cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use and Outcomes of Minimally Invasive Lobectomy for Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in the National Cancer Data Base

Background Previous studies have raised concerns that video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) lobectomy may compromise nodal evaluation. The advantages or limitations of robotic lobectomy have not been thoroughly evaluated. Methods Perioperative outcomes and survival of patients who underwent open versus minimally-invasive surgery (MIS [VATS and robotic]) lobectomy and VATS versus robotic lobectomy for clinical T1-2, N0 non-small cell lung cancer from 2010 to 2012 in the National Cancer Data Base were evaluated using propensity score matching. Results Of 30,040 lobectomies, 7,824 were VATS and 2,025 were robotic. After propensity score matching, when compared with the open approach (n = 9,390), MIS (n = 9,390) was found to have increased 30-day readmission rates (5% versus 4%, p p p = 0.04). There were no significant differences in nodal upstaging and 30-day mortality between the two groups. After propensity score matching, when compared with the robotic group (n = 1,938), VATS (n = 1,938) was not significantly different from robotics with regard to nodal upstaging, 30-day mortality, and 2-year survival. Conclusions In this population-based analysis, MIS (VATS and robotic) lobectomy was used in the minority of patients for stage I non-small cell lung cancer. MIS lobectomy was associated with shorter length of hospital stay and was not associated with increased perioperative mortality, compromised nodal evaluation, or reduced short-term survival when compared with the open approach. These results suggest the need for broader implementation of MIS techniques.
A holistic view of cancer bioenergetics: mitochondrial function and respiration play fundamental roles in the development and progression of diverse tumors

Since Otto Warburg made the first observation that tumor cells exhibit altered metabolism and bioenergetics in the 1920s, many scientists have tried to further the understanding of tumor bioenergetics. Particularly, in the past decade, the application of the state-of the-art metabolomics and genomics technologies has revealed the remarkable plasticity of tumor metabolism and bioenergetics. Firstly, a wide array of tumor cells have been shown to be able to use not only glucose, but also glutamine for generating cellular energy, reducing power, and metabolic building blocks for biosynthesis. Secondly, many types of cancer cells generate most of their cellular energy via mitochondrial respiration and oxidative phosphorylation. Glutamine is the preferred substrate for oxidative phosphorylation in tumor cells. Thirdly, tumor cells exhibit remarkable versatility in using bioenergetics substrates. Notably, tumor cells can use metabolic substrates donated by stromal cells for cellular energy generation via oxidative phosphorylation. Further, it has been shown that mitochondrial transfer is a critical mechanism for tumor cells with defective mitochondria to restore oxidative phosphorylation. The restoration is necessary for tumor cells to gain tumorigenic and metastatic potential. It is also worth noting that heme is essential for the biogenesis and proper functioning of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes. Hence, it is not surprising that recent experimental data showed that heme flux and function are elevated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and that elevated heme function promotes intensified oxygen consumption, thereby fueling tumor cell proliferation and function. Finally, emerging evidence increasingly suggests that clonal evolution and tumor genetic heterogeneity contribute to bioenergetic versatility of tumor cells, as well as tumor recurrence and drug resistance. Although mutations are found only in several metabolic enzymes in tumors, diverse mutations in signaling pathways and networks can cause changes in the expression and activity of metabolic enzymes, which likely enable tumor cells to gain their bioenergetic versatility. A better understanding of tumor bioenergetics should provide a more holistic approach to investigate cancer biology and therapeutics. This review therefore attempts to comprehensively consider and summarize the experimental data supporting our latest view of cancer bioenergetics.
Staff Matter(s)

The most important resource any law school has is its people. Most times, you hear about the faculty students, and top administrators. But rarely do we talk about and praise our other staff-the hourly employees. Without hourly employees, most law schools would cease to function. The facilities would be ramshackle, trash would not get collected, library books would not be updated, our paychecks and benefits would not get processed, mail would not be sent or received, and the list goes on and on. Our staff members are the people who make the law school run. Displaying leadership and appreciation in these ranks is just as important as it is with the faculty, students, senior administrators, and external constituencies. As the Interim Dean, one of my goals is to increase the recognition given to hourly workers and, hopefully, to also increase employee morale. High employee morale leads to better customer service, which means happy students, faculty, administrators, alumni, and donors. At a recent conference of the Association of Legal Writing Directors, Dr. Susan Baile, a senior consultant with Franklin Covey, explained that, across professions, Gallup research has identified 12 factors that are highly correlated with a strong, vibrant work force. Organizations in which employees strongly agreed that these factors characterized their immediate work environment reported greater productivity and profitability as well as higher levels of employee retention and satisfaction. Of the 12, six are even more significant in terms of their ability to discriminate between strong and average work environments.The six top factors, in descending order, are: I know what is expected of me at work. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right. At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day. In the last 7 days, I have received praise or recognition for doing good work. My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person. There is someone at work who encourages my development.These findings support what most of us know instinctively-that communication and recognition are important to building and maintaining a strong work environment.Stetson started to consciously improve its system of employee communication and recognition about two years ago. This essay explains those initial efforts and some newer initiatives that are in their infancy. The programs are divided into two categories-communication and events, and awards and recognition. After discussing these two categories, this essay will then explain how one department in particular excels because of outstanding communication and regular staff recognition.
Algorithm for motion control of an exoskeleton during verticalization

This paper considers lower limb exoskeleton that performs sit-to-stand motion. The work is focused on the control system design. An application of a null space projection methods for solving inverse kinematics problem is discussed. An adaptive multi-input multi-output regulator for the system is presented with the motivation for that choice. Results of the simulation for different versions of the regulator are shown.
Direct Measurements of Fracture Toughness and Crack Growth in Polysilicon MEMS

Direct measurements of Mode-I critical stress intensity factor and crack tip displacements were conducted in the vicinity of atomically sharp edge cracks in polycrystalline silicon MEMS using our in situ Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)/Digital Image Correlation (DIC) method. The average Mode-I critical stress intensity factor for various fabrication runs was 1.00 ± 0.1 MPa√m. The experimental crack tip displacement fields were in very good agreement with linear elastic fracture mechanics solutions. By means of an AFM, direct experimental evidence of incremental crack growth in polycrystalline silicon was obtained for the first time via spatially resolved crack growth measurements. The incremental crack growth in brittle polysilicon is attributed to its locally anisotropic polycrystalline structure which also results in different local and macroscopic (apparent) stress intensity factors.
Toward a Critical Multiracial Theory in Education.

AbstractThis manuscript lays the foundation for a critical multiracial theory (MultiCrit) in education. The author uses extant literature and their own research that focused on multiraciality on the college campus to explore how CRT can move toward MultiCrit, which is well-positioned to frame multiracial students’ experiences with race in education.
Tracking Propaganda to the Source: Tools for Analyzing Media Bias

Bias is often said to “be in the eye of the beholder.” There is some truth to the fact that the psychological phenomenon of “selective perception” leads to “cognitive dissonance” when we are exposed to views very different from our own. But the reality of bias is a much broader and systemic problem when analyzing media, especially given the potential harm. This article provides an overview of some useful approaches to understanding the sources of media bias and what to do about them.
The Second Subunit of DNA Polymerase Delta Is Required for Genomic Stability and Epigenetic Regulation

DNA polymerase δ plays crucial roles in DNA repair and replication as well as maintaining genomic stability. However, the function of POLD2, the second small subunit of DNA polymerase δ, has not been characterized yet in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). During a genetic screen for release of transcriptional gene silencing, we identified a mutation in POLD2. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing indicated that POLD2 is not involved in the regulation of DNA methylation. POLD2 genetically interacts with Ataxia Telangiectasia-mutated and Rad3-related and DNA polymerase α The pold2-1 mutant exhibits genomic instability with a high frequency of homologous recombination. It also exhibits hypersensitivity to DNA-damaging reagents and short telomere length. Whole-genome chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and RNA sequencing analyses suggest that pold2-1 changes H3K27me3 and H3K4me3 modifications, and these changes are correlated with the gene expression levels. Our study suggests that POLD2 is required for maintaining genome integrity and properly establishing the epigenetic markers during DNA replication to modulate gene expression.
Percutaneous CT Guided Lumbar Discectomy

Objctive To evaluate the clinical significance of percutaneous microscopic discectomyguided by computed tomography. Methods 32 patients were included in this study. There were 18 malesand 14 females. The mean age was 40. 5 years (range, 19-59 yeare) . The duration of follow up ranged 2 to 8months, with an average of 6 months. Position-setting and puncture were introduced under three-dimensionalCT, andcompared with those under C-airm-X-ray, Result The quantity of removed tissue frtim the disc wasincreased from 2.3 g to 4. 1 g at L 4-5 space, and from 2. 15 g to 3. 25 g at L5-S1 space. The excellent andgood rate was 90. 6qc . Conclusion The CT guided percutaneous lumbar discectomy make the puncturemore precise, and the disc tissue could be taken off fully. As a result, entradiscal pressure was reduced andprotrution of the disc was eliminated.
Analysis on the Causes of "Early Death" of Old People in Ningbo

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of senile diseases on "early death" of old people with GEI. METHODS The death reports and database in Ningbo from 2002 to 2005 were used to analyze GEI on the basis of different diseases and sexes. RESULTS The GEI of total diseases was 0.64 during the past 4 years,with which of the female was higher than that of the male.The respiratory system disease had the highest GEI.Injury,urogenital system disease,malignancy and infectious disease were the bottom four diseases of GEI in the top ten diseases of mortality.The GEI of traffic accident,suicide,liver cancer and viral hepatits was low. CONCLUSION Health care for the young and the middle age should be enhanced on the diseases of low GEI.
Abstract 4112: Geminin overexpression-dependent recruitment and crosstalk with mesenchymal stem cells enhances aggressiveness in triple-negative breast cancers

Introduction: Tumor resident mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) promote cancer progression. Pathways involved in recruitment of MSCs to breast tumor cells remain largely undefined. We aimed at defining the mechanism whereby geminin overexpressing breast tumor cells recruit and interact with MSCs to increase their own aggressiveness. Experimental Procedures: We used co-culturing assay, immunohistochemistry, in vitro invasion assay with or without cytokines neutralization, western blot analysis, immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, ELISA, exposure to hypoxic conditions, cytokines receptor inactivation, in vivo orthotopic tumor formation assay in the presence or absence of inhibitors to the proposed signaling pathways, analysis of publically available data sets for the association of selected factors with overall survival, distant metastasis free survival and recurrent free survival to define the mechanism geminin overexpressing cells employ in vivo to recruit and initiate bi-directional interactions with MSCs in order to enhance their own aggressiveness. Results: Here we show that geminin-dependent acetylation of chromatin HMGB1 (Ac-HMGB1) leads to its release to the extracellular space. Extracellular Ac-HMGB1 promotes geminin overexpressing (GemOE) cells survival by binding to RAGE receptors. Extracellular Ac-HMGB1 also triggers expression and activation of RAGE in the non-expressing MSCs leading to induction of CXCR4 expression and migration of MSCs towards SDF1/CXCL12-expressing GemOE cells. Inhibiting c-Abl, RAGE or CXCR4 prevented MSCs recruitment to GemOE cells in vitro and in vivo. Reciprocal interactions between GemOE cells and MSCs elevate the TIC, basal and EMT traits in GemOE cells leading to enhanced aggressiveness. Indeed, faster, larger and more aggressive tumors develop when GemOE cells are co-injected with MSCs in orthotropic tumor model. Concurrently, inhibiting c-Abl and thus geminin function or RAGE or CXCR4 activity in the in vivo model not only suppressed MSCs recruitment to the orthotopic breast tumors, but also led to decrease in TIC, basal and EMT phenotypes in these tumors. Conclusion: We suggest that GemOE generates metastatic tumors in part through recruiting and interacting with MSCs. Citation Format: Theresa Bonner, Suryatheja Ananthula, Janene Nordan, Simran Batth, Gailen D. Marshall, Lauren H. Gardner, Yoshiko Shimizu, Wael M. ElShamy. Geminin overexpression-dependent recruitment and crosstalk with mesenchymal stem cells enhances aggressiveness in triple-negative breast cancers. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4112.
A Little Bit of Analytic Function Theory

In this concluding chapter we will return to the topic introduced in Chap. 2, and, as we will see, the divergence theorem will allow us to prove results here that were out of reach earlier.
Computer Simulations Support a Morphological Contribution to BDNF Enhancement of Action Potential Generation

Abstract Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) regulates both action potential (AP) generation and neuron morphology. However, whether BDNF-induced changes in neuron morphology directly impact AP generation is unclear. We quantified BDNF’s effect on cultured cortical neuron morphological parameters and found that BDNF stimulates dendrite growth and addition of dendrites while increasing both excitatory and inhibitory presynaptic inputs in a spatially restricted manner. To gain insight into how these combined changes in neuron structure and synaptic input impact AP generation, we used the morphological parameters we gathered to generate computational models. Simulations suggest that BDNF-induced neuron morphologies generate more APs under a wide variety of conditions. Synapse and dendrite addition have the greatest impact on AP generation. However, subtle alterations in excitatory/inhibitory synapse ratio and strength have a significant impact on AP generation when synaptic activity is low. Consistent with these simulations, BDNF rapidly enhances spontaneous activity in cortical cultures. We propose that BDNF promotes neuron morphologies that are intrinsically more efficient at translating barrages of synaptic activity into APs, which is a previously unexplored aspect of BDNF’s function.
3D-АНАЛИЗ РАЗВИТИЯ СКОЛИОТИЧЕСКОЙ ДЕФОРМАЦИИ И 3D-ЦЕПЬ БАЛАНСА ПАЦИЕНТА СО СКОЛИОЗОМ

The lecture presents the views on the process of mechanical origin of scoliotic deformity of the spine and on a contribution of extraspinal departments of the locomotor system to this process.
Cell Morphogenesis: Tracing the Paths of Induction During Drosophila Ommatidial Development

The study of the Drosophila melanogaster eye began in earnest in the late 1980s and continues to this day. Hundreds of fine papers have been published along the way. Thus, some may ask why it is important to continue to study the Drosophila eye. After all, what can possibly be left to discover that would lead to substantial advances in the field of Developmental Biology? One answer, as has been pointed out numerous times before, is that the Drosophila eye is a remarkable system for studying the role of induction in cell fate specification. And, in spite of the attention shown to it in the past, there are substantial gaps in our knowledge of how even this relatively simple system develops. Filling these gaps promises to unlock mysteries that no one yet suspects exist, which will lead to discoveries no one can yet fathom.
Bioengineered NRF2-siRNA Is Effective to Interfere with NRF2 Pathways and Improve Chemosensitivity of Human Cancer Cells

The nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NRF2) is a transcription factor in the regulation of many oxidative enzymes and efflux transporters critical for oxidative stress and cellular defense against xenobiotics. NRF2 is dysregulated in patient osteosarcoma (OS) tissues and correlates with therapeutic outcomes. Nevertheless, research on the NRF2 regulatory pathways and its potential as a therapeutic target is limited to the use of synthetic small interfering RNA (siRNA) carrying extensive artificial modifications. Herein, we report successful high-level expression of recombinant siRNA against NRF2 in Escherichia coli using our newly established noncoding RNA bioengineering technology, which was purified to >99% homogeneity using an anion-exchange fast protein liquid chromatography method. Bioengineered NRF2-siRNA was able to significantly knock down NRF2 mRNA and protein levels in human OS 143B and MG63 cells, and subsequently suppressed the expression of NRF2-regulated oxidative enzymes [heme oxygenase-1 and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1] and elevated intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species. In addition, recombinant NRF2-siRNA was effective to sensitize both 143B and MG63 cells to doxorubicin, cisplatin, and sorafenib, which was associated with significant downregulation of NRF2-targeted ATP-binding cassette (ABC) efflux transporters (ABCC3, ABCC4, and ABCG2). These findings support that targeting NRF2 signaling pathways may improve the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy, and bioengineered siRNA molecules should be added to current tools for related research.
A Regio- and Enantioselective CuH-Catalyzed Ketone Allylation with Terminal Allenes.

We report a method for the highly enantioselective CuH-catalyzed allylation of ketones that employs terminal allenes as allylmetal surrogates. Ketones and allenes bearing diverse and sensitive functional groups are efficiently coupled with high stereoselectivity and exclusive branched regioselectivity. In stoichiometric experiments, each elementary step of the proposed hydrocupration–addition–metathesis mechanism can be followed by NMR spectroscopy.
Coenrollment networks and their relationship to grades in undergraduate education

In this paper, we evaluate the complete undergraduate coenrollment network over a decade of education at a large American public university. We provide descriptive properties of the network, demonstrating that the coenrollment networks evaluated follow power-law degree distributions similar to many other large-scale networks; that they reveal strong performance-based assortativity; and that network-based features can significantly improve GPA-based student performance predictors. We then implement a network-based, multi-view classification model to predict students' final course grades. In particular, we adapt a structural modeling approach from [19, 34], whereby we model the university-wide undergraduate coenrollment network as an undirected graph. We compare the performance of our predictor to traditional methods used for grade prediction in undergraduate university courses, and demonstrate that a multi-view ensembling approach outperforms both prior "flat" and network-based models for grade prediction across several classification metrics. These findings demonstrate the usefulness of combining diverse approaches in models of student success, and demonstrate specific network-based modeling strategies which are likely to be most effective for grade prediction.
Promoting More than Just “Diversity” at Colleges and Universities

The Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) has a guiding principle that presidents, chief academic officers, deans, and faculty at its member institutions can follow to cultivate diverse, inclusive, and equitable communities at their institutions. This principle constitutes the “Making Excellence Inclusive” initiative, which is a component of the AAC&U’s Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) initiative. Taking the “Making Excellence Inclusive” initiative as my starting point, I challenge the way that diversity and inclusion seem to be conceived of by many people at colleges and universities. I then imagine how genuinely inclusive and equitable communities can be cultivated at colleges and universities by taking social justice seriously.
The circadian clock regulates cisplatin-induced toxicity and tumor regression in melanoma mouse and human models.

// Panshak P. Dakup 1 , Kenneth I. Porter 1 , Alexander A. Little 1 , Rajendra P. Gajula 1 , Hui Zhang 1 , Elena Skornyakov 2, 3 , Michael G. Kemp 4 , Hans P.A. Van Dongen 2, 5 and Shobhan Gaddameedhi 1, 2 1 Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA 2 Sleep and Performance Research Center, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA 3 Department of Physical Therapy, Eastern Washington University, Spokane, WA, USA 4 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton, OH, USA 5 Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA Correspondence to: Shobhan Gaddameedhi, email: shobhan.gaddameedhi@wsu.edu Keywords: circadian rhythm; DNA repair; cisplatin; toxicity; melanoma Received: December 19, 2017 Accepted: February 10, 2018 Epub: February 20, 2018 Published: March 06, 2018 ABSTRACT Cisplatin is one of the most commonly used chemotherapeutic drugs; however, toxicity and tumor resistance limit its use. Studies using murine models and human subjects have shown that the time of day of cisplatin treatment influences renal and blood toxicities. We hypothesized that the mechanisms responsible for these outcomes are driven by the circadian clock. We conducted experiments using wild-type and circadian disrupted Per1/2 -/- mice treated with cisplatin at selected morning (AM) and evening (PM) times. Wild-type mice treated in the evening showed an enhanced rate of removal of cisplatin-DNA adducts and less toxicity than the morning-treated mice. This temporal variation in toxicity was lost in the Per1/2 -/- clock-disrupted mice, suggesting that the time-of-day effect is linked to the circadian clock. Observations in blood cells from humans subjected to simulated day and night shift schedules corroborated this view. Per1/2 -/- mice also exhibited a more robust immune response and slower tumor growth rate, indicating that the circadian clock also influences the immune response to melanoma tumors. Our findings indicate that cisplatin chronopharmacology involves the circadian clock control of DNA repair as well as immune responses, and thus affects both cisplatin toxicity and tumor growth. This has important implications for chronochemotherapy in cancer patients, and also suggests that influencing the circadian clock (e.g., through bright light treatment) may be explored as a tool to improve patient outcomes.
Performance enhancement of array antennas using partially transmitting surfaces

This paper presents a systematic procedure for designing circularly polarized antenna arrays comprising of crossed-bowtie (cloverleaf) type of antenna elements. The gain is shown to improve from 6.87dB for single element to 15.84dB for the 3×3, and to 20.5dB for 5×5, with side lobe levels (SLLs) of −12.8dB and −11.5dB respectively. The insertion of a partially transmitting surface (PTS) further improves the gain to 18.6dB for 3×3 and 22.4dB for 5×5, and the SLL reduces to −20.9dB and −14.7dB respectively. The optimum height for the PTS superstrate is 2/4 above the antenna element, to realize the best gain level and SLL performance. The realized return loss (S11) bandwidth of the single antenna element is 38.5%, and its 3dB axial ratio (AR) bandwidth is 41.5 %. The proposed antenna array could be useful for C-band satellite communication.
Pharmacokinetics of gold sodium thiomalate in rabbits.

Male, New Zealand white rabbits (3.5–4.3 kg) received a single 2-mg/kg dose of gold sodium thiomalate (Myochrysine) via intramuscular (N = 4) and intravenous (N = 3) routes. Blood samples were drawn from the marginal ear vein for a period of 5–10 days. The concentration of gold in whole blood was determined using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The blood concentration–time profiles obtained following both routes of administration were best described by a two-compartment open model with first-order absorption for the intramuscular route. Gold was absorbed rapidly with a mean (harmonic) absorption half-life of 9.0 min, with a peak concentration of 6.0 ± 1.0 µg/ml (N = 4). Blood concentrations declined in a biphasic manner; the mean α half-lives were 0.738 and 1.78 hr for the iv and im routes, respectively. The corresponding terminal (β) half-lives were 54.1 and 63.0 hr. The estimated volume of the central compartment (70 to 93 ml/kg) agreed closely with the rabbit blood volume. The mean ( ±SD) extent of the dose absorbed following intramuscular injection was 68.9 ± 12.4%.
Effects of Business Process Reengineering on Firm Performance: An Econometric Analysis

This chapter examines whether implementation of Business Process Reengineering (BPR) projects improve firm performance by analyzing a comprehensive data set on large firms in the United States. The performance measures utilized in the chapter are labor productivity, return on assets, and return on equity. We show that firm performance increases after the BPR projects are finalized, while it remains unaffected during execution. We also find that functionally focused BPR projects on average contribute more to performance than those with a broader cross-functional scope. This may be an indication that potential failure risk of BPR projects may increase beyond a certain level of scope.
AWStream: adaptive wide-area streaming analytics

The emerging class of wide-area streaming analytics faces the challenge of scarce and variable WAN bandwidth. Non-adaptive applications built with TCP or UDP suffer from increased latency or degraded accuracy. State-of-the-art approaches that adapt to network changes require developer writing sub-optimal manual policies or are limited to application-specific optimizations. We present AWStream, a stream processing system that simultaneously achieves low latency and high accuracy in the wide area, requiring minimal developer efforts. To realize this, AWStream uses three ideas: (i) it integrates application adaptation as a first-class programming abstraction in the stream processing model; (ii) with a combination of offline and online profiling, it automatically learns an accurate profile that models accuracy and bandwidth trade-off; and (iii) at runtime, it carefully adjusts the application data rate to match the available bandwidth while maximizing the achievable accuracy. We evaluate AWStream with three real-world applications: augmented reality, pedestrian detection, and monitoring log analysis. Our experiments show that AWStream achieves sub-second latency with only nominal accuracy drop (2-6%).
Education for Quality Assurance

The author’s involvement with the quality assurance of psychological services in a number of settings since the mid-1960s has led to his conviction that psychology students must be introduced to the concepts and practice of quality assurance throughout their training. Without such an introduction, only the most watered-down or self-serving service-quality assurance system is likely to emerge because of the political and self-centered interests of many practicing psychologists. The author’s 7 years of experience with the American Psychological Association (APA) CHAMPUS peer-review system have reflected the confusion and the lack of knowledge and experience that practicing psychologists have of peer review and quality assurance concepts. The APA still has no coherent policy on quality assurance, nor on peer review. Similarly, reflecting their APA/CHAMPUS experience, Shueman and Troy (1982), in addressing quality assurance, concluded that to be successful, psychologists must be introduced to such procedures early in their graduate training programs. Accountability procedures must become an integral part of the professional preparation of psychological service providers so that they will have the experience necessary to practice accountability and they will accept the necessity for such procedures. (p. 64)
Formation and identification of novel derivatives of primary amine and zwitterionic drugs

Abstract Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) is a “workhorse” in the analysis of controlled substances in forensic laboratories. However, many drugs are not amenable to GC–MS due to thermal instability, non-ideal interactions in the column, or both. To improve the suitability of a molecule for analysis by GC–MS, derivatization can be employed. Derivatization replaces a labile hydrogen in the analyte molecule with a more stable functional group. In this paper, three different derivatization agents were tested for effectiveness with two classes of drugs: primary amines (i.e., amphetamine and 2C-I) and zwitterions (i.e., gabapentin, lorazepam, vigabatrin, pregabalin, and clorazepate). Trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA) was used as an acylating agent and N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) was used as a silylating agent. Dimethylformamide-dimethyl acetal (DMF-DMA), which has not been previously used for derivatization of drugs, was used as an alkylating agent. DMF-DMA was found to form dimethylaminomethylene derivatives with several primary amines and zwitterions. Amphetamine, 2C-I, gabapentin, and lorazepam were all detected in their underivatized form but generally suffered from peak asymmetry and band broadening. Derivatization resulted in drastic improvements in their chromatographic behavior. Vigabatrin, clorazepate and pregabalin were not detectable in their underivatized form. However, the trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivative of clorazepate was readily detected by GC–MS, as were the TMS and trifluoroacetyl (TFA) derivatives of vigabatrin. Derivatization of pregabalin was not successful, resulting in multiple chromatographic peaks with each derivatization agent. The mass spectra of several derivatives were not found in commercially available mass spectral databases. Hence, those spectra are reported here with interpretation of their fragmentation.
Valvular Heart Disease and Heart Failure in Women

Valvular heart disease and heart failure remain important causes of cardiovascular disease among women in the United States. Mitral regurgitation, aortic stenosis, and tricuspid regurgitation are the most common valvular lesions among men and women. This review focuses on gender differences in the epidemiology, treatment, and outcomes of mitral regurgitation, aortic stenosis, and tricuspid regurgitation. The authors also review the unique management of valvular heart disease in pregnancy.
The Effects of Posttraumatic Stress and Trauma-Focused Disclosure on Experimental Pain Sensitivity Among Trauma-Exposed Women

Previous studies evaluating the impact of trauma history and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on pain sensitivity have yielded inconsistent findings. The presence of trauma-related negative affective states may account for these discrepancies. The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of PTSD and trauma-related negative affect on sensory, affective, physiological, and neuroendocrine responses to an experimental pain task. Trauma-exposed adult women (N = 87) with or without probable PTSD underwent an emotional disclosure paradigm during which they wrote about a traumatic event or a neutral topic. Participants then completed a pain induction procedure. Sensory and affective reports of pain, as well as physiological and neuroendocrine reactivity, were assessed. Compared to women without PTSD, those with PTSD demonstrated decreased sensory pain responses, ηp ² = .11, including increased time to pain detection (i.e., threshold) and ability to withstand the pain stimuli (i.e., tolerance) after accounting for relevant covariates. Women with PTSD also demonstrated increased cortisol reactivity following the pain stimulus, ηp ² = .06. The main and interactive effects of PTSD group and writing condition did not significantly predict alterations in affective reports of pain or heart rate reactivity. The results suggest that PTSD symptoms may contribute to alterations in pain sensitivity in trauma-exposed women, but this association is complex and requires further exploration.
LiCB11Me12: A Catalyst for Pericyclic Rearrangements

Benzene and 1,2-dichloroethane solutions of the Li+ salt of the weakly coordinating anion CB11Me12- catalyze the rearrangement of cubane to cuneane, quadricyclane to norbornadiene, basketene to Nenitzescu's hydrocarbon, and diademane to triquinacene. The Claisen rearrangement of phenyl allyl ether is also strongly accelerated.
Timing of Complications After Posterior Spinal Fusions in Pediatric Spine Deformity.

Abstract Study Design Retrospective cross-sectional survey. Objective To investigate the timing of complications after posterior spinal fusion for idiopathic and neuromuscular pediatric spine deformity. Summary of Background Data Evidence is limited with regard to when complications occur after posterior spinal fusions in pediatric spine deformities. Methods The 2012–2016 American College of Surgeons–National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) Pediatric database files were queried using Current Procedural Terminology codes (22800, 22802, and 22804) for patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion for idiopathic or neuromuscular deformity. Median day-of-diagnosis and interquartile ranges were calculated for database-recorded complications. Results A total of 10,579 patients were included in the study. The frequency and median day of diagnosis of each complication are as follows: superficial surgical site infection (SSI) (idiopathic = 0.6%, Day 18.5; neuromuscular = 1.6%, Day 19.5), deep SSI (idiopathic = 0.5%, Day 16.0; neuromuscular = 2.3%, Day 18), organ/space SSI (idiopathic = 0.1%, Day 17; neuromuscular = 0.4%, Day 16), wound disruption (idiopathic = 0.4%, Day 15; neuromuscular = 1.2%, Day 15), pneumonia (idiopathic = 0.6%, Day 5; neuromuscular = 4.0%, Day 3), unplanned intubation (idiopathic = 0.4%, Day 2; neuromuscular = 3.5%, Day 1), urinary tract infection (idiopathic = 0.4%, Day 6; neuromuscular = 2.8%, Day 4.5), nerve injury causing neurologic deficit (idiopathic = 0.4%, Day 1; neuromuscular = 0.3%, Day 5), bleeding requiring transfusions (idiopathic = 64.6%, Day 0; neuromuscular = 74.1%, Day 0), sepsis (idiopathic = 0.3%, Day 11; neuromuscular = 2.4%, Day 12.5), and mortality (idiopathic = ∼0%, Day 5; neuromuscular = 0.4%, Day 9). Conclusion Understanding the timing of complications is important for patients and providers, as it reflects the need of heightened awareness and low thresholds of testing during periods of highest risks to catch complications, launch appropriate optimization protocols, and minimize the cost burden associated with readmissions. Level of Evidence Level IV.
Cognitive and Behavioral Strategies for the Treatment of Feeding Disorders in Adolescents

Purpose Significant feeding problems often, but not always, co-occur with medical, developmental, emotional, or behavioral difficulties. Consequently, providers from multiple disciplines often inte...
Cannabinoids for fibromyalgia pain: a critical review of recent studies (2015–2019)

Fibromyalgia is a chronic health condition characterized by widespread, severe musculoskeletal pain that affects an estimated 5–7% of the global population. Due to the highly comorbid nature of fibromyalgia, patients with the disorder often respond poorly to traditional pain treatments. Recent studies suggest that patient response may be more favorable to alternative analgesics, such as cannabis. However, the therapeutic potential of cannabis-based pain treatment for fibromyalgia remains unclear. The present study examined the most recent cannabis literature (2015–2019) and provides a critical review of current research on the safety and efficacy of medical cannabis treatments for fibromyalgia. We followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines in searching the PubMed and Medline databases using the search terms “cannabis + fibromyalgia” and then “cannabinoids + fibromyalgia.” Inclusion criteria were a) English language, b) published in peer review journals, c) published from 2015 to 2019, d) all study designs except for systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and e) all cannabis preparations. The search identified five applicable studies involving 827 participants that used six different treatments. Review suggested several methodological problems pertaining to generalizability and validity. Although the critically reviewed studies superficially suggest that medical cannabis is a safe and effective treatment for fibromyalgia pain, serious methodological limitations prevent a definitive conclusion regarding the use of cannabinoids for pain management in fibromyalgia patients at this time.
Content analysis of the use of fear in the real cost youth e-cigarette prevention campaign

The epidemic of youth electronic cigarette use has become an alarming public health concern. To address this urgent issue, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched ‘The Real Cost Youth ...
3D localization for subcentimeter-sized devices

The vision of tracking small IoT devices runs into the reality of localization technologies---today it is difficult to continuously track objects through walls in homes and warehouses on a coin cell battery. Although Wi-Fi and ultra-wideband radios can provide tracking through walls, they do not last more than a month on small coin and button cell batteries because they consume tens of milliwatts of power. We present the first localization system that consumes microwatts of power at a mobile device and can be localized across multiple rooms in settings such as homes and hospitals. To this end, we introduce a multiband backscatter prototype that operates across 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, and 5 GHz and can extract the backscatter phase information from signals that are below the noise floor. We build subcentimeter-sized prototypes that consume 93 μW and could last five to ten years on button cell batteries. We achieved ranges of up to 60 m away from the AP and accuracies of 2, 12, 50, and 145 cm at 1, 5, 30, and 60 m, respectively. To demonstrate the potential of our design, we deploy it in two real-world scenarios: five homes in a metropolitan area and the surgery wing of a hospital in patient pre-op and post-op rooms as well as storage facilities.
The Influence of Pornography on Sexual Crimes

There are several approaches to the study of the role of pornography in the etiology and maintenance of sexual crimes. One may (1) study the correlation between pornography consumption in the general population and the incidence of sexual crimes, (2) examine this relationship cross-culturally, (3) examine the effect of these materials on normals in the laboratory, (4) examine the effects of these materials on sex offenders, or (5) attempt a synthesis of this research through a comparative study of the similarities and differences between sex offenders and other males. The simple approach is to draw a sample of sex offenders and ask them about their pornography consumption. All of these approaches have basic flaws, but each contributes to the complete picture.
CANINE VENTRAL BODY WALL LYMPHOSCINTIGRAPHY

The scintigraphic characteristics of lymph nodes draining the ventral body wall were analyzed in 12 dogs as to their pattern of appearance and image contrast. Each dog was scanned using 99mTc-antimony sulfide colloid and 99mTc-dextran, and the imaging characteristics of these agents were compared. A large degree of variability exists in the number and pattern of lymph node appearance with either agent. No significant difference in average numbers of lymph nodes per dog was shown between agents. However, 99mTc-antimony sulfide colloid provided a significantly (p<.05) better target-to-background ratio, which determines the contrast with which lymph nodes stand out from background activity. From these findings, it is suggested that too great a variability in lymph node appearance exists using this procedure to allow a high degree of confidence in the diagnosis of metastasis to lymph nodes of the ventral body wall. However, for other purposes, 99mTc-antimony sulfide colloid is the lymphoscintigraphic agent of choice.
Differentiation of Mast Cells from Embryonic Stem Cells

In this unit, we describe a simple coculture-free method for obtaining mast cells from mouse and human embryonic stem (ES) cells. Much of our knowledge regarding the mechanisms by which mast cells are activated comes from studies of mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells. Studies of human mast cells have been hampered by the limited sources from which they can be cultured, the difficulty in introducing specific genetic changes into these cells, and differences between established cultures that reflect the unique genetic makeup of the tissue donor. Derivation of mast cells from embryonic stem cells addresses these limitations. ES-derived mast cells can be generated in numbers sufficient for studies of the pathways involved in mast cell effector functions. These ES cell-derived mast cells respond to antigens and other stimuli by releasing histamine, cytokines, lipids, and other bioactive mediators. The derivation of human mast cells from ES cells carrying mutations introduced by homologous recombination should provide a novel means of testing the function of genes in both the development and the effector functions of mast cells.
DNA polymorphisms in strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis : a tool for epidemiology

Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates were studied by comparing large restriction fragment (LRF) patterns produced by digestion of chromosomal DNA with infrequent-cutting endonucleases and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Four cultures of H37Rv and 36 clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis were compared by using DraI, AsnI, XbaI, and SpeI. DraI and AsnI allowed easy visual separation of 18 of 21 epidemiologically unrelated strains. XbaI and SpeI allowed discrimination of all 21 unrelated strains, including the 3 strains inseparable with DraI and AsnI, but comparison of LRF patterns was more tedious because of overlapping fragments. A total of 26 isolates belonging to 10 clusters of related isolates were compared by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, with all related isolates giving identical LRF patterns. These included multiple isolates from the same patient or the same family. The same grouping of clustered isolates was obtained when BamHI DNA digests were hybridized with two probes from the insertion sequence IS6110. Long-term laboratory passage of H37Rv produced minimal detectable changes in LRF patterns. LRF patterns are useful tools for epidemiologic studies of tuberculosis without the need for radioactive or specific DNA probes. Images
Update on Edoxaban for the Prevention and Treatment of Thromboembolism: Clinical Applications Based on Current Evidence

Vitamin K antagonists (VKA) and heparins have been utilized for the prevention and treatment of thromboembolism (arterial and venous) for decades. Targeting and inhibiting specific coagulation factors have led to new discoveries in the pharmacotherapy of thromboembolism management. These targeted anticoagulants are known as direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). Two pharmacologically distinct classes of targeted agents are dabigatran etexilate (Direct Thrombin Inhibitor (DTI)) and rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban (direct oral factor Xa inhibitors (OFXaIs)). Emerging evidence from the clinical trials has shown that DOACs are noninferior to VKA or low-molecular-weight heparins in the prevention and treatment of thromboembolism. This review examines the role of edoxaban, a recently approved OFXaI, in the prevention and treatment of thromboembolism based on the available published literature. The management of edoxaban in the perioperative setting, reversibility in bleeding cases, its role in cancer patients, the relevance of drug-drug interactions, patient satisfaction, financial impacts, and patient education will be discussed.
Visibility estimation from a moving vehicle using the RALPH vision system

Reduced visibility is a common casual factor in many traffic accidents. This paper describes a forward looking vision system which simultaneously tracks the lane and estimates visibility. The system estimates the visibility by measuring the attenuation of contrast between consistent road features at various distances ahead of the vehicle. Results of experiments on simulated images, as well as live vehicle tests are presented.