objectively quantifies limb fluid volume, allowing for disease tracking and assessment of surgical and rehabilitative treatment efficacy. On the basis of this study, our department has switched to universal MSB measurement.