cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of intravenous injections of fresh human serum and of phosphated blood, on the coagulation time of the blood in hereditary hemophila:

The coagulation time of the blood in hereditary hemophilia fluctuates in an irregular manner from day to day. Only very pronounced alterations are therefore of value as a guide to the effect of any particular method of treatment. The variations shown in Table I were observed in cases who were not subjected to any treatment. In many instances the changes observed are well beyond the error of the method which was used. Five cubic centimeters of blood were withdrawn from the median basilic vein through a short oiled needle into two or more test-tubes, and the average interval of time required until coagulation had advanced sufficiently to allow of the complete inversion of the tubes without spilling the contents was taken as the coagulation time. The temperature was 37° C. Normal blood requires about 13 minutes to coagulate under these conditions. Parallel observations with another method showed that reliable results could be obtained with blood from skin puncture when certain details in the manner of collec...
Multi-Source Power Harvester for Cyborg Micro Air Vehicle

The purpose of the reported research is to study the implementation of a sub-one gram, multisource energy harvester, for use on a Cyborg Micro Air Vehicle (CMAV). The CMAV would combine a biological flight platform with onboard communications, flight control, and power generation, providing a useful surveillance and reconnaissance vehicle. The biological platform chosen in this research is the Manduca sexta (Hawkmoth). A multisource energy harvester consisting of photovoltaic cells and a piezoceramic beam is discussed, enabling energy harvesting from vibration as well as ambient light. This paper discusses the results of those investigations and addresses the difficulties in creating the energy harvesting system.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Bionomics of Chilocorus bipustulatus and Its Future for the Biological Control of the Date Palm Scale, Parlatoria blanchardi , in Niger, W. Africa

The recently introduced ladybeetle, Chilocorus bipustulatus L. var. iranensis has established itself but to a limited extent in the harsh environment of Agades (8°E, 17°N), a Sahelian oasis town of Niger and its surroundings. The population has 2 peaks a year: one preceding the dry season (Apr.–June), and the other following the rains (July–Aug.). In the cold period (Nov.–Feb.), the beetle is reproductively dormant but otherwise active, while in the dry period, total aestivation occurs following oocyte resorption. There are, therefore, but 6 generations of C. bipustulatus a year. Changes in microclimatic conditions are the main cause for the migration of this ladybeetle. Means to improve the present situation are discussed.
Microstructural Characterization and Thermodynamic Simulation of Cast Al–Zn–Mg–Cu Alloys

Wedge castings were produced using six Al–Zn–Mg–Cu aluminum alloys with zinc concentrations ranging from 8 to 15 wt%, Zn/Mg ratios ranging from 1.7 to 6.5, and copper ranging from 0.6 to 1 wt%. Thermal analysis and microstructural characterization of the samples in the as-cast, solution-treated, and aged conditions were performed and compared to Calculation of Phase Diagram simulations. The calculated phase stability in the alloys was overall remarkably accurate for both the solidification and equilibrium phase formation. Additional equilibrium calculations were made to determine the range of alloying concentrations that would not contain eutectic T or η phase. The phase stability in a total of 195 chemistries was calculated.
Estimating the Counterfactual: How Many Uninsured Adults Would There Be Today Without the ACA?

Time lags in receiving data from long-standing, large federal surveys complicate real-time estimation of the coverage effects of full Affordable Care Act (ACA) implementation. Fast-turnaround household surveys fill some of the void in data on recent changes to insurance coverage, but they lack the historical data that allow analysts to account for trends that predate the ACA, economic fluctuations, and earlier public program expansions when predicting how many people would be uninsured without comprehensive health care reform. Using data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) from 2000 to 2012 and the Health Reform Monitoring Survey (HRMS) data for 2013 and 2015, this article develops an approach to estimate the number of people who would be uninsured in the absence of the ACA and isolates the change in coverage as of March 2015 that can be attributed to the ACA. We produce counterfactual forecasts of the number of uninsured absent the ACA for 9 age-income groups and compare these estimates with 2015 es...
Immunologically induced changes in macaque cervical mucus functions: inhibition of sperm penetration.

The key functions of the uterine cervix in reproductive physiology are mediated by the cervical mucus, which regulates sperm transport in the upper reproductive tract during the menstrual cycle. The authors describe an in vitro procedure that uses an anti-cervical mucus glycoprotein antibody to change the properties and functions of the cervical mucus.
Toxic and carcinogenic effects of dimethylnitrosamine (DMNA) in the blue fox (Alopex lagopus).

Single doses of DMNA from 8 to 15 mg/kg body weight (B.W.) were given in the feed, by stomach tube or by subcutaneous application to 37 foxes. The course and intensity of the disease was not influenced by the application route, but was directly related to the amount of DMNA given per kg body weight, and caused hemorrhagic centrolobular liver necrosis and acute vessel changes especially in the hepatic vein system. The possibility of liver regeneration after a single DMNA exposure depends on the degree of damage in the hepatic vein system. Some animals can recover from the acute disease caused by DMNA. But if the hepatic vessel changes are enough pronounced, progressive changes occur in the hepatic vein system eading to liver cirrhosis. The observation period of the foxes after a single exposure was from 13 to 380 days. LD50 should not be determined after a surviving time of 3 days but rather after 4 weeks. In our material LD50 was 10 mg DMNA/kg B.W. In an experiment over a longer period of time 18 foxes divided into 3 groups were given 2 weekly doses of DMNA in food. They were treated with daily estimated doses of 1.0, 0.2 and 0.1 mg DMNA/kg B.W., respectively. The foxes in Groups 1 and 2 developed ascites, jaundice and liver failure after intake of 45–70 mg DMNA/kg B.W. The foxes in Group 1 treated with 1 mg DMNA/kg B.W. showed centrolobular hemorrhagic liver necrosis and productive vessel changes in the hepatic vein system. The second group given 0.2 mg DMNA/kg B.W. developed hemorrhagic centrolobular necrosis which healed with fibrosis leading to cirrhosis and chronic occlusion in many of the hepatic veins. In addition noduli of chondroid lamellae and foci of hematopoietic tissue and early stages of hemagiomatous liver tumors were found in the liver. The group exposed with 0.1 mg DMNA/kg B.W./day did not develop hemorrhagic centrolobular liver necrosis, but thickening in the walls of the hepatic veins. After more than 3½ years of exposure multiple hemangiosarcomae were growing out from the changed vessel walls. In an experiment over a shorter time period with daily exposure of DMNA doses in the feed below 0.15 mg/kg B.W., all the foxes were completely healthy and only some showed beginning changes in the hepatic vein walls. Hematomae were often seen in foxes dying after a single DMNA dose. One fox treated with 0.1 mg DMNA/kg B.W. died of brain bleeding after 220 days of treatment. Chronic vessel changes were found in the heart and kidneys of the DMNA treated foxes. These results emphasize the fact that DMNA gives vessel changes of a more general nature.
Multiobjective Genetic Optimization Approach to Identify Pipe Segment Replacements and Inline Storages to Reduce Sanitary Sewer Overflows

Sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) is the unintentional discharge of untreated sewage from the sanitary sewer system and pose serious risk to public health and to the environment. Rehabilitation plans to reduce SSOs involve increasing conveyance capacity and shaving peak flow using detention storages. Identifying the best location for rehabilitating the sanitary sewer network is a difficult task because of the great length of sanitary sewer systems. This study utilized single and multiobjective genetic algorithms (GAs) to design rehabilitation strategies for SSOs reduction in an existing sewer network. The Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II was linked to the EPA-SWMM to generate non-dominated sets of solutions that characterizes the tradeoffs between reduction in number of SSOs and cost (Case I), and the tradeoff between of volume of SSOs and cost (Case II). The results show that, when maximizing the reduction of number SSOs, the algorithm target first regions of the network with higher density of SSOs. When maximizing the reduction of volume of SSOs, the solutions prioritize the nodes with the largest overflow volumes. The tested approach provides a range of options to decision makers that seek to reduce or eliminate SSOs in an existing sanitary sewer system.
Shared Decision Making in the Emergency Department among patients with Limited Health Literacy: Beyond Slower and Louder.

Although studies suggest that patients with limited health literacy and/or low numeracy skills may stand to gain the most from shared decision making (SDM), the impact of these conditions on the effective implementation of SDM in the emergency department (ED) is not well understood. In this article from the proceedings of the 2016 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference on Shared Decision Making in the Emergency Department we discuss knowledge gaps identified and propose consensus-driven research priorities to help guide future work to improve SDM for this patient population in the ED.
The effect of body mass index on fluoroscopy time and radiation dose in intra-articular glenohumeral joint injections

Abstract Purpose To determine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and fluoroscopy time and radiation dose during fluoroscopy-guided glenohumeral joint injections. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. Physicians with board certification in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and/or Sports Medicine performed or supervised all injections. BMI was calculated within three months of the injection. Fluoroscopy time and radiation dose data were recorded by the fluoroscopy system and transcribed into the clinical database after each procedure. Results A total of 335 intra-articular GHJ injections were performed, 230 on the right shoulder and 105 on the left shoulder; none were bilateral. The mean fluoroscopy time for all injections was 18.8 ± 12.6 s, and the mean radiation DAP was 656 ± 1190 mGy-cm2. There was no significant difference in fluoroscopy time or dose between first-time and repeat injections ( P = .405; P = .011) and no significant differences in fluoroscopy time or radiation dose when a trainee was involved ( P = .756 for time and P = .149 for dose). Needle lengths of 1.5, 2.5, or 3.5 in. were used during the injection, and there was no significant difference in needle length selection between BMI groups ( P = .319). Conclusions Intra-articular glenohumeral joint injection fluoroscopy time and radiation dose are not affected by body mass index, age, gender, trainee-involvement, first versus repeat injection, or needle length. This procedure is associated with a dose of radiation that likely has minimal to no clinical significance.
Pregnancy out Come In the Perspective of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patient on Imatinib Therapy: An Experience From India.

Abstract 4493 Objective: Now that imatinib is being used to treat thousands of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients for more than 10 year it is highly probable that many patients will get pregnant during its use. Company warns against any such use. But the fact remains that there is need for planned pregnancies in indicated cases. So we selected few cases both male and female for such pregnancies by interrupting treatment and following the pregnancy closely. Their outcome was studied so that we have an idea about what best could be suggested in such instance. Patients and Methods: From November 2002 to May 2010, 634 patients with CML in any stage of the disease were treated with imatinib at our tertiary cancer research institute. Among them 274 were female and 221 were of 17 to 50 years age group. We report information of 8 accidental pregnancies and 10 planned pregnancies involving 18 patients (10 females and 8 males) where pregnancy had occurred while receiving imatinib for the treatment of CML. Observations: Among 10 pregnancies reported in female sufferers there were two spontaneous and one elective abortion all in unplanned group and seven live births including one twin. There was one case of hypospadius which could be surgically corrected. Among the eight male patients whose wives conceived four pregnancies were planned, there was one spontaneous abortion, two elective abortions. The conceptions resulted in the birth of five healthy babies (two females). There was no other identifiable congenital anomaly. Conclusion: In the patients, who do become pregnant while on treatment, balancing the risk to the fetus of continuing imatinib versus the risk to the mother of interrupting treatment remains difficult. From the fetal perspective, imatinib should be discontinued due to the potential risk of serious developmental abnormalities; from the maternal perspective also there is chance of drug interruption induced cytogenetic relapse. CML patients, in the child bearing age group can do bear children. There was no major foetal anomalies which was documented. In the case of female patients the drug was withheld during the first trimester for concerns regarding potential teratogenecity. In both male and female, in the case of a planned pregnancy the drug should preferably be stopped one month before the time of expected conception. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Multirobot sequential composition

Conventional path planning algorithms compute a single path through the configuration space. There is no guarantee that a physical robot will be able to track the trajectory while avoiding collisions, particularly in the presence of environmental perturbations and errors in the process model. Sequential composition combines planning and control by computing a sequence of controllers to execute rather than a single trajectory, offering greater safety guarantees. In this paper, we apply sequential composition to multirobot systems in a scalable fashion using M*, an advanced multirobot path planning algorithm. Controllers will vary in size and geometry, and thus take different amounts of time to execute. To handle these differences, we introduce the time augmented joint prepares graph and the approximate time augmented joint prepares graph which simplifies implementation by discretizing time. We validate our approach in a mixed reality test framework.
Optimizing the therapy of desmoplastic small round cell tumor: Combined experience from the two major cancer centers.

10021 Background: Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is a rare translocation-positive (EWS-WT1)sarcoma subtype that often presents as diffuse peritoneal sarcomatosis in male adolescents an...
Efficacy of dacarbazine as a rescue agent for histiocytic sarcoma in dogs.

Background Canine histiocytic sarcoma (HS) is an aggressive neoplasm that is generally associated with a poor prognosis. CCNU is considered first-line medical therapy, although the majority of dogs ultimately develop progressive disease. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of dacarbazine as a rescue agent for HS. Materials and Methods Medical records of dogs diagnosed with HS that received at least one dose of dacarbazine were reviewed. Information collected and analyzed included signalment, disease distribution, treatment history, dacarbazine treatments (including dose, interval and total number of cycles), adverse events, and response to treatment. Results Seventeen dogs were included, all of which had disseminated or metastatic disease and had received prior treatment with CCNU. Three dogs achieved partial remission for an overall response rate of 17.6%. The overall median event-free survival (EFS) was 21 days. For dogs that experienced an objective response, the EFS was 70 days. Toxicity secondary to dacarbazine was generally mild and self-limiting. Conclusion In the setting of advanced disease, dacarbazine appears to have modest activity against HS and warrants further investigation.
Concomitant imaging and genetic findings in children with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

Objective: To describe the concomitant imaging and genetic findings in children diagnosed with non-syndromic unilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted of 60 children diagnosed between January 2005 and December 2015 in a tertiary-level paediatric institution. Results: Average age at diagnosis was 4.3 years. All children were considered non-syndromic. Hearing loss was categorised as mild (17 children), moderate (17 children), severe (7 children) or profound (19 children). Imaging was performed in 43 children (71.66 per cent). Nineteen patients (44.2 per cent) had positive computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging findings. Genetic testing was performed in 51 children (85 per cent). Sixteen children (31 per cent) tested positive to connexin 26 (GJB2); 1 patient (2 per cent) had a homozygous mutation of GJB2 and 15 were heterozygous carriers. Amongst children who tested positive as heterozygous carriers of a GJB2 mutation, there was a high rate of positive imaging findings (47 per cent compared to 37.2 per cent in the total cohort). A genetic abnormality was confirmed in 50 per cent of children with positive imaging findings who underwent genetic testing. Conclusion: Rates of concomitant imaging and genetic findings suggest that both investigations are of value in the study of these patients.
The Divided People

In the course of this chapter, I argue that Rousseau’s work not only provides the foundation of the Guy Debord’s critique of the “society of the spectacle” but also offers an alternative to the simple opposition that defines much of the contemporary political theory as a critique of representation. In concluding the chapter on Rousseau, I argue that it is the question of the spectacle of the festival that opens onto Rousseau’s novel and asymmetrical figure of the social contract.
Urban Youth Perceptions of Agriculture

To change public perceptions, particularly from urban populations, of agriculture and natural resources (ANR) fields, the University of Tennessee developed a model of strategic educational recruitment to extend beyond traditional college fair experiences to educate underrepresented candidates. The High School Agricultural Education Initiative (HSAI) provided 10 th -grade students with opportunities to: (a) gain knowledge of and appreciation for disciplines in agriculture and natural resources, (b) learn about college admissions standards, (c) network with college students and staff to learn about campus resources, and (d) understand how a college education improves professional opportunities. The HSAI ( n = 122) was effective at increasing urban high school student knowledge of postsecondary opportunities in agriculture and natural resources, particularly with regards to ANR career paths. Additionally, students placed high value on the importance of scholarships and they believed that their parents would be supportive of majoring in an ANR discipline. The HSAI program targeted 10 th -grade students for a one-time intervention, however, in further reflection and based on the results of this study, establishing long-term partnerships with Title I urban high schools may be more effective at increasing the number of youth who actually apply and enroll in ANR programs in college.
In Search of Smarter Homeowner Subsidies

Critics have long assailed the federal tax code’s principal homeowner subsidies as lucrative tax breaks for upper income households that are essentially worthless to those financially constrained from purchasing a home. This article examines the subsidies through a different lens and reveals another serious flaw. It demonstrates how the homeowner subsidies, which represent a massive federal investment in homeownership, do very little to contain and instead probably increase costs on others that result from certain types of housing choices and that other federal policies seek to remedy. These negative housing externalities include: (i) blight, deterioration, and public health risks in disinvested housing markets, (ii) an array of individual and societal harms associated with heightened economic and racial housing segregation, (iii) environmental degradation, and (iv) taxpayer funded disaster relief for those who reside in environmental hotspots. In effect, the subsidies pay for housing choices that the government later pays to clean up after. This article provides several explanations for this disconnect. Among these is an idealization of homeownership, reflected in the tax code, which sees only its benefits. Accordingly, the subsidies reward homeowner decisions at large and are insensitive to the varying amounts of positive and negative externalities that follow from particular types of homeowner choices. For this reason, the article contends that the current subsidies are not “smart.” This article then explores whether and how the homeowner subsidies might be re-engineered to target choices that maximize societal benefit. Applying public finance research on the track record of targeted subsidies at the state and local levels, the article identifies three conceptual legal models for smarter federal homeowner subsidies. It also identifies a host of accompanying challenges for each model, many related to trying to tackle multiple housing externalities that vary across and within thousands of different localized housing markets. At the same time, this article calls attention to the recent revolution in the quantity, quality and accessibility of market, submarket and property specific real estate data, which is fueling a significant uptick in the sophistication of housing planning at the community level. These advances may be the best reason to think that smarter federal homeowner subsidies are attainable. This article closes by suggesting that Congress authorize HUD to pilot a program of tailored, community-specific homeowner subsidies, seeking to foster local innovation that might later be adapted more broadly.
General Medical, Mental Health, and Demographic Risk Factors Associated With Suicide by Firearm Compared With Other Means.

Objective:Mitigation of suicide risk by reducing access to lethal means, such as firearms and potentially lethal medications, is a highly recommended practice. To better understand groups of patien...
Snapping shrimp sound production patterns on Caribbean coral reefs: relationships with celestial cycles and environmental variables

The rich acoustic environment of coral reefs, including the sounds of a variety of fish and invertebrates, is a reflection of the structural complexity and biological diversity of these habitats. Emerging interest in applying passive acoustic monitoring and soundscape analysis to measure coral reef habitat characteristics and track ecological patterns is hindered by a poor understanding of the most common and abundant sound producers on reefs—the snapping shrimp. Here, we sought to address several basic biophysical drivers of reef sound by investigating acoustic activity patterns of snapping shrimp populations on two adjacent coral reefs using a detailed snap detection analysis routine to a high-resolution 2.5-month acoustic dataset from the US Virgin Islands. The reefs exhibited strong diel and lunar periodicity in snap rates and clear spatial differences in snapping levels. Snap rates peaked at dawn and dusk and were higher overall during daytime versus nighttime, a seldom-reported pattern in earlier descriptions of diel snapping shrimp acoustic activity. Small differences between the sites in snap rate rhythms were detected and illustrate how analyses of specific soundscape elements might reveal subtle between-reef variation. Snap rates were highly correlated with environmental variables, including water temperature and light, and were found to be sensitive to changes in oceanographic forcing. This study further establishes snapping shrimp as key players in the coral reef chorus and provides evidence that their acoustic output reflects a combination of environmental conditions, celestial influences, and spatial habitat variation. Effective application of passive acoustic monitoring in coral reef habitats using snap rates or snapping-influenced acoustic metrics will require a mechanistic understanding of the underlying spatial and temporal variation in snapping shrimp sound production across multiple scales.
Daily Dietary Intake Patterns Improve after Visiting a Food Pantry among Food-Insecure Rural Midwestern Adults

Emergency food pantries provide food at no cost to low-resource populations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate single-day dietary intake patterns before and after visiting a food pantry among food-secure and food-insecure pantry clients. This observational cohort study comprised a paired, before-and-after design with a pantry visit as the intervention. Participants (n = 455) completed a demographic and food security assessment, and two 24-h dietary recalls. Adult food security was measured using the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module. Dietary intake patterns were assessed using Automated Self-Administered 24-h Recall data and classified by Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010) scores, dietary variety, number of eating occasions, and energy intake. Paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests compared outcomes before and after a pantry visit. Mean dietary variety increased after the pantry visit among both food-secure (p = 0.02) and food-insecure (p < 0.0001) pantry clients. Mean energy intake (p = 0.0003), number of eating occasions (p = 0.004), and HEI-2010 component scores for total fruit (p < 0.001) and whole fruit (p < 0.0003) increased among food-insecure pantry clients only. A pantry visit may improve dietary intake patterns, especially among food-insecure pantry clients.
Vitamins and Cancer

Of the entire collection of chemically diverse substances classified as vitamins, vitamin A is of greatest current interest in terms of its possible role in the process of carcinogenesis. In this discussion the term vitamin A is used to describe vitamin A itself as well as its synthetic analogues of vitamin, called retinoids. The only well-understood function of vitamin A is its role in the visual cycle.
Optical Manipulation of Objects and Biological Cells in Microfluidic Devices

In this paper, we review optical techniques used for micro-manipulation of small particles and cells in microfluidic devices. These techniques are based on the object's interaction with focused laser light (consequential forces of scattering and gradient). Inorganic objects including polystyrene spheres and organic objects including biological cells were manipulated and switched in and between fluidic channels using these forces that can typically be generated by vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) arrays, with only a few mW optical powers. T-, Y-, and multi-layered X fluidic channel devices were fabricated by polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer molding of channel structures over photolithographically defined patterns using a thick negative photoresist. We have also shown that this optical manipulation technique can be extended to smaller multiple objects by using an optically trapped particle as a handle, or an “optical handle”. Ultimately, optical manipulation of small particles and biological cells could have applications in biomedical devices for drug discovery, cytometry and cell biology research.
Processing and Characterization of Continuous Fibre Tapes Co-Moulded with Long Fibre Reinforced Thermoplastics

An important advantage when designing with plastics is the ability to incorporate features such as ribs, grids and bosses in the part. Rib stiffened polymer matrix composites have been widely used ...
Management of Combined Hepatocellular Carcinoma-Cholangiocarcinoma

To review the recent consensus on the nomenclature, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of combined hepatocellular carcinoma-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CCA). cHCC-CCA is a primary liver carcinoma with varying degrees of hepatocytic and cholangiocytic cytology and architecture within the same tumor. The diagnosis of cHCC-CCA can only be established based on histologic examination. Surgical resection should be considered in patients with resectable tumors who do not have underlying liver disease or clinically significant portal hypertension. While treatment by liver transplantation (LT) is controversial due to the high risk of post-LT recurrence, LT should remain as a potentially curative option in a highly selected group of patients. Little data exist for the outcome of other treatments. High-quality multicenter prospective studies should be conducted to better understand this rare but increasingly recognized tumor.
In “Savage” Company: Sublime Aesthetics and the Colonial Imagination

ABSTRACTEdmund Burke’s speeches and writings during the trial of Warren Hastings—from 1788 to 1795—remain one of the most comprehensive assessments of the effects of colonial trade and territorial expansion on Britain’s nationalist self. A rhetorical reading of his prosecution speeches reveals how they affected the public response to the trial by evoking the sublime and framing terror as the basic feature of Britain’s mercantile imperialist agenda in the colonies. Moreover, by associating Hastings’s governance of Bengal with sublime terror, Burke altered the interpretations of virtue and corruption, thus distancing both Britain and India from the rampant profiteering of the East India Company. Burke’s critique of the degenerative influences of commercial imperialism along with the reformulation of his ideas in subsequent colonial historiography is crucial for assessing how the aesthetics of the sublime conferred greater moral force to the sporadic and fragmented reports about the Company’s abuses of power...
Initial results of pulmonary resection after neoadjuvant nivolumab in patients with resectable non–small cell lung cancer

Abstract Objective We conducted a phase I trial of neoadjuvant nivolumab, a monoclonal antibody to the programmed cell death protein 1 checkpoint receptor, in patients with resectable non–small cell lung cancer. We analyzed perioperative outcomes to assess the safety of this strategy. Methods Patients with untreated stage I-IIIA non–small cell lung cancer underwent neoadjuvant therapy with 2 cycles of nivolumab (3 mg/kg), 4 and 2 weeks before resection. Patients underwent invasive mediastinal staging as indicated and post-treatment computed tomography. Primary study end points were safety and feasibility of neoadjuvant nivolumab followed by pulmonary resection. Data on additional surgical details were collected through chart review. Results Of 22 patients enrolled, 20 underwent resection. One was unresectable; another had small cell histologic subtype. There were no delays to surgical resection. Median time from first treatment to surgery was 33 (range, 17-43) days. There were 15 lobectomies, 2 pneumonectomies, 1 bilobectomy, 1 sleeve lobectomy, and 1 wedge resection. Of 13 procedures attempted via a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery or robotic approach, 7 (54%) required thoracotomy. Median operative time was 228 (range, 132-312) minutes; estimated blood loss was 100 (range, 25-1000) mL; length of hospital stay was 4 (range, 2-17) days. There was no operative mortality. Morbidity occurred in 10 of 20 patients (50%). The most common postoperative complication was atrial arrhythmia (6/20; 30%). Major pathologic response was identified in 9 of 20 patients (45%). Conclusions Neoadjuvant therapy with nivolumab was not associated with unexpected perioperative morbidity or mortality. More than half of the video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery/robotic cases were converted to thoracotomy, often because of hilar inflammation and fibrosis.
Synaptophysin-positive nested stromal-epithelial tumor (NSET) of the liver in a 13-year-old male: A case report

Abstract Nested stromal-epithelial tumor (NSET) of the liver is an extremely rare, newly described, nonhepatocytic, nonbiliary tumor of the liver with less than 40 cases reported in the literature to date [1].This tumor affects predominantly pediatric patients (2–34 years, mean age: 15.2 years, 69% female predominance). Imaging typically discloses a circumscribed heterogenous mass with foci of calcification. NSET has great clinical, radiologic and histologic overlap with many of the entities in its differential diagnoses, including hepatoblastoma, desmoplastic small round cell tumor, synovial sarcoma, teratoma, neuroendocrine tumors, fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma, and metastatic Wilms tumor, among others. Histologically, it is characterized by nests of spindled and epithelioid cells in a desmoplastic stroma often with foci of calcification and/or ossification. The pathogenesis of NSET has yet to be completely elucidated. The majority of reported cases have shown a good prognosis, achieving long term survival after tumor resection with clear margins [2]. However, this tumor can also manifest aggressive behavior as several cases of recurrences and distant metastasis have been documented [3–5]. Recognition of this tumor is critical to avoid misdiagnosis as many higher grade and malignant entities are in its differential diagnosis. We herein present a case of NSET demonstrating immunoreactivity with the neuroendocrine marker synaptophysin, which to our knowledge, has not been previously described.
Exploring the Effects of Learning Environment on Transfer, Student Perceptions, and Instructor Accommodations in an Undergraduate Course Sequence

ABSTRACTPrevious studies have compared student performance for the same or similar classes delivered both online and face-to-face. However, few studies have explored the role that a change in learning environment plays in the student’s ability to transfer skills and knowledge gained in prerequisite courses to follow-on, or post-requisite, courses. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between student demographic factors, learning environments, and the transfer of skills and knowledge in undergraduate accounting education. In addition, this study examined student perceptions of online learning both before and after the course learning sequence, and the specific accommodations instructors made to their instructional design to facilitate the delivery medium change in learning environment. Data for this study was collected from 2,324 students and their corresponding instructors participating in a sequence of two undergraduate accounting courses at a large Midwestern U.S. university. Result...
Hadoop-EDF: Large-scale Distributed Processing of Electrophysiological Signal Data in Hadoop MapReduce

Rapidly growing volume of electrophysiological signals has been generated for clinical research in neurological disorders. European Data Format (EDF) is a standard format for storing electrophysiological signals. However, the bottleneck of existing signal analysis tools for handling large-scale datasets is the sequential way of loading large EDF files before performing signal analyses. To overcome this, we develop Hadoop-EDF, a distributed signal processing tool to load EDF data in a parallel manner using Hadoop MapReduce. Hadoop-EDF uses a robust data partition algorithm making EDF data parallelly processable. We evaluate Hadoop-EDF's scalability and performance by leveraging two datasets from the National Sleep Research Resource and running experiments on Amazon Web Service clusters. The performance of Hadoop-EDF on a 20-node cluster achieved about 26 times and 47 times faster than the sequential processing of 200 small-size files and 200 large-size files, respectively. The results demonstrate that Hadoop-EDF is more suitable and effective in processing large EDF files.
Silicon-Based Glucose Oxidase Working Electrode for Glucose Sensing.

We created a glucose oxidase (GOx) working electrode on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer for glucose sensing. The SOI wafer was electrically connected to a copper wire, and the GOx was immobilize...
An Inherently Secure FPGA using PUF Hardware-Entanglement and Side-Channel Resistant Logic in 65nm Bulk CMOS

We present an inherently secure FPGA that uses PUF-based hardware-entanglement of the configuration data and a side-channel resistant, self-timed logic style. The 3.14mm x 2.47mm testchip is fabricated in 9-metal 65nm bulk CMOS, contains the secure 10x10 tile FPGA fabric (six 6-input LUTs each), and runs at 290MHz at nominal 1V VDD and room temperature. The 38,400 PUF bits exhibit high uniqueness, randomness, and a BER < 8.1*10−12.
Gastrointestinal toxic effects in patients with cancer receiving platinum-based therapy

Background: Platinum-based therapy (PBT) can be limited by gastrointestinal adverse events, particularly PBT-related colitis and diarrhea (PCD). We studied clinical features, treatments, and outcomes of PCD. Methods: This was a retrospective study of cancer patients who received PBT and colonoscopic evaluation for PCD symptoms from 2009 to 2018. Results: Of 36,595 patients who received PBT, 86 (0.2%) met inclusion criteria. Median time from PBT initiation to PCD was 66 days. Regarding PBT type, 47% of the patients received carboplatin, 31% cisplatin, and 22% oxaliplatin. Median duration of PCD symptoms was 20 days. Colonoscopy revealed mucosal ulceration in 34% of the patients and nonulcerative inflammation in 33%. Half of the cohort needed hospitalization for PCD (49%). The majority received treatment for PCD (59%): immunosuppressive therapy in 21%, antibiotics in 27%, antimotility agents in 22%, and intravenous fluids in 51%. Eight patients (9%) were admitted to the intensive care unit for PCD management. Six patients (7%) experienced colonic perforation that required surgical intervention; two of them had gastrointestinal tumors. Physicians restarted PBT in 37 (43%) patients; 8 (22%) of them had PCD recurrence that was managed expectantly. Colonic perforation occurred more frequently with use of oxaliplatin and cisplatin than carboplatin (P=0.05). The median duration of PCD symptoms was longer in patients receiving carboplatin or cisplatin than in those receiving oxaliplatin (P=0.182). Conclusions: PCD is rare, but in a small subset of patients, it can lead to serious complications. Treatment of PCD is mainly supportive, but immunosuppressive therapy may be required.
36. Primary Care Provider Behaviors, Attitudes and Beliefs In the Diagnosis and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Adolescents

Background Pediatric Primary Care Providers (pedPCPs) are often the first line for identification of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in adolescents. No empirical research has systematically evaluated pedPCPs behaviors, and their role in the diagnosis and management of PCOS in adolescents. Aim 1. Develop a survey instrument that evaluates current practice behaviors among pedPCPs in the diagnosis and management of PCOS. Aim 2. Identify current practice behaviors and attitudes/beliefs about PCOS among pedPCPs. Methods A survey instrument used to measure knowledge in diagnosing and managing PCOS among gynecologists and reproductive endocrinologists was adapted for primary care providers. Additional questions regarding attitudes/beliefs were created utilizing a conceptual framework combining the Health Belief Model and Theory of Planned Behavior. This IRB exempt study utilized Cognitive Validity Interviews to verify clarity and understanding of the survey instrument. The finalized survey was administered online. Snowball sampling was used to recruit physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners in primary care practices in Virginia, Maryland and Washington D.C. through professional associations and academic institutions. Descriptive statistical analysis of survey data was done utilizing SPSS. Results Fifty-two completed survey responses were analyzed for practice behaviors, attitudes and beliefs. Eighteen respondents (35%) practice in pediatric medicine and 34 (65%) practice in family medicine. Forty-four (85%) respondents indicated they have adolescent patients with PCOS, but 6 do not make the diagnosis. Twenty-nine (29/44, 66%) stated that they actively treat PCOS and 30 (30/44, 68%) screened for complications of PCOS. See figure 1. for treatment selections. Thirty-eight (86%) pedPCPs indicated that they refer adolescents with PCOS to specialists for some or all aspects of care. Six respondents who did not refer reported confidence in their management of PCOS. Sixteen statements regarding attitudes/beliefs about PCOS in adolescents were rated by participants for their level of agreement based on a 5-point Likert Scale. Cronbach's alpha test to determine internal consistency of the items demonstrated high reliability with a score of .795. Table 1 identifies items with the highest and lowest mean item score for agreement. Conclusions The majority of pedPCPs in this sample engage in some aspects of diagnosis or treatment of PCOS with varying involvement levels. Differences in belief about ability to diagnosis and manage PCOS may explain some practice variations. Qualitative studies could help to better understand barriers and facilitators to addressing PCOS and explore nuances in pedPCPs practice and collaboration with specialists.
Molecular Packing in the Active Layers of Organic Solar Cells Based on Non-Fullerene Acceptors: Impact of Isomerization on Charge Transport, Exciton Dissociation, and Nonradiative Recombination

The nature of the molecular packing within the active layer has a significant impact on the performance of organic solar cells. In pure phases, the packing configurations modulate the electronic pr...
The role of KPI-121 0.25% in the treatment of dry eye disease: penetrating the mucus barrier to treat periodic flares.

The tear film, which includes mucins that adhere to foreign particles, rapidly clears allergens and pathogens from the ocular surface, protecting the underlying tissues. However, the tear film’s ab...
Dystopic neurohypophysis

A dystopic neurohypophysis was noted incidentally at autopsy in a 51 -year-old man with no endocrine abnormality. The dystopic gland was situated in the upper region of the tuber cinereum and macroscopically simulated a neoplasm. The pituitary fossa contained only anterior hypophyseal elements. Review of the literature disclosed 19 such cases discovered at autopsy; 11 occurred in normal individuals with no endocrine abnormality. Radiological study revealed 145 additional cases. Except for the 6 occurrences described in normal individuals, the rest occurred in patients with anterior pituitary dysfunction. No instance of isolated diabetes insipidus has been reported due to dystopia of the neurohypophysis. Dystopia of the neurohypophysis in normal individuals should be distinguished from those occurring in patients with anterior pituitary abnormalities. The former represent a true dystopia and are not associated with perinatal injury, in contrast to the latter, which are acquired dystopias secondary to regeneration of the neurohypophysis and are associated with perinatal injury. Although anterior and posterior pituitary glands are formed by appositional growth, their development and functional status are entirely independent. Finally, the most significant clinical feature of dystopic neurohypophysis is the absence of any related symptoms and this condition should always be considered in the clinical differential diagnosis of hypothalamic lesions. In such patients, a surgical procedure may be avoided because other hypothalamic lesions, such as hamartomas and astrocytomas, are more frequently symptomatic.
Televisa's Brozo: The jester as subversive humorist

This study utilizes, rhetorically, the case of a Mexican television personality, Brozo, whose format includes satiric humorous communication and subversion of the authority of the Mexican elite on a morning television news program. Brozo's incursion into the realm of the elite television newscast implies an adversarial relationship, which he attains structurally through such devices as comic theatre and the role of the Jester. This study argues that Brozo's humorous communication can be seen as subversive and as contributing to the development of a shared critique of power in the Mexican political realm. Consequently, Brozo's humorous communication is a contestive strategy provoking possibility of societal change.
State Power to Regulate Alcohol Under the Twenty-First Amendment: The Constitutional Implications of the Twenty-First Amendment Enforcement Act

Over forty states have direct shipment laws prohibiting, or severely limiting, an individual's ability to purchase wine from outside of the state and have it shipped home via a common carrier Congress recently proposed a bill entitled the Twenty first Amendment Enforcement Act (Enforcement Act") that would authorize State Attorneys General to bypass the state courts and bring action in the federal courts to enforce direct shipment laws. This Note argues that direct shipment laws are unconstitutional, and that the proposed Enforcement Act cannot enable states to enforce these unconstitutional state laws.
Explosive hazard detection using MIMO forward-looking ground penetrating radar

This paper proposes a machine learning algorithm for subsurface object detection on multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) forward-looking ground-penetrating radar (FLGPR). By detecting hazards using FLGPR, standoff distances of up to tens of meters can be acquired, but this is at the degradation of performance due to high false alarm rates. The proposed system utilizes an anomaly detection prescreener to identify potential object locations. Alarm locations have multiple one-dimensional (ML) spectral features, two-dimensional (2D) spectral features, and log-Gabor statistic features extracted. The ability of these features to reduce the number of false alarms and increase the probability of detection is evaluated for both co-polarizations present in the Akela MIMO array. Classification is performed by a Support Vector Machine (SVM) with lane-based cross-validation for training and testing. Class imbalance and optimized SVM kernel parameters are considered during classifier training.