cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Instanton superpotentials, Calabi-Yau geometry, and fibrations

In this paper we explore contributions to nonperturbative superpotentials arising from instantons wrapping effective divisors in smooth Calabi-Yau fourfolds. We concentrate on the case of manifolds constructed as complete intersections in products of projective spaces or generalizations thereof. We systematically investigate the structure of the cone of effective (algebraic) divisors in the fourfold geometries and employ the same tools recently developed by Anderson et al. [arXiv:1507.03235] to construct more general instanton geometries than have previously been considered in the literature. We provide examples of instanton configurations on Calabi-Yau manifolds that are elliptically and $K3$ fibered and explore their consequences in the context of string dualities. The examples discussed include manifolds containing infinite families of divisors with arithmetic genus, $\ensuremath{\chi}(D,{\mathcal{O}}_{D})=1$, and superpotentials exhibiting modular symmetry.
Effects of extracellular proteome on wheat straw pretreatment during solid-state fermentation of Phlebia radiata ATCC 64658

Abstract Biological pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass potentially offers a less energy intensive alternative to chemical pretreatment for the reduction of recalcitrance towards cellulolytic enzymes, but possesses some disadvantages, including a slow rate and loss of polysaccharides. This study characterizes the biodegradation of wheat straw by Phlebia radiata , a white rot fungus capable of secreting three major classes of ligninolytic enzymes: lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase, and laccase under natural conditions. We investigated the correlation between synergistic action of fungal enzymes and characteristics of the pretreated biomass. The results showed a sequential expression of enzymes over the course of a three-week pretreatment, with members of the peroxidase family being expressed in week one, followed by laccase expression starting in week two which continued until the course of pretreatment. This highlights the synergy of ligninolytic enzymes in the selective degradation pattern for wheat straw. 1 H– 13 C HSQC NMR spectroscopy results demonstrated reduced amounts of syringyl (S) and hydroxyphenyl (H) lignin after pretreatment. Moreover, the reduction in H lignin was also seen in Pyrolysis – GC/MS and FT-IR results. This strongly suggests that this unique lignin modification pattern is associated with P. radiata extracellular proteome, as expressed during the solid-state fermentation (pretreatment) of wheat straw.
Toyo Ito and Masato Araya's experiments in the structural use of aluminium

Aluminium is a widely used material offering many advantages when employed in buildings. Supply has dramatically increased with better recycling practices. With this in mind during the 1990s, Japanese subsidies targeted exploratory development of new uses for aluminium in buildings. This paper reviews innovative aluminium developments by the Japanese architect Toyo Ito and the structural engineer Masato Araya. With strong industry support, the two professionals designed and built five free-standing aluminium structures: a house, a dormitory, a cottage, an exhibition kiosk and a pavilion. Teaming up with several different industry partners both at home and abroad, Ito and Araya explored a variety of formal approaches. Their work received numerous awards and accolades and was in some cases patented. However, in the final outcome the structures the two professionals built remain unique.
The Evolving Functions and Organization of Finance Ministries

Relatively little literature analyses the role, functions, and organization of finance ministries. This paper reviews international experiences in an effort to identify trends in organizational design and the allocation of functions, while recognizing the crucial importance of each country's history and institutional context. Over the past 30 years, some finance ministries have moved from a “traditional” to an “emerging” model of organizational design characterized by greater openness and transparency, more flexible management practices, and a broader focus on strategic policy issues. In addition, many operational functions have been devolved to arm's-length agencies or line ministries as a result of computerization and changes in management practices. Further work would be needed to test the hypotheses laid out in the paper which are not at this stage supported by empirical evidence.
Individual nephron function in experimental bilateral pyelonephritis. I. Glomerular filtration rate and proximal tubular sodium, potassium, and water reabsorption.

Abstract The function of individual cortical nephrons was studied by micropuncture methods in rats with bilateral retrograde pyelonephritis. It was found that the lumina of tubules in grossly diseased areas were usually occluded and tubular fluid could not be aspirated with a micropipette. Intravenously injected Lissamine green did not appear in the lumina of such tubules. These findings suggest that the severely damaged nephrons were not contributing significantly to urine formation. In adjacent, more nearly healthy areas, GFR per nephron ranged from normal to markedly supernormal values. Proximal tubular reabsorption of sodium, potassium, and water was approximately the same as in normal rats studied under comparable experimental conditions. While it is not possible to conclude with certainty that there were no intrinsic disturbances in proximal transport mechanisms in the surviving nephrons, any such abnormalities were not of sufficient magnitude to be detected by the methods used. The observations are consistent with the view that the major contribution to urine formation in the pyelonephritic kidney is made by nephrons which have undergone adaptational increases in function. Although there are several important differences between the experimental renal disease produced in this study and chronic atrophic pyelonephritis in man, the basic similarity of the histologic features suggests to us that the present observations on nephron function may be relevent to the situation in patients with pyelonephritis.
'Natively unfolded' nucleoporins in nucleocytoplasmic transport: Clustered or evenly distributed?

The nuclear pore complex (NPC) acts as a selective gate that mediates the bidirectional transport of macromolecules between the cytoplasm and the nucleus of eukaryotic cells. 'Natively unfolded' nucleoporins (Nups) with domains rich in phenylalanine-glycine (FG) repeats form the selective permeability barrier and provide binding sites for mobile transport receptors in the NPC. Understanding the structure and function of the FG-Nups barrier under real-time trafficking conditions is still a formidable challenge due to the dynamic nature of a channeled membranous environment. Recently, we have shown that three-dimensional (3D) density maps of transient interactions between the FG-Nups barrier and a cargo-free or a cargo-bound transport receptor in native NPCs can be obtained by an advanced single-molecule fluorescence microscopy approach. Moreover, we found that these interaction sites are spatially clustered into distinct groups in the periphery around a central axial channel with a diameter of approximatel...
Risk factors for vaginal mesh exposure after mesh-augmented anterior repair: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study is to identify risk factors for vaginal mesh exposure after mesh-augmented repair of anterior prolapse. METHODS We performed a retrospective cohort study of all patients who had mesh-augmented anterior repair by 1 surgeon between January 2007 and February 2012. Data were extracted from medical records. The primary outcome was the rate of anterior or apical vaginal mesh exposure. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. RESULTS A total of 201 subjects were included. The mean (SD) follow-up was 14.3 (12.4) months. All cases were done using a type 1 macroporous monofilament polypropylene mesh. The overall mesh exposure rate was 8.5% (17/201). Univariate analysis showed a statistically significant positive association between exposure rates and the following risk factors: lower body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.016), menopause in combination with the use of hormone replacement therapy (P = 0.023), midline sagittal vaginal incision (compared with distal transverse incision) (P = 0.026), concurrent total hysterectomy (P < 0.001), surgery time (P = 0.002), and worse apical prolapse at baseline (P = 0.007). After multivariate analysis using logistic regression, only BMI (P < 0.001) and concomitant total hysterectomy (odds ratio, 48; P < 0.001) remained relevant. The exposure rate was 23.5% (16/68) when concomitant hysterectomy was performed compared with 0.8% (1/133) when no hysterectomy was done. Exposure rates stratified by BMI class were 12.9% (8/62) for BMI less than 25 kg/m, 9.5% (8/84) for BMI of 25 to 29.9 kg/m, 3.1% (1/32) for BMI of 30 to 34.9 kg/m, and 0% (0/23) for BMI greater than or equal to 35 kg/m. CONCLUSIONS Concomitant total hysterectomy is an independent risk factor for mesh exposure after mesh-augmented anterior repair, whereas BMI may negatively correlate with exposure rates.
Arthur Schnitzler's Typology: An Excursion into Philosophy

Arthur Schnitzler's non-fictional works have been sorely neglected in critical literature, even by those writers who have attempted to evaluate his “Weltanschauung.” His essays and aphorisms have thus on the whole remained almost completely unknown, although a few are readily accessible. One of these works, Uber Krieg und Frieden, was published posthumously in 1939 and contains excerpts from Schnitzler's diaries during the years 1915–19. Another is the Buck der Sprucke und Bedenken, a collection of aphorisms published in 1927. Individual sections are not dated and, from the evidence of unpublished material in Schnitzler's “NachlaC,” may be assumed to span his entire creative life. Some of the ideas are fragmentary, often the result of momentary moods, and there are internal contradictions. Schnitzler himself was aware of this, and in the foreword he expressly warned that “dieses Buch will keine Systeme, keine Weltanschauungen, keine Erledi-gungen bringen,” and added: “Keineswegs hat dieses Buch den Ehrgeiz, fur sich allein zu bestehen.” Nonetheless, certain thoughts occur with astonishing regularity—certain “ideas and questions” about “fate and free will,” about “responsibility and conscience,” about “relationships and loneliness,” to quote some of the chapter headings.
Diagnosis and Management of an Isolated Pediatric Plexiform Neurofibroma Involving the Hepatic and Celiac Plexus Using Multimodality Approach: Problem Solving with Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Plexiform neurofibroma with involvement of the gastrointestinal tract is a very rare entity in children. Here, we present a rather unique case of a 9-year-old boy with no clinical signs or features of neurofibromatosis type 1. A periportal mass lesion was incidentally found after performing an ultrasound in this previously healthy child. Computed tomographic scan was subsequently performed which showed a low-density mass in a periportal distribution with extension along the celiac axis. Because the findings were nonspecific, a pre- and postcontrast magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen was performed which included diffusion-weighted imaging. The lesion was then confirmed to be a plexiform neurofibroma with open biopsy. Management of plexiform neurofibromas varies widely. Given the extensive nature of the lesion, managing the patient with follow-up rather than surgical excision was favored.
Analysis of the Headspace Volatiles of Tobacco Using an Ether Trap

A method for analyzing the headspace volatiles of tobacco with an ether trap has been developed and the headspace volatiles of four kinds of tobacco, flue-cured, Burley, domestic (cv. Matsukawa) and Turkish, were analyzed. Dried air was passed through cut tobacco and the headspace volatiles swept were absorbed in ice-cooled ether. The ether solution of headspace volatiles was analyzed, and 27 components were identified by GC and GC-MS. Of these 27 components, six have not previously been reported as components in the tobacco headspace volatiles. The individual headspace volatiles samples of the four kinds of tobacco each showed their characteristic GC profiles and odors. The odor and the GC profile of each headspace volatiles sample were different from those of the steam distillate of the same tobacco.
Price and Advertising Effort Over the Product Life Cycle: The B.C.G. and Dorfman-Steiner Approaches

The relative importance of the price and advertising variables in the total marketing mix is expected to vary over the product life cycle. The Boston Consulting Group’s share-growth matrix, as well as the Dorfman-Steiner Theorem can “be useful in providing direction to strategy. The implications of the two approaches are analysed. Although both approaches provide somewhat similar directions, they diverge in terms of their implications for the decline stage of the product life cycle.
Magnetic resonance imaging in patients with cardiac implanted electronic devices: Focus on contraindications to magnetic resonance imaging protocols

Aims Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been reported to be safe in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) provided a specific protocol is followed. The objective of this study was to assess whether this is also true for patients excluded from published protocols. Methods and results A total of 160 MRIs were obtained in 142 consecutive patients with CIEDs [106 patients had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and 36 had a pacemaker implanted] using an adapted, pre-specified protocol. A cardiac MRI was performed in 95 patients, and a spinal/brain MRI was performed in 47 patients. Forty-six patients (32%) had either abandoned leads (n = 10), and/or were pacemaker dependent with an implanted ICD (n = 19), had recently implanted CIEDs (n = 1), and/or had a CIED device with battery depletion (n = 2), and/or a component of the CIED was recalled or on advisory (n = 32). No major complications occurred. Some device parameters changed slightly, but significantly, right after or at 1-week post-MRI without requiring any reprogramming. In one patient with an ICD on advisory, the pacing rate changed inexplicably during one of his two MRIs from 90 to 50 b.p.m. Conclusion Using a pre-specified protocol, cardiac and non-cardiac MRIs were performed in CIED patients with pacemaker dependency, abandoned leads, or depleted batteries without occurrence of major adverse events. Patients with devices on advisory need to be monitored carefully during MRI, especially if they are pacemaker dependent.
Fractured needle during endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration of a pancreatic head mass.

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fineneedle aspiration (FNA) is a safe procedure with a low complication rate [1]. To the best of our knowledge, there has only been one previous report of inadvertent fracturing of an FNA needle, which occurred during an attempted EUS-guided rendezvous for an inaccessible main pancreatic duct [2]. We present the case of a 75-year-old woman with an unresectable pancreatic head mass, who was referred to us for EUS-FNA after biliary stent placement. The procedure was performed by an experienced endosonographer from the duodenal bulb using a 22-gauge needle. The needle was inserted into the periphery of the mass to avoid passing through the plastic stent, and the fanning technique was used. At the end of the first pass, an unusual hyperreflecting line was observed, corresponding to the needle tract (●" Fig.1), which suggested that the needle may have broken during the sampling procedure. This was confirmed when the needle was advanced outside the external sheath to collect the specimen. The extremity of the broken needle was further identified protruding from the mucosa of the upper duodenal bulb (●" Fig.2). After various attempts at retrieval, the needle was grasped from the terminal end using a snare and was removed completely, without any consequences to the patient. The needle segment measured 4 cm (●" Fig.3,●" Video 1). There was no obvious cause of this incident. However, it is possible that the plastic stent could have been a relevant factor in the breaking of the needle. This case highlights the importance of ensuring that the correct EUS-FNA procedure is followed. After confirmation of a needle fracture, endoscopic removal can be accomplished with caution using the proper endoscopic accessories, in order to avoid potential damage to both the patient and the echoendoscope.
Asia in the Interwar Years

Whereas Japan profited from the First Great War — it emerged as a major power with new territories and a permanent seat, on the Council of the League of Nations — the conflict left China in greater chaos than ever. In 1919, at the Treaty of Versailles, China lost its Shantung Province to Japan. In retaliation, the Chinese ordered their delegates home, boycotted western products and discarded western democratic ideas. The grossly unfair terms of the Peace Conference provoked a massive upsurge of nationalist feeling expressed in the May Fourth movement. So divided had China become (not least as a result of western and eastern oppression),1 so weak did it remain, that by 1923, 11 years after the Republic had been established, whatever unity it possessed had been shattered by the competing claims of warlords, nationalists and communists. In the resulting confusion, the Chinese provinces of Tibet and Outer Mongolia broke away.2
Synthesis of β-Branched Tryptophan Analogues Using an Engineered Subunit of Tryptophan Synthase

We report that l-threonine may substitute for l-serine in the β-substitution reaction of an engineered subunit of tryptophan synthase from Pyrococcus furiosus, yielding (2S,3S)-β-methyltryptophan (β-MeTrp) in a single step. The trace activity of the wild-type β-subunit on this substrate was enhanced more than 1000-fold by directed evolution. Structural and spectroscopic data indicate that this increase is correlated with stabilization of the electrophilic aminoacrylate intermediate. The engineered biocatalyst also reacts with a variety of indole analogues and thiophenol for diastereoselective C–C, C–N, and C–S bond-forming reactions. This new activity circumvents the 3-enzyme pathway that produces β-MeTrp in nature and offers a simple and expandable route to preparing derivatives of this valuable building block.
Ontogeny of Learning

In this chapter I begin with a brief review of the major premises of the psychological and ethological approaches to the comparative analysis of learning, and consider a few of the reasons for the current paradigm crisis in the experimental analysis of learning. I then review the correspondence among comparative and ontogenetic research strategies in the psychological analysis of learning, and recent conceptual changes in traditional two-factor learning theory. Within the last decade, the reflexive mechanical view of Pavlovian conditioning has been replaced by a flexible, cognitive view which emphasizes the ability of the animal to both detect causal relations among events in the real world and to use a range of information about those events to make relevant inferences. Furthermore, recent autoshaping evidence indicates that learned responses cannot be fully described by either an independent stimulus-reinforcer (Pavlovian) contingency or a response-reinforcer (instrumental) contingency. Therefore, rather than using Pavlovian and instrumental contingencies merely to classify conditioned responses, they are now used, along with biological and situational events, to analyze conditioned behavior. I consider how these new conceptions are important for an analysis of associative learning influences on developing behavior, and also how nonassociative processes affect the learning of the young animal. In a few illustrative cases, I indicate how a merger of the concepts and techniques of psychology with those of ethology might permit a study of both the associative and nonassociative processes involved in the young animal’s adjustments to its environment.
Speech recognition interference by the temporal and spectral properties of a single competing talkera)

This study investigated how speech recognition during speech-on-speech masking may be impaired due to the interaction between amplitude modulations of the target and competing talker. Young normal-hearing adults were tested in a competing talker paradigm where the target and/or competing talker was processed to primarily preserve amplitude modulation cues. Effects of talker sex and linguistic interference were also examined. Results suggest that performance patterns for natural speech-on-speech conditions are largely consistent with the same masking patterns observed for signals primarily limited to temporal amplitude modulations. However, results also suggest a role for spectral cues in talker segregation and linguistic competition.
Blood ties: religion, violence and the politics of nationhood in Ottoman Macedonia, 1878-1908

Publications about late Ottoman history in the past two years have doubled due to two factors: the centennial of World War I and the Armenian Genocide (1915–1923). Most of these books have dealt wi...
Secure Similarity Queries: Enabling Precision Medicine with Privacy

Up till now, most medical treatments are designed for average patients. However, one size doesn’t fit all, treatments that work well for some patients may not work for others. Precision medicine is an emerging approach for disease treatment and prevention that takes into account individual variability in people’s genes, environments, lifestyles, etc. A critical component for precision medicine is to search existing treatments for a new patient by similarity queries. However, this also raises significant concerns about patient privacy, i.e., how such sensitive medical data would be managed and queried while ensuring patient privacy? In this paper, we (1) briefly introduce the background of the precision medicine initiative, (2) review existing secure kNN queries and introduce a new class of secure skyline queries, (3) summarize the challenges and investigate potential techniques for secure skyline queries.
Comparing Emotion Recognition Skills among Children with and without Jailed Parents.

Approximately five million children in the United States have experienced a co-resident parent’s incarceration in jail or prison. Parental incarceration is associated with multiple risk factors for maladjustment, which may contribute to the increased likelihood of behavioral problems in this population. Few studies have examined early predictors of maladjustment among children with incarcerated parents, limiting scholars’ understanding about potential points for prevention and intervention. Emotion recognition skills may play a role in the development of maladjustment and may be amenable to intervention. The current study examined whether emotion recognition skills differed between three- to eight-year-old children with and without jailed parents. We hypothesized that children with jailed parents would have a negative bias in processing emotions and less accuracy compared to children without incarcerated parents. Data were drawn from 128 families, including 75 children (53.3% male, M = 5.37 years) with jailed parents and 53 children (39.6% male, M = 5.02 years) without jailed parents. Caregivers in both samples provided demographic information. Children performed an emotion recognition task in which they were asked to produce a label for photos expressing six different emotions (i.e., happy, surprised, neutral, sad, angry, fearful). For scoring, the number of positive and negative labels were totaled; the number of negative labels provided for neutral and positive stimuli were totaled (measuring negative bias/overextension of negative labels); and valence accuracy (i.e., positive, negative, neutral) and label accuracy were calculated. Results indicated a main effect of parental incarceration on the number of positive labels provided; children with jailed parents presented significantly fewer positive emotions than the comparison group. There was also a main effect of parental incarceration on negative bias (the overextension of negative labels); children with jailed parents had a negative bias compared to children without jailed parents. However, these findings did not hold when controlling for child age, race/ethnicity, receipt of special education services, and caregiver education. The results provide some evidence for the effect of the context of parental incarceration in the development of negative emotion recognition biases. Limitations and implications for future research and interventions are discussed.
Risk Factors for Concordance Between Partners in Assault Among University Student Couples.

Based on information 11,408 university students provided on perpetration of physical assault in a romantic relationship, they were classified into three Dyadic Concordance Types (DCTs). We then examined six risk factors drawn from previous literature of partner violence: physical abuse as a child, antisocial personality characteristics, alcohol abuse, coercive control, chronic denigration in a relationship, and patriarchy at the societal level. We hypothesized that some risk factors for assault are different dependent on the DCT. Using multinomial logistic regression, we found that some risk factors were associated with an increase in the risk of a couple being in the Male Only assaulted DCT more than the other two DCTs (e.g., men who were high in antisocial personality characteristics). Other risk factors were found to be associated with a greater increase in the risk a couple being in the Both assaulted DCTs (e.g., chronic denigration). These results suggest that theories about the etiology of partner v...
Affinity of potassium-form cation exchange resin for alkaline earth and transition metals

Abstract This research conducted bench-scale batch equilibrium tests to generate new selectivity data for the alkaline earth metals Ca 2+ , Sr 2+ , and Ba 2+ and the transition metals Cd 2+ and Co 2+ for binary cation exchange involving sulfonic acid, polystyrene, gel and macroporous resins using the potassium (K + ) mobile counterion. Calculations for separation factor, and Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were used to investigate the sorption behavior of metals onto the cation exchangers. The separation factor and Langmuir isotherm were used to determine the selectivity sequence of cations for the resins. It was determined that the K-form cation exchangers were more selective for alkaline earth metals than the corresponding sodium (Na + ) form resin, and the gel resin was more selective than the macroporous resin for all metals. Using the separation factor to determine the selectivity sequence for K-form cation exchange resin showed similar order as published selectivity sequences for Li- and Na-form resins. The hydrated radius and ionic radius of the metals had a strong influence on the selectivity sequence for both types of cation exchange resins. Smaller hydrated radius resulted in an increase in the affinity of the resin for contaminants. Overall, K-form cation exchange resin has the potential to replace Na-form resin, as indicated by higher selectivity and comparable selectivity sequence for common metal contaminants.
Decline in Ocular Toxoplasmosis over 40 Years at a Tertiary Referral Practice in the United States.

Purpose: To identify whether there has been a decline in ocular toxoplasmosis at a tertiary uveitis practice.Methods: Retrospective review of new patients at the University of Illinois Uveitis Service from 1973 to 2012.Results: There were 6820 patients with adequate records for inclusion; 323 (4.7%) were diagnosed with ocular toxoplasmosis. There was a 78.0% decline in prevalence of ocular toxoplasmosis from 2008 to 2012 compared with 1973 to 1977. Compared with the aggregate uveitis population, toxoplasmosis patients were more likely to be Hispanic (p<0.0001) and less likely to be African American (p<0.0001). Ocular toxoplasmosis in Hispanics commonly occurred in foreign-born patients (85.3%).Conclusions: The diagnosis of ocular toxoplasmosis at our clinic declined, with Hispanics accounting for an increasing proportion of cases. These trends are consistent with the decreasing toxoplasmosis seropositivity in the United States, but may also reflect decreased referrals due to improved management of...
Autonomous robotic system using non-destructive evaluation methods for bridge deck inspection

Bridge condition assessment is important to maintain the quality of highway roads for public transport. Bridge deterioration with time is inevitable due to aging material, environmental wear and in some cases, inadequate maintenance. Non-destructive evaluation (NDE) methods are preferred for condition assessment for bridges, concrete buildings, and other civil structures. Some examples of NDE methods are ground penetrating radar (GPR), acoustic emission, and electrical resistivity (ER). NDE methods provide the ability to inspect a structure without causing any damage to the structure in the process. In addition, NDE methods typically cost less than other methods, since they do not require inspection sites to be evacuated prior to inspection, which greatly reduces the cost of safety related issues during the inspection process. In this paper, an autonomous robotic system equipped with three different NDE sensors is presented. The system employs GPR, ER, and a camera for data collection. The system is capable of performing real-time, cost-effective bridge deck inspection, and is comprised of a mechanical robot design and machine learning and pattern recognition methods for automated steel rebar picking to provide realtime condition maps of the corrosive deck environments.
Hyalinizing Clear Cell Carcinoma of the Tonsil: A Case Report

Hyalinzing clear cell carcinoma is a rare tumor of the oral cavity and is even more rarely located in the tonsil. Here, we present a case report of a pedunculated tonsillar mass in a nearly asymptomatic patient that was present for 2 years prior to removal. Complete surgical excision was achieved and no adjuvant therapy was recommended. We include a discussion of this rare pathology and its typical clinical presentation and course.
Prevalence and Geographic Variations of Polypharmacy Among West Virginia Medicaid Beneficiaries.

Background: West Virginia (WV) residents are at high risk for polypharmacy given its considerable chronic disease burdens. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence, correlates, outcomes, and geographic variations of polypharmacy among WV Medicaid beneficiaries. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed 2009-2010 WV Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS) claims data for adults aged 18-64 (N=37,570). We defined polypharmacy as simultaneous use of drugs from five or more different drug classes on a daily basis for at least 60 consecutive days in one year. Multilevel logistic regression was used to explore the individual- and county-level factors associated with polypharmacy. Its relationship with healthcare utilization was assessed using negative binomial regression and logistic regression. The univariate local indicators of spatial association method was applied to explore spatial patterns of polypharmacy in WV. Results: The prevalence of polypharmacy among WV Medicaid beneficiaries was 44.6%. High-high clus...
Loss of the melanocortin-4 receptor in mice causes dilated cardiomyopathy

Haploinsufficiency of the melanocortin-4 receptor, the most common monogenetic obesity syndrome in humans, is associated with a reduction in autonomic tone, bradycardia, and incidence of obesity-associated hypertension. Thus, it has been assumed that melanocortin obesity syndrome may be protective with respect to obesity-associated cardiovascular disease. We show here that absence of the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) in mice causes dilated cardiomyopathy, characterized by reduced contractility and increased left ventricular diameter. This cardiomyopathy is independent of obesity as weight matched diet induced obese mice do not display systolic dysfunction. Mc4r cardiomyopathy is characterized by ultrastructural changes in mitochondrial morphology and cardiomyocyte disorganization. Remarkably, testing of myocardial tissue from Mc4r-/- mice exhibited increased ADP stimulated respiratory capacity. However, this increase in respiration correlates with increased reactive oxygen species production - a canonical mediator of tissue damage. Together this study identifies MC4R deletion as a novel and potentially clinically important cause of heart failure.
Millionaires or Job Creators: What Really Happens to Employment Growth When You Stick It to the Rich?:

We provide empirical evidence on the consequences of relatively higher tax burdens on the rich for aggregate employment growth using a newly constructed time series for 1947 through 2011 derived fr...
Brain Responses to Cigarette-Related and Emotional Images in Smokers During Smoking Cessation: No Effect of Varenicline or Bupropion on the Late Positive Potential.

Introduction Varenicline and bupropion are two effective smoking cessation pharmacotherapies. Researchers have hypothesized that they might be effective, in part, because they reduce cue reactivity and cue-induced cravings. Here, we used event-related potentials (ERPs) to directly measure brain responses to cigarette-related and other motivationally relevant images during a pharmacologically aided quit attempt. Methods Smokers involved in a 12-week placebo-controlled double-blind clinical trial of smoking cessation medications (varenicline, bupropion, placebo) took part in the study. We assessed participants at two time points: 24 h (n = 140) and 4 weeks (n = 176) after the quit date. At both sessions, we measured the amplitude of the late positive potential (LPP), an ERP component reliably associated with motivational relevance, and self-reported tonic craving using the brief version of the Questionnaire of Smoking Urges (QSU-Brief). Results At both sessions, emotional and cigarette-related images evoked significantly larger LPPs than neutral images. Neither drug type nor smoking abstinence altered this effect at either session. At both sessions, varenicline and bupropion significantly reduced self-reported tonic craving relative to the placebo condition. Conclusions While both varenicline and bupropion reduced self-reported tonic craving, neither medication altered the amplitude of the LPP to cigarette-related or emotional pictures in smokers attempting to quit. These medications may influence abstinence by means other than by reducing neuroaffective responses to cigarette-related cues. Smokers should be prepared for the likelihood that even after several weeks of successful abstinence, once treatment ends, cigarette-related cues may remain motivationally relevant and trigger cravings that might lead to relapse. Implications Bupropion and varenicline do not alter electrophysiological responses, as measured by the LPP, to cigarette-related and emotional images. These findings help explain why cigarette-related cues can trigger relapse when smoking cessation medication treatments end.
A comparison of the pattern search algorithm and the modified PATH algorithm for optimizing an individual tree model.

Un nouvel algorithme de programmation dynamique a l'echelle du peuplement a ete mis au point pour la determination de la distribution residuelle des diametres optimale. Il est base sur l'algorithme PATH (Projection Alternative Technique), le concept de strategies limitees a la region et la programmation dynamique iterative. A l'aide de cet algorithme, un modele de programmation dynamique a ete construit avec un modele de croissance sur arbre unique independant de la distance, etabli pour les types forestiers du Nord des Rocheuses. La convergence, la precision et l'efficacite de cet algorithme sont comparees a celles d'un algorithme non lineaire (methode de Hooke et Jeeves)
Adult Neurogenesis in the Dentate Gyrus

Adult neurogenesis is a unique form of structural plasticity in the brain. Localized specifically to the dentate gyrus region, new granule cells continue to integrate into the functioning circuit throughout life. Over the last 2 decades, neurogenesis has gone from a controversial side note within the hippocampal community to a process believed to potentially impact many aspects of learning and memory. Here, we will provide a basic overview of the neurogenesis process, both in terms of its anatomical and physiological development and its tight coupling to physical and cognitive behavior. We will then summarize the current hypotheses explaining how new neurons could affect dentate gyrus and hippocampal function, touching both on theoretical and computational studies. From this perspective, we will review results from behavioral studies in animal knockdowns of neurogenesis and the observations of new neuron behavior during behavioral tasks.
2 – Biochemical Basis of Toxicity

Interaction between a toxic agent and an organism is a two-way process; both toxin and organism play a role in the final outcome of toxicity. This chapter reviews the biochemical basis for toxicologic interactions. It aims to: (1) define the effect that the organism has on the compound, in terms of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion; (2) define the initial effect that the toxic agent has on the organism in terms of interacting with specific sites or nonspecific sites (membranes, protein, and so forth); (3) identify factors that cause variation in these events; and (4) summarize the biochemical events that follow the initial insult, frequently preceding detectable morphologic change. The site of toxicity of a xenobiotic is strongly dependent on its distribution. The pulmonary toxicant paraquat concentrates in the lung, whereas its analog diquat concentrates in the liver and is hepatotoxic. This chapter concludes the fundamental principle of both pharmacology and toxicology that is the action or effect is proportional to the dose reaching the site of action. This dose-response relationship applies both to the individual and to the population.
Redefinitions of a Discipline: Histories of Geology and Geological History

Periods of rapid theory change or ‘revolutions’ in science are apt to spur the scientists involved to write new histories of the discipline, and revolutions in geology are no exception. Two major episodes of historical writing by Anglo-Saxon geologists have been associated with revolutions in the discipline, namely Charles Lyell’s uniformitarianism and recent plate tectonics (1). The most influential early nineteenth-century history of geology in English is Charles Lyell’s introduction to his classic Principles of Geology (1830–1833) (2). The Principles was the work that ushered in the ‘uniformitarian-catastrophist’ debates, and that was identified later by Kuhn as a geological paradigm. Lyell intended his history to form an integral part of the definition and articulation of the uniformitarian position which he thought was the sole means of making geology scientific. Uniformitarianism, as a geological tradition is thus inextricably bound up with Lyell’s interpretation of the history of geology. In recent years, new histories and historical anthologies have documented the origins and triumphs of ‘plate tectonic’ theory, which has dominated geology since the mid-1960s. In order to structure their interpretation of this plate tectonic ‘revolution’, contemporary geologists have fastened on Kuhn’s account of scientific change (albeit a dramatically transformed version of Kuhn’s model as I shall show) (3).
The balance and imbalance of sampling former teachers hidden-by-choice: a snowball in summer

In this paper, we explore the challenges inherent in conducting research with a hidden population – how to conduct research with teachers who have left the classroom. Capturing the storied experien...
Acute Type A Aortic Dissection: Managing More Than Just the Entry-Tear

As emergency repair for acute type A aortic dissection is improving, the reintervention rate increases. Over 10% of cases require an aortic reintervention, which should ideally be performed in an early stage to allow for positive aortic remodeling and to prevent limitations by the stiffened aortic flap. These reinterventions remain a surgical challenge and may come with complications. We provide a comprehensive overview of different management strategies and their success in treating aortic adverse remodelling, based on current evidence of the literature. Two meta-analyses and an additional literature search yielded comparable mortality rates between limited repair and extensive repair. Cardiopulmonary bypass time, cross clamping time and cardiac arrest time were significantly shorter in limited repairs. Reintervention rate was generally lower in extensive repair, although not always significant. In conclusion, the early aggressive approach may be useful to lower reintervention rates. However, it has not yet been proven to be more beneficial. It will be imperative to develop a patient-specific early stage prediction model for residual aortic reintervention.
Comparison of energy consumption in desalination by capacitive deionization and reverse osmosis

Abstract Capacitive deionization (CDI), which is based on the electrosorption of ions by porous electrodes, is an emerging technology for brackish water desalination. Understanding the key drivers of energy consumption in CDI and benchmarking CDI with reverse osmosis (RO), the current state-of-the-art for brackish and seawater desalination, is crucial to guide the future development of desalination technologies. In this study, we develop system-scale models to analyze the energy consumption and energy efficiency of CDI and RO over a wide range of material properties and operating conditions. Using our models, we explore how the energetic performance of CDI and RO compare as a function of feed salinity, water recovery, salt rejection, and average water flux, which is normalized by electrode and membrane area in CDI and RO, respectively. Our analysis shows that RO is significantly more energy efficient than CDI, particularly when targeting higher salinity feed streams and higher salt rejection values. For brackish water with a salt concentration of 2000 mg L−1, achieving 50% water recovery and 75% salt rejection, with an average water flux of 10 L m−2 h−1 using CDI requires a specific energy consumption of 0.85 kWh m−3, more than eight times that of RO (0.09 kWh m−3). Importantly, our results also indicate that current efforts to improve electrode materials can only marginally reduce the energy consumption of CDI. We conclude with a discussion highlighting other important factors, such as capital cost, electrode stability, and membrane fouling, which affect the efficacy of CDI and RO for low-salinity desalination.
Psychiatric Collaborative Care for Patients With Respiratory Disease

Psychiatric disorders are common in patients with advanced respiratory diseases, including COPD and asthma. These comorbid illnesses are often associated with poor compliance with medical treatment, increased disability, heightened health-care utilization, and premature mortality. Seeking to improve patient outcomes, improve patient satisfaction, and decrease the cost of care has led to the creation of alternative care and reimbursement models. One of the most mature of these models is the collaborative care model (CoCM). This model is team-based care; team members being the primary care provider, a care manager, and a psychiatric care provider. Studies have shown improved outcomes, improved patient satisfaction, and decreased cost when this model has been used to care for patients with general medical illness and psychiatric comorbidities. The primary care provider really drives the care, identifying the comorbidities and enlisting the patient's participation with care. Care managers could include nurses, social workers, or psychologists. Their responsibilities include monitoring symptoms, brief behavioral interventions, and other activities including case review with the psychiatric care provider. The psychiatric care provider is not expected to be on-site but will review cases with the care manager, who will communicate recommendations back to the primary care provider. Those services could be billed for under other Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes. As of January 1, 2018, report CoCM services using CPT codes 99492, 99493, and 99494 have been utilized for psychiatric collaborative care, in this new model to provide mental health services to patients with chronic medical conditions such as advanced respiratory diseases. They are endorsed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, these new CPT codes support CoCM services and replace the 2017 codes G0502, G0503, and G0504 for Behavioral Health Integration. This article provides guidance on CoCM for patients with advanced respiratory disease and the new CPT codes for reimbursement of these services.
Simplicial Ricci flow: an example of a neck pinch singularity in 3D

We examine a Type-1 neck pinch singularity in simplicial Ricci flow (SRF) for an axisymmetric piecewise flat 3-dimensional geometry with 3-sphere topology. SRF was recently introduced as an unstructured mesh formulation of Hamilton's Ricci flow (RF). It describes the RF of a piecewise-flat simplicial geometry. In this paper, we apply the SRF equations to a representative double-lobed axisymmetric piecewise flat geometry with mirror symmetry at the neck similar to the geometry studied by Angenent and Knopf (A-K). We choose a specific radial profile and compare the SRF equations with the corresponding finite-difference solution of the continuum A-K RF equations. The piecewise-flat 3-geometries considered here are built of isosceles-triangle-based frustum blocks. The axial symmetry of this model allows us to use frustum blocks instead of tetrahedra. The 2-sphere cross-sectional geometries in our model are regular icosahedra. We demonstrate that, under a suitably-pinched initial geometry, the SRF equations for this relatively low-resolution discrete geometry yield the canonical Type-1 neck pinch singularity found in the corresponding continuum solution. We adaptively remesh during the evolution to keep the circumcentric dual lattice well-centered. Without such remeshing, we cannot evolve the discrete geometry to neck pinch. We conclude with a discussion of future generalizations and tests of this SRF model.
TrIMS: Transparent and Isolated Model Sharing for Low Latency Deep Learning Inference in Function-as-a-Service

Deep neural networks (DNNs) have become core computation components within low latency Function as a Service (FaaS) prediction pipelines. Cloud computing, as the defacto backbone of modern computing infrastructure, has to be able to handle user-defined FaaS pipelines containing diverse DNN inference workloads while maintaining isolation and latency guarantees with minimal resource waste. The current solution for guaranteeing isolation and latency within FaaS is inefficient. A major cause of the inefficiency is the need to move large amount of data within and across servers. We propose TrIMS as a novel solution to address this issue. TrIMSis a generic memory sharing technique that enables constant data to be shared across processes or containers while still maintaining isolation between users. TrIMS consists of a persistent model store across the GPU, CPU, local storage, and cloud storage hierarchy, an efficient resource management layer that provides isolation, and a succinct set of abstracts, applicationAPIs, and container technologies for easy and transparent integration with FaaS, Deep Learning (DL) frameworks, and user code. We demonstrate our solution by interfacing TrIMS with the Apache MXNet framework and demonstrate up to 24x speedup in latency for image classification models, up to 210x speedup for large models, and up to8×system throughput improvement.