cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
African Americans and Hispanics Remain at Lower Risk of Ovarian Cancer Than Non-Hispanic Whites after Considering Nongenetic Risk Factors and Oophorectomy Rates

Background: Risk factors for invasive epithelial ovarian cancer (IEOC) among Hispanics and African Americans are understudied despite notable differences in incidence relative to non-Hispanic whites. Methods: We used multivariate logistic regression to examine parity, oral contraceptive use, tubal ligation, endometriosis, family history of ovarian cancer, and talc use and risk of IEOC among Hispanics (308 cases and 380 controls), African Americans (128 cases and 143 controls), and non-Hispanic whites (1,265 cases and 1,868 controls) using four case–control studies we conducted in Los Angeles County. We expressed each of these factors in the form of increasing risk and calculated population attributable risk percentage (PAR%) estimates for the six risk factors separately and jointly in the three groups. Results: The risk associations with these six well-accepted factors were comparable in the three groups. The significant racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence of these factors and differences in their oophorectomy rates explained 31% of the lower incidence in African Americans compared with non-Hispanic whites, but only 13% of the lower incidence in Hispanics. The PAR%s ranged from 27.5% to 31.0% for no tubal ligation, 15.9% to 22.2% for not using oral contraceptives, and 12.2% to 15.1% for using talc in the three groups. Conclusions: All six risk factors are comparably important in the three groups. Differences in the prevalence of these factors and their oophorectomy rates explained approximately one third of the difference in incidence between African Americans and non-Hispanic whites. Impact: Devising strategies to lessen the burden of IEOC will be applicable to all three racial/ethnic groups. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 1–7. ©2015 AACR .
Independent task Fourier filters

Since the early 1960s, a major part of optical computing systems has been Fourier pattern recognition, which takes advantage of high speed filter changes to enable powerful nonlinear discrimination in "real time.'' Because filter has a task quite independent of the tasks of the other filters, they can be applied and evaluated in parallel or, in a simple approach I describe, in sequence very rapidly. Thus I use the name ITFF (independent task Fourier filter). These filters can also break very complex discrimination tasks into easily handled parts, so the wonderful space invariance properties of Fourier filtering need not be sacrificed to achieve high discrimination and good generalizability even for ultracomplex discrimination problems. The training procedure proceeds sequentially, as the task for a given filter is defined a posteriori by declaring it to be the discrimination of particular members of set A from all members of set B with sufficient margin. That is, we set the threshold to achieve the desired margin and note the A members discriminated by that threshold. Discriminating those A members from all members of B becomes the task of that filter. Those A members are then removed from the set A, so no other filter will be asked to perform that already accomplished task.
Quantitative Imaging Assessment of an Alternative Approach to Surgical Mitral Valve Leaflet Resection: An Acute Porcine Study

This study reports the initial in vivo use of a combined radiofrequency ablation and cryo-anchoring (RFC) catheter as an alternative to surgical mitral valve (MV) leaflet resection. Radiofrequency ablation thermally shrinks enlarged collagenous tissues, providing an alternative to leaflet resection, and cryo-anchoring provides reversible attachment of a catheter to freely mobile MV leaflets. Excised porcine MVs (n = 9) were tested in a left heart flow simulator to establish treatment efficacy criteria. Resected leaflet area was quantified by tracking markers on the leaflet surface, and leaflet length reductions were directly measured on echocardiography. Leaflet area decreased by 38 ± 2.7%, and leaflet length decreased by 9.2 ± 1.8% following RFC catheter treatment. The RFC catheter was then tested acutely in healthy pigs (n = 5) under epicardial echocardiographic guidance, open-chest without cardiopulmonary bypass, using mid-ventricular free wall access. Leaflet length was quantified using echocardiography. Quantitative assessment of MV leaflet length revealed that leaflet resection was successful in 4 of 5 pigs, with a leaflet length reduction of 13.3 ± 4.6%. Histological, mechanical, and gross pathological findings also confirmed that RFC catheter treatment was efficacious. The RFC catheter significantly reduces MV leaflet size in an acute animal model, providing a possible percutaneous alternative to surgical leaflet resection.
Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Energy Transfer Processes in Biological Systems

This article is divided into three parts. In the first part we review the fundamental principles of fluorescence spectroscopy, starting with the consideration of fluorophores and of the characteristics of fluorescence spectroscopy. The processes of fluorescence quenching, fluorescence anisotropy, and resonance energy transfer are presented, together with the information they can provide. The techniques that produce absorption spectra, excitation spectra, fluorescence under continuous excitation and response to pulsed excitation are also examined.
An efficacy test of a new therapy (“Communication‐orientation motivation”) for public speaking anxiety

Abstract The present study performs an efficacy test of Motley's revised model of public‐speaking anxiety (PSA) by way of a written version of the proposed treatment program. High‐PSA subjects received either a) the new written treatment— “COM therapy,” b) systematic desensitization, c) a placebo treatment, or d) no treatment. PSA reductions ware significantly greater for COM‐therapy and systematic‐desensitization subjects than for placebo and control subjects. Moreover, reductions were significantly greater for COM‐therapy subjects than for systematic‐desensitization subjects. The main practical implication is the prospect of making available, via booklet, a method by which anxious speakers may reduce their anxiety without the logistic and other inconveniences of existing therapies.
Madonna's postmodern feminism: Bringing the margins to the center

Within the context of ongoing debate between feminism and postmodernism, this essay adopts a postmodern feminist perspective to examine how pop‐star Madonna uses postmodern strategies of representation to challenge the foundational “truths” of sex and gender. Specifically, the music videos Express Yourself and Justify My Love are analyzed to illustrate gender deconstruction and sexual multiplicity. While such a postmodern challenge may not be amenable to feminisms based on an identity politics, it does bring previously marginalized “others,” such as gay men and lesbians, to the center as a model from which a multi‐faceted coalitional politics can be built.
Deterministic execution for arbitrary multithreaded programs

Nondeterminism is one of the main reasons that parallel programming is so difficult. Bugs can vanish when programs are rerun or run under a debugger, thwarting attempts at their removal. Stress-testing is a common practice to flush out rare defects though it consumes extensive processing power and offers no real guarantees of discovering bugs. Deployment can similarly expose new issues that are difficult to reproduce. Finally, nondeterminism frustrates replicating multithreaded programs for fault-tolerance or performance as the replicas can diverge silently. Determinism eliminates these problems, making debugging and replication possible and making testing more valuable and efficient. Previous efforts at providing determinism required programs to be (re-)written in restrictive languages. In contrast to these language-level determinism schemes, this dissertation shows how execution-level determinism can be provided for arbitrary parallel programs, even programs that contain concurrency errors. First, we employ a hardware-based approach to provide determinism for unmodified binaries running on a deterministic multiprocessor system. Second, we show that memory consistency relaxations both enable a pure software-based implementation of execution-level determinism for arbitrary programs and also admit a simpler deterministic multiprocessor design. Finally, we describe a hybrid mechanism that integrates execution-level and language-level determinism techniques to provide determinism for arbitrary programs with higher performance than an execution-level approach alone.
Targeted victimization: exploring linear and curvilinear associations between social network prestige and victimization

Are early adolescent victims of peer-directed aggression youth who hold prominent positions in the social hierarchy or those who are socially marginalized? The present study tackles this question by testing for linear and curvilinear relationships between social network prestige and physical and relational forms of peer victimization for boys and girls. Participants were 952 middle schoolers (age range = 10-14 years; 49.9 % girls; 44 % Latino). Participants nominated victims and friends; friendship nominations were used to calculate social network prestige. Both hypotheses received support, with variation by gender. Girls high in social network prestige were highly victimized. For boys, those both high and low in social network prestige were highly victimized, whereas those at mid-levels of social network prestige were low in victimization. The findings are discussed in relation to a social dominance model of peer-directed aggression, and the practical implications are discussed in relation to protecting youth who are frequent targets of peer victimization.
Two New Species of Asytesta Pascoe, 1865 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Cryptorhynchinae) from West Papua

Abstract Two new species of Asytesta Pascoe, 1865 from the Raja Ampat Islands in West Papua Province, Indonesia are described and illustrated: Asytesta cornuta Setliff, new species from Salawati Island and Asytesta cordis Setliff, new species from Waigeo Island. The two species are very similar but can be distinguished from one another by differences in their dorsal ornamentation and male genitalia. Males of both species have a pair of lateral tooth-like processes on the rostrum and a small denticle situated near the base of the rostrum. The former character occurs in just one other species of Asytesta, and the latter character has not been previously observed in the genus.
Physical Activity of Patients With Chronic Pain Receiving Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Physical activity is positively related to various indices of quality of life and is found to reduce symptoms in individuals with chronic pain. This manuscript presents findings from a post hoc analysis investigating whether treatment-related improvements from psychological treatment for chronic pain are mediated by changes in physical activity (PA). Secondary analyses sought to determine predictor variables of PA in patients with chronic pain and to determine the relationship between objective and self-report measurements of PA. The effect of psychological treatment on physical activity was assessed using accelerometers in a sample of participants with chronic pain in a randomised controlled trial comparing 8 weeks of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Participants wore actigraph accelerometers for 7 consecutive days at baseline, post-treatment, and at 6-month follow-up. Hierarchical linear modelling analyses found that the variance in physical activity was not significantly predicted by time (b = 104.67, p = .92) or treatment modality (b = −1659.34, p = .57). Women had greater increases in physical activity than did men (b = 6804.08, p = .02). Current ‘gold standard’ psychological treatments for chronic pain were not found to significantly increase physical activity, an important outcome to target in the treatment of physical and mental health. These results suggest that tailored interventions with greater emphasis on exercise may complement psychological treatment for chronic pain. In particular, gender-tailored interventions may capitalise on physical activity differences found between men and women.
Kinetics of the Unimolecular Decomposition of the C2Cl3 Radical

The C 2 Cl 3 → C 2 Cl 2 + Cl (1) reaction was studied using the laser photolysis/photoionization mass spectrometry technique. Rate constants were determined in time-resolved experiments as a function of temperature (569-683K) and bath gas density ([He] = (3-24) x 10 1 6 atoms cm - 3 , [N 2 ] = 12 x 10 1 6 molecules cm - 3 ). C 2 Cl 2 was observed as a primary product of reaction 1. Rate constants of reaction I are in the falloff, closer to the low-pressure limit, under the conditions of the experiments. The potential energy surface (PES) of reaction 1 was studied using a variety of quantum chemical methods. The results of the PES study indicate that the minimum energy path of the C 2 Cl 3 dissociation proceeds through a shallow-well symmetric structure with the departing Cl atom equidistant from both carbon atoms; a PES saddle point exists between the nonsymmetric equilibrium C 2 Cl 3 structure and the symmetric one. The results of quantum chemical calculations and the experimental rate constant data were used to create a model of reaction 1. The experimental dependence of the rate constant of C 2 Cl 3 decomposition on temperature and pressure was reproduced in RRKM/master equation calculations. The reaction model provides expressions for the temperature dependences of the high-pressure-limit and the low-pressure-limit rate constants and the falloff broadening factors: k 1 ∞ = (1.36 × 10 1 3 )T 0 . 2 9 exp(-13625 K/T) s - 1 , k 1 °(He) = (4.89 x 10 1 2 )T - 6 . 1 4 exp(-14497 K/T) cm 3 molecule - 1 s - 1 , k 1 °(N 2 ) = (1.525 × 10 1 2 )T - 5 . 9 5 exp(-14393 K/T) cm 3 molecule - 1 s - 1 , F c e n t (He) = 0.33 exp(-T/1836 K) + 0.67 exp(-T/98 K) + exp(-3650 K/T), and F c e n t (N 2 ) = 0.35 exp(-T/1864 K) + 0.65 exp(-T/103 K) + exp(-3614 K/T). The experimental data are not sufficient to specify all the parameters of the model; consequently, some of the model parameters were obtained from quantum chemical calculations and from analogy with other reactions of radical decomposition. Thus, the parametrization is most reliable under conditions close to those used in the experiments.
Abstract C54: In silico docking of the human cancer proteome in search of multitarget cancer therapeutics

A recent effort at uncovering the genome of various cancers has found multiple mutations across the genome of these cells reinforcing the view that cancer is a systems biology disease. The development of effective cancer therapeutics will require shifting the current paradigm from targeting individual proteins to instead targeting the broader signaling pathways. Towards that end, we have initiated an effort to employ in silico docking to screen against a large set of protein structures from the human proteome that have been implicated in cancer. We consider two datasets of proteins in our effort. First, a recently established dataset known as the Human Cancer Proteome Interaction Network (HCPIN) provides a set of structures corresponding to oncogenes as well as proteins that associate with them. Second, we created the human druggable protein (HDP) dataset that consists of targets of FDA‐approved drugs. The surface of these 1,589 proteins was mapped for binding cavities that can accommodate a small molecule. We found more than 1,900 cavities spanning these proteins. We then prepared each of these binding cavities for in silico docking of 1,600 molecules from the NCI diversity set. The resulting 3,000,000 complexes were scored with multiple scoring functions to enable the ranking of molecules for each cavity. In an initial effort to identify anti‐cancer therapeutics, we employed a combination of machine learning and fingerprint analysis to seek molecules whose binding profile would mimic the clinically used drug erlotinib. Among a set of 12 molecules that were selected, we found that four inhibited H1299 and H460 tumor cell growth in cell culture‐based assays, with one molecule exhibiting an IC50 in the low micromolar region. We performed an assessment of the pharmacokinetic properties of these compounds to assess their suitability as potential leads for drug development. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):C54.
The Influence of a Pure Carbohydrate Diet on Newly Emerged Honeybees

In the life of the honeybees there may be a period during which they are confined to a pure carbohydrate diet. In majority of cases it happens during the winter. However, wintering bees may consume pollen and then they start brood rearing. This may occur as early as the latter part of January. According to Farrar (1934) the brood rearing once started continues as long as pollen is available. It may happen that newly emerged bees from the last brood do not have any pollen for consumption in the hive and consequently have to maintain themselves on a pure carbohydrate diet for a shorter or longer time. Under such circumstances they undoubtedly do not have any source of protein to cover the losses of the nitrogen katabolism.
Borehole Flows, Hydraulic Heads, and Fracture-Zone Connection in The Potsdam Sandstone at The Altona Flat Rock Research Site in Northern New York

Numerous borehole-geophysical methods are available for the characterization of fractures penetrated by boreholes but relatively few of these methods help to characterize the connections between fractures in the rock surrounding boreholes. Unfortunately, most studies in fracture-rock hydrology conclude that the characteristics of connections between locally transmissive fractures have a greater influence over aquifer-scale permeability than the local aperture of individual fractures (Long and others, 1996; LeBorgne and others, 1996; Shapiro and others, 2007). The study described here focused on the application of borehole-flow methods in the characterization of possible hydraulic connections between fracture zones penetrated by open bedrock boreholes. The Potsdam sandstone of Cambrian age forms an extensive fractured-rock aquifer in northern New York. The hydraulics of three interconnected boreholes that penetrated multiple fracture zones in the Potsdam sandstone aquifer were studied at the Plattsburgh State University Flat Rock research site near Altona, New York. Televiewer and natural-gamma logs were used to correlate fracture zones penetrated by two shallow boreholes and a deep borehole at the Flat Rock site. Vertical flows in the multi-zone boreholes were measured with heat-pulse or electromagnetic flowmeters under quasisteady-state ambient and pumped conditions. Flows also were measured under transient cross-borehole pumped or injection and recovery conditions. Composite hydraulic heads, which reflect the transmissivity-weighted average of the fracture-zone heads, were measured daily in the deep and one of the shallow boreholes in 2002-2003. The transmissivity, hydraulic head, and connection geometry of the penetrated fracture zones were determined through singleand cross-borehole flow-modeling methods described by Paillet (1998 and 2000). In 2000, shallow boreholes 500A (USGS Cl-215) and 500B (USGS Cl-216) were drilled 20 ft apart and penetrated the Potsdam sandstone from 680 to 550 ft above sea level. In 2002, deep borehole 102 (USGS Cl-214) was drilled 400 ft northeast of boreholes 500A and 500B and penetrated the Potsdam sandstone from 670 to 535 ft above sea level. The lower part of borehole 102 penetrated Altona shale and siltstone and Precambrian crystalline bedrock. The composite hydraulic head in borehole 500B dropped more than 10 ft during air-hammer drilling of borehole 102 (fig. 1). Following drilling, the head in borehole 500B recovered for 3 days to within 3 ft of the pre-drilling trend before continuing on the seasonal recession. The composite hydraulics heads in boreholes 500B and 102 showed very similar seasonal fluctuations in their timing and magnitude during 2002-2003.
Analysis on the Evolution of Administrative Rules for Medical Device Registration

Registration on medical devices is one of the key parts of management and inspection system of medical device.The administration rules of medical devices have developed for 15 years since the establishment in 1996 in China.This paper has reviewed the evolution of administration rules on medical devices in the period.The accumulated experiences and the existed problems on medical device registration should supply evidences for further improvement of registration system as well as registration service with better quality and high efficiency.
The Quality and Usability of XBRL Filings in the US

In 2009, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) required all public companies and mutual funds to report their financial information to the SEC using a markup language called eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL). The purpose of this requirement was to improve the accessibility to financial accounting data, increase the information flow between companies and investors, and make it easier and cheaper to collect and analyze data. Some controversy exists whether the benefits from using XBRL based data outweigh the costs associated with the creation of data and the use of the data. As part of that discussion, some claimed that the XBRL filings are of low quality and are difficult to use. The purpose of this paper is to examine the quality and usability of XBRL filings by examining different filing characteristics and mistakes over time. The focus of this paper is on the following characteristics: the use of extended tags, Document and Entity Information (DEI) errors, scale errors, and sign switches. Findings suggested that starting in 2012, there has been a steady improvement in the quality and usability of the XBRL filings in most aspects. Additionally, it seems that the lower quality and usability originates in data in the notes to the financial statements and in data filed by smaller companies. The results presented in the paper are consistent with the notion of companies moving along a learning curve and improving the quality and usability of the XBRL data as they gain more experience tagging. These improvements make it easier to use the XBRL filings and reap the benefits offered by this data. However, in spite of the efforts and improvements, it seems like more work is needed to continue improving the quality of the data.
Critical Pedagogy: Disrupting Classroom Hegemony

There has been an increase in the number of university students who express an embodied gender identity beyond male and female. Trans* students have legitimate expectations that universities will offer supportive and inclusive learning environments. This chapter calls for teacher-scholars to be reflexive of their own attitudes, knowledge, and understanding of trans* lives. It also provides several teaching tool ideas. Specifically, I focus on the importance and value of recognizing name and pronoun choices among all students. I believe that this pedagogical practice empowers students to express themselves, affirms students’ individual personhood, and disrupts hegemony.
The Molecular Basis of IL-4 Dysregulation in the Atopic Condition

Publisher Summary The knowledge of IL-4 transcriptional regulation comes from studies of a relatively restricted region (approximately 300 bp) within the 12,500 bp intergene segment located between the IL-13 and IL-4 gene coding regions. This IL-4 proximal upstream region is indeed sufficient to confer Th2 cell specificity on heterologous gene transcription. A recent report on IL-4-1uciferase and TCR-αβ double transgenic mice demonstrates that an extended 800 bp IL-4 upstream region is preferentially activated in Th2 cells, while a lower degree of Th2 cell specificity was attained in transgenics for reporter constructs driven by an artificial promoter made of three copies of the P1/OAP40 region placed upstream of the IL-4 minimal promoter (up to bp -58). However, luciferase mRNA expression in Th2 cells was very low when compared with expression of the native IL-4 gene, implicating a role for an as yet unidentified enhancer region outside the IL-4 promoter region. Possible IL-4 enhancers might reside somewhere in the IL-13/IL-4 intergene region, downstream of the IL-4 gene, or, in an untranslated area within the coding region of the IL-4 gene.
Financial Performance of Rural Medicare ACOs.

Purpose The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has facilitated the development of Medicare accountable care organizations (ACOs), mostly through the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). To inform the operation of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation's (CMMI) ACO programs, we assess the financial performance of rural ACOs based on different levels of rural presence. Methods We used the 2014 performance data for Medicare ACOs to examine the financial performance of rural ACOs with different levels of rural presence: exclusively rural, mostly rural, and mixed rural/metropolitan. Results Of the ACOs reporting performance data, we identified 97 ACOs with a measurable rural presence. We found that successful rural ACO financial performance is associated with the ACO's organizational type (eg, physician-based) and that 8 of the 11 rural ACOs participating in the Advanced Payment Program (APP) garnered savings for Medicare. Unlike previous work, we did not find an association between ACO size or experience and rural ACO financial performance. Conclusions Our findings suggest that rural ACO financial success is likely associated with factors unique to rural environments. Given the emphasis CMS has placed on rural ACO development, further research to identify these factors is warranted.
An Academic-Practice Partnership to Advance DNP Education and Practice.

During the past decade, the growth of doctor of nursing practice (DNP) programs in the United States has been phenomenal, with most focusing on the preparation of advanced practice registered nurses. Simultaneously, academic–practice partnerships have been a frequent subject of discussion for nursing's leading academic, administrative, and practice organizations. Numerous reports about academic–practice partnerships concerning aspects of baccalaureate nursing education exist, but partnership accounts for DNP programs are essentially nonexistent. The purpose of this article is to describe the initial phase of an academic–practice partnership between a multisystem health care organization and a college of nursing in a public land-grant university in the southeastern United States. The 7-year partnership agreement between Norton Healthcare and the University of Kentucky College of Nursing was designed to prepare 5 cohorts of 20 to 30 baccalaureate-prepared staff nurses as DNP graduates for advanced practice registered nurse eligibility. The description of partnering institution characteristics frames an emphasis on elements of the partnership proposal, contractual agreement, and partner responsibilities along with the logic model evaluation plan. Lessons learned include the importance of proposals and contracts to sustain the partnership, frequent communication to build trust, and strategic analysis for rapid response to challenging situations.
The Social and Individual Characteristics of Women Associated With Engagement With Multiple Intimate Violent Partners

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health problem with known negative physical and mental health outcomes for women exposed. Studies have shown that with increased violence exposur...
IGG4-RELATED OPHTHALMIC DISEASE PRESENTING AS CHOROIDAL AND ORBITAL LESIONS

Purpose:To report a case of IgG4-related ophthalmic disease (IgG4-ROD) which presented as choroidal and orbital lesions.Methods:Case report.Results:A 64-year-old man presented with left eye photopsias and a history of IgG4-related perirenal fibrosis. Fundoscopic examination showed multiple bilateral
Conversations in Environmental Justice: An Interview with David Pellow

Laura: Can you first tell me how you initially became interested in environmental issues?David: I grew up in Tennessee. My father would take us out to the wild, backpacking, hiking, swimming, and [...
Design of a quasi-passive ankle-foot prosthesis with biomimetic, variable stiffness

Modern passive ankle-foot prostheses do not exhibit appropriate biomechanics during walking, and are unable to adjust their mechanics for other mobility tasks, such as stair traversal or quiet standing. In this paper, we introduce a quasi-passive ankle-foot prosthesis that addresses these challenges; the ankle has a customizable, nonlinear torque-angle curve, and the overall stiffness can be varied continuously between mobility tasks. The variation in mechanics is accomplished by integrating two mechanisms: a cam-based transmission, in which rotation of the ankle joint causes deflection of a leaf spring, and an active sliding support beneath the leaf spring, which can modify the spring's effective stiffness. In addition to introducing the design, we present the mathematics to calculate the cam profile for any arbitrary torque-angle curve, and experimentally characterize the system for a desired curve based on human walking. Lastly, we demonstrate the full range of stiffness levels available and stiffness transition time.
Internal Urethrotomy With Intralesional Mitomycin C: An Effective Option for Endoscopic Management of Recurrent Bulbar and Bulbomembranous Urethral Strictures.

Objective To describe our experience with direct visual internal urethrotomy (DVIU) and mitomycin C (MMC) for recurrent bulbar and bulbomembranous urethral strictures of radiation and non–radiation-induced etiologies. Methods We reviewed our database of consecutive patients presenting to our tertiary care institution with recurrent bulbar and bulbomembranous urethral strictures who underwent DVIU with MMC from 2011 to 2016. Patients were stratified by radiation-induced strictures (RIS) vs non-RIS. Cold-knife incisions were made at 12-, 3-, and 9-o'clock positions followed by intralesional injection of 10 mL MMC (0.4 mg/mL) in 0.2-0.4 mL aliquots and 1 month of postoperative daily clean intermittent catheterization (CIC). Results All 44 patients (RIS n = 18, non-RIS n = 26) failed prior endoscopic management or urethroplasty. Median stricture length was 2.0 cm (interquartile range [IQR] 1.0-2.5). Over a median follow-up of 25.8 months (IQR 12.9-47.2), 75.0% of patients (33/44) required no additional surgical intervention (RIS 12/18, 66.7%; non-RIS 21/26, 80.8%). Median time to stricture recurrence among those who recurred was 10.7 months (IQR 3.9-17.6; RIS 9.4 months, IQR 3.5-17.6; non-RIS 11.2 months, IQR 8.0-25.6). Four patients (RIS n = 2, non-RIS n = 2) elected to undergo urethroplasty for recurrence. A second DVIU with MMC was performed in the remaining recurrences (n = 7) with no further surgical intervention required in 37 of 40 of patients (92.5%) overall (RIS 14/16, 87.5%; non-RIS 23/24, 95.8%). No long-term complications were attributable to MMC. Conclusion DVIU with MMC and short-term CIC for recurrent, short, bulbar and bulbomembranous urethral strictures is a safe endoscopic modality with promising early results. This approach may be useful for patients who are suboptimal candidates for open reconstruction.
Percutaneous Image-Guided Lumbar Decompression (PILD) Indications

PILD allows access to the posterior central canal via ultra-minimally invasive approaches without the need for general anesthesia. Three critical criteria for patient selection portend success: (1) the patient has neurogenic claudication and leg pain with walking or standing, (2) the patient has central canal lumbar spinal stenosis which is a function of ligamentum flavum hypertrophy, and (3) there exists no other rational cause of the patient’s pain, e.g., far lateral recess stenosis, foraminal stenosis, or vascular claudication. This chapter details the indications for success with PILD.
Quantifying the economic risks of climate change

This Review assesses climate change damage functions, which relate climate variables to economic losses, and how integrated information from impacts, adaptation and vulnerability research could be used to improve estimates of economic risk. Understanding the value of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions matters for policy decisions and climate risk management, but quantification is challenging because of the complex interactions and uncertainties in the Earth and human systems, as well as normative ethical considerations. Current modelling approaches use damage functions to parameterize a simplified relationship between climate variables, such as temperature change, and economic losses. Here we review and synthesize the limitations of these damage functions and describe how incorporating impacts, adaptation and vulnerability research advances and empirical findings could substantially improve damage modelling and the robustness of social cost of carbon values produced. We discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with integrating these research advances into cost–benefit integrated assessment models, with guidance for future work.
Classical communication network design via quantum heuristics

We consider a network design problem in which one must choose which hubs in a classical communication network to build so as to optimally trade off between the long-term average value derived from the links between hubs and the long-term average cost of maintaining each hub. The optimization is naturally formulated as a 0–1 quadratic programming problem, a non-convex optimization with binary decision variables. This problem is NP-Hard, and has no known polynomial-time approximation scheme (PTAS) for the general case. We explore the performance of quantum annealing on this problem, using a D-Wave quantum processing unit (QPU), and compare performance to exact and simulated annealing solvers running on a modern classical computer. We discuss the relative strengths and weaknesses of these methods. In particular, we focus on the quality of the solutions as well as the computation time associated with each method.
Microstructural characterization of as-fabricated and irradiated U-Mo fuel using SEM/EBSD

Abstract Electron Backscattered Diffraction (EBSD) is an effective technique for revealing many details about the microstructure of materials, e.g. crystallographic orientation, grain size, grain boundary properties, texture, intragranular misorientation, and subgrain formation. Since these details are of interest for improving the irradiation performance understanding of any irradiated nuclear fuel (e.g. swelling behavior), this technique has been applied successfully on U-7 wt% Mo before and after irradiation. This fuel is a high-density, low-enriched uranium fuel currently being developed for application in research and test reactors. Based on the results of this characterization, it was found that when as-fabricated U-7 wt% Mo is irradiated to around 5.3 × 1021 fissions/cm3 the original large grains (diameter ∼4 μm) are subdivided into much smaller grains (diameter ∼0.3 μm) and most of these subdivided grain boundaries are low angle boundaries. The EBSD analysis suggests that the grain subdivision in the irradiated U-7 wt% Mo was driven by polygonization, not recrystallization as defined by classic metallurgy as a result of heavy cold work followed by heat treatment.
GitHub as a Social Network

GitHub is a popular source code hosting and development service that supports distributed teams working on large and small software projects, particularly open-source projects. According to Wikipedia, as of April 2017 GitHub supports more than 20 million users and more than 57 million repositories. In addition to version control and code updates functionalities, GitHub supports a wide range of communication options between users, including messaging, commenting, and wikis. GitHub thus has all markings of an online social network, but how does it compare to other social media such as Twitter or Facebook? Since GitHub supports messaging between users as well as “following” it seems the answer is pretty straightforward. And yet, messaging and following do not account for the bulk of activity in GitHub, which consists largely of user initiated repository “events” related to adding, editing, and fixing the code (as well as other artifacts, such as documentation and manuals). In this sense GitHub is quite unlike Twitter, where information flows rapidly between users by being passed along to others. What information flows in GitHub, besides the actual messaging? In this paper, we discuss preliminary findings that the GitHub community displays many of the characteristics of a social network.
Programs for Generating Extreme Vertices and Centroids of Linearly Constrained Experimental Regions

Two FORTRAN programs are presented that generate the extreme vertices and the various dimensional centroids (approximate) of an experimental region described by constraints of the general form wher...
The Yucatan Miniature Pig Model of Ventricular Septal Defect

An heritable model of ventricular septal defect (VSD) was developed in Yucatan miniature swine. Retrospective reviews of the parent herd and prospective test matings in an experimental herd indicated that the defect is most likely polygenic in transmission. Clinically the defect may be detected by a characteristic mid or holosystolic murmur auscultated over the lower third to fifth intercostal spaces on either side of the thorax. Subpopulations of the animals develop a failure to thrive syndrome as neonates and juveniles. Adults may develop pulmonary hypertension if the shunt is significant. The defects are described morphologically as perimembranous, with smaller numbers of muscular outlet and doubly committed subarterial defects. Associated defects include atrial septal defect (ASD), aortic arch anomalies and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). The defect has been characterized by echocardiography in fetal through adult stages and by cardiac catheterization procedures in adults and neonates. Digitalized computer imagery has been used in embryologic studies of the heart. Studies are ongoing in the use of transvenous and transarterial methods of closure using interventional catheter methodology. The model is similar to the most common form of VSD in humans and useful for anatomic, diagnostic and therapeutic studies.
Neutron-energy-dependent defect production cross sections for fission and fusion applications

AbstractNeutron cross sections for displacements and post-short-term cascade annealing defects are derived from nuclear kinematics calculations of primary atomic recoil energy distributions and the...
Quantum Photovoltaic Devices Based on Antimony Compound Semiconductors

In summary, we have successfully developed the empirical tight-binding modeling for the design of Type II InAs/GaSb superlattices. We have demonstrated very high quality superlattice material growths using state-of-the-art MBE. With our established device processing techniques, we demonstrated high performance photodiodes and the world’s first infrared focal plane array in the LWIR range based on this type of superlattice. We also calculated the wavelength variations based on quantum confinement effects in the nanopillars and demonstrated the initial results for the processing of nanopillar photodiodes based on Type II superlattices.
Role of Stiffness Nonlinearities in the Transduction of Energy Harvesters under White Gaussian Excitations

This chapter delineates the influence of stiffness-type nonlinearities on the transduction of vibratory energy harvesters (VEHs) under random excitations that can be approximated by a white Gaussian noise process. Both mono- and bistable Duffing-type harvesters are considered. The Fokker–Planck–Kolmogorov equation governing the evolution of the harvester’s transition probability density function is formulated and used to generate the moment differential equations governing the response statistics. The moment equations are then closed using a fourth-order cumulant-neglect closure scheme and solved for the relevant steady-state response statistics. The influence of the nonlinearity, time constant ratio (the ratio between the nominal period of the mechanical subsystem and the time constant of the harvesting circuit), and noise intensity on the mean square value of the electric output (voltage or current) and the average power is detailed. Results are then compared to those obtained by analytically solving the FPK equation for the linear resonant harvester. It is demonstrated that a Duffing-type monostable harvester can never outperform its linear counterpart. A bistable harvester, on the other hand, can outperform a linear harvester only when the time constant ratio is small and its potential energy function is optimized based on a known excitation intensity.
Advances in Understanding the Microbiological Degradation of Lignin

From the earlier chapters the reader can gain an up-to-date concept of the chemical and physical structure of lignocellulosic cell walls, and the biosynthesis of their structural components. About half of the earth’s carbon that is fixed annually via photosynthetic reactions is incorporated into these constituents.3 The carbon, of course, does not remain fixed, but is released ultimately as volatile products to complete the carbon cycle that is central to life. The carbon is released primarily as CO2 by the activities of microorganisms.
Health Impact of Participation for Vulnerable Youth With Disabilities.

Objective We investigated the mental health impact of participation for youth with disabilities (YWD) in the child welfare system who had experienced victimization in the previous year. Method Nationally representative data were obtained from the second National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. Our sample consisted of 247 YWD ages 11-17 yr. Multivariable probit regression analysis and a robust variance estimator were used to test the relationships among disability status, participation, and clinical depression. Results The probability of reporting clinical depression was 4 times higher for victimized YWD who reported lower breadth of participation than for victimized YWD who reported higher breadth of participation (6% vs. 26%; p = .03). Conclusion Occupational therapy aimed at increasing opportunities for engagement in activities may enhance the mental health of the most vulnerable YWD. Participation in meaningful activities can improve both overall health and transition to independence for vulnerable YWD.
Rethinking Bile Acid Metabolism and Signaling for Type 2 Diabetes Treatment

Herein, we review the role of FXR and TGR5 in the regulation of hepatic bile acid metabolism, with a focus on how our understanding of bile acid metabolic regulation by these receptors has evolved in recent years and how this improved understanding may facilitate targeting bile acids for type 2 diabetes treatment. Bile acid profile is a key regulator of metabolic homeostasis. Inhibition of expression of the enzyme that is required for cholic acid synthesis and thus determines bile acid profile, Cyp8b1, may be an effective target for type 2 diabetes treatment. FXR and, more recently, TGR5 have been shown to regulate bile acid metabolism and Cyp8b1 expression and, therefore, may provide a mechanism with which to target bile acid profile for type 2 diabetes treatment. Inhibition of Cyp8b1 expression is a promising therapeutic modality for type 2 diabetes; however, further work is needed to fully understand the pathways regulating Cyp8b1 expression.
Effects of Qigong Exercise on Non-Motor Symptoms and Inflammatory Status in Parkinson's Disease: A Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Non-motor symptoms such as sleep disturbance, cognitive decline, fatigue, anxiety, and depression in Parkinson’s disease (PD) impact quality of life. Increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in individuals with PD have been reported, which may contribute to non-motor symptoms. A mind-body exercise, Qigong, has demonstrated benefits across different medical conditions. However, a lack of evidence causes clinicians and patients to be uncertain about the effects of Qigong in individuals with PD. This study will examine the effects of Qigong on non-motor symptoms and inflammatory status in individuals with PD. Methods: Sixty individuals with PD will be recruited. Qigong and sham Qigong group (n = 30 for each) will receive a 12-week intervention. Participants will practice their assigned exercise at home (2×/day) and attend routinely group exercise meetings. Results: Clinical questionnaires and neuropsychological tests will measure non-motor symptoms including sleep quality (primary outcome). Biomarker assays will measure inflammatory status. A two-way mixed-design analysis of variance (ANOVA) will be utilized. Conclusions: This study may generate evidence for the benefits of Qigong on non-motor symptoms of PD and the effect on inflammatory status. Findings may lead to the development of a novel, safe, and cost-effective rehabilitation approach for individuals with PD.
Use of Maintenance Therapy and Incidence of Recurrent CMV Dnaemia Among Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients

Background Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is the most common infection following hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Pre-emptive antiviral therapy is highly effective at halting viral replication and preventing CMV disease; however, recurrence rates after clearance of CMV DNAemia are high (50-70%). Current treatment guidelines recommend maintenance therapy after initial clearance. Yet, the effectiveness of this intervention to prevent recurrence is not well defined. Objectives We aimed to assess the impact of maintenance therapy on the probability of recurrent CMV in allogeneic HCT recipients with early CMV reactivation. Study design Sixty-six patients with an initial episode of early CMV reactivation who achieved viral clearance in response pre-emptive therapy were included. We compared the incidence of recurrent CMV DNAemia in patients who received maintenance therapy versus those that underwent early discontinuation of antiviral therapy. (Figure 1) Results Recurrence occurred in 47/64 (73%) patients, including 11/14 (79%) patients without maintenance therapy and 36/50 (72%) of patients who received maintenance therapy (P = 0.74). The propensity score adjusted risk ratio for the effect of maintenance therapy on recurrence was 0.89 (95%CI 0.64-1.25; P = 0.41). In a time to event analysis using the unweighted cohort, the 90-day probability of CMV recurrence was similar between patient groups independent of maintenance therapy administration (54 vs. 64% for maintenance vs. non-maintenance groups, respectively; log-rank P = 0.37). Conclusion This data suggests that maintenance antiviral therapy does not reduce the incidence of CMV recurrence and is of limited value in HCT recipients who have successfully eradicated CMV DNAemia in response to pre-emptive therapy. Larger studies in this area are needed.
Acoustic and Lexical Sentiment Analysis for Customer Service Calls

We describe the development of a sentiment analysis system for customer service calls, starting with the data acquisition and labeling, and proceeding to the algorithmic information extraction and modeling process from both spoken words and their acoustic expression. The proposed system is based on the combination of multiple acoustic and lexical models in a late fusion approach. Acoustic aspects of sentiment are captured by utterance-level features based on aggregated openSMILE and raw cepstral features, and further augmented with an energy contour model. Lexical aspects are captured by back-off n-gram language models. These models are found to combine effectively, showing different strengths as pertains to positive and negative sentiment detection.
Who's the boss?

I’m not sure what answer I hoped to get when I casually asked “How’s intern year going?” I suppose I thought it was just an idle conversation starter that would pass the time while we waited for th...