cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DIFFUSE PERIPAPILLARY CHOROIDAL MELANOMA THAT EVOLVED FROM A SMALL PRESUMED CHOROIDAL NEVUS SUCCESSFULLY TREATED WITH GAMMA KNIFE RADIOTHERAPY.

PURPOSE To report a case of diffuse peripapillary choroidal melanoma which began as a small choroidal nevus and was successfully treated with gamma knife radiotherapy. METHODS Observational case report. RESULTS A 31-year-old visually asymptomatic man presented for a routine eye examination and was noted to have a small choroidal nevus. Six years later, the lesion had become a diffuse juxtapapillary choroidal melanoma with a thickness of 1.9 mm. Given the peripapillary location of the tumor with involvement of about 6 clock hours of the disk, Leksell Gamma Knife radiotherapy was performed. At 5.5 years after radiation therapy, visual acuity remained 20/20. The lesion thickness had decreased to 1.5 mm, and there was no interval growth of any margins. CONCLUSION Small choroidal nevi carry low malignant potential but still deserve photographic documentation when possible with regular follow intervals. Gamma knife radiotherapy can be considered for tumors abutting the optic nerve, especially when plaque radiotherapy may be technically difficult.
Bond Yields and Bond Prices

(1930). Bond Yields and Bond Prices. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 37, No. 7, pp. 366-368.
Endotoxin-induced pulmonary leukostasis in the rat: role of platelet-activating factor and tumor necrosis factor.

Injection of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into experimental animals induces septic shock associated with the release of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and platelet-activating factor (PAF). Because both TNF and PAF stimulate neutrophil adhesion to endothelial cells in vitro, and because neutrophils are important effector cells in sepsis-induced lung vascular injury, the role of TNF and PAF in LPS-induced lung neutrophil sequestration was investigated. Lung myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity was measured as a quantitative assessment of pulmonary leukostasis. Injection of Salmonella enteritidis LPS into rats caused dose-dependent increases in lung MPO that peaked at 2 hours and persisted for up to 24 hours. Injection of purified human recombinant TNF (2 to 200 micrograms/kg i.v.) mimicked the effect of LPS on lung MPO activity. Injection of synthetic PAF increased lung MPO only at the highest and lethal dose (10 micrograms/kg). Lower doses (0.1 and 1 microgram/kg) of PAF had no effect on lung MPO by itself and did not enhance LPS- or TNF-induced lung neutrophil sequestration. Furthermore, pretreatment of the rats with two different PAF receptor-antagonists, WEB 2086 (10 mg/kg IP) and SRI 63-441 (10 mg/kg IP), failed to block LPS-induced (1 mg/kg) increase in lung MPO. These data suggest that TNF, not PAF, mediates LPS-induced pulmonary neutrophil sequestration in the intact rat.
Alternative Analyses of Repeated-Measure Designs by ANOVA and MANOVA

Abstract An analysis of repeated-measures data can often be done by several different methods. We start with a simple data set and illustrate several procedures that could be used, giving the virtues and limitations of each. These same considerations could be used on more complex designs. Then we go to a more complex data set with more than two levels of the repeated-measures factor. In this case, the within-subject factors can be treated either by a univariate analysis or by a multivariate analysis. To obtain an accurate univariate analysis, it is necessary to compute an index of sphericity (or circularity), usually known as epsilon, and then to adjust the df of the MS ratio using that index. The multivariate analysis does not require this index, but may not be very robust to leptokurtic violations of the assumption of multivariate normality. We see how to use SAS PROC GLM with the REPEATED command for the ANOVA and MANOVA, but find a major flaw in SAS when this same command is used with covariance. Finally, we look at a set of repeated-measures data where three different criteria are available so that a multivariate ANOVA and COVAR are needed to control the Type I error rate for the set of three variables. After you mastered analysis of variance (ANOVA), you often have a wide choice in the number of possible designs available to handle a given set of data. Usually the choice of designs should be made prior to data collection so that this will dictate the possible analyses. However, often several different analyses can be done on a given data set. We shall illustrate several analyses, first on a simple set of data with only two levels for the repeated-measure factor, and then a more complex design with four levels of the repeated-measure factor, which makes a multivariate ANOVA (MANOVA) solution feasible. We hope that this will help the reader recognize the similarities and differences of various analyses.
Intellectual Discourse and the Politics of Modernization: Western narratives of modernity

What does need to be remembered is that narratives of emancipation and enlightenment in their strongest form were also narratives of integration not separation, the stories of people who had been excluded from the main group but who were now fighting for a place in it. And if the old and habitual ideas of the main group were not flexible or generous enough to admit new groups, then these ideas need changing, a far better thing to do than rejecting the emerging groups. Edward Said, Culture and Imperialism , p. xvi Introduction As recent debates surrounding the phenomenon of “post-colonialism” have amply demonstrated, the European “other” played an important role in Western self-definition of its modernity. In order to understand the complex dialectics of modernity in Iran, it is essential to explore the Eurocentric and imperial narrative entrenched deep within its liberatory promises. This chapter, through readings of Montesquieu, Hegel, and Marx, explores how modernity created and preserved a conviction that the non-Western world could exist only as modernity's other. Although this narrative has recently come under serious challenge by critics such as Edward Said, Timothy Mitchell and Gayatri Spivak, it continues to hold remarkable hegemony in the media, popular culture, and among academics. As I show in my interpretations of Samuel Huntington's “clash of civilizations” thesis, and Bernard Lewis's explication of the “roots” of Muslim rage, efforts to re-envision modernity will be doomed to failure unless modernity's troubled genealogy is acknowledged, critiqued, and engaged. Orientalism and the Occidentalist discontent The publication of Edward Said's Orientalism in 1978 marked an important intellectual challenge to the then prevalent Eurocentric scholarship in Middle Eastern studies.
Ramp test technique for D.C. partial discharge

There is a relatively little published work [1,2,3,4] on dc partial discharge (P.D.) measurements on practical insulation systems. Compared to the much used technique of ac testing, the number of P.D. pulses are very few, even considerably above inception voltage. The dc inception voltage itself is difficult to determine, consisting of only a very few pulses/minute, and it will only be correct for a fresh, completely discharged dielectric specimen, into which space charge has not yet been injected. For dc partial discharge the quantity φ/e is the cogent material property factor where φ is the conductivity and e is the permittivity of the dielectric containing the voids or grain boundaries. This factor represents the inverse of the time constant for charge distribution due to dielectric conductivity [3].
Interstitial Lung Disease

An interstitial lung disease is one of the most challenging areas of pulmonary medicine both for pulmonologists and pulmonary pathologists. The topic continues to be revisited with novel classifications. It is incumbent that pulmonologists be aware of the pitfalls in establishing diagnoses in this area.
Climate change effects on rangelands and rangeland management: affirming the need for monitoring

Uncertainty as to the extent and magnitude of changes in conditions that might occur due to climate change poses a problem for land and resource managers as they seek to adapt to changes and mitigate effects of climate variability. We illustrate using scenarios of projected future conditions on rangelands in the Northern Great Plains and Desert Southwest of the United States. These two regions are different in the ways climate change is projected to affect the regions. Projection of a longer and warmer growing season in the Northern Great Plains could lead to increased forage production and land productivity. Highly uncertain effects on summer monsoons that primarily control rangeland productivity in the Desert Southwest, combined with the possibility of more intense and/or frequent drought events, could present land managers with challenges stemming from decreased forage production and land productivity. Climate projections, though uncertain, provide land managers with basic insight into future conditions they might encounter. They need more. A focus on vulnerability and resilience, with explicit recognition of interactions between ecological and socio-economic factors, coupled with systematic monitoring and assessment of observable conditions on the land to supplement information based on climate projections, will more effectively provide critical and specific information managers need to adaptively manage rangelands under uncertain climate futures.
Low-dose aspirin reduced the need for peripheral arterial surgery in apparently healthy men

Source Citation Goldhaber SZ, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ, et al. Low-dose aspirin and subsequent peripheral arterial surgery in the Physicians' Health Study. Lancet. 1992 Jul 18;340:143-5.
Eating disorders and suicidality: what we know, what we don’t know, and suggestions for future research

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN), and suicidal behavior is elevated in bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED) relative to the general population. This paper reviews the suicidality literature within each ED, as well as theoretical explanations for the elevated risk for suicidality among those with EDs. Approximately one-quarter to one-third of people with AN, BN, or BED have thought about suicide, and one-quarter to one-third of people with AN and BN have attempted suicide. Relative to gender and aged matched comparison groups, individuals with AN are 18 times more likely to die by suicide, and individuals with BN are seven times more likely to die by suicide. However, the majority of the research in this area is cross-sectional or retrospective, which leaves the timing of the mortality risk unclear. Longitudinal work that is designed to examine dynamic and acute fluctuations in suicidality among ED samples is needed in order to determine meaningful risk factors.
Officer retention and military spending: the rise of the military‐industrial complex during the Second World War

This article examines how the regional distribution of US military personnel contributed to military expenditures around the country. We first discuss a theory of political economy for military spending—officers who remain in service can eventually help channel military funds and employment to their respective regions of origin, through direct military spending decisions or indirect political channels. Further, if officer retention is positively related to less industrialization at home (fewer work opportunities at home induce greater service lengths), this channel will induce greater progressiveness in military spending. To test these ideas we use the personnel records of officers serving in the US Navy from 1870 to the late 1930s. Tracking the tenure of all officers, we construct measures of ‘military representation’ across US counties. Through ordinary least squares, Tobit, and instrumental variable approaches, we find that senior naval officer representation across regions positively and robustly predicts regional naval spending (but not spending from other branches) during the Second World War.
Real-Time Detection of Reverse-Osmosis Membrane Scaling via Raman Spectroscopy

Scaling remains a serious barrier to membrane-based desalination. While some real-time techniques have proven effective for scaling detection, none provides the crucial capability of chemical ident...
Congenital Pericardial Anomalies

Congenital pericardial anomalies are relatively rare. The most common abnormality is pericardial cyst. Absence of pericardium can be partial or complete. Most of these anomalies are incidentally found during surgery or imaging studies. CT and MRI are diagnostic modalities of choice in anatomical evaluation of the pericardium and detection of its pathologies.
Use of Linkage Analysis, Genome-Wide Association Studies, and Next-Generation Sequencing in the Identification of Disease-Causing Mutations

For the past two decades, linkage analysis and genome-wide analysis have greatly advanced our knowledge of the human genome. But despite these successes the genetic architecture of diseases remains unknown. More recently, the availability of next-generation sequencing has dramatically increased our capability for determining DNA sequences that range from large portions of one individual's genome to targeted regions of many genomes in a cohort of interest. In this review, we highlight the successes and shortcomings that have been achieved using genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify the variants contributing to disease. We further review the methods and use of new technologies, based on next-generation sequencing, that are becoming increasingly used to expand our knowledge of the causes of genetic disease.
7. THE UNBEARABLE RIGHTNESS OF BUSH V. GORE

Bush v. Gore was a straightforward and legally correct decision. For more than a quarter century, the Supreme Court has treated the stuffing of ballot boxes as a paradigmatic violation of the Equal Protection Clause. Much more subtle and indirect forms of vote dilution have also been outlawed. Like some of those practices, the selective and partial recount ordered by the Florida Supreme Court may have been an inadvertent form of vote dilution. But that recount had effects that were virtually indistinguishable from those in the paradigmatic case. There is no meaningful difference between adding illegal votes to the count and selectively adding legal votes, which is what the Florida court was doing. The Supreme Court rightly concluded that the vote dilution in this case violated well-established equal protection principles. Nor did the Supreme Court err in its response to this constitutional violation. Although the Court acted with unprecedented dispatch after the Florida court's December 8, 2000 decision, it was highly improbable that a legally proper recount could be conducted by the December 18 deadline set by federal law. And it was quite impossible for such a recount to meet the December 12 deadline that the Florida court itself had found in Florida law. Contrary to a widespread misconception, the U.S. Supreme Court properly accepted the Florida court's interpretation of state law and provided that court with an opportunity to reconsider its own interpretation of state law. When the clock ran out, it was entirely due to mistakes and delays attributable to the Florida court. The Supreme Court's majority opinion has been subjected to a barrage of political criticisms of a kind that might more fittingly be directed against a Senate Majority Leader or a Secretary of State. Ironically, it is precisely because the Justices correctly applied the law that they have been accused of having partisan motives.
Upper blepharoplasty by eyelid invagination. Anchor blepharoplasty.

Anchor or lid invagination blepharoplasty is an operation which gives neat, crisp, and youthful lids of a permanency unobtainable by traditional techniques. It allows the surgeon to preserve precious lid skin and give optimal results. Although there is more postoperative edema, long-term results verify the efficacy of the technique. This article represents the author’s 25 years of experience with thousands of patients undergoing invagination-technique upper blepharoplasty procedures.
Remote delivery of weight management for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities: Rationale and design for a 24 month randomized trial.

Abstract Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) represent an underserved segment of the US population with a high prevalence of obesity and limited options for weight management. Previous research has demonstrated clinically meaningful weight loss of 7% of total body weight in in adults with IDD using an enhanced Stop Light Diet (eSLD) in combination with monthly at-home face-to-face (FTF) behavioral sessions, and a recommendation for increased physical activity. However, the time and cost associated with FTF delivery (travel + sessions) limits the potential for scaling and implementation and suggests the need for the evaluation of less costly and burdensome strategies for intervention delivery. Therefore, we will conduct a 24-mo. randomized trial to compare a weight management intervention (6 mos. weight loss, 12 mos. maintenance, 6 mos. no-contact follow-up) delivered to 120 overweight/obese adults with IDD in their home, either remotely (RD) using video conferencing on a tablet computer, or during FTF visits. Our primary aim is whether RD is non-inferior to FTF for weight loss (0–6 mos.). Secondarily, we will compare the RD and FTF groups on mean weight loss, the proportion of participants who achieve clinically meaningful weight loss, and changes in quality of life across 24 months. We will also conduct cost analysis, cost-effectiveness, and contingent valuation analyses to compare the RD and FTF groups.
Characterization of the Neuroinflammatory Response to Thiol-ene Shape Memory Polymer Coated Intracortical Microelectrodes

Thiol-ene based shape memory polymers (SMPs) have been developed for use as intracortical microelectrode substrates. The unique chemistry provides precise control over the mechanical and thermal glass-transition properties. As a result, SMP substrates are stiff at room temperature, allowing for insertion into the brain without buckling and subsequently soften in response to body temperatures, reducing the mechanical mismatch between device and tissue. Since the surface chemistry of the materials can contribute significantly to the ultimate biocompatibility, as a first step in the characterization of our SMPs, we sought to isolate the biological response to the implanted material surface without regards to the softening mechanics. To accomplish this, we tightly controlled for bulk stiffness by comparing bare silicon ‘dummy’ devices to thickness-matched silicon devices dip-coated with SMP. The neuroinflammatory response was evaluated after devices were implanted in the rat cortex for 2 or 16 weeks. We observed no differences in the markers tested at either time point, except that astrocytic scarring was significantly reduced for the dip-coated implants at 16 weeks. The surface properties of non-softening thiol-ene SMP substrates appeared to be equally-tolerated and just as suitable as silicon for neural implant substrates for applications such as intracortical microelectrodes, laying the groundwork for future softer devices to improve upon the prototype device performance presented here.
Effects of Phonomotor Treatment on Discourse Production

ABSTRACTBackground: Aphasia is an acquired language disorder that makes it difficult for people to produce and comprehend language, with all people with aphasia (PWA) demonstrating difficulty accessing and selecting words (anomia). While aphasia treatments typically focus on a single aspect of language, such as word retrieval, the ultimate goal of aphasia therapy is to improve communication, which is best seen at the level of discourse.Aims: This retrospective study investigated the effects of one effective anomia therapy, Phonomotor Treatment (PMT), on discourse production.Methods & Procedures: Twenty-six PWA participated in 60 h of PMT, which focuses on building a person’s ability to recognize, produce, and manipulate phonemes in progressively longer nonword and real-word contexts. Language samples were collected prior to, immediately after, and 3 months after the treatment program. Percent Correct Information Units (CIUs) and CIUs per minute were calculated.Outcomes & Results: Overall, PWA showed signi...
The Distribution of Chapman’s Love Languages in Couples: An Exploratory Cluster Analysis

Chapman identified and described Five Love Languages (LLs), principal value systems by which individuals communicate and anticipate expression of affection: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch. Although Chapman’s model has become embraced by laype
Sleep and Alertness in a Duty-Hour Flexibility Trial in Internal Medicine.

Abstract Background A purpose of duty-hour regulations is to reduce sleep deprivation in medical trainees, but their effects on sleep, sleepiness, and alertness are largely unknown. Methods We rand...
Efficient sub-diffraction passive cavitation imaging

Acoustic localization of microbubbles offers a unique method to assess vascular structure and function noninvasively. To this end, passive imaging of the acoustic cavitation with the angular spectrum method (AS-PCI) is appealing as it is inherently fast and frequency-selective and thus allows stable cavitation activity to be isolated from other scatters via the bubbles’ harmonic emissions. However, diffraction imposes a physical limitation on the resolution of acoustic imaging systems, which is typically on the order of millimeters for PCI. To enable rapid visualization of vessel structures with diameters of few hundreds of microns, we present a technique based on the AS method for fast super-localization (SL) of multiple, spatially separated bubbles that is 100-fold more efficient than time domain techniques employed for resolution improvement. We demonstrate, via experiments and numerical simulations, that it is possible to super-localize multiple bubbles within a single image and resolve vessels with diameters 10 times smaller than the diffraction limit (300 µm vs. 3 mm, respectively). Furthermore, successive super-localization of hundreds of microbubbles with the proposed SL-AS-PCI method allowed visualization of three-dimensional vessel structures within a few seconds on ordinary hardware. SL-AS-PCI holds great promise for efficient diagnosis of diseases associated with abnormal vasculature.
Effects of faulting on crustal stresses during mountain formation on Io

Abstract The vast majority of mountains observed on Io are tectonic, upthrusted blocks – a product of compressional forces. The mechanism behind their formation is generally understood to be related to Io's heat-pipe volcanism and crustal subsidence. Compressional thermoelastic stresses from sustained local or regional shut down of Io's heat-pipe volcanism could be potentially important orogenic drivers as well (Kirchoff and McKinnon, 2009, Formation of mountains on Io: Variable volcanism and thermal stresses, Icarus, 201, 598–614). At the same time, extensional tectonic features (rifts, pull-apart basins, simple graben) are found on Io. Furthermore, results from a two-dimensional finite element model of thrust fault formation in the ionian environment show that natural kinematics of fault motion creates localized regions of near-surface extension, while compressional stresses at depth are greatly reduced (Bland and McKinnon, 2016, Mountain building on Io driven by deep faulting. Nat. Geosci. 9, 429–432). In light of these observations and model results, we refine our previous one-dimensional, advective heat-pipe model of Io's crustal stresses, exploring another horizontal boundary strain end-member, which is the laterally unconfined (or integral stress) condition first suggested by Turcotte (1974, Are Transform Faults Thermal Contraction Cracks? J. Geophys. Res. 79, 2573-2577). We also explore the effects of directly incorporating brittle failure limits and liquid sulfur – through pore pressure – on these failure limits. Horizontally unconfined, vertical boundaries serve as an end-member representation for stress release on preexisting faults, and in the context of Io, predict extensional failure in the upper crust in response to deeper compression of either subsidence and/or thermal origin. Including these modifications greatly decreases the size of the region in compressional failure in the lower crust, unless the effects of pore sulfur are included. As in our previous work, the most favorable condition for mountain formation on Io is suggested to be a combination of subsidence stress, thermal stress from a decrease in volcanic heat piping, and crustal thinning due to basal melting.
Psychological Factors During Acute Hospitalization: Delirium, Anxiety, and Acute Stress Disorder

This chapter focuses on common issues during the ICU and acute phase of recovery that can impact quality of life long after discharge. The major psychological issues characteristic of this phase of recovery are delirium, anxiety, acute stress disorder, and depression. Screening for delirium, anxiety, acute stress disorder, and depression should be conducted as soon as the patient is alert enough to participate in an assessment. Early identification and intervention is key to reducing the likelihood of long-term negative effects. Knowing established risk factors for these disorders can help to identify those patients who are a high priority for screening and intervention. Even if patients do not meet DSM-V criteria for a diagnosis of these disorders, the symptoms that they do have may be so severe that they are interfering with care and quality of life and should be treated. Nonpharmacological interventions are critical adjuncts to medications in treating these symptoms. Hypnosis, meditation, progressive relaxation, imagery, mindfulness, and environmental interventions have all been shown to be effective in managing these symptoms.
Anal Dysplasia in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Men Who Have Sex With Men With Sexually Acquired Early Hepatitis C Virus Infection.

Background Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) are at increased risk of anorectal infection with high-risk human papillomavirus and subsequent high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), the putative precursor to anal cancer. Recently, an epidemic of sexually transmitted hepatitis C virus (HCV) has emerged that shares this anorectal route of transmission. We hypothesized that the prevalence of anal HSIL would be high in HIV-infected MSM with sexually acquired early HCV infection. Methods High-resolution anoscopy (HRA) findings from a cohort of HIV-infected MSM with sexually acquired early HCV infection were compared with HRA findings from a contemporary cohort of HIV-infected MSM without HCV infection who underwent HRA due to abnormal anal cytology found during routine screening. Results Sixty HIV-infected MSM with sexually acquired early HCV infection and the comparator group of 1150 HIV-infected MSM with abnormal anal cytology but without HCV underwent HRA. The HIV-infected MSM with sexually acquired early HCV had higher CD4 counts compared with the comparator group (656 and 541 cells/μL, respectively; P = .02). Despite this, the prevalence of anal dysplasia was as high among MSM with early HCV as in the comparator group of MSM with abnormal cytology (47 [78%] and 941 [82%], respectively; P = .50), as was the proportion with HSIL (25 [42%] and 379 [33%], respectively; P = .17). Conclusions The prevalence of anal dysplasia in HIV-infected MSM with sexually acquired early HCV infection was as high as that of HIV-infected MSM with abnormal anal cytology. These findings suggest that primary screening with HRA may be warranted for HIV-infected MSM with early HCV.
Postmortem urinary tract changes in cats with urethral obstruction.

Objective To report the gross and histopathological postmortem findings of the urinary tract and compare them to clinical severity of disease in cats with urethral obstruction (UO). Design Retrospective, observational, descriptive study. Setting University teaching hospital. Animals Fourteen cats from 2000 to 2014 with UO that had a complete postmortem examination. Interventions None. Measurements and main results Bladder lesions were moderate-severe in 10 of 14 (71%) and mild in 4 of 14 (29%) cats. Bladder lesions were diffuse in 8 of 14 (57%), multifocal in 3 of 14 (21%), and focal in 3 of 14 (21%) cats. Lymphocytic cystitis was noted in 11 of 14 cats (78%), and neutrophilic cystitis was noted in 10 of 14 (71%) bladders. Urethral lesions were moderate-severe in 4 of 14 (29%), mild in 4 of 14 (29%), and no urethral lesions were identified in 6 of 14 (43%) cats. Ureteral lesions were mild in 1 of 14 (7%), and no ureteral lesions were identified in 13 of 14 (93%) cats. There were moderate-severe histopathological renal lesions in 5 of 14 cats (36%), mild renal lesions in 6 of 14 (43%), and no renal lesions were identified in 3 of 14 cats (21%). Renal lesions were multifocal in 10 of 14 (71%) and regional in 1 of 14 cats (7%). In the kidneys, the most common inflammatory infiltrate was lymphoplasmacytic. The severity of urethral lesions was not associated with the severity of bladder lesions (P = 1.0). Hyperkalemia paralleled the severity of bladder (P = 0.02) and renal lesions (P = 0.04). An association between the severity of bladder lesions and degree of azotemia could not be determined due to small sample size and removal of the most azotemic cats. Conclusions Substantial renal and urinary bladder inflammatory lesions were found in cats with UO. The severity of these findings paralleled the severity of blood potassium concentrations.
Percutaneous closure of the left atrial appendage for stroke prevention

Abstract Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmic disorder and is a common cause of stroke. Anticoagulation is the mainstay for stroke prophylaxis in these patients. However, there are a large percentage of patients who do not take anticoagulation due to contraindications, ranging up to 20%. As previous studies have shown that >90% of the thrombi in AF come from the left atrial appendage (LAA), LAA closure is an attractive alternative to anticoagulation in this patient population. Percutaneous closure of the LAA has been performed successfully and safely with a large number of devices. Watchman device (Boston Scientific) has been the most extensively studied in randomized clinical trials, showing a significant reduction in rate of hemorrhagic stroke and CV death as compared to warfarin alone. This chapter discusses the rationale of LAA closure, description of available and emerging percutaneous LAA closure devices, and preprocedural, procedural, and postprocedural aspects of Watchman device implantation.
Why Bayesian Ideas Should Be Introduced in the Statistics Curricula and How to Do So

While computing has become an important part of the statistics field, course offerings are still influenced by a legacy of mathematically centric thinking. Due to this legacy, Bayesian ideas are no...
Adding a Physical Therapist to the Health Care Team in an HIV Clinic Increases Physical Therapy Referrals and Reduces Opioid Prescriptions Provided for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Patients Living With HIV.

Background Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is common in people living with HIV (PLWH). Health care providers sometimes prescribe opioids to control pain, which may lead to opioid misuse. An interdisciplinary approach that includes physical therapy has been successful in managing MSK pain in various health care settings. Therefore, we sought to find the impact of recruiting a physical therapist (PT) on the number of opioid prescriptions and physical therapy referrals made by physicians in training to manage MSK pain in PLWH. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of patients seen by Internal Medicine physicians in training in an HIV clinic in Detroit before (2017) and after (2018) recruiting a PT to the health care team and collected demographic and clinical data. We also surveyed the trainees to assess how the PT addition influenced their learning. Institutional review board waiver was obtained. Results Results showed that of all PLWH seen at the clinic, 28/249 (11%) and 37/178 (21%) had chronic MSK pain in the 2017 and 2018 data sets, respectively. In 2017, all 28 patients with MSK pain were prescribed opioids. This decreased in 2018 after the PT addition (10/37 patients; P < .0001). The number of physical therapy referrals significantly increased after the PT addition (2017: 5/28 patients; 2018: 17/37 patients; P = .03). Trainees felt that the PT helped improve their examination skills and develop a treatment plan for patients. Conclusions The addition of a PT encouraged physicians in training to utilize nonopioid management of MSK pain in PLWH and enhanced their learning experience, as perceived by the trainees.
Is CEO Compensation Shielded from Overproduction

In this study I examine whether compensation committees in manufacturing firms seek to shield CEO compensation from overproduction. I first hypothesize that CEO compensation contracts are optimal in the sense that overproduction has an incremental negative effect on earnings weight in CEO compensation contract. I measure overproduction by using positive change in percent of production added to inventory (PCPAI). Consistent with my hypothesis, PCPAI has significant incremental explanatory power on earnings weight in both CEO total compensation and CEO bonus compensation. In addition, I hypothesize and find that the incremental effect of PCPAI on earnings weight is significantly more negative in CEO total compensation in presence of just meeting or beating analyst earnings expectation or small profit. The results are also robust to adjusting for annual inflation growth and controlling for CEO-specific fixed effects. Overall, these findings suggest that in manufacturing firms, compensation committees perceive the apparent overproduction and at least partially mitigate the effect of overproduction on CEO compensation, and the mitigating effect is more prominent when overproduction is more likely to be opportunistic.
Testicular cancer metastasis to the soft tissue: A case report and review of the literature.

Abstract While germ cell testicular cancer is rare and only accounts for 1% of cancers in males, it is the most common solid malignancy among men between 14 and 44 years of age. Testicular cancer can be surgically excised by orchiectomy and is highly responsive to both chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Therefore, testicular tumors generally have the best cancer prognoses, especially since the majority are localized in the initial stage. However, long-term outcome depends on the potential for germ cell testicular cancer to metastasize, both proximal to the testicles and distally throughout the body. Germ cell testicular cancer metastasis to soft tissue, including the trunk, and extremities, appears to be exceedingly rare, as reflected in the extremely limited number of published cases (total of seven patients reported in literature). Vague symptomatology, delayed medical attention, and inconsistent treatment compliance may contribute to testicular soft tissue metastasis and underreporting of these tumors. Here, we report a case of metastatic non–seminomatous germ cell testicular cancer with a large necrotizing, ulcerative mass in the left Iliopsoas muscle and posterior abdominal wall.
On the top-dimensional cohomology groups of congruence subgroups of $\mathrm{SL}(n,\mathbb{Z})$

Let Γn(p) be the level-p principal congruence subgroup of SLn(ℤ). Borel and Serre proved that the cohomology of Γn(p) vanishes above degree n2. We study the cohomology in this top degree n2. Let 𝒯n(ℚ) denote the Tits building of SLn(ℚ). Lee and Szczarba conjectured that Hn2(Γn(p)) is isomorphic to Hn−2(𝒯n(ℚ)∕Γn(p)) and proved that this holds for p=3. We partially prove and partially disprove this conjecture by showing that a natural map Hn2(Γn(p))→Hn−2(𝒯n(ℚ)∕Γn(p)) is always surjective, but is only injective for p≤5. In particular, we completely calculate Hn2(Γn(5)) and improve known lower bounds for the ranks of Hn2(Γn(p)) for p≥5.
Industrial Policy and Local Economic Transformation: Evidence From the U.S. Rust Belt:

State and local governments frequently invest in policies aimed at stimulating the growth of new industries, but studies of industrial policy and related economic development initiatives cast doubt...
Physical, mechanical, and antimicrobial properties of chitosan films with microemulsions of cinnamon bark oil and soybean oil

Antimicrobial films prepared with essential oil emulsions often have a high degree of opacity. This may be prevented using transparent microemulsions. The objective of this study was to characterize physical, mechanical, and antimicrobial properties of films prepared from mixtures with 1% w/w chitosan solution and microemulsions containing 1:0, 2:1, and 4:1 mass ratios of cinnamon bark oil (CBO) (1, 2 and 3% w/w) and soybean oil. Changes in solvent polarity after mixing chitosan solution and microemulsions increased droplet dimension from 88 nm of the film–forming mixtures and induced different extents of coalescence after film formation. Despite these physical changes, films prepared from microemulsions were transparent and had low opacity. The incorporation of microemulsions increased the thickness and water vapor permeability of films and significantly reduced the moisture content and swelling ratio. The retention of CBO was improved for films prepared from microemulsions with 2 and 3% CBO immediately following film formation and after ambient storage, when compared to control films prepared with emulsions with less Tween 80. Large zones of inhibition against foodborne pathogens were observed for film discs prepared with 2 and 3% CBO. These characteristics show the potential of using microemulsions as an easy approach to incorporate EOs in biopolymer antimicrobial films to improve microbiological safety and film transparency.
Ask the Professor: Portfolio Margining – How Will Dodd-Frank Impact Its Utilization?

This article analyzes the background and current status of portfolio margining, how it has evolved over the past several years, and how the recent Dodd-Frank Act will impact its utilization and effectiveness. Portfolio margining allows a broker-dealer to analyze a client's total overall portfolio from a risk-based analytical model, establishing the proper minimum initial margin requirements for the entire portfolio applying certain parameters. To be a more effective tool, changes to the U.S. Bankrupcty Code were needed. The Dodd-Frank Act made those legislative changes. It's now up to the regulators to make portfolio margining an even more effective and utilized tool.
Put It to the Test: Using Lightweight Experiments to Improve Team Processes

Experimentation is one way to gain insight into how processes perform for a team, but industry teams rarely do experiments, fearing that such educational excursions will incur extra costs and cause schedule overruns. When facing a stalemate concerning the use of pair programming one industry-like, academic team constructing a commercial-grade web application, performed a lightweight experiment comparing pair programming and programming alone using Fagan inspection. Through the experiment, the team learned that pair programming was not only faster than programming alone, but also required less effort and produced code of more predictable quality. Conducting the experiment required only eight hours of effort over six weeks (a mere 0.5% of the total effort during that time frame) and afforded crucial information for choosing the best practices for the team. As demonstrated by this experience, lightweight experimentation is cost effective and does not threaten project schedules.
Importin-7 knockdown reduces corticosteroid induced glucocorticoid receptor nuclear localisation and suppression of IL-1β induced CXCL8

Background: Corticosteroids (CS) are highly recommended in the treatment of asthma and COPD. CS act via binding to the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Upon activation, GR translocates into the nucleus, an essential prerequisite for CS function. Two groups of nuclear receptors, importin and exportin mediate RanGTPases-dependent transport across the nuclear membrane. In an in vitro nuclear import assay, importin-7 resulted in the nuclear import of the nuclear localisation signal fragment of GR. We therefore hypothesised, Importin-7 is crucial for corticosteroid-induced GR nuclear translocation. Method: We initially investigated whether GR binds to Importin-7 in U937 monocytes, followed by the effects of Importin-7 siRNA knockdown on fluticasone propionate (FP) induced GR nuclear localisation and suppression of IL-1β induced CXCL8. siRNA Importin-7 knockdown was achieved via electroporation and results were compared to a negative siRNA control. Statistical analysis was performed using non-parametric analysis. Results: Cytoplasmic and nuclear levels of Importin-7 protein expression were significantly decreased by 38.4%±19.9 and 42.7%±28.6, respectively, post 36h siRNA Importin-7 transfection. Additionally, 36hr post siRNA Importin-7 transfection, FP (10 –9 M) increase in nuclear GR levels at 2h and suppression of IL-1β induced CXCL8 secretion at 16h were significantly decreased by 39.3%±12.3 and 32.4%, respectively. Conclusions: Importin 7 knockdown reduced FP induction of GR nuclear localisation and FP suppression of IL-1β induced CXCL8. Importin-7 is a potential therapeutic target that maybe manipulated to improve CS function and activity.
Tracking Students for Instruction

Ability grouping or tracking is the assignment of students to groups for instruction based on their ability or academic achievement. The term ability grouping sometimes refers to within-class grouping, in which a class is divided into smaller instructional groups that are relatively homogeneous with respect to ability. Within-class ability grouping typically occurs in elementary schools, and most frequently in the areas of reading and mathematics. Tracking, or between-class ability grouping, refers to the practice of dividing a grade into classes on the basis of ability for instruction. Tracking is found most often in middle and secondary schools. Students generally are tracked for English and mathematics, and often for other subjects as well.
Decoy Database Improvement for Protein Folding

Predicting protein structures and simulating protein folding are two of the most important problems in computational biology today. Simulation methods rely on a scoring function to distinguish the native structure (the most energetically stable) from non-native structures. Decoy databases are collections of non-native structures used to test and verify these functions. We present a method to evaluate and improve the quality of decoy databases by adding novel structures and removing redundant structures. We test our approach on 20 different decoy databases of varying size and type and show significant improvement across a variety of metrics. We also test our improved databases on two popular modern scoring functions and show that for most cases they contain a greater or equal number of native-like structures than the original databases, thereby producing a more rigorous database for testing scoring functions.
Identification of the R-G-cone difference signal in the corneal electroretinogram of the primate

The electroretinogram (ERG) can be used to evaluate retinal processes. Electrophysiologic studies of lower-order species indicate that important color-vision coding occurs in the outer plexiform layer. In the monkey, a color-opponent R–G-cone difference signal has been reported in the intraretinally recorded foveal local ERG. We have searched for a similar signal in the corneal ERG. Steady-state ERG waveforms were elicited with long-wavelength, sinusoidally flickering stimuli that subtended either 45 or 17°. Waveform analyses reveal two primary components that are differentially affected by changes in illuminance, temporal frequency, and chromatic adaptation. Similarities between the foveal local ERG and corneal ERG data with regard to amplitude and phase indicate that one of these corneal ERG components is the R–G-cone difference signal. Our findings raise the possibility that the integrity of the outer plexiform layer can be monitored by means of the corneally recorded ERG and that distal-retinal color-coding phenomena can be studied in man.
Balancing the tradeoffs between data accessibility and query delay in ad hoc networks

In mobile ad hoc networks, nodes move freely and link/node failures are common. This leads to frequent network partitions, which may significantly degrade the performance of data access in ad hoc networks. When the network partition occurs, mobile nodes in one network are not able to access data hosted by nodes in other networks. In this paper, we deal with this problem by applying data replication techniques. Existing data replication solutions in both wired or wireless networks aim at either reducing the query delay or improving the data accessibility. As both metrics are important for mobile nodes, we propose schemes to balance the tradeoffs between data accessibility and query delay under different system settings and requirements. Simulation results show that the proposed schemes can achieve a balance between these two metrics and provide satisfying system performance.
The Significance of Family History Status in Relation to Neuropsychological Test Performance and Cerebral Glucose Metabolism Studied with Positron Emission Tomography in Older Alcoholic Patients

Patients with severe chronic alcoholism have decreased rates of glucose metabolism in the medial frontal lobe and correlated abnormalities of neuropsychological functioning. The potential influence of family history of alcoholism has not been examined in these patients. In a retrospective study, we used neuropsychological tests and neuroimaging employing [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose with positron emission tomography to study 48 older subjects who had histories of severe, chronic alcohol dependence. These patients were divided into two groups: 27 with a first-degree relative with chronic alcoholism and 21 patients without first-degree relative with chronic alcoholism. No differences were found between groups on either neuropsychological or neuroimaging tests. These results suggest that a family history of alcoholism does not moderate the damaging effects of severe chronic alcoholism on the functioning of the medial frontal lobe.
School Health Nursing: Framework for the Future Part II

Society has an emerging respect for the impact that school health nursing programs have on both the health and the education of school-age children. School nurses need to capture current opportunit...