cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cytomegalovirus Seropositivity Does Not Affect the Outcome of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation with Intensive Monitoring and Modern Anti-Viral Therapy

Cytomegalovirus (CMV), an important cause of mortality after allogeneic HSCT in the past, is now controllable with sensitive monitoring techniques and drugs such as valganciclovir and foscarnet. However, some groups still report that CMV seropositivity influences the outcome adversely. The outcome of 130 reduced-intensity allograft recipients treated uniformly (2001–7) was studied to determine the effect of CMV. Table 1: Patient characteristics Table 2: CMV prophylaxis, monitoring and therapy employed CMV reactivation was seen in 40 patients, and was influenced by serostatus (12 P+D+, 26 P+D−, 1 P−D+, 1 P−D−; P Outcome was influenced by factors described previously in a subgroup of these patients (Mehta et al. Does younger donor age affect the outcome of reduced-intensity allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for hematologic malignancies beneficially? Bone Marrow Transplant2006; 38:95–100). We conclude that intensive monitoring for CMV reactivation, effective anti-viral drugs, and intensive supportive therapy have eliminated the adverse influence of CMV-positivity on the outcome of allogeneic HSCT.
Oncologic Safety of Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy in Women with Breast Cancer.

Background Nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) has gained popularity for breast cancer treatment and prevention. There are limited data about long-term oncologic safety of this procedure. Study Design We reviewed oncologic outcomes of consecutive therapeutic NSM at a single institution. Nipple-sparing mastectomy was offered to patients with no radiologic or clinical evidence of nipple involvement. Results There were 2,182 NSM performed from 2007 to 2016. Long-term outcomes were assessed in the 311 NSM performed in 2007 to 2012 for Stages 0 to 3 breast cancer; 240 (77%) NSM were for invasive cancer and 71 (23%) were for ductal carcinoma in situ. At 51 months median follow-up, 17 patients developed a recurrence of their cancer. Estimated disease-free survival was 95.7% at 3 years and 92.3% at 5 years. There were 11 (3.7%) locoregional recurrences and 8 (2.7%) distant recurrences; 2 patients had simultaneous locoregional and distant recurrences. There were 2 breast cancer-related deaths in patients with isolated distant recurrences. No patient in the entire 2,182 NSM cohort has had a recurrence in the retained nipple-areola complex. Conclusions Rates of locoregional and distant recurrence are acceptably low after nipple-sparing mastectomy in patients with breast cancer. No patient in our series has had a recurrence involving the retained nipple areola complex.
Aspekte biochemischer Forschungen

Die Kenntnis der Tendenzen und Aspekte biochemischer Forschungen ist ein Teil des Verstandnisses der Biochemie selbst. Dies wird besonders deutlich, wenn man sich die Geschichte der Biochemie vor Augen fuhrt. Daraus lassen sich zwanglos all die Probleme ableiten, die als Hauptaufgaben zur Losung durch die Biochemie in der Zukunft anstehen.
Spatial sequestration and oligomer remodeling during de novo [PSI+] formation.

Prions are misfolded, aggregated, infectious proteins found in a range of organisms from mammals to bacteria. In mammals, prion formation is difficult to study because misfolding and aggregation ta...
Fundus Lesions in Malignant Hypertension: VI. Hypertensive Choroidopathy

Experimental renovascular malignant arterial hypertension was produced, by modified Goldblatt's procedures, in 60 rhesus monkeys, and hypertensive fundus changes were studied in detail (by serial ophthalmoscopy and fluorescein fundus angiography in all monkeys on a long-term follow-up, and pathologically in 29 eyes). In hypertensive choroidopathy, retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) lesions and serous retinal detachment (RD) were the classic ophthalmoscopic lesions, whereas fluorescein fundus angiography and histopathologic studies revealed marked abnormalities in the choroidal vascular bed, in addition to the changes in the RPE. The RPE lesions could be subdivided into initial acute focal lesions (due to focal RPE infarction), and degenerative lesions, which developed later and were progressive in nature, maximally involving the macular and peripheral regions of the fundus. The RD developed most commonly in the posterior pole and infrequently involved the peripheral retina. The choroidal vascular bed showed impaired circulation and extensive occlusive and ischemic changes. These studies revealed that hypertensive choroidopathy is as important a fundus change as hypertensive retinopathy. The pathogenesis of hypertensive choroidopathy is discussed in detail; the evidence indicates that it is due to choroidal ischemia, and that hypertensive choroidopathy and retinopathy are two independent and unrelated manifestations of renovascular malignant hypertension.
Identification of Risk Factors for Abnormal Postoperative Chemistry Labs after Primary Shoulder Arthroplasty

Purpose Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine patient-specific risk factors and clinical intervention rates for abnormal postoperative Chem-7 panels in shoulder arthroplasty patients. Methods Retrospectively, all primary anatomic total (aTSA) and reverse shoulder (RTSA) arthroplasties (between 2007-2013) performed at a single institution were identified. All patients underwent routine preoperative and postoperative day one (POD1) chemistry panels. Each clinically significant component of the Chem-7 panel was independently evaluated using a multivariate analysis to identify risk factors for abnormal results. Associated clinical intervention rates were also calculated. Results Data from 1,012 patients (248 RTSA; 764 aTSA) was analyzed. 5.4% of patients had at least one preoperative abnormal chemistry result. On multivariate analysis, patients with abnormal preoperative Chem-7 labs and a history of renal disease had significantly increased risk for abnormal POD1 labs (p <0.001). Although 25.6% (259/1,012) of patients had at least one abnormal POD1 lab result, the total postoperative clinical intervention rate was 15.1% (39/259). Conclusion Renal disease and a preoperative abnormal chemistry result are important risk factors for abnormal postoperative Chem-7. Optimizing renal status and correcting abnormal blood chemistry results preoperatively may reduce the incidence of abnormal postoperative chemistry results.
Measuring polarity-based distributions (SARA) of bitumen using simplified chromatographic techniques

Among the different attributes that can be used to describe the chemistry of any given bitumen, the distribution of its constituent molecules based on polarity is strongly related to the bitumen’s ...
Deformed Carbon Nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes’ resilience to mechanical deformation is a potentially important feature for imparting tunable properties at the nanoscale. The influence of mechanical deformation on the thermal transport of carbon nanotubes is studied by non-equilibrium molecular dynamics. Nanotubes of different bending angles, lengths, diameters, chiralities, and degrees of twist are simulated in the regime in which the thermal transport extends from ballistic to diffusive. The study in purely bent carbon nanotubes settles the controversy around the differences between the current experimental and molecular dynamics measurements of the thermal transport in bent nanotubes. Collapsed carbon nanotubes, in contrast with graphene nanoribbons, which are known to exhibit substantial rough-edge and cross-plain phonon scatterings, preserve the quasiballistic phononic transport encountered in cylindrical nanotubes. Stacked-collapsed nanotube architectures, closely related with the strain-induced aligned tubes occurring in stretched nanotube sheets, are shown to inherit the ultrahigh thermal conductivities of individual tubes and are therefore proposed to form highways for efficient heat transport in lightweight composite materials.
Removing lead from bone: clinical implications of bone lead stores.

The chelating agent, CaNa 2 EDTA, has proven useful for both the diagnosis and treatment of lead poisoning. The EDTA lead-mobilization test has demonstrated the presence of excessive body lead stores when blood concentrations were «normal.» The EDTA lead-mobilization test is, however, impractical because it requires iniections and timed urine collections. Bone lead measured in biopsy specimens by atomic absorption spectroscopy shows a good correlation with chelatable lead. Over 95% of the body stores of lead are retained in bone with a biological half-life approximating two decades. The half-life of lead in blood, on the other hand, approximates one month. Bone, therefore, provides a good estimate of cumulative lead absorption
Planning for modular printers: beyond productivity

This paper reports our experience extending an on-line printer controller based on AI planning to handle two significant features of this commercially important domain: execution failures and multi-objective preferences. A printer controller must plan quickly and reliably, otherwise expensive human intervention will be required. Our approach is practical and efficient, and showcases the flexibility inherent in viewing planning as heuristic search. Execution failure is handled by re-planning. We link together the individual searches for each inflight sheet, giving rise to a tree of potentially infinite branching factor. Multiple objectives are handled by linear combination and tie-breaking during best-first search. Multiple pre-computed pattern databases are used to improve the efficiency of handling preferences regarding image quality. Our successful experience controlling multiple prototype printing systems shows that replanning and preference-handling can be made practical without using hand-coded control knowledge.
Steroid Secretion by the Human Testis

To prove the secretion of a steroid, one must show that the venous effluent from the gland has a higher concentration of the steroid than has peripheral blood. This rigorous criterion is necessary since there is conversion among steroids in peripheral tissues as well as secretion by the adrenal cortex and gonads. There are, of course, important inferences that can be obtained about secretion without sampling the venous effluent by devising appropri ate experimental conditions both in vitro and in vivo. For example, the failure to demonstrate 11 s-hydroxylation in the normal testis and ovary under any conditions almost surely places the origin of the 11s -hydroxysteroids in the adrenal cortex. Suppression of adrenal cortical function in men does not alter plasma testosterone levels; thus testosterone must either be secreted by the testis or be a product of peripheral metabolism of another steroid secreted by the testis. This sort of inference has been made extensively and has been confirmed on many occasions. It should be clear however that the demonstration that a particular steroid is synthesized in vitro or in vivo from a radioactive precursor gives no information about secretion. One further caution is necessary; there are differences in the testicular secretory patterns among species so that extrapolation to man may not be warranted.
Persistent Fetal Vasculature With Elongated Ciliary Processes in Children.

Purpose Outcomes and reoperation rates in infants with unilateral persistent fetal vasculature (PFV) with elongated or stretched ciliary processes have not been extensively studied and were excluded from the Infant Aphakia Treatment Study (IATS). The purpose of this study is to analyze the preoperative measurements, reoperation rates, and complications after surgery in unilateral anterior PFV with stretched processes. Design Retrospective case series. Methods Inclusion criteria consisted of unilateral cataract surgery prior to 7 months of age and anterior PFV with elongated ciliary processes. Eyes with posterior retinal involvement and less than 6 months of follow-up were excluded. All patients underwent lensectomy, posterior capsulectomy, and vitrectomy. Results Eleven eyes of 11 patients were included. Patients had a mean age at surgery of 2.4 ± 1.4 months. Average follow-up was 4.5 ± 3.7years. Globe axial lengths were 18.6 ± 1.9 mm. Ten patients (91%) were initially left aphakic. Three patients (27%) later received a secondary intraocular lens (IOL), and 1 patient underwent an IOL exchange. Six out of 10 (60%) aphakic patients developed visual axis opacification. One aphakic patient required topical therapy for glaucoma. One additional patient developed neovascular glaucoma and retinal detachment. The eye was subsequently enucleated. Three patients underwent strabismus surgery. Two patients underwent pupilloplasty. Two patients (18.2%) had a final visual acuity better than 20/200. Conclusion Eyes operated for PFV with elongated ciliary processes are unlikely to have a final visual acuity greater than 20/200 and many will need additional surgery. Postoperative visual axis opacification occurred in 60% and glaucoma developed in 18%.
Impact Damage Effects on Boron-Aluminum Composites

The foreign-object damage problem associated with jet engines was investigated by impacting both titanium (6A1-4V) and boron-aluminum specimens with either steel or room-temperature vulcanizing rubber spheres to simulate the two principal types of ingested foreign objects. To simulate engine operating conditions, some specimens were impacted while under a tensile load. Results indicate that a prestressed composite suffers much greater damage than simple cantilevered specimens. Ti-6Al-4V exhibits excellent impact resistance, loosing only 10 percent of its ultimate tensile strength up to the highest prestresses and impact velocities. Composite specimens react much differently depending on the type of impactor. Steel spheres cause severe damage at very low impact velocities. Room-temperature vulcanizing rubber, on the other hand, causes little damage up to a velocity threshold. Above this point, specimen failure was observed at some prestresses upon impact. The residual tensile and low-cycle fatigue strength of both boron-aluminum and titanium was documented for various impacting velocities and prestresses. A fracture-mechanics analysis is presented which successfully predicts the effects of room-temperature vulcanizing rubber impact on boron-aluminum composites.
Zika Virus Nonstructural Protein 1 Disrupts Glycosaminoglycans and Causes Permeability in Developing Human Placentas.

Background During pregnancy, the Zika flavivirus (ZIKV) infects human placentas, inducing defects in the developing fetus. The flavivirus nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) alters glycosaminoglycans on the endothelium, causing hyperpermeability in vitro and vascular leakage in vivo in a tissue-dependent manner. The contribution of ZIKV NS1 to placental dysfunction during ZIKV infection remains unknown. Methods We examined the effect of ZIKV NS1 on expression and release of heparan sulfate (HS), hyaluronic acid (HA), and sialic acid on human trophoblast cell lines and anchoring villous explants from first-trimester placentas infected with ZIKV ex vivo. We measured changes in permeability in trophoblasts and stromal cores using a dextran-based fluorescence assay and changes in HA receptor expression using immunofluorescent microscopy. Results ZIKV NS1 in the presence and absence of ZIKV increased the permeability of anchoring villous explants. ZIKV NS1 induced shedding of HA and HS and altered expression of CD44 and lymphatic endothelial cell HA receptor-1, HA receptors on stromal fibroblasts and Hofbauer macrophages in villous cores. Hyaluronidase was also stimulated in NS1-treated trophoblasts. Conclusions These findings suggest that ZIKV NS1 contributes to placental dysfunction via modulation of glycosaminoglycans on trophoblasts and chorionic villi, resulting in increased permeability of human placentas.
Chemical and physical changes of microplastics during sterilization by chlorination.

Abstract Wastewater treatment plants are known to release microplastics that have been detected in aquatic and terrestrial organisms constituting part of the human diet. Chlorination of wastewater-borne microplastics was hypothesized to induce chemical and physical changes detectable by Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In the laboratory, virgin plastics (∼0.05 × 2 × 2 mm) were exposed to differing sterilization conditions representative of dosages used in the disinfection of drinking water, wastewater, and heavily contaminated surfaces. Polypropylene (PP) was most resistant to chlorination, followed by high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polystyrene (PS). Polystyrene showed degradation, indicated by changes in Raman peak widths, at concentration-time regimes (CT values) as low as 75 mg min/L, whereas HDPE and PP remained unaltered even at chlorine doses characteristic of wastewater disinfection (150 mg min/L). However, HDPE and PS were not completely resistant to oxidative attack by chlorination. Under extremely harsh conditions, shifts in Raman peaks and the formation of new bonds were observed. These results show that plastics commonly used in consumer products can be chemically altered, some even under conditions prevailing during wastewater treatment. Changes in polymer properties, observed for HDPE and PP under extreme exposure conditions only, are predicted to alter the risk microplastics pose to aquatic and terrestrial biota, since an increase in carbon-chlorine (C–Cl) bonds is known to increase toxicity, rendering the polymers more hydrophobic and thus more prone to adsorb, accumulate, and transport harmful persistent pollutants to biota in both aquatic and terrestrial environments.
Cardiovascular Complications of HIV Infection

HIV-infected individuals are at increased risk for cardiovascular events. Widely used cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk calculators to determine indications for statin treatment are not well validated for use in the HIV-infecte population. Some experts advocate including HIV infection as an independent risk factor for CVD. The effects of antiretroviral therapy on lipid profiles and the potentially increased risk for cardiovascular events must be taken into account when selecting treatment for HIV-infected individuals. There is increasing evidence that chronic immune activation and inflammation play a role in the pathogenesis of CVD in the context of HIV infection. This article summarizes a presentation by Marshall J. Glesby, MD, PhD, at the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Clinical Care Conference held in New Orleans, Louisiana, in December 2015.
Causal Inference in Matching Markets: Cutoff Mechanisms

We formalize an econometric model for two-sided matching mechanisms in a school choice context, where identification exploits similarity between students who just qualify for a school and those who just fail to qualify for a school. We discuss estimation and inference of the locally linear regression estimator for such a setting, using theoretical results developed in Chen (2019b). Our approach allows us to clarify and relax the simplifying large-market assumption made in earlier work (Abdulkadiroglu et al., 2017, 2019), and we show that classical regression discontinuity procedures extend to settings where the discontinuity cutoff is endogenously chosen. Our results provide a rigorous statistical basis for causal inference and program evaluation in a number of settings where treatment assignment is complex.
PDCunplugged: A Free Repository of Unplugged Parallel Distributed Computing Activities

Integrating parallel and distributed computing (PDC) topics in core computing courses is a topic of increasing interest for educators. However, there is a question of how best to introduce PDC to undergraduates. Several educators have proposed the use of “unplugged activities”, such as role-playing dramatizations and analogies, to introduce PDC concepts. Yet, unplugged activities for PDC are widely-scattered and often difficult to find, making it challenging for educators to create and incorporate unplugged interventions in their classrooms. The PDCunplugged project seeks to rectify these issues by providing a free repository where educators can find and share unplugged activities related to PDC. The existing curation contains nearly forty unique unplugged activities collected from thirty years of the PDC literature and from all over the Internet, and maps each activity to relevant CS2013 PDC knowledge units and TCPP PDC topic areas. Learn more about the project at pdcunplugged.org.
COVID-19 in multiple sclerosis patients and risk factors for severe infection.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have been considered a higher-risk population for COVID-19 due to the high prevalence of disability and disease-modifying therapy use; however, there is little data identifying clinical characteristics of MS associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes. Therefore, we conducted a multicenter prospective cohort study looking at the outcomes of 40 MS patients with confirmed COVID-19. Severity of COVID-19 infection was based on hospital course, where a mild course was defined as the patient not requiring hospital admission, moderate severity was defined as the patient requiring hospital admission to the general floor, and most severe was defined as requiring intensive care unit admission and/or death. 19/40(47.5%) had mild courses, 15/40(37.5%) had moderate courses, and 6/40(15%) had severe courses. Patients with moderate and severe courses were significantly older than those with a mild course (57[50-63] years old and 66[58.8-69.5] years old vs 48[40-51.5] years old, P = 0.0121, P = 0.0373). There was differing prevalence of progressive MS phenotype in those with more severe courses (severe:2/6[33.3%]primary-progressing and 0/6[0%]secondary-progressing, moderate:1/14[7.14%] and 5/14[35.7%] vs mild:0/19[0%] and 1/19[5.26%], P = 0.0075, 1 unknown). Significant disability was found in 1/19(5.26%) mild course-patients, but was in 9/15(60%, P = 0.00435) of moderate course-patients and 2/6(33.3%, P = 0.200) of severe course-patients. Disease-modifying therapy prevalence did not differ among courses (mild:17/19[89.5%], moderate:12/15[80%] and severe:3/6[50%], P = 0.123). MS patients with more severe COVID-19 courses tended to be older, were more likely to suffer from progressive phenotype, and had a higher degree of disability. However, disease-modifying therapy use was not different among courses.
Protein profiles of lung tumorigenesis using immmobilized metal ion adsorption chromatography

3582 Understanding the molecular process of lung cancer development is important for development of novel diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic strategies. Proteomics is a promissing approache to extend such understanding. One of the major limitations of this approache is the inability to reveal and identify lower abundant proteins. Fractionation and enrichment of cancer proteome is a logic step in expanding the application of proteomics in tumor classification and biomarker discovery. Immobilized metal ion adsorption chromatography (IMAC), also know as metal chelate affinity chromatography (MCAC), selectively enrich proteins with exposed surface histidine, cysteine, and tryptophan. To test the utility of IMAC in protein marker identification, we performed IMAC enrichment using proteins extracted from 4 lung cancer cell lines and 4 immortalized human bronchia epithelia (HBE) cell lines, followed by 2-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) of the enriched proteins. Using this strategy, we observed substantially more proteins differentially presented between the two groups of cell lines. More than 100 such proteins were revealed when a broad range (pH 3-10) isoelectric focusing condition was used. The identities of 33 of the protein spots were further characterized by tandem mass spectrometry. Many of the proteins were low abundant proteins. Among them, stratifin, thioredoxin peroxidase, and guanine monophosphate synthetase, have transcript abundance ranging from 0.3% to 5% of the abundance of the actin transcript in lung tissues. Our results demonstrate a utility of IMAC-2DE approach in proteomics analysis of tumorigenic processes. (Supported by Department of Defense grant W81XWH-04-1-0142)
A Flexible Enclosure to Protect Respiratory Therapists During Aerosol-Generating Procedures.

BACKGROUND: Exposure of respiratory therapists (RTs) during aerosol-generating procedures such as endotracheal intubation is an occupational hazard. Depending on the hospital, RTs may serve as laryngoscopist or in a role providing ventilation support and initiating mechanical ventilation. This study aimed to evaluate the potential exposure of RTs serving in either of these roles. METHODS: We set up a simulated patient with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in an ICU setting requiring endotracheal intubation involving a laryngoscopist, a nurse, and an RT supporting the laryngoscopist. All participants wore appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). A fluorescent marker was sprayed by an atomizer during the procedure using 3 different methods for endotracheal intubation. The 3 techniques included PPE alone, a polycarbonate intubating box, or a coronavirus flexible enclosure, which consisted of a Mayo stand with plastic covering. The laryngoscopist and the supporting RT were assessed with a black light for contamination with the fluorescent marker. All simulations were recorded. RESULTS: When using only PPE, both the laryngoscopist and the RT were grossly contaminated. When using the intubating box, the laryngoscopist’s contamination was detectable only on the gloves: the gown and face shield remained uncontaminated; the RT was still grossly contaminated on the gloves, gown, neck, and face shield. When using the coronavirus flexible enclosure system, both the laryngoscopist and the RT were better protected, with contamination detected only on the gloves of the laryngoscopist and the RT. CONCLUSIONS: Of the 3 techniques, the coronavirus flexible enclosure contained the fluorescent marker more effectively during endotracheal intubation than PPE alone or the intubating box based on exposure of the laryngoscopist and supporting RT. Optimizing containment during aerosol-generating procedures like endotracheal intubation is a critical component of minimizing occupational and nosocomial spread of SARS-CoV-2 to RTs who may serve as either the laryngoscopist or a support role.
Quality and Safety Analysis of 2,999 Telemedicine Encounters During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: To examine whether telemedicine remains safe and of high quality despite rapid expansion of services by comparing telemedicine encounters before and during the COVID-19 pandemic Methods: Pre-post study investigating 2,999 telemedicine encounters: February 1, 2020-May 15, 2020, was performed A total of 2,919 completed visits before and after strict social distancing implementation were analyzed for patient and provider characteristics, encounter characteristics (e g , history and physical examination), and quality and safety metrics (phone calls <= 7 days postvisit, visit-cause-specific hospital admission or mortality <= 30 days after visit) Stratified analysis of 3 groups for outcomes (young age, neuromuscular diagnosis, and new encounters) was performed Results: Patients ranging from 1 month to 33 years of age were seen Rural patients were less likely to be seen during the pandemic compared with urban patients (8% vs 90%;p < 0 0001);teaching clinic and specialty clinic encounters increased significantly during the pandemic (8% vs 3%;p = 0 005), and documentation of at least 2 systems on examination was noted significantly more frequently during the pandemic (13% vs 7%;p = 0 009) No deaths were reported There were no differences before/during the pandemic in safety or telemedicine failure metrics within the entire group and high-risk subgroups Conclusions: Despite a markedly and rapidly expanded scope of ambulatory telemedicine care during the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine remained a safe and high-quality option for pediatric neurology patients In addition, populations perceived as high risk for telemedicine (the very young, new patients, and those with neuromuscular diagnoses) can benefit from telemedicine visits, particularly when access to in-person care is limited
Factors Affecting Total Operating Time in Patients Undergoing Mastectomy With and Without Reconstruction.

BackgroundOperating room (OR) time varies significantly in patients undergoing mastectomy. We sought to determine factors influencing OR time such that more accurate predictions could be made.Metho...
Do Spatially Targeted Redevelopment Incentives Work? The Answer Depends on How You Ask the Question

We compare several common program evaluation techniques in evaluating the Empowerment Zone (EZ) program, a large US urban redevelopment program that consists primarily of tax credits and is run by the federal government. Studying the federal EZ program as a means to examine methodology is advantageous for several reasons. First, the federal program’s application process generated a set of areas that were qualified and applied but that did not receive the program and thus created a comparison group that should not suffer from application bias. Second, the program had preapplication rules for which areas were considered, generating a rules-based group of comparison areas. Third, the program is uniform across areas, so program characteristics are not endogenous to local needs. Last, the geography of recipient boundaries is accounted for by census tract areas, as are comparison areas. We examine outcomes of the program under various models, including standard cross-section, difference-in-differences, triple difference, instrumental variables, and regression discontinuity. We construct comparison groups using several alternatives for each style of model, including trimming by propensity score. Our results generally show wide-ranging estimates of program effectiveness, with both positive and negative point estimates and a range of statistical significance. The most robust result suggests that EZs may have increased the number of firms in targeted areas in the short term, but the longer-term impact is less clear. We conclude that caution should be taken when interpreting the results of any one evaluation method as definitive, and we suggest that the effect of the EZ program on outcomes of interest is uncertain.
Why Wait? The Effect of Marriage and Childbearing on the Wage Growth of Men and Women

The authors use data from the earlier and later cohorts of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to estimate the effect of marriage and childbearing on wages. Their estimates imply that marriage lowers female wages by between two and four percent in the year of marriage. Marriage also lowers the wage growth of men and women by about two and four percentage points, respectively. A first birth lowers female wages by between two and three percent, but has no effect on wage growth. Male wages are unaffected by childbearing. These findings suggest that early marriage and childbearing can lead to substantial decreases in lifetime earnings.
Acute Secondary Prevention of Ischemic Stroke: Overlooked No Longer.

Recent studies of interventions initiated acutely following onset of minor ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) have disclosed early stroke recurrence rates that are substantially higher than long-term recurrence rates, and that can be reduced by acute antiplatelet treatment interventions. These observations, bolstered by analysis based on kinetic modeling of the time course of recurrence following initial events, suggest that acute stroke patients experience an underlying vulnerable state that quickly transitions to a more stable state. Some evidence also supports the benefits of early treatment with direct-acting oral anticoagulants in cardioembolic stroke, and of continuation or early initiation of statin therapy in atherosclerotic stroke. Treatment of ischemic stroke should address the transient vulnerable state that follows the initial event, employing measures aiming to avert early recurrence of thromboembolism and to promote stabilization of vulnerable arterial plaque. These measures constitute acute secondary prevention following ischemic stroke.
Boundary Behavior of Solutions of Degenerate Elliptic Equations and Generation of Semigroups

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses an example of a degenerate elliptic equation for which the analytic approach and the probabilistic approach yield different but well-posed boundary value problems. The chapter explains the linear equation with smooth coefficients. The classical analytic theory of second order and degenerate elliptic equations asserts that boundary conditions are to be prescribed at those points of ∂Ω. From a probabilistic viewpoint boundary values are to be prescribed on the portion of ∂Ω where the diffusion can exit Ω.
Subtidal water flux through a multiple-inlet system: Observations before and during a cold front event and numerical experiments

[1] This paper examines the net transport through a multiple-inlet bay under a combined force of strong wind and tide, with observations and a model experiment. The observations were made in central Georgia in Sapelo and Altamaha Sounds between 13 and 17 September 2000. Wind was weak in the beginning of the survey. An air pressure trough (as a weak cold front) passed the area on 16 September, when the wind changed to the northeast and increased in magnitude. This front was associated with a midlatitude cyclone in the New England area. This weather event with an episode of strong northeasterly winds prompted a numerical model experiment on an idealized three-inlet bay, with a set of nonlinear 2-D shallow water equations on an f plane, which provides some insight to the wind-driven circulation under the presence of tidal forcing. It is found that tidally induced currents are small compared to wind-induced flows. When the wind direction is not perpendicular to the alignment of the three inlets, the net outward flow tends to occur at the inlet farther away in the downwind direction. This is associated with a net inward transport in the inlet opposite of the downwind direction. As a result, the middle inlet has the minimum of the net flow. When the wind is perpendicular to the barrier islands, and if the three inlets have different maximum depth values, the deeper inlet tends to have a net flow against the wind, while the shallower inlet tends to have a net flow in the direction of the wind. Offshore (onshore) currents may develop outside of the inlet with outward (inward) flow, as an effect of fluxes through the inlets on the coastal ocean.
Rehabilitation in Cancer Survivors: Interaction Between Lifestyle and Physical Activity

Cancer survivors are exposed to greater risk than the general population for several diseases: second primary and/or recurring cancer, sarcopenic obesity, metabolic syndrome and the related cardiov...
A Simple Yet Effective Diversifying Improvement of the Minimum Power Multicast Tree Algorithms in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

In this paper, we present an iterated algorithm framework that can be implemented with heuristics in the literature for the minimum energy multicasting problem in wireless ad hoc networks to improve the solution quality. We investigate three iterated algorithm implementations, IBIP, IOMEGa, ISOR, that are based on BIP, OMEGa, SOR. The algorithms run iterations to find better solutions of the problem and in each iteration, fixing the source node's transmission power, the algorithm finds the intermediate solutions. And after all the iterations, the algorithm prunes the broadcast tree into a multicast tree and gives the output of the best solution so far. By fixing the source node's transmission power we can achieve the diverse solution search without hurting the original algorithm's theoretical performance bound. The experimental results confirm that the iterated algorithms significantly improve the solution quality.
Hyperkalemia Associated With High-Dose Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole in a Patient With the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

When given in standard dosages to treat bacterial respiratory and urinary tract infections, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) is not commonly associated with hyperkalemia. However, the emergence of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome has led to increased numbers of patients with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) who require high-dose TMP-SMX therapy. A 25-year-old man with human immunodeficiency virus infection developed hyperkalemia while receiving high-dose TMP-SMX for PCP. His baseline serum potassium of 3.0 mEq/L, which increased to 4.2 mEq/L after potassium replacement therapy, rose to 6.9 mEq/L after 8 days of TMP-SMX. No other etiology was found for the hyperkalemia, and the disorder resolved when TMP-SMX was stopped. It recurred when the patient was rechallenged with high doses of TMP-SMX during a second treatment course for PCP. This case and a review of previous reports highlight the importance of monitoring serum potassium concentrations in patients receiving high-dose TMP-SMX.
Governance in Open Source Software Development Projects: A Comparative Multi-level Analysis

Open source software (OSS) development is a community-oriented, network-centric approach to building complex software systems. OSS projects are typically organized as edge organizations lacking an explicit management regime to control and coordinate decentralized project work. However, a growing number of OSS projects are developing, delivering, and supporting large-scale software systems, displacing proprietary software alternatives. Recent empirical studies of OSS projects reveal that OSS developers often self-organize into organizational forms we characterize as evolving socio-technical interaction networks (STINs). STINs emerge in ways that effectively control semi-autonomous OSS developers and coordinate project activities, producing reliable and adaptive software systems. In this paper, we examine how practices and processes enable and govern OSS projects when coalesced and configured as contingent, socio-technical interaction networks. We draw on data sources and results from two ongoing case studies of governance activities and elements in a large OSS project.
Differential dynamic programming technique for constrained optimal control

In this paper, two computational procedures based on the differential dynamic programming (DDP) are presented for linear or nonlinear constrained optimal control problems (OCP). The first procedure solves a quadratic programming problem at every time step and thus constructs the differential control law, and the other one uses the multiplier method to sum up all the point-wise constraints and then uses the unconstrained DDP approach to construct the differential control law. In the first approach, the constraints need to be explicitly dependent on the control variables when continuous-time model is used, whereas in the second approach, there is no such limitation. Therefore the second approach is more general than the first one. Detailed algorithms are given for numerical implementation. Numerical evaluation of the techniques is presented in Part 2 of the paper.
Ridge regression approach to sample balancing with maximum effective base

Sample balancing, or raking, or post-stratification, is widely utilized in survey research for weighting sample data for a better correspondence to Census or other known population quotas. Cross-tables of counts are mostly used in the Deming- Stephan iterative proportional fitting to find the weights for adjusting data to known margins. The paper suggests an objective for finding weights with the minimum variance, so with the maximum effective sample size. The model can be expressed as a ridge regression, which is applied to the original data, without its collapsing to cross-tables. The explicit regression solution allows to study the weighting analytically, which helps interpret and improve the sample balance results.
Polycystin-2 traffics to cilia independently of polycystin-1 by using an N-terminal RVxP motif

Primary cilia play a key role in the pathogenesis of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). The affected proteins, polycystin-1 (PC1) and polycystin-2 (PC2), interact with each other and are expressed in cilia. We found that COOH-terminal truncated PC2 (PC2-L703X), lacking the PC1 interaction region, still traffics to cilia. We examined PC2 expression in several tissues and cells lacking PC1 and found that PC2 is expressed in cilia independently of PC1. We used N-terminal deletion constructs to narrow the domain necessary for cilia trafficking to the first 15 amino acids of PC2 and identified a conserved motif, R6VxP, that is required for cilial localization. The N-terminal 15 amino acids are also sufficient to localize heterologous proteins in cilia. PC2 has endogenous cilia trafficking information and is present in cilia of cells lining cysts that result from mutations in PKD1.
In Vivo Growth Advantage of the MOPC-315 Mouse Myeloma Over Its Immunoselected Variants

Myeloma cells of the "wild type" that produce complete immunoglobulin molecules and those of the more usual variant type that display only one kind of chain [either light (L) or heavy (H)] were cocultivated ip and sc in syngeneic BALB/c mice. With each of six deliberately selected variants, a progressive increase in the proportion of wild-type cells was observed; the rate of change suggested that these variants had an approximately 10% slower growth rate than that of the wild-type tumor. In contrast, a variant that arose spontaneously overgrew the wild-type cells. The results may account for a) the stable capacity of most wild-type tumors to produce complete immunoglobulin molecules (L- plus H-chains) over many years, even though they frequently generate variant cells that produce only L- or only H-chains; and b) the occasional spontaneous change of myeloma cell populations from predominantly wild-type to variant cells.
The use of query suggestions during information search

Query suggestion is a common feature of many information search systems. While much research has been conducted about how to generate suggestions, fewer studies have been conducted about how people interact with and use suggestions. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how and when people integrate query suggestions into their searches and the outcome of this usage. The paper further investigates the relationships between search expertise, topic difficulty, and temporal segment of the search and query suggestion usage. A secondary analysis of data was conducted using data collected in a previous controlled laboratory study. In this previous study, 23 undergraduate research participants used an experimental search system with query suggestions to conduct four topic searches. Results showed that participants integrated the suggestions into their searching fairly quickly and that participants with less search expertise used more suggestions and saved more documents. Participants also used more suggestions towards the end of their searches and when searching for more difficult topics. These results show that query suggestion can provide support in situations where people have less search expertise, greater difficulty searching and at specific times during the search.
Patterns of recurrence and incidence of second primary tumors after lobectomy by means of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) versus thoracotomy for lung cancer.

Objective Reports have questioned the oncologic efficacy of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery when compared with thoracotomy despite similar survival results. In response, we investigated the pattern of recurrent disease and the incidence of second primary tumors after lobectomy by means of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and thoracotomy. Methods All patients who underwent lobectomy for clinical stage IA lung cancer determined by means of computed tomographic and positron emission tomographic analysis were identified from a prospective database at a single institution. All patients were selected for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery or thoracotomy by an individual surgeon. Patients' characteristics, perioperative results, recurrences, and second primary tumors were recorded. Variables were compared by using Student's t test, the Pearson χ2 test, and Fisher's exact test. A logistic regression model was constructed to identify variables influencing the development of recurrent disease or metachronous tumors. Results From 2002 to 2009, 520 patients underwent lobectomy by means of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, and 652 underwent lobectomy by means of thoracotomy. Final pathological stage was similar in the video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and thoracotomy groups. Logistic regression demonstrated a lower risk (odds ratio, 0.65; P = .01) of recurrent disease in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery after adjusting for age, stage, sex, histology, tumor location, and synchronous primary tumors. Conclusions Recurrence rates for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery appear to be at least equivalent to those for thoracotomy. This study supports lobectomy by means of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery as an oncologically sound technique.
Functional Form Diagnostics for Cox's Proportional Hazards Model

We propose a new type of residual and an easily computed functional form test for the Cox proportional hazards model. The proposed test is a modification of the omnibus test for testing the overall fit of a parametric regression model, developed by Stute, Gonzalez Manteiga, and Presedo Quindimil (1998, Journal of the American Statistical Association93, 141-149), and is based on what we call censoring consistent residuals. In addition, we develop residual plots that can be used to identify the correct functional forms of covariates. We compare our test with the functional form test of Lin, Wei, and Ying (1993, Biometrika80, 557-572) in a simulation study. The practical application of the proposed residuals and functional form test is illustrated using both a simulated data set and a real data set.
Regulation of growth in an estuarine clone of Gonyaulax tam arensis Lebour: Salinity-dependent temperature responses

Abstract Batch-culture experiments with Gonyaulax tamarensis Lebour indicated variations in population growth rate and cell size as a function of temperature and salinity. The data on population growth were used to formulate a simple model which predicts bloom development in the absence of other regulatory factors. The agreement between observed and predicted results is quite good for field populations of G. tamarensis in Cape Cod embayments during 1977 and 1980. Although other factors may undoubtedly complicate population dynamics, this agreement indicates that in some cases one can account for the development of blooms in this region simply on the basis of salinity-dependent temperature regulation of cell division rates. In our cultures, cell size was found to change with population growth rate; small cells dominated in populations growing rapidly. However, the larger cell size in the slower growing cultures failed to compensate for the reduced population growth rates when rates of biosynthesis were compared. The potential use of cell size variability in estimating in situ growth rates, and its role in bloom decline through size-selective grazing by Zooplankton are considered.
Applied Medical Image Processing, Second Edition: A Basic Course

The main author of this book is Dr. Wolfgang Birkfellner (Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University Vienna), and coauthors are Johann Hummel (chapter 1), Michael Figl (chapter 10), and Ziv Yaniv and Ozgur Guler (chapter 11). Birkfellner’s main research interest is medical image processing for therapeutic applications such as computer-aided surgery and image-guided radiation therapy. Dr. Birkfellner has coauthored over 50 peer-reviewed research papers, several book chapters, and 2 books.