cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cryosurgical denervation of the heart: acute and chronic effects

A newly developed procedure for total cardiac denervation employing cryosurgical techniques is described. Thirty-three dogs underwent cryosurgical cardiac denervation. Twenty-seven survived the procedure and were divided into three groups. Completeness of denervation was evaluated by recording hemodynamic responses to sodium nitroprusside-induced hypotension, phenylephrine-induced hypertension, and direct cardiac autonomic nerve stimulations acutely (group I, n = 11) and 2 weeks after denervation (group II, n = 5). Serial drug infusion studies were performed during an 8-month period in group III animals (n = 11). Myocardial biopsies for catecholamine content were done in groups II and III. Both direct and reflex hemodynamic responses to autonomic neural stimulation were abolished in the acutely denervated hearts. Furthermore, at 2 weeks, direct neural stimulation was without effect, and myocardial catecholamine content was 95% depleted (p less than 0.001). Serial drug infusion studies revealed a changing spectrum of responses, suggesting the onset of reinnervation by 8 months following the procedure. Myocardial catecholamine content was 85% depleted at that time (p less than 0.001). Cryosurgical cardiac denervation is an effective technique offering the advantages of safety, simplicity, and completeness.
Orthotic Management for Early Onset Scoliosis

This chapter discusses the contemporary role of orthotic treatment for idiopathic early onset scoliosis. Several retrospective studies have demonstrated limited success in bracing this population. However, a recent prospective study in adolescent patients has demonstrated the efficacy of bracing, which may suggest that bracing effectiveness be reconsidered for this population. As recent evidence has shown that there may be a law of diminishing returns with surgical growing rod treatment of early onset scoliosis, it suggests that there is a role for casting and bracing in this population. Goal-oriented thinking is helpful in assessing patients with early onset spinal deformity. Broadly stated goals for early onset spinal deformity patients include achieving maximum spine growth and length, maximum spine flexibility, optimal respiratory function and lung growth, and a minimum of hospitalizations and procedures. A Cobb angle in excess of 20° is a lower threshold for orthotic treatment in idiopathic EOS. Contraindications to bracing include certain curve locations, very large curves, associated thoracic lordosis, advanced chest deformity, and some medical and psychological conditions. There are multiple brace designs currently utilized, but more important, a team approach to management of bracing of all ages is sought at most pediatric deformity centers. Typically, the “team” is composed of physician, orthotist, physical therapist, and nurse or other coordinator. We also view the family and patient as part of the team. Success or failure in bracing depends partly upon the goals chosen for treatment. Establishing realistic, specific, and transparent goals early in orthotic treatment of early onset deformity facilitates rational expectations by the practitioner and family.
The bone marrow in myeloproliferative and dysmyelopoietic syndromes.

Bone marrow morphology in the myeloproliferative and dysmyelopoietic syndromes is complex and difficult. Features of most of the myeloproliferative disorders are not unique and may mimic one another and other unrelated disorders. Careful attention to previous biopsy material and clinical and laboratory data is mandatory. In the myelodysplastic disorders careful attention to both bone marrow smears as well as sections is mandatory because these disorders also may mimic other less serious illnesses. A cautious approach to the diagnosis of all these disorders is warranted.
Tribunes: The Personality of Democracy

One important moment in Winston Churchill’s return to the Conservative party after World War I was the 1924 by-election he fought as an independent candidate for the Abbey division of the borough of Westminster, later characterizing the contest as ‘one of the strangest and most remarkable in the world’.1 As Chapter 1 revealed, Westminster had a long history of attracting remarkable personalities. That list included the rake-cum-reformer Charles James Fox in the 1780s; the early nineteenth-century patrician radical Sir Francis Burdett; the Victorian philosopher and political theorist John Stuart Mill; the enterprising capitalist W. H. Smith; and Churchill himself—soldier, adventurer, journalist, first a Tory, later a Liberal who held seven different cabinet posts after 1905 but whose political career seemed to have stumbled when he lost the Abbey by-election in 1924 by 43 votes out of almost 23,000 cast.
Rights of mentally retarded persons in New Zealand and the United States: A comparison

With a different form of government, New Zealand’s approach to legal rights for mentally retarded persons remains different from that of the United States. In New Zealand, the political arenas are smaller and primarily involve the parliament, some national agencies, and the local government hospital boards. With a federal system of government, the United States is influenced by more political factors. New Zealand’s more limited political arena accounts for the very prominent role of the New Zealand Society for the Intellectually Handicapped which is partially funded by the national government. However, the legislative approach in New Zealand remains long and arduous. Legislative changes currently being sought include adult guardianship, education rights, separate commitment legislation from the Mental Health Act, and employment rights. The judicial arena has proved a quicker route for establishing rights in the U.S.
NDE X-Ray Image Analysis Using Mathematical Morphology

Morphology is the study of form and structure. In image processing, morphology refers to the analysis of structure or texture within an image. The basic principle in mathematical morphology is to probe the microstructure of the image with various geometric structures to extract features of interest from the image. These geometric structures are known as structuring elements.
Hospitalizations, outcomes, and management costs of febrile neutropenia in patients from a managed care population

Purpose The study objective was to evaluate chemotherapy treatment patterns and incidence, cost, and resource utilization of febrile neutropenia-related hospitalization (FNH) in patients with breast cancer, lung cancer, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) from Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC), a large integrated delivery system.
The Generalized Hessenberg Representation And Pole-Zero Structure

Abstract The input-output structure of a state space representation of a linear time invariant system is investigated using the Generalized Hessenberg Representation, Using a geometric approach the essential algebraic properties are exposed including invariant zeros. Then by introducing a metric on the subspaces a measure of observability is defined. If the system is nearly unobservable, it is shown to correspond to pole-zero cancellation in transfer functions. The geometric structure naturally generalizes this notion to multivariable systems.
Simulation of variable impedance as an intervention for upper extremity motor exploration

Current methods in robot-assisted therapy are limited in providing predictions of the effectiveness of interventions. Our approach focuses on how robotic interaction can impact the distribution of movements expressed in the arm. Using data from a previous study with stroke survivors (n=10), we performed simulations to examine how changes in hand endpoint impedance would alter exploratory motion. We present methods for designing a custom training intervention, by relating the desired change in acceleration covariance in planar motion with a corresponding change in inertia matrix. We first characterized motor exploration in terms of overall covariance in acceleration, and secondly as covariance that varies with position in the workspace. Using a forward dynamics simulation of the hand endpoint impedance, we found that the variable change in endpoint inertia resulted in better recovery of acceleration covariance compared to the fixed change in inertia method. These results could significantly impact rehabilitation firstly in terms of design principles for altering coordination patterns through direct assistance. Furthermore, our work might serve to improve therapy by facilitating access to repeated practice of independent joint motion.
Racial Inequities in HIV Prevalence and Composition of Risk Networks Among People Who Inject Drugs in HIV Prevention Trial Network 037.

Background HIV prevention interventions in the United States have failed to eliminate racial inequities. Here, we evaluate factors associated with racial inequities in HIV prevalence among people who inject drugs using HIV Prevention Trial Network 037 data. Methods We measured racial homophily (ie, all members share the same race), being in an HIV+ network (network with ≥1 HIV+ member), and drug and sex risk behaviors. A 2-level logistic regression with a random intercept evaluated the association between being in an HIV+ network and race adjusting for individual-level and network-level factors. Results Data from 232 index participants and 464 network members were included in the analysis. Racial homophily was high among blacks (79%) and whites (70%); 27% of all-black, 14% of all-white, and 23% of racially mixed networks included HIV+ members. Sex risk was similar across networks, but needle sharing was significantly lower in all-black (23%) compared with all-white (48%) and racially mixed (46%) networks. All-black [adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 3.6; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.4 to 9.5] and racially mixed (AOR, 2.0; 95% CI: 1.1 to 3.7) networks were more likely to include HIV+ network members; other factors associated with being in HIV+ network included homelessness (AOR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2 to 3.2), recent incarceration (AOR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2 to 0.7), and cocaine injection (AOR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.0 to 2.7). Risk behaviors were not associated with being in an HIV+ network. Conclusion Despite having lower drug risk behavior, all-black networks disproportionately included HIV+ members. HIV prevention interventions for people who inject drugs need to go beyond individual risk and consider the composition of risk networks.
Are Patients Traveling for Intraoperative Radiation Therapy

Purpose. One benefit of intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) is that it usually requires a single treatment, thus potentially eliminating distance as a barrier to receipt of whole breast irradiation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the distance traveled by IORT patients at our institution. Methods. Our institutional prospective registry was used to identify IORT patients from 10/2011 to 2/2017. Patient’s home zip code was compared to institution zip code to determine travel distance. Characteristics of local ( 100 miles) patients were compared. Results. 150 were patients included with a median travel distance of 27 miles and mean travel distance of 121 miles. Most were local (68.7%), with the second largest group living faraway (20.0%). Subset analysis of local patients demonstrated 20.4% traveled 1000 miles. The local, regional, and faraway patients did not differ with respect to age, race, tumor characteristics, or whole breast irradiation. Conclusions. Breast cancer patients are traveling for IORT, with 63% traveling >20 miles for care. IORT is an excellent strategy to promote breast conservation in selected patients, particularly those who live remote from a radiation facility.
Analysis of the Working Cable System of Single-span Circulating Ropeway

Based on the analysis of the mutual interaction between bearing cable and traction cable of single-span circulating ropeway, the calculation method is proposed for working cables of ropeway with arbitrary loads. The 5 sets nonlinear equations are set up for the working cables according to the equal spans and altitude differences of the bearing cable and the traction cable, the constant of the load running space and the bearing cable length, and the tension balance of bearing cable and traction cable beside load. The resolving method is proposed based on the Newton iterative method. The correctness and feasibility of the method are proved by the results of engineering test. From the solution, the tension and coordinate of working cables can be obtained accurately, which is meaningful for the design and analysis of the freight ropeway.
Needs and Strategies for Genetic Control: Municipal Wastes

Municipal wastes mainly consist of sewage, sludges generated from treatment of sewage, and refuse. All three types of waste are generated whenever sizable numbers of people live together; treatment and disposal are usually considered a municipal problem, even though private firms sometimes carry out the operations. Table 1 lists approximate values for the total masses of sewage, sludge, and refuse generated annually by all Americans. Although the waste materials have small economic value, their very large mass generation rates make them of major economic significance to the local economy. For urban areas and towns, treatment and disposal often are functions performed by local or regional governmental agencies.
Caryophyllidea (Cestoidea): Evolution and Classification

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the evolution and classification of cestode and considers the evolutionary significance of the various aspects of caryophyllid biology and morphology. The relationship of the evolutionary history of caryophyllid cestodes to strobilate forms is still poorly understood. Caryophyllid cestodes were originally placed with Cestodaria and they are considered as true cestodes, allied to strobilate forms through a common oncosphere stage and basic similarities of morphology. Caryophyllid morphology and biology is remarkably different from that of any other group of cestodes. Viewed in the perspective of progenesis and current ecological theory, it is possible to develop an evolutionary scheme that offers explanations for the monozoic morphology and unique cycle with oligochaetes. Recent experimental evidence that the normally polyzoic Echinococcus can yield monozoic forms suggests that the developmental difference between the two body forms may not be too great. Conversely, studies on the distribution of calcareous corpuscles in Gluriducris indicate that some monozoic forms may have traces of cryptic segmentation.
Timing of carotid endarterectomy after recent minor to moderate stroke.

Abstract Objective Early carotid endartectomy is generally favored by vascular surgeons in patients after a minor to moderate stroke. Herein, we compared the results of early versus delayed carotid endartectomy in patients presenting with similar National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale findings after a recent minor to moderate stroke. Methods A retrospective analysis of 101 patients undergoing carotid endartectomy after a recent stroke in the distribution of the branches of the middle cerebral artery with >70% internal carotid artery stenosis from 2000 to February 2018 was performed. Results Sixty patients had carotid endartectomy within 2 weeks (group A) and 41 had carotid endartectomy within 2–8 weeks of stroke (group B). Associated factors, such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, nicotine abuse, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and renal failure, were similar in both groups. However, there was preponderance of male patients in group B (0.01). In group A, 35 patients presented with minor stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale 1–4) and 25 had a moderate stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale 5–15). In group B, 21 had a minor stroke and 20 had a moderate stroke (P = .54). Perioperative stroke occurred in 4 patients in group A and none in group B (P = .14), with perioperative stroke and death rate of 4.0%. Postoperative seizures occurred in 1 patient in group A and three in group B (P = .30). Conclusion Early as well as delayed carotid endartectomy in patients with minor to moderate stroke results in a satisfactory outcome. To prevent recurrent stroke in the waiting period, early carotid endartectomy should be preferred.
Perspectives of Health Care Payer Organizations on Cancer Care Delivery Redesign: A National Study

INTRODUCTION:Despite advancements in cancer care, persistent gaps remain in the delivery of high-value end-of-life cancer care. The aim of this study was to examine views of health care payer organization stakeholders on approaches to the redesign of end-of-life cancer care delivery strategies to improve care.METHODS:We conducted semistructured interviews with 34 key stakeholders (eg, chief medical officers, medical directors) in 12 health plans and 22 medical group organizations across the United States. We recorded, transcribed, and analyzed interviews using the constant comparative method of qualitative analysis.RESULTS:Participants endorsed strategies to redesign end-of-life cancer care delivery to improve end-of-life care. Participants supported the use of nonprofessionals to deliver some cancer services through alternative formats (eg, telephone, Internet) and delivery of services in nonclinical settings. Participants reported that using nonprofessional providers to offer some services, such as goal...
A Population-Based Study of School Readiness Determinants in a Large Urban Public School District

Objectives We examined biologic and social determinants of school readiness in an urban population and whether childcare altered these associations. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted using school readiness data linked to birth certificates of first-time kindergarten students (n = 39,463) in a large, urban public-school district during 2002–2012. Multivariate linear regression models compared mean readiness scores (MRS) for students born low birthweight (LBW) or preterm (PTB) and by childcare type, adjusting for other student and parent risk factors. Results MRSs for moderately LBW (1000–2499 g), extremely LBW (< 1000 g), moderately PTB (28–36 weeks), early-term (37–38 weeks) and post-term (42 + weeks) students were significantly lower than scores for their normal weight or full-term peers, adjusting for childcare type and other student and parent characteristics. Childcare was an important predictor of MRSs. MRSs were highest for district prekindergarten (PK) students and for students of mothers with greater years of education. Conclusions for Practice Social and biologic differences in MRSs for children entering school in a large urban public-school district suggest the need for greater attention to family and child health backgrounds. Increased enrollment in formal childcare may improve school readiness in these settings.
Understanding Perceived Barriers of Minority Medical Students Pursuing a Career in Dermatology.

This survey study evaluates the perceived barriers of minority medical students pursuing a career in dermatology.
Does optimal parenting style help offspring maintain healthy weight into mid-life?

Abstract An authoritative parenting style is generally associated with healthier body weight in children and adolescents. However, whether the protective effect of an authoritative style on offspring body weight may persist into adulthood has seldom been investigated. In this study we examined the longitudinal association between parenting style and body mass index (BMI) change in mid-life. Longitudinal data from the Midlife in the United States Study (N = 3929) were analyzed using generalized estimating equations, adjusting for a range of relevant covariates. Parenting styles were assessed at phase I (1995–1996) using items measuring parental warmth and control, while BMI was assessed at phases I and II (2004–2006). Four parenting styles were derived following prior research: authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and uninvolved styles. Compared to an authoritative style, an authoritarian style was associated with 14% higher increase in the standardized BMI change score (β = 0.14, 95% confidence interval: 0.03, 0.26). While there was suggestive evidence that an uninvolved versus authoritative style might also be associated with greater BMI increase, we found no differences between a permissive and authoritative style. This study suggested that the protective effect of an authoritative parenting style on offspring body weight may persist well into mid-life, particularly as compared to the authoritarian style and possibly the uninvolved style. Such work may reinforce the importance of a public health focus on improving parenting practices and suggest the value of implementing parenting programs, as one strategy for increasing the likelihood that individuals can maintain healthy weight well into adulthood.
Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio, Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio, and Routine Complete Blood Count Components in HELLP Syndrome: A Matched Case Control Study.

Background and objective: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are new readily available inflammatory markers that have been analyzed in pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorders such as preeclampsia. Studies on the NLR/PLR ratio in hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low-platelet count (HELLP) syndrome are limited in the current literature. We compared NLR/PLR and other complete blood count (CBC) components between women with HELLP syndrome and women with healthy pregnancies. Methods: We conducted a retrospective matched case–control study at a tertiary care hospital in NY (USA) in the time frame between January 2016 and December 2018. The study compared pregnant women with HELLP syndrome (cases) to women with healthy pregnancies in the third trimester (controls), matched by age, body mass index (BMI), parity, and race. Patient with preeclampsia, infection, and fever were excluded. Venous blood samples were obtained as part of the routine work-up at admission for delivery, which included a CBC. The main outcomes were NLR and PLR. The secondary outcomes were hemoglobin, red cell distribution width (RDW), platelet count, mean platelet volume (MPV), neutrophils, lymphocytes. Results: There were 14 patients in each group. They were matched by age, race, BMI, and parity. NLR (5.8 vs. 3.6, p-value = 0.002) and neutrophil count (10.7 vs. 6.8, p-value = 0.001) were higher in women with HELLP compared to controls. PLR (34 vs. 130.2, p-value < 0.001) and platelet count (71 vs. 223, p-value < 0.001) were lower in the study group compared to controls. Conclusions: NLR was higher, and PLR was lower in women with HELLP syndrome. These inflammatory markers can be incorporated into the diagnostic algorithm for HELLP syndrome. Future studies are needed to evaluate their ability to predict HELLP syndrome.
From Table to Bedroom: Nutritional Status, Dietary Interventions, and Women’s Sexual Function

In this review, we summarize recent empirical evidence assessing the relationship between nutrition and female sexual dysfunction and give a broad interpretation of the effects. Dietary patterns that ensure adequate intake of shortfall nutrients may help to ameliorate reproductive problems associated with eating disorders, while supplementation in women with low vitamin D status improves sexual functioning. Combination treatments addressing body image concerns and maladaptive eating habits appear to be more effective for some eating disorder subtypes that result in malnutrition. For overweight and obese women, weight loss resulting from dietary changes and/or bariatric surgery tends to improve sexual interest, arousal, and activity. The metabolic perturbations that characterize diabetes mellitus and polycystic ovarian syndrome warrant nutritional interventions, and these lifestyle modifications often improve sexual functioning. Evidence for the use of specific dietary supplements to improve sexual responsivity in women has generally not been supported. Nutritional status can elicit, exacerbate, or ameliorate sexual problems. Treatment of female sexual dysfunction may be enhanced by a multidisciplinary approach incorporating cutting-edge developments in nutrition science.
Band Variations Caused by Strain Effects for Quantum Wires With Arbitrary Orientations

We develop a 2-D continuum elasticity model to study semiconductor band variations caused by strain effects for quantum wires (QWRs) with arbitrary orientations on the (001) plane. The model is implemented by the finite-element method, considering the anisotropic properties of semiconductor crystals and the geometric shapes of QWRs. Using this model, we systematically investigate the changes of band profiles and band gaps as the orientation of an InAs/GaAs QWR varies. We find that band energy deformations due to hydrostatic strain, biaxial strain, and piezoelectric effects are all orientation dependent. In particular, the piezoelectric energy changed dramatically with the orientation. These effects, in turn, cause the bandgap to be orientation dependent. The QWR along [100] or [010] has the minimum bandgap; and the QWR along the [110] or $[{1}{\overline {{{1}}}}{0}]$ direction has the largest bandgap. For some cases, such as the triangle-based QWR, the bandgap change can be significant; and the heavy-hole and light-hole bands may cross or even flip at certain orientations. We also observe that the bandgap profile or pattern inside the QWRs is not sensitive to the orientation. For cylindrical QWRs, the bandgap is uniform, but for the triangle-based QWR, the bandgap has strong location dependence.
Wilderness Aplenty, but Prophets Few: Religion and the Problem(s) of a New Gilded Age

This essay argues that, whatever the continuities between the religious worlds of the late nineteenth century and those of our own time, the discontinuities are significant enough that we should be cautious in deploying the notion of a new Gilded Age. In particular, the prevalence of work-class conservatism in recent decades stands in stark contrast to the roiling debates and radical departures spearheaded by working-class believers involved with the early labor movement.
The Next Urban H2 Order

“Fuel-Cell Urbanism” proposes a new water-energy infrastructural urban plan for Tokyo, leveraging its legacy of visionary infrastructure against the contemporary problematic importation of water an...
Alternate Approaches to Coping in Latinx Adolescents From Immigrant Families

The aims of this mixed-methods study were (a) to explore quantitatively the fit of the COPE inventory (Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced) for Latinx youth from immigrant families, and (b) ...
Classifying complex geodesics for the Carathéodory metric on low-dimensional Teichmüller spaces

It was recently shown that the Caratheodory and Teichmuller metrics on the Teichmuller space of a closed surface do not coincide. On the other hand, Kra earlier showed that the metrics coincide when restricted to a Teichmuller disk generated by a differential with no odd-order zeros. Our aim is to classify Teichmuller disks on which the two metrics agree, and we conjecture that the Caratheodory and Teichmuller metrics agree on a Teichmuller disk if and only if the Teichmuller disk is generated by a differential with no odd-order zeros. Using dynamical results of Minsky, Smillie, and Weiss, we show that it suffices to consider disks generated by Jenkins-Strebel differentials. We then prove a complex-analytic criterion characterizing Jenkins-Strebel differentials which generate disks on which the metrics coincide. Finally, we use this criterion to prove the conjecture for the Teichmuller spaces of the five-times punctured sphere and the twice-punctured torus. We also extend the result that the Caratheodory and Teichmuller metrics are different to the case of compact surfaces with punctures.
Plurality Within Singularity: Chosŏn Korea’s Neo-Confucian Framework

This paper argues that while there was no singular cohesive “national identity” in the modern sense in Chosŏn Korea, the elitist Neo-Confucian framework served as a basis for establishing an overarching identity on the Korean Peninsula. Every other entity defined itself through its relationship to the prominent Neo-Confucian framework. Two marginalized groups – Buddhist institutions and the Catholic Church—defined themselves and developed identities based around the Neo-Confucian framework; this paper analyzes this. By demonstrating that these two marginalized groups had no choice but to define themselves in terms of the Neo-Confucian framework, it is clear this framework also created an elitist identity built around its intellectual culture.
Wheezing and Stridor in a 2-year-old Infant.

1. Yanerys M. Colon-Cortes, MD, FAAP* 2. Dima Ezmigna, MD, FAAP† 1. *Department of Pediatrics, USF Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 2. †Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL A 2-year-old girl with a history of laryngomalacia and asthma presents to the pediatric pulmonary clinic with a 1-week history of wheezing, cough, shortness of breath, nasal congestion, and epistaxis. She was referred by her pediatrician due to the persistence of symptoms after being treated with albuterol, systemic steroids, and oral antibiotics for an acute asthma exacerbation presumably triggered by community-acquired pneumonia. On examination, her temperature is 37.3°F, blood pressure is 104/71 mm Hg, heart rate is 144 beats per minute, respiratory rate is 38 breaths per minute, and oxygen saturation is 98% on room air. Head and neck examination shows erythematous mucosa and swollen nasal turbinates with left-sided mucopurulent discharge. The respiratory examination is significant for inspiratory stridor, suprasternal and subcostal retractions, and bilateral expiratory wheezing. The rest of her physical examination is unremarkable. She is admitted to the pediatric pulmonary service due to persistence of symptoms, respiratory distress, and lack of response to bronchodilator therapy and systemic steroids. A left nasal foreign body (FB) is suspected due to the unilateral findings on examination. Skull radiograph shows a soft tissue fullness in the left nasal cavity without evidence of radiodense FB. Flexible nasal endoscopy by ear, nose, and throat surgeons confirms the presence of an FB in the left …
GNSS-based simulation of spacecraft formation flight: A case study of ionospheric plasma remote sensing

Future space weather missions using spacecraft formation flying can provide more robust, flexible, sustainable, and low-cost observational capability on multi-scale ionospheric plasma structures. T...
Cell Types of Origin in the Cell Free Transcriptome in Human Health and Disease

Abstract Liquid biopsies using cell-free RNA (cfRNA) can noninvasively measure dynamic physiological changes throughout the body. While there is much effort in the liquid biopsy field to determine disease tissue-of-origin, pathophysiology occurs at the cellular level. Here, we show that it is possible to determine cell type-of-origin from cfRNA by leveraging single cell transcriptomic atlases to perform computational deconvolution. We derived cell type gene signatures by combining the whole-body single cell atlas Tabula Sapiens, individual tissue single cell atlases, and bulk tissue atlases. Using deconvolution, we identified cell types-of-origin in the healthy human cell-free transcriptome, including contributions from multiple cell types in the brain, liver, lung, intestine, kidney, and pancreas in addition to hematopoietic cell types. We further showed that it is possible not only to detect cell types implicated in the pathology of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but also to measure changes in these cell types as a function of disease state. Altogether, our results show that cfRNA measurements reflect cellular contributions in health and disease from diverse tissue-specific cell types. These findings underscore the resolution at which one can monitor pathophysiological changes and the broad potential prognostic utility afforded by non-invasive transcriptomic measurement.
Chapter 8—Nonproportional Loading

This book provides practicing engineers, researchers, and students with a working knowledge of the fatigue design process and models under multiaxial states of stress and strain. Readers are introduced to the important considerations of multiaxial fatigue that differentiate it from uniaxial fatigue.
COVID-19 after two doses of mRNA vaccines in kidney transplant recipients.

Mortality due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and the resulting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among transplant recipients is high 1 . In December 2020 the BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) and the mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccines received emergency use authorization in the United States. These mRNA vaccines administered in a two-dose series were more than 94% effective in preventing COVID-19 in clinical trials, without safety concerns identified 2,3 . Transplant recipients were excluded from the clinical trials. Although decreased efficacy and immunogenicity were expected for transplant recipients, transplant recipients were included in the early vaccination prioritization groups and transplant societies, including the American Society of Transplantation, urged transplant recipients to get vaccinated as soon as vaccine was available.
A Dynamical Basis for Action Systems

Students of the neural basis of cognition might weil take as their dictum the first phrase in the gospel according to St. John: “In the beginning was the word.” In this chapter, we beg to differ and side instead with Goethe’s Faust who, not satisfied with the accuracy of the biblical statement, proposed a rather different solution: “Im Anfang war die Tat”—“In the beginning was the act.”1 Certainly, if there is a lesson to be learned from the fie1d of neuroembryology, it is that motility precedes reactivity; there is a chronological primacy of the motor over the sensory. 2 Although one of our main premises is that any distinction between sensory and motor is an artificiaI one (cf. Kelso, 1979), this brief sojoum into developmental embryology affords what we take to be a main contrast between the topic of concem in this chapter—the control and coordination of movement—and the subject matter of the rest of this book.
Feasibility of utilizing a commercial eye tracker to assess electronic health record use during patient simulation.

Numerous reports describe unintended consequences of electronic health record implementation. Having previously described physicians’ failures to recognize patient safety issues within our electron...
Separating Fractal and Oscillatory Components in the Power Spectrum of Neurophysiological Signal

Neurophysiological field-potential signals consist of both arrhythmic and rhythmic patterns indicative of the fractal and oscillatory dynamics arising from likely distinct mechanisms. Here, we present a new method, namely the irregular-resampling auto-spectral analysis (IRASA), to separate fractal and oscillatory components in the power spectrum of neurophysiological signal according to their distinct temporal and spectral characteristics. In this method, we irregularly resampled the neural signal by a set of non-integer factors, and statistically summarized the auto-power spectra of the resampled signals to separate the fractal component from the oscillatory component in the frequency domain. We tested this method on simulated data and demonstrated that IRASA could robustly separate the fractal component from the oscillatory component. In addition, applications of IRASA to macaque electrocorticography and human magnetoencephalography data revealed a greater power-law exponent of fractal dynamics during sleep compared to wakefulness. The temporal fluctuation in the broadband power of the fractal component revealed characteristic dynamics within and across the eyes-closed, eyes-open and sleep states. These results demonstrate the efficacy and potential applications of this method in analyzing electrophysiological signatures of large-scale neural circuit activity. We expect that the proposed method or its future variations would potentially allow for more specific characterization of the differential contributions of oscillatory and fractal dynamics to distributed neural processes underlying various brain functions.
Situations-vacant fall where employees are engaged

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to summarize recent commentary and research about employee engagement. It offers information on practices and suggestions aimed at helping human resource specialists and general managers to stimulate opportunities for employees to become more engaged in their work. Design/methodology/approach – Discusses employee engagement based on an extensive literature review of recent research and commentary regarding the concept. Findings – Advances the view that, depending upon one’s organizational culture, work tasks and employee characteristics, there are many practical opportunities for managers to help employees to become more engaged in their work and organization. Practical implications – Explains how employee involvement can help to improve product quality, cut costs, bolster employee retention and boost organizational performance. Social implications – Argues that employees have to find personal meaning in their work to be engaged. Originality/value – Serves as a refre...
Characterization of the lipopolysaccharide O antigens of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotypes 9 and 11: antigenic relationships among serotypes 9, 11, and 1.

Abstract The antigenic lipopolysaccharide O polysaccharides of capsular serotypes 9 and 11 were examined by chemical, immunological, and nuclear magnetic resonance methods. Immunodiffusion tests carried out on these O antigens indicated that both contained common epitopes which were also shared by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1. Chemical analysis and high-field nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that the O antigens of serotypes 9 and 11 were high-molecular-weight polymers consisting of a backbone of repeating trisaccharide units composed of alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl and alpha-D-glucopyranosyl residues (2:1). One of the alpha-L-rhamnose units forms a branch point and is stoichiometrically substituted with terminal 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucose residues in the serotype 11 O polysaccharide, but only to the extent of 25% in the serotype 9 O polysaccharide. Thus, the serotype 9 O polysaccharide contains two different repeating units: a tetrasaccharide unit with the same structure as that of the serotype 11 O polysaccharide and a trisaccharide unit: [formula: see text] where R = beta-D-GlcpNAc for serotype 1 and 11 O polysaccharides, and R = H (75%) and R = beta-D-GlcpNAc (25%) for serotype 9. The structure of the previously determined serotype 1 O polysaccharide (E. Altman, J.-R. Brisson, and M. B. Perry, Biochem. Cell. Biol. 64:17-25, 1986) is identical to that of the serotype 11 O polysaccharide. We propose a more complete serotyping scheme for A. pleuropneumoniae which includes designation of both the capsular (K) and O antigens.
Fast spin-echo MR in the detection of vertebral metastases : comparison of three sequences

PURPOSE To examine the relative capabilities for the detection of vertebral metastases of three available fast spin-echo sequences: T1-weighted fast spin-echo, short tau inversion recovery (STIR) fast spin-echo, and T2-weighted fast spin-echo sequences with chemical shift selective saturation pulse fat suppression. METHODS Fourteen patients were evaluated prospectively over a 2-month period with T1-weighted fast spin-echo (four echo train, four acquisitions, 1 min 59 sec-2 min 37 sec). STIR fast spin-echo (16 echo train, four acquisitions, 2 min 30 sec-3 min 19 sec), and T2-weighted fast spin-echo (16 echo train, 4 acquisitions, 2 min 27 sec-3 min 16 sec). For all three pulse sequences, measurements were obtained of the signal intensities of normal marrow, abnormal marrow, fat, and noise posterior to the spine. Contrast-to-noise ratios were calculated for metastases in each case. Lesions were evaluated by three observers and rated for size, location, and conspicuity. RESULTS Signal intensities of fat, normal marrow, and noise were highest for T1-weighted fast spin-echo sequences. STIR fast spin-echo and fat-suppressed T2-weighted fast spin-echo had approximately similar fat-suppression capabilities. Though contrast-to-noise ratios were highest overall for STIR fast spin-echo, the finding was not statistically significant and lesion conspicuity was deemed better with fat-suppressed T2-weighted fast spin-echo and T1-weighted fast spin-echo images. Discrete lesions were well identified on all three pulse sequences. CONCLUSION Fast spin-echo sequences appear promising for the detection of vertebral metastases. Further work should be directed toward comparison with conventional spin-echo to determine whether fast spin-echo may replace conventional spin-echo sequences for evaluation of vertebral metastases.
Effects of Gaussian perturbations on parameter estimators derived from an estimated signal subspace

The authors present theoretical analyses that are appropriate for both high and low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of signal subspace or SVD-based signal-processing algorithms. For the low-SNR case, the probability of obtaining an outlier is calculated and is used to determine the threshold SNR at which the variance of parameter estimation errors departs from Cramer-Rao bound behavior. At high-SNR, the perturbation of the parameter estimates from SVD-based linear prediction and Prony-Lanczos algorithms is considered using matrix approximation and Taylor series approximation. >
Expression of the sulfonamide resistance gene from plasmid R46.

Abstract The expression of the sul I gene from plasmid R46, a wide host range plasmid of the IncN incompatibility group, was studied in Escherichia coli . Using a promoter test vector, a promoter was detected upstream of the sul I gene. From a nuclease protection experiment, the transcription was determined to start 360 bp upstream of the coding sequence. Two putative promoter −35 and −10 sequences were found upstream from the predicted transcription start. The presence of this promoter sequence in other R factors was discussed in relation with previous data showing that the sul I genes were transcribed from other promoters. The translation product of the sul I gene was detected in minicells. Its size indicates that the translation starts at the first ATG codon found in the open reading frame.
Simulation of ion exchange water softening pretreatment for reverse osmosis desalination of brackish water

Abstract Prevention of membrane scaling in reverse osmosis (RO) desalination may require operation at low recoveries, which increases the amount of brine, increasing brine disposal costs and creating environmental hazard. Ion exchange (IEX) pretreatment removes Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions to limit scaling of salts. Use of concentrated water from RO process for regeneration of the IEX column eliminates the need for regeneration chemicals. Detailed simulations of the process were done. Optimal IEX/RO configurations were developed to avoid precipitation and minimize brine disposal cost. Simulations were done for Ca2+ rich and Ca2+ poor brackish water, in which relative composition of different ions mimics real brackish water source and sea water respectively. For the Ca2+ rich feed considered (TDS = 12,000 ppm), RO operation without either IEX pretreatment or anti-scalant predicted 36% recovery before precipitation occurred. In comparison, RO simulations after IEX pretreatment predicted recoveries as high as 90% with no precipitation in RO modules. IEX/RO operation at higher recoveries decreased the cost of product water by 75% when brine disposal costs are high and by 20% when brine disposal costs are low. Simulations showed IEX pretreatment was not beneficial for the Ca2+ poor feed, which did not precipitate.
Gatekeeping procedures with clinical trial applications

The objective of this paper is to give an overview of a relatively new area of multiplicity research that deals with the analysis of hierarchically ordered multiple objectives. Testing procedures for this problem are known as gatekeeping procedures and have found a variety of applications in clinical trials. This paper reviews main classes of these procedures, including serial and parallel gatekeeping procedures, and tree gatekeeping procedures that account for logical restrictions among multiple objectives. We focus on procedures based on marginal p-values; extensions to procedures that exploit the joint distribution of the p-values are also noted. Clinical trial examples are used to illustrate the procedures and their important properties.
Alexia and agraphia with lesions of the angular and supramarginal gyri: Evidence for the disruption of sequential processing

Abstract Objective To determine the features of alexia or agraphia with a left angular or supramarginal gyrus lesion. Methods We assessed the reading and writing abilities of three patients using kanji (Japanese morphograms) and kana (Japanese syllabograms). Results Patient 1 showed kana alexia and kanji agraphia following a hemorrhage in the left angular gyrus and the adjacent lateral occipital gyri. Patient 2 presented with minimal pure agraphia for both kanji and kana after an infarction in the left angular gyrus involving part of the supramarginal gyrus. Patient 3 also showed moderate pure agraphia for both kanji and kana after an infarction in the left supramarginal and postcentral gyri. All three patients made transposition errors (changing of sequential order of kana characters) in reading. Patient 1 showed letter-by-letter reading and a word-length effect and made substitution errors (changing hiragana [one form of kana] characters in a word to katakana [another form of kana] characters and vice versa) in writing. Conclusion Alexia occurs as “angular” alexia only when the lesion involves the adjacent lateral occipital gyri. Transposition errors suggest disrupted sequential phonological processing from the angular and lateral occipital gyri to the supramarginal gyrus. Substitution errors suggest impaired allographic conversion between hiragana and katakana attributable to a dysfunction in the angular/lateral occipital gyri.
Competition in the Sandbox: A Test of the Effects of Preschool Competition on Educational Outcomes.

The emergence of publicly subsidized preschool raises important policy questions about the role of market forces and, in places where competition to provide these services exists, presents a setting in which the effects of competition on educational outcomes can be tested. We test neo-institutional hypotheses concerning the effects of competition to provide publicly-funded prekindergarten (pre-k) services on the performance of public schools and private organizations. We use student-level data collected over a five-year period on a large sample of children who attended publicly subsidized prekindergarten in Georgia. Overall, we find that more competition improves third grade reading and math test scores but does not significantly affect retention or school readiness ratings during elementary school. Not all children are equally affected by competition; for example, greater competition significantly decreases the likelihood of retention for children of the working poor. Contrary to the expectations of some theorists, both public schools and private organizations respond to increased competition in ways that improve test scores but not retention. However, children attending private prekindergarten have higher language arts scores and lower retention across the range of competition when compared with children who attended public school pre-k. © 2006 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management