cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of rodeo® and garlon® 3A on nontarget wetland species in central Washington

Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is an invasive wetland perennial that became established in northeastern North America in the early 1800s. Despite its designation as a noxious weed, its distribution has continued to expand. Treatment with herbicides is the most widely used means of controlling purple loosestrife. This study examined the nontarget effects of two herbicides, Rodeo® and Garlon® 3A, currently used or being considered for use in controlling purple loosestrife in Washington State, respectively. Growth and/or survival of duckweed, Daphnia, and rainbow trout were monitored for at least 24 h following an application of each herbicide. Free-living water column and benthic invertebrates were monitored 24 h and 7 d post-spray using activity traps and sediment cores. Neither chemical was associated with significant decreases in survival or growth of the bioassay organisms, with the exception that growth of duckweed was reduced 48 h after exposure to Rodeo. Nor were significant decreases in the abundance of free-living aquatic invertebrates detected following the herbicide applications. Results suggest that neither herbicide, at the application rates used, poses a hazard to aquatic invertebrates in wetlands in central Washington. However, Rodeo, because it is a broad-spectrum herbicide, may pose a greater hazard to nontarget aquatic vegetation.
Combined phylogenetic and genomic approaches for the high-throughput study of microbial habitat adaptation

High-throughput sequencing technologies provide new opportunities to address longstanding questions about habitat adaptation in microbial organisms. How have microbes managed to adapt to such a wide range of environments, and what genomic features allow for such adaptation? We review recent large-scale studies of habitat adaptation, with emphasis on those that utilize phylogenetic techniques. On the basis of current trends, we summarize methodological challenges faced by investigators, and the tools, techniques and analytical approaches available to overcome them. Phylogenetic approaches and detailed information about each environmental sample will be crucial as the ability to collect genome sequences continues to expand.
Enhanced X-ray absorption by using gold nanoparticles in a biological tissue

In recent years, application of nanoparticles (NPs) in diagnosis and treatment of cancer has been the issue of extensive research. In this study, we investigated the effect of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) in a tumor during X-ray therapy. Our simulation, based on the Monte Carlo method, shows that the GNPs injected into a tumor considerably enhanced the absorbed dose during X-ray therapy, especially in the energy range between 10 keV and 150 keV. This increase in the absorbed dose is due to a combination of increased photoelectric interaction and Auger electron generation from the gold atoms. Furthermore, the absorbed dose in a biological cell is strongly influenced by the size of the GNPs; our results show that the ideal diameter of GNPs should be around 50 nm, and this result was confirmed by several authors.
Hereditary CRC Syndromes

The genetic contribution to the development of colon cancer has been inferred to be approximately 35 % from large Scandinavian twin registries. Independent studies indicate that 11–16 % of those with a diagnosis of colon cancer also have a first-degree relative with colon cancer. A significant fraction of these familial cases are represented by well-characterized, high-risk familial cancer syndromes that display Mendelian or near-Mendelian patterns of inheritance. Accounting for nearly 5 % of all colon cancer cases, these disorders are also associated with a diverse array of extracolonic malignancies. Careful integration of clinical features, family history, endoscopic findings, molecular pathology, and genetic testing are crucial components in establishing the diagnosis of a hereditary cancer syndrome. Recognition and diagnosis of these syndromes enable healthcare providers to pursue cancer risk-reducing measures, including chemoprevention, heightened surveillance, and prophylactic surgery, for these patients and affected family members. In addition, awareness of such syndromes has important ramifications for cancer management.
Video transparency: a powerful tool for patient safety and quality improvement

Transparency can be a powerful driver of better healthcare quality.1 In 2013, it was proposed that recording video data in healthcare begin with the several medical procedures that are already video based (cardiac stent placement, arthroscopic surgery, colonoscopy, etc).1 Different from the past era when recording required new hardware, most of the procedures performed in medicine today are now mediated by video, enabling a new opportunity for learning health systems.2 ,3 Some hospitals, like Johns Hopkins, have even built operating rooms (ORs) equipped with cameras—some of these are used to monitor room turnover times for scheduling efficiency, while others have been installed in anticipation of a future of increased transparency. Ever since our group first described a surgery checklist,4 compliance with the tool has been a challenge. Overdyk et al 5 demonstrate the potential of using video-derived data to improve compliance rates. The authors, based at Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, performed a prospective study in which surgeons and other OR staff were randomised to video monitoring with real-time feedback on key patient safety activities, including compliance with the safety checklist during sign-in, time-out and sign-out procedures. They found that the feedback increased compliance dramatically and reduced OR turnaround times for scheduled cases by 14%. Moreover, these improvements were sustained throughout the feedback period. As Overdyk et al shows, video transparency is one of very few interventions in healthcare to result in immediate behaviour change around safe practices. This is a landmark study in the rapidly expanding field of using technology to take patient safety to the next level and can be generalised to improve compliance with other established safe practices in healthcare. For years, healthcare has suffered from endemic problems associated with unwarranted variation in practice patterns, behaviours and compliance. Transparency works because …
Greenhouse and Landscape Growth of Tiger Lily Cultivars Following Flurprimidol Preplant Bulb Soaks

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the appropriate concentration of flurprimidol for ‘Orange Tiger’ tiger lily (Lilium lancifolium), the persistence of residual effects the following year with ‘Orange Tiger’, and differences in flurprimidol’s effect between tiger lily cultivars. In Expt. 1 flurprimidol was applied as a preplant bulb soak to determine its efficacy on height control of ‘Orange Tiger’ tiger lily. Bulbs were hydrated in 17 C water for 1 h, allowed to drain 1 h, given 10 min soaks of 0, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, and 160 mg L flurprimidol, and then allowed to drain for 1 h before potting. In Expt. 2 ‘Orange Tiger’ tiger lilies from Expt. 1 were then planted into outdoor beds to evaluate residual carryover effects of flurprimidol. Expt. 3 involved comparison trials of ‘Pink Tiger’, ‘White Tiger’, and ‘Yellow Tiger’ tiger lilies to determine if cultivars responded differently to flurprimidol drenches. Flurprimidol at 10 to 20 mg L effectively controlled stem elongation of ‘Orange Tiger’. No residual effect of flurprimidol on ‘Orange Tiger’ plant growth was observed a year after application. Optimal concentrations of flurprimidol for ‘Pink Tiger’ and ‘White Tiger’ were 2 to 5 mg L and for ‘Yellow Tiger’ 20 to 30 mg L. Results showed that preplant bulb soaks prevented excessive height and provided plants that were more suitable in height for retail sales. Differential responses of ‘Pink Tiger’, ‘White Tiger’, and ‘Yellow Tiger’ tiger lilies to flurprimidol indicate that trials are required to customize optimal concentrations for other cultivars.
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and indicators of immune function in children aged 12-19 y: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are immunotoxic in laboratory studies. Human studies of immune effects are inconsistent. Using the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), we examined PFAS serum concentration and indicators of prevalent immune function among 12–19-y-old children. In this cross-sectional study, we examined PFAS serum concentration in relation to measles, mumps, and rubella antibody concentrations in NHANES 1999–2000 and 2003–2004 (n = 1,191) and to allergic conditions and allergic sensitization in NHANES 2005–2006 (n = 640). In adjusted, survey-weighted models, a doubling of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) concentration among seropositive children was associated with a 13.3% (95% confidence interval (CI): −19.9, −6.2) decrease in rubella antibody concentration and a 5.9% decrease in mumps antibody concentration (95% CI: −9.9, −1.6). We observed no adverse association between exposure and current allergic conditions, including asthma. Children with higher PFOS concentration were less likely to be sensitized to any allergen (odds ratio (OR): 0.74; 95% CI: 0.58, 0.95). Increased exposure to several PFAS was associated with lower levels to mumps and rubella antibody concentrations, especially among seropositive individuals. These lower antibody concentrations may indicate a less robust response to vaccination or greater waning of vaccine-derived immunity over time.
NEURAL PATHWAYS MEDIATING THE INCREASE IN ADRENAL MEDULLARY SECRETION PRODUCED BY HYPOGLYCEMIA.

SummaryInsulin-induced hypoglycemia produced a marked increase in epinephrine secretion in fasted dogs. The rise was not abolished by transection of the midbrain or cervical spinal cord. It was completely abolished by removal of the thoracic and upper lumbar spinal cord in 4 of 6 dogs studied. It was also blocked by localized resection of the fifth to seventh thoracic segments of the spinal cord, but not by removal of more caudal segments. These data indicate that the portion of the spinal cord above the seventh thoracic segment is the only part of the central nervous system which is essential in the dog for the increase in epinephrine secretion produced by insulin-induced hypoglycemia.
Left ventricular dynamic geometry and diastolic mechanics in a model of chronic cyanosis and right ventricular pressure overload.

Left ventricular (LV) mechanics and dynamic geometry were studied in eight dogs I to 151 days after creation of a model of cyanosis and increased right ventricular (RV) pressure. In each dog, an 8 mm conduit was interposed between the main pulmonary artery and left atrium; the pulmonary artery was then banded distal to this shunt. Ultrasonic dimension transducers were subsequently implanted for the measurement of LV equatorial minor axis and wall thickness. Catheter-tipped micromanometers were used to measure LV and pleural pressures; RV pressure was measured with a fluid-filled catheter and an external transducer. Eight control animals were similarly instrumented. At the time of study, the cyanotic dogs had significantly decreased arterial oxygen saturations (66% ± 7% versus controls: 96% ± 5%), significantly elevated peak RV pressures, (55 ± 7 mm Hg versus controls: 30 ±5 mm Hg) and significantly elevated ratios of RV to LV mass (0.52 ± 0.05 versus controls: 0.36 ± 0.05). Diastolic pressure-dimension curves were generated and time constants for LV relaxation were calculated for each animal. The diastolic curves obtained from the cyanotic dogs were not significantly different from those of the control animals, and LV relaxation was not prolonged in the cyanotic dogs. In the three dogs that were cyanotic for 4 months or longer, there was a profound abnormality in the geometric pattern of LV contraction, manifested by asynchronous shortening of the anteroposterior equatorial minor axis. In two of these three dogs, inotropic reserves were assessed by means of postextrasystolic potentiation and were found to be normal. The results of this study indicate that short-term mild cyanosis and RV pressure overload do not alter diastolic compliance nor prolong relaxation of the LV. LV dynamic geometry may become abnormal after 4 months, with preservation of global LV inotropic reserves.
De Tocqueville Rediscovered: Community-Based Civic Engagement

Two and a half decades into the higher education civic engagement movement, as Dan Butin indicates in the Introduction to this book, there is concern that the movement has “stalled,” partly because of imprecise and conflicting language and compartmentalized networks and a remarkably “apolitical agenda.” In the view of this author, the “movement” has not exactly stalled. Rather, it has spread widely throughout higher education. Many campuses have service and/or service-learning centers. Service-learning is widespread in many disciplines. Membership in Campus Compact has grown to nearly 1200, and there is a proliferation of other organizations addressing civic engagement on every type of campus. Civic engagement has been “institutionalized” through accrediting requirements, a Carnegie Classification option, and a federal recognition program. Most recently, AAC&U and the Global Perspectives Institute have worked with the federal Department of Education to develop a report calling for more and better civic education of college students.
X-Ray Absorption Spectrum of Germanium in the Energy Range 12 to 13 Kev: Evidence of Doubly Ionized Inner-Shells

A multi-electron transition is one in which more than one electron changes state and only one photon is emitted or absorbed. Two-electron one-photon transitions were first postulated by Richtmeyer (1928). Recently multi-electron transitions have received considerable attention after their detection in atom-atom collisions by several authors (1975). Observed emission lines resulting from two-electron transitions were found to obey the Heisenberg (1925) two-electron selection rult and their measured energies were found to be consistent with the Dirac-Fock transition energies calculated by Hodge (1977).
70Candles!: Women thriving in their 8th decade, by Jane Giddan and Ellen Cole

When I first read 70Candles! I had trouble identifying with the idea that turning 70 was a milestone. Being 7 years over 70 myself, I did not remember being worried about the event the way I had be...
Designer drugs: Review and implications for emergency management:

In the past 10 years, "designer drugs" such as synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones have emerged and come into widespread use, resulting in more overdose cases involving these new drugs in the United States. Emergency departments regularly treat a diverse array of drug intoxications, and providers must be cognizant of novel drugs of abuse and the associated clinical presentations in order to provide the most appropriate care. This review aims to describe the epidemiology, mechanism of action, clinical presentation, and treatment of intoxication for both the common and newest drugs of abuse.
The Role of International Factors in the Business Cycle: A Multicountry Study

Abstract This paper attempts to identify the sources or impulses that result in business cycles in an open economy. A dynamic macroeconomic model is developed that allows business cycle impulses to be decomposed into a world-wide component, a nation-specific component, an industry-specific component and an idiosyncratic component. The model is estimated using the dynamic multiple indicator multiple cause model of Engle and Watson. This methodology allows the impulses to be measured as well as identify possible causes of the impulses. Our results suggest the nation-specific and world-wide components are the most important sources of business cycles in a country.
Resident versus faculty member simulation debriefing

Background Near-peer teaching is effective in graduate medical education, but it has not been compared with faculty member teaching in resident simulation. In this study, we sought to compare debriefing sessions of internal medicine (IM) intern simulation sessions led by academic faculty doctors with those led by senior IM residents in order to measure the effectiveness of near-peer teaching in this setting. Near-peer teaching is effective in graduate medical education, but has not been compared with faculty member teaching in resident simulation METHOD: Internal medicine interns participated in four simulation cases, two of which were debriefed by faculty members and two of which were debriefed by residents. Pre-simulation knowledge assessment was completed prior to the case. Following each debriefing, interns completed a Debriefing Assessment for Simulation in Healthcare (DASH) survey. Post-simulation knowledge assessments were completed 6 months after simulation. Debriefings were recorded and transcribed. Each statement made during debriefing was classified as either correct or erroneous by blinded reviewers. Results Fifty interns participated in simulation, and the response rate on the DASH survey was 88%. There was no difference between DASH scores (p = 0.13), post-simulation knowledge assessments or error rates during debriefing (p = 0.31) for faculty member and resident instructors. Conclusion Our study suggests that residents and faculty members provide a similar quality of simulation instruction based on qualitative and quantitative evaluation.
Post-fire seismic behavior of reinforced concrete structural walls

Abstract A potential but infrequently studied hazard is the sequential occurrence of earthquakes and fires. Fire hazards following an earthquake can be significant due to increased likelihood of fires igniting, increased demands on firefighting resources, and potential obstacles to timely response. Increased ignitions and longer burn times can have significant structural impacts on reinforced concrete (RC) structures which are usually considered to have superior performance in a fire. The impact of this fire induced structural damage on the lateral load resistance of RC structures, particularly RC structural walls, is not well understood but may be critical in the event of aftershocks and/or future earthquakes. Given the severity of the consequences of reduced lateral load resistance, it is important for engineers to better understand fire-earthquake hazards in RC walls. This paper presents numerical studies to investigate the impact of fire damage on the lateral load resistance of flexure-controlled RC structural walls, including a parametric study to identify influential wall characteristics. Results indicate that fire damage decreases the load-bearing capacity and the stiffness of RC walls under reversed-cyclic loads. Curvature is shown to be a better indication of fire induced failure. At failure, damage may shift to the web of a wall after fire exposure becomes more severe. Wall characteristics which significantly influence the residual wall response quantities were identified to be wall thickness, boundary element length, and axial load ratio.
Review of the occurrence of Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in Italy, with an update of its European and World distribution

The regions in which Halyomorpha halys (Stal, 1855) occurs in Italy are summarized and ordered chronologically according to the date of the first record. Details and verification about the first Italian record from Liguria (often overlooked), that dates back to 2007 the introduction of H. halys in this country, are also given. First exact localities are listed for the Italian regions of Tuscany, Marche, Latium, Abruzzo, Campania, and Apulia, in which only general occurrence was known so far. We included also additional records from Trentino-Alto Adige, where the presence of H. halys has only recently been reported through a few data. Furthermore first records for Sweden, Central Macedonia (Greece), and Manitoba (Canada) are reported, as well as first intercepted specimens from Iceland.
Atypical predictive processing during visual statistical learning in children with developmental dyslexia: an event-related potential study

Previous research suggests that individuals with developmental dyslexia perform below typical readers on non-linguistic cognitive tasks involving the learning and encoding of statistical-sequential patterns. However, the neural mechanisms underlying such a deficit have not been well examined. The aim of the present study was to investigate the event-related potential (ERP) correlates of sequence processing in a sample of children diagnosed with dyslexia using a non-linguistic visual statistical learning paradigm. Whereas the response time data suggested that both typical and atypical readers learned the statistical patterns embedded in the task, the ERP data suggested otherwise. Specifically, ERPs of the typically developing children (n = 12) showed a P300-like response indicative of learning, whereas the children diagnosed with a reading disorder (n = 8) showed no such ERP effects. These results may be due to intact implicit motor learning in the children with dyslexia but delayed attention-dependent predictive processing. These findings are consistent with other evidence suggesting that differences in statistical learning ability might underlie some of the reading deficits observed in developmental dyslexia.
High-Voltage Electron Microscopy for Insect Neuroanatomy

In 1962 Dupouy and Perrier described a transmission electron microscope with an accelerating voltage of one million volts (one megavolt = 1 MV). That achievement possibly set a standard for HVEM and today “high voltage” is regarded as that in the megavolt range. Voltages in the 100 to 1000 kV range have been used for neurobiological material (e.g. Shelton et al. 1971) with some success and a 500 kV scope was built in the U.K. as early as 1952 (Hirsch 1974). The world leader in megavoltage appears to be the 3 MV instrument in Toulouse, France although Meek (1976) mentions that the range extends to 10 MV. Nine other countries (six of them European) have megavolt microscopes. Present commercial models have been made possible by advances in electron optics and generators and accelerators largely provided by laboratories in France, the U.K. and Japan. Currently 55 such microscopes are in service, 14 of which are located in the U.S.A. (King et al. 1980).
Large Scale Semi-Automated Labeling of Routine Free-Text Clinical Records for Deep Learning

Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer death among women in the USA. Screening mammography is effective in reducing mortality, but has a high rate of unnecessary recalls and biopsies. While deep learning can be applied to mammography, large-scale labeled datasets, which are difficult to obtain, are required. We aim to remove many barriers of dataset development by automatically harvesting data from existing clinical records using a hybrid framework combining traditional NLP and IBM Watson. An expert reviewer manually annotated 3521 breast pathology reports with one of four outcomes: left positive, right positive, bilateral positive, negative. Traditional NLP techniques using seven different machine learning classifiers were compared to IBM Watson’s automated natural language classifier. Techniques were evaluated using precision, recall, and F-measure. Logistic regression outperformed all other traditional machine learning classifiers and was used for subsequent comparisons. Both traditional NLP and Watson’s NLC performed well for cases under 1024 characters with weighted average F-measures above 0.96 across all classes. Performance of traditional NLP was lower for cases over 1024 characters with an F-measure of 0.83. We demonstrate a hybrid framework using traditional NLP techniques combined with IBM Watson to annotate over 10,000 breast pathology reports for development of a large-scale database to be used for deep learning in mammography. Our work shows that traditional NLP and IBM Watson perform extremely well for cases under 1024 characters and can accelerate the rate of data annotation.
Inter-Bank Payment System on Enterprise Blockchain Platform

Real-time gross settlement system (RTGS) is the cornerstone of inter-bank payment business. Spectacular expansion of large-value wholesale payment has forced financial institutions to implement inter-bank payment systems (IBPS) with higher level of throughput, security, and stability. This promising approach to orchestrating IBPS utilizes emerging blockchain technology, which has been successfully harnessed to deliver distributed trust and confidentiality for diverse financial service applications. However, blockchain is not a silver bullet for IBPS, which faces multiple challenges incurred by high value transactions. Financial institutions expect not only a simple migration from traditional RTGS to a blockchain platform, but a decentralized system with better confidentiality, instruction settlement finality, liquidity saving mechanism, and more efficient methods of gridlock resolution. In this paper, we introduce an end-to-end IBPS prototype based on Hyperledger Fabric enterprise blockchain platform. The prototype supports gross settlement, gridlock resolution, and reconciliation for inter-bank payment business. As a preliminary research of Ubin Project, this prototype is proved to provide higher level of payment settlement service.
The Islamic State in Britain: Radicalization and Resilience in an Activist Network

Drawing on extensive field research with activists on the streets of London, Michael Kenney provides the first ethnographic study of a European network implicated in terrorist attacks and sending fighters to the Islamic State. For over twenty years, al-Muhajiroun (Arabic for 'the Emigrants') strived to create an Islamic state in Britain through high-risk activism. A number of Emigrants engaged in violence, while others joined the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Kenney explains why young Britons joined the Emigrants, how they radicalized and adapted their activism, and why many of them eventually left. Through an innovative mix of ethnography and network analysis, Kenney explains the structure and processes behind this outlawed network and explores its remarkable resilience. What emerges is a complex, nuanced portrait that demystifies the Emigrants while challenging conventional wisdom on radicalization and countering violent extremism.
Comparing the real and perceived cost of adenotonsillectomy using time-driven activity-based costing.

Objective This study aims to measure the costs of treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children with an adenotonsillectomy using time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) and explore how this differs from cost estimates using traditional forms of hospital accounting. Study design Prospective observational study. Methods A total of 53 pediatric patients with symptoms of OSA or sleep-related breathing disorder were followed from their initial appointment through surgery to their postoperative visit at an academic medical center. Personnel timing and overhead costs were calculated for TDABC analysis. Results Treating OSA with an adenotonsillectomy in a pediatric patient costs $1,192.61. On average, outpatient adenotonsillectomy costs $957.74 (80.31%); $412.18 of this cost ($4.89 per minute) was attributed to the overhead cost of the operating room. Traditional hospital accounting estimates outpatient adenotonsillectomy costs $2,987, with overhead attributing $11.27 per minute or $949.23 per case. 57% ($6.38 per minute) of the hospital's estimate for overhead was actually for equipment and implants used by different hospital services and not for equipment used in adenotonsillectomies. Conclusion Through TDABC, we were able to highlight how traditional RVU-based hospital accounting systems apportion all overhead costs, including items such as orthopedic implants, evenly across specialties, thus increasing the perceived cost of equipment-light procedures such as adenotonsillectomies. We suspect that providers who perform a TDABC analysis at their home institution or practice will find their own unique insights, which will help them understand and control the different components of healthcare costs. Level of evidence 2 Laryngoscope, 129:1347-1353, 2019.
Robotic Transrectal Ultrasound Guided Prostate Biopsy

We present a robot-assisted approach for transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided prostate biopsy. The robot is a hands-free probe manipulator that moves the probe with the same 4 DoF that are used manually. Software was developed for three-dimensional (3-D) imaging, biopsy planning, robot control, and navigation. Methods to minimize the deformation of the prostate caused by the probe at 3-D imaging and needle targeting were developed to reduce biopsy targeting errors. We also present a prostate coordinate system (PCS). The PCS helps defining a systematic biopsy plan without the need for prostate segmentation. Comprehensive tests were performed, including two bench tests, one imaging test, two in vitro targeting tests, and an IRB-approved clinical trial on five patients. Preclinical tests showed that image-based needle targeting can be accomplished with accuracy on the order of 1 mm. Prostate biopsy can be accomplished with minimal TRUS pressure on the gland and submillimetric prostate deformations. All five clinical cases were successful with an average procedure time of 13 min and millimeter targeting accuracy. Hands-free TRUS operation, transrectal TRUS guided prostate biopsy with minimal prostate deformations, and the PCS-based biopsy plan are novel methods. Robot-assisted prostate biopsy is safe and feasible. Accurate needle targeting has the potential to increase the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer.
Ceiling Price Analysis in Terms of Adjustment Weights

To benefit the consumers, government imposes a ceiling price. Regardless of government policy to execute it, a ceiling price always takes the market for the product to an off equilibrium situation. Using Mallick (2014) off equilibrium analysis of a competitive market this paper finds all the formulae of interest of ceiling price in terms of three adjustment weights, ceiling price, and price intercepts.
The impact of behavioral interventions on cognitive function in healthy older adults: A systematic review.

Abstract Behavioral interventions to improve cognitive function in older adults are widespread and can vary from theater classes to cognitive training programs. However, the effectiveness in maintaining different cognitive domains varies greatly both across and within intervention types. To date, no systematic reviews have synthesized findings across more than a few types of interventions (e.g., cognitive vs. exercise). This systematic review examined 11 types of behavioral interventions and the respective transfer to 19 cognitive domains, as well as transfer to everyday function. Study inclusion criteria were: peer-reviewed articles in English, samples of healthy adults aged 65 and older, and randomized controlled trials of behavioral interventions with reported cognitive outcomes. The 2017 search yielded 75 eligible articles comprising cognitive training, exercise training, combination interventions, cognitively-stimulating activities, and action video games. In general, process- (n = 26) and strategy-based (n = 16) cognitive training improved the trained domains but had weak transfer to non-trained domains. Aerobic training (n = 13) most consistently improved executive function, and strength/resistance (n = 8) and aerobic/resistance combination training (n = 6) most consistently improved cognitive inhibition and visual working memory. Combination interventions (n = 15 nonfactorial, n = 3 factorial) showed promise in improving verbal delayed recall and executive function. Few studies examined cognitively-stimulating activities or action video games, leaving inconclusive results about their effect on cognitive function. Few studies examined everyday function (n = 9), however, process- and strategy-based training demonstrated notable long-term transfer. Recommendations for future research and practice are highlighted.
Isoflat: Flat Provider Network Multiplexing and Firewalling in OpenStack Cloud

Networking is one of the key enablers of cloud computing and its security is essential for multi-tenant clouds. As a widely used open source solution to cloud computing, OpenStack allows computing resources to connect to the physical network infrastructure through provider networks for performance and reliability considerations. However, OpenStack users are stuck with either VLAN provider networks that are complex to configure and manage or flat networks that are not isolated and have the limitation on interface multiplexing. To address this problem, in this paper, we propose a new mechanism called Isoflat, which extends OpenStack's ability for creating flat provider networks with both configuration simplicity and flexible isolation capability. Our evaluation results show that a provider network with Isoflat can achieve similar network performance as a flat or VLAN provider network. Our results also show that the Isoflat firewall has much less impact on throughput performance than security group.
Does the Response-to-Intervention Model Fundamentally Alter the Traditional Conceptualization of Specific Learning Disability?

The aim of this study was to examine whether the use of a response-to-intervention (RTI) model to identify specific learning disability (SLD) over-identifies children and youth with population-relative (normative) weaknesses in general cognitive ability (IQs < 90). We compared the overall score on the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test-Second Edition (KBIT-2; Kaufman and Kaufman 2004) for a group of students with SLD (n = 30) who had been identified in an RTI model with a group of same-age peers (n = 249) in general education. Statistically significant differences were observed between the SLD and general education groups, with considerably lower mean scores for the SLD group. Effect sizes of the mean differences were large. Approximately three-fourths (73.3%) of the SLD group had overall scores on the KBIT-2 that were below the mean of the normative sample and almost half (43.3%) had IQ scores that are below 90. In sum, results of this study support Reynolds’ (2009) assertion that use of the RTI model for the identification of SLD over-identifies children and youth with IQs less than 90, thereby fundamentally altering the conceptualization of SLD from the traditional narrow sense (unexpected underachievement) to the broad sense (expected underachievement). A modified hybrid model is presented as an alternative method of SLD identification that addresses the main shortcomings of other current models.
Dysbiosis-Induced Secondary Bile Acid Deficiency Promotes Intestinal Inflammation

Secondary bile acids (SBAs) are derived from primary bile acids (PBAs) in a process reliant on biosynthetic capabilities possessed by few microbes. To evaluate the role of BAs in intestinal inflammation, we performed metabolomic, microbiome, metagenomic, and transcriptomic profiling of stool from ileal pouches (surgically created resevoirs) in colectomy-treated patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) versus controls (familial adenomatous polyposis [FAP]). We show that relative to FAP, UC pouches have reduced levels of lithocholic acid and deoxycholic acid (normally the most abundant gut SBAs), genes required to convert PBAs to SBAs, and Ruminococcaceae (one of few taxa known to include SBA-producing bacteria). In three murine colitis models, SBA supplementation reduces intestinal inflammation. This anti-inflammatory effect is in part dependent on the TGR5 bile acid receptor. These data suggest that dysbiosis induces SBA deficiency in inflammatory-prone UC patients, which promotes a pro-inflammatory state within the intestine that may be treated by SBA restoration.
Immersion Foot Syndrome in 6 Equids Exposed to Hurricane Floodwaters.

Prolonged exposure to water, known as immersion foot syndrome in humans, is a phenomenon first described in soldiers during World War I and characterized by dermal ischemic necrosis. In this report...
Hyperlipidemia: An Evidence-based Review of Current Guidelines.

Cholesterol treatment guidelines have evolved in the United States from the 1988 Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) I, the ATP II guidelines, ATP III guidelines, the 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines, to the most recent 2016 recommendations from the United States Protective Services Task Force. The use of statins to treat hyperlipidemia has been widely accepted and recommended in adults aged 40-75 years old with at least one risk factor and a calculated 10-year cardiovascular disease risk of 10%. However, statin use is associated with myalgias, myopathy, musculoskeletal injury, liver injury, and increased diabetes risk. The evidence for non-statin treatments is mixed. Bile acid sequestrants and ezetimibe reduce cardiovascular events. There is no evidence that the addition of any fibric acid derivative to a statin improves cardiovascular outcomes. Available evidence suggests that the use of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) enzyme inhibitors likely leads to little or no difference in mortality despite lowering lipid levels.
Multimodal prophylaxis in patients with a history of venous thromboembolism undergoing primary elective hip arthroplasty.

Aims We studied the safety and efficacy of multimodal thromboprophylaxis in patients with a history of venous thromboembolism (VTE) who undergo total hip arthroplasty (THA) within the first 120 pos...
The Theory of Cognitive Consciousness, and Λ (Lambda)

We provide an overview of the theory of cognitive consciousness (TCC), and of Λ; the latter provides a means of measuring the amount of cognitive consciousness present in a given cognizer, whether ...
Visceral nociception

Visceral pain is of great concern to the medical community because it remains particularly resistant to current clinical treatments. A serendipitous and initially unexplainable clinical finding that a punctate midline dorsal column lesion is effective in eliminating visceral pain, however, has initiated a resurgence of interest in the study of the basic mechanisms of visceral nociception. Clinical and anatomic findings have determined that visceral pain either of thoracic or pelvic origin can be relieved by carefully placed lesions directed at the lateral edge or the medial edge of the gracile fasciculus, respectively. Studies are demonstrating that visceral pain is quite unique from cutaneous pain.
Compact, Broadband Waveguide Two-Mode (De)-Multiplexers based on Rapid Adiabatic Coupling

The concept of rapid adiabaticity is applied to design a mode evolution based twospatial-mode mux-demux chain, shorter than conventional adiabatic devices by a factor of 4. The 100-µm-long device measures <-26 dB cross-talk over 80 nm bandwidth and IL <0.2dB at 1550 nm.
Student and Instructor Perceptions of Virtual Library Instruction Sessions

The following study aimed to assess both instructor and student perceptions of virtual library instruction sessions. The primary question was are there perceived benefit of synchronous library inst...
Bone Health in School Age Children: Effects of Nutritional Intake on Outcomes

The maximum rate of bone mass accumulation is during early adolescence. As such, a focus on optimizing mineral nutrition in school age children, defined here as approximately 5 to 15 years of age, is crucial to minimize the risk of bone loss that occurs later in life leading to osteoporosis and fractures. Optimizing bone mass in this age group requires attention to an overall healthy diet including adequate calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamin D. Special concerns may exist related to children who follow a restricted diet such as a vegan diet, those with intolerance or allergies to dairy, and those with chronic health conditions including young adolescents with eating disorders. Public policy messages should focus on positive aspects of bone health nutrition in this age group and avoid strict guidance on the exact amount of calcium that should be in the diet. In this regard, dietary recommendations for minerals vary between North America and Europe and these are higher than the values that may be necessary in other parts of the world. The management of many children with chronic illnesses includes the use of medications that may affect their bone mineral metabolism. Routine lab testing for bone mineral metabolism including the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level is not indicated, but is valuable for at-risk children, especially those with chronic illnesses.
Disaggregation in Deterrence and Death Penalty Research: The Case of Murder in Chicago

The proper role, if any, of capital punishment in our criminal justice system is an issue of unparalleled discussion in professional literature. Over one thousand books, articles, and reports on one or more aspects of the death penalty question have appeared since the turn of the century. In addition, the death penalty debate is not confined solely to professional circles; it occupies a prominent role in the popular press, media, and periodicals. In fact, the literature is so voluminous and the moral, legal, ethical, and empirical issues involved are so diverse and complex, that even the most recognized contemporary authorities on capital punishment readily acknowledge the limitations of their knowledge and understanding.1 The death penalty issue that is the focus of the greatest discussion and polarization both in professional and lay literature is the question of deterrence: does capital punishment deter crime, and most notably, murder? More properly and practically stated, does capital punishment provide a more effective general deterrent to murder than alternative legal sanctions such as imprisonment? Social scientists-most notably sociologists and criminologistshave played a long and active role in addressing this question empirically, with all studies up until the mid-1970's rejecting the deterrence hypothesis for capital punishment. For example, over five decades of research in this country failed to show higher murder rates in abolition than death penalty states, an increase in the murder rate after some states abolished capital punishment, or a decrease in murder after some
What is Elementary Geometry

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the significance of notions and methods of modern logic and metamathematics for the study of the foundations of geometry. It focuses on the conception of elementary geometry, which can be described as the part of Euclidean geometry that can be formulated and established without the help of any set-theoretical devices. Elementary geometry is formalized within elementary logic that is essentially first-order predicate calculus. The logical constants of the theory include the sentential connectives, the quantifiers, and the two special binary predicates. As non-logical constants any predicates can be chosen denoting certain relations among points in terms of which all geometrical notions are known to be definable. In the formalization of elementary geometry, only points are treated as individuals and are represented by first-order variables. Elementary geometry has no set-theoretical basis, because of which its formalization does not provide for variables of higher orders and no symbols are available to represent or denote geometrical figures and classes of geometrical figures.
SPHINX: a high level synthesis system for DSP design

A brief overview is given of the Sphinx System, a high-level synthesis system consisting of an integrated and interacting set of tools for the synthesis of digital circuits. The system is tuned to the synthesis of DSP ASICs from behavior specifications written in Verilog. Sphinx consists of tools for behavioral, structural, and logical synthesis, technology mapping, and simulation. C and SKILL have been used as the implementation and extension language and the system will be integrated into the Cadence Edge Framework. The pipelined scheduling and allocation subsystem of Sphinx are examined in more detail. >
Who Benefits from Jurisdictional Competition

When local governments compete, do their constituents win? Much empirical and theoretical work, inspired by the canonical Tiebout (1956) model, suggests that they do, with jurisdictional competition creating a quasi-market for public goods. In this paper, I consider a case in which special interests, rather than local taxpayers, emerge as the primary winners from jurisdictional competition. My theory predicts that competition among local governments will drive up the wages of highly specialized public-sector employees, a hypothesis for which I find support using a unique survey of employee compensation. I conclude by drawing more general conclusions from the theory, identifying the conditions under which constituents end up as the beneficiaries of jurisdictional competition, and the conditions under which they become its losers.
Attempt to Cross-Foster Gray Wolf, Canis lupus, Pups into Another Wolf Pack

We attempted to cross-foster four 18-19 week-old Gray Wolf ( Canis lupus ) pups into another Wolf pack 182 km from their natal pack territory. The pup introduction was the result of depredation control on a farm in northwestern Wisconsin. Three pups died within 14 days of release. A fourth pup survived along the edge of the new pack territory over winter, dispersed in the spring, joined or formed a new pack and was captured on a depredation complaint four years later.
Normal light interior functions defined in the unit disk

Let D be the unit disk, C the unit circle, and f a continuous function from D into the Riemann sphere W. We say that f is normal if f is uniformly continuous with respect to the non-Euclidean hyperbolic metric in D and the chordal metric in W.
Abstract 802: Synergistic effect of curcumin on FL118 efficacy in colon cancer

Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States and may cause about 50,830 deaths in 2013. Therefore, there is an unmet need for new therapeutic strategies. Combination of natural compounds with pharmacological small molecular inhibitors to increase anticancer efficacy while minimizing toxicity is an attractive approach for management of cancer. Curcumin, a natural dietary compound, has been shown to inhibit multiple cancer cell signaling pathways involved in survival, proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis and metastasis. FL118, a novel camptothecin derivative and an IAP (inhibitor of apoptosis) inhibitor, significantly attenuates colon cancer cell growth in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. In the current study, we report that curcumin enhances FL118 anti-cancer efficiency in colon cancer cell models. MTT and cell death detection ELISA assays were used for quantification of cell viability and apoptosis, respectively, in colon cancer HCT8 and SW620 cells. The synergistic effect of curcumin in combination with FL118 treatment on colon cancer growth inhibition was further analyzed by the Combination Index (CI) equation developed by Chou-Talalay using a CalcuSyn program (Biosoft, Cambridge, UK). Our data demonstrated that curcumin shows a synergistic growth inhibitory effect with FL118 in multiple colon cancer cells (p Citation Format: Xiang Ling, Nishant Gandhi, Boyang Jiao, Dhyan Chandra, Fengzhi Li. Synergistic effect of curcumin on FL118 efficacy in colon cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 802. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-802
The Impact of Decontamination on LWR Radioactive Waste Treatment Systems

Increased radiation levels around certain reactors in the United States and accompanying increases in personnel exposure are causing a reexamination of available options for continued operation and performance of required maintenance and inspections. One of the options is decontamination, which could have profound effects on the radwaste treatment system. An assessment of the impact of decontamination on radwaste treatment systems involves a careful study of the various effects that would result from the use of such a process.