cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Yohimbine enhancement of exposure therapy for social anxiety disorder: a randomized controlled trial.

Background Preclinical and clinical trials suggest that yohimbine may augment extinction learning without significant side effects. However, previous clinical trials have only examined adults with specific phobias. Yohimbine has not yet been investigated in the augmentation of exposure therapy for other anxiety disorders. Methods Adults ( n = 40) with a DSM-IV diagnosis of social anxiety disorder were randomized to placebo or yohimbine HCl (10.8 mg) 1 hour before each of four exposure sessions. Outcome measures were collected at baseline, each treatment session, posttreatment, and 1-month follow-up. Results Yohimbine was well tolerated. Yohimbine augmentation, relative to placebo augmentation, resulted in faster improvement and better outcomes on self-report measures of social anxiety disorder severity (Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, d = .53) and depressed mood severity (Beck Depression Inventory, d = .37) but not on the clinician-rated measures (Clinical Global Impressions-Severity Scale, d = .09; Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement Scale, d = .25). Between-group differences on the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale were moderated by the level of fear reported at the end of an exposure exercise (end fear), such that the advantage of yohimbine over placebo was only evident among patients who reported low end fear. Conclusions The results provide moderate support for yohimbine as a therapeutic augmentation strategy for exposure therapy in social anxiety disorder, one that may be especially effective when coupled with successful exposure experiences. Beneficial effects for yohimbine were readily evident for self-report measures but not for clinician-rated outcomes of social anxiety severity and improvement.
Artificial neural networks to predict daylily hybrids

Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) were employed to predict daylily (Hemerocalli spp.) hybrids from known characteristics of parents used in hybridization. Features such as height, diameter, foliage, blooming habit, pioidy, blooming sequence were included in the initial training and testing. Data pre-processing was performed to meet the format requirements of ANN. Backpropagation (BP), Kalman filter (KF) learning algorithms were used to develop nonparametric models between the input and output data sets. These networks were compared with traditional multiple linear regression models. Prediction plots for both height and diameter indicated that the regression model had a better accuracy in predicting unseen patterns. However, ANN models were able to more robustly generalize and interpolate unseen patterns within the domain of training.
Sleep, health-related quality of life, and functional outcomes in adults with diabetes.

Abstract Purpose This study explored the association of sleep quality with physical and mental health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and functional outcomes in 116 participants with type 2 diabetes. Methods The study is a secondary analysis of baseline data from a clinical trial that examined treatment of obstructive sleep apnea on physical activity and glucose control. Instruments included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Medical Outcomes Short-Form Physical Component and Mental Component Scores, and Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire. Results Higher physical HRQoL was significantly associated with better sleep quality and improved functional outcomes of increased activity and productivity. Higher mental HRQoL was associated with improved sleep quality and improved functional outcomes of increased activity, social interactions, vigilance, and productivity. Poor sleep quality was a predictor of decreased functional outcomes while controlling for age, race, education, BMI, marital status and physical and mental HRQoL. Conclusion Poor sleep quality is associated with negative physical, mental, and functional outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes.
Motor Empathy in Individuals With Psychopathic Traits: A Preliminary Study.

The present laboratory study examined motor empathy in male and female individuals, who were either high or low on psychopathic traits, drawn from a nonclinical university population. Past findings suggest that psychopathic individuals are impaired in affective empathy, but findings on impairments in cognitive empathy are mixed. Research on motor empathy in psychopathy is scarce. The authors hypothesized that individuals high on psychopathic traits would have deficient motor empathy (similar to affective empathy) related to valenced emotion stimuli because of the automatic nature of motor empathy. Potential participants completed the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R). Participants were chosen for the study on the basis of their PPI-R scores. All participants viewed photographic images drawn from a well-established set of stimuli (the International Affective Picture System) and were video recorded while doing so. Intensity for eight emotions (anger, contempt, disgust, fear, sad, joy, surpr...
Existence Status of Some Previously Open Abelian Difference Sets

Abstract We theoretically establish the existence status of some previously open abelian difference sets. More precisely, we show the nonexistence of all the following difference sets: (841,120,17) in Z 29 × Z 29 , (364,121,40) in Z 2 × Z 2 × Z 7 × Z 13 ,(837,133, 21) in Z 3 × Z 3 × Z 3 × Z 31 , Z 3 × Z 9 × Z 31 and Z 837 .
Restoration and Winter Avian use of Isolated Prairies in Eastern Texas

Numerous isolated prairies exist, or existed, on the West Gulf Coastal Plain east of the main distribution of the prairie ecosystem. Changing land-use patterns and VXSSUHVVLRQRIZLOGoUHKDYHGHVWUR\HGDOPRVWDOORIWKHVHVPDOO �SUDLULHRFFXUUHQFHV��,QWHQVL - oHGUHVWRUDWLRQDQGPDQDJHPHQWRIGHJUDGHGSUDLULHKDELWDWRQW KH�6DP�+RXVWRQ�1DWLRQDO� Forest in southeastern Texas have been ongoing since approximately 2004. As a result, encroaching woody vegetation has been substantially reduced, and a vegetation structure consistent with prairie habitat has been restored. Beginning in 2008, we conducted winter bird surveys on these prairies with the objective of quantifying avian use, especially by grassland sparrows of the genus Ammodramus. With the improvement in prairie structure, winter use of these sites by Ammodramus spp. was rapidly established, typically following WKH�oUVWSRVWUHVWRUDWLRQJURZLQJVHDVRQ�� Ammodramus henslowii (Henslow's Sparrow), a species of conservation concern, responded particularly dramatically. These results dem- onstrate that aggressive restoration of prairie remnants on the West Gulf Coastal Plain can rapidly reestablish prairie habitat and facilitate re-colonization by at least some avian spe- cies characteristic of prairie habitats.
Premature Epiphyseal Closure of the Lower Extremities Contributing to Short Stature after cis-Retinoic Acid Therapy in Medulloblastoma: A Case Report

Background: Prolonged cis-retinoic acid (RA) exposure contributes to premature epiphyseal closure. cis-RA is administered in various treatment regimens for pediatric cancers, thus increasing the risk for bone deformities and compromised growth. Results: We present a case of premature epiphyseal closure in a 9-year-old female with a history of medulloblastoma and treatment with a multimodal regimen including cis-RA. She was subsequently diagnosed with radiation-induced endocrine late effects including hypothyroidism and growth hormone deficiency (GHD). Seven months after initiation of GH therapy, an increased prominence of the wrists and knees combined with a deceleration in growth velocity prompted further evaluation; radiographs revealed bilateral premature closure of the distal femur and proximal tibia growth plates despite normal left wrist bone age. Conclusion: High doses of vitamin A and its analogs are linked to premature closure of the lower-extremity growth plates in animals and children. Pediatric brain tumor patients are at increased risk of growth failure due to concurrent radiation-induced GHD, damage to the spinal bones, and cis-RA-associated premature closure of the lower-extremity growth plates, with significant reduction in adult stature. A better appreciation of the detrimental effect of cis-RA on the growing skeleton is needed to monitor at-risk patients and to provide timely interventions.
Challenges and process strategies concerning multi-pass double sided incremental forming

The design domain of Double Sided Incremental Forming (DSIF) can be enhanced through the use of multipass strategies. The chosen tool gap in multipass DSIF, or multi-DSIF, is dependent on the estimated thickness of the sheet being formed, which is traditionally done through the Sine Law. In this work, a simple modification to the Sine Law is performed so as to prevent the tool gap from approaching zero at regions where the part contains a near vertical wall. Additionally, various multipass strategies regarding the design of the intermediate stages were trialed in an effort to increase geometric accuracy. Increasing the depth between subsequent stages of DSIF was found to provide the best results due to the accommodation of rigid body motion.
Timing of Nitrogen Fertilizer Application for Annual Ryegrass Overseeded into Unimproved Perennial Warm-season Pasture

Successful production of herbage by cool-season forage grasses in the southern Plains is heavily dependent on a sufficient supply of available nitrogen (N), and appropriate scheduling of N application is an important component of cost-effective fertilizer use. The effects of different combinations of fall, early-spring, and late-spring increments of 22.3 lb N/acre on herbage dry matter (DM) and N yields of annual (Italian) ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) were tested over 3 yr. Fall N application had minimal effect on ryegrass establishment, measured in plant or tiller counts in the following spring. Application of N in fall did not produce harvestable herbage DM in fall and provided significant increase in DM yield in the following spring in only one year out of three. Early-spring N application produced significant yield increase in two out of three years and provided a mean yield response of 17.2 lb DM/lb N applied. Application of N for regrowth after initial ryegrass harvest in early May produced a mean yield increment of 6.7 lb DM/lb N applied. There was no residual effect of fall or spring N application on warm-season grass production. Limited N supply (<89 lb N/acre) is likely to be most efficiently used when applied at the beginning of the spring growing season.
Resistance to aryloxyphenoxypropionate herbicides in Amazon sprangletop: Confirmation, control, and molecular basis of resistance.

Abstract Amazon sprangletop is problematic weed of rice in the midsouthern USA. Two biotypes of this species from rice fields approximately 100 km apart in Louisiana were unaffected when sprayed with the labeled field rate of cyhalofop-butyl (314 g ai ha − 1 ) in 2008. Dose response studies were conducted to confirm the level of resistance to cyhalofop-butyl over a range of doses. Cross-resistance to acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase)-inhibiting herbicides from two different chemical families and multiple herbicide resistance to other mechanisms of action were evaluated. Sequencing using the Illumina Hiseq platform and ACCase gene sequencing revealed two different amino acid substitutions, Trp 2027 -to-Cys in the first resistant biotype and Asp 2078 -to-Gly in the second resistant biotype, within the CT domain of the ACCase gene. Two known amino acid substitutions confirmed resistance to cyhalofop-butyl and fenoxaprop-P-ethyl in resistant Amazon sprangletop biotypes. Asp 2078 -to-Gly amino acid substitution that was detected in one of the resistant biotypes did not result in cross-resistance to clethodim, an ACCase-inhibiting cyclohexandione herbicide which has endowed clethodim resistance in other weed species. Based on this research, both resistant Amazon sprangletop biotypes have evolved target-site resistance to the APP herbicides; yet, alternative herbicides are still active on these plants.
Like the Chameleon Who Takes on the Colors of the Hills: Indigeneity as Patrimony and Performance in Coastal Ecuador

Resumen Dentro de los discursos ecuatorianos sobre la etnicidad, la indigeneidad puede representar una forma valiosa de patrimonio cultural. Sin embargo, no todas las indigeneidades son igualmente visibles. Los discursos coloniales, estatales, y turisticos representan la costa central del Ecuador como una region constituida por zonas urbanas de mestizaje, y paisajes rurales habitadas por cholos pescadores o montubios. El acceso a, y la visibilidad dentro de, la jerarquia etnica nacional se niegan a ambos grupos rurales; su identidad etnico se percibe como inscrito en sus cuerpos laborantes y no heredado a traves de una cultura milenaria ‘autentica’. Es decir, su patrimonio cultural no se imagina—no es simbolicamente disponible—para permitirlos ser percibidos como incorporaciones apropiadas de una practica [praxis] indigena. Dadas estas limitaciones discursivas, propongo que la comunidad de Agua Blanca ha desarrollado estrategias practicas que a la vez involucran y desafian ideas externas de lo que constituye el patrimonio cultural, permitiendoles de esa manera una mayor fluidez al autoidentificarse. [autenticidad, deriva interpretativa, Ecuador, espectaculo, indigeneidad, patrimonio, teoria de la practica]
Fullrmc, a rigid body reverse monte carlo modeling package enabled with machine learning and artificial intelligence

A new Reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) package "fullrmc" for atomic or rigid body and molecular, amorphous, or crystalline materials is presented. fullrmc main purpose is to provide a fully modular, fast and flexible software, thoroughly documented, complex molecules enabled, written in a modern programming language (python, cython, C and C++ when performance is needed) and complying to modern programming practices. fullrmc approach in solving an atomic or molecular structure is different from existing RMC algorithms and software. In a nutshell, traditional RMC methods and software randomly adjust atom positions until the whole system has the greatest consistency with a set of experimental data. In contrast, fullrmc applies smart moves endorsed with reinforcement machine learning to groups of atoms. While fullrmc allows running traditional RMC modeling, the uniqueness of this approach resides in its ability to customize grouping atoms in any convenient way with no additional programming efforts and to apply smart and more physically meaningful moves to the defined groups of atoms. In addition, fullrmc provides a unique way with almost no additional computational cost to recur a group's selection, allowing the system to go out of local minimas by refining a group's position or exploring through and beyond not allowed positions and energy barriers the unrestricted three dimensional space around a group.
The ultrasound appearance of tumor extension into the left renal vein and inferior vena cava.

Abstract We report on direct ultrasound visualization of tumor extension into the left renal vein in 2 patients with left renal tumors.
Tunable meso-Tetraphenyl-alkyloxazolo-chlorins and -bacteriochlorins††Oxazolochlorins 4. Oxazolochlorins 3: Khalil, G. E.; Daddario, P.; Lau, K. S. F.; Imtiaz, S.; King, M.; Gouterman, M.; Sidelev, A.; Ghandehari, M.; Brückner, C. Analyst2010, 135, 2125−2131.

Alkyl-Grignard addition to meso-tetraphenylporpholactone generates monoalkyl- and gem-bis-alkyloxazolochlorins. Together with compounds made by further synthetic manipulations of these derivatives,...
Nurses' role in lower gastrointestinal endoscopy.

All aspects of nursing with respect to the endoscopic examination, from setting up the equipment for the procedure and preparing the patient, to care of the equipment itself. The well-trained and knowledgeable assistant will be aware of individual doctor’s preferences and will be able to devote a significant part of her time to comforting the patient as he undergoes the procedure.
Microwave-accelerated method for ultra-rapid extraction of Neisseria gonorrhoeae DNA for downstream detection.

Nucleic acid-based detection of gonorrhea infections typically require a two-step process involving isolation of the nucleic acid, followed by detection of the genomic target often involving polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based approaches. In an effort to improve on current detection approaches, we have developed a unique two-step microwave-accelerated approach for rapid extraction and detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonorrhea, GC) DNA. Our approach is based on the use of highly focused microwave radiation to rapidly lyse bacterial cells, release, and subsequently fragment microbial DNA. The DNA target is then detected by a process known as microwave-accelerated metal-enhanced fluorescence (MAMEF), an ultra-sensitive direct DNA detection analytical technique. In the current study, we show that highly focused microwaves at 2.45 GHz, using 12.3-mm gold film equilateral triangles, are able to rapidly lyse both bacteria cells and fragment DNA in a time- and microwave power-dependent manner. Detection of the extracted DNA can be performed by MAMEF, without the need for DNA amplification, in less than 10 min total time or by other PCR-based approaches. Collectively, the use of a microwave-accelerated method for the release and detection of DNA represents a significant step forward toward the development of a point-of-care (POC) platform for detection of gonorrhea infections.
A Carbon Nanoparticle Lymphatic Tracer Protected Parathyroid Glands During Radical Thyroidectomy for Papillary Thyroid Non-Microcarcinoma:

The study assessed the role of an activated carbon nanoparticle lymphatic tracer in reducing unintentional damage to the parathyroid glands during thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid non-microcarcinoma diagnosed intraoperatively by cryosections. A total of 103 patients with papillary thyroid non-microcarcinomas diagnosed by intraoperative cryosection were randomly assigned to receive routine radical thyroidectomy or radical thyroidectomy following administration of activated carbon nanoparticle lymphatic tracer to the contralateral thyroid, at the department of Thyroid Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital (Guangzhou, China), between January 2012 and May 2013. The success of level VI lymphadenectomy and postoperative parathyroid function were compared. Administration of the activated carbon nanoparticle lymphatic tracer did not affect the frequency of recovered lymph nodes containing metastases; however, it did significantly reduce the incidence of permanent and transient hypoparathyroidism from 2 to 0 and 18 to 6, and reduced the mean recovery time for transient hypoparathyroidism from 57.0 days to 22.3 days. Administration of activated carbon nanoparticles to the contralateral thyroid after intraoperative cryosections did not contribute to lymphadenectomy for papillary thyroid non-microcarcinoma, but significantly protected parathyroid functions. This approach could decrease the morbidity of radical thyroidectomy and the occurrence of hypoparathyroidism.
Mechanical Properties of NiTiNb Shape Memory Alloy Subjected to a Harsh Corrosive Environment

AbstractResearch on the application of shape memory alloys (SMAs) in prestressing concrete structures has shown promising results over the last few years. Nickel-titanium-niobium (NiTiNb) has emerged as one of the SMAs that exhibit promise in prestressing applications. Despite the efforts to understand the mechanical behavior of NiTiNb, however, its corrosion resistance is yet to be understood. The main objective of this study was to investigate the influence that harsh corrosive conditions pertinent to civil structures might have on the mechanical behavior of prestressed NiTiNb SMAs. The study used an accelerated-aging test protocol to simulate actual field conditions by subjecting NiTiNb specimens to wet-dry cycles in NaCl solution. The behavior of as-manufactured SMA specimens was compared with that of specimens subjected to surface treatment. Carbon steel specimens were also tested for comparison. The state of corrosion and its impact on NiTiNb were evaluated using five different testing/evaluation me...
Perspectives of Digital TV applications development in Russia

Russian government made principal decision on transition to Digital TV till 2015. This process has already started in several regions including Far East and North West of Russia. However this transition is considered as hang-the-expense action. At the same time some advanced technical solutions (including development of applications for TV) will allow implementing e-commerce oriented business model returning part of investments. Engineers from Motorola Software Center in St.-Petersburg have significant experience in system engineering and development of applications for different digital television platforms used in the US and Europe. Analysis of major world trends in this area allows the authors preparing suggestions on application development as an important component of Digital TV deployment in Russia. Recommendations and estimations of necessary efforts are provided.
From whence comes HSDD

Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) encompasses a group of highly prevalent disorders characterized by problems related to sexual desire, arousal, orgasm, or pain. Among these is hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), a condition that causes marked distress and interpersonal difficulties. In view of the complexity of factors contributing to the various types of FSD, the identification of HSDD requires that it be carefully differentiated from other forms of sexual dysfunction. An understanding of the definitions of FSD and HSDD, their prevalence in various subpopulations of women, and their impact on quality of life can increase awareness of the importance of these disorders. Such knowledge will also help family physicians appreciate the place of HSDD within the spectrum of FSD and become better equipped to recognize this disorder in clinical practice.
Computation of Seeds for LFSR-Based n-Detection Test Generation

This article describes a new procedure that generates seeds for LFSR-based test generation when the goal is to produce an n-detection test set. The procedure does not use test cubes in order to avoid the situation where a seed does not exist for a given test cube with a given LFSR. Instead, the procedure starts from a set of seeds that produces a one-detection test set. It modifies seeds to obtain new seeds such that the tests they produce increase the numbers of detections of target faults. The modification procedure also increases the number of faults that each additional seed detects. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the procedure.
Changes in TNFR1 Levels in the First Week Post-Myeloablative HSCT Correlate with Severity and Incidence of GVHD and 1y TRM.

Graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) remains the major cause of morbidity and treatment-related mortality (TRM) after allogeneic HSCT, but there are no independent laboratory tests to either predict or confirm the clinical diagnosis of GVHD. Pre-clinical studies have shown that tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of GVHD and that TNF plasma levels rise often several weeks before clinical disease becomes apparent. We tested the hypothesis that rises in TNF (on day 7 following allogeneic HSCT) will predict the development of significant GVHD and treatment-related mortality (TRM). We measured soluble TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) as a surrogate for TNF because TNF circulates as a ligand-receptor complex. We studied samples obtained under informed consent from 438 patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT following myeloablative conditioning at the University of Michigan between 2000 and 2005. The conditioning regimens were based on Busulfan (68%), BCNU (20%), or TBI (12%). The median age of the patients was 42y (range 0–65y). The distribution of donors by degree of HLA-match and type was: 6/6 HLA-matched related donors (n=247), 5/6 matched related donors (n=20), 6/6 matched unrelated donors (n=124), 5/6 matched unrelated donors (n=47). Hematologic malignancy was the indication for 95% of HSCT. The median day of onset of GVHD grade 2–4 for related donors was 30d and for unrelated donors was 20d. Because of the variablilty in baseline TNFR1 levels, we expressed the day 7 value as a ratio to pre-transplant baseline. The mean day 7 TNFR1 ratio strongly correlated with severity of GVHD. The mean TNFR1 ratio was 1.91±0.09 for pts with GVHD 0–1 (n=269), 2.32±0.20 for pts with GVHD 2 (n=83), and 2.92±0.26 for pts with GVHD 3–4 (n=86), p When treated as a continuous variable, change in TNFR1 on day 7 strongly correlated with both the likelihood of GVHD 2–4 (p Patients with a day 7 TNFR1 ratio ≤2.5 were more likely to be alive at 1yr post-transplant (64% vs 50%, p=0.008). We conclude that even within risk groups stratified by donor source the magnitude of rise in early post-transplant TNFR1 ratios helps to predict the subsequent severity of GVHD, TRM and survival. A single threshhold at this early timepoint identifies roughly a quarter of patients who are at approximately twice the risk of significant GVHD and death. These informative changes are detectable often two to three weeks in advance of clinical manifestations of GVHD and may therefore provide the basis for development of a predictive laboratory test.
Placental oxygen consumption in vitro. II. Total uptake as an index of placental function.

Abstract The average total oxygen consumption of a series of placentas has been determined to be 86,800 ± 2,500 μl per hour. It appears to be unrelated to changing gestational age and to placental or fetal weight after the twenty-eighth week of gestation, and remains essentially a constant during the third trimester. Corresponding clinical material has been studied and the total placental oxygen requirement has been found to be diminished in association with pre-eclampsia, fetal distress, depressed infants, and in infarcted placentas; and to be elevated after prolonged general inhalation anesthesia. The potential significance of these findings is discussed.
ARE EVOLUTIONISTS STILL HOOKED ON PROGRESS

The book, Monad to Man: The Concept of Progress in Evolutionary Biology, is a detailed inquiry into the influence of the idea of progress on conceptions of biological evolution. By "progress" Michael Ruse means three things: (1) social and political progress (Ruse dubs it capital P Progress), which for the most part consists of ideals, practices, and institutions urged by middle-class reformers (and working-class revolutionaries) against their aristocratic and clerical enemies, usually with the suggestion that something "bigger and deeper" than sheer effort is driving us toward these sorts of improvement; (2) biological progress, which can be absolute or comparative-absolute when someone says, for example, that humans are in some sense better than amoebas, or indeed than other members of the genus Homo; comparative when one believes, with Darwin, that if earlier species were placed in the same competitive environment with recent ones the former "would be beaten hollow and exterminated" (letter to Hooker, December 31, 1858, quoted by Ruse, p, 151); and (3) scientific progress, that is, improvement in understanding the objective nature of the world by way of systematic disinterested inquiry. Ruse's thesis is that, until recently, there has been a high correlation between the belief of prominent evolutionists in Progress (1) and their picture of life as progressing (2) absolutely-too high a correlation, in fact, to inspire much confidence that evolutionary inquiry has been sufficiently buffered from the intrusion of "cultural values" to permit progress in sense (3). I say "until recently" because Ruse claims that things have changed for the better. Scientific progress (3) is now being made in evolutionary work. This is not, Ruse believes, because prominent evolutionists (as contrasted, say, with downbeat contemporary humanists) no longer believe in Progress (1). Ruse reports that they generally do, if only because they are keen on the role of science in bringing it about. Nor is progress being made, Ruse says, because evolutionists have finally shucked off the myth of biological progress (2). Among many evolutionists, Ruse finds a somewhat hidden, but nonetheless real commitment to absolute, as well as to comparative, progress of this sort. No, evolutionary science now makes steady scientific progress (3), Ruse argues, because professional standards of scientific inquiry, and the epistemic values that go with
Surgical treatment associated with improved survival in patients with cutaneous angiosarcoma

Cutaneous angiosarcoma is a rare aggressive vasoformative neoplasm of the skin with a poor prognosis.1 The neoplasm preferentially involves areas of head and neck and usually diagnosed in advanced stage.1, 2 The neoplasm accounts for only 2% of soft-tissue sarcomas in the U.S. and most often affects elderly white males, patients treated with radiation, and individuals with certain chronic lymphatic disorders.3 Surgery with or without adjuvant or neoadjuvant radiation therapy (RT) is considered the mainstay of therapy.1, 3 Due to low incidence rates, the clinical outcomes data has been limited to case reports and single institution studies, with a lack of direct comparison between various treatment modalities: surgery, RT, and chemotherapy (CT).4, 5 In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of undergoing different therapeutic approaches on long-term overall survival (OS) using cross-institutional data. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Exact recovery in the binary stochastic block model with binary side information

We consider a generalization of the community detection problem, where for inference we have access to an additional observation that carries information (side information) about the label of each node. We study the effect of the quality of side information on the exact recovery phase transition of the binary symmetric stochastic block model by passing the true label through a binary symmetric channel (BSC) with crossover probability α. We show that when α is constant or approaching zero such that log(1−α/α) = o(log(n)), side information does not help exact recovery and the phase transition does not change. On the other hand, when log(1−α/α) = O(log(n)), we show that side information helps exact recovery. We provide necessary and sufficient conditions that are tight for different asymptotic regimes of α. An efficient algorithm that incorporates the effect of side information is proposed that uses a partial recovery algorithm combined with a local improvement procedure. Sufficient conditions are derived for exact recovery under this efficient algorithm.
CLARITY-BPA: Effects of chronic bisphenol A exposure on the immune system: Part 2 - Characterization of lymphoproliferative and immune effector responses by splenic leukocytes.

Abstract Bisphenol A (BPA) is commonly used in the manufacturing of a wide range of consumer products, including polycarbonate plastics, epoxy resin that lines beverage and food cans, and some dental sealants. Consumption of food and beverages containing BPA represents the primary route of human BPA exposure, which is virtually ubiquitous. An increasing number of studies have evaluated the effects of BPA on immune responses in laboratory animals that have reported a variety of effects some of which have been contradictory. To address the divergent findings surrounding BPA exposure, a comprehensive chronic treatment study of BPA was conducted in Sprague-Dawley rats, termed the Consortium Linking Academic and Regulatory Insights on Toxicity of BPA (CLARITY-BPA). As a participant in the CLARITY-BPA project, our studies evaluated the effects of BPA on a broad range of immune function endpoints using spleen cells isolated from BPA or vehicle treated rats. This comprehensive assessment included measurements of lymphoproliferation in response to mitogenic stimuli, immunoglobulin production by B cells, and cellular activation of T cells, NK cells, monocytes, granulocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells. In total, 630 different measurements in BPA treated rats were performed of which 35 measurements were statistically different from vehicle controls. The most substantive alteration associated with BPA treatment was the augmentation of lymphoproliferation in response to pokeweed mitogen stimulations in 1 year old male rats, which was also observed in the reference estrogen ethinyl estradiol treated groups. With the exception of the aforementioned, the statistically significant changes associated with BPA treatment were mostly sporadic and not dose-dependent with only one out of five BPA dose groups showing a statistical difference. In addition, the observed BPA-associated alterations were mostly moderate in magnitude and showed no persistent trend over the one-year time period. Based on these findings, we conclude that the observed BPA-mediated changes observed in this study are unlikely to alter immune competence in adult rats.
Improving Email Security with Fuzzy Rules

Phishing and other malicious email messages are increasingly serious security threats. An important tool for countering such email threats is the automated or semiautomated detection of malicious email. This paper reports work on using fuzzy rules to classify email for such purposes. The effectiveness of a fuzzy rule-based classifier is studied experimentally on a real dataset and compared with results for other classifiers, including those based on crisp rules and decision trees. The human-readability and editability of the classifiers produced by these methods is also studied.
Single-Stage High-Efficiency 48/1 V Sigma Converter With Integrated Magnetics

A high-efficiency, high-power-density Sigma converter for a 48 V rack architecture in data centers is proposed in this paper. The Sigma converter is a quasi-parallel converter that uses a high-efficiency unregulated converter to deliver the bulk power to the load. A small buck converter is responsible for regulating the output voltage with prescribed dynamic responses. A design guideline for Sigma converter with integrated magnetics is provided in this paper. The unregulated converter is an LLC converter designed with a printed circuit board (PCB) winding matrix transformer, a structure which integrates four elemental transformers into one core. The buck converter is designed with discrete gallium nitride (GaN) devices and a PCB winding inductor. The proposed Sigma converter operates at 48 V input and 1 V-80 A output and can achieve a power density of 420 W/in3 as well as a peak efficiency of 94%.
Perceived ease of flavored e-cigarette use and e-cigarette use progression among youth never tobacco users.

Background There is an increased need to understand how e-cigarette flavors may contribute to e-cigarette uptake and use among youth. We examined the relationship between perceived ease of flavored e-cigarette use and e-cigarette use susceptibility and progression among a nationally representative sample of U.S. youth never tobacco users. Methods The wave 1 (2013–2014) and wave 2 (2014–2015) surveys of PATH Study were used. Youth never tobacco users (ages 12–17) who reported whether flavored e-cigarettes were easier to use than unflavored e-cigarettes at wave 1 (n = 6,983) were included in the study. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to examine the associations between perceived ease of using flavored e-cigarettes (wave 1) and e-cigarette use outcomes including e-cigarette use susceptibility (wave 1) and e-cigarette initiation and past-30-day use (wave 2). Results Overall, 21.2% of the sample perceived flavored e-cigarettes easier to use than unflavored e-cigarettes; and 28.9% of the sample were susceptible to using e-cigarettes at wave 1, and 7.5% and 2.0% initiated e-cigarettes and used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days at wave 2, respectively. Among those who perceived flavored e-cigarettes easier to use, 41.0% were susceptible to using e-cigarettes at wave 1, and 10.6% and 3.4% initiated and used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days at wave 2, respectively. Perceiving flavored e-cigarettes as easier to use than unflavored e-cigarettes at wave 1 was positively associated with e-cigarette use susceptibility at wave 1 (AOR = 1.43, CI = 1.21, 1.69), and e-cigarette initiation (AOR = 1.32, CI = 1.12, 1.67) and past-30-day use (AOR = 1.25, CI = 1.10, 2.47) at wave 2. Conclusions Perceiving flavored e-cigarettes as easier to use than unflavored e-cigarettes may lead to e-cigarette use progression among youth never tobacco users. Determining the factors (including e-cigarette marketing and specific e-cigarette flavors) that lead to perceived ease of using flavored e-cigarettes would inform efforts to prevent and curb youth e-cigarette use.
RETHINKING INDIAN MODERNITY FROM THE MARGINS: ARCHITECTURAL POLITICS IN THIRUVANANTHAPURAM IN THE 1970s

This paper interprets the context and implications of a little-known but consequential ideological feud that emerged between rival “regionalist” and “modernist” camps of architectural practitioners...
Pericytes in Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease driven not only by evolutionally diverse cancer cell themselves but also by highly dynamic microenvironment. At the center of the tumor microenvironment, tumor vasculature plays multiple roles from supporting tumor growth to providing a route for metastasis to the distant organ sites. Blood vessels in breast cancer present with perfusion defects associated with vessel dilation, tortuosity, and poor perivascular coverage (Li et al., Ultrasound Med 32:1145–1155, 2013; Eberhard et al., Cancer Res 60:1388–1393, 2000; Cooke et al., Cancer Cell 21:66–81, 2012). Such abnormal vascular system is partly due to the morphological and molecular alteration of pericytes that is accompanied by a significant heterogeneity within the populations (Kim et al., JCI Insight 1:e90733, 2016). While pericytes are implicated for their controversial roles in breast cancer metastasis (Cooke et al., Cancer Cell 21:66–81, 2012; Gerhardt and Semb, J Mol Med (Berl) 86:135–144, 2008; Keskin et al., Cell Rep 10:1066–1081, 2015; Meng et al., Future Oncol 11:169–179, 2015; Xian et al., J Clin Invest 116:642–651, 2006), the impact of their heterogeneity on breast cancer progression, metastasis, intratumoral immunity, and response to chemotherapy are largely unknown. Due to the complexity of angiogenic programs of breast cancer, the anti-angiogenic or anti-vascular treatment has been mostly unsuccessful (Tolaney et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 112:14325–14330, 2015; Mackey et al., Cancer Treat Rev 38:673–688, 2012; Sledge, J Clin Oncol 33:133–135, 2015) and requires much in-depth knowledge on different components of tumor microenvironment and how these stromal cells are interacting and communicating to each other. Therefore, understanding pericyte heterogeneity and their differential functional contribution will shed light on new potential approaches to treat breast cancer.
Characteristics and conflicts of interests of public speakers at the Psychopharmacologic Drug and Advisory Committee meetings regarding psychiatric drugs.

The Psychopharmacologic Drug Advisory Committee (PDAC) is one of 33 advisory committees of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). During committee meetings, an open public hearing takes place where speakers provide testimonies about the drug in question and are asked, not required, to disclose any conflicts of interests (COIs) before speaking. These speakers may present with COIs which include, but are not limited to, reimbursement for travel and lodging by the pharmaceutical company to attend the meeting; previous or current payments for consulting from the pharmaceutical company and compensation as a paid investigator in previously conducted clinical trials for the drug under review. Our study aimed to investigate the characteristics and COIs of public speakers at PDAC meetings of the FDA. We evaluated 145 public speakers at FDA committee meetings over a 10-year period. We found a total of 52 public speakers disclosed a COI with travel and lodging being the most prominent. Among these speakers, 82.4% provided a positive testimony regarding the psychiatric drug in question. Speakers who had the condition in question were not more likely to provide a positive statement than those who did not. Our results showed that disclosing a COI was associated with increased odds of public speakers providing a favourable testimony for the recommendation of psychiatric drugs. The implications of these findings are concerning since COIs have the potential to skew public speaker’s testimonies and persuade committee members to recommend a drug through emotionally charged tactics.
CARDIOLOGIST INVOLVEMENT IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS TREATED WITH TRASTUZUMAB-BASED CANCER THERAPY REGIMEN

We characterized cardiologist involvement and its impact on adherence to cardiovascular (CV) function monitoring and CV risk factor management in breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using electronic health records from 1047 breast cancer
Fatal refractory cardiac arrest as presentation of systemic amyloidosis

Abstract Amyloidosis is a challenging diagnosis in the absence of clinical suspicion. The two patients reported here lacked any symptoms suggestive of amyloidosis. Instead, they presented with sudden, unexplained cardiac arrests that were persistent, treatment refractory, and ultimately fatal. Post-mortem examination unexpectedly revealed evidence of diffuse, systemic amyloidosis throughout multiple organ systems. We bring awareness to this unusual presentation of systemic amyloidosis that portends to poor outcome.
Commentary on: Double-Blind Comparison of Ultrasonic and Conventional Osteotomy in Terms of Early Postoperative Edema and Ecchymosis.

This interesting article by Ilhan et al compares the degree of postoperative edema and ecchymosis (complications after rhinoplasty) after procedures in which an osteotomy is performed with conventional instruments vs ultrasonic instruments.1 Although most surgeons believe that edema and bruising are typical outcomes after any type of surgery, aesthetic surgeons are always striving to simplify the postoperative course of rhinoplasty. It should be noted that the rhinoplasties in the Ilhan et al study were performed using a dental device that is not approved for use in the operating room (the VarioSurg3 piezosurgery unit, Nakanishi Inc., Kanuma, Tochigi, Japan) as well as maxillofacial inserts that are not designed for rhinoplasty. Moreover, the operations were not performed exclusively with piezoelectric instruments – hump removal was done with a Rubin osteotome and bone rasping was done with a mechanical rasp. The authors state that uncontrolled or comminuted fractures can result from conventional osteotomies and that using conventional instruments for this procedure is more likely to result in bleeding, bruising, and edema. However, in …
Leisure education from an ecological perspective: inclusion and advocacy in community leisure

We often think of leisure education as focused on the person, but what about the environments in which people experience leisure? Can leisure education be extended to include the education of organ...
Researcher Seeks Cheating Husbands: Recruiting a Closeted Population

I interviewed forty-six men who generously shared their stories about participation in outside partnerships and how that affected their primary partnerships. Semi-structured email interviews provided opportunities to probe participant responses for meaning and clarity. This overwhelmingly White, married, predominantly middle-class group of men provided insight into the qualities of outside partnerships formed purposefully from online profiles for extramarital affairs. The narratives in this study illustrate men’s meaning-making of their experiences seeking out and participating in outside partnerships concurrent to their primary partnerships. The existing literature on infidelity suggests distinct gender differences in approaching and navigating outside partnerships. The sample presented here challenges previous understandings of men’s participation in infidelity, as well as assumptions that infidelity participation functions as gendered.
Improving Engagement in Behavioral and Mental Health Services Through Animal-Assisted Interventions: A Scoping Review

Objective: Client engagement in behavioral and mental health services has been strongly linked to improved outcomes and treatment completion. Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) are increasingly u...
Investigation of the Structural Properties of the CdTe-ZnTe Strained-Layer Superlattice System

The CdTe-ZnTe strained-layer superlattice (SLS) system was initially proposed as a buffer layer for growing high crystalline quality Hg1-xCdxTe epitaxial layers on GaAs substrates (mismatch = 13.7%). This system by itself raised a lot of interest of a fundamental nature: Would these SLS’s have to be considered as a new system with constituent layers which are not independent?
Wireless Communications: Coding for Wireless Channels

Coding allows bit errors introduced by transmission of a modulated signal through a wireless channel to be either detected or corrected by a decoder in the receiver. Coding can be considered as the embedding of signal constellation points in a higher-dimensional signaling space than is needed for communications. By going to a higher-dimensional space, the distance between points can be increased, which provides for better error correction and detection. In this chapter we describe codes designed for additive white Gaussian noise channels and for fading channels. Codes designed for AWGN channels typically do not work well on fading channels because they cannot correct for long error bursts that occur in deep fading. Codes for fading channels are mainly based on using an AWGN channel code combined with interleaving, but the criterion for the code design changes to provide fading diversity. Other coding techniques to combat performance degradation due to fading include unequal error protection codes and joint source and channel coding. We first provide an overview of code design in both fading and AWGN, along with basic design parameters such as minimum distance, coding gain, bandwidth expansion, and diversity order. Sections 8.2 and 8.3 provide a basic overview of block and convolutional code designs for AWGN channels. Although these designs are not directly applicable to fading channels, codes for fading channels and other codes used in wireless systems (e.g., spreading codes in CDMA) require background in these fundamental techniques.
Estimating uncertainties in antenna measurements

We describe general methods of estimating uncertainties in antenna measurements. These include estimates based on theory (analysis), simulation, and altering the measurement system (self-comparison tests). The important component sources of uncertainty in antenna measurement are identified. We discuss the combination of component uncertainties to obtain an overall uncertainty estimate. A sample uncertainty analysis for a planar, near-field measurement is presented.
Immunological therapy in urological malignancy: Novel combination strategies

At present, immunotherapy in urological malignancy is experiencing a renaissance, particularly with the emergence of a host of innovative cancer vaccines. Herein, we will review promising immunotherapeutic approaches and evaluate the data supporting their inclusion in novel combination strategies.
The Unwieldy American State: Administrative Politics since the New Deal

1. The war at home 2. A 'Bill of Rights' for the administrative state 3. Congress's watchful eye 4. The Hoover administration and the 80th Congress 5. The stymied transformation of administrative law.
Mark Stickel: His Earliest Work

We consider Mark Stickel's activities and accomplishments while a graduate student, with a focus on several of the results for which he became known. We report on work we did together, addressing Mark's substantial contribution, then summarize his work on the unification problem, including the important associative-commutative unification algorithm. We close with Mark's definition of a fuzzy four-valued logic.