cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protothecosis in patients with cancer: case series and literature review.

Objective To review our recent experience with protothecosis in patients with cancer at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and compare these cases with others reported in the literature. Methods We report on three patients with protothecosis and cancer who were seen at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from January 1979 to May 2002, and reviewed all cases of protothecosis in patients with cancer reported in the literature since 1966. Results Overall, 13 cases of protothecosis complicating cancer were evaluated. The median age of the patients was 41 years (range, 7–73 years). Seven patients (54%) had an underlying hematologic malignancy, and one infection occurred after bone marrow transplantation. Neutropenia was uncommon in these patients (14%). Prototheca wickerhamii was the most common Prototheca species identified as the causative agent of infection. Skin infection was the most common presentation of protothecosis, occurring in five patients (38%), followed by disseminated disease in three patients (23%), algaemia in three patients (23%), pulmonary infection in one patient (8%), and olecranon bursitis in one patient (8%). Information on the use of antifungal therapy was available for ten patients. Seven of the ten patients received amphotericin B, while three received triazoles (fluconazole in two, itraconazole in one). Breakthrough protothecosis occurred during the administration of systemic antifungal therapy with itraconazole in one patient. All seven patients who received amphotericin B showed a response, as did one of the three patients given triazoles. Seven (58%) of the patients died during the study period, only one (17%) of protothecosis. Conclusions Protothecosis is an uncommon infection in cancer patients, implying that Prototheca spp. have a low pathogenic potential in this population. Pulmonary involvement in particular is uncommon in these patients. Amphotericin B appears to be the most effective antifungal agent; the role of triazoles in treating protothecosis is uncertain, but they may be less effective.
Developmental expression of G proteins in a migratory population of embryonic neurons

Directed neuronal migration contributes to the formation of many developing systems, but the molecular mechanisms that control the migratory process are still poorly understood. We have examined the role of heterotrimeric G proteins (guanyl nucleotide binding proteins) in regulating the migratory behavior of embryonic neurons in the enteric nervous system of the moth, Manduca sexta. During the formation of the enteric nervous system, a group of approx. 300 enteric neurons (the EP cells) participate in a precise migratory sequence, during which the undifferentiated cells populate a branching nerve plexus that lies superficially on the visceral musculature. Once migration is complete, the cells then acquire a variety of position-specific neuronal phenotypes. Using affinity-purified antisera against different G protein subtypes, we found no apparent staining for any G protein in the EP cells prior to their migration. Coincident with the onset of migration, however, the EP cells commenced the expression of one particular G protein, Go alpha. The intensity of immunostaining continued to increase as migration progressed, with Go alpha immunoreactivity being detectable in the leading processes of the neurons as well as their somata. The identity of the Go alpha-related proteins was confirmed by protein immunoblot analysis and by comparison with previously described forms of Go alpha from Drosophila. When cultured embryos were treated briefly with aluminium fluoride, a compound known to stimulate the activity of heterotrimeric G proteins, both EP cell migration and process outgrowth were inhibited. The effects of aluminium fluoride were potentiated by alpha toxin, a pore-forming compound that by itself caused no significant perturbations of migration. In preliminary experiments, intracellular injections of the non-hydrolyzable nucleotide GTP gamma-S also inhibited the migration of individual EP cells, supporting the hypothesis that G proteins play a key role in the control of neuronal motility in this system. In addition, once migration was complete, the expression of Go alpha-related proteins in the EP cells underwent a subsequent phase of regulation, so that only certain phenotypic classes among the differentiated EP cells retained detectable levels of Go alpha immunoreactivity. Thus Go may perform multiple functions within the same population of migratory neurons in the course of embryonic development.
Order in the absence of an effect: Identifying rate-dependent relationships

The heterogeneity of group data can obscure a significant effect of an intervention due to differential baseline scores. Instead of discarding the seemingly heterogeneous response set, an orderly lawful relationship could be present. Rate dependence describes a pattern between a baseline and the change in that baseline following some intervention. To highlight the importance of analyzing data from a rate-dependent perspective, we (1) briefly review research illustrating that rate-dependent effects can be observed in response to both drug and non-drug interventions in varied schedules of reinforcement in clinical and preclinical populations; (2) observe that the process of rate-dependence likely requires multiple parts of a system operating simultaneously to evoke differential responding as a function of baseline; and (3) describe several statistical methods for consideration and posit that Oldham's correlation is the most appropriate for rate-dependent analyses. Finally, we propose future applications for these analyses in which the level of baseline behavior exhibited prior to an intervention may determine the magnitude and direction of behavior change and can lead to the identification of subpopulations that would be benefitted. In sum, rate dependence is an invaluable perspective to examine data following any intervention in order to identify previously overlooked results.
Effect of Releases of Amblyseius californicus, Phytoseiulus persimilis, and Typhlodromus occidentalis on the Twospotted Spider Mite on Strawberry in Southern California

The effect of releases of Amblyseius californicus (McGregor), Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot, and Typhlodromus occidentalis Nesbitt on the twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, on strawberry was investigated in southern California in 1972–73. The spider mite populations were significantly reduced in the P. persimilis, A. Californicus , and T. occidentalis release plots. The mean numbers of spider mites in each release plot and in the check were significantly different from each other on each survey date except June 6 when the mean numbers in the release plots were significantly different from the check, but not from each other. The mean fruit yield (g/plant) also was significantly different in all plots. P. persimilis was the most efficient of the 3 predators in suppressing T. urticae populations.
Editorial: A Journal For Athletic Training Educators, At Last

We have great plans for this young endeavor. As our mission states, we want: “. . . to enhance health care by advancing athletic training education. Toward this end, the journal serves as an interface between the theory and practice of athletic training education by providing a forum for scholars, educators, and clinicians to share critical and significant concepts, original research, and innovative ideas.”
The Growth and Optical Properties of ZnO Nanowalls

Nanowalls are novel nanostructures whose networked morphology holds potential for applications such as solar cells and gas sensors. The realization of such nanowall-based devices depends directly on a comprehensive understanding of the nanowall growth, namely, its competition with nanowire growth and the role of seed particles. We induced a morphological evolution from nanowires to nanowalls by increasing source flux during vapor transport and condensation growth. Nanowall growth kinetics indicates that their morphological dominance was driven by a time-dependent curvature of the nanowall growth facet. Nanowalls have excellent crystalline quality and strong near-band-edge luminescence and were found to grow by a combination of Au- and nonassisted mechanisms, resulting in Au nanoparticles within 300 nm of the substrate whose positions were associated with the origin of green luminescence. These results imply that the growth mechanism causes nanoscale structural variations, which in turn locally affect the ...
Microstructure Evolution of AZ91 Magnesium Alloy During Simulated Accumulative Roll Bonding

The hot compressive behavior of AZ91 magnesium alloy was studied at 250 ℃～400 ℃ and the strain rate of10-3s-1～10-2s-1.The microstructure evolution and grain refinement mechanism in AZ91 magnesium alloy caused by three-runARB was also examined using Gleeble-3500 simulator and transmission electron microscope(TEM).The results show that asample without cracking can be obtained only at 350 ℃～400 ℃ and strain rate of 10-3s-1～10-2s-1 during hot deformation ofthe experimental AZ91 magnesium alloy.It is also discovered that,during the three-run ARB of AZ91 magnesium alloy at350 ℃,10-2 s-1 and reduction of 80%,the microstructure is refined in the earliest run and gradually uniformed during thesubsequent ARB process.The mechanism of grain refinement is dynamic recrystallization mainly in the earliest stage ofmulti-run ARB process.
Minimal difference sampling for active learning image classification

Aiming at the problem of measuring the voting disagreement of committee, a minimal difference sampling method for image classification was proposed. It selects the sample with the minimal difference of two highest class probabilities voted by committee. The experimental results show that this method effectively enhances the classification accuracy compared with EQB and nEQB. Furthermore, the influence of the number of models in the decision-making committee was analyzed and discussed. The experimental results show that the proposed method always outperforms nEQB with the same number of models.
CEMENTOMA; REPORT OF A CASE.

Abstract A case has been presented in which the right and left mandibular cuspids became successively involved by traumatic occlusion, resulting in what a series of radiographs showed to be the formation of cementomas.
Surface Waves for Anisotropic Material Characterization-A Computer Aided Evaluation System

Along with a wide application of nondestructive evaluation methods by ultrasonic techniques, Rayleigh surface waves are being studied for their applications in material characterization. Because surface waves can offer some sensitive measurement features of wave propagation, it is suggested that surface waves be conveniently used as an experimental technique for the solution of the inverse problem of determining elastic constants and/or other characteristics in materials [1–3]. The most common direct problem is to obtain wave propagation features by theoretical analysis, experimental measurement, or numerical calculation. A desired problem in material evaluation however, is to solve an inverse problem to find material characteristics from a set of field measurement data. In surface wave problems, the closed form solutions may not even exist for some direct problems. Moreover, often material constants collectively influence the ultrasonic wave propagation in anisotropic medium, and we can not decouple them and evaluate them individually by each single ultrasonic measurement. Therefore, a numerical computational procedure is proposed.
Discharge of duty

The article by Phil Walker (May p19) described work that my colleagues and I carried out concerning "nuclear isomers" – nuclei whose neutrons and protons have been excited to long-lived higher-energy states. In our paper on which his article was partially based (Phys. Rev. Lett. 1999 82 1109), we reported the spontaneous emission of light from a sample containing a mixture of thorium-229 and uranium-233. (The thorium is produced as the uranium decays, releasing alpha particles in the process.)
Lightly cemented dredged sediments for sustainable reuse

Large amounts of dredged sediments are removed from river channels and port areas to maintain minimum depths to allow the passage of freight and other watercraft. In some situations, use of excess ...
A. Jean Ayres and the development of sensory integration: a case study in the development and fragmentation of a scientific therapy network

AbstractJean Ayres invented Sensory Integration (SI) for children experiencing learning and social difficulties because, according to Ayres, they could not adequately integrate information from multiple sensory modalities. She established a scientific basis for her identification of children with sensory integrative difficulties, using statistical techniques to identify symptoms and neuroscience to determine a cause. She was an unusually reflective practitioner who catalyzed a community of practice around SI without becoming a guru—indeed, she encouraged her students to come up with their own ideas and test them empirically. She felt isolated from the growing field of Occupational Therapy (OT) yet is viewed as one of its greatest pioneers. After her death in 1988, the SI community gradually began to argue about fundamental issues like what should constitute an appropriate diagnosis and set of tests for SI. At present, the network is fragmented to the point where some of the opposing positions may be incom...
Reduced-intensity versus myeloablative allogeneic transplantation

Allotransplantation cures patients by cytoreduction and the graft-versus-tumor (leukemia; graft-versus-leukemia [GVL]) alloresponse; both eliminate residual disease. The spectrum of conditioning intensity influences toxicities and non-relapse mortality. The spectrum of tumor sensitivity to the GVL response influences relapse. Balancing tolerable toxicities (influenced by patients' performance status and comorbidities) is also influenced by the graft. Intense immunosuppression (for engraftment and graft-versus-host disease prevention) may constrain the immunologic potency of the graft and limit the antineoplastic capacity of the transplant, thus requiring more intense or more effective conditioning regimens to limit the risks of relapse and permit satisfactory disease-free survival.
RNA-mediated TILDA for improved cell capacity and enhanced detection of multiply-spliced HIV RNA

Quantification of the HIV viral reservoir is critical to understanding HIV latency, advancing patient care and ultimately achieving a cure. To quantify the reservoir, a new metric was recently introduced, which quantified cells carrying multiply spliced HIV RNA. The developed assay, Tat/rev Induced Limiting Dilution Assay (TILDA), enables quantification of cells containing multiply-spliced HIV RNA events as an indicator of reservoir size. Due to TILDA's reliance on a limiting dilution format paired with the rarity of target events, numerous individual reactions are required to obtain a single endpoint. The current assay embodiment uses a whole cell input to detect target RNA sequences without the traditional preceding nucleic acid purification steps. Thus, while the direct measurement of target events from whole cells significantly streamlines the workflow, there is a cost in sensitivity and assay throughput. Here, we apply a new technique for rapid RNA isolation, Exclusion-Based Sample Preparation, to TILDA, with the goal of alleviating these limitations without significantly adding to the workflow. By combining TILDA with multiplexed RNA extraction enabled by exclusion-based sample preparation, assay sensitivity and capacity are improved while maintaining assay simplicity, advancements that could facilitate eventual clinical implementation in detecting rare events in patients.
Schumpeter: Der Politische Ökonom für die Neunziger Jahre?

Die gestellte Aufgabe. Der wesentliche Unterschied zwischen Schumpeter und Keynes ist, ob man Entwicklung oder Gleichgewicht in das Zentrum der Analyse stellt, und daher auch in das Zentrum der Wirtschaftspolitik.
Neural bases of sensorimotor adaptation in the vocal motor system.

The present study used event-related potential (ERP) recordings to investigate the neural mechanisms of sensorimotor adaptation in response to altered auditory feedback (AAF) during vocal production. 12 healthy speakers were tested under a vocal motor adaptation paradigm in which the fundamental frequency (F0) of their voice auditory feedback was pitch-shifted downward by one semi-tone (− 100 cents) during vowel vocalizations. Behavioral results revealed that subjects adapted to AAF by producing opposing (upward) responses to pitch-shift stimuli, and this adaptive behavior persisted after feedback alteration was removed (washout). We found that adaptation to AAF was accompanied by a significant increase in the amplitude of a parietal ERP activity elicited after the onset of vocalization. However, no such effect was observed for pre-motor ERPs elicited before vocalization onset. Moreover, we found that adaptive vocal responses were negatively correlated with ERPs over the parietal and positively correlated with those over the fronto-central areas after vocalization onset. These findings suggest that vocal motor adaptation is mediated by sensorimotor reprogramming of feedforward motor commands through incorporating auditory feedback, which is indexed by modulation of behavioral and ERP responses to AAF. We suggest that modulation of neural activities in the parietal cortex highlights its significance as a neural interface for sensorimotor integration and indicates its critical role in vocal motor adaptation. Our findings support the notion that the parietal mechanisms are involved in driving adaptive motor behavior to cope with unexpected changes in the sensory environment to accomplish communication goals during vocal production and motor control.
Self-assembly and soluble aggregate behavior of computationally designed coiled-coil peptide bundles

Coiled-coil peptides have proven useful in a range of materials applications ranging from the formation of well-defined fibrils to responsive hydrogels. The ability to design from first principles their oligomerization and subsequent higher order assembly offers their expanded use in producing new materials. Toward these ends, homo-tetrameric, antiparallel, coiled-coil, peptide bundles have been designed computationally, synthesized via solid-phase methods, and their solution behavior characterized. Two different bundle-forming peptides were designed and examined. Within the targeted coiled coil structure, both bundles contained the same hydrophobic core residues. However, different exterior residues on the two different designs yielded sequences with different distributions of charged residues and two different expected isoelectric points of pI 4.4 and pI 10.5. Both coiled-coil bundles were extremely stable with respect to temperature (Tm > 80 C) and remained soluble in solution even at high (millimolar) peptide concentrations. The coiled-coil tetramer was confirmed to be the dominant species in solution by analytical sedimentation studies and by small-angle neutron scattering, where the scattering form factor is well represented by a cylinder model with the dimensions of the targeted coiled coil. At high concentrations (5-15 mM), evidence of interbundle structure was observed via neutron scattering. At these concentrations, the synthetic bundles form soluble aggregates, and interbundle distances can be determined via a structure factor fit to scattering data. The data support the successful design of robust coiled-coil bundles. Despite their different sequences, each sequence forms loosely associated but soluble aggregates of the bundles, suggesting similar dissociated states for each. The behavior of the dispersed bundles is similar to that observed for natural proteins.
Suicidality of Childhood and Adolescence

The purpose of this review is to examine the status of suicide and suicidality in the framework of DSM-III-R and to stimulate discussion of alternative approaches for DSM-IV, including the possibility of including suicidality as a new diagnostic category in its own right. (In this review, we use the term suicidality to refer to the spectrum of ideation and/or behavior involving deliberate attempts to inflict death or serious physical harm to the self. To the extent that the data permit, we will try to distinguish between suicidal ideation and action and between attempted and completed suicide.)
Surface Light Scattering Spectroscopy

The grating method of surface light scattering spectroscopy provides a reference beam for homodyne detection of scattered light that can be used to measure accurately the response function of a free liquid interface. This enables the determination of interfacial tension and other parameters that include volume phase viscosity or visco-elastic parameters of monomolecular films spread at the interface or produced by reactions. The focus of this essay is on the measurement science required to construct a compact, robust instrument for the determination of the spectrum of surface fluctuations accurately. In addition various applications are mentioned that include the classical monolayer work and the extension to properties of high temperature melts.
An Introduction to Conduct Disorders

There are many images of the “juvenile delinquent” portrayed in fictional literature. There is Mark Twain’s lovable and mischievous Tom Sawyer whose rebelliousness and lack of respect for authority caused great concern to his family and friends but whose obvious charm and intelligence made him an endearing figure. Tom always seemed to push the limits of what was socially acceptable but it always was done in a spirit of playfulness rather than being driven by base motives, like greed or a need for dominance and power. There is also Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, a tragic hero. Oliver is portrayed as basically a good child who was never provided with the advantages of a caring and stable home life. It is hard to blame poor Oliver for being led astray by his antisocial companions, given the hardships that he had to endure throughout his childhood. In contrast, there are the brief glimpses we have of the childhood of Hannibal Lecter from the novels of Thomas Harris. One is alternatively fascinated and horrified by the depths of cruelty displayed by Hannibal without a shred of guilt over his deeds and with a callous disregard for the suffering of his victims. He is portrayed as the “human monster” that now comes to haunt our dreams because, as adults, we can no longer be scared by ghosts and bogey men.
Regional patterns in the geochemistry of oil-field water, southern San Joaquin Valley, California, USA

Abstract Chemical and isotopic data for water co-extracted with hydrocarbons in oil and gas fields are commonly used to examine the source of the formation water and possible impacts on groundwater in areas of oil and gas development. Understanding the geochemical variability of oil-field water could help to evaluate its origin and delineate possible contamination of shallow aquifers in cases where oil-field water is released to the environment. Here we report geochemical and multiple isotope (H, C, O, Sr, Ra) data from 22 oil wells, three sources of produced water that are disposed of in injection wells, and two surface disposal ponds in four oil fields in the southern San Joaquin Valley, California (Fruitvale, Lost Hills, North and South Belridge). Correlations between Cl and δ18O, as well as other ions, and gradual increases in salinity with depth, indicate dilution of one or more saline end-members by meteoric water. The saline end-members, represented by deep samples (610 m–2621 m) in three oil-bearing zones, are characterized by Na Cl composition, near-seawater Cl concentrations (median 20,000 mg/L), enriched δ18O H2O (median 3.4‰), high ammonium (up to 460 mg-N/L), and relatively high radium activity (226Ra+228Ra = 12.3 Bq/L). The deepest sample has low Na/Cl (0.74), high Ca/Mg (5.0), and low 87Sr/86Sr (0.7063), whereas the shallower samples have higher Na/Cl (0.86–1.2), Ca/Mg near 1, and higher 87Sr/86Sr (∼0.7083). The data are consistent with an original seawater source being modified by various depth and lithology dependent diagenetic processes. Dilution by meteoric water occurs naturally on the east side of the valley, and in association with water-injection activities on the west side. Meteoric-water flushing, particularly on the east side, results in lower solute concentrations (minimum total dissolved solids 2730 mg/L) and total radium (minimum 0.27 Bq/L) in oil-field water, and promotes biodegradation of dissolved organic carbon and hydrocarbon gases like propane. Acetate concentrations and δ13C of dissolved inorganic carbon indicate biogenic methane production occurs in some shallow oil zones. Natural and human processes produce substantial variability in the geochemistry of oil-field water that should be considered when evaluating mixing between oil-field waters and groundwater. The variability could result in uncertainty as to detecting the potential source and impact of oil-field water on groundwater.
An Experiential Learning Opportunity for Sport Management Students: Manager Interview and Facility Inspection

The purpose of this work is to describe an experiential learning opportunity that sport management educators could integrate into one of their courses to enhance their students’ understanding of fa...
Can the discriminative stimulus effects of nicotine function concurrently as modulatory opponents in operant and pavlovian occasion setting paradigms in rats

Abstract Nicotine promotes interoceptive changes in the nervous system. Such interoceptive stimuli play important roles in modulating addictive behavior. Operant and Pavlovian stimulus control modulate responsiveness to environmental stimuli related to drug-seeking and self-administration. Nicotine functions as a discriminative stimulus in modulating operant behavior as well as Pavlovian feature stimuli in modulating the conditional responding (CR) to exteroceptive CS→US contingencies. Elucidation of the interaction of these interoceptive stimulus control functions is vital for a comprehensive understanding of nicotine use/abuse, which might lead to better behavioral treatment strategies. This experiment evaluated the interaction among Pavlovian feature positive (FP) and feature negative (FN) effects of nicotine on concurrently occurring operant SD and SΔ effects. Sixteen rats were trained in a Pavlovian and operant bidirectional contingency paradigm, using nicotine (0.3 mg/kg) and non-drug (saline) states as interoceptive cues for operant discriminative stimulus conditions (SD and SΔ) as well as Pavlovian FP and FN for a light-CS, either leading to a shared food pellet outcome or non-outcome. Nicotine and saline sessions were intermixed. For one group of rats (n = 8), nicotine served as an SD for lever pressing (variable interval 60 s) and simultaneously functioned as an FN for CS-light→noUS relation on the same sessions. On intermixed sessions, saline served as the SΔ for lever pressing (non-reinforced) and FP, during which the 8-sec light preceded delivery of the food pellet (variable time ITI = 60 s). For the other group (n = 8) nicotine served as the SΔ (lever pressing non-reinforced) and FP for the CS, with saline serving in the reverse roles. Consecutive brief non-reinforcement tests revealed that: A) rates of lever pressing were significantly greater in SD than SΔ with nicotine and saline suggesting strong operant discriminative stimulus control; B) FP responding to the light CS with nicotine and saline was evident; and C) FN suppression of the CR with nicotine was not evident but weak under saline. These data suggest that nicotine can function as an interoceptive context that hierarchically can enter into concurrently opposing modulatory relations in Pavlovian and operant drug discrimination procedures.
Using a Classroom-Based Deese Roediger McDermott Paradigm to Assess the Effects of Imagery on False Memories

Associated word list procedures can elicit false memories in predictable ways by inducing associative processing, thus making it harder to monitor the accuracy of memories. The purpose of the method presented here was to induce false memories using lists of either semantically or phonologically related words and to assess the effects of imagery instructions on the recall and recognition of those false memories. To do this, we used a modified version of the Deese Roediger McDermott (DRM) paradigm. We adapted word lists from previous DRM studies to suit imagery procedures and created an automated presentation to present the word lists in classroom settings. We then recruited undergraduate classes and instructed some of the classes to create mental images of the list words as they were being presented, while instructing the other classes to simply remember the words. The automated presentation presented word lists to participants, one word at a time, alternating between phonologically and semantically related lists. Participants used paper-pencil recall packets to immediately recall list items, complete a distractor activity, and take a subsequent final recognition test. Often, participants immediately recalled and later recognized words that were related to the list items but were not actually presented; these are known as critical lures and indicate a false memory. The protocol detailed here describes a four-step procedure - list presentation, immediate recall, distractor phase, and final recognition - that can assess the effects of list type and imagery instruction within the DRM paradigm on memory. The automated nature of the list presentation provides the ability to systematically vary variables of interest, and the paper and pencil method of data collection affords an easily accessible method for collecting data in classroom settings. The protocol also offers options to modify the procedure to a more traditional DRM paradigm without imagery and/or list type manipulations. The use of this protocol can provide results relevant to both classroom learning and cognitive science principles.
Study of deformation mechanisms in flash-sintered yttria-stabilized zirconia by in-situ micromechanical testing at elevated temperatures

Flash sintering has received wide attention lately due to its ultrafast densification process at low sintering temperature. However, the deformability of flash-sintered ceramics remains poorly unde...
Open-Pit Mine Optimization with Maximum Satisfiability

A common casualty of modern open-pit mine optimization is the assurance that the resulting design is actually achievable. Optimized mine plans that consider value and a bare minimum of precedence constraints do not, in general, translate into practical, operational mine designs that can be used in the field. Ultimate pits may come to a sharp point at the bottom. Schedules may require taking small parcels of material from many disparate areas of the pit in a single period, and grade control polygons may be ragged, narrow, and not minable with realistic equipment. In this paper, all of these problems are addressed by encoding these three fundamental open-pit mine optimization problems as maximum satisfiability problems. Maximum satisfiability provides a useful framework for problems that are non-linear and may guarantee the optimality that metaheuristics cannot.
Cartographic Symbol Design Considerations for the Space–Time Cube

The cartographic representation of geographic phenomena in the space–time cube comes with special challenges and opportunities when compared with two-dimensional maps. While the added dimension all...
High Level Disinfection: A Comprehensive and Innovative Quality Improvement Approach in a Multi-Facility Academic Health Center

BACKGROUND: High level disinfection (HLD) of medical equipment is a high patient risk, error-prone activity in the healthcare setting. A recent mock regulatory survey discovered several HLD areas of opportunity in our multi-site academic health center. We designed and implemented a comprehensive HLD program with a continuous quality management framework to identify, address, and provide real time feedback on widespread HLD practices. METHODS: We held a two-day HLD retreat in September 2018, including 60 front line staff and managers from six hospitals and clinics who regularly perform this task. The group identified 150 HLD-related challenges and potential solutions. We identified and assigned all deficiencies and retreat members to one of three supporting teams - Staff Development, Technical, and Data. Teams meet weekly to prioritize improvement work and implement in all sites with follow-up quality monitoring. All work has been approved, authorized, and supported by an HLD Steering Team comprised of managers and senior leaders in many areas, including Peri-Operative, Sterile Processing, Nursing, Supply, Finance, and Information Systems. RESULTS: Comprehensive charters have been created for each of the three teams, resulting in 40 proposed improvement projects within a three month time frame. Examples include standardized education and tools, creation of a quality management system with standard weekly feedback reports and dashboard, and a problem resolution pathway and escalation system for asking questions or reporting concerns with metrics tracking. Ninety percent of the HLD issues identified in the gap analysis have been resolved within a three month time frame, with plans to resolve the remaining 10% within the next three months. CONCLUSIONS: A comprehensive, structured HLD Program, empowering front-line staff, managers, and a supportive leadership steering committee has been successful to effectively address many complex HLD issues across multiple sites of our academic health center.
Prostate Artery Embolization for Giant Prostatic Enlargement: Short-Term Efficacy and Safety.

Eight patients with giant prostatic enlargement > 200 mL and lower urinary tract symptoms who underwent bilateral prostatic artery embolization (PAE) were reviewed. Mean prostate volume decreased from 318.2 mL to 212.2 mL (P 200 mL.
Joining and Becoming Involved in Surgical Societies

Surgical societies can provide many benefits to both the careers and personal lives of their members. Professionally, they serve to unite members through research and education. The American College of Surgeons (ACS), established in 1913 by Dr. Franklin Martin, is one of the largest professional societies in North America. Its aim is to “promote the highest standards of surgical care through education of, and advocacy for, its Fellows and their patients, and to safeguard standards of care in an optimal and ethical practice environment” [1]. While the ACS acts as a professional society for surgeons in various communities, others exist to connect surgeons in academia. For example, the Association for Academic Surgery (AAS) aims to inspire and develop young academic surgeons, and the Society of University Surgeons (SUS) seeks to support and advance leaders in academic surgery.
Extracorporeal Non cellular Liver Assisted Devices

Liver Failure is associated with high mortality, whether it is an acute liver failure or acute decompensation on chronic liver disorder. Liver transplantation has been deemed to be a life saving procedure for end stages of liver failure. Due to high demand of liver grafts and limited availability there are instances where there is a need to bridge the gap until a graft is available. This chapter elaborates the currently available extracorporeal non cellular liver assist devices that includes Molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS), Prometheus—Fractionated plasma separation and adsorption system (FSPA), Single pass albumin dialysis (SPAD), and Selective plasma filtration therapy (SEPET) in an effort to support patients with end stages liver failure until a graft will become available or facilitate regeneration.
Development of a Peer Education Program to Improve Concussion Knowledge and Reporting in Collegiate Athletes.

Context A novel peer concussion-education program (PCEP) was developed to enhance concussion knowledge and reporting among collegiate student-athletes. Objective To describe the PCEP and its develo...
Pymoo: Multi-Objective Optimization in Python

Python has become the programming language of choice for research and industry projects related to data science, machine learning, and deep learning. Since optimization is an inherent part of these research fields, more optimization related frameworks have arisen in the past few years. Only a few of them support optimization of multiple conflicting objectives at a time, but do not provide comprehensive tools for a complete multi-objective optimization task. To address this issue, we have developed pymoo, a multi-objective optimization framework in Python. We provide a guide to getting started with our framework by demonstrating the implementation of an exemplary constrained multi-objective optimization scenario. Moreover, we give a high-level overview of the architecture of pymoo to show its capabilities followed by an explanation of each module and its corresponding sub-modules. The implementations in our framework are customizable and algorithms can be modified/extended by supplying custom operators. Moreover, a variety of single, multi- and many-objective test problems are provided and gradients can be retrieved by automatic differentiation out of the box. Also, pymoo addresses practical needs, such as the parallelization of function evaluations, methods to visualize low and high-dimensional spaces, and tools for multi-criteria decision making. For more information about pymoo, readers are encouraged to visit: https://pymoo.org.
Conformation Directed Interaction Anisotropy Leading to Distinct Bending Behaviors of Two ROY Polymorphs

Two conformational polymorphs of 5-methyl-2-[(2-nitrophenyl)amino]-3-thiophenecarbonitrile (ROY) exhibited similar morphology but strikingly different mechanical flexibility, where the yellow needl...
Improving Community Governance to Reduce Crime: The Case of the Philadelphia’s Mantua BCJI Program

This chapter reports on the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation (BCJI) program in Philadelphia. The research locale, the Mantua neighborhood located in West Philadelphia, received a BCJI grant in 2012 that ran until 2016. This work is focused on new governance organization that emerged from a set of federal grant programs known as the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative pursued under the Obama Administration. The stated aims of the BCJI program involved building the organizational capacity of the community to be effective planning and problem-solving agents. Increased community capacity would then be leveraged to reduce the number of criminogenic places in Mantua by first determining – through a geographically focused, data-driven effort – the nature of crime, violence, and disorder in the community. Programs developed in the planning process included crime prevention through environmental design efforts, police-led hot spot interventions, a block leadership program, and youth-focused safety and engagement programming. Reporting on both process and selected outcome results, this chapter reports on the problems and prospects of a community organizational effort around the policy issue of crime. Research utilized a mixed-method approach, including systematic observation, focus groups, GIS analysis of crime, and personal interviews.
Improving High-Temperature Performance of High Si-Alloyed Ductile Iron by Altering Additions

High alloyed Si ferritic ductile irons can offer potential benefits because they combine high strength, ductility at room temperature, and low oxidation rate at high temperature. However, there is one known drawback and that is these cast irons have limited performance during thermal cycling due to a significant drop of ductility at warm temperatures. This decrease in ductility has been linked to poisoning ferrite grain boundaries by Mg. Therefore, thermodynamic simulations were used to identify altering additions which were able to meditate this negative effect by forming intermetallic phases with Mg. To verify thermodynamic predictions, three alloys were cast including a base and two high Si ductile irons with additions of P and Sb. High-temperature performance of these alloys was experimentally verified including tensile properties at warm temperatures (350–550 °C), oxidation in air at temperatures (700–800 °C), and thermal cycling between 300 and 800 °C. SEM and TEM analyses confirmed that the studied additions reacted with Mg forming different compounds which could prevent poisoning ferrite grain boundaries and improve high-temperature performance of high Si ductile iron.
Survey research methods: Preparing a validity argument

Validity occupies a central role in studies that use survey instruments to contribute to their research conclusions. In a typical process, researchers collect survey data, draw inferential claims about what those data mean, and imply how these interpretations should be used. In this article, we introduce the argument-based approach to validation as a means to clarify and evaluate these claims and their underlying assumptions. We provide an example of how to prepare an argument by stating the proposed interpretations of a nurse practitioner survey along with the anticipated challenges to these inferential claims. We propose the types of evidence we need to counter these challenges and anticipate the limitations that will remain. Using this approach, we economize our validation work, identify evidence that we might otherwise overlook, and avert overstated claims. Researchers can employ similar methods to document their validation work and further strengthen their larger research conclusions.
Preliminary Study on the Clinical and Genetic Characteristics of Hereditary Spherocytosis in 15 Chinese Children

Objective To investigate the clinical and genetic characteristics of hereditary spherocythemia (HS) in Chinese children, and to analyze the potential genotypic/phenotypic associations. Methods The clinical data and gene test results of children with HS were collected. All patients were diagnosed by gene test results, and the laboratory results were obtained before splenectomy. The data of red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (HB), mean red blood cell volume (MCV), mean red blood cell hemoglobin (MCH), mean red blood cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and hematocrit (HCT) were statistically analyzed according to different mutation genes. Statistical methods for comparison between groups Mann-Whitney test analysis, two-terminal p < 0.05 was considered significant difference. Results A total of 15 children were enrolled in our hospital, and 14 variants were found (nine variants have not been reported before), including 10 ANK1 mutations (seven ANK1 truncated mutations) and five SPTB mutations. Patients with ANK1 mutations had more severe anemia than those with SPTB mutations (significantly lower RBC, HB, MCHC, and HCT). Conclusion This is one of the few studies on the genetic and clinical characteristics of children with HS in China. This study identified the unique genetic and clinical characteristics of Chinese children with HS and analyzed the pathogenic genotype-phenotypic association. The results confirmed that the anemia degree of HS patients caused by ANK1 was more serious than that of patients with SPTB deficiency. However, further study of the correlation between genotype and phenotype requires a larger sample size.
Has Higher Education Fallen Down the Rabbit Hole

Most Americans believe that higher education is heading in the wrong direction. In Lewis Carroll’s Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the eponymous heroine’s tumble into a rabbit hole immerses her in a bizarre, surreal, disorienting universe. Has higher education fallen down the rabbit hole? This paper will examine the many ways that academe has become a peculiar, illogical, and topsy-turvy world where things are often the opposite of what we call them and of what we expect them to be. To restore the credibility of our education system and make it of value to most students, it must be completely re-imagined and, in fact, totally rebuilt from the ground up.
Synergy of immune checkpoint targeting and radiation when used sequentially for the treatment of melanoma brain metastases.

e21037Background: Immune checkpoint targeting used sequentially with radiation (RT) in melanoma brain metastases (mets) may potentiate durable brain response. The optimal treatment sequence has not...
Data for: Fabrication of bimorph lead zirconate titanate thick films on metal substrates via the cold sintering process

A novel process was developed for the fabrication of 5-50 µm lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thick films on metal substrates. Tape cast PZT with a methyl cellulose binder was burned out at 275 °C, humidified, and then partially densified at 300 °C by cold sintering with a wet lead nitrate liquid phase. Lamination of the green tape on dense metal foils led to incomplete densification due to constrained sintering. However, when metal foils were replaced with tape cast Cu, fully sintered PZT/Cu/PZT composites were acquired after a secondary heat treatment at 800 °C. The PZT films has a relative permittivity over 500 and a loss tangent ~12% at 100 Hz because of a Cu2O interface between the PZT and Cu presumably formed during the cold sintering process. The P-E hysteresis loop shows a remanent polarization over 20 µC/cm2, and the e31,f of the samples is -4.7 C/m2.
Abstract 2110: Platinum-inducedBRCA1 promoter DNA hypermethylation and altered metabolic profile promotes chemoresistance in ovarian cancer

High grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the most common and aggressive type of ovarian cancer (OC). Platinum resistance is a common occurrence in HGSOC leading to tumor relapse and patient mortality. Multiple mechanisms contribute to platinum resistance in OC, including enrichment of ovarian cancer stem cells (OCSCs), which is observed in relapsed tumors. Platinum treatment activates the DNA damage response (DDR) and the DNA repair protein BRCA1 is an OC susceptibility factor. In our study, we demonstrate that platinum treatment induces a decrease in BRCA1 levels that leads to an increase in activity of ALDH, an OCSC marker. In a parallel pathway that is associated with G2/M arrest, platinum treatment also induces an increase in NAMPT expression and NAD+ levels, the cofactor required for ALDH activity. BRCA1 is repressed through platinum-induced promoter DNA hypermethylation. Importantly, combination of platinum with decitabine, a DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitor, prevents the platinum-induced increase in OCSCs. This study uniquely provides preclinical support for the use of DNMT inhibitors in the neoadjuvant setting in combination with platinum treatment for OC patients. Citation Format: Riddhi Sood, Sikai Xiao, Shruthi Sriramkumar, Christiane Hassel, Kenneth Nephew, Heather O9Hagan. Platinum-inducedBRCA1 promoter DNA hypermethylation and altered metabolic profile promotes chemoresistance in ovarian cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 2110.