cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cystic Abnormalities of the Spinal Cord and Vertebral Column

Cystic lesions of the vertebral column and spinal cord are important differential diagnoses in dogs with signs of spinal cord disease. Synovial cysts are commonly associated with degenerative joint disease and usually affect the cervical and lumbosacral regions. Arachnoid diverticulum (previously known as cyst) is seen in the cervical region of large breed dogs and thoracolumbar region of small breed dogs. This article reviews the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of these and other, less common, cystic lesions.
Weekly topotecan for platinum resistant ovarian cancer

15040 Background: Topotecan is currently used to treat recurrent ovarian cancer after failure of platinum-based therapy. The FDA-recommended regimen (1.5 mg/m2 for 5 consecutive days of a 21-day cycle) is associated with a high incidence of grade 3/4 myelosuppression. Alternate dosing and scheduling may increase patient convenience and reduce toxicity. The objective of this study is to evaluate toxicity, response and progression free survival of weekly topotecan therapy in women with primary and secondary platinum resistant ovarian cancer after failure of 1 or more regimens. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 59 patients that received weekly topotecan with a median dose of 3.75 on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle treated between November 2002 and May 2005. All patients had recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer with primary or secondary resistance to platinum. Disease response was evaluated by CA-125 levels, physical exam, and when appropriate by imaging studies. Toxicity was evaluated using the NCI Com...
Studies of the Chemical Properties of Size Selected Metal Clusters: Kinetics and Saturation

Our studies of small (n=2–40) gas phase transition metal clusters (cations, neutrals and anions) have revealed a number of size-dependent chemical and physical properties. This paper will discuss results involving activated dissociative molecular chemisorption of hydrogen (deuterium) and small alkanes on cationic, neutral and anionic platinum and gold clusters. For example, we have yet to find any size gold cluster anion to exhibit measurable reactivity towards di-deuterium, but reactivity is observed on small (n<15) gold cations and very small (n<9) neutral gold clusters. Methane or ethane chemisorption occurs most readily only on small Pt and Au cluster cations and least rapidly, if at all, on cluster anions. The larger Pt and Au clusters are found to be non-reactive towards the alkanes under our experimental conditions. At the other extreme, at steady state, small clusters of Pt, Rh, Ni, Pd, V, Nb, and Ta are hydrogen “rich” exhibiting H/M stoichiometries ≫ 1. These results are consistent with a limited data base on supported clsutes obtained via EXAFS measurements and have important implications for catalytic reactions involving hydrogen and light hydrocarbons.
Five-year outcomes of squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil treated with radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively review our single institution experience of patients with tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 1999 and 2005, a total of 79 patients were identified. Stage distribution was as follows: stages I-II, III, IVA, and IVB were in 6, 14, 43, and 16 patients, respectively. Sixty-three patients (80%) were male. Median age was 55.5 years. Treatment generally consisted of external beam radiation therapy (RT) (median dose, 70 Gy), concomitant chemotherapy (CCRT) (cisplatin 100 mg/m on days 1, 22, and 43), and neck dissection (ND), and was administered as follows: stages I/II, 6 patients received RT alone; stages III/IVA, 20, 5, and 32 patients received RT alone, CCRT, and CCRT followed by ND, respectively; stage IVB, 9 and 7 patients received CCRT and CCRT plus ND, respectively. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 56 months (range, 12 to 122 mo), the 5-year local control (LC), regional control (RC), distant control (DC), and overall survival (OS) by stage were as follows: stage I-II 100%, 100%, 100%, 100%; stage III-IVA 98%, 96%, 95%, and 88%; stage IVB 100%, 100%, 69%, and 66%, respectively. Among stage IVB patients, DC was significantly lower (P=0.01) and a trend toward lower OS was noted (P=0.08). Long-term percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy dependence was noted in 3% of them who had received CCRT. The effect of both chemotherapy and ND on treatment outcomes was analyzed; in stage III/IVA patients treated with or without chemotherapy, LC was 97% and 100% (P=0.43); RC was 92% and 100%(P=0.27); and DC was 91% and 94% (P=0.92), respectively. In stage III/IVA, patients treated with CCRT with or without ND, RC was 100% and 88%, respectively (P=0.087). CONCLUSIONS: Primary radiotherapy with or without CCRT followed by ND provides excellent tumor control with acceptable toxicity in treating squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil.
Metabolic Acidosis In Calves

In neonatal calves metabolic acidosis is a common sequela to diarrhea-induced dehydration and endotoxemia in the aftermath of gram-negative bacterial infections. Without treatment, metabolic acidosis is a prime factor in the death of many of these calves. This article begins with a general discussion about the causes and recognition of metabolic acidosis. The remaining sections detail the subjective and objective methods available to assess the severity of acidosis and treatment options for this metabolic condition.
Marital Investments and Community Involvement A Test of Coser’s Greedy Marriage Thesis

It is customary to test Coser’s greedy marriage thesis by comparing marital status groups. We propose a new approach that uses the marital dyad as the unit of analysis and examine whether investmen...
Exploiting spectral regrowth for joint PA characteristics estimation and channel identification

In this paper, we present an iterative algorithm which jointly estimates the PA characteristics and the channel impulse response for communication systems. The proposed approach is motivated by the fact that the nonlinearly amplified communication signal carries more bandwidth, referred to as spectral regrowth, and therefore allows better probing of the channel. In contrast to existing conventional schemes, where the expansion of the bandwidth is treated as a distortion, we propose to exploit the spectral regrowth to enhance channel identification accuracy. Numerical results show that an improved performance is achieved by using the proposed approach over the ones that ignore the outband energy of the received signal.
Architecture modeling software analytics: Model quality and maturity assessment using automated tools

This paper presents a new collection of architecture modeling software analytics for identification of common errors and omissions committed by both new and experienced users of model-based engineering tools. These analytics are based on architecture modeling heuristics that have been gained through the author's past 15 years of modeling experience and practice, and are novel in that they can be expressed in a multitude of conceptual modeling languages making them modeling tool-agnostic. The analytics enable students and practitioners to quickly and automatically identify typical architecture model properties impacting model quality and maturity and correct them, enabling time formerly spent on the labor-intensive and error-prone chore of manually finding and fixing the issues to be reinvested in more advanced tasks, such as conducting verification and validation of the design described by the model. The paper includes some examples, a summary of conclusions, and next steps towards improving and deploying these analytics to relieve more humans of the manually intense labor of checking models for properties that impact quality and maturity.
Civil Wars & the Post–Cold War International Order

By the standards of prosperity and peace, the post–Cold War international order has been an unparalleled success. Over the last thirty years, there has been more creation of wealth and a greater re...
Listeria monocytogenes Replicate in Bone Marrow-Derived CD11c + Cells but Not in Dendritic Cells Isolated from the Murine Gastrointestinal Tract.

Recent fate-mapping studies and gene-expression profiles suggest that commonly used protocols to generate bone marrow–derived cultured dendritic cells yield a heterogeneous mixture, including some CD11c hi cells that may not have a bona fide counterpart in vivo. In this study, we provide further evidence of the discordance between ex vivo–isolated and in vitro–cultured CD11c + cells by analyzing an additional phenotype, the ability to support cytosolic growth of the facultative intracellular bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes . Two days after foodborne infection of mice with GFP-expressing L. monocytogenes , a small percentage of CD103 neg and CD103 + conventional dendritic cells (cDC) in the intestinal lamina propria and mesenteric lymph nodes were GFP + . However, in vitro infection of the same subsets of cells harvested from naive mice resulted in inefficient invasion by the bacteria ( neg CD11c + cells induced by GM-CSF readily supported exponential growth of L. monocytogenes . Flt3 ligand–induced cultures yielded CD103 + CD11c + cells that more closely resembled cDC, with only a modest level of L. monocytogenes replication. For both culture protocols, the longer the cells were maintained in vitro, the more readily they supported intracellular growth. The results of this study suggest that cDC are not a niche for intracellular growth of L. monocytogenes during intestinal infection of mice.
Analysis of risk management methods used in trenchless renewal decision making

Abstract The substandard condition of wastewater systems in the US, accompanied by the lack of financial resources for renewal are hindering adequate operation and maintenance of deficient sewer systems. Information about current and future pipe condition, as well as information about the impact of possible pipe failures are an integral part of an efficient asset management program and can help stakeholders make the best decisions to prioritize rehabilitation and/or replacement projects. Typically, pipes in the worst structural conditions are prioritized and budgeted within the capital improvement project planning. To be able to predict future pipe conditions, many methods have been developed and successfully implemented that incorporate pipe inspection data to predict the future state of these assets. Additionally, methodologies exist for determining the consequences of pipe failures economically, socially, and environmentally. These methods have been incorporated into decision support systems (DSS) that help utility managers determine when to rehabilitate or replace their assets. DSS for trenchless pipe renewal allow utility managers to determine the most suitable method to renew their assets, given known defects in the pipe. The aim of this paper is to provide a review of risk management methods that allow pipeline managers to estimate likelihood of failure and quantify consequence of failure of sewer pipes. Additionally, an updated review of existing DSS for trenchless pipe rehabilitation is presented and analyzed. Finally, recommendations are made to improve existing methods to make the risk management process for trenchless rehabilitation decision making more efficient and practical.
Receipts and Other Forms of Islamic Charity: Accounting for piety in modern North India

Islamic almsgiving is on the rise among Muslims in India, as charitable donations by individuals come to supplant landed endowments as the lifeblood of many Islamic associations. Techniques of mass fundraising in India by Islamic revivalist movements such as Deoband facilitated their expansion across the subcontinent. Such fundraising depended on documentary practices such as verification letters, lists of donors, and receipts for donations. This article illustrates how charity receipts and other documents that change hands in ritual Islamic almsgiving are also a key part of new Indian Muslim collective identities. Moral ties as well as money circulate in this Islamic charity economy. Financial documents are Islamic philanthropy's answer to ‘print capitalism’, serving as material rituals of symbolic community across vast distances. Moreover, the use of documents in traditional Islamic almsgiving is also inflecting pious Muslims’ spiritualities. Islamic charity receipts in particular are contributing to the individualization of religiosity among Lucknow Muslims. New modes of accounting (originally intended to ensure financial compliance) also allow Muslim almsgivers to ‘account’ for accrued piety in a perceived spiritual merit economy.
Where Have All the Workers Gone?: An Inquiry into the Decline of the U.S. Labor Force Participation Rate

The U.S. labor force participation rate has declined since 2007, primarily because of population aging and ongoing trends that preceded the Great Recession. The labor force participation rate has evolved differently, and for different reasons, across demographic groups. A rise in school enrollment has largely offset declining labor force participation for young workers since the 1990s. Labor force participation has been declining for prime age men for decades, and about half of prime age men who are not in the labor force may have a serious health condition that is a barrier to working. Nearly half of prime age men who are not in the labor force take pain medication on any given day; and in nearly two-thirds of these cases, they take prescription pain medication. Labor force participation has fallen more in U.S. counties where relatively more opioid pain medication is prescribed, causing the problem of depressed labor force participation and the opioid crisis to become intertwined. The labor force participation rate has stopped rising for cohorts of women born after 1960. Prime age men who are out of the labor force report that they experience notably low levels of emotional well-being throughout their days, and that they derive relatively little meaning from their daily activities. Employed women and women not in the labor force, by contrast, report similar levels of subjective well-being; but women not in the labor force who cite a reason other than "home responsibilities" as their main reason report notably low levels of emotional well-being. During the past decade, retirements have increased by about the same amount as aggregate labor force participation has.
Women and Westerns in the Films of the 1940s

This chapter demonstrates how entry of women into the workplace and military in World War II enhances the portrayal of women professionals by showing that women, like men, can see professionalism as a source of personal gratification rather than just a gesture of sacrifice, even as the Westerns reflect anxiety about changing gender roles.
On the number of distinct elastic constants associated with certain anisotropic elastic symmetries

Fedorov [1] observed, but did not demonstrate, that for monoclinic, tetragonal and trigonal linear elastic anisotropic symmetries the number of independent elastic constants (independent components of the elasticity tensor) may be reduced by one (13 to 12 for monoclinic and 7 to 6 for both tetragonal and trigonal) by the appropriate selection of the coordinate system. He also noted that for triclinic symmetry the number of independent elastic constants may be reduced by three (21 to 18) by the appropriate selection of the coordinate system. Thus, for these four symmetries the canonical, material symmetry determined minimum constant coordinate system, forms of the elasticity tensors given by Voigt [2], Love [3], Lekhnit-skii [4], Hearmon [5], Gurtin [6] and many others may be further simplified by selection of the reference coordinate system. The observation of Fedorov [1] for the monoclinic, tetragonal and trigonal symmetries is demonstrated here using a formulation of the anisotropic Hooke’s law in which the elasticity tensor is a second rank tensor in a space of six dimensions, rather than a fourth rank tensor in a space of three dimensions as is customarily the case.
Myofascial Pain Syndrome: Myofascial Pain and Trigger Points

Editorial comment: This syndrome has received much attention in the general medical and lay press, but its definition and nature are controversial and many authors doubt its very existence. Accordingly, the editors have included two entries on this syndrome, reflecting this difference of opinion.
Test migration for efficient large-scale assessment of mobile app coding assignments

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in making education widely accessible using Internet technologies. Whether it is Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) or simply college courses offered to a large student population using an online platform, both education-focused companies and universities, often in collaboration with one another, have been investing massively in online education. The fact that hundreds, and more often thousands, of students take these online courses raises scalability challenges in assessing student assignments. In this paper, in particular, we present a technique (GUITestMigrator) that addresses the challenge of assessing mobile app coding assignments. Given a set of apps that implement the same specification, but can have completely different user interfaces, instructors normally have to manually run and check each app to make sure it behaves correctly and according to the specification. GUITestMigrator, conversely, allows for developing tests for one of these apps and automatically migrating these tests to the other apps, thus dramatically reducing the burden on the instructor. We implemented GUITestMigrator for Android apps and evaluated it on three sets of apps developed over three different semesters by students of an online graduate-level software engineering course. Our initial results show that our approach is promising and motivates further research in this direction. The paper also discusses possible applications of this approach for test evolution and test migration for real-world apps.
Feichtinger, Johannes and Gary B. Cohen, eds. 2014. Understanding Multiculturalism: The Habsburg Central European Experience. New York, NY: Berghahn Books. 246 pp.

Feichtinger, Johannes and Gary B. Cohen, eds. 2014. Understanding Multiculturalism: The Habsburg Central European Experience . New York, NY: Berghahn Books. 246 pp.
Histology of dental long-period biorhythms in Canis familiaris

Our objective is to assess variation in Havers-Halberg oscillation (HHO) periodicities among domestic dogs (Canis familiaris). The HHO is hypothesized to be a hypothalamic-generated biorhythm coordinating multiple life history variables including body mass and lifespan. Dogs have a broad mass range spanning two orders of magnitude, but this variation has been shown to result from selection on very few genetic loci, and dogs have low variation in other life history traits. Therefore, we predict that HHO variation will not be correlated to body mass among domestic dogs, as it is in anthropoid primates. To test the prediction, we examined dog HHO periodicity via manifestations in tooth enamel and dentine, quantifying HHO rhythm histologically. HHO rhythm is reflected in teeth as the number of days between secretion of successive striae of Retzius (enamel) and Andresen lines (dentine), a value referred to as Retzius periodicity (RP). We counted ca. 24-h growth lines between successive Retzius and Andresen lines to determine RP in histological thin-sections from canine teeth of 19 dogs, representing different breeds and sizes. To test our hypothesis, we regressed RP periodicity against body mass data. Dogs have low RP variation for their body mass range, with a modal periodicity of 5 days and a range of 4-6 days. RP was not significantly correlated with body mass. We conclude that mass variation in dogs does not seem driven by HHO physiology, consistent with findings that IGF1 variants produce dog mass variation. However, low RP (and by extension HHO) variation is consistent with low variation in dog lifespan and gestation, suggesting that dog life history may still be governed by HHO mechanisms even if body mass does not reflect this.
System ElectroThermal Co-Design of a Zero-Drift Current-Shunt Monitor with Precision Integrated Shunt Resistor

Abstract In this paper, we detailed the system (die + package + pcb) electrothermal co-design modeling and silicon validation effort that led to the industry's first, highly accurate, voltage-outpu...
Effects of heavy-metal contaminants (Cd, Pb, Zn) on benthic foraminiferal assemblages grown from propagules, Sapelo Island, Georgia (USA)

Abstract Benthic foraminifera have long served as indicators of environmental conditions – both natural and anthropogenically impacted. To better understand the responses of benthic foraminifera to specific heavy metal contaminants (Cd, Pb, Zn), assemblages of coastal benthic foraminifera were grown from propagules (tiny juveniles) in the lab with exposure to a single heavy metal over a range of concentrations, based on the US Environmental Protection Agency's Critical Maximum Concentration (CMC) values. Foraminiferal propagule banks were collected from relatively pristine mudflats, located on the southern end of Sapelo Island, Georgia (USA). Consistent with the findings of numerous field-based studies, foraminifera were found to respond negatively to Cd, Pb, and Zn. Overall, assemblages grown with exposure to higher concentrations of these metals are characterized by decreased abundances, species richness, and evenness. All of the acute responses observed in these metrics occur at concentrations equal to or somewhat higher than the USEPA's CMC values. Foraminiferal responses vary by metal, though the four most common species (two monothalamids: Ovammina opaca Dahlgren, Psammophaga sapela Altin Ballero, Habura, Goldstein; and two rotaliids: Haynesina germanica (Ehrenberg), Ammonia tepida (Cushman)) responded in a broadly similar fashion. The monothalamid species however may be more sensitive to high concentrations of each metal. Of the metals examined, exposure to Pb had the most deleterious effect, followed by Zn, then Cd. These four most abundant species appear to be more tolerant of Cd than the other metals. Zn was the only metal in the study that produced abundant aberrant test morphologies. Ammonia tepida grew abnormally more frequently than any other species encountered and exhibited a distinctive enlarged aperture as well as aberrant patterns of calcification, chamber arrangement, and enlarged pores. Abnormal tests were also found in H. germanica and a miliolid. The monothalamid species did not produce aberrant test morphologies. Results support the application of foraminifera as bio-indicators in polluted environments.
Imaging and Analysis for the Orthodontic Patient

Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) has become an integral component of orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning. The leap from 2D to 3D analysis has allowed for a more comprehensive evaluation before, during, and after orthodontic therapy. CBCT has been instrumental in localizing impacted teeth; evaluating asymmetry, airway, and temporomandibular joint anatomy; selecting sites for temporary skeletal anchorage; and assessing root length and alveolar bone dimensions. In this chapter, CBCT imaging and analysis of the orthodontic patient will be discussed.
On the degradation of tribo-components undergoing oscillating sliding contact

Abstract A thermodynamically-based framework for determining the degradation of tribo-components operating under oscillatory motion is introduced. A generalized degradation coefficient B is derived using the degradation-entropy generation (DEG) theorem and its efficacy over Archard wear coefficient in characterizing the degradation during oscillatory operating conditions is experimentally investigated. Laboratory experiments are performed using a pin-on-disk test setup by considering stainless steel (pin) and brass (disk) that cover a wide range of oscillatory operating conditions. Archard and degradation coefficients are determined and compared. It is shown that the degradation coefficient is capable of handling variable-loading sequence and provides a more realistic tool for determining wear volume. An analytical derivation is provided to gain insight and explore the reasons. The validity of the proposed degradation coefficient is demonstrated by applying the procedure to several published experimental results available for different bi-directional sliding configurations. Finally, the efficacy of the proposed method is demonstrated for a tribo-pair experiencing oscillation with variable loading and sliding conditions.
Unit Disk Graph-Based Node Similarity Index for Complex Network Analysis

We seek to quantify the extent of similarity among nodes in a complex network with respect to two or more node-level metrics (like centrality metrics). In this pursuit, we propose the following unit disk graph-based approach: we first normalize the values for the node-level metrics (using the sum of the squares approach) and construct a unit disk graph of the network in a coordinate system based on the normalized values of the node-level metrics. There exists an edge between two vertices in the unit disk graph if the Euclidean distance between the two vertices in the normalized coordinate system is within a threshold value (ranging from 0 to , where k is the number of node-level metrics considered). We run a binary search algorithm to determine the minimum value for the threshold distance that would yield a connected unit disk graph of the vertices. We refer to “1 − (minimum threshold distance ) ” as the node similarity index (NSI; ranging from 0 to 1) for the complex network with respect to the k node-level metrics considered. We evaluate the NSI values for a suite of 60 real-world networks with respect to both neighborhood-based centrality metrics (degree centrality and eigenvector centrality) and shortest path-based centrality metrics (betweenness centrality and closeness centrality).
Assessing recurrence probability for Oso 2014 landslide in order to manage risk

ABSTRACTIn March 2014, a catastrophic landslide in Washington State destroyed a community and killed 43 people. An analysis of the available information using a new approach to manage risk when dea...
Music and dance in mammals

A long-standing belief among humans is that the behaviors we call making music and dancing are thought to be strictly human activities. Rapidly accumulating evidence, however, tells a different story. Both music and dance are characterized by sensitivity to and moving in response to rhythms. Among humans, these two behaviors are ubiquitous in all living cultures and can be traced back in our Neanderthal ancestors at least 50,000 years, and probably much longer. It is well established that in humans these two rhythmic behaviors play important social functions, and in recent years have been increasingly noted as well for their health benefits. All of this has called attention to similar behaviors in non-humans. Many examples have been noted among mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and even bony fish. Neurologists became interested in understanding the neural mechanisms for these rhythmic behaviors and found that rhythmic behaviors are organized in one of the most ancient parts of the vertebrate brain, namely the subcortical posterior parietal cortex which is located just on top of the uppermost ending of the spinal cord. This anatomy was then found to be the same in almost all vertebrates going back in history for many millions of years to the bony fish. So, now it is understandable why music and dance are so widespread among the vertebrates and why there seems to be the potential for these rhythmic behaviors to appear in most of the vertebrates. This discovery also emphasizes the potential availability of the beneficial effects of these behaviors. Needless to say, there is also the prospect of an emerging opportunity for much exciting and important research on mammals.
A Newly Described, Highly Prevalent Arterial Pedicle Perfuses Both Gracilis and Profunda Artery Perforator Flap Tissues: An Angiographic Study of the Medial Thigh.

Background Novel secondary flap options are paramount for patients who are not candidates for common reconstructive methods. The purpose of this study is to identify the prevalence of single arterial pedicle supplying both the gracilis muscle and medial thigh tissue carried in a profunda artery perforator (PAP) flap. Such a pedicle could allow the creation of a chimeric gracilis and PAP flap with a single-arterial anastomosis. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of 157 lower extremity computed tomography (CT) angiograms to assess the vasculature of the thigh soft tissues. Imaging evaluation was supervised by a board-certified musculoskeletal radiologist. Results Prevalence of a single-arterial pedicle to a gracilis and PAP flap in each patient was 59% (31% within the right leg and 28% in the left leg). Furthermore, 16% of patients had a common arterial pedicle in both lower extremities. Conclusion Existence of a single-arterial pedicle to both the gracilis muscle and PAP flap tissues is frequently present in most patients in at least one lower extremity. This chimeric flap configuration could serve as a reconstructive avenue for patients, particularly those who have exhausted other more common flap options. Screening angiography is warranted in patients looking for this anatomic variation to establish its presence.
The Rise of Working Mothers and the 1975 Earned Income Tax Credit

The rise of working mothers radically changed the US economy and the role of women in society. In one of the first studies of the 1975 introduction of the Earned Income Tax Credit, I find that this program increased maternal employment by 6 percent, representing 1 million mothers and an elasticity of 0.58. The EITC may help explain why the US has long had such a high fraction of working mothers despite few childcare subsidies or parental leave policies. I also find suggestive evidence that this influx of working mothers affected social attitudes and led to higher approval of working women.
Patient reported outcome measures among patients with vulvar cancer at various stages of treatment, recurrence, and survivorship.

Abstract Objective Our goal was to pragmatically describe patient reported outcomes (PROs) in a typical clinic population of vulvar cancer patients, as prior studies of vulvar cancer PROs have examined clinical trial participants. Methods A prospective PRO program was implemented in the Gynecologic Oncology clinic of a tertiary academic institution in January 2018. Vulvar cancer patients through September 2019 were administered the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of life Questionnaire, the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System Instrumental and Emotional Support Scales, and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Vulvar questionnaire. Binary logistic regressions were performed to determine adjusted odds ratios for adverse responses to individual questions by insurance, stage, age, time since diagnosis, recurrence, radiation, and surgical radicality. Results Seventy vulvar cancer patients responded to PROs (85.4% response rate). Seventy-one percent were > 1 year since diagnosis, 61.4% had stage I disease, and 28.6% recurred. Publicly insured women had less support and worse quality of life (QOL, aOR 4.15, 95% CI 1.00–17.32, p = 0.05). Women who recurred noted more interference with social activities (aOR 4.45, 95% CI 1.28–15.41, p = 0.019) and poorer QOL (aOR 5.22 95% CI 1.51–18.10, p = 0.009). There were no major differences by surgical radicality. Those >1 year since diagnosis experienced less worry (aOR 0.17, 95% CI 0.04–0.63, p = 0.008). Conclusions Surgical radicality does not affect symptoms or QOL in vulvar cancer patients, whereas insurance, recurrence, and time since diagnosis do. This data can improve counseling and awareness of patient characteristics that would benefit from social services referral.
The topological free energy of proteins

Protein folding, the process by which proteins attain a 3-dimensional conformation necessary for their function, remains an important unsolved problem in biology. A major gap in our understanding is how local properties of proteins relate to their global properties. In this manuscript, we use the Writhe and Torsion to introduce a new local topological/geometrical free energy that can be associated to 4 consecutive residues along protein backbone. By analyzing a culled protein dataset from the PDB, our results show that high local topological free energy conformations are independent of sequence and may be involved in the rate limiting step in protein folding. By analyzing a set of 2-state single domain proteins, we find that the total local topological free energy of these proteins correlates with the experimentally observed folding rates reported in [29].
Once-Weekly Semaglutide Is an Effective Adjunct for Weight Loss in Adults without Diabetes Who Are Overweight or Obese.

Once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide used as an adjunct to intensive behavioral therapy significantly improves the likelihood that adults without diabetes who are overweight or obese will lose at least 5% of their baseline body weight compared with placebo.
Rapid selection of HIV envelopes that bind to neutralizing antibody B cell lineage members with functional improbable mutations.

Summary Elicitation of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) by an HIV vaccine will involve priming the immune system to activate antibody precursors, followed by boosting immunizations to select for antibodies with functional features required for neutralization breadth. The higher the number of acquired mutations necessary for function, the more convoluted are the antibody developmental pathways. HIV bnAbs acquire a large number of somatic mutations, but not all mutations are functionally important. In this study, we identify a minimal subset of mutations sufficient for the function of the naturally occurring V3-glycan bnAb DH270.6. Using antibody library screening, candidate envelope immunogens that interact with DH270.6-like antibodies containing this set of key mutations are identified and selected in vitro. Our results demonstrate that less complex B cell evolutionary pathways than those naturally observed exist for the induction of HIV bnAbs by vaccination, and they establish rational approaches to identify boosting candidate immunogens.
Multiple sensory and motor cues enhance the accuracy of pursuit eye movements

Oculomotor pursuit can be elicited by moving visual, tactile, proprioceptive, and occasionally auditory targets presented singly. Both the accuracy and amount of pursuit are enhanced if the position of the target is specified by cues from several sensory modalities. When the motion of the target is topologically related to movements of the subject's arm, the subject's eyes are more closely phase-locked with the target and reversals of the eyes generally precede target reversal by 10-20 ma.
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE Felonies Against Minors: Extend Statute of Limitations

The Act extends the statute of limitations from four to seven years for prosecuting felonies, except for murder or for felonies punishable by death or life imprisonment, committed against victims who are less than fourteen years of age. July 1, 1987
Construction of Families of Vertex Operator Algebras and Modules

We have developed the fundamental theory of vertex operator algebras and, modules in Chapters 1 through 5. The reader has certainly noticed that so far we have not constructed or exhibited any examples of vertex (operator) algebras other than the vertex (operator) algebras based on commutative associative algebras. Unlike in classical algebraic theories such as the theory of Lie or associative algebras, nontrivial examples of vertex (operator) algebras and, modules for them cannot be easily presented right after the definitions. But now, with the general representation theory having been developed in Chapter 5, we are fully prepared to present an array of interesting examples of vertex operator algebras and, modules, by systematically invoking this general representation theory.
On ASEP with Periodic Step Bernoulli Initial Condition

Author(s): Tracy, Craig A.; Widom, Harold | Abstract: We consider the asymmetric simple exclusion process (ASEP) on the integers in which the initial density at a site (the probability that it is occupied) is given by a periodic function on the positive integers. (When the function is constant this is the step Bernoulli initial condition.) Starting with a result in earlier work we find a formula for the probability distribution for a given particle at a given time which is a sum over positive integers k of integrals of order k.
The Arg-Gly-Asp binding domain of the vitronectin receptor. Photoaffinity cross-linking implicates amino acid residues 61-203 of the beta subunit.

Abstract We have employed photoaffinity cross-linking to examine RGD recognition by the human placental vitronectin receptor. The peptide GRGDSPK was coupled to a thiol-cleavable radioiodinatable aryl azide (sulfosuccinimidyl 2-(p-azido-salicylamido)-1,3'-dithiopropionate. When 125I-sulfosuccinimidyl 2-(p-azido-salicylamido)-1,3'-dithiopropionate-GRGDSPK was cross-linked to the vitronectin receptor in solution, 80% of the label was associated with the beta subunit. Cross-linking to both subunits of the receptor was highly specific and dependent upon the presence of divalent cations. Ca2+ and Mg2+ promoted RGD recognition by the receptor; however, the effects of each divalent cation were kinetically distinct. We have also identified and determined the amino acid sequence of chymotryptic and V8 protease-generated peptides of the beta subunit that were radiolabeled as a result of cross-linking. The results of these studies demonstrate that amino acid residues 61-203 are proximal to the RGD binding domain of the vitronectin receptor.
IntelliCAN: Attack-resilient Controller Area Network (CAN) for secure automobiles

Controller Area Network (CAN) is the main bus network that connects electronic control units in automobiles. Although CAN protocols have been revised to improve the vehicle safety, the security weaknesses of CAN have not been fully addressed. Security threats on automobiles might be from external wireless communication or from internal malicious CAN nodes mounted on the CAN bus. Despite of various threat sources, the security weakness of CAN is the root of security problems. Due to the limited computation power and storage capacity on each CAN node, there is a lack of hardware-efficient protection methods for the CAN system without losing the compatibility to CAN protocols. To save the cost and maintain the compatibility, we propose to exploit the built-in CAN fault confinement mechanism to detect the masquerade attacks originated from the malicious CAN devices on the CAN bus. Simulation results show that our method achieves the attack misdetection rate at the order of 10-5 and reduces the encryption latency by up to 68% over the complete frame encryption method.
Tunable BST:MgO Dielectric Composite by Microwave Sintering

Microwave sintering route was used for obtaining minimum chemical reactivity between the two phases (for sharp grain boundaries) and controlled microstructure in the composites of Ba1 − xSrxTiO3 (BST) and MgO. Composites of desirable compositions of ferroelectric BST and non-ferroelectric MgO were microwave sintered at a frequency of 2.45 GHz. Low dielectric constant, controlled microstructure, high relative density, and sharp grain boundary in BST:MgO composites were achieved. The depressed dielectric constant and tangent loss, high tunability and K-factor values are measured in the sintered composites. This paper describes the detailed studies on the microwave sintered BST:MgO composites and their tunable dielectric properties and microstructure development.
Monitoring geostrophic currents at the equator

Abstract A single intensively sampled (1 km station spacing) density section across the equator from 3°N to 3°S at 140°N15′W was made in November 1984. The close station spacing allowed us to consider the effects of internal wave aliasing and to filter these out of dynamic height computations. Comparison of geostrophic currents with velocity profiles measured by an acoustic Doppler current profiler indicated that the Equatorial Undercurrent was in geostrophic balance at the time of our transect. The best estimate of velocity calculated by geostrophic methods was obtained using a 101 km running filter on the series of dynamic heights and differencing these over 102 km. Our results indicate that: (1) 100 km is an appropriate length scale for geostrophy at the equator; (2) it is important to remove aliasing due to internal waves; and (3) an optimal monitoring program of the Equational Undercurrent requires only 20 km station spacing and smoothing over 100 km.
Melting of Pd clusters and nanowires: A comparison study using molecular dynamics simulation

We present results from a molecular dynamics simulation study of a Pd cluster and a nanowire of the same diameter using the Sutton-Chen many body potential function. Changes in thermodynamic and structural properties of these two systems during heating were studied. We found that the melting temperature of the Pd nanowire of $1200\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ is lower than the simulated bulk value $(1760\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K})$ but higher than that of the cluster at $1090\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$. Melting behaviors were characterized by a number of thermodynamic, structural, and dynamical parameters. Surface premelting at much lower temperatures than the near first-order transition temperatures noted above was observed in both Pd systems. The surface premelting temperature range was higher for the nanowire than for the cluster. Surface melting in nanowires manifests itself as large amplitude vibrations followed by free movement of atoms in the plane perpendicular to the nanowire axis, with axial movement arising at temperatures closer to the transition temperature. Increase in nanowire diameter as well as shape change is seen to result from this axial mixing. Bond-orientational order parameters indicated that the nanocluster retained the initial fcc structure at low temperatures. The nanowires, however, were seen to be stable at a solid structure that was close to hcp as established by bond-orientational order parameter calculations. Melting point depressions in both systems agree better with a liquid-drop model than with Pawlow's thermodynamic model.
Diagnosis of Trisomy 18 Using Spontaneously Dividing Cells from Fetal Umbilical Cord Blood: A Novel Approach for Rapid Late Second and Third Trimester Prenatal Diagnosis

Cytogenetic methodology recently developed by us allows spontaneously dividing cells in fetal cord blood to be used for rapid (24 hours) chromosome analysis. We utilized this methodology to diagnose trisomy 18 and facilitate clinical management in a 32-week pregnancy characterized by multiple fetal anomalies and intrauterine growth retardation.
Evolutionary foundations of number: spontaneous representation of numerical magnitudes by cotton–top tamarins

Although animals of many species have been shown to discriminate between visual-spatial arrays or auditory-temporal sequences based on numerosity, most of the evidence for numerosity discrimination derives from experiments involving extensive laboratory training. Under these conditions, animals' discrimination of two numerosities depends on their ratio and is independent of their absolute value. It is an open question whether any untrained non-human animal spontaneously represents number in this way, as do human children and adults. We present the results of familiarization-discrimination experiments on cotton-top tamarin monkeys (Saguinus oedipus) that provide evidence for numerosity discrimination in the absence of training. Presented with auditory stimuli (speech syllables) controlled for the continuous variables of sequence duration, item duration, inter-stimulus interval and overall energy, tamarins readily discriminated sequences of 4 versus 8, 4 versus 6, and 8 versus 12 syllables. By contrast, tamarins failed to discriminate sequences of 4 versus 5 and 8 versus 10 syllables, providing evidence that their numerosity discrimination is approximate and shows the ratio signature of numerosity discrimination in humans and trained non-human animals. These results provide strong support for the hypothesis that representations of large, approximate numerosity are evolutionarily ancient and spontaneously available to non-human animals.
Accounting for results: how conservation organizations report performance information

Environmental program performance information is in high demand, but little research suggests why conservation organizations differ in reporting performance information. We compared performance measurement and reporting by four private-land conservation organizations: Partners for Fish and Wildlife in the US Fish and Wildlife Service (national government), Forest Stewardship Council—US (national nonprofit organization), Land and Water Conservation Departments (local government), and land trusts (local nonprofit organization). We asked: (1) How did the pattern of performance reporting relationships vary across organizations? (2) Was political conflict among organizations’ principals associated with greater performance information? and (3) Did performance information provide evidence of program effectiveness? Based on our typology of performance information, we found that most organizations reported output measures such as land area or number of contracts, some reported outcome indicators such as adherence to performance standards, but few modeled or measured environmental effects. Local government Land and Water Conservation Departments reported the most types of performance information, while local land trusts reported the fewest. The case studies suggest that governance networks influence the pattern and type of performance reporting, that goal conflict among principles is associated with greater performance information, and that performance information provides unreliable causal evidence of program effectiveness. Challenging simple prescriptions to generate more data as evidence, this analysis suggests (1) complex institutional and political contexts for environmental program performance and (2) the need to supplement performance measures with in-depth evaluations that can provide causal inferences about program effectiveness.
A new immunoassay based on fluorescence excitation by internal reflection spectroscopy

Abstract A new immunoassay technique is described which uses totally internally reflected light to excite the fluorescence of fluorescein labeled antibody which has become bound to a hapten-protein conjugate adsorbed on a quartz-plate in the antibody solution. The presence of any free hapten in solution reduces the amount of antibody free to bind to the surface and thus reduces the fluorescence signal. Measurement of the decrease of the fluorescent signal then gives a measure of the concentration of free hapten present. The technique is simple, fast and has high intrinsic sensitivity and specificitty. It has been demonstrated for phenyl arsonic acid and morphine. Free morphine at a concentration of 2 × 10 −7 M is readily detected.
Pulmonary hypertension associated with connective tissue disease.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a life threatening complication of several connective tissue diseases including scleroderma (both diffuse and limited scleroderma, or the CREST syndrome--calcinosis cutis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysfunction, sclerodactyly, and telangectasia), systemic lupus erythomatosis (SLE), mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), and less commonly, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and dermatomyositis/polymyositis. This report reviews the occurrence of this complication, potential etiologies, clinical presentation, and treatment options.