cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Entropy solution at concave corners and ridges

Boundary layer volume mesh generation applied to generic non smooth surfaces gives rise to various challenges. The mesh should present a strong anisotropy normal to the surface, should smoothly transition to the isotropic region, and should take into account complex ridges and corners. A theoretical tool to attack this problem consists in relying on the Eikonal equation, which is a non linear hyperbolic equation capable of generating shocks at concave regions and expansion waves close to convex regions. Typically, expansion waves are discretized with multiple normals. In this work, emphasis is given to the the reversible phenomenon, where shocks appear. This represents the extension to the three dimensional space of. Only few strategies have been advocated for concave situations. In, negative elements are removed, therefore stopping the front progression close to these locations. However, since typically a small jump between layers is enforced, stopping the front prematurely will spread from this location outwards. In, the normal direction is limited. However, this may violate the prescribed size, or generate extremely small cells close to concave corners. Another approach consists in using smoothed normals as extruded directions, or even a blend of both, trading normality for postponed front abortion. As mentioned previously, Athanasiadis et al. is one of the few references to consider special procedures for concave situations, where characteristics coalesce. It is mentioned that a quad surface mesh is expected to be able to collapse the prisms along concave ridges in a structured manner. However, this represents only a particular configuration of a more generic approach. The Voronoi diagram is the key building block of this construction. Considering the boundary layer mesh as a subpart of the three dimensional generalized Voronoi diagram, where triangle faces, edges and vertices are taken into account, the Voronoi bisectors are important spatial locations that ideally would be discretized in the mesh. This would require however the computation of the full three dimensional generalized Voronoi diagram. For triangle surface meshes, concavity and convexity are two important notions because they implicitly give informations on the distance field generated by the triangles in space. Convexity means that, as seen before, the distance field will present expansion waves, while concavity brings shock waves. Regarding the Voronoi diagram, convexity is associated with multiple normals, while concavity implies Voronoi bisectors. Therefore, concave edges will provide the birth of Voronoi faces while concave corners will generate Voronoi edges in three dimensions.
The Future of the Planet in the Hands of MBAs: An Examination of CEO MBA Education and Corporate Environmental Performance

Several critics contend that MBA education is irrelevant to practicing managers (e.g., Mintzberg, 2004), while others suggest it creates a pro fits- first mentality without regard for moral considerations (e.g., Ghoshal, 2005). Based on these criticisms, we explore the implications for CEOs with an M BA degree-specifically, if and how their M BA ed ucation might influence their firms' corporate environmental performance (CEPJ. Extant literature provides conflicting arguments; therefore, we empirically tested the relationship using a sample of 416 S&P 500 CEOs and found a significant positive association between CEOs with M BAs and CEP, even alter accounting for several firm- and individual-level characteristics. In addition, post-hoc analysis revealed that the MBA program ranking had no effect on CEP.
The patient with headache.

A report of a case of recurrent severe headache is presented in the form of an interview with the patient. Dihydroergotamine given daily by infection was effective as prophylaxis for about two years. Then, treatment with methysergide succeeded in “muting the pain to a living level.” The extraordinary effects of methysergide are emphasized, and a plan of treatment for cluster headache is outlined which includes the use of triamcinolone.
Instability of the Wrist: Kinematics and Functional Anatomy

Carpal kinematics, normal and abnormal, centre on the role of the proximal carpal row, an intercalated segment within the wrist joint. When stability to this segment is impaired by injury or diseas...
CrowdFlow: Efficient Information Flow Security

The widespread use of JavaScript JS as the dominant web programming language opens the door to attacks such as Cross Site Scripting that steal sensitive information from users. Information flow tracking successfully addresses current browser security shortcomings, but current implementations incur a significant runtime overhead cost that prevents adoption. We present a novel approach to information flow security that distributes the tracking workload across all page visitors by probabilistically switching between two JavaScript execution modes. Our framework reports attempts to steal information from a user's browser to a third party that maintains a blacklist of malicious URLs. Participating users can then benefit from receiving warnings about blacklisted URLs, similar to anti-phishing filters. Our measurements indicate that our approach is both efficient and effective. First, our technique is efficient because it reduces performance impact by an order of magnitude. Second, our system is effective, i.e., it detects 99.45i¾ź% of all information flow violations on the Alexa Topi¾ź500 pages using a conservative 5i¾ź% sampling rate. Most sites need fewer samples in practice; and will therefore incur even less overhead.
Utilizing Post-Intervention Fractional Flow Reserve to Optimize Acute Results and the Relationship to Long-Term Outcomes

Abstract Objectives This study sought to evaluate the impact of fractional flow reserve (FFR) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on subsequent in-lab interventional management vessels that had undergone pre-PCI FFR and its prognostic value in predicting long-term (>1 year) outcomes. Background Post-PCI FFR has been shown to be a predictor of intermediate-term (6 months) adverse events. However, its impact on immediate post procedure clinical decision making and long-term outcomes is not known. Methods Consecutive patients undergoing PCI who had pre- and post-PCI FFR evaluations were followed for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Results In the study 574 patients (664 lesions) were followed for 31 ± 16 months. PCI led to significant improvement in FFR from 0.65 ± 0.14 to 0.87 ± 0.08 (p 0.86 had significantly lower MACE compared to the final FFR ≤0.86 group (17% vs. 23%; log-rank p = 0.02). Final FFR ≤0.86 had incremental prognostic value over clinical and angiographic variables for MACE prediction. Conclusions Post-PCI FFR reclassified 20% of angiographically satisfactory lesions, which required further intervention thereby providing an opportunity for complete functional optimization at the time of the index procedure. This is particularly important as FFR post-PCI FFR was a powerful independent predictor of long-term outcomes.
Morality, Inquiry, and the University

AbstractGiven that human suffering persists globally on a massive scale, are scholars doing all they ought to be in the pursuit of knowledge? To explore this question, the author analyzes works by Alasdair MacIntyre, Nicholas Maxwell, and Bill Readings. Based on implications derived from their moral critiques of higher education, an alternative, broadened conception of inquiry is proposed that would include explicit consideration and development of values based on dialogue and debate.
A Study of the Oxidation-Reduction State of Synthetic 3,4-Dihydroxy-DL-phenylalanine Melanin

This study of the oxidation and reduction of synthetic 3,4-dihydroxy-DL-phenylalanine melanin has demonstrated that (a) the electron exchange witn melanin particles is biphasic; (b) about 25% of the indole units are on the surface of melanin particles; (c) melanin exists predominantly in the quinonoid oxidized form, which is suitable for those interactions involved in the formation of charge transfer complexes; (d) the reduced form of melanin is slowly reoxidized by air.
The mentoring web – Coming together to make a difference

Developing effective novice teachers involves many components. Researchers have studied the impact of principals, induction programs, and mentors on the growth and development of novice teachers. Relationships with college/university faculty, students, parents, and support staff can also impact the growth of these novice professionals. The combination of these components creates a mentoring web that works together to empower the individual teacher as they begin their teaching career. The purpose of this article is to outline the mentoring web components and how the implementation of this web can ensure success for novice teachers in their initial years as professionals in the field of education.
The nomenclature of fused-ring arenes and heterocycles: a guide to an increasingly important dialect of organic chemistry

As a single system of chemical nomenclature is used worldwide, it is the universal language of chemistry and thus a critical component to effectively communicate with others in the field. Of course, in the same way that chemistry as a discipline covers a wide range of topics and classes of chemical compounds, the associated nomenclature of the field can also be subdivided into separate ‘dialects’, each of which addresses different classes of chemical species and contains its own set of specialized rules for the systemic naming of the included compounds. Polycyclic fused-ring arenes and heterocycles are classes of organic compounds that are finding growing importance in polymer chemistry, materials science, and pharmaceutical chemistry, yet the nomenclature of these compounds is rarely covered even in graduate texts and students are thus not taught how to apply this nomenclature as needed. As such, the current report aims to present the basic rules and application of fused-ring nomenclature such that one can apply it to most common cases.
The utility of 6-minute walk distance in predicting waitlist mortality for lung transplant candidates.

Background The lung allocation score (LAS) has led to improved organ allocation for transplant candidates. At present, the 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) is treated as a binary categorical variable of whether or not a candidate can walk more than 150 feet in 6 minutes. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that 6MWD is presently under-utilized with respect to discriminatory power, and that, as a continuous variable, could better prognosticate risk of waitlist mortality. Methods A retrospective cohort analysis was performed using the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network/United Network for Organ Sharing (OPTN/UNOS) transplant database. Candidates listed for isolated lung transplant between May 2005 and December 2011 were included. The population was stratified by 6MWD quartiles and unadjusted survival rates were estimated. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to assess the effect of 6MWD on risk of death. The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) Waitlist Risk Model was used to adjust for confounders. The optimal 6MWD for discriminative accuracy in predicting waitlist mortality was assessed by receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results Analysis was performed on 12,298 recipients. Recipients were segregated into quartiles by distance walked. Waitlist mortality decreased as 6MWD increased. In the multivariable model, significant variables included 6MWD, male gender, non-white ethnicity and restrictive lung diseases. ROC curves discriminated 6-month mortality was best at 655 feet. Conclusions The 6MWD is a significant predictor of waitlist mortality. A cut-off of 150 feet sub-optimally identifies candidates with increased risk of mortality. A cut-off between 550 and 655 feet is more optimal if 6MWD is to be treated as a dichotomous variable. Utilization of the LAS as a continuous variable could further enhance predictive capabilities.
Urethra involvement and bladder cancer

Transitional cell carcinoma primarily involves the bladder, but quite frequently it also involves, either simultaneously or metachronously, the urothelium of the urethra and the upper urinary tract.1 In fact, transitional cell carcinoma is a multifocal disease and it is well known that the urothelial lining of the pyelocaliceal system, the ureters, and the proximal urethra are at equal risk as the bladder because of a uniform sensitivity of the urothelium to neo-plastic stimuli. Therefore, seeding and implantation of exfoliated cells, as well as lymphatic spread, has been proposed to explain urethral recurrence, although definitive proof of the existence of this pathway is yet to be demonstrated.
Current Status of Nephron-Sparing Surgery (NSS) in the Management of Renal Tumours

Nephron-sparing surgery has emerged as the surgical treatment of choice for small renal masses over the past two decades, replacing the traditional teaching of radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma. With time, there has been an evolution in the techniques and indications for partial nephrectomy. This review summarizes the current status of nephron-sparing surgery for renal carcinoma and also deals with the future of this procedure.
A comparison of synthesis and integrative approaches for meaning making and information fusion

Traditionally, information fusion approaches to meaning making have been integrative or aggregative in nature, creating meaning “containers” in which to put content (e.g., attributes) about object classes. In a large part, this was due to the limits in technology/tools for supporting information fusion (e.g., computers). A different synthesis based approach for meaning making is described which takes advantage of computing advances. The approach is not focused on the events/behaviors being observed/sensed; instead, it is human work centric. The former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency once wrote, “Context is king. Achieving an understanding of what is happening – or will happen – comes from a truly integrated picture of an area, the situation and the various personalities in it…a layered approach over time that builds depth of understanding.”1 The synthesis based meaning making framework enables this understanding. It is holistic (both the sum and the parts, the proverbial forest and the trees), multi-perspective and emulative (as opposed to representational). The two approaches are complementary, with the synthesis based meaning making framework as a wrapper. The integrative approach would be dominant at level 0,1 fusion: data fusion, track formation and the synthesis based meaning making becomes dominant at higher fusion levels (levels 2 and 3), although both may be in play. A synthesis based approach to information fusion is thus well suited for “gray zone” challenges in which there is aggression and ambiguity and which are inherently perspective dependent (e.g., recent events in Ukraine).
Bankruptcy and the U.S. Supreme Court

In this illuminating work, Ronald J. Mann offers readers a comprehensive study of bankruptcy cases in the Supreme Court of the United States. He provides detailed case studies based on the Justices' private papers on the most closely divided cases, statistical analysis of variation among the Justices in their votes for and against effective bankruptcy relief, and new information about the appearance in opinions of citations taken from party and amici briefs. By focusing on cases that have neither a clear answer under the statute nor important policy constraints, the book unveils the decision-making process of the Justices themselves - what they do when they are left to their own devices. It should be read by anyone interested not only in the jurisprudence of bankruptcy, but also in the inner workings of the Supreme Court.
A case of end‐to‐end anastomotic repair for the proximal main pancreatic duct injury in a child

The therapeutic strategies for the proximal transection of pancreas in children, consequently accompanying main pancreatic duct (MPD) damages, remain controversial for its rare incidence. We experienced one case of proximal MPD injury in a child and performed end-to-end anastomotic repair easily without major postoperative complications using intraoperative ultrasonography. Such patients could be discharged from hospital after a short period; however, the long-term result must be clarified.
Safety and benefit considerations for menopausal hormone therapy

ABSTRACTIntroduction: While benefits and risks of hormone therapy (HT) have been shown in rigorous randomized, controlled trials, clinical use and further study have discovered effects of age, time of HT initiation, and differential effects of various regimens and administration routes on its safety profile.Areas covered: The safety of HT with regard to cardiovascular disease, thrombosis, the endometrium, the breast, and cognition was reviewed. Differential safety effects of estradiol versus conjugated equine estrogens, and progesterone versus synthetic progestins are reported.Expert opinion: Perceived safety of HT has evolved based on data from observational studies, the Women’s Health Initiative and its subsequent analyses, more recent randomized, controlled trials, and studies examining the differences between different estrogens and between different progestogens. Unexpected safety concerns with HT became apparent with release of the first results from WHI. Differences between estrogen-alone versus es...
Immune-related adverse events (IRAEs) in metastatic lung cancer patients receiving PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and thoracic radiotherapy.

9079Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer treatment but are associated with unique IRAEs, including pneumonitis (PNS). Thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) is also associated with PNS but it is unknown whether TRT+ICI increases the risk of PNS or other IRAEs. Furthermore, low serum LDH levels are associated with better response/survival to ICI but its potential role as a biomarker for IRAEs is unexplored. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 164 pts with metastatic lung cancer (95% NSCLC, 5% SCLC) consecutively treated at our institution from 2013-2016 with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and a minimum of one month follow-up, except in cases of rapid death from an IRAE (n =4). Pts were grouped according to TRT received (+ vs -). IRAE grades were assigned using NCI CTCAE v4.0. Outcomes were compared using Fisher’s exact test and two-sided Student’s t-test. Results: Baseline characteristics such as age, gender, smoking status, supplemental oxygen requirement, median number of chemotherapy ...
Medieval memories and the reformation of religious identity: Catholic and Anglican interactions with parish church sites in County Limerick, Ireland

SUMMARY: This paper examines parish church sites in County Limerick and their evolving meanings as a result of Ireland’s unsuccessful Protestant Reformation. Unusually for Europe, most Irish parish churches fell into ruin from 1550 to 1700. Conquest, loss of patronage and the Anglican Church of Ireland’s failure to convert most native Catholics ensured this eventuality. Nevertheless, local memories continued to draw people to these sites. There is evidence for Catholic burial in the 18th and 19th centuries, conversion of chancels into burial plots and, sometimes, church maintenance or construction by Anglicans. These activities all reveal contemporary concerns with history, identity and legitimacy.
Pembrolizumab and its role in relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma: evidence to date and clinical utility:

Immune evasion is a critical mechanism of malignant cell survival, and relies in part on molecular signaling through the programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/PD-1 ligand (PD-L1) axis that contributes to T cell exhaustion. Immune modulatory therapy with monoclonal antibodies against PD-1 designed to enhance antitumor immune response have shown promise in the treatment of advanced solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. Classical Hodgkin's lymphoma (cHL), a unique B cell malignancy characterized by an extensive but ineffective immune cell infiltrate surrounding a small number of tumor cells, has shown significant response to anti-PD-1 directed therapy. The anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibodies nivolumab and pembrolizumab have shown similarly remarkable activity in relapsed/refractory cHL and have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of this disease. In this article we review the rationale of targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis in cHL and the pharmacology of pembrolizumab, and summarize the data on activity and safety profile of this agent in the treatment of relapsed/refractory cHL. We also discuss the potential benefits and pitfalls of using PD-1 blockade in the setting of allogeneic stem-cell transplantation, and summarize ongoing prospective trials of single-agent pembrolizumab and combination strategies as well as future directions.
Integration of liver and blood micronucleus and Pig-a gene mutation endpoints into rat 28-day repeat-treatment studies: Proof-of-principle with diethylnitrosamine.

Regulatory guidance documents stress the value of assessing multiple tissues and the most appropriate endpoints when evaluating chemicals for in vivo genotoxic potential. However, conducting several independent studies to consider multiple endpoints and/or tissue compartments is resource intensive. Furthermore, conventional approaches for scoring genotoxicity endpoints are slow, tedious, and less objective than what would be considered ideal. In an effort to address these issues with current practices, we attempted to i) employ flow cytometry-based methods to score liver micronuclei, blood micronuclei, and blood Pig-a gene mutation, and ii) integrate the endpoints into a common general toxicology study design-the rat 28-day repeat dose study. A proof-of-principle experiment was performed with 6-week old male Crl:CD(SD) rats exposed to diethylnitrosamine (DEN) for 28 consecutive days. One day later blood was collected for micronucleated reticulocyte (MN-RET) and Pig-a mutation assays, and liver tissue was obtained for micronucleated hepatocyte (MNHEP) scoring. MN-RET frequencies were not affected by DEN exposure, and mean Pig-a mutant cell frequencies were only slightly elevated. On the other hand, % MNHEP showed marked, dose-related increases (2.2, 7.2, and 9.1 mean fold-increase for 5, 10, 15 mg DEN/kg/day, respectively). Concurrent with MNHEP analyses, assessments of Ki-67-positive events and the proportion of 8n nuclei provided evidence for treatment-related changes to hepatocyte proliferation. Collectively, these results reinforce the importance of evaluating chemicals' genotoxic potential in liver in addition to hematopoietic cells, and suggest that several automated measurements can be successfully integrated into repeat-dose studies for higher efficiencies and better utilization of fewer animals.
Testing the efficacy of the Lucky Iron Fish® in reversing iron deficiency anemia in rural, impoverished regions of Guatemala

# Background According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the most common nutrient-related cause of anemia is a lack of dietary iron (iron deficiency anemia, IDA). In regions of the world where populations are at greatest risk for IDA, barriers make screening and subsequent treatment challenging. Thus, IDA remains one of the most common, yet treatable, nutrition-related health problems in developing countries. A new approach to IDA remediation, called Lucky Iron Fish^®^ (LIF) (Lucky Iron Fish, Guelph, Canada), overcomes many of these challenges. When placed into a pot of boiling, acidified water for 10 minutes, the LIF releases iron into the cooking water. Subsequently, the food absorbs the iron from the iron-enriched water, increasing the overall iron content of the meal. The purpose of this 52-week longitudinal study, conducted in rural, underserved regions of Guatemala, was to determine whether or not iron status improved after 12 months of using a LIF for meal preparation. # Methods Of the 302 people screened for IDA, 145 (48.0%) met the WHO standards for IDA. Heads of households were instructed how to prepare meals using a LIF. Subjects were asked to consume at least one meal/d prepared with a LIF and to return 1 year later to have their iron status retested. # Results A total of 56 (38.6%) subjects returned after 52 weeks to have their iron status retested. A paired t test showed that mean differences in both hematocrit and hemoglobin values were significantly higher at week 52 (*P*\<0.001 for both) compared to baseline. A total of 45 (80.3%) subjects were no longer anemic at week 52, with a mean difference (follow-up being higher than baseline) in hemoglobin of 1.28 (19.6% improvement) and a mean difference in hematocrit of 3.8 (28.5% improvement). # Conclusions The results of this study suggests that regular use of a LIF for meal preparation offers a safe and effective means to reverse IDA in high risk populations that lack the access and financial resources to purchase iron-rich foods or dietary supplements.
On the Role of Antigen Fragments and RNA in the Immune Response of Rabbits to a Soluble Antigen

The purpose of some early studies from this laboratory was to isolate, by mild chemical procedures, antigen material† that had been retained in the tissues of an immunized rabbit. Liver tissue was chosen for the technical reason that the quantity of retained antigen was greater in this tissue than in any other tissue. When liver brei was fractionated with sucrose, antigen material was concentrated in the soluble fraction. Further fractionation to remove non-antigen material was effected by absorption on Dowex-2 resin and subsequent elution with sodium salicylate. Ribonucleic acid was present with the concentrated antigen, and when further fractionation was carried out with 50% ammonium sulfate, the nucleic acid and antigen remained in the soluble fraction with an Sw value of 3.6 to 4.3 (Garvey and Campbell, 1957). The fraction that contained antigen and RNA was at least 200-fold more active for in vitro anaphylactic sensitization, i.e., in the Schultz-Dale reaction than the original antigen and was tentatively regarded as a complex since neither component was dialyzable unless denatured by heat or alkali. Studies carried out over the past dozen years have amplified and extended these initial findings but determining their significance in the immune reaction still requires much work.
End Point Results for Estimates of Singular Values of Singular Integral Operators

We study the singular values of the commutator between multiplication by a function b(x) and singular integral operators acting on L2 (R). The relation between the smoothness of b(x) (measured using the Besov scale) and the decay of the singular values of the commutator (measured using the Schatten ideals) is well understood when the index, p, is greater than one. Here we offer results for the case p = 1. The simplest example, when the integral operator is the Hilbert transform, is atypical because of the algebraic simplicity of the kernel. Our methods are designed for more general kernels.
Foucault, Simon Springer, and Postneoliberalism:

Scholarship in Foucauldian governmentality has reemerged as a critical area of contemporary political discourse and has had a pronounced effect on neoliberal and postneoliberal research in the wake...
Opportunities for Improving Programs and Services for Children With Disabilities.

Although the general public in the United States assumes children to be generally healthy and thriving, a substantial and growing number of children have at least one chronic health condition. Many of these conditions are associated with disabilities and interfere regularly with children's usual activities, such as play or leisure activities, attending school, and engaging in family or community activities. In their most severe forms, such disorders are serious lifelong threats to children's social, emotional well-being and quality of life, and anticipated adult outcomes such as for employment or independent living. However, pinpointing the prevalence of disability among children in the U.S. is difficult, as conceptual frameworks and definitions of disability vary among federal programs that provide services to this population and national surveys, the two primary sources for prevalence data.Opportunities for Improving Programs and Services for Children with Disabilities provides a comprehensive analysis of health outcomes for school-aged children with disabilities. This report reviews and assesses programs, services, and supports available to these children and their families. It also describes overarching program, service, and treatment goals; examines outreach efforts and utilization rates; identifies what outcomes are measured and how they are reported; and describes what is known about the effectiveness of these programs and services.
Long-range sensitization in the vertebrate retina and human perception

Sensory stimuli have extensive correlations, which should be exploited by an efficient detector of specific sensory features according to theoretical principles. Here we show that visual stimulation far outside the classical receptive field center causes ganglion cells to subsequently increase their sensitivity to local stimuli in a process we term long-range sensitization. This increased sensitivity improves detection and discrimination of weak stimuli and exhibits pattern specificity, increasing sensitivity more when peripheral and central stimuli share spatial frequency statistics. This process requires input from wide-field, nonlinear inhibitory amacrine cells, supporting a simple circuit model that reproduces sensitization. We further show that long-range sensitization parallels a novel perceptual effect in humans, in which surround stimulation subsequently improves discrimination of a small central stimulus. We conclude that the retina uses long-range statistics of the visual world to better encode local visual features, and that such improved encoding may play a role in perception.
MACHINE LEARNING ON HIGH-DIMENSIONAL DATA TO PREDICT BLEEDING POST PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTIONS

The purpose of the current study is to determine the accuracy of machine learning in predicting bleeding outcomes post PCI in comparison to American College of Cardiology CathPCI bleeding risk (ACCBR) model. Mayo Clinic CathPCI registry data was retrospectively analyzed from Jan 2003 - June 2018
Inhibition of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-associated Tyrosine Kinase Blocks Glioblastoma Invasion of the BrainExperimental Studies

OBJECTIVE : Glioblastoma multiforme is a malignant primary brain tumor associated with short patient survival despite aggressive treatment, in part because of its propensity to aggressively infiltrate into brain tissue. Glioblastoma multiforme is also unique because it is the only nonepithelial human tumor for which excessive activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been consistently linked to tumor growth and patient survival, and EGFR activation promotes glioblastoma multiforme infiltration in vitro. METHODS : Cocultures of human glioblastoma spheroids (derived from three separate patients) and fetal rat brain aggregates were examined for infiltration using confocal microscopy, in the presence of 0 to 100 nmol/L genistein, a tyrosine kinase (TK) inhibitor, and 3 nmol/L tyrphostin A25, a specific EGFR-TK inhibitor. RESULTS : Infiltration (not attachment) was completely inhibited by genistein at 10 nmol/L, the IC 20 for monolayer growth inhibition in two cell lines. Tyrphostin A25 at 3 nmol/L (the IC 20 for monolayers) reduced invasion in a third cell line from 38.8 ± 6.1% invasion-hour per hour (n = 5) to 2.9 ± 1.2% invasion-hour per hour (n = 6) (P = 0.0002, two-tailed t test, 93% inhibition), and from 0.54 ± 0.065% per hour (slope) to 0.028 ± 0.018% per hour (P = 0.00001, 95% inhibition). Maximal percent invasion was reduced from 100 ± 0 to 7.4 ± 5.6% of the fetal rat brain aggregate. No change was detected in EGFR-associated tyrosine phosphorylation at those doses in monolayers by 32 P immunolabeling, consistent with the known effects of low concentrations of TK inhibitors. An increase in expression of wild-type and truncated EGFR was demonstrated by Western blotting. Invasion was equally well inhibited by a monoclonal antibody to the high-affinity ligand binding domain of EGFR and not by antibody to an inactive domain. CONCLUSION : Our observations support the role of EGFR activation as a determinant by which glioblastoma invades normal brain tissue, and we show that invasion can be effectively inhibited at much lower concentrations of TK inhibitors than are necessary for growth suppression.
Active Tobacco Use in Patients with Claudication Does Not Affect Outcomes after Endovascular Interventions.

Background With the advent of endovascular procedures, the indications for intervention in claudicants have become less strict. Many interventionalists, however, will not intervene in patients with lifestyle-limiting claudication unless they have discontinued tobacco use. Many patients are unable to comply with this goal, and there is little published evidence to suggest that continued tobacco use results in poorer outcomes. We sought to determine if it is justified to deny this group of patients endovascular, potentially lifestyle-improving, procedures based on their outcomes. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed between 2007 and 2011 at a midsize community teaching hospital. Patients included had documented lifestyle-limiting claudication, underwent endovascular therapy, and had no previous vascular intervention. Patients were divided into 2 groups: active smokers (AS) and nonsmokers (NS) including former and never smokers. The primary outcome was the need for reintervention and the secondary outcomes were the need for surgical revascularization, limb loss, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and death. Results One hundred thirty-eight patients met inclusion criteria with 89 being male (64.5%). Forty-seven (34%) were active smokers versus 91 (66%) who were nonsmokers. Mean age at initial intervention for all 138 subjects was 66.34 years (standard deviation 10.7) and was not statistically different between the AS and NS groups. Mean follow-up was 3.6 years and was not significantly different between the two groups. Between the two groups (AS vs NS), there was no statistically significant difference between the rate of reintervention, surgical bypass, and limb loss. We also did not observe any significant difference in the rate of MI, stroke, or death during our follow-up period. Conclusions Although tobacco use has been shown to negatively impact bypass patency, our data show that it does not appear to increase the need for reintervention, conversion to open surgical revascularization, limb loss, or other morbidities in patients undergoing endovascular interventions for claudication. We continue to strongly recommend all our patients who smoke to discontinue tobacco use. Our results, however, do not support the notion that those patients who are unable to quit should be denied the potential benefit of an endovascular intervention. The most important limitation of our study is the small numbers of patients available for review. Larger studies will be necessary to confirm our findings.
Population allocation at the housing unit level: estimates around underground natural gas storage wells in PA, OH, NY, WV, MI, and CA

Spatially accurate population data are critical for determining health impacts from many known risk factors. However, the utility of the increasing spatial resolution of disease mapping and environmental exposures is limited by the lack of receptor population data at similar sub-census block spatial scales. Here we apply an innovative method (Population Allocation by Occupied Domicile Estimation – ABODE) to disaggregate U.S. Census populations by allocating an average person per household to geospatially-identified residential housing units (RHU). We considered two possible sources of RHU location data: address point locations and building footprint centroids. We compared the performance of ABODE with the common proportional population allocation (PPA) method for estimating the nighttime residential populations within 200 m radii and setback areas (100 – 300 ft) around active underground natural gas storage (UGS) wells (n = 9834) in six U.S. states. Address location data generally outperformed building footprint data in predicting total counts of census residential housing units, with correlations ranging from 0.67 to 0.81 at the census block level. Using residentially-sited addresses only, ABODE estimated upwards of 20,000 physical households with between 48,126 and 53,250 people living within 200 m of active UGS wells – likely encompassing the size of a proposed UGS Wellhead Safety Zone. Across the 9834 active wells assessed, ABODE estimated between 5074 and 10,198 more people living in these areas compare to PPA, and the difference was significant at the individual well level (p = < 0.0001). By either population estimation method, OH exhibits a substantial degree of hyperlocal land use conflict between populations and UGS wells – more so than other states assessed. In some rare cases, population estimates differed by more than 100 people for the small 200 m2 well-areas. ABODE’s explicit accounting of physical households confirmed over 50% of PPA predictions as false positives indicated by non-zero predictions in areas absent physical RHUs. Compared to PPA – in allocating identical population data at sub-census block spatial scales –ABODE provides a more precise population at risk (PAR) estimate with higher confidence estimates of populations at greatest risk. 65% of UGS wells occupy residential urban and suburban areas indicating the unique land use conflicts presented by UGS systems that likely continue to experience population encroachment. Overall, ABODE confirms tens of thousands of homes and residents are likely located within the proposed UGS Wellhead Safety Zone – and in some cases within state’s oil and gas well surface setback distances – of active UGS wells.
The Pathophysiology of Acute Renal Failure

Acute renal failure (ARF) is a syndrome that can be defined as an abrupt decrease in renal function sufficient to result in retention of nitrogenous waste in the body. ARF can result from a decrease of renal blood flow, intrinsic renal parenchymal diseases, or obstruction of urine flow. There has been little progress in preventing and treating ARF, but with a better understanding of cell injury mechanisms and by carefully defining populations at risk for developing ARF, treatment strategies could be developed.
Composing Comes Alive: Dramatic Presentations in the Writing Classroom

In creating and presenting a collaborative dramatic presentation of a literary text, composition students bring "The Yellow Wallpaper" to life through close reading, literary analysis and synthesis, recursive multi-modal writing, and group performance. This assignment fosters the development of transferrable reading, writing, and creative thinking skills within an active learning environment.
Estrogen replacement is protective to the effect of in vitro hypoxia on female rabbit bladder and pelvic floor contractile response.

Purpose To explore the effect of estrogen replacement on pelvic floor and bladder contractile response to electrical field stimulation, following in vitro hypoxia in an animal model of surgical menopause. Materials and methods Twelve female adult rabbits were divided into three groups: control, ovariectomy, and ovariectomy with estradiol replacement. At 4 weeks animals were euthanized. Bladder, coccygeus, and pubococcygeus were isolated. Tissues were equilibrated with oxygenated Tyrodes containing glucose and stimulated with electrical field stimulation. Tissues were then stimulated under hypoxic conditions for 1 hour using nitrogenated Tyrodes without glucose. Tissues were then re-oxygenated for 2 hours and stimulated. Results Pelvic floor required 10 times the stimulation duration (power) to achieve maximum contraction at 2 g baseline tension (10 ms duration) when compared to bladder (1 ms duration). Maximal tension generated was significantly greater for bladder than pelvic floor. Coccygeus and pubococcygeus were significantly less sensitive to the effects of hypoxia and had stable contractile response to field stimulation throughout the hour of hypoxia. Hypoxia resulted in progressive and rapid decline of bladder contractile strength. Following hypoxia, pelvic floor contractile recovery was superior to bladder. Improvement in the contractile response of both bladder and pelvic floor, during the period of post-hypoxia re-oxygenation, was significantly greater in ovariectomy animals treated with estradiol replacement. Conclusions Replacement of estradiol at time of ovariectomy reduced oxidative stress on tissue and was protective to the effects of hypoxia on pelvic floor and bladder contractile function.
Metrically-Scaled Monocular SLAM using Learned Scale Factors

We propose an efficient method for monocular simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) that is capable of estimating metrically-scaled motion without additional sensors or hardware acceleration by integrating metric depth predictions from a neural network into a geometric SLAM factor graph. Unlike learned end-to-end SLAM systems, ours does not ignore the relative geometry directly observable in the images. Unlike existing learned depth estimation approaches, ours leverages the insight that when used to estimate scale, learned depth predictions need only be coarse in image space. This allows us to shrink our network to the point that performing inference on a standard CPU becomes computationally tractable.We make several improvements to our network architecture and training procedure to address the lack of depth observability when using coarse images, which allows us to estimate spatially coarse, but depth-accurate predictions in only 30 ms per frame without GPU acceleration. At runtime we incorporate the learned metric data as unary scale factors in a Sim(3) pose graph. Our method is able to generate accurate, scaled poses without additional sensors, hardware accelerators, or special maneuvers and does not ignore or corrupt the observable epipolar geometry. We show compelling results on the KITTI benchmark dataset in addition to real-world experiments with a handheld camera.
Sleep on College and University Campuses

Sleep quality and quantity has been documented as a challenge for college students with reports indicating impacts on daytime functioning and academic achievement. The need for, and impacts of, sleep differs by populations. Men and women report different sleep concerns as do athletes, along with undergraduate and graduate students. There are interventions and prevention activities to promote positive sleep behaviors and skill development. Most efforts are concentrated in the area of intervention, with primary prevention frequently ignored. Sleep education, if it exists on a campus, is working against a deep set of ingrained myths. Though many examples of strategies to address sleep among students can be found, most lack a depth of evaluation data to support the purported outcomes. Many opportunities exist to leverage environmental interventions to support sleep, though these may not align with other perceived needs of students.
Relating Interfacial Shear and Dilatational Stresses to Protein Aggregation in mAbs

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have demonstrated tremendous potential as therapeutic products for various target diseases ranging from oncology to neurodegenerative diseases. However, aggregation of monomeric mAbs into higher-order structures is an undesired consequence of bioprocessing, transportation, and storage of these proteins. Interfacial stresses that arise from agitation, storage, interactions with the solid container walls, as well as interactions with the silicone oil that is used to lubricate the plunger in prefilled syringes have all been shown to contribute to aggregation of mAbs, although the exact mechanism of aggregation remains under investigation. In this chapter, we present the various interfaces encountered by monoclonal antibodies and discuss recent research efforts and analytical techniques that focus on how dilatation and shear stresses at the air-water interface can be related to formation of protein particles in bulk solutions. Newer techniques such as interfacial viscosity and rheology will also be discussed. Finally, we will review research efforts that focus on understanding the role of solid-liquid and liquid-liquid interfaces in this aggregation process.
On the Pullout Strength of Human Nasal Hair (Vibrissae)

This study investigates nasal vibrissae-to-dermis detachment in humans, quantifying the pullout force required in adult males. While many studies have investigated the behavior and function of mammalian vibrissae, little is known concerning the mechanical properties of human nasal vibrissae or the strength of the vibrissae-to-dermis attachment. Improved understanding of nasal vibrissae pullout in humans could aid nasal packing design, contaminate removal procedures, and even aid certain cosmetic procedures where vibrissae removal via pullout is the objective. In this study, pullout behavior of human nasal vibrissae is investigated using sensitive force-measuring equipment and advanced scanning electron microscopy. Twenty five vibrissae samples are collected from two human subjects representing a total of 50 pullout measurements. Results indicate that vibrissae thickness (diameter) is unrelated to required pullout force, and that the follicle-width-to-vibrissae-diameter ratio is a good indicator of the resulting vibrissae pullout strength. Larger follicle ratios generally correspond to larger required pullout forces. Vibrissae pullout strength from the combined 50 samples tested varied between 0.071N and 0.726N with a mean pullout strength of 0.379N.
Including jump height when normalizing single hop impact kinetics can change the directionality of findings

Abstract Background Assessing landing kinetics during hop testing could improve return to sport decisions following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL) reconstruction. However, different methods for normalizing kinetic outcomes could influence the interpretation of landing kinetics and therefore the clinical recommendations. Methods Twenty-one females who had returned to sport following primary unilateral ACL reconstructed completed two single hops for maximum distance on each limb. Hop distance, hop height, peak impact force, and impulse were computed for each hop, and peak impact force and impulse magnitudes were assessed when 1) non-normalized 2) normalized by bodyweight, and 3) normalized by peak potential energy during the hop. Findings Along with hop distance and height, peak impact force and impulse were found to be lower on the surgical limb relative to the non-surgical limb for both non-normalized data and when normalized to bodyweight only (p 0.95). However, peak impact force and impulse were found to be higher on the surgical limb relative to the non-surgical limb when normalizing outcomes to peak potential energy (p 1.03). Interpretation Different normalization methods result in different interpretations of single hop kinetics. ACL reconstruction patients have shorter hop distances, lower hop heights, lower force magnitudes, and worse energy absorption when hopping on their surgical limb, relative to their non-surgical limb. We believe that normalizing landing kinetics using bodyweight and using peak potential energy provide different information, and as such, we suggest that future research use both methods based on the research question.