cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bracketing in qualitative research: Conceptual and practical matters

Bracketing is presented as two forms of researcher engagement: with data and with evolving findings. The first form is the well-known identification and temporary setting aside of the researcher's assumptions. The second engagement is the hermeneutic revisiting of data and of one's evolving comprehension of it in light of a revised understanding of any aspect of the topic. Both of these processes are ongoing, and they include the careful development of language with which to represent findings. Extensive everyday examples of bracketing and of interviewing are presented. As a form of disclosure in qualitative research, the background from which this article was written is shared. At that point, Husserl's and Heidegger's historical introductions of bracketing are presented briefly, followed by a discussion of reflexivity and hermeneutics. The article closes with warnings of how residual positivism can work against qualitative rigor and with a suggested qualitative research study on bracketing.
A double-blind, randomized, neoadjuvant study of the tissue effects of POMx pills in men with prostate cancer before radical prostatectomy

Pomegranates slow prostate cancer xenograft growth and prolong prostate-specific antigen (PSA) doubling times in single-arm human studies. Pomegranates' effects on human prostate tissue are understudied. We hypothesized that orally administered pomegranate extract (POMx; Pom Wonderful) would lower tissue 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), an oxidative stress biomarker. Seventy men were randomized to two tablets, POMx or placebo, daily up to four weeks before radical prostatectomy. Tissue was analyzed for intraprostatic urolithin A, a pomegranate metabolite, benign and malignant 8-OHdG, and cancer pS6 kinase, NF-κB, and Ki67. Primary endpoint was differences in 8-OHdG, and the study was powered to detect 35% reduction. POMx was associated with 16% lower benign tissue 8-OHdG (P = 0.095), which was not statistically significant. POMx was well tolerated with no treatment-related withdrawals. There were no differences in baseline clinicopathological features between arms. Urolithin A was detected in 21 of the 33 patients in the POMx group versus 12 of the 35 in the placebo group (P = 0.031). Cancer pS6 kinase, NF-κB, Ki67, and serum PSA changes were similar between arms. POMx before surgery results in pomegranate metabolite accumulation in prostate tissues. Our primary endpoint in this modest-sized short-term trial was negative. Future larger longer studies are needed to more definitively test whether POMx reduces prostate oxidative stress, as well as further animal testing to better understand the multiple mechanisms through which POMx may alter prostate cancer biology.
A conceptual framework for the study of popularity in the workplace

Although popularity is a salient social phenomenon influencing individuals during their school-age years, little research has considered popularity as a factor affecting employee attitudes and beha...
XCS for Personalizing Desktop Interfaces

We investigate whether XCS, a genetic algorithm based learning classifier system, can harness information from a user's environment to help desktop applications better personalize themselves to individual users. Specifically, we evaluate XCSs ability to predict user-preferred actions for a calendar and a media player. Results from three real-world user studies indicate that XCS significantly outperforms a decision-tree learner to successfully predict user preferences for these two desktop interfaces. Our results also show that removing external user-related contextual information degrades XCSs performance. This performance degradation emphasizes the need for desktop applications to access external contextual information to better learn user preferences. Our results highlight the potential for a learning classifier systems based approach for personalizing desktop applications to improve the quality of human-computer interaction.
An Economic Argument for Affirmative Action

This article presents a model involving employers and two classes of workers, alike except for labels. Employers choose whom to hire and workers choose whether to invest in training. At one equilibrium, employers discriminate, which, the authors show, is Pareto inferior to another equilibrium where no discrimination occurs. On the basis of this observation, an argument for affirmative action is advanced.
Sequence and Expression Analyses of Cytophaga-Like Hydrolases in a Western Arctic Metagenomic Library and the Sargasso Sea

Sequence analysis of environmental DNA promises to provide new insights into the ecology and biogeochemistry of uncultured marine microbes. In this study we used the Sargasso Sea Whole Genome Sequence (WGS) data set to search for hydrolases used by Cytophaga-like bacteria to degrade biopolymers such as polysaccharides and proteins. Analysis of the Sargasso WGS data for contigs bearing both the 16S rRNA genes of Cytophaga-like bacteria and hydrolase genes revealed a cellulase gene (celM) most similar to the gene found in Cytophaga hutchinsonii. A BLAST search of the entire Sargasso Sea WGS data set indicated that celM was the most abundant cellulase-like gene in the Sargasso Sea. However, the similarity between CelM-like cellulases and peptidases belonging to metalloprotease family M42 led us to question whether CelM is involved in the degradation of polysaccharides or proteins. PCR primers were designed for the celM genes in the Sargasso Sea WGS data set and used to identify celM in a fosmid library constructed with prokaryotic DNA from the western Arctic Ocean. Expression analysis of the Cytophaga-like Arctic CelM, which is 63% identical and 77% similar to CelM in C. hutchinsonii, indicated that there was peptidase activity, whereas cellulase activity was not detected. Our analysis suggests that the celM gene plays a role in the degradation of protein by Cytophaga-like bacteria. The abundance of peptidase genes in the Cytophaga-like fosmid clone provides further evidence for the importance of Cytophaga-like bacteria in the degradation of protein in high-molecular-weight dissolved organic matter.
The Phylogenetic Distribution of Non-CTCF Insulator Proteins Is Limited to Insects and Reveals that BEAF-32 Is Drosophila Lineage Specific

Chromatin insulators are DNA sequences found in eukaryotes that may organize genomes into chromatin domains by blocking enhancer-promoter interactions and preventing heterochromatin spreading. Considering that insulators play important roles in organizing higher order chromatin structure and modulating gene expression, very little is known about their phylogenetic distribution. To date, six insulators and their associated proteins have been characterized, including Su(Hw), Zw5, CTCF, GAF, Mod(mdg4), and BEAF-32. However, all insulator proteins, with the exception of CTCF, which has also been identified in vertebrates and worms, have been exclusively described in Drosophila melanogaster. In this work, we have performed database searches utilizing each D. melanogaster insulator protein as a query to find orthologs in other organisms, revealing that except for CTCF all known insulator proteins are restricted to insects. In particular, the boundary element-associated factor of 32 kDa (BEAF-32), which binds to thousands of sites throughout the genome, was only found in the Drosophila lineage. Accordingly, we also found a significant bias of BEAF-32 binding sites in relation to transcription start sites (TSSs) in D. melanogaster but not in Anopheles gambiae, Apis mellifera, or Tribolium castaneum. These data suggest that DNA binding proteins such as BEAF-32 may have a dramatic impact in the genome of single evolutionary lineages. A more thorough evaluation of the phylogenetic distribution of insulator proteins will allow for a better understanding of whether the mechanism by which these proteins exert their function is conserved across phyla and their impact in genome evolution.
Benjamin Peirce and the Howland Will

Abstract The Howland will case is possibly the earliest instance in American law of the use of probabilistic and statistical evidence. Identifying 30 downstrokes in the signature of Sylvia Ann Howland, Benjamin Peirce attempted to show that a contested signature on a will had been traced from another and genuine signature. He argued that their agreement in all 30 downstrokes was improbable in the extreme under a binomial model. Peirce supported his model by providing a graphical test of goodness of fit. We give a critique of Peirce's model and discuss the use and abuse of the “product rule” for multiplying probabilities of independent events.
Biocompatible materials for use in the vascular system

Techniques are presented which result in the production of thromboresistant materials which can be used to interface with blood in the vascular system. Three useful processes for the heparinization of materials are presented and data are given on characteristics of attachment, the blood compatibility, and environmental stability of these surfaces. At this point, applications of heparinized surfaces via a simple one-step process should be limited to siturations where low blood shear rates are involved, such as the venous system. Intitial data indicate significant loss of surface heparin in situations where high blood flow rates are involved such as A-V shunts.
Pseudocyesis in an Adolescent Patient Case Report and Radiologic Analysis

The physical and psychological changes of pseudocyesis have bewildered physicians since the time of Hippocrates. We present the case of a 14-year-old girl as a reminder that pseudocyesis needs to be considered in adolescents and that the diagnosis may not be obvious, even with current technologies. We document that gaseous distension and abdominal fat deposits can lead to dramatic abdominal fullness and can mimic a term pregnancy.
Novel roles of holocarboxylase synthetase in gene regulation and intermediary metabolism.

The role of holocarboxylase synthetase (HLCS) in catalyzing the covalent binding of biotin to the five biotin-dependent carboxylases in humans is well established, as are the essential roles of these carboxylases in the metabolism of fatty acids, the catabolism of leucine, and gluconeogenesis. This review examines recent discoveries regarding the roles of HLCS in assembling a multiprotein gene repression complex in chromatin. In addition, emerging evidence suggests that the number of biotinylated proteins is far larger than previously assumed and includes members of the heat-shock superfamily of proteins and proteins coded by the ENO1 gene. Evidence is presented linking biotinylation of heat-shock proteins HSP60 and HSP72 with redox biology and immune function, respectively, and biotinylation of the two ENO1 gene products MBP-1 and ENO1 with tumor suppression and glycolysis, respectively.
Enzyme-catalyzed synthesis of sugar-containing monomers and linear polymers.

Commercially available proteases and lipases were screened for their ability to acylate regioselectively sucrose and trehalose with divinyladipic acid ester. Opticlean M375 (subtilisin from Bacillus licheniformis) was observed to form sucrose 1'-O-adipate and trehalose 6-O-adipate in anhydrous pyridine. Novozym-435 (lipase B from Candida antarctica) catalyzed the synthesis of sucrose 6, 6'-O-divinyladipate and trehalose 6, 6'-O-divinyladipate in acetone. These diesters were then employed as monomers in polycondensation reactions with various diols (aliphatic and aromatic) catalyzed by Novozym-435 in organic solvents to yield linear polyesters with M(w)'s up to 22,000 Da. Spectroscopic analysis confirmed that only the vinyl end groups of sugar esters reacted in the enzymatic polymerization with the diol, and not the internal sugar-adipate linkages. The two-step enzymatic strategy to yield sugar-based polyesters, which is the first report of its kind, results in higher molecular weights and faster reaction times than one-step enzymatic polyester synthesis.
Modeling of Traumatic Brain Injury and its Implications in Studying the Pathology of Repeated Mild Impacts to the Head

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) results from a blow to the head and can range in severity from mild to severe. Mild TBI is the most common form of head injury and constitutes about 80–90 % of all cases. Repetitive mild TBI (rmTBI) has emerged as a significant public health concern as the number of individuals experiencing this type of injury in military combat operations and in athletic endeavors continues to increase at a very high rate. The medical and scientific communities have only just started to grapple with its complexity and are struggling to understanding the underlying pathotrajectory and to develop and implement tests to detect and assess rmTBI. For the most part, routine imaging approaches and standard neuropsychological tests contribute little to the evaluation and management of rmTBI. A better understanding of the pathological consequences of rmTBI, including elucidating the role of hypoperfusion, could be achieved with a validated animal model, but most existing models impart acute injuries that are severe and do not simulate the essential characteristics of head impacts that are known to result in mild concussion in humans. Here we discuss several current models of head trauma in the context of strengths and weaknesses of using these models. We also include a discussion of a new model of rmTBI that involves a blow to the unrestrained head of a mouse. Upon each impact, the subject’s head undergoes rapid acceleration. After as many as five to ten head impacts, mice recover consciousness rapidly and show no signs of skull fracture, edema, intracranial bleeding, or seizure activity. Histological signs of injury include glial activation and a delayed development of tangle-like proteins as seen in human chronic traumatic encephalopathy. This new model closely simulates head impact as seen in humans who experience rmTBI. Initial experimental validation suggests that the pathotrajectory is also very similar to histological signs observed in postmortem human brain from individuals who had sustained rmTBI. Future studies using this new model will hopefully uncover new mechanisms that underlie dysfunctional blood flow and metabolism and, more importantly, the cognitive and behavioral deficits associated with rmTBI.
Monitoring Anesthetic Effect

The electroencephalogram (EEG) is useful for several types of monitoring in the operating room and in the intensive care unit. As presented in Chap. 9, the EEG is the product of the electrical activity in synapses of the cortical pyramidal cells. As such, its measurement on the scalp or from electrodes applied directly on the surface of the brain allows insight into the synaptic activity. EEG may be recorded (Chap. 9) using a variety of montages and reported both as EEG waveforms, quantitative data, and as a processed unitless number. The flexibility in obtaining EEG has led to several applications which will be reviewed here.
Pharmacokinetics of bleomycin in man. III. Bleomycin 57Co Vs bleomycin.

Of all the bleomycin-containing radiopharmaceuticals, bleomycin 57Co has proven the most useful whole-body tumor-imaging agent. We have studied its in vitro physicochemical properties and in vivo disposition in animals and man to optimize its use as a scanning agent. High-pressure liquid chromatographic analysis of the standard bleomycin 57Co preparation (1 unit bleomycin plus 1 mCi chloride 57Co showed it to contain 1% free chloride 57Co). Dialysis experiments showed that bleomycin 57Co does not dissociate as it diffuses through a dialysis membrane. In nine patients, bleomycin 57Co had a t 1 2/β of 3.4 h, a t 1 2/γ of 45.8 h, a Vd of 12.1 liters/m2 and a 24-h urinary excretion of 82.1% of the administered dose. In comparison, bleomycin, assayed by radioimmunoassay, had a terminal phase plasma t1/2 of only 4.0 h, a similar Vd (17.3 liters/m2), and a 24-h urinary excretion of only 44.8%. Bleomycin 57Co tumorto-plasma concentration ratios ranged from 14.1–23.8 at 1 day to 5.4 at 2 days after administration. Our finding that tumor imaging with bleomycin 57Co is best achieved at 24 h is well explained by its almost complete urinary elimination in the first few hours after administration and the peak tumor-to-plasma ratio achieved at 24 h. One disadvantage of bleomycin 57Co as a scanning agent is its very extended plasma t1/2 In rabbits chloride 57Co has the same prolonged plasma terminal elimination phase (t 1 2/γ ) as our standard bleomycin 57Co preparation, which contains chloride 57Co as a 1% impurity. Removal of this impurity prior to scanning or use of cold cobalt chloride to help eliminate it from the plasma might result in a shortened bleomycin 57Co plasma t 1 2/γ .
Abnormal Loads and Disproportionate Collapse: Risk Mitigation Strategies

A disproportionate (or progressive) collapse of a building or other structure is one that initiates from local damage and subsequently propagates to encompass a major portion of the facility. Current concerns with such collapses stem from changes in building practices and sociopolitical challenges that have highlighted the importance of hazards that historically either have not been viewed as significant (explosions or detonations) or have been dealt with through deemed-to-satisfy clauses rather than through formal structural calculations (severe fires). Practical strategies for mitigating the risk of disproportionate collapse of buildings can be evaluated using principles of structural reliability and probabilistic risk assessment, supported by advanced computational tools. This paper summarizes a number of these strategies, critically appraises major design issues – scenario-based vs non threat-specific analysis; direct vs indirect design; alternative path vs specific local resistance – and discusses prospects for implementation of criteria for collapse mitigation in ASCE Standard 7.
Antihypertensive effect of prolonged blockade of angiotensin formation in benign and malignant, one- and two-kidney Goldblatt hypertensive rats.

1. The effect of chronic inhibition of angiotensin II formation was investigated in four groups of hypertensive rats. Benign hypertension was produced by placing a 0·25 mm-diameter silver clip on the renal artery; a 0·20 mm clip was used to create malignant hypertension. A two-kidney model had a clip plus intact contralateral kidney and a one-kidney model had a clip plus contralateral nephrectomy. Benign and malignant groups were prepared in both the one-kidney and two-kidney variations. Converting enzyme inhibitor (SQ 14.225) was given to these four groups for 1 week in drinking water and average intake ranged from 33 to 77 mg/day. 2. The two malignant groups had the highest plasma renin activities and they showed a precipitous fall in arterial pressure in the first 24 h of inhibition of angiotensin formation. All groups showed an additional slow decline in pressure during the remaining 6 days of inhibition. Changes in heart rate and sodium excretion were variable but, in general, heart rate decreased during inhibition. 3. Arterial pressure did not become normal with inhibition in either of the one-kidney models: decreases to 126 and 132 mmHg were observed in the benign and malignant groups respectively. Three of the malignant one-kidney animals became uraemic with inhibition and one died before inhibition was discontinued. 4. Arterial pressure was reduced to normal pressure (95 mmHg) after 1 week of inhibition in both the benign and malignant two-kidney models. 5. It appears that normal pressure was restored in the two-kidney model but not in the one-kidney model because of the presence of the intact contralateral kidney. The physiological basis for this difference is not known but changes in renal excretory function may be involved.
Context-Based Scene Understanding

Context plays an important role in performance of object detection. There are two popular considerations in building context models for computer vision applications; type of context semantic, spatial, scale and scope of the relations pairwise, high-order. In this paper, a new unified framework is presented that combines multiple sources of context in high-order relations to encode semantical coherence and consistency of the scenes. This framework introduces a new descriptor called context relevance score to model context-based distribution of the response variables and apply it to two distributions. First model incorporates context descriptor along with annotation response into a supervised Latent Dirichlet Allocation LDA built on multi-variate Bernoulli distribution called Context-Based LDA CBLDA. The second model is based on multi-variate Wallenius' non-central Hyper-geometric distribution and is called Wallenius LDA WLDA. WLDA incorporates context knowledge as bias parameter. Scene context is modeled as a graph and effectively used in object detection framework to maximize semantical consistency of the scene. The graph can also be used in recognition of out-of-context objects. Annotation metadata of Sun397 dataset is used to construct the context model. Performance of the proposed approaches was evaluated on ImageNet dataset. Comparison between proposed approaches and state-of-art multi-class object annotation algorithm shows superiority of presented approach in labeling of scene content.
Is air-drying of soil samples an appropriate step in determining plant available potassium for corn?

ABSTRACTPotassium (K) fertilizer recommendations are mainly based on air -dried soil samples which can lead to over- or under-estimation of plant available soil K. Three on-farm trials were conducted in North Dakota and Minnesota to determine the variation of soil test-K between air-dried (KDry) and field moist (KMoist) soil samples. The differences between KDry and KMoist decreased exponentially as soil K increased, but increased linearly with increasing soil moisture. Soil drying influenced the plant available soil K-test value, producing higher K values compared to the moist soil K. It is unclear based on these initial experiments which method might produce a more predictable K critical value to aid in directing K application for corn in this region.
A simulation study of folded dipole in magnetic resonance imaging for compatible transcranial magnetic stimulation

Folded dipole is proposed to mitigate the incompatibility between magnetic resonance imaging and transcranial magnetic stimulation. A numerical study by applying the method of moment demonstrate that the effects of eddy current induced on a stimulator can be mitigated by quadrature phase combination of signals from adjacent folded dipoles.
Fertilizer application and quality security of farm products

The increasing effect of fertilizers on the outputs of farm products and the promoting effect on the ecological environment was discussed.The pollution problems of heavy metal and nitrate to soil,water,atmosphere caused by fertilizer application were also discussed.It was pointed that fertilizer application could result in the potential harmfulness to the agricultural environment and the quality security of farm products.However,the harmfulness could be reduced greatly by suitable application technology.In the future,it was suggested that the relationship between the fertilizer application and the quality security of farm products should be studied further.
Placement Design of Changeable Message Signs on Curved Roadways

ABSTRACT This paper presented a fundamental framework for Changeable Message Sign (CMS) placement design along roadways with horizontal curves. This analytical framework determines the available distance for motorists to read and react to CMS messages based on CMS character height, driver's cone of vision, CMS pixel's cone of legibility, roadway horizontal curve radius, and CMS lateral and vertical placement. Sample design charts were developed to illustrate how the analytical framework may facilitate CMS placement design.
Anti-inflammatory dosing of theophylline in the treatment of status asthmaticus in children.

BACKGROUND Low-dose theophylline has been recognized for its ability to restore histone deacetylase-2 activity which leads to improved steroid responsiveness and thus improved clinical outcome. We retrospectively evaluated the effect of low-dose theophylline therapy in pediatric patients hospitalized for an acute asthma exacerbation as a proof of concept study. METHODS We compared patients who received low-dose theophylline (5-7 mg/kg/day) in addition to current standard of care to patients who were treated with current standard of care alone. The primary outcome of the study was hospital length of stay (LOS). Generalized linear mixed-effects modeling (GLMM) was used to test whether receiving theophylline independently predicted outcomes. A Cox (proportional hazards) regression model was also developed to examine whether theophylline impacted LOS. RESULTS After adjustment for illness severity measures, theophylline significantly reduces LOS (β=-21.17, P<0.001), time to discontinue oxygen (β=-15.88, P=0.044), time to spirometric improvement (β=-16.60, P=0.014), and time to space albuterol (β=-23.2, P<0.001) as well as reduced costs (β=-US$2,746, P<0.001). Furthermore, theophylline significantly increased the hazards of being discharged from the hospital (hazards ratio =1.75, 95% confidence interval 1.20-2.54, P=0.004). There was no difference in side effects between patients who receive low-dose theophylline and those who did not. CONCLUSION The results of this retrospective study suggest low-dose theophylline may have a positive effect in acute status asthmaticus. This study suggests that further research with a prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled trial may be warranted to confirm and extend our findings.
Complete recovery of light induced degradation of Cz silicon solar cells with rapid thermal processing

This paper reports on the use of rapid thermal processing (RTP) IR belt furnace to completely and permanently regenerate the effective minority carrier lifetime in Czochralski (Cz) crystalline silicon (cSi) solar cell after light induced degradation (LID). The average effective carrier lifetime of ∼33μs (19.2% efficiency) degraded to ∼25μs (18.8% efficiency) after 96 hours light soaking. Subsequent annealing on IR belt furnace at 310 inch per minute (ipm) at ∼ 760°C peak temperature with a ramp up and down rates of >100°C/sec resulted in complete recovery of the effective lifetime and efficiency. This total recovery is attributed to a combination of heat from the IR lamps and hydrogen from the SiN x :H antireflection coating (ARC). The recovery is permanent because the B-O defects are fully hydrogen passivated. Thus a fast ramp down rate of ∼100°C/sec is critical in hydrogen retention, which is the key to effective defects passivation.
Malignant tenosynovial giant cell tumor with CDKN2A/B genomic alteration: a histological, immunohistochemical, and molecular study

Diffuse-type tenosynovial giant cell tumor (D-T TSGCT) is regarded as a benign but locally aggressive neoplasm with significant recurrent potential. We report a case of malignant D-T TSGCT with pleural metastases arising in the left knee in a 57-year-old man. The tumor demonstrated atypical features, including a solid infiltrative pattern with spindling of the tumor cells, nuclear pleomorphism with prominent nucleoli, and markedly increased mitotic activity (>20 mitoses/10 high-power fields). The immunoprofile demonstrated clusterin+, D2-40+, CD68+, p63+, MDM2+, and p16+ tumor. The next-generation sequencing-based assay demonstrated loss of the CDKN2A/B gene. Pleural metastases with identical histologic and immunohistochemical features were identified 2 years later after primary tumor resection. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of D-T TSGCT with CDKN2A/B genomic alteration, MDM2 expression, and p16 loss. Clinicians and pathologists should be aware of the morphologic variability and the metastatic propensity of this entity.
Evaluation and systematic selection of significant multi-scale surface roughness parameters (SRPs) as process monitoring index

The evaluation of multi-scale surface roughness parameters (SRPs) is important to solve many engineering problems (e.g. contact stress, sealing, friction) and is closely related to further fundamental problems (e.g. microbial contamination). Traditionally, surface roughness has been used as a standard for indicating process performance, such as tool wear, tool vibration etc. This paper also aims to find appropriate surface roughness parameters (SRPs) that can be used as process monitoring indices. Grade 304 stainless steel surfaces, generated by extrusion and grinding processes, were used in this study. The evaluation of different SRPs and their topography properties (such as fractal dimension) is discussed for extruded and ground surfaces. One problem with existing surface metrology is the availability of a multitude of disconnected roughness parameters. A statistical approach is presented in this paper that allows the most appropriate roughness parameters to monitor whether the intended surface quality converges to be found.
How Teachers Mobilize and Transform Their Conceptualizations of Reading Comprehension Into Representations of Instructional Practice

This research examines the specialized knowledge of reading comprehension articulated by 12 middle school English language arts teachers sampled from three different regions of the United States and representing various levels of teaching experience. Using detailed interviews, concept mapping, and think aloud methods, we identified salient touchstones that characterize the teachers’ understandings of how and why readers interact with texts to construct meanings and change as readers. In this article, we present examples that illustrate the many ways that these understandings of comprehension were mobilized and transformed in their explanations of instructional practices.
Quantification of sensitivity and resistance of breast cancer cell lines to anti-cancer drugs using GR metrics

Traditional means for scoring the effects of anti-cancer drugs on the growth and survival of cell lines is based on relative cell number in drug-treated and control samples and is seriously confounded by unequal division rates arising from natural biological variation and differences in culture conditions. This problem can be overcome by computing drug sensitivity on a per-division basis. The normalized growth rate inhibition (GR) approach yields per-division metrics for drug potency (GR50) and efficacy (GRmax) that are analogous to the more familiar IC50 and Emax values. In this work, we report GR-based, proliferation-corrected, drug sensitivity metrics for ~4,700 pairs of breast cancer cell lines and perturbagens. Such data are broadly useful in understanding the molecular basis of therapeutic response and resistance. Here, we use them to investigate the relationship between different measures of drug sensitivity and conclude that drug potency and efficacy exhibit high variation that is only weakly correlated. To facilitate further use of these data, computed GR curves and metrics can be browsed interactively at http://www.GRbrowser.org/.
Assessing the Relationships among Religion, Humility, Forgiveness, and Self-Rated Health

The purpose of this study is estimate a model that contains five hypotheses: (1) people who attend worship services more often will receive more spiritual support; (2) individuals who receive more ...
Decreased rates of cerebral protein synthesis measured in vivo in a mouse model of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex: unexpected consequences of reduced tuberin

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant neurogenetic disorder affecting about 1 in 6000 people and is caused by mutations in either TSC1 or TSC2. This disorder is characterized by increased activity of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), which is involved in regulating ribosomal biogenesis and translation initiation. We measured the effects of Tsc2 haploinsufficiency (Tsc2+/- ) in 3-month-old male mice on regional rates of cerebral protein synthesis (rCPS) by means of the in vivo L-[1-14 C]leucine method. This quantitative autoradiographic method includes an estimate of the integrated specific activity of the tracer amino acid in brain tissue. The estimate accounts for recycling of unlabeled amino acids from tissue protein breakdown by means of a factor (λ) that was determined in control and Tsc2+/- mice. The value of λ was higher in Tsc2+/- mice, indicating that a greater fraction of leucine in the tissue precursor pool for protein synthesis is derived from the plasma compared to controls, consistent with reduced rates of protein degradation. We determined rCPS in freely moving, awake male Tsc2+/- and control mice, and we used the determined values of λ in the calculation of rCPS. Unexpectedly, we found that rCPS were significantly decreased in 16 of the 17 brain regions analyzed in Tsc2+/- mice compared to controls. Our results indicate a complex role of mTORC1 in the regulation of cerebral protein synthesis that has not been previously recognized.
“What a Loser That Guy Was”: Norm Macdonald’s Humorous Critique of the Romantic/Warrior Narrative:

Illness narratives are stories that focus on, or are inspired by, the sometimes life-altering experience of illness. Most narrative constructions of these illness experiences are built upon one of ...
Exploration of the effect of violent crime on recreational and transportation walking by path and structural equation models

To examine how violent crime affects people's recreational and transportation walking duration in daytime and after dark on a typical day, this study undertakes associative and causal analyses with geo-referenced crime data, street-audit data, and data collected through an intercept survey in a three-municipality region of New Jersey that is predominantly inhabited by low-income and minority populations. Survey data was collected from 1173 respondents at 87 intersections selected by stratified random sampling. Similar to many past studies using associative methods, correlation analysis and ordered logit models showed mostly counterintuitive results. However, sequential or causal models, including path and structural equation (SE) models, showed that recorded crime increases fear of crime and chances of victimization, which in turn decrease walking duration for both recreation and transportation. The study concludes that even if people walk more in high-crime areas because of nearby destinations and lack of alternatives, crime may still have an adverse effect on walking, meaning that people in those neighborhoods would have walked even more if not for high crime.
Click Triazoles for Bioconjugation.

Click chemistry is a set of rapid, selective and robust reactions that give near-quantitative yield of the desired product in aqueous solutions. The Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) that forms 1,4-disubstituted triazoles is a prototypical example of click chemistry that features exquisite selectivity and bioorthogonality—that is, non-interacting with biological components while proceeding under physiological conditions. Over the past ten years, CuAAC has found extensive applications in the field of chemical biology. In this chapter, we describe the discovery of Cu(I) catalysts for this transformation and the recent development of the strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition that eliminate the use of copper. We also highlight several recent applications toward conjugating biomolecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, lipids and glycans, with biophysical probes for both in vitro and in vivo studies.
Modeling microRNA-Transcription Factor Networks in Cancer

An increasing number of transcription factors (TFs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) is known to form feedback loops (FBLs) of interactions where a TF positively or negatively regulates the expression of a miRNA, and the miRNA suppresses the translation of the TF messenger RNA. FBLs are potential sources of instability in a gene regulatory network. Positive FBLs can give rise to switching behaviors while negative FBLs can generate periodic oscillations. This chapter presents documented examples of FBLs and their relevance to stem cell renewal and differentiation in gliomas. Feed-forward loops (FFLs) are only discussed briefly because they do not affect network stability unless they are members of cycles. A primer on qualitative network stability analysis is given and then used to demonstrate the network destabilizing role of FBLs. Steps in model formulation and computer simulations are illustrated using the miR-17-92/Myc/E2F network as an example. This example possesses both negative and positive FBLs.
A systematic review of enhanced recovery after surgery for vascular operations

Abstract Background Patients undergoing vascular operations face high rates of intraoperative and postoperative complications and delayed return to baseline. Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS), with its aim of delivering high-quality perioperative care and accelerating recovery, appears well suited to address the needs of this population. Methods In accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, we performed a systematic review to characterize the use and effectiveness of ERAS in all types of vascular and endovascular operations. We queried MEDLINE (through PubMed), Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Prospero, and Google Scholar. Two reviewers independently completed screening, review, and quality assessment. Eligible articles described the use of ERAS pathways for vascular operations from January 1, 1997, through December 7, 2017. Details regarding patients' demographics and use of the ERAS pathway or selected ERAS components were extracted. When available, results including perioperative morbidity, mortality, and in-hospital length of stay were collected. The studies with control groups that evaluated ERAS-like pathways were meta-analyzed using random-effects meta-analysis. Results In the final analysis, 19 studies were included: four randomized controlled trials and 15 observational studies. By Let Evidence Guide Every New Decision (LEGEND) criteria, the two good-quality studies are randomized controlled trials that evaluated a specific part of an ERAS pathway. All other studies were considered poor quality. Meta-analysis of the five studies describing ERAS-like pathways demonstrated a reduction in length of stay by 3.5 days (P = .0012). Conclusions Based on systematic review, the use of ERAS pathways in vascular surgery is limited, and existing evidence of their feasibility and effectiveness is low quality. There is minimal poor- to moderate-quality evidence describing the use of ERAS pathways in open aortic operations. There is scarce, poor-quality evidence related to ERAS pathways in lower extremity operations and no published evidence related to ERAS pathways in endovascular operations. Although the risk of bias is high in most of the studies done to date, all of them observed improvements in length of stay, postoperative diet, and ambulation. It is reasonable to consider the implementation of ERAS pathways in the care of vascular surgery patients, specifically those undergoing open aortic operations, but many of the details will be based on limited data and extrapolation from other surgical specialties until further research is done.
Sulfur and Selenium-based Polymers for Infrared Optics and Photonics

Ultra-high refractive index polymers based on elemental sulfur and selenium have been developed. The high refractive indices (1.7 – 2.1) and transparency in the MWIRprovide the opportunity for advances in low-cost bulk optics and integrated photonics.
Incidence and Characteristics Associated with Hospital Readmission after Discharge to Home Hospice.

Background: Home hospice is designed to provide comfort to patients at the end of their life and hospital readmission is incongruent with this goal. Objective: The purpose of this study was to inve...
Near-infrared fluorescence as a method for determining single-wall carbon nanotube extraction conditions in aqueous two polymer phase extraction

Abstract Near-infrared fluorescence emission from single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is demonstrated as a measurement technique enabling the determination of aqueous surfactant concentration conditions yielding upper or lower polymer phase extraction in aqueous two-polymer phase extraction (ATPE) separations. From measurements on single-phase dispersions of multiple SWCNT specie mixtures, the fluorescence intensity of a given SWCNT (n,m) species is demonstrated to correlate directly to partitioning in an ATPE separation, as determined by the type of surfactant molecule comprising a preponderance of the adsorbed interfacial layer on that species. This methodology enables rapid quantitative determination of partitioning conditions for individual (n,m) species of SWCNTs without ambiguity of mass transfer limitations or interfacial adsorption present when conducting the ATPE separation itself, while also allowing for ready investigation of complicating factors such as temperature effects or SWCNT enantiomers.
Video Virtual Clinical Encounters Versus Office Visits for Postoperative Care After Pelvic Organ Prolapse Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Objectives To determine if patient satisfaction of virtual clinical encounters is noninferior to traditional in-office clinical encounters for postoperative follow-up after reconstructive surgery for pelvic organ prolapse. Methods This was a randomized controlled noninferiority trial of women undergoing surgery for pelvic organ prolapse. Women were recruited and randomized during their preoperative counseling visit to virtual clinical encounters via video conference technology or in-office clinical encounters for their 30-day postoperative follow-up visits. The primary outcome was patient satisfaction measured by the validated Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-18 (score range, 18-90, with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction) administered by telephone following the 30-day visit. Additional information regarding demographics, postoperative health care utilization, and complications was collected via chart review and compared between groups. Results A total of 52 women were randomly assigned to virtual clinical encounters via videoconference technology or traditional in-office clinical encounters (26 per group). The mean patient satisfaction score was 80.7 ± 2.6 in the virtual group and 81.2 ± 2.8 in the office group (difference, -0.46 points; 95% confidence interval, -1.95 to 1.03), which was consistent with noninferiority. Postoperative complication rates were 31% in the virtual group and 46% in the office group (P = 0.3). There were no significant between-group differences in secondary measures of unscheduled telephone calls (88% versus 77%, P = 0.5) and office visits (35% versus 38%, P = 0.8), emergency room visits (15% versus 19%, P = 1.0), and hospital readmissions (4% versus 12%, P = 0.6) within 90 days of surgery. Conclusions For patients with pelvic organ prolapse undergoing reconstructive surgery, postoperative virtual clinical encounters via video conference technology are noninferior to traditional in-office clinical encounters with high levels of short-term patient satisfaction and no differences in postoperative health care utilization and complications rates.
Thyrotropin-releasing hormone axonal varicosities appear to innervate dopaminergic neurons in the human hypothalamus

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) has a critical role in the central regulation of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) from the anterior pituitary, and subsequently, thyroid hormone secretion from the thyroid gland. In addition to its role in the regulation of HPT axis, TRH is a potent regulator of prolactin (PRL) secretion by stimulating PRL secretion either directly from lactotrophs or indirectly via its action on the tuberoinfundibular dopamine (TIDA) neurons. In rodents, the TRH neurons which regulate TSH and thyroid hormone secretion, called hypophysiotropic TRH neurons, are in the medial subdivision of the parvicellular paraventricular nucleus (PVN). In humans, the PVN also contains a large population of TRH neurons, especially in its medial part, but the location of hypophysiotropic TRH neurons is not yet known. In addition to regulating TSH and PRL secretion, TRH also functions as a neurotransmitter/neuromodulator. In rodents and teleosts, TRH axons densely innervate TIDA neurons to inhibit tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) biosynthesis, neuronal firing, and dopamine turnover which may contribute to increasing PRL secretion. No such connections have been reported in humans, although dopaminergic neurons express TRH receptors and TRH also regulates PRL secretion. The objectives of this study were to map TRH-IR and TH-IR structures in the human hypothalamus with single-label light microscopic immunocytochemistry and study their interaction with double-label light microscopic immunocytochemistry. We show that TRH-IR nerve terminals densely surround TH-IR neurons (perikarya and dendrites) in the infundibulum of the human hypothalamus. The micrographs illustrating these juxtapositions were taken by Olympus BX45 microscope equipped with a digital camera and with 100X oil immersion objective. Composite images were created from the consecutive micrographs if the neurons were larger than the frame of the camera, using Adobe Photoshop software. As no gaps between TRH-IR and TH-IR elements were seen, these contacts may be functional synapses by which TRH regulates the activity of dopaminergic neurons and subsequently TSH and PRL secretion.
The Provenance of Philippians: A Response to the Analyses of Michael Flexsenhar, Heike Omerzu, Angela Standhartinger and Cédric Brélaz:

A critical synthesis of the arguments made by Flexsenhar, Omerzu, Standhartinger and Brelaz, concerning the provenance of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, suggests: (1) ‘the whole of the praetoriu...
Impact of the Affordable Care Act’s Physician Payments Sunshine Act on Physician Prescribing

Financial relationships between physicians and the pharmaceutical industry in the U.S are an impediment to the affordability and cost transparency of prescription medications. As part of the Affordable Care Act, the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (PPSA) requires medical product manufacturers including pharmaceutical companies to disclose to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) any payments made to physicians, starting in 2013. We evaluate the impact of the PPSA on physician prescribing of brand versus generic drugs in two drug classes: statin and antidepressants. We adopt a difference-in-differences and event study design, leveraging as the control group physicians in two states, MA and VT, which implemented similar state laws prior to the national PPSA. To address selection bias, our analytical sample includes physicians practicing in border counties between the treatment (NH, NY, RI) and control (MA, VT) states. Using 2011-2015 commercial insurance claims data from Health Care Cost Institute, we find that the PPSA led to a 26% reduction in new prescriptions of brand-name statin, and a 12% reduction in new prescriptions of brand-name antidepressants over the study period. We also find small to insignificant decrease in generic prescribing in both drug classes. The reduction in branded prescriptions occurred among physicians with all levels of industry payments in the post-PPSA period, and more pronounced among physicians with the highest level of drug spending pre-PPSA. The changes were primarily driven by physicians decreasing number of patients receiving drugs on an annual basis. We do not find evidence that the PPSA changed the clinical case-mix of patients receiving drugs. We estimate that the PPSA led to annual savings of approximately $0.8 million for statin and $0.4 million for antidepressant new prescriptions in the treated counties of our analytical sample alone.