cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Celebrating IT Professional's 10-Year Anniversary

W elcome to IT Professional magazine’s 10th year. IT Pro is one of the IEEE Computer Society’s most widely read publications, and is especially popular with IT practitioners looking for solutions to today’s challenges. Our goal is the same as it was when we began this magazine 10 years ago: to help you keep up with the latest IT theories, research results, critical issues, products, and services. We’ll do so with articles, columns, and news briefs that provide highquality overviews and surveys of new technologies, trends, and best practices. As an example, we were among the first to warn readers about the impact of changes in US Daylight Saving Time on IT systems in our January/February 2007 issue— and we continue to publish reliable information and solutions on topics like dealing with serviceoriented architectures or minimizing security risks.
Offline tracing and representation of signatures

An approach for representing signatures in an offline environment is presented. The approach first makes a tracing of a signature similar to the way a human normally does, using hierarchical decision-making for stroke identification and ordering based on a set of heuristic rules. The dynamic information from the tracing sequence is then incorporated into the representation of the signature. A multiresolution critical-point segmentation method is used to extract local feature points, at varying degrees of scale and coarseness, for subsequent representation of the signature. Experimental results are discussed. >
Separate computation of alias information for reuse

Interprocedural dataflow information is useful for many software testing and analysis techniques, including dataflow testing, regression testing, program slicing and impact analysis. For programs with aliases, these testing and analysis techniques can yield invalid results, unless the dataflow information accounts for aliasing effects. Recent research provides algorithms for performing interprocedural dataflow analysis in the presence of aliases; however, these algorithms are expensive, and achieve precise results only on complete programs. This paper presents an algorithm for performing alias analysis on incomplete programs, that lets individual software components such as library routines, subroutines, or subsystems be independently analyzed. The paper also presents an algorithm for reusing the results of this separate analysis when linking the individual software components with calling modules. The primary advantage of our algorithms is that they let us analyze frequently used software components, such as library routines or classes, independently, and reuse the results of that analysis when analyzing calling programs, without incurring the expense of completely reanalyzing each calling program.
Patient reported barriers to enrolling in a patient portal

Background Previous studies of patient portals have found low rates of enrollment and significant disparities in enrollment by race and ethnicity. As the reasons for these findings are unclear, we sought to identify patient reported barriers to enrollment in a patient portal. Methods We conducted a telephone survey of patients in one urban general internal medicine clinic. Patients were eligible if they did not enroll within 30 days of receiving an electronic order inviting participation. Our primary outcomes were: (a) reasons for not enrolling in the patient portal; (b) reasons for not attempting enrollment; and (c) perceived benefits of the portal. Results Participants’ (N¼159) mean age was 51 years, 48% were black, 72% female, and 70% had a college degree or greater. 63% of respondents not enrolling reported never attempting enrollment despite remembering receiving an order. Most of these 63% did not attempt enrollment because of lack of information or motivation. Smaller proportions reported not attempting enrollment because of negative attitudes toward the portal (30%) or computer related obstacles (8%). Overall, respondents favorably viewed most patient portal features, however black respondents were less likely than white respondents to consider features assisting self-management such as getting test results (69% vs 86%; p<0.05) as important. Adjusting for age, gender, education, and chronic disease did not substantially change results. Conclusion Strategies to increase enrollment in patient portals need to ensure patients understand patient portal features and receive follow-up reminders. Interventions to reduce racial disparities in enrollment must address attitudinal barriers and not focus solely on improving access.
Multicultural democracy: can it work?

After differentiating multicultural democracy (MD) from other types of democracy (liberal, consociational, ethnic and Herrenvolk), this article explores both the conditions favouring MD and the problems it faces. The main obstacle to MD is the model of the ‘nation–state’, which has been the basis of legitimacy in most liberal democracies since the French Revolution. Multiculturalism has existed in many non–democratic states (such as colonial and traditional empires) and in city–states. A distinction is made between minimal MD (the simple tolerance and legal protection of cultural diversity) and maximal MD (the celebration, encouragement and official support thereof). The article concludes that minimal MD is the more feasible of the two, and that political and social conditions for it are the most favourable in urban environments, especially in city–states.
Revealing exciton-exciton couplings in semiconductors using multidimensional four-wave mixing signals

We show that the femtosecond four-wave mixing signal from GaAs quantum wells generated in the phase-matching direction ${\mathbf{k}}_{1}+{\mathbf{k}}_{2}\ensuremath{-}{\mathbf{k}}_{3}$ can fully resolve the pure heavy-hole, pure light-hole, and the mixed two excitons by directly observing double quantum coherences. Time-dependent Hartree-Fock contributions for different types of two excitons may be completely separated from higher-order Coulomb correlations by specific pulse polarization configurations. Simulations performed on a one-dimensional three-band tight-binding model for a GaAs quantum well are analyzed using double-sided Feynman diagrams which reveal the Liouville space pathways contributing to the various peaks.
A comparison of auditory evoked potentials in two species of sparrow

Auditory evoked potentials were recorded from the surface of the brain in young swamp and song sparrows. Responses to pure tones indicate that both species have similar auditory sensitivity during the sensitive period for song learning. Responses to the song syllables extracted from the normal adult song of both species show evidence of hemispheric differences for swamp sparrows listening to conspecific syllables but not to song sparrow syllables. Song sparrows showed no evidence of selective responsiveness to conspecific syllable type.
Detecting Climate Change due to Increasing Carbon Dioxide

The observed interannual variability of temperature at 60°N has been investigated. The results indicate that the surface warming due to increased carbon dioxide which is predicted by three-dimensional climate models should be detectable now. It is not, possibly because the predicted warming is being delayed more than a decade by ocean thermal inertia, or because there is a compensating cooling due to other factors. Further consideration of the uncertainties in model predictions and of the likely delays introduced by ocean thermal inertia extends the range of time for the detection of warming, if it occurs, to the year 2000. The effects of increasing carbon dioxide should be looked for in several variables simultaneously in order to minimize the ambiguities that could result from unrecognized compensating cooling.
Cross-domain fault localization: A case for a graph digest approach

Prior research has focused on intra-domain fault localization leaving the cross-domain problem largely unaddressed. Faults often have widespread effects, which if correlated, could significantly improve fault localization. Past efforts rely on probing techniques or assume hierarchical domain structures; however, administrators are often unwilling to share network structure and state and domains are organized and connected in complex ways. We present an inference-graph-digest based formulation of the problem. The formulation not only explicitly models the inference accuracy and privacy requirements for discussing and reasoning over cross-domain problems, but also facilitates the re-use of existing fault localization algorithms while enforcing domain privacy policies. We demonstrate our formulation by deriving a cross-domain version of SHRINK, a recent probabilistic fault localization strategy.
Differential Sensitivity of Rat Kidney and Liver to Fumonisin Toxicity: Organ Specific Differences in Toxin Accumulation and Sphingoid Base Metabolism

Fumonisins (FBs) are mycotoxins in maize and are inhibitors of ceramide synthase (CS), the most likely proximate cause of FB toxicity. In liver and kidney, the primary target organs in FB-fed rats, inhibition of CS results in a marked increase in the ceramide precursor sphinganine (Sa). This study was conducted to investigate the differential time- and dose-dependent changes in Sa, sphingosine (So), sphinganine 1-phosphate (Sa-1-P), and sphingosine 1-phosphate (So-1-P) in kidney, liver, serum, and heart of male Sprague-Dawley rats (3–4 weeks old) fed diets containing 1.1, 13.5, and 88.6 mg/g of total FB for 10 days. The tissues were microscopically examined for the presence and severity of lesions consistent with FB exposure. There was a time- and dose-dependent increase in Sa in both liver and kidney, which was closely correlated with the tissue concentration of fumonisin B1 (FB1) and histopathologic findings. However, the Sa alone greatly underestimated the degree of disruption of sphingolipid metabolism since accumulated Sa and So were quickly metabolized to Sa-1-P and So-1-P as evidenced by large increases in these metabolites in kidney but not in liver. The concentration of FB1 in liver and kidney that first elicited an increase in Sa was similar in both tissues, however, over time, the kidney accumulated significantly more FB1 (103) and total Sa (Sa plus Sa-1-P) compared to liver. Thus, the relative sensitivity of male Sprague-Dawley rat kidney and liver is most likely a consequence of differences in the mechanisms responsible for both FB1 uptake/clearance and Sa metabolism.
Incretin Effects on β-Cell Function, Replication, and Mass: The human perspective

There is a progressive deterioration in β-cell function in patients with type 2 diabetes. At diagnosis, islet function may be reduced by up to 50% compared with healthy control subjects, and there is also likely to be a reduction in β-cell mass of up to 60%. The reduction in β-cell mass is due to accelerated apoptosis. Currently, few pharmacological therapies address this reduction in β-cell mass and function. This means that patients are generally subjected to an increasing polypharmacy to control their diabetes, with most eventually being treated by insulin. Incretin hormones, which are released from the gastrointestinal tract after a meal, enhance glucose-dependent insulin secretion from the pancreas, aiding the overall regulation of glucose homeostasis in healthy subjects. In addition, these hormones, especially glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1, have a number of protective effects on the β-cells, including a reduction in apoptosis and enhancement of β-cell proliferation and neogenesis. These benefits are lost to a significant extent in patients with diabetes. The recently developed diabetes therapies, GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as exenatide and liraglutide, appear to have beneficial effects on β-cell function and hence offer promise for durable glycemic control as well as potentially reducing the micro- and macrovascular complications associated with type 2 diabetes. The clinical course of type 2 diabetes is characterized by a progressive decline in β-cell mass and function. Although the elevated levels of fasting glucose and impairment of insulin action in peripheral tissues may predate the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, chronic hyperglycemia only results after a prolonged period of β-cell degeneration, a process that may begin as much as 12 years before diagnosis, involving a progressive reduction in functionality and mass (1,2). In the UK Prospective Diabetes Study, it was estimated that, at diagnosis, type 2 diabetic patients may have already lost up …
Lack of relationship between histologic chorioamnionitis and duration of the latency period in preterm rupture of membranes.

It is often believed that the frequency of clinical chorioamnionitis in preterm premature rupture of membranes (PROM) increases with the duration of the interval between membrane rupture and delive...
Declining Second Primary Ovarian Cancer After First Primary Breast Cancer

Purpose Although ovarian cancer incidence rates have declined in the United States, less is known of ovarian cancer trends among survivors of breast cancer. Therefore, we examined second primary ovarian cancers after first primary breast cancer. Methods Data were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program (1973 to 2008). Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated as the observed numbers of ovarian cancers among survivors of breast cancer compared with the expected numbers in the general population. Absolute rates were measured as the incidence rates for second primary ovarian cancer by year of diagnosis of the first primary breast cancer adjusted for age of breast cancer diagnosis and years since diagnosis. Results SIRs for second primary ovarian cancer were elevated over the entire study period (SIR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.2 to 1.3), whereas the absolute rates declined with an estimated annual percentage change near 1% (−1.34% to −0.09% per year). Secular trends for second o...
An Assessment of 4th-, 8th-, and 11th-Grade Students' Environmental Science Knowledge Related to Oregon's Marine Resources

Abstract This study assessed 4th-, 8th-, and 11th-grade students' understanding of science concepts related to Oregon's marine resources. A sample of public school students (N = 159) in nine Oregon schools was interviewed on a variety of concept principles. Concepts related to Oregon's marine resources included geology, physical and chemical characteristics, ecology, and natural resources. Results were summarized in generalized correct concept statements indicating the extent of student science knowledge. Common misconceptions were also noted. The results of the study have implications for teaching and learning about the marine environment.
Differential geometric structures in vehicle lane keeping and roll mitigation

This paper uses a geometric framework to create a control scheme designed to prevent road departure and vehicle roll-over. The system is based on making the closed-loop dynamics analogous to a dissipative mechanical system with a degenerate kinetic energy (a kinetic energy that is zero for some nonzero velocities), using the concept of metric compatible affine connections. Some propositions are given concerning the possibility of implementing the desired closed loop dynamics when the system is underactuated. They are applied to the task of preventing vehicle roll-over and road departure, where the system is underactuated due to the lack of direct actuation of the roll mode. An example from simulation is presented for illustration.
Biomaterials for vascular tissue engineering.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in the USA. The limited availability of healthy autologous vessels for bypass grafting procedures has led to the fabrication of prosthetic vascular conduits. While synthetic polymers have been extensively studied as substitutes in vascular engineering, they fall short of meeting the biological challenges at the blood–material interface. Various tissue engineering strategies have emerged to address these flaws and increase long-term patency of vascular grafts. Vascular cell seeding of scaffolds and the design of bioactive polymers for in situ arterial regeneration have yielded promising results. This article describes the advances made in biomaterials design to generate suitable materials that not only match the mechanical properties of native vasculature, but also promote cell growth, facilitate extracellular matrix production and inhibit thrombogenicity.
Business information literacy teaching at different academic levels: An exploration of skills and implications for instructional design

This study investigates the difference among students' discipline-specific information literacy (IL) skills by studying first-year and final-year undergraduate business students. An online IL tutorial was designed and delivered to both student groups with a two-fold goal. First, the researchers wanted to compare students' IL skills to test the faculty's assumptions that business students who are about to graduate have already acquired the requisite IL despite the lack of mandatory business-specific IL sessions. The findings suggest that first-year and final-year business students are not significantly different in their performance and that both groups received a significant positive impact as a result of taking the same IL tutorial online. Second, the study analyses how well the online IL tutorial, with its focus on combining instructional videos with active learning exercises, performs in delivering content related to different elements of IL, as defined by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL 2010). The findings indicate that the online IL tutorial is more effective for some skills than for others, suggesting that it will be beneficial to explore different instructional designs in collaboration with the departmental faculty to improve the current IL tutorial in these areas. This study adds to research on the effectiveness of online tutorials and raises questions related to their design. The findings can inform librarians' decisions on how to design online learning targeting students from different academic levels.
Work environment risk factors for injuries in wood processing.

Abstract Problem The reported injury rate for wood product manufacturing in Maine, 1987-2004, was almost twice the state-wide average for all jobs. Method: A case-control study was conducted in wood processing plants to determine preventable risk factors for injury. A total of 157 cases with injuries reported to workers' compensation and 251 controls were interviewed. Results: In multivariable analyses, variables associated with injury risk were high physical workload, machine-paced work or inability to take a break, lack of training, absence of a lockout/tagout program, low seniority, and male gender. Different subsets of these variables were significant when acute incidents and overexertions were analyzed separately and when all injuries were stratified by industry sub-sector. Impact on industry: Generalizability may be limited somewhat by non-representative participation of workplaces and individuals. Nevertheless, these findings provide evidence that many workplace injuries occurring in wood processing could be prevented by application of ergonomics principles and improved work organization.
A review of the impact of preparation and cooking on the nutritional quality of vegetables and legumes

Abstract Vegetables and legumes represent one of the most important components of the human diet. Being informed about their characteristics can improve the health benefits, helping to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes and some cancers. Recent studies have demonstrated that the method of preparation and cooking can improve the nutrition quality of food. These two steps induce several changes and interactions among its constituents, in some cases positive, in others negative. Therefore, knowing the changes occurring in food from preparation to table is essential not only for scientific research, but also for the consumer, who can make decisions about how to prepare and cook a selected number of healthy legumes and vegetables. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the most recent studies and draw conclusions that will enable the consumer to make decisions about how to maximize nutrient content of plant foods and identify the critical phases during preparation and cooking, when the nutrients might be lost. For such, some nutrients of specific legumes (peas and beans) and vegetables (broccoli, potatoes and onions) were selected.
The Right to Make Copies

This Article describes the development of the right to reproduce a work in copies, often described as the most fundamental right in copyright. Yet this fundamental right was missing for much of American copyright history, largely because reproduction of a work in copies was (and still is), in most cases, insignificant as an independent act of infringement. Nevertheless, aided by the assumption that reproduction is the very foundation of copyright, the right to copy has expanded in recent years. Content owners frequently argue that the right to copy must expand, as technology provides consumers with more (and more convenient) ways to make copies of copyrighted works. At the same time, consumer advocates claim that personal or private copying ought never to infringe. The author examines both claims and concludes that copying, without more, does not affect the incentives for creation and dissemination that copyright provides. Instead, copyright does its work by protecting the status of copyright owners as the sole sources of particular works in the market. Consequently, the key rights of copyright owners are those that affect the exploitation of the work in the market. These rights include the publication right (publicly distributing tangible copies of works), as well as the performance and display rights (making works publicly available in intangible form). Actions regarding a work that do not affect the public also do not affect copyright owners. While it may be too late to repeal the right to copy, careful parsing of the claims of content owners, both in the press and in lawsuits, can go a long way toward clarifying the nature and proper extent of copyright law. Ultimately, understanding the significance of copying in copyright law can protect copyright owners' markets, render the law comprehensible to lawyers and consumers, and restore copyright to an intellectually coherent foundation.
At mother's mercy: the nightmare of Munchausen syndrome by proxy

Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a form of child abuse in which a parent simulates or produces illness in a child for the purpose of engaging in a supportive relationship with a physician or other health care provider. The child suffers from the parent's actions and is subjected to significant morbidity due to extensive medical diagnostic procedures ordered by the unsuspecting physician. The purpose of this paper is to provide a better understanding of this disorder with respect to presentation, pathogenesis, and recognition.
Tyrosine nitration on p65: a novel mechanism to rapidly inactivate nuclear factor-kappaB.

NO is an important factor that induces post-translational modifications of proteins by cellular reduction and oxidation mechanism: cysteinyl-nitrosylation or Tyr nitration. Nuclear factor (NF)-κB activity can be rapidly suppressed by sodium nitroprusside, a NO donor. This effect was effectively reversed by peroxynitrite scavenger deferoxamine, suggesting a Tyr nitration-mediated mechanism. Western blot with nitrotyrosine-specific antibody demonstrated that the p65 subunit of NF-κB was predominantly nitrated on Tyr residues. Tyr nitration of p65 induced its dissociation from p50, its association with IκBα, and subsequent sequestration of p65 in the cytoplasm by IκBα-mediated export. Liquid chromatography-coupled nanoelectrospray mass spectrometry revealed specific nitration on Tyr-66 and Tyr-152 residues of p65. Mutation studies confirmed that both Tyr-66 and Tyr-152 residues were important for the direct effects of NO on p65, which resulted in more p65 export and inactivation of NF-κB activity. This study identified a novel and efficient pathway where NO rapidly inactivated NF-κB activity by inducing Tyr nitration on p65.
The sample survey in a national population program.

To those countries who are convinced of the urgency of world population control and are trying to do something about it at a national level the potential value of the sample survey in helping reduce the birth rate is much more than an academic matter. For the developing nations to reduce the time lag between falling death rates and falling birth rates below that experienced in the past by the North Atlantic nations requires prompt application on a sizable scale of the very fullest and best armamentarium that modern technology can offer. There should be no question in this audience about including the sample survey in the armamentarium but there may be differences of opinion as to where when and how it can be most effectively applied. These can best be considered in relation to specific objectives of national population programs. Not much can yet be said about actual applications in national programs since such programs are both few and new but I will illustrate reference to Pakistan. (excerpt)
G435(P) Evaluation of febrile neonates and infants: should we have a different approach?

Introduction Parental concerns regarding fever are a common cause of Children’s Emergency attendances. As the cause of fever could be varied, most children are subjected to extensive workup and empirical antibiotic therapy. Aim To evaluate the causes of fever and appropriateness of investigations and therapy in febrile neonates (post discharge) and infants presenting to a tertiary hospital in Singapore. To explore the possibility of a safe but pragmatic approach to management of these children. Methods This retrospective study comprised of neonates (post-discharge), & children Results 216 children were included in the study, of whom 164 had documented temperatures above 37.6 C on admission. 52 children had reported fever before admission. Amongst the study children, 79 (36.5%) had full septic workup (blood, urine and CSF cultures) and 47 (22%) had partial septic workup (blood and urine cultures). Nasopharyngeal (NPA) swabs were done in 155 (76%) children. C – reactive protein (CRP) was tested in 163 (75%) and full blood count (FBC) in 166 (76%) of the cases. All blood and CSF cultures revealed negative results, and only 1 urine culture was positive in a patient with known history of E. Coli UTI. NPA detected viruses in 7 cases (5 Respiratory Syncytial Virus, 1 parainfluenza virus and 1 influenza virus). Antibiotics were empirically given to 116 (53.7%) children. There were no mortalities in the study group. Conclusion & recommendations Amongst the children admitted with fever, only one (with previous history of E. Coli UTI) had proven bacterial infection. Hence, prudent evaluation and observation of well-looking children with selected initial investigations (such as FBC, CRP, UFEME) before extensive workup may help to limit investigations, reduce antibiotic usage, hospital stay and could ultimately be cost effective. Further randomised studies in well looking febrile children, rationalising investigations and antibiotic treatment could boost physician’s confidence and pave the way for a different safe and pragmatic approach, making it kinder to children and cost effective to parents / tax-payer.
Charge-Asymmetry Effects in the Reaction 2 H( 4 He, 3 He) 3 H

Differential cross sections for the process $^{2}\mathrm{H}$($^{4}\mathrm{He}$, $^{3}\mathrm{He}$)$^{3}\mathrm{H}$ are presented for $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ beam energies of 82.1, 64.3, and 49.9 MeV. The measurements were made to test the Barshay-Temmer theorem which requires $^{3}\mathrm{H}$ and $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ yields to be independently symmetric about 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} c.m. We find a pronounced deviation from 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} c.m. symmetry which is angle- and energy-dependent. A distorted-wave Born-approximation analysis assuming the reaction mechanism to be a simple $l=0$ nucleon-pickup process can qualitatively account for the observed deviations.
An age model reconstruction of Core BR07 from the northern continental slope of the Bering Sea

The age model of Core BR07 is reconstructed based on the comparisons of diatom distributions and color parameters of the sediments between Cores B5-4 and BR07,both collected from the northern continental slope of the Bering Sea.According to this age model,the deposition ages of Core BR07 range from 1.9to 11.3kaBP,with an average sedimentation rate of 28.5cm/ka which is slightly lower than that of Core B5-4.A sea-ice proxy,defined as the ratio of Fragilariopsis cylindrus content to(F.cylindrus content+Neodenticula seminae content),is proposed to reconstruct the historic climate record of sea-ice changes over the last 10ka.Three cold events(including the Younger Dryas cold event)as well as one warm event since the last deglacial period have been detected in the core.The reconstructed time span of the Younger Dryas cold event in Core BR07 is 11.3~10.7ka BP,close to its correspondent of 12.9~11.6ka BP from Greenland ice cores,further confirming that it is more reliable than the age generated from the radiocarbon dating of the bulk sediment organic carbon.
Budesonide Terbutaline, Bronchiolitis Clinical Observation Ipratropium Bromide Treatment

Objective To investigate the analysis using budesonide terbutaline, clinical effect in children with bronchiolitis of ipratropium bromide treatment. Methods October 2012 to October 2014 in 80 cases of bronchiolitis patients admitted to our hospital diagnosed as an object of study, all the children were randomly divided into observation group and control group 40 cases. The control group received conventional children cough, asthma and anti-infection treatment, observation group received budesonide in children with terbutaline in the control group on the basis of ipratropium bromide treatment. Clinical comparison of the therapeutic effect of two groups of children, wheezing disappearance time, pulmonary rales disappeared time, temperature stable and normal time, relieve shortness of time, the heart rate returned to normal time and the duration of hospitalization cases. Results Observed in children with clinically effective treatment group was 95%, significantly higher than 80%, a significant difference between two groups(P 0.05), a statistically significant; wheezing children disappearing time observation group, pulmonary rales disappeared time, temperature stable and normal time, relieve shortness of time, the heart rate returned to normal time and hospital stay were significantly lower than the control group, a significant difference between two groups(P 0.05), with statistical significance. Conclusion Budesonide terbutaline, ipratropium bromide treatment of children with bronchiolitis have a high clinical value, can effectively reduce the clinical symptoms and hospital stay, improve children coughing, wheezing and other symptoms, it is worth clinical use.
Ocean instrumentation: The better use of materials technology

Manufacturers of oceanographic instrumentation seldom use current well-developed techniques for overcoming the effects of corrosion and marine fouling. The wider use of low-corrosion materials and highly effective antifoulant paint systems must await a market that is willing to underwrite the higher initial costs, but the technology is now ready for the demand.
Differences in the Angiogenic Response and Subsequent Growth of Plasma Cells From Myeloma and MGUS Patients Xenografted Into Zebrafish Embryos.

Abstract 2912 A monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance (MGUS) is an obligate precursor to each case of multiple myeloma (MM). MGUS and MM samples share many of the same gene mutations and chromosomal translocations. Despite increasing genetic and genomic information gathered from patient samples, we still do not understand which mutations are responsible for the progression from MGUS to MM. In order to learn more about this progression and the possible involvement of an angiogenic switch as seen in solid tumors, we have developed a zebrafish model to study the angiogenic potential and subsequent growth of CD138 + plasma cells derived from normal human bone marrow, MGUS and myeloma patients. Immunopurified CD138 + cells were labeled with the red fluorescent dye CM DiI, suspended in Matrigelâ and injected into the perivitelline space of Tg(fli1:GFP) zebrafish embryos that had fluorescent vasculature, 48 hpf (hour-post-fertilization). Cell growth and angiogenesis were assessed by conventional and confocal fluorescent microscopy. Inhibitors of myeloma cell growth or tumor-induced angiogenesis were added to embryo water. The injection of up to 2000 plasma cells from normal human bone marrow into zebrafish embryos did not elicit an angiogenic response and the cells did not grow after injection. In contrast, the injection of as few as 100 plasma cells purified from the marrow of patients with multiple myeloma induced a brisk angiogenic response with extension of new vessels ventrally from the sub-intestinal venous system into the site of cell injection. Angiogenesis was accompanied by the growth of the CD138 + cells and, in some cases, movement of cells out of the Matrigelâ plug to distant sites in the developing embryo. MGUS cells induced minimal or no angiogenesis and grew very slowly after injection. The growth of cells from MGUS patients and de novo myeloma patients was inhibited by the addition of the VEGFR2 inhibitor SU5416 to embryo water 24 hpi (hours-post-tumor cell-injection). If the addition of SU5416 was delayed until 48 hpi, when the angiogenic response had been established, there was no effect on cell growth. We also observed that dexamethasone, bortezimib and lenalidomide, singly and in combination, inhibited the growth of MGUS and myeloma cells. These studies document clear biologic differences between normal, MGUS and myeloma plasma cells. In addition, we provide evidence that the zebrafish embryo can be used to study tumor-induced angiogenesis, tumor cell growth and the effects of possible inhibitors. We also provide some new insights into the mechanism underlying the disappointing response of angiogenic inhibitors when given to patients with multiple myeloma. Disclosures: Munshi: Celgene: Consultancy; Millenium: Consultancy; Merck: Consultancy; Onyx: Consultancy.
The Coming of Post-Industrial Society, A Venture in Social Forecasting

(1974). The Coming of Post-Industrial Society, A Venture in Social Forecasting. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 952-953.
Tracing a developer’s development: a self-study in teaching

AbstractIn this article, I trace how my teaching has changed as I have become increasingly involved in educational development. I divide my career into three phases (pre-educational development, part-time educational development, and full-time educational development) and analyze qualitative and quantitative data from multiple sources of evidence in each phase: teaching statements, syllabi, and student evaluations of teaching. This self-study reveals specific, primarily positive ways my teaching has changed. The results suggest that educational development may not only improve the teaching of its intended recipients, but also those responsible for supporting them. Implications for the field of educational development are explored.
Longitudinal Studies on the Etiology of Cannabis Use Disorder: A Review

This review summarizes the literature to date that has capitalized on the longitudinal research study framework in order to elucidate the etiology of cannabis use disorders (CUDs). The studies are mixed with respect to reliable predictors of CUD development. Of the studies outlined, the most consistently indicated risk factors for CUD development include male sex, past cannabis and other substance use (especially tobacco), and the presence of pre/comorbid psychopathology (especially mood disorders). Social motives and peer involvement may also play a role in this transition. Many of these CUD risk factors appear to be distinct from other factors linked with overall cannabis use. CUD development is likely the product of interactions between biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors. However, many more well-planned and developmentally sensitive prospective studies are needed to identify specific and reliable risk factors for CUD development.
Statins, Oxidative Stress, and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is typically characterized by hyperandrogenism, menstrual dysfunction, and altered ovarian morphology. Typically, women with PCOS also have a broad range of metabolic changes including hyperinsulinemia, increased oxidative stress, systemic inflammation, dyslipidemia, and elevation of several growth factors and cytokines. Oxidative stress, proinflammatory cytokines, and hyperinsulinemia may significantly contribute to excessive growth of the ovarian theca-interstitial compartment and to increased production of androgens.
Liver transplantation recipients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis have lower risk hepatocellular carcinoma.

Liver transplantation (LT) is a well-established treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in carefully selected patients. Risk factors for tumors with poor prognostic features on explant have not been well described in a national cohort. We performed a retrospective cohort study of adult LT recipients with HCC transplanted from April 8, 2012 (when explant pathology in United Network for Organ Sharing [UNOS] became available) until September 30, 2014. We evaluated the association between listing diagnosis and other demographic factors with tumor features on explant using logistic regression. High-risk tumor features included the following: > 3 tumors, largest tumor > 5 cm, presence of vascular invasion, presence of metastases, and poor differentiation of tumor. In total, 3733 LT recipients with HCC who had complete explant data in UNOS were included. The median age was 60 years; 78% were male; and 68% were white. Of the primary non-HCC listing diagnoses, 2608 (70%) had hepatitis C virus (HCV); 271 (7%) had nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); 246 (7%) had alcoholic cirrhosis; and 189 (5%) had hepatitis B virus. Also, 1140 (31%) had evidence of ≥ 1 high-risk explant feature(s). The presence of ≥ 1 high-risk explant feature(s) was associated with HCC recurrence after transplant (odds ratio [OR], 5.00; P < 0.001). Compared with HCV-associated HCC transplant recipients, individuals with NASH had lower likelihood of high-risk explant features (OR, 0.71; P = 0.02) after adjusting for covariables. Women were more likely to have high-risk explant features (OR, 1.23; P = 0.04). Diabetes mellitus (DM) was not associated with high-risk explant features. In conclusion, LT recipients with NASH-associated HCC had fewer high-risk tumor features on explant compared with HCV-associated HCC, despite having higher rates of DM and other potential risk factors for the development of HCC. Women had a higher likelihood of high-risk tumor features. Further study is warranted whether these differences are due to disease-specific or sex-specific influences on tumor biology or due to selection criteria for transplant. Liver Transplantation 23 1015-1022 2017 AASLD.
A change in the time-varying correlation between oil prices and the stock market

We investigate the time-varying correlation between oil prices and stock prices. Estimation results from a multivariate DCC-GARCH model reveal that the correlation has changed since the financial c...
CCTB: Context Correlation for Trust Bootstrapping in Pervasive Environment

Handheld devices in a pervasive computing environment are prone to security as well as privacy violations, while discovering, sharing and accessing services and contents. Trust models are devised to fight against such violations and breaches. Although initial trust assignment is an important issue in evolving overall trust, a little amount of work has been done in this field so far. In pervasive smart space, similar type of contexts exhibits significant correlations to each other. However, this fact is not taken into consideration while computing the initial trust values. In this paper, we describe a new mechanism to assign initial trust: CCTB (Context Correlation for Trust Bootstrapping), which takes advantage of the presence of correlations among different contexts in a context-ontology. We evaluate the effectiveness of CCTB by simulating in two different scenarios. We show that CCTB offers better initial trust values than the other models considered here. We also implement a prototype for performance measurement using .NET Compact Framework.
“Suddenly One Has The Right Eyes”: Illusion and Iconoclasm in The Early Gombrich

For a while it seemed that one of the central projects of modernist artmaking had fallen off the map. From Manet until the late 1950s, the goal of displaying the process of artistic fabrication, of showing the making of art out of its raw materials, had been taken up as the selfconscious goal of artmaking itself; aesthetic appearances were distorted and fractured by the attempt to force what resisted aesthetic figuration to appear as unfigured. A paradoxical, perhaps impossible project, teetering unstably between the jubilant overcoming of aesthetic appearance and its sublimely pleasurable incompleteness, but a project renewed over and again in the face of, perhaps even by means of, its paradoxical nature. However, with the interconnected losses of faith in the very idea of unmediated ‘material’ raw at the moment of artmaking and the heroic activity of the artist confronting it, postmodern art damped the eruptive fire at the heart of modernist pictoriality and replaced it with a cool detachment from appearance itself. Among its defining features, postmodern art rejected, also over and again, the modernist dialectic of matter and appearance. It is no wonder, then, that painting, the peerless art of appearance, went into eclipse in the 1960s and 70s.
Idiotype vaccines for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma induce polyclonal immune responses that cover mutated tumor idiotypes: comparison of different vaccine formulations.

The idiotype (Id) of the Ig expressed on the surface of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cells is a suitable target for immunotherapy. Indeed, treatment with monoclonal anti-Id antibodies (Abs) can induce long-lasting clinical remissions. However, some of the treated patients relapse with a tumor expressing Ig with point mutations in the idiotope recognized by the particular monoclonal antibody (MoAb). The alternative approach of active immunization with tumor Id can cure the disease in mice with established tumors and is now being studied in clinical trials. Here, we tested the hypothesis that active immunization with the idiotype would evoke a polyclonal immune response that would cover mutated tumor variants. As a test system, we chose the tumor from a patient who had achieved a complete remission after therapy with anti-Id Ab but subsequently relapsed with a mutated tumor variant no longer binding the treatment Ab. Mice were immunized with proteins and genetic vaccines derived from the original tumor, including (1) Id-keyhole limpet hemocyanin protein, (2) Id single-chain variable fragment (scFv) granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) protein, (3) DNA encoding the Id, and (4) an adenovirus encoding the Id. All immunized mice developed a specific immune response detecting tumor-derived Id proteins from the original tumor and from all tumor variants. We conclude that active immunization with tumor Id can induce a polyclonal immune response and therefore may prevent the escape of mutated tumor variants.
New Approaches to Electromagnetic Measurement of Blood Flow and Vasomotion Without Recourse to Surgery

In view of the occasion which honors our friend and colleague, Professor Eric Wetterer, I will go back to the beginnings of the electromagnetic flow meter, i.e., to the middle 1930s when he and I were racing full steam ahead on a collision course toward the same goal, unaware of each other’s existence.
Use of recreation activities as positive coping with chronic stress and mental health outcomes associated with unemployment of people with disabilities.

Objective This paper provides an outline of the complex relationship among stress, unemployment, mental health, and participation in recreation activities as a possible adaptive coping strategy for people with disabilities. Methods This paper is a result of a two-phase review of the literature. Phase one included review of articles that examined the relationship among unemployment, stress, and mental health outcomes for people with disabilities. Phase two included articles that examined the efficacy of recreation activities as a means of buffering stress. Results Research indicates a cyclical process that occurs when people with disabilities experience unemployment; this unemployment often leads to chronic stress which in turn leads to negative mental health, symptoms that create further barriers to unemployment. Recreation activities that are physically active, culturally relevant, and conducive to relaxation were found to be effective at reducing the types of stressors experienced with unemployment. Conclusions A complex relationship among unemployment, stress, mental health, and participation in recreation activities as a possible adaptive coping strategy exists for people with disabilities. An understanding of the types of recreation activities that are likely to reduce specific stressors associated with unemployment may be beneficial to consider as part of a comprehensive treatment plan when working with individuals with disabilities as they engage in the job seeking process.
Multi-stakeholder attitudes regarding risk-based thresholds for initiating impairment-directed interventions among patients with breast cancer

Introduction/Background Physical impairments are prevalent following breast cancer (BC) treatment and associated with poor outcomes. Predictive models permit estimation of impairment risk, and can be the basis for directing screening and validated risk reduction measures. At present, few BC survivors receive anticipatory treatment for their impairments. The objective of this study was to characterize diverse clinical stakeholders’ risk thresholds for initiating BC impairment-directed education, screening, preventive activities, and specialist referrals. Material and method A purposive sample of 40 breast cancer survivors, as well as 10 Breast Clinic physicians, 10 breast surgeons, 10 radiation oncologists, 10 medical oncologists, 10 Breast Clinic nurses, and 10 cancer rehabilitation therapists from academic and community settings were queried about their thresholds for initiating “More frequent and sensitive screening”, “Education”, “Instruction in preventive activities”, and “Referral to a physical or occupational therapist”. Participants indicated on numerical rating scales the risk level (0–1.0) at which they would start activities for lymphedema, upper quadrant pain, functionally limiting chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, shoulder contracture, and fatigue. Results Across impairments, mean risk thresholds were consistently ordered as follows: education (0.07–0.12), prevention (0.14–0.25), screening (0.250–0.31), and therapist referral (0.37–0.45). BC Survivors had the lowest thresholds for initiating education; lymphedema 0.02, pain 0.04, neuropathy 0.02, contracture 0.03, and fatigue 0.03, while therapists had the lowest thresholds for screening and referrals. Among physicians, risk thresholds varied widely across impairments, interventions, and disciplines, however breast surgeons had significantly higher thresholds for screening, prevention, and therapist referral, P Conclusion Risk thresholds for initiating BC impairment-directed activities are inconsistent across stakeholder groups. BC survivors, however, had the lowest thresholds for initiating impairment-directed education.