cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 3717: One year mortality following pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer: analysis of the SEER-Medicare data

Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA Introduction: Pancreatic cancer is a disease with high mortality and the incidence of pancreatic cancer in the United States has been steadily increasing over the last few decades. Pancreatectomy remains the mainstay of treatment and can be combined with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In this study we examined the six month and one year mortality rates of elderly pancreatic cancer patients who underwent pancreatectomy. Methods: We used the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Medicare linked data from 1991 - 2008 to identify elderly (66 years and older) Medicare beneficiaries with pancreatic cancer who underwent pancreatectomy, using the MEDPAR Medicare claims data. Adjuvant therapy was identified from the Medicare Carrier and Outpatient claims data and was defined as pre-operative or post-operative chemo/radiation administered within 6 months before or after surgery. Patients were divided into two groups: surgery alone (S) and surgery with adjuvant therapy (SA) and the key outcomes analyzed were 6 month and one year mortality following surgery. Hierarchical logistic regression models adjusted for age, gender,cancer stage at diagnosis, race, post-operative complication rate and co-morbidity (Elixhauser co-morbidity conditions) were examined to assess differences in six month and one year mortality for the two treatment groups. Results: We identified 4, 110 patients who underwent pancreatectomy between 1991 - 2008. One year mortality (Odds Ratio = 0.60; p value <0.001; CI: 0.519 - 0.690) and six month mortality ((Odds Ratio = 0.26; p value <0.001; CI: 0.218 - 0.310) following pancreatectomy were significantly lower in the group that underwent pancreatectomy with adjuvant therapy. In addition, patients who had regional or distant disease at the time of diagnosis, had higher odds of dying at 6 months and one year, as compared to those with in-situ or localized disease. Patients who underwent elective surgery had lower odds of dying at 6 months and one year, compared to those who underwent urgent procedures. The odds of dying at 6 months and one year also increased with age. Race and gender were not significantly associated with 6 month or one year mortality. Conclusions: Using a national population health database we examined six month and one year mortality for pancreatic cancer patients who underwent surgery alone and compared to those who had surgery with adjuvant therapy and found that patients in the adjuvant therapy group had better outcomes than those who underwent surgery alone. Citation Format: Preethy Nayar, Chandrakanth Are, Fang Yu, Aastha N. Chandak, Niodita Gupta. One year mortality following pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer: analysis of the SEER-Medicare data. [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 3717. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3717
Large Artery Stiffness, Microvascular Function, and Cardiovascular Risk

Large artery stiffness is an important mediator of cardiovascular disease. Aortic stiffening causally contributes to isolated systolic hypertension1 and increases left ventricular pulsatile hydraulic load,2,3 which is important in conditions such as heart failure, hypertensive heart disease, and valvular heart disease (particularly aortic stenosis). In addition, there is increasing recognition of the role of arterial stiffness on microvascular disease, which is relevant for the damage of target organs such as the brain and the kidney.3,4 See Article by Cooper et al Consistent with the important role of arterial stiffness in cardiovascular health, measures of large artery stiffness have been shown to independently predict the risk of incident cardiovascular events in both clinical and community-based cohorts.5–8 However, the degree to which the relationship between large artery stiffness and incident cardiovascular disease is mediated by microvascular dysfunction is unclear. In this issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging , Cooper et al9 report the results of a large prospective cohort study that advances our understanding of this issue. The authors measured carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (a measure of large artery stiffness) and brachial artery hyperemic mean Doppler flow velocity after an ischemic forearm occlusion (an index of microvascular function), among 4547 Framingham Heart Study participants. They performed analyses to relate individual measures of vascular function to incident cardiovascular disease, and subsequent mediation analyses to assess the degree to which prevalent microvascular dysfunction at baseline accounts for the prediction of cardiovascular events provided by carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity. Their results demonstrate that both higher carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity and lower hyperemic mean flow velocity were independently associated with incident cardiovascular disease. In mediation analyses, 8% to 13% of the relationship between aortic stiffness and cardiovascular events was explained by hyperemic mean flow velocity. The …
Azole antifungal resistance in Candida albicans and emerging non-albicans Candida Species

Within the limited antifungal armamentarium, the azole antifungals are the most frequent class used to treat Candida infections. Azole antifungals such as fluconazole are often preferred treatment for many Candida infections as they are inexpensive, exhibit limited toxicity, and are available for oral administration. There is, however, extensive documentation of intrinsic and developed resistance to azole antifungals among several Candida species. As the frequency of azole resistant Candida isolates in the clinical setting increases, it is essential to elucidate the mechanisms of such resistance in order to both preserve and improve upon the azole class of antifungals for the treatment of Candida infections. This review examines azole resistance in infections caused by C. albicans as well as the emerging non-albicans Candida species C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis, C. krusei, and C. glabrata and in particular, describes the current understanding of molecular basis of azole resistance in these fungal species.
Coupling of Airway Smooth Muscle Bitter Taste Receptors to Intracellular Signaling and Relaxation Is via Gαi1,2,3

Bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) are expressed on human airway smooth muscle (HASM) and evoke marked relaxation. Agonist interaction with TAS2Rs activates phospholipase C and increases compartmentalized intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) via inositol 1,4,5 triphosphate. In taste cells, the G protein gustducin couples TAS2R to phospholipase C; however, we find very low levels of Gαgust mRNA or protein in HASM. We hypothesized that another G protein in HASM transmits TAS2R function. TAS2R signaling to [Ca2+]i, extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2, and physiologic relaxation was sensitive to pertussis toxin, confirming a role for a member of the Gi family. α subunit expression in HASM was Gαi2 > Gαi1 = Gαi3 > Gαtrans1 ≈ Gαtrans2, with Gαgust and Gαo at the limits of detection (>100-fold lower than Gαi2). Small interfering RNA knockdowns in HASM showed losses of [Ca2+]i and ERK1/2 signaling when Gαi1, Gαi2, or Gαi3 were reduced. Gαtrans1 and Gαtrans2 knockdowns had no effect on [Ca2+]i and a minimal, tran...
Reimaging Process in 2016: Deliberations on a Year of Integrative Slow Science in Biological Anthropology

The year 2016 in biological anthropology represented a return to the methodical study of classic questions and increased integrative team-based research that utilizes multiple methodological approaches. This review is not comprehensive, but rather highlights several papers that reflect trends in four areas of research within biological anthropology: paleoanthropology, primatology, human biology, and anthropological genetics. Methodological innovation enabled scholars in paleoanthropology to tackle questions once hampered by small sample size. Primatologists approached studies of behavior and reproduction with the rigor characteristic of the subdiscipline, while paying increasing attention to anthropogenic influences on primate habitats. Like their colleagues in paleoanthropology, human biologists also returned to enduring questions regarding reproduction, human adaptation, and behavior, including, notably, a focus on variability in cultural practice and meaning, as well as resource inequity. The publications representing anthropological genetics signify a movement toward an incorporation of multiple lines of evidence in our understanding of human and nonhuman primate ancestry. In total, these papers reveal shifts in biological anthropology toward research that is increasingly aware of the limits of siloed science and attuned to addressing issues salient to the populations and communities in which we work. [comparative morphology, Anthropocene, anthropological genetics, human biology]
Introduction of color-flow injection test to confirm intravascular location of peripherally placed intravenous catheters.

SummaryBackground The incidence of infiltration and extravasation when using peripheral intravenous catheters is high in pediatric patients. Due to the lack of a gold standard test to confirm intravascular location of a peripherally placed intravenous catheter, we introduce a novel method, the color-flow injection test to assess the intravascular location of these catheters. For the color-flow injection test, 1 mL of normal saline was injected within 2 seconds in the distal intravenous catheter and changes in color-flow via ultrasonography were observed at the proximal draining veins. The primary objective of the study was to demonstrate feasibility of the color-flow injection test. Methods A prospective study was conducted on children <18 years old undergoing general anesthesia. All peripheral intravenous catheters were subject to the color-flow injection test and standard confirmation tests. Results Out of the 100 patients enrolled, 22 patients came to the operating room with preexisting peripheral intravenous catheters. Intraoperatively, 105 attempts were made on 78 patients of which 27 catheters were considered as infiltrated during their placement. A final set of 100 catheters were considered for intraoperative usage after they had passed at least one of the standard confirmatory tests. For the color-flow injection test, the ideal sites for ultrasound evaluation of proximal draining veins were the axillary veins and femoral veins. The color-flow injection test was positive in 93 of the 100 catheters with color-flow changes noticed in the proximal veins during the saline injection. Of the 100 catheters, infiltration around seven catheter sites were observed within 2 hours of intraoperative usage and the color-flow injection test was negative in these seven catheters. The color-flow injection test was also negative in the 27 catheters that had infiltrated during their placement. The color-flow injection test was sensitive at 100% [95% confidence interval (CI)=95-100] and specific at 100% (95% CI=56-100) to indicate intravascular location. Conclusion We were able to confirm intravascular location of peripheral intravenous catheters using the color-flow injection test in pediatric patients. The test can lead to early recognition of malfunctioning peripheral intravenous catheters and decrease rate of infiltration-extravasation injuries associated with their use.
OR21 The novel functional role of HLA DRA and DRB5 encoded mirna transcripts

Aim Our recent research demonstrates the existence of experimentally validated, functional novel microRNA (miRNA) transcripts that are encoded within the HLA-DRA and HLA-DRB5 loci. MicroRNAs are known to regulate the post-transcriptional expression of targeted genes. In order to better understand the physiological role of these miRNAs, we have identified computationally predicted miRNA target sites on a genome-wide scale, revealing numerous targeted mRNA transcripts and physiological processes mediated by HLA encoded miRNAs. Methods Computationally predicted miRNA target sites for two HLA encoded miRNAs (HLA-DRA, HLA-DRB5) were identified on every known gene (GENCODE 25) using miRanda and filtered to contain only those heteroduplexes with a G ⩽ −20Kcal/mol. Statistically enriched biological processes and pathways of targeted transcripts was determined using DAVID. Results The miRNA encoded within the HLA-DRA and HLA-DRB5 loci were predicted to target 930 and 181 transcripts respectively. Although these targeted transcripts are involved in numerous physiological processes, both miRNAs are found to target transcripts that are statistically enriched within biological processes related to nervous system development, including the β-amyloid (Aβ)-degrading enzyme, membrane metalloendopeptidase (MME) gene, which has been associated with Alzhemier’s disease. Both HLA-DRA and HLA-DRB have also previously been associated with Alzheimer’s disease, suggesting a potential functional link between HLA encoded miRNA and neurodegenerative processes leading to disease. Conclusions Our work demonstrates a novel functional role for the HLA genes, mediated by encoded miRNA transcripts. Our findings suggest that two miRNA encoded within the HLA-DRA and HLA-DRB5 genes, target hundreds of transcripts involved in a variety of metabolic processes, with both sets of target genes being significantly enriched within neurological processes in particular. Both HLA-DRA and the HLA-DRB5 have been associated with Alzheimer’s disease in GWAS studies and both encoded miRNA are found to target the MME gene, which has also been associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Together, these finding suggest a functional link between the class II HLA region and the etiology of Alzheimer’s disease.
Ultra-High-Efficiency Anomalous Refraction with Dielectric Metasurfaces

Anomalous refraction is a form of extreme waveform manipulation that can be realized with artificially structured nanomaterials, such as metamaterials or metasurfaces. While this phenomenon has been previously demonstrated for select input and output angles, its generalization to arbitrary angles with high efficiencies remains a challenge. In this study, we show that periodic dielectric metasurfaces can support ultra-high-efficiency anomalous refraction for nearly arbitrary combinations of incident and outgoing angles (>90% efficiency for angles up to 50°). Both polarization-dependent and polarization-independent device configurations can be realized, and the achieved metrics exceed the capabilities of conventional metasurfaces by a large margin. Many of the devices studied here utilize dielectric nanostructures that support strong near-field optical interactions with neighboring structures and complex optical mode dynamics. We envision that these concepts can be integrated with practical applications in ...
3 – Field Effect Transistors

This chapter discusses field effect transistors. The development of field effect devices continued with moderate progress until the early 1960s, when the metal-oxide-silicon field effect transistor (MOSFET) emerged as a prominent device. This device quickly became popular in semiconductor memories and digital integrated circuits. Today, the MOSFET dominates the integrated circuit technology, and it is responsible for the computer revolution of the 1990s. This chapter begins by discussing the basic theory of the MOSFET, beginning with its fundamental building block, the MOS capacitor. The MOSFET is the building block of the current ultra large scale integrated circuits (ICs). The growth and complexity of MOS ICs are continually increasing over the years to enable faster and denser circuits. Further, the chapter presents an overview of less common field effect devices used only in specific applications. Their coverage is limited to a qualitative explanation of the operating principles and basic equations.
Case 9: Intraoperative Hypotension in a Patient Receiving Chronic Steroids

A 4-year-old boy (12 kg) presents for surgical excision of a kidney tumor. His history includes severe asthma that is treated with prednisone, 2 mg per day. Two days before surgery, he was given bronchodilator therapy to optimize pulmonary function. The patient is anesthetized by an inhalation induction with sevoflurane. An intravenous (IV) line is inserted, and vecuronium and hydrocortisone 50 mg are given. Endotracheal intubation is performed uneventfully. Anesthesia is maintained with fentanyl and isoflurane in an oxygen-air mixture. Surgical resection of the kidney proves difficult, and surgical bleeding ensues. Blood loss (1,000 ml) is replaced. The internal jugular vein and right radial lines are cannulated. Bleeding continues (blood loss now 1,500 ml). Blood and crystalloid are given. A moderate acidosis (base excess 7) and a low serum calcium are corrected. Eventually the bleeding is under control and the central venous pressure (CVP) is 10 mmHg, but the blood pressure (BP) decreases precipitously, despite multiple IV doses of ephedrine, phenylephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine infusion to support the BP.
Traumatology of the shoulder region

Acute injuries to the shoulder region have been described for nearly 5000 years. This paper deals primarily with pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of glenohumeral and acromioclavicular dislocations.
The History of Adrenocortical Carcinoma Treatment – A Medical Perspective

Knowledge of the genetic and molecular alterations in adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) has advanced in the past two decades, as a result of newer laboratory methodology to study mechanisms of oncogenesis and tumor pathophysiology. In contrast, limited progress has been made in our ability to treat and prolong survival in patients with advanced disease. Over the past five decades, a number of reports have summarized the experience of individual medical institutions with ACC; and collectively, based on several thousand cases, there is relative consensus on the epidemiology of ACC, its clinical presentation, criteria for pathological diagnosis, and tumor response to standard cytotoxic chemotherapy. Unfortunately, survival of patients with advanced disease remains poor (Fig. 1.1), and targeted therapies based on new knowledge of the biology of these tumors are only in clinical trial phase. This introduction will attempt to highlight the early experience with mitotane that forms the basis of our current approach to the management of patients with ACC.
What Do Urban College Students Really Think About Health Insurance? A Qualitative Study

Objective: To determine barriers and opportunities to health insurance enrollment among an undergraduate students at a large urban university. Participants: Participants were 31 college students enrolled in 4-year and community colleges in the City University of New York (CUNY), and six health services and insurance enrollment specialists who facilitate and assist in the health insurance enrollment process for CUNY students. Methods: Focus groups were conducted with students and in-depth interviews with key informants in May 2017. Results: The research revealed important insights into how students perceive and value insurance and yielded recommendations for the university to improve enrollment of its students. Conclusions: Many colleges can increase student enrollment in health insurance by informing and educating students about the process. Improving enrollment processes can increase insurance rates and improve student population health.
Challenges with Deceased and Body Parts Identification

Large-scale explosions and plane crashes are good models for sudden mass casualty incidents (SMCIs) and may cause a large number of deaths and dismembered or fragmented bodies.
Decentralized Multiagent Approach for Hedonic Games

We propose a novel, multi-agent, decentralized approach for hedonic coalition formation games useful for settings with a large number of agents. We also propose three heuristics which, can be coupled with our approach to find sub-coalitions that prefer to “bud off” from an existing coalition. We found that our approach when compared to random partition formation gives better results which further improve when it is coupled with the proposed heuristics. As matching problems are a common type of hedonic games, we have adapted our approach for two matching problems: roommate matching and bipartite matching. Our method does well for additively separable hedonic games, where finding the optimal partition is NP-hard, and gives near optimal results for matching problems.
The Personal or the Partisan? The Politics of House Appropriations Amendments, 1985-2016

Offering amendments represents an important tool for individual members to engage in behaviors that help them pursue reelection, like position-taking and credit claiming. When the House leadership ...
Engineered Ribonucleoprotein Granules Inhibit Translation in Protocells.

Summary Liquid granules rich in intrinsically disordered proteins and RNA play key roles in critical cellular functions such as RNA processing and translation. Many details of the mechanism via which this occurs remain to be elucidated. Motivated by the lacuna in the field and by the prospects of developing de novo artificial granules that provide extrinsic control of translation, we report a bottom-up approach to engineer ribonucleoprotein granules composed of a recombinant RNA-binding IDP that exhibits phase behavior in water. We developed a kinetic model to illustrate that these granules inhibit translation through reversible or irreversible sequestration of mRNA. Within monodisperse droplets capable of transcription and translation, we experimentally demonstrate temporal inhibition of translation by using designer IDPs that exhibit tunable phase behavior. This work lays the foundation for developing artificial granules that promise to further our mechanistic understanding of their naturally occurring counterparts.
In-vitro susceptibility of cefoperazone-susceptible and -resistant gram-negative rods to cefoperazone plus sulbactam, other beta-lactams, aminoglycosides and quinolone.

We compared thein-vitro activity of cefoperazone-sulbactam (2 : 1), other β-lactams, aminoglycosides and ciprofloxacin against cefoperazone-susceptible and -resistant nosocomial gram-negative bacilli. Resistant isolates includingPseudomonas aeruginosa were susceptible to cefoperazone-sulbactam; the susceptible isolates had modestly increased susceptibility to the combination. Sulbactam, by itself, was poorly active. Among others tested, ciprofloxacin and imipenem were the most active. No inoculum effect was seen with cefoperazone-sulbactam and this drug combination had a prolonged post-antibiotic effect. Cefoperazone-sulbactam is an attractive candidate for evaluation in the treatment of nosocomial infections due to aerobic gram-negative bacilli.
Strategic management in a public hospital by balanced scorecard and economics analysis

The objective of this study was to examine the overall management efficiency of a public hospital in the Northeastern region, Thailand by using the data envelopment analysis (DEA) and Balanced Scorecard (BSC) framework. The study was conducted in three phases including: 1) measuring the organisational performance efficiency using the DEA; 2) analysing the organisational strategic plan and formulating a strategy map to explain connections between strategic objectives based on the main perspectives of the BSC (financial, customer, internal process, and learning and growth); 3) interviewing hospital administrators about the overall strategic management of the hospital to determine how to improve management strategies to maximise balance and efficiency.
Need for botulinum toxin injection and bladder augmentation after isolated bladder outlet procedure in pediatric patients with myelomeningocele.

Summary Introduction In patients with neurogenic bladder outlet incompetence, a bladder outlet procedure (BOP) may be required to achieve urinary continence. However, when performed in isolation, a BOP can be associated with bladder deterioration and upper-tract injury. In the event of bladder deterioration, additional procedures such as bladder augmentation (BA) or botulinum toxin injection (BTI) may be pursued. Objective The aim of this study was to assess long-term outcomes after isolated BOP in a pediatric myelomeningocele (MMC) population, including the need for additional surgical intervention in the form of BTI or BA. Materials and methods A retrospective cohort study was performed for patients with MMC who underwent an isolated BOP between 2004 and 2017. Primary outcomes included the need for postoperative BTI or BA. Secondary outcomes included the association between preoperative urodynamic parameters and need for BTI or BA. Results BTI or BA was performed in 18 of 36 (50%) patients at a median of 17.8 months (IQR 11.2–29.3) after an isolated BOP. A median of 1 (IQR 1–3) BTI was performed in 11 (30.6%) patients. BA was performed in 9 (25%) patients, including 2 patients who previously underwent BTI. Patients who did not undergo BTI or BA after BOP had a slightly increased percentage estimated bladder capacity at the end of follow-up (107% versus 95%, p=0.42). By contrast, patients who underwent BTI or BA had a post-BOP percentage estimated bladder capacity that decreased from 112 to 70% (p Discussion On time-to-event analysis, the risk of BTI or BA was 53% at 5 years in our cohort. Risk of these procedures was highest in the first two years after BOP. 9 of 11 (82%) patients who underwent BTI had improvement in bladder dynamics and BA was not pursued. These findings suggest that BTI provides a less-morbid alternative to BA in patients with MMC and de novo adverse bladder storage changes after an isolated BOP. Conclusion The need for BTI or BA after an isolated BOP is significant in patients with MMC. BTI offers a less-invasive alternative to BA in this population. Download : Download high-res image (128KB) Download : Download full-size image
Building a multi-signal based defect prediction system for a friction stir welding process

Abstract This paper presents a study undertaken to build a multi-signal based defect prediction system for a friction stir welding process, as a step toward developing an online monitoring system. Compared with previous studies, this study is new and more complete in the following senses: (i) the experiments cover wider range of conditions than before, yielding sufficient number of good and defective welds (including both “cold” and “hot”); (ii) multiple signals are used simultaneously; and (v) it is the first study on friction stir welding process monitoring to apply ant colony optimization (ACO) based feature selection to include only discriminatory features in the model prediction. In friction stir (FS) welding of Aluminum Alloy 2219-T87, signals were acquired. Next signals were segmented into discrete windows to imitate data availability in an on-line monitoring system, and finally features were extracted using discrete wavelet transform (DWT). Extracted features were then pooled together and selected using ACO in the process of building model for testing. Predicting the quality of the weld is considered to be a 3-class classification problem that is evaluated using the wrapper method with KNN as the evaluation model. The leave-one-out test results show that feature extraction and selection on signals obtained in friction-stir-welding (FSW) can be a powerful method of defect detection when used with a machine learning algorithm for classification. The predictive power of models trained with selected features was able to yield 98.8487% classification accuracy. The work completed in this study provides a solid foundation for the creation of an on-line sensing system for monitoring the quality of a friction stirred welded specimen.
Securing Wireless Scada Systems in Rural American Power Grids

Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems are used in the electrical (among others) industry to provide automated services in the electrical grid. Engineers who, in years past, have had to respond to every issue by being physically present in order to resolve the issues no longer have the physical presence requirement. SCADA allows for those engineers to address problems from a central location, which enhances productivity overall. This article focuses on SCADA's use within rural electric companies, and the security vulnerabilities caused by its use. The analysis is not exhaustive, but instead seeks to pay specific attention to wireless sensor mesh networks (WSMN). SCADA systems use main controllers to communicate with and gather data from sensor nodes. The protocols used to transmit data wirelessly are generally short-range, and consequently present unique security obstacles. This article discusses the obstacles presented by the Zigbee Pro, WirelessHART and ISA 100.11a protocols, and provide a brief synopsis of detection and mitigation of strategies that can help protect critical infrastructure (CI) in rural America. This is a preliminary research work towards addressing vulnerability issues in Rural American Power Grids.
Live-Cell Forward Genetic Approach to Identify and Isolate Developmental Mutants in Chlamydia trachomatis

The intracellular bacterial pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis undergoes a developmental cycle consisting of two morphologically discrete developmental forms. The non-replicative elementary body (EB) initiates infection of the host. Once inside, the EB differentiates into the reticulate body (RB). The RB then undergoes multiple rounds of replication, before differentiating back to the infectious EB form. This cycle is essential for chlamydial survival as failure to switch between cell types prevents either host invasion or replication. Limitations in genetic techniques due to the obligate intracellular nature of Chlamydia have hampered identification of the molecular mechanisms involved in the cell-type development. We designed a novel dual promoter-reporter plasmid system that, in conjunction with live-cell microscopy, allows for the visualization of cell type switching in real time. To identify genes involved in the regulation of cell-type development, the live-cell promoter-reporter system was leveraged for the development of a forward genetic approach by combining chemical mutagenesis of the dual reporter strain, imaging and tracking of Chlamydia with altered developmental kinetics, followed by clonal isolation of mutants. This forward genetic workflow is a flexible tool that can be modified for directed interrogation into a wide range of genetic pathways.
Short-Term Morbidity and Predictors of Adverse Events Following Esthesioneuroblastoma Surgery.

INTRODUCTION The short-term adverse events and predictors of morbidity in surgical resection of esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB) are largely unknown, and investigating these variables can help direct planning for at-risk patients. METHODS The 2005-2017 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried to identify patients with a diagnosis of ENB undergoing skull base surgery for tumor resection. Information regarding demographics, patient morbidity score, pre-operative and intra-operative data, and post-operative outcomes were extracted. Cox proportional hazard analysis was utilized to assess complication and readmission/reoperation rates. RESULTS A total of 95 patients undergoing skull base surgery for resection of ENB were included. Mean age, BMI, operation time, and post-operative length of stay (LOS) of the cohort were 53.6 ± 16.2 years, 29.1 ± 6.5, 392.0 ± 204.6 minutes, and 5.8 ± 4.6 days, respectively. In total, 31 patients (32.6%) experienced at least one 30-day adverse event, which included blood transfusion intra-operatively or within 72 hours from the operation (22.1%), readmission (10.7%), intubation >48 hours (7.4%), reintubation (4.2%), organ or space infection (4.2%), reoperation (4.0%), superficial or deep surgical site infection (2.1%), sepsis (2.1%), pulmonary embolism (1.1%), and myocardial infarction (1.1%). Patients who experienced at least one adverse event had significantly higher operation time (486.8 ± 230.4 vs. 347.5 ± 176.2 minutes, p = 0.002), LOS (9.2 ± 5.6 days vs. 4.2 ± 3.0, p < 0.001), and lower hematocrit (37.3 ± 5.9 vs. 41.2 ± 3.8, p < 0.001) and albumin levels (3.8 ± 0.6 vs. 4.2 ± 0.3, p = 0.009). Patients with a higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score (HR = 2.39; p = 0.047) or longer operation time (HR = 1.004; p = 0.001) had a significantly higher risk for experiencing adverse events. Obesity was not associated with different intra- or post-operative outcomes, but older patients had shorter operations (p = 0.002) and LOS (p = 0.0014). CONCLUSION Longer operation time and lower pre-operative hematocrit and albumin levels may all increase complication rates in ENB resection. Patients with high ASA score or more advanced age may have different short-term outcomes.
Not Just a Slice: Animal Crossing and a Life Ongoing

This paper defines and examines a genre of videogames I call slice of life and reflects upon the use and appeal of the genre for different audiences. I develop an account of the slice of life genre by defining three critical traits: the mundane activities comprising most of the game time, the normativity of social interactions within the world, and the ongoingness of the game world in the absence of the player. Utilizing a journal and experience-based methodology, I present my own experience with chronic pain and pain management to assess how Animal Crossing: New Leaf, a game that falls into this slice of life category, was useful to me as a disabled player. My analysis not only reveals a connection between my experience in Animal Crossing: New Leaf and pain management, but also offers insight into how the slice of life genre involves different metagames for different audiences. Future work may address more case studies in further development of the slice of life genre as well as how it impacts different audiences.
Superselective embolization in posttraumatic high-flow priapism

Abstract We present a case of a 24 year old man who presented with high flow priapism. Priapism is defined as an erection lasting four or more hours, either after or unrelated to sexual stimulation. Priapism can be categorized into low-flow, stuttering, and high-flow types, each with unique mechanisms and treatments. High-flow priapism is caused by an abnormal communication between the artery and sinusoids of the penis, often in the form of an arteriovenous fistula. Super-selective embolization is the treatment of choice for high-flow priapism if conservative measures fail. Super-selective embolization is associated with an 80% success rate and a low chance of post-procedure erectile dysfunction.
Stablity Analysis of Entrainment by Two Periodic Inputs with a Fixed Delay

We were able to predict stable entrainments for an open loop neural circuit in which an endogenously rhythmic neuron is driven by two periodic inputs separated by a fixed delay, using linear stability analysis about an assumed entrainment as well as a local linearization of the measured phase resetting curve. An example using Morris Lecar oscillators found multistable entrainments for a fixed delay. A fixed delay could be applicable to interneurons that exhibit postinhibitory rebound bursting. This research is part of an effort to extend the applicability of our previously developed methods to analyse circuits that underlie central pattern generation.
Bloomsbury, Modernism, and the Reinvention of Intimacy

Bloomsbury, Modernism, and the Reinvention of Intimacy integrates studies of six members and associates of the Bloomsbury group into a rich narrative of early twentieth century culture, encompassing changes in the demographics of private and public life, and Freudian and sexological assaults on middle-class proprieties Jesse Wolfe shows how numerous modernist writers felt torn between the inherited institutions of monogamy and marriage and emerging theories of sexuality which challenged Victorian notions of maleness and femaleness. For Wolfe, this ambivalence was a primary source of the Bloomsbury writers' aesthetic strength: Virginia Woolf, D. H. Lawrence, and others brought the paradoxes of modern intimacy to thrilling life on the page. By combining literary criticism with forays into philosophy, psychoanalysis, sociology, and the avant-garde art of Vienna, this book offers a fresh account of the reciprocal relations between culture and society in that key site for literary modernism known as Bloomsbury.
Conflict, Negotiation and European Union Enlargement

List of illustrations List of tables List of acronyms Acknowledgements 1. Introduction 2. EU enlargements and transitional periods 3. A rationalist puzzle of EU enlargement? 4. A theory of discriminatory membership 5. EU enlargement, distributional conflicts, and the demand for compensation 6. The discriminatory of membership 7. Discriminatory membership and intra-union redistribution 8. Conclusion Bibliography Index.
New metal fill considerations for nanometer technologies

The use of metal fill insertion to create a uniform interconnect layout pattern that minimizes topographical variation is a widely adopted practice for nanometer technologies. This paper presents new advances and considerations to achieve maximum metal density uniformity while minimizing impact on chip timing by using timing aware methods. It also describes a full comprehensive metal fill methodology which includes metal fill insertion, metal fill trimming and metal density verification. Finally some new customer requested features such as staggered pattern metal fill and power strapping are also described
Statistical Strength Comparison of Metal-Matrix and Polymeric-Matrix Composites

Abstract : The reliability of a composite structure depends on the materials strength variability. Unidirectional composites fail sequentially initiating from the very weakest fiber sites with matrix binder, provide local redundancy by transferring load to neighboring fibers until cumulation and clustering of these sites lead to severe stress concentration and ultimate structure failure. As a consequence, the variability of the metal matrix structure is traceable to the strength variability of the constituent fiber, the metal matrix coating process, and the composite wire consolidation process. This report focuses on the partitioning of the first two sources of variability, identification and modeling of the dominant parameters, together with experimental measurements on a current graphite-aluminum composite. The statistical strength of several graphite spools are measured by testing single filament specimens at the beginning and at the end of the spools, thereby characterizing the statistical paraments associated with the strength variability among the spools and within each spool. The graphite-aluminum wire, produced from a continuous liquid infiltration process are tested in tension. The metal matrix statistical strengths from different spools are compared with the respective statistical strength of the parent fiber. The results suggest that, given proper interpretation, single filament fiber strength is a sensitive parameter for quality assurance of metal matrix composites.
Cutaneous siderosis secondary to intramuscular iron dextran treated with 755 nm Q-switched alexandrite laser: A case report.

Background Cutaneous siderosis is accumulation of iron in the dermis and the subcutaneous tissue secondary to extravasation of an intramuscular or intravascular iron injection. It presents as varying shades of brown macules with no distinct contours. The hyperpigmentation is permanent without treatment. Objective Q-switched lasers have been used effectively to treat lentigines and tattoos however, there is little data on the treatment of cutaneous siderosis with lasers. Our objective was to effectively treat cutaneous siderosis with a Q-switched alexandrite laser. Results A 50-year-old female had received nine injections of intramuscular iron dextran, one injection every 2 weeks alternating right buttock and left buttock over the course of 5 months. A couple of weeks after her 9th injection which was on the left, she noted brown hyperpigmentation in the injection area with the left worse than the right. She waited 3 months for the hyperpigmentation to self-resolve before presenting in our clinic. We utilized the Q-switched alexandrite laser to treat the patient with a test spot. One week later, there was nice partial clearance from the test spot so we commenced full treatment of the hyperpigmentation. There was significant improvement after the first treatment and she has been treated 4 times with continued improvement over the past 2 months. Conclusion The Q-switched alexandrite laser is a useful tool in the treatment of cutaneous siderosis secondary to iron injection. Lasers Surg. Med. 47:386–387, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Refinement of Neuro-psychological Tests for Dementia Screening in a Cross Cultural Population Using Machine Learning

This work focused on refining the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI) by selecting a clinically significant subset of tests, and generating simple and useful models for dementia screening in a cross cultural populace. This is a retrospective study of 57 mild-to-moderately demented patients of African-American, Caucasian, Chinese, Hispanic, and Vietnamese origin and an equal number of age matched controls from a cross cultural pool. We used a Knowledge Discovery from Databases (KDD) approach. Decision tree learners (C4.5, CART), rule inducers (C4.5Rules, FOCL) and a reference classifier (Naive Bayes) were the machine learning algorithms used for model building. This study identified a clinically useful subset of CASI, consisting of only twenty Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) attributes--CASI-MMS-M, saving test time and cost, while maintaining or improving dementia screening accuracy. Also, the machine learning algorithms (in particular C4.5 and CART) gave stable clinically relevant models for the task of screening with CASI-MMSE-M....
From growth physiology to systems biology.

As it focuses on the integrated behavior of the entire cell, systems biology is a powerful extension of growth physiology. Here, I briefly trace some of the origins of modern-day bacterial growth physiology and its relevance to systems biology. I describe how growth physiology emerged from the foggy picture of the growth curve as a self-contained entity. For this insight, we can thank Henrici, Hershey, Monod, Maaloe, and others. As a result of their work, growth rate is understood to be the unitary manifestation of the response to nutritional conditions and to the control condition for studies on the effect of environmental stresses. For this response to be usefully reproducible, cultures must be in the steady state known as balanced growth. I point out that present-day experimenters are not always aware of this imperative and thus do not always use conditions that ensure the balanced growth of their control cultures.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: a case report and literature review

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, "broken heart syndrome", is a well-known diagnosis in adults; however, this entity remains rare and is not well represented in the paediatric population. This report illustrates a case of takotsubo cardiomyopathy in a premature neonate with a brief discussion of the condition.
Volunteer bias in sexuality research using college student participants

Volunteer bias in sexuality research employing college student samples has been documented in previous research. In the current study, such potential volunteer bias was further investigated, as was...
The Use of Portfolios for In-Service Teacher Assessment: A Case Study of Foreign Language Middle-School Teachers in Texas

: This qualitative case study chronicled the efforts of a group of foreign language middle school teachers as they developed professional portfolios. The study was exploratory in nature and sought to investigate what happens when teachers build a professional portfolio as an alternative to a state appraisal system. The study found that the portfolios contained very little evidence of language teaching. The teachers seemed to have had difficulty making distinctions between goal setting and instruction modifications. This confusion, together with a lack of peer collaboration, resulted in a poor selection of artifacts. For example, there was very little evidence of students' work and of professional activities. The artifacts focused more on satisfying recent state legislation emphasizing textbook completion and intervention methods. The findings point to the importance of administrative and collegial support for successful professional portfolio development.
Enhanced photocatalysis using side-glowing optical fibers coated with Fe-doped TiO2 nanocomposite thin films

Abstract This study characterized and evaluated photocatalytic efficiency of Fe-doped TiO 2 (Fe–TiO 2 ) nanocomposite thin films coated on side-glowing optical fibers (SOFs) for organic contaminant degradation. For the first time Fe–TiO 2 thin films with mixed anatase and rutile phases were successfully grown on SOFs using polymer assisted hydrothermal deposition (PAHD) method. The photocatalyst films were characterized using transmission and scanning electron microscopes, energy-dispersive X-ray, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopes. The photocatalytic efficiencies of the catalysts coated SOFs were studied by the degradation of Rhodamine B as a representative organic contaminant. The results showed that 5% Fe–TiO 2 thin films (Fe:TiO 2 molar ratio), mixture of anatase and rutile phases, achieved the highest photocatalytic activity under the irradiation of ultraviolet (UV) and visible light. The coupled adsorption and photocatalytic oxidation of Rhodamine B by the SOFs coated with photocatalyst nanocomposite thin films followed the Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetic model, and the apparent first-order rate constants achieved 0.50 h −1 and 0.33 h −1 under UV and visible light irradiation, respectively. Photocatalytic degradation efficiency was affected by pH and initial organic concentration. Reactivation and regeneration of the used catalysts, and long-term photoactivity testing of catalysts coated SOFs demonstrated the durability of synthesized photocatalysts for water treatment.