cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of international politics on oil-exporting developing countries

International politics affects oil trade. But does it affect the oil-exporting developing countries more? We construct a firm-level dataset for all U.S. oil-importing companies over 1986-2008 to examine how these firms respond to changes in "political distance" between the U.S. and her trading partners, measured by divergence in their UN General Assembly voting patterns. Consistent with previous macro evidence, we first show that individual firms diversify their oil imports politically, even after controlling for unobserved firm heterogeneity. We conjecture that the political pattern of oil imports from these individual firms is driven by hold-up risks, because oil trade is often associated with backward vertical FDI. To the extent that developing countries have higher hold-up risks because of their weaker institutions, the political effect on oil trade should be more significant in the developing world. We find that oil import decisions are indeed more elastic when firms import from developing countries, although the reverse is true in the short run. Our results suggest that international politics can affect oil revenue and hence long-term development in the developing world.
The Role of Family and Situational Problems in Understanding and Reducing Impairment

Impairment has a widespread impact on family functioning, routines, activities, and relationships between family members. Families provide an invaluable resource in assessing and addressing the needs of individuals experiencing impairment as well as those of other family members. Impairment manifests itself in many ways, but all forms are contextually relevant. An ecological perspective provides an alternative conceptualization of impairment to a biological, medical model. This framework extends the focus of assessment and intervention beyond the individual to other contexts within which the individual interacts. Two of the most important contexts in which that children interact are the home and school environments. Families have a great deal of knowledge and expertise regarding an individual's level of behavioral, social, and academic functioning in multiple settings.
The Power of the Kingdom and the Ties That Bind in Sir Orfeo

When the king of the Otherworld in Sir Orfeo first visits Heurodis, he has every opportunity to spirit her away to his home immediately. Instead he takes her to his kingdom just long enough for her to see his enormous, dazzling entourage, his stately palace, and his beautiful landscape. Then he returns her to her own orchard and orders her to be under the ympe-tree the next day or else she will be torn limb by limb. Readers may be so shocked by this well-appointed king's violent threat, and empathize with Heurodis's terror to such an extent that they may overlook the question that this episode begs: why does the fairy king bring her back? This paper will show that the fairy king's delay presents Orfeo with a test of his cunning and his loyalty. Orfeo's preoccupation with the outward trappings of courtly life leads him to overlook those qualities that make him truly powerful and strong. As a result, Orfeo fails his test. Fortunately, Orfeo's removal from the kingdom allows him to remember what the steward, the beggar, and other subjects in the kingdom never lost sight of: the riches and military might of the kingdom are hollow treasures without human reason, and the love and loyalty that tie people together.
Technical Aspects of Carotid Artery Stenting

As carotid artery stenting (CAS) is approved for use in high surgical risk patients with symptomatic carotid artery occlusive disease and is being evaluated for use in standard risk, asymptomatic patients, the technical aspects of performing this procedure safely must be taught and disseminated. The consequences of embolization or thrombosis to the cerebral vasculature can be much more devastating than in other vascular beds treated via endovascular means. Therefore, the delineation of a safe and effective approach to CAS is evident, and attention to a meticulous approach to patient selection and procedural performance is extremely important. Even minor technical errors may lead to complications that significantly increase morbidity and mortality, the most feared of which is acute stroke. By applying appropriate patient selection and adhering to a best practice approach to the conduct of the procedure, complications can be avoided and morbidity and mortality minimized. In addition, having techniques identified for potential procedural complications can lead to salvage maneuvers that decrease potential morbidity and mortality. This chapter will review our best practice approach to CAS and hopefully add to your knowledge, perspective, and clinical approach to patients with carotid occlusive disease.
Altered fire regimes cause long-term lichen diversity losses.

Many global ecosystems have undergone shifts in fire regimes in recent decades, such as changes in fire size, frequency, and/or severity. Recent research shows that increases in fire size, frequency, and severity can lead to long-persisting deforestation, but the consequences of shifting fire regimes for biodiversity of other vegetative organisms (such as understory plants, fungi, and lichens) remain poorly understood. Understanding lichen responses to wildfire is particularly important because lichens play crucial roles in nutrient cycling and supporting wildlife in many ecosystems. Lichen responses to fire have been little studied, and most previous research has been limited to small geographic areas (e.g. studies of a single fire), making it difficult to establish generalizable patterns. To investigate long-term effects of fire severity on lichen communities, we sampled epiphytic lichen communities in 104 study plots across California's greater Sierra Nevada region in areas that burned in five wildfires, ranging from 4 to 16 years prior to sampling. The conifer forest ecosystems we studied have undergone a notable increase in fire severity in recent decades, and we sample across the full gradient of fire severity to infer how shifting fire regimes may influence landscape-level biodiversity. We find that low-severity fire has little to no effect on lichen communities. Areas that burned at moderate and high severities, however, have significantly and progressively lower lichen richness and abundance. Importantly, we observe very little postfire lichen recolonization on burned substrates even more than 15 years after fire. Our multivariate model suggests that the hotter, drier microclimates that occur after fire removes forest canopies may prevent lichen reestablishment, meaning that lichens are not likely to recolonize until mature trees regenerate. These findings suggest that altered fire regimes may cause broad and long-persisting landscape-scale biodiversity losses that could ultimately impact multiple trophic levels.
Longitudinal patterns of recurrence in patients with adrenocortical carcinoma.

Background Patterns and prognostic implications of recurrent adrenocortical carcinoma are poorly understood. In this study, we aim to describe temporal and spatial patterns of adrenocortical carcinoma recurrence. Methods This is a retrospective review of 576 patients with adrenocortical carcinoma evaluated at a single institution. Clinicopathologic and follow-up data were collected longitudinally. Results A total of 354 patients underwent resection of stage I-III adrenocortical carcinoma. We found that 249 (70%) patients developed disease recurrence. The median recurrence-free interval after primary resection was 11 months. The most common sites of initial recurrence were lung and tumor bed. The shortest time to recurrence was associated with lung or multiple site metastases. We found that 142 of 249 patients developed one or more additional sites of recurrence (median 5 months), most commonly involving the lungs. A total of 20 patients developed a third site of recurrence. We found that 100 patients underwent one or more reoperations or metastasectomies and 79 recurred again after reoperation. Same organ or site recurrence was common after reoperation (67%). Although lung metastases occurred early, recurrences to the peritoneal cavity or to multiple sites were associated with worse survival. Metastasectomy beyond three total operations did not improve overall survival. Conclusion Survival varies according to site of recurrence and other clinicopathologic factors. Knowledge of patterns of recurrence may assist in anticipating disease course and lead to better informed selection of treatment.
Acute otitis media, antimicrobial prescriptions, and medical expenses among children in the United States during 2011-2016.

Abstract Introduction We analyzed outpatient visits, incidence, antimicrobial prescriptions, and medical expenditures for acute otitis media (AOM) in the United States during 2011–2016. Methods Data sources included the National Disease and Therapeutic Index (NDTI™) projections by IQVIA (for AOM cases), The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (for medical expenditures) and the US Census (for population estimates). Analyses focused on children aged ≤9 years between 2011 and 2016. We used the 2014 medical expenditure estimate per otitis media episode ($520) as proxy for all years. Results In 2011, there were an estimated 11.5 million AOM episodes in children aged 0–9 years in the US with AOM incidence rates (IR) of 476, 204, and 284 episodes per 1000 children aged 0–2, 3–9, and 0–9 years, respectively. All subsequent years had lower IRs, and by 2016, IR was 25.1% lower than in 2011 in children 0–9 years. In addition, there were estimates of 10.8 million and 9.2 million fewer cumulative AOM episodes and antimicrobial prescriptions for AOM nationwide between 2012 and 2016, compared to annual 2011 estimates, representing a ∼$5.6 billion decrease in direct medical expenditures. The average number of antibiotic prescriptions per AOM visit remained stable with 0.89 and 0.86 prescriptions per visit in 2011 and 2016, respectively. Conclusions AOM incidence, antimicrobial prescriptions, and associated medical expenses decreased substantially between 2011 and 2016 in the United States. Antimicrobial prescribing practices remain unchanged. Additional studies are warranted to assess causality.
Molecular signaling in bone cells: Regulation of cell differentiation and survival

The achievement of proper bone mass and architecture, and their maintenance throughout life requires the concerted actions of osteoblasts, the bone forming cells, and osteoclasts, the bone resorbing cells. The differentiation and activity of osteoblasts and osteoclasts are regulated by molecules produced by matrix-embedded osteocytes, as well as by cross talk between osteoblasts and osteoclasts through secreted factors. In addition, it is likely that direct contact between osteoblast and osteoclast precursors, and the contact of these cells with osteocytes and cells in the bone marrow, also modulates bone cell differentiation and function. With the advancement of molecular and genetic tools, our comprehension of the intracellular signals activated in bone cells has evolved significantly, from early suggestions that osteoblasts and osteoclasts have common precursors and that osteocytes are inert cells in the bone matrix, to the very sophisticated understanding of a network of receptors, ligands, intracellular kinases/phosphatases, transcription factors, and cell-specific genes that are known today. These advances have allowed the design and FDA-approval of new therapies to preserve and increase bone mass and strength in a wide variety of pathological conditions, improving bone health from early childhood to the elderly. We have summarized here the current knowledge on selected intracellular signal pathways activated in osteoblasts, osteocytes, and osteoclasts.
"You don't have to be a white male that was learning how to program since he was five"

Margolis and Fisher's book, Unlocking the Clubhouse (UTC), has long been regarded as seminal to the understanding of the lack of gender diversity in computing. This book found that boys and girls had different experiences with computers in the home and school environment, and that these different experiences had a direct impact on the desire of students to study computing. We wanted to know if the explanations Margolis and Fisher found were applicable for students in a more typical CS program in 2017, so we conducted a study to investigate the home and pre-college experiences of students who are currently majoring in CS or Computer Engineering (CE), and these students' pathway into computing majors. We recruited 11 participants from a large public institution in the Midwest U.S., and conducted interviews of these students using a protocol adapted from UTC. We performed a qualitative iterative and inductive analysis of these interviews and found that while technology access had greatly improved, views and attitudes were much slower to change. We discovered that fathers preferentially teaching sons about computing, while less prevalent than it was in UTC, still occurs. We also found that the participants, including the women, had more diverse pathways into computing than what Margolis and Fisher found. This suggests that UTC needs to be fully replicated at broad range of institutions to get a more complete picture of the multitude of pathways women use to enter into computing careers.
PulseRider treatment of an anterior communicating artery aneurysm

We present a case of a patient with an anterior communicating artery aneurysm treated by PulseRider-assisted coil embolization. PulseRider is a new device, FDA approved for treatment of broad-necked aneurysms of the basilar apex or internal carotid artery terminus. The aneurysm was broad-necked and involved the anterior communicating artery and was considered for traditional stent-assisted coiling as well as PulseRider-assisted coiling. The authors present the treatment plan and strategy and then fluoroscopic recording of the PulseRider delivery and subsequent coiling phase. Nuances of technique for this new device used in a challenging setting are discussed.The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/ont7ggqgLH8.
School Administrators' Experiences in a 6-Month Well-Being Pilot Program.

This descriptive study explored the influence of a 6-month well-being intervention on the leadership–life balance of school administrators. After completing the program, 12 administrators participa...
Limits for the Magnitude of M-bias and Certain Other Types of Structural Selection Bias.

Background Structural selection bias and confounding are key threats to validity of causal effect estimation. Here, we consider M-bias, a type of selection bias, described by Hernan et al as a situation wherein bias is caused by selecting on a variable that is caused by two other variables, one a cause of the exposure, the other a cause of the outcome. Our goals are to derive a bound for (the maximum) M-bias, explore through examples the magnitude of M-bias, illustrate how to apply the bound for other types of selection bias, and provide a program for directly calculating M-bias and the bound. Methods We derive a bound for selection bias assuming specific, causal relationships that characterize M-bias and further evaluate it using simulations. Results Through examples, we show that, in many plausible situations, M-bias will tend to be small. In some examples, the bias is not small-but plausibility of the examples, ultimately to be judged by the researcher, may be low. The examples also show how the M-bias bound yields bounds for other types of selection bias and also for confounding. The latter illustrates how Lee's bound for confounding can arise as a limiting case of ours. Conclusions We have derived a new bound for M-bias. Examples illustrate how to apply it with other types of selection bias. They also show that it can yield tighter bounds in certain situations than a previously published bound for M-bias. Our examples suggest that M-bias may often, but not uniformly, be small.
Mesoscale simulation of aggregation of imogolite nanotubes from potential of mean force interactions

The aggregation of colloidal clay mineral particles plays an important role in controlling the mechanical and transport properties of soils. Interactions and aggregation of plate-like montmorilloni...
Discretion and Disparity under Sentencing Guidelines Revisited: The Interrelationship between Structured Sentencing Alternatives and Guideline Decision-making

Objectives:We argue that the reasons court actors conform to or depart from sentencing guideline recommendations likely vary depending on whether the decision involves an alternative sanction or in...
Targeted and proteome-wide analysis of metabolite-protein interactions.

Abstract Understanding the molecular mechanisms of endogenous and environmental metabolites is crucial for basic biology and drug discovery. With the genome, proteome, and metabolome of many organisms being readily available, researchers now have the opportunity to dissect how key metabolites regulate complex cellular pathways in vivo. Nonetheless, characterizing the specific and functional protein targets of key metabolites associated with specific cellular phenotypes remains a major challenge. Innovations in chemical biology are now poised to address this fundamental limitation in physiology and disease. In this review, we highlight recent advances in chemoproteomics for targeted and proteome-wide analysis of metabolite–protein interactions that have enabled the discovery of unpredicted metabolite–protein interactions and facilitated the development of new small molecule therapeutics.
Risk-Averse Traffic Allocation for Multi-RAT Connectivity in HetNets

We consider the problem of multiple–radio-access technology (multi-RAT) connectivity in heterogeneous networks. Recently, multi-RAT connectivity has received significant attention both from industry and academia because of its potential as a solution to increase throughput, enhance communication reliability, and to minimize communication latency. In this paper, we propose a new risk-averse-traffic-allocation scheme that allows trading off expected throughput for risk measured in throughput semivariance. Semivariance is a mathematical quantity used originally in finance and economics to measure the dispersion of a portfolio return below a risk-aversion benchmark. We adopt semivariance as a measure of throughput dispersion below a risk-aversion-throughput benchmark. We formulate the multi-RAT connectivity problem as a semivariance-optimization problem. There are computational issues associated with semivariance optimization. However, there are approximations to the semivariance that overcome these issues. We study these approximations and develop our algorithm based on one of them. We evaluate the performance of our algorithm through simulation of a system with three radio-access technologies, namely, 4G LTE, 5G NR, and WiFi. Simulation results show the potential gains of using our algorithm.
Hormones, Growth Factors, and Their Receptors in Normal and Abnormal Prenatal Development

The receptor concept, developed at the beginning of the 20th century, can explain the interaction of many endogenous and exogenous chemicals within the cell. There is general agreement that the term receptor refers to a macromolecule that is usually protein in Nature (an exception is the ganglioside receptor for choleratoxin) which is capable of selectively recognizing and binding with a chemical ligand (hormone/growth factor). After this interaction the receptor-ligand complex is capable of generating a signal that initiates a chain of events leading to a specific biological response. Most early studies attempted to define these hormone receptors by studying the steps of hormone action in reverse order, e.g., by investigating effects of various factors on hormonally induced biological responsiveness in intact animals or intact tissues. More recently, with development of methods for preparing high-specific-activity, biologically active labeled hormones and growth factors, and hormonally responsive cells or cell membranes, direct study of hormone-receptor interactions has become possible (Hollenberg, 1981).
COMPARISON OF CLINICAL OUTCOMES BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS WITH MEDIAL PATELLOFEMORAL LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION AND ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT

Background:Return to sport is a commonly utilized outcome to denote clinical success for patients who have recently undergone medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction (MPFLR) and ACL reconstru...
Isogeometric analysis of ice accretion on wind turbine blades

For wind turbines operating in cold weather conditions, ice accretion is an established issue that remains an obstacle in effective turbine operation. While the aerodynamic performance of wind turbine blades with ice accretion has received considerable research attention, few studies have investigated the structural impact of blade ice accretion. This work proposes an adaptable projection-based method to superimpose complex ice configurations onto a baseline structure. The proposed approach provides an efficient methodology to include ice accretion in the high-fidelity isogeometric shell analysis of a realistic wind turbine blade. Linear vibration and nonlinear deflection analyses of the blade are performed for various ice configurations to demonstrate the impact of different ice accretion distributions on structural performance. These analyses indicate decreases in the blade natural frequencies and deflection under icing conditions. Such ice-induced changes clearly reveal the need for structural design consideration for turbines operating under icing conditions.
Brazilian Students Studying in the United States: Perceptions of Their Lived Experiences 6 Months After Returning Home:

A key challenge for international students in the United States is a readiness to study and live in a culture that is vastly different from their own. The purpose of this study was to explore the p...
Abstract 1836: ONC201 shows synergistic effect with the androgen receptor AR-inhibitor darotulamide in prostate cancer models

Prostate cancer (PC) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among men in the United States and is the 3rd cause of cancer mortality. Despite advances in the treatment and understanding of pathogenesis, patients with metastatic PC invariably progress to a lethal stage of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Inhibition of androgen signaling remains crucial for the treatment of CRPC, but novel treatment strategies are urgently needed. ONC201 is a first-in-class, selective inhibitor of dopamine receptor D2 that upregulates death-receptor 5 and induces apoptosis. ONC201 induced apoptosis in PC cell lines and showed synergy with enzalutamide, docetaxel and everolimus (Lev A Mol Cancer Res 2018). Darolutamide (DARO) is a novel androgen receptor (AR) antagonist approved for treatment of patients with non-metastatic CRPC. DARO has higher affinity to AR and preclinical activity against enzalutamide-resistant PC cell lines including AR variants associated with enzalutamide agonism (Borgmann H Eur Urol 2018). We treated human PC cell lines (LNCAP [castration sensitive, AR wild-type], 22Rv1 [castration-resistant cell line that expresses AR splice variant AR-V7], DU145 [AR negative], PC3 [AR negative]) with DARO alone and combined with ONC201. Single-agent DARO decreased PC cell viability in Cell-Titer-Glo assays (IC50s of 10 and 693 nM for LNCAP and DU145, respectively). ONC201 showed strong synergism with DARO in LNCAP cells (combination indices Citation Format: Fabio Tavora, Lanlan Zhou, Ali Amin, Safran Howard, Navaraj Arunasalam, Andre de Souza, Anthony Mega, Dragan Golijanin, Wafik El-Deiry, Benedito Carneiro. ONC201 shows synergistic effect with the androgen receptor AR-inhibitor darotulamide in prostate cancer models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 1836.
Digital Representations without Physical Analogues: a Study of Body-Based Interactions with an Apparently Unbounded Spatial Diagram

In this study, we report on the design and use of an apparently unbounded spatial diagram to explore shearing, an area-preserving transformation. Apparently unbounded spatial diagrams are realizations of geometric objects, such as lines, that appear to extend indefinitely. They can be rendered in virtual reality displays where users who are visually immersed in a virtual world can interact with them through natural body movements (e.g. walking, grasping, head-turning). We developed an immersive environment that contained a dynamic spatial diagram of a triangle whose vertices were points on two apparently unbounded parallel lines. The diagram offered orthogonal and non-orthogonal perspectives on the parallel lines, mediated by walking and head-turning. Pairs of learners engaged in open-ended inquiry with the diagram. We analyzed their interactions with it and each other to distill mathematical arguments. The participants relied upon spatiographic observations of the diagram, as they might rely upon such observations of large-scale objects (e.g. buildings), in order to make arguments about how shearing affected the triangle. We discuss how natural bodily interactions with large-scale spatial diagrams can create new opportunities for learning and teaching.
Synchronicity, Paradox, and Personal Evolution

This autobiographical chapter, produced as part of a compendium of narratives by leaders in the field of conflict resolution, offers a highly personal retrospective on a unique career now in its fifth decade. The author reflects on his path from the field of architecture to a specialized law practice on the cutting edge of trends in arbitration, mediation and dispute resolution; his evolution as a professor of law, dispute resolution professional, and award-winning scholar; and his leadership of two important institutions in the conflict resolution field—the New York-based International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution (CPR) and the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law in Los Angeles. Grounded initially in his practice as a construction lawyer, Stipanowich describes his introduction to arbitration, his realization that the process was not staying true to its original goals, his hard work over the years to develop consensus for important, concrete reform, and his intense engagement with conflict resolution teaching and scholarship in order to leave the world a better place than he found it. His multi-faceted career—as lawyer, teacher, scholar and director of both an internationally-known non-profit and a university center-- also demonstrates the opportunities that exist in the field of conflict resolution to play the roles of entrepreneur, leader, institution-builder, and systems architect.
Regulatory roles of Escherichia coli 5' UTR and ORF-internal RNAs detected by 3' end mapping.

In most organisms, specific segments of a cell’s genetic information are copied to form single-stranded molecules of various sizes and purposes. Each of these RNA molecules, as they are known, is constructed as a chain that starts at the 5´ end and terminates at the 3´ end. Certain RNAs carry the information present in a gene, which provides the instructions that a cell needs to build proteins. Some, however, are ‘non-coding’ and instead act to fine-tune the activity of other RNAs. These regulatory RNAs can be separate from the RNAs they control, or they can be embedded in the very sequences they regulate; new evidence also shows that certain regulatory RNAs can act in both ways. Many regulatory RNAs are yet to be catalogued, even in simple, well-studied species such as the bacterium Escherichia coli. Here, Adams et al. aimed to better characterize the regulatory RNAs present in E. coli by mapping out the 3´ ends of every RNA molecule in the bacterium. This revealed many new regulatory RNAs and offered insights into where these sequences are located. For instance, the results show that several of these RNAs were embedded within RNA produced from larger genes. Some were nested in coding RNAs, and were parts of a longer RNA sequence that is adjacent to the protein coding segment. Others, however, were present within the instructions that code for a protein. The work by Adams et al. reveals that regulatory RNAs can be located in unexpected places, and provides a method for identifying them. This can be applied to other types of bacteria, in particular in species with few known RNA regulators.
Should periodontists prescribe postoperative oral corticosteroids to control pain and swelling? A systematic review

FOCUSED CLINICAL QUESTION In generally healthy patients receiving third molar, periodontal, or dental implant surgery, do postoperative oral corticosteroids effectively limit pain and swelling compared with placebo or alternative medications?
Rationale and validation of a novel mobile application probing motor inhibition: Proof of concept of CALM-IT

Identification of behavioral mechanisms underlying psychopathology is essential for the development of novel targeted therapeutics. However, this work relies on rigorous, time-intensive, clinic-based laboratory research, making it difficult to translate research paradigms into tools that can be used by clinicians in the community. The broad adoption of smartphone technology provides a promising opportunity to bridge the gap between the mechanisms identified in the laboratory and the clinical interventions targeting them in the community. The goal of the current study is to develop a developmentally appropriate, engaging, novel mobile application called CALM-IT that probes a narrow biologically informed process, inhibitory control. We aim to leverage the rigorous and robust methods traditionally used in laboratory settings to validate this novel mechanism-driven but easily disseminatable tool that can be used by clinicians to probe inhibitory control in the community. The development of CALM-IT has significant implications for the ability to screen for inhibitory control deficits in the community by both clinicians and researchers. By facilitating assessment of inhibitory control outside of the laboratory setting, researchers could have access to larger and more diverse samples. Additionally, in the clinical setting, CALM-IT represents a novel clinical screening measure that could be used to determine personalized courses of treatment based on the presence of inhibitory control deficits.
Long-term outcomes of hemiarch replacement with hypothermic circulatory arrest and retrograde cerebral perfusion

Abstract Objective This study sought to report outcomes of hemiarch replacement with hypothermic circulatory arrest and retrograde cerebral perfusion, and secondarily, to report outcomes of this operative approach by type of underlying aortic disease. Methods This was an observational study of aortic surgeries from 2010 to 2018. All patients who underwent hemiarch replacement with retrograde cerebral perfusion were included, whereas patients undergoing partial or total arch replacement or concomitant elephant trunk procedures were excluded. Patients were dichotomized into 2 groups by underlying aortic disease; that is, acute aortic dissection (AAD) or aneurysmal degeneration of the aorta. These groups were analyzed for differences in short-term postoperative outcomes, including stroke and operative mortality (Society of Thoracic Surgeons definition). Multivariable Cox analysis was performed to identify variables associated with long-term survival after hemiarch replacement. Results A total of 500 patients undergoing hemiarch replacement with hypothermic circulatory arrest plus retrograde cerebral perfusion were identified, of whom 53.0% had aneurysmal disease and 47.0% had AAD. For the entire cohort, operative mortality was 6.4%, whereas stroke occurred in 4.6% of patients. Comparing AAD with aneurysm, operative mortality and stroke rates were similar across each group. Five-year survival was 84.4% ± 0.02% for the entire hemiarch cohort, whereas 5-year survival was 88.0% ± 0.02% for the aneurysm subgroup and was 80.5% ± 0.03% for the AAD subgroup. On multivariable analysis, AAD was not associated with an increased hazard of death, compared with aneurysm (P = .790). Conclusions Morbidity and mortality after hemiarch replacement with hypothermic circulatory arrest plus retrograde cerebral perfusion are acceptably low, and this operative approach may be as advantageous for AAD as it is for aneurysm.
Micromobility implementation challenges and opportunities: Analysis of e-scooter parking and high-use corridors

Abstract To enhance the effectiveness of dockless shared micromobility vehicle services, address challenges created by these services, and achieve better implementation performance, cities need efficacious strategies to tackle two major challenges: parking demand and infrastructure improvements. This paper offers two techniques for analyzing areas of high parking demand and roadway segments of high micromobility vehicle demand. The proposed processes support efforts to assign free-floating parking and reduce vehicle clutter across cities, and assist transportation planners in identifying locations for road infrastructure improvement and ordinance enforcement. An unsupervised learning approach using vendor launching site analysis is used to appropriately locate dockless vehicle parking zones. Furthermore, this paper compares three methods for identifying high-demand corridors. Two shortest path models are generated to predict trip paths for trip data without trajectories, considering rider route preferences and infrastructure types. A Simplified Matching Heuristic (SMH) that uses trip data with trajectories, is developed herein to match trip trajectory data to the network street links. These analytical processes are applied in a case study of Dallas, TX. Results show that methods using shortest path models may poorly predict the actual path taken by e-scooter users. A discussion of policy implications for micromobility planning and management and potential environmental impacts of emerging transportation technologies are also presented.
A facile synthesis of the fucosylated N-linked glycan core and its application to solid-phase synthesis of CD52 glycopeptide

An efficient synthesis of the fucosylated N-linked core hexasaccharide (23) and its asparagine conjugate (26), as well as their applications to the solid-phase synthesis of an extensively protected glycopeptide (1) of CD52 antigen containing the hexasaccharide, is described. The difficult β-mannosidic and α-fucosidic linkages were achieved by the Crich and in situ anomerization protocols respectively, which offered excellent results. An especially acid-sensitive resin, 2-chlorotrityl resin, was used in the solid-phase synthesis, and the target glycopeptide 1 could be released from the resin by 10% HOAc without affecting the acid-labile protecting groups and fucosidic bond.
WE‐G‐BRB‐04: Leveraging Innovation to Design Future Clinical Trials

Over the past 20 years the NIH has funded individual grants, program projects grants, and clinical trials which have been instrumental in advancing patient care. The ways that each grant mechanism lends itself to the different phases of translating research into clinical practice will be described. Major technological innovations, such as IMRT and proton therapy, have been advanced with R01-type and P01-type funding and will be discussed. Similarly, the role of program project grants in identifying and addressing key hypotheses on the potential of 3D conformal therapy, normal tissue-guided dose escalation and motion management will be described. An overview will be provided regarding how these technological innovations have been applied to multi-institutional NIH-sponsored trials. Finally, the panel will discuss regarding which research questions should be funded by the NIH to inspire the next advances in radiation therapy. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the different funding mechanisms of the NIH 2. Learn about research advances that have led to innovation in delivery 3. Review achievements due to NIH-funded program project grants in radiotherapy over the past 20 years 4. Understand example advances achieved with multi-institutional clinical trials NIH
Rediscovery And Alternate Proof of Gauss'S Identity

Publisher Summary This chapter presents proof of Gauss's identity based on probabilistic considerations.
Significant enhancement of gastric mucin content after rabeprazole administration: its potential clinical significance in acid-related disorders.

Rabeprazole is the only proton pump inhibitor that enhances the content of gastric mucin in experimental animals. We have studied, therefore, the effect of rabeprazole on the content of gastric mucin, mucus, and its viscosity in 21 asymptomatic volunteers in a double-blind study. The mucus content during rabeprazole administration significantly increased both in pentagastrin-stimulated (3.36 ± 0.39 vs 1.50 ± 0.32 mg/ml, P < 0.001) and basal (3.31 ± 0.38 vs 2.28 ± 0.36 mg/ml, P < 0.01) conditions. The content of mucin during rabeprazole was 2.6-fold (0.96 ± 0.08 vs 0.36 ± 0.06 mg/ml, P < 0.0001) and 41% (0.82 ± 0.09 vs 0.58 ± 0.09 mg/ml, P < 0.05) higher in stimulated and basal conditions, respectively. The viscosity of gastric juice during rabeprazole administration was also significantly higher both in stimulated (P < 0.01) and basal (P < 0.05) conditions. In conclusion, the unique pharmacological property of rabeprazole, significantly augmenting production of gastric mucus and mucin, may translate to additional clinical benefits in protecting the upper alimentary tract mucosa during the acid-related challenge.
Examples of Electromagnetic Simulation Using FDTD

This chapter presents three examples of electromagnetic (EM) simulation that illustrate the power and flexibility of the FDTD method. First, it describes a one-dimensional simulation of an optical pulse in a nonlinear material similar to material in a nonlinear optical fiber. Then, it discusses the use of the FDTD method in characterizing a two-dimensional electromagnetic structure. It finds the eigenfrequencies and corresponding eigenfunctions of the Schrodinger equation in nanoscale quantum structures. Finally, the chapter explains a three-dimensional simulation of LC radio frequency (RF) coils, and describes how signal-processing techniques can be used in characterizing the LC loop.
Mobile Wireless Communications: Wireless LANs and personal-area networks

Previous chapters in this book have focused on cellular wireless networks. These were originally developed for voice use almost exclusively, as extensions of the wire-based telephone networks worldwide. Second-generation systems have been tremendously successful in this regard, with the number of cellular users expanding at a remarkable rate throughout the world. As noted in Chapter 10, data traffic on these cellular networks has been slower to develop. Higher-capacity third-generation systems discussed in that chapter have been designed specifically to handle packet-switched data. Wireless local-area networks, WLANs, have been developed as well to handle data traffic and have been proliferating worldwide. It is these networks and their even-smaller relatives, personal- area networks, that we discuss in this last chapter. More specifically, we discuss in Section 12.1 the widely popular IEEE 802.11 and 802.11b wireless LAN standards, running at transmission rates of up to 11 megabits per second (11 Mbps) over the 2.4 GHz unlicensed frequency band. We treat briefly as well the newer very-high bit rate WLAN standards IEEE 802.11g and 802.11a running at rates up to 54 Mbps over the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz unlicensed bands, respectively. The 802.11g standard is specifically designed to support extension of the 802.11b LAN standard to much higher bit rates over the same band. In Section 12.2 we then discuss wireless personal-area networks, focusing on the Bluetooth system, standardized as IEEE 802.15.1. The IEEE 802.11b standard has also been dubbed “Wi-FI” and is frequently referred to as the wireless Ethernet.
Treatment of febrile neutropenic patients with cancer who require hospitalization: A prospective randomized study comparing imipenem and cefepime

BACKGROUND The objective of the current study was to compare the efficacy and safety of imipenem and cefepime in the treatment of adult patients with cancer who had fever and neutropenia requiring hospitalization according to Infectious Disease Society of America criteria. METHODS In the current prospective randomized clinical trial at a university-affiliated tertiary cancer center, adult patients with cancer who had fever (≥ 38.3 °C or ≥ 38.0 °C for > 2 hours) and neutropenia (≤ 500/mm3 or < 1000/mm3 but declining) requiring hospitalization were randomized to receive either cefepime or imipenem. Vancomycin or amikacin was added on suspicion of gram-positive or gram-negative bacterial infection, respectively. RESULTS Patients who received an imipenem regimen or a cefepime regimen were comparable in terms of age, gender, underlying malignancy, prior transplantation, degree and trend of neutropenia, and presence of central venous catheters (P ≥ 0.3). An intent-to-treat analysis showed a 68% response rate to the imipenem regimen, compared with a 75% response rate to the cefepime regimen (P = 0.2). The rates of antibiotic-related adverse events and superinfections also were comparable (P = 0.6). There was no difference in response among patients who received imipenem or cefepime alone compared with patients who also received vancomycin or amikacin (P = 1.0). Leukemia was the only independent risk factor associated with a poor outcome (odds ratio, 4.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.9–10.7; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Imipenem and cefepime had similar efficacy and safety profiles in the treatment of adult cancer patients with fever and neutropenia who required hospitalization. The addition of either vancomycin or amikacin may not be necessary. Cancer 2003;98:1039–47. © 2003 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.11613
Decision Making: The Surgeon’s Perspective

An examination of surgical trends before the National Emphysema Treatment trial (NETT) demonstrates the importance of nonclinical determinants of care. The number of lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) claims increased dramatically after 1994 despite the fact that there was considerable uncertainty in the available literature.1 Favorable media reports and testimonials from patient advocacy groups influenced both patient and surgeon attitudes about LVRS.2 Some surgeons felt that investigations prior to the NETT demonstrated clear and dramatic improvements in quality of life sufficient to justify Medicare reimbursement for the procedure.3 Accordingly, they believed the NETT was a form of coercion because patients who refused to enroll in the study would not have financial coverage of their LVRS or receive the operation from a NETT surgeon. Furthermore, even if patients enrolled, the study deprived half of them of a procedure with “established” benefits. Surgeons less comfortable with this level of scientific uncertainty may have decided against performing the procedure. Nonsurgeon observers proposed that surgeons were motivated by financial gains, as the procedure was relatively inexpensive and reimbursement was generous.2 In addition to potential patient and surgeon influences, third-party coverage had an effect on decision making as evidenced by a dramatic decrease in the number of operations upon suspension of Medicare reimbursement in December 1995.4 Because many third-party payers based their coverage plans on Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) guidelines, this policy likely affected many non-Medicare patients and providers as well. Whether surgeons stopped performing the operation because of lack of reimbursement or as an acknowledgement of scientific uncertainty is unclear. It is clear, however, that the sharp decline in the number of procedures was temporally related to CMS intervention. Subsequent CMS policy partly limited surgical decision-making because reimbursement was limited to eligible patients and surgeons.
Neuroradiologic evaluation of patients with acute stroke treated with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator. The rt-PA Acute Stroke Study Group.

PURPOSE 1) To describe the effectiveness and safety of thrombolytic therapy in patients with acute atherothrombotic and embolic stroke and 2) to study the variables of the occlusion site as seen on the angiograms, the CT signs of early ischemia, the hyperdense middle cerebral artery sign (HMCAS), and the size of the infarcts as seen on the 24-hour CT scan. METHODS Ninety-three of 139 patients with acute stroke were treated with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA). The initial disease and the effects of treatment were assessed with both CT and cerebral angiography. RESULTS Recanalization of occluded arteries occurred in 32 patients and was more frequent in distal occlusions. In general, patients displaying recanalization tended to develop small infarcts and patients with a HMCAS tended to develop large infarcts. Patients with signs of early ischemia developed large infarcts. The presence of a HMCAS was 100% fic for an occluded artery, but only 27% sensitive. Hemorrhagic transformations occurred in the distribution of the occluded arteries in 32 patients. CONCLUSIONS Emergency cerebral angiography, which can be carried out relatively safely, adds important information about the nature and extent of the arterial occlusions, and the recanalization efficacy of fibrinolytic therapy for patients with acute stroke. Fibrinolytic therapy can be carried out with a relatively low complication rate that still needs to be correlated with the clinical benefits of the treatment. Fibrinolytic therapy in the doses utilized in this study, is more effective with distal than with proximal carotid territory occlusions.
Poly(lactic acid)

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) polymers are biodegradable polyesters derived from lactic acid, or 2-hydroxy propionic acid, which is generally obtained by bacterial fermentation of carbohydrates from agricultural crops such as corn, potato, and cassava. PLA has been used extensively for medical applications since the 1970s because of its bioresorbable and biocompatible properties in the human body. Its use in packaging and textile applications until now has been scarce because of its high initial costs. Discoveries of new polymerization pathways and advances in manufacturing technologies have dramatically lowered PLA costs. PLA is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in contact with foods. PLA resin can be produced entirely from biomass and the final products can be safely recycled, composted, or incinerated. PLA is recognized as a candidate material to help in reducing the municipal solid waste produced by packaging and containers. Keywords: poly(lactic acid); lactic acid; packaging; blends; recycling; biodegradable polyester; optical configurations
Race, Memory, and Master Narratives: A Critical Essay on U.S. Curriculum History

In his rich and detailed reflection on the field of curriculum studies over the past 100 or so years, Schubert () remarks thattwo emphases honored for over a century remain at the forefront of curr...
Review of: iBioSeminars and iBioMagazine

Review of: iBioSeminars ( http://ibioseminars.org/ ) and iBioMagazine ( http://ibiomagazine.org/ ).
Founder CEO management and the long-run investment performance of IPO firms

Abstract This study provides a comparative analysis of the long-run investment performance of founder and non-founder CEO led IPO firms in high and low technology environments. We find weak evidence of superior long-run investment performance on the part of founder CEO led IPO firms, since the significance of the results are sensitive to choice of benchmark, portfolio weighting method, and factor regression model. However, in the context of high technology IPO firms, we find consistent evidence to indicate that founder CEO led firms provide significantly higher long-run returns relative to non-founder CEO led firms. Our results suggest that the unique nature of founder CEO leadership is particularly beneficial to IPO firms in high technology environments.