cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A regression analysis of filler particle content to predict composite wear

Abstract Statement of problem. It has been hypothesized that composite wear is correlated to filler particle content. There is a paucity of research to substantiate this theory despite numerous projects evaluating the correlation. Purpose of study. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a linear relationship existed between composite wear and filler particle content of 12 composites. Material and methods. In vivo wear data had been previously collected for the 12 composites and served as basis for this study. Scanning electron microscopy and backscatter electron imaging were combined with digital imaging analysis to develop "profile maps" of the filler particle composition of the composites. These profile maps included eight parameters: (1) total number of filler particles/28742.6 μm 2 , (2) percent of area occupied by all of the filler particles, (3) mean filler particle size, (4) percent of area occupied by the matrix, (5) percent of area occupied by filler particles, r (radius) 1.0 ≤ μm, (6) percent of area occupied by filler particles, r = 1.0 ≤ 4.5 μm, (7) percent of area occupied by filler particles, r = 4.5 ≤ 10 μm, and (8) percent of area occupied by filler particles, r > 10 μm. Forward stepwise regression analyses were used with composite wear as the dependent variable and the eight parameters as independent variables. Results. The results revealed a linear relationship between composite wear and the filler particle content. Conclusion. A mathematical formula was developed to predict composite wear. (J Prosthet Dent 1996;77:57-67.)
HPLC determinations of enantiomeric ratios

Evaporative light-scattering detection (ELSD) is widely applied in the HPLC analysis of organic compounds lacking a UV chromophore. However, this detection method is generally unsuitable for determination of enantiomeric ratios (er). The er calculated from a UV trace and an ELS trace of the same compound differs significantly. Because of the nonlinear concentration response of the ELS detector, a compound with an er of 95:5 appears to be enantiomerically pure by ELS detection. It is possible to obtain a calibration curve and to calculate a correction factor, but this procedure is time consuming and therefore not very practical for routine analyses. In contrast, a charged aerosol detector allows a very accurate determination of the enantiomeric ratios. Like the ELS detection, the CA detection is independent of the chromophore properties of the substrate. Therefore, we recommend the use of CA instead of ELS detection for determination of the enantiomeric ratios of non-UV active compounds.
Infections Associated with Inflatable Penile Prostheses

Abstract Introduction The implantation of inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) has become a successful method for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Infections are rare but they can result in devastating complications following surgical implantation of the prosthesis. Aim To discuss pathogenesis, risk factors, and microbiology of IPP infections, summarize clinical manifestation and diagnostic methods, and discuss future directions of prevention and management. Methods A PubMed search was performed of all articles published from 1960 to present relating to IPP infections. Main Outcome Measure and Results Skin flora organisms such as Staphylococcus epidermis are the most common source of infection. Several host and surgical risk factors for prosthesis infection have been demonstrated, including uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and previous surgical interventions. Biofilms play an important role in the pathogenesis of device‐related infections. Pain, fever, drainage, and device extrusions are suggestive of IPP infection. Preventive methods include preoperative skin cleansing, systemic antibiotic prophylaxis, and the use of surface‐modified prostheses. The most frequently utilized surgical management is a single‐stage approach that comprises aggressive irrigation and debridement, removal of all components of the infected prosthesis, and placement of a new IPP in the same surgical setting. Conclusion Advances in systemic antimicrobial prophylaxis, skin cleansing and surface‐modification of the devices, as well as a number of other potentially protective measures, have decreased the rates of infections. Currently, most infected IPP are surgically managed by adopting the salvage approach. Al Mohajer M and Darouiche RO. Infections associated with inflatable penile prostheses. Sex Med Rev 2014;2:134–140.
Conflict coaching training for nurse managers: a case study of a two-hospital health system

brinkert r. (2011) Journal of Nursing Management 19, 80–91 Conflict coaching training for nurse managers: a case study of a two-hospital health system Aim This study evaluated the application of the Comprehensive Conflict Coaching model in a hospital environment. Background Conflict coaching involves a coach working with a client to improve the client’s conflict understanding, interaction strategies and/or interaction skills. The training of nurse managers as conflict coaches is an innovative continuing education programme that partially addresses conflict-related concerns in nursing. Method Twenty nurse managers trained as conflict coaches and each coached a supervisee. Qualitative data were gathered from nurse managers, supervisees and senior nursing leaders over an 8-month period and organized using standard programme evaluation themes. Results Benefits included supervisor conflict coaching competency and enhanced conflict communication competency for nurse managers and supervisees facing specific conflict situations. Challenges included the management of programme tensions. Additional benefits and challenges are discussed, along with study limitations. Conclusion Conflict coaching was a practical and effective means of developing the conflict communication competencies of nurse managers and supervisees. Additional research is needed. Implications for nursing management Conflict is common in nursing. Conflict coaching is a new conflict communication and supervision intervention that demonstrates initial promise. Conflict coaching seems to work best when supported by a positive conflict culture and integrated with other conflict intervention processes.
A matrix in the block Schwarz form and the stability of matrix polynomials

A matrix which consists of block elements is established in the block Schwarz form via a linear transformation. The transformation matrix constructed by Chen and Chu is modified and extended for transforming the block companion form to the block Schwarz form. A sufficient condition is derived for determining the stability of a multivariable system whose characteristics are expressed by a matrix polynomial. The matrix polynomial may or may not be symmetric.
Development and evaluation of the Seattle Angina questionnaire: A new functional status measure for coronary artery disease

Objectives. This study sought to establish the validity, reproducibility and responsiveness of the Seattle Angina Questionnaire, a 19-item self-administered questionnaire measuring five dimensions of coronary artery disease: physical limitation, anginal stability, anginal frequency, treatment satisfaction and disease perception. Background. Assessing the functional status of patients is becoming increasingly important in both clinical research and quality assurance programs. No current functional status measure quantifies all of the important domains affected by coronary artery disease. Methods. Cross-sectional or serial administration of the Seattle Angina Questionnaire was carried out in four groups of patients: 70 undergoing exercise treadmil testing, 58 undergoing coronary angioplasty, 160 with initialty stable coronary artery disease and an additional 84 with coronary artery disease. Evidence of validity was sought by comparing the questionnaire's five scales with the duration of exercise treadmill tests, physicians diagnoses, nitroglycerin refills and other validated instruments. Reproducibility and responsiveness were assessed by comparing serial responses over a 3-month interval. Results. All five scales correlated significantly with other measures of diagnosis and patient function (r = 0.31 to 0.70, p ≤ 0.001). Questionnaire responses of patients with stable coronary artery disease did not change over 3 months. The questionnaire was sensitive to both dramatic clinical change, as seen after successful coronary angioplasty, and to more subtle-clinical change, as seen among outpatients with initially stable coronary artery disease. Conclusions. The Seattle Angina Questionnaire is a valid and reliable instrument that measures five clinically important dimensions of health in patients with coronary artery disease. It is sensitive to clinical change and should be a valuable measure of outcome in cardiovascular research.
Evolution and phylogeography of the tubenose goby genus Proterorhinus (Gobiidae: Teleostei): evidence for new cryptic species

Cryptic taxa present unique difficulties in the description of biological diversity, which DNA sequencing approaches often readily resolve. The tubenose goby Proterorhinus, along with other Ponto-Caspian fauna, has undergone recent Eurasian range expansion, as well as colonized the North American Great Lakes in 1990. We analysed mitochondrial (cytochrome b and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) and nuclear (recombination activating gene 1; RAG1) DNA sequences and morphological characters from exotic Great Lakes as well as introduced and native Eurasian populations of Proterorhinus marmoratus (Pallas) sensu lato to assess their species identity and biogeographic patterns. The results obtained show marked genetic and morphological divergence that indicates species-level separation between fresh water and marine/brackish lineages, dating back approximately 3.82–4.30 million years. In addition, freshwater lineages within the Black and Caspian Sea basins show significant genetic and morphological differentiation, corresponding to an estimated 0.92–1.03 million years. We describe new evidence to support at least three separate species: the original P. marmoratus in marine and estuarine habitats within the Black Sea, a freshwater species in the Black Sea basin that was introduced to the North American Great Lakes, and another freshwater species inhabiting the Caspian Sea/Volga River basin. The freshwater tubenose goby in the Black Sea basin originally was described as Proterorhinus semilunaris (Heckel), and this is confirmed to be a valid taxon. The Caspian basin taxon may correspond with Proterorhinus semipellucidus (Kessler), a putative freshwater species in the Caspian basin that was originally described from a single specimen. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 96, 664–684. ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS: Black Sea – Caspian Sea – cytochrome b – COI – exotic species – phylogeography – Ponto-Caspian – RAG1 – systematics.
Generalized Method-of-Moments for Rank Aggregation

In this paper we propose a class of efficient Generalized Method-of-Moments (GMM) algorithms for computing parameters of the Plackett-Luce model, where the data consists of full rankings over alternatives. Our technique is based on breaking the full rankings into pairwise comparisons, and then computing parameters that satisfy a set of generalized moment conditions. We identify conditions for the output of GMM to be unique, and identify a general class of consistent and inconsistent breakings. We then show by theory and experiments that our algorithms run significantly faster than the classical Minorize-Maximization (MM) algorithm, while achieving competitive statistical efficiency.
Performance-based evaluation as a management tool

A performance-based evaluation (PBE) method is described that has been successfully applied to evaluations of nuclear power plant programs. This PBE method entails: up-front, detailed planning that establishes a clear definition of scope, objectives, and criteria to be used in the evaluation; a review plan that assigns specific responsibilities to each evaluator; team analysis, conducted concurrently with review activities, for efficiently consolidating observed facts into significant issues; frequent briefing of managers in areas affected by evolving issues to facilitate acceptance of the ultimate review findings; action plans to resolve these findings that are formulated by the organizations responsible for corrective actions; and review of these plans by the authorizing manager to provide feedback to assist managers in program improvement. >
Large-Scale Circulations Forced by Localized Mixing over a Sloping Bottom

Abstract A simple, nonlinear, two-layer, planetary geostrophic model of the large-scale circulation forced by localized mixing over a sloping bottom is discussed. The model is forced by parameterized diapycnal mixing at the density interface and/or by a mass flux downward into (unresolved) deep topographic canyons. Two nondimensional parameters are identified: the ratio of the change in Coriolis parameter over the horizontal mixing length scale to the nominal Coriolis parameter and the ratio of the advective speed to the Rossby wave phase speed. The former controls the strength of horizontal recirculation gyres that are forced by spatially variable diapycnal mixing, while the latter is a measure of the importance of nonlinearity in the density equation. When bottom topography is introduced, bottom pressure torque becomes important and the traditional strong horizontal recirculation gyre found for mixing over a flat bottom (beta plume) is gradually replaced by a zonal flow into or out of the mixing region ...
Metabolic Engineering with Plants for a Sustainable Biobased Economy

Plants are bona fide sustainable organisms because they accumulate carbon and synthesize beneficial metabolites from photosynthesis. To meet the challenges to food security and health threatened by increasing population growth and depletion of nonrenewable natural resources, recent metabolic engineering efforts have shifted from single pathways to holistic approaches with multiple genes owing to integration of omics technologies. Successful engineering of plants results in the high yield of biomass components for primary food sources and biofuel feedstocks, pharmaceuticals, and platform chemicals through synthetic biology and systems biology strategies. Further discovery of undefined biosynthesis pathways in plants, integrative analysis of discrete omics data, and diversified process developments for production of platform chemicals are essential to overcome the hurdles for sustainable production of value-added biomolecules from plants.
Customizing wide-SIMD architectures for H.264

In recent years, the mobile phone industry has become one of the most dynamic technology sectors. The increasing demands of multimedia services on the cellular networks have accelerated this trend. This paper presents a low power SIMD architecture that has been tailored for efficient implementation of H.264 encoder/decoder kernel algorithms. Several customized features have been added to improve the processing performance and lower the power consumption. These include support for different SIMD widths to increase the SIMD utilization efficiency, diagonal memory organization to support both column and row access, temporary buffer and bypass support to reduce the register file power consumption, fused operation support to increase the processing performance, and a fast programmable crossbar to support complex data permutation patterns. The proposed architecture increases the throughput of H.264 encoder/decoder kernel algorithms by a factor of 2.13 while achieving 29% of energy-delay improvement on average compared to our previous SIMD architecture, SODA.
The Second Fundamental Theorem of Asset Pricing: A New Approach

This article presents a new definition of market completeness that is independent of the notions of no arbitrage and equivalent martingale measures. Our definition has many advantages, all shown herein. First, it preserves the Second Fundamental Theorem of Asset Pricing, even in complex economies. Second, under our definition, the market can be complete yet arbitrage opportunities exist. This is important in practice, and stands in contrast to the traditional definitions. Third, under the assumption of no arbitrage and when used in the standard models, our definition is equivalent to the traditional one.
Danckwerts Revisited – The Use of Entropy to Define Scale and Intensity of Segregation

Renyi statistical entropy as a means to quantify mixing in two-dimensional binary systems is presented. The use of Renyi entropies in defining the scale and intensity of segregation for mixing quality determination is analyzed. Finally, the relationship between the mixing process and the structures generated in the system is explored by using the Renyi entropy as an easy and computationally efficient method to calculate the system spectrum of fractal dimensions.
Human bromethalin exposures reported to a U.S. Statewide Poison Control System

AbstractBackground: Bromethalin is an increasingly used alternative to long-acting anticoagulant and cholecalciferol rodenticides. There are few reports of human exposures, and no existing professional society guidelines on medical management of bromethalin ingestions. The aim of this retrospective data review is to characterize bromethalin exposures reported to the California Poison Control System (CPCS) between 1997 and 2014. Methods: This is an observational retrospective case review of our statewide poison control system’s electronic medical records. Following Institutional Board Review and Research Committee approvals, poison center exposures related to bromethalin were extracted using substance code and free text search strategies. Case notes of bromethalin exposures were reviewed for demographic, clinical, laboratory, and outcome information; inclusion criteria for the study was single-substance, human exposure to bromethalin. Results: There were 129 calls related to human bromethalin exposures (th...
Computational imaging with a highly parallel image-plane-coded architecture: challenges and solutions.

This paper investigates a highly parallel extension of the single-pixel camera based on a focal plane array. It discusses the practical challenges that arise when implementing such an architecture and demonstrates that system-specific optical effects must be measured and integrated within the system model for accurate image reconstruction. Three different projection lenses were used to evaluate the ability of the system to accommodate varying degrees of optical imperfection. Reconstruction of binary and grayscale objects using system-specific models and Nesterov’s proximal gradient method produced images with higher spatial resolution and lower reconstruction error than using either bicubic interpolation or a theoretical system model that assumes ideal optical behavior. The high-quality images produced using relatively few observations suggest that higher throughput imaging may be achieved with such architectures than with conventional single-pixel cameras. The optical design considerations and quantitative performance metrics proposed here may lead to improved image reconstruction for similar highly parallel systems.
Synthesis and Characterization of Ionic Polymer Networks in a Room-Temperature Ionic Liquid

Ionic liquid gels (ILGs) for potential use in ion transport and separation applications were generated via a free radical copolymerization of 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS) and N,N′-methylene(bis)acrylamide (MBA) using 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate (IL) as a room temperature ionic liquid solvent medium. The AMPS and MBA monomer solubility window in the IL in the temperature range of 25 to 65 °C was determined. In situ ATR-FTIR showed near complete conversion of monomers to a cross-linked polymer network. ILGs with glass transition temperatures (Tgs) near −50 °C were generated with Tg decreasing with increasing IL content. The elastic moduli in compression (200 to 6600 kPa) decreased with increasing IL content and increasing AMPS content while the conductivities (0.35 to 2.14 mS cm–1) increased with increasing IL content and decreasing MBA content. The polymer-IL interaction parameter (χ) (0.48 to 0.55) was determined via a modified version of the Bray and Merrill equation.
Feeding Cities: Charting a Research and Practice Agenda Toward Food Security

This commentary details an action agenda for practice and research contributed to by more than 70 experts and 450 attendees of the Feeding Cities: Food Security in a Rapidly Urbanizing World conference, held at the University of Pennsylvania in March 2013. They discussed such global issues as hunger, malnourishment, and obesity and called for policies to address them through a variety of food production, distribution, and marketing initiatives. They produced a six-point action-based agenda for future food security planning and identified best practice policies for each agenda item. Their objective is to offer a roadmap to produce and supply the world's growing urban population with healthy, affordable, and safe food in a sustainable manner and to avoid potential food security crises across the world.
Life History of Podisus maculiventris Given Low Numbers of Epilachna varivestis as Prey

Body weight, reproduction, and longevity of mated and unmated female Podisus maculiventris (Say) were measured under low and high numbers of prey, Epilachna varivestis Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Under low rates of predation, the predator maintained longevity apparently at the expense of reproduction. Predators fed less frequently oviposited less often and later in life. Body weight of females was dependent on diet; females fed more frequently weighed more than those fed infrequently. Results are compared with previous life history studies of this predator. We found similarities in our results to other studies on longevity and reproduction of P. maculiventris provided other types of prey. The trade-off between reproduction and longevity may be a response to environments with temporal variation in prey abundance.
Guidance and Control for Spacecraft Autonomous Rendezvous and Proximity Maneuvers using a Geometric Mechanics Framework

Autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations between a chaser spacecraft and a target space object, consist of autonomous controlled approach and controlled docking with or controlled capture of the target by the chaser. Guidance, navigation and control problems during autonomous rendezvous and proximity maneuvers between spacecraft are challenging, particularly when the target spacecraft or space object is not cooperating with the chaser spacecraft. In this work, we present a guidance scheme and a control scheme for a chaser spacecraft that is tasked to synchronize its motion with a target space object during close proximity maneuvers. The guidance scheme generates a desired state trajectory based on remote measurements of the motion states of the target from the chaser and motion prediction of the target. The tracking control scheme for the chaser results in asymptotic tracking of the desired state trajectory with an almost global domain of convergence on the state space. These schemes are applied to the situation where the chaser spacecraft synchronizes its attitude motion with the target, while maintaining a constant relative position with respect to the target at the end of the maneuver. Numerical simulation results are presented to show the performance of these guidance and tracking control schemes.
Going Back to the Drawing Board: Re-Entrenching the Higher Education Act to Restore Its Historical Policy of Access

This article explores both the historical entrenchment of the Higher Education Act (“HEA” or “the Act”) and ongoing attempts to retrench it. In it, I argue that Congress should return the HEA to its historical roots and enact reauthorizing legislation that will set the course for re-entrenching the Act and its historical policy. This re-entrenching will properly set the focus of the Act on providing widespread higher education access by creating and implementing new pathways (funding and otherwise) to that access. In the article, I discuss the entrenchment of the HEA into American culture in an effort to understand the historical view of United States’ society toward government funded higher education. I also discuss the ongoing retrenchment of the HEA by exploring, in the context of all HEA reauthorizations, presidential and congressional fiscal policies regarding post-secondary education. Discussing this history simultaneously proves the retrenchment of the HEA’s historical access policy and the importance of preserving a definition of access that balances maintenance of existing pathways to post-secondary education with the necessity for creating new ones. I discuss the changing higher education landscape (focusing on for-profit post-secondary institutions) to validate the need for protecting federal funds, but to also demonstrate how that need for protection has overshadowed the historical policy of widespread post-secondary access. Finally, in anticipation of the next HEA reauthorization, I urge Congress to begin re-entrenching the Act by returning its primary focus to creation and implementation of new access programming and suggest methods by which it might accomplish this goal.
Process Reengineering and Cash Flow Management

The financial crisis sweeping through the world has brought tremendous impact on the development of world economy.The process of globalization makes it clear that the economy of every country is interconnected.Facing the financial turmoil,Chinese enterprises should strengthen management level,and improve the production capability against risks.From the angle of production and business process management,this article puts forward the point that the value creation should be emphasized when reshaping business process,and cash flow management should be strengthened.
Creating and Validating Practical Measures for Assessing Public Health Practices in Local Communities

Efforts to develop a surveillance system to measure local public health performance were initiated in 1991. The organizing framework for the proposed system consisted of three core functions formulated by the Institute of Medicine and linked with 10 practices previously defined. A surveillance protocol was developed using local public health jurisdictions rather than specific agencies within the jurisdictions, as the units of study. Selection of 84 indicators was assisted by follow-up study of a group of departments analyzed in 1979 and by review of recent public health literature. Each of the 84 performance indicators was linked to one of the 10 practices. Responses to the survey were obtained from local health department directors. Results yielded scores for the surveyed jurisdiction with regard to adequacy of performance for each practice, the proportional contribution to performance by the local health department, and the identification of other providers contributing to the coverage of each practice within the jurisdiction. A shortened version of the protocol (26 indicators) was tested in all local jurisdictions in six states and shown to correlate reliably with scores obtained from the longer protocol for overall public health performance, as well as for performance of each of the three core functions and for some of the 10 practices. A subset of four indicators was shown to predict reliably the overall score. The findings support the proposition that public health practice can be defined, measured, and monitored and that current widely accepted definitions of core functions and practices have utility. Measurement and surveillance tools for these functions and practices are available and tested.
Death and Confession

Matheus Miller was a pious man. As he recorded the noteworthy events of his life, he scored his memoir with prayers to God and reflections on Providence. Some of these invocations were rather brief and distant — at least to modern ears. On the occasion of his first marriage in 1647, he noted that the arrangements were concluded ‘with good peace and content for which praise and thanks to the All Highest; may He further give the assured, divine blessings’.1 Other entries were more fulsome appeals for divine aid or retribution. After an inheritance dispute, he consigned his opponents to a justice higher than his own: ‘God will unerringly arrange it and direct Satan, who arrogantly bustles about in small, fleshly form; God rebuke and beset you, Satan, and give peace and unity, trustworthy honorableness without self-seeking desire or lust.’2 Still other reflections expressed bewilderment at the mystery of God’s will. When his daughter died, Matheus groaned: ‘Now see the hand of God that touched me once more with righteous zeal and mercy … and once again tore open my wounds.’3 Through his private devotions, he marked the boundary between the natural and the supernatural, between the limited world of human efficacy and the infinite realm of superhuman agency.
Introductory Remarks and Glossary

This chapter reviews the various areas in which digital systems play an important role. It also defines the major areas in digital systems like computing, information retrieval, communication, automatic control systems, entertainment, and instrumentation. The ability to consult one's favorite encyclopedia via CD-ROM or surf (browse) the World Wide Web (WWW) has become a very important part of computer use at home, at school, and in business. The use of CD-ROMs also permits access to information in the specialized areas of literature, music, religion, health, geography, math, physical science, biology, and medicine, to name a few. However, information retrieval is not limited to these functions. Network communication between computers and one's ability to tap into huge university libraries are other important sources of information.
Eine integrative Sicherheitsarchitektur für betriebliche Informationssysteme aus der Praxis der Management-Beratung

Betriebliche Informationssysteme konnen als das Nervensystem von Unternehmen verstanden werden. Dieses Nervensystem ist in seiner Sicherheit in den Dimensionen Verfugbarkeit, Integritat und Vertraulichkeit allerdings auserst verwundbar. Der vorliegende Beitrag beschreibt eine in der Praxis der Managementberatung entstandene ganzheitliche Sicherheitsarchitektur fur betriebliche Informationssysteme vor dem Hintergrund relevanter Treiber und Trends fur die zugehorige Bedrohungslage von Unternehmen und Organisationen. Ziel ist es, den entwickelten Ansatz der wissenschaftlichen Diskussion zuganglich zu machen.
Tumor thickness and mitotic rate robustly predict melanoma-specific survival in patients with primary vulvar melanoma: A retrospective review of 100 cases

Purpose: Primary vulvar melanoma (PVM) is the second most common vulvar malignancy. Despite their distinct anatomic site and unique molecular-genetic alterations, PVMs are staged according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) guidelines for primary cutaneous melanomas (PCM). However, whether parameters derived for PCM also apply to PVM remain a critical yet largely unexplored clinical question. The objective of this study was to determine the parameters predictive of survival in PVM.Experimental Design: We retrospectively reviewed 100 patients with PVM and determined associations between clinical and histopathologic parameters and disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS).Results: Univariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated older age (>56 years), greater tumor thickness, higher dermal mitotic rate, ulceration, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, microscopic satellitosis, and absence of precursor nevus associated with decreased OS. Furthermore, age, midline, and/or multifocal involvement, greater tumor thickness, higher dermal mitotic rate, ulceration, lack of regression, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, and microscopic satellitosis associated with decreased DSS. Multivariate analysis demonstrated tumor thickness, dermal mitotic rate, lymphovascular invasion, microscopic satellitosis, and absence of precursor nevus independently predicted shorter OS. Only tumor thickness and increased dermal mitotic rate (≥2/mm2) independently predicted reduced DSS. In comparison with the AJCC T-category, a novel, bivariate T-category based only on tumor thickness and dermal mitotic rate robustly predicted OS and DSS in our patient cohort.Conclusions: In the largest single institutional study of PVM, we demonstrate a combination of tumor thickness and mitotic rate comprise a simple but robust T-category to direct staging and prognosis. Clin Cancer Res; 23(8); 2093-104. ©2016 AACR.
Post-antibiotic management of immunocompromised children with febrile neutropenia.

39Background: Febrile neutropenia in immunocompromised children is a medical emergency and requires prompt administration of antibiotics and supportive care management to prevent death from sepsis. We have previously shown that improvement in time to antibiotic administration from a baseline of 108 minutes was decreased to 64 minutes in 67 children in six St. Jude affiliate clinics. The improvement was achieved by designing a unique order set and process for prompt dispensing of antibiotics at each affiliate site. However, the clinical assessment of patients after antibiotic administration to provide early intervention for treatment of septic shock did not improve. Management of fluid status, oxygen therapy, and blood pressure support are critical for optimal outcome. The time from antibiotic administration to clinical assessment remained above the expected time of 15 minutes at an average of 60 minutes. To improve the post-antibiotic management, additional guidelines were established and monitored for co...
Efficient chemo-enzymatic synthesis of (sialylated) galacto-N-biose derivatives

D galacto-N-biose (GNB, Galβ1-3GalNAc) is a common glycan structure in nature. GNB with an α-configuration at the reducing end linked to the serine or threonine residue in glycoproteins (Galβ1–3GalNAcαSer/Thr) is named T-antigen and is one of the most common tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens (TATCs) found overexpressed on human carcinoma cells including those of lung cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer etc. On the other hand, GNB with a β-configuration at the reducing end (Galβ1-3GalNAcβ) is an essential part of globo-series (e.g., Globo-H, Gb5, sialyl Gb5) and ganglio-series (e.g., GA1, GM1, GD1, GT1, GP1, GQ1, etc) glycosphingolipids. In this study, Galacto-N-biose (GNB) derivatives were efficiently synthesized from galactose derivatives via a one-pot two-enzyme system containing two promiscuous enzymes from Bifidobacterium infantis: a galactokinase (BiGalK) and a D-galactosyl-β1-3-N-acetyl-D-hexosamine phosphorylase (BiGalHexNAcP). Mono-sialyl and di-sialyl galacto-N-biose derivatives were then prepared using a one-pot two-enzyme system containing a CMP-sialic acid synthetase and α2-3-sialyltransferase or α2-6-sialyltransferase.
Abstract 1245: Screening methodologies for the discovery of small molecule melanoma therapeutics targeted at the ErbB4 receptor tyrosine kinase

Introduction: Gain-of-function mutations in the ErbB4 receptor tyrosine kinase have been found in a significant fraction of melanoma cell lines that are dependent on ErbB4 for proliferation. However, there is a scarcity of therapeutics for treating these ErbB4-dependent tumors. Consequently, we have developed high-throughput screening assays to identify small molecule ErbB4 antagonists that may hold promise as targeted melanoma therapeutics. Our approach is based on the observation that the Q43L mutant of the ErbB4 agonist Neuregulin 2beta (NRG2b) functions as a partial agonist at ErbB4. NRG2b/Q43L stimulates ErbB4 tyrosine phosphorylation, fails to stimulate ErbB4-dependent cell proliferation, and competitively antagonizes agonist stimulation of ErbB4-dependent cell proliferation. Experimental procedures: Therefore, we have developed three high-throughput screening assays to identify ErbB4 partial agonists that function as antagonists. The primary screen identifies molecules that stimulate ErbB4 tyrosine phosphorylation. The secondary screen identifies molecules that stimulate or fail to stimulate ErbB4-dependent cell proliferation. The tertiary screen identifies molecules that antagonize agonist stimulation of ErbB4-dependent cell proliferation. Results: A phospho-ErbB4 sandwich ELISA assay identifies molecules that stimulate ErbB4 tyrosine phosphorylation with high sensitivity and fidelity (Z’ >0.5). IL3-independence assays in conjunction with MTT assays using a cell line that displays ErbB4-dependent cell proliferation distinguish between molecules that stimulate and fail to stimulate ErbB4-dependent proliferation (Z’>0.5) and identify molecules that antagonize agonist stimulation of ErbB4 dependent proliferation. These assays have been used to identify small molecules that stimulate ErbB4 tyrosine phosphorylation. Efforts to determine whether these hits function as ErbB4 full agonists or partial agonists (antagonists) are underway and will be reported. Structures of these small molecule ErbB4 full and partial agonists may be reported, pending submission of a provisional patent application. Conclusions: We have validated an HTS strategy for identifying ErbB4 partial agonists that function as ErbB4 antagonists and deployment of that strategy has led to the identification of several hits (~20 from the primary screen). Such molecules may hold promise as targeted therapeutics for melanoma and other ErbB4-dependent tumors. Citation Format: Richard L. Cullum, John T. Piazza, Jared I. Senfeld, Logan T. Neel, Ram B. Gupta, Allan E. David, David J. Riese. Screening methodologies for the discovery of small molecule melanoma therapeutics targeted at the ErbB4 receptor tyrosine kinase [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1245. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1245
The Fatal Flaw in International Law for Migration: Model International Mobility Convention Commentary

This short essay reflects on the deep challenges that confront attempts to reform the international law of migration, and briefly assesses the new Model International Mobility Convention against this backdrop.
Design and Psychometric Evaluation of an American Sign Language Translation of the System Usability Scale

In usability studies, designers and researchers frequently use subjective questions to evaluate participants' impression of the usability of some product. The System Usability Scale (SUS) is a popular standardized questionnaire consisting of ten English statements about the usability of a product, to which participants indicate their agreement on a five-point scale. Many deaf adults in the U.S. have lower levels of English reading literacy, but there are currently no standardized questionnaires similar to SUS for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) users who are fluent in American Sign Language (ASL). To facilitate the inclusion of such users in studies, we created an ASL translation of SUS following accepted methods of survey translation: using a bilingual team including native ASL signers who are members of the Deaf community, along with back-translation evaluation to determine whether the meaning of the original was preserved. To validate whether key psychometric properties were preserved during translation, we deployed the ASL instrument in a study with 30 DHH participants. By comparing the results to users? responses to another measurement instrument, along with scores from 10 additional DHH participants responding to the original English SUS, we verified the criterion validity and internal reliability of the new "ASL-SUS." We are disseminating the translated instrument to promote the inclusion of DHH users in HCI research studies or in usability testing of consumer products.
Further refinements to the foundations of cyber zone defense

Sophisticated cyber attacks by state-sponsored and criminal actors continue to plague government and industrial infrastructure. Intuitively, partitioning cyber systems into survivable, intrusion tolerant compartments is a good idea. This prevents witting and unwitting insiders from moving laterally and reaching back to their command and control (C2) servers. However, there is a lack of artifacts that can predict the effectiveness of this approach in a realistic setting. We extend earlier work by relaxing simplifying assumptions and providing a new attacker-facing metric. In this article, we propose new closed-form mathematical models and a discrete time simulation to predict three critical statistics: probability of compromise, probability of external host compromise and probability of reachback. The results of our new artifacts agree with one another and with previous work, which suggests they are internally valid and a viable method to evaluate the effectiveness of cyber zone defense.
The caBIG‚ Clinical Trials Suite

As part of its Cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG ® ) program and its overall commitment to drive the reengineering of the clinical research enterprise, the National Cancer Institute has developed the caBIG ® Clinical Trials Suite. The Suite is a free, stable, supported collection of open-source software tools for clinical trials management, developed in response to the expressed need of the biomedical research community and deployable either as one or more standalone components or as an integrated Suite. It is also a reference implementation of the caBIG ® enterprise architecture paradigm of modular, interoperable software components. This chapter gives an overview of the context within which the Suite was envisaged and developed, describes the functionality and availability of the Suite and gives an overview of the enterprise architecture of which the Suite is intended to serve as a reference implementation.
Force Estimation via Kalman Filtering for Wind Turbine Blade Control

Under simulation, the forces on a wind turbine blade are estimated in real time and then included in a control algorithm which seeks to manage loads and improve rotor performance. A Kalman filter, modified to include the input vector in the state vector, is employed to estimate the stochastic load state and full blade state from a small number of structural response measurements. Blade pitch and flap-like control surfaces are considered in a control scheme utilizing the estimated modalequivalent forces. It is shown that the shape of the load profile can be regulated with such a controller, thereby reducing the undesirable effects of a wind gust.
School Environmental Intervention Programs

Exposure to indoor allergens and pollutants plays a significant part in the development of asthma and its associated morbidity. Inner-city children with asthma are disproportionately affected by these exposures with increased asthma morbidity. Although years of previous research have linked exposures in the urban home environment with significant childhood asthma disease, many of these allergens are also present in inner-city school environments. Therefore, evaluation of the school environment of patients with asthma is also essential. School-based environmental interventions may offer benefit for this problem and has the potential to help many children with asthma at once in a cost-effective manner. It is important that environmental health researchers continue to assess which interventions are most practical and result in the greatest measurable improvements.
Design with (human) nature: recovering the creative instrumentality of social data in urban design

In the mid-twentieth century, environmental psychology emerged as a field of significant potential that aimed to methodically decipher the influence of environments on human behaviour. However, by the 1980s innovation slowed, due in part to the limitations of the analogue technologies and techniques of the day that curtailed the field’s wider application to urban design and planning. Across a similar timeframe, ecologically based methods for organizing the urban landscape also waned. However, unlike environmental psychology, ecological planning underwent considerable renewal in the late 1990s. Technology played a significant role, with access to ubiquitous high-resolution satellite imagery and advances in GIS applications ultimately catalyzing the urban design paradigm of landscape urbanism. Although useful, the ecological design framework that came to define landscape urbanism offered only a partial account of urban design. To address this imbalance, this paper considers how a technologically stimulated revitalization of the social side of urban design might mirror the renewal of ecological planning that occurred through digital satellite mapping. After canvassing the role of neuroscience and spatially aware devices in contemporary environmental psychology, the potential influence of drone mapping technology on urban design practice and theory is explored in depth.
Open versus robot-assisted radical cystectomy: 30-day perioperative comparison and predictors for cost-to-patient, complication, and readmission

The objectives of this study are to evaluate if robotic cystectomy demonstrates reduced complications, readmissions, and cost-to-patient compared to open approach 30-day post-operatively, and to identify predictors of complication, readmission, and cost-to-patient. This retrospective cohort study analyzed 249 patients who underwent open (n = 149) or robotic (n = 100) cystectomy from 2009 to 2015 at our institution. Outcomes included 30-day post-operative complication, readmission, and cost-to-patient charges. We used modified Clavien–Dindo/MSKCC classifications. Multivariable logistic and linear regression models were used to evaluate associations to outcomes and to build predictive models. Patient, clinical, and surgical characteristics differed by open and robotic groups, respectively, only for estimated blood loss (median: 600 versus 150 cc, p < 0.01), operative time (mean: 6.19 versus 6.85 h, p < 0.01), and length of stay (median: 7 versus 5 days, p < 0.01). Complication: frequency of patients with at least one 30-day complication was 85% compared to 66% (p < 0.01). Minor gastrointestinal and bleeding complications were increased in the open group (50% versus 41%, p = 0.01; 52% versus 11%, p < 0.01, respectively). Fifty percent of patients required blood transfusion in open compared to 11% (p < 0.01). Patients in the open group experienced more major complications (19% versus 10%, p = 0.04). Robotic approach was a predictor for fewer complications (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.20–0.99, p = 0.049). Readmission: no significant difference in number of patients readmitted was found. Cost-to-patient: Robotic approach predicted an 18% reduction in total cost-to-patient compared to open approach (p < 0.01). Robotic cystectomy demonstrated reduced total cost-to-patient when taking into account all 30-day post-operative services with fewer complications compared to open cystectomy.