cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comments regarding ‘Influence of Use of a Vascular Closure Device on Incidence and Surgical Management of Access Sites. Complications after Percutaneous Interventions’

The use of vascular closure devices (VCD) after percutaneous interventions has increased dramatically in the last decade, mainly due to the shorter time to hemostasis, early ambulation, discharge, and increased turnover with reduced staff utilization. Although these devices add to the cost of the procedure, have never been shown to provide added benefit to manual compression significant complications have been reported with their use, their continued utilization reflects the fact that their perceived advantages outweigh the occasional complications that are encountered. The article by Klocker et al. in this issue of EJVES reviewed all patients who required surgery for pseudoaneurysms or local stenosis/occlusion in a very large cohort (n Z 58,453) of patients following percutaneous interventions between 2001e2008, and compared the earlier time period (2001e2004) when a particular collagen-based closure device was sparingly used to the latter time period (2005e2008) of more liberal use of the same device. The study has some major shortcomings: The authors do not have specific data on the actual complication rates following VCD use or manual compression, the sheath size, anticoagulation used, type of intervention other anatomic parameters, and other significant
Texting for Health: The Use of Participatory Methods to Develop Healthy Lifestyle Messages for Teens

Objective: To develop and test messages and a mobile phone delivery protocol designed to influence the nutrition and physical activity knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of adolescents. Design: Ninefocusgroups,4classroomdiscussions,andan8-weekpilotstudyexploringmessagecontent, format, origin, and message delivery were conducted over 12 months using a multistage, youthparticipatory approach. Setting: Youth programs at 11 locations in Arizona. Participants: Recruitment was coordinated through youth educators and leaders. Eligible teens were 12-18 years old and enrolled in youth programs between fall 2009 and 2010. Phenomenon of Interest: Adolescent preferences for messages and delivery of messages. Analysis: Qualitative data analysis procedures to generate themes from field notes. Results: One hundred seventy-seven adolescents participated in focus groups (n ¼ 59), discussions (n ¼ 86), and a pilot study (n ¼ 32). Youth preferred messages with an active voice that referenced teens and recommended specific, achievable behaviors; messages should come from nutrition professionals delivered as a text message, at a frequency of # 2 messages/day. Conclusions and Implications: More than 300 messages and a delivery protocol were successfully developed and tested in partnership with adolescents. Future research should address scalability of texting interventions; explore dose associated with changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors; and offer customized message subscription options.
Safety and efficacy of Tretin-X compared with Retin-A in patients with mild-to-severe acne vulgaris.

Background and Objective. The therapeutic efficacy of the tretinoin products Tretin-X (Triax Pharmaceuticals, Cranford, NJ) and Retin-A (Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, NJ) in the treatment of acne vulgaris was compared in four bioequivalence studies. Methods. Four double-blind, three-treatment, parallel-group studies randomly assigned 1642 adolescents and adults, 12–40 years of age, with mild-to-severe acne vulgaris to receive topical tretinoin therapy with Tretin-X, Retin-A, or placebo (drug vehicle) as 0.1% cream (study 1), 0.025% cream (study 2), 0.025% gel (study 3), and 0.01% gel (study 4) once daily for 84 days. The primary efficacy measures were overall acne severity and the number of inflammatory lesions. The secondary efficacy measure was the total number of lesions. Results. In each trial, Tretin-X and Retin-A were clinically equivalent according to all primary and secondary end points at Weeks 2, 4, 8, and 12, a finding also demonstrated by the averaged scores from Weeks 2 through 12. Moreover, each active treatment was significantly more efficacious than placebo at the conclusion of the study ( p≤0.05). Both of the Tretin-X and Retin-A formulations compared in each study were well tolerated. The severity of erythema and peeling did not differ significantly among the three groups studied. Conclusions. The four bioequivalence studies demonstrated that Tretin-X and Retin-A tretinoin products behaved similarly in patients with mild-to-severe acne vulgaris and were thus clinically bioequivalent. Both treatments were well tolerated, and their associated adverse events were similar to those with placebo.
Dispersion Compensation using All-Pass Digital IIR Filters

The use of infinite impulse response filters to achieve chromatic dispersion compensation for homodyne phase-diversity detection systems employing digital signal processing is proposed. Theory, simulation and experimental results show the advantages of this approach.
TEXTURAL PROPERTIES OF STORED AND IRRADIATED TIOGA STRAWBERRIES

Fresh as well as irradiated Tioga strawberries were softer, required smaller forces to puncture and to compress, and exhibited smaller degrees of elasticity and recoverability from applied stress than the stored berries. Thus, fresh or irradiated strawberries should be more susceptible to mechanical damage during handling, shipping and marketing than the stored fruits.
Multi-Stages Genetic Algorithms: Introducing Temporal Structures to Facilitate Selection of Optimal Evolutionary Paths

Standard genetic algorithms (GA) are often confronted with the problem of rapid premature convergence. The loss of diversity in a population usually slows down evolution to a significant extent. In this paper, we explore the use of an original strategy called the multi-stages GA as a means of impeding premature convergence and optimizing evolutionary progresses at the same time. The algorithm introduces the idea of temporally organizing an evolutionary process. Evaluation results show that the multi-stages GA significantly outperforms the standard GA.
Synthesis of 14C labelled electrophilic ligands of the colchicine binding site of tubulin: Chloroacetates of demethylthiocolchicines and of N‐acetylcolchinol; isothiocyanate of 9‐deoxy‐N‐acetylcolchinol

14C-Chloroacetates of 2-demethylthiocolchicine 7 (specific activity 55.0 mCi/mmol, radiochemical yield 26.1%), and of 3-demethylthiocolchicine 8 (specific activity 55.0 mCi/mmol, radiochemical yield 5.7%) were synthesized and found to covalently bind with high specificity to the β-subunit of tubulin. The 14C-chloroacetate of N-acetylcolchinol 5 (specific activity 56.0 mCi/mmol, radiochemical yield 7.8%) and the 14C-isothiocyanate 6 (specific activity 50.0 mCi/mmol, radiochemical yield 32%) were also prepared and found to react covalently with tubulin but in a nonspecific manner. With the radiolabelled chloroacetates 7 and 8 two compounds are now available to further characterize the colchicine binding site on the β subunit of tubulin.
One-dimensional model for cooperative hydrogen motion in ferroelectric crystals

Abstract The static and dynamic behavior is examined for “Takagi groups” in double-minimum potential wells containing protons (or deuterons) coupled by harmonic forces. Predictions of this model are compared with observed isotope effects on domain wall mobility and dielectric relaxation in KH2PO4. The model predicts effects previously attributed to tunneling.
Local Barotropic Instability

Abstract This paper investigates the modal and nonmodal instability of a barotropic jet streak. The normal mode analysis reveals that all the unstable modes are either stationary or propagating local modes. The more localized the jet is, the more dominant the stationary unstable mode would be. An exact analysis of the local energetics shows that the energy generation rate depends upon the local structure of the disturbance and the basic deformation field. The energy redistribution processes are the mechanical work done by the ageostrophic pressure and the energy advection by the basic flow. They affect not only the phase speed but also the growth rate of a normal mode disturbance by virtue of the zonal inhomogeneity of the basic flow. The local energy generation rate is maximum in the near exit region of the jet streak. The pressure work process contributes to an additional downstream shift of the maximum energy center and the advection process causes a further downstream displacement of the center. These...
Social behavior of grazing beef cattle: Implications for management

This paper reviews current knowledge of the social behavior of grazing beef cattle and discusses how that knowledge can be applied to rangeland cattle management. Cattle herds are composed of social subgroups that influence grazing distribution on rangeland. Grazing distribution is, in part, a learned response; therefore, management strategies that alter the social composition and structure of cattle subgroups can affect habitat use. Herding and selective culling are two management strategies that may be used to relieve grazing pressure on environmentally sensitive areas. Cattle form social hierarchies that can present a number of problems when feeding supplements. More dominant animals may consume a greater proportion of supplement than subordinate animals. Sorting cattle into similar age groups with similar physiological demands can decrease overconsumption of supplement by more dominant animals. Adjusting trough space or the number of supplemental feed locations also may reduce variation in supplement consumption. Greater knowledge and application of cattle social behavior should improve management of rangeland cattle.
Cell-Cycle-Regulated Interaction between Mcm10 and Double Hexameric Mcm2-7 Is Required for Helicase Splitting and Activation during S Phase

Mcm2-7 helicase is loaded onto double-stranded origin DNA as an inactive double hexamer (DH) in G1 phase. The mechanisms of Mcm2-7 remodeling that trigger helicase activation in S phase remain unknown. Here, we develop an approach to detect and purify the endogenous DHs directly. Through cellular fractionation, we provide in vivo evidence that DHs are assembled on chromatin in G1 phase and separated during S phase. Interestingly, Mcm10, a robust MCM interactor, co-purifies exclusively with the DHs in the context of chromatin. Deletion of the main interaction domain, Mcm10 C terminus, causes growth and S phase defects, which can be suppressed through Mcm10-MCM fusions. By monitoring the dynamics of MCM DHs, we show a significant delay in DH dissolution during S phase in the Mcm10-MCM interaction-deficient mutants. Therefore, we propose an essential role for Mcm10 in Mcm2-7 remodeling through formation of a cell-cycle-regulated supercomplex with DHs.
Decompressive craniectomy for severe traumatic brain injury: a systematic review

Objective Systematic review of the literature to evaluate the role of decompressive craniectomy (DC) after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), comparing the first major randomized clinical trial on this topic (DECRA) with subsequent literature. Methods A systematic literature search was performed from 2011 to 2015. Citations were selected using the following inclusion criteria: closed severe TBI and DC. Exclusion criteria included most patients ≤18 years old, ≤20 participants, review articles, DC for reasons other than TBI, or surgical procedures other than DC. Primary outcomes included mortality and Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) at discharge, 6 months, and 1 year after injury. Assessment of risk of bias of the randomized controlled trials was also performed. Results Only 12 of 5528 articles satisfied the eligibility criteria; of these studies, 3 were randomized controlled trials. DC in specific populations does not offer GOS or mortality advantages compared with medical treatment; on the other hand, when DC with open dural flap was compared with an alternative means of decompression, e.g., DC with multiple dural stabs, the latter showed significant advantage in mortality and GOS. Nonrandomized studies showed decreased mortality and increased GOS in patients aged ≤50 years when DC was performed 5. Conclusions Our study underscores the importance of continued international prospective data collection for assessing types of surgical interventions in addition to DC and their timing in patients who have severe TBI. In addition, in geographic areas with limited access to advanced medical treatment for severe TBI, DC is of benefit when performed 5.
Stable cell line of rat nephroma in tissue culture.

SummaryAn embryonal nephroma, which occurred spontaneously in a rat and had been maintained by serial transplantation, has now been established in tissue culture as a stable cell line and has been maintained in continuous passagefor more than 5 years. It is readily transplantable to young rats, subcutan-eously or intraperitoneally, by inoculation of a million or more cells butsuch transplants often regress spontaneously.
Study of transient stability enhancement of wind farm by application of superconducting magnetic energy storage devices

The application of superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) devices to improve wind farm transient stability is researched .Based on the modeling of the SMES, the corresponding SMES control strategy is designed for the improvement of wind farm transient stability .The SMES output active and reactive power decoupling control is achieved by adopting a grid-side voltage-oriented vector control programs and through additional feed-forward options.The simulation model of SMES and its control system are established in power system analysis software DIg SILENT/Power Factory .The simulation of an actual areas wind farm verifies the validity of the model and the feasibility of the control strategy .Finally, a brief introduction is given about the application prospect of SMES device in grid integration wind power generation system.
ONE-HOUR PACLITAXEL VIA WEEKLY INFUSION : DOSE-DENSITY WITH ENHANCED THERAPEUTIC INDEX

A preliminary report of a phase II trial of paclitaxel (Taxol) administered in a dose-dense manner as first- and second-line therapy for metastatic breast cancer is presented. Patients who had received one or two prior
Assessment of clonality in cutaneous lymphoid infiltrates by polymerase chain reaction analysis of immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement.

Determination of the biologic potential of cutaneous lymphoid infiltrates may be difficult by standard histologic or immunohistologic examination. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been used to document clonal rearrangements of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene in paraffin-embedded fixed tissues. To explore the value of PCR in evaluation of cutaneous lymphoid infiltrates, 93 archival nonmycotic lymphoid lesions (28 small or mixed lymphocytic lymphomas, 15 large cell lymphomas, 40 benign infiltrates, and 10 with atypical features) were analyzed. These cases had been previously immunophenotyped on paraffin sections, and clinical follow-up from 7 to 20 years was gathered. DNA products were generated using a seminested PCR technique, separated by 5% polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, stained with ethidium bromide, and visualized under UV light Cases with a 100- to 120-base pair band were scored as positive. Of the 28 small or mixed cell lymphomas, 23 had a B-cell immunophenotype or consisted of a mixture of B and T cells; of these, seven (30%) demonstrated a monoclonal pattern, and three (13%) were indeterminate. Twelve large cell cases were B-cell or mixed; five (42%) of these were positive for a monoclonal band, while four (33%) were indeterminate. None of five T-cell small cell or three T-cell large cell lymphomas demonstrated a monoclonal band. In contrast, 39 of the 40 benign cases were T-cell predominant or mixed lesions. Nevertheless, 18 of these 40 cases on initial testing suggested possible monoclonality. Six were indeterminate, and 12 demonstrated apparent monoclonal bands, of which four were reproducible on repeat testing. No histologic or clinical features of lymphoma were present in 17 of these 18 cases, suggesting that they represent false-positive results. Most of the latter lesions showed sparse perivascular infiltrates, with very few B cells. This suggests that amplification of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene from a small number of lymphocytes may produce a monoclonal band. In summary PCR may provide adjunct information about clonality in selected lymphoid skin lesions, but is rather insensitive in this setting. Such data must be carefully considered in the context of the histologic, immunohistologic, and clinical findings, particularly when assessing sparse infiltrates, because of the potential for false-positive results.
Enzymatic Activity Assays in Yeast Cell Extracts.

[Abstract] Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) (commonly known as baker’s yeast) is a model organism that has a similar upstream base excision repair (BER) pathway for the repair of methylated bases as that in mammalian cells, and it is very easy to maintain in the laboratory environment. Here, we described a method to prepare cell extracts from yeast to investigate their enzymatic activities. This protocol is a quick and efficient way to make yeast cell extracts without using commercial kits.
On representing complex configurations as asymptotic geometry

Abstract Treating geometry as an asymptotic representation is a novel approach that allows the geometry to become a function of mesh resolution. Small-scale features are filtered and smoothed out based on the grid resolution. Increasing the mesh refinement allows the geometry to asymptote towards its exact shape. Treating geometry with an asymptotic representation allows for improvements in prismatic grid generation in computational fluid dynamics, specifically by smoothing poor visibility regions, and by smoothing away small-scale features that have a negligible effect on the overall flow solution. The level set method, coupled with min/max flow, is used to filter out small-scale features based on the grid discretization size, thus smoothing the geometry. Detailed verification studies are employed in this work, showing that the method represents smooth surfaces with an order of accuracy of 2. Validation studies of the approach show asymptotic behavior of the surface area as the grid is refined. Further examples of the approach are presented, including examples of targeted filtering, where certain areas of interest are smoothed further while retaining the small-scale features in others.
Comparison of Computer-Assisted to Non-Navigated Primary Total Hip Replacement

Introduction We acquired an optical tracking navigation system for Total Hip Arthroplasty. We compare cup positioning and other operative factors along with clinical results using navigated and non-navigated techniques in a series of 341 Total Hip Arthroplasties. Method This is a retrospective review of consecutive patients from November 2005 through December 2010, including 126 cases of imageless computer assisted total hip replacement and 215 cases of standard total hip replacement. We analyzed operative time, blood loss, leg length discrepancy, acetabular component inclination, complications, Harris Hip scores and performed a cost analysis. Follow-up was from 3–64 months. All cases were performed by or under the supervision of a single surgeon. Digital AP pelvic radiographs centered on hips were used for measurements. Radiographic results were averaged based on three individual measurements. Statistics required the student t-Test. Results Significant differences (p Conclusions There was no apparent advantage in using an optical tracking navigation system for total hip replacement. With increased OR time, blood loss, and costs, the system was rather a hindrance. There were no differences in functional outcomes up to 5 years after surgery.
The Use Of Investigation Models To Explain Accident Causation And Operator Performance

Researchers disagree on appropriate models to employ to analyze accident investigations. This paper describes several proposed accident investigation models. Unique aspects of accident investigatio...
Inferring causal direction from relational data

Inferring the direction of causal dependence from observational data is a fundamental problem in many scientific fields. Significant progress has been made in inferring causal direction from data that are independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.), but little is understood about this problem in the more general relational setting with multiple types of interacting entities. This work examines the task of inferring the causal direction of peer dependence in relational data. We show that, in contrast to the i.i.d. setting, the direction of peer dependence can be inferred using simple procedures, regardless of the form of the underlying distribution, and we provide a theoretical characterization on the identifiability of direction. We then examine the conditions under which the presence of confounding can be detected. Finally, we demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed methods with synthetic experiments, and we provide an application on real-world data.
Screening and Assessment of Unhealthy Alcohol Use in Older Adults

Alcohol is the most commonly used substance among older adults, and older adults face unique risks associated with alcohol use due to the aging process and increases in comorbidity with increasing age. However, older adults are infrequently screened for unhealthy alcohol use, even in primary care. In this chapter, we discuss health risks that are associated with alcohol use, and we review several screening tools that have been validated for use with older adults. We also provide an introduction to best practices for screening and assessment for unhealthy use in older adults.
A US Perspective

Obama’s visit to India for Republic Day in January 2015 found Modi ready to embrace the United States as India’s premier international partner. Unlike their predecessors, India’s aspirational generation is not shy of closer US ties. The United States can play a pivotal role in helping India prepare against a long-term Chinese military challenge, while serving as a singular source of capital and technology. India stands to lose from any US retreat from Asia. Modi and Obama discussed reinforcing Asia’s fragile security architecture by invigorating a quadrilateral partnership. They agreed on a joint vision document for the Asia-Pacific that defined common strategic interests in the region stretching from East Africa to East Asia, and underscored joint objectives of maintaining freedom of Asia’s maritime commons under pressure from armed Chinese revisionism.
Exploring the Puzzle of Functional Homophily in Venture Founding Team Formation

Despite the long-term benefits of establishing a founding team with diverse functional knowledge, many entrepreneurs assemble a team of cofounders who are homogenous with respect to functional back...
Surface-induced effects in fluctuation-based measurements of single-polymer elasticity: A direct probe of the radius of gyration

Single-molecule measurements of polymer elasticity are powerful, direct probes of both biomolecular structure and principles of polymer physics. Recent work has revealed low-force regimes in which biopolymer elasticity is understood through blob-based scaling models. However, the small tensions required to observe these regimes have the potential to create measurement biases, particularly due to the increased interactions of the polymer chain with tethering surfaces. Here, we examine one experimentally observed bias, in which fluctuation-based estimates of elasticity report an unexpectedly low chain compliance. We show that the effect is in good agreement with predictions based on quantifying the exclusion effect of the surface through an image-method calculation of available polymer configurations. The analysis indicates that the effect occurs at an external tension inversely proportional to the polymer’s zero-tension radius of gyration. We exploit this to demonstrate a self-consistent scheme for estimat...
Relationships between Agency-Specific Contact, Victimization Type, and Trust and Confidence in the Police and Courts

While the extant research on trust and confidence in the criminal justice system is broad in scope, its individual studies are more limited, leaving much unknown about these relationships. Building on prior research, the current study investigates the relationships between prior contact, victimization, and seven measures of trust and confidence in the police and courts. This study responds to calls for the relationships between trust and confidence in the criminal justice system, race/ethnicity, prior contact, and victimization to be investigated within a single study. Although rare in prior research, outcomes of trust and confidence in local police and courts are individually investigated within the same sample simultaneously. As a first, the current study also separates prior contact by police, courts, community corrections, and institutional corrections and examines four types of victimization (direct violent, vicarious violent, direct non-violent, vicarious non-violent). The latter allows for an examination of potentially more nuanced relationships between victimization and trust and confidence in the police and in the courts.
Using Dual Quaternion to Study Translational Surfaces

A translational surface is a rational tensor product surface generated from two rational space curves by translating one curve along the other curve. Translational surfaces can also be generated from two rational space curves by dual quaternion multiplication. Using the mathematics of dual quaternions, we provide a necessary and sufficient condition for a rational tensor product surface to be a translational surface. Examples are provided to illustrate our theorems and flesh out our algorithms.
Niemann-Pick C1-deficient mice lacking sterol O-acyltransferase 2 have less hepatic cholesterol entrapment and improved liver function.

In Niemann-Pick type C1 (NPC1) disease, the entrapment of unesterified cholesterol (UC) in the endosomal/lysosomal compartment of all cells causes multiorgan disease, including neurodegeneration, p...
Embryos in Divorce

An issue in family law which has been emerging in recent years relates to the control and disposition of cryopreserved embryos (often called pre-embryos) which were previously produced for in vitro fertilization. When a marriage ends and the parties are in the divorce process, the question of who controls the disposition of the embryos can be a major source of friction. It can include questions about the intent of the parties in creating the embryos, enforcement of contracts executed earlier during the fertility treatment, conflict over religious and moral values, the primacy of reproductive rights, and withdrawal of prior consent and can also potentially impact child support issues. There are a growing number of cases around the country, and this article focuses on some illustrative state court decisions which may provide guidance for potential solutions in states which have not yet produced controlling law.
Does happiness change? Evidence from longitudinal studies.

Longitudinal research offers important insight into the degree of change in subjective well-being over the life span. This chapter reviews evidence from recent longitudinal studies evaluating whether change in subjective well-being does or does not occur. Particular attention is paid to studies evaluating stability of subjective well-being and mean-level change in well-being following major life events. Although early research in this area suggested that subjective well-being showed little change over the life span, more recent longitudinal research has addressed some of the limitations of this early research. The cumulative body of empirical evidence suggests that considerable change can occur, particularly when people experience certain major life events. This chapter also highlights some recent innovations in the study of change in subjective well-being over the life span and identifies some of the important remaining questions in this literature. Overall, this review shows that further work evaluating the underlying factors causing change in subjective well-being will be a fruitful avenue of continued research.
Composites as Biomaterials

Composite materials are those that contain two or more distinct constituent materials or phases, on a microscopic or macroscopic size scale. The term composite is usually reserved for those materials in which the distinct phases are separated on a scale larger than the atomic, and in which properties such as the elastic modulus are significantly altered in comparison with those of a homogeneous material. Accordingly, fiberglass and other reinforced plastics as well as bone are viewed as composite materials, but alloys such as brass, or metals such as steel with carbide particles are not. Natural biological materials tend to be composites; these are discussed in Chapter 9. Natural composites include bone, wood, dentin, cartilage, and skin. Natural foams include lung, cancellous bone, and wood. Natural composites often exhibit hierarchical structures in which particulate, porous, and fibrous structural features are seen on different microscales. In this chapter composite material fundamentals and applications in biomaterials are explored.
Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma : Are We at the End or Just the Beginning of Our Quest?

Exactly 50 years ago this year the seminal paper on alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) appeared in the journal Cancer. 1 Drawing on the archives of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Christopherson et al 1 described 12 patients, mostly young individuals, with a distinctive sarcoma composed of organoid nests of large eosinophilic cells. The loss of central cohesion within the nests created an alveolar pattern that figured prominently into the authors’ choice of names. These rare tumors with a predilection for the deep soft tissues of the extremities are characterized by an indolent, but inexorably fatal, course often spanning decades. A significant number of patients present with metastasis at the time of presentation, denoting early dissemination. 2 Several years after this publication, the distinctive periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) positive-diastase resistant rhomboid to polygonal crystals (and their precursor granules) which characterize this lesion, were noted. 3 Consisting of membrane-bounded parallel arrays of rigid fibers with a diameter of 4 to 6 nm and a periodicity of 10 nm, these structures are a characteristic, if not pathognomonic, feature of this tumor which has fascinated pathologists for decades. 4 While serving an important diagnostic role in separating this tumor from others which it may resemble (eg, renal cell carcinoma, paraganglioma), these crystalline structures have also tantalized us with the promise that if only we could identify their contents, we might discover the histogenesis of this tumor.
Analysis of the Variability of Submitted Unit Price Bids for Asphalt Line Items in Highway Projects

AbstractHighway construction costs are subject to significant variations from project to project and over time. Variations in construction cost disrupt transportation agencies in making right inves...
SIGNIFICANT NATIONWIDE VARIATION EXISTS IN OPIOID PRESCRIPTION RATES AMONGST PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH ACL INJURIES: A RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY:

Background:Prescription opioid rates have been found to vary on a county and state level. We aim to find if significant hospital-level and regional-level variation in opioid prescription rates exis...
Reliability and Validity of SymTrak, a Multi-Domain Tool for Monitoring Symptoms of Older Adults with Multiple Chronic Conditions.

A reliable and valid clinically practical multi-domain self-report and caregiver-report tool is needed for tracking actionable symptoms in primary care for elderly patients with multiple chronic conditions (MCCs). Assess internal consistency reliability, test–retest reliability, construct validity, and sensitivity to change for SymTrak. Among 600 (200 patient–caregiver dyads, 200 patients without an identified caregiver) participants, SymTrak was telephone interviewer–administered at baseline and 3-month follow-up, and at 24 h post-baseline for assessing test–retest reliability in a random subsample of 180 (60 dyads, 60 individual patients) participants. Demographic questions, SymTrak, Health Utility Index Mark 3 (HUI3). Exploratory factor analysis indicated a single dominant dimension for SymTrak items for both patients and caregivers. Coefficient alpha and 24-h test–retest reliability, respectively, were high for the 23-item SymTrak total score for both patient-reported (0.85; 0.87) and caregiver-reported (0.86; 0.91) scores. Construct validity was supported by monotone decreasing relationships between the mean of SymTrak total scores across the poor-to-excellent categories of physical and emotional general health, and by high correlations with HUI3 overall utility score, even after adjusting for demographic covariates (standardized linear regression coefficient = − 0.84 for patients; − 0.70 for caregivers). Three-month change in the SymTrak total score was sensitive to detecting criterion standard 3-month reliable change categories (Improved, Stable, Declined) in HUI3-based health-related quality of life, especially for caregiver-reported scores. SymTrak demonstrates good internal consistency and test–retest reliability, construct validity, and sensitivity to change over a 3-month period, supporting its use for monitoring symptoms for older adults with MCCs.
On association and other forms of positive dependence for Feller processes

We characterize various forms of positive dependence, such as association, positive supermodular association and dependence, and positive orthant dependence, for jump-Feller processes. Such jump processes can be studied through their state-space dependent Levy measures. It is through these Levy measures that we will provide our characterization. Finally, we present applications of these results to stochastically monotone Feller processes, including Levy processes, the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process, pseudo-Poisson processes, and subordinated Feller processes.
Demo of AuraRing: Precise Electromagnetic Finger Tracking

We present AuraRing, a wearable electromagnetic tracking system for fine-grained finger movement. The hardware consists of a ring with an embedded electromagnetic transmitter coil and a wristband with multiple sensor coils. By measuring the magnetic fields at different points around the wrist, AuraRing estimates the five degree-of-freedom pose of the finger. AuraRing is trained only on simulated data and requires no runtime supervised training, ensuring user and session independence. AuraRing has a resolution of 0.1 mm and a dynamic accuracy of 4.4 mm, as measured through a user evaluation with optical ground truth. The ring is completely self-contained and consumes just 2.3 mW of power.
Gender, Status, & Tax Offenses Over Time

ABSTRACTMen are more likely than women to commit tax offenses, and previous research has suggested that this difference can be partially explained by status processes. This study investigates wheth...
Progressive supranuclear palsy and primary lateral sclerosis secondary to globular glial tauopathy: a case report and a practical theoretical framework for the clinical prediction of this rare pathological entity

Globular glial tauopathy (GGT) is a rare 4-repeat tauopathy characterized by the accumulation of tau globular inclusions in astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Several clinical phenotypes have been as...
Diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) resulting from coronavirus disease 2019 Infection is Morphologically Indistinguishable from Other Causes of DAD

AIMS: Diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) is a ubiquitous finding in inpatient coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related deaths, but recent reports have also described additional atypical findings, including vascular changes. An aim of this study was to assess lung autopsy findings in COVID-19 inpatients, and in untreated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-positive individuals who died in the community, in order to understand the relative impact of medical intervention on lung histology. Additionally, we aimed to investigate whether COVID-19 represents a unique histological variant of DAD by comparing the pathological findings with those of uninfected control patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: Lung sections from autopsy cases were reviewed by three pulmonary pathologists, including two who were blinded to patient cohort. The cohorts included four COVID-19 inpatients, four cases with postmortem SARS-CoV-2 diagnoses who died in the community, and eight SARS-CoV-2-negative control cases. DAD was present in all but one SARS-CoV-2-positive patient, who was asymptomatic and died in the community. Although SARS-CoV-2-positive patients were noted to have more focal perivascular inflammation/endothelialitis than control patients, there were no significant differences in the presence of hyaline membranes, fibrin thrombi, airspace organisation, and 'acute fibrinous and organising pneumonia'-like intra-alveolar fibrin deposition between the cohorts. Fibrinoid vessel wall necrosis, haemorrhage and capillaritis were not features of COVID-19-related DAD. CONCLUSIONS: DAD is the primary histological manifestation of severe lung disease in COVID-19 patients who die both in hospital and in the community, suggesting no contribution of hyperoxaemic mechanical ventilation to the histological changes. There are no distinctive morphological features with which to confidently differentiate COVID-19-related DAD from DAD due to other causes.
Assessing the likelihood of secondary crashes on freeways with Adaptive Signal Control System deployed on alternate routes.

Abstract Introduction: Reducing the likelihood of freeway secondary crashes will provide significant safety, operational and environmental benefits. This paper presents a method for assessing the likelihood of freeway secondary crashes with Adaptive Signal Control Systems (ASCS) deployed on alternate routes that are typically used by diverted freeway traffic to avoid any delay or congestion due to a freeway primary crash. Method: The method includes four steps: (1) identification of secondary crashes, (2) verification of alternate routes, (3) assessment of the likelihood of secondary crashes for freeways with ASCS deployed on alternate routes and non-ASCS (i.e. pre-timed, semi- or fully-actuated) alternate routes, and (4) investigation of unobserved heterogeneity of the likelihood of freeway secondary crashes. Four freeway sections (i.e., two with ASCS deployed on alternate routes and two non-ASCS alternate routes) in South Carolina are considered. Results and Conclusions: Findings from the logistic regression modeling reveal significant reduction in the likelihood of secondary crashes for one freeway section (i.e., Charleston I-26 E) with ASCS deployed on alternate route. Other factors such as rear-end crash, dark or limited light, peak period, and annual average daily traffic contribute to the likelihood of freeway secondary crashes. Furthermore, random-parameter logistic regression model results for Charleston I-26 E reveal that unobserved heterogeneity of ASCS effect exists across the observations and ASCS are associated with the reduction of the likelihood of freeway secondary crashes for 84% of the observations (i.e., primary crashes). Location of the primary crash on the freeway is observed to affect the benefit of ASCS toward freeway secondary crash reduction as the primary crash’s location determines how many upstream freeway vehicles will be able to take the alternate route. Practical Applications: Based on the findings, it is recommended that the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) considers deploying ASCS on alternate routes parallel to freeway sections where high percentages of secondary crashes are found.
High-specific-activity 131 iodine-metaiodobenzylguanidine for therapy of unresectable pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma.

Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPG) are rare cancers arising from the adrenal medulla (pheochromocytoma) or autonomic ganglia (paraganglioma). They have highly variable biological behavior. Most PPG express high-affinity norepinephrine transporters, allowing active uptake of the norepinephrine analog, 131iodine-metaiodobenzylguanidine (131I-MIBG). Low-specific-activity forms of 131I-MIBG have been used since 1983 for therapy of PPG. High-specific-activity 131I-MIBG therapy improves hypertension management, induces partial radiological response or stable disease, decreases biochemical markers of disease activity and is well tolerated by patients. This drug, approved in the USA in July 2018, is the first approved agent for patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic PPG and imaging evidence of metaiodobenzylguanidine uptake, who require systemic anticancer therapy.
The influence of defects on the elastic response of lattice structures resulting from additive manufacturing

Abstract Stiffness prediction for additively manufactured (AM) lattices is necessary for lightweight components design. For a given lattice structure, the Gibson and Ashby (GA) model can predict relative stiffness as a function of its relative density. However, volumetric porosity and surface roughness defects that are commonplace in AM lattices depreciate the quality of prediction made by the GA model. This is because such defects complicate the elastic behavior of lattice structures. In this work, a modified GA model is proposed that accounts for these defects. A Bayesian inferencing framework is constructed to delineate the influence of spatial distributions of these defects on resulting mechanical response. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used to identify differences between elastic strain fields ( ∊ 11 , ∊ 22 , and ∊ 12 ) resulting from perfect and defective lattices. The insights obtained can provide a viable approach to predict the mechanical response of as-received AM lattices that are often defective, and thereby enable systematic approaches for their design.
Lipoprotein subtypes after testosterone therapy in transmasculine adolescents.

Abstract Differences in lipoprotein-particle subclasses between men and women start in puberty and narrow after menopause, suggesting a role for sex steroids. In this cross-sectional cohort study, we examined lipoprotein subtype profiles in transmasculine adolescents treated with testosterone. Transmasculine adolescents (n = 17) had lipoprotein profiles that were similar to those of cisgender males (n = 33) and more atherogenic than those of cisgender females (n = 32), with higher concentrations of small low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles (435 ± 222 nmol/L vs. 244 ± 163 nmol/L, p = 0.008) and lower concentrations of large high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles (1.5 ± 1.3 μmol/L vs 2.7 ± 1.2 μmol/L, p = 0.003) when compared to cisgender females. Thus, testosterone appears to be a major contributor to differences in lipoprotein profiles, a surrogate for cardiovascular disease risk, between cisgender women and both transgender and cisgender men.
Control of glycogen synthase phosphatase from rat heart. The role of substrate.

Glycogen synthase phosphatase from rat heart has been partially purified by ultrafiltration techniques, and the properties of this enzyme have been examined by using an assay based on the conversion of glycogen synthase D into I. As observed in other tissues, the phosphatase from heart was activated by both Mg2+ and glucose-6-P. The specificity of this activation was examined and it was shown to be virtually identical with the specificity for activation of glycogen synthase D. In addition, Mg2+ decreased the requirement for glucose-6-P approximately 10-fold in both the phosphatase reaction and in the synthase D reaction, and both inorganic sulfate and phosphate inhibited the glucose-6-P activation of both reactions. These results were interpreted as evidence for the regulation of the phosphatase reaction by the conformational state of the substrate, glycogen synthase D. Glycogen was shown to be an inhibitor of the phosphatase and this inhibition was independent of the activation of this reaction by Mg2+ and glucose-6-P. These results indicate a complex pattern of interaction between various cellular metabolites in the regulation of glycogen synthase D dephosphorylation in heart tissue.
Infections in the Intensive Care Unit

After studying this chapter, you should be able to: Understand the pathophysiology of specific infections in the ICU. Identify infectious complications in critically ill patients. Conduct appropriate diagnostic work-up for infections encountered in the ICU. Develop a systematic approach for managing ICU-related infections. Execute effective measures to prevent infectious complications in the ICU. Understand how to effectively work up and treat patients with sepsis. Choose the appropriate antimicrobial regimen for either empiric or culture-focused treatment of ICU infections.
Inhibition of α7‐containing nicotinic ACh receptors by muscarinic M1 ACh receptors in rat hippocampal CA1 interneurones in slices

Cys-loop ligand-gated nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs) and G protein-coupled muscarinic ACh receptors (mAChRs) are expressed on rat hippocampal interneurones where they can regulate excitability, synaptic communication and cognitive function. Even though both nAChRs and mAChRs appear to co-localize to the same interneurones, it is not clear whether there is crosstalk between them. We utilized patch-clamp techniques to investigate this issue in rat hippocampal CA1 interneurones in slices under conditions where synaptic transmission was blocked. The α7 nAChR-mediated currents were activated by choline, and when the activation of this receptor was preceded by the activation of the M1 mAChR subtype, the amplitude of α7 responses was significantly reduced in a rapidly reversible and voltage-independent manner, without any change in the kinetics of responses. This M1 mAChR-mediated inhibition of α7 nAChRs was through a PLC-, calcium- and PKC-dependent signal transduction cascade. These data show that M1 mAChRs and α7 nAChRs are functionally co-localized on individual rat hippocampal interneurones where the activation of these particular mAChRs inhibits α7 nAChR function. This information will help to understand how these cholinergic receptor systems might be regulating neuronal excitability in the hippocampus in a manner that has relevance for synaptic plasticity and cognition.
Comparison of Accuracy of Calibration Ring Placement on 4 Different Endodontic Files.

Abstract Introduction The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the accuracy and consistency of the placement of calibration rings on 4 file types: K3 (SybronEndo, Orange, CA), Vortex Blue (Tulsa Dentsply, Tulsa, OK), Kontrol Flex (Brasseler USA, Savannah, GA), and Lexicon (Tulsa Dentsply, Tulsa, OK). Methods Forty endodontic files, 10 of each type, were measured using a measuring microscope (Model W122; Gaertner Scientific Corp, Skokie, IL). Measurements were made from the file tip to the leading edge of 2 calibration rings and to the handle of each file. Each file measurement was performed 3 times by the same operator to ensure internal validity, and the 3 measurements were used to generate a mean for each file measurement. Results Based on a 1-factor analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc test (α = 0.05), K3 files displayed significantly greater accuracy and consistency in calibration ring and handle position. In contrast, Vortex Blue files were the least accurate, whereas both Kontrol Flex and Lexicon files were marked with similar precision. Conclusions Calibration rings have been used by some operators to measure files during canal instrumentation. This study showed there was variation in placement of calibration rings and handles. Reliance on calibration rings and file handles as the sole means of measuring endodontic files may lead to inaccuracy in canal instrumentation.