cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical presentation and outcomes of cardiovascular implantable electronic device infections in hemodialysis patients.

Background Infection is a serious complication of cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) implantation. Kidney failure is as an independent risk factor for CIED infection and associated mortality. The presence of multiple comorbid conditions may contribute to varied clinical presentations and poor outcomes in hemodialysis (HD)-dependent patients with cardiac device infection. Study Design Case series. Setting & Participants CIED infections in HD patients (n=17) and non-HD patients (n=398) at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, between 1991 and 2008. Outcomes Surgical management and death. Measurements Clinical presentations, microbial organisms. Results Of 415 patients admitted with CIED infection, 17 (4%) were receiving maintenance HD therapy. Among those on HD therapy, mean age was 72±15 (SD) years, 59% were women, and 53% had a central venous catheter for dialysis access. All 17 patients receiving HD therapy presented with CIED-associated bloodstream infection and 41% of these had infected vegetations on CIED leads or cardiac valves. A majority (82%) were managed with complete device removal and almost half (43%) received a replacement device when bloodstream infection cleared. Device infection was associated with significant short-term mortality in HD patients and 90-day survival was only 76% in this group of patients. Limitations Smaller sample size, majority white cohort, observational study. Conclusions CIED infection in patients receiving HD usually is associated with bloodstream infection and frequently is complicated with device-related endocarditis. Despite complete device removal in the majority of HD patients with infection, mortality remains high.
Effect of transverse gap-junction channels on transverse propagation in an enlarged PSpice model of cardiac muscle

Background: In previous PSpice modeling studies of simulated action potentials (APs) in parallel chains of cardiac muscle, it was found that transverse propagation could occur between adjacent chains in the absence of gap-junction (gj) channels, presumably by the electric field (EF) generated in the narrow interstitial space between the chains. Transverse propagation was sometimes erratic, the more distal chains firing out of order. Methods: In the present study, the propagation of complete APs was studied in a 2-dimensional network of 100 cardiac muscle cells (10 × 10 model). Various numbers of gj-channels (assumed to be 100 pS each) were inserted across the junctions between the longitudinal cells of each chain and between adjacent chains (only at the end cells of each chain). The shunt resistance produced by the gj-channels (Rgj) was varied from 100,000 MΩ (0 gj-channels) to 1,000 MΩ (10 channels), 100 MΩ (100 channels) and 10 MΩ (1,000 channels). Total propagation time (TPT) was measured as the difference between the times when the AP rising phase of the first cell (cell # A1) and the last cell (in the J chain) crossed 0 mV. When there were no gj-channels, the excitation was transmitted between cells by the EF, i.e., the negative potential generated in the narrow junctional clefts (e.g., 100 A) when the prejunctional membrane fired an AP. For the EF mechanism to work, the prejunctional membrane must fire a fraction of a millisecond before the adjacent surface membrane. When there were many gj-channels (e.g., 100 or 1,000), the excitation was transmitted by local-circuit current flow from one cell to the next through these channels. Results: TPT was measured as a function of four different numbers of transverse gj-channels, namely 0, 10, 100 and 1,000, and four different numbers of longitudinal gj-channels, namely 0, 10, 100 and 1,000. Thus, 16 different measurements were made. It was found that increasing the number of transverse channels had no effect on TPT when the number of longitudinal channels was low (i.e., 0 or 10). In contrast, when the number of longitudinal gj-channels was high (e.g., 100 or 1,000), then increasing the number of transverse channels decreased TPT markedly.
Endovascular coil embolisation of a giant pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm from a gunshot wound

A 38-year-old female was brought to the trauma emergency room after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds to the right chest and abdomen. She had pulmonary contusions involving the right lung and a haemopneumothorax initially managed with chest tube placement. A few weeks into her hospitalisation, she was found to have a giant right pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm, which corresponded to a bullet tract. The pseudoaneurysm was causing a steal phenomenon and impaired perfusion of the right middle lobe and right lower lobe. Endovascular coil embolisation of the pseudoaneurysm was performed with restoration of perfusion to the right lung.
American Society of Clinical Oncology Technology Assessment on the Use of Aromatase Inhibitors As Adjuvant Therapy for Postmenopausal Women With Hormone Receptor–Positive Breast Cancer: Status Report 2004

Purpose To update the 2003 American Society of Clinical Oncology technology assessment on adjuvant use of aromatase inhibitors. Recommendations Based on results from multiple large randomized trials, adjuvant therapy for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor–positive breast cancer should include an aromatase inhibitor in order to lower the risk of tumor recurrence. Neither the optimal timing nor duration of aromatase inhibitor therapy is established. Aromatase inhibitors are appropriate as initial treatment for women with contraindications to tamoxifen. For all other postmenopausal women, treatment options include 5 years of aromatase inhibitors treatment or sequential therapy consisting of tamoxifen (for either 2 to 3 years or 5 years) followed by aromatase inhibitors for 2 to 3, or 5 years. Patients intolerant of aromatase inhibitors should receive tamoxifen. There are no data on the use of tamoxifen after an aromatase inhibitor in the adjuvant setting. Women with hormone receptor–negative tumors s...
Using sensor pattern noise for camera model identification

Sensor photo-response non-uniformity (PRMJ) was introduced by Lukas et al. [1] to solve the problem of digital camera sensor identification. The PRNU is the main component of a camera fingerprint that can reliably identify a specific camera. This fingerprint can be estimated from multiple images taken by the camera. In this paper, we demonstrate that the same fingerprint can be used for identification of camera brand and model. This is possible due to the fact that fingerprints estimated from images in the TIFF/JPEG format contain local structure due to various in-camera processing that can be detected by extracting a set of numerical features from the fingerprints and classifying them using pattern classification methods. We estimate and classify fingerprints for more than 4500 digital cameras spanning 8 different brands and 17 models. The average probability of correctly classified camera brand was 90.8%.
Fiber ringdown temperature sensors

A new method of developing fiber temperature sensors using a fiber Bragg grating-loop ringdown scheme is introduced. With this new technique, temperature measurements are converted to measuring time constants. Temperature sensing up to 593°C has been demonstrated using a proof-of-concept device. The sensor's stability, repeatability, sensitivity, and dynamic range are also explored.
A Yield Criterion for Porous Ductile Media at High Strain Rate

An approximate yield criterion for porous ductile media at high strain rate is developed adopting energy principles. A new concept that the macroscopic stresses are composed of two parts, representing dynamic and quasi-static components, is proposed. It is found that the dynamic part of the macroscopic stresses controls the movement of the dynamic yield surface in stress space, while the quasi-static part determines the shape of the dynamic yield surface. The matrix material is idealized as rigid-perfectly plastic and obeying the von Mises yield. An approximate velocity field for the matrix is employed to derive the dynamic yield function. Numerical results show that the dynamic yield function is dependent not only on the rate of deformation but also on the distribution of initial micro-damage, which are different from that of the quasi-static condition. It is indicated that inertial effects play a very important role in the dynamic behavior of the yield function. However, it is also shown that when the rate of deformation is low (≤10 3 /sec), inertial effects become vanishingly small, and the dynamic yield function in this case reduces to the Gurson model.
The Stokesian hydrodynamics of flexing, stretching filaments

A central element of many fundamental problems in physics and biology lies in the interaction of a viscous fluid with slender, elastic filaments. Examples arise in the dynamics of biological fibers, the motility of microscopic organisms, and in phase transitions of liquid crystals. When considering the dynamics on the scale of a single filament, the surrounding fluid can often be assumed to be inertialess and hence governed by the Stokes’ equations. A typical simplification then is to assume a local relation, along the filament, between the force per unit length exerted by the filament upon the fluid and the velocity of the filament. While this assumption can be justified through slender-body theory as the leading-order effect, this approximation is only logarithmically separated (in aspect ratio) from the next-order contribution capturing the first effects of non-local interactions mediated by the surrounding fluid; non-local interactions become increasingly important as a filament comes within proximity to itself, or another filament. Motivated by a pattern forming system in isotropic to smectic-A phase transitions, we consider the non-local Stokesian dynamics of a growing elastica immersed in a fluid. The non-local interactions of the filament with itself are included using a modification of the slender-body theory of Keller and Rubinow. This modification is asymptotically equivalent, and removes an instability of their formulation at small, unphysical length-scales. Within this system, the filament lives on a marginal stability boundary, driven by a continual process of growth and buckling. Repeated bucklings result in filament flex, which, coupled to the non-local interactions and mediated by elastic response, leads to the development of space-filling patterns. We develop numerical methods to solve this system accurately and efficiently, even in the presence of temporal stiffness and the close self-approach of the filament. While we have ignored many of the thermodynamic aspects of this system, our simulations show good qualitative agreement with experimental observations. Our results also suggest that non-locality, induced by the surrounding fluid, will be important to understanding the dynamics of related filament systems. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Detection of hydrogen using graphene

Irradiation dynamics of a single graphene sheet bombarded by hydrogen atoms is studied in the incident energy range of 0.1 to 200 eV. Results for reflection, transmission, and adsorption probabilities, as well as effects of a single adsorbed atom to the electronic properties of graphene, are obtained by the quantum-classical Monte Carlo molecular dynamics within a self-consistent-charge-density functional tight binding formalism We compare these results with those, distinctly different, obtained by the classical molecular dynamics. PACS: 61.80.Az, 61.48.Gh, 61.80.Jh, 34.50.Dy.
A morphospace of planktonic marine diatoms. I. Two views of disparity through time

Both molecular clocks and the first appearances of major groups in the fossil record suggest that most of the range of diatom morphologies observed today had evolved by the end of the Cretaceous Period. Despite this, a canonical reading of the Cenozoic fossil record suggests a dramatic rise in taxonomic diversity that can be interpreted as an explosion of morphological variety. We investigated this apparent discrepancy by using a discrete-character-based, empirical diatom morphospace, resolved by molecular phylogeny and by fossil occurrences through time. The morphospace shows little correspondence to phylogeny and little Cenozoic change in disparity as measured by mean pairwise distance. There is, however, an increase in the total volume of morphospace occupied. Although the increase in occupied volume through time ostensibly supports a conclusion of increasing morphological variety, sampling biases and other data suggest an underlying stationary pattern more consistent with molecular clock data.
Pharmacodynamics and intubating conditions of cisatracurium in children during halothane and opioid anesthesia

Abstract Study Objectives: To determine the pharmacodynamics and intubating conditions of cisatracurium 0.2 mg/kg in children aged 2 to 12 years. Design: Open-label, randomized study. Setting: Operating room of a university-affiliated hospital. Patients: 42 ASA physical status I and II patients, 24 to 155 months of age. Interventions: Patients were assigned to one of two groups: halothane anesthesia (G1) and opioid anesthesia (G2). Subsequently, each group was divided into two age subgroups: 24–59 months and 60–155 months. All patients were premedicated with midazolam intranasal 0.1 to 0.2 mg/kg. In G1, anesthesia was induced with halothane up to 3% and N 2 O/O 2 (60–70/30–40%). Halothane was reduced to ≤2%, 2 minutes before cisatracurium was administered. In G2, anesthesia was induced with fentanyl 2 μg/kg and thiopental 5 mg/kg. Anesthesia was maintained with halothane 0.8–1.5% in N 2 O/O 2 in G1, and it was maintained with fentanyl, thiopental, and N 2 O/O 2 in G2. Electromyography (EMG) assessed the neuromuscular function of the adductor pollicis every 10 seconds with single-twitch supramaximal stimulus at induction and train-of-four at recovery. After obtaining EMG baseline, cisatracurium was administered. Onset time, time to 90% block, percentage of maximal block, clinical duration, and intubating conditions were recorded. For statistical analysis, Chi-square test, analysis of variance, and Tukey's test were used, with p -value less than 0.05. Measurements and Main Results: Only first twitch (T 1 ) recovery to 25% was significantly longer in patients aged 24 to 59 months who received halothane-based anesthesia, compared with those who received opioid-based anesthesia ( p p > 0.05). Conclusions: Cisatracurium 0.2 mg/kg offered acceptable intubating conditions at 90 seconds in 98% of pediatric patients, regardless of the anesthesia-based technique. Longer clinical duration in the halothane group in younger children may be due to age-related potentiation or to the small number of patients enrolled in the younger subgroup.
Dynamics of Mixtures of Typha latifolia and Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani in Nutrient-enrichment Wetland Experiments

Abstract Loss of plant species diversity in wetlands has been linked to high nutrient conditions. In particular, Typha spp. are known to form monotypic stands in fertile wetland systems. In this study marsh mesocosms were used to study the effect of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and nitrogen and phosphorus (N and P) additions on density, biomass and nutrient dynamics of Typha latifolia L. and the sedge Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani (C.C. Gmel) Palla (a.k.a. Scirpus validus Vahl.) grown in size- and density-symmetric and in size- and density-asymmetric mixtures. Dynamics of Typha and Schoenoplectus mixtures were also estimated along a nutrient gradient in a created wetland. Typha responded with increased growth to higher nutrient conditions more than Schoenoplectus in the first year, but Schoenoplectus responded more than Typha in the second year when nutrient additions were stopped. Typha grew better compared to the control with the addition of nitrogen and phosphorus in both the asymmetric and symmetric ...
Robustness of quantum critical pairing against disorder

The remarkable robustness of high-temperature superconductors against disorder remains a controversial obstacle towards the elucidation of their pairing state. Indeed, experiments report a weak suppression rate of the transition temperature ${T}_{c}$ with disorder, significantly smaller than the universal value predicted by extensions of the conventional theory of dirty superconductors. However, in many high-${T}_{c}$ compounds, superconductivity appears near a putative magnetic quantum critical point, suggesting that quantum fluctuations, which suppress coherent electronic spectral weight, may also promote unconventional pairing. Here we investigate theoretically the impact of disorder on such a quantum critical pairing state, considering the coupling of impurities both to the low-energy electronic states and to the pairing interaction itself. We find a significant reduction in the suppression rate of ${T}_{c}$ with disorder near the magnetic quantum critical point, shedding new light on the nature of unconventional superconductivity in correlated materials.
Interleukin-15 expression in lung cancer

e21064 Background: Interleukin-15 (IL-15) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that stimulates the differentiation and proliferation of T, B, and NK cells. IL-15 is normally tightly bound by its receptor...
The relationship between non-symbolic multiplication and division in childhood

Children without formal education in addition and subtraction are able to perform multi-step operations over an approximate number of objects. Further, their performance improves when solving appro...
Satisfiability Checking of LTL Specifications for Verifiable UAV Mission Planning

Formal methods – mathematically-based languages, tools, and techniques traditionally used for specification, design, and verification of hardware and software systems – have recently been applied to more complex systems. One example is human-automation mission planning systems for mobile robots, in which mission goals and constraints are expressed as formalized specifications that can then be used to synthesize “correct-by-construction” mission plans for the robots. However, a problem occurs if the specifications are unsatisfiable, i.e. if they are inherently contradictory. Here, we discuss how satisfiability checking can be performed on linear temporal logic specifications for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions using a “reduction to model checking” technique, which can be implemented using several different algorithms. In particular, we focus on BDDand SAT-based algorithms and show how computation time for these two classes of algorithms varies depending on specification type, length, and satisfiability status. a
Controlled Release of Fibroblast Growth Factor: Activity in Cell Culture

Basic fibroblast growth factor is a multi-potent cell regulatory factor that stimulates proliferation and angiogenesis. Controlled studies of basic fibroblast growth factor in animals have been hindered by the instability of this protein. In addition, many cells appear to require the continuous addition of basic fibroblast growth factor for optimal growth and function in culture. A system for the sustained delivery of active basic fibroblast growth factor might provide both a means to conduct log-term studies on activity and provide a practical alternative to multiple growth factor additions to cell cultures. Basic fibroblast growth factor was incorporated into standard polymer matrices, but the released growth factor had lost over 99% of its bioactivity. Loss of basic fibroblast growth factor activity was found to result from both physical inactivation and adsorption of the protein to surfaces. These problems were avoided by incorporating the growth factor into calcium cross-linked alginate microspheres containing heparinsepharose beads. Basic fibroblast growth factor was incorporated into these microspheres with 71% efficiency and active growth factor was released with predictable kinetics for up to 7 weeks. Release from these microspheres was controlled by the amount of heparin within the device and could be manipulated by simply altering the heparin content during fabrication. Alginate/heparin-sepharose microspheres were placed into growing cultures of bovine aortic endothelial cells and no cytotoxic effects were observed. Furthermore, microspheres containing growth factor provided long-term stimulation of cell proliferation and maintenance of endothelial cell morphology.
Carbocations in the β-Lactam and β-Thiolactam Series

Solvolyses of mesylate and trifluoroacetate derivatives of 3-aryl-3-hydroxy-substituted β-thiolactams and β-lactams proceeds to give substitution products in a process which exhibits a large solvent effect as well as large substituent effects. A common ion rate suppression as well as largely racemic products from solvolyses of an optically active substrate all point to the involvement of β-lactam derived carbocationic intermediates. Unlike acyclic analogs, these cations are captured by solvent to give simple substitution products with no competing proton loss. Computational studies suggest that proton loss from these β-lactam derived cationic intermediates is an unfavorable process due to antiaromatic character in the potential elimination product. Computational studies also suggest that CS and CO conjugative stabilization of these cations is minimal or non-existent. Substituent effect studies show that the major mode by which these cations derive stabilization is by aryl group charge delocalization. Azid...
Bound exciton model for an acceptor in a semiconductor

We attempt to clarify an ambiguity in the understanding of the electronic structure of an acceptor in a semiconductor. Instead of using only a single quantity acceptor binding energy ${E}_{A}$ as in the literature, there is in fact an impurity level ${E}_{I}$ that plays perhaps a more important role when dealing with the electronic transitions involving the acceptor. Together they determine an excitonic transition energy ${E}_{A}$ = ${E}_{I}\ensuremath{-}{E}_{A}$. We discuss the underlying physics and approximations of using three different approaches, all in the framework of a density-functional theory, for calculating the acceptor electronic structure, and point out the different meanings of the results yielded from these approaches and how they should be compared with experimental data to extract ${E}_{I}$ and ${E}_{A}$. Furthermore, the discussions provide a unified view of ``deep'' and ``shallow'' impurities: The characteristics of deep and shallow reflect two different aspects of a complete description of a typical impurity, either known as isoelectronic or acceptor (donor), rather than the spatial extension of the impurity potential.
Aureomycin and terramycin in human saliva.

Summary(1) Aureomycin and terramycin are excreted in saliva when administered by mouth in capsule form. (2) The salivary glands do not concentrate the material excreted from plasma. (3) On an average, salivary excretion lasts for 24 hours after capsule medication has been discontinued. (4) A3 g dose reduces bacterial counts in saliva, and the inhibitory effect seems to last for 24 hours. (5) One 15 mg troche decreases bacterial counts significantly for at least one hour. (6) A second troche administered one hour after the first adds considerably to the antibacterial effect.
Investigating the Process of White Etching Crack Initiation in Bearing Steel

White etching cracks (WECs) have been identified as a dominant mode of premature failure within wind turbine gearbox bearings. Though WECs have been reported in the field for over a decade, the conditions leading to WECs and the process by which this failure culminates are both highly debated. In previously published work, the generation of WECs on a benchtop scale was linked to sliding at the surface of the test sample, and it was also postulated that the generation of WECs was dependent on the cumulative energy that had been applied to the sample over the entirety of the test. In this paper, a three-ring-on-roller benchtop test rig is used to systematically alter the cumulative energy that a sample experiences through changes in normal load, sliding, and run-time, in an attempt to correlate cumulative energy with the formation of WECs. It was determined that, in the current test setup, the presence of WECs can be predicted by this energy criterion. The authors then used this information to study the process by which WECs initiate. It was found that, under the current testing conditions, the formation of a dark etching microstructure precedes the formation of a crack, and a crack precedes the formation of white etching microstructure.
Thermomechanical analysis of two-dimensional boron monolayers

Using density functional theory calculations (both perturbed and unperturbed) as well as thermodynamic and ballistic transport equations, what follows investigates thermal and mechanical properties of two-dimensional boron monolayers (${\ensuremath{\delta}}_{6}, \ensuremath{\alpha}, {\ensuremath{\delta}}_{5}$, and ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{3}$ sheets with respective vacancy densities $\ensuremath{\eta}=0$, 1/9, 1/7, 1/5) as they relate to the vacancy density. The triangular $({\ensuremath{\delta}}_{6})$ sheet's room-temperature phonon and electron thermal conductances are found, respectively, to be roughly 2.06 times and 6.60 times greater than those of graphene. The Young's moduli, calculated from longitudinal and transverse sound velocities are in good agreement with those obtained from elastic constants. Values range from 171 to 619 N/m, two of which (619 N/m for $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ sheet and 546 N/m for ${\ensuremath{\delta}}_{5}$ sheet) exceed graphene's Young's modulus ($\ensuremath{\sim}340\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{N}/\mathrm{m}$). It is determined that the vacancy density has a diminishing effect on both the phonon heat capacity at constant volume and the phonon ballistic thermal conductance, but no regular correlation on the electron heat capacity and electron ballistic thermal conductance.
Changes in the Role of US Railroads as Haulers of Coal and Crude: Causes and Consequences

The role of the class I railroads in the USA in hauling both coal and crude oil has changed a good deal in recent years. Though coal remains the single most important commodity for US railroads, the volume carried has been declining since 2008. On the other hand, though oil and other petroleum products continue to account for a fairly small share of the freight hauled by US railroads, that share has been growing continuously since early 2010. As a result of this rapid increase and the accidents that have accompanied it, regulators have imposed new and costly restrictions on the railways. This paper discusses the factors behind these two trends—largely the decline in coal’s share in electricity generation and the increased application of new technologies in oil and gas regions far from pipelines—and discusses some of the regulatory and policy implications, in addition to the impacts on the railroads themselves.
Visualization of Pain Severity Events Using Semantic Structures

Physicians are often required to make critical medical decisions that may be based on previous events in the patient's health history. However, these events may be very difficult to locate in the patient record due to the large volume of unstructured textual data in the patient's chart. Even when the chart is housed in an electronic health record (EMR) system, keyword search within the chart may produce many results that are not relevant or that may overlook related expressions and concepts entirely. In addition, some medical events, such as the occurrence of symptoms, are associated with important attributes such as location or severity. This paper describes a prototype system that performs ontology-based semantic search through clinical text to extract pain severity events, and then presents them in a visualization to monitor the progression of post-surgical pain.
Multiple Sites and Comprehensive Crisis

Capitalist secular crisis can, as we have seen, be viewed as a confrontation between an immanent critical tendency and a set of barriers. In the last chapter, this conception was extended to include the possibility of more than one critical tendency. We examined two: the rising composition of capital, and the rising share of government production in total production. (An additional critical tendency arising from the evolving financial relation between inside and outside capitals may be posited for future investigation.) The identification of multiple critical tendencies enriches the theory of secular crisis; in particular, it provides a possible theoretical foundation for stages theory.
Subventricular zone-associated glioblastoma: A call for translational research to guide clinical decision making.

ABSTRACTGlioblastoma (GBM) is both the most common and the most devastating primary cancer of the central nervous system, with an expected overall survival in most patients of about 14 months. Despite extensive research, outcomes for GBM have been largely unchanged since the introduction of temozolomide in 2005. We believe that in order to achieve a breakthrough in therapeutic management, we must begin to identify subtypes of GBM, and tailor treatment to best target a particular tumor's vulnerabilities. Our group has recently produced an examination of the clinical outcomes of radiation therapy directed at tumors that contact the subventricular zone (SVZ), the 3–5 mm lateral border of the lateral ventricles that contains the largest collection of neural stem cells in the adult brain. We find that SVZ-associated tumors have worse progression free and overall survival than tumors that do not contact the SVZ, and that they exhibit unique recurrence and migration patterns. However, with minimal basic science ...
Homomorphic signatures for digital photographs

We describe two homomorphic signature schemes for digital photographs such that an intermediate party in possession of a signed photograph can construct a scaled, cropped, and lossily compressed version of the photograph along with a new, valid signature, without knowing the private signing key. In other words, our signature schemes are simultaneously homomorphic with respect to cropping, scaling, and JPEG-like compression. Unlike prior ad-hoc schemes for photographic signatures, our first scheme is provably secure and quite practical. For example, a scaling-homomorphic signature scheme using our techniques requires less than 100KB of signature data for typical digital photographs. Our second signature scheme has weaker security but reduces typical signature sizes to 15KB. Both schemes extend naturally to authenticate movies and other digital media and use novel, multi-dimensional variations of Merkle hashing and GGM trees related to constructions used in computational geometry that may be of independent interest.
Clinical Reasoning: Bacterial meningitis causing a neuromyelitis optica flare

A previously healthy 49-year-old woman experienced left arm paresthesias. Over the next few weeks, the paresthesias progressed to all extremities. Initial laboratory studies were unrevealing; the patient's progressive weakness and numbness continued. An MRI brain was consistent with an unspecified demyelinating disease affecting the cortical white matter and cervical spine. Lumbar puncture revealed normal cell count and differential, with negative culture, gram stain, and oligoclonal bands. She was then diagnosed clinically with multiple sclerosis (MS) and treated with teriflunomide. She soon developed skin and joint pain, intractable hiccups for 22 days, early satiety, and urinary incontinence. Repeat MRI again showed demyelinating lesions, this time in her thoracic spine. Her treatment was changed to glatiramer acetate.
The Cytoplasmic Domain of Tissue Factor Inhibits Migration and Enhances Adhesion of Human Breast Cancer Cells.

Abstract Tissue factor (TF) is a 47 kDa transmembrane glycoprotein that when complexed with its cofactor, factor VIIa (FVIIa), initiates blood coagulation. Apart from hemostasis, TF has been shown to have roles in cellular signaling, development, inflammation, metastasis and angiogenesis. We showed previously that both the cytoplasmic and extracellular domains of TF are required for the full metastatic effect of TF. Recently, we showed that TF-FVIIa-FXa complex induces cellular signaling in human breast cancer cells and is associated with enhanced cell migration and prevention of apoptosis. However, the role of the cytoplasmic domain of TF in tumor cell function is not fully known. In the present study, the role of the cytoplasmic domain of TF in cell migration and adhesion was investigated using the Adr-MCF-7 cell line, a multidrug resistant subline of the human breast cancer cell line, MCF-7. The Adr-MCF-7 cell line has high endogenous expression of TF and expression of PAR1 and PAR2. Adr-MCF-7 cells were retrovirally transfected with either a cDNA construct encoding a FLAG epitope tag fused to the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of TF (known as FLAG-TFCD) or vector (LXSN) alone as a control, and stable, polyclonal cell lines selected using G418. Expression of the FLAG-TFCD construct was verified by RT-PCR, Western blot analysis and flow cytometry. To test the effect of overexpression of the FLAG-TFCD construct on cell motility a modified Boyden chamber chemotaxis assay was used. The control LXSN cell line had a nearly 9 fold increase in cell migration [33.5± 3.2 cells/hpf (mean± SEM)]using the combination of rFVIIa (10 nM) and FX (150 nM) as the chemoattractant compared with 0.1% bovine serum albumin (BSA) [3.9± 1.2 cells/hpf]. In contrast, the FLAG-TFCD cell line had no increase in migration of using the combination of rFVIIa and FX [6.6± 0.57 cells/hpf] compared with BSA [5.4± 0.67 cells/hpf]. We then examined the ability of the transfected cell lines to adhere to type IV collagen. The number of adherent cells for the transfected cell line, FLAG-TFCD, was nearly 3 fold higher than that for the LXSN line using a colorimetric MTS assay (0.295± 0.041 vs 0.119± 0.011). Moreover, treatment of the FLAG-TFCD cells with the combination of rFVIIa and FX increased the adhesion by nearly 2 fold compared with untreated FLAG-TFCD cells (0.561±0.055 vs 0.296±0.044). In summary, overexpression of TF cytoplasmic domain leads to inhibition of tumor cell migration and enhancement of cell adhesion and potentially acts as a dominant negative in these cellular processes. These data suggest that a function of the cytoplasmic domain of TF in metastasis is to regulate tumor cell migration and adhesion.
“Hey, I’ve Got a Voice Too!” Narratives of Adversity, Growth and Empowerment

The present study explored meanings of “empowerment” from bottom-up perspectives. Sixteen low-income individuals experiencing homelessness and related forms of economic adversity participated. Participants reported experiencing empowerment, but also adversity, for example discrimination and ongoing poverty. Results are discussed in a broader societal context, with recommendations made for professionals interested in social and economic justice. Suggestions include enhanced inter-agency partnerships for underserved communities, investment in concepts such as workforce development, and increased opportunities for change through policy reform.
Green Chemistry of Microwave-Enhanced Biodiesel Production

Biodiesel as a renewable fuel has the potential to replace non-renewable fossil fuels and associated environmental pollution. The most commonly used method for biodiesel production is transesterification of virgin and used oil feedstock. Although the basic chemistry of this reaction (transesterification) is very efficient, it does not proceed spontaneously. Excess reactants should be employed to move the reaction to completion. The biodiesel reaction efficiency can be improved by incorporating the green chemistry principles and process intensification effects. Green chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances. Microwave based biodiesel synthesis can enhance the reaction efficiency due to higher product recovery, low by-product formation, and reduced energy consumption. In addition, a few green metrics such as E-factor, atom economy (utilization), mass intensity or mass productivity, and reaction mass efficiency can help design safer and highly efficient biodiesel synthesis. This chapter describes the green chemistry principles for microwave enhanced biodiesel production in detail for the first time in the literature.
A Computationally Efficient Spike Initiator Model that Produces a Wide Variety of Neural Responses

We have developed an integrate-and-fire spike-initiation model based on that of Hill (1936), which comprises a pair of coupled, linear differential equations describing membrane potential and a threshold variable. In our version, we add an intrinsic noise source and explicit representation of the spike and its effect on threshold. The equations of the Hill model describe the time evolution of membrane potential and threshold in the subthreshold region. The model has three time constants. We demonstrate that, with suitable choice of these time constants and the mean value of the intrinsic noise, the model can mimic the spike-response characteristics of many classes of neurons. Specifically, with respect to auditory brainstem neurons, we produce the responses characteristic of the primary-type neuron, several varieties of chopper cell and onset cells, all of which are found in the mammalian cochlear nucleus. We demonstrate that the model computes simulated spike responses quickly.
The Diffusion of Tolerance: Birth Cohort Changes in the Effects of Education and Income on Political Tolerance

Political tolerance—the willingness to extend civil liberties to traditionally stigmatized groups—is pivotal to the functioning of democracy and the well-being of members of stigmatized groups. Although political tolerance has traditionally been more common among American elites, we argue that as tolerance has increased, it has also diffused to less educated and less affluent segments of the population. The relative stability of political attitudes over the life course and the socialization of more recent birth cohorts in contexts of increased tolerance suggest that this diffusion of tolerance occurs across birth cohorts rather than time periods. Using age-period-cohort models and more than three and a half decades of repeated cross-sectional survey data, we find persistent and robust across-cohort declines in the importance of both income and higher education in determining levels of political tolerance. Declines in the effects of socioeconomic status are evident with tolerance toward all five out-groups in the analysis—anti-religionists, gays and lesbians, communists, militarists, and racists—but to varying degrees. These findings fit with a model of changes in public opinion, particularly views of civil and political rights, through processes of cultural diffusion and cohort replacement.
The Struggle for North America, 1754-1758: Britannia's Tarnished Laurels. By GeorgeYagi. (New York, NY: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016. Pp. viii, 263. $112.00.) : Book Review

“The principle object of this book is to provide further insight into the initial stages of the war and seek to explain why Britain failed despite the advantages which it enjoyed” (5). George Yagi ...
Women in Higher Education: Exploring Stressful Workplace Factors and Coping Strategies

For women administrators in higher education, workplace factors like managing multiple roles; work bleeding into personal life; issues with leadership; discrimination and marginalization; and role ...
The Problematics of Representation in Community Mediation Hearings: Implications for Mediation Practice

L'A. s'interesse aux phenomenes de representation, de mediation dans le cadre de la negociation. Il montre que lorsque l'individu se represente lui-meme des phenomenes de contraintes interviennent. Il affirme que la mediation permet de limiter et de definir le litige entre les individus. Il souligne le fait que le niveau d'intervention du mediateur varie selon les situations. Il peut se limiter a une reformulation ou aller jusqu'a la representation pure et simple d'un ou des partis en litige
Radiolabeled Antibody in the Treatment of Primary and Metastatic Liver Malignancies

Primary hepatic malignancy is the present dominant cancer in the world [1]. Often silent in its early manifestations, by the time of clinical presentation it may be ten times larger than a T3 carcinoma of the head and neck (1500 cm3 vs. 125 cm3). Chemotherapy, hepatic artery ligation, and external radiation with or without chemotherapy have led to brief palliation [2–4]. A series of etiologic agents including viral hepatitis [5], carcinogenic chemicals [6], and hormones [7] may also lead to varied tumor aggressiveness. In our own experience, the presence or absence of alpha-fetoprotein also indicated tumor aggressiveness, with alpha-fetoprotein positive expressing a more primitive and undifferentiated tumor [8]. A second and less common intrahepatic cancer, intrahepatic biliary cancer, remains equally as lethal, with a 3- to 4-month median survival [9].
Identification of the WAP 4-disulfide core domain 1 as a putative tumor suppressor gene in melanoma

4278 Identification of the WAP four-disulfide core domain 1 as a putative tumor suppressor gene in melanoma Introduction: The WAP four-disulfide core domain 1 (WFDC1, PS20) gene functions as a secreted serine protease inhibitor previously shown to be a growth suppressor and putative tumor suppressor gene in prostate cancer. Here, we have identified the significant down-regulation of WFDC1 gene expression in human melanoma cells, further showing that WFDC1 re-expression is associated with a marked inhibition of tumor growth in a xenograft model. Methods: Comparative gene expression profiling was performed on 15 primary (PM) and 40 metastatic melanoma (MM) samples. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blots were performed on newly established, short-term passaged, daughter melanoma cell lines. Promoter methylation status of WFDC1 was analyzed by Methylation-Specific Sequencing (MSS), followed by quantitative methylation-specific PCR (Q-MSP) in order to detect WFDC1 promoter methylation frequency. We also utilized the established melanoma cell line A375 (WFDC1 negative gene expression) to stably transfect the WFDC1 gene for further functional analysis. Results: cDNA microarray analysis revealed the reduced expression of WFDC1 in MM compared to PM samples, confirmed with qRT-PCR. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR demonstrated complete loss or reduced expression of WFDC1 mRNA in 7/16 (44%) melanoma cell lines. Western blot analysis showed WFDC1 as a secreted protein expressed by normal human epithelial melanocytes (NHEM), with reduced or lost protein expression in ~50% of melanoma cell lines. MSS analysis revealed DNA hypermethylation of promoter regions correlated with reduced or loss of WFDC1 expression in melanoma cell lines. Treatment with the demethylation agent, azacytidine, restored the mRNA and protein expression of WFDC1. The addition of Trichostatin A, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, did not show a synergistic effect upon WFDC1 gene expression. Q-MSP revealed 6/20 (30%) melanoma cell lines and 10/40 (25%) freshly procured melanoma tissues showing WFDC1 promoter hypermethylation. Cell cycle analysis, proliferation and invasion [scratch] assays did not show significant differences between control and stable WFDC1 transfectants. However, significant tumor growth inhibition was observed in a xenograft murine model with the WFDC1 stably transfected cell line. Conclusion: WFDC1 gene expression is markedly reduced or completely lost in ~50% of all melanoma samples examined. We show evidence that CpG island promoter DNA hypermethylation appears to be a dominant mechanism of gene silencing in several melanoma samples. Re-introduction of WFDC1 into melanoma cell lines lead to a significant level of tumor growth inhibition in a xenograft murine model. Further analysis is ongoing as to the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in this process.
Ultrastructural Characterization of Corticotropin-Releasing Factor and Neuropeptide Y in the Rat Locus Coeruleus: Anatomical Evidence for Putative Interactions.

Abstract As a neurochemical mediator of stress resilience, NPY has been shown to oppose excitatory effects of the pro-stress neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). Previous studies have described the anatomical organization of NPY and CRF in the central nucleus of the amygdala, which sends CRF projections to the locus coeruleus (LC), activating LC norepinephrine release. However, the cellular substrates for interactions between NPY and CRF in the LC remain unknown. In this study, we investigated these anatomical substrates in the male rat LC, using immunocytochemistry, confocal microscopy, and immunoelectron microscopy to detect NPY and CRF, as well as CRF and Y1 or Y2 receptors (Y1R or Y2R). Immunofluorescence and electron microscopy revealed both co-localization of NPY and CRF in LC axon terminals, as well as separately labeled terminals, suggesting NPY and CRF may serve as co-transmitters in a subset of terminals. Semi-quantitative analysis showed that 32.4% of CRF-labeled terminals contained NPY, while 58.2% (152/261) of NPY-labeled terminals contained CRF. With respect to Y1R and CRF, dual immunoelectron microscopy showed that 23.3% (67/288) of CRF-labeled axon terminals directly contacted Y1R-labeled dendrites, while only 6.3% (18/288) of CRF-labeled axon terminals co-localized with Y1R. Dual immunoelectron microscopy also showed Y2R co-localized with 30.4% (103/339) CRF-labeled terminals, but only with 16.2% (55/339) of dendrites post-synaptic to CRF-labeled axon terminals in the LC. Taken together, these findings indicate multiple sites of interaction between CRF and NPY in the LC and suggest that conditions or drugs that modulate the NPY:CRF balance in the LC may promote stress resilience.
Animal Gothic in Alice Perrin’s East of Suez

This chapter examines Alice Perrin’s first short story collection East of Suez (1901) and how the collection blends Colonial Gothic with “Animal Gothic.” The chapter focuses on three stories from the collection that critique the Anglo-Indian presence in colonial India through the figure of the Gothic animal. “Caulfield’s Crime” involves a surly British military man who kills an Indian fakir over a failed hunting expedition. The spirit of the fakir is reincarnated into a jackal who returns to attack Caulfield to ensure that the British man dies a violent death in retaliation for the initial act of violence. The chapter then discusses “A Man’s Theory,” which examines a British colonial official’s unwavering sense of order and control over the Indian people, his wife, and child. The story also comments on how the harsh Indian climate and its native animal life resist attempts at containment by the British. This theme is continued in “The Biscobra,” another story which features a married British couple who cannot keep the native Indian environment from entering their colonial home.
Business Intelligence: Oxymoron or a Big Data Technique?

Business education current practice prepares students for analysis with tools such as Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunity, and Threats (SWOT Analysis). Predictive Analytics and Data Science coupled with Big Data are popular. As faculty show students how to help business organizations solve real-world problems with these advanced analysis tools, they need to understand how to integrate the softer side of Business Intelligence into business analysis practice. These softer skills include Knowledge from Education, Practical IQ, Emotional IQ and Interpersonal IQ. Taken together they define Business Intelligence which is highly useful in both academic assignments like internships and on the job after graduation.