cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Study on Risk Early-warning Mechanism of Virtual Enterprises

With the market competition goes more serious,to construct virtual enterprises(VEs) is an effective way to gain competitive advantages.VEs can be considered as a re-distribution model of risks existed in the original real enterprises. However,it does not mean that the risks will not emerge in virtual enterprises.In fact,the members of VEs may face more new risks.Based on the introduction of risks existed in VEs,this paper analyzes the risk management framework of VEs and focuses on the construction of risk early-warning mechanism of VEs.The main objective of this paper is to provide VEs the benchmark of risk management.
Patents and the Wealth of Nations

If both reason and evidence point to the crucial role played by property rights in the wealth of nations, then how can some scholars hold that strong rights to intellectual property (IP) are hindering innovation and holding back economic growth? Should not the same logic hold for IP as for any other kind of property? This paper therefore analyzes the evidence from broad literatures n economic history and empirical microeconomics. It finds that the weight of the evidence from two very different bodies of scholarship, employing very different approaches to evidence — one based on mastering the facts of history, the other based on statistical modeling — yield the same answer: there is a causal relationship between strong patents and innovation. Evidence and reason therefore suggest that the burden of proof falls on those who claim that patents frustrate innovation. Convincing scholars who are not predisposed to accept that claim will require IP critics to: (1) develop a coherent theory based on first principles about why patent rights are fundamentally different from other property rights; (2) test that theory against carefully-retrieved historical facts and appropriately-specified statistical models; and (3) consider their theory and evidence in light of alternative theories and alternative evidence in a dispassionate manner.
Optimization Method to Choose Target Zone for Perforation-Adding Treatment

Perforation addition is an important stimulation treatment to guarantee high production of oil well and sustainable development of oilfield.Choice of objective strata is the key problem to perforation addition.This paper determined and analyzed the factors influencing the effect of oil well perforation addition.Altogether seven factors in two types have significant influence on the result of perforation addition.One type is well factors which including water cut and daily oil production of the whole well and another type is the stratum factors which including permeability,porosity,effective thickness,oil saturation and formation pressure of the stratum.Based on this,we developed an optimization method for choosing the objective strata for perforation addition treatment.This method is based on fuzzy mathematics and can,by means of integrated judgment,give a score to every candidate stratum and thus optimize the selection of objective strata for perforation addition treatment.The results of practical applications suggest that the reliability of this method is high,and the effect is perfect.This method has great academic and practical value.
Environment-related factors associated with asthma and allergies among schoolchildren in two communities, Shanghai

Objective To explore the environment-relatd factors associated with asthma and allergies among schoolchildren in two communities of Shanghai. Methods Daily air quality real-time monitoring data of PM2.5, PM10, O3, CO, SO2 and NOxin2013 from two environmental monitoring spots(one spot was located in urban district, within community A and another in suburban district, 5 km away from community B) of Shanghai were collected. A cross-sectional survey of respiratory diseases was conducted among 1 310 school age children(8-11 years old) in the two communities. The collected variables included living environment, family habits, parents' susceptibility to asthma and related allergies, respiratory symptoms and so on.Results Levels of PM2.5,O3,CO,and SO2 in air of community A were higher than in community B(P0.01). Prevalences of asthma,current asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema, wheezing and chronic cough in community A were all higher than those in community B(P 0.05 or P 0.01). After adjustment of potential confounders for gender and age,asthma was associated with residents in community A, parents with asthma and allergic history, traffic congestion near house. Also,current asthma was associated with parents with asthma and allergic history, traffic congestion near house. Allergic rhinitis were associated with living in community A, parents with allergic history, traffic congestion near house, and was positively correlated with regular outdoor activity. Eczema were associated with parents with allergic history and the use of decoration materials, as well as higher level of maternal education(P0.05 or P0.01). Living in community A, parents with asthma and allergic history and completion more than 10 years for residential building were risk factors for wheezing. Parental allergic history was a risk factor for persistent cough. Frequency of mopping floor was negatively correlated with the prevalance of wheezing. Conclusion Air pollution in community A is more serious than community B in Shanghai, and childhood asthma and allergic diseases are associated with heredity, indoor and outdoor environment and family daily habits.
Food and society.

Food both reflects the social system and contributes to it. General developments in society are mirrored in choices of food. Developments in food often have the potential to affect the entire human ecosystem, including but not limited to society and culture. Therefore, to study food is to study the major developments in human social systems.
Another piece in the ‘research mosaic’ that describes the role of the lung microbiome in COPD

Bacterial colonisation/infection is ubiquitous in patients with COPD and is likely a biologically relevant facet of disease progression. Correlations have been reported between the identification of bacteria and increases in the intensity of the inflammatory/immune response, cough, sputum production and rates of acute exacerbations of COPD.1–5 The inflammatory/immune response in COPD also persists despite smoking cessation and there is a particularly enhanced inflammatory response in chronic bronchitis and acute exacerbations of COPD, all of which is consistent with a microbial mechanism underlying chronicity and exacerbations. Chronic bacterial colonisation in COPD subjects had been traditionally evaluated by cultivation-based methods of sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), with the magnitude and types of organisms varying widely. Culture-independent analyses, such as those used in the study by Einarsson et al ,6 are providing new insights into the pulmonary microbiome of patients with COPD. This current study underscores the concept that the COPD lung harbours a microbiome distinct from that in healthy non-smokers and smokers, which is not captured completely by standard culture techniques. Overall, this study, together with complementary studies from other labs,6–13 is building a ‘research mosaic’ that is identifying the changes in the microbiome that occur during COPD and delineating their importance in the pathogenesis of the disease. In the paper by Einarsson et al ,6 the objective was to determine whether there are …
The role of superheating in the formation of Glass Mountain obsidians (Long Valley, CA) inferred through crystallization of sanidine

The Glass Mountain obsidians (Long Valley, CA) are crystal poor (<8 vol%) and highly evolved (high SiO2, low Sr), and therefore, their formation required extremely efficient separation of melts from a crystal-rich source. A petrologic and experimental investigation of the mineral phases in Glass Mountain lavas identifies conditions under which phenocrysts grew and the driving mechanism for crystallization, which places constraints on the possible processes that generated the obsidians. The obsidian in this study (GM-11) is saturated in nine phases (sanidine + quartz + plagioclase + titanomagnetite + ilmenite + zircon + apatite + allanite + biotite), and results of high-resolution SEM compositional mapping and electron microprobe analysis reveal that individual sanidine crystals are normally zoned and span a range of compositions (Or40–78). Sanidines have a “granophyric” texture, characterized by intergrowths of quartz and sanidine. Mineral phases in the natural sample are compared to H2O-saturated phase equilibrium experiments conducted in cold-seal pressure vessels, over a range of conditions (700–850 °C; 75–225 MPa), and all are found to be plausible phenocrysts. Comparison of sanidine compositions from the natural sample with those grown in phase equilibrium experiments demonstrates that sanidine in the natural sample occurs in a reduced abundance. Further comparison with phase equilibrium experiments suggests that sanidine compositions track progressive loss of dissolved melt water (±cooling), suggesting that crystallization in the natural obsidian was driven predominantly by degassing resulting from decompression. It is paradoxical that an effusively (slowly) erupted lava should contain multiple phenocryst phases, including sanidine crystals that span a range of compositions with granophyric textures, and yet remain so crystal poor. To resolve this paradox, it is necessary that the solidification mechanism (degassing or cooling) that produced the sanidine crystals (and other mineral phases) must have an associated kinetic effect(s) that efficiently hinders crystal nucleation and growth. Decompression experiments conducted in this study and from the literature collectively demonstrate that the simplest way to inhibit nucleation during degassing-induced crystallization is to initiate degassing ± cooling from superliquidus conditions, and therefore, the Glass Mountain obsidians were superheated prior to crystallization.
Comparison of quinone outside inhibitor fungicide-resistant and -sensitive isolates of Cercospora sojina

Abstract Isolates of Cercospora sojina , causal agent of frogeye leaf spot of soybean ( Glycine max ), that are resistant to quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicides have been reported in the United States. Radial mycelial growth and sporulation of QoI-resistant and -sensitive C. sojina isolates were compared in the laboratory, and virulence of QoI-resistant and -sensitive isolates on a susceptible soybean cultivar (Blackhawk) and on a cultivar (Davis) with the Rcs3 resistance gene that confers resistance to frogeye leaf spot were compared. No differences in amount of sporulation between QoI-resistant and -sensitive isolates were observed. On cultivar (cv.) Blackhawk, frogeye leaf spot caused by QoI-resistant isolates was more severe than disease caused by QoI-sensitive isolates 7–8 days after inoculation, but no differences in disease between QoI-resistant and -sensitive isolates were observed 9 days after inoculation. On cv. Davis, QoI-resistant isolates caused significantly greater disease severity than sensitive isolates 8–14 days after inoculation. Although cv. Davis was affected more severely by QoI-resistant isolates, disease severity was less on cv. Davis than cv. Blackhawk, indicating that the Rcs3 gene was still effective against the C. sojina isolates tested. Our findings indicate that no fitness costs associated with QoI resistance in C. sojina were observed in the characteristics measured in our research.
Effect of opposing implant prostheses on periodontal pathogens in dentures: A pilot study

Abstract Statement of problem An understanding of the presence of periodontal pathogens in denture plaque is important for the treatment of patients with edentulism. However, current data are limited and inconclusive. Purpose The purpose of this pilot clinical study was to investigate whether opposing implant prostheses affect the presence of periodontal pathogens in maxillary complete dentures. Material and methods Twenty adult participants were enrolled in the study. The complete denture (CD/CD) group included 7 participants with complete maxillary and mandibular dentures. The implant overdenture (CD/IOD) group included 13 participants with maxillary complete-denture opposing implant overdentures. Plaque from maxillary complete dentures was collected and genomic DNA was extracted. Periodontal pathogens included Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans , Eikenella corrodens , Fusobacterium nucleatum , Porphyromonas gingivalis , Prevotella intermedia , and Tannerella forsythia , and the total bacteria numbers were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. A comparison of the detection rates and levels of periodontal pathogens between the 2 groups was performed using the chi-square test and the Mann-Whitney U test, respectively. Associations among these pathogens were determined using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient. Results No significant differences ( P >.05) in detection rates were found between the CD/CD and CD/IOD groups for A actinomycetemcomitans (100% versus 100%, respectively), E corrodens (71.4% versus 76.9%, respectively), F nucleatum (100% versus 69.2%, respectively), Porphyromonas gingivalis (100% versus 100%, respectively), P intermedia (57.1% versus 84.6%, respectively), and T forsythia (100% versus 92.3%, respectively). No significant differences in periodontal pathogen levels ( P >.05) were observed between the 2 groups. Significant positive associations were observed ( P F nucleatum and P intermedia , F nucleatum and T forsythia , F nucleatum and P gingivalis , P intermedia and P gingivalis , P intermedia and A actinomycetemcomitans , T forsythia and P gingivalis , T forsythia and A actinomycetemcomitans , and P gingivalis and A actinomycetemcomitans . Conclusions Six investigated periodontal pathogens were widely present in denture plaque. Wearing opposing implant overdentures did not affect the presence and levels of the periodontal pathogens.
Ceramic Roof Ornaments (Almenas) from Cihuatan, El Salvador: Contexts, Descriptions and Inferences from Other Sites

Discovery of dozens of broken ceramic roof ornaments (almenas) on the floor abutting the front (western) margin of an elite residence (Structure Q-1) at Cihuatan, El Salvador provides a new context for this category of artifacts. While relatively well-known from sites in the Valley of Mexico, elsewhere in Mesoamerica almenas have been documented only from a single Teotihuacan-style structure at the lowland Maya site of Tikal, one structure at Mayapan, and possibly at a few other sites in Yucatan. A preliminary program to reconstruct a portion of the many box-like almenas at Cihuatan, of a date much later than the one from Tikal, generated seven relatively complete examples of this form, indicated that fragments of perhaps another 50 had been recovered, and that they were used in pairs. The reconstructed sample provides an important demonstration of the ornamentation on an elite residence and also reveals much about how Structure Q-1 and surrounding buildings came to an end, around a.d. 1200. At least eight other buildings at Cihuatan had been adorned with almenas, each building having examples of one specific shape, possibly unique to this city. Comparisons with Aztec and earlier Mexican forms suggest cultural connections, perhaps via Tula. These findings strongly suggest Mexican influences for the use and forms of roof ornaments at Cihuatan.
Associations of Maternal Obesity and Smoking Status with Perinatal Outcomes

Maternal obesity and smoking are associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. These prevalent conditions contribute to health disparities. In this study, we examine whether maternal BMI moderates the impact of smoking cessation on short-term perinatal outcomes. This is a secondary analysis of assessments conducted from several prospective clinical trials examining the efficacy of incentives to promote smoking cessation during pregnancy. Participants were randomly assigned to receive financial incentives contingent upon smoking abstinence or a control condition. Pregnancy outcomes were abstracted from the medical record. ANCOVA and multiple logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. Among 388 women, there was a significant interaction between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and smoking status on gestational age at delivery (p = .03) and admission to the NICU (p = .04). Among underweight/normal weight gravidas, smoking resulted in earlier deliveries and a greater likelihood of NICU admission than in those who abstained. Among overweight/obese gravidas, there was no effect of smoking on gestational age at delivery and infants of smokers were less likely to be admitted to the NICU. Maternal obesity and smoking have significant individual effects on perinatal outcome. Maternal overweight/obesity appears to moderate the effect of smoking on gestational age at delivery and on NICU admissions.
Female Sexuality and Neurological Disease

Sexual dysfunction is well recognized as a complication of neurological conditions. However, the sexual problems affecting women with neurological disease are not well described. The etiology of fe...
Abstract CT102: Rates and impact of combination immunotherapy with tumor treating fields in a glioma cohort

Tumor-treating fields (TTF) are approved for use in patients with glioblastomas at recurrence (2011) or adjuvant setting (2016) due to survival benefit in various trials. Since 12/2012, 46 patients were treated with TTF for de novo or recurrent gliomas at Columbia University. Rates and outcomes of combination with immunotherapy were analyzed, given the recent preclinical data of synergism between TTF and PD1 targeted therapy. The impact of compliance was also analyzed in multivariable analyses in this retrospective cohort. Of 44 treated patients, 18 (41%) were women and 2 (5%), 4 (9%) and 36 (86%) had WHO grade II, III and IV gliomas. Median age at diagnosis was 56 (23-84) years. TTF was used at recurrence in 38 (86%), with a median of 2 (0-4) prior recurrences. Prior therapies included bevacizumab (22, 50%), surgery [25/44 (57%) gross total], radiation and temozolomide. Median TTF therapy duration was 1.8 (0.1-20.3) months. Only 2 (5%) experienced skin toxicity requiring interruptions. Compliance goal of 75% was met by 11/44 (25%) glioma patients. Concurrent systemic therapy was used in 35 (80%), including temozolomide (12, 27%), nitrosourea (2, 5%), bevacizumab (17, 39%), immunotherapy (26, 59%) or other (5, 11%). Objective response rate (ORR) based on RANO was noted in 25/42 (60%) of all gliomas and 21/38 (55%) of glioblastomas, At interim follow-up, progression free (PFS) and overall (OS) survival were 2.7 and 6.9 months, respectively. PFS was significantly increased among glioblastoma patients treated with concurrent immunotherapy (PFS: 3.3 vs. 1.95, p=0.0364). Long-term follow-up PFS and OS will be re-analyzed, along with the potential confounding impact of compliance rates. TTF improves survival for patients with glioblastomas. Immunotherapy shows promise for various tumor histologies. The possible synergism between these modalities in preclinical studies and this retrospective glioma series warrants further study in randomized controlled gliomas trials. We propose a single-arm phase II trial of concurrent PD1 inhibitor and TTF for patients with bevacizumab-naive glioblastoma at second or third recurrence. OS is the primary endpoint; secondary endpoints include PFS, ORR, predictive value of PDL1 expression, and impact of compliance. Results from the EF-14 trial will serve as a historical control. Citation Format: Yazmin Odia, Jessica Schulte, Fabio Iwamoto. Rates and impact of combination immunotherapy with tumor treating fields in a glioma cohort [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr CT102. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-CT102
Are wood pellets a green fuel

James Watt's steam engine vaulted coal to its major role as a fuel for the Industrial Revolution. Today, about 40% of the world's electricity is generated in coal-fired power plants, consuming more than 80% of the coal mined each year. Because combustion of coal produces carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air pollutants, efforts to combat climate change have now turned to seeking alternatives to coal. Natural gas is cleaner and less expensive but, like coal, returns fossil carbon to the atmosphere. Recently, attention has focused on woody biomass—a return to firewood—to generate electricity. Trees remove CO2 from the atmosphere, and burning wood returns it. But recent evidence shows that the use of wood as fuel is likely to result in net CO2 emissions and may endanger forest biodiversity.
Tumor regression and growth rates of advanced prostate cancer in African American patients treated with docetaxel and prednisone.

e17049Background: Tumor growth rates and regression rates in patients with advanced prostate cancer have been shown to correlate with efficacy of treatment. However, few studies have compared the e...
Detection of Early Tumor Dissemination in Patients With Breast Cancer

Women who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer have operable disease, and therefore are potentially curable. Nevertheless, a sub-population of these patients, who are thought to be disease free after initial treatment, go on to develop recurrent disease. These recurrences are due to early spread of tumor cells, either systemically (peripheral blood and/or bone marrow) or regionally (lymph nodes) that are not detected by methods routinely employed. To address this problem, more sensitive methodologies of detecting early disseminated tumor cells have been developed over the past decade and a half. This chapter looks at the more important methods and discusses the clinical relevance of these methods.
Adaptive Mesh Coupling of Euler Equation and Boundary Layer Solutions for Transonic Airfoils

A mesh displacement procedure for coupling the Euler equations solution and viscous boundary layer calculation for a transonic, high Reynolds number flow past an airfoil is described. Comparisons with experiment are presented for the RAE 2822 airfoil.
Antioxidant enzyme response to exercise and training in the skeletal muscle

Oxygen-derived free radicals and other reactive oxygen species (ROS) are byproducts of normal cell life (Halliwell and Gutteridge, 1989). With the exception of strict anaerobes and a few species of bacteria, most aerobic organisms are equipped with a host of enzymes that are directly or indirectly involved in the antioxidant defence against ROS. Enzymes that provide primary defences include superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX). Glutathione reductase (GR) and enzymes producing NADPH, such as glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), malic enzyme, and isocitrate dehydrogenase, are important in keeping glutathione in its reduced form (GSH) so that adequate cellular oxidoreductive (redox) status is maintained. Glutathione sulfur-transferase (GST) is an important enzyme in metabolizing prooxidant xenobiotics in the liver. Secondary defences include a group of loosely defined enzymes which either repair cellular damage caused by ROS or remove the damaged molecules, such as phospholipase A2 or specific proteases (Yu, 1994). The catalytic mechanisms and the regulation of various antioxidant enzymes have been reviewed extensively by previous authors (Chance et al., 1979; Yu, 1994). Thus, this chapter focuses on the three primary antioxidant enzymes, i.e. SOD, CAT, and GPX in the skeletal muscle.
Palliative Care Consultations for Advanced Heart Failure Patients: Experience from a Safety-Net Hospital

Background Traditionally, palliative care was thought to play a role when “end of life” measures are considered. This paradigm has shifted, with several studies showing the need for early palliative care and its positive impact on quality of life in patients with advanced heart failure (AHF). Palliative care should be provided early in the course of the disease trajectory and integrated with other disease modifying therapies. We sought to characterize the practice of palliative care consultations (PCC) for patients with AHF in a safety-net hospital. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of all HF admissions from October 1, 2016 to September 30, 2017 and identified those who received PCC. Using a severity of illness (SOI) index, determined by the presence of comorbidities, we selected patients with major or extreme SOI. Patients were stratified by length of stay, ICU admission and costs of admission. Analysis was done using Chi-square or Fisher's exact test as appropriate for categorical variables, or student's t test for normally distributed continuous variables (p-level of Results We analyzed a total of 786 admissions for HF with major or extreme SOI over the 1-year period. We identified 60 patients with a total of 94 admissions who received PCC and 520 HF patient without PCC (692 total admissions). In the PCC group, mean age was 65 years, 45% were females, and 92% were African Americans ( Table 1 ). The PCC group was older, had higher SOI and higher cost per admission than the total HF group ( Table 1 ). PCC was mostly utilized as an end of life measure with odds ratio of death/hospice of 17.1 (95% CI: 8.9-33.2) in the PCC group compared to patients without PCC, even when the ICU admission rate was the same between the two groups ( Fig 1 ). Conclusions PCC is being utilized late in the management of AHF patients, despite HF guidelines recommending early involvement for symptom management and advance care planning. Early PCC may allow for incorporation of palliative care services, thus improving the quality of life for patients with AHF.
(+)-14bα-3-Oxoglycyrrhetinic acid: catemeric hydrogen bonding in a non-racemic triterpenoid diketo acid

The title compound, (+)-10,13-dioxo-2α,4aβ,6aα,6bβ,9,9,12aβ-hepta­methyl-1,2,3,4,4a,5,6,6a,6b,7,8,8aα,9,10,11,12,12a,12bα,13,14bα-eicosa­hydro­picene-2β-carboxylic acid, C30H44O4, aggregates as carboxyl-to-ketone hydrogen-bonding catemers. Hydrogen bonds progress from the carboxyl group of one mol­ecule to the remote-ring ketone group of a translationally related neighbor in an adjoining cell connected by a common a cell-edge [O⋯O = 2.766 (3) A and O—H⋯O = 163°], yielding chains that extend in the [011] direction. In the crystal structure, there are also four C—H⋯O close contacts.
Frontline Workers’ Perceptions of Human Trafficking: Warning Signs and Risks in the Midwest

ABSTRACTResearch on human trafficking in the U.S. has centered overwhelmingly on coastal regions, border states, and urban hubs. In an attempt to understand perceptions of exploitation and human trafficking more broadly, this paper focuses on frontline workers in the Midwest. Service providers in the legal/law enforcement, medical, non-profit, social service, and foster care sectors often encounter exploited or trafficked persons in their work. Their perceptions offer a unique insight into how trafficking may manifest and how frontline workers interface with vulnerable, exploited, or trafficked persons seeking resources or assistance. Using survey data from 667 participants across two Midwestern states, we find important similarities in perceived trafficking warning signs and risk factors, as well as differences in how these providers can address their clients’ immediate needs. We present these findings through both descriptive statistical summaries of questions regarding micro-level and macro-level traff...
Impact of right ventricular dysfunction on mortality in adults with cardiac arrest undergoing coronary angiogram.

OBJECTIVE We sought to identify the impact of echocardiographic right ventricular (RV) systolic dysfunction on mortality in adults with cardiac arrest (CA). METHODS The study population included 147 adults hospitalized with CA who underwent both echocardiogram and coronary angiogram at an academic tertiary medical center. The primary outcome of interest was all-cause in-hospital mortality. RESULTS Of the 147 patients studied, 20 (13.6%) had evidence of RV systolic dysfunction while 127 (86.4%) did not. Patients with RV dysfunction had higher rates of prior surgical and percutaneous coronary revascularization. They also had higher rates of mechanical ventilation, therapeutic hypothermia, vasopressor and inotrope use, and a trend towards higher rates of mechanical support. Coronary angiogram revealed higher rates of multivessel disease, right coronary artery intervention, and glycoprotein IIb-IIIa inhibitor use in those with RV dysfunction, alongside with lower echocardiographic left ventricular ejection fraction. In-hospital mortality rates were higher in adults with RV dysfunction compared to those without (55% vs 11%, p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, RV dysfunction was the strongest independent predictor of higher mortality [odds ratio 4.71, 95% confidence interval 1.27-17.50]. CONCLUSIONS In this observational contemporary study, RV dysfunction was independently associated with higher mortality in adults with CA undergoing coronary angiogram. RV dysfunction may be useful for risk stratification and management in this high-mortality population.
DOES AN IMPLANTABLE DEFIBRILLATOR ALTER OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS WITH CARDIAC AMYLOIDOSIS

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is associated with increased mortality due to arrhythmias, heart failure and electromechanical dissociation. However, the role of an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) in this population is unclear. We studied 125 subjects with CA (mean age=67.9±13.4, female 35.7
You are not a man, none of you are men! Early Christian masculinity and Lucian's the Passing of Peregrinus

Much recent work on the masculinities enacted by early Christians has focused upon Christian texts and claims about their heroes and practices among elite Christians. Lucian’s Passing of Peregrinus offers another avenue for thinking about early Christian masculinity. Lucian denies Peregrinus’ claim to masculinity on the basis of his over-concern for honour, especially from the masses, his inability to control his appetites regarding food and sex, his being a parricide, his enacting ‘strange’ ascetic practices and his lack of courage in the face of death. By tying Peregrinus to a Christian community in Judea, Lucian both demonstrates the lack of manliness in the Christian movement, which he suggests is populated mostly by gullible women and children, and further ‘unmans’ Peregrinus by linking him to a community of easily duped people whose praise is not worthy of a philosopher. By presenting this Christian community as a group that not only accepts Peregrinus as a member but also quickly establishes him as their leader, almost at par with Jesus himself, according to Lucian’s account, these early Christians show their lack of self-control by being deceived by a charlatan. Early Christian writers who claimed that their heroes were manly, even more manly than the Greek or Roman heroes, were writing in part to rebut the types of claims made by writers like Lucian.
Peers and offender decision‐making

Research Summary: Offender decision-making generally occurs in social context. In this article, we discuss the potential for integrating insights on peer processes and decision-making processes to advance our understanding on the decision to engage in crime. In particular, we address the developmental and situational influence of peers on perceptions, preferences, and dual-systems processing. We contribute to this literature by elaborating on situational peer processes and discuss the ways in which peers can affect decision-making through their mere presence as well as through their active involvement as instigators, conversational partners, and co-offenders. Policy Implications: Programs to effectively reduce crime and delinquency require a holistic approach that takes into account the interdependency between internal and external factors that impact behavior. The purpose of this article was to detail how our understanding of two prominent explanations of crime —peer influence and rational choice—can mutually benefit from such integration.
Elements of Medical Image Processing

The advent of technology has taken us so far in our lives that we cannot imagine any field without technology or devices. Name any area today, for example, business, education, media and communication, aerospace, etc. There are no surprises that health care has become one of the most advanced prospectives for technologies and its application to be used. Currently we are in the era where medical professionals are using applications to speed up diagnosis, treatment, surgical procedures, recovery, etc., to provide better services to the public. One of the most interesting aspects is the medical image processing which has come a long way from requiring human intervention to current day scenario where application accurately predicts the cause and location of tumor or abnormalities from ultrasound, MRI, PET scan, CT scan, X-ray data, etc. Buzz is going on in the medical arena that in the near future technologies will replace some of the health-care professional jobs. Until then let us start by understanding the current state of affair between technology in biomedical image processing field and its applications.
Redescription, paleogeography, and experimental paleoecology of the Silurian phyllocarid Gonatocaris

Gonatocaris decora (Clarke, 1901) is an unusual, highly ornamented Silurian phyllocarid from the Pittsford Shale Member of the Vernon Formation, Salina Group of New York, that has been allied with Emmelezoe in the past due to the possession of an ‘optic tubercle.’ The systematic positions of Gonatocaris and Emmelezoe have been difficult to assess due to the lack of complete remains, attributions based on spurious characters, and missing and unfigured specimens. Relatively recent collections of Gonatocaris decora, along with a relocation of the original type material of Emmelezoe, have allowed a reexamination of all relevant genera and a more robust systematic placement for G. decora. Characters of generic importance for Gonatocaris include a greatly elongated abdomen; an acute angle of the ventral carapace margin separating distinct anteroventral and posteroventral margins from each other; and distinctive, multiscale horizontal ridge-like ornament of the carapace valves. Growth was found to be isometric. Experimental work done using a model of the scale-like ornament and multiple grain sizes of substrate indicates that cuticle ornament may have served to increase friction between the animal and a fine sand substrate, although resistance to predation is the currently favored hypothesis. Because Gonatocaris species are currently known only from the eastern margin of Laurentia and northern South China, it is likely that this genus was nektonic. Accumulations of similarly sized carapaces and other disarticulated sclerites in shallow-water settings may indicate spawning events following molting en masse.
BeauCoup: Answering Many Network Traffic Queries, One Memory Update at a Time

Network administrators constantly monitor network traffic for congestion and attacks. They need to perform a large number of measurements on the traffic simultaneously, to detect different types of anomalies such as heavy hitters or super-spreaders. Existing techniques often focus on a single statistic (e.g., traffic volume) or traffic attribute (e.g., destination IP). However, performing numerous heterogeneous measurements within the constrained memory architecture of modern network devices poses significant challenges, due to the limited number of memory accesses allowed per packet. We propose BeauCoup, a system based on the coupon collector problem, that supports multiple distinct counting queries simultaneously while making only a small constant number of memory accesses per packet. We implement BeauCoup on PISA commodity programmable switches, satisfying the strict memory size and access constraints while using a moderate portion of other data-plane hardware resources. Evaluations show BeauCoup achieves the same accuracy as other sketch-based or sampling-based solutions using 4x fewer memory access.
AMOEBA binding free energies for the SAMPL7 TrimerTrip host–guest challenge

As part of the SAMPL7 host–guest binding challenge, the AMOEBA force field was applied to calculate the absolute binding free energy for 16 charged organic ammonium guests to the TrimerTrip host, a recently reported acyclic cucurbituril-derived clip host structure with triptycene moieties at its termini. Here we report binding free energy calculations for this system using the AMOEBA polarizable atomic multipole force field and double annihilation free energy methodology. Conformational analysis of the host suggests three families of conformations that do not interconvert in solution on a time scale available to nanosecond molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Two of these host conformers, referred to as the “indent” and “overlap” structures, are capable of binding guest molecules. As a result, the free energies of all 16 guests binding to both conformations were computed separately, and combined to produce values for comparison with experiment. Initial ranked results submitted as part of the SAMPL7 exercise had a mean unsigned error (MUE) from experimental binding data of 2.14 kcal/mol. Subsequently, a rigorous umbrella sampling reference calculation was used to better determine the free energy difference between unligated “indent” and “overlap” host conformations. Revised binding values for the 16 guests pegged to this umbrella sampling reference reduced the MUE to 1.41 kcal/mol, with a correlation coefficient (Pearson R) between calculated and experimental binding values of 0.832 and a rank correlation (Kendall τ) of 0.65. Overall, the AMOEBA results demonstrate no significant systematic error, suggesting the force field provides an accurate energetic description of the TrimerTrip host, and an appropriate balance of solvation and desolvation effects associated with guest binding.
Rifampin-divalproex drug-drug interaction in an adult patient: A case report

The divalproex (DVP) package insert states that rifampin may increase the oral clearance of valproate by 40% and that valproic acid derivative dose adjustments may be required when starting or stopping rifampin. However, the overall clinical significance of this drug-drug interaction remains unclear given that limited clinical outcome data has been published. This case describes a 52-year-old female with bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and PTSD who was previously stable on a medication regimen consisting of DVP delayed-release 500 mg every morning and 1500 mg every evening (baseline steady-state trough 99.8 mcg/mL). Throughout rifampin therapy for latent tuberculosis treatment, she required an increase in both the frequency of DVP administration, from 2 to 3 times daily, and DVP dose by 75% to maintain clinical stability. Valproic acid trough concentrations ranged from 56.4 to 75.9 mcg/mL during the 4-month course of rifampin. This report supports that the DVP-rifampin interaction may be clinically significant and of a greater magnitude than suggested by the package insert.
The Statistical Mechanics of Solution-Phase Nucleation: CaCO\(_3\) Revisited

Providing a molecular level description of amorphous CaCO\(_3\) nucleation in aqueous solutions necessitates the use of theory and simulation in addition to a direct connection to experiments. Furthermore, the ability to simulate experimental conditions relevant to nucleation requires a systematic reduction in the complexity of a molecular-based model that can be compared to experimental observations and tested for self-consistency. In this review, we further expand on the theoretical details described in (Henzler et al. Sci Adv 4:eaa06283, (2018)), where a molecular-based solution model was constructed based on a solvent-mediated quantum mechanical potential of mean force for Ca\(^{2+}\) and CO\(_3^{2-}\) ion pairing. The statistical mechanics and simulation approaches for solution-phase nucleation are presented and connected to the various CaCO\(_3\) polymorph chemical potentials and interfacial surface energies. The resulting theory presented herein is general and is shown to accurately describe the initial stages of amorphous calcium carbonate nucleation.
Pedagogical Strategies for Reflection in Project-based HCI Education with End Users

As HCI pedagogy research grows, so too does an emerging set of evidence-based teaching and curricular recommendations. Yet, few studies have implemented and examined these recommendations in the classroom. In this paper, we present a Research Through Design investigation of a studio-based HCI course, which was revised based on HCI education literature. Drawing on reflection surveys, video recordings of student-led user sessions, final project artifacts, and student interviews, we explore how students responded to key educational changes, the strategies that supported and hindered their reflective practices, and how reflection afforded new student insights. Our findings highlight the utility of video-based reflection exercises to support student learning in designing and running user sessions, the importance of multi-faceted reflection prompts, and how students noticed moments of inclusion and exclusion by attending to users’ non-verbal cues. Additionally, we empirically demonstrate the importance of implementing and studying HCI education research recommendations in the classroom.
Awake Fiberoptic Intubation

Awake fiberoptic intubations can be intimidating to perform. They are indicated when a patient is known or anticipated to be a difficult airway, meaning they will be hard to be mask ventilate as well as hard to intubate. This chapter breaks down a successful awake fiberoptic intubation into five components from the teachings of Dr. Jonathan Benumof: psychological buy-in, antisialogogue, topicalization, nerve blocks, and sedation. Finally, it details step-by-step instructions for then performing the intubation. Please note that each of these components can be performed differently depending on the clinical scenario and the provider’s preference. Some providers choose not to provide any sedation and others elect to administer sedation to alleviate anxiety and ensure a more cooperative patient.
Evolution of Autism: From Kanner to the DSM-V

Leo Kanner was a man who possessed the truly rare gift of being able to step back and see the big picture. At the time when his initial case series was published in 1943, the children Kanner described would have been diagnosed with childhood onset schizophrenia. At that time, children with severe psychiatric illness were frequently placed into this single, all-encompassing diagnostic category. However, Kanner recognized several distinguishing characteristics of these children which made them different from those with schizophrenia. He identified the disorder impacting this group of children as “autistic disturbances” and proposed a new diagnostic category. In his observations of a unique psychiatric disorder, Dr. Kanner saw a forest while others before had seen only trees.
Squash Preparation Studies of Germ Cells in Human Fetal Testes

Testes from human fetuses 21 to 41 weeks of gestation were investigated using a modified squash technique. At all of the gestational ages examined, 90 to 95% of the germ cells were in interphase. Preleptotene germ cells, which exhibited densely staining condensed clumps of chromosomes, were found in all samples studied and constituted 3 to 9% of the germ cells observed. In appearance they resembled preleptotene figures seen in the fetal ovary. Occasionally, germ cells containing slender chromosomes with a beaded appearance, but without prominent condensation, were encountered. These cells were interpreted as preleptotene germ cells in the early stages of degeneration. Germ cells in other meiotic stages were not observed in this study.
PROLOG-Based Inductive Theorem Proving

Although PROLOG is a programming language based on techniques from theorem proving its use as a base for a theorem prover has not been explored until recently ([Sti84]). In this paper, we introduce a PROLOG-based deductive theorem proving method for proving first order inductive theory representable in Horn clauses. The method has the following characteristics: (1) It automatically partitions the domains over which the variables range into subdomains according to the manner in which the predicate symbols in the theorem are defined. (2) For each subdomain of the domain the prover returns a lemma. If the lemma is true, then the target theorem is true for this subdomain. The lemma could also be an induction hypothesis for the theorem. (3) The method does not explicitly use any inductive inference rule. The induction hypothesis, if needed for a certain subdomain, will sometimes be generated from a (limited) forward chaining mechanism in the prover and not from employing any particular inference rule.
What Owners Want and Governments Do - Evidence from the Oregon Experiment

In 2004, Oregonians approved ballot Measure 37 by 61% to 39%. The measure answered the calls of critics of contemporary takings jurisprudence by requiring either compensation for losses caused by land use restrictions imposed after acquisition of the property or waivers of the restrictions. Three years later, voters acted to repeal most of Measure 37 by an even greater margin. Together the birth, brief life, and rapid demise of Measure 37 comprise an unusual natural experiment in property law. The results of this experiment go to the heart of debates about regulatory takings in property law and policy. First, the Oregon experience resulted in a sea change in owners’ understandings of property rights. The 2004 vote reflected the popular understanding of land use restrictions as invasions of property rights. Faced with effective repeal of those restrictions, as reflected in passionate testimony before the Oregon legislature, Oregonians came to see the regulations as in fact an important source of property rights. In effect Measure 37 brought the background government and community support on which property rights depend into the foreground of owners’ consciousness. Second, government responses to Measure 37 challenged arguments that compensation will dispel the fiscal illusion under which governments operate and result in more efficient regulation. Rather than weigh costs and benefits, in all but one of thousands of cases, the government waived the regulations rather than compensate. These decisions were made without analysis of the benefits of the regulations waived, and despite predictably negative results. Finally, the thousands of claims and research catalyzed by these claims complicated questions of the compensation to which owners are justly entitled. While limited, therefore, the Oregon experiment provided valuable grounded evidence for the continuing debate about takings law and the ways that property mediates the relationships between individuals, communities, and the state.