cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fertility Preservation in Adolescents with Cancer

Major advances in the field of pediatric oncology have resulted in improved survival rates for children and adolescents diagnosed with malignancies. From these successes, the field of survivorship has emerged with attention to the late effects of cancer therapy including infertility. Studies have shown that survivors of childhood cancers consider fertility preservation an important part of their treatment and long-term quality of life. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) updated published guidelines in 2013 addressing fertility preservation at the time of a new cancer diagnosis as standard of care. For young males who have achieved puberty, obtaining sperm for cryopreservation through masturbation is the most common method. However, for adolescents, developmental concerns present additional challenges to obtaining sperm compared to their young adult counterparts. Alternatives for obtaining sperm exist for those for whom masturbation is not an option. For prepubertal males, only experimental methods exist. Studies have also shown that oncologists who treat children and adolescents are aware of the effects of cancer treatments on fertility but that barriers and difficulties exist that prevent adequate attention to this topic. This chapter emphasizes the special considerations that exist in fertility preservation in adolescent males with a focus on sperm banking.
Variation in the AvrSr35 gene determines Sr35 resistance against wheat stem rust race Ug99

Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici ( Pgt ) causes wheat stem rust, a devastating fungal disease. The Sr35 resistance gene confers immunity against this pathogen’s most virulent races, including Ug99. We used comparative whole-genome sequencing of chemically mutagenized and natural Pgt isolates to identify a fungal gene named AvrSr35 that is required for Sr35 avirulence. The AvrSr35 gene encodes a secreted protein capable of interacting with Sr35 and triggering the immune response. We show that the origin of Pgt isolates virulent on Sr35 is associated with the nonfunctionalization of the AvrSr35 gene by the insertion of a mobile element. The discovery of AvrSr35 provides a new tool for Pgt surveillance, identification of host susceptibility targets, and characterization of the molecular determinants of immunity in wheat.
Role of Pharmacotherapy in the Treatment of Pediatric Obesity and Its Comorbidities

Obesity, even in childhood, is a recalcitrant disease with strong biological underpinnings. Treatments aimed at counteracting the body’s attempts to defend its energy stores offer patients with obesity a better chance to lose and maintain weight over the long term. Pharmacotherapy is one example of a treatment that can be used in conjunction with lifestyle modification therapy to target the underlying biology of obesity and potentially improve long-term weight loss and comorbidity outcomes. Although only one obesity medication is approved for pediatric use in the United States, others have been evaluated for safety and efficacy in the pediatric population. Importantly, four new medications have been recently approved for the treatment of adult obesity, which has set the stage for pediatric trials to be conducted with the goal of providing additional therapeutic options to pediatric patients that desperately need them. This chapter reviews the evidence from pediatric obesity clinical trials of approved and off-label medications, discusses the pediatric pipeline by briefly introducing the medications recently approved for adult use and plans for pediatric development, and offers a glimpse into the future directions for the field of pediatric obesity medicine.
Kinetics and thermodynamics of densification and grain growth: Insights from lanthanum doped zirconia

Abstract The effect of dopants (or additives) on sintering is typically addressed from a mechanistic and diffusivity perspective by focusing on how dopants affect those parameters. However, a comprehensive description of sintering needs to address the role of dopants in the thermodynamics of the system, which affects local chemical potentials driving forces and is, therefore, ultimately linked to the mass transport mechanisms themselves by the thermodynamic extremal principle. In this work, Lanthanum doped Yttria-Stabilized-Zirconia (YSZ) sintering was studied from both kinetics and thermodynamic perspectives to demonstrate the need for those complementary analyses to allow proper processing control. La caused inhibition of both grain growth and densification, which was a result of a change of interfacial energies linked to La segregation as well as of the codependence of coarsening and densification on the grain boundary energy. While La caused a modest decrease in the activation energy for densification, surface and grain boundary energies decreased from 0.95 to 0.70 J/m2, respectively, for YSZ, to 0.80 and 0.41 J/m2 for 2 mol% La-YSZ, indicating an increase in sintering stress. The apparent contradiction between the thermodynamic data and the observed densification trend is attributed to the reduced grain growth that trapped the system in a metastable configuration.
The Human Genome Project and Drug Development

The Human Genome Project (HGP) was a 13-yr international effort whose primary goal was to sequence the 3 billion nucleotides of the human genome. Other goals included sequencing other genomes, developing new related technology, making the technology widely accessible, and examining the ethical, legal, and social implications of the project. The implications of the HGP on the current methods used in biomedical research and its impact on future healthcare are vast and far-reaching. This chapter reviews these topics and also provides a glimpse into the post-HGP era.
Childhood-Onset Schizophrenia: Development and Pathogenesis

Childhood-onset schizophrenia presents an opportunity to study the interaction between development and the schizophrenic process. The childhood-onset disorder seems to share important genetic and biologic features with the more common adult-onset form of schizophrenia. The determinants of early onset, however, remain unknown and unaccounted for by current neuromaturational theories of schizophrenia.
Percutaneous Atherectomy Catheters

Percutaneous atherectomy catheters have been developed as an alternative to balloon angioplasty for the treatment of atherosclerotic disease. This article summarizes the preliminary experimental and clinical results with these catheters
Contextual-Dependent Attention Effect on Crowded Orientation Signals in Human Visual Cortex

A target becomes hard to identify with nearby visual stimuli. This phenomenon, known as crowding, places a fundamental limit on conscious perception and object recognition. To understand the neural representation of crowded stimuli, we used fMRI and a forward encoding model to reconstruct the target-specific feature from multivoxel activation patterns evoked by orientation patches. Orientation-selective response profiles were constructed in V1–V4 for a target embedded in different contexts. Subjects of both sexes either directed their attention over all the orientation patches or selectively to the target. In the context with a weak crowding effect, attending to the target enhanced the orientation selectivity of the response profile; such effect increased along the visual pathway. In the context with a strong crowding effect, attending to the target enhanced the orientation selectivity of the response profile in the earlier visual area, but not in V4. The increase and decrease of orientation selectivity along the visual hierarchy demonstrate a contextual-dependent attention effect on crowded orientation signals: in the context with a weak crowding effect, selective attention gradually resolves the target from nearby distractors along the hierarchy; in the context with a strong crowding effect, while selective attention maintains the target feature in the earlier visual area, its effect decreases in the downstream area. Our findings reveal how the human visual system represents the target-specific feature at multiple stages under the limit of attention selection in a cluttered scene. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Using fMRI and a forward encoding model, we reconstructed orientation-selective response profiles for a target embedded in crowded contexts. In the context with a weak crowding effect, attention gradually resolves the target from nearby distractors along the visual hierarchy. In the context with a strong crowding effect, while the feature of the target is preserved in the early visual cortex, it degrades in the later visual processing stage. The increase and decrease of orientation selectivity along the visual hierarchy reveal how the human visual system strikes to present the target-specific feature under the limit of attention selection in a cluttered scene.
Mechanical Behavior of Ta at Extreme Strain-Rates

The compressive stress-strain response of a commercially pure (99.98%) Ta was investigated at strain-rates ranging from 0.001/s to 500 k/s. Strain-rates up to 20 k/s were obtained using conventional load frames and Kolsky bar methods. The higher strain-rates were obtained using optically instrumented miniature Kolsky bars. Because these experiments require sample sizes as small as ∼30 um, a fine grain structure was desired. To achieve this, we study a Ta billet that was processed by ECAE to produce an ultrafine grain structure. The billets were subsequently annealed at 1203 K under high vacuum for 2 h to coarsen the grain size to approximately 2 um. The as-worked and annealed microstructures were investigated by electron backscatter diffraction to verify the grain structure. A strong rate dependence is observed over this range of strain-rates, although there is a discrepancy between data at similar strain-rates using different sample sizes. This discrepancy is the subject of on-going investigation.
Preparation and analysis of a river sediment Standard Reference Material for the determination of trace organic constituents

A river sediment Standard Reference Material (SRM) has been prepared and analyzed for determination of the concentrations of trace organic constituents. SRM 1939, “Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in River Sediment A”, has been certified for the concentrations of three PCB congeners using the results obtained from capillary column gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC-ECD) and from multidimensional (dual column) capillary gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (MCGC-MSD). For SRM certification, two independent analytical procedures are usually required. If only one analytical technique is used or if the procedures are not independent, then the concentrations are reported as “noncertified or informational” values rather than “certified” values. Noncertified values for 14 additional PCB congeners and five chlorinated pesticides, determined by GC-ECD, are also reported as well as noncertified concentrations for five polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), determined using gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC-MSD). SRM 1939 complements SRM 1941, “Organics in Marine Sediment”, since both materials have 12 PCB congeners, five PAHs and five chlorinated pesticides in common. However, the concentrations differ by an order of magnitude for PAHs, and from one to over two orders of magnitude for the PCB congeners and chlorinated pesticides.
An interview project with native American people: a community-based study to identify actionable steps to reduce health disparities.

Abstract Objectives The primary objective of this study was to work with tribal communities to define and develop their own healthcare services and strategies for positive change regarding injection drug use, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The secondary objective of this study was to incorporate community capacity building strategies to develop and sustain programming and resources to optimize tribal communities’ responsiveness to reduce health disparities. Study design Semi-structured qualitative interviews. Methods Interviews were guided by community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles to create programs, projects, and policy recommendations meaningful to American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people. Results The study generated a formative understanding of the context of AI/AN people who inject drugs (PWID) in three distinct AI/AN communities as well as developed local capacity for future programming, projects, and policy. Conclusions This study confirms CBPR methods should be part of an iterative cycle to inform policy and programs. CBPR has helped strengthen local research capacity and has formed ongoing relationships between study investigators, local liaisons, and the community that will be essential for next phases of program design and policy implementation. This cycle of CBPR could be replicated in other tribal communities to bring awareness of the opioid epidemic and its effects and to prioritize local indigenous and community-led responses.
“Look! A Black Ethnographer!”: Fanon, Performance, and Critical Ethnography:

This article engages the possibility of a critical Black ethnography and a performative fugitivity. Drawing on the author’s ethnographic research, it examines the tension between being a racialized...
Considering the Potential Deterrence Value of Legislation Allowing Hacking Back

Would proposed legislation creating an affirmative defense from prosecution under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act to those engaging in active cyber defense measures advance efforts to deter state-sponsored hackers from attacking private actors in the United States? I argue that despite legitimate concern regarding the Active Cyber Defense Certainty Act, the United States is in dire need of deterrence mechanisms to stop future state-sponsored cyber attacks and ACDC has at least some deterrent value.
Lives Not Worth Living in Modern Euthanasia Regimes

Issues The authors of "The Quiet Progress of the New Eugenics" (QPNE) assert that some current practices, such as euthanasia and/or assisted suicide (EAS) for disabled newborns, imply that some persons with disabilities have lives that are not worth living. Finding I extend the QPNE's analysis in this commentary by exploring whether even in voluntary EAS for 'unbearable suffering,' the question of how we value the lives of disabled persons arises in a way that deserves more public discussion. I argue that the old and modern EAS regimes both create a class of persons whose lives are deemed by society as not worth living. I explain how the modern EAS regime's public goal of relieving suffering and its requirement for autonomous choice obscure but do not erase this fact. Conclusions Although modern EAS regimes are based on suffering (not eugenics) and voluntary (not state coerced), they have the effect of creating lives that are societally deemed to be not worth living.
The impact of credit rating watchlist and effect of underwriter reputation on IPO underpricing

This paper first sets up a theoretical model to describe a credit rating agency's (CRA) two roles, namely rating and monitoring. Through CRA's monitoring role, bonds no longer represent loan contracts without monitoring. In the model, bond issuers have to decide whether to go through CRA or borrow directly, and whether to take action to prevent future risk or not. CRA's monitoring ability is shown to be crucial. If CRA can observe creditworthiness changes more accurately so as to offer ratings with less noise, there will be more issuers willing to signal their qualities and take action. If CRA can attract issuers to take action but cannot function in its monitoring role well enough, social welfare will be reduced after introducing CRA into the market.;This paper then examines price adjustments in bond and equity markets according to Moody's bond rating watchlist announcements and actual rating change announcements afterwards. Based on different methods of calculating excess returns, we find that asset prices react in response to Moody's rating announcements, suggesting that they convey valuable information to both bond and equity markets and investors adjust prices according to both upgrading and downgrading directions. When we control for bond rating grades, the evidence of market reactions is more significant than without the control; in contrast, controlling for a stock's beta is not so beneficial. Stronger evidence of market reactions is found in bond markets than in equity markets.;Lastly, Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) with fixed and mixed effects are applied to describe how an issuer matches with an underwriter for an initial public offering (IPO). The study focuses on the issuer's preference over underwriter reputation. From GLM with fixed effects, we find that the issuer tends to choose a high-reputation underwriter when the IPO's expected offer size is large, the expected offer price is high, the issuer is a young firm, there is venture capital backing, the issuer has more assets, or the issuer's leverage ratio is small. From the random effect in GLM with mixed effects, we find that issuers in the state of California or in the Service and Utility industries are more likely to choose high-reputation underwriters than issuers in other states or industries. Underwriters with high reputation tend to have larger sales forces and have headquarters in New York. Using propensity score matching methods, we find that underwriters with high reputation are generally associated with larger underpricings. The subsamples by the location of offer price in the filing range confirm such positive relation. However, evidence from subperiods shows that the larger underpricing is likely to be both an issuer's industry effect and an underwriter's reputation effect.
Premature ventricular contractions activate vagal afferents and alter autonomic tone: implications for premature ventricular contraction-induced cardiomyopathy

Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are common in many patients and, at an increased burden, are known to cause heart failure. This study determined that PVCs powerfully modulate cardiac vaga...
The Elusive Determinants of Civil Wars

Like the empirical growth literature, the empirical civil war literature has identified few robust determinants. In this paper, I show that the lack of robust estimates is consistent with rational, forward-looking behavior in a simple dynamic conflict model with asymmetric information. The main result is most of the conflict determinants, such as income per capita, inequality, and natural resource revenues, have ambiguous effects on the conflict risk. The ambiguities largely reflect that, when the parameters change, agents re-optimize.
Assessing Community in an Undergraduate Computer Science Program Using Social Network Analysis

Sense of community and belonging represent key components of students’ success in undergraduate degree programs. As part of a curriculum effort designed to strengthen these components, we conducted a Social Network Analysis of students in an undergraduate computer science program to establish a baseline measurement of students’ connectedness in the program. Analysis of these data showed no significant differences in connectedness between male and female students or white and non-white students. The analysis did identify significant differences based on students’ class year, interest and participation in computer games, and being employed by the computer science department.
Retail Shareholders and the Efficacy of Proxy Voting: Evidence from Auditor Ratification

We investigate the influence and implications of retail shareholder participation in the proxy voting process. Using the shareholder vote on auditor ratification – a setting which facilitates the identification of an informed vote – we find that, on average, shareholder votes against auditor ratification are not associated with audit failures but are strongly associated with investment performance. We next consider how these relations vary with the composition of a company’s voting base and find evidence that the auditor ratification vote is less informed (i.e., associated with factors that do not reflect auditor performance) when retail ownership is higher. In subsequent tests, we find that the probability of auditor dismissal is increasing in the proportion of votes against auditor ratification, regardless of the level of retail ownership. Collectively, our results suggest that some auditors are dismissed for factors not directly related to auditor performance. More generally, our results suggest that votes cast by retail shareholders can limit the efficacy of proxy voting as a corporate governance tool.
Negotiating Space and Making Place: Punjabi-Sikh Cabbies in New York City:

I examine how immigrant Punjabi-Sikhs make sense of themselves as yellow cabbies in New York with two complementary frameworks—Hill Collins’ “matrix of domination” and insights from the literature ...
A 28-Year-Old Pregnant Woman With a Lung Abscess and Complicated Pleural Effusion.

Case Presentation A 28-year-old woman G1P0 at 22 weeks of gestation and with no significant medical history presented to the ED complaining of worsening dyspnea and right-sided pleuritic chest pain. Symptoms started 2 weeks before presentation, with minimal productive cough and dyspnea on exertion. One week after the initial symptoms, the patient started noticing right-sided chest and shoulder pain along with subjective fevers and night sweats. She denied hemoptysis, weight loss, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, arthralgia, or rash. Her pregnancy had so far been uncomplicated. The patient did not use tobacco, alcohol, or recreational drugs. She worked at a daycare center but denied any particular sick contacts. She moved to the United States 7 years ago from Sudan and denied any recent travel.
Cost-sharing With Medicaid Expansion in Michigan: Obligations and Propensity to Pay.

BACKGROUND Six states expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act have obtained waivers to incorporate cost-sharing. OBJECTIVE We describe the magnitude and distribution of cost-sharing imposed by the Healthy Michigan Plan and enrollees' propensity to pay. RESEARCH DESIGN Enrollees are followed for at least 18 months (6-mo baseline period for utilization and spending before receipt of first cost-sharing statement; ≥12 mo follow-up thereafter to ascertain obligations and payments). Analyses stratified by income, comparing enrollees with income less than Federal Poverty Level (FPL) who faced only utilization-based copayments and those greater than or equal to FPL who also faced premium contributions. SUBJECTS A total of 158,322 enrollees aged 22-62 who initially enrolled during the first year of the program and remained continuously enrolled ≥18 months. RESULTS Among those enrolled ≥18 months, 51.0% faced cost-sharing. Average quarterly invoices were $4.85 ($11.11 for those with positive invoices) for income less than FPL and $26.71 ($30.93 for those with positive invoices) for incomes greater than or equal to FPL. About half of enrollees with obligations made at least partial payments, with payments being more likely among those >100% FPL. Payment of the full obligation was highest in the initial 6 months. CONCLUSIONS Many payment obligations go uncollected, suggesting that in a system without the threat of disenrollment, the impacts of cost-sharing may be muted. Similarly, the ability of cost-sharing to defray the program's budgetary impact may also be less than anticipated.
Facilitated transport membranes for H2 purification from coal-derived syngas: A techno-economic analysis

Abstract A single-stage membrane process has been designed for using facilitated transport membranes (FTMs) to decarbonize the coal-derived syngas from an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant. The necessary process model and costing method have also been developed to assess the technical feasibility and process economics. In order to account for the carrier saturation phenomenon associated with FTMs, a homogeneous reactive diffusion model is integrated into the process model. The techno-economic study reveals that the mitigated carrier saturation upon bulk CO2 removal can lead to appreciable increases in the CO2 permeance and CO2/H2 selectivity, which can be utilized to achieve 95% CO2 purity and 95% H2 recovery with a CO2/H2 selectivity of 50 at the complete carrier saturation. FTMs with different facilitated transport characteristics can also be arranged in a hybrid membrane configuration to render a H2 recovery of 99% and a cost of electricity of $118.5/MWh, which is 12.5% lower than that of the benchmark Selexol process.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Revised 2021 Standards of Practice and Standards of Professional Performance for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (Competent, Proficient, and Expert) in Sports and Human Performance Nutrition

Nutrition in sports and human performance incorporates knowledge of the intersection of human physiology and nutrition. Registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) practitioners in sports and human performance focus on nutrition care that is specific to the individual and their sport/occupational requirements. The Dietitians in Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Dietetic Practice Group, along with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Quality Management Committee, have updated the Standards of Practice (SOP) and Standards of Professional Performance (SOPP) for RDNs working in sports and human performance. The SOP and SOPP for RDNs in Sports and Human Performance Nutrition provide indicators that describe three levels of practice: competent, proficient, and expert. The SOP uses the Nutrition Care Process and clinical workflow elements for delivering care to athletic/professional populations. The SOPP describes the following six domains that focus on professional performance: Quality in Practice, Competence and Accountability, Provision of Services, Application of Research, Communication and Application of Knowledge, and Utilization and Management of Resources. Specific indicators outlined in the SOP and SOPP depict how these standards apply to practice. The SOP and SOPP are complementary resources for RDNs and are intended to be used as a self-evaluation tool for assuring competent practice in sports and human performance and for determining potential education and training needs for advancement to a higher practice level in a variety of settings.
Pericarditis

Pericarditis (inflammation of the pericardium) may be caused by infectious agents, autoimmune disorders, metabolic conditions, or malignancy, or it may be a complication of drug therapy, trauma, cardiac surgery, or smallpox vaccination. Diagnosis, based on clinical findings, electrocardiographic changes, chest radiograph, and ultrasound, may be confirmed as appropriate by pericardiocentesis. Although contemporary imaging technologies, such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, are useful, echocardiography remains the simplest and most expeditious noninvasive tool to assess inflammatory and infectious diseases of the pericardium. Although contemporary management of pericardial disease remains relatively unchanged, reports of innovative approaches to the management of pericardial effusion include the installation of intrapericardial thrombolytic agents to facilitate drainage of purulent effusions or balloon pericardiotomy for recurrent effusions. Both offer potential alternatives to the surgical pericardial window.
The Resilience Index: A Quantifiable Measure of Brain Health and Risk of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia.

BACKGROUND There is increasing interest in lifestyle modification and integrative medicine approaches to treat and/or prevent mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). OBJECTIVE To address the need for a quantifiable measure of brain health, we created the Resilience Index (RI). METHODS This cross-sectional study analyzed 241 participants undergoing a comprehensive evaluation including the Clinical Dementia Rating and neuropsychological testing. Six lifestyle factors including physical activity, cognitive activity, social engagements, dietary patterns, mindfulness, and cognitive reserve were combined to derive the RI (possible range of scores: 1-378). Psychometric properties were determined. RESULTS The participants (39 controls, 75 MCI, 127 ADRD) had a mean age of 74.6±9.5 years and a mean education of 15.8±2.6 years. The mean RI score was 138.2±35.6. The RI provided estimates of resilience across participant characteristics, cognitive staging, and ADRD etiologies. The RI showed moderate-to-strong correlations with clinical and cognitive measures and very good discrimination (AUC: 0.836; 95% CI: 0.774-0.897) between individuals with and without cognitive impairment (diagnostic odds ratio = 8.9). Individuals with high RI scores (> 143) had better cognitive, functional, and behavioral ratings than individuals with low RI scores. Within group analyses supported that controls, MCI, and mild ADRD cases with high RI had better cognitive, functional, and global outcomes than those with low RI. CONCLUSION The RI is a brief, easy to administer, score and interpret assessment of brain health that incorporates six modifiable protective factors. Results from the RI could provide clinicians and researchers with a guide to develop personalized prevention plans to support brain health.
Equity and justice as central components of climate change adaptation

Climate change and inequity are deeply intertwined. In this issue of One Earth, Araos et al. assess how social equity and justice are applied in global climate adaptation responses. Here, I highlight how evaluation can help the adaptation community address root causes of unequal vulnerability to climate change.
TAKING ADOPTION SERIOUSLY: RADICAL REVOLUTIONORMODEST REVISIONISM?

American and Asian children. It is about children growing up in homes n whlch they are physically brutalized or sexually exploited. It s about children born damaged by drugs and alcohol used during their mothers’ pregnancies, children in need of very special parenting to overcome the damage, but who are sent home to parents whose first love is their drug. It is about childrenwho grow up parenting themselves and their siblings as best they can because the adults in their home are not mentally or emotionally capable of parenting. This book is about the children left to grow up n inadequate homes, but also about the children removed only to be placed in inadequate foster or institutional care. It is about those who will spend the rest of their childhood in state custody, and about those who will spend it bouncing back and forth between foster care and their homes of origin. These are Nobody’s Children. This book is also about the culture that makes it possible to see children as Nobody’s, or Somebody Else’ s, and certainly Not Ours. R tells the story ofhow our child welfare policies came to place such a high value on keeping children in their families and communities of origin without regard to whether this works for children. It envisions a new culture in which the larger community assumes responsibility for the well-being of its children, a culture in which we understand children born to others as belonging not only to them, and not only to their kinship or racial groups, but to all of us.
A new feature on the cholesterol-lowering landscape

Reduction in blood levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol reduces the risk of coronary heart disease. The identification of a new class of compounds that upregulate the low-density lipoprotein receptor may lead to new therapeutic advances. ( pages 1332–1338 )
THREE YEARS CLINICAL EXPERIENCE WITH INTESTINAL TRANSPLANTATION

BACKGROUND After the successful evolution of hepatic transplantation during the last decade, small bowel and multivisceral transplantation remains the sole elusive achievement for the next era of transplant surgeons. Until recently, and for the last thirty years, the results of the sporadic attempts of intestinal transplantation worldwide were discouraging because of unsatisfactory graft and patient survival. The experimental and clinical demonstration of the superior therapeutic efficacy of FK 506, a new immunosuppressive drug, ushered in the current era of small bowel and multivisceral transplantation with initial promising results.
Biomaterials for abdominal wall hernia surgery and principles of their applications

This article focuses special attention on the porosity, cellular permeability and molecular permeability of biomaterials and their effect on infection, host tissue incorporation and seroma formation when mesh is used for the repair of abdominal wall hernias. Furthermore, the general principles of the application of biomaterials, regardless of the technique used for their employment, is discussed.
Abstract 5040: Calcium channels: Potential new therapeutic targets for hormone independent and resistant breast cancers

Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) is central to the growth and progression of a subset of breast cancers. As such, therapies that target ERα are a standard of care in the treatment of ERα -positive disease. Unfortunately, one-third of patients receiving hormonal therapies develop resistance. Several factors are believed to contribute to resistance including increased hormone independent activation of ERα by activated signal transduction pathways such as the epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling pathway. We have shown that calcium mediates the cross talk between the EGF signaling pathway and ERα by directly binding to and activating the ligand binding domain of ERα suggesting a role for calcium in the development and progression of hormone independent and resistant breast cancer. Preliminary results from this study show that compared to normal (MCF10A) or hormone dependent (MCF-7) breast cells, hormone independent and resistant breast cancer cells (MCF7-2A, LCC-9, and MCF7-RR) have higher expression of the L-type and T-type calcium channels and higher concentrations of intracellular calcium. When hormone resistant (LCC-9) cells were treated with the intracellular calcium chelator BAPTA-AM, the L-type calcium channel blocker methoxyverapamil, or the T-type calcium channel blocker mibefradil, there was a significant decrease in the expression of the ERα regulated gene progesterone receptor that was reversed by the addition of estradiol. More importantly, when hormone independent (MCF7-2A) and hormone independent (LCC-9) cells were treated with the calcium channel blockers, there was in a significant decrease in growth and a re-sensitization of the antiestrogen resistant LCC-9 cells to tamoxifen and fulvestrant. Taken together, the preliminary results suggest that increased expression of calcium channels and intracellular calcium contribute to the hormone independent activation of ERα and point to a potential new therapeutic target for hormone independent and resistant breast cancer. Citation Format: Kedra Cyrus, Mudit Kaushal, Zeina Sharawi, Glyn Noguchi, Tiffany Chang, William Rydzewski, Fatima Gibrel, William Yeguech, Bassam Haddad, Mary Beth Martin. Calcium channels: Potential new therapeutic targets for hormone independent and resistant breast cancers. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 5040. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-5040
Interaction trees: exploring the differential effects of an intervention programme for breast cancer survivors

Summary. The breast cancer education intervention (BCEI) is a tailored psychoeducational intervention programme aiming to improve the quality of life of breast cancer survivors. Borrowing the idea of recursive partitioning and following the convention of classification and regression trees, an exploratory procedure, termed interaction trees, is proposed to understand better the differential effects of the BCEI on longitudinal quality-of-life data. The resultant tree model identifies several objectively defined subgroups: in some groups the BCEI is quite effective whereas in others it may not be. Based on the final tree structure, a permutation test is used to assess the overall treatment-by-covariate interaction. In addition, a variable importance ranking feature is facilitated via random forests of interaction trees to help to determine important effect modifiers of the BCEI.
Distributional Rank Aggregation, and an Axiomatic Analysis

The rank aggregation problem has been studied with varying desiderata in varied communities such as Theoretical Computer Science, Statistics, Information Retrieval and Social Welfare Theory. We introduce a variant of this problem we call distributional rank aggregation, where the ranking data is only available via the induced distribution over the set of all permutations. We provide a novel translation of the usual social welfare theory axioms to this setting. As we show this allows for a more quantitative characterization of these axioms: which then are not only less prone to misinterpretation, but also allow simpler proofs for some key impossibility theorems. Most importantly, these quantitative characterizations lead to natural and novel relaxations of these axioms, which as we show, allow us to get around celebrated impossibility results in social choice theory. We are able to completely characterize the class of positional scoring rules with respect to our axioms and show that Borda Count is optimal in a certain sense.
Simultaneous transmit and receive system architecture with four stages of cancellation

Simultaneous transmit and receive systems (STAR) are proposed to double the spectral efficiency and enhance spectrum utilization in the traditional microwave band. A major problem is high power self-interference (SI) due to the proximity of the transmit and receive antennas. In this paper, we propose to significantly improve system-level performance using a novel high isolation RF front-end based on collocated Tx/Rx antenna pair(s). Among our improvements, we propose a novel architecture for a STAR system incorporating four stages of self-interference cancellation across the propagation, analog, and digital domains. We aim to attain at least 120dB of total SI cancellation over a >100MHz bandwidth.
On the introduction of nuclear power in Middle East countries: Promise, strategies, vision and challenges

Abstract Middle eastern countries have been experiencing economical growth at an annual rate of more than 5% and some of the highest population growth rates in the world. Many (>13) have recently expressed interest in nuclear power for meeting future demands of electricity and fresh water. A challenging, but possible goal, particularly for the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and for the countries in North Africa, would be to secure 30% of future needs of electricity and process heat for industrial applications and seawater desalination from nuclear power by 2030. For the GCC states alone, this would be equivalent to building two new, 1500 MWe nuclear power plants each year starting in 2016. Some of the challenges and important consideration include: (a) stimulating private investments, (b) establishing education and training programs that are among the world’s best; (c) maintaining close cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and countries with advanced nuclear technology and fuel cycle capabilities to ensure safety and compliance at all levels, (c) establishing viable indigence heavy industry and international alliances on all aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle; (d) coordinating with other countries in the region on the development of a common electric grid; (e) investing in uranium mining and exploration to secure future resources, (f) identifying and licensing suitable sites for future construction of nuclear plants; (g) establishing a regulatory and safety board with government oversight and sound regulations that would make it possible to build and operate new nuclear power plants within 40–50 months, (h) investing in high technology and R&D infrastructure, and (i) investigating the options of standardization versus diversification in the nuclear reactor types.
Development of Midcareer Librarians

ABSTRACT This article examines career development issues faced by midcareer librarians and discusses challenges these librarians encounter during their career path. The article also analyzes how midcareer librarians can deal with these challenges through career development and planning using self-evaluation and assessment.
Palinspastic restoration of the Anniston transverse zone in the Appalachian thrust belt, Alabama

Abstract Transverse zones are cross-strike alignments of cross-strike linking structures (lateral ramps, transverse faults, and displacement-transfer zones) in foreland thrust belts. Cross-strike links constitute one component of a three-dimensional system of fault surfaces, connecting strike-parallel structures (frontal ramps) and detachment flats both geometrically and kinematically. Three-dimensional palinspastic restoration provides the basis to consider causes of cross-strike alignments of cross-strike links into transverse zones, as well as the role of transverse zones in kinematic history. The Anniston transverse zone in the Appalachian thrust belt in Alabama (southeastern United States) exemplifies the types and distribution of cross-strike links within a transverse zone. Palinspastic reconstruction of the Anniston transverse zone relies on matching hanging-wall/footwall pairs of frontal and lateral ramps for geometric balance in three dimensions in palinspastic-map and cross-section views. Cross-strike links within the Anniston transverse zone are systematically distributed across strike, from hinterland to foreland, as domains of lateral ramps, transverse faults, and displacement-transfer zones, in response to variations in depth to basement beneath the thrust belt and variations in thickness of decollement-host weak rocks. Contrasting structural profiles characterize the thrust belt on opposite sides of the Anniston transverse zone as a result of abrupt along-strike changes at the cross-strike alignment of cross-strike links. The Anniston transverse zone is aligned with a northwest-striking basement fault that offsets the boundary faults of the Birmingham basement graben, suggesting kinematic partitioning within the advancing thrust sheets at a stress concentrator. The northwest-striking basement fault separates domains of contrasting structural profiles of basement fault systems, differing elevations of top of basement, and differing thicknesses of the regional decollement-host weak layer in the lower part of the sedimentary succession above basement rocks.
Etiology of nonresponsive celiac disease: results of a systematic approach

Abstract OBJECTIVES: Nonresponse or relapse of symptoms is common in patients with celiac disease treated with gluten free diet. Refractory sprue (RS) is defined as initial or subsequent failure of a strict gluten-free diet to restore normal intestinal architecture and function in patients who have celiac-like enteropathy. The aims of this study were: 1) to identify causes of persistent symptoms in patients referred with presumed diagnosis of nonresponsive celiac disease (NCD); and 2) to characterize patients with true RS. METHODS: Patients were identified who had been systematically evaluated for NCD between January 1997, and May 2001. Patient records and small bowel biopsy results were reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 55 patients were referred with a presumed diagnosis of NCD. Six did not have celiac disease and had other diseases responsible for their symptoms. Diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss were the most common reasons for evaluation in cases of NCD, whereas weight loss, steatorrhea, and diarrhea were the most common presenting features of RS (nine patients). Of the 49 patients with celiac disease, 25 were identified as having gluten contamination. Additional diagnoses accounting for persistent symptoms included: pancreatic insufficiency, irritable bowel syndrome, bacterial overgrowth, lymphocytic colitis, collagenous colitis, ulcerative jejunitis, T-cell lymphoma, pancreatic cancer, fructose intolerance, protein losing enteropathy, cavitating lymphadenopathy syndrome, and tropical sprue. CONCLUSIONS: Based on this study, we conclude the following: 1) gluten contamination is the leading reason for NCD; 2) of NCD cases, 18% are due to RS; and 3) alternative diseases or those coexistent with celiac disease and gluten contamination should be ruled out before a diagnosis of RS is made.
HER‐2/neu expression as a predictor of response to neoadjuvant docetaxel in patients with operable breast carcinoma

BACKGROUND The use of biologic markers to predict response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy may permit tailoring regimens to achieve maximal tumor response. Taxanes have demonstrated excellent activity in breast carcinoma; however, tumor-specific factors that predict clinical response have not been characterized thoroughly. METHODS The authors performed a historic review evaluating the association of tumor prognostic factors and response to neoadjuvant cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin (AC) with or without docetaxel (D) (AC vs. AC+D) in 121 women who previously were enrolled in a Phase III, randomized, clinical trial. Using pretreatment biopsy materials, immunohistochemical studies were performed for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), HER-2/neu, p53, and Ki-67. Outcome variables were pathologic complete response (pCR) and positive clinical response (cPOS), which was defined as a ≥ 50% regression in clinical tumor size prior to surgery. RESULTS In a multivariate analysis that controlled for tumor size and lymph node status, improved cPOS rates were observed with the addition of docetaxel in women with HER-2/neu-negative tumors (81% vs. 51%; P < 0.05), yielding an adjusted odds ratio of 3.5 (95% confidence interval, 1.2–13.0) in favor of docetaxel. Women who had HER-2/neu-negative tumors appeared to have a lower response rate with AC alone compared with women who had HER-2/neu-positive tumors (51% vs. 75%; P = 0.06), but response rates were matched when docetaxel was added (81% vs. 78%; P = 0.99). ER, PR, p53, and Ki-67 results were not associated significantly with response rates. CONCLUSIONS HER-2/neu status may predict improved clinical response rates from the addition of docetaxel to anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Docetaxel may “rescue” the response in women who have HER-2/neu-negative tumors to match that observed in women who have HER-2/neu-positive tumors treated with AC alone. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Numerical scheme for riser motion calculation during 3-D VIV simulation

Abstract This paper presents a numerical scheme for riser motion calculation and its application to riser VIV simulations. The discretisation of the governing differential equation is studied first. The top tensioned risers are simplified as tensioned beams. A centered space and forward time finite difference scheme is derived from the governing equations of motion. Then an implicit method is adopted for better numerical stability. The method meets von Neumann criteria and is shown to be unconditionally stable. The discretized linear algebraic equations are solved using a LU decomposition method. This approach is then applied to a series of benchmark cases with known solutions. The comparisons show good agreement. Finally the method is applied to practical riser VIV simulations. The studied cases cover a wide range of riser VIV problems, i.e. different riser outer diameter, length, tensioning conditions, and current profiles. Reasonable agreement is obtained between the numerical simulations and experimental data on riser motions and cross-flow VIV a/D. These validations and comparisons confirm that the present numerical scheme for riser motion calculation is valid and effective for long riser VIV simulation.