cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radiation Recall Gastritis Secondary to Erlotinib in a Patient with Pancreatic Cancer

Background: Radiation recall refers to chemotherapy-triggered inflammation in healthy areas previously exposed to irradiation. Chemotherapeutics known to be associated with radiation recall phenomenon include anthracyclines, taxanes and antimetabolites, such as gemcitabine and capecitabine. Case reports detailing radiation recall dermatitis and pneumonitis associated with erlotinib have been previously described in the literature, however, there are no reported cases describing radiation gastritis associated with erlotinib. We report a patient with pancreatic cancer who developed gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to radiation recall gastritis related to erlotinib exposure. Case Report: A 57-year-old Hispanic male with pancreatic cancer initially received 7 cycles of FOLFIRINOX followed by capecitabine with radiation therapy for 28 fractions for a total of 5,040 cGy. Re-staging with computed tomography demonstrated stable disease. The patient was then treated with erlotinib and capecitabine for approximately two months before restaging demonstrated progressive disease. Shortly after discontinuing erlotinib and capecitabine, the patient reported maroon colored stools. Laboratory studies demonstrated a precipitous drop in hemoglobin and hematocrit from pre-treatment baseline, ultimately requiring transfusion with packed red blood cells. Subsequent esophagogastroduodenoscopy demonstrated findings consistent with radiation gastritis, with oozing in the gastric body and antrum, which was treated therapeutically with argon plasma coagulation. The patient's gastrointestinal bleed was difficult to control. Over the course of a two- month period - the patient required multiple admissions, repeat therapeutic esophagogastroduodenoscopies and transfusions. Discussion: Radiation recall from erlotinib is rare but can potentially arise in any site that has been previously irradiated. There may be an association between the pathogenesis of radiation recall and erlotinib's up- regulation of the angiogenic growth factor thymidine phosphorylase. Treating physicians are reminded of the potential toxicity from erlotinib either given concomitantly or followed by radiation. We suggest discontinuing erlotinib if radiation gastritis is observed. We encourage physicians with similar experiences with erlotinib to report their findings. Further studies are warranted to investigate the pathogenesis of this unique phenomenon and its association with erlotinib. Erlotinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) approved for use in the United States in combination with the anti-metabolite drug gemcitabine for the treatment of locally advanced, unresectable or metastatic pancreatic cancer. Erlotinib, when
A tale of two worlds: the interstate system and world society in social science textbooks, 1950–2011

ABSTRACTThere is a great and longstanding divide in visions of the international arena. Some assert that states are the most relevant actors in international politics, and others emphasise the importance of non-state actors as vehicles through which shared ideas and identities are enacted. Typically, cross-national scholarship adopts one of these positions and seeks to support the attendant theoretical claims; our approach is entirely different. We treat these varied conceptions of the international arena not as antecedent explanatory frameworks, but rather as outcomes to be explained in their own right. To this end, we draw on data consisting of 539 high-school social science textbooks (history, civics, social studies, and geography) from 73 countries published between 1950 and 2011, coded to shed light on how the international arena is discussed in national education systems. We use multilevel modelling to determine how characteristics of textbooks and countries are linked to different visions of the in...
Intrapartum Cervical Laceration and Subsequent Pregnancy Outcomes.

Objective The objective of this study was to describe pregnancy outcomes, including cervical insufficiency and preterm birth, in the subsequent pregnancy following an intrapartum cervical laceration. Study Design Retrospective cohort of women with their first two consecutive singleton pregnancies carried to ≥ 200/7 weeks' gestation within a tertiary health care system from 2002 to 2012. Cervical laceration cases were identified by ICD9 codes and included if suture repair was required. Results In this study, 55 women were confirmed to have a cervical laceration in the first delivery; 43 lacerations after vaginal delivery (VD) and 12 after cesarean delivery (CD). The median gestational age of the first delivery was 400/7 weeks and the median birth weight 3,545 g; these did not differ between VD and CD. In the second pregnancy, 2 of 55 women (4.6%) had a prophylactic cerclage placed; 1 carried to term and the other delivered at 356/7 weeks. In total, four women (9.3%) delivered the second pregnancy Conclusion Obstetric cervical lacerations are uncommon. Complications in the following pregnancy were low, despite lack of additional prophylactic cerclage use.
A process model for eliciting requirements of socio-technical systems.

Designing Socio-Technical (ST) systems requires the designer to account for the intrinsic and interrelated characteristics of the tasks, actors, technologies, and environment. Requirements analysis informs the design of information systems. However, few approaches have emerged to analyze requirements for ST systems, which is considered complex, time consuming, and requires a large body of knowledge. In this paper we present a process model that aims to help identifying ST systems requirements. The process model assumes that ST systems characteristics of tasks, actors, technologies, and environment can help identifying a set of ST imbalances that in turn helps in the identification process of requirements. The applicability of the process model is demonstrated by identifying example requirements of self-care systems and results are presented.
A comparison of bicubic and biquintic interpolators suitable for real-time hardware implementation

Digital multispectral night vision goggles incorporate both imagers and displays that often have different resolutions. While both thermal imager and micro-display technologies continue to produce larger arrays, thermal imagers still lag well behind displays and can require interpolation by a factor of 2.5 in both horizontal and vertical directions. In goggle applications, resizing the imagery streams to the size of the display must occur in real-time with minimal latency. In addition to low latency, a resizing algorithm must produce acceptable imagery, necessitating an understanding of the resized image fidelity and spatial smoothness. While both spatial and spatial frequency domain resizing techniques are available, most spatial frequency techniques require a complete frame for operation introducing unacceptable latency. Spatial domain techniques can be implemented on a neighborhood basis allowing latencies equivalent to several row clock pulses to be achieved. We have already implemented bilinear re-sampling in hardware and, while bilinear re-sampling supports moderate up-sizes with reasonable image quality, its deficiencies are apparent at interpolation ratios of two and greater. We are developing hardware implementations of both bicubic and biquintic resizing algorithms. We present the results of comparison between hardware ready versions of the bicubic and biquintic algorithms with the existing bilinear. We also discuss the hardware requirements for bicubic and biquintic compared to the existing bilinear resizing.
Is a Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) Block Better Than Surgical Field Infiltration

A 19-year-old male presents for repair of a right inguinal hernia. After discussing the primary anesthetic technique with the patient, he expresses concern about postoperative pain. The anesthesia team, which includes an anesthesia attending and a resident, informs the patient of the risks and benefits of a transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block for intraoperative and postoperative pain relief.
Palliative Radiotherapy for Brain Metastasis

Brain metastases and primary tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) collectively impact an increasing number of cancer patients. Therefore, it is essential that practitioners understand the most common clinical concerns affecting these patients and are able to appropriately provide for their needs. The purpose of this chapter is to review the frequently utilized radiation therapy approaches, doses, and fractionation schedules for palliative CNS radiation therapy, as well as to outline the proper evaluation and management of these patients’ clinical symptoms.
Effect of Melphalan 140 Mg/m2 Versus 200 Mg/m2 on Toxicities and Outcomes in Multiple Myeloma Patients Undergoing Single Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation

Abstract Introduction: Although melphalan at a dose of 140 mg/m2 (MEL-140) is known to be an effective preparative regimen for autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in multiple myeloma (MM) patients, there are very few studies comparing it to the most commonly used dose of 200 mg/m2 ( MEL-200). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of all myeloma patients who underwent an ASCT between 2001 and 2010 at our institution. We then identified patients who received melphalan as their preparative regimen at doses of 140 mg/m2 or 200 mg/m2. Patients who received any other drug as conditioning regimen or had more than one ASCT or had documented amyloidosis were excluded. Data were collected for variables known to possibly affect prognosis of MM patients. We assessed effect of melphalan dose on toxicities and outcomes. Results: A total of 129 eligible patients were identified, with 33 receiving MEL-140 and 96 receiving MEL-200. As was expected significantly higher percentage of patients in the MEL-140 arm were older than 65 years (P= 2 either at diagnosis (P=0.004) or the time of ASCT (P=0.001). Rest of the patient and disease characteristics including Durie-Salmon stage, myeloma subtype and disease status at ASCT were not significantly different between the 2 arms. Patients in MEL-140 needed significantly longer time to ANC engraftment (P=0.037) and also had significantly higher frequency of neutropenic fever (P=0.003). There were no significant differences in mucositis (including grade), nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bacteremia, or length of hospital stay and frequency of repeat hospitalizations among both groups. There was no treatment related mortality in either group. At a median follow up of 74 months (range, 52-140) from ASCT, there were no significant differences in relapse free survival (RFS) (P=0.4988) and overall survival (OS) (P=0.6936) between the two groups. Five year OS for MEL-140 and MEL-200 is 71.6% and 78.9%, while RFS is 23.9% and 34%, respectively. Proportion of patients whose myeloma status improved to ≥ VGPR at 3 months post ASCT was also not different (P=0.385). Importantly, similar proportions of patients received various post ASCT maintenance therapy (P=0.605). In multivariate cox proportional hazards model only disease status of ≥VGPR at the time of ASCT significantly affected RFS (P=0.024) but did not impact OS (P=0.104). Conclusion: MM patients who received MEL-140 had similar long term outcomes as those who received MEL-200 despite their older age, lower performance status and renal insufficiency. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Optimal right heart filling pressure in acute respiratory distress syndrome determined by strain echocardiography.

Introduction Right ventricular (RV) systolic dysfunction is common in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). While preload optimization is crucial in its management, dynamic fluid responsiveness indices lack reliability, and there is no consensus on target central venous pressure (CVP). We analyzed the utility of RV free wall longitudinal strain (RVFWS) in the estimation of optimal RV filling pressure in ARDS. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of clinical data and echocardiograms of patients with ARDS was performed. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), tricuspid peak systolic velocity (Sʹ), RV fractional area change (RVFAC), RVFWS, CVP, systolic pulmonary artery pressure (SPAP), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were measured. Results Fifty-one patients with moderate-severe ARDS were included. There were inverse correlations between CVP and TAPSE, Sʹ, RVFAC, RVFWS, and LVEF. The most significant was with RVFWS (r:.74, R2:.55, P:.00001). Direct correlations with creatinine and lactate were noted. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that RVFWS −21% (normal reference value) was associated with CVP: 13 mm Hg (AUC: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.83–1.00). Regression model analysis of CVP, and RVFWS interactions established an RVFWS range from −18% to −24%. RVFWS −24% corresponded to CVP: 11 mm Hg and RVFWS −18% to CVP: 15 mm Hg. Beyond a CVP of 15 mm Hg, biventricular systolic dysfunction rapidly ensues. Conclusions Our data are the first to show that an RV filling pressure of 13±2 mm Hg—as by CVP—correlates with optimal RV mechanics as evaluated by strain echocardiography in patients with moderate-severe ARDS.
Holographic Motility Contrast Imaging of Live Tissues

Motility contrast imaging uses internal motions of cells and tissues as an endogenous imaging contrast agent. The motion is captured inside live three-dimensional tissues using low-coherence digital holography. Speckle holography provides a coherence gate to select light from a chosen depth inside multicellular tumor spheroids. The motions of organelles and the cell membranes cause dynamic light scattering and phase and amplitude fluctuations in the recorded speckle fields. Tissue dynamics spectroscopy is based on fluctuation analysis performed on the time-dependent speckle to separate different types of motion within differential drug response spectrograms. The application of this technique to assess the effects of drug on live tissue is demonstrated.
Acoustofluidic micromixer on lab-on-a-foil devices

Abstract In this paper, off-the-shelf materials such as polyethylene terephthalate films and double-sided tapes are applied to create lab-on-a-foil microfluidic devices via a cutting plotter. Microstructures termed defended oscillating membrane equipped structures (DOMES) are integrated in the microchannels. These dome-shaped pore-containing DOMES are created above a through hole on the films using two-photon polymerization. As the bottom side of the air-liquid interfaces trapped in DOMES’ pores is always facing ambient air, bubble instability that compromises acoustofluidic performance in conventional cases is alleviated or avoided. The acoustically induced flow is observed to be stronger with increasing pore size on DOMES. An acoustofluidic micromixer is proposed to further investigate the capabilities of DOMES, and it is the first time active micromixer is achieved on lab-on-a-foil devices, with good performance competitive to reported microfluidic mixers.
Companies and the Rise of Economic Thought: The Institutional Foundations of Early Economics in England, 1550 to 1720

Seventeenth-century England was the site of a profound transformation of early economic thought. The amount of works published increased rapidly and the works became less concerned with morality and scripture and more concerned with national prosperity and empirical evidence. We show that the proliferation of the chartered company in a context of low state representation of merchants play an important role in this shift. We outline the mechanisms through which chartered companies impacted publication rates of economic texts and provide systematic evidence of the impact of companies and merchant representation with a time series analysis of the period from 1550 to 1720 that controls for a number of other possible factors. We further supplement this analysis with data on author biographies and the changing contents of the works. The results are consistent in supporting the importance of chartered company in stimulating the new discourse on economics and suggest a new appreciation of the role of corporatism in stimulating both economic discourse and the shape of the early expansion of the public sphere in England.
Finite-Time Adaptive Stabilization of Linear Systems

Stabilization of linear systems with unknown dynamics is a canonical problem in adaptive control. Since the lack of knowledge of system parameters can cause it to become destabilized, an adaptive stabilization procedure is needed prior to regulation. Therefore, the adaptive stabilization needs to be completed in finite time. In order to achieve this goal, asymptotic approaches are not very helpful. There are only a few existing nonasymptotic results and a full treatment of the problem is not currently available. In this paper, leveraging the novel method of random linear feedbacks, we establish high probability guarantees for finite-time stabilization. Our results hold for remarkably general settings because we carefully choose a minimal set of assumptions. These include stabilizability of the underlying system and restricting the degree of heaviness of the noise distribution. To derive our results, we also introduce a number of new concepts and technical tools to address regularity and instability of the closed-loop matrix.
MEMS 2-D Matrix Switch

Microelectromechanical systems, or MEMS, are among several promising technical approaches to implementing all-optical switching in telecom and data networks. At the core of MEMS switches is an array of micromirrors capable of redirecting light either in free space or within a waveguide framework.
Hepatocyte Membrane Potential Regulates Serum Insulin and Insulin Sensitivity by Altering Hepatic GABA Release

The degree of hepatic lipid accumulation in obesity correlates with the severity of hyperinsulinemia and systemic insulin resistance. Here, we propose a mechanism that explains this associative link, whereby, hepatic steatosis dysregulates glucose and insulin homeostasis. Obesity-induced hepatocellular lipid accumulation results in hepatocyte depolarization. We have established that hepatocyte depolarization depresses hepatic afferent vagal nerve firing, increases GABA release from liver slices, and causes hyperinsulinemia. Preventing hepatic GABA release or eliminating the ability of the liver to communicate to the hepatic vagal nerve ameliorates the hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance associated with diet-induced obesity. In people with obesity hepatic expression of GABA transporters is associated with glucose infusion and disposal rates during a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in hepatic GABA re-uptake transporters are associated with an increased incidence of type II diabetes mellitus. Herein, we identify GABA as a novel hepatokine that is dysregulated in obesity and whose release can be manipulated to mute or exacerbate the glucoregulatory dysfunction common to obesity.
COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction testing before endoscopy: an economic analysis.

Background and Aims The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has limited endoscopy utilization, causing significant health and economic losses. We aim to model the impact of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing into resuming endoscopy practice. Methods We performed a retrospective review of endoscopy utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic for a baseline reference. A computer model compared 3 approaches: strategy 1, endoscopy for urgent indications only; strategy 2, testing for semiurgent indications; and strategy 3, testing all patients. Analysis was made under current COVID-19 prevalence and projected prevalence of 5% and 10%. Primary outcomes were number of procedures performed and/or canceled. Secondary outcomes were direct costs, reimbursement, personal protective equipment used, and personnel infected. Disease prevalence, testing accuracy, and costs were obtained from the literature. Results During the COVID-19 pandemic, endoscopy volume was 12.7% of expected. Strategies 2 and 3 were safe and effective interventions to resume endoscopy in semiurgent and elective cases. Investing 22 U.S. dollars (USD) and 105 USD in testing per patient allowed the completion of 19.4% and 95.3% of baseline endoscopies, respectively. False-negative results were seen after testing 4700 patients (or 3 months of applying strategy 2 in our practice). Implementing PCR testing over 1 week in the United States would require 13 and 64 million USD, with a return of 165 and 767 million USD to providers, leaving 65 and 325 healthcare workers infected. Conclusions PCR testing is an effective strategy to restart endoscopic practice in the United States. PCR screening should be implemented during the second phase of the pandemic, once the healthcare system is able to test and isolate all suspected COVID-19 cases.
Symbolic Disintegration with a Variety of Base Measures

Disintegration is a relation on measures and a transformation on probabilistic programs that generalizes density calculation and conditioning, two operations widely used for exact and approximate inference. Existing program transformations that find a disintegration or density automatically are limited to a fixed base measure that is an independent product of Lebesgue and counting measures, so they are of no help in practical cases that require tricky reasoning about other base measures. We present the first disintegrator that handles variable base measures, including discrete-continuous mixtures, dependent products, and disjoint sums. By analogy with type inference, our disintegrator can check a given base measure as well as infer an unknown one that is principal. We derive the disintegrator and prove it sound by equational reasoning from semantic specifications. It succeeds in a variety of applications where disintegration and density calculation had not been previously mechanized.
Combining Wargaming With Modeling and Simulation to Project Future Military Technology Requirements

The rapid growth and widespread availability of technology has allowed enemies to dynamically develop countermeasures to military systems. Therefore, it is imperative that military systems be designed to account for these countermeasures. As such, technology roadmapping should be a critical activity in the acquisition of defense systems. Technology roadmaps provide a strategic vision for a system that accounts for the operational context, including evolving needs and technology changes. However, the operational context can be difficult to predict. This article suggests using wargaming coupled with combat simulation to better understand the operational context to allow for testing and refining technology roadmaps. Wargaming requires teams to roleplay friendly and enemy units to determine how each side adapts with the implementation of a new military system. Computer-based simulations can then convert the qualitative results from the wargame into quantitative metrics that further inform the roadmap. A case study is presented for a technology roadmap associated with an armored exoskeleton. Wargaming forecasted the countermeasures implemented by the enemy and the associated responses. The wargame results were coupled with models to quantitatively forecast the change in the warfighter's survivability and lethality. The wargame was then used to inform the technology roadmap.
Exact Multistatic Interferometric Imaging via Generalized Wirtinger Flow

We present a novel, exact method to address the interferometric inversion problem for multistatic wave-based imaging based on Generalized Wirtinger Flow (GWF) [1] . Interferometric imaging is a relative of phase retrieval, which arises from cross-correlating measurements from pairs of receivers. GWF provides a theoretical framework to process scattering data satisfying the Born approximation, and guarantees exact recovery of the underlying scene reflectivity vector from interferometric measurements if the discretized lifted forward model satisfies the restricted isometry property over rank-1, positive semi-definite matrices with a sufficiently small restricted isometry constant (RIC). To this end, we design a linear deterministic discrete lifted forward model for interferometric multistatic radar measurements such that the exact recovery conditions of GWF are satisfied. Our results identify a lower limit on the pixel spacing and the sample complexity for exact multistatic radar imaging. We provide a numerical study of our RIC and pixel spacing bounds on synthetic single scattering data, which show that GWF can achieve exact recovery with super-resolution. While our primary interest lies in radar imaging, our results are applicable to other multistatic wave-based imaging problems such as those arising in acoustics and geophysics.
APIN: Automatic Attack Path Identification in Computer Networks

Identifying the scope of a network attack can be difficult with limited information about the nature of the attack. Even more difficult is the automation of this process. Because of this, it is important to investigate new methods for mapping and quantifying the threat posed by an attack, in order to prioritize actions during incident response. To this end we propose a framework for automatic attack path identification in computer networks (APIN) by leveraging observable malicious behaviors to quantify the threat score of a set of attacks. Using two academic datasets, experimental results show that APIN is able to quickly reconstruct paths that offer meaningful insight into the nature of multi-step threats on the network, given only reasonable restrictions on network size and structure. These insights would not be possible with only existing tools, such as IDSs, and human analysts would require significant time and expertise to obtain the same findings without APIN’s guidance.
Computational Studies on Integral Formulations for Convex Hull Pricing

In this paper, we review the recently proposed convex hull pricing primal formulation (CHP-Primal), and integral formulations which characterize more private limits including ramping constraints and time-variant start-up/shut-down costs. We propose and prove the convergence of piecewise linear approximation to the quadratic convex envelope applied in the CHP-Primal problem. We also conduct case studies to show the convergence rate and compare the computational performance of different formulations including the piecewise linear approximations with different number of pieces, and the case of using quadratic convex envelope in the convex hull pricing scheme.
Interleukin-1β injection causes loss of tail tips in neonatal mice

Early-life immune challenges and inflammation are risk factors for a range of developmental disorders. During the course of a study examining interactions between the common antipyretic acetaminophen (APAP; paracetamol) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β)-induced inflammation in neonatal mice we observed that subcutaneous (s.c.) injection of IL-1β often leads to significantly shorter, blunt-tipped tails. Three times during early development, on postnatal day 5 (P5), P8, and P11, C57BL/6J pups were given s.c. injection of either .2 μg/kg IL-1β or 5 cc/kg injection of saline vehicle followed, after a 45 min delay, by a second injection, of either 103.9 mg/kg APAP or saline. IL-1β was observed to reduce tail length-via a blunting of the tail tip-in treated vs. untreated mice, an effect that was significant as early as P11 and persisted through the end of the study (~P74). Interestingly, IL-1β-induced tail blunting was significantly lessened by APAP, an interaction that may have occurred as a result of the opposing actions of APAP and IL-1β on cyclooxygenase-2. Although this specific hypothesis and the mechanisms underlying the effects of IL-1β on tail length require further study, they add to the literature suggesting that IL-1β may be a critical mediator of specific adverse effects of early-life inflammation.
Monte Carlo simulation of the passage of γ-rays and α-particles in CsI

Abstract Theoretical and computational methods for simulating the creation of ionization tracks by fast ions in solids were applied to the passage of α-particles in CsI, an inorganic scintillator commonly used for radiation detection. The methods were implemented in a Monte Carlo program to simulate the interaction of α-particles, with incident energies of up to 1 MeV, with CsI. The simulations followed the fate of individual electron-hole pairs and included the formation of Frenkel pairs and thus allowed for a detailed description of the microscopic structure of ionization and defect tracks created by incident radiation. Simulations were also performed with γ-rays of the same energy to compare and contrast the ionization tracks obtained with both types of particles. Intrinsic properties such as the mean energy per electron-hole pair, Fano factor, maximum theoretical light yield, and spatial distributions of electron-hole pairs were computed for both α-particles and γ-rays. α-Particles created cylindrical tracks that were initially aligned with the incident direction and with initial radii of a few tens of nanometers, whereas γ-rays showed significant scattering, resulting in probability distributions with lower intensities and much greater radial extents.
Financing of State Universities in India: A Case Study

The fiscal crisis facing the economy has led to withdrawal of the state from major sectors of the economy including education. With the advent of the liberalized economic policy the private sector has been playing a pivotal role in the economic development. Higher education ceases to be the‘merit good’ and the universities are encouraged to mobilize resources by their own efforts rather than depending on government grants. This has impacted the financing of state and central universities across India. Actually, this paper evaluates the funding of state universities in India through a case study, taking into consideration the changing contours of financing higher education. The core idea of the study is to analyse the resource mobilization as well as its utilization by the selected university. The study is based on secondary data. The discussion on the funding pattern reveals that the university is highly dependent on state grants for their day-to-day functioning. Though the efforts to generate internal resources is picking up, the university has failed to address the long run financial crunch of the university. The study concludes that unless the universities explore alternative channels of resources mobilization, it would be difficult to offer quality education in this era of globalization.
Understanding Risk and Recovery in Vocal Fold Paralysis

To summarize and critically review recent literature on spontaneous recovery from unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP), with emphasis on the time to vocal recovery and its implications for the physiology of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury and repair. Analyses of the time to spontaneous vocal recovery in UVFP have generated probabilities of recovery that can be used to counsel patients within the first 12 months of the onset of UVFP, replacing the traditional recommendation of waiting 12 months prior to pursuing permanent intervention. In addition, mathematical modeling of the recovery times has yielded insights into the physiology of RLN reinnervation following injury. Most patients with UVFP who experience vocal recovery do so within 6–9 months. The recovery pattern differs between idiopathic UVFP and iatrogenic UVFP. For iatrogenic UVFP, the severity of RLN injury dictates the time to recovery and the eventual probability of recovery, not the distance between the injury site and the larynx.
Assessing Robotics Skills in Early Childhood: Development and Testing of a Tool for Evaluating Children’s Projects

Children’s robotics skills can be assessed in various ways, one being examining the unique projects that they create. This paper discusses the multi-phase development and testing of a robotics project rubric. The rubric considers both the programming concepts and the aesthetic design elements of a project, which enables researchers and practitioners to determine the overall level of complexity exhibited in the robotics project. This paper presents the background literature and theoretical framework that contributed to the rubric design and summarizes findings from iteratively developing and testing the rubric with a total of 173 robotics projects. Implications for future research and practice are also discussed.
Kinetic complexities of triacylglycerol accumulation in developing embryos from Camelina sativa provide evidence for multiple biosynthetic systems

Abstract Quantitative flux maps describing glycerolipid synthesis can be important tools for rational engineering of lipid content and composition in oilseeds. Lipid accumulation in cultured embryos of Camelina sativa is known to mimic that of seeds in terms of rate of lipid synthesis and composition. To assess the kinetic complexity of the glycerolipid flux network, cultured embryos were incubated with [14C/13C]glycerol and initial and steady state rates of [14C/13Cglyceryl]lipid accumulation measured. At steady state the linear accumulations of labeled lipid classes matched those expected from mass compositions. The system showed an apparently simple kinetic precursor-product relationship between the intermediate pool, dominated by diacylglycerol (DAG) and phosphatidylcholine (PC), and the triacylglycerol (TAG) product. We also conducted isotopomer analyses on hydrogenated lipid class species. [13C3glyceryl] labeling of DAG and PC, together with estimates of endogenous [12C3glyceryl] dilution, showed each biosynthetically active lipid pool is ∼30% of the total by moles. By tracking the kinetics of [13C3glyceryl] and [13C2acyl] labeling we observed two distinct TAG synthesis components. The major TAG synthesis flux (∼75%) was associated with >95% of the DAG/PC intermediate pool, with little glycerol being metabolized to fatty acids, and with little dilution from endogenous glycerol; a smaller flux exhibited converse characteristics. This kinetic heterogeneity was further explored using post-labeling embryo dissection and differential lipid extractions. The minor flux was tentatively localized to surface cells across the whole embryo. Such heterogeneity must be recognized in order to construct accurate gene expression patterns and metabolic networks describing lipid biosynthesis in developing embryos.
The prevalence of bacterial infection in acute rhinosinusitis: a Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives/Hypothesis To systematically assess the prevalence of bacterial infection in adults with acute rhinosinusitis (ARS). Methods Electronic databases were systematically searched for relevant studies published up to June 2012. Results Twenty-nine articles, evaluating a total of 9,595 patients with a clinical diagnosis of ARS, were included in the study. Of these, 14 (48%) studies required radiographic confirmation of sinusitis, one study (3%) required evidence of purulence, 10 studies (35%) required both for inclusion in the study population, and four studies (14%) required neither. The random effects model estimate of prevalence of bacterial growth on all cultures was 53.7% (CI 48.4%–59.0%), ranging from 52.5% (CI 46.7%–58.3%) in studies requiring radiographic confirmation of sinusitis to 61.1% (CI 54.0%–68.1%) in studies requiring neither radiographic evidence nor purulence on exam. Studies that obtained cultures from antral swab had a prevalence of bacterial growth of 61.0% (CI 54.7%–67.2%), whereas those utilizing endoscopic meatal sampling had a prevalence of 32.9% (CI 19.0%–46.8%). Conclusions Few studies evaluate the recovery of bacteria via culture in adults with a diagnosis of ABRS or ARS based on clinical criteria alone. With radiographic and/or endoscopic confirmation, antral puncture and endoscopically guided cultures produce positive bacterial cultures in approximately one-half of patients. Opportunities exist to improve diagnostic accuracy for bacterial infection in ARS. Laryngoscope, 125:57–69, 2015
The differential roles of LFA-1 and Mac-1 in host defense against systemic infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Mice deficient in CD18, which lack all four CD11 integrins, have leukocytosis and increased susceptibility to bacterial infection. To determine the effect of deficiencies in LFA-1 (CD11a/CD18) or Mac-1 (CD11b/CD18) on host defense against systemic bacterial infection, knockout mice were inoculated i.p. with Streptococcus pneumoniae. Increased mortality occurred in both LFA-1 −/− (15 of 17 vs 13 of 35 in wild type (WT), p −/− (17 of 34 vs 6 of 25, p −/− mice occurred after 72 h, whereas most deaths in Mac-1 −/− mice occurred within 24–48 h. At 24 h, 21 of 27 Mac-1 −/− mice were bacteremic, vs 15 of 25 WT ( p = 0.05); no difference was observed between LFA-1 −/− and WT. Increased bacteria were recovered from Mac-1 −/− spleens at 2 h ( p = 0.03) and 6 h ( p = 0.002) and from livers ( p = 0.001) by 6 h. No difference was observed at 2 h in LFA-1 −/− mice, but by 6 h increased bacteria were recovered from spleens ( p = 0.008) and livers ( p = 0.04). Baseline and peak leukocyte counts were similar between Mac-1 −/− and WT, but elevated in LFA-1 −/− . At 8 h, peritoneal neutrophils were increased in Mac-1 −/− , but not significantly different in LFA-1 −/− . Histopathologically, at 24 h Mac-1 −/− animals had bacteremia and lymphoid depletion, consistent with sepsis. LFA-1 −/− mice had increased incidence of otitis media and meningitis/encephalitis vs WT at 72 and 96 h. Both Mac-1 and LFA-1 play important but distinct roles in host defense to S. pneumoniae.
Celebrating 25 years of NF-κB research

In the 25 years since its discovery, the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) family of transcription factors has been the subject of intensive research in virtually all areas of biomedical science. Research into the function and regulation of this single transcription factor family has been at the forefront of studies in immunology, cancer biology, and molecular pathology, and has progressed hand in hand with conceptual and technological advances in molecular biology, genetic engineering, systems biology, and computational biology. The progress made in elucidating the triggers of NF-κB activation, the components of the NF-κB pathway, and characterization of the physiological and pathophysiological functions of NF-κB have been remarkable. This anniversary therefore represents an excellent opportunity to revisit the work that forms the foundation upon which so much effort and progress has been built. The articles in this volume of Immunological Reviews cover much of what is known about the NF-κB pathway and its basic function. Yet each review also draws attention to the myriad and often surprisingly fundamental issues that remain unresolved. Finally, in marking this important landmark, most reviewers have shared a personal and historical narrative documenting their connection to their area of study in NF-κB. These accounts offer a unique view of the early days of NF-κB research, when so much of the fundamental underpinnings of the pathway were laid down in short order, and provide particular insight into how this field was enriched through the expertise of scientific immigrants from disparate areas of biology, further highlighting the amazing diversity of biological systems influenced by this single transcription factor family. In this introductory article, we lay down some of the most basic and fundamental concepts in order to assist the uninitiated in gaining access to the more detailed discussions that characterize the rest of this issue. Thus, this represents a severely abridged introduction to the NF-κB signaling pathway and its biological function. Where appropriate, we point the reader towards reviews elsewhere in this issue from which they may gain more detailed insight and historical context to the various facets of NF-κB. However, in keeping with the format of this issue, I (S.G.) begin by offering an account of my own involvement with NF-κB.
Air Traffic Control in Airline Pilot Simulator Training and Evaluation

Much airline pilot training and checking occurs entirely in the simulator, and the first time a pilot flies a particular airplane, it may carry passengers. Simulator qualification standards, however, focus on the simulation of the airplane without reference to the air traffic environment. This paper describes research examining the question of whether simulator pilot training and evaluation would benefit from improved simulation of radio communications. First, existing radio communication simulation practices were investigated. Second, opinions from instructors/evaluators were solicited. Third, the pertinent literature was reviewed. Fourth, the effectiveness of current practices was evaluated by surveying the Aviation Safety Reporting System. Finally, recent efforts to improve radio communication simulation were examined. The paper concludes that there is much evidence that increasing the realism of radio communications would improve simulator training and evaluation of airline pilots, but that finding ef...
Equilibria for the reaction of amines with formaldehyde and protons in aqueous solution. A re-examination of the formol titration.

Abstract The existence of protonated hydroxymethylamines of secondary amines, R2(+)/NHCH2OH, in equilibrium with hydroxy-methylamines and protonated amines, has been demonstrated by titration at equilibrium and by rapid titration of the protonated hydroxymethylamines. Analogous compounds, R3(+)/NCH2OH, are formed from formaldehyde and the sterically favorable tertiary amines: pyridine, N-methylimidazole, and triethylenediamine. The equilibrium constants for the formation of these cationic hydroxymethylamines are two to three orders of magnitude less favorable than for the formation of neutral hydroxymethylamines; conversely, the basicity of hydroxymethylamines is two to three orders of magnitude less than that of the parent amines. These differences are ascribed primarily to solvation and polar effects. Protonation of the dihydroxymethyl adducts of primary amines was not detected. An analysis of the complex equilibria for the addition of protons and hydroxymethyl groups to imidazole suggests that protonation and hydroxymethylation do not occur on the same nitrogen atom. The equilibrium constant Kd = [R2NCH2NR2]/[R2NH]2[H2C(OH)2] for the formation of the methylenediamine adduct of morpholine has been shown to be 15,500 ± 600 by two titrimetric methods. An attempt is made to evaluate the effects on the formol titration of changes in water concentration, formaldehyde polymerization, the methanol introduced with commercial formalin, and nonspecific medium effects in concentrated formaldehyde solutions. It is concluded that these factors either have little significant effect or largely cancel each other out.
Wind-based convolution in limited-area coastal ocean forecasting

Coastal ocean forecasting presents important practical constraints on the limits of the forecast domain, the available data, the missing data, and the means for estimating same. The domain must contain all the relevant dynamics; the data must force same; and the real-time forecast must be fast. Here we are concerned with limited-area forecasts of 3-D transient dynamics, with necessarily extensive open boundaries and concomitant boundary conditions. The importance of inferred wind-band barotropic pressure at the open boundary is discussed, and the necessity for its inference by fitting a hindeast simulation to observations. The twin problems of dimension of the inversion, and its persistence through the forecast, potentially limit the forecast skill. On the physical hypothesis that the missing boundary conditions are the import of nonlocal wind-band dynamics: we develop a procedure for deducing boundary pressure as a convolution of observed (local) wind. This significantly reduces the rank of the inversion. leading to accelerated convergence of the conjugate gradient method iterative inverse. Additionally, the persistence of the convolution into the forecast period is far superior to the persistence of the pressure itself, and consistent with the inversion hypothesis as stated. A test case is developed and studied to illustrate these ideas and their realization in software.
Managing Anxiety: A Case Study of an International Teaching Assistant's Interaction with American Students.

This case study utilizes structuration theory to explore the complexities in the academic interaction between a Chinese international teaching assistant (ITA) and her American students. Through four semi-structured participant interviews, eight classroom observations, and student feedback, major themes and variations were identified regarding the feelings, concerns, and strategies of the ITA’s interaction with American students from the ITA perspective. The assumption is that despite the possible obstacles in cross-linguistic and cross-cultural academic interaction, ITAs have the drive and potential to successfully navigate through the challenging process. Implications for improving ITA training and practices are discussed.
The Concurrent Validity of Teachers' Judgments of the Abilities of Preschoolers in a Daycare Setting.

Teachers of 43 preschool children (17 boys and 26 girls) enrolled in an educational program in a daycare setting were asked to indicate on the record form of the Daberon those tasks that, the child could or could not perform. One week later the preschoolers were administered the Daberon by trained examiners. Correlations between scores on teacher form and those on the examiner form were significant for the total group and for subgroups differentiated by sex.
Conflict management and resolution in family-owned businesses: A practitioner focused review

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the literature concerning the negative effects of conflict among family businesses and to make practitioner focussed recommendations for the prevention, management, and resolution of conflict. This paper discusses the prevalence of conflict in family firms, differentiates the types of conflict present, and recommends proven approaches to prevent and manage the conflict, with a focus on corporate governance tools. Examples of well known companies are presented. Design/methodology/approach – A review was conducted of the literature concerning family business conflict and corporate governance. Findings – Conflict is a common problem in family firms that has significant consequences for the business and the family. Research has shown effective governance may reduce and manage conflict. Research limitations/implications – This was a literature review. As such it did not perform original research. Practical implications – This paper has practical implications for...
Racial differences in the criminalization of the mentally ill

"Criminalization," the hypothesis that mentally ill persons are diverted to the criminal justice system, has been difficult to confirm. The few relevant studies have examined aspects of the mental health or the criminal justice systems, but not both. This study compares state hospital admissions with the admission of mentally ill persons to state prisons. There was considerable variation between counties. Counties sent more mentally ill members of their largest minority group to prison than expected. These results suggest that jurisdictions differ in their use of these two systems and that race is a factor in this difference.