cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A DEMERITS CONTROL CHART FOR AUTOCORRELATED DATA

Implementing traditional statistical process control may increase the frequency of false alarms in situations where autocorrelation exists. Often, the assumption of uncorrelated process data is violated, resulting in inadequate monitoring and corrective..
Interlacing for weighted graphs using the normalized Laplacian

The problem of relating the eigenvalues of the normalized Laplacian for a weighted graph G and GH ,f orH a subgraph of G is considered. It is shown that these eigenvalues interlace and that the tightness of the interlacing is dependent on the number of nonisolated vertices of H. Weak coverings of a weighted graph are also defined and interlacing results for the normalized Laplacian for such a covering are given. In addition there is a discussion about interlacing for the Laplacian of directed graphs.
Sigmoid Diverticulitis: A Systematic Review

Importance Diverticulitis is a common disease. Recent changes in understanding its natural history have substantially modified treatment paradigms. Objective To review the etiology and natural history of diverticulitis and recent changes in treatment guidelines. Evidence Review We searched the MEDLINE and Cochrane databases for English-language articles pertaining to diagnosis and management of diverticulitis published between January 1, 2000, and March 31, 2013. Search terms applied to 4 thematic topics:pathophysiology,natural history,medical management, andindications for surgery. We excluded small case series and articles based on data accrued prior to 2000. We hand searched the bibliographies of included studies, yielding a total of 186 articles for full review. We graded the level of evidence and classified recommendations by size of treatment effect, according to the guidelines from the American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. Findings Eighty articles met criteria for analysis. The pathophysiology of diverticulitis is associated with altered gut motility, increased luminal pressure, and a disordered colonic microenvironment. Several studies examined histologic commonalities with inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome but were focused on associative rather than causal pathways. The natural history of uncomplicated diverticulitis is often benign. For example, in a cohort study of 2366 of 3165 patients hospitalized for acute diverticulitis and followed up for 8.9 years, only 13.3% of patients had a recurrence and 3.9%, a second recurrence. In contrast to what was previously thought, the risk of septic peritonitis is reduced and not increased with each recurrence. Patient-reported outcomes studies show 20% to 35% of patients managed nonoperatively progress to chronic abdominal pain compared with 5% to 25% of patients treated operatively. Randomized trials and cohort studies have shown that antibiotics and fiber were not as beneficial as previously thought and that mesalamine might be useful. Surgical therapy for chronic disease is not always warranted. Conclusions and Relevance Recent studies demonstrate a lesser role for aggressive antibiotic or surgical intervention for chronic or recurrent diverticulitis than was previously thought necessary.
Magnetospheric convection electric field dynamics andstormtime particle energization: case study of the magneticstorm of 4 May 1998

Abstract. It is shown that narrow channels of high electric field are an effective mechanism for injecting plasma into the inner magnetosphere. Analytical expressions for the electric field cannot produce these channels of intense plasma flow, and thus, result in less entry and adiabatic energization of the plasma sheet into near-Earth space. For the ions, omission of these channels leads to an underprediction of the strength of the stormtime ring current and therefore, an underestimation of the geoeffectiveness of the storm event. For the electrons, omission of these channels leads to the inability to create a seed population of 10-100 keV electrons deep in the inner magnetosphere. These electrons can eventually be accelerated into MeV radiation belt particles. To examine this, the 1-7 May 1998 magnetic storm is studied with a plasma transport model by using three different convection electric field models: Volland-Stern, Weimer, and AMIE. It is found that the AMIE model can produce particle fluxes that are several orders of magnitude higher in the L = 2 – 4 range of the inner magnetosphere, even for a similar total cross-tail potential difference. Key words. Space plasma physics (charged particle motion and acceleration) – Magnetospheric physics (electric fields, storms and substorms)
A review of remote sensing utilization for identifying and monitoring change of land cover within coastal ecosystems of the Caribbean

The dynamic ecosystems of the Caribbean are part of one of the most critical hotspots on Earth (Meyers et al., 2000). The role of remote sensing in our technologically advanced world, places inhabitants of the Caribbean in an advantageous position to utilize this amazing resource in order to enhance and monitor their environment. Mangrove forests, coastal sand body areas and coastal water environments can be better understood and managed through satellite, aerial and ground level remote sensing. This review identifies specific aspects of remote sensing that are being used to their full advantage for conducting land cover change monitoring and analysis in the Caribbean and those capabilities that are underutilized.
Theory of heterogeneous relaxation in compartmentalized tissues

A new model of compartmentalized relaxation--that which occurs for spins (protons) exchanging between compartments of different relaxation rates--is presented. This model generalizes previous ones by allowing spatially dependent relaxation within compartments. Solutions for the diffusion-Bloch equations are found via an efficient numerical technique known as the generalized moment expansion, and they agree well with the solutions to the standard two-site exchange equations (TSEE) for many typical situations. Specific models are developed for liposomes, red blood cells, capillaries, and arteries with respect to applied contrast agents. A parameter derived from tissue characteristics is introduced to predict the nature of the solutions. A new method is proposed for using contrast agents to detect capillaries, which exploits their high surface-to-volume ratio relative to the other elements of the vasculature.
Can we prevent the gaming of ramp constraints

Some electric power markets allow bidders to specify constraints on ramp rates for increasing or decreasing power production. We show in a small example that a bidder could use an overly restrictive constraint to increase profits, and explore the cause by visualizing the feasible region from the linear program corresponding to the power auction. We propose three penalty approaches to discourage bidders from such a tactic: two based on the duality theory of linear programming (LP) and the other based on social cost differences caused by ramp constraints. We evaluate the approaches using a simplified scaled model of the California power system, with actual 2001 California demand data.
Mechanical strain inhibits expression of osteoclast differentiation factor by murine stromal cells

Normal dynamic loading prevents bone resorption; however, the means whereby biophysical factors reduce osteoclast activity are not understood. We show here that mechanical strain (2% at 10 cycles p...
Respiratory timing and depth of breathing in dogs anesthetized with halothane or enflurane

Tidal volume (VT) and inspiratory (TI) and expiratory (TE) times were measured during enflurane and halothane anesthesia in 12 prone dogs before and after bilateral vagotomy. "Elastic" loading or airway occlusion was used to obtain a VT-to-TI relationship in each state and to examine the rate of change in airway pressure. VT, TI, and TE were significantly (P less than 0.05) larger during enflurane than during halothane anesthesia, both before and after bilateral vagotomy. Before vagotomy, the rate of change in airway pressure during airway occlusion was similar for the two agents, as was an index of impedance of the respiratory system (Z'rs). Thus the difference in maximal pressure generated and in VT was most likely due to the difference in TI. Before vagotomy, TI increased as VT decreased with loading during enflurane but not halothane anesthesia, demonstrating a different effect of the two agents on the phasic vagal inspiratory inhibitory mechanism. After bilateral vagotomy, TI was unaltered during elastic loading with both agents but was still significantly longer during enflurane than halothane anesthesia. Thus it was concluded that TI was longer in the enfluraneanesthetized dogs than in the halothane-anesthetized dogs because of a different effect of these two agents on the bulbopontine "pacemaker" mechanism and not because of different effects on the phasic vagal inspiratory inhibitory mechanism.
Correlation between blood pressure and nembutal dosage in the toxemias of late pregnancy

Summary 1. High blood pressure (140 systolic or above) as the first clinical sign of toxemias of late pregnancy is presented. 2. High and rising blood pressure as indicative of an increasing and possibly a fatal pregnancy toxemia is discussed. 3. A dosimetric schedule for the use of nembutal based on the height of the blood pressure as a suggestive method of treatment is submitted. 4. The results of 60 cases of late pregnancy toxemias effectively treated with nembutal by the above scheme without the occurrence of convulsions, apoplexy, or death are reported.
Composition and Permeability of Oleate Adlayers of CdS Quantum Dots upon Dilution to Photoluminescence-Relevant Concentrations.

This paper describes the changes in surface chemistry that occur in oleate-capped CdS quantum dots (QDs) upon dilution from NMR-relevant concentrations (10 μM) to photoluminescence (PL)-relevant concentrations (0.1 μM) and the consequences these changes have on the relative probabilities of radiative and nonradiative decay of the QD exciton. Characterization of the QD surface by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy reveals that upon dilution in three solvents, C6D6, C6D12, and CDCl3, oleate ligands, in the form of cadmium oleate and CdxOAy clusters, desorb. Changes in the ligand coverage by 30–40% do not impact the solubility of the QDs, do not have measurable influence on the absorption or PL line widths, produce small (±0.05), nonmonotonic changes in the relative PL quantum yield, and produce small, nonmonotonic changes the relative partitioning between band-edge and “trapped” exciton emission. Desorption of surface ligands as a result of dilution of the QDs does, however, make the QDs more red...
You Need More Organization Bro: Relationship Building in Secondary Writing and Revision

ABSTRACTIn this article, we describe the peer-response workshop we conducted in an ethnically and linguistically diverse secondary school classroom in an urban center in the southwest. We show how the three main parts of the workshop combine to help students cultivate writing relationships in which they see writing as social and co-constructed, rather than as a solitary act performed for the teacher.
The expression and the clinical significance of blood and immunological changes of child patients with HFMD

Objective: To study peripheral blood leukocyte count,and absolute count of lymphocyte subsets,cytokine levels and clinical significance of severe HFMD(hand foot and mouth disease,HFMD). Methods: Detecte 50 cases of acute severe HFMD children' peripheral blood leukocyte count,lymphocyte subsets and absolute counts and acute phase and recovery phase IL-2,IL-6,IL-10,TNF-α,INF-γ cytokines.45 cases of healthy children were selected as control group. Results: Compared to the control group,white blood cell count of acute severe HFMD children increased,lymphocyte ratio decreased,the absolute lymphocyte count increased,peripheral blood CD+_3 T cells,CD+_3 CD+_4 Th cells,CD+_3 CD+_8 Ts cells and CD+_16 +_56 NK cells was decline,CD+_19 B cells was increased.Th,B,NK cell absolute count increased,the differences were statistically significant(P0.05).While the Ts cell counts and Th/Ts cell ratio's between the two groups had no significant difference in change.Peripheral IL-2,IL-6,IL-10,TNF-α,INF-γ of acute severe HFMD children were increased differently than the control group,and IL-10 of the children in recovery phase was higher than the control group(P0.05).The detection of cytokines were decreased in comparing with the control group(P0.05). Conclusion:Absolute lymphocyte count of severe child patients with HFMD,using flow cytometry to detect the components of the absolute lymphocyte count and IL-2,IL-4,IL-6,IL-10,TNF-α,INF-γ cytokines can more accurately reflect the acute stage pathological conditions.The levels of cytokines can be used as one of the indicators of the clinical stage of severe HFMD.
Image Processing Pipeline Model Integrating Steganographic Algorithms for Mobile Cameras

Mobile phones these days are extensively used to capture and share multimedia right from the device without the basic security processing like watermarking. This necessitates the need for multimedia to be watermarked right within the mobile hardware for copyright protection and authentication. In this paper, we propose an image processing pipelining model for mobile cameras that integrates watermarking algorithm with the image capturing processes in cameras. Differently from existing works reported in literature, the unique contribution in this paper is to have image watermarked while in the early capturing process. In other words, the processes for digital image capturing and watermarking have become as a single non-separable procedure in the camera hardware systems. The paper proposes watermarking raw image data before it becomes display ready within the image capturing process. Also, the watermarking algorithm used to develop the model, without losing generality, caters to the computational efficiency requirement for mobile devices while being robust against image coding at the same time. Simulations results demonstrate that the proposed approach is robust against JPEG compression.
Evidence for the association of cytomegalovirus with carcinoma of the prostate.

AbstractA human genital isolate of cytomegalovirus is shown to have transformed human embryonic lung cells in vitro. These cells produce tumors when injected into athymic nude mice. Two cell lines derived from tissue from human prostatic carcinoma have survived more than 20 passages in vitro and demonstrate cytomegalovirus-specific membrane antigen. Significant humoral antibody titers against cytomegalovirus have been demonstrated. Cell-mediated lymphoeytotoxicity against these transformed cells has been demonstrated in patients with urinary tract tumors. This evidence indicates that an association between cytomegalovirus and human prostatic cancer may be more than coincidental.
Receive, Reorganize, Return: Theatre as Creative Scholarship

This article focuses on the use of theatre as a mode of creative scholarship, from the research involved in sketch creation to the presentation of that research to academic audiences. We particularly focus on a specific sketch developed by the CRLT Players—one that explores the consequences of subtle discrimination faced by women scientists in research laboratory settings—to illustrate the ways in which theatre can engage audiences with research results. The article explains how participation in such performances promotes a more active exploration of scholarship than simply reading or hearing a presentation. Interactive theatre directs and focuses an audience's attention in ways unique to the stage; the embodiment of research in 3-dimensional characters allows spectators to explore multiple perspectives on research results; and the process of critical reflection and facilitated discussion that follows the performance leads viewers to consider changes, both personal and institutional, that can address the issues depicted in the sketch.
Characterization of Nonideal Systems

This chapter focuses on the proper characterization of the chemical potential for a nonideal phase. Once this quantity is known, all thermodynamic properties of the system can be determined. Particular emphasis is placed on the fact that many alternative descriptions are possible: though they may look different, the various final mathematical formulations describe a given system in a unique fashion. While the various descriptions look different, all physical predictions must be independent of the particular standard or reference state, which has been chosen, and cannot be allowed to depend on the choice of concentration units. The restrictions that must be imposed to guarantee thechemical potential of any species i in any solution relative to the standard potential shall indeed be unique―invariant under any change in choice of concentration units for a particular choice of standard or reference potentials.
Abstract 4731: Targeted therapies for prostate cancer: Strategies for efficient combinatorial approaches

Metastasis-associated protein 1(MTA1) is a cancer progression- related epigenetic regulator, which is overexpressed in hormone-refractory and metastatic prostate cancer (PCa). MTA1/HDAC unit is a part of the multi-protein nucleosome remodeling and deacetylation (NuRD) complex. In our previous studies we found that MTA1 expression is significantly increased in prostate-specific Pten-null model, and that potent natural analog of resveratrol, pterostilbene (PTER), exerts its anti-tumorigenic effects by blocking MTA1-associated inactivation (deacetylation) of tumor suppressors. SAHA (suberoylanilide hydroxamine, vorinostat) is a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor that has been shown to be an effective inhibitor of tumor cell growth. We hypothesize that targeting MTA1/HDAC unit of NuRD complex using PTER in combination with SAHA could act additively or synergistically to block prostate tumor progression in vivo with higher efficacy and lower toxicity. In the current study, we utilized the prostate-specific Pten-null mouse model to evaluate the MTA1/HDAC mediated anti-cancer efficacy of combinatorial approach for dietary PTER and clinically approved HDAC inhibitor, SAHA. After a series of carefully designed breeding strategies and genotyping, we collected 30 prostate-specific luciferase expressing Pten knockout (Pten f/f; Rosa26Luc/+; Pb-Cre4) male mice for our experiments. Prostate-specific luciferase expression allowed non-invasive monitoring of prostate tumor growth in these animals. Mice were randomized into four groups: Vehicle control (10% DMSO); PTER (10 mg/kg bw) alone, SAHA (50 mg/kg bw) alone, and PTER + SAHA. Compounds were injected daily, i.p., starting at 8 weeks of age. Mice were sacrificed at week 18. Histopathological (HE 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4731.
A Survey of Techniques for Designing and Managing CPU Register File

Summary Processor register file (RF) is an important microarchitectural component used for storing operands and results of instructions. The design and operation of RF have crucial impact on the performance, energy efficiency, and reliability of the processor, and hence, several techniques have been recently proposed to manage RF in modern processors. In this paper, we present a survey of techniques for architecting and managing CPU register file. We classify the techniques across several parameters to underscore their similarities and differences. We hope that this paper will provide insights to researchers into working of RF and inspire even more efforts towards optimization of RF in next-generation computing systems. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Ets protein Pointed prevents both premature differentiation and dedifferentiation of Drosophila intermediate neural progenitors

Intermediate neural progenitors (INPs) need to avoid both dedifferentiation and differentiation during neurogenesis, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In Drosophila, the Ets protein Pointed P1 (PntP1) is required to generate INPs from type II neuroblasts. Here, we investigated how PntP1 promotes INP generation. By generating pntP1-specific mutants and using RNAi knockdown, we show that the loss of PntP1 leads to both an increase in type II neuroblast number and the elimination of INPs. The elimination of INPs results from the premature differentiation of INPs due to ectopic Prospero expression in newly generated immature INPs (imINPs), whereas the increase in type II neuroblasts results from the dedifferentiation of imINPs due to loss of Earmuff at later stages of imINP development. Furthermore, reducing Buttonhead enhances the loss of INPs in pntP1 mutants, suggesting that PntP1 and Buttonhead act cooperatively to prevent premature INP differentiation. Our results demonstrate that PntP1 prevents both the premature differentiation and the dedifferentiation of INPs by regulating the expression of distinct target genes at different stages of imINP development.
Mild Encephalopathy with Reversible Splenial Lesion in Children

Mild encephalopathy with reversible splenial lesion (MERS) is a recently described clinico-radiological syndrome. It is characterised by acute mild encephalopathy and changes in the splenium of the corpus callosum on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MERS has been described mainly in East Asian populations. Infection, particularly influenza, is the most common association. The prognosis is generally favourable with spontaneous resolution of clinical and radiological abnormalities. We report two cases of non-influenza MERS in children, one associated with varicella, and discuss their differing clinical presentations.
Assessing patient competence for medical decision making

Competence frequently becomes an issue when a patient refuses a recommended surgical procedure or medication, refuses a placement option such as a nursing home or threatens to leave the hospital against medical advice. Physicians often struggle to balance the patient's right to self-determination and informed consent with their own mission to provide patients with optimal treatment. At present, few guidelines exist to assist physicians in making competence determinations. Legal precedents and conceptual issues in evaluating competence are reviewed. A protocol for assessing competence is presented.
Howard Hopson’s billion dollar fraud: The rise and fall of associated gas & electric company, 1921–1940

This is a case study of financial fraud. The Associated Gas & Electric Company (AG&E), controlled by Howard C. Hopson, was one of the largest utility holding companies of the ‘Roaring 20s’. Hopson’...
Nutritional influences on linear growth: a general review

The first section of this paper reviews what is known about the roles of specific nutrients in the general linear growth faltering that occurs in developing countries. Those reviewed are energy, protein, zinc, iron, copper, iodine and vitamin A. For none of these nutrients was there clear, consistent evidence that supplementation with the nutrient benefited linear growth. Rather, interventions with each specific nutrient had a positive effect on length gain in some studies, while in others these affected only weight gain or had no effect. Reasons for these conflicting results are suggested, including the strong probability that growth is limited by multiple, simultaneous deficiencies in many populations. This point is illustrated with data from the Nutrition Collaborative Research Support Program (CRSP) and other reports. Most interventions with single nutrients have been tested on children older than the age when linear growth faltering is most rapid, that is, within a few months of birth. Possible reasons why growth stunting begins so early in life are presented, but these are mostly hypothetical because of the paucity of information on this topic.
Changes in movement transitions across a practice period in childhood apraxia of speech.

ABSTRACTThis study examined changes in speech motor control across a movement transition between sounds within a motor learning task in children with apraxia of speech (CAS) and typical development (TD). It was investigated whether oral articulator movement was refined with practice and whether practice gains generalized to words not included in the practice session. A total of 16 children (ages 5–6) with CAS (n = 8) and TD (n = 8) participated in this study. Novel and real word tokens were produced at three time points. Kinematic data was collected using facial motion tracking at each time point. Children completed a practice session following baseline data collection session that integrated motor learning principles. Three tokens were included in the practice session and the remaining stimuli assessed carryover of practice gains. Kinematic data was then collected immediately following practice and 3 days later. Kinematic analyses were conducted on the movement gesture for the first syllable of each word...
Chewing through Roots: How Leukemia Invades and Disrupts the Bone Marrow Microenvironment

The bone marrow (BM) niche is a complex microenvironment that supports healthy hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) throughout life. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Duarte et al. (2018) reveal the spatio-temporal progress of leukemic cells as they invade and occupy the niche, ultimately outcompeting native HSCs.
Defective Hard Carbon Anode for Na-Ion Batteries

Hard carbon as an anode is critical for the near-future commercialization of Na-ion batteries. However, where Na ions are located at different states of charge with respect to the local structures of hard carbon remains a topic that is under debate. Recently, some groups, including ours, have suggested a structure–property correlation that assigns the slope capacity in galvanostatic charge/discharge curves to the binding of Na ions to structural defects of hard carbon. To test this correlation, herein, we prepared a highly defective hard carbon by microwaving a carbon that was obtained by pyrolysis of cellulose at 650 °C. After this microwave treatment for just 6 s, the reversible capacity of the hard carbon increased from 204 to 308 mAh/g, which is significantly higher than that of hard carbon annealed at 1100 °C for 7 h (274 mAh/g). The microwave treatment not only is energy-efficient but also retains a high extent of the structural vacancies in hard carbon, as demonstrated by neutron total scattering a...
A novel method to measure the 13C composition of intact bacteriohopanepolyols

Abstract We present a novel method to measure the 13C/12C isotope ratio (reported as δ13C) of individual, intact bacteriohopanepolyols (BHPs) using semi-preparative ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatography (UPLC) followed by high temperature gas chromatography–isotope ratio mass spectrometry (HT-GC–IRMS). The method is reproducible, as indicated by the precision of δ13C values for bacteriohopanetetrol (BHT) extracted from R. palustris biomass and analyzed across an order-of-magnitude range of IRMS peak areas (δ13C = −33.4 ± 0.6‰ VPDB, n = 94, ±1σ). To show that this method successfully separates individual BHPs from complex environmental matrices, we report δ13C values for BHT and the BHT stereoisomer (BHT-II) from a ca. 2.9 Ma, organic-rich Mediterranean Sea sediment sample. These analyses suggest that intact BHP δ13C measurements can greatly improve the interpretation of environmental signals by alleviating the need for side-chain cleavage which reduces BHP source-specificity.
Quantum Chromodynamics and Large Momentum Transfer Processes

A brief review is given of recent progress made in the understanding of high-pT production of single particles and jets as well as heavy particle production. In each case unresolved questions are discussed and experimental tests are suggested.
Ionic silicon improves endothelial cells' survival under toxic oxidative stress by overexpressing angiogenic markers and antioxidant enzymes

Oxidative stress, induced by harmful levels of reactive oxygen species, is a common occurrence that impairs proper bone defect vascular healing through the impairment of endothelial cell function. Ionic silicon released from silica-based biomaterials, can upregulate hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). Yet it is unclear whether ionic Si can restore endothelial cell function under oxidative stress conditions. Therefore, we hypothesized that ionic silicon can help improve human umbilical vein endothelial cells' (HUVECs') survival under toxic oxidative stress. In this study, we evaluated the ionic jsilicon effect on HUVECs viability, proliferation, migration, gene expression, and capillary tube formation under normal conditions and under harmful hydrogen peroxide levels. We demonstrated that 0.5-mM Si4+ significantly enhanced angiogenesis in HUVECs under normal condition (p < 0.05). HUVECs exposed to 0.5-mM Si4+ presented a morphological change, even without the bed of Matrigel, and formed significantly more tube-like structures than the control (p < 0.001). In addition, 0.5-mM Si4+ enhanced cell viability in HUVECs under harmful H2 O2 levels. HIF-1α, vascular endothelial growth factor-A, and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 were overexpressed more than twofold in silicon-treated HUVECs, under normal and toxic H2 O2 conditions. Moreover, the HUVECs were treated with 0.5-mM Si4+ overexpressed superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD-1), catalase-1 (Cat-1), and nitric oxide synthase-3 (NOS3) under normal and oxidative stress environment (p < 0.01). A computational model was used for explaining the antioxidant effect of Si4+ in endothelial cells and human periosteum cells by SOD-1 enhancement. In conclusion, we demonstrated that 0.5-mM Si4+ can recover the HUVECs' viability under oxidative stress conditions by reducing cell death and upregulating expression of angiogenic and antioxidant factors.
Ruxolitinib as Salvage Therapy for Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease.

Abstract Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) continues to be a major complication after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, significantly affecting patients' quality of life. A regimen of systemic corticosteroids is considered first-line therapy but is often associated with inadequate responses and multiple side effects. In patients with refractory disease, an evidenced-based consensus is lacking as to the single best approach to managing symptoms. Ruxolitinib, a selective JAK1/2 inhibitor, has recently gained favor as a second-line approach in patients with steroid-refractory cGVHD. In this retrospective study, we evaluated the outcomes of 46 patients who received ruxolitinib for cGVHD between March 2016 and December 2017 at our institution, and evaluated ruxolitinib's impact at 6 and 12 months, based on the National Institutes of Health Severity Scale, including organ-specific responses, and mean prednisone dose. Furthermore, we present the first reported probability of ruxolitinib's treatment failure-free survival (FFS) in patients with cGVHD. After 12 months of ruxolitinib therapy, complete response, partial response, and stable disease was observed in 13% (n = 6), 30.4% (n = 14), and 10.9% (n = 5) of patients, respectively. The 1-year probability of FFS was 54.2% (95% confidence interval, .388 to .673), and ruxolitinib use was associated with a reduction in prednisone dose. In conclusion, our data, which represent the largest cohort of patients with cGVHD reported to date, support the use of ruxolitinib for cGVHD refractory to steroids and currently available salvage therapies, discontinued due to lack of response and high cost.
A Study of Social Media Utilization by Individuals With Tinnitus.

Purpose As more people experience tinnitus, social awareness of tinnitus has consequently increased, due in part to the Internet. Social media platforms are being used increasingly by patients to s...
Use of active metabolites of vitamin D orally for the treatment of psoriasis.

SUMMARY Objective: The objective of this study was to analyse the existing bibliographic production on clinical trials related to the use of vitamin D for oral treatment of psoriasis. Method: A literature review of clinical trials related to the use of vitamin D for oral treatment of psoriasis, published in the LILACS, Scielo, Medline, PubMed and Cochrane Library from 1986 to 2013. The search included the following terms: “Psoriasis and oral Vitamin D”; “psoriase e vitamina D oral”. Results: After analysing the titles and summaries, 10 articles met the eligibility criteria. Discussion: According to the literature, most tests were made in moderate psoriasis with doses ranging from 0.25 to 2μg, demonstrating improvement with this treatment modality. Some studies suggest the use of high doses, but the biggest concern is hypercalciuria as a side effect. Conclusion: The use of active metabolites of vitamin D orally for the treatment of psoriasis showed efficacy and safety.
Evaluation of racial disparities in the treatment of United States veterans with pancreatic cancer.

e18148Background: Recent studies have demonstrated racial disparities in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) treatment. Black patients with PDAC are less likely to undergo surgery or receive sy...
Right for the Wrong Reasons: The Ninth Circuit Excludes Misappropriation from the CFAA's Ambit in United States v. Nosal

On April 10, 2012, in United States v. Nosal, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, sitting en banc, held that the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (“CFAA”) assigns criminal liability only in instances of hacking, not of misappropriation. In reaching this conclusion, the court engendered a split with two other circuits, which had previously held that the CFAA encompasses misappropriation as well as hacking. This Comment argues that, although the Ninth Circuit correctly excluded misappropriation from the CFAA’s ambit, the court’s rationale overlooked a more compelling policy consideration favoring the narrow interpretation: the potential disruption that a broad interpretation of the CFAA could cause within trade secret law.
Hyers-Ulam stability of n th order linear differential equation

In this paper, we investigate the Hyers-Ulam stability and Hyers-Ulam-Rassias stability of the homogeneous linear differential equation of nth order with initial and boundary conditions by using Taylor’s Series formula.
Report of the ALCTS CaMMS Cataloging & Classification Research Interest Group. American Library Association Midwinter Meeting, Seattle, January 2019

The ALCTS CaMMS Cataloging & Classification Research Interest Group held its program at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in the Washington State Convention Center, Seattle, WA, on Saturday, January 26, 20...
Making home-delivered meal programs relevant for today’s aging adult

The growing aging population increases the need for community food programs like home-delivered meals. This study explored factors influencing aging adults’ interest in home-delivered meal programs, like Meals on Wheels. Four focus groups were held with 31 primarily retired White females aged 65–84 years in a Midwest state. Focus groups were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. Participants also completed a 21-item sociodemographic questionnaire. Many were aware of Meals on Wheels but lacked awareness of other home-delivered meal programs. Meals on Wheels was associated with loss of independence, poor food quality, and companionship. Home-delivered meal programs participation motivators included affordable cost, choices/variety, nutritionist/dietitian involvement, and clientele testimonies. Home-delivered meal programs participation barriers were distrust of marketing claims, food safety concerns, and limited meal storage space. Preferred home-delivered meal programs attributes included convenience and quality menu options. Preferred home-delivered meal programs promotional strategies included brochures, in-person presentations, and product sampling. By addressing these motivators and preferred marketing strategies, home-delivered meal programs may be better able to appeal to today’s aging adult.
Value-based syncope evaluation and management: Perspectives of health care professionals on readiness, barriers and enablers

Abstract Background Syncope is a common condition seen in the emergency department. Given the multitude of etiologies, research exists on the evaluation and management of syncope. Yet, physicians' approach to patients with syncope is variable and often not value based. The 2017 ACC/AHA/HRS Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Patients with Syncope includes a focus on unnecessary medical testing. However, little research assesses implementation of the guidelines. Methods Mixed methods approach was applied. The targeted provider specialties include emergency medicine, hospital medicine and cardiology. The Evidence-based Practice Attitude Scale-36 and the Organizational Readiness to Change Assessment surveys were distributed to four different hospital sites. We then conducted focus groups and key informant interviews to obtain more information about clinicians' perceptions to guideline-based practice and barriers/facilitators to implementation. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses were used for survey analysis. Two-stage coding was used to identify themes with NVivo. Results Analysis of surveys revealed that overall attitude toward evidence-based practices was moderate and implementation of new guidelines were seen as a burden, potentially decreasing compliance. There were differences across hospital settings. Five common themes emerged from interviews: uncertainty of a syncope diagnosis, rise of consumerism in health care, communication challenge with patient, provider differences in standardized care, and organizational processes to change. Conclusions Despite recommendations for the use of syncope guidelines, adherence is suboptimal. Overcoming barriers to use will require a paradigm shift. A multifaceted approach and collaborative relationships are needed to adhere to the Guidelines to improve patient care and operational efficiency.
A primal-dual finite element method for first-order transport problems

Abstract This article devises a new numerical method for first-order transport problems by using the primal-dual weak Galerkin (PD-WG) finite element method recently developed in scientific computing. The PD-WG method is based on a variational formulation of the modeling equation for which the differential operator is applied to the test function so that low regularity for the exact solution of the original equation is sufficient for computation. The PD-WG finite element method indeed yields a symmetric system involving both the original equation for the primal variable and its dual for the dual variable (also known as Lagrangian multiplier). For the linear transport problem, it is shown that the PD-WG method offers numerical solutions that conserve mass locally on each element. Optimal order error estimates in various norms are derived for the numerical solutions arising from the PD-WG method with weak regularity assumptions on the modelling equations. A variety of numerical results are presented to demonstrate the accuracy and stability of the new method.
Association between health-related quality of life outcomes and pulmonary function testing.

Investigations in associations between subjective health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures and objective clinical assessments in patients with early-onset scoliosis (EOS) are limited. The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between pulmonary function rated by parents and pulmonary function testing (PFT) in patients with EOS. In this cross-sectional study, patients with EOS at any stage of treatment from 2011 to 2018 were identified in 2 registries including 33 centers. Parents’ perception of pulmonary function was evaluated using pulmonary function (PF) domain in the Early-Onset Scoliosis 24 item Questionnaire (EOSQ-24). PFT measures included FVC% predicted, FEV1/FVC, and TLC% predicted. All PFT predicted values utilized arm span. PFT and EOSQ-24 questionnaire were completed within 180 days of each other with an average day difference of 26 days. 176 patients (mean age: 10.4 years old, female: 56%) were identified. 33% of patients were of congenital/structural etiology, 27% neuromuscular, 26% syndromic, and 14% idiopathic. Wide variance and lower scores of PF domain were reported by parents at lower FVC% predicted values (< 50%). As FVC% predicted values increased, PFD scores increased with simultaneous decreases in variance with few exceptions. More variability and frequent lower pulmonary function values are reported by parents when percent forced vital capacity (FVC%) is < 50%. This likely reflects the degree to which children adapt to restrictive lung disease and the limits on adaptation that occur increasingly as lung function falls below 50% predicted. As a direct linear association with high correlation was expected, more research into the character of what the PF domain is measuring is necessary. IV.
An Integrative Gene Expression and Mathematical Flux Balance Analysis Identifies Targetable Redox Vulnerabilities in Melanoma Cells

Melanomas harboring BRAF mutations can be treated with BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi), but responses are varied and tumor recurrence is inevitable. Here we used an integrative approach of experimentation and mathematical flux balance analyses in BRAF-mutated melanoma cells to discover that elevated antioxidant capacity is linked to BRAFi sensitivity in melanoma cells. High levels of antioxidant metabolites in cells with reduced BRAFi sensitivity confirmed this conclusion. By extending our analyses to other melanoma subtypes in The Cancer Genome Atlas, we predict that elevated redox capacity is a general feature of melanomas, not previously observed. We propose that redox vulnerabilities could be exploited for therapeutic benefits and identify unsuspected combination targets to enhance the effects of BRAFi in any melanoma, regardless of mutational status. SIGNIFICANCE: An integrative bioinformatics, flux balance analysis, and experimental approach identify targetable redox vulnerabilities and show the potential for modulation of cancer antioxidant defense to augment the benefits of existing therapies in melanoma.
Abiotic conditions outweigh microbial origin during bacterial assembly in soils.

Understanding the processes guiding microbial community assembly in soils is essential for predicting microbiome structure and function following soil disturbance events like agricultural soil fumigation. However, assembly outcomes are complex and variable, being affected by both selective abiotic forces and by the history of colonizing microorganisms. To untangle the interactions between these factors, we conducted a controlled microcosm study tracking bacterial assembly in cleared soils over 7 weeks. We used mesh bags to connect five unsterilized source soils, differing in land use history (forested, agricultural, or fallow), with four sterile recipient soil treatments, differing in abiotic conditions (no soil additives, salt addition, urea addition, or mixed salt/urea addition). We found that 59%-96% of bacterial colonizers after 1 week were Firmicutes, but by 7 weeks Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes were also dominant. Salt and nitrogen additions reshaped bacterial assembly by constraining alpha diversity by up to half and biomass accumulation by up to an order of magnitude. Within-treatment dispersion was significantly lower for salt and nutrient addition microcosms, suggesting deterministic selective pressures. In contrast, source soil origin had little impact on assembly trajectories. These results suggest that abiotic conditions can overshadow microbial source history in shaping community assembly outcomes.
Quantization of Forms on Cotangent Bundle

We consider the following construction of quantization. For a Riemannian manifold $M$ the space of forms on $T^*M$ is made into a space of (full) symbols of operators acting on forms on $M$. This gives rise to the composition of symbols, which is a deformation of the (``super'')commutative multiplication of forms. The symbol calculus is exact for differential operators and the symbols that are polynomial in momenta. We calculate the symbols of natural Laplacians. (Some nice Weitzenb\"ock like identities appear here.) Formulas for the traces corresponding to natural gradings of $\Omega (T^*M)$ are established. Using these formulas, we give a simple direct proof of the Gauss-Bonnet-Chern Theorem. We discuss these results in the connection of a general question of the quantization of forms on a Poisson manifold.
Measurements of water and lipids with label-free short-wave spatial frequency domain imaging

In this presentation I will describe our recent work to extend the spectral content of spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) to the short wave infrared (SWIR, 900-1300 nm). I will describe the unique instrumentation and methods needed for SWIR-SFDI measurements, and discuss the advantages and tradeoffs of imaging in the SWIR compared to the VIS and NIR. I will also present several preclinical and clinical application examples of SWIR-SFDI, including monitoring of edema, blood lipids, and spatial mapping of lipids in tumors.
A Spatiotemporal Analysis of Socio-Environmental Patterns in Severe Maternal Morbidity: A Retrospective Birth Cohort

Abstract Objectives Severe Maternal Morbidity (SMM) is a group of pregnancy complications in which a woman nearly dies. Despite its increasing prevalence, there is little research that evaluates geographic patterns of SMM and the underlying social determinants that influence excess risk. This study examines the spatial clustering of SMM across South Carolina, US, and its associations with place-based social and environmental factors. Methods Hospitalized deliveries from 1999 to 2017 were analyzed using Kulldorff’s spatial scan statistic to locate areas with abnormally high rates of SMM. Patients inside and outside risk clusters were compared using Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) to determine underlying risk factors. Results Final models revealed that the odds of living in a high-risk cluster were 84% higher among Black patients (OR=1.84, p Conclusions This study is the first to characterize the geographic clustering of SMM risk in the US. Our geospatial approach contributes a novel understanding to factors which influence SMM beyond patient-level characteristics and identifies the impact of systemic racism on maternal morbidity. Findings address an important literature gap surrounding place-based risk factors by explaining the contextual social and built environment variables that drive SMM risk. Significance It is not entirely clear why SMM is increasing in the US. Underlying health conditions, environmental, and social factors have been linked to higher SMM risk. This study is the first to assess these factors across space to determine the characteristics and locations where SMM likelihood is elevated. Highlights First study to examine spatial patterning of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) SMM is geographically clustered and increasing in South Carolina, USA Highest risk for SMM in racially segregated low-income communities Obesity and race were significant individual risk factors High ambient temperatures corresponded with high SMM clustering
Beyond Standards: The Fragmentation of Education Governance and the Promise of Curriculum Reform: by Morgan Polikoff, Cambridge, MA, Harvard Education Press, 2021, 186 pp., $33.00 (paperback), ISBN 978-1682536117

The last three decades have seen a dramatic push to implement K-12 educational standards. Yet recent achievement measures show student outcomes have changed little, if any. In his remarkably in-dep...