cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perceived Mattering to the Family and Physical Violence Within the Family by Adolescents

Mattering is the extent to which people believe they make a difference in the world around them. This study hypothesizes that adolescents who believe they matter less to their families will more likely threaten or engage in intrafamily physical violence. The data come from a national sample of 2,004 adolescents. Controlling for respondents’ age, gender, race, religiosity, and family socioeconomic status, structure, and size, logistic regression reveals that mattering to family is a strong contributor to violence. The effect of mattering is mediated by self-esteem and attitude toward violence. Females are more violent than males. Compared with the average respondent, Hispanics are less likely than Whites to commit violence. Children from larger families increasingly use violence. Religiosity diminishes family violence. Children whose responding parent did not finish high school are less likely to turn to violence compared with those whose parent did postcollege study.
Housing Characteristics and Social Disorganization

Reformers have long claimed there must be a causal linkage between "bad" housing and social disorganization in view of the high incidence of both in slum areas. Since previous research had not documented such a relationship, James Ford (7) in his classic Slums and Housing in 1936 concluded both were simply parts of the "syndrome of poverty." Such an explanation, however, has not satisfied social workers (5), architects and city planners (9), health or housing officials. (12) They continue to ask the applied social scientist: Which, if any, of the several physical characteristics of housing and neighborhood may be related to social disorganization? If such a relationship is found, is its nature the sort which the skills
Complete Convergence of Short Paths and Karp's Algorithm for the TSP

Let Xi, 1 ≤ i 0 $$\sum^{\infty}_{n=1}p\left|T_{n}/\sqrt{n-\beta}| \gt \epsilon\right \lt \infty.$$ This result is essential in justifying Karp's algorithm for the traveling salesman problem under the independent model, and it settles a question posed by B. W. Weide.
ϵ′/ϵ and rare KL decays from KTeV experiment

Abstract We update the current status for the measurement of the direct- CP violation parameters ϵ′/ϵ in the KTeV experiment at Fermilab. Substaintial statistics have been accumulated during the 1996–7 run and 1999 run for both ϵ′/ϵ and rare K L decay searches. The first KTeV result on ϵ′/ϵ published last year was Re(ϵ′/ϵ) = (28.0 ± 4.1) × 10 −4 based on the 23% data from 1996–7 run. Combining with the previous E731, NA31 and the recent preliminary NA48 results, the grand average is Re(ϵ′/ϵ) = (19.3 ± 3.6) × 10 −4 (with S = 1.49), more than 5σ above zero. More data from both KTeV and NA48 after completing the analysis will further improve the precision of this measurement in the near future and hopefully further improve the agreement. New results on the braching ratio and form factor measurements of K L → μ + μ − γ using 1997 data are also presented. We find that BR ( K L → μ + μ − γ) = (3.66 ± 0.04 stat ± 0.07 syst ) × 10 −7 . The form factor parameter α K * is measured to be α K * = −0.157 +0.025 −0.027 . We make the first measurement of the parameter α from the D'Ambrosio, Isidori, and Portoles form factor, finding α = −1.53±0.09. This measurement of α limits the CKM parameter ϱ > −0.2.
Microgravity Materials Processing for Commercial Applications

Materials processing in a microgravity environment is aimed at developing commercial materials as well as investigating basic phenomena to improve earth-based processing. Materials research in space has dealt with glasses and ceramics, crystal growth, electronic materials, metals and alloys, polymers, composites, and biological materials. Battelle has been conducting research in this area since the early-1970s. Several important results have been obtained in: immiscible alloys, containerless under-cooling of clustering alloys, sol-gel glasses, and collagen fibers. More recently, Battelle's Advanced Materials Center for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS) has been established to utilize the microgravity environment in the commercial development of composite and mixed-phase materials with substantially improved properties. Currently, the Center is conducting research in catalysts (variant-phase chlorides, zeolites, and mixed oxides), polymer systems, electronic materials (float-zone crystal growth on Type II-VI semiconductor crystals, particularly CdTe), and con-trolled- porosity glass. The present program focuses on a proof of principle for each research thrust, utilizing ground-based and suborbital facilities, together with modeling to demonstrate the potential for producing commercially important materials. Each of these research programs is outlined. In addition, the more important developments in each of the major categories of microgravity materials research is reviewed.
Personalized video summary using visual semantic annotations and automatic speech transcriptions

A personalized video summary is dynamically generated in our video personalization and summary system based on user preference and usage environment. The three-tier personalization system adopts the server-middleware-client architecture in order maintain, select, adapt, and deliver rich media content to the user. The server stores the content sources along with their corresponding MPEG-7 metadata descriptions. In this paper, the metadata includes visual semantic annotations and automatic speech transcriptions. Our personalization and summarization engine in the middleware selects the optimal set of desired video segments by matching shot annotations and sentence transcripts with user preferences. The process includes the shot-to-sentence alignment, summary segment selection, and user preference matching and propagation. As a result, the relevant visual shot and audio sentence segments are aggregated and composed into a personalized video summary.
Disaster metrics: evaluation of de Boer's Disaster Severity Scale (DSS) applied to earthquakes

Introduction Quantitative measurement of the medical severity following multiple-casualty events (MCEs) is an important goal in disaster medicine. In 1990, de Boer proposed a 13-point, 7-parameter scale called the Disaster Severity Scale (DSS). Parameters include cause, duration, radius, number of casualties, nature of injuries, rescue time, and effect on surrounding community. Hypothesis This study aimed to examine the reliability and dimensionality (number of salient themes) of de Boer's DSS scale through its application to 144 discrete earthquake events. METHODS: A search for earthquake events was conducted via National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and US Geological Survey (USGS) databases. Two experts in the field of disaster medicine independently reviewed and assigned scores for parameters that had no data readily available (nature of injuries, rescue time, and effect on surrounding community), and differences were reconciled via consensus. Principle Component Analysis was performed using SPSS Statistics for Windows Version 22.0 (IBM Corp; Armonk, New York USA) to evaluate the reliability and dimensionality of the DSS. RESULTS: A total of 144 individual earthquakes from 2003 through 2013 were identified and scored. Of 13 points possible, the mean score was 6.04, the mode = 5, minimum = 4, maximum = 11, and standard deviation = 2.23. Three parameters in the DSS had zero variance (ie, the parameter received the same score in all 144 earthquakes). Because of the zero contribution to variance, these three parameters (cause, duration, and radius) were removed to run the statistical analysis. Cronbach's alpha score, a coefficient of internal consistency, for the remaining four parameters was found to be robust at 0.89. Principle Component Analysis showed uni-dimensional characteristics with only one component having an eigenvalue greater than one at 3.17. The 4-parameter DSS, however, suffered from restriction of scoring range on both parameter and scale levels. CONCLUSION: Jan de Boer's DSS in its 7-parameter format fails to hold statistically in a dataset of 144 earthquakes subjected to analysis. A modified 4-parameter scale was found to quantitatively assess medical severity more directly, but remains flawed due to range restriction on both individual parameter and scale levels. Further research is needed in the field of disaster metrics to develop a scale that is reliable in its complete set of parameters, capable of better fine discrimination, and uni-dimensional in measurement of the medical severity of MCEs. Bayram JD , Zuabi S , McCord CM , Sherak RAG , Hsu EB , Kelen GD. Disaster metrics: evaluation of de Boer's Disaster Severity Scale (DSS) applied to earthquakes. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2015;30(1):1-6. Language: en
A Noncontact Optical Proximity Sensor for Measuring Surface Shape

We have developed a noncontact multi-light source optical proximity sensor that can measure the distance, orientation, and curvature of a surface. Beams of light are sequentially focused from light emitting diodes onto a target surface. An analog light sensor - a planar PIN diode - localizes the position of the resultant light spot in the field of view of the sensor. The 3-D locations of the light spots are then computed by triangulation. The distance, orientation, and curvature of the target surface is computed by fitting a surface to a set of data points on the surface.
Anthropocene Anthropology: Reconceptualizing Contemporary Global Change

The Anthropocene is the scientific label given by earth scientists to the current epoch of unprecedented anthropogenic planetary change. The Anthropocene is also a political label designed to call attention to this change and evolving notions of agency and responsibility in contemporary life. This article critically explores what I call ‘the Anthropocene idea’ and the condition of ‘Anthropocene spaces’ through selected anthropological writing about recent planetary change and through analysis of current events in a specific ‘vulnerable’ location. By considering recent events in The Bahamas, I arrive at an orientation that I call simply Anthropocene anthropology. Rather than advocating for the creation of a new subfield of research, this mode of engagement offers an open-ended conceptual framework for the critical examination of the Anthropocene idea as it influences the symbolic and material realities of contemporary Anthropocene spaces.
Computational modeling of mammalian promoters

Gene promoters are important cis -regulatory elements that encompass the Transcriptional Start Site (TSS) and their recognition by RNA Polymerase II (RNAPII) is the prerequisite for transcriptional initiation - the first regulation step of gene expression. Understanding the structure and function of promoters is absolutely crucial for understanding gene regulation. Due to its complexity, computational modeling of mammalian gene promoter has been one of the most difficult problems in computational genomics. In the advent of deep sequencing technology, more comprehensive and higher resolution diverse large-scale genetic and epigenetic data have been fueling the development of new predictive models. In this talk, I will review our current understanding of promoter architecture and transcription regulation, summarize recent advances in computational models and outline new challenges.
Urban grain and the vibrancy of older neighborhoods: metrics and measures

As American cities focus on urban growth and increased density, they must learn to adapt and transform over time. The character of place and pedestrian vibrancy and neighborhood sustainability depends on the accessibility and proximity of services and functions in order for them to be successful. Older neighborhoods – ones that were developed before the dependence on the automobile – are our best examples of walkable, vibrant neighborhood fabric yet are disappearing at an alarming rate across American cities in the name of the a new urban density and under the premise that non ‘historic’ buildings hold little value. Neighborhoods that encompass a variety of textures, building ages and sizes that relate to pedestrian scale and walkability contribute a collective heritage and value to cities over time.
In vitro and in vivo evidence that ex vivo cytokine priming of donor marrow cells may ameliorate posttransplant thrombocytopenia.

Thrombocytopenia is typically observed in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We hypothesized that delayed platelet count recovery might be ameliorated by increasing the number of megakaryocyte colony- forming units (CFU-Meg) in the hematopoietic cell graft. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated cytokine combinations and culture medium potentially useful for expanding CFU-Meg in vitro. We then examined the ability of expanded cells to accelerate platelet recovery in an animal transplant model. Depending on the cytokine combination used, we found that culturing marrow CD34+cells for 7 to 10 days in serum-free cultures was able to expand CFU-Meg ∼40 to 80 times over input number. Shorter incubation periods were also found to be effective and when CD34+ cells were exposed to thrombopoietin (TPO), kit ligand (KL), interleukin-1α (IL-1α), and IL-3 in serum-free cultures for as few as 48 hours, the number of assayable CFU-Meg was still increased ∼threefold over input number. Of interest, cytokine primed marrow cells were also found to form colonies in vitro more quickly than unprimed cells. The potential clinical utility of this short-term expansion strategy was subsequently tested in an in vivo animal model. Lethally irradiated Balb-C mice were transplanted with previously frozen syngeneic marrow mononuclear cells (106/mouse), one tenth of which (105) had been primed with [TPO, KL, IL-1a, and IL-3] under serum-free conditions for 36 hours before cryopreservation. Mice receiving the primed frozen marrow cells recovered their platelet and neutrophil counts 3 to 5 days earlier than mice transplanted with unprimed cells. Mice which received marrow cells that had been primed after thawing but before transplantation had similar recovery kinetics. We conclude that pretransplant priming of hematopoietic cells leads to faster recovery of all hematopoietic lineages. Equally important, donor cell priming before transplant may represent a highly cost-effective alternative to constant administration of cytokines during the posttransplant recovery period.
INADEQUATE RESOURCES, EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN, AND REVIEW OF THE INFORMATIVE FEEDBACK LITERATURE.

A tiny experiment was reported by Dyal (1964) with results apparently contradicting the bulk of an extensive literature he failed to cite. The literature contains far better experimental designs, r...
Abstract A73: Bladder cancer inhibition by allyl isothiocyante

Nearly all cancers of the urinary bladder originate from its inner surface (epithelium). While most bladder cancers are diagnosed at an early stage, recurrence rate is extremely high. There is an urgent need for agents capable of inhibiting bladder cancer development and recurrence. Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), an ingredient of many common cruciferous vegetables, was previously shown to kill bladder cancer cells in vitro. Our objective was to evaluate the chemopreventive potential of AITC against bladder cancer. The anticancer activities of AITC were assessed using multiple bladder cancer cell lines in vitro and two rat bladder cancer models in vivo (an orthotopic model and a subcutaneous model). Its toxicity toward normal human bladder epithelial (NHBE) cells was also examined. Pharmacokinetic study of AITC and histological examination of normal and malignant bladder tissues of AITC‐treated rats were undertaken as well. Proliferation of bladder cancer cells was potently inhibited by AITC (IC50 of approximately 3 µM), which was associated with G2/M arrest and apoptosis. AITC was markedly less toxic to NHBE cells (IC50 of 69 µM). Low oral dose of AITC (1 mg/kg), starting one day after cancer cell inoculation significantly inhibited the development of orthotopic bladder cancer, but was ineffective against subcutaneous xenografts of the same cancer cells. This differential effect was explained by our finding that urinary concentrations of AITC equivalent were 2–3 orders of magnitude higher than that in the plasma, and that its levels in the orthotopic bladder cancer tissues were also 3 orders of magnitude higher than that in the subcutaneous cancer tissues. Thus, AITC is selectively delivered to bladder cancer tissue through urinary excretion and potently inhibits bladder cancer development in vivo. Besides its potential use for prevention of primary bladder cancer, AITC appears to represent a novel and very attractive approach in the management of recurrence of superficial bladder cancer, since all currently available intravesicle therapies against bladder cancer recurrence mandate urethral catherization. In addition, this new knowledge opens the possibility for adjuvant or multimodality combination approaches for the prevention and treatment of bladder cancer. Supported by NCI grant CA124627. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(1 Suppl):A73.
Metamorphic Detection Using Singular Value Decomposition

Metamorphic malware changes its internal structure with each infection, while maintaining its original functionality. Such malware can be difficult to detect using static techniques, since there may be no common signature across infections. In this research we apply a score based on Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) to the problem of metamorphic detection. SVD is a linear algebraic technique which is applicable to a wide range of problems, including facial recognition. Previous research has shown that a similar facial recognition technique yields good results when applied to metamorphic malware detection. We present experimental results and we analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of this SVD-based approach.
Pressure Pain Sensitivity in Patients With Suspected Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia.

Background and Objectives This study was designed to test whether a brief quantitative sensory testing assessment could be used to detect hyperalgesia in patients with suspected opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH). Methods Twenty patients on long-term opioid therapy with suspected OIH were recruited along with 20 healthy controls. Pressure pain threshold, Pain50, a measure of intermediate suprathreshold pressure pain sensitivity, and tolerance levels were evaluated. As a secondary outcome, changes in pressure pain sensitivity after intravenous administration of placebo (saline) and fentanyl (1.5 μg/kg) were assessed. Results There were no significant differences in pain measures between healthy controls and patients. However, there was an association between higher doses of opioids and having a lower pain tolerance (r = −0.46, P = 0.041) and lower Pain50 (r = −0.46, P = 0.044), which was consistent with the hypothesis. Patients on more than 100 mg oral morphine equivalents displayed decreased pressure pain tolerance compared with patients taking less than 100 mg oral morphine equivalents (P = 0.042). In addition, male patients showed a hyperalgesic response to fentanyl administration, which was significant for the Pain50 measure (P = 0.002). Conclusions Whereas there were no differences between patients suspected of having OIH and the healthy controls, the finding that higher doses of opioids were associated with more sensitivity suggests that dose might be an important factor in the development of hyperalgesia. In addition, male patients demonstrated a hyperalgesic response after a bolus of fentanyl. Future studies are needed to develop better diagnostics for detecting hyperalgesia in the clinical setting.
Adenovirus: Epidemiology, Global Spread of Novel Serotypes, and Advances in Treatment and Prevention

Adenoviruses (AdVs) are DNA viruses that typically cause mild infections involving the upper or lower respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, or conjunctiva. Rare manifestations of AdV infections include hemorrhagic cystitis, hepatitis, hemorrhagic colitis, pancreatitis, nephritis, or meningoencephalitis. AdV infections are more common in young children, due to lack of humoral immunity. Epidemics of AdV infection may occur in healthy children or adults in closed or crowded settings (particularly military recruits). The disease is more severe and dissemination is more likely in patients with impaired immunity (e.g., organ transplant recipients, human immunodeficiency virus infection). Fatality rates for untreated severe AdV pneumonia or disseminated disease may exceed 50%. More than 50 serotypes of AdV have been identified. Different serotypes display different tissue tropisms that correlate with clinical manifestations of infection. The predominant serotypes circulating at a given time differ among countries or regions, and change over time. Transmission of novel strains between countries or across continents and replacement of dominant viruses by new strains may occur. Treatment of AdV infections is controversial, as prospective, randomized therapeutic trials have not been conducted. Cidofovir is the drug of choice for severe AdV infections, but not all patients require treatment. Live oral vaccines are highly efficacious in reducing the risk of respiratory AdV infection and are in routine use in the military in the United States, but currently are not available to civilians.
Percutaneous Feeding Tube Replacement

This section provides a comprehensive procedural report for percutaneous feeding tube replacement procedure with up-to-date explanatory notes, synopsis of the indications and contraindications, and potential complications in an organized and practical format.
The Privilege of Editorship

The end of a journey brings both the sweetness of its memories and the tinge of sadness that comes with the conclusion of an adventure. This sense describes my feelings as we transition Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes ( CQO ) from its founding team to a new group of editors who are prepared to catapult the journal to new levels of success. It is a sense accompanied by the knowledge of having had the great privilege to serve the community of people devoted to improving cardiovascular and stroke health and health care—and that the enterprise is in great hands for the future. In September 2008, CQO published its first issue. In its conception, CQO was distinctive in not focusing on a condition or procedure, but on research that was related to improving the prevention, care, and outcomes of people with, or at risk for, cardiovascular disease and stroke. CQO was built to focus on safety, effectiveness, efficiency, patient-centeredness, and timely and equitable health and health care. The emphasis was on results achieved, lives improved, and value promoted. Over the subsequent 8 years, our fledgling ideas developed into an established journal with an international presence. Now, CQO is undergoing a planned transition in leadership with Brahmajee Nallamothu as Editor in Chief and P. Michael Ho as Deputy Editor. On behalf of the founding group, I extend my thanks to all who made this journey worthwhile and promoted CQO’s success. In my last Editor’s Perspective, I would like to provide an account of the state of the journal, highlight some of my contributions published in the journal during the course of my tenure as Editor, and reflect on the future of CQO . CQO owes its success to so many. Under the advocacy of researchers in the field, particularly David Goff, the American …
The World Wide Web: another English-speaking colony?

Even though the diffusion of information and communication technologies promises almost limitless learning resources through the World Wide Web, language differences deny access for much of the world's population. Sixty percent of the pages on the Web are composed in English, the primary language used by only 29% of those accessing them. The preponderance of English maintains an especially pernicious form of digital divide that widens as citizens of developing nations gain access to technology. An ongoing project at IBM Research aims at removing some of the linguistic barriers peculiar to the Web. This is done by providing a translator for reading, a better page presentation mechanism, failure-driven inspection and fast search engines.
Stereoselective Degradation of Estradiol and Trenbolone Isomers in Alluvial Sediment.

Stereoisomers of estradiol (E2) or trenbolone (TB) can occur together in the environment receiving human or livestock wastes. However, the effect of their co-occurrence on persistence has not been well elucidated. A sandy and a silt loam sediment were used to establish microcosms with α- and β-isomers of E2 or TB spiked individually and together. Sediments were sampled periodically and analyzed for E2 and TB isomers and their transformation products using derivatization gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Results showed that stereoselective degradation was significant for E2 in both sediments and TB in the sandy sediment with β-isomers decaying more rapidly than α-isomers. In the sandy sediment containing limited natural organic carbon and nutrients, co-occurrence of both isomers of either E2 or TB decreased the dissipation rates. In the silt loam sediment with abundant organic matter and nutrients, the decay rates of both isomers were not changed in the presence of the other isomer. Estrone (E1) and tr...
Proteorhodopsin Hydration and Dynamics is Governed by Surrounding Environment

Proteorhodopsin (PR) is a light-activated retinal protein with the ability to pump protons from the cytoplasmic to the extracellular side of the cell [1]. The proton pumping process is highly efficient and can be reversed depending on environmental pH. These properties make PR a promising candidate in design of applications involving harvesting of solar energy. Although the photointermediates in the photocycle are well-defined spectroscopically, the role of dynamics and internal hydration of PR on the process of the proton pumping is poorly understood. In this study, we have used molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to determine the role of hydration, protonation state of the proton donor E108, and membrane environment on the dynamics of PR during the early stages of its photocycle. Our findings show that hydration of the protein interior directly affects the dynamics of the transmembrane helices. Specially, helices F and G and the EF loop are highly dynamic, in agreement with experimental observations for PR and bacteriorhodopsin [2]. Residues that play an important role in the photocycle are generally more hydrated. In addition, hydration of E108 in the deprotonated state is considerably larger than in the protonated state. Finally, solubilization with detergent micelles remarkably alters the stability and mobility of different components of PR compared to a bilayer environment. The complex of PR with dodecylphosphocholine (DPC) detergent micelle is highly dynamic, such that the helices are displaced from their position in the initial structure and the EF loop is partially unfolded, while PR complexes with n-dodecyl-β-D-maltoside (DDM) are more stable.[1] Bamann, C. et. al., 2014 Biochemica et Biophysica Acta 1837:614.[2] Andersson, C. et. al., 2009 Structure 17:1265.
Retrospective analysis of outpatient acupuncture treatments at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

e20681 Background: Cancer patients commonly use some form of complementary and alternative medicine, including acupuncture, during cancer treatment; however, there is limited available data about t...
DyadGAN: Generating Facial Expressions in Dyadic Interactions

Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) have been shown to produce synthetic face images of compelling realism. In this work, we present a conditional GAN approach to generate contextually valid facial expressions in dyadic human interactions. In contrast to previous work employing conditions related to facial attributes of generated identities, we focused on dyads in an attempt to model the relationship and influence of one person’s facial expressions in the reaction of the other. To this end, we introduced a two level optimization of GANs in interviewerinterviewee dyadic interactions. In the first stage we generate face sketches of the interviewer conditioned on facial expressions of the interviewee. The second stage synthesizes complete face images conditioned on the face sketches generated in the first stage. We demonstrated that our model is effective at generating visually compelling face images in dyadic interactions. Moreover we quantitatively showed that the facial expressions depicted in the generated interviewer face images reflect valid emotional reactions to the interviewee behavior.
Venturing forth: Venture capital and private equity information in academic business libraries

Due to limited disclosure requirements, obtaining private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) information presents challenges to academic researchers. However, the universe of commercially available resources that focus on private equity and venture capital has increased substantially over the past decade. This article examines recent academic business literature to evaluate whether resources from newer providers in this subject area (CB Insights, PitchBook, Preqin, PrivCo) are gaining traction among academic researchers. It also matches the resources that researchers are citing to library holdings in an effort to measure library support for PE/VC research. The results indicate that data from traditional providers (Dow Jones, S&P Capital IQ, Thomson Reuters) continues to be heavily used and that libraries are providing moderate support for PE/VC research.
A conformal antenna on a passive UHF RFID tag using 97% carbon content graphene-based conductors and paper substrates

Passive UHF radio frequency identification (RFID) systems are being applied to many different industries and because of this, these systems are being required to operate in complex electromagnetic environments. This may require tags to operate on different surface types or time varying shapes. This paper presents a conformal antenna design that can be used on a passive UHF RFID tag with a paper substrate. More specifically, instead of copper conductors for the antenna, commercially available 97% carbon content graphene-based material is used to mitigate conductor failure; which has been observed in copper-based conformal antenna designs. Simulations and read-range measurements (2.1 meters) of a prototype UHF passive RFID tag with graphene-based conductors and dimensions similar to commercially available copper-based designs are shown.
Prostate Cancer Molecular Prognosis

Prostate cancer is biologically and clinically diverse-tumors ranging from small, indolent tumors that will never clinically manifest, to aggressive carcinomas that readily metastasize and cause mortality. While several pathologic and clinical variables, such as Gleason score and serum prostate-specific antigen level, are valuable for prognosis, several clinical situations exist in which these variables do not inform fully on tumor behavior and patient management. Molecular tests may be useful in these clinical situations, such as active surveillance. Many tests have been developed and are in development and may be done on tissue or urine specimens. This chapter will review the prognostic value of several molecular tests for prostate cancer, in the context of known pathologic and clinical prognostic variables.
Gender Differences in Psychosocial and Physical Outcomes in Haitian Amputees.

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the gender differences in psychosocial and physical outcomes in users of lower-extremity prostheses who became amputees after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Method We enrolled 140 unilateral amputees in this cross-sectional study in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Trained staff administered the assessments by reading the questions aloud to participants. Participants completed the Trinity Amputation and Prosthesis Experience Scales and Locomotor Capabilities Index about 2 yr after the earthquake. Results We found no gender differences in psychosocial adjustment and physical outcomes, except for strenuous physical activities and phantom pain, and both genders reported difficulty in social adjustment. After controlling for strenuous physical activities and phantom pain, we found that men showed worse psychosocial adjustment than women. Conclusion Services for psychosocial adjustment are critical for traumatic amputees and should be incorporated into rehabilitation programs after a disaster. Interventions should consider gender roles in the indigenous culture.
EMOTIONAL AND RATIONAL COMPONENTS OF IS SERVICE SATISFACTION AND THEIR IMPACT ON IS SERVICE CONTINUANCE

IS service satisfaction involves assessing both rat ional and emotional components of the service encounter. Given the extensive prior literature on the rational components of service satisfaction this study explores the mediating role of modal emo tions - as the basis for the emotional component of service satisfaction - on IS service c ontinuance. The paper provides a measurement instrument for this purpose and uses it to show the impact of modal emotions on IS service satisfaction measurement. The study tests the emoti onal and rational components of service satisfaction by way of a survey in a large utilities organization and finds that modal emotions do mediate the influence of the rational component of service satisfaction on an individual’s intention to continue using an IS service.
Polymorphisms of mitochondrially encoded proteins.

Abstract Polymorphisms of mitochondrially encoded proteins can be detected in human lymphocytes by sodium dodecyl-sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Using an SDS-polyacrylamide 8 M urea system, 17 mitochondrially encoded proteins are distinguishable. Three of these (ME-6, ME-8, and ME-17) were polymorphic among 92 individuals screened, and these polymorphisms are reported here for the first time. With SDS-polyacrylamide electrophoresis without urea, 18 mitochondrial proteins are detectable. One of these (MV-1) varied in two of 31 individuals tested. This polymorphism has been identified previously in HeLa cells. Maternal inheritance of the ME-8 polymorphism was demonstrated by three informative families.
Restorative Justice and the Dangers of Community

Restorative justice needs something to restore, and one key thing it is very often said to restore is, in some formulation or other, "community." But "community" is a very dangerous concept. Sometimes it means very little, or nothing very coherent; sometimes it means so many things as to become useless in legal or social discourse; and sometimes the sunny harmonious sound of the very word "community" masks conflict and indeed discriminatory exclusion, or at least arbitrary political arrangements (as in "the international community"). This paper explores the various uses of the "community trope," from "community" as an ideal to "sense of community" as a social goal, to "the community" as a supposedly identifiable social entity to "the [group name] community" as the designation for a certain social, racial, ethnic, or other associations. It argues that greater self-criticism in the use of these tropes is essential to a thoughtful programs in the area of restorative justice. The paper offers such admonitory examples as the "deinstitutionalization" of mentally ill people in the 1970's, an unequivocal social and economic catastrophe that was motivated in part, the paper argues, by widely shared, unexamined notions of how gravely disabled and often abandoned people could be treated "in the community."
Exploiting the Impact of Database System Configuration Parameters: A Design of Experiments Approach.

Tuning database system configuration parameters to proper values according to the expected query workload plays a very important role in determining DBMS performance. However, the number of configuration parameters in a DBMS is very large. Furthermore, typical query workloads have a large number of constituent queries, which makes tuning very time and effort intensive. To reduce tuning time and effort, database administrators rely on their experience and some rules of thumb to select a set of important configuration parameters for tuning. Nonetheless, as a statistically rigorous methodology is not used, time and effort may be wasted by tuning those parameters which may have no or marginal effects on the DBMS performance for the given query workload. Database administrators also use compressed query workloads to reduce tuning time. If not carefully selected, the compressed query workload may fail to include a query which may reveal important performance bottleneck parameters. In this article, we provide a systematic approach to help the database administrators in tuning activities. We achieve our goals through two phases. First, we estimate the effects of the configuration parameters for each workload query. The effects are estimated through a design of experiments-based PLACKETT & BURMAN design methodology where the number of experiments required is linearly proportional to the number of input parameters. Second, we exploit the estimated effects to: 1) rank DBMS configuration parameters for a given query workload based on their impact on the DBMS performance, and 2) select a compressed query workload that preserves the fidelity of the original workload. Experimental results using PostgreSQL and TPC-H query workload show that our methodologies are working correctly.
The Technology Tel

A technology tel accumulates generations of digital infrastructure built in one location, where it serves interdependent or independent functions. Technology tels exist in every major city, and though city dwellers interact with them regularly, they tend to blend into the background.
Native and second-language processing of contrastive pitch accent: An ERP study:

Prosody signals important aspects of meaning, and hence, is crucial for language comprehension and learning, yet remains under-investigated in second-language (L2) processing. The present electroph...
Minimizing Colorectal Anastomotic Leaks: Best Practices to Assess the Integrity and Perfusion of Left-Sided Anastomoses

Anastomotic leak is an uncommon but a serious complication of any gastrointestinal operation. This complication can result in significant perioperative morbidity and prolonged recovery. In addition, leaks can delay necessary systemic treatment for cancer patients or require reoperations with additional morbidity. Careful attention to anastomotic technique and evaluation of the anastomoses can reduce the risk of leak. Assessment of factors that affect anastomotic integrity includes evaluation of perfusion and tension. These factors can be evaluated, in part, through evaluation of the anastomotic mucosa via endoscopy. In addition to visual inspection, assessment of perfusion with fluorescent angiography is an area of active development that may reduce leak rates. Understanding the tools used to evaluate anastomoses is important for any surgeon operating on the gastrointestinal tract, and therefore proficiency in endoscopic evaluation must be mandated.
Digestibility and utilization of ammonia-treated and urea-supplemented peanut skin diets fed to cattle.

A metabolism study and two feedlot trials were conducted to evaluate urea supplementation of peanut skin (PS) diets and ammoniation of PS as methods of reducing detrimental effects of tannins in PS on nutrient digestibility and performance of beef cattle. Tannin content of PS was reduced by 42% after ammoniation. Digestibility coefficients for dry matter, crude protein, nitrogen free extract, energy and total digestible nutrients were higher (P less than .05) for the control diet without PS compared with urea-supplemented PS (UPS) and ammoniated PS (APS) diets. Ether extract digestibility was higher (P less than .05) for UPS and APS diets compared with the control diet. Fecal N was higher (P less than .05) and N retention was lower (P less than .05) in steers fed UPS and APS diets compared with controls, which suggested that in UPS and APS diets dietary protein was being complexed with tannins and excreted. Steers fed the APS diet had lower (P less than .05) plasma urea nitrogen compared with control and UPS diets at 2, 4 and 6 h post-feeding. Eighteen heifers were fed control, UPS and APS diets individually for 84 d, resulting in similar (P less than .05) feedlot performance and carcass traits for heifers on all dietary treatments. Rumen fluid propionic acid levels were similar for control and APS heifers and somewhat lower (P greater than .05) for UPS heifers at 3 and 6 h post-feeding on d 62 of the trial. The experimental diets were fed to 54 steers (360 kg initial wt) ad libitum. After 98 d on dietary treatments average daily gains (ADG), final weights, carcass weights and carcass quality grades were not different (P greater than .05) for control and APS steers. Live weight and ADG were lower (P less than .05) for UPS steers on d 98 compared with control and APS steers, and UPS steers continued in the feedlot through d 147. After 98 d on control or APS diets 72.2% of the beef carcasses produced on each diet graded USDA Choice, and 100% of the carcasses of steers fed UPS graded USDA Choice after 147 d. A urea-supplemented PS diet or a diet containing ammoniated PS was ineffective in improving digestibility and N retention of PS diets when limit-fed to steers. However, ad libitum feeding of an ammoniated PS diet was effective in overcoming detrimental effects of tannins on feedlot performance of heifers and steers.
Is bilingualism protective for adults with aphasia

The bilingual advantage proposes that bilingual individuals have enhanced cognitive control compared to their monolingual counterparts. Bilingualism has also been shown to contribute to cognitive reserve by offsetting the behavioral presentation of brain injury or neural degeneration. However, this effect has not been closely examined in individuals with post-stroke or post-TBI aphasia. Because bilingualism has been suggested as a factor of cognitive reserve, it may provide protective mechanisms for adults with aphasia. In the current study, evidence for the bilingual advantage was examined in 13 Spanish-English bilingual healthy adults (BHA) compared to 13 English monolingual healthy adults (MHA). Additionally, evidence for cognitive reserve as defined by a bilingual advantage was examined in 18 Spanish-English bilingual adults with aphasia (BAA) compared to 18 English monolingual adults with aphasia (MAA) who were otherwise matched on their age, education, language impairment, and non-verbal executive functions. All participants completed a non-linguistic cognitive control task that included congruent and incongruent conditions. Results indicated no bilingual cognitive control advantage on reaction times in healthy adult groups; however, BAA were faster than MAA, suggesting that bilingualism may contribute to cognitive reserve in adults with aphasia. Thus, manipulating multiple languages throughout the lifetime may be protective after an acquired brain injury.
Studying the Learning Environment of EL Newcomer Students in the Schooling Process

In this study, we examined the schooling process of newcomer students in secondary urban schools involving survey research with newcomers and other ELs (n=268). Additionally, we conducted focus groups with students (n=10) and educators (n=12). Through qualitative measures, we examined: (a) grade level placement, (b) content area placement, and (c) academic challenges confounded by L1 proficiency, previous academic experiences, and socio-cultural experiences among newcomers. We employed quantitative methods (e.g., Descriptive, Chi Square, Factor Analysis) to detect group differences in regard to perceptions of the classroom learning environment as a function of time in the United States. In general, the Principal Component Factor analysis yielded ten factors that accounted for 66.8% of the variance. These factors provide insight into key components for the development of effective classroom learning environments in order to serve EL newcomers in the schooling process. The implications for teaching and learning practices within the classroom and school learning environments of EL newcomers are discussed.
Empirical Analysis of a Freeway Bundled Connected-and-Automated Vehicle Application Using Experimental Data

AbstractConnected-and-automated vehicles (CAV) hold the potential for substantial improvements to traffic safety, travel time reliability, driver comfort, roadway capacity, environmental impacts, a...
Modeling linkages between erosion and connectivity in an urbanizing landscape.

Abstract Erosion and connectivity are spatially varied processes key to determining sediment transport and delivery to downstream waterbodies. However, we find few studies that explicitly model the linkages of where erosion and connectivity coincide and where they contradict, particularly in urbanizing settings. In this study, we couple in-stream aquatic sensing, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), the Index of Connectivity (IC), and the Sediment Delivery Ratio (SDR), together with Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis, to generate a new Erosion-Connectivity Mapping (ECM) framework. We evaluate ECM accuracy with field assessment of thirty-five sites spread across five lowland watersheds (mean slope
Exploring the Meaning of Spirituality and Spiritual Care with Help From Viktor Frankl

Problem: A difficult concept to understand, spirituality is not often addressed in healthcare. Purpose: This paper will explore the concept of spirituality and spiritual care using the theory of meaning by Viktor Frankl. Implications: Authors will provide ways for nurses to think about spiritual needs and spiritual care for patients and identify barriers to spiritual care implementation. Suggestions are made for spiritual inquiry, resources are provided for spiritual care education and training, and recommendations are made for nursing education curricula and health care policy change. Conclusions: With a greater understanding of spirituality, nurses practicing holistic care can increase their spiritual care competence and implement spiritual care into practice.
Improving symptom burden and quality of life in patients with myelofibrosis: current strategies and future directions.

Myelofibrosis (MF) is a complex and aggressive hematologic malignancy resulting from JAK/STAT-driven myeloproliferation and abnormal fibrogenesis. The clinical manifestations are heterogeneous and ...
Comparing Vascular Brain Injury and Stroke by Cranial Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Physician-Adjudication, and Self-Report: Data from the Strong Heart Study.

BACKGROUND Epidemiologic studies often use self-report as proxy for clinical history. However, whether self-report correctly identifies prevalence in minority populations with health disparities and poor health-care access is unknown. Furthermore, overlap of clinical vascular events with covert vascular brain injury (VBI), detected by imaging, is largely unexamined. METHODS The Strong Heart Study recruited American Indians from 3 regions, with surveillance and adjudication of stroke events from 1989 to 2013. In 2010-2013, all 817 survivors, aged 65-95 years, underwent brain imaging, neurological history interview, and cognitive testing. VBI was defined as imaged infarct or hemorrhage. RESULTS Adjudicated stroke was prevalent in 4% of participants and separately collected, self-reported stroke in 8%. Imaging-defined VBI was detected in 51% and not associated with any stroke event in 47%. Compared with adjudication, self-report had 76% sensitivity and 95% specificity. Participants with adjudicated or self-reported stroke had the poorest performance on cognitive testing; those with imaging-only (covert) VBI had intermediate performance. CONCLUSION In this community-based cohort, self-report for prior stroke had good performance metrics. A majority of participants with VBI did not have overt, clinically recognized events but did have neurological or cognitive symptoms. Data collection methodology for studies in a resource-limited setting must balance practical limitations in costs, accuracy, feasibility, and research goals.