cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Outcomes of microwave ablation for colorectal cancer liver metastases: a single center experience.

Background and Objectives Surgical management of colorectal cancer liver metastases continues to evolve to optimize oncologic outcomes while maximizing parenchymal preservation. Long-term data after intraoperative microwave ablation are limited. This study investigates outcomes and patterns of recurrence in patients who underwent intraoperative microwave ablation. Methods A retrospective analysis of 33 patients who underwent intraoperative microwave ablation of colorectal cancer liver metastases from 2009 to 2013 at our institution was performed. Perioperative and long-term data were reviewed to determine outcomes and patterns of recurrence. Results A total of 49 tumors were treated, ranging 0.5–5.5 cm in size. Median Clavien–Dindo classification was one. Median follow-up was 531 days, with 13 (39.4%) patients presenting with a recurrence. Median time to first recurrence was 364 days. In those patients, 1 (7.8%) presented with an isolated local recurrence in the liver. Only 1 of 7 ablated tumors greater than 3 cm recurred (14.3%). Overall survival was 35.2% at 4 years, with a 19.3% disease-free survival at 3.5 years. No perioperative variables predicted systemic or local recurrence. Conclusion Intraoperative microwave ablation is a safe and effective modality for use in the treatment of colorectal cancer liver metastases in tumors as large as 5.5 cm in size. J. Surg. Oncol. 2015 111:410–413. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
User identification and authentication using multi-modal behavioral biometrics

Abstract Biometric computer authentication has an advantage over password and access card authentication in that it is based on something you are, which is not easily copied or stolen. One way of performing biometric computer authentication is to use behavioral tendencies associated with how a user interacts with the computer. However, behavioral biometric authentication accuracy rates are worse than more traditional authentication methods. This article presents a behavioral biometric system that fuses user data from keyboard, mouse, and Graphical User Interface (GUI) interactions. Combining the modalities results in a more accurate authentication decision based on a broader view of the user's computer activity while requiring less user interaction to train the system than previous work. Testing over 31 users shows that fusion techniques significantly improve behavioral biometric authentication accuracy over single modalities on their own. Between the two fusion techniques presented, feature fusion and an ensemble based classification method, the ensemble method performs the best with a False Acceptance Rate (FAR) of 2.10% and a False Rejection Rate (FRR) 2.24%.
Coordinated stasis: An overview

Abstract Coordinated stasis, as defined herein, represents an empirical pattern, common in the fossil record, wherein groups of coexisting species lineages display concurrent stability over extended intervals of geologic time separated by episodes of relatively abrupt change. In marine benthic fossil assemblages, where the pattern was first recognized, the majority of species lineages (60 to more than 80%) are present in their respective biofacies throughout timespans of 3–7 million years. Most lineages display morphological stasis or only very minor, typically non-directional, anagenetic change in a few characters throughout a prolonged time interval; evidence for successful speciation (cladogenesis) is rare, few lineages ( Causes of coordinated stasis and of regional ecological crisis/reorganization remain poorly understood. Tracking of spatially shifting environments appears to be the rule, rather than adaptation to local change. Incumbent species appear to have a very strong advantage and may excluded potential immigrants, as evidenced by temporary incursions of exotic taxa (“incursion epiboles”); this suggests a role for ecological and biogeographic factors in maintaining paleoecological stability. Stabilizing selection may be critical for producing morphological stability in individual lineages. Episodic crises appear to involve environmental perturbations that were too pervasive and/or abrupt to permit local tracking of environment to continue. Some faunal turnovers associated with unconformities may be partially an artifact of stratigraphic incompleteness. Others, however, seem to occur within conformable successions and were evidently rapid. Widespread anoxia, changes in current patterns, and/or climatic change associated with major marine transgression are common correlates of faunal turnovers in marine habitats in the Appalachian Basin. The phenomenon of coordinated stasis has been noted, albeit not fully documented, in a number of ancient marine and terrestrial ecosystems. An important goal for evolutionary paleoecology should be to document the patterns of stability and change in common and rare members of fossil assemblages in order to discern the relative frequency of coordinated stasis in the rock record, to evaluate the mechanisms by which such apparent evolutionary and ecological stability might be produced, and to seek clues (e.g., paleobiological and stratigraphic patterns, geochemical anomalies) as to causes of abrupt pulses of faunal change.
Symbol Transitions in Discrete Systems

When multiparameter and multilevel waveforms are used in digital recording or communication systems, the nature and number of distinct waveform transitions that can occur in a specified interval of time must always be known. This paper outlines techniques for that purpose. The theory developed is quite general in that it deals with the enumeration of transitions in any multilevel, multiparameter discrete system. Using the theory, many recording and communication schemes may be invented which depend on selecting a subset of waveforms whose parameters have certain specified characteristics. Since the discrete waveform of time duration n is equivalent to a codeword of n symbols, this paper also provides the theory and analytical methods of the symbol transition properties of codes generated by sequential machines.
Housing and Construction Cost Escalation: Causes and Effects in Riyadh

Despite the sharp decline in residential real estate prices in several regions of the United States over the past few years, the Middle East experienced a significant escalation in residential housing costs over the same period. This escalation has led to several social and economic problems, including public dissatisfaction with government policies. The housing cost escalation could be attributed to a number of factors, including the rise of oil prices that typically leads to sharp hikes in inflation rates. The main objective of this research is to identify the factors that lead to housing cost escalation, rank them according to their significance, and investigate the best strategies to address them in the short- and long-terms. The study focuses on Riyadh city as a case study to apply the proposed methodology, which includes identifying possible factors from the literature, conducting surveys, and interviews; soliciting evaluation as to the impact of these factors; and conducting quantitative statistical analysis to compare the impact of the factors. The most impacting factors are identified in order to facilitate further investigation of their effects and propose strategies to address these effects. This should prove useful to other cities experiencing similar trends as it presents a systematic replicable approach to identify the cause and effect of housing cost escalation.
THERAPEUTIC IMPLICATIONS OF CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE TOXIN DURING RELAPSE OF CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE

Clostridium difficile toxin was present in the stools of six patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease during symptomatic relapse. Only two of these individuals had received antibiotics known to cause pseudomembranous colitis, and on proctoscopy none had pseudomembranes. In all patients disappearance of toxin, either with vancomycin therapy (five patients) or spontaneously (one patient), was associated with symptomatic improvement. Cl. difficile toxin may complicate chronic inflammatory bowel disease, and contribute to relapse in some patients.
Integrating Quality Matters Into Hybrid Course Design A Principles of Marketing Case Study

Previous research supports the idea that the success of hybrid or online delivery modes is more a function of course design than delivery media. This article describes a case study of a hybrid Principles of Marketing course that implemented a comprehensive redesign based on design principles espoused by the Quality Matters Program, a center for improving online and hybrid course design through a faculty-centered, peer review process. The resulting team-taught course was well received by students, more efficient for faculty to deliver, and showed equivalence in direct measures (no difference in exam scores) of student learning.
An approximate Dynamic Programming based controller for an underactuated 6DoF quadrotor

This paper discusses how the principles of Adaptive Dynamic Programming (ADP) can be applied to the control of a quadrotor helicopter platform flying in an uncontrolled environment and subjected to various disturbances and model uncertainties. ADP is based on reinforcement learning using an actor-critic structure. Due to the complexity of the quadrotor system, the learning process has to use as much information as possible about the system and the environment. Various methods to improve the learning speed and efficiency are presented. Neural networks with local activation functions are used as function approximators because the state-space can not be explored efficiently due to its size and the limited time available. The complex dynamics is controlled by a single critic and by multiple actors thus avoiding the curse of dimensionality. After a number of iterations, the overall actor-critic structure stores information (knowledge) about the system dynamics and the optimal controller that can accomplish the explicit or implicit goal specified in the cost function.
Comparison of In vitro Nanoparticles Uptake in Various Cell Lines and In vivo Pulmonary Cellular Transport in Intratracheally Dosed Rat Model

In present study, the potential drug delivery of nanoformulations was validated via the comparison of cellular uptake of nanoparticles in various cell lines and in vivo pulmonary cellular uptake in intratracheally (IT) dosed rat model. Nanoparticles were prepared by a bench scale wet milling device and incubated with a series of cell lines, including Caco-2, RAW, MDCK and MDCK transfected MDR1 cells. IT dosed rats were examined for the pulmonary cellular uptake of nanoparticles. The processes of nanoparticle preparation did not alter the crystalline state of the material. The uptake of nanoparticles was observed most extensively in RAW cells and the least in Caco-2 cells. Efflux transporter P-gp did not prevent cell from nanoparticles uptake. The cellular uptake of nanoparticles was also confirmed in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid cells and in bronchiolar epithelial cells, type II alveolar epithelial cells in the intratracheally administrated rats. The nanoparticles uptake in MDCK, RAW cells and in vivo lung epithelial cells indicated the potential applications of nanoformulation for poorly soluble compounds. The observed limited direct uptake of nanoparticles in Caco-2 cells suggests that the improvement in oral bioavailability by particle size reduction is via increased dissolution rate rather than direct uptake.
Political Culture Theory and the Role of Professionals Data from Venezuela

This research examines the political culture literature and follows its admonition to test culturalist ideas in representative ethnographic studies. It is based on public opinion surveys in 1973 and 1987, elite interviews in 1972-1973, and focus groups organized by the authors during 1987. There are three important findings. First, the political culture of professionals in the wake of social discontinuity was fragmented in the aggregate. Fragmentation was not as pronounced as anticipated by culturalist theory. The second finding concerns the internal structure of political culture in which political regimes become consolidated without a great legitimating revolution. The authors detected a strong positive affect for the central institutions underpinning Venezuela's post-1958 regime, highly positive evaluative orientations toward the institutions' governing capabilities, and a positive evaluation of overall regime output. Third, the authors found professional political culture in 1987 supportive of reconci...
Mitochondrial permeability transition pore in Alzheimer's disease: cyclophilin D and amyloid beta.

Amyloid beta (Aβ) plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease. Increasing evidence indicates mitochondria as an important target of Aβ toxicity; however, the effects of Aβ toxicity on mitochondria have not yet been fully elucidated. Recent biochemical studies in vivo and in vitro implicate mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) formation involvement in Aβ-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction. mPTP formation results in severe mitochondrial dysfunction such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, mitochondrial membrane potential dissipation, intracellular calcium perturbation, decrease in mitochondrial respiration, release of pro-apoptotic factors and eventually cell death. Cyclophilin D (CypD) is one of the more well-known mPTP components and recent findings reveal that Aβ has significant impact on CypD-mediated mPTP formation. In this review, the role of Aβ in the formation of mPTP and the potential of mPTP inhibition as a therapeutic strategy in AD treatment are examined.
Robust stereo ego-motion for long distance navigation

Several methods for computing observer motion from monocular and stereo image sequences have been proposed. However, accurate positioning over long distances requires a higher level of robustness than previously achieved. This paper describes several mechanisms for improving robustness in the context of a maximum-likelihood stereo ego-motion method. We demonstrate that even a robust system will accumulate super-linear error in the distance traveled due to increasing orientation errors. However, when an absolute orientation sensor is incorporated, the growth is reduced to linear in the distance traveled, grows much more slowly in practice. Our experiments, including a trial with 210 stereo pairs, indicate that these techniques can achieve errors below 1% of the distance traveled. This method has been implemented to run on-board a prototype Mars rover.
Nonparametric Estimation for a form of Doubly Censored Data, with Application to Two Problems in AIDS

Abstract In many epidemiologic studies of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease, interest focuses on the distribution of the length of the interval of time between two events. Two such problems are considered here, estimation of the distribution of time or number of sexual contacts between infection of an individual (an index case) and transmission of HIV to their sexual partner, and estimation of the distribution of time between infectiousness as a blood donor and the development of detectable antibody. Data regarding these two problems are available from certain partner studies, and the HIV Lookback Study. In both cases the statistical development is complicated by the fact that the times of both events are interval censored, so that the length of time between the events is never observed exactly. Nonparametric methods for estimation of the interval length distribution are developed by casting the problem in terms of nonparametric estimation of a mixing distribution; particular attention is paid to...
Performance of selenium-ion-implanted GaAs f.e.t.s

GaAs f.e.t.s have been produced by sulphur-ion implantation that give optimum noise figures as low as 4.6 dB at 10 GHz and maximum available gains of greater than 10 dB at 10 GHz. A considerable degree of uniformity among the devices is observed.
Three-dimensional computer model for simulating realistic solid-state lasers

We developed an accurate and fast three-dimensional computer model for simulating realistic solid-state laser systems. An iteration of the beam propagation calculation was developed to account for the counterpropagation of the laser beams in the saturated gain medium and eventually obtain the converged solution for the output beam. An analytic method was devised to account for the curved cavity mirror and the surface deformation of the gain medium induced by the temperature gradient due to pump absorption. The temperature gradient induced thermal lensing and stress birefringence is also properly included in the model calculation. This model has been validated and shown to be very accurate and efficient for modeling three-dimensional laser systems in a personal computer.
Statistical resource decoupling in random access interference channel

We study how the presence of stochastic fading channels can create statistical decoupling between two interfering flows in a basic interference network. We show that under some conditions of interference and power allocations, the sum throughput of the network with fading channels is higher than the sum throughput for Gaussian collision channel with identical average channel conditions. This higher throughput is a result of fading channels, which sometimes decouples the two flows allowing them to receive successfully even if the interfering flow is simultaneously active.
Factors Affecting Iodine Concentration of Milk of Individual Cows

Variations were measured of iodine concentrations of milk during complete lactations of 36 Holstein cows from the University of California herd in Davis and 24 Holstein and 12 Guernsey cows from the California State University herd in Fresno. At Davis no iodine was added to the concentrate, whereas at Fresno iodine as ethylene diamine dihydriodide was added to the concentrate at 4 ppm. At Davis, the mean milk iodine concentration was 166 micrograms/kg; at Fresno, the mean milk iodine concentration was 745 micrograms/kg. Holstein milk had higher iodine concentrations than Guernsey milk, 839 versus 554 micrograms/kg. Iodine concentrations of milk increased during lactation for all cows. At Davis, samples taken in the 1st mo of lactation had 105 micrograms/kg compared with 218 micrograms/kg in the 9th mo. At Fresno, samples taken in the 2nd wk of lactation had 183 micrograms/kg, compared with 1017 micrograms/kg in the 40th wk. Addition of as little as 4 ppm ethylene diamine dihydriodide to the concentrate throughout lactation will lead to greatly increased iodine concentrations in the milk, particularly in late lactation.
Intrinsic mutagenic properties of 5-chlorocytosine: A mechanistic connection between chronic inflammation and cancer

During chronic inflammation, neutrophil-secreted hypochlorous acid can damage nearby cells inducing the genomic accumulation of 5-chlorocytosine (5ClC), a known inflammation biomarker. Although 5ClC has been shown to promote epigenetic changes, it has been unknown heretofore if 5ClC directly perpetrates a mutagenic outcome within the cell. The present work shows that 5ClC is intrinsically mutagenic, both in vitro and, at a level of a single molecule per cell, in vivo. Using biochemical and genetic approaches, we have quantified the mutagenic and toxic properties of 5ClC, showing that this lesion caused C→T transitions at frequencies ranging from 3-9% depending on the polymerase traversing the lesion. X-ray crystallographic studies provided a molecular basis for the mutagenicity of 5ClC; a snapshot of human polymerase β replicating across a primed 5ClC-containing template uncovered 5ClC engaged in a nascent base pair with an incoming dATP analog. Accommodation of the chlorine substituent in the template major groove enabled a unique interaction between 5ClC and the incoming dATP, which would facilitate mutagenic lesion bypass. The type of mutation induced by 5ClC, the C→T transition, has been previously shown to occur in substantial amounts both in tissues under inflammatory stress and in the genomes of many inflammation-associated cancers. In fact, many sequence-specific mutational signatures uncovered in sequenced cancer genomes feature C→T mutations. Therefore, the mutagenic ability of 5ClC documented in the present study may constitute a direct functional link between chronic inflammation and the genetic changes that enable and promote malignant transformation.
Evolving neural networks for hexapod leg controllers

The incremental evolution of neural networks to control hexapod robot locomotion can be separated into two main parts: the evolution of leg controllers the cycle action of single legs (leg cycles) and the evolution of the coordination of these individual leg controllers to produce a gait. In this paper, we use a genetic algorithm to do the first of these steps, to evolve the structure of an artificial neural network that produces leg cycles for a hexapod robot. The robot has 12 servo effectors; two per leg to produce horizontal and vertical movement. The servos are controlled by pulses that are provided by the leg's controller. A cycle of these pulses produces a leg cycle. With minimal restrictions on the structure of the neural network, a genetic algorithm was used to evolve in simulation the parameters of neurons and their connections. Neural networks were implemented on a BASIC Stamp II SX microcomputer and found to generate smooth leg cycles on the hexapod robot.
A Series of Teaching Phantoms for Displaying Diagnostic Ultrasound Image Artifacts

Much work has been done on ultrasound phantoms foe biopsy and anatomic training of physicians and sonographers. Artifacts observed during scans in vivo also have been described. The authors' purpose in this article is to describe the construction and perdormance of phantoms designed to demonstrate ultrasound image artifacts for teaching purposes. Phantom images exhibiting ringdown, range errors, reverberation, and multipath artifacts produced by scanning intrauterine devices, shotgun pellets, and other objects are illustrated.
Simultaneous estimation of direction of arrival and frequency of the signals using realistic antenna elements

This paper presents a method for simultaneously estimating the direction of arrival of the signals along with their unknown frequencies using real antenna elements. Matrix pencil method is used for estimating the three poles which correspond DOAs and frequencies from the voltages that are induced in a three-dimensional antenna array. Some numerical examples are presented to illustrate the applicability of this methodology.
Impaired nitric oxide synthase signaling dissociates social investigation and aggression.

A combination of social withdrawal and increased aggression is characteristic of several mental disorders. Most previous studies have investigated the neurochemical bases of social behavior and aggression independently, as opposed to how these behaviors are regulated in concert. Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) produces gaseous nitric oxide, which functions as a neurotransmitter and is known to affect several types of behavior including mating and aggression. Compared with wild-type mice, we observed that nNOS knockout mice showed reduced behavioral responses to an intruder behind a wire barrier. Similar results were observed in mice treated with the selective nNOS inhibitor 3-bromo-7-nitroindazole (3BrN). In habituation–dishabituation tests, treatment with 3BrN did not block recognition of male urine but did attenuate investigation time compared with oil-treated animals. Finally, nNOS knockout mice and 3BrN treated mice were significantly more aggressive than wild-type and oil-treated males, respectively. In general, these behavioral effects are less pronounced in pair-housed males compared with singly-housed males. Thus, nNOS inhibition results in a phenotype that displays reduced social investigation and increased aggression. These data suggest that further study of nNOS signaling is warranted in mental disorders characterized by social withdrawal and increased aggression.
Strategies for Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating degenerative disorder for which there is no cure or effective treatment. In the late stages of the disease when there is evident cognitive impairment, the clinical diagnosis of probable AD is made with around 90% accuracy using clinical, neuropsychological, and imaging methods. Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity in early disease stages are improved by cerebrospinal fluid markers, for example, combined tau and amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides and some plasma markers. At this time, however, validated diagnostic markers for early diagnosis of AD are not available. Simple, accurate, and noninvasive tests for an early detection of AD are urgently required to attempt intervention before substantial and irreversible brain damage occurs. Compelling evidence indicates that deposition of aggregates composed by a misfolded form of Aβ is the central event in the disease pathogenesis. Therefore, an attractive diagnostic strategy is to detect the misfolded form of Aβ in biological fluids. In this chapter, we describe current diagnosis methods, their principles, and their potential strengths and weaknesses. Overall, the available data suggests the feasibility in developing a sensitive diagnostic test for the early detection of AD.
The Advantages of Tax Managed Investing (Note: Corrected Tables)

Recent advances in online portfolio trading have brought investors much closer to achieving the frictionless paradigm often assumed in portfolio theory. However, taxes remain a significant barrier. We show that even a passive equity fund, like the Vanguard 500, has a significant drag on taxes, causing an investor to be left with only 54 % of his pre-tax value after 24 years. We find that passive portfolio investors can reduce taxes substantially by selling losing stocks and replacing them with characteristically matched stocks. We begin by providing an analytic framework to quantify the effects of taxes on investment returns. The pre-tax returns are effected by two components; short-versus-long tax rates and foregone earnings. We isolate the two effects to give the reader a sense of the magnitude of these effects. Using the effective tax rate as a measure of the tax drag, we find that the theoretical cost of foregone earnings is as high as 30 % and that the theoretical costs of realizing short-term gains is as high as 31 %. We then investigate the tax management possibilities in the real world by considering different equity strategies to reduce the investor's effective tax rates. We apply these strategies to US equities from 1990- 2000 and find that it cuts taxes by as much as 4.8 %, significantly increasing the after-tax return.
Endoscopic transcutaneous mastoidoscopy for evaluation of residual epitympanic/mastoid cholesteatoma.

It is generally agreed that patients subjected to an intact canal wall mastoidectomy to excise mastoid/epitympanic cholesteatoma should undergo a «second-look» operation to rule out residual cholesteatoma. The morbidity of this second operation can be significantly reduced with endoscopic mastoidoscopy, when compared to the traditional postauricular (open) incision approach. Details, benefits, and limitations of endoscopic mastoidoscopy are discussed
Methyl jasmonate improves radical generation in macrophyte phytoremediation

Phytoremediation is the use of plants to decontaminate and improve waters and soils. Pleustonic macrophytes are plant models for research in waters. In a phytoremediation study, the elicitation of Pistia stratiotes with methyl jasmonate or salicylic acid suggests that oxytetracycline modification rate coefficients could be increased more than threefold. Here we present the elicitation of Pistia stratiotes apical primary root tips. We detected reactive oxygen species generation by X-band electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, using the spin trap α-(4-pyridyl-1-oxide)-N-tert-butylnitrone (POBN). Elicitation using 0.8 mM methyl jasmonate during 1 h increased the relative spin-trapped radical concentration by +12 %. Further, results indicate acute plant toxicity above 0.24 mM salicylic acid.
Outcomes of hemodynamic support with Impella in very high-risk patients undergoing balloon aortic valvuloplasty: Results from the Global cVAD Registry.

Abstract Background Reports on the role of hemodynamic support devices in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction undergoing balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) are limited. Methods Patients were identified from the cVAD registry, an ongoing multicenter voluntary registry at selected sites in North America that have used Impella in >10 patients. Results A total of 116 patients with AS who underwent BAV with Impella support were identified. Mean age was 80.41±9.03years and most patients were male. Mean STS score was 18.77%±18.32, LVEF was 27.14%±16.07, and 42% underwent concomitant PCI. In most cases Impella was placed electively prior to BAV, whereas 26.7% were placed as an emergency. The two groups had similar baseline characteristics except for higher prevalence of CAD and lower LVEF in the elective group, and higher STS score in the emergency group. Elective strategy was associated higher 1-year survival compared to emergency placement (56% vs. 29.2%, p=0.003). One-year survival was higher when BAV was used as a bridge to definitive therapy as opposed to palliative treatment (90% vs. 28%, p Conclusion In this large cohort of patients with AS and severe LV dysfunction undergoing BAV, our results demonstrates feasibility and promising long-term outcomes using elective Impella support with the intention to bridge to a definitive therapy.
Positive smoking cessation-related interactions with HIV care providers increase the likelihood of interest in cessation among HIV-positive cigarette smokers

ABSTRACTSmoking cessation has proven to be a challenge for HIV-positive smokers. Patient and provider characteristics may provide barriers to smoking cessation. We aimed to identify characteristics associated with interest in cessation as well as characterize use of, current interest in, and provider recommendations for smoking cessation modalities. Data came from 275 HIV-positive smokers recruited online. Half (49.1%) of the sample was interested in quitting; daily smoking was associated with decreased likelihood of interest in cessation, whereas making a lifetime quit attempt, receiving encouragement to quit from an HIV care provider, and greater frequency of discussions regarding cessation with HIV care providers were associated with increased likelihood of interest in cessation. Nicotine replacement therapy was the most commonly used (42.9%), generated the most interest (59.1%), and was the most commonly clinician-recommended (70.7%) cessation modality. Findings emphasize the importance of the healthc...
Effect of chronic γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) administration on GHB toxicokinetics and GHB-induced respiratory depression.

Background: γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) has a high potential for illicit use; overdose of this compound results in sedation, respiratory depression and death. Tolerance to the hypnotic/sedative and ele...
Enterohepatic Helicobacter Species

Most of the members of the genus Helicobacter do not normally colonize the gastric mucosa, but instead thrive in the mucosal surfaces of the intestinal tract and/or the liver of humans, other mammals, and birds. A growing number of enterohepatic Helicobacter species have also been reported to be associated with gastroenteritis, hepatitis, and other disease states in humans and in other animal species. The significance of the enterohepatic Helicobacter species in human disease and the true prevalence of these organisms in human populations remain to be determined. Chronic active hepatitis leading to hepatocellular neoplasia was also observed in germ-free female Swiss Webster mice following experimental infection with Helicobacter hepaticus, clearly establishing the organism as a murine pathogen. Helicobacter cinaedi has been documented as a cause of acute diarrhea in otherwise healthy individuals; however, bacteremia without gastroenteritis is more frequently associated with H. cinaedi and H. fennelliae infection in immunocompromised patients with AIDS or other underlying conditions. H. pametensis and H. pullorum have been shown to infect birds and mammals. By microscopic visualization, H. muridarum was found to have a higher density of colonization in the ileum than the cecum or colon in conventional mice and rats. H. muridarum can infect the stomach of mice and cause gastritis. Sequencing of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments has been used to show that enterohepatic Helicobacter species can infect the gallbladder of humans with chronic cholecystitis.
Retroviral infections of the CNS of nonhuman primates.

Central nervous system infection by retroviruses has become a topic of great concern due to the association of neurologic sequelae with infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (Carne et al. 1985; Ho et al. 1985; Levy et al. 1985; Petito et al. 1985; Price et al. 1988; Resnick et al. 1985; Shaw et al. 1985; Vazeux et al. 1988) and the human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) (Jacobson et al. 1988; Piccardo et al.1988; Poiesz et al.1980). The epidemiology, pathology, and virology of these neurologic sequelae are the subject of other chapters in this book. Although encephalopathy and dementia occur frequently in association with HIV infection of the brain in children and adults (Ho et al. 1987; Price et al. 1988), many questions remain unanswered about the pathogenesis of this CNS infection. Similarly, HTLV-1 has been strongly associated with a slowly progressive myelopathy known as tropical spastic paraparesis (Jacobson et al. 1988; Bhagavati et al. 1988) but a causal relationship has not been firmly established. In addition, recent but as yet unconfirmed reports implicate a retrovirus related to HTLV-1 in multiple sclerosis (Karpas et al. 1986; Koprowski et al. 1985; Koprowski and DeFreitas 1988; Ohta et al. 1986).
Tautologies and Illogical Questions

Two related topics occupy this chapter, namely (1) producing a philosophical argument for unerringly determining in writing when to use “whether or not … ” or “whether … ” and (2) appealing to formal logic to certify that a category of questions is inappropriate or illogical. The arguments in favor of (1) derive from Aristotle’s De Interpretatione and from the logical Law of the Excluded Middle. The argument for (2) rests upon logicians’ and grammarians’ appeal to rules of inference that are at home in the canons of formal logic. Taken together, (1) and (2) show the extent to which a knowledge of logic can be invaluable to producing sensible and superior prose.
Injectable Soft-Tissue Augmentation for the Treatment of Tracheoesophageal Puncture Enlargement.

This study reports on the use of injectable soft-tissue fillers for the treatment of tracheoesophageal prosthesis enlargement and periprosthetic leakage.
The Lampropidae (Crustacea: Cumacea) of the World.

Prior to the present study, the cumacean family Lampropidae included 114 species. This family is primarily found in temperate to cold waters. Revisions and investigation of museum collections yielded 12 new genera (Alamprops n. gen., Aplatysympus n. gen., Austrolamprops n. gen., Brachylamprops n. gen., Doieolamprops n. gen., Farragolamprops n. gen., Paraplatysympus n. gen., Phallolamprops n. gen., Phallolampropoides n. gen., Pseudoarchaeocuma n. gen., Quasiparalamprops n. gen., Reyssia n. gen.) and 23 new species (Aplatysympus neozealanicus n. sp., Austrolamprops sulcatus n. sp., Bathylamprops paraleucon n. sp., Brachylamprops scabridus n. sp., Chalarostylis bruunae n. sp., Doeiolamprops confundus n. sp., Farragolamprops seminalis n.sp., F. spinacristatus n. sp., Hemilamprops impellucidus n. sp., Lamprops northwindae n. sp., Misceolamprops concavus n. sp., Paraplatysympus aspericristatus n. sp., P. echinolowryi n. sp., Phallolamprops californiensis n. sp., P. pribilofensis n. sp., Phallolampropoides chukchiensis n. sp., Platytyphlops bamberi n. sp., P. echinatus n. sp., P. lowryi n. sp., P. petrescui n. sp., P. taylorae n. sp., Pseudoarchaeocuma bacescui n. sp., Quasiparalamprops chathamensis n. sp.). Additional description and Fig. of the ovigerous female and adult male of Watlingia chathamensis are provided. All new species and genera are described and illustrated, with diagnoses and keys to all genera and species. In addition, Mesolamprops bacescui is transferred to the Diastylidae as Diastylis bacescui (Gamo 1999).
Health Care Delivery: A Behavioral Perspective

The Task Force on Health Research of the American Psychological Association (APA) has recently discussed the uses and potential for psychological techniques in health care (APA Task Force on Health Research, 1976). The authors report that psychological techniques and procedures have been used in the psychobiological aspects of health, including stress, psychosomatics, health and biological cycles on behavior; health care delivery; and attitudes related to health and health care. The relative proportion of the 311 published articles surveyed in these areas are psychobiological aspects of health, 66%; health care delivery, 18%; and health and health care attitudes, 16%. The authors suggest that the application of psychology to health is just beginning and that the opportunities are numerous.
Deconstruction and Negative Meaning in Medieval Mysticism

One of the unfortunate corollaries of poststructuralist theorizing about literary texts has been the equation of a skepticism concerning language with a skepticism concerning meaning. It almost appears as if, under the name of deconstruction, the academy has sheltered a viper within its bosom, a presence which seeks to destroy the host which succours it.1 The perceived menace of unrestrained relativism has tended to polarize the university community into proponents of a ‘logo-diffuse’ onto-epistemology and proponents of a ‘logo-centric’ one, and critical practice has followed this lead.
An Experimental Analysis of an Inventory Game with Uninformed Players

Game theoretic models require strong informational assumptions that may not hold in operations applications. In such settings, how do uninformed players behave? We take a first step towards addressing this question by conducting a controlled human subject experiment. We focus on a simple inventory setting: players simultaneously choose whether to visit a store and may face a stockout if demand exceeds supply, but they know neither the store inventory nor the number of potential customers. We make two key observations. First, the behavior of uninformed players converges quickly to that of fully informed players. Second, when we directly elicit players' beliefs of product availability, these beliefs eventually coincide with true availabilities. These results suggest that players can form rational expectations that serve as a reasonable proxy for complete information and allow uninformed players to behave as if they were informed. This study supports the use of game theoretic models even when standard informational assumptions do not hold.
Surgical Pathology of Neoplasms of the Central Nervous System

Tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) comprise a heterogeneous group of neoplasms, which are currently classified and graded based on morphological criteria issued in 2007 by the World Health Organization. Accurate classification of brain tumors requires assembling clinical, morphological, and molecular data. Clinical findings essential to establishing differential diagnoses include age, presenting symptoms, neuroimaging characteristics, and tumor location; however, microscopic examination of lesional tissue remains the gold standard for definitive diagnoses. Careful attention to cellular morphology, growth patterns (e.g., infiltrating), protein expression profiles (immunohistochemistry), and clinical features allows for accurate tumor classification and grading. Additionally, recent advances in molecular characterization of CNS tumors have enhanced traditional morphology-based diagnoses through tumor-specific mutational, genomic, and expression profiles. An integrative approach to tumor diagnostics represents the most current and comprehensive strategy to providing patients, oncologists, and medical teams with clinically relevant and actionable data, which will be used in therapeutic decision making.
Training history constrains postural sway dynamics: A study of balance in collegiate ice hockey players.

Abstract Background Balance and postural control are integral to training and sport performance. Demands on posture are contextual and vary in different ways depending on the specific physical activity. Research question The purpose of this study was to examine the possibility that sustained exposure to environmental constraints, through specific sport participation, might lead to a persistent modification of postural control. Methods Double and single-leg postural sway were compared between ice hockey players, American football players and physically active college students. Data from 30 s trials were analyzed using traditional postural sway measures of range and pathlength of the center of pressure, as well as with Sample Entropy (SEn), in both mediolateral (ML) and anteroposterior (AP) directions. Results Each group displayed unique postural sway characteristics. During single-leg stance, ice hockey players show significantly different ML pathlength and ML and AP SEn from the physically active college students (all p Significance This suggests that the organization and development of postural sway is not only context dependent but also influenced by training history; supporting the idea that balance training for sport should be designed with regards to sport specific conditions.
Influence of operating conditions and cathode parameters on desalination performance of hybrid CDI systems

Abstract The objective of this study is to understand the effects of operating conditions and cathode parameters on the salt removal performance of hybrid capacitive deionization systems (HCDI). Hence, the effects of half cycle length, flow rate, cathode thickness, and conductive additive loading in the cathode are systematically investigated. Hydrothermally synthesized α-MnO2 was selected as the active material in the cathode. Desalination results indicate notable dependence of HCDI performance on the investigated parameters. For instance, increasing half cycle length increases the salt adsorption capacity (SAC) by ~58% but decreases the peak salt adsorption rate (PSAR) by ~28%. On the other hand, increasing the flow rate leads to an increase of the SAC and PSAR by ~25% and ~115%, respectively. Increase in the cathode thickness also showed a notable decay in performance with 43% drop in SAC. The amount of conductive additive in the cathode was also investigated to observe the impact of electrical conductivity on the CDI performance. Salt adsorption capacity and rate of HCDI systems containing identical active materials show strong dependence on the operation conditions and cathode parameters, which suggests a necessity of developing an understanding of the impact of these conditions on the system performance.
Integrating Knowledge and Developing Critical Thinking in a Capstone International Business Course: A Never-Ending Work in Progress.

ABSTRACTMore and more is heard from scholars, accrediting institutions, and the business world about the importance of developing critical thinking and written communication skills in college graduates. This is perhaps especially true, in a business school, for international business graduates who lack a traditional functional major. Often, the development of these skills is thought best accomplished through courses that integrate knowledge, take a problem-based approach, and include a signature work for each student. In this article, we discuss one institution’s international business capstone course, illustrating how it adheres to these ideals. From the standpoint of informal assessment, we discuss how student results from the course are used to tweak feeder courses to the capstone. We also discuss the more formal assessment of the course learning objectives, which we are just beginning.
In-Office Ossicular Chain Reconstruction Using Hydroxyapatite Cement

Myringostapediopexy has been defined as a retraction of the tympanic membrane limited to the posterosuperior region, in which there is erosion of the long process of the incus and fixation of the affected tympanic segment to the stapes head. While it has been suggested that natural myringostapediopexy alone does not result in clinically relevant conductive hearing loss, discontinuity of the incudostapedial joint can cause significant conductive hearing loss requiring ossiculopasty.1, 2 A systematic review has shown the use of hydroxyapatite biocement is effective in closing air-bone gap for these patients; however, this is generally an elective surgical procedure performed in the operating room.2 A 24-year-old patient presented to the otology clinic at the UC Irvine Medical Center, Orange, CA with conductive hearing loss. On exam she had myringostapediopexy and had a previously-placed tympanostomy tube which had not helped her hearing. She was pregnant and losing her insurance within a few weeks and could not purchase a hearing aid. After discussion of the options, she elected to have an office-based ossicular chain reconstruction using hydroxyapatite bone cement using a transtympanic approach.
An examination of the effort hypothesis for the perceived strength of passwords

Previous work has examined whether keyboards that have multiple levels of entry (e.g., soft keyboards, found on mobile devices) increase users’ perceptions of password security. That work found tha...
The vinylogous aldol reaction of N-Sulfinyl metallodienamines

Abstract The discovery and development of the vinylogous aldol reaction of N-sulfinyl metallodienamines with aldehydes and ketones is described. The diastereoselectivity of the reaction, first reported in 2017 as a key step in the total asymmetric synthesis of (−)-albocycline, has been corrected by Mosher ester analysis. The reaction has been optimized and the scope investigated, with yields ranging from 68–89% and diastereomeric ratios as high as 5.9:1. Extensive investigation into the mechanisms affecting stereoselectivity revealed that two stereochemical erosion pathways are operative when using LiHMDS and SnCl4. A transition state supported by DFT calculations has been advanced to rationalize the stereochemical course of the reaction.
Syntax: Basic Concepts and Applications

1. The computational nature of human language 2. Knowledge of language as an object of inquiry 3. Categories and constituents 4. Phrase structure theory 5. The structure of clauses 6. The syntax of Spec-TP 7. Head movement and the structure of root clauses 8. Wh-movement 9. Ellipsis: unpronounced syntax.