cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variations in the Use of Internal Fixation for Distal Radial Fracture in the United States Medicare Population

Background: Distal radial fractures affect an estimated 80,000 elderly Americans each year. Although the use of internal fixation for the treatment of distal radial fractures is becoming increasingly common, there have been no population-based studies to explore the dissemination of this technique. The aims of our study were to determine the current use of internal fixation for the treatment of distal radial fractures in the Medicare population and to examine regional variations and other factors that influence use of this treatment. We hypothesized that internal fixation of distal radial fractures would be used less commonly in male and black populations compared with other populations because the prevalence of osteoporosis is lower in these populations, and that use of internal fixation would be correlated with the percentage of the patients who were treated by a hand surgeon in a particular region. Methods: We performed an analysis of complete 2007 Medicare data to determine the percentage of distal radial fractures that were treated with internal fixation in each hospital referral region. We then analyzed the association of patient and physician factors with the type of fracture treatment received, both nationally and within each hospital referral region. Results: We identified 85,924 Medicare beneficiaries with a closed distal radial fracture who met the inclusion criteria, and 17.0% of these patients were treated with internal fixation. Fractures were significantly less likely to be treated with internal fixation in men than in women (odds ratio, 0.84; 95% confidence interval, 0.80 to 0.89) and in black patients than in white patients (odds ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.65 to 0.85). Patients were more likely to be treated with internal fixation rather than with another treatment if they were treated by a hand surgeon than if they were treated by an orthopaedic surgeon who was not a hand surgeon (odds ratio, 2.49; 95% confidence interval, 2.29 to 2.70). Use of internal fixation ranged from 4.6% to 42.1% (nearly a ten-fold difference) among hospital referral regions. The percentage of patients treated with internal fixation within a hospital referral region was positively correlated with the percentage of patients in that region who were treated by a hand surgeon (correlation coefficient, 0.34; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: The use of internal fixation for the treatment of a distal radial fracture differs widely among geographical regions and patient populations. Such variations highlight the need for improved comparative-effectiveness data to guide the treatment of this fracture.
Retropharyngeal lipoma causing obstructive sleep apnea: case report including five-year follow-up.

Objectives/Hypothesis Lipomas of the retropharyngeal space are rare and do not cause symptoms until they reach a large size. Although retropharyngeal lipoma is an uncommon entity, several reports of it appear in the literature, and the treatment has routinely been surgical excision. Such fatty tumors also carry the rare possibility of being liposarcomas, which further warrants their excision. We present the case of a lipoma of the retropharyngeal space extending from the nasopharynx to the superior mediastinum causing symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea. The patient had multiple medical problems and was on a regimen of anticoagulation therapy; therefore, he opted against surgical treatment. He has used continuous positive airway pressure and has been followed clinically and radiographically for 5 years. Radiographic follow-up of a retropharyngeal lipoma after a needle biopsy confirming its benign nature is a legitimate means of management of this rare condition. Study Design Case report of a 64-year-old man presenting with this rare lesion. Methods Computed tomography-guided needle biopsy of the mass was performed to obtain tissue diagnosis. Thereafter, the patient has been followed for 5 years with annual magnetic resonance imaging scans to determine growth or changes of the retropharyngeal mass. Results Fine-needle aspiration of the mass revealed mature adipose tissue intermixed with fibroconnective tissue, consistent with lipoma. Based on this result, we opted to follow this patient with serial magnetic resonance imaging scans, which have shown no change in size. There has also been no change in the patient's symptoms. Conclusions Large lipomas warrant excision, especially when their location produces pressure symptoms. However, when surgical morbidity is high, fine-needle aspiration biopsy and serial magnetic resonance imaging scans are a safe alternative.
ROADMs: Foundation for True Reconfigurable Optical Networking

The Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer (ROADM) is an important building block of next-generation optical networks. Recent progress in optical device and system technologies enabled cost-effective realization of innovative agile ROADM architectures. These architectures are highly desirable today for service provider networks. Both telecommunication service providers (Telcos) and Cable Multiple Service Operators (MSOs) are utilizing ROADMs to face the increasing growth of broadband-access, video-on-demand services, and the demand for triple-play (delivery of voice, data, and video to end customers).
Strong Magnetic Field Asymptotic Model for Binary Alloyed Semiconductor Crystal Growth

We present an asymptotic model for the unsteady species transport during bulk growth of alloyed semiconductor crystals with a transverse magnetic field. During growth of alloyed semiconductors such as germanium-silicon (GeSi), the solute's concentration is not small, so that density differences in the melt are very large. These compositional variations drive compositionally driven buoyant convection, or solutal convection, in addition to thermally driven buoyant convection. These buoyant convections drive convective transport, which produces nonuniformities in the concentration in both the melt and the crystal. This transient model predicts the melt motion and the distribution of species for a crystal grown in a strong transverse magnetic field
CCR2 deficiency prevents neuronal dysfunction and cognitive impairments induced by cranial irradiation

Cranial irradiation can lead to long-lasting cognitive impairments in patients receiving radiotherapy for the treatment of malignant brain tumors. Recent studies have suggested inflammation as a major contributor to these deficits; we determined if the chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 2 (CCR2) was a mediator of cognitive impairments induced by irradiation. Two-month-old male Ccr2 knockout (-/-) and wild-type mice received 10 Gy cranial irradiation or sham-treatment. One month after irradiation, bromodeoxyuridine was injected intraperitoneally for seven consecutive days to label newly generated cells. At two months postirradiation, cognitive function was assessed by novel object recognition and Morris water maze. Our results show that CCR2 deficiency prevented hippocampus-dependent spatial learning and memory impairments induced by cranial irradiation. Hippocampal gene expression analysis showed that irradiation induced CCR2 ligands such as CCL8 and CCR2 deficiency reduced this induction. Irradiation reduced the number of adult-born neurons in both wild-type and Ccr2(-/-) mice, but the distribution pattern of the adult-born neurons through the granule cell layer was only altered in wild-type mice. Importantly, CCR2 deficiency normalized the fraction of pyramidal neurons expressing the plasticity-related immediate early gene Arc. These data offer new insight into the mechanism(s) of radiation-injury and suggest that CCR2 is a critical mediator of hippocampal neuronal dysfunction and hippocampal cognitive impairments after irradiation. Targeting CCR2 signaling could conceivably provide an effective approach to reduce or prevent the incidence and severity of this serious side effect of ionizing irradiation.
Spatial and temporal patterns of nitrogen concentrations in pristine and agriculturally-influenced prairie streams

Long-term data on nitrogen chemistry of streams draining Konza Prairie Biological Station (Konza), Kansas were analyzed to assess spatial and temporal patterns and examine the influence of agricultural activity on these patterns. Upland watersheds of Konza are predom- inantly tallgrass prairies, but agricultural fields and riparian forests border the lower reaches of the streams. We have up to 11 years of data in the relatively pristine upland reaches and 4 years of data on wells and downstream reaches influenced by fertilized croplands. Seasonal and spatial patterns in total nitrogen (TN) concentrations were driven largely by changes in the nitrate (NO 3 ) concentrations. A gradient of increasing NO 3 concentrations occurred from pristine upland stream reaches to the more agriculturally-influenced lowland reaches. Nitrate concentrations varied seasonally and were negatively correlated with discharge in areas influenced by row-crop agriculture (p = 0.007). The NO 3 concentrations of stream water in lowland reaches were lowest during times of high precipitation, when the relative influ- ence of groundwater drainage is minimal and water in the channel is primarily derived from upland prairie reaches. The groundwater from cropland increased stream NO 3 concentrations about four-fold during low-discharge periods, even though significant riparian forest corridors existed along most of the lower stream channel. The minimum NO 3 concentrations in the agriculturally influenced reaches were greater than at any time in prairie reaches. Analysis of data before and after introduction of bison to four prairie watersheds revealed a 35% increase of TN concentrations (p < 0.05) in the stream water channels after the introduction of bison. These data suggest that natural processes such as bison grazing, variable discharge, and local- ized input of groundwater lead to variation in NO 3 concentrations less than 100-fold in prairie streams. Row-crop agriculture can increase NO 3 concentrations well over 100-fold relative to pristine systems, and the influence of this land use process over space and time overrides natural processes.
The nonuniform discrete Fourier transform and its applications in filter design. II. 2-D

For part I see ibid., vol. 43, no. 6, p. 422-33 (1996). The concept of the nonuniform discrete Fourier transform (NDFT) is extended to two dimensions to provide a basic framework for nonuniform sampling of 2-D sequences in the frequency domain. The 2-D NDFT of a sequence of size N/sub 1//spl times/N/sub 2/ is defined as samples of its 2-D z-transform evaluated at N/sub 1/N/sub 2/ distinct points located in the 4-D (z/sub 1/, z/sub 2/) space. These points are chosen appropriately so that the inverse transform exists. We discuss two special cases in which the choice of the sampling points is constrained so that the 2-D NDFT matrix is guaranteed to be nonsingular, and the number of operations required for computing its inverse is reduced, The 2-D NDFT is applied to nonuniform frequency sampling design of 2-D finite-impulse-response (FIR) filters. Nonseparable filters with good passband shapes and low peak ripples are obtained. This is illustrated by design examples, in which 2-D filters with various shapes are designed and compared with those obtained by other existing methods.
WASP: Protecting Web Applications Using Positive Tainting and Syntax-Aware Evaluation

Many software systems have evolved to include a Web-based component that makes them available to the public via the Internet and can expose them to a variety of Web-based attacks. One of these attacks is SQL injection, which can give attackers unrestricted access to the databases that underlie Web applications and has become increasingly frequent and serious. This paper presents a new highly automated approach for protecting Web applications against SQL injection that has both conceptual and practical advantages over most existing techniques. From a conceptual standpoint, the approach is based on the novel idea of positive tainting and on the concept of syntax-aware evaluation. From a practical standpoint, our technique is precise and efficient, has minimal deployment requirements, and incurs a negligible performance overhead in most cases. We have implemented our techniques in the Web application SQL-injection preventer (WASP) tool, which we used to perform an empirical evaluation on a wide range of Web applications that we subjected to a large and varied set of attacks and legitimate accesses. WASP was able to stop all of the otherwise successful attacks and did not generate any false positives.
Efficient state-independent sequencing rules for certain flexible manufacturing systems

We introduce three state-independent methods for sequencing production of parts with random processing times on a simple production system such that productivity is maximized. The system of interest is one where parts of several different types are first processed on a common machine after which they proceed to separate, type-specific production lines. Referred to as random, rotation, and most-behind the rules are all based on easily computed estimates of the optimal product mix for the given part routings. Extensions of these rules are shown to give close to optimal performance in the case where blocking is present. The rules differs from conventional sequencing heuristics in that their performance is excellent over a wide range of system parameter values. The rules differ from optimal, state-dependent, scheduling rules in that no rule base or information about the current system states is needed.
Weyerhaeuser's process control performance measurement system yields improved business performance

An integrated control performance solution has been implemented at seven Weyerhaeuser mills over a period of two years; with plans underway to implement at all remaining facilities. Systematic problem detection and root cause analysis of process control loops is supported by plant wide automated prioritization based on performance, valve stiction detection and common oscillations analysis. Corporate performance and diagnostic reports based on several performance metrics for sector, business, mill, area and unit levels are sent to the appropriate business owner monthly. One of the key changes introduced by the performance solution is the fact that valve maintenance can now be tied to measured performance. These capabilities have allowed improved control performance in all mills where the solution has been deployed.
Methodology for the Detection and Measurement of Amygdalin in Tissues and Fluids

Methods suitable for the demonstration of amygdalin are presented; including an indirect determination (measurement of enzymatically derived benzaldehyde) and several direct methodologies (GC/MS, HPLC, or TLC). Reagents and equipment commonly found in a forensic toxicology laboratory were employed.
Pulse compression using nonlinear interaction in a surface acoustic wave convolver

Nonlinear interaction can be achieved over extended signal path lengths in a surface acoustic wave device. Using such a device variable pulse compression was achieved through the mixing of a chirped acoustic signal and its time inversion.
The physiological effects of multiple stressors.

In psychophysiological experimentation a number of studies have investigated the physiological response to a single stimulus or to a series of stimuli differing only in intensity. They have, in general, reported sympathetic-like changes in a wide range of physiological variables to such diverse stimuli as electric shock, loud noise, dynamometer tension, acceleration, and thermal stimulation. The purpose of this experiment was to compare the physiological effects obtained in a multiple stressor condition to the effects obtained in two single stressor conditions.
Electrocardiography is unreliable in detecting potentially lethal hyperkalaemia in haemodialysis patients

Background. It is speculated, but unconfirmed, that the usual electrocardiographic manifestations of hyperkalaemia are less frequent and less pronounced in persons with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) than in those with normal renal function. We studied 74 consecutively selected stable haemodialysis patients to determine the prevalence of electrocardiographic changes of hyperkalaemia in stable persons with ESRD receiving haemodialysis. Methods. Pre-dialysis serum potassium concentration and other electrolytes were measured and simultaneous 12-lead electrocardiogram obtained. Results. The 74 study subjects (45 men, 29 women) comprised 63 blacks (85%), four Hispanics (6%), four whites (6%), and three Asians (4%) of mean"standard deviation age 55.5"14.7 years. Mean pre-dialysis potassium concentration was 4.9"0.71 mEqul (range 3.3‐6.7). No study subject evinced arrhythmia or any of the typical electrocardiographic changes associated with hyperkalaemia. There was no significant difference in T wave amplitude (F statistics2.1; Ps0.11) or T wave to R wave ratio (F statistics2; Ps0.12) between quartiles of serum potassium concentration. Also, T wave amplitude was equivalent in patients with serum potassium concentration )5.5 mEqul (7.1" 4.1 mm) or O5.5 mEqul (5.2"3.5 mm) (Ps0.13). Linear regression analysis showed that the total serum calcium concentration had an inverse relation with T wave amplitude (Ps0.03) after adjustment for other factors (a high total serum calcium concentration was associated with a low T wave amplitude). Conclusion. Haemodialysis patients with hyperkalaemia may not exhibit the usual electrocardiographic sequella of hyperkalaemia, possibly due in part to fluctuations in serum calcium concentration. Thus, the absence of electrocardiographic changes in hyperkalaemic haemodialysis patients should be interpreted with caution.
Aerosolized Furosemide in the Treatment of Acute Respiratory Distress and Possible Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Preterm Neonates

OBJECTIVE:To review the efficacy and safety of inhaled furosemide in the treatment of acute respiratory distress and possible bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm neonates receiving ventilator and oxygen support.DATA SOURCES:A MEDLINE search was performed from January 1966 to December 1998 using the key words inhaled or aerosolized furosemide, BPD, preterm, neonate, and infant newborn.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:All clinical trials involving the use of inhaled furosemide in ventilator- and oxygen-dependent preterm neonates with acute respiratory distress and possible BPD were evaluated.DATA SYNTHESIS:Inhaled furosemide 1 and 2 mg/kg has improved pulmonary function in preterm neonates without significant adverse effects. However, only a single dose of inhaled furosemide was used in these trials, and pulmonary functions were monitored for only two or four hours after administration.CONCLUSIONS:Inhaled furosemide may be effective, but studies are needed to determine the optimal dosage regimen ...
Physiological function and transplantation of scaffold-free and vascularized human cardiac muscle tissue

Success of human myocardial tissue engineering for cardiac repair has been limited by adverse effects of scaffold materials, necrosis at the tissue core, and poor survival after transplantation due to ischemic injury. Here, we report the development of scaffold-free prevascularized human heart tissue that survives in vivo transplantation and integrates with the host coronary circulation. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) were differentiated to cardiomyocytes by using activin A and BMP-4 and then placed into suspension on a rotating orbital shaker to create human cardiac tissue patches. Optimization of patch culture medium significantly increased cardiomyocyte viability in patch centers. These patches, composed only of enriched cardiomyocytes, did not survive to form significant grafts after implantation in vivo. To test the hypothesis that ischemic injury after transplantation would be attenuated by accelerated angiogenesis, we created "second-generation," prevascularized, and entirely human patches from cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells (both human umbilical vein and hESC-derived endothelial cells), and fibroblasts. Functionally, vascularized patches actively contracted, could be electrically paced, and exhibited passive mechanics more similar to myocardium than patches comprising only cardiomyocytes. Implantation of these patches resulted in 10-fold larger cell grafts compared with patches composed only of cardiomyocytes. Moreover, the preformed human microvessels anastomosed with the rat host coronary circulation and delivered blood to the grafts. Thus, inclusion of vascular and stromal elements enhanced the in vitro performance of engineered human myocardium and markedly improved viability after transplantation. These studies demonstrate the importance of including vascular and stromal elements when designing human tissues for regenerative therapies.
Chaperones and impersonators: run-time support for reasonable interposition

Chaperones and impersonators provide run-time support for interposing on primitive operations such as function calls, array access and update, and structure field access and update. Unlike most interposition support, chaperones and impersonators are restricted so that they constrain the behavior of the interposing code to reasonable interposition, which in practice preserves the abstraction mechanisms and reasoning that programmers and compiler analyses rely on.Chaperones and impersonators are particularly useful for implementing contracts, and our implementation in Racket allows us to improve both the expressiveness and the performance of Racket's contract system. Specifically, contracts on mutable data can be enforced without changing the API to that data; contracts on large data structures can be checked lazily on only the accessed parts of the structure; contracts on objects and classes can be implemented with lower overhead; and contract wrappers can preserve object equality where appropriate. With this extension, gradual typing systems, such as Typed Racket, that rely on contracts for interoperation with untyped code can now pass mutable values safely between typed and untyped modules.
Mechanisms of exercise intolerance in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Aim To determine the relation between echocardiogram findings and exercise capacity in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Methods and Results Sixty-three patients (48 ± 15 years) were referred for cardiopulmonary testing and exercise echocardiography. They were classified by morphology: proximal (n = 11), reverse curvature (n = 32), apical (n = 7), and concentric HCM (n = 13). There were more women in proximal and reverse curvature groups. Proximal HCM patients were older. Maximal left ventricular thickness was highest in reverse curvature group. At peak exercise, concentric HCM achieved the lowest percent predicted maximal V o 2 . Excluding apical group, no significant differences in gradient were noted between groups. Overall, no statistically significant correlation was found between peak V o 2 , wall thickness, and gradient. Significant correlations were noted between peak V o 2 and indexed left atrial (LA) volume ( r = −0.52), lateral E′ ( r = 0.50), and lateral E/E′ ratio ( r = −0.46). A multivariate model including age, lateral E′, indexed LA volume, and mitral A wave explained 46% of the variance in peak V o 2 ( P = .01). Conclusion Lateral E′ and indexed LA volume are negatively correlated with functional capacity. Although patients with concentric morphology achieved the lowest peak V o 2 , wall thickness and gradient did not predict exercise capacity.
An Agile, Graduate, Software Studio Course

The value of a studio course in undergraduate software engineering programs is well documented. What is not as well understood is how to provide a relevant studio experience to working, seasoned professional software engineers as part of a Master's of Software Engineering (MSE) degree program. The challenge is that students' experiential diversity complicates the selection of projects that address different students' needs. Further, when the studio experience is compressed into 14 weeks, significant challenges are presented in controlling the process environment while providing a realistic and meaningful learning experience for part-time students. In this paper, a novel software studio course developed specifically for working, experienced professionals in an MSE program is described
Book Review: Statistics and Probability with Applications for Engineers and Scientists , by B. C. Gupta and I. Guttman, Hoboken, NJ, Wiley, 2013.

We start this review with a quote from the preface: This is an introductory textbook in applied statistics and probability for undergraduate students in engineering and the natural sciences. It beg...
Neurology in the postmodern era.

Introduction to the November 2010 issue of Virtual Mentor on the topic of Neuroethics in the Twenty-First Century. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Re-transplants compared to primary kidney transplants recipients: a mate kidney paired analysis of the OPTN/UNOS database

Outcomes of kidney re-transplant recipients (RTR) were compared to primary recipients (FTR) from paired donor kidneys. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) database was used to identify deceased donors (n = 6266) who donated one kidney to an RTR and the mate kidney to an FTR between January 2000 to December 2010. As compared to FTR, RTR were younger (45 vs. 52 yr, p 80 (25% vs 7%, p < 0.001). There were higher 0 mismatches in RTR (19% vs. 16%, p < 0.001). There were more pre-emptive transplants in RTR (24% vs. 21%, p = 0.002). Delayed graft function (28% vs. 25%, p = 0.007) was higher in RTR. Patient survival was similar in FTR and RTR groups at one, three, and five yr (95.7%, 90.2%, and 82.5% vs. 95.2%, 89.8% and 82.7%). Allograft survival rates were higher in FTR group compared to RTR group at one, three, and five yr (91.1%, 82.4%, and 70.9% vs. 87.8%, 77.4%, and 66.1% p < 0.001). Death-censored allograft survival rates were higher in FTR group at one, three, and five yr (91.3%, 82.7% and 71.4% vs. 88%, 77.7% and 66.5% p < 0.001). In today's era of modern immunosuppression, graft survival in RTR has improved but remains inferior to FTR when controlling for donor factors.
Droplet Microfluidic Platform for the Determination of Single-Cell Lactate Release

Cancer cells release high levels of lactate that has been correlated to increased metastasis and tumor recurrence. Single-cell measurements of lactate release can identify malignant cells and help decipher metabolic cancer pathways. We present here a novel droplet microfluidic method that allows the fast and quantitative determination of lactate release in many single cells. Using passive forces, droplets encapsulated cells are positioned in an array. The single-cell lactate release rate is determined from the increase in droplet fluorescence as the lactate is enzymatically converted to a fluorescent product. The method is used to measure the cell-to-cell variance of lactate release in K562 leukemia and U87 glioblastoma cancer cell lines and under the chemical inhibition of lactate efflux. The technique can be used in the study of cancer biology, but more broadly in cell biology, to capture the full range of stochastic variations in glycolysis activity in heterogeneous cell populations in a repeatable and high-throughput manner.
Strongyloidiasis in immunosuppressed patients.

An increasing number of severe, even fatal cases of strongyloidiasis in patients on immunosuppressive drugs are being reported. During a 26 month period, three severe cases of Strongyloides stercoral is infestation were diagnosed in patients who were on steroid therapy. These cases are of special interest because of the following factors. Firstly, all the patients lived in a nonendemic metropolitan area. Secondly, a single stool specimen from one patient contained several distinct developmental stages of the parasite’s life cycle. This finding appears to be unique considering the fact that the patient had not been administered a purgative or anthelminthic. Lastly, a surviving renal transplant patient continues to have persistant strongyloidiasis despite repeated Mintezol (thiabendazole) therapy.
Observation Of Excitonic n-Strings in a Quasi-One-Dimensional Charge-Transfer Crystal

Collective excitations, such as plasmons, rotons, electron-hole liquid, and excitonic molecules, have been extensively studied in condensed matter.1 Wannier excitons in inorganic semiconductors are bound by the exchange interactions between two electrons of the exciton, and the bound state of more than two excitons is not possible. We demonstrate here a new type of collective excitations,2 bound states of multiple charge-transfer (CT) excitons. Coulomb interactions in one dimension are shown to bind a train of several (more than two) CT excitons. Experimental evidence for these new type of elementary excitations is reported in a quasi-one-dimensional CT crystal of anthracene PMDA. High density excitation by femtosecond light pulses generates multi-exciton chains, which we refer to as excitonic n-strings with n = 1, 2, 3, etc., along the stack axis of the crystal. Both the n = 2 excitonic string (biexciton) and the n = 3 string (tri-exciton) are observed. This report provides evidence for an n > 2 exciton chain in this system.2 The stability of the n-string exciton is supported by our theoretical calculations based on the extended Hubbard Hamiltonian in one dimension.
Partner preferences: What characteristics do men and women desire in their short-term sexual and long-term romantic partners?

The current investigation extends recent studies that have examined the degree to which various traits are preferred in a short-term sexual relationship versus a long-term romantic relationship. College students (N = 561) expressed their preferences for 23 traits or characteristics in a “short-term sexual” or a “long-term romantic” relationship partner (randomly assigned). Across relationship types, participants preferred internal qualities (e.g., personality, intelligence) to a greater degree than external qualities (e.g., wealth, physical attractiveness). In addition, two sex differences were found. As expected, men emphasized attributes related to sexual desirability more than did women, and women valued characteristics pertaining to social status more than did men. Finally, both men and women focused upon sexual desirability (e.g., attractiveness, health, sex drive, athleticism) when evaluating a short-term sexual partner, and placed more importance on similarity and on socially appealing per...
Effect of elastic stable intramedullary nailing on treatment of the femoral shaft fractures in children

Objective:To investigate the technique of using elastic stable intramedullary nailing(ESIN) on treatment femoral fractures in children and assess the clinical outcome.Methods:Sixty-eight patients with displaced femoral shaft fractures were treated by ESIN from August 2006 to December 2008.Results:All patients were followed up for average 10 months(6～30 months).The average time of bone healing was 11 weeks(8～12 weeks).All had full range of motion in the near joints and got excellent results without refracture, delayed union or non-union,and rotational deformity.Eight cases had irritation at nail insertion site.Two cases had 1.0～1.5 cm shortening deformity of the femur.Five cases had difficulties associated with removal of nails.Conclusion:The method of ESIN deserves to be a simply and minimally invasive way for the treatment of the femoral fractures in children.
X-ray drive of beryllium capsule implosions at the National Ignition Facility

National Ignition Facility experiments with beryllium capsules have followed a path begun with "high-foot" plastic capsule implosions. Three shock timing keyhole targets, one symmetry capsule, a streaked backlit capsule, and a 2D backlit capsule were fielded before the DT layered shot. After backscatter subtraction, laser drive degradation is needed to match observed X-ray drives. VISAR measurements determined drive degradation for the picket, trough, and second pulse. Time dependence of the total Dante flux reflects degradation of the of the third laser pulse. The same drive degradation that matches Dante data for three beryllium shots matches Dante and bangtimes for plastic shots N130501 and N130812. In the picket of both Be and CH hohlraums, calculations over-estimate the x-ray flux > 1.8 keV by ~100X, while calculating the total flux correctly. In beryllium calculations these X-rays cause an early expansion of the beryllium/fuel interface at ~3 km/s. VISAR measurements gave only ~0.3 km/s. The X-ray drive on the Be DT capsule was further degraded by an unplanned decrease of 9% in the total picket flux. This small change caused the fuel adiabat to rise from 1.8 to 2.3. The first NIF beryllium DT implosion achieved 29% of calculated yield, compared to CH capsules with 68% and 21%.
PICO: mitigating heterodyne crosstalk due to process variations and intermodulation effects in photonic NoCs

Photonic networks-on-chip (PNoCs) employ photonic waveguides with dense-wavelength-division-multiplexing (DWDM) for signal traversal and microring resonators (MRs) for signal modulation, to enable high bandwidth on-chip transfers. Unfortunately, DWDM increases susceptibility to intermodulation effects, which reduces signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for photonic data transfers. Additionally, process variations induce variations in the width and thickness of MRs causing resonance wavelength shifts, which further reduces SNR, and creates communication errors. This paper proposes a novel framework (called PICO) for mitigating heterodyne crosstalk due to process variations and intermodulation effects in PNoC architectures. Experimental results indicate that our approach can improve the worst-case SNR by up to 4.4∗ and significantly enhance the reliability of DWDM-based PNoC architectures.
Racism in Interracial Dating: A Case Study in Southern Culture and Fundamentalism

ABSTRACTThis article presents a case study of Bob Jones University (BJU), a fundamentalist Christian institution located in South Carolina that is known within the context of U.S. higher education for its conservatism on multiple levels. Our analysis traces the beliefs of the institution's founder and subsequent leaders, in addition to particular religious, cultural, and social influences, all of which shaped BJU's institutional policies, including the university's racial practices. We believe that BJU's policies can best be understood from the contexts of two primary influential forces: its Southern cultural heritage (specifically, the culture-of-honor that has existed within the Deep South of the United States) combined with its fundamentalist moorings. Although BJU's policies have historically differed markedly from other Christian institutions regarding racism, we believe that the present study may be helpful in illustrating important historical lessons that possess potential contemporary applications...
Clinical and pathological features of kidney transplant patients with concurrent polyomavirus nephropathy and rejection-associated endarteritis.

Clinical and pathological features of kidney transplant patients with concurrent polyomavirus nephropathy and rejection-associated endarteritis
Small Angle Neutron Scattering of Fibrinogen Polymerization Kinetics

Fibrinogen is a plasma glycoprotein that is a major factor in the blood clotting process. In the presence of thrombin, fibrinogen polymerizes into a network of fibers called fibrin. Previous microscopy measurements show that the rate of polymerization affects the microscopic structure of the fibrin network. Although there is a good understanding of the blood clotting process, triggers and pathways, there are remaining questions regarding its kinetics and how the internal structure of fibrin develops. This study was designed to investigate how protein concentration and osmotic stress affect the rate of fibrinogen polymerization and the internal structure of the fibers. Dynamic light scattering measurements were done to quantify the relationship between the concentration ratio of fibrinogen to thrombin and the rate of polymerization. Time-resolved small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments were performed to study the kinetics of fibrinogen polymerization, and contrast variation was used to study this process under osmotic stress. A suitable concentration ratio of fibrinogen (4 mg/ml) to thrombin (0.01 units/ml) was found to produce a polymerization reaction that lasts approximately 90 minutes; a reaction slow enough to yield a significant signal-to-noise ratio for SANS experiments. Various concentration series were measured using SANS. Guinier fits were used as a first approximation to obtain the radius of gyration (Rg) of the distinct domains of fibrinogen and fibrin. Pair distribution functions were used to monitor the shifts in structural parameters. SANS measurements show that osmotic stress affects fibrin structure and fibrinogen polymerization rate.
The association of a humoral sodium transport inhibitory activity with renal escape from chronic mineralocorticoid administration in the dog.

1. Previous studies in dogs given large intravenous saline infusions had shown the presence of an inhibitor of toad bladder sodium transport in jugular venous plasma. In the present study plasma of six dogs on a constant sodium intake was tested for this humoral sodium transport inhibitory (HSTI) activity before and during chronic administration of desoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA). 2. Renal escape from mineralocorticoid antinatriuresis occurred 2–7 days after beginning treatment with DOCA. No HSTI activity was present in plasma drawn at 9 a.m. during a control period before DOCA administration but it was found in every case on the morning of the day on which escape occurred. A positive correlation was shown between HSTI activity of 9 a.m. plasma and the rate of sodium excretion for the subsequent 24 h period ( r = 0·66, P 3. When DOCA administration was continued for several days after escape had occurred in three dogs, oscillations in HSTI activity correlated with oscillations in renal sodium excretion. 4. The degree of antinatriuresis on any given day correlated with the amount of HSTI activity the following morning ( r = 0·61, P
Declining Rates of Inpatient Parathyroidectomy for Primary Hyperparathyroidism in the US

Parathyroidectomy is the only curative therapy for patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. However, the incidence, correlates and consequences of parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism across the entire US population are unknown. We evaluated temporal trends in rates of inpatient parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism, and associated in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and costs. We used the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2002–2011. Parathyroidectomies for primary hyperparathyroidism were identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes. Unadjusted and age- and sex- adjusted rates of inpatient parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism were derived from the NIS and the annual US Census. We estimated 109,583 parathyroidectomies for primary hyperparathyroidism between 2002 and 2011. More than half (55.4%) of patients were younger than age 65, and more than three-quarters (76.8%) were female. The overall rate of inpatient parathyroidectomy was 32.3 cases per million person-years. The adjusted rate decreased from 2004 (48.3 cases/million person-years) to 2007 (31.7 cases/million person-years) and was sustained thereafter. Although inpatient parathyroidectomy rates declined over time across all geographic regions, a steeper decline was observed in the South compared to other regions. Overall in-hospital mortality rates were 0.08%: 0.02% in patients younger than 65 years and 0.14% in patients 65 years and older. Inpatient parathyroidectomy rates for primary hyperparathyroidism have declined in recent years.
REVERSIBLE NYCTALOPIA ASSOCIATED WITH VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY AFTER RESECTED MALIGNANT ILEAL CARCINOID AND PANCREATIC ADENOCARCINOMA.

Purpose:To describe the rapid time course of visual and electroretinographic recovery from vitamin A deficiency in a patient with a history of multiple resected abdominal tumors, including ileal carcinoid and pancreatic adenocarcinoma.Methods:A 61-year-old white man with a history of resected malign
Reliable Low-Latency Viterbi Algorithm Architectures Benchmarked on ASIC and FPGA

The Viterbi algorithm is commonly applied to a number of sensitive usage models including decoding convolutional codes used in communications such as satellite communication, cellular relay, and wireless local area networks. Moreover, the algorithm has been applied to automatic speech recognition and storage devices. In this paper, efficient error detection schemes for architectures based on low-latency, low-complexity Viterbi decoders are presented. The merit of the proposed schemes is that reliability requirements, overhead tolerance, and performance degradation limits are embedded in the structures and can be adapted accordingly. We also present three variants of recomputing with encoded operands and its modifications to detect both transient and permanent faults, coupled with signature-based schemes. The instrumented decoder architecture has been subjected to extensive error detection assessments through simulations, and application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) [32 nm library] and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) [Xilinx Virtex-6 family] implementations for benchmark. The proposed fine-grained approaches can be utilized based on reliability objectives and performance/implementation metrics degradation tolerance.
Neighborhood Disadvantage and Life‐Space Mobility Are Associated with Incident Falls in Community‐Dwelling Older Adults

Objectives To determine the relationship between neighborhood-level socioeconomic characteristics, life-space mobility, and incident falls in community-dwelling older adults. Design Prospective, observational cohort study with a baseline in-home assessment and 6-month telephone follow-up. Setting Central Alabama. Participants Community-dwelling adults aged 65 and older recruited from a random sample of Medicare beneficiaries (N = 1,000). Measurements Neighborhood disadvantage was measured using a composite index derived from baseline neighborhood-level residential census tract socioeconomic variables. Data on individual-level socioeconomic characteristics, clinical variables, and life-space collected at baseline were included as covariates in a multivariate model using generalized estimating equations to assess the association with incident falls in the 6 months after baseline. Results Of the 940 participants who completed baseline and follow-up assessments, 126 (13%) reported one or more new falls in the 6 months after baseline. There was an independent nonlinear association between neighborhood disadvantage (according to increasing quartiles of disadvantage) and incident falls after adjusting for confounders: The lowest quartile served as reference; 2nd quartile odds ratio (OR) = 2.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.2–4.6; 3rd quartile OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.0–3.7; 4th quartile OR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1.7–6.0. Each 10-point decrement in life-space (OR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.0–1.3) was associated with a higher risk of falls. Conclusion Greater neighborhood disadvantage was associated with greater risk of falls. Life-space also contributes separately to fall risk. Community-dwelling older adults in disadvantaged neighborhoods, particularly those with limited mobility, may benefit from a more-rigorous assessment of their fall risk by healthcare providers. Neighborhood level socioeconomic characteristics should also be an important consideration when identifying vulnerable populations that may benefit the most from fall prevention programs.
Surgical evacuation of acute subdural hematoma in octogenarians: a ten-year experience from a single trauma center.

AbstractBackground: Elderly patients presenting with an acute subdural hematoma (aSDH) have historically had unfavorable outcomes.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patient records from 2005 through 2015 that were ≥80 years of age and underwent surgical evacuation of aSDH.Results: Thirty-four patients met inclusion criteria, with a mean age of 84 years (range 80–91). Glascow Outcome Scale (GOS) of 4–5 was deemed a good outcome and a GOS 1–3 was deemed to be a poor outcome. Six patients had good outcome at last follow up and 27 patients had poor outcome. Patients with a higher presenting Glascow Coma Scale (GCS) trended towards better outcome [(good: mean 13.1, median 14.5, IQR 12.5–15) vs. (poor: mean 9.6, median 10, IQR 6–14) p = 0.06]. Patients with a higher in-hospital post-operative GCS score had significantly better overall outcome than patients who left the hospital with a lower GCS score [(good: mean 14.5, median 14.5, IQR 14–15) vs. (poor: mean 8.4, median 9, IQR 4–11) p = 0.001]. Patients with ...
Abstract TP254: The Use of Prehospital Telemedicine to Aid in the Decision to Airlift Patients to a Comprehensive Stroke Center From a Rural Area

Introduction: In patients with acute ischemic stroke, significant time can elapse from symptom onset until initiation of thrombolytic therapy. Prehospital diagnosis can reduce time delays, and remo...
Association of Self-Reported Discrimination and Suicide Ideation in Older Chinese Americans.

Objective This study examines racial discrimination as a potential novel risk factor for suicide ideation among older Chinese Americans. Design In a cross-sectional analysis, this study drew on data collected in the Population-based Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago on Chinese older adults age 60 + in the Greater Chicago area (N = 3,157). Thirty-day suicide ideation was a dichotomous variable, derived from items of the Physical Health Questionnaire and the Geriatric Mental State Examination-Version A. Self-reported discrimination was dichotomously coded, based on the Experiences of Discrimination instrument, which asks respondents whether they have ever experienced discrimination in nine situations because of their race/ethnicity/color. Results About 4.1% of the sample reported 30-day suicide ideation and 21.5% reported discrimination. Self-reported discrimination was significantly associated with suicide ideation before and after adjusting for covariates including sociodemographic characteristics; neuroticism; social relationships; and physical, cognitive and mental health. In the fully adjusted model, those who reported discrimination had 1.9 times higher odds (OR: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.18–3.08; Wald χ 2 = 6.9, df = 1, p = 0.01) of suicide ideation than those who did not. Conclusion Chinese American seniors who reported discrimination had an almost twofold greater odds of 30-day suicide ideation compared with those who did not. Clinicians need to recognize the impact of discrimination on ethnic minority elders. For those who report experiencing discrimination, assessment of suicide risk may be necessary. Efforts to promote civil rights and reduce discrimination may also be a form of primary prevention of suicide.
How Do Small Firms Survive Competition in China’s Emerging Air Purifier Industry?

This study investigates small firms’ competitive strategy in the emerging air purifier industry in China. Based on archival and interview data, I argue that small firms may not avoid competition with large firms in both mainstream and niche markets, but they are likely to be accommodated by large firms. To survive, small firms are challenged more by the demand side than the competition side. It would be more helpful if they target the niche markets because these markets offer favorable conditions for them to reduce the negative impact of a major weakness they possess: the unknown brand. The study provides implications for a key question in the small business literature: whether small firms should be in large firms’ territory and compete with them.