cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Illicit drug‐associated ischemic stroke in the Baltimore‐Washington Young Stroke Study

Background Limited information exists on the frequency, trends in occurrence, risk factors, mechanisms, and outcome of ischemic stroke associated with illicit drug use among young adults in a geographically defined population. Methods We reviewed ischemic stroke in young adults (aged 15 to 44 years) in 46 regional hospitals for 1988 and 1991. We examined stroke mechanisms and outcome in patients with recent drug use. Results Recent illicit drug use was noted in 51/422 (12.1%) stroke patients. Patients with drug use were more likely than other stroke patients to be black ( p = 0.01), aged 25 to 39 years ( p = 0.004), and smokers ( p = 0.006), and were less likely to have hypertension ( p = 0.004) or diabetes mellitus ( p = 0.004). Drug use was the probable cause of stroke in 20 (4.7%) patients. Among 31 (7.3%) patients with drug use as a possible stroke mechanism, more likely diagnoses included cardioembolic stroke in 18, hematologidcollagen vascular in 6, nonatherosclerotic vasculopathy in 5, and atherosclerosis in 3. There was no difference in outcome between drug-associated and non-drug associated stroke. Conclusions Recent illicit drug use occurs in 12.1% of young adult stroke patients. Drug-associated young adult stroke seems to relate to vascular mechanisms other than those related to hypertension or diabetes. Case-control studies are needed.
Reactions to Lexical, Syntactical, and Text Layout Variations of a Print Advertisement:

Despite intense research efforts by both advertising and communication researchers, there is no definitive answer to the question of what makes a print advertisement successful. Yet, common wisdom contends that lexicon, syntax, and text layout have much to do with how readers perceive advertisements. This study, an extension and refinement of two of our previous studies, tests this assertion by assessing reader reactions to a broad range of lexical, syntactical, and text layout conditions, both in isolation and interactively. Our results suggest that in affecting readers' perceptions, the role of each of these elements independently is not quite as critical as perhaps assumed. Nonetheless, this research does suggest that certain perceptions are significantly affected by specific lexical, syntactical, and layout combinations, which indicates that creating effective advertisement text requires tailoring the copy to the target audience and thinking of the text as a synergy of both language and text layout el...
SEA-LABS: a wireless sensor network for sustained monitoring of coral reefs

This paper describes SEA-LABS (Sensor Exploration Apparatus utilizing Low-power Aquatic Broadcasting System), a low-cost, power-efficient Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) for sustained, real-time monitoring of shallow water coral reefs. The system is designed to operate in remote, hard-to-access areas of the world, which limits the ability to perform on-site data retrieval and periodic system maintenance (e.g., battery replacement/recharging). SEA-LABS thus provides a customized solution to shallow-water environmental monitoring addressing the trade-offs between power conservation and the system's functional requirements, namely data sensing and processing as well as real-time, wireless communication. We present SEA-LABS' architecture and its current implementation. Finally, we share our experience deploying SEA-LABS in the Monterey Bay.
Acute Infections in Primary Care: Accuracy of Electronic Diagnoses and Electronic Antibiotic Prescribing

Objective: To maximize effectiveness, clinical decision-support systems must have access to accurate diagnostic and prescribing information. We measured the accuracy of electronic claims diagnoses and electronic antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory infections (ARIs) and urinary tract infections (UTIs) in primary care. Design: A retrospective, cross-sectional study of randomly selected visits to nine clinics in the Brigham and Women's Practice-Based Research Network between 2000 and 2003 with a principal claims diagnosis of an ARI or UTI ( N = 827). Measurements: We compared electronic billing diagnoses and electronic antibiotic prescribing to the gold standard of blinded chart review. Results: Claims-derived, electronic ARI diagnoses had a sensitivity of 98%, specificity of 96%, and positive predictive value of 96%. Claims-derived, electronic UTI diagnoses had a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 87%, and positive predictive value of 85%. According to the visit note, physicians prescribed antibiotics in 45% of ARI visits and 73% of UTI visits. Electronic antibiotic prescribing had a sensitivity of 43%, specificity of 93%, positive predictive value of 90%, and simple agreement of 64%. The sensitivity of electronic antibiotic prescribing increased over time from 22% in 2000 to 58% in 2003 (p for trend < 0.0001). Conclusion: Claims-derived, electronic diagnoses for ARIs and UTIs appear accurate. Although closing, a large gap persists between antibiotic prescribing documented in the visit note and the use of electronic antibiotic prescribing. Barriers to electronic antibiotic prescribing in primary care must be addressed to leverage the potential that computerized decision-support systems offer in reducing costs, improving quality, and improving patient safety.
Positive feedback interactions between microtubule and actin dynamics during cell motility

The migration of tissue cells requires interplay between the microtubule and actin cytoskeletal systems. Recent reports suggest that interactions of microtubules with actin dynamics creates a polarization of microtubule assembly behavior in cells, such that microtubule growth occurs at the leading edge and microtubule shortening occurs at the cell body and rear. Microtubule growth and shortening may activate Rac1 and RhoA signaling, respectively, to control actin dynamics. Thus, an actin-dependent gradient in microtubule dynamic-instability parameters in cells may feed back through the activation of specific signalling pathways to perpetuate the polarized actin-assembly dynamics required for cell motility.
Cache miss equations: a compiler framework for analyzing and tuning memory behavior

With the ever-widening performance gap between processors and main memory, cache memory, which is used to bridge this gap, is becoming more and more significant. Caches work well for programs that exhibit sufficient locality. Other programs, however, have reference patterns that fail to exploit the cache, thereby suffering heavily from high memory latency. In order to get high cache efficiency and achieve good program performance, efficient memory accessing behavior is necessary. In fact, for many programs, program transformations or source-code changes can radically alter memory access patterns, significantly improving cache performance. Both hand-tuning and compiler optimization techniques are often used to transform codes to improve cache utilization. Unfortunately, cache conflicts are difficult to predict and estimate, precluding effective transformations. Hence, effective transformations require detailed knowledge about the frequency and causes of cache misses in the code. This article describes methods for generating and solving Cache Miss Equations (CMEs) that give a detailed representation of cache behavior, including conflict misses, in loop-oriented scientific code. Implemented within the SUIF compiler framework, our approach extends traditional compiler reuse analysis to generate linear Diophantine equations that summarize each loop's memory behavior. While solving these equations is in general difficult, we show that is also unnecessary, as mathematical techniques for manipulating Diophantine equations allow us to relatively easily compute and/or reduce the number of possible solutions, where each solution corresponds to a potential cache miss. The mathematical precision of CMEs allows us to find true optimal solutions for transformations such as blocking or padding. The generality of CMEs also allows us to reason about interactions between transformations applied in concert. The article also gives examples of their use to determine array padding and offset amounts that minimize cache misses, and to determine optimal blocking factors for tiled code. Overall, these equations represent an analysis framework that offers the generality and precision needed for detailed compiler optimizations.
Correlation of Rutherford Backscattering and Electrical Measurements on Si Implanted InP Following Rapid Thermal and Furnace Annealing

We report on the structural and electrical properties of (100) InP resulting from the implantation of 180 keV Si + and subsequent annealing. The radiation damage produced by implantation at substrate temperatures from 77 to 480 K is evaluated using MeV He ion channeling. Varying degrees of recrystallization are found depending on the implant temperature and choice of furnace vs. rapid thermal annealing. Samples implanted at 25°C to a dose of 3.3.10 14 ions/cm 2 continue to display structural disorder regardless of annealing procedures. In contrast, implantation at 200°C to 3.3-10 14 ions/cm 2 produces a low but measurable damage level. Further annealing lowered the disorder to a level similar to that of unimplanted material. The electrical activation of both low and high fluence ion doses is nearly the same at the optimal conditions for rapid thermal annealing (RTA) or furnace annealing (FA). However the electron mobility is found to be higher after hot implantation and RTA. The electrical profile after hot implantation is wider than the profile after RT implants and FA.
What Makes Representational Painting Truly Visual

Any experiential view of pictorial meaning will assign to each painting an appropriate experience through which its meaning can be recovered. When the meaning is representational, what is the nature of the appropriate experience? If there is agreement that the experience is to be described as seeing-in, disagreement breaks out about how seeing-in is to be understood. This paper challenges two recent interpretations: one in terms of perceived resemblance, the other in terms of imagining seeing. Neither view gives a correct account of how the spectator distributes his attention between the marked surface and the represented object.
Beneficial Assessment Outcomes from Frequent Testing

When faced with deadlines, people tend to procrastinate. Students do this by delaying study time until examinations are so close the only option left is cramming. This procrastination scallop is a well-established behavioral phenomenon in both human and infrahuman species. Distributed practice also has been demonstrated to be superior to massed practice in the cognitive literature. Frequent testing provides opportunities for distributed practice and rehearsals that fill the gap between acquisition and the big test, creating its own mini-scallops. In sections of Introductory Psychology, Research Design, and Learning and Behavior courses, standard pre-post testing was conducted at the start and end of the semester over many years. No weekly quizzes were required in one course for a few semesters, in contrast to the remaining courses. Mean assessment gains were substantially bigger with than without weekly quizzes and the difference was statistically significant. The results indicate beneficial assessment gains in learning from frequent quizzes and suggest potential alternative strategies for faculty to implement low-cost effective instructional practices that students may benefit from
The Alkylphenols Nonylphenol and Octylphenol in Food Contact Materials and Household Items: Exposure and Health Risk Considerations

The alkylphenols (APs) nonylphenol (NP) and octylphenol (OP) are not approved for use in food contact materials (FCM) in Europe or the United States, however, tris(nonylphenyl)phosphite (TNPP) is used as a stabilizer and antioxidant in a variety of food contact plastics, including polyvinyl chloride- and linear low-density polyethylene films, polystyrene, high-impact polystyrene, and rubber-based products. It is not known if the NP detected in foods is a trace contaminant of TNPP formulations, is from TNPP breakdown in FCMs, or is derived from food contact with NP-laden biosolids that are sometimes used as fertilizers. Both NP and OP have been identified in indoor air, and NP has been detected in household items and house dust. NP and OP, as well as TNPP, are weakly estrogenic. Adverse effects on the target organs (liver, kidney, and heart), immune and neurological function, the developing reproductive system, and metabolic pathways related to obesity and diabetes risk, have been observed in laboratory animals or cell culture systems exposed to NP or OP. While there is some evidence of NP acting as a tumor promoter in animal models (lung and mammary gland), induction of apoptosis has been observed in lung-, gastric-, and bone-tumor cell lines, and in Sertoli cells. Additional research is needed to determine sources of NP and OP in FCMs in the global food supply, identify factors that affect migration of these APs from food packaging to foodstuffs, and better define exposure to human populations.
Recent advances in Lorentz microscopy

Abstract Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (LTEM) has evolved from a qualitative magnetic domain observation technique to a quantitative technique for the determination of the magnetization state of a sample. In this review article, we describe recent developments in techniques and imaging modes, including the use of spherical aberration correction to improve the spatial resolution of LTEM into the single nanometer range, and novel in situ observation modes. We review recent advances in the modeling of the wave optical magnetic phase shift as well as in the area of phase reconstruction by means of the Transport of Intensity Equation (TIE) approach, and discuss vector field electron tomography, which has emerged as a powerful tool for the 3D reconstruction of magnetization configurations. We conclude this review with a brief overview of recent LTEM applications.
End anchor effects in the discriminability of physical and social stimuli

Discriminability of stimuli was reduced when the range being judged contained less salient end anchors. These effects were observed in both physical and social stimulus domains. Lowest discriminability occurred when no salient end stimuli were present. Social stimuli in all conditions were discriminated less well than physical stimuli.
Influence of age and diet on the induction of microsomal enzymes in the mouse.

SummaryPre treating mice for 3 days with equimolar doses of various inducing agents resulted in an increase in liver size, microsomal protein, and cytochrome P-450. The largest increases were produced by chlorcyclizine and phenobarbital and could be correlated with a decrease in hexobarbital sleeping time noted in a previous study. These agents were more active in weanling and dietary restricted mice than in fed adult mice. Hexobarbital and antipyrine caused smaller increases in microsomal protein and cytochrome P-450 and were not as effective in decreasing hexobarbital sleeping time. Pre-treatment with 3, 4-benzpyrene increased the cytochrome concentration in both the fed adult and 27% casein-fed weanling mice but decreased hexobarbital sleeping time only in the weanling mice. The microsomes derived from adult mice pretreated with 3, 4-benzpyrene gave an aniline difference binding spectrum which differed from that seen in the weanling mice.
Optimization Model and Algorithm Considers Carbon-capped Difference in the Collaboration of Location-Routing-Inventory Problem

Recent years the great effect of economic activity on environmental degradation has been witnessed.Many policies have been made to control the carbon emissions,and the best-known is the Kyoto Protocol,The carbon emissions are gradually translated into regulations,which will put some press on the supply chain members.For another,some enterprises with social responsibility have engaged in the voluntary emission reduction programs,for example,company such as BP and Nike have took some actions on reducing emissions to improve their public image.However,reducing the carbon emissions of supply chain's operations provides a huge opportunity.As we know,location,routing and inventory are the key drives of cost and carbon emissions;the collaboration of them is the focus of this paper.The 3-stage supply chain network consists of plants,potential RDCs,and DCs.The carbon cap CCAPis from the regulatory organization,and the actually emissions are CEL,CERand CEIfrom location,routing and inventory,respectively.So the carbon-capped difference(CCD)is CEL+CER +CER-CCAP.If the CCD is negative,the supply chain members must buy the carbon credit from the carbon market to make up the shortage;else,they can make a profit on the redundant carbon cap.The buying carbon emissions e+and selling carbon emissions e-must satisfyCEL+CER+CEI+e-≤CCAP+e+.When the cap and trade mechanism conducts,the CCD can translate into money.Given that premise,the collaboration of location-routing-inventory model is presented.The aim of this paper is to find an optimal decision minimizing the cost and emissions in supply chain operations.The combinatorial optimization BFA-PSO algorithm is presented to obtain the optimal solution of the proposed model.The case study from part of the northeast petrochemical sales company of CNPC has verified the validity and practicability of the model and algorithm.To compare the effect of CCD on the results,the solutions of joint optimization are also developed without carbon emissions.It can be seen that the joint optimization of location-routing-inventory with CCD considering is superior to the pure one without carbon emissions considering when the carbon emissions can be trade on the carbon market.Even though the carbon emissions are worthless on a commercial footing,the cost of CCD situation is slightly more,but it has a tremendously abatement.That is to say,it is possible to significantly reduce emissions with slightly increasing cost by supply chain operation management.It can be foreseen that the regulatory policy about carbon emissions will be more and more severe in future,this model and algorithm solved in this article shed a light on the trade-off between the cost and emissions,and also provide a way to reduce carbon emissions by operation adjustment.
Monitoring regional myocardial function after myocardial revascularization.

A system using only small platinum electrodes for monitoring intramyocardial polarographic oxygen tension (MPo2), electrograms (ECG), and impedance-derived wall motion (WM) was experimentally tested and clinically implemented. In nine open-chest, anesthetized dogs, two platinum electrodes were inserted along the subepicardial direction of the muscle fibers. As verified by cinefluoroscopy, WM corresponded to changes in distance between the platinum electrodes (r = 0.91 ± 0.02). The system responded to a 10 minute occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) as follows: Dyskinetic WM appeared in 10 seconds (p
Case-based problem solving with a large knowledge base of learned cases

Recent experiments indicate that a case-based approach to the problem of word pronunciation is effective as the basis for a system that learns to pronounce English words. More generally, the approach taken here illustrates how a case-based reasoner can access a large knowledge base containing hundreds of potentially relevant cases and consolidate these multiple knowledge sources using numerical relaxation over a structured network. In response to a test item, a search space is first generated and structured as a lateral inhibition network. Then a spreading activation algorithm is applied to this search space using activation levels derived from the case base. In this paper we describe the general design of our model and report preliminary test results based on a training vocabulary of 750 words. Our approach combines traditional heuristic methods for memory organization with connectionist-inspired techniques for network manipulation in an effort to exploit the best of both information-processing methodologies.
Alternative autophagy, brefeldin A and viral trafficking pathways

Two topics that have attracted recent attention in the field of autophagy concern the source of the membrane that is used to form the autophagosome during macroautophagy and the role of noncanonical autophagic pathways. The 2 topics may converge when considering the intersection of autophagy with viral infection. We suggest that noncanonical autophagy, which is sensitive to treatment with brefeldin A, may converge with the infectious cycles of certain DNA and RNA viruses that utilize membrane from the ER and cis-Golgi.
That’s Not What I Meant: How Misunderstanding Is Related to Channel and Perspective-Taking

Misunderstanding is an integral and unavoidable element of communication. This article links misunderstanding theoretically to message interpretation and conflict, then presents the results of a st...
A Balanced Approach to Mandamus Review of Attorney Disqualification Orders

You are general counsel for a company that has been sued for patent infringement. Given the high-stakes nature of the litigation, you hire a large and reputable law firm to defend you. On the eve of trial, the plaintiff files a motion to have your outside counsel disqualified due to an alleged conflict of interest. The district court grants the motion because your counsel also represents, in an unrelated matter, a company that is in the process of acquiring the plaintiff. You have two possible responses: you can hire new counsel and bring them up to speed at great expense, or you can seek interlocutory appellate review of the disqualification order. Seeking a writ of mandamus in the court of appeals is one of the two methods available to you for obtaining review at this stage,1 and whether you prevail will depend in large part on which standard of review the court of appeals applies in exercising its mandamus jurisdiction. The above scenario is not far-fetched.2 Indeed, in recent years, courts have seen an enormous increase in motions for attorney disqualification.3
Pharmacotherapy in Treatment of Obesity

Common disease states in gastroenterology are more effectively treated in an obese patient when weight loss is incorporated into the treatment plan. Strategies that seek to achieve weight loss improve outcomes in the treatment of hepatitis C, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and colorectal cancer, as examples. Pharmacologic therapy is an important adjunctive intervention that improves both short-term and long-term outcomes in the management of obese patients. This article reviews currently available drug therapy with a focus on pharmacotherapy approved long-term weight management in non-diabetic obese individuals since 2012, encouraging the use of these tools in the practice of gastroenterology.
Sorting zebrafish thrombocyte lineage cells with a Cd41 monoclonal antibody enriches hematopoietic stem cell activity.

To the editor: An understanding of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) biology is therapeutically important because of the many human diseases that result from errors in HSC regulation or that can be treated with HSC transplantation. The zebrafish is a powerful model for studying HSC biology in vivo[1][1
Application of systems theoretic process analysis to a lane keeping assist system

Abstract The implementation of autonomous vehicles involves an increase in the number and depth of system interactions in comparison to user-driven cars. There is a corresponding need to address the system safety implications of autonomy. Traditional hazard analysis techniques are not designed to identify hazardous states caused by system interactions. An emerging technique based on systems theory, Systems Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA), allows for inclusion of system-level causal factors by focusing on component interactions. This study researches the application of STPA to a lane keeping assist system, resulting in identification of design constraints and requirements needed to engineer a safer system.
Automatically detecting integrity violations in database-centric applications

Database-centric applications (DCAs) are widely used by many companies and organizations to perform various control and analytical tasks using large databases. Real-world databases are described by complex schemas that oftentimes contain hundreds of tables consisting of thousands of attributes. However, when software engineers develop DCAs, they may write code that can inadvertently violate the integrity of these databases. Alternatively, business analysts and database administrators can also make errors that lead to integrity violations (semantic bugs). To detect these violations, stakeholders must create assertions that check the validity of the data in the rows of the database tables. Unfortunately, creating assertions is a manual, laborious and error-prone task. Thus, a fundamental problem of testing DCAs is how to find such semantic bugs automatically. We propose a novel solution, namely DACITE, that enables stakeholders to automatically obtain constraints that semantically relate database attributes and code statements using a combination of static analysis of the source code and associative rule mining of the databases. We rely on SAT-solvers to validate if a solution to the combined constraints exists and issue warnings on possible semantic bugs to stakeholders. We evaluated our approach on eight open-source DCAs and our results suggest that semantic bugs can be found automatically with high precision. The results of the study with developers show that warnings produced by DACITE are useful and enable them to find semantic bugs faster.
Local weather is associated with rates of online searches for musculoskeletal pain symptoms

Weather conditions are commonly believed to influence musculoskeletal pain, however the evidence for this is mixed. This study aimed to examine the relationship between local meteorological conditions and online search trends for terms related to knee pain, hip pain, and arthritis. Five years of relative online search volumes for these terms were obtained for the 50 most populous cities in the contiguous United States, along with corresponding local weather data for temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, and precipitation. Methods from the climate econometrics literature were used to assess the casual impact of these meteorological variables on the relative volumes of searches for pain. For temperatures between -5°C and 30°C, search volumes for hip pain increased by 12 index points, and knee pain increased by 18 index points. Precipitation had a negative effect on search volumes for these terms. At temperatures >30°C, search volumes for arthritis related pain decreased by 7 index points. These patterns were not seen for pain searches unrelated to the musculoskeletal system. In summary, selected local weather conditions are significantly associated with online search volumes for specific musculoskeletal pain symptoms. We believe the predominate driver for this to be the relative changes in physical activity levels associated with meteorological conditions.
Review of Unclassed Choropleth Mapping

Although unclassed choropleth maps lead to a more accurate representation of data, grouping of data into classes is still common. Commonly-used data classification techniques such as equal-interval, quantiles, and natural breaks produce very different and possibly misleading representations. An unclassed map creates a distinct color for each unique value. The method was introduced by Tobler in 1973 using an x, y coordinate plotter that created crossed-line shadings. Tobler’s unclassed proposal used grayscale values because color displays were not yet available. Current color monitors have the ability to display 16.7 million colors, while most GIS software packages have limits to their color ramps. QGIS defines color ramps with up to 999 classes. It is also possible to define up to 1000 classes in ArcMap, and ArcGIS Pro has an “Unclassed” option when styling choropleth maps. Utilizing more color classes results in a more truthful map due to minimizing error from the grouping of data. The unclassed method is examined here along with color ramps and classification schemes in QGIS and Esri’s ArcMap/ArcGIS Pro. It is demonstrated that it is usually impossible to create a truly unclassed choropleth map using the default color schemes in these programs.
Abstract 19839: Elevated ST2 is Associated With More Extensive Atrial Remodeling and Longer Ablation Procedure Duration in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Flutter

Introduction: ST2 is a biomarker associated with an increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias, however its predictive role in patients with atrial arrhythmias remains unclear. Hypothesis: We hypoth...
Dating and Tracing the History of Ore Formation

Rhenium–osmium (Re–Os) dating of sulfides has transformed economic geology. Critical steps that turned this technology into a routine tool in ore geology are summarized. How we assign relative and absolute time to metal-moving processes is combined with presentation of radiometric clocks important to dating ore minerals. The assumptions inherent in single mineral model ages and isochrons are illustrated using the Re–Os system. Critical points for dating in the ore environment are made by teasing apart a real Re–Os data set for molybdenites from the Los Pelambres porphyry Cu–Mo deposit in Chile. A second example from the Aitik Cu–Ag–Au deposit in Sweden uses molybdenite dating to retrieve a larger metallogenic–orogenic record in a complex terrane. The isotopic mechanics behind arsenopyrite and pyrite for dating Au mineralization are presented. Discussion of metals and hydrocarbons using the Carlin Au district in western United States concludes that geochronology and its associated isotopic tracers (initial ratios) will be increasingly in demand. Connecting radiometric ages with their field context provides a critical check on both radiometric accuracy and ore deposit models. This chapter never loses sight of the fact that geologic media are characterized by natural chaos – and the impact of this on geochronology is continually revisited.
Insane Proposals: Beyond Monogamy as Beyond Rationality

This chapter examines the actual or attempted participation of living characters in The Walking Dead in queer modes of relationality. In the comics, Carol proposes a polyamorous marriage to Rick and Lori, and their rejection frames her request as irrational, a common rhetorical tactic of reproductive futurism. Carol ultimately commits suicide, an act of queer negation. Negan’s polygamy is misogynistic, competitive, and oppressive rather than collective and liberatory; and it contributes to his defeat. The franchise does include positive depictions of queerness in gay characters and couples. However, Eric and Denise are both killed, and Denise dies in the television show in place of heterosexual Abraham in the comics. Television-Abraham’s death is positioned as more tragic because of his recent embrace of a reproductive future.
Sites of Recurrence After Complete Cytoreduction and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for Patients with Peritoneal Carcinomatosis from Colorectal and Appendiceal Adenocarcinoma: A Tertiary Center Experience

This report describes patterns of disease recurrence after optimal cytoreduction (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) of colorectal (CRC) and appendiceal adenocarcinoma (AC) origin. Patients undergoing optimal CRS/HIPEC (2007–2016) at the authors’ institution were retrospectively reviewed from a prospectively maintained database. Data regarding disease recurrence were analyzed. Of 74 patients who underwent CRS/HIPEC for PC from CRC (n = 46) or AC (n = 28), 49 (66%) had recurrence during a median follow-up period of 39.5 months. The sites of recurrence were peritoneal-only (n = 34, 69%), hematogenous-only (n = 6, 12%), and combined peritoneal and hematogenous (n = 9, 19%) sites. No patients with AC had hematogenous-only recurrence. The median disease-free survival (DFS) time for all the patients was 15 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 12.5–17.5 months). The recurrence rate after CRS/HIPEC was 41% at 1 year, 73% at 3 years, and 76% at 5 years. All the patients with hematogenous-only metastases experienced recurrence within 12 months after CRS/HIPEC. Mucinous or signet ring features predicted peritoneal recurrence (p = 0.041), whereas a complete cytoreduction of 1 was a predictor of early recurrence (p = 0.040). Patients who underwent repeat cytoreduction survived longer than those who received systemic chemotherapy alone. The median survival time after peritoneal-only recurrence was 33 months (95% CI 27.8–38.9 months). Recurrence for patients with PC is common, even after optimal CRS/HIPEC. Hematogenous-only recurrence occurs early after CRS/HIPEC, suggesting occult disease at the time of treatment and highlighting the need for methods to identify micro-metastases and improve patient selection. Patients experiencing peritoneal-only recurrence had long survival period after CRS/HIPEC, suggesting its effectiveness at controlling peritoneal disease for a time.
Electric Vehicles Wireless Power Transfer State-of-The-Art

Abstract The constant research to eliminate wires in our everyday lives has been going on for years now. When the telephone or the telegraph was first invented, wires were needed to transmit communication between parties. Now, wireless power transfer is very beneficial for society. Wireless power transfer is already being implemented in today’s world in some cases, but it is not part of the "mainstream". Tesla had an ambition of transmitting wireless electricity to help the cause of not needing wires to be spread through the world. Thus, in 1891, he invented the Tesla-coil. The coil’s setup consisted of a primary coil with a capacitor and a secondary coil with a capacitor. Now, there is an essential need for expanding the utilization of wireless charging methods for electric vehicle technology to overcome the wired charging drawbacks and the cost. Various wireless power transfer (WPT) methods for electric vehicles charging are conferred in brief with some scientific examples and approaches. Inductive wireless power transfer prototype is experimentally implemented with 3D design is presented as well. Finally, some future points are mentioned in brief.
Direct visualization of a molecular handshake that governs kin recognition and tissue formation in myxobacteria.

Many organisms regulate their social life through kin recognition, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we use a social bacterium, Myxococcus xanthus, to investigate kin recognition at the molecular level. By direct visualization of a cell surface receptor, TraA, we show how these myxobacteria identify kin and transition towards multicellularity. TraA is fluid on the cell surface, and homotypic interactions between TraA from juxtaposed cells trigger the receptors to coalesce, representing a ‘molecular handshake’. Polymorphisms within TraA govern social recognition such that receptors cluster only between individuals bearing compatible alleles. TraA clusters, which resemble eukaryotic gap junctions, direct the robust exchange of cellular goods that allows heterogeneous populations to transition towards homeostasis. This work provides a conceptual framework for how microbes use a fluid outer membrane receptor to recognize and assemble kin cells into a cooperative multicellular community that resembles a tissue. Many organisms, including the bacterium Myxococcus xanthus, regulate their social life through kin recognition. Here, Cao and Wall show that these bacteria use a polymorphic and fluid cell-surface receptor to recognize and assemble kin cells into a cooperative multicellular community that resembles a tissue.
Modal Skepticism and Material Causation

This chapter aims to further shed light on our search for a foundational reality by raising three concerns for Rasmussen’s case for a metaphysically necessary foundation. First, there are worries that our knowledge of what is possible is limited to “ordinary” or “nearby” possibilities. Second, even if there are sufficient grounds for inferring a necessary foundation, it’s epistemically possible that the foundation is factually necessary, and not metaphysically necessary. Finally, the grounds for thinking things need a material cause calls into question the inference to a caused beginning of the universe. The aim is to shed further light on the nature of the foundation. In particular, I seek to build upon Rasmussen’s insights regarding a necessary foundation by offering tools to discern the type of necessity had by the foundation, and whether the foundation is at least partly material.
Overview of Smart Substations

Abstract IEC 61850-based smart substations play a significant role in the smart grid, which is one of the basic platforms to promote a new round of energy revolution and technology innovation. With the development of advanced, reliable, integrated, and environmental-friendly intelligent electronic devices, the smart substations are based on the whole station information digitalization, communication platform networking, and information-sharing standardization. Automatically completing the basic functions of information collection, measurement, control, protection, computation, and monitoring, the smart substations also support advanced functions, such as real-time automatic control of the smart grid, intelligent regulation, online analysis and decision, and interaction with adjacent substations and power dispatching. Therefore, the IEC 61850-based smart substations stand for the technology development trend in the field of transformation section in the smart grid.
Kinetic analysis of the complete mechanochemical synthesis of a palladium(II) carbene complex

Abstract Benzimidazoline-2-ylidene complexes of palladium(II) were synthesized mechanochemically in a vibratory ball mill. Complete syntheses began with preparation of benzimidiazolium halides from commercially available starting materials. These “greener chemistry” syntheses proceed in high yield and require minimal purification using environmentally benign solvents. Kinetic analysis shows that liquid assisted grinding impedes the production to benzimidazolium halides while enhancing the production of the palladium-carbene complex.
Recent progress on sulfur-resistant palladium membranes

Abstract Palladium-based membranes have been proposed as potential solutions for H2 separation due to their exclusive H2 selectivity over other gas species. Over the past 2 decades, Pd membranes of either pure Pd metal or various Pd alloys have been extensively investigated including fabrication method innovations, membrane stability improvements, H2 permeation optimization, and membrane reactor designs. High-quality Pd-based membranes have been successfully fabricated on various porous supports and the membrane products have been advanced from lab-scale research to the scale of pilot plant testing under practical conditions for H2 separation. In theory, a defect-free Pd membrane is the ideal candidate for achieving exclusive H2 selectivity due to the solution-diffusion mechanism. In practice, successful commissioning of H2-selective metal membranes needs to meet chemical and structural stability requirements when membranes are exposed to poisonous species like hydrogen sulfide, which is a typical impurity in syngas from coal gasification or from steam methane reforming. H2S can impose severe negative impacts on H2 permeation performance of Pd membranes. Pure Pd membranes can be rapidly poisoned after exposure to gas mixtures with H2S concentrations as low as parts-per-million (ppm) with permanent damage to membrane structures. A comprehensive understanding of poisoning mechanisms and identification of sulfur-resistant membrane materials are critical in promoting Pd membranes for large-scale industrial H2 separations. This chapter summarizes the development progress of sulfur-resistant Pd membranes with a focus on sulfur poisoning mechanism and its impact on H2 adsorption and permeation as well as the recent achievements on identifying and developing sulfur-resistant binary/ternary Pd alloy membranes. This chapter concludes with discussions on potential challenges of implementing Pd membranes for industrial-scale H2 separations.
Recent Trends in Medicare Reimbursements to Nonradiologist Physicians for In-Office MRI and CT.

Abstract Purpose Previous studies demonstrated rapid growth in payments to nonradiologist providers (NRPs) for MRI and CT in their private offices. In this study, we re-examine the trends in these payments. Methods The nationwide Medicare Part B master files from 2004 to 2016 were accessed. They provide payment data for all Current Procedural Terminology codes. Codes for MRI and CT were selected. Global and technical component claims were counted. Medicare specialty codes identified payments made to NRPs and radiologists, and place-of-service codes identified payments directed to their private offices. Results Medicare MRI payments to NRPs peaked in 2006 at $247.7 million. As a result of the Deficit Reduction Act, there was a sharp drop to $189.5 million in 2007, eventually declining to $101.6 million by 2016 (−59% from peak in 2006). The NRP specialty groups with the highest payments for MRI ownership include orthopedists, neurologists, primary care physicians, and hospital-based specialists (pathology, physiatry, and hospitalists). Medicare CT payments to NRPs peaked in 2008 at $284.1 million and declined to $94.7 million in 2016 (−67% from peak). Cardiologists, primary care physicians, internal medicine specialists, urologists, and medical oncologists accounted for the most payments made to NRPs. Dollars paid to radiologists for private office MRI and CT dropped substantially since they peaked in 2006. Conclusions NRP private offices (and radiology offices also) experienced massive decreases in Medicare payments for MRI and CT since peaking in 2006 and 2008, respectively. These trends suggest the financial viability of private office practice may be in jeopardy. However, certain recent policy changes could promote a resurgence.
Rad54 Drives ATP Hydrolysis-Dependent DNA Sequence Alignment during Homologous Recombination

Homologous recombination (HR) helps maintain genome integrity, and HR defects give rise to disease, especially cancer. During HR, damaged DNA must be aligned with an undamaged template through a process referred to as the homology search. Despite decades of study, key aspects of this search remain undefined. Here, we use single-molecule imaging to demonstrate that Rad54, a conserved Snf2-like protein found in all eukaryotes, switches the search from the diffusion-based pathways characteristic of the basal HR machinery to an active process in which DNA sequences are aligned via an ATP-dependent molecular motor-driven mechanism. We further demonstrate that Rad54 disrupts the donor template strands, enabling the search to take place within a migrating DNA bubble-like structure that is bound by replication protein A (RPA). Our results reveal that Rad54, working together with RPA, fundamentally alters how DNA sequences are aligned during HR.
Introduction: Menstruation as Lens—Menstruation as Opportunity

The field of critical menstruation studies is burgeoning. And so this Handbook arrives just in time to capture a robust and carefully curated view of where we are now and where we might go next. But it is 2020, and menstruation is as old as humanity itself. Why is this the first handbook to bring together this body of knowledge? To state the obvious, menstruation and more broadly, the menstrual cycle are often dismissed and derided. The same goes for menopause, at the further end of the reproductive life span.
Gains of chromosome 17q common in high-risk neuroblastomas do not involve the topoisomerase IIα gene: FISH and quantitative-PCR (Q-PCR) studies of six neuroblastoma cell lines

2724 Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extra cranial solid tumor of childhood. Only 20-40% of children diagnosed with stage 4 disease survive 5 years. Tumors from these patients frequently have non-reciprocal translocations that result gain of genetic material from chromosome 17q21-25. The topoisomerase IIα gene is located in this region of 17q (17q21-22). Since topo IIα inhibitors are commonly used for NB treatment, we asked whether the 17q translocations in NB cells resulted in increased copy number of the topo IIα gene and/or increased levels of topo IIα protein. We also examined whether topo IIα gene copy number correlated with sensitivity to the topo IIα inhibitors VP-16 and doxorubicin. We evaluated six NB cell lines (NB 1691, SK-N-AS, SK-N-SH, SJNB-1, IMR-32, and NB 1643) by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis using a 17q “paint” probe or a BAC probe (RP11-45506) to the terminus of 17q (17q25.3). We then compared FISH results with karyotype analyses to identify specific 17q translocations. Then Q-PCR was done to determine whether the topo IIα gene was amplified in NB cell lines containing gains of 17q. FISH analyses with both probes showed that all six NB cell lines harbored non-reciprocal translocations of 17q. The karyotype analyses showed translocations of 17q to chromosomes 1, 3, 11, 19 and 22. However, although all six NB cell lines contained gains of 17q material, only one NB cell line, SK-N-AS, showed an increased topo IIα gene dose of 2. Further, increased gene copy number did not correspond to an increase in protein expression or in increased sensitivity to VP-16 or doxorubicin. This study illustrates that the topo IIα gene does not participate in 17q translocations in 5/6 NB cell lines examined and that an increased topo IIα gene copy number does not predict sensitivity to topo IIα inhibitors. (Supported by CA79763, CA76202, CA21765 and by the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities.)