cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SYNCHRONOUS IPSILATERAL RENAL ADENOCARCINOMA, TRANSITIONAL CELL CARCINOMA OF THE RENAL PELVIS AND METASTATIC RENAL LYMPHOMA

Synchronous ipsilateral renal tumors are rare. To our knowledge we report the first case of synchronous ipsilateral renal cell carcinoma, transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis and renal lymphoma. Although the collision of these tumors has been suggested by some to be more than coincidental, there is no conclusive evidence that patients with renal cell carcinoma are at higher risk for any of the aforementioned malignancies. A 72-year-old man was referred for an incidental 4 cm. hypervascular right renal mass, which had been revealed on abdominal ultrasound initially performed to assess for splenomegaly. He had a 3-year history of IgM paraproteinemia associated with neuropathy and an IgM level of 524 mg./dl. (normal 34 to 213), and a long-standing history of cigarette smoking but no history of antecedent urothelial carcinoma. Laboratory values were significant for an elevated creatinine of 1.8 mg./dl. (normal 0.5 to 1.5), which 1 year earlier had been 1.2 mg./dl. Urinalysis and physical examination were normal. Before our evaluation, gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance imaging obtained by the hematologist had confirmed the 4 cm. lower pole mass in the right kidney. There was no intravascular tumor thrombus or lymphadenopathy. The left kidney appeared normal. Peripheral blood flow cytometry at that time indicated a monoclonal B-cell lymphoma (B lymphocytes: IgM br 66%, IgD 62%, K/CD19 br 65%, L/CD19 3%, CD19 67%, CD20 br 64%, CD23 62%. Right radical nephrectomy was performed through a flank incision without incident (part A of figure). Pathological examination revealed renal cell carcinoma (part B of figure), transitional cell carcinoma (part C of figure) and B-cell lymphoma (part D of figure). Distal ureterectomy and cystoscopy were performed 6 weeks after nephrectomy. Pathological examination failed to identify the presence of disease. Convalescence was uneventful and no treatment has been planned for lymphoma.
Anomalous deuterium labeling effect on anharmonicity of the benzene ring breathing mode, v1

Abstract 1 B 2u excited state anharmonicity constants have been obtained from ν 1 progressions in two-photon multiphoton ionization spectra for C 6 H 6 , C 6 D 6 , and 13 C 6 H 6 , in a supersonic free jet. The diagonal anharmonicity constant, x 11 , is found to increase in C 6 D 6 to −1.18 cm −1 from −0.50 cm −1 in C 6 H 6 . It is unchanged in 13 C 6 H 6 . a mechanism for the anomalous deuterium-induced increase is suggested which involves the almost purely skeletal ring breathing mode, v 1 , in C 6 H 6 gaining highly anharmonic C-D stretching character in C 6 D 6 . Excited state x 1.6 , x 1.7 , and x 1.14 off-diagonal constants have also been obtained for C 6 H 6 by combining the two-photon analysis with ultraviolet data from Atkinson and Parmenter. The values are −1.4, −2.0, and −3.4 cm −1 , respectively.
Ground Roost Resource Selection for Merriam's Wild Turkeys

Abstract Concealment cover is important for ground-roosting wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) poults immediately following hatch during the vulnerable, preflight stage. We compared concealment cover resources selected at ground roosts to those of nest sites and available resources for Merriam's turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo merriami) in the Black Hills of South Dakota, USA. Females with preflight poults selected ground roosts that were similar in structure to nest sites. Ground roosts and nests were greater in visual obstruction (unit odds ratios ≥1.19) than random sites. However, ground roosts were closer to meadow–forest edges than either nests or random sites (unit odds ratios ≤0.98). Structure at ground roosts may provide visual protection from predators, and management for shrub vegetation or woody debris along meadow–pine forest ecotones will provide cover for Merriam's turkey broods.
Several sequential augmentations of Richardson's arms race model

The classical Richardson model of the arms race has received a number of criticisms on a priori grounds. These include the model's permitting the level of arms to achieve unlimited values, the inability of the model to produce the cyclical behavior which is apparent in real races, and its ignoring exogenous budgetary effects. We sequentially respond to each of these criticisms proposing increasingly more complex models as we proceed. The resulting behavior becomes more complex with the final model displaying quasi-periodic behavior.
Survey of coded character representation

Technical Committee 97 of the International Standards Organization (ISO) is concerned with standards in data processing. The American Standards Association holds the secretariat of this committee. Sectional Committee X3 of A.S.A. is responsible for national data processing standards in the U. S.
NSF funding for research on universal access

In 1998, the Division of Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS) within the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), in response to then-recent Federal legislation and input from the scientific community, identified a need to develop a focused long-term effort to support fundamental research in computer science whose primary objective is to empower people with disabilities so that they are able to participate as first class citizens in the emerging information society. In particular, this implies affording the ability to find, manipulate, process and use information in an efficient and comprehensive manneruniversal access to the power of computing and to information as its primary end product.
A database server for distributed real-time systems: issues and experiences

The design and implementation of database systems for real-time applications presents many new and challenging problems. In addition to maintaining data consistency, the database system must satisfy timing constraints associated with transactions. In this paper we present our experiences in integrating a database server with a real-time operating system kernel and our attempts at providing flexible control for concurrent transaction management. We chose the ARTS operating system kernel as the basis for the real-time database server. Current research issues involving the development of a programming interface and imprecise computing server are also discussed. >
The “Representative Bureaucracy” in Education: Educator Workforce Diversity, Policy Outputs, and Outcomes for Disadvantaged Students

Bureaucratic representation—the idea that a governmental organization is better situated to serve its clients when its employee composition reflects that of its client population—has received considerable scholarly attention in the study of public institutions in the fields of political science and public administration. In a wide variety of settings, this research has demonstrated important connections between the racial, ethnic, and gender composition of the public sector workforce and how different groups—particularly traditionally underserved groups—interact with street-level bureaucrats and benefit from public services. Although scholars in those fields long ago recognized that the public school system is a large bureaucracy with diverse street-level bureaucrats (teachers) and clients (students and parents) and thus began studying bureaucratic representation in the context of schools, the concept and the causal mechanisms it hypothesizes remain largely unfamiliar to education researchers. This articl...
Transcriptional Profiling Identifies Two Members of the ATP-binding Cassette Transporter Superfamily Required for Sterol Uptake in Yeast

In contrast to lipoprotein-mediated sterol uptake, free sterol influx by eukaryotic cells is poorly understood. To identify components of non-lipoprotein-mediated sterol uptake, we utilized strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that accumulate exogenous sterol due to a neomorphic mutation in the transcription factor, UPC2. Two congenic upc2-1strains, differing quantitatively in aerobic sterol uptake due to a modifying mutation in the HAP1 transcription factor, were compared using DNA microarrays. We identified 9 genes as responsive toUPC2 that were also induced under anaerobiosis, when sterol uptake is essential. Deletion mutants in these genes were assessed for sterol influx in the upc2-1 background. UPC2itself was up-regulated under these conditions and was required for aerobic sterol influx. Deletion of the ATP-binding cassette transporters YOR011w (AUS1) orPDR11, or a putative cell wall protein encoded byDAN1, significantly reduced sterol influx. Sodium azide and vanadate inhibited sterol uptake, consistent with the participation of ATP-binding cassette transporters. We hypothesized that the physiological role of Aus1p and Pdr11p is to mediate sterol uptake when sterol biosynthesis is compromised. Accordingly, expression ofAUS1 or PDR11 was required for anaerobic growth and sterol uptake. We proposed similar molecules may be important components of sterol uptake in all eukaryotes.
Examining Variation in Surveying Attitudes on Same-Sex Marriage: A Meta-Analysis

Recent polls report majorities of the public supporting marriage recognition for same-sex couples. These reports are not uniform, with some polling organizations still reporting less than a majority in favor. I examine variation in these results using meta-analysis to examine variation among organizations (norg=21) and question wordings (nqw=36) . I also examine direct effects that explain variation based on question framing from 1996 to 2014 (npoll=138) . The results show that after accounting for this variation, a majority of the public supports same-sex marriage in 2014, and any deviations from that estimate can be explained by question framing and organizational “house” effects. The results indicate that questions that focus on the issue of “same-sex marriage” garner less support than questions on legal recognition of marriages for same-sex couples; this finding suggests that framing accounts for why some polls do not report majorities in favor.
Imagined Interaction, Conversational Sensitivity and Communication Competence:

This research explores the relationship between imagined interaction dimensions [1], conversational sensitivity dimensions [2], and communication competence [3]. Results of a study reveal features of imagined interaction predicting both conversational sensitivity and self-reported communication competence. Mental experiences of communication (i.e., imagined interaction) are thought to activate sensitivity to conversations and to provide knowledge structures for competent interaction. A path analysis revealed the mediating role of overall conversational sensitivity leading to communication competence.
FEEDING BEHAVIOR, FLOCK-SIZE DYNAMICS, AND VARIATION IN SEXUAL SELECTION IN CROSSBILLS

I present field data on feeding and scanning behavior of White-winged Cross- bills (Loxia leucoptera) in relation to flock size. Feeding rates increased and individual levels of vigilance decreased as flock size increased from one to two. Further increases in flock size did not correspond with substantial reductions in individual vigilance, but did correspond with frequent agonistic interactions. As rates of agonistic interactions increased, feeding rates of sub- ordinate age-sex classes (e.g. adult females) declined relative to those of dominant age-sex classes (e.g. adult males). Females (and immatures) may have reduced this effect by avoiding flocks composed mostly of adult males. Assortative flocking occurred in the nonbreeding pe- riod (late November to December), but during breeding periods (September and potentially rest of year) the numbers of each age-sex class tended to be positively correlated. Rates of agonistic interactions were higher when crossbills foraged on conifers whose cones were com- pactly dispersed. Flocks were smaller when rates of agonistic interactions were high and co- nifers had compact cone dispersions. Flock size increased as seed density declined. Larger flocks, with high levels of collective vigilance, were favored because feeding rate and the time spent scanning while seeds were husked also declined. Crossbills (Loxia spp-) that forage on small-crowned conifers are more sexually dichromatic and have other traits indicating stronger sexual selection than crossbills that forage on large-crowned conifers. I suggest that these dif- ferences result from differences in rates of agonistic interactions, which influence female feed- ing rates compared with male feeding rates, and likely have a differential effect on female mortality rates and the population sex ratio. Received 21 June 1996, accepted 17 December 1996.
H2-M3–Restricted T Cells in Bacterial Infection Rapid Primary but Diminished Memory Responses

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class Ib molecules have been implicated in CD8(+) T cell-mediated defenses against intracellular bacterial infection, but the relative importance of MHC class Ib-restricted T cells in antimicrobial immunity is unknown. In this report, we use MHC tetramers to characterize T cell responses restricted by H2-M3, an MHC class Ib molecule that selectively presents N-formyl peptides. We find that sizeable H2-M3-restricted T cell responses, occurring earlier than MHC class Ia-restricted T cell responses, are mounted after primary infection with the intracellular bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. These H2-M3-restricted T cells are cytolytic and produce interferon gamma. However, after a second L. monocytogenes infection, H2-M3-restricted memory T cell responses are minor in comparison to the much larger MHC class Ia-restricted responses. This first direct characterization of an MHC class Ib-restricted T cell response indicates that CD8(+) T cells responding to L. monocytogenes infection can be divided into two groups: H2-M3-restricted responses, which provide rapid and quantitatively substantial effector function during primary infections but contribute relatively little to memory responses, and MHC class Ia-restricted responses, which expand later during primary infection but form memory T cells that respond rapidly and dramatically in response to subsequent infections by the same pathogen.
Bi-directional electrostatic microspeaker with two large-deflection flexible membranes actuated by single/dual electrodes

This paper reports a bi-directional electrostatic microspeaker that has three main features: (1) a thin and flexible Parylene membrane for large deflection (>7.5 mum), thus, large acoustic pressure generation, (2) dual electrodes on both sides of the membrane to pull it in two opposite directions and overcome the weak restoration force of the polymer membrane, thus allowing the use of flexible membranes as a high-speed vibration element, and (3) bi-directional (forward/backward) packaged structures for symmetric and loud acoustic sounds of 113.4 dB (SPL: sound pressure level) at 7.68 kHz when actuated using a single electrode, and 98.8 dB (SPL) at 13.81 kHz when actuated using two electrodes at a distance of 1 cm from the microspeaker. By actuating two membranes, the microspeaker also produced symmetric sound pressures at both the front and back sides of the device. The generated sound frequency range is from 1 kHz (measurement cut-off frequency) to 25 kHz, and the sound level was reasonably uniform over a wide frequency range. The fabricated microspeaker has an active area footprint of 3 times 5 mm2, while the total packaged device (including electrical pads area of 3.5 times3.5 mm2) has a volume of 13 times 16 times 1 mm3. The micropump is built on two bonded silicon wafers and incorporates a flexible polymer, Parylene, membrane as the actuation membrane
To What Extent Does Surface Hydrophobicity Dictate Peptide Folding and Stability near Surfaces

Protein-surface interactions are ubiquitous in both the cellular setting and in modern bioengineering devices, but how such interactions impact protein stability is not well understood. We investigate the folding of the GB1 hairpin peptide in the presence of self-assembled monolayers and graphite like surfaces using replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations. By varying surface hydrophobicity, and decoupling direct protein-surface interactions from water-mediated interactions, we show that surface wettability plays a surprisingly minor role in dictating protein stability. For both the β-hairpin GB1 and the helical miniprotein TrpCage, adsorption and stability is largely dictated by the nature of the direct chemical interactions between the protein and the surface. Independent of the surface hydrophobicity profile, strong protein-surface interactions destabilize the folded structure while weak interactions stabilize it.
When are Securities Class Actions Dismissed, When Do They Settle, and for How Much? — An Update

In this article, we briefly present some basic statistics on the timing of dismissals and settlements in securities class actions. In contrast to the popular image of securities class actions, we find that over half of all cases are either dismissed or settle well before discovery begins. 38% of cases are either dismissed with prejudice on the first motion to dismiss or are dropped before a second complaint is filed. Another 15% of cases settle either before the first motion to dismiss was ruled on or after an initial dismissal without prejudice. The article provides additional descriptive statistics on how securities class actions are resolved and the timing of their resolution.
Marxist and Neo-Marxist Interpretations of Ethnicity

Abstract This paper reviews both the contributions and inadequacies of Marxist and neo-Marxist efforts to account for the persistence of ethnicity in modern societies. The former approach relegates ethnic group relations and consciousness in capitalist society either to a vestigial survival of pre-capitalist class relations or as a case of false consciousness. It treats ethnicity as a necessarily dependent variable, and predicts that ethnicity eventually will disappear. Recognizing the continuing significance of ethnic forces in modern capitalist societies, neo-Marxists concerned with uneven development at both an external global and an intra-societal level offer explanations as to how structures of ethnic inequality are functional for capitalist accumulation. Critiques of such theories are offered. The essay concludes by evaluating the limitations and prospects of a Marxist analysis of ethnicity.
High-J states in /sup 23/Na

The $^{12}\mathrm{C}$($^{12}\mathrm{C}$,p) reaction, at a bombarding energy of 39.0 MeV, has been used to locate candidates for high-spin states. Angular distributions and angle-integrated cross sections are presented for 43 levels (or groups of levels) of which at least 10 probably have $J\ensuremath{\ge}\frac{9}{2}$.
The Crisis in Public Sector Pension Plans: A Blueprint for Reform in New Jersey

Pension plans operated by state governments on behalf of their employees are underfunded by an estimated $452 billion according to official reports,1 with total liabilities of $2.8 trillion and total assets of $2.3 trillion in 2008. However, many economists argue that even these daunting liabilities are understated. Current public sector accounting methods allow plans to assume they can earn highv investment returns without any risk. Using methods that are required for private sector pensions, which value pension liabilities according to likelihood of payment rather than the return expected on pension assets, total liabilities amount to $5.2 trillion and the unfunded liability rises to $3 trillion. The ability of governments to pay for the retirement benefits promised to public sector workers runs up against the reality of limited resources.
Chronic Energy Restriction Versus Energy Cycling and Mammary Tumor Promotion

Chronic energy restriction significantly inhibits mammary tumor promotion in rodents. The present work studied the effect of short-term, intermittent energy restriction or energy cycling on mammary tumor promotion since this feeding paradigm mimics the dieting habits of humans. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were given 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) at 50 days of age (5 mg ig). One week later, rats were randomly divided into three dietary groups. One group was fed ad libitum throughout the study (AL), another (ER) was fed 40% fewer calories than the AL group, and a third, energy-cycled group (EC) was fed in repeated cycles of 2 days of feeding at a level comparable to that of AL rats followed by 2 days of 40% energy restriction. At 10 weeks post-DMBA, the mammary tumor incidences in the AL and EC groups were the same, but incidence in the ER group was significantly lower. A second experiment examined serum levels of three hormones thought to play a role in mammary tumorigenesis. After 12 or 24 days on diet, ER rats had lower insulin levels compared with the other groups. Serum insulin levels in AL and EC rats were the same. After 24 days on diet, estradiol levels were significantly lower and corticosterone levels higher in the ER and EC groups compared with the AL group. Although energy cycling is a type of energy restriction that lowers overall weight gain and energy intake, it does not inhibit mammary tumor promotion as does chronic energy restriction. These data also suggest that feed efficiency and serum insulin levels correlate with susceptibility to mammary tumor promotion.
Phase Shift Estimation in Structured Illumination Imaging for Lateral Resolution Enhancement

Lateral resolution enhancement using structured illumination imaging requires accurate knowledge of phase shifts in the sinusoidal illumination on the object. We discuss a method to estimate these phase shifts and the resulting image reconstructions.
Mainstreaming Homosexuality in Nollywood: The Efforts and the Challenges

A critical analysis of the attempts by Nollywood, the melodramatic video-film industry in Nigeria, to address and mainstream the notion of homosexuality in Nigeria and across the continent. Using the cultivation theory and the inter-group contact theory, the study explores the notion of mainstreaming of homosexuality by the very popular medium across Africa. How has this particular medium address the issue of homosexuality in society through characterization and plot? Since Nollywood is a highly didactic medium, what messages about homosexuality are being presented and how do these messages contribute to or erode from existing conceptions and misconceptions about homosexuality in Nigeria? Has the medium, in its portrayal of homosexuality, contributed to the moral panic on the issue or help deflect the moral panic? The analysis is done against the backdrop of the ongoing legal, social and political homophobic rhetoric currently engulfing Nigeria and other African nations. The focus of the study is the frequency of reference to homosexuality in the society, the characterization of homosexual persons in the video-films and the narratives of the homosexual person in relation to heterosexuals in the society. The video-films examined are: Emotional Crack (2003); Men in Love (2010) and Mind Game (2010). The results indicate that while more plots and characterization is being done by Nollywood to make homosexuality salient to the society, the characterizations of homosexuality is unsympathetic at best and even dubious in certain circumstances. In the one instance where a strong and sympathetic characterization is employed, the plot is undermined to restore the mainstream socio-religious homophobic discourse.
The STBUR questionnaire for identifying children at risk for sleep-disordered breathing and postoperative opioid-related adverse events.

Summary Background Children with symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) appear to be at risk for perioperative respiratory events (PRAE). Furthermore, these children may be more sensitive to the respiratory-depressant effects of opioids compared with children without SDB. Aims The aim of this prospective observational study was to confirm that otherwise healthy children with symptoms of SDB are at greater risk for PRAE compared with children with no symptoms and to determine if these children are also at increased risk for postoperative opioid-related adverse events (ORAE). Methods Six hundred and seventy-eight parents of children scheduled for surgery completed the Snoring, Trouble Breathing, and Un-Refreshed (STBUR) questionnaire preoperatively. Data regarding the incidence of PRAE were collected prospectively. Postoperative pulse oximetry desaturation alarm events were downloaded from the institutional secondary alarm notification system. Results Children with symptoms of SDB per STBUR (≥3 symptoms) had a two-fold increased likelihood of PRAE compared with children without SDB (52.8% vs 27.9% respectively, LR+ = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.60–2.49, P = 0.0001). A subset analysis of children undergoing airway procedures requiring hospital admittance (n = 179) showed that those with SDB were given the same postoperative opioid doses as children without SDB. However, children with SDB symptoms generated a greater number of postoperative oxygen desaturation alarms (14.14 ± 29.3 vs 7.12 ± 13.2, mean difference = 7.02, 95% CI = 0.39–13.64, P = 0.038) and more frequently required escalation of care (15.3% vs 7.1%, LR+ = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.22–2.16, P = 0.001) compared with children with no SDB symptoms. Conclusions Children presenting for surgery with SDB symptoms are at increased risk for PRAE. Children undergoing airway-related procedures also appear to be at increased risk for ORAE. Furthermore, regardless of the preoperative assessment of risk using the STBUR questionnaire, children received the same doses of opioids postoperatively. Given the increased incidence of postoperative oxygen desaturations among children with SDB symptoms, it would seem prudent to consider titration of opioid doses according to identified risk.
Design and evaluation of isolated gate driver power supply for medium voltage converter applications

The commercial gate drivers are available upto 6.5 kV IGBTs. With the advances in the SiC, power devices rated beyond 10 kV are being researched. These devices will have use on medium voltage power converters. Commercial gate drivers rated for such high voltages are not available. These power devices have very high dv/dts (30–100 kV/µs) at switching transitions. Such high dv/dts bring in challenges in the gate driver design. The isolation stage of the gate power supply needs to have very low coupling capacitance to limit the high frequency circulating currents from reaching the gate driver control circuits. Also, the isolation stage has to be designed with insulation several times higher than the peak system voltage level. In this paper, design, development and evaluation of the gate power supply for medium voltage level applications have been investigated. Several isolation transformer designs have been investigated and optimum design, with very low coupling capacitance ≈ 0.5 pF, has been identified and used in the gate driver design. Experimental characterization of the transformer has been done. The performance of the gate driver power supply has been evaluated in several MV power converters, using 10 kV SiC MOSFETs.
Lawful, non-burn options for injection waste disposal

The Government of India has decided to introduce auto disable syringes in the entire country for immunisation which means a lot of immunisation injection waste gets generated in the process. There is a need for managing immunisation waste to avoid occupational risk, risk to the public and also the indirect risks via the environment. Treatment technology options for safe management waste at different locations is elaborated in this article.
EFFECT OF HEMODIALYSIS ON ERYTHROKINETICS IN ANEMIA OF UREMIA.

Abstract Complete hematologic and erythrokinetic studies were performed on 19 uremic patients; the results obtained are in agreement with those of previous authors. In a select group of 6 stable uremic patients, studies were repeated after a single hemodialysis, and during continuous peritoneal dialysis in 1 additional patient. Transient improvement in ferrokinetics and the parameters of effective erythropoiesis were noted in all. Various explanations of the pathogenesis of azotemic anemia have been considered, A decrease in the production of erythropoietin is considered as one of the more plausible mechanisms for the production of this anemia.
“Erosion” of Television City Hall Reporting? Perceptions of Reporters on the Beat in 2014 and 2001

Mail survey (N = 112) of lead city government reporters at randomly selected television stations in the 210 local designated market areas replicates a 1997 study. The 2014 reporters had a more pessimistic view of station commitment to and valuing of city government reporting than in 1997 study. Among 2014 respondents, older reporters were more pessimistic whereas smaller market reporters were more optimistic, and a majority believes media commitment to covering city government remains generally strong.
Immunologic evaluation of the endometrium with a levonorgestrel intrauterine device in solid organ transplant women and healthy controls

Abstract Objective The objective was to describe the endometrial milieu of stable transplant patients and healthy women before and after levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) insertion. Study design Women between 18 and 45 years of age desiring LNG-IUS insertion were enrolled with a 2:1 ratio of healthy to stable solid organ transplant patients. The first visit entailed a blood draw, uterine lavage and endometrial biopsy followed by LNG-IUS insertion. Follow-up visit involved a repeat serum draw, uterine lavage and endometrial biopsy. Cytokine levels were measured in the uterine lavage and serum by quantifying inflammatory biomarkers. Immunohistochemistry staining was performed on the endometrial tissue to measure macrophage levels. Statistical analysis included a nonparametric analysis that compared medians of the marker levels before and after intrauterine device (IUD) insertion within the group and between the two groups. Results Sixteen participants completed the study: 5 solid organ transplant patients and 11 healthy patients. For the serum, there were no marked changes in the cytokines or soluble receptor levels in either group after IUD insertion. However, in the uterine lavage, there was an increase in cytokine levels post-IUD insertion for both healthy and transplant women. For the endometrial tissue, there was evidence of macrophage activity in both groups after device insertion. Conclusions This pilot study investigated the uterine environment of the transplant patient population. Findings have pointed to the strong local inflammatory response following LNG-IUS insertion for the transplant recipients. In addition, these preliminary findings will help power a larger study that can investigate the safety and effectiveness of the IUD in this patient population. Implications Findings from this pilot study suggest that the IUD is inducing a local inflammatory reaction in the uterus of the transplant patient as in the healthy control. A larger study can build on these preliminary results to pursue the efficacy and safety of IUD use among solid organ transplant patients.
Whether Judgments, Sentences, and Executions Satisfy the Moral Sense in Nabokov

Nabokov’s introduction to Bend Sinister asks whether that bleak novel offers “any satisfaction” to “the moral sense?” He claims that it does, because his characters are ultimately punished. Sweeney’s chapter applies this same question to his other works. She finds that Nabokov’s fiction—influenced by the detective story and the thriller—often alludes to crimes, investigations, trials, death sentences, and executions. Despite this emphasis on law and order, however, it never presents actual or legitimate scenes of judgment, sentencing, and punishment. Even though Nabokov’s endings stress the need to mete out justice to his characters, he leaves the determination of such matters up to the morality of individual readers. Sweeney argues, in fact, that Nabakov carefully designed his novels to prepare readers for this responsibility.
Nanotechnology and consumer products: challenges of risk assessment of nanomaterials and current regulatory status

This chapter discusses nanomaterial's safety in consumer products from a regulatory perspective. The challenges of risk assessment will be illustrated from four basic aspects, including hazard identification, hazard characterization, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. The technical difficulties in performing a comprehensive physical and chemical characterization of nanomaterials in complex product matrices will be presented. The issues in the toxicity test system, particularly in the assessment of long-term toxic effect and the limitations of the applied methodology in exposure assessment will be investigated. This chapter will also give an overview of the regulatory status in the United States, Europe, and China, and the current approaches that each government agency has adopted in identifying and evaluating the risk associated with the use of nanomaterials.
The Effect of Medicare Part D on Prescription Drug Spending and Health Care Use: 6 Years of Follow-up, 2007-2012

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that Medicare Part D was associated with a reduction in out-of-pocket expenditures for Medicare beneficiaries during the early years of its implementation (2006 and 2007). However, a question remains regarding the effect of Part D on out-of-pocket expenditures in the longer term. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of Part D on prescription drug expenditures and certain health care use for a longer time period using a large, nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries. METHODS: Using Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data from 2000 through 2005 (pre-Part D period) and from 2007 through 2012 (Part D era), this study identified a cohort of elderly Medicare beneficiaries (treatment group) and a near-elderly non-Medicare population (control group). A difference-in-differences analysis was conducted to estimate the effect of Part D on prescription medication use and expenditures and outpatient visits. Propensity score weights and sampling weights were...
The rewards for publishing in accounting in the USA

Accounting faculty in the USA are rewarded for publishing, with the reward increasing with journal quality. We estimate the increase in annual salary for a top tier publication to be $5,609, with the increase varying across ranks - from $2,008 for an endowed professor to $9,452 for an assistant professor. As these are increases in base salary, under reasonable assumptions for longevity and discount rate, the present value of a top tier publication exceeds $145,000 for an assistant professor. We also document that the reward varies systematically across schools and over time. While we find significantly greater average salaries at doctoral granting institutions, we find the reward per publication is greater at non-doctoral granting institutions. We also find that more recent publications are valued more highly, and that the payoff for a top tier publication has increased over time, while that for lower tier publications has decreased.
Prognostic significance of cytogenetic abnormalities in T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia

T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL) is an aggressive mature T-cell neoplasm. The most common cytogenetic abnormality associated with T-PLL is inv(14)(q11.2q32) involving TCL1, but other abnormalities also have been reported. In this study, we correlated cytogenetic abnormalities with clinical outcome in 97 T-PLL patients, including 66 men and 31 women with a median age of 63 years (range, 34-81). Twenty-seven patients had a normal karyotype (NK), one had two chromosomal aberrations, and 69 had a complex karyotype (CK). Patients with a CK had poorer overall survival (OS) than patients with a NK (P = .0016). In the CK group, the most common aberrations involved 14q (n = 45) and 8q (n = 38). Additional deletions of chromosomes 17p, 11q, 6q, 12p, 13q were observed frequently. No individual cytogenetic abnormality impacted OS. Patients with ≥5 aberrations had an OS of 11 months versus 22 months in patients with <5 aberrations (P = 0.0132). Fluorescence in situ hybridization for TCL1 successfully performed in 27 cases showed rearrangement in 8/10 (80%) NK versus 16/17 (94%) CK cases. OS of patients with TCL1 rearrangement and/or 14q aberrations was not significantly different from patients without TCL1 rearrangement and 14q aberrations (P = .3467). Patients with refractory disease showed worse OS in both the NK and CK groups (P = .0014 and P < .0001, respectively), compared with patients who achieved remission but then relapsed. Stem cell transplantation did not appear to improve OS regardless of karyotype complexity. In conclusion, patients with T-PLL often have a CK which is a poor prognostic factor, particularly in patients with ≥5 cytogenetic aberrations.
A Review of Monolingualism and Linguistic Exhibitionism in Fiction, by Anjali Pandey

Monolingualism and Linguistic Exhibitionism in Fiction by Anjali Pandey is an interesting and engaging study, and marks an important contribution to the newly established corpus of books around multilingual textualities in world literature. It is also an audacious example of interdisciplinary scholarship: the author is firmly grounded in sociolinguistics, but explores and aptly uses the work produced in postcolonial and, to a certain extent, translation studies in order to build her argument on the forms of multilingualism in contemporary Anglophone fiction. The sub-field the author identifies for her own work is literary-sociolinguistics in order to “examine and analyze how multilingualism is in fact manifested in literature of the 21 st century.” (p. 2) Literary multilingualism is explained via a Bourdieusian examination of the Realpolitik of languages in today’s publishing industry, dealt with in the first two chapters, through which the author identifies a generalized “cosmetic use of languages”, or “multilingualism-lite” (p. 7) as a recurring feature in prize-winning Anglophone fiction. What Pandey laments in her – mostly sociolinguistic – survey of the literature on the topic is the lack of a theoretical framework with which to read a wide array of texts that deploy multiple languages as part of their style, and this is the lacuna the book aims at filling. As for the corpus of texts taken into account, this is formed by four novels by authors from the Indian subcontinent who either won or were shortlisted for prestigious literary prizes in the years between 2003 and 2014: The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (winner of the Man Booker Prize in 2008); Brick Lane by Monica Ali (selected among the “Best Young British Novelists” by the magazine Granta and shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2003); Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri (winner of the Pulitzer Prize for the short story collection The Interpreter of Maladies in 1999 and of the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award in 2000); and The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie (winner of the Booker Prize for the novel Midnight’s Children in 1981, of the Booker of Bookers Prize in 1993, and of the Best of the Booker Prize in 2008). The analysis of these four writers and their novels provides the basis for the argument put forth in this book: “literary creations of the 21 st century demonstrate a clear trending towards shallow multilingualism and re-Englishing” (p. 7) in the service of a predominant normative monolingualism in Anglophone fiction.
Perioperative Pain Management in Hip and Knee Arthroplasty

Total hip and knee arthroplasty is associated with significant perioperative pain, which can adversely affect recovery by increasing risk of complications, length of stay, and cost. Historically, opioids were the mainstay of perioperative pain control. However, opioids are associated with significant downsides. Preemptive use of a multimodal pain management approach has become the standard of care to manage pain after hip and knee arthroplasty. Multimodal pain management uses oral medicines, peripheral nerve blocks, intra-articular injections, and other tools to reduce the need for opioids. Use of a multimodal approach promises to decrease complications, improve outcomes, and increase patient satisfaction after hip and knee arthroplasty.
New Directions for Adolescent Risk Prevention and Health Promotion Research and Interventions

The lessons learned from research on individual adolescent health risk behaviors show that all of these behaviors have similar patterns of development and etiologic roots, and may respond to similar prevention and treatment programs. Surprisingly, research on each of these areas has proceeded relatively independently, yet similar findings are emerging. There are, of course, important differences across risk behaviors as well. Understanding the similarities and differences across risk behaviors expands the options for prevention and treatment.
Use of a Neural Circuit Probe to Validate in silico Predictions of Inhibitory Connections

Understanding how neuronal signals propagate in local network is an important step in understanding information processing. As a result, spike trains recorded with Multi-electrode Arrays (MEAs) have been widely used to study behaviors of neural connections. Studying the dynamics of neuronal networks requires the identification of both excitatory and inhibitory connections. The detection of excitatory relationships can robustly be inferred by characterizing the statistical relationships of neural spike trains. However, the identification of inhibitory relationships is more difficult: distinguishing endogenous low firing rates from active inhibition is not obvious. In this paper, we propose an in silico interventional procedure that makes predictions about the effect of stimulating or inhibiting single neurons on other neurons, and thereby gives the ability to accurately identify inhibitory causal relationships. To experimentally test these predictions, we have developed a Neural Circuit Probe (NCP) that delivers drugs transiently and reversibly on individually identified neurons to assess their contributions to the neural circuit behavior. With the help of NCP, three inhibitory connections identified by our in silico modeling were validated through real interventional experiments. Together, these methods provide a basis for mapping complete neural circuits.
Arterial reconstructions for chronic lower extremity ischemia in preadolescent and adolescent children.

Abstract Objective Chronic lower extremity ischemia in pediatric patients is uncommon. The intent of this study was to better define the arterial reconstructive options and their long-term durability in preadolescent and adolescent children having clinically relevant arterial occlusions affecting the lower extremity. Methods The medical records of 33 consecutive pediatric patients who underwent lower extremity revascularization for chronic ischemia at the University of Michigan from 1974 to 2016 were reviewed. Patients were categorized by age, clinical manifestation, surgical intervention undertaken, and outcomes. Results Operative treatments involved 26 preadolescent children (mean age, 6.1 years; range, 3-9 years) and 7 adolescent children (mean age, 13.9 years; range, 10-17 years). Occlusions were due to earlier injury related to catheter (14), cannula (2), or both catheter and cannula (14); penetrating trauma (2); and vasculitis (1). Preoperative manifestations included symptomatic extremity ischemia (25), growth retardation manifested by documented limb length discrepancies (21), and scoliosis (5). Primary arterial reconstructions were delayed after the precipitating vascular event an average of 5.3 and 11.2 years in the preadolescent and adolescent children, respectively. Primary procedures involved revascularizations of 36 extremities (in preadolescents and adolescents) including autologous vein (26/5), polyethylene terephthalate (Dacron; 1/0), and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (0/3) bypasses and vein patch angioplasty (0/1). Vein grafts traversing the abdominal cavity (15) were wrapped with a synthetic mesh. Excluding one early graft occlusion, there were no major early postoperative complications after the primary procedures. Secondary operations followed 31% of the primary operations, being performed an average of 8.8 and 6.7 years later (in 8 preadolescent and 3 adolescent children, respectively) for late graft occlusions (6), graft stenoses (3), aneurysmal vein grafts (2), and anastomotic pseudoaneurysm (1). The unassisted primary graft patency rate was 69%, and the assisted secondary graft patency rate was 94%. Symptomatic ischemia resolved in all but two children. Mean postoperative ankle-brachial indices improved to 1.08 from 0.76 preoperatively. Among children having postoperative documentation of limb lengths, the limb length discrepancies became less (11), were unchanged (1), or progressed (3). Follow-up averaged 8.0 years. There was no operative mortality in this experience. Conclusions Primary lower extremity arterial reconstructions in children with chronic lower extremity ischemia can be successfully undertaken with excellent results. Nevertheless, the potential for late primary graft failures, evident in nearly a third of this experience, mandates careful long-term follow-up and may necessitate secondary interventions to maintain satisfactory outcomes.
Personalized Anticoagulation: Optimizing Warfarin Management Using Genetics and Simulated Clinical Trials.

Background— Clinical trials testing pharmacogenomic-guided warfarin dosing for patients with atrial fibrillation have demonstrated conflicting results. Non–vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants are expensive and contraindicated for several conditions. A strategy optimizing anticoagulant selection remains an unmet clinical need. Methods and Results— Characteristics from 14 206 patients with atrial fibrillation were integrated into a validated warfarin clinical trial simulation framework using iterative Bayesian network modeling and a pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic model. Individual dose–response for patients was simulated for 5 warfarin protocols—a fixed-dose protocol, a clinically guided protocol, and 3 increasingly complex pharmacogenomic-guided protocols. For each protocol, a complexity score was calculated using the variables predicting warfarin dose and the number of predefined international normalized ratio (INR) thresholds for each adjusted dose. Study outcomes included optimal time in therapeutic range ≥65% and clinical events. A combination of age and genotype identified different optimal protocols for various subpopulations. A fixed-dose protocol provided well-controlled INR only in normal responders ≥65, whereas for normal responders Conclusions— Under the assumptions of this simulation, patients with atrial fibrillation can be triaged to an optimal warfarin therapy protocol by age and genotype. Clinicians should consider alternative anticoagulation therapy for patients with suboptimal outcomes under any warfarin protocol.
CONCERNING SNS USE: HOW DO ISSUES OF PRIVACY AND TRUST CONCERN USERS?

As the popularity of social networking sites (SNSs) continues to grow, the research on what affects user intentions is also experiencing increased attention. This study investigates the effect of privacy and trust in other SNS users on trust in the SNS and the relationship between trust in the SNS, social norms and the intention to use an SNS. Data collected from online surveys were analyzed using linear regression analysis. The findings indicate that perceived privacy and trust in other SNS users has a positive relationship with trust in the SNS. However, the data showed no significant relationship between trust in the SNS and intention to use the SNS, unless mediated by social norms. This finding contributes to the literature on SNS intention to use, by confirming that social norms play a significant role in the way SNS users evaluate their intention to use.