cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
in vitro Evaluation of the Cytotoxic Potential of a Novel Man-Made Fiber, Calcium Sodium Metaphosphate Fiber (Phosphate Fiber)

As part of a comprehensive effort to evaluate the toxicological potential of calcium sodium metaphosphate fiber (Phosphate Fiber), the in vitro cytotoxicity of the fiber in cultured cells was studied. Two pulmonary-derived cell systems (rat alveolar macrophages, RAM; rat lung epithelial cells, LEC) and an established cell line (Chinese hamster ovary, CHO) were used. Release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was used as an endpoint for cytotoxicity for all three cell types. In addition, inhibition of colony formation was used for CHO cells. The cytotoxicity of Phosphate Fiber was compared to a variety of mineral dusts and fibers including chrysotile asbestos, crocidolite asbestos, two glass fibers, calcium sulfate fiber, titanium dioxide, as well as the nonfibrous raw material, calcium sodium metaphosphate glass. Results with all three cell culture systems demonstrated that the Phosphate Fiber was less cytotoxic than the two asbestos fibers, similar in cytotoxicity to the glass fibers, and more cytotoxic than the calcium sulfate fiber and titanium dioxide. To further investigate the cytotoxicity of the Phosphate Fiber, it was fractionated by sedimentation into small and large fibers. The small Phosphate Fiber was found to be more cytotoxic and the large Phosphate Fiber to be less cytotoxic than the unfractionated Phosphate Fiber. The in vitro data suggest that Phosphate Fiber is less cytotoxic than asbestos, but further determination of safety can only be made after the in vivo data have been obtained.
Simultaneous Quality and Reliability Optimization for Microengines Subject to Degradation

Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) represent an exciting new technology, but to achieve more widespread usage and wider adoption within more industrial applications, they must be highly reliable, and manufactured to stringent quality standards. Many challenging manufacturing issues are of concern during the fabrication of MEMS, such as precise dimensional inspection, reliability modeling, burn-in scheduling, avoiding stiction, and maintenance strategies. However, only limited mathematical tools for improving MEMS reliability, quality, and productivity are currently available. This paper proposes a mathematical model to jointly determine inspection & preventive replacement policies for surface-micromachined microengines subject to wear degradation, which is a major failure mechanism for certain MEMS devices. The optimal specification limits for inspection, and the replacement interval are determined by simultaneously optimizing MEMS quality and reliability. The proposed model can be used as a tool for decision-makers in MEMS manufacturing to make sound economical and operational decisions on reliability, quality, and productivity. While illustrated considering one specific microengine design, the proposed model can be applied to a broader range of MEMS devices that experience wear degradation between rubbing surfaces.
The effects of ellagic acid and vitamin E succinate on antioxidant enzymes activities and glutathione levels in different brain regions of rats after subchronic exposure to TCDD.

Ellagic acid (EA) and vitamin E succinate (VES) were previously shown to protect against 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction in certain brain regions of rats after subchronic exposure. The current study was designed to assess the modulation of antioxidant enzyme activities and glutathione (GSH) levels as protective measures for VES and EA against TCDD-induced ROS overproduction in four regions of rat brain. TCDD was administered to groups of rats at a daily dose of 46 ng/kg for 90 d. EA and VES were administered to some other groups of rats either alone or simultaneously with TCDD, every other day for 90 d. At the end of the treatment period, animals were sacrificed and brain regions were dissected, including cerebral cortex (Cc), hippocampus (H), cerebellum (C), and brainstem (Bs), for assay of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities, as well as GSH levels. While treatment of rats with VES al...
‘All in the extended family’: the Pandora's box of conservatism and fascism reopened

The article attempts to reanalyze the relationships between conservatism and fascism in a historical and comparative perspective. This analysis is premised on the view that to fully understand and explain conservatism requires reexamining its comparative-historical relations to fascism, and, alternatively, understanding and explaining the second presupposes taking account of the first. The thrust of the issue is whether and to what extent conservatism constitutes or develops into fascism, and, conversely, whether the latter represents or results from the former. The central argument and finding is that under certain social conditions and historical constellations conservatism eventually evolves into or functions as fascism. Alternatively, fascism universally represents and reproduces conservatism.
Species- and Dose-Specific Pancreatic Responses and Progression in Single- and Repeat-Dose Studies with GI181771X A Novel Cholecystokinin 1 Receptor Agonist in Mice, Rats, and Monkeys

Compound-induced pancreatic injury is a serious liability in preclinical toxicity studies. However, its relevance to humans should be cautiously evaluated because of interspecies variations. To highlight such variations, we evaluated the species- and dose-specific pancreatic responses and progression caused by GI181771X, a novel cholecystokinin 1 receptor agonist investigated by GlaxoSmithKline for the treatment of obesity. Acute (up to 2,000 mg/kg GI181771X, as single dose) and repeat-dose studies in mice and/or rats (0.25–250 mg/kg/day for 7 days to 26 weeks) showed wideranging morphological changes in the pancreas that were dose and duration dependent, including necrotizing pancreatitis, acinar cell hypertrophy/ atrophy, zymogen degranulation, focal acinar cell hyperplasia, and interstitial inflammation. In contrast to rodents, pancreatic changes were not observed in cynomolgus monkeys given GI181771X (1–500 mg/kg/day with higher systemic exposure than rats) for up to 52 weeks. Similarly, no GI181771X treatment-associated abnormalities in pancreatic structure were noted in a 24-week clinical trial with obese patients (body mass index >30 or >27 kg/m 2 ) as assessed by abdominal ultrasound or by magnetic resonance imaging. Mechanisms for interspecies variations in the pancreatic response to CCK among rodents, monkeys, and humans and their relevance to human risk are discussed.
Seasonal and Daily Fluctuations in the Incidence of Blood Spots

Abstract THE incidence of blood spots in the eggs of chickens has been found to be affected by heredity (Quinn and Godfrey, 1940; Lerner and Smith, 1942; Jeffrey and Pino, 1943; Nalbandov and Card, 1944), by a dietary factor apparently related to range feeding (Card and Nalbandov, 1944), by management (caged birds producing fewer blood spots than birds kept on the floor, according to Jeffrey and Pino, 1943), and by season. With respect to the latter, Lerner and Smith (1942) as well as Nalbandov and Card (1944) observed an increase in the incidence of blood spots from the first fall of laying until late spring and summer, while Jeffrey (1945) found a decreasing seasonal trend. In addition to the work on these factors various investigators demonstrated the independence of blood-spot incidence from egg production, body weight and egg weight (Quinn and Godfrey, 1940), from morbidity of the birds (Lerner, 1946), from . . .
On a homotopy equivalence between the 2-local geometry and the Bouc complex for the sporadic group McL

We study the homotopy relation between the standard 2-local geometry Δ and the Bouc complex for the sporadic finite simple group McL.
Marrow fat and preadipocyte factor‐1 levels decrease with recovery in women with anorexia nervosa

Women with anorexia nervosa (AN) have elevated marrow fat mass despite low visceral and subcutaneous fat depots, which is inversely associated with bone mineral density (BMD). Whether marrow fat mass remains persistently elevated or decreases with recovery from AN is currently unknown. In this study, we investigated changes in marrow fat in women who have recovered from AN (AN-R). We also studied the relationship between preadipocyte factor (Pref)-1-a member of the EGF-like family of proteins and regulator of adipocyte and osteoblast differentiation-and fat depots and BMD in AN-R compared with women with AN and healthy controls (HC). We studied 29 women: 14 with active or recovered AN (30.7 + 2.2 years [mean ± SEM]) and 15 normal-weight controls (27.8 ± 1.2 years). We measured marrow adipose tissue (MAT) of the L4 vertebra and femur by (1) H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy; BMD of the spine, hip, and total body by DXA; and serum Pref-1 and leptin levels. We found that MAT of the L4 vertebra was significantly lower in AN-R compared with AN (p = 0.03) and was comparable to levels in HC. Pref-1 levels were also significantly lower in AN-R compared with AN (p = 0.02) and comparable to levels in healthy controls. Although Pref-1 was positively associated with MAT of the L4 vertebra in AN (R = 0.94; p = 0.002), we found that it was inversely associated with MAT of the L4 vertebra in HC (R = -0.71; p = 0.004). Therefore, we have shown that MAT and Pref-1 levels decrease with recovery from AN. Our data suggest that Pref-1 may have differential effects in states of nutritional deprivation compared with nutritional sufficiency.
Uniform comparison of configuration management data models

The data models of a series of 11 configuration management systems--of varying type and complexity--are represented using containment data models. Containment data models are a specialized form of entityrelationship model in which entities may be containers or atoms, and the only permitted form of relationship is inclusion or referential containment. By using entities to represent the native abstractions of each system, and containment relationships to model inclusion and identifier references, systems can be modeled uniformly, permitting consistent cross-comparison of systems.
The Spatial and Reproductive Ecology of the Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) at the Northeastern Extreme of Its Range

Abstract We studied the spatial and reproductive ecology of a population of Copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix), a North American pitviper, in a basalt trap-rock ecosystem in the central Connecticut River Valley, a region that constitutes the northeastern extreme of this species' geographic range. Adult males (n = 20) and females (n = 15) were surgically implanted with radio-transmitters and tracked every 48 h during the active season (April through October) for three consecutive years (2001 to 2003). From late autumn to early spring (November through March), when snakes were hibernating and thus inactive, tracking was reduced to once per week. We generated data on movement and other spatial parameters for each subject using GPS coordinates. There were significant sex differences in activity range size and multiple movement parameters. Throughout the active season males had greater activity range sizes and showed greater movement than females. This trend was pronounced during the mating season, which...
A paradigm for multidisciplinary disaster research: the oklahoma city experience

The objective of this article is to describe the creation and operation of a multidisciplinary group to examine the Oklahoma City (OKC) bombing. The OKC bombing presented an opportunity to study a major disaster within 2 days of the incident. The Disaster Health Studies Group (DHSG) was created to facilitate this effort. The creation, organization, and operation of the DHSG is outlined. In addition the mission statement, participants, communications, political empowerment, data preservation and collection, data ownership, patient rights, threats to the DHSG, media interactions, funding, the institutional review board process, and results reporting will be detailed. The 22 projects of the DHSG are listed. In conclusion, four main findings are examined: 1) A multidisciplinary disaster study group is feasible and can be rapidly organized; 2) certain organizations and institutions form a core group for facilitation of the research effort; 3) specific issues must be addressed in order for the group to succeed; and 4) the group leader should have disaster expertise and be committed to the multidisciplinary process.
Developing a natural language processing application for measuring the quality of colonoscopy procedures

Objective The quality of colonoscopy procedures for colorectal cancer screening is often inadequate and varies widely among physicians. Routine measurement of quality is limited by the costs of manual review of free-text patient charts. Our goal was to develop a natural language processing (NLP) application to measure colonoscopy quality. Materials and methods Using a set of quality measures published by physician specialty societies, we implemented an NLP engine that extracts 21 variables for 19 quality measures from free-text colonoscopy and pathology reports. We evaluated the performance of the NLP engine on a test set of 453 colonoscopy reports and 226 pathology reports, considering accuracy in extracting the values of the target variables from text, and the reliability of the outcomes of the quality measures as computed from the NLP-extracted information. Results The average accuracy of the NLP engine over all variables was 0.89 (range: 0.62–1.0) and the average F measure over all variables was 0.74 (range: 0.49–0.89). The average agreement score, measured as Cohen's κ, between the manually established and NLP-derived outcomes of the quality measures was 0.62 (range: 0.09–0.86). Discussion For nine of the 19 colonoscopy quality measures, the agreement score was 0.70 or above, which we consider a sufficient score for the NLP-derived outcomes of these measures to be practically useful for quality measurement. Conclusion The use of NLP for information extraction from free-text colonoscopy and pathology reports creates opportunities for large scale, routine quality measurement, which can support quality improvement in colonoscopy care.
CTH16-2: Linear Joint Source-Channel Coding for Gaussian Sources through Fading Channels

We consider the linear coding of a discrete memoryless Gaussian source transmitted through a discrete memoryless fading channel with additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN). The goal is to minimize the mean squared error (MSE) of the source reconstruction at the destination subject to an average power constraint imposed on the channel input symbols. We show that among all single-letter (or symbol-by-symbol) codes, linear coding achieves the smallest MSE, and is thus optimal. But when block length increases, the linear coding still shares the same performance with the single-letter coding, and thus can not approach the Shannon's bound. In spite of the suboptimality, the performance loss of linear coding compared to the optimal coding can be quantitively bounded in terms of the variance of the fading gain and the average transmit power. We also show that for linear coding, when there is no transmitter channel state information (CSI), uniform power allocation is optimal, and in the presence of transmitter CSI, the optimal power allocation can be analytically solved in terms of the channel fading gains and the average power budget.
The Rise and Fall of Ace Records: A Case Study in the Independent Record Business

The record industry in the United States was controlled until the 1950s by a half dozen major companies, which produced music directed primarily toward the white middle class. The following article uses the history of Ace Records, a small, regional, independent company, to examine the nature of the record industry in the 1950s and 1960s. The article explains the shifts in demography and technology that made possible the growth of the independents, as well as the obstacles and events that made their demise more likely. It also traces the changes that such companies, by recording and promoting rhythm and blues and early rock ‘n’ roll, introduced to the cultural mainstream.
High cervical instability in adult patients with Down syndrome.

tlantoaxial instability (AAI) and less commonly occipitoatlantal instability (OAI) are part of the spectrum of A Down syndrome (4). AAI and OAI can be found in 70% of patients with Down syndrome (1-3, 7, 8). The constellation of symptoms associated with these disease processes range from neck pain to instability with severe cord compression and myelopathy. Because of the increased life expectancy of patients with Down syndrome, screening for AAI and OAI in adults may be prudent.
Post-fledging survival of northern goshawks: the importance of prey abundance, weather, and dispersal.

Effective wildlife conservation strategies require an understanding of how fluctuating environmental conditions affect sensitive life stages. As part of a long-term study, we examined post-fledging and post-independence survival of 89 radio-marked ju- venile Northern Goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) produced from 48 nests in northern Arizona, USA, during 1998-2001. Information-theoretic methods were used to examine within- and among-year variation in survival relative to environmental (prey abundance, weather), territory (hatching date, brood size), and individual (gender, body mass) sources of variation. The results support age- and cohort-specific differences in survival that were best explained by behaviors occurring at distinct stages of juvenile development, annual changes in the density of primary bird and mammal prey species, and gender-related differences in body mass. Survival between fledging and independence increased linearly with age and varied among annual cohorts of radio-marked juveniles from 0.81 (95% CI 5 0.60-0.93) to 1.00 (95% CI 5 0.95-1.00) in association with annual differences in prey density; the slope coefficient for the additive effect of prey density on survival was 1.12 (95% CI 5 0.06- 2.19). Survival declined to 0.71 (95% CI 5 0.60-0.93) shortly after juveniles initiated dispersal (weeks 8-12 post-fledging) and moved to more open habitats at lower elevations. Survival was not closely associated with weather or territory-level parameters. A compar- ison of the predictions of environmental-, territory-, and individual-based models of survival demonstrated that food availability was the primary factor limiting juvenile survival. This finding indicates that forest management prescriptions designed to support abundant prey populations while providing forest structural conditions that allow goshawks to access their prey within breeding areas should benefit juvenile survival.
Effects of Estrogen on Leukocyte Adhesion After Transient Forebrain Ischemia

Background and Purpose —Recent findings indicate that estrogen (ie, 17β-estradiol [E2]) provides neuroprotection in models of transient global and focal ischemia. Enhanced postischemic leukocyte adhesion and infiltration have been linked to neuropathology in the brain as well as other tissues. We recently showed that estrogen reduces leukocyte adhesion in the cerebral circulation of female rats during resting conditions. Methods —We compared leukocyte adhesion in pial venules in vivo in intact, ovariectomized (OVX), and E2-treated OVX female rats subjected to transient forebrain ischemia (30-minute right common carotid artery occlusion and hemorrhagic hypotension) and reperfusion. Adherent rhodamine-6G–labeled leukocytes were viewed through a closed cranial window with the use of intravital microscopy. Leukocyte adhesion was measured before ischemia and at different times after reperfusion. Results —Before ischemia, leukocyte adhesion (measured as a percentage of venular area occupied by adherent leukocytes) was 2 to 3 times greater in OVX versus intact or E2-treated OVX rats (7.0%, 3.4%, and 2.2%, respectively). This difference disappeared at 120 minutes of reperfusion, when comparable levels of enhanced leukocyte adhesion were observed in all groups. In OVX rats, leukocyte adhesion remained elevated after 4 and 6 hours of reperfusion (11.6% and 12.9%, respectively), while the other 2 groups showed significantly lower levels (5.0% and 5.8% for intact rats and 7.0% and 7.2% for E2-treated OVX rats). Conclusions —Present results demonstrate that estrogen modulates leukocyte adhesion in the cerebral circulation after transient forebrain ischemia. This effect suggests that decreased leukocyte adhesion may be an important mechanism in estrogen-mediated neuroprotection.
Does Discourse Matter in the Politics of Welfare State Adjustment

In the reform of the welfare state, countries' experiences depend not only on their economics, institutions, and policy responses but also on politics, that is, on governments' ability to gain agreement for reform through discourse, understood as both a set of ideas and an interactive process. This article seeks to show not only how discourse matters but also when it matters, that is, when it acts as a causal influence on welfare reform, altering perceptions of interests and overcoming institutional obstacles to change. It demonstrates this through the examination of three matched sets of cases in which the presence of a coherent discourse contributed to the success of welfare state reform and its absence contributed to its failure. The matched pairs are Britain and New Zealand, the Netherlands and Germany, and Italy and France.
Hospital Readmission From Post-Acute Care Facilities: Risk Factors, Timing, and Outcomes

Abstract Objectives Hospital discharges to post-acute care (PAC) facilities have increased rapidly. This increase may lead to more hospital readmissions from PAC facilities, which are common and poorly understood. We sought to determine the risk factors and timing for hospital readmission from PAC facilities and evaluate the impact of readmission on patient outcomes. Design Retrospective analysis of Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) from 2003–2009. Setting The MCBS is a nationally representative survey of beneficiaries matched with claims data. Participants Community-dwelling beneficiaries who were hospitalized and discharged to a PAC facility for rehabilitation. Intervention/Exposure Potential readmission risk factors included patient demographics, health utilization, active medical conditions at time of PAC admission, and PAC characteristics. Measurements Hospital readmission during the PAC stay, return to community residence, and all-cause mortality. Results Of 3246 acute hospitalizations followed by PAC facility stays, 739 (22.8%) included at least 1 hospital readmission. The strongest risk factors for readmission included impaired functional status (HR 4.78, 95% CI 3.21–7.10), markers of increased acuity such as need for intravenous medications in PAC (1.63, 1.39–1.92), and for-profit PAC ownership (1.43, 1.21–1.69). Readmitted patients had a higher mortality rate at both 30 days (18.9% vs 8.6%, P P Conclusions Hospital readmission from PAC facilities is common and associated with a high mortality rate. Readmission risk factors may signify inadequate transitional care processes or a mismatch between patient needs and PAC resources.
Do Faculty Matter? Effects of Faculty Participation in University Decisions

This paper models faculty participation in university decision-making and the effects on enrollment, academic quality and non-academic quality. The model predicts that faculty participation positively academic quality and non-academic quality. The model predicts that faculty participation positively affects student enrollment and investments in academic quality. Without faculty involvment in decision making, universities may choose to overinvest in non-academic quality (e.g. athletics, recreational activities) relative to academic quality. If academic quality provides positive externalities as the economic literature indicates, then faculty involvment in decision-making is socially preferred to having decisions made only by university administrators.
Crisis, Rationality, and Institutions: How Communities Cope with Unpleasant Surprises without Collapsing

This paper develops a model of crisis and collapse, which is used to analyze the relative survivability of communities with alternative political institutions. The analysis suggests that communities with relatively democratic, decentralized, and flexible crisis managemen systems tend to do better than those with rigid, centralized crisis management systems because they are less likely to deplete the social reserves necessary for survival in the long run. Existential problems examined include both natural shocks and policy mistakes.
What's In? What's Out? What's All the Fuss About? Maryland's Elective Share in Light of Schoukroun v. Karsenty, 177 Md. App. 615 (2007), (Cert. Granted April 9, 2008)

When a Maryland decedent dies with a surviving spouse, the surviving spouse is entitled by law to a minimum amount of the decedent's estate. This amount is the surviving spouse's statutory elective share (herein statutory share) and is defined by the Maryland statute as "one-third share of the net estate if there is also a surviving issue or one-half of the net estate if there is no surviving issue." The "net estate" is specifically defined to mean "property of the decedent passing by testate succession,..." Md. Est. & Trust §3-203. Maryland is one of 19 states adhering to a statutory share method that calculates spousal protection as a percentage of probate assets. The obvious problem with this method is that asset ownership just isn't that simple. Individuals engage in non-probate arrangements such as trusts, joint ownership, life insurance, and retirement, oftentimes making up the bulk of one's estate, Non-probate assets are not addressed by Maryland's statute.
Clinical Pharmacy and Unit Dose for the Small Hospital

Nursing service wanted a system that would reduce the work load of nursing personnel and place the medication responsibilities on the pharmacist. After a study was completed, we found that the nurse was spending the majority of her time preparing medications to be given.The unit dose system gives the medication responsibility to the pharmacist and gives the nurse more time for patient care. In the pharmacy, medications are prepared by technicians and checked by a pharmacist, then rechecked by a nurse before they are issued to the patient.One nurse gives routine medications throughout the hospital. A nurse for each unit is assigned to give the PRN's and also to give patient care.The patients have noticed a change in our distribution of medications. The patients get their PRN medications when they ask for them, not five or ten minutes later, and routine medications are given on schedule.The business office has noticed a reduction in their work load, because the pharmacy charges are turned in every third day...
Graphical user interfaces as updatable views

In contrast to a traditional setting where users express queries against the database schema, we assert that the semantics of data can often be understood by viewing the data in the context of the user interface (UI) of the software tool used to enter the data. That is, we believe that users will understand the data in a database by seeing the labels, drop-down menus, tool tips, help text, control contents, and juxtaposition or arrangement of controls that are built in to the user interface. Our goal is to allow domain experts with little technical skill to understand and query data. In this dissertation, we present our GUi As View (Guava) framework and describe how we use forms-based UIs to generate a conceptual model that represents the information in the user interface. We then describe how we generate a query interface from the conceptual model. We characterize the resulting query language using a subset of relational algebra. Since most application developers want to craft a physical database to meet desired performance needs independent of the schema used by the user interface, we subsequently present a general-purpose schema mapping tool called a channel that can be configured by instantiating a sequence of discrete transformations. Each transformation is an encapsulation of a physical design decision or business logic process. The channel, once configured, automatically transforms queries from our query interface into queries that address the underlying physical database, similar to a view. The channel also transforms data updates, schema updates, and constraint definitions posed against the channel's input schema into equivalent forms against the physical schema. We present formal definitions of each transformation and properties that must be true of transformations, and prove that our definitions respect the properties.
Steps Toward Transformation: One College’s Achieving The Dream Story

ABSTRACTTarrant County College’s Achieving the Dream transformation has not only changed the college but all who engaged in the initiative. In four years, through ATD TCC became a college with one purpose, one goal, and one focus—student success through data informed decision making. From TCC Chancellor Dr. Erma Johnson Hadley to campus administrators, faculty, and staff, the college embraced the call for systemic change and fully engaged in the step by step process. Personnel throughout the college reported widespread satisfaction with senior leadership and viewed collaborations with colleagues across the district as beneficial and personally rewarding. Tireless endeavors to wholly engage stakeholders, build a culture of evidence, and employ effective student success interventions through ATD not only transformed TCC but ushered the college onto the national stage with Leader College recognition. The college’s next steps include keeping that momentum going and building on what it has accomplished.
Next Generation Rabies Vaccines

Publisher Summary For the past two decades, investigators are searching for alternative rabies vaccines that have all the advantages of the killed or modified-live (attenuated) rabies virus vaccines for total stimulation of the immune response in animals and humans, without the undesirable side effects sometimes associated with conventional rabies virus vaccines. With the present high-quality cell-culture rabies vaccines for humans that are virtually 100% efficacious when they are used in accordance with the present WHO recommendations for pre- or post-exposure vaccination, one could say that there is little need to develop a more efficacious human rabies vaccine. The principal reason that alternative rabies vaccines are being researched for development is that inexpensive vaccines are desperately needed in developing countries to replace the present nerve tissue origin (NTO) rabies vaccines. Therefore, new rabies vaccines must be developed, which are inexpensive enough, possibly requiring one or two administrations, by oral or parenteral inoculation routes, to vaccinate millions of people at risk following exposure, especially in canine rabies endemic countries. Oral vaccines have certain attractiveness, particularly for humans in developing countries, as they can be administered more rapidly in mass vaccination programs, as was done in the worldwide campaign to eradicate poliovirus.
Diagnosis and Management of Symptoms from a Psychological Perspective

This review of symptoms that represent psychological distress is written in such a way that clinicians can recognise and apply the interventions. It also covers the situations in which it would be helpful to ask for psychiatric consultation. The first thing to keep in mind is that you are generally dealing with psychologically healthy individuals who are facing a serious or even catastrophic event. For these individuals, you, as the physician responsible for their care and treatment, are in the best position to offer the information about illness, treatment and expectations. When conveyed with a sense of concern and compassion, this will be sufficient to support most patients psychologically through the crises of illness. It is good to remember, however, that even the most courageous and strong individuals in the face of unremitting pain may show severe signs of psychological distress. These resilient individuals can be identified by their history of facing previous life crises and illnesses with a mature and direct response. Other individuals, also readily apparent by history and manner of coping poorly, can be expected to tolerate even mild levels of discomfort and stress with difficulty. They need to be recognised early and earmarked for early support and intervention, which may prevent problems later. Since patients who are coping better, alone or assisted, are more apt to comply with their medical treatment and participate well in their care, it behooves the oncologist to pay attention to this aspect of patient care, since it impacts not only on the quality of the patient’s life while being treated, but also contributes to the outcome of treatment itself. This chapter, and the ones by Maguire on distress and recognition of it, attempt to equip the clinician to use the present knowledge in this area of his practice.
Abstract 493: Quantity of KRAS mutations in cell-free DNA is associated with survival of patients with advanced cancers

Background: Cell-free (cf) DNA from plasma offers an easily obtainable material for KRAS mutation analysis for diagnostics and monitoring. There is emerging evidence that the percentage of mutant cfDNA in the wild-type background (mutant allele fraction, MAF) and/or absolute quantity of mutant cfDNA can be associated with survival of patients with advanced cancers. Methods: Plasma-derived cfDNA from patients with progressing advanced cancers was purified and 16 ng of DNA was tested with a KRAS multiplex assay to distinguish the wild-type allele from 7 of the most common mutations in the G12 and G13 hotspot of exon 2 using the QX200 Droplet Digital PCR™ platform (Bio-Rad). Results were compared to mutation analysis of archival primary or metastatic tumor tissue obtained at different points of clinical care from a CLIA-certified laboratory and clinical outcomes including survival. Results: Of the 117 patients (colorectal cancer, 71; non-small cell lung cancer, 12; melanoma, 10; pancreatic cancer, 5; ovarian cancer, 5; appendiceal cancer, 5; other cancers, 9), KRAS mutations were detected in 85 (73%) archival FFPE tumor samples and 85 (73%) plasma cfDNA samples. The two methods had overall agreement in 109 patients (93%; kappa, 0.83, standard error, 0.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.71-0.94), sensitivity of 95% (95% CI, 0.88-0.99), specificity of 88% (95% CI, 0.71-0.96), even though median time from tissue to blood sampling was 18.5 months (1.1-134.4 months). A higher MAF (>7%) of KRAS in cfDNA as determined by 5% trimmed mean value was associated with shorter survival compared to lower ( Conclusions: A higher percentage of KRAS mutation in plasma cfDNA is an independent predictive factor for shorter survival in patients with advanced cancers. Citation Format: Kiran Madwani, Helen J. Huang, Dawne N. Shelton, Siqing Fu, Apostolia M. Tsimberidou, Sarina A. Piha-Paul, Aung Naing, David S. Hong, Daniel D. Karp, Debra L. Andrews, Goran Cabrilo, E. Scott Kopetz, Rajyalakshmi Luthra, Bryan K. Kee, Cathy Eng, Van K. Morris, George A. Karlin-Neumann, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Filip Janku. Quantity of KRAS mutations in cell-free DNA is associated with survival of patients with advanced cancers. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 493.
Disparities in prevalence rates for lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers in Medicaid.

Background: Given previous reports of variations in prevalence of cancer in low-income individuals, we sought to determine if disparities in cancer prevalence existed in a similarly-insured Medicaid population. Methods: Using Maryland Medicaid administrative claims data, prevalence rates of lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers were calculated for Maryland Medicaid recipients who were continuously eligible during the period from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2000. Chi-squared tests were used to test the differences across subgroups. Cancer prevalence data were age-adjusted using Maryland Medicaid enrollees as the standard population. Results: The care prevalence rates for lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers were 75/10,000, 63/10,000, 92/10,000, and 45/10,000, respectively. These rates were 1.2 to 5.2 times those reported at the national level. Generally, higher cancer prevalence rates in certain racial groups in Maryland Medicaid were consistent with previous studies. Regional differences in cancer prevalence existed for each cancer studied. Conclusions: Limiting our study sample to a population of uniformly low socioeconomic individuals did not eliminate the disparity in prevalence rates between blacks and whites. Different patterns of racial disparity across regions reported by previous researchers might be due to small area variation in addition to socioeconomic status.
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in a patient with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's granulomatosis)

![Figure][1] Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare, potentially fatal syndrome despite treatment. It is caused by a dysregulation in natural killer T-cell function, resulting in activation and proliferation of histiocytes with uncontrolled hemophagocytosis and cytokine
Abstract 21190: A New Biologic Targeting mAKAPβ Diminishes Post-Ischemic Systolic Dysfunction and Heart Failure

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) morbidity and mortality remain significant, mandating the continued development of new therapeutics. The scaffold protein muscle A-kinase anchoring protein β (mAKAP...
Do Economic and Political Institutions Mitigate the Risk of Natural Resource Conflicts

Despite repeated attempts to model conflict as contests over rent, few researchers have found a persuasive identification strategy to test these models. However, Lei and Michaels (2014) find that exogenous discoveries of “giant” oil fields are in fact associated with increased likelihood of violent conflict. Surprisingly, they do not find any evidence that political decision rules mitigate the effect of natural resource discoveries on the instance of conflict. This paper re-estimates Lei and Michaels’ model to test if their result is dependent on the institutional environment that prevailed at the time of the oil discovery. Results indicate that for conflicts over control of territory, strong economic and political institutions reduce the likelihood of conflict in the wake of the discovery of oil. This empirical finding is consistent with basic theoretical models of violent conflict.
Disparities in risk communication: a pilot study of asthmatic children, their parents, and home environments.

Parents' knowledge and control of asthma triggers in home environments can help reduce risks associated with asthmatic children's respiratory health. This pilot study used both qualitative and quantitative methods to determine parental knowledge of their children's asthma triggers in home environments, control of those triggers, and information received and trusted. Twelve parents of asthmatic children in the greater Pittsburgh area—8 white and 4 African American—participated in one-on-one interviews about home exposures to asthma triggers. All parents described the link between asthma symptoms and both environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and pet dander exposures. House dust mites and mold were also commonly identified asthma triggers. All 8 white parents reported receiving information from physicians about controlling home environmental triggers of asthma, but the 4 African American parents reported having received no such information. However, all 12 parents reported having greater trust in information received from physicians than from other sources. White parents were significantly more aware of potential asthma triggers and performed significantly more actions to control the triggers in their homes. African American parents noted stressful experiences with primary and secondary care, less recall of information sharing about asthma triggers, and a focus on symptom management vs trigger avoidance.
Cross-Cultural Adaptation

Cross-cultural adaptation refers to the process of internal change in individuals so as to be able to function in an unfamiliar culture. Newcomers learn to make adjustments in their original cultural habits and are able to attain a level of efficacy in the new environment. The process of adaptive change involves the deculturation of some of the original cultural habits and the acculturation of new ones. Both processes occur through communicative engagements between the individual and the host environment. Long-term and extensive experiences of cross-cultural adaptation may lead to the individual's assimilation into the mainstream culture of the host society.
Similar Outcomes for Medical Patients Supported with VA-ECMO in the Cardiac Care Unit and Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care Unit

Background Surgical patients with postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock have been supported with venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) in the cardiac surgical intensive care unit (CSICU). As a result, CSICUs have developed expertise in caring for VA-ECMO patients. Non-surgical patients are increasingly being supported with VA-ECMO in the cardiac care unit (CCU). It is unclear how the outcomes of patients on VA-ECMO managed in the CCU compare to those managed in the CSICU. Methods We performed a retrospective study of consecutive non-surgical patients between November 2013 and January 2018 who were placed on VA-ECMO and admitted to either the CSICU or CCU. Postcardiotomy shock and primary graft failure patients were excluded. During this time period, patients on VA-ECMO were admitted to either unit in our hospital. Data on demographics, outcomes, and length of stay (LOS) were collected through chart review. Results There were 76 patients included in the study; 52 were managed in the CSICU and 24 were managed in the CCU. Mean age was 55 +/- 5 years and there were no significant differences in baseline demographics. Indications for VA-ECMO included acute myocardial infarction with cardiogenic shock (42.3% in CSICU vs 41.7% in CCU, p=0.96), acute on chronic heart failure (28.8% in CSICU vs 45.8% in CCU, p=0.15) and cardiac arrest (44.2% in CSICU and 41.7% in CCU, p=0.83). There were no significant differences in outcomes between the two units. Hospital mortality was 63.5% in the CSICU and 58.3% in the CCU (p=0.67). There were no differences in adverse events for the CSICU as compared to the CCU for blood stream infections (9.6% vs 4.2%, p=0.41), stroke (19.2% vs 20.8%, p=0.87), and limb ischemia (11.5% vs 20.8%, p=0.28). Patients in both units required similar numbers of blood transfusions (7.4 +/- 2.1 vs 5.0 +/1.9 packed red blood cells, p=0.17). The mean duration of VA-ECMO support was 141 +/- 30 hours in the CSICU versus 115 +/- 32 hours in the CCU (p=0.29). LOS in the CSICU was 22 +/- 5 days versus 20 +/- 8 days in the CCU (p=0.72). Conclusion There were no outcome differences between medical patients on VA-ECMO managed in the CCU and those managed in the CSICU. This suggests that as VA-ECMO use increases and expands, it is possible for these patients to be cared for safely and effectively in the CCU.
Extended Abstract: Ethical and Privacy Considerations in Cybersecurity

Several studies have examined ethical and privacy concerns in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and cybersecurity research. However, the approaches to assure proper ethics and privacy standards in cybersecurity research are not adequately studied. This paper introduces a framework to evaluate the ethical considerations of cybersecurity research studies. Our framework was used to evaluate the ethical and privacy considerations for the technical papers published in the proceedings of SOUPS 2017. Our research provides future researchers with methods for conducting ethically sound cybersecurity research.
Three conceptual impediments to developing scale theory for formative scales.

Abstract. Bollen and colleagues have advocated the use of formative scales despite the fact that formative scales lack an adequate underlying theory to guide development or validation such as that ...
Quality Improvement in Ambulatory Surgery Centers: A Major National Effort Aimed at Reducing Infections and Other Surgical Complications.

Background: Surgical volume has shifted significantly from inpatient to outpatient settings, including free-standing ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Approaches to quality improvement (QI) and surveillance used in hospitals are not always appropriate to the ambulatory setting. Methods: We recruited 665 ASCs in 47 US states to participate in an intervention to improve safe practice through implementation of a surgical safety checklist and infection control practices. Areas for partner contribution included recruitment, project development, content development and delivery, clinical subject matter expertise, data analysis, and facility coaching. Results: Barriers to implementation and data collection were encountered during the project, requiring revisions to the implementation plan. Project activities, such as facility recruitment, data measurement, and implementation strategies were modified to meet ASC-specific needs. Several ASC-specific tools were designed. Conclusions: The increasing number of patients being cared for in ASCs makes it essential to better understand how to implement quality improvement projects in that environment. Tailoring interventions to the ASCâ€™s unique needs is necessary. J Clin Med Res. 2019;11(1):7-14 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jocmr3603w
Hemodynamic forces enhance decidualization via endothelial-derived prostaglandin E2 and prostacyclin in a microfluidic model of the human endometrium.

STUDY QUESTION Does the uterine vasculature play a localized role in promoting stromal cell decidualization in the human endometrium?
Association of health related quality of life domains with daytime sleepiness among elderly recipients of long-term services and supports.

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is prevalent in older adults; however, data are lacking that examine EDS across living environments. The aims of this secondary data analysis were to identify the prevalence and predictors of EDS among older adults receiving long-term services and supports (LTSS) in assisted living communities (ALCs), nursing homes (NHs), and the community. Participants (n = 470) completed multiple measures including daytime sleepiness. Logistic regression modeling was used to identify EDS predictors. Participants were primarily female and white with a mean age of 81 ± 9 years. The overall prevalence of EDS was 19.4%; the prevalence differed across living environment. Older adults in ALCs and NHs had higher odds of EDS than those living in the community. Also, depressive symptoms and number of bothersome symptoms predicted EDS. Upon admission for LTSS, evaluating older adults, especially those in ALCs and NHs, for depression and bothersome symptoms may reveal modifiable factors of EDS.
Detecting anomalous behavior of socially assistive robots in geriatric care facilities

With the need for geriatric care workers growing faster than can be met, the possibility of socially assistive robots filling this need has garnered increasing attention. This heightened interest in robots as social care workers, however, leads to concerns in detecting possible robot misbehavior. We propose a short questionnaire, based on current elder abuse screening tools, as a method to detect intrusion or misconfiguration in caregiver robots. We focus on misbehavior that can cause psychological or financial harm to the caregiver recipient. We discuss requirements, limitations, and future enhancements.