cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Capsular Contracture Rate in a Low-Risk Population After Primary Augmentation Mammaplasty

Background: The safety of augmentation mammaplasty has increased dramatically in the past 20 years. Capsular contracture (CC) is the most commonly reported complication of augmentation mammaplasty. Objectives: The authors report the incidence of CC in a low-risk patient population after primary augmentation. Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed the charts of 856 consecutive patients who underwent primary augmentation mammaplasty between 1999 and 2009. This series did not include patients who underwent breast augmentation–mastopexy, secondary augmentation, revision, and/or reconstruction. Data points included demographics, functional and aesthetic outcomes, complications, and revision rate/type. Results: The overall incidence of CC in 856 patients was 2.8%. Average follow-up time was 14.9 months. Antibiotic irrigation decreased CC rates from 3.9% to 0.4% ( P = .004). Tobacco users had higher rates of contracture than nonsmokers (5.5% vs 1.9%; P = .036). Saline implants had a higher CC rate than silicone gel (4.3% vs 1.3%; P = .032). Using multivariate logistic regression, CC was 7.89 times more likely in saline implants than in silicone gel ( P = .027, 95% confidence interval, 1.26–49.00). Conclusions: Based on our findings, it is apparent that the early CC rate in primary augmentation can be less than 1%. To avoid CC, we advocate an inframmamary approach, submuscular implant placement, and antibiotic irrigation of the breast pocket. Level of Evidence: 3 ![Graphic][1] [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif
Haptoglobin genotype and cerebrovascular disease incidence in type 1 diabetes.

Objective: We prospectively evaluated the haptoglobin (Hp)–stroke association in type 1 diabetes and hypothesized that despite increasing the risk of coronary artery disease, the presence of the Hp 2 allele would be associated with a lower incidence of stroke. Methods: Participants from the Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications study without prevalent stroke and Hp available were evaluated (n = 607; mean age 27.6 years and duration 19.3 years). Results: During 22 years of follow-up, stroke incidence did not differ by Hp genotype (p = 0.49). Restricting analyses to those diagnosed with diabetes ⩾1965 (13% mortality vs 40% in the <1965 cohort) to diminish potential survival bias, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for Hp 1-1 was 3.08 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.81–11.77, p = 0.10). Further stratifying by hypertension prevalence, an increased stroke incidence was observed with Hp 1-1 only in those with hypertension (HR = 7.03, 95% CI = 1.42–34.89, p = 0.02). Conclusion: Despite the protective effect against vascular diabetes complications, a borderline increased risk of stroke was observed with Hp 1-1 in type 1 diabetes. This mixed Hp effect on cardiovascular risk by outcome studied merits further investigation and cautions against the universal application of preventive therapies across all Hp genotypes.
Molecular Pathways: Preclinical Models and Clinical Trials with Metformin in Breast Cancer

Metformin, an oral biguanide widely used to treat diabetes, has considerable potential and is in clinical trials as an experimental preventive or therapeutic agent for a range of cancers. Direct actions targeting cellular pathways, particularly via AMP-activated protein kinase and through inhibiting mitochondrial ATP synthesis, or systemic mechanisms involving insulin and insulin-like growth factors have been much studied in vitro and in preclinical models. Epidemiologic and retrospective studies also provide clinical evidence in support of metformin as an antitumor agent. Preoperative window-of-opportunity trials confirm the safety of metformin in women with primary breast cancer, and demonstrate reduction in tumor cell proliferation and complex pathways of gene suppression or overexpression attributable to metformin. Confirmation of insulin-mediated effects, independent of body mass index, also supports the potential benefit of adjuvant metformin therapy. Neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and advanced disease trials combining metformin with established anticancer agents are under way or proposed. Companion biomarker studies will utilize in vitro and preclinical understanding of the relevant molecular pathways to, in future, refine patient and tumor selection for metformin therapy.
Determination of Defect Depth and Size Using Virtual Heat Sources in Pulsed Infrared Thermography

The determination of defect depth and size using Pulsed Infrared Thermography is a critical problem. The problem of defect depth estimation has been previously studied using 1D heat conduction models. Unfortunately, 1D heat conduction based models are generally inadequate in predicting heat flow around defects. In this study, a novel approach based on virtual heat sources is proposed to model heat flow around defects accounting for 2D axisymmetric heat conduction. The proposed approach is used to quantitatively determine the defect depth and size. The validity of the model is established using experiments performed on a stainless steel plate specimen with flat bottom holes at different depths.
Core and Periphery: Territorial Dimensions in Politics:

The essay reviews developments of the Core-Periphery paradigm. Two variants of the paradigm are isolated. Both variants define core-periphery relations by three features: characteristics distinguis...
Neuropsychologically Informed Strategic Psychotherapy in Teenagers and Adults with ADHD

Stimulants are the primary treatment for ADHD. Psychotherapy may augment pharmacologic treatment. In this article, we discuss strategies psychotherapists may use in working with teenagers and adults, including individuals who reject medications or take them suboptimally. Individuals with ADHD often have other psychiatric issues, including affective or cognitive comorbidities. Having ADHD does not protect people from the difficulties of life, and psychotherapy can help to disentangle "ADHD" from other issues. A psychotherapist knowledgeable about ADHD assessment can improve diagnostic precision. Psychotherapy can integrate forms of treatment in which the central goal is increasing mastery and competence of the individual.
New strategies in acute lymphoblastic leukemia: translating advances in genomics into clinical practice.

B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is the most common childhood malignancy and remains a leading cause of death in children and young adults. Current therapeutic approaches involve intensive combination chemotherapy, which fails in up to one quarter of patients. New treatment approaches directed against rational therapeutic targets are required. Recent genomic profiling of ALL has identified several genetic alterations associated with a high risk of treatment failure. Deletion or sequence mutation of the lymphoid transcription factor gene IKZF1 (IKAROS) is associated with a high rate of leukemic relapse, and testing for IKZF1 alterations at diagnosis may aid risk stratification. A subset of B-ALL patients with IKZF1 alterations have a transcriptional profile similar to BCR-ABL1 –positive ALL, and these patients commonly have novel rearrangements and mutations resulting in aberrant cytokine receptor signaling and activation of kinase signaling cascades, including rearrangement of CRLF2 and activating mutations of Janus kinases ( JAK1 and JAK2 ). JAK inhibitor therapy is under investigation in children with relapsed and refractory malignancies, including leukemia. Clin Cancer Res; 17(3); 396–400. ©2010 AACR .
Radical prostatectomy for high-grade prostate cancer.

Objectives. Patients with high-grade clinically localized disease often have disease beyond the prostate and, if so, are unlikely to benefit from radical prostatectomy in the long-term. The objective of this study was to assess whether use of other known prognostic factors could be helpful in defining which men with Gleason 8 to 10 prostate cancer are most likely to benefit from surgical management. Methods. A retrospective analysis was performed on men with biopsy Gleason 8 to 10 prostate cancer who underwent radical prostatectomy at two major university centers. No patients received hormonal therapy as part of initial treatment or adjuvant radiation therapy. Surgery was performed using a retropubic approach, and lymph node dissection was performed in all patients. Risk groups were defined based on prostatespecific antigen (PSA) value and percent positive biopsy cores (%PBC). A Cox proportional hazards analysis was performed to assess for differences in pretreatment prognostic factors. Kaplan-Meier curves were generated for each group, and then comparisons between groups were performed using log-rank analysis to assess for differences in 5-year actuarial freedom from biochemical failure. Results. Radical prostatectomy was performed on 196 patients between 1987 and 2002, of whom 168 had sufficient data for analysis. Median follow-up was 18 months (range, 1 to 130 months), with 31 patients at risk for more than 5 years. Patients with a PSA value of less than 10 ng/mL and %PBC of less than 50% had a 5-year actuarial biochemical control rate of 67% versus 23% for all other patients (P 0.0001). Conclusions. PSA value and %PBC are useful in selecting patients with high-grade prostate cancer most likely to benefit by radical prostatectomy. UROLOGY 68: 367‐370, 2006. © 2006 Elsevier Inc.
Laminar flow of four gases through a helical rectangular duct

Measurements and a model of gas flow through a helical duct of rectangular cross section are reported. Observations of the rate of rise of pressure in a known volume located downstream from the duct yielded molar flow rates of helium, nitrogen, argon and sulfur hexafluoride. The model predicts flow rates from the duct's entrance pressure, exit pressure, and temperature. It accounts for the gas's nonideal equation of state, gas expansion along the duct's length, the increase of kinetic energy near duct's entrance, and slip. After adjusting only one parameter (the duct's height), the model agrees with the data to within 0.2% in the range of Reynolds number 0.08<Re<40. To extend the model to Re = 1,000, the centrifugal effects were accounted for by rescaling Targett et al.'s (1995) numerical calculations. The extended model agrees with the data to within 0.2% in the range 40 < Re < 400 and to within 1% in the range 400 < Re < 1,000.
Regional Energy and Water Cycles: Transports from Ocean to Land

The flows of energy and water from ocean to land are examined in the context of the land energy and water budgets, for land as a whole and for continents. Most atmospheric reanalyses have large errors of up to 15Wm 22 in the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) energy imbalance, and none include volcanic eruptions. The flow of energy fromocean toland is more reliable as it relieson analyzedwind,temperature,andmoisturefields.It is examined for transports of the total, latent energy (LE), and dry static energy (DSE) to land as a whole and as zonal means. The net convergence of energy onto land is balanced by the loss of energy at TOA, measured by Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES), and again there are notable discrepancies. Only the ECMWF Interim Re-Analysis (ERA-I) is stable and plausible. Strong compensation between variations in LE and DSE transports onto land means that their sum is more stable over time, and the net transport of energy onto land is largely that associated with the hydrological cycle (LE). A more detailed examination is given of the energy and water budgets for Eurasia, North and South America, Australia, and Africa, making use of Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) data for water storage on land and data on river discharge into the ocean. With ERA-I, the new land estimates for both water and energy are closer to achieving balances than in previous studies. As well as the annual means, the mean annual cycles are examined in detail along with uncertainty sampling estimates, but the main test used here is that of closure.
Automatically Learning Cognitive Status for Multi-Document Summarization of Newswire

Machine summaries can be improved by using knowledge about the cognitive status of news article referents. In this paper, we present an approach to automatically acquiring distinctions in cognitive status using machine learning over the forms of referring expressions appearing in the input. We focus on modeling references to people, both because news often revolve around people and because existing natural language tools for named entity identification are reliable. We examine two specific distinctions---whether a person in the news can be assumed to be known to a target audience (hearer-old vs hearer-new) and whether a person is a major character in the news story. We report on machine learning experiments that show that these distinctions can be learned with high accuracy, and validate our approach using human subjects.
The role of resistance in broadband, pulse-distortionless antennas

Radars that use baseband pulses, such as ground penetrating radars, require antennas that can radiate and receive temporally short, wide-bandwidth pulses. A variety of antennas have been proposed for this purpose. Usually these antennas incorporate resistive material to reduce reflections from discontinuities, such as the ends of a dipole antenna or at the open end of a transverse electromagnetic (TEM) horn antenna. The authors discuss two contributions resistance can make to the performance of these antennas: the aforementioned reduction of reflections along the structure and the preservation of the incident pulse shape on radiation. A simple canonical model is used: an open-ended parallel plate waveguide with a resistive (lossy) wall over a portion of its length. This structure is analyzed using finite-difference time-domain methodology. >
Progression of foot deformity in Charcot neuropathic osteoarthropathy.

Background: Charcot neuropathic osteoarthropathy associated foot deformity can result in joint instability, ulceration, and even amputation. The purpose of the present study was to follow patients with and without active Charcot osteoarthropathy for as long as two years to examine the magnitude and timing of foot alignment changes. Methods: We studied fifteen subjects with Charcot osteoarthropathy and nineteen subjects with diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy without Charcot osteoarthropathy for one year; eight of the subjects with osteoarthropathy and five of the subjects with diabetes and peripheral neuropathy were followed for two years. Bilateral weight-bearing radiographs of the foot were made at baseline for all subjects, with repeat radiographs being made at six months for the osteoarthropathy group and at one and two years for both groups. Radiographic measurements included the Meary angle, cuboid height, calcaneal pitch, and hindfoot-forefoot angle. Results: The Meary angle, cuboid height, and calcaneal pitch worsened in feet with Charcot osteoarthropathy over one year as compared with the contralateral, uninvolved feet and feet in patients with diabetes and peripheral neuropathy. Cuboid height continued to worsen over the two-year follow-up in the feet with Charcot osteoarthropathy. These feet also had a greater change in the hindfoot-forefoot angle at one year as compared with the feet in patients with diabetes and peripheral neuropathy and at two years as compared with the contralateral, uninvolved feet. Conclusions: In patients with Charcot neuropathic osteoarthropathy, radiographic alignment measurements demonstrate the presence of foot deformity at the time of the initial clinical presentation and evidence of progressive changes over the first and second years. The six-month data suggest worsening of medial column alignment prior to lateral column worsening. This radiographic evidence of worsening foot alignment over time supports the need for aggressive intervention (conservative bracing or surgical fixation) to attempt to prevent limb-threatening complications. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Integrating resource defence theory with a neural nonapeptide pathway to explain territory-based mating systems

The ultimate-level factors that drive the evolution of mating systems have been well studied, but an evolutionarily conserved neural mechanism involved in shaping behaviour and social organization across species has remained elusive. Here, we review studies that have investigated the role of neural arginine vasopressin (AVP), vasotocin (AVT), and their receptor V1a in mediating variation in territorial behaviour. First, we discuss how aggression and territoriality are a function of population density in an inverted-U relationship according to resource defence theory, and how territoriality influences some mating systems. Next, we find that neural AVP, AVT, and V1a expression, especially in one particular neural circuit involving the lateral septum of the forebrain, are associated with territorial behaviour in males of diverse species, most likely due to their role in enhancing social cognition. Then we review studies that examined multiple species and find that neural AVP, AVT, and V1a expression is associated with territory size in mammals and fishes. Because territoriality plays an important role in shaping mating systems in many species, we present the idea that neural AVP, AVT, and V1a expression that is selected to mediate territory size may also influence the evolution of different mating systems. Future research that interprets proximate-level neuro-molecular mechanisms in the context of ultimate-level ecological theory may provide deep insight into the brain-behaviour relationships that underlie the diversity of social organization and mating systems seen across the animal kingdom.
Influence of Surface Preparation on Scanning Kelvin Probe Microscopy and Electron Backscatter Diffraction Analysis of Cross Sections of CdTe/CdS Solar Cells

Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) provides information on the crystallographic structure of a sample, while scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM) provides information on its electrical properties. The advantage of these techniques is their high spatial resolution, which cannot be attained with any other techniques. However, because these techniques analyze the top layers of the sample, surface or cross section features directly influence the results of the measurements, and sample preparation is a main step in the analysis. In this work we investigated different methods to prepare cross sections of CdTe/CdS solar cells for EBSD and SKPM analyses. We observed that procedures used to prepare surfaces for EBSD are not suitable to prepare cross sections, and we were able to develop a process using polishing and ion-beam milling. This process resulted in very good results and allowed us to reveal important aspects of the cross section of the CdTe films. For SKPM, polishing and a light ion-beam milling resulted in cross sections that provided good data. We were able to observe the depletion region on the CdTe film and the p-n junction as well as the interdiffusion layer between CdTe and CdS. However, preparing good-quality cross sections for SKPM is not a reproducible process, and artifacts are often observed.
Integrated triplexer on silicon

We demonstrate an integrated triplexer on silicon with a compact size of 1mm by 3.5mm. One 1310nm laser and two photodetectors responsive at 1490nm and 1550nm wavelengths are successfully integrated on a silicon-based demultiplexer through a single bonding step, selective area wafer bonding. The 3dB bandwidth of the laser and photodetector are measured to be 2GHz and 16GHz, respectively.
Supersonic Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Maneuvering Canard-Controlled Missile with Fixed and Free-Rolling Tail Fins

Wind tunnel investigations were conducted on a generic cruciform canard-controlled missile configuration. The model featured fixed or free-rolling tail-fin afterbodies to provide an expanded aerodynamic data base with particular emphasis on alleviating large induced rolling moments and/or for providing canard roll control throughout the entire test angle-of-attack range. The tests were conducted in the NASA Langley Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel at Mach numbers from 2.50 to 3.50 at a constant Reynolds number per foot of 2.00 x 10 to the 6th. Selected test results are presented to show the effects of a fixed or free-rolling tail-fin afterbody on the static longitudinal and lateral-directional aerodynamic characteristics of a canard-controlled missile with pitch, yaw, and roll control at model roll angles of 0 deg and 45 deg.
Norepinephrine induces alveolar epithelial apoptosis mediated by α-, β-, and angiotensin receptor activation

Norepinephrine (NE) induces apoptosis in cardiac myocytes, and autocrine production of angiotensin (ANG) II is required for apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) (Wang R, Zagariya A, Ang E,...
Hints of the jet composition in gamma-ray bursts from dissipative photosphere models

We present a model for gamma-ray bursts where a dissipative photosphere provides the usual spectral peak around MeV energies accompanied by a subdominant thermal component. We treat the initial acceleration of the jet in a general way, allowing for magnetic field- and baryon dominated outflows. In this model, the GeV emission associated with GRBs observed by Fermi LAT, arises as the interaction of photospheric radiation and the shocked electrons at the deceleration radius. Through recently discovered correlations between the thermal and non-thermal peaks within individual bursts, we are able to infer whether the jet was Poynting flux or baryon dominated.
CRT-306 Comparison of Stentboost, Stentboost Subtract and Stentboost Angiogram Imaging Software

StentBoost (SB) and StentBoost Subtract (SBSub) are part of Philips interventional tool programs in the catheterization laboratory. These two programs enhance stent visibility during stent procedures: SB acquires images at 30 fps for 30 frames, while SBSub acquires at 15 fps for up to 30 seconds (
Marrow involvement in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. A clinicopathologic study of 60 cases.

Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs), including Sezary syndrome, are generally assumed to spare the marrow until the disease is far advanced. The authors reviewed marrow sections from 60 patients with CTCL, looking carefully for aggregates of cerebriform cells, and found marrow involvement in 13 patients (21.7%); another 19 had abnormal lymphoid nodules that were not diagnostic of involvement, and 28 had marrows with negative results. Involved marrows had nodules or infiltrates of dysplastic cerebriform cells that were often subtle, without a significant increase in cellularity; only one case showed massive involvement. Patients with CTCL with an infiltrative component of marrow involvement had associated peripheral blood involvement (eight of eight), generalized erythroderma (six of eight), lymph node involvement (five of eight), visceral progression (five of eight), and significantly shortened median survival compared with patients with CTCL with negative marrows (11 months and 70 months, respectively; P = 0.007). In contrast, five patients with nodules of tumor in the marrow but lacking an infiltrative component did not have peripheral blood involvement; only one patient had adenopathy or visceral progression develop, and two patients have died. Significant hematologic abnormalities were generally absent. Eight of 13 patients with marrow involvement had advanced skin disease, but skin disease was limited to plaques in five patients. Eight patients had marrow involvement develop within three months of initial diagnosis. Thus, marrow involvement occurs in approximately 20% of patients with CTCL, is often present at initial diagnosis, and is associated with widespread dissemination and shortened survival time when an infiltrative component is present.
The Multistakeholder Model in Global Technology Governance: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

This paper examines two key but often overlooked analytic dimensions related to global technology governance: the roles of culture and cross-cultural communication processes and the broader framework of Multistakeholderism. Each of these dimensions has a growing tradition of research/conceptual frameworks that can inform the analysis of Internet governance and related complex and power-related processes that may be present in a multistakeholder setting. The use of the term ‘multistakeholder’ itself has grown exponentially in discussing Internet governance and related governance domains; yet there are few rigorous studies within Internet governance that treat actual multistakeholder processes, especially from a cross-cultural and comparative perspective. Using research on cross-cultural communication and related factors (at small group, occupational, organizational, interorganizational or cross- sector, national, regional levels), this paper provides and uses an analytic framework, especially for the 2012 WCIT and 2013 WSIS 10 and World Telecommunications Policy Forum that goes beyond the rhetoric of ‘multistakeholder’ as a term. It includes an examination of variables found to be important in studies from environmental governance, public administration, and private sector partnership domains including trust, absorptive capacity, and power in knowledge transfer processes.
The Changing Role of NATO’s Secretary General

At the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), one of the more visible manifestations of ‘internationalization’ of the Alliance is the heightened political significance and presence of the Secretary General in the post-Cold War era. Created in 1952, three years after the Alliance’s formation, the individuals who have occupied this office since the Cold War’s end have increasingly become policy entrepreneurs: independent initiators of policy ideas and directions for the allies in leading NATO towards the end they desire. During the Cold War, this was much less the case. NATO’s Secretaries General were often very talented diplomats, who at times exercised important independent influence on Alliance politics. Yet, they often were limited greatly by the political influence exercised by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), the Alliance’s conservative strategic outlook, and often by the generally unadventurous leadership approaches taken by the individuals who held this office (Jordan with Bloome 1979). In the post-Cold War era, these leaders have produced a far greater impact, though their influence is still limited by larger systemic and institutional constraints. As NATO has taken on a wider set of political and military operations, and as NATO’s strategic mandate has broadened, so too have the opportunities for the Secretary General to successfully act as a policy entrepreneur and internationalized actor who is turned to by the allies for guidance and leadership in shaping policy.
Cyclic esotropia--a case history.

(1974). Cyclic Esotropia—A Case History. American Orthoptic Journal: Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 83-85.
Research-based Reflections on How the Educational, Economic and Social Circumstances Faced by Some Children and Young People Can Lead to Significant Disadvantage and Vulnerability

The paper provides detailed reflections on the educational, economic and social circumstances that impact on the lives of many disadvantaged and vulnerable children and young people. Drawing largely on primary research data collected in Romania, Germany and the United Kingdom, three illustrative case studies are presented for consideration focusing on: life in residential care and youth offending institutions; experiences of educational vulnerability; and human trafficking. The methodological approach adopted across the research projects explored, was shaped by the demands and expectations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). All of the reported data reflects the views of children and young people who were interviewed as part of three research projects. It is argued that the difficult and challenging circumstances that many children and young people find themselves in, place them at significant disadvantage and increased vulnerability in terms of their social and educational development and life chances.
Extraskeletal actions of vitamin D

The vitamin D receptor (VDR) is found in nearly all, if not all, cells in the body. The enzyme that produces the active metabolite of vitamin D and ligand for VDR, namely CYP27B1, likewise is widely expressed in many cells of the body. These observations indicate that the role of vitamin D is not limited to regulation of bone and mineral homeostasis, as important as that is. Rather, the study of its extraskeletal actions has become the major driving force behind the significant increase in research articles on vitamin D published over the past several decades. A great deal of information has accumulated from cell culture studies, in vivo animal studies, and clinical association studies that confirms that extraskeletal effects of vitamin D are truly widespread and substantial. However, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials, when done, have by and large not produced the benefits anticipated by the in vitro cell culture and in vivo animal studies. In this review, I will examine the role of vitamin D signaling in a number of extraskeletal tissues and assess the success of translating these findings into treatments of human diseases affecting those extracellular tissues.
Reconceptualizing qualitative research: methodologies without methodology

This was really hard for me to wrap my mind around, it wasn’t until the author’s beyond coding class that I had a good understanding as to what ‘without Methodology’ involved. It’s a community with...
Implications of Alternative Hepatorenal Prognostic Scoring Systems in Acute Heart Failure (from DOSE-AHF and ROSE-AHF).

Because hepatic dysfunction is common in patients with heart failure (HF), the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) may be attractive for risk stratification. Although alternative scores such as the MELD-XI or MELD-Na may be more appropriate in HF populations, the short-term clinical implications of these in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) are unknown. The MELD-XI and MELD-Na were calculated at baseline in 453 patients with AHF in the DOSE-AHF and ROSE-AHF trials. The correlations and associations for each score with cardiorenal biomarkers, short-term end points at 72 hours including worsening renal function and clinical events to 60 days were determined. The median MELD-XI and MELD-Na was 16 and 17, respectively. Both were correlated with baseline cystatin C, amino terminus pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, and plasma renin activity (p 0.05 for both) at 72 hours. Neither score was associated with worsening renal function or worsening HF (p >0.05 for all). Similarly, both the MELD-XI and MELD-Na were not associated with 60-day death/any rehospitalization and 60-day death/HF rehospitalization in adjusted analyses when analyzes as a dichotomous or continuous variable (p >0.05 for all). In conclusion, the alternative MELD scores correlated with baseline cardiorenal biomarkers, and lower baseline MELD scoring was associated with higher diuretic efficiency and a slight increase in cystatin C through 72 hours. However, MELD-Na and MELD-XI were not predictive of 60-day clinical events.
The optical trapezoid model: A novel approach to remote sensing of soil moisture applied to Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 observations

Abstract The “trapezoid” or “triangle” model constitutes the most popular approach to remote sensing (RS) of surface soil moisture based on coupled thermal (i.e., land surface temperature) and optical RS observations. The model, hereinafter referred to as Thermal-Optical TRAapezoid Model (TOTRAM), is based on interpretation of the pixel distribution within the land surface temperature - vegetation index ( LST - VI ) space. TOTRAM suffers from two inherent limitations. It is not applicable to satellites that do not provide thermal data (e.g., Sentinel-2) and it requires parameterization for each individual observation date. To overcome these restrictions we propose a novel OPtical TRApezoid Model (OPTRAM), which is based on the linear physical relationship between soil moisture and shortwave infrared transformed reflectance ( STR ) and is parameterized based on the pixel distribution within the STR - VI space. The OPTRAM-based surface soil moisture estimates derived from Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 observations for the Walnut Gulch and Little Washita watersheds were compared with ground truth soil moisture data. Results indicate that the prediction accuracies of OPTRAM and TOTRAM are comparable, with OPTRAM only requiring observations in the optical electromagnetic frequency domain. The volumetric moisture content estimation errors of both models were below 0.04 cm 3 cm − 3 with local calibration and about 0.04–0.05 cm 3 cm − 3 without calibration. We also demonstrate that OPTRAM only requires a single universal parameterization for a given location, which is a significant advancement that opens a new avenue for remote sensing of soil moisture.
Por amor en el caserío : Caribbeanizing West Side Story

This article proposes a theory of caribbeanization to understand the relationship between the 2013 Puerto Rican film Por amor en el caserio (PAC) and the 1961 motion picture production of West Side Story (WSS). Within the article, the term caribbeanization acknowledges the way(s) in which deploying a dominant narrative from the margins can yield transformative results. Pushing against stereotypes, PAC latches on to WSS’s xenophobic rendition of the growth of Latinx communities and instead uses it to bring into focus an oft-elided segment of Puerto Rico’s population: those living in the caserios. Through a discussion of PAC’s and WSS’s origins and the commentary each film offers in terms of the interplay among race, class, gender, and ethnicity, I show how PAC’s caribbeanization of WSS opens up social and discursive spaces that, albeit sometimes flawed, posit caribbeanization as a tool for cultural empowerment that rejects the prescriptions of tropicalization.
Teaching-Family Model for Autistic Children

Alan, an autistic adolescent, had a long history of aggressive responses, such as hitting, kicking, and biting, and he had engaged in a variety of self-stimulatory behaviors, including repetitive vocal noisemaking, stereotyped finger play, and noncontextual laughing. Like many autistic youngsters, he had acquired a few words during his second year of life, but these later disappeared from his repertoire. Alan was able to undress himself, but he needed assistance with dressing; he drank from a cup, but did not use utensils. He displayed gaze aversion, and was unable to follow simple directions. When last tested, he had achieved a social quotient of 31 on the Vineland Social Maturity Scale.
Quantitative Analysis of Feedbacks in Climate Model Simulations of CO2-Induced Warming

The CO2-induced warming of the Earth’s surface air temperature simulated by energy balance models (EBMs), radiative-convective models (RCMs) and general circulation models (GCMs) is analyzed in terms of the direct radiative forcing of the increased CO2 concentration, the resultant warming that would occur if the climate system had no feedback mechanisms, and the feedbacks that either enhance or diminish the zero-feedback warming. The total feedback in EBMs ranges from 0 to 0.94 on a scale of −∞ to 1; this wide range is due to the inability of EBMs to determine the behavior of the climate system away from the energy balance level. The total feedback in RCMs ranges from −1.5 to 0.7; this wide range is due to differences in the treatment of the individual feedback mechanisms in RCMs. The total feedback of a single GCM simulation is 0.71, of which water vapor feedback is the single most important contributor, followed by cloud feedback and surface albedo feedback, with the lapse rate feedback making a negative contribution. It is concluded that the analysis of feedbacks in climate model simulations is a useful method of model intercomparison that provides insight on the causes of the differences in the models’ simulated CO2-induced warming.
Organizational paradigm shift and the university colleges of British Columbia

This study focuses on the universitycolleges of the Canadian province of BritishColumbia, connecting the behaviors of managersand faculty to government policy andlegislation and determining that the responsesof managers and faculty can be construed inpart as responses to economic globalization. As such, this investigation observes thatglobal forces of change framed and affected theevolution of five community colleges in BritishColumbia to university colleges. As well,this study addresses cultural change withinBritish Columbia's university colleges,particularly to note if the baccalaureatedegree status of these institutions has broughtabout an alteration to the organizationalparadigm.
Prevention of Colon Cancer and Modulation of Aberrant Crypt Foci, Cell Proliferation, and Apoptosis by Retinoids and NSAIDs

Cancer is a multistage process involving multiple rare events with each suggesting a mutational or chromosomal alteration. At the different steps along the progression to cancer, the cells accumulate selective growth advantage that could be manifested by an increase in cell proliferation and/or a decrease in apoptosis and terminal differentiation. Promotion of the progression to cancer could therefore involve agents, growth factors, proto-oncogenes, etc., which enhance cell proliferation while decreasing apoptosis. Chemopreventive agents, on the other hand, would be agents that decrease cell proliferation while enhancing apoptosis resulting in a decrease in the selective growth advantage of precancerous lesions. A putative early precancerous lesion in the colon is the aberrant crypt focus (ACF) described and reviewed by Bird.1 Increased cell proliferation appears to result in the accumulation of epithelial cells at the lumina of the crypts and hence the larger appearance of the aberrant crypts. In laboratory animals ACF are induced by chemical carcinogens and presumably contain precancerous cells that have many characteristics in common with colon tumors including in some dysphasia and an activated K-ras oncogene.2–4 K-ras and APC mutations have also been demonstrated in ACF in human colon.5–7 ACF are proposed to progress further to adenomas and finally cancer. During this progression, there is an increase in the level of cell proliferation with less of an increase in apoptosis, resulting in the overall growth of the lesions.
University as Church: Fides et Ratio as a Source for Ecclesiology

John Paul II’s Fides et Ratio has taken a back seat in scholarly literature due to the attention given the juridical norms surrounding Ex Corde Ecclesiae. This article dissects the message of Fides et Ratio, calling for a new relationship between the disciplines of theology and philosophy. Collegiality is discussed not as a characteristic of persons but as the quality that should animate university departments in order to sustain cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary pursuits. The article concludes by articulating a functional ecclesiology: university as church.
Challenges and opportunities in the evolving digital preservation landscape: reflections from Portico

There has been tremendous growth in the amount of digital content created by libraries, publishers, cultural institutions and the general public. While there are great benefits to having content available in digital form, digital objects can be extremely short-lived unless proper attention is paid to preservation. Reflecting on our experience with the digital preservation service Portico, we provide background on Portico’s history and evolving practice of sustainable preservation of the digital artifacts of scholarly communications. We also provide an overview of the digital preservation landscape as we see it now, with some thoughts on current requirements for preservation, and thoughts on the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
The Strings of 9/11: Elegiac Reflection, Catharsis, and Reenactment in Works for String Instruments

ABSTRACTIn the eighteen years since 9/11 and the collapse of the World Trade Center towers, art composers have created over one hundred composition attempting to come to terms with this tragic even...
Immigration Waivers and the Psychological Effects on Family Members Throughout Their Loved One’s Legalization Process

Over 11 million undocumented individuals live in the United States. Every day, immigrants flood to this country in search of the “American Dream.” Men, women, and children risk their lives to escape crime, drug use, gang-related territorial control, and poverty. Congress recognized the importance of family unification when it created immigration laws promoting family unity. The I-601 Hardship Waiver affords illegal immigrants a method for legalization. Immigrants must establish extreme hardship to a United States citizen spouse, parent, or child to qualify for a waiver of inadmissibility. One factor to determine extreme hardship is an immigrant’s ties to the United States. Other factors are those affecting the qualifying relative including financial considerations, education, physical and mental conditions, ties to and outside the United States, and conditions in the country in which the citizen relative would relocate if the waiver were denied. Once extreme hardship is established, it is a favorable factor for the United States Citizens and Immigration Services to consider. Sometimes, it is the determinative factor. This Article focuses on the psychological stress qualifying relatives experience throughout their loved one’s legalization process. The author, a licensed clinical social worker, conducts psychosocial evaluations of immigrant relatives. The evaluations serve as evidence of extreme hardship. She concludes, based upon her experience and research, that lack of definition of the term “extreme hardship” is causing unnecessary delays, inconsistent results, or family disruption pertaining to approval or denial of waivers. Relatives experience anxiety, depression, trauma, and fear — the emotions that foster approval of waivers — due to the subjective nature of the process. Thus, the family-based goals of the immigration laws are thwarted because of the legislature intended to keep families together. Congress can remedy the problem by defining extreme hardship, removing the waiver’s subjectivity, reforming immigration laws, or giving more credence to a relative’s mental health, which would improve the relative’s emotional state and promote family unity.
Results from the third flight of ANITA

We summarize results from the third flight of the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA), a NASA long-duration balloon payload that searches for radio emission from the interactions of ultra-high-energy neutrinos and cosmic rays. ANITAIII was launched in December 2014 and flew for 22 days. We report the results from multipleanalyses of the data, which search for Askaryan radio emission from neutrinos interacting in the Antarctic ice as well as geomagnetic radio emission from extensive air showers (EASs) induced by cosmic rays or a tau lepton created in an in-earth tau neutrino interaction. In the most sensitive Askaryan neutrino search, we find one eventon a pre-unblinding background of 0:7−0:3 +0.5 . Across all searches, including a dedicated EAS search, we find a total of 28 EAS-like events. One of these events is consistent with an upward-traveling EAS, with a post-unblinding background estimate of ⪷10−2 .
Using location-based social network data for activity intensity analysis: A case study of New York City

Location-based social networks (LBSN) are social media sites where users check-in at venues and share content linked to their geo-locations. LBSN, considered to be a novel data source, contain valuable information for urban planners and researchers. While earlier research efforts focused either on disaggregate patterns or aggregate analysis of social and temporal attributes, no attempt has been made to relate the data to transportation planning outcomes. To that extent, the current study employs LBSN service-based data for an aggregate-level transportation planning exercise by developing land-use planning models. Specifically, we employ check-in data aggregated at the census tract level to develop a quantitative model for activity intensity as a function of land use and built-environment attributes for the New York City (NYC) region. A statistical exercise based on clustering of census tracts and negative binomial regression analyses are adopted to analyze the aggregated data. We demonstrate the implications of the estimated models by presenting the spatial aggregation profiling based on the model estimates. The findings provide insights on relative differences of activity engagements across the urban region. The proposed approach thus provides a complementary analysis tool to traditional transportation planning exercises.
Racial Disparities in Health Care Utilization at the End of Life Among New Jersey Medicaid Beneficiaries With Advanced Cancer.

PURPOSE:Racial and ethnic disparities in cancer care near the end of life (EOL) have been recognized, but EOL care experienced by Medicaid beneficiaries is not well understood. We assessed the prev...
Integrating Neuroethics and Neuroscience: A Framework.

The BRAIN 2.0 Neuroethics Report reflects on the ways in which neuroscientific research may inform our understanding of concepts such as consciousness and empathy, and how advances in this understa...
Site-Specific Tryptophan Labels Reveal Local Microsecond-Millisecond Motions of Dihydrofolate Reductase.

Many enzymes are known to change conformations during their catalytic cycle, but the role of these protein motions is not well understood. Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is a small, flexible enzyme that is often used as a model system for understanding enzyme dynamics. Recently, native tryptophan fluorescence was used as a probe to study micro- to millisecond dynamics of DHFR. Yet, because DHFR has five native tryptophans, the origin of the observed conformational changes could not be assigned to a specific region within the enzyme. Here, we use DHFR mutants, each with a single tryptophan as a probe for temperature jump fluorescence spectroscopy, to further inform our understanding of DHFR dynamics. The equilibrium tryptophan fluorescence of the mutants shows that each tryptophan is in a different environment and that wild-type DHFR fluorescence is not a simple summation of all the individual tryptophan fluorescence signatures due to tryptophan–tryptophan interactions. Additionally, each mutant exhibits a two-phase relaxation profile corresponding to ligand association/dissociation convolved with associated conformational changes and a slow conformational change that is independent of ligand association and dissociation, similar to the wild-type enzyme. However, the relaxation rate of the slow phase depends on the location of the tryptophan within the enzyme, supporting the conclusion that the individual tryptophan fluorescence dynamics do not originate from a single collective motion, but instead report on local motions throughout the enzyme.
A dual scan approach to creating an accurate dental surface for virtual implant planning: A dental technique

Abstract Artifacts from metal restorations can make it challenging or impossible to accurately orient a digital dental cast to cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan data for virtual implant planning. A dual scan technique is described that uses an alginate impression with fiducial markers in a stock tray to create a digital dental cast that is precisely oriented to the scan in the same patient coordinate system for surgical guide design.