cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding Teamwork in the Provision of Cancer Care: Highlighting the Role of Trust

Team science research has indicated that trust is a critical variable of teamwork, contributing greatly to a team’s performance. Trust has long been examined in health care with research focusing on the development of trust by patients with their health care practitioners. Studies have indicated that trust is linked to patient satisfaction, adherence to treatment, continuity of care, and improved outcomes. We explore the construct of trust using a case example of a patient who received a surgical procedure for a precancerous polyp. We apply the principle of trust to the case as well as present the literature on trust and key definitions for understanding trust. Additionally, we apply the definitions presented to the specific case example by highlighting moments where trust is developed or violated. Lastly, we offer insights to health care practitioners on the development of trust in their own patient interactions to improve care.
Transoral Robotic Surgery as Single Level Surgery for Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a disease entity that may involve multiple levels of the upper airway from the level of nose down to glottis. The recognition of the important contribution of base of tongue (BOT) obstruction to OSAHS led to the development of multiple surgical techniques and approaches directed at the BOT level. Transoral robotic surgery (TORS)-assisted BOT reduction is one such technique, first reported by Vicini. Although TORS-assisted BOT reduction is most commonly combined with other upper airway procedures to treat OSAHS, it can potentially be used as a stand-alone surgical modality in properly selected patients. Drug induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) is a valuable diagnostic tool in localizing the site, identifying the pattern, and determining the severity of upper airway obstruction. We have shown that the use of TORS-assisted BOT reduction alone can be effective in reducing apnea hypopnea index (AHI), Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) score, and snoring intensity in patients with obstruction identified at the BOT level. Complications associated with TORS-assisted BOT reduction included taste disturbance, oropharyngeal stenosis, and bleeding.
Personality traits and bidding behavior in competing auctions

Abstract We study strategic behavior in an “alternating recognition” model of English auctions with competing sellers, which mimics a structure that is common in online marketplaces such as eBay. To relate decision making in our experimental setting to individual differences, we measure subjects’ personality with the Big-Five Trait Taxonomy. Our results suggest that personality has meaningful predictive power in explaining bidding behavior but only for female subjects. Further, females also earn more than males and the gender gap in earnings is large and significant. Finally, personality indirectly affects earnings through the choice of strategies but has no direct effect on earnings, controlling for strategies. This is an important result in that it demonstrates the mechanism through which personality matters in our setting.
X-Ray Microscopy Studies on the Pharmaco-Dynamics of Therapeutic Gallium in Rat Bones

Since the original observation of exogenous gallium accumulation in bones ANGHILERI et al. [1], several studies have demonstrated that gallium nitrate is extremely effective in preserving bone mineral content both in vivo and in vitro (WARRELL et al., [2]; BOCKMAN et al. [3]). Gallium nitrate therapy normalized serum calcium levels in a study of patients with cancer-related hypercalcemia, resistant to standard hydration and diuretic therapy. Recently, gallium nitrate treatment has been shown to halt the accelerated bone resorption that is frequently associated with cancers metastatic to bone (BOCKMAN et al. [4]). Several lines of evidence from in vitro studies (CHUN et al. [5]) recently led to the demonstration oiincreased bone calcium and improvement in hydroxyapatite crystallinity in adult gallium-treated rats (BOCKMAN et al. [6]). Evidence is rapidly accumulating that gallium nitrate is an effective, new therapeutic agent for inhibition of accelerated bone resorption associated with cancer-related hypercalcemia. It has also been suggested that gallium could have wide clinical applications in disorders characterized by accelerated calcium loss from bone (BOCKMAN et al. [6]). However, while gallium is known to accumulate in bone, the effects of gallium on the kinetics of bone calcium uptake and loss are unknown. Nor is it known in which compartments (epiphysis, metaphysis, diaphysis, endosteal or periosteal surfaces) the gallium metal is preferentially localized. Gross analytical measurements of gallium content have previously been performed on excised bone segments, but these lack precise spatial resolution. We describe here our preliminary results on gallium and calcium quantitation and localization using x-ray microscopy techniques at the X-26 beam line of the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) at 50–100 μm resolution and 10−6 g/g detection levels.
Abstract 1942: Regulation of GRNMB transcription and cellular effects by chondroitin 4-sulfation

Increased expression of glycoprotein (transmembrane) NMB (GPNMB; osteoactivin) has been identified in triple negative breast cancer, melanoma, glioma, and hepatocellular carcinoma, and followed decline in expression of the enzyme arylsulfatase B (ARSB; N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfatase). The expression and regulation of GPNMB was evaluated in HepG2 cells and in ARSB-deficient and control C57BL/6J mouse hepatic tissue. Increased expression of GPNMB was attributable to promoter activation by phospho(Ser)MITF (microphthalmia-associated transcription factor), the phosphorylation of which was activated by phospho(Ser)-p38 MAPK. When ARSB was reduced, nuclear phospho-MITF increased and GPNMB promoter activity increased, as detected by Renilla reniformis luciferase assay. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay confirmed that phospho-MITF bound to a specific motif in the GPNMB promoter, and binding increased when ARSB was silenced. Up-regulation of promoter activity increased the expression of GPNMB message and the synthesis of GPNMB protein in the HepG2 cells and ARSB-null mouse liver. The tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 bound more tightly to C4S when ARSB was reduced, leading to inhibition of SHP2 activity and reduced removal of phosphate from Tyr182 of phospho-p38 MAPK. The increase in C4S stimulated phospho(Ser)-p38 MAPK by activation of RhoA, leading to MITF phosphorylation and increased GPNMB expression. Silencing GPNMB by siRNA reduced phosphorylation of ERK and expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, consistent with effects on hepatic cell invasiveness. These findings indicate that ARSB-induced changes in chondroitin 4-sulfation impact on critical phosphorylations mediated by SHP2 and p38 MAPK, leading to activation of MITF and increased expression of GPNMB. The interaction between chondroitin 4-sulfation and phosphorylations may regulate vital cell processes, including transcriptional events and cell-matrix interactions. Citation Format: Joanne Kramer Tobacman, Leo Feferman, Sumit Bhattacharyya. Regulation of GRNMB transcription and cellular effects by chondroitin 4-sulfation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1942. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1942
Causal explanation under indeterminism: a sampling approach

One of the key uses of causes is to explain why things happen. Explanations of specific events, like an individual's heart attack on Monday afternoon or a particular car accident, help assign responsibility and inform our future decisions. Computational methods for causal inference make use of the vast amounts of data collected by individuals to better understand their behavior and improve their health. However, most methods for explanation of specific events have provided theoretical approaches with limited applicability. In contrast we make two main contributions: an algorithm for explanation that calculates the strength of token causes, and an evaluation based on simulated data that enables objective comparison against prior methods and ground truth. We show that the approach finds the correct relationships in classic test cases (causal chains, common cause, and backup causation) and in a realistic scenario (explaining hyperglycemic episodes in a simulation of type 1 diabetes).
Hostility and Health

Hostility has long been thought to play a role in health, and recent research has now documented substantial effects on disease etiology, with much of the attention given to its role in cardiovascular disease. Several measures of this construct have been found to predict adverse cardiovascular events as well as cardiac and total mortality. It is apparent, however, that the hostility construct has multiple aspects, including cynical and suspicious attitudes, various negative emotions, and antagonistic behavior patterns. Interpersonal experiences, such as child rearing patterns and adult adversity in combination with physiological and genetic factors, influence the development of these tendencies. The links to physical health appear to involve several processes such as enhanced autonomic reactivity and altered glucose metabolism that are the product of the stress associated with antagonistic experiences. In addition, high hostility is associated with a lifestyle that produces an adverse risk factor pattern. There is promising evidence in clinical samples suggesting that interventions based on coping skills training may be able to improve health through the reduction of these hostile tendencies.
I just text to say I love you: Partner similarity in texting and relationship satisfaction

Abstract Young adults increasingly rely on text messaging in the ongoing maintenance of romantic relationships. However, results have been mixed regarding the implications of text messaging for relationship satisfaction. Thus, in a sample of 205 young adults (ages 18 to 29) in romantic relationships, this study examined the role of perceived texting similarity between romantic partners in predicting relationship satisfaction. Controlling for gender, length of relationship, and attachment anxiety and avoidance, regression analyses found that greater perceived similarity between self and partner in overall text messaging use, as well as greater perceived similarity in frequency of initiating and saying hello via text messaging specifically, were associated with greater relationship satisfaction. Findings highlight the importance of perceived similarity between romantic partners regarding texting behaviors for their level of satisfaction, even when taking into account the robust predictors of attachment anxiety and avoidance. Results suggest that concordance in use of text messaging can be a point of intervention in romantic relationships, and future research should continue to explore the role of similarity in texting in romantic as well as other relationships.
Toward efficient smartification of the Internet of Things (IoT) services

Abstract The Internet of Things (IoT) comprises several communication network technology standards and most of them are currently operating in silos. However, to achieve the IoT paradigm’s main goal, which is to deliver efficient and high-quality smart services, interoperation among various IoT standards is necessary. Therefore, interoperability and quality of service (QoS) provisioning are two of the main requirements for current and future standards operating within the IoT ecosystem. To understand how current standards can or cannot meet these requirements, first, we analyze high-level technical standards for some application domains within the IoT ecosystem. Second, with a focus on some common communication network standards, we present the QoS requirements of smart services in the IoT. Finally, we highlight the mechanisms employed by these standards in enabling interoperability and QoS in the IoT environment.
Behavioral Economics: A New Lens for Understanding Genomic Decision Making

PURPOSE This article seeks to take the next step in examining the insights that nurses and other healthcare providers can derive from applying behavioral economic concepts to support genomic decision making. As genomic science continues to permeate clinical practice, nurses must continue to adapt practice to meet new challenges. Decisions associated with genomics are often not simple and dichotomous in nature. They can be complex and challenging for all involved. DESIGN This article offers an introduction to behavioral economics as a possible tool to help support patients', families', and caregivers' decision making related to genomics. METHODS Using current writings from nursing, ethics, behavioral economic, and other healthcare scholars, we review key concepts of behavioral economics and discuss their relevance to supporting genomic decision making. FINDINGS Behavioral economic concepts-particularly relativity, deliberation, and choice architecture-are specifically examined as new ways to view the complexities of genomic decision making. Each concept is explored through patient decision making and clinical practice examples. This article also discusses next steps and practice implications for further development of the behavioral economic lens in nursing. CONCLUSIONS Behavioral economics provides valuable insight into the unique nature of genetic decision-making practices. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Nurses are often a source of information and support for patients during clinical decision making. This article seeks to offer behavioral economic concepts as a framework for understanding and examining the unique nature of genomic decision making. As genetic and genomic testing become more common in practice, it will continue to grow in importance for nurses to be able to support the autonomous decision making of patients, their families, and caregivers.
One or Many? A Brief History of Culture and Cultures in the Evolution of “Physical Culture”

At the heart of contemporary kinesiology resides a long history of promoting “physical culture” as a homogenizing and unifying force, linking all of humanity together with a common bond. We routinely prescribe the universal power of physical activity to improve health and well-being across social boundaries and beyond national boundaries. We frame problems and offer solutions that seem to affect all people, in all places, at all times. At the same time, multicultural issues, understood in a broad sense, have captivated students of human movement and shaped the development of the field. The field itself emerged from multiple cultures—academic, intellectual, vocational, and national. The dialectics of culture and the clash of universal and plural perspectives have played an important role in the quest to define the meaning of human movement. Embracing rather than resolving these tensions offers the best strategy for charting creative current and future directions for research and policy in kinesiology.
Improvement of 19F MR image uniformity in a mouse model of cellular therapy using inductive coupling

Improve 19F magnetic resonance imaging uniformity of perfluorocarbon (PFC)-labeled cells by using a secondary inductive resonator tuned to 287 MHz to enhance the induced radio frequency (RF) magnetic field (B1) at 7.05 T. Following Faraday’s induction law, the sign of induced B1 made by the secondary resonator can be changed depending on the tuning of the resonator. A secondary resonator located on the opposite side of the phantom of the 19F surface coil can be shown to enhance or subtract the induced B1 field, depending upon its tuning. The numerical simulation results of rotating transmit B1 magnitude (|B 1 + |) and corresponding experimental 19F images were compared without and with the secondary resonator. With the secondary resonator tuned to 287 MHz, improvements of |B 1 | and 19F image uniformity were demonstrated. The use of the secondary resonator improved our ability to visualize transplanted cell location non-invasively over a period of 6 weeks. The secondary resonator tuned to enhance the induced B1 results in improved image uniformity in a pre-clinical application, enabling cell tracking of PFC-labeled cells with the secondary resonator.
PRECONDITIONING FOR CONSTRAINED OPTIMIZATION PROBLEMS WITH APPLICATIONS ON BOUNDARY VALUE PROBLEMS

ABSTRACT Constrained boundary value problems appear in problems where an incompressibility constraint is valid as for rubber-like materials, where det J (u) = 1, J the local Jacobi transformation matrix, dV = FdV 0 . However, a constraint may also be introduced due to a mixed variable formulation, as in the stream function (ψ) - vorticity (ω) formulation, where ω = Δψ. The constrained problem may be formulated as a Lagrangian functional problem. The Lagrangian multiplier corresponds then to the hydrostatic pressure p. To prove boundedness of p may be difficult for nonlinearly constrained problems. A constructive approach for this is presented, which at the same time provides a method for the numerical solution of the problem. The initial approximation is calculated from the penalized functional corresponding to a perturbed Lagrangian with perturbation parameter e. A modified minimal residual conjugate gradient method, preconditioned by a linearized perturbed Lagrangian operator, is proved to converge if e is small enough. A slightly weakened form of the so called Brezzi-Babŭska condition is used in the proof.
A Developmental Psychopathology Perspective on Depression in Children and Adolescents

The study of depression in children and adolescents has gone through a series of contradictory formulations as theorists have attempted to understand this complex form of disorder in youngsters. Conceptualizations have ranged from the belief that depression in children was impossible due to the immaturity of ego development prior to adolescence and the concomitant inability to experience guilt (Rie, 1966) to the belief that depression in children is prevalent and may be manifested in a variety of symptoms quite divergent from those evidenced in adulthood, i. e., depressive equivalents (Cytryn & McKnew, 1972; Glaser, 1967) to the assertion that symptoms indicating depression are the same across the age span from childhood to adulthood (American Psychiatric Association, 1987; Kashani et al., 1981; Puig-Antich, 1980). Such divergence in thinking indicates that the topic of depression in childhood and adolescence is an area of active and significant theoretical and empirical inquiry.
Learning plans for an intelligent assistant by observing user behavior

A critical requirement of intelligent automated assistants is a representation of actions and goals that is common to both the user and the automated assistant. Updating the intelligent system's knowledge base by observing user behavior is a convenient method for acquiring this common representation. We are developing an explanation based learning system to automate the acquisition of new plans for a large pilot-aiding expert system. We have developed a planning/learning shell that is based on the TWEAK planning system and DeJong's explanation based learning system. We are applying this shell to the pilot-aiding problem in a joint industry/university research effort involving Honeywell, Lockheed, ISX, Search Technology, and the Universities of Illinois and Michigan.
Results of fast neutron beam radiotherapy pilot studies at the University of Washington

Fast neutron beam clinical trials were started at the University of Washington in 1973. Since that time, thirty-seven patients have been treated for Grades III and IV astrocytomas; thirty-six of these patients have died. The mean survival was 10.8 months for patients with Grade III lesions and 7.5 months for patients with Grade IV lesions. Fifteen of these patients had autopsies and identifiable cancer was seen in only one instance. One hundred and thirteen patients were treated for metastatic cervical adenopathy from squamous cell cancers of the head and neck. With a mean follow-up time of 14.5 months, 54% of the total group remained locally free of disease. Thirty-seven per cent of patients treated with neutrons only and 61% of patients treated with mixed beam irradiation maintained a complete remission at the sites of their adenopathy (p<.025). Fewer complications were seen in the mixed-beam irradiated group. One hundred and twenty-six patients were treated for primary squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck region. With a mean follow-up time of 1.5 years, the local control rate for the entire group was 51%. Twenty-eight per cent of those treated with neutrons alone and 63% of those treated with mixed beam were locally controlled. Mixed-beam therapy appears to be superior to neutrons only, both in terms of complication rates and local tumor control in these tumor systems.
Performances of WorldView 3, Sentinel 2, and Landsat 8 data in mapping impervious surface

Abstract Many efforts have been made to map developed impervious surface from remotely sensed information in the last two decades. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) developed the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) to provide consistent land cover and change products for the Nation since 2001. Percent impervious surface area (ISA), one of the products in NLCD as a continuous field and estimated with Landsat imagery, represents the fraction of human-made impervious area in a 30 m resolution grid. ISA is used to map urban land cover types and extents for the United States. However, it is still a challenge to quantify highly heterogeneous features in many urban areas using remotely sensed data with spatial and spectral resolutions similar to Landsat and to determine the impacts of remotely sensed data characteristics on ISA mapping.
Pub1 acts as an E6-AP-like protein ubiquitiin ligase in the degradation of cdc25

The level of the mitotic activating tyrosine phosphatase cdc25 is regulated by both transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We have found that cdc25 is ubiquitinated and have cloned pub1, a gene which regulates this event. Pub1 contains a region highly homologous to the putative catalytic domain of the human protein ubiquitin ligase E6-AP. Disruption of pub1 elevates the level of cdc25 protein in vivo rendering cells relatively resistant to the cdc25-opposing tyrosine kinases wee1 and mik1. In addition, loss of wee1 activity in a pub1-disruption background results in a lethal premature entry into mitosis which can be rescued by loss of cdc25 function. A ubiquitin-thioester adduct of pub1 was isolated from fission yeast and disruption of pub1 dramatically reduced ubiquitination of cdc25 in vivo. These results suggest that pub1 directly ubiquitinates cdc25 in vivo.
Leveraging Parents through Low-Cost Technology The Impact of High-Frequency Information on Student Achievement

We partnered a low-cost communication technology with school information systems to automate the gathering and provision of information on students' academic progress to parents of middle and high school students. We sent weekly automated alerts to parents about their child's missed assignments, grades, and class absences. The alerts reduced course failures by 27 percent, increased class attendance by 12 percent, and increased student retention, though there was no impact on state test scores. There were larger effects for below-median GPA students and high school students. More than 32,000 text messages were sent at a variable cost of $63. [End Page 125] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Feasibility of and Decreased Inpatient Hospital Days for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) Patients with Outpatient BEAM Using Daily Etoposide and Cytarabine and Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (AHCT)

Introduction BEAM is a commonly used AHCT regimen for NHL and HL. The twice daily dosing of etoposide and cytarabine requires inpatient hospitalization, and pts remain inpatient until neutrophil recovery. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of outpatient BEAM with AHCT using daily etoposide and cytarabine. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of patients treated with BEAM and AHCT in the outpatient transplant setting at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center from October 2018 to August 2019. Carmustine was given on day -6 (300mg/m2), etoposide (200mg/m2/dose) and cytarabine (400mg/m2/dose) daily from day -5 through day -2, and melphalan on day -1 (140mg/m2). Stem cell infusion and supportive care were performed per standard of care and institutional guidelines, including a delayed emesis prophylactic regimen of from D+1 to +7 after the first three pts. Packed red blood cells were given for hemoglobin Results For 18 pts, the median age was 38 (range 24-21) with 72% male. Lymphoma subtypes are shown in Figure 1. Median dose of CD 34+ cells infused was 6 × 10^6 CD34+cells/kg (range: 2.54-10.66). Cell infusions were given over 2 days in 3 pts. Washed cell infusions were administered to 6 pts. Median melphalan AUC was 6.2 (range 3.5-14, Figure 3). Median days to neutrophil engraftment was 9 (range: 8-12). Median number of platelet transfusions per pt was 4 (range: 2-8). Median packed red blood cells per pt was 1 (range: 0-6). Median number of days of grade2+ diarrhea was 3 (range: 0-11). Four pts (22%) required additional antiemetics outside the standard of care. Median weight lost per pt was 2.8kg (range: 0-10.3kg). Median number of intravenous fluid boluses was 5.5 (range: 1-10). Pts maintained a mean serum creatinine of 0.9mg/dl (range:0.7-1.5mg/dl). Engraftment syndrome was diagnosed in 44%. All patients were alive as of 9/30/19 with median follow-up of 62 days (range: 34-291). A total of 236 hospital days were saved using the outpatient regimen. Median number of hospital days saved per pt was 13. Fifteen pts required admission during the transplant course while 3 completed the transplant entirely outpt. Median day of hospital admission was +6 (range: +1 to +11). Reasons for admission are shown in Figure 2. Median number of inpt hospital days was 4 (range: 3-14). Ten pts returned to the outpatient stem cell transplant clinic for management prior to day 30. One pt was re-hospitalized prior to day 30. Conclusion BEAM using daily dosed etoposide and cytarabine with AHCT was not only feasible and safe for the outpatient setting, but also has the potential to reduce inpatient hospital days.
The Slippery Duck Theorem

Consider Hathaway’s classical dog-and-duck problem: if a swimming dog heads directly toward a swimming duck, what is the path taken by the dog? Assuming a “slippery” duck is traveling along a smoot...
CAH, or is it? Differentiating the Causes of Hypoaldosteronism in Pediatrics

The patient was a full-term male who presented to his two-week clinic appointment 15% below birth weight. Mom reported appropriate feeding volumes but he was sleeping throughout the day and needed to be woken for feeds. He was stooling and voiding normally with no vomiting or fevers. On physical exam he was thin with poor tone. His anterior fontanelle was sunken; his skin was ashen. He was admitted for continued weight loss and dehydration. Initial labs showed Sodium 126, Potassium 8.2, Chloride 88, HCO3 19, BUN/Cr of 20/0.38, and WBC …
Immunopharmacotherapeutic advancements in addressing methamphetamine abuse.

Methamphetamine (METH) is an illicit psychostimulant that is known to account for substance abuse disorders globally, second only to opioids, yet has no approved pharmacotherapies. Traditional therapies employ small molecule agonists or antagonists for substance use disorders or overdose reversal by targeting drug-specific receptors in the brain. However, the comprehensive mechanism of METH on multiple sites within the central nervous system (CNS) implies its receptors lack the high affinity and specificity required for an “ideal” drug target. The alternative to pharmacotherapies is to sequester abused drugs in the periphery, effectively eliminating the effects from CNS receptor occupation through pharmacokinetic antagonism. This review presents updates on immunopharmacotherapeutic advancements in addressing methamphetamine abuse by focusing on the cultivation of research optimization strategies regarding hapten chemistry, carrier proteins, and adjuvants implemented in active immunization. Furthermore, we discuss necessary developments for each component of active immunopharmacotherapies and the future of active vaccines in treating METH use disorder.
A Double-Layer Cyber Physical Cooperative Emergency Control Strategy Modification Method for Cyber-Attacks Against Power System

With the great development of the information communication technology, power systems have been typical Cyber Physical Systems (CPSs). Although the control function of the grid side is becoming more intelligent, Grid Cyber Physical System (GCPS) brings the risk of potential cyberattacks. In this paper, the impacts of cyber-attacks against GCPS are analyzed based on confusion matrix model firstly, then a double-layer cyber physical collaboration control strategy adjustment methods is proposed considering the status of cyber modules and physical devices infected by cyber-attacks. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method are verified on the IEEE standard system.
The 1995-2018 global evolution of the network of amicable and hostile relations among nation-states

There has been longstanding interest in the evolution of positive and negative relationships among countries. An interdisciplinary field of study, Structural Balance Theory, has developed on the dynamics of such appraisal systems. However, the advancement of research in the field has been impeded by the lack of longitudinal empirical data on large-scale networks. We construct the networks of international amicable and hostile relations occurring in specific time-periods in order to study the global evolution of the network of such international appraisals. Here we present an empirical evidence on the alignment of Structural Balance Theory with the evolution of the structure of this network, and a model of the probabilistic micro-dynamics of the alterations of international appraisals during the period 1995-2018. Also remarkably, we find that the trajectory of the Frobenius norm of sequential transition probabilities, which govern the evolution of international appraisals among nations, dramatically stabilizes. Studying the evolution of the network of amicable and hostile relations between countries allows powerful insights into global events such as the origin of wars, economy collapses, and the result of political elections. Here, the authors study 23 years of event data for international appraisals and find that the evolution of the corresponding network is consistent with structural balance theory, with triadic interactions evolving towards balanced relationships.
Transdermal microneedles for the programmable burst release of multiple vaccine payloads

Repeated bolus injections are associated with higher costs and poor compliance and can hinder the implementation of global immunization campaigns. Here, we report the development and preclinical testing of patches of transdermal core-shell microneedles-which were fabricated by the micromoulding and alignment of vaccine cores and shells made from poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) with varying degradability kinetics-for the preprogrammed burst release of vaccine payloads over a period of a few days to more than a month from a single administration. In rats, microneedles loaded with a clinically available vaccine (Prevnar-13) against the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae induced immune responses that were similar to immune responses observed after multiple subcutaneous bolus injections, and led to immune protection against a lethal bacterial dose. Microneedle patches delivering preprogrammed doses may offer an alternative strategy to prophylactic and therapeutic protocols that require multiple injections.
Medicare's New Patient Driven Payment Model Resulted In Reductions In Therapy Staffing In Skilled Nursing Facilities.

Medicare’s Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) significantly altered the way skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are paid, removing the financial incentive to maximize the volume of therapy services ...
Value Shifts: Redefining “Leadership” A Narrative

This article provides a historical narrative documenting the major rifts and shifts in the concept of “value” in the 20th and 21st centuries. It is the author’s contention that these shifts have confused the conceptualization of value, making it a rather broad and meaningless term. Thus, to define “leadership” as “valuesor ethically-based,” one must first provide a substantial defense of a particular moral view upon which leadership is want to be situated. This task is made arduous because “value” and “morals” have become confused in the morass of postmodernism and its political correlate, political correctness.
Memory polynomial model for digital predistortion of broadband solid-state radar amplifiers

After a discussion on the potential benefits of the use of digital predistortion (DPD) on high power amplifiers (HPA) in phased array radar systems, current work is presented on amplifier and predistorter modeling towards this goal. Simulated HPA performance results utilizing DPD demonstrate a significant decrease in spectral spreading versus non-predistorted waveforms, and testing DPD on a physical HPA verifies these findings. The demonstrated DPD method has great potential for application in coded waveform phased array and MIMO radar systems.
Sickness and Healing: An Anthropological Perspective

Sickness and Healing: An Anthropological Perspective. Robert A. Hahn. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1995 (cloth and paper), viii. 327 pp.
Quality Assurance, Quality Control and Method Validation in Chromatographic Applications

Clinical chemistry and toxicology are also known as clinical biochemistry or clinical pathology, and they utilize a variety of analytical procedures to analyze body fluids to aid in medical prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Analytes commonly targeted include electrolytes, creatinine, albumin and other proteins, iron and prescription (therapeutic) and illicit drugs. The focus of this chapter is on quality assurance and quality control issues facing clinical laboratories, with emphasis on chromatographic analysis. Chromatography is a versatile analytical technique with diverse applications including gas chromatography (GC), liquid chromatography (LC), GC or LC coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) and other qualitative and quantitative bioanalytical methods.
Ordering Africa : anthropology, European imperialism and the politics of knowledge

Acknowledgements Introduction Helen Tilley, "Africa, Imperialism, and Anthropology" I. Metropolitan Agendas & Institutions 1. Emmanuelle Sibeud, "The Elusive Bureau of Colonial Ethnography: African Experience and Ethnographic Terrain in France, 1906-1930" 67 2. Holger Stoecker, "The Advancement of African Studies by the German Research Foundation (GRF), 1920-1945" 90 3. Benoit de l'Estoile, "Internationalization and Scientific Nationalism: the International Institute of African Languages and Cultures (IIALC) Between the Wars" 130 II. African Ethnographers, Self-Expression, and Modernity 4. Sara Pugach, "Of Conjunctions, Comportment, and Clothing: The Place of African Teaching Assistants at Hamburg's Colonial Institute, 1909-1919" 153 5. Jean-Herve Jezequel, "Voices of Their Own?: African Participation in the Production of Colonial Knowledge in French West Africa, 1900-1950" 190 6. Bruce Berman and John Lonsdale, "Custom, Modernity and the Search for Kihooto: Kenyatta, Malinowski, and the Making of Facing Mount Kenya" 231 III. Salvage Anthropology, Primordial Imagination, & 'Dying Races' 7. Patrick Harries, "From the Alps to Africa: Swiss Missionaries and the Rise of Anthropology" 264 8. John Cinnamon, "Colonial Anthropologies and the Primordial Imagination in Equatorial Africa" 296 9. Nancy Hunt, "Colonial Medical Anthropology and the Making of the Central African Infertility Belt" 335 IV. Colonial States, Applied Ethnography, and Policy 10. Barbara Sorgoni, "The Scripts of Alberto Pollera, an Italian officer in Colonial Eritrea: Administration, Ethnography and Gender" 381 11. Douglas Johnson, "From Political Intelligence to Colonial Anthropology: Ethnography in the Sudan Intelligence Reports and Sudan Notes and Records" 415 12. Gary Wilder, "Colonial Ethnology and Political Rationality in French West Africa" 451
A sampling theorem on homogeneous manifolds

We consider a generalization of entire functions of spherical exponential type and Lagrangian splines on manifolds. An analog of the PaleyWiener theorem is given. We also show that every spectral entire functionl on a manifold is uniquely determined by its values on some discrete sets of points. The main result of the paper is a formula for reconstruction of spectral entire functions from their values on discrete sets using Lagrangian splines.
Local control rates with five-fraction stereotactic body radiotherapy for oligometastatic cancer to the lung.

Objective: To report our institutional experience with five fractions of daily 8-12 Gy stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for the treatment of oligometastatic cancer to the lung. Methods: Thirty-four consecutive patients with oligometastatic cancers to the lung were treated with image-guided SBRT between 2008 and 2011. Patient age ranged from 38 to 81 years. There were 17 males and 17 females. Lung metastases were from the following primary cancer types: colon cancer (n=13 patients), head and neck cancer (n=6), breast cancer (n=4), melanoma (n=4), sarcoma (n=4) and renal cell carcinoma (n=3). The median prescription dose was 50 Gy in five fractions (range, 40-60 Gy) to the isocenter, with the 80% isodose line encompassing the planning target volume (PTV) [defined as gross tumor volume (GTV) + 7-11 mm volumetric expansion]. The follow-up interval ranged from 2.4-54 months, with a median of 16.7 months. Results: The 1-, 2-, and 3-year patient local control (LC) rates for all patients were 93%, 88%, and 80% respectively. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival (OS) rates were 62%, 44%, and 23% respectively. The 1- and 2-year patient LC rates were 95% and 88% for tumor size 1-2 cm (n=25), and 86% for tumor size 2-3 cm (n=7). The majority (n=4) of local failures occurred within 12 months. No patient experienced local failure after 12 months except for one patient with colon cancer whose tumors progressed locally at 26 months. All five patients with local recurrences had colorectal cancer. Statistical analyses showed that age, gender, previous chemotherapy, previous surgery or radiation had no significant effect on LC rates. No patient was reported to have any symptomatic pneumonitis at any time point. Conclusions: SBRT for oligometastatic disease to the lung using 8-12 Gy daily fractions over five treatments resulted in excellent 1- and 2-year LC rates. Most local failures occurred within the first 12 months, with five local failures associated with colorectal cancer. The treatment is safe using this radiation fractionation schedule with no therapy-related pneumonitis.
Pharmacists' role in increasing pneumococcal and influenza vaccination.

Purpose. The role of the pharmacist in increasing pneumococcal and influenza vaccination rates and the clinical efficacy of pneumococcal and influenza vaccines are discussed. Summary. Institutional pharmacists often play key roles on multidisciplinary committees and have the opportunity to make preventive therapies, such as vaccination, a priority. Standing-order programs authorize health care professionals to screen for vaccine eligibility and contraindications, administer vaccines, and monitor for adverse effects when following a physician- or institution-approved protocol. Current vaccination levels for the influenza and pneumococcal vaccines are suboptimal and well below the Healthy People 2010 goal of 90% of high-risk patients. Pharmacists should be familiar with the composition, immunogenicity, dosage, administration, efficacy, adverse reactions, contraindications, precautions, and cost-effectiveness of each vaccine, as well as with Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations and the supporting literature. Conclusion. Health-system pharmacists have the opportunity and responsibility to protect those at highest risk of pneumococcal disease and influenza through the use of standing-order vaccination programs.
Dynamic modeling of flashover on dielectric surfaces

The authors present the results of a dynamic model developed to estimate the pollution flashover voltage (FOV) for various types of practical insulator configurations. The model uses established concepts readily available for computation. For the illustration of the model, the computed results are compared with the experimental data of other researchers. The model is extended to an equivalent simple flat plate model corresponding to the actual insulator, which is more feasible for use, both in laboratory and computer simulations. The good agreement between the computed results with previous experimental data suggests that the model can be used for insulator design. The model can be used to show the linear correlation between a string of insulators and a single unit, which is very convenient in the case of UHV systems. >
Effects of hepatocyte growth factor and platelet-derived growth factor on the repair of meniscal defects in vitro

Injuries to the avascular region of the meniscus occur frequently and may be difficult to repair. This study was designed to determine whether growth factors could diffuse from a collagen sponge or a collagen gel into meniscal tissue and stimulate healing of defects using an in vitro model. The diffusion of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) from the collagen carriers into the medium was rapid with approximately 50% being released from the collagen sponge within the first hour. After 5 d of incubation, 8% of the PDGF was present in the meniscus, 11% in the collagen sponge, and 62% had been released into the medium. Similar results were obtained when a collagen gel was used as a carrier. Histological evaluation of the meniscal explants after 2 wk in culture revealed extensive proteoglycan staining in the areas surrounding defects treated with either hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) or PDGF compared with controls without growth factor. The HGF-PDGF treatment resulted in alignment and migration of meniscal cells toward the defect, which was not observed in untreated controls. At 3–7 d, increased number of cells were observed in defects treated with collagen gels (but not the sponge) with PDGF-HGF. At 4 wk, combined HGF-PDGF treatment resulted in the formation of tissue with birefringence by polarized microscopy, suggestive of organized collagen. The data suggest that use of specific PDGF-HGF may enhance the repair of meniscal injuries.
Disambiguating "DE" for Chinese-English Machine Translation

Linking constructions involving [Abstract contained text which could not be captured.] (DE) are ubiquitous in Chinese, and can be translated into English in many different ways. This is a major source of machine translation error, even when syntax-sensitive translation models are used. This paper explores how getting more information about the syntactic, semantic, and discourse context of uses of [Abstract contained text which could not be captured.] (DE) can facilitate producing an appropriate English translation strategy. We describe a finer-grained classification of [Abstract contained text which could not be captured.] (DE) constructions in Chinese NPs, construct a corpus of annotated examples, and then train a log-linear classifier, which contains linguistically inspired features. We use the DE classifier to preprocess MT data by explicitly labeling [Abstract contained text which could not be captured.] (DE) constructions, as well as reordering phrases, and show that our approach provides significant BLEU point gains on MT02 (+1.24), MT03 (+0.88) and MT05 (+1.49) on a phrased-based system. The improvement persists when a hierarchical reordering model is applied.
Kinetics of carbon precipitation in irradiated iron—II electrical resistivity measurements

Abstract The electrical resistivity changes which occur upon annealing quenched iron-carbon (0.011 wt.%) after irradiation at low temperatures in a reactor are compared to the changes which occur in unirradiated specimens. In unirradiated specimens two stages of resistivity are noted, one about 170°C, associated with the formation of a metastable carbide, and one about 250°C, associated with the formation of Fe3C. In contrast, five annealing stages are observed in the irradiated specimens between −80°C and 300°C. These stages are discussed in terms of the migration history of the carbon atoms. It is concluded that the carbon atoms are temporarily trapped by radiation-produced point defects and leave the traps only at a temperature higher than that at which the metastable carbide can form. As expected, no resistivity decay process associated with the formation of the metastable carbide is observed in specimens irradiated to a dosage sufficient to trap all of the carbon atoms.
Some New Group Theoretic Properties of Singular Linear Sequential Machines

In this short paper it is shown how some simple concepts of group theory are used in the analysis of singular linear sequential machines: specifically it is shown that a set of states called the junction states form a group and more important a subgroup of the group (the set of junction states which belongs to the set of states mapping into the 0 state after 1 unit of time) plays a fundamental role in its relation to synthesis.
Fiber fracture in hybrid composite systems

Abstract Conventional and hybrid micro-composites consisting of up to nine single fibers in Epon 828/Versamid 140 epoxy were constructed and pulled in uniaxial tension. The coordination of fiber fractures for each system was studied as a function of interfiber spacing. E-glass, AS-4 and IM6-G carbon, and Kevlar-49 fibers were used. It was shown that fiber fracture occurred in a random pattern when fiber spacing was more than eight fiber diameters. When the fiber spacing was less than eight fiber diameters there was coordination of fractures in adjacent fibers, with increased adhesion resulting in stronger coordination. The AS-4/Kevlar-49 hybrid system exhibited the least amount of coordinated fracture. A computer model of the hybrid effect, based on local load sharing principles, predicted similar strength enhancement of the stiffer fibers in hybrid composites as other authors have found experimentally. It was concluded that the hybrid effect can be attributed to load sharing between high and low modulus fibers in hybrid composites.
Aggressive fibromatosis of the head and neck in the pediatric population.

Abstract Background Aggressive fibromatosis, previously referred to as desmoid tumor, is a rare tumor. It is classified as benign, however, has a high potential for local invasion and recurrence. It is most commonly found in the abdomen, with an origin in the head and neck accounting for less than a quarter of the total cases. Methods Literature review using PubMed and OVID and a combination of the words, “desmoid”, “fibromatosis”, “pediatric”, “children”, and “head and neck”. Results Annual occurrence is 0.2 – 0.4 per 100,000, with origins in the head and neck accounting for 10–25%. Since 1954, 97 cases of pediatric head and neck fibromatosis were reported. The age range was from birth to 16 years, with the average being 4 years and 5 months old. The overwhelming majority of tumors were of the mandible (38%). 74% patients underwent a large resection as the primary treatment modality. The most common treatment complication was tumor recurrence (16%). Conclusions Fibromatosis is a rare tumor of muscoloaponeurotic origin. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment; however recurrence rates are high, even despite negative surgical margins.