cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In vivo time-resolved autofluorescence measurements to test for glycation of human skin

We present an evaluation of time-resolved fluorescence measurements on human skin for screening type 2 diabetes. In vivo human skin is excited with a pulse diode at 375 nm and pulse width of 700 ps. Fluorescence decays are recorded at four different emission wavelengths: 442, 460, 478, and 496 nm. Experiments are performed at various locations, including the palms, arms, legs, and cheeks of a healthy Caucasian subject to test single-subject variability. The fluo- rescence decays obtained are modeled using a three-exponential de- cay. The variations in the lifetimes and amplitudes from one location to another are minimal, except on the cheek. We compare the fluo- rescent decays of 38 diabetic subjects and 37 nondiabetic subjects, with different skin complexions and of ages ranging from 6 to 85 yr. The average lifetimes for nondiabetic subjects were 0.5, 2.6, and 9.2 ns with fractional amplitudes of 0.78, 0.18, and 0.03, respec- tively. The effects of average hemoglobin A1c HbA1c from the pre- vious 4 yr and diabetes duration are evaluated. While no significant differences between the fluorescence lifetimes of nondiabetic and dia- betic subjects are observed, two of the fractional amplitudes are sta- tistically different. Additionally, none of the six fluorescence param- eters correlated with diabetes duration or HbA1c. One of the lifetimes as well as two of the fractional amplitudes differ between diabetic subjects with foot ulcers and nondiabetic subjects. © 2008 Society of Photo-
A Modified Space-Time Conservation Element and Solution Element Method for Euler and Navier-Stokes Equations

In this paper, we report a variation of Chang’s SpaceTime Conservation Element and Solution Element CE/SE Method for structured mesh. The algorithm of the present modified CE/SE method is even simpler than the original CE/SE method. Nevertheless, all advantageous features of the original CE/SE method have been retained, including a unified treatment of space and time, accurate calculation of the space-time flux, high-fidelity resolution of unsteady flow motions, and full compliance with the physics of initial valued problems. The present modified method is also extended to solve Navier Stokes equations. To calculate the viscous flux terms, a ‘midpoint rule’ is used. In the setting of space-time flux conservation, two boundary-condition treatments for solid wall are introduced. Numerical results show that the present Navier Stokes solver can be used for high-speed flows as well as low-Mach-number flows without preconditioning. Results of several standard flow problems show that the present method is efficient and accurate.
Blocking Pore-open Mutants of CLC-0 by Amphiphilic Blockers

The blockade of CLC-0 chloride channels by p-chlorophenoxy acetate (CPA) has been thought to be state dependent; the conformational change of the channel pore during the "fast gating" alters the CPA binding affinity. Here, we examine the mechanism of CPA blocking in pore-open mutants of CLC-0 in which the residue E166 was replaced by various amino acids. We find that the CPA-blocking affinities depend upon the volume and the hydrophobicity of the side chain of the introduced residue; CPA affinity can vary by three orders of magnitude in these mutants. On the other hand, mutations at the intracellular pore entrance, although affecting the association and dissociation rates of the CPA block, generate only a modest effect on the steady-state blocking affinity. In addition, various amphiphilic compounds, including fatty acids and alkyl sulfonates, can also block the pore-open mutants of CLC-0 through a similar mechanism. The blocking affinity of fatty acids and alkyl sulfonates increases with the length of these amphiphilic blockers, a phenomenon similar to the block of the Shaker K(+) channel by long-chain quaternary ammonium (QA) ions. These observations lead us to propose that the CPA block of the open pore of CLC-0 is similar to the blockade of voltage-gated K(+) channels by long-chain QAs or by the inactivation ball peptide: the blocker first uses the hydrophilic end to "dock" at the pore entrance, and the hydrophobic part of the blocker then enters the pore to interact with a more hydrophobic region of the pore. This blocking mechanism appears to be very general because the block does not require a precise structural fit between the blocker and the pore, and the blocking mechanism applies to the cation and anion channels with unrelated pore architectures.
Design and FE analysis of integrated sensing using gas compressibility for microdroplet generation

As trends in biology, chemistry, medicine and manufacturing have pushed macroscopic processes onto the microscale, robust technologies have become necessary to encapsulate liquids into microdroplets for further manipulation and use. In order to most effectively utilize these microdroplets, real-time sensing is needed during the generation process to monitor the size of the droplet generated, or if generation failed to occur. Current droplet generating technologies operate either in open-loop, with no direct feedback available to the control system to monitor the process, or in closed loop with external sensing, using photography or droplet weight measurement to measure droplet size. By utilizing internal system-based sensing to close the loop, corrections in the dispensing process could be made in real-time in response to malfunctions as they occur. Furthermore, the generator’s operator could be more quickly alerted when a systemic error, such as a clog, continues to occur. One candidate solution to provide system-based sensing is to monitor the pressure of a reservoir of compressible gas kept adjacent to the reservoir of droplet liquid, both within a constant volume fluid chamber. The gas reservoir pressure during the actuation sequence can be related both analytically and empirically to the volume of the droplet ejected from the device, including instances where generation fails and a droplet is not ejected. This paper describes the designs of potential systems to realize this design concept, and the development of a finite element simulation for one of the concepts capable of generating droplets while simultaneously monitoring the pressure of the gas reservoir. A linear relationship between this calculated pressure and the volume of the dispensed droplet is found, validating the sensible property as workable for implementation in a physical system.
Extension of the Life Table to Repeating and Changing Events

Estimation of cumulative and adjusted occurrence of life events and measures over time is often important in settings where study subjects have incomplete or different follow-up periods. Well-known methods to do this, such as the life table and age adjustment, exist for binary nonrecurrent events (i.e., death). However, a general approach to evaluate recurrent life events (e.g., repeated infections), life events with different durations (e.g., hospitalization days), costs, or changing life measures (e.g., body weight) is not available. This paper develops the "Life-Event Table," an analog of the life table that can analyze occurrence of diverse types of events and measures when the observation periods of subjects are incomplete and different. This method, based on a central limit theorem for incomplete multivariate data, obtains point estimates and variances for cumulative incidence, age-adjusted expectation, and other quantities. Simple hypotheses tests and comparisons are possible with this approach. Three applications are presented. The Life-Event Table may facilitate use of currently available robust multivariate analysis methods. Further research into other multivariate methods that take advantage of this Life-Event Table's specific covariance/variance structure may be warranted.
Pseudoaneurysm Formation and Repair After Mohs Micrographic Surgery: A Report of 3 Cases

Importance Pseudoaneurysm is a well-known complication of trauma and iatrogenic injury to the vasculature. We report 3 cases of postsurgical pseudoaneurysm after Mohs surgery. Observations Three patients who underwent Mohs surgery for nonmelanoma skin cancers presented between 2 and 4 weeks after surgery with several days’ history of painful, enlarging, pulsatile subcutaneous masses. The lesions were diagnosed as postsurgical pseudoaneurysm. During surgical repair of each lesion, we identified vascular outpouchings that were connected to the injured arteries by sinus tracts. In all 3 patients, we ligated the affected artery and the neck of each lesion and reapproximated the skin. All wounds healed well without further recurrence. Conclusions and Relevance Most reported cases of pseudoaneurysm formation in the head and neck involve the superficial temporal artery and its branches, and they typically occur secondary to blunt force trauma. Our cases are unique in that they included 1 case of a superficial temporal lesion but also 2 cases outside this system: 1 of the lateral nasal artery and 1 of the angular artery. We propose operative repair as the treatment of choice for facial pseudoaneurysms that complicate dermatologic surgery.
What is amniotic fluid 'sludge'?

The presence of free-floating hyperechogenic material within the amniotic fluid in close proximity to the uterine cervix (Figures 1 (cover) and ​and22 and Videoclips S1 and S2) has been described previously in women with an episode of preterm labor1, in women with a history of preterm delivery or threatened preterm labor2, and in asymptomatic women at risk for spontaneous preterm delivery in the mid-trimester of pregnancy3. We have proposed the term amniotic fluid ‘sludge’ to refer to this sonographic finding and provided evidence that ‘sludge’ is an independent risk factor for impending preterm delivery, histological chorioamnionitis and microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity in patients with spontaneous preterm labor and intact membranes1. Moreover, amniotic fluid ‘sludge’ has been identified in asymptomatic women at risk for spontaneous preterm delivery in the mid-trimester of pregnancy and is also an independent risk factor for preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PROM) and spontaneous preterm delivery3. To determine the nature of amniotic fluid ‘sludge’, the material collected under sonographic guidance was examined under the microscope and microbiological studies were performed. Figure 1 Rendered three-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound image demonstrating the presence of amniotic fluid ‘sludge’ in close proximity to the cervix. Figure 2 Two-dimensional ultrasound image showing amniotic fluid ‘sludge’ in a patient with a short cervix and a cervical funnel. acute necrotizing chorioamnionitis (Figure 5a) and acute funisitis (Figure 5b). The newborn was admitted to the neonatal ...
Chlorinated phenols control the expression of the multidrug resistance efflux pump MexAB–OprM in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by interacting with NalC

NalC is a TetR type regulator that represses the multidrug efflux pump MexAB-OprM in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Here we explain the mechanism of NalC-mediated regulation of MexAB-OprM. We show that NalC non-covalently binds chlorinated phenols and chemicals containing chlorophenol side-chains such as triclosan. NalC-chlorinated phenol binding results in its dissociation from promoter DNA and upregulation of NalC's downstream targets, including the MexR antirepressor ArmR. ArmR upregulation and MexR-ArmR complex formation have previously been shown to upregulate MexAB-OprM. In vivo mexB and armR expression analyses were used to corroborate in vitro NalC-chlorinated phenol binding. We also show that the interaction between chlorinated phenols and NalC is reversible, such that removal of these chemicals restored NalC promoter DNA binding. Thus, the NalC-chlorinated phenol interaction is likely a pertinent physiological mechanism that P. aeruginosa uses to control expression of the MexAB-OprM efflux pump.
Layers and layer interfaces in wireless networks

This paper proposes an optimal architecture for wireless networks based on layers and layer interfaces. In the presence of fading the architecture is shown to be optimal. The result follows from a subgradient descent algorithm on the dual function of a generic wireless networking optimization problem. The fact that these non-convex optimization problems have nonetheless zero duality gap is exploited.
Incorporating lessons learned into tourism industry strategic planning for disaster management

All facets of the tourism industry encounter risk from potential crises and/or disasters. This risk is amplified in today's interconnected global economy. Incorporation of crisis and disaster management into hospitality firms' strategic planning is essential if such risk is to be minimized. Critical factors to be considered in planning for the strategic management of crises and disasters include leadership, communication and media relationships, market reconstruction and the development of integrated networks, incorporating the stakeholders and first responders likely to be impacted by a crisis and/or disaster scenario.
Backprojection-filtration reconstruction without invoking a spatially varying weighting factor

Purpose: To develop a backprojection-filtration (BPF) algorithm with improved noise properties over the existing BPF algorithm through utilizing (approximate) redundant information in circular cone-beam or fan-beam scans. Methods: The backprojection steps in the existing filtered-backprojection (FBP) and BPF algorithms for fan-beam and cone-beam projections invoke spatially varying weighting factors, which may not only increase the computational load in image reconstruction but also, more importantly, result in reconstruction artifacts. Redundant information in fan-beam projections has been exploited for eliminating the weighting factor in the existing FBP algorithm. However, the new FBP algorithm cannot be applied to image reconstruction in a region of interest from transversely truncated data. In this work, the authors identify approximate data redundancy in circular cone-beam projections and propose a new BPF algorithm in which the approximate data redundancy is exploited for eliminating the spatially varying weighting factor in the existing BPF algorithm. Results: The authors have implemented and evaluated the proposed BPF algorithm in numerical studies of reconstructing 3D images from both the nontruncated and truncated projection data in a circular cone-beam scan. The results of numerical studies demonstrate that the proposed BPF algorithm retains the resolution property of the existing BPF algorithm, and that it can also reconstruct accurately ROI images from truncated data. More importantly, the results also indicate that the proposed BPF algorithm not only is computationally more efficient but also yields generally lower image variances than the existing BPF algorithm. Conclusions: A BPF algorithm was proposed that not only retains the desirable properties of the existing BPF algorithm but also possesses improved computational and noise properties over the latter.
Weakly Bound Free Radicals in Combustion: “Prompt” Dissociation of Formyl Radicals and Its Effect on Laminar Flame Speeds

Weakly bound free radicals have low-dissociation thresholds such that at high temperatures, time scales for dissociation and collisional relaxation become comparable, leading to significant dissociation during the vibrational–rotational relaxation process. Here we characterize this “prompt” dissociation of formyl (HCO), an important combustion radical, using direct dynamics calculations for OH + CH2O and H + CH2O (key HCO-forming reactions). For all other HCO-forming reactions, presumption of a thermal incipient HCO distribution was used to derive prompt dissociation fractions. Inclusion of these theoretically derived HCO prompt dissociation fractions into combustion kinetics models provides an additional source for H-atoms that feeds chain-branching reactions. Simulations using these updated combustion models are therefore shown to enhance flame propagation in 1,3,5-trioxane and acetylene. The present results suggest that HCO prompt dissociation should be included when simulating flames of hydrocarbons a...
Distribution and Characteristics of Poststimulus Effects in Proximal and Distal Forelimb Muscles From Red Nucleus in the Monkey

Belhaj-Saif, Abderraouf, Jennifer Hill Karrer, and Paul D. Cheney. Distribution and characteristics of poststimulus effects in proximal and distal forelimb muscles from red nucleus in the monkey. ...
Witmer, Lightner (1867–1956)

Lightner Witmer (1867–1956) founded the first psychology clinic in the world in 1896 at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1907 he gave clinical psychology its name and began publication of the first scholarly journal in the field, The Psychological Clinic. He trained the first generation of clinical psychology PhD students. His work was also important in the development of the related fields of speech pathology, vocational counseling, and school psychology. Keywords: educational psychology; intelligence; assessment; autism; child language
Single-unit responses of serotonergic neurons to vasoactive drug administration in behaving cats

Single-unit activity of serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), heart rate (HR), and arterial blood pressure were recorded in freely moving cats during spontaneous behavior and in response to systemic administration of vasoactive drugs. The activity of serotonergic neurons varied in association with behavioral arousal but was unrelated to spontaneous fluctuations in HR and blood pressure. Bolus administration of phenylephrine hydrochloride and sodium nitroprusside (15-20 micrograms/kg iv) produced a rapid transient increase (35 mmHg) and decrease (49 mmHg), respectively, in mean arterial pressure (MAP). Infusion of phenylephrine and sodium nitroprusside (100 micrograms/ml) produced sustained hypertension (avg MAP 166 mmHg) and hypotension (avg MAP 49 mmHg), respectively. The activity of serotonergic neurons was not significantly altered in response to phenylephrine or sodium nitroprusside administration. Furthermore, no significant changes in unit activity were observed after hydralazine administration (1 mg/kg iv) despite prolonged reflex activation of sympathetic outflow. Thus the activity of DRN serotonergic neurons was unrelated to transient alterations in blood pressure and baroreceptor activity. These results suggest that changes in the activity of serotonergic DRN neurons are not involved in physiological mechanisms underlying reflex alterations in sympathetic (and parasympathetic) outflow invoked by hypertension and hypotension.
Too Important to Fail: Bankruptcy versus Bailout of Socially Important Non-Financial Institutions

Systemically important financial institutions are broadly considered to impose a risk to the entire economy upon failure; thus taxpayers act upon their failure, providing them with an implied insurance policy for ongoing liquidity. Yet taxpayers frequently provide de-facto liquidity insurance for non-financial institutions as well. For example, recently in the U.K., hospital trusts were sharing millions in bailouts. A decade earlier, a federal court approved California's multibillion-dollar bailout of Pacific Gas & Electric Corporation. The Russian government continuously subsidizes corporations exclusively providing employment and social amenities in Monotowns. After 9/11, the U.S. Congress passed the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act, which provided the airline industry with financial aid. In all of these cases, taxpayer money was used to rescue non-financial organizations. The article defines a new category of socially important non-financial institutions (SINFIs) and proposes a method for their ex-ante identification. SINFIs are corporations exclusively providing an essential social function, and the article offers guidelines for defining essential industries and essential social functions as well as for assessing the monopolistic position assumed by the SINFI for provision of the essential service or social function.The case for bailouts of socially important non-financial institutions is discussed. Liquidity distress for a SINFI is unlikely to be resolved efficiently through bankruptcy, as the risk of an operating default for the socially important institution imposes an immediate crisis of confidence. The provision of service by a socially important institution imposes positive externalities on the general public, rendering the main features of bankruptcy, namely, debtor-in-possession rules and the ability to sell assets free and clear of all liens, sub-optimally efficient. Private investors are unlikely to capture the full value of their investment in the socially important firm on the edge of illiquidity. Thus, in a financially distressed SINFI, both the likelihood of new investment opportunities and their potential terms are expected to be suboptimal, and public finance is likely to be required: socially-important non-financial institutions are too important to fail. The article further analyses the structural characteristics and distorted corporate governance of socially important non-financial institutions. The elevated probability of rescue in case of failure makes the socially important non-financial institution prone to unwarranted expansion, and distorts its corporate governance well before failure occurs. The resulting moral hazard creates both enhanced incentives for excessive leverage and risk-taking, and elevated incentives for empire building due to the weaker corporate governance mechanisms available.
When Less Is More: T Lymphocyte Populations with Restricted Antigen Receptor Diversity

Two papers highlighted here as Pillars of Immunology led to the discovery, more than two decades ago, of expanded T lymphocyte populations with a limited TCR α-chain diversity ([1][1], [2][2]). This would be a mere factoid if these specialized cell populations were not highly conserved, suggestive
Perspectives on the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems

This article considers the potential to use knowledge of expected electoral system effects to engage in electoral engineering. The review focuses on contributions made in the past dozen or so years and is limited to five specific questions: How do electoral systems affect (a) the proportionality of seats–votes relationships, (b) party proliferation, (c) the ideological nature of party competition, (d) voter turnout, and (e) the degree of match between the preferences of citizens and the policy choices of the government?
Induction Chemotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer: Will History Repeat Itself?

Locally advanced squamous cell head and neck cancer remains a therapeutic challenge for multidisciplinary teams. Despite high objective response rates, induction chemotherapy has not resulted in tangible benefit in multiple randomized trials. In recent years, as most evidence solidified the role of concurrent chemotherapy and radiation as either primary or postoperative therapy for locally advanced head and neck cancer, induction chemotherapy fell out of scope and practice. The failure of older randomized trials to show a survival benefit from induction chemotherapy can be attributed to several factors. It is possible that the predominance of locoregional failure did not allow any added benefit from better systemic control to translate into a survival advantage. Alternatively, seemingly active chemotherapy regimens may have been suboptimal. Nevertheless, recent developments have altered our perception of head and neck cancer and its treatment. Locoregional control has dramatically improved with concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Of note is that none of the previously conducted randomized trials of induction chemotherapy used concurrent chemoradiotherapy in the control arm. Moreover, we witnessed the development of better combination regimens that improved efficacy in the induction setting. The previously standard cisplatin/5-fluoruracil (5-FU) combination is being replaced by the triple combination of taxane/ cisplatin/5-FU. Randomized trials showed that increased activity with the triplet regimen resulted in improved long-term disease control and survival. Finally, cetuximab, an active epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor, is entering clinical practice and is expected to change the standard of therapy. With the emergence of more efficacious systemic therapies, the role of induction therapy warrants reevaluation. A number of randomized trials are planned or currently ongoing to investigate concurrent chemoradiotherapy with or without induction. These trials are anticipated to redefine the role of induction chemotherapy for head and neck cancer.
DNA polymerase β inhibitors from Sandoricum koetjape

Bioassay-guided fractionation of Sandoricum koetjape using an assay sensitive to DNA polymerase β inhibition led to the isolation of three active compounds (1−3) having IC50 values from 20 to 36 μM. Derivatives 5−14 were prepared from compounds 1 and 2; derivatives 11, 12, and 13 showed activity against DNA polymerase β with IC50 values ranging from 16 to 36 μM.
An International Normalized Ratio–Based Definition of Acute Traumatic Coagulopathy Is Associated With Mortality, Venous Thromboembolism, and Multiple Organ Failure After Injury

Objective Acute traumatic coagulopathy (ATC) is associated with adverse outcomes including death. Previous studies examining ATC's relationship with mortality are limited by inconsistent criteria for syndrome diagnosis, inadequate control of confounding and single-center designs. In this study, we validated the admission international normalized ratio (INR) as an independent risk factor for death and other adverse outcomes after trauma and compared two common INR-based definitions for ATC.
Introduction: Why Women?

Gender is crucial to individual identity and, in all societies, to the roles individuals will play and the experiences they will have. The position of men and women in any society is a social construct, not a natural state. Each society and every social group has a culture that defines the roles and rules of masculinity and femininity; by conforming to these definitions, an individual becomes a “legitimate” man or woman. The goal of this book is to examine these roles and rules and thus understand the variety and limitations of the female experience in colonial Latin America. One overarching limitation in both Spanish and Portuguese America was the existence of a patriarchal social organization. In the New World as in the Old, a clear sexual hierarchy placed women below men. By law and by tradition, men held the lion’s share of power in government, religion, and society. Furthermore, a man, particularly a father, was supreme within his family. Legally, all those living within the household were required to obey him. In this society, women were dei ned i rst and foremost by their sex and only secondarily by their race or social class. In many colonial documents, the lack of attention to women’s race and class suggests that these attributes were malleable. Sex was not. Indeed, it can be argued that sex was the most important factor in determining a person’s status in society. Nonetheless, gender alone does not explain the various experiences of women in colonial Latin America. We must also keep in mind the importance of race, class, demography, life course, spatial variations, local economy, norm and reality, and change over time.
Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, although uncommon, is the most aggressive form of primary thyroid malignancy. The cellularity and the cytologic presentations of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma are variable and depend on the histologic type and the extent of tumor necrosis. Despite its diverse morphologic presentation, anaplastic thyroid carcinoma can be accurately diagnosed on FNA. False-negative diagnoses have been encountered due to low cellularity and obscuring inflammatory and necrotic debris. Its differential diagnosis includes other primary high-grade malignancies and metastases. Judicious use of immunocytochemistry may be helpful in the differential diagnosis.
From Puddles to Potholes: The Role of Overvalued Beliefs in Emotional Problems

The bygone notion of a “fixed idea” has evolved into an appreciation for overvalued beliefs, automatic thoughts, irrational beliefs, and dysfunctional attitudes and the role they can play in the lives of many clients. Overvalued beliefs are common and can be destructive when they guide the client toward extreme emotional reactions, disruptive behavioral patterns or create negative views of self or others. Overvalued beliefs become problematic when they are not aligned with commonly accepted views of reality, they are rigidly maintained despite insufficient evidence, and they create maladaptive self-perpetuating patterns. A metaphor is used to explain how minor puddles can evolve into major potholes, creating lasting damage. The destructive power of puddles shares some similarities with the subtle influence of overvalued beliefs on a client’s emotional and interpersonal functioning. Psychotherapy can help clients to confront the misguided accuracy, limited utility, and exaggerated potency of their beliefs. Therapy can help clients to disengage from the directive power of their beliefs, learning to tolerate various thoughts without reacting at an emotional or behavioral level.
From Prognostication to Personalized Medicine: Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System (CNS) Using Chromosomal Microarrays

Genomic profiling has led to a transformation in our understanding, and clinical management, of many tumors of the central nervous system (CNS). This has led to a paradigm shift in diagnostic evaluation of these tumors and necessitated an integrative approach that requires evaluation of both histological and molecular characteristics. Herein, we review the utility of chromosomal microarrays (CMAs) as a tool for improving diagnosis and prognosis in CNS tumors. Clinical laboratories around North America perform CMA analysis as part of routine diagnostic evaluation. By example this includes the detection of broad copy number aberrations, such as 1p/19q whole-arm co-deletion in oligodendroglioma, or complex patterns of imbalances including chromothriptic rearrangement of chromosome 11 in ependymomas with RELA fusions. Recent studies that have led to improvements in tumor diagnosis, prognostication, or directed therapeutic management are highlighted. While the copy number-driven nature of CNS tumors has been long appreciated, only in recent years has this translated into clinical diagnostic applications. CMA represents an effective diagnostic tool for the molecular characterization of many CNS tumor entities, whose use will continue to expand our understanding of drivers of tumor biology and identify novel therapeutic targets.
A phase 1 study of AR-42 in patients with advanced solid tumors, including nervous system tumors.

2558Background: We have shown that AR-42, an oral pan-histone deacetylase inhibitor, has clinical activity in some hematologic malignancies and preclinical activity in certain solid tumors, including neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2)-associated meningiomas and schwannomas. Therefore, this phase 1 trial was initiated to investigate the dose limiting toxicities (DLTs) and the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) in patients with advanced solid tumors. Methods: This is a single-agent, standard 3+3, phase 1 dose-escalation study, with an additional expansion cohort at the MTD; mainly enrolling patients with malignancies of interest, based on our preclinical data. AR-42 was given in a 28-day cycle (3 times weekly, 3-week on, 1-week off). Plasma samples were collected following the first dose to assess pharmacokinetics in each patient. Results: Seventeen patients were enrolled in this study. Two patients were replaced and 15 patients were evaluable for safety and response. Patients had a median age of 49 (range: 20-80) an...
Non-Violent Civil Society Resistance to Authoritarian Rule in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Kenya

Authoritarian rule in sub-Saharan Africa, greatly diminished by the wave of democracy that swept much of the region in the 1990s, remains an unfortunate part of the political landscape today. Coups in Mauritania, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Niger provide recent examples; but even in some cases of elected governance, human rights are curtailed and abused. This makes some of the lessons learned from past civil society resistance to authoritarian rule in Sub-Saharan Africa all the more relevant today. This comparative study of non-violent resistance movements in Kenya, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, primarily in the 1980s and 1990s, provides one of the few detailed studies of civil society efforts to tame authoritarian rule in sub-Saharan Africa using social movement theory as a way to examine the movements. The study is based on a total of approximately 200 interviews in the countries with activists and others to gauge what they did, how, and why. In contrast to the relatively few studies of social movements in Sub-Saharan Africa, this one includes the role of individual as well as organizational activists and highlights the role of small movements instead of just large ones. Tactics differed in the three countries, depending on the level of repression, but in all three countries, repression not only failed to halt the resistance (though it did limit it), it led to continued resistance. In Kenya, domestic resistance developed into a “culture of resistance” and was a contributing factor in eventual regime change; in Liberia and Sierra Leone, international intervention was the force that caused regime change, but the peaceful resistance movements in the capitals helped legitimize such interventions and kept the heads of state off balance.
Hospital Differences Drive Antibiotic Delays for Black Patients Compared With White Patients With Suspected Septic Shock.

Objective:Evaluate racial disparities in sepsis processes of care.Design:Observational cohort study.Setting:Nine hospitals in the Southeastern United States between 2014 and 2016.Patients:Two thousand two hundred twenty-one white and 707 black patients treated in the emergency department through “co
Lokalisiertes prätibiales bullöses Pemphigoid bei einer Patientin unter Pembrolizumab-Therapie wegen eines metastasierten Melanoms.

Author(s): Amber, Kyle T; Valdebran, Manuel; Lu, Yuxin; De Feraudy, Sebastien; Linden, Kenneth G
BAGGER: an EBL system that extends and generalizes explanations

This paper addresses the important issue in explanation-based learning of generalizing number. Most research in explanation-based learning involves relaxing constraints on the variables in an explanation, rather than generalizing the number of inference rules used. However, many concepts require generalizing the structure of the explanation. An explanation-based approach to the problem of generalizing to N is presented. The fully-implemented BAGGER system analyzes explanation structures and detects extendible repeated, inter-dependent applications of rules. When any are found. the explanation is extended so that an arbitrary number of repeated applications of the original rule are supported. The final structure is then generalized and a new rule produced. An important property of the extended rules is that their preconditions are expressed in terms of the initial state - they do not depend on the results of intermediate applications of the original rule. To illustrate the approach. portions of several situation calculus examples from the blocks world are analyzed. The approach presented leads to the acquisition of efficient plans that can be used to clear an object directly supporting an arbitrary number of other objects. build towers of arbitrary height. and unstack towers containing any number of blocks.
A Systems Estimation Approach to Cost, Schedule, and Quantity Outcomes

The typical United States (US) weapons system has grown in cost, capability, and the time required for development and production.
THE IMPACT OF SERVICE-LEARNING CURRICULUM AT A LOCAL AT-RISK HIGH SCHOOL: AN EXAMINATION OF PRELIMINARY DATA

Over the years, there has been substantial research highlighting the effectiveness of service-learning from the perspective of the student in the classroom. Multiple studies have demonstrated student-learning outcomes as well as provided descriptions of service-learning projects and syllabi. However, limited research has been conducted exploring the effects of service-learning on the community. This pioneering study offers preliminary data on the contribution of service-learning to the community by exploring the relationships between a six-week service-learning project and the community partner. Utilizing STAR test results and principal and student feedback, the researchers examine the outcomes of a six-week college service-learning project at a local urban continuation high school. STAR test results from the California High School Exit Exam from 2008 through 2011 and classroom findings are examined. The results reveal positive changes among the high school student group based upon their evaluative attitudes towards individual strengths, motivation and career choices. Finally, the implications of this study are discussed.
Problems and opportunities in susceptibility testing of mollicutes

This chapter reviews the requirements for standardization and various techniques that have been employed in antibiotic sensitivity tests with mollicutes. The major purpose in susceptibility testing of mycoplasmas is to determine the in vitro susceptibility of a given mollicute species to new and older antimicrobial agents in an effort to identify agents that might have clinical utility in the treatment of mycoplasmal infections. The methodology developed thus far has not achieved consensus because the susceptibilities reported have varied widely in the literature and the range of susceptibilities for a given species has been extremely wide, suggesting a need for the development of methodology. Methods for susceptibility testing of bacteria are well established for conventional pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus. The medium to be used, inoculum size, and incubation period have been defined for two methods: broth dilution where the end point is turbidometric and agar dilution where the end point is colony formation.
THE BREAK-UP OF FLUID PARTICLES WITH NON-NEGLIGIBLE PROPERTIES IN TURBULENT FLOWS

ABSTRACT An experimental investigation of the break-up of an immiscible fluid injected into a turbulent water jet was performed. A dispersed fluid was injected through a small hypodermic needle located on the centerline in the fully developed region of a turbulent water jet. The mean injection velocity of the dispersed fluid was selected to match the mean local centerline velocity of the water jet; therefore, the predominant break-up mechanism investigated was due to turbulent stresses. Results for the break-up of fluids of varying density, interfacial tension, and viscosity (e.g . air, heptane, and 50 centistoke (cSt) silicone oil) are reported. At low turbulence intensities, the break-up frequency (the inverse of the break-up times) of liquid particles was found to scale with the large-scale structures of the turbulent flow.
DWARF Spheroidal Galaxies

Dwarf Spheroidal (dSph) galaxies are the faintest baryonic systems recognized as galaxies. Understanding the structure and stellar populations of these systems is critical for the modelling of their formation and evolution, and by extension, for understanding the general problem of galaxy formation and evolution. Further, as dSphs are the only available probes of the distant halo of the Galaxy, understanding their structure is a crucial step in the study of the gravitational potential of the halo and the mass of the Galaxy. I will not attempt to review fully all current topics of dSph research. Instead, I will concentrate specifically on those issues that are directly related (as I see it) to the overall topic of wide-field imaging. Recent reviews covering other aspects of dSph research have been written by DaCosta (1988, 1992) and Pryor (1992).
The Effect of Charge and Mechanical Loading on Antibody Diffusion through the Articular Surface of Cartilage.

Molecular transport of osteoarthritis (OA) therapeutics within articular cartilage is influenced by many factors, such as solute charge, that have yet to be fully understood. This study characterizes how solute charge influences local diffusion and convective transport of antibodies within the heterogeneous cartilage matrix. Three fluorescently-tagged solutes of varying isoelectric point (pI) (4.7-5.9) were tested in either cyclic or passive cartilage loading conditions. In each case, local diffusivities were calculated based on local fluorescence in the cartilage sample, as observed by confocal microscopy. In agreement with past research, local solute diffusivities within the heterogeneous cartilage matrix were highest around 200-275 µm from the articular surface, but 3-4 times lower at the articular surface and in the deeper zones of the tissue. Transport of all 150 kDa solutes was significantly increased by the application of mechanical loading at 1 Hz, but local transport enhancement was not significantly affected by changes in solute isoelectric point. More positively charged solutes (higher pI) had significantly higher local diffusivities 200-275 µm from the tissue surface, but no other differences were observed. This implies that there are certain regions of cartilage that are more sensitive to changes in solute charge than others, which could be useful for future development of OA therapeutics.
Cost Effectiveness of Endoscopic Resection vs Transanal Resection of Complex Benign Rectal Polyps

Background & Aims Complex benign rectal polyps can be managed with transanal surgery or with endoscopic resection (ER). Though the complication rate after ER is lower than transanal surgery, recurrence is higher. Patients lost to follow up after ER might therefore be at increased risk for rectal cancer. We evaluated the costs, benefits, and cost effectiveness of ER compared to 2 surgical techniques for removing complex rectal polyps, using a 50-year time horizon—this allowed us to capture rates of cancer development among patients lost from follow-up surveillance. Methods We created a Markov model to simulate the lifetime outcomes and costs of ER, transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM), and transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) for the management of a complex benign rectal polyp. We assessed the effect of surveillance by allowing a portion of the patients to be lost to follow up. We calculated the cost, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio or each intervention over a 50-year time horizon. Results We found that TEM was slightly more effective than TAMIS and ER (TEM, 19.54 QALYs; TAMIS, 19.53 QALYs; and ER, 19.53 QALYs), but ER had a lower lifetime discounted cost (ER cost $7161, TEM cost $10,459, and TAMIS cost $11,253). TEM was not cost effective compared to ER, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $485,333/QALY. TAMIS was dominated by TEM. TEM became cost effective when the mortality from ER exceeded 0.63%, or if the loss to follow up rate exceeded 25.5%. Conclusions Using a Markov model, we found that ER, TEM, and TAMIS have similar effectiveness, but ER is less expensive, in management of benign rectal polyps. As the rate of loss to follow up increases, transanal surgery becomes more effective relative to ER.
Linguistic ideology and the pre-modern English Bible: A look at arguments for and against an English translation through the lens of historical sociolinguistics

Abstract Can the prestige of a language be an argument for the translation of a sacred text? Conversely, if a language is perceived as substandard, is that an argument against translation? In the history of the English Bible, scholars and theologians have argued both for and against a vernacular scripture, but the debate has not always been based on religious beliefs. Following the Norman Invasion of 1066, the translation debate shifted from the religious to the linguistic. In other words, the argument against translation became based on the perception that English was “too rude” to properly convey the complex nature of Holy Scripture. Reformers like William Tyndale protested this view, arguing that the linguistic argument against a Bible in the vernacular really masked an almost maniacal desire on the part of the ecclesiastical establishment to control the message. This paper takes a closer look at historical arguments for and against an English Bible from the Anglo-Saxon period through the Tyndale Bible.
Placental trophoblast transfer of opioids following exposures to individual or mixtures of opioids in vitro.

Infants born with neonatal abstinence syndrome increased 5-fold between 2000 and 2012. Prenatal exposure to opioids has been linked to altered brain development, congenital heart defects, neural tu...
Recurrent Calcium Kidney Stones.

A 21-year-old man, a member of the track team, has his first kidney stone at college. Computed tomography showed a 4-mm obstructing distal ureteral stone and a nonobstructing 4-mm contralateral kidney stone. The stone passed: its composition was 100% calcium oxalate. Serum chemistry was normal with
Detecting Activations over Graphs using Spanning Tree Wavelet Bases

We consider the detection of clusters of activation over graphs under Gaussian noise. This problem appears in many real world scenarios, such as detecting contamination or seismic activity by sensor networks, viruses in human and computer networks, and groups with anomalous behavior in social and biological networks. We introduce the spanning tree wavelet basis over a graph, a localized basis that reflects the topology of the graph, and a detector based on this construction. We characterize orthonormality and sparsifying properties of the proposed basis, which can be useful for tasks other than detection, such as de-noising, compression and localization. For the detection problem, we provide a necessary condition for asymptotic distinguishability of the null and alternative hypotheses. Then we prove that our detector can correctly detect signals in a low signalto-noise regime using spanning tree wavelets, for any spanning tree. We then use electric network theory to show that a spanning tree drawn uniformly at random provides a stronger performance guarantee that in many cases matches the necessary condition. For edge transitive graphs, k-nearest neighbor graphs, and ǫ-graphs we obtain nearly optimal performance with the uniform spanning tree wavelet detector.
The Random Schroźdinger Equation

We analyze the solutions of the Schroźdinger equation with low frequency initial data and a time-dependent weakly random potential. We prove a homogenization result for the low frequency component of the wave field. We also show that the dynamics generates a nontrivial energy in the high frequencies, which does not homogenize---the high frequency component of the wave field remains random and the evolution of its energy is described by a kinetic equation. The transition from the homogenization of the low frequencies to the random limit of the high frequencies is illustrated by understanding the size of the small random fluctuations of the low frequency component.
Abstract P2048: Epigenetic Modification By Angiotensin II Mediates Augmentation Of Intrarenal Angiotensinogen Expression

Inappropriately activated intrarenal renin-angiotensin system, including proximal tubular angiotensinogen (AGT) augmentation, contributes to the progression of hypertension and associated kidney in...