cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Research design issues for evaluating complex multicomponent interventions in neighborhoods and communities

Major advances in population health will not occur unless we translate existing knowledge into effective multicomponent interventions, implement and maintain these in communities, and develop rigorous translational research and evaluation methods to ensure continual improvement and sustainability. We discuss challenges and offer approaches to evaluation that are key for translational research stages 3 to 5 to advance optimized adoption, implementation, and maintenance of effective and replicable multicomponent strategies. The major challenges we discuss concern (a) multiple contexts of evaluation/research, (b) complexity of packages of interventions, and (c) phases of evaluation/research questions. We suggest multiple alternative research designs that maintain rigor but accommodate these challenges and highlight the need for measurement systems. Longitudinal data collection and a standardized continuous measurement system are fundamental to the evaluation and refinement of complex multicomponent interventions. To be useful to T3–T5 translational research efforts in neighborhoods and communities, such a system would include assessments of the reach, implementation, effects on immediate outcomes, and effects of the comprehensive intervention package on more distal health outcomes.
An almost deep degree

We show there is a non-recursive r.e. set A such that if W is any low r.e. set. then the join W ⊕ A is also low. That is. A is “almost deep”. This answers a question of Joekusch. The almost deep degrees form an definable ideal in the r.e. degrees (with jump.)
Analysis and optimization of a Banyan based ATM switch by simulations

The main concern in designing the switching fabrics used in asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) technology are speed, throughput, delay and variance of delay for a given bandwidth. We analyze the performance by simulations of ATM switch based on Banyan network in the uniform traffic condition. We compare the analytical results obtained from the three-state model by Yan and Jenq (see MS Thesis, Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, 1995) to the simulation results. We propose non-blocking first stage (NBFS) to increase the throughput. In the NBFS scheme, internal blocking in the switching element (SE) of the first stage is avoided. We extend the idea of the priority scheme proposed by Yan and Jenq by proposing an enhanced priority (EP) scheme. In the EP scheme, we give priority to the packet blocked the greater number of times. We simulated the switch with a combined NBFS and EP scheme. The results shows that the throughput increases, and the variance of delay decreases significantly. We simulated the single buffer Banyan network with mixed voice and data traffic We simulated the Banyan network with the proposed double buffer switching element to increase the throughput and decrease the delay and variance of delay, of delay sensitive voice packet in a mixed traffic condition.
Calm before the spawn: global coral spawning patterns are explained by regional wind fields

Most corals in tropical localities broadcast their gametes into the water column, yet we have a poor understanding of what forces reproductive schedules. Moreover, recent studies show considerable geographical variation in the duration of the coral spawning season. For example, on the Great Barrier Reef, corals display tight coupling, while corals in Kenya spawn over seven months. This study reconciles the regional variance by testing the hypothesis that regional wind fields are the corals' ultimate reproductive proxy. Regions with short calm periods should be more tightly coupled than regions with calm periods extending for several months. Regional wind fields were assessed at seven localities, between 1997 and 2006, using the 11 GHz channel radiometer tropical microwave imager (TMI) onboard the tropical rainfall measuring mission (TRMM). There was a direct positive relationship between the duration of regional calm periods and the coupling of mass coral spawning. Ultimate long-term evolutionary advantages of releasing gametes during calm periods ensure fertilization and facilitate larval retention and local recruitment. Coupling mass spawning with seasonally calm periods agrees strongly with recent genetic evidence of local dispersal and high local retention.
Image analysis technique: a theoretical explanation.

This letter gives a theroetical justification for the method presented for detecting eccentricities in laser fusion targets. The problem is to detect nonconcentricites (eccentricities) of the inner and outer walls of the microspheres (called Type I defects). An algorithm for the detection is described.
Experimental folding of rocks under confining pressure, Part VIII—Forced folding of unconsolidated sand and of lubricated layers of limestone and sandstone

Field and laboratory data suggest that variations in structural style are associated with differences in lithologic composition, stratigraphic sequence, and the mechanical behavior of the layers that are drape (forced) folded by differential vertical movements of underlying essentially rigid blocks. This hypothesis is tested by study of experimental, faulted, drape folds in veneers of loose, dry, unconsolidated sand and in multilithologic layered sequences with lubricated interfaces produced under confining pressures to 200 MPa (2 kb) at 25 °C. Deformation of the sand veneer provides a classic example of cataclastic flow. Forced folds develop as a result of microfracturing, rigid-body rotation of grains and fragments, and faulting and gouge development. The sand veneer is thinned drastically in the zone of faulting. The multilithologic, layered veneers with lubricated interfaces exhibit the same magnitudes of “bedding-plane” slip and somewhat more variability in the senses of slip than do specimens not lubricated. With lubrication, however, there is less deformation of the leading edge of the forcing block, less extensile faulting in the upthrown block, and more folding without faulting in the veneer.
Effectiveness of Instream Wood Treatments to Restore Stream Complexity and Winter Rearing Habitat for Juvenile Coho Salmon

AbstractLarge wood and boulder placement projects have become common in the Pacific Northwest to restore complex stream habitat for juvenile Coho Salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch and other salmonids. We evaluated habitat responses at 91 large wood restoration projects in western Oregon from pretreatment to 1 year and 6 years after treatment. Large logs were arranged in jams without cabling or burial in the bottom or banks of the stream. Projects commonly treated 0.5–1 km of stream, but some extended up to 2.3 km. Significant changes in the amounts of large wood, complex pools, and predicted Coho Salmon rearing capacity were observed within 1 year of treatment. Six years after treatment, the amount of large wood, complex pools, and Coho Salmon rearing capacity remained significantly higher than pretreatment levels by 100, 800, and 32%, respectively, and the surface area of pools and gravel increased significantly over pretreatment levels by 15% and 8%, respectively. However, the amount of large wood decreased i...
Effective CD34+ Stem Cell Mobilization with Low-Dose Pegfilgrastim.

Introduction: Numerous strategies utilizing chemotherapy followed by filgrastim allow for the successful mobilization of peripheral hematopoietic progenitor cells. To eliminate the need for self-administration of multiple growth factor injections and to minimize cost, we piloted a mobilization strategy consisting of low-dose Pegfilgrastim and chemotherapy. Methods: Seven consecutive patients scheduled to undergo hematopoietic progenitor cell transplant for hematologic malignancy received a single 6mg injection of Pegfilgrastim 24–48 hours after chemotherapy. The targeted CD34+ collection was 5x106cells/ kg. The number of apheresis, CD34+ cell yield, time to engraftment and toxicities were recorded. These patients were compared to the 15 previous patients who received Filgrastim and chemotherapy for mobilization. Results: In the pilot population, the median age was 60 (range: 39–67) years. Chemotherapy priming before Pegfilgrastin for three patients with multiple myeloma and two with stage IV mantle cell lymphoma was 4.5grams/m2 of cyclophosphamide; one patient with relapsed, stage IV Hodgkin’s disease received ICE and one multiple myeloma patient with a serum creatinine of 3.1mg/dL, received 2.5grams/m2 of cyclophosphamide. Five patients required a single apheresis, two patients required two apheresis collections. The median CD34+ yield was 6.7 x106/kg (range: 3.2–13.7). The median time to neutrophil engraftment was 10 days (range: 9–12). The median time from Pegfilgrastim to apheresis was 9 days (range: 7–10). The Pegfilgrastim cost per patient was $3,250.00. Toxicity was limited to grade II bone pain. The comparison group consisted of seven multiple myeloma, four leukemia and four lymphoma patients. Their median age was 51.5 years (range: 24–67). The median number of apheresis procedures was 2 (range: 1–3). The median CD34+ yield was 5.6 x106/kg (range: 2.9–17.6). The median time to neutrophil engraftment was 11 days (range: 9–11). The median time from cytokine to apheresis was 8.5 days (range: 3–16). The median cost of Filgrastim per patient was $3,650.00 (range: $2,290–$8,760). The median number of Filgrastim injections was 10 (range: 10–14). Toxicity was limited to grade II bone pain. Discussion: In a two cohorts of patients with hematologic malignancies Pegfilgrastim as compared to Filgrastim resulted in a decreased cytokine cost, a fewer number of apheresis collection procedures, a more predictable time to first apheresis and no self-administration of medication. There was no significant difference in the time to engraftment. Conclusion: Low-dose Pegfilgrastim in conjunction with chemotherapy results in as effective CD34+ progenitor cell mobilization with less drug cost and apheresis time as compared to Filgrastim with chemotherapy.
Influence of Halide Ions on Anodic Oxidation of Ethanol on Palladium

Ethanol oxidation on polycrystalline palladium electrodes in alkaline media was studied in the presence of halide ions. Addition of halide ions decreased the ethanol oxidation peak current monotonically as a function of increasing halide concentration. The extent of poisoning was found to be in the order I− > Br− > Cl−. Thus, Cl− ions show appreciable inhibition of ethanol oxidation peak current at [Cl−] ~ 10−3 M, whereas Br− and I− inhibit ethanol oxidation even at [Br−] or [I−] ~ 10−6 M. The potential of the ethanol oxidation peak shifted positive with increasing halide ion concentration. The extent of the shift was found to be in the order I− > Br− > Cl−. This study is relevant due to the widespread use of palladium halide complexes in the production of Pd electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation and other electrocatalytic reactions.
Needed Adjustments in the Supply of Farm Labor

The problem of farm labor adjustment to economic growth is considered. The article attempts (a) to construct a theoretical model of the farm labor market, (b) to utilize available econometric estimates of parameters appearing in the demand for and supply of farm labor, (c) to estimate the annual shift in the supply of farm labor which is required in order to achieve a rise in the farm wage rate comparable to the rise of nonfarm wages.
Richard Rorty's failed politics

L'A. etudie « Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity » (1989) ou Rorty affirme avoir reconcilie le liberalisme avec son pluralisme radical ou avec ce qu'il appelle ironism. Selon l'A., c'est une tentative avortee
Wikis While You Work: Incorporating Wikis in the Classroom

In many instances, today's students learn more effectively through the use of technology. Wikis-Web sites that allow numerous people to contribute and edit the content of the site-are one of the newer technology tools available. This article introduces wikis, describes one way the author has used wikis as a teaching tool, and explores the advantages of using wikis in the classroom.
Central auditory neurons display flexible feature recombination functions.

Recognition of natural stimuli requires a combination of selectivity and invariance. Classical neurobiological models achieve selectivity and invariance, respectively, by assigning to each cortical neuron either a computation equivalent to the logical “AND” or a computation equivalent to the logical “OR.” One powerful OR-like operation is the MAX function, which computes the maximum over input activities. The MAX function is frequently employed in computer vision to achieve invariance and considered a key operation in visual cortex. Here we explore the computations for selectivity and invariance in the auditory system of a songbird, using natural stimuli. We ask two related questions: does the MAX operation exist in auditory system? Is it implemented by specialized “MAX” neurons, as assumed in vision? By analyzing responses of individual neurons to combinations of stimuli we systematically sample the space of implemented feature recombination functions. Although we frequently observe the MAX function, we show that the same neurons that implement it also readily implement other operations, including the AND-like response. We then show that sensory adaptation, a ubiquitous property of neural circuits, causes transitions between these operations in individual neurons, violating the fixed neuron-to-computation mapping posited in the state-of-the-art object-recognition models. These transitions, however, accord with predictions of neural-circuit models incorporating divisive normalization and variable polynomial nonlinearities at the spike threshold. Because these biophysical properties are not tied to a particular sensory modality but are generic, the flexible neuron-to-computation mapping demonstrated in this study in the auditory system is likely a general property.
Design of High-Energetic Materials at the Nanoscale

The amount of energy storage and its release in controllable pathways are two of the fundamental requirements of a high-energy material. The novel chemistry brought about by large surface-to-volume ratio of nanomaterials provides an attractive way to design and synthesize materials that optimize these two requirements. First principles calculations based on density functional theory and generalized gradient approximation have been used to study the potential of Al x Li y O z and Al(MnO 4 ) x clusters as candidates for high-energetic materials. The equilibrium geometries and total energies of these clusters and their fragments are obtained to study the energy stored in these clusters and its release along various pathways. Interesting results include the substantial increase in binding energy by either adding an Al to MnO 4 or adding a MnO 4 to Al(MnO 4 ) x unit indicating that Al(MnO 4 ) 3 may be a potential candidate for energetic materials as well as super-oxidizers. Similar calculations also show that during the combustion of Al addition of small amounts of Li to Al nano-powder helps to reduce the amount of non-combustible Al.
Women and family health and oral health: a working group report.

Our purpose is to report on the completion of an “environmental scan” concerning the relationship between family health and oral health and the interface with government, society, and family responsibilities. For purposes of this report, oral health includes caries, periodontal, mucosal
Leaf nutrient diagnosis of triploid Populus tomentosa with DRIS

Triploid Populus tomentos,widely planted in the north of Yellow River,is an ideal tree species for the pulpwood and plywood with the characteristics of short rotation,fast growth,excellent quality and anti-disease.Fertilization experiments with an orthogonal experimental design(L1645) were conducted in Wei County,Xingtai City,Hebei Province.The nutrients dynamics in the leaves of Triploid Populus tomentosa were studied with the application of Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System(DRIS) method.Based on N,P and K concentrations in the leaves of Triploid Populus tomentosa from July to October in the 3rd year after plantation,nutrition diagnosis standards of DRIS graphic and index methods were successfully established with high accuracy.The optimal N/P,N/K and K/P ratios were 19.116±1.270,3.054±0.289 and 6.356±0.651,respectively.Diagnostic accuracy reached 80% with the analytical data in September for return test.The nutrients requirement by Triploid Populus tomentosa was in the order of NKP,which was in accord with the actual application rate of fertilizers.The optimal nutrients ratios can provide scientific basis for rational fertilization and spreading of Triploid Populus tomentosa.
Hypersonic Waverider Stream Surface Actuation for Variable Design Point Operation

A method of designing a hypersonic vehicle includes selecting a shock shape; tracing a leading edge along the shock shape; selecting a base plane defining endpoints of the leading edge and rearwardly displaced from a front of the leading edge; and tracing stream surfaces back from the leading edge along the shock to the base plane in order to define an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the upper and lower surfaces and base plane enclose a volume representing internal volume of the hypersonic vehicle. The lower stream surface is controllably morphable.
Wordsworth and Superstition

It is an oddity of literary history that the prefatory verses to Wordsworth’s The Excursion that announce The Recluse – itself a unrealized project of philosophic poetry – became the key text in M.H. Abrams’s interpretation of romanticism’s ‘spirit of the age’ as a unified and unifying intellectual movement centred on the transcendent imagination of the autonomous self (Natural Supernaturalism 19–32) The prospectus’s triumphant blank verse proclaims that Wordsworth’s vatic poem ‘On Man, on Nature, and on Human Life’ will go beyond Milton’s Paradise Lost by exploring the poet’s deep subjectivity through what Frank McConnell termed the ‘confessional imagination’ (McConnell 4–5). Yet amid its emphasis on interiority or, in Duncan Wu’s formulation, Wordsworth’s ‘inner life’ (Wu viii), the prospectus also poses a significant question about external landscape and history
The Psychology of Authority

In this chapter, I review some evidence from psychology and history, both about the attitudes and behavior of those who are subject to others’ (alleged) authority and about the attitudes and behavior of those who are in positions of authority. These findings are fascinating in their own right. They also bear, in at least two important ways, on the skepticism about political authority defended in this book. For one thing, psychological data bear on the question of how much trust we should place in our intuitions about authority. For another, psychological data bear on the question of how desirable or harmful it may be to encourage skepticism about authority. In the present chapter, when I speak of ‘authorities’ and ‘authority figures’, I mean people and institutions that are socially recognized as having authority, whether or not they have genuine authority in a normative sense. ‘Positions of authority’ and ‘institutions of authority’ should be understood similarly.
Social media at work

Limited research has studied workplace satisfaction in a computer-mediated context, particularly with the use of social media. Based on an analysis of an online survey of working adults (N=512) in various companies and organizations in a metropolitan area in Southern California, we tested the relationships among time spent on Facebook interacting with co-workers, employment status, and job satisfaction. Results show that an employee's satisfaction at work is positively associated with the amount of time they spend on Facebook interacting with co-workers. Contrary to our initial predictions, results to the second and third hypotheses revealed that part time employees reported having spent the highest amount of time on Facebook with their co-workers, and contract employees reported the highest degree of job satisfaction at work. Results have implications for Facebook as a strategic platform for promoting employee satisfaction at work, and Facebook a social network/ing platform for part time employees seeking further social integration and professional connection. Job satisfaction is positively associated with time on Facebook with co-workers.Part time employees report the highest amount of time on Facebook with co-workers.Contract employees reported the highest degree of job satisfaction at work.Facebook can be an organizational strategy to promote job satisfaction at work.This paper highlights a positive outcome of Facebook use among co-workers.
Multiple myeloma in 2016: Fresh perspectives on treatment and moments of clarity.

Data obtained in the past year underscored the benefit of a triplet regimen comprising bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone for patients with newly-diagnosed multiple myeloma, and have provided high-level evidence supporting the safety of adding daratumumab to standard-of-care doublets for those with relapsed and/or refractory disease. As a result, achieving minimal residual disease-negativity at any stage of myeloma is now a realistic possibility.
Utilization and outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement in the United States shortly after device approval.

Objective The objective of this study was to assess the national uptake of TAVR, associated in-hospital outcomes, and the effect of procedural experience on outcomes in the first two years following device approval. Background Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a newly established therapy for high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis. Evaluating the manner in which TAVR has disseminated into real-world practice is essential for understanding its impact on population health. Methods and results We identified patients undergoing TAVR from the National Inpatient Sample from January 2012 through December 2013. During this period, an estimated 21,185 cases were performed in the United States. Mean age was 81.1 years, 50.8% were male, 86.5% were Caucasian, and 89.6% were Medicare patients. The number of TAVRs performed and of hospitals performing the procedure nationally grew linearly throughout the study period. The most frequent complications included bleeding (26.9%), respiratory failure (19.3%), and renal/metabolic issues (17.2%). Median hospital length of stay was 6 days (IQR 4-10). In-hospital mortality was estimated to be 4.9%. A majority of cases were performed in large (80.8%) and in urban teaching (87%) hospitals. In the first year post-market approval, prior institutional experience with TAVR was associated with significantly reduced risk-adjusted, in-hospital mortality (OR 0.82 per 25 additional TAVRs performed, CI 0.70-0.951, P = 0.009). Conclusions Following device approval, the number of TAVRs and hospitals performing TAVR grew dramatically. Procedural complications were frequent and in-hospital mortality was approximately 4.9%. Finally, increased procedural experience was strongly associated with a reduction in inpatient mortality. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Suing Principals Alone for the Acts of Agents

Some Illinois precedents indicate that agents need not always be joined, or be continued in a lawsuit if earlier joined, when claims are also presented against principals based on their vicarious liability for the acts of the agents. Yet other precedents indicate that res judicata can bar claims against principals when agents are sued and then dismissed based on defenses that are not “personal” to them. Perhaps, as well, in Illinois there are be barriers to suits against principals when agents are never sued, but would have had defenses not personal to them if they were sued. Given these precedents, what should plaintiffs so? In particular, how should they differentiate between defenses that are and are not personal to agents? We suggest the safest road is to join agents [even those without money] when suing principals and to continue to sue them until the vicarious liability claims against the principals are resolved, unless it is absolutely clear the agents are not suable due to their “personal” defenses. Even with such “personal” defenses, joinder of agents is wise as then discovery from the agents is available. As to what constitutes a personal defense, we suggest caution. It clearly does not encompass a defense that absolves the agent of fault. It likely does not include a defense that could have absolved the agent of fault if the agent had ever been sued. For now at least, it may not include a defense of a sued agent that never prompted for the principal “the inconvenience of having to prepare for trial.” Pleading deficiencies and statute of limitations defenses promoting dismissals with prejudice seemingly are “personal” when successfully raised by agents, though here plaintiffs should seek dismissal orders indicating there was no adjudication upon the merits in order to avoid the effects of Illinois Supreme Court Rule 273 [like FRCP 41] on involuntary dismissals. We note that written norms could address better when the vicarious liability of a principal ends with the end of the liability of an agent, whether due to the nonjoinder of the agent and the running of the limitations period, or via a settlement postsuit with the agent, or via a dismissal with prejudice postsuit of a claim against the agent involving no settlement, or otherwise. Illinois Supreme Court Rule 103(b) expressly recognizes that a suit against a principal can continue when an agent is dismissed from the suit due to a failure of a reasonable diligence in service of process (clearly a “personal” defense). As well, the Illinois Civil Procedure Code, 735 ILCS 5/2-403(d), expressly recognizes a judgment in an action conducted by a subrogee by virtue of subrogation is not a bar in a related action by subrogor, though not saying that a judgment in an action by a subrogor will not bar a later action by a subrogee. If there is no new general written norms governing all cases, regardless of any personal or nonpersonal actual or potential defenses of agents, there could at least be a new written norm on the effects of settlements with agents alone. Here, there already appears significant discord in the Illinois courts.
Information Engineering for Value in Pediatric Emergency Medicine

Abstract Emergency medicine continues to suffer from information gaps that limit progress on measurement and action on quality of care. Important progress has been made in defining structure, process, and short-term outcome measures that occur within the time boundary of the emergency department (ED) visit itself for ill and injured children. However, true progress toward value-based care requires insight into outcomes beyond the walls of the ED. Existing measures such as return visits are not uniformly endorsed as a reliable and actionable measure of quality. The advent of concepts such as learning networks and patient-reported outcomes, and changes in technology use and connectivity at the population level offer potential strategies for ED systems to consider in the creation of scalable and sustainable information strategies to drive our progress toward value-based care.
Examining the Prevalence and Predictors of Injury From Adolescent Dating Violence

Medical needs of youth who experience dating violence are not well understood because of limited past research examining the prevalence and predictors of injuries and medical help seeking. To address these gaps, the current study described the prevalence and predictors of injuries from dating violence from grades 8 through 12 in a large sample of youth. Results indicate that one third to one half of youth who experienced any physical and/or sexual dating violence also sustained an injury. Prevalence of injury was highest in the 8th grade and was significantly higher for females than for males across grades 8 through 11. Youth who experienced greater amounts of violent victimization in their relationships (physical, sexual, and psychological) were at highest risk for injury. Results also suggest that victims at highest risk for injury are girls, white youth, those experiencing multiple types of violence, and those who also engage in perpetration. Given the high prevalence of injury among youth who report dating violence, healthcare professionals may be in a unique position to screen and counsel youth about dating violence. Because the highest prevalence of injury occurred before high school, prevention programs should start early and selected prevention may be used for youth at highest risk for injury.
On comparing traits and abundance for predicting species interactions with imperfect detection

To determine the causes, frequency and stability of biotic interactions, ecologists often use field observations to generate networks of interacting species. The challenge is in determining whether unobserved interactions were undetected due to sampling, or whether they truly do not occur. This uncertainty makes it difficult to predict interactions based on ecological mechanisms. By using hierarchical Bayesian N-mixture models adapted from wildlife ecology, we differentiated the probability of detecting a species from the intensity of species interactions. We began with a brief simulation to illustrate the consequences of ignoring detectability when building species networks. We then applied our model to an empirical dataset on Andean hummingbirds to compare trait-matching and plant abundance in explaining flower visitation patterns. The daily probability of detecting a hummingbird interaction ranged from 14% to 70% among species, underlining the importance of multiple days of sampling when estimating species interactions. The trait-matching model best fit hummingbird visitation rates among plants and pollinators. The plant abundance model was inconsistent across hummingbird species and did not support neutral interactions based on increasing plant abundance. We recommend that network studies account for interaction detectability by separately modeling observation and process mechanisms, focusing on species-level discrepancy in assessing model adequacy, and estimating uncertainty when computing network statistics.
Abstract 136: Mineralocorticoid Receptor Activation In Macrophages Mediates High Fat/high Sucrose Induced Vascular Stiffness in Female Mice

Enhanced mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) activation promotes vascular dysfunction and remodeling. We studied the role of MR activation in perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) macrophages in the development of high-fat/high-fructose diet (“Western Diet”, WD) induced vascular stiffness in female mice. Myeloid MR KO mice (MyMRKO) were fed a WD for 8 weeks (n=3). MyMRKO female mice (n=2) were infused with aldosterone (Aldo) for 3 weeks. Aortic stiffness was assessed in vivo by pulse wave velocity and ex vivo by atomic force microscopy. Vascular reactivity was studied in aortic rings. MyMRKO mice were protected from Aldo and WD induced aortic stiffness and had greater endothelial-dependent and independent vasodilation compared to littermates (Fig. 1, 2). Immunohistochemistry suggested decreased peri-aortic fibrosis and macrophage infiltration in Aldo infused MyMRKO (Fig.1). We conclude that MR KO in myeloid cells protects against WD and Aldo-induced vascular stiffness in female mice. Our data support a role for MR activation in PVAT macrophages in the pathogenesis of WD-induced vascular dysfunction.
Impact of Performance Level and Group Composition on Student Learning during Collaborative Exams

Collaborative exams have shown promise for improving student learning in computing. Prior studies have focused on benefits for all students, whereas this study seeks to refine our understanding of which students benefit and how group composition impacts that benefit. Using a crossover experimental design, the study first investigates whether students from differing performance levels (low, medium, or high) benefit from the collaborative exam. We find that students in the middle of the class (neither high nor low performers) tend to benefit strongly from the collaborative exam. Second, we explore whether group composition based on performance levels impacts the performance of members of the group. The results suggest more homogeneous groups (i.e., students in the group are at similar performance levels) are beneficial whereas students in groups with high heterogeneity do not experience significant performance differences between the pre-test and post-test.
Introduction and Survey

This brief chapter provides a general overview of the kind of mathematics treated in our monograph. Section 1A indicates the general questions and topics addressed here, while Section 1B describes some of the prior work which bears upon these topics. Then Sections 1C through 1E supply precise formulations of the main theoretical results, and Sections 1F and 1G sketch the principal applications of these results.
Rethinking Reproduction and Intimacies in Metro Manila

In her conclusion, Collantes meditates on the ways in which reproductive dilemmas encompass the complicated and sometimes ambivalent sentiments related to family planning, sex, and personal faith. While the public debates on the RH Law and in religious discussions highlight two dominant sentiments (e.g. “life” versus “death”/“pro RH” versus “anti RH”), this chapter reflects on the wider spectrum of reproductive experiences and political views.
Work-Family Role Construction and Management in Family Firms: Family and Non-Family Employees

Family businesses are a unique context for studying work-family role dynamics because work and family can be intertwined at the family, business, and individual levels. This paper draws upon several key family and work-family theories to develop a multilevel model of work-family role identity formation and management in the family business. We focus on the influence of family business cohesion at the organization level, family cohesion at the family level, and individual work-family role integration and segmentation at the individual level. We discuss implications for human resource management in family businesses in terms of person-environment fit.
Radiation Therapy for Spinal Metastases

Up to 10% of all cancer patients develop metastatic disease in the bone. The purpose of the present report is to describe radiation therapy, including radionuclide treatment, conventional external beam radiation therapy (CEBRT), and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), for the management of spinal metastases. Radionuclide treatment can provide palliation in patients with painful skeletal metastases. CEBRT can be offered for palliation, treatment of cord compression, to prevent morbidity of bone metastases. Spinal SBRT can also be used for palliation or spinal cord compression and is typically recommended for us over CEBRT for radioresistant histologies.
The Use of Art Psychotherapy in the Management of the Addictive Process

Concepts and the practice of art psychotherapy are based on the recognition that man’s most fundamental thoughts and feelings, derived from the unconscious, reach expression in images rather than words. Margaret Naumburg has said, in her Introduction to Art Therapy (1973), that every individual has the latent capacity to project his inner conflicts into visual form, whether he is trained or untrained in art.
What is the Main Significance of Economic for Sociological Theory

This paper reconsiders classical and neoclassical economics’ significance for or affinity and convergence with sociological theory. The paper identifies certain types or elements of classical and neoclassical economics that are potentially significant or convergent with sociological theory: pure market economics, the economics of society cum the “rational choice model”, and social or sociological economics. First, it argues that as pure economics economic theory’s significance for or affinity and convergence with sociological theory is low because the first is inconsistent with or divergent from the latter, notably theoretical economic sociology. Second, the paper suggests that as the economics of society economic theory’s significance for or affinity and convergence with sociological theory is non-existent or minimal, because the “rational choice model” is missing or an exception within conventional economics. Third, the paper proposes and demonstrates that classical and neoclassical economics’ main significance for or affinity and convergence with sociological theory lies in social economics as its second ingredient, alongside market economics. The paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between economic and sociological theory and economics and sociology overall.
The Myth of the Disposable Opinion: Unpublished Opinions and Government Litigants in the United States Courts of Appeals

Since 1976, every federal appellate court has adopted rules that limit the publication of opinions.1 As a result, only a minority of the federal courts of appeals publish even half of their decisions on the merits.2 Although withholding opinions from publication is meant to reduce or eliminate their applicability to litigation, the large body of unpublished decisions creates a variety of incentives for those litigants who have unusual access to these opinions to use them. The policies reflected by the publication plans do not anticipate these sorts of incentives. Although the rules adopted by the courts of appeals attempt to curtail litigant use of unpublished opinions, the controls do not work because these mechanisms restrict only certain uses usually of the most overt kind such as citation. Not only do the appellate rules fail to destroy the usefulness of unpublished opinions, they also exacerbate the advantages that the selective publication plans give frequent litigants. This article discusses the courts' adoption of the limited publication plans and analyzes the methods used by the courts to discourage the use of unpublished opinions. It also discusses the results of a survey conducted to determine if, and how, government litigants some
Imaging of Mandible and Temporomandibular Joint Surgery

Intraoral vertical ramus osteotomy is a treatment option for mandibubular prognatism. In this technique, a vertically oriented cut made in the mandibular ramus allows the condyle to be lowered and the temporomandibular joint disc to recapture (Fig. 8.1). The procedure yields satisfactory results and has fewer complications than intra-articular techniques. Expected changes following vertical ramus osteotomy that can be appreciated on imaging include cortical bone thickening, narrowing of the bone marrow space, medial tilting of the mandibular condyle, and masticator muscle atrophy (Fig. 8.2).
Efficient Multirate Filter Bank Generation with Full Spectral Utilization

An engine for generating FIR filters of bandwidths that are arbitrary multiplications of a particular quantity are proposed. The design is based on first replacing z by zL, where L is an integer, in a low pass filter to result in a multiband filter with arbitrarily sharp transition band. The complement of this multiband filter is also generated. The important step in the proposed design is to feed this into a polyphase filter bank structure to isolate each band. The same is done to the complement of the multiband filter using a second polyphase filter bank structure. This way we have separate bands that could be combined with perfectly flat magnitude response and linear phase. It is shown that all combinations of individual bands could be computed in minimum possible logarithmic time while using the minimum number of additions. In this way, we have a structure to generate any filter response within the smallest band in the multiband structure using few additions. The filters could be left as complex i.e. single band or could be made real with addition to their corresponding conjugates at the cost of losing half the filter bands. The proposed dual filter bank structure could result in a multicarrier communications system that achieves full spectral utilization.
Exploring Achievement Emotions in Physical Education: The Potential for the Control-Value Theory of Achievement Emotions.

Emotions experienced in educational settings link to students’ motivation, engagement, learning, and achievement. Despite meaningful interconnections between emotions, motivation, and desired outco...
Vagus Nerve Stimulation for the Treatment of Epilepsy.

About 50 million people worldwide suffer from epilepsy, and about 30 – 40% of these persons have seizures that are refractory to treatment with antiepileptic medication.2–4 Surgical resection or ablation can result in seizure freedom in well-chosen patients, however, not all persons with epilepsy are candidates for epilepsy surgery.4 Furthermore, despite careful selection, some patients may continue to experience seizures postoperatively.5–7 In patients whose seizures are inadequately controlled, neuromodulation based interventions should be considered.8 Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is one of the most common neuromodulation based approaches. The VNS system is a battery powered device that resembles a cardiac pacemaker (Figure1). The VNS consists of an implanted pulse generator implanted below the clavicle and lead that is wrapped around the left vagus nerve in the carotid sheath. Although complete seizure freedom with VNS therapy is rare, it may be beneficial in reducing seizure frequency and improving quality of life (QOL).8 Open in a separate window Figure 1 AspireSR® Vagus Nerve Stimulator: VNS system consists of implanted pulse generator surgically implanted beneath clavicle and lead wrapped around left vagus nerve. (Courtesy of LivaNova, Inc. Houston, TX).
A Passive Harmonic RFID Tag and Interrogator Development

In this paper, a passive harmonic radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and a simple interrogator to actuate the tag and obtain the identity (ID)/IP address from the tag are presented. The harmonic RF tag was implemented using transceiver antennas, a lumped element-based non-linear transmission line (NLTL), an energy harvester and an ultra-low power digital modulation circuit. The digital modulation circuit generated the ID and the NLTL was modulated at that specific ID. The harmonic tag can operate at a minimum received power of −6 dBm. Combining antennas with the tag, a read range of 1.8 m was achieved at a transmitted power of 18 dBm at 434 MHz. A simple interrogator design was proposed to activate the tag and decode the transmitted ID. The design and working principle of the tag along with the interrogator are discussed in detail. The results of this paper are compared to data reported in open literature for alternate RFID designs.
Balloon aortic valvuloplasty: Treatment of rapid deployment aortic valve replacement complicated by a paravalvular leak.

The Edwards Intuity Elite valve system was designed to facilitate minimally invasive surgery and streamline complex aortic valve replacements and has since gained more popularity. Despite the superior results shown with rapid deployment aortic valve replacement (RDAVR) utilizing this valve system, paravalvular leaks (PVL), as a complication, remains a concern. Currently, there is no universally agreed single treatment option. A 53-year-old male with a history of well-controlled diabetes mellitus and hypertension presented to the emergency room with a 1-month history of angina, syncope on exertion and dyspnea. On further workup, he was found to have severe aortic stenosis in the setting of a bicuspid aortic valve, with non-obstructive coronary artery disease. He proceeded to urgent RDAVR with a 23 mm Edwards Intuity Valve. Six months post-RDAVR he re-presented with dyspnea on exertion and near syncopal episodes. Postoperative transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography revealed moderate to severe PVL posterior to the prosthetic aortic valve. Balloon valvuloplasty with a 25 mm True Balloon was performed. Resolution of the PVL was confirmed postprocedure both by angiography and echocardiography. The patient was followed for 1 year and remained symptom-free with evidence of mild PVL on surveillance echocardiography. In conclusion, multiple treatment options for RDAVR complicated by PVL exist; however mid to long-term outcome data are lacking. We presented one such case successfully treated with balloon aortic valvuloplasty.
Oxidation Stepping Stones: α-Oxytriflation Enables Asymmetric Arylation of Amides

The direct and enantioselective introduction of aryl groups to the α-position of carbonyl compounds, particularly amides, is a long-standing challenge in organic synthesis. In this issue of Chem, Maulide and co-workers disclose a methodology for the enantioselective α-arylation of amides through a clever stepwise activation pathway.
The Role of BTBD9 in Striatum and Restless Legs Syndrome.

Abstract Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sensory-motor neurological disorder characterized by uncomfortable sensations in the extremities, generally at night, which is often relieved by movements. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified mutations in BTBD9 conferring a higher risk of RLS. Knockout of the BTBD9 homolog in mice (Btbd9) and fly results in motor restlessness and sleep disruption. Clinical studies have found RLS patients have structural and functional abnormalities in the striatum; however, whether and how striatal pathology contributes to the pathogenesis of RLS is not known. Here, we used fMRI to map regions of altered synaptic activity in basal ganglia of systematic Btbd9 knock-out (KO) mice. We further dissected striatal circuits using patch-clamp electrophysiological recordings in brain slices. Two different mouse models were generated to test the effect of specific knockout of Btbd9 in either striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) or cholinergic interneurons (ChIs) using the electrophysiological recording, motor and sensory behavioral tests. We found that Btbd9 KO mice showed enhanced neural activity in the striatum, increased postsynaptic currents in the MSNs, and decreased excitability of the striatal ChIs. Knocking out Btbd9 specifically in the striatal MSNs, but not the ChIs, led to rest-phase specific motor restlessness, sleep disturbance, and increased thermal sensation in mice, which are consistent with results obtained from the Btbd9 KO mice. Our data establish the role of Btbd9 in regulating the activity of striatal neurons. Increased activity of the striatal MSNs, possibly through modulation by the striatal ChIs, contributes to the pathogenesis of RLS.