cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contraceptive and Reproductive Risks for Cervical Dysplasia in Southwestern Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White Women

Various contraceptive practices and reproductive factors have been associated with cervical neoplasia in case-control studies worldwide. To investigate contraceptive practices and reproductive factors associated with high-grade cervical dysplasia in southwestern Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women the authors carried out a clinic-based case-control study among university-affiliated clinic attendees. Oral contraceptive (OC) use ever (odds ratio [OR] = 0.4 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.2-0.9) and past diaphragm (OR = 0.3 95% CI: 0.1-0.8) were protective for dysplasia in analyses adjusted for age ethnicity sexual behavior and for cervical papillomavirus (HPV) infection. After further adjustment for Pap smear screening interval OC ever use remained protective for dysplasia. Vaginal deliveries were strongly associated with dysplasia with > 2 vaginal deliveries associated with a 3.9-fold increase in risk after adjustment for age ethnicity sexual behavior and HPV infection. Using logistic regression models to simultaneously control for effects of multiple factors as potentially related to cervical dysplasia the authors found low educational attainment cervical HPV infection cigarette smoking history of any sexually transmitted disease and having one or more vaginal deliveries to be associated with dysplasia; OC use and past diaphragm use also remained protective for high-grade cervical dysplasia in these regression analyses. The data suggest that use of OCs (ever) and past diaphragm use are protective for high-grade cervical dysplasia among Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women in New Mexico. The clinic-based perspective of this research (vs population-based studies) may help explain some of these findings. (authors)
Markov Chain Monte Carlo Detection Methods for High SNR Regimes

Statistical detectors that are based on Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulators have emerged as promising low-complexity solutions to both multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and code division multiple access (CDMA) communication systems. While these types of detectors achieve unprecedented near capacity performance, i.e., when operated in low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime, they exhibit a serious problem at medium to high SNR regimes, referred to as the "stalling" problem. In this paper, we investigate the sources of this degradation and propose a new search strategy called constrained MCMC to remedy the issue of stalling.
Integrated mechanistic and data-driven modelling for multivariate analysis of signalling pathways

Mathematical models of highly interconnected and multivariate signalling networks provide useful tools to understand these complex systems. However, effective approaches to extracting multivariate regulation information from these models are still lacking. In this study, we propose a data-driven modelling framework to analyse large-scale multivariate datasets generated from mathematical models. We used an ordinary differential equation based model for the Fas apoptotic pathway as an example. The first step in our approach was to cluster simulation outputs generated from models with varied protein initial concentrations. Subsequently, decision tree analysis was applied, in which we used protein concentrations to predict the simulation outcomes. Our results suggest that no single subset of proteins can determine the pathway behaviour. Instead, different subsets of proteins with different concentrations ranges can be important. We also used the resulting decision tree to identify the minimal number of perturbations needed to change pathway behaviours. In conclusion, our framework provides a novel approach to understand the multivariate dependencies among molecules in complex networks, and can potentially be used to identify combinatorial targets for therapeutic interventions.
Molecular mechanisms of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid in the inhibition of TGF-β1-mediated canine corneal fibrosis.

Objective To investigate molecular mechanisms mediating anti-fibrotic effect of SAHA in the canine cornea using an in vitro model. We hypothesized that SAHA attenuates corneal fibrosis by modulating Smad-dependent and, to a lesser extent, Smad-independent signaling pathways activated by TGF-β1, as well as matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity. Methods Cultured canine corneal fibroblasts (CCF) were incubated in the presence/absence of TGF-β1 (5 ng/mL) and SAHA (2.5 μm) for 24 h. Western blot analysis was used to quantify non-phosphorylated and phosphorylated isoforms of Smad2/3, p38 MAP kinase (MAPK), ERK1/2, and JNK1. Real-time PCR and zymography were utilized to quantify MMP1, MMP2, MMP8, and MMP9 mRNA expressions and MMP2 and MMP9 protein activities, respectively. Results TGF-β1 treatment caused a significant increase in phospho-Smad2/3 and phospho-p38 MAPK. SAHA treatment reduced TGF-β1-induced phosphorylation of Smad2/3 but not of p38 MAPK. TGF-β1 did not modulate the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 or JNK1. SAHA caused a significant reduction in phospho-ERK1/2 expression regardless of concurrent TGF-β1 treatment. Neither SAHA alone nor in combination with TGF-β1 altered phospho-JNK1 expression. TGF-β1 significantly increased MMP1 and MMP9 mRNA expressions but did not alter MMP2 mRNA. SAHA treatment attenuated TGF-β1-induced MMP9 mRNA expression while significantly enhancing TGF-β1-induced MMP1 mRNA expression. Zymography detected reduced expression of MMP2 and MMP9 proteins in untreated control CCF. TGF-β1 treatment did not alter their expression, but SAHA treatment +/−TGF-β1 significantly increased MMP2 and MMP9 protein expressions. Conclusions The corneal anti-fibrotic effects of SAHA involve multiple mechanisms including modulation of canonical and non-canonical components of TGF-β1 intracellular signaling and MMP activity.
Therapeutic potential of S179D prolactin--from prostate cancer to angioproliferative disorders: the first selective prolactin receptor modulator.

Increasing evidence suggests an important role for autocrine/paracrine prolactin in breast and prostate cancers and other disease states. Prolactin production in these extrapituitary sites is not governed by dopamine agonists, a finding that has spurred the production of prolactin receptor antagonists. This review focuses on one such antagonist, S179D prolactin, which was produced by mimicking a natural antagonist, phosphorylated prolactin. S179D prolactin is a very effective growth antagonist, partly because it inhibits signalling from unmodified prolactin and partly because it produces its own intracellular signal. This signal results in cell differentiation, cell-cycle arrest or apoptosis depending on dose, duration of treatment and cellular context. S179D prolactin is also a potent antiangiogenic and initial studies have shown it to be a potent anti-inflammatory agent. In light of these additional modes of action, it is suggested that S179D prolactin should now be more aptly referred to as a selective...
Linking personal turbulence and creative behavior: The influence of scanning and search in the entrepreneurial process

Abstract Drawing on image theory and integrating literatures on shocks to the system and displacement, we propose that personal turbulence (i.e., rapid, unusual, agenda-setting events) enhances entrepreneurs' creativity both directly and through the mechanism of scanning and search. We conduct multiple studies to develop and validate a scale for personal turbulence and to test hypotheses. Results from the main study of 108 entrepreneurs suggest that negative turbulence has a more potent influence on creativity than does positive turbulence. Further, scanning and search partially mediates the relationship between negative turbulence and creativity, and fully mediates the effect of positive turbulence on creativity.
What Sort of Science is Semantics

We aren’t happy about semantics. In particular, we aren’t happy about current accounts of the goals of theory construction in semantics, or about how, if at all, semantic theories are supposed to illuminate the workings of the mind. We know, more or less, what we think about these questions; but we find it increasingly difficult to understand what the semanticists themselves say. We suspect cross-purposes, so we want to put some of their views on the table, where they can be scrutinized and compared with our own.
Campaign Spending in Contests for Governor

HE AMERICAN governorship is a political prize of major importance. Governors are more salient to the citizens of their states than any other political figure save the President. Nominating battles occur more often for candidacies for governor than for other offices, even when incumbents are running for reelection. In general, gubernatorial elections are more competitive than other contests, and this has become increasingly true in the past two decades. In one way or another, governors are the principal leaders of their state political party. Moreover, governors face a wider array of public policy problems than ever before, as the governing role of the states has grown. Commensurately, the national standing of governors has magnified, witnessed by the 1980 presidential contest between former governors Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.l Yet gubernatorial nominations, campaigns, and elections have not been investigated very extensively. Accordingly, the outcomes of gubernatorial elections appear as an alloy of the routine and the idiosyncratic. Systematic investigation of state election outcomes at the aggregate level has centered around three major influences-the effect of partisan strength, the incumbency effect, and the impact of the campaign. Measures of partisan strength aim to capture the baseline support which candidates can expect to receive because of the predisposition of voters to confirm their partisan attachments in the choices they make in the polling booth. Estimates of the "normal vote" for a party indicate what its proportion of the vote would be if the long-term effect of party identification were the only influence on the electoral outcome.2 Aggregate indicators of partisan strength serve as approximations of the normal party vote. Incumbent candidates in an election have an advantage over their challengers both because incumbent status may give them greater visibility to voters, and because the political resources at their command may allow them to conduct more extensive campaigns.3 Thus, incumbency may serve as a positive cue which voters use to make their electoral choices. Moreover, incumbents may be able to amass disproportionately large campaign war chests in order to widen and deepen their reelection efforts. Nevertheless, the
The Role of Neuroimaging in the Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis of Traumatic Brain Injury in Children

Neuroimaging is a central pillar in the diagnosis, management, prognostication, and research of pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI). Head computed tomography (CT) is the most readily available and rapid method of acute neuroimaging in emergency departments and it has been viewed as the diagnostic standard. However, concern about excessive and unnecessary radiation exposure in children has led to the development of clinical prediction rules with a goal of limiting excessive CT imaging in children with blunt head trauma. There is a trend toward increased use of structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including tailored rapid techniques, in both acute and follow-up imaging in children. Where available, MRI is more sensitive for parenchymal injury than CT and may fulfill the dual goal of decreasing radiation exposure and increasing the yield of more subtle parenchymal trauma. In the current era of TBI management, the diagnosis and treatment of TBI is driven increasingly by neuroimaging. The ability of neuroimaging to provide multidimensional information, specifically, pathoanatomic classification of injuries, as well as important data on injury evolution over time, is increasingly relied upon to match appropriate treatments to the pathophysiology specific to a given injury profile. When combined with premorbid, acute clinical, biomarker, and genetic data, the hope is that multidimensional characterization of injury will improve current management of children with TBIs as well as stratify patients more effectively for clinical trials in the future.
A Framework for Considering Comprehensibility in Modeling.

Abstract Comprehensibility in modeling is the ability of stakeholders to understand relevant aspects of the modeling process. In this article, we provide a framework to help guide exploration of the space of comprehensibility challenges. We consider facets organized around key questions: Who is comprehending? Why are they trying to comprehend? Where in the process are they trying to comprehend? How can we help them comprehend? How do we measure their comprehension? With each facet we consider the broad range of options. We discuss why taking a broad view of comprehensibility in modeling is useful in identifying challenges and opportunities for solutions.
It's Not Just Immigration Anymore: Nativism and Support for Health Care Reform

On March 17, 2010, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin described President Obama’s health care reform plan as “undemocratic” and “un-American” to a Fox News audience. Previous research has established that attitudes toward the 2010 health care reform law were affected by a variety of factors, including socioeconomic status (Brady and Kessler 2010; Gelman, Lee, and Ghitza 2010) and even racial prejudice (Knowles, Lowery, and Schaumberg 2010; Tesler 2012). This study investigates the relationship between support for health care reform and nativism, the perception that a traditional American culture and way of life is being threatened by foreign influence. In other words, this study describes and analyzes the extent to which the health care reform bill was perceived by the American public as somehow “un-American”, or a threat to traditional American values. Data for this study are drawn from two distinct national public opinion samples fielded in 2010 and 2011. Results demonstrate that nativism was an independent and significant predictor of opposition to health care reform, and that this effect held for both Republicans as well as Democrats (although the relationship is stronger among Republicans). This is substantively important for two reasons. First, it demonstrates that certain sub-groups of the American public evaluate public policy proposals on the basis of their perceived “foreignness”. Second, it demonstrates that while nativism is traditionally associated with immigration and other race/ethnic-based policy preferences, it also affects attitudes toward other seemingly non-racial policies in the United States.
Mechanics and Dynamics of Cation-Induced Actin Bundles

The assembly of actin filaments into bundles plays an essential role in mechanical strength and dynamic reorganization of cytoskeleton. Divalent counterions at high concentrations promote bundle formation through electrostatic attraction between charged filaments. Although it has been hypothesized that specific cation interactions may contribute to salt-induced bundling, molecular mechanisms of how salt modulates bundle assembly and mechanics are not well established. Here we determine the mechanical and dynamic properties of actin bundles at varying divalent cation concentrations. Using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy, we measure the bending stiffness of actin bundles determined by persistence length analysis. We characterize real-time formation of bundles by dynamic light scattering intensity and direct visualization using TIRF microscopy. Our results show that divalent cations stiffen actin bundles and modulate time-dependent average bundle size. The work suggests that cation interactions serve a regulatory function in actin bundle mechanics and dynamics.
Metabolomic Study of Chardonnay Grapevines Double Stressed with Esca-Associated Fungi and Drought

Esca is a complex grapevine trunk disease associated with fungal infection of the xylem. However, the inconstancy of external symptoms and the ability of esca-associated fungi to inhabit grapevines without causing apparent disease suggests that abiotic factors might be involved in the disease. Water stress has been proposed to be one of the factors influencing esca symptom manifestation but the specific role played by water stress on esca development is unknown. We conducted a proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy-based metabolomic study aiming at unveiling drought-induced modifications in xylem sap composition that could contribute to esca-related infection progression. Vitis vinifera 'Chardonnay' plants were inoculated with Phaeomoniella chlamydospora or Phaeoacremonium minimum and exposed to water stress. Using this approach, 28 metabolites were identified in xylem sap. The results show that water stress induces a concentration increase of most metabolites in xylem sap. An average increase >100% was found for asparagine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, tyrosine, valine, sarcosine, and trigonelline. The increase of these compounds seems to be also modulated by fungal infection. This study offers further support to the putative role of drought in esca expression, and opens new avenues of research by extending the current knowledge about metabolites possibly involved in esca disease.
Female pelvic synthetic CT generation based on joint intensity and shape analysis

Using MRI for radiotherapy treatment planning and image guidance is appealing as it provides superior soft tissue information over CT scans and avoids possible systematic errors introduced by aligning MR to CT images. This study presents a method that generates Synthetic CT (MRCT) volumes by performing probabilistic tissue classification of voxels from MRI data using a single imaging sequence (T1 Dixon). The intensity overlap between different tissues on MR images, a major challenge for voxel-based MRCT generation methods, is addressed by adding bone shape information to an intensity-based classification scheme. A simple pelvic bone shape model, built from principal component analysis of pelvis shape from 30 CT image volumes, is fitted to the MR volumes. The shape model generates a rough bone mask that excludes air and covers bone along with some surrounding soft tissues. Air regions are identified and masked out from the tissue classification process by intensity thresholding outside the bone mask. A regularization term is added to the fuzzy c-means classification scheme that constrains voxels outside the bone mask from being assigned memberships in the bone class. MRCT image volumes are generated by multiplying the probability of each voxel being represented in each class with assigned attenuation values of the corresponding class and summing the result across all classes. The MRCT images presented intensity distributions similar to CT images with a mean absolute error of 13.7 HU for muscle, 15.9 HU for fat, 49.1 HU for intra-pelvic soft tissues, 129.1 HU for marrow and 274.4 HU for bony tissues across 9 patients. Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans were optimized using MRCT-derived electron densities, and doses were recalculated using corresponding CT-derived density grids. Dose differences to planning target volumes were small with mean/standard deviation of 0.21/0.42 Gy for D0.5cc and 0.29/0.33 Gy for D99%. The results demonstrate the accuracy of the method and its potential in supporting MRI only radiotherapy treatment planning.
Choosing a reliability inspection plan for interval censored data

ABSTRACTReliability test plans are important for producing precise and accurate assessment of reliability characteristics. This article explores different strategies for choosing between possible inspection plans for interval-censored data given a fixed testing timeframe and budget. A new general cost structure is proposed for guiding precise quantification of total cost in inspection test plan. Multiple summaries of reliability are considered and compared as the criteria for choosing the best plans using an easily adaptable method. Different cost structures and representative true underlying reliability curves demonstrate how to assess different strategies given the logistical constraints and nature of the problem. Results show several general patterns exist across a wide variety of scenarios. Given the fixed total cost, plans that inspect more units with less frequency based on equally spaced time points are favored due to the ease of implementation and consistent good performance across a large number ...
Droop mitigating last level cache architecture for STTRAM

Spin-Transfer Torque Random Access Memory (STTRAM) is one of the emerging Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) technologies especially preferred for the Last Level Cache (LLC). The amount of current needed to switch the magnetization is high (∼100sA per bit). For a full cache line (512-bit) write, this extremely high current results in a voltage droop in the conventional cache architecture. Due to this droop, the write operation fails especially, when the farthest bank of the cache is accessed. In this paper, we propose a new cache architecture to mitigate this problem of droop and make the write operation successful. Instead of continuously writing the entire cache line (512-bit) in a single bank, the proposed architecture writes 64-bits in multiple physically separated locations across the cache. The simulation results obtained (both circuit and micro-architectural) comparing our proposed architecture against the conventional are found to be 1.96% (IPC) and 5.21% (energy).
The role of landscape and strategic communication in managing legitimacy between a state and its citizens

The physical landscape has historically played a vital role in defining a polity to people, but modern states have not adjusted it to the needs of the information age. We argue in this conceptual paper that: (1) Modern states should include landscape when communicating their identity. (2) Landscapes possess an emotional equity that could be magnified by social media and other information age media. (3) History demonstrates that premodern and later states understood the communication power of landscape. (4) A shift from natural landscape to culturally perceived boundaries undermined the legitimacy of many states partly by weakening their identity. (5) A return to historical, often premodern perception of landscape as a communication asset would help states harness landscape's communication power.
Another country? Racial hatred in the time of Trump: A time for historical reckoning

The contentious confirmation hearings of Trump’s pick for US Attorney General, Senator Jeff Sessions, barely opened the can of worms regarding Sessions’ indifference toward allegations of summary executions of poor black victims in southwest Alabama during his term of office as federal attorney for Southern Alabama. During his two years Assistant US Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama (1975) and his twelve years as US Attorney for the same district, Sessions was accused of demeaning his black associates, expressing hostility toward civil rights organizations and rights workers, and ignoring complaints by black citizens who had been blocked from voting in their rural counties. Sessions oversaw the executions of mentally and cognitively disabled people, and he supported grossly unequal distribution of public funds, favoring private white schools over predominately black public schools. What has not been addressed, however, are the reports by local civil rights workers and local witnesses of post–civil rights era “lynchings” of black martyrs in southwest Alabama from the late 1960s into the 1980s. The article is based on my and my civil rights colleagues’ investigative research work that accidentally and serendipitously led us to three cases of likely death squad-like attacks in southwest Alabama in the late 1970s and 1980s. The article also addresses the stigma of place and its impact on the people who live in communities that are seen as backwater or as lacking in cultural or symbolic capital, such as Trump’s early upbringing in Queens, New York City, and Jeff Sessions’ upbringing in Camden, Alabama.
Performance Characteristics of a Camera-Based Tangible Input Device for Manipulation of 3D Information

This paper describes a prototype tangible six degree of freedom (6 DoF) input device that is inexpensive and intuitive to use: a cube with colored corners of specific shapes, tracked by a single camera, with pose estimated in real time. A tracking and automatic color adjustment system are designed so that the device can work robustly with noisy surroundings and is invariant to changes in lighting and background noise. A system evaluation shows good performance for both refresh (above 60 FPS on average) and accuracy of pose estimation (average angular error of about 1). A user study of 3D rotation tasks shows that the device outperforms other 6 DoF input devices used in a similar desktop environment. The device has the potential to facilitate interactive applications such as games as well as viewing 3D information.
Riluzole Impairs Cocaine Reinstatement and Restores Adaptations in Intrinsic Excitability and GLT-1 Expression

Adaptations in glutamate signaling within the brain's reward circuitry are observed following withdrawal from several abused drugs, including cocaine. These include changes in intrinsic cellular excitability, glutamate release, and glutamate uptake. Pharmacological or optogenetic reversal of these adaptations have been shown to reduce measures of cocaine craving and seeking, raising the hypothesis that regulation of glutamatergic signaling represents a viable target for the treatment of substance use disorders. Here, we tested the hypothesis that administration of the compound riluzole, which regulates glutamate dynamics in several ways, would reduce cocaine seeking in the rat self-administration and reinstatement model of addiction. Riluzole dose-dependently inhibited cue- and cocaine-primed reinstatement to cocaine, but did not affect locomotor activity or reinstatement to sucrose seeking. Moreover, riluzole reversed bidirectional cocaine-induced adaptations in intrinsic excitability of prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) pyramidal neurons; a cocaine-induced increase in PL excitability was decreased by riluzole, and a cocaine-induced decrease in IL excitability was increased to normal levels. Riluzole also reversed the cocaine-induced suppression of the high-affinity glutamate transporter 1 (EAAT2/GLT-1) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). GLT-1 is responsible for the majority of glutamate uptake in the brain, and has been previously reported to be downregulated by cocaine. These results demonstrate that riluzole impairs cocaine reinstatement while rectifying several cellular adaptations in glutamatergic signaling within the brain's reward circuitry, and support the hypothesis that regulators of glutamate homeostasis represent viable candidates for pharmacotherapeutic treatment of psychostimulant relapse.
Antarctic emerald rockcod have the capacity to compensate for warming when uncoupled from CO2 -acidification.

Increases in atmospheric CO2 levels and associated ocean changes are expected to have dramatic impacts on marine ecosystems. Although the Southern Ocean is experiencing some of the fastest rates of change, few studies have explored how Antarctic fishes may be affected by co-occurring ocean changes, and even fewer have examined early life stages. To date, no studies have characterized potential trade-offs in physiology and behavior in response to projected multiple climate change stressors (ocean acidification and warming) on Antarctic fishes. We exposed juvenile emerald rockcod Trematomus bernacchii to three PCO2 treatments (~450, ~850, and ~1,200 μatm PCO2 ) at two temperatures (-1 or 2°C). After 2, 7, 14, and 28 days, metrics of physiological performance including cardiorespiratory function (heart rate [fH ] and ventilation rate [fV ]), metabolic rate (M˙O2), and cellular enzyme activity were measured. Behavioral responses, including scototaxis, activity, exploration, and escape response were assessed after 7 and 14 days. Elevated PCO2 independently had little impact on either physiology or behavior in juvenile rockcod, whereas warming resulted in significant changes across acclimation time. After 14 days, fH , fV and M˙O2 significantly increased with warming, but not with elevated PCO2 . Increased physiological costs were accompanied by behavioral alterations including increased dark zone preference up to 14%, reduced activity by 12%, as well as reduced escape time suggesting potential trade-offs in energetics. After 28 days, juvenile rockcod demonstrated a degree of temperature compensation as fV , M˙O2, and cellular metabolism significantly decreased following the peak at 14 days; however, temperature compensation was only evident in the absence of elevated PCO2 . Sustained increases in fV and M˙O2 after 28 days exposure to elevated PCO2 indicate additive (fV ) and synergistic (M˙O2) interactions occurred in combination with warming. Stressor-induced energetic trade-offs in physiology and behavior may be an important mechanism leading to vulnerability of Antarctic fishes to future ocean change.
High temperature treatment of Cr3C2@SiC-NFA composites in water vapor environment

Abstract This work focuses on the oxidation resistance of a new class of composites, chromium carbide coated silicon carbide-nanostructured ferritic alloy (Cr3C2@SiC-NFA), in a water vapor containing atmosphere at 500–1000 °C. Oxidation temperature effects on surface morphologies, scale characteristics, and cross-sectional microstructures are investigated and analyzed. The Cr3C2@SiC content in the composites is strongly associated with the oxidation resistance by forming a dense Cr- and Si-rich inner-layer, which can be explained based on the Thermo-Calc simulation. The fundamental understandings offer important guidance for the applications of this class of composites in nuclear reactors and high temperature moist environments.
Evaluation of fluorescence-guided surgery agents in a murine model of soft tissue fibrosarcoma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are mesenchymal malignancies. Treatment mainstay is surgical resection with negative margins ± adjuvant treatment. Fluorescence-guided surgical (FGS) resection can delineate intraoperative margins; FGS has improved oncologic outcomes in other malignancies. This novel strategy may minimize resection-associated morbidity while improving local tumor control. METHODS We evaluate the tumor-targeting specificity and utility of fluorescence-imaging agents to provide disease-specific contrast. Mice with HT1080 fibrosarcoma tumors received one of five probes: cetuximab-IRDye800CW (anti-EGFR), DC101-IRDye800CW (anti-VEGFR-2), IgG-IRDye800CW, the cathepsin-activated probe Prosense750EX, or the small molecule probe IntegriSense750. Tumors were imaged daily using open- and closed-field fluorescence imaging systems. Tumor-to-background ratios (TBR) were evaluated. On peak TBR days, probe sensitivity was evaluated. Tumors were stained and imaged microscopically. RESULTS At peak, closed-field imaging TBR of cetuximab-IRDye800CW (16.8) was significantly greater (P < 0.0001) than Integrisense750 (7.0), Prosense750EX (5.8), and DC101-IRDye800CW (3.7). All agents successfully localized as little as 1.0 mg of tumor tissue in the post-resection bed; cetuximab-IRDye800CW generated the greatest contrast (2.5). Cetuximab-IRDye800CW revealed strong tumor affinity microscopically; tumor fluorescence intensity was significantly greater (P < 0.0004) than 0.2 mm away from tumor border. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates cetuximab-IRDye800CW superiority. FGS has the potential to improve post-resection morbidity and mortality by improving disease detection.
Some Consideration of Alternative Ansätz in Coupled-Cluster Theory

This paper investigates some alternative ansatz based upon the expectation value of a normal (XCC) and unitary (UCC) coupled-cluster operator. Using a perturbation truncation followed by a series of order dependent cancellations, some new types of size-extensive approximations are considered. One principal result is that a new type of factorization for all effects of T4 through fifth-order in the correlation correction may be obtained by only an ∼n7 computational algorithm instead of the ∼n9 procedure that would be required in a standard CC method correct through fifth-order. UCC methods are found to be equivalent to a symmetrization of the corresponding XCC approaches; but, unlike the fourth-order approximation XCC(4), UCC(4) exactly satisfies the generalized Hellmann-Feynman theorem which facilitates the evaluation of molecular properties like gradients. Illustrative ab initio numerical results are presented for energies compared to standard CC methods and full CI; the effects of T4 for some simple systems; and frequencies obtained from UCC(4) analytical gradients.
Systematic Direct Observational Assessment of Student Behavior: Its Use and Interpretation in Multiple Settings: An Introduction to the Miniseries

(2005). Systematic Direct Observational Assessment of Student Behavior: Its Use and Interpretation in Multiple Settings: An Introduction to the Miniseries. School Psychology Review: Vol. 34, No. 4, pp. 451-453.
Science/Art/Culture Through an Oceanic Lens

Since the year 2000, artists have increasingly employed tools, methods, and aesthetics associated with scientific practice to produce forms of art that assert themselves as kinds of experimental an...
Morbid obesity and 1-year costs after elbow dislocation.

Abstract Background Morbid obesity has been linked with serious associated injuries following dislocations of the knee. While similar devastating injuries have been observed following elbow dislocations in the obese, no study to date has characterized the financial impact of elbow dislocations in the morbidly obese population. Purpose The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of morbid obesity on 1-year costs related to elbow dislocation. Methods A retrospective query of the Medicare Standard Analytic Files database was performed for patients sustaining elbow dislocation from 2005 to 2014. 1-year reimbursement costs from the initial open or closed reduction procedures were compared for morbidly obese (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2) patients versus those without morbid obesity (BMI Results We identified 182 morbidly obese patients and 422 patients without morbid obesity who underwent open or closed reduction for elbow dislocation. 102 patients with 1-year cost data remained in each cohort after matching. Mean 1-year reimbursement costs related to elbow dislocation were significantly greater in morbidly obese patients ($6227.43 vs $4225.71, p = 0.006). Conclusion 1-year costs related to elbow dislocation are significantly higher in morbidly obese patients. The increased costs likely reflect the complexity of managing dislocations in the obese population. Difficulties maintaining closed reduction, longer and more challenging surgeries with a higher likelihood on intra- and post-operative complications, and a higher risk of peri-operative medical complications may all contribute to these increased costs.
Homeless Youth of Color and the Shaping of Aspirations: The (Re)productive Role of Institutions:

This year-long ethnographic study explored the occupational aspirations and informal educational experiences of 25 diverse homeless adolescents who found social welfare assistance through Empower, ...
ACG Clinical Guideline: Ulcerative Colitis in Adults

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an idiopathic inflammatory disorder. These guidelines indicate the preferred approach to the management of adults with UC and represent the official practice recommendations of the American College of Gastroenterology. The scientific evidence for these guidelines was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) process. In instances where the evidence was not appropriate for GRADE, but there was consensus of significant clinical merit, "key concept" statements were developed using expert consensus. These guidelines are meant to be broadly applicable and should be viewed as the preferred, but not only, approach to clinical scenarios.
THE USE OF POLYNOMIALS IN THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL ADJUSTMENT OF TRIANGULATED STRIPS

The treatment of this subject in recent publications is discussed. The procedure described by M. Perks in the present issue of THE CANADIAN SURVEYOR is found to be the most accurate, but it is more...
Software Engineering and Simulation Credibility

Abstract : Most people think of 'validation' as the hallmark of simulation credibility. But some simulations, by their very nature (e.g., mission level models, highly complex physics-based simulations, etc.) are notoriously difficult to validate. There are also situations in which the process of validation, even if feasible, cannot keep pace with the dynamic nature of simulation evolution, or where the cost of validation data is prohibitively high. Are there any other 'hallmarks' of simulation credibility that can help us in cases like these? This paper demonstrates that significant insights into simulation credibility can be obtained via detailed examination of the software engineering processes and practices by which the simulation was developed and is maintained. The nature and value of good software engineering processes is often unknown, or under-appreciated, by the end-users of simulation results and therefore is often overlooked as a barometer of simulation credibility.
Factors Associated with Endocrine Therapy Non-Adherence in Breast Cancer Survivors.

BACKGROUND For women with hormone receptor positive breast cancer, long-term endocrine therapy (ET) can greatly reduce the risk of recurrence, yet adherence is low- particularly among traditionally underserved populations. METHODS The Carolina Breast Cancer Study oversampled Black and young women (<50 years of age). Participants answered an ET-specific medication adherence questionnaire assessing reasons for non-adherence. We used principal factor analysis to identify latent factors describing ET non-adherence. We then performed multivariable regression to determine clinical and demographic characteristics associated with each ET non-adherence factor. RESULTS 1,231 women were included in analysis, 59% reported at least one barrier to ET adherence. We identified three latent factors which we defined as: habit - challenges developing medication-taking behavior; tradeoffs - high perceived side effect burden and medication safety concerns; and resource barriers - challenges related to cost or accessibility. Older age (50+) was associated with less reporting of habit (Adjusted Risk Ratio (aRR) 0.54[95% CI: 0.43-0.69] and resource barriers (aRR 0.66[0.43-0.997]), but was not associated with tradeoff barriers. Medicaid-insured women were more likely than privately-insured to report tradeoff (aRR:1.53 [1.10-2.13]) or resource barriers (aRR:4.43[2.49-6.57]). Black race was associated with increased reporting of all factors (habit: aRR 1.29[1.09-1.53]; tradeoffs: 1.32[1.09-1.60], resources: 1.65[1.18-2.30]). CONCLUSION Barriers to ET adherence were described by three distinct factors, and strongly associated with sociodemographic characteristics. Barriers to ET adherence appear inadequately addressed for younger, Black, and publicly-insured breast cancer survivors. These findings underscore the importance of developing multi-faceted, patient-centered interventions that address a diverse range of barriers to ET adherence.
Kalo [Hawaiian Taro, Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott] Varieties: An assessment of nomenclatural synonymy and biodiversity

The prominence of kalo (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott.) in Hawaiian culture has declined after experiencing a decrease in cultivation, biodiversity and associated cultural knowledge. There was no documentation of diversity at its height. Previous estimates of biodiversity lack any sense of a methodlogical approach. A new attempt was made to assess levels of biodiversity around the peak cultivation period. Results were then compared to current levels. Nomenclatural synonymy and extinction have presented some challenges which made standard methods for quantifying biodiversity not viable. A set of new tools was used to sort through a master list of 676 varietal names. A comparison of what is known from the nineteenth century and modern time periods makes it apparent that changes in biodiversity, varietal prominence, ethnonomenclature, and ethnotaxonomy have occurred. This paper discusses the direction of such trends, and postulates a new estimate for kalo diversity at the end of the 19th century (approximately 100 years after the assumed peak of cultivation and diversity) to be between 368-482 distinct cultivars, while only 65-73 still exist today.
The evaluation of treatment effect of recurrent and delayed healing of neonatal dacryocystitis by ritleng lacrimal intubation system

Objective To evaluate treatment effect of recurrent and delayed healing of children dacryocystitis by ritleng lacrimal intubation system.Methods In this retrospective cases series,86 patients (118eyes) with recurrent and delayed healing of children dacryocystitis were treated by the lacrimal sac area massage and irrigation and probing of lacrimal passage,who still epiphora,which treated by ritleng lacrimal intubation system and the effect of treatment was observed.Among them,male were 52 patients (72 eyes),female 34 patients (46 eyes).At the age of 4 months to 3.1 years,the average of 7.60 months old.Results Of 78 patients (108 eyes) were cured and 8 patients (10eyes) improved.The total efficiency was 100％ and the total cure rate was 91.53％.Conclusions The recurrent and delayed healing of children dacryocystitis are treated by ritleng lacrimal intubation system,which can markedly improve the cure rate. Key words: Dacryocystitis; Probing; Ritleng lacrimal intubation system
Geospatial data conflation: a formal approach based on optimization and relational databases

Geospatial data conflation is aimed at matching counterpart features from two or more data sources in order to combine and better utilize information in the data. Due to the importance of conflatio...
A second look at SecondLook: Design iterations and usability of digital dating abuse detection and awareness app

Digital dating abuse is a widespread problem, with one in three American teens experiencing this issue at some point in their lives through such electronic mediums as texting, social media, email, and phone calls. However, existing technology and non-technology based intervention programs have not effectively detected nor addressed the onset of this abuse. The goal of this research is to develop a mobile phone application that can detect digital dating abuse. Our prior publications described the focus group study associated with the design of this phone app and the implementation of the detection feature. This paper builds on this previous work and analyzes two usability studies conducted to reinforce issues related to the general usability of such a phone application as we work toward determining the needs of the target demographic. It also explores the challenges of using traditional means such as text illustrations to spread awareness about digital dating abuse in general and questions related to user-interface design and trust in an application with machine learning powered detection.
Race, Space and the Urban South: Then and Now

More than half a century after Brown v. the Board of Education and the Civil Rights Movement, the cities at the heart of America’s racial conflict with itself have changed socioeconomically, culturally, and politically. While many of these changes resulted in quality of life improvements for racial minorities, there are some questions about lingering bastions of segregation in the South. Using a critical race theory (CRT) lens, in this paper we investigate four cities that were important to the Civil Rights Movement – Greensboro, North Carolina, Little Rock, Arkansas, Memphis, Tennessee, and Montgomery, Alabama – to examine demographic, economic, and sociocultural trends and how they affect racial minority groups. We find that, despite considerable improvement in terms of poverty rate, unemployment, and income, Blacks continue to remain substantially behind Whites in these cities, indicating that desegregation and access to opportunity has done little to close the black-white opportunity gap.
Neurological Disease in Camelids

The presentation of neurological disease in camelids, as in other species, varies widely. There are many different causes of neurological signs and the clinician must be aware that metabolic and musculoskeletal disease can also present with neurological signs. These conditions must be differentiated from those of true neurological origin by careful history taking, physical examination and use of appropriate diagnostic tests.
Stochastic Gene Expression

Cellular processes are intrinsically noisy. The noise originates from incessant thermal motion of molecules in the cell, which causes molecular events, especially biochemical reactions, to occur at random times. Such noise is not manifest if the molecules participating in a process are abundant, e.g., decay of an abundant molecule in a cell, or a reaction measured in a whole tissue (large total number of molecules in many cells). This is because random noises are averaged out among a large number of molecules. If the participating molecules are present with only a few copies, however, noise in the process cannot be ignored and can have a significant impact on the dynamics of the process. The most well studied example of noisy cellular processes is gene expression, as its key molecular players, such as the gene and the mRNA, have low copy numbers in a single cell. In this chapter we discuss how to build stochastic models and implement stochastic simulations to study stochastic gene expression. The methods can be applied to other biochemical reactions and molecular regulatory networks to investigate the impact of noise on their dynamics and functions in a cell.
Partnerships, Future, and Emerging Technologies

This chapter will cover the current state and possible futures of the biofuels industry. Technology options for the production of cellulosic ethanol will be explained with comparative economics given for representative biochemical and thermochemical cellulosic ethanol conversion processes. This will be followed by a description of the current state of the biofuels industry with possible future directions outlined and what needs to happen both from a technical and business perspective to provide the best chances of success. Finally, advanced biofuel (hydrocarbon fuels) conversion options will be discussed with preliminary economics provided.
Gonococcal tonsillitis-pharyngitis in a 5-year-old girl.

A case is presented of gonococcal tonsillitis-pharyngitis in a 5-year-old girl with a brief review of the clinical spectrum of gonococcal oropharyngeal infection. The importance is stressed of recognizing this entity as a potential manifestation of child molestation.