cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two strikes: limited NIH R55 and R56 retooling funds and abolishment of the A2 grant mechanism.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) are facing significant budgetary challenges as a result of the current economic climate. The recent sunset of investigator-initiated R01-type research grants after one revised submission, coupled with the present lack of an NIH retooling funding mechanism for such grant applicants, creates a concerning risk that talented and well-trained investigators may be forced to give up their research careers. Existing NIH retooling mechanisms include the R55 Shannon Award, which was established in 1991 and was essentially replaced in 2005 by the R56 award. There is an urgent need to either significantly expand the R55/R56 mechanisms and definition of NIH grant bridging/retooling support for unfunded meritorious proposals or introduce a new mechanism that provides specific support to investigators with competitive but unfunded R01 revised grants. An expanded retooling funding mechanism deserves implementation during continuing assessment of whether allowance of only one r...
Real Taxation of Virtual Commerce

In virtual worlds, people participate in fantasy adventures or socialize in a visually immersive online environment. Popular examples include World of Warcraft, Second Life, Everquest and Ultima Online. As more people are reportedly earning real money through their virtual world activities, governments are looking into whether virtual world transactions are subject to real taxes, even if the participant does not convert his virtual income into cash. However, the application of U.S. tax law has led to unclear and sometimes conflicting interpretations. This paper instead looks into the virtual world's economic environment to determine whether in-world transactions should be taxable events. Many virtual worlds have their own internal trade based economy with its own currency acting as a medium of exchange. While most of these economies are closed off from the real world, some integrate real cash into their economies through an internal currency exchange system. This paper proposes that these latter currencies act much like foreign currencies and should be taxed under the foreign currency rules of the Internal Revenue Code.
Mastering Eliot's Paradox: Fostering Cultural Memory in an Age of Illusion and Allusion

The craft of librarianship should inform the law governing the acquisition, preservation, and transmission of knowledge. Drawing upon T.S. Eliot's works of literary criticism, part I of this article describes the contradictory role of cultural memory in a society saturated with new information. Even as the accumulation of information in a technologically explosive society heightens the value of the most prominent cultural landmarks, each distinct cultural expression commands an ever-diminishing amount of attention. Parts II and III turn from literary theory to legal doctrine. After reviewing the Supreme Court's cases on library management, part II endorses two basic principles within the law of librarianship as a branch of First Amendment jurisprudence. First, decisions to acquire material should lie beyond judicial challenge. Second, legislative mandates to exclude material should draw strict scrutiny and should be presumed unconstitutional. Part III concludes that uncertainty within the Supreme Court's jurisprudence on librarianship should be resolved in favor of more liberal access to information.
Nanoparticle-mediated transcriptional modification enhances neuronal differentiation of human neural stem cells following transplantation in rat brain

Strategies to enhance survival and direct the differentiation of stem cells in vivo following transplantation in tissue repair site are critical to realizing the potential of stem cell-based therapies. Here we demonstrated an effective approach to promote neuronal differentiation and maturation of human fetal tissue-derived neural stem cells (hNSCs) in a brain lesion site of a rat traumatic brain injury model using biodegradable nanoparticle-mediated transfection method to deliver key transcriptional factor neurogenin-2 to hNSCs when transplanted with a tailored hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel, generating larger number of more mature neurons engrafted to the host brain tissue than non-transfected cells. The nanoparticle-mediated transcription activation method together with an HA hydrogel delivery matrix provides a translatable approach for stem cell-based regenerative therapy.
Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections

Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) represent life-threatening events that require aggressive surgical intervention, systemic antibiotic therapy, and effective supportive management. NSTIs are a heterogeneous group which may be caused by Clostridium perfringens, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, or by a polymicrobial microflora of gram-positive, gram-negative, and anaerobic bacteria. Virtually all bacterial species and even fungal organisms are associated with NSTI. They are locally aggressive infections that may involve only the skin and subcutaneous tissue, or they may encompass extensive necrosis of skeletal muscle. External evidence of the extensive nature of NSTI may be subtle early in the disease, and requires the clinician to have a high index of suspicion when patients have a rapidly increasing soft tissue inflammatory process associated with a systemic inflammatory response. The hallmark feature of NSTIs is the presence of increasing pain and tenderness that is disproportionate to the apparent cutaneous injury or infection.
The Impact of Aging on Cancer Progression and Treatment

Neoplastic diseases will soon be the leading cause of death in North America and Western Europe. The incidence of cancer increases exponentially with age, and there is significant evidence to suggest intimate connections between the molecular pathogenesis of cancer and aging. Cancer occurs as a result of accumulating genetic and epigenetic alterations in self-renewing cells that lead to unrestrained cell proliferation, resistance to apoptosis, immune evasion and tumor spread. Several classical features of aging contribute to the age-induced development of cancer including accumulated macromolecular damage, waning cellular immunity, and altered epigenetic state in long-term self-renewing cells including somatic stem cells. In this chapter, we will discuss how these general mechanisms of aging contribute to specific malignancies, and identify research needs in these areas. We believe an inevitable conclusion from this analysis is that cancer and aging are very closely linked, and therefore a “cure” for cancer is as unlikely as a “cure” for aging. Work described in this chapter, however, will show how a molecular understanding of the dynamic inter-play between cancer and aging suggest it will be possible to decrease the incidence of new cancers while slowing the rate of physiological aging and extending the human healthspan.
Abstract 1631: Cav1 is a key mediator of tumor-stromal interactions in melanoma.

Several lines of experimental evidence have demonstrated the importance of the tumor microenvironment in controlling melanoma tumor growth and melanoma metastasis. Caveolin1 (Cav1), the main structural component of the plasma membrane microdomains termed Caveolae, is emerging as an important signaling molecule in the stroma of several tumor types. However, Cav1’s function in the melanoma microenvironment of primary tumors and of metastasis remains largely unexplored. Here, we devise various experimental approaches to elucidate the function of stromal Cav1 in the development of melanoma in mice. We show that loss of Cav1 (but not Cav2) in mice promotes the growth of orthotopically implanted melanoma cells. We use cocultures of fibroblasts and melanoma cells coupled with cytokine analysis to identify various Cav1 regulated factors that function in a paracrine fashion in melanoma. Cav1KO fibroblasts secrete increased amount of ShhN, bFGF, and MMP2/3, cytokines known to promote proliferation of melanoma cells and remodeling of the tumor stroma during melanomagenesis. Intradermal xenografts of fibroblasts and melanoma cells (5:1 ratios) confirmed the tumor promoting role of fibroblasts lacking Cav1. Interestingly, constitutive inhibition of the Shh pathway in melanoma cells reverses the growth and tumor-promoting effects of Cav1KO fibroblasts in co-culture or co-injection experiments suggesting a Cav1 mediated Shh heterotypic interaction between fibroblasts and melanoma cells. In summary, these studies reveal previously undefined functions for Cav1 in the melanoma microenvironment that could potentially be targeted for therapy. Citation Format: Casey Trimmer, Franco Capozza. Cav1 is a key mediator of tumor-stromal interactions in melanoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1631. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1631 Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 because the presenter was unable to attend.
Experimental Observation on Germicidal Efficacy of Tian-shen 84 Liquid Disinfectant

Objective To know the germicidal efficacy and stability,and toxicity of some liquid disinfectant mainly containing sodium hypochlorite.Methods The measuring about suspension quantitative germicidal test and accelerated stability test were used to observe the characters.Results The killing logarithm value of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in suspension exposed to the solution of sodium hypochlorite disin- fectant containing available chlorine 1 000mg/L for 15 min or 600mg/L for 40 min were higher than 5.00.The average killing logarithm value of the natural bacteria on the surface of objects wiped with the solution of the disinfection solution containing 1 000mg/L of available chorine for 30 min was higher than 1.00 and that of Escherichia coli on the surface of contaminated cucumbers wiped with the solution of the disinfection solution containing 600mg/L of available chorine for 40 min was higher than 3.00.Capacity test indicated that the minimal eligible concentration of available chlorine was 1 000mg/L for the solution of the disinfectant.After incubated at 37℃for 3 months,the available chorine of the disinfectant decreased by 8.68%.The acute oral toxicity test of the disinfection solution showed that it is practically non-toxic.It did not cause micronuclei in polychromatic erythrocytes of mouse bone marrow.Conclusion Although the disinfectant belongs to non-toxic substance in animal test and has good germicidal efficacy,the effect of this liquid disinfectant is unstable.
Small Faith-Related Organizations as Partners in Local Social Service Networks

Efforts to enlist small faith-related organizations as partners in public service delivery raise many questions. Using community social service networks as the unit of analysis, this paper asks one with broader relevance to nonprofit sector managers: What factors support and constrain effective integration of these organizations into a local service delivery network? The evidence and illustrations come from longitudinal case studies of five faith-related organizations who received their first government contract as part of a California faith-based initiative. By comparing the organizational development and network partnership trajectories of these organizations over more than a decade, the analysis identifies four key variables influencing partnership dynamics and outcomes: organizational niche within the local network; leadership connections and network legitimacy; faith-inspired commitments and persistence; and core organizational competencies and capacities. The evidence supports shifting the focus of faith-based initiatives to emphasize local planning and network development, taking into account how these four variables apply to specific organizations and their community context.
Cross-linking of neuropeptide Y to its receptor on rat brain membranes.

The receptor for neuropeptide Y (NPY) was identified on rat brain membranes after covalent labeling with 125I-NPY using the homobifunctional cross-linkers disuccinimido suberate and disuccinimido dithiobis(propionate) and the heterobifunctional photoactive cross-linker succinimido 4-azidobenzoate. Analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by autoradiography revealed the presence of two bands at Mr 62,000 and 39,000. Both species showed the same high affinity for 125I-NPY. Exposure to reducing agents did not change the migration of these bands. When the NPY receptor complex was solubilized from the membranes with 1% Triton X-100 and analyzed by gel filtration chromatography, it eluted from a Fractogel TSK 55F column as a peak at approximately 65 kDa. This peak was asymmetric with a shoulder of radioactivity that probably reflects the smaller receptor species. These data indicate that the NPY receptor on rat brain membranes is a monomeric 58-kDa unit (62 kDa minus the ma...
Machine Tool Noise

The increasing attention being paid to environmental conditions in industry means that the machine tool builder will have to give even greater heed to the control of noise. Research into noise control has now developed to a point where levels of acceptable exposure can be defined accurately and so engineering capability in noise control must be acquired to meet the requirements of these exposure limits.
Hidden Hands: Tracking Hands with an Occlusion Aware Tracker

This work presents an occlusion aware hand tracker to reliably track both hands of a person using a monocular RGB camera. To demonstrate its robustness, we evaluate the tracker on a challenging, occlusion-ridden naturalistic driving dataset, where hand motions of a driver are to be captured reliably. The proposed framework additionally encodes and learns tracklets corresponding to complex (yet frequently occurring) hand interactions offline, and makes an informed choice during data association. This provides positional information of the left and right hands with no intrusion (through complete or partial occlusions) over long, unconstrained video sequences in an online manner. The tracks thus obtained may find use in domains such as human activity analysis, gesture recognition, and higher-level semantic categorization.
Additional Quality Activities and the Future

As medicine and particularly cardiovascular procedures move into the future of value based strategies, cardiovascular imaging will need to provide documented value. For this to occur, robust quality will become an important aspect to reduce unnecessary downstream testing and provide the best diagnostic accuracy. Future mechanisms to demonstrate and improve quality are constantly evolving. These include the use of behavioral theory and feedback, team based quality improvement initiatives, utilization of online learning communities, public reporting mechanisms and the development of registries for cardiac imaging data. These initiatives will require further refinement and implementation as part of electronic health records to improve their accuracy and efficiency. Utilization of the data from these tools will play important roles as we develop clinical decision support systems that can be implemented at the point of care. This will ensure the highest value imaging based upon individual patient characteristics as part of population analysis.
Ring correlations in random networks

We examine the correlations between rings in random network glasses in two dimensions as a function of their separation. Initially, we use the topological separation (measured by the number of intervening rings), but this leads to pseudo-long-range correlations due to a lack of topological charge neutrality in the shells surrounding a central ring. This effect is associated with the noncircular nature of the shells. It is, therefore, necessary to use the geometrical distance between ring centers. Hence we find a generalization of the Aboav-Weaire law out to larger distances, with the correlations between rings decaying away when two rings are more than about three rings apart.
Kooperative Katalyse mit N‐heterocyclischen Carbenen

Die Katalyse mit N-heterocyclischen Carbenen (NHC) hat sich in der organischen Synthese zu einer leistungsfahigen Strategie entwickelt, um komplexe Molekule hauptsachlich durch Umpolungsverfahren aufzubauen. Diese einzigartigen Lewis-Basen wurden verwendet, um Acylanionen, Enolate und Homoenolate katalytisch zu generieren. Kurzlich wurde eine neue Strategie entwickelt, mit der die Anwendbarkeit der Carbenkatalyse bei Synthesen durch den wirksamen Einsatz zusatzlicher Aktivierungsarten erheblich erweitert werden konnte: die kooperative Katalyse. Durch die sorgfaltige Auswahl von Cokatalysatoren konnen Reaktivitaten, Ausbeuten und Stereoselektivitaten verbessert werden. In einigen Fallen haben diese katalytischen Additive die Regioselektivitat oder Diastereoselektivitat verandert. In diesem Kurzaufsatz werden die neuesten Fortschritte bei der kooperativen Katalyse mit NHCs herausgestellt und die Gesamtentwicklung des Gebiets betrachtet.
Valproic Acid-Associated Liver Failure

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, and other centers analyzed the records of 17 children undergoing liver transplantation (LT) for valproic acid-associated liver failure (VPA-ALF) and 98 with ALF caused by other drugs (non-VPA-drug-induced acute liver failure [DIALF].
Hypothesis Testing and Statistics

Every quantity that is estimated from the data, such as the mean or the variance of a Gaussian variable, is subject to statistical fluctuations of the measurements. For this reason they are referred to as a statistics. If a different sample of measurements is collected, statistical fluctuations will certainly give rise to a different set of measurements, even if the experiments are performed under the same conditions. The use of different data samples to measure the same statistic results in the determination of the sampling distribution of the statistic, to describe what is the expected range of values for that quantity. In this chapter we derive the distribution of a few fundamental statistics that play a central role in data analysis, such as the χ2 statistic. The distribution of each statistic can be used for a variety of tests, including the acceptance or rejection of the fit to a model.
Lymphoma classification update: T-cell lymphomas, Hodgkin lymphomas, and histiocytic/dendritic cell neoplasms.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Lymphomas are classified based on the normal counterpart, or cell of origin, from which they arise. Because lymphocytes have physiologic immune functions that vary both by lineage and by stage of differentiation, the classification of lymphomas arising from these normal lymphoid populations is complex. Recent genomic data have contributed additional depth to this complexity.Areas covered: Lymphoma classification follows the World Health Organization (WHO) system, which reflects international consensus and is based on pathological, genetic, and clinical factors. The present review focuses on the classification of T-cell lymphomas, Hodgkin lymphomas, and histiocytic and dendritic cell neoplasms, summarizing changes reflected in the 2016 revision to the WHO classification. These changes are critical to hematologists and other clinicians who care for patients with these disorders.Expert commentary: Lymphoma classification is a continually evolving field that needs to be responsive to new...
Privacy-Preserving Location-Aware Mobile Advertisement

Location-aware mobile advertising is expanding very rapidly and is forecast to grow much faster than any other industry in the digital era. Unfortunately, with the rise and expansion of on-line behavioral advertising, consumers have grown very skeptical of the vast amount of data that is extracted and mined from advertisers. As a result, the consensus has shifted towards stricter privacy requirements. In this paper, we introduce a novel privacy-preserving location-aware mobile advertisement framework that is built with privacy in mind from the ground up. Our proposed methods ease the tension that exists between privacy and advertising by guaranteeing, through cryptographic constructions, that (i) mobile users receive advertisements relative to their location and interests in a privacy-preserving manner, and (ii) the advertisement network can only compute aggregate statistics of ad impressions and click-through-rates. Through extensive experimentation, we show that our methods are efficient in terms of both computational and communication cost, especially at the client side.
On the parameter dependence of the whistler anisotropy instability

The evolution of the whistler anisotropy instability relevant to whistler-mode chorus waves in the Earth's inner magnetosphere is studied using kinetic simulations and is compared with satellite observations. The electron distribution is constrained by the whistler anisotropy instability to a marginal stability state and presents an upper bound of electron anisotropy, which agrees with satellite observations. The electron beta β∥e separates whistler waves into two groups: (i) quasi-parallel whistler waves for β∥e≳0.02 and (ii) oblique whistler waves close to the resonance cone for β∥e≲0.02. Landau damping is important in the saturation and relaxation stage of the oblique whistler wave growth. The saturated magnetic field energy of whistler waves roughly scales with the electron beta β∥e2, shown in both simulations and satellite observations. These results suggest the critical role of electron beta β∥e in determining the whistler wave properties in the inner magnetosphere.
Improved Long-term Outcomes of Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Receiving Proactive Compared With Reactive Monitoring of Serum Concentrations of Infliximab.

Background & Aims Monitoring serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor antagonists in patients receiving these drugs as treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), also called therapeutic drug monitoring, is performed either after patient loss of response (reactive drug monitoring) or in patients in clinical remission in which the drug is titrated to a target concentration (proactive drug monitoring). We compared long-term outcomes of patients with IBD undergoing proactive vs reactive monitoring of serum concentrations of infliximab. Methods We performed a multicenter, retrospective study of 264 consecutive patients with IBD (167 with Crohn's disease) receiving infliximab maintenance therapy. The subjects received proactive (n = 130) or reactive (n = 134) drug monitoring, based on measurements of first infliximab concentration and antibodies to infliximab, from September 2006 to January 2015; they were followed through December 2015 (median time of 2.4 years). We analyzed time to treatment failure, first IBD-related surgery or hospitalization, serious infusion reaction, and detection of antibodies to infliximab. Treatment failure was defined as drug discontinuation for loss of response or serious adverse event, or need for surgery. Results Multiple Cox regression analysis independently associated proactive drug monitoring, compared with reactive monitoring, with reduced risk for treatment failure (hazard ratio [HR], 0.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.09–0.27; P Conclusions In a retrospective analysis of patients with IBD receiving proactive vs reactive monitoring of serum concentration of infliximab, proactive monitoring was associated with better clinical outcomes, including greater drug durability, less need for IBD-related surgery or hospitalization, and lower risk of antibodies to infliximab or serious infusion reactions.
RNA-binding proteins with prion-like domains in health and disease

Approximately 70 human RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) contain a prion-like domain (PrLD). PrLDs are low-complexity domains that possess a similar amino acid composition to prion domains in yeast, which enable several proteins, including Sup35 and Rnq1, to form infectious conformers, termed prions. In humans, PrLDs contribute to RBP function and enable RBPs to undergo liquid-liquid phase transitions that underlie the biogenesis of various membraneless organelles. However, this activity appears to render RBPs prone to misfolding and aggregation connected to neurodegenerative disease. Indeed, numerous RBPs with PrLDs, including TDP-43 (transactivation response element DNA-binding protein 43), FUS (fused in sarcoma), TAF15 (TATA-binding protein-associated factor 15), EWSR1 (Ewing sarcoma breakpoint region 1), and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins A1 and A2 (hnRNPA1 and hnRNPA2), have now been connected via pathology and genetics to the etiology of several neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia, and multisystem proteinopathy. Here, we review the physiological and pathological roles of the most prominent RBPs with PrLDs. We also highlight the potential of protein disaggregases, including Hsp104, as a therapeutic strategy to combat the aberrant phase transitions of RBPs with PrLDs that likely underpin neurodegeneration.
Pathogenic role for the kynurenine pathway in maternal immune activation-induced autism-like behavior in mice

Prenatal inflammation is a risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders. In rodent models, maternal immune activation (MIA) causes phenotypes in offspring that resemble many of the features of these human disorders, but the pathogenic mechanisms remain unclear. Immune activation upregulates the tryptophan metabolizing enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) which mediates many of the behavioral consequences of inflammation in adults, and experimentally increasing kynurenine levels of pregnant dams causes developmental consequences in the offspring. Therefore, we hypothesized that MIA-induced upregulation of IDO during gestation is a pathogenic mechanism by which fetal neurodevelopment is disrupted and autism-like phenotypes develop. Pregnant female IDO-/- mice or control C57BL/6J mice were administered 20 kg/mg polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) or saline i.p. on gestational day 12.5. At various ages, autism-like behaviors were measured. Repetitive self-grooming behavior was significantly increased in WT-MIA male offspring compared to WT-saline controls. Self- grooming behavior in IDO-/- mice was not affected by MIA. MIA reduced preference for social novelty, measured in the 3-chamber test, in male offspring independent of IDO, while it increased social novelty preference in WT female mice. In mice with targeted deletion of kynurenine monooxygensase (KMO), endogenous kynurenine levels are markedly increased, and offspring of KMO KO dams exhibit several autism-like behaviors. Our data suggest that IDO may play an important pathogenic role in the development of specific autism-like behaviors caused by MIA.
The Diagnosis of Edema and Its Pathogenesis

Edema is the presence of an excess of interstitial fluid and is an important sign of ill health in clinical medicine. It is most common within the peripheral subcutaneous space. The differential diagnosis of edema comprises four broad categories: elevated hydrostatic pressure, pathological sodium retention, reduced plasma oncotic pressure, inflammation, and intrinsic malfunction of the lymphatic circulation.
A Case for Temperature-Driven Task Migration to Balance Energy Efficiency and Image Quality of Vision Processing Workloads

Many researchers in academia and industry [4, 8] advocate shifting processing near the image sensor through near-sensor accelerators to reduce data movement across energy-expensive interfaces. However, near-sensor processing also heats the sensor, increasing thermal noise and hot pixels, which degrades image quality. To understand these implications, we perform an energy and thermal characterization in the context of an augmented reality case study around visual marker detection. Our characterization results show that for a near-sensor accelerator consuming 1 W of power, dynamic range drops by 16 dB, image noise increases by 3 times, and the number of hot pixels multiplies by 16, degrading image quality. Such degradation impairs the task accuracy of interactive perceptual applications that require high accuracy. The marker-detection fails for 12% of frames when degraded by 1 minute of 1 W near-sensor power consumption. To this end, we propose temperature-driven task migration, a system-level technique that partitions processing between the thermally-coupled near-sensor accelerator and the thermally-isolated CPU host. Leveraging the sensor's current temperature and application-driven image fidelity requirements, this technique mitigates task accuracy issues while providing gains in energy-efficiency. We discuss challenges pertaining to effective, seamless migration decisions at runtime, and propose potential solutions.
The Influence of an Introductory Environmental Science Class on Environmental Perceptions

An environmental concern scale (ECS) was administered to a group of college students before and after completion of an introductory environmental science class. A significant increase in the level of concern was seen in questions related to overall environmental awareness and personal responsibility. Specifically, concern was raised on questions related to slowing down pollution, preventing animal extinction, and students’ willingness to accept an increase in family expenses to help protect the environment. After completing the course, students also supported providing ample opportunities in all schools to learn about environmental issues. These data provide evidence that a collegelevel environmental education experience can have an impact on environmental concerns and anticipated future behaviors. These data stress the importance and influence of environmental education at the higher educational (college) levels, and indicate such courses may provide opportunities for students in diverse degree programs to reshape their personal environmental ethic.
Tad O'Malley

SUBJECT AREAS: Careers & career planning, Finance, Negotiations, Private equity CASE SETTINGS: United States; Private equity; 500 employees; 2005 Tad O'Malley, a new associate at Empire Investment Group, a top-tier leveraged buyout firm, must evaluate three different deals and recommend which should receive additional resources for further investigation. He must consider the specifics of each company and each deal as well as the resources or restrictions of the firm's offices that would handle the project.
In ANCA-associated vasculitis in remission, tailored vs fixed-schedule rituximab did not differ for relapse at 28 months

Source Citation Charles P, Terrier B, Perrodeau E, et al; French Vasculitis Study Group. Comparison of individually tailored versus fixed-schedule rituximab regimen to maintain ANCA-associated vasc...
Understanding Perceptions: User Responses to Browser Warning Messages

With changes in interfaces resulting from the proliferation of IOT devices and new technologies such as self-driving vehicles, user reactions to browser messages may also change. This paper reviews the literature on user reactions to browser warnings, with emphasis on screen size and form factors. The literature indicates that browser warning message design, habituation, awareness of risk and screen size are aspects that effect user perception of risk. This article surveys the findings while noting challenges and proposed solutions to support effective provision of and user compliance with browser security warnings as well as important user study design considerations for future work – in particular, future work on the effect of screen size on user perception of browser warnings.
A Qualitative Analysis of Malpractice Litigation in Cardiology Using Case Summaries Through a National Legal Database Analysis.

Introduction Physicians are increasingly practicing defensive medicine as a response to society’s litigious climate. This study sought to characterize cardiology malpractice claims and elucidate the allegations underlying the use of defensive medicine. Methods The WestlawNext™ database was queried to obtain state and federal jury verdicts and settlements related to medical malpractice and cardiology that occurred in the United States between 2010 and 2015. Cardiology cases were identified using the search terms “medical malpractice” and “cardiology” and reviewed by two individuals utilizing available case documents. Duplicate and nonpertinent cases were excluded. Binary logistic regression models were created to predict the likelihood of defendant verdict, plaintiff verdict, and settlement based on the various reasons for litigation cited. Results Inclusion criteria were met in 166 cases. The plaintiffs were predominantly male (94 cases; 56.6%), and the average patient age was 53.3±17.5 years. More than half of the cases involved a cardiologist as a defendant. The most common reasons for litigation were: failure to treat (129; 77.7%), failure to diagnose (115; 69.3%), failure to refer/order diagnostic tests (107; 64.5%), and patient death (118; 71.1%). Among cases tried for failure to diagnose, the most commonly missed diagnosis was myocardial infarction. Cases most commonly resulted in a defendant verdict (94; 56.6%). However, odds of a plaintiff verdict were significantly higher when failure to diagnose was alleged with an odds ratio (OR) of 7.60 (95% confidence interval 1.14 - 50.87, p = 0.0365). Conclusions Failure to diagnose remains a commonly alleged base for litigation. In conclusion, our analysis suggests increased training for non-cardiologists in the recognition of the acute coronary syndrome and enhanced awareness of inherent biases among all physicians may facilitate reducing missed diagnoses.
Effects of Gravitational orientation on the microstructural evolution of gas tungsten arc welds in an Al-4 wt% Cu alloy

Gas tungsten arc (GTA) welds on Al-4 wt% Cu alloys were investigated to determine effects of gravitational orientation on the weld solidification behavior. A bead-on-plate welding was performed by varying the relation between the arc translation direction and gravity vector, e.g., parallel-up, parallel-down, and perpendicular orientations. A solidification rate (V S) was calculated from the measured grain orientation, and a thermal gradient (G L) was estimated from the observed weld pool shape following a linear relation. A primary dendrite spacing (λ1) decreased continuously from the s-l boundary to the weld pool surface regardless of the gravitational orientations. Larger λ1 for the parallel-up weld was observed near the boundary and surface than that of the perpendicular and parallel-down welds, which is believed to be associated with a smaller G L due to larger weld pool dimension and with different solidification morphology. A solidification morphology and orientation in the perpendicular and parallel-up welds was comparable with a loss of columnar directionality near the weld surface and a continuous grain orientation. However, the parallel-down weld exhibited more columnar structure near the surface, which might be associated with the larger G L and relatively mild convection flows. Outward convection flows in the parallel-down weld might be inhibited because of its reverse direction with respect to the gravity vector. This resulted in abnormal ‘S’ shape of the trailing s-l interface and the V S, which was receded toward the weld pool center. Based on these findings, significant influence of gravitational orientation resulted in the variation on the weld pool shape associated with convection flows, which in turn affected solidification orientation/morphology and the primary dendrite spacing.
Understanding CdTe Performance with Engineered Front and Back Interfaces

CdTe device performance was simulated as a function of band alignment at the emitter/absorber and absorber/back buffer layer to determine under what conditions devices are front and back interface limited. When the back buffer layer forms an electron reflector, devices are limited by four separate mechanisms. When there is no electron reflector, the role of the back buffer layer increases. In addition to the front and back interfaces, Shockley-Reed-Hall (SRH) recombination can also determine the device performance. We determine the voltage at which SRH recombination dominates device performance for a number of carrier lifetimes. Finally, we show that increasing the CdTe dopant density reduces but does not eliminate the role of the back interface. These results help us interpret the improvements of real-life measurements, and will allow us to develop better front and back interfaces to CdTe.
Preservice teachers’ understandings of social justice within the context of study abroad programs

How do preservice teachers (PSTs) understand social justice within the context of education-focused study abroad programs? How might traveling across cultural borders facilitate PSTs'™ development ...
Proton Transport in [BMIM+][BF4-]/Water Mixtures Near the Percolation Threshold.

The incorporation of ionic liquids into existing proton exchange membrane (PEM) materials has been shown to enhance thermal stability and improve conductivity at reduced water content. Because prot...
Styron’s Nat: or, The Metaphysics of Presence

In 1967, the American novelist William Styron published his third major work of fiction, a book entitled The Confessions of Nat Turner . Styron’s Confessions represented itself as the autobiographical narrative of an African American slave, who in August 1831 had led a slave revolt in Southampton County, Virginia, not far from the Virginia Tidewater region where Styron himself had grown up. Both Turner and the revolt that bore his name were real enough. But for Styron the Turner of record was “a person of conspicuous ghastliness” with whom he wished to have no connection. So Styron invented his own Nat, inspired by “subtler motives” than those manifested by the historical Turner. In this essay I ask what called Styron’s fictive realities into being, and how they were crafted. I ask why he insisted his work was not a “historical novel” but a “meditation on history”—and why, despite his insistence, he could not explain what that meant. Finally, I ask whether it is possible to redeem Nat Turner from the effects of our attempts to “understand” him; whether, that is, he might achieve a historical presence of his own that is ever other than ghostly, or ever other than past.
Peripheral nerve block for hip fracture.

Between 2000 and 2010, there were 2.6 million hospitalizations for hip fractures in the United States among women over 55 years of age alone.1 This is nearly as many hospitalizations as those for myocardial infarction or stroke among that same population and outnumbered hospitalizations for all other fractures combined.1 Studies have also demonstrated an increased risk for mortality in the months after hip fracture.
Rural and Urban Poverty Rates and the US Income Distribution

The US rural poverty rate has been consistently higher than the urban rate for several decades. One question might be the extent to which changes in the US income distribution impact the rural rate more significantly than the urban rate. Using annual 1985-2015 data and regressing both poverty rates on the national unemployment rate and the Gini coefficient resulted in the Gini being significant in the rural bit not the urban equation. This might suggest that income support programs are more beneficial in rural compared to urban communities.
Understanding the multiple small magnitude induced seismic soil fatigue potential on hazard assessments

Abstract Soils under spacio-temporally clustered events loading are susceptible to soil fatigue as pore pressure dissipates and the soil is unable to recover. This potential for damage from soil fatigue is identified through an induced seismic fatigue equation provided in this paper. The objective of this paper is to present an induced seimic equation for soils under spacio-temporally clustered impulse loading to identify potential hazards to the subsurface that supports critical infrastructure. It further illustrates the use of the equation as determined from a comparison of three varying soil profiles with resulting data that shows a need to establish new critieria to evaluate infrastructure in proximity to shallow low impact spacio-temporally clustered events.
Cybersecurity: Should the SEC Be Sticking Its Nose Under This Tent?

The Securities and Exchange Commission has issued a “guidance” suggesting certain cybersecurity governance and incident disclosures by publicly traded businesses and has begun examining the cybersecurity at reporting companies. However, the U.S. Government Accountability Office has determined the SEC suffers its own significant cybersecurity weaknesses. The questions explored are (a) whether cybersecurity breaches actually meet the requirements that mandate disclosure under the federal securities statutes; (b) whether the disclosures suggested and examinations performed by the agency could harm businesses and investors; and (c) whether the SEC is the appropriate agency to address cybersecurity concerns.
Association of Age With Risk of Adverse Pathological Findings in Men Undergoing Delayed Radical Prostatectomy Following Active Surveillance

Abstract Objectives To determine if older men with Gleason grade group (GG) 1 prostate cancer have a higher risk of having adverse pathology at radical prostatectomy after initially being managed with active surveillance (AS). Methods A total of 365 patients with GG1 prostate cancer initially managed with AS followed by delayed radical prostatectomy were identified. The primary outcome was adverse pathology after delayed radical prostatectomy in the men that were Results At diagnosis, there were no significant differences in median prostate specific antigen density, percent positive biopsy cores, multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) results or composite genomic classifier scores (derived from three commercially available genomic tests) between the two age groups. Men ≥65 years had more adverse pathology at radical prostatectomy (59.2% vs. 44.1%, P Conclusion Older patients might require closer monitoring on AS and additional testing such as mpMRI might improve their risk stratification.
Anxiety, PTSD, and stressors in medical students during the initial peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Author(s): Lee, Carmen M; Juarez, Marianne; Rae, Guenevere; Jones, Lee; Rodriguez, Robert M; Davis, John A; Boysen-Osborn, Megan; Kashima, Kathleen J; Krane, N Kevin; Kman, Nicholas; Langsfeld, Jodi M; Harries, Aaron J | Abstract: PurposeTo assess psychological effects of the initial peak phase of the COVID-19 pandemic on United States (US) medical students in clinical training to anticipate sequelae and prepare for future outbreaks.MethodsAuthors emailed a cross-sectional survey in April-May, 2020 to students in clinical training years at six US medical schools which included validated General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and Primary Care-PTSD (PC-PTSD-5) screening tools, and asked students about pandemic-related stress and specific concerns. Authors used quantitative and thematic analysis to present results.ResultsOf 2511 eligible students, 741 responded (29.5%). Most students (84.1%) reported at least "somewhat" increased levels of stress and anxiety related to the pandemic. On the GAD-7, 34.3% showed mild, 16.1% moderate, and 9.5% severe anxiety symptoms, with 39.6% demonstrating no/minimal symptoms. One quarter (25.4%) screened positive for PTSD risk symptoms. Top concerns of students chosen from a pre-populated list included inadequate COVID-19 testing, undiagnosed or asymptomatic spread and racial or other disparities in the pandemic. In thematic analysis, students' reactions to removal from clinical learning included: understanding the need to conserve PPE (32.2%), a desire to help (27.7%), worry over infectious risk to others (25.4%) and self (21.2%), and lost learning opportunities (22.5%). Female students were significantly more likely to report anxiety and PTSD risk symptoms. Asian students had a greater risk of moderate anxiety and those underrepresented in medicine (UIM) had greater risk of moderate and severe anxiety symptoms compared to white students.ConclusionsDuring the initial peak phase of COVID-19, over 60% of US medical students screened positive for pandemic-related anxiety and one quarter were at risk for PTSD. Female and UIM students were significantly more affected. Medical schools should consider broad support of students, and targeted outreach to female and UIM students.
Policy Implementation and Management of COP21 Goals

Policy implementation is often difficult to achieve, especially in a heavily decentralised structure, policy analysts like Wildavsky & Sabatier suggested. Now, the international community is going to guide a large number of governments or states towards the accomplishment of the COP21 objectives, although no governance mechanisms have yet been set up or identified. The implementation process for the COP21 Agreement must now start in order to have any chance of succeeding with its main objective of a 40% reduction in CO2 emissions until 2030. Actually, this process of implementation is expected to go on for the entire century, as COP21 promises a carbon free economy sometime after 2050. I argue that it is likely that many governments will only deliver small changes in emission decreases, but keep enough fossil fuel energy sources in order to maintain some positive rate of economic growth. Complete decarbonisation of entire societies is a figment of Sachs’ imagination concerning “sustainable development”. Thee management tasks in relation to the fulfilment of the COP21 goals are mindboggling.
Restoration of Continence after Prostatectomy is Associated With Weight Loss: A Pilot Study.

ABSTRACT Objectives To examine association between post-prostatectomy incontinence (PPI) severity and weight changes before and after restoration of continence via artificial urinary sphincter (AUS). Methods Single surgeon, retrospective review of urologic prosthetic surgery (UPS) after radical prostatectomy (RP). A cohort of post-RP inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) patients served as a surgical control. Body Mass Index (BMI) and total body weight were assessed pre and post-UPS. Multivariable linear regression was utilized to assess BMI changes post-UPS. Results 187 AUS and 63 IPP patients met selection criteria. Greater PPI severity was associated with faster BMI gain after RP (coeff. 0.14 kg/m2, P = 0.03, per pad used) and magnitude of incontinence improvement (mean reduction in daily pad use) after AUS insertion was associated with greater BMI reduction at 12 months post-UPS (coeff. - 0.13 kg/m2, P = 0.04). On multivariable regression, AUS insertion was associated with a decrease in BMI by - 2.83 kg/m2 12 months post-UPS (P = 0.02). Twelve months post-UPS, men with AUS exhibited a mean BMI reduction of -1.0 kg/m2 compared to a mean BMI increase in the IPP cohort of 0.4 kg/m2 (P 5% body weight) at 12 months post-UPS (31.8% vs 8.3%, P Conclusion Severe PPI appears to be associated with weight gain and correction of PPI via AUS insertion with weight loss.