cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correlation between SWEI and ARFI image findings in ex vivo human prostates

Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) imaging has previously been used to visualize normal anatomic structures and pathologies in both ex vivo and in vivo human prostates. Based on the relative displacement amplitudes in ARFI images and comparison with histological slides and McNeal's zonal anatomy, it seems that the central zone (CZ) is stiffer than other anatomic zones, and prostate cancer (PCa) is stiffer than normal tissue in the peripheral zone and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Since displacement amplitudes in ARFI images are determined by both the underlying tissue stiffness and the amplitude of acoustic radiation force, one question that arises is: how are the relative displacements in ARFI images related to the underlying tissue stiffness? In this study, co-registered three-dimensional (3D) ARFI datasets and shear wave elasticity imaging (SWEI) datasets were acquired to investigate the relationship between displacement amplitudes in ARFI images and the underlying tissue stiffness. Six freshly excised human prostates were collected and imaged. The lateral time-to-peak (TTP) algorithm was used to reconstruct the tissue stiffness. Linear regression was performed between ARFI displacement amplitudes and the inverse of the corresponding reconstructed shear moduli. Five types of prostatic tissues were identified in ARFI images, and their stiffnesses were quantified.
Genetic Analysis of Mutations Indirectly Suppressing recB and recC Mutations

Mutations in sbcB inactivate exonuclease I and suppress the UV-sensitive, mitomycin-sensitive, recombination-deficient phenotypes associated with recB and recC mutations. Mapping experiments have located sbcB about 0.4 minutes from the his operon at 38.0 on the standard map of E. coli. This places sbcB between supD and his. A four-point cross shows that sbcB lies between P2 attH and his. P2 eduction deleting the his operon beginning with P2 attH also deletes sbcB and produces the expected exonuclease I deficiency and suppression of recB(-). The occurrence of chemical-mutagen-induced and spontaneous mutations indirectly suppressing recB(-) and recC(-) is examined. Three lines of strains produce only sbcA mutations while only sbcB mutations occur in a fourth line. Explanations for this behavior are proposed in light of the ability of the first three lines to express sbcB mutations which they inherit by transduction.
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Tap-Water Filter Using in-Air PIXE

Large scale drinking water monitoring is a formidable task no matter what analysis technique is used. The commercially available tap-water filter that can be easily adapted to the faucet offers a unique possibility to collect and accumulate contaminations in the drinking water supply from a wide spread area at relatively low cost. It has been demonstrated that such filters can be examined without preparation using in-air PIXE. In the present investigation, the effectiveness of such filters is examined by comparing the water before and after filtration. This information is important if such a large scale monitoring is to be carried out. The present work also shows the merit of accumulation.
FACTORS INHIBITING DEFLATIONARY BIAS IN CURRENCY BOARD ECONOMIES: EVIDENCE FROM THE COLONIAL ERA

A traditional criticism of currency boards is that they impart a deflationary bias to growing economies. Three factors, however, may inhibit the bias: increases in the velocity of money; increases in the monetary base, which under a currency board occur only through balance-of-payments surpluses; and increases in the money multiplier. This article investigates each of the factors in Fiji, Ghana, Jamaica and Malaya over various periods near the end of the colonial era. Except in Malaya, where the money multiplier declined, all helped prevent deflationary outcomes. In broad terms, growth in the monetary base was the most important.
THE COSMOPOLITAN NATIONALISM OF SAROJINI NAIDU, NIGHTINGALE OF INDIA

Sarojini Naidu (1879–1949), the English-language Indian poetess and politician, appears before the viewer in the frontispieces to her first two collections of poetry, The Golden Threshold (1905) and The Bird of Time: Songs of Life, Death and the Spring (1912). She presents herself in print, as in her oratory, as both a figure of nineteenth-century verse culture and a cosmopolitan nationalist. The Golden Threshold includes a now well-known introduction by Arthur Symons and a sketch of a young Naidu by J. B. Yeats (father of W. B. Yeats). [See Figure 1.] Arrayed in a voluminous and ruffled white dress, distinctly “Western” in style, with hands clasped together, Naidu's youthful yet grave face stares directly at the viewer. She appears here as a precocious, prepubescent Victorian poetess captured within a private setting. Yet when this volume was published in 1905, the picture, drawn during Naidu's sojourn in England in the mid-1890s when much of the poetry included in the collection was composed, must have been almost a decade old. The only sign of racial difference in the sketch is her lightly shaded skin and dark hair. The blurred sketch echoes Naidu's own ambiguous position at this time: she is neither wholly Indian nor wholly English, and she navigates uneasily between the roles of naive student of poetry and accomplished poetess.
In Vitro Activities of Garenoxacin (BMS 284756) against 108 Clinical Isolates of Gardnerella vaginalis

Garenoxacin (BMS 284756) was active against 105 of 108 (97%) recent clinical Gardnerella vaginalis isolates at ≤2 μg/ml by using the reference agar dilution method for anaerobes. Twenty-eight percent of isolates (31 of 108) were resistant to metronidazole, and 44% were resistant to doxycycline. All were susceptible to clindamycin and ampicillin-sulbactam.
Organelle-Like Membrane Compartmentalization of Positive-Strand RNA Virus Replication Factories

Positive-strand RNA virus genome replication is invariably associated with extensively rearranged intracellular membranes. Recent biochemical and electron microscopy analyses, including three-dimensional electron microscope tomographic imaging, have fundamentally advanced our understanding of the ultrastructure and function of organelle-like RNA replication factories. Notably, for a range of positive-strand RNA viruses embodying many major differences, independent studies have revealed multiple common principles. These principles include that RNA replication often occurs inside numerous virus-induced vesicles invaginated or otherwise elaborated from a continuous, often endoplasmic reticulum-derived membrane network. Where analyzed, each such vesicle typically contains only one or a few genome replication intermediates in conjunction with many copies of viral nonstructural proteins. In addition, these genome replication compartments often are closely associated with sites of virion assembly and budding. Our understanding of these complexes is growing, providing substantial new insights into the organization, coordination, and potential control of crucial processes in virus replication.
Ways Students Read Texts.

College students responding to the Preferred Method of Study (PMOS) questionnaire explained how they approach reading a new textbook chapter for comprehension. Results indicated that a significant positive correlation exists between the number of passes a student makes at new textbook material and his/her college grade-point average. Women showed a significant preference for adopting a single method of study. Less than half of the students queried construct “organizational tools” such as outlines or diagrams as they study a textbook. Students said they would alter their textbook strategies in response to the type of test they expected significantly more often than they would for the type of subject matter being studied. Only 6% of the students said they make a conscious effort to link the new concepts in the text to prior knowledge. There was no discernable relationship between the study strategies undergraduate college students employ and their college grade level (freshman through senior).
Memory psychophysics for visual area and length

Independent groups of observers made magnitude estimates of geographical area or interstate distance. In Experiment 1, observers estimated the areas of nations or of states of the United States from memory. In Experiment 2, estimates of state area were made either with a map present or from memory after the map had been studied. Similarly, in Experiment 3, observers made perceptual or memorial estimates of interstate distances. Perceptual estimates of distance and geographical area were related to actual stimulus magnitude by power functions whose exponents were similar to those found with conventional procedures. Memory estimates were also related to actual area and distance by power functions. Comparison of memory and perceptual exponents showed that for both area and distance, the memory exponent was equal to the square of the perceptual exponent. The results of Experiment 3 were predicted by a “re-perceptual” model of memory for continuous dimensions, which was developed to describe the results of Experiment 2.
Using a remote sensing-based, percent tree cover map to enhance forest inventory estimation

For most national forest inventories, the variables of primary interest to users are forest area and growing stock volume. The precision of estimates of parameters related to these variables can be increased using remotely sensed auxiliary variables, often in combination with stratified estimators. However, acquisition and processing of large amounts of remotely sensed data can be costly and laborious, and stratified estimation requires construction of strata and satisfaction of within-stratum sample size constraints. An alternative to both challenges is to use an existing remote sensing-based, spatial product with the model-assisted estimators. The latter estimators use continuous auxiliary information directly rather than their aggregation into strata and are not subject to such severe sample size constraints. The objective of the study was to compare estimates of mean proportion forest area and mean growing stock volume per unit area obtained using both stratified and model assisted estimators with a remote sensing-based percent tree canopy cover map as auxiliary information. For a study area in Minnesota, USA, the primary conclusion was that estimates obtained with both sets of estimators were acceptably precise, but that the model-assisted estimators were easier to implement and facilitated aggregation of estimates from smaller sub-areas to estimates for larger areas.
Room-Temperature Replacement for Ge Detectors - Are We There Yet?

The search for a semiconductor detector capable of room-temperature operation with similar performance to liquid-nitrogen-cooled Ge detectors has been going on for several decades. The main challenge is in achieving the very high degree of spatial uniformity in the detector response that is needed for high-resolution gamma-ray detection. There exist two distinct paths that one can take to meet this goal. One path is to develop materials with near-perfect charge transport properties similar to that of Ge. This requires materials with high mobilities and lifetimes for both electrons and holes, which means extremely low concentrations of electrically-active and carrier-trapping defects. The other path is to employ special device technologies that can provide a highly uniform detector response given the charge transport properties of existing room-temperature semiconductor materials. Many types of device structures and readout techniques have been proposed and investigated, but only a few have the potential to achieve near-Ge spectral performance. We will discuss the basic material and device requirements, the obtainable performance, the state of the technology, and the challenges of these different approaches.
N‐(2‐hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide copolymers containing pendant saccharide moieties: Synthesis and bioadhesive properties

A new route for the synthesis of bioadhesive water soluble polymeric drug carriers has been developed. Novel monomers, namely, N-methacryloylglycylglycylgalactosamine (MA-Gly-Gly-GalN) [8], MA-Gly-Gly-FucN [9], MA-Gly-Gly-GlcN [10], and MA-Gly-Gly-ManN [11], and copolymers [12–16] based on N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide (HPMA) containing different content of pendant saccharide moieties (galactosamine, fucosylamine, glucosamine, or mannosamine), were synthesized. Copolymerization parameters for the copolymerization of HPMA [M1] and MA-Gly-Gly-GalN [M2] have been determined (r1 = 0.82, r2 = 0.38). Bioadhesion studies with everted sacs of guinesa pig small intestine and colon in vitro demonstrated that HPMA copolymers containing side-chains terminated in fucosylamine bind selectively to the colonic tissue. The extent of binding was dependent on the fucosylamine content of copolymers.
Homogeneous steady deformation: A review of computational techniques

Abstract Homogeneous steady models are frequently used in the structural geology community to describe rock deformation. We review the literature on these models in a streamlined, coordinate-free framework based on matrix exponentials and logarithms. These mathematical tools allow us to compute progressive and simultaneous deformations easily. As an application, we develop transpression with triclinic symmetry in two ways. The tools let us integrate field data related to position and velocity in computing best-fit models with many degrees of freedom. As an application, we reanalyze a published study to demonstrate the extent to which kinematic vorticity is sensitive to modeling assumptions. The tools also open the door to an increased role for the mathematics of Lie groups (spaces of deformations) in structural geology. We suggest two topics for further study: numerical methods for non-steady deformations, and statistics of deformation tensors.
Percutaneous cervical central venous line placement: A comparison of the internal and external jugular vein routes

To compare the rate of success and incidence of complications associated with two currently popular routes of percutaneous central venous cannulation, we studied 167 patient in whom either internal or external jugular vein catheterization was attempted. Internal jugular vein (IJV) catheterization (125 patients) was successful in 91%; an intrathoracic location was achieved in 100%; complications occurred in 12.8%. Complications included one case of catheter malposition, one case of tension pneumothorax, and 12 instances of inadvertent carotid artery puncture, one resulting in a paratracheal hematoma and phrenic nerve compression. The success rate of IJV cannulation was higher and carotid artery puncture less frequent when an 18-gauge thin-walled needle and a straight guide-wire were used than when IJV cannulation was performed by bind puncture with a larger over-the-needle catheter. Delayed vein perforation occurred twice. External jugular vein cannulation (42 patients), using a "J" wire technique, yielded a 76% success rate: 93.7% of catheter tips reached an intrathoracic location. No complications occurred. We conclude that IJV cannulation is a more reliable means of percutaneous central venous line placement but is associated with a significant incidence of complications which can be reduced if a technique employing a scout needle and guide-wire is used.
Conformal array microwave applicator for superficial hyperthermia of large contoured surfaces

Local hyperthermia continues to offer great promise as an adjuvant to radiation and chemotherapy treatments for cancer but its clinical use is severely restricted by technical difficulties in producing adequate uniformity of heating. The authors describe the design and radiation field characteristics of a novel dual concentric conductor microwave radiator which may be combined into multi-aperture arrays for heating large contoured superficial tissue regions at 915 MHz. Power deposition patterns for single aperture and multi-element array applicators were quantified with detailed electric field measurements in tissue equivalent phantom models and with temperature distributions obtained during clinical treatments of human chestwall tumors. The data demonstrate that power deposition patterns measured in a plane 1 cm deep in muscle equivalent phantom material remain above approximately 50% of their peak value out to the perimeter of each 3.5-5 cm square aperture tested In addition, conformal arrays with up to 24 such apertures driven non-coherently can be used to heat large contoured human chestwall disease to acceptably uniform temperatures within the range of 41.5-44/spl deg/C, with improved patient tolerance compared to previously used bulky waveguide applicators. These new applicators offer improved utility in the clinic due to their thin flexible construction which allows the applicator to conform tightly but comfortably to complex surface contours. Planned improvements on this preliminary conformal array design will allow the delivery of external beam radiation directly through the applicator to take advantage of the improved synergism between simultaneously applied modalities. >
The Mountain Ecoregions

Highland systems are characterized by change more than any other regional system. On the geologic time scale they are subject to rapid changes in topography. Highland areas are associated with the margins of crustal plates, and the great elevations result from the upwarping of the crust along the plate boundaries and the upwelling of magma that forms the volcanic peaks and massive lava flows. These are the zones where volcanic activity is common and where earthquakes may be expected. The high relief, steep slopes, and generally higher precipitation accelerate erosional processes. Mass wasting is a widespread phenomenon in highlands, including avalanches and landslides (Fig. 9.1). It is these relatively high rates of geologic modification by both internal and external forces which give the highlands their rugged aspect.
Medically inoperable endometrial cancer in patients with a high body mass index (BMI): Patterns of failure after 3-D image-based high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy.

Abstract Background and purpose High BMI is a reason for medical inoperability in patients with endometrial cancer in the United States. Definitive radiation is an alternative therapy for these patients; however, data on patterns of failure after definitive radiotherapy are lacking. We describe the patterns of failure after definitive treatment with 3-D image-based high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy for medically inoperable endometrial cancer. Materials and methods Forty-three consecutive patients with endometrial cancer FIGO stages I–III were treated definitively with HDR brachytherapy with or without external beam radiation therapy. Cumulative incidence of failures was estimated and prognostic variables were identified Results Mean follow up was 29.7months. Median BMI was 50.2kg/m 2 (range: 25.1–104kg/m 2 ). The two-year overall survival was 65.2%. The two-year cumulative incidence of pelvic and distant failures was 8.3% and 13.5%, respectively. Grade 3 disease was associated with a higher risk of all-failures (Hazard Ratio [HR]: 4.67, 95% CI: 1.04–20.9, p =0.044). The incidence of acute Grade 3 GI/GU toxicities was 4.6%. Conclusions Pelvic failure at two years was less than 10%. Patients with grade 3 disease were more likely to experience disease failure and may warrant closer follow up.
Consensually defined facets of personality as prospective predictors of change in depression symptoms.

Depression has robust associations with personality, showing a strong relation with neuroticism and more moderate associations with extraversion and conscientiousness. In addition, each Big Five domain can be decomposed into narrower facets. However, we currently lack consensus as to the contents of Big Five facets, with idiosyncrasies across instruments; moreover, few studies have examined associations with depression. In the current study, community participants completed six omnibus personality inventories; self-reported depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline and 5 years later. Exploratory factor analyses suggested three to five facets in each domain, and these facets served as prospective predictors of depression in hierarchical regressions, after accounting for baseline and trait depression. In these analyses, high anger (from neuroticism), low positive emotionality (extraversion), low conventionality (conscientiousness), and low culture (openness to experiences) were significant prospective predictors of depression. Results are discussed in regard to personality structure and assessment, as well as personality-psychopathology associations.
Edward E. Cornwell III, MD, FACS, FCCM

This endowed chair was created as a tribute to Dr. LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr., who was the professor and chairman of the department of surgery at Howard University from 1970-1995. Leffall himself occupied the Charles R. Drew endowed chair in surgery at Howard from 1992 to present. His contributions to American and, indeed, international surgery were the equal of any surgical leader in the world during his half-century academic career, which was devoted to the study and treatment of cancer, particularly among African Americans. He was the first African-American president of the following organizations: American Cancer Society, Society of Surgical Oncology, Society of Surgical Chairmen and the American College of Surgeons. In 1995, the LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr., surgical society was formed by friends, colleagues and his former students and residents, and the Leffall Chair in Surgery was established in 1996. In 2005, the Howard University Press published his memoirs entitled, No Boundaries—A Cancer Surgeon's Odyssey.
A prototype for semantic based diagnosis of road traffic congestions

Retrieving the causes of road traffic congestions in quasi real-time is an important task that will enable city managers to get better insight into traffic issues and thus take appropriate corrective actions in a timely way. Our work, accepted at ISWC 2012, tackles this problem by integrating and reasoning over a variety of heterogeneous data sources including data streams. In this paper we present an initial prototype of our work for the city of Dublin, Ireland.
Abstract C78: NILCO: A marker for obesity-related endometrial cancer in African American women

Obesity is a pandemic in Western countries and has a significant impact on endometrial cancer (EmCa) incidence and prognosis. Although EmCa is more common in Caucasian women, higher mortality is found in African Americans who also show higher incidence of obesity. The reasons for this cancer health disparity are not completely understood. Obesity is characterized by high levels of leptin. Leptin signaling may play a key role in the progression of the more aggressive form of EmCa, Type II, which is independent from hormonal cues. We have shown that leptin induces a signaling crosstalk in breast cancer with oncogenic and angiogenic factors (NILCO: Notch, IL-1 and Leptin Crosstalk Outcome). Hence, we hypothesize that NILCO could play an important role in Type II Emca developed by obese African American women. However, no data on NILCO signaling in EmCa is currently available. Real-Time PCR, Immunohistochemistry and Western Blot analyses were used to determine whether NILCO components are differentially expressed in EmCa biopsies (Type I vs Type II EnCa) obtained from obese African American women. All tissue samples had a paired control sample from adjacent non-tumor endometrial tissue determined by pathologists. The tissue samples (n=29) were obtained from Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta, GA. Patient9s written informed consent was obtained for all samples collected as well as IRB approval from Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA. In addition, commercially available EmCa tissue arrays from Chinese patients were co-examined for the expression of NILCO. Biopsy features included age, grading, and TNM staging. However, no body weight or body mass index information was available. Each array contained 150 cores, including 75 cases in duplicate. Overall, NILCO molecules were expressed higher in Type II EmCa regardless of obesity status. Notably, Type II EmCa from obese African American women showed the highest expression of NILCO. Present data suggest for the first time that NILCO could be instrumental for the development of EmCa; more specifically for obesity-related Type II EmCa, and may play a role as potential biomarkers for the disease. Citation Format: Danielle Daley-Brown, Gabriela Oprea-Ilies, Regina Lee, Kiara T. Vann, Viola Lanier, Alexander Quarshie, James Lillard, Roland Pattillo, Ruben Rene Gonzalez-Perez. NILCO: A marker for obesity-related endometrial cancer in African American women. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eighth AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 13-16, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2016;25(3 Suppl):Abstract nr C78.
Variations in Substance Use Prevalence Estimates and Need for Interventions among Adult Emergency Department Patients Based on Different Screening Strategies Using the ASSIST.

Introduction: Among adult emergency department (ED) patients, we sought to examine how estimates of substance use prevalence and the need for interventions can differ, based on the type of screening and assessment strategies employed. Methods: We estimated the prevalence of substance use and the need for interventions using the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) in a secondary analysis of data from two cross-sectional studies using random samples of English- or Spanish-speaking 18-64-year-old ED patients. In addition, the test performance characteristics of three simplified screening strategies consisting of selected questions from the ASSIST (lifetime use, past three-month use, and past three-month frequency of use) to identify patients in need of a possible intervention were compared against using the full ASSIST. Results: Of 6,432 adult ED patients, the median age was 37 years-old, 56.6% were female, and 61.6% were white. Estimated substance use prevalence among this population differed by how it was measured (lifetime use, past three-month use, past three-month frequency of use, or need for interventions). As compared to using the full ASSIST, the predictive value and accuracy to identify patients in need of any intervention was best for a simplified strategy asking about past three-month substance use. A strategy asking about daily/near-daily use was better in identifying patients needing intensive interventions. However, some patients needing interventions were missed when using these simplified strategies. Conclusion: Substance use prevalence estimates and identification of ED patients needing interventions differ by screening strategies used. EDs should carefully select strategies to identify patients in need of substance use interventions.
Engaging and Working in Solidarity With Local Communities in Preparing the Teachers of Their Children

This article analyzes a programmatic effort in teacher education, “The Community Teaching Strand” (CTS), to engage local community members as mentors of teacher candidates (TCs) in two postgraduate...
Mitochondrial-Targeted Decyl-Triphenylphosphonium Enhances 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose Mediated Oxidative Stress and Clonogenic Killing of Multiple Myeloma Cells

Therapeutic advances have markedly prolonged overall survival in multiple myeloma (MM) but the disease currently remains incurable. In a panel of MM cell lines (MM.1S, OPM-2, H929, and U266), using CD138 immunophenotyping, side population staining, and stem cell-related gene expression, we demonstrate the presence of stem-like tumor cells. Hypoxic culture conditions further increased CD138low stem-like cells with upregulated expression of OCT4 and NANOG. Compared to MM cells, these stem-like cells maintained lower steady-state pro-oxidant levels with increased uptake of the fluorescent deoxyglucose analog. In primary human MM samples, increased glycolytic gene expression correlated with poorer overall and event-free survival outcomes. Notably, stem-like cells showed increased mitochondrial mass, rhodamine 123 accumulation, and orthodox mitochondrial configuration while more condensed mitochondria were noted in the CD138high cells. Glycolytic inhibitor 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) induced ER stress as detected by qPCR (BiP, ATF4) and immunoblotting (BiP, CHOP) and increased dihydroethidium probe oxidation both CD138low and CD138high cells. Treatment with a mitochondrial-targeting agent decyl-triphenylphosphonium (10-TPP) increased intracellular steady-state pro-oxidant levels in stem-like and mature MM cells. Furthermore, 10-TPP mediated increases in mitochondrial oxidant production were suppressed by ectopic expression of manganese superoxide dismutase. Relative to 2-DG or 10-TPP alone, 2-DG plus 10-TPP combination showed increased caspase 3 activation in MM cells with minimal toxicity to the normal hematopoietic progenitor cells. Notably, treatment with polyethylene glycol conjugated catalase significantly reduced 2-DG and/or 10-TPP-induced apoptosis of MM cells. Also, the combination of 2-DG with 10-TPP decreased clonogenic survival of MM cells. Taken together, this study provides a novel strategy of metabolic oxidative stress-induced cytotoxicity of MM cells via 2-DG and 10-TPP combination therapy.
An iterative decoding scheme of concatenated LDPC and BCH codes for optical transport network

An iterative decoding scheme of concatenated LDPC codes is proposed for optical networks. Simulation results show that a coding gain can be improved by 0.8dB compared to the conventional LDPC concatenated codes at a post-FEC BER=10−6.
Use of an intravenous sclerosing foam (3% sodium tetradecyl sulfate) for treatment of orbital varix in a dog

A 6-month-old intact male Standard Dachshund was referred for evaluation of a soft tissue swelling above the right eye. Examination of the right eye revealed mild lateral deviation of the globe, normal vision, and a dorsonasal soft tissue swelling. Examination of the posterior segment was normal. Dual-phase computed tomography angiography was consistent with an orbital varix of the angularis oculi and right dorsal external ophthalmic veins with no evidence of arterial involvement. Treatment involved fluoroscopically guided coil embolization of the venous outflow with nine platinum microcoils, followed by sclerotherapy of the varix using 1.5 mL of 3% sodium tetradecyl sulfate foam. Moderate-to-marked swelling was noted at the treatment site in the weeks following therapy, which gradually resolved. At final reexamination 3 months post-therapy, complete sclerosis and resolution of the orbital varix were documented. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case involving the use of a sclerotic agent for successful treatment of a venous malformation in a dog.
Study protocol: A randomized controlled trial of a comprehensive breast cancer treatment patient decision tool (iCanDecide)

Abstract Background Patients newly diagnosed with breast cancer face a series of complex decisions regarding locoregional and systemic treatment. There is a need to improve the quality of locoregional and systemic decisions for breast cancer patients, and to help patients understand the role of evaluative tests in this decision process. We are now conducting a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of an online decision tool—called iCanDecide, which we expect will help patients with these difficult decisions. Furthermore, the results of this RCT will be highly relevant to future breast cancer patients making these decisions and to their clinicians. Methods This is a two-arm randomized controlled trial with the target of 222 participants per arm. Participants are recruited from 25 surgical practices (total 40 surgeons) and 2 medical oncology practices (total 2 oncologists) in Michigan, Georgia, Tennessee, and California. Participants are newly-diagnosed female breast cancer patients between 21 and 84 years, with stage I-II invasive breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and who are eligible for and considering either mastectomy or lumpectomy with radiation, and who may be eligible for adjuvant systemic treatment. The RCT tests an interactive, tailored website, called iCanDecide (intervention arm), compared to a static version of the website (control arm). The static control arm is designed to include the same basic content as the intervention version, but without tailoring and interactive features. The primary outcome includes the rate of making a high-quality decision. The hypothesis is that patients randomized to the interactive version of iCanDecide will have higher rates of high quality decisions (informed and values-concordant), and will appraise their decision-making process more positively, for both surgical and systemic treatment. Discussion The goal of this study is to evaluate the impact of the iCanDecide interactive website on decision-making for locoregional and systemic breast cancer treatments. The results of this study will be important for future breast cancer patients and their clinicians as we determine how to better individualize decision making across this complex treatment landscape. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT01840163.
Financial Status of Small Farmer Cooperative Limited (SFCL) in Surkhet District of Nepal

The present study has studied the status of Small Farmers Cooperative Limited (SFCL) in Surkhet District of Nepal. The cooperative movement originated from the philosophy of cooperation and later developed as a powerful tool to support to improve socio-economic status of resource poor, vulnerable, members of the lower cast people, women, labors and peasants. The Small Farmers Cooperative Limited functions with the guiding philosophy of group principle, self-help development and institutionalization of networks at the grassroots level to reduce the poverty. SFCL has three tier structures - village level groups, inter-groups and the main committee. This study applied a descriptive and analytical research design in the specific area. Study is based on both primary and secondary sources of data. The primary data are collected through observation and questionnaires and secondary data are collected from District Cooperative Office Surkhet (DCOS), Department of Cooperative (DoC), Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), National Planning Commission (NPC), National Cooperative Federation of Nepal (NCF/N and so on. Some of the most remarkable contributions of these institutions are: saving collection, credit investment and socio-economic improvement. The SFCLs are guided by democratic norms and shares are issued to the members who are empowered with one member one vote for the general assembly purpose. The institutions function for socio-economic development with the strong policy of being apolitical and unbiased with no discrimination of any kind on religion and gender basis. The socio-economic status of cooperative members is changed through income generation. Similarly, in the comparison of expenditure increment before and after membership, an average expense is increased, result is highly significant.
Timing of developmental reduction in epithelial glutathione redox potential is associated with increased epithelial proliferation in the immature murine intestine

The intracellular redox potential of the glutathione (GSH)/glutathione disulfide (GSSG) couple regulates cellular processes. In vitro studies indicate that a reduced GSH/GSSG redox potential favors proliferation, whereas a more oxidized redox potential favors differentiation. Intestinal growth depends upon an appropriate balance between the two. However, how the ontogeny of intestinal epithelial cellular (IEC) GSH/GSSG redox regulates these processes in the developing intestine has not been fully characterized in vivo. Ontogeny of intestinal GSH redox potential and growth were measured in neonatal mice. We show that IEC GSH/GSSG redox potential becomes increasingly reduced (primarily driven by increased GSH concentration) over the first 3 weeks of life. Increased intracellular GSH has been shown to drive proliferation through increased poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) activity. We show that increasing IEC poly-ADP-ribose chains can be measured over the first 3 weeks of life, indicating an increase in IEC PARP activity. These changes are accompanied by increased intestinal growth and IEC proliferation as assessed by villus height/crypt depth, intestinal length, and Ki67 staining. Understanding how IEC GSH/GSSG redox potential is developmentally regulated may provide insight into how premature human intestinal redox states can be manipulated to optimize intestinal growth and adaptation.
Early AMD-like defects in the RPE and retinal degeneration in aged mice with RPE-specific deletion of Atg5 or Atg7.

NIH grant [R01EY0013847, R01EY0013160, R01EY0021153]; Mayo Foundation; Research to Prevent Blindness to the Department of Ophthalmology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota
Home infusion teaching practices at federally funded hemophilia treatment centers in the United States of America.

Essentials Hemophilia nurses are expected to teach home infusion (HI) to patients and their caregivers. A survey was conducted to identify current HI teaching practices in the United States of America. Some nurses reported lacking confidence to teach; curricula exist but their use is not uniform. The study supports the development of national guidelines and a standard curricula to teach HI. Background Home management of hemophilia is standard of care in many countries. This study examined current nursing practices in teaching home infusion (HI) at hemophilia treatment centers (HTC) in the USA. Objectives The aims were to identify and compare tools and resources used, areas of unmet needs, and to discuss implications for nurses in practice. Methods An anonymous electronic survey was distributed to 574 HTC nurses; 156 responses were analyzed. Results The data demonstrated that nurses, more specifically nurse coordinators, were most responsible for teaching HI. However, many nurses lack the knowledge and confidence to do so: 23.0% responded feeling somewhat or not very confident with teaching. Of those 36.4% were staff nurses, 11.9% nurse coordinators, and 41.7% advanced practice registered nurses. The majority of nurses have worked more than 5 years as a nurse, with a mean length of time of 23.7 years (SD=11.12, range 3-47) and a mean of 12.9 years (SD=10.29, range 1-42) in a HTC. Thirty-eight and a half percent of nurses have worked less than 5 years in a HTC. Most nurses appeared to follow the Infusion Nurses Society standards when performing venipunctures. Many centers reported using a formal tool or curriculum to teach HI. Nonetheless, these curricula are not uniform and their use is inconsistent between centers and regions. Conclusion There are currently no national guidelines or standards to assist nurses in this task. The data confirmed the need to develop guidelines and a standardized curriculum to teach HI.
Performance Improvement via Always-Abort HTM

Several research groups have noted that hardware transactional memory (HTM), even in the case of aborts, can have the side effect of warming up the branch predictor and caches, thereby accelerating subsequent execution. We propose to employ this side effect deliberately, in cases where execution must wait for action in another thread. In doing so, we allow "warm-up" transactions to observe inconsistent state. We must therefore ensure that they never accidentally commit. To that end, we propose that the hardware allow the program to specify, at the start of a transaction, that it should in all cases abort, even if it (accidentally) executes a commit instruction. We discuss several scenarios in which always-abort HTM (AAHTM) can be useful, and present lock and barrier implementations that employ it. We demonstrate the value of these implementations on several real-world applications, obtaining performance improvements of up to 2.5x with almost no programmer effort.
Assessing Many-Body Effects of Water Self-Ions. I: OH-(H2O) n Clusters.

The importance of many-body effects in the hydration of the hydroxide ion (OH–) is investigated through a systematic analysis of the many-body expansion of the interaction energy carried out at the CCSD(T) level of theory, extrapolated to the complete basis set limit, for the low-lying isomers of OH–(H2O)n clusters, with n = 1–5. This is accomplished by partitioning individual fragments extracted from the whole clusters into “groups” that are classified by both the number of OH– and water molecules and the hydrogen bonding connectivity within each fragment. With the aid of the absolutely localized molecular orbital energy decomposition analysis (ALMO-EDA) method, this structure-based partitioning is found to largely correlate with the character of different many-body interactions, such as cooperative and anticooperative hydrogen bonding, within each fragment. This analysis emphasizes the importance of a many-body representation of inductive electrostatics and charge transfer in modeling OH– hydration. Fur...
Individual Mental Abiities vs. the World’s Problems

The major problems in the world today are problems of government or the lack of it. Thus, the relevant parts of intelligence are those that make for good citizenship, such as supporting the best candidates and policies. I argue that dispositions, as well as capacities, are part of intelligence, and that some dispositions are the ones most crucial for citizenship, particularly the disposition to engage in actively open-minded thinking (AOT) and to apply it as a standard for the evaluation of the qualifications of authorities and leaders. AOT is a general prescriptive theory that applies to all thinking. It affects the aptness of conclusions and the accuracy of confidence judgments, and it reduces overconfidence when extreme confidence is not warranted. AOT may be affected by different factors from those that affect other components of intelligence and thus may undergo different changes over time. Whatever has happened in the past, we need more of it now.
Disturbances of Perception in Adult Female Incest Survivors

Perceptual disturbances appear to occur in all adult female incest survivors, and failure to address them in therapy may compromise treatment. Certain recurring hallucinations are described in deta...
Effects of rabeprazole sodium on gastric emptying, electrogastrography, and fullness.

Proton pump inhibitors have been reported to delay gastric emptying, but this effect is controversial. Our aim was to determine the effect of rabeprazole sodium on several parameters of gastric function including gastric emptying, myoelectrical activity and ingested water volume required to produce fullness. Fifteen healthy males underwent assessment of solid-phase gastric emptying with the [13C] Spirulina platensis breath test as well as electrogastrography and satiety testing using a 5-min water load. Subjects were evaluated at baseline, after administration of placebo, and after rabeprazole sodium 20 mg daily for one week. No significant differences were seen between groups with respect to solid-phase gastric emptying as measured by T 1/2 or T lag. No differences were seen between baseline, placebo, and rabeprazole with respect to the number of normal electrogastrograms and the volume of water required to produce fullness. In conclusion, one week of therapy with rabeprazole sodium does not significantly alter gastric emptying, myoelectrical activity or threshold to fullness.
Enzymatic Modification of Guar Solutions

Structurally modified guar galactomannans find application in food and petroleum industries as rheology modifiers. Enzymes provide a powerful and convenient method to modify guar structure. In this study, the kinetics of enzymatic degradation of guar solutions were investigated using SEC and rheology. Molecular information from SEC reveals the degradation reaction to be zeroth order in guar concentration. Further, the rate constant was proportional to enzyme concentration, demonstrating that the enzyme acts as a true catalyst. The zero shear viscosity was very sensitive to degradation, with several orders of magnitude change being observed over the course of polymer chain scission. A unique correlation was developed between degradation time, guar molecular weight and viscosity. This enables superposition of the viscosity-time profiles for different enzyme concentrations to a master curve; providing for a priori prediction of guar solution viscosity as a function of degradation time and enzyme concentration.
The Conception of Science in Galileo’s Work

It has been remarked more than once that each generation of theorists of science makes of Galileo, the “father of modern science” by customary reckoning, a scientist after its own heart.1 Most recently Paul Feyerabend proposed that: What Galileo did was to let refuted theories support each other, that he built in this way a new world-view which was only loosely (if at all!) connected with the preceding cosmology (everyday experience included), that he established false connections with the perceptual elements of this cosmology which are only now being replaced by genuine theories (physiological optics, theory of continua), and that whenever possible he replaced old facts by a new type of experience which he simply invented for the purpose of supporting Copernicus.2
Towards Meaningful Physics Recognition: What does this recognition actually look like?

In the February 2017 issue of The Physics Teacher, an article was presented that highlighted the importance of high school physics teachers in inspiring women in physics, particularly by recognizing them as being a “physics person.” Drawing on data from over 900 female undergraduates in physics, the article showed that the largest fraction became interested in physics careers during high school. In particular, being recognized by their physics teacher substantially increased the odds of their planning physics careers by the beginning of college. Since this article was published, questions have been directed toward us from physics teachers regarding the nature of recognition, e.g., how do we recognize a student meaningfully and what does recognition look like in the classroom? For example, one teacher wrote saying: I specifically wanted to tell you how much I appreciated this: …your closing note that not all recognition is meaningful, and that the key is high expectations for all and recognition of when [expectations are] met…I wrote in my margins on the page before, “What does this recognition actually look like?”