cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 2287: Treatment of Acute Stroke in Patients on Dabigatran: A Survey of US Stroke Specialists

Background and Purpose: There are no guidelines for the use of thrombolytic therapy in acute stroke patients taking dabigatran (DBT), or DBT reversal strategies in patients with ICH. We assessed how stroke neurologists plan to care for these patients. Methods: An internet-based questionnaire was sent to all US board-certified stroke neurologists. Case scenarios for patients on DBT with acute ischemic stroke were presented with varying stroke severity, time from symptom onset and last DBT dose, and activated partial thromboplastin time (PTT), and questions assessed whether and when IV and/or catheter-based thrombolysis would be used. Questions also assessed treatment of patients with DBT-associated ICH. Open-ended comments on the cases were also solicited. Results: Responses were available from 221/809 stroke neurologists surveyed. Of these, 88% reported that they were somewhat or very familiar with DBT. For an ischemic stroke patient 2 hours post onset and eligible for IV tPA except for use of DBT (time of last dose unknown), 49% would not treat with IV tPA regardless of PTT, 28% would treat if the PTT was normal, 9% if PTT 12 hours, 15% only if > 24 hrs, 13% if >48 hrs, 5% if > 4 days, and 15% would not treat regardless of the time from last dose; 10% wanted additional information such as creatinine clearance. For the 3-4.5 hour window, 26% indicated they would be equally likely to treat as within 3 hours, 26% would be less likely to treat, 17% would not treat, and 24% would not treat in Conclusions: There is a remarkable lack of consensus amongst stroke neurologists regarding the assessment and treatment of acute stroke patients on DBT. More data on the evaluation and treatment of these patients is urgently needed.
Homonymous Hemianopia with a Normal MRI: When To Consider Retinal Mimics of Suspected Neurologic Vision Loss (P02.259)

OBJECTIVE: To describe a case of bilateral vision loss, initially felt to be neurological, but found to be a rare disease of the retina. BACKGROUND: A 34 year old man with history of retinal detachment presented with progressive, painless vision loss in his left eye over 5 days. He noticed pulsating in his missing visual field, but no flashes or floaters. Examination by a retina specialist was remarkable for nasal hemi-field loss in his left eye. DESIGN/METHODS: Neuro-ophthalmologic examination showed visual acuity of 20/15 OU, normal color vision, a 0.6 log unit relative afferent pupillary defect OS and normal posterior examination. Humphrey visual fields showed a nasal defect OS and temporal defect OD, suggestive of an incongruous homonymous hemianopia. Over the next five days, his vision OS worsened, with photopsias, headache, and photophobia. Repeat examination showed normal visual acuity and color vision OD and 20/800 and no color vision OS, with a >1.8 log unit RAPD OS. There was mild attenuation of the arteries OS with mottling of the macula, and normal disc appearance. RESULTS: MRI and laboratory testing were unremarkable. Full-field electroretinogram showed global cone receptor dysfunction OU. Red-free photographs showed a white outer retinal irregular annular band of deep retinal opacification corresponding to his central scotoma OS. He was started on valacyclovir. CONCLUSIONS: Despite his examination and visual fields being initially concerning for a post-chiasmal lesion, his eventual diagnosis was acute annular outer retinopathy, a suspected variant of acute zonal occult outer retinopathy (AZOOR). Bilateral involvement is rare and it is an important consideration in the differential diagnosis of sudden unilateral or bilateral vision loss. Disclosure: Dr. Szewka has nothing to disclose.
Has Democracy Reduced the Rich-Poor Gap in Child Mortality? An Analysis of 5 Million Births from 50 Developing Countries Since 1970

Standard theories in political science and economics lead to the expectation that democratization benefits the poor. Tests of these theories have usually investigated changes in average health or welfare outcomes. Here I use a more carefully targeted strategy. This paper offers the first large-scale analysis of the effects of democratization on the within-country, rich-poor gap in child mortality across the developing world. Using a unique data set with more than 5 million birth records from 50 middle- and low-income countries, this study tests whether those at the bottom of the income distribution benefit more from the democratic transitions than those at the top. Contrary to the widespread belief that democratic transitions help the poor, this study shows evidence that it does not. Although the mortality gap between the rich and poor is decreasing over time almost everywhere, this change is not driven by regime type. However, there is remarkable heterogeneity on the effects of democratization on health that deserves further investigation.
Layer by layer construction of ascorbate interference-free amperometric lactate biosensors with lactate oxidase, ascorbate oxidase, and ceria nanoparticles

We report on the design of an ascorbate interference-free lactate biosensor that takes advantage of the redox properties of ceria (CeO2) nanoparticles that make this material suitable to be used in electrochemical biosensors operating in low oxygen conditions. First, ceria-free lactate biosensors were fabricated using a positively charged polymer, polyethylenimine (PEI), for the immobilization of lactate oxidase (LOx) and ascorbate oxidase (AOx) on Pt electrodes. When AOx was not immobilized on the electrode, the sensor was interfered by ascorbate. Immobilization of AOx on the electrode surface, however, resulted in a loss of interference by ascorbate due to the depletion of oxygen in the enzyme layer. To address this challenge, we exploited the oxygen storage capacity of ceria nanoparticles. Their introduction into the enzyme layer enabled the fabrication of lactate biosensors that are not interfered by ascorbate and yet can be operated under low oxygen conditions. The Pt/CeO2–3(PEI/LOx)-3(PEI/AOx) biosensors, if operated at a working voltage of 0.6 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) display a wide linear range (20 μM to 1 mM), a low detection limit (0.3 μM) and a sensitivity of 172.9 ± 11.7 μA∙mM−1∙cm−2. Evidently, the layer-by-layer configuration eliminates interferences by common species such as ascorbic acid, uric acid, and glucose. The practical applicability of the sensors was evaluated by detecting lactate in human serum.
Further Results Towards a Location-Scheduled Control Methodology

This paper presents a new strategy for the design of the attitude determination and control system (ADCS) of reconfigurable spacecraft. Assuming that the major components of a given spacecraft can be easily rearranged between missions (e.g. science payload, controller location), it is desirable to develop controller designs that are tuned for each possible configuration. Our strategy for obtaining these controller designs is referred to as location-scheduled control (LSC). The objective of this strategy is to reduce the amount of time required to develop the spacecraft ADCS during a mission life cycle by creating a family of ADCS designs a priori. Under LSC, a certain combination of sensors and actuators is paired with an appropriate control law, and then both controller gains and controller physical location are tuned for operation in multiple spacecraft configurations using a genetic algorithm. In this work the validity of the LSC approach is demonstrated through the study of a representative control problem concerning nanosatellites, a popular current example of reconfigurable spacecraft. By applying LSC, controller designs for a nanosatellite subject to actuator saturation are obtained for a large angle detumble maneuver using a nonlinear control law with previously reported stability properties.
Recovery strategy identification throughout swing phase using kinematic data from the tripped leg

Falls are a large concern for individuals with lower limb amputations. Advanced powered prosthetic devices have the potential to quickly intervene after perturbations and help avoid a fall, but active balance recovery mechanisms have yet to be implemented. We investigated the feasibility of a realtime pattern recognition system for identification of trip recovery strategies. We tripped able-bodied subjects multiple times throughout swing phase and investigated the classification of walking, elevating and lowering strategies. Linear discriminant analysis was used throughout swing phase to classify kinematic data from the tripped leg. Window parameters that maximized classification accuracy were chosen from lengths of 50 to 200 ms and increments of 10 to 50 ms. We compared the performance of a single- and a two-stage (trip detection followed by strategy identification) classifier architecture. Optimal window length varied by classification stage, and window increment did not affect accuracy. The two-stage architecture performed significantly better overall, achieving a 92% median (range 88%-96%) accuracy across subjects compared to 88% (84%-96%) with the single-stage architecture. Most of the errors occurred immediately after the trip, with accuracies plateauing within 100 ms. Our results suggest that algorithms using data that can be measured from sensors embedded in robotic assistive devices could be used to trigger active balance restoring strategies following trips throughout swing phase.
Advancing survey science for intimate partner violence: the Partner Victimization Scale and other innovations

This reply addresses the key points raised by Straus as well as Jouriles and Kamata in their commentaries on Hamby (2016), including (a) that the Partner Victimization Scale (PVS) has already shown incremental validity because it has demonstrated a well-established form of validity, multimethod convergence, which some self-report measures cannot show, in addition to data on reliability and construct validity; (b) that it is not uncommon for new scientific technologies to lead to improvements in sensitivity as well as specificity, (c) that the PVS is a measure of intimate partner violence, not a measure of physical assault, which is why it also includes sexual violence (although gender parity is not found for the physical assault items); and (d) that the PVS does not refer to fear or any related terms. Additional data have replicated the PVS findings from Hamby's Study 4, and new findings from other researchers have also shown that changes in item wording can bring intimate partner violence (IPV) self-report in line with other indicators regarding gender patterns. Of importance, the items on at least 2 of these methodologies, the PVS and the new Youth Risk Behavior Survey, increase disclosure of victimization by females. The conceptual basis for understanding how improved scientific technology can increase sensitivity and specificity is presented. It is an exciting time in IPV measurement because several alternatives that address the decades-old controversy in multimethod divergence in gender patterns are now available. It is hoped that more scientific innovation will occur in the future. ©2016 American Psychological Association Language: en
Tax Cuts Proposed in President's Budget Would Ultimately Cause Large State Revenue Losses

The author says 13 proposals in President Bush's proposed fiscal 2007 budget would cause revenue losses for the states; the losses could be as high as $38 billion over the next 10 years, the author says. The author provides data on what losses each state would sustain.
Fetal grafts for Parkinson's disease: Decades in the making.

In PNAS, Li et al. (1) report the pathological findings in a single patient with Parkinson’s disease (PD) who received transplantation of embryonic dopamine grafts derived from four donors placed into the right putamen 24 y before death. The patient was 59 y of age at the time of surgery and was reported to have experienced marked clinical improvement after a latency of ∼12 mo (originally reported in ref. 2). Bilateral benefits (predominantly on the left side) were noted with respect to rigidity, bradykinesia, rest tremor, and motor fluctuations, and were of sufficient magnitude that levodopa was withdrawn 32 mo following surgery. Levodopa was reinstated at 64 mo at a dose one-third of that used preoperatively and remained unchanged for the life of the patient. Still motor benefits were maintained for ∼10 y. Thereafter, the patient experienced progressive deterioration in motor function and developed a progressive dementia at year 14. At postmortem examination, the investigators reported the survival of ∼42,000 grafted dopaminergic neurons with extensive putamenal dopaminergic innervation. Approximately 11–12% of residual grafted neurons contained α-synuclein aggregates. This case suggests that the original goals of cell replacement therapy for PD, namely, survival of implanted dopamine neurons, striatal reinnervation, and clinical benefit, were met. This is the longest postgrafting interval reported for any PD patient who has undergone a postmortem examination. It is a fascinating case that indicates that grafted fetal dopaminergic cells can survive for almost a quarter of a century and provide extensive striatal innervation. Previous reports have demonstrated similar findings at postmortem performed 18 mo (3) and 4–16 y after grafting (4⇓⇓–7); the present study suggests that these findings can endure for the life of the patient. Importantly, the authors report that fetal nigral grafting in this patient was associated with long-term motor benefit … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: jkordowe{at}rush.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Preparative Scale Demonstration and Mechanistic Investigation of a Visible Light-Mediated Radical Smiles Rearrangement

A visible light-mediated Smiles rearrangement providing the difluoroethanol motif has been shown to reliably operate on preparative scale up to 100 g of starting material. Mechanistic investigation has revealed the reaction proceeds predominantly via a radical chain process that in some instances can be initiated via visible light or thermal activation in the absence of a photocatalyst. The reaction was demonstrated in continuous flow, with visible light and thermal initiation using a thiophene substrate relevant to pharmaceutical development.
Vibrational energy transport in molecules and the statistical properties of vibrational modes

Abstract Statistical properties of the eigenmodes computed for two molecules, dodecane and perfluorododecane, are examined and compared with predictions of random matrix theory. The eigenmode statistics of the heat carrying modes of perfluorododecane correspond to Porter-Thomas statistics, whereas those for dodecane do not. Vibrational energy transport in the two molecules is also computed and found to be diffusive in perfluorododecane but not in dodecane, consistent with recent experiments. The correspondence between eigenmode statistics and vibrational energy transport dynamics in molecules as well as thermalization in molecules are discussed.
Summary, Conclusions, and Applications

This book advocates the basic thesis that the physiological and psychological mechanisms that influence physical activity have been shaped by natural selection to flexibly respond to energetic demands and resource availability in order to optimize survival and reproduction within a given ecology. For the vast majority of human evolution, this system was constrained by resource scarcity, rather than abundance. Natural selection has therefore not had the opportunity to shape mechanisms to increase activity in response to the increased caloric availability and intake that characterize modern environments. Low levels of physical activity are associated with chronic and deadly conditions, suggesting that human physiology has evolved in many ways to require high levels of physical activity to function properly. A life history perspective can help to understand the typical patterns of energy allocation across the life span and predict the conditions and stages where allocating energy to physical activity will be more or less likely to occur. Understanding the ways an energy conserving system that flexibly responds to the costs and benefits of physical activity that varies across individuals, environments, and the life span has evolved, can inform efforts to increase physical activity and/or exercise. The chapter concludes with take-home messages and applications for public and private policy, as well as health psychology and intervention research.
Phosphoglycerate mutase deficiency (glycogen storage disease X) caused by a novel variant in PGAM-M.

Phosphoglycerate mutase enzyme deficiency in muscle causes a metabolic myopathy (glycogen storage disease X) characterized by exertional muscle contractures, weakness, hyperCKemia, and myoglobinuria. Six different autosomal recessive variants in PGAM-M have been described thus far (Salameh et al., 2013). In this case report, we report a novel disease-causing variant. A 52-year-old African-American woman presented with exertional muscle contractures, myalgias, and weakness since childhood including an episode of rhabdomyolysis. Neurologic examination and EMG were normal. CK was mildly elevated at rest and over 20,000 U/L during her episode of rhabdomyolysis. Muscle biopsy revealed subsarcolemmal collections suggestive of tubular aggregates. Phosphoglycerate mutase activity was 8% of the reference value. PGAM-M sequencing showed compound heterozygous variants: c.233G>A, which has been found only in African-Americans with this disease, and a novel variant, c.278G>A. This case expands the genetic spectrum of phosphoglycerate mutase deficiency.
Physical characterization of electrospun nanofibers

A variety of electrospun nanofibers have been made for applications in biotechnology, energy storage, healthcare, environmental engineering, etc. It is noteworthy that the chemical characterization of electrospun nanofibers plays an extremely important role in understanding the relationship between the structure and properties of those materials. Therefore, it is necessary to familiarize oneself with the chemical characterization tools used to identify electrospun nanofibers. In this chapter, several chemical characterization methods, such as nuclear magnetic resonance, gel permeation chromatography, elemental analysis, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, etc., are discussed in detail.
A Brave New World for Chinese Joint Operations

ABSTRACTA key organizational challenge for all modern militaries is instituting an effective command-and-control (C2) structure for joint operations. China has been a relative latecomer to joint operations, with a persistent weakness in joint C2. Reforms launched in early 2016 sought to overcome this challenge by establishing a permanent two-level joint C2 structure. Although not a ‘tipping point’ that will lead ineluctably to stronger operational effectiveness, this reform is nonetheless an important milestone in an evolutionary process towards better PLA joint operations. The result could be added operational challenges for several of China’s neighbors and the United States.
Transmitted cardiovascular pulsations on high resolution esophageal impedance manometry, and their significance in dysphagia.

Transmitted cardiovascular pulsations on high resolution esophageal impedance manometry, and their significance in dysphagia
Modeling of the sequence of phenomena in brazing

Abstract: The phenomena involved in a brazing process constitute a set of very complex spatially distributed, transient physical and chemical processes, influenced by multiple parameters. This has been difficult to model reliably. This chapter offers a high level review of three broad areas of modeling: (i) the heating/cooling process during brazing, (ii) the thermomechanical behavior of brazed assemblies, and (iii) micro-scale phenomena, taking place in the joint zone and primarily related to transport phenomena. This discussion illustrates the importance of modeling brazing processes and its increasing contribution to the long-lasting success of the art.
Factors Associated with the Outcome of Very Elderly Patients with Large Hemispheric Infarction Treated with Medical Management Only

Large ischemic stroke in the very elderly population is presumed to invariably carry a poor prognosis and clinicians may refrain from continuing intensive care. Many elderly patients are not surgical candidates, and there is a paucity of data outlining the real-world outcomes of continued medical management. Our objective is to identify the factors associated with the outcome of very elderly patients with large hemispheric infarction (LHI) treated with medical management alone. We performed a retrospective review of all consecutive adults ≥ 70 years of age with LHI identified from a single center stroke registry between 2012 and 2016. Mean volume of infarction was calculated using the ABC/2 method. Of a total of 2335 patients, 71 (mean age 81 ± 7 years,) met inclusion criteria. Forty-one were women (58%). Mean admission National Institute of Health Stroke Score (NIHSS) was 21 ± 6. Intravenous tPA was administered in 30 (42%) and 9 (13%) patients underwent thrombectomy. Mean infarct volume was 175 ± 75 cc. Twenty-seven patients (38%) survived to hospital discharge; 6 (9%) eventually went home (albeit with mRS 4) and one (1%) went to assisted living. Multivariate logistic regression analysis found that admission NIHSS ≥ 20 (p = 0.0007) and mechanical ventilation within 48 h of admission (p = 0.0396) were independently associated with poor outcome. Ten percent of medically managed patients (≥ 70 years of age) with LHI can go home or to assisted living, but with a mRS of 4. Whether this is an acceptable outcome must be individualized on a case-by-case basis; however, poor prognosis should not be automatically presumed solely based on the combination of older age and a large stroke.
The Project Management Question and Answer Book

(2005). The Project Management Question and Answer Book. Quality Management Journal: Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 56-56.
Finding clique clusters with the highest betweenness centrality

Abstract This article introduces and studies the most betweenness-central clique problem, which involves finding a clique cluster of maximum betweenness centrality in a connected network. This problem allows one to extend the traditional notion of finding a single most influential (or central) member, to one of identifying central groups whose members collectively satisfy a structural property that is meaningful relative to the underlying system. Among others, betweenness-central cliques find application in corporate, social, communication, power grid, and biological network analysis. In this study, the betweenness centrality measure adopted to define our problem is based on the summation of the percentages representing the ratio of the shortest paths between every pair of vertices in a network that intersect a given clique. The decision version of this problem is proven to be NP-complete, and it is shown that an optimal solution to this problem is either a maximal clique, or contained in a maximal clique with the same objective value. We also propose an analytical upper bound for the betweenness centrality of any maximal clique containing a given clique, and employ it to develop a combinatorial branch-and-bound algorithm for solving this problem. Computational performance of the proposed algorithm is then compared with that of a mixed integer programming technique on a test-bed of randomly generated graphs and real-life power-law networks.
Postoperative Schmerztherapie: Neurophysiologische Aspekte von Schmerz

Die neurophysiologischen Aspekte von Schmerz werden in diesem Kapitel dargestellt. Hierbei werden das nozizeptive System, die Kodierung afferenter Schmerzreize sowie die subkortikalen und kortikale Schmerzzentren erlautert.
Critical incident stress management (CISM): benefit or risk for emergency services?

Background Critical incident stress management (CISM) has become a common practice in modern emergency services. Described in 1983 as critical incident stress debriefing (CISD), CISM was originally marketed to help emergency personnel deal with ostensibly stressful situations they would encounter as a part of their work. Objective To review the status of the medical and psychological literature regarding the efficacy and safety of CISM. Methods Several pertinent databases were accessed and searched for scientific articles pertaining to CISM. These were subsequently analyzed for methodology and pertinence to the study topic. Results Numerous scientific articles were found concerning CISM. Several high-quality studies were identified, but many other studies lacked adequate methodology sufficient for use in an evidence-based medicine approach. Others were from trade magazines, non-refereed journals, and obscure mental health journals. Several meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were found. Overall, these studies show that, at best, CISM has no effect on preventing psychiatric sequelae following a traumatic event, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Furthermore, several studies report possible paradoxical worsening of stress-related symptoms in patients and personnel receiving CISM. Conclusions Despite the limitations of the existing literature base, several meta-analyses and RCTs found CISM to be ineffective in preventing PTSD. Several studies found possible iatrogenic worsening of stress-related symptoms in persons who received CISM. Because of this, CISM should be curtailed or utilized only with extreme caution in emergency services until additional high-quality studies can verify its effectiveness and provide mechanisms to limit paradoxical outcomes. It should never be a mandatory intervention.
``Heart'' Attack: A Critique of Jorge Garcia's Volitional Conception of Racism

Since its original 1996 publication,Jorge Garcia's ``The Heart of Racism'' has beenwidely reprinted, a testimony to its importanceas a distinctive and original analysis ofracism. Garcia shifts the standard framework ofdiscussion from the socio-political to theethical, and analyzes racism as essentially avice. He represents his account asnon-revisionist (capturing everyday usage),non-doxastic (not relying on belief),volitional (requiring ill-will), and moralized(racism is always wrong). In this paper, Icritique Garcia's analysis, arguing that hedoes in fact revise everyday usage, that hisaccount does tacitly rely on belief, thatill-will is not necessary for racism, and thata moralized account gets both the scope and thedynamic of racism wrong. While I do not offeran alternative positive account myself, Isuggest that traditional left-wing structuralanalyses are indeed superior.
Experimental Evolution of Escherichia coli K-12 in the Presence of Proton Motive Force (PMF) Uncoupler Carbonyl Cyanide m-Chlorophenylhydrazone Selects for Mutations Affecting PMF-Driven Drug Efflux Pumps.

Experimental evolution of Escherichia coli K-12 with benzoate, a partial uncoupler of the proton motive force (PMF), selects for mutations that decrease antibiotic resistance. We conducted experimental evolution in the presence of carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), a strong uncoupler. Cultures were serially diluted daily 1:100 in LBK medium containing 20-150 µM CCCP buffered at pH 6.5 or at pH 8.0. After 1,000 generations, the populations tolerated up to 150 µM CCCP. Sequenced isolates had mutations in mprA ( emrR ), which downregulates the EmrAB-TolC pump that exports CCCP. A mprA :: kanR deletion conferred growth at 60 CCCP, though not at the higher levels resisted by evolved strains (150 µM). Some mprA mutant strains also had point mutations affecting emrA , but deletion of emrA abolished the CCCP resistance. Thus, CCCP-evolved isolates contained additional adaptations. One isolate lacked emrA or mprA mutations but had mutations in cecR ( ybiH ) whose product upregulates drug pumps YbhG and YbhFSR; and in gadE , which upregulates multidrug pump mdtEF . A cecR :: kanR deletion conferred partial resistance to CCCP. Other multidrug efflux genes that had mutations include ybhR and acrAB . The acrB isolate was sensitive to AcrAB substrates chloramphenicol and tetracycline. Other mutant genes in CCCP-evolved strains include rng (ribonuclease G) and cyaA (adenylate cyclase). Overall, experimental evolution revealed a CCCP-dependent fitness advantage for mutations increasing CCCP efflux via EmrA; and for mutations that may deactivate proton-driven pumps for drugs not present ( cecR , gadE , acrAB , ybhR ). These results are consistent with our previous report of drug sensitivity associated with evolved benzoate tolerance. IMPORTANCE The genetic responses of bacteria to depletion of proton motive force (PMF), and their effects on drug resistance, are poorly understood. PMF drives export of many antibiotics, but the energy cost may decrease fitness when antibiotics are absent. Our evolution experiment reveals genetic mechanisms of adaptation to the PMF uncoupler CCCP, including selection for increased CCCP efflux, but also against the expression of PMF-driven pumps for drugs not present. The results have implications for our understanding of the gut microbiome, which experiences high levels of organic acids that decrease PMF.
NATO at 70: Pledges, Free Riding, and Benefit-Burden Concordance

ABSTRACTFor 2011–2017, this paper revisits NATO burden sharing in light of recent developments and pledges to bolster members’ defense shares of GDP to 2%. Russian nationalism, enhanced transnation...
3D Finite Element Modelling of Fracture of Sand Particles Subjected to High Strain Loading Rate

Fracture is a common failure mode of sand particles when they are subjected to high strain rate (HSR) loading conditions such as blast, impact, or projectile penetration. The constitutive behavior and the failure mode of sand particles are influenced by the loading rate; therefore, a particle-scale constitutive model is necessary to address the effects of HSR loading and particle fracture within a sandy material. To that end, a Kolsky test (i.e., a HSR 1D compression test), 3D X-ray computed tomography (CT), and finite element methods were employed in this study to investigate the failure mode of individual natural sand particles when they are subjected to a HSR loading. Individual particles were first imaged using CT technique followed by testing them using Kolsky bar at an approximate strain rate of $$10^{4} S^{ - 1}$$ . The fragments of fractured particles were collected and imaged using synchrotron micro computed tomography (SMT) for further evaluation of the fracture mechanisms within individual particles. A brittle fracture model was adopted to perform 3D Finite element (FE) modelling to capture the fracture of individual sand particles. 3D CT images of the particles were used to generate 3D meshes with similar morphology as the actual sand particles and the particles were loaded similar to Kolsky experiments. The paper discusses the calibration and the validation of the model and compares the fracture mechanisms within the sand particles based on FE simulations with experimental measurements. The brittle fracture model successfully simulated the fracture mechanisms of the experiments. The effect of loading mechanisms on the mechanisms of the fracture of the particles is discussed in detail.
Deservingness perceptions, welfare state support and vote choice in Western Europe

In today’s diversified party systems, the economic dimension is no longer a unidimensional conflict between pro-redistribution voters of the left and anti-redistribution voters of the right. Analyz...
“Everglades Romanticism”: From Alligators to Nightingales

In the fall of 2018, I taught an upper-division undergraduate course called “Everglades Romanticism.”1 The course was in some ways circumstantial. Circumstantial because in 2017 I was lucky to begi...
Mesenchymal-epithelial transition of fibroblast cells in genital tubercles of hypospadiac male rats with utero exposure to di-n-butyl phthalate

Objective To explore the mechanism in di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP)-induced hypospadias, we research mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) of fibroblast cells in genital tubercles of hypospadiac male rats with utero exposure to di-n-butyl phthalate. Methods Pregnant rats were randomly divided into two groups. Dams were treated by gavage daily from gestation day (GD) 13 to GD19 with corn oil vehicle (3 ml/kg) or DBP in corn oil at 800 mg/kg (total DBP and corn oil at 3 ml/kg). On GD19, fetuses were immediately removed from the uterus, and sexed by internal examination of the reproductive organs. The hypospadiac rats and the normal rats were randomly divided into two groups (hypospadiac group and control group). The AGD (anogenital distance) was measured. The incidence of hypospadias was calculated. Primary culture of fibroblast cells in genital tubercles were cultured under full aseptic precautions. The fibroblast cells were observed the cell shape under an inverted microscope and detected migration in scratch-wound experiment. Western blotting, real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were used to detect the expression of E-cadherin、Vimentin protein and mRNA in fibroblast cells with primary culture by tissue-pieces. Results The urethral orifice of hypospadias locates on the ventral surface of the GT (genital tubercle) and the urethral orifice of normal rat was near the tip of the GT. AGD in the hypospadiac group [(1.43±0.04) mm] was significantly lower when compared with the control group [(2.27±0.09) mm, P=0.023], and the incidence of hypospadias was 40.5%. DBP up-regulated mRNA and protein expression of E-cadherin, suppressed mRNA and protein expression of Vimentin, and caused a complete MET-phenotype, which manifested as the degeneration of large filopodia-like processes, spindle-cell shape and cell migration. Compared with the fibroblast cells of control group, the hypospadiac group showed significantly different cell migration [12 h: (0.17±0.04) mm vs. (0.14±0.03) mm, P=0.043; 24 h: (0.26±0.05) mm vs. (0.20±0.04) mm, P=0.041], mRNA expression of E-cadherin (1.00±0.00 vs. 1.43±0.31, P=0.034) and Vimentin (1.00±0.00 vs. 0.51±0.12, P=0.031), and protein expression of E-cadherin (0.15±0.06 vs. 1.59±0.84, P=0.005) and Vimentin (1.88±0.45 vs. 0.30±0.13, P=0.003). Conclusion DBP induces the occurrence of typical MET phenomenon in fibroblast cells to affect the development of genital tubercle, thereby inducing hypospadias formation. Key words: Fetal rat; Hypospadias; Di-n-butyl phthalate; Fibroblast cell; Mesenchymal-epithelial transition
Association of Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy for Hepatitis C With After-Treatment Costs Among Medicare Beneficiaries.

Importance Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for hepatitis C is highly effective but expensive. Evidence is scarce on whether DAA therapy reduces downstream medical costs. Objective To examine the association of DAA therapy with posttreatment medical costs among Medicare beneficiaries. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study obtained data from various Medicare claims files for 2013 to 2017. The study population comprised patients with a hepatitis C diagnosis in 2014 who were enrolled in fee-for-service Medicare and Part D. Multivariate regression models were used to compare changes in medical costs over a 30-month posttreatment follow-up period between patients who used DAA therapy (treatment group) and a propensity score–matched cohort of patients who did not use DAA (control group). The model was estimated separately for patients with and those without cirrhosis. Data were analyzed between September 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020. Exposures Completion of DAA therapy. Main Outcomes and Measures Two outcomes were established: hepatitis C or liver disease–related costs and total medical costs. Costs were measured by Medicare-allowed payments, which included Medicare reimbursements, patient responsibilities, and third-party payments. Results A propensity score–matched cohort of 15 198 patients (9038 men [59.5%]; mean [SD] age, 60.2 [10.8] years) was analyzed. During the first 6 months after DAA therapy, hepatitis C or liver disease–related costs decreased by $2498 (95% CI, −$3356 to −$1640) in patients with cirrhosis and by $486 (95% CI, −$603 to −$369) in patients without cirrhosis compared with control or untreated patients. Cumulative reductions in hepatitis C or liver disease–related costs during 30 months after DAA treatment were $15 808 (95% CI, −$22 530 to −$9085) in patients with cirrhosis and $5372 (95% CI, −$6384 to −$4360) in patients without cirrhosis. Among those who used DAA therapy compared with control patients, total medical costs decreased by $2905 (95% CI, −$4832 to −$979) in patients with cirrhosis and by $1287 (95% CI, −$2393 to −$283) in patients without cirrhosis during the first 6 months after DAA therapy. No statistically significant association was found between DAA therapy and total medical cost reductions after 12 months of follow-up. Cumulative reductions in total costs during 30 months after DAA therapy were $7074 (95% CI, −$18 448 to $4298) in patients with cirrhosis and $7497 (95% CI, −$14 287 to −$709) in patients without cirrhosis. Conclusions and Relevance This study reported that DAA therapy appeared to be associated with a decrease in hepatitis C or liver disease–related costs for 30 months after treatment and with reduction in total medical costs for only 12 months after treatment in patients with or without cirrhosis. Longer-term follow-up studies with diverse outcomes are necessary to assess the value of DAA therapy.
Evidence for racial/ethnic disparities in emergency department visits following breast cancer surgery among women in California: a population-based study

Racial/ethnic disparities in breast cancer outcomes may be related to quality of care and reflected in emergency department (ED) visits following primary treatment. We examined racial/ethnic variation in ED visits following breast cancer surgery. Using linked data from the California Cancer Registry and California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, we identified 151,229 women diagnosed with stage 0-III breast cancer between 2005 and 2013 who received surgical treatment. Differences in odds of having at least one breast cancer-related ED visit within 90 days post-surgery were estimated with logistic regression controlling for clinical and sociodemographic variables. Secondary analyses examined health care-related moderators of disparities. Hispanics and non-Hispanic (NH) Blacks had an increased likelihood of having an ED visit within 90 days of surgery compared to NH Whites [OR = 1.11 (1.04–1.18), p = 0.0016; OR = 1.38 (1.27–1.50), p < 0.0001, respectively]; the likelihood was reduced in Asian/Pacific Islanders [aOR = 0.77 (0.71–0.84), p < 0.0001]. Medicaid and Medicare (vs. commercial insurance) increased the likelihood of ED visit for NH Whites, and to a lesser degree for Hispanics and NH Blacks (p < 0.0001 for interaction). Receipt of surgery at an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center or at a for-profit (vs. non-profit) hospital was associated with reduced likelihood of ED visits for all groups. Racial/ethnic disparities in ED visits following breast cancer surgery persist after controlling for clinical and sociodemographic variables. Improving quality of care following breast cancer surgery could improve outcomes for all groups.
Synthetic Scope of Brønsted Acid-Catalyzed Reactions of Carbonyl Compounds and Ethyl Diazoacetate.

The comprehensive study of the reactions of carbonyl compounds and ethyl diazoacetate in the presence of a Bronsted acid catalyst is described. In result, a broad range of 3-oxo-esters were synthesized from a variety of ketones and aliphatic aldehydes by 1,2-aryl/alkyl/hydride shift. Aryl-methyl ketones produced only aryl-migrated products, whereas other ketones yielded a mixture of products. For diaryl ketones, the identity of two inseparable migrated products was confirmed by two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy.
Interrelationship between Airport Enplanements and Accessibility: Case of Three Airports in Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Region

Increasingly, because urbanized areas have access to multiple airports, airlines must compete for passengers. One such location is the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area with three international airports within a 30-mi radius, each governed by a different planning authority. A traveler’s choice to fly from a particular airport depends on a number of factors, chiefly convenient accessibility to the airport. Transportation planning agencies in the area often plan for network improvements to provide the best accessibility to a single major airport, although such improvements may also provide accessibility benefits to airports outside their jurisdiction. This paper presents an approach to estimate airport accessibility by highway and transit for both peak and off-peak hours. Furthermore, accessibility to these airports for a base year and a 20-year planning horizon are measured. The accessibility measure presented in the paper incorporates congestion travel times as obtained from a travel demand model. The r...
Appropriate Use of Beta Blockers in Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis of the liver from various etiologies is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries and industrialized nations alike. Beta blockers have been used for primary and secondary prophylaxis to prevent the initial episode of bleeding as well as rebleeding from gastroesophageal varices for several decades. However, the side effects of non-selective beta blockers preclude their use in all patients with cirrhosis. Recent evidence suggests that the use of beta blockers in patients with decompensated cirrhosis and refractory ascites may be contraindicated. The purpose of this review is to describe the appropriate use of beta blockers in cirrhosis taking into account emerging data.
Small Helical Flux Compression Amplifiers

Small, explosively compressed, magnetic flux transducers with many closely spaced helical turns are investigated theoretically and experimentally. The analysis is limited to linear operation, but takes into account load influence, proximity effects, and switching delays. The latter are due to retarded breakdown in the wire insulation and to the finite decay time of the magnetic field in the wire.
THE ROLE OF INDIRECT NETWORK EFFECTS IN EXPLAINING PLATFORM DOMINANCE IN THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY (2002-2006): A NETWORK PERSPECTIVE

Going beyond the traditional operationalization of indirect network effects as the number of complements available, this study focuses on the network positions of platforms and complementors to explain platform dominance. We use data from the U.S. home video game industry between 2002 and 2006 to test our model. While the impact of degree of linkages with complementors is not significant, our findings support that platform dominance is positively influenced by a greater variety of links with complementors and lesser degree of overlap with other platforms. We find support for the impact of complementor dominance on platform dominance and that this impact decreases with platform age. Our results have important implications for research in indirect network effects and also important managerial implications. Platform providers need to focus on making their platforms more heterogeneous and providing the third party developers with toolkits that encourage them to develop titles exclusively for a platform.
Modification of the official fluorometric method for selenium in plants

The official first action AOAC fluorometric method for selenium in plants, 3.074-3.078, has been modified to simplify the method and to make it more accurate. The digestion time has been increased from 15 to 30 min past the appearance of perchloric acid fumes to better assure complete oxidation of all forms of selenium to selenite. Preparation of the 2,3-diaminonaphthalene solution, the reagent used for fluorometric analysis, has been changed so that the reagent is stable for several weeks; in the previous writeup, this solution had to be prepared daily. Special equipment (micro-Kjeldahl flasks with ground glass joints) has been eliminated and cyclohexane has been substituted for decahydronaphthalene. The modified method is convenient and applicable to a wide range of materials; it yields results comparable to those from the official method.
Farm and Weather Summary Northwest Research Farms

Weather Comments Winter 2004–2005. Another mild winter! Remember, normal is often the average of extremes. We are due for some severe winter weather. By spring our soil moisture profile was full. Spring 2005. Fieldwork began on March 25. We started planting oats on March 29. April’s average temperature was 5.3 degrees above normal. This was the highest average for April since 8.4 degrees above normal in 1987. Rains in mid-April delayed corn planting until April 28.
Strategic Foundations of General Equilibrium: Dynamic Matching and Bargaining Games

The theory of competition has held a central place in economic analysis since Adam Smith. This book, written by one of the most distinguished of contemporary economic theorists, reports on a major research program to provide strategic foundations for the theory of perfect competition. Beginning with a concise survey of how the theory of competition has evolved, Gale makes extensive and rigorous use of dynamic matching and bargaining models to provide a more complete description of how a competitive equlibrium is achieved. Whereas economists have made use of a macroscopic description of markets in which certain behavioral characteristics, such as price-taking behavior, are taken for granted, Gale uses game theory to re-evaluate this assumption, beginning with individual agents and modelling their strategic interaction. A strategic foundation for competitive equilibrium shows how such interaction leads to competitive, price-taking behavior. Essential reading for graduate courses in game theory and general equilibrium.
Book Review: The Software IP Detective's Handbook: Measurement, Comparison, and Infringement Detections

Zeidman, B. (2011). The Software IP Detective's Handbook: Measurement, Comparison, and Infringement Detection. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. 480 pages, ISBN-10: 0137035330;ISBN-13: 978-0137035335, US$49.99. Reviewed by Diane Barrett, American Military University. Do not the book title fool you into thinking that the book is only for those looking to detect software infringement detection. It is a comprehensive look at software intellectual property. The book covers a wide range of topics and has something to offer for just about everyone from lawyers to programmers. (see PDF for full review)