cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Minimization-pruning algorithm for finding elliptical boundaries in images with nonconstant background and with missing data

The DE-1 satellite has gathered over 500,000 images of the Earth's aurora using ultraviolet and visible light photometers. The extraction of the boundaries delimiting the auroral oval allows the computation of important parameters for the geophysical study of the phenomenon such as total area and total integrated magnetic field. This paper describes an unsupervised technique that we call 'minimization-pruning' that finds the boundaries of the auroral oval. The technique is based on concepts that are relevant to a wide range of applications having characteristics similar to this application, namely images with variable background, high noise levels and missing data. Among the advantages of the new technique are the ability to find the object of interest even with intense interfering background noise, and the ability to find the outline of an object even if only a section of it is visible. The technique is based on the assumption that certain regions of the object are less obscured by the background, and hence the information provided by these regions is more important for finding the boundaries. The implementation of the technique consists of an iterative minimization-pruning algorithm, in which a fundamental part is a measure of the quality of the data for different regions along the boundary. Calculation of this measure is simplified by transforming the input image into polar coordinates. The technique has been applied to a set of more than 100 images of the aurora with good results. We also show examples of extraction of the inner and outer boundaries starting from the elliptical approximation and analyzing the image locally around that solution.
Countermeasures to Make Partnership Accounting Firms Big and Strong

It's pervasive that partnership accounting firms are small and not very competitive under severe circumstances.Hence,how to make these firms to be big and strong is a greatly realistic problem.Basic countermeasures against this problem is to strengthen partnership culture construction of accounting firms,reinforce partnership relation management,use international consummate internal management system for reference,and to cultivate eligible partners.
The Lightning Type Judgment of Transmission Lines Based on Lightning Current Mensuration

The simulations on the current from lightning conductor to tower branch after lightning and that through three phase insulators are carried out,and a method for making lightning type judgement based on lightning current mensuration is summarized in the paper as following: As the current from lightning conductor to tower branch was much larger than that of insulator branch,a back flashover happened;and while the latter was greater than the former,a shield flashover happened.This criterion has general applicability.
Brain tissue oxygen pressure, carbon dioxide pressure and pH during ischemia

In this case we evaluated brain tissue pO2, pCO2 and pH during ischemia and arterial oxygen desaturation (hypoxia). In both situations brain pO2 decreased. During ischemia, tissue pCO2 increased while pH decreased; but both pCO2 and pH were stable during hypoxia. These results suggest that brain tissue pO2, pCO2 and pH measures provide information on tissue perfusion and oxygen availability during ischemia and hypoxia.
International Segmentation Options: Getting Away from Conventional Wisdom

International market segmentation is a rather neglected research area. Conventional wisdom has led to segmentation of world markets based on traditional criteria such as economic development or degree of industrialization. The authors maintain that more non-traditional and intranational market segmentation is necessary in order to facilitate polycentric marketing orientation and to be successful in the international arena.
An update on the pharmacotherapeutic interventions for smoking cessation

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Cigarette smoking can damage every organ in the body and is the leading known preventable cause of death globally. It is estimated that 70% of patients want to quit, and about 50% report a quit attempt in the past year, yet only 4-7% are successful. These low quit rates represent the importance of appropriate treatment for smoking cessation through behavioral and pharmacotherapeutic means.Areas covered: Pharmacotherapy approximately doubles patients’ chances of quitting, and the first-line approved pharmacotherapetuic options include nicotine gum, lozenge, patch, nasal spray, and inhaler, sustained-release bupropion, and varenicline. Second-line therapies include nortriptyline and clonidine. Recent evidence suggests a potential role for cytisine and naltrexone. Healthcare providers play an important role in helping patients quit smoking; therefore, a clear understanding of appropriate dosing, regimen, technique, disadvantages, advantages, warnings/precautions, and contraindications f...
Facile Synthesis of Rod–Coil Block Copolymers with Chiral, Helical Polycarbodiimide Segments via Postpolymerization CuAAC “Click” Coupling of Functional End Groups

Using the living nickel(II)-mediated polymerization of carbodiimides, the chiral (R)- or (S)-N-1-phenethyl-N′-methylcarbodiimide (PMC) monomers were polymerized with a new TIPS protected alkyne functional nickel initiator forming PPMC with an excess single-handed screw sense and the alkyne moiety covalently attached to the terminus of the polymer, as confirmed by 1H NMR and MALDI-TOF MS. After deprotection, the alkyne end groups of rigid-rod PPMC-2 were coupled with azide-terminated, random-coil PS and PEG homopolymers forming a novel class of helical-b-coil block copolymers. In the thin-film, all synthesized diblock copolymers formed interesting nanofibular morphologies when subject to specific conditions. The triblock RCP-4, however, adopted unique macroporous morphology as identified by AFM and SEM with average pore diameters of ca. 832 ± 194 nm. The origin of this was found to be associated with the ordering of large, hollow vesicle aggregates upon solvent evaporation followed by the melting of these ...
Zika virus infects cells lining the blood-retinal barrier and causes chorioretinal atrophy in mouse eyes

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an important pathogen that causes not only neurologic, but also ocular, abnormalities. Thus, it is imperative that models to study ZIKV pathogenesis in the eye are developed to identify potential targets for interventions. Here, we studied ZIKV interactions with human retinal cells and evaluated ZIKV's pathobiology in mouse eyes. We showed that cells lining the blood-retinal barrier (BRB), the retinal endothelium, and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) were highly permissive and susceptible to ZIKV-induced cell death. Direct inoculation of ZIKV in eyes of adult C57BL/6 and IFN-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) KO mice caused chorioretinal atrophy with RPE mottling, a common ocular manifestation of congenital ZIKV infection in humans. This response was associated with induced expression of multiple inflammatory and antiviral (IFNs) response genes in the infected mouse retina. Interestingly, ISG15 KO eyes exhibited severe chorioretinitis, which coincided with increased retinal cell death and higher ZIKV replication. Collectively, our study provides the first evidence to our knowledge that ZIKV causes retinal lesions and infects the cells lining the BRB and that ISG15 plays a role in retinal innate defense against ZIKV infection. Our mouse model can be used to study mechanisms underlying ZIKV-induced chorioretinitis and to gauge ocular antiviral therapies.
The Effects of Health Information Exchange Access on Healthcare Quality and Efficiency: An Empirical Investigation

Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) are designed to improve the efficiency and quality of healthcare through enhanced information sharing between disparate health entities. The objective of this study is to systematically examine the impact of HIE use in emergency departments (EDs) on quality and efficiency of medical care. We focus on two dimensions of healthcare quality, namely length of stay and 30-day readmission rate. From hospitals’ efficiency perspective, we examine if HIE access reduces the likelihood that more than one doctor would be consulted for a treatment. Drawing on complementarity theory, we adopt a contingency framework and examine the moderating role of patient-specific prior information (breadth of focal patient’s information and prior interaction between a focal patient and attending doctor) and doctor’s experience with the HIE on the effectiveness of HIE access on quality and efficiency of medical care. To accomplish our objectives, we leverage a unique panel data of actual HIE access by physicians who practice in a hospital system that participate in an HIE. The individual patient-level dataset comprises detailed medical provider information, patient-level medical information, and various other information related to procedures that were performed. Leveraging this unique and comprehensive data on physicians’ access of HIE system, we examine the effect of HIE use on the three outcome variables. After controlling for a battery of patient-specific, doctor-specific, and hospital-specific control variables, our results show that HIE access in EDs results in reduction in length of stay and 30-day readmission rate, and reduces the likelihood that more than one doctor would be consulted. We find that the benefits of HIE access are greater with greater breadth of patient information, greater experience of the attending physician with the HIE, and prior interaction between the focal patient and focal attending doctor. We account for endogeneity due to self-selection in HIE use and perform additional tests to ensure that our results are robust. Based on our results, we offer insights to practitioners and academicians alike on how adopting and sustaining HIE can yield better patient-level and provider-level outcomes.
Computational Approach to Structural Alerts: Furans, Phenols, Nitroaromatics, and Thiophenes.

Structural alerts are commonly used in drug discovery to identify molecules likely to form reactive metabolites and thereby become toxic. Unfortunately, as useful as structural alerts are, they do not effectively model if, when, and why metabolism renders safe molecules toxic. Toxicity due to a specific structural alert is highly conditional, depending on the metabolism of the alert, the reactivity of its metabolites, dosage, and competing detoxification pathways. A systems approach, which explicitly models these pathways, could more effectively assess the toxicity risk of drug candidates. In this study, we demonstrated that mathematical models of P450 metabolism can predict the context-specific probability that a structural alert will be bioactivated in a given molecule. This study focuses on the furan, phenol, nitroaromatic, and thiophene alerts. Each of these structural alerts can produce reactive metabolites through certain metabolic pathways but not always. We tested whether our metabolism modeling a...
Controversies in Postoperative Irradiation of Oropharyngeal Cancer After Transoral Surgery

Transoral surgery (TOS) is a novel technology whose adoption is expanding in the United States and other countries. TOS offers the possibility of a minimally invasive surgical approach to head and neck cancers. Its most frequent application has been in oropharyngeal cancers (OPC), of which most are associated with human papillomavirus (HPV). For HPV-associated OPC, where high response and survival rates are expected, deintensification of standard therapy is a major area of clinical research. In HPV-OPC, traditional pathologic risk factors indicating a need for adjuvant radiation or chemoradiation may not apply as strongly.
Safety of arteriovenous fistulae and grafts for continuous renal replacement therapy: The Michigan experience.

Introduction Arteriovenous fistula or graft (AVF/AVG) use is widely considered contraindicated for continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), yet insertion of hemodialysis (HD) catheters can carry high complication risk in critically ill end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Methods Single-center analysis of 48 consecutive hospitalized ESRD patients on maintenance HD who underwent CRRT using AVF/AVG from 2012 to 2013. Primary outcome was access-related complications. Findings Mean age was 60 years, 48% were male, and 88% required vasopressor support. Median duration of AVF/AVG use for CRRT was 4 days (range 1-34). Ten (21%) patients had access complications (5 bleeding, 5 infiltration, 1 thrombosis); 5 (10.4%) required catheter placement. Overall 31 (65%) patients survived to hospital discharge and AVF/AVG access was functional at the time of discharge in 29 (94%) patients. Discussion In our experience, use of AVF/AVG for CRRT can be performed with a low serious complication rate and low risk of access loss, potentially avoiding catheter-related complications.
Emulating Round-Robin in Wireless Networks

Round robin and its variants are well known scheduling policies that are popular in wireline networks due to their throughput optimality, delay insensitivity to file size distributions and short-term fairness. The latter two properties are also extremely important for emerging wireless applications, such as Internet of Things and cyber-physical systems. However, there is no direct wireless analog of round robin with all the desirable properties in wireless networks, where wireless interference and channel fading are predominant. The main reason is due to the fact that it is very difficult to even define what round robin means in wireless networks. This motivates us to develop a round-robin-like algorithm in wireless networks that has nice properties as round robin in wireline networks. To that end, we utilize a counter called the Time-Since-Last-Service (TSLS) that keeps track of the time of each file since its last service, and observe that scheduling a file with maximum TSLS in a single server is equivalent to serving files in a round robin fashion. Based on this key observation, we develop a TSLS-based algorithm that balances the tradeoff between the TSLS value and the channel rate for each link and show that the proposed algorithm achieves maximum system throughput, which demands a nontraditional approach due to the abrupt dynamics of the TSLS metrics. Numerous simulations are provided to validate its desired properties such as delay insensitivity and excellent short-term fairness performance as in the case of round robin algorithms of wireline networks.
Characterization of the Fleeting Hydroxoiron(III) Complex of the Pentadentate TMC-py Ligand

Nonheme mononuclear hydroxoiron(III) species are important intermediates in biological oxidations, but well-characterized examples of synthetic complexes are scarce due to their instability or tendency to form μ-oxodiiron(III) complexes, which are the thermodynamic sink for such chemistry. Herein, we report the successful stabilization and characterization of a mononuclear hydroxoiron(III) complex, [FeIII(OH)(TMC-py)]2+ (3; TMC-py = 1-(pyridyl-2′-methyl)-4,8,11-trimethyl-1,4,8,11-tetrazacyclotetradecane), which is directly generated from the reaction of [FeIV(O)(TMC-py)]2+ (2) with 1,4-cyclohexadiene at −40 °C by H-atom abstraction. Complex 3 exhibits a UV spectrum with a λmax at 335 nm (e ≈ 3500 M–1 cm–1) and a molecular ion in its electrospray ionization mass spectrum at m/z 555 with an isotope distribution pattern consistent with its formulation. Electron paramagnetic resonance and Mossbauer spectroscopy show 3 to be a high-spin Fe(III) center that is formed in 85% yield. Extended X-ray absorption fine...
Texture mediated grain boundary network design in three dimensions

Abstract Experimental grain boundary engineering studies have demonstrated the potential for materials properties enhancement via the modification of grain boundary network structure. These techniques apply to materials that readily form annealing twins and are amenable to cyclic thermomechanical processing and have resulted in dramatic property enhancement. In this work we present a theoretical framework that enables the design of grain boundary networks in polycrystalline materials through an alternative approach: exploitation of a relationship between crystallographic texture and grain boundary network structure. Because crystallographic texture is a universal characteristic of polycrystalline materials, this work has the potential to significantly expand the class of materials whose grain boundary networks can be controlled. We demonstrate the utility of the approach by application to a concrete design problem involving competing design objectives for yield strength, elastic compliance, and resistance to electromigration. We construct the first materials properties closure to comprise grain boundary network sensitive properties and identify an optimal microstructure that is predicted to outperform an undesigned isotropic material.
Swift action increases the success of population reinforcement for a declining prairie grouse.

Translocations have become an increasingly valuable tool for conservation in recent years, but assessing the successfulness of translocations and identifying factors that contribute to their success continue to challenge biologists. As a unique class of translocation, population reinforcements have received relatively little attention despite representing a substantial portion of translocation programs. Here, we conducted population viability analyses to quantify the effects of 216 reinforcement scenarios on the long-term viability of four populations of Greater Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) in Wisconsin, USA, and used multiple linear regression to identify factors that had the greatest relative influence on population viability. We considered reinforcements from outside of the study area in addition to translocations among Wisconsin populations. We observed the largest decreases in site-specific extinction probability and the largest increases in the number of sites persisting for 50 years when more vulnerable populations were targeted for reinforcement. Conversely, reinforcing the most stable sites caused the greatest reduction in regional extinction probability. We found that the number of translocated hens was a comparatively poor predictor of changes in long-term population viability, whereas the earlier onset of reinforcement was consistently associated with the greatest increases in viability. Our results highlight the value of evaluating alternative reinforcement strategies a priori and considering the effects of reinforcement on metrics of long-term population persistence.
Software-defined quantum network switching

We present the design and implementation of a software-defined quantum networking protocol and software switch integrated with a numerical quantum channel simulator. Our protocol design leverages recent advances in the OpenFlow protocol that enable software-defined control and management of optical network traffic using side-channel metadata. We implement this design using customization of the open source vSwitch for optical network routing, and we test the implementation using a numerical simulator of the quantum channel alongside actual network traffic. Our results support the integration of quantum communication with existing optical transport methods.
Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy with adolescents with illegal sexual behavior in a secure residential treatment facility.

•Adjudicated youth who completed TF-CBT experienced clinically significant reductions in PTSD symptoms.•TF-CBT was implemented with fidelity among a sample of therapists in a secure treatment setting.•Face-to-face workshops combined with ongoing consultations likely contribute to better TF-CBT implementation outcomes.
Ensalada caliente y carnero verde: imágenes de la vianda en la poesía satírico-burlesca de Francisco de Quevedo

This article analyzes social identity and culinary history as revealed through the food imagery in Francisco de Quevedo’s burlesque-satirical poetry. Specifically «Matraca de las flores y la hortaliza», «Boda y acompanamiento del campo», and «Los sopones de Salamanca», together with the contemporary cookbooks of Granado, Hernandez de Maceras and Martinez Montino, show that meat was privileged over vegetables; mutton, over beef; and salads were not consumed in the highest social circles. Drawing from Bourdieu’s notion of cultural capital, we understand that these food choices reflect social status. In terms of Spain’s culinary history, these works provide a glimpse into early seventeenthcentury cultural practices. Cucumbers were associated with curative properties, lettuce (commonly accepted as an anti-aphrodisiac) was cooked rather than eaten raw, and the best ham came from the towns of Rute and Algarrovillas. Together, these examples offer us a deeper understanding of the history of Spain’s food and its cultural and social implications.
Technology Innovation Indicators

Government policies with regard to innovation have sometimes played the role of promoter, sometimes regulator, and sometimes referee between competing private interests. To support these functions, a substantial effort has been made to understand the nature of technological innovation and to measure various facets of technological development.
Liberating Discretion: The Effect of Rape Myth Factors on Prosecutors’ Decisions to Charge Suspects in Penetrative and Non-Penetrative Sex Offenses

In sexual assault cases, prosecutorial charging decisions may be influenced by legal factors like offense seriousness and convictability and extralegal rape myths. We use data on sexual assaults in Los Angeles, to test for the effects of victim behavior, victim credibility, and “real rape” stereotypes on the decision to file charges. We also test the liberation hypothesis, examining whether rape myths influence the charge decision more in less serious nonpenetrative cases then in penetrative cases. Results show that victim credibility and behavior, but not consistency with real rape stereotypes, affect charging decisions, even after controlling for legally relevant factors, and they influence prosecutors’ charging decisions equally in penetrative and nonpenetrative cases. Rape myths also influence the charging decision indirectly via victim cooperation. We conclude that rape myths are incorporated into the criminal justice system’s definition of and response to sexual violence, so cannot be addres...
Coordinated Bayesian-Based Bioinspired Plume Source Term Estimation and Source Seeking for Mobile Robots

A new nonparametric Bayesian-based motion planning algorithm for autonomous plume source term estimation (STE) and source seeking (SS) is presented in this paper. The algorithm is designed for mobile robots equipped with gas concentration sensors. Specifically, robots coordinate and utilize a Gaussian-plume likelihood model in a Bayesian-based STE process, then they simultaneously search for and navigate toward the source through model based, bioinspired SS methods such as biased-random-walk and surge-casting. Compared with the state-of-the-art Bayesian- and sensor-based STE/SS motion planners, the strategy described takes advantage of coordination between multiple robots and the estimated plume model for faster and more robust SS, rather than rely on direct or filtered sensor measurements. A set of Monte Carlo simulation studies are conducted to compare the performance between the uncoordinated and coordinated algorithms for different robot team sizes and starting conditions. Additionally, the algorithms are validated experimentally through a laboratory-safe, realistic humid-air plume that behaves similar to a gas plume, to test STE and SS using mobile ground robots equipped with humidity sensors. Simulation and experimental results show consistently that the algorithm involving coordination outperforms traditional bioinspired SS algorithms and it is approximately twice as fast as the uncoordinated case. Finally, the plume source is distorted to study the algorithm's limitations and impact on STE and SS, where results show that even for distorted plumes, useful source localization information can be obtained.
Public Anthropology in the United States and Indonesia

This paper discusses the development of public anthropology in the United States and Indonesia. Drawing on literature reviews and archive studies, this article argues that public anthropology needs to be considered as a pragmatic strategy to elevate the position of anthropology in the public realm, and make it relevant to society. As a scholarly concept, public anthropology in Indonesia is not as popular as in the United States relative to applied anthropology. However, its individual and institutional practices have been flourishing in the last decade, including collaborative works and community engagement, publishing scholarship beyond conventional academic forms, active involvement in contemporary human problems, and efforts to influence public policies. To foster Indonesian public anthropology, an academic promotion system that gives more appreciation to public scholarship should be encouraged. Academic anthropologists may also take the initiative to include public anthropology in the anthropology curriculum. Moreover, the Indonesian Anthropological Association (AAI) can facilitate and promote public anthropology in broader public debates, and maintain its active role in defending humanity.
Bilateral acute iris transillumination (BAIT) syndrome: literature review

The authors conducted a literature review about bilateral acute iris transillumination (BAIT) syndrome, a new and relatively unknown syndrome that should be described and made known to the greatest number to avoid potential diagnostic and therapeutic errors. The first cases date back only to 2004 and a total of 79 cases have been published to date, mainly in Europe and especially in Turkey and Belgium. It mainly affects young women between the ages of 30 and 50, and symptoms are often preceded by an upper airway infection. There is also a majority of cases where the onset of the syndrome follows oral intake of moxyfloxacin. The clinical signs are dominated by strong photophobia, secondary to a spectacular transillumination of the iris. Other classical symptoms are conjunctival infection, eye pain, blurred vision, temporary ocular hypertonia, fixed mid-dilated pupils, and pigment dispersion in the anterior chamber with pigmentary deposits in the trabecular meshwork in gonioscopy, symptoms that may be mistaken for uveitis. After a few weeks or months of evolution, persistent sequelae were pupillary atony and chronic and bilateral transillumination of the iris, leading to significant photophobia and sometimes persistent ocular hypertension. The BAIT syndrome is close to the bilateral acute depigmentation of the iris (BADI) syndrome, which is similar to BAIT but lacks associated transillumination. A few cases of patients with BAIT syndrome on one eye and BADI syndrome on the contralateral eye have been described, which confirms some form of link between the two clinical entities.
Explaining the Distinctiveness of Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexuals in American Politics

Lesbians, gays and bisexuals (LGBs) tend to affiliate with the Democratic Party and hold distinctively liberal views on a wide range of issues, including issues that have nothing to do with gay rights. Scholars have speculated - but never definitively shown - that LGBs acquire these distinctive attitudes through intra-group contact. Using pooled survey data that permits statistically powerful analyses of nationally representative samples of LGBs for the first time, this article finds evidence for two alternate mechanisms that play large roles in making LGBs politically distinctive: selection (LGBs are more likely to be brought up in environments associated with liberal views later in life) and conversion (the life event of adopting a gay identity appears to be accompanied by the acquisition of a cohesive set of liberal beliefs before having much contact with other LGBs).
PRIMARY CARDIAC SARCOMA INVOLVING THE MITRAL VALVE: AN INSIDIOUS FORM OF HEART FAILURE

Primary cardiac sarcoma is a very uncommon diagnosis with a prevalence ranging from 0.001% to 0.28% of all tumors. Cardiac sarcomas have been reported to originate in the atria and ventricles and are often misdiagnosed due to nonspecific symptoms. Involvement of the mitral valve is exceedingly rare
Vitamin D Intake and Progression of Urinary Incontinence in Women

Objective To determine if vitamin D intake is associated with reduced progression of urgency urinary incontinence (UI) in women. Methods We used the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) I and NHSII cohorts to evaluate the association of vitamin D intake with progression of urgency UI and mixed UI, from mild-moderate to severe symptoms, from 2004 to 2012 (NHS) and 2005-2013 (NHSII). Intake of vitamin D at study baseline was categorized and updated at the start of each 2-4 year follow-up period. Multivariable-adjusted relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of progression to severe UI were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models. Results At baseline, of the 20,560 older women (age range 58-73 years) in NHS I with mild/moderate urgency or mixed UI, 21% reported oral vitamin D intake of at least 800 IU per day. Among 12,573 middle-aged women (age range 42-59) in NHS II with mild/moderate urgency or mixed UI, 17% reported oral vitamin D intake of at least 800 IU daily. From 2004 to 2012, 4853 incident cases of urgency/mixed UI progression were identified among older women. From 2005 to 2013, 1378 incident cases of urgency/mixed UI progression were identified among middle-aged women. After multivariable adjustment, no significant associations between vitamin D intake and incidence of urgency/mixed UI progression were observed in either cohort (RR = 1.10, 95% CI 0.99-1.23 in older women, RR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.71, 1.10 in middle-aged women). Conclusion Despite interest in vitamin D as a low-cost strategy to prevent or reduce UI, our findings indicate oral vitamin D may not reduce urgency/mixed UI progression.
Chemotherapy and Prostate Cancer

Chemotherapy treatment options for prostate cancer (PC) are very limited and it may not always be indicated depending on the disease state. The three FDA-approved chemotherapies for PC are docetaxel, cabazitaxel, and mitoxantrone in combination with prednisone. The most common cytotoxic chemotherapy is taxane derivatives. Docetaxel is used as first-line chemotherapy with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients. Cabazitaxel is used as second-line chemotherapy when patients do not tolerate or progressed during or after docetaxel with mCRPC patients. The taxane derivatives have shown to improve overall survival in men with mCRPC. Other chemotherapies like carboplatin, etoposide, or cisplatin may be considered when mCRPC patients with visceral metastases involving neuroendocrine or small cell features upon biopsy. Side effects that are commonly associated with these chemotherapies are fatigue, nausea, vomiting, taste change, mouth sores, nail changes, liver toxicity, alopecia, renal toxicity, neutropenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, fluid retention/edema. Closely monitor laboratory results, and side effects prior to each administration is crucial to prevent severe toxicities. Due to the limitation of chemotherapy option for PC patients, ongoing clinical trials are needed to investigate and develop more treatment options for patients with PC.
Incorporating Curriculum Content into Educational Escape Games for Middle School Students.

Since 2007, escape rooms have become increasingly popular in mainstream society. The heightened sense of urgency felt when participating in escape games, united with the possibility of engaging stu...
Collaborative writing as a bridge from peer discourse to individual argumentative writing

Converging evidence indicates that argumentative thinking and writing are promoted by peer discourse. Here it is proposed that collaborative writing can serve as a bridge from peer discourse to individual argumentative writing. Three groups of sixth graders participated in a study that tested this hypothesis. Two of the groups took part in a month-long intervention that emphasized engagement and practice in dialogic argumentation. These two groups differed only in addition of a joint writing activity in one group. The third group served as a non-intervention control. Final individual essays showed superior performance by the joint writing group. Essays of the superior group more frequently included evidence-based arguments. They also more often integrated belief-incongruent statements with belief-congruent ones. Group differences transferred in several respects to essays on a new topic. Results support the claim that engagement in collaborative writing offers a promising path in developing argumentative writing.
Pharmacology of HIV Cure: Site of Action.

Despite significant advances in HIV treatment over the past 30 years, critical barriers to an HIV cure persist. The HIV reservoir, defined at both the cellular and anatomical level, constitutes the main barrier to cure. While the mechanisms underlying the reservoir are not yet well understood, one theory to explain persistence at the anatomical level is that subtherapeutic exposure to antiretroviral therapy (ART) within certain tissue compartments permits ongoing replication. Characterizing ART pharmacology throughout the body is important in the context of these potential pharmacologic sanctuaries and for maximizing the probability of success with forthcoming cure strategies that rely on latency reversal and require ART to prevent reseeding the reservoir. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of ART and latency reversal agent distribution at the site of action for HIV cure (i.e., anatomical sites commonly associated with HIV persistence, such as lymphoid organs and the central nervous system). We also discuss methodologic approaches that provide insight into HIV cure pharmacology, including experimental design and advances within the computational, pharmaceutical, and analytical chemistry fields. The information discussed in this review will assist in streamlining the development of investigational cure strategies by providing a roadmap to ensure therapeutic exposure within the site of action for HIV cure.
Rhythm and groove as cognitive mechanisms of dance intervention in Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is associated with a loss of internal cueing systems, affecting rhythmic motor tasks such as walking and speech production. Music and dance encourage spontaneous rhythmic coupling between sensory and motor systems; this has inspired the development of dance programs for PD. Here we assessed the therapeutic outcome and some underlying cognitive mechanisms of dance classes for PD, as measured by neuropsychological assessments of disease severity as well as quantitative assessments of rhythmic ability and sensorimotor experience. We assessed prior music and dance experience, beat perception (Beat Alignment Test), sensorimotor coupling (tapping to high- and low-groove songs), and disease severity (Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale in PD individuals) before and after four months of weekly dance classes. PD individuals performed better on UPDRS after four months of weekly dance classes, suggesting efficacy of dance intervention. Greater post-intervention improvements in UPDRS were associated with the presence of prior dance experience and with more accurate sensorimotor coupling. Prior dance experience was additionally associated with enhanced sensorimotor coupling during tapping to both high-groove and low-groove songs. These results show that dance classes for PD improve both qualitative and quantitative assessments of disease symptoms. The association between these improvements and dance experience suggests that rhythmic motor training, a mechanism underlying dance training, impacts improvements in parkinsonian symptoms following a dance intervention.
Head Impact Biomechanics in Youth Flag Football: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background:Youth flag football participation has rapidly grown and is a potentially safer alternative to tackle football. However, limited research has quantitatively assessed youth flag football h...
On user costs of risky monetary assets

We extend the monetary-asset user-cost risk adjustment of Barnett, Liu and Jensen (1997) and their risk-adjusted Divisia monetary aggregates to the case of multiple non-monetary assets and intertemporal non-separability. Our model can generate potentially larger and more accurate CCAPM user-cost risk adjustments than those found in Barnett, Liu and Jensen (1997). We show that the risk adjustment to a monetary asset’s user cost can be measured easily by its beta. We show that any risky non-monetary asset can be used as the benchmark asset, if its rate of return is adjusted in accordance with our formula. These extensions could be especially useful, when own rates of return are subject to exchange rate risk, as in Barnett (2003).
US Residents' Perspectives on the Introduction, Conduct, and Value of American Board of Anesthesiology's Objective Structured Clinical Examination-Results of the 1st Nationwide Questionnaire Survey.

Introduction: Passing the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is currently a requirement for the vast majority (not all) of candidates to gain American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) initial certification. Many publications from the ABA have attempted to justify its introduction, conduct and value. However, the ABA has never attempted to understand the views of the residents. Methods: A total of 4237 residents at various training levels from 132 programs were surveyed by asking to fill a Google questionnaire prospectively between March 8th, 2021 and April 10th, 2021. Every potential participant was sent an original email followed by 2 reminders. Results: The overall response rate was 17.26% (710 responses to 4112 invitations). On a 5-point Likert scale with 1 as “very inaccurate” and 5 as “very accurate,” the mean accuracy of objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) in assessing communication skills and professionalism was 2.3 and 2.1 respectively. In terms of the usefulness of OSCE training for improving physicians' clinical practice, avoiding lawsuits, teaching effective communication with patients and teaching effective communication with other providers, the means on a 5-point Likert scale with 1 as “Not at all useful” and 5 as “Very useful” were 1.86, 1.69, 1.79, and 1.82 respectively. Residents unanimously thought that factors such as culture, race/ethnicity, religion and language adversely influence the assessment of communication skills. On a 5-point Likert scale with 1 as “not at all affected” and 5 as “very affected,” the corresponding scores were 3.45, 3.19, 3.89, and 3.18 respectively. Interestingly, nationality and political affiliation were also thought to influence this assessment, however, to a lesser extent. In addition, residents believed it is inappropriate to test non-cardiac anesthesiologists for TEE skills (2.39), but felt it was appropriate to test non-regional anesthesiologists in Ultrasound skills (3.29). Lastly, nearly 80% of the residents think that money was the primary motivating factor behind ABA's introduction of the OSCE. Over 96% residents think that OSCE should be stalled, either permanently scrapped (60.8%) or paused (35.8%). Conclusions: Anesthesiology residents in the United States overwhelmingly indicated that the OSCE does not serve any useful purpose and should be immediately halted.
Associations of alcohol use, HIV infection, and age with brain white matter microstructure.

Heavy drinking and HIV infection are independently associated with damage to the brain's white matter. The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether current alcohol consumption, HIV infection, and associated characteristics were associated with indices of white matter microstructural integrity in people living with HIV (PLWH) and seronegative individuals. PLWH and controls were categorized as non-drinkers, moderate drinkers, or heavy drinkers. White matter fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD) were assessed using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Voxelwise analyses using tract-based spatial statistics were followed by confirmatory region-of-interest (ROI) analyses. Data from 108 participants (62 PLWH, 46 controls) were suitable for analysis. Average age (± standard deviation) was 45.2 ± 11.1 years, and the sample was 42% female. The majority of PLWH were on antiretroviral therapy (94%) and were virally suppressed (69%). PLWH and controls did not differ on substance use. Heavier alcohol intake was significantly associated with lower FA and higher RD in widespread areas. Heavy drinking was significantly associated with higher AD in a small region. The main effect of HIV was not significant, but a significant HIV-age interaction was observed. Follow-up ROI analyses confirmed the main effect of drinking group and HIV-age interaction. In conclusion, results are consistent with a dose-dependent association of alcohol use with lower white matter microstructural coherence. Concordance between FA and RD findings suggests dysmyelination as a mechanism. Findings underscore the need to address unhealthy alcohol use in HIV-positive and seronegative individuals, the consequences of which may be exacerbated by aging.
Type Synthesis of Contact Sensing Elements for Robotic Fixturing

This paper uses group theory for type synthesis or enumeration of contacts between geometric elements necessary in the design of tactile sensing mechanical fixtures for robotic applications. Although the scope of the paper is limited to geometric contacts involving points, planes, and spherical surfaces, the techniques developed are general and can be applied to other geometric features and non tactile sensing elements used in robotic referencing and calibration.
ASYMMETRIC EFFECTS OF AGGREGATE DEMAND SHOCKS ACROSS U.S. INDUSTRIES: EVIDENCE AND IMPLICATIONS

Both time-series and cross-sectional regressions are estimated for 28 private two-digit standard industrial classification (S.I.C.) industries in the United States. Positive and negative aggregate demand shocks have varying effects on each of real output growth, nominal wage inflation, and price inflation for many industries. Asymmetry appears to be the result of movements in demand along a kinked-slope industrial supply curve. Supply-side asymmetry appears to be induced by trend price inflation. In addition, the variability of industrial demand increases asymmetry in the effects of aggregate demand shocks on industrial variables.
Logical Characterizations of Nonmonotonic TMSs

Nonmonotonic truth maintenance systems (TMSs) have been widely used without a clear appreciation of their capabilities and limitations. This paper characterizes the logical inferences performed by a nonmonotonic TMS in terms of two formalisms of independent interest, namely logic programming with the stable set semantics and autoepistemic logic. The paper also shows that implementing a nonmonotonic TMS is an NP-complete problem.
Failure Time Distributions: Estimates and Asymptotic Results.

The paper deals with life distributions for coherent systems of components. Two major questions are discussed: (i) estimation of system life in terms of component lives, and (ii) asymptotic models. Both questions are related to extremes of a sequence of random variables through the path set and cut set decomposition of coherent systems, which reduce a coherent system to either a parallel or a series system. It is pointed out that the classical theory of extremes of independent and identically distributed random variables does not provide an acceptable approximation. Hence, the emphasis is on dependence or on the case when the random variables are not identically distributed. The inequalities presented when discussing question (i) are applicable not only to extreme value problems but to an arbitrary multivariate distribution when lower dimensional marginals are specified. The asymptotic models are also discussed in the light of hazard rate properties of the limiting distributions for the extremes in a particular model.
Involvement of Superoxide Dismutase in Spore Coat Assembly in Bacillus subtilis

Endospores of Bacillus subtilis are enclosed in a proteinaceous coat which can be differentiated into a thick, striated outer layer and a thinner, lamellar inner layer. We found that the N-terminal sequence of a 25-kDa protein present in a preparation of spore coat proteins matched that of the Mn-dependent superoxide dismutase (SOD) encoded by the sodA locus. sodA is transcribed throughout the growth and sporulation of a wild-type strain and is responsible for the SOD activity detected in total cell extracts prepared from B. subtilis. Disruption of the sodA locus produced a mutant that lacked any detectable SOD activity during vegetative growth and sporulation. The sodA mutant was not impaired in the ability to form heat- or lysozyme-resistant spores. However, examination of the coat layers of sodA mutant spores revealed increased extractability of the tyrosine-rich outer coat protein CotG. We showed that this condition was not accompanied by augmented transcription of the cotG gene in sporulating cells of the sodA mutant. We conclude that SodA is required for the assembly of CotG into the insoluble matrix of the spore and suggest that CotG is covalently cross-linked into the insoluble matrix by an oxidative reaction dependent on SodA. Ultrastructural analysis revealed that the inner coat formed by a sodA mutant was incomplete. Moreover, the outer coat lacked the characteristic striated appearance of wild-type spores, a pattern that was accentuated in a cotG mutant. These observations suggest that the SodA-dependent formation of the insoluble matrix containing CotG is largely responsible for the striated appearance of this coat layer.
Safety of biologic and nonbiologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug therapy in veterans with rheumatoid arthritis and hepatitis B virus infection: a retrospective cohort study

We evaluated the safety of current treatment regimens for patients with RA and HBV in a large US cohort. We identified biologic and nonbiologic treatment episodes of RA patients using 1997 to 2011 national data from the US Veterans Health Administration. Eligible episodes had evidence of HBV infection (HBV surface antigen, HBV core antibody, HBV e-antibody and/or HBV DNA) and had a baseline alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 100 IU/mL. Results were reported as the cumulative incidence of treatment episodes achieving hepatotoxicity at 3, 6 and 12 months post biologic exposure. Five hundred sixty-six unique RA patients with HBV contributed 959 treatment episodes. Mean age was 62.1 ± 10.3 years; 91.8% were male. Hepatotoxicity was uncommon, with 26 events identified among 959 episodes (2.7%) within 12 months. Hepatotoxicity was comparable between biologic and nonbiologic DMARDs (2.6% vs. 2.8%, P = 0.87). The median time between HBV screening and starting a new RA drug was 504 days (IQR 144, 1,163). Follow-up HBV testing occurred among 14 hepatotoxicity episodes (53.8%) at a median of 202 days (IQR 82, 716) from the date of ALT elevation. A total of 146 (15.2%) treatment episodes received at least one test for HBV DNA at any point in the observation period. Among US veterans with RA and HBV the risk of hepatotoxicity is low (2.7%), and comparable between biologic and nonbiologic DMARDS (2.8% vs. 2.6%, P = 0.87). HBV testing associated with DMARD initiation or hepatotoxicity was infrequent.