cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
AJ-2PROTECTION OF PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION AND ETHICS OF HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE US

Abstract Health information technology is impacting the legal and ethical approaches to protecting patient privacy in the United States. Widespread adoption of electronic health records, massive data storage capacity, sophisticated measurement and reporting tools, and new communication channels offer tremendous potential benefit for patients and providers, but also give rise to serious responsibility for the stewardship of information. Across the US, the HIPAA law and regulations govern the privacy and security of individually identifiable health information. HIPAA also sets out patients' rights with respect to their health information. Other federal laws govern the use of identifiable health information in research. In addition, most of the 50 states have their own health privacy laws. This regulatory structure affects every aspect of health information technology, from patient portals to e-mail communication to clinical decision support. Because the law treats quality improvement activity differently from research activity, there is debate about how to characterize some data-driven work. New tools are emerging to statistically anonymize health records, but concerns remain about the risk of re-identification. Government regulators are considering when software programs should be regarded as medical devices. Feeling the laws do not always keep pace with technological advances, ethicists are proposing new frameworks for patient engagement, focusing on transparency about data use, responsible data governance policies, and meaningful ways for patients to “opt out.” More research is needed to understand patient perceptions about the use of their health data. ASCO's CancerLinQ initiative provides an opportunity to grapple with these issues and develop a thoughtful approach to health data stewardship.
Fentanyl Iontophoretic Transdermal System

INDICATIONS The fentanyl iontophoretic transdermal system is indicated for the short-term management of acute postoperative pain in adult patients requiring opioid analgesia during hospitalization. Patients should be titrated to an acceptable level of analgesia before initiating fentanyl iontophoretic treatment. The iontophoretic system is not indicated for home use and is inappropriate for use in patients after they have been discharged from the hospital. Use is not recommended in patients younger than 18 years of age.
Action spectrum for photochemical retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) disruption in an in vivo monkey model

Observations of RPE disruption and autofluorescence (AF) photobleaching at light levels below the ANSI photochemical maximum permissible exposure (MPE) (Morgan et al., 2008) indicates a demand to modify future light safety standards to protect the retina from harm. To establish safe light exposures, we measured the visible light action spectrum for RPE disruption in an in vivo monkey model with fluorescence adaptive optics retinal imaging. Using this high resolution imaging modality can provide insight into the consequences of light on a cellular level and allow for longitudinal monitoring of retinal changes. The threshold retinal radiant exposures (RRE) for RPE disruption were determined for 4 wavelengths (460, 488, 544, and 594 nm). The anaesthetized macaque retina was exposed to a uniform 0.5° × 0.5° field of view (FOV). Imaging within a 2° × 2° FOV was performed before, immediately after and at 2 week intervals for 10 weeks. At each wavelength, multiple RREs were tested with 4 repetitions each to determine the threshold for RPE disruption. For qualitative analysis, RPE disruption is defined as any detectable change from the pre exposure condition in the cell mosaic in the exposed region relative to the corresponding mosaic in the immediately surrounding area. We have tested several metrics to evaluate the RPE images obtained before and after exposure. The measured action spectrum for photochemical RPE disruption has a shallower slope than the current ANSI photochemical MPE for the same conditions and suggests that longer wavelength light is more hazardous than other measurements would suggest.
Estradiol upregulates mesangial cell MMP-2 activity via the transcription factor AP-2

The accumulation of extracellular matrix in the glomerular mesangium reflects the net balance between the synthesis and degradation of matrix components. We have shown that estradiol suppresses the...
Diffusion-Limited Evaporation in a Temperature Gradient and Application to Gas-Filled Incandescent Lamps

Several simplified mathematical analyses of diffusion-limited evaporation have been published. However, in the present work, it is shown that the effect of a temperature gradient on both concentration and thermal diffusion can be adequately described mathematically.
Atomistic Details of Disordering Processes in Superheated Polymethylene Crystals II. Effects of Surface Constraints

Atomistic details of disordering in superheated polymethylene crystals have been studied using full molecular dynamics simulations of crystals containing 9600 CH 2 -groups. The crystal size was about 227 nm 3 Simulations were carried out for up to 100 ps, starting at temperatures about 100 K above the melting temperature. Typically 1.5 h of CPU time on a Cray X-MP were necessary per ps simulation. Superheating causes a quick development of large-scale disorder throughout the crystal, including reorientation, translation, and the destruction of crystal symmetry. This is followed ultimately by surface Melting. Crystallization centers with hexagonal packing are found in superheated, unconstrained crystals. On cooling during the simulation, recrystallization processes compete with the disordering, resulting in a reorientation of the molecular chains and reorganization of the crystal. Neither the fully amorphous phase nor the ordered crystal are reached during these short-time simulations using an instantaneous temperature increase to above the melting temperature, followed by a slow cooling into the crystallization temperature region.
Effect of acid mucopolysaccharides on hair growth in the rabbit.

SummaryRepeated intradermal injection of MPS initiated a hair growth cycle in the pigmented rabbit. Hep. S. was the most active in the reaction, followed by ChS-B. A single injection of MPS applied as the insoluble protamine complexes also stimulated hair growth, again with Hep. S. the most active. These experiments suggest an essential role of a sulfated MPS in the normal hair growth cycle, as suggested previously from the correlation of metachromasia and hair growth.
Correlation factors and treatment of allergic rhinitis in children

Children are the high paroxysmal age for allergic rhinitis.Allergic rhinitis can make numerous deleterious effects on children's learning and living and even may impact the quality of life of the whole family.This article discusses the correlation factor of children's allergic rhinitis and proposes the relevant treatment ways on the basis of children's characteristics.
Path Analysis of Rice Blast Resistance and Yield and Yield Components of Rice Combinations from Chuangu A

Chuangu A is an indica CMS line bred by Rice Research Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University,and it has strong resistance and wide resistant spectrum to rice blast.The rice blast resistances of 48 hybrid rice combinations from Chuangu A were identified in Pujiang area of Sichuan,and the results showed that these 48 combinations all displayed a strong resistance to rice blast.In the meanwhile,the path analysis of the yield and yield components of 48 combinations was carried out,and the results indicated that the direct contribution of various yield components to the single-plant yield had the following order:the number of total grains per spike(0.6995) the number of effective spikes(0.6307) seed setting rate(0.5064) 1000-grain weight(0.2577).So in hybrid rice breeding with Chuangu A,we should emphatically improve the number of effective spikes and seed setting rate on the premise of ensuring the number of total grains per spike.
Desmosterol Increases Lipid Bilayer Fluidity during Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) uniquely affects desmosterol homeostasis by increasing its intracellular abundance and affecting its localization. These effects are important for productive viral replication because the inhibition of desmosterol synthesis has an antiviral effect that can be rescued by the addition of exogenous desmosterol. Here, we use subgenomic replicons to show that desmosterol has a major effect on the replication of HCV JFH1 RNA. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments performed with synthetic supported lipid bilayers demonstrate that the substitution of desmosterol for cholesterol significantly increases the lipid bilayer fluidity, especially in the presence of saturated phospholipids and ceramides. We demonstrate using LC-MS that desmosterol is abundant in the membranes upon which genome replication takes place and that supported lipid bilayers derived from these specialized membranes also exhibit significantly higher fluidity compared to that of negative control memb...
Psychosocial Disparities Among Racial/Ethnic Minority Transgender Young Adults and Young Men Who Have Sex with Men Living in Detroit

Abstract Purpose: Transgender populations in the United States experience unique inequities in health and social well-being; however, they continue to be categorized with men who have sex with men (MSM) in HIV surveillance. To illustrate the differences in the lived realities of young MSM and transgender youth, we compare psychosocial outcomes across a sample of transgender and MSM youth from Detroit. Methods: Data for this study come from a community-based cross-sectional survey of young adults (ages 18–29) living in Detroit who identify as transgender and/or as cisgender young men who have sex with men (YMSM). Using participants' geographic location within the city of Detroit, we matched transgender participants (N=26) to YMSM (N=123) living in the same area, and compared the prevalence in risk and resilience indicators across the two groups. Results: Transgender participants were more likely than YMSM to experience socioeconomic vulnerability across several indicators, including lower educational attai...
Extrasynaptic GABA A Receptors and Alcohol

Historically, many of the prominent behavioral effects of alcohol have been attributed to interactions with gamma-amino-butyric-acid (GABA) neurotransmission. Recently, it has become apparent that synaptic GABA A receptors and extrasynaptic GABA A receptors mediate different forms of GABA inhibition in the nervous system. Intriguing findings from the last decade have provided evidence that the extrasynaptic GABA A receptors in particular are sensitive to low-to-moderate concentrations of alcohol and are important for the behavioral-reinforcing effects of alcohol. In addition, the shell of the nucleus accumbens is a neural region critical for these GABA A -mediated reinforcing effects of alcohol.
A class of extracellular vesicles from breast cancer cells activates VEGF receptors and tumour angiogenesis.

Non-classical secretory vesicles, collectively referred to as extracellular vesicles (EVs), have been implicated in different aspects of cancer cell survival and metastasis. Here, we describe how a specific class of EVs, called microvesicles (MVs), activates VEGF receptors and tumour angiogenesis through a unique 90 kDa form of VEGF (VEGF90K). We show that VEGF90K is generated by the crosslinking of VEGF165, catalysed by the enzyme tissue transglutaminase, and associates with MVs through its interaction with the chaperone Hsp90. We further demonstrate that MV-associated VEGF90K has a weakened affinity for Bevacizumab, causing Bevacizumab to be ineffective in blocking MV-dependent VEGF receptor activation. However, treatment with an Hsp90 inhibitor releases VEGF90K from MVs, restoring the sensitivity of VEGF90K to Bevacizumab. These findings reveal a novel mechanism by which cancer cell-derived MVs influence the tumour microenvironment and highlight the importance of recognizing their unique properties when considering drug treatment strategies. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) contain VEGF and can contribute to tumour angiogenesis, although the mechanism remains unclear. Here, the authors find that a form of VEGF (VEGF90K) resistant to Bevacizumab but sensitive to HSP90 inhibitors, associates with EVs through its interaction with Hsp90.
Predicting Manual Therapy Treatment Success in Patients With Chronic Ankle Instability: Improving Self-Reported Function

Context: Therapeutic modalities that stimulate sensory receptors around the foot-ankle complex improve chronic ankle instability (CAI)–associated impairments. However, not all patients have equal responses to these modalities. Identifying predictors of treatment success could improve clinician efficiency when treating patients with CAI. Objective: To conduct a response analysis on existing data to identify predictors of improved self-reported function in patients with CAI. Design: Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled clinical trial. Setting: Sports medicine research laboratories. Patients or Other Participants: Fifty-nine patients with CAI, which was defined in accordance with the International Ankle Consortium recommendations. Intervention(s): Participants were randomized into 3 treatment groups (plantar massage [PM], ankle-joint mobilization [AJM], or calf stretching [CS]) that received six 5-minute treatments over 2 weeks. Main Outcome Measure(s): Treatment success, defined as a patient...
Multiparametric Recordings of the Nerve Action Potential (P4.114)

Objective: To determine how important different measures of the nerve action potential (NAP) are in providing a description of peripheral nerves subjected to different concentrations of various substrates when oxygenated and when anoxic. Background: A previous study has shown that peripheral nerves optimally use different substrates during anoxia and when continuously oxygenated. Can making multiple measurements of NAP properties assist in understanding the physiologic effects of different substrates. Design/Methods: Measurements of the NAP peak-top peak amplitude, area under the curve (AUC), velocity, duration and the conditioned stimulus response to paired pulse stimuli (CSR). Principal components analysis, multiple regression analysis, linear discriminant analysis and Spearman rank correlation analyses were performed to see which parameters contained unique information. Conclusion: Correlation analysis demonstrates that the amplitude measurements correlated most highly with each other. The first eigenvector which contains 43[percnt] of the variance includes basically the normalized amplitude, velocity and CSR with similar positive coefficients while the duration enters with negative coefficients. Subsequent eigenvectors with significant contribution to the variance show markedly different coefficients indicating they provide different information. Another support for the importance of multiple measurements is the fact that the predictability of the one group of measures using the others is not high using linear regression. Disclosure: Dr. Stecker has received royalty payments from UpToDate. Dr. Wegener has nothing to disclose.
Mr. O’brien Leaves Us

The church was packed. I know I’d never been to a funeral this crowded. I’m not sure I’d ever heard about a funeral this big, with the exception of those for the two Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King. The entire church was a sea of maroon and gray, Stang’s colors. Students lined the entrance way into the church, and players stood opposite each other along the entire center aisle, each one holding a rose and fighting back tears.
Complete Higher-Way Tables

The basic principal for use with hierarchical models in three-way tables continue to apply when higher-way tables are examined in which four or more variables are cross-classified. The three principal changes occur as the number of variables increases. The number of possible hierarchical models increases very rapidly; a decreasing fraction of hierarchical models have explicit expressions for maximum-likelihood estimates; and the interpretation of hierarchical models becomes increasingly complex. This chapter discusses the application of hierarchical models to four-way tables. It discusses log odds, conditional log odds, cross-product ratios, and conditional cross-product ratios in interpreting hierarchical models. The standardized parameter estimates are a major tool in the selection of models as is the use of partitions of the likelihood-ratio chi-square statistic. The maximum-likelihood estimations use closed-form estimates and iterative proportional fitting. The hierarchical models have closed-form maximum-likelihood estimates, and the estimated asymptotic standard deviations is obtained without recourse to the Newton–Raphson algorithm.
Production of Rural Space

This chapter applies a critical geographic lens to existing literature in spatial production and research in rural education to create a more focused understanding of the ways neoliberalism is shaping rural spaces. It recontextualizes much of the existing research, which often focuses on narrow conclusions, in a manner that will provide an understanding of the relationships between the way space is produced and the effects on youth. The paper also examines the roles of schools in rural communities as they are affected by neoliberal ideology, and how they reproduce said neoliberal ideology in return, which is causing a decline in the quality of life in rural communities in the United States.
ALWAYS A THEOLOGY OF THE PEOPLE: THEOLOGY IN THE ANGLOPHONE CARIBBEAN

Anglophone Caribbean theology is a theology of the people, developing autonomously from the theology of the people developed by Argentine theologians. Their idea that a people’s concrete, day-to-day practice of their religious faith carries the authentic culture of a country, is an authentic source of Christian wisdom, yields true insights of God’s presence and activity in the world. This faith of the people, contextualized but not suppressed within the life of the Church overall and tapped into by its theologians, serve to evangelize a country and its people by calling a country and its people to a conversion to who they ought to be, a people of God who incarnate the Christian faith according to their unique genius, and share the fruits of the wisdom drawn from the lived experience of Christian faith by participating in the Church’s evangelizing mission. This idea finds affinity with the mission of the Caribbean theological project: cultural liberation from colonialism and neocolonialism which brings about a sense of inferiority and dependency by the people of the Caribbean toward global social and political powers. Instead, Caribbean theology seeks to build a unique Caribbean identity which fulfills the full humanity of the people of that region.
Adults with congenital heart disease – Facing morbidities and uncertain early mortality

Abstract In the current era, most individuals born with congenital heart disease will reach adulthood. There are now more adults than children living with congenital heart disease in developed countries, and the population continues to expand. Although the life-saving accomplishments achieved in pediatric cardiology are to be extolled, longer-term sequelae also warrant close attention. Adults with moderate or complex disease continue to face cardiac and noncardiac comorbidities as well as a shorted life expectancy. This article begins with a summary of common comorbidities and patterns of mortality faced by adults with congenital heart disease. This is followed by an overview of the broader impact of these issues on the lives of patients, as well as a call for interdisciplinary and comprehensive care to optimize patient outcomes.
Workers’ Compensation Evaluations

Disability evaluations in workers’ compensation cases have unique issues for treating and forensic clinicians to address. Clinicians need to assess not only psychiatric impairment but also whether that impairment arose out of and in the course of employment. This chapter reviews methods for that assessment; and potential limitations typically based on the nature of the relationship between the clinician and patient, as well as the types of corroborating information needed to adequately make the assessment. Treating clinicians particularly are cautioned as to how far to express opinions given their therapeutic alliance with the patient. Stepwise approaches in such assessments are outlined.
Multicarrier Transport: Batteries, Semiconductors, Mixed Ionic-Electronic Conductors, and Biology

Multicarrier systems, such as car batteries and semiconductors, have surprisingly complex transport properties. Even for steady-state transport, one can find counterexamples to standard assumptions about local electroneutrality, constancy in space of the electric field, linearity in space of the voltage, and the relationship between dissipation, voltage, and current. Moreover, unless recombination processes occur, boundaries impose conditions that can disturb the response far into the bulk to remove memory of the boundaries. Because the demands of the chemical reactions at the electrodes cannot be satisfied by diffusion alone, car batteries are electrically active even when they are neither charging nor discharging. We offer practical advice on battery care for bike-riders, say, who only occasionally use their cars. For semiconductors, recombination does occur, which in transport enables partial currents to adjust from their surface to their bulk values. For mixed ionic electronic conductors, bulk recombination may be essential to an understanding of “blocking electrodes.” The voltage associated with both current-producing and non-current-producing surface reactions provides a natural explanation for the bioelectric fields observed during root and other growth processes.
Immunological and Other Biological Assays

It is not possible to describe a general procedure of immunization which can be applied to many different antigens and different experimental animals. One reason for this is the wide variety of antigen materials. Another is the fact that different animal species respond differently to the same antigen and that some apparently healthy individuals of a species hardly produce antibody to a certain antigen, while other individuals of the same species respond with a high output.
Participation and Co-creation of Cultural Value. #iziTRAVELSicilia and the Principles of the Faro Convention

Il progetto partecipativo #iziTRAVELSicilia e stato lanciato nel maggio 2016, con l'obiettivo principale di colmare il gap della comunicazione e valorizzazione digitale del patrimonio culturale della Sicilia. Questo progetto si e presto trasformato in un processo partecipativo, coinvolgendo migliaia di persone, esempio di quelle “comunita di eredita” citate dalla Convenzione di Faro, ed e diventato una best practice nella promozione e valorizzazione digitale attraverso lo storytelling. A partire dal suo lancio sono state prodotte piu di 160 audioguide. #iziTRAVELSicilia e stata subito riconosciuta come una best practice di partecipazione alla co-creazione di valore culturale, in grado di trasformare le persone provenienti da piu parti delle comunita sociali in comunita d’eredita di tipo smart, rivelando cosi il grande impatto sulla societa civile di cui e capace questa piattaforma con le sue tecnologie, perseguendo l’unico obiettivo di valorizzare il patrimonio comune. The participatory project #iziTRAVELSicilia was launched on May 2016, with the main aim to bridge the gap of digital communication and enhancement of Sicilia cultural heritage. This project was soon transformed into a participatory process, by involving thousand of people representing exactly the “heritage communities” cited by the Faro Convention, and it has become a best practice of digital promotion and valorisation through storytelling. Since its beginning, more than 160 audioguides have been produced. #iziTRAVELSicilia has been soon recognized become as an exemple of a good practice, also for museums’ didactic, of participation in co-creation of cultural values, being able to transform people coming from various part of the entire society in smart heritage communities, so revealing a serious impact on civil society made by this platform and its technologies, with the common aim of enhancing common heritage.
Race-ing solidarity: Asian Americans and support for Black Lives Matter

What explains support for Black Lives Matter among Asian Americans? This article draws on nationally representative data from the 2016 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey to examine the ...
Glypican-1 mediates endothelial hyperpermeability in a model of acute heart failure

The lungs are active participants in heart failure (HF). Increases in LVEDP augments pulmonary capillary pressure (PCP) that causes fluid filtration resulting in dyspnea and, ultimately, frank pulmonary edema (PE). The increase in PCP does not translate to the severity of dyspnea indicating that more than Starling Forces contribute to the clinical manifestation of HF. Acute increases in PCP activate glycocalyx-dependent mechanotransduction resulting in oxidative stress, eNOS activation and endothelial hyperpermeability. Herein we investigated if glypican-1 (Gpc-1) contributes to pressure-dependent hyperpermeability and PE in a model of acute HF. The isolated perfused lung preparation was used to simulate acute HF in male CD-1 (wild type, WT) and glypican-1 knockout (Gpc-1-/-) mice. Control experiments were done setting left atria pressure (PLA) at 3cm H2O for 10min; acute HF was simulated by setting PLA at 10cm H2O for 10min. Lung edema was assessed by wet-to-dry ratio (W/D); reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and eNOS activation were assessed by lucigenin chemiluminescence, DHE fluorescence and immunoblotting, respectively. WT and Gpc-1-/- mice had similar increase in PA pressure (from 8 to 10 mmHg). Deletion of Gpc-1 protected mice from pressure-induced PE (W/D [acute HF and control]), respectively in WT: 7.3±0.3 vs 4.9±0.3 and in Gpc-1-/-: 4.8±0.3 vs 4.8±0.2), prevented pressure-dependent increase in ROS production in isolated membrane fraction and in total lung homogenates (15% and 80% increase in WT). eNOS activity was increased in WT (2-fold) and decreased in Gpc-1-/- (0.5 fold) during acute HF. L-NIO inhibited edema development in WT (W/D 6.9±0.2 and 5.1±0.1 in WT and L-NIO-perfused WT, respectively). Perfusion of Gpc-1-/- lungs with NOC9 restored the response to pressure and edema development (W/D 5.1±0.1 and 5.78±0.2 in Gpc1-/- and NOC9-perfused Gpc-1-/-, respectively). Collectively, these results suggest that Gpc-1 is required for pressure-induced endothelial hyperpermeability and PE in a model of acute HF.
Evaluation of the clinical impact of concomitant acid suppression therapy in colorectal cancer patients treated with capecitabine monotherapy

BackgroundCapecitabine is an oral chemotherapeutic agent used in colorectal cancer. Two prior studies found a negative impact with the concomitant use of proton pump inhibitor agents during treatme...
Participation in Voluntary Re-quizzing Is Predictive of Increased Performance on Cumulative Assessments in Introductory Biology.

We examined student use of online, ungraded practice quizzes that are reopened near exam time after a first graded attempt. It was found that, when controlling for performance in a previous STEM co...
Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America

In the wake of the Vietnam War, a militarized white power movement led by veterans spread across the United States. Uniting Klansmen, neo-Nazis, tax protesters, and Christian Identarians, the movem...
Comparative effectiveness of five treatment strategies for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer in the elderly.

7062 Background: Early-stage lung cancer incidence among older adults is expected to increase due to demographic trends and CT-based screening, yet optimal treatment in the elderly remains controve...
Our patients are dying: Let's pay attention.

The rapid aging of our population has led to a growing proportion of elderly patients and those presenting with severe neurologic injury in the hospital. Because these patients frequently lack capacity, surrogate decision makers often shoulder the burden of having to decide between continued aggressive care vs withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies. There are scant data to guide the decision-making process in this increasingly common scenario. In this issue of Neurology ®, Hwang et al.1 report a study aimed at identifying the most common concerns for surrogate decision makers when faced with the hypothetical situation of determining a plan of care for a neurologically devastated patient.
Peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified- Case report

T-cell lymphomas are rare malignancies that are often found in older individuals. Here we present the case of a 63 year old female that presented with diffuse cervical, inguinal, and axillary lymphadenopathy with associated weight loss and night sweats. The patient underwent excisional lymph node biopsy which revealed a T-cell lymphoma with findings characteristic of peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified.
Political life after civil wars: Introducing the Civil War Successor Party dataset:

Around the world, following civil wars, rebel and government belligerents contest and win the founding postwar elections. Despite the prevalence of these elections and their importance in setting p...
Fake News Detection by Decision Tree

Fake news detection research has appeared for a couple of years and is a relatively new and difficult research field. The difficulties come from the semantics of natural languages and manual identification via human beings, let along machines. In this project, we propose to analyze the performance of several machine learning algorithms integrating tools such as FakeNewsTracker[1], doc2vec, Support Vector Machine (SVM), and decision trees. Our preliminary results indicate that the SVM and the decision trees are suitable to identify fake news with an acceptable accuracy of 95 percent. Typically, the decision trees method shows a better result than SVM. Future research directions will be addressed.
Scaling Up Behavioral Health Promotion Efforts in Maryland: The Economic Benefit of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) has been shown to be a promising approach for improving a range of behavioral health and academic outcomes for youth. This study leveraged data...
Deep learning-based deformable MRI-CBCT registration of male pelvic region

In this study, we propose a novel unsupervised deep learning-based method to register pelvic MRI and CBCT images. No ground truth deformation vector field (DVF) is needed during training. To perform registration between CBCT and MRI, a self-similarity image similarity loss, called as self-correlation descriptor, is used as loss function to learn the trainable parameters in the unsupervised deep neural networks. After training, for a new patient’s CBCT and MRI, the deformed MRI is obtained via first feeding the MRI and CBCT into the unsupervised deep neural networks to derive the DVF, then deformed via spatial transformation on MRI and DVF. Our results show that the proposed method has outperformed manual rigid registration. Target registration error calculated between CBCT and deformed MRI is used for evaluation. The average TRE is 2.95±0.94 mm among the 20 prostate patients we retrospectively investigated. The proposed method has great potential in providing accurate image registration and potentially facilitating adaptive radiation therapy by multi-imaging modality.
Staphylococcus aureus genotype variation among and within periprosthetic joint infections

Staphylococcus aureus is a common organism in orthopedic infections, but little is known about the genetic diversity of strains during an infectious process. Using periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) as a model, a prospective study was designed to quantify genetic variation among S. aureus strains both among and within patients. Whole genome sequencing and multilocus sequence typing was performed to genotype these two populations at high resolution. In nasal cultures, 78% of strains were of clonal complexes CC5, CC8, and CC30. In PJI cultures, only 63% could be classified in these common clonal complexes. The PJI cultures had a larger proportion of atypical strains, and these atypical strains were associated with poor host status and compromised immune conditions. Mutations in genes involved in fibronectin binding (ebh, fnbA, clfA, and clfB) systematically distinguished later PJI isolates from the first PJI isolate from each patient. Repeated mutations in S. aureus genes associated with extracellular matrix binding were identified, suggesting adaptive, parallel evolution of S. aureus during the development of PJI.
On Centralized and Distributed Mirror Descent: Exponential Convergence Analysis Using Quadratic Constraints.

Mirror descent (MD) is a powerful first-order optimization technique that subsumes several optimization algorithms including gradient descent (GD). In this work, we study the exact convergence rate of MD in both centralized and distributed cases for strongly convex and smooth problems. We view MD with a dynamical system lens and leverage quadratic constraints (QCs) to provide convergence guarantees based on the Lyapunov stability. For centralized MD, we establish a semi-definite programming (SDP) that certifies exponentially fast convergence of MD subject to a linear matrix inequality (LMI). We prove that the SDP always has a feasible solution that recovers the optimal GD rate. Next, we analyze the exponential convergence of distributed MD and characterize the rate using two LMIs. To the best of our knowledge, the exact (exponential) rate of distributed MD has not been previously explored in the literature. We present numerical results as a verification of our theory and observe that the richness of the Lyapunov function entails better (worst-case) convergence rates compared to existing works on distributed GD.
Regional Science Reconsidered

Because disciplines and their cores and boundaries are subject to change, a periodic introspective assessment can be useful in evaluating the relevance of a changing discipline to the equally dynamic and pressing needs of society. Similar examinations of other disciplines, notably economics, have been conducted in part as a means of minimizing the risks of declining credibility, policy relevance, and societal benefit. With the Southern Regional Science Association celebrating recently its 50 th meeting, and as regional science itself approaches its 60 th year, this paper provides a reexamination of the core of regional science. We consider the theoretical and methodological underpinnings and current status, the various roles played by space in various representations, and the values that guide our policy advice and recommendations. While cores and boundaries of regional science cannot be unambiguously identified, particularly due to the considerable overlap with and lineage to other disciplines, we conclude that it is precisely the interdisciplinarity of regional science that distinguishes it from other social sciences, and ensures its continued relevance.
IEC system level ESD challenges and effective protection strategy for USB2 interface

We report here a successful OMAPTM system design strategy where TLP information for both the external TVS and the IC pin were combined in an overall simulation procedure that includes the filtering response through the board components. The examples presented here specifically demonstrate the design strategy for a USB2 interface.
p -adic Preliminaries

The first section introduces the p-adic gamma function of Morita. After that, we deal with a topic which can be viewed temporarily as independent, the Artin-Hasse power series, and the Dwork power series closely related to it. The latter allows us to obtain an analytic representation of p-th roots of unity, which reappear later in the context of gauss sums, occurring as eigenvalues of p-adic completely continuous operators. Cf. Dwork’s papers in the bibliography.
AN application of a crossing probability bound to population biology

This paper addresses the problem of detecting natural boundaries in a geographical region containing a large number of animal species, A statistical test of a "no boundary" hypothesis based on Sokal's matching coefficient is derived using a level crossing probability bound for discrete Gaussian random fields after establishing the legitimacy of the Gaussian assumption by a central limit theorem.
Improving Process Safety and Product Quality using Large Databases

Abstract This paper introduces a novel modeling and statistical framework (based on Bayesian theory) that utilizes extensive distributed control system and emergency shutdown databases, to perform thorough risk and vulnerability assessment of chemical/petrochemical plants. Quality variables are utilized, in addition to safety (or process) variables, to enhance both process safety and product quality . To effectively achieve these objectives, new concepts of abnormal events and upset states are defined, which permit the identification of near-miss events from the databases. The databases for a fluid catalytic cracking unit at a major petroleum refinery are used to demonstrate the application and performance of the techniques introduced herein. The results show that with the novel utilization of near-miss data, one can perform robust risk calculations using both product-quality and safety data.
Litigating Inequitable Conduct after Therasense, Exergen, and the AIA: Lessons for Litigants, Options for Owners

Significant recent judicial and legislative developments have changed the way litigants and counsel need to plan for and litigate inequitable conduct allegations. Exergen and Therasense have heightened the standards for pleading and proving inequitable conduct, respectively, and Congress has expanded the patentee’s post-grant options for preempting or defeating inequitable conduct challenges. Without a doubt, the inequitable conduct litigation landscape has changed. Careful, thorough consideration of all of these developments and their implications is a must for any litigant or counsel faced with or considering asserting a charge of inequitable conduct.This paper discusses these significant recent inequitable conduct-related developments and their combined impact on litigating the defense. It reviews the new judicial standards for pleading and proving inequitable conduct and illustrates their application in recent Federal Circuit and district court decisions. It identifies several areas of debate among the district courts regarding the impact of Therasense and Exergen on pleading inequitable conduct, and summarizes lessons for litigators from recent cases. It discusses the legislature’s recent contribution to the inequitable conduct landscape: the supplemental examination proceeding created by the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (“AIA”), and considers the options, post-Therasense and the AIA, for patent owners faced with a potential inequitable conduct challenge.
Mitochondrial peptidase IMMP2L mutation causes early onset of age-associated disorders and impairs adult stem cell self-renewal

Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) are proposed to play a central role in aging and age-associated disorders, although direct in vivo evidence is lacking. We recently generated a mouse mutant with mutated inner mitochondrial membrane peptidase 2-like (Immp2l) gene, which impairs the signal peptide sequence processing of mitochondrial proteins cytochrome c1 and glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase 2. The mitochondria from mutant mice generate elevated levels of superoxide ion and cause impaired fertility in both sexes. Here, we design experiments to examine the effects of excessive mitochondrial ROS generation on health span. We show that Immp2l mutation increases oxidative stress in multiple organs such as the brain and the kidney, although expression of superoxide dismutases in these tissues of the mutants is also increased. The mutants show multiple aging-associated phenotypes, including wasting, sarcopenia, loss of subcutaneous fat, kyphosis, and ataxia, with female mutants showing earlier onset and more severe age-associated disorders than male mutants. The loss of body weight and fat was unrelated to food intake. Adipose-derived stromal cells (ADSC) from mutant mice showed impaired proliferation capability, formed significantly less and smaller colonies in colony formation assays, although they retained adipogenic differentiation capability in vitro. This functional impairment was accompanied by increased levels of oxidative stress. Our data showed that mitochondrial ROS is the driving force of accelerated aging and suggested that ROS damage to adult stem cells could be one of the mechanisms for age-associated disorders.
Spatial learning and reasoning skill

People’s everyday activities frequently depend on the skilled performance of spatial tasks in large-scale environments. Such tasks include learning an unfamiliar region through navigation or from a map, estimating distances between locations along a route or as the crow flies, estimating the bearing of an unseen location from a current position, and reading and interpreting a map. Individuals vary widely in their skill at performing these tasks (Farrell & Potash, 1979; Kozlowski & Bryant, 1977; McGee, 1979; Simutus & Barsam, this volume). In our research, we have been investigating the psychological bases of spatial skills. We undertook this research to provide a theoretical foundation for understanding and improving human performance on spatial tasks. We assume that successful performance on spatial tasks depends on both task demands (e.g., requisite knowledge, alternative possible solution paths) and the cognitive resources available to the individual (e.g., memory capacity, solution strategies, ability to perform solution operations). Thus, remediation efforts can focus either on providing the individual with additional cognitive resources (e.g., by teaching effective strategies) or by altering the task to fit existing human capabilities (e.g., by providing additional sources of information).
Sub-barrier fusion of 16O with 16,18O.

We have measured the sub-barrier fusion cross sections for the 16O+ 16O and 16O+ 18O systems from Elab=13.5–25 MeV. We find no significant enhancement of the 16O+ 18O cross section compared with the 16O+ 16O cross section; this is quite different from the sub-barrier fusion of the calcium isotopes which exhibit a strong isotope dependence.
Visual Perception Qualities of Instructional Materials

(1991). Visual Perception Qualities of Instructional Materials. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 64, No. 3, pp. 168-170.
Updates to Simulation of a Single-Element Lean-Direct Injection Combustor Using Arbitary Polyhedral Meshes

This paper summarizes the procedures of (1) generating control volumes anchored at the nodes of a mesh; and (2) generating staggered control volumes via mesh reconstructions, in terms of either mesh realignment or mesh refinement, as well as presents sample results from their applications to the numerical solution of a single-element LDI combustor using a releasable edition of the National Combustion Code (NCC).
In vitro transfection of fresh thymocytes and T cells shows subset-specific expression of viral promoters

We describe conditions under which exogenous DNA templates can be introduced for transient expression into primary murine T lymphocytes. T cells at various stages of development, including concanavalin A-activated splenic T cells, immature pre-T cells, and even small cortical thymocytes, could be successfully transfected. A variety of model DNA constructs were compared in which different viral promoter regions were used to drive expression of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene. All showed enhanced expression in cells that had been acutely stimulated with the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 and phorbol ester as chemical proxies for T-cell receptor-mediated signals. In addition, splenocytes but not thymocytes required prior treatment with a mitogen and interleukin-2 in order to express these constructs, implying that even postmitotic thymocytes may be held in a quasiactivated state. A most striking result was the finding that the viral regulatory sequences in the Rous sarcoma virus long terminal repeat and the simian virus 40 early region were subject to sharply differential regulation, with a rank order that changed depending on the developmental stage of the T cells. The most immature thymic blasts and several lymphoma cell lines expressed the pRSV-Cat and pSV2-Cat constructs similarly, but cortical thymocytes exhibited a strong preference for pSV2-Cat. Splenic concanavalin A-stimulated blasts, on the other hand, slightly preferred pRSV-Cat, a tendency which became exaggerated in factor-dependent T-cell lines. The ratio of pRSV-Cat to pSV2-Cat expression varied according to cell type by as much as 500-fold. These results argue against a trivial linkage of promoter preference to cell cycle status but instead provide evidence that activation of T cells at distinct stages of differentiation results in the expression of different ensembles of nuclear regulatory proteins. In contrast to the simian virus 40 and Rous sarcoma virus promoter regions, the long terminal repeats of the retroviruses mink cell focus-forming virus and Akv were expressed well in all primary T-lineage cells. Thus, they represent excellent model promoters for engineering developmental stage-independent expression of exogenous genes in murine T cells.
La gestión de los residuos sólidos en los países en desarrollo: ¿cómo obtener beneficios de las dificultades actuales?

Solid waste management in the less developed countries: how to overcome present difficulties and to obtain benefits? The study of urban waste management in less developed countries permits us to put into evidence different systems. Each of these has its own logic, but they are strongly inter weaved. Their «modelization» (that is, their simplification), which we propose to do in this paper, looks to illuminate the principal characteristics of a very complex reality. We propose to observe three systems that respond to both geographic and historic logics. They refer to «self management» of the «public management» and of the «shared management». These three systems are imbricated to allow the management of waste in a city such as Lima (Peru), finally building a «compound system». Following the example of the management of solid waste in the Northern countries, most part of the public policies of the South cities look for technically modernize the management of their waste. The hypothesis of this text is that this strategy builds strong inequalities in such cities, related to the quality of service, because they do not have the resources to put them into functioning in all their territories. On the contrary, some experiences, even minor, look for taking advantage of the present condition, taking in account the best way of the different dimensions of sustainable development, by using the strong practice points of certain populations, such as the recyclers. This voluntarist adaptation should, however, make malabar with the different population vulnerabilities, designed to a progressive attenuation.
Effects of nutrition on brain development in humans.

Brain development in humans is remarkably resistant to permanent damage from protein-energy malnutrition. However, specific nutrients have crucial roles. Iodine deficiency is the most important and widespread nutrient deficiency; it causes endemic cretinism, associated with deaf-mutism and cerebral palsy. Iodine deficiency during pregnancy causes both maternal and fetal hypothyroxinemia, resulting in irreversible impairment of brain development at a critical stage. Neuropathological data place this after 14 wk, perhaps continuing through the third trimester