cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Emerging treatments for the prevention of type 1 diabetes.

Importance of the field: Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease caused by a combination of various genetic and environmental factors. Insulin remains the only treatment available for type 1 diabetes. The metabolic and psychological benefits of endogenous insulin cannot be understated for these individuals.Areas covered in this review: Intervention in type 1 diabetes could occur at various stages of the development of the disease. Recent improvements in our knowledge about the pathophysiology of β-cell destruction have led to the development of new therapeutic agents. Some of the promising strategies include environmental factor modifications, use of insulin, mAb therapies (otelixizumab, rituximab, abatacept), immunosuppression, Diapep 277 or use of GAD65.What the reader will gain: This is a review of the various strategies for prevention of type 1 diabetes that are currently being evaluated. Data on the efficacy and safety of some of these emerging drugs for the treatment of type 1 diabetes are presente...
Toward a statistically explicit understanding of de novo sequence assembly

Motivation: Draft de novo genome assemblies are now available for many organisms. These assemblies are point estimates of the true genome sequences. Each is a specific hypothesis, drawn from among many alternative hypotheses, of the sequence of a genome. Assembly uncertainty, the inability to distinguish between multiple alternative assembly hypotheses, can be due to real variation between copies of the genome in the sample, errors and ambiguities in the sequenced data and assumptions and heuristics of the assemblers. Most assemblers select a single assembly according to ad hoc criteria, and do not yet report and quantify the uncertainty of their outputs. Those assemblers that do report uncertainty take different approaches to describing multiple assembly hypotheses and the support for each. Results: Here we review and examine the problem of representing and measuring uncertainty in assemblies. A promising recent development is the implementation of assemblers that are built according to explicit statistical models. Some new assembly methods, for example, estimate and maximize assembly likelihood. These advances, combined with technical advances in the representation of alternative assembly hypotheses, will lead to a more complete and biologically relevant understanding of assembly uncertainty. This will in turn facilitate the interpretation of downstream analyses and tests of specific biological hypotheses.
A Bayesian dynamic model for influenza surveillance

The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic, the growing fear of an influenza pandemic and the recent shortage of flu vaccine highlight the need for surveillance systems able to provide early, quantitative predictions of epidemic events. We use dynamic Bayesian networks to discover the interplay among four data sources that are monitored for influenza surveillance. By integrating these different data sources into a dynamic model, we identify in children and infants presenting to the pediatric emergency department with respiratory syndromes an early indicator of impending influenza morbidity and mortality. Our findings show the importance of modelling the complex dynamics of data collected for influenza surveillance, and suggest that dynamic Bayesian networks could be suitable modelling tools for developing epidemic surveillance systems.
Enough! Electoral Fraud, Collective Action Problems, and Post-Communist Colored Revolutions

In countries where citizens have strong grievances against the regime, attempts to address these grievances in the course of daily life are likely to entail high costs coupled with very low chances of success in any meaningful sense; consequently, most citizens will choose not to challenge the regime, thus reflecting the now well-known collective action problem. When a regime commits electoral fraud, however, an individual's calculus regarding whether to participate in a protest against the regime can be changed significantly. This argument yields important implications for how we interpret the wave of “colored revolutions” that swept through Serbia, Georgia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan in the first half of this decade. Applying the collective action framework to the colored revolutions also yields a parsimonious contribution to the political science literature on social protest: electoral fraud can be a remarkably useful tool for solving the collective action problems faced by citizens in countries where governments are not, to use Barry Weingast's language, appropriately restrained by the populace. While modest, such an observation actually can speak to a wide-ranging number of questions in the literature, including why people choose to protest when they do, how protests at one place and time can affect the likelihood for future protests, and new aspects of the relationship between elections and protest. Joshua A. Tucker is Associate Professor of Politics at New York University ( joshua.tucker@nyu.edu ). He would like to thank participants in the First and Second Danyliw Research Seminars in Contemporary Ukrainian Studies hosted by the Chair of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Ottawa and the Kennan Institute Workshop on Ukrainian Civil Society for many helpful comments and suggestions on developing the arguments contained in this article. He would also like to thank Dominique Arel, Jessica Allina-Pisano, Mark Beissinger, Valerie Bunce, Paul D'Anieri, Jerry Hough, Jason Lyall, Grigore Pop-Eleches, Lucan Way, and William Zimmerman for their time in commenting on earlier drafts of the paper, as well as the anonymous reviewers at Perspective on Politics . Marc Berenson and Matthew Berner provided excellent research assistance.
Comparative glycoproteomics: approaches and applications

Glycosylation plays fundamental roles in controlling various biological processes. Therefore, glycosylation analysis has become an important target for proteomic research and has great potential for clinical applications. With the continuous development and refinement of glycoprotein isolation methods, increasing attention has been directed to the quantitative and comparative aspects. This review describes the mass spectrometry (MS)-based techniques for the comparative analysis of glycoproteins and their applications to answer a wide range of interesting biological questions.
A Dynamic View of Trauma/Hemorrhage-Induced Inflammation in Mice: Principal Drivers and Networks

Background: Complex biological processes such as acute inflammation induced by trauma/hemorrhagic shock/ (T/HS) are dynamic and multi-dimensional. We utilized multiplexing cytokine analysis coupled with data-driven modeling to gain a systems perspective into T/HS. Methodology/Principal Findings: Mice were subjected to surgical cannulation trauma (ST) 6 hemorrhagic shock (HS; 25 mmHg), and followed for 1, 2, 3, or 4 h in each case. Serum was assayed for 20 cytokines and NO2 2 /NO3 2 . These data were analyzed using four data-driven methods (Hierarchical Clustering Analysis [HCA], multivariate analysis [MA], Principal Component Analysis [PCA], and Dynamic Network Analysis [DyNA]). Using HCA, animals subjected to ST vs. ST + HS could be partially segregated based on inflammatory mediator profiles, despite a large overlap. Based on MA, interleukin [IL]-12p40/ p70 (IL-12.total), monokine induced by interferon-c (CXCL-9) [MIG], and IP-10 were the best discriminators between ST and ST/HS. PCA suggested that the inflammatory mediators found in the three main principal components in animals subjected to ST were IL-6, IL-10, and IL-13, while the three principal components in ST + HS included a large number of cytokines including IL-6, IL-10, keratinocyte-derived cytokine (CXCL-1) [KC], and tumor necrosis factor-a [TNF-a]. DyNA suggested that the circulating mediators produced in response to ST were characterized by a high degree of interconnection/complexity at all time points; the response to ST + HS consisted of different central nodes, and exhibited zero network density over the first 2 h with lesser connectivity vs. ST at all time points. DyNA also helped link the conclusions from MA and PCA, in that central nodes consisting of IP-10 and IL-12 were seen in ST, while MIG and IL-6 were central nodes in ST + HS. Conclusions/Significance: These studies help elucidate the dynamics of T/HS-induced inflammation, complementing other forms of dynamic mechanistic modeling. These methods should be applicable to the analysis of other complex biological processes.
An Intelligent System for Prediction of Orthodontic Treatment Outcome

It is important for orthodontists to predict the treatment outcome prior to establishing a treatment plan. Many studies have been conducted to create a predictive model of the treatment outcome for different orthodontic disorders using traditional regression techniques. This paper investigates viability of applying artificial neural networks in constructing a model for prediction of treatment outcomes of patients with class II malocclusion. We developed two models to assess the treatment success by estimating the value of the peer assessment rating (PAR) index from initial orthodontic measurements. We evaluated the performance of the neural network models on 205 patients, and the results are compared with previous linear regression models.
Voice-Over-Internet Protocol (VOIP) Cost Efficiencies And The Decision To Implement

The following study will discuss the quantitative and non-quantitative methodologies applicable to the cost and profitability of VoIP in the business environment. Furthermore, the study will examine recent regulation topics surrounding VoIP technology and provide examples of current applications.
Musculoskeletal Aspects of Haemophilia.

E.C. Rodriguez-Merchan, N.J. Goddard, and C.A. Lee, editors. Oxford, United Kingdom: Blackwell Science; 2000. 236 pages. $159.00. This hardbound text is the most comprehensive work to date on musculoskeletal disease and its management in patients with hemophilia. With the exception of a brief description of the diagnosis and management of inherited bleeding disorders, the entire text is …
Quantitative modeling of betavoltaic microbattery performance

Abstract This paper presents a simulation model to predict the power generation of p–n junction-based betavoltaic devices. The model provides two key aspects of information for device evaluation: electron–hole pair generation rate and device power output. A Monte-Carlo model was used to simulate generation rate and the device performance was simulated using the generation rate with Synopsys® Medici. We investigated the effects of the temperature, semiconductor materials with different bandgap energies (Si, Ge and SiC) and different isotope sources (Ni-63 and tritium) on the performance of betavoltaic microbatteries. Our simulation results indicate that a homojunction structure with wide bandgap semiconductor is more favorable for betavoltaic device performance. A simple wide bandgap p–n junction cell with an embedded radioisotope source could be the most promising candidate for betavoltaic applications.
Vertically Transmitted Herpesvirus Infections

The importance of recognizing perinatally acquired herpes simplex virus infections is now well understood and recently, increased attention has been devoted by clinicians to the problem of perinatally acquired cytomegalovirus infections. Less commonly, other members of the herpesvirus family may also be transmitted from mother to infant in the perinatal period, causing disease. Future developments of the management of herpesvirus infections will include greater roles for antiviral therapies and vaccines. Expanded use of oral nucleoside antiviral therapies in pregnancy has engendered uncertainty in how best to screen, monitor, and treat women at risk of transmitting the infection. Vaccines against herpesviruses have progressed in clinical trials, and the imminent licensing of such vaccines will further complicate clinical management decisions. As potential therapeutic agents become available, better understanding and recognition of risk factors, and awareness of the clinical presentation of perinatally acquired herpesvirus infections, will be required to maximize satisfactory pregnancy outcomes.
Security and privacy for database systems

Database security is a discipline that seeks methods to protect data stored at DBMSs from intrusions, improper modifications, theft, and unauthorized disclosure of private information. This is realized through a set of security services, which meet the security requirements of both the system and the data sources. A number of different techniques and approaches has been developed to assure data confidentiality, integrity, and availability in DBMSs, however, despite such advances, the database security area faces several new challenges. This talk first presents the most relevant concepts underlying the notion of database security and summarizes the most well-known techniques such as key access control models, namely, the discretionary and mandatory access control models, and the role-based access control model. It then analyses optimal privacy-aware path approaches in Hippocratic Databases and a pairwise-systematic microaggregation for statistical disclosure control; additionally theoretical analysis of limiting disclosure of private information in relational database systems is discussed.
Populations of carbonic acid isomers at 210 K from a fast two-electron reduced-density matrix theory.

Parametrization of the 2-electron reduced density matrix (2-RDM) rather than the many-electron wave function yields a new family of electronic-structure methods that are faster and more accurate than traditional coupled electron-pair methods including coupled cluster with single and double excitations. Deriving the parametrization from N-representability conditions generates a 2-RDM that captures significant correlation from triple and higher-order excitations at the cost of double excitations. We apply the parametric 2-RDM method to confirm recent experiments determining the relative thermodynamic populations of the cis–cis and cis–trans isomers of carbonic acid. In 2010 Bernard et al. showed by infrared spectroscopy that the populations of cis–cis and cis–trans isomers have a 10:1 ratio at 210 K. By use of the parametric 2-RDM method, we predict a 8:1 ratio at 210 K. Comparable ab initio methods overestimate the stability of the cis–cis isomer with 24:1 and 21:1 ratios. These 2-RDM-based methods promise...
Implementation Of Micropulse Lidar at 4.5 μm and 1.5 μm for Aerosol and Cloud Study

Identifying and quantifying ambient aerosols and their interactions with clouds are important for air-quality and climate studies. Advances in infrared technologies on fiber lasers, quantum cascade lasers and IR detectors have made developing micro-pulse (low energy) IR lidar systems operating in the infrared spectral range feasible. We present in this contribution a micropulse dual channel (IR wavelength) lidar system for studying aerosol and cloud optical properties. The system operates at 1.545 μm (6472.5 cm-1) and at 4.55 μm (2197.8 cm-1) with high repetition rates and microjoule pulses. The system is intended to be coupled with an existing UV, visible, near infrared lidar system at the city college of New York, part of the CREST lidar network Preliminary backscattered signals from this system are here presented and compared to SNR simulation.
Catholic Schools in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

The first school to open in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina was St. Andrew the Apostle (Casserly, 2006). As with the first public schools to re-open in the city, St. Andrew the Apostle is located in the West Bank community of Algiers, which was significantly less impacted by the storm and levee breaches that decimated other parts of the city (Miron, 2008).
Involvement of Antimicrobial Drug Efflux Systems in Bacterial Fitness and Virulence

Multidrug efflux pumps play an important role in antimicrobial resistance and also serve other functions that are related to bacterial cell communication, stress responses, fitness, and virulence. Although it is challenging to define the natural functions of drug efflux pumps, accumulating evidence has revealed both direct and indirect involvement of multidrug efflux systems in these cellular processes. There is also an intertwined regulation of drug efflux and other cellular systems implying various shared regulators. These features explain diverse effects of multidrug efflux pump status on bacterial functions, including interactions between bacterial species and their hosts. Drug efflux pump contribution to improved fitness and increased virulence of pathogens is supported by numerous examples. This chapter describes the current understanding of the roles of drug efflux pumps (in particular those of Gram-negative bacteria) in bacterial pathogenicity, which further underscores the clinical significance of drug efflux phenomena.
Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage

Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is a rare life threatening condition characterized by bleeding into the alveolar spaces. Although it classically presents as hemoptysis, anemia, diffuse alveolar infiltrates, and acute respiratory failure, it is often a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for clinicians. It is associated with both immune and nonimmune causes. Prompt recognition and treatment of this entity are crucial. This article reviews the common etiologies, diagnosis, and management of the patients with DAH.
Cardiac monitoring during adjuvant trastuzumab-based chemotherapy among older breast cancer patients.

6630 Background: Adjuvant trastuzumab improves outcomes but is associated with cardiotoxicity. Cardiac monitoring at baseline and at regular intervals during treatment is advised. No data exist on ...
Domestic Civil Support Missions Can Aggravate Negative Mental Health Outcomes Among National Guardsmen: The Moderating Role of Economic Difficulties

Little research has addressed potentially negative health outcomes associated with domestic civil-oriented operations, but has focused instead on traditional military operations (e.g., combat). This study, conducted following a United States Defense Support to Civilian Authorities mission undertaken by National Guard forces (N = 330), showed that responding to such missions was linked to more negative mental health outcomes, including posttraumatic stress disorder (β = 0.23) and depression (β = 0.23), but only among those who reported difficulty meeting their basic socioeconomic needs and not among those who did not have difficulty meeting their basic needs. The study offers suggestions for identifying individuals who may be especially vulnerable to stressors.
3D Printable Ceramic–Polymer Electrolytes for Flexible High-Performance Li-Ion Batteries with Enhanced Thermal Stability

This study establishes an approach to 3D print Li-ion battery electrolytes with controlled porosity using a dry phase inversion method. This ink formulation utilizes poly(vinyldene fluoride) in a mixture of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (good solvent) and glycerol (weak nonsolvent) to generate porosity during a simple drying step. When a nanosized Al2O3 filler is included in the ink, uniform sub-micrometer pore formation is attained. In other words, no additional processing steps such as coagulation baths, stretching, or etching are required for full functionality of the electrolyte, which makes it a viable candidate to enable completely additively manufactured Li-ion batteries. Compared to commercial polyolefin separators, these electrolytes demonstrate comparable high rate electrochemical performance (e.g., 5 C), but possess better wetting characteristics and enhanced thermal stability. Additionally, this dry phase inversion method can be extended to printable composite electrodes, yielding enhanced flexibility and electrochemical performance over electrodes prepared with only good solvent. Finally, sequentially printing this electrolyte ink over a composite electrode via a direct write extrusion technique has been demonstrated while maintaining expected functionality in both layers. These ink formulations are an enabling step toward completely printed batteries and can allow direct integration of a flexible power source in restricted device areas or on nonplanar surfaces.
Those with the Most Find It Hardest to Share: Exploring Leader Resistance to the Implementation of Team-based Empowerment

We use a convergent parallel mixed methods approach to explore barriers to the successful implementation of a team-based empowerment initiative within the Veterans Health Administration. Although p...
A composite mineralogical map of Ganges Chasma and surroundings, Valles Marineris, Mars

Abstract Ganges Chasma is a mineralogically diverse canyon in the far-eastern portion of the Valles Marineris system. It exposes bedrock outcrops of olivine, large dune fields enriched in olivine, a central Interior Layered Deposit with monohydrated sulfates, and Fe/Mg-phyllosilicates on the plateaus surrounding the canyon and in the canyon walls. The co-existence of hydrated minerals with unaltered olivine makes this an excellent location to study the timing of aqueous processes in this region. Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) and the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), synthesizing them with previous data sets to produce a composite mineralogical map of Ganges Chasma. We then produce a timeline of mineralogic deposition for the Ganges area, relating it to regional geologic events.
Templates as the interaction of recursive word structure and prosodic well-formedness*

Templatic morphology involves the appearance of a fixed shape on a morpheme in a specific morphological context. This paper makes two claims: the morphological context of a template is syntactically cyclic, resulting in recursive prosodic word structure, and the shape of a template results from prosodic well-formedness conditions on the internal prosodic word. Templatic morphology in Chukchansi Yokuts illustrates these claims: affixes that trigger templates transfer the root to the phonology before other material is transferred, so that the root forms a prosodic word which is internal to the whole word. Roots with one underlying vowel are augmented to meet a disyllabic minimality requirement on prosodic words; the resulting disyllable forms a light–heavy iamb, to optimally satisfy Chukchansi parsing requirements. Templatic morphology falls out from the predictable interaction of the syntax–phonology interface and general phonological properties of a language, and needs no special apparatus or diacritics.
Sleep duration, morbidity, and mortality

Dozens of epidemiologic studies spanning over 50 years have established that both short sleep (<6 h of self-reported sleep) and long sleep (≥8 h of self-reported sleep) have been associated with increased mortality and multiple morbidities. Consistently, long sleep has been associated with greater risks than short sleep. Although epidemiologic studies cannot completely prove causality, the magnitude and consistency of evidence makes a strong case for causality. Randomized controlled trials are recognized as the best evidence for causality. Consistent with epidemiologic evidence, experimental sleep restriction has had hazardous effects, but studies have been limited predominately to profound short-term sleep deprivation under restrictive laboratory conditions which provoke sleepiness. Studies involving extending sleep in short sleepers via spending more time in bed (TIB) or hypnotics have not generally produced positive effects. Experimental restriction of sleep in long sleepers has been well tolerated. Further experimental studies are needed. Since sleep duration is to a considerable extent heritable, a genetic strategy based on Mendelian randomization offers a new pathway to exploring causality.
Managing Knowledge Networks

The information context of the modern organization is rapidly evolving in the face of intense global competition. Information technologies, including databases, new telecommunications systems, and software for synthesizing information, make a vast array of information available to an ever expanding number of organizational members. Management's exclusive control over knowledge is steadily declining, in part because of the downsizing of organizations and the decline of the number of layers in an organizational hierarchy. These trends, as well as issues surrounding the Web 2.0 and social networking, mean that it is increasingly important that we understand how informal knowledge networks impact the generation, capturing, storing, dissemination, and application of knowledge. This innovative book provides a thorough analysis of knowledge networks, focusing on how relationships contribute to the creation of knowledge, its distribution within organizations, how it is diffused and transferred, and how people find it and share it collaboratively.
Southeastern Mills: The Eighth Element?

Appropriate for courses in operations management and leadership. Owners and employees of this company spent considerable time and effort developing a unique, extremely successful high-performance work-place culture based on trust and a decentralized structure. Individuals and teams managed their areas with little direct supervision from middle and upper management. Some managers, based on sales opportunities with new, large, and demanding customers, felt that it was essential to consider how a Lean or Six Sigma program could be blended into their work-place culture. But other managers were concerned about altering what was already successful. A teaching note (OM-1393TN) is available. Excerpt UVA-OM-1393 Rev. June 9, 2010 SOUTHEASTERN MILLS: THE EIGHTH ELEMENT? Continuing the Evolution Southeastern Mills (SEM), a group of flour-milling, mix-manufacturing, and product-development facilities owned and operated by the Grizzard family, was headquartered in Rome, Georgia, one hour north of Atlanta. Its plants ground fresh wheat and corn and mixed it with other dry ingredients such as baking powder, baking soda, and spices to produce flours, corn meal, mixes for baked goods, gravy, soups, and food coatings such as fried chicken batter. SEM also sold individually packaged consumer products and produced custom biscuit and pancake mixes and chicken coatings in bulk for national food-processor, retail, and food-service accounts (Figures 1 and 2). Figure 1. Southeastern Mills products. . . .
Deciphering Clostridium metabolism and its responses to bioreactor mass transfer during syngas fermentation

This study used 13C tracers and dynamic labeling to reveal metabolic features (nutrients requirements, pathway delineation and metabolite turnover rates) of Clostridium carboxidivorans P7, a model strain for industrial syngas fermentation, and its implication with bioreactor mass transfer. P7 shows poor activity for synthesizing amino acids (e.g., phenylalanine) and thus, needs rich medium for cell growth. The strain has multiple carbon fixation routes (Wood-Ljungdahl pathway, pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase reaction and anaplerotic pathways) and Re-citrate synthase (Ccar_06155) was a key enzyme in its tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) pathway. High fluxes were observed in P7’s Wood-Ljungdahl pathway, right branch of TCA cycle, pyruvate synthesis, and sugar phosphate pathways, but the cells anabolic pathways were strikingly slow. In bioreactor culture, when syngas flowrate increased from 1 to 10 mL/min, P7 strain produced same amount of total extracellular products (acids and alcohols) but high flowrate favored alcohol accumulation. This observation was due to the mass transfer limitation influencing energy metabolism (CO/H2 oxidation for cofactor generations) more prominently than carbon fixation. When syngas flowrate increased from 10 of 20 mL/min, the alcohol productivity was not improved and the labeling rate (~0.03 h−1) of key metabolite acetyl-CoA reached to P7 strain’s metabolism limitation regime.
Social Media and Higher Education: The Problem of Anonymous Electronic Threats to the Campus Community:

This case is for use in graduate courses pertaining to student affairs and higher education administration. It presents challenges higher education professionals face concerning anonymous social me...
Evaluation of semi-volatile contaminant transport in a novel, gas-tight direct contact membrane distillation system

Abstract A first-of-its-kind, gas-tight MD system was designed to provide insight into the dynamic transport of semi-volatile contaminants over time by closing the mass balance for each contaminant. Testing with non-volatile ions was used to confirm the integrity of the test system and sampling procedures. Non-volatile contaminants had consistently high rejection rates (≥ 99%) for all analytes tested. For the most hydrophobic semi-volatile contaminants, sorption to the membrane and polymeric components within the system played a significant role in their fate. Less hydrophobic semi-volatile contaminants reached a pseudo-equilibrium governed largely by contaminant volatility, as predicted by Henry's Law. Rejection of semi-volatile nitrosamines varied from − 96 to 88%, demonstrating significant variation in behavior even within the same contaminant class. Results suggest that transport of semi-volatile contaminants in MD was consistent with a pseudo-equilibrium partitioning process and was highly correlated with contaminant volatility (R2 = 0.934 for the combined data set). These results have implications for treatment of complex source waters where an understanding of the transport of volatile components is needed even if treatment objectives are focused on nonvolatile components.
Rising Income Inequality During the Great Recession Had No Impact on Subjective Wellbeing in Europe, 2003–2012

The Great Recession increased income inequality by an average of 6%. We assesses the impact of that on subjective wellbeing (happiness, life satisfaction). Data: European Quality of Life survey, 25 representative national samples at three time points, over 70,000 respondents. Analysis: variance-components multi-level models controlling for GDP per capita (an essential point) and individual-level predictors. Findings: income inequality has no statistically significant impact before, during, or after the Great Recession. Instead (contrary to much previous research) a straightforward individualistic utilitarian–materialist understanding is supported: money does increase wellbeing but inequality itself—the gap between rich and poor—is irrelevant.
EFFECT OF INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE-LOWERING MEDICATIONS ON NEOVASCULAR AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION TREATMENT OUTCOMES IN THE COMPARISON OF AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION TREATMENT TRIALS.

Purpose To evaluate the effect of intraocular pressure-lowering medications on treatment outcomes in the Comparison of AMD Treatments Trials. Methods Secondary analysis of Comparison of AMD Treatments Trials data. Medication logs were reviewed for continuous 2-year use of agents that increased aqueous outflow (Group A: topical prostaglandins) or suppressed aqueous production (Group B: topical beta blockers and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors). Eyes were excluded if mixed-mechanism intraocular pressure-lowering agents or medications from more than one group were taken. Anatomical and vision responses to treatment at years 1, 2, and over the entire 2-year period in each group were compared with controls (no intraocular pressure-lowering medications). Results Inclusion criteria were met by 28 Group A patients, 19 Group B patients, and 857 controls. After 2 years, the control group had a mean visual acuity improvement of +6.3 letters from baseline, compared with +3.5 letters in Group A (P = 0.38), and +13.8 letters in Group B (P = 0.052). Mean retinal thickness change from baseline was -54.9 μm in controls, -80.6 μm in Group A (P = 0.26), and -96.8 μm in Group B (P = 0.13). Mean total thickness change from baseline was -163 μm in controls, -180 μm in Group A (P = 0.63), and -238 μm in Group B (P = 0.08). In longitudinal analysis with adjustment by their baseline values, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment drug and regimen, Group B had more visual acuity improvement (difference of 2.6 letters, 95% confidence interval: -3.4-8.5 letters), more reduction in the retinal thickness (-17.9 μm, 95% confidence interval: -36.5 to 0.7 μm), and total thickness from baseline (mean difference of -54.7 μm, 95% confidence interval: -103 to 6.2 μm) compared with the control group. Conclusion Concurrent aqueous suppressant use during anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration was associated with a trend toward greater reductions in retinal and total thickness as well as improved visual outcomes over 2 years. A similar effect was not observed to the same extent with agents that increase aqueous outflow. Because of the small sample size and secondary analysis, these findings must be cautiously interpreted and perhaps serve as a basis for future prospective studies.
Developmental Biology in Tendon Tissue Engineering

Abstract Tendons are crucial components of our musculoskeletal system capable of withstanding and transmitting forces. Injuries to tendons result in pain and limited mobility and are widespread problems for a significant portion of the population. Unfortunately, tendon healing is slow and inefficient, and the tissue never regains its original properties. Surgical intervention can improve mobility after injury, but these treatments often can result in failure and limited tendon function. Regenerative medicine approaches using stem cells is a promising research area that can facilitate the development of new clinical therapies for tendon injuries. In applying these approaches to the tendon, it is important to have a comprehensive understanding of tendon development, maturation, and healing. In this chapter, we will review our understanding of tendon biology and place it in the context of current stem cell approaches.
Particle Exhaust Characteristics of an In-Vessel Cryopump Used in DIII-D Diverted Plasmas

A particle exhaust scheme, employing a cryocondensation pump in the outboard divertor region under a baffle, has been installed and operated in the DIII-D tokamak. The cryopump provides toroidally symmetric pumping at a rate of 30000 to 40000 l/s for D{sub 2} in the pressure range of 1 to 4 mTorr. Pressures in the 2 to 3 mTorr range are routinely observed under the baffle. This translates to particle exhaust throughputs of nearly 100 Torr l/s. The exhaust throughput could be controlled by selecting the position of the plasma strike region with respect to the opening to the baffle chamber. The pump has been used quite effectively for plasma density control. 19 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.
The Evolution of Sovereignty and Citizenship in Western Europe: Implications for Migration and Globalization

The relevance of international migration1 to globalization2 derives from at least three sources: the global ramifications of what many authors deem a migration crisis,3 the permeability of national boundaries to market growth and expansion, and the permeability of national boundaries to the migrant populations that follow economic opportunities across borders. The study of international migration also poses an analytical challenge to current models of international politics and globalization, which tend to place changing migration strategies4 against the backdrop of the nation-state.5 Scholars of
Blogging Around the Globe: Motivations, Privacy Concerns, and Social Networking

Blogging has become popular since its introduction the late 1990s, and the practice continues to grow. Blogs exemplify internet-age, user-generated content that is changing the way people access information, form social networks, and interact with acquaintances. Moreover, blogs are associated with extensive social communities defined by interconnecting references, and are considered to be one of the early catalysts for propelling the popularity of online social networking. This paper traces the development of blogs and the blogosphere around the globe. National surveys conducted by numerous international teams of researchers indicate motivations for blogging and attitudes regarding privacy are strikingly different in countries with large blogging communities. These differences are reflected in the content of blogs and profoundly influence blog-based social networks, which tend to be region-centric.
Simulation of Deformation Capacity in Reinforced High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Composite Flexural Members

AbstractStrategies used to simulate the response of ductile cementitious materials, such as high-performance fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (HPFRCCs), have primarily focused on simulating...
The Clinical and Dosimetric Impact of Real-Time Target Tracking in Pancreatic SBRT.

Purpose Motion often hinders the safe delivery of ablative doses of radiation in the treatment of pancreatic tumors. Real-time tumor-tracking methods are an emerging technique to increase the accuracy of delivery. In this study, we report on a large, retrospective cohort of pancreatic patients treated with real-time, fiducial-based, kV-image guidance of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). The purpose of our study was to determine the impact of real-time tracking on treatment accuracy, tumor dose, and clinical workflow. Methods and Materials Real-time tracking data from 68 patients treated with pancreatic SBRT were analyzed. The kV images orthogonal to the treatment beam were acquired in real time during treatment to visualize the location of implanted fiducial markers. Positional corrections were made if the fiducial markers were observed >3 mm from the expected reference position. We recorded the frequency and nature of treatment interventions resulting from real-time tracking and derived a neural network–based dosimetric model to calculate the impact of these in-treatment interventions on target dose. Results Treatment pauses that required patient realignment because of real-time tumor tracking occurred during 32% of all fractions. The median magnitude of realignment shifts was 5.2 mm (range, 2.1-18.9 mm). Forty-five percent of shifts resulted in dosimetric differences to the tumor; of these, the median point dose difference was 23% ± 22% of prescription dose (maximum, 94%). The number of pauses per fraction was significantly higher in patients treated with respiratory gating (vs abdominal compression) and in patients with greater treatment time. Conclusion Fiducial-based, real-time target tracking is clinically feasible for pancreatic SBRT treatment. Our data indicate that real-time tumor tracking leads to patient realignment in 32% of cases and results in significant benefits to target coverage. The increased accuracy of real-time target tracking may potentially enable safe dose escalation in pancreatic SBRT.
Trajectories of College Alcohol Involvement and Their Associations with Later Alcohol Use Disorder Symptoms

Little is known about what differentiates individuals whose drinking patterns escalate into problematic use following the transition out of college compared to those who learn to drink in a way that is consistent with independent adult roles. Patterns of alcohol use and problems during college may pre-sage progression toward problem drinking in adulthood. The present study sought to examine such patterns in an effort to delineate those at greatest risk. Research has not yet elucidated whether, when, and how these groups diverge. Our results indicate that students who report AUD symptoms one year following graduation reported greater alcohol involvement from the first semester and escalated their involvement with alcohol at a more rapid pace. We observed marked and measurable differences in drinking patterns between those who go on to exhibit AUD symptoms following college and those who do not. A close inspection of these differences reveals that relatively small absolute differences in alcohol consumption add up to large differences in alcohol-related consequences. Thus, markers of longer-term risk are present early in college, and greater escalation of drinking across college is an indicator that intervention is needed. Brief Motivational Interventions could help students to anticipate some of the challenges ahead as they transition from the college environment, as well as the potential deleterious effects of immoderate alcohol use on making a successful transition into adult roles. In addition to the beginning of college, our findings also point to critical periods during which screening and brief intervention may be optimally timed.
Osmotic and Nonosmotic Sodium Storage during Acute Hypertonic Sodium Loading.

BACKGROUND The Edelman equation has long guided the expected response of plasma [Na+] to changes in sodium, potassium, and water balance, but recent short-term studies challenged its validity. Plasma [Na+] following hypertonic NaCl infusion in individuals on low-sodium diet fell short of the Edelman predictions supposedly because sodium restriction caused progressive osmotic inactivation of 50% of retained sodium. Here, we examine the validity of this challenge. METHODS We evaluated baseline total body water (TBW) and Na+ space following acute hypertonic NaHCO3 infusion in dogs with variable sodium and potassium stores, including normal stores, moderate depletion (chronic HCl feeding), or severe depletion (diuretics and dietary NaCl deprivation). RESULTS TBW (percentage body weight) averaged 65.9 in normals, 62.6 in HCl-induced metabolic acidosis and moderate sodium and potassium depletion, and 57.6 in diuretic-induced metabolic alkalosis and severe sodium and potassium depletion (p < 0.02). Na+ space (percentage body weight) at 30, 60, and 90 min postinfusion averaged 61.1, 59.8, and 56.1, respectively, in normals (p = 0.49); 70.0, 74.4, and 72.1, respectively, in acidotic animals (p = 0.21); and 56.4, 55.1, and 54.2, respectively, in alkalotic animals (p = 0.41). Absence of progressive expansion of Na+ space in each group disproves progressive osmotic inactivation of retained sodium. Na+ space at each time point was not significantly different from baseline TBW in normal and alkalotic animals indicating that retained sodium remained osmotically active in its entirety. However, Na+ space in acidotic animals at all times exceeded by ∼16% baseline TBW (p < 0.01) signifying an early, but nonprogressive, osmotic inactivation of retained sodium, which we link to baseline bone-sodium depletion incurred during acid buffering. CONCLUSIONS Our investigation affirms the validity of the Edelman construct in normal dogs and dogs with variable sodium and potassium depletion and, consequently, refutes the recent observations in human volunteers subjected to dietary NaCl restriction.
Temporal Trends in Mortality after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Regression Analysis

ABSTRACTBackground: We estimated trends for mortality after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) using meta-analytic techniques. Mortality rates after TAVR have reportedly declined as the ...
Analysis Methods and Tools

The primary mission of an analyst or systems designer is to extract the physical requirements of the users and convert them to software. All software can trace its roots to a physical act or a physical requirement. A physical act can be defined as something that occurs in the interaction of people, that is, people create the root requirements of most systems, especially those in business. For example, when Mary tells us that she receives invoices from vendors and pays them 30 days later, she is explaining her physical activities during the process of receiving and paying invoices. When the analyst creates a technical specification, which represents Mary’s physical requirements, the specification is designed to allow for the translation of her physical needs into an automated environment. We know that software must operate within the confines of a computer, and such systems must function on the basis of logic. The logical solution does not always treat the process using the same procedures employed in the physical world. In other words, the software system implemented to provide the functions, which Mary does physically, will probably work differently and more efficiently than Mary herself.
Global Pharmaceutical Manufacturing: Association for Accessible Medicines Perspective.

DISCLOSURES: No funding supported the writing of this article. The author has nothing to disclosed.
Patterns and Disparities in Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Uptake for Young Female Adolescents among U.S. States: NIS-Teen (2008-2016).

Background. Several studies have reported differential vaccine uptake outcomes that are associated with socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics, as well as provider type. However, none has examined a trend over a multiple-year span. In this study, we utilize a longitudinal data-based approach to examine state-level human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine trends and their influences over time. Methods. We analyzed National Immunization Survey-Teen data (2008-2016) to estimate HPV vaccine initiation rate in young female adolescent ages 13-17 years old among U.S. States. We identified growth patterns using the latent class growth method and explored state-level characteristics, including socio-economic and socio-demographic attributes, and health legislation and policy related programs among patterns. Results: We identified three growth patterns, which showed gradually increasing vaccination trends but different baseline HPV uptake rates (high, moderate, low). State within Pattern 1 (highest HPV vaccination rates) included the lowest percentage of families with incomes below federal poverty level, the highest percentage of bachelor9s degree or higher, and the lowest number of uninsured, while states within Pattern 3 included families with socio-economic attributes along the opposite end of the spectrum. Conclusions: Latent class growth models are an effective tool to be able to capture health disparities in heterogeneity among states in relation to HPV vaccine uptake trajectories. Impact: These findings might lead to designing and implementing effective interventions and changes in policies and healthcare coverage to promote HPV vaccination uptake for states represented under the lowest trajectory pattern.
The Cost of Credibility: Explaining Resistance to Interstate Dispute Resolution Mechanisms

Abstract This paper explains why the use of mandatory dispute resolution clauses is the exception rather than the rule in international agreements. On one hand, these clauses increase the sanction for violation of the agreement and thereby increase the probability that the parties will comply. On the other hand, dispute resolution clauses impose a loss on the parties when violations occur. States, therefore, must balance the credibility and compliance benefits of a mandatory dispute resolution provision against the joint costs imposed by those provisions in the event of a violation. The paper develops a series of predictive and normative results based on the trade‐off. For example, dispute resolution clauses are more likely in low‐stakes than high‐stakes agreements, in multilateral rather than bilateral agreements, and when tribunals are more accurate. The paper also offers support for the view that money damages (or other zero‐sum transfers) should be encouraged in international dispute resolution.