cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiobjective Optimization of Temporal Processes

This paper presents a dynamic predictive-optimization framework of a nonlinear temporal process. Data-mining (DM) and evolutionary strategy algorithms are integrated in the framework for solving the optimization model. DM algorithms learn dynamic equations from the process data. An evolutionary strategy algorithm is then applied to solve the optimization problem guided by the knowledge extracted by the DM algorithm. The concept presented in this paper is illustrated with the data from a power plant, where the goal is to maximize the boiler efficiency and minimize the limestone consumption. This multiobjective optimization problem can be either transformed into a single-objective optimization problem through preference aggregation approaches or into a Pareto-optimal optimization problem. The computational results have shown the effectiveness of the proposed optimization framework.
Polyclonal Nature of Islet Cell Antibodies in Insulin-Dependent Diabetes

Islet cell antibodies (ICA) are associated with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDD) and have been proposed as predictive markers for the disease. To determine whether ICA result from the activation of single autoreactive B-lymphocyte clones or are the result of polyclonal B-cell activation, we assayed ICA using polyvalent antisera specific to kappa or lambda light chains as well as monoclonal antibodies to IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4 heavy chains by indirect immunofluorescence. Sera from 38 newly diagnosed IDD patients with IgG-ICA titers greater than 1:8 by end-point dilution were studied. ICA of both kappa and lambda light chains were present in all sera. The ICA were predominantly of the IgG1 subclass (38/38), although ICA were also found to be IgG2 in 53% (20/38), IgG3 in 29% (11/38) and IgG4 in 16% (6/38). The distribution of IgG heavy chains in ICA was compared to the ICA titer, age of onset of IDD and HLA-DR phenotype of the patient. No statistical correlation could be detected at a P value < 0...
Tesla Motors: The Evolution of Governance from Inception to IPO

In June 2010, Tesla Motors raised over $225 million in an initial public offering that valued the electric car manufacturer at $2 billion. It was the first time a U.S. automobile company went public since Ford Motor in 1956.The evolution of Tesla - first incorporated in 2003 by engineers Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning - in some ways has been unique, given the nature of its business. At the same time, Tesla has faced organizational challenges that are common to most public and private corporations. We examine the prominent features of the company’s governance system as it has evolved from inception to IPO, including the board of directors, antitakeover protections, and executive compensation program. In each case, the system changed to match the current needs of the company.Many experts prescribe a one-size-fits-all approach to governance. Why don’t they do a better job of taking into account the company’s specific situation and needs? Now that Tesla is public, how might we expect its governance system to change in the future? Topics, Issues and Controversies in Corporate Governance and Leadership: The Closer Look series is a collection of short case studies through which we explore topics, issues, and controversies in corporate governance. In each study, we take a targeted look at a specific issue that is relevant to the current debate on governance and explain why it is so important. Larcker and Tayan are co-authors of the book Corporate Governance Matters, and A Real Look at Real World Corporate Governance.
Growth within macrophages increases the efficiency of Mycobacterium avium in invading other macrophages by a complement receptor-independent pathway

Infections caused by organisms of the Mycobacterium avium complex occur in approximately 50 to 60% of patients with AIDS. M. avium is an intracellular pathogen that survives and multiplies within mononuclear phagocytes. In this study, we investigated the uptake of M. avium grown within macrophages (intracellular growth M. avium [IG]) by a second macrophage compared with M. avium cultured in broth (extracellular growth M. avium [EG]). The results showed that IG was six- to eightfold more efficient than EG in entering macrophages. In addition, while an anti-CR3 antibody was able to inhibit approximately 60% of EG uptake by macrophages, it failed to inhibit the entry of IG. In contrast to EG, IG uptake into macrophages was significantly inhibited in the presence of anti-beta1-integrin and anti-transferrin receptor antibodies. Entry into macrophages by alternate receptors was associated with resistance to tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) stimulation. While stimulation with TNF-alpha resulted in inhibition of the growth of EG, it was not associated with inhibition of intracellular growth of IG. Investigation of the reason why M. avium is able to sense the changes in the intracellular environment triggering a change to the invasive phenotype suggests a direct relationship with macrophage apoptosis. These results suggest that intracellular growth is associated with novel mechanisms of M. avium uptake of macrophages and that those mechanisms appear to offer advantages to the bacteria in escaping the host defense.
Immune Adjuvant Activity of Pre-Resectional Radiofrequency Ablation Protects against Local and Systemic Recurrence in Aggressive Murine Colorectal Cancer

Purpose While surgical resection is a cornerstone of cancer treatment, local and distant recurrences continue to adversely affect outcome in a significant proportion of patients. Evidence that an alternative debulking strategy involving radiofrequency ablation (RFA) induces antitumor immunity prompted the current investigation of the efficacy of performing RFA prior to surgical resection (pre-resectional RFA) in a preclinical mouse model. Experimental Design Therapeutic efficacy and systemic immune responses were assessed following pre-resectional RFA treatment of murine CT26 colon adenocarcinoma. Results Treatment with pre-resectional RFA significantly delayed tumor growth and improved overall survival compared to sham surgery, RFA, or resection alone. Mice in the pre-resectional RFA group that achieved a complete response demonstrated durable antitumor immunity upon tumor re-challenge. Failure to achieve a therapeutic benefit in immunodeficient mice confirmed that tumor control by pre-resectional RFA depends on an intact adaptive immune response rather than changes in physical parameters that make ablated tumors more amenable to a complete surgical excision. RFA causes a marked increase in intratumoral CD8+ T lymphocyte infiltration, thus substantially enhancing the ratio of CD8+ effector T cells: FoxP3+ regulatory T cells. Importantly, pre-resectional RFA significantly increases the number of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells within the tumor microenvironment and tumor-draining lymph node but had no impact on infiltration by myeloid-derived suppressor cells, M1 macrophages or M2 macrophages at tumor sites or in peripheral lymphoid organs (i.e., spleen). Finally, pre-resectional RFA of primary tumors delayed growth of distant tumors through a mechanism that depends on systemic CD8+ T cell-mediated antitumor immunity. Conclusion Improved survival and antitumor systemic immunity elicited by pre-resectional RFA support the translational potential of this neoadjuvant treatment for cancer patients with high-risk of local and systemic recurrence.
Runx1 promotes proliferation and neuronal differentiation in adult mouse neurosphere cultures

Traumatic brain injury alters the signaling environment of the adult neurogenic niche and may activate unique proliferative cell populations that contribute to the post-injury neurogenic response. Runx1 is not normally expressed by adult neural stem or progenitor cells (NSPCs) but is induced in a subpopulation of putative NSPCs after brain injury in adult mice. In order to investigate the role of Runx1 in NSPCs, we established neurosphere cultures of adult mouse subventricular zone NSPCs. We show that Runx1 is basally expressed in neurosphere culture. Removal of the mitogen bFGF or addition of 1% FBS decreased Runx1 expression. Inhibition of endogenous Runx1 activity with either Ro5-3335 or shRNA-mediated Runx1 knockdown inhibited NSPC proliferation without affecting differentiation. Lentiviral mediated over-expression of Runx1 in neurospheres caused a significant change in cell morphology without reducing proliferation. Runx1-overexpressing neurospheres changed from floating spheres to adherent colonies or individual unipolar or bipolar cells. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that Runx1 over-expression produced a significant increase in expression of the neuronal marker TuJ1 and a minor increase in the astrocytic marker S100β. Thus, Runx1 expression drove adult NSPC differentiation, predominantly toward a neuronal lineage. These data suggest that Runx1 could be manipulated after injury to promote neuronal differentiation to facilitate repair of the CNS.
Mechanisms of Adenosine- and ATP-Induced Relaxation in Rabbit Femoral Artery: Role of the Endothelium and Cyclic Nucleotides

The mechanisms that mediate relaxation induced by ATP and adenosine (Ado) were studied in the rabbit femoral artery. Responses to ATP were found to be endothelium-dependent and mediated through the P2 receptor. In response to ATP, we found increases in cyclic GMP levels of cultured aortic smooth muscle cells and femoral artery rings. These increases in cyclic GMP levels were present only in the intact artery rings or in smooth muscle cells mixed or cocultured with aortic endothelium. The rise in cyclic GMP levels preceded relaxation to ATP and was abolished by either denuding the femoral of endothelium or preincubating with ETYA, ad by not having endothelial cells present in cell culture systems. ATP-induced relaxations and cyclic GMP accumulation were abolished by the P2 receptor antagonist ANAPP3 but not by theophyl-line. In contrast, relaxations to Ado were not affected by removal of the endothelium. We measured increases in cyclic AMP levels which preceded response to Ado. Both responses were attenuated by the P1 receptor antagonist, theophylline. The use of structural analogues of Ado allowed further characterization of the receptor involved as the A2 type, the stimulatory receptor for the adenylate cyclase system. Specific A2 analogues caused greater increases in cyclic AMP levels which correlated well with relaxation. In conclusion, in the rabbit femoral artery ATP is an endothelium-dependent vasodilator, causing release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor which increases smooth muscle cyclic GMP. Ado acts independently of the endothelium, to cause A2 receptor-mediated increases in smooth muscle cyclic AMP levels and relaxation.
Multifaceted intervention including education, rounding checklist implementation, cost feedback, and financial incentives reduces inpatient laboratory costs.

BACKGROUND Inappropriate laboratory testing is a contributor to waste in healthcare. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of a multifaceted laboratory reduction intervention on laboratory costs. DESIGN A retrospective, controlled, interrupted time series (ITS) study. SETTING University of Utah Health Care, a 500-bed academic medical center in Salt Lake City, Utah. POPULATION All patients 18 years or older admitted to the hospital to a service other than obstetrics, rehabilitation, or psychiatry. INTERVENTION Multifaceted quality-improvement initiative in a hospitalist service including education, process change, cost feedback, and financial incentive. MEASUREMENTS Primary outcomes of lab cost per day and per visit. Secondary outcomes of number of basic metabolic panel (BMP), comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), complete blood count (CBC), and prothrombin time/international normalized ratio tests per day; length of stay (LOS); and 30-day readmissions. RESULTS A total of 6310 hospitalist patient visits (intervention group) were compared to 25,586 nonhospitalist visits (control group). Among the intervention group, the unadjusted mean cost per day was reduced from $138 before the intervention to $123 after the intervention (P < 0.001), and the unadjusted mean cost per visit decreased from $618 to $558 (P = 0.005). The ITS analysis showed significant reductions in cost per day, cost per visit, and the number of BMP, CMP, and CBC tests per day (P = 0.034, 0.02, <0.001, 0.004, and <0.001). LOS was unchanged and 30-day readmissions decreased in the intervention group. CONCLUSION A multifaceted approach to laboratory reduction demonstrated a significant reduction in laboratory cost per day and per visit, as well as common tests per day at a major academic medical center. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2016;11:348–354. © 2016 Society of Hospital Medicine
Heparan Sulfate is a Selective Attachment Factor for the Avian Coronavirus IBV Beaudette

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is a coronavirus infecting domestic fowl. It was originally isolated in the 1930s and continues to cause major problems in the poultry industry. The avian coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) strain Beaudette is an embryo-adapted virus that has extended species tropism in cell culture. In order to understand the acquired tropism of the Beaudette strain, this study compared the S protein sequences of several IBV strains. The Beaudette strain was found to contain a putative heparan sulfate (HS)-binding site, indicating that the Beaudette virus may use HS as a selective receptor.
Parachuting injury surveillance, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, May 1993 to December 1994

Surveillance for parachute-related injuries was conducted at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, between May 1993 and December 1994. During this 20-month period, lower-extremity injuries (27% of all injuries), axial skeletal (back and neck) strains and sprains (19.3%), and closed head injuries (18.4%) were the leading causes of injury. The incidence of injuries requiring emergency care was 8/1,000 jumps. This rate is well within the jump injury planning estimate, suggesting that airborne training and operations are conducted in a safe and effective manner at Fort Bragg.
Approximate logic circuits: theory and applications

CMOS technology scaling, the process of shrinking transistor dimensions based on Moore's law, has been the thrust behind increasingly powerful integrated circuits for over half a century. As dimensions are scaled to few tens of nanometers, process and environmental variations can significantly alter transistor characteristics, thus degrading reliability and reducing performance gains in CMOS designs with technology scaling. Although design solutions proposed in recent years to improve reliability of CMOS designs are power-efficient, the performance penalty associated with these solutions further reduces performance gains with technology scaling, and hence these solutions are not well-suited for high-performance designs. This thesis proposes approximate logic circuits as a new logic synthesis paradigm for reliable, high-performance computing systems. Given a specification, an approximate logic circuit is functionally equivalent to the given specification for a "significant" portion of the input space, but has a smaller delay and power as compared to a circuit implementation of the original specification. This contributions of this thesis include (i) a general theory of approximation and efficient algorithms for automated synthesis of approximations for unrestricted random logic circuits, (ii) logic design solutions based on approximate circuits to improve reliability of designs with negligible performance penalty, and (iii) efficient decomposition algorithms based on approximate circuits to improve performance of designs during logic synthesis. This thesis concludes with other potential applications of approximate circuits and identifies open problems in logic decomposition and approximate circuit synthesis.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of “No Refusal” Blood Draw Search Warrant Programs to Reduce Alcohol-Related Traffic Crashes in Central Texas

Alcohol-related traffic crashes cause thousands of deaths a year in the United States. Many types of enforcement approaches have been used by law enforcement agencies to decrease the amount of injuries and deaths caused by intoxicated drivers. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the “no refusal” blood draw programs used by law enforcement agencies in the Capital Area Council of Governments and the Alamo Area Council of Governments of central Texas. The study area covers twenty-three counties that are served by more than 120 municipal, county, and other law enforcement agencies. A difference-in-differences method was applied to analyze the alcohol-related crash rates before and after the no refusal program. Statistically significant reductions in the alcohol-related crash rate after the adoption of no refusal programs were revealed, suggesting the effectiveness of the program in reducing alcohol-related traffic crashes.
Analysis of the Major Metabolite of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in Urine. V. Cross-Reactivity of Selected Compounds in a Radioimmunoassay

The potential for cross-reactivity of an antiserum used to detect 11-nor-delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid in a urine sample by a radioimmunoassay procedure has been examined. The degrees of cross-reactivity of 41 cannabinoids and non-cannabinoid phenolic constituents of Cannabis have been determined. In general, only (delta 8- or delta 9-THC type) cannabinoids of the dibenzopyran type structure were found to appreciably cross-react with the antiserum. Cross-reactivity was not observed with any non-cannabinoid constituent.
On Theoretic Basis of Establishing Major Quality-oriented Education Courses

The present education in China aims at the all-around development of the students.Yet the traditional model is difficult to meet the needs of its development.Therefore,it must be reformed fundamentally.With the goal of realizing quality-oriented education,the paper has an intensive research on its theory and proposed the theoretic basis of establishing the compulsory courses for quality education.
Bacteriuria During Closed Urinary Drainage: An Evaluation of Top-Vented Versus Bag-Vented Systems

AbstractFor a 10-month period a top-vented closed urinary drainage system was evaluated and compared to a conventional bag-vented drainage system. The study involved random assignment of either system to all adult patients who required urinary catheterization. Criteria for exclusion included acute or chronic genitourinary tract infection and surgical interference with bladder function. The end point of the study was removal of any part of the system after at least 24 hours or a positive urine culture (>10,000 colonies per ml. urine). The series included 236 patients. Distributions of patient age, sex and hospital service assignment (medical or surgical), antibiotic usage and duration of catheterization were similar in both study groups. Of 113 patients with the top-vented system 16 (14.2 per cent) acquired bacteriuria, whereas 13 of 123 (10.6 per cent) with the bag-drainage system acquired bacteriuria. No significant difference was noted. Antibiotics were used in 202 of 236 patients (86 per cent). Althoug...
Martial Sports and the Technological Challenge

Participation in the serious activities of guarding and fighting was not the only means by which early modern townsmen came into contact with the dictates of the martial ethic. Weapons had peaceful uses as well. In towns, palaces, and villages throughout Europe during the late medieval and early modern period, men spent leisure time practicing the skills of war in competition with one another at organized shooting and fencing matches. In the German towns, shooting matches were normally hosted by local shooting societies (Schutzengesellschaften) at permanent shooting grounds, whereas townsmen practiced sword-fighting at temporary fencing “schools” (Fechtschulen) offered by traveling masters. What exactly were shooting societies and fencing schools? Who participated in shooting and sword-fighting matches, and what purpose did these competitions serve? And what was the relationship of shooting societies to civic defense systems?
Preambles As Guidance

Debates over administrative agencies’ reliance on guidance documents have largely neglected the most authoritative source of guidance about the meaning of agency regulations: their preambles. This Article examines and defends the guidance function of preambles. Preambles were designed not only to provide the agency’s official justification for the regulations they introduce, but also to offer guidance about the regulation’s meaning and application. Today, preambles include extensive guidance ranging from interpretive commentary to application examples. Based on the place of preamble guidance as part of the agency’s formal explanation of the regulation and the rigorous internal agency vetting which accompanies that formal role, this Article argues that preamble guidance has greater authority than other forms of guidance. That greater authority has important implications. Under current judicial doctrine, preamble guidance warrants greater deference than other forms of guidance. Preamble guidance’s superiority also grounds the agency’s obligation to act consistently with it—and to revise preamble guidance only in documents issued by the agency, as opposed to lower-level officials, with the same publicity as the original preamble. This obligation should be expressly adopted as a form of internal administrative law either by individual agencies or central executive branch regulators.
Abstract 4880: Characterization of genetic concordance between primary tumor cells, circulating tumor cells, and metastatic tumor cells from patients with prostate cancer

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) which disseminate from the primary tumor site have been found to be a major source of metastatic tumor. However, CTCs are heterogeneous and most CTC DNA is fragmented due to apoptosis. To better understand the molecular pathogenesis of metastasis, it is imperative to obtain single, non-apoptotic CTCs and investigate the genetic concordance between primary tumor cells, CTCs and metastatic tumor cells. Due to the abundance of normal cells present in the blood and in tumor tissue, isolation of single tumor cells or pure cell populations of these cells is extremely difficult. The DEPArray platform is designated to collect single CTCs after Cell-Search enrichment, and to sort pure intact tumor cells from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues. Taking advantage of this technology, we have isolated single CTCs from prostate cancer patients. Whole genome amplification was performed and genomes with high integrity were used to evaluate the hotspot mutations in PIK3CA. For comparison, we also made single cell suspensions from FFPE tissue blocks of primary tumors and metastatic tumor in lymph nodes from the same patients. Immunofluorescence staining for cytokeratin (CK) and vimentin (Vim) was performed, followed by isolation of pure tumor cells (CK+), stromal cells (Vim+) and double-positive cells (CK+/Vim+) from both primary tumor and lymph node samples. We plan to do genetic analysis on these cells and compare the results to determine the genetic concordance between primary tumor cells, CTCs and metastatic tumor cells. By using the DEPArray, we have successfully isolated single CTCs, and populations of tumor cells, stromal cells and double-positive cells from primary and metastatic tumors. We will present new data on the genetic concordance between these cells, which will provide new insight into our understanding of metastasis in prostate cancer. Citation Format: Lixin Yang, Linling Chen, Yafan Wang, Jeremy Jones, Yun Yen, Sofia Loera, Raju Pillai, Peiguo Chu, Dennis Weisenburger. Characterization of genetic concordance between primary tumor cells, circulating tumor cells, and metastatic tumor cells from patients with prostate cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4880. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4880
There are No Predictable Jumps in Arbitrage-Free Markets

We model asset prices in the most general sensible form as special semimartingales. This approach allows us to also include jumps in the asset price process. We show that the existence of an equivalent martingale measure, which is essentially equivalent to no-arbitrage, implies that the asset prices cannot exhibit predictable jumps. Hence, in arbitrage-free markets the occurrence and the size of any jump of the asset price cannot be known before it happens. In practical applications it is basically not possible to distinguish between predictable and unpredictable discontinuities in the price process. The empirical literature has typically assumed as an identification condition that there are no predictable jumps. Our result shows that this identification condition follows from the existence of an equivalent martingale measure, and hence essentially comes for free in arbitrage-free markets.
Synthesis of a linkage to draw a plane algebraic curve

Abstract This paper presents a synthesis methodology for a planar linkage that draws a given plane algebraic curve. The existence of such a linkage was demonstrated by A. B. Kempe, who used by specialized linkages, known as additor, mutiplicator and translator linkages, to constrain the two joints of a planar two-link serial chain so that its end point traced the desired curve. Recent research has verified Kempe's results, but yield linkages that are exceedingly complex. In this paper, we replace Kempe's specialized linkages with differentials and cable drives that perform the same functions but simplify the linkage. The result is a construction of Kempe's drawing linkage that illustrates the underlying structure of his approach. Examples are provided that illustrate the theory.
Yield and quality of first-year corn silage following alfalfa stand termination as affected by tillage, herbicide, and nitrogen fertilizer

ii PUBLIC ABSTRACT iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vi LIST OF TABLES viii LIST OF FIGURES ix INTRODUCTION 1 LITERATURE REVIEW 7 MATERIALS AND METHODS 29 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 37 CONCLUSIONS 66 LITERATURE CITED 68 APPENDIX 83
The competitive consumption and fetishism of wildlife trophies

This article argues that trophy hunting is not an ahistorical phenomenon. Hunting for sport became popular among US elites in the late 1800s. Since this time, in addition to animal trophies being d...
Nations, Neighbours, and Humanity: Destroyed and Recovered in War and Violence

Remembered experiences of violence, humiliation, and loss suffered in the 1971 war of Bangladesh provide potent material for rethinking a new narrative bonding victim and perpetrator communities in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Taking the war as my entry point and using the method of oral history, I explore perpetrators’ memories, in order to understand how love for nation and hatred toward enemies provide justifications for violence. Violence was done in the name of nationalism. Today, the states of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh refuse to acknowledge the ‘disastrous’ memories of the war in their national histories. The silencing of the experiences of violence, however, does not mean that victims and perpetrators can forget them. Rather, they are haunted by the ‘hidden’ memories of violence. More than four decades later, the personal, remembered memories lead perpetrators to question their actions and search for meaning of ‘sacrifice’ made on behalf of nation. As well, they grapple with the issue of ethical responsibility to victims, which they failed to uphold during the war. This leads to the emergence of an awareness of the loss of insāniyat (humanity) in violence. The humanistic turn of memories of perpetrators enables the recuperation of the capacity to see the Other and take responsibility of the violence. The reassembling of insāniyat is a way forward for making connections and creating connectivity beyond divisive nationalism. This way of thinking announces a decolonial narrative in contemporary South Asia. The possibility of a free human community in South Asia is aspirational, as perpetrators testify.
The cholesterol metabolite 27 hydroxycholesterol facilitates breast cancer metastasis through its actions on immune cells.

Obesity and elevated circulating cholesterol are risk factors for breast cancer recurrence, while the use of statins, cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitors widely used for treating hypercholesterolemia, is associated with improved disease-free survival. Here, we show that cholesterol mediates the metastatic effects of a high-fat diet via its oxysterol metabolite, 27-hydroxycholesterol. Ablation or inhibition of CYP27A1, the enzyme responsible for the rate-limiting step in 27-hydroxycholesterol biosynthesis, significantly reduces metastasis in relevant animal models of cancer. The robust effects of 27-hydroxycholesterol on metastasis requires myeloid immune cell function, and it was found that this oxysterol increases the number of polymorphonuclear-neutrophils and γδ-T cells at distal metastatic sites. The pro-metastatic actions of 27-hydroxycholesterol requires both polymorphonuclear-neutrophils and γδ-T cells, and 27-hydroxycholesterol treatment results in a decreased number of cytotoxic CD8+T lymphocytes. Therefore, through its actions on γδ-T cells and polymorphonuclear-neutrophils, 27-hydroxycholesterol functions as a biochemical mediator of the metastatic effects of hypercholesterolemia. High cholesterol is a risk factor for breast cancer recurrence. Here the authors show that cholesterol promotes breast cancer metastasis via its metabolite 27-hydroxycholesterol (27HC) that acts on immune myeloid cells residing at the distal metastatic sites, thus promoting an immune suppressive environment.
The Greek Crisis: Muddling Through Revisited

In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis a number of Eurozone countries, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain faced significant balance of payments difficulties requiring severe domestic adjustments combined with support from the Eurozone and the IMF. As of 2017 the adjustment programs had been completed in all these countries except Greece. The chapter summarizes the origins of the Greek crisis, the main reasons for the failure of the rescue efforts todate and the prospects for the future. It argues that all three protagonists in the crisis, the Greek government, the Eurozone creditors including the European Central Bank and the IMF failed to heed the lessons of recent history in dealing with debt and adjustment. Muddling through prevailed again and its costs keep piling up. Solutions require adjustments in the functioning of the euro plus continued reforms by the Greek government.
Chapter 18 – The Human Connectome: Linking Structure and Function in the Human Brain

The human brain is a complex and highly dynamic biological network, the physical structure of which is still only partially mapped. This review provides an overview of how the analysis of comprehensive maps of structural brain connectivity, the human connectome, may benefit our understanding of structure–function relationships in the human brain. We argue that the extraction of structural connection maps from diffusion imaging, but also possibly from classical tract tracing, histology or novel optical imaging methods, will provide unique insights into the patterning and dynamics of functional connectivity in the normal and diseased brain.
Measurement and significance of Wilson loops in synthetic gauge fields

We study Wilson loops as a necessary tool for unambiguous identification of non-Abelian synthetic gauge fields, with attention to certain crucial but often overlooked features, such as the requirement of at least three distinct loops. We devise a method to determine the complete Wilson loop matrix from the time-evolved amplitudes of the internal atomic states of laser-coupled ultracold atoms that does not require lattice confinement. The analysis is done in the context of a cyclic model that can realize both Abelian and non-Abelian structures within a single configuration with continuous variation possible between U(1) and U(2) gauge groups by varying the detuning of the laser fields.
Attack Type Prediction Using Hybrid Classifier

Due to the rapid increase in terrorist activities throughout the world, there is serious intention required to deal with such activities. There must be a mechanism that can predict what kind of “attack types” can happen in future and important measures can be taken out accordingly. In this paper, a hybrid classifier is proposed which consists of some existing classifiers including K Nearest Neighbor, Naive Bayes, Decision Tree, Averaged One Dependence Estimators and BIFReader. The proposed technique is implemented in Rapid Miner 5.3 and it achieves the satisfied level of accuracy. Results reveal the improvement in accuracy for the proposed technique as compare to the individual classifiers used.
Treatment of the Male

There is a great deal of pessimism concerning the potential for significant therapy in the male. The reason, I believe, is that therapy in the past has often been limited to the male with marked oligospermia (i.e., sperm count less than 20 million/ml). At these low levels the condition is usually irreversible. Influenced by MacLeod and Gold’s report,1 therapists considered the subfertile male, with 20 to 40 million/ml, as “normal” or “fertile,” and treatment was often withheld from this group. If, however, one accepts the concept of the couple as a unit, and that a sperm count of 20 to 40 million/ml cc represents subfertility, treatment of this subfertile male could be meaningful as far as the couple is concerned. Ironically, this is the group of males for whom the most can be done, and yet who often go without treatment.
AAEM case report 4: Guillain-Barré syndrome. American Association of Electrodiagnostic Medicine.

A 57-year-old woman developed rapidly progressive, symmetric, extremity weakness, facial diplegia, ophthalmoplegia, respiratory insufficiency, and sensory ataxia over a 3-week period. Electrodiagnostic studies were performed on days 6, 13, and 50 following the onset of weakness. Motor nerve conduction abnormalities were the predominant findings. Prolonged motor distal latencies, prolonged or absent F waves, and partial motor conduction blocks were present and form the diagnostic features of an acquired, demyelinating polyneuropathy. Abnormalities in sensory nerve conductions and blink reflexes were also present. Guillain-Barre syndrome was diagnosed prompting the initiation of therapeutic plasma exchange. The patient's clinical status continued to worsen over the next 10 days before stabilizing. Considerable improvement in extremity strength, ocular motility, and respiratory function occurred in the subsequent weeks. Well-planned and well-executed electrodiagnostic studies generate key adjunctive data to the clinical diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Subjective well-being differs with age in multiple sclerosis: A brief report.

OBJECTIVE Increased age is associated with improved subjective well-being in the general population. However, there are conflicting findings regarding this association in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). In the present study, we examined differences in depression and quality of life (QOL) among 3 age groups of individuals with MS. METHOD Participants consisted of 57 individuals with MS who were divided into 3 age groups: 35-44, 45-54, and 55-65 years. Outcome measures included the Mood and Evaluative scale t scores on the Chicago Multiscale Depression Inventory (CMDI) and the Physical and Mental scale scores on the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Instrument (MSQOL-54). RESULTS After controlling for disease duration, individuals in the oldest group reported significantly less severe depressive symptoms and better physical QOL than the youngest group. CONCLUSIONS Results are consistent with theoretical predictions and observations of improved subjective well-being with age in the general population. Younger individuals with MS may be at higher risk for depression and poor QOL. Additional research is needed to model the findings in larger samples and clarify the theoretical mechanisms of the observed associations. (PsycINFO Database Record
Iowa nursing facility oral hygiene (INFOH) intervention: A clinical and microbiological pilot randomized trial

Purpose/aim The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate feasibility and gather initial data for a definitive study to test the clinical and microbiological effectiveness of a nursing facility (NF) customized oral hygiene protocol, intended to be delivered by dental hygienists and NF personnel. Materials and methods A convenience sample of 8 Eastern Iowa NFs was recruited, and each NF was assigned to one of three intervention groups: (1) control (current oral hygiene practice), (2) educational program only, and (3) educational program plus 1% chlorhexidine varnish monthly application. Demographic information, systemic health data, patient centered data, oral health data, and microbiology samples were collected at baseline and after 6 months. Results Recruitment response rates were 21% for NFs and 23% for residents. A total of 81 residents were examined at baseline and of those, 49 were examined at 6 months (39.5% attrition). There were no statistically or clinically significant differences among the intervention groups at 6 months for any of the recorded clinical or microbiological outcomes. Conclusions Recruitment and retention posed a significant challenge to this trial, even with a relatively short observation period. Results from this pilot study did not encourage further investigation of this customized oral hygiene protocol.
Wireless Sensor-Actuator Network for Cell-Level Treatment Based on Protocol of Collision Segregation via Learning

State-of-the-art technology of nano-sensors and actuators enables diagnostics and treatment on the scale of biological cells. However, an advanced medical application should allow the direct feedback of a sensed signal to an actuation, e.g., an action potential propagation through an axon or a special cell activity might be sensed and suppressed by an actuator through voltage stimulation or chemical agent delivery. Such a complex procedure calls for building a communication network between sensors and actuators, but is challenged with issues, such as intensive signal collisions, protocol simplification, and communication efficiency. We propose a collision segregation method and the protocol of collision segregation via learning. Simulations of stress tests show its advantages as compared to the performance of the traditional methods for wireless body area networks. The potential applications are discussed in detail, such as photothermal cancer therapy and anti-cancer drug delivery.
Quick Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment Versus Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome Criteria for Predicting Organ Dysfunction and Mortality.

The International Consensus Definition for Sepsis and Septic Shock Task Force has recently developed new methods to determine whether a patient is at risk for end organ failure after he has been suspected to have sepsis. One of the newest measures developed is a quick Sequential (Sepsis-related) Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA), and it is used to identify patients who are at risk of sepsis outside the intensive care unit. The systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) score has previously been the standard for determining a patient’s sepsis risk and prognosis for future mortality. With the development of these new tools, it is imperative to compare qSOFA to SIRS in order to determine which method is best and under which circumstances. We conclude that according to evidence currently available, qSOFA has limited use for patients in the intensive care unit at the time of evaluation for predicting mortality and organ dysfunction. Furthermore, qSOFA outranks SIRS for patients in the emergency department except for SIRS delivering positive results more quickly.
Controlled mercerization of bacterial cellulose provides tunability of modulus and ductility over two orders of magnitude.

Abstract Effects of mercerization process on plant-based cellulose is well studied in the literature whereas the effects of mercerization on mechanical properties of bacterial cellulose is not investigated. In this work bacterial cellulose (BC) was mercerized in NaOH solution with different molar concentrations of 0, 1.50, 1.75, 2.00, 2.13, 2.25, 5.00, 7.00 and 10.00 M. The BC samples shrunk substantially with increasing NaOH concentration. At the same concentration, NaOH treatment resulted in significantly larger shrinkage than KOH treatment. Mercerization of BC samples in 7 M NaOH resulted in an order of magnitude increase in elongation from 5.4 ± 1.6% to 50.8 ± 5.7% along with about 30-fold reduction in Young's modulus. Mercerized samples in 4 M NaOH had maximum toughness among all groups at a value of 64.0 ± 15.8 MJ m−3. Changes in BC crystalline structure from cellulose I to cellulose II were characterized and confirmed semiquantitatively by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. Results of this work demonstrated mercerization as a method to tune the mechanical properties of BC precisely. Mercerized BC as a biocompatible material with tunable mechanical properties shows potential to be utilized in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine in the future.
Closing the doughnut hole: No easy answers

ABSTRACT: The price differentials reported by Gerard Anderson and colleagues are not fully representative and are probably biased upward. If Congress does seek to reduce drug prices, there are no s...
A Review of the Sport Injury and Rehabilitation Literature: From Abstraction to Application

Despite advancements in sport injury rehabilitation theory (Brewer et al., 2002; Weise-Bjornstal et al., 1998) and intervention design (Dawson et al., 2014; Rees et al., 2010), return-to-play outco...
Chronic medical conditions based obesity phenotypes: A two-step cluster analysis of a representative sample of obese American adults.

Abstract Background and objective Although obesity is a heterogeneous disease, little is known regarding chronic medical conditions (CMCs) that defines variability in obese populations. The characterization of obese populations using CMCs rather than categorization using BMI alone can advance understanding of obesity. The aims of this study are to phenotype obesity in a large representative sample of non-Hispanic White (NHW), non-Hispanic Black (NHB) and Mexican American (MA) obese adults using CMCs, and assess relationship between resulting phenotypes and self-rated health (SRH). Methods Sex-specific two-step cluster analysis was used to phenotype obese participants (n = 12,547) to CMC-based clusters. The prevalence of CMCs and lifestyle risk factors in each cluster was assessed. Sex and race/ethnic specific association between cluster membership and SRH was determined using odds ratio (OR) from logistic regression analysis. Results Distinct subgroups of obese men and women were observed: moderate dyslipidemic healthy young obese men, hypertensive-dyslipidemic middle-age obese men, hypertensive young obese men, hypertensive-dyslipidemic-asthmatic middle-age obese men, and syndemic elderly obese men, healthy young obese women, hypertensive-dyslipidemic middle-age obese women, dyslipidemic young adult obese women, syndemic middle-age obese women, and syndemic elderly obese women. Participants in the more CMCs symptomatic clusters reported high rates of behavioral risk factors and showed significantly greater odds of poor SRH than participants in the less symptomatic clusters. Compared to obese persons who are asymptomatic for CMCs, syndemic elderly obese and women men had much higher increased ORs for poor SRH with values of 3.88 [95% CI = 2.41–6.26], 3.96 [95% CI = 1.86–8.30] and 7.25 [95% CI = 2.41–9.6] for NHW, NHB and MA men, respectively. The corresponding ORs for women are 4.08 [95% CI = 2.71–6.14], 4.01 [95% CI = 2.40–6.69], and 2.62 [95% CI = 1.32–5.19], respectively. Conclusion Obesity treatment and intervention should consider heterogeneity within obese persons and pay greater attention to obesity related co-morbidities and metabolic manifestations.
Autonomy-supportive language in the syllabus: supporting students from the first day

ABSTRACTAn autonomy supportive classroom enhances the learning climate and improves academic motivation. Alternatively, a controlling classroom environment constricts the learning climate and hinde...
Varicocele and Orchialgia

A varicocele is the abnormal dilation and tortuosity of the pampiniform plexus of veins in the spermatic cord. Varicoceles affect approximately 15% of the male population. While the majority of men with varicoceles are asymptomatic, about 10% of patients may experience pain. The pain associated with varicoceles is typically restricted to the ipsilateral scrotum, is described as dull and achy, and is typically exacerbated by prolonged periods of standing or activity. A varicocele implicated as the etiology of chronic orchialgia is a diagnosis of exclusion, and a thorough history and physical examination must be performed to rule out other causes of pain, paying particular attention to atypical signs or symptoms. Adjunctive studies such as urinalysis and urine culture should be obtained if indicated. Though imaging is not necessary or indicated for the diagnosis of varicocele, several imaging modalities including ultrasound, CT, and MRI are often useful in the evaluation of other potential causes of chronic orchialgia. Additionally, given the known effect of varicoceles on fertility, a thorough sexual and reproductive history should be obtained, and a fertility evaluation should be offered. Initial management for suspected varicocele-related orchialgia should be aimed at conservative measures, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) drugs or medications, scrotal support, activity limitations, and a 6-month-long period of observation to allow other sources of pain to present themselves or resolve. If conservative measures fail to adequately manage the pain, or if activity limitations are not feasible, procedural intervention may be indicated. While the microsurgical subinguinal approach is the gold standard, surgical repair has been shown to be effective in treating varicocele-related chronic orchialgia, regardless of approach, with approximately 90% of patients experiencing significant improvement or complete resolution of pain with infrequent and mild complications.
Locoregional Anesthesia of the Head

Locoregional (local and regional) anesthesia is used routinely during surgical procedures of the head. The goal of this article is to provide a practical guide for the clinician to safely perform different techniques in dogs and cats and to minimize the risk of complications associated with locoregional anesthesia.