cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Creative Financing, House Prices, and Property Tax Inequities

This paper examines the distortions in house prices caused by the use of creative financing and the horizontal and vertical inequities in property tax assessments that can result if the proper adjustment of prices for financing is not made. The results show that horizontal inequities exist across financing alternatives (i.e., between conventional and assumption financing). The results also indicate vertical inequities in house prices since the amount of capitalization of financing differs across price levels.
Reproducible Documents with PythonTeX

PythonTeX is a LaTeX package that allows Python code in a LaTeX document to be executed. This makes possible reproducible documents that combine analysis with the code required to perform it. Writing such documents can be more efficient because code is adjacent to its output. Writing is also less error-prone since results may be accessed directly from within the document, without copy-and-pasting. This paper provides an overview of PythonTeX, including Python output caching, dependency tracking, synchronization of errors and warnings with the LaTeX document, conversion of documents to other for- mats, and support for languages beyond Python. These features are illustrated through an extended, step-by-step example of reproducible analysis performed with PythonTeX.
Assessing risks due to threats to internal control in a computer‐based accounting information system: a pragmatic approach based on fuzzy set theory

A rational risk assessment model, based on the reasoning of fuzzy set theory, is presented. The model would help managers assess risk exposure due to potential threats to internal control in a computer-based accounting information system. Such risk assessment is essential in making appropriate decisions about establishing new internal control policies and procedures that may be necessary to protect the integrity and security of the information system. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Relation of Pathways and Transit Times of Recharge Water to Nitrate Concentrations Using Stable Isotopes.

Oxygen and hydrogen stable isotope values of precipitation, irrigation water, soil water, and ground water were used with soil-moisture contents and water levels to estimate transit times and pathways of recharge water in the unsaturated zone of a sand and gravel aquifer. Nitrate-nitrogen (nitrate) concentrations in ground water were also measured to assess their relation to seasonal recharge. Stable isotope values indicated that recharge water usually had a transit time through the unsaturated zone of several weeks to months. However, wetting fronts usually moved through the unsaturated zone in hours to weeks. The much slower transit of isotopic signals than that of wetting fronts indicates that recharge was predominantly composed of older soil water that was displaced downward by more recent infiltrating water. Comparison of observed and simulated isotopic values from pure-piston flow and mixing-cell water and isotope mass balance models indicates that soil water isotopic values were usually highly mixed. Thus, movement of recharge water did not occur following a pure piston-flow displacement model but rather follows a hybrid model involving displacement of mixed older soil water with new infiltration water. An exception to this model occurred in a topographic depression, where movement of water along preferential flowpaths tomore » the water table occurred within hours to days following spring thaw as result of depression-focused infiltration of snow melt. In an adjacent upland area, recharge of snow melt occurred one to two months later. Increases in nitrate concentrations at the water table during April-May 1993 and 1994 in a topographic low-land within a corn field were related to recharge of water that had infiltrated the previous summer and was displaced from the unsaturated zone by spring infiltration. Increases in nitrate concentrations also occurred during July-August 1994 in response to recharge of water that infiltrated during May-August 1994. These results indicate that the largest ground water nitrate concentrations were associated with recharge of water that infiltrated into the soil during May-August, when most nitrogen fertilizer was applied.« less
The Relationship Between Subjective Well-Being and Vocational Personality Type:

This study examined the relationship between subjective well-being (SWB) and Holland’s Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional (RIASEC) model. It was hypothesized that individuals resembling Social and Enterprising vocational personality types would report higher SWB than those resembling other personality types. It was also hypothesized that individuals who reported higher levels of congruence, differentiation, and consistency would report higher SWB than those with lower levels. Results indicated no significant relationships between SWB and Holland’s concepts. However, significant relationships were found between the RIASEC types and the five-factor model (FFM) of personality traits, as well as the FFM and SWB. Findings and implications are discussed.
Ralph Leon Beals (1901–1985)

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The treatment and etiology of tics and Tourette syndrome.

Abstract The literature and experience in the treatment of over 800 patients with tics and Tourette syndrome is critically assessed to provide a guide for treatment. Medications are classified and discussed according to their neurochemical actions to provide heuristic insights about the etiology of tics and Tourette syndrome. The effectiveness of haloperidol suggests excessive presynaptic levels or postsynaptic sensitivity to normal levels of dopamine. However, the clinical effects of other drugs, with known or presumed actions on neurotransmitters, and studies of specific neurotransmitters and their enzymes, do not support any of the hypotheses about abnormal levels of dopamine or other catecholarmines. The evidence supporting various neuroanatomic or neurochemical theories is inconclusive.
IMPACT OF NECTAR ROBBING ON ESTIMATES OF POLLEN FLOW: CONCEPTUAL PREDICTIONS AND EMPIRICAL OUTCOMES

Pollen movement within and among plants affects levels of inbreeding and plant fitness as well as the spatial scale of genetic differentiation. Pollen movement has primarily been studied as a function of the direct relationships between plants and pollinators; however, nonpollinating floral visitors, such as some nectar robbers, may have indirect effects on pollen dispersal by altering plant–pollinator interactions. Theory predicts that nectar robbing should have indirect positive effects on plants by increasing pollen dispersal distance and reducing self-pollen transfer (geitonogamy) and inbreeding through changes in pollinator behavior associated with reduced nectar rewards. Here I experimentally tested the indirect effects of the nectar-robbing bumble bee, Bombus occidentalis, on the distance of pollen movement among plants and levels of pollen movement within plants (estimated using powdered fluorescent dyes as pollen analogues) using the self-incompatible, hummingbird-pollinated host, Ipomopsis aggre...
Evidence of Global-Scale 5-Day Waves in a 73-Year Pressure Record.

Abstract A 73-year record of sea-level pressure is examined for evidence of the m=1,n=2 planetary wave or wave of the second class, theoretically predicted by Laplace's tidal equations. Coherence squares and phase angles based on cross spectra averaged over 72 summers provide evidence of a westward propagating, 5-day disturbance, which are features expected for the wave. Coherence squares, estimated for the corresponding winter seasons show no similarly strong evidence. Because of likely changes in the “Signal-to-noise” ratio from summer to winter, only a tentative conclusion is drawn about possible seasonal variations in the amplitude of the wave. Although questions arise concerning the stationarity over the 73 years of the means and of the spectral characteristics of the data, statistically significant evidence of the 5-day wave is shown to be present throughout.
Atypical Fibroxanthoma of the Conjunctiva in Xeroderma Pigmentosum.

Background: Atypical fibroxanthoma (AFX) is a pleomorphic tumor that most commonly presents in the elderly and arises on sun-exposed skin. Metho
Can you recognize autoimmune hepatitis

PREVIEWBecause there is no single diagnostic test for autoimmune hepatitis, it may initially be indistinguishable from other liver disorders. However, early recognition is important because nearly all patients respond well to corticosteroid therapy. Dr Krawitt discusses diagnostic clues and appropriate management to help prevent serious liver damage and improve patients' quality of life.
Training and Qualification: Developing a Competency Model to Assess Sales Leaders’ Equity

Average sales managers might become excellent by developing specific forms of sales leader equity (SLE), namely, the additional value a sales manager brings to his or her function and role that benefits him or her and the organization. The sales manager competency model (SLE Competency Model) proposed in this study specifies SLE components, as well as how value can be added to a sales manager’s function and role. Leveraging knowledge accumulated from diverse disciplines and data collected from companies in various nations, spanning different levels of engagement, the SLE Competency Model asserts that sales managers’ management and leadership competency rely on their specific traits (personality traits, motives), character (self-concept, attitudes, values), skills (cognitive, social), and knowledge (business, functional, organizational) which engender sales managers’ beneficial expertise and enduring likability. These detailed SLE components provide guidance for assessing and developing sales managers’ competencies, which can have organizational and individual J. Le Bon (*) Department of Marketing, Sales Excellence Institute, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA e-mail: joel.lebon@gmail.com # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2016 M. Zeuch (ed.), Handbook of Human Resources Management, DOI 10.1007/978-3-662-44152-7_144 225 outcomes. By acknowledging the complexity of sales managers’ responsibilities and different levels of their critical competencies, the SLE Competency Model can enhance organizations’ sales performance through better management of sales managers’ functions, roles, and talents.
The Amyloid Precursor Protein of Alzheimer's Disease Clusters at the Organelle/Microtubule Interface on Organelles that Bind Microtubules in an ATP Dependent Manner.

The amyloid precursor protein (APP) is a causal agent in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease and is a transmembrane protein that associates with membrane-limited organelles. APP has been shown to co-purify through immunoprecipitation with a kinesin light chain suggesting that APP may act as a trailer hitch linking kinesin to its intercellular cargo, however this hypothesis has been challenged. Previously, we identified an mRNA transcript that encodes a squid homolog of human APP770. The human and squid isoforms share 60% sequence identity and 76% sequence similarity within the cytoplasmic domain and share 15 of the final 19 amino acids at the C-terminus establishing this highly conserved domain as a functionally import segment of the APP molecule. Here, we study the distribution of squid APP in extruded axoplasm as well as in a well-characterized reconstituted organelle/microtubule preparation from the squid giant axon in which organelles bind microtubules and move towards the microtubule plus-ends. We find that APP associates with microtubules by confocal microscopy and co-purifies with KI-washed axoplasmic organelles by sucrose density gradient fractionation. By electron microscopy, APP clusters at a single focal point on the surfaces of organelles and localizes to the organelle/microtubule interface. In addition, the association of APP-organelles with microtubules is an ATP dependent process suggesting that the APP-organelles contain a microtubule-based motor protein. Although a direct kinesin/APP association remains controversial, the distribution of APP at the organelle/microtubule interface strongly suggests that APP-organelles have an orientation and that APP like the Alzheimer’s protein tau has a microtubule-based function.
Magnetic and structural properties of MnRh thin films

A systematic study of magnetic and structural properties of MnRh thin films fabricated onto MgO substrates and amorphous SiO2 has been conducted. All the MnRh thin films thus fabricated are found to be of the CsCl type structure, and exhibit the ferromagnetism at room temperature. The coercivity of about 1.1 kOe was observed at 5 K for films grown onto SiO2 substrates, while coercivity measured at 300 K in all the films were less than 200 Oe. The temperature dependence of magnetization shows thermal hysteresis for all the samples ranging from 150 K to 250 K that varies with the substrates used. The maximum of exchange bias field of 270 Oe and unidirectional magnetic anisotropy constant of 0.35 erg/cm2 at 5K was observed for films grown onto SiO2 substrates better than that observed for the films grown onto MgO substrates. This enhanced exchange bias and unidirectional magnetic anisotropy constant in film grown onto SiO2 is attributed to the strong lattice distortion in such a case.
RCR Articles in the Spotlight for May 2013

Copyright: © 2013 Bogatkevich GS. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Welcome to the May 2013 issue of Rheumatology: Current Research. This issue of RCR covers a number of comprehensive reviews focused on bone, joints, autoimmune, and rheumatic diseases.
High-Purity Heralded Single Photons on a Silicon Chip

We report a silicon-chip source of heralded single photons with extremely high quality. The conditional photon autocorrelation g_c^2(0) reaches as low as 0.0059 ±0.0016, and remains below 0.06 for photon flux up to 6.4x10^5 pair/s.
Lane bias in elite-level swimming competition.

ABSTRACTPerformance outcomes at the 2013 World Swimming Championship were previously shown to be biased depending on the swimmer’s lane assignment. The purpose of this study was to determine if this kind of bias was unique, and if not, if the bias was related to the temporary or permanent nature of the pool. The effect of lane on the average odd-length split minus the preceding even-length split in the 800- and 1500-m freestyle events, and on the relative change from qualifying to preliminary performance in the 50-m events, was determined for 16 other elite-level competitions. Depending on the swimmers’ direction, split times were on average 0.16 s slower or faster in at least one lane at each of the 16 competitions, and in 49% of all lanes analysed. In 5 competitions, swimmers were shown to be faster in a majority of lanes in one direction as compared to the other. Analysis of the 50-m events at these 5 competitions indicate that preliminary performances were between 0.5 and 0.9% slower or faster than qu...
Management model of the team of specializing in community public health service

After the application of having community health centers rely on the standardization of community health service stations,the comprehensive quality of community public health parishioners had been improved significantly.Meanwhile,their age structure became more suitable and the range of service and capability were enhanced dramatically.Therefore we found out the management model was suited for the development of rural public health service.The management model could offer some advice and support for advancing rural public health service.
Application Effects of Rehabilitation Health Education Pathway on Perioperative Children with Pectus Excavatum

Objective To explore the effect of rehabilitation health education pathway on perioperative children with pectus excavatum.Methods Sixty children with pectus excavatum admitted to the hospital were randomly divided into two groups by odd and even numbers:control group(n=30)and test group(n=30).The charge nurses performed the instruction for the control group of the appropriate knowledge of disease and pre- post-operative health education based on their clinical experience,mastery of knowledge and progress of treatment.The team of rehabilitation health education pathway group performed a planned,systematic,staged,continued and normative instruction of rehabilitation health education for children with pectus excavatum from their admission to discharge of the hospital.The postoperative complications,extubation time of chest tube,hospital days,parents' knowlage of the pectus excavatum and the satisfaction rate of the patients were compared between the two groups.Results There were significant differences in the extubation time of chest tube,hospital days(P0.01)and postoperative complications(P0.05).The parents' awareness rates of five aspects of the purpose,methods,postoperative position,significance of rehabilitation training and precautions after discharge from hospital were significantly higher in the test group than in the control group(P0.05).The satisfaction rate of nursing quality was higher in the test group than in the control group(P0.05).Conclusion Application of health education pathway on children with pectus excavatum perioperative can shorten hospital days,reduce the economic burden of patients,improve lung function and reduce postoperative complications,promote a better command of health knowledge in the perioperative period patients,and raise the satisfaction rate of nursing.
Hemodynamic studies in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats after opening of an arteriovenous fistula

We determined the cardiovascular responses in normal and deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rats with reduced total peripheral resistance due to an arteriovenous (a-v) fistula. An...
Effect of lipid peroxidation inhibition on retinal ganglion cell death

Purpose To determine whether the lipid peroxidation inhibitor tirilazad mesylate can block the death of retinal ganglion cells induced by the inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis. Methods Rat retinal ganglion cells were labeled retrogradely with the fluorescent tracer DiI, and mixed cultures were prepared. Cell death was induced with chemical hypoxia, hypoglycemia, or glycolysis inhibition, and the effect on cell survival of tirilazad mesylate was assessed. Results Tirilazad mesylate enhanced relative ganglion cell survival after plating, with detectable effects at 200 nM and a maximal increase above diluent control of 148% +/- 2% at 20 microM. Relative survival at 24 hours in the presence of the complex IV inhibitor sodium cyanide (3 mM) was significantly greater when it was co-incubated with tirilazad mesylate than with diluent control (91.8% +/- 4.6% versus 39.3% +/- 7.1%; P = 0.008). Enhanced relative survival with tirilazad mesylate also was seen in cultures containing reduced glucose media. Conclusions The lipid peroxidation blocker tirilazad mesylate inhibits retinal ganglion cell death in vitro. Because irreversible loss of retinal ganglion cells is the final common pathway in a variety of optic neuropathies, this or similar agents may be useful in animal models of optic neuropathies.
A methodology for evaluating systems architectures

We describe how we evaluated the Intelligent Transportation Systems Architecture developed by the Rockwell Team in Phase I of the National Systems Architecture Program for Intelligent Transportation System user services. We present the overall evaluation framework and highlight special features of the methodology, indicating how the particular character of the Rockwell architecture helped to shape the approach. We give examples of evaluation results and indicate new directions that the evaluation is taking in Phase II of the program.
The Social and Fiscal Consequences of Urban Decline: Evidence from Large American Cities, 1980–2010:

We examine the fiscal consequences of sustained population loss in American cities. We find the starkest difference between growing and declining cities in their levels of social and economic distress: Declining cities have higher rates of poverty and crime. Our evidence also suggests that shrinking cities have less fiscal capacity than growing cities, although this relationship is complicated by an apparent nonlinearity: Shrinking and rapidly growing cities both have less fiscal capacity than high-demand cities that grow slowly. Lastly, both high distress and low fiscal capacity appear to predict further population loss. Together, our evidence suggests that population loss may both increase social problems and decrease the resources available to solve them, and that declining cities may enter vicious cycles that perpetuate further decline.
Feasibility of Rapid Linear-Endocardial and Epicardial Ventricular Ablation Using an Irrigated Multipolar Radiofrequency Ablation Catheter.

Background—A common strategy for ablation of scar-based ventricular tachycardia is delivering multiple lesions in a linear pattern. Methods and Results—We tested the efficacy of a novel linear irri...
The Impact of an Elementary School-Based Violence Prevention Program on Visits to the School Nurse

Introduction In Tucson, Arizona, an elementary school-based violence prevention program (PeaceBuilders) was implemented during the 1994-1995 school year. Anecdotal evidence from school nurses suggested that children were visiting the nurse less often following the implementation of the program. We examined nurses’ logs to assess whether the program had an impact on visits to the school nurse. Methods For the school years 1993-1994 and 1994-1995, the weekly number of nurse visits for all reasons, all injuries, and injuries caused by fights in each of the four PeaceBuilders schools were compared with those for three control schools. As part of a planned evaluation, schools had been matched on demographic factors and randomly assigned as intervention or control schools. Results Between 1993-1994 and 1994-1995, the rate of visits/ 1,000 student days decreased 12.6% in the intervention schools while remaining unchanged in the comparison schools. The same trend was detected for injury-related visits. Rates of fighting-related injuries changed little in the intervention schools but increased 56.0% in the control schools. An analysis of covariance confirmed that injuries and visits to nurses decreased in intervention schools relative to control schools. Conclusions These data indicate that in the intervention schools, injuries and visits to the school nurse decreased over the two-year period and that the intervention may have contributed to this change. They also suggest that visits to the school nurses’ office may be a useful tool to evaluate some types of elementary school-based violence prevention programs.
Can Blockchains Serve an Accounting Purpose

ABSTRACT The blockchain has enabled the successful creation of decentralized digital currency networks. This success has prompted further investigation into the usefulness of blockchains in other business settings. Because of the blockchain's use as a ledger, the question arises whether the blockchain could become a more secure alternative to current accounting ledgers. We show that this is infeasible. By casting this question in the context of the Byzantine Generals Problem, which the blockchain was designed to solve, we identify multiple flaws hindering implementation of the blockchain as a financial reporting tool. Whereas blockchain-based digital currencies only exist within the blockchain, economic transactions exist outside of accounting records. This distinction prevents an acceptable level of transaction verification using the blockchain model. Additionally, the security benefits of the blockchain that render it ostensibly immutable are not fully available or reliable in an accounting setting.
Single-Cell Virology: On-Chip Investigation of Viral Infection Dynamics

We have developed a high-throughput, microfluidics-based platform to perform kinetic analysis of viral infections in individual cells. We have analyzed thousands of individual poliovirus infections while varying experimental parameters, including multiplicity of infection, cell cycle, viral genotype, and presence of a drug. We make several unexpected observations masked by population-based experiments: (1) viral and cellular factors contribute uniquely and independently to viral infection kinetics; (2) cellular factors cause wide variation in replication start times; and (3) infections frequently begin later and replication occurs faster than predicted by population measurements. We show that mutational load impairs interaction of the viral population with the host, delaying replication start times and explaining the attenuated phenotype of a mutator virus. We show that an antiviral drug can selectively extinguish the most-fit members of the viral population. Single-cell virology facilitates discovery and characterization of virulence determinants and elucidation of mechanisms of drug action eluded by population methods.
Reassessing the utility of CT angiograms in penetrating injuries to the extremities.

Abstract Background Computed tomography angiography has become routine in the management of penetrating trauma to the extremity. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of physical examination findings compared with computed tomography angiography for detection of clinically significant vascular injuries associated with penetrating trauma to the extremity. Methods This was a retrospective chart review of patients presenting to a single level 1 trauma center from January 2013–June 2016. Patients with penetrating trauma to the extremity and no hard signs of vascular injury were included. Physical examination and computed tomography angiography findings were analyzed, with particular focus given to missed injuries. Results We identified 393 patients with penetrating trauma to the extremity without hard signs of vascular injury. Computed tomography angiography was performed in 114 patients (29%). Four patients with distal pulses documented on their initial trauma surveys were found to have vascular injuries on computed tomography angiography, although 3 of these injuries were identified on repeat physical examination. One additional patient had a delayed presentation of a pseudoaneurysm. No mortality or limb loss resulted from these injuries. Total hospital charges for computed tomography angiography amounted to over $700,000. Conclusion Patients with penetrating trauma to the extremity and no hard signs of vascular injury do not require computed tomography angiography for identification of clinically relevant vascular injuries that require emergent operative repair. Serial physical examination appears to provide accurate detection of vascular injury requiring procedural intervention.
Interpretation of the Solution Absorption Spectra of the (PuO2)++ and (NpO2)+ Ions.

Eleven years ago we proposed a model for the electronic configuration of ions of the uranyl type. The solution absorption spectra of the (PuO2)++ and (NpO2)+ ions are here interpreted on the basis of this model. The interpretation is based on exact calculations, and on plausible arguments about the strengths and widths of the absorption peaks. If suitable values are chosen for the Coulomb integrals, the spin-orbit coupling constant, and the ligand field parameters then the calculated energy levels agree well with the observed positions of the absorption peaks.
Enhanced Uranium Immobilization by Phosphate Amendment Under Variable Geochemical and Flow Conditions: Insights from Reactive Transport Modeling

Phosphate amendment has shown promise for enhancing uranium immobilization. The mechanism of the enhancement, however, has remained unclear with contrasting observations under variable environmental conditions. A dual-domain reactive transport model is developed here with constraints from batch and column experimental data to understand the mechanisms and to explore the effectiveness of enhanced U(VI) immobilization under variable geochemical and flow conditions. Modeling results indicate that under low U(VI) conditions in natural waters, phosphate addition promotes U(VI) immobilization through the formation of U(VI)–phosphate ternary surface complexes and the precipitation of calcium phosphate, both decreasing the concentrations of mobile U–Ca–CO3 aqueous complexes. This contrasts with previous hypotheses attributing the immobilization enhancement to U(VI)–phosphate precipitation under experimental conditions with high U(VI). Sensitivity analysis shows that phosphate is effective under relatively low Ca ...
Some of the Most Beautiful Formulas in the World I–III

In this chapter we present a small sample of some of the most beautiful formulas in the world.
The Structure of White Racial Attitudes

The role of racial prejudice in driving white racial policy opposition has been the subject of a prolonged debate among researchers of American race relations. To a very considerable extent, this debate hinges on an ongoing dispute over the nature and measurement of racial prejudice. Contention centers, to a large degree, on the distinction between two different forms of racial prejudice: Overt prejudice and new racism, or as it is more commonly known in political science, racial resentment. We argue that a more basic structure of racial attitudes provides a better understanding of white Americans racial beliefs than this dichotomous distinction. Our tripartite system begins with overt prejudice, beliefs linked to a view of inborn black inferiority, that has been prematurely dismissed as politically irrelevant in our view (Huddy and Feldman 2001; Virtanen and Huddy 1998). We further decompose white racial beliefs into two additional components that underlie racial resentment: The denial of racial discrimination in contemporary American society, and the belief that blacks lack motivation and values needed to get ahead. These two dimensions correspond roughly to an external and an internal explanation for a lack of black success and have been noted by other race researchers (Apostle et al. 1983; Bobo and Kluegel 1993; Kluegel 1990). Using original national survey data and a new battery of race-related items, we show that this three dimensional structure captures well the variation in Americans’ attitudes towards the origins of racial inequality in economic and educational outcomes. Contrary to current measures of racial resentment in which internal and external explanations for racial inequality are inextricably linked, we find virtually no relationship between whites’ denial of racial discrimination and the view that blacks lack the motivation tog et ahead. There is, however, a substantial correlation among whites between belief in a lack of black motivation and overt prejudice. We then show that this three dimensional model accounts for a broad range of other measures of racial attitudes including racial resentment and racial stereotyping. We conclude by demonstrating the utility of this model for understanding whites’ racial policy positions.
Control of Cell Cycle Progression in Human Natural Killer Cells Through Redox Regulation of Expression and Phosphorylation of Retinoblastoma Gene Product Protein

Using thiol deprivation, we have previously shown that the response of natural killer (NK) cells to interleukin-2 (IL-2) is subject to redox regulation downstream of IL-2 binding and internalization. We have now used the IL-2-dependent cell line, NK3.3 to study redox regulation of NK cells further, and found that NK3.3 cells neither incorporated [3H]-thymidine nor completed the G1-S phase transition in medium lacking the thiol-related compounds, L-cystine, and glutathione, despite the presence of sufficient IL-2. Thiol deprivation did not alter the induction of DNA interferon-gamma activated sequence (GAS)-binding activity in response to IL-2. However, the retinoblastoma gene product (RB), a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) substrate, was phosphorylated within 24 hours after IL-2 stimulation in standard medium, but its expression and phosphorylation were reduced in thiol-depleted medium in both NK3.3 cells and freshly isolated NK cells. These reductions were not associated with an increased level of p27Kip1, an inhibitor of CDKs CDK6/2 in association with G1 cyclins. Reducing agents, N-acetylcysteine, reduced glutathione or 2-ME restored both RB phosphorylation and DNA synthesis in thiol-deprived NK3.3 cells. The in vitro kinase activities of CDK6 and CDK2 were prematurely increased by thiol deprivation. This enhancement was associated with CDK hyperphosphorylation and prolonged phosphorylation, and could be observed before and beyond IL-2 stimulation. The data suggest the possibility that the premature and prolonged enhancement of CDK activity in thiol-deprived NK cells is associated with, and therefore may contribute to, the reduced expression and phosphorylation of RB, and the associated cell cycle arrest.
Statistical Behaviors of Distributed Transition Planning

The transition planning problem is to move a system from an existing starting configuration to a desired final configuration at the lowest possible cost. Prior work shows that the transition planning problem can be reduced to a bipartite matching problem and the stable marriage algorithm can be used to approximate a minimum cost transition in a distributed environment. In this paper, we study the efficiency of this mapping, including its best-case, worst-case, and statistical behavior. We discuss the relationship between algorithm performance and the distribution of the input data. We show that while there are cases in which this algorithm performs poorly, works well when the costs of transitioning between distributed resources follow a normal distribution. We discuss the applicability of this algorithm to real-world situations in which resources are thus distributed.
Modeling of Soft Manipulators with Couplings between Actuations and Body Deformations

Various models have been proposed recently to describe the motion of soft robots—robots made from soft materials. However, all of existing models separate the modeling of the actuation (e.g., cable or pneumatic) and the deformation of soft materials that host the actuation. In this paper, we aim to propose a model for soft robots when there exists coupling between the actuation and soft materials, and apply this model to soft manipulators actuated by twisted-and-coiled actuators (TCAs), a newly-discovered thermal-driven artificial muscle. The model is accomplished by coupling a Cosserat Rod model for the soft body to the actuation model of TCAs to obtain a set of ordinary differential equations to solve both the forward and inverse kinematics problem. Simulation results for soft manipulators with multiple TCAs validate the proposed model. The proposed model can be applied to other soft robots with embedded actuators (artificial muscle) where the coupling between the soft body and actuation exists.
Coordination and Consensus over Networks: A Risk-Averse Protocol

Abstract Distributed coordination and consensus are investigated for wireless networks of loosely coupled physical entities (also known as agents) interacting in noisy environments. Bernoulli random transmissions and pulse-coupled power control iterations are proposed from an engineering standpoint for energy efficiency and scalability. Understanding of dynamic network topology adjustments is found to be critical for coordination and consensus. The statistical optimal control proposed herein highlights the interplay of agent interactions and network reliability for coordination and consensus. It is expected that these research findings would provide useful guidelines of a potential deployment of fractionated autonomous aerospace systems.
Forecasting Participants in the All Women Count! Mammography Program

INTRODUCTION The All Women Count! (AWC!) program is a no-cost breast and cervical cancer screening program for qualifying women in South Dakota. Our study aimed to identify counties with similar socioeconomic characteristics and to estimate the number of women who will use the program for the next 5 years. METHODS We used AWC! data and sociodemographic predictor variables (eg, poverty level [percentage of the population with an annual income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level], median income) and a mixture of Gaussian regression time series models to perform clustering and forecasting simultaneously. Model selection was performed by using Bayesian information criterion (BIC). Forecasting of the predictor variables was done by using an autoregressive integrated moving average model. RESULTS By using BIC, we identified 5 clusters showing the groups of South Dakota counties with similar characteristics in terms of predictor variables and the number of participants. The mixture model identified groups of counties with increasing or decreasing trends in participation and forecast averages per cluster. CONCLUSION The mixture of regression time series model used in this study allowed for the identification of similar counties and provided a forecasting model for future years. Although several predictors contributed to program participation, we believe our forecasting analysis by county may provide useful information to improve the implementation of the AWC! program by informing program managers on the expected number of participants in the next 5 years. This, in turn, will help in data-driven resource allocation.
BD-07 Gene transcripts expressed in peripheral blood of patients with lupus nephritis identify novel mechanisms and therapeutic targets

Background Lupus nephritis affects more than one-half of patients with SLE and is the most common serious manifestation of the disease. Lupus nephritis is more common in Hispanic and African-American patients than in those of European ancestry, and class III and IV nephritis progresses to end-stage renal disease in 10%–15% of patients within 15 years of diagnosis. Identification of markers and mechanisms of lupus nephritis could provide new approaches to predict and treat disease. Methods To identify blood cell transcriptome biomarkers that differentiate renal and non-renal disease we performed RNA sequencing on peripheral blood samples from 15 patients with lupus nephritis and 14 patients with non-nephritis manifestations of SLE (samples represented each patient during flaring and quiescent disease states) and from 5 healthy donors. To relate gene expression to activity of nephritis, 216 longitudinal samples from 30 patients with lupus nephritis covering a median time frame of 28 months were analyzed using the Illumina HT-V4 Bead array. Serum albumin levels were documented at the time of each visit. Results Principal component analysis of RNA sequencing data clearly differentiated SLE patients with nephritis from those without nephritis, and linear models for microarray (limma) analysis identified 153 gene transcripts differentially expressed between the two patient groups (fold change >1.5; p Conclusions Spliceosome-associated RNAs and TREML4, a TLR7-associated gene product, may represent biomarkers of lupus nephritis, and PTTG1, the product of a lupus-associated gene reported to be involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition, may be a novel therapeutic target associated with active nephritis. These studies provide a rich data set stimulating new understanding of mechanisms contributing to lupus nephritis. Acknowledgements This work was supported by the Lupus Research Alliance, Pfizer-Centers for Therapeutic Innovation, and the Emerald Foundation.
Prevalence and usage patterns of opiates in patients with lung, breast, and head and neck cancer.

120Background: Prescription opiate abuse is a declared public health emergency, involved in 17,536 deaths in 2015. We don’t know how many cancer patients died from prescription opiates and there is...
Risk factors for keratinocyte carcinoma skin cancer in nonwhite individuals: A retrospective analysis

Background Because most of the US population will consist of nonwhite individuals by the year 2043, it is essential that both physicians and patients are educated about skin cancer in nonwhite persons. Objective To update the epidemiology, investigate specific risk factors, and facilitate earlier diagnosis and intervention of keratinocyte carcinoma in nonwhite individuals. Methods Institutional review board–approved retrospective chart review of all nonwhite patients who had received a biopsy-proven diagnosis of skin cancer at Drexel Dermatology during June 2008-June 2015. Results Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was the most commonly diagnosed skin cancer in black and Asian populations, and basal cell carcinoma was the most common skin cancer in Hispanics. Black persons exhibited the majority of their SCC lesions in sun-protected areas, particularly the anogenital area. On average, current smokers received skin cancer diagnoses 12.27 years earlier than former smokers and 9.36 years earlier than nonsmokers. Limitations Single-center design and interpractitioner variability of skin examination. Conclusion The importance of lesions in photoprotected areas in nonwhite individuals should not go overlooked. However, emphasis should also be placed on active examination of sun-protected areas in nonwhite persons and recognition of the relationship between human papillomavirus and genital SCC lesions. Smoking cessation should be integrated in dermatologic counseling of all patients. Interventions tailored to each of these ethnic groups are needed.
Women's bargaining power and child feeding in Nepal: Linkages through nutrition information

Women's intra-household bargaining power is an important determinant of child nutritional status, but there is limited evidence on how it relates to infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using 2012 baseline data from the impact evaluation of Suaahara, a multisectoral programme in Nepal, focusing on households with children 0-23 months (n = 1787). We examined if women's bargaining power was related to exposure to IYCF information and if exposure to IYCF information was in turn associated with improved IYCF practices: early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding, minimum meal frequency and dietary diversity. Bargaining power consisted of four domains: (i) ownership and control of assets; (ii) social participation; (iii) workload; and (iv) household decision-making control and were primarily measured using additive scales. We used generalized structural equation modelling to examine if exposure to IYCF information mediated the relationship between the bargaining domains and the four IYCF practices, separately. Social participation was positively associated with exposure to IYCF information (β = 0.266, P < .001), which in turn was related to early initiation (β = 0.241, P = .001). We obtained similar results for the relationship between social participation and dietary diversity. Decision-making control was directly associated with exclusive breastfeeding (β = 0.350, P = .036). No domains were associated with minimum meal frequency. Different domains of women's bargaining power may relate to exposure to nutrition information and IYCF behaviours. Understanding specific domains of bargaining power is critical to developing interventions that can effectively address gender-related issues that underlie child nutrition outcomes.
Influence of chronic inflammation on prostate carcinogenesis: A five year follow-up study

1474 The relationship between inflammation and cancer has been established in some forms of human malignancies. Whether chronic prostatic inflammation contributes to prostate carcinogenesis is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate an association between chronic inflammation and prostate carcinogenesis. Prostate needle biopsies from 177 patients with clinical parameters suspicious for malignancy were examined, paying particular heed to the presence and extent of inflammation in these initial biopsies. Findings in any subsequent follow-up biopsies over the next 5 years were reviewed and correlated with the initial results. Of 177 needle biopsy cases, chronic inflammation was observed in 81% (144/177); 19% (33/177) had no inflammation. Of 144 cases with inflammation, 15% (22/144) showed only inflammation, 15% (22/144) showed simple atrophy, 39% (54/144) showed PAH/PIA lesions, 8% (12/144) showed HGPIN, 20% (29/144) showed adenocarcinoma, and 3% (5/144) showed atypical small acinar proliferation (ASAP). In biopsy specimens without inflammation, 9% (3/33) showed simple atrophy, 9% (3/33) showed HGPIN, 30% (10/33) showed adenocarcinoma, and 6% (2/33) showed ASAP whereas 46% (15/33) had no diagnostic findings. A significant association between serum PSA and inflammation grade was observed in needle biopsies. Repeat biopsies within 5 years in patients with chronic inflammation showed adenocarcinoma in 4% (6/144) of cases initially showing only chronic inflammation, 10% (15/144) with initial PAH/PIA lesions, 5% (7/144) of those with initial HGPIN lesions and 0.7% (1/144) with initial ASAP. HGPIN was subsequently found in 5% (7/144) of PAH/PIA and 1% (2/144) with initial simple atrophy. In sharp contrast, in 33 cases initially showing no inflammation, adenocarcinoma was subsequently found in 6% (2 of 33 patients). One of these patients had HGPIN and the other had ASAP on initial biopsy. Taken together, these results suggest that chronic inflammation may be a significant risk factor for the development of prostatic adenocarcinoma.
Ultrasmall Core-Shell Silica Nanoparticles for Precision Drug Delivery in a High-Grade Malignant Brain Tumor Model

Purpose: Small-molecule inhibitors have revolutionized treatment of certain genomically defined solid cancers. Despite breakthroughs in treating systemic disease, central nervous system (CNS) metastatic progression is common, and advancements in treating CNS malignancies remain sparse. By improving drug penetration across a variably permeable blood–brain barrier and diffusion across intratumoral compartments, more uniform delivery and distribution can be achieved to enhance efficacy. Experimental Design: Ultrasmall fluorescent core-shell silica nanoparticles, Cornell prime dots (C9 dots), were functionalized with αv integrin-binding (cRGD), or nontargeting (cRAD) peptides, and PET labels (124I, 89Zr) to investigate the utility of dual-modality cRGD-C9 dots for enhancing accumulation, distribution, and retention (ADR) in a genetically engineered mouse model of glioblastoma (mGBM). mGBMs were systemically treated with 124I-cRGD- or 124I-cRAD-C9 dots and sacrificed at 3 and 96 hours, with concurrent intravital injections of FITC-dextran for mapping blood–brain barrier breakdown and the nuclear stain Hoechst. We further assessed target inhibition and ADR following attachment of dasatinib, creating nanoparticle–drug conjugates (Das-NDCs). Imaging findings were confirmed with ex vivo autoradiography, fluorescence microscopy, and p-S6RP IHC. Results: Improvements in brain tumor delivery and penetration, as well as enhancement in the ADR, were observed following administration of integrin-targeted C9 dots, as compared with a nontargeted control. Furthermore, attachment of the small-molecule inhibitor, dasatinib, led to its successful drug delivery throughout mGBM, demonstrated by downstream pathway inhibition. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that highly engineered C9 dots are promising drug delivery vehicles capable of navigating the complex physiologic barriers observed in a clinically relevant brain tumor model.