cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MSH3 mediates sensitization of colorectal cancer cells to cisplatin, oxaliplatin, and a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor

The MSH3 gene is one of the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes that has undergone somatic mutation frequently in MMR-deficient cancers. MSH3, together with MSH2, forms the MutSβ heteroduplex, which interacts with interstrand cross-links (ICLs) induced by drugs such as cisplatin and psoralen. However, the precise role of MSH3 in mediating the cytotoxic effects of ICL-inducing agents remains poorly understood. In this study, we first examined the effects of MSH3 deficiency on cytotoxicity caused by cisplatin and oxaliplatin, another ICL-inducing platinum drug. Using isogenic HCT116-derived clones in which MSH3 expression is controlled by shRNA expression in a Tet-off system, we discovered that MSH3 deficiency sensitized cells to both cisplatin and oxaliplatin at clinically relevant doses. Interestingly, siRNA-induced down-regulation of the MLH1 protein did not affect MSH3-dependent toxicity of these drugs, indicating that this process does not require participation of the canonical MMR pathway. Furthermore, MSH3-deficient cells maintained higher levels of phosphorylated histone H2AX and 53BP1 after oxaliplatin treatment in comparison with MSH3-proficient cells, suggesting that MSH3 plays an important role in repairing DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). This role of MSH3 was further supported by our findings that MSH3-deficient cells were sensitive to olaparib, a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor. Moreover, the combination of oxaliplatin and olaparib exhibited a synergistic effect compared with either treatment individually. Collectively, our results provide novel evidence that MSH3 deficiency contributes to the cytotoxicity of platinum drugs through deficient DSB repair. These data lay the foundation for the development of effective prediction and treatments for cancers with MSH3 deficiency.
VLSI design methods using the concept of sea-of-wires

The use of sea-of-wires technology was explored for both custom design hand-crafted layouts and semi-custom synthesized layouts. A symbolic layout interface and its associated library cells were developed. Our research result showed that, with a carefully designed cell library, synthesized layouts can achieve densities similar to hand-crafted layouts.
Solar nebula dispersal and the stability of the planetary system: I. Scanning secular resonance theory

Secular resonances in the early solar system are investigated with the aim of establishing constraints on the time scale and method of solar nebula dispersal. Simplified nebula models and dispersal routines are used to approximate changes in an assumed axisymmetric nebula potential. These changes drive an evolutionary sequence of Laplace-Lagrange solutions for the secular variations of the solar system. These sequences are characterized by a sweep of one or more giant planet resonances through the inner solar system. Their effect is rate-dependent; characteristic dispersal times of not greater than 10,000 to 100,000 years are required to avoid the generation of terrestrial eccentricities and inclinations in excess of observed values.
Signal-Dependent Variable-Resolution Clockless A/D Conversion With Application to Continuous-Time Digital Signal Processing

A variable-resolution (VR) quantizer with input-activity-dependent adjustable resolution is presented. Several potential schemes are discussed; the favored scheme achieves adjustable resolution by level skipping according to the speed of the input. The advantages of a VR analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) are presented with applications in continuous-time (CT) digital signal processing systems. It is shown that a decrease in resolution for fast inputs does not corrupt the in-band spectrum while leading to a reduction in the number of samples produced by a CT ADC. The result is a significant decrease in power dissipation but without in-band performance degradation. Analysis and extensive simulations are provided. Simulations using signals in the voice band show that a power reduction of over 80% is achievable with a VR quantization.
Reimplantation of the ureter in a transtrigonal mucosal groove.

Summary Reimplantation of the ureter into a groove of the bladder mucosa has been used to simplify the procedure of reimplantation and overcome problems in trabeculated bladders by obviating the creation of a submucosal tunnel. Further experience is presented regarding this procedure on 40 ureters of patients with unilateral or bilateral vesicoureteric reflux, ureteric orifice(s) stenosis, bladder diverticula and posterior urethral valves submitted to simultaneous resection. Intra-operative observations, post-operative cystography and long-term results led to the conclusion that the procedure is technically easy, facilitates reimplantation in trabeculated bladders, safeguards the valve mechanism by preventing vesicoureteric reflux and shortens hospitalisation time.
A method for rapid simulation of propagating wave fronts in three-dimensional cardiac muscle with spatially-varying fiber orientations

We describe a simple cellular automata model for cardiac electrical activation that can simulate propagation in 3D muscle with arbitrary local fiber orientations. The model is computationally efficient and can provide activation sequences for rapidly driving models of cardiac mechanics. Here we show how to compute the model parameters from tissue parameters and successfully demonstrate rapid simulation of wave fronts in a slab of tissue with a rotating fiber structure.
Lifetimes and time scales in atmospheric chemistry.

Atmospheric composition is controlled by the emission, photochemistry and transport of many trace gases. Understanding the time scale as well as the chemical and spatial patterns of perturbations to trace gases is needed to evaluate possible environmental damage (e.g. stratospheric ozone depletion or climate change) caused by anthropogenic emissions. This paper reviews lessons learned from treating global atmospheric chemistry as a linearized system and analysing it in terms of eigenvalues. The results give insight into how emissions of one trace species cause perturbations to another and how transport and chemistry can alter the time scale of the overall perturbation. Further, the eigenvectors describe the fundamental chemical modes, or patterns, of the atmosphere’s chemical response to perturbations.
Lubricant Design Attributes for Subnanometer Head-Disk Clearance

This paper is an attempt to review some historical trends in thin film disk lubricant technology, and the associated requirements in terms of overall reliability, as we inexorably approach the subnanometer clearance mark. We will mainly focus on the physical attributes of the lubricant, and more particularly on the slider-induced effects on lubricant dynamics. Design attributes for subnanometer clearance will be discussed in this historical context, as qualitative to semiquantitative models have emerged that allow such extrapolation.
Usefulness of commercially available GPS data-loggers for tracking human movement and exposure to dengue virus

Our understanding of the effects of human movement on dengue virus spread remains limited in part due to the lack of precise tools to monitor the time-dependent location of individuals. We determined the utility of a new, commercially available, GPS data-logger for long-term tracking of human movements in Iquitos, Peru. We conducted a series of evaluations focused on GPS device attributes key to reliable use and accuracy. GPS observations from two participants were later compared with semi-structured interview data to assess the usefulness of GPS technology to track individual mobility patterns. Positional point and line accuracy were 4.4 and 10.3 m, respectively. GPS wearing mode increased spatial point error by 6.9 m. Units were worn on a neck-strap by a carpenter and a moto-taxi driver for 14-16 days. The application of a clustering algorithm (I-cluster) to the raw GPS positional data allowed the identification of locations visited by each participant together with the frequency and duration of each visit. The carpenter moved less and spent more time in more fixed locations than the moto-taxi driver, who visited more locations for a shorter period of time. GPS and participants' interviews concordantly identified 6 common locations, whereas GPS alone identified 4 locations and participants alone identified 10 locations. Most (80%) of the locations identified by participants alone were places reported as visited for less than 30 minutes. The present study demonstrates the feasibility of a novel, commercially available GPS data-logger for long-term tracking of humans and shows the potential of these units to quantify mobility patterns in relationship with dengue virus transmission risk in a tropical urban environment. Cost, battery life, size, programmability and ease of wear are unprecedented from previously tested units, proving the usefulness of GPS-dataloggers for linking movement of individuals and transmission risk of dengue virus and other infectious agents, particularly in resource-poor settings.
Development of early handwriting: Visual-motor control during letter copying.

Despite the importance of handwriting for school readiness and early academic progress, prior research on the development of handwriting has focused primarily on the product rather than the process by which young children write letters. In contrast, in the present work, early handwriting is viewed as involving a suite of perceptual, motor and cognitive abilities, which must work in unison if children are to write letters efficiently. To study such coordination, head-mounted eye-tracking technology was used to investigate the process of visual-motor coordination while kindergarten children (N=23) and adults (N=11) copied individual letters and strings of letters that differed in terms of their phonemic properties. Results indicated that kindergarten children were able to copy single letters efficiently, as did adults. When the cognitive demands of the task increased and children were presented with strings of letters, however, their ability to copy letters efficiently was compromised: children frequently interrupted their writing mid-letter, whereas they did not do so on single letter trials. Yet, with increasing age, children became more efficient in copying letter strings, in part by using vision more prospectively when writing. Taken together, the results illustrate how the coordination of perceptual, motor and cognitive processes contributes to advances in the development of letter writing skill.
Report of First Specimens of Pekania pennanti (Fisher) from Virginia

Abstract Pekania pennanti (Fisher) is believed to have occurred in portions of western Virginia prior to the late 1800s. However, except for fossil remains, no specimen or evidence of this species from Virginia has ever been reported in a museum collection. Here we document recent evidence of Fishers in Virginia from verified photographic records submitted to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and voucher specimens deposited into the Mammal Collection of the Virginia Museum of Natural History. These recently collected and observed Fishers in Virginia are likely dispersers from expanding Fisher populations in western Maryland and eastern West Virginia. This report provides the foundation for future investigations into the distribution and abundance of this species in Virginia.
Analgesic and Antitumor Potential of the Cannabinoids

There is an extensive folklore concerning the analgesic activity of cannabis in man (Mikuriya, 1961). On careful examination, however, there was no objective evidence for the efficacy of cannabis in this regard. With the structural identity and synthesis of (-)-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-THC) (Gaoni and Mechoulam, 1964), the major active principle of cannabis, came reports of analgesic activity in laboratory animals. Indeed, potency equal to morphine was reported for delta-9-THC (Grunfield and Edery, 1968; Bauxbaum, Sanders-Bush and Efron, 1969).
The Use of Paraldehyde Analgesia in Labor

Summary 1. A study is presented in which paraldehyde was used in 150 cases during labor. The procedure followed is described. in detail. 2. In 76 per cent of the last 100 cases in which the drug was used, the results were satisfactory, whereas in 4 per cent the method failed entirely. The results are better in primiparous patients and in those patients in whom the medication was begun early in labor. 3. More satisfactory results are obtained when paraldehyde is supplemented with morphine or sodium amytal. 4. Apparently paraldehyde does not materially slow labor, but soon after it is administered there results a momentary period of relative uterine inertia. 5. As far as is known, paraldehyde is absolutely safe in the dosage recommended. It seems to have no bad effects upon the mother or fetus. In this series there were no maternal or neonatal deaths from any cause. 6. Complete approval and recommendation of the technic is withheld until more clinical experience has accumulated.
Rotator Cuff Disease

Rotator cuff disease is the most commonly treated shoulder condition by orthopedic surgeons. Despite this high prevalence, there is still a lack of consensus regarding the indications and timing of surgical and nonsurgical treatment. To improve the ability to consistently and appropriately treat patients with rotator cuff disease, an algorithm-based approach to the diagnosis and treatment can be utilized. This chapter utilizes a case-based approach to highlight each group of patients in the treatment algorithm to aid in its understanding and utility.
Efficient Algorithms and Architectures for Double Point Multiplication on Elliptic Curves

Efficient implementation of double point multiplication is crucial for elliptic curve cryptographic systems. We propose efficient algorithms and architectures for the computation of double point multiplication on binary elliptic curves and provide a comparative analysis of their performance for 112-bit security level. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work in the literature which considers the design and implementation of simultaneous computation of double point multiplication. We first provide algorithmics for the three main double point multiplication methods. Then, we perform data-flow analysis and propose hardware architectures for the presented algorithms. Finally, we implement the proposed state-of-the-art architectures on FPGA platform for the comparison purposes and report the area and timing results. Our results indicate that differential addition chain based algorithms are better suited to compute double point multiplication over binary elliptic curves for high performance applications.
The Quest for Scalable Blockchain Fabric: Proof-of-Work vs. BFT Replication

Bitcoin cryptocurrency demonstrated the utility of global consensus across thousands of nodes, changing the world of digital transactions forever. In the early days of Bitcoin, the performance of its probabilistic proof-of-work (PoW) based consensus fabric, also known as blockchain, was not a major issue. Bitcoin became a success story, despite its consensus latencies on the order of an hour and the theoretical peak throughput of only up to 7 transactions per second.
Special issue on power modulators and repetitive pulsed power [Call for Papers]

We are pleased to announce that the August 2017 issue of the IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation (TDEI) will be a special issue on power modulators, repetitive pulsed power, and high voltage topics.
Incorporating Well-Adjusted Peers in a Conduct Problems Prevention Program: Evaluation of Acceptability, Fidelity, and Safety of Implementation

In order to prevent iatrogenic effects associated with interventions that aggregate youth with behavior problems and to promote the integration of these youth into normative peer groups, a comprehensive evidence-based prevention program, Early Risers “Skills for Success” (August et al. in Preventing substance abuse: science-based programs for children and adolescents, American Psychological Association, Washington, 2007), was augmented to include well-adjusted children in a strategic peer affiliation component, or buddy system. A total of 190 kindergartners and first graders from five schools in a Midwestern US city were randomly assigned by school to receive the program or serve as controls. In the first summer program component, the children received 72 h of programming in academics, social skills, and creative arts, all within a highly structured social environment. The feasibility of the program was investigated through examination of acceptability, fidelity, and safety of programming, with special attention to acceptability and safety for well-adjusted peer mentors. Results showed that intervention fidelity, as measured by independent observers, was high. Acceptability was high as well, with no differences in attendance between well-adjusted children and children with behavioral problems. There was no evidence of iatrogenic effects or other unsafe outcomes: Peer-reported victimization did not increase, and well-adjusted children did not increase in aggression. In contrast, both well-adjusted children and their peers with behavior problems increased in teacher-rated social skills, and well-adjusted children increased in leadership. The results suggest that the pairing of well-adjusted children with behavior-problem children in a highly structured program such as Early Risers is a feasible program tactic in which the well-adjusted children may also derive some benefit.
Working with Couples in Primary Care

Couples, whether traditional or nontraditional, are the backbone of family life. They are the unit that produces, nurtures, and raises the next generation. They are connected both to the past through their parents and to the future through their children. They are sometimes the patients and often the customers for the health care of their families. While physicians occasionally see couples for primary care, marital, or relationship counseling, issues having to do with couples more generally permeate the delivery of primary care.
Comparison of Contributing Factors in System Affective Response in a Boolean and Hypertext Bibliographic Database Environment

The present study compares factors of searcher affective response to two bibliographic retrieval systems. One system relied on hypertext linking to facilitate searching, the other a traditional Boolean approach. Eighty-five participants were randomly assigned to either system to perform four search tasks. Data collected from study participants were analyzed using factor analysis. . .
The Intrinsic Motivation of Behavior

Although intrinsic motivation has begun to gain recognition as an important aspect of human motivation, and theories of intrinsic motivation have been developed, very little work has been done to incorporate the concept of intrinsic motivation into a broader theory of motivation. This chapter will use a cognitive perspective to present the basic outline of a general theory of motivation which incorporates intrinsic motivation.
The Effect of Alfalfa Residue Incorporation on Soil Bacterial Communities and the Quantity of Verticillium dahliae Microsclerotia in Potato Fields in the Columbia Basin of Washington State, USA

Verticillium wilt, caused by the soil-borne fungus Verticillium dahliae, is one of the most important diseases of potato in North America. Soil incorporation of alfalfa residues prior to planting potato could be a nonchemical Verticillium wilt management tactic by reducing the number of viable microsclerotia in field soil. Verticillium dahliae microsclerotia were quantified in field soils where organic material from alfalfa was incorporated, and numbers of microsclerotia were compared to fields where alfalfa residue was not incorporated. In addition, bacterial metagenomics was utilized to characterize soils where organic material from alfalfa was or was not incorporated to determine if alfalfa residue incorporation facilitates the formation of soils that suppress or kill V. dahliae microsclerotia. The number of V. dahliae microsclerotia in soil was greater (P = 0.0003) in fields where crop residue was incorporated than fields without incorporation when chloropicrin was used as a fumigant. Conversely, the number of V. dahliae microsclerotia observed in potato plants did not differ (P = 0.4020) between fields where residues were or were not incorporated if chloropicrin was used. Alfalfa residue incorporation did not significantly alter the soil bacterial metagenome compared to fields not subject to residue incorporation in both years of study. Despite these conclusions, the method can be employed to analyze the effect of grower practices with the intent of linking a field practice to increasing soil bacterial diversity and decreasing Verticillium wilt severity on potato.
The Range of the Berezin Transform

We give a description of all functions of the form $$ \sum \limits_{i=1}^N{f}_i{\overline{g}}_i $$ in the range of the Berezin transform, where f i and g i , 1 ≤ i ≤ N, are holomorphic functions on the unit disk 𝔻, which generalizes the corresponding result of Ahern. We also give a very simple proof of the results of Ahern and the results due to Cuckovic and Li who deal with the special case N = 2 and g 2 = z n .
The findings of an empirical study of the application of criminal law in non-terrorist disasters and tragedies ©2017

Abstract The world’s attention was riveted on Savar, Bangladesh on April 24, 2013 when the eight-story Rana Plaza collapsed, killing 1136 and injuring over 2000. Almost all the victims were textile workers. The causes of the collapse were the addition of an unpermitted, poorly engineered four stories coupled with substandard building materials. The building’s owner and factory operators ignored an engineer’s warning of dangerous cracks in the structure the day before the collapse. Instead, workers were ordered back into the building. The aftermath witnessed the arrests of 42 individuals, including the owner of the building, five factory owners, and a dozen national and local officials, including Savar’s mayor. 1 The Bangladesh arrests of those responsible for the Rana Plaza tragedy raise the legal issue of criminal prosecutions in disasters and tragedies arising from both natural and human causes. I noticed in the aftermath of the Rana Plaza collapse an increasing application of criminal law in these incidents, giving rise to several theses: 1) A substantial increase globally in criminal prosecutions in non-terrorist disasters and tragedies in the New Millennium; 2) A high percent of the incidents are in Asia and the Pacific Islands; 3) Several cases include the prosecution of government officials and employees for corruption and other derelictions of duty 2 ; and 4) The surge in prosecutions may be prompted by the ubiquity of smart phones, tablets, and social media. A plausible hypothesis is the increase in hand held digital cameras and cell phones coupled with the advent of social media to globally disseminate incidents, disasters, and tragedies. The New Millennium ushered in smart phones, Google, and the Internet. Popular knowledge and reaction to tragedies prompts a call for action, resulting in prosecutors taking action. 3 This paper presents an analysis of the results of the study. It lays out the need for criminal prosecutions, followed by the methodology. It summarizes the findings, and discusses a few situations which stand out. It also looks at the special case of South Korea, which has been most proactive in responding to incidents, not only with criminal prosecutions, but also with changes in government and society. The full 56-page list at denisbinder.com contains thumbnail sketches of each incident. 4
Spread of the Non-Native Trap-Jaw Ant Anochetus mayri (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Florida

Anochetus mayri, a New World trap-jaw ant, is widespread in South and Central America and the West Indies. The only published records of A. mayri outside the tropics (>23.4° latitude) are from six sites in Florida (25.2° to 26.7°N) and two in the Bahamas (24.4° and 25.1°N), where it appears to be a recently introduced exotic species. The northernmost published record of A. mayri comes from Pine Jog Environmental Learning Center in West Palm Beach, Florida (26.7°N), discovered in 2002. Here, we report 40 additional site records of A. mayri in Florida ranging from 26.7° to 27.8°N in six Florida counties (Palm Beach, Martin, St Lucie, Indian River, Okeechobee, and Highlands). We were surprised to find this otherwise tropical species so widespread and ubiquitous in subtropical areas of Florida north of its previously documented range. At sites where A. mayri is common, it may negatively impact other species.
Human N-acetylgalactosamine-4-sulphate sulphatase. Purification, monoclonal antibody production and native and subunit Mr values

Initial purification of N-acetylgalactosamine-4-sulphate sulphatase from human liver homogenates containing approx. 1 mg of enzyme in 26 g of soluble proteins was achieved by a six-column chromatography procedure and yielded approx. 40 micrograms of a single major protein species. Enzyme thus prepared was used to produce N-acetylgalactosamine-4-sulphate sulphatase-specific monoclonal antibodies. The use of a monoclonal antibody linked to a solid support facilitated the purification of approx. 0.5 mg of N-acetylgalactosamine-4-sulphate sulphatase from a similar liver homogenate. Moreover the enzyme isolated contained a single protein species, shown by SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis to have an Mr of 57,000, which dissociated into subunits of Mr 43,000 and 13,000 in the presence of reducing agents. Essentially identical enzyme preparations were isolated from homogenates of human kidney and lung and from concentrated human urine. The native protein Mr of enzyme from human liver and kidney was assessed by gel-permeation chromatography to be 43,000 on Ultrogel AcA and Bio-Gel P-150. The liver N-acetylgalactosamine-4-sulphate sulphatase was shown to have pH optima of approx. 4 and 5.5 with the oligosaccharide substrate (GalNAc4S-GlcA-GalitolNAc4S) and fluorogenic substrate (methylumbelliferyl sulphate) respectively. Km values of 60 microM and 4 mM and Vmax. values of 2 and 20 mumol/min per mg were determined with the oligosaccharide and fluorogenic substrates respectively.
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness in a Community Sample of Young Children: The Role of Obesity, Asthma, Anxiety/Depression, and Sleep

Study objectives We investigated the prevalence and association of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) with a wide range of factors (e.g., medical complaints, obesity, objective sleep [including sleep disordered breathing], and parent-reported anxiety/depression and sleep difficulties) in a large general population sample of children. Few studies have researched the prevalence and predictors of EDS in young children, none in a general population sample of children, and the results are inconsistent. Design Cross-sectional Setting Population -based. Participants 508 school-aged children from the general population. Interventions N/A. Measurements and results Children underwent a 9-hour polysomnogram (PSG), physical exam, and parent completed health, sleep and psychological questionnaires. Children were divided into 2 groups: those with and without parent reported EDS. The prevalence of subjective EDS was approximately 15%. Significant univariate relationships were found between children with EDS and BMI percentile, waist circumference, heartburn, asthma, and parent reported anxiety/depression, and sleep difficulties. The strongest predictors of EDS were waist circumference, asthma, and parent-reported symptoms of anxiety/depression and trouble falling asleep. All PSG sleep variables including apnea/hypopnea index, caffeine consumption, and allergies were not significantly related to EDS. Conclusions It appears that the presence of EDS is more strongly associated with obesity, asthma, parent reported anxiety/depression, and trouble falling asleep than with sleep disordered breathing (SDB) or objective sleep disruption per se. Our findings suggest that children with EDS should be thoroughly assessed for anxiety/depression, nocturnal sleep difficulties, asthma, obesity, and other metabolic factors, whereas objective sleep findings may not be as clinically useful.
Market power and food safety in the China pork industry

Using data collected from a pork firm survey, we develop a modeling framework and use the conjectural variation method to examine the effect of market power on the food safety of the pork industry in China. Probit models with a two‐step Heckman selection procedure are applied to identify the determinants of the likelihood and degree of food safety violations. Market power is found to reduce the likelihood of violation but not the degree of violation. Other factors such as traceability systems, adoption of risk control systems and industry standards, and the scale and scope of operations also impact food safety violations. Findings suggest that market power in China’s pork industry provides incentives for firms to mitigate risk and improve food safety. However, firms may continue to have challenges in meeting food safety obligations when moving toward mega‐size and product diversification.
Traumatic Fracture of the Pediatric Cervical Spine: Etiology, Epidemiology, Concurrent Injuries, and an Analysis of Perioperative Outcomes Using the Kids' Inpatient Database

ABSTRACT Background: The study aimed to characterize trends in incidence, etiology, fracture types, surgical procedures, complications, and concurrent injuries associated with traumatic pediatric cervical fracture using a nationwide database. Methods: The Kids9 Inpatient Database (KID) was queried. Trauma cases from 2003 to 2012 were identified, and cervical fracture patients were isolated. Demographics, etiologies, fracture levels, procedures, complications, and concurrent injuries were assessed. The t-tests elucidated significance for continuous variables, and χ2 for categoric values. Logistic regressions identified predictors of spinal cord injury (SCI), surgery, any complication, and mortality. Level of significance was P Results: A total of 11 196 fracture patients were isolated (age, 16.63 years; male, 65.7%; white, 65.4%; adolescent, 55.4%). Incidence significantly increased since 2003 (2003 vs 2012, 2.39% vs 3.12%, respectively), as did Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI; 2003 vs 2012, 0.2012 vs 0.4408, respectively). Most common etiology was motor vehicle accidents (50.5%). Infants and children frequently fractured at C2 (closed: 43.1%, 32.9%); adolescents and young adults frequently fractured at C7 (closed: 23.9%, 26.5%). Upper cervical SCI was less common (5.8%) than lower cervical SCI (10.9%). Lower cervical unspecified-SCI, anterior cord syndrome, and other specified SCIs significantly decreased since 2003. Complications were common (acute respiratory distress syndrome, 7.8%; anemia, 6.7%; shock, 3.0%; and mortality, 4.2%), with bowel complications, cauda equina, anemia, and shock rates significantly increasing since 2003. Concurrent injuries were common (15.2% ribs; 14.4% skull; 7.1% pelvis) and have significantly increased since 2003. Predictors of SCI included sports injury and CCI. Predictors of surgery included falls, sports injuries, CCI, length of stay, and SCI. CCI, SCIs, and concurrent injuries were predictors of any complication and mortality, all (P Conclusions: Since 2003, incidence, complications, concurrent injuries, and fusions have increased. CCI, SCI, falls, and sports injuries were significant predictors of surgical intervention. Decreased mortality and SCI rates may indicate improving emergency medical services and management guidelines. Level of Evidence: III Clinical Relevance: Clinicians should be aware of increased case complexity in the onset of added perioperative complications and concurrent injuries. Cervical fractures resultant of sports injuries should be scrutinized for concurrent SCIs.
SEER: Security enhanced entity-relationship model for secure relational databases

In this paper we propose extensions of the ER modeling concepts to address the conceptual modeling of security features and authorization histories in a database. It is designed to serve as the global conceptual model in a federated database environment. In such databases, data belonging to a variety of users under different constraints and security policies is subject to sharing. For the purposes of this paper, we assume that the local databases are relational. We propose a two-layered representation of data, one of which is the traditional ER model, whereas the other layer deals with the history of authorizations. We propose a methodology for dealing with relational databases by first analyzing the local database schemas and then mapping the security constraints appropriately while transforming/integrating each local data model into the global data model. We believe that the proposed conceptual model provides a useful common framework for dealing with the modeling and enforcement of security schemes in federated database environments.
How Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus stably transforms peripheral B cells towards lymphomagenesis.

Primary effusion lymphomas (PELs) are causally associated with Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and 86% of PELs are coinfected with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). Understanding how PELs develop has been impaired by the difficulty of infecting B cells with KSHV in vitro, and the inability of KSHV to transform them. We show that EBV supports an optimal coinfection of 2.5% of peripheral B cells by KSHV. This coinfection requires 1 or more transforming genes of EBV but not entry into KSHV’s lytic cycle. We demonstrate that dually infected B cells are stably transformed in vitro and show that while both viruses can be maintained, different cells exhibit distinct, transformed properties. Transformed cells that grow to predominate in a culture express increased levels of most KSHV genes and differentially express a subset of cellular genes, as do bona fide PEL cells. These dually infected peripheral B cells are thus both stably transformed and allow in vitro molecular dissection of early steps in the progression to lymphomagenesis.
Evaluation of a Digital Image Correlation Bridge Inspection Methodology on Complex Distortion-Induced Fatigue Cracking

Abstract Distortion-induced fatigue cracking in aging steel bridges is a primary concern for many bridge owners and stakeholders, accounting for the majority of fatigue cracks in bridges in the United States. Currently Departments of Transportation primarily use visual inspections to locate and characterize fatigue cracks. However, this approach has drawbacks, as recent studies have shown that visual inspections are not able to consistently identify realistically-sized fatigue cracks in highway infrastructure. Additionally, it requires significant time and cost to perform visual inspections, and both inspectors and the traveling public are placed at risk during the inspection. Bridge owners and stakeholders would benefit from the development of inspection techniques that do not rely on hands-on human visual inspection – to reduce the risks of harm to the inspectors and traveling public, increase reliability, and decrease the time and cost of performing inspections. Vision-based technologies are an active area of research in the field of structural health monitoring, aimed at developing alternatives to manual inspection for identifying damage to transportation infrastructure. The majority of these studies have focused on macro-indicators of damage, including identifying excessive corrosion, concrete deck deterioration, and large displacements due to substructure movement. Digital image correlation (DIC) is one such vision-based technology that shows promise for detecting and characterizing fatigue cracks, but investigations and applications have thus far been limited to simple, in-plane cracking. Three-dimensional DIC measurements have the ability to capture full-field displacements and surface strains, allowing for the potential of identifying and characterizing out-of-plane fatigue cracks, such as those occurring on steel bridges exposed to loading through differential girder displacement. Since the majority of fatigue cracks arise from out-of-plane loading, investigating the efficacy of DIC for detecting distortion-induced fatigue cracks is of clear value. This paper describes an experimental study in which a scaled steel girder-to-cross-frame specimen was cyclically loaded to produce geometrically complex distortion-induced fatigue cracking. To examine the potential usefulness of DIC for future automated bridge inspections the resulting fatigue cracks were characterized using DIC and visual inspection. The methodology applied proved successful at quantifying certain aspects of the complex, bifurcating cracks, but had difficulty characterizing crack segments that are no longer actively loaded. Additional work is needed to improve the accuracy and reliability of the crack detection results for this technology to potentially be used as an automated inspection tool in the future.
Data Collection and Research

Collecting sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) information is important for delivering patient-centered care to individuals and for ensuring that programs and processes meet the needs of sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations. Within any hospital, clinic, or health care system, the electronic health record (EHR) may or may not include fields for recording SOGI demographic information. There are limited population-based data and large-scale research initiatives that include variables to identify lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals. Consequently, the full scope of health disparities, individual health needs, and other issues faced by LGBTQ people have not been not adequately characterized on the population level. This chapter discusses the implications of inadequate data in health records and research and opportunities for improvement. Examples of satisfactory clinical data collection practices can be found in Chap. 3.
Title IX Requires Equal Opportunity, Not Equal Programs

(1977). Title IX Requires Equal Opportunity, Not Equal Programs. Journal of Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 48, No. 1, pp. 19-22.
Applying a Random Projection Algorithm to Optimize Machine Learning Model for Breast Lesion Classification

Objective: Since computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) schemes of medical images usually computes large number of image features, which creates a challenge of how to identify a small and optimal feature vector to build robust machine learning models, the objective of this study is to investigate feasibility of applying a random projection algorithm (RPA) to build an optimal feature vector from the initially CAD-generated large feature pool and improve performance of machine learning model. Methods: We assemble a retrospective dataset involving 1,487 cases of mammograms in which 644 cases have confirmed malignant mass lesions and 843 have benign lesions. A CAD scheme is first applied to segment mass regions and initially compute 181 features. Then, support vector machine (SVM) models embedded with several feature dimensionality reduction methods are built to predict likelihood of lesions being malignant. All SVM models are trained and tested using a leave-one-case-out cross-validation method. SVM generates a likelihood score of each segmented mass region depicting on one-view mammogram. By fusion of two scores of the same mass depicting on two-view mammograms, a case-based likelihood score is also evaluated. Results: Comparing with the principle component analyses, nonnegative matrix factorization, and Chi-squared methods, SVM embedded with RPA yielded a significantly higher case-based lesion classification performance with the area under ROC curve of 0.84 ± 0.01 (p Conclusion: The study demonstrates that RPA is a promising method to generate optimal feature vectors and improve SVM performance. Significance: This study presents a new method to develop CAD schemes with significantly higher and robust performance.
Admission base deficit is superior to lactate in identifying shock and resuscitative needs in trauma patients.

Abstract Background Base Deficit (BD) and lactate have been used as indicators of shock and resuscitation. This study was done to evaluate the utility of BD and lactate in identifying shock and resuscitative needs in trauma patients. Methods A prospective observational study was performed from 3/2014-12/2018. Data included demographics, admission systolic BP, ISS, BD, lactate, blood transfusion, and outcomes. BD and lactate were modeled continuously and categorically and compared. Results 2271 patients were included. BD and lactate were moderately correlated (r2 = 0.63 p Conclusions Admission BD and lactate levels are correlated following injury, but BD is superior to lactate in identifying shock, resuscitative needs and mortality in severely injured trauma patients.
Integrating structure, information architecture and control design: Application to tensegrity systems

Abstract A novel unified approach to jointly optimize structural design parameters, actuator and sensor precision, and controller parameters is presented in this paper. The joint optimization problem is posed as a covariance control problem, where feasibility is achieved by bounding the covariance of the output as well as that of the control signals. The formulation is used to design a tensegrity system, where the initial prestress parameters, sensor and actuator precisions, and the control law are jointly optimized. Tensegrity system dynamics models linearized about an equilibrium point are used for system design, where minimality is ensured by constraint projection. The feedback loop is assumed to have a full-order dynamic compensator with its characteristic matrices chosen as optimization variables. The suboptimal solution of this non-convex system design problem is found by iterating over an approximated convex problem through the use of a convexifying potential function that enables the convergence to a stationary point. It is shown that for a linear dynamical system, the approximated joint optimization problem can be formulated using Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs).
Patterns of failure after definitive treatment for T4a larynx cancer in the Veterans Affairs Health System.

e18006Background: Both chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and total laryngectomy (TL) with adjuvant therapy are curative-intent treatment options for patients with T4a larynx cancer. Disease recurrence is a k...
Day-ahead Operational Scheduling with Enhanced Flexible Ramping Product: Design and Analysis

New resource mix, e.g., renewable resources, are imposing operational complexities to modern power systems by intensifying uncertainty and variability in the system net load. This issue has motivated independent system operators (ISOs), e.g., California ISO (CAISO), to add flexible ramping products (FRPs) to their day-ahead (DA) market models. Such structural changes in the DA market formulation require further analyses and detailed design to ensure adequate operational flexibility, market efficiency, and reliability. This paper conducts a comprehensive study to: (a) augment existing DA market models with enhanced FRP design to schedule ramp capabilities that are more adaptive with respect to the real-time (RT) 15-min net load variability and uncertainty, and (b) design corresponding market payment policies that accurately reflect the value of the added flexibility through enhanced FRP design. The proposed FRP design can be implemented in present-day system operations with minimal disruption to existing DA market models. Performance of the proposed DA market model, which includes the enhanced FRP design, is compared against the DA market model with existing FRP design through a validation methodology based on RT unit commitment model. This validation methodology mimics fifteen-minute markets of CAISO. The proposed method is tested on an IEEE 118-bus test system.
Multi-phase-field microporomechanics model for simulating ice lens growth and thaw in frozen soil

This article presents a multi-phase-field poromechanics model that simulates the growth and thaw of ice lenses and the resultant frozen heave and thaw settlement in multi-constituent frozen soils. In this model, the growth of segregated ice inside the freezing-induced fracture is implicitly represented by the evolution of two phase fields that indicate the locations of segregated ice and the damaged zone, respectively. The evolution of two phase fields are driven by the driving forces that capture the physical mechanisms of ice and crack growths respectively, while the phase field governing equations are coupled with the balance laws such that the coupling among heat transfer, solid deformation, fluid diffusion, crack growth, and phase transition can be observed numerically. Unlike phenomenological approaches that indirectly captures the freezing influence on the shear strength, the multi-phase-field model introduces an immersed approach where both the homogeneous freezing and the ice lens growth are distinctively captured by the freezing characteristic function and the driving force accordingly. Verification and validation examples are provided to demonstrate the capacities of the proposed models.
Seepage under Structure on N Strata of Soil

A solution is developed for the discharge under a structure resting on N strata of equal thickness. The solution is an asymptotic approximation of the exact solution for large values of the structure length. However, because neglected terms are exponentially small it is accurate for a very wide range of conditions. Because successive strata can have equal permeability the solution can be applied to almost any combination of strata thicknesses and permeabilities.
Supporting Graduate Student Instructors in Calculus

This paper focuses on the use of the teaching method Peer-Assisted Reflection (PAR) to help graduate student instructors (GSIs) develop as teachers. PAR engages students in analyzing the work of their peers and providing feedback to promote their abilities of communication, collaboration, and persistence. The goals of the PAR activity were taken as goals for instruction generally, and used to support the GSIs to develop student-centered pedagogies. This report provides in depth case studies of two of four GSIs involved in implementing PAR in their introductory calculus recitation sections. Two of the GSIs showed considerable changes in practices and beliefs, while the others showed little growth.
Correlation of the effects of dexamethasone administration on urinary 17-ketosteroid and serum androgen levels in patients with hirsutism

Total 24 hour urinary 17-ketosteroid and serum testosterone (T), androstenedione (delta), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DS), and cortisol levels were measured before and during four days of dexamethasone administration in 28 hirsute patients and 10 women with normal ovulatory cycles. Both the base-line urinary 17-ketosteroids and serum androgen levels were significantly higher (p less than 0.05) in hirsute than in normal subjects. Cortisol levels were similar in the two groups. Dexamethasone administration resulted in a significant suppression (p less than 0.05) of all the urinary and serum androgen and cortisol levels in both groups. At the end of suppression the serum DHEA, DS and cortisol levels were similar, while the urinary 17-ketosteroids and serum T and delta levels were still significantly higher (p less than 0.05) in the hirsute than in normal women. There was poor correlation between total urinary 17-ketosteroid and serum androgen results. These finding suggest there is a dual abnormality of androgen production in hirsute patients. The adrenal glands appear to secrete increased quatities of DHEA and DA, while the ovaries appear to produce elevated amounts of T and delta.