cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immune-checkpoint inhibitor-induced diarrhea and colitis in patients with advanced malignancies: retrospective review at MD Anderson.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs) are gaining increasing popularity as an efficacious treatment for advanced malignancies. ICPI treatment can be complicated by diarrhea and colitis. Systemic steroids are the first line treatment. Infliximab is reserved for severe refractory cases. We aimed to assess the impact of ICPI-induced diarrhea and colitis and their immunosuppressive treatment on patients’ outcomes. This retrospective analysis was conducted in 327 cancer patients who received ICPIs between 2011 and 2017. Patients with ICPI-induced toxicities in other organs were excluded. We collected data about patient demographics, clinical variables, and overall survival. We used descriptive analysis to compare different groups based on the occurrence and the treatment of diarrhea and colitis. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank test were used to estimate and compare overall survival durations between groups. Diarrhea was recorded in 117 (36%) patients; 79 (24%) of them required immunosuppressive treatment of either systemic corticosteroid without infliximab (n = 44) or with infliximab (n = 35). Caucasian ethnicity, melanoma, stage 3 cancer, and ipilimumab were predictors of colitis that requires immunosuppression. Patients who required immunosuppressants had better overall survival than those who did not require treatment for colitis or diarrhea (P 30 days) had numerically higher infection rate than those who received steroid for shorter duration (40.4 vs. 25.8%, P = 0.160). Likewise, long duration of steroid without infliximab was associated with increased risk of infection compared to short duration of steroid with infliximab (42.9% vs. 14.3%, P = 0.089). Patients with ICPI-induced diarrhea or colitis have improved survival outcomes. Diarrhea is an independent predictor of an improved survival regardless of treatment requirement. Immunosuppressive treatment for diarrhea did not significantly affect overall survival, however, infection rates were numerically higher among patients who received steroids for a long duration. Therefore, early non-steroid immunosuppressive therapy may ensure a more favorable overall outcome.
Nonharmfulness ( ahimsā ) in Classical Indian Thought

“Nonharmfulness,” ahiṃsā in Sanskrit, was a pillar of ethical and social theory in the civilization of South Asia during its classical period. Classical India was Hindu, Jaina, and Buddhist in religion and similarly pluralist in philosophy, producing distinct genre of literature where nonharmfulness is a central concept. As a principle of constraint, variously interpreted, or as a virtue, it is related to a cluster of ideas and practices that can be traced through Sanskrit literature. Various explanations as well as arguments for ahiṃsā continue to have influence today through the globalization of philosophy.
Shutting Down Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome with BCL-2 Family Protein Inhibition.

Apoptosis results from the interaction between pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins, mediated by BCL-2 homology 3 (BH3) proteins. B cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) is an inhibitor of apoptosis which stabilizes the mitochondria, resulting in the prevention of activation of the pro-apoptotic proteins. In addition, BCL-2 is overexpressed in the leukemic stem cell (LSC) population, and its inhibition may lead to selective LSC eradication. Herein, we will discuss the mechanism and rationale of BCL-2 inhibition in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with an overview of the selective BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax. Venetoclax has activity against AML and has displayed synergistic activity with hypomethylating agents in the preclinical setting. In the clinical setting, although it has only modest activity as a single agent in relapsed and refractory AML, in the older, treatment-naive population, in combination with either a hypomethylator or low-dose cytarabine, it is well tolerated with impressive efficacy. In addition, BCL-2 inhibition may also have activity in MDS, and although clinical trials are in their early phases, this may be an effective strategy in both the up-front and relapsed setting. BCL-2 inhibition with venetoclax is well tolerated and active in older patients with newly diagnosed AML and in the relapsed setting has activity that may be improved in combination with other therapies. It may prove to be effective in MDS and is an exciting treatment strategy for myeloid malignancies.
Antitrust Law and Patent Settlement Design

For competing firms, a patent settlement provides a rare opportunity to write an agreement that forestalls competition without transparently violating the antitrust laws. Problematically, such agreements are highly profitable for reasons that have nothing to do with resolving a patent dispute. Thus, even if the firms think the patent is very likely invalid or noninfringed, they prefer to restrain competition to monopoly and share in the proceeds. In response, antitrust has recently come to focus on how the settlement’s competitive effects compare to the expected result of foregone patent litigation, which seemingly requires some assessment of the likelihood that the patentee would have prevailed. But this “case-within-a-case” approach leads to major complications in practice. Indeed, outside of one well-known settlement format—so-called “pay-for-delay” agreements—how to administer this burgeoning antitrust standard remains an open question. Applying recent work in economics, this article argues that antitrust law should reframe its settlement analysis to focus entirely on the nature of the settlement agreement—the particular way it restrains competition or otherwise redistributes profits between the firms. That is because the settlement’s design is ultimately what determines how private bargaining outcomes will compare to the firms’ litigation expectations. Under this approach, the antitrust question can be addressed without inquiring into the likelihood that any particular patent is valid and infringed, making it much more administrable. Instead, the focus is on how the settlement design affects private bargaining generally. This disentangles the relevant antitrust violation from the extent of the resulting harm, and can be applied to all kinds of settlement agreements. Finally, this approach is broadly consistent with the Supreme Court’s recent Actavis decision. All of this points to a clear prescription for antitrust reform: evaluate the agreement, not the patent.
The Treatment of Adult Osteochondritis Dissecans with Autologous Cartilage Implantation: A Systematic Review

We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) for the treatment of adult osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesions according to patient-reported outcomes, complication rates, and failure rates. A search of MEDLINE, Scopus, and Cochrane Library was performed to identify clinical studies (levels I-IV) reporting outcomes after ACI treatment for OCD in adult knees. Our inclusion criteria included the following: (1) published between January 2000 and April 2017, (2) stable and unstable OCD lesions of the knee, (3) use of ACI in at least one group, (4) subjects ≥18 years old or skeletally mature, (5) inclusion of at least one patient-reported clinical outcome measure, and (6) written in English. A total of nine studies (179 patients), mean age of 27.6 years (range: 18-49 years), were included. There were 227 OCD lesions with an average size of 4.1 cm2 (range: 1.2-9.4 cm2). The average follow-up was 61.3 months (range: 6.5-120 months). In general, there was significant improvement in symptoms, but better results occurred among active male patients with smaller lesions as well as younger patients. Statistically significant improvement in patient-reported outcomes was reported in all studies. There were 23 complications reported (15.6%), including 12 failures (8.2%). Significant improvement in clinical outcome measures demonstrates clinical efficacy of autologous cartilage therapies for the treatment of OCD in adult patients. Better outcomes are often observed with males, active patients, smaller lesion sizes, and younger age at the time of surgery.
Errors in Clinician-Parent Communication during Neonatal Hospitalization.

Error in clinician–parent communication is not a new issue in pediatrics. It has been the impetus behind national initiatives, namely, family-centered rounds. While family-centered rounds have proven effective, their success is dependent on the family being present during rounds. This does not always occur during prolonged hospitalizations, particularly in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Current communication methods with parents not present during rounds rely heavily on the provider’s prerogative and ability to multitask. Thus, errors in communication are commonplace and are largely accepted as inevitable. For the sake of the parents of a patient in the NICU, a high-fidelity communication system is urgently needed. NICUs must move beyond the telephone and use modern innovations in communication technology.
Brigitte M. Bodenheimer Memorial Lecture on the Family: Inventing Family Law

This essay discusses the problem of overbroad discretion throughout family law in connection with the drafting of the American Law Institute’s Principles of the Law of Family Dissolution. Nearly everywhere, both child custody and alimony are within the realm of trial court discretion. The dominant custody standard, 'best-interests-of-the-child,' effectively leaves each trial judge free to make the important value choices that necessarily underlie a custody determination. As for alimony, the dominant approach directs the court to set a maintenance order it believes 'just.' Except for a handful of equal division states, where allocation of marital property is governed by a very mechanical rule, many common law equitable distribution states reject even a presumption of equal division, and instead insist on a discretionary allocation of property by a trial court. The problem with a discretionary system is that judges 'apply different rules as often as they face different facts.' The desire to customize every result to a case's particular facts leads to an unjustified disparity in the treatment of like cases.We have at times had clear rules. However, the traditional rules relied upon by the common law reflect values we no longer share. In drafting the American Law Institute’s Principles of the Law of Family Dissolution, the drafters began with two thoughts in mind: (1) there is no avoiding the law's choice of values; and (2) the values should be contained in the rules, not obscured in discretion, or in illusory inquiries into parties' own choices during their marriage.
Reply to Iñiguez et al.: ERVmap is a validated approach to mapping proviral endogenous retroviruses in the human genome.

Iniquez et al. (1) claim that ERVmap (2) contains methodological errors and Telescope is more accurate in assigning ambiguous reads (1, 3). Telescope detected 19 elevated and 4 repressed endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), while ERVmap found 124 elevated ERVs (2). Iniquez et al. (1) claim that this difference is due to methodological flaws in our read alignment, ERV annotation, and failure to account for sequencing platform variance. We disagree with all 3 points for the following reasons. ERVmap identifies a best read match through stringent filtering criteria put forth by experts (4, 5). In the absence of a gold standard to call multimapped reads, we intentionally over-discard to avoid miscalling. ERVmap identifies one best … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: akiko.iwasaki{at}yale.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Analysis of Cyber Attacks Against Micro-PMUs: The Case of Event Source Location Identification

This paper investigates cyber-attacks against distribution-level phasor measurement units, a.k.a., micro-PMUs. The focus is on a specific use case of micro-PMUs for locating the source of events in distribution systems. A method is proposed to detect the attack, based on two different detection criteria. Furthermore, a novel optimization-based algorithm is developed to identify which micro-PMU(s) are compromised. Importantly, the proposed attack detection and identification methods do not require prior knowledge on the number and location of affected micro-PMU(s). The proposed methods and algorithms are test through computer simulations on the IEEE 33-bus test system.
Transient and Steady-State Analysis of Multistage Production Lines With Residence Time Limits

Residence time limits for the intermediate products are commonly seen in production systems due to quality requirements. A part in a buffer typically needs to be scrapped or reworked if its residence time exceeds the maximum allowable residence time, while a part needs to keep waiting in the buffer if its residence time is less than the minimum required residence time. Such limits could be required at multiple stages of the production line, making it difficult to analyze both the steady-state and transient production system performance. The problem under study is formulated as a multistage geometric serial production line with residence time limits. To deal with its large state space, a two-machine-one-buffer subsystem isolated from a multistage geometric serial production line is first analyzed for both steady-state and transient performance. Furthermore, a novel aggregation method, including the steady-state analysis and transient analysis, is proposed to evaluate the overall system performance. The proposed aggregation method substantially reduces the complexity of the problem and makes the analysis of the problem tractable. Compared with the simulation, the aggregation method maintains high accuracy in estimating both steady-state and transient performance measures. Such a method provides quantitative tools for effective performance evaluation and prediction on the factory floor. Note to Practitioners —It is well known that potential quality problems may occur and production cost may increase if the residence time of intermediate products is left uncontrolled. The residence time limits become a concern, especially in the automotive industry, food industry, and semiconductor industry, where intermediate products stay in a stage susceptible to defects. The limits also apply to large scale additive manufacturing of thermoplastic polymers. The deposition of each layer is subject to lower and upper bounds of surface temperature, which, in practice, are equivalent to minimum required residence time limit and maximum allowable residence time limit, respectively. With residence time considered, the size of state space for the overall production system model will grow exponentially, as the system’s size increases, which brings tremendous challenges to evaluate such a system both in the short term and in the long run. In this article, we introduce a novel modeling approach for a multistage geometric serial production line with residence time limits and propose a method that drastically reduces the complexity of the system. Such a method provides a quantitative tool to effectively evaluate the performance of multistage geometric lines with residence time limits.
Skin-to-Skin Care Is a Safe and Effective Comfort Measure for Infants Before and After Neonatal Cardiac Surgery.

Objectives To determine the effect of skin-to-skin care on stress, pain, behavioral organization, and physiologic stability of infants with critical congenital heart disease before and after neonatal cardiac surgery. Design A baseline response-paired design was used, with infants acting as their own controls before, during, and after skin-to-skin care at two distinct time points: once in the preoperative period (T1) and once in the postoperative period (T2). Setting Cardiac ICU and step-down unit in a large metropolitan freestanding children's hospital. Subjects Convenience sample of 30 infants admitted preoperatively for critical congenital heart disease. Interventions Eligible infants were placed into skin-to-skin care for 1 hour with their biological mothers once each at T1 and T2. Measurements and main results Measurements of stress (salivary cortisol), pain and behavior state (COMFORT scale), and physiologic stability (vital signs) were assessed immediately before skin-to-skin care, 30 minutes into skin-to-skin care, and 30 minutes after skin-to-skin care ended. At both T1 and T2, infant pain scores were significantly decreased (p 0.3 μg/dL) versus lower (≤ 0.3 μg/dL) prior to skin-to-skin care. Infants with higher baseline cortisol at T2 experienced significantly reduced cortisol during skin-to-skin care (p = 0.025). No significant differences in demographics or baseline variables were found between infants in either group. Conclusions Skin-to-skin care is a low-cost, low-risk intervention that promotes comfort and supports physiologic stability in infants before and after neonatal cardiac surgery.
Insert devices for faecal incontinence.

Faecal incontinence (FI) affects 1–19% of the general population and carries significant physical and psychological morbidity. Treatment strategies vary greatly with respect to morbidity and efficacy and relatively little is known regarding the role of mechanical devices such as anal and vaginal inserts. This is an up-to-date systematic review of the use of these devices in the management of patients with FI. A systematic electronic search was performed of the Medline, Pubmed and Embase databases using the key words and/or MeSH ‘anal plug’, ‘anal insert’, ‘vaginal insert’ and ‘faecal incontinence’. Only articles that reported clinical outcomes for these devices for FI in the English language were included. Review articles were excluded to avoid duplication of data. Thirteen articles fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Two articles reported outcomes for the Eclipse vaginal insert and 11 articles reported on three types of anal inserts; the Coloplast ‘Tulip’ design (6), the Procon/ProTect device (2) and the Renew insert (3). When tolerated, both anal and vaginal inserts significantly improved continence, bowel function and quality of life where reported. Adverse effects included discomfort, leakage and slippage. Long-term compliance and benefit are yet to be determined. Vaginal and anal inserts may be a useful treatment for FI. Better quality of evidence is needed to define its effectiveness.
“No Bodies to Kick or Souls to Damn”: The Political Origins of Corporate Criminal Liability

Research on corporate criminal law has grown since the Great Recession, but corporate criminal liability, the principle charging corporations for crimes, remains understudied. Literature points to a 1909 Supreme Court decision as its basis, but historical analysis of the doctrine's deeper political roots reveal that its development was contingent on the convergence of several unique factors driving turn of the century American politics. First, corporate criminal liability would not have emerged had it not been for shifts in jurisprudential theory reconceptualizing the corporate form as an independent entity. Second, middle managers of railroads emerged as powerful political players during this period who capitalized on this discursive shift to advocate for corporate criminal liability as an alternative to individual liability rules directed against them. Third, the Supreme Court upheld corporate criminal lability in 1909 because it was constructed by the era's Republican majority to protect the party's economic preferences, and corporate criminal liability was viewed as consistent with their conservative agenda. These factors were each necessary, but alone insufficient, in paving the way for the Court to validate the principle in 1909. How they fit together sequentially illuminates how the doctrine's construction was contingent on specific political and historical circumstances.
PET standardized uptake values of primary lung cancer for comparison with tumor volume doubling times.

Abstract Objective To determine the relationship between two documented indicators of tumor aggressiveness, SUV and volume doubling time (VDT) for stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods 116 pathology proven solid NSCLC patients with 2 pretreatment CT and 1 PET/CT scan were retrospectively identified. The 2 CT scans were at least 85 days apart. SUV values were collected from PET/CT reports and CT derived VDT's were calculated assuming an exponential growth rate. Corrected SUV values were also obtained for all cases. Median VDT, SUV and corrected SUV values were reported according to cancer histology. Relationships between VDT, SUV and corrected SUV were examined. Results 91 Adenocarcinomas and 25 squamous-cell carcinomas had median VDT values of 150.6 and 110.0 days respectively. Median SUV values were 5.1 and 12.3 for adenocarcinoma and squamous-cell carcinoma, respectively (p = 0.0003); median corrected SUV values were 16.8 and 31.7 respectively (p = 0.003). A statistically significant monotonic relationship was observed between increased SUV uptake and faster VDT (p = 0.05) and corrected SUV and VDT (P = 0.0002). When stratified by cancer histology, the relationship between VDT and either SUV or corrected SUV was statistically significant for adenocarcinomas (p = 0.02 and p = 0.0001, respectively), but not for squamous-cell carcinoma (p = 0.85 and p = 0.37, respectively). Conclusion We demonstrated an overall significant relationship between VDT, SUV and corrected SUV. The relationship, however, was stronger for adenocarcinomas than for squamous-cell carcinomas. This implies that the primary determinant for these relationships is histology and within each cell type, there are other factors that have strong influences.
“Low Fences”: Reflections on Intimacy across Scales

This short reflection on “intimacy” considers the cross-ethnic labor coalitions at the CPC plantation camp in Wahiawa O’ahu to thread conversations about solidarity together with theorizations of i...
Model Analysis: Uncertainty and Behavior

Validation is model analysis concerned with evaluating model quality relative to the real world using comparisons with empirical data. We now turn our attention to analyzing model performance by actively manipulating various components of the model. We will discuss two types of manipulations of the model structure. The first type manipulates the equations and parameters of the model to ascertain the extent and effect of modeler uncertainty. The second manipulation alters the values of state variables to determine if the system will return to the premanipulation levels.
The contribution of preconditioning hyperbaric oxygen for complex re-operative surgery of bladder exstrophy and epispadias. A case study of 11patients

Summary Introduction Multiple surgeries on patients born with bladder exstrophy and epispadias (BEE) especially when complicated by postoperative infections results in varying degrees of scarring of the tissues and decreased vascularity. When further surgery for these patients is contemplated the tissue ischemia may result in poor healing and additional complications. Problem wounds due to arterial insufficiency mainly in diabetic ulcers and following therapeutic radiation are commonly treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). It was hypothesized that the pathologic features of severe fibrosis and tissue ischemia in repeat BEE surgery are similar to those of post radiotherapy patients and would therefore benefit from HBOT. Objectives Examine the role of preconditioning and postoperative adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy in repeat surgery of complex cases of bladder exstrophy and epispadias who underwent multiple failed surgical repairs (6–10 operations). Study design Review of the records of selected eleven patient (9 males and 2 females), the ages varying between 2 and 30 years, 9 patients were born with bladder exstrophy and 2 with epispadias. All patients underwent multiple surgeries often complicated by postoperative wound infection and break down of their repairs. They were referred by other experienced surgeons for further correction of abnormalities which included recurrent abdominal wall hernias following wound dehiscence and repeat repairs of the scarred and deformed genitalia (figure) following multiple surgical failures. For this high morbidity group of patients, the protocol which was adopted included pre-operative 20 dives of HBOT at 1.5 for the young child and 2 atmospheric pressures for the older patients followed by 5–10 dives postoperatively. Results All patients tolerated the HBO without side effects, and all achieved a satisfactory surgical outcome of the repairs of the large recurrent abdominal hernias, and reconstruction of the external genitalia (figure). Postoperative evaluation was conducted by the parents or patient and the surgeon using a modified scoring system. 3/11 encountered minor complications, suture tracks (2 pts.) and hypertrophic scar which faded over one year (1 pt) Conclusions Preconditioning HBO may be utilized as an adjunctive treatment and preventive strategy to activate the protective mechanisms of neovascularization which would reduce the potential morbidity and improve wound healing of compromised and less vascularized tissues of selected patients born with BEE who endured multiple surgical complication. Download : Download high-res image (671KB) Download : Download full-size image Summary figure . a-scarred suprapubic area and dorsal aspect of the penis following 10 surgical procedures; b-excision of the scarred area and urethroplasty by tubed oral mucosa graft (arrow), c-resurfacing the lower abdominal wall by advancement flap and penile resurfacing, note the improved quality and texture of the skin; d -one year post operatively
The Ruled Geometries of Marcel Breuer

The use of ruled surfaces proliferated in post-WWII architecture due to the influence of engineer/ architects such as Nervi and Candela, who saw the ruled surface as the geometrical underpinning for highly efficient shell surfaces. Marcel Breuer, while using ruled surfaces in structurally advantageous ways, also looked to these geometries for architectural expression. This chapter will explore the use of these ruled geometries in structural and non-structural roles in Breuer’s work. The use of ruled surfaces both structurally and non-structurally indicates that Breuer thought primarily of these geometries for their qualities of space and form rather than their structural role. Breuer also used ruled geometries in ways that contradicted their structural role to create unexpected contradictions and tension in his work.
Sublingual Immunotherapy in Children

Allergic rhinitis and food allergies are two of the most prevalent chronic medical diseases affecting children. Poorly controlled allergic rhinitis symptoms may impact quality of life and missed school days. Recent clinical trials have demonstrated that sublingual immunotherapy is effective in decreasing hypersensitivity to allergens such as dust mite, pollens, and cockroach. Research evaluating efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy for peanuts is promising; however, sublingual immunotherapy for food allergy should only be performed in a research setting until further evidence demonstrates consistent safety. Sublingual immunotherapy is an effective and safe alternative to more traditional subcutaneous immunotherapy, is well tolerated, and has good compliance among pediatric patients. The majority of adverse events with sublingual immunotherapy are reported as minor and have a lower systemic complication rate compared to subcutaneous immunotherapy, an important consideration among children.
Nonverbal Detection of Deception in Forensic Contexts

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on different types of lies that eye witnesses can use before the jury, while examining the importance of identifying nonverbal detection of deception in forensic contexts. Lies can occur in many different forms, from outright fabrication, denial, distortion, evasion, and concealment, to even telling the truth falsely. Similar to this type of lie is the concealment lie that involves concealing the truth in situations where it is implicit or explicit that the person should not conceal it. If the situation involves assessing the true feelings of a witness, then the lie catcher should try to observe the presence or absence of as many of these reliable clues to the emotion as possible. Low levels of fear may help liars get away with their deceptions by maintaining their alertness. In its moderate and high levels, fear can produce behavioral signs that can be noticed by the skilled lie catcher.
Prevention of post-traumatic reinnervation with microtubule inhibitors.

Objectives/Hypothesis Functional recovery after a recurrent laryngeal nerve or facial nerve injury may be impaired due to aberrant reinnervation. Previous work in a rat peripheral nerve injury model found vincristine to be a potent inhibitor of reinnervation, and it has since been used to effectively block neural regeneration in other animal models. However, vincristine's narrow therapeutic index may limit its utility; therefore, another microtubule inhibitor, paclitaxel, which has a higher therapeutic index, was tested. Study Design Animal (rat) study. Methods After controlled injury to the rat posterior tibial (PT) nerve, the gastrocnemius/soleus complex was injected with saline (control, n = 14), vincristine (n = 30), or paclitaxel (n = 20). Injections without a crush injury were performed using saline (n = 5) or paclitaxel (n = 9). The functional recovery (FR) of the PT nerve was assessed using walking track analysis. Results At 6 weeks, controls had already recovered to baseline (FR = 1.0), whereas the paclitaxel group had FR = 0.724 ± 0.064 and the vincristine group had FR = 0.709 ± 0.078. At 6 months, the paclitaxel rats had FR = 0.798 ± 0.167 and the vincristine rats had FR = 0.754 ± 0.240. These differences were significantly different from baseline, but the two agents were not different from each other. Paclitaxel did not affect the FR in the absence of a nerve injury. Conclusions Intramuscular paclitaxel and vincristine both significantly inhibit regeneration of the PT nerve after crush injury for at least 6 months. Potential clinical uses of inhibition of reinnervation are discussed. Level of Evidence NA Laryngoscope, 2015
Analysis of Optical and Millimeter Wave Dielectric Waveguide

We analyze the rectangular dielectric waveguide for millimeter wave and integrated optics applications using a combination of numerical and analytical methods. The problem is solved numerically in one dimension, while in the other dimension it is treated with propagators, reflection operators and mode matching. We derive an equation for the propagation constant of the waveguide which can be solved efficiently. The method is demonstrated to be numerically efficient, and with a good choice of grid distribution it can give a good value of the propagation constant even near to cutoff. We also derive the field plots of the guided modes, and suggest a method for mode classification.
Visible light emitting SiSiO2 superlattices

Abstract Six-period superlattices of Si SiO 2 have been grown at room temperature using molecular beam epitaxy. With this mature technology, the ultra-thin (1–3 nm) Si layers were grown to atomic layer precision. These layers were separated by ∼1 nm thick SiO2 layers whose thickness was also well controlled by using a rate-limited oxidation process. The chemical and physical structures of the multilayers were characterized by cross-sectional TEM, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Auger sputter-profile, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The analysis showed that the Si layer is free of impurities and is amorphous, and that the SiO 2 Si interface is sharp (∼0.5 nm). Photoluminescence (PL) measurements were made at room temperature using 457.9 nm excitation. The PL peak occurred at wavelengths across the visible range for these multilayers. The peak energy position E was found to be related to the Si layer thickness d by E (eV) = 1.60+0.72d−2 in accordance with a quantum confinement mechanism and the bulk amorphous-Si band gap.
Avalanche EIT laser

Avalanche upconversion lasers can exhibit new gain features, from combined avalanche dynamics and electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT), that are expected to make room temperature operation of avalanche upconversion lasers possible in bulk crystals.
Adaptive Mutagenesis at ebgR Is Regulated by PhoPQ

Adaptive mutations are mutations that occur in nondividing or very slowly dividing microbial cells during prolonged nonlethal selection and that are specific to the challenge of the selection in the sense that the only mutations that can be detected are those that provide a growth advantage to the cell. The phoPQ genes encode a two-component positively acting regulatory system that controls expression of at least 25 to 30 genes in Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium. PhoPQ responds to a variety of environmental stress signals including Mg2+ starvation and nutritional deprivation. Here I show that disruption of phoP or phoQ by Tn10dCam significantly reduces the adaptive mutation rate to ebgR, indicating that the adaptive mutagenesis machinery is regulated, directly or indirectly, by phoPQ. The finding that it is regulated implies that adaptive mutagenesis does not simply result from a failure of various error correction mechanisms during prolonged starvation.
Cancer family caregiver depression: are religion‐related variables important?

Objective: Prevalence estimates for clinical depression among cancer family caregivers (CFC) range upwards to 39%. Research inconsistently reports risk for CFC depressive symptoms when evaluating age, gender, ethnicity, or length of time as caregiver. The discrepant findings, coupled with emerging literature indicating religiosity may mitigate depression in some populations, led us to investigate religion-related variables to help predict CFC depressive symptoms. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 150 CFC. Explanatory variables included age, gender, spousal status, length of time as caregiver, attendance at religious services, and prayer. The outcome variable was the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale score. Results: Compared with large national and state datasets, our sample has lower representation of individuals with no religious affiliation (10.7% vs. 16.1% national, p=0.07 and 23.0% state, p=0.001), higher rate of attendance at religious services (81.3% vs. 67.2% national, p<0.001 and 30.0% state, p<0.001), and higher rate of prayer (65.3% vs. 42.9% national, p<0.001; no state data available). In unadjusted and adjusted models, prayer is not significantly associated with caregiver depressive symptoms or clinically significant depressive symptomology. Attendance at religious services is associated with depressive symptoms (p=0.004) with an inversely linear trend (p=0.002). Conclusion: The significant inverse association between attendance at religious services and depressive symptoms, despite no association between prayer and depressive symptoms, indicates that social or other factors may accompany attendance at religious services and contribute to the association. Clinicians can consider supporting a CFC’s attendance at religious services as a potential preventive measure for depressive symptoms. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Equine tapeworm infections: Disease, diagnosis and control

Summary Equine tapeworm infection has gained increasing attention over the past few decades and a number of research studies have already been published. These focus primarily on the most common of the 3 tapeworm species, Anoplocephala perfoliata, although some new information has also been generated for the other two species, Anoplocephala magna and Anoplocephaloides mamillana. The preponderance of research studies have focused on development and validation of diagnostic techniques for tapeworm detection and the role of these parasites in equine gastrointestinal disease. Several diagnostic techniques have been found useful for diagnosis of A. perfoliata but each has its strengths and weaknesses. Egg counting techniques have been modified to achieve acceptable to good diagnostic performance but the trade-off is often a more time-consuming method. Validation studies indicate that these methods can reliably detect tapeworm burdens above 10 worms. Several enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) have been developed and made commercially available. These can generate useful information about tapeworm exposure on the herd level but are less reliable for individual diagnosis. Unfortunately, none of the available diagnostic techniques are useful for evaluating anthelmintic treatment efficacy. Coproantigen testing may find use as a future diagnostic modality but further characterisation is required. The large body of scientific evidence supports an association between A. perfoliata infection and certain types of equine colic, although some discrepancy exists between studies. Tapeworm surveillance and control should be considered as part of the overall parasite control strategy. When properly used, the currently available diagnostic tools can guide the veterinarian to make strategic decisions regarding tapeworm control.
Effects of black carbon on pyrethroid availability in sediment.

Pyrethroids are widely used synthetic insecticides with the characteristics of high hydrophobicity and broad-spectrum aquatic toxicity. Many studies indicate that black carbon (BC) plays an importa...
The response of the high-latitude thermosphere to geomagnetic substorms

Abstract Enhanced ionization and electric fields associated with geomagnetic substorms lead to time-varying momentum (ion drag) and heat (Joule dissipation) sources in the high latitude thermosphere. These momentum and heat sources, in turn, cause changes in the structure of the wind, pressure and temperature fields, and, in addition, provide a mechanism for the generation of atmospheric gravity waves. We have developed a model which has been used to simulate, on a spatial scale of tens of kilometers, the response of the high latitude thermosphere to these momentum and heat sources, which constitute a major factor in the coupling between the magnetosphere, the ionosphere and the upper atmosphere. Simulations reported herein indicate that, because the coupling between ions and neutrals is highly dependent on the neutral-ion collision frequency, the response of the neutral atmosphere varies, not only as a function of total ionization, but also as a function of the details of the electron density profile.
Approximate eigensolutions for non-axisymmetric rotating compressible flows

Abstract A Galerkin-type method for the approximate solution of end-driven flows in a rapidly-rotating, sectored gas centrifuge is described. The model yields a two-dimensional non-self-adjoint eigenvalue problem. In addition to the treatment of convergence questions, sample calculations for approximate eigensolutions are presented and compared to similar results for the open-cylinder case.
Fast DNA-based identification of the black truffle Tuber melanosporum with direct PCR and species-specific primers

A quick and sensitive DNA-based assay for identifying the black truffle species Tuber melanosporum is presented. Both direct PCR and species-specific primers are used to amplify a phylogenetically informative region of T. melanosporum rDNA. This method was successfully used to screen fresh and frozen T. melanosporum fruitbodies, and could be modified for the molecular detection of other truffle and mushroom species.
The Role of Nursing in Bridging the Gap between Managers and Physicians in Hospitals

Tension between hospital managers and physicians is at an all-time high. This article builds on a previous work on the culture of managers and physicians and suggests that nurses can play an instrumental role in bridging the gap between these 2 cultures. Several similarities appear between managers' and nurses' cultures, other similarities can be found between physicians' and nurses' cultures, whereas nurses' culture seems to fall somewhat in the middle of the continuum on some other cultural aspects. Therefore, we suggest that nursing can and should play a crucial role in bridging the gap between the worlds of management and medicine. In a way, nurses can act as "translators," who can explain physicians' views to managers and vice versa. Practically, this will mean a better-defined role for nurses in key hospital committees and task forces, a more active role of the chief nursing officer in the Chief Executive Officer-Chief Medical Officer, and, more importantly, better representation of nurses on hospital boards that already have physician members.
A practical strategy for securing automated traffic control systems

Traffic intersections are plenteous in this world we live in, while the efforts to secure them are not. With a little knowledge in the Department of Transportation one could easily take control of an intersection for a period of time without any interference from authorities. In this paper a proposal to encrypt such SDLC and broadband messages shall be described. DES and MD5 prove to be strong solutions for the 0.5 ms window of encryption time available with the SDLC messaging structure used. For added authentication purposes, RSA is an ideal candidate for the NTCIP configuration.
Equivalent circuits of gyrators

Three nullator-norator representations of gyrators are presented. Each of the equivalent representations leads to two three-transistor realisations of the gyrator. Two of the transistorised gyrator circuits appear to be new.
Promoting School and Life Success Through Early Childhood Family Literacy

Early childhood family literacy programs have great potential to positively influence children and families. This article presents the core values and key components of high quality early childhood family literacy programs. The benefits and cost effectiveness of these programs are also discussed.
Fearless dominance and psychopathy: a response to Lilienfeld et al

We respond to criticisms raised by Lilienfeld et al. (2012, The role of fearless dominance in psychopathy: Confusions, controversies, and clarifications. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 3, 327-340) about our meta-analysis (Miller & Lynam, 2012, An examination of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory's nomological network: A meta-analytic review. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 3, 305-326). We argue that Lilienfeld et al. commit multiple logical and scientific errors throughout their response: minimizing the centrality of antisocial behavior in previous conceptions of psychopathy, magnifying the role of psychological health in these same conceptions, ignoring the relative sizes of relations, and selective reporting of studies and specific findings within studies. We identify two points of agreement with Lilienfeld et al.: (a) the presence of fearless dominance (FD) traits is not sufficient to indicate the presence of psychopathy; and (b) traits related to FD may have a role to play in psychopathy. Beyond these points of agreement, we find Lilienfeld et al.'s response to be less than compelling. We reiterate our main conclusions that Psychopathic Personality Inventory's FD subscale assesses stable extraversion and is, at best, considered a diagnostic specifier rather than an essential feature.
Amino acids, including neurotransmitter candidates, in a hair cell-enriched fraction from the lateral line of Xenopus laevis

A hair cell-enriched neuromast fraction from the lateral line of Xenopus laevis was compared with adjacent tactile organ and epidermis for content of primary amine-containing components. Of 32 components quantitated by cation-exchange HPLC with fluorescence detection of orthophthalaldehyde adducts, L-alpha-amino adipic acid, O-phosphoethanolamine, L-alpha-glycerophosphorylethanolamine, O-phospho-L-serine, and L-lysine were elevated in concentration in the neuromast relative to the tactile organ an/or epidermis. L-Aspartic acid, L-asparagine, L-glutamic acid, and taurine were present at higher levels in the tactile organ or epidermis than in the neuromast. Taurine was found in only trace amounts in the neuromast. The tactile organ and epidermis contained at least 3 unidentified primary amine components that were absent or reduced in amount in the neuromast. This study demonstrates that the epidermally-derived, hair cell-containing neuromast of the lateral line of Xenopus laevis is different in molecular composition from surrounding epidermally-derived tissue. Such differences may reflect specialized mechanoreceptive function.
Low-temperature, solution processing of TiO2 thin films and fabrication of multilayer dielectric optical elements

Abstract High-quality TiO2 thin films have been deposited from aqueous titanium-peroxo solutions via spin coating. The effects of precursor solution pH on the crystallization behavior, morphology, density, and refractive index of the films are reported. From X-ray diffraction measurements, the amorphous as-deposited films are found to crystallize in the anatase phase at 250 °C. Surface and cross-section SEM images reveal that films deposited from an acidic precursor are more uniform and denser than those deposited from a basic precursor. X-ray reflectivity measurements show that films with smooth surfaces and high densities (up to 87% of single-crystal anatase) can be produced at temperatures as low as 300 °C. Measured densities are consistent with high refractive indices at 633 nm of 2.24 and 2.11 for films derived from acidic and basic precursors, respectively. The uniformity and dense nature of the films have allowed fabrication of multilayer dielectric optical elements with thermal processing at only 300 °C. The distributed Bragg reflector with four bilayers exhibits a reflectance of 92% and a stop band width of 150 nm. The optical microcavity has a quality factor of 20. The optical properties of all elements agree well with theoretical models, indicating good optical quality. Use of the precursor chemistry for direct photopatterning of TiO2 films without a polymer resist is also demonstrated.
Stock returns and the short-run predictability of health expenditure: Some empirical evidence

Abstract The rising cost of health care, compounded with an aging population, has been the subject of constant discussion in the popular media. Accurate forecasts of health care expenditure are therefore important for both policy makers and industrial practitioners. Extending a branch of the macroeconomics literature that examines the role of asset prices as useful predictors of major macro variables (such as consumption, output growth and inflation), this study investigates whether the current equity market captures useful information on the growth of future health care expenditure. We focus on short-run (one-year) predictability. The preliminary evidence based on US data shows that industry-specific stock returns have some predictive power for personal health care expenditure and its major components (hospital care, durable medical equipment and prescription drugs). Nevertheless, the significance of the improvement in forecasting accuracy depends on the estimation scheme and whether parameter inconstancy is accounted for.