cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CEO pay ratios and financial reporting quality

Abstract We address the Dodd Frank Act controversy about the usefulness of the CEO pay ratio to investors by investigating the relationship between that ratio and financial quality, measured by the level of discretionary accruals and the likelihood of restating previously issued financial statements. We test two conflicting explanations of pay disparity: (1) competition for CEO talent and (2) managerial rent-seeking. Though we find that the unconditional relationship between the CEO pay ratio and financial quality is negative, the sign of this relationship is sensitive to CEO power and competence. Our findings suggest that the pay ratio does shed light on the fairness of compensation structures.
Proximal Risk Factors for Short-Term Community Violence Among Adults With Mental Illnesses

Objective:This study examined the role of static indicators and proximal, clinically relevant indicators in the prediction of short-term community violence in a large, heterogeneous sample of adult...
Is a history of preeclampsia associated with an increased risk of a small for gestational age infant in a future pregnancy

Background A history of preeclampsia is associated with an increased risk of subsequent preeclampsia, but it is unclear whether women with prior preeclampsia are at increased risk of having a small-for-gestational-age infant in their subsequent pregnancy, even if they do not develop preeclampsia. Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate whether women with preeclampsia in a prior pregnancy are at increased risk of having a pregnancy complicated by a small-for-gestational-age infant, even in the absence of recurrent preeclampsia. Study Design This was a secondary analysis of data from 2 multicenter, randomized controlled trials evaluating the role of aspirin in preeclampsia prevention in healthy nulliparas and women at high risk of preeclampsia (ie, with chronic hypertension or a history of preeclampsia). Women who developed preeclampsia in a subsequent pregnancy and women with pregestational diabetes or with a multiple gestation were excluded. The association between a history of preeclampsia and the subsequent birth of a small-for-gestational-age infant was determined in both a univariable and multivariable analysis. Results A total of 4052 women were included in the analysis: 2972 healthy nulliparas, 499 women with a history of preeclampsia, and 581 women with chronic hypertension. The frequency of delivery of a small-for-gestational-age infant significantly differed by clinical history (5.1% vs 9.2% vs 12.1% in healthy nulliparas, women with a history of preeclampsia, and women with chronic hypertension, respectively, P Conclusion Even in the absence of recurrent preeclampsia, women with a history of preeclampsia are at a higher risk of delivering a small-for-gestational-age infant in a subsequent pregnancy.
Generalized model of metal bonding and cleaning from wafer surfaces

The removal of metals from the Si surface during aqueous cleaning is controlled by the thermodynamics of the metal ions dissolved in solution, the thermodynamics of the metal/Si surface complex, as well as the kinetics of the reactions taking place. In this paper we address one aspect of this problem: the thermodynamics of the metal/Si surface complex. We show that a number of cleaning effects can be explained by these considerations which involve the construction and application of metal/Si/oxygen ternary phase diagrams. Specifically, a class of metals with relatively unstable oxides, but stable silicides as shown by the phase diagrams are predicted to be difficult to remove from the Si surface; this prediction is born out by the available experimental data.
Pseudomenigiocele masquerading as monomelic amyotrophy

Abstract Pseudomeningocele is a known cause of myelopathy, however this is classically associated with bilateral symptoms. We discuss a patient presenting with single upper extremity weakness, initially diagnoses as monomelic amyotrophy, which further investigation revealed to be a giant pseudomeningocele. This case illustrates a unique presentation of pseudomeningocele, including prominent changes in MRI, CT myelogram, and EMG. A review of the literature for pseudomeningocele including pathology, diagnosis, imaging, and treatment as well as the initial diagnosis of monomelic amyotrophy is provided.
Application of optimal production control theory for home energy management in a micro grid

We consider the optimal stochastic control problem for home energy systems with solar and energy storage devices when the demand is realized from the grid. The demand is subject to Brownian motions with both drift and variance parameters modulated by a continuous-time Markov chain that represents the regime of electricity price. We model the systems as pure stochastic differential equation models, and then we follow the completing square technique to solve the stochastic home energy management problem. The effectiveness of the efficiency of the proposed approach is validated through a simulation example. For practical situations with constraints consistent to those studied here, our results imply the proposed framework could reduce the electricity cost from short-term purchase in peak hour market.
Involvement in Organizational Collective Action in an Era of Technological Change

A great deal of what people wish to accomplish cannot be achieved alone, either by private, individual actions or through markets and their modern instrument for aggregating private interest, the corporation. Only through some form of collective action can people realize important individual and group goals and produce the myriad shared benefits associated with social life. Acting collectively requires associating voluntarily with others who share interests or identities, and it can mean participating in solving problems at the local, national, or global scale. Collective action can involve advocating for causes or goals, recruiting others, and banding together to gain voice and representation before public institutions, corporations, and other bodies, or it can entail producing something of value that is shared beyond those who created it. Whether the goal is the creation of public parks or pathways, health care or human rights, environmental sustainability or electoral accountability, or information databases and communication systems, the need for at least two people to act together toward the establishment of some shared “public good” is an enduring fact of human life. For a long time, scholarly literature placed organizations, not individuals, at the center of collective action. Olson's 1965 classic, The Logic of Collection Action , is an account of the choices faced by individuals to participate in collective efforts or not, and in his widely accepted view, it is organizations that solve the problem of individuals free riding on the efforts of others. Organizations act on behalf of groups of people, embodying and representing their concerns, empowering them as collectivities, and organizing them. Success at collective action in the end is not so much a function of the complexity or individualism of people's choices, which are constrained by the unvarying logic of free riding, but a function of how well organizations perform at overcoming that logic. Likewise, Truman (1951), in his own classic work, viewed latent interests on the part of citizens as being manifest only when expressed in organizational form. Similarly, Knoke defines an association, which can range from a trade association to a civic group, as “a formally organized, named group” and emphasizes the importance of the “acquisition and allocation of organizational resources to collective objectives” (Knoke, 1986, 2).
Historical development of transplantable hepatomas.

One of the criteria considered important as a test of malignancy of tumors that developed following the ingestion of chemical carcinogens was transplantability of the neoplasm. A stock of rats was available in early 1940 at N.I.H. that had been obtained by Dr. Carl Vogetlin from Dr. Carl Cori who was then at the Institute of Malignant Diseases in Buffalo, New York. The stock of rats of Wistar Institute origin was designated Buffalo rats and was maintained at the National Institute of Health as the principle stock rat available for experimental work at the Institute.
Implementation of behavioral health interventions in real world scenarios: Managing complex change

Introduction A practice embarks on a radical reformulation of how care is designed and delivered when it decides to integrate medical and behavioral health care for its patients and success depends on managing complex change in a complex system. We examined the ways change is managed when integrating behavioral health and medical care. Method Observational cross-case comparative study of 19 primary care and community mental health practices. We collected mixed methods data through practice surveys, observation, and semistructured interviews. We analyzed data using a data-driven, emergent approach. Results The change management strategies that leadership employed to manage the changes of integrating behavioral health and medical care included: (a) advocating for a mission and vision focused on integrated care; (b) fostering collaboration, with a focus on population care and a team-based approaches; (c) attending to learning, which includes viewing the change process as continuous, and creating a culture that promoted reflection and continual improvement; (d) using data to manage change, and (e) developing approaches to finance integration. Discussion This paper reports the change management strategies employed by practice leaders making changes to integrate care, as observed by independent investigators. We offer an empirically based set of actionable recommendations that are relevant to a range of leaders (policymakers, medical directors) and practice members who wish to effectively manage the complex changes associated with integrated primary care. (PsycINFO Database Record
Acidotoxicity via ASIC1a Mediates Cell Death during Oxygen Glucose Deprivation and Abolishes Excitotoxicity.

Ischemic reperfusion (I/R) injury is associated with a complex and multifactorial cascade of events involving excitotoxicity, acidotoxicity, and ionic imbalance. While it is known that acidosis occurs concomitantly with glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity during brain ischemia, it remains elusive how acidosis-mediated acidotoxicity interacts with glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity. Here, we investigated the effect of acidosis on glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity in acute hippocampal slices. We tested the hypothesis that mild acidosis protects against I/R injury via modulation of NMDAR, but produces injury via activation of acid sensing ion channels (ASIC1a). Using a novel microperfusion approach, we monitored time course of injury in acutely prepared, adult hippocampal slices. We varied the duration of insult to delay the return to preinsult conditions to determine if injury was caused by the primary insult or by the modeled reperfusion phase. We also manipulated pH in presence and absence of oxygen glucose ...
Discovery of Double-Stranded Genomic DNA in Circulating Exosomes

It is becoming increasingly clear that small vesicles released from cells (extracellular vesicles [EVs]) represent a heterogeneous population implicated in cell-to-cell communication. The classifications and nomenclature of EVs are evolving as enrichment strategies and specific characteristics are being unraveled. At present, physical properties of EVs-namely, size, shape, and density-are often used to identify subpopulations of EVs. A distinct group of EVs, termed exosomes, largely defined by their small size (∼40-150 nm) and proposed subcellular origin, has been extensively studied in several aspects of cancer biology. Exosomes are implicated in modulating behavior of cancer cells as well as the immune and angiogenic responses in tumors, possibly contributing to cancer progression locally and systemically. Most intriguingly, the nucleic acid content of exosomes has been proposed to play a role in oncogenic transformation and transfer of cancer-specific genome to promote cancer pathogenesis. Here, we specifically focus on the discovery of exosomal DNA, studies related to the origin of genomic DNA in exosomes, and its utility in cancer diagnosis and disease monitoring.
Working with the Hmong Population in a Genetics Setting: Genetic Counselor Perspectives.

The Hmong language lacks words for many familiar Western medical genetic concepts which may impact genetic counseling sessions with individuals of Hmong ancestry who have limited English proficiency. To study this interaction, a qualitative, semi-structured interview was designed to address genetic counselors’ experiences of genetic counseling sessions working with individuals with Hmong ancestry. Genetic counselors in the three states with the largest population of Hmong individuals (California, Minnesota and Wisconsin) were invited via email to participate in a telephone interview. Eleven counselors’ interviews were transcribed and analyzed for emergent themes. Each of the counselors had served Hmong patients in a variety of clinics and possessed counseling experience ranging from approximately one to greater than 20 years. Interviews highlighted strengths and challenges in genetic counseling sessions with Hmong patients with limited English proficiency in each of five categories: 1) relevant training during graduate school, 2) session preparation, 3) content of the counseling session, 4) perception of Hmong culture, and 5) reflections on working with Hmong interpreters. Cultural awareness and education in training programs were highlighted by all genetic counselors as valued components to patient care. All interviewees had worked with professional Hmong medical interpreters, but had different expectations for the interpreter with whom they worked. To help improve genetic services for Hmong individuals in the United States, we offer suggestions to improve some of the challenges mentioned, and recommend further studies to investigate the genetic counselor and interpreter relationship.
Saint-Réal, féministe? La nouvelle historique au masculin

Depuis la fin du XXe siecle, la critique feministe considere la nouvelle historique comme l'interrogation litteraire par des ecrivaines de la place des femmes dans l'Histoire et dans la societe. Ce...
Transcatheter Closure of Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformation to Facilitate Treatment of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

A 60-year-old Caucasian woman was admitted to our institution with new onset progressive dyspnea for 2 to 3 weeks and worsening of chronic lower extremity edema or abdominal distension. She had a history of cirrhosis (significant alcohol intake and hepatitis C), portal hypertension, and an
Camping the Killer Child: The Queer Humor of William March’s The Bad Seed on Page, Stage, and Screen

William March’s 1954 novel The Bad Seed, which was adapted into Maxwell Anderson’s 1954 play and Mervyn LeRoy’s 1956 film, features ruthless child psychopath Rhoda Penmark. Hailed in the contemporary media as a masterful exploration of the human psyche’s dark currents, Rhoda has since been appropriated as an icon of queer, camp humor. Indeed, queer humor metamorphoses her into the camp figure of the bitch—no matter the divergence between Rhoda’s youth and this stock figure’s experience. Rhoda thus illustrates the limitations of how cruel girl characters are received in modern culture, in that their psychological complexity can be overwritten by the humorous codes of bitchiness—a marginalization that limits female agency while liberating her queer potential.
The Benefits of Dietary Fiber Intake on Reducing the Risk of Cancer: An Umbrella Review of Meta-analyses.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to review previously published meta-analyses on the effectiveness of dietary fiber on reducing the incidence of cancer. Methods An umbrella review of all published meta-analyses was performed. A PubMed search from January 1, 1980 to June 30, 2017 was conducted using the following search strategy: (fiber OR fibre) AND (meta-analysis OR systematic review) AND (cancer OR carcinoma). Only English-language publications that provided quantitative statistical analysis on cancer were retrieved. Results Nineteen meta-analyses comparing highest vs lowest dietary fiber intake were retrieved for inclusion in this umbrella review. There was a statistically significant reduction in the relative risk (RR) of colorectal, esophageal, gastric, and pancreatic cancer (RR = 0.52-0.88); however, statistically significant heterogeneity was observed in the meta-analyses on esophageal, gastric, and pancreatic cancer. There was a statistically significant reduction in the RR of breast cancer (RR = 0.85-0.93). Conclusion This review suggests that those consuming the highest amounts of dietary fiber may benefit from a reduction in the incidence of developing colorectal cancer, and there also appears to be a small reduction in the incidence of breast cancer.
An Open Linguistic Infrastructure for Annotated Corpora

One means to offset the high cost of corpus creation is to distribute effort among members of the research community, and thereby distribute the cost as well. To this end, the American National Corpus (ANC) project undertook to provide data and linguistic annotations to serve as the base for a collaborative, community-wide resource development effort (the ANC Open Linguistic Infrastructure, ANC-OLI). The fundamental premises of the effort are, first, that all data and annotations must be freely available to all members of the community, without restriction on use or redistribution, and second, that once a base of data and annotation was established, the resources would grow as community members contributed their enhancements and derived data. To ensure maximum flexibility and usability, the project has also developed an infrastructure for representing linguistically annotated resources intended to solve some of the usability problems for annotations produced at different sites by harmonizing their representation formats. We describe here the resources and infrastructure developed to support this collaborative community development and the efforts to ensure full community engagement.
The Maximal Scale Ridge - Incorporating Scale into the Ridge Definition

The maximal convexity ridge is not well suited for the anal- ysis of medial functions or, it can be argued, for the analysis of any func- tion that is created via convolution with a kernel based on the Gaussian. In its place one should use the maximal scale ridge, which takes scale’s distinguished role into account. We present the local geometric structure of the maximal scale ridge of smooth and Gaussian blurred functions, a result that complements recent work on scale selection. We also discuss the subdimensional maxima property as it relates to the maximal scale ridge, and we prove that a generalized maximal parameter ridge has the subdimensional maxima property as well.
Versicherungsschutz bei länderübergreifender ärztlicher Behandlung

„Landerubergreifende“ Behandlungen gibt es unter vielen Aspekten: Auslandische Patienten lassen sich in Deutschland behandeln, auslandische Arzte behandeln in Deutschland, und deutsche Arzte arbeiten als Flugbegleiter, Schiffsarzte oder niedergelassen bzw. angestellt in einem anderen Land. Und schlieslich wird landerubergreifend Telemedizin praktiziert. Fur alle diese Tatigkeiten ist die Notwendigkeit einer Berufshaftpflichtversicherung zu prufen und bei Bedarf eine solche vorzuhalten1.
What are Sentiment, Affect, and Emotion? Applying the Methodology of Michael Zock to Sentiment Analysis

In Natural Language Processing or Computational Linguistics (NLP or CL), researchers assume almost universally that speakers hold some affective value or sentiment with regard to (some aspects of) a topic such as a film or camera, that this sentiment has a fixed value (typically, something like good or bad), and that the sentiment is expressed in text through a word or small combination of words. However, one finds in the NLP literature essentially no discussion about what ‘sentiment’ or ‘opinion’ really is, how it is expressed in actual language usage, how the expressing words are organized and found in the lexicon, and how in fact one can empirically verify cognitive claims, if any, implied in or assumed by an NLP implementation. Even the Wikipedia definition, which is a little more careful than most of the NLP literature, uses words like “polarity”, “affective state”, and “emotional effect” without definition. In this situation we can usefully try to duplicate Michael’s mindset and approach. What do people actually do? How does what they do illustrate the complexities of the problem and disclose unusual and interesting aspects that computer scientists are simply blind to? In this paper I first provide interesting examples of real-world usage, then explore some definitions of sentiment, affect, opinion, and emotion, and conclude with a few suggestions for how computational studies might address the problem in a more informed way. I hope in the paper to follow the spirit of Michael’s research, in recognizing that there is much more to language usage than simply making some computer system mimic some annotated corpus, and that one can learn valuable lessons for NLP by looking at what people do when they make language.
The Larkin's Technologies of Trust

In The Larkin9s Technologies of Trust, Zeynep Celik Alexander uses the card ledger invented by Darwin D. Martin, corporate secretary for the Larkin Company, as a starting point for a new history of a well-known modernist building: the Larkin Administration Building in Buffalo, New York, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Founded in 1875 as a soap manufacturer, the Larkin Company had grown dramatically by the beginning of the twentieth century, in large part because of innovative marketing strategies made possible by ingenious information-processing techniques. But it was also thanks to Wright9s designs for office equipment—informed by principles of modularity and interchangeability—that armies of “human computers” were able to maintain this information regime. Celik Alexander argues that the bureaucracy made possible by the Larkin Administration Building9s architecture has been a blind spot in historiography; she aims to offer an architecturally oriented account of the history of data as epistemic unit, contending that the Larkin9s protodatabase was, first and foremost, a moral technology predicated on managing networks of trust.
Sex specific associations between biomechanical recovery and clinical recovery after total hip arthroplasty.

Abstract Background There are sex-specific gait differences in men and women before and after total hip arthroplasty (THA) but we do not know their impact on clinical outcomes. The objective of this study was to identify sex-specific associations between pre- and postoperative changes in pain and function and (i) gait mechanics, (ii) passive range of motion, and (iii) abductor strength. Methods Pre- and one-year postoperative data were identified from a data repository (n = 124; 64 Women; Age 61 (SD 10); BMI 29 (SD 5)). We used linear regression analysis to identify sex-specific associations between Harris Hip Score pain and function subscores, and sagittal plane hip kinematics and 3D hip kinetics during gait, hip abductor strength, and passive hip range of motion (RoM). Findings Combinations of biomechanical variables predicted up to 24% of the variation in pain improvement and up to 27% of the variation in functional improvement. In men, increased peak external rotation moments were associated with pain improvement. Passive flexion RoM and peak extension moments were associated with functional improvement. In women, increased passive adduction RoM and peak external rotation moments were associated with pain improvement. Peak adduction moments and passive flexion RoM were associated with functional improvement. Interpretations The different associations between improvement in clinical outcomes and improvement in gait, passive RoM, and abductor strength suggest that the biomechanical path to recovery may be different in men and women.
Dagon as Queer Assemblage: Effeminacy and Terror in Samson Agonistes

This chapter interweaves Jasbir Puar’s foundational work on “homonationalism” and “terrorist assemblages” with discussions about Samson Agonistes and the War on Terror. Combining this with early modernist work on effeminacy, Daniel argues that a resemblance between Samson as an emasculated male and Dagon as a monstrous hybrid or “queer assemblage” provokes Samson’s razing of the Philistine temple. In this analysis, Samson’s final act of religious violence is an act of anxious displacement. Anxiety likewise explains critics’ painstaking efforts to distance Milton from Samson’s terrorist act. From this shared logic of displacement, we can perceive Daniel’s urgent call for a queer Milton criticism attentive to the manifestations and effects of anxiety, including its transformation into terror.
Early Discharge After Radical Nephrectomy: An Analysis of Complications and Readmissions

Abstract Introduction Length of stay (LOS) is increasingly being viewed as a quality metric, and efforts to reduce LOS are present across most surgical subspecialties. However, data on whether reducing LOS is safe in patients who undergo radical nephrectomy (RN) are lacking. The purpose of this study was to assess whether early discharge after RN affects readmission rates and postdischarge complications using a national cohort of patients. Patients and Methods The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was used to identify patients who underwent RN from 2012 to 2015. Procedures were stratified as minimally invasive or open. Early discharge was defined as less than or equal to the procedure-specific 25th percentile for LOS. Multivariable analysis was used to identify factors associated with readmission and postdischarge complications. A sensitivity analysis excluded patients with a LOS >75th percentile. Results A total of 11,429 patients were included. The 25th percentile for LOS was 2 days in the minimally invasive group and 3 days in the open group. In multivariable analysis, early discharge did not increase the risk of postdischarge complications (odds ratio, 0.88; 95% confidence interval, 0.71-1.08; P = .214) and decreased the risk of readmission (odds ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval, 0.59-0.87; P = .001). Conclusion Early discharge after RN does not increase the risk of postdischarge complications or readmission. With the appropriate patient selection, decreasing LOS might lead to decreased surgical costs and improved patient flow. This work provides a foundation for future research that might optimize perioperative care pathways to decrease LOS.
Student difficulties with boundary conditions in the context of electromagnetic waves

Junior-level physics students have many difficulties with boundary conditions, including evaluating the physical reasonableness of their calculated results for reflected and transmitted coefficients
Processability of AquaSolve™ LG polymer by hot-melt extrusion: Effects of pressurized CO2 on physicomechanical properties and API stability.

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the processability of AquaSolve™ hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate L grade (HPMCAS LG) via hot-melt extrusion and to examine the effect of pressurized carbon dioxide (P CO2) on the physicomechanical properties of efavirenz (EFA)-loaded extrudates. To optimize the process parameters and formulations, various physical mixtures of EFA (30%, 40%, and 50%, w/w) and HPMCAS LG (70%, 60%, and 50%, w/w), respectively, were extruded using a co-rotating twin-screw extruder with a standard screw configuration, with P CO2 injected into zone 8 of the extruder. Thermal characterization of the extrudates was performed using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to study the morphology and porosity of the formulations. Notably, the macroscopic morphology changed to a foam-like structure by P CO2 injection resulting in an increased specific surface area, porosity, and dissolution rate. Thus, HPMCAS LG extrusion, coupled with P CO2 injection, yielded faster dissolving extrudates. Stability studies indicated that HPMCAS LG was able to physically and chemically stabilize the amorphous state of high-dose EFA. Furthermore, the milling efficiency of the extrudates produced with P CO2 injection improved because of their increased porosity.
Microsystems technology for high-throughput single-cell sorting

Abstract The past 20 years have witnessed an explosive growth of microfluidic and microwell-based systems for biomedical research including high-throughput single-cell sorting and engineered microphysiological tissue chip systems. By and large, the development of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) soft molding has catalyzed this growth, and PDMS today remains the material of choice of the microsystems field. PDMS soft molding allows for the rapid and economical design of sophisticated microfluidic and microwell devices for a diversity of biomedical applications including the emerging frontier of testing the effects of micro/zero gravity (e.g., in space) on tissue homeostasis. The diversification of biomedical applications has, however, uncovered limitations of PDMS that are driving a need to explore new materials as well as the design of innovative architectures beyond shallow cuboid or cylindrical microwell structure for tissue chip and high-throughput cell-sorting application. Of particular interest are concave to spherical microwells that allow for spatial localization of cells but also provide for cell proliferation and concentration of cell-secreted factors. In this chapter, we discuss factors driving the development of high-throughput cell-screening technologies, the current state-of-the-art approaches, and the challenges that motivate emerging efforts to develop new material and device architectures.
Does private money increase party extremism

In this paper, I explore whether private money affects party extremism. This is one of the most important questions in the study of party politics, but it has not been systematically studied in the...
Post-transplantation cyclophosphamide for chimerism-based tolerance

High-dose cyclophosphamide given post-transplant (PTCy) successfully enables tolerance induction in HLA-mismatched related blood or marrow transplantation (haploBMT) manifested by low rates of graft failure, severe acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and chronic GVHD. When proceeded by nonmyeloablative conditioning, PTCy has also been associated with a low incidence of nonrelapse mortality. The safety of this platform has garnered interest in expanding its use to non-malignant indications for allogeneic blood or marrow transplantation (alloBMT). After success in a preliminary Phase I/II trial, use of a PTCy-based haploBMT platform is now being explored in a large Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN) study for sickle cell disease. These emerging data in patients with hemoglobinopathies provided the rationale for exploring the use of PTCy in combined solid organ and BM transplantation as a means of tolerance induction through donor hematopoietic chimerism with a goal to obviate the need for a lifetime of immunosuppression. Several case reports, series, and small clinical trials have now been published of combined solid organ and alloBMT in patients with hematologic malignancies who had organ failure that would have been preclusive of alloBMT in the absence of solid organ transplantation. Here we will review the pre-clinical and clinical studies supporting the use of PTCy for chimerism-based tolerance induction.
EWOD-aided droplet transport on texture ratchets

We report a digital microfluidic device to transport aqueous droplets on an open surface in air using electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) with anisotropic ratchet conveyors (ARCs). ARCs are micro-sized periodic semicircular hydrophilic regions on a hydrophobic background, providing anisotropic wettability. SiNx and Cytop are used as the dielectric layer between the water droplet and working electrodes. By adopting parylene as a stencil mask, hydrophilic patterning on the hydrophobic Cytop thin film layer is achieved without the loss of Cytop hydrophobicity. While the traditional EWOD platform requires the control of multiple electrodes to transport the droplet, our system utilizes only two controlling electrodes. We demonstrate that 15 μl water droplets are transported at a speed of 13 mm/s under 60 Vpeak sinusoid AC signal at 50 Hz. Droplet transport at 20 Hz is also presented, demonstrating that the system can operate within a range of frequencies.
Correlation of clinical outcome with laboratory parameters in children with dengue infection: An appraisal from a tertiary children’s hospital in India

Introduction: Dengue infection is caused by the dengue virus (arbovirus), the incidence of which is increasing in India. In dengue endemic settings, early diagnosis and monitoring for complications are important, especially in children. Concurrent testing of NSI antigen, dengue specific IgG and IgM will help to diagnose patients with suspected dengue fever. Objective: To correlate the clinical profile and outcome of dengue fever with detection of NSI antigen, dengue specific IgG and IgM antibody, hematological and biochemical parameters and blood component utilization. Methods: All children presenting to Rainbow hospital and diagnosed with dengue infection using NS1 and dengue specific IgG and IgM antibody during a one year period (1st November 2016 to 31st October 2017) were included in the study. The haemogram and biochemistry parameters were done using automated analyzers. Inpatients were classified as severe or non-severe based on clinical and/or laboratory evidence. The degree of association between clinical parameters and disease severity in relation to NS1 positivity was expressed as an odds ratio. Results: Among 213 children diagnosed, 126 were treated as inpatients and the rest as outpatients. The age range of the study sample was 6 months to 15 years. NS1 positivity was observed in 72.3 % patients. NS1 positivity, when compared to severity of disease was significant (Odds ratio: 2.3; p Conclusions: Using all three tests (NS1, dengue specific IgM and IgG) was useful, as in 59 (27.7%) patients, despite a negative NS1, based on a positive dengue antibody response (IgG and/or IgM), the patients were admitted and monitored. NS1 positivity was associated with a higher risk of thrombocytopenia in this study.
Le deuil inachevé: la commémoration de l’armistice du 11 novembre 1918 en France dans l’entre-deux-guerres (histoire de la France aux XIXe/XXe siècles): by Christina Theodosiou, Paris, Éditions de la Sorbonne, 2018, 320 pp., 24€ (paperback), ISBN 979-1-0351-0100-8

Christina Theodosiou’s Le Deuil inacheve is a fine-grained cultural and political history of Armistice Day commemorations in interwar France. The book explores how ‘postwar society attempted, throu...
Large reduction in opioid prescribing by a multipronged behavioral intervention after major urologic surgery.

Background Surgeons play a pivotal role in combating the opioid crisis that currently grips the United States. Changing surgeon behavior is difficult, and the degree to which behavioral science can steer surgeons toward decreased opioid prescribing is unclear. Methods This was a single-institution, single-arm, pre- and postintervention study examining the prescribing of opioids by urologists for adult patients undergoing prostatectomy or nephrectomy. The primary outcome was the quantity of opioids prescribed in oral morphine equivalents (OMEs) after hospital discharge. The primary exposure was a multipronged behavioral intervention designed to decrease opioid prescribing. The intervention had 3 components: 1) formal education, 2) individual audit feedback, and 3) peer comparison performance feedback. There were 3 phases to the study: a pre-intervention phase, an intervention phase, and a washout phase. Results Three hundred eighty-two patients underwent prostatectomy, and 306 patients underwent nephrectomy. The median OMEs decreased from 195 to 19 in the prostatectomy patients and from 200 to 0 in the nephrectomy patients (P .05 for all). Conclusions Implementing a multipronged behavioral intervention significantly reduced opioid prescribing for patients undergoing prostatectomy or nephrectomy without compromising patient-reported outcomes.
The Impact of Rituximab on the Clinical Outcomes of Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma (PCNSL) When Added to Combination Chemotherapy: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis

Introduction: PCNSL is a rare diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) confined to the central nervous system accounting for approximately 2-5% of all primary brain tumors. Although there is no standard combination of chemotherapy, high-dose methotrexate is considered the backbone of all PCNSL chemotherapy regimens. Rituximab, an anti-CD20 antibody, has been a standard component of non-CNS DLBCL combinations since it improves progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS). However, the role of Rituximab in the treatment of PCNSL has been controversial with contradictory results. A meta-analysis conducted in 2019 found no associated survival advantage for Rituximab when added to chemotherapy. However, this meta-analysis was small and included only 2 studies. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to evaluate in a more comprehensive way the impact of Rituximab-based chemotherapy combinations on the clinical outcomes of patients with PCNSL incorporating all available comparative studies. Methods: A review of the medical literature was conducted using online databases. Inclusion criteria consisted of PCNSL diagnosis, English language, and studies reporting OS and PFS with hazard ratios (HR) or Kaplan-Meier curves that compared similar regimens with and without Rituximab. A meta-analysis using an inverse variance method with a random-effects model was conducted. Results: Four comparative studies with a total of 467 patients were included in this meta-analysis. Two of these studies were retrospective comparative studies and two were randomized phase II trials. When added to chemotherapy, Rituximab was found to significantly improve the OS and PFS (HROS 0.75, 95%CI: 0.59-0.96, p=0.02; HRPFS 0.67, 95%CI: 0.53-0.85, p=0.001) with a heterogeneity estimate, I2=0%. Conclusions: This is the first meta-analysis to show that adding Rituximab to chemotherapy is associated with OS and PFS in patients with PCNSL. In the absence of randomized clinical trials, this meta-analysis represents the most compelling data supporting the routine use of Rituximab combinations in PCNSL. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Mapping of Texture and Phase Fractions in Heterogeneous Stress States during Multiaxial Loading of Biomedical Superelastic NiTi.

Thermoelastic deformation mechanisms in polycrystalline biomedical-grade superelastic NiTi are spatially mapped using in situ neutron diffraction during multiaxial loading and heating. The trigonal R-phase is formed from the cubic phase during cooling to room temperature and subsequently deforms in compression, tension, and torsion. The resulting R-phase variant microstructure from the variant reorientation and detwinning processes are equivalent for the corresponding strain in tension and compression, and the variant microstructure is reversible by isothermal loading. The R-phase variant microstructure is consistent between uniaxial and torsional loading when the principal stress directions of the stress state are considered (for the crystallographic directions observed here). The variant microstructure evolution is tracked and the similarity in general behavior between uniaxial and torsional loading, in spite of the implicit heterogeneous stress state associated with torsional loading, pointed to the ability of the reversible thermoelastic transformation in NiTi to accommodate stress and strain mismatch with deformation. This ability of the R-phase, despite its limited variants, to accommodate stress and strain and satisfy strain incompatibility in addition to the existing internal stresses has significance for reducing irrecoverable deformation mechanisms during loading and cycling through the phase transformation.
Telemedicine Quality and Quality Improvement in Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy, and Sleep Medicine

In its early years, telehealth was envisioned as a tool to deliver care over distance, particularly in rural or remote areas. While this is an important objective, more contemporaneous telehealth programs seek to apply these technologies to improve the overall quality of care. This chapter provides a high-level overview of major concerns related to quality, cost, and access issues in US health care and how telehealth can be used as a tool to improve quality and disseminate best practices. Key domains of quality in health care include care that is safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable, and patient centered. Frameworks and strategies to systematically address poor health care outcomes are considered in the context of telehealth.
AI Advice: The Irony of Big Data Disclosures and the New Advice Paradigm

This Article merges one of our most ancient technologies for the promotion of welfare — advice — with some of our most recent — artificial intelligence (AI) and big data. This is the first Article to introduce and examine the possibility of AI advice. It critiques and expands upon an explosion of scholarship in the last two years on personalized law. The Article first rejects recent attempts to rehabilitate mandatory disclosures by personalizing them. Ironically, the technological progress required to create effective Big Data disclosures will itself substantially reduce the need for such disclosures. In this future, advice, not disclosure, will be the dominant paradigm. The Article then dissects our everyday practices of advice-giving to unearth a number of powerful features of advice that promote self-efficacy, reduce motivated reasoning, and overall make it more likely that people will hear and heed good advice. The capacity to bundle these features with exceedingly accurate recommendations makes AI advice far superior to its two main regulatory rivals: mandatory disclosure and nudges.
Rethinking the dichotomy of sexual identity and relational intimacies: Chinese gay men’s mental health in mixed-orientation marriages

Very little research has examined the psychological adjustment of gay men in mixed-orientation marriages (MOMs) – a marital union wherein one spouse is a sexual minority person (e.g. gay/lesbian, b...
A fractional order sliding mode control-based topology to improve the transient stability of wind energy systems

Abstract This paper proposes a control topology that integrates the robust performance of fractional order sliding mode control with the high charging/discharging rate and low maintenance requirements of super-capacitors to improve the transient stability of wind energy systems. The observer-based fractional-order sliding mode control (FOSMC) approach is designed to regulate the dc-link voltage and mitigate dynamic instabilities resulting from grid faults, matched and mismatched uncertainties and parameter variations. The super-capacitor, on the other hand, serves as an additional energy storage element that prevents dangerous current surges thereby stabilizing the power delivered to the grid. The proposed approach was validated using a DFIG-based wind energy system installed in a small-scale standalone power supply network. The obtained results confirmed the approach’s ability to effectively reduce current fault induced ripples and properly regulate the dc link voltage. They also revealed a remarkable reduction in the thermal stress of semiconductor junctions in the presence of grid faults and disturbances. A further comparison with a standard sliding mode control (SSMC) approach showed that the use of fractional calculus to formulate the FOSMC resulted in smoother control actions and reduced chattering effects compared to SSMC.
No Easy Solution: A Smorgasbord of Factors Drive Remittance Costs

There has been a global push to decrease the cost of remittances since at least 2009, which has culminated with its inclusion in the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. Despite this effort and the emergence of new business models, remittance costs have been decreasing very slowly, disproving predictions that sharp declines would be just around the corner. In addition, remitting to poorer countries remains very expensive. Oddly, this situation has not been able to elicit academic interest on the drivers of remittance costs. This paper delved deeply into the remittances ecosystem and found a very complex, heterogenous and unequal environment, one in which costs are driven by a myriad of factors and where there are no easy and quick solutions available, which explains the disappointing outcome so far. Nonetheless, it also shows that while policymakers have limited room to act they still have a very important role to play.
Zero Tolerance: Safe Schools or Zero Sense?

Zero tolerance polices and an emphasis on school safety have been effective in reducing the incidents of weapons and violence in public schools. Some applications of zero tolerance, however, seem to defy common sense. But, concerns regarding weapons and violence are real. This manuscript argues that well administered zero tolerance policies combined with a comprehensive approach to improve school culture is a viable part of the school safety equation.
Short‐term effects of herbicides and a prescribed fire on restoration of a shrub‐encroached pine savanna

Shrub encroachment occurring worldwide in savannas and grasslands has commonly been hypothesized to result from anthropogenically altered environments. Two disturbance-based approaches to restoration have involved: (1) application of selective herbicides to reduce density/cover of shrubs; (2) reinstatement of natural fire regimes to generate environmental conditions favoring herbaceous species. We studied short-term responses of native shrubs, vines, and grasses in a Louisiana pine savanna to herbicides followed by a prescribed fire and fire alone. Plots established in the summer, 2013, were hand-sprayed in the fall with Imazapyr and Triclopyr, Triclopyr alone, or no herbicide, then prescribed burned the following spring. Numbers of species of shrubs and vines at scales of 1 and 100 m2, numbers of stems and regrowth of stems produced by six common species of shrubs, and the number of flowering culms of perennial C4 grasses were assessed postfire in 2014. Compared with fire alone, herbicides followed by fire resulted in (1) small reductions in species richness of shrubs and no effects on vines, (2) fewer stems comprising shrub genets, but similar postfire regrowth of resprouting shrub stems, and (3) fewer flowering culms of C4 grasses. Underground storage organs of savanna shrubs and vines survived both aboveground disturbances. Thus, single applications of herbicides followed by fires reduced, but did not reverse shrub encroachment and negatively affected grasses. Because effects of herbicides overrode those of prescribed fires, these disturbances did not act synergistically, suggesting that reinstating natural fire regimes should be a priority in restoration of savannas and grasslands.
Global Methods for Combinatorial Isoperimetric Problems

1. The edge-isoperimetric problem 2. The minimum path problem 3. Stabilization and compression 4. The vertex-isoperimetric problem 5. Stronger stabilization 6. Higher compression 7. Isoperimetric problems on infinite graphs 8. Isoperimetric problems on complexes 9. Morphisms for MWI problems 10. Passage to the limit 11. Afterword 12. The classical isoperimetric problem.