cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recent rapid decrease in adolescents’ perception that marijuana is harmful, but no concurrent increase in use

Abstract Background National trends in adolescent’s marijuana risk perceptions are traditionally used as a predictor of concurrent and future trends in adolescent marijuana use. We test the validity of this practice during a time of rapid marijuana policy change. Methods Two repeated cross-sectional U.S. nationally-representative surveys of 8th, 10th, and 12th-graders: Monitoring the Future (MTF) (1991–2015; N = 1,181,692) and National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) (2002–2014; N = 113,317). We examined trends in the year-to-year prevalence of perceiving no risk of harm in using marijuana regularly, and prevalence of regular marijuana use within the previous month. A piecewise linear regression model tested for a change in the relationship between trends. Similar analyses examined any past-month use and controlled for demographic characteristics. Results Among MTF 12th-graders, the prevalence of regular marijuana use and risk perceptions changed similarly between 1991 and 2006 but diverged sharply afterward. The prevalence of regular marijuana use increased by ∼1 percentage point to 6.03% by 2015. In contrast, the proportion of 12th-graders that perceived marijuana as posing no risk increased over 11 percentage points to 21.39%. A similar divergence was found among NSDUH 12th-graders and other grades, for any past month marijuana use, and when controlling demographic characteristics. Conclusions An increase in adolescent marijuana use has not accompanied recent rapid decreases in marijuana risk perceptions. Policy makers may consider broader prevention strategies in addition to targeting marijuana risk perceptions. Further monitoring of predictors of marijuana use trends is needed as states legalize recreational marijuana use.
The impact of modifiable risk factor reduction on childhood asthma development

Childhood asthma is responsible for significant morbidity and health care expenditures in the United States. The incidence of asthma is greatest in early childhood, and the prevalence is projected to continue rising in the absence of prevention and intervention measures. The prevention of asthma will likely require a multifaceted intervention strategy; however, few randomized controlled trials have assessed such approaches. The purpose of this review was to use previous meta-analyses to identify the most impactful risk factors for asthma development and evaluate the effect of risk factor reduction on future childhood asthma prevalence. Common and modifiable risk factors with large effects included acute viral respiratory infections, antibiotic use, birth by cesarean section, nutritional disorders (overweight, obesity), second hand smoke exposure, allergen sensitization, breastfeeding, and sufficient prenatal vitamin D level. Evaluation and estimates of risk factor modification on populations at risk should guide scientists and policymakers toward high impact areas that are apt for additional study and intervention.
Phase Steering and Focusing Behavior of Ultrasound in Cementitious Materials

Deterioration of civil infrastructure system (CIS) raises not only safety issues but also socio-economic concerns. In order to meet the high demand of structural condition assessment and health monitoring, development of quick, reliable and accurate NDE methods became critical issues recently. Compared to metal structures, NDE for cement-based materials is still premature and requires further development.
Effects of Biotin and High Copper Levels on Performance and Immune Response of Weanling Pigs

Weanling crossbred pigs (n = 216, 6.9 kg initially) were used in three 5-wk trials to evaluate the effect of supplemental biotin (0, 220, 440 and 880 ppb) and Cu (0, 200 and 400 ppm) on performance, hemoglobin concentrations, serum and liver Cu levels and immune response (humoral and cell-mediated). Feeding 200 ppm Cu increased growth rate (P less than .01) and feed intake (P less than .01) during the 5-wk trials; 400 ppm Cu depressed growth and feed intake after wk 2. Efficiency of feed utilization, however, was improved (P less than .05) when either 200 or 400 ppm Cu diets were fed. Whereas supplemental biotin generally did not affect pig performance, an interaction (P less than .01) during the first 2 wk was detected; ADG and feed intake were highest for 200 and 400 ppm Cu dietary levels in combination with the 440 and 880 ppb biotin levels. Hemoglobin concentration was depressed (P less than .01) when 400 ppm Cu was fed, and liver Cu levels were increased (P less than .01) 8- and 35-fold for pigs fed 200 and 400 ppm supplemental Cu, respectively. Although the magnitude of the immune response was small and inconsistent, diets containing 220 and 440 ppb biotin seemed to increase the immune response to sheep red blood cells, but 880 ppb biotin appeared to depress the response; there was no effect of biotin level on lysozyme titers. Addition of Cu to the diet tended to depress the immune response to lysozyme and phytohemagglutinin but did not affect sheep red blood cells.
C1-C2 Fusion Versus Occipito-Cervical Fusion for High Cervical Fractures: A Multi-Institutional Database Analysis and Review of the Literature.

Objective Type II odontoid fractures of the axis (C2) account for more than 20% of all cervical fractures. If an odontoid screw is contraindicated, the treatment approach for type II C2 fractures typically involves C1–C2 posterior fusion or occipito-cervical (O-C) fusion, each of which has distinct advantages and disadvantages. In this study, postoperative outcomes of C1–C2 fusion and O-C fusion for high cervical fractures were compared. Methods The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried to determine 30-day surgical outcomes of posterior C1–C2 fusion versus O-C fusion for adult patients with C2 fractures between 2005 and 2016. Demographics, operative factors, and postoperative events were analyzed, including returns to the operating room, readmission, and death. Results In total, 165 patients were identified. A majority of the patients (142, 86.1%) had independent functional status, although 133 (80.6%) had an American Society of Anesthesiologists classification ranging from 3 to 5, representing poor preoperative health. A significantly greater proportion of O-C (9.1%) versus C1–C2 fusion (1.7%) returned to the operating room (odds ratio 6.465, confidence interval 1.079–38.719, P = 0.041). The length of operation approached statistical significance (P = 0.053) between the 2 groups, with O-C fusion group having a longer average length of operation (196.4 minutes) versus the C1–C2 group (164.0 minutes). Conclusions This study provides a snapshot of the risk profiles of C1–C2 and O-C fusion for C2 fracture, demonstrating a statistically higher risk of reoperation in O-C fusion versus C1–C2 fusion. Future randomized trials are needed to identify the preferred technique to improve patient outcomes.
Deficiencies in postoperative surveillance for veterans with gastrointestinal cancer.

Background and objectives National guidelines for gastrointestinal (GI) cancers offer surveillance algorithms to facilitate detection of recurrent disease, yet adherence rates are unknown. We sought to characterize postoperative surveillance patterns for veterans with GI cancer at a tertiary care Veterans Affairs Hospital. Methods A single-center retrospective cohort study identified patients who underwent surgical resection for colorectal, gastroesophageal or hepatopancreaticobiliary malignancy from 2010-2016. We calculated the annual rate of cancer-directed clinic visits and abdominal imaging and used National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines as a benchmark by which to assess adequate surveillance. Results Ninety-seven patients met inclusion criteria. Median surveillance time was 1203 days. Overall, 44% of patients had insufficient surveillance. Specifically, 11% received no postoperative imaging and 7% had no cancer-directed clinic visits. An additional 30% received less than recommended surveillance imaging and 12% attended fewer than recommended clinic visits. By disease site, insufficient imaging was most common for patients with hepatopancreaticobiliary cancer (63%), while inadequate clinic follow-up was highest for colorectal cancer (24%). Conclusion A significant proportion of veterans with GI cancer received either inadequate postoperative surveillance based on national guidelines. This deficiency represents an opportunity for improvement through targeted efforts, including telemedicine and education of patients and providers.
Plot Twist: Changing the Story in Graphing Skills with an Open-Ended Approach

Two of the most fundamental skills that students acquire in introductory undergraduate physics laboratory courses are how to accurately plot data and interpret the physical meaning of linear graphs. We redesigned our graphing skills lab with an open-ended approach designed to promote inquiry in graphical analysis and to address specific areas of weakness in students’ understanding of graphs. Students had to decide on their own how to graph data in order to promote understanding of linear relationships between variables and slope. Students completing the new open-ended lab developed and retained better graphing skills than students that were taught the lab with a more traditional cookbook approach.
Using Machine Learning to Overcome the Expert Blind Spot for Perceptual Fluency Trainings

Most STEM domains use multiple visual representations to illustrate complex concepts. While much research has focused on helping students make sense of visuals, students also have to become perceptually fluent at translating among visuals fast and effortlessly. Because perceptual fluency is acquired via implicit, nonverbal processes, perceptual fluency trainings provide simple classification tasks that vary visual features across numerous examples. Prior research shows that learning from such trainings is strongly affected by the sequence of the examples. Further, prior research shows that perceptual fluency trainings are most effective for high-performing students but may confuse low-performing students. We propose that a lack of benefits for low-performing students may result from a perceptual expert blind spot of instructors who typically develop perceptual fluency trainings: expert instructors may be unable to anticipate the needs of students who do not see meaningful information in the visuals. In prior work, we used a machine-learning approach to develop a sequence of example visuals of chemical molecules for low-performing students. This study tested the effectiveness of this sequence in comparison to an expert-generated sequence in a randomized experiment as part of an undergraduate chemistry course. We determined students’ performance based on log data from an educational technology they used in the course. Results show that the machine-learned sequence was more effective for low-performing students. The expert sequence was more effective for high-performing students. Our results can inform the development of perceptual-fluency trainings for adaptive educational technologies.
Communities Visited—Overview

In the U.S., there are 17 senior cohousing communities that are currently up and running. The first was established in 2005 and the last came onboard in 2018. To achieve a good representative understanding of these communities, we visited 12 communities that ranged in size, geographic location, number of residents, types of structure (homes or condo units) and urban/rural/suburban setting.
Measurement-induced criticality in random quantum circuits

A new class of quantum entanglement transitions separating phases with different entanglement entropy scaling has been observed in recent numerical studies. Despite the numerical efforts, an analytical understanding of such transitions has remained elusive. Here, the authors propose a theory for the area-law to volume-law entanglement transition in many-body systems that undergo both random unitary evolutions and projective measurements. Using the replica method, the authors map analytically this entanglement transition to an ordering transition in a classical statistical mechanics model. They derive the general entanglement scaling properties at the transition and show a solvable limit where this transition can be mapped onto two-dimensional percolation.
Counting and Discrete Morse Theory

We examine enumerating discrete Morse functions on graphs up to equivalence by gradient vector fields and by restrictions on the codomain. We give formulae for the number of discrete Morse functions on specific classes of graphs (line, cycle, and bouquet of circles).
HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancers: Today and tomorrow

Abstract The incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) has grown exponentially in the past few decades. The molecular and clinical attributes of human papilloma virus (HPV)-associated OPSCC have identified this disease as a distinct entity from HPV-negative OPSCC. The epidemic of HPV-positive OPSCC continues to grow, and identifying novel treatment algorithms is important.
Evolution and impact of bias in human and machine learning algorithm interaction

Traditionally, machine learning algorithms relied on reliable labels from experts to build predictions. More recently however, algorithms have been receiving data from the general population in the form of labeling, annotations, etc. The result is that algorithms are subject to bias that is born from ingesting unchecked information, such as biased samples and biased labels. Furthermore, people and algorithms are increasingly engaged in interactive processes wherein neither the human nor the algorithms receive unbiased data. Algorithms can also make biased predictions, leading to what is now known as algorithmic bias. On the other hand, human’s reaction to the output of machine learning methods with algorithmic bias worsen the situations by making decision based on biased information, which will probably be consumed by algorithms later. Some recent research has focused on the ethical and moral implication of machine learning algorithmic bias on society. However, most research has so far treated algorithmic bias as a static factor, which fails to capture the dynamic and iterative properties of bias. We argue that algorithmic bias interacts with humans in an iterative manner, which has a long-term effect on algorithms’ performance. For this purpose, we present an iterated-learning framework that is inspired from human language evolution to study the interaction between machine learning algorithms and humans. Our goal is to study two sources of bias that interact: the process by which people select information to label (human action); and the process by which an algorithm selects the subset of information to present to people (iterated algorithmic bias mode). We investigate three forms of iterated algorithmic bias (personalization filter, active learning, and random) and how they affect the performance of machine learning algorithms by formulating research questions about the impact of each type of bias. Based on statistical analyses of the results of several controlled experiments, we found that the three different iterated bias modes, as well as initial training data class imbalance and human action, do affect the models learned by machine learning algorithms. We also found that iterated filter bias, which is prominent in personalized user interfaces, can lead to more inequality in estimated relevance and to a limited human ability to discover relevant data. Our findings indicate that the relevance blind spot (items from the testing set whose predicted relevance probability is less than 0.5 and who thus risk being hidden from humans) amounted to 4% of all relevant items when using a content-based filter that predicts relevant items. A similar simulation using a real-life rating data set found that the same filter resulted in a blind spot size of 75% of the relevant testing set.
Eating disorder symptoms in Asian American college students.

Inconsistent information on levels of eating pathology in Asian Americans exist. We investigated whether there were differences in mean scores for eating disorder (ED) symptoms among Whites, Asian Americans, and individuals identifying as another race (i.e., non-Asian people of color [NAPOC]). Participants included 716 college students (M age = 19.23; SD = 1.65) from a southeastern university. ED symptoms were assessed with the Eating Pathology Symptom Inventory (EPSI). Internalizing symptoms were evaluated via the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS). One-way ANOVAs investigated mean differences in symptoms between racial groups, with and without adjusting for sex, BMI, and internalizing symptoms. Overall, 16% (n = 114) of the sample identified as Asian American, 67% (n = 477) as White, and 17% (n = 125) as NAPOC. After correcting for multiple testing and adjusting for covariates, Asian Americans reported higher mean scores of purging, muscle building, and cognitive restraint (qs < 0.05) than Whites and NAPOC. Asian Americans also scored higher on restriction compared with Whites (qs < 0.05), as well as body dissatisfaction and negative attitudes toward obesity compared with NAPOC (qs < 0.05). These findings demonstrate the existence of racial differences among specific ED symptoms, highlighting the importance of considering these distinctions when diagnosing and treating EDs among diverse communities.
Intercostal artery incorporation to prevent spinal cord ischemia during total endovascular thoracoabdominal aortic repair

Abstract: A 71-year-old man with prior total arch repair and open repair of Crawford extent II thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) presented with hemoptysis in the setting of two large pseudoaneurysms of his intercostal and visceral artery Carrel patches and left common iliac artery aneurysm. Despite a presumed aortobronchial fistula, endovascular repair was planned due to his advanced age, and prior extensive open aortic repairs. A thoracic endograft modified with a single caudally directed side branch was used to repair the intercostal patch pseudoaneurysm, while preserving flow to the intercostal artery. Subsequently, he underwent a 4-vessel fenestrated endovascular aortic repair with left iliac branched endograft. Completion CTA demonstrated thrombosis of both pseudoaneurysms, preservation of flow into all branches, and no endoleak. Due to preservation of the intercostal artery, the endovascular repairs were completed without lumbar drain placement.
Event-Related Potentials, Inhibition, and Risk for Alzheimer's Disease Among Cognitively Intact Elders.

Background Despite advances in understanding Alzheimer's disease (AD), prediction of AD prior to symptom onset remains severely limited, even when primary risk factors such as the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ɛ4 allele are known. Objective Although executive dysfunction is highly prevalent and is a primary contributor to loss of independence in those with AD, few studies have examined neural differences underlying executive functioning as indicators of risk for AD prior to symptom onset, when intervention might be effective. Methods This study examined event-related potential (ERP) differences during inhibitory control in 44 cognitively intact older adults (20 ɛ4+, 24 ɛ4-), relative to 41 young adults. All participants completed go/no-go and stop-signal tasks. Results Overall, both older adult groups exhibited slower reaction times and longer ERP latencies compared to young adults. Older adults also had generally smaller N200 and P300 amplitudes, except at frontal electrodes and for N200 stop-signal amplitudes, which were larger in older adults. Considered with intact task accuracy, these findings suggest age-related neural compensation. Although ɛ4 did not distinguish elders during go or no-go tasks, this study uniquely showed that the more demanding stop-signal task was sensitive to ɛ4 differences, despite comparable task and neuropsychological performance with non-carriers. Specifically, ɛ4+ elders had slower frontal N200 latency and larger N200 amplitude, which was most robust at frontal sites, compared with ɛ4-. Conclusion N200 during a stop-signal task is sensitive to AD risk, prior to any evidence of cognitive dysfunction, suggesting that stop-signal ERPs may be an important protocol addition to neuropsychological testing.
The impact of genetic background and sex on the phenotype of IL-23 induced murine spondyloarthritis

Background Overexpression of IL-23 in adult mice by means of hydrodynamic tail vein injection of IL-23 minicircles has been reported to result in spondyloarthritis-like disease. The impact of genetic background and sex on the disease phenotype in this model has not been investigated. Methods We compared male B10.RIII mice with male C57BL/6 mice, and male with female B10.RIII mice after hydrodynamic injection of IL-23 enhanced episomal vector (EEV) at 8-12 weeks of age. We monitored clinical arthritis scores, paw swelling, and body weight. Animals were euthanized after two weeks and tissues were harvested for histology, flow cytometry and gene expression analysis. Serum cytokine levels were determined by ELISA. Findings Male B10.RIII mice developed arthritis in the forepaws and feet within 6 days after IL-23 EEV injection; they also exhibited psoriasis-like skin disease, colitis, weight loss, and osteopenia. In contrast to previous reports, we did not observe spondylitis or uveitis. Male C57BL/6 mice injected with IL-23 EEV had serum IL-23 levels comparable with B10.RIII mice and developed skin inflammation, colitis, weight loss, and osteopenia but failed to develop arthritis. Female B10.RIII mice had more severe arthritis than male B10.RIII mice but did not lose weight. Conclusions The phenotype of IL-23 induced disease in mice is controlled by genetic background and sex of the animals. The development of extra-articular manifestations but absence of arthritis in C57BL/6 mice suggests that organ-specificity of IL-23 driven inflammation is genetically determined. The mechanisms behind the strain-specific differences and the sexual dimorphism observed in this study may be relevant for human spondyloarthritis and warrant further exploration.
Appropriating dissent: The three-finger salute and Thailand’s pro-democracy movement

This paper examines the uses and implications of the three-finger salute from The Hunger Games franchise as a symbol of dissent in pro-democracy protests in Bangkok beginning in 2014. The raising of the salute by protesters demonstrates that concerted collective action is made possible through common consumption of popular culture narratives, functioning to mobilise the public and influence the narrativisation of contemporary political movements. Building on theories on mass culture, democratic participation, and the aestheticisation of politics, I argue that the appropriation of the three-finger salute in Bangkok reveals how popular cultural texts facilitate the rise of modern forms of crowds and masses that have the capacities to frame political subjectivity and collective identities, making legible and visible perceived and shared societal injustices.
The Demographic Contradiction of Capitalism

In this paper, I draw on recent arguments and evidence from demography (including the prediction that world population will stabilize sometime in the next century) to argue that capitalism generates a demographic contradiction. I start from Marx's analysis of capitalism as a process of extraction of surplus value but then argue that this framework rests on several demographic assumptions which remain largely implicit, but which suppose an effectively endless supply of new workers. I question this endogeneity of the reserve army of the unemployed: if it is not produced by dynamics inherent to capitalism, but if the extraction of surplus value nevertheless depends on its existence (as a way of disciplining labor), then capitalism as we know it will not outlast the coming global demographic transition.
Is there racism in economic research?: Research networks and discrimination research

Abstract This commentary uses constructs from the philosophy and sociology of science to explore the findings reported in Mason's, Myers', and Darity's, “Is There Racism in Economic Research?” Additional research focusing on the identification of research networks using citation and social network analysis is proposed as an extension of efforts to understand how race and racism affects research examining racial discrimination, consistent with the perspective advanced in Coleman's, “Racism in Academia: the white superiority supposition in the search for knowledge.”
Ann Richey Lisa and Ponte Stefano. Brand Aid: Shopping Well to Save the World. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2011. xv + 253 pp. Preface. Illustrations. Tables. Notes. Works Cited. Index. $18.95. Paper.

Lisa Ann Richey and Stefano Ponte. Brand Aid: Shopping Well to Save the World. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2011. xv + 253 pp. Preface. Illustrations. Tables. Notes. Works Cited. Index. $18.95. Paper.Brand Aid: Shopping Well to Save the World is a wonderful book The authors examine the specific case of Product RED, the co-creation of U2 lead singer Bono and the Global Fund, to analyze the new phenomenon of "Brand Aid," which "is the combined meaning of 'aid to brands' and 'brands that provide aid' (10). The book is not an analysis of the motivations of people who give aid or the perceptions of those who perceive it, but rather an analysis of what might be called philanthropic marketing and consumerism. Nevertheless, its short, well-written, and engaging chapters cover an amazing breadth of material.The first chapter develops the notion of the "aid celebrity"-a social actor who is given the authority to manage spectacles to promote both international good causes and his or her own brand. In "Band Aid to Brand Aid" they recount "celebrity activism from the 1960s onwards as a succession of waves'" (32). They demonstrate that the Product RED initiative should be considered the latest, a "fourth wave of celebrity activism that marks a fundamental break with the past" because, for the first time, "as celebrities are endowed with expertise, experts are reconfigured as celebrities" (33, 26). This is significant because aid celebrities are given the leeway to act as "emotional sovereigns" who intercede between politicians and "the people," and between Africa and the rest of the world. Aid (or AIDS) celebrities do this by what the authors call "treatment virtualism," wherein the celebrity mediates the relationship between consumer items and anti-re tro virais (ARVS) which equates dollars spent to pills bought. As they point out in chapter 2, Africa becomes a place the consumer can "know from a distance," while "the fundamental imbalance of power between the givers and the recipients, in this case the Western consumers and the women and children with AIDS in Africa, is not part of the problem to be solved" (57). As such, aid celebrities are not concerned with circumventing the system; rather, they are given license to form the system. "It is not that the celebrities must follow the rules, but that the institutions, the system must function like a celebrity to be considered credible by the general population" (47).This idea is further developed in the latter half of the book, which explains how the phenomenon of "aid celebrity" has transformed the notion of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). …
Care Provision for African American Elders

ABSTRACT This paper reports the results of a study that examined attitudes towards and strategies for providing family care for African American elders. The study utilized qualitative methodology to gather the data and a Kinscripts perspective as a framework through which to analyze the data. Specifically, this was a case study of one large, extended African American family which has its roots in a rural area of North Carolina. The study found a continued commitment to provide in family care for elders with an emphasis on spreading tasks across a broad range of family members rather than relying on a primary caregiver.
Fixation of osteochondral fractures with absorbable pins

Smaller osteschondral fragments containing little or no cortex present difficult treatment dilemma. Metallic screws or Kirschner wires often require subsequent removal either as part of the original operative plan or because of problems such as loosening and/or cartilage erosion. An attractive alternative would be a biodegradable implant that would transfix an osteochondral fragment with minimal violation of the articular surface. The objectives of this study are (1) to compare osteochondral fracture fixation of 2mm polyglycolic acid (PGA) absorbable pins (Acufex, Manfield, Mass) with that of Kirschner wires (K-wires) in cadavers, (2) to review patient data where osteochondral fractures were fixed with PGA-pins. The following conclusions were obtained: (1) Cadaver Studies: The biomechanical parameters of the osteochondral fractures fixed with absorbable PGA pins were not statistically different from those fixed with K-wires. Based on these laboratory studies it appears that fixation of osteochondral fractures with bioabsorbable PGA pins may offer a viable alternative to the use of K-wires. (2) Clinical Cases: A short follow up period with four clinical cases indicated that in carefully selected injuries, fixation with absorbable pins could become the treatment of choice of smaller joints. For severely comminuted fractures about major joints, PGA absorbable pins may be an adjunct to metal fixation.
NIH Stroke Scale Change Correlates with Length of Stay in Intensive Care Unit Stroke Patients (P3.099)

Background: Outcomes based quality measures are few in stroke, and are not well applied. This study represents an attempt to examine the feasibility of using the National Institutes of Health stroke scale as an outcome based quality measure for the acute stroke admission. Objective: We proposed to examine changes in NIH stroke scale (NIHSS) in a cohort of stroke patients in the Intensive care unit (ICU) and its relation to length of stay and discharge disposition. Methods: We retrospectively studied 77 acute stroke patients admitted to the ICU in an academic medical center. We extracted the admission and discharge NIHSS for each patient and calculated the difference. We analyzed the overall and ICU lengths of stay (LOS) and discharge disposition. We tested for correlation between the NIHSS change and LOS and discharge disposition using traditional statistical methods and Shewhart control charts Results: There was an average improvement in NIHSS of 1.43. Shewhart control charts revealed no special cause test 1 statistical outliers. Ischemic stroke cases showed wide fluctuations in NIHSS change compared to intracerebral hemorrhage, suggesting a less well-controlled process. NIHSS difference was found to be related to ICU LOS, individually (p=0.017) and independent of the other stroke risk factors (p=0.014). Changes in NIHSS also appeared to be linked to the discharge disposition with 14/45 patients with improvement in NIHSS being discharged home compared to 3/23 patients with worsening NIHSS and 3/9 patients with no change in NIHSS (p = 0.0005)). Conclusion: NIHSS change appears to be related to the ICU LOS and discharge disposition. Application of Shewhart control charts may provide valuable additional information providing us with opportunities to improve health care delivery. In this study, control charts found wider variation in NIHSS over hospital stays for ischemic stroke compared to intracerebral hemorrhage, suggesting that for ischemic patients there are more opportunities to secure a good outcome as well as more risks of clinical worsening, depending on care provision. Disclosure: Dr. Krishnamohan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Fan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dobbs has nothing to disclose.
Notes on Type Abstraction

This paper, which was prepared to accompany a series of lectures given at the 1978 NATO International Summer School on Program Construction, is primarily tutorial in nature. It begins by discussing in a general setting the role of type abstraction and the need for formal specifications of type abstractions. It then proceeds to examine in some detail two approaches to the construction of such specifications: that proposed by Hoare in his 1972 paper "Proofs of Correctness of Data Representations," and the author's own version of algebraic specifications. The Hoare approach is presented via a discussion of its embodiment in the programming language Euclid. The discussion of the algebraic approach includes material abstracted from earlier papers as well as some new material that has yet to appear. This new material deals with parameterized types and the specification of restrictions. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of the relative merits of the two approaches to type abstraction.
Abstract 13960: Improved Mitochondrial Respiration in Left Ventricular Myocardium of Dogs with Heart Failure Following Long-term Therapy with Bendavia (MTP-131) is Associated with Suppression of the Pro-inflammatory State and Down-regulation of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase

Introduction: An inflammatory state exists in heart failure (HF) evidenced by elevated cytokines including tumor necrosis factor- α (TNFα), interlukin-6 (IL-6) and c-reactive protein (CRP). Inflammation triggers increased expression of inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase (iNOS). NO generated by iNOS can inhibit activity of cytochrome c oxidase (COX-IV, complex-IV) in mitochondria (MITO) and suppress respiration leading to reduced ATP synthesis and worsening LV function. We previously showed that Bendavia (BEN, MTP-131), a MITO-targeting peptide, improves LV function and MITO rate of ATP synthesis in dogs with HF. Hypothesis: Long-term therapy with BEN in dogs with HF suppresses the inflammatory state, normalizes levels of iNOS and improves MITO respiration. Methods: 14 microembolization-induced HF dogs were randomized to 3 months therapy with subcutaneous injections of BEN (0.5 mg/kg once daily, n=7) or saline (HF-Control, n=7). LV tissue and plasma were obtained at end of study from all dogs and from 6 normal (NL) dogs for comparison. MITO state-3 respiration (ng atoms of Oxygen consumed/mg/min) was measured using a Strathkelvin respirometer and protein level of iNOS was measured by Western blotting and quantified in densitometric units (du). COX-IV activity was measured polarographically and expressed as nmols of oxygen/min/mg. Plasma levels of TNFα, IL-6 and CRP was measured by ELISA. Results: Compared to NL, HF-Controls showed reduced state-3 respiration and COX-IV activity and increased iNOS and plasma levels of TNFα, IL-6 and CRP (Table). Treatment with BEN normalized state-3 respiration, COX-IV activity and levels of iNOS and reduced plasma levels of TNFα, IL-6 and CRP. Conclusions: Long-term therapy with BEN suppresses inflammation, down-regulates iNOS and restores normal MITO COX-IV activity and respiration in dogs with HF. Normalization of this signaling pathway likely contributed to improved LV function seen in HF dogs treated with BEN.
Spectrum generating algebras and dynamic symmetries in scattering

The role of spectrum generating algebras and dynamic symmetries in the study of scattering processes is briefly reviewed.
Interactivistm: a Functional Model of Representation for Behavior-Based Systems

In this paper we present the interactive model of knowledge representation and examine its relevance to behavior-based robot control. We show how the interactivist position that representation and motivation are different aspects of the same underlying ontology of interactive dynamic systems emerges within the framework of our Behavior-Network architecture. The behavior-network architecture consists of a collection of task-achieving behaviors that interact amongst themselves and with the environment generating global behavior that aid survival in its environment while carrying out various tasks. The representational and motivational aspects of the underlying control structure are implicit in the connectivity between the behavior modules and in the current activity levels over those connections. The interactivist stance enables us to address the issue of representation in behavior-based systems and suggest directions for future inquiry.
Eliminating cost-sharing requirements for colon cancer screening in Medicare

Medicare beneficiaries do not have to pay for screening colonoscopies but must pay coinsurance if a polyp is removed via polypectomy. Likewise, beneficiaries do not have to pay for fecal occult blood tests but are liable for cost-sharing for diagnostic colonoscopies after a positive test. Legislative and regulatory requirements related to colorectal cancer screening are described, and on the basis of Medicare claims, it is estimated that Medicare spending would increase by $48 million annually if Medicare were to waive cost-sharing requirements for these services. The economic impact on Medicare if beneficiaries were not responsible for any cost-sharing requirements related to colorectal cancer screening services is described.
Regional variation in suicide and homicide

Violence in American cities was examined by classifying each city as high versus low in its homicide rate and high versus low in its suicide rate. Four groups of cities were identified on the basis of this classification, and their characteristics were explored. Differences were found in crime rates, poverty, population density, racial composition, latitude, and longitude. The implications of the results were examined.
Bargaining Costs, Bargaining Benefits, and Compulsory Nonbargaining Rules

In thin markets, resources are usually allocated by bargaining. In bargaining, potential trading partners have two contradictory incentives. Each wants to know the attributes of the items the other offers and seeks. Transaction costs are lowered by quick and easy discovery of the terms of trade. Hence, each trader has an incentive to transmit some information expeditiously. But although economists' usual interest in thin markets concerns whether traders will reach the contract curve, a goal furthered by trader cooperation, a trader is interested only in reaching a higher indifference curve individually, a goal often furthered by strategic noncooperation (Raiffa). The cost of trading is increased directly by uncooperative behavior-each party expends resources to conceal or distort information, then each expends more resources trying to unmask the other's deception. Indirectly, opportunity costs are increased also. First, some exchanges will be missed altogether when parties' strategies create an erroneous belief that no gains from trade exist. Second, even if some deal is made, strategic bargaining can obscure the
Soil Organic Carbon Molecular Properties: Effects of Time Since Reclamation in a Minesoil Chronosequence

Studies on molecular characterization of soil organic carbon (SOC), although critical to understanding SOC dynamics, are relatively scarce for reclaimed minesoils. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of time since reclamation on SOC molecular properties in a reclaimed minesoil chronosequence using different spectroscopic indices. The chronosequence consisted of four minesoils, with similar soil-forming conditions, reclaimed to pasture ecosystem, and distinguished only by time since reclamation varying from 1 to 22 years. Results indicated that the SOC molecules in the older minesoils were comprised of highly humified polyaromatic and polycondensed species with higher proportions of O-containing and N-containing functional groups. In each minesoil, resistant and labile SOC fractions were identified. The resistant SOC fraction constituted >20 and <10 per cent of total SOC (g kg−1) in the oldest and youngest minesoil, respectively. Among the spectroscopic indices, the ϵ285 ultraviolet-visible index, diagnostic of aromatic C, was the most efficient in identifying the intrasite short-term (1-year) changes in SOC molecular properties. Strong positive relationships found between different spectroscopic indices and total SOC (g kg−1), with consistently higher r2 values observed in older minesoils, indicated that SOC molecular characteristics played a key role in overall SOC dynamics, becoming more influential with increasing time since reclamation. In addition, significant relationships between the spectroscopic indices and different soil quality parameters indicated that SOC molecular properties influenced soil quality as well. Overall, the results indicated that SOC molecular properties were useful indicators of both SOC dynamics and soil quality in this minesoil chronosequence. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A signal detection theory analysis of a category judgment experiment

A category-judgment experiment is the reported. Rating-scale judgments of loudness were made with five or eight intensity levels of a tone and with different frequencies of presentation of the stimuli. Obtained ROC curves for pairs of stimuli were judged to support application of signal-detection theory. However, certain common assumptions of the theory are called into question by the data. Discrimination was poorer when more categories were available. This is attributed to an increase in criterion variance with an increase in the number of criteria. The slope of the ROC curves for different stimulus pairs suggested that stimulus variance is neither constant nor does it necessarily increase with stimulus intensity It is argued that stimulus variance may depend upon the distribution of internal observations over all trials.
Simvastatin Prevents Skeletal Metastasis of Breast Cancer by an Antagonistic Interplay between p53 and CD44

Substantial data from clinical trials and epidemiological studies show promising results for use of statins in many cancers, including mammary carcinoma. Breast tumor primarily metastasizes to bone to form osteolytic lesions, causing severe pain and pathological fracture. Here, we report that simvastatin acts as an inhibitor of osteolysis in a mouse model of breast cancer skeletal metastasis of human mammary cancer cell MDA-MB-231, which expresses the mutant p53R280K. Simvastatin and lovastatin attenuated migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 and BT-20 breast tumor cells in culture. Acquisition of phenotype to express the cancer stem cell marker, CD44, leads to invasive potential of the tumor cells. Interestingly, statins significantly decreased the expression of CD44 protein via a transcriptional mechanism. shRNA-mediated down-regulation of CD44 markedly reduced the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells in culture. We identified that in the MDA-MB-231 cells, simvastatin elevated the levels of mutated p53R280K, which was remarkably active as a transcription factor. shRNA-derived inhibition of mutant p53R280K augmented the expression of CD44, leading to increased migration and invasion. Finally, we demonstrate an inverse correlation between expression of p53 and CD44 in the tumors of mice that received simvastatin. Our results reveal a unique function of statins, which foster enhanced expression of mutant p53R280K to prevent breast cancer cell metastasis to bone.
Low-temperature survival strategies of potato leafhopper (Homoptera: Cicadellidae).

Studies were conducted to provide information on the behavior of nymphs and adults of potato leafhopper, Empoasca fabae (Harris), under sudden low-temperature conditions, the host-finding ability of potato leafhopper nymphs, and on the soil cooling rate during freezing and subfreezing temperatures. Avoidance of sudden low temperatures by susceptible life stages decreases low-temperature mortality. The percentage of potato leafhopper nymphs and adults dropping off leaf surfaces when exposed to experimental temperatures of 0, 5, and 10∘C for 1 h were measured. More fourth and fifth instars dropped off the leaves at all three temperatures than did first to third instars and adults. Significantly more insects of all ages dropped off the leaves at 0∘C than at 5 or l0∘C. The percentage of potato leafhopper nymphs relocating host plants at two plant densities were measured. Significantly more insects were found within 15 cm of the release point(s) (37.8%) than were found 15–30 cm (27.0%), 30–45 cm (17.4%), or 45–60 cm (19.3%) from the release point(s). No significant differences were found in host-finding ability between instars. The percentage of nymphs able to relocate host plants ranged from 24 to 27%. Success in host relocation by nymphs was not influenced by host plant density. The cooling rates of soil samples acclimated to 4.4∘C were measured 3.0 cm below the soil surface, on the soil surface, and in the leaf canopy for three experimental temperatures (0, −5, −l00∘C). Leaf canopy temperatures reached 0∘C in 15, 15, and 5 min for the three temperatures, respectively. Soil surface temperatures reached 0∘C in 115, 35, and 15 min, respectively. Soil temperatures at the depth of 3.0 cm did not drop to 0∘C within 3 h under any of the three temperature regimes used in these experiments. Survivorship of potato leafhopper nymphs when exposed to long durations of freezing or subfreezing temperatures may be overestimated when using available low-temperature mortality information without taking into account the insect behaviors and host finding abilities at the low temperatures reported here.
Toward a Definition of Psychoeducation

As illustrated by the debate about the validity and implications of the concept of negative symptoms (15), many years of research may be needed before a concept is fully defined. Bachnach (16) has reminded us that our entire conceptualization of mental illness and its treatment and rehabilitation needs further elaboration. Estroff (17), like Bachrach and Hatfield, has warned of the dangers of using concepts that may lack validity. Despite these reservations, I believe the definition of psychoeducation suggested here can help us clarify what we are doing with patients and their families. It is not intended to be the final word on the subject, but rather a stimulus to further development of the concepts of treatment, education, and rehabilitation as applied to psychiatric patients.
Estimating the distribution of terrestrial CO2 sources and sinks from atmospheric measurements: Sensitivity to configuration of the observation network

[1] We explore the sensitivity of terrestrial CO2 flux estimates from a specific inversion methodology, based on the configuration of Fan et al. [1998], to different configurations of the global observation network. Using diagnostics derived from the inversion equations, we focus on quantifying the relative influence of individual stations on the flux estimates. We also examine the impact of different assumptions for the data uncertainty values by contrasting weighted and unweighted inversions and presenting related sensitivity analyses. For this particular methodology, unweighted estimates of continental scale fluxes prove very sensitive to network configuration. The inclusion or omission of a few important stations in and around the northern continents can result in shifts in continental-scale flux estimates of up to 1.5 Gt C/year. The weighted estimates are less sensitive to network configuration. Diagnostics of relative station influence indicate that this results from the reduced roles of previously influential continental sites; i.e., those stations characterized by high levels of data uncertainty. In the weighted approach, stations on continental peripheries associated with lower levels of data uncertainty are the most important in determining terrestrial fluxes. Finally, using the diagnostics of relative station influence, we discuss potential sampling strategies for the determination of regional fluxes from surface measurements.