cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of estrogen treatment for one year on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in women with normal and abnormal glucose tolerance test results Glucose, insulin, growth hormone, triglycerides, and Premarin

A prospective study of the effects of a conjugated estrogen (Premarin, 1.25 mg.) was performed in 36 women over a 1 year period. Each subject received a 3 hour oral glucose tolerance test before starting the medication and another after 1 year of use. The blood glucose levels were similar at five times during the two tests except for a significant elevation of the 1 hour value at the 1 year test. There were no changes in the plasma insulin, growth hormone, or fasting triglyceride levels. These results suggest that the cyclic administration of this estrogen does not alter lipid or carbohydrate metabolism.
Trading Futures to Manage Risk

This chapter discusses the concepts related to using futures to hedge a variety of business risks. Those business risks include risks natural and unnatural hedgers might face in the market place. The chapter provides some simple examples of hedging in various markets to give the reader a sense of how to implement these hedges. The chapter also discusses the latest research in hedging techniques.
Application of Optimization Under Uncertainty: 2-D Tractor-Trailer Base Flaps

As precursor to a more complex 3-D design optimization under uncertainty, this 2-D study adds fidelity to a previous tractor-trailer base-flap design optimization study by including more design variables with more relaxed constraints, and the following uncertain effects on drag coefficient (Cd) prediction: wind speed and direction, truck speed and elevation, turbulence model parameters, steady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) approximation, and numerical approximation. To down-select models for the 3-D study, as well as to provide greater confidence that a global minimum Cd is found, this study also compares efficiency and accuracy among 2 optimization algorithms (Evolutionary Algorithm (EA) and DIRECT), a dozen response surface approximations or surrogate models, and 9 surrogate-based global optimization algorithms. This study uses the DAKOTA optimization and uncertainty quantification framework to interface the RANS flow solver (Cobalt), grid generator (Gridgen), and optimization algorithm. The computational model is a simplified full-scale Class-8 tractor-trailer with flow at highway speed (ReW = 5.2x10 6 ). Compared with the no-flaps result, the optimized design yields 36.3% reduction in the windaveraged Cd (Cd,wind-avg). For the optimized design in this study, we estimate total predictive uncertainty at 11% of this uncertainty comes from model form (computation vs. experiment) and numerical approximation (due in this case to significant flow unsteadiness). This total predictive uncertainty for the optimized design is also presented in the form of a probability box, which may be used to decide if and where to focus resources to improve the model and reduce uncertainty. The best design from this study only reduces Cd,wind-avg by 3.1% over a straight flap with 18° inward deflection, which casts doubt whether the small gain is worth the greater manufacturing complexity and expense of a curved flap. The Linear Gaussian Process (GP) surrogate model best fits the data set generated by EA and DIRECT.
How Well Does the Spatial Distribution of Smaller Earthquakes Forecast the Locations of Larger Earthquakes in the Northeastern United States

Since the processes that cause earthquakes in the eastern United States are poorly understood, it is not yet possible to predict where and when future earthquakes are likely to occur in this region. One approach to forecasting future locations of large earthquakes in this region is that used as part of the methodology for developing the latest generation of National Seismic Hazard Maps. This approach involves using the spatial distribution of small earthquakes ( m ≥ 3) to forecast the locations of large ( m ≥ 5) earthquakes. The hypothesis that underlies this approach is that the smaller earthquakes are delineating locations that are capable of generating larger earthquakes. We were curious to see how well such an approach would work for a scaled-down simulation in which the spatial distribution of even smaller earthquakes ( m ≥ 2) recorded by seismic networks in the northeastern United States and adjacent areas is used to “forecast” the locations of the larger earthquakes ( m ≥ 4) that have already occurred. We use such a scaled-down simulation to investigate the extent to which, in this situation, the spatial distribution of small earthquakes forecasts the locations of larger earthquakes in an intraplate environment. The essence of our procedure is to analyze systematically how often previously occurring small earthquakes occurred in the vicinity of large earthquakes. We devised three methods of summarizing and reporting whether small earthquakes tended to occur in the epicentral regions of future large earthquakes. We found that, on average, large earthquakes occurred in the vicinity of small earthquakes more frequently than would be expected for a random distribution of large earthquakes. There are, however, a significant number of large earthquakes that would not have been forecast based on the distribution of small earthquakes. This suggests that, if we are going to use this approach, we will have to be satisfied with a significant number of “misses” in our ability to forecast locations of large earthquakes. Perhaps this level of ability to forecast locations of large earthquakes is a realistic estimate of the level of success we can expect to achieve given the current state of knowledge of the mechanisms that cause earthquakes in this region.
Skeletal Dysplasias in Our Hospital

We reviewed all patients with skeletal dysplasias who has been admitted to Saga Crippled Children's Hospital now.There are nine cases skeletal dysplasias, i. e., three cases of Osteogenesis imperfecta, each one of Turner's syndrome, Marfan's syndrome, Hunter's syndrome, Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, Multiple epiphyseal dysplasia congenita and Ehlers-Danlons' syndrome.
Commercial Diplomacy in the Adobe Empire

This paper investigates information and trust mechanisms employed by international traders in the early 19th century on the Great Plains frontier, using as a case study Bent, St. Vrain & Company (BSV). BSV dominated the burgeoning Santa Fe Trail trade amongst Americans, Mexicans, and the various nomadic Indian tribes inhabiting the frontier through superior application of “commercial diplomacy.” BSV went to great lengths to signal trustworthiness to their trading partners, adopting in large measure Indians’ own trading customs and employing other traditional mechanisms of trust and reciprocity.The economic outcomes of the Adobe Empire era illustrate the catallactic nature of spontaneous international trade - i.e. the notion that economic exchange involves “turning enemy into friend.” The Indian trade in general, and the case of BSV in particular, gives credence to the doux commerce thesis: the idea that the pursuit of profits promotes peace between peoples.
A New Method of Complementary Settlement for Provincial Power Plants

The complexity of various complementary settlements for provincial power plants is analyzed.Then a new method of complementary settlement based on the original environment and the separation of complementary settlement from monthly settlement is proposed.A complete set of solution ideas,including analysis of the types of complementary settlement,construction of the original environment,revision of the original environment and complementary settlement based on original environment,is presented to solve the problem of various and repeated complement settlements,while meeting the demand for accurate tracking analysis of the settlement completion progress.The design flow chart of this method and a case study are given.This method is being successfully applied to the provincial electricity market and is capable of satisfying the settlement demand.
Status Assessment and Implementation Paths of Coordinating Industrialization,Urbanization and Agriculture Modernization in the Farming Regions of Central Economic Zone

Based on defining farming regions range of central economic zone and by means of multi-index comprehensive analysis,the current situation of the farming regions of Henan Province,the main part of the central economic zone was assessed.And the contents of assessment including five aspects which were espectively agricultural modernization,environment,industrialization,urbanization and coordination.According to those,main problems during the development of coordinating industrialization,urbanization and agriculture modernization(IUAM) in the farming regions of central economic zone were pointed out and three phases to follow were concluded in order to realize the coordination of IUAM in the traditional farming regions.Firstly,dominant industrial chains was formed and the process of industrialization by developing agriculture industrialization was start up.Secondly,agricultural products processing industries which were mainly in food processing concentrate their layout in towns and industry cluster districts,and thereby raised urbanization level.Thirdly,industries cluster would bring about population gathering,which would direct rural population flow into towns and cities and therefore deepen the process of urbanization.
Precision-Porous PolyHEMA-Based Scaffold as an Antibiotic-Releasing Insert for a Scleral Bandage.

Combat-related penetrating ocular injuries have become a common form of battlefield injury in modern warfare and can lead to potentially devastating visual impairments. Prompt stabilization of the wounded globe via prevention of infection and fibrosis enhances the probability of a successful outcome after professional medical treatment. In this study, a norfloxacin-releasing poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-based insert was designed and fabricated as a part of scleral bandage to prevent development of infection and scar formation. First, a sphere-templating technique was applied, during which 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate monomer was photocopolymerized with acrylic acid and/or 4-fluorostyrene at different molar ratios to generate poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-based porous scaffolds of various compositions with interconnected, monodisperse, 38 μm diameter pores. The scaffolds were then loaded with norfloxacin via swelling in drug-saturated solutions of various solvents, such as water, acetone, chloroform an...
Danger and Opportunity: Challenges in Teaching Evidence-Based Practice in the Social Work Curriculum.

Abstract Evidence-based practice has received increased emphasis within the social work field in the past decade and social work educational programs are including more evidence-based practice content in their curricula. This article examines some issues social work educators may wish to consider as they teach evidence-based practice to social work students, including encouraging student critical thinking, rather than simple acceptance of any practice guideline labeled “evidence-based,” enhancing student awareness of potential misuses of evidence-based practices, and facilitating exploration of evidence-based practices within the larger context of social work values. Recommendations for addressing these issues are provided.
Large magnetization and high Curie temperature in highly disordered nanoscale Fe2CrAl thin films

Abstract We have successfully grown nanoscale Fe2CrAl thin films on polished Si/SiO2 substrates using an ultra-high vacuum deposition with a base pressure of 9×10−10 Torr. The thickness of thin films ranges from 30 to 100 nm. These films exhibit cubic crystal structure with lattice disorder and display ferromagnetic behavior. The Curie temperature is greater than 400 K, which is much higher than that reported for bulk Fe2CrAl. The magnetic moments of the films varies from 2.5 to 2.8 µB per formula unit, which is larger than the reported bulk values. Thus, the disordered nanoscale Fe2CrAl films exhibit strong Fe-Fe exchange interactions through Fe-Cr-Fe and Fe-Al-Fe layers, resulting in both a large magnetization and a high Curie temperature.
Current Concepts in Methadone Metabolism and Transport

Methadone is a cornerstone therapy for opioid addiction and a public health strategy for HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C reduction. Methadone is also used for acute and chronic pain. As use for chronic pain has grown, so too have adverse events. Constitutive and acquired (drug interactions) inter- and intraindividual variability in methadone pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics confounds reliable clinical use. Identification of enzymes and transporters responsible for methadone disposition has been a long-sought ideal. Initial in vitro studies identified CYP3A4 as metabolizing methadone. Subsequently, by extrapolation, CYP3A4 was long assumed to be responsible for clinical methadone disposition. However, CYP2B6 is also a major catalyst of methadone metabolism in vitro. It has now been unequivocally established that CYP2B6, not CYP3A4, is the principal determinant of methadone metabolism, clearance, elimination, and plasma concentrations in humans. Methadone disposition is susceptible to inductive and inhibitory drug interactions. CYP2B6 genetics also influences methadone metabolism and clearance, which were diminished in CYP2B6*6 carriers and increased in CYP2B6*4 carriers. CYP2B6 genetics can explain, in part, interindividual variability in methadone metabolism and clearance. Thus, both constitutive variability due to CYP2B6 genetics, and CYP2B6-mediated drug interactions, can alter methadone disposition, clinical effect, and drug safety. Methadone is not a substrate for major influx or efflux transporters.
On the Political Import of Penelope: Gender-Neutral Virtue and the Marriage of Eros and Friendship

One of the great advantages of enriching the study of politics and the history of political thought with literature and film is that it broadens our lens from the almost exclusively masculine to include a vision of the feminine. While it is true that within the ancient world the perspective remains that of the most privileged men (authors), through the study of literature one has access to works at least partially intended for a female audience and depicting the lives, speeches, and passions of women in far greater detail than in ancient political, historical, and biographical works. Indeed, the discipline has begun to take advantage of this, with an increasingly large body of literature looking to Antigone, Clytemnestra, Praxagora, and other female figures of ancient literature as sources of political insight. In this paper, I argue that Homer’s Penelope is deserving of similar treatment and make the case for her as a gender-transcending model of private virtue and political efficacy.
Long-Term Clinical Outcomes Following Radiofrequency and Microwave Ablation of Renal Cell Carcinoma at a Single VA Medical Center

Abstract Purpose Microwave ablation (MWA) is a relatively newer treatment modality for treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and only a few small studies have examined the short- and long-term outcomes for MWA applied to renal tumors. The purpose of this retrospective review is to assess the initial experience including technical short- and long-term success rates of using radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and MWA for RCC at a single Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center. Materials and Methods Tumor characteristics were recorded using the R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry score. Group comparisons were performed by using univariate logistic regression analysis to determine factors affecting primary treatment success, failure, and effectiveness. Kaplan-Meier local tumor progression-free survival following ablation was calculated. Results MWA and RFA groups were not significantly different in primary treatment success ( P = 0.82). MWA primary treatment success (90.2%) was not associated with R.E.N.A.L criteria, whereas primary success in the RFA group (88.2%) was predicted by smaller tumor size ( P = 0.002). Primary treatment effectiveness rates were not significantly different in MWA (88.2%) and RFA (80.3%) groups ( P = 0.29). Although overall primary technique effectiveness was associated with size ( P = 0.02), univariate analysis showed a significant association between tumor size and primary effectiveness for RFA ( P = 0.002) but not MWA. There was no significant association between R.E.N.A.L score or criteria and primary treatment effectiveness in the RFA or MWA groups. Conclusion RFA and MWA both represent effective treatment modalities for RCC; larger tumor size may be associated with decreased efficacy of thermal ablation techniques.
Learning of Core Disciplinary Ideas: Efficacy Comparison of Two Contrasting Modes of Science Instruction

Science curricula and teaching methods vary greatly, depending in part on which facets of science are emphasized, e.g., core disciplinary ideas or science practices and process skills, and perspectives differ considerably on desirable pedagogies. Given the multi-faceted nature of science and the variety of teaching methods found in practice, it is no simple task to determine what teaching approaches might be most effective and for what purposes. Research into relative efficacy faces considerable challenges, with confounding factors, ambiguities, conflations, and lack of controls being threats to validity. We provide a conceptual framework characterizing the many teaching strategies found in practice as being variants of two fundamental contrasting epistemic modes, and we disentangle conflations of terms and confusions of constructs in both teaching practice and research. Instructional units for two science topics were developed in parallel in the alternative epistemic modes, differing in concept learning paths but otherwise equivalent. We conducted a randomized controlled study of the comparative efficacy of the two modes for learning core disciplinary ideas, using operationally defined active-direct and guided-inquiry teaching methods. Five middle school teachers taught each unit in both modes over 4 years of classroom trials in an 8-day summer program for eighth grade students. Student understanding of core ideas was assessed using pre- and post-tests, and learning gains were analyzed by mode, teacher, topic, and trial year. Although routes to concept understanding were very different in the two modes, eventual student learning gains were similar, within statistical variation. Efficacy variations between and within teachers were greater than between modes, indicating the importance of teacher effects on student achievement. Findings suggest that teachers need not be bound to one mode throughout and can flexibly decide on the pedagogical approach for each concept and situation, on several grounds other than efficacy of core content acquisition alone.
Chiral Isocamphoric Acid: Founding a Large Family of Homochiral Porous Materials

Homochiral metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are an important class of chiral solids with potential applications in chiral recognition; however, relatively few are available. Of great importance is the availability of low-cost, racemization-resistant, and versatile enantiopure building blocks. Among chiral building blocks, d-camphoric acid is highly prolific, yet, its trans-isomer, l-isocamphoric acid, has remained unknown in the entire field of solid-state materials. Its rich yet totally untapped synthetic and structural chemistry has now been investigated through the synthesis of a large family of homochiral metal isocamphorates. The first observation of diastereoisomerism in isostructural MOFs is presented. Isocamphorate has a powerful ability to create framework topologies unexpected from common inorganic building blocks, and isocamphoric acid should allow access to hundreds of new homochiral materials.
The Old Testament in Eastern Orthodox Tradition, by Eugen J. Pentiuc, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2014, xxi + 414 pp., US$38.95 (paperback), ISBN 978 0 1953 3123 3

Eugen Pentiuc opens his book with a striking image, the icon of Christ Pantocrator from St. Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai. The icon portrays Jesus with two contrasting eyes, the right one mi...
Current status of the curability of children with Hodgkin’s disease: An assessment of the risk: benefit ratio of modern therapy

There is no compelling evidence to suggest that Hodgkin’s disease (HD) in children differs materially from the disease in adults. Just as adults in recent years have benefited from the introduction of a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to management, the survival of children with HD has greatly improved in association with the sequential introduction of improved clinical and surgical staging techniques, and application of both megavoltage extended field irradiation and combination chemotherapy, first for generalized disease and more recently electively as part of the initial management in combined modality regimens. Historical results of treatment of children with HD in the decades prior to 1960 demonstrated an overall 5–10 year survival rate in the range of 25–33%, providing a standard against which current results may be measured [1–3]. Current data on the status of pediatric HD trials, late consequences of treatment, and an assessment of the risk: benefit ratio associated with modern therapy of HD in children form the basis for this review.
Follow-up testing for ketonuria : is it necessary ?

The authors examined the utility of confirming positive urinary ketones detected by Multistix and the designation of trace ketonuria by Acetest. They also studied whether ketonuria should signal a need for microscopic evaluation. They used Multistix to test for ketones in 4345 urine samples; 108 samples tested positive and were retested using Acetest. The positive predictive value for Multistix was 98% for samples of small amounts or more of ketonuria. Sensitivity and specificity were then assessed on 179 samples tested prospectively by both methods. Multistix specificity was high at 96%, but sensitivity decreased from 87.5% to 63.6% when trace ketonuria was regarded as positive ketonuria. In evaluating the usefulness of positive ketonuria to signal a need for microscopic examination, the authors found 12% of 78 ketotic, but otherwise negative, samples demonstrated positive microscopic findings compared with 15% for 114 chemically negative controls. The authors concluded that using Acetest for confirmation is necessary only for trace ketonuria by Multistix and that confirmatory testing of higher levels of ketonuria incurs increased costs without adding significantly to patient care. Using more sensitive Acetest detection levels does not change these results. In addition, ketonuria does not appear to signal a need for further microscopic evaluation.
Control of FucT-VII Expression in CD4+ T Cells

Selectins are carbohydrate-binding glycoproteins intimately and critically involved in the regulation of leukocyte traffic. The selectins themselves are well characterized, and much is known regarding their distribution, function in leukocyte recruitment and inflammation, cell biology, biophysical basis for cell adhesion, and other aspects; these have been the subject of several reviews (Kansas 1996; Lowe 2002; Alon and Feigelson 2002). More recently, attention has focused on the enzymes (glycosyltransferases) which are responsible for the biosynthesis of the carbohydrate ligands for selectins. Although the complete structure of the carbohydrate ligands for se-lectins is still not completely understood, much progress has been made in identifying the enzymes responsible for their synthesis. This review focuses principally on one such enzyme, the a1,3 fucosyltransferase FucT-VII, and control of its expression in T cells.
Robotic foot-in-the-door: Using sequential-request persuasive strategies in human-robot interaction

Abstract The current study investigates the effectiveness of sequential-request strategies that robots may employ to persuade humans. Specifically, this study focuses on the foot-in-the-door technique, whereby a small request is made first and is then followed up with a larger, actual target request. Participants played a trivia game with an ostensibly autonomous robot teammate. At the end of the game, the robot asked participants to complete a series of pattern recognition tasks, either by requesting directly or by starting with a small request, then following with a larger request. The results demonstrated a strong foot-in-the-door effect, suggesting a robot's potential to persuade humans using verbal message strategies. The robot's performance or perceived credibility did not influence compliance. This robotic foot-in-the-door effect provides some important practical implications for designers and developers who aim to enhance the persuasive outcomes of human-robot interaction.
Nutritional and Economic Prospects for Expanded Potato Outlets

Potato has a great impact on the economic and nutritional status of people worldwide. To capitalize on its potential, continued improvements in the current crop through breeding, production, and management technology are needed. We also need to expand potato use in diverse market outlets. In this review, we provide background on the challenge, examples of innovation in adapting other foods in response to changes in society, and explore several new possibilities for expansion of potato use.
Opportunities for Building-Scale Urine Diversion and Challenges for Implementation.

ConspectusUrine diversion (i.e., urine source separation) has been proposed as a more sustainable solution for water conversation, nutrient removal and recovery, and pharmaceutical sequestration. As wastewater regulations become more stringent, wastewater treatment plants reach capacity, and water resources become more strained, the benefits of urine diversion become more appealing. By using nonwater urinals and urine-diverting toilets, urine diversion systems seek to collect undiluted human urine for nutrient recovery and pharmaceutical sequestration. Urine is a unique, nutrient-rich waste stream that constitutes an overall low volume of waste entering a wastewater treatment plant. If urine is separated at the building-scale, various technologies can be used to recover nutrients and sequester pharmaceuticals at their most concentrated location. However, the implementation of urine diversion requires a paradigm shift from conventional comingling of wastewater and centralized treatment to source separation...
A Discovery Activity in Geometry

Construct dotted PB. The two triangles BPD and CPD have equal areas a, since they have congruent bases and the same altitude. Similarly, the two triangles whose areas are labeled ? are equal. Denote the area of the remaining region by y. We ob serve that the ratio AP.PD is the same as 7: a, since the bases of triangles (AA PC and ADPC) having congruent altitudes are pro portional to their areas. Since the area of AACE equals that of ABCE, we can write
A new species of Aphonopelma (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Theraphosidae) from the Madrean pine-oak woodlands of northeastern Sonora, Mexico.

The tarantula spider genus Aphonopelma Pocock, 1901 has received considerable attention in recent years but the group's diversity remains poorly understood in Mexico, particularly in the pine-oak woodlands of the Sierra Madre Occidental and associated Madrean "Sky Islands". A pair of tarantulas discovered from an unsampled region in the Sierra de Bacadehuachi (the westernmost range of the Sierra Madre Occidental) in northeastern Sonora was found to be closely related to four species from the Madrean "Sky Islands" in Arizona and New Mexico. An integrative approach for delimiting species (incorporating data from molecular phylogenetics, morphology, distributions, and breeding periods) suggests that the specimens from Sierra de Bacadehuachi belong to an undescribed species that is herein named Aphonopelma bacadehuachi sp. nov. This new species adds to our knowledge of an increasingly diverse assemblage of Aphonopelma from the Madrean Pine-Oak Woodlands Hotspot. Collaborations between Mexican and American researchers are needed to accelerate discovery and description of the group's remaining diversity, particularly in light of the many threats facing the ecoregion including habitat degradation and climate change.
On Two Foundational Principles of the Berlin School of Gestalt Psychology

In this article, I consider what I have long taken to be the two foundational principles of the Berlin School of Gestalt psychology, namely, that perceptual configurations are “distinguishable from...
Demo:Assessing Sports Related Concussion in Soccer Players Using Immersive VR Soccer

Virtual Reality is gaining popularity due to the gaming industry. But there are many other applications of VR like training, rehabilitation, and simulation. This is our effort to combine all these application to create a technique for assessing return-to-play readiness in athletes with concussions using Virtual Reality (VR). The subjects perform various Soccer related simulations. By measuring their responses during the execution of these tasks we can asses their ability to return to the game.
Applying FAIR Principles to Improve Data Searchability of Emergency Department Datasets: A Case Study for HCUP-SEDD

Background There is a recognized need to improve how scholarly data are managed and accessed. The scientific community has proposed the findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) data principles to address this issue. Objective The objective of this case study was to develop a system for improving the FAIRness of Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's State Emergency Department Databases (HCUP's SEDD) within the context of data catalog availability. Methods A search tool, EDCat (Emergency Department Catalog), was designed to improve the “FAIRness” of electronic health databases and tested on datasets from HCUP-SEDD. ElasticSearch was used as a database for EDCat's search engine. Datasets were curated and defined. Searchable data dictionary-related elements and unified medical language system (UMLS) concepts were included in the curated metadata. Functionality to standardize search terms using UMLS concepts was added to the user interface. Results The EDCat system improved the overall FAIRness of HCUP-SEDD by improving the findability of individual datasets and increasing the efficacy of searches for specific data elements and data types. Discussion The databases considered for this case study were limited in number as few data distributors make the data dictionaries of datasets available. The publication of data dictionaries should be encouraged through the FAIR principles, and further efforts should be made to improve the specificity and measurability of the FAIR principles. Conclusion In this case study, the distribution of datasets from HCUP-SEDD was made more FAIR through the development of a search tool, EDCat. EDCat will be evaluated and developed further to include datasets from other sources.
Comparison of central corneal thickness measurement by scanning slit topography, infrared, and ultrasound pachymetry in normal and post-LASIK eyes.

To compare central corneal thickness (CCT) measurements by scanning slit topography (SST), infrared pachymetry (IRP), and ultrasound pachymetry (USP), and their agreement in normal and post-laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) eyes. Sixty normal and 35 post-LASIK subjects were recruited. Only one eye from each subject was analyzed. Non-contact pachymetry was performed first, and the order for SST (Orbscan IIz) and IRP (Tonoref III) was randomized for each patient, to be followed by contact USP (Echoscan US-4000). Pearson’s correlation, paired t test, and Bland–Altman plots were used to investigate association, difference, and agreement among different instruments respectively. The measurements obtained with the instruments were highly correlated. Compared to CCT determined by USP (CCTUSP), CCT determined by SST (after correction with acoustic factor) (CCTSSTC) was thicker by 7 µm in normal eyes (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between CCTSSTC and CCTUSP (P = 0.128), but a thickness-dependent deviation in post-LASIK eyes (P = 0.003). The CCT determined by IRP (CCTIRP) was thicker than CCTUSP in normal (P < 0.001) and post-LASIK eyes (P < 0.001) and demonstrated proportional overestimation with thinner corneas, with less predictable ultrasonic equivalent corneal thickness in normal eyes. Conversely, CCTIRP significantly underestimated CCT compared to CCTSST and showed increasing underestimation with thinner corneas in both normal and post-LASIK eyes (both P < 0.001). Central corneal thickness determined by SST, IRP and USP were not interchangeable or interconvertible, probably attributed to difference in methodologies. Compensation with algorithms may improve agreements amongst instruments.
Assessment and optimization of respiratory syncytial virus prophylaxis regimens in Connecticut, 1996-2013

Abstract Background Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes seasonal respiratory infection, with hospitalization rates of up to 50% in high-risk infants. Palivizumab provides safe and effective, yet costly, immunoprophylaxis. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends palivizumab only for high-risk infants and only during the RSV season. Outside of Florida, the current guidelines do not recommend regional adjustments to the timing of the immunoprophylaxis regimen. We investigate the benefits of adjusting the RSV prophylaxis regimen in Connecticut based on spatial variation in the timing of RSV incidence. Methods We obtained weekly RSV-associated hospital admissions by ZIP-code in Connecticut between July 1996 and June 2013. We estimated the fraction of all RSV cases in Connecticut occurring during the period of protection offered by RSV immunoprophylaxis (“preventable fraction”) under the AAP guidelines. We then used the same model to estimate protection conferred by immunoprophylaxis regimens with alternate start dates, but unchanged duration. Results The fraction of RSV hospitalizations preventable by the AAP guidelines varies by county because of variations in epidemic timing. Prophylaxis regimens adjusted for state- or county-level variation in the timing of RSV seasons are modestly superior to the AAP-recommended regimen. The best alternative strategy yielded a preventable fraction of 95.07% (95% CI: 94.69 – 95.44%), compared to 94.07% (95% CI: 93.65 – 94.46%) for the AAP recommendation. Conclusion Initiating RSV prophylaxis based on state-level data may improve protection compared with the standard AAP recommendations. In Connecticut, county-level recommendations would provide only a modest additional benefit while adding complexity.
Keeping Rural Infants Alive: Combatting Structural Inequities

Rural infants are less likely than urban infants to celebrate their first birthday. This tragic fact motivated Dr Deborah Ehrenthal et al1 to employ a social ecological framework to assess predictors of rural–urban disparities in infant mortality. Published in this issue of Pediatrics , their analysis revealed a stark reality in rural America. Infants living in rural, micropolitan counties (places where there is a town of at least 10 000 but not more than 50 000 people) had 26% higher chances of death before age 1, and those in noncore counties (less populated, more remote rural areas with no town with a population greater than 10 000) had a 32% higher chance of infant mortality, compared with urban counties. Dr Ehrenthal et al1 examined what explained these differences and found that it was not individual risk behaviors or health systems factors (although both of these differed across the rural–urban continuum) but rather a broad measure of community socioeconomic advantage that best explained these disparities. The structural injustices that shape individual risk and … Address correspondence to Katy Backes Kozhimannil, PhD, MPA, Division of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, 420 Delaware St SE, MMC 729, Minneapolis, MN 55455. E-mail: kbk{at}umn.edu
Proportionate Adaptive Filtering Algorithms Derived Using an Iterative Reweighting Framework

In this paper, based on sparsity-promoting regularization techniques from the sparse signal recovery (SSR) area, least mean square (LMS)-type sparse adaptive filtering algorithms are derived. The approach mimics the iterative reweighted $\ell _2$ and $\ell _1$ SSR methods that majorize the regularized objective function during the optimization process. We show that introducing the majorizers leads to the same algorithm as simply using the gradient update of the regularized objective function, as is done in existing approaches. Different from the past works, the reweighting formulation naturally leads to an affine scaling transformation (AST) strategy, which effectively introduces a diagonal weighting on the gradient, giving rise to new algorithms that demonstrate improved convergence properties. Interestingly, setting the regularization coefficient to zero in the proposed AST-based framework leads to the Sparsity-promoting LMS (SLMS) and Sparsity-promoting Normalized LMS (SNLMS) algorithms, which exploit but do not strictly enforce the sparsity of the system response if it already exists. The SLMS and SNLMS realize proportionate adaptation for convergence speedup should sparsity be present in the underlying system response. In this manner, we develop a new way for rigorously deriving a large class of proportionate algorithms, and also explain why they are useful in applications where the underlying systems admit certain sparsity, e.g., in acoustic echo and feedback cancellation.
Impact of soil model complexity on the long-term thermal performance prediction of a new shallow bore ground heat exchanger

Shallow bore ground heat exchangers have been investigated in recent years because they have the potential to reduce the initial cost of the ground source heat pump system. Correctly modeling the t...
Design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationship studies of the anaephene antibiotics.

The natural products, anaephenes A (1) and B (2), were found to have antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In this report, we expanded on our previous synthetic efforts by preparing a library of eighteen analogues in order to understand the structure-activity relationships (SAR) of this interesting class of natural products. These analogues were selected to explore the biological impact of structural variations in the alkyl chain and on the phenol moiety. Last, we further assessed the biological activity of anaephene B (2) and two additional analogues against other clinically relevant bacterial strains and the hemolytic activity of each and determined that these compounds act via a bactericidal mechanism. These studies led to the identification of compound 7, which was 4-fold more potent than the natural product (2) against MRSA (2 vs. 8 μg/ml) and a 2-hydroxypyridine analogue (18) which demonstrated equal potency compared with the natural product (2), albeit with a significant reduction in hemolytic activity (<1% vs. 80% at 100 μM).
Frequency Domain Identification of a Multi-Input Control Equivalent Turbulence Input Model

This paper describes a frequency-domain method for the identification of multi-input control equivalent turbulence input models. Such models can be identified from flight data gathered in specific ...
Advances in Assessing Hazard and Risk to Emerging Threats and Emergency Response: Comparing and Contrasting Efforts of Three Federal Agencies.

Federal statutes authorize several agencies to protect human populations from chemical emergencies and provide guidance to evacuate, clean, and re-occupy affected areas. Each of the authorized federal agencies have developed programs to provide managers, public health officials, and regulators, with a rapid assessment of potential hazards and risks associated with chemical emergencies. Emergency responses vary based on exposure scenarios, routes, temporal considerations, and the substance(s) present. Traditional chemical assessments and derivation of toxicity values are time-intensive, typically requiring large amounts of human epidemiological and experimental animal data. When a rapid assessment of health effects is needed, an integrated computational approach of augmenting extant toxicity data with in vitro (new alternative toxicity testing methods) data can provide a quick, evidence-based solution. In so doing, multiple streams of data can be used, including literature searches, hazard, dose-response, physicochemical, and environmental fate and transport property data, in vitro cell bioactivity testing and toxicogenomics. The field of toxicology is moving, ever so slowly, towards increased use of this approach as it transforms from observational to predictive science. The challenge is to objectively and transparently derive toxicity values using this approach to protect human health and the environment. Presented here are examples and efforts toward rapid risk assessment that demonstrate unified, parallel, and complementary work to provide timely protection in times of chemical emergency.
PP2A is a therapeutically targetable driver of cell fate decisions via a c-Myc/p21 axis in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Abstract Dysregulated cellular differentiation is a hallmark of acute leukemogenesis. Phosphatases are widely suppressed in cancers but have not been traditionally associated with differentiation. Herein, we identified that the silencing of Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A) directly contributes to differentiation block in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Gene expression and mass cytometric profiling reveal that PP2A activation modulates cell cycle and transcriptional regulators that program terminal myeloid differentiation. Using a novel pharmacological agent OSU-2S in parallel with genetic approaches, we discovered that PP2A enforces c-Myc and p21 dependent terminal differentiation, proliferation arrest and apoptosis in AML. Finally, we demonstrate that PP2A activation decreases leukemia initiating stem cells, increases leukemic blast maturation, and improves overall survival in murine Tet2-/-Flt3ITD/WT and human AML models in-vivo. Our findings identify the PP2A/c-Myc/p21 axis as a critical regulator of the differentiation/proliferation switch in AML that can be therapeutically targeted in malignancies with dysregulated maturation fate.
Constant Comparison Method: A Kaleidoscope of Data

This paper will attempt to illustrate the use of a kaleidoscope metaphor as a template for the organization and analysis of qualitative research data. It will provide a brief overview of the constant comparison method, examining such processes as categorization, comparison, inductive analysis, and refinement of data bits and categories. Graphic representations of our metaphoric kaleidoscope will be strategically interspersed throughout this paper.
Acoustic Communications and Navigation for Mobile Under-Ice Sensors

Abstract : The long-term goals of this project are to create a new capability for under-ice acoustic navigation and communication, specifically in support of the ONR Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ) Departmental Research Initiative (DRI). The MIZ DRI field program occurred this year, 2014, and the data collected will be analyzed over the next two years. The MIZ DRI includes a large array of sensors deployed on the surface of the ice, as well as Sea Gliders and drifters operating below. The project seeks to answer a number of important science questions, including surface forcing, both mechanical and solar, on the ice and the upper water column. The response of the upper ocean will be established using data collected by the autonomous vehicles operating under the ice, and the data will be assimilated into oceanographic models.
Mechancial Properties of Repaired 7075-T73 Friction Stir Weld Butt Welds

For production parts joined by friction stir welding, there is a need to identify the effects of rework in a shop environment, or later repair of damage in service, on mechanical properties. Effects on strength or microhardness have been previously characterized; however, often design loads may not be purely driven by static strength allowables, but instead by fatigue limits, which may be less sensitive to rework than ultimate or yield tensile strengths. To investigate those effects, defective butt welds were created in 0.25 in thick 7075-T73 Aluminum alloy plates. Welds were then repaired using similar parameters directly over the original weld. The mechanical properties of up to four passes after the initial weld were also investigated with a focus on fatigue life. An analysis of the results and a discussion of the implications for repair and rework of friction stir welded structures and assemblies are included.
Financial Crises in Emerging Markets: How Are Shocks Propagated Internationally?

This paper uses firm-level information to evaluate how shocks are propagated internationally. It reinterprets previous theoretical work as describing five mechanisms by which a country-specific shock can be transmitted to firms around the globe. These five transmission mechanisms are: product competitiveness; an income effect; a credit crunch; a forced-portfolio recomposition; and a wake-up call. The paper then constructs a new data set of financial statistics, product information, geographic data, and stock returns for over 14,000 companies in 46 countries. It uses this data and an event-study methodology to test what types of firms were more vulnerable to the East Asian and Russian crises. Results suggest that an income effect, forced-portfolio recomposition, and wake-up call were all important propagation mechanisms during the Russian crisis. Each of these mechanisms, as well as product competitiveness, was significant during the East Asian crisis. A credit crunch appears to have played a relatively minor role in the international propagation of shocks during both crises. Moreover, results provide preliminary evidence of the relative importance of these propagation mechanisms. The wake-up call effect can have a larger impact than all of the other mechanisms combined. The product competitiveness effect during the Asian crisis, and the income effect during the Russian crisis, are also large in magnitude. An important implication is that the relative strength of the various transmission mechanisms varies across crises, so that it is unlikely that any single model can capture how shocks are propagated during all crises. *Paper prepared for September 23-24 conference "Financial Crises in Emerging Markets" at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. I am grateful to Jeremy Stein for useful suggestions in the initial motivation of this project. Thanks to Susan Choe, Kam Hung, Jenny Jaung, Angeline Liu, and Daniel Nelkenabaum for help in preparing this data set. Please e-mail any comments or suggestions to kjforbes@mit.edu. A current (pdf) version of this paper is available at http://web.mit.edu/kjforbes/www/