cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Irinotecan Plus Gemcitabine Results in No Survival Advantage Compared With Gemcitabine Monotherapy in Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Despite Increased Tumor Response Rate

Purpose This phase III, randomized, open-label, multicenter study compared the overall survival associated with irinotecan plus gemcitabine (IRINOGEM) versus gemcitabine monotherapy (GEM) in patients with chemotherapy-naive, locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer. Patients and Methods IRINOGEM patients received starting doses of gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 and irinotecan 100 mg/m2 given weekly for 2 weeks every 3-week cycle. GEM patients received gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 weekly for 7 of 8 weeks (induction) and then weekly for 3 of 4 weeks. The primary end point of the trial was survival. Secondary end points included tumor response, time to tumor progression (TTP), changes in CA 19-9, and safety. Results In each arm, 180 randomly assigned patients comprised the intent-to-treat population evaluated for efficacy; 173 IRINOGEM and 169 GEM patients were treated. Median survival times were 6.3 months for IRINOGEM (95% CI, 4.7 to 7.5 months) and 6.6 months for GEM (95% CI, 5.2 to 7.8 months; log-rank P = ....
Forty-four-hour interdialytic ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and cardiovascular risk in pediatric hemodialysis patients.

Background. Children undergoing chronic hemodialysis are at risk of cardiovascular disease and often develop left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is known to better predict cardiovascular morbidity than casual blood pressure (BP) measurement. Given the BP variability attributed to interdialytic fluid overload, 44-h ABPM should better delineate cardiovascular morbidity in pediatric hemodialysis patients. Methods. In this cross-sectional study, 17 children (16.7 ± 2.9 years) on chronic hemodialysis underwent 44-h interdialytic ABPM and routine echocardiogram. Left ventricular mass index (LVMI) was calculated by height-based equation; LVH was defined as an LVMI in the ≥95th percentile for height-age and gender. Hypertension was defined by the recommendations of the Fourth Report of the National High Blood Pressure Education Program for casual measurements, and by those of the American Heart Association for ABPM. Results. Twenty-four percentage of patients were hypertensive by casual post-dialytic systolic BP, whereas 59% were hypertensive by ABPM. Eighty-eight percentage of patients had abnormal cardiac geometry: 53% had LVH. Thirty-five percentage (6 of 17) had masked hypertension, including four with abnormal cardiac geometry, of which, three had LVH. LVMI correlated with ABPM, but not with casual measurements. Strongest correlations with an increased LVMI were with 44-h diastolic BP: at night (r= 0.53, P = 0.03) and total load (r= 0.57, P = 0.02). LVH was similarly associated with 44-h nighttime BP: systolic (P = 0.02), diastolic (P = 0.01) and mean arterial (P = 0.01). Conclusions. Casual BP measurement underestimates hypertension in pediatric hemodialysis patients and does not correlate well with indicators of cardiovascular morbidity. In contrast, 44-h interdialytic ABPM better characterizes hypertension, with nighttime parameters most strongly predicting increased LVMI and LVH.
Operators with eigenvalues and extreme cases of stability

In the following, we consider some cases where the point spectrum of an operator is either very stable or very unstable with respect to small perturbations of the operator. The main result is about the shift operator on l 2 , whose point spectrum is what we will call strongly stable. We also give some general perturbation results, including a result about the size of the set of operators that have an eigenvalue.
Welfare Reform and Families in the Child Welfare System

We examine the relative pay of occupations involving care, such as teaching, counseling, providing health services, or supervising children. We use panel data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Care work pays less than other occupations, after controlling for the education and employment experience of the workers, many job characteristics, and (via individual fixed effects) unmeasured, stable characteristics of those who hold the jobs. Both men and women in care work pay this wage penalty. However, the penalty is paid disproportionately by women since more women than men do this kind of work. Ward Doran & Roberts 3 Welfare Reform and Families in the Child Welfare System Morgan B. Ward Doran & Dorothy E. Roberts
Histone H2A variants and the inactive X chromosome: identification of a second macroH2A variant.

MacroH2A1 is an unusual variant of the core histone H2A which is enriched in chromatin on the inactive X chromosome of female mammals. The N-terminal third of the protein shares 65% amino acid identity with core histone H2A, while the remaining two-thirds of the protein are novel, with a small stretch of basic amino acids and a putative leucine zipper motif. We have now cloned a second macroH2A gene, encoding macroH2A2 which shares 80% amino acid identity with macroH2A1. Despite mapping to different chromosomes, the genomic organization of the macroH2A2 and macroH2A1 genes are nearly identical. The leucine zipper motif of macroH2A1 is not conserved in macroH2A2. Like macroH2A1, macroH2A2 forms a Macro Chromatin Body in the nuclei of female cells which is coincident with an X chromosome and co-localizes with macroH2A1. To address the distribution of other histone H2A variants in relation to macroH2A and the inactive X chromosome, we constructed a series of epitope-tagged versions of other histone H2A variants. Like the recently described H2A-Bbd (Barr body-deficient) variant, the histone variant H2A.Z was found to be deficient in chromatin on the inactive X chromosome in a significant proportion of female nuclei. This study provides further information about the nucleosomal composition of chromatin on the inactive X chromosome and indicates that a number of H2A variants are non-randomly distributed on the active and inactive X chromosomes.
Information Privacy: Legal and Ethical Decision-making

This essay was created for use in a business oriented IT or IS class. The purpose of this manuscript is to help students understand legal and ethical dilemmas associated with the use of information and information technology, primarily within the context of information privacy. The essay provides information that illustrates why information privacy has become such an important issue for businesses, discusses some of the relevant U.S. and international laws governing business use of customer information, and proposes a decision-making process that can be used by business managers to assist in making ethical business decisions. The essay is not a research submission nor is it intended to represent a comprehensive review of relevant literature.
A review of traditional and contemporary assays for direct and indirect detection of Equid herpesvirus 1 in clinical samples

Equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is one of the most economically important equine viral pathogens. Its clinical manifestations in horses vary from acute upper respiratory tract disease, abortion, or neonatal death, to neurological disease termed equine herpesviral myeloencephalopathy, which may lead to paralysis and a fatal outcome. Successful identification of EHV-1 infection in horses depends on a variety of factors such as suitable case selection with emphasis on timing of sample collection, selection of appropriate sample(s) based on the clinical manifestations, application of relevant diagnostic technique(s) and/or test(s), and careful evaluation and interpretation of laboratory results. Several traditional serologic and virus isolation assays have been described; however, these assays have inherent limitations that prevent rapid and reliable detection of EHV-1. The advent of molecular biologic techniques has revolutionized the diagnosis of infectious diseases in humans and animal species. Specifically, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays have allowed detection of nucleic acid in clinical specimens precisely and rapidly as compared to the traditional methods that detect the agent or antigen, or agent-specific antibodies in serum. The new molecular methods, especially real-time PCR, can be a very useful means of EHV-1 detection and identification. Veterinarians involved in equine practice must be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of various real-time PCR assays, interpretation of viral genetic marker(s), and latency in order to provide the best standard of care for their equine patients.
Why is the treatment of work-related injuries so costly? New evidence from California.

There is growing evidence that workers' compensation insurers are charged substantially more than health insurers for the treatment of similar injuries. The first study of the problem, conducted in Minnesota in 1987, found that both overutilization of services and price discrimination contributed to the charge differential. This article applies the Minnesota model to 1991-1993 data on health care charges and payments from California. Approximately 13,000 persons with work-related injuries are compared to approximately 3,600 persons with similar injuries that occurred off the job. Despite important differences in the populations and workers' compensation laws in California and Minnesota, workers' compensation insurers are charged more than health insurers for the treatment of similar injuries in both states. The difference in California's payments is attributable to using more health care providers and services to treat workers' compensation patients. The results do not support the hypothesis that work-related injuries cost more to treat because they are more severe than similar injuries occurring off the job. Language: en
Infrequent alterations of the RAR alpha gene in acute myelogenous leukemias, retinoic acid-resistant acute promyelocytic leukemias, myelodysplastic syndromes, and cell lines

Retinoids are important regulators of cell growth and differentiation in vitro and in vivo and they exert their biologic activities by binding to nuclear retinoic acid receptors (RARs; alpha, beta, and gamma) and retinoid X receptors (RXRs; alpha, beta, and gamma). All- trans retinoic acid (RA) induces complete remission in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) presumably by binding directly to RAR alpha of APL cells. Leukemic blasts from APL patients initially responsive to RA can become resistant to the agent. HL-60 myeloblasts cultured with RA have developed mutations of the ligand-binding region of RAR alpha and have become resistant to RA. Furthermore, insertion of an RAR alpha with an alteration in the ligand-binding region into normal murine bone marrow cells can result in growth factor-dependent immortalization of the early hematopoietic cells. To determine if alterations of the ligand binding domain of RAR alpha might be involved in several malignant hematologic disorders, the mutational status of this region (exons 7, 8, and 9) was examined in 118 samples that included a variety of cell lines and fresh cells from patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemias (AML), including 20 APL patients, 5 of whom were resistant to RA and 1 who was refractory to RA at diagnosis, using polymerase chain reaction-single- strand conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis and DNA sequencing. In addition, 7 of the 20 APLs were studied for alterations of the other coding exons of the gene (exons 2 through 6). No mutations of RAR alpha were detected. Although the sensitivity of PCR-SSCP analysis is less than 100%, these findings suggest that alterations of RAR alpha gene are rare and therefore other mechanisms must be involved in the onset of resistance to retinoids and in the lack of differentiation in disorders of the myeloid lineage.
Managing Anger: Protective, Proactive, or Adaptive Racial Socialization Identity Profiles and African-American Manhood Development

SUMMARY African-American male risk and resilience is viewed as two sides of the same coin in this study that investigates the stability of cluster profiles of racial socialization beliefs. Responses of 208 urban African-American adolescent males from three different samples were used to empirically derive factors of spiritual/ religious coping, extended family caring, cultural pride reinforcement, and racial awareness, which were then submitted to exploratory and confirmatory cluster analyses. Three reliable clusters were found across the samples and were identified as protective, proactive, and adaptive racial socialization beliefs. One-way ANOVAs were conducted on each sample separately and then combined with various psychosocial variables including anger expression, depression, religiosity, calamity fears, and kinship social support. The results supported the hypothesis that young males who hold an adaptive or proactive racial socialization identity tend to demonstrate more prosocial adjustment outcome...
THE CHRONOLOGICAL POSITION OF THE CAMBERED JAR AT CAHOKIA AND ITS IMPLICATIONS

The cambered rim jar is stylistically unique and should be especially useful as a time indicator if its place in Cahokia's ceramic history can be ascertained. On the basis of the broken-down interlocking scroll motif, a parallel line motif, and the scalloped rim found on some of these vessels, it is suggested that this vessel form occurs in periods III and IV of the basic ceramic sequence established for the Powell Tract section of the Cahokia site. It is further suggested that at Powell, late in period III and early in period IV, we have approximately the same time range as at the Mitchell site, whose radiocarbon dates cluster about A.D. 1000-1200. Finally, the similarities between the cambered rim jar at Cahokia and the S-shaped rim types in the Cambria and Mill Creek manifestations to the northwest of Cahokia suggest not only a sharing of ceramic ideas, but also contemporaneity between these three cultural groups during late period III and early period IV times as reflected in the Powell Tract sequence. These relationships would date in calendric years ca. A.D. 1000-1200. Furthermore, this vessel form probably represents a borrowing of ceramic notions on the part of the potters of Cahokia because the form (the S-shaped rim) is both old and widespread in the Central Plains and Middle Missouri regions, while it is rare or missing in the widespread Middle Mississippian manifestations in the Southeast.
Photons to Decisions - Joint Polar Satellite System Common Ground System Value Chain

The NOAA-NASA jointly-acquired Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) will replace the afternoon orbit component and ground processing system of the current Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES). The ground system, known as the ‘Common Ground System (CGS)’, and developed by Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services (IIS) provides command, control, and communications (C3) and data processing and product delivery. The CGS currently flies the Suomi NPP satellite and routes mission data to U.S. ground facilities, where it processes the data into mission products and provides them to US weather centrals. The CGS also supports various levels of data acquisition, routing and processing for multiple other missions across the globe today, with plans for incorporation of more missions in the future. This paper describes discuss the direct contribution of sensors, data routing and processing, and product delivery to the benefit of society. This includes the value chain for sounding data to Global Forecast Models (GFS, NAVGEM, ECMWF) [NWS, DoD, International], Cloud Cover Analysis [USAF], Tropical Storm [NWS, USN, USCG], Soil Moisture [US Army, USDA], Ice Data [USCG, USN], and various unique missions, such as Forest Fire management and Post-Event Power Outage Assessments.
Analysis on the surveillance results of mosquito vectors of dengue fever from 2008 to 2009 in Sichuan province

Objective To investigate the distribution of mosquito vectors of dengue fever in Sichuan province for providing data for the prevention and control of the epidemic.Methods Surveillance on the vector of dengue fever,Aedes albopictus,was conducted all over the province from 2008 to 2009,with the dengue virus isolated and the density of mosquito vectors analyzed.Results Statistics showed that the container index(CI) of 19 surveillance sites was 24.05% with an adult Ae.albopictus density of 5.69 per person per hour.It was seen that waste tyres had a highest CI(48.77%),followed by some special places which had a CI and density of Ae.albopictus of 40.74% and 15.32 per person per hour,respectively.The peak CI appeared in July(30.60%),with the peak density of adult Ae.albopictus observed in August(7.94 per person per hour).It was found that the Ae.albopictus was the predominant species in most surveillance sites,with the composition ratio being between 26.88%-98.37%.There was a regional but not geographical location difference in the density of Ae.albopictus in the 19 surveillance points.No Ae.albopictus was found in the south of Ganzi prefecture.A sample of 4470 adult Ae.albopictus was collected in Longchang county,Neijiang city with no dengue viruses isolated from them.Conclusion There exists an extensive distribution of Ae.albopictus in the Szechwan Basin.An epidemic outbreak may occur once there is a case of dengue fever in the area.So surveillance on dengue needs to be strengthened.
Experimental renal hypertension in pregnant sheep: II. Response to a one-kidney model

peivic blood flow was serially determined in 19 pregnant ewes before and after the induction of one-kidney renal hypertension. The six twin gestations and 13 singleton gestations behaved similarly for all parameters, except renal blood flow. After the renal preparatory surgical procedure, there was a 19% increase in mean arterial pressure and an 18% increase in peivic blood flow, with peivic vascular resistance being unchanged. After right renal artery constriction, there was a 14% further increase in mean arterial pressure, whereas peivic blood flow increased only 3.5% and peivic vascular resistance increased nearly 9%. Thereafter, although the arterial pressure remained elevated, the peivic blood flow decreased and peivic vascular resistance increased. Statistical analysis by means of a general linear model and covariance before and after renal artery constriction revealed significant changes in arterial pressures, peivic blood flow, and peivic vascular resistance.
Thrombin causes subsecond changes in protein phosphorylation of platelets

We have developed a general quenched-flow approach to study platelet function as early as 0.3 seconds after stimulation. Phosphorylation of 20- and 40-kd proteins has been analyzed during the first five seconds of platelet response to thrombin from 0.1 to 5.0 U/mL and compared with the progress of aggregation and serotonin secretion. The onset time for aggregation and phosphorylation of both proteins was less than one second, although with lowest (less than 0.5 U/mL) thrombin levels, a lag of up to 0.6 seconds occurred before 40K phosphorylation increased. The thrombin sensitivity of aggregation and 20K phosphorylation was approximately twice that of 40K phosphorylation, with Ka values of 0.51 and 0.53 v 1.10 U/mL, respectively. External calcium was necessary for maximal 20K phosphorylation, since EDTA inhibited this by 30%. The 40K phosphorylation was not affected by EDTA. Platelet activation by thrombin thus induced biochemical changes well before one second. The quenched-flow approach may help to reveal relationships between phospholipase activation, calcium fluxes, and protein phosphorylation during these early periods of platelet function.
TU‐AB‐204‐01: Device Approval Process

The responsibilities of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have increased since the inception of the Food and Drugs Act in 1906. Medical devices first came under comprehensive regulation with the passage of the 1938 Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. In 1971 FDA also took on the responsibility for consumer protection against unnecessary exposure to radiation-emitting devices for home and occupational use. However it was not until 1976, under the Medical Device Regulation Act, that the FDA was responsible for the safety and effectiveness of medical devices. This session will be presented by the Division of Radiological Health (DRH) and the Division of Imaging, Diagnostics, and Software Reliability (DIDSR) from the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) at the FDA. The symposium will discuss on how we protect and promote public health with a focus on medical physics applications organized into four areas: pre-market device review, post-market surveillance, device compliance, current regulatory research efforts and partnerships with other organizations. The pre-market session will summarize the pathways FDA uses to regulate the investigational use and commercialization of diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy medical devices in the US, highlighting resources available to assist investigators and manufacturers. The post-market session will explain the post-market surveillance and compliance activities FDA performs to monitor the safety and effectiveness of devices on the market. The third session will describe research efforts that support the regulatory mission of the Agency. An overview of our regulatory research portfolio to advance our understanding of medical physics and imaging technologies and approaches to their evaluation will be discussed. Lastly, mechanisms that FDA uses to seek public input and promote collaborations with professional, government, and international organizations, such as AAPM, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), Image Gently, and the Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers Alliance (QIBA) among others, to fulfill FDA's mission will be discussed. Learning Objectives: 1.Understand FDA's pre-market and post-market review processes for medical devices 2.Understand FDA's current regulatory research activities in the areas of medical physics and imaging products 3.Understand how being involved with AAPM and other organizations can also help to promote innovative, safe and effective medical devices J. Delfino, nothing to disclose
Developing and Implementing a Peer Review for Nuclear Medicine Technologists

Our department planned and implemented a peer review process as a part of our hospital’s pay for performance program. The review program allows employees to participate in the evaluation process; formerly, only supervisory personnel were involved. We created a format and guidelines specifically tailored to nuclear medicine. After several revisions, we have implemented a quarterly peer review. This program provides a method to self-regulate, communicate, and promote changes that will ultimately improve the quality of patient care. The purpose of this paper is to describe our program for the benefit of those who would like to institute a similar program.
Labour Policy on Ireland, 1918–1921

From 1918 to 1921, the British Labour Party experienced severe political criticism and embarrassment as a result of its perceived lack of resolution in developing a clear-cut and coherent policy on Ireland. The party came under fierce and sustained pressure from a number of sources including the Irish labour movement, the organised Irish community in Britain and, not least, radical elements inside the British labour movement itself. All of these criticised the Labour Party for its hesitant and cautious approach to the rapidly changing political situation in Ireland. The debate on impending partition in this period should be examined in this context, as partition at least offered a fixed target against which the entire British Labour Party (except that element in Belfast) could confidently mobilise a united front. Resolute opposition to partition was in stark contrast to the general confusion surrounding Labour’s otherwise timid and constantly shifting overall policy on Ireland during this period.
Measuring Resonance and Dissonance in Social Movement Frames With Affect Control Theory

We present a methodological innovation for analyzing archival data that involves the framing strategies from the failed 1980 Iowa Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). First, we conducted an archival analysis that suggested that pro-ERA groups used “frame resonance,” a strategy prominent in the social movement literature where activists align issues with ideologies. Meanwhile, anti-ERA groups used what we coin here as “frame dissonance” by depicting how passing the ERA clashed with ideologies. Next, we used affect control theory (ACT)’s Interact computer program to simulate how constituents likely responded to frames, given the distinct ideologies that existed during the time period. The simulations triangulated the archival analysis by (a) confirming our categorization of framing strategies as either resonance or dissonance and (b) identifying frame dissonance as potentially better for mobilizing than frame resonance. Our study demonstrates the value of Interact for triangulating archival analyses and adds a new...
Targeting Hispanic adolescents with outdoor food & beverage advertising around schools.

ABSTRACTObjectives: Although some research has focused on the food environment and food marketing, little has examined outdoor food and beverage (FB) advertising, particularly its relationship to the Hispanic composition in schools. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if the prevalence of outdoor FB advertising was greater around middle and high schools with a majority Hispanic population as compared to schools with a lower Hispanic population.Design: All FB advertisements located within a half-mile of 47 schools in Central Texas were documented. Advertisements were coded as free standing or on establishments. Advertisements were coded for theme including price (emphasizing price) and deals/value meals (promoting discounted price/meal deals). These two themes were combined to create an overall price promotion variable. In order to determine if the prevalence of FB advertising varied by the Hispanic composition of the students in the school, data from the Texas Education Agency was used t...
Descriptive statistical analysis for the PPG field applications in China: Screening guidelines, design considerations, and performances

Abstract Preformed particle gels (PPGs) have been widely applied in waterflooded mature oilfields to improve reservoir sweep efficiency and control water production. Successful PPG applications in oilfields require comprehensive guidelines on where and how PPG treatments can be best applied. To establish such guidelines, a data set is first constructed by collecting 678 successful PPG treatment data from SPE technical papers, papers published in Chinese, and field applications reports from 2001 to 2015. Critical information regarding reservoir characteristics, injection well conditions, injection parameters, and treatment performances, is included in the data set. Descriptive statistical analysis methods including histograms, and scatterplots are used to interpret of the main features of the amount of data. Histograms display the distribution of each parameter and can provide guidance on where PPGs can be best applied; scatterplots uncover relationships between two variables and can aid in interpreting how to design injection parameters and find out the critical factors affecting the treatment performances. After comprehensive data analysis, the first application guidelines for PPG treatments are established. Results show that PPGs can generate large volumes of incremental oil production and significantly reduce excess water production. Successful PPG treatments require a large volume of PPG injection with a low suspension concentration. The injection volume highly depends on the daily water production rate. Incremental oil production increases with the increase of injected PPGs. PPG treatment efficiency is defined herein as incremental oil production per ton PPGs injected. Although reservoir type can affect the treatment efficiency, the better efficiency always comes from the injection wells which have production wells with a higher liquid production rate. Treatment timing should be considered as a critical factor affecting the effect of water reduction. This paper provides instructional guidelines for project design from which the success rate of PPG treatments in injection wells can be improved.
Have We Come as Far as We Had Hoped? Discrimination in the Residency Interview

Objective The primary objective was to use a pilot survey of fourth-year medical students at our institution to determine if female residency applicants were asked potentially illegal questions regarding family status and childbearing more frequently than male applicants. Secondary objectives included comparing the use of potentially illegal questions in surgical versus nonsurgical specialties and between community and academic residency programs. Design A 20-item questionnaire was distributed to all fourth-year medical students at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Data were analyzed in SPSS using descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, and multivariate analysis. Setting University of Kansas Health System, Tertiary Care Center. Participants Fourth-year medical students from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Results There were 57 survey respondents (51% male and 49% female). Female applicants were more likely to report being asked about their desire to have a family than male applicants (32% vs. 3%, respectively, p = 0.041). However, male and female students were equally likely to report being asked specifically if they had or intended to have children (p = 0.194). No significant differences were found in potentially illegal question-asking between surgical and nonsurgical specialties or between community-based and academic programs. Conclusions Although women now represent 47% of the applicant pool, gender discrimination in the residency interview has not been eradicated. Women are more likely to report potentially illegal questions regarding their desire to have a family on residency interviews than men. Community and academic programs appear to ask similar numbers and types of potentially illegal questions. Further study is warranted to determine if these findings apply to the entire applicant pool. Further education of interviewers is necessary regarding potentially illegal questions during the residency interview process.
The Cybersecurity Privilege

Cybersecurity threats – such as denial of service attacks, data theft, website defacement, and other incidents – cost U.S. companies billions of dollars a year in lost business, remediation, and other expenses. Cyberattacks also compromise individuals’ privacy and reduce public confidence in the Internet and networked computing. Companies recognize these threats, and are increasingly relying on cybersecurity professionals to protect their networks and systems from hackers, and mitigate damage after data security incidents. Unfortunately, U.S. evidentiary law discourages companies from hiring cybersecurity professionals to protect their networks and remediate security incidents. The work of cybersecurity professionals – unlike that of attorneys, accountants, and therapists – is not directly covered by a privilege under federal or state law. Accordingly, cybersecurity professionals’ work product and communications is, by default, discoverable in litigation or regulatory proceedings. Cybersecurity work often relies on highly confidential information about a company’s network vulnerabilities, and therefore the disclosure of the work product or communications could be useful to plaintiff’s lawyers or regulators after a data security incident. To protect against this risk, companies attempt to cover their cybersecurity professionals’ communications and work product under an existing evidentiary privilege, such as the attorney-client privilege or work product doctrine. However, such privileges are an uneasy fit for some cybersecurity work, particularly prophylactic measures that are not directly tied to ongoing or potential litigation. In other words, current evidentiary law discourages companies from investing in the services necessary to prevent cyberattacks from occurring. In this Article, I propose the creation of a stand-alone privilege for cybersecurity work. Courts should recognize a common-law cybersecurity privilege under Federal Rule of Evidence 501, just as they have recognized the attorney-client privilege, psychotherapist privilege, and priest-penitent privilege. There is a significant public interest in encouraging companies to hire professionals to assess cybersecurity and close potential gaps. Companies will be more likely to make such investments if they have some assurance that the cybersecurity professionals’ communications and work product will not later be discovered in court. Although courts are hesitant to create new privileges, the strong societal interest in promoting cybersecurity justifies the creation of a new common-law privilege. Alternatively, legislators should consider creating a statutory privilege for cybersecurity professionals, as they have for journalists, accountants, and others whose work serves the public interest.
Transmembrane Pore Structures of β-Hairpin Antimicrobial Peptides by All-Atom Simulations

Protegrin-1 is an 18-residue β-hairpin antimicrobial peptide (AMP) that has been suggested to form transmembrane β-barrels in biological membranes. However, alternative structures have also been proposed. Here, we performed multimicrosecond, all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of various protegrin-1 oligomers on the membrane surface and in transmembrane topologies. The membrane surface simulations indicated that protegrin dimers are stable, whereas trimers and tetramers break down. Tetrameric arcs remained stably inserted in lipid membranes, but the pore water was displaced by lipid molecules. Unsheared protegrin β-barrels opened into β-sheets that surrounded stable aqueous pores, whereas tilted barrels with sheared hydrogen bonding patterns were stable in most topologies. A third type of observed pore consisted of multiple small oligomers surrounding a small, partially lipidic pore. We also considered the β-hairpin AMP tachyplesin, which showed less tendency to oligomerize than protegrin: the octamer...
Novice Programmers and Software Quality: Trends and Implications

It remains unclear when it is the right time to introduce software quality into the computing curriculum. Introductory students often cannot afford to also worry about software quality, while advanced students may have been groomed into undisciplined development practices already. To answer these questions satisfactorily, educators need strong quantitative evidence about the pervasiveness of software quality problems in software written by novice programmers. This paper presents a comprehensive study of software quality practices of novice programmers writing Scratch programs. By focusing on finding code smells–coding patterns indicative of quality problems–we analyze a longitudinal dataset of 100+ novice Scratch programmers and close to 3K of their programs. Even after gaining proficiency, students continue to introduce the same quality problems into their code, suggesting a need for timely educational interventions. Given the importance of software quality for modern society, computing educators should teach quality concepts and practices alongside the core computing curriculum.
Lego Mindstorm NXT controller with peer-to-peer video streaming in Android

With Android technology advancing rapidly, it is now possible to harness the built-in features of Android into robotics programming. An application has been developed to demonstrate this integration by controlling a Lego Mindstorm NXT robot. An Android device was mounted on the robot, capturing live video using the camera on the device and streaming it to another Android device being used as the controller. A new methodology to stream video was created and successfully implemented in this app and discussed in this paper. Through this application, it was shown that Android is a portable, relatively inexpensive, useful enhancement to robotics programming.
RIGHT ATRIAL OXYGEN LEVELS DURING ANAESTHESIA AND SURGERY

Right atrial oxygen saturation was measured in 32 patients undergoing a variety of neurosurgical procedures. Initial efforts to sample mixed venous blood from the pulmonary artery resulted in a high incidence of ventricular tachycardia. For this reason, catheters were inserted only as far as the right atrium and were positioned by electrocardiographic means. Catheterization was easily accomplished and required a minimum of time and technical experience.
The Greenhouse Metaphor and the Greenhouse Effect: A Case Study of a Flawed Analogous Model

Metaphors are double-edge swords. By connecting an abstract and unknown phenomenon to a tangible and familiar one, a metaphor also creates a new reality. For example, we frequently use a metaphor to describe global warming – the atmosphere works like a greenhouse and CO2 traps heat as panes of glass in a greenhouse do. However, this greenhouse metaphor leads to an ontological assumption that conceptualizes heat as a material-like object, a series of ideas that ignore the roles of the ocean in the process of thermal transfer within the climate system, and an underestimation of the time delay effect in climate change. By producing an illusion that the climate system will respond instantly at the moment when CO2 level is reduced, the greenhouse metaphor is ultimately responsible for the wait-and-see approach to climate change.
CNS Stimulants and Athletic Performance

In an effort to find a short cut that will reduce the time and effort required to become competitive or to meet the challenge of the moment, it has been all too common an occurrence in the history of man to try chemicals of various types to improve both mental and physical performance. Examples of this range from students trying to obtain a better grade, to athletes trying to shave seconds off the time required to perform an athletic feat, to the military’s use of chemicals to help soldiers perform heroic feats of endurance in an effort to defeat the enemy. The first reported use of drugs to increase or improve athletic performance predates the birth of Christ. It is reported in the writings of Homer that Greek athletes consumed mushrooms prior to athletic events to improve their performance. More recently, during the nineteenth century, there were widespread reports of athletes using caffeine, alcohol, nitroglycerine, ethyl ether, and opium.1 However, it was not until the unfortunate death of a Danish cyclist during the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome that the attention of the world was drawn to this serious problem. Today, drug use by athletes involves several classes of drugs; however, this chapter will restrict itself to a discussion of the use of three drugs or drug classes: amphetamines, cocaine, and caffeine.
Gene Transfer in the Sea Urchin

Sea urchins began to be used over a century ago for studies of fertilization and development, and they are now among the best understood experimental models for early embryogenesis. The use of sea urchin embryos can be attributed in part to practical considerations. The adult animals are abundant, widely distributed, and easy to collect. Gametes are available in relatively large quantities during long breeding seasons, and under appropriate laboratory regimens they can be obtained all year round (1,2). Embryonic development is rapid and synchronous, occurs reliably under laboratory conditions, and in most species is complete within a few days. Unlike most invertebrates commonly utilized for research, echinoderms belong to the same great branch of the Animal Kingdom as do the vertebrates, i.e., and they are deuterostomes. Thus to the advantage of experimental accessibility may be added the attraction of a developmental system that shares with the chordates a common if remote evolutionary ancestry. Definitive homologies in the morphogenesis of chordate and echinoderm embryos were noted by classical observers [reviewed in (3)], and in recent years specific molecular homologies have been reported as well.
Gentle skin care guidelines for patients with mycosis fungoides.

Gentle skin care is an umbrella term used to describe protective and non-interventional skin care regimens for patients to adhere to within the confines of their own home. Simple recommendations such as cleanser/moisturizer choices and shower habits are mainstays of gentle skin care regimens.
11 – Measuring Surgical Outcomes

Life has two dimensions: quantity and quality. Measures of quantity of life (operative mortality, overall or disease-specific mortality, life expectancy, etc.) are standard features of most clinical research protocols assessing surgical interventions. Quality of life refers to how well people live. In the broadest sense, quality of life encompasses not only health, but standard of living, quality of housing, job satisfaction, and numerous other factors. However, medical researchers generally limit assessments to health-related quality of life (HRQOL). According to the World Health Organization, health is defined as a “state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” This definition implies the “dimensionality” of HRQOL and, in particular, the distinction between physical and mental components. General health status surveys provide the broadest and most generalizable measures of HRQOL. They may be used for a variety of purposes. At the patient level, general health surveys are being used increasingly to detect problems with patient functioning or well-being, usually missed during standard clinical encounters.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Brain Metastases

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) refers to the use of a three-dimensional coordinate system (“stereotactic”) to deliver high doses of image-guided focal radiation to intracranial targets with submillimeter localization in a noninvasive manner (“radiosurgery”) as a substitute for surgery while avoiding irradiation of the surrounding healthy tissue. Dr. Lars Leksell, a prominent neurosurgeon in Sweden, pioneered SRS in the 1950s using orthovoltage X-ray tube radiation to treat trigeminal neuralgia-related facial pain [1]. Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS), which uses cobalt-60 as the source of ionizing radiation, was developed by Dr. Leksell and physicists Dr. Kurt Liden and Dr. Borje Larsson in 1967 as a surgical tool to produce discoid-shaped radiation lesions for functional neurosurgery patients with movement disorders and intractable pain refractory to conventional treatment (Fig. 17.1). Since the 1970s, SRS was used for vascular malformations unsuitable for resection or embolization as well as for benign tumors.
Union Security, Race, and the Political Process: Some Reflections on Unions and Democracy:

The article focuses upon developments in (1) so-called union security and fair share laws through which financial support of unions is obliged; (2) the cases and practices involving both union demo...
In a Rat Model of Opioid Maintenance, the G Protein-Biased Mu Opioid Receptor Agonist TRV130 Decreases Relapse to Oxycodone Seeking and Taking and Prevents Oxycodone-Induced Brain Hypoxia.

Abstract Background Maintenance treatment with opioid agonists (buprenorphine, methadone) is effective for opioid addiction but does not eliminate opioid use in all patients. We modeled maintenance treatment in rats that self-administered the prescription opioid oxycodone. The maintenance medication was either buprenorphine or the G protein–biased mu opioid receptor agonist TRV130. We then tested prevention of oxycodone seeking and taking during abstinence using a modified context-induced reinstatement procedure, a rat relapse model. Methods We trained rats to self-administer oxycodone (6 hours/day, 14 days) in context A; infusions were paired with discrete tone-light cues. We then implanted osmotic pumps containing buprenorphine or TRV130 (0, 3, 6, or 9 mg/kg/day) and performed 3 consecutive tests: lever pressing reinforced by oxycodone-associated discrete cues in nondrug context B (extinction responding), context-induced reinstatement of oxycodone seeking in context A, and reacquisition of oxycodone self-administration in context A. We also tested whether TRV130 maintenance would protect against acute oxycodone-induced decreases in nucleus accumbens oxygen levels. Results In male rats, buprenorphine and TRV130 decreased extinction responding and reacquisition of oxycodone self-administration but had a weaker (nonsignificant) effect on context-induced reinstatement. In female rats, buprenorphine decreased responding in all 3 tests, while TRV130 decreased only extinction responding. In both sexes, TRV130 prevented acute brain hypoxia induced by moderate doses of oxycodone. Conclusions TRV130 decreased oxycodone seeking and taking during abstinence in a partly sex-specific manner and prevented acute oxycodone-induced brain hypoxia. We propose that G protein–biased mu opioid receptor agonists, currently in development as analgesics, should be considered as relapse prevention maintenance treatment for opioid addiction.
THE SHOCK TEAM: A POWERFUL INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH FOR TIMELY MANAGEMENT OF A PATIENT WITH CARDIOGENIC SHOCK

Many mammalian species rely on pheromones—semiochemicals produced by other members of the same species—to communicate social status and reproductive readiness. To assess how the central nervous system integrates the complex repertoire of pheromones, we recorded from single neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb, a nucleus that processes pheromonal signals, of male mice engaged in natural behaviors. Neuronal firing was robustly modulated by physical contact with male and female conspecifics, with individual neurons activated selectively by specific combinations of the sex and strain of conspecifics. We infer that mammals encode social and reproductive information by integrating vomeronasal sensory activity specific to sex and genetic makeup.
Lower preoperative hematocrit, longer hospital stay, and neurocognitive decline after cardiac surgery

Abstract Background Cardiopulmonary bypass may be associated with postoperative neurocognitive dysfunction; however, risk factors have not been clearly identified. We hypothesize that lower hematocrit levels are correlated with postoperative neurocognitive dysfunction. Methods A total of 30 patients underwent cardiac operations utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass and screening for neurocognitive dysfunction preoperatively and on postoperative day 4. Patients were analyzed according to hematocrit preoperatively, 6 hours postoperatively, and on postoperative day 4, and whether they received intra or postoperative transfusions of packed red blood cells. Neurocognitive data is presented as a difference in Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status standardized score from baseline to postoperative day 4 and analyzed by unpaired two-tailed Spearman test and unpaired Mann-Whitney U test. Results There was a significant correlation between patients with lower hematocrit before surgery and a decline in neurocognitive function at postoperative day 4 (P Conclusion A lower preoperative hematocrit and prolonged length of hospital stay are correlated with neurocognitive decline after cardiac surgery utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass.
Mental Health in Bariatric Surgery: Selection, Access, and Outcomes

Severe obesity has many psychiatric consequences that can be influenced by bariatric surgery. The goal of this article is to review these challenges, including the mental health status of patients with severe obesity, the evaluation of surgical candidates, and the early and late effects of the operations, and to offer some recommendations to manage these challenges. The failure of the insurance-mandated preoperative psychosocial evaluation is also discussed.